[6/22 (Sunday) - Morning]
[Vale — Zone 11 (Commercial)]
Another one off the list. Dragging his finger across the Scroll's screen to cross out yet another location, Clerval let out a quiet sigh before pulling up the next address.
The argument between Weiss and Blake seemed to have erupted far beyond what anyone had expected, ultimately ending with Blake revealing herself to be a former member of the White Fang before disappearing entirely.
I knew that girl felt familiar, nya~
She's one of my own, nyahaha~ How amusing!
Neko Shogun giggled inside his mind as he opened the map to the new location.
It had already been two days of searching. After combing through Zones 9 and 10 on his own, his list was beginning to run thin, and he could only hope she had moved somewhere within Zone 11.
Some café situated near the edge of Vale's walls, he noted. The reviews online were both positive and negative, though he was confident that the latter was due to the anti-Faunus crowd rather than any actual issues with the café itself.
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[6/21 (Saturday) - Morning]
[Beacon Academy — 2nd Year Dorm Hallway]
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"Places that a Faunus would typically go in Vale, huh?"
"If it's alright to ask."
"No, no, it's alright!" Velvet replied with a small wave of her hands. "It's just a pretty sudden request, that's all."
Humming thoughtfully, she tapped a finger against her chin.
After Ruby had hurriedly explained everything that had happened, Clerval's surprise at learning Blake was a Faunus and a member of the White Fang had lasted all of five seconds before being replaced by the far more immediate problem of finding her.
His first thought was to chase after her, but Blake was as swift and stealthy as a ninja. There was no way for him to find her in time, so instead, he had sought out Velvet.
If anyone could point him in the right direction on where a Faunus would hide, it would be another Faunus.
Velvet thought for another moment before nodding.
"Well... I could probably give you a list. Places that are popular—and are okay with the Faunus—cafés, bookstores, community centers, and some family-owned businesses." She played with her thumbs. "It's not exactly an official guide, but most Faunus in Vale end up hearing about them sooner or later."
"That's enough."
His response earned a small smile from her. Taking out her Scroll, Velvet quickly tapped away at the screen before sending him a message.
"These are the popular ones, and I'll send more details if I remember anything else."
Clerval gave the list a quick glance before nodding.
"Thanks."
"It's no problem."
Then, rather suddenly, she glanced up and down the dormitory hallway before lowering her voice.
"... Good luck with Blake."
He blinked in surprise.
Velvet gave a small, grim smile.
"I just had a feeling. Besides, it wasn't exactly difficult to put two and two together. Beacon gossip spreads really fast; people heard her and the Schnee heiress arguing over something after they got off the Bullhead."
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[6/22 (Sunday) - Afternoon]
[Vale — Zone 11 (Commercial)]
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Standing in front of the café that had no name, the first thing Clerval noticed through the window was the crowd.
More specifically, who made up that crowd. There wasn't a single human in sight.
The café was filled entirely with Faunus of all kinds. Some had subtle traits—ears, tails, horns protruding from their heads—while others were far more distinct, possessing scales, fur, or other animalistic characteristics that immediately stood out.
The conversations inside looked relaxed and comfortable in a way that contrasted with the quiet, guarded moments he had observed when Faunus shared meals within Beacon.
Seeing such a sight, he knew he would stand out the moment he stepped through the door; a lone human walking into such an establishment meant for only Faunus-kind would draw attention no matter how quiet he was.
Fortunately, his Courage had long since been Earnest for some time now.
Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The conversations slowly tapered off as the Faunus gradually realized that a human has entered the café.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him.
He ignored all the eyes that were on him and approached the counter.
"Have you seen her?" Clerval asks, showing the fox Faunus female who manned the station an image of Blake staring dully at the camera. The picture had been taken shortly after the start of the semester, alongside the rest of the team.
Eyeing the picture, she then slowly gave him an evaluating look.
"What of it?"
The tension in the atmosphere heightened as several café patrons slowly stood up and began to approach them, taking guarded stances.
"She ran, and I want to find her." He paused briefly before quickly adding. "I'm a student from Beacon. She's my teammate."
He handed over his Beacon Academy identity card, then followed it up by showing more evidence with photos of Blake and the rest of his team—he quietly thanked Ruby for spamming him with updates about every little thing they were doing when he wasn't around.
The fox Faunus took her time inspecting the card, turning it slightly under the light before glancing back at him. A long silence settled between them.
Eventually, she handed the card back.
"They just arrived a few minutes ago. She's upstairs in the balcony seat with a blond monkey Faunus."
"You definitely won't miss him," one of the café patrons coughed into her fist, only to earn a quick smack from her friend.
Giving the staff member a nod of thanks, he slowly made his way toward the stairs.
Taking one final step onto the second floor, Clerval's gaze was immediately drawn to the balcony.
There, seated with a cup of hot beverage in hand, was Blake, deep in thought.
Her usual black ribbon was gone. In its place, unmistakable cat ears twitched subtly as she stared into her cup.
Her usual black ribbon was gone. In its place, unmistakable cat ears twitched subtly as she stared into her cup.
Sitting opposite her was the same blond monkey Faunus they had seen at the docks a few days ago—lounging back casually with his arms folded behind his head.
"A human?" He heard the blond mutter, causing Blake to turn in his direction.
Their eyes met.
Blake's widened slightly.
"... Clerval?"
He paused for only a moment before taking a few steps forward, closing the distance between them.
Taking a seat from another table, he positioned it next to the blond and Blake before sitting down.
"Blake," he greeted calmly before shifting his attention to the other Faunus at the table. "Hello."
"Er—Hi?"
"H-How did you—?"
She stopped herself. Glancing around the floor a moment later, she exhaled heavily and set her cup down on the table.
"... I suppose you didn't tattle on where I am?"
"No."
He shook his head, noticing the visible relief easing from her shoulders almost immediately.
"You must be Clerval Grayson? Her teammate?"
The monkey Faunus asked before extending his arm. "Nice to meet 'ya. Sun Wukong, at your service!"
Clerval returned the handshake before turning his attention back to Blake, who still looked visibly hesitant, weighing something in her mind.
She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath before asking,
"Are... Are you two familiar with the White Fang?"
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NEXT UPDATE: 15 July, Wednesday
A/N: So, my employer recently pointed out that I had quite a few outstanding tasks to complete. That's never a great sign, and it's the reason there weren't any chapter releases on Thursday to Saturday.
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