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I know Remnant uses some form of pstic cash cards but fuck that. Paper money and coins are the norm.
Editor and Beta Reader: LoneStar, SurvivorSAM, Reiter
Evernight Castle
Arthur Watts jerked awake from his seat, squinting at the fshing light coming from his terminal. He stretched his arms with a yawn before rubbing his eyes with one hand, and reached for a coffee mug with the other. Taking a sip, he spat out the cold, stale, coffee that must have been on his desk for days.
Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he pced the mug away and stared at the beeping screen. He had been out of the castle for the past couple of weeks, doing Her Highness’s never-ending work. Arthur felt the bone-deep exhaustion from his tasks while going over the reports that accumuted in his absence, and must have fallen asleep on his desk.
The incessant beeping from his screen was starting to annoy him, and with a twitch of his mustache, he clicked on the urgent report from one of the many buoys he had pced all over Remnant. He pondered over the nature of the report. It originated from the Vale Mountains, and no pertinent business came to mind that would require him to be there.
He hummed as he read the automated report about the destruction of one of his personal assets in the Vale Mountains. Arthur rubbed his brow as he stifled another yawn, wondering why he had a private army in that region in the first pce, before memories of a couple of years back came to him. He remembered recruiting a group of bandits for Her Highness’s glory, but they were in some backwater town along the Narrow Sea, not the Vale Mountains.
Some myopic brute of a woman who could give Rainart a run for his money in the size department. His memories were still blurry, as he wondered what drove them to go to Vale instead of the easy pickings in the Southnds. The more misery and chaos propagated, the more Grimm would congregate and devastate the patches of towns and vilges. When on the brink of colpse, it was pnned for Her Highness’s forces to sweep in and impress the unwashed masses with their powers.
It was far too convoluted for his tastes, but needs must, for they had to maintain the secrecy of their existence. If Ozma did not find it prudent to share what he knew of Her Highness’s existence with the masses, then more the loss for him. For all her hatred of humanity, Salem understood their use and would rather have them ensved and dominated under her heel rather than utterly annihited.
Not all Grimm owed fealty to Her Highness, of course, for they sprang out as mindless savages from the Grimm Pools. The best way to subjugate them was to control one of the Grimm Pools, as Her Highness had done, or manipute them to Salem’s Will through such pns.
Scratching his head, he frowned at his disheveled hair and after a sniff, recoiled at his less than pleasant smell. He required a shower. Standing away from his desk and stretching his arms, the self-procimed genius scientist made his way to his quarter’s washrooms, waving away one of Her Highness’s seers that she had assigned as a servant for his needs. Not that he allowed it to touch any of his furnishings, for he hated having his things moved around.
One of the many perks of an appreciative employer. That it was also a monitoring device did not bother him; if Her Highness wanted to spy on him while he was naked, then by all means!
Once he was groomed and polished, Arthur finally remembered why the bandit group was in Vale. It was truly a trivial occurrence, as he was visiting one of the corporate bigwigs in the Kingdom. Something about some backwater region ruining profits for their farms or some inane matter, and thus implored for his aid. Arthur couldn’t have been bothered, itching to return to his experiments, and handed them a trinket that he was tinkering with. He had managed to learn as much as he possibly could from the so-called Gospel that was found in a tomb that even Her Highness could not identify, so off it went to his erstwhile subordinates.
Huh, so those fools offed themselves? Arthur Watts shrugged. It was no big loss. Perhaps the Gospel could have been used for other matters, but he could replicate most of its effects anyway. He was far more amused with what that pntation magnate would be thinking now, after the destruction caused by Her Highness’s armies. Useful to the Lady’s Will they may be, but still hedonistic fools for blindly following anything that would increase their profit margins.
The servant seer suddenly beeped as he exited his wardrobe, dressed in his fashionable and pressed suit, and he hurriedly approached it. “Your Highness?”
The beautiful yet terrible visage of his mistress appeared in the orb, “Arthur. I require your presence in the Conference Hall.”
“At once.”
Arthur’s gaze remained fixated on the creature as the image faded away. Despite having one always at attendance, his curiosity never ceased about it. Sadly, he was not allowed to dissect them for research. What airwaves did they use? Her Highness effortlessly communicated through them with picture and sound from halfway across Remnant with impeccable quality. What sophisticated technology enabled such a thing? Or perhaps it was magic? Despite his extensive years of service to Her Highness, he had yet to comprehend the workings of her magic despite his relentless efforts.
Salem never hesitated to showcase her powers nor did she hinder any efforts of study, yet he had never been capable of understanding them. He shook his head, science was his domain, and Her Highness understood and encouraged him to focus on it.
Not wishing to dey his mistress’ summons, he hurried out of his expansive rooms and bs, ignoring the odd human or faunus servants who bowed their heads as he passed them by, though he did inspect some of the prettier sses. Her Highness did not prevent her subjects from partaking in pleasures of the flesh; for all her disdain for humanity, she kept plenty of them living in that city nearby to serve at her whims.
