Lotus furiously gathered up her belongings from the school locker and marched upstairs ahead of the rest of her team, 'How the hell could this happen!? A Schnee… a fucking Schnee! And team 'Rainbow'? What kind of nonsense is that!? Widow would be rolling in laughter if she found out!' The only solace had been the Schnee's surprise at Ruby being chosen as leader. Lotus didn't mind. Anyone was better than the racist.
Stopping in front of the door to their new dorm, Lotus swiped her scroll past it to unlock the door and slammed it open, revealing the decently sized room with four beds aligned across the far end. Lotus dropped her things next to the right most bed and extracted some clean clothes and a towel. The team announcements had been directly after Initiation finished, and the spider faunus still needed to take a shower.
Lotus stepped into the bathroom and locked the door behind herself, turning to face the midsized tiled bathroom. It was nice enough, all things considered. Better than the one at her hotel room, at least. Lotus set her things down on the counter top and leaned against it, hands white knuckled against the edge.
She looked herself in the eyes and wasn't surprised to see it was as Ruby had described it long before. Lotus's eyes were cold, her mouth set in a grim line that refused to move. It was the face of a killer, though the child couldn't have known that. Lotus shifted lower to lean her elbows against the counter and held her head in both hands.
'This isn't how it was supposed to happen…' For years she'd dreamt of coming to Beacon, hopefully getting on a team with Ren and Nora, and enjoying a new life, 'Now? I'll be lucky to last a week without killing that arrogant brat.' Lotus remained that way for a few minutes, willing herself to try and calm down. The sounds of her team arriving only served to reignite her hatred.
Lotus whipped the bathroom door open as they shuffled in and pointed to the bed closest to her own, "Blake, go ahead and take that one. Ruby, take the next one over." Lotus didn't even glance in the Schnee's direction, but the message was clear, 'Stay as far away from me as possible.' She shut the door again before any of them could respond. Through her sixth sense, she could feel them tentatively doing as she'd asked, which was at least a mild relief.
Lotus started the shower and undressed, hoping to distract her sixth sense with the water that fell across her body. It wasn't by much, but the constant vibrations caused by it did help to dull her senses. Lotus did her best to relax as she stood under it, ignoring the low murmur of conversation that could be heard through the door.
'Maybe I could blackmail Ozpin into letting me change teams. I doubt anyone else knows his secret, whatever that is exactly. I've never felt anyone else with two souls before, let alone one as ancient as his. Then again, there might be a power that comes with that age,' Lotus scrubbed a hand over her face, 'That could just as easily end with me getting kicked out of Beacon.'
Could Qrow put in a good word? He apparently knew the headmaster of Beacon, and Lotus would like to think they'd gotten fairly close over the last month, previous attempt at murder aside. Lotus could feel a headache beginning to form, and let the water wash over her head, drenching her shoulder length black hair.
'I need to blow off some steam,' she decided, quickly finishing up her shower and stepping out to dry off. Lotus's scroll was still in the pocket of her combat outfit, and she slipped it out to send a message.
"I'm coming over. I don't care if Junior wants you working tonight."
"No biggie. He still owes me for saving his ass and Miltia can keep an eye on the place," Melanie's response buzzed back almost immediately, "Got any plans?" the words were followed by a series of X's and O's.
"Need to keep my mind off some things. Hope you're up to the task."
"Always~" the message was followed by a heart. Lotus promised to be there within half an hour and finished drying herself off before getting dressed. She'd chosen the same outfit as the first night she and Melanie met; tight black jeans, a short cropped purple tank top, and a black coat with little to no back.
She grimaced when she saw herself in the mirror, 'It's almost like a black version of the Schnee's…' but decided to leave it on, 'At least mine isn't frilly or poofed out at the cuffs like some kind of princess.'
Lotus gathered up her other clothes and damp towel before opening the door. Three pairs of eyes turned towards her, looking for all the world like they wanted to have a group chat. Lotus rolled her eyes in annoyance and tossed the garments on the end of her bed.
