The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

Clothed

"Hello, again," Cinder said, looking up from her work with a slight smile. Mercury looked up from his spot on the floor as well, but Emerald just continued to lie on her bed, eyes half-closed as she stared at the ceiling. I saw her eyes flick towards me for a moment as I entered but then she returned to her self-appointed watch.

"Cinder?" I asked, blinking. "What are you doing here?"

"She's an old friend of ours," Mercury replied, nodding to me and Adam. "After…well, you know, Emerald and I invited her over. That's…not a problem, is it?"

I blinked at the words, the reaction only partially faked. Mercury seemed like he was honestly asking me for permission.

But then, at this point, he'd probably figured out and accepted that I was sincere in desire to take over Haven. I guess he was at least willing to pretend to be my subordinate, so long as we were on the same team.

"No, no problem," I answered. "I'm just surprised to see you again so soon. Somehow, when you said 'let's discuss it later', I didn't think you meant 'later today.'"

"I'm not one to procrastinate," Cinder admitted. "Though in truth, I'm just lucky that my old friends were on your team."

I hummed at that, glancing over the two of them.

"Well, not really luck," I stated. "We finished first and they finished second—we never met up inside the Labyrinth so we were put together based on our skill instead. Emerald and Mercury got here on their own merits."

Mercury smiled slightly at the words, but otherwise barely reacted to the compliment. Emerald, for her part, continued to lounge around half-asleep. Knowingly or not, the two were following Cinder's lead.

"You're all getting along, then?" Cinder inquired, tilting her head slightly.

I stepped into the room, letting Adam squeeze in past me. Now that we were in the thick of things, he was all business and he's expression was schooled into a mask of indifference. Even so, he was playing the role of a bodyguard as well as a student and didn't hesitate to look Cinder over briefly before taking a seat across from Mercury, back to my bedpost and eyes blank. One of his legs was bent such that he could rest an arm on it, which positioned it such that he could rise and draw his blade at the same time, should it be necessary. If so, his greater speed and the nature of his swordsmanship might be enough to take Mercury down with the first blow.

Once he'd been seated, I stepped over his leg and took a seat on my own bed, right across from Cinder. I didn't miss the fact that the room was split neatly in half between us, nor did I miss the emotional undercurrents in the room. Emerald and Mercury had seen my power for the first time, too, and our dynamic had changed accordingly.

"I suppose," I mused. "I've been busy lately, as you're aware, and we haven't really had much time to get to know each other, but I'm pleased to have the strongest team amongst all the freshmen."

"It's good to have powerful friends," Cinder agreed, still sewing carefully.

"Mm," I answered, still smiling. "I'm happy with the results. I honestly wasn't sure who I'd end up with, you see."

At that, I felted something from Cinder—perhaps a muted flash of interest.

"Oh?" She wondered. "Were you worried, then?"

I chuckled.

"Not really," I replied, shaking my head. "As long as I have Adam here, it really doesn't matter."

"Ah," Cinder noted. "Yes, I've heard. The two of you make quite a pair. Everyone's still reeling from the show you put on earlier."

"I like to make an impression," I said back, amused. "Glad to see it worked."

Cinder laughed quietly, the sound soft and rolling.

"You like to see things react," She corrected. "Like throwing a rock into a pond and watching things ripple."

I didn't have to completely fake the frown I sent her way.

"I guess," I said, inserting just a touch of confusion into my tone. After a moment I nodded more confidently and smiled again. "Yeah, I guess that's a good way to say it—but it's more than that."

"Oh?"

"It'd be a lie to say it wasn't a little fun to watch people scramble," I continued, deciding to take a chance. "But that's not why I did it. When I plunged things into chaos, there was a chance to change things. People showed me their true colors and reacted fast, simply because there was no time to do anything else, and all of a sudden there are opportunities, like with Albus and Finn. Odds are we wouldn't have even met for weeks in normal circumstances, but after PE, word spread and everyone wanted to get a look at the new kid. They all wondered how strong I was—and then they wondered if they were strong enough to beat me. All I had to do then was play along and now…it's my first day, but everyone knows I'm the strongest. Everything's different."

