Weiss stepped to the side to make room for Blake as she fell into place next to her, the pair leading the pack through the dorm building and eventually out along the path winding towards the Bullheads. The faunus looked her up and down, at the clothes she'd chosen to wear for the party down in Vale, a disapproving frown on her face.

"What?" Weiss spoke defensively, knowing already what her teammate was going to say. "I wanted to live it up a little."

"You wanted to catch Olivia's attention," Blake chided lightly, easily tearing apart the half-baked ruse.

Weiss crossed her arms, refusing to acknowledge Blake's frown, "Maybe it was both? Either way…" a small smile crossed her lips while remembering Olivia's shocked silence, "You can't deny that it was effective~"

Blake dropped her head in her hands, "It was, obviously… but I thought you agreed to take it slow? Find out more about her before making any moves? Don't you think you're jumping the gun a little? You've only really known her for a few weeks..."

"I'm not 'making a move'," Weiss replied in strangled protest, voice threatening to reach a higher pitch that others might hear. A dull redness suffused her cheeks. "I just…" She struggled to find the words she was looking for without outright admitting Blake's accuracy. Weiss wasn't expecting much to happen tonight, if anything at all. She just… wanted Olivia to know what she was missing out on.

Weiss's cheeks reddened further and she looked away from Blake in an attempt to hide them, 'N-Not that I'd want to progress that quickly regardless!' Even so, it was nice to know that she could elicit a reaction from Olivia. The possibility of more between them wasn't completely off the table because of who she was. Weiss just needed to work on their friendship to bring the faunus around.

'I'm not trying to become the next Melanie.'

Weiss wanted much more than a physical connection. Spending time with Olivia, growing together in sparring and academics, proving that she could be a shoulder to cry on and open up to, being there for her whenever she needed a helping hand. All those things and more were what Weiss truly desired. To be equals that helped each other grow, partners in more than an official capacity.

"I do want to learn more about her first," Weiss agreed after a few moments of silence, sparing Blake a determined gaze. "But I want her to want that too. Outside of sparring and classes… we don't talk about our own pasts that much, nor our aspirations. If dressing nicely will… incentivize Olivia's interests… then why shouldn't I do my best to catch her attention?"

"You're not wrong to want that, Weiss. I don't want to discourage you so much that you won't talk to me or ask for advice. Please don't take my caution the wrong way… I just want our team to succeed. Olivia is, well… she's complicated, honestly."

Blake seemed to struggle for a few moments, choosing her words carefully before continuing, "If you push too hard, there's the very real chance that our entire team could fall apart…"

Weiss didn't know what secrets Olivia might have divulged already to her fellow faunus, but what she'd seen and heard the previous night painted a very different picture in her mind. She stared into Blake's eyes with determination, hoping to assure her teammate of the truths Weiss believed.

"We won't fall apart. I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Besides… I think you might be underestimating Olivia."

Blake raised a hesitant eyebrow, "What makes you say that? I hope you aren't so confident because she liked the way you look. She is a bit more… promiscuous, after all."

"Of course not," Weiss blushed but pressed on, "When I visited her last night, we had a… a moment… Olivia admitted something to me and…"

Weiss bit her lip, hesitant to reveal that Olivia had cried, much less in the arms of a Schnee. She doubted the faunus with her tough facade would appreciate being shown in such a light. The truth of the night's events would go a long way in helping to convince Blake, but if Olivia found out, she might feel like her trust had been violated.

Weiss decided to keep the specifics to herself. It had been a personal moment between the two of them, one that even she was admittedly reluctant to share. "...Suffice to say, she opened up to me in a way I never would have thought possible. She values our friendship more than she admits, and even if we tried going further and things didn't work out… Olivia wouldn't want to lose what we already have either."

"She actually told you that?"

Weiss shook her head, "It's just a feeling. I can see her excitement whenever we train, and the way her mood improves when I help her study… She does less and less classwork on her own time, and saves it for our morning sessions instead so that they last longer."

"Or she's just taking advantage of the deal to make you do more of the work for her," Blake pointed out.

Weiss laughed lightly, "Believe me, I've considered the possibility. But if she was just slacking, then she wouldn't be learning the material, right? On the contrary, she does more of the assignments than she gives herself credit for. I still have to help and she's still quick to ask questions, but I can tell Olivia isn't just forgetting it as soon as we're done."

Blake hummed in quiet contemplation, seemingly still not convinced despite Weiss's assurances, but giving her words the consideration they were due. "You two did spend a long time training… I guess… she wouldn't take it so seriously unless she liked doing it…"

Weiss latched on to the example with a triumphant grin, "Exactly! Olivia would just give me a few tips and make me train by myself. Instead, she actively does her best to help however she can." Weiss grimaced momentarily, "Even if she can be smug about it sometimes."

"I'd expect nothing less," Blake laughed quietly, hiding it behind a fist.

However, the faunus's expression grew clouded a few moments later. She glanced at the heiress, barely suppressed worry still visible in her eyes. "Just... be careful, Weiss. I've known people like Olivia before, and… I hope she becomes the person you want her to be. I really do. If at any point it seems like she's closing off because of your advances… Don't push too hard. Can you promise me that? I don't want you getting hurt."

