Again, the moon had risen, and again, the occupants of the Schnee beach house had found their best laid plans pivoting toward something else entirely. By the time that Maria had finished getting everyone up to speed, there was precious little left in the day and everyone was too exhausted to do much at all. In Team BASS' case, that also meant that they were too tired and strung out to even return to Shade Academy. A quick call to Professor Gumo had ended in the suggestion that they spend the night with their friends from Sanus and that come morning, everything would be slowly sorted out. That supposedly included taking care of Cerise's situation with the Academy… though she had her doubts that such a thing was going to be considered a priority.
After the professor left for Shade Academy once again to begin preparations for something or other in the morning, Cerise had found herself mostly alone among her friends and new acquaintances. Arguments among STRQ, OKRA, and Willow had mostly died down by the time they were looking to turn in to sleep, and Fox seemingly hadn't stirred from his nap. Velvet was too busy stuck in a heated discussion with Ghira and Sage about their future to talk to her, and so, the barmaid found herself spending the rest of the day out on the deck watching the ocean and trying to sort out her thoughts. She had never intended to stay out there long enough for the others to all turn in for the night, but she saw no reason to go back inside and make the situation real in her mind.
What Cerise didn't expect, however, was a reason to remain outside.
Cerise knew what footsteps on a rooftop sounded like. She had done her fair share of larceny out in Vacuo, and wasn't above breaking and entering in desperate times. Someone, or something had made their way up to the roof and was beginning to slowly walk along it. Cerise turned to look up at the top of the structure and considered her options. Calling on BASS, or even Roman, would have been the smart move. Cerise had never been one for the smart move.
Climbing in a bikini and towel was a new experience for the girl, though clinging to window overhangs and scrabbling up the sides of buildings was not. Cerise made it to the rooftop in short order, only to realize that she was unarmed… and the figure awaiting her was passingly familiar. It was that faunus woman she had clashed with in the kitchen not too long ago, wearing a dark cloak that concealed most of her body. The elder huntress caught sight of her immediately and offered a smirk that made Cerise's blood run cold as she finally found her footing.
"…not who I came here for, but interesting all the same," Sienna considered as she turned and leaned back against the elevated ledge surrounding the rooftop. "Cerise, was it?"
"Yeah, that's me," the girl confirmed as she kept her distance on the opposite side of the roof. "And you're… Sienna. You're here for Qrow, Raven, or both of them. And you're late."
"I am, on all counts" Sienna agreed, sounding almost amused as she gave Cerise a slow nod. "So they've filled you in, have they? It was abundantly clear that you had no idea who I was when you leapt to their defense…"
"I didn't, and they did," Cerise answered, folding her arms across her chest and adopting a defensive posture. "I'd do it again, too, even knowing what I know now. I'm in the thick of things and I'll be fighting with them, so if you're here to start shit again, you can start with me."
"So headstrong, to the point of being detrimental to your wellbeing," Sienna accused as she shook her head. "You fit right in with the Branwens, and yet… there are aspects to the way that you carry yourself that suggest you also do not. You're an outsider to their team. Perhaps… an outsider to everyone, really. "
"You don't know me," Cerise seethed.
"I do not… but I've been watching, when and where I can," Sienna let on. "I've put a particular focus on a few of you to get a feel for what exactly Raven and Qrow think they're playing at. You're one of the ones that caught my eye."
"What an honor," Cerise said mockingly as she transitioned into an exaggerated shrug. "Look, I don't care that you trained atop some mountain, or that you hate Professor Ozpin. If you ask me, he seems like an absolute douchebag from the limited interaction I've had with the man. All I care about right now is that you leave my hosts alone unless you're actually here to help when it comes to the Relics and Salem."
Sienna blinked and tilted her head slightly downward. Her feline eyes caught the moonlight in just such a way as to make her seem incredibly menacing as she looked Cerise over.
"Oh, they told you everything, then? I see…"
"I… don't know," Cerise admitted. "They told me enough to make me give a shit and try to turn my life around. That's all I really know for sure."
"Turn your life around?" Sienna questioned as she moved forward off the ledge, causing Cerise to try to back up. "Curious. I have an inkling as to what it is you did before getting involved with the Branwens, and not just from my spying. The way you move in combat, the way you carry yourself when you walk and even the way you stand… you're always ready to react, as though you expect to be assailed from anyone and everyone. Your movements are fluid to the point of seeming effortless… be in it or out of a fight. When calm, you're intentionally flirtatious and exaggerated, yet while fighting, you strike with ruthless efficiency, and your every move in both scenarios is calculated. For someone with a Semblance rooted in misdirection, your actual body seems trained not to waste a second when opportunity arises. That's a very… Vacuan trait."
"…what's your point?" Cerise asked, walking along beside the elevated barrier around the roof to put more distance between them. "I just met them all, if that's what you're getting at."
