Crimson Immoderation Chapter 32

She knew she wasn’t a cheerful person. The harshness of her lived experience had burned any hope of her having that kind of upbeat disposition. The world was a cruel, ugly place, especially for people like her. And so she had learned to greet it grimly.

And yet, as she moved through the back rooms of the warehouse, Ilia Amitola couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. The next few days had the potential to be very dangerous. Atlas were to arrive tomorrow and depending on how Amber’s return would be taken, the entire city might be on lockdown by tomorrow’s end. But no matter how much she tried to regain her focus, to double check her plans and preparations in case things went south, she couldn’t help the joy in her heart from bursting free. Her steps were light, almost dance-like. Remembering that tender moment of passion she shared with Blake...

She giggled. And honestly that was too much even for her. She furtively looked around to make sure no one saw or heard, then breathed a sigh of relief, only for her grin to return immediately.

The two young faunus women hadn’t said much after their tryst, but as far as Ilia could tell there wasn’t much that need to be said. It was the start of something wonderful.

She didn’t know how long she had been lost in her daydreams about her potential future with Blake. Only that they were rudely interrupted without any kind of warning. “Well now, aren’t you in a good mood.” She rapidly schooled her expression to her usual scowl on hearing Vlad’s voice. “I knocked twice, you know. Not good for a ninja to be this oblivious.” Alright, so there might have been a little warning. For as much as she expected Vlad’s teasing smirk, there was something to it she didn’t expect. But also something she couldn’t quite place. “I take it you managed to set a certain kitten to purring? Or was it the other way around?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Interesting choice of words,” he observed. “Business. It was a transaction after all.” He didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered that she would rather he leave. Instead he strolled into her room, into her space as if he owned it. “You get what you want and I get what I want. I made sure Blake would be in a very receptive mood tonight. An opportunity better than any you would ever get without my intervention. And so it seems you got what you wanted, just as planned.” That same something returned to his expression as his smugness abated. “For what it’s worth, I am happy for you. I might not fully see the appeal but it’s more than enough to know that you do. She makes you happy. Believe it or not, that is something I want. For you to be happy.”

That was it. The thing she didn’t recognise in his expression. He... He wasn’t lying. He really was happy for her. “As long as you get to use me.” Even as she said it she didn’t entirely believe that was the case. It was uncomfortable seeing that satisfaction of her happiness in someone other than... Her parents. What an unfortunate connection to make, for multiple reasons.

“Oh, they aren’t mutually inclusive desires at all, though one is much stronger than the other.” He took her chin between thumb and finger, tilting her head to look up at him. She grit and bared her teeth. “I want you. I made no secret of that. So... Are you a woman of your word?”

For all her aggressive posturing, it was a difficult position she was in. Even putting aside giving her an opportunity for the one thing that could make her truly happy, he had saved her life. Probably saved Blake’s too with how unhinged Auburn had been. He had done a lot for her, more than any other human had. But at the same time... He was still human. And a man.

“Fine.” She wanted it to sound resolved, strong, but it came out petulant instead. She braced herself for an experience she knew she wouldn’t enjoy.

He didn’t immediately take her. Instead he continued to stalk forward like a predator cornering prey, her chin in his hand used to guide her back toward the wall. All the while forced to stare into his eyes as hunger for her fills them. Backed against the wall he loomed over her, then stoope down, grabbed her thighs and lifted her, pinning her body against the wall with his own before taking her lips with his.

Her mind whirled at the feeling of it. The scent of him. Human. The scratching of his beard against her skin. A man. The sensations signalling to her that this was something she didn’t want. And yet... It... Wasn’t bad? She preferred the softness of Blake. But there was something to it. She felt... Warm. Strangely so. The friction of his facial hair was a strange stimulation. The way he towered over her made her feel small, vulnerable. Something she thought she would hate more than anything else and yet the warmth bloomed and grew as his tongue parted her lips–

“Hm, no.”

And suddenly he put her down again. Just, lowered her back to the floor and walked away leaving her stunned, confused and most importantly annoyed. “Wha...What?”

“I knew you would take some convincing to loosen up but you’re determined to stay tightly wound,” he shrugged, talking about it like it was her fault. “I have no intention of forcing myself on a dead fish.”

Her mouth hung open. What did he just call her?! “Excuse me?!”

“I told you didn’t I? I don’t want your body, Ilia. I want you. I want to take you wholly and utterly.” The intensity of his words were broken by a helpless smile. “It’s alright though. It’s not your fault. It will just take a little more time than I anticipated.”

