The small break in Beacon classes was about to end. Team RWBY decided to do different things. Yang and Ruby went back to Patch and invited their two team members, but Weiss declined, saying that she would need to go back to Atlas for at least a week. Meanwhile, Blake said that she wanted to explore Vale.

For their part, Team NCCL stayed at Vale. Neia and CZ2128 decided to investigate information in their libraries. At the same time, the other two helped each other to get information by talking to people. Neia decided to trust Lupusregina to look after Clementine.

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a silver glow over the bustling cityscape below. The streets, usually noisy with activity, were now quiet, save for the occasional rustle of paper trash and the distant hum of machinery. Hidden within the inky blackness of the shadows, a lone figure moved with feline grace.

Clementine moved from ceiling to ceiling quietly, almost impossible to perceive thanks to her casting of some "Martial Arts" technique. Her black cloak billowed softly around her, blending seamlessly with the shadows, hiding her face and body.

As she reached the end of an alley, Clementine paused, looked down, and smirked darkly. Her eyes narrowed as the warehouse doors creaked open. "Bingo," she murmured to herself.

A group of figures emerged from the doors. They were faunus, and their animalistic features were distinguishable even on dark nights. Each one wore the distinctive white clothing of the White Fang.

Clementine looked as if they were taking their masks out, as they were quite sure that they were in alone. Then, they removed their White Fang garnets and showed that they wore a plain set of civilian clothing. After that, some left immediately, others stayed there talking and smoking cigarettes. But Clementine's target was moving, so she had to follow him.

Clementine's target was a dog faunus whose name she did not know and did not care. Next to her target was a reptilian faunus.

Clementine followed the pair for several minutes as they walked the streets of Vale. She wanted to go down and cause some chaos. 'Two for the prize of one,' thought Clementine, smiling, but she restrained herself. She knew she must do her job first, and then she would have some fun at the end.

The faunus strolled leisurely through the city, their laughter echoing off the almost empty streets as they made their way to their destination.

Clementine followed at a distance, with her eyes never leaving her target. The night was getting chilly, and the faunus decided to go faster. Then, the two finally separated themselves when Clementine's target entered a building while the other Faunus continued his walk.

The faunus entered his house, a small apartment he barely could pay for, but thanks to his wife's work, they could get by with everything. As he stepped inside, he could already hear the faint strains of laughter coming from the living room. His heart swelled, and his face drew a smile at seeing his beloved wife, Elise, lounging on the sofa with her delicate white rabbit ears peeking out from under her blonde hair. She looked up at him, with her eyes sparkling.

"Hey there, handsome," she greeted warmly. "How was work, Terry?"

Terry shrugged off his jacket, hanging it neatly on the hook by the door before joining his wife on the couch. "Just another day," he replied nonchalantly, leaning down to kiss her gently. "But I'm glad to see you."

Elise waved her hands dismissively. "Oh, you said that every day."

"And every day, I mean it," smiled Terry.

Elise chuckled and rubbed her husband's hair. "My handsome doggy. Always loyal."

Terry smiled at her before pecking her lips. "I think I'll het the shower," he announced before standing up.

Elise nodded understandingly. "You are the one with better nose," said Elise before chuckling.

Terry shook his head with a smile, walked to his bedroom, and took some clothes before he went to the bathroom. He finally stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to cascade over his body.

Then he heard the sound of breaking glass. Startled, Terry froze momentarily, listening intently for any further disturbance. But when none came, he dismissed the incident as likely nothing more than a careless accident. ' Perhaps,' she thought. 'Elise had knocked over a vase or dropped a plate.' Satisfied that all was well, Terry resumed his cleansing routine, dismissing the whole affair from his mind.

Little did he know that the night was far from over and the true horror lay waiting just beyond the bathroom door. Drying off quickly, Terry pulled on a clean pair of pajama bottoms and returned to the bedroom.

The moment he stepped through the bathroom doorway, however, the air was suddenly thick with the sickening scent of blood. Panic surged within him, worried about his wife.

