Olivia woke several hours later in excruciating pain, the heart rate monitor spiking at an accelerated rate and her body shaking uncontrollably. Her stomach felt as if it was trying to devour itself from the inside, and her attempts at crying out were interrupted by the blood that bubbled up in her throat. Olivia's aura was entirely depleted, incapable of summoning up the barest dredge to help assuage the pain.
The nurses were quick to arrive, alerted by a loud sound blaring throughout the halls. Two of them rushed in with expert grace, moving to hold down Olivia's arm while another drip of aura enhancers was attached. Bit by bit, the icy cold liquid being fed into her veins managed to suppress the fire within.
After a few minutes, Olivia managed to get her trembling body back under control and exhaled deeply. Everything ached, each muscle having seized in her throes. Looking herself over, Olivia grimaced. The front of her chest and hospital gown were stained from the blood she had coughed up, though the sheets and bedding appeared to be clean.
"Sit up, dear."
Olivia shook herself, numbed mind recalling the presence of the two nurses that remained. One stood with a wet handcloth and a small plastic bucket. The other held a new gown.
The more senior of the two nurses raised an eyebrow, then gestured towards Olivia's chest with her chin, "We need to get you changed and cleaned, dear. I can help you get that off if you don't feel able?"
Olivia grimaced anew and nodded towards the small rolling table nearby, "You can leave them there. I'll take care of it myself."
The younger nurse chipped in, a practiced smile plastered across her face, "We don't mind, really! We'll take care of you!"
"That won't be necessary."
The nurses' eyes widened, and the older of the two gave her a considering look, head tilted up and eyes looking into Olivia's as if gauging how strongly the faunus would insist. She must have seen something worth noting in Olivia's fierce gaze, as she nodded sharply in acceptance.
"As you wish, dear," the nurse set down the new garment on the small table Olivia had indicated, then waved the other nurse to follow suit.
The younger nurse looked between the two in confusion, but complied after a few moments' hesitation. She set the small plastic tub down along with the wet cloth, then rolled them both up to the side of Olivia's bed. Her eyes flickered to the faunus in concern, then back to her superior.
The older of the two placed her hand on the other's back and gently ushered her towards the door, then glanced back before closing it, "Do try to avoid making a mess."
Olivia stared blankly at the woman until she left, finally breathing out a sigh of relief once both had retreated back down the hall. She looked herself over once more, feeling the sore tension that still remained in her limbs, and shrugged mentally.
'No way in hell am I letting some human treat me like a child…'
Olivia struggled to sit up on the bed and reached back, pulling apart the velcro seam that ran from the collar to the bottom hem of her gown. With some difficulty and a bit of shuffling around, she managed to get her right arm free, then paused in annoyance. The IV line stuck in her arm meant that she would need to lift the garment up along the tubing and then off the stand itself in order to pull it completely free.
'Or…' Olivia snorted in a small laugh, feeling with her sense how weak her aura currently was. It raised slowly and dipped sharply in equal turns, but as long as it never ran out completely…
Olivia leaned forward more than before, summoning a single appendage into the confined space. She bent it backwards towards herself, tucking it into the opening for her left arm. With a quick swipe up, the fabric was cut cleanly. Olivia kept her other hand on it to stop it from falling on to her bedding, holding aloft the slightly drenched gown.
The young faunus took a moment to check herself over, seeing the hint of red that stained the lightly tanned skin on her chest. Olivia was doubly glad for her decision, realizing that the two nurses would have had a full view of her braless chest if allowed to stay.
'Not that the younger one wasn't cute enough, but… at least buy me dinner first~'
Olivia laughed to herself and gave a rueful shake of her head, 'Now on to the next problem…' Her eyes scoured the room, finding the trash can that had been placed closer to the door. It was hands free, with a small foot pedal near the bottom so that it could be opened easily. Olivia summoned a second appendage along with the first, and had to lean forward just a bit more in order for it to reach.
With the tip of one appendage on the pedal, Olivia draped the ruined gown on to the end of the other and began to carefully move it across the room. She smirked, knowing that for anyone else it would be quite a strange sight, the cloth seemingly floating across the room by itself.
Unfortunately, Olivia's aura chose that moment to bottom out. The stained gown fell as her appendages vanished, striking the ground with a wet plop and a small spray of blood that gushed out the sides on impact.
Olivia's vision swam, and she had to sit back in the bed for a few long seconds while the pain threatened to return. She gripped her bed sheets tightly, feeling the mounting tension.
Then, as quickly as it had gone… her aura returned. The smallest amount, yet still enough to wash away the pain. Olivia breathed out, then summoned her appendages once more. In a few seconds, she had pressed down on the foot pedal, scooped up the garment, and deposited it into the trash can. The only evidence that remained was the blood that had seeped onto the floor.
Olivia sighed in annoyance. If she left the blood as it was, the nurses would surely have questions, along with potentially insisting they be the ones to change her if it happened again. 'I'll have to clean it myself…' she thought with a shake of her head.
Olivia grabbed the small wash cloth from out of the plastic tub and rung it out one handed, doing her best to make sure it was only damp instead of leaking. Once satisfied, she brought it to her chest and began to wipe herself down, making sure to get every red blotch that decorated her skin. It took only a few minutes to scrub herself clean. After one final check, Olivia deposited the now reddened rag back in the plastic tub.
'They could come check up on me at any time…' Olivia thought idly, eyes falling back on the bloodied spot on the floor. Unfortunately, an extra rag had not been provided, and Olivia wasn't sure how comfortable it would be to slip on the other gown while her chest was still wet.
'I could take care of the mess in the meantime…? My appendages don't have quite that level of finesse, though...'
Olivia sighed, realizing she would need to get out of bed in order to clean the spot. As long as she did so quickly, she believed it would be alright. Her eyes fell on the needle sticking out of her arm, and she shrugged weakly, 'It's not as if I'll have trouble getting it back in. Kind of hard to miss where my veins are when they stand out so much.'
Fingers grasping the needle, Olivia pulled it free easily enough and watched for a moment as a small dribble of blood followed in its wake. Her aura closed the wound soon enough though, and all it took was a passing swipe with the rag to free herself of the crimson beads.
Olivia's muscles ached as she swung her feet over the side of the bed. She felt better than she had the day before, but was still nowhere close to being healthy. Olivia was forced to steady herself along the edge of the bed when she first stood, legs quaking under the sudden pressure of her body weight after being off her feet for so long. She dipped the rag into the water one last time, rung it out, and stumbled over to the blood on the floor.