"I'm going out. Don't stay up waiting for me or anything," Lotus directed her comment to Ruby in particular.
"You're going out now? We have class in the morning!" the Schnee directed a disapproving frown in Lotus's direction, "We… I was hoping to clear the air a little."
Lotus raised an eyebrow at the other two, having to unclench her teeth to speak, "Did either of you hear anything? I could have sworn someone was speaking… Oh well. I guess it'll get ignored like every faunus rights' protester."
"Oh, don't be so-!"
The Schnee's voice was cut off as Lotus walked out and ripped the door shut behind herself. The sound echoed down the hallway in both directions. Lotus was beginning to walk towards the stairway when she felt Ren and Nora approaching the door across from her team's. She stopped in place and watched it open.
"There's one piece of good news. You guys got the dorm across from us?" Lotus tried to smile, but could only twinge her lower lip.
"Is everything okay, Olivia?" Ren asked quietly, eyeing the door she'd slammed shut only moments before. Lotus could tell that none of her teammates were running to come after her.
"Oh, just going to go get my head straight. Thought I'd hit up Junior's," Lotus admitted.
"You mean Melanie?" Nora smirked.
Lotus did crack a small smile, "Maybe I do. I won't be back until tomorrow morning, at the very least."
Nora frowned in concern, "Don't skip class… I'm sorry we didn't get on the same team, but we still want you at Beacon!" Ren nodded agreement.
"Don't worry… I won't throw my new life away over a Schnee… That would be pretty self-defeating, if you ask me," Lotus shrugged, "Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."
"Are you going to be able to even sleep in your room?" Ren asked, recalling the reason she hadn't slept in the ballroom the previous night.
Lotus gave a tired laugh, "I hadn't even thought of that yet. No, I don't think I will. I don't think I'd want to."
"Well, you're always welcome to stay with us," Nora offered.
Ren once again nodded, "Yang already knows you as well, and I doubt Pyrrha would take much convincing if it meant keeping the peace with your teammates."
Part of that realization still hurt. Yang of all people had been the one to grab the piece Lotus needed, long before she'd even had a chance to get there. The faunus didn't fault Yang in the slightest. The blonde hadn't been aware of the plan, and Lotus had even egged her on, thinking the strategy was a done deal. If anything, it made Lotus feel even more regret for her own arrogance.
"That would be nice," Lotus shared a smile before taking a step back, "But for now, I'm going to get wasted and forget about my problems for a little while. See you tomorrow."
"Have fun, Olivia," the pair waved to her as she turned her back, returning to the comfort of their dorm room.
'Fun' wasn't exactly what Lotus would call it. 'Drowning out her sorrows' was much more accurate.
The trip down into Vale was a bit more of a hassle than she'd been expecting. The pilot of the bullhead appeared to recognize that she was a new first year, and was hesitant in taking her down. A handful of lien changed his mind, though, and soon enough she was walking down the quiet lamp lit streets towards Junior's.
Lotus skipped the line of those waiting outside, and was instantly recognized by the pair of bouncers at the door. They allowed her inside without question, even going so far as to throw menacing looks at those in line that started to complain. Lotus ignored them and stepped inside, taking in the atmosphere on a busy Sunday night.
The bar was packed, but that wasn't really a problem. Lotus walked around to the side of the counter and caught Junior's attention. He was quick to finish up another patron's drink, then hustled over to where Lotus stood waiting.
"Didn't think I'd see you again until at least next weekend! School's that bad, huh?"
"Like you wouldn't believe," Lotus replied evenly, then nodded up towards the top shelf, "Give me the hardest you've got. I don't want to remember the last six hours."
Junior shrugged and snagged a thick glass bottle from the top shelf, well above what Lotus could have ever reached unassisted, and poured out a shot. Lotus slammed it back and grimaced, but set the glass back down and gestured for him to keep it coming.
Junior complied until Lotus had already downed six in a row. He pulled the bottle away, recorking it and setting it back on top of the shelf, "Pace yourself, kid. Any more and you could end up getting hurt."
