Velvet's ears drooped entirely, head following suit while her body slouched in exhaustion against Yatsuhashi's side. Her teammate supported her without complaint, the pair of them slowly rising up through the CCT, carried by the central elevator that would lead them to its highest point. Both Coco and Fox had been ushered to the infirmary once they arrived, neither in critical condition, but both in need of medical attention. The nurses had assured her that they would make a full recovery.
They were lucky to be alive, all things considered. Velvet was eternally grateful to the team that stood within the elevator with them, each member of Carmine still standing where all of hers had fallen. They weren't entirely unscathed either, some wear and tear was visible across all of them, but their superior experience had granted them victory. Velvet had thanked them repeatedly during the flight back, and now after finally being called upon by the Headmaster, was only wishing for her bed.
Velvet's ears twinged only slightly upon hearing the elevator doors chime, announcing they'd arrive at the Headmaster's office. The doors opened with a slight rush of air, revealing the man himself as he sat behind his desk, fingers laced. The Headmaster gave them a welcoming smile, standing upon seeing the doors open to gesture towards the seats that awaited them across from his own.
Yatsuhashi guided her inside, using a gentle hand on her back to usher her into the office. The members of Carmine followed after, Emerald ready to reach out and catch her at a moment's notice. Velvet smiled her thanks, managing to take a deep breath and stand up straighter.
It had been a long day.
"Welcome, students," Headmaster Ozpin was the first to speak as they took their seats, offering up a set of cups that had been set out for their arrival. Velvet's nose twitched, smelling the enticing aroma of coffee wafting from within them. With a polite smile, she accepted one of the cups and sat back in her seat, blowing on it softly to cool the contents.
A few members of Carmine accepted as well, all of them taking a moment to get comfortable. Once they had, Ozpin continued with a weary sigh, "I see the events of this evening have taken their toll on you all. Still, the news that your injured members will make a full recovery is a fortunate one. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to hear your reports on what happened. Then I'm sure you would all like to get some much needed rest."
Cinder smiled, allowing the cup to lower from her lips before speaking, "Thank you, Headmaster…" her brows crinkled slightly, an apologetic frown crossing her face. "Unfortunately, I don't believe our time here will be quite so fleeting. Defending the town was not as… straightforward, as one might think."
"Oh?" Ozpin raised a questioning eyebrow, allowing a twinge of surprise to cross his face, "Did you encounter more than the Grimm during your time there?"
Cinder nodded her head, "As out of this world as it might sound, the rest of my team and team Coffee will be able to corroborate… The Grimm were not alone. A… woman... was leading them in their assault against the town."
Emerald snorted, "More like a walking natural disaster."
Ozpin seemed to pause in thought, lowering his cup to clink against the desk in front of him, missing the coaster by a wide margin. Thinking he might not believe them, Velvet decided to speak up as well in their defense.
"It's true, Headmaster. She was throwing lightning and fire and ice… I don't know what kind of semblance it could have been, but she would have needed an entire SDC cargo container worth of Dust under her skirt to pull it off. We barely made it out alive. Wouldn't have, if not for team Carmine."
"I see…" Ozpin raised his hand to cough into it abruptly, giving the truth of their statements the consideration it was due. "And, you managed to drive her away from the town...?"
Velvet shrunk at that, glancing over to see Cinder shrinking in on herself as well. The normally confident woman rubbed one hand along her other arm, incapable of meeting the Headmaster's eye. Velvet felt sorry for her. She counted herself lucky that she'd not been forced to take a life yet.
"She didn't escape, Headmaster… I… I killed her," Cinder's voice came out in barely more than a whisper near the end, eyes glued to the floor at her feet. "I had to. She wouldn't stop, and my teammates couldn't have lasted much longer… she was just so powerful… I saw an opportunity and... and I took it…" Her voice trembled.
Ozpin's eyes widened, showing his own remorse that a student had to resort to such a thing. "I'm sorry to hear that, Miss Fall. Truly, I am. What… and it must be asked… What happened to the body?"
