The smooth hums of a strong engine echoing through the clear skies, the symbol of the SDC shined brightly under the sun as the personal bullhead of the Schnee family passed into Valesian territory.

"Hot coffee, Ms. Schnee?" Asked a well-dressed gentleman as he stood before a metallic door with the name Willow Schnee imprinted in bold white letters.

His thick mustache twitching at the sound of clicking heels, he adjusted his posture and held the tray of steaming coffee with pride.

"Klein, please come in." Replied a muffled but gentle voice.

The door sliding open, the dutiful butler walked in cautiously and placed the tray on a wide desk positioned beside the window. His hazel eyes wandering the spacious room, they fixed in a delicate figure that sat upon a set of ruffled bedsheets.

"Was it a late night, Ms. Schnee?" Klein asked with a playful grin.

With a weary yawn, a pair of ice-blue eyes veered toward the new company.

"Klein, is it morning already?"

The butler smiled. "It's more along the lines of brunch, but seeing that it was a lengthy travel from Atlas, I saw too it that your beauty sleep took priority."

Fiddling with the sleeves and collar of her nightgown, the fair-skinned woman stood up and coiled her slim fingers around the hot cup of coffee.

"I wish you woke me up sooner. The business meeting with our potential investors in Vacuo is due at 12:30 sharp and my presence will be mandatory this time."

Taking light sips, the caffeinated aroma filled her nostrils and helped to stir her tired mind.

"Of course," her butler gave a slight bow. "I've already ironed your outfit and the investors seemed rather eager to speak with you as well."

"I see, that's good. Has either of my daughters come around? I'd like to see them before all is said and done." Ms. Schnee sighed.

Klein shook his head. "I'm afraid your eldest daughter has already begun her morning lessons, and the maids you hired are doing their best to care for your second."

"I see," Willow said wistfully.

"But not all is lost," Klein grinned. "Your trip to the Mistralian territories is coming up, and there'll be plenty of time to catch up with your daughter then."

Putting down her empty cup, the Schnee reached into her drawer for a blue ribbon and fastened her hair into a long ponytail.

"Has my dress been ordered?"

The butler nodded. "Yes, one-hundred percent Mistralian silk all fitted with humble jewels and designs. Your vocal performance will surely lift the spirits of the downtrodden Valesian civilians, and the charity the SDC orchestrated has already amassed a worthy amount of funds."

"Yes, that is wonderful isn't it? It'll be hard for Vale to cope seeing their loss was during their most bountiful seasons, but I m sure the Valesian council has a plan for the difficult months ahead."

Willow unfastened the cloth belt around her waist and asked to be given privacy to change, but as Klein stepped out the door, he bumped into his fellow butler.

"Ah, pardon me, but Ms. Schnee is about to undress."

"This will only take a moment." The suited man replied and forced his way past.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Willow turned and rose a single brow as the man at the door was not Klein. Her eyes narrowed on the slim, but muscular man. His attire consisting of a black suit with matching shoes, a blue handkerchief bearing the SDC emblem was neatly folded and tucked in his left breast pocket.

Tipping his white-rimmed tophat, the white dove on his shoulder also bowed and was fitted with a red necktie.

"Ms. Schnee, I apologize for the intrusion but I've received word that the arrangements for your performance have changed."

Willow s lips pursed. "How so?"

"It's been decided that to increase the impact of the SDC s charitable efforts, the song you will be singing will be a duet with a famous Valesian singer. As such, I've been told by Jacques to deliver the new set of lyrics along with a CD that contains the rhythm you are to practice." The second butler said flatly.

He held out a large yellow envelope, but Willow refused to take it.

"Why was I not informed of such a change? We're only an hour away from Vale, and Jacques expects me to learn a new song by tomorrow afternoon?" She huffed.

"I understand your ire, but if you cannot learn this new piece by the selected time, Jacques has already made preparations to find a new singer."

"He what?!" Willow cried. Rubbing her temples, she demanded her privacy and the butler obliged immediately and shut the door behind him.

He moved toward the end of the hallway but was politely halted by his fellow butler, Klein.

"Lucci, must you always be so blunt with your words? It always riles up the Schnees when you talk to them like that." The balding man sighed.

