Weiss tried to sneak back into her dorm area and hoped that the other girls were asleep already.
"And where have you been?" Qrow surprised her in one of the halls so that she almost screamed.
What was he still doing up?
"What do you mean?" Weiss tried to sound innocent but lacked Yang's experience with sneaking out and lying about it.
"Don't play dumb with me," Qrow said. "I saw you sneaking in with that archer kid. Where's he been the last two days anyway? Where were you?"
"Please don't tell Winter!" Weiss hissed, giving up on denying it. "Or my mother..."
She wasn't sure what Willow would do, but she'd probably be disappointed or worried.
"Should I tell her?" Qrow frowned. "You know, it's easy to get a little distracted after a successful mission, but that's not a good reason to be sneaking around and lying to people."
"I didn't lie," Weiss said. "I just wasn't going to tell her--it was harmless, but she'll freak out."
"Harmless, huh?"
"Yes, I swear, we just went for a walk... ride..." Weiss said.
Eyebrow raise.
"Well, what business is it of yours?" she snapped.
"None at all, but it might be someone else's," Qrow said. "I don't really want to deal with this. I could get Likstar or someone else."
"Don't do that," Weiss said.
Shine was mad enough at them for talking so loudly without this too.
She folded her hands. "I promise we just went down to the Oasis and talked about stuff. That's all. I wouldn't do anything stupid. I'm not naive."
"You're more naive than you think you are, kid," Qrow said.
"Come on, you know Meridian. He was on the mission," Weiss said. "You don't really suspect him, do you?"
"Not my place to really judge," Qrow said. "But if you're going to act guilty about it, that's your place to start wondering about your actions. Anyway, if you have to hide it, what's the point?"
Weiss looked down. "Sometimes it's just nice not to have other people around watching your every move."
She didn't know if the pity appeal would work on Qrow--it wouldn't have on Winter.
However Qrow was a lot more pliable where girls his nieces' age were concerned...
"Look, you're an adult, so it's your decision what you want to do, but if it blows up on you later, just remember you were warned," he shrugged. "Not that I think he's a bad kid... Still... besides it's dangerous out there at night no matter how much it might seem innocent. A lot of people worse than the students at this school are around Vacuo after dark."
"We were fine," Weiss insisted. "I think we can handle it. Besides, you go out after dark all the time."
"There's a big difference there," Qrow said.
"Why?"
Qrow did not want to have this conversation with her. "Ask your mother."
Weiss frowned. "I'm aware, all right? But I'm sure nothing bad would happen as long as you're careful... So you're not going to tell Winter, right?"
"Knowing her, she'll find out whether I tell her or not," Qrow said. "Especially if you're concerned, and I don't want to get in the middle of it. Maybe you should just tell her yourself."
"She'd kill me."
"That's a distinct possibility, but you should have thought of that before you snuck out."
"Ergh, it was just a walk!" Weiss said heatedly. "Why does everyone have to watch everything I do?! Yang snuck out plenty of times alone."
"Yeah, and do you know who followed her around a lot of those times?" Qrow shot back.
Weiss paused. "Well... I know that you and Raven both did..."
"Yeah, and now we can't turn into birds and do that. I guess Raven still has her portals, but I'm back to regular, old walking," Qrow said tightly. "So kids goofing around the way they used to is not going to be so easy to blow off. All of us are going to be a little less powerful than before, without magic. So, I'm not enthused about Yang doing it either. But you're less experienced than she is out there. It shows."
"It shows?!" Weiss said. "You know, I've been through a lot too. I had no problem escaping Bandit camp after getting kidnapped by Raven!"
"And by now you should know that's because Raven, with all her faults, is still less cruel than most bandits," Qrow said. "I hate to say it, but she instilled more order in her camp than most. If it had been the one we were raised in, you'd probably have been a lot worse off. You've been lucky to have people around you to watch your back, kid, but one other new huntsman isn't automatically safe around here."
"Somehow, not the logic I thought I'd get from you..." Weiss frowned.
But secretly she was starting to feel a little guilty. It had seemed harmless enough, but in this light, it might be reckless... Meridian seems to know his way around, but...