"We brought it back to the town," Emerald spoke up, ready to take charge while her leader was in such obvious grief. "I… didn't think it would be a great idea to bring it with us, though. Not with… well…"
"I understand," Ozpin interjected, eyes only for the leader of team Carmine. He allowed his gaze to sweep back across the rest of them, "What of the Grimm, and the town? How many casualties did you sustain?"
"Twenty-three," Yatsuhashi spoke sadly, picking up where Emerald had left off. "Most of our perimeter was successful in defending their borders. When Fox alerted all of us to the woman's presence however, Cinder took it upon herself to step in and help them. The side she was defending… didn't fare quite as well without her." Yatsuhashi firmed, fingers clenching tightly with his arms crossed, "If it were not for her decision, both my teammate Fox, and her own teammate Neo, would have died. I hope that you do not blame her for her actions."
"I do not," the Headmaster shook his head. "It is an unfortunate loss, and Beacon will be sure to offer what assistance they can to those grieving." He looked across them one final time, waiting to see if there was anything further they needed to say. After none spoke, he gestured to the elevator, "If there are no specifics left to report, then you are all free to leave. Please... keep this woman's existence quiet for the time being. I will send someone out to investigate and retrieve the body, so that we might understand what it is we're dealing with. Until then…" He flashed them an apologetic smile, "I would like to speak with Miss Fall alone, if you don't mind."
Velvet looked to the girl with a frown, worried that she might be punished despite the Headmaster's assurances to the contrary. The calm expression that he leveled at all of them in return helped to assuage those concerns, though. With a relieved sigh, Velvet allowed Yatsuhashi to help her out of the chair, placing her empty cup back on its coaster before nodding her thanks for the older man's generosity.
The other members of team Carmine still looked worriedly back on Cinder as they left, less sure of her fate. Velvet refused to believe that the Headmaster would do anything to punish her. They may have had less experience with the man, having only transferred into the school for their current semester, but Velvet had two years worth of occasional conversations with him. Ozpin was far too kind to treat Cinder harshly, whether or not he believed her at fault.
Still, as the doors closed and the elevator began its descent, Velvet wished her luck.
She couldn't imagine having that sort of responsibility on her shoulders.
The doors closed, hiding the other students from sight as they began their journey back to the base of the tower. Ozpin breathed out a long sigh, bringing up one hand to rub his face and readjust his glasses. The girl, Cinder, still had yet to look him in the eye. She remained where she was, staring at the floor in apparent fear of what he might say.
Regardless, his question needed to be asked as soon as possible. The transferring of Maiden powers could go several ways, after all. If Cinder had been the one to kill her…
"Do you know why I asked you to stay, Miss Fall?"
"...Yes…" she spoke quietly.
Ozpin raised an eyebrow in surprise, confused as to what purpose she believed it to be, "And why is that?"
"You're going to kick me out of Beacon, aren't you? I killed that woman… and let so many others die so that I could save my teammate…"
Ozpin shook his head, "Not at all, Miss Fall. I was not lying before. I do not blame you for the decision you made. It was tough, as many are for those in positions of power. It is the fate of leaders that they be put in situations such as this. If you had not deserted your post to rescue the students under your charge, the woman could have easily overrun them and caused untold casualties. Those that you were guarding personally may have survived, but others would have died in their stead. You will receive no punishment from myself or any of the faculty for your actions."
Cinder finally calmed at that, raising a pair of weary eyes up to Ozpin's own. "Why, then?"
"I needed to ask another question. One that may seem confusing, but if you'll bear with me…" Ozpin readied himself for disappointment, but wholeheartedly hoped that the young woman before him would prove to be the next Maiden. "Do you feel... different, since the conclusion of your fight?"
"Since I killed her, you mean...?" Cinder replied quietly, hand once again rubbing up and down her arm.
"Yes," Ozpin answered gently. "Since then."
He held his breath, waiting for her inevitable response.
After a few moments had passed… she nodded.
Ozpin suppressed the smile that fought to appear on his face, instead remaining as stoic as possible, given the situation. "May I ask how you feel different?"