His heart pounding wildly in his chest, Tery followed the smell trail across the apartment until he reached his bedroom, and in his bedroom showed a nightmare. There, bound tightly to each post, was Elise, her once radiant features now twisted in pain and terror. Blood seeped relentlessly from deep gashes in her arms and legs, soaking into the sheets below and forming a widening pool around her trembling form.

Terry rushed forward, frantically searching for anything to help free his beloved wife. But a sudden knife-like fall in front of him.

"Stay down, doggy," said a voice that sent shivers down Terry's spine.

Terry finally realized the existence of the third person and looked at the person. Hidden behind a black cloak, the only feature he could make was that his hands had metal goblets.

"Who-who are you? Why are you doing this?" stuttered Terry.

Clementine chuckled. Then, with one hand, she pulled a tiny string connected to a hook in the bunny faunus arm wound, and every time she pulled it, the wound got bigger.

"Aaaaaah!" Elise's scream of pain stopped Terry.

"I am here to have some fun," said Clementine in an innocent voice. "And have some answers." Added at the end as an afterthought.

Terry was getting desperate; the smell of the blood of his wife and the smell of death on the stranger in front of him asked him to take his wife and run away. 'I have to protect her,' thought Terry.

"I-I will answer anything, you can have anything, but leave my wife… please", pleaded Terry.

Clementine frowned inside her cloak. "No, no, no. You may tell me lies then." She pulled the string further, and Elise's scream echoed throughout the apartment.

The dog faunus shook when he heard the screams of his wife, "I will never do that. I would do anything, but please, let my wife go."

Clementine pouted, "Hmm, how about I change my answer. "I like killing people, I love it, I'm absolutely crazy about it. Ah, and I like torture too," she added with a giggle.

Terry turned to see his wife, and Clementine got an idea.

Terry could not resist anymore and ran against the cloaked enemy, but a kick in the stomach sent him against the floor, and he fell unconsciously due to the exhaustion of working all day.

"What? You are already out?" said Clementine disappointedly, before turning to the rabbit woman. Well, that means we are going to have some fun meanwhile."

After a few hours, Terry woke up slowly with a sore stomach and headache. When he opened his eyes and tried to move, he realized that he was tied up. He looked around and saw himself in front of a mirror, tied to a chair.

"Oh, you finally woke up," said a sweet voice from one side. You were taking forever, so I had some fun with your wife. I hope you don't mind," Clementine smiled, now showing her face.

"You! Fucking human!" yelled Terry.

Clementine smiled. "You know, you can yell all you want. We are currently inside a warehouse that was mysteriously stolen until it became empty not long ago."

Terry glared at the young woman before him. However, it was clear that he was just putting on a brave front. He had lost the will to fight after he remembered his wife, who surely was dead by now.

Clementine chuckled, "Now, now. Where were we before you fell asleep? Oh, yeah. Information."

"Why, why are you doing this?" Terry asked. He knew it was a stupid question, knowing that she had just pointed out that she already knew that he worked with the White Fang. This might have been the result of some sort of grudge, but he had never seen this girl before or someone who could resemble her.

The blonde ex-Black Scripture smiled. "Ah, why did I do this? Well now," Clementine tilted her head innocently, "I just wanted some information."

A sudden rage came to Terry. He panted heavily, "I'll tell you shit! You hear me, human? Shit!"

Clementine smiled at the reaction and laughed brightly. "Hahaha. Oh, Mr., but I am not the one asking the questions. It's my assistant who would do the job."

Suddenly, in blooded clothes appeared Elise. Her bunny ears were mutilated and cut barely over her hair, and from her back, a stiletto peeked out that was embedded in her. Elise's eyes were blighting red in a very non-natural way.

The eyes of Terry went wide, full of horror. His head shook not wanting to accept what was in front of him. A small laughed came from Clementine.

"Now, it's time for the next step." Clementine went and stood next to Elise. "I can't use him if he is heavily wounded… buuuut the wolf maid can heal him with divine magic no matter how much we hurt him," Clementine chuckled a little. "Which means we get to enjoy torturing you as muuuuch as we like."