Weiss's lip quirked into a timid smile, "I'll try. I'd like to think I'm a decent judge of character, but... if you see anything that I'm missing, some clue that I'm being selfish and my advances are undesired… Let me know. I promise I'll take your judgement to heart."

Blake sighed, nodding her acceptance, "That's good enough for-"

Their conversation was interrupted as Ruby appeared at Blake's side in a burst of petals, spinning back to stick her tongue out at her sister and shouting loudly across the mostly desolate campus grounds, "My outfit is fine, Yang! You won't need to 'beat the boys off of me'!" Her silver eyes glanced up into Blake's with a pleading expression, hoping for the older girl to take her side, "Tell her, Blake!"

Blake shifted uncomfortably, suddenly thrust between the two. She looked away from Ruby and scratched her chin awkwardly, "You are showing off a bit more skin than usual, Ruby."

Ruby's eyes widened into an expression of utter betrayal, "Traitor!"

"But I'll keep an eye on you, like I said."

Standing up straight, Ruby placed her hands on her hips in a show of defiance, "I don't need to be looked after. I'm an adult."

Weiss heard Olivia let out a choked laugh from further back, one that was thankfully drowned out by Yang falling to her knees against Pyrrha and loudly proclaiming, "My baby sister is growing up so fast! Where did I go wrong!?" into the other girl's consoling embrace.

Pyrrha looked up from Yang's face to offer Ruby an apologetic smile, willing to go along with the girl's pretend melodramatics, "Ruby doesn't know what she's saying, Yang. Everything will be okay, I promise. She'll always be your baby sister."

"Pyyrrhaaaa!" Ruby pouted.

"Sorry~"

"Well, don't you all sound like you're having fun~" the words caught Weiss by surprise, her head turning back towards the tarmac they'd been approaching before Ruby's interruption and the ensuing theatrics.

A girl stood a small distance away that Weiss recognized well enough from her brief conversations with Olivia, the older student Coco. The rest of her team was a bit further back, all dressed stylishly for their party down in Vale. Weiss's gaze locked on to the tallest boy in particular, Yatsuhashi, remembering what Olivia had admitted the night before.

'I need to thank him.'

Olivia strode past the rest of them to offer up a high five that Coco readily accepted, "Can't help but be excited~" She glanced further back towards the rest of Coco's team, seeming to search for a moment before returning her eyes to their leader, "Where's Carmine?"

"Down in Vale already. They had a spot picked out and wanted us to meet them there after a few errands they needed to run," Coco continued forward as she spoke, leading the large pack of younger students with herself and Olivia in the front. "Looks like we've got quite the turn out. I've never been to the club Carmine suggested, but Cinder sounded pretty sure it was the place to be."

Olivia smirked, "Hopefully it's big enough for everyone here."

Coco nodded, "Velvet looked it up on her scroll. Place called 'The Den'. It has some good reviews and looked spacious enough in the photos, though that might have been because of the large glass front. We'll see for sure once we're there."

Olivia leaned in and whispered a question to Coco, causing the older girl to grin and nod in response. Weiss only caught a small portion of her reply, something about 'rooms', and 'not to worry'.

Weiss was pulled from her eavesdropping by Yang falling into step next to her. The blond's eyes went between the heiress and Olivia, a knowing smirk across her lips, "Soooo~ You trying to make an impression on someone, 'Princess'?"

"What would give you that idea?" Weiss replied hesitantly, not nearly as close with Yang as she was with Blake. At least her teammate knew how to keep a secret. Yang was loud and boisterous, just the sort of person that would spread a rumor that Olivia could end up hearing from someone else.

Yang laughed, wrapping her arm around Weiss's shoulders to draw her in conspiratorially, "I won't tell~ I'm surprised Olivia hasn't noticed though. You might want to step up your game."

Blake was busy consoling a pouting Ruby, but Weiss could see the faunus's bow twitching out of the corner of her eye, likely able to hear their conversation. "I don't know what you're talking about." She continued to deny Yang's accusations, untrusting of the blond.

Yang stared at her for a few moments before letting out a sigh of relief, "I'm glad to hear it. I thought you might like her, but if not then I won't feel bad for asking Olivia out."

'Wait, Yang wants to-!?'

"You can't-!" Weiss exclaimed, already knowing she'd fallen for Yang's ploy as soon as the words left her lips. The blond's smile widened into a self-satisfied grin.

"I can't, can I? Pray tell, Weiss. Why is that?"

Weiss crossed her arms with a huff, "You know why."

"I want to hear you say it~"

"Then we're both going to be disappointed."

Yang only grinned more fiercely, using her grasp around the heiress's shoulders to shake her back and forth once before letting go, "You're so cute when you pout."

Weiss glared, "You aren't going to tell anyone, are you? I don't want Olivia finding out from anyone other than me."

Yang shook her head with a playful frown, "Sorry to say, it's not exactly that big of a secret, Weiss. Ren was the first to notice, but he didn't mention it until after he heard Nora and I speculating on it. Aaaaand, well… Pyrrha was there with us, so she knows too."

"How did Ren find out?" Weiss asked aloud in bewilderment, thinking the boy the most socially inept of anyone on either team. Ren was always so reserved, she hadn't even considered the possibility of him knowing.