Arthur had indulged in the occasional tumble with the girls, yet that had been rare; his focus was entirely on his research.
His Strega boots echoed as he walked through the tiled floors of the castle until he finally arrived outside the conference hall. Making sure his hair was combed, and his attire was smooth with no wrinkles, he entered through the open double doors to find Her Highness standing in front of a seer with an unusually rge orb.
He would never tire from beholding her beautiful visage. Some may feel revulsion over the dark veins running under her skin that connected to her eyes, yet he found they accentuated her abaster complexion and gave her a certain gravitas.
She had changed her hairstyle; usually she would wear it in a rge and elegant bun, but this time she had it braided into four long and silky tails. Her dark dress had a generous cleavage-cut that showed her ample breasts, and Arthur gulped as he did his best not to stare too much.
The tiny smirk on his mistress’ lips told him she noticed and did not care, yet he would never take that for granted.
“You wished to see me, Your Highness.” Arthur bowed courteously as he gnced around the room. He was the only one in attendance, but he knew the rest of the inner circle had assignments of their own across Remnant.
“Indeed. Join me as we listen to Cinder’s report.”
He hurried to stand a respectful distance from Her Highness as they peered at the rge orb, showing that entitled brat Cinder with two more brats he could not care about.
“You are te in your report, Cinder.”
Her Highness’s tune was blunt as she did not give a moment for Cinder to even greet them. The brat visibly gulped before adopting a confident yet servile expression as she flicked her voluminous raven locks away from her alluring face, trying and failing to be casual about it. Arthur nearly scoffed out loud; her bravado would not save her from their mistress’ ire. To lose the Fall Maiden when they had been so close!
“My apologies, My Lady. I had managed to recruit Adam Taurus and his group to our cause, but we had to immediately retreat when news of Celdic’s survival and the destruction of the bandits arrived, followed by Hyperion’s sudden acquisition of the entire region.”
Arthur raised his eyebrows. If he recalled correctly, Celdic was a backwater region between Vale and Esmeralda. Good beer if he remembered the one time he stopped there years ago. But what did the upstart Hyperion have to do with that matter?
“Arthur,” he quickly lowered his head to his mistress. “The bandits that were wiped out, they were under your control, I believe. Some project of yours with our assets in Vale.”
“Indeed, Your Highness. They had been gathering Grimm Hordes through the use of Grimm Bait and had pnned to attack the town when I mentioned that Vale would be too busy to retaliate. When I learned of Cinder’s goals in the region, I merely nudged them to ally with the faunus, to make her task easier. I did not expect the result would be so…unexpected.”
“That was unneeded. I could have done without your so-called help.” Cinder’s pretty face scowled as she gred at him, one of her eyes bursting in fmes.
Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle deeply at the brat’s petunce, “Clearly. Even with my aid, you have failed in putting the pressure on Ozpin and Vale, and failed to locate the Fall Maiden. Tell me, my dear, have you discovered how Celdic survived multiple Grimm Hordes? How were the bandits destroyed? Or why and how Hyperion took control of the region?”
It filled his heart with sadistic glee as he saw the brat’s scowl deepen and a drop of sweat form on her forehead. She’s certainly pleasing on the eye, and his eyes subtly dropped to her buxom figure; what a waste, a captivating body with a rubbish personality.
Cinder gnced at their mistress, and while he was regretful to lower himself to taunts in front of Her Highness, Salem was also curious about the matter and stared evenly at Cinder.
“I was unable to discover why Hyperion is here. Qrow Branwen has been sweeping the entire region from the skies, and eliminating any bandit remnant with extreme prejudice. It took a lot to cajole Taurus and his animals to retreat from the region and direct them somewhere else.”
The name of the most powerful huntsman in Remnant would have given anyone reason for concern, but his mistress’s only reaction was a slight narrowing of her eyes that he would have missed if he were not looking for such a reaction.
“What else have you discovered?”
“I’m not certain about the town, but I have discovered the identity of the one responsible for sying the bandits. A young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. The bandits I caught had run when the sughter started in their hideout, but they cimed that regardless of whatever attacks they threw at him, his aura always protected him.”
Her Highness visibly frowned for the first time, before gncing at one of the orbs. Arthur followed her gaze and found Tyrian Callows grinning like a loon.
“It appears yet another of those overconfident fools has surfaced. He will be yours to handle, Tyrian.”
“Certainly, My Goddess. I might need more men than st time, though. Adrian Arc was a tough nut to crack. Even with the trap we led him into, I was barely able to poison him and escape with my life.”
Arthur rubbed his chin in interest. The aforementioned trap consisted of a certain bait that he and his best scientists were still working on. Stubborn fool still held onto hope for a rescue from his partner, but soon, he shall break and become Her Highness's most useful asset.
