AYangThang: Right. So, how do I put this? Last week was trashy week for me, and it stressed me out. I decided to relax by writing a fan-fiction. Correction, I wrote a very, very long fan fiction. I am continuing to write this fan-fiction because it had been a very nice distraction. Now, I'm unrepentantly posting this travesty, so, here it is. Read at your own insanity. Furthermore, consider this the only warning to my busted lack of give-a-damn that has caused this amalgamation of content in the first place. Truly, there is no excuse.

Readers, this is trash.
It's always going to be trash.
It's never going to be anything *but* trash.
However, I like this trash.
Therefore, I shall post it.

Slowly As We Go
(A.K.A: My Incredibly Long Piece Of Trash Fan-Fiction)
Chapter 1: A Strange Request

She loved the sound of smooth jazz playing on the piano. There was a certain amount of sophistication that encouraged the music style. It was made all the better in the swanky nightlife of downtown Atlas. The way gentle, rich, notes wafted sweetly against hushed voices lured her into a false sense of security. Clusters of people sat at small circular tables, passing the night by in their own way. The way the fire feature cast the room in a warm glow set the mood for lovers swaying on the small elegant dancefloor.

Enamored, the wealthy woman drank all of it in, same as she did with the martini in her hand. It was incredibly dry, heavy on the gin, light on the vermouth. Served in a crystal clear glass that sparkled against the dim lighting. The tiniest smudge of her lipstick contrasting harshly with the clear purity.

She thought on this as she sat at the bar, one leg crossed over the other as she took another sip of her drink. Certainly, she didn't have to go out in order to drink. Strictly speaking her family hired servants to see to their every need. Regardless of status, there was something about this social atmosphere that spoke to her on a fundamental level. Perhaps it was the casual lovers enjoying blissful ignorance, sitting side by side, softly murmuring sweet nothings in a way she could only dream of.

It very well might have been, but even the most enviable people probably thought of her in the same way.

They looked at her and probably saw more money or power than they'd ever know what to do with. Most people probably thought that she wasn't worth the effort of befriending. Likely, they'd think her company unattainable, and entirely out of reach. It would be hard not to jump to those all too obvious conclusions. The situation was far from perfect, but it was completely understandable. The heiress decided she could make do with that ugly little detail, loathsome though it was.

As Weiss Schnee continually sipped her drink she couldn't help feeling lonely. She wanted to be like those around her, enjoying the company of another. She wanted to be lucky enough to be offered that kind of sincere attention. Not the mindless sort of gawking she normally received, but something genuine, pure, and true. Blue eyes drifted around, eyeing one unaccompanied female across from her.

The woman had been sitting at the bar for hours now, and they'd been trading glances all night long.

What were those amber eyes so fixated on? Weiss was compelled to wonder. Was it her perfect atlesian form, which was a sign of her blue-blooded heritage and storied family legacy? Was it the white gold broach, sporting the Schnee family crest that called to the woman's attention? Or could it simply be that the woman liked to watch people come and go, a silent observer and little more?

The white haired woman wasn't entirely sure, but those amber eyes were certainly breathtaking.

The woman's fair completion had a rich tone to it. Complimenting pitch black hair that curled softly to frame the woman's face. It made her features all the more striking, truth be told. The black bow atop her head seemed a little too flirty, perhaps even childish for a woman her age, but even it seemed to suit her.

Interestingly enough, the woman also seemed to be a martini drinker, as she also had one in her hand. A dirty one by the looks of the olive brine mixed into the drink. When the woman sent a final coy glance to the side, Weiss scoffed at her, turning her back to the woman. Whatever she was so interested it, Weiss knew better than to concern herself with it.

The Schnee heiress came here to avoid the public view, not to marinade in it.

She no sooner finished off what was in her glass, that another one was slipped in front of her by the bartender before he walked away.

"I didn't order this." She said just loud enough for him to hear, sliding it back. However, he didn't turn to retrieve it. Instead, he continued about his task, washing and drying glasses from behind the bar.

"A dry martini, hardly any vermouth. That's your usual order, is it not?" A woman's voice spoke from behind her, sending a shiver down her back.

It was that blasted woman from a moment ago. Weiss didn't think for a second that they'd be exchanging words, but here they were. In spite of her shock, and feeling somewhat flustered, Weiss chose to act upon cool displeasure. "And what you would know about that?"

"You come in here every Friday just as the bar opens at seven. You sit here, on that very stool, until last call. Usually you order no less than three absolutely dry martinis over the course of the night. I've seen you order as many as seven." The woman glanced to the clock. "It's about that time, and I like to consider myself an opportunist."

Weiss glanced at the drink. It looked exactly as the others she had ordered. "So you're attentive, I'll buy that. It still doesn't explain why you've offered me a drink, however."

"I'm curious." The woman replied simply. "May I sit with you?"

Weiss considered this. It had been what she wanted. Someone to talk to, someone who might actually be engaging in conversation. "Well, I've had worse companions. You may join me if you wish." She murmured, gesturing to the stool next to her. "Although, I wonder at your methods. I'm curious as to how you knew my order, but besides that, it's unusual for one woman to buy another a drink."

"To be entirely honest, I've had help." Blake said, glancing back to the bartender. "He and I, we go back a little."

"An ex?" Weiss asked with no small amount of interest in her tone.

"Nothing so personal." The woman laughed softly. "We were friends at school. The people that run this bar, they're all licensed hunters, if you can believe that."

"Which by that logic, would make you a huntress." Weiss intoned, cocking her head to the side briefly. There was something odd about that. "Interesting profession, although it's hardly what I would expect from the looks of you."

"Looks can be deceiving." The woman replied. "Although, I think you'd know all about that."

"Would I?" Weiss asked defensively.

The woman took pause at that, her bow twitching visibly. "Well, I would hope so, given that there's a big red neon sign that says 'Faunus welcome' in the entryway. Such a thing might be considered rare."

"I don't make a habit of scrutinizing an establishment purely based on the sort of patrons it caters to. This is the only piano bar that allows Faunus that I know of, but that's hardly my concern." Weiss replied with a shrug. "What of it? Is it some sort of crime for me to want to have a drink?"

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, sitting in a place like this?" At this, the woman laughed quietly at some sort of joke, causing Weiss to bristle. She hardly saw the same amusement in the matter. "You're completely out of place here. I don't even think the tabloids would believe it even if they saw it."

"That's entirely the point." Weiss said, her voice chilly and edgy. "When I come for drinks, I wish to do so privately. Here, I'm hardly ever approached."

"Well, that makes sense." The woman softly murmured. "Most of us are Faunus, even if we are hiding our appearances. That's why it's so fascinating to see you. A member of the Schnee family sitting here, in a Faunus friendly bar? No one would ever willing believe that. You could post it up all over the media, and all anyone would do is laugh. Most people would probably think it's impossible." This time the woman smirked darkly. "I didn't trust my own two eyes, not at first."

"Well, since you seem to know so much about me, why don't you tell me about yourself?" Weiss shot back, eager to not think so deeply on the social ramifications of talking to a complete stranger. A Faunus stranger at that. "What's your name?"

"Blake Belladonna."

Weiss hummed slowly, to imply that she understood. "And you're a Faunus?"

"A cat Faunus."

"I see." Weiss said, sipping the gifted drink. Her next question a slightly more precarious one. "And the bow?"

"It covers my ears." Blake said simply.