Yang snorted, "Part of his semblance lets him feel other people's emotions, Weiss. He probably knew before you did."

"Wait, really!?" Weiss was slightly shocked by the revelation, but even more so excited for its potential use. 'I don't even need to guess if Olivia likes me or not! Ren could just tell me!'

Yang could see the gears turning in Weiss's head and grinned, "I bet if you asked nicely he might tell you a few things~ He and Nora have known Olivia the longest, so if there was anyone you should turn to for advice…~"

Weiss was half tempted to go ask Ren right that moment, but with Olivia now mingling with the entirety of team Coffee and the group taking their first steps into the Bullhead, she supposed it could wait.

'Not for long, though.' Weiss was determined to get Ren's insight into Olivia, perhaps even from Nora as well if the boisterous girl could keep a secret. 'Maybe not, then…' She had very little confidence that Nora would be able to refrain from revealing the truth, even if it would likely be an accident if she did. The girl didn't seem to always think before she spoke, far too excitable for Weiss's trust.

The entire group climbed the ramp into the bowels of the Bullhead, mildly cramped for a group of twelve. Soon to be sixteen, once they joined team Carmine down in Vale. With so many people to speak to, Weiss set her mind on one in particular, making her way through the crowd to pull him aside.

"Nice to meet you," Yatsuhashi blinked in mild surprise, extending a hand in greeting. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced yet. Weiss, correct?"

Weiss accepted the handshake gracefully, surprised by how gentle the larger boys hands were in the brief exchange, "I am, yes. And you're Yatsuhashi. Olivia told me what you did the day we were locked in our dorm together. I just wanted to thank you for intervening and talking her into coming back. I don't know where we'd be now if you hadn't."

Yatsuhashi shrugged, a small motion for such stout shoulders, "I only played a small hand in changing her mindset. Once her outlook on events had been shifted, it was her experiences that did the rest. You have yourself and Ruby to thank for convincing her to give you a chance."

Weiss frowned in surprise, "Ruby?"

Yatsuhashi nodded, "It was your leader's trust in you that I brought up with Olivia. She seems to hold Ruby's opinion in high regard, despite her own personal reservations."

Weiss considered his words, glancing over towards Ruby and seeing her leader busy chatting with Blake and the older rabbit faunus while Olivia stood slightly off to the side. Ruby excitedly complimented the girl's ears, then blushed profusely while apologizing if it had been offensive. Velvet assured her it wasn't, though her own cheeks were tinged red. "I like your outfit!" Velvet replied after a few moments, shifting the subject away from her extra appendages.

Weiss supposed that made sense. Ruby was naive, but had also proved herself to be a better judge of character than Weiss could ever hope to be. She had revealed the truth of Olivia's worth when Weiss herself had lost hope, and had been there to show her camaraderie when both Olivia and Blake were against her. When all else failed, it had been Ruby that kept their team from falling apart.

Weiss turned back, "Either way, you had a hand in it. Please accept my thanks, Yatsuhashi."

"Consider it accepted," he nodded politely, a small smile of his own tinging his lips. "And call me Yatsu. My full name tends to be a mouthful for most."

Weiss grinned, "Yatsu, then. Are you excited for the party?"

"Not particularly. I will be glad to offer up my own thanks to Carmine again, though. If they wish for me to buy them drinks then I'll happily oblige."

Weiss nodded, "I heard some rumors about your mission around school today. What happened? I know Coco and Fox ended up in the infirmary, since Olivia was watching over them last night. Was the mission that difficult?"

'What kind of missions can we expect to get as first years…?' Weiss was eager to learn what she could from the older boy, hoping that his experiences might give some insight into what they would end up facing later in the year.

"We were sent to protect Arcus, a small town outside Vale. We were prepared for the Grimm to attack, but there were too many to hold back ourselves. Carmine stepped up where we faltered and proved their worth, saving us when all hope seemed lost. Fox, Coco and I were all taken down, with Velvet barely holding up while Carmine continued to fight… We're lucky they were there with us."

Weiss's eyes widened, and she smiled consolingly, "That must have been terrifying… I'm glad you all made it out safe! Perhaps I'll offer up a few rounds to Carmine as well. It sounds as if they deserve it..."

"More than you know."

Weiss waited for Yatsu to elaborate, but the large boy seemed content with leaving their conversation there. She nodded her thanks one final time and slipped back through the small crowd, finding herself near the rest of her team. Olivia quickly glanced away as she approached, shifting her eyes to Ruby while the younger girl finished up with her most recent protests about not needing to be protected.

"... what Olivia has told me, you sound more than competent enough," Weiss heard Velvet agreeing. Her eyes shifted to Weiss as the younger girl stepped into the small circle of conversation, and flashed a hesitant smile, though her ears perked hesitantly.

Weiss cut off Ruby as she began to firmly agree with the faunus, "I hope my leader's remarks earlier weren't upsetting. She has a tendency to get excitable and not think straight."

Ruby grew flustered while Velvet's ears relaxed at Weiss's remark, "No, it was fine, really!" She held her hand out tentatively, "I'm Velvet."

