Jaune's idea about walking the beach the next day ended up paying off.
Blake spotted it first, the flow of water cutting through the sand and out to sea. They'd decided to venture beyond where they'd found Weiss and not even an hour later, they discovered fresh water. It trickled out of the forest and across the beach, the sand rippled and hard underfoot where it dispersed into the ocean. It wasn't a river, not really – but it was definitely fed by something. When they followed it inland, it led them straight to a series of small ponds.
It was perfect for their needs.
The water was crystal clear and good enough to drink, though they could always boil it to be safe. The ponds were fed by a small waterfall, pouring forth from exposed rock and pooling in a series of rock formations arranged like steps, several tiers high. When the water reached the bottom, it continued underground. The trickle they'd found on the beach was just overflow, the ponds unable to hold all the water before it passed back into the ground and into the spring.
Upon its discovery, they decided to move camp immediately.
Normally, it would be wise to remain where they first came ashore. It would make it easier for rescue teams to locate them if they tracked any of the wreckage using ocean data and currents. Since the island wasn't all that huge, though – it really didn't matter. With them burning wood for signals at all hours, it would be impossible for them to miss it.
And just in case, they fashioned a crude arrow out of sticks and stabbed it into the beach, pointing the way to their new home. It was not something that could be mistaken for a naturally occurring feature. It could only be man made.
Carrying their shelter as it was would be much too difficult so Jaune pulled it apart and they moved it in pieces. He also got started on making it bigger and a little more permanent, fashioning a floor and proper walls. Blake helped when she could, her experience in the White Fang coming in handy. They had often constructed little huts out in the middle of the wilds when hiding from authorities and while she hadn't built any of those personally, she had watched and learned.
It wasn't long until they had a small hut, the floor elevated a foot or so off the ground and sturdy enough to take their weight and then some. He lined the roof with the plastic sheet and then used the one they'd been sleeping on to line as much of the walls as he could. He then wet some soil and clay from further inland and plastered it all over the outside, the sun baking it until it was hard.
It really wasn't much of a surprise that his best subject back at Beacon was their Survivalist classes. Together with Ren and Nora, they were quite the outdoors team. It was probably the only thing that he was better than Pyrrha at.
With the extra space, it meant that they were no longer forced to sleep bunched up. Not that she thought that would change. Even if it meant they could now spread out, the nights were still cold, close to freezing. Huddling together was still their best strategy to ward off the chill.
It wasn't for any other reason. Blake was just being practical.
Unbidden, the sight of Jaune in only his boxer-briefs resurfaced, his chiseled physique glistening wetly beneath the afternoon sun. Blake felt her cheeks explode with heat and she busied herself with her task, filling their empty water bottles with fresh, clean water from the spring.
When he had stripped off so nonchalantly, it had taken her aback. She never figured Jaune as the type to undress without a care but he'd paid her and Weiss zero mind, rushing off into the sea to swim without a backwards glance. It had been done so quickly and without fuss that Blake had felt a little foolish getting so worked up about it, her ears burning hot as she watched him go.
If he hadn't been so blasé about the whole thing, she wouldn't have felt so comfortable doing the same. Next thing she knew, she'd stripped down herself and Weiss had followed her example, until the three of them were messing around like children, any concerns firmly in the back of their minds.
They'd needed it.
As much as she tried to not let it affect her, though – she hadn't been able to stop herself from checking Jaune out. Blake could recall a beach outing their teams had gone on, right before their first year had ended. Jaune had worn a shirt back then, even when he went swimming, and so she couldn't recall ever seeing him shirtless.
She'd definitely seen him shirtless now.
Whatever training Pyrrha had been putting him through, it had done wonders for more than just his fighting capabilities. It took more than a handsome face and a fit bod to ruffle Blake's feathers; Sun had both of those in spades – but there was something about seeing dorky, lovable Jaune Arc out in the sun, his body built in the image of the perfect warrior that had caught her off guard.
