The clang of metal on metal echoed throughout the cavernous room. Two girls of exceptional skill traded blows within the arena, both using every trick up their sleeves while vying for the win. Dust and pink explosions alike shattered tile in their wake, while perilously sharp stalagmites of ice dotted the landscape.

Olivia sat at the edge of her seat, watching with bated breath while the two most important women in her life went toe to toe. Back and forth, Weiss and Nora continuously fought in hopes of gaining the upper hand. Both of their auras were now low, expended through semblance use and bodily harm alike.

'Good to see those training sessions are paying off,' Olivia thought smugly. Four days had passed since the new week began, allowing her ample time to continue Weiss's after class 'training'. Though they typically managed to last upwards of an hour actually training, much of their time afterwards devolved into activities that were a bit more risque. Weiss at least was adamant that she still needed to improve.

In light of their frequent distractions, they'd moved to staying late for training every day, in order to make up for lost time and no other reason, of course.

Olivia had no complaints. She enjoyed spending time with Weiss no matter what they were doing, along with moments like these where she could bear witness to the fruits of their labor. While it was difficult to make up for the difference in skill between the two in such a short span of time, Weiss's inherent talent combined with Olivia's expertise proved to make short work of the gap. Though Weiss still couldn't quite measure up to Olivia herself, Nora and many of the others were another matter entirely.

Olivia glanced to the side, taking note of the excited smile on Pyrrha's face as well. 'Just you wait, Pyrrha. I'll make her worthy of you in no time.'

The fight itself was drawing to a close. Olivia couldn't help but smile as well, seeing the way Weiss had managed to box in the fatigued Nora with a semicircle of icicles. The hammer wielding powerhouse was breathing heavily, shoulders slumped while staring warily past the rows of stalagmites in front of her. While Nora's power was unrivaled by most, the sheer speed Weiss had attained with her new glyph made much of that strength null.

"You can do it!" Ruby shouted from nearby, leaning over the railing while she cheered on their teammate.

Weiss seemed to ignore Ruby and maintained focus on her opponent, but Olivia could easily make out the slight quirk to her cheeks, a hidden smile appearing on the heiress's lips. She raised Myrtenaster for the final time, a blue glow emanating from its blade after moving her hand along its length. Shimmering glyphs appeared in the air, matching the semicircle of ice that had already been conjured.

Nora's eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen but lacking the energy to avoid the attack. Instead, she set her shoulders and raised her hammer, braving a head to head collision with Weiss's attack.

With a wave of her rapier, the Dust within each glyph was activated. The stalagmites themselves surged forth, rapidly expanding as more aura and Dust were poured into them. A cascade of translucent blue spikes erupted across the floor in Nora's direction all at once.

Nora shouted fiercely as she tried to beat back the ice, but the overwhelming amount proved too much. After her second blow, the stalagmites finally managed to find purchase, skewering into her defensive aura and slamming her backwards off the stage. Nora tumbled out of bounds, falling on to her back as the ice continued to grow for another six feet. Knocked prone, she could only stare up at the glistening mass, panting heavily.

"Wooh!" Ruby shouted, pumping a fist into the air to congratulate their teammate. Weiss finally looked to the stands and caught Olivia's eye, the two sharing in a long smile before the heiress moved to assist Nora out from beneath the small glacier she'd created.

Glynda adjusted her glasses while staring at the large mass, then coughed into her hand, quickly quieting any that still cheered.

"Good thing that was the last fight of the day…" She spoke more to herself than anyone else, then looked up to the stands. "Now that a month has passed, it's time we began moving on to other things. Namely, team attacks. By now, you all should have had ample time to grow accustomed to your teammate's weapons, skills, and semblances. It will be up to all of you, and mainly your leaders, to come up with effective strategies that utilize those traits."

Glynda adjusted her glasses once more, waiting for a few excited voices to die back down. "I don't typically assign homework, but you will have some now. Over the weekend, I want you to come up with strategies specific to your teams. We'll begin testing and critiquing them next week, in lieu of regular spars." She waited for that information to soak in before giving a small nod, "That will be all for today. Class dismissed."

The majority of the students immediately stood, stepping out from their rows and up the stairs towards the exit. The members of Rainbow and Lion remained seated, waiting for their teammates to return to the stands.

The sound of feet excitedly drumming against the floor could be heard off to Olivia's side. She turned to see Ruby, eyes alight while figurative gears spun in her head.

Olivia chuckled quietly, 'Hopefully this helps her out of the dumps she's been in.'

Ever since Ruby's breakdown on the weekend, she'd been acting more and more withdrawn. Olivia had tried several times over the last few days to find out what was wrong, to see if there was anything she could do to make Ruby feel more like a leader. To her surprise, the girl had simply waved her off, pretending as if nothing was the matter, or telling her that wasn't why she was upset.

Olivia didn't know what else it could be.

Ruby wasn't a good liar. She was a kind person, and wore her heart on her sleeve. At the end of the day, it only made her refusal to confide in Olivia all the more heartbreaking. She wanted to help, and would do anything within her power to make sure Ruby was safe and happy.

Seeing her now… Olivia sighed. She was glad that at least something had finally managed to perk her leader up. Even if she hadn't been the one to do it, it was far better than the alternative.