"Weiss," she reciprocated, accepting yet another handshake. "Olivia talks about you and your team often enough. I'm glad she could meet another faunus so soon after arriving in Vale. It sounds as if you helped her quite a bit."

Velvet disengaged from the handshake to wave away Weiss's thanks, "We took her shopping, that's all. Coco couldn't let Olivia get away with being a 'walking fashion disaster'." She sent Olivia an apologetic smile, "Her words, not mine."

"Can you blame me?" Coco interjected from a dozen feet away, having caught her name while in the middle of speaking with Yang and Pyrrha. "That hoodie might have been cute but it did nothing for your figure."

Olivia narrowed her eyes playfully, "Hey, I liked that hoodie."

"Don't see you wearing it now~"

"...I like these clothes more."

Coco snickered, "You're welcome~"

Weiss glanced to Olivia, trying to think back on whether or not she'd ever seen her wearing a hoodie. She couldn't recall seeing her in one, nor seeing any while perusing the other girl's dresser in search of something for her to wear during their illicit spar. Weiss could imagine an oversized hoodie looking good on her, but much preferred the clothes she'd chosen to wear out currently. With both pants and sweater that hugged her figure tightly, she found it difficult at times not to stare.

It was a trait that Olivia seemed to share, as she once more glanced away from Weiss when the heiress caught her looking. Weiss smiled in self-satisfaction but decided not to press her luck by acknowledging Olivia's lingering gaze. By no means did she want the other girl to become resentful of her own feelings, or begin actively avoiding her because of them.

Feeling thankful towards Ruby because of Yatsu's earlier admission, she instead chose to place a hand on her partner's shoulder to offer her at least some support in her previous argument. "You've done well enough as a leader so far, Ruby. While you're not an adult… that's alright, because none of us really are yet. You're mature enough… most of the time."

Olivia snorted, "Wow, Princess. You almost managed to fake your way through an entire compliment~ I'm impressed."

Weiss could only shoot her a smouldering glare in response. Meanwhile, Ruby was caught between considering both the positives and negatives of what Weiss had said, visibly weighing them in her mind as if deciding whether or not to be offended. She eventually gave up and chose to roll with the compliment, judging by the pleased smile she flashed Weiss.

"And I'll keep being a good, mature leader!"

Olivia and Blake sighed in unison before sharing a silent glance. Olivia waved for Blake to speak, allowing the other faunus to confront Ruby's newfound beliefs, "Ruby… I watched you slip an empty bowl of cereal under Weiss's bed this morning. You've got a long way to go…"

'Is that where that smell came from!?'

"And you leave your clothes all over the dorm. I had to put away one of your bras yesterday because you left it laying across my desk."

Weiss shivered, bringing up her hands to rub both of her arms while reminded of her own constant horrors, "You should try sleeping under her bed. The amount of socks and tights I've had to pull out of the gap between our bunks and the wall…"

Olivia smirked at the slowly reddening Ruby, "And using your semblance to dry off after a shower isn't the best idea. It just ends up going all over the floor."

'Is that why it's always so wet!? I thought it was Blake…'

"I'm always vacuuming cookie crumbs out of the carpet."

"And you forget to shut your game off when you're done playing it."

"You always slam the door."

"And you didn't clean up the grease you spilled on the floor last week while maintaining Crescent Rose. Pretty sure that stain is permanent."

"Oh yeah, that has to be the worst one for me. Do you know how bad that smells?"

Olivia nodded in agreement.

They continued back and forth, ticking off a multitude of minor grievances while Ruby stared in slack jawed horror. They had already landed and stepped out of the Bullhead by the time they finished, long since dwindling into petty complaints if only to keep the act going. By the end of it, Ruby stood with a complete slump to her shoulders, staring dumbstruck at the ground while shuffling off with everyone.

Olivia spared her a consoling smile and wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulders, drawing her in tight while they walked, "But, despite all that, you're the greatest leader I could have asked for. You're kind and attentive."

"Strong and competent," Blake spoke up.

"Brave and lovable."

"Energetic and fun," Weiss interjected.

"Accepting and charitable."

"Cute."

Olivia flashed Blake a raised eyebrow, who couldn't answer the questioning glance with much more than a shrug of her shoulders, "What? We covered pretty much everything already. Is she not cute?"

"I suppose she is," Olivia agreed readily enough.

Ruby's eyes had raised from the pavement, now set in a glimmer towards her three teammates. "Do you mean it?"

They all nodded together, not even needing to consider the validity of their previous statements. Ruby was all those things and more, relative maturity be damned.

"I wouldn't want anyone else as my leader either," Weiss agreed with Olivia's earlier sentiment. "I might have been mildly upset when we first met in the forest, but you've since proved yourself to be beyond any of my expectations."

Olivia raised a hand to ruffle it through Ruby's hair, grinning fiercely, "Just take care of all those other things we listed off and you'll be the best leader ever~"

Ruby grinned and pushed Olivia off herself, straightening out her hair with a wide smile.

"You all coming or what?" Yang called out from ahead of them, drawing their attention to the fact they'd fallen behind since exiting the Bullhead.

"Coming!" Ruby called out, turning back to level the rest of her team with the smile she now sported. "We ready to have some fun, Rainbow?"