The patch wasn't very large, all things considered. Atop the white tile though, it would have been impossible to miss. Olivia carefully lowered herself on to her hands and knees and began scrubbing away the blood.
Only a handful of seconds passed before she felt a familiar figure approaching, and her face paled a moment later.
"Excuse me! Sir!? You can't go in there!" Olivia could hear the younger nurse calling out, her presence drawing nearer in the wake of the other that was much more familiar to the faunus.
"It's alright, I know the kid!" a gruff voice replied, waving off the nurse before reaching the door. Olivia did the only thing she could, and dropped the rag while crossing her chest with her arms, doing her best to obscure as much as possible.
The door opened, and crimson red eyes looked first to the bed, then swept off to the side to see Olivia kneeling on the floor, covering her naked chest with both arms and glaring in return.
"Get out, Qrow!" she exclaimed with reddened cheeks.
Qrow's eyes widened, and he immediately averted his head while backing out of the room, muttering "Sorry!" in a choked gasp.
The door closed soon after, and Olivia took her last chance to quickly scrub what remained of the blood before depositing the rag into the trash as well. She panicked as she felt the nurse drawing closer. Olivia hopped back up, snagged the replacement gown off the small table, threw her hands through it, and weakly vaulted into the bed without bothering with the velcro.
The nurse turned the door knob at the exact moment that Olivia pulled the thin blanket back up, using it to hide the fact that her arm no longer held the needle in it. The door opened, and the nurse peeked her head in, "I'm sorry about that! He said he knew where he was going and just walked off. Took me a moment to realize he was headed your direction, and by then…"
"I-it's fine," Olivia sighed, feeling the heat beginning to die down in her cheeks. She could still sense Qrow out in the hall, being very careful not to stand anywhere near the open door. Olivia looked past the nurse and raised her voice, calling out so that he could hear, "You can come in now, old man!"
Qrow poked his head around the corner, eyes averted for a moment while he checked on Olivia's state of dress with his periphery, "You um... decent now, kid?"
"Ever heard of knocking?" Olivia shot back, still mildly irked.
Qrow raised a hand and rubbed it against the back of his neck, sparing her an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that."
Olivia shook her head in exasperation, "It has to run in the family. Ruby never knocked either that first night I stayed over…" she eyed him smugly, "At least this time I didn't break someone's wood."
"Ah, ha, ha…" Qrow chuckled nervously, "Wouldn't want that, now would we?"
"I don't suppose we would," Olivia agreed, then nodded her head, gesturing for him to enter. The nurse spared the two a disapproving eye and left, returning back up the hall.
Qrow stepped inside and closed the door behind himself, still with one hand raised to the back of his head, "How ya feeling?"
"One sec," Olivia pulled back her blanket slightly in order to grab the needle, then aligned it with her vein before jabbing it in. The sharp pain lasted only a moment, and was mostly lost among what aches she already felt. Immediately after, the chilling liquid began to once again enter her veins.
Olivia looked back up to Qrow, then pointedly glanced down at the hospital bed she was in, "Well, I won't lie… I've been better."
Qrow nodded, "Yang's retelling of it was pretty gruesome."
"I don't really remember much after passing out."
"Would have guessed as much. I've been messed up a few times in my life, too," he winked, sitting down in one of the chairs and propping his feet up on another, "Most of which were from alcohol, but who's counting~?"
Olivia snorted, "Now that I would pay to see. I bet you start hitting on anything that moves."
Qrow raised his hands, palms facing up in a 'what can you do' gesture, "More trouble than it's worth, usually. If a man ain't chasin' tail though, is he even living?"
Olivia couldn't reach far enough to pat him on the shoulder, so instead gave him the most sympathetic smile she could muster, "It's rough out there for you old timers. Might want to start telling them you're younger than you really are," she put a hand to her chin, looking him over, "Fifty or so, maybe? I don't see them being convinced otherwise~"
"I'm only forty-three."
"And I'm not that gullible~" Olivia laughed.
Qrow narrowed his eyes, then gave up with a huff, "Did you figure out who you got it from?"
"My side chick~"
Qrow's eyebrows raised, eyeing Olivia while trying to decide whether or not she was being serious. After a few moments, he smiled and gave a nod of respect, "Was it worth it?"
Olivia grinned, "Like you wouldn't believe."
It was Qrow's turn to laugh, deep chested bellows that could likely be heard by the nurses down the hall. He finished with an exasperated sigh, "Can't fault you for that! Know how long you're gonna be in here paying for it?"
Olivia shrugged, nodding over to the small container of blood mixed water, "They tried taking me off aura enhancers and it didn't end so well. A couple more days, maybe? I don't want to miss too many classes."
Qrow waved his hand dismissively, "Ah, you'll be fine. Us Mistralians can pull through just about anything. I'm sure Ruby won't mind bringing along any assignments you might have missed."
Olivia shrugged, "The princess was gonna do that for me, anyway."
"Princess?" Qrow frowned, unfamiliar with the nickname.
"The Schnee," Olivia corrected, "She's pretty quick to harp on anyone if they aren't studying or finishing up their homework before it's due."
"The one you were cozying up with at the house?" Qrow smirked, a small glimmer in his eye.
Olivia scoffed, "Unfortunate circumstances. She knows to keep her distance…" 'Aside from holding my hand, and…' the hug that Olivia wouldn't mind repeating…
Qrow raised his hands defensively, "Say no more, say no more. At least you seemed like you were getting along, right? That's a far cry from how you were before."
Olivia turned her head to the side, unwilling to admit that she'd been too quick to judge Weiss. There were many ways she could describe her, but… 'My enemy isn't one of them…'
Olivia turned back with a sigh, "It's… working out alright for now. Jurries out on whether or not it'll last four whole years."
"All you can do is give it your best shot," Qrow shrugged, "It was a long time before Summer and Tai managed to butter up my sister and me."
"Kinky~"
Qrow snorted, "Hey. I've got my fair share of Beacon stories, most of which I've never got the chance to tell anyone younger."
"Because of Raven?"
"Heh, pretty much. Never knew how Yang would take it."
Olivia tilted her head in thought, letting out a small 'hmm…' as she did. Her eyes returned to Qrow, and she shrugged minutely, "I won't claim to know her better than you, but I bet she could handle it. She's a big girl, Qrow. You don't need to protect her from everything anymore."
Qrow rubbed the back of his neck, glancing off to the side, "You might be right…" He seemed to consider it himself for a few more moments, staring blankly at the floor before returning his gaze to Olivia with a nervous chuckle, "Still, we've got four more years before she's let loose from this place. I might wait a bit longer, ya know? For safety's sake."