"Still, we're heroes now. Who would mess with us?" she said.
"Maybe, maybe not. There's always some scum who won't care," Qrow said.
Weiss thought he was worried too much but doubted she'd get sympathy from her sister with this point of view.
"Fine, fine, next time it won't be so late." She held up her hands. "Happy? I don't think he was trying to do anything dangerous... It's just...nice out of the sun, that's all."
"Yeah, well, he doesn't have a lot of common sense," Qrow said.
"Coming from you?" Weiss shot back.
"I was a lot like him when I was his age," Qrow said. [Still are in many ways, Qrow...]
"Well, what are you doing up anyway?" Weiss changed the subject hastily.
"I'm usually up this late. Call it a professional habit," Qrow shrugged. "You should be sneaking back into your room before someone else finds you out."
"I was just going to..." Weiss said haughtily.
She hurried up the stairs carefully.
[Hah, being busted by Qrow is both bad and good.]
* * *
The next morning was the day of the ceremony of course, though the real festivity didn't begin until evening, for climate reasons.
But the awards part was supposed to held around 5 to get it out of the way since it would be indoors.
Vacuo's council meeting hall was rarely used, but it was the only place big enough and fortified enough for this event, so that's where they'd be having that part.
The party itself was either outside or under tents and makeshift pavilions that had been built quickly in just the last week. Not fancy, but better than open exposure, and they'd have lights and music stands set up around them.
Most of the teens were up early to get ready and get a chance to look at the preparations.
Weiss wanted to sleep in after her late night, which Yang teased her about rather mercilessly, though she said repeatedly that it hadn't amounted to much.
Finally, Blake and Ruby got Yang to leave her alone because they wanted to talk about hair and makeup for later.
They weren't going to get ready till a few hours before the ceremony, but Blake had curled her hair and wanted to get her nails done also.
"I mean, we might as well go all out," she said. "And it's been ages since I had a spa day."
"I do know one," Coco informed her, as it was breakfast at this time. "The spas here are simply awful most of the time, but there's this one semi-decent little shop in the upper scale area. The prices are enormous of course, but you can't put a price on quality."
"People always say that," Wally remarked, "but then why does it have a price at all?"
"Quality is made up if you have a price on it," Shine said. "Real qualities like courage and nobility have no price."
"You have an axiom for everything," Velvet noted. "Is she a teacher or something?"
"Of course she is," Pyrrha said.
"Yeah, what are you, under a rock?" Mercury said rudely.
Emerald nudged him.
"Emerald, you want to come?" Blake offered nicely.
"Oh... well, I've never really been to one of those." Emerald couldn't imagine paying someone to do your nails when you could just do it yourself for free--if you stole the polish.
"That's just wrong," Coco said. "Geez. Velvet and I will go with you, and we can all get a facial also."
"No way, I'm not much for that," Yang said. "I don't mind dressing up, but all that other stuff is just a waste of money. And a nail job is not good for my biking. It'll just get chipped anyway."
"Just for the experience," Blake argued. "Come on, for one night? You can just undo it afterwards."
"Duh, it's called nail polish remover," Coco agreed.
"I don't want to go if you don't." Ruby was nervous about trying new stuff.
"I guess for once it'll be okay, but just this time," Yang finally gave in. "Nora?"
"I guess I wouldn't mind," Nora said. "Maybe Ren will notice me more."
Ren gave her a strange look like "how could I not notice you?"
"Well, I think you guys are wasting your time," Sun said. "No one really dresses up that much. I'm surprised we even have spas here."
"No one asked you." Coco didn't care for his lax attitude toward fashion.
"I'm just saying, it's so unnecessary," Sun said.
"Yeah, you girls all look great just the way you are." Neptune stepped in to bail him out. "Right, Sun?"
"Yeah, exactly," Sun said.
Blake reddened.
"No one believes that line," Yang said. "Guys like it when girls dress up."
"Not all guys," Wally said. "I've known ones who like it if girls just act natural around them. Less intimidating that way."
"I like to dress up." Shine gave him a look.
"Did I say I was one of them? I say you do you, babe," Wally said.