"Awww…" Lotus started to speak, feeling the world shift around her, "Are you concerned for little ol' me, Junior?"
"I don't need a dead kid on my hands," Junior replied. He sent a glare at the person on the nearest bar stool, forcing them to scurry off, and helped Lotus to sit down on it, "I'll let Melanie know you're here. Last I heard some of those friends of yours showed up. Think they had a surprise for you."
'... friends?' Lotus certainly hoped none of the others from Beacon had beaten her here somehow. In her state, it took a moment to realize who Junior was talking about. The only other friends he'd ever seen her here with. Lotus's mood raised as she sat, waiting for Melanie to show up.
Soon enough, her favorite girl in white showed up. Melanie smirked and grabbed Lotus by the hand, "Good news! Your friends got you a little celebration gift for getting into Beacon!"
Lotus waved her hand, "They didn't have to do that!"
"I think you'll like it," Melanie smirked and led her across the room, pushing past anyone dumb enough to stand in their way. She was taken upstairs to a back room, one that Lotus and she had fooled around in before. Emerald stood outside and opened it as they approached.
"Congrats on getting into Beacon!" she was far more welcoming than she'd ever been previously. Lotus couldn't help but feel like her plan from so long ago had been a success. It was the only reason she could think of that would have so easily changed her mood.
They walked in with the lights off. While Lotus's night vision was better than a normal humans, it wasn't on the same level as a cat faunus. Feeling out with her sixth sense, she could dimly feel Cinder, Mercury, someone knew, and…
Emerald popped the light on after she shut the door, revealing the scene in full. Cinder flashed a welcoming smile, as did Mercury. Both stood to either side of a boy being held captive between them. A new girl that Lotus didn't recognize smiled from behind with a slight tilt to her head, dressed in a nurse's outfit. Lotus had to blink as it shimmered in place, transforming to another set of clothing altogether, 'Madam Myrtle would be jealous.'
Sitting between all three, bound to a chair and with a gag over his mouth, sat the ginger boy that had ruined her plans.
Cinder waved her hand towards him, gesturing for Lotus to come forward, "We heard about what happened during Initiation and thought you could use a little pick-me-up. Neo managed to sneak him out of the hospital with a little help from Emerald."
"Nice to meet you, Neo," Lotus gave a small nod of her head, happy to see that at least someone was shorter than her.
Neo flashed a smile and used her fingers to form a heart.
"She can't speak," Cinder explained, "But I think that means 'You're welcome'." Neo smiled and nodded agreement.
Lotus recalled that the walls were thick and soundproofed, one of the reasons she and Melanie had chosen it in times past. She leaned forward and pulled the gag out of the ginger's mouth, grinning at the profound amount of fear in his eyes.
"Please let me go! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have-"
Lotus shrouded her arm and decked him across the face. It seemed his aura had only barely recovered after whatever drugs they'd given him. It immediately shattered. The blow went through and struck him hard across the jaw. Lotus heard a few of his teeth crack.
"Do you really think I'd let you go with just an apology!?" Lotus sneered, "You ruined my plans over a petty vendetta. Now I have to spend the next four years with a damn Schnee!" Her other fist connected with his chest, directly against the bandages beneath.
The ginger gasped in pain, incapable of screaming out with the air knocked from his lungs. He struggled to breath, chest contracting around beaten muscles. Lotus activated her semblance fully, allowing each appendage to fill the space around her. With each being around fifteen feet in length, there wasn't much room to spare. Emerald and Melanie were gently pushed to the side as they unfurled, made to make way while the invisible legs poised to strike.
"Who knows. Maybe after four years I'll have learned to accept the Schnee, or found a way to get rid of her. Either way… you won't be around to see it." Lotus gestured for Neo to move aside.
"No! Please-!"
All four appendages struck at once, aimed at the same point in the center of his chest. Each speared through, sending a spray of blood and gore out of his back along with bones that had been instantly shattered into small fragments. His face slackened immediately, eyes stuck wide open in absolute terror. Lotus withdrew her appendages roughly and stared at the blood that came with them, staining each limb so that the last two feet were visible to all.
