41

Downtown Vale, The Book Ends

Among the hustle and bustle of Vale's more popular streets lay a quaint little bookstore. The Book Ends, as its oh-so-clever owner had named it, sat in a rare part of the city that both had a high concentration of Faunus and was rather maintained. It was this fact that drew the attention of one certain cat Faunus, hoping that given the Faunus-centric location, she might find information there that she couldn't elsewhere.

Blake sat at the back of the store, at a table hidden behind the expansive bookshelves. She had one tome open, her amber eyes scanning the pages for any mention of Affinities. She suddenly scowled at the book, closing it with a disgusted huff.

Nothing, she thought dejectedly, setting the book onto her increasing reject pile. She slumped in her chair, staring up at the dusty ceiling. Not one of these has anything I don't already know. At this rate, we may just have to figure it out as we go.

She heard someone clear their throat behind her. She straightened up quickly, finding the store owner, an elderly fox Faunus, staring intently at her over his horn-rimmed glasses. "Not finding what you're looking for, young lady?"

With an apologetic grin, Blake said, "No, unfortunately. Are you sure these are the only books you have on Faunus Mating?"

The man nodded, his grey tail swiping slowly across the floor as he gathered the discarded books. "I'm afraid so." He then gave her a sly grin. "Unless you want to check the romance section?"

Blake blushed at the mere mention. She was well aware of the rather… vivid embellishments some authors would create for the sake of writing a story. "Um, no thank you," she muttered quickly, unable to meet the old man's laughing eyes. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

The old man just chuckled as he walked from shelf to shelf, putting each book back in its proper place. "Don't apologize, my dear. The fault is mine for not having as expansive a selection as I should. I'm no Tukson, I'm afraid."

Blake frowned at the mention of the missing bookstore owner. The man's shop had been found abandoned weeks ago, and no one had heard a word about him since. "Whatever happened to him?" Blake couldn't help asking.

The old man shrugged, using his tail to place a book on a high shelf. "Couldn't tell you. I think he mentioned moving to Vacuo once or twice, though. Strange that he would just up and leave his shop like that, but then, we live in strange times."

Blake didn't quite buy that, but she didn't feel the need to argue either. "Well, thank you for putting up with me, sir," she said with a polite nod.

"It's no problem, miss. Again, I'm sorry I didn't have what you were looking for." He let out a weary sigh as he walked back to the front of the store. "I'm afraid that texts on our culture are hard to come by outside of Menagerie." He barked out a raspy laugh, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Maybe you should make the trip come next break! Find the book you're looking for and read it on the island shores."

Blake laughed at that, making her way to the door. "Sounds like paradise. Thanks again!" She waved goodbye as she stepped out onto the street. Once she was a few paces away from the store, she groaned, her cat ears dipping.

Another dead end. Maybe he's right, and Menagerie is the only place to learn about Affinities. She sighed dejectedly, having to sidestep through the crowded sidewalk. She didn't know what to do now. Any hope of learning about their Affinity, or anything else about Mating, was out of reach, half a world away.

Once again, she cursed her lack of knowledge. She cursed herself, she cursed Adam, she cursed the universe itself for keeping her away from her family for three years. According to her mother, she should have already learned all this from her parents, but instead she…

Blake came to a slow stop in the middle of the sidewalk, her face going slack in realization.

My parents. I-I could just call my mother.

It was a simple thought, one that she'd had all year long, but now… she could do it. There was no more need for White Fang secrecy, no fear of her mother's reaction, no self-imposed restriction. She could just… call home.

Blake's face lit up with unrepressed excitement, her cat ears twitching eagerly. Her first instinct was to go for her scroll, only to quickly remember that it was now a smoldering paperweight thanks to Torchwick. Unwilling to let her rare bout of enthusiasm fade so soon, Blake ran as quick as she could to the nearest information kiosk, standing at the street corner with a small crowd of people surrounding it. Blake only needed a glance of the local map, finding the right symbol, before she was off.

Two streets over and one sharp turn later, Blake found what she was looking for. The internet café was slightly outdated, unsurprising given its Faunus centric location. The windows were a bit cloudy, and she could make out some remnant of graffiti under the front window, buried under a hasty coat of uneven paint. She eyed the holographic Atlas symbol above the door with a little caution but brushed her old instincts aside as she pushed through the door.