Olivia stood up with the rest when Weiss and Nora finally joined them. They began to leave as a group, team Lion flanking behind as they exited the arena. Olivia slipped a hand into Weiss's and bumped her shoulder, sharing in a quiet moment of pride for her girlfriend's accomplishment. Weiss smiled bashfully in return, thankful for the encouragement but still shy about showing affection in public.

Olivia knew it was a closer match than most might have realized. Using so many glyphs had taken a massive toll on Weiss's stamina. Nora may have been the one that ended up outside of the ring, but both were exhausted.

"Good job out there, Princess. I was literally at the edge of my seat."

Weiss smirked, "What? You didn't think I could handle her?"

Olivia scoffed lightly, "The last time you tried to take on one of them, you lost to Ren." She winced, realizing how that statement might be taken poorly and quickly glanced back, "No offense, Ren... but you're no Nora."

Ren shook his head. "None taken. I've never managed to beat her in a fight, after all. I'm not ashamed to admit that."

"You've gotten close!" Nora spoke up in his defense.

"Even so, the point still stands," Ren caught Weiss's eye and offered her a nod of respect, "You're much more skilled than you were during our spar. If you keep this up, you may even stand a chance against Pyrrha some day."

Weiss paled slightly, daunted by the proposal of such an impossible task. "I'll do my best." She spoke half-heartedly.

"Forgetting someone?" Yang smirked, punching her hands together in front of her chest. "You're supposed to work your way up the ladder before you take on the final boss. If you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me, 'Princess'."

"What is this, one of your video games?"

Olivia laughed at Weiss's retort, but squeezed her hand slightly a moment later to draw her attention. "Yang's not wrong. You should really round out your skill set before you challenge Pyrrha. You might have managed to beat Nora, but Yang has power and speed on her side." Olivia smirked back at the blond, "I guess she's kind of smart, too. Occasionally."

"Pretty cocky for someone that's tasted my elbow," Yang fired back, a smirk also decorating her features.

"That trick only worked once when I was barely awake. You could try again tomorrow though, if you're really feeling up for it," Olivia teased.

Yang narrowed her eyes, knowing Olivia was only half joking. She glanced towards her own red-headed teammate and then nodded at the faunus, a grin spreading across her lips.

"Pyrrha, sic 'em."

Many in the group laughed while Pyrrha simply shook her head with a smile, "Weren't you the one that just said they needed to beat you first?" She raised a hand to her chest as if betrayed, "I thought you were going to be my champion, Yang?"

Yang's eyes flickered away, and she coughed into her hand, "Y-You're right." She firmed, pointing a thumb at her chest confidently, "You can count on me!"

Olivia laughed, shaking her head ruefully. She reached into her pocket to pull out her scroll a moment later, intent on checking the time.

"So, did you guys want to share ideas for team attacks? I bet we could come up with some really great ones if we all put our heads together."

Olivia and Weiss glanced back in unison, then shared a brief look before Olivia spoke up. "Weiss and I are going out, actually. We put in a reservation a few days ago for a place in Vale. Their earliest opening was tonight."

Weiss smiled, "You'll have to work without us." Her eyes flickered to Ruby, also aware of the depressed mood she'd been in as of late, "I'm sure our leader is more than capable of making up for it, though. I trust you'll manage in our stead, Ruby?"

Ruby beamed and mimicked her sister, pointing a thumb at her own chest. "Leave it to me! I already thought about them a long time ago! I'll just have to make up some more now that you learned a new glyph!" Her hands raised, dramatically moving apart as if she was revealing a title. "Rocket Rose… That's when you speed me up with your time dilation!"

The entire group slowed to a halt, staring between each other uncertainly. Yang was the first to speak up, tentatively questioning her sister's choice in names. "...Rocket… Rose…? That's uh…"

"Good!" Olivia chipped in quickly, lying through her teeth to keep their leader happy. "I love it! It really fits, considering how fast it makes you."

Olivia nudged Weiss secretly and the heiress's frown abruptly shifted into a smile, "See? I knew we didn't have anything to worry about."

Ruby nodded proudly, "There are a lot more where that came from!"

"I can't wait…" Blake spoke up, failing to bring the same energy as her teammates.

The group continued on, back towards their dorms. Ruby and Blake parted ways, entering the Lion dorm instead after grabbing some of their notebooks. Ruby opened hers to a page already filled with names in various colors, and flashed the pair a wink before leaving.

Olivia waited until their leader had closed the door to the Lion dorm before glancing back at Weiss, "I hope the others manage to inspire some better names out of her. I suppose at worst, shouting 'Rocket Rose!' would serve as a distraction."

Weiss smacked her on the shoulder playfully, "Forget about it. Ruby needs this. You know how she's been lately."

Olivia sighed, "I do. I just don't know if the whole 'leader' thing has really been what's bothering her."

"What else could it be?"

Olivia sat down backwards on her desk chair and leaned forward to rest her arms on the back. "I don't know, and that's the biggest problem." She slumped forward entirely, chin on her forearms. "I feel like we aren't as close for some reason... I don't like it…"

"Well… if it keeps up, maybe we'll be the ones locking her in the room for a change. Interventions go both ways, after all."

