Here we are at Chapter 17. Time for some fun at Chiori's place, among other things. I do not own RWBY or Genshin Impact. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 17. Enjoy.
Chapter 17: Dress for Success
The weekend came sooner than Ei thought. She remembers the details Blake told her about for the White Fang and she intends to use the information to the fullest. Team RWBY did some recon over the week after classes and managed to find one location where the White Fang try to recruit new members. The plan was for Dehya and Blake, who are Faunus, to sneak inside and see what they can find. In case things get crazy, the rest of their teams will remain on standby close by. Ei has to find the mystery woman before it's too late. However, she has a more pressing matter to attend to.
...
"So... how exactly do young women do clothes shopping for dresses. I admit I've never been much of a feminine lady, preferring other matters to fashion," Ei says as her team stand outside the clothing store Miko told her about: Chioriya Boutique.
Dehya shrugs her shoulders, "Hey, don't ask me. I've never been big on formal dresses. That kind of things is pretty useless out in the desert,"
"Come on, Dehya. Consider this to be a learning opportunity. At this rate, you'll never get a date," Candace jokes.
"I'm not trying to get a date, damn it!" Dehya curses.
"Oh right, that reminds me. The last guy who tried hitting on you... you threw him over a cliff, right?" Candace keeps teasing her, earning stares from their teammates.
"Hey, the sand broke his fall. It's not like he died or anything. Besides, he really pissed me off," Dehya grumbles.
"Um, maybe we should head inside now? We wouldn't want to be late for our appointment and all that," Nilou grabs Ei's hand. "Come on, I'm actually excited to see what they come up with," and pulls Ei inside.
They head inside the store, marveling at everything around them. A moment later, a woman in a golden/black kimono-styled dress with her hair up in an ornate style.
"Good, you're all here. I'm Chiori, owner of Chiori Boutique. I trust you're all aware of why you're here?" Chiori greets them.
Ei is focused on her outfit. That dress is obviously Inazuman in origins, which means she's from her homeland. Though, this must've been during her time in isolation.
"Yes, we are. I trust Miko told you everything," Ei asks.
"Oh, so you're the friend she mentioned. Next time you see that fox, give her a message for me: 'I'm not your errand girl, so the next time you drop something like this on me, I'll stitch itching powder into all your ceremonial garbs the next time I see you'. Got it?" Chiori doesn't mince words.
The team sweat drop, "Um, of course. I'll be sure to let her know," Ei replies.
"Even though she's the archon, this is MY store. I run things around here," Chiori notes. "Now then, we'll start by taking your measurements and then going through some colors to see what will go well with your hair and skin tones. Come with me," Chiori says and they head towards the back.
With the aid of one of her employees, Chiori takes their measurements for the dresses. She does this in the fitting rooms when she needs them to undress for more accurate numbers. Once it's Ei's turn, they have a quick chat.
"So, what's the Almighty Shogun doing pretending to be a human at Beacon?" Chiori asks as she jots down some numbers.
"Trying to get a better understanding of humans and the outside world. Miko told me that you left our home because of my old policies. I apologize for that," Ei says.
"Whatever. I just don't like being tied down, is all. But remember, while Miko paid for your dresses; the next time you shop here, you're paying for it. Being an archon doesn't mean you get my products for free," Chiori says.
Ei chuckles. It seems Chiori's not afraid of anyone, even the gods themselves. Once the measurements are done, Chiori gets to work on the other members of the team. However, when she does Nilou last, she does something different.
"Ei, can you help me for a moment? My assistant is gathering materials, but I need a second pair of hands for these last measurements on your friend," Chiori asks.
"Um, okay?" Ei is confused, but helps anyway.
However, when they enter the fitting room, Ei stops. Inside, she spots Nilou in nothing but her blue bra and panties. Nilou turns and freezes when she realizes who's watching, clutching her clothing in her hands. Nilou can't believe she's in this position. Meanwhile, Ei just stares at Nilou's figure. She may not be as tall or quite as developed as Ei or their friends, but she certainly isn't lacking in the feminine department. If anything, the best part about her may be her soft-looking skin. Her lower cheeks, still covered in her panties, looks quite shapely as well. Of course, that's the least of Nilou's concerns right now.
"W-W-W-What are you doing in here, Ei?!" Nilou nearly yells.
Chiori walks in, "Hey, we don't have time for that. Let's finish up, then we'll move on to the fabrics," she grabs the measuring tape. "Miko better make due on her promise for to help promote my brand with her next series of ceremonies in Inazuma. I didn't become a designer to play as people's little matchmaker. That fox has way too much time on her hands,"
While Chiori does the measurements, Ei occasionally helps out and writes down the numbers. Throughout the exchange, Nilou's face remains crimson and Ei feels a strange nervous energy within herself as well. She can't seem to keep her eyes off of Nilou, despite thinking she should. It's only after they finish, and Ei leaves that Nilou can finally relax and put her clothes back on.
"Okay, now we'll go through some colors and fabrics to see what would suit you all most, and then that should be all for today. I'll need some time to get the dresses together, and then we'll do another fitting to make sure everything fits properly and for any last minute adjustments. Come along now," Chiori moves over to another section of the store.