"It is my duty to inform Ms. Schnee of current events. If I allow any sympathy in my speech, then I risk the possibility of a misunderstanding." The man now named Lucci replied.

"While that may be true, sympathy and empathy are key traits that we butlers must abide by." Klein slowly shook his head.

"It doesn't matter if you approve of my methods or not, but the way I see it, I managed to make Ms. Schnee stand up for herself. Why there she is right now storming down the hall towards her husband s office..."

/-/

"Pervert! Dummy! B-Baka!"

Bombarding the magician s shoulder with her fists, Summer moved her flustered aggression to his dark golden locks and pulled on them with no remorse.

"It's not my fault your clumsiness exposed your preferences." Hawkins winced as his head was forced downward.

"Y-You didn't have to look!" She cried.

"It's hard not to when you put your undergarments on clear display." He retorted.

"T-That s not the point!"

Shrugging off the petty assault, Hawkins turned toward the path that would return them to civilization. However, with the huntress attack still on full blast, he would need a way to quickly defuse the situation.

"If I apologize will that end your tantrum?"

"This isn't an issue you can fix with words alone!" Summer refuted.

The blonde groaned. While he had seen his cohort s panties, it was an honest mistake and one that he had no intention of creating. His options limited, Hawkins turned to the only thing he could think of that would ease the red reaper s strife.

Struggling through the swift jabs at his person, Hawkins slinked his arm beneath Summer s arm and pinched her waist. He expected her to yelp and jump back, but instead of a yelp, he got a muffled giggle and embarrassed smile.

W-What are you doing?! The red reaper gasped and wrapped her arms around her torso.

I tried a direct counterattack, but I didn't expect you to be ticklish. The magician sighed.

Oh really? Tell me, are you ticklish, Hawkins? With a mischievous sparkle in her silver eyes, the blonde did nothing and simply denied her accusation.

That s what everybody says until proven otherwise, Summer raised her hands and flexed her fingers as she approached the magician s midriff.

His arms limp and brows wrinkled, the magician only shook his head in disapproval of the huntress' actions. She was a grown adult for Oum s sake, and she was resorting to a tickle attack?

Your efforts will be in vain, Ms. Rose. He said glumly.

Come on, I want to hear what your laugh really sounds like! Summer closed the gap in a blurry of rose petals and before he could blink Hawkins felt his friend s nimble fingers scour across his stomach and underarms.

Her attempts of earning a chuckle from the stoic man lasted a whole minute, but by the time her hands grew tired, she failed to get even a single laugh.

"...Don t tell me you're not actually ticklish." As if all life had faded from her being, Summer reluctantly dropped her arms and puffed her cheeks.

The odds of me being ticklish stand at zero percent. This fact also extended to his adopted son, but Hawkins saw no reason to tell her that.

"Cheater..." Summer growled cutely.

Poke~

"Kyaaa!" Summer squealed. W-What was that for?

"I win," Hawkins said flatly.

/-/

"Never mind that I have to get going before it gets too late." Again, Hawkins turned to leave, but a grip on his sleeve denied him from doing so.

"W-Wait, you never answered my question!"

"And which one are you referring to?" He deadpanned.

A dusting of pink on her cheeks, the red reaper s grumpy visage shifted to a more sheepish sort.

"W-Will you be my date for the grad reunion?"

Hawkins frowned. He hoped that his fumbling cohort would have forgotten her initial request after all had transpired.

Looking her straight in the eyes, a twinge nicked his heart at the somber but hopeful expression being shown toward him. Why did Summer have to appear like a kicked puppy every time she wanted something, and why did it bother him to see her in such a state?

The magician moved his lips, but for every word he spoke, it felt like his vocal cords were grinding against one another.

"Forgive me, but I've promised to attend the event with somebody else."

A straight but vague delivery, the red reaper s smile faltered and the grip around his sleeve tightened.

"Don t lie to me, Hawkins. That s not something a true friend would do."

"It's not a lie. The blonde sighed in defeat. I've already made a deal with Ms. Goodwitch to be her date for the evening. If you don t trust me, you can ask your former classmate for verification."

Shock, confusion, and a dab of jealousy, the expression etched on Summer s face could not be described with words alone.

