Chapter 25

Blake was not hoping for an easy night, Fridays were never easy. Blake was hoping for a return to normalcy. Her partner meeting an old human friend out of the blue, that friend bringing someone home to fuck, toying with Weiss Schnee of all people, it was all so terribly exciting. Too exciting. Was it too much to ask for one week to go bye without some kind of disruption? Probably.

Ruby would be arriving soon. She had informed Blake of all the craziness going on at her job, and it seemed the girl was in for a busy day. That would mean an inflamed leg and a desire to drink away the pain. Blake had been surprised by the speed of Weiss' implosion. She had seemed so tough and confident just a week ago, only to run herself into the ground. Blake pushed the thought to the back of her mind. What was she doing? Sympathizing with a human, a Schnee? No, that was the wrong way to think about it. She was Ruby's Alpha, and Weiss was Ruby's friend, that connection was what really mattered.

Sure enough, Ruby walked in right on time and headed straight to the bar. "Hey Blake!" The human chirped.

"Hello Ruby, how was your day?" Blake asked, trying to seem as disinterested as possible. She knew Ruby would see right through that, she did care, but she had to at least keep up appearances.

"It was really good actually." Ruby replied as Blake started mixing her drink. "Jaune was there to help, and even Coco pitched in, it was probably the easiest day I've had so far."

"So your leg doesn't hurt?" Blake inquired, placing the completed cocktail on the bar.

"Well, it's still kinda' achy." Ruby admitted. "A few sunrises will fix that though." She picked up her drink and took a long sip. "That's the good stuff." The girl headed for her usual booth, where she would probably hide away for the rest of the night.

Blake returned to her bartending duties, but before long her attention was drawn to the entrance. It was easy for her to read the signals the other patrons sent when something interesting was going on, and Blake followed them to the source. Great, another human. The woman was tall, buxom and more mature than the usual clientele. Her hair was up, and she wore a business suit, along with what looked like reading glasses. She did not seem distracted by Faunus all around her, nor by the flashing lights and pounding music. No, she was here for a reason.

Blake rolled her eyes upon catching sight of that reason. Neon pushed her way out of the crowd just ahead of the human, heading for Blake but hesitating on catching her gaze. The human gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder, and Neon quickly closed the distance to the bar. "H-hey Blake." She managed.

"Neon." Blake acknowledged. She noticed Neon was not clad in her usual attire - a tank top and short skirt. Instead she wore a t-shirt and jeans, looking very unlike the fun-loving girl Blake was used to seeing in the club.

"I uh...I wanted to apologize for the confusion with Ruby." Neon continued. "I should have known better."

"Uh huh." Blake responded. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Sorry for losing control."

Neon laughed uneasily. "Oh...wow...wasn't expecting that."

"I wouldn't want to scare away a regular customer." Blake rolled her eyes. Truth be told, she was relieved to see Neon.

"Okay that's...yeah." Neon fumbled for words.

"Neon, you're being too meek." The woman spoke up. "She wronged you too."

"I-" Neon started.

"And who are you?" Blake glared at the human.

The woman reached into her pocket, producing a business card which she handed to Blake. "Glynda Goodwitch." She introduced herself as Blake scanned the card. "I'm Neon's-"

"Shrink." Blake finished for her.

"I prefer therapist." Glynda insisted.

"Sure." Blake shrugged. "Here to give her moral support?"

"Something like that." Glynda confirmed. "It's difficult to confront trauma head on."

Blake laughed. "Trauma…"

Glynda sighed. "Typical Alpha."

"What the hell would you know?" Blake challenged.

"More than you would expect." Glynda smirked. "I didn't become a psychologist for Faunus on a whim."

"No, I bet-" Blake started.

"Going to accuse me of doing so because of some kind of fetish?" Glynda questioned. Blake had been planning to do just that. "What's your story Blake?"

"My story is I don't like shrinks." Blake hissed. "If you're not going to buy a drink, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Blake, I'm sorry, I didn't come to antagonize you." Neon spoke up.

"No, but your pal clearly did." Blake observed.

"Blake, we don't have to be confrontational." Glynda suggested. "I think you could benefit from-"

"No." Blake cut her off.

"You know I'm right." Glynda persisted.

