15

Chapter 15: Explanations

"Oh, that was good."

Team RWBY sat around the little-used kitchen table, a small circle with four chairs around it. Ruby sat across from Yang and Blake across from Weiss. Empty plates and glasses were pushed towards the middle. Yang sat back in her chair, rubbing her full stomach.

"No kidding," Blake agreed, sipping at a glass of milk. "I had no idea you could put apples into a pancake."

"Or blueberries," Weiss added as she started stacking the plates.

"Yeah," said Yang. "Ren may be kinda quiet, but the man knows his way around a flapjack." She breathed in deeply. *buuurp*

Weiss deadpanned at her. "Classy."

Yang just smirked and shrugged, making Ruby giggle.

Clattering echoed as Weiss deposited the dirty dishes in the sink. She soon took her seat again, resting her hands in her lap.

Awkward silence filled the room, each girl glancing around at nothing in particular.

"So…" Yang broke first. "Are we going to talk about this or what?"

Blake flinched as all eyes soon turned to her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, before letting out a defeated sigh. "I don't even know where to start."

"Hmm…"Weiss hummed, drawing her team's attention. "How about you start by telling us…" her composed demeanor crumbled quickly, leaving her with just a tired, pleading look. "Blake… what happened? What… made you do this?"

Blake felt her ears pin back in discomfort, her nerves not helped when Ruby leaned forward in her seat, eager for her answer. The look in Yang's eye made it clear she wanted Blake's reasoning, too.

Mustering her courage, Blake tried to answer. "I think… when I went into heat, it left me… vulnerable." She frowned as she tried to find the right words. "When I gave in and just let go… It's hard to describe. It's almost like… I became something else."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Ooo-kay."

Blake huffed in frustration, racking her brain for a better description.

"Is that why you didn't talk?"

All attention went to Ruby, who was looking at Blake, her head tilted to the side. Blake gave a small nod. "Yes, that's why. I suppose the best way to put it is that, once I gave into my heat, I stopped thinking and just… acted on instinct."

"And your instinct was to make us your Mates?" Weiss asked, somewhat sarcastically.

Blake hesitated, before, to everyone's surprise, she nodded. "Actually… yes." At their dumbfounded looks, Blake explained. "I've been thinking. And… I think I've felt this way… about all of you… for a while now."

Yang leaned forward a bit, resting her arms on the table. "You mean… that you love us?"

Emotions suddenly spiked around the table. Surprise from Blake. Unease from Weiss. Warm happiness from Ruby.

Blake looked at them all, her gaze lingering on Weiss for a moment, before answering. "Simply put… yes." She felt a nervous smile creep onto her lips. "I love you… all of you."

Uncertainty ebbed from across the table. "Romantically, you mean," Weiss asked, fidgeting.

Blake met her eyes as she answered. "Yes, Weiss. I love you."

Weiss squirmed under her gaze, but nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing Ruby beam at her and Yang smirking slightly, Blake went on. "Like I said, I've felt this way for a while now, but, I think I've been trying to deny it."

Ruby frowned. "Why?"

Blake sighed as she turned. "Ruby, I haven't spent much time considering romance in the last few months. I've always seen the three of you as my friends, but it wasn't until yesterday that I realized that I've started seeing you as… more."

"So… what changed?" asked Yang.

Blake sighed. "I wish I could remember exactly what happened during my heat… but I have an idea. I think that, since I was going off of instinct alone, I just acted without thinking. With no thoughts about consequences and no inhibitions to stop me, it all became… simple. I wanted you three to be my Mates, so I acted."

Everyone was silent for a moment, Weiss frowned in confusion and mild anger, while Yang let out a long breath of air. "Still would have been nice if you could have asked, Blakey."

Blake rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes hesitantly meeting Ruby's. After a second, Ruby's eyes widened in realization, before looking sheepish. Blake turned back to Yang. "Actually… I kind of did?"

Weiss' expression morphed into bafflement, which Yang mimicked. "Uh… what?"