I paused to look up at the ceiling.

"Well, it's more complicated than that," I admitted. "There are still things to do if I want to be in charge. I like Albus and Finn, so I'll probably talk things over with the two of them later. They act really differently, but both of them like to fight; I bet they're already working on stuff for a rematch. Having fought them both, I think we're halfway to being friends already, and I don't think either of them will mind admitting that I'm the best after a while. It's not like I'm planning to abuse that position, anyway."

"That's good to hear," Cinder said. "Though I have to wonder why you're so interested in being in charge. What is it that you want, then?"

I considered that question carefully, mulling it over for a minute.

"Well," I began. "In part, I suppose it's because it's interesting. I'm strong enough to be a Hunter right now, but I still need to go here? It seems kind of stupid to me. Classes are…dull, at best, and generally just a huge waste of my time, while everyone who' actually interesting is in a higher class. Doing this, at least, is kind of fun. Fighting people, uniting groups, being in charge—it's amusing. And everyone loves a winner, so it's easy to make friends when you're the best. Case and point, you and I. Would you have even given me a second glance if I wasn't so strong?"

Cinder paused, seemingly uncertain as to how to answer that, but I just chuckled and laughed it off.

"Don't worry," I assured. "It's fine. People like me for my power—that's nothing new. I guess you've probably heard already that my grandmother's the head of the Roma? It was always going to be like this. But just because stuff starts one way, doesn't mean it has to stay that way. Albus and Finn fought me because I was a challenge and they want a rematch because I won and because they had fun fighting me…but that doesn't me we can't be friends. They're both nice guys and after we fight enough, I think we'll get along well."

"That's an interesting way of looking at things," Cinder stated, sounding a touch bemused.

"Do you think I'm wrong?" I challenged, making her smile slightly.

"No, I suppose not," She said. "Finn has always been the type to act like he's acquainted with someone after stabbing them a few times. Supposedly, he and Lonan—another senior—became friends after Finn put him in the hospital for a day; he just showed up afterwards and decided they were friends. I think Lonan was too confused to argue."

I laughed at that, shaking my head.

"That sounds like him," I replied. "I've only known Finn for a day, but…he seems the type. And I like to think I'm good at reading people."

"Oh, are you?" She asked, smile pleasant. If the words worried her, I couldn't feel it. "What do you see when you look at me, then?"

"…I don't know," I admitted, smiling widely. "You're different, somehow. That's what makes you interesting. Why are you here, Cinder?"

In response, she simply lifted the cloth bundle she was working on.

"Albus and Finn have their ways of making friends," She answered. "And I have mine. Would you like me to show you how to sew Dust?"

I chuckled slightly at that but nodded, resting my elbows on my knees as I leaned forward and nodded.

"Show me what you can do, first," She commanded, holding out the unfinished product. "Why don't you try finishing this? It's just a basic piece I started working on several months ago and discarded; I'll walk you through the rest, if you wish."

I took it with a thought, gently plucking both the sewing needle and the cloth from her hands. I glanced it over once—cotton, red Dust, not enough finished to deduce any complete pattern—but got to work quickly. Unlike Cinder's literal handiwork, my Psychokinesis allowed me to work like a machine, and I quickly began filling out what I could.

"Careful," Cinder said, watching calmly. "Each type of Dust is different and requires different designs. Fire is best suited to curved lines and sharp angles."

Was she trying to distract me by tempting me with skill knowledge? Because if so, it was working, and she had discovered my one weakness.

"Does the location matter?" I asked. "Of the design on the cloth."

"Of course," She replied, lifting a hand to touch the point of the design on her dress. "There are currents of energy even within the body—and we use Dust to guide them outside of it. Here, it starts near the heart and trails up my shoulders and then down my arms to my hands, where I can best direct the power. On my back, it trails from my shoulders to my spine and then down. Remember to be careful of where you begin and where you end."

I nodded once, focused on my work even as I adjusted to meet her commands.

"Good," She said, smiling softly. "Now let's begin the first lesson."