/*/

Clementine gave three sheets of paper to Chizu, or it would be better to describe it as if she pushed the papers to the gynoid chest. After that, Clementine hit the shower to eliminate the odor of blood that other faunus students in Beacon could smell.

After a few minutes, Clementine walked out of the shower, towel in hand, still trying to clean her hair. The room was empty except for Lupusregina, who was playing a video game in her bed.

"Hey, Maid! We need to talk," Clementine said, her voice low and serious. She sat seated on the edge of her bed.

Lupusregina, lounging casually on her own bed, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's so important that it has to be in secret? Any love affair?" Joked the Pleiade with a light tone with a glint of curiosity.

Clementine glanced at her for a moment and then towards the corner of the room where a heavy wooden chest was placed. "I've…acquired some information," she began. "But we may need the informant to stay alive. Just to make sure that we have everything."

Lupusregina's interest was piqued. "Oooh. Do tell." Said while sitting up.

"I had to get information from a beastman," Clementine said. "But he seems to be not as resistant. He's in bad shape. I need you to heal him." Her tone was blunt, and indifferent.

Lupusregina's smile widened, "Oh, Clementine, you always make things so interesting. And where is this unfortunate one?"

Clementine gestured to the chest, "He's in there. And his wife too. She might need healing as well, if you're feeling generous."

Lupusregina stood up, walked over to the chest, and then opened it to look at the victims, "You really are a piece of work," she said with a chuckle, looking at the man and woman inside. The man was barely conscious, his body covered in bruises and cuts, while the woman clung to him, her eyes wide with fear.

"Oh dear," Lupusregina murmured, her tone mockingly sympathetic. "You really did a number on them." She knelt beside the man and placed her hands on his wounds, her divine magic beginning to flow. "This will take a little while."

Clementine watched, her expression unreadable. "Make sure to put him to sleep when you're done. We still need to act as students, and I'll need to torture them in a new location."

Lupusregina glanced up, her smile wicked. "Of course. But you owe me one for this." She turned her attention back to the man, her magic working to mend his broken body. "And as for the wife…" Lupusregina looked at the woman, who flinched under her gaze. "I'll see what I can do."

As Lupusregina continued her work, she couldn't resist adding, "You know, Clemy-tan, since I was told that I was going to work with you, I knew that we could become best buds."

Clementine's eyes narrowed. "Just do your job, Maid."

Lupusregina laughed softly. "Oh, I am. But you have to admit, we do make quite the team."

Suddenly, a cheerful ringtone broke the tense silence, "Kotae wa doko e-? Sagashite- Where's my soul?"

Lupusregina paused, her brow furrowing slightly as she pulled her scroll from her pocket. "Hold on a sec," she said, answering the call. Her voice shifted to its usual playful tone. "Lupus Funeral Services: Where you will get laid forever." As soon as Lupusregina ended her phrase, the caller hung up, and she just shrugged and put the scroll in her pocket again.

When she was about to heal the victims again, the scroll rang again. Lupu took her scroll and answered, but before she could say anything, she heard the voice on the other side say, "Hello, Lupu!"

"Oh, hi, Ruby-chi. How is it going?"

"Good, good," said Ruby who then sighed in relief. "I don't know what happened, but I called a Funeral Services. But, I am sure I used the number stored in my contacts." Meanwhile, in the background of Ruby's voice Lupusregina could heard someone laughing.

"Maybe a glitch in your scroll," said Lupusregina dismissively.

"Yeah, maybe. Hey, ah. Is Clementine there with you?" asked the leader of team RWBY.

Lupusregina glanced at the man she was healing, and then at Clementine, who was beginning to move toward the door. "Oh, she is here. We were just in the middle of something interesting," she replied in a light tone. "But sure, let's chat. I'll put you on speaker."

