In Plain Sight

“Right so we got the bed, the futon, and all that. I don’t know where you want to sleep though,” Ruby admitted after the dishes had been done, and she’d shown them the one holy water syringe she’d made for her own self protection when she had to be separated from them. 

“I…don’t suppose,” Weiss demurred before Velvet, apparently tired of beating around the bush, broke in. 

“Can we just sleep in your bed tonight?” Velvet asked even as her face turned red. 

“Oh. Oh!” Ruby said looking shy for a moment before she nodded. “Yeah that’d be great! I don’t think I snore,” Ruby assured them as Weiss chuckled and followed her to Ruby’s bedroom. 

“You know now that I think about it, if you guys spend all your time over here it’s weird for Velvet to keep her apartment isn’t it?” Ruby asked. 

“I…suppose it is,” Weiss allowed, being very careful not to hint anything to Ruby. She knew the jokes, and knew what she’d enjoy but she wasn’t going to try and sway Ruby’s thoughts on the matter. 

“Well if you want to you can always leave extra stuff over here, or just move in. There’s plenty of room,” Ruby offered, apparently not thinking anything of it. 

Weiss turned wide-eyed to Velvet who nodded back with a wide smile Weiss struggled not to emulate while Ruby rummaged in the closet for extra pillows and blankets. 

“We’ll pay rent,” Velvet promised and Weiss nodded realizing she could likely just buy the entire apartment block if she wanted before her phone beeped with a message. 

“Good news?” Ruby asked as she turned around with a bundle of blankets. 

“Our family retainer Klein said he’s on his way with the blacksmith my sister asked for,” Weiss informed them before she sent a response back and turned to the adorable doctor in the room. 

“So what spot do you guys want?” Ruby asked. 

“I’d feel just terrible if I kicked you out of the middle of your bed,” Velvet said slyly as she flashed Weiss a wink. 

“You know I would too, so why don’t you take the middle tonight? We can rotate,” Weiss offered as she and Velvet traded pleased glances. 

“If you like,” Ruby said agreeably as she put a sleeping mask on her forehead before shimmying into bed. 

Weiss and Velvet had both changed into simple t-shirts and shorts already so they followed suit and shyly wrapped their arms around Ruby who beamed and did the same in return.

Weiss was normally used to working at night, but she felt rather relaxed and as she heard the other two drift off she smirked at seeing Ruby’s sleeping mask was still on her forehead instead of over her eyes before she too went to sleep. 

“Don’t know why I have to do it. Stupid psycho, “ Dove complained as she slowly worked the window of the apartment up so he could pay a visit to the sleeping occupants inside. Well technically just the apartment as a whole. He still needed them to invite him into their actual apartment once he was there but details.  

He knew it was a stupid idea but if he didn’t said psycho had made no secret of what would happen to him if he refused so here he was breaking neutrality. Then again no one had ever really seen the mysterious benefactor that Cinder claimed to work for so it could all be a ruse. A damn good one but a ruse none the less.

He blinked when he saw the flash of red hair he knew belonged to one of his targets and abandoned the window to follow her across the rooftops. 

He followed silently and waited until she was isolated. Truly the city never seemed to sleep but some areas were easier to get away with things than others, and as he saw her turn down an ally as a shortcut towards one of the side districts he knew it was his chance. 

He silently descended and imagined how sweet her blood would taste until a strong force in his stomach brought him back to reality as he crashed into a thankfully empty trash bin. 

“I thought I smelled you near our apartment,” Pyrrha said, her eyes hard as she approached the vampire although she remained out of arm's reach. 

“You bi-” Dove was cut short as Pyrrha branded a silver cross at him and he writhed in pain. 

“Now how to deal with you?” 

Dove grabbed the discarded lid and flung it at the woman with all his might eager to get the cross out of the equation. 

Sadly for him the lid bounced off something that flickered for a moment about a foot in front of her. 

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” Pyrrha recited with a smile that remained in place even as Dove forced himself to ignore the pain he was feeling and lunge towards her fist outstretched. 

His fist rebounded off the same sort of shield that had stopped the lid and what’s worse burned his hand as if he’d dipped it in a vat of the Schnee bitches holy water. 

Damn it. Where were the others? They were supposed to back him up on this when the fighting started!

“I believe it’s time I send your soul to be judged,” Pyrrha said as she kissed the cross and laid it down on the ground. A white glow enveloped the alleyway and sprang up as an almost solid wall radiating out from the cross. 