He was ripped but in a very practical, aesthetically pleasing way. There was nothing vain about it; his arms were long and strong with very little unneeded bulk, but she'd already known that. She'd seen him in his singlet enough. His chest was wide but not too wide, his black flaring out powerfully to match. She'd known that, also – though she'd never seen it bare to her eyes, allowing her to feast. His waist was trim, his abs solid but not overly done. And his legs – that had been the biggest shock, how defined his thighs were, rippling as his legs tensed, his calves like iron.
Jaune did not skip leg day.
It was silly. She knew he was fit and muscled. In her mind, she knew these things. Had known them for a while.
But knowing it and seeing it out in the open for her to freely admire was two different things.
And that wasn't even getting started on her teammate, Weiss.
They'd seen each other naked, had even bathed together. But having Jaune there as they messed around in their underwear had been... thrilling.
As much as she'd feasted on Jaune, she had feasted on Weiss just as much.
Her small, perky breasts and ridiculously pert ass. Her slender, impossibly small waist and that toned stomach. Alongside that otherworldly beauty that all Schnee women seemed to exude, was it any surprise that she'd been just as taken with her teammate as she was with Jaune?
Blake shook her head.
The stress had to be getting to her.
Yeah, it was just stress. Anyway, physical attraction was normal when you were surrounded by attractive people. Blake already knew that she swung both ways. Men and women – it didn't matter to her. But there were no feelings here, nothing more than the deep affection shared between close friends.
That's all it was.
Normal teenage stuff.
As much as she loved her novels, the real world worked a little differently. People could be attracted to other people physically without love being involved. Not everything was a fated meeting or a destined partnership, as much as those concepts appealed to her.
Horny was horny. And Blake could be very horny, despite her best efforts.
Anyway, now wasn't the time for all of that. While they were doing a good job at keeping their morale high and not letting their situation drag them down, they were still lost at sea – was that the correct term? No, wait – they were castaways. Castaways on a deserted island.
It was a very serious plight they were dealing with. She needed to get her head straight.
She hauled their refilled bottles back to their hut and found Weiss taking shelter in the shade. Her beautiful snow white skin had taken the brunt of the sun the day before and was now red with irritation, her grumpy expression a perfect indicator of her mood.
Blake couldn't blame her. Sunburn sucked.
She hadn't gotten away scott free, either. Her top chafed against her skin as she moved, a constant source of pain and a reminder that it didn't take long at all for the sun to exact a price. Blake had chosen something loose with plenty of coverage so as not to make things worse, retiring her crop top for the time being.
She knew she looked a little silly, wearing a shirt that was meant for a grown man but there was no one else around, only Weiss and Jaune. Who cares what she looked like. Since it was so long, she had to tie it at the ends.
"Are you doing okay?" she asked and received a grunt in return.
It wasn't a surprise that someone like Weiss didn't do well with the heat. She hailed from the north, the coldest continent on Remnant where it wasn't so unusual for a blizzard to roll through in summer. Weiss hadn't complained but Blake could see the struggle clear on her face.
"Where's Jaune?"
Weiss grunted again, pointing.
At first she couldn't see him, the glare of the sea blinding her – but then she spotted him, digging down by the tide line with his hands.
"What's he doing?"
Weiss shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest."
Curious, Blake made her way down to him. As she approached, she noticed how red his skin was, having suffered the same plight but it didn't seem as bad, his complexion not quite so pale as theirs. Blake felt her eyes wander across his shoulders and arms before she forced them away, interested in what he was doing.
He was collecting... shells?
No, not shells – clams. Though they were different to any clam she had been before, ovoid in shape and buried in the sand in clusters. He had filled their pot with a few dozen, each one a couple of inches in length.
"What are those?" she asked, casting a shadow across him.
He looked up at her and smiled, his wide blue eyes drawing her in.
"No idea," he said. "I felt them sucking at my feet and dug them up. I think we can eat them."
