The sound of steel on steel echoed sharply through the crowd of students that sat watching the spar between Ruby and Blake. Olivia stood at the edge of the railing, staring intently at the battle currently taking place. Raw speed verses teleportation and clones.
With her sixth sense, Olivia could tell the difference between one of Blake's clones, and where she was about to appear. Unfortunately, Ruby didn't have that boon, and had chosen to dash in and out of combat, never staying in one place long enough for Blake to get the drop on her.
After the most recent dash across the center of the combat arena, Ruby stopped, knees trembling. She had been using her semblance nearly nonstop for the entire fight, and it had been going on for quite some time. Blake reappeared near her vanishing clone, one long cut through the center showing the path Crescent Rose had taken.
Blake eyed Ruby, taking in her faltering strength with a discerning eye, and began closing the distance slowly, Gambol Shroud held up in preparation to block. As she had previously, Ruby raised Crescent Rose, transforming it to fire round after round at Blake in the hope to delay her and give the reaper time to recover.
The rounds pinged off the black sword, or created holes through the clones left behind as Blake attacked in earnest. She sprinted across the intervening distance, vanishing from the places that Ruby fired at and appearing closer and closer, until she'd finally crossed the distance. Ruby shifted back to the scythe and attempted to defend, slashing horizontally to force Blake to keep her distance.
The scythe passed through another clone, Blake reappearing above and behind Ruby to kick the younger girl in the back. Ruby stumbled forward, her exhaustion getting the better of her as her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Blake landed gracefully and stopped as Miss Goodwitch raised a hand to call the match. While Ruby's aura level was still well within the green, it was clear who was the victor.
Olivia hopped over the edge of the railing and climbed up on to the arena to give Ruby a hand up. Blake stowed away her weapon and crossed her arms, smiling approvingly at Olivia's act of kindness.
"That was a good fight, kid. Don't beat yourself up about it," Olivia said cheerily, pulling the young reaper to her feet.
Ruby breathed heavily, muscles still shaking after exerting themselves for so long and turned to face Blake. She grinned despite the sweat that beaded on her forehead, "Good match, Blake! I thought I almost had you a few times there!"
Blake turned her smile to Ruby, "You almost did a few times."
Olivia tapped Ruby on the nose, "Your problem is that you're too predictable, kid. Denying Blake the opportunity to counterattack was a good idea, but when it became clear that you were going to lose the stalemate, you should have tried something else. You can't keep using the same move and hoping it will work the next time."
Olivia began to lead the three back up into the stands, to where Weiss sat. The heiress looked as if she'd also wanted to head down to the arena, but thought better of it when Olivia beat her to it. Olivia grimaced, remembering their fight earlier in the week, 'You're in no place to be giving Ruby advice, Schnee.'
"What would you have done?" Ruby asked tiredly.
Olivia brought the hand up to her chin, "If I was you…?" her eyes looked over to Blake as well, sizing up her fellow faunus, "Use a few ice dust rounds to create terrain that favors you. She might not be able to dodge if you manage to box her in, and if all else fails, you could put your back to the ice so that she at least couldn't attack you from behind. Use shorter bursts to dodge away from where you think she's going to reappear, then counterattack."
Blake nodded, "It would take more than a few rounds, but it's a decent idea. I'd have less places to reappear in that situation so you could give yourself a better chance at predicting where I'd be… You'd also have to be careful not to cut off the routes for your own semblance, though."
"Hmmm," Ruby pondered what they'd said as they all sat back down and Miss Goodwitch called for the next two contestants. Olivia had already had her fight against another one of the random students in class. Going all out was ultimately unnecessary, so she'd focused on practicing with Oath instead of mixing in her fists. After an entire week spent in Beacon, she had become more and more adept with the new weapon.
"Do you want to visit The Daily Grind after this, Blake?" Olivia asked, relaxing in her seat as the next fight began.
"Sure, I haven't been there in a while. What about you, Ruby?"
Ruby snapped out of her daydream to give a sad shrug, "I still have packets left."
"You don't have that many left," Olivia chided lightly, "and you won't need to turn another in until Monday. You've got the entire weekend to finish them up."
"I just want to be done with them," Ruby confessed.
"Well… do you want me to stick around and help? I wouldn't mind, really."
Ruby waved off her suggestion, "Nah, you and Blake go enjoy yourselves. My next couple packets are about maintaining and upgrading your weapon. Should be cake."
"For you? No doubt," Olivia said with a grin, "You're coming with us next time, though."
Blake caught Olivia's attention and darted her eyes past her with a small nod of her head towards Weiss. Olivia's eyes widened in surprise that the faunus would want to invite the heiress. The two began a short back and forth, silently arguing with expressions alone on whether or not they should bring the Schnee along. Olivia eventually gave up with a downcast sigh, and tried to work a smile on to her face before turning to the heiress.
"Weiss…? Do you want to come with us?"
Weiss's demeanor brightened, her shoulders raising from their slump to share a timid smile with Olivia and Blake, "I… didn't have any other plans. I suppose I could go… What kind of place is it?"
"A cafe…" Olivia saw her chance to scare off the heiress and gave a shrug, "It has mostly faunus patrons, and all the staff are as well. I hope you're okay with that."
Weiss drew herself up, taking Olivia's comment as a challenge, "Why wouldn't I be?"
Olivia managed to keep the disappointment from reaching her face, "Well then, it's a date. You sure you don't want to go, Ruby?"
Ruby pulled her eyes away from the fight taking place down on the stage, "No, that's okay. I want to see if the packet has anything in it that I don't already know."
Olivia smiled, "Nerd."
Ruby crossed her arms, pouting, "I told you. Nerds don't kick butt!"
Olivia laughed, "Fine, then. You're an 'aficionado'. Better?"
"Afici-... Is that another word for nerd?"
"If what you like is nerdy, then yes."
