I am badly, badly sick today. Taking day off work, throwing up everywhere. I wanted to just skip this and call sick, but it doesn't feel right when there won't be an update next week due to my event. Here is a very struggling chapter from me. Apologies on any lack of quality compared to usual. And length. I'm just throwing up over and over and only got 3 hours sleep because of it.

Cover Art: Kirire

Chapter 21

There were certain things which seemed great ideas at first but later turned into disasters. Joining the White Fang was the obvious one, but she'd thought she was mostly beyond those kinds of regrets now. Apparently, she was not. The family trip to the hot spring and spa was a great idea; a chance for her to relax and reconnect with her family, and for Jaune to have a deserved holiday and some time off. There could be nothing that would go wrong, especially not when she'd called ahead and made it clear a human guest would be coming, and that she wanted someone who was okay with that to look after Jaune. The spa had assured her that most of the staff would be, but promised they'd ask for someone who was happy to look after a human guest and who wouldn't cause any issues. Perfect. She had planned, prepared and covered every possible flaw.

Except one. Jaune himself.

"It's a group bath?" He took a step away from her, as if he thought she might somehow strip him herself and toss him in. Blake was more confused than anything.

"Yes. Is that an issue? We'll have swimsuits on."

A swimsuit too, despite Kali's rather blatant attempt to slip a bikini that was more string than bikini into Blake's bags. Blake figured it was her mother's way for making up for years of missed teasing and humiliation. The worst part was that she noticed it immediately, not because of anything with Kali, but because her time in ARC Corp had made her so paranoid that she instantly spotted the slightest difference in her bags from how she'd left them to when she came back and had stripped everything out in case of anomalous behaviour.

"It's not the issue of seeing other people's bodies that worries me," whispered Jaune. "Did you forget my arms? They're not exactly normal."

She had in fact forgotten his arms, and it was a sucker punch to the gut to realise it. Blake cringed, feeling for a moment just plain awful. "Oh hell. Jaune, I'm so sorry, I didn't think-"

"It's not your fault. I keep them hidden for a reason." He smiled and said, "I prefer you to forget about them. But I can't go out there in swimming shorts in front of your parents. They don't look like something I could even write off as a disease."

He was right of course; his arms looked… well, it was hard to remember given how stressful the situation had been, but his arms had looked both burnt and still burning, with orange and red glowing up and down them. He could try and claim it off as a Semblance, and her parents might even believe that, but he'd still draw eyes. Everyone would stare at him, and people would up and leave the bathhouse out of worry of catching something.

"It's going to be a problem with the massage as well," groaned Blake. "I'm such an idiot."

"I could just have a foot and leg massage. And you could say I have a nasty injury I feel self-conscious about showing in the bath."

"I brought you here to relax, Jaune, not to hide away and feel ostracised." He shrugged, as if to say there wasn't much he could do, and there wasn't. His arms were anomalous and that wasn't going to change. Blake sighed and pressed the heel of her hand into her eyes. "I'll get you a private bath. Do you want me-?"

"No. Spend time with your parents."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I can bathe on my own without dying."

"I wouldn't put it past you to somehow mess that up," said Blake, laughing to try and break the mood. She knew he wasn't upset, but this felt like something she should have predicted and planned for, so she felt more disappointed in herself than anything. Thankfully, the spa was happy to arrange a private bath for him – for a little extra lien; not a problem with her salary – and soon a faunus was leading him away with a pleasant smile, telling him about the history of the spring. The other faunus in the baths would probably be happier without a human in there anyway, which she hated thinking, let alone admitting.

Kali and Ghira were already in the hot water when she arrived, and Kali was quick to notice that she came alone. "Will Jaune not be joining us?"

Blake sank into the water between them and said, "I messed up."

"Did you manage to upset him somehow? You seemed so close."

"Not that. I forgot…" Blake grimaced and said, "Jaune has some bad scarring. Really bad. I completely forgot about it and assumed he'd be fine bathing in public, when I should have known he wouldn't be. He's not upset with me…"

"But you're upset with yourself," said Ghira. "Hm. Forgetful of you."

"I know, and it makes me look like I didn't care to remember or keep his needs in mind." She sighed and leaned back until only her head poked out the water. Her hair splayed out, fanning across the water's surface behind and to the sides of her. "I know he doesn't see it that way, but I'm still annoyed I messed up."

"You'll have to make it up to him," said Kali. "If only for your own sake of mind."

"Mm. Yeah."

"How bad is it?" asked Ghira. "I'm sure a little scarring would not bother any here."

"His hands and arms all the way up to near his shoulders are scarred and burnt." Maybe it wasn't her place to say, but she felt it better they know and not making the same mistake she had. "It's why he wears his gloves all the time."