Olivia laughed softly, knowing that had been Weiss's attempt at cheering her up. "We can give her a bunch of breakfast food that's already gone cold, and tell her she can't come out until she tells us what's wrong."

Weiss giggled, "That will teach her."

The two shared in a laugh before quiet fell between them. Weiss checked her scroll, then moved towards her dresser, looking for something to change into out of her combat outfit.

"Do you mind if I take the first shower?" Weiss asked, glancing over her shoulder momentarily.

Olivia smirked, turning her head to watch Weiss while she was busy at her dresser. "You know, we could save water~"

Weiss's head whipped around, a dusting of red on her cheeks. She stared for a few moments after her initial reaction, seeming to actually take the time to consider the offer. Her cheeks only heated to a darker red though, and she shook her head while gathering her things.

"Th-that's the sort of thing you do after a date."

"Oh?" Olivia leaned forward, rocking back and forth on two of the chair's legs. "My mistake. I'll make sure the door mat gets turned around after we get back, then."

"No, that's not what I-" Weiss cut herself off, shooting Olivia a look that told her she knew what game the faunus was playing. Olivia continued to rock back and forth on her chair, feigning innocence.

Weiss grabbed a towel, adding it as the final piece to the bundle in her arms. She stopped there and sighed, looking to Olivia with a sad smile. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just…"

"I know," Olivia spoke softly. "A lot to take in."

Weiss nodded agreement, the silence lasting between the two for a handful of seconds before the heiress grinned in mild embarrassment. "Besides, you're going to get a treat when we go shopping for clothes anyway."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, "Clothes shopping? What's wrong with what we have already?"

"Aside from none of it being nearly worthy of the establishment we're going to? It only took three days for the reservation because I'm a Schnee, Olivia. To put it in perspective, even I, the heiress to the largest Dust corporation in the world, was put on a waiting list."

Olivia frowned, taken aback by this new information. She shifted uncomfortably, unconsciously pulling down on the sleeve of her combat outfit. "Is… is that a good idea? For me, I mean…" She dropped her head to the side, staring at a crack in the floorboards while she fidgeted, "I… don't really know how I'm supposed to act in a place like that. Don't they give you like, ten different spoons or something? I don't want to embarrass you…"

Though she wasn't looking, Olivia could feel the soft smile that grew on Weiss's lips. She walked across the small distance between them and bent her knees, lowering herself to be face to face with Olivia.

"You won't embarrass me. I'll be with you every step of the way. You can ask me any questions you need to, and… I don't want you to act any differently, Olivia. I fell for you, not for someone I thought I could change you into."

Olivia raised her eyes and smiled in thanks. Weiss leaned forward, and the two shared in a momentary kiss before the heiress pulled away. She hefted her bundle of clothing and nodded towards the bathroom door. "I'll be sure to make it quick. We're both going to need a dress, after all."

Olivia frowned for a moment, thinking back on their conversation. She spoke before Weiss could enter the bathroom, the heiress's hand already having turned the knob while her feet carried her partially inside. "Wait, what's the 'treat' you were talking about?"

Weiss's eyes widened, and her cheeks heated slightly once again. "There… isn't exactly going to be running water at the shop. So, when I'm changing…"

Olivia smirked, impressed by the heiress's sudden forthrightness, "Well, now I'm excited. Clothes shopping it is~" She paused for a moment, considering their previous conversation, and the red in Weiss's cheeks. "...I could leave the store while you're changing, though." Olivia pulled out her scroll and shook it in the air. "You could just message me when you're done."

It was Weiss's turn to stare at the floor for a few moments. Her eyes raised back up, struggling to meet Olivia's before finally shaking her head. "I don't mind. Consider it my thanks for all the training lessons. I managed to beat Nora today… That's cause for celebration, don't you think?"

Olivia smiled kindly, "As long as you're fine with it, Princess."

After a moment, Weiss nodded her acceptance once again. "Just don't expect a great show or anything. I've… never done anything like that before…"

Olivia laughed, thinking back to an event two weeks prior. "Trust me. You're a natural."

Weiss caught on to the insinuation and blushed, then quickly stepped the rest of the way in to shut the door. She busied herself with turning the shower on before getting ready, firmly cutting Olivia's senses off from the room beyond.

"Hmmm," Olivia hummed in thought to herself, resuming her rocking back and forth on the chair. This was definitely a big step, especially for Weiss. The most the heiress had managed before then was some minor exploration with her hands while they made out. Olivia was careful not to push too many of her boundaries, and only went as far as the heiress herself, always letting her lead the way into new territory.

'But, if she's taking the initiative…'

With a smirk, Olivia got up from her desk and moved to the dresser, pulling aside some of her clothes to reach her stashed lien below.

'I won't be the only one having fun~'

Bribes could go a long way after all.

Weiss checked her scroll once more, guiding herself and Olivia through the city on the way to the dress shop she'd found online. It was highly rated, professionally run, and boasted a wide assortment of ready made dresses available for purchase. While she would have preferred something tailor made, Weiss was content to make due for the sake of expediency.

Olivia followed along, hand in hand while keeping an eye out on the streets around them. While they might have been far from any rioting, the sidewalk was still packed with fellow pedestrians moving about their day, not caring for the pair of Huntresses passing them by. Without their weapons to encourage a wide berth, the faunus was walking with her figurative hackles raised.