She tapped the screen and set the phone on the floor beside her, the speaker crackling to life. "Hey, Clemy-tan, don't go just yet," Lupusregina called out, stopping Clementine in her tracks.

Clementine turned, a frown forming on her face. "What?"

Another voice joined in, this one more confident and direct. "Hey, Clementine, it's Yang. We need to meet you. It's about something important."

Clementine's eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing across her face. "What's this about?"

"We can't discuss it over the phone," Ruby interjected. "Please, it's really important."

Clementine glanced at Lupusregina, but the Pleiade just shrugged. She sighed, "Fine. Where and when?"

"Do you remember the tea shop in the city?" Yang asked. "The one close where Lupu got the information while we were looking for Blake. There, in 2 hours," Yang's tone didn't leave little room for argument.

"Sure," was Clementine's answer.

"Great!" Ruby said with relief in her voice. "Thank you, Clementine."

Yang's voice turned softer, almost concerned. "And Clementine? Please don't be late."

Clementine ended the call and turned to Lupusregina, with an expression of annoyance. "What do you think they want?"

Lupusregina shrugged, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "Who knows? But it sounds like it's going to be fun."

Clementine rolled her eyes. "Just finish up here. We'll deal with whatever those two want later."

Lupusregina nodded playfully, "Oh, I will. And who knows, maybe this little meeting will be more entertaining than our current project."

/*/

Clementine entered the teashop wearing her school uniform. Her eyes scanned the room until she spotted Ruby, Yang, and an older man sitting near the window. She frowned but still walked to them.

Ruby stood and waved her hand when she saw her, "Hi, Clementine. Thanks for coming."

Clementine nodded curtly, her eyes flicking to the man sitting with them.

Yang leaned forward, "This is our dad, Taiyang Xiao Long."

Taiyang extended a hand, "Nice to meet you, Clementine."

Clementine glanced at his hand. She didn't respond, letting the silence hang in the air. Taiyang, sensing her reluctance, continued gently, "We were hoping you could tell us a bit about yourself."

Clementine's eyes narrowed slightly, "Why?"

Ruby, with a hint of nervousness, interjected, "We think you might be our cousin. You look a lot like Yang and share the same last name as our uncle."

Clementine finally sat and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, not knowing which family mess she had gotten into. After a few seconds, she decided to just roll with it and keep the background story she had been given before coming to this kingdom. "And what if I am?"

The tension was palpable. A waitress arrived and asked for their order, and Clementine asked for black coffee. After that, Taiyang got the courage to continue and asked, "Can you tell us where you're from? We'd like to know more about you."

Clementine sighed, showing how annoyed she was at the moment. "Fine. I grew up in a small village, in Vacuo. It was a strict place, very religiously centric. I lived in an orphanage run by a church with my twin brother."

Ruby and Yang exchanged glances. Surprisingly, the coffee arrived fast, and Clementine took it.

Yang, leaning forward and asked, "And where is your brother?"

"Underground, dead," Clementine replied bluntly.

Yang was in shock by the blunt way Clementine answered. "I-I, I'm sorry."

The ex-Black Scripture raised her eyebrow, "Why? I am not."

Ruby grimaced and got smaller in her chair. "He was a fanatic, obsessed with religion. He deserved it," said Clementine.

Taiyang nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "That sounds tough. What about your village?"

"Destroyed," Clementine sipped her coffee and continued. "A bandits attacked, followed by Grim a few days later."

Taiyang's eyes widened slightly and nodded, "And how did you manage to survive?"

The short-haired blonde glared at Taiyang, but he did not react to it. "I was rescued by a Huntsman called Momon," replied Clementine flatly.

Taiyang nodded slowly. Clementine finished her coffee, "Is that all? I was in the middle of something when you called."

The Xiao Long patriarch nodded again, and Clementine stood up and left the place. Once she was out of the tea shop, Ruby let out a breath she did not know she was holding. "That was… heavy."

"Yeah, no kidding," Yang said before drinking her cold tea. "No wonder she is so gloomy."