Just like the outside, the inside of the shop showed signs of neglect. It was clean enough, pristine even, showing that the owner must have some pride in the place. But all the equipment was outdated, at least a generation behind the current standard. This didn't bother Blake, though. The older generation consoles were more than fine for a simple video call.

Scanning the room, her eyes passed over people sitting around the massive pentagonal tables, each one holding five consoles with dividing walls between them. She made a beeline for the first open console she saw, only stopping when she heard someone call her name.

"Blake?"

Blake was instantly on alert, all good thoughts vanishing. Her hand twitched towards Gambol Shroud, ready to draw. She couldn't think of any good reason why someone in this area would recognize her unless it was someone from the White Fang. If so, the likelihood of a fight was high.

Which was why she was so relieved when she saw a familiar pair of chocolate-colored rabbit ears poking over a nearby monitor, a matching pair of brown eyes meeting her amber ones.

"Velvet," Blake breathed in relief, quickly relaxing. She smiled in welcome. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Standing up from the table, Velvet smiled shyly back, picking her bag off the back of her chair. "I was just taking a break from my team to call home and check in with my mother. What are you doing here?"

"I was going to do something similar, actually." Blake felt another slight thrill at being able to call home. Then she remembered. "Oh! It's good I saw you, actually. Weiss said you had something to ask me?"

Velvet's ears perked up a little, her eyes twinkling. "Oh! Um…" She looked around the café as if seeing who all was around. She was apparently okay with the situation, merely taking a small step forward and lowering her voice. "Yes, actually. Um… well, first things first, congratulations on finding your Mates."

Blake nodded slightly, feeling an unrestrained smile worm its way onto her lips. Not many Faunus had said anything to her on her relationship, let alone congratulate her. It put a warm feeling in her chest. "Thank you," she said with a slight nod.

Velvet returned the nod. "Right. Well… that's kind of what I wanted to ask you about, though."

Blake tilted her head, perplexed. "My Mates?"

Velvet rubbed the back of her neck, averting her gaze. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude… I don't mean to be, but…" She took a deep breath, schooling her face in a semblance of calm. "I heard you talking with Jaune the other day when you stopped wearing your bow? I-I didn't mean to overhear, but… you said something I was hoping you could maybe explain?"

Blake frowned. Velvet was timid by nature, but she'd never seemed this nervous before. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "What's up?"

"Well.." Velvet looked down again, pushing her index fingers together to distract herself. "All your Mates are human… but I heard you and Jaune saying that they managed to give you a Mark anyway." She slowly met Blake's gaze, biting her lower lip. "How… H-how did they do it?"

Blake was surprised by the question but didn't show it outside of her ears perking up a bit. "Oh, that's easy. When I explained how Marking worked, and how they wouldn't be able to give me a Mark normally, Weiss did some research. She found a story about a Faunus soldier who had his jaw wired shut due to an injury. In it, he had a friend of his bite his lover in his stead, and then the soldier poured his aura into her immediately after."

Velvet's mouth dropped a little, her long ears dipping. "And… that's what you did? Have another Faunus bite you, then have your Mates give you their aura?"

Blake hummed quietly, grimacing as she brought a hand to her Mark. "Sort of. I had been in a relationship before I came to Beacon. It… ended poorly." An immense understatement, but she didn't want to put the whole "White Fang, Adam Taurus" mess onto Velvet at the moment. As it was, Velvet just gave her a sympathetic nod, sadness in her eyes. "But I still had the initial Mark he gave me. It was just empty. Weiss had the idea of them repurposing that old Mark to make a new one, using their aura."

Velvet's eyes shimmered in wonder. "That's incredible."

Blake smiled fondly at the memory. "Yeah. It was… quite something." She tilted her head a little, looking into Velvet's chocolate eyes. "Why do you ask?"

With a small shudder, Velvet seemed to shake herself out of her brief stupor. Her cheeks reddened a little once she heard the question. "Oh, I was just curious about how you did it. How hard it was and…" her voice dropped to a mere mutter, "...if someone could replicate it…"

Once she heard the quiet words, something clicked in Blake's head. She grinned. "Velvet… do you want to Mark someone?"