"Good riddance," Lotus sneered, allowing her appendages to vanish.
Mercury gave a low whistle of appreciation at the wide hole left in the ginger's chest, "Remind me not to get on your bad side." Neo stood off to the side, eyes wide, while Melanie and Emerald averted their gaze.
Cinder smiled in appreciation for the display, "Now that's the Black Lotus I've heard so much about."
Lotus took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "That was more therapeutic than you can imagine."
Cinder laughed, "Oh, I've had my fair share of satisfying kills, one of which was thanks to you."
"Glad I could be of service," Lotus smiled. Some of the weight had been lifted off her chest. She had no doubt that being on the same team as the Schnee was still going to be hell, but at least now she'd have one fond memory to think back on whenever the princess got to be too unbearable.
Cinder nodded, "I wanted to do this for you as a sign of good faith. Emerald, Mercury, and Neo will be joining me as transfer students to Beacon starting tomorrow. Unfortunately, I don't believe we should be seen with each other. Why bring down the entire ship if only one gets caught?"
Lotus smiled, "That's at least one bit of good news. A few more friendly faces around campus, so to speak. Even if we are barred from interacting."
"Outside of Beacon is fair game. If you happen to get the itch and need to relieve some pent up aggression, feel free to contact us through Melanie. I'll have plenty of 'activities' available throughout the year."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Lotus nodded, "I am trying to stop, though."
Mercury laughed, "Pretty hard to quit anything cold turkey. Especially when it's something you're so good at."
"Eh," Lotus shrugged, "I'm hoping the grimm can fill that roll. I might have to go on a few moonlit strolls through the Emerald Forest to clear my head," she flexed her back, "It feels so much more satisfying cutting loose with my semblance."
"I don't know how you resist," Cinder remarked lightly, giving another appreciative glance to the hole in the ginger's chest. It was wide enough to easily see through to the other side.
"We'll take care of the body," Mercury promised, nodding his head towards Melanie, "Don't keep your lady waiting too long."
Melanie's hand slipped into Lotus's, who allowed herself to be pulled back towards the door, "You know, Miltia is around here somewhere. Bet you could get in a round two for yourself, champ."
Mercury laughed, "Maybe another time," he eyed the mess Lotus had made, "I've got my work cut out for me here."
Lotus gave him a small salute as she was dragged out the door and further up the hall, Melanie wasting no time in getting out of that room. While she was a bodyguard for Junior, who was by no means running a legitimate business, Lotus guessed she wasn't exactly the most seasoned of killers, either.
After claiming one of the private rooms for themselves, Lotus lost herself in sex and alcohol. She made sure to get topped off more than once throughout the next few hours, and was joined in that endeavor by Melanie. They both passed out from a mixture of alcohol and exhaustion, wrapped in each other's embrace and surrounded by empty bottles littering the floor around their bed.
For those few hours, she managed to forget all about Weiss Schnee.
Ozpin rubbed a hand across his temple and stared at his screen, the various teams prominently displayed, 'Could this have gone any worse?' His hope for the Black Lotus was failing, already, 'At the very least, she is on a team with Miss Rose. It was the correct move to make her the leader, I believe. Perhaps her good natured attitude and general naivety will rub off on the other three… Making Miss Schnee the leader would have been outright foolish, and Miss Belladonna would have been dubious at best.'
No matter who Ozpin picked, one of them would need to reign in the Black Lotus. He'd also set up her Mistralian friends, Ren and Nora, across the hall from team Rainbow as a safety net of sorts. She wouldn't need to go far to seek comfort, or at least that was what Ozpin hoped. The Black Lotus had left Beacon shortly after entering her room, and beyond the boundary of the academy grounds, Ozpin couldn't track her scroll.
