Ah, and it's back for more! Hope all of you alligators enjoy!

Blake sighed as she walked along the corridors of the Schnee Manor. Several of the other servants around gave her pitying glances wherever she went, many of them probably wondering what she had done to be given to Weiss Schnee. Some of them, Blake recognized as being from the White Fang, members that had disappeared long ago. So many of them. The brunette thought as she sat down in the hallway. Why are there so many of them? Do these tyrants truly need all of the Faunus? Shaking her head, Blake snorted. Of course they don't. It's just another means to keep us all locked away and under their control.

Huffing, Blake wondered if she would ever be able to get this ridiculous collar off. There had to be a key or a contraption of some sort that could remove it. Perhaps if she researched it a bit, she would find something to help her. No, that's ridiculous. She scolded herself. They wouldn't keep information like that in the house with so many of their 'staff' clamoring to get away.

Standing, the black-clad girl continued her walk through the corridors, forcing her bow to remain still in case there were humans nearby. The last thing she needed was the Schnee heiress finding out that she was 'one of those filthy White Fang degenerates terrorizing her family.' Blake would never hear the end of it if that happened. She was trying to memorize the hallways in case she did find a way out of the collar. A quick escape would be the best escape plan in order to get free and get back to Adam to tell him anything she learned.

I still don't understand the need for so many rooms. Blake huffed, turning another corner. Do they have visitors over a lot? Are the rooms for the Faunus staff? What cause could they possibly have for so many rooms? Stopping in front of a door that she distinctly remembered Weiss telling her not to enter, Blake cocked her head and reached for the knob, deciding that she would find out.

However, before she could even grasp the handle, a voice called out to her. Turning in irritation, the ninja glanced up at the stag-Faunus gazing down at her sternly. "You mustn't go in there, Miss." He told her softly, pulling her back slightly. "These rooms are… off limits to those of us with the collar."

"But why?" Blake asked quietly. "What purpose could they possibly have for all of these empty rooms?"

"The rooms are not empty, Miss." The stag-Faunus told her, guiding her away from the room. "But it is still imperative that you never enter them. It is for the safety of any of us with the collar that we do not venture into any room with the anti-animal symbol next to the doorframe."

Blake glanced to the doorframes around them and found that a large majority of them did in fact have a picture of a dog with a red circle and slash over it. Huffing angrily, Blake nodded and followed the older Faunus in a random direction. "So then… how did they capture you?" Blake asked, glancing up at the stag-Faunus.

"I was working in a restaurant that they frequented often." The stag-Faunus responded. "Rot Schnee-ah!"

Blake jerked back as the older Faunus doubled over, clutching his neck. The collar burned a dark black and threatened to constrict him. The brunette was unsure of what to do to help, but seconds later, the stag-Faunus stood once more and gave her a weary smile. "Pardon me." He apologized. "That was quite a gruesome display."

"I-I… uh…"

"No need to reply, dear girl." The older Faunus told her calmly. "But as I was saying, Sir Schnee was unhappy with the establishment for allowing a filthy animal such as myself to work in such an upstanding place of society. When my shift was over, Sir Schnee ordered his guards to collar me and he brought me here to work for him in the rightful way an animal should."

"That's terrible." Blake muttered, lowering her head.

"Ah, but that is the story of many of the people here." The stag told her calmly. "I assume the same could be said for you, my dear?"

"Well, I, um…" Blake was unwilling to explain her predicament to someone she had just met and simply allowed herself to don the persona Weiss assumed she had. "I was an orphan on the streets." She lied quickly. "I was trying to get my next meal and… I decided to steal from the wrong person."

The stag turned to her with a small smile and patted her head. "It seems even those with far less fortune than even myself are not exempt from being targeted by the Schnee family. Well, fair warning, little kitty, be careful when roaming the manor. The humans are not the only enemy you could be facing."

"Uh, thanks…"

"Monty." The stag-Faunus called as he strode away.

Blake watched him go, wondering what had prompted him to be so nice to her. Most of the other Faunus had been keeping their distance since she got there, probably due to her involvement in the White Fang. Sighing, the brunette turned to continue down the hall, trying to memorize her surroundings as much as possible and heeding Monty's advice of not going into the rooms with the warnings on them.