"And yet, the pale boy with the fringe- Roman- you leapt to his defense and whispered to him that you wouldn't let anything happen to him," Sienna pointed out, following the girl with her eyes. "Taking that moment to reassure him in the middle of what could be a fight for your lives speaks volumes. It went against your very nature…"
Cerise abruptly stopped and drew in a breath, letting it leave her audibly through clenched teeth.
"…back off."
"…I see," Sienna considered. "Such attachments will do you no favors, especially when the lot of you is destined to separate rather soon. Your focus should be elsewhere, if you are to survive in this war. Embrace your natural inclinations and hone your survival skills, Cerise. They will be far more useful than whatever temporary connection you believe you've made with him."
"There is no deeper connection," Cerise spat. "Nothing more than I have with any of the others."
"You're a terrible liar, for someone so used to other tactics of deception," the older woman accused.
"I consider that a point of pride," Cerise said as she glanced over the edge of the roof. "Look, if you're here for Raven and Qrow, then go and harass them instead. I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow, and I don't need a bunch of shit from someone I don't even know that may or may not be here to fight. If that is what you're doing, then I've got nothing for you. I don't even have a w-"
A singular kunai was thrown from within Sienna's cloak, spiraling end over end before clattering atop the rooftop to land at Cerise's feet. The thief eyed the implement for a moment before looking up at the faunus with uncertainty.
"That wasn't a request to fight. I'm wearing a bikini, I'm exhausted, barefoot, a-"
"And if you had no choice?" Sienna asked, turning to fully face Cerise as she swept back her cloak to reveal an array of metallic weaponry upon her. "I'm not looking for excuses. You need to be ready at all times, if you're to join us against Salem."
"…'us'?" Cerise asked. "So… you made up your mind to fight alongside the twins?"
"Salem is a greater evil than the betrayal of our clan," Sienna answered as she let her cloak fall closed once again. "There is no fixing the death of Arowana, but there is an opportunity to stop even more senseless death by standing with his children against one of my former master's enemies. The remaining Watchers allying themselves with Salem does not obligate me to do the same. I will assist them, and I will assist you… but the training will not come easy, or cheap."
"Me?" Cerise asked as she pointed a finger into her chest. "Why would you offer to train me? I had nothing to do with any of this until recently, and I don't really know how to fight grimm. Literally all of the others are better choices if you're going to be some kind of mentor."
"Are they?" Sienna asked rhetorically as she approached. "You flew into battle at moment's notice to protect those you care about, but when threatened directly by the same opponent in a scenario where you have nothing to gain, you didn't even move. Be that due to an abundance of caution or because you've chosen to put others before yourself… that tells me that if your circumstances were different, you would have chosen another path. You could have been more than a simple thief or bartender. I saw it in the way you fight, and I see it now in the way you act. You cannot fool everyone… so, stop trying to fool yourself. Your allies have their own mentors waiting to aid them. Commit yourself, and I will do the same for you."
Cerise pulled a face before bending low to pull up the kunai and inspect it. The tool was of exceptional quality and weightier than she had anticipated it to be, with etched tiger stripes scoured into the angular blade. It was far sharper and more dangerous than her standard knife, and Cerise could tell that it wasn't a weapon for a beginner.
"Well, this does seem a lot more my speed than joining some stuffy and probably expensive academy. You're planning on staying in Vacuo?" Cerise questioned as she turned the weapon over in her hand. "I'm asking because I'm not planning on leaving, so that would be a bit of a deal breaker if not."
"I see no reason to leave," Sienna clarified as she thrust a hand out from within her cloak. "This puts me far away from the mountaintop, and there are… other things I am interested in accomplishing in Vacuo, as well."
"And if the Branwens aren't interested in staying?" Cerise asked as she took the hand.
"…we'll deal with that in the morning."
Morning came, but as she expected, Cerise didn't get any sleep. She spent most of the evening turning the kunai over in her hands while considering the path forward, everything she had learned, and much more than she would have liked, Roman. The barmaid rose with the sun, as did several others in the beach house, and breakfast was shared with a few early risers. Conversation was kept light with the intent of keeping things peaceful until everyone was awake… and Cerise kept her meeting with Sienna to herself despite having both Qrow and Raven awake with her. She had a distinct feeling that the situation would resolve itself soon enough… and a knock at the door signaled that she was likely correct.
"I'll get it," Cerise offered as she slipped off of her stool behind the breakfast bar. "I've got a feeling I know who it is…"
"Probably Professor Calavera," Qrow said before groggily taking a sip of his coffee.
"Maybe," Cerise considered as she strode across the living room and made her way toward the door. "But I've got a feeling it's somebody else…"
Cerise reached out and unlocked the deadbolt and then the lock in the doorknob before pulling it open to find a pair of figures she had never seen before. Even though the guests were wholly unfamiliar, she knew who they were immediately, and her stomach dropped.
"Who the hell…?"
"You must be Cerise," Professor Ozpin guessed as he adjusted his glasses upon his nose while Sasha remained standing nervously at his side. "May we come in?"
Author's Note:
Let the shitstorm begin.
-RD