To LoamyCoffee, I never implied that it was a "clean wipe"; there's still bits and pieces in there, but without an "Index", Vincent can't really "make sense" of what's in his head. That and the catastrophic brain damage doesn't help either. It was largely the shock of the Relic Blade's signature move being used that allowed him to… reflect the way he did. Like an ice bath snapping you into lucidity.
And yeah, compared to the others' own "flashbacks", Blair's was the most lighthearted intentionally, because it serves as a nice contrast to the more "downer" tones of the others. I left some stuff ambiguous, but not that ambiguous that only my high-brow readers could interpret the message I'm getting across. Though personally, I think Shantae's memory was my favorite to write, because I get to blend Shantae and RWBY together more cohesively. It helped that the Spirits of Knowledge and Creation were both Genies/Djinn, as are Choice and Destruction by implication.
To grx1318, the RWBY-style names for Vincent and Jack's Pokémon teams just felt like the right move to make~ And yeah, Vincent's "What If…?" was an outright nod to his connected ones. I could've easily made Jack's "What If…?" a reference to Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, but that felt a little too on-the-nose at the time, and I was going more for "theme" than "Team".
Glynda's story was meant to tug at the heartstrings and add some backstory where there wasn't any in the Canon (as far as I know), but I wanted to leave some ambiguity, alongside the clues I've sprinkled about with her and Elisa's dialogue. For Rachnera's, I basically took what she endured in Daily Life with a Monster Girl and cranked it up to 11, added some RWBY-flavored racism, and made it a splash more graphic with the lynch mob.
As for the Dark God in Shantae's memory looking at Vincent, even when no-one else could, that was actually a throwback to Assassins Creed II where Minerva was speaking to Demond instead of Ezio, or rather "through" Ezio, with Ezio wondering just who "Desmond" is (while looking into the camera).
Unrelated note, it was a great throwback in Assassins Creed: Revelations where an "Old Man" Ezio left his own message to Desmond after having lived his life as best he could. Albeit, I kinda fell off the wagon partway through Assassins Creed: Origins with how the structure of the games changed, and only played a little bit of the one that takes place in Greece. But I'm sure I can still enjoy the STORY, even if not the games any longer.
The "Seven Shards of Darkness" that the Dark God mentions are a parallel to the Four Relics (aka "Four Shards of Light") in the same way that the "Seven Guardians of Light" are to the "Thirteen Darknesses" are in Kingdom Hearts lore. And yes, Humanity was created by both Gods, but you know how some parents will say "that's my boy" when they're happy but "that's your boy" when they're disappointed? That was basically that sort of dynamic; taking credit for what he liked and not what they didn't. The God of Light at the very least took credit for the good and the bad that "Humanity" accomplished, while I just feel like the God of Darkness would be a little more self-aggrandizing. Though I suppose it also makes sense that both gods would act like they have an unconditional love for their creations, while covertly only liking the parts that please them personally.
As for Vincent being an AU from my Teen Titans story, I think you're the first that asked it outright, and you are right. I won't write out the AU in its own individual story, but I've left quite a few breadcrumbs for what's the same and what's different. There will be more flashbacks later to fill in the gaps of this standalone version of one of my most beloved characters, but it won't be "quite that simple". Always gotta keep my fans guessing, you know~
To Raidentensho, I don't know nearly enough about Saint Seiya, so no, probably won't mix that in. I might mention the "Zodiac Knights" in Mistral's lore since it possibly has a mix of Asian and Greek influences if Pyrrha is also from there like Ren, but that would be about it.
As for the esoteric breathing from Demon Slayer, I have added it to my Legend of Korra fanfic, so [Total Concentration Breathing] may just find its way into Giant-Slayer, but it'd have to be at a time I feel it can organically come about.
Something similar-to exists in Toriko, but it's more about the economy of breathing than granting superhuman powers-by; basically, about correcting the "inefficiency" that human bodies have at separating Oxygen from Carbon Dioxide and the fact that most Oxygen is exhaled out. Carbon Dioxide has a lower freezing point than oxygen, so when it condenses in the lungs, Toriko could exhale only the Carbon Dioxide to conserve lots of Oxygen, creating a sparkling white breath.