Blake and Weiss nodded, while Olivia groaned into her hands.

"About that name…"

"We aren't changing it~"

Olivia raised her eyes to see Ruby's determined smirk, and adopted a smile of her own. "Well, if that's what my leader wants, then that's what she gets~"

Ruby grinned and spun on her heel. Rejuvenated by the good-natured compliments and assurity of their leader's qualifications. They all turned to follow after the other two teams, a lull opening in the aftermath of their shared conversation.

It was soon filled once more by Olivia.

"I don't have to like it, though~"

The sounds of a loud, pulsating beat could be heard echoing down the street in either direction as Qrow tiredly swooped down, choosing the building across from the source of the noise to land. He transformed with a weary slump, his back aching in a phantom pain from the wings he no longer possessed. One hand slipping into his coat pocket, he withdrew his flask and drank greedily before coughing and wiping his lips on a sleeve.

The four members of team Carmine approached the building, having finally regrouped after a long day spent in Vale. Qrow had followed Cinder and Emerald in particular, only to spend an hour waiting outside a clothes shop like he had so long ago with Olivia. At least this time around there had been a better corner of shade to wait in, escaping the sun's fierce rays instead of allowing them to beat down on his shoulders.

'Gotta admit, the kid looks good at least.'

Cinder had exited the store wearing a finely tailored black dress, the thin cloth hugging her hips and body tightly in order to exemplify all of her assets. Unfortunately, none of them had bothered to bring along their weapons aside from the boy, Mercury, who could conceal them more easily beneath his dress pants. It only made it all the more nerve racking to protect them, with none having been informed yet of the true threats they faced.

Oz had chosen to forego telling Cinder about the two potential attackers for the time being, under the pretense of allowing them some time to relax after the life threatening danger they'd already been exposed to. Qrow had unwillingly agreed, knowing from experience that piling more stress on top of an already teetering stack was a dangerous game.

'Won't make life any easier on me, though…' Qrow sighed, watching the kids entering through the front door of the club. Nearly two stories of the front of the building was entirely dedicated to a glass exterior, allowing an easy view into and out of the building itself. Strobe lights flashed across the surrounding street from within, along with the steadily pounding music.

Qrow chose to take up residence in a darkened corner, only the occasional flash crossing through the blackened space. From here, he would have an easier time keeping an eye on the students, able to keep track of their movements with relative ease. Pulling out his scroll to message Oz, Qrow took another swig from his flask and got comfortable in the small recess, arching his back to stretch out his spine before returning to a lazy slump.

"Carmine finally stopped at the club. Place called The Den. Should be able to keep an eye on them without drawing attention to myself."

Qrow sent off the message and waited for Oz to finally respond a minute later, scroll vibrating on top of his lap.

"Are the other teams there as well?"

"Don't seem them yet."

Qrow drank again while waiting, the small bubble that showed Oz was still typing appearing for longer than normal. He started tapping his feet to the beat until the message finally arrived, drawing his attention from the younger generation's admittedly catchy music.

"Stay attentive. I have a feeling our enemies may have their eyes on both Carmine and Coffee. If they know that one of them was responsible for killing the Maiden, there's no telling what steps they might take to regain that power once more. We already lost Amber. Let's not tempt fate a second time."

"I won't let it happen again, Oz. Trust me on that."

"I do, old friend. I do."

Qrow returned to tapping his foot while slipping the flask back into his pocket. A light buzz was all he would risk tonight, along with some much deserved rest once the students' festivities were over and done with. He couldn't wait to fly home and crash on his own bed for once, assured that the Maiden would be safe and sound under the staff's protection within Beacon itself.

A loud, excited cry caught his attention, far enough out of view that Qrow was forced to peek over the ledge to glance further up the street. He smiled and let out a relaxed sigh, seeing three full Beacon teams approaching The Den to party as well. Qrow knew he could rest more easily with Yang, Olivia, and Nikos all being in attendance, even if they lacked their weapons.

Qrow frowned upon seeing Ruby, however. He wasn't the type to be strict or a downer, but neither did he appreciate seeing her walking into potential danger without her weapon on hand. 'And… what is she wearing…?' Qrow would have expected the socially awkward girl to still wear her combat outfit to an occasion like this, not what basically amounted to no more than jogging shorts and a loose t-shirt.

'If anyone tries to make a move on her…' Qrow nearly growled in his throat before managing to calm himself, remembering Yang was with her. 'She'd beat me to the punch before I had a chance to move~'

Qrow relaxed, digging himself back into his recess while the students' filed into the building, pounding music growing in volume for a time until they'd all entered and shut the door once more. He checked the time on his scroll and groaned, realizing that it was only a little past seven in the afternoon.

'Hopefully Carmine isn't full of experienced party goers, otherwise this is going to be a looooong night…'

"For your troubles…"

Olivia was as discreet as possible while slipping the bouncer a hefty wad of lien in order to get Ruby inside. The younger girl had no poker face to speak of, utterly terrified of being discovered while she fidgeted in line and drew attention to herself. Olivia turned back to her with a comforting smile and guided her in ahead of the rest, returning the bouncer's nod with one of her own while he pocketed close to two hundred lien.

