Neo didn't mind doing an odd job for Shine, she hardly expected that nothing would be asked of her in return for the big favor...she was still reeling from that.
At least she was more polite than Cinder. Beyond that Neo cared little about who's side she was on.
Going to the rundown building she'd visited before, she slipped inside one broken window.
She easily changed her color to the dark, dismal one of the room inside, so that she'd have been entirely invisible unless you had very good eyes.
It took some wandering around, and stepping over abandoned rubbish, to find any part of this building that was occupied. Perhaps it had once been a factory from the looks of the piping inside, back when Vacuo was a territory of Mantle, and more prosperous...if you could call it that.
Neo had little luck finding anything like a door, but she was sure it looked more recently opened in the center of the building.
Less dusty too.
However her luck turned up when she heard footsteps.
Some odd figure suddenly flew across her path, and towards some wooden planks in the floor...then it opened them, the trapdoor was hidden with the ordinary flood panels, it seemed to be lifted up by some wire.
The figure slipped down inside it and shut it.
Curious, Neo snuck closer and found the wire with some difficulty.
Well, this was a stroke of luck indeed.
She took a snapshot of it with her scroll.
She lifted the door up soundlessly as a mouse and slipped through it, there was a stairway right under it.
She tiptoed down it, making no noise still.
"That you Kip?" a woman's voice, about 40 or so from the sound of it, called.
No response.
The other person, she now saw as she lowered herself down the stairs, was a boy...she thought...it was kind of hard to tell, a lot of him was a very odd shape, and metallic looking.
Also he had metal wings sticking out of his back but these folded into it a moment later.
"You had better make yourself scarce," the woman's voice said, she sounded bit muffled now. "My friend is coming over. We've got to run some tests. This might be the big night."
Neo supposed she didn't mean having a lark.
She softly stepped further in and kept along the wall.
There were machines and cages everywhere down here. Lit by fire dust candles, and there were blueprints and paper strewn all over the place. Along one wall there were test tubes, and a fridge that was probably an incubator, though Neo lacked the scientific savvy to know this.
She knew a payload when she saw it though.
She slipped beneath a table and started taking more pictures, luckily the scroll made no sound that you could hear over the loud humming of machines, the clanking of something the woman seemed to be doing, and the wheeze of some bellows.
"Kip, are you alive in there?" the woman called impatiently.
Finally the boy-metal thing said rather flatly. "Yes mother."
"Well good, I was beginning to wonder," she said, finally she came out from behind some kind of machine.
She wore working clothes, had goggles and her frizzy purplish hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. She looked younger than her voice suggested, but older than Neo.
"Now grab some supper. I made your favorite," the woman said. "And then off to bed... I hope you scrubbed the dust off, there was another sandstorm today, threw my instruments off for an hour. It's so filthy in this kingdom I swear, we should have moved to Atlas when we had the chance...no use now. Mistral...no Mistral has too many uptight officials...ah Vale is too run down after that attack...Ah well, no place like home anyway. Don't you agree?"
The boy shrugged.
"What's the matter with you?" The woman said. "And where have you been all day? I told you, never fly during the day time."
"I wasn't," the boy said, in a tone that Neo was sure was lying. She wasn't that best at gauging that, but he seemed sullen.
But his mother didn't seem to catch on. "What were you doing, playing with the kittens upstairs?"
"Yeah," the boy walked to some table and picked up a plate.
"All day?" his mother insisted.
"That and other stuff," he said like as unruly teenager would. "Can I just go to bed now?"
"I suppose..." the woman seemed anxious enough to get back to work.
"Well real family dynamic there," Neo thought, taking another photo.
This must be Victoria Kanap...she honestly thought she'd be a bit more intimidating.
Then they all heard footsteps upstairs.
"That must be him now," Victoria said.
The boy disappeared into another room.
Victoria set about getting out some notebooks and shoving some blueprints into a drawer.