Of course, then there's the [Air Fruit] which once eaten allows someone to survive indefinitely in a vacuum, but I digress.
*NEW WORLD*
"Ohgodohgodohgodohgod!" Ruby muttered to herself as she paced, only stumbling with her heels every fourth step.
"Which is also the title of Ruby's sex tape. Heyo!" Yang whooped causing Ruby to stumble.
"Yang, that's low-hanging fruit, even for you," Blake chastised.
"W-Well hey, Ruby's nervousness is making me nervous!" the blond cried as she cradled her giant egg to her chest in its baby sling. And it was only thanks to the fact that Yang "ran hot" that the giant egg was receiving the warmth it required to gestate, though none of the staff at Beacon had any idea when it'd hatch, or what-into…
Spirit Beasts guarded their eggs with an almost religious fervor, so the number of viable eggs that found their way into Human hands was quite small, whereas Faunus had enough respect for nature to leave well enough alone.
"I don't see what there is to be nervous about," Weiss huffed as she rose from her homework and walked toward the closet. "As long as your dress is fashionable, there should be no problem dining at La Femme Rouge."
*Click, Click, Click, Click*
*Creak*
. . . . . .
. . .
*BAM!*
"WHERE IS YOUR DRESS!?" the heiress demanded after kicking out the closet door.
"I… don't have one…?" Ruby squeaked.
" . . . WHAT?!" the heiress shrieked.
"Oh god, it's happening again!" Ruby cried leaping up into her sister's arms.
Or rather tried, given she leapt out of the way to protect her "child" leaving her sister to throw herself onto the unyielding floor.
*Thump*
"Owwwwww."
"How can you not have a dress?!" the heiress once again demanded. "What, did you intend to go to important functions in your combat skirt!?"
"I-I mean, maybe-"
"Maybe? No 'maybe'! We are fixing this now!" she said grabbing Ruby by the ear and dragging her out with an-
"OWOWOWOWowowowow…!"
"Dressing up my sis in cute clothes? Count me in!" Yang whooped as she ran off after them, leaving Blake to her own devices.
" . . . I guess I'll go see how Vincent is doing."
*NEW WORLD*
Weiss Schnee, having more or less memorized Beacon's layout after being accepted (not that there had been any doubt), was swift to deliver her partner to the academy's premier boutique, "Threads". Though it was a holdout from the old guild system, it had all the modern amenities, and the heiress to the Schnee dynasty would be damned if she allowed Ruby to transitively embarrass her by showing up to a 5-Star restaurant in her combat skirt!
Practical and fashionable for work in the field?
Most certainly.
Dress code for a fancy dinner party at an equally-fancy restaurant?
Most certainly NOT!
"Ms. Anderson! We have a fashion emergency here!" the heiress proclaimed toward the only woman on campus she trusted enough to mend her designer clothes.
"Ah, Ms. Schnee, how can I help you today?" Beacon's premier seamstress inquired, having long grown used to such eccentricities among her clientele.
"This one doesn't have a dress! We need to fix that ASAP!" the heiress said pushing a sufficiently embarrassed Ruby into the limelight.
"U-Um… Hi!" Ruby squeaked at the fashionable woman before her.
"Ruby Rose, Ozpin's latest pet project," the woman hummed as she snapped out a measuring tape, Ruby squawking as the woman invaded her personal bubble. "So, what's the occasion?"
"M-My boyfriend's taking me to La Femme Rouge to celebrate, well, a lot of things," the red-head answered bashfully.
"La Femme Rouge? How fancy~" Elisa swooned lightheartedly. "So tell me, how long have the two of you been 'together-together'~"
"N-Not long officially, but… we've been friends for pretty much 'ever'," Ruby admitted, giving herself a warm gooey center. "Honestly, he's the only boy I could ever see myself like-liking~"
"Ah, young love~" Elisa sighed as she snapped her measuring tape back into her hand. "Just make sure you treat that boy right, okay? You wouldn't want to wind up bitter and alone like… a certain someone I know," she said looking sidelong.