"Maybe." Blake allowed. "But I'm not going to talk to a shrink."

"Well, if you change your mind, my info's on the card." Glynda smiled.

"Are you going to get a drink or not?" Blake groaned.

"I'll have a strawberry sunrise." Glynda ordered. "One for Neon as well."

Blake narrowed her eyes at the human, but her expression remained fixed. This was not a battle she was going to win. "Two strawberry sunrises, coming up." She groused, turning away to mix the drinks.

"Oh, hey Neon!" Ruby appeared. "How are you...oh." She noted Neon's apprehension and Blake's obvious annoyance. "I'll just...uh...I need a refill." Ruby held up her glass. "I'll be at my booth." She quickly retreated.

Neon hesitated before following. "I should probably go apologize to her too."

Sleeping in was a rare treat for Weiss, normally reserved for Saturdays, fueled by whatever drinks she had imbibed the prior night. There were no such drinks this time, however there were other equally...intoxicating acts committed - acts that left her sore and aching in all the right ways, the ways she truly craved when downing drink after strong drink. That would normally be more than enough to ensure a long and deep sleep until the cusp of noon, were it not for the loud chime of her scroll's message tone.

"Nnnngh." Weiss groaned into the warmth beneath her.

"Who is Annoyance?" Pyrrha asked.

Weiss heaved a deep sigh. "It's Blake."

"You speak to Blake?" Ren exclaimed from above, his firm hand running through Weiss' hair.

Weiss repaid him with a soft kiss upon his chest. "Not actively. She works at Sunrise, I discovered by accident last week."

"And she recognized you?" Pyrrha asked.

"I wore the wrong contacts...and it seems there's far more to her than meets the eye." Pulling herself upward, Weiss raised her arms in a languid stretch, her bare chest hardly chilled in the stuffy room. She knew Ren would appreciate the view.

"I really wish you would tell us these things Weiss." Pyrrha frowned. "Is she trustworthy?"

"That remains to be seen for sure, but...I made a few inquiries." Weiss answered.

"And?" Pyrrha pressed.

"It's too soon to judge, but best case scenario...she could be a potential ally." Weiss replied.

"And worst case?" Pyrrha inquired.

"She's a simple extortionist." Weiss admitted.

"She wants to go shopping." Pyrrha held the scroll up to Weiss.

Weiss accepted the device, reading the message to herself. Tangerie Park, 11:00am. Let's go shopping. "Tangerie…"

"I know of it." Ren noted. "There's a Mistrali import store not far away."

"Public public, or deserted public?" Weiss asked.

"Well populated at midday." Ren replied.

"Hmm, I suppose I should go then." Weiss mused.

"Shall we follow?" Pyrrha offered.

"No, I want to handle her alone." Weiss refused.

"Weiss-" Pyrrha started.

"Pyrrha." Weiss let the scroll drop to the side, leaning over to cup her cheek. "I'll be fine, Carmine still protects me."

"We can protect you Weiss." Pyrrha insisted.

"You protect me enough right here." Weiss countered.

"It's not here you're in danger Weiss." Pyrrha persisted.

"The bruising says otherwise." Weiss joked.

Pyrrha sighed, allowing herself to fall back on the pillows in defeat. "Fine, but I expect you to check in with us."

Weiss chuckled, leaning over to meet Pyrrha in a short kiss. "Yes mother, and shall I be home before curfew?"

"If you want dessert." Pyrrha purred.

"Now that's incentive." Weiss grinned, sitting up to stretch again. "Well then, I suppose we should compose a shopping list."

"Yes, we should." Ren confirmed. "Your pantry is dreadful."

"It serves its purpose." Weiss defended.

"Thirty brands of high sugar cereal is not a healthy purpose." Ren admonished.

Weiss huffed. "There are noodles in there too!"

Weiss knew Blake was toying with her. Why else would she ask to meet at a bench in some random park? It was like some spy movie, but in real life it just felt like a pointless game. Still, Weiss did as instructed. The park was small, located in a rather nice part of the city. It was not the ritzy area where Weiss would normally do her shopping, but it was clean and safe, the perfect place to raise a family. That probably explained the playground across from the bench. After sitting down, Weiss had little to do but check her scroll or watch the children play. Perhaps that was Blake's point, something about lost innocence or another analogy Weiss was not quite grasping. Though it was a good neighborhood, Weiss came dressed as Carmine - better safe than sorry.