"Weapons aren't nerdy…"
"Then I guess you're in the clear," Olivia smirked.
Ruby brightened, "Right! I'm an-!… aficiendo?"
"Aficionado."
"Aficionado!"
The cheering of a few students in the crowd announced the end of the last bout of the day. Ruby turned back to clap along with some of the others, sharing in the atmosphere. Olivia shook her head and stood, looking to Blake and, with some reluctance, Weiss.
"Ready to go? I haven't been there in a while."
"Me neither," Blake admitted softly, standing as well.
The three of them dropped their weapons off in the locker room and said their goodbyes to Ruby and team Lion before heading out to the bullheads, still in their combat outfits. The flight down to Vale was relatively quick, and soon enough the three had stepped out on to the platform below.
"So… where is this place we're going?" Weiss asked tentatively, looking to both Blake and Olivia for guidance.
"It's a little off mainstreet," Blake answered easily, beginning to lead the other two. Olivia fell into step next to her, while Weiss walked a few steps behind. It had been clear to the heiress after the last few days which side Blake had ultimately taken, though the cat faunus tried to remain neutral. When both Olivia and Weiss were present, Blake always kept to Olivia's side.
'At least she has Ruby…' Olivia thought with some mild annoyance. The small reaper had tried to balance out the team, and tended to stick around Weiss whenever the heiress was feeling left out. Olivia knew it was just Ruby's nature. The kid was kind-hearted, and wanted to make sure everyone around her was happy at all times. It still hurt a little, knowing that her aggression towards Weiss had driven a divide between herself and Ruby.
The crowds were out in full force, later in the afternoon on a Friday as it was. Blake and Olivia pressed onwards, refusing to budge from their route and making others step around them instead. They created a small path through the crowd, the gap closing behind Weiss while she stayed close behind the two faunus.
"What was that dessert called? I want to order it again," Olivia asked Blake next her, reverting to her usual stance of ignoring Weiss for the time being.
"Tiramisu Panna Cotta. Did you like it?" Blake replied with a small smile.
"It was delicious," Olivia confirmed. She paused in thought, reflecting back on the first day she'd spent in Vale, "Who would have guessed we'd end up on the same team?"
Blake shrugged lightly, "I thought you might be another new student since you were carrying your weapon around, and you dealt with…" Blake flicked her eyes back towards Weiss, changing what she'd been about to say, "that nuisance… so easily."
"I figured you would be as well. I kind of cheated since I could feel your aura, though" Olivia shrugged, letting the comment about Cardin pass.
"I'll admit… I had my eyes set on you from right then…" Blake's ears twitched beneath their bow, voice lowering so that Weiss wouldn't hear, "I was glad when you didn't try to leave me with Weiss in the Emerald Forest…"
"Little good that did," Olivia rolled her eyes, "I'd say karma got the best of both of us, if I believed in that sort of thing."
Blake put a hand up to stifle a laugh, "Yeah, no way does karma exist. If it did, then the faunus should have cashed in ages ago."
"Probably why it's more of a human thing," Olivia agreed with a smirk, "Wonder if the heiress believes in it."
Blake got a small glint in her eyes and turned to peek over her shoulder back towards their third wheel, "Hey, Weiss. Do you believe in karma?"
Olivia didn't turn around to acknowledge her, but could sense Weiss raising a hand to her chin in contemplation, "I suppose so. If you do good things, then good things should happen to you in return, right?"
"And what about bad things?"
"Of course. The pendulum swings both ways."
Olivia sighed and dropped her head a fraction, 'I would be dead a few hundred times over if that were the case,' and had to stop herself from asking how karma would factor into the SDC, 'No arguments… just a nice day out between teammates.'
Ozpin had been sure to pop in out of the blue a few more times over the last week, keeping himself as a constant reminder that Olivia should behave herself. She was beginning to think more and more that Ozpin knew more than he was letting on. As far as she knew, he wasn't doing the same with Blake, though the cat faunus had admittedly been much less vitriolic towards Weiss so far.
Olivia had also seen Cinder and the others around campus, including the mute, Neo. Olivia kept to herself, as Cinder desired. It was tough at times to not ask them to help with Weiss as they had with Cardin. Unfortunately, the heiress of the SDC would be a much more serious disappearance, and Ozpin would certainly blame Olivia no matter what alibi she had.
Blake closed her eyes as they walked, her head tilting up slightly as she smelled the air. Olivia looked around the street and realized that they were almost already at the cafe. The smallest hint of the cafe's usual aroma permeated the air, noticeable even among the throng of so many other smells.
They arrived at the alleyway and Olivia paused for a moment, drawing Blake's attention to the wall of the alley with a worried frown. Scratched into the side of the bricks were three long, white marks. If the specific markings used by the White Fang transferred across continents, the sign was a clear indication that only faunus were welcome within. The White Fang had claimed the space.
Blake's eyes widened and she backpedaled slightly, but Olivia frowned and grabbed her hand. She refused to let the White Fang dictate where she would spend her afternoon. Olivia turned back to Weiss, calling over her shoulder at the heiress that was tentatively stepping into the alleyway behind them, "It's right this way. Can't miss it."
"A little... out of the way, isn't it?"
"You think faunus can afford to buy a shop right on mainstreet?" Olivia asked with a raised eyebrow, "I doubt the city would let them, even in Vale."
Olivia began to walk forward but was stopped by Blake who was hesitant to continue, fearfully glancing between the symbol on the wall, the shop, and Weiss.
"Is something wrong?" Weiss asked, noticing Blake's reluctance.
"Yeah, Blake. Is everything okay?" Olivia grinned, "As long as you're with a faunus like me, two humans like you don't have anything to fear."
Blake narrowed her eyes, suspicious of whatever game Olivia might be playing at, but finally relented. To argue further would bring her race into question, since not many outside of White Fang members would understand what the symbols meant, least of all humans.