He could start to feel himself heat up. His feet were starting to burn through his shoes and the wall burned him just as much as anything else. 

“You’ll…someone will record this. You’ll expose us all and they’ll be out for you!” Dove tried desperately as Pyrrha merely smiled at him. 

“The lord provides. No one will notice, and any recordings will show neither one of us. Nothing outside the most holy can penetrate this concentrated area.”

A chuckle echoed through the street that Pyrrha snapped towards.

“That’s not…entirely correct.”

A voice accented with both Vacuin and Menagerian echoed down the halls as shadows spilled through the alley extinguishing every light until only the streetlight above Pyrrha remained. 

A strangely garbed figure in robes effortlessly passed through the barrier and walked until they were standing mere feet away from Pyrrha and the terrified Dove. 

“Who are you?” Pyrrha asked as she tilted her head and snapped her fingers, the cross coming to her hand once more. 

“My name has power, but you might know me better as the actual owner of the club you were so recently at. Cinder works for me,” the figure explained as red eyes pierced the hood to speak with Pyrrha who didn’t feel any sense of danger that she’d expected. 

“Why are you here then? Is it for…” Pyrrha trailed off as the figure nodded. 

“Neutrality is only maintained because there is one who would enforce it. While you could dispose of this one, it is something I alone must do if the neutrality is to be taken seriously. 

They must know, and fear the consequences of breaking the rules and know that I will enforce them,” the figure said, turning toward Dove who was close to hyperventilating and actually tried to run behind Pyrrha who merely stepped out of the way to his dismay. 

The figure turned to look at Pyrrha for a moment more before advising her. “You may wish to look away or close your eyes. This will be…less than pleasant.”

Pyrrha merely shook her head and the figure shrugged before effortlessly picking up the squirming Dove. 

“Dove Bronzewing, you were warned. Let off with a mere week ban from the premises after daring to harm one of those within. You had previously attempted to harm another but as they fought back and none were truly harmed I let it slide. 

Your transgressions warrant the final death. Do you have any last words?” 

“Please, no. I-I know things. I can tell you secrets,” Dove begged as the grip on his neck tightened. 

“No last words of note then,” the figure said before the feeling in the air grew heavy, and oppressive. 

Dove began crying as Pyrrha chanted the lord's prayer under her breath as the atmosphere became almost suffocating. 

All across the city those who were awake took notice of some great feeling of unease and made sure all their doors and windows were locked as best they could. 

Those who were outside found reasons to get inside, and those with ill intentions decided almost unanimously that tonight was not the night to be out or partake. 

Those who were slumbering were torn, with those with good hearts having the most restful sleep they’d ever known as those wicked had the worst nightmares of their lives. Of eyes and teeth hounding their every step, of the end of days, and all things of that manner. 

Dove’s body fell to the ground as it began turning to ash, the pain etched on his face telling a story of untold agony as the figure dropped its hand.

“The price is paid. Have a pleasant evening, Miss Nikos,” The figure said, nodding their head as they walked back down the alley and vanished into thin air. 

Pyrrha put a hand against the wall to steady herself and spent a few moments trying to gather her strength before she slowly began walking back toward the apartment she shared with Yang. 

“So they do exist,” Tyrian said giddily as he struggled to stand having been just as affected as the others although he enjoyed it. 

“Yes, with power like that I can be of use to the dark mother!” Tyrian said gleefully ignoring the other pawns as inconsequential as they shook on the ground from the overwhelming feelings of dread coursing through their bodies. 

Tyrian was many things, but he was sane enough to realize attempting to confront the figure head on was a losing proposition even for him. 

Still there was no reason not to let Watts know about what he’d seen. Perhaps he could think of someway to assist him, and in turn assist the dark mother. 

“Dove…he’s gone,” Russel said as he shakily got to his feet. 

“Yes, condolences and all that, but he served his purpose wonderfully!” Tyrian sang with a grin. 

“He was our friend you bastard,” Russel said with a growl as he launched himself toward the older man who merely ducked out of the way before spearing a hand through Russel’s chest and stood up dragging his victim with him. 

“What you don’t seem to understand is you serve the doctor who works with me, and in essence you serve me,” Tyrian said, flicking his arm and sending Russel crashing to the rooftop as he curled in on himself while Tyrian stepped closer. 