Cinder opened her mouth to speak, paused, then shrugged minutely, "There's… a heat, inside of me. I don't know how else to explain it. Even with everything that's happened today, after what I did… I still feel refreshed. As if I'm full of energy…"
Ozpin nodded, allowing a small smile to crease the corner of his lips, "Despite the unfortunate circumstances that have brought it about, I am glad to hear you say that, Miss Fall." He laughed, unable to contain himself after dealing with so much despair and uncertainty for the last two months. At a confused look from Cinder, he raised a hand to wave it back and forth dismissively.
"I'm sorry for my outburst, Miss Fall. It's just… do you believe in destiny?"
Cinder nodded, "I do, Headmaster."
Ozpin smiled, "Well then, if you might allow this old man a few more minutes of your time… I'd like to tell you a little story. One that I am rather fond of. It begins, unlike many others, with a lonely old wizard that has secluded himself in the woods…"
Olivia exited the club only a handful of seconds after Qrow, yet found herself dumbfounded as to where he'd gone. The older huntsman was nowhere to be seen, no flash of greying hair or red cloak to give away his presence. Cursing under her breath, Olivia set off at a brisk walk in the direction of the bullheads. She wasn't too worried for team Coffee's safety, considering the deal she'd made with Cinder. Even so, verifying their conditions for herself would help to put her mind at ease.
After all, it wasn't as if Cinder had agreed to forego her plans altogether...
"How did your mission go?"
Olivia sent the message off to Velvet, hoping for a response from her fellow faunus. There was no telling what else may have happened during their trip off Beacon grounds, the outside world being far more cruel and unforgiving. Cinder had been planning on their deaths, so had others ended up taking their place? Olivia couldn't imagine that sitting well with any of the members of team Coffee, let alone the kind and nurturing Velvet.
A response did come once Olivia was already on board a bullhead, nervously tapping her foot, scroll still held tightly in her hand and her eyes glued to the door. She instantly read the reply once it came, hoping for the best yet knowing that it wouldn't be.
"We're okay. Coco and Fox are spending the night in the infirmary, but they should make a full recovery. The nurses wanted to keep them there just to be safe. Yatsu and I are back at our dorm, getting ready for bed…"
'Cinder did put them through the ringer, and that was before they'd even left on their mission,' Olivia thought, letting herself relax upon hearing the news. It wasn't the best she could have hoped for, but it was far from the worst as well.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Olivia shot back without much hope. It could be left until tomorrow, all things considered. Still, she wanted to return the same kindness and compassion that Velvet had shown her. She owed her that much, at least.
The bullhead landed by the time Olivia's scroll began to vibrate, a call coming through from Velvet instead of another message. She stepped off the ship and walked a small ways from the path before accepting, putting some distance between herself and the other passengers that had been onboard.
Velvet's face appeared on screen, only partially lit by the light of the scroll, the darkness of her room silhouetting her figure. She was lying down, ears completely slack against the pillow beneath her head. One look told Olivia exactly how tired the faunus must be, her eyes struggling to stay open and a yawn crossing her lips.
"Hey Olivia…" Velvet breathed out quietly, taking a few elongated blinks while trying to focus on her scroll.
"Hey Velvet. You look exhausted."
Velvet let out a soft laugh, "Like you wouldn't believe. That mission was way more than we bargained for."
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"Physically?" Velvet shrugged slightly, "Just tired…" The troubled look in her eyes was clear enough though, the faunus hesitant to continue. "There were so many Grimm… and-... well…" She seemed to struggle with something, eventually giving up with a sigh, "The Grimm were bad enough on their own. We… couldn't save everyone. If it wasn't for Carmine…"
Velvet's eyes grew wet as she blinked faster than before, struggling to keep her tears at bay. Olivia could hear her breath coming out slightly ragged, a hitch in her throat, "I've never felt closer to dying... Fox was down, then Coco and Yatsu… Carmine saved us though. I don't know what we would have done without them…"
'You wouldn't have been in any danger in the first place…' Olivia thought in annoyance, recalling what Widow had told her earlier. If the mission had been that dangerous, then it had obviously been a setup by Cinder. If she could control the Grimm like Tyrian, then the entire attack was likely orchestrated by her from the beginning. They could have ended it at any time, bringing team Coffee to within an inch of their lives before withdrawing the beasts…
From the sounds of it, that's exactly what they had done.