Ruby glances at her sister and her father while she starts to eat the piece of cake in front of her. "Do you think Uncle Qrow might be her father?" Ruby said in a soft voice.

Yang smirked, "It's possible. Uncle Qrow always talked about going out with waitresses, right dad?"

Taiyang sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's possible. Qrow wasn't exactly careful during his missions."

After a couple of bites of the cake, Ruby had her energy back, "and she does look like Yang with short hair."

Taiyang snorted, "she does". He looked at the store door and murmured, "She reminds me of Raven too."

"What was that, dad?" asked Yang.

"Nothing," Taiyang said before he shook his head. "Just thinking that the village she described fits with something I heard before. Maybe Qrow told me about that place, but I can't remember."

"Or," said Ruby with more energy. "Maybe you hear it from Momon! The guy who rescued her. That name sounds so cool."

Yang and Taiyang turned to see Ruby with one eyebrow up each. But Ruby continued talking without knowing their reaction, "That's how Huntsmen should be. Going and rescuing the one in need. I bet Clementine wanted to become a Huntress to follow in his footsteps, and he probably used full armor, just like hers. But I guess he will be a real full armor and not the bikini-like armor of Clementine. Oh! I should have asked her about it and what kind of weapon he used. I wonder if he used a sword, but not any kind of sword, a giant sword, or maybe twin giant swords. Oh! That would be so cool."

"With no guns?" Yang asked with a smirk.

"No guns," Ruby will answer right away. I mean, have you seen Clementine's weapons? She does not use guns, and I think that she won't do it only because she wants to emulate that amazing Huntsman."

Yang couldn't resist and started to laugh while Taiyang sighed. Ruby then looked at them, not understanding their expressions.

"Easy, sis", Yang said finally. "Don't go crushing over with someone you have never met."

Ruby blushed heavily. "I am not crushing over!" yelled Ruby at Yang.

TaiYang only sighed again, but he smiled at his daughters.

/*/

Blake Belladonna was enjoying the break. Weiss came back a few days ago, but that did not change the calm she experienced; in fact, it made it more enjoyable. Blake likes to spend time with Yang and Ruby, but their energy is normally accompanied by too much noise, something that Blake's Faunus complexion does not like that much. Weiss's calm demeanor and her wide knowledge of literature outside heroism tales made her the perfect room partner.

Sometimes, Blake chuckled at the idea of her becoming friends with the heiress of the Schnee company. The only time she said that aloud to Weiss was when she found it funny that she was enjoying a cup of tea with an ex-member of the White Fang.

Today was the day Ruby and Yang were about to return, and knowing their personalities, Blake decided to use that morning to buy a book. Weiss stayed behind at Beacon to train a little before showering and meeting their missing team members.

Blake stepped into 'Tukson's Book Trade,' a little bookshop in a quiet corner of Vale. The bell above the door chimed, and the scent of old paper and ink filled Blake's nose. It was a comforting aroma that immediately put her at ease. She wandered through the aisles, her fingers lightly brushing the spines of the books. It would be a long semester at Beacon Academy, just before the Vytal festival, and she was eager to find a new book to lose herself in.

She walked from side to side, looking at the names of the books, until she felt that she hit a small wall. "Oof," she exhaled. She turned to see the object, only to find a girl standing, immobile, looking at her with one eye, while the other was covered in a black eyepatch.

Blake smiled awkwardly. "Sorry for bumping into you," she said.

Chizu remained expressionless but answered in a monotone voice, "Don't worry." Then she turned back to the books, searching for a title.

Blake nodded and continued on her own mission to find a book for herself. She continued searching until she found a book called, 'The thirteen heroes.'

Blake arrived at the counter to pay. A tall, muscular man took the book and scanned it. "It's going to be 15 liens," said the man. Blake took her money, and then next to Blake was again the shorter girl with reddish hair.

"Hello, again," said the man to Chizu, and she nodded. It's 12 liens," said Tukson, and Chizu paid her book and turned to leave the place.