Weiss clutched her hand tighter, giving a physical reminder to the other girl that she was there, right by her side. Olivia noticed and glanced her way, a slight calm allowing her shoulders to slacken. She stepped in closer, walking nearly hip to hip and basked in the comfort of someone she could trust. Weiss could see Olivia relax, the faunus making a conscious effort to remain calm on their date.

Weiss couldn't help but smile proudly. She was glad she could have that effect on Olivia, for her presence to be a source of relief. The fact that they cared for each other deeply was unquestionable, at least in Weiss's mind.

'And yet it's still so hard to take the next step…'

Olivia had saved her life, broken down her own walls and admitted to every atrocity of her past. That kind of faith wouldn't have been possible if her feelings weren't real. Weiss knew that. She acknowledged it every time she found her mind slipping back to the horrible truths that had been revealed.

Slowly, cracks were forming in the doubts that racked her mind. Every smile, every passionate word or moment spent together. They all served to abolish that past from her mind, proving each and every time that Olivia had changed, that she was no longer the person that committed those crimes. That she was worth forgiveness, and love.

Now, Weiss had asked for them to share in a first real date, as more of a formality than anything. She wanted to make sure the time at the amusement park hadn't been a fluke, that given the chance, Olivia would light that spark one more time. Weiss was ready, and willing, to be swept off her feet at any moment.

"Is that it up ahead?" Olivia asked, glancing down at the scroll in Weiss's hand, then up towards a decently sized marble building across the street.

Weiss double checked for herself and nodded, putting her scroll away now that they'd arrived at their destination. "The Eve of Elegance. That's the one."

Olivia scoffed quietly, "Just a bit pretentious. Are they always named like that?"

Weiss smirked, looking both ways before leading Olivia across the street. "What better way to discourage the 'riff raff' from entering?" She shook her head, "The more prestigious the name, the higher the price. This place did have the highest ratings, though."

Olivia scowled, "Hopefully they didn't just pay off the reviewers."

Weiss frowned, silently hoping the same. With their limited time, they only had long enough to buy a pair of dresses and leave in order to make their reservation. Weiss doubted the restaurant would give away a Schnee's table if they were running a little late, but since leaving Atlas, she'd come to realize how privileged she truly was in that regard. She didn't want to take advantage of her situation, nor cause any undue complications on what was supposed to be a fun night out.

Olivia reached the door first and held it open, gesturing with a grin for Weiss to enter first. The heiress accepted with a smile, stepping past into the well lit interior. The doorway led into an open area, shelves and clothing racks leading the way towards the front counter. Looking around, Weiss could only spot the woman behind the counter and one other employee, both of which smiled in greeting at their arrival. Olivia followed in behind her, and together the two walked up to the counter.

"Welcome, Miss! My name is Ivory. How may we be of service this evening? Do you wish to purchase some formal wear?" The girl behind the counter beamed, flashing a wide pair of teeth after deeming their current garb satisfactory. Her eyes strayed on Olivia a moment longer, but eventually returned to maintain eye contact with the heiress.

Though Olivia's eyes had been roaming around the room at the time, her sixth sense seemed to have caught on to the minor slight. She turned to answer for the both of them, a small gleam in her eyes that Weiss recognized. The faunus had taken it as a challenge, more than an insult.

"Yes. Indubitably. Quaint. I say, Jerry. Pull the car arou-"

Weiss silenced her with a warning glance, to which Olivia could only grin smugly while pretending as if nothing had transpired. The girl behind the counter looked taken aback, but was wise to not press Olivia any further. She turned instead to Weiss, fully offering her attention to the more sane of the two.

"Yes, we would each like to purchase a dress," Weiss took a moment to calm her sudden nerves. Her eyes strayed over to Olivia as she spoke next, "I... suppose I'll go first."

Ivory nodded acceptance and waved over her coworker, the pair busying themselves for a moment with the proper forms and tools. They led both Huntresses over near the changing rooms and began the brief task of taking their measurements. Olivia squirmed a bit but was otherwise fine, much to Weiss's relief.

Once that was over, they were allowed to browse the floor. Olivia walked close behind, the pair of them getting an eye for what was available and trying to choose out what fit best. Olivia began to stray towards the men's suits at one point, but Weiss silently berated her for the attempt. She knew well enough why Olivia was drawn to them, their ability to completely cover her form an obvious positive in the faunus's eyes. Weiss wanted to encourage her to move past those fears though, and embrace what she truly wanted to wear, not just what would make her feel most comfortable.

Once Weiss had managed to pick out her own dress, she was glad to see Olivia doing the same. While Weiss had vied for a white, sleeveless dress that went a short distance down past her knees, Olivia had instead gone for a much longer, flowing, darker purple dress that nearly touched the floor from behind. To no one's surprise, they came with elbow length silk gloves of the same color, allowing her to hide her veins whilst also in the dress.

They picked out high heels last. Weiss chose a pair that were pearl white, while Olivia snagged a translucent violet pair that had a much shorter heel by comparison.

Weiss had already handed hers in to trade for an appropriately sized version by the time Olivia made her way over as well. The faunus set her dress and heels down on the counter and shared a hesitant smile with the heiress, likely nervous over wearing something so far outside the norm.