Thankfully, it did not take Blake long to arrive. She was dressed casually, much as she had been for her visit to the SDC. She plopped down beside Weiss, not looking at her. "Schnee."

Weiss had been expecting something of a cold reception. She had a response lined up, and it was not likely to lighten the mood. Still, she felt it necessary. "Belladonna." She smirked.

Blake flinched, barely turning to aim a single golden eye at Weiss. Her ear twitched for a moment before she recovered her composure. "Alright Schnee, I'm impressed."

"It wasn't difficult." Weiss shrugged. "All I had to do was cross-reference the name Blake with current and former White Fang associates. I wasn't expecting to find out you're practically royalty."

"And if you know what's good for you, you'll forget it." Blake warned. "I've spent years burying my past, and I don't want anyone else digging."

Weiss nodded. She had no intention of digging into Blake's past. It was the present the concerned her. After a rather uncomfortable silence, she asked the question that had been nagging her since she received Blake's text. "Why did you drag me out here?"

"Like I said, I thought we could go shopping." Blake replied.

"You don't need me to go shopping, unless you intended to blackmail me into buying you a new wardrobe." Weiss accused.

Blake shook her head. "I have my own money, and I don't like owing people."

"Especially not a Schnee?" Weiss suggested.

Blake could not help but chuckle. "Maybe." Weiss' expression indicated she was not amused by the answer. "Alright Schnee, I'll put it bluntly. I want to get back in touch with reality."

"What does that have to do with me?" Weiss asked.

"For years, I've been living in a world where humans are evil, and Schnees are the worst of them." Blake explained. "As time went by, lots of people tried to convince me otherwise, Sun most of all. But until recently I was unwilling to abandon my convictions."

"What changed?" Weiss inquired.

"Ruby." Blake replied. "Sun told me about the kind humans he knew when he was a kid. I didn't believe him. I thought it was childish ignorance, or optimism. Then one of those humans showed up, and I was confronted with a reality that was incompatible with my worldview. It didn't help that I connected with Ruby so…" She frowned, chewing her lip for a moment. "Then I met her friends, your friends, and it dawned on me that everything I thought I knew about humans was tainted, and I want to change that. I want to believe that humans can be good, that even a Schnee can be good. Your actions speak loudly, but I want to know about why you do what you do, why you are who you are. It's far too easy to assume you're good to the Faunus for PR, because it's good for business. Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're wrong." Weiss obliged.

Blake chuckled, slipping off the bench. "Well, that answers everything doesn't it?"

"Were it so easy…" Weiss mumbled. "Why did we meet here?"

"I had a package to pick up." Blake explained with a shrug, patting the satchel on her hip. "Come on, I didn't come out to just sit here."

"Where to?" Weiss stood.

"There's a lovely little boutique just down the street." Blake replied. "You can tell me why you love the Faunus so much on the way."

It was rather surreal, walking down a calm street she had never seen, passing stores she would normally never give a second glance, in the company of someone she would normally never talk to, in the guise of a woman she could never truly be. It was exactly why Carmine existed, yet even so she rarely took such advantage of her. Weiss just did not have the time, and what little she did was spent enjoying the privacy of her own home, and the pleasures of her favorite hobbies.

Though now it would seem they would be entirely different pleasures...she could not help but sigh, slowing briefly to rub at a more serious bruise on her thigh. Unfortunately her action did not go unnoticed.

"Stop the presses, the Schnee has a wedgie." Blake snidely commented.

Weiss glared at her. "Carmine, and no, as a matter of fact I do not."

"Well, you might love rubbing your crotch in public, but I don't typically associate with exhibitionists." Blake teased.

"Are Faunus always this insufferable?" Weiss grumbled. "Or is it exclusive to Alphas?"

"Careful there, you're supposed to be convincing me you're not racist." Blake smirked.

"Until this day almost every poor interaction I have had with the Faunus has either been due to the Fang, or some Alpha blustering and blithering their way through a crowd expecting the world to bow down before them." Weiss observed. "Now I don't judge your race by them, but my impression of Alphas in particular is not positive."