As Blake expected, on her way back to Beacon, she was next to Chizu, which made the walk awkward for her, especially since Chizu did not have any expression while walking close to her.

Blake took a deep breath and walked over. "Hi," she said. Chizu looked up, still walking, her single visible eye meeting Blake's amber gaze. There was a moment of silence, and Blake felt a twinge of awkwardness. "Do you like books?" Blake asked, and she wanted to kick herself because of it.

Chizu remained expressionless and looked her way but answered, "I do."

Blake smiled awkwardly and couldn't help but look at the eyepatch. Surprisingly, the eyepatch made her look good with her outfit. Chizu did give the vibe of someone ready to engage in combat, but at the same time, a person who could be just having a normal stroll at the city.

The faunus girl looked at the eyepatch for a while until Chizu turned to see her. "Is there anything else you want to ask me?" she asked calmly.

Ashamed, Blake blushed, "Sorry for staring at you", the faunus replied.

Chizu turned back to see her path while Blake wondered for a moment. Blake wondered if she had lost her eye due to a Grim or maybe an attack. Then she felt a chill in her spine, thinking that she was a human injured by the White Fang.

They arrived at the airship landing and waited for the next one that could take them back to Beacon. Blake stood close to Chizu automatically, even when the place was almost empty. The cat faunus curiosity won over her and opened a conversation.

"Did your team leave in the break to see their family?" asked Blake.

Chizu blinked and answered calmly, "No, all of them remained here. None of us can see our families anymore."

Blake tensed up, feeling that she had stepped in a mine. "Sorry to hear that." Blake was waiting for an angry or sad face, but what she saw was the same stoic face in the girl.

A moment of silence happened until it was announced that the airship to Beacon would be delayed.

Blake sighed as she knew that the awkward situation will be longer for her. And worse of all, she is still curious about the eyepatch.

"You are still looking at me," said Chizu's monotone voice. "Is there something weird in my clothing?" asked calmly.

"No, it's just," Blake answered, and then she glanced at the eyepatch again, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I hope this isn't too forward, but... what happened to your eye?"

Chizu blinked, her gaze steady. For a moment, Blake worried she'd overstepped, but Chizu merely shrugged. "It's not something I usually talk about," she said calmly. "But it's not a secret, either." Then, she proceeds to remove her eyepatch.

Blake was waiting to see a missing eye or perhaps a gruesome scar, just like her former mentor, but what she saw was just a green eye. It was nothing different from the other, and the only particularity was the shape of the iris.

"I wear the eyepatch in case it is necessary to adapt my vision to a dark place," explained Chizu.

Blake was waiting for a big story reveal, but maybe she just had her head full of her light novels. But, she feels that the girl was a good huntress in the making if she is able to wear an eyepatch all the time, only to adapt to a sudden battle.

Another moment of silence happened, but now Blake felt at ease in the comfort of the silence that their company made. Then Blake looked out the window and saw a Faunus walking the street while some humans made comments that seemed despective. The Faunus only walked faster while the humans laughed.

Blake touched her bow and turned to Chizu. She remembered that before the last semester finished, she and her team went and helped her team against Torchwick and the White Fang. Then Blake remembered the way Clementine attacked the White Fang. "Can I ask you one more thing?"

CZ2128 turned to see her, and Blake took that as an affirmation, "Does your team have any problems with one of your members being a faunus?"

"Why would we?" asked Chizu, tilting her head to one side and making her look so innocent.

Blake sighed, "After we stopped the attack in the docks, the White Fang did not stop. And there are more attacks against Faunus in general. Families are attacked, and they are targeted because," Blake frowned and gritted her teeth, " because for many, all the Faunus are the same."

Chizu nodded, "Just how the White Fang thinks about humans."

The faunus looked at her with wide eyes and blinked before sighing, "Yes, exactly like them. It seems that Faunus and Humans are not that different."

"Aren't they the same?" asked Chizu calmly.

A small smile appeared on Blake's face, "That people should thinkthat way, but..."

Chizu shook her head. "I am not referring to that. I mean literally," CZ2128 said before explaining herself.