"The longer you wait, the more excuses she might create to keep those childhood dreams alive… I'd rather clean a wound as soon as possible than let it fester."
Qrow sighed, "I'll… consider it. See what Tai thinks."
Olivia nodded her acceptance. That was close enough for her, at least for now. She couldn't quite put Yang in her own shoes, considering their circumstances were fairly different. Olivia couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like if someone had warned her about Widow early on, though. What would have happened if she'd never influenced her life?
'It would have saved me a lot of grief… and saved a lot of other people's lives…'
"Well, I just came by to check up on ya," Qrow stood as he spoke, seeming ready to leave now that he had something to think on. He walked over to the door and opened it, turning back to look over his shoulder with a small smile, "I'm glad you're okay, kid. No more scares like that any time soon, alright?"
'Scares?' Olivia smirked, "What? The big bad huntsman was worried for little ol' me?"
Qrow's smile deepened slightly, and he shook his head in a small motion while glancing down to the floor. Crimson eyes returned, staring into magenta. There was a warmth behind them, a look of compassion that caught Olivia completely off guard and forced the heat to return to her cheeks.
"Even big bad huntsman have things they want to protect. Catch ya later, kid."
Qrow closed the door behind himself as he left, leaving Olivia with slowly brightening cheeks and a hand that clutched the hem of her blanket tightly. When…
'When was the last time someone spoke to me that way…?'
The words weren't unfamiliar. Widow had said similar things often enough over the last five years that they'd spent together. Yet somehow… Olivia believed Qrow more when he said it… Widow's words rang as hollow and untrue in comparison, a mockery of the compassion that Qrow had just shown.
Feeling tired after her interrupted rest and quick excursion from the confines of the bed, Olivia rolled on to her side and closed her eyes, exhaling softly. The weight that urged her to sleep was fought in equal parts by the uncertainty and doubt pestering her mind.
Sleep did not come soon enough for the young faunus.
The next couple of days passed uneventfully. The members of team Rainbow and Lion took time out of their day to visit sporadically, checking in to make sure that the young faunus was still doing well. Ruby came bearing snacks, hiding them from the nurses in case Olivia wasn't allowed to have any. Blake came by now and again, the two spending much of that time reading in companionable silence, or discussing some of their time in the White Fang while Olivia made sure the coast was clear.
Yang and Pyrrha appeared to be getting along fairly well. The two partners had found kinship in their love of fitness, both spending a great deal of time in the gym or sparring together. Olivia had her suspicions, judging by how close the two seemed to be getting. As much as Yang enjoyed talking a big game though, Olivia got the distinct impression that much of it was only that. Talk.
Ren and Nora visited most of all, and always together. Olivia enjoyed simply listening to the stories Nora would spin about their times in Mistral, and the many, many corrections that Ren would make along the way. The boy didn't have an ounce of flare for the dramatic, a trait that Olivia was most agreeable with. Some of her best hours in the infirmary were spent with the two of them.
Weiss visited least of all, stopping by only twice during the weekend to check in and see if Olivia needed anything. Most of her day to day was taken care of by the nurses though, much to Olivia's frustration. They had found out from Qrow that she'd been out of bed when he first appeared, and had thus far nagged her incessantly about needing her rest.
Even so, Olivia found herself making small excuses so that Weiss would stay longer. The request for a notepad to be retrieved that she had no plans on using, stopping her to ask whatever inane questions she could think of… Olivia wasn't sure why she did so, but told herself that she was simply bored, and any company was better than none at all.
By the time Monday rolled around, Olivia had been taken off the aura enhancers. Despite her best efforts, she was still too weak to leave the infirmary. As a result, she was forced to miss that day's worth of classes, with the promise of being tested the following morning to see if she was in shape by then.
And so it was that Olivia found herself sitting up in bed, a few hours into the afternoon. Her eyes checked the time on her scroll every few minutes. Classes had officially ended, and Weiss had promised to stop by in order to give Olivia her assignments for the day and help her through them.
Olivia picked up on Weiss entering the range of her sixth sense, walking down the hall with a set of books clutched in her arms. The heiress arrived and opened the door quietly, peeking in first to make sure Olivia was still awake and hadn't needed to rest since they'd last messaged each other.
"Good, you're still awake," Weiss asserted, stepping into the room and closing the door behind herself. She walked to the side with the table and lay the books down on it, spreading them out to separate her own from Olivia's, "We have just one assignment from Professor Port today. Oobleck gave a fairly lengthy lecture and then forgot to assign homework…"
Olivia smirked, "And you didn't remind him? You're off your game, Princess."
Weiss narrowed her eyes, staring off to the side as if recalling something in vivid detail, "I tried to, but that blond bimbo put her hand over my mouth to keep me quiet."
Olivia laughed, picturing Weiss struggling to break free from Yang's powerful grasp, "Maybe you should take her up on her offer. She couldn't do that quite so easily if you weren't…" Olivia's eyes roamed up and down Weiss's body, grinning widely, "So frail~"
Weiss huffed, dropping Olivia's book into her lap with an excessive amount of force, "I'll have you know I did take her up on the offer. I went with both of them the last couple of days, actually." Weiss's haughty glare morphed into a frown and her voice lowered, "Even if I didn't stay as long as them, I still went…"
Olivia raised her hands consolingly, "Not much chance you'd keep up with Pyrrha your first couple days, let alone Yang. You've just gotta do what you can, you know?"
"I'm familiar with the concept of pacing myself, yes," Weiss replied, then shuffled one of the chairs closer to the small table. She opened up her folder and pulled out a sheet of paper along with a clipboard, handing them both to Olivia, "The assignment from Port, which shouldn't take us that long. Afterwards, I could try and recap what I remember from Oobleck's lecture…?"
"So everything?"
Weiss smiled, "So everything."
The two launched into the assignment, Weiss helping Olivia to find the answers within the textbook and making sure she got them right. The assignment itself wasn't overly difficult at first, but once they reached the portion asking about what variations existed in the myriad subsets of each species of Grimm, Olivia was well and truly lost.
"What features of the Anima beowolf might clue you in that it is not of the Sanus variety?" Olivia read the question out loud in annoyance, having no clue what answers the assignment might want her to give. In a moment of pent up frustration, she scribbled down 'Wouldn't this be obvious since, you know. I'd be there? How many beowolves from Anima are you killing in the Emerald Forest!?"
Weiss noticed her furiously writing and peeked over, reading out the answer she had put down before sighing in vexation, "Really, Olivia?"