"No, it's fine."
"Good!" Olivia replied ecstatically. She led the way into the small cafe, pausing at the doorway to enjoy the sudden influx of delicious scents.
The room was relatively empty, aside from a few faunus within. Olivia could tell easily enough that the White Fang warning out front had been taken seriously by other patrons that usually brought humans along with them. Those there gave the trio a casual glance at first, then froze, noticing exactly who it was that Olivia had brought into Fang territory.
"You guys go ahead and take a seat. I'm going to speak with the barista," Olivia said with a smile, pointing off towards the booth that Blake had frequented in her times here.
Weiss seemed to draw into herself when she noticed everyone in the establishment eyeing her. Olivia turned away from them to hide the laughter threatening to break free and walked over to the barista standing behind the counter. It was one that she recognized from the first day she'd been there. Olivia flashed her best smile as she approached.
The barista took her eyes off Weiss when Olivia got to the counter, giving the spider faunus a nervous smile in return. She kept her voice low, "Umm… You might not have seen the markings outside… the White Fang claimed this area for themselves a few days ago. It might not be the best idea to have a Schnee in here..."
Olivia shrugged nonchalantly, "I saw it. If they want to cause a scene, that's their choice," she leaned forward to whisper, "I'm just trying to have a nice time out, okay? This is my favorite place in the city! So, if you could refrain from, I don't know… spitting in her food or anything? I'd appreciate it."
The barista glanced over at Weiss before nodding to Olivia, "I'll make sure the cooks behave themselves."
"Thank you," Olivia smiled earnestly. She could feel Weiss flipping through the menu, choosing out what she wanted, "I'm sure we'll be ready to order soon."
The barista drew herself up, returning to an air of professionalism, "Of course. I'll be over in a few minutes."
Olivia left to sit at the booth, choosing the spot next to Blake with Weiss sitting across from them. The heiress glanced over her menu when the faunus sat down before going back to it, eyes slowly roaming the page. Blake waited for Weiss to be preoccupied before directing a glare at Olivia that would have sent shivers down the spine of a weaker person.
'You were the one that wanted to invite the princess along. Maybe karma is more subtle than we think.'
"So, what are you getting, Blake?" Olivia asked with a smirk, choosing to ignore her glare.
Blake returned to a neutral expression as Weiss's gaze returned, though her ears still twitched against their bonds, "Probably a salad."
"That sounds good," Weiss chipped in, flipping back a page to the salads, "Any in particular?"
Blake sighed quietly, picking up her own menu to flip through as well. She stopped, eyes looking over the page, "The crab salad is pretty good. What about you, Olivia?"
Olivia didn't bother to pick up her menu, instead hiding her smile with a hand while she cleared her throat, "Hmmm… a Reuben sounds good right about now."
"I've never tried one of those before…" Weiss changed pages to the sandwiches and looked it over, "That sounds good."
Olivia frowned, 'Is she trying to be nice? Sorry, princess. Choosing the same sandwich isn't exactly a good first step.' She shrugged, "Choose what you want."
Weiss mumbled something from behind her menu, and at a quirked eyebrow from Olivia, lowered it to speak more clearly, "I said… I-I'm paying this time."
Olivia opened her mouth to argue, but at a nudge from Blake, thought better of what she'd been about to say. She shook her head instead, "If you want. I won't stop you."
Weiss seemed to cheer up slightly, sitting taller in her seat, and closed the menu to set it down in front of herself. Blake did the same, stacking both of theirs on top of Olivia's. The barista noticed and grabbed a small notepad, making her way across the small cafe to the trio with a smile that was at least partially forced.
"Looks like you're all ready! What can we get started for you?"
Weiss raised her hand slightly, drawing the barista's attention, "We'll take two Reubens, and a crab salad for Blake."
"And what to drink?"
"An iced coffee for me," Weiss replied easily, then left it open for Blake and Olivia to answer.
"I'll take a latte," Blake added.
Olivia shot Weiss a frown before turning back to the barista, "Just an espresso, thanks."
The barista finished up writing down their orders before flashing a smile, "I'll have those drinks right out for you. The food should take around ten minutes."
"Thank you," Weiss returned the smile and held out the menus for her. The barista's smile changed, almost appearing genuine, before accepting the menus and heading off back behind the counter to get started on their orders.
Olivia waited for her to leave before speaking, "You know, Weiss. We aren't children. I'm fully capable of ordering for myself."
Weiss's smile faltered slightly, "Oh… I'm sorry. It's uh… Atlas etiquette. I know I'm not exactly hosting the outing, but since I was paying… It's common courtesy in Atlas to order for your guests… Is it not the same in Vale?"
"No clue, I'm from Mistral," Olivia calmed somewhat. Cultural differences were to be expected across continents. She'd already ran into a few herself since arriving in Vale, and from the sounds of it, Weiss hadn't meant to offend them, "How are you supposed to remember all the orders if there's more people?"
Weiss's posture changed, rising back up, "It's expected of the host. It shows that you're paying attention to your guests and their needs and treating them equally."
"Sounds like a waste of time to me," Olivia shrugged, sitting back in her booth. Her curiosity was mildly piqued, at least, "What if you want to insult one of your guests? Do you forget their order?"
"More or less... It's a larger grievance if you tell the waiter the wrong order… Then your guest is forced to either deal with what you gave them, or make a scene by speaking up. The host is usually one of higher social standing, so it's seen as rude to have your order changed afterwards."
"I'm guessing the Schnee's were always the hosts, huh? How many orders have you 'messed up' in the past?"
Weiss frowned, "I never have… at least not intentionally."
Olivia shook her head in confusion, sharing a glance with Blake, "You elites are so sensitive. If you had a problem with someone in Mistral then you took it outside."
"You would argue outside?"