Blake arched an eyebrow. "You think?"
He laughed. "I mean – why not? They can't be any different than oysters or mussels."
Blake knelt down beside him and pulled one from the sand as a gentle wave lapped at her knees. When she held it up, it squirted a small stream of water at her, a strange tongue-like appendage retreating back inside the shell.
They didn't have these on Menagerie.
"Are these for lunch, then?"
Jaune shrugged. "If you want."
Blake tossed it into the pot with the others.
"You might have to drain them out," she gestured around. "Since they are coming out of the sand, they might be filled with it."
Jaune nodded. "Yeah, I figured. Maybe we can boil them, as well – just to be safe."
She watched his powerful hands dig through the sand and remembered how those same hands had grabbed her waist, picking her up effortlessly.
Blake closed her eyes.
"Is there anything else we need to do?"
Jaune thought for a few seconds. "We just need to collect some more wood for the signal fires."
Blake got to her feet. "I can do that."
"Take Crocea Mors," he said. "Look after my baby, okay?"
Blake scoffed. "Now you sound like Ruby."
She found his sword propped up inside their hut. Unsheathing the blade, she gave it a few swings before balancing the hilt on the palm of her hand. She'd never used his sword before and was curious since it was a family heirloom, something that had been used in the Great War. He'd had some work done on it at the end of their first year but otherwise, it was still the very same sword.
It felt remarkably light and very well balanced, the blade not moving at all as she held it out.
It may have been simple and lacked the versatility that something like Gambol Shroud or Crescent Rose boasted but it was a very good weapon.
"Want to come with me?" she asked and to her surprise, Weiss got up.
"What are we doing?"
"Cutting wood for the signal fires. Come on."
The canopy was quite dense so it shielded them from the sun's harshness but it was no less hot, the air dry. Blake would take that over humidity any day. Weiss leaned against a tree while Blake hacked several branches free, piling them together before scoping out thicker logs for the structure. Focusing aura into the blade, it cut through the wood like a hot knife through butter. There was very little resistance at all.
"Tell me about Menagerie," Weiss spoke up after several minutes of silence.
Blake glanced her way. "What do you want to know?"
Weiss shrugged. "Everything. Anything. You don't really talk about your home."
"You don't either," Blake pointed out.
Weiss nodded, a wistful expression on her face. "No, I don't suppose I do."
Blake grimaced, regretting her careless words. Of course Weiss didn't talk about her home much. Her family situation wasn't exactly the greatest. While her friend wasn't very forthcoming with many of the details, all of Team RWBY knew enough.
"Sorry," Blake muttered, abashed.
Weiss waved her off. "It's fine. So – tell me."
Blake found a smaller tree with a trunk about the size they needed and cut it right through with a single strike, stepping away as it crashed to the ground.
"It isn't much different than here, honestly," Blake said. "Much larger, of course – but we are forced to live exclusively on the coast, in a few key pockets. Grimm rule much of the island and we just don't have the numbers to eradicate them. When I found out they were able to reclaim some land for farming, I was actually pretty surprised. I can't remember the last time we were able to expand. Before I was born, no doubt."
Blake chopped the branches off the trunk, smoothing it out before moving onto another tree.
"Because of the Grimm, things are... cramped. Kuo Kuana isn't the only settlement but it is the largest by quite a bit. Even then, it doesn't compare to a city like Vale or Atlas. The houses are built close together to save as much space as possible. It..." she trailed off.
"Blake?"
She sighed.
"It's beautiful," she finally said. "But it feels like a prison. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"
Their eyes met and Weiss nodded. "Yeah. I know exactly how that feels."
Blake looked away first. "It feels like we were just... shunted off after the war and while everything looks great on the surface, faunus feel trapped. As our population grows, the noose tightens. Menagerie belongs more to the Grimm than to us and no one will lift a finger to help. No one sees the point. Why would they? We're just... animals to them."
"Vale is helping."
Blake stabbed Crocea Mors into the ground.