Velvet's ears shot up in an instant, and Blake could see the instinctual denial in Velvet's eyes. After a short moment of their eyes meeting, though, Velvet deflated. She ducked her head a little, her long bunny ears drooping as she blushed. She gave Blake a shy nod.

Blake's grin morphed into a full-fledged smile as she put a supportive hand on the rabbit Faunus' arm. "Velvet… that's great! Who?"

"...Coco," Velvet admitted, trying valiantly to keep her smile somewhat restrained. "We've been together since our first year at Beacon. I've wanted to become Mates for a while now, but…"

When she trailed off, the final piece fell into Blake's mind. "She's human."

Another small nod, Velvet's smile shrinking just a little. "It doesn't really matter to me, but if we became Mates… I've heard of Faunus-human Mating ending badly because the Faunus starts becoming dissatisfied with a limited bond. I'd like to think I wouldn't do that to her, but… I've been scared to try regardless."

Blake gave her arm a soft squeeze. "But, now?"

Velvet chewed at her lip nervously. "I'd really like to try," she admitted faintly. "But… you said I'd need another Faunus' help?"

"Yes, for Coco to make the bite."

"...could you do it?"

Blake jerked back in surprise, her ears standing up. "W-what?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch.

Velvet's ears sagged as she blushed deeply. "I'm sorry!" she backpedaled. "I-I just don't really have anyone else to ask, and you know more about this than me, but I completely understand if you don't-"

"Velvet!" Blake shouted, cutting the rambling rabbit off as she glanced around the store. Velvet's panicking was starting to draw attention from the other patrons, a tall snake Faunus behind the front counter narrowing his slitted yellow eyes at them.

Seeing this for herself, Velvet quieted instantly, her face growing even redder. "Sorry," she said meekly.

Blake let out a breathless laugh. "It's okay," she assured. "You just surprised me." She gave Velvet an appraising look. "You really want me to help you Mark Coco?"

Velvet nodded, a hopeful twinkle in her eye. "If you would…"

Despite Velvet being two years older than her, Blake found herself as helpless under those big brown eyes as she would be under Ruby's youthful silver. She soon found a wide grin on her lips. "I'd be happy to try."

Velvet's ears shot high, a look of pure joy on her face. "Oh…" She suddenly shot forward, wrapping Blake in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, Blake! Thank you!"

Blake wheezed as the air was squeezed out of her but still returned the hug. "You're… welcome!" she managed to rasp. Seriously, the girl could rival Yang!

Velvet quickly pulled back, her smile threatening to tear her face in half. "I'll talk to her tonight and I'll get you the details later." She then noticed a digital clock hanging on the far wall of the building, blinking as the time rolled over to the next hour. She got a panicked look on her face. "Oh, I'm supposed to meet my team at the theater soon!" After a moment's hesitation, she glomped Blake in another quick hug. "Thank you!"

Blake couldn't help but grin. The sheer joy from the usually timid Faunus was infectious. "It's no problem. I'll talk to you later."

Velvet flashed her another blinding smile, before rushing out the door, dodging the whipping tail of a rat Faunus as he opened the door to enter.

Blake took a moment to appreciate what just happened. While she knew Velvet well enough to call her a friend, for her to ask Blake for help with something so personal was… surprising. But in a good way, one that left a warm feeling in Blake's chest. If Velvet trusted her that much, she'd do whatever she could to help.

...and try to ignore the fact that she had no idea if she actually could do what the Faunus in the story did.

Blake groaned quietly, feeling the beginnings of a fresh headache. She could focus and fret about all that later. First…

Blake sat down at the console Velvet had just vacated. With a few clicks and keystrokes, she brought up the video chat. An empty screen popped up, a blinking cursor waiting for her to enter a number.

Blake's fingers hovered over the keyboard. They tensed, pulling back slightly as she felt that familiar twinge of doubt. After just a second of hesitance, Blake shook her head, clearing away the wayward thought. With a deep breath, she punched in the familiar number, the one her parents had drilled into her before she left. She hit enter.