"Well? I'm right, aren't I?" Olivia asked tiredly, "Have you ever fallen asleep in Mistral, only to wake up in Vale?"
"No, but… the differences between the two are important for when you encounter them. A beowolf from Anima has a body that is far more suited to remaining quadrupedal. Due to this, they're typically much faster. Conversely, the beowolf on Sanus are more bipedal, and have more strength in their upper body. A beowolf from Anima is easier to block, while one from Sanus is easier to dodge."
Olivia brought a hand to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I've killed both. There's not much point in me knowing that if they aren't much of a threat anyway."
Weiss frowned, "It's still important. What if we hadn't been there to save you, and you'd been forced to fight that beowolf without any aura? While you were sick? You would have tried to block a blow from it like always, when it would have been better to dodge."
"That's… such a niche circumstance. That was life's best chance at killing me, Princess. I won't give it another."
"There's a lot that can go wrong, Olivia… and when it does, learning stuff like this will prepare you for it. There's any number of things that could happen. Just because you're used to being able to deal with them doesn't mean you always will be…"
Olivia sighed, leaning back into the pillows behind herself while staring up at the ceiling. All of their studying was getting the better of her, all of her time pent up in the small room, in her damn restricting little bed. Olivia shook her head, knowing what needed to be done for her to relax once more.
"Alright, Princess. I need a break," Olivia's head turned to see Weiss giving a small nod of acceptance. They had been at it for a little over an hour already.
Olivia smirked, "Glad we're in agreement. You wouldn't mind going back to the room to grab some clothes for me real quick then, would you?"
Weiss frowned, "Clothes…? Why do you need clothes?"
"Well, it might be a little distracting if I sparred with you in a hospital gown, don't you think~?" Olivia laughed, seeing the hint of red starting to overcome Weiss's cheeks before she leaned forward conspiratorially, "I'm not even wearing a bra, Princess. Have you no shame~!?"
Weiss's face deepened to a bright red as she turned her head away, arms crossing and a huff escaping from between her lips, "Y-you can't leave yet! You aren't even fully recovered! And sparring!? Even I could beat you right now, Olivia!"
"Wanna put that to the test?" Olivia chuckled, enjoying the effect she was having on the heiress, "You were all talk just now about how I won't always be able to deal with what comes my way…" she stared straight into Weiss's eyes as the heiress turned back, "...Prove it."
Weiss stared for a few moments, her brow furrowing in a mixture of annoyance and disbelief that Olivia would go so far while still hospitalized. Her competitive spirit and desire to be right won over, though. Weiss stood suddenly from her chair and walked straight backed to the door, stopping only to stare over her shoulder at Olivia.
"I'll be back in a few minutes. I'd suggest you do whatever you need to prepare in that time," Weiss's voice turned a touch colder, "I won't be going easy."
Olivia smirked, "That's what I like to hear~"
"Hmph!"
Weiss left, fading into the distance while Olivia smiled after. Truth be told, she was feeling much better than she had earlier that morning, especially after having nearly an entire extra day off. Without the infusion of aura enhancers, her aura's condition had managed to remain stable, climbing back up to a respectable amount during the course of the last eight hours. Olivia could still feel some achiness in her muscles, and a knot in her stomach that refused to leave.
All in all… 'I should manage just fine.'
Weiss returned a few minutes later as she'd promised, carrying a small pile of clothes with her in a tightly wrapped bundle. She entered the room and dropped them unceremoniously on the end of Olivia's bed, then stood tapping her foot as if expecting the faunus to proclaim it all as one big joke.
Instead, Olivia hopped off the bed and grabbed the clothes, noting with a small amount of embarrassment that Weiss had brought one of Olivia's bras as well. The faunus raised an eyebrow, staring at Weiss expectantly while the heiress could only return her gaze in utter bafflement.
"Jeez, Princess~ I didn't know you were the quid pro quo type. I might not have mentioned sensing what you did to yourself in front of that mirror if it meant you were going to try and get a peek in exchange~"
"W-what!? No! I-I was…!" Weiss brought her hands up to hide her face, then lowered one in order to glare and point, "J-just go change in the bathroom, you dolt! If you can even walk that far!"
Olivia laughed and headed into the bathroom, making a point of locking the door behind herself as loudly as possible. She turned to set the clothes on the counter and then got to work, slipping the gown off once more and changing into the garments that Weiss had brought.
Thankfully, the heiress seemed to understand Olivia's tastes well enough. Though she was now sorely lacking when it came to her combat outfit, the black sports bra, form fitting dark purple long sleeve, and tight black pants were a good enough alternative. Fortunately, her favorite shoes had been rescued as well, completing Olivia's ensemble before she stepped back out of the bathroom.
Olivia gave a quick little spin as Weiss looked up, raising her arms enough to show off her entire body, "Well, how do I look, Princess? Ready for battle?"
"Y-you…" Weiss stared for a few moments before giving her head a small shake, "It'll do... I suppose." She turned her head away sharply and marched to the door, throwing it open while gesturing with her free hand, "After you."
Olivia raised an eyebrow, noticing the clear distress that Weiss was in, "Are you feeling okay? I hope I didn't get you sick, too. At least it wouldn't be as bad though, right?"
"I'm fine," Weiss stated bluntly, then gestured once more, "Let's get this over with. The sooner I beat you, the sooner you're back in bed and resting."
"Oh? So confident~" Olivia remarked jokingly, heading out the door and waiting for Weiss to fall into step next to her, "You couldn't even hit me before, and now you think a little cold will be my undoing?"
"It's more than just a little cold, Olivia," Weiss snipped, sparing her a pair of narrowed eyes.
Olivia only grinned in response and continued forward, walking side by side with the heiress until they reached the end of the hall. She threw her arm out, stopping Weiss in her tracks when she ran into it. Weiss opened her mouth, a worried glimmer in her eyes.
Olivia raised her hand to place a finger against the other girl's lips, then brought it back to her own to signal that they needed to keep quiet. Weiss simply stared back in confusion, so Olivia leaned closer to whisper in her ear.
"There's a pair of nurses up front, and I'm not actually supposed to leave, remember? We'll have to sneak past them."
Weiss rolled her eyes, then gestured for Olivia to turn her head before leaning closer in kind, "You have to sneak. I can walk out just fine. See you outside, if you can even pull it off with the state you're in."
With that, Weiss stepped out past the end of the hall and into the open area of the waiting room. One of the nurses noticed immediately and gave her a small wave, which Weiss returned with a grin. The heiress flashed Olivia one last smile before stepping out into the campus grounds, a rush of fresh air flowing inside before the door closed once more.
