Chapter 182: Night Meeting

The clammy night air stuck in droplets against Yang's skin, hatefully running her hair into these horrible clumps that she'd be drying off with a good bit of hair conditioner and a towel before letting it naturally dry. She had paused for a moment by the cliff and gazed out over the emerald forest, eyeing the mystical giants of green as they were coated in the murky darkness. It was serene, she thought, if only there weren't flesh starved monsters in it who'd happily tear her apart if she messed up. Luckily, she'd brought her gauntlets, her Ember Celica, a special pair of bracelets which doubled as a pair of punch propelled gauntlets. Hopefully if their new teacher was kind and simply gave her what she wanted to know she wouldn't have to use them.

She didn't hate the man, in fact she found his appearance quite alluring. But hearing he'd supposedly killed people had lessened that allure to nothing but a cautious interest. Even if he was speaking out of his ass, Yang wasn't going to give him the chance, and she certainly let her little sister anywhere near the man especially when he spoke her name.

Yang's fingers clenched pale and her teeth ground. Summer Rose, to her, Summer was her mother, she may have not given birth to her, but Summer was still the mother who would play with her whenever she wanted and taught her so much. To Ruby though, Summer was her mother, her real mother. Yang didn't care if Ruby got a slight bit of preference over herself, back then Ruby was just a baby, she couldn't even remember her mothers face if it wasn't for the photos their father had dotted around their place before Mauve moved in. There were still a few pictures dotted about though Yang knew those were more for her and Ruby than for their father, he could never look at them without tearing up.

She had done a bit of her own digging into the crash that had taken Summer from her family, a cruise liner just a short ten years ago met with tragedy as a kraken assaulted it from below killing everyone on board. There wasn't a bit of evidence nor a body found of anyone, the only things actually discovered being a few pieces of wreckage washing ashore on Vacuo days later. It had been agonizing seeing her father scour through every bit of information he could to find Summer. He followed currents of the sea to find places she may have washed up, checked if she even got on the cruise liner, hell she even remembered him punching out their drunkle Qrow for having given up. He gave up not long later when uncle Qrow arrived clutching a piece of white and red cloak and a broken spear that had once belonged to Summer.

After that he went catatonic for days on end, even took to drink for a year or two until he got a wake up call when Yang did something stupid and took Ruby out into the forest in a wheelbarrow to search for clues for Yang's own mother. Raven Branwen, uncle Qrow's sister. Halfway through the morning trip they'd been surrounded by beowolves and were about to have their throats ripped out if it weren't for their uncle saving them at the last second. When he brought back the weeping children and put Ruby to bed he stormed down stairs, ripped their father from the couch and quite literally threw him through the wall, thus starting an hour long beating where uncle Qrow kept utterly silent while their father was slurring confusedly, asking why Qrow was attacking him.

Realization came when he saw a wheelbarrow torn to shreds with marks like the claws of a beowolf alongside a shred of Ruby's cloak. After that he sobered up enough to care for the two and stopped Yang from going on treacherous campaigns to distract Ruby from her sadness. And that sadness was not something she was going to let her have again. She wasn't going to let some false hope about finally finding their mothers body tear at Ruby's heart, not again. Not ever.

Lifting her hand up, she looked down to it and clenched her fists so tight her knuckles cracked on their own and moved to cracking her wrists and loosening the rest of her joints in preparation for the 'interview' she was going to be having with Professor Evans.

Breathing out a puff of white mist she turned and restarted her warpath to the cantilever classroom. Every stride she made with intent, every breath she breathed filled with a grim like determination to get whatever he knew out of him. Whether through kindness or a right and royal beating.

But as she grew nearer and the staircase became clearer, her eyes scrunched as she saw something off. Stood at the top of the stairs wasn't a man, but a girl, clad in a black gothic skirt and corset with a bright red cloak with hood up wrapped tightly around herself to keep her warm.