"They are," Blake smiled, if only slightly. "That farming equipment was – is so important. We get by with fishing and hunting but we really don't have that much to trade with. I have a feeling that the Headmaster was a key advocate during negotiations. He's on the council and I've read up on many of the initiatives in the city, all pushed through with his support and vote that help local faunus."
She shook her head. Weiss had asked her about her home and she'd made it weird, getting all political and down about the state of affairs of her home nation. It was tough to shed that side of her, considering that she had spent the majority of her life as an activist and then something... else.
Once upon a time, there had been a few factions willing to lend aid. In her youth, Blake could remember humans visiting the island with supplies and extra hands to ply their skills. When the White Fang radicalized, though – that support had dried up. Humans didn't feel safe on their shores... and they were right to feel that way.
To think that once, if only for a short portion of her life, she'd hated those people. Those people that had left their homes to come help in the only way they could, not with money but with their own two hands. Blacksmiths, tailors, bakers, butchers and more. They'd weathered all the suspicion and forged onwards, integrating into a society that ultimately rejected them in the end for no other reason than they were different.
She hated that she'd been so blind. She hated that she'd been so fucking hypocritical.
How could there ever be equality or peace without partnership? Just thinking about how faunus were turned away and reviled simply because they looked different made her blood boil, and yet they did the exact same thing when it came down to it. They were human – and so they could not be trusted.
Her parents fought against this and what did she do? Throw it all back in their face, having a tantrum like a damn child. Only it was a little more serious than just a tantrum, wasn't it? She'd become hateful and spiteful, and while Blake was confident that she had never directly harmed an innocent or killed anyone, what about indirectly? Through the people she had followed and worked beside?
A vision of Adam on that train appeared to her, his callous words that had ultimately driven her away from the White Fang, the straw that broke the camel's back. She'd already had doubts before that moment but such open disregard for life, of people simply working their jobs and who had no control over what the Schnee Dust Company did...
No. She hadn't been able to kid herself any more. Things had been sour for a long time before then but no one had ever accused her of being a fast learner.
Blake jumped when a hand settled on her shoulder and she found that at some point, Jaune had appeared. Blinking at him, she noticed Weiss had a worried look on her face and had moved closer.
"Jaune?"
He gave her a look of concern. "Are you okay? You looked like you were in your own world there."
Blake felt a flare of embarrassment. "I – I'm fine. I just – I guess I got stuck in my head a little bit."
"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded, feeling really stupid. "What were you talking about?"
"I asked her about Menagerie. I didn't mean to pry if it was an uncomfortable subject," Weiss looked down. "I know better than anyone how personal matters can be difficult to share."
"No, Weiss, I – it really had nothing to do with your question," Blake shook her head. "I just – you asked me about my home and I could only focus on the worst parts. I have a bad habit of doing that."
Weiss smirked. "You aren't the only one. Trust me."
A thought came to her.
"Beginning in spring and all through summer, all you can hear from morning to evening is the sound of the cicadas' call," Blake reminisced, a fond smile tugging at her lips. Jaune gave her shoulder a final squeeze before stepping back. "At first, it can be quite annoying – and no one likes insects, right? But… away from Menagerie, I found myself longing for that sound, for their song. That deafening, constant cry. At Beacon, there was a hint of it – you've all heard them in the Emerald Forest?"
They nodded.
"But in Menagerie, it is about five times as loud and never ending. So many of my memories growing up are to the backdrop of that sound. Like when I first learned to swim or when I'd join the other kids playing soccer on the beach, or when we'd all visit Mrs. Webb's store for ice cream. She... She'd always give me an extra scoop because she grew up with my mom."
She didn't have to think very hard to recall the taste. Blake's favorite flavor was vanilla, the most basic of basic's. But no one had vanilla ice cream like Mrs. Webb. The creamy texture, the smooth deliverance of vanilla bean, and the generous scoops. It wasn't long until she was there in her mind, feeling the sun on her brow as she licked enthusiastically at her treat, the other children gathered around, eager for their own ice cream topped cones.