Olivia suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and pulled her mind back to the task at hand. She smirked, senses feeling outward to focus on the nurses. Each of them sat behind the raised counter, with only their heads visible from further away. They spoke to each other candidly, telling each other about what they'd done that weekend and 'Oh, did you hear…?'
Olivia shivered, 'If I ever catch myself having useless conversations about celebrities and their affairs…' that would be the end. Olivia would need a third name, one to live out the rest of her life in shame and solitude while wondering how she'd managed to fall so far.
'Anyway…' Weiss was waiting, and every second that Olivia stood around was another that the heiress might hold over her head. 'What took you so long?' Olivia could already hear it.
Fortunately, the main area inside the front door was littered with rows of chairs, many of them near enough to the hallway that Olivia could dart behind them if given the chance. Waiting for a few more moments, she sensed one of the nurses pulling out her scroll to show the other a picture and took her chance, swiftly moving in a crouch to hide behind the seats.
Olivia moved along the line until she reached the end, then waited for the pitch of the womens' voices to raise in excitement before darting across to the next, then the next. Soon enough, Olivia was only a few feet away from the door. It was largely exposed, but after a round of rather raucous laughter, the spider faunus was stepping freely out into the awaiting air.
"Took you long enough," Weiss scoffed, arms crossed a fair distance away while looking back to Olivia.
Olivia let out a small 'hmph', "I'd like to see you do any better, Princess. With that white hair of yours, I doubt you could go anywhere without being noticed."
"Fortunately, I have neither the need nor desire to skulk in the shadows."
"So you're a lights on kinda girl? I like it~" Olivia teased. When Weiss only appeared confused by the remark though, Olivia laughed harder than she might have otherwise.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss demanded, following into step beside Olivia as they continued on their way to the combat arena.
"I'll tell you when you're older," Olivia replied coyly, then turned her head forward to keep an eye out. Getting past the nurses would hardly matter if they ended up running into one of the teachers that knew who Olivia was. It was still only halfway into the afternoon, with a few hours of light left before the sun would set. As such, plenty of students remained outside the campus buildings, going about their business and passing the two teammates along the path they travelled.
The walk to the combat arena wasn't far, only a few buildings away. Olivia figured it would make sense to have it nearby incase someone was injured while sparring. She'd been in the business long enough to know there were some surprisingly easy ways that people could die, many of which were more than possible in the middle of armed combat.
The combat arena and adjoining stands were empty, leaving Weiss and Olivia to do with it as they pleased. Both headed off for the locker rooms, down the steps and across the floor that surrounded the raised arena.
Weiss headed a small distance away to her own locker to change into her combat outfit, while Olivia retrieved Oath from her own. She sighed as she held it, giving the blade a quick once over, "At least I still have you, huh?"
Olivia sensed Weiss glancing over at her and realized it would likely be better if she left so that the heiress could change in peace. Olivia flashed her a smile, then gestured towards the door, "I'll be waiting outside. Come on out when you're ready."
Weiss nodded her thanks and began to change as Olivia left, the faunus now alone in the eerily quiet arena. Olivia rolled her shoulders, feeling her muscles protesting against the motion and a dull migraine beginning behind her eyes. Her symptoms had only become worse since she'd left her bed. At the very least, the dull ache across her entire body wasn't quite debilitating.
Olivia vaulted on to the arena floor and moved to the far side, slamming Oath's point down into the tile so that she could stretch, trying to work out the knots and kinks that had built up over time in bed. Olivia was in the middle of reaching down to touch her toes when the door opened and Weiss exited the locker room.
Olivia could sense the heiress grind to a halt, and shifted slightly to look at her from around her own legs, "What's up?"
"N-nothing. Forgot, um… something," Weiss replied distractedly, then rushed back into the locker rooms.
Olivia shrugged and finished up her stretches, then turned back around and unburied Oath from the floor. It was a couple minutes later before Weiss returned, eyes glued to the floor as she hurried up the steps on to the arena platform.
Something seemed… different. Off, about Weiss. It took Olivia a few moments, along with a pointed stare, to notice that she had ditched her high heels in favor of a much more practical pair of shoes. The heel was still slightly raised, but no more than those that Blake or Ruby wore.
"New shoes?" Olivia smirked, "Glad to see you're taking my advice to heart."
Weiss followed Olivia's gaze down to her feet, "Well… what's the point in having a teacher if you aren't going to take their advice?"
"I mean, I was partially joking. Pyrrha does well enough with them, even if hers weren't quite as high as yours," Olivia tilted her head and held a hand up, trying to gauge their comparative height from over a dozen feet away, "Adorable. You're as short as me now~ Is someone self-conscious about their height~?"
Weiss firmly ignored her remark and turned her head to the side, looking up at the unpowered aura display next to them, "Are you sure this is safe? I won't be able to tell when you're close to hitting zero…"
Olivia popped her neck and gave Weiss a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it. I can sense how much we have left easily enough. I won't go too far."
Weiss turned back to her and scowled, drawing Myrtenaster from her hip, "You'll have to warn me before your aura breaks, then."
Olivia laughed and lowered into her combat stance, Oath held behind herself in preparation for whatever Weiss had planned, "Whenever you're ready, Princess."
An unsteady tension began to build in the air, both of the combatants staring each other down while Olivia waited for Weiss to make the first attack. The heiress shifted into her usual stance, Myrtenaster held in front and feet in a more relaxed fencer's pose. Her eyes focused intently on Olivia, time passing moment by moment while the faunus's heart rate began to increase along with her mounting anticipation.
The instant before Weiss attacked, her eyes narrowed. She swept her rapier into a quick slash, four bolts of ice dust streaking out in Olivia's direction. Invisible appendages sprung into existence, blocking the shots the instant before they could reach her while Olivia dashed forward.
Olivia dropped her semblance to instead apply it to her own limbs, feeling the sudden increase in strength and speed that allowed her to dart across the remaining distance. Weiss remained focused and steadfast. A black glyph appeared in space between them, slowing Olivia's forward momentum as she was forced to dodge around it.
By the time she had, Weiss had already shifted to another element. She swept Myrtenaster in a wide arc, letting loose a torrent of ice meant to capture Olivia in its clutches. Instead, the faunus jumped high, spinning once in the air to land behind the heiress. Olivia felt a twinge of pain shoot up her leg as she hit the ground, but ignored it in favor of slashing a long line across Weiss's back.
Weiss tumbled forward, earning an approving smile from Olivia when her aura only dropped a small amount. She had moved with the blow, lowering its effect by negating a portion of the force behind it.
