Chapter 14: Interlude: Friends? Part 2

Interlude Friends?

Mirror

Weiss

With the ring of a bell, my advanced Dust application class was over; a shame really. I enjoyed Professor Peach's thorough procedures and rigorous testing. They were the perfect opportunity to put my expertise into practice.

I was the only one of my team in this class, but considering who I was, it wasn't very surprising. It did mean that I was alone on my journey back to the dorm, which I took at a brisk pace.

I didn't have time to dawdle, I had a strict schedule for the rest of the day. Meticulously planned out to make the best use of my time, of course.

First on my list was a review of Ruby's assignment for her Tactics and Strategy class. A good peer review always helped, and as a good teammate, it was natural to take up the task.

After that, I would help my other teammates with their courses.

I entered the room and found it empty, still going over my list in my head.

Yang would get a compiled list on Dust formula balancing. How someone could be competent in Math and Science yet, as soon as the question had more than one answer, get flummoxed, was beyond me.

As for Blake, I had set aside notes from every class for her. That girl had been missing classes and performing poorly since the first month of school. As her partner, Yang should really set Blake straight, or Ruby, as leader, should take responsibility.

If I were leader this wouldn't be—

I cut myself off. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Weiss, you are trying to be the best teammate you can be.

Surely, Yang and Ruby wouldn't leave someone to flounder in their studies for whatever obsession that Blake seemed to be consumed with for no reason. Yang would butt in if she saw a problem, and Ruby cared too much not to help.

Maybe they had left Taylor to deal with the matter?

I glanced over at the bed in the corner. Books, a tea set, and a small dresser for clothes. No decorations or decorum, almost military in appearance. It made the one area of the room… out of place.

Ignoring the boxes still used for storage along the walls—mine were at least fitted into custom suitcases, so they were less crude to see than cardboard—every member of Team RWBY had added their own little touches to the room, and left some behind less intentionally as well.

Ruby's pajamas hung over the side of her bed, pinned by a pile of comics at the foot of her bed, which, naturally, was unmade. I had to glance away before I got a headache, but the sight was very Ruby.

Yang had that obnoxious poster, but at least she could make her bed, if somewhat sloppily. Her puppy throw pillow was cute, not that I'd ever own something so childish.

The least lived-in was Blake's bed, with a set of slippers gathering dust alongside a messy pile of books poking out from under the bed. The sheets were exactly as they had been the day before, since Blake hadn't returned last night. Still, it felt like Blake's space, quiet and serene.

I hoped whatever 'hobbies' she had gotten caught up in weren't anything perverse or illegal.

Taylor's bed was made, which I would have approved of if not for the fact that it added to how Taylor's area looked more like how one lived in a hotel than her own space.

I couldn't exactly help Taylor as a teammate, since she wasn't one. She was… a team advisor? Tutor?

Regardless, if I was going to be the best teammate, then surely there was something I could do for her that wasn't schoolwork.

There was combat practice, but Taylor's style was decisive, prone to setting up finishing blows. My more formal learning wouldn't be productive for her to use, especially since she actually had reach with her absurd height—she didn't wear heels, and I still had to crane my neck as much as I could just to see her face.

Taylor was well on her way to catching up in that area on her own, anyway.

So, what was there? I could help her pick out something to make the corner more her own. I was fully on board with Ruby's designation of Taylor being 'the secret fifth member of Team RWBY', if you ignored the pose that dolt did whenever she said it.

I didn't care about 'Momo's Weird Journey' no matter how many times Ruby tried to explain it or get me to watch that drivel.

I was confident in my own tastes for dorm decorations—my Amade Monet original depicting Forever Fall was my silent pride on the wall, so my taste was unquestionable.

Anything to spruce up the dour corner. Even the ropes and books that held up the beds, though precarious, added to the room… Wait, they weren't there anymore.

Instead of the tangle of ropes that held up Ruby's bed and the uneven pillar of books supporting Yang's bed, there were wooden sleeves fitted over the banisters of the bed's floor and headboards.

"Who did this?" I asked out loud, and silence answered.

I cautiously stepped towards the new bed configuration and gave it a gentle push, then a hard shove. Both times, the sturdy wooden frame of the sleeves held the beds firm and in position.

At least the new set-up was structurally sound.

The staff must have seen our work and… decided on an upgrade? I wasn't against the new configuration. Though, there was something… endearing about how we had just strung up the beds. Almost like building a fort out of pillows with friends—something I had seen on television but had never done myself.

I would have to ask the others if they had any idea on what happened. For now, I had a schedule to keep.

I placed my bag by my desk, pulled out the chair to begin studying, but something caught my eye.

Taylor's notes sat idly on her desk.

Notes of the girl that had somehow scored near perfect on her tests, even scoring above my own excellent grades. Despite her poor combat prowess, Taylor's test answers had a textbook-level of precision and detail, like she had all the reading material with her at all times.

She wouldn't mind if I just peeked a little, right? I just wanted to see how she organized her notes…

I glanced around the room despite myself and shuffled over to the desk.

It was only to see how I could improve. Honestly, as a liaison to the other teams, Taylor was supposed to be helping the other students, so a peek was completely acceptable.

I snatched the book and quickly skimmed over it. Written notes, with messier writing than I had expected… Not even cursive. Sections where the ink was slightly smeared. Though, she did say that she was right-handed before...

My eye twitched as I moved on to the next page, then the next.

The notes weren't anywhere as detailed as mine! Had I been focused on the wrong things?

Taylor had written down summaries of the main ideas, but none of the more obscure or in-depth details.

I frowned, setting the notebook down and grabbing another.

Complete gibberish. Numbers, letters, and symbols placed almost randomly to make jumbled words that looked like a list.

How are these notes?

"Weiss."

I did not jump a few feet from the ground and juggle the book from hand to hand, nor did I squawk.

My heart hammered in my chest and my posture shot up perfectly straight.

I wasn't good with scares—that movie Yang had everyone watch was more than enough proof of that. I hid it well, though I still didn't know why Yang giggled every time I skillfully blocked the screen with a pillow.

Taylor stood in the doorframe, a blank expression on her face.

With Winter, you knew when she was angry. With Klein, it was disappointment.

The blank mask that Taylor wore was far worse. The same face she stared down a student with—mostly that fool Jaune—when someone failed in her team practice sessions.

"T-Taylor! Good evening." I forced a smile through my shame, the same one from when Klein caught me sneaking cake from the kitchens. "How are you?"

"Fine. Yourself?" She walked toward her desk and notes, and I slid out of the way. She didn't seem upset.

"G-good! Just about to start studying." I gave a slight pause, hoping she would pick up on the invitation to study with me and praying it would serve as a distraction from my attempted theft. Nothing. "I was preoccupied by the new beds."