Neo hid under the table.
A few moments later, the trapdoor open again, and Headmaster Theodore came down the steps.
But he wasn't alone, a figure in a long cloak was with him. They had to lift the cape of their cloak to come down the air, and Neo spied their feet. A woman she'd say.
She took a picture. [I want Neo to help me do my school video presentation slide shows.]
"Ah Theo, how nice to see you again," Victoria said dryly.
"Are you ready this time, Vic?" Theo said, jumping the rest of the way.
"Are you ever going to change that coat?" Vic replied dryly. "Whoever said Plaid was in was blind."
"Coming from the woman with purple hair," Theo said.
"It's lavender, jackass," Vic said haughtily. "Ah, Vara...how lovely to see you."
The woman in the hood pulled her hood back, revealing a pretty but somewhat worn face, large eyes, and dark hair that was highlighted by sunlightened streaks. Not usual for Vacuo's climate.
"Are you sure this is safe?" she said, in a husky voice like she'd inhaled sand too long.
(It wasn't unpleasant, but Neo was rather a snarky person and made fun of people all the time in this manner.)
"Oh, it's perfectly safe," Victoria said. "And...her associates?" The emphasis on her made Neo think it was Salem she meant.
She pursed her lips.
"They have no idea we're here," Theo said. "I tipped them off that the others would be at the edge of the kingdom. If they want to get to the Maiden, they'll have their hands full. But their new general is harassing me for more support."
"Makes sense," Victoria took a screwdriver and started fiddling something in her hands. "Normally you'd be doing a lot more for those people. You're such a bleeding heart, that's what I like about you. Because you're too clever to give into it."
"You can save you oily words for your machines," Theo said.
"Yes can we please just get on with this?" Vara said...but then she frowned. "I'm still not sure about this plan...leaving them out there...pointing their enemies in their direction. I know it's necessary to distract them, but isn't this dangerous?"
"You worry too much," Theo said. "I know Qrow, he can handle that snake--I should say bug-- Callows. They have a Maiden, and a bunch of huntsmen, he wouldn't dare crawl out from under his rock until his goddess gives him the orders to and sends in more grimm...But of course, we cannot let that happen. We have to work quickly. I had to give him something to make sure he wasn't paying attention to us."
"And that boy?" Vara said. "You feel proud of letting him getting dragged along in this?"
"He's an assassin, Var," Theo said.
"He's a child!" Vara said. "Perhaps a twisted one, but even so, I don't like Callows. I think he might kill him for sport, he kills for sport."
Neo made a face.
"She's right, Dory, you can't keep him on the leash forever, he's a madman," Vic said amiably. "Even Artie says so."
"Oh don't bring him into this," Tho said. "He's pissing me off. Oh, about that guy, asked after you."
"I hope you told him to set his mustache on fire," Victoria said distastefully. "I have no use for that man. Not after that disgraceful incident."
"I'm sure he could guess without me saying it," Theo said. "I think he's fishing about...they want to put their plan into action...I just wish to the gods all this was over already. I could deal with lying to Schnee, but Branwen and I go way back. I don't mind punching them out, but this lying thing doesn't feel right."
"See, bleeding heart," Victoria said. "They shouldn't have made you a public educator. Those sort of people are all soulless brainwashing machines."
"You think everyone is like a machine," Vara said. "And that they can just be programmed however we choose if we have enough control. Humans aren't like that, you know. And Theo certainly would be no good at it if they were. Why else should he be Headmaster?"
"That's just what I said," Victoria said. "He's not cut out for it."
"I've yet to see your son at my school, Vic," Theo said.
"He's not ready," Victoria said, suddenly sharp.
"You've been saying that for three years haven't you?" Vara said, leaning on the wall right in front of Neo.
Neo's skin tingled, she was sure she could sense magic--once you were close to the lamp and the maiden, you started to pick it up.
"When are you going to let that scare go?" Vara continued. "Let the boy live a little. He's not some blasted homing pigeon."