'Why? What could Cinder's true goal be behind all this? Who was it that she killed before Beacon, and how is it related to the school itself? Is it related?'
Olivia had plenty of questions for Cinder once they met on the weekend, her initial thoughts likely only scratching the surface of what needed to be asked. Right now however, Velvet was in pain. Emotional, if not physical. Olivia wasn't the best when it came to soothing over someone's worries… She'd never really practiced it before… but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to try.
Olivia raised a hand to rub it against the back of her head, sparing the girl an apologetic smile, "Sorry Velvet, I'm not the best when it comes to this sort of thing. I'm really glad you all made it through in one piece...! Is there… Is there anything I can do for you to help? Anything at all? Name it, and I'll get it done."
Velvet's eyes grew clouded, her tired mind thinking of what Olivia might be able to do for her. After a few seconds spent in silence, she returned her eyes to Olivia's own, dark brown pleading with magenta, "It might be a bit much to ask, but… could you watch over Coco and Fox tonight? Their rooms are right next to each other in the infirmary. This… this is the first time she and I have been apart since… since we started dating a year ago. And with what happened today…"
Olivia shook her head, gesturing Velvet to silence so that she could give her fellow faunus a confident smile, "Nothing will happen to her. To either of them. You have my word. I'll be there all night until you wake up. You can count on that."
"Thank you, Olivia," Velvet sighed, finally allowing her eyes to drift shut completely. "I've been trying to sleep, but…"
"I understand. Goodnight, Velvet. You can rest easy, knowing I'll be there for them."
"I… know you will…" Velvet's head slumped to the side, face partially buried in the pillow while her hands fell slack. She mumbled a few final words, most of it unintelligible. The only two that managed to get through to Olivia left her rooted to the spot.
"...good...person…"
'I'm not,' Olivia sighed while staring sadly at Velvet, sleeping soundly knowing her teammates would be safe until she saw them again. 'I don't know what a good person would do in my situation, with everything going on… Cinder working with the Grimm, and Widow with the White Fang… They wouldn't do what I'm doing, though… They wouldn't be doing nothing.'
Olivia closed out of the call, then set out for the infirmary while going through her contacts once more. She didn't want her team to be worried either when she didn't return for the night. Her first message went to Ruby, telling the leader that she was fine and not to expect her back. The second went to Blake, telling her fellow faunus the actual place she would be.
'Ruby would get upset if she knew that Coco and Fox were in the infirmary. Blake won't be as much, but she might think I was getting up to something if she didn't know I was still on school grounds.'
Ruby's reply came through first, telling Olivia to stay safe and warning her not to be late in the morning. Olivia promised that she wouldn't be, hoping to alleviate the younger girl's fears. She pushed open the front doors to the infirmary after hitting send, eyes raising to the two figures she'd already known would be there due to her sixth sense.
Olivia recognized both, her own stay having been long enough for each nurse on staff to do their rounds while she was there. She walked near the front desk, but not quite all the way, "Where are the two students that were admitted earlier today? Coco Adel and Fox Alistair?"
"Down the hall to your left. Rooms B7 and B8," the nurse replied, raising an eyebrow curiously, "Are you stopping by to check on them, or…? It's getting rather late."
Olivia shook her head, "I'll be here all night."
The nurse frowned in clear disapproval, "It's a school night."
"And I'll be here," Olivia repeated, turning to leave while the nurse stood, mouth slightly agape with a retort dead on her lips. 'You'd think they would have gotten used to me by now. It's not as if I ever made things easy on them while I was a patient.'
Olivia shook her head, feeling the nurse eventually sit back down and return to her quiet chat with the woman next to her. After only a few dozen steps down the corridor, Olivia could feel Fox's presence, then Coco's ahead. She walked to each of their windows in turn, peeking in past the edge of the blinds if only to make sure they weren't worse off than Velvet admitted.