"I didn't think anyone would mind."

"Wait, you changed our beds?"

"Best to fix them before they eventually fell on someone in the middle of the night."

I knew we were rather whimsical when we made them, but they hadn't fallen yet… except for that one time, but that was only half of the bed swinging down from the ropes… It didn't actually hit me, the only issue had been Ruby falling on me…

Okay, fixing the beds was most likely an appropriate idea in hindsight.

"Well, thank you. Where did you find the wooden braces to make these bunk beds anyway?"

"I made them."

"You made them? I didn't know you knew how to do carpentry. I hadn't even considered it a worthwhile skill to learn as a Huntress."

"I was… taking care of an area with a bunch of ruined buildings for a time, learned a bit then. Well, enough to be able to screw some pieces of wood together." She sounded nostalgic. "I wasn't able to help up as much as I should have, so my work is more functional than pretty. Glad I learned it though."

A more diverse range of abilities was something I needed to consider. I recalled the time Taylor had run a scenario in a flooded building—she had somehow gotten permission to flood the practice building we used for team battles in tight corridors. None of us knew how to turn off the water main, something I wouldn't have contemplated as being applicable to being a Huntress, and it had made things much more difficult.

But ruined buildings? Ones that she was taking care of? What did she do before she came to Beacon?

She lost most of her memories of her past; asking would be incredibly tactless and improper… maybe that's why Ruby was able to ask Taylor about such things? Or rather, pester her.

Taylor had kept a respectable distance from the team—well, from anyone, really. Everyone else was a colleague or ally, an admirable display of professionalism…

Even if it might have been nice to get to know her a little better… Discuss tactics, study methods…

Then again, Taylor had admitted to remembering some aspects about herself. Pyrrha had mentioned it when I had suggested she, Taylor, and I should form a more personal study group.

The two strongest and smartest students plus someone who had been knowledgeable enough to be placed as a liaison for all the other teams, as one group? We'd be unstoppable. If only their schedules weren't so busy.

Taylor sat on her bed and started to read a book. Maybe she hadn't noticed me peeking at her notes?

I hurried back to my original task, going over Ruby's assignment. I loaded it on my Scroll and dutifully went through it.

Good. She formatted it just like I had shown her.

I brought out my own Scroll and began typing some corrections for Ruby to fix and comments she would have to work from.

Honestly, our supposed leader's approach to this scenario was completely off. It was a good thing I was here to help.

"You're going over Ruby's leadership class homework?" Taylor asked.

"Just marking a few small"—they weren't small, it needed major changes—"things that I think she could do better on."

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Of course, be my guest," I stated with a small wave of my hand. Nothing wrong with a second set of eyes, even though I was sure Taylor would agree with my reasoning.

Her eyes darted down the document as I waited expectantly before her lips tugged down into a small frown. "I don't think I would agree with your tactical plan on this."

See, I knew she would agree with—bwah?

"Sorry, could you repeat that? I must have misheard you." Perhaps I'd been staying up too late studying.

"I think Ruby was right, for the most part, in this scenario. I would run the operation in a similar way," she explained.

"I—but—that can't be right. She'd be risking the hostages!"

"The scenario doesn't list any demands or the reasoning behind what the perps are doing. So, we can't assume they haven't taken the hostages to just torture them or something." I hadn't thought of that possibility. "So, the team can't wait to move in. The hostages' location and status in the building are unknown, so Ruby's shock and awe approach would be effective," she elaborated.

"I, uh, well yes, that's true, but…" The more I thought it through, the more I realized she was right.

"Although, for your team, I'd let Blake try and sneak in beforehand, with her ready to send a signal for the rest of you to barge in if they noticed her. If Blake's able to stay hidden, then you'd know the layout and more of an idea of how to approach things," Taylor added.

I ran through it in my head a few more times but still couldn't find a flaw in her logic. "I can agree with that." I should have figured it out myself though!

"There's no need to pout."

I spun on her. I most certainly did not pout! Then, the strain in my cheeks from pushing them up was replaced by heat.

Great, Weiss. Not only did you miss something obvious, you're acting like a child as well!

"You did fine," Taylor continued, moving back to her bed and returning to her previous position, ignorant of my self-scolding.

"Fine isn't good enough."

Taylor's face scrunched up slightly. "Your approach would have been right if it was a conventional hostage situation." She paused in thought. "I guess this also depends on which Kingdom you're in. Atlas has a strict policy on dealing with criminals and terrorists; not negotiating with them under any circumstance."

I flinched away. I knew Atlas's response rules—my sister enforced them. No negotiating with criminals. No quarter. Under any circumstances. I heavily disagreed with the policy.

If it was the White Fang, I would understand not dealing with them—they wouldn't hold up their end of the deal anyway—but with normal criminals, the ones who could be reasoned with... Why should they be treated the same as a murdering terrorist organization? Why use the same amount of force and lethality when it wasn't necessary?

People shouldn't be sacrificed for duty or results; that ruthlessness was what sullied the Schnee name.

"Other Kingdoms have different rules for that, but regulations for other Kingdoms don't come up till second-year classes, I think," Taylor pondered.

"That's very well put." And thorough. "I'll put that in for her," I stated.

"Though… her reasoning for it just sums up to 'they need to be saved so save them', huh," she said.

I knew there would be at least something wrong. "You're right. Even if her approach is right, the reasoning behind it is wrong."

Taylor paused. No reactions or movement. I wasn't sure if she was waiting for me to continue or something else.

"But Ruby is right," Taylor said softly. "They need to be saved and that's enough reason. Idealistic but not practical… You need to be both." She suddenly seemed tired.

"Uh, yes, I suppose that is correct." I watched Taylor gaze at nothing before she snapped back to herself like a spring.

Taylor sat at her bed to read while I went over Ruby's assignment again.

After I was finished, I prepared a cup of coffee and started going through my notes.

Silence settled into the room, only interrupted by the flip of a page or tapping against our Scrolls. I went over the words but nothing registered.

I found myself starting a letter to Winter instead. She was far too busy to simply call and talk, so we had decided on letters. We could reply when convenient, and I liked that it felt more personal between us.

My pen hovered over the page as I debated if I should ask Winter about how she would approach the scenario. I knew Winter would follow protocol and execute her duty flawlessly, but how her and Taylor's reasoning differed for each decision would be… interesting to learn.

Winter was fair to everyone, whether they were enemies, allies, or family.

Based on suggestions for situations and arguments she made in class, Taylor was brutal to her enemies but protective of her allies.