'Perhaps all is not lost. I originally hoped for Miss Belladonna and Miss Schnee to end up on a team together so that both might see the error in their ways. Though, Miss Belladonna is not nearly as volatile as Miss Mandevilla. I'll have to keep a very close eye on them for the time being… and make it clear that I'm doing so to avoid any unfortunate 'accidents' befalling Miss Schnee…'
The young Schnee heiress being murdered in her sleep by a faunus would hardly be beneficial to either side, faunus or human. Jacques wouldn't hesitate to smear Ozpin's name and the idea of faunus and human coexistence. Tensions would certainly rise beyond what they had for many years since the war with the faunus had ended, as would grimm activity in response.
'A very close eye, indeed,' Ozpin glanced over at his other screen as the light for the elevator blinked on, a small video appearing to display its sole occupant. Ozpin pressed the single key required to allow Qrow up to his office. The ancient wizard had some difficulty bringing his expression back to a controlled state before the doors dinged open.
"What's up, Oz?" Qrow announced his arrival with a small wave and stepped into the room, approaching the opposite side of Ozpin's desk.
"Have your nieces messaged you at all?" Ozpin asked simply, wanting to start their conversation there.
"Yang did say they'd all passed, but that was obvious. Ruby sent a few concerning messages about Olivia running off already... Any ideas why?"
Ozpin steepled his fingers, "It would appear that Miss Mandevilla is very… opposed… against one of her teammates. Due to the pieces they all grabbed, she was joined by Miss Rose and... Weiss Schnee."
Qrow frowned, "You thinking she might be ex-White Fang? The kid's good; better than any White Fang I've ever fought."
"Whatever her past may be, the fact remains that she did indeed leave quite soon after the teams were announced. I'm afraid of what trouble she may get herself into in such a state."
"That can't be it, right?" Qrow gave Ozpin a troubled look, "There's gotta be more to it than that."
Ozpin sighed and lowered his hands, "Miss Mandevilla was planning on cheating to dictate for herself what team she would end up on," he raised a hand as Qrow began to protest, "It was my plan as well. I saw the opportunity to guarantee what would have been a solid team, and took it."
"What did you do…?" Qrow's voice was low with concern.
"The cameras near the Eastern gate picked up on Miss Mandevilla heading out into the Emerald Forest, perhaps to get further training in before Initiation. I used the tracker as a guide to gain her attention and feigned obliviousness. She followed me out to the ruins and watched me place the 'relics', then when I left, took one for herself. Unfortunately, my hope that she would take both pieces to a matching set was wrong. I believed you may have revealed more than you admitted, and so she only grabbed one."
"I told you I didn't," Qrow grumbled, giving Ozpin a disapproving scowl, "Then what? No way would she not get there first if she knew where it was."
Ozpin held up his hands, "At times, I get ahead of myself. Though the plan still would have gone over well enough if it were not for two of the other applicants. They sabotaged her launch pad and then confronted her in the forest, looking to knock her out of the race."
"How'd that go?"
"One is currently in the hospital with copious amounts of aura enhancers keeping him stable. The other was wounded by another student that came to her aid, but is otherwise alright."
Qrow grimaced, "I've seen for myself the kind of power she has behind those fists."
"Indeed. Mr. Winchester's aura hardly made a difference. His rib cage was broken in quite a few places and he had severe internal bleeding. Though I'm sure her emotions simply got the better of her. As far as I'm aware, he hasn't regained consciousness long enough to form a complete sentence, let alone press any charges."
Qrow swore loudly and sighed, "Any idea where she ran off to?"
"Out of Beacon, at the very least. That was a few hours ago. She hasn't returned since."
Qrow pulled out his scroll, already typing out a message into it, "Alright. I'll see what I can do. Let me know if… when she shows back up."
"Will do," Ozpin nodded as the doors closed and Qrow was lost to sight. His scroll buzzed afterwards, a message appearing from the attendant at the hospital who he'd asked to keep him informed.
"Cardin Winchester has passed away due to unforeseen complications. Internal damage was too severe for the aura enhancers. Time of death: 9:27."
Ozpin checked the clock. The boy had died only two minutes ago.