Weiss flashed her a confident smile, "You'll look fantastic. I know it."

Olivia scoffed smugly, "I always look fantastic, Princess. Your dress is the one I'm undecided on."

Weiss frowned, taking a second glance at it, "What do you mean?"

Olivia smirked, leaning back against the counter while raising both hands as if weighing her options. "I just can't decide whether or not you'll look beautiful in it, or drop dead gorgeous."

Weiss blushed, knowing the attendant on the other side of the counter had most definitely heard them. Glad to see the other returning with her correctly sized dress, she quickly accepted it and moved towards the dressing rooms. She stepped inside and closed the door softly, allowing herself a moment to take a deep breath while leaning against it.

'Okay, Weiss… Now's the time…' She exhaled heavily, glancing about the room before finding the hanger for the dress. Weiss hung it up and then paused, still trying to psych herself up while staring at the full body mirror in front of her.

Weiss knew that Olivia would be able to 'see' everything she was doing. Her cheeks remained permanently heated as she raised both hands to the bottom hem of her shirt, still hesitating despite her attempts to the contrary.

Weiss closed her eyes, trying to breathe evenly. 'You're fine. It's fine. This is Olivia we're talking about. She's definitely seen far more than a Schnee in her underwear. And… you want this. You want things to move forward. You're crazy about her… Don't chicken out now.'

Ever so slowly, Weiss began to pull up on the bottom hem of her shirt. She raised it, exposing her smooth stomach inch by inch before finally reaching the lower edge of her bra. Taking one final moment to muster up her courage, Weiss pulled the shirt off the rest of the way, exposing herself to the unseen faunus's gaze.

Weiss's instincts tried to cut in for a brief instance, but she managed to stop herself from throwing her arms protectively across her body. She placed them across the hem of her skirt instead, and blushed deeply as she began to work it's way down her hips. With one final nervous sigh, she let go completely and let the skirt fall, landing silently on the marble floor below.

Now standing in only her underwear, Weiss blushed more profusely than ever. While she desperately wanted to put the dress on as soon as possible, she knew that now was her chance to put on some kind of show. Remembering what she'd done those weeks before, Weiss hesitantly began feeling herself up.

She started with a hand on her thigh, running it up along the outside of her body to eventually cup one of her own breasts. Weiss played with it for a moment before placing her hand on the other, pressing them together while leaning closer to the mirror.

With no encouragement to go off of, Weiss started to flounder. Staring at herself in the mirror wasn't helping anything, only giving the doubts in her mind even more prevalence. 'You look like an idiot,' Weiss thought glumly, slowing until her hands no longer roamed across her own body.

"Thanks for the show, Weiss."

Weiss jumped at the sound of Olivia's voice so close to the door.

Olivia's voice raised, making sure she would be heard, "You don't have to push yourself so hard or try to put on a show. You're beautiful without even trying. Besides, the sooner you're done, the sooner I'll be able to give you my surprise."

"Your surprise?" Weiss frowned, wondering what Olivia could possibly do that would match what she'd just done. She was more than glad to accept the faunus's permission to stop early though, and quickly changed into the dress that had been provided.

After slipping on her high heels, Weiss tentatively stepped back out of the dressing room. Olivia stood near the door, one arm up to lean against the wall, and the other hefting her dress across her shoulders.

Olivia's eyes widened, looking Weiss up and down with an expression filled with pure awe. "Definitely drop dead gorgeous."

Weiss blushed at the compliment, then frowned when she didn't notice any of the attendants still in the room. She could only raise one questioning eyebrow towards Olivia, silently asking for an explanation.

Olivia grinned, and stepped forward to push Weiss back into the dressing room. The heiress's legs pressed against the bench that lay within, and forced her into a sitting position. The faunus entered with her and hung up her own dress, then closed the door behind them.

"O-Olivia, what are you doing? We can't do anything like this here. What if the employees come back!?"

Olivia leaned closer with a smile and placed a finger across Weiss's lips, "Shhhh, don't worry. They won't come back. I bribed them to stay in the back room until we ring the bell on the counter. We're alone, Princess."

Weiss gulped, watching from her place on the bench as Olivia took in their surroundings. "Wh-What are you going to do?"

Olivia turned back with a smirk, reaching up to grasp the bottom hem of her own long sleeve shirt. "Returning the favor, obviously. It isn't fair if only one of us gets a show~"

Weiss stared as Olivia began to move, eyes transfixed on the smooth stomach yet to be exposed, and rolling hips teasing her with each sway. From her place on the bench, it was all taking place at eye level, the top of her head barely reaching the bottom of Olivia's breasts.

Weiss began to sputter her weak, indignant protests, but was cut off by Olivia's lips on her own. The heiress floundered for only a moment longer before giving in with a sigh, leaning back while Olivia pressed against her. After a few long seconds, the faunus pulled away, then spared her one raised eyebrow.

"Any complaints?"

Weiss could only shake her head in response.

Olivia smiled, glad to see the effect she was having. Her hands returned to her shirt and her hips began to sway once more, teasing Weiss by partially raising the fabric to give a glimpse of well-toned muscle before dropping her shirt back into place.

