The White Fang took hostages as a regular matter of course. In this case, Adam personally handled the operation, seizing a woman from Radian and bringing her to their HQ.
Adam: "Her mother is holding three of our agents in her hospital after they were captured. We use her to compel their release. Keep an eye on her, but do not harm her."
Guards: "Sir!"
Adam headed off to handle another mission... Leaving the guards with a surprisingly calm Lilac Arc.
Guard 1: coughs repeatedly
Lilac: "That sounds bad. I know a remedy for it, if you have a kitchen."
Guard 2: "Ha! Nice try! What's the remedy, rat poison?"
Lilac: "No, of course not. It's too salty."
Guard 1: keeps coughing "Ugh..."
Lilac: "You can keep suffering or you can feel better. I much prefer people to feel better. Besides, I would never poison someone."
Guard 2: scowls harder
Lilac: "Also, all I would do is poison one person. That won't let me escape now will it?"
Guard 1: coughs more piteously
Guard 2: sigh "Fine..."
They take Lilac to the kitchen. She gathers some local herbs and cooks up some tea. She looks over their other ingredients.
Lilac: "Hmmm... You all look like you could use a good meal." brightens "Do you have any venison? I can make a great stew!"
Guard 2: "Oh please, like we're going to fall for that!"
Guard 1 drinks the tea... Sniffs...
Guard 1: "Wow! It... I can breath! Cough's gone! And... And it tastes great! Try it!"
Guard 2: "Oh come on, you can't be serious!"
Guard 1: "Serious as a heart attack. Besides, she's one woman without her Aura activated. What could she do even if she poisoned it?"
Guard 2 drinks the tea... Blinks in disbelief.
Guard 2: "It... It's amazing!"
Lilac: "Old family recipe! Like this stew!"
She's already cooking it. Other members of the White Fang come in, drawn by the smell.
Lilac: "Oh! Hello! Grab a bowl, it should be done soon!"
Guard 1: "Hey, hang on a second, even if it smells good, we should test it!"
Lilac: "Come on. I would never poison food! Then you wouldn't get to enjoy it!"
Guard 2: "You... Do realize you're our hostage, right? If you don't cooperate, we'll kill you?"
Lilac: "I am cooperating."
Guard 1: "She's got a point."
Lilac: "Wonderful!"
When Adam returns... The guards all look a lot more relaxed.
Adam: "Sitrep?"
Guard 2: "Oh! Lord Adam! Uh, everything's fine, sir! The hostage is safe and compliant."
Adam: "Good. Her mother is proving difficult. We'll need to make a video to show how serious we are."
Guard 1: "Errr... I see, Lord Adam."
Lilac: "Hello Lord Adam! Let me take your coat. It's freezing out there, hm? Here, have some hot tea!"
Adam: "Ah, thank you."
He sips the tea... Then spits it out.
Adam: "Wha-Why are you out of your cell?!"
Lilac: "Well, I couldn't finish my knitting in there, My Lord." She hands him a red scarf "Here you are! Goes with your hair."
Guard 1: "Aw..."
Lilac: "I didn't forget you, sweetie!" She hands him a green scarf with a wink "Goes with your scales!"
Guard 1: "Oh, sweet!" At Adam's furious glare "I-I mean, um... Thank you, you pathetic human!"
Lilac: brightly "You're welcome!"
- - -
Lilac is modeled after Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess! She is thus a strong willed but ultimately kind and selfless woman who is REALLY good at winning people's hearts and minds with kindness. You let her into your HQ she's gonna turn your troops with gentle kindness, understanding, and REALLY good cooking.
A day passes. Adam runs into Lilac again cooking for everyone in the kitchen. He approaches her when she is alone. She is humming a soft lullaby under her breath.
Lilac: "Oh. Hello Lord Adam. Is there something you wish of me?"
Adam: "... If they refuse to pay the ransom, your life is forfeit."
Lilac: "I know, Lord Adam."
Adam: "You aren't afraid of that?"
Lilac: shrugs "I am."
Adam: "Yet you still persist like this."
Lilac: "Yes Lord Adam."
Adam: "Why?"
Lilac: "Your men needed good food. Your men need kindness. Everyone does."
Adam: annoyed "We are holding you hostage."
Lilac: "Yes."
Adam: "We are criminals by your estimation."
Lilac: "Yes."
Adam: "We are Faunus, and our goal is to overthrow your oppression and tyrrany."
Lilac: "Have I oppressed you, Lord Adam?"
Adam: "... You annoy me."
Lilac: "I'm sorry, Lord Adam."
Adam: glares... seizes her long hair and makes her yelp. He forces her to her knees and holds Wilt up to her throat.
Adam: "I could end your life in an instant."
Lilac: "Yes Lord Adam... I-I know."
Adam: "So drop the act. You're just trying to manipulate us with lies and deceit!"
Lilac: "No Lord Adam! I-I assure you, I am not-!"
Adam: "Then why this?! Why all of this?! You're trying to make us drop our guard! Allow you to escape!"
Lilac: winces as he digs his blade into her throat "Even if I tried... I know I'm too far away from anywhere civilized to escape. I'd be killed by Grimm or brought back."