"Uh…" The two turned their attention to Ruby, who had raised her arm slightly into the air. The leader smiled awkwardly. "I think I know what she means." When no one said anything, she went on. "Well… after we were all… done… I stayed awake after you two fell asleep. After a little while, Blake gave me this weird look. She pressed her forehead against mine, and, after I pressed back, she smiled and… I think that's when she bit me."

Blue and lavender eyes widened, turning to the Faunus. Blake gave a hesitant nod. Ruby's right. "What I did was the proper way for a Faunus to ask another to be their Mate. And, while I doubt you knew it at the time, Ruby, when she pressed back against me, that's how a Faunus would accept me to be their Mate."

Yang tilted her head. "That's kind of weird. Why would pressing foreheads be such a big deal?"

Blake huffed, reminding herself that none of her team had even the basic knowledge of Faunus mannerisms. "That's just the tradition. It's like.. I guess the closest equivalent I can give is a human getting down on one knee and presenting another with a ring."

Weiss suddenly stiffened, shock and panic rolling off of her. "Wait, do you mean, by being Mated, the four of us are… engaged?"

Surprise and disbelief came from the sisters, both of whom were staring at Blake in shock. Blake threw her hands in a panic. "No, no! It's not like that… not really… there's a lot more to it than that!"

Yang squirmed a little in her chair. "We're listening, Blake."

Blake let out a slow breath, both to calm her nerves and collect her thoughts. Unable to meet her team's eyes, she stared at the center of the table. "I guess the best thing to do is explain exactly what a Mate's Mark is. When I bit each of you, I gave you a portion of my aura. That aura is the purple spot inside the bite."

Yang blinked. She pulled her shirt collar aside, craning her neck to look at her Mark. "Really? I thought that was just a bruise or something, y'know, like a hickey."

Blake huffed a little. "You're half-right, Yang. There is a bruise there right now, because, well… it is kind of a hickey." Blake tinted in embarrassment, her ears drooping. "But it will heal in a day or so, in which point the Mark will turn black, the same color as my aura."

Weiss nodded, absorbing the information. "Okay… so is that all it is, just a spot of aura on our skin?"

Blake's lips formed a tight line. "No… there's more to it than that. See, a Faunus' Mate's Mark changes depending on what stage in the relationship they're in."

"Stage?" Ruby asked, head tilting.

Blake nodded to her. "The Marks you all have right now are… I suppose you could call them Stage One Marks. They're meant to be temporary…" When she caught sight of the baffled and stunned looks aimed at her, along with feeling the shock and confusion from her team, she tried to clarify. "What normally happens is that two Faunus would start a relationship normally, date and spend time together, just like humans do. However, once they reach a certain point in their relationship, they would both decide to take the next step: Marking. To give each other a small glimpse of who they really are, with no secrets or illusions between them."

"Uh… a glimpse?" Yang asked with a chuckle. "It's a bit more than that, Blake. I don't know about the rest of you, but… you're all kind of an open book to me now… and, yep, there's the embarrassment." Yang gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of her head as Weiss and Ruby looked away from the table, cheeks tinted.

Blake held back the urge to giggle at their actions, though paused when Weiss' emotions suddenly dulled. She gave Weiss a questioning look, which the heiress returned. After a few seconds, her blue eyes widened.

"Sorry…" Weiss mumbled. Blake instantly felt Weiss' emotions sharpen back into focus, feeling the apology and shame across the Link. Blake's eyes widened when she realized what just happened.

So that's what it feels like when they… shut me out… Blake hummed, unsure how to feel about it.

"Uh… what just happened?" Ruby asked, concern on her face as she looked between the two of them.

"Yeah," said Yang. "Why's Weiss feeling down all of a sudden?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Blake assured. "As I was saying, yes, Yang, right now, we're all an open book to each other. However, it won't last. Right now, the bit of my aura inside you is sustaining itself. If left alone, it will burn itself out, taking the Mark with it. A Stage One Mark is only meant to last a few days, a week at the absolute most."