"Why? Who do you know that's bitter and alone?" Yang groused curiously.
"None of your business, young lady," the seamstress chastised.
"And what do you mean by Ruby needing to treat Arthur 'right'?" Yang asked planting a hand on her hip, the other going to her precious cargo.
"I just mean, that boy doesn't deserve to be strung along by someone who doesn't appreciate him," she clarified as she went over to the rolls of fabric. "At least according to Ms. Adel."
"That Team Coffee girl with a lady-boner for Ruby's man?" Yang blinked, Weiss scoffing off to the side at the vulgar vernacular.
"Whatever happened to customer confidentiality?" Weiss huffed.
"That only applies to a customer's three sizes; not their idle gossip," Elisa hummed as she leafed through the different shades of red.
" . . . Okay that's fair," the heiress conceded.
"H-Hey! I 'appreciate' him!" Ruby protested.
"Perhaps, but those feelings can still change with time," Elisa returned as she unfurled a length of fabric and sliced through it with a practiced hand, draping a fine red cloth over her arm before walking towards a design studio, the others dutifully following. "Hunter Academies are especially tenuous for romance. Two people who are deeply in love at the beginning can turn tepid toward one another by graduation, while the inverse can also be true; two people utterly despising one another falling deeply in love once they venture out into the real world. I believe your father and uncle would both be poster boys for a complicated love-life."
"You knew dad and uncle Qrow?" Ruby blinked as Elisa began to sketch out a design, also with a practiced hand.
" . . . To an extent," Elisa hummed after a significant pause. "But enough gossip; what do you think of this?" she asked holding out a sketch, the three girls crowding in before letting out a gasp.
"It's, it's beautiful!" Ruby gasped, eyes twinkling.
"A little darker than your usual red, but it does have a mature air to hit," Yang hummed thoughtfully. "What do you think, little guy?" she asked turning to her egg.
"I'll put a down payment on your best work," Weiss said holding out a premium credit card. "Half now, half upon delivery."
"Of course, Ms. Schnee," Elisa nodded. "When will you need this by?"
"Noon on Sunday at the latest."
"That amount of urgency will be reflected in the final billing."
"Have my checks ever bounced?"
"No, but for the sake of propriety, it warrants asking," she said taking the card before running it through an attachment on her Scroll. "I'll begin work immediately."
"Excellent!" Weiss nodded. "Now that we've got the dress out of the way, it's time to make a trip to the cobbler."
"Ooh! I love strawberry cobbler!"
"Not that kind of cobbler!" the heiress snapped. "Shoes, you dolt! I'm talking about shoes!"
" . . . Can we get strawberry cobbler after-?"
"NO WE CAN'T GET STRAWBERRY COBLER 'AFTER'!"
"Yeah, Rubes, don't you wanna still fit into your dress?"
"YANG XIAO LONG, NOT NOW!"
*NEW WORLD*
"Heel, toe, heel, toe, and, turn! It is not that hard!" Weiss said angrily as she once again made a show of how to walk in heels.
"OW OW OW OW OW! These heels are killing me!" Ruby cried bouncing on one foot.
"Um, Director? Can we take five?" Yang asked.
"Who're you talking to?" Blake blinked.
"No-one, just making a lamp shading joke," the blond chuckled.
"Of course you are…"
*NEW WORLD*
During another of Ruby Rose's lessons in how to be "a proper lady", she loomed above her current target like a sniper in her nest, silver light reflected into her equally-silver eyes. Her trigger finger tightening, slowly, ever-so-slowly…
*BZAP!*
"YOW!" Ruby squealed as she was struck by a cattle prod.
"Wrong fork, dunce!" Weiss chastised from over her shoulder as she slapped another flashcard onto the place setting that had been set up upon her desk. "Again!"
. . . . . .
. . .
*BZAP!*
"EEEEK!"
"That wasn't even remotely correct!"
"Weiss, where did you even get a cattle prod?" Yang asked from her own desk. " . . . Is this one of those rich-girl kink-things~?"
"W-What?! Ugh! NOOO!"
"Do you want Jack to use that on youuuuuu~?"
"NOOOOOOO!"