"Perhaps some day you will meet my father then." Blake suggested.

Weiss scoffed. "Your father looks like he could break me in half."

"He only looks that way." Blake rolled her eyes. "It's my mother that poses the real danger."

"I thought she was a priestess now?" Weiss inquired.

"In practice yes, but nothing will ever dull her skills." Blake grinned, canine gleaming in the sunlight. "I would know."

"Please, never smile at me again, I have enough plaguing my nightmares." Weiss huffed.

"Aw, she has nightmares." Blake sneered. "I imagine the only nightmare you endure is squeezing into that wig."

"The wig is quite comfortable for your information." Weiss bristled. "The makeup is the true pain."

"Then why bother?" Blake asked.

"Contrast." Weiss replied. "I'm known for wearing little to none even in public appearances. As if the aesthetic wasn't enough, no one will expect to see me caked in mascara and blush."

"And when you are pressed for time?" Blake challenged. "You need to cut the fat Carmine, if you can't be ready within sixty seconds you may as well be dead."

"Not everyone can throw on a hat and a fake smile Blake." Weiss noted. "And I don't use Carmine for emergencies."

"It's not your makeup preferences people will recognize you for." Blake advised. "Drop the facepaint, stick to lipstick and lenses. Vanity will do you no favors."

"I don't do it for vanity." Weiss protested. "I do it because I damn well want to. Why do you care what I smear on my face?"

"I don't care." Blake countered. "However, if you weren't so focused on shoving your head in a paint can, maybe you wouldn't have neglected your contacts, which look very convincing when you actually wear them by the way." She had to admit, they were good, an emerald and hazel mix that entirely erased Weiss' usual pale blue.

Thankfully Pyrrha had reminded Weiss that day, but Blake did not need to know that. "Dunking my head in paint is a luxury in which I can afford to indulge, once a bloody week when I can actually go out and be someone different for once."

"So it's just escapism?" Blake asked.

"Of course it's escapism!" Weiss hissed. "You know what happens when I normally go out? Fucking paparazzi write articles on my every action. Did you know there was a picture of me eating a bloody hamburger on the front page of the newspaper last week?" Blake snorted, bursting into laughter. "Stop the presses! Woman eats things sometimes!"

"I guess they figured you lived on filet mignon and white wine." Blake suggested.

"Ugh, I despise filet mignon." Weiss groaned. "Give me some good sushi any day. You tried Ren's right?"

"I did." Blake confirmed.

"Then you'll understand my preferences." Weiss stated.

"True, however a burger still seems out of sorts." Blake observed.

"Burgers are my comfort food, so sue me." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Oh?" Blake smirked. "And why not allow your lovers to comfort you instead?"

Weiss almost tripped over, pausing to regain her composure with a frustrated sigh. "I smell of them, don't I?"

"You reek." Blake laughed.

"Well fine, yes, lovers, plural." Weiss admitted. "You going to ride me about them too?"

"It seems you're the one doing the riding." Blake quipped.

"I would very much not like to discuss this with you." Weiss complained.

"Why?" Blake asked. "I thought we were friends. Do friends not talk about their sex lives anymore? Is that just a Faunus thing?"

"Will you just assassinate me already?" Weiss mumbled. "I can't bear the pain."

"And sacrifice our burgeoning friendship?" Blake smiled.

"How the fuck did you get such a nice boyfriend?" Weiss spat.

"He followed me home and I decided to keep him." Blake replied.

"That poor man." Weiss lamented.

"He doesn't complain." Blake shrugged. "Like Pyrrha and Ren, he simply suffers in silence until I throw him a bone."

"What?" Weiss spluttered.

"You came up at dinner last week." Blake explained. "I could almost taste the longing. The scent on your chair is so faint."

"Do you enjoy intruding into other people's personal lives?" Weiss accused.

"Yes, do you enjoy leading people on?" Blake countered.

"Don't pretend for a second you understand us Belladonna." Weiss warned.

"Oh I don't pretend, I just assume, and let people spout explanations from there." Blake noted.

Weiss halted, glaring after the smug Faunus as she strode ahead. "You need psychological help!"

Blake merely laughed.