Weiss nodded slowly, drinking in the information. "Okay… and what happens after your aura burns itself out?"

Blake breathed in sharply, letting the air out slowly to calm herself. "Well, um… If a Faunus lets the aura burn itself out, it's because, after seeing who their potential Mate truly is, they decide they don't want to be Mates after all."

Weiss' eyes widened as she realized how her question might have sounded. "W-well then, um… what would happen if they decide they do… want to be Mates, that is?"

Blake fixed her eyes on Weiss, and the three humans were taken aback by the sharp spike of emotion Blake gave off: a strange mix of surprise, hope, and trepidation. Blake quickly looked away, resting her arms on the table and folding her hands, her eyes not straying from them. "If the two Faunus decide that they want to be Mates after they… feel each other," Blake answered, "then they would take the steps to bind themselves to each other by… altering the Mate's Mark."

"What do you mean by alter?" Weiss asked.

"What do you mean by bind?" Yang followed, suddenly looking nervous.

Blake looked between them, unsure who to answer first. After a moment, she figured she'd try to answer both. "The Faunus would bind themselves to each other by, through physical contact, adding more aura to the Mate's Mark, while their partner flared their aura at the same time. The foreign aura would then mix evenly throughout their Mate's own aura. The Mate's Mark would reflect this, turning from a simple spot on the skin to an actual design."

"Design? What, like a tattoo or something?" Yang asked.

Blake nodded. "Typically, yes. To the untrained eye, the Mark would look like a tattoo, or a similar form of body art. What it looks like depends on the people making it, however."

"How so?" Weiss asked, her brow furrowed.

"The Mark's design would reflect the people making it, and the bond between them. Their personality, their interests; basically, whatever makes that person who they are, and what makes their Mate who they are. It varies from Mate to Mate, some are rather plain while others are intricate. I once saw a mated couple who's Mate's Mark was a shield surrounded by vines and various flowers. Another's was simply a red diamond inside a black square."

"Wait," Yang held up her and, somewhat surprised. "You've seen other people's Mate's Marks?"

Blake swallowed, her eyes glancing at Weiss briefly before looking back down. "A few… in the White Fang." When no one said anything, she went on. "Faunus tend to not cover their Mate's Marks. They… we," she corrected herself rather forcefully, "see it as something to be proud of. That… we managed to find someone to love… and be loved by."

Silence fell as Blake's words sank in. Ruby smiled at what she'd said, but felt her mouth curl downwards at the sight of the other two. Yang looked unbelievably nervous and uncomfortable, while Weiss… Weiss was just unreadable. Ruby felt Yang's nervousness and awkwardness (a little disturbing seeing how she couldn't remember even once where she'd seen Yang in such a way), but from Weiss… Her emotions were surprisingly neutral, just a bit of nervousness and surprise, but it was squashed down under an overwhelming feeling of… contemplativeness?

Ruby decided to try and break the tension. "So… what does that mean, then? The aura mixing and the Mark changing?"

Blake looked up at her, surprised amber meeting curious silver. "Well, when the Mark becomes… Stage Two, I guess, that's when I'd say it's more similar to human engagement."

Ruby gulped, Yang and Weiss now giving Blake their full attention. So much for easing tension…

Seeing their looks, Blake threw back her head, letting out a growl of a groan as she rubbed at her eyes. "Look, I'm trying. I'm really trying to explain this, but there is no perfect comparison. I can think of a few ways that Faunus Mating is similar to human relationships, but I can't…"

A hand on her shoulder, a hand on her left. Blake's words died in her throat as she looked back at the table, being met with three sets of concerned eyes, worry and regret filling the room.

"Hey, calm down, kitty-cat," Yang said as she squeezed her shoulder.

"Take your time, Blake." Ruby smiled.

"I've no doubts that this is complicated. I'm sorry for our reactions," Weiss said, leaning over the table towards her.