Weiss could only stare, feeling a dull heat working its way through her body. She could feel her excitement mounting, and fidgeted in place, all thoughts of the employees firmly vacating her mind.

Olivia continued to tease, turning in place so that swaying hips brought her backside even closer to Weiss. The heiress couldn't look away, and felt a tug of remorse when the faunus turned back around. That desire was soon to be replaced however, as Olivia finally began working her shirt fully up her stomach. She raised it inch by inch, basking in Weiss's gaze.

Reaching the bottom edge of her breasts, Olivia approached even closer until she was leaning a hand against the wall above Weiss, the object of the heiress's attraction mere inches away. Olivia grabbed the neckline of her shirt with one hand, and with one final grin, pulled the shirt up and off smoothly.

Weiss shuddered as Olivia's breasts were pulled up by the bottom of her shirt, then fell back down once they were free, briefly jiggling back into place. Now only a few spare inches and a bra remained between herself and Olivia's perky breasts. Weiss felt her body moving of its own accord, thighs pressing together tightly, moving back and forth while she continued to stare at her girlfriend's immaculate body.

Olivia smirked from above, teasing the heiress with a seductive tone, "Oh? Do you like these?"

Weiss nodded weakly and bit her lip, still transfixed. Her eyes widened as Olivia leaned forward even more, bringing them nearly the final few inches to her face. If Weiss wanted to, she would merely need to lean forward the slightest bit to gain contact. When she couldn't quite bring herself to do so, Olivia giggled in amusement.

"Well, you had your chance~"

Weiss's gut wrenched as the faunus pulled away, feeling the opportunity slipping from her grasp. Olivia returned to rolling her hips instead, and running her hands up and down her now shirtless body. She continued for a while, eventually placing her thumbs in the hem of her tight jeans.

Weiss could now definitely feel her own excitement, and shivered nervously, uncertain what exactly she was supposed to do with herself. Olivia smiled and answered the question for her, beginning to unbutton her own jeans and play with the zipper while still swaying her hips.

"Are you ready, Weiss?" Olivia spoke softly, urging the heiress to respond. "Do you want this~?"

Weiss choked for a moment before speaking breathlessly, staring at Olivia's hips. "I-I do. I want this."

Olivia smiled widely, pulling down on the zipper entirely and placing her thumbs along the hem, preparing to pull them down. "Your wish is my command, Princess~"

Olivia turned around, ever so slowly pulling down her jeans while leaning forward, legs remaining straight. Her panties came into full view, the tightness of her jeans pulling down on the plump flesh of her cheeks before they popped back into place with a satisfying jiggle. Weiss could see the slight wet spot in Olivia's panties, and knew her actions were exciting herself just as much as they were Weiss.

Olivia pulled her jeans down the rest of the way in a painstakingly slow manner, allowing Weiss several long seconds to stare at the perfect valley of flesh presented before her. Each finely toned thigh was exposed bit by bit, until finally, Olivia stepped out of the jeans completely. She remained where she was for a few moments longer, bent over and gently swaying her ass temptingly, smugly watching Weiss's response to the view.

Weiss could barely breathe. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her thighs hadn't stopped rubbing together, and she could feel her nipples scraping against the fabric of her bra.

Olivia turned back around and moved closer. Her knee pressed against the fabric of Weiss's dress, slowly working it up her thighs as she edged closer. Her hands found their way to Weiss's shoulders, pressing the heiress back against the wall. Eventually, Olivia's knee found purchase on the bench, allowing her to place her weight on it and firmly grind between Weiss's thighs.

Weiss let out a breathless shudder, closing her eyes for a moment as she moaned on contact. Immediately, she felt Olivia's lips against hers, and a delicate tongue requesting access. Weiss opened her mouth to accept, raising her own hands to weakly hold Olivia's hips while the faunus continued to lightly grind a knee against her most tender of places. Weiss's body moved on its own, grinding in turn.

Olivia moaned with her, allowing one hand to trail up and down Weiss's side. Weiss couldn't help herself, and let her hands reach further back to feel the smooth flesh of Olivia's cheeks. The faunus laughed while they kissed, and momentarily shook her ass back and forth, inviting further contact. Weiss immediately took her up on the offer, letting her desires get the better of her as she grabbed a handful of each.

Olivia pulled her lips away, now sounding almost as breathless as Weiss and letting out a small moan each time the heiress kneaded her flesh. Though she was enjoying herself just as much as Weiss, her experience allowed some semblance of reason to remain.

"Don't we have a dinner to go to? I… I thought you said this was the sort of thing you were supposed to do after a date?"

Weiss's hands slowed, though they were reluctant to let go completely. Her hips stilled, the fire in her body begging her to continue. Reminded where they were, she couldn't keep the more logical side of her mind from protesting the indecent act they were doing.

Weiss shuddered once more, beginning to fully regain her sense of self and pulling away from Olivia. Her mouth felt dry and her heart still drummed a wild beat in her chest, but she managed to take a few deep breaths. Her eyes raised to Olivia's, seeing the apologetic smile she wore.

"Sorry, Weiss. I got a little ahead of myself…"

Weiss shook her head, still breathless, "I could have asked you to stop at any time, but I didn't. Besides..." She squirmed slightly under Olivia's gaze, "...That was… exhilarating..."