“H-Hold on, you can’t just–!”

“Well, I should return to Beacon,” the lanky bastard hummed, checking his watch and she knew he was doing it just to look like an uncaring bastard. “Things will get complicated tomorrow. Goodnight, Ilia. Sweet dreams.”

She watched him leave, hurt, angry, strangely aroused and only growing more so. Which only made him leaving her hanging even worse! How dare he?! Calling her a dead fish?! She was confused, trying to figure things out! That bastard! She had half a mind to chase him down with her whip and give him a thrashing for that stunt!

“Rrrgh!” She let out a growl of frustration, throwing herself onto her bed. That bastard was playing her somehow! Going from resigned to it to pissed off he wouldn’t fuck her? And the worst part is it was working!

She went to bed angry. The heat pooling between her legs stubbornly refusing to go away with her unwilling to sate it herself. That would be just what he would want! For her to play with herself thinking of him! She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction!

And so she fell asleep with the itch of arousal hanging over her, though with a smile on her face as she chose to think on how wonderful her future with Blake might be.

She dreamed.

Not only did she dream, she was aware she was dreaming. These were always fun. The only way it was more fun was if she had an amount of control over it. She’d only experienced that a couple of times but... Well, this time it seemed her subconscious mind had pre-empted her and given her exactly what she wanted.

She was waiting at the front of an audience. Something that made her nervous on its own. But those nerves were swept away when she saw Blake walking toward her down the aisle. Arm in arm with a tall figure. Probably Ghira, she couldn’t tell and he wasn’t important. What was important was the woman she loved, giving her a smile of such warmth and love she couldn’t help but return it.

Her neck felt stiff. Chafed. Did she sleep wrong the night before?

The two young women took each other’s hands, stared into each other’s eyes as they made their vows. To always love, protect and cherish one another for the rest of their days. Ilia’s hand shook as she slid the wedding band onto Blake’s unadorned finger, then smiled with open joy as another was slid onto her own, metal meeting metal as it joined the other ring on that finger.

... Wait.

She smiled as she felt an arm wrap around her waist in a gentle hug. She looked up to see her husband, happy for her on her special-WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL–

But she couldn’t express it. In the dream she was content. Of course Vlad was the one to give Blake away. Give Blake to her. Of course he was there to see his wife get married. To see Blake officially join the family.

She kissed her bride, and as though her dreaming mind reacted to her discontent the scene shifted to a bedroom. From the wedding, to the wedding night. Now this was a dream she could get behind. Putting Vlad out of her thoughts once again she got to the sinful pleasure of unwrapping Blake’s pristine white gown to get to the amorous woman beneath. Just as eager for the chameleon faunus to get past frills and ruffles and leave trails of heat on her bare skin.

The two faunus writhed together for a time, their bodies growing increasingly slick with sweat as they touched, teased, then ground against one another chasing a mutual ecstasy. The strange, restricted feeling of her neck had faded far into the back of her mind, having long grown used to its presence. It wasn’t important. Bringing out more of Blake’s moans and whimpers. That was the centre of her world in that moment.

And then, in the moment they shared the purest euphoria for the first time as woman and wife, he returned. Blake continued to hold her close, preventing her from looking around but she felt his presence all the same. Both figuratively and literally as he moved onto the bed with them, tracing the freckles on her skin with his fingers as the heat of his hardness settled between her legs.

“Not Blake,” she said, her dream state’s priorities in exactly the right place. “You know she’s mine tonight.” Tonight?!

“Of course she is. She’s yours, just like we promised. And just like we promised,” his finger traced up her spine to the back of her neck, hooking under– “You’re mine.”

She... She moaned as the finger hooked under her collar pulled her upright, her dream body didn’t resist at all. Her back arched for him as he slid back and forth across her womanhood, still wet from her exertions with Blake.

“He’s right,” Blake said lovingly, staring up at her in joy. “I’m yours. I love you, Ilia.”

“I... I love you too! I...!” Ilia looked over her shoulder at the man who seemed to be waiting for her response.

Her dream self didn’t say anything. Instead, it was her. Her chance to answer for herself in this moment. She had gained control of the dream.

And yet...

“I’m yours,” she whispered.

He smiled. Took her admission as permission, his manhood beginning to press into–

She awoke with a start, sat up breathing heavily. She felt a sticky dampness between her legs and cursed, slamming a fist into her pillow.

It was still dark out. Not that she expected to get any good sleep now.

The heat hadn’t gone away. It had only gotten worse.