"How many different types of faunus are there?" Jaune suddenly asked during her pause and she glanced at him, surprised. "You have cat ears and Velvet has rabbit ears, Sun has a monkey tail and I've met so many different varieties but is there a limit?"
"Jaune," Weiss giggled, trying to hide her laughter behind a hand. "Jaune, you can't just ask something like that."
"I can't?" he looked confused. "Wait – was that super rude to ask? I – I didn't mean it in any bad way! It's just – where I'm from, there aren't that many faunus and while we learn about all the wars and stuff at Beacon, there isn't – like Faunus Biology 101 or something."
Weiss snorted as Blake stared at him with raised brows.
Jaune looked lost. "Did I say something stupid again?"
Blake shook her head slowly. "No, no – it's fine. Really, Jaune," she reassured him quickly as he cringed. "I was just surprised. No one has ever asked me something like that before."
"Oh," he said in clear relief.
"There isn't a limit," Blake answered his question before frowning. "Er – at least I don't think there is?"
"Oh, well done," Weiss sassed.
"Be quiet. Do you know everything there is to know about human biology?"
Weiss opened her mouth, finger raised – and then shut it again.
"Fine," she finally said. "Point taken."
"So there are fish faunus?"
Blake smirked. "Yeah, there are fish faunus – and eel, and dolphin, and shark, and more besides."
He looked at her with such interest that she found herself smiling. Blake knew that he was attempting to divert her attention away from the darker thoughts she'd been having, he wasn't exactly the most subtle manipulator around – but it was working. It wasn't like his interest was false.
Had she ever just talked about her species to a human before? Educating them on things they might not know but she took for granted? She didn't think so – not unless it involved the White Fang or political ideologies or other topics along those lines.
"So fish faunus – what type of traits do they have?"
"Most of them have scales," Blake answered. "Depending on the type of fish they take after, they may have unique identifiers like spines or whisker-like barbels if they're a cat fish. Oh, and a lot of them also have gills."
"So they can breathe underwater?"
Blake laughed at how enthusiastic he sounded. "Yeah, they can breathe underwater. Some even have full tail appendages but at the cost of legs. As you can imagine, they can't really get around on land very well."
Even Weiss looked surprised at this.
"I did not know that," the heiress said. "Do they remain in water, then?"
Blake nodded. "We have an entire area in Kuo Kuana built on the water, homes half-submerged for those that live in the sea."
"So they're like mermaids," Jaune exclaimed.
"That is what the girls like to call themselves. I've no doubt that the stories that human's pass down about creatures like that stem from encountering faunus."
Weiss nodded. "That makes sense."
"I've never really thought about it before but do you have anything extra like – I don't know, an enhanced sense of smell or hearing or even better night vision than other faunus?"
It was Weiss that answered this one, beating Blake to the punch.
"She can hear a pin drop with those extra ears of hers," Weiss deadpanned. "And Yang told me that if I ever need to get her somewhere, just point a laser at the ground and she'll follow it."
Blake flushed, a feeling of indignation swelling in her chest. "Yang told you that?"
Weiss nodded. "She was very amused by it. She wanted to try other things like yarn or a wind up mouse but Ruby talked her out of it. I must confess, I was curious..."
She needed to have a serious talk with her partner when they saw each other again.
"...and yes, I can see in the dark better than most other faunus types," Blake added, sounding a little petulant. "It certainly comes in handy."
Jaune took over cutting wood as he asked more questions about her people. Then at some point, Weiss began speaking about her own experiences in Atlas.
"Have either of you been to Atlas or Mantle?"
Jaune shook his head and Blake did the same. She'd heard plenty of stories from Adam and Ilia but had never stepped foot on Solitas herself.