Both appeared to be fine however, simply resting and regaining their strength after what must have been an exhausting day. Their auras were stable, if a little low, but they were still dressed in their combat outfits. 'So they didn't suffer any real wounds. That's good to know.'
Content with her brief inspection, Olivia instead searched for some place to sit. She spotted a bench a little ways down the hall and grabbed it, coating her arms with her semblance to more easily move it between the two rooms. She set it down with a quiet thud, the sound echoing through the space, but not loud enough to draw the nurses' ire.
Olivia lied down on it with her feet dangling off the side, content to remain there for the night. She had gone without sleep plenty of times in days past, so wasn't worried about whether or not she could remain awake this time around. The bench itself may have been uncomfortable to remain on for so long normally, but a small amount of her aura dedicated to the issue made it feel soft enough.
'Classes tomorrow might be rough, and… I haven't done the homework that Oobleck assigned yet… Weiss should be able to help me with that in the morning, so I'm not too worried. It was part of our agreement, after all.'
She could also use her challenge for the week against someone weaker, if the situation called for it. Olivia doubted that it would.
The vibration from her pocket drew her attention away from her plans for the following day, instead returning to the previous conversation she had started with Blake.
"Thanks for letting me know. What happened to Coffee? Are they alright?"
"Their mission took a turn for the worse. Everyone's fine, if a little shaken up. The third year team, Carmine, kept the Grimm from overrunning them all, but the town didn't escape unscathed. Velvet asked me to watch over her teammates, so here I am."
"Do you mind if I tell Weiss where you're at? I can already tell she thinks you're still down in Vale with Melanie. I don't think that's a very good assumption for her to have at the moment."
Olivia nodded silently to herself. The heiress was rather prudish in that regard, and wouldn't like the idea of her teammate potentially being late for classes again. "That's fine. Just don't tell Ruby. I don't want her to worry. Oh, and while you're at it, tell Weiss that I'll need help with Oobleck's homework in the morning. Can't really get to it at the moment."
A few minutes passed before Blake replied once more, "You'll have to tell her that second bit yourself. She's headed down there now."
"What? Why?"
"You'll see. Goodnight, Olivia."
Olivia rolled her eyes, sitting up on the bench in preparation for Weiss's eventual arrival. "Night, Blake." She sent the final message before pocketing her scroll and sitting back, head turned to the side to rest on the wall behind her, expecting to see a pajama clad Princess rounding the corner at any moment.
She was not to be disappointed in that regard, as the sound of the front doors opening could be heard echoing down the hall, seconds before Weiss appeared into view. She wore a loose, light blue t-shirt and a pair of white pajama bottoms. The sound of her slippers followed wherever she stepped, a delicate flopping sound as the bottoms rose to meet her heels. Most odd of all, she carried what appeared to be a large, stuffed bag in one of her hands.
Weiss's eyes looked down either hallway from the front entrance, disregarding the nurses completely once she'd spotted Olivia. The faunus sat up straighter, raising a hand to wave in greeting as Weiss began to make her way over, bag swaying with every step.
"To what do I owe this honor~?" Olivia asked once she'd drawn nearer.
Weiss huffed, "Well, you just got out of here yourself. I… thought you might want these." She tossed the bag she'd been carrying onto the bench next to Olivia, its contents landing with a soft plop. She glanced inside, then laughed lightly when the contents were revealed.
"I didn't really plan on sleeping, so the pillow and blanket weren't necessary. Thanks for thinking ahead for me though." Olivia smirked, words sincere. She grabbed the bag and set it down by her feet, rising back up to pat the bench next to her in a clear invitation. "You're welcome to stick around if you want, otherwise… You'll know where I'm at." She shrugged.
Weiss appeared indecisive for a moment, head glancing back towards where she'd come from. After some silent debate, she instead shrugged in return and moved next to Olivia, sitting neatly with her hands in her lap, as opposed to the faunus's sprawling slouch.
"I'm surprised you were so worried for them. I didn't know you were so close," Weiss admitted, sending Olivia a furtive glance after nodding towards the doors opposite them.
"I'm doing it more so for Velvet than them. Coco and Fox are strong, and their auras are stable. She was worried though, so I promised I'd watch over them for the night," Olivia admitted.