Blake froze for a moment, before allowing a small smile. As Ruby and Yang pulled back their arms, Blake leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling in thought.

"Okay," she said after a few minutes of silence. "I think… I know how to put it… maybe." She pulled her head forward, meeting each of their eyes. "Just… let me get to the end before you say anything, okay?"

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang turned to each other. Other than some fleeting hesitation from Weiss, the three were resolute. They nodded to each other, then turned and did the same to Blake.

The cat Faunus smiled nervously, then took a deep breath. "I'll try to keep it simple… at least, as simple as I can. Using the previous example, two Faunus dating, with no Mark, is almost exactly the same as two humans dating, just, spending time with one another, learning about each other, growing closer over time. Once they decide to give each other a Mate's Mark… I would compare it to a human giving another a ring, asking for their hand in marriage."

She paused when she felt Yang and Weiss' emotions spike again, this time with apprehension and muted worry. Blake ignored it, opting to press on. "The difference, however, is that, keeping with the comparison, rather than one person giving the other a ring, they would each give a ring to each other. And rather than ask for an answer at that moment, they would each take a few days, think over their feelings and intentions, and then, both give an answer… does that make sense?"

The three nodded slowly. "I… believe so," Weiss said slowly. "Right now, we're at the point of deciding whether we want to go through with this… becoming your Mates… correct?"

Blake positively beamed. "Yes. Yes, that's right. Um… Now, this is a bit trickier to explain. Like I said, these Marks are Stage One and temporary. Left alone, they will burn themselves out after a few days. A Faunus could reapply a Stage One Mark before that happens, but… in Faunus circles, that can be interpreted as dragging your feet. Think of it like a person being popped the question, and then… hesitating."

"If both Faunus decide that they want to be Mates, then, like I said, the Mark will change to Stage Two." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Keeping with the human comparisons, a Stage Two Mark is less than being married, but… more than being engaged."

Yang and Weiss were silent, mulling over Blake's words with lingering apprehension. It was Ruby, however, that was confused. "Why would it be more than being engaged?"

Blake let out a slow breath, humming. "I told Weiss this last night, but… You know how people say that our aura is actually our soul?"

Ruby nodded, and Yang looked to her with intrigue. Weiss paid rapt attention, hoping to have some of the things she'd learned the night before clarified.

"Well," Blake continued. "Most, if not all Faunus believe that, myself included. By creating a Stage One Mark, you are essentially giving a part of yourself, a piece of who and what you are, to another person. When the Mark becomes Stage Two, and that piece of aura is absorbed into their Mate, they have, quite literally, merged their souls together. By doing that, they are saying in no uncertain terms, 'I accept this person into myself. They are a part of me and who I am.'"

Stunned silence filled the room, wide eyes staring at Blake. With a gulp, Yang simply said, "That's heavy."

Blake nodded seriously. "That's why I say it's more than being engaged. When you're engaged, you intend to spend your life with someone. When you're Mated, you become a part of someone."

Everyone was still, letting the information sink in. Yang leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. She let out a long huff. "Oh, man…"

Ruby stared down at her hands, trying to wrap her head around the concept. Blake would be a part of me… her soul, inside me…

Weiss folded her hands on the table, interlocking her fingers. She stared across the table at Blake, trying to keep a lid on her more volatile feelings. Not that they all don't know exactly how I feel anyway…, she thought with a mix of frustration and baffled humor. "So, what exactly would be the effects of merging our aura like that? What exactly would change from what we're experiencing now?"

Blake thought for a moment, grateful for Weiss' attempted professionalism. "A few things. For one, the emotions you feel from each other will be… sharper, I suppose. It should be easier for you to understand what the others are feeling." A thought struck her, her eyes widening at it. "We might also gain an Affinity."

The other three perked up at her change of tone. "An… affinity?" Weiss asked, confused.

Blake blinked, smiling sheepishly as her cheeks tinted. "Yes, um… I almost forgot… just a moment."

Without another word, Blake got up from the table and walked back to the bedroom, leaving her team staring after her.