Olivia laughed, "No, Princess. You would fight outside."
"That's barbaric."
"It's efficient," Olivia smirked, "Don't like someone? Make it known. If you're strong enough then you don't have to deal with them anymore," she shrugged, "Or you bond over the bloodshed and have a few drinks together."
"Neither is true for Vale…" Blake replied lightly, looking between the two, "It more just depends on the situation."
Olivia raised her hands defensively, "All I'm saying is the Mistral way works. Yang and I are friends now, right?"
"Wait…" Weiss balked, "Are you saying you met Yang in a bar fight?"
"Yup. Now look at us. Best of chums."
"I feel like Ruby had more of a hand in that than you're admitting…" Blake kept her eye on Olivia, trying to look for any sign that the other faunus was pulling their legs.
Olivia laughed, "A little, maybe. Qrow did too."
Weiss placed her elbow on the table, holding her hand to her chin, "I think Ruby's mentioned him to me before… that's her uncle, isn't it?"
"Yup. He's an old drunk, but… probably one of the strongest drunks you'll ever meet. He's an 'S' rated huntsman."
"So is my sister!" Weiss said excitedly, then coughed into her hand awkwardly, "N-not that it's a competition or anything…"
"Good for her. If it was, I doubt a pampered Schnee could keep up with Qrow," Olivia scoffed, then sighed when she felt an angry nudge from Blake next to her, "I mean… I'm sure your sister is strong, too. Are you aspiring to be like her?"
Weiss crossed her arms, slightly miffed by Olivia's comment, "My sister is strong, and yes, I'm hoping I can follow in her footsteps."
"Did she go to Beacon?" Blake interjected, trying to help diffuse some of the aggression between the two.
"N-No. Winter joined Atlas Academy… She works with General Ironwood now."
"Then why are you in Vale?" Olivia frowned, "Atlas a little too cold this time of year?"
Weiss deflated, her posture shrinking into her chair, "I… just didn't want to be in Atlas anymore, okay?" her defiance returned by the end of the sentence, shooting Olivia a glare that dared her to comment further.
'Odd… She's obviously hiding something, but I have no clue what…' As far as Olivia could remember, this was by far the longest conversation she'd been able to keep going with the heiress. Her eyes glanced around the interior and she inhaled deeply, quickly realizing why, 'Hard to be mad in a place like this…'
The barista returned with their drinks, handing them out from atop the small platter she held. Olivia took a sip and grinned, flashing the barista a smile, "Thanks."
"My pleasure," she shifted the platter to hold it against her chest, "Your food will be a little longer. Anything else I can get you in the meantime?"
Olivia raised an eyebrow to the other two, but both shook their heads, "No, I think we're alright for now."
"Don't hesitate to call me over if you think of anything," with that she left once more, leaving the trio to enjoy their beverages.
Olivia eyed Weiss's drink closely while the heiress was sipping from the straw that had been provided, but couldn't see anything out of place, 'Not that I would be too upset... but she is still my teammate. It would be an insult to me as well, especially after asking them not to.'
Weiss finished her initial sip and closed her eyes, sighing contentedly, "Perfect…"
"This place is excellent," Blake chimed in, swirling her own drink with a spoon while she watched Weiss, likely checking for the same things Olivia was, "The food is even better."
"And the desserts better still," Olivia agreed, returning to her own drink. She waited for the heiress's mood to once again lighten before returning to their previous subject, "So, why go to Beacon, Weiss?"
Weiss lowered her drink, "Why does it matter? I'm here, and that's all there is to it."
"I'm just curious. I would have thought daddy Schnee would keep a tighter leash on his children. No guards here to keep you safe."
"I can handle myself," Weiss argued, though the way her hand trembled beneath the table clued Olivia in that something had hit close to home.
She decided to take a shot in the dark, "How did Jacques feel about his little girl running off to another kingdom?"
Immediately, Olivia knew she'd struck gold. Weiss's mouth pursed into a thin line, and her hand clenched tightly to keep herself from shaking further, "It doesn't matter what he thinks."
"Oh? Trouble in the family?" Olivia ignored the threatening glare that Blake sent her way, 'She has to be as curious about this as I am, right?'
Weiss's face shifted through an assortment of emotions, eventually hidden behind her drink as she raised it. Even still, Olivia could tell that the thought of her father seemed to be negative overall, 'The little Schnee has daddy issues? That's too bad~' She raised her own drink to hide the smirk that quirked the corners of her mouth.
Weiss lowered her cup with a grimace, "It's nothing, really… My father didn't want me to become a huntress."
"Why not?"
The heiress looked at Olivia, sizing her up as if she was trying to work out the faunus's angle. Weiss sighed, lowering her cup completely to set it on the table, "An heir and a spare…"
"What does that mean?" Blake asked, giving Weiss a quizzical stare.
"After Winter joined the military and broke ties with him, that only left myself and my brother, Whitley. My father tried to groom me to become the next owner of the SDC, but… I don't want to run it the same way he does."
"What, not enough deaths in the mines for you?"
"No!" Weiss raised her voice with a glare, then paled when all eyes in the cafe turned towards them. She waited for them all to look away before lowering her voice, "My father… he ruined the family name. He isn't a Schnee, he only married one. We used to be respected, back in my grandfather's time. I… want to bring us back to how it used to be."
"And how would you do that?" Blake shared a curious frown with Olivia.
Weiss used her straw to stir the ice in her cup, giving herself a few moments before answering. When she did, her eyes flickered briefly to Olivia's before going back down to her cup, "I… did some more research, over the last week. You weren't lying about how the SDC uses faunus inmates in the mines… I didn't know that. It made me wonder what else I was never told, so I kept looking…" Weiss blinked back tears, "My grandfather's legacy has been dragged through the mud with my father at the head of the company. I can't let what he's done stand…"
Olivia's and Blake's eyes both widened, struggling to understand the sudden break through. Olivia spoke up, if only to set things straight, "Are you saying you agree with the White Fang?"