"You should talk, Vara," Victoria said. "All right...well, here, it's all ready."
She picked something out of a box that had many locks on it.
Neo snapped a picture again.
Her aura was starting to get faint from holding this disguise though...she should probably start slipping out.
She started to back out of the table carefully.
"That doesn't look safe," Theo said.
"I'm sure it won't take enough to matter," Victoria said. "It should be fairly painless, it's so sharp. If you want an epidural..."
"I'm fine," Vara said. "But wait, I thought it was going to absorb it...that looks too sharp."
"Oh nonsense, it's a feather prick at most," Victoria said. "Anyway, so long as you do do it yourself right?"
"Stand over here where it's open more," Theo advised.
Neo was creeping up the stairs, but she paused to watch this curiously.
Vara held out her hand, shoving back some wrist guards, and she took the device that looked kind of like a syringe and scanner combined, and put her finger on it.
Her aura flashed into view and then faded.
She shuddered.
Then she collapsed.
"Vara!" Theo said, catching her. "Vic!"
"Oops..." Victoria said. "I suppose it didn't work...ah well, live and learn..."
She put her goggles down and inspected the sample...which was glowing with...aura?
Neo frowned.
Victoria inserted something into it, and then shook her head. "All I'm reading is regular aura, Theo."
Vara sat up suddenly, "Did you say regular aura?"
Victoria nodded.
"D--- it!" Vara smacked her fist into the floor.
"But you said--" Theo said.
"Always room for error," Victoria began making notes. "It's not good...I need better tech! This is too outdated...I need more notes from Polendina's projects...from Ironwood...if it's not all sunk with Atlas! Blast...suppose you talk to him?"
"He would never give me that, he doesn't like me," Theo said.
"Oh work something out, use your diplomacy, he's at your mercy right now," Victoria said. "I'd think Artie could help you too, but he wouldn't, that snake."
"Or we're trying to do something that's impossible!" Vara said, sounding spooked. "I told you! It's bad luck!"
"Don't try to sound like Qrow now," Theo said. "It's not impossible, if Salem could do it, there must be a way."
"I think it's time to consider something else," Victoria looked up from her notes. "Just how Salem does it...she's magic, right? It's not enough to use aura...I need magic. More to the point, I need a magical test subject."
"A Magical one?" Theo said warily.
"Yes...you said there's a maiden," Victoria said. "And your bird friend, and the crazy professor, right? That's 3 people right there. Of course that little broomstick riding witch you mentioned before would be better, but good luck capturing that lunatic. Couldn't you work something out? If I keep using Vara...and something goes wrong...well, there might not be a final product."
"You are not suggesting we use one of these people instead of me!" Vara said. "No, I won't have it! This is my problem! I chose it, didn't I? Both of you stop talking about this at once. We'll keep trying...or I quit! You hear me, I'll walk right up there and find your buddies right now and tell them'"
"Vara, calm down," Theo said.
Her eyes glowed with purple flame. "Don't tell me to calm down!"
"No one said we were doing anything," Theo said. "Vic, don't talk about things like that. That's disgusting."
"Fine," Vic said. "But if you won't bend your moral code a little, we can't go beyond human capability."
"You'll find a way," Theo said. "You already did right?"
"Depends on how you look at it," Victoria said.
"We're done," Vara announced. "I'm going home. You two exhaust me sometimes...say hello to Kip for me, Vara..."
She headed for the stair, Neo heard her mutter. "Goodness knows the boy won't hear it from anyone else."
Neo had to vault lightly off the edge or the stairs and hang there to avoid her running into her.
Vara stopped though, looking at her.
Neo was invisible, but her shadow had moved.
But Vara saw nothing now and must have thought it was a rat or a moth.
Shrugging she went out the door.
Neo followed her but she heard Victoria say.
"Are you sure about it, Theo?"