That brute Cardin gave her a wide berth, for reasons I could only speculate on. Most assuredly because he did something to anger her. She had somehow tripped some paparazzi following Pyrrha when we were in town and snapped at some upperclassmen for mouthing off at the younger students, among other incidents.

There should have been more but… I didn't know enough about Taylor to truly list the distinctions. Something I should correct at a later date.

I sighed. Class notes replaced my letter as I tried to focus on studying, again.

There were twenty minutes left until I needed to switch to one last review for the history test tomorrow. I'd also have to check in on Ruby to make sure she was doing the same. Yang was hopeless and couldn't be corralled, but her grades were acceptable. Blake was off researching something again; that girl had really let her grades go. I'd better make sure to talk to her about that again.

'You're a Schnee, keep your posture straight and act like one!'

I instinctively straightened my back and adjusted my sitting position, then slumped when I realized whose voice had echoed in my thoughts.

I had been slouching a little though…

My coffee had gone cold, and I didn't want to waste time making more, but my eyes drooped again to argue the point.

I gulped the last of the liquid down and shook my head at the taste. The cheaper brands seemed like they had more bite, better to keep you awake than the ones we stocked at the Schnee manor.

"Would you like some tea?"

Taylor was still on her bed, but steam trailed from the spout of her teapot on the desk next to her.

"Oh, yes, thank you," I said. I would need it if I wanted to make up for my lack of progress so far.

The tea set was porcelain white with different colored butterflies decorated around it. Not something that would have been allowed at home, but still quaint. It was one of the only possessions Taylor had brought to the room since school started.

A floral aroma filled the air as I felt my mug warm from the newly added drink.

As I set down the pot, I realized that it would only be Taylor and me in the dorm for most of the night.

Yang had gone off gallivanting with her other friends, something that had become more frequent as of late. Ruby would be gone till later tonight; all the team leaders had gone off to do a special training mission. Blake was off doing who knows what; she didn't usually get back to the room until late or possibly not at all.

Normally, I studied best alone, but this was my chance to ask Taylor to join me. Her stringent focus would also prevent me from getting distracted. Asking her more about herself would simply be a welcome coincidence.

Taylor closed her book with an audible clap that shook me from my thoughts, causing hot liquid to spill onto my hand. Thankfully, I did not drop the mug.

I did not yelp, regardless of what Taylor's slightly amused expression might have said.

"You okay?"

"Yes, it's nothing." I blew on the reddening blotch of skin on my hand. "Um, uh, what were you reading?" I asked, not at all attempting to distract her from my mishap.

"Plava Pyrope's Origin of the Soul. It's a book regarding the theories around what Aura is," she stated, setting the book amongst other library books she had procured.

"That's not part of the school curriculum."

"No, but I wanted to know the origins of Aura."

"It's the manifestation of our souls," I answered quizzically. Everyone knew that.

"That's what we're told, yes."

"And you disagree?"

"If it were true, it would mean that when someone's Aura was completely depleted, their soul would be gone."

"But it would simply return in time."

"But why does it come back? Does that person not have a soul for that small period of time? Why does Aura act like a muscle? When our Aura gets stronger, does that mean our souls are getting stronger? How can we even measure the amount of 'soul' someone has? Why can we manipulate that energy at all?" Taylor listed as she grabbed a pen and the odd leather-bound book she occasionally wrote in.

"Well, that's just how Aura works. While I am unclear on exactly how it is done, it shouldn't be so strange to be able to measure something as tangible as Aura."

Taylor shook her head. "There has to be some reasoning behind it. Look at Semblances. Why would it be odd for someone to have more than one Semblance?"

"No one can have two Semblances. It's impossible. Aura only expresses itself as one specific ability."

"But why? Semblances supposedly are based off of one aspect of a person, but people are multifaceted. Why are they represented by only one thing?"

"…I've never really thought to question it. That's just how Aura works, it'd be weird otherwise. It would be similar to… having another arm and thinking it was normal, I guess."

Taylor only hummed in response before sitting back down and flipping open her book.

It was a silent end to the conversation but open-ended enough. I dug into what little courage I had saved up from my last failed attempt and asked, "Did… Did you want to study for the history test together?"

"I would, but I need to write some things down for tonight."

"Aren't you worried about your grade?" I asked, more accusingly than I had meant to.

"No, I'm confident I'll do well enough to get the stipend from the test grade, anyway."

"You… need money?" Realization dropped like a rock in my stomach.

She didn't have memories of who she was, or at least, none that helped her in any significant way, meaning that she didn't have any resources or funds from before. She might be living off the money Beacon rewarded students for good grades instead of using it for equipment upkeep like we're supposed to. Was that why she hadn't gotten a replacement for her sword yet? And why she didn't have any decorations of her own?!

How could I have been so blind!

"If you need anything I can—"

"I'll be fine, Weiss. Thank you though."

"Alright then." My offer died before I could even give it.

I glanced around the room, trying to spot any other differences that I might not have noticed. Definitely not because I was looking for another conversation piece.

My eyes rested on a piece of white-plated shoulder armor that Taylor wore on her field gear. There was a piece of paper that seemed to be stuck to it.

"Why is your armor here?" I asked.

"I'm supposed to mark some part of my equipment with my emblem, so I've stuck the stencil onto one of my shoulder plates for now," she said.

"Oh, you have the stickers and imprints in?" She nodded. "May I see?"

"Go ahead. It should be fine to take off now."

I bent down and peeled the white sheet off the armor plate, leaving behind the emblem pattern that had been on it.

It was a perfect circle of a cloudy gray, with a slender eight-pointed star of the same color in its upper-right area. The diagonal points were slightly shorter than the others.

All in all, a pretty simple design, yet recognizable. Something that I would have expected from Taylor.

"I approve. What made you choose this design?" The Schnee emblem was the natural choice for me, but I hadn't considered how everyone else decided theirs.

She stopped writing and stared at the book in front of her. "If I was to be poetic about it, I would say that it's about a single star not being able to make up a sky. But really, it's just a reminder of how little we can do alone," she said solemnly.

"I see." I didn't see. Honestly, it sounded rather sad.

Another length of silence passed as the slow scribbling of Taylor's pen replaced any conversation.

What did she write in that book all the time? She never took notes in class, which had been a gripe of mine before her test scores came in.

"What do you use that book for? It's not the one you use in class, and I doubt it's a diary like Ruby has."

She turned the book around to reveal more gibberish. She had two books of whatever that was? Why would—oh!

"Is that in code?" I asked skeptically.

"That's right."

"Why?"

"Just for some things that I didn't want to keep track of on my Scroll."

"Why would you be worried about someone looking at what you have on your Scroll?"