With Blake currently gone, Ruby turned to her remaining teammates. "So.. what do you guys think so far?"

Yang let out a long breath through her nose. "Not sure, Sis… It doesn't sound too bad so far, but… this is sounding kind of permanent."

Weiss nodded in agreement. "I have a few… okay, several more questions I need her to answer, but so far… I'm not averse to the idea… I think." Weiss pouted a little, frustrated by her own feelings.

Yang could relate. "Yeah, I need to know one-" she stared hard at Ruby for a long second, "-or two more things before I make a choice one way or the other. But…" The corner of her lip curled up slightly. "I'm getting less freaked out by it."

Ruby grinned when she saw Yang smile, the ball of tension in her stomach loosening just a bit. She went to say something, right when Blake came back in, a stack of books in her arms.

"Here it is. Was afraid I lost it for a minute there," she said as she placed the books on the table, setting one in the center.

Everyone leaned over it to read the title, Weiss having to tilt her head to the side to do so. "Strange Fates of Faunus Mates?"

Blake nodded. "It's an anthology of oddities and unique experiences different Faunus have had during their time as Mates." She opened the book, leafing through the pages, back and forth, before stopping near its end. "Here it is." She spun the book around for all of them to read.

Weiss took the initiative and read the chapter title aloud. "Finding Affinities: From the Mundane to the Magnificent." her eyes drifted down to the chapter's contents.

As one could imagine, the merging of two people's aura, even just the small amount needed to advance a Mate's Mark, can sometimes lead to unusual, and in some cases, rather amazing side effects. These effects, referred to by most as Affinities, share a striking resemblance to the Hunter and Huntress abilities known as Semblance, and are believed to manifest in a similar manner. The exact nature of an Affinity depends on the Mated pair; the nature of their relationship, their individual personalities, and their own innate abilities are just a few factors that determine what their Affinity would be, or if they could develop one at all.

As opposed to Semblances, however, which tend to be combat oriented or manipulative in some way, Affinities tend to be more passive, usually developing as abilities one would use as an addition to everyday life, rather than for specific circumstances. Rare exceptions do exist, in the same way that passive Semblances have been recorded. This chapter contains a chronicle of various Faunus Affinities noted throughout history, from the simple and unassuming, to abilities that would leave even the mightiest of Hunters in awe.

"Damn…" Yang breathed under her breath as she finished reading. Weiss felt herself nod slightly at the sound. My sentiments exactly.

Ruby's wide eyes scanned back over the page, making sure she hadn't misread anything. "So, if we become your Mates… we could get a second Semblance?" she asked Blake, an excited smile forming on her lips.

Blake smiled back at her, the excitement pouring from the Link almost infectious. "To put it simply, Ruby, yes, it's possible that we could develop an Affinity."

"Is it?"

All attention turned towards Weiss, who was frowning at the book in her hands.

"What do you mean, Weiss?" Blake asked.

Weiss looked up from the book, making a note to ask more about this 'Affinities' business later. Something more pressing was at the forefront of her mind at the moment. "There's something I keep noticing with what you've told us, and, again with this book. In everything you've said, it's always, 'the two Faunus'. And, in the book, it refers to 'the Mated Pair'. But… there's four of us… and… you haven't really mentioned anything about us being human yet. How exactly does that work?"

Ruby perked up at the question, curious about how this was supposed to work as well. Yang, who had kept reading further in the book, looked up so fast her neck hurt. Weiss was teetering around a subject that had been bothering her since the entire Mate business had begun.

Blake couldn't help the shudder she felt as Weiss brought up the two things she'd been dreading. Well aware that her emotions were being broadcast, Blake took a calming breath. She locked eyes with Weiss. "Do you want me to start with the human thing or the 'more than two people' thing?"

"Um…" Weiss hesitated, unsure which subject to tackle first. She turned to her human teammates, receiving only a shrug from Ruby and a surprisingly nervous glance from Yang. With a mental sigh of exasperation, Weiss chose the one she was most concerned about. "The multiple people. Is it… normal for Faunus to take more than one Mate?"