“If you have any doubts you are more than willing to voice them to me, or he, but I assure you he won’t take kindly to your interruptions,” Tyrian said with a mad smile as he gently put his foot on Russel’s head. 

“Now, your lives are mine to do with as I please,” Tyrian said and when Cardin moved closed he pressed down eliciting a weak moan from Russell and making the other two stop. 

“You sure you don’t want in? Want to take his place? The water’s great!” Tyrian said with a sadistic smile as he brushed his ponytail over his shoulder and waited for a few moments. 

“I thought not,” Tyrian said smugly before kicking the injured Russel over to Sky who caught him. 

“Get him cleaned up and back into shape. We’ve seen proof that a near deity walks among us. A fledgling was an easy price to pay for that knowledge, and now we know who Cinder serves, well we know they exist I suppose. Regardless if you have any issues with my leadership say so now,” Tyrian offered with narrowed eyes. 

“Splendid. Try not to violate neutrality for the time being like that idiot did. Ta-ta for now,” Tyrian waved at them as he jumped off the roof and vanished. 

Becket shivered as he read the book in Cinder’s office, glad he was alone. Truly Qawiyya had picked well if his senses were correct. 

The rage barely held in check over the likely death of their sire, but the sense of calm, the care therein extended to others like a balm. Such an interesting contradiction for a Methusala or perhaps even Antediluvian if the other clues he’d found were true. Then again the Salubri were some of the most polarizing of all the clans. 

Still if this one was that old, and resisted the call of torpor so easily then at least in this specific case it was likely to be as Miss Fall had said and was ‘one of the good ones’. Not that he didn’t doubt they could be absurdly deadly if they chose to. 

In fact they would only appear in order to promote neutrality. He’d need to keep a watch and see if he noticed anyone missing. 

He doubted anyone would be willing to test the club’s neutrality for the time being however with such a potent reminder. 

He closed the book, well aware he wouldn’t be able to focus on reading for the remainder of the night and looked out over the city controlling the tremors that ran through his hands. 

He had much to think about. Especially if he wished to work out their identity. 

Weiss blinked as she came out of her restful slumber and frowned. The middle of the bed was empty. Actually…Velvet was gone too. 

Where were they? Confused, Weiss turned to shuck off the covers and found herself frozen and unable to move. 

Was this some sort of sleep paralysis? She’s never had that before though. Her eyes flicked around the corner of the room waiting for something, anything to happen as she tried to slowly move her body. 

She thought she saw something flick by her vision near the window but it was gone before she could focus on it. 

“Hey Weiss,” Velvet said from near the door and Weiss barely managed to see her from where she lay as she heard Velvet pad over to her. 

Weiss was unable to make a sound despite her struggles until Velvet came into her view and frowned. 

“You can’t move?” Velvet asked. “Why, that’s positively perfect!” Velvet commented as her eyes turned red instead of the brown Weiss adored and leaned closer to her neck her ears on full display and relaxed.

Weiss barely managed a noise, that was something closer to a grunt or a weak whimper and Velvet pulled back frowning. 

“You’re right. We should all be here for this, right Ruby?” Velvet asked towards the door where another figure, Ruby, stood. 

Before anything more could be said Weiss bolted up although she managed to refrain from screaming if only barely.

She didn’t understand why. She’s never had these dreams before, and it’s not as though she was even opposed to what dream Velvet was offering. It was more that something was off, and she couldn’t put her finger on what. 

She heard the clinking of dishes and checked the clock. Just a bit before six. Early but not entirely so given when they’d gone to bed and the hours the two likely kept at the blood bank. 

She made her way to the kitchen to be greeted to the sight of Ruby showing Velvet how to make waffles with her waffle iron. 

“Hey Weiss. Sleep well?” Ruby asked with a bright grin, her sleep mask still on her forehead. 

“Did you forget to put that on all night?” Weiss asked in lieu of a response as the woman blushed and grinned. 

“I might have. I was kinda nervous,” Ruby admitted as she closed the waffle maker and went back to the pan of bacon and eggs cooking on the stove. 

“Velvet got up early so I figured I’d make breakfast for everyone,” Ruby explained as she opened her stove and sprinkled a few pinches of salt inside. 

“Hash Browns! The breakfast of champions,” Ruby said, answering before Weiss had asked. 

“It doesn’t seem fair to make you do all the cooking,” Weiss said as Ruby shrugged. 

“Can you cook Weiss?” Velvet asked as she gently turned the waffle iron so it would heat the other side. 