She looked contemplative for a moment, then said, "If it gets stolen or lost, I won't have to worry. Also, you never know who's keeping track of what you're writing and searching on your Scroll." Her tone had been rather cryptic, but who did she think would be looking?

An alert chimed on Taylor's Scroll that flashed with an urgent red light.

Taylor's brow furrowed, and her gaze hardened. It reminded me of when Winter received a message from the Atlesian military.

Taylor set down her book and brought up the flashing text playing on her Scroll. I stood, silently waiting to see what was happening.

"Hmmmm. The White Fang just intercepted a shipment of cargo from Atlas," she said with a frown, answering my unasked question.

Of course they did. Those criminals have done nothing but show their vile nature as of late.

"What was the cargo?" I asked, my scorn towards the White Fang's actions seeping into my words.

"Don't know, it isn't mentioned. Atlas has been sending some of their new military equipment to Vale recently though, most likely to announce the new models to the kingdom."

"Those animals stole Atlas military weapons?!" I could only imagine how angry Winter must be at all this.

Taylor stopped peering at her Scroll and seemed to re-examine me with her usual passive expression. After a moment, she continued, "Yes, it seems they've been harrying Dust and weapon shipments coming into Vale for some time now."

A bitter taste seemed to fill my mouth. "Not very surprising. Those Faunus criminals are nothing but scum. I hope the Huntsmen or the VPD catch them soon."

"...Yes, or maybe someone else will," Taylor said and began to clean up her things.

"What do you—wait! Where are you going?"

"There's something I have to check on now. I'll be back late." I didn't get more of an answer before Taylor was already closing the door behind her.

"What do you have to check at this time of night?" I exclaimed to the closed door. There wasn't a reply, and I was left alone with my thoughts.

Taylor was similar to Winter, yet different in many key ways. Still, both were carving their own path. Winter was the youngest Atlesian Military Specialist in Remnant's history. Taylor was the first and only team liaison at Beacon.

Yet, here I was, too inept to learn about those around me, too inexperienced to fully think through a class assignment, and too unfocused to stick to the study schedule I'd set, which was supposed to help me fix those issues.

Was there something I was missing? Some skill or lesson I hadn't realized?

If there was something I needed to change to overcome the problem, I would.

I was going to be the best Huntress possible—I wouldn't accept anything less. Then, I would wipe away the stains on the Schnee name and make a legacy I could be proud of.

I wouldn't let anyone get in the way of that—especially not myself.

Hunting for Shadows

Blake

"I just want to know why! The White Fang has never been this open with their attacks before, and they aren't just hitting anti-Faunus businesses anymore!" The wood of the table crunched under my fist as I slammed it down. I flinched at the small crater around my hand. "Sorry… I'll pay for repairs. I just want to know why they're doing all this."

"Look, Blake, I get it. They're going really far this time. Robbing Dust shops is one thing, but attacking shipments as they're coming in is another. I already told you, the person who was in charge of the White Fang in Vale got iced at that incident at the docks a while back. I bet whoever took their place has been stepping things up, but my friends in the Fang aren't around to talk much anymore. Busy with all the crap they're up to now," Irvin said calmly, while his scaled tail wrapped around the tea kettle he had brewing just as it began to steam. "Would you like some more?"

"No, thank you. Sorry for barging in like this, Irvin. I just… I don't understand why the White Fang is suddenly shifting to outright terrorism. It's like they don't care about what happens to the people of Vale at all, Faunus or not. At least it's only known locally, so the Faunus of the other kingdoms won't be judged for all this."

"Still, the locals are being forced to either join the Fang to get shielded from the backlash of all this, or get shunned by everyone else. They're being ostracised by the humans who bundle them in with the White Fang, as well as all the Faunus in the White Fang who see them as not standing up for other Faunus. It's really divided the community, 'fight with us or against us' and all that." Irvin poured himself another glass of tea before setting the pot back down with his tail.

"You haven't considered rejoining with all that's going on?" I asked cautiously.

"No." I slumped slightly with relief. "I'm fighting as an example for equality between humans and Faunus in a different way now." He glanced over toward the stairs leading to the second floor of his home, the ones that led to where his human wife was taking care of their child.

Then, he turned to me with a blank look. "Have you thought about it?"

I froze, and my eyes darted from his.

"I have... At first it was because I had doubts if I could be a Huntress, or if it would help. Now, I've been thinking of doing it just to get some information on what's happening. I… I need to know if the White Fang has truly become everything the humans have been accusing us of being. Of them being. There's been a lot of deaths now… if rejoining helps me find out if they're more than just misguided then it would help me find a way to stop them or at least put them back on the right path!" My voice had risen steadily throughout my rant and I found myself standing. I quickly sat back down and let out a shuddering breath. "Sorry."

"It's fine, Blake. You always were so much more invested in the cause than others." He gave me a warm smile then shifted into a serious expression. "If your plan is to rejoin, he might find out, you know."

My world shifted.

His hair glowing red with his Aura. His blade gleaming red as we fought together. His blade red with blood…

"I'll just have to get out before that happens," I tried to say confidently, but sagged at how unsure it came out.

"Blake… don't you have people that might be able to help you with this? What about the members of your team? They're Huntresses in-training, right? Wouldn't they be able to back you—"

"No!" I shouted instinctively before reining myself back in. "I mean, I don't want them involved. I left the White Fang because of all the people we were hurting, I don't want my team to be one of those people…"

"I get it, Blake. I really do."

"I want to be a Huntress. To be able to protect Faunus and be an example for them. And I want to do that with my team. That's why I can't let them know…"

"You haven't told them yet, that you're a Faunus?"

"No… I just wanted to be treated for who I am for once. In the White Fang, we were only seen for our race and mission; it was never Blake they saw. As a Huntress, I could be both."

"But you want your team to see 'Blake' before they see the 'Faunus Blake'."

"Yes." To be normal… "I haven't been able to spend much time with them because of everything that's happening. But I want to… I just can't right now." My ears twitched downward in guilt within my bow.

"It's… hard, I know. You never get used to the stares." Irvin closed his eyes, like he was picturing painful memories in his head.

I nodded. Any Faunus knew those looks too well.

My Scroll buzzed, my timer going off.

"I have to go, or I'll miss my ship. Thank you for helping me with this, Irvin. Sorry again, for the table. This has all been… Say thanks to Malva, and hello to little Fern for me."

"Of course, Blake. You take care. With the White Fang escalating and Vale pushing back, something's going to break." He walked me to his door.

He was right, something was going to break eventually. I just hoped it wasn't all the progress the White Fang had made until now.

Bystanders

Velvet

I curled my ears inward as the chatter from the cafeteria hit me. My ears picked up too much, and the sudden uproar as I walked through the doors hurt.