The awkwardness Weiss had asked the question with was shared with the Faunus across from her. Blake racked her brain for the best way to explain. "It.. depends. Having more than one Mate is uncommon in Vale, but not unheard of. It mostly comes down to personal preference and what type of Faunus you are."

Yang tilted her head. "Why would that matter?"

Blake fidgeted a bit in her seat. "It's not really talked about a lot, at least not by Faunus themselves, but depending on what type of Faunus you are, you tend to share… similarities with your animal equivalent."

"Is that why you like fish so much?" Ruby asked innocently.

One of Blake's ears flicked in irritation. She huffed. "Yes, Ruby, that's why. My liking fish has less to do with my personal tastes, and is more of a quirk I've inherited from my… cat-side." She paused, disliking the phrasing of her own words. She shook it off. "That can also extend to how you view gaining a Mate. Some types only have one partner at a time, others are perfectly fine having more than one Mate. For a feline Faunus like myself, having more than one Mate isn't that strange… at least, as far as other Faunus would be concerned."

Weiss nodded, accepting her answer… and her unsaid statement. I can just imagine how an uninformed human would react to this knowledge… oh… Weiss felt her cheeks warm in embarrassed realization.

Yang, however, wasn't satisfied. "Wait a sec. You keep talking about you taking us as Mates. I thought you said yesterday that this whole thing would be equal."

Blake blinked. "Oh! Well, yes it would be. If we all went through with this, then we'd all be equal Mates. For instance, you would be my Mate, but you'd also be Weiss', and vice-versa."

To her surprise, Yang seemed even more uncomfortable with her answer, squirming in her chair. "Okay, in that case, I have a big question that has been bugging me since this whole thing started."

"What is it, Yang?" Blake asked, perplexed.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck anxiously. "Well, if we all became Mates with each other… what exactly does that mean for me and Ruby? 'Cause I'm open-minded about a lot of things but…" Her eyes briefly flitted towards Ruby, before staring dead into Blake's eyes. "No. Hell no."

The moment Blake understood what Yang was insinuating, her face turned a shade of red the likes none had ever seen. She threw her hands up wildly, waving them back and forth as her eyes widened to comical proportion. "Wha- No! Nonononono! That's not how… it wouldn't… she… you..., oh, dear Dust," she muttered, burying her face in her hands.

Ruby looked between them, confused at both the way they were acting and the sheer embarrassment coming off of them. "What are you two…?" Her eyes drifted to Yang, who looked pointedly away from her, face crimson. The pieces suddenly clicked, and her eyes widened. "Oh… oh! Oh, eww! Eww, eww, eww, eww, eww! No! Why?!"

Weiss kept looking between the three of them, her face turning redder and redder as she realized exactly what was being discussed… well, what passed for discussion when two of the active parties were ignoring everything around them in embarrassment, while the remaining kept yelling negatives while getting more and more flustered.

Ruby eventually ran out of steam, falling into silence as she pressed her forehead against the table's surface, hiding her head under her arms. One didn't need a Mate's Link to feel the awkwardness and embarrassment that filled the room, none of its occupants able to look at each other.

Yang suddenly cleared her throat, the sound unnaturally loud in the quiet room. "Okay, Blake. Please explain."

"Please…" Ruby pleaded, her silver eyes peeking up at Blake from under her arms.

Blake sat up straight, willing the heat out of her cheeks. "Yes, um… it's not… common, but there are times where siblings or cousins fall in love with the same person. Rare, but not unheard of. In the case where they decide to Mate to the same person, they would form what's known as a 'siblings pact'."

"And that is?" Yang asked expectantly.

Blake folded her hands on the table, trying to appear calm. "It's rather simple. It's just an agreement between blood relation that they view each other as equals, neither sees the other as inferior, and each respect and care for each other. They also swear to always respect their shared Mate, and never make them feel like they would have to choose between them."