Chiori uses her skills to find the right colors and fabrics for Ei's team. It's impressive how quickly and efficiently she takes care of them. Not long after, they finish up what they're doing. However, that's also when some trouble walks into the business.
"Excuse me, I need my suit tailored for an important business meeting set for tomorrow. I don't care what the cost is. I just need it ready by tomorrow morning," some guy in an expensive-looking blue suit waltzes right in like he owns the place.
"Is this guy for real?" Dehya groans.
"Hey! It's first come, first serve around here. I'm busy working on four dresses for these young ladies here. I'll work on your suit, but it'll be after their dresses are done. What's more, you want it ready by tomorrow. I don't know how things work wherever you're from, but that won't work here. You'll just have to wait after them and go with some other suit for your little meeting tomorrow," Chiori lays down the law.
"Excuse me. This is an important meeting, one worth a lot of money. It's far more important than some dresses for some little girls. What? They going to a prom or something? Bah!" the man doesn't seem to care. He glances at Dehya and Nilou and grimaces. "Besides, why should you focus on two lowly Faunus animals and not my suit?" he says, making them angry.
Just then, something flies by and cuts off the tie he had on, "What the-?!" he freaks out, seeing some small sheers pinned to the wall behind him.
"Oh my, I apologize. I was trying to find my fabric sheers. Those were the wrong ones," Chiori notes nonchalantly.
"D-Do you have any idea how much this suit costs?!" The man is very upset now, only to freeze when a pin flies by and rips through his sleeve.
"Oh, not those ones either," Chiori clicks her tongue before she walks towards him.
"You-just what do you intend to do?!" the man gets scared now.
Chiori wipes some dust off his shoulder, "What do you mean? I thought you wanted your suit tailored?" she asks, pulling out a pair of large scissors.
A moment later, the man is seen flying out of the front door to the business. Chiori walks out and stands over him.
"Now beat it. Unless you want me to sew that mouth shut for real," Chiori threatens him and he runs away as fast as he can. "Ugh, that was almost as bad as that one time in Atlas," she says before walking back inside.
The girls watched the whole scene in awe, "Woah, I like her," Dehya notes.
"I guess we'd better stay on her good side... so she doesn't do anything to our dresses," Nilou suggests, earning nods from everyone.
...
Later that night, after taking care of business with the dresses, Ei and her friends begin the operation to go after the White Fang. The first step would be gathering information. Grunts and foot soldiers wouldn't know anything, but the higher-ups might. To find them, they need to start from the bottom. Blake and Dehya approach one of the spots where White Fang try to recruit new members.
"You sure you're okay with going in there? What if someone recognizes you?" Dehya asks.
Blake hands her a White Fang mask, "They won't while we're wearing these. These masks... are a symbol. Humanity claimed us to be monsters, so we donned the masks of monsters," Blake explains.
"Except it didn't help, now did it," Dehya notes as she puts the mask on.
Blake sighs, "No... It just made things worse. HE... made things worse," she puts on her mask and they head in.
On nearby rooftops, Ei, Nilou, and Ruby watch over them, while Yang, Weiss, and Candace are on different spots of the streets, covering all possible exits.
"I hope this works," Ei mutters.
"I'm sure it will. And if things go astray, we'll all be here to fix them," Nilou says soothingly.
Her words seem to work and Ei nods. Inside the old building, Dehya and Blake find several Faunus inside wearing masks, with full White Fang members on the sides. So far, they don't see anyone important until one member walks up, his mask more custom than the others.
"Settle down. Settle down. We of the White Fang are grateful for you coming here tonight. For a long time, the White Fange has fought for Faunus against the human oppressors. Time has shown that if any real change is to occur, drastic measures are needed. We tried to be peaceful, we tried to be understanding... and it did nothing in the end. Then our leaders chose to be more forceful with gaining mankind's respect for our people. However, while that made progress, it is still too slow. Humans will never understand us nor respect us. Not unless we show them how superior we are to him. Our leader, Adam Taurus, believes that not only should humans fear our people... they should serve our people. They made slaves of our ancestors. Forced us into cages; to fight their wars. Then they banished us to a small island," the White Fang Lieutenant says, earning some nods of approval from some of the audience. These people have seen first-hand how humans have abused their kind. "Our true leader, Adam Taurus, has found allies that wish to aid us in our cause. They have provided us with resources that have given us the strength to take the fight to the humans head-on. The leaders of the White Fang in Mistral have fought for us, but are unwilling to go the full distance for us. Adam Taurus is willing to go the distance for us,"
"What a load of crap," Dehya is disgusted by this speech.
"But, he can't do it alone. We must help him, brothers and sisters. Together, we will bring a new, better future for all of our people. There are those amongst the Faunus who may be against this plan, but I promise you, once they see the truth of our words. See the good we will do for our race, and they will come to stand side-by-side with us. And with you. Together, we will save our people, put the humans in their place beneath us as they once did to all Faunus, and unsure in the greatest future for our kind!" the lieutenant says, earning cheers from the audience.
"Any ideas on how to crash this party, because my patience is running out," Dehya whispers.