“You will have them, but this can wait until we learn more about this young upstart.” Salem turned to Cinder, “Your failure in fully taking the Fall Maiden’s powers has irked me. Millions of my Grimm were mobilized for your pn, yet all you have to show are parlor tricks.”
The immortal witch’s words caused a shiver to run down Arthur’s spine, and he wasn’t even the one on the wrong end of them. Cinder Fall and her two sidekicks fell to their knees as they prostrated themselves to the mistress.
“I beg your forgiveness, My Lady, but Amber was more powerful than I thought. I nearly had all her powers if not for Qrow–”
“I tire of your excuses.” Cinder was struck silent, and Arthur could not bring himself to even feel schadenfreude over her misfortune. Their mistress was a very patient woman, and rarely felt ire, yet when she was annoyed - everyone would know. “But I shall give you a second chance.”
“You are gracious, My Lady.” Cinder hurriedly bowed and Arthur barely stopped himself from sighing in relief as the pressure ceased, “What would you ask of me?”
“Investigate this young man. I was content with letting the Arcs rot in their mountains, but if they dared to send another son of theirs to the Huntsmen academies, I want to be aware. I will connect you with my servants in Vale, but you are not to compromise their positions.” Cinder nodded and Salem turned back to Tyrian. “What have you found about the elder Arc?”
Tyrian’s smile melted into a grimace, “As paranoid as ever. The old tyrant has the entire Vale fleet at his beck and call everywhere he goes, and Massalia is essentially his backyard. I was barely able to nd in Vytal, thanks to the good doctor’s cloaking device, before they came sniffing.”
“Have you tried sneaking in from the north?” Arthur twirled his mustache, preening at Tyrian’s praise - he was a reliable fellow. Still, he wondered how best to improve the cloaking feature of Her Highness’s pnes - clearly they were not up to par. “Sidonia is under Ats control, and the Gelés are no fans of the Arcs.”
“I thought about it, but the whole damned isnd is abuzz with something. Aircraft coming and going from there to Vale and Ats, and the recently returned navy was patrolling the waters even more diligently than normal.”
“Were you discovered?” Salem’s voice was colder than the frozen wastends of Ats, causing Tyrian to shake his head swiftly. “Good, forget about Maximilian Arc. He may yet live a few years more but sooner or ter, he shall lower his guard. Return here, and prepare for a long-term mission in Vacuo. Arthur will join you as you search for the Summer Maiden.”
He hid his grimace at having to trek in that dusty nd. Arthur hated the sand. It got everywhere, no matter how much he washed his clothes, he would find grains of the rough and coarse things in the seams weeks ter.
Naturally, he showed none of his displeasure to Her Highness, “As you command, My Lady.”
“Vermilion, you and Hazel will continue sweeping Anima for the Spring Maiden.” The two other members of the inner circle gave their affirmative, and Salem gazed at all of them in turn. “Do not forget your secondary missions, maintain a low presence while recruiting followers. Most importantly, get in contact with the elder Grimm. We will need to replenish our numbers.”
From there, the meeting ended, and Arthur left the conference hall. It was nerve-wracking to be near Her Highness when she was annoyed.
As he walked back to his rooms, he passed by a particurly curvy maid with a fluffy tail bowing to him, her white dress doing nothing to hide her assets. He leered at her as he groped her ass and whispered for her to follow to his room.
Considering his upcoming mission, perhaps he could afford to indulge. He had always disdained his Atlesian peers for how they treated the faunus - merit was far more important to judging anyone.
Besides, Arthur had always been a dog person.
T*A*M*S
Saturday morning, 5th of August
Vale Docks
“What do you mean the price has changed?” Weiss’ eyebrows twitched in annoyance as she gripped her luggage tightly and stared at the slob of a port officer. His uniform had grease stains on it, and she spied an open bottle of co and a pizza box near the counter.
“You heard me, girly. It’s now ￡200 to enter Vale.”
“B-But that’s preposterous! I know it was only ￡20 st month, I researched and looked it up! How dare you try to trick me?”
“Huh?!” The fat man growled as he struggled to stand before gring at her. “You calling me a liar? Do you have any idea how overcrowded the city is with all of those refugees? Of course, prices of everything have gone up, and we all need to make a living.” The officer lowered his voice so only she could hear, “I’ll knock ￡10 off just because you’re cute, so hurry and pay up.”
Weiss folded her arms and gred at the man, even as she ignored the long line behind her stretching to the boat from Patch she disembarked from. She now realized the greedy pig wanted a bribe, how else could he knock the price down like he was selling cabbages?
Taking advantage of poor and desperate refugees - how despicable.
“I refuse to suffer this foolishness. I demand to talk to your superior, you insufferable knave!”
She watched the man’s face go purple from rage, yet she held no fear. The st few weeks have severely tested Weiss's patience and temper. If the pig wanted a fight, she would gdly vent her stress on him.