Across the house, Weiss sat in her room, studying. It was always an effective way to get her mind off of things that troubled her and this time was no different. Her new servant had proven to be quite difficult and she had only been in the manor a day. The girl, Blake, was difficult to get along with and more defiant than Weiss had been expecting, especially considering her father had basically saved the girl from the streets in return for being a slave for the rest of her life.

Weiss glanced up at a knock on her door and called, "Enter."

Rot strode into the room a moment later, taking in the sparse décor with an indifferent eye. "Weiss, I would like to have a talk with you about your new servant." The very problem you were trying not to focus on.

Weiss set down her pen and sat straighter, turning to face her father with a nod. There were several possibilities roaming her mind of why her father would want to talk to her about the orphan, so she simply waited to see which one it was. Probably all of them. She inwardly snorted.

"You and she don't seem to be getting along." Rot stated calmly, leveling a red stared at his daughter. "Is there any particular reason why?"

"Several." Weiss replied, unwilling to give too much away. She knew the stance her father had taken and she was not going to fall for the ploy until she knew what he was up to.

"And the most jarring would be?" Rot inquired.

"She doesn't like the collar, of course." Weiss told him, flipping her hair nonchalantly.

"Ah, she will get used to it with practice." Rot chuckled. "Actually, that's why I came. You see, Weiss, my servants only became as obedient as they are because I exercised my control over them. In effect, that essentially broke them into their roles as my slaves. Therefore, I propose you take the little orphan girl into town with you the next time you go shopping and try giving her orders. In theory, the humiliation coupled with the collar should make her more affable to following the orders you give her."

Weiss mulled this suggestion over a moment. It did seem to be an effective suggestion. It would also prove useful if it worked, considering it would be hard to have a slave at Beacon Academy that wouldn't follow orders. And if this trip didn't prove useful the first time, Weiss had two years to get Blake settled into her new lifestyle. At last, the heiress gave a nod and turned her gaze to her father. "Alright." She stated. "I will take your suggestion into consideration, Father. Was that all you came for?"

"How are your studies going?" Rot asked immediately. "Have you designed your weapon?"

"I'm working with new methods to incorporate Dust into my fighting style." Weiss explained, mist blue eyes instantly lighting up. "I've been studying the different effects of mixing different types of Dust together in order to have a more effective offensive and defen-."

A knock at the door interrupted her and Weiss grit her teeth, eyes narrowed momentarily before she schooled her expression. "Come in!" she called.

The door opened and Blake huffed as she trudged in, nursing a scratch on her arm. "What happened?" the younger Schnee demanded, eyes noting that the scratch wasn't deep.

"One of your dad's dogs decided he wanted to play." The brunette retorted, the scratch healing easily. "I wasn't in the mood for games. His nose and tail are going to take some time to heal."

Weiss sniffed in disgust at the mention of the Faunus, but her attention directed to something else and she asked, "You know how to use aura?"

"Of course I do." Blake shrugged, settling into a chair near the heiress and completely ignoring Rot's presence. "It's hard living out on the streets with thugs and idiots trying to take a hit at you if you can't protect yourself. It took a while to even create my weapon-." She threw a dirty look at Rot. "-so it's only natural aura would be the first solution to my problem."

Weiss nodded, lowering her head back to the page she was working on speculatively. Lifting her head, Weiss schooled her expression into one of pure indifference and said, "We're going shopping next week."

"Excuse me?" Blake's head whipped around to stare at the heiress in shock.

"Well, obviously you can't stay in those rags." Weiss sniffed. "Besides, you've been out on the streets for who knows how long. You probably need a bath and you're too tall for any of my skirts to fit you. And my shirts are too small."

Blake eyed her master suspiciously, wondering if this was some kind of ploy. Not finding any hint of a joke or malice in the whitette's expression, she nodded slowly. "Alright then. I'll try to clean up as much as I can before then."

Rot smiled from the doorway and quietly exited the room. Now, he needed to have a talk with some of his guards before his daughter went shopping. After all, he couldn't have the Faunus girl taking advantage of his little Weiss on this shopping trip.

Nothing good can come from this.

So, what did you all think of it? Drop me a review, kay? ^_^