"I could tell," Olivia smirked, glancing down to take in the glistening sheen on her leg, accumulated from the elongated contact with Weiss's crotch. The heiress blushed, then stared with bated breath as Olivia ran her index finger across the patch. She raised that finger to her lips, then sucked on it seductively, watching Weiss's reaction with genuine amusement.

"A-At least I wasn't the only one," Weiss replied defensively. Her eyes flickered to the space between Olivia's legs, glad to know she wasn't the only one that had been excited.

Olivia shrugged smugly, unperturbed. "What can I say? I was alone with a beautiful girl. It's only natural."

With that, Olivia turned around. She shook her ass once more with a smirk while grabbing her dress from its hanger, then began unceremoniously pulling it down over her shoulders. Soon enough, her perfectly smooth skin and all evidence of their illicit acts were hidden, out of sight beneath the purple silk of her dress. She sat down next to Weiss in order to slip on her heels, then finished off the ensemble with the gloves. Both of them were long enough for Olivia's satisfaction, covering her black veins in their entirety.

Olivia stood up and checked herself out in the mirror, spinning slightly to look from every angle. After a while, a small frown worked its way across her features, and she sighed sadly.

"I look ridiculous..."

Weiss frowned, taken aback by Olivia's self doubts. She stood up and placed a hand on each of the faunus's shoulders, forcing her to stare into her eyes. Weiss wanted her to both hear and see the absolute truth, knowing that a person of such beauty shouldn't be allowed to think so little of themselves.

"You look amazing, Olivia," Weiss protested firmly. She spun the girl to look back in the mirror, standing shoulder to shoulder with her while they both stared into it. "Your figure, your grace… There's nothing I would ever want to change about you. How can you look at yourself in the mirror and think you aren't perfect? That you aren't absolutely stunning?" She shook her head, "Whatever it is you're seeing, I certainly can't."

Olivia stared at herself, her previous demeanor slowly giving way to a small smile. "I just… I've never worn anything like this before, ya know? Up until now… I didn't think I'd ever escape the life I had. Dresses and fancy dinners… They were fine for someone else. Not me... That wasn't the life fate had planned out for me…"

"Fate be damned," Weiss spoke, surprising herself with how adamantly she'd said those words. She could feel an anger simmering beneath the surface, a fierce determination to protect the girl she liked, even from life itself. "You've moved on. You've escaped. Everything you thought was unobtainable before is now yours for the taking. Friends, love, happiness. She can't keep you away from it anymore. She never will again."

Olivia was silent for a few long moments, considering Weiss's words. She smiled eventually, turning away from the mirror to embrace Weiss in a passionate kiss. After a handful of seconds, Olivia pulled away with a sigh, arms wrapping around to tightly hug the heiress instead.

"Thank you, Weiss. I still don't know what I could have possibly done to deserve you…"

Weiss smiled, sinking into the embrace and wrapping her own arms around Olivia just as tightly. "You didn't have to do anything special, you just needed to be yourself. And... as it just so happens… you're a wonderful person. Of course I would fall for you~"

Olivia sighed in contentment, rubbing the side of her face against Weiss's. She finally pulled away afterwards, looking in the mirror and giving one last spin before grinning. "So, should we get this show on the road? Not going to lie, I've actually worked up quite the appetite."

Weiss nodded, moving to gather up their discarded clothes and put them in her bag. She opened the door and waited for Olivia to step out, closing it behind her.

"I hope this place lives up to my expectations. It better be worth it if I had to choose it over… what we were doing before…"

"Tall order," Olivia laughed, entwining her fingers while flashing Weiss a seductive grin, "Don't worry though, I've got you covered. I'll leave enough room so that once we get back, I can eat you out for dessert~"

Weiss immediately understood the insinuation and blushed profusely. Though she wanted to deny the faunus on the spot, the remaining heat in her body and wetness between her thighs refused to give up their chances of being satisfied. Weiss could only dart her eyes away in response, incapable of lending a voice to the contrary.

Olivia noticed the lack of denial and smiled, but otherwise didn't comment further. They reached the counter and rang the bell, only having to wait a few seconds before the attendants appeared once more. They looked each of them up and down, easily noticing the red flush left over in their cheeks. The pair of employees didn't comment either, instead choosing to simply ring the girls up for their purchases.

Olivia paid for both, and waved off Weiss's protests.

"Trust me, Princess. It was well worth the cost."

With that, they left to begin their true date in full. Weiss, with her mind firmly diverted towards plans for the future, and Olivia, content to enjoy the time she was spending in the here and now.

"Are you sure your uncle will have any idea who the Black Lotus is?" Blake asked, walking with Ruby down the busy boulevard.

"I don't know," Ruby replied truthfully, glancing sideways at her teammate. "He's from Mistral, and I know he still goes on missions there sometimes, even though he can't really tell us about them. He's the only one from there I know personally, at least until we can get that meeting with the author."

Blake grimaced, stepping out of the way of yet another overly intoxicated individual. They were on a stretch of the city filled with bars, and by extension, drunk humans and faunus alike. Ruby had called her uncle nearly thirty minutes prior, and received a jumbled mess of a reply that they'd taken as an invite. Now walking amidst the chaos, Blake couldn't help but be annoyed by them. Along with it, her confidence in Ruby's uncle was dwindling just as quickly.