For an agonizing ten seconds, she watched the words "ATTEMPTING CONNECTION…" flash across the screen. Then, the screen blinked, and Blake found familiar amber eyes mirrored back at her.

But not from who she'd been expecting.

"Who are you and how did you… Blake?"

Blake felt her stomach go cold as her whole body stiffened. "Dad?"

As soon as it had come, the confused look on Ghira's face morphed into an excited smile. "Blake! We didn't expect to hear from you again so soon!"

Every thought Blake had vanished in an instant. In truth, she had known there was a chance her father would pick up rather than her mother, but somehow it hadn't clicked that it could actually happen.

"Um…" Blake tried to find something to say, but being faced with her father so suddenly had completely blindsided her. "I… um… I… had a question that…"

Ghira's grin slipped off his face, seeing Blake tense under his gaze. "Blake, what is it? What's…" With a blink, he trailed off. Understanding flashed in his eyes. His face fell, his shoulders drooping slightly.

Seeing this, Blake felt a surge of fear. A bolt of panic shot up her spine, making her lean forward towards the screen. Thinking she was about to feel her father's wrath, she tried to explain. "Dad, I-!"

"Blake." Ghira held up a hand to stop her, saying her name like a command. Blake hushed instantly, her ears folding back against her skull. Ghira took a slow breath, then looked her right in the eyes. "Your mother told me everything."

Blake's heart thumped hollowly in her chest. She looked away from the screen as she responded. "Yeah, um… she said she would…"

"Blake, look at me."

Blake flinched, squeezing her eyes shut. With a weak sigh, she hesitantly, fearfully, turned back to the screen. She opened her eyes… only to be met with her father's concerned gaze.

"I agree with her."

Blake's ears shot up, her breath hitching. "You… you do?"

Ghira nodded solemnly. "Sweetheart, you were put into a no-win situation, and you did your best with what you had. And when the time came, you made the right choice. Believe me, Kitten, there's not many out there who can do that. There's plenty of blame to go around, but I don't put any of it on you."

Blake's mouth fell slightly, her ears slowly lowering to their regular position. "You… you're not mad?"

Ghira scoffed, his lips pulling back into a half-grin. "Sweetheart, after all, you've been through, and you're still standing tall? If anything, I'm proud of you."

Blake leaned back from the screen, sucking in a startled breath. Her vision blurred for a moment, but she blinked back the tears. Without realizing it, a smile slowly spread across her lips.

Seeing her smile, Ghira did the same. "We'll figure this all out, Blake," he promised. "Soon, if I get my way. But, for the moment…" Ghira's smile widened, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Since I've got you… I want to hear everything."

Instantly wary, Blake frowned. "About what?"

Ghira chuckled, loud and deep. "School! I want to know what life is like at one of those fancy Hunter schools. What's your favorite class? What are the teachers like? What friends have you made?"

Blake felt the heat rush to her face, not missing the emphasis her father put on the word 'friends', nor the sly look he gave her as he did so. Despite that, she also felt relief, like the knot in her stomach had finally been undone. "I don't really know where to start."

"I've got some time," Ghira assured. "Your mother's at the market right now, but she should be back soon. I'm sure she'd love to hear this, too."

Blake couldn't help but smile in disbelief. She should be asking her questions about Affinities, but… this was the first time she and her father had talked in over a year.

"Well, Beacon's not anything like I expected. The Headmaster, Professor Ozpin, can be a little odd at times…"

There'd be time for questions later. Call it selfish, but Blake had been living a life of danger and insanity for three years. Having the opportunity to do something as normal and mundane as talking with her parents about school seemed extremely appealing. And she was going to take it.

The Crystal Aurora

"...we only finalized things Friday night. Then… you know about yesterday."

Weiss fell silent, her face burning. Across from her, though her expression was as stoic as ever, Winter sported an equal, possibly deeper blush.

Seconds ticked by, neither of them saying a word, only the noise of the city streets below filling the air. Weiss bit her lip, waiting for any number of Winter's reactions, from an angry explosion to frigid disgust. She flinched when she heard Winter inhale deeply through her nose.