"Good," Ciinder said gently. "You're a quick learner."

I didn't answer, paying the task only half a mind. I was still on my bed, leaning back on my arms as I watched the woman across from me, even as the needle and thread were in constant motion.

"Wind is guided through connected swirls and spirals, while Water flows through curved lines and tributary paths. Lightning is guided along coils and circuits until it's manifested in zigzags."

"What about the other types of Dust?" I asked, body unmoving. "Do they have designs, too?"

"Of course," Cinder answered almost dismissively. "More advanced types depend on specific patterns and geometric shapes, some of which can be exceedingly complex—but we won't get into that yet. These are simply the basics of how to guide the four primary types of Dust; we haven't even gotten into how to mold that power properly yet. There's still much to learn before getting into anything more complicated. For example, have you noticed anything about the flow of energy through the cloth?"

I nodded.

"Fire rises," I began, nodding towards her dress. "The energy starts at a low point and flows upwards, like with your gown. Water is the opposite, flowing downhill; it starts with a high point and cascades downwards. Wind is a bit different, because it needs four points—left, the right, up, and down, which I'm guessing are tied to the four winds. Lightning starts from a central design and is guided through a circuit until it reached the endpoint, such as the hands."

"Very good," She complimented with a smile. "And what about the locations of the designs? Have you noticed how they correspond to points on the body?"

"Yes," I said, nodding again. "They correspond loosely to bones, veins, muscles, and organs. Organs—that is, designs on the chest area—serve as the source of energy. The designs then guide that energy along the paths of blood flows and bones, focused primarily on the arms, legs, and spine."

"Can you guess why?" She challenged and I resisted the urge to rise to the bait. Now that I knew what I was looking for, I could see why.

"The patterns draw energy from the body and shape it in a new way," I replied. "The designs along the bones provide structure, just like the skeleton does the body. Other designs twist off from these central parts to shape how that energy moves and to guide power to proper areas, like muscles and veins. Different types of Dust can focus more or less on certain areas, but most at least touch on all of them."

Cinder hummed in agreement.

"What can you deduce from that?"

"It's all tied together," I stated. "These patterns are based on the flows of energy within people's bodies, but built to shape it in ways we can't on our own. It's almost like…like moving the energy into another person's body, so they can channel that power into a Semblance, but not quite."

"Wonderful," Cinder said, clapping her hands lightly. "You make a good student."

"You make a good teacher," I answered, levitating the needle and thread back to her but bring the cloth my way. It was something of a mess, as if someone had sewn a bunch of completely different patterns in random locations on it—which had been exactly what had happened, so yeah. Cinder had had me practice different designs just to get a feel for it and I'd sewn them in lines and stripes. "May I keep this?"

"Please," Cinder allowed, collecting her needle and thread carefully. "I know it's not particularly pleasant to look at, but I made something quite like it when my godmother first taught me to sew with Dust and I've held onto it ever since. Think of it as a gift from teacher to student."

"Thank you," I said as I set the cloth down with a thought. "I don't suppose we could continue these lessons sometime?"

Cinder raised an eyebrow as if she hadn't expected that, which I didn't believe for a second. After a moment, she gave me an equally unbelievable hesitant smile and nodded.

"If you wish to learn, I'd be happy to teach," She said. "Dust can get a bit expensive, but I'll figure something out—think of it as a gift from your senior."

"No," I rejected immediately. "There's no need for that—I'll ask Grandmother to send me some Dust. I doubt she'd mind if I took up sewing; she supports just about anything that can potentially kill people."

"She sounds like a…lovely woman?" Cinder seemed to wonder, voice touched by just a hint of confused doubt, but I nodded with resolve.

"She'd like you," I told her cheerfully. "Might still kill you for any number of reasons, but she'd like you."

"Noted," Cinder answered, seemingly unsurprised by this information. I wondered if she knew my grandmother from somewhere. Grandmother didn't seem to know her, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. "Have you given any thought to what you might like to create? Normally I'd say it's a bit early to worry about such things, but you seem to be a very quick learner."