Yang paused, "no," she muttered. "Dammit that bastard!" she screeched and made haste towards her sisters side. Ruby's head tilting just enough for her silver eyes to see a red faced Yang rushing her.

"Hey Yang, you're a little late. Mr. Evans asked us to be here like, ten minutes ago. I won't blame you… much." A childish smirk took Ruby's lips as Yang ignored her words entirely.

"Ruby! What are you doing here?" Yang urgently questioned.

Ruby's eyes tilted to confusion, head joining in the inclination much like their corgi, Zwei's, head would when he heard the mail man approaching the door. "Uhh, Mr. Evans sent me a message telling me to come her like, ten minutes ago. He said he also sent you a message," Ruby pulled from her skirt her scroll and flicked it to her messaging app and held it out to Yang, "see? Didn't you get it?"

Yang snatched the scroll from her and glaringly scrolled through the few words shared between Ruby and their new professor. Nothing but a 'good evening' and a 'please meet me at my classroom around 8:15, there is something I wish to speak with you about. I have already sent a message to your sister so no need to bother her. She'll meet you at the top of the stairs. Till then.' Thankfully finding nothing about their mother throughout the rest of the short dialogue. There was still an issue though, one Yang wasn't too pleased with. "Ruby, did you give him your number?"

Her head shook and she shrugged, "he's a professor. Is it weird for him to have my number?"

All Yang could think for a second was how pure her sister was, quickly followed by the horror of thinking Port had her number. It was so bad it sent a violent shiver down her spine. "Yes, very weird Ruby. It is very weird."

"Really? Huh, you learn new things every day. Still don't get what's so weird about it but okay." Ruby paused for a breath before asking, "you don't know why he wanted to talk to us do you? Do you think he'll have cookies? It's nearly cookie'o clock after all."

"I don't know Ruby. All I do know is you don't have to be here, why don't you head back and get your cookies and I'll have a chat with him," otherwise she couldn't beat the information she wanted out of him.

"That won't be necessary Yang. I'd like to speak with both of you after all," both girls jolted as Parc's voice echoed from the treeline, their heads bolting around to see him leaned arms crossed against a tree, red eyes piercing through the dark to gaze ominously at the both of them.

"How long have you been there?" a twitchy lipped Ruby asked.

"Since you got here. You're not very observant Ruby. I'd advise you fix that before you get yourself killed."

"O-oh, yeah… I will," she shrunk in from his cold, nigh emotionless tone.

Yang spoke not a word as she watched him push off the tree and take light steps towards them, stopping just a meter or two away from them, glancing back and forth between herself and her sister—as if analysing their every form. His eyes wandered over them. Even lecherously halting over Yang's bosom drawing her eyes to a narrowed look.

"Come on, better to talk inside then out here in the cold," he skirted around the two, arrived by the stairs and began descending them into his classroom.

Ruby and Yang shared a look, Yang's lips lightly pulled back in a scowl that Ruby noticed but was quick to shrug off to follow Parc. Yang's hand lifted as if to grab out and stop Ruby but she was too slow and Ruby was already halfway down while Parc was stood by the door, awaiting the two.

For a moment Yang's eyes flickered to red and she glared at the man, his spiteful, disgusting technique of going directly to her sister like a stalker his target was sickening and frankly, terrifying. It was like he knew she had no intentions of telling her sister about their meeting. It was like he knew her. And that made her feel naked. And Yang didn't like being naked, not in front of a man she wasn't having a bit of fun with.

Sucking in a sour bit of air, Yang calmed herself enough that her eyes lost their violent crimson ichor and returned to their usual vibrant lilac tone. She rose her leg and descended after Ruby, soon joining her sister just a step away from Parc.

He could see her caution and her distaste. It showed so evidently on her face that it hurt. He didn't let it get to him, in fact, he found it quite amusing considering the thing he was going to be showing them was so benign that it was more helpful than anything.

With a light shake of his head, Parc reached for the door handle and slowly pushed open the door. Unveiling to them a person they hadn't seen for many a birthday.