"Is anyone else disturbed by the fact that Weiss thinks zapping our team leader will prepare her for dinner at a fancy restaurant?" Blake inquired.
"Well, all my normal methods won't work, so-"
"Oh yeah? Well when did you learn to do this?!" Ruby demanded as she rubbed her back.
"Once I was four."
" . . . Oh," the tiny scythe-wielder wilted.
"Really showing your breeding there, aren't ya, Ice Princess~?"
"Yang, do be quiet…" Weiss sighed as she turned back to her teaching.
*BZAP!*
"EEEEK!"
*NEW WORLD*
Sooner than Ruby would've liked, the fated day had arrived. The plan was for Arthur to pick her up at the Skyport, he would provide transport to La Femme Rouge, and then for him to take her back to the Skyport, either escorting her back to the dorms or for one of her friends to do so.
The dress had been a rush order, not that Weiss didn't have the money to make it so, but the heiress certainly never let her hear the end of it as she continued to drill proper dining etiquette into her "thick skull".
To Ruby, the whole thing sucked eggs, but what sucked even more was the thought of embarrassing Arthur, and by extension, his family as well as her teammate. She wasn't sure if "etiquette" was something taught at Beacon, but she supposed it made some amount of sense that a wealthy client would want the protection of a Hunter, but wouldn't want to be embarrassed by their security detail either.
After scrubbing herself like a madwoman with her finest soap and loofa, the heiress forcibly cleaning her hair down to her scalp with some of her own designer shampoo and conditioner, Ruby Rose stepped out of the closet fully dressed for the evening.
She was now clad in a short, red sleeveless dress with a thick black sash around the waist and black trim running along the bottom. The bodice of the dress was split vertically to the sash and held with black lacing, the yoke of the dress a transparent mesh with an opaque collar and hem, with opaque lines connecting the collar to her shoulders. In place of her usual combat boots were black pumps over matching stockings, a lovely red rose ornament in her hair to bring the look together. It would be cold out that evening, so she had a stylish red trench coat on; something for the coat checker to take.
Her Crescent Rose would never slide, not at a fancy dining establishment like La Femme Rouge, but she was more than capable of sneaking her M-77 Paladin -now painted her favorite shade of red- into her matching clutch, complete with permit.
"Hmmmmmm…!" Ruby scowled as she held her new clutch to her stomach; something Coco Adel had provided for her once word got out she was getting ready for a night out at a 5-star restaurant with Velvet's cousin. "I feel a little under-protected…"
"Well, running's always an option," Blake hummed. "I doubt Arthur's any sort of slouch in that department."
"I'll choose to interpret that as a compliment," Ruby pouted.
"Well, you're about as ready as I could've made you," Weiss sighed as she went over a mental checklist.
Honestly, it had been an accelerated crash course, and her progress would've never flown for a fancy dinner party in Atlas; not if she'd had anything to say about it. But she supposed in Vale it would be good enough for a first attempt. And Weiss was sure if she did embarrass herself, Ruby would only want to do better in the future. Failure was a better teacher than success, after all.
Thankfully, she'd been able to stop a "worst-case scenario" from occurring.
Hopefully.
Maybe…?
She'd cross her fingers but not hold her breath…
"Just don't embarrass the family," Weiss sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"Aww, Weiiiss!" Ruby beamed as she hugged her.
"Not you, you dolt! I mean my cousin and I!" the heiress returned trying to fight the red-head's monstrous strength.
Well, not as monstrous as her sister's, but still quite substantial nonetheless…
"C'mon, sis. I'll escort you to the skyport," Yang said adjusting the brim of her hat.
"What's with the chauffeur's outfit?" Blake blinked at the blond's choice in attire.
"Technically it's a 'chauffeuse' outfit," Weiss corrected matter-of-factly.
"Tomato, tomatoe. What's important is, I make this outfit look good~!" Yang beamed as the black outfit clung appealingly to her body, the gold piping and buttons standing out quite fetchingly.
"Yang, my cousin already secured transport. You won't be doing any driving."
"But then what was the point of getting this chauffeur's-"
"Chauffeuse," Weiss corrected.