No one I knew was there, only a sea of nameless faces.

With each step I felt stares pick out my ears in the crowd—the only feature people focused on. I tried to hold them taut, so they wouldn't flop around and draw attention.

Once again, I wished I hadn't got caught up adjusting Anesidora. I would have been with my team downtown enjoying lunch with friends.

Instead, I picked up a tray and food, before hunting for an empty spot to sit.

There weren't any, but I did make out a group of third years I somewhat recognized: Team PSTL (Pastel) if I remembered right. I made my way to where they chatted and sat down in a spot between them and another group of students.

They took a quick look at me as I began to eat, and their focus drifted up onto my ears.

I stiffened as I caught one of them rolling their eyes and gesturing toward the doors. The sounds of their trays dragging across the table toward them as they left seemed to drill into my ears. They continued their conversation as if nothing happened, except for one of them eyeing me with a scrunched face as they went by.

I sighed, whether from sadness, or relief they didn't do anything else, I didn't know.

Either way, my salad suddenly tasted bitter.

A dull thud reverberated through the bench, then another smaller one from my other side.

I froze in my seat, cautiously turning my head.

A large boy I had never seen before with short burnt orange hair sat beside me. Another boy with a pale green mohawk stomped one leg onto the bench on the other side. Two other boys sat on the other side of the table.

Each had grins on their face as they watched my ears like they were a television show.

I drew into myself, trying to be as small as possible.

"Ha! See! They just curled in. I told you they were real. Can you believe it?" the larger boy joked to his friends.

They all laughed, and my ears curled even more to try and block them out, which made them point and laugh harder.

They were acting like I was the first Faunus they had ever seen, like we didn't make up thirty percent of the Remnant's population. Jerks. This was just another excuse from them to make a spectacle and have 'fun' at a Faunus's expense.

I didn't bother looking at any of the other students; they would just turn away.

The boys continued their mockery, never acknowledging me, only my ears.

I tried to block them out, but each comment still stung, no matter how many times I had heard them throughout my life.

They'd get bored eventually and move on; bullies always did.

My thoughts drifted to fighting—fighting back at least—but I tossed the idea as soon as it appeared.

I couldn't fight back. What if I did and no one helped me? Or worse, what if I did and others joined in against me?

They were still going, still mocking my ears, still laughing about it.

My lunch finished, I set my salad bowl and utensils to the side. Someone would have to clean them up after me, which left a pang of guilt, but this way I could maybe use the empty tray as a shield.

I tried to stand up and flee, hoping that they wouldn't stop or pursue me.

The large boy—not as big as Yatsuhashi, no one was as big as him, but still much bigger than me—reached out for me, his hand shooting straight for my ears.

Then, an arm blurred past, a butter knife held in its fingers, hitting the boy straight in the face with the heel of the palm.

The boy reared back with a howl of pain, blood streaming from the cracks between his fingers as he held his nose.

I dared to turn my head toward the boy's attacker.

She was taller than Coco, thin, and her wavy, black locks spun with her as she grabbed the bleeding boy's collar and hauled him toward her.

The boy's eyes widened in surprise and rage as he saw his attacker, which meant he missed the girl's foot snaking around his ankle.

The girl punched the boy's hands, further crushing his nose, and sent him tipping backward. His head smashed through the wood of the cafeteria table.

He was sprawled over the bench, swearing and cursing at the girl.

The girl was silent. No anger or sadistic enjoyment, just a hint of tired annoyance, like this was a bothersome chore for her.

Her foot came up and stomped down. No hesitation.

The audience of students gasped.

The bench snapped and the boy screamed, but the sound that seemed to echo the loudest was the sickening crunch of breaking bone and the tiles of the floor.

"I told you, Cardin. No more," the girl stated impassively.

It all happened in seconds, but my would-be harasser was groaning on the floor in pain.

I sat down, trying to sink into my seat, anything to not be noticed.

A blue-ish haired boy, one of Cardin's friends, vaulted over the table at her, but the girl was already moving to intercept.

She pivoted around his flying kick, revealing that her other arm was missing from above the elbow, and struck his knee with the hilt of the butter knife while her attacker was still mid-leap.

The boy flew past her and landed in an awkward limping stumble, his hand massaging the point where the hilt had struck him.

The girl didn't even look as her arm snapped out and grabbed the back of the boy's collar with two fingers. She yanked the limping boy backward and tossed him into the person-shaped hole and onto Cardin.

A mohawked boy used his own lunch tray and made a large sideways swipe at the girl, missing my face by inches.

The faint gleam of a gray Aura surrounded the girl's butter knife as she attacked the tray rather than block or dodge.

The blade pierced through the thin metal and bit into the Aura of the boy's hand, forcing him to let go of the tray with one hand mid-swing, canceling most of its momentum.

The girl followed through with her stab, her arms piercing through the tray, and slammed the blunt tip of the knife into the boy's stomach.

Pale green Aura strained against the blow, sending him staggering back, his breath knocked out.

I could already tell that the girl was slower than the boys, but she seemed to know exactly how they were going to attack and moved almost before they did.

Something painfully slapped the back of my ears and the girl abruptly leaned backward.

A final boy with sandy hair, the last member of what was probably Cardin's team, had gone for a jumping tackle over me that she easily dodged.

He landed behind her in a handstand and flipped back onto his feet. A low angry growl hummed in his throat.

Now the mysterious girl was flanked, the boy with the mohawk at her back while the other boy was in front of her.

Still, the girl's mask of stony irritation didn't crack.

I made out the looks of horror and disbelief of every other student watching the fight, taking note of one girl with short orange hair at the table opposite mine that seemed to be… cheering?

The mohawk boy charged forward to try and grab her while the other boy went for a strong kick at her stomach.

At the last moment, the girl simply stepped away from the table and pivoted to face me.

Our eyes met as the boy delivering the kick faltered to avoid hitting the mohawk boy, but momentum carried him forward and they collided.

Their heads banged together in a resounding whack that made me cringe.

The mohawk boy dropped while the last boy staggered backward.

There was no disdain or judgment in the eyes of the girl, but there was an intensity in them that wouldn't let me look away.

I couldn't back away into my seat any further, but I tried.

"This isn't your fault, remember that," she said to me before turning toward the last boy.

She kicked the back of his knee and shoved him face-first toward the undamaged spot beside me.

She pinned his left arm against his back with a knee and reached around the boy with the knife she still somehow held. The broken tray was still around her arm, which may have been funny if not for the tension in the air.

"We'll fucking get you for this you—" the pinned boy started before he suddenly froze.

I traced the path of the girl's arm, eyes widening as I saw how the knife was pressed against the boy's manhood.