“Oh, give it a break already, Simon. Snow Angel here got you by the balls. Just let her pay the damned ￡100 so we can get out of this heat.”
She twisted around to find two taller girls her age holding onto two stylish motorcycles, one bck and red, while the other was yellow and orange. They matched their owners perfectly, as Weiss found the speaker, an annoyed looking blonde girl with long, and dare she say gorgeous, hair wearing a brown leather outfit that did nothing to hide her massive boobs.
What the heck? Weiss nearly moved her hands to her own ample chest to compare, but even at first gnce, she could tell hers were utterly dwarfed by the blonde’s and it wasn’t because she was so damn tall.
Weiss was not short either!
The blonde girl’s words finally registered and Weiss pointed a finger accusingly at the man, “Aha! And I have a witness. What happened to that ￡200 now?”
The man gritted his teeth as he gred at the blonde girl who smirked toothily, yet strangely, he did not dare do anything. Weiss narrowed her eyes, having a suspicion as to why.
She was not a sensor by any means, but there were other ways to tell if someone had aura. Subtly creating a glyph over her left eye, Weiss could safely say those two girls had theirs unlocked and, more impressively, at the same level as her.
“Fine! ￡100 for the entry fee. Now pay, and get out of my face.”
“Excellent.” The white-haired girl withdrew her bank card and waited… the officer looking strangely at her, while the girls behind her groaned. “Well? What are you waiting for? Get your card reader ready.”
“Cash only.” The man grinned as he pointed his thumb at a sign confirming his cim.
“W-What? What sort of backwards society still uses paper money and not bank cards?”
“It’s the w, girlie. So what will it be? Gonna need some cold hard cash or we might have a problem.”
Weiss sweated nervously. She had spent the st of her cash buying the ferry ticket from Patch to Vale. She could understand a backwater like Patch not accepting card payments, but Vale proper? All she had was her bank card, as she had no chance to withdraw more in Patch.
“Can’t pay? I’m sure we could reach an understanding, hehe. I’ll pay for you this time, but you’re gonna wait for me until my shift ends.” Her face burned with rage at the lecher’s insinuation. There was no way she could miss how he leered at her, while licking his lips.
“Ugh, you really are dumber than a brick, Simon.” The blonde from earlier gently pushed her aside before smming a wad of cash on the counter - Weiss noticing a peculiar pair of gauntlets on her arms, hidden under her sleeves. “Here, you stinking slimeball. ￡300 for the three of us.”
“Dammit Blondie! Don't mess up my chance for a hot date.”
“Even the most desperate whore would shy away from your rancid fatass. I mean, come on! Trying to get a bribe when we are all here watching? You were not exactly quiet you know.” The blonde girl clicked her tongue and shook her head in disappointment. “Not to mention trying to proposition Snow Angel here when she could probably strangle you with your own guts?”
The man seemed to finally notice the annoyed crowd behind them, who suddenly had their hands on their wallets, clearly aware now of the real price. The corrupt officer then stared at her in confusion and Weiss angrily caused a glyph to form on her palm, causing his eyes to widen in terror.
He looked around for his fellow officers, but he was alone, as the other windows were all as busy, if not busier, than this one. Vale had yet to lift the No-Fly Zone, so all flights had to nd in Patch or other satellite cities before transferring to the city via boat or train.
“Fine,” Simon grabbed the money before issuing them their permits. “Now get out of my face.”
The blonde girl gred at the man until he mumbled a weak ‘please’, then dragged her back to her friend, now holding both motorcycles. Weiss found herself coming very close to a boob nearly the size of her head.
Now that they were so close, she could tell the blonde girl was nearly a head taller than her, and Weiss mented not wearing her high heels. Klein advised wearing comfortable sneakers for the trip, and considering how her week had gone so far, it was a wise decision.
“Sorry you had to go through all of that. The city has gone to the gutter even more than normal since the war.” The blonde girl pushed her bike past the checkpoint and Weiss followed along; she had yet to thank them for the help. “I’m Yang, by the way. Yang Xiao Long. This is my sister, Ruby Rose.”
An Eastern Mistralian name, yet the girl does not look at all like a native from there. Curious.
“Hi,” The dark-haired girl, who had remained silent so far, chirped happily. “Are you also a huntsman? What’s your name? What school are you from? Are you applying to Beacon? Was that a glyph you made earlier? So cool! Where did you learn it? I love your battle dress, by the way. Combat Skirts Rock!”
Weiss took a step back as the girl leaned further from her bike with every question, now merely a few inches from her face. Her silver eyes looked nothing like her sister’s lic. In fact, they both couldn’t be more different than the other, appearance wise.
“Calm down, sis, let Snow Angel breathe.” Yang chuckled as she mounted her bike and put on a pair of shades, causing Ruby to lightly blush and mumble an apology.