"I had wondered," said Kali. "I didn't want to appear rude to your boss by asking why he never removed them. "It's quite visible, then?"

"They're pretty much charred black."

"Oh my. Whatever happened to the poor dear?"

"I don't know." The lie came easily. "He doesn't like to talk about it, and I don't push. I'm going to have to change his massage as well, so he doesn't have to show them to the masseur." An unhappy sound escaped her throat. "And I wanted him to relax for once."

"I know a way you can help him relax~"

"Mom," said Blake. "I swear if the next words out your mouth are that I should strip down, crawl into his bathtub and seduce him then I will fire you into the sun."

"I was actually going to say you could give him a massage." Kali was already edging away as she said it, and so avoided Blake's immediate splash. "I'm serious – and non-sexual, unless you want-" More water. "Okay. Okay. I meant later, dear, when he's back in his normal clothing. You can still massage a person through a suit. It won't be as good but I'm sure it would be appreciated."

Blake lowered her hand and turned her glare down a notch or two. It… It wasn't as bad an idea as it sounded, and most ideas sounded downright dirty where her mother was concerned. Jaune was going to get a foot and leg massage – and a head massage, now that she'd ordered that – but she could try and fill in on the shoulders and back herself. He said the anomaly only spreads if someone touches his skin, thought Blake. I could massage him through a shirt or a suit jacket.

"I don't really know how to massage someone…"

"Ask your masseur for advice then. It's not hard. Heat and pressure, rubbing, avoiding the bones with the pressure. I doubt he'll expect professional service from you dear, but even a clumsy massage is nice if you're feeling under the weather."

/-/

The masseur knew what she was doing, and Blake groaned under her hands. She did ask for advice, the woman explaining once she understood what it was for, but Blake wasn't sure she'd feel confident enough to use it. The massage lasted for an hour and worked her head to toe, leaving her feeling wonderfully relaxed and about ready for a nap.

They were then turfed out into a wooden structure set like a small single-room house with white cushioned benches and a pot of hot stones. Jaune was already there, wearing swimming shorts and a long-sleeve tight-fitting black shirt that reached all the way down and over his wrist, and black gloves beyond that. He would have stood out terribly in the public baths. He was leaning back against the wall, sweat beading across his face, but he opened an eye when the door opened and smiled.

"Hey," said Blake, stepping in. Her one-piece bikini made her feel a little naked compared to him, but he was the odd one out. "Was your massage alright? I'm sorry I didn't think of your arms. If you want I can-"

"It's fine, Blake." Jaune's interruption saved her having to ask and might have lost him a shoulder rub. "It was still a great massage, and my legs feel like they're brand new."

"Did the masseur treat you well?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't he have?"

Because he was human. Blake chose not to say it and took the seat by him, leaning back alongside him and against the wall. "I just wanted to make sure. You're not too hot in that, are you?"

"It's a hot house, Blake. Everything is hot."

"You know what I mean. I can get you a private-"

"There isn't much feeling in my arms. I can feel things I touch with my hands, but distantly, like a pressure against my skin. Most of the time I just feel the fire."

"It burns you?"

"Always." He peeled back an inch of his sleeve to reveal the orange glow coursing through his cracked skin. "It's always on fire. Always."

Blake was horrified. "How are you not in constant agony?"

"You get used to it. And like I said, my arms have lost a lot of their feeling. I guess the nerves were burned away or something."

He didn't deny the fact it hurt, she noticed. Blake wasn't sure what to feel about that, but anger was the main emotion she was experiencing, and one she knew was pointless here and now. "I'm sorry," said Blake, instead.

"It's fine. It was nice to have my mind taken off it."

"Is there some way I can help? Maybe take a few jobs around the office?"

"It's fine." He stressed it in a way that said it wasn't, but that she wasn't making it any better by pushing. "This has been my life for the last six years, Blake. It's going to be my life for however long I live. I'm used to it."

Her parents came into the room before she could enquire further, and she couldn't miss how their eyes went first to Jaune's sleeves and hands. Blake's eyebrows rose and Ghira, at least, looked apologetic. Kali bulled through the awkwardness, saying, "How was your massage, Jaune? It was your first experience, right?"

"It was wonderful Mrs Belladonna."

"No. No. Call me Kali. Please, I insist."

Kali then went on to fill the air with mindless chatter even as Ghira took the scoop and filled the air with steam. Honestly, Blake was grateful for her mother taking the initiative, since she was terrible at it. Not shy or anti-social, just bad at knowing what to say and when to say it. All she wanted was to ask Jaune more about his arm, how it happened and whether his family's lackadaisical attitude to his survival was a calculated effort to terminate the anomaly and Jaune with it. That only proved how bad she was at making small talk, because even she could guess it was the last thing he'd want to talk about.