"That's a last resort at most," Theo said. "And you're fairly certain it wouldn't kill them."
"I can't be 100% certain, but it's more likely to cripple them," Victoria said, as if that was so much better.
"Vara will never agree to it," Theo said. "But if we don't do it soon...She will come anyway. We have to turn over the sword...but I'll be d----d if I turn over the Maiden also. "
"Careful, Theo, or you'll be damned anyway," Victoria said. "Not that I believe in that, but your buddies won't think so, will they?"
"Then we'd better hope it doesn't come to that," Theo said. "I refuse to turn out like Leo...but Atlas proved there is no beating them in terms of strength...well, she always said that anyway. We have to outfox them."
"Sure, outfox the immortal gorgon," Victoria said. "That won't be hard at all..."
Neo slipped out the trap door, and let out a deep breath.
Nothing was around.
She quickly stole back out of the hideout.
* * *
What had really happened to Whitely was close to what his mother thought-- in that he'd been out inspecting the new tower.
Well, it was really the old tower.
The dust wasn't doing it any good, but the workers had been trying to insulate it properly, and had mostly succeeded...they'd have to replace a lot of things, but they'd have had to do that anyway. But what they really needed was more dust.
There was a dust outpost here still, though it had been mined almost to oblivion, but it had a bit left...however it was high priced and Vaccou people mostly relied on simple weapons unless they were very well off.
It seemed like an impossible dilemma, you needed dust for the tower, or but you needed the tower for dust.
"The only other thing would be if someone personally went to Vale and Mistral and got them to send us more dust," Pietro commented. "They don't have as much as Atlas did, but they could help. For a price, of course...but the SDC's outposts would have some too. Couldn't you do it, Master Whitley?"
Somehow they all had started calling him this after hearing Klein do it. Whitley thought it sounded grand.
"I don't know. I'd need more identification than just Father's computers..." he said. "But he'd know the passcodes...I could talk to him...perhaps if I said it was saving the company, he'd go along with it."
But Jacques was locked in Shade's jail cells...and Whitley wasn't allowed to see him.
He'd need Winter's permission for that...or one of the other adults.
"I've got to go back to the school," he said.
"For now we better batten down the hatches, there's another dust storm rushing up," someone called.
"Careful Master Whitley," Pietro called. "Don't get caught in the storm.
Whitley, new to sandstorms, thought he had plenty of time to get back to the school. He thought it was like a snow storm, and would take at least 10 or 20 minutes to get so close, if not longer.
But he was quite wrong, the storm caught him just as he was only at the edge of the kingdom's more sheltered area.
Everyone else was already under cover.
It was awful...it was bad enough the day before, but this one was even thicker and he was alone this time.
Somehow he stumbled forward and tripped over a rock.
"Ey? What the blinking h---?" someone said.
Whitley looked up, not able to see much, but he thought someone was hiding behind the rock. [One way to survive a sandstorm by the way, find a rock or other cover and get as much protection from the wind as you can.]
"What, fool?" the voice said. "Get in here."
An arm yanked him closer to the rock which was a bit hollowed out and took them out of the wind.
Whitley tried to brush the sand out of his eyes.
His... helper was a girl who must have been either his age or maybe a year older or younger, who had a hat in one hand, and a stick thing across her lap.
She was very dirty, though perhaps that was to be expected, but her eyes were bright and alert like a bird's.
Whitley decided she must be a street thief and instinctively leaned away.
"Who are you?" he said.
"Who are you?" the girl had the strangest accent he'd ever heard...it sounded ghastly.
[It's supposed to be a vaguely cockney accent, like the crocodile girl in Maria's episode...but since all Remnant accents seem to be cheap knockoffs, just like their fairytale references, I wouldn't take it too seriously. The point is to be over the top unreal.]
"I'm Whitley Schnee," Whitley said.