“Don’t call me, Snow Angel, please. My name is Weiss Schnee.”
“Hoh? That Schnee?” Yang slightly lowered her shades to better gaze at her, lic eyes cocked up-and-down, measuring her for just a moment. “What’s a snow princess like you doing all the way here in Vale?”
Weiss stifled the urge to correct the girl, “I am here to apply to Beacon. Now, I am genuinely grateful for your help, but could I ask you to point me towards the nearest bank? I must pay you back for the toll.”
Yang stared at her bemusedly, before nodding to her sister. “Sure, hop on behind Ruby. Let’s secure your luggage, first.”
Within minutes, they were ready to go. Weiss did not have a lot of baggage, just two suitcases, her backpack, and the case where she stored Myrtenaster and her vials of Dust. They managed to tie them all behind Yang, while Weiss held on tightly to Ruby’s waist over her red cloak as they drove off the dock and exited a ramp to a highway.
“So, Weiss. Can I call you Weiss?” Ruby hesitantly called from in front of her.
The girl forwent a helmet, but wore bck and red goggles. Yang made do with her pair of shades, lending her own pair of yellow goggles to her. The bike was comfortable, but something rectangur and metal kept poking her stomach from Ruby’s back.
“Sure, Ruby. What's on your mind?”
“You never told me where you're from? Or how you could use Glyphs? I thought only academies like Beacon or Shade taught them.”
“I'm from Ats, and I learned Glyphs from my mother. It's a tradition for a Schnee to learn them at a young age, for we have a high affinity for them.”
“That is so COOL! I can barely use the one and…”
Whatever Ruby was about to say was lost to the wind as they sped up on the highway. The girl must have realized and focused on driving instead, with Weiss tightening her hold as they sped through the traffic on the elevated Highway. From such a vantage point, Weiss could see the entirety of Vale sprawled below her.
In the distance, she could see the famous walls of Vale; fifty meter tall monoliths that were constructed over a hundred years ago and protected the city and its farmnd from Grimm attacks. Judging by how she had not heard of a single breach, those walls have done splendidly in the war.
She could barely see the outline of the Vale mountains, what with the smog and early morning fog covering them. A bit closer to the city was a high hill where the prestigious school was located.
Beacon!
In a few minutes, Weiss could finally see the massive CCTS tower that served as the main hub for communications and connecting the kingdoms together. If she ever wanted to call her family, she would need to travel to it and use one of their international terminals.
Soon, they slowed down as they took an exit towards the Commercial District. Weiss wondered why come all the way here for a bank, but it suited her just fine. Her lodgings were closer this way, anyway.
As they drove deeper into the city, she found herself looking around the commercial district. She had noticed the industrial district as it was right below the highway, but it was not supposed to impress with its factories and warehouses.
The commercial district was only marginally better.
The roads were busy with cars and pedestrians, though thankfully, they had their own motorbike ne. The buildings were elegant with Oswaldian architecture, named after King Oswald Glenwood, the st king of Vale. There were many shops and cafes spread all along the main street, yet there were even more side streets that lead to less than impressive neighborhoods.
They followed Yang as she stopped at a traffic light and turned left to a neat and tidy neighborhood, with bars and restaurants aplenty. Parking outside a bank, Weiss dismounted before turning to her…friends?
Weiss shook her head, she had never had a friend and doubted she could make one so easily, no matter how much she wished she could. “Give me a moment and–”
She was startled when Ruby joined her, “I gotta withdraw some spending money as well. Take care of the bikes, Yang.”
The blonde girl gave them a zy wave as she opened a pack of gum, while Ruby hooked her arm with her own and led her to the bank. It occurred to Weiss that she was about to leave her belongings and her sword that were worth thousands, if not, tens of thousands of Lein to two strangers she had just met, and Ruby Rose realized that.
Leading her inside, she was basically assuring her that her belongings were not going anywhere without her.
Weiss felt strangely endeared at the gesture.
“Well, here we are. I’ll just… sit over there until you’re done.” Ruby pointed towards the waiting area, and Weiss smiled teasingly at her.
“Oh? Didn't you say you needed to withdraw cash as well?”
“I-I uh, just remembered that I uhm…” The girl stammered as she waved her hands nervously in front of her, and Weiss giggled.
“Don't worry, I won't take long.”
She left Ruby by the snack bar and within minutes, Weiss was standing in front of a clerk busy working on her order while she grimaced at her bank statement.
Her voyage from Ats to here had been very stressful as she had to meticulously pn her escape from the Schnee manor. The original pn for enrolling in Beacon was passing some kind of test for her father before he would allow her to travel with his blessings. Now, however, she had to rely solely on herself and Klein’s help, along with what little money she had managed to sneak into her bank account.
Normally, Weiss did not have a personal bank account, for she never needed to worry about money. With a snap of her fingers, or a swipe of her family card, anything was at her beck and call. Klein had warned her that she would not be able to rely on her family’s wealth, which was why she sneakily withdrew money from her father’s account and opened an account of her own.