"Y-You're going with Glynda? W-Why, I have fifty lien on the line for Oum s sake! That s like, four tins of chocolate chip cookies from my favorite bakery!"

"You're betting on whether Ms. Goodwitch has a date or not?" Hawkins asked.

"That doesn't matter! Summer spat. We're going to see miss snooty witch right now to change her mind!"

"Wait, hold-"

Any dispute the magician came up with would never be uttered as his vision was swarmed by a blur of rose petals and scenery.

/-/

"Ah, nothing beats a fresh brew of earl gray to start off a calm afternoon. Glynda mused as the thick scent of her tea spread throughout her kitchen."

Scanning the weekly paper for anything interesting, the profound huntress sighed as the only articles that procured the page was about the recent fire in Vale or the rising taxes of dust in their neighboring kingdom of Vacuo.

However, one title did catch Glynda s eye. The image of a man with a condescending expression and a stitched scar that spread from one ear to another, it appeared that a rival to the SDC had emerged, but given the small capital of the company, Glynda assumed it would die off to the big shots soon enough.

Boredom taking over once more with little to distract her until tomorrow evening, the witch let out a satisfied hum and raised her steaming glass. However, the delectable brew never reached her lips as a violent echo of knocks stemmed from the front door.

Glynda put down her cup and newspaper. She didn't expect any visitors today, and her teammates were all busy preparing for the grad reunion. Setting aside her afternoon pleasantries, the witch was glad that she decided to swap out of her nightgown for her standard violet dress, and approached the entrance to her abode with a skeptical face.

"Glynda! I know you're home so come on out and face me!"

The shrill tone and loud bang sent the sophisticated woman for a loop. There was only one person who d she d recognize to have such a childish voice, and it brought her great displeasure upon realizing this.

With a reluctant hand, the witch unhitched the lock and opened the door. As expected, a fuming Summer Rose stood on her doormat, but it was the blue ruffled cloak in her hand that caught Glynda s attention.

"Summer, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Glynda said, her lips set in a neutral line.

Her confusion increasing at the red reaper s glare, she raised a single brow and motioned for her former classmate to explain herself.

"Hawkins is going to be my date for the grad reunion." Summer stated defiantly, waving the ruffled cloak as if it were a victory flag.

Glynda blinked. Of all the topics to bring up, she didn't expect Hawkins to be the main topic.

"Forgive me, but I believe he already has a partner for the occasion. Secondly, why would you assume that I would have any knowledge on the matter?"

"There's no point in lying, Hawkins told me that he s going to the celebration with you and he s not the type to fib about these things." Summer said matter of factly.

A twitch in her right eye, the witch schooled her features and rested a hand against her hip. "Then that s all you need to know isn't it? Hawkins is supposed to meet me at the front gate tomorrow at six o clock sharp, and if he s not there at the expected time then I assume I'll have you to blame?"

"Yep, so you d better find a different date because Hawkins has already made the decision to accompany me instead." The red reaper said with a hand on her chest.

Glynda s eyes narrowed. "He hasn't notified me of any changes, and if he has, I'd like to hear it from his own lips instead of a questionable messenger."

"Fine, tell her, Hawkins, who do you want to take to the grad reunion? You're best friend in Remnant or a snooty arrogant witch?" Summer turned to her side, but her triumphant smile fell when she realized she was alone.

"Hm, it seems as though there s nothing to back your claims. Now if you'll excuse me, I d like to return to the peaceful evening that you interrupted." Her fellow huntress waved a hand in a shooing manner and tried to close the door, but a boot wedge derailed her attempts.

"Not so fast!" Summer cried. "Hawkins, I know you're hiding, so come out before I get really mad!"

"I'm not hiding..." The stoic man groaned from a human-sized imprint on the wall a few feet from the quarreling women.

With a grunt, the magician broke free from his place which caused him to plummet toward the dirt. Shaking his muddled skull, Hawkins stood up and hacked out a clump of dirt. He staggered toward the front door of Glynda s home, as the prior impact from Summer s careless travel had slammed him face-first against the building.

Lost in thought, the man failed to recognize that his chest was bare, but his cohorts hadn't missed the detail at all. Scrunching his brows at their blank stares, Hawkins demanded he have his cloak returned, and while Summer obliged her fingers seemed to linger on the piece of cloth as if restraining her movements.