"Those that are ready to join us, please step forth. We will have you take our oath. Then, we have a transport that will take you to our forward base outside the kingdom," the lieutenant says.
Faunus start walking onto the stage, but Dehya and Blake get nervous. If they walk up onto that stage, the lieutenant might recognize her and cause a scene.
"We need to leave. It doesn't look like our targets are here. Any ideas?" Dehya asks.
"Turning off the lights won't work, so... shock and awe," Blake suggests.
Dehya smirks, "That I can do," she throws a red Dust crystal into the air and Blake shoots it, causing an explosion that shakes the place and causes chaos amongst the crowd. Dehya and Blake makes a break for it, with White Fang soldiers hot on their trail. They fire off shots at them as they jump through two windows and break the glass. Up above, their friends see the commotion and move in. Soldiers fire their weapons at Dehya and Blake, but the former blocks the shots with her greatsword. Two soldiers run in with their blades, but one gets taken down by a downward slash from Ei's blade and a slash from Nilou's sword. Three soldiers take aim with their rifles, only to get blasted by a shot from an approaching Yang and Weiss. The chaos causes some of the Faunus who were looking to join to make a run for it so they don't get caught in the crossfire. The leader of the White Fang group walks out and takes a stand with his chainsaw.
"You... I thought I recognized you... Blake," the lieutenant seethes.
Blake takes off her mask, "I thought the White Fang were supposed to be better than what some humans make us out to be. All-out war? Turning the humans into slaves? That won't make things better for our people and you know it,"
"A cowardly traitor like you wouldn't understand our vision. You turned your back on our kind just like your parents did years ago," the lieutenant says.
Blake growls, "They left because the White Fang forced them out. Because they didn't have the patience to see things through to the end,"
"And do you? If I recall, you helped the White Fang push them out, didn't you," the Faunus leader chuckles, making Blake hesitate. "You ran from one home, only to betray another. And now you fight alongside the humans, the very same humans who look down upon us. You even have a Schnee with you," he glares at Weiss. "You've fallen as low as you can, traitor. When I bring you before Adam Taurus, he will be pleased,"
The mentioning of Adam makes Blake a little scared. However, Ei stands in front of her.
"War solves nothing. It only leads to pain, loss, and more conflict. I've seen enough of it to know. I have questions for you. Where is Adam Taurus?" Ei demands.
"As if I'd tell a human like you. Kill them all, but take the traitor alive," the lieutenant commands and the soldiers move in.
Yang and Ruby are the first to rush in, firing their weapons behind them to shoot forward. Yang socks one soldier in the face with a right hook while Ruby zooms past a second as she slashes across the chest with her scythe. Ei makes the next move and swings her naginata upwards, sending one goon into the air before Nilou jumps up and kicks the mid-air goon straight into another one. Just as they get ready to charge the lieutenant, a few shots ring out from above. The girls stop and look up to see several of those red snipers like the ones from before on the rooftops. They aim their rifles and fire. Candace and Dehya block the shots with their shield and greatsword respectively. Nilou uses her semblance, sending the water from her canteens up and slicing through the rifle of one sniper before he gets shot by Ruby. Candace throws her spear at one, who dodges it and aims at her. Candace smirks before pulling her polearm back with her gravity Dust, causing it to nail the sniper in the back of the head.
Meanwhile, the White Fang lieutenant goes after Blake. He swings his chainsaw at her, but Blake backflips under the swing. He goes to swing down and slice her in two, but Blake parries the strike with her blade before making a slash across his chest. He takes one step back before spinning around to swing his chainsaw at her left shoulder, but Blake dodges it with her semblance. Weiss then comes in, thrust her rapier at his face and making him stumble. She then thrusts her rapier into the ground, sending ice up to freeze him up to his waste. This gives Dehya the chance to fly in and swings her greatsword, smashing him through the ice and sending him through a wall. Meanwhile, Ei and Yang jump up to the rooftops to take out the rest of the snipers with a few good swings and punches. Down below, Nilou makes two swings as she twirls between two attacking soldiers and they fall to the ground behind her. Candace gets the last opponent, smashing her shield into him to send him into a wall. Just as the fight ends, they hear noise and look up to see the White Fang lieutenant in an airship as it flies away.
"Damn, that was our one chance at getting some information from these guys," Dehya curses.
"The airship is heading northeast. He said something about a forward base. Maybe there's something out there?" Blake wonders.
Just then, Candace's eye glows and it shows her a vision.
"Candace? What do you see?" Nilou asks.
"...I see... ruins. Old ruins... and equipment. White Fang, and those mystery soldiers... and... I know where they're heading," Candace says.
"Then it looks like we're going on a field trip," Ruby jokes.
...
Meanwhile, the mystery woman waits in her chamber when a subordinate kneels before her.
"Ma'am, we have found it," he says and brings out a reddish orange chess piece before her, the Pyro Gnosis
The woman smirks and takes it into her hands, "Yes. Another piece is now mine. Soon, all will be made right with the world," she says.
And that's the chapter. Ei and her friends take on the White Fang, but the mission is not over yet. Meanwhile, the mystery woman continues with her unknown plans. What will happen next? Until then, please Read and Review.