Within two weeks, she had managed to deposit a measly ￡4,000 into her account, an amount that she would normally spend on a random Tuesday at her favorite restaurant. Yet she had already spent nearly half of it to sneaking out of Ats with her belongings, buying Dust behind her father's back, and hiding in Klein's home in Mantle.
There was no way she would have been able to take a flight from Ats without being stopped. Klein had been a lifesaver then, as he used his connections in Mantle to secure her passage on an airbus to Patch. It had cost a lot of money to make sure everything went well and to grease enough palms to make things work.
Just bribing the border officer cost her a quarter of her total funds.
She wondered how the butler was faring, and prayed he would endure her father’s wrath. The older man had insisted on teaching her all he could about life as a plebeian. Weiss thought she learned a lot, but once she was on her own, she discovered how she had taken so much of her life for granted.
Her mind drifted to the rest of her family. Her mother and brother were still in Arcade, out of range for her scroll unless she used a terminal. Winter did not have that excuse, yet she had yet to answer any of her calls or messages.
Her beloved sister had once again let her down.
“Here you go, Miss Schnee, ￡332 and twenty-two cents. Your remaining bance is ￡500. Please remember that your account cannot go below ￡500 or else the bank fees will activate.”
Weiss nodded distractedly and pced her money in her wallet then she…stared at the faunus-woman who was the clerk. She was probably a badger or squirrel faunus, yet that wasn't relevant.
How did she not notice it?!
“Is there…a problem, Miss Schnee?”
“Ah, no, nothing of the sort. Thank you for the help. Have a lovely day.”
Weiss walked away and had to remind herself this wasn't Ats or Mantle. Faunus were a lot more common here and had a strong political presence. She was not foolish enough to allow her bias, most assuredly justified, to have her bb something rude.
She remembered Klein’s final word of warning; when in Vale, do as the Valeans do.
Ruby was waiting for her by the snack bar, munching on…something.
“Hey, Weiss. Want a gummy bear? They are free!”
Looking at the wiggling and colorful candies, she shrugged. Considering her ck of funds, she won’t say no to free food.
“Well? What do you think?”
“…It’s good.” Not really, they tasted of chemicals and stuck to the roof of her mouth. “Let’s go meet with your sister. I’m sure she is bored waiting in the heat.”
“Oh yeah, it was Yang’s birthday st week. We’re going out to have fun in the city. We wanted to come st week, but the stupid toll costs were too much! We live in Patch you see, it used to be free for us to travel to Vale but not anymore. Even though we're graduates of Signal Academy and already accepted into Beacon, they still treat us like crap!”
Weiss nodded along as they exited the bank, half-listening to the girl's rapid chatter. The bikes and her stuff were still there, thankfully, but Yang was nowhere to be found. A gnce around, found her by an ice cream stall.
“So you are both sisters? Forgive me for assuming, but–”
“We look nothing alike, yeah? Even our names are different.” Ruby grinned at her as she grabbed her hand and led her to her sister - the girl was a bit too clingy for her tastes, but Weiss let it go this time. “We have the same Dad but different mothers.”
“What?” Weiss stopped as she looked at the girl in shock, “Did he–”
“Oh, no.” Ruby’s silver eyes were wide as she shook her hands vehemently, “No no no, Dad married both of our mothers. I know it’s not really common, but they loved each other very much. They were on the same Beacon team, you see.”
Weiss did hear that polygyny was rare but not uncommon among huntsman families. A way to propagate strong genes with bountiful auras and hopefully create more powerful sembnces - even if it has yet to be proven that sembnces could be passed down from parent to child, aside from the Schnee sembnce, of course.
Aura levels and other attributes, on the other hand…
“But both of your mothers are fine with that?”
“…I think so? They're gone now. It's only Yang, Dad, Uncle Qrow, and Zwei now. Ah, Zwei is my dog.”
Weiss did not need to be a genius to figure out that her huntress mothers were most likely dead, and she hurried to apologize, but Yang interrupted.
“Hey, girls.” Yang waved at them from next to the stall as they approached and handed a bowl to her sister, “I got you some snacks, chocote chips for you, Ruby.”
“Yay, thanks, Sis!”
“And here you go, weisscream. Not sure what you would like, so I got you pin vanil.”
Weiss felt a vein bulge in her neck at the girl’s audacity, yet calmly accepted the ice cream bowl. “Thank you, and here is your money for the ferry, with a little extra for all the help.”
Yang accepted the ￡120 and pocketed them without counting, “No sweat.”
They found a table to eat while the sisters chatted about inane things. Weiss had to admit that the plebeian snack was tastier than she expected. Or perhaps it was the heat that made it taste a lot better than it actually was.
“So, Weiss. What are your pns for Beacon?” Ruby nudged her side, “Do you have transcripts from Ats or will you take the entrance exams?”