"-whatever-outfit!" the blond yelled.
"Uuuum… I'm just gonna go," Ruby said trying to slink out of the room, only to run face-first into Coco and Velvet.
"Hey there, Little Red. Let's chat," Coco hummed into a not-so-friendly tone above her lowered shades before she and Velvet whisked the little red-head away.
*NEW WORLD*
The Delamain Corporation was Remnant's premier taxiing service with branches located in each of the four Kingdoms. Originating from the kingdom of Atlas, its forebearers were the armored ground and aerial motorcade vehicles used by politicians and affluent businesspeople alike. In recent times, that same level of trusted service "for reasonable fares" had become available to the most-populated centers of commerce in Remnant. On its iconic promotional material, looking just as much as the trailer for a spy thriller, was the image of a Delamain cab skidding into a dynamic stop with a businessman in a black suit and briefcase rushing towards an opened cab door amidst a hail of gunfire, displaying the company's motto-
LEAVE YOUR PROBLEMS AT THE DOOR
This was the form of transportation Ruby Rose found waiting for her at the Vale Skyport, the door held open for her by her boyfriend who was wearing a pristine black suit, his dress shirt a lovely shade of cobalt with a stunningly white tie the same color as his hair, which had been brushed back for the occasion.
Her boyfriend's eyes were the size of saucers as he drank her in, Ruby blushing to the tips of her ears as she felt his and many other eyes upon her as she left the terminal. As she descended the steps toward him, Coco and Velvet's presence faded to the back of her mind as she offered her hand to him. Arthur bringing pale skin to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles, she felt an excited shiver go through her, never realizing she'd wanted this sort of experience so-badly until she had received it.
"Shall we depart, Ms. Rose?"
"Y-Yes, I believe we shall," Ruby said as she momentarily fumbled for the response Weiss had drilled into her.
Allowing Arthur to help her in, she slid over and allowed him access in turn. The built-in mechanical cab driver then adjusting the brim of its built-in chauffeur's hat, it pulled into the street once the door had closed, leaving Coco and Velvet on the curb, the prior looking a little put-off at being left behind.
*NEW WORLD*
'Don'tfreakout, don'tfreakout, don'tfreakout,' Ruby chanted to herself like a mantra as their Delamain cab stopped in front of the fanciest restaurant she'd ever been to,
Like the name implied, La Femme Rouge was predominantly red with streaks of cream and black coloring to stop it from looking like a single congealed mass. There were large windows allowing for an unobstructed view of the opulent interior, which was replete with lovely wood paneling, pristine white tablecloths, and plush chairs with red cushions. The servers seen scurrying about were wearing bright red vests with an exquisite sheen, and all the ladies in attendance had one or more garments colored some shade of red.
"Ruby," Arthur said putting his hand on hers. "If you're scared, we don't have to go in."
"N-N-No! I mean, I'm fine, just… I'm a little nervous… But I want to do this together!" the little red-head insisted.
"Alright, then," Arthur nodded as he stepped out of the cab and onto a red carpet, the golden light from La Femme Rouge making his hair and ears shine like platinum. "Shall we go inside, milady?"
Ruby could only gulp and blink owlishly at how dapper her boyfriend looked, taking his hand with a stunned expression as she was escorted inside.
Little did she know, however, that they were being watched.
*NEW WORLD*
"Jacque! Thanks again for the help!" Coco said from inside La Femme Rouge's changing room, she and Velvet having just barely beaten their quarry by taking to the rooftops and loping across down.
"After what you did for La Femme Rouge last year, how could I not?" a Frenchman dressed like a maître d' inquired as he oversaw the other staff. "Still, though, how do you intend to go unrecognized? Aren't you both known to your quarry?"
"Hmhm. This isn't the first time Vel and I went incognito," Coco hummed before the door opened. While she and Velvet clad like the other bussers, amazingly enough, their disguises were actually up to par.