"Does it strike you all as idiotic to talk about this kind of crap at a time like this?" Cinder said sourly.
"Oh, wow, she speaks," Mercury said.
"Seriously, I think you've been dead silent for, like, 24 hours," Emerald noted. "Everything okay?"
Cinder looked at her like she was stupid. "Oh, everything is great." Killingly.
"Did something happen?" Pyrrha said, utterly clueless.
Cinder would probably have bitten her head off, but she felt much too guilty by now to be mean to Pyrrha so openly, so she just glowered at her plate.
"So I take it the thing didn't smooth her over that much?" Wally said.
Shine shrugged.
* * *
When she'd found Cinder the day before and handed her the bag, Cinder had just looked at her like it was a snake.
"What is this?" she asked.
"For the ceremony," Shine said. "We're all supposed to be there, everyone who went on the mission--that includes you."
"I'm not going to that," Cinder argued. "I'll be mobbed for sure."
"Oh please, I think people will accept that things changed," Shine said. "Emerald, Mercury, and Hazel have walked around without being attacked."
"Well, I'm a little different from them," Cinder said. "And I don't want to go. It'll be boring even if it wasn't dangerous. And I don't want an award."
"If you were smart you'd see that this is the best way for you to move around safely in the world," Shine said. "Changing your reputation could only help you. And even if I don't force you to go, someone else might. Unfortunately people saw you leave with us. If you dip, they'll think you ran away. That won't look good. So stop acting like a child and just take the dang dress."
"That's what this is?" Cinder peered in and then looked up. "I didn't tell you my size."
"I guessed," Shine said. "I mean, it's not like it's that hard to guess for certain sizes... Take it back if you don't want it, but it's not like you were going to go shopping for yourself. Anyway, Emerald told me it should fit."
"It's way too basic..." Cinder examined it critically.
"Can't you sew?" Shine said carelessly. "Alter it."
"I'll have to. It's boring--how did you know that?" Cinder said.
"I saw--you know what? I'm not going there." Shine stopped abruptly. "And you could just say 'thank you'. But I'll infer it."
"Stop doing that," Cinder said.
"Doing what?"
"Talking about me like I can't be expected to have common courtesy," Cinder said. "It's like you think I'm some savage."
She got a look in response that was just cutting more than her sword would be.
"Well, you see," Cinder said defensively, "for all you say, you still think little of me."
"Love is a gift, Cinder, but respect is earned." Shine was even more cutting when she spoke. "I think better of your common sense than I used to, but of your common courtesy? You'll have to excuse me if I'm skeptical. It must be that I've never heard you say anything remotely polite."
Cinder glared at her. "Politeness is a waste of energy. No one means it anyway."
"Some people do," Shine dismissed it. "Didn't you just say that I implied you were a savage? Why do you always make things harder than they need to be?"
"This is obviously so hard for you, yes," Cinder snapped.
"Fine, I'll give you that, but if you don't face it head on it will only get worse," Shine argued.
Cinder recalled her teacher telling her she'd only ever run.
She sighed.
"Look, we won. We stopped the gods. Salem is gone... in the strangest way possible," she said slowly. "And there's no more magic. Everyone is happy. Can't you just leave me out of it?"
"But you're not happy."
"I'm never happy," truthfully enough. "And I don't fit in here. Frankly, if I'm not wreaking mayhem, I'm not really good for anything."
"But I was told about your apology," Shine said. Pyrrha had not hesitated to tell her about it at the first convenient moment. "You've softened."
"That was just... well, what else could I say?" Cinder said. "I mean, after... Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I've always been wrong. But if I am, there is something wrong with me. I can't fix it. I can't change it. I'm the same person I was before this. Arc was always right about me, I suppose. To do the things I do you have to be broken inside. I guess I was that way since I was a child. And this--?" She held up the bag. "--and a medal aren't going to change that. If you put s--- in a fancy bag that doesn't change what it is... so..."
"What a horrible metaphor." Shine made a face. "I see your point. You can't change your spots."
"Huh?"
"Can a leopard change his spots? It's an old saying. But you know... you know, we've explained the answer to this problem already," Shine said. "To change this, you have to be born again. That's why it's called that. A new life... a new person."