"Well," Winter said, her voice eerily calm. She tipped back her drink, downing the last few sips of her second glass of wine. She set the empty glass aside, meeting Weiss' eyes. "That's… something."

Weiss ducked her head in worry. "Is… that all you have to say?"

"Oh, there's plenty I have to say," Winter said quickly, slight strain in her voice. "Just nothing that useful… or for polite company."

Weiss winced, her shoulders drooping. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't," Winter silenced her, a hard gleam in her eyes. Glancing to the side, she gave a slight wave, and a waiter ran up from inside the restaurant with a bottle of wine, refilling her glass. Once he'd retreated, she stared into her full glass, saying, "If you truly love these girls as much as you say, do not apologize for anything you've done with them. What happens behind closed doors is none of my business." She frowned, looking slightly ill as she swallowed a mouthful of wine. "Nor do I wish it to be."

While Winter's words seemed kind enough, even supportive, Weiss stayed on edge. It was never this easy. "So… are you okay with… us?"

Winter gave Weiss a long stare. She took a calming breath. "Weiss, just to be clear: you had sex with three separate girls."

Winter's blunt statement made Weiss cringe, making her wish she was anywhere but there. "Yes," she said, her cheeks glowing.

Winter's face pinked. "At the same time."

Weiss sunk into her chair, unable to meet her sister's eyes. "...yes."

Winter paused, then took another deep drink, emptying half the glass. She cleared her throat, and the redness faded from her face. "And just a week after that one… encounter, you've entered a semi-permanent relationship with them." She set her glass aside, clasping her folded hands on the table. Her lips dipped at the corners, concern in her eyes. "Doesn't that seem a tad rushed to you?"

Weiss grimaced slightly, looking back up. "A bit," she admitted. "But we've known each other for months. We all care for each other. I feel closer to them than I have anyone… except you, of course."

Winter allowed a small smile at that, before schooling her face. "All reasons I could understand forming a romantic relationship, even one as odd as yours. I could accept if that was it. But Marking each other, Weiss? Doesn't that seem like too much too soon? You've essentially married these girls!"

Weiss, having made the poor decision to take a sip of her drink, nearly choked in her rush to correct Winter, her face flushing. "Wha- No! No, no, Mating isn't like that! At least not at this stage! It's not permanent if we don't want it to be. It can be reversed."

"Yes, just like a marriage can end in divorce." Seeing Weiss's mouth open in shock, Winter pressed on. "And I've heard stories about Faunus who break off being Mated, Weiss. It is a very painful process, that can leave scars on both parties." She dipped her head down, breaking eye contact. She sighed to herself. "Since you're human, I don't know if it would be the same with you. But… Weiss," She suddenly reached across the table, surprising Weiss by taking her hands in her own. She looked into Weiss' eyes, and the younger Schnee could see the worry in them. "We've both been through enough painful events as it is. I don't want to see this become another one for you."

Weiss stared at her sister, mouth agape. Winter hadn't shown this much emotion since they were both much younger, and Weiss wasn't quite sure how to react. "I… I really don't think that any of them would do anything to hurt me," she finally stuttered out.

If anything, Winter's grip tightened. "It's not just them hurting you on purpose I'm worried about. Have you even considered what you're going to do in this relationship long term?"

"I-I've thought about it…" Weiss said, unsure. "A bit…"

"And?"

"...I have no idea."

Winter huffed, pulling back her hands to cross her arms. "Weiss…" she drawled scoldingly.

Weiss mirrored her, lifting her chin defiantly. "We've only been in this relationship for a week, Winter. We have four years to figure everything out."

Winter frowned. "A lot can change in four years, Weiss."

"All the more reason not to waste time planning every detail right now." A smile crept onto her face. "Honestly, I rather like the thought of just taking the days as they come."

Winter arched an elegant brow. "How so?"

Weiss paused, trying to think how best to articulate what she meant. "Just that… it's refreshing, not having everything planned out. Not knowing exactly how my life is going to go." She scowled slightly. "Not having everything laid out for me. Being able to just… live."