Adam: "Then why?! WHY ACT LIKE THIS?!"
Lilac: closes her eyes "Because it's the right thing to do!"
Adam pauses.
Adam: "What?"
Lilac: deep breath "I firmly believe... That people in pain need help and kindness. That it's the right thing to do to help others, even if they want to-to kill me or hurt me. To try, at least."
Adam: "What makes you think I'm in pain?!"
Lilac: "You are. We all are... It is why the Tablebreaker came, is it not? To heal the hurt of the world-?"
Adam: "That religion is nonsense! Just a means of control of the masses! It turns a Faunus into a martyr, just to try and pretend to be fair! All the while the church and governments oppress Faunus!"
Lilac: "No... No, it isn't. Corrupt priests and churches can do bad things in the name of the Emperor Above, but it doesn't change the good at its core!"
Adam: seethe "And so you would do this? Be kind, even to your captors? Even if it meant your death?! All because of your belief?"
Lilac, shaking, manages to look him up in the eyes.
Lilac: "... Y-Yes... Yes, I would."
Adam is silent. So is Lilac. He lets her go and pulls his blade away.
Adam: deep breath "You're confined to your cell. You will not do anything else but sit and be silent."
Lilac: "As you wish, Lord Adam."
A few days pass. Adam returns to her cell. He has three of his Faunus escort her out to a small chamber with a camera.
Adam: "On your knees."
Lilac does so. Adam turns to his guards.
Adam: "The negotiators are trying to buy time. We need to send a stronger message. We have other hostages... We'll kill her to show we mean business."
White Fang 1: "S-Sir... Um, she is the most prominent. Maybe we need to-"
Adam: "Those are my orders. Set up the camera."
The White Fang members reluctantly begin to set things up. Adam waits for the camera turn on.
Adam: "You have ignored our demands. This is the price you will pay."
Lilac: "Lord Adam... May I have a request, please? W-Well... Two requests?"
Adam: glares "What?"
Lilac shakily reaches into her dress pocket, and produces a photo. Adam snatches it and looks it over. His eyes widen behind his mask.
Adam: "You-!"
Lilac: "My fiance... Mercer. He... If you could return that to him..."
Adam: "You... You're engaged?! To a Faunus?!"
Lilac: wince "Yes Lord Adam..."
Adam: glares "... And the other?"
Lilac: "... May I please pray? Before you... You execute me?"
Adam: grits his teeth "..." He steps away. Lilac bows her head and folds her hands.
Lilac: "Tablebreaker, merciful Lord... Please... Forgive them. They know not what they do... And... And please look after my family. I... I won't be there for them anymore..."
Silence. One of the White Fang minions sucks in a breath.
White Fang 1: "Sir... Lord Adam, please. We-We don't need to kill her."
Adam: "Are you questioning my orders?!"
White Fang 2: "Sir, she-Please! Yes humans are our enemy, but-Please, maybe she's one of the good ones-!"
Adam: "There are no good ones! It's a trick! A deception! She's still trying to manipulate you for her life! SHE'S THE ENEMY!"
Lilac: Still praying, shaking, but praying hard
White Fang 3: "Sir, please! Look... I've known many a bad human but she's done nothing!"
Adam: "Humans have done plenty to us! Especially when we did 'nothing'! YOU THINK SHE ACTUALLY CARES?! YOU THINK THIS IS REAL?!" He backhands Lilac and sends her sprawling onto the floor "SHE'S A LIAR! A TRICKSTER!"
He seizes her by her collar and holds her aloft. She chokes.
Adam: "You're just manipulating us! You don't believe we're good! You don't believe a word! Say it! SAY IT!"
Lilac: "N-No! I won't! And I won't stop!"
Adam grits his teeth. He senses his men are about to try and gang up on him. He thinks it over... Then drops her.
Lilac: gasping for breath
Adam: "... Take her back to her cell."
White Fang 1: "Yes sir..."
A day later, Lilac wakes up in a forest clearing. Adam is standing there, silent.
Adam: tosses a canteen at her "You're a day's walk from Matron Village. There are no Grimm around. They'll get you home."
Lilac: "... You're letting me go?"
Adam: "You're too disruptive as a hostage. My men are threatening to mutiny. Your manipulations are too strong... You're too dangerous to keep. So... Go."
Lilac: smiles softly "Thank you, Lord Adam-"
Adam: "Stop that. I don't believe you for a second. This was all an act to get me to release you... And you won."
Lilac: "No... No. I mean... I'm glad to be free... But you're still in pain. And still lost."
Adam: scoffs "I don't need you to save me."
Lilac: "We all need someone to save us. We're all in this together, human and Faunus."
Adam: "..." sighs "... If more humans thought as you do... Maybe I wouldn't have to do what I do."
Lilac: nods "I know."
Adam turns and vanishes into the woods.
- - - -
That just kind of happened. Got a LOT more serious than in the first post, that's for sure. I'm just studying the idea of someone weaker physically than Adam but able to stand up to him in spirit and conviction. It might be interesting to explore, and hey, Lilac is available.
And as usual, I'm not making commentary on real world religions, just using them as inspiration for how it might affect things in Remnant.