"Rebirth? I thought you don't believe in that."
"Not the same as reincarnation, but rebirth itself, yes, I believe in it. Your spirit is reborn. That's what we believe. You must die before you die. Unless all this trouble is just you giving up. I'd be sorry to think so."
"Why? Isn't that what I do?" Cinder said dully.
"Listen to yourself," Shine insisted. "This is not like the old you at all. You've become self aware. Isn't that something?"
"I'm not that self aware," Cinder said. "I'm still cruel and selfish. I only realize that this is the case now. I don't really wish to be nicer to anyone than before."
"I don't think that's as true as you think, but even if it was, it doesn't matter. All that matters is wanting to change, and if Salem could, you can. You can't be worse than her."
Cinder finally smirked but then frowned. "She was cursed."
"We're all cursed."
"But some people are just naturally better than others." Cinder was bitter. "For whatever reason... It doesn't seem fair. Why is it easier for them?"
"I don't know," Shine shrugged. "We're all born with some flaws. Some virtues. Granted, some of us are more socially acceptable, but we're still flawed. What you don't understand yet is that even someone like Pyrrha, who is one of the kindest people I've met, is still born flawed, and even her kindness has cracks in it, sometimes the most so when she the most is trying. Because we are imperfect, our effect on others is imperfect also. Even her noblest self sacrifice had its tainted moments because of the results... but that's nothing against her. It's just that she can't help being human. Neither can I. Everything I do that's just me... it's always had its negative consequences for me." She tugged her hair. "Yours are more apparent. But I've told you that's not always bad."
"The rest of the world won't see it that way," Cinder said.
"Sometimes things are what you make of them, Cinder. We tell people how to treat us. If you treat this as a new start, others will fall into line with it. If you act ashamed and dirty, people will treat you that way. There are exceptions to both rules. There are people kinder than others, and there are people harsher than others. But the average person will act as we teach them to act towards us. You make yourself a villain, and people treat you that way. That was your choice. Didn't you notice a change once you became a bit more humble?"
Cinder sniffed dismissively. "They still think I'm evil."
"I think they think you're confused," Shine corrected. "I've heard them talking about you when you're not around, I wouldn't say they were angry."
"They should be. You can't convince me it's that simple."
"I don't know that it's simple, but I do know that making the choice is," Shine said. "So think about it. If you want this life, it's here for you. Free. You can't buy it or earn it or steal it. But it's there. No strings attached. Except that it will take all of your life. You must give up all of it to get a new one, or it won't take. That said, I can't choose for you. But I hope you change your mind abound that ceremony." She shrugged. "What better thing do you have to do on a Saturday night?"
She walked away.
* * *
Well, Cinder hadn't spoken to her since, and now it was the next morning.
The others elected to ignore her grumpiness.
"What will you guys do while we're working on getting pretty?" Yang asked Neptune.
"Theo and the other Shade students are going to set up fireworks around the kingdom for the party," Neptune said. "We're supposed to help."
"It's going to be awesome!" Sun said.
"At least it doesn't involve water," Neptune muttered.
"That sounds way cooler than what we're doing," Yang pouted.
"You promised!" Ruby said.
"You can help light them up later," Sun offered.
"Sweet." Yang made a fist.
"Can I do that?" Wally asked Shine.
"You're asking me?" she said.
"I mean... did you want to do anything together?" Wally said.
"Oh, no, I want to get a chance to get ready without you seeing me. It'll spoil the effect," Shine said. "You just keep an eye on Oscar, or I'll skin someone alive."
"Oh, sure, you got it." Wally gave her a thumbs up.
"I think I'll be okay without Ozma in my head now," Oscar said. "No more magic spasms. I already feel a lot stronger."
"You look a lot better." Nora studied him. "Less tired and pale."
Oscar winced. "Did I look really bad before?"
"Oh, no, not that bad," Emerald assured him. "Just sick."
Oscar tried not to take that personally.
"You're all going to be having fun. I'm bored," Raven complained.
"Come with us then," Shine said.
"Yeah, you want to go to the spa?" Blake offered.
"That really doesn't sound like my style," Raven said.