Weiss nodded, as she nursed her beverage, the two offering tiny musing here and there. It was nothing important, but it didn't have to be. There was something entirely bewitching about that amber eyed expression. A soft come-hither gaze. It was blasphemous at best, and unassuming at worst. Did this woman realize what she was doing? Had she lost all common sense? Did Blake realize that she held an appreciation of the fairer gender? That in spite of the media coverage proving otherwise, that Weiss had a tendency to engage in homosexual tendencies?

Weiss hadn't a clue, but she had never felt so parched while under the scrutiny of another. Never, not in her entire life, and considering her family, that spoke something to the pleasant buzzing in her mind.

Perhaps, in retrospect, it had spoken too loudly.

Weiss had emptied the martini faster than she'd intended. Then another, and another. They kept coming. Each wag of her finger, and her bottomless bank account was more than enough to ply both of them with an endless fountain of liquid courage. Several drinks later, and Weiss found that she was too far gone to care about her usual sensibilities. They learned in close as they spoke, every inch of Weiss warning her that the action in and of itself was a mistake.

Still, Weiss couldn't help but be distracted beyond reason. As this mysterious woman spun one tale after another about her adventures, Weiss felt herself being drawn in like a fly to honey. The worst part was, she didn't even care.

"And so, after a few years, I decided to put my weapon down. Even though I had always wanted to be a huntress, I realized that there wasn't enough steady work for me. I couldn't keep up the job, and I quit. I managed to find a dust mill in the city, and they hired me on." Blake explained, as her finger ran around the rim of her glass. "It pays well, considering…"

Weiss scowled, trying to recall what seemed to be an important piece of the puzzle. "Considering what?"

"Considering that I'm a Faunus." Blake replied simply.

"Oh." Her mind was too muddled, but she accepted the fact for what it was. Her blue eyes lifted to that black blow, and what was fabled to linger beneath it. "Well, Faunus or not, you are quite lovely." Weiss replied airily, bringing a completely empty glass to her lips before frowning deeply. Was she that distracted by Blake? She gazed back to the gorgeous woman. "That answers that question." She grumbled to herself unhappily.

"What answers what question?" Blake asked.

It was then that her mind caught up with her mouth. Weiss realized she had spoken out loud. She'd forgotten how loose her tongue became when she drank too much, and right now she was obviously toeing the line. "It was a wayward thought, nothing more." She glanced up to the clock. Only a few moments before the last call of the night. "My driver's likely waiting for me by now." Weiss said instead. "I really must be going, I'm sure you understand."

"It is about that time, isn't it?" Blake nodded, though she looked less than thrilled about the subject. "I'll walk you out."

Weiss shook her head. One hand held aloft, as if to keep the Faunus there on authority alone. "There really isn't any need, I can see to the matter myself."

Raising a dark brow curiously, Blake finally allowed the matter to drop. "Have it your way."

"Oh, trust me, I intend to." Weiss replied before biting on her lower lip. She had to be losing her mind, because what she thought of doing next would be nothing short of idiotic. Yet, branded an idiot she would be, because the invitation flew out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Though, should you choose to be opportunistic again, it seems that you know exactly where to find me."

On some Friday evenings, Weiss recalled why her mother had a drinking problem in the first place.

That Weiss felt a thirst for martinis herself wasn't nearly the concern that it likely should have been. Still, the stiff drink went down so much easier tonight. That was especially true after her father spent a small handful of hours insulting her.

Calling her incapable, as though she were a lesser person than him.

Calling her naïve, as if she could not comprehend the greater world around her.

Calling her juvenile, as if she were still a child.

Inadequacy over the years had obviously driven her mother to drink, and Weiss had long since discovered that she was not unlike the Schnee Matriarch.

No matter what Weiss did, she often felt the pangs of empty platitudes. Disapproval handed to her often enough, for reasons she couldn't even explain in the aftermath. No matter what her father called her, the fact of the matter remained that he found her lacking as a Schnee. She was a failure in all of the classic traits befitting a representative of the family. He made that detail abundantly clear, and like it or not, she was an ill-fitting heir to her family's prized company.

Weiss had always known that he found her to be a failure in some capacity.

"It sounds like you've had a rough day." Blake replied after listening to Weiss complain about the way her father spoke down to her.

"It's the normal thing for him to do." Weiss replied hotly. "He's always used a level of domineering control to get what he wants, that's just the way he is."

"That's not an excuse." Blake said slowly, as if trying to wrap her brain around the entire concept.

"Obviously." Weiss bit out. "You try telling him that, though."

"I can assume that it wouldn't go over well?"

"You can assume worse than that." Weiss nodded, the small tilt of her head was enough to sway her long strands of white hair. Weiss didn't miss the way it captured Blake's attention. The Faunus eyeing the strands that glittered in the low light. Tiny dust crystals clinging to the pure white hair. "I can tell you from personal experience that arguing with him is a very good way of provoking his ire."

"Does he really have that short of a fuse?" Blake muttered, obviously put off by that very notion. Sure, she had heard some things, and as a Faunus suspected several others, but that all surrounded her heritage. Blake never would have thought that the man would abuse his own family. He seemed every bit the family man. When one took the time to survey the press, they'd see nothing amiss.

Blake knew it for a fact, because she had looked firsthand.

"To put the matter mildly, yes." Weiss grumbled with a gulp of the drink in her hand. "He does, very much so."

"That's unfortunate." Blake replied, trying not to let her disappointment show on her features. It was an effort not to let her ears display any emotion, least her bow crumple under the weight of such an admission. "I'd expect him to mistreat Faunus, but not his own family."

"That's the thing though." Weiss told Blake, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Contrary to the assumptions of the public, it is to be expected. Of course it would be. Atlas has always been a strictly patriarchal society, even if it is one that goes to certain extremes."

"Still, that's not an excuse to mistreat his own family." Blake shot back again. "Or anyone, for that matter."

"The Atlesian way revolves around men, Blake." Weiss said, as though she were educating a small child. "According to my upbringing, power is an icon of masculinity in and of itself. Women are rarely, if ever, encouraged to take up a life outside of the home. There's something unsavory about the notion that a woman could, and should, be capable of her own decisions. If a woman does take that sort of initiative, many often assume that it's because that woman doesn't have a well-educated man in her life."

"Isn't that just a little narrow-minded?" Blake said slowly, her own eyes turning to slits under her in disbelief.

"Of course it is, but that's the point." Weis sighed at length, finger twirling around the rim of her glass idly. "To that end, it is very rare to hear of a woman who can crush the usual gender bias with skill and determination." Her nail struck the glass once, twice, and finally a third time. Keeping the current tempo to the song that was playing.

It seemed like such a reflex that Blake was sure that Weiss didn't even realize she was doing it. "Coco Adel is perfectly successful." Blake pointed out.

"I didn't say it was impossible." Weiss shot back hotly. "It does happen, but it isn't something that people of my particular standing encourage." Then, Weiss visibly deflated, shoulders slumping as she leaned heavily on the table shared by the two of them "I know Coco, and she's very lucky to have a supportive family. My father would never approve of me trying to stand on my own individuality the way that she does."

"Why not?" Blake asked, knowing it was still a seemingly stupid question, and yet feeling compelled to ask it anyway.

"According to high society, it's just not normal." Then Weiss smirked, but the humor was gone from her eyes. "Actually, everything Coco does, isn't considered normal."

In her father's eyes, Weiss would never measure up to the imperious standards of the family name. It didn't matter that she inherited the coveted Schnee semblance. Her bloodline only carried her so far among the equally powerful elite. Like her mother before her, Weiss was objectified by the very gender she had been born as. The upper-class not seeing any fault with the way they viewed and treated their women.