Olivia was quick to follow it up though, dashing those few steps closer and slashing once more. Weiss managed to bring her rapier up between the two of them as she rose, partially nullifying the blow when steel struck steel. Myrtenaster was ill suited for blocking in that way, however, and much of Oath's blade slid past to score a hit on the other girl's shoulder.
Weiss retaliated, moving into her preferred range while making a few quick jabs with her rapier. Olivia blocked and parried, forced to go on the defensive as Weiss could simply attack more quickly with Myrtenaster than Olivia could with Oath.
'Time to mix things up a bit, then,' Olivia smirked, hopping back a step and hurling an electrified Oath while she did so.
Weiss was surprised by the sudden maneuver, but managed to sweep Oath to the side before it could make contact. The blade flew away, even as Olivia darted in closer to get to work with her hands. She had spent far longer fighting this way, and the immediate shift put her opponent on the defensive.
Weiss's eyes widened when Olivia's right glove began to glow with a purple light. She couldn't take her eyes off Olivia to search for Oath, as the blade was surely flying towards her at that very moment. Olivia took advantage of her divided attention, scoring a few more hits while she had the chance.
Weiss's eyes flickered to the side briefly, and she ducked just in time for Oath to streak through the air over her head. Olivia didn't catch it, instead choosing to once more turn off her glove and allow the weapon to fly off into the distance. Weiss was caught off guard by another right hook while watching it fly by in confusion, wondering exactly what Olivia was up to.
In only a few moments, Olivia's glove was alight once more, Oath spiralling into the fray and splitting Weiss's attention while the faunus continued attacking in close range with her fists. Weiss' mouth set in a grim line, understanding now the tactic that Olivia had devised.
Olivia could feel her muscles spasming from the effort, the sheer physicality of the spar requiring all she had in order to keep going. Her breath began to come out far more raggedly than it would otherwise, each blow lacking the power of the one before it.
To her credit, Weiss was managing to dodge Oath well enough while denying Olivia the full brunt of her attacks. Many continued to slip by, and the heiress's aura had dropped a substantial amount since the beginning of the fight, but she was holding on better than Olivia would have expected.
A glimmer of anger appeared behind Weiss's eyes, trapped between an electrified spinning blade and Olivia, her options were extremely limited. The heiress grit her teeth as the blade made its return, and in a move that caught Olivia completely off guard, lowered Myrtenaster in order to shoulder check the faunus in the chest.
Olivia breath came out in a ragged gasp, unprepared for the sudden blow to the sternum that knocked the air from her lungs. Olivia fell with the blow and deactivated her glove, sensing the blade's approach and knowing it would hit her otherwise.
Weiss fell with Olivia but came up in a roll, stabbing Myrtenaster down into the floor. Ice shot out from it in a frigid burst, a pillar erupting from the floor right as Oath passed. The pillar was perfectly timed to capture the blade, its momentum brought to a halt as it was encased in several feet of ice.
Weiss panted heavily, and stood on unsteady legs to inspect her work. Olivia followed with, testing Oath by activating her glove once more. The sound of ice cracking deep within could be heard, but it remained in place, trapping Olivia's weapon in its clutches.
"Well…" Olivia lowered back down into her fighting stance, hands at the ready while a grin spread across her face, "I'll have to admit I'm impressed, Princess. Nicely done."
Weiss got her breathing under control, and smiled back proudly, "I had to break your momentum. You taught me that."
Olivia smirked, "You're right! I guess I'm really the one that should be getting complimented here. Thanks, Princess~"
Weiss narrowed her eyes and returned to a readied stance, speaking in frigid tones, "You can thank yourself for your loss, as well."
"I probably would have done that anyway~"
The fight began anew as Weiss launched herself forward, using a glyph to dash even faster with a strike aimed at the center of Olivia's chest. The faunus waited, then bent backwards in an attempt to dodge at the last moment. She'd forgotten to take her current condition into account though. Olivia's back groaned in protest, sharp pains lancing up her spine even as Weiss's rapier lanced into her chest.
Olivia was thrown backwards by the blow, her aura dropping sharply but managing to absorb the brunt of the damage. Olivia's instincts kicked in, her sixth sense searching out while she tumbled across the ground. Weiss attempted to capitalize on Olivia's apparent disorientation, and fired off a burst of ice dust in her wake.
Large stalagmites of ice flashed up from the floor as Olivia transferred both of her arm appendages into one, using the others to dig into the ground behind her and regain her stability. The ice protrusions neared, showing no signs of slowing as they threatened to capture Olivia as they had Oath.
Drawing her fist back in preparation for the ice to arrive, Olivia slammed it down into the tiles, creating a shockwave large enough to disrupt the ice that was closing in. Pieces of both ice and tile flew off in every direction, scattering into the air. Vision partially obscured in the moment, Olivia was forced to rely on her sixth sense to try and dodge the barrage of ice dust projectiles that homed in on her location.
This time, it was Olivia's leg that gave out. The muscles spasmed, refusing to function in the way they always had and leaving her a sitting duck the instant before the projectiles made contact. Olivia raised her arms to block, but only managed to stop two of the four from colliding against her chest. The blasts staggered her, leaving frozen, flower-like growths across her torso.
Olivia let her legs give out and fell backwards as Weiss flew through the air next, propelled by another one of her glyphs in an attempt to follow up her previous attacks. Olivia dodged the blow, and reached up with both hands and feet. Her hands caught Weiss's wrists, while her feet slammed up into the heiress's stomach.
Weiss's momentum carried her overhead while Olivia let go of the grip she had on her arms. Weiss landed roughly, rolling to a stop a dozen feet away. The air had been entirely knocked from her lungs, but even so, she staggered back to her feet, Myrtenaster in hand.
Olivia panted, trying to stand and feeling her leg protesting. It refusing to work before had been bad enough. Using her leg to kick Weiss had only exacerbated the issue. She managed to return to her feet but did so with a limp, incapable of putting too much weight on that leg, even after reshrouding it with an appendage.
"I won't lie… You're doing much better than I expected…" Olivia breathed out roughly, "I'm starting to think I was on to something after our first fight... You really didn't have capable teachers before now."
"My father paid for the best money could buy…" Weiss argued, drawing herself up to ready herself once more.
Olivia scoffed, "Or did he just say that while trying to sabotage your chances? He didn't want you to become a huntress in the first place, if I recall?"
Weiss's face contorted into a troubled frown, her eyes dropping to the tile beneath her feet while considering the words that Olivia had said.
'Too easy.'