"Mankind can have offspring with Faunuskind. The only way this can happen is if they are the same," explained CZ2128.

Blake frowned, and Chizu tilted her head again. "A dog can't have offspring with a cat because they are different. But two dogs can have pups no matter if each dog is from a different race."

The faunus girl turned to see the sky. "I've never seen it that way." She then smiled, "I guess people from different regions can think with a different perspective."

At that point, Chizu was again looking to the front, still waiting for the airship to arrive. Blake smiled and looked also to the front. "Can I ask you where you are from?"

CZ took two seconds before answering, as she had just gathered information about her backstory, which Shalltear had created. "I am from Dormir, a village in Atlas."

Blake nodded, "And your sister did not have any problems in Atlas?"

"Lupusregina is from Vacuo, just like Clementine," said Chizu monotonally.

Blake frowned, "you didn't grow up together?"

"Just recently," replied CZ.

Blake blushed when she noticed that CZ was not looking at her. "I'm sorry if I stepped where I shouldn't." CZ remained silent.

Blake admired Chizu's composed demeanor. There was something calming about her presence. The two girls stood in silence for a moment. Despite the initial awkwardness, Blake felt a sense of connection with Chizu. She rarely met someone who appreciated the quiet moments as much as she did.

A voice announced that the airship would arrive shortly, and after a minute, the airship landed in front of them, and both boarded it. The airship's smooth flight offered a serene contrast to the recent awkwardness. Blake took this moment to reflect on the curious girl beside her. Chizu's stoic demeanor and blunt honesty intrigued her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more beneath the surface. But again, maybe she just read too many novels.

The journey was uneventful, filled with comfortable silence. Blake appreciated the quiet company, a rare occurrence in her typically loud environment with her teammates. With her mysterious air and unreadable expression, Chizu was a puzzle to Blake.

As the airship began its descent, Beacon Academy was visible. Blake and Chizu followed the flow, stepping out into the fresh air of the academy's courtyard.

The bustling atmosphere of Beacon was a stark contrast to the quiet journey. Students were everywhere, chatting, laughing, and preparing for the upcoming semester. Amid the crowd, Blake's eyes quickly found a familiar face, Weiss Schnee, standing with her usual poised elegance.

Weiss spotted Blake and Chizu and made her way over. Her expression was a mix of smile and annoyance. "Blake, it's good to see you," Weiss greeted with a small smile, her eyes briefly flickering to Chizu. "Nice to meet you too, Chizu."

Chizu nodded and walked. Blake followed her, and Weiss also followed. Blake looked at Weiss and asked her, "Did something happen?"

Weiss exhaled deeply, "Ruby and Yang happened. They are back, and Ruby couldn't stop talking about a fantasy story she made herself."

"A novel?" asked Blake, interested in that story.

Weiss nodded and explained, "As far as I could understand from Yang's explanations, they talked with Clementine from team NCCL." The Schnee heiress then turned to see CZ, but she did not react. "And," continued Weiss, "It seems that they confirmed that they are related, and now Ruby is fantasizing about everything she was told by her."

Blake nodded slowly. Weiss then used the small silence to ask Chizu if she knew about the story. CZ only nodded her head, saying that Clementine was rescued by a man named Momon. Weiss then confirmed that that's the name Ruby was babbling about."

Blake and Weiss then announced that they would be going to the school's library, but CZ only nodded and continued walking to the dorm with her book in hand. Once she was far enough, Weiss spoke to Blake.

"I didn't know you had become friends with one member of team NCCL," Weiss said calmly.

Blake shrugged, "I met her at the bookstore."

Weiss nodded, "quite fitting of you."

Blake raised an eyebrow, "what is that supposed to mean?"

"Only that it fits your personality," Weiss replied without skipping a bit, she then looked at the dorm's way. "I guess we will spend more time with team NCCL just like we do with team JNPR."

The faunus cat nodded, and the two entered the library for a moment of peace before moving to their noisy room.