“I am homeschooled, so the entrance exams will be my goal. They should still be open for a few more days, right?”
“Yep, admittance started st Monday, but you still have until Friday to apply. Initiation also starts on August 24th, and I heard a rumor it will be different from usual.” Yang replied as she wiped a bit of melted cream that fell on her cleavage - Weiss still could not understand how a girl could have such massive boobs and still walk and stand with no trouble. “Do you have a pce to stay until then?”
“I do. I have secured lodgings across the river by the fishing piers in the residential district. I think the pce is where the River Verdant meets the River Emerald, the industrial district is also close by. Moreover, I had called ahead when I was in Patch and they assured me that my room was still reserved and their prices remain unchanged…hopefully they were not lying.”
“Tsk, that swine, Simon, makes us Valeans look bad.” Yang angrily finished the rest of her ice cream before accurately throwing it at a distant rubbish bin. “Too bad I can’t deny that corruption is rampant in this city. I won't deny it does come in handy, like when me and Rubes were getting our driving license. Our Uncle Qrow knew someone who helped us skip the lines and the red tape, but still… I much prefer Patch.”
Weiss could hardly judge the girl for using the corrupted system since she herself benefited from people's greed. With the help of Klein, she had lost count of how many bribes she had given and to how many people, just to escape her father.
“Yeah, Patch is very nice. Of course, it’s not as big as any of the districts of Vale, but it is still a nice isnd with mountains, hills, goons, forests.” Ruby counted off her fingers the features of her home with a toothy grin before frowning, “Vale has a lot of crime and bad men. People like Simon who take advantage of the poor and the desperate - I hate them!”
Weiss looked strangely at the normally perky girl, who now had a furious scowl on her face.
“Don’t mind her, she had to beat up some morons a few weeks ago when they tried to kidnap her.” Contrary to her sister, Yang had a wicked grin. “They thought she was a defenseless little girl that they could steal to the brothels. She proved them wrong.”
“Is that normal here? Kidnappers and criminals - also brothels? I thought prostitution was illegal here?”
“It is illegal, but who is gonna enforce the w? Vale was already overcrowded before the war. Now with millions of refugees in the city? The cops only patrol the rich neighborhoods in any numbers.” Yang pointed with her chin towards the nearby road, where Weiss could see a police car slowly passing by. “It's the reason they jacked up the prices for entering the city. With the war over, the city is trying to kick out the refugees and discourage more from coming in. At least that's what Dad said when I compined to him.”
“I see. I heard they pressed the students into service.”
“Oh yeah, we had to fight loads of Grimm in Patch.” Ruby answered her unasked question. “Mostly from the sea, but we got a nice recommendation thanks to that and also a bonus check!”
“And it took so much effort to convince you to spend it on tuning your bike instead of a cookie party.” Yang winked at her sister who pulled her tongue out.
“Zip it you boob monster! Never diss da cookies!!”
“What's wrong? Are ya Jelly of these babies?”
Weiss nearly squeaked scandalously when Yang squeezed her boobs. Clearly she wasn't as silent as she hoped as both sisters blinked and turned to her, as if remembering her presence, before ughing out loud. She wanted to feel annoyed, yet Weiss felt forlorn instead. Seeing the sisters acting so friendly in their banter - it made her miss Winter more.
Or at least her idea of Winter.
“Anyway, I hope your new pce is safe, Snow Angel, or else you will find yourself in trouble.”
“Don’t worry, though. If you are in trouble, just kick their asses before running away.” Ruby pumped her fists beside her, and stood on the bench, her ice cream forgotten. “The coppers are always te, if they even show up, and then they would drag you to the station for a statement that could take hours! So it's better you take justice in your own hands. Like Heroes! And Huntsmen are Heroes!!”
Yang ughed as her sister stood on the table with a fist aiming at the skies. Weiss couldn’t help but smile endearingly, even as she waved farewell an hour ter to the two sisters when they dropped her off at another ferry to take her to her lodgings. They were good girls, and she prayed they would be accepted into Beacon as well.
Was this what it was like to have friends? It felt…nice. She looked forward to meeting them again in Beacon.
Maybe even be on her team… Shoot, she forgot to take their scroll numbers!
Weiss sighed as she stared out of the open air boat and watched the overcrowded channel as they sailed on. Boats of all sizes passed by; sailboats, riverboats, motorboats, barges, yachts, and even the odd small container vessel that could operate in the narrower district docks. The much rger containers were docked in the industrial district.
It stank of smoke and sweaty people, and the boat was crowded. Some brat kept twirling her hair while her mother was cutting onions of all things! Her poor eyes.
Soon, they were moored in the residential district, and Weiss quickly exited the ferry, dragging her luggage behind her. The smell of fish permeated the air, and the docks were crowded with fishing boats and sailors. She could see fathers teaching their sons how to tie knots or how to cast a net into the water, the scene was both chaotic yet charming.