"And I'm the queen of Atlas," the girl snorted. "Everyone knows the Schnees are rich pampered pricks who live up in a castle in the air, or some rot like that. Not getting lost in blinking sand storms in the desert of Vacuo. Who are you really?"
"That is who I am!" Whitley was furious. "And who are you but some dirty little thief probably, what would you know about my family? And we don't live in a castle. It's a mansion."
"What's the difference?" the girl asked.
Whitley honestly didn't know the difference, logistically. [Do you?] And it put him out.
"I thought so," the girl laughed at him, but not that meanly. "Well, Prince, name's Libby Broom. But everyone just calls me Lib. Or Lippy, if they're feeling particularly unpleasant. What brings you out in such fine weather?"
"I was on my way to do a very important errand," Whitley said pompously.
"Right, Princely business," Libby said mockingly. "I was just on my way to see the head of a chocolate factory me-self. But you know, this blasted storm stopped me. That's why I'm wearing this get up too, normally I'd be dripping in diamonds and gold."
"Mock me all you wish, but I know who I am and when this situation is over, I'll go back to the academy and you'll probably go to some ditch somewhere," Whitley said.
"Actually, I live in a pipe," Libby said. "Granted, it is over the warehouse over the city drains, but you get used to the smell after a while, and you needn't call it a ditch. That's just downright rude, Governor."
Whitley made a face. "How nasty..." he shuddered.
"Well, not all of us can afford a palace," Libby said.
"Can we not talk anymore?" Whitley said.
Libby shut up so completely that he was a little puzzled...and he found it unbearable (Whitley never could abide silence for that long). "Well, what if I am? It's not my fault the city sunk."
"Well, no one said it was," Libby said complacently. "But many of us as says, that the city crumbled under the weight of its own big head." She chuckled.
"That is not funny!" Whitley said.
"Learn to take a joke, mate," Libby said. "Have a little fun at yourself, do you some good."
"I'm sorry, what part of I've lost my entire home and livelihood is funny to you!" Whitley was in a high humor now. "The servants all left because father got arrested. Then our ships got shot down by the General just because he was mad at my sisters and her friends! And after they were going to get people out of the trench too! I got a sword pointed at me! And I had to harbor fugitives...also ruined a perfectly good suit with robot blood!"
"What the 'ell is that?" Libby asked.
"Oil or something," Whitley said. "And then I have to leave my home, and I'm stuck here with my alcoholic mother, and a sister who thinks that family time is training her favorite sibling to slay monsters in the backyard in the dead of winter! I had to leave all my things at home too."
"Must be real tough having enough things to even care about leaving," Libby said dryly.
"Well, I don't anymore," Whitely said. "I'm homeless and if I don't get this business back up, penniless soon enough."
"First time?" Libby said, leaning back.
Pause.
"That's half of Vacuo, mate," Libby said.
Whitley had no response to this except to look dejected.
Libby pursed her lips. "Oh don't sulk," she said finally. "Maybe you're mad as a hatter, but I suppose you're kind of pathetic in your own way."
"Pathetic? Me?" Whitley said.
"A lot of what you just said was rot," Libby said. "A mean, a sword to your throat? That's Tuesday around here. But a bit of it sounds like an impressive load of 'ardship...But cheer up, at least things can't get worse."
"I'm lost in a sandstorm with a total stranger," Whitley said. "Only thing that could be worse if if a grimm showed up and--"
"Pipe down, Princy," Libby covered his mouth sharply. "You want to invite bad luck? I ought to pop you for that."
She jabbed him with the butt of her stick.
"Ouch!" Whitley said.
"In fact, quit it with all this negative talking while we're out here, you'll lead the mongrels right to us," Libby looked around warily. "I'm a bit of down on my luck right now too, as you can see. On top of that, me mate got eaten earlier this week."
"Oh..." Whitley said. "How...unfortunate."