Coco had done up her hair in a conservative bun at the back of her head, her signature dyed loche expertly tucked within, while her sunglasses, a staple of her look, had been replaced with red wireframe spectacles, a beauty mark by the left corner of her mouth completed the illusion. Velvet stood out far more all on her own with her rabbit ears and cute face, which made the success of her disguise even more amazing; her ears, which normally stood up above her head like twin beacons, had been woven into her brunette tresses down her back, while the bases of her ears were decorated with red beveled hoops. Under and to the sides of her eyes were geometric triangles of red eyeliner, drawing attention away from her general features and instead toward her disguises' uniquities.
Of course, these disguises wouldn't do a damn if they walked right in front of Arthur and Ruby who knew them both, so they'd been assigned the tables on the outer edge of the dining room; and while they'd have to actually serve tables, they'd done as such before so as to "vanish" on a job, so they wouldn't be interrupting the flow of business.
And it wasn't all that uncommon for a Huntsman to go undercover as a busser or a cook in pursuit of their quarry, but they were still expected to work, and above all else were forbidden from fighting within the establishment.
Out on the front steps? Most certainly. But never inside the establishment.
Everyone knows not to throw a scene in a fancy restaurant.
"Alright," Coco said flattening the creases on her vest, which modestly complimented her figure. "Time to get our spy on~"
*NEW WORLD*
Because the name "Gelé Pâtisserie" carried a great deal of weight in the affluent part of town, both for its overlapping clientele and that it provided gourmet pastries for several high-end restaurants, Arthur had gotten all of their metaphorical ducks in a row ahead of time, and thus, despite their youth, he and Ruby were seated with little fanfare relating to their youth.
The two had thusly adjourned to the middle distance of the restaurant, situated against the wall at a cozy table meant for two. There were a few young couples in attendance, though they themselves were the youngest by far, and the only ones who genuinely raised any sort of fuss over them –be it about their age, one of them being a Faunus, or just being an inter-species couple— were those that were old and gray and set in their ways. And though La Femme Rouge was an old establishment, they had enough of a foothold on their own that one or two disgruntled couples couldn't upend their business; not only that, but by getting their foodstuffs directly from the IGO, some of the more racial companies out there like the SDC couldn't put any sort of "embargo" or whatever on the establishment.
Ruby for her part had been blushing like a schoolgirl –which she technically was— the entire time, and her heart most-definitely skipped a beat when Arthur pulled her chair out for her, but thankfully she was able to avoid stumbling on her heels, thus staving off immediate embarrassment.
Of course, that still left the rest of the evening for her to worry about.
"You look lovely tonight," Arthur smiled at her. "Then again, you always look lovely, but that's an especially lovely dress."
"Oh, what, this old thing?" Ruby deflected bashfully since the dress had been less than an hour off the sewing machine when a courier had delivered it.
"Really? It looks brand-new."
"Yes, well, I take very good care of my belongings," Ruby returned, remembering all the lessons Weiss had drilled into her head over eloquent sentence structure. "You look quite handsome, yourself."
"Thank you, though admittedly, it feels a bit stuffy," he hummed pulling on the lapels of his black suit.
"But you definitely make those colors work," Ruby smiled before taking the time to look around, just drinking everything in.
One thing she had noticed on the way in was that while numerous ladies and gentleman were wearing some form of red, be it accessories or full-on attire, the color only really "matched" a few of them; for the others, it was like two ill-fitting T-Cogs put together. While her own dress was a little understated in comparison to the more-elaborate pieces, there were many shades of red that were just hard to look at, and while she was no fashionista, even she could tell that for an individual person, a darker or brighter shade of red would've worked better.
"So… How has your own work been going?" Ruby inquired.
"Oh, very well. Can't disappoint my new buyers, you know?" Arthur chuckled. "Really, I'm surprised nobody else thought of the idea; transforming drones in an easy-to-carry package."
"Hm, well, it just means you'll stand to profit the most," Ruby smiled before she turned her attention back to her menu. 'Okay, that one is snails, that's fattened duck liver, that's calf's brain…' she mused as she took in La Femme Rouge's selection, remembering the debriefing Weiss had given her so she wouldn't order something 'because it sounded fancy' only to be completely revolted afterward and cause a scene. "Have you given any thought too what you want to order?"