Asking the first dockworker for directions to the Wayward Mermaid Inn, Weiss found herself infront of a shabby looking building right on the waterfront.
It was not the cleanest nor the most prestigious of establishments. In fact, the more she looked at it, the more Weiss realized it was not exactly a building but rather a rge passenger ship, half of it beached and the other half still on the water. It was smartly repurposed to be a hotel, with pylons built in the river water to hold it aloft.
Entering the Inn, she was greeted by a bored looking woman sitting on a desk barely a dozen feet from the entrance. She introduced herself as Becky, who was smoking a cigarette, and had her feet up on the desk. There were a pair of guns id on the desk as well, with a door leading to an office where Weiss spied an open gun safe.
Not the best first impression, but beggars can't compin.
Soon she was confirming her name and paying ￡100 to rent a room for a day with the possibility of extensions; the owner refused any form of long-term contracts owing to the votile housing market.
“Alright, Miss. Yours is room 108. It's just down this hallway on your left.” The brown-haired woman stood and stretched, showing tattooed arms and shoulders along with an impressive bust under a bck tank top - what was it with Vale and its big boobed women? “Do you need me to show you the way?”
“That won't be necessary, thank you.”
“Suit yourself, but beware - prices may change tomorrow.”
Weiss frowned but nodded nonetheless. She dragged her stuff down the hallway and headed to her room, wondering if she had agreed too easily to that price. It was an exorbitant amount of money, especially since the amount could change depending on the market.
She hoped her room would at least be worth it, but as she opened it and looked inside, Weiss fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. It only had a bed, a coffee table, a mini-fridge, a tiny kitchenette with a single stove, and a small bathroom. There was no bathtub, just a toilet, sink, and a shower head above them.
It was completely bare bones, but at least it was clean, and there was hot water… Weiss sighed again at how low she had fallen. The whole room was not even a fraction of the size of her wardrobe back home. The st time she was in Vale was before Winter was accepted into Ats, and her entire family stayed in the most luxurious hotel the upper district of Vale could offer.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Weiss dearly wanted to fall onto the bed and sleep all day. It's been a week since she sneaked out of the Schnee Manor, where she had st slept with no worry of her being discovered and dragged to her father.
Yet, sleep was still a luxury she could not afford. Weiss did not have enough money to st her a week, let alone until the semester started, and she would need to…ugh, find a job to survive.
Just the very idea gave her shivers!
Opening the gss door and stepping out to the balcony, she leaned on the railings as she enjoyed the cool breeze and the river. The balcony was more spacious than she thought, with a coffee table, two chairs, and a decent view of the distant commercial district.
Taking a deep breath, she was surprised to note there was none of the expectant dirty smells coming from the industrial district - only fish, seaweed, river moss and other things that Weiss rarely got the chance to smell or experience.
She could learn to enjoy her stay here… despite her neighbors. To her left were a noisy family speaking loudly, with kids ughing and screaming in excitement. Clearly well-off refugees, yet she couldn’t bring herself to bme their happiness, though maybe she should look into buying earplugs if she wanted a decent sleep.
On the other side, was some scruffy looking bum with a stubble, wearing a fishing hat that had many hooks and other things she couldn't recognize. He was humming to himself as he held a fishing rod, while sitting on a beach recliner. At least he wasn’t noisy and kept to himself.
Argh, this won’t do. Weiss spped her cheeks as she returned to her room. It was barely eleven in the morning, and she had two days before the entrance exam. It was time she explored the city and hopefully found a job or two.
Some obvious changes can be noticed here. Decided to give some personality to some characters. Arthur Watts is a perv, Salem is a voyeur…etc
A note about the girls' heights. 17-year-old Weiss is described as 5’3” (with heels) in the wiki, so I decided to make her a solid 5 feet tall (or short considering she only ever gained a single inch in the whole series).
Ruby is taller at 5’4” now that she's 17 (technically 16 as her birthday is October 31st), while Yang is 5’8”.
Ruby being Yang’s age meant she was closer to her as a friend, instead of a responsibility, and also has a bike like hers. Ruby will be more mature, especially as she had two extra years with her mother as well.
Expect a less smothering Yang as well, instead, she and Ruby will be besties.
Keep in mind the difference in attitude. Weiss does not enjoy the protection that her family name brought her, like in the show. She ran away from home and has no support whatsoever. She is smart to understand that and is trying to stay out of trouble.
A side effect of this is a better first meeting with the sisters. Guess a little corruption doesn’t hurt…much.
Finally, something that I feel the show never really focused on. Weiss never seemed to have friends, and neither did she attend any school as far as I know. She should be super awkward talking with peers (those she considers her equals) along with a few other fws that I will expand on.
Expect a tsundere Weiss who is craving friendship and companionship but is too prideful to act on it…at least for now.