Olivia took advantage of the distraction to use her appendages and launch herself across the intervening space, incapable of relying on her leg. Weiss was caught completely off guard, looking up at the final moment with widening eyes to catch the right hook that Olivia delivered. Both of their auras were low, and the strength of one appendage was all it took to drop Weiss's aura past fifteen percent.
Weiss was about to jump back to her feet and continue the fight before Olivia held a hand up, gesturing for Weiss to stop while falling back on to the ground herself, pain arcing through her body, "Sorry, Princess... That was lesson number… I don't know, you probably numbered them... Don't let your opponent distract you in a fight."
Weiss glowered, pulling herself back up into a sitting position and crossing her arms, "I'll remember that."
"Make sure you do," Olivia said seriously, locking eyes with Weiss while she spoke, "Grimm aren't the type to do that. People are. And they are far more dangerous."
Weiss's eyes clouded over, and she returned to the troubled frown she'd had before, "Did you mean what you said, though?"
Olivia sighed and turned so that she could lay down on her side and still look at Weiss, propping her head up with her hand, "I don't know. I haven't exactly ever met your father, but judging by the way the SDC is run… I'd be willing to bet he'd go to any lengths to get what he wants. If that meant endangering his daughter to try and keep her home instead of running off…? You'd have to be the judge of that."
Weiss propped her chin up with her knee and stared at the floor, her eyes searching as if looking for answers in the broken pieces of tile and ice that remained. Olivia left her to it, taking the opportunity to catch her breath.
After a few minutes, Weiss sighed and climbed back to her feet, bending over to offer Olivia a hand back up as well, "How close was I, by the way?"
Olivia accepted the hand that was offered to her and took a moment to check her own aura level. If Weiss's was at around fifteen percent… "Low thirties, I guess. Hard to give exact amounts, but your aura feels about where it was when Goodwitch called our fight. Mine doesn't tend to ever get this low, so…"
Weiss rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in."
Olivia smirked, then glanced back over her shoulder to the spire of ice that remained, along with the weapon buried within. She turned back to Weiss with a twinkle in her eye and nodded to Myrtenaster, "Ready to start chipping away?"
Weiss grimaced, "What, you can't punch it out or something?"
Olivia laughed, putting a hand to her chest as if offended, "I'm sick, Princess. I shouldn't be doing any sort of physical exercise right now~!"
Weiss glared and began to mutter under her breath while she walked towards the block of ice. Olivia caught only a few words, each one a shock to be coming out of the heiress's mouth. Weiss stopped and spun the chamber in Myrtenaster before slashing it through the air. A wave of flame scorched out, creating a path of sizzling and steaming ice in its wake. The pillar itself was the main focus, and took the brunt of the heat. Long fissures appeared on its surface, cracks that ran the entire length from base to tip.
Olivia waited until Weiss had stepped aside before activating her glove for the final time. With a groaning snap, the ice broke free and allowed the electrified blade to arc back into Olivia's waiting hands. She caught it deftly and deactivated it, shifting it into its full length form to drape over her shoulders.
"I believe that was enough for one day?" Weiss asked without waiting for an actual answer. She began to walk back towards the locker rooms while Olivia limped after, taking care not to put too much weight on her bad leg.
Weiss opened the door and stopped, looking back to wait for Olivia. The faunus immediately began trying to play off her injury, but could only keep the act up for a half dozen steps before wincing at a particularly bad twinge in her leg.
"Are you okay?" Weiss asked worriedly, easily noticing the pained expression that Olivia wore.
"Oh yeah," Olivia scoffed, wincing once more as she put weight on her bad leg, "Totally fine."
"Olivia."
"Yes, Princess?"
"...Are you okay...?"
Olivia could see the concern on Weiss's face, her teammate staring back from her place at the door with her feet set to return to Olivia's side. With a grumbling sigh, Olivia turned her head away, voice in a low mutter, "It… might hurt to walk…"
Weiss retreated from her place at the door and returned to Olivia's side, stepping in close to offer herself up as a support. Olivia did so begrudgingly, wrapping an arm around Weiss's shoulder and repositioning Oath so that it wouldn't be in the way. The relief was nearly immediate, allowing Olivia to let out a contented sigh while they stood there.
"Was that so hard?" Weiss asked.
Olivia could only sigh once more, refusing to answer Weiss's question. Instead, she took a tentative step forward, followed by the heiress shifting positions to continue providing her support. It still took a minute to get to the door, but the lessening of the pain in Olivia's leg made it worth it to her.
Weiss held the door open and the pair of them shuffled in awkwardly, entering the room. Weiss guided the pair of them over to Olivia's locker, and helped her get Oath squared away before setting the faunus down on the bench.
Weiss gave a firm nod once Olivia had been situated and walked over to her own locker to put Myrtenaster away. She began to pull out her other clothes before realizing that Olivia was still there, sitting only a dozen feet away. Weiss glanced between Olivia and the clothes before giving her head a small shake and returning them to the locker.
"I could leave if you need me to," Olivia offered.
Weiss waved her hand dismissively, "No, that's fine. I'll come back and change after I've dropped you off at the infirmary. It's no big deal."
"Sorry."
Weiss shook her head while heading back over, "It's not your fault," she dipped down to get her shoulder into the pit of Olivia's arm once more and helped her up, pulling the faunus to her feet. The action elicited a groan from Olivia that she couldn't quite hold back, the pain reigniting across her entire body for those short few moments.
They began their slow journey, back through the door, up the stairs, and out into the afternoon air. Olivia was glad to note that the campus grounds were mostly emptier, many of the students having returned to their dorms, or headed down into Vale while the two had been inside the combat arena. The occasional student still passed by, and Olivia did her best to make it look as if she was just enjoying herself with an arm around Weiss's shoulder.
'Wait… then people might think we're together…' Olivia immediately stopped what she'd been doing before and made it painfully obvious that she was injured. The fact that doing so actually made it more agonizing truly helped to sell the act. Even so, it was still far better than the alternative.
Weiss huffed during one of these events, feeling Olivia's weight once more dipping awkwardly. "What are you doing?" she snapped.
"Making it look like we aren't together," Olivia explained, "It's just as good for you as it is for me. Imagine if your father heard rumors of you dating a girl, and a faunus no less? Every paper from here to Atlas would be spreading the news. He'd probably pay the Atlas military to rescue you from my dastardly clutches."
While Olivia had been initially joking, the prospect of having her face spread across the globe did have her keeping a sharper eye out. 'If I see a camera I'm diving in the damn bushes.'