"Well, I've at the least ruled out most of the desserts because those are things I can make at home…" the Faunus boy hummed, Ruby daintily wiping the corner of her mouth as she remembered the 'side effects' that came with the culinary delights of his uncle's workplace.
*NEW WORLD*
"Velvet, how does their date seem to be going?" Coco inquired as she and Velvet crossed paths while making the rounds.
"They just ordered appetizers, which they intend to split between them; the Provencal Stuffed Squid and the Gougères," the Faunus girl replied, her hearing still sharp even with her tresses braided around them.
"And? What else?"
"They're just making small-talk. Now get back to work!"
*NEW WORLD*
Meanwhile, on the roof across the street…
"Ugh, I can barely see them!" Yang groaned as she used an inverted periscope to peer into La Femme Rouge.
"This is hardly a practical use of my time," Weiss sighed as she cradled the giant egg Yang had absconded from the Emerald Forest with.
It certainly wasn't any ordinary egg, not only with the flame patterns, but how warm it was against her bosom.
"Aren't you even a little worried?"
"I'm quite certain my uncle raised Arthur to be a peak gentleman," the heiress hummed proudly. "Ruby on the other hand… Even if I were worried, it's not like I can go down there and be a lounge singer to take the pressure off. This evening is about 'them'; I have no right to intrude."
"Well, you should've told them that. This is the first time I've seen them walk by that window."
"Them?! 'Them' who!?" the heiress demanded as she took back the periscope and almost dropping Yang's egg in the process. "Ugh, I get it, my cousin's adorable. But that's no excuse to intrude on him like this; even if they are wearing adequate disguises…"
"Yeah, I almost didn't recognize them," Yang admitted as she stroked her 'baby'. "Still, what can we do about it? It's not like we can just go down there and drag them out back," she sighed before thinking- "Althouuuuugh…~"
"No, no 'although'! Everyone knows not to throw a scene in a fancy restaurant!" Weiss countermanded.
"Well then, what can we do?"
"Do our homework like Blake's doing right now?"
"I mean… I guess that's also an option…"
*NEW WORLD*
"I didn't order this," Arthur said after their entre plates were taken away and they were handed a number of desserts; Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts, Jacques Pépin's Favorite Pound Cake, Madelines, Crème Brûlée, and so-on.
"We know. These are on the house," their server replied. "Gelé Pâtisserie has always been very good to us, and when we heard you were making a reservation for your very own 'la femme rouge', the manager made this arrangement."
"Wow, that looks good…" Ruby gulped at the bittersweet smell coming off the tart.
" . . . At least it isn't all stuff I could make back at the shop," Arthur admitted, the Skillet Apple Charlotte serenading him. "Please give the manager my sincerest thanks."
"Of course, sir."
"Well…" Arthur hummed as he eyed the veritable buffet before them. "Shall we begin?"
"Bon appétite~" Ruby beamed merrily, the two returning to their familiar rhythm.
*NEW WORLD*
"Hm. It seems like everything went off without a hitch," Coco hummed from off to the side, chewing on a thumbnail.
"Yes. Can we go now? The longer we stay, the more-likely it is my cousin will hear us."
"Says the girl with a breast pocket full of tips," the fashionista huffed.
"This and that have nothing to do with one another," Velvet chastised as she slid the protruding bills out of sight.
*NEW WORLD*
"Well, it looks like they're leaving," Weiss hummed at the same time across the street. "If we leave now, we can beat them to the Skyport to meet Ruby."
"Shouldn't someone stay behind to watch Arthur back home?" Yang blinked.
"If he's taking a Delamain cab, there's absolutely nothing to worry about," Weiss hummed dismissively. "He's certainly safer than if the police were looking after him."
"Wait, you mean those Delamain cabs actually have a 'Combat Mode'?"
"It's a common sight in Atlas, actually," the heiress shrugged. "A little showy, but it happens. It's why no-one messes with Delamain cabs; not unless they have a death wish."
What she left unsaid was that 'Combat Mode' was only a part of the Excelsior Package, which required only a one-time payment and remained active for the rest of the client's lifetime. Since this was her uncle involved, it was perfectly feasible that he arranged for Arthur to receive the Excelsior Package, but it wasn't like she was going to go down there and stress test for that.