“Dammit!” she cursed again, falling backward. She quickly tossed away her bottoms to leave her lower half naked. She knew she could clean herself up... But with what she would do next it would be a waste. Her fingers slid down between her legs, teasing at the folds, trying to recreate the sensation of what Vlad was doing to her. To imagine how what came next would have felt. Her other hand moved up to her neck, tracing the sensation of the collar that had been around her neck. “Dammit...” It was all she could say as, despite her best efforts, Ilia Amitola returned to slumber touching herself while thinking of him.

-(-)-

The headmaster’s office was silent save for the unending ticking of the clockwork decor. The man himself sat behind his desk, hands folded under his chin as though he were lost in his own daydreams, contemplating the universe or perhaps some grand problem. Fitting the pieces together in his mind like one of the clockwork contraptions in the ceiling. It was a reassuring image, one that Glynda dearly hoped she could still put her faith in.

An Atlesian battleship hung in the middle distance outside the window, making final preparations for landing. It was not alone. Other ships of varying sizes hovered around it as escorts, while yet others seemed to be running patrol routes already. “James has certainly called in the cavalry.”

“We couldn’t ask for an ally who would give a more resolute response,” the headmaster responded, making no move to look in her direction.

“Resolute and worthwhile are not the same thing,” his deputy sighed. She had her own experience with how James could be when he set his mind to something. She didn’t look forward to his reaction to her more personal news. Thankfully the current crisis meant she could postpone that announcement for the time being. “Qrow should be back by now.”

“I had hoped she would arrive before James,” Ozpin agreed, “But she wasn’t exactly near Vale when Amber was taken.”

“We had no idea the enemy was so close already...” Her sombre words trailed off. But her worries were quickly interrupted by a black bird fluttering in through the open window right in her face. “Ah!”

“Enemies?” Qrow asked as she retook her human form, walking past the deputy headmistress to the front of the desk. “Somebody talking about me?”

“If only,” the blonde grumbled, her fingers twitching toward her crop to literally straighten out the bird-brained boozer. Just looking at the woman was enough to push every one of her buttons.

“Try it and you know what’ll happen,” the drunkard warned, taking a flask off her hip and tipping it back.

With a force of will, Glynda’s hand stilled... For a couple of seconds before she folded her arms to repress the temptation. She did know what would happen. Qrow’s vengeance the last time was entirely disproportionate to a simple grooming. She had gone around the entire school putting everything ever so slightly out of place. Glynda had spent weeks with a headache, trying to systematically fix everything. She still got a twinge of discomfort walking down certain hallways. “Good, you’re here,” she managed to say, doing her best to sound genuinely glad for it. “Now James can be furious at all of us at once.”

“You think he wouldn’t be pissed if I wasn’t here?” the former bandit asked wryly, dropping into a chair like a brick, crossing her leg overtop of her knee.

“He would, but I’m glad you’re suffering alongside me.”

“That’d almost sound sweet if I didn’t know you were being a bitch. Glynda Goodwitch always making a lady feel welcome.” She took another swig from her flask before affixing it to her belt again, resting her arms on the back of her seat. “But hey, least I can say with a hundred percent certainty that this shitshow isn’t my fault for once! But,” she added with a happy but helpless grin, “I can’t take credit for fixing it. You should probably check the ground floor cameras, Oz.”

The headmaster blinked. Pulled up the camera feed on his terminal. His eyes widened as in the same moment the intercom buzzed. Surprised or not, Ozpin hit the button to respond and spoke with calm and composure. “Yes, please come up, Amber.”

Glynda looked wide-eyed at the relaxed form of Qrow. She looked back at her and grinned. “I did a fly-by of the city before coming here. Never would have guessed I’d see Little Miss Maiden just walking the streets like it was normal. Though after how she was the last time I saw her, I never thought I’d see her up and walking ever again.” From smiling to maudlin, then her expression turned serious again. “I shadowed her on her way here to make sure she was okay, see if anyone was tailing her. Nothing.”

Ozpin hummed in acknowledgement and consideration of that fact as they watched the elevator climb toward them. No chance to discuss what they might say. Though they all knew the questions they would have.

She stepped out of the elevator as it arrived, the same unwillingness to be there as when she had left so many months ago. And yet she had come back. Her eyes scanned the room. Saw Ozpin. Glynda. Qrow. “Oh. So that’s how you knew I was coming,” she muttered to herself, looking chagrined.

“Amber, I’m so glad you’re safe!” Glynda said, stepping forward, letting her genuine relief show freely. She was disheartened to see the lack of reaction in response. The fall maiden didn’t even acknowledge the words or the sentiment behind them, just refocused her attention on Ozpin.

