EBNY: Grimm Times

White

The girl sighed as she walked through the streets of Mantle. Normally, the heating grid would have melted away any snowfall, but a particularly cold wind had managed to overpower its outdated systems, covering the city in a thin blanket of snow. Up in Atlas, snow would be a reason to smile. Children would be running outside to play in the white frost. But in Mantle people had other more pressing issues to worry about. Besides, the sheets of snow were way too thin and far too grimy for the children to play in.

The girl sighed and pulled her clothes tighter around herself to block out the cold. She had considered bringing something more inconspicuous, but that would defeat the purpose of her charity runs. So she settled for her signature white trench coat with black accents and an azure blue shirt underneath. Her emblem, a dragon coiled around a sword, was covered by her bastard sword, Paragon, on her back.

Truth be told, the people of Mantle hardly batted an eye at her. They could see she was from Atlas, but most of them had better things to do than to bother her. Besides, it wasn't like she was the one forcing them to work a demanding job for barely enough lien to scrape by. Sure, there was the occasional insult or curse thrown her way, but she had gotten used to tuning those out.

She stopped in front of a medium sized building. The sign up front read "Mrs. Olivier's Faunus Orphanage". She sighed before stepping inside. She was initially greeted by confused looks from several faunus children, before she was recognized.

"Bianca's back!" exclaimed one of the children.

There were cheers as the younger children rushed towards her, the older ones preferring to stay in the back and give her smiles and the occasional wave or nod. Bianca grinned as she knelt down and hugged the children.

"Hi, kids. How have you been?"

"As good as manageable down here."

Bianca looked to the side to see an older woman approaching. Her face was starting to show some of the effects of aging, but it still maintained a sort of motherly beauty as she gave a kind smile. The pair of border collie ears poking out of her black hair twitched in amusement as she watched the girl interact with the children. It was the caretaker, mrs. Olivier.

"What brings you here, ms. Azure?" she asked.

"Well, I had some free time and decided to come check on the children." Bianca explained as she stood up and brushed a strand of blond hair out of her face.
"Have the construction workers arrived yet?"

"Yes. Your father's men have been doing a marvelous job. The new rooms should be ready in no time." mrs. Olivier said with a grateful smile.

"That's good to hear."
Bianca frowned as she glanced around herself, failing to find one of the children she was used to seeing.
"Where's Vixie?"

Mrs. Olivier's eyes widened as she looked around herself, sighing when she failed to find the child in question.

"She must have sneaked out again. I hope for the day that fennec learns to stay out of trouble."

"I'll find her." Bianca offered.

Mrs. Olivier's eyes widened.

"Oh, I can't ask that of you, dear."

"You're not asking, I'm offering. Besides, it's good training for when I become a huntress." Bianca insisted.

Mrs. Olivier sighed and shook her head with a smile.

"Alright, if you insist. There's a toy shop over on Main Street she was interested in. I suggest checking there."

Bianca nodded before turning to the kids.