She leaned into her knee and pressed the boy harder onto the table.

She spoke right into his ear, iron in her voice. My ears were the only reason I could pick up on the conversation.

"I already told Cardin about this, Dove. I told him he gets one warning, and that he had better tell his team the same. I know he didn't, so I'll let you be the one to inform Sky and Russel, as well as remind Cardin. No bullying. No name calling or any of your racism shit. I don't care about the reason. Don't make me have to intervene again, because I will," she stated, a fact rather than a promise.

She pushed off him and the boy sagged in relief.

"Do better, Team CRDL. We might be fighting together in the future and I don't want your childish antics to get in the way of that." She stood and surveyed the rest of the room. "Though, as none of the other upcoming 'defenders of the realm' did anything, I honestly can't say who is more pathetic in all this," she called out firmly, loud enough for everyone to hear.

She was gone before anyone responded, knife still in hand.

All eyes tracked the tall girl as she walked out of the room. No one dared to break the silence in case the girl's attention moved to them.

Just like that, it was all over. It had all happened so fast, I doubted more than a minute had passed.

The whimpers and groans of Team CRDL sounded around me.

Cardin and the one I guessed was Sky slowly clambered from their hole in the table beside me. Dove slapped Russel a few times to try and wake him before picking him up like a sack of potatoes.

No one said anything as the boys shuffled out of the cafeteria, the opposite way the girl had gone, their grunts of pain and muttered swears vanishing as the door closed behind them.

I sat petrified on a small section of untouched bench, the battle having smashed and marked both sides of the area beside me.

Finally, all of their eyes turned back to me.

My mouth tried to sputter something, but only empty air came out under the weight of all their stares. Cheeks flushed, still clutching the empty tray like a liferaft.

I bowed my head and fled, feeling their gazes drill into me.

I curled my ears harder, enough for them to become numb. I didn't want to hear their chattering whispers, not this time.

Slide

Glynda Goodwitch

"Are you aware of the incident that happened in the cafeteria today?" I asked briskly, making long strides toward Ozpin's desk.

"If you mean the fight between Taylor Hebert and team CRDL, then yes. I believe the entire student body is aware of it as well," he said.

The incident was a flagrant disregard for the school's rules, expectations, and morals. Regardless of whether it was to stop a group of students harassing another, Taylor had gone as far as possibly crippling one of the offending students instead of simply reporting the situation to a teacher.

"I believe a strict and immediate response is in order. We can not have the other students thinking that this kind of behavior is acceptable. I can't even begin to understand what that girl was thinking."

"I have my suspicions, but I believe you will have the opportunity to ask her yourself."

"You've already called her here?" The fight had only happened half an hour ago; had Ozpin already called Taylor through her Scroll?

"No. It appears that she decided to come here on her own. Glynda, do you mind taking the lead on this? I have a suspicion that this may unfortunately be a result of my own actions, in a way." How could Ozpin believe he was in some way responsible for this?

I didn't get to ask why as the elevator doors opened to reveal Taylor Hebert.

She wore the same blank mask as she did in class and walked with unnatural attention forward. No pausing to survey the room. No guilt or shame either.

Taylor didn't say anything as she made her way smoothly across the room and sat down in the chair facing Ozpin.

"I assume you have something you'd like to say for yourself?" I doubted there was any defense or excuse that justified her actions.

"No, I don't."

"What?" I ground out.

"I accept my punishment and apologize for the disruption."

The lack of inflection only emphasized how little she regretted her actions.

"Miss Hebert, do you really expect us to believe you?" I asked.

"It isn't up to me whether you believe me or not." Her jaw twitched as she grit her teeth. She was still tense from the conflict, it seemed.

Before I could bite back a deserved scolding, Ozpin spoke up, "Taylor, you do understand why we called—well, why we were going to call you here?" He set his elbows on his desk and intertwined his fingers, hiding his expression.

"A student did the teachers' job for them in a public way." She contained it well, but Taylor was furious over the situation. The bullying? The targeting of a Faunus? Or something else?

"You shouldn't have been the one to interfere at all," I stated. That was the duty of the faculty.

"Then, why did I need to step in?" Taylor bit out.

"You did not have to step in nor should you have. Regardless of Team CRDL's previous actions, your response of assault and battery"—she didn't understand exactly how much trouble she was in—"was absolutely not the answer. If you had informed one of the staff, we would have addressed the issue of Team CRDL's behavior," I snapped.

She turned away and razor-focused on Ozpin. "I understand that we go to a combat school and the students should be expected to deal with something like this on their own." Her tone was like cold iron. "They are learning to fight for their lives after all. But, tolerating people like Cardin shouldn't be the way you go about it."

I held back from shouting at what the girl was implying. "Young lady"—the sheer disrespect—"we are the administration here. We are the ones who are in charge of deciding the punishments for our students so that they may be properly guided to becoming upstanding Huntsmen, not you."

"Slapping a bully on the wrist for each bit of torment is fine if it works. Team CRDL have been 'reprimanded' several times just in the last two weeks between four different teachers. Disruption, bullying, racial comments." She's been keeping track? "Nothing has changed. Yet, you let them run rampant. I'm guessing as an example for the other students of what not to do, antagonists to fight against, shared experiences to rally them closer towards their own teams. You're using them to better the other students. Unless you're all incompetent."

Despite how infuriated I was over her jab at us and her attitude, I worried for the girl. Her expression never changed. A practiced mask that never left her face.

Children—no, people shouldn't act like that. Bottled emotions contained so thoroughly that even her reactions were almost gone.

Ozpin leaned back in his chair, his eyes almost hidden behind his glasses, but I caught their melancholy gleam. He wore a similar look when he talked about his past failures, his guilt.

He didn't correct her.

"Is this what you wanted to be doing during your time at Beacon?" Ozpin asked solemnly.

"It needed to be done. Apparently, like the staff, none of the other students could be trusted to do it."

A dulled thud hit the glass. A few rapier wasps swirled angrily through the air, never touching, but doing the wasp equivalent of snarling at each other. I made a note to get the staff to check and see if there was a hive on the clocktower.

This wasn't helping her or us. "Miss Hebert, you saw one instance where you reacted before the staff was made aware of the incident and took it as inaction on our part?"

"...No one else went, nothing changed before, and no one was doing anything. Was I supposed to let that girl be bullied for however long it took to get a teacher?"

"Yet, if you thought you absolutely had to intervene, you still didn't ask anyone to call for a staff member. Then, you could have attempted to de-escalate the situation until they arrived," I stated.

"No. I didn't."

"Why?"

Seconds creeped by. A chance for Taylor to collect her thoughts and for the tension to ease slightly.