She wasn't sure how her friends would respond if they realized the ruse never would have truly worked, not with specific laws in place that would shut the club down if Ruby was discovered. With that nod, Olivia was silently agreeing to make sure the young girl kept out of the limelight, away from suspicious eyes.

There wasn't much to worry about, however. 'The Den' was packed to the brim, humans and faunus alike taking up the bar, tables, and dance floor. Olivia could smell the sweat and alcohol rolling off them all in waves, thankfully covered partially by an undercurrent of various scents made to specifically fight against the smell.

'Probably a faunus that came up with that,' Olivia thought absentmindedly, glancing back to the rest of the students as they entered and seeing only Blake crinkling her nose. The humans' sense of smell was likely too weak to even notice the combatting fragrances.

"Where to!?" Ruby shouted over the pounding music, tugging on Olivia's sleeve to make sure she gained her attention.

Olivia's eyes searched in tandem with her sixth sense, finally picking out Carmine's familiar presence at a table near the bar. Cinder raised a hand to wave them over, then gestured to the tables that had been reserved for the mass of students. Olivia nodded towards them for Ruby's benefit and set off, guiding the younger girl through the frenetic press of both humans and faunus.

Carmine stood as the two approached, joined shortly by the rest of the students that followed in their wake. They crowded in around the empty tables, taking turns offering greetings and introducing themselves to the elder team. Olivia remained casual during her own, flashing a smirk towards Cinder in particular while thanking them for 'saving' team Coffee. Cinder played her part well, acknowledging Olivia the same as she had all the others.

Olivia couldn't help but give Cinder a once over with her eyes after seeing her stand up, though. The older woman had gone out of her way to dress scantily, her figure on blatant display for the many eyes Olivia felt glued in their direction. Cinder's dress was similar to the one she'd worn on the ship to Vale, if more trimmed. The black with gold accents traveled up and down her sides, drawing attention to the slit near the bottom that left even more of her thighs exposed than it might have otherwise.

Olivia recognized it for what it was, a decision based on both fashion and to maintain her own mobility. The slits would allow her to move freely, where she might have been otherwise restricted.

'It wouldn't be out of character for me to flirt, right~?'

"I'm shocked that we haven't been introduced yet, but better late than never. I like Piña Coladas and long walks on the beach, and would love to get to know..." her eyes roamed up and down Cinder's figure once more, "...all of you better~" Olivia teased playfully.

Cinder took it in stride, reciprocating Olivia's brazen glance and comment with one of her own, "Perhaps a little later? I wouldn't mind having a… private discussion..." Her eyes rose to the rest, smirking easily, "For now, though. How about some drinks?"

Olivia waited behind with Emerald and Mercury while the others began making their way over to the bar. She glanced at Emerald, already feeling her smouldering glare for the brief act the two had shared, "Sorry Em, I couldn't resist~ Can you really blame me?"

Emerald crossed her arms and stared after Cinder, eventually letting out a brief sigh of vexation, "No, I can't."

"You're as insane as ever," Mercury grinned, leaning across the table to bump fists with Olivia. Thankfully, everyone else was too occupied at the bar to really notice. "How's Beacon been treating you? Still sure you want to leave the assassin life behind?"

"It has its ups and downs," Olivia admitted, "But mostly ups. Can't say I'm a fan of homework, but I guess it's just part of the package."

Mercury shivered, "I know what you mean. I'm not doing so well in anything other than combat class. Third year students are a joke."

"Thankfully I have my team and Lion to compete with. I think I'd go stir crazy otherwise from the lack of competition."

Mercury raised an eyebrow, "Think any of them could take me on?"

"If you were serious?" Olivia pondered it, eventually giving a tentative shrug. "Aside from Nikos, definitely not. Most don't have much actual experience in real combat, just spars. The only thing they've ever had at stake are their grades."

"There's no one in our year. It's embarrassing, really."

"Good thing that's not what we're here for," Emerald chastised. "If anything, that makes our jobs even easier."

"Have some competitive spirit, Em," Mercury grinned. "You wouldn't understand what it's like being an assassin without a worthwhile target." He looked to Olivia and she nodded her assent, glad that at least one of them could voice the truth freely. Between the pounding music, dozens of people shouting nearby, and the empty space afforded by their reserved tables, Olivia didn't fear being overheard in the slightest.

Even so, Mercury glanced around and leaned in close before speaking again, "Forgot to ask last time, but how was Arc? Worth the wait, or a waste of time? I saw that him and his son got merked on the news way back when."

Olivia grimaced, reminded of the night's events and revelations. She leaned in as well, just as ready to assure the words were left unheard by anyone aside from Mercury and Emerald. "I wanted to spare them. Widow was the one that killed them."

Mercury's eyes widened in surprise, "You let him live after all that time?"

Olivia nodded, "I decided to give Nicholas a chance, and when I confronted him he told me the truth…" Her expression darkened against her will, incapable of retaining the happy facade she'd held up until that point, "It was Widow that gave away our hideout and led the attack. She betrayed everyone, all just to keep me with her. I would have gone to Sanctum in Argus, otherwise."