"Huh. Well now I wanna know what Combat Mode looks like…" Yang hummed thoughtfully.
"I'm sure it's somewhere on the interweb…" the heiress sighed.
*NEW WORLD*
"I had a wonderful time~" Ruby swooned wistfully from the back of their Delamain, leaning into her boyfriend's shoulder.
"Me too," Arthur smiled, feeling the most-uplifted he had in a long time. "So… Have you come across any Robot Masters as of late?"
"No, not really," Ruby answered; and the only reason they were conversing about this so-openly was because Delamian cabs were complete dead zones for wiretapping.
"Well, I've already data mined as much out of that chip as I could, but I'm at a dead end, so I've let that little side-project lie," Arthur admitted. "Honestly, it might just be better to let Atlas handle it. They're the ones with access to the classified documents, and they're the ones who'll ultimately get the chassis back when they're found."
"I mean, you aren't wrong about that…" she conceded. "Maybe I was just watching too many Saturday morning cartoons when I asked you to look into it."
"Nothing to worry about. I'll slip the ICs back to the Atlesian embassy during the Vytal Festival. After I scrub for prints, at least," Arthur hummed. "Looks like we're coming up on the Skyport. Shall I escort you the final leg?"
"You may, good sir~" Ruby smiled prettily.
*NEW WORLD*
After seeing Ruby off on the last airship of the night and pretending not to have noticed Coco and Velvet every step of the way, Arthur climbed back into his waiting Delamain and made his way back home.
"Well... certain feats of voyeurism aside, I think tonight has gone very well," Arthur sighed, loosening his tie.
"Excellent to hear, sir," the cab's onboard AI, whose avatar resembled a bald chalk-skinned man with blue lipstick and matching eyes, replied from the back of the driver's headrest. "I trust our services have been satisfactory."
"Very much so, Del," the Faunus nodded. "I will be sure to make use of your services in the future."
"I am happy to hear that, Mr. Asimov," the AI replied. "Do you require any detours before returning to Gelé Pâtisserie?"
"I don't think that will be necessary."
"Very well, sir, and please, if you ever have need of my services, you know where to find me."
The next moment a massive figure lunged from the alley they had driven past, striking the Delamain cab with a deafening *CRASH!* and sending it rolling sidelong through the air. Arthur, who had his seatbelt on out of habit, was thrown bodily against it, but not dashing himself on the interior. After several long seconds and numerous flips, the Delamain finally came to a rest in a vacant lot, one of its tires blown out and the chassis dented but otherwise okay.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Arthur cried, trying to unclip his seatbelt. "LIGHTS!"
The taxicab's interior lighting killed, enabled Arthur to peer out into the dark with crimson eyes. The figure that assailed them, clad in a massive black tarp normally reserved for trailer homes, revealed only massive crimson boots, and equally-massive yellow gloves. Following in his wake were countless other Human figures in dapper white coats and black bowler hats; the telltale markings of the Torchwick Gang.
The next moment gunfire erupted from all around, peppering the Delamain cab from all sides like the deluge of a heavy torrential storm. The whole of the vehicle was shaken from the rounds as they struck armored plates, while the windows rapidly frosted over with hairline fractures. It was a testament to the Delamin cab's Atlesian construction that it held on under such withering gunfire.
"FUCK! FUCK! SHIT!" Arthur swore as he drew his Amazing Grace and got ready to shoot the seatbelt mounting. "DELAMAIN! ACTIVATE COMBAT MODE!"
"Complying," the built-in driver chimed, side panels detaching and releasing a swarm of micro-missiles while the headlights retracted and admitted small chain guns, the 'battle cab' doing donuts as best it could with a busted tire while scattering gunfire of its own into the enemy ranks.
"AND ACTIVATE A DISTRESS BEACON!"
"Negative. I am being jammed."
"SON OF A-" *Bang!* "-BITCH!" Arthur swore as he shot himself free and got ready to lunge into the night, only for an enormous fist to cave in the door and send the taxicab skidding into a stack of I-beams. "You assholes picked... the worst night to fuck with me!"