As Weiss spoke, Winter's brow shot up in realization. She looked down at the table, closing her eyes. "I can understand that," she admitted grudgingly. She looked back up. "But I still feel you should plan out something, just in case. For instance, where will you live? Do you want to find somewhere in Atlas?"

Weiss paled at the very thought. "No! No, no, I… I don't want to risk them being anywhere near Father." She shivered. "I barely feel safe with an ocean between us."

While she kept her expression neutral, Winter nodded slightly in approval. At least she has no illusions on how our father will take this. "That's what I mean though, Weiss. You have to consider these things."

Weiss' eyes darted across the table's surface, looking anywhere but Winter's eyes. "I'll talk it over with the others later."

Despite not being as concise an answer as she would have preferred, Winter nodded. "Good."

The table went silent after that, only broken by the low buzz of the city below them. A waiter hesitantly stepped out from the restaurant after a few minutes, carrying their forgotten meals. Apparently, two Schnees in deep conversation made the staff a tad leery of interrupting for any reason, even just to give them their food.

They ate in silence, Weiss getting only the barest enjoyment of her chicken salad as she mulled everything over. Winter glanced up from her meal of smoked salmon when she noticed Weiss starting to twirl her fork around a leaf of lettuce, but not actually eating anything. Without looking up from her plate, she asked, "What is it, Weiss?"

The younger Schnee looked up but otherwise didn't react. She was silent for a few minutes, then spoke. "You didn't really give me an answer."

Winter met her eyes. "Regarding?"

"...are you okay with my relationship?"

Winter held her gaze for a long few seconds. She eventually broke eye contact, going back to her meal. "I don't have an answer for you, Weiss. I don't know them well enough to have an opinion." Weiss wilted in her seat. Seeing her dejected look, Winter let out a short breath. "However," she relented, making Weiss perk up. "I can say this: you seem much happier since meeting these girls than when last we spoke. That is a point in their favor, at least."

Weiss smiled. It wasn't much, but it was a step in the right direction. Then she had a thought. "Would you like to meet them? Informally, I mean."

"Not when under scrutiny by our superiors, you mean," Winter countered with a knowing look. Weiss gave a tiny sheepish shrug. Winter chuckled lightly. "I'd like that. Though, I'm not sure how to go about this. How does one greet your sister's multiple suitors?" She'd meant it as a joke but found a hint of honest curiosity in her words.

Weiss pinked a bit. "I don't really know. I suppose going out for a meal could be a bit cumbersome. Maybe something more active?"

Winter hummed. "A spar, maybe? After hearing about your exploits last night, ill-advised though they may be…" She narrowed her eyes slightly, Weiss having the decency to slump in concession. "...I admit I'm curious to see their fighting prowess in person."

Weiss nodded. It sounded like a good idea. Yang would love it, always looking for a chance to show off, and Ruby would probably like seeing Winter's saber in action. She wasn't sure about Blake, though. They'd have to talk about it once she came back from researching-

…

Oh.

Weiss met Winter's eyes, wary and unsure. Should I…? she wondered to herself. It might be a risk, but if anyone could help…

"Actually… there is something I wanted to mention," she said hesitantly. "And… maybe get your opinion on?"

Winter raised a brow in interest. "What is it?"

Licking her quickly drying lips, Weiss said, "When we Marked each other, there was a… side effect that we only found out about recently."

Winter frowned in concern. "What kind of 'side effect'? Are you ill?"

Weiss was quick to shake her head. "No, nothing like that. It's…" She mulled over her options, resolving to stay with the blunt facts. "Do you know what a Faunus Affinity is?"

Winter blinked. "Vaguely," she admitted. "It occurs rarely when Faunus mix their auras. They can gain a new ability, usually something rather passive." She tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyes widening a bit. "Did… you gain one, Weiss?"

"We think so," Weiss said. "We gained something, for sure. But… I wouldn't call it passive." She looked into Winter's crystal blue eyes, calmed slightly at seeing warmth in them, rather than the usual ice. "Somehow… I think we all gave our Semblances to each other."

Winter's eyes blew wide, then narrowed. "That's impossible."

Weiss nodded in admittance. "Trust me, I would say the same if I hadn't seen the proof with my own eyes. Winter… Ruby, Blake, and Yang can use glyphs. And… yesterday, Yang and I both used Ruby's superspeed."