"Well, we weren't that close," Libby said. "I reckon no one is around here, but they were a help, you know...And the gods know you can't find any work around here that's honest or dishonest, what with the embargo stopping up business so much. But you can't think about that. You think like that, you die out here, the grimm'll find a downer, right quick. So try thinking about something more cheerful and buck up. A good attitude keeps you alive in Vacuo."
"I find that hard to believe, based on whom I've met here."
"Gave you a warm welcome, eh?" Libby snickered. "Ay that's my people...but they ain't so bad once you get past the rough edges. After all," she pulled a rock out of her pocket and cracked it open. "Sometimes it's what's inside that counts."
The rock contained a geode...Whitley had never seen one before.
"What is that?" Whitley was impressed.
"It's a geode," Libby sounded way proud of hers for knowing that. "Me mate found it in one of yon caves...ain't worth much, you can't sell 'em to anyone but fancy folk, and they want real diamonds usually...but it's nice looking at. Makes me feel a bit posh carrying it around. Sometime I want a real jewel, but I supposed a Prince like yourself problem has a heap ton of those just lying around yer basement."
"Actually we have them set in jewelry," Whitley said. "But only my mother even wears it, and then usually only one set. The Schnees don't go much for jewels, they prefer weapons."
"If that's true they have more sense than I thought," Libby said. "Mind if I ask where your weapon is?"
"I...well I don't have one," Whitley said.
Libby started laughing so hard that she choked on the sand. She had to stop. "Oh...don't say things like that in the storm, you little blighter."
"Well it was true," Whiteley said.
"Are you off in your 'ead?" Libby said. "This is Vacuo...and even if it weren't, grimm are everywhere, and you don't have a blooming weapon?"
"We had guards for that!" Whitley said.
"And if there ain't no guard?" Libby said. "What you do? Ask the grimm to please excuse you, you don't believe in violence? Or some tomfoolery like that?"
"Well...I..." Whitley had no words.
Libby coughed suddenly.
"Best find a better spot than this..." she said. "Now I know there was some shack dead ahead."
"Couldn't we get lost?" Whitley said.
"What's life without risk?" Libby said cheerfully. "Come on Governor."
"What, no--" Whitley said, but Libby put her hat over her face and stuck out her stick...which had metal bristles at the end of it that looked like spikes.
Whitely didn't want to follow, but then he heard the howl of some kind of grimm not that far off.
Yelping, he scrambled after her and she charged along until she hit the wall of a house, and slipped around it.
She stuck out her stick and with ran into it, nearly impaling himself.
"What was that---?" he said.
Libby yanked him around the corner.
"Almost missed it," she said. "Now shut up, I heard one of them howlers on our tail."
Whitley found she'd punctured his clothes with those blades...and probably his skin also.
"Great, another stain..." he muttered. "How will Klein ever get this out?"
He might well worry, he had no other clothes and these were not the best for the desert anyway.
Libby covered her mouth and listened...
One of the grimm suddenly stuck its head around the corners, sniffing.
Libby, quick as a lightning bolt, rammed her stick point down into its head, and the whole thing turned to smoke.
Whitley was quite taken back by such violence...though he'd helped kill the hound. But it just hadn't seemed so visceral that time.
"Lucky that was a little one," Libby coughed. "Quick, inside."
She went toward the wall and found some kind of door on the last corner, she knocked the lock off with her stick and opened it.
Whitley followed her inside and she shut it and propped her stick against it to keep it closed.
"Well, ain't this cozy," she pulled out a lighter and lit it.
Whitley saw a nest of rats in the shed and gave a cry of surprise and disgust.
The rats ran from the light anyway.
"Oh them?" Libby looked around. "They won't bother you if you don't bother them. Just don't get bit. And don't step in their...well...you know. They're just rats, scorpions are worse."
"Oh, don't even talk about those creatures," Whitley had seen one in the kitchen and almost fainted.
"Well, now that we can talk more freely, we ought to pick a more cheerful subject so the grimm stay away from us," Libby said. "And then clear out before whoever lives here comes back."