"What? Of course not!" Weiss replied vehemently, "They resorted to killing people to get their way. I'll never agree with someone that thinks murder is the best course of action."
"You know, the White Fang was peaceful once upon a time," Blake interjected, "Humans ignored them."
"There are better ways of going about getting your ideas across than what the White Fang do," Weiss argued, "They could have voted another faunus into office."
Olivia laughed, "There are more humans than there are faunus. You think they'd let a faunus get elected in the polls?"
"If they proposed changes that would benefit humans and faunus, then yes. Every faunus candidate I've ever seen has run on the promise of offering hope to only the faunus. If you want to win, you need to bring more to the table. Humans won't vote for someone that doesn't have their interests at heart."
"What else do humans want?" Olivia scoffed, "More segregation?"
"They don't want to be treated like second class citizens!"
Olivia laughed in bewilderment, "You mean like faunus already are?"
Weiss broke eye contact, looking away from Olivia towards the wall, "I'm not saying what happens to the faunus is right, but killing people isn't the answer. So many of the people I knew growing up are dead because of the White Fang. Board members, house guards and staff… all to try and weaken the SDC. What they're doing isn't right!"
'Of course it isn't right. Obviously they aren't aiming high enough on the food chain,' Olivia scoffed silently with a shake of her head. She couldn't blame the White Fang, though. It wasn't as if they hadn't tried. Widow had even warned Olivia not to go after Jacques. He was defended at all times, even when it didn't appear like he was. The SDC Ceo had the best money could buy, and unfortunately, that meant a lot in Atlas.
Silence prevailed over the cafe, as all conversations had died out completely. While many didn't look directly at the group of three students, it was clear that all focus was on them. Olivia let her body untense and sat back, realizing her hands had been gripping the table tightly. She relaxed and raised a hand when it appeared like Weiss might continue.
"Let's drop it for now. This is hardly the place, don't you think?"
Weiss took a look around the diner and nodded back to Olivia in silent agreement. Blake had shrunk into her seat, trying to avoid any of the attention being directed at their table. Olivia felt a pang of guilt, remembering that the faunus was technically in hiding. She didn't know how severe the White Fang in Vale would take desertion, but it would obviously be worse than a slap on the wrist.
The barista headed towards their table, hefting the tray once more. It now held the food that they'd ordered, along with some drinks to replace the ones they had mostly finished. Olivia's face twisted into a smile, forced, but friendly, "Sorry about that. We'll try to keep it down from now on."
The barista gave a hesitant smile, eyes glancing off to her side as her voice lowered so that only Olivia would hear, "I hope so. You're drawing the wrong sort of attention…"
'The wrong sort…?' Olivia peeked past the barista's shoulder, towards where her eyes had been flicking to. A man sat at one of the tables further down, casually stirring his drink with one hand while he spoke into his scroll with the other. Every now and then, his eyes would glance in their direction, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. If Olivia had been alone, she would have figured he was checking her out. With Weiss here…?
'If he wants to start something, then he'll find out pretty quick who the real 'wrong sort' is around here,' Olivia gave a small 'hmph' and a reassuring smile to the barista, "Not a problem. I'll show him a bit of Mistralian etiquette if he wants to cause any issues."
She nodded nervously and finished up handing out their food and drinks, "Just be careful. I heard he has connections in the White Fang."
Olivia left it at that as the barista left. She turned back to Blake while Weiss was busy unwrapping her sandwich and gave a minute head nod towards the man, mouthing 'Do you recognize him?'
Blake's eyes stared intently at the man for a moment before she shook her head.
'So, he's either a newer recruit that feels like he can take on the world now that he's part of the White Fang, or the faction here is so big that not everyone knows each other,' Olivia thought idly, beginning to unwrap her own sandwich. She wasn't sure exactly which she'd prefer to be the case. Olivia didn't plan on rejoining the White Fang, but she could still cheer them on from the sidelines, right?
Blake shrunk into her seat and began to pick at her food, ears and body on full alert for any signs of danger. Olivia gave her a small nudge and pointed towards her own black veins, whispering, "I've got us covered. Don't worry."
Blake nodded, but only slightly relaxed. Her ears still twitched at every sound that disturbed the silence in the small cafe. The three ate in mostly peace for a while, content with leaving their earlier conversation by the wayside, at least for the time being. Olivia still had some points that she wanted to bring up in the White Fang's defense.
After a few minutes, the man hung up his scroll and stood, making his way out of the cafe. Olivia excused herself, telling the other two she'd just remembered a call she needed to make, and headed out after him. She could feel the four others that had shown up at the same time, all of them now gathering outside the cafe.
Olivia stepped out of the cafe and stretched nonchalantly, turning to look further down the alley. Sure enough, the man had been joined by others, all of them carrying bags that they were currently pulling weapons and masks out of. The man noticed Olivia and froze, drawing the rest of their attention to the younger faunus.
Olivia looked their masks over as she approached, "Wow, now those are nostalgic. Does the forehead piece still get sweaty after a bit of exercise? I always thought we should have added a bit of cloth inside to help with that."
The man narrowed his eyes uncertainly, looking Olivia over and not seeing any weapons on her, "You make it sound as if you were in the White Fang. I doubt that's the truth, since you're a race traitor having a nice day out with a Schnee."
"Oh, I was. How is the ol' Fang these days? Burning down shops like always, I presume?"
The man in front was the oldest, though each of the others appeared to be older than Olivia. The youngest may have been only by a few years, but that still made them all adults. They clutched their weapons tightly, staring the young faunus up and down. Many of them sneered outright, unimpressed by her words.
The leader smirked, looking at something behind Olivia.