"Just for once it couldn't hurt," Shine said. "Anyway, I could use help with a project of my own. Winter, what will you be doing?"
"Unfortunately, I have work," Winter said. "They want me to speak to the visiting council members beforehand to arrange everything according to custom... I suppose I am the highest ranking Atlas official except for Camella... and she has not been much help."
"She's not that adaptable," Willow noted. "Without Atlas actually being real, I think many of its elite have lost their confidence. It won't be easy to keep any standing in the world without a location."
"Something to think about before Vale or Mistral snatches up that land," Winter mused.
"They'd want an icy tundra, huh?" Qrow said.
"There's still plenty of dust in the outer areas of Mantle," Winter said. "Even if it's mostly under water. And there's no doubt more farther out. People will still want the land."
"Legally, you still own it," Raven said. "But yeah, problems, problems. Glad I'm not in charge of it."
"But you will be back in time to get ready with us," Shine hoped.
"I can try--where is Weiss anyway?" Winter suddenly realized that Weiss had yet to appear.
"She was real tired from our shopping, so she's probably sleeping in," Yang lied glibly--at least it was kind of a lie.
"That and not your pillow fight?" Shine said dryly.
"Pillow fight?" Jaune said.
"You guys were super loud," Emerald said. "But I'd have thought the real reason she'd be tired would be because Meridian was outside shooting stuff at your window."
Yang, Ruby, and Blake all glared at her.
"What?" she said.
"What?" Winter said sharply.
"He went away," Blake said hastily. "It wasn't even more than once. Geez, Emerald."
"Ooh, busted," Mercury mocked them.
"You know what? Let's just go," Blake said hastily again. "I want to have plenty of time before later."
"Just a minute--" Winter began, but they all dashed out of the room.
"So what?" Raven said. "A few antics like this are nothing compared to the danger they've been in."
"That's no excuse!" Winter said.
"You really need to loosen up, Schnee," Raven said.
"I can't believe Weiss would do that," Wally said. "Wow. She's totally gotten more chill since Beacon, huh?"
"I actually could see her doing it even then," Shine said. "Girls like her always have a wild side. Like me." She smirked.
"I will be speaking to her about this later," Winter said.
"Winter," Shine warned, "I think you'll just encourage it if you do that. Weiss is an adult now. You can't push her--she'll just rebel more. Just like with your father. It's the danger of it that's appealing, but it'll get old if you don't try to push."
"Try to push?" Winter said.
"If you want her not to do it, just tell her you know she did and that you're fine with it as long as she doesn't get hurt," Shine advised. "She won't bother anymore."
"Would that really work?" Wally said.
"Well, it would probably work on me. The whole point is to get in trouble," Shine said, "or to be secret... so that takes out the excitement."
"Well, you'd be the worst counselor ever." Raven folded her arms.
"Uh huh," Shine said. "I know you followed Yang around. Do you think she'd have gone out if she knew you knew?"
"No... because she was looking for her," Qrow said.
"If she hadn't been, she'd probably still have done it," Shine said. "Knowing her. It's all of a piece."
"I think Yang can handle herself," Neptune said. "I've seen her intimidate an entire bar of guys. That's kind of why I had a thing for her. I mean... I never thought she'd actually date me, but..."
"Oh, yeah. That." Qrow frowned. "We need to have a talk."
"Can we do it later?" Neptune said nervously. "I should really help Theo, right, Sun?"
"Didn't he say we wouldn't need to till aft--" Sun paused. "I mean, yeah, we need to help. It's gonna take hours to set that up. Plus we gotta get ready too, you know... Do I have to wear a tie?"
"I highly recommend it," Whitley spoke up. "Even you hooligans ought to look presentable for this ceremony."
"What's the big deal? We show up, get some medal or speech and dance a little and we're done," Sun said.
"Clearly he has no idea how bureaucracy works," Winter said.
Qrow frowned at Neptune.
"Are you really going to give him the speech about if he ever does anything to her he's dead?" Raven asked him.
"One of us has to," Qrow said.
"Hold up." Tai had hardly been listening to any of this since it was mostly just party talk, but this finally got his attention. "Are you really saying that Yang and... this guy are actually dating?"