"Wow…" Mercury was dumbstruck. His eyes grew serious, narrowing slightly while taking care to not let his expression reveal too much, "Do you want to get revenge on her? I wouldn't mind offering my services for a friend."

Olivia smiled sadly, "Nice of you to offer, but… I don't know what I want, honestly. Widow was my mother in everything but blood for the better part of five years. She raised me. Jace and the others were like a family to me as well, but I didn't know them for nearly as long… It's... complicated."

"Sounds like it," Emerald agreed. "You know she's working with us, right? Does that bother you?"

Olivia shrugged, "It can't be helped. She's all but running the White Fang for you, so it's not as if you're dealing with her all that often. At the very least she's agreed to stay out of my business now that I'm in Beacon. I even got her to agree to spare Weiss, and get the rest of the White Fang to do the same."

Emerald and Mercury shared a glance, the barest hint of worry passing between the two. They nodded in silent agreement, and Mercury leaned even further across the table to speak quietly into Olivia's ear.

"You should talk with Cinder soon. I don't know the exact time frame, but our 'fun' should be getting interrupted some time later tonight."

Olivia's eyes widened, but she was kept from asking any further questions as other members began filtering back to the tables. Mercury pulled away quickly, immediately laughing and playing off the conversation as if they'd shared in a hilarious joke. Olivia grinned as well, not quite able to force herself to laugh after hearing such worrying news.

Cinder and Neo passed close by, each carrying an extra drink to share with their teammates that had stayed behind. Olivia was half tempted to call Cinder out there and then, to lead her away from the pack and assuage her newfound trepidation.

But she couldn't. It was still rather early in the night. Going anywhere with Cinder now would draw far too much attention. Instead, Olivia spared a few passing remarks with those that had already returned before heading to the bar herself. She found Yang and Pyrrha still sitting on a pair of stools, both of them with fruity drinks in hand while Pyrrha tentatively tried it out. She pushed the small umbrella to the side and sipped from her straw cautiously, then grinned when she found the drink to her liking.

"Strawberry Sunrise?" Yang spoke up as Olivia stepped up to the bar nearby, gesturing temptingly with one of the colorful drinks in hand.

"It's actually really good!" Pyrrha chipped in, pulling her lips away to agree with Yang's proposal.

Olivia smirked, "Not today. I'm gonna need something a bit harder to start the night off." She turned her attention to the nearby bartender and slid a fistful of lien across the polished wood, "Two shots of vodka and a chaser, if you don't mind."

The much older woman looked Olivia up and down with a measured gaze before shrugging. She grabbed a clear bottle off the top shelf and slid two glasses across the bar, filling them to the brim once they rested in front of her. Her other hand busied itself pulling out a larger glass and filling it with water, then added a slice of lime to the edge and pushed it over with the others.

Olivia slammed back both shots in quick succession, grimacing for a moment. It was smooth enough, but as always the taste of alcohol wasn't the greatest. Olivia sipped at the lime water she'd been given immediately, thankfully helping to take the edge off soon enough.

Yang laughed, "You trying to become the next Uncle Qrow?"

Olivia waved a hand dismissively, "It's a party, isn't it? Might as well live a little~"

"You're not going to last long if you keep pounding them back like that."

"Eh, I'll survive." Olivia gave them a small wave as she left, heading back through the crowd to the tables their group had commandeered.

She found the rest of her team sitting together at one, Weiss and Blake on either side of Ruby while the younger girl sat staring at the drink in front of her. She looked up as Olivia approached, flashing a nervous smile before returning her eyes to the untouched drink.

It looked fruity enough, all things considered. Olivia doubted that Yang wouldn't be here personally if it's alcohol content wasn't embarrassingly low. The perfect drink for a young, inexperienced sister to test the waters with. As far as she could remember, Ruby had only ever tried sipping from Qrow's flask once, a dangerous first if ever there was one.

"It won't be nearly as bad as you think," Olivia promised, watching Ruby's eyes flickering between her teammates and the drink. She gulped and nodded, reaching up to grab the large glass and pull it close. Her lips wrapped around the straw hesitantly, eyes focused on the liquid barely visible traveling up the line as she began to suck.

The instant it touched her tongue, Ruby pulled away with a premeditated grimace, already having judged the fruity beverage before actually tasting it. Her eyes squinted shut tightly, then opened slowly when the disgust she'd been expecting never came.

"Huh… It really isn't," Ruby stated in mild surprise. She drank once more, this time with much less hesitance than she'd shown previously. Olivia watched with a smug grin, Ruby's own smile perking up as well.

"Told ya~"

Blake brought a hand up after a few seconds, pulling the drink away and separating Ruby from the sugary concoction, "Slow down. It might not taste like it but it is still alcohol. Drink too much and it'll creep up on you before you realize it."

Ruby nodded worriedly, accepting Blake's warning and merely clutching the drink between her hands as if it might turn on her at any moment. She took a sip and glanced to the side, earning herself a quick nod of approval from the feline faunus.

Weiss sat on the opposite side of Ruby in a distracted slump, her legs crossed while far enough back from the table that Olivia found herself averting her gaze once more. Even still, she had seen the way Weiss was staring at the table wistfully, some unknown issue on her mind. Every now and then, her eyes would raise up to stare across the crowd, in the direction of the rest of their group.