'Is he trying to fake me out? I don't feel anything…'
"Is this what Beacon students do in their free time? I would have thought you'd be doing homework by now, Lotus."
Olivia froze, feeling Widow with her sixth sense as the older spider faunus allowed her semblance to drop momentarily. She spun on her heel, staring wide-eyed at the White Fang mask on her mother's face.
"Or did you want to join us for a little hunt?" Widow smirked, eyeing Olivia up and down, "I wouldn't mind sharing a Schnee."
Olivia narrowed her eyes, regaining her composure, "You can't."
"Excuse me?" Widow frowned, eyebrows raising.
"You can't kill the Schnee."
Widow placed a hand on her hip and pulled one of her daggers free, flipping it idly in her hand, "And why is that, Little Spider?"
Olivia grimaced, knowing what would come next, "Because… she's my teammate."
It was Widow's turn to freeze, the dagger falling from her hand to clatter soundlessly against the ground below. Her chest shook, shoulders quavering as she broke out into laughter, "Y-You!? A-and a Schnee!? O-on the s-same team!?" Widow devolved into more laughter, incapable of containing her mirth.
"Um, boss?" the man behind Olivia mumbled quietly.
Widow raised a hand, continuing to laugh for several seconds before finally managing to get a hold of herself. She wiped a tear from her eye, looking back to Olivia with a wide grin spreading across her face, "Oh, Lotus. That is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. I told you what would happen if you went to Beacon, but even I didn't think fate could be so cruel!"
Olivia crossed her arms and glared, "Yeah, well… I'm trying to deal with it, okay? I can't have you murdering my teammate in broad daylight while I just stand around and watch. The headmaster at Beacon already knows I've got it out for her. He'll surely pin the blame on me if anything happens."
Widow bent down to pick up her dagger and resheathed it before raising her hands, "Say no more. We'll leave your dear teammate alone. I'll make sure everyone in the White Fang knows that the little Schnee is off limits. I wouldn't want you being cheated out of your lesson, now would I?"
Olivia let her arms drop, knowing that for this at least, Widow would keep her word.
"Wait, what!?" the man behind her shouted in confusion, raising his weapon up to point it at Olivia's back, "We're going to let this race traitor and a Schnee go, just like that!?"
Widow's eyes narrowed as she stepped past Olivia, walking up to the man. Her eyes scoured across those present as her voice dropped into a threatening tone, "That 'race traitor' is my daughter, and if you have a problem with my decision, then perhaps she wouldn't mind putting you in your place?" Widow glanced over her shoulder to see Olivia shake her head before turning back. "A pity," Widow's eyes bore into the man's, "Unfortunately, she's trying to keep a low profile, but make no mistake. My daughter could kill all five of you in an instant."
Those gathered look at Olivia in disbelief, 'If I want them to follow orders and leave Weiss alone, then I'll need to do something.' Her appendages unfurled, rising up and around Widow's shoulders to hover in the air in front of the rest. Olivia raised an eyebrow at Widow, who had turned to face her, "May I?"
Widow smirked, "By all means."
In quick succession, each of Olivia's appendages struck out, strength finely honed to match the aura level of each of the five members. In but a moment, all were flung backwards by the force put into the blows and sent crashing into the wall at the end of the alleyway. Olivia hadn't even needed to put much strength into the attacks, all things considered.
The five struggled to their feet, weapons wildly raised in every direction as they searched for the source of the attack. Olivia stepped up next to Widow, allowing her semblance to dissipate, and cocked her head to the side. She allowed her expression to change back to one she would have worn in Mistral. A killer at the end of her patience.
"Satisfied? If I ever see any of you around myself or the Schnee again, I won't hold back. The Daily Grind belongs to the Black Lotus, not the White Fang. Stay off my turf, and we won't have any problems."
They nodded in fear, taking a moment to pull off their masks and stash their weapons before high-tailing it out of the alleyway.
A few seconds passed in silence before Olivia shared a grin with Widow, and both burst out laughing. For a moment it felt just like old times. That was before the reality of Widow's past transgressions came rushing back, and Olivia's laughter faltered. She eyed the older faunus warily, remembering what had happened to the last faction she was a part of.
"So, how are you planning on betraying these ones?"
Widow continued to smile, shaking her head, "I'm not. Your 'friends' wanted to pay me to be a distraction, so I'm whipping the White Fang into shape. I figured I may as well do something to pass the time while I'm stuck here."
"Cinder hired you? How did she even get into contact with you?"
Widow shrugged, "Must have heard I was in town. I haven't exactly been sitting around this whole time, Little Spider. I've kept myself busy," she raised a hand at Olivia's glare, "to a reasonable extent. I'm not looking to take any council member's heads, if that's what you're thinking. I've been cleaning up the streets, taking care of any riffraff that catches my attention."
Olivia kept up her glare for a moment longer before sighing, 'Widow will be Widow. There's no way to stop her,' before thinking of something. She raised her eyes back to the older faunus, "Well, if you come across Roman Torchwick, you have my blessing to kill him. I couldn't at the time, but there's no reason you can't."
Widow tapped her chin, a grin spreading, "Unfortunately, there is a reason. You'll have to kill him yourself if you want him six feet under. I'm not letting you cheat at being 'good' by having me do your dirty work for you."
'She has a point…' Olivia began to walk back to the cafe, stopping to use an appendage to scratch out the White Fang symbol and speak over her shoulder, "Well, best of luck with the Fang," then paused to look back, "Oh, if you could also leave Madam Myrtle's and Junior's alone, that would be great," Olivia glanced down at her combat outfit, "Where else am I going to go for something so stylish?"
"And who else are you going to enjoy taking it off with?" Widow finished for her with a smirk, "Don't worry. Your girlfriend won't be seeing me any time soon."
"Good," Olivia said with a slight tremble to her voice and turned back around, "Goodbye, Widow."
"See you around, Little Spider."