"Well, they haven't really dated more than once or twice," Sun said.
"Dude!" Neptune hissed. "Shut up."
"My daughter? With you?" Tai glanced at Neptune. "I thought she was smarter than that."
Neptune looked a little crushed. "Well... uh..."
"Neptune is way cool!" Sun said. "He can make tidal waves now--with Jaune's help, but still."
"I think you'll find he's a very capable huntsman." Pyrrha thought this was endorsement enough.
"How could you let this happen?" Tai demanded of Qrow. "You were supposed to watch them while they were gone. The mission was to save the world, not to start a mixer!"
"Oh, he had some mixing of his own to do," Raven said with significance.
"Miss Branwen, please," Winter said.
"You can't keep calling me that if we're going to be this closely associated," Raven said.
"Huh?" Tai said.
Raven nodded at Qrow.
Winter didn't really want Tai to know about it at all, and she glared at her.
"Wait, seriously?" Tai was baffled. "I mean, I know we made jokes about it, but I never thought she'd ever actually agree to... For real?"
"I don't see how it's any of your business," Winter said coldly.
"Why does everyone find this so hard to believe?" Shine wondered aloud. "Their chemistry was always evident."
"Likstar! Don't say things like that," Qrow said. "Especially in front of Tai."
"I'm... I mean, I'm happy for you, I guess." Tai tried to get a grip. "But... that doesn't change anything about Yang. I don't really think she's ready anyway, and I've heard about you." Frowning at Neptune.
"Gotta go." Neptune was already heading for the door, with Sun and Jaune right behind him.
Pyrrha, Nora and Emerald ran for it also, not caring to get dragged into this further, and they needed to catch up with the RWBY girls anyway.
"You guys freak out too much," Wally said. "It's just dating. What's the big deal? These kids bonded a lot on the road."
"That's just what I'm afraid of," Tai said.
"Tai, we wouldn't have let anything like that go on," Shine said. "It's all been quite harmless. But they are old enough to be thinking of it now. What do you expect?"
"You're not a parent, Miss Listkar," Tai said.
"I guess not," Shine said. "But I'd hope my kids, if I had any, would find people who really cared about them and could be depended on. I'd say that applies to anyone in our team. They could do a lot worse."
"Ruby especially, I think, has great taste," Wally mused.
He was rooting for Oscar.
"Ruby?" Tai practically spit water. "What do you mean Ruby?"
"Oh, nothing much," Wally said hastily. "Just if, you know... she was interested in someone."
Oscar glanced at him strangely like that thought bothered him.
"You know, I should go," Shine said. "Raven?"
"Right behind you." Raven decided she'd rather not deal with Tai's questions.
They left.
Cinder left also.
Winter had had some idea of asking if Qrow wanted to help her with the "diplomatic relations", as he knew Vacuo much better than she did and she found the Mistral council and Vale council a bit daunting, but Qrow and Wally left straight away with Tai, probably to get grilled while they were doing other things to get ready.
It was mostly to help Theo run errands and keep his rowdy students in check so that nothing blew up before it was supposed to.
Winter thought Qrow had avoided her somewhat since they got back anyway, aside from that one conversation, and she wondered why.
Perhaps he was embarrassed...
Whitley actually went with her--he just wanted a chance to meet more important people and discuss the prospects of the SDC with them.
Libby tagged along also.
And so did Glynda.
This led to having to explain what happened to General Ironwood to the curious people.
No one questioned that he could have been lost in battle, but Winter, determined that they should stop concealing unpleasant truths from people--as it had backfired before--also told them that he'd turned on them in the end.
They weren't that surprised after his alleged insanity in Atlas.
But some of the people of Vale then said, "So you'll be standing in as general then?"
Winter had dreaded this question.
"It's still to be decided who will be taking over once we have the chance to have an election," she said. "But for now I am the highest ranking official left."
They looked at her carefully.
"We appreciate the service you've given to Remnant," said one councilwoman. "And along that line, we certainly would support you. But some of us do worry about your... how shall I say this? Youth? A more experienced leader might be better for what is left of Atlas."
Winter frowned.