It only made matters worse that privileged percentage of the population looked down their noses at her. Weiss Schnee was not only a woman, she was the middle child. she might as well be tossed aside, and forgotten.

"For myself, and for every woman born within my social circle, we're expected to live a certain way. It's just the way things are." Weiss said softly, the malignancy in her voice edging out into mere acceptance. The numbing sort. It always left a bitter taste in her mouth. "I've come to a conclusion of sorts."

Blake smiled at this, tucking her chin into the palm of her hand. "And that would be?"

"The poorer you are in Atlas, the more of a social luxury you have, you see." Weis replied, mirroring Blake as she toyed with the toothpick between her fingers, eyeing the olive skewered to it. "Those sorts of households can't afford to treat women as if we're incapable of holding our own in a workplace. They have to be more, so much more, than just a woman of the house."

"It isn't a luxury though. If they don't get to choose to be that way, it's hardly a privilege. It's survival." Blake said, looking to Weiss with a hint of pity. "I don't think it's something you can really understand unless you've lived in those conditions."

"You speak as if you have…"

"As a huntress, I've had to live a lot of ways that I didn't exactly enjoy." Blake responded, the words heavy on her tongue. "When it comes to terrible living conditions, there were plenty more that I saw, but didn't stay in personally. The people there suffered in their own ways."

"Perhaps." Weiss replied, none too gently biting the olive off of the toothpick. "Either way, forgive me while I envy them."

"So long as you forgive them when they envy you, hate you, for being who you are." Blake shot back, not meaning to sound so harsh. Instantly, she regretted it, and cursed under her breath. An apology was in order. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No. No, you're…" As much as it pained Weiss to admit it, Blake hit the nail on the head. It was a sickening thought. It was one of the things she liked most about this woman. A single thing in the ever-growing list, was that Blake was not afraid of personal status. She was outspoken enough to say exactly what was on her mind. "You're quite right. I am considered fortunate. In many ways, I wish I wasn't. I may not be poor, but I suffer too."

"Maybe…" Blake allowed, the nearest thing to an agreeance that Weiss would receive.

Still, Weiss was thankful to be given even that little of a consideration. "It's just a different kind of suffering, but it's there all the same."

Her blue-blooded world was drenched in benevolent sexism.

Weiss would have been a fool not to see Blake's point. The writing on the wall was clear as day. It was a blessing to be as well taken care of as Weiss had been. Never wanting for anything, and receiving all she would ever need. It was merely a curse because Weiss wanted to be so much more. She had dreams and aspirations that most considered unimportant.

Weiss had been told time and time again that a woman shouldn't do things that were unrefined and unladylike. She had been told it was burdensome for a woman to be anything other than a docile wife and doting mother. She was told there was no greater pleasure than a successful marriage. She had been reminded that one day, when she married, her husband's dreams and desires should become her own as well. That she should want his success, because that would mean her own.

She was told she would be nothing without a husband. That she would need a man in her life. That it was the right way to live. The only proper way to have a meaningful life.

Weiss lived an unhappy, but lavished life, due to those social norms.

Money was akin to confetti. Her accounts filled frivolously by her father, because men were expected to provide her with the means to live comfortably. Her father penned checks without thinking twice, because that was his duty as a man. To head his household as he saw fit, and as a result, her personal accounts often overflowed with riches most hard-working people would never see a fraction of.

Yet, all of it came at a cost of inequality.

It didn't matter to him that his daughter was an intellectual. Weiss had carefully prepared herself to take over in his place, but that was not enough. He didn't care that she had struggled all of her life, building a reputation on her own merits. Befriending all-too-important business contacts from the ground up. It was not enough that she put every effort in to please him, providing entertainment at social events. It was not enough that she took it upon herself to continue acting as the perfect, adoring, daughter that he sorely needed in front of his clientele.

It. Was. Not. Enough.

None of it.

Her father didn't seem notice any of her efforts.

"I hate to say this, but, my driver should be waiting for me." Weiss said, knowing their time had already dwindled again. The bartender's voice would call out among the music.

"Same time, same place?" Blake asked hopefully.

Weiss could only smirk at that. Could they really persist like this? "You gain nothing from these talks of ours. There must be a better way to spend your time."

"Who says I'm looking for that?" Blake responded gently. "Who says I'm looking for anything other than a way to waste a Friday night?"

Weiss wasn't sure she could truly believe that, but smiled at the sentiment anyway. "Touché. Next week then..."

The more the heiress and Faunus whittled away their Friday evenings together, the more one thing became abundantly clear.

Weiss could no longer put up with her father's antics. She could no longer live up to his impossibly high standards.

She's lost count of the amount of hours she devoted to the company already. His teachings had been committed to memory. His ideology silently accepted, and wordlessly scrutinized. The pedestal upon which the man stood was precarious. Although, it certainly seemed as if he knew that. It didn't stop him from spitting his brittle words around as if he were a god. He treated the world as his own personal plaything, his interests like a carnival, he, himself, a ringmaster.

It was infuriating, boiling her blood in ways that Weiss would never admit to. Weakness its own kind of scorn. Strength a pompous impossibility.

Whatever one thought of the Schnee family, it really didn't matter. As a family, their politics were strictly conservative. They desperately clung to the privileged one percent of the population. Squeezing whatever they possibly could out of anyone and anything that they might gain benefit from. Yet, even in this, Weiss contrasted sharply with her parents, because while she displayed herself as the epitome of a Schnee, the reality was far from what the media presented.

The truth came out the moment she escaped her family's eyesight, and peeled back her perfect little mask of indifference.

The moment she sat down with Blake and talked about the greater world, life inside of her aristocratic bubble became less and less appealing. It didn't help matters that her father continued to use Weiss as a bargaining chip, luring in prospective young men with an eye for the industry at large.

"That bastard's crossed me for the last time." Weiss groused from between clenched teeth.

"What are you going to do about it?" Blake asked, seeing the slowly simmering rage in those icy blue eyes.

"I don't know." Weiss frowned, licking her lips to wet them. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but something must be done about my father's gross mishandling of company funds. That he considers me only a tool for his own personal gain is a side issue, but, one I refuse to take kindly."

Blake's ears perked from beneath her bow, a small smirk quirking her lips upward. "It sounds to me like you could be looking for a bit of revenge."

"I'm not that simpleminded." Weiss sighed with a shake of her head. The idea had crossed her mind, but only briefly. "I want long lasting changes. Moreover, I want the company, just to prove to him that I can take it from him. That I can run it better than he ever dreamed of."

"Sounds like revenge to me." Blake shrugged.

"Call it what you will, I'm finally being pushed to the brink on this." Weiss said, her tone acerbic in her fury. "I have no choice but to do something."

"It's rare that I see you so angry." Blake murmured, eyeing the envelope on the table.

"It's rare that he pushes me too far." Weiss shot back. "There has been times that he's toed the line, but he has never outright crossed them."

Blake wanted to ask what the famed Schnee patriarch did to make Weiss so agitated, but, felt there would be a malicious rant on her hands the moment she tried. Truth be told, she didn't know Weiss very well at all. She only knew what the tabloids told her, and what they shared in generally polite conversation. Blake was far from naive though, she knew this could prove beneficial.

"I have a proposition, for you." The Faunus woman replied. "If we're going to talk about it though, we should do it with a clear head."

"I've thought about this long and hard. I bypassed emotional sentiment long ago." Weiss said primly, her anger as obvious as ever, but it was slowly mixing with something else. Molten determination, the sort Blake knew better than to toy with idly. The dangerous sort indeed. "Besides, I know exactly what you do in your free time, Blake. You've never discussed it, but, a little digging is really all it takes. You don't cover your tracks well at all."