'This is going to be difficult to cover up… I'll have to contact my sources in the news and have them run the story of Mr. Winchester's heroic death to injuries sustained from the grimm… I will need to speak with Mr. Bronzewing and convince him that it is for the best. Tampering with Beacon equipment to skew test results is a major offense, as well as assault. Attempting to bring the truth to light would not only stain Mr. Winchester's name, but bring himself into legal trouble that he couldn't hope to defend against.'
Ozpin began messaging his contacts, and put in a request to the police department for the immediate retrieval of one 'Dove Bronzewing'.
'This is going to be a long night…'
Lotus woke to a pounding headache, and the vibration of her scroll's alarm going off somewhere across the room. She shifted in bed, feeling herself still pressed up against Melanie and blinked her eyes open blearily.
"Hmm…" Melanie sighed, already awake, and ran a hand down Lotus's body, coming to a stop on her hip, "Good morning."
"Is it?" Lotus groaned, rolling on to her back so that Melanie's hand rested on her stomach, "Last night was good. This headache is awful."
"We could make it better~" Melanie leaned over to press her lips against Lotus's, hand moving to explore further down.
Lotus broke off the kiss after a few seconds, tempted by the offer, but knowing better than to be late on her first day of Beacon. She pulled Melanie's hand from between her legs then returned the kiss, willing to let that last a bit longer.
"I've gotta go," Lotus sighed. She climbed out of bed and stretched, then checked the time, 'Eight o'clock. Don't classes start at nine?' She glanced around the room and confirmed that it did indeed come with a bathroom, complete with a shower, "Perhaps a little pick me up before I do, though? I think we could both use a shower after last night~"
Melanie nodded with a smirk and followed her into the bathroom.
Half an hour later, Lotus was on her way to the airstrip, moving at a fast walk towards the bullheads stationed there. While there hadn't been much 'showering' going on, she had still managed to get off the smell of sex and alcohol from her body. It had done nothing to help her clothes, though, as she hadn't brought another pair with her to the club. The poignant aroma of whatever she'd drank clung to them, making her stomach churn with every step.
Lotus groaned as she spotted Qrow near the bullheads, standing with his arms crossed and eyebrow raised at her dishevelled appearance. She changed direction slightly, heading for him instead of the bullheads. A small delay wouldn't matter, there was still plenty of time to get back to the dorm and change into her school uniform.
"Did you sleep in a dumpster?" Qrow asked with a frown, then waved a hand in front of his face, wrinkling his nose, "Nevermind. I don't need you to answer that."
"I wouldn't expect you to be so judgemental, Mr. Carries a Flask Everywhere He Goes," Lotus snipped back, giving a few feet of space between the two of them so that she wouldn't be subjecting Qrow to her own pain.
Qrow raised his hands, "Hey, I've had more than a few nights hitting the bottle. Difference is, I'm not a seventeen year old freshman on my first day of class at the most prestigious huntsman academy in the world."
"What, you didn't do a little celebrating back in the day?"
"Celebrating? Yes. Trying to drink away all my problems? Not until much later," Qrow confided, moving to steer Lotus towards one of the bullheads, "Ruby told me about you running off. She was really worried about you, ya know."
"It's not like I left for fun," Lotus replied, long since reminded of the problems she still faced, "I literally wouldn't have been able to sleep in the same room as that Schnee. My sixth sense would have been warning me all night."
"That bad, huh?" Qrow spared her a sympathetic frown, "You sure you aren't over reacting? I don't think a girl the same age as you could be responsible for much of what happened because of the SDC."
'You'd be surprised how much 'people my age' can accomplish,' Lotus thought to herself, "That doesn't change who she is, or who she'll become. That Schnee will end up just like her father; another Master to the masses, lacking any empathy for those they abuse for their own gain."
"Not to play the God of Destruction's advocate, but doesn't that mean you have an opportunity to change things? You have four years to help her see reason and turn her into a better person."
"Her family already had seventeen to make it useless to even try," Lotus replied offhandedly, 'Honestly, it's easier to murder someone than it is to change their mind.'
"All I'm saying is that you should at least make an attempt," Qrow shrugged, "You're too fixated on what you believe instead of taking the time to see for yourself if you're right."