Glynda frowned also.
"Hey," Marrow spoke up, "no one has the trust of Atlas more than Luientent Schnee does. She's been guiding us through the entire ordeal of losing the city and kingdom."
"And uniting what's left of it," Robyn, who of course was there too, spoke up. "We've all worked together. That's more than the General ever did. Maybe her being a little younger is a good thing. Being a bit more open-minded doesn't hurt, I say."
"Yes... well, I appreciate your support." Winter felt she'd better speak or she'd look weak. "And while I have never sought this position, I will do whatever needs to be done for the good of Atlas. I'd prefer to establish a new council so that all these decisions do not rest on one person. But it will take time to find people willing to. For now, I am hoping for your continued generosity to the refugees who have nowhere else to go."
"Of course..." they said a bit more meekly.
"It's the least we can do..."
After the others moved away, Glynda remarked to Winter, "They'll let it go for now because they know the world is looking up to you all, and they wouldn't like to seem like they're pushing you, but sooner or later you'll need to organize Atlas. The military is scattered, and you don't have the resources to re-organize it the same as before."
"I'm well aware," Winter said.
"Why don't you try to make something like the Huntresses?" Robyn suggested. "A little less formal, but whoever wants to still be organized like soldiers, you could have someone in charge of that. It wouldn't be an army per se, but you don't have to let the training go to waste. Like a militia."
"I suppose that's one idea..." Winter said. "But I can't oversee everything either. This is what I was saying before. We need more leadership."
"But you have all these people who were like your rescue team," Marrow said. "Don't they all need new jobs now? There's both Branwens and those others. They must be highly trained, and they know how to lead if they manage to succeed that mission, right? The Ace Ops are good, but I just don't know if any of us know how to lead that well. Clover was the only one of us who did, and..."
"I can't see Qrow wanting any of that," Winter said stiffly. "As for Raven... well... why would she be working with us?"
"She's going to have to go somewhere," Robyn said. "Her tribe is gone, isn't it? I don't think she can just start another one just like that, especially at her age."
"She's not that old," Winter replied.
"But she's a little old to start a bandit tribe. She won't be in her prime for that much longer," Robyn said. "I wouldn't want to restart the Huntresses in another 10 years myself. You need a lot of energy for that. Maybe something that's already established would appeal to her more."
"Who would trust her?" Winter said.
"Well, people trust me," Robyn said. "And after the crap you guys pulled right before Atlas fell, it was astonishing how they've gotten over it. She's a hero now... I'm just saying, she's probably more competent than all the Atlas personnel put together, except maybe you. I wouldn't just let her go without trying to recruit her. I would myself, but I think she's kind of got that jealousy thing going with me about Qrow."
"Why? You and Qrow are just friends," Marrow said.
"I'm like the little sister he never had," Robyn said. "You know, because his actual sister is kind of mean and I'm actually nice. She just doesn't like me honing in on her turf--by the way, Schnee, you and Qrow got together, right? I wasn't wrong about that?"
"I..." Winter reddened. "We..."
"Why isn't he here though?" Marrow said. "He was following you around so much before you left, I'm surprised he missed it."
"I'm sure this kind of thing bores him," Robyn said. "Though having a chance to stir the pot with some politicians seems like something he'd normally like. Still, yeah, he should be here. People will look up to him too. Not that many famous huntsmen left."
"He didn't seem interested in attending," Winter said stiffly.
"Didn't you ask him?" Robyn said.
"I hardly got the chance," Winter said. "Actually, he's not been following me around at all."
"Strange," Glynda remarked. "He was so attentive on the mission."
"How official are you?" Robyn asked.
"It's really none of you business," Winter said.
Robyn sighed. "Sorry... I guess I just like people to be happy, you know? Kind of goes with the name..."
"It's... complicated," Winter sighed. "I thought it wasn't anymore, but Qrow seems to change his mind a lot."
"He doesn't seem like the type," Marrow said.
"I'm sure he likes you well enough." Glynda shoved her glasses up. "I always suspected that was why he antagonized you so much--disgusted me, really. So immature. But this is not what we should be talking about right now."
"Right. Business, business," Robyn agreed.