"The divide between class is no more exemplified by the sight of Atlas high above in the clouds with Mantle in decay below," she shook her head in disgust. "It had only gotten worse when I returned from Beacon. The elite sip their cocktails and prattle on about nothing while the less fortunate struggle in the lower city, cold and hungry. It took them months to repair a hole that had breached the outer wall, something that should have been a top priority. I just – General Ironwood is the Headmaster of Atlas Academy and a General in the Atlas Military. He holds two spots on the council and yet such an important piece of infrastructure was left to ruin for nearly half a year! Grimm were in the streets! It just made me so angry."
They dragged the wood out onto the beach and began putting it all together, two stacked piles – one for night, one for day. For day, they stuffed it with wet leaves and bark and anything that would burn but give off dark smoke.
"What's the point in being the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company if I can't do anything with it?" she continued to rage. "My father doesn't give a damn because why would he? The more desperate people are, the more workers he has that he can underpay."
She sighed tiredly, the anger draining out of her as quick as it came.
"I want to change things but sometimes I wonder if I can," she confessed. "I know that one day, I will be in charge but that is a long way off. Going to Menagerie with you... I saw it as an opportunity to maybe right some wrongs, even if I can't do anything. I can say all the pretty words in the world but words are wind."
Blake shook her head. "They aren't. Weiss – your actions mean something, even if they don't seem like they matter now. They'll mean something one day. I – when we met, I thought you were just one of those stuffy, entitled princesses that people had told me about. Rich and clueless, thinking they are better than everyone else because they have money and fancy clothes and a nice house."
"Wasn't I exactly like that?" Weiss questioned sarcastically.
"No, you weren't," Blake answered at once and Jaune nodded in agreement. "You were prickly and cold and – okay, maybe you were a little entitled."
Weiss scoffed.
"But those people you hate, who you think you were like – they wouldn't accept someone like me," Blake said. "Your family's company... it exploits people. But the White Fang... what it became, after my parents stepped down, it was twisted. You once told me that friends and family, that workers would go missing, never to be heard of again."
Weiss nodded.
"You had every right to fear me," Blake clenched her fists. "Who wouldn't? It didn't help that I was hiding who I was. What I was. And maybe I had every right to hate you, too – for what your family was doing, for what your father was doing not just to faunus, but to anyone who was desperate for work and had nowhere else to go."
Blake then calmed.
"But that was it, wasn't it? It was your father, not you. You never did any of these things. And you've shown me, time and time again, the type of person you are. You wouldn't be here, now, if you weren't who you are. You wanted to visit my home and talk with my parents, knowing that the reception you'll receive from everyone will be colored by their perception of your family."
Things had gotten heavy again.
Why did that always have to be the case?
"I think you can do it," Blake met her eyes. "I know you will. This is just the first step, that's all."
Weiss stared at her.
"You weren't involved in any of those kidnappings, were you," it wasn't a question. "I remember the surprise on your face when I mentioned them back then."
"I was still helping them. I was still one of them."
"But it wasn't you," Weiss used her own words against her. "And while you've never told us the exact reason why you left their ranks, I think I have a pretty good idea why. I like to think I know you pretty well by now. You feel guilty and ashamed, even of the actions taken by others."
Blake remained silent.
"Maybe us being friends... is what can change things," Weiss said. "You are the daughter of the Chieftain of Menagerie and for better or worse, I am the daughter of Jacques Schnee. We can be the bridge."
"I'm just a simple boy from a simple family," Jaune spoke up, startling them. They'd completely forgotten he was there. "So maybe it isn't my place to say anything but I'll say it anyway. You're both good people. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. It's clear that you two are trying to make things better – so really, is there anything else that matters?"
Weiss sighed. "Very optimistic of you but... you aren't wrong. I – sorry for bringing things down again. That wasn't my intention but whenever I think about home, I get like this."
That was something they shared in common.
"Well, then," Jaune shot them both a grin. "How about we get this done and then everyone can have a nice, clean bath with fresh water. Sound good?"
It sounded amazing.
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