Olivia shivered as she stepped back into the cafe, unable to enjoy the atmosphere as she usually did, 'It'll be better next time...'
Both Weiss and Blake had finished with their food, while Olivia's sat on the table, half remaining. She caught the barista's attention and motioned for her to come to their table.
"We can stick around while you finish if you want, Olivia," Blake offered, looking to Weiss who nodded in agreement.
"No, that's okay," Olivia downed the last of her coffee, grimacing as she realized it had gotten cold, "I do want to go help Ruby if she needs it."
Weiss and Blake exchanged a glance, both knowing by now that if there was anything Ruby needed help with, it certainly didn't involve weapons. They allowed the excuse, though, and began gathering their things while the barista brought over their check and a small box for Olivia's food.
"I'll pay for the tip," Olivia said, noticing Weiss's pen hovering over the amounts on the check. Before she could argue, Olivia dug a fistful of lien out of her pocket and set it on the table, not bothering to count.
Weiss's eyes widened, "That's… more than the actual bill, Olivia."
Olivia shrugged, "I have to apologize somehow."
"For what?" Weiss asked, flustered.
Olivia smirked, not wanting to reveal the truth but instead settling for a minor insult, "For bringing a Schnee in here."
Weiss rolled her eyes, "Oh ha ha. Very witty," the heiress set down the pen and dug out her own lien, adding the correct amount for the bill on top of Olivia's, "Shall we go, then? I wouldn't want to sully the cafe any further with my presence."
Olivia laughed, setting her food in her box and popping it closed, "Now you're learning. Think you could do the same for the dorm room?"
Weiss huffed and crossed her arms, "If you want to sleep in our dorm then you're going to have to learn to live with me. I'm not moving out."
Olivia shook her head, mumbling, "This is all the thanks I get?"
Blake seemed to have heard, and frowned quizzically, while Weiss stomped over to the door and yanked it open. She stopped to wait for them, foot tapping against the tiled floor.
Olivia and Blake followed, the former refusing to answer the look Blake had given her. As they exited the cafe, Blake was quick to notice anyway. Her eyes caught on to where the White Fang symbol had been before, now carved off the wall in long furrows.
With Weiss taking the lead this time, around a dozen feet ahead of them, Olivia shared a grin with Blake, leaning in to whisper, "I can be pretty convincing when I want to be, ya know? The White Fang won't be back any time soon. I made it very clear that this cafe was off limits."
Blake's face contorted between being both happy, and disapproving of whatever methods Olivia had likely used. She finally settled on a sigh, "You didn't hurt them, did you?"
Olivia laughed, "Only showed them how Mistralians do things," when that didn't seem to have eased Blake's fears, she continued with a grin, "I didn't do much more than break their auras, if that's what you mean. You didn't smell any blood back there, did you?"
Blake frowned, "I would have noticed if there was…"
"See? As peaceful as could be. I thought you'd be happy. I did it to protect Weiss."
"You did it so you could keep going to the cafe," Blake argued, crossing her arms, "But… I guess a side effect of that was saving Weiss, so… well done. I'm uh… proud of you, Olivia."
"Awww," Olivia threw an arm around Blake's shoulders, "Me too. You don't know how hard it was to tell them no."
Blake glowered and shrugged Olivia's arm off herself, "Now that is a problem."
Olivia smirked, "I was only joking, Blake. How could I even think that when you're the angel on my shoulder?"
Blake's eyes narrowed, "Stop it. Flattery will get you nowhere with me. I'm in this to help you get better, not become another 'stress reliever'."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Olivia replied honestly, "At this point I've pretty much taught Melanie everything I like, anyway. It would be a shame to ditch that for someone as inexperienced as you."
Blake glared but didn't bother arguing, "Good," her eyes softened though, glancing at Weiss and back to Olivia, "Did helping Weiss make you feel anything? Are you glad you did it?"
Olivia considered lying, but thought better of it. Blake seemed to appreciate honesty, even if it was a harsh truth, "No, not really. If it had been Ruby or anyone else, then it would have."
Blake sighed, but nodded her acceptance, "Maybe we'll get there eventually, huh? It's too soon to expect that much progress. We'll take your recovery one step at a time. As long as we get there in the end, that's what matters."
Olivia nodded, "That's what matters."
"Are you two going to leave me to walk all alone again!?" Weiss shouted back to them from nearly twenty feet away. Olivia hadn't even noticed how much the pair of faunus had slowed down during their conversation.
"Comiiiing Princessss~"
"Are you sure you want to do this, Rubes?" Yang asked as the elevator began it's slow rise towards the top of the CCT.
Ruby nodded, mind set, and looked to Pyrrha, the same question passing wordlessly to her. Ruby felt bad about lying to Olivia earlier, but it had been necessary to fly under her radar, so to speak.
"I'm sure," Pyrrha replied easily, giving the younger girl a tentative smile, "It's what's best for both teams."
"I just hope Ozpin agrees…" Ruby mumbled quietly, flinching as the elevator chimed and the doors opened.
Headmaster Ozpin sat behind his desk with a smile on his face, fingers laced together in front of himself and a steaming mug sitting on his desk, "Welcome, Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha," he nodded to each in turn, "I was surprised to hear from Miss Goodwitch that you had requested a meeting with me. How may I be of service?"
The three of them stepped into the headmaster's office, eyeing the room around them. Most of it consisted of the large glass panes that overlooked Vale below, while the area above them was made up of more gears than actual ceiling. Ruby stepped in first, followed by Yang and Pyrrha. They all nervously took a seat at the three chairs that had been set out for them.
Ruby cleared her throat, hesitating for a moment longer before looking Ozpin in the eye, "We wanted to ask you… if it was possible to trade team members."
"Oh?" the headmaster's eyes widened for a moment, a small smile fluttering across his lips, "And who would you wish to trade?"