"That's rather kind of you…"
Olivia laughed once, "I owe them, honestly. If I hadn't met them at that diner…" 'Then I would have killed Qrow, for one. But they've helped me in more ways than that…' "Let's just say I have a lot to thank team Coffee for. Yatsu was actually the one that convinced me to climb back into the dorm…"
Weiss's eyes widened in surprise, "He talked you into it? And here I was thinking you returned out of the goodness of your heart~"
"Hey, it was still my decision to take his advice."
Weiss sat back a little more, allowing herself to assume a more comfortable position, "I'll have to remember to thank him, then. Can you imagine if we were still at each other's throats?"
"You probably would have left me to die in Forever Fall," Olivia teased, knowing long before Weiss shot her an offended look that the heiress would never do such a thing. Even if they had still hated each other at the time, Weiss was too loyal, too forgiving, perhaps even too naive, to forsake her teammate like that.
Weiss saw the smirk on Olivia's face and allowed the comment to pass, having grown used to the faunus's attempts at trying to get a rise out of her, "Is your leg doing fine? It was still a little stiff this morning, wasn't it?"
Olivia shook her head, "No complaints here. I might have just needed to stretch it out, honestly. It's been better ever since our walk through Vale, not worse."
"That's good to hear…"
Olivia could hear the slight twinge of doubt in her voice, and looked over to see her eyes gazing at the floor. "I'm not lying this time, really. My leg is better."
Weiss glanced in her direction, blue eyes searching for the truth before finally giving a firm nod, "You'll be able to return to training me, then? Tomorrow is Wednesday after all. I expect you in top form to make up for the time we've missed."
"As you wish~" Olivia smiled, "Before I forget, you'll have to help me with homework tomorrow morning. I can't exactly do it at the moment, not that I'd want to anyway."
"Of course," Weiss agreed easily, a smile curling her lips. "It's all part of our agreement." She paused for a moment, mind seeming to wander before slowly returning back to attention, "Hey, Olivia?"
"Yes, Princess?"
She struggled with what she wanted to ask, shooting Olivia worried frowns before continuing with her question, "Why… Why do you want to be a Huntress?"
"It's what I've always wanted," Olivia replied truthfully. "You might find it hard to believe, but… I was just like Ruby when I was younger…" She smiled, "Minus the whole, 'nerding out over every weapon I came across', thing."
Weiss stared at her in clear disbelief, but after a few moments of Olivia showing no signs of deceit, allowed her face to fall instead, "What changed that? Changed you? I find that hard to believe, honestly. The way you are now… It just doesn't fit in my mind, you know? I can't picture it…"
Olivia leaned back, eyes on the ceiling and head firmly planted against the wall behind her. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"
'Am I sure I want to tell the truth?'
"Y-Yes. Please," at a look from Olivia, Weiss raised her hands. "You don't have to if you don't want to. If I'm treading on something you'd rather not talk about… I don't want to force you into anything…"
Olivia sighed, shaking her head while making her decision. Some small bits of the truth would have to come out eventually, and in her own mind… what happened on that day was the most justified out of anything she'd ever done.
'But will Weiss agree…?'
"My family lived along the outskirts of Mistral. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was to keep us away from the humans. My brother and I, we knew how humans were around faunus, but… that's different from experiencing it. My father went to a combat school. He could keep us safe from the Grimm, even living out as far as we did," Olivia smiled, memories slowly washing over her. "My brother did too, once he was old enough, and I wanted to do the same. There was no chance for any measly old Beowolf to get to us, not between the two of them."
Weiss frowned, "So…?"
"It wasn't the Grimm that killed them that day." Olivia heard Weiss gasp quietly, and nodded her head. "Bandits came while we were having dinner. My father tried to warn them away, but they couldn't be reasoned with. They broke in the door, shot my brother, and killed both my parents while I cried under a table."
"Olivia…" Weiss's eyes were tearing up, and she scooted closer to place a tentative hand on her thigh, "I'm so sorry you went through that. How did you escape?"