"Someone lives here?" Whitley said.
"Of course, this is a pretty good shack," Libby said. "We'll catch it if they come back while we're in, no doubt they're squatting in someone else's house now...unless the grimm got 'em."
"Oh, don't talk about that," Whitley shuddered and hugged his sides. "I hate those things."
"Well ain't no one like 'em" Libby said. "At least you're not completely looney."
"I'm not alone at all, and you're a very rude little girl," Whitley said.
"I'm not any more little than you, Governor," Libby folded her arms in like manner. "Do buck up."
"Well, excuse me if it's hard to look on the bright side when my life is falling apart," Whitley said.
"Surely there must be something good happening?" Libby insisted. "I'll tell you mine. I didn't get lost in the sandstorm."
"That's it?" Whitley said.
"Well let's not use 'em all up at once," Libby said. "Your turn."
Whitley didn't want to play...but neither did he want the grimm to find them.
"Well... I suppose, I could have gotten lost also." He said. "I'm not sure how much of an advantage it is being trapped here with you, but it's not a grimm."
"There's the spirit," Libby said dryly. "Right pleasant fellow you are...well, another feather in me cap is that I didn't lose me hat."
"That hat is ridiculous," Whitley said.
"Shows what you know," Libby said. "This hat is wonderful."
It was a tall hat, and bold, and Whitley thought it looked stupid.
"Your turn again," she added.
"I suppose..." Whitley searched for any silver lining in his life. "Well, my sisters have been a bit more tolerable since I helped them save their friends."
"Well there, having family is always nice," Libby said.
"Don't you have any?" Whitley said.
"No," Libby said. "I'm all alone." She shrugged.
"Are you... a huntress then?" Whitley asked.
"No," Libby said. "I was...going to be one, once...but I couldn't afford the tuition...and I wasn't good enough for a scholarship."
"They don't make any kind of allowances for the...inhabitants of this kingdom?" Whitley said.
"Oh sure, it's way less expensive here than the others, I'm sure," Libby said. "Once I had an eye for business you know, my uncle used to have his own shop...but it closed because of the SDC took all our business. Then he ups and goes on an expedition out of the kingdom to find work, and never comes back. Got eaten no doubt."
She seemed calm enough about this. To his astonishment.
"You're not upset?"
"He was kind of an ass," Libby said. "But, he was all I had at the time...I suppose I got over being upset a while ago though. Now I fend for myself, it's not so bad. If you know the rules. And keep a tight rein on your cash. Oh it's not palace life, but I manage."
"My life is not perfect you know," Whitley said. "Not that you'd know anything about this, but my family ignores me. I only got their attention this week because I was finally useful to them. none of them cared before that. My father now, he only gave me the company when both my sisters became unfit. Even though they haven't the slightest interest in business and I do! I thought I could impress him but then he got arrested, and everyone left. Even our butler was fired for helping my sister escape, no one thinks of me. So it's not all that great being rich either. "
"I never thought of it that way," Libby seemed an open minded person. "Sorry to hear it, Governor. You do have problems...still, at least you have family left. Maybe you can patch it up."
"Maybe," Whitley said. "But if I stop being useful, they'll just forget about me again. I have to keep this up. I have to get back to Shade Academy and get some codes or I'm sunk."
"Well a lot of family has no use of you if you're not useful," Libby mused. "You hear about other kinds in books and tales, but, I don't see much of it. You have to survive here...I guess if you can't, you're dead weight. But you got to have some weapon anyway, what if I hadn't been here and a grimm ate you? What would become of your dreams then?"
"I..." Whitley sighed "I don't have a semblance..."
"What do you mean, everyone does," Libby said. "You haven't unlocked it yet you mean?"
"I just can't."
"How do you know?"
"I never have," Whitley said.
"Hmm," Libby said. "Well tell me about Atlas."
Somehow the time passed with this kind of talk, till the storm was over.