“Not well,” Weiss admitted after a moment. 

“It’s ok, I like cooking! I can pretend I’m cooking for a w-er friends!” Ruby said her slip fooling no one although based on the flaming faces all around no one would call her on it. 

“I slept really well though,” Velvet admitted as her face still burned. “Maybe it was the company or something else, but I had nice dreams.”

“Mine were…interesting,” Weiss settled on, not sure exactly what to make of her episode prior to waking up. She was fairly sure her dreams before then had been great, wonderful even, but was finding them drifting away leaving only a general feeling of how she’d felt about them. 

Cinder stared down at the sleeping, and finally at peace face of her girlfriend and resisted the urge to trace her cheeks once more. 

Such sentimentality was something she’d thought she’d lost but now had found once more in recent nights. 

She’d felt her master’s power and knew that someone had broken one of the precious few rules she’d set for Neutrality and spared a brief moment to hope it was painful for them. 

Her boss was many things but they didn’t come close to revealing themselves like tonight unless the rules had to be enforced. 

The only positive was that Winter would likely be assured a restful sleep, but Cinder herself had kept herself awake. 

For all her talk and preparations for trying to obtain Golconda she was…afraid of what might happen to her. 

Not having to answer or turn into a bloodthirsty monster, and feeling human again? It had seemed like everything she’d wanted…until she met Winter. 

Winter was many things, but she had a spark that Cinder adored. If she were to sleep and be plagued by nightmares still then what did that say about her chance at Golconda? And was it even worth it anymore?

The answer was clearly yes. While being stronger was a good thing the real draw was the better control over her blood lust so she didn’t accidentally hurt those close to her. 

Her earlier incident with the fire from Winter’s sister was a stark reminder of how razor thin her control could still be. 

Winter’s apartment was…sparse. Idly Cinder spared a few moments wondering if she should invite her to live in her room in the club. 

It was soundproofed and she’d be under lock and key that way. Would her master care?

“I would not.”

Cinder froze at the voice of her master and quickly performed a bow even as they sighed. 

“I’ve told you before that such an action isn’t required on your part.”

Cinder straightened up and saw the letter she was to give her in her hands. 

“How has our little…researcher found the book? I trust he enjoys it?” 

“If it were possible he’d likely try to marry it,” Cinder joked, causing her master to chuckle. 

“I can imagine such a rare tome would be to his liking. Imagine if he knew of the fragments I have of the Book of Nod,” her master joked and Cinder winced imagining how almost feral Beckett would become to even glimpse such a thing. 

There were few scholars so interested in it as he after all. 

Her master opened the letter and read its contents before humming. 

“Master…about Neo,” Cinder began as her master turned their head sideways and waited on her. 

“If you were able to determine anything about if she was lying,” Cinder finished as she waited. 

“She was being truthful. I ensured it. So long as you treat her well I foresee she will easily side with you over her current masters. As of now they can be trusted for the time being with a tentative alliance. While I was aware of most of this there is some that is new to me. I will verify the rest and should it prove truthful we will move into a full alliance.”

“And the Tzimisce, Penny her name was. If you truly want to ensure Neo’s loyalty, keep her around. She’s…somewhat amusing,” her master admitted. 

“Are they?” 

“Not at present. Likely Penny does not realize what’s going on yet, but Neo might. In time I’m sure it will be a most amusing union. I also saw that you gave Emerald permission to embrace Coco.”

“I did. After…what she went through I felt it would be highly cruel to continue on as they are, and they’ve both proven to be loyal.”

Her master merely hummed, expressing neither approval or disapproval. “What will you do about that one now that you know what she is?”

Cinder swallowed. “Did you know? What she is I mean?”

“I suspected. I recalled the last time they were used, but they’ve fallen largely out of favor for several reasons. I believe some Tzimisce out east use them, as do some of the Sabbat although they largely use them as cattle.”

“Master…what should I do?” Cinder asked in a low voice more than willing to let go of any pride or pretense to help Winter in the long run. 

“For now continue as you have been. It would be unwise to do much now with the coming storm other than prepare for it. Afterward I believe would be better for thinking about such things. However, you might wish to ask Beckett what would happen if a vampire were to achieve Golconda and then embraced a loved one. You might find it interesting,” her master said. 

Before Cinder was able to raise her head up her master was gone with a signed letter bearing her authority signed and ready to be delivered by Neo in her place.