Winter stared into Weiss' eyes, her own narrowed in disbelief. Disbelief that slowly faded the longer Weiss met her gaze evenly. "You're serious," she breathed, her face going slack. "That's insane."

Weiss felt the corner of her mouth quirk upwards. "It seems most of my life is nowadays."

After a moment of stunned silence, Winter's expression turned neutral again. "Well, if that's true… what do you want from me regarding it?"

Folding her hands on the table, Weiss said, "I was hoping, if you had the time, that you could help me teach them how to use glyphs properly."

Winter was unimpressed, and her tone showed it. "Do you expect me to have several months free?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, an action that earned a lifted eyebrow from Winter. "I'm not saying that we try to teach them gravity or summoning. Just the absolute basics, maybe Dust interactions."

Winter gave her sister a long stare. She shook her head in exasperation. "Okay, I'll humor you. What do they already know?"

Weiss swallowed slightly. "Just barrier glyphs. Ruby and Blake could make one with little effort, but Yang has trouble with the gestures."

Placing a hand to her now throbbing temple, Winter asked, "If you don't mind me asking, Weiss, why do you need my help? If your… significant others can use our Semblance, you should be able to teach them the basics yourself."

Weiss shifted in her seat. "I could," she agreed. "But you always made the theory so much easier for me to understand. And…" She looked down, her face reddening slightly. "I'm struggling to advance with my own glyphs."

Winter frowned at that. "What are you having issues with?"

Weiss grimaced. She hated asking Winter for help with her own abilities, but if it got her to help her Mates… "Summoning," she admitted, not looking up from the table. "I can barely make the arm of a Knight."

Winter leaned back from the table, her lips forming a firm line. "I see."

Weiss tried not to wince. Winter hid it well, but Weiss could still hear disappointment in her tone. Nothing else needed to be said. Weiss already knew what her sister was thinking, how she'd been more than capable of summoning by Weiss' age.

Winter went quiet, and Weiss struggled to think of anything to say that could paint her skills in a better light. Her thoughts ended when she heard Winter sigh.

"I suppose I can assist you."

Weiss lifted her head in surprise. "Really?"

Winter nodded, her attention back on the last few bites of her meal. "Assuming General Ironwood has no immediate orders for me, I should have some free time tomorrow evening. I can help work through your troubles with the summoning glyphs after your detention." She paused to take a bite. "And, I suppose… if you brought your… girlfriends… I could assist them as well."

Weiss' eyes widened in disbelief before a smile overtook her face. "Thank you," she murmured softly.

Winter glanced up briefly, a slight grin tugging at her lips at Weiss' happiness. "Yes, well, bear in mind, I will remain skeptical of their supposed abilities until I see them myself." She took Weiss' quick nod as acknowledgment. She took one last sip from her wine, saying almost like an afterthought, "I hope you know what you're doing, Weiss. Our father will not be pleased when he hears of this." She scowled into her glass, muttering, "For multiple reasons…"

"I know," Weiss agreed, tensing her folded hands together as her fingers twitched nervously. Then her brow furrowed, her eyes hardening like ice. "But… I think this is worth the risk."

Winter raised an eyebrow at Weiss. After a few moments, her lips turned up in a proud smirk. "Maybe…"

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Next chapter, what I've been wanting to get to for a while: Semblance lessons with Team RWBY! Expect awkwardness, embarrassment, hilarity, and possible bonding between elder siblings.

Also, I feel I must address this, if only for my own sanity. There are parts of this story we will be getting too very soon that I have had planned since day one. Bear in mind, day one was about midway through volume 3. Then Volume 4 happened, and certain expectations I had were thrown for a bit of a loop, and judging from the Volume 5 trailer, it's only going to get worse.

Short version: some characters from the future Volumes might be a bit different from their canon counterparts. I've already started this a little with Roman, but there's one character, in particular, I'm going to be playing around with that… well, let's just say they wouldn't get along with their canon version very well.

Even shorter version: Hold onto your butts, things are gonna get weird.

On that happy note, leave a review if you like, and I'll see you all again soon!