It was slightly less pleasant when her mother started talking about Blake in her youth, and always in such an embarrassing way, but she still preferred it to awkward silence, so she ignored it and set her head back. If Jaune could put up with the constant sensation of his arms burning, she could put up with her mother's stories.

"-and let me tell you about Blake's first crush."

"Hngh…"

"What was that dear?"

"N-Nothing, mom…"

/-/

The peace never lasted. Blake should have known it would come to a head, and she supposed she should be grateful that head was Sienna Khan's and not Adam's. The leader of the White Fang was waiting for them outside the spa, which might have been a calculated and polite effort to let them have their fun before the confrontation. She stood flanked by two White Fang soldiers, one on each side, both masked and armed where Sienna was neither. Blake stiffened on seeing her, but Kali was quick to walk forward and place herself between them.

"Sienna," greeted Kali, all cheer and all false pleasantries. "Indulging yourself with a trip to the spa? It's a shame we missed one another; we could have talked about the good old days."

"I'm not here to talk to you, Kali."

"Then I'm not sure we have anything to talk about at all," said Kali. "Because my daughter and her employer have nothing to speak to you about."

"A human-"

"Menagerie does not subscribe to the same racism as other kingdoms," said Ghira. "At least I thought that it did not." He looked so heavily at them that the faunus on either side of Sienna looked down.

"Blake is – or was – a member of the White Fang," said Sienna. "I would at least know why she left us, and why she feels confident in showing her face now. And what her and her employer's intentions are on the island."

Blake bristled both at the way she said employer, implying worse, and the way she thought she could make such accusations. "My intentions are to spend some quality time with my family before going back to Vale. My reasons for leaving are because Adam decided that civilian deaths were something we no longer had to concern ourselves with."

Sienna frowned. It was a small thing, almost easily missed if not for her newfound habit to focus on every little detail. "Adam did, did he? That was not on my orders."

"Even so, my bridges have been burned and I won't join an organisation Adam is a part of."

"That's it, then. You'll betray us."

"I'm leaving the White Fang. That doesn't mean I've betrayed anything."

"And does your employer accept that?" asked Sienna, looking past her and to Jaune. It was almost too obvious she'd brought this out intentionally to spook him. "Are you content knowing that your employee is a former terrorist?"

Jaune shrugged. "It's fine with me."

Sienna looked as surprised as Blake felt amused. She'd obviously expected Jaune not to know, and any normal business would have problems with a terrorist on the roster. For once, ARC Corp's oddities were working in her favour.

"V-Very well," stammered Sienna, losing the initiative and realising she wouldn't regain it. "I'll leave the matter as be and request our people not bother him. Know that you will be watched, however. You can't be trusted anymore, not after leaving us, and many people here are justifiably nervous about a human in our midst. Step out of line and there will be issues. I'd advise him not to walk alone in Kuo Kuana. Even if mine will not, some might try and make his life difficult."

"Your concern is both noted and appreciated," said Kali. "And you really need to visit more."

Sienna floundered. "I've been busy. Good day-" She made to leave, then paused and said, "And stay off the beaches in the evenings. The last thing we need is a human disappearing and the world accusing me for it."

Sienna walked away, her shadows falling, and soon all the faunus that had been milling around to watch the slice of street theatre continued on their lives as well. Blake's eyes were narrowed, her brows drawn down, and she rounded on her mother. "What was that all about?"

"Ugh. Sienna will be Sienna, dear. You know that."

"No. About the disappearances."

"Oh. That." Kali dithered and looked to Ghira for aid. He shrugged. "It's not something we wanted to bother you both with. There have been a few missing people, young people mostly, and… well… Sienna was probably right that we should warn you, but I felt that with Blake's training she wouldn't be at any real risk."

Not if it was kidnappers as Kali seemed to suspect, but Blake… well, she had no reason to feel otherwise, but being too cautious wasn't a bad thing. Jaune must have been thinking the same because he nodded her way. That massage would have to wait.

They had a case to see to.

Pathetically short chapter but I am just too sick to function. I'm sorry about that.

NEXT WEEK NO UPDATE

Notice: Due to an awards ceremony that I have to organise, foot questions over and chair in September, I'm going to be taking the week starting Monday 12th – Sunday 18th September off. I'll be back Monday 19th. I'd definitely rather be writing fanfiction than doing this as it's always so painful and I hate – well, it's less the public speaking and more the stress of the organisation. People call you at all hours with questions; prize winners say they suddenly can't make it; stuff goes wrong with parking; inevitable errors on Eventbrite. The usual. It's just a long, long week of stressful work so I won't have time to write.

Next Chapter: 19th September (TWO WEEKS)

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