"Are you not going to drink, Princess?" Olivia asked curiously, noticing that Weiss had returned without any beverages of her own. She didn't know what the heiress's issue was, but perhaps some alcohol would help take the edge off.

Weiss raised her head and smiled slightly, seemingly glad that Olivia was showing her concern, yet still crestfallen for some unknown reason. "I'll grab a drink in a bit… Any recommendations? This isn't my typical venue."

"If they have wine, I doubt it would be up to your standards." Olivia confessed, beginning to size Weiss up similar to the way the bartender had done to her, "How much drinking experience do you have? You aren't a lightweight are you~?"

Weiss crossed her arms, some competitive spirit managing to rejuvenate her mood, "I've been drinking for almost a year, thank you very much. I turned seventeen last May."

Ruby brightened, "Ooh! We haven't discussed birthdays yet! What day is yours?"

Weiss leaned away from her overly eager leader, "...The fifteenth… It's a few weeks away now, come to think of it..."

"Mine's October thirty-first!" Ruby cheered excitedly. "Yours is so close, I'll have to think of a present!"

Blake smirked, raising a hand to place on Ruby's shoulder and pull her away from the disgruntled heiress. "I doubt you could afford anything that Weiss couldn't buy herself."

Ruby buzzed in her seat, attention now caught by her other teammate who was promptly rounded on, "What about you, Blake? When's yours?"

"January 19th. Missed it by a few months," she shrugged.

Ruby scowled, "That's no fun. We didn't even get to celebrate it! Did you at least do anything?"

Blake made a quiet 'hmm' in her throat, ears twitching beneath the bow atop her head while her eyes flickered towards Olivia, "I went to a cafe…"

Ruby snorted, "That's boring~ At least we'll get to celebrate Weiss's soon. We can throw a party in the dorm and everything!"

Olivia felt Ruby's eyes raise, ready to ask the final member of their team when her birthday happened to be. Her voice cut off though, only the smallest sound escaping as it was drowned out by the music that blasted all around. Olivia doubted Ruby had gotten a glimpse of where she'd gone, hastily retreating through the crowd to return to the bar. She stopped a short distance away from Yang and Pyrrha, far enough that neither would be able to talk to her past the other patrons separating them.

Olivia was too distracted by her own embarrassment to really care. She stared at the wooden bar, eyes flickering back and forth in thought while she tried to remember her own birthday. After her faction had been killed and Widow had given her the replacement hoodie as a present, Lotus had deemed that her new birthday. A day to signify that her previous self was no more, a way to distance herself from an old life she no longer wished to remember.

Olivia remembered that date. It was the same one she had put on her Beacon transcripts, the one she and Widow had celebrated for the past four years. Irritatingly, the previous managed to elude her. 'When was it?' She remembered celebrating it outside with her family, hiking through the woods to a tall hill in order to see the city of Mistral in all its glory. Had the leaves been green then? The picture in her mind of a wide, green expanse seemed familiar, but it hadn't been the only time they made that particular hike.

'How could I have forgotten my own birthday?' It sounded so strange at first, but the more Olivia thought about it… Even before the White Fang, when she'd been living on the streets, the idea of celebrating any day in particular had become an oddity. Olivia hadn't been able to afford such niceties as throwing a party for herself, hadn't bothered keeping any real track of time when every single day was a fight for survival.

'When was the last time I used it…?' Likely when she applied to Sanctum. Olivia hadn't been so adamant in forgetting her past then. If she could somehow get a hand on those old transcripts, then she might be able to reclaim some small part of her own past.

'Maybe then I'll actually have an answer for them…' Olivia had avoided the question if only to spare them a depressing response. The night was supposed to be about fun, after all. There was no need to weigh any of them down with her personal issues.

A loud cheer drew her attention away from her own internal conflicts, her eyes drawn inevitably towards team Coffee and Carmine. They'd swept one of their tables clear, Coco now lying atop it with her stomach exposed and a wide grin across her face. Velvet stood next to her, bashfully trying to psyche herself up and drink the body shot from her navel. Those around her cheered loudly, egging Velvet on while her girlfriend beckoned seductively.

'Speaking of fun~' Olivia grinned, buying two more shots from the bartender. She pulled out her scroll while she waited, adding the three dates to her calendar that she'd just learned. Whether or not she could remember her own, her teammates' birthdays were at least worth celebrating. 'I'll have to think of something nice to get Weiss.'

Olivia added one more note before downing both the shots and slipping her scroll away. She weaved slowly through the crowd, ready to get the real party started. Over the course of the night, she'd likely forget about it, but the note would be there for her to see in the morning. A question that only she could answer.

'When's my birthday?'

How easy it is to forget the little things~

I originally wanted to have the entire party be one chapter, but with all the character interactions I wanted to do, the length ballooned far too quickly. As it stands, it will most likely be 3 chapters long? At least this time around, each chapter isn't only 4k+ in length. I didn't want a repeat of the Arcus attack which felt like it was just spread too thin.

Sounds like Cinder has something special planned for the night's events. With so many Beacon students there and Qrow secretly primed for defense, what plan might we see unfold?

Thanks for reading,

- Sybaen