Ruby perked up suddenly and raised a hand, waving across the street. Blake raised her eyes in that direction, glad to have finally found Qrow, only to see that it was someone else entirely that they knew. Fox was walking arm in arm with the short upperclassmen, Neo. Both of them had drinks in their hands, and separated for a moment to give a hearty wave in return.

Blake crossed her arms with a huff and turned away, trying to spot their actual quarry amongst the rabble.

"Ruby!"

Ruby and Blake both turned around, hearing the familiar voice of Qrow as he stumbled out of a bar they'd already passed. The drink in his hand sloshed heavily, and he nearly tripped over the curb before being stopped by the woman trailing closely behind him. The blond woman looked up and offered a smile to the pair, helping Qrow to stand straight before setting off in their direction.

Ruby grinned, as if seeing her uncle so heavily intoxicated was just another Thursday. "Uncle Qrow! We finally found you!" Her eyes strayed over to the woman assisting him, her smile never faltering. "Nice to meet you too, Miss…?"

Deep blue eyes twinkled in amusement as the blond woman held her hand out, waiting for Ruby to take it before introducing herself as well. "Ariel Arc, lovely to meet you. Your uncle here was just telling me all about you~"

Qrow grinned, standing up straight, "Ariel is a Huntress from Arcus. We met an hour ago and started to really hit things off."

Ruby smiled, "I'm glad to see you're having a good time. We did need to ask you some questions though, Uncle Qrow."

Qrow burped, "Ask away."

Blake and Ruby exchanged a glance, already knowing the cover story they were using in order to not draw too much suspicion.

Ruby sighed in pretend vexation, "Well, we have an assignment for Oobleck's class, but we were having trouble finding the information we needed. Since it's related to Mistral, I was wondering if you might know anything more about it."

Qrow frowned, then shrugged, "Can't say I really cared much for history, but I'll give it a go. What are you studying?"

Blake took the lead, "We're trying to get all the details we can about one person in particular. They go by the name 'Black Lotus'. Does that ring a bell?"

Qrow laughed briefly, shaking his head. "Who hasn't heard of her? Damned legend in her own right, though I don't believe half the stories they tell about her."

Ruby chipped in, "So it is a woman? We couldn't even find out that much about her."

Qrow shook his head, "Not a woman. A girl. Supposed to be around your age, wears all black. Rumors say she could kill someone without even moving a muscle." He took a swig off his drink, "Like I said, I don't really believe most of them."

Ruby began to speak, but was interrupted as Ariel spoke up instead.

"I know a bit about her, actually. My father went on a few missions to Mistral, and he liked to talk about his exploits there."

Ruby shared a glance with Blake, then offered up a smile to the blond woman, "Really? Could you tell us more about her? We really need it for- for our assignment."

"It would be my pleasure," Ariel grinned. "My memory is a bit fuzzy, but from what I can remember, 'Black Lotus' was an alias she picked up during her time in the White Fang. Once they died though, she began getting revenge on anyone and everyone involved with it, even going so far as to murder multiple members of the Mistral Council on the same night. Well... them, and the dozens of the guards they'd employed to protect themselves."

Blake and Ruby both stared in silence, taken aback by what they'd been told. The part about the White Fang matched up with what they knew about Olivia. Or at least, the small bit she'd shared. Hearing the rest, Blake couldn't help but feel her heart drop further in her chest, that little bit closer to believing it was the truth. That Olivia was the same Black Lotus they were talking about.

Ariel nodded, noticing their silence and taking it for horror, "Truly, not the kind of person you'd want to find yourself in the company of. I wouldn't, anyway. I enjoy living~"

Ruby let out a small, 'Heh', whilst trying to recover from her shock. Blake saw her faltering and took it upon herself to speak, continuing the conversation so as to avoid suspicion.

"Thank you for the information. I'm sure it'll really help with our… our assignment."

"No problem, dear," Ariel smirked, then grabbed a tighter hold of Qrow's arm. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have more bars to hop, and more drinks to drink."

"Good seein' ya, kid!" Qrow called out as he was dragged away, pulled by the beautiful blond at his side.

Blake saw that Ruby was still silently staring at the ground and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her friend. "Ruby…"

Ruby pulled away, raising a hand to brush Blake's off her shoulder. Her eyes were suddenly erratic, a desperation in the tone of her voice. "W-We, we don't know yet, Blake! So what if-... if-..." She scrubbed a hand across her eyes, stopping the tears that were brimming in their tracks. "A lot of faunus join the White Fang! It could be a coincidence!"

Blake could tell that Ruby wouldn't be willing to hear anything to the contrary. She sighed instead, offering a nod of acceptance to the younger girl. "You're right… We still have one last person to talk to, after all. Let's not… let's not jump the gun."

Ruby rubbed a forearm across her face again, then nodded fiercely. "We haven't found anything conclusive yet. We can't… can't judge her off that alone."

"No… we can't…"

Together, the two made their may back out of the chaos. Though they travelled together, neither spoke or made mention of the information they'd received.

Even though Blake knew where Ruby was coming from, she started to prepare herself for the inevitable truth...