"Could have fooled me." Blake said feeling a little nervous now. Pushing it aside, she looked at Weiss. Really looked at her, searching for the true intentions behind all of that anger.

Weiss glared at Blake, the two of them holding their gazes. Over time, Weiss could see it. There it was, fighting to get out. That irritatingly sexy smirk. Subdued in Blake's expression, but lingering there all the same. It was as if Blake knew exactly what Weiss was thinking. As if she could just feel the years of bottled down rage bubbling within. "I want to make this abundantly clear right here and now. Even if I do give you everything I have on my father's misdeeds, it would not be enough to stop him."

"If you know of my hobbies, then you know that I've been working to expose the atrocities of the SDC for years now. Some parts of the dust industry are worse than others, I'll give it that, but the mines are inexcusable. In time, the evidence will be enough, it has to be." Blake promised, the resolve in her voice steadfast and honest. "I've laid out all the ground work on my end, I just need a little more prep work."

"You shouldn't be so sure of that." Weiss said softly as she toyed with her dry martini. Was it her third, or her forth? Weiss wasn't sure. She held her liquor well, but even she began to blur the lines as the hours drifted on by. "You'll need more than what you have."

"How could you possibly know that?" Blake asked slowly.

"As I've said, I've been digging too." It was as much as Weiss was willing to say, but it was all that she needed to.

"We have medical reports and testimonies from some of the miners. We have a couple of photographs and some footage too." The woman across from her began. "We'll be gathering more in the coming weeks. I'm going to do the best I can to expose the company for all that it is. The good, and the bad. If you have anything to help me do that…"

"Oh, trust me, I have more than you know."

"Then, I'd just need you to trust me with everything you have too, and then I know I'll be getting somewhere."

"I know you believe that, but you don't understand the kind of power my father truly has." Weiss said, her voice low. Now that her temper had cooled slightly, she could see what Blake was trying to do. On some level, Weiss even found it amusing, but she knew that the Faunus wouldn't succeed. Not like this. "Listen to me carefully, you will have one chance, Blake. One opportunity, and it would need to be perfect. You would not live long enough to get a second opportunity."

"You're saying I might be killed?"

"My father would certainly try."

"I don't think it would come to that. I'm being as careful as I can be." Blake replied. "I've been working on this for years, and no one has confronted me about it."

"I've been doing my best too, but it doesn't get me very far at all." Weiss shot back. "He holds influence over the government. James Ironwood eats out of his hand. The SDC has influence that goes beyond the Schnee family. The corrupt board members do their parts too."

"That's only because of your dad's dirty money. His practices are abysmal, and everyone really hates it. Corporate blackmail is a crime. We have plenty of evidence of what he's doing." Blake spoke coolly. "We just need the paperwork you have to back it all up."

"That means nothing. A few complaints are hardly enough to prove what goes on in the dust mines. Besides, very few would classify whipping Faunus as illegal." Weiss chided softly. "Even if they did, what good would it do? Truly, if all you intend to do is further expose the Faunus plight, you won't change a thing."

"I believe I will."

"You won't even make a dent." Weiss told the woman, pity in her voice. "Blake, the upper-class couldn't possibly care about the matter. Faunus abuse is a known issue, but you know how the saying goes. Out of sight, out of mind."

"Call me vindictive, but I'd still like to try."

"To what end?" Weiss asked pointedly, tipping back the rest of the clear as crystal drink in her hand. "The inequality between humans and Faunus is hardly enough to spark controversy. Most of it will likely be swept under the rug, so to speak."

"That's the worst kind of racism, don't you think?" The Faunus said then, her voice low among the softly playing piano. "The kind you don't see, that's the sort that does the most damage. When humans see nothing wrong, how are they to know the truth? How are they to comprehend the ramifications of what goes on in those mines?"

"They don't, and that's the point."

"They won't unless someone brings it to their attention. Someone has to speak out, people need to see the truth in order to believe it."

"Even if you were to tell them, guilt is a strange sort sin." Weiss replied with a slow shake of her head. She knew that kind of guilt well. It was steeped in every bit of her upbringing, and every ounce of her own heritage. "If bluebloods are good at one thing, it's offering meaningless platitudes. They would appease the greater population in small ways, just like they always have. Once again, you'd lose your chance. Trust me, I know all too well."

Weiss knew exactly what her father would do. His falsehoods and empty promises were kept on notecards for just such a circumstance. He could have a press conference within an hour of any media backlash. She had been raised by his cunning ways, deception forging her into the skeptic she was today. Love was hard to come by, but guilty kindness? Abusive tendencies buried under bribes?

That was easy to offer to a child, almost too easy.

"I know how he plays his games. I've seen the kind of man my father can be. It would be best if you forgot about the Faunus plight. It's easier to leave the matter buried." Weiss told Blake pointedly. "I can see it in your eyes. You don't have all the ammunition you need against him. You aren't ready, you're desperate. That's a very different thing."

"You're not scared, are you?" Blake asked. She hadn't known Weiss for very long, but she liked to think they shared some level of friendship. "This can be mutually beneficial for both of us."

"Still, you must look at it from my perspective too. Turning a blind eye is easier than it is to try and fix the problem. The populous will just sweep the matter under the rug like they always do, going back to their blissfully ignorant lives. It's easier to be a cog in the constantly running machine, than it is to rebel against it." Then she leaned closer, her voice growing softer still. "Besides, Blake, for me, this is strictly a family problem."

"Family issue or not, what you're father's doing has a name. It goes beyond just abuse and illegal activities. That's why it's called inhumane design. Atlesian social systems are made to be oppressive." The Faunus paused then, leaning forward so that her eyes glimmered in the soft candle light. "If the people realized what half of the systems in place were really for, and what they were meant to really do, they'd be sick."

Weiss bit the inside of her cheek.

Why was she so taken with this Faunus? Why did she want to listen to every little thing Blake had to say? It wasn't just the dry martini that felt intoxicating, it was the way Blake spoke. The resolve in her voice. The way her dreams clung to each and every word. It was so alluring, Weiss had no idea what to do with any of it. Those beautiful amber eyes held a light in their depths, seeing a future that Weiss could not. Holding impossibilities aloft, because Blake truly believed changes could happen.

It was all too good to be true.

"I think you give the people too much credit." Weiss admitted. "I think you're setting yourself up to be hurt, Blake."

"Maybe, but then aren't you doing the same?" Blake said in a way that lacked any accusation. It was an honest question. "Won't it hurt you more? If this got out, and you didn't really want it to, wouldn't it put you at risk?"

Weiss let her eyes drift down to the table. That folder still sitting under the palm of one of her hands. "Obviously." Weiss said then. "That's why I hesitate. I may not like him, but, this is my father that we're discussing. There's that bond, complicated though it may be. He might have pushed me to the brink. He may have crossed my temper one too many times, but those are my issues. They have nothing to do with you, or with Faunus."

"You don't agree with him then, do you?"

"No, I don't agree." Weiss bit out. "However, I don't have to agree."

"Let me give you some more food for thought, then. Think about it all of the little things you probably don't notice. Inhumane design is in everything, from the food stalls on the streets, right down to the architecture. It's disgusting what a few minor tweaks to a building can do to a Faunus's senses. Lights that are too bright, sounds that are too loud, pungent odors that overpower pleasant scents." Blake frowned as she ticked them off on her fingers. She could have kept going, but chose to stop. "That's just what I notice, but don't think that this mindset doesn't extend to humans too, because it does."