Ruby and Yang shared a look, before looking away, blushing. "That's it?" Yang asked, daring to relax her shoulders a bit. "Nothing… else?"

Blake shook her head. "No, that's it. At most, you two might get a little closer, but only as sisters."

Yang let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Ohh, good. So, how would we make this 'siblings pact' thing?"

"It's not that hard. When- if," Blake instantly corrected herself, shaking her head a little as she did so. "...we advance the Mark to Stage Two, you two would just flare your aura at the same time, rather than doing it individually like it would be done normally."

Yang nodded back, sitting back in her chair. Her relief was almost palpable. Ruby smiled as she saw, and felt, Yang relax. She seems a bit more on board. That just leaves… Ruby turned to her left.

Weiss' face was still blank, her lips pressed in a tight line. A fierce blush was still in place on her face. Nervousness and uncertainty ruled her emotions, sprinkled with curiosity and… excitement? Ruby bit back a giggle. Maybe Weiss is more on board with this than I thought.

Weiss cleared her throat. "Well, now that that's settled," She eyed Yang and Ruby for a moment, then focused on Blake. "What about the fact that the three of us are human? How does that affect all of this?"

Blake slumped a little in her seat, the other three taken aback by the amount of disappointment and frustration rolling off of her. She grimaced in thought. "Honestly, Weiss… I have no idea." She ignored their startled looks, instead taking another book from the pile. "I've looked over everything Beacon's library has, I looked all over the internet, but I found almost nothing on Faunus/human Mating. The most I found was this." She flipped through the book, turning it around when she found the proper page. She tapped her pointer finger on a particular paragraph.

The three read through the words, when Yang suddenly shot out of her chair, leaning over the book while bracing both of her arms. "Whoa, wait a sec! 'Great emotional and mental risk'? The hell does that mean?" She slowly looked up from the book, staring at Blake with wide eyes. "Blake, could this… hurt you?"

Ruby's head shot up in shock, Weiss doing the same. Blake flinched away from their intense gazes. "It… could," she admitted, begrudgingly. Before any of them could respond, she explained. "The fact that I don't have a Mate's Mark of my own… limits me in the Mating experience. For instance, I can only truly feel your emotions when you let me. If you want, any of you could shut me out, like Weiss did earlier on accident, in which case, whatever I feel from you is… dulled. It's… unpleasant."

Weiss' eyes widened. She looked down out of shame. "I didn't mean to do that…" she mumbled.

Weiss suddenly felt a small nudge. It took her a moment to realize that it hadn't been physical, but mental. A wave of calm and forgiveness washed over her, making her look up. Blake was smiling at her from across the table.

Weiss was taken aback, but slowly felt a smile of her own form. She nodded.

Blake held her smile, before sighing. "To answer your question… I'm sorry, but there's just not enough information, at least that I can find. I'm starting to think that we might be the first ever group of Mates where the humans outnumber the Faunus."

Yang snorted. "Yeah, that'd just about fit us. Team RWBY, trailblazing once again!"

Blake smirked a bit, which grew when she heard Ruby giggle and saw the corner of Weiss' lips quirk. She continued. "Basically, if we go through with this, I think we'll just have to make it up as we go along."

Another snort. "Sounds like every relationship ever to me, Blake. Except…" Yang trailed off, looking thoughtful and more than a little nervous. She glanced at Weiss, who mirrored her look, knowing what Yang was thinking about.

"What?" Blake asked, a bit apprehensive.

Weiss thought for a moment, then let out a breath. "Blake… if we go through with this and… become your Mates…" She shared a look with Yang, then looked back. "If we advance the Marks… is it permanent?"

Blake's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Oh, sorry, I meant to mention before, but we got distracted. You see, there's actually three stages to a Mate's Mark. You already have a Stage One, and I've told you about Stage two. Stage Three, however, really doesn't apply to us at the moment."

Weiss frowned. "How so?"