Olivia weighed her options for a few seconds, wondering if now was the time. If she was honest with herself… it was nice to finally open up to the heiress, to reveal even the barest amount of her own sins. Olivia took a deep breath... and decided to tell the truth.
"I didn't," the words came out in a sigh, no matter how prepared Olivia had been to say them. Weiss met her eyes in confusion, the question clear on her mind without it even needing to be asked.
Olivia continued, "They found me hiding under the table. I was crying so hard, I could barely even see the two men that were left standing… That was when my semblance activated for the first time. A frightened little girl, staring death in the face… I…" Olivia hesitated, feeling her last bits of restraint refusing to let go.
Weiss's hand found hers in the quiet of the hall, fingers intertwining and bringing with them an unprecedented level of support. Olivia glanced to the heiress briefly, seeing the compassion in her eyes. She wasn't able to hold the gaze for long, and returned to staring at the ceiling. It had given her the confidence she needed, though. The restraints fell away, allowing her to speak the last three words with a trembling sigh.
"...I killed them."
Silence prevailed, with Olivia too unsure of herself to look back at the heiress once more. She could feel the other girl's hand quivering in hers, could feel her shifting closer on the bench. Olivia recoiled slightly, afraid of how Weiss was going to respond, afraid of being judged, of being rejected.
'It's like Widow said… She won't understand… I might as well give up and-'
Before she had a chance to react, the heiress had thrown herself forward to wrap both arms around her in a fierce hug, pulling Olivia into it so that she could return the gesture in kind. Olivia's hands slowly found their way around the girl's petite form, returning the hug and feeling her own body shaking. Relief washed over her, and she buried her face in the side of the heiress's neck.
"I'm so sorry you had to do that, Olivia. No one should ever have to go through that, not ever. I can't even imagine how you must have felt..."
No words came to Olivia's mind. No assurances that she was fine, that she was alright, that it had been years since then and she was over it. 'Because it isn't the truth…' Olivia missed her parents, missed her brother. The world wasn't the same without them. It had changed for the worse the instant they were taken from it, taken from her.
Tears came unbidden to Olivia's eyes, and no matter how hard she blinked, she couldn't keep them at bay. They fell freely down her cheeks, shame mixing with the relief as they began to decorate Weiss's shoulder. The heiress would certainly feel them, would know that Olivia was weak.
Weiss didn't comment on them though, only hugging her more tightly instead. They remained like that for a few minutes, Olivia failing to bring her emotions back under control while Weiss provided her unconditional support. Both arms were locked around her, hands clasped in a refusal to let go until Olivia had let it all out. She gave up in time, allowing her emotions to flow freely.
After what felt like an eternity, Olivia's tears finally dried up. Her body no longer shook, breath returning to an even flow. Her hands pulled away, and Weiss's followed suit. They sat shoulder to shoulder still, the heiress continuing to offer comfort regardless of whether or not the hug remained intact.
Olivia brought a sleeve up and wiped at her face, doing her best to clear the tear tracks that undoubtedly stained her cheeks. She knew it was a fruitless effort, but did so anyway. Now that Weiss could see her face… she had to hide it all away once again.
Weiss reached out, grasping Olivia's wrist and stopping her hand in its tracks. She held a handkerchief in her other hand, and offered it to the faunus with a simple gesture. Olivia accepted it, and used it to wipe her face off more thoroughly before letting out a small, amused chuckle.
"I can't believe you keep one of these in your pajamas."
"One must be ready for any occasion~" Weiss smiled, sitting back slightly but remaining pressed against Olivia. "What if I were to attend a slumber party, then find myself in need?"
Olivia shook her head ruefully, "How many slumber parties have you even been to?"
Weiss looked away, letting out a small 'hmph', "That's hardly the point, now is it? All you need to do is thank me for my preparedness."
"Thank you, Princess," Olivia stated truthfully, uncertain of what to do with the used cloth.
Weiss saw her struggling and nodded her chin to the bag at her feet, letting out a mild sigh, "You weren't going to use them anyway, right?"
Olivia dropped the cloth inside, then flashed Weiss a smirk, "Good thinking, as always~"
"Yes, well…" Weiss's cheeks colored and Olivia laughed, counting herself the victor of the short exchange.