"It's easy when all you have to do is focus on what you want to do," I justified with a smile. "There are no hands to get in the way when you control things with your mind."

She chuckled slightly at that, conceding the point.

"But let's see," I mused as I tilted my head back and pretended to mull it over. In truth, I had lots and lots of ideas that I had no desire to share with Cinder. "I admit, one of the first applications I thought of for green Dust was flight, but it would be difficult. I can already tell that you'd need an entire…well, flight suit to make it possible, much less feasible. But it might be easier to weave it into boots to harden air for a moment or two—long enough to take a few steps on empty air when you need to, maybe even walk on it eventually. And maybe some designs in a shirt could slow a fall like a parachute; that'd be easy enough to manage, I think. You work mostly with red Dust, right?"

"I fight with red Dust," She answered. "Fire works fairly well in combat, especially if you know how to use it properly. Still, I pride myself on being proficient with many applications of Dust. Why?"

"Just think about what else I could create," I answered. "I suppose I'll be relying on you for advice from now on, Cinder."

"Oh?" She asked, sounding amused.

"Well, you said yourself that this was how you make friends, right?" I replied. "Which would, thus, mean that you and I are now friends. Right?"

"I suppose so," She allowed, smile turning her lips slightly. "Though it's a touch unconventional."

"I'll sew you a friend request, if you want," I promised. "Just say the word. I'll decorate it with little hearts and flowers and butterflies."

She clicked her tongue once, smile growing.

"I won't make you that far," She said. "Flowers and butterflies can be fierce adversaries, when all one has is a sewing needle. I'm not sure you could manage."

"Well, now," I drew back at her words, looking her over. "I suppose I know how I'll be decorating my next piece, then. See you around, Cinder."

"Mm," She hummed, rising from the bed. Mercury, who'd shut his eyes and tried—unsuccessfully—to fall asleep, opened his eyes and looked up at her before following her lead, even as Emerald stirred in the background. "Perhaps tomorrow, if I have time."

"I'll look forward to it." I answered, smiling back.

I remained smiling as they left the room, walked down the hall, and turned the corner, senses looking over the room carefully to make sure they hadn't left anything behind. Only once I was sure that we were all clear did I let the expression fall from my face and sigh.

"What?" Adam said, looking up. He'd watched over things in silence as I worked, careful not to interrupt or draw attention. Now that it was over, though, I was reasonably confident he was going to give me shit. "Is the nerdfest over already? That was only, like, an hour of utter boredom."

"Hour and seventeen minutes," I corrected, going over my Dust Weaving designs and modifying them with the new information. "Don't worry though; she'll be back. With any luck, we'll be able to make this a daily thing eventually."

"Oh, God," He groaned.

"It's good for us," I told him. "It gives us a chance to learn more about her. After this, you probably don't need to be as on guard, so you can approach Emerald and Mercury while we talk shop."

"Yay," He answered dryly. "That's what I wanted to do—entertain the minion brigade."

I chuckled at that before bumping his hip with my foot.

"Man up," I chided. "We're not doing this for the fun of it—we've got work to do. This is an opportunity to get close to them. Given the power we displayed and or new relationship as a student and teacher, it's expected for something like trust to grow. Given time, she'll likely approach us on her own, and we can speed things up easily enough. Just be patient."

Adam grunted, sounding put upon and annoyed.

"I expected being undercover to have a lot of boring bits," He said. "But I didn't expect them to be this bad, this long, or this frequent."

I flicked one of Adam's horns with my Psychokinesis and rolled my eyes.

"Poor baby," I replied. "If only things weren't going so well, huh? We might be getting burnt alive, instead."

He grunted again, this time sounding put upon, annoyed, and sullen. Adam was very expressive with his monosyllables.

"Well, if it makes you feel better," I said as I rose from my seat. "Break's over. We're going to train through the night, every night, forever. Who knows, maybe something will get lucky and kill you."

"Sadly, yes," He replied, shaking his head as he followed my lead. "That does make me feel better. I can already tell this is going to be the highlight of my day."