Weiss's brow knit together, a troubled look crossing her face. She didn't say whether or not she agreed with the sentiment one way or the other, though. Olivia just assumed she had agreed. The last thing the heiress wanted was to have her freedom revoked.
'Although, if she does get taken away…'
Olivia sighed, not bothering to finish the thought. It was hard to admit, but Weiss had grown on her far too much. Olivia didn't believe she'd be particularly distraught if the heiress was taken away, but… there was the makings of a friendship between them, as tentative as it was.
'And I have to admit, my curiosity is piqued. How much of a natural could she be at fighting if a single lesson and some tips was all it took to get that much out of her?' Granted, Weiss had been fighting against others in their class in the meantime, and Olivia hadn't been at her best, but… 'There's no denying her potential.'
Weiss slowed to a stop as they reached the front doors to the infirmary, her eyes darting between Olivia and the entrance, "So… how are you going to sneak back in? You aren't exactly in good condition…"
Olivia laughed, rolling her eyes at Weiss and beginning to walk forward, "Who says I have to sneak? They want me here, remember?"
The pair stepped through the doors and into the open waiting room. Both of the nurses behind the counter turned to see who had entered, and both displayed equal amounts of shock when their eyes fell on Olivia.
The faunus smirked, "Hey, just went for a walk. Hope you don't mind~"
The nurses shared a look, some unspoken message passing between them. The larger of the two sighed dejectedly, then stood up from her place behind the counter and walked around to Olivia's other side, "It isn't the first time a student didn't know what was good for 'em. Bunch of foolish…" her voice lowered into senseless muttering as she ushered Olivia and Weiss to continue to the room.
The strain was relieved from Olivia almost entirely, the last thirty feet becoming akin to a walk in the park compared to what she had been forced to bear through before. The nurse got the door open, and both helped Olivia to the bed. With a little difficulty, she managed to climb back on to it, completely disregarding the fact that she was still wearing her regular clothes.
'I'll be out of here tomorrow anyway.'
Weiss sat in one of the chairs while the nurse checked Olivia over, doing a brief round of examinations before finally checking her aura levels.
"Just went for a walk, huh?" the nurse stated sarcastically, eyeing the numbers that had appeared on the monitor next to the bed. Olivia's eyes followed suit, seeing the large 'twenty-two' that was being displayed.
"Hah!" Weiss burst out, then covered her mouth with her hand when the nurse turned her eyes on her.
"Don't think you aren't to blame for this too, missy," the nurse chastised, looking Weiss up and down, "At least it looks like you got a beating for your troubles. I'll let you off this time, but if either of you ever sneak a patient out of here again…?" The nurse let the threat drift off, implicating that it was far too brutal to be verbalized, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," Olivia and Weiss echoed. Weiss appeared to have taken the reprimand to heart, while Olivia was having trouble holding herself back from asking what the nurse would do, 'Now is not the time, Olivia.'
The nurse stared them down as she left, finally gesturing with two fingers to her eyes before pointing back at the pair of them. Olivia waited all of two seconds after the door closed before shoving a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
Weiss glared, "It's not funny, Olivia! What if we got a detention!?"
Olivia managed to reign in her laughter and raised an eyebrow, letting out her few remaining chuckles before replying breathlessly, "Then you'd have a perfectly silent place to study like you always do anyway? I don't think much would change as far as you're concerned, Princess."
Weiss frowned, realizing the truth of Olivia's words before giving herself a little shake, "We should still avoid getting them."
Olivia raised her hands placatingly, "Hey, I don't like stuff like that as much as the next gal. I really don't think we need to worry anyway, though. We're at a school for huntsmen and huntresses. They'd have to expect this out of us."
Weiss could only shake her head in response, not surprised by how unthreatened Olivia felt by the entire prospect of a detention. She stood up and glanced to the door, playing with the cuff of one poofy sleeve.
"Well, I'd better get back so that I can change. Ruby might have needed my help on that homework as well, so it'd be best if I made sure she understood it all…" Weiss trailed off, eyes glancing between Olivia and the door. She appeared to be nervous about something, or perhaps expectant? Olivia paused in confusion, racking her brain for what the heiress might want with her now.
Whatever it might be, Olivia couldn't quite make heads or tails of it. With a smile, she gestured with her chin towards the door, "Don't let me keep ya."
Weiss smiled tentatively, though she looked slightly miffed. She uttered a quick, "S-see you tomorrow. I hope you're feeling better by then…" before heading to the door.
'Did she… want something more…?'
"Hey, Weiss?" Olivia spoke up right before the heiress could leave.
Weiss stopped in place, thrusting her arm out to stop the door and looking back to Olivia, "Yes?"
Olivia thought back on the last couple hours they had spent together, both studying and sparing in equal measure. It had been fun, just as much as any of Ruby's or Yang's visits, even measuring up with the time she spent with Nora and Ren.
"I had fun… Thanks for stopping by, even if it was just to hold up your end of the bargain…"
Weiss's face contorted, a whole host of emotions crossing it in the span of only a few seconds. It ended with her giving Olivia a cheery smile, "You'd better bring your A game on Wednesday. If what you said about my teachers is true… then I hope you turn out to be a better teacher than they ever were."
Olivia smirked, "No doubts there. See ya tomorrow."
Weiss nodded and left, shuffling away after the door had closed with a distinct lack of energy in her step. Olivia gave a worried frown of her own, but eventually shrugged internally, 'Maybe she's just tired from the spar.'
Olivia shut off the lights and pulled her blanket over herself, snuggling into the mattress below. Her body still ached, but taking so much weight off had helped immensely.
In no time at all, she succumbed to the overbearing exhaustion from the day's events.
I think that Qrow bit might have been the longest set up I've ever written. Worth? I certainly got a laugh out of writing it, heh.
If you haven't seen it, I started another fic called 'A Soul Unbound'. It's a MHA-esque universe of heroes and villains that will mainly follow Ruby and Yang as the main cast. Check it out, see what you think. It's done pretty well so far with only the one chapter and this being my first bit of self promotion~ I wanted to make an AU, and an MHA style universe seemed like a fun playground to test the waters in.
I might move Black Lotus to Mondays, RE: Generation to Tuesdays, and The Lonely Goddess to Wednesdays. Not totally decided, but it might flow more easily that way.
Thanks for reading!
- Sybaen
'A Soul Unbound' - Ruby's dream has always been to escape her bonds; to leave behind the shackles of her disabled body and become a huntress like her mother. One fateful day while visiting her sister in Vale, the opportunity to make her dream come true is laid before her. All she must do is accept this strange girl's offer… and sacrifice everything in exchange.