Ruby looked to the others, getting confident nods from each, before turning back to the headmaster, "We were thinking… of trading Olivia and Yang… Olivia doesn't get along with Weiss at all. They're almost always at each other's throats, and I know I can get along with Yang… and with Olivia staying over at Lion's dorm for the last week, Pyrrha has gotten to know her…"
Headmaster Ozpin sat back in his chair and raised an eyebrow, "And have you spoken with Olivia about this 'trade'? What was her opinion on the matter?"
"We wanted to see if it was possible first," Yang interjected when Ruby's confidence began to falter. She'd been hoping for a simple yes and to be done with it, "We wouldn't want to get her hopes up if you were going to deny us."
Ozpin nodded, "A smart move, for my answer is 'no'. Your teams were decided at initiation, and that is how they must stay."
"But why?" Pyrrha spoke up, "Wouldn't it be better for the team's cohesion if everyone was happy with who they were with?"
Ozpin sighed, picking up his mug to take a sip before setting it back down, "It is important. The reason it is important, though, is that you must learn to deal with anyone you might come across while on missions as a huntress. Make no mistake, not everyone will be agreeable. There will be those that frustrate you, that somehow manage to press your buttons even though you may be in the midst of saving their lives. Miss Mandevilla has a particularly bad attitude towards Miss Schnee. That is to be expected. As a faunus that grew up in Mistral, Olivia has known next to nothing but racism from humans, and the Schnees stand atop that mountain of hatred."
Ruby frowned, "If it's so bad, then shouldn't you let her switch?"
"You are missing my point, Miss Rose," Ozpin shook his head, "If Miss Mandevilla can learn to deal with Miss Schnee, then she may be able to hold her temper for anyone in the future. I am sorry, but my answer is still 'no'. Was there anything else you wished to ask while you were here?"
The three girls looked amongst each other in disappointment. Ruby shrugged dejectedly, "No, nothing else… Thanks for hearing us out, Headmaster."
"Thank you for being as concerned as you are about your teammate, Miss Rose. You two as well, Yang, Pyrrha. If you continue to direct that sympathy to Miss Mandevilla, I'm sure it will help to give her a speedy recovery."
"We'll try," Pyrrha nodded affirmation. The three turned to leave, heading back towards the elevator.
"Good luck with your classes!"
Ruby and the others gave a small wave goodbye as the elevator doors closed, blocking off the headmaster, and the hopes for their request along with it.
"Well… that was a bust…"
Ozpin sighed as the doors closed, slowly taking another sip of his coffee and reopening the camera footage he had been looking at before the students' arrival. He had instructed Qrow to place it on the ledge across the street, facing into the open alleyway that harbored The Daily Grind.
The footage slowly played, showing the White Fang members gathering outside the shop, and the Black Lotus stepping outside to confront them while Miss Schnee and Miss Belladonna remained inside, apparently none the wiser. From that distance, Ozpin couldn't hear anything that was said, but the context was clear.
'The Black Lotus protected Weiss Schnee from the White Fang.'
Her apparent familiarity with what seemed to be the leader was disconcerting, as was the hint towards her true semblance. Ozpin rerolled that moment in particular, paying close attention to how each of the five Fang members were thrown backwards, auras instantly depleted.. Their auras shattered outwards from only one point each, displaying that all of them were only hit once.
Ozpin slowed it down, paying closer attention to the footage. The first four were hit simultaneously, while the fifth was hit an instant after, 'Four invisible attacks, and one that was forced to attack twice perhaps...?'
'It certainly makes sense for how a child could have become so renowned. How do you deal with an attack that you cannot see? She must have used that to great effect during her earlier years.'
Ozpin frowned, puzzled by the displays the Black Lotus had shown during her fights in Goodwitch's class. Her strength was far too high for invisible attacks to be the only answer. Ozpin paused, thinking back on a specific moment during the fight that he had witnessed firsthand, and brought up the clip from that spar.
Miss Schnee, firing off four simultaneous bolts that honed in. Ozpin zoomed in to look more closely, noticing for the first time that each had exploded before actually reaching the Black Lotus.
'So she has some physical semblance that is merely unseen, and can add to her strength in some way…?' A dangerous combination, to be sure. One that would have been better off in the hands of most anyone other than the assassin.
'A pity that I cannot call on Leonardo for resources…' Ozpin's reach did not span as far as Mistral, not anymore. Ever since the headmaster's death, the city had fallen into near chaos. Cinder's information about hunters being killed off had been more than correct. The standing force of the city had been reduced to a small percentage of what it once was, and any contacts that Ozpin had were long since rooted out.
Ozpin changed the video once more, now to one of the many street cameras lining the city of Vale. Weiss Schnee walked alone ahead of Miss Belladonna and the Black Lotus. She turned to yell something to them, and the Black Lotus replied. Ozpin paused it, zooming in on the genuine smile on her face.
'There is hope for you yet, Olivia, even if you don't realize it. Please don't disappoint me.'
It appears that Ozpin has begun to rethink his strategy. Perhaps the more difficult path is the one that will win out in the end? He appears to think so. Now Olivia is well and truly stuck with Weiss.
I keep forgetting, but since it hasn't been brought up before, Lion is LYNN (Lie Ren, Yang, Nora, and Nikos). Yes, Ren is the leader. Ozpin thought it best since he was the most calm and even tempered of the group. Giving him a bit of authority was the smartest play to make in his mind, even if Ren does end up deferring to his teammates in some moments.
Thanks for reading,
- Sybaen
PS - Just to get ahead of it in this story… Blake is in no way romantically interested in Olivia. She would never risk having another relationship that might end up like the one she already had with Adam. Blake's been burnt once. She doesn't want to be again. She only wants what's best for her partner/teammate, and to try to help her change. Blake's own life at Beacon depends on her success.
They're fast-growing friends, nothing more.