"The humans are of a privileged class."

"So you think."

"It's commonly agreed upon fact."

The Faunus scoffed at this, leaning back in her chair, her ears under her bow folding back as the chair creaked. Blue eyes watched the bow concealing the appendages crumple, and the Faunus activist known as Blake Belladonna only smirked darkly at her sinister implication. "Faunus are my top priority, I don't argue my loyalties. That doesn't change that fact that socioeconomic conditions shape all of Remnant for better and worse. In Atlas, the poor humans are no better off than Faunus. The inhumane design extends to them too."

"In what way?" Weiss asked.

The Faunus in front of her raised a brow. "Ever see a park bench slanted ever so slightly in the garden districts?"

"Once or twice." The white haired woman admitted. "We pride ourselves on our décor."

"The indoor gardens are heated. It's one of the few warm community places away from the bitter chill." The Faunus woman said, her voice gaining an edge to it, sharp enough to slice through the withdrawn socialite. "This may be a shock to you, but the benches are slanted that way so that the homeless people can't sleep on them. It's not just about how they look, it's what they prevent. It might look pretty, Weiss, but it still has a sinister design quality to it."

Weiss frowned openly, about to voice a rebuttal before she stopped herself. She looked to Blake, and then down again at that blasted folder. The contents inside would deal a massive blow to her father's company. Moreover, it would harm the people who continued to fund these atrocities in Atlas. "Listen, I sympathize, I do. Maybe it's only my upbringing that leads me to say this, but I feel that the homeless should not be in the parks to begin with. The homeless should be in shelters, where they belong."

"Have you ever been to one? Conditions in those buildings are generally overcrowded. Public health standards remain abysmal, illness spreads quickly." The Faunus explained, her fingers drumming atop the polished wood between them. "Those shelters put a Band-Aid over the real issue. A lack of jobs, terrible healthcare, poor education, and a minimum wage that hardly covers the cost of living. If you're a Faunus, you're living with your family. That's the only way to make ends meet."

"You don't live that way." Weiss pointed out.

"Because I'm lucky, but I've seen the life I could have lived instead. I know people who live the way I'm describing." Blake protested, keeping her voice hushed. "Small apartments become fire hazards when you pack people in like sardines. Health code violations stack up, buildings close down, and hundreds of Faunus are displaced from what little they can afford. Humans and Faunus both end up on the street when things like that happen."

"You'll forgive me if I remain unconvinced that humans would face the same issue." It wasn't that Weiss didn't sympathize, but, that she still wasn't exactly sure she agreed with the woman across from her.

"They do. You just don't allow yourself to see it." The Faunus seemed to notice this, eyes narrowing, trying to gauge what Weiss might be thinking. Why she looked so interested one moment, and then withdrawn the next. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"Frankly, not entirely. I wish I did, but I don't." Weiss replied. "These documents that I have collected pose a great threat to my family. They suggest atrocities that could insult some of our wealthiest family friends. If I decide to leak what I know to the public, my father isn't the only one who will be called into question. Surely, you can understand that."

The bartender spoke out, and alas it was last call once again. Both women looked at each other, but it was Blake who caved.

"Think about it. Really think about it." The Faunus took a breath. "If you want to make a difference, then those risks will be ones that you'll have to take."

Next Friday came faster than Weiss wanted it to.

Weiss could feel the tangible air of urgency, as once again, they spoke more of business than of pleasure. She felt the way Blake eyed her, begging to be understood. She wanted that envelope. The Faunus obviously thought that the pages kept inside would give all of the details Blake would ever need. Weiss knew that was only wishful thinking, but the woman beside her was so sure of herself.

That cocky attitude would get her killed, Weiss was sure of it.

Yet beneath that exterior was a deep desire to do the right thing. To make a difference worth mentioning, and Weiss couldn't help but be taken away by the heart and soul of it all. By Blake's own admission, Faunus were her priority, but, that didn't mean she wasn't keeping an eye on the poor humans too.

"It's not that I don't want to help you." The white haired woman murmured slowly, feeling her hesitation crack like glass. "As you said, this arrangement could prove beneficial to the both of us if I play my cards correctly." Weiss replied softly, pausing to order another drink when a waitress passed by. "The issue I have, is that even if I could promise you drastic results, you cannot not promise my safety."

"You believe you will be in danger?"

"I doubt it, but I'm not the sort of person to act recklessly. I might be trying to do the right thing here, but I must proceed with caution." Weiss didn't dare explain that she thought her Father might lash out, but she had hoped that fact would have been obvious from the start. She looked at Blake, locking eyes again, cold blue meeting with that molten amber gaze that so attracted her. "Besides, I'm a Schnee too. I could be considered just as guilty in the eyes of the public."

Blake expected to have to fight hard to get what she wanted, and she nodded swiftly. "If you want protection from bodily harm, I can provide that."

"And how, exactly, would you go about doing that?" Weiss asked.

"I'm a trained huntress, you know that. I'd protect you myself." Blake said simply. "It's the only way I'd be able to quietly work from the shadows."

Weiss thought on this new, strange proposal.

It was as though she had just found her perfect excuse to get closer to this infuriatingly gorgeous woman. All she would have to do was reach for the preverbal apple, not unlike a woman from scriptures reaching for a forbidden fruit. Yet, it wasn't the succulently sweet taste that the well-to-do woman wanted. No, what Weiss desires more than anything else, was something more abstract.

She licked her lips thoughtfully, taken by the offer placed before her.

Weiss had done her own research into this woman, knew well who Blake was, and what her motivations were. She had never expected to receive such an offer. It was obviously flippant and foolhardy. Weiss felt that she would have to be an idiot to accept it. She swallowed hard at the implication.

"That would require me to spend quite a bit of time with you." Weiss said. In spite of the obvious mistake that it would be, the slap to her father's ego was a delicious idea.

"You would, yes. If you wanted my protection." Blake agreed softly. Her own drink had run dry long ago, her side of the table clear of any beverages. Her mouth was dryer than she'd like as a result, tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth as she contemplated just what she'd gotten herself into. "I can't promise it would be enough, either."

"I'd prefer to live in comfort. I have a loft, and it's guarded particularly well." Weiss said then, having come to her own conclusion about the matter. "I would want to stay there while sorting the press and legalities out. That being said, the guards are staffed by the SDC, and I might question the loyalties of those with hefty paychecks."

"You think they would assassinate you?"

"No, they're not that stupid. Turning a blind eye to an intruder, however…" Weiss trailed off.

"Say no more." Blake nodded. "I understand."

"Furthermore, I have to consider my own social standing. Pulling the rug out from my father's feet doesn't do me any good if I'm seen the same way as him. Having a Faunus accompany around town would absolve me of a great many family sins. It might even soften the blow to the Schnee family name if the press obtained a little bit of gossip to speculate on. Nothing overt, mind you, merely implication. I'm sure you understand."

"This is starting to sound a lot less like protection detail. It seems you're also looking for an escort." Blake replied carefully. "I'm not quite sure how I feel about that."

"Consider it both, if you must." Weiss sighed airily. "You're asking a great deal of me, I don't think it's unfair to ask the same in return."

It was with great reluctance that Blake agreed to the terms, feeling an unusual spark of awkwardness as they shook hands. Perhaps it was because through all of her dealings with Weiss Schnee, the two had never before touched. Not even in the slightest. The white haired woman kept her distance to the best of her ability. Due to this, Blake had always felt as though Weiss had a distaste for Faunus in general, living up to the standards of her social class.