"Because a Stage Three Mark is pretty much the same as a Stage Two, with only one major difference. Even after merging a little of your Mate's soul with your own, that aura can still be removed and absorbed back into its original owner, so long as both Mates are in agreement on breaking their bond. It's not easy, though. Depending on how the decision came around, it can possibly be a very painful process. But it can be done."

Ruby gulped at the thought, and it seemed Weiss and Yang weren't doing much better. "So then, how is that different from a Stage Three Mark?" Weiss asked hesitantly.

Blake shrugged. "Simple. Sage Three is permanent."

Ruby blinked, while Weiss and Yang gaped at her.

Blake nodded at their disbelief. "Yes, I know. But Stage Three Marks are rare. Faunus only make them when, after years, decades even, they decide that the person they've Mated themselves to is 'the one'. Stage Three is usually referred to as a Lifemate's Mark, or sometimes, a Soulmate's Mark."

Weiss let out a long breath. "So, it's not something we would have to worry about any time soon?"

Blake shook her head. "Or at all, really. Most Mates go their entire lives without forming a Lifemate's Mark, content with what they have." She looked around the table expectedly. "Any other questions?"

Yang thought for a moment, then shrugged. She looked to Weiss, who shook her head.

Seeing no questions from the two, Blake turned to Ruby. "Ruby? You haven't said much. Do you have any questions?"

Ruby stared at her. Her silver eyes looked down at the wooden table. She tapped her finger absently on the surface. Then she looked up, silver meeting amber. "Just one."

"What is it?"

"If Mating the three of us limits you, and could hurt you… why do you want to do it?"

Blake blinked at the question. She looked to her right, seeing Weiss and Yang looking at her expectantly. Blake looked down.

She's right. This isn't how Mating is supposed to go normally. This could end very badly… for any of us. But…

She thought back on the previous months. Talking with Ruby, reading with Weiss, bantering with Yang; she thought back to just the other night, her own body turned against her, turning her into the animal she tried so hard to ignore and repress… and there was her team, her friends, with no judgments, no disgust, just concern and compassion. She thought of waking up beside them, the feeling of contentedness she had at having those she cared most for so close.

A soft smile graced her lips as she looked at Ruby. "I guess… I don't really care about that. I love you all. If you love me back… the rest doesn't matter."

Ruby positively beamed. She turned towards Yang and Weiss, glancing between them.

Yang scratched her shoulder, right above her Mark. she half-smiled, looking nervously at the ceiling. "I guess… we could try…"

Weiss drummed her fingers nervously. "I'm not… against it…"

Blake chuckled lightly at their awkward emotions, drawing their attention. "You don't all have to decide right now. The Marks will last for a few more days. How about we see how the bond affects us in our usual days, and decide from there?"

Weiss perked up a little at her suggestion. "That sounds… acceptable."

Yang nodded. "I could use a little time to get used to this. How long exactly-?"

"Six days," Blake answered automatically. When she received curious stares, she flushed. "My aura will last about seven days. We used up one yesterday, so we have six more, counting today."

Ruby nodded. "Okay. So we take the next week, and see how the Mate's Mark feels while we do our usual things. Sound right?"

There were nods around the table.

Ruby smiled. "Okay then. Let's make it official. Banzai!" she yelled, sticking her fist out to the middle of the table.

Blake blinked in surprise. She saw Weiss and Yang do the same, before a smirk slowly formed on Yang's lips. Weiss rolled her eyes, but a smile formed on her lips nonetheless. Blake smiled with them as their fists met Ruby's at the same time.

"Banzai!"

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Dear Dust I'm tired. Overtime is killing me. But I shall persevere! For you all, for Team RWBY, and for hopefully making it all the way to the end of Volume 3!… god, I have so far to go… I haven't even reached the actual start of the Volume 2 stuff yet… ;_;

Oh, and, sorry Enabler fans. I did warn you back in chapter 4.

Hope you all liked it. If you did, leave me a review to let me know. Now, if you'll excuse me, my bed is calling me…