Taylor did the opposite. Instead of slowly relaxing, she creeped into a tense, ready posture from a more relaxed position. Then, she corrected herself into ease before the cycle repeated.

"I hadn't thought of it."

"That's it?"

"Since there had been attempts to curb their behavior before, I assumed there wouldn't be one now." A deflection, but there wasn't a hint of what she was avoiding. "So, I provided a solution. I regret how I did it, but not that it was done."

I sighed heavily. There was no getting through to her. "You aren't sorry for what you did because you got the result you wanted, even though you undermined the school's authority, our judgement, and left grievous injuries on others."

"Can we move onto whatever you plan on having me do?" she asked curtly, like we were wasting her time.

So that was it then?

"Plan on having you do?" Ozpin asked incredulously.

"Yes, for the 'punishment'," Taylor stated.

"Then you at least accept that you were at fault?" I asked sternly.

"I understand that there will be a consequence."

My eye twitched. She was okay with how things went because she got what she wanted. Like the scales were balanced somehow.

"Fine. If you don't care about the punishment at all, then you'll have no trouble with the severity at which we will set it?" I stated more than asked.

"I won't, because I know the type of person Ozpin is," she said.

"Do you?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"Knowing you, I'll be placed on a mission with team CRDL once they have recovered. Some kind of exercise in trust and working together through experience."

Ozpin frowned. "Am I that predictable?"

"In a way, yes."

Ozpin and I shared a look, because we knew she was right.

"…You are correct. Exactly so. May I ask how you came to this conclusion?" Ozpin hid the lower half of his face behind interwoven hands as he spoke.

"You have a penchant for solving multiple problems at once. You'd be testing how I did in the field, making Team CRDL and me work together against a threat, verifying if I'll start another fight in a more isolated situation where we are supposed to be acting professionally, among several other objectives. Including completing whatever mission you sent us on," she listed methodically. It would have been impressive if not for the context.

"Very astute, Miss Hebert." The slight amusement in his tone fell flat under the tension in the air. "We will send you the details regarding your punishment, which will include a written apology to Team CRDL," he stated.

"Professor," I cut in. "I believe a stricter reprimand is warranted." I didn't like to question Ozpin's decisions in front of others, but I couldn't believe an apology and a mission were all that Taylor was to be subjected to, especially considering her attitude in this meeting.

Ozpin gave me a soft smile. "Do not worry, I am also aware of the type of person Taylor is." The girl in question stilled with a slight tilt of her head. "I doubt there will be a repeat of her actions today," he said knowingly, nodding to Taylor.

Taylor blinked in confusion before nodding her head in acknowledgment. An agreement between the two?

The massive gears above our heads turned and briefly blocked the lights in an ever-moving pattern.

"Is there anything else?" Taylor asked.

"No, I believe that will be all," Ozpin answered.

We watched Taylor stand and head towards the elevator.

"Taylor," Ozpin called out, and she pivoted around just in front of the elevator doors. "We aren't your enemy."

"I understand." In many ways, I didn't think she did. Or she had a twisted way of showing it. "I just don't know if you're allies either." With that, Taylor disappeared behind the sliding doors.

As soon as Taylor was gone, Ozpin let out a deep sigh. "I apologize, Glynda. Her distrust greatly exceeded my initial assessment of her character. Not to mention its direction, toward Beacon and the staff more collectively than just at myself. There is a story behind it, more than one, and none of them seem happy."

"I noticed some perturbing habits as well."

"I am somewhat relieved though. I had been worried that she would appear on the opposite side of the battlefield."

"You thought she was a spy?" I hadn't heard anything like that! Nor suspected it!

"No. Well, there was the possibility for her to be a spy for whatever group had built that mysterious backpack she was found with, but I currently doubt that, considering the amount of attention she has drawn to herself. What I was worried about was whether she would move against us due to some of the experiences we have been forced to put our students through," Ozpin said sadly.

"It is a harsh world, and we are training them to battle monsters and things of myth. Such methods are necessary," I stated.

"I agree, but it doesn't make them any less tragic."

We let a moment of silence give weight to the words.

"I still think we should give her a more severe punishment," I stated sharply.

"It would be counterproductive. Cutting Taylor's access to any of the school facilities would just hamper her in working with the other teams. Likewise with taking up her time with detention, which would be worthless as a punishment to her. She expected to be punished, so anything we could do to try and curb her behavior would just be something she'd accept rather than a lesson. Also, being harsher would simply justify her idea of putting us on the opposite side of the battle rather than beside her."

It was true. There had been a noticeable improvement amongst the teams that Taylor advised. Knowledge for dealing with unique and tense situations outside of what could be taught in class. Coordination with abilities and Semblances that had been as unorthodox as they were effective.

Still, I did not like that she would not let us help her. "What are we going to do about that girl?" I asked wearily.

"After what Taylor just said, do you honestly believe she would stop if we told her to?"

"No. Not at all."

Ozpin swirled the cocoa in his mug, watching the vortex of the overly sweet drink in thought. "What do you think of Taylor?"

As a student, she was excellent. High grades and trained furiously hard. Always working towards something. As a person…

"If she was less… hostile when confronting any issues she was against, then she would be an ideal student."

"Really? I saw a lot of myself in her actually. Which was both incredibly concerning, as well as comforting…"

"Professor?"

"Glynda, I would like you to be the one to accompany Taylor and Team CRDL for their mission. Your opinion on how she is in the field will help dictate what happens next. Taylor might be someone who could help us."

"Help us? You don't mean to say that you want to—"

"Potentially. With her exploits in the school and more specifically, out of school, she has proven to be the type of person best suited for what we need."

I nodded but didn't wholly agree.

Taylor was astute and resourceful, but I didn't think she had the personality of someone who should be trusted.

Then again, any aid in the coming battles might be necessary, regardless of the cost.

Curtain Call

Ciara

"They—we gravitate towards conflict," I answered.

"Is that your reason for your—no. You had been talking about resolution before," Jessica said, her mind tracing the thread of logic.

"Indeed."

"Is conflict the way you plan to resolve your choice?"

"All interactions are conflicts in a way."

"Only if you treat them as such."

"Believing one thing of another does not change its nature."

"Believing can change one's perspective, subjectively speaking; it will change how one perceives another's nature."

"Opinions do not displace fact."

"But they can replace other opinions."

"You're saying that I am focusing too much on others' opinions and not my own," I stated, contemplating the notion.

"Perhaps, though that would admittedly be my opinion. It is up to you to decide."

Choice, something I had never considered my own. It was a labyrinth that stole, gave, and left many to wander.

The silence was a deference to me, a sign of respect until I deigned to retort or speak.