"Ms. Rose? You haven't let go of my cloak yet."

"H-Huh? O-Oh, sorry about that. Here, let me put it on for you!" The red reaper advanced, but the magician recoiled in response.

"I don't need your help." He grumbled.

"B-But it's my fault for tearing it off, so let me put it back on!" She said rather aggressively with a hint of pink on her cheeks.

"Summer, could you please act like an adult? It s vexing to see you act like such a child." Glynda spoke up, though her bright emerald pupils remained below Hawkins' chin as she did so.

His ire rising by the minute, Hawkins and requested to have his personal space returned. The red reaper did as she was told, but puffed her cheeks and huffed in a rather annoyed manner.

So, as I was saying, Summer cleared her throat. Hawkins is going to the grad reunion with me, and that s final.

An expression of betrayal on her delicate features, Glynda turned to her fellow blonde for confirmation. After slipping on his cloak and adjusting his collar, Hawkins cracked his neck and denied Summer s claims causing the shorter woman to wilt.

Hmph, as expected. I appreciate the honesty, Hawkins, Oum knows how many people lie in this day and age. The witch made no attempt to hide the smirk on her face, and Summer s temper boiled in response.

B-But you promised to take me! The red reaper spat.

I did? The man balked.

He did? Glynda added.

Summer nodded vigorously. Yeah, it was after you and I met two days ago, or last night, or was it during the start of the week?

Her obvious falshoods unplausible, both the magician and the witch shared a glance and shrugged.

Anyway, so that s why Hawkins is going to be my date and not yours, snooty witch! Summer pointed a finger between Glynda s eyes and pushed up her glasses as a result.

After all, I m his first friend in Remnant! Plus, he thinks I m cuter!

After a pause, Glynda gracefully removed Summer s hand from her face and huffed snootily. Her nose high in the air, she gave off the impression of a noble, a trait that did not go unnoticed by the meticulous tarot reader.

"Is that so?" The witch fluttered her eyelashes in an alluring manner and directed her attention toward a bewildered Hawkins.

Would you care to retell our last encounter, Hawkins? Then again, your explanation of my appearance was rather embarrassing, and I wouldn't want to undermine my fellow huntress.

"W-What?" The red reaper seemed puzzled and tugged on Hawkins' sleeve for an answer.

I offered a few tarot readings as to why Ms. Goodwitch would be considered out of my league by her peers. Nothing more. The man in question sighed.

Oh, no need to be so reserved, I m sure Summer is all ears to hear what you have to say. Crossing her arms, Glynda leaned forward with a small, toothy smile.

With a stern witch in front and a gloomy Rose behind, the tarot reader decided that honesty was the correct path as any fibs or half-truths would be exposed and bring him even more grief.

Counting off his past observations with his fingers, Summer s face paled another shade with every statement while Glynda s seemed to brighten.

"...And that concludes my previous tarot readings." Though his stoic demeanor held firm, a bead of sweat trickled down his chin at the murderous glare from his self-proclaimed best friend.

Blinking a tad too many times, the red reaper let out an exaggerated sigh and... smiled?

"Is that it?" She said with a new sense of vigor.

Both blondes tilted their heads as the cutesy curve of Summer s lips transitioned to a predatory one.

"What about her personality?"

The magician opened his mouth, but a cough from Glynda closed it shut.

"It wouldn't be wise to entertain such childish antics, I also expected much more from a former student of Beacon Academy."

The silver-eyed woman growled cutely. "Why, are you scared that Hawkins is going to describe your uptight snooty ways perfectly?"

"Nothing of the sort." The witch snapped. "Hawkins, I trust that you will honor our agreement for tomorrow evening?"

With a reluctant nod, the magician confirmed his appointed duty and offered Summer a brief but honest apology.

Her hands balled into fists, Summer glared while Glynda returned it with a victorious smirk.

"Fine, but I get Hawkins until the end of today!" In a whirlwind of rose petals, the former pirate disappeared in a blur of red and yellow.

"That woman..." Glynda frowned and closed the door. However, instead of returning to her peaceful kitchen, she went to her room and changed into her huntress attire. She couldn't risk losing her temporary date to Summer and alerted her teammates to have them help in her search for Hawkins.