Silence prevailed for a few more moments, Olivia wanting to ask what needed to be asked, while Weiss appeared content to simply remain there for the time being. Letting out a nervous sigh, the faunus glanced only far enough towards the heiress to see her expressions through her periphery.
"Do you blame me? Was what I did wrong? If you'd been in my place… would you have done anything differently…?"
Olivia could see Weiss turning to look at her, could feel the sad smile on her lips, "I don't blame you. What you did was entirely justified, and I would have done the same, given the situation."
Olivia felt some remnants of her sadness returning due to the admission before fiercely denying her emotions. She cleared her throat, then finally spoke after debating what to say.
"I wonder… how much else you might agree with…"
Weiss raised an eyebrow, but Olivia only shook her head.
"Not tonight, but… maybe… eventually…"
Weiss laughed, surprising Olivia with how sudden it was, "Blake said the same thing earlier. How did I end up on a team with so many secrets~? At this point, I have to believe Ruby's got something hidden up her sleeve. I'm the only normal person on the team."
"I don't think any Schnee could be considered normal~" Olivia chastised fondly, though Weiss's comment had taken her by surprise.
'Is Blake considering telling Weiss about her involvement with the White Fang?' That would be bold, especially for the reclusive faunus. 'If anything, it might help ease Weiss into it if I beat her to the punch. At least I haven't been in it since I was a kid.'
Still, tonight wasn't the night. Olivia could only open up so much with the Schnee before her own defenses rose back into place, a little more brittle than they had been before, but still there regardless.
"You should head back. I wouldn't want you missing out on sleep for my sake, not when I'll need your help so early in the morning."
Weiss sighed, leaning her head on top of Olivia's shoulder. She didn't pull away from the contact, but allowed it to take place. It felt oddly natural, as if she would be content to stay that way until morning… After a time, Weiss did finally move, pulling away from the faunus to stand before her in the hallway. Hands now clasped behind her back, Weiss looked Olivia over.
"I'm really glad we had this conversation. I want you to know… whatever you have left that you're keeping buried… whatever secrets you can't bring yourself to say…" Weiss allowed a comforting smile to curl her lips, "I'll hear you out. I won't judge you, not until I've heard everything. It's the least I could do… for a friend..."
Olivia nodded, returning the smile with one of her own, "When the time comes… I'll hold you to that."
Weiss waited only a moment longer before spinning on her heel, setting out on her journey back to their dorm. Olivia watched her go, also glad that she'd finally opened up. Telling the truth to Weiss had gone better than she'd ever expected. Even now, with her walls steadfast and in place… Olivia could feel a kernel of hope growing, hope that someday, Weiss might know every secret that the faunus had to offer.
That even then, they could still be… 'Friends…'
Olivia cleared her throat once more and gave herself a small shake, shifting on the bench to resume the position she'd been in before Weiss's arrival. 'On second thought…' she dug the pillow out of the bag and laid it down, resting her head against it.
'Thanks, Weiss. I owe you one.'
As time passed, Olivia could no longer suppress the small smile that crept its way onto her lips, nor keep her eyes from closing in contentment.
Uploaded a day early. Happy 4th!
The first real step of Cinder's plans has come to fruition. She's earned Ozpin's trust, having been instrumental in saving an entire town and putting a stop to 'Amber's murderer'. How will she proceed from here?
Meanwhile, Olivia and Weiss have taken a significant step closer. Are Blake's worries unfounded, or will events transpire to tear the two apart, ending their team's cohesion once and for all?
Thanks for reading,
- Sybaen
PS: I've resumed writing 'Re:Generation' as well. If you haven't checked it out yet, consider giving it a read. I hope you won't be disappointed.
On top of that, I'm also writing a Silent Knight fic of sorts in my spare time, whenever I have spare time between work and writing for other fics. I likely won't start releasing chapters until it's done, so I won't feel pressured into weekly uploads. I love the premise for it though, and am excited to eventually unveil it. It'll be more fluff and comedy than anything, while also focusing on Neo's own diminished sense of self-worth. Look forward to it!