However, time was limited, and Jessica glanced at her notes, a tell of her desire to move on. I nodded my permission.

"I hear you've been granted periods of leave," she said. I readjusted in the chair, not quite used to my aged body yet. "Have you any idea of what you might do?"

"None."

Many suggested rest, but rest would wait. There were matters to address as the world settled. Loose threads needed to be cut or… tied. With the diseased and broken Agents emerging, time was what I would give, as time was what we would soon lose.

"How do you feel about having time off?"

"An unnecessary waste."

The Craven One poured into the space beside my seat, like fog filling a container. Dark brown and yellow strips of rags draped to cover any path of skin. He twitched, his gaze and fingers unable to settle into place for long.

He clicked his teeth three times, and I frowned. He heard no immediate dangers on the horizon.

I could not tie knots to what was unraveling until the threads started to fray. Until then, there was nothing to do, no role to play. Frustrating.

Jessica acknowledged the Craven One with a nod before continuing, "Every human needs a chance to relax." I stifled a chuckle. To think that term would be used in my regards.

"I hear and understand."

Something in my tone tilted her head. "...You're surprised they would give you that much freedom." An observation rather than a question, presumptuous but possibly true.

"...Perhaps," I admitted, a sign of my own change in itself.

"This is your second chance, Ciara. It is what you make it."

No clock or timer needed to chime; we knew our time together was up.

"I look forward to hearing what you decide to do. I believe I'll see you again in two weeks."

We gave our farewells and parted. Her to another string of cases, more individuals twisted or changed. Me, to my room at the Warden's base to… nothing.

A second chance was an odd thing. A betrayal of who one once was, a way forward, a change to one's role. I was still unsure what it is I was supposed to do with it.

How does one define their role outside of the script they were given? When the play is done? When they no longer wish to be that character?

The Queen of Faeries was gone, just as my God was dead.

Though, the Longinus that killed him lived, without her ability to lift another spear, and the individual to whom I had bestowed the offer presented to me, a second chance, more deservingly.

The Administrator, perhaps the only individual capable of conversation that had been as close to her Agent as I. How had she handled her new role?

Perhaps counsel from a peer was what I needed? From the only one who knew what it was to merge with their Agent, even if they'd had that fusion ripped asunder, while mine still filled my vision like blood.

Shadows stirred at the thought, as they always did. Some jolted to awareness, wary and ready. Some clenched and growled. Most fled.

The Administrator was known to many of my shadows.

Though, two shades stood out amongst them.

The Mad Bomber, who only held grudges and the last vestiges of her perceived aptitude. The Administrator had insulted her pride and fought against her crusade.

The other was the Dark Dweller. He did not whisper petty threats like the Mad Bomber, but he had stepped forward from the crowd, for reasons I was unsure if he still knew.

Regardless, one could not walk without a destination forever.

I allowed the whisper of a laugh to escape me, only to revel in the taste of the foreign sound even after it ended.

A reunion of those still surviving but not living. Vagabonds that boasted nobility until their duties were done.

Perspective between two who could only find it in one another.

There were threats in the distance, and I needed to know what my role should be when I met them.

Interlude Friends? End

Author Notes:

Praise be to Juff, Breakingamber, Sigravig, ccstat, Chris C, Majigah, garneredAcrimony, *takes breath*, Orbital Oracle, Biophosphoradelecrystalluminescence (Enop), and Weird Caster for their help beautifying this thing. Lots of help from lots of people, and I love each of their faces, so you should too. Or else.

Mirror

For the description of RWBY's dorm room, I used images from a RWBY game that I believe was developed without Roosterteeth's permission in China, but it does have a level of personality that the early RWBY animation budget didn't allow for.

If you are wondering, yes, Taylor cheats on her tests. A couple of books in Braille of the subject stashed somewhere and BAM, turn any test into an open-book one.

Beacon gives out an allotment of funds to students depending on their performance and such, for weapon upkeep, ammo, maintenance, etc. Not stated in canon, but I think it makes sense.

Yes, Ruby has a diary. She offers to let Weiss read it if she wants, she says everything in it comes true. Not magically, just hope fulfillment stuff. It's from the manga which I guess we'll be covering some of the events from there.

Ruby does beat everyone else in one subject with a consistent 100% grade, and that's Weapon Crafting and Upkeep, taught by Professor Harold Mulberry. He's mentioned in RWBY: After the Fall, but that's it. He probably won't be showing up in this fic.

A little bit of Weiss racism showing, or more like Weiss grouping all Faunus together with the White Fang. Biophosphoradelecrystalluminescence (Enop) had some amazing insight for Weiss's character in this one. To butcher Enop's words, Weiss is more of a 'hates the White Fang because of her past and doesn't trust the Faunus around her because of all the White Fang attacks' rather than a straight racist (not that it still isn't technically racist, just not racist racist).

Hunting for Shadows

Irvin is an iguana Faunus for those who oh wait no one cares. Irvin's wife, Malva, knows all about his White Fang history. Also, Irvin means green water and malvas are flowers, so the kid is a green plant! I'm so clever. Definitely didn't realize that after naming them.

This one was originally going to just be more of Blake's thoughts but evolved into her doing things.

This is a Blake who was left to delve deeper into researching the White Fang's actions without being stopped by her team since they aren't really friends right now. Plus, with a more extreme White Fang in Vale, it's pushing her even more. She sometimes just spends her nights in town instead of going back to the dorm, that kind of thing.

Bystanders

This was originally a part of a Taylor chapter, then it was going to be Nora, but it ended up as Velvet. Nora will be a future interlude… pretty far in the future (sorry).

I don't like the Jaunedice arc, but there are too many important character moments to just ignore, so I'm covering it as fast as I can.

Cardin did have a plan to get back at Taylor, but didn't get the chance to enact it; that's not to say that he won't still do something though…

Normally, anyone on Team CRDL would beat Taylor in a fight, especially with weapons. They are good enough to get entered into the Vytal festival above all the other teams. Technically, that means they're the fourth best team at Beacon, after CFVY, RWBY, and JNPR (Not in that order precisely, but you get the idea). Taylor won through surprise and using CRDL's bad coordination against them. Two of them didn't even have their Auras actively up before they were taken out.

Slide

I think I got this scene to click now. At least, better than before. Glynda is very much a stern 'learn-because-I-care-about-your-future' kinda deal.

Curtain Call

Ciara is hard to write. Ward made it easier, kinda… not really.

This story probably won't bring in other Worm characters, but Ciara was pretty involved in Taylor's ending.

If this is a story about Taylor confronting her ghosts, then I needed a ghost from her past to confront, thus, Ciara, the ghost queen.