After all, just because Weiss didn't agree with the social injustices clouding over Faunus as a race, it didn't mean that she had to like them.

Yet this handshake felt different to Blake somehow. A little more firm than it needed to be. A little longer than it should be. That subtle feeling of a wayward thumb sliding softly over the back of her hand. All of it seemed strange, or at the very least, something Weiss wouldn't do among normal company.

Still, with a list of incriminating documents hers for the taking, Blake couldn't complain.

All she had to do now, was get them out to the right people. She would disperse the information in batches, making sure that each of her contacts knew exactly what to do with it. Instead of having the whole thing come out in one massive article, her contacts would seep the information to the press slowly. Their own stories backing up the claims made previously by terminated SDC employees.

The expunged records that Weiss had in her possession was just icing on the cake.

It would take months for the press to put all of the pieces together, but during that time, Blake would protect Weiss, just like she had promised.

The plan lay on a slow simmer. All of Blake's contacts had exactly what they needed to get the ball rolling. Weiss had told her father that she was taking a break from shadowing him at the company, choosing to focus on her family's extensive charity work.

Now it was up to time and opportunity.

The first thing Weiss had to do was introduce her new bodyguard to her father. The Faunus wasn't looking forward to it, but had agreed that it was unavoidable. Blake reluctantly saw the similarities between parent and child the moment she stepped into the man's office. Jacques was shorter than Blake expected, as if his ego was compensation for his thin appearance.

It was rumored that he dyed his hair white to match with the rest of the family. That although he was atlesian, he didn't carry a bloodline of puritan ancestry.

The painted image that sat behind him implied that it might be true. The family had many photos of themselves gathered together, there were even paintings done by some famous artists. Each piece worth a small fortune for its originality. Blake knew her gaze lingered on them for too long, but honestly, it was a sight she had never expected to see in all of her life.

She glanced back to the living, breathing man in question.

Men and women of notable atlesian bloodlines grayed early. Those of the truly purest blood turned white well before their adulthood. Some were even born with the alabaster coloring from the start. It was the purest shroud, or so the people often said. If he did dye his hair, it was only further proof of the things he sullied just by his mere existence. Even though it was often argued that there wasn't such a thing as true atlesian blood anymore, the social elite refuted the claim at every chance.

They clutched onto the notion of pure bloodlines with pretentious pride.

Blake looked to this man who tented his fingers and glared at her, feeling as though he was one such person. That he probably thought anyone lesser that a socialite wasn't worth even a fraction of his time. Upon introducing herself, Blake turned to stand quietly by the door, noting the small flicker of ire in his perfectly blue eyes.

"A Faunus bodyguard, Weiss?" The Schnee family patriarch balked.

"A personal attendant." Weiss replied.

"What is the reason behind this decision? I would hope you've come up with a good one."

"It occurred to me that I should hire someone of my own, rather than troubling your staff all the time."

"Indeed." He said, having expected that to eventually come up.

"I'd be inclined to agree if she were not a Faunus."

"I've already seen to all of the arrangements. She will be undertaking any and all duties I require of her." Weiss said primly, gesturing to the Faunus in question as though she were showing off one of her father's race hounds. Dog racing a well respected sport that her father often dabbled in. "I live in a small apartment, a full staff would be just too much. Yet, I do require someone able to provide those services when the need arises from time to time. Blake Belladonna may be a Faunus, but, she has the qualifications I need."

"You went ahead and hired her without my approval. I don't like that kind of ambiguity out of you, Weiss. You know your place, and I feel it would be best if you did your utmost to honor my commands as I give them." His lips crinkled as he said this, looking as if he wanted to vomit at the mere thought of a Faunus parading around anywhere near his family. "This flea bag was the absolute best you could find? I doubt that."

"I didn't think you'd mind." She replied casually in the face of his disgust. "Grandfather, employed them for years."

"A practice I proudly did away with." He said sternly.

"All things being equal, Faunus are more equipped to deal with dangerous situations. The fact that they're expendable only adds to their charm." It was then she glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the woman standing at the door respectfully. To her credit, Blake seemed calm and placid, which must have been very difficult in the face of such a bigot. She hoped Blake's composure would continue, but knew she would have to hurry this exchange along. "As you can see, with her bow on no one can tell for sure that she is a Faunus, allowing her to have the advantage."

The man frowned, nodding slowly. "I'll grant you that. Even so, we spare no expense when it comes to our protection, Weiss. That includes the lives of those who serve us. They would not be our esteemed bodyguards if they didn't offer their lives as collateral damage."

"Yes, but when a human dies, Father, we have families to disappoint." Weiss gestured to the Faunus in question. "Her parents are in Menagerie, and hardly within our window of concern. She's a certified huntress, but even our lowest salaried hunters still receive more than a Faunus scrounging around for a mission here or there. She has no reason not to be loyal. Her background checks have come back as one would expect of them."

"I still do not see the need for this scoundrel to follow you absolutely everywhere."

"Consider it a future investment. Vacuo and Vale have made it difficult to acquire land on foreign soil. They think the way Atlas handles the treatment of Faunus should be outlawed. Wouldn't they be surprised to see a Faunus in such a coveted position? It might smooth over a few particularly vocal adversaries of yours."

"While I agree with your intentions, I doubt you understand just how deep their meddling goes." The man in front of her replied acidly. "They'd expect far more of our leniency than we'd ever be willing to provide."

"Perhaps, but isn't that the beauty of it. You reap the rewards with very little cost to your own sanity. She'd be my burden, not yours." Weiss said slowly. "My social affairs are founded primarily in charity work. I'm used to dealing with Faunus to maintain our international image. In the eyes of the public, I'm just a woman with too big of a heart, bleeding for any soul I can help in the slightest. It's the way we crafted my image to be, after all."

"I still think you do not realize the magnitude of inconvenience it would be."

"You know that, and I know that, but the greater public would be swayed by the thought of it. Consider this yet another form of my unending desire for charity work. Surely those that matter would see it the same way. Those that don't matter aren't of any true consequence to us…" Weiss trailed off, glancing back to Blake one last time. "If anything, we might gain a bit of Faunus appreciation for this action. It might even cool the tempers of those that demean our practices."

"We also stand to lose face if she were ever to make a misstep. She's not a cat or a dog. she's a Faunus, they have intellect and spoken word at their disposal. That's a dangerous thing for any animal to have."

"I would expect any fallout to fall entirely on me." Weiss said, holding her hands respectfully at her sides.

"It would reflect poorly on me. I am your father Weiss, your actions fall onto me. You would be less burdensome if you simply settled down and fund a husband."

"If you will not allow me to take my place as head of this company, then you must at least grant me some measure of freedom when it comes to our family's charity endeavors. The women of the Schnee family have always had influence over the matter. If I am to take my proper place like my mother before me, I must be granted the freedom to work within those confines as I see fit." Weiss sighed at length. "I realize that I'm asking you to act in good faith, but we both have the family image in mind. That will never change."

It was the truth, too. She didn't agree with her father, but her family's image was something she held very close to her heart. She wanted it to remain victorious in the face of adversity. Two sets of blue eyes squared off, their impressive glares acting as a silent war between them. Both opponents studying the other. In truth it was a formality, Weiss was an adult, and she was free to do as she wished. This appeal to her father was only to please him, as she always tried to do.

Even so, this was one time she would willingly defy him openly. He seemed to notice that.