“Your recovery is quite miraculous, Miss Maple,” the headmaster said. The very first words he said to her. Glynda looked to him, like she was ready to reprimand him for such a cavalier response. But she quickly looked away again.

“I’ll bet it is,” the maiden responded. She said nothing more than that. A stalemate formed. Amber and Ozpin each waiting for the other to crack.

Naturally it fell to Qrow who never had the patience for this kind of dominance crap to step in. “Fine, if no one else’ll ask, I will. What the hell happened to you, kid?”

“Qrow!” Glynda spoke in reprimand.

“No,” the field agent of their little order denied her, “She’s probably as sick of all this dancing around as I am. After all, it’s why you left, isn’t it kid?”

“I left because you were training me for a war I never wanted,” she corrected, glancing the woman’s way. “This war. I never asked for this power but it was all any of you ever cared about. The life you crushed under your feet didn’t matter. Just getting another weapon to fight the good fight. That’s why I left.” Her eyes lowered, then returned to the huntress. “And you followed me. If you hadn’t... I’d be dead. So... Thank you for that.”

“Am I to take it then,” Ozpin interrupted, “That based on your full recovery and your knowledge of what occurred that day, you have been in contact with the people who attacked you?”

She chose not to answer that question. There was no point. They both already knew the answer. “I guess the machine to rip out my soul is on that ship landing out there.” She didn’t bother phrasing it as a question.

If she was expecting hesitation, guilt or regret, she didn’t get it. Not from Ozpin at least. “That’s right. Though now that you are no longer on life support a hair away from death and with your soul seemingly whole once again, we have no intention of using it.” He stood, walked around his desk to stand in front of it, leaving his cane behind. “The people who attacked you, Amber. Who are they?”

“More importantly, where are they?” Qrow added.

“Why would I tell you that? They helped me.”

“They attacked you!” Qrow reminded her needlessly.

“And if they wanted to do it again, to finish the job, they could’ve done it a hundred times over the last few days. They didn’t even stop me from leaving on my own if I wanted.” The glare she fixed Ozpin with was cold, a silent fury they had never seen from her before. “They told me everything. What you planned to do to me. Why you’re fighting. Who you’re fighting. I’m not interested in being the next pawn in your forever war with your ex-wife.” She looked at the two women in the room, guilt written on both of their faces. She shook her head. “You’re fighting literal monsters. I can’t believe you decided to stoop to their level.” She turned to return to the elevator.

“Amber–” Glynda tried to plead.

Only to be faced with eyes blazing with golden flames. “Think very carefully about what you say next.” The combat teacher stunned into silence, the flames were snuffed out in a blink. “Or don’t say anything at all. There’s nothing more to say anyway. Consider me neutral. You and Salem can kill each other for the next thousand years for all I care. Leave me out of it.”

She stared down Glynda, the only one of the three that seemed to have the slightest inclination to stop her. But in the end, didn’t.

The next moment, Amber was gone.

“Qrow.”

“Going,” the scruffy huntress answered, standing and walking to the window.

“Don’t,” Ozpin halted her. “She’ll be watching for you. If she sees a crow following her she’ll put an end to every crow in the city to make sure none of them are you.”

“We can’t just let her go again!” Qrow insisted. “When Jimmy gets here–”

“We can tell him Amber is perfectly fine. Safe, even,” Ozpin smiled at her.

“You’re way too calm about this, Oz.”

“Why wouldn’t I be calm? For the moment, my fears have been thoroughly assuaged.” His two subordinates looked at him like he’d gone mad. “She has declared herself to be neutral, yet has said nothing about severing ties with her attackers. In fact, she seems to have allied herself to them, protecting their identities.”

“All the more reason to–!”

“If she’s neutral, and she’s with them, then they’re neutral,” Glynda concluded, narrowing her eyes at her boss. “Is that what you’re saying, Professor Ozpin? It seems like a stretch.”

“She won’t work with us because she sees us as monsters. As bad as our enemies, wasn’t it? She’s still a woman of sound mind, that was plain to see. If she won’t work with us, she won’t work with Salem. That means they are no longer working with Salem.”

“Still,” Qrow remained skeptical, “Even if you’re right,” said like she very much wasn’t convinced, “That’s no reason we shouldn’t try to find out who they are. If they’re setting themselves against both us and Salem that means they’re not people we can just ignore.”

“And we won’t,” Ozpin assured her. “Miss Maple might have intended to protect her new allies, but she gave us more clues than she truly intended.”