"Is grass green? Is the sky blue? Does being on a boat make me sick? There's a lot of things you don't need to read too far into to know they're true, Qrow," Lotus retorted.
"And yet, dying grass can be brown, the sky is black at night, and you'd be fine on a boat that wasn't in the water," Qrow replied back evenly, "Hell, kid, Mistral airships pretty much are boats. Did you ever get sick on one of those?"
Lotus placed her head in her hands and closed her eyes, breathing deeply, 'He doesn't understand. I could never be friends with a Schnee... Can I... confide some of it to him?' It would certainly feel nice having another person in her corner…
"I…" Lotus began, but stopped, words refusing to leave her throat. It was a risk. She didn't know Qrow that well, not really…
"You…?" Qrow paused, waiting for her to continue, then sighed, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, kid."
Lotus made up her mind and gathered her thoughts, planning out exactly what she wanted to reveal ahead of time, "Do you remember that night with the deathstalker, when I told you that a lot of people close to me died?"
Lotus waited for Qrow to nod before continuing.
"They were... the White Fang group I was a part of a long time ago. I didn't find out until recently that the only other survivor was the one that set us up… Even so, it was the SDC that paid for the attack. I can't forgive that, Qrow. Terrorists or not, they were my family, and in one night… They were taken from me."
Qrow took a few seconds to respond, his face somber, "Tell me about them, kid. What were they like?"
She didn't see the harm in it, and as the bullhead docked against the Beacon platform, she began to tell Qrow about each and every one. Her tale skipped over their dark deeds, and instead focused on the good things about them. How they'd all come together to teach her different life skills, the fun times they'd shared, the plans they had all had for the future...
"I received my acceptance letter to Sanctum right before it happened, and afterwards… I was too angry to even consider taking Jace's advice. I'm... sure he'd be disappointed in me," she could feel tears brimming at the corner of her eyes and quickly wiped them away.
"I'm a failure..."
Qrow raised his arms to the side, waiting to see if she was willing to accept his hug. She stepped into it and reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his back. It was nice… comforting… She stayed there for what felt like an entire minute, out in the courtyard in front of the Bullhead docks.
"You aren't a failure," Qrow replied quietly, speaking finally as she pulled away, "And from the sounds of it, I think Jace would keep wanting what's best for you, no matter what you did. The world lost what should have been a great huntsman. Don't let it take two."
"But… the things I've done since then… I don't think I could ever forgive myself, Qrow. How could he?"
"What's the harm in trying? Do you really want to spend your entire life looking back at the past? Or do you want to forge ahead into the future? Who do you want to be? That's the girl that will make it in the end."
Jace's words, long since gone, but never forgotten, came back unbidden, 'Do you really think they wouldn't be happy for you? You're a person that deserves to get what's best for them, just like anyone else.'
"You think there's still hope…?"
"There's always hope. I'm proof of that, kid."
'After all this time… Everything I've done… How do I even begin? Who do I want to be?' Memories returned of a life long since abandoned. A small girl in an oversized hoodie, ready to grow up and face the world… 'That's who I want to be…'
Lotus… no… 'Olivia', felt the tears threatening to return and hugged Qrow once more, "I think it's about time I embraced that, huh?"
"The sooner the better, kid," Qrow laughed lightly as he checked his scroll, "There's only five minutes left before your first class."
Olivia pulled back and checked her own scroll, eyes going wide, "I'm gonna be late!"
"Better get a move on, then," Qrow swept his arm wide and stepped to the side, making room for Olivia to break into a sprint back towards her dorm. He cupped his hands together, calling out after her, "Tell Ruby I said to pay attention!"
Olivia kept that in mind as she ran through the halls. Late… but finally ready to try and make a difference.
How important is a name? It appears our Little Spider is ready to try and better herself, but how will that go? Sometimes, a change in perspective is all you need to turn your life around, but is it enough to forget a past so drenched in blood?
Either way, I'm excited to get this ball rolling.
Thanks for reading,
- Sybaen