"Fine, fine, have it your way." He muttered disdainfully as he looked at the Faunus by the door. "Just keep that flea-bitten animal away from me, and out of my sight."

Weiss agreed with all of the decorum she had at her disposal, taking her leave with the poise and elegance expected if her. Each footfall happened at her leisure. Blake opened the door for her, allowing Weiss to step out. The Faunus followed quietly behind her. They'd played their cards well, but Blake still felt her flesh crawl under the sordid implications. Weiss certainly seemed every bit the bigot her father was when locked within that terrible office.

Suddenly, Blake felt the nagging suspicion that this would be more difficult that she first assumed.

Without idle conversation they left the imposing family mansion and climbed into the elegant limo. Weiss ordered the driver to take them back to her residence, and closed the tinted privacy window before sighing at great length.

"A martini, dry." She said, rubbing the sides of her forehead small circles. "It's only in these recent few years that I fully understand why my mother was driven to drink." She opened her eyes, seeing that the Faunus had not moved. "Blake." She said again. "I asked you to make me a martini."

The cat Faunus gave Weiss a look. "Yes, of course ma'am." As she opened the panel to the beverage cabinet she studied every nook and cranny. She knew how to make one, but was slow to do so as she glanced across the small divide between them. "Bugs?" She mouthed without a sound.

The white haired woman nodded, her voice just as silent. "Yes." Then with a clearing of her throat she pressed a small button that turned on the music. Classical piano melodies wafting in from the speaker helped to ease her nerves. Seeing Blake flatten her ears, Weiss lowered the volume just a fraction to take the edge off. The Faunus said nothing, but seemed grateful.

With the martini prepared, they settled in for the ride across town. The two of them lost in their own thought. Neither one of them saying a single word.

Very few Faunus were allowed in the garden districts. Most of them would never be able to afford an apartment, let alone a home. The price for this lavished style of living sucked away the paychecks of the upper-middle class like a drain. In return for the exorbitant prices, five star establishments peppered the boulevard and shopping centers catered to the perfectionist ideology of their patrons. People who were obviously hired help and household staff carried grocery bags, and parking lots were made to service limo drivers.

All of it was too much to take in, and yet, Blake watched it all from the car window. She was amazed that this lifestyle could even take place at all. Inwardly, she felt a little bit ill. It was mindboggling that anyone would choose to live like this while the poor starved in the streets.

For a Faunus, Blake liked to think she lived a privileged life. She had never gone cold, or felt the pangs of hunger clawing at her gut. The rent at her own apartment was affordable, and while the décor was sparse, the location was relatively safe. Shops were affordable, the nightlife interesting. She was one of the few that had very little to complain about, her own reputation among the community was enough to elevate her to a status of importance among other Faunus.

Never before had she realized just how much money lined the pockets of the particularly rich and famous. All of it seemed so dismal. All of it was flamboyant luxury, a waste of money better used elsewhere.

The moment they arrived in front of the apartment building Weiss lived in, the shift in status was obvious. The entry into the building looked more like a resort than a place people called home. The penthouse apartment on the top floor was what Weiss owned, and even it surpassed the expectations the Faunus had thought to be realistic. She could do no more than open the door to the panoramic view around them, the sights of the city extending far and wide.

This was one of the tallest buildings in the area, and it showed.

With a single suitcase containing everything Blake thought she would need in one hand, and the sight in front of her, it was hard to forget that Weiss actually lived here.

"It's not what you were expecting, is it?" Weiss asked softly as she pushed single touchpad. A tiny beep emitted from the panel, and the living room lights flicked on. "We can speak freely here, unlike my father's limo, my apartment doesn't have any monitoring devices of any kind."

"No." Blake breathed before clearing her throat. "No, it's not. I can't believe you actually live here."

"It's actually the least expensive property I looked at. If you want me to be perfectly honest, this is the cheapest apartment building my father would allow me to reside in. anything less would be beneath us, or so he actually claimed." She smiled sadly at the look Blake gave her, before brushing it all aside. "If you follow me, I'll show you to your room."

Weiss tiled her head in invitation walking through the spacious living area and open kitchen. Everything had been done by an interior decorator, and the choices showed. They headed towards the back of the apartment where the first bathroom door was. Directly after was a storage closet, followed by a moderately sized office. Finally, two bedrooms and a small reading nook completed the space. The door to the master bedroom was closed, but Blake found her door wide open.

The furnishings luxurious, but sparing compared to the rest of the house.

"I think you'll find this to your liking, but if you do end up needing something, there are shops on the boulevard."

Hefting her suitcase onto the queen sized been, Blake paused, her keen gaze catching the bustling city down below. "Tell me something. If you live like this, why jeopardize it?"

"That's a good question. I wish I had a proper explanation. To put it simply, I hate complacency. " For a short while, Weiss said nothing as she leaned on the door frame, her eyes drifting to the grey wood flooring, and the light blue rug that sat across it. "I find that I don't like being complicit in my family's company and the current direction it seems to be taking. To me, it's no different than having blood on my hands."

"Objectively, it doesn't seem as though he's giving you a choice." Blake said then. "You've always said that he was overbearing, but…well, I don't know what I was expecting."

"There are details I haven't given you. One's that I found too personal. I'm sure some of them would make it seem like even I'm irredeemable."

"You really should use everything you have at your disposal. If there's anything else, you should use it while you can."

Weiss knew that Blake was correct, but remaining tight lipped seemed to be the best action. "Some things are best left unsaid." It was with a forced breath and a step back that she offered a small smile. "I'll let you unpack and get settled in. This arrangement will be lasting for quite some time, I'd imagine, so be sure to let me know if there's anything you'll need."

Upon reflection, it was a situation of opportunity.

No more, less.

It didn't need to be anything else, either.

Both women seemed to hold fast to that simple logic as they parted ways. Blake to unpack, Weiss to wander back into the living room.

It had been a cold, stormy Friday night when they'd crossed paths at that a small piano bar. Blake fondly remembered that night. It was one of the few establishments that allowed both human and Faunus patrons, so it made sense that humans and Faunus alike cluttered the bar stools and small circular tables. Both women had gone there for one reason, and one reason only. To indulge in their favorite drink as a form of escapism.

Blake couldn't remember why she even wanted to talk to Weiss. Only that, for reasons lost to her now, she wanted those blue eyes to look her way. To share an unspoken conversation from across the length of the bar. It had been a compelling enough exchange, because the next thing she knew, Blake was buying Weiss a drink. It was completely idiotic if she really took the time to put it into perspective.

Weiss didn't need money, she didn't need anyone to buy her a few drinks. She had everything she could ever need.

As Blake remembered it looking back, both were too drunk to care that they were sitting side by side, chatting idly. Blake couldn't rehash the particular details of that night, but she distinctly recalled the stabbing hangover the next day. Spending over half of the morning spewing her guts out had been punishment enough for drinking so much.

Still, it didn't keep her out of the bar, and she returned the following Friday.

Just like always, that beautiful Atlesian woman had been there drinking again. That time when Blake had struck up a conversation, she'd been sober, and Weiss still had her common sense. The two shared even more idle banter, complaints about the world, drinks, and to some extent even traded ideologies. They agreed to meet the Friday after that, and the next after that, a pattern emerging from the ashes of it all.

Neither expected more, and both assumed one day that they'd receive less. Over time, the routine had become a gratifying one.

It was only after several months that they confided in each other. Talking about the problems plaguing their respective lives. The SDC sat at the root of it all. Their reasons were different, but their goal was the same. Carefully and methodically, they wanted to remove the current CEO from power. Weaken the company so completely, so that it had no hope but to restructure itself in a timely manner. It seemed like a fine idea in theory, but, neither one of them had truly considered the lengths they would need to go to get it done.

Their goal was lofty, and seemingly impossible.

Blake had unpacked her bags and made the room around her feel more like home. It was where she was going to be staying for the time being, and she at least wanted a few familiar scents wafting around in a space that wasn't truly hers. The bedsheets were made of silk, and the pillow cases were made of soft cotton. The pillows themselves were stuffed with feathers. It was everything she could have wanted, but one thing she noticed was that the apartment was quiet.

Blake had expected the noise that came along with sharing a space with another, but there was none.

No drone of a television or radio, no clanking of dishes from the kitchen. Nothing at all. More than a little surprised by that, Blake exited her room and walked back down the narrow hallway. Weiss was sitting in one of the leather armchairs in the living room. Legs crossed and martini glass in hand, she silently sat there sipping on her drink while watching the skyline.

"If this is your usual afternoon, no wonder you're miserable." Blake said, startling the shorter woman, blue eyes scrunching violently as she filched.

Weiss looked down at the glass in hand. Then with a tiny shrug, she smirked in a way that promised dark humor. "Alcoholism runs in the family. It's in the blood."

"If it consumes a person, it's a filthy habit to have."

"I have my dirty little skeletons hidden away, just like everyone else." Weiss replied, setting down her empty glass onto a silver platter. "For the record, I don't make a habit of just sitting here, drinking my life away. That's usually reserved for our Friday evenings together."

"Then, why drink now?"

"Contemplation."

"You look lost."

Weiss shrugged again. "I'm just thinking about things in a more tangible way. The first wave of accusations will be going out to the public this week, but they're only minor grievances. Hardly something my father would truly trifle over. Even though I'm sure of that, I keep thinking about all of the possible ways it could go wrong."

"That's why we're moving slowly, so that it can't be traced back to you. That was what you wanted, right?"

"Yes, it was…" Weiss murmured, her voice wavering, as if she was unsure of everything now that there was no turning back. She cleared her throat before standing from her chair to walk towards the window, looking down to the people below. "I still believe caution to be the best method to this madness." Perhaps it was the martini flowing through her system, or the weight of her family's name on her mind. Whatever the cause, she wasn't sure, but she felt compelled to give voice to her thoughts. "You agreed to act as my companion of sorts to help with my personal image." Weiss began slowly. "You didn't have to do that, Blake. You could have said no."

"So?" The Faunus asked softly.

"I would have given you the documents if we had come to some other compromise."

"I know that."

"Then why did you agree, Blake?" Weiss asked thoughtfully. "It might do wonders to help my personal image if Faunus see me walk around with you, but it'll be damaging to yours."

"You assume I have an image to maintain at all." Blake laughed as she took a few steps forward, leaning on the wall nearby.

"The Belladonna family name is prestigious in its own way." Weiss turned to glance at Blake then. "We don't talk about it, but I've looked into you. I know what the Belladonna name means, the writings on the wall. You stand in your father's shadow, just like I stand in mine."

"My dad, he's truly a great man." Blake told Weiss with a genuine smile. "You should see him at a rally one day. He just gets up there on stage, walks in front of the podium, and he talks like it's nothing. I've seen him do it, hushing thousands of Faunus with a single word. You can't compare me to someone like that."

"Not yet, perhaps. One day though, you will be compared to him, and you're smart enough to know that." Weiss said. "Walk around with me long enough, you'll get a reputation for dealing with a Schnee. Most Faunus worldwide wouldn't be able to stomach that, let alone atlesian Faunus in compromising situations."

"Weiss, I work in one of the largest dust mills that Atlas has to offer." Blake said, shoving a hand into her pocket. "I'm a cog in a machine. You're in the spotlight, you're the one that'll take the most media backlash from any of this. I probably won't even be noticed at all."

"You can't really believe that…" At this, Weiss actually laughed, placing a hand on the chilled window. "You really are that daft, aren't you? You think you'll slip by, that people won't catch on." Her breath fogged the glass, the puffs of air making a tiny circle of uncertainty among the crystal clarity. Her thumb pressed across it, squealing slightly for that brief moment, enough to make the Faunus flatten her ears slightly at the sound.

"They will, but I think it'll be a matter of degree." Blake said as her ears righted themselves. "You're the interesting person to slander. I'm just a Faunus. I'd be willing to bet most humans think I have rabies." All Faunus had been met with one such insult or another in their lives, and Blake was no stranger to the bigoted onslaught.

Weiss turned to face her, and there was something deep in those blue eyes, something inexplicable. It was the second time in one day that Blake had noticed that wordless emotion on the woman's features.

"What…?" The Faunus murmured.

"It's nothing…" Her expression and her words at odds, the contradiction interesting to say the least. "We should be going, we have preparations to make, and dinner to retrieve if we want to eat tonight. I don't keep my kitchen stocked, since I rarely cook."

"Right now?"

Weiss shook nodded. "Of course. You should be wearing proper formal attire. Something to make you look the part of an aristocrat's hired help."

Blake looked down at her clothing. A pair of black slacks and a button down white shirt that was tucked in, and a black vest over the top of that. It was hardly an expensive outfit, but it wasn't off the clearance rack, either. "What's wrong with what I've got on?" Blake asked. "We're not going to be doing anything too crazy, are we?"

"I have an image to maintain, and a regular business schedule to keep. Technically you're on the books, so you will be receiving a salary. Therefore, it's imperative that you look the part."

"Wait, I've already got a job, Weiss."

"I bought that out when we decided to go along with all of this." The white haired woman replied. "You're a certified huntress, a thirty thousand lien a year contract is chump change, not to mention an insult. We buy out contracts four hundreds of thousands of lien a year without batting an eye. Even a newly hired huntress working under the SDC taking regular missions would see double that, plus complete coverage on all medical care. Their life insurance policies are nothing to scoff at either, although given the nature of the missions they receive, that's hardly a surprise."

"Those huntresses would be human. The pay would be very different for any Faunus trying to do the exact same job." Blake would know, she'd try to make her way as a huntress, only to fail. "A Faunus huntress can't sustain in Atlas without joining the military, and that's practically a death sentence."

"I thought we agreed that the working conditions for Faunus were abysmal, and that as a population, your wages were not commiserate with the standard cost of living." The woman shot back. "I recall you speaking at length several times on that matter."

"I still stand by that." Blake replied. "We don't even get proper healthcare or insurance policies."

"Klein, my family's butler, sees eighty thousand lien a year. His room and housing provided by the family." In this Weiss was sure, she had seen the accounts herself, and knew exactly what he was being paid. "Mind you, he is more than a mere butler, and he sees to a great many duties that my father would never entrust to anyone else. His pay reflects that."

"A Faunus would never see those kinds of numbers, Weiss."

"Regardless, I wasn't joking about hiring you on as my bodyguard. You're being paid the same wage as Klein now, eighty thousand lien yearly. This will mean that you will be undertaking all of the duties I spoke of to my father, and more. That part wasn't a lie, but rather, pure fact."

"Eighty thousand lien…" Blake felt her legs go weak as she leaned heavily against the wall. "You've got to be kidding." She didn't have a clue what she was going to be able to do with that kind of money. It had never been within her means.

"I'm far from it." Weiss replied airily. "But, you will be working for every single piece of lien, make no mistake about it. What you do with it, however, is entirely up to you. Even if this only lasts for a short while, I won't have it said that I've mistreated you in any way. You'll be paid your due..."