The steady pattering of a muffled shower was the first thing Olivia heard as she came to consciousness. She groaned, feeling the pounding headache that followed immediately after. Olivia rolled onto her side, body twisting within the thin mess of bed sheets wrapped around her naked form. She grabbed a nearby pillow and stuffed it over her head, trying to blot out both light and sound alike.

Despite most of the evening being a blur, Olivia remembered easily enough that she'd left Qrow to be with Melanie. They'd spent an exorbitant amount of time indulging in carnal pleasures and drinking, all in the hopes of keeping Olivia's mind off her problems. Considering she'd finally managed to fall asleep, they'd clearly been successful in that endeavor.

Even so, now that she was awake… Olivia sighed, rolling onto her back and guarding her eyes from the room's lights. Aside from the shower, the only other sound was the steady ticking of a clock on the wall. Olivia dared to peek, and let out another small groan at seeing the time. '11:38am…', she'd long since broken Ozpin's curfew.

'Great… the perfect way to start earning his trust… or forgiveness…'

Now rested and freed from the rigors of days spent awake and on edge, Olivia could finally stop to consider her stance with a more sound mind. She'd been an emotional mess the day prior, her usual steadfast walls crumbling to the foundation due to exhaustion and rampant anxiety. Guilt for her friends that were injured, civilians that were killed, and anger that Cinder failed in her promise.

Weiss and Blake had both been harmed during the attack. 'But…' Blake and Ruby had been attacked by Adam, while Weiss's attacker had been invisible. Considering Olivia's own failure in killing Qrow, it stood to reason that she could forgive Cinder in exchange. It didn't help to ease her discomfort of the entire affair, but she wasn't going to seek retribution against the Maiden for it either.

'Adam, on the other hand…' Blake was going to have a tough time convincing her not to hunt him down. Olivia had promised herself she would protect Ruby. Any infraction against that desire was grounds for execution.

Olivia's mind instead shifted to the advice Qrow had given. Olivia knew she couldn't keep her past a secret forever. The reveal of herself as the infamous 'Black Lotus' was bound to happen in time. Whether it was a few weeks away, or a few years, Olivia would have to pay that price eventually.

'The longer you wait, the more betrayed she'll feel when she finds out the truth.'

Olivia shifted anxiously in bed, rolling onto her side and curling her knees further up towards her chest. 'Do I have any chance at being forgiven, regardless of when they find out?' How could her pure-hearted, heroic friends possibly understand the choices that led her to where she was now?

'Weiss was understanding when I told her about the day my family died…'

Olivia felt a warmth spread across her body while picturing her time spent with Weiss, remembering the utter relief she'd felt in that quiet hallway. The hug they shared, the tears Olivia shed. Opening up and being forgiven had given her such pure elation for what seemed so simple an act afterwards.

Did she dare take it a step further?

How would it feel to have all of her secrets revealed?

'What if…' Olivia paused, feeling the warmth in her body shift into an overbearing yearning, 'What if they truly knew me?'

It was an insane dream. A thought of pure fantasy without any hope for becoming reality. Still, Olivia couldn't snuff out that desire. To become so close to them, to finally be freed of all the secrets weighing her down, to prove Widow wrong… to prove herself wrong.

The sound of the shower vanished, its stream ended in an instant and Melanie's presence slowly drawing back into focus. Olivia remained on the bed, letting her mind wander to the other girl's actions while she dried herself off and got dressed. Melanie exited after only a few minutes, noticing Olivia was awake in passing but vying for her dresser instead. She dug into it, pulling out an assortment of feminine products to prepare herself for the day ahead.

"Nice to see you're finally up. I was going to wake you earlier, but you seemed like you needed the rest. I guess this is as good a time as any with my shift starting soon." Melanie spoke while staring into the mirror above her dresser, carefully curling her eyelashes.

"Thanks. I really did," Olivia confirmed. She unwrapped herself from between the sheets and slipped off the bed, searching the room for her own clothing while Melanie was busy. It was slow going, as the headache pounding within her skull kept her from focusing easily.

'What the hell did we even drink last night?' Olivia was pulling her pants on when she took a moment to scan the nearby bed stand, noticing the glass bottle on top. She lifted it to read the label and nearly groaned out loud.

'95 percent…' Olivia felt her body shudder at the smell alone, stomach clenching in a brief refusal to consume any more of the beverage.

"It was a parting gift…" Melanie spoke quietly. She glanced through the mirror long enough to notice what Olivia was doing.

Olivia frowned, setting the bottle well away from herself. She turned to regard Melanie, wondering exactly what it was she was talking about. "Parting gift?" Olivia smirked, shifting her pose to stand with one hand on her hip, breasts still on display. "You aren't dumping me, are you~?"

Melanie's focus returned to the mirror, slightly raising her shoulders defensively. She began using the curler again, though Olivia could see a tremble in her hand. Melanie's lips pursed into a thin line. Though she tried to hide it, her eyes flickered in Olivia's direction, looking at her through the mirror every few seconds.

"Mel…?" Olivia allowed her previous pose to falter, uncertainty weighing on her mind. She bent down and grabbed her bra from the floor, putting it on while stepping closer to the other girl. "...Don't be afraid to talk to me. I promise I won't bite."

Melanie continued using the curler until the tremble in her hand proved too much. She winced and dropped it, bringing up both hands to massage the pain flaring across her eyelid. Olivia took another hurried step forward but was roughly pushed away. Melanie returned to rubbing her hand across her face a while longer, ignoring Olivia as she stood awkwardly nearby.

Melanie finally let out a shaky sigh and turned around. She crossed her arms and averted her gaze, leaning against the dresser behind herself. "Junior had his little talk with me… about how you really feel."

Olivia stepped back, seeing the fatigue in Melanie's eyes. Freed from her previous exhaustion and with a fresh perspective, she could tell that Melanie had long since made her decision. Perhaps even before they'd spent the previous evening together.

'The alcohol wasn't the only parting gift…'

"I'm sorry, Mel. Just, with Beacon to focus on, and my team-"

Melanie raised a hand, cutting Olivia off. "Save it. Junior already told me everything. I just…" She sighed, finally looking Olivia in the eyes. "I thought we could be something more… I was hoping you'd be different from the rest."

"The rest…?"

Melanie shrugged dejectedly, "You aren't the first person I've shared a bed with. The others before… they always treated me like a prize. It was never me they wanted to get into bed with, but 'the twins'." She grimaced, "Like your friend the first night we met. The one you wanted my sister and me to sleep with."

Olivia let her gaze fall to the floor. "Sorry…"

Melanie sighed, "It's fine, because at the same time… That isn't what you wanted. I flirted with you, and you fired right back. You didn't glance at Miltia. Didn't ask to include her. For the first time…" a small smile flickered across her face, "Someone had eyes only for me…"

Melanie let out a choked laugh, "You even kept coming back. It wasn't a one time deal like all the others. Just using me for some conquest, something to brag about to their friends or check off their bucket list… Maybe for you it was just about the sex, but I… I started hoping you'd see me differently, in time."

There was a moment of silence, punctuated by Olivia giving a small sigh and sitting back on the bed in a slump. "I never wanted to give you false hope or lead you on, Mel… For what it's worth, I enjoyed spending time with you, even when we weren't having sex. You're a nice girl…" She smiled sadly, "Even if your kink is a little sadistic."

Melanie laughed with a shake of her head, "I could tell you were only ever putting up with it for my sake. I should thank you, really… Before you, I'd grown complacent with my lot in life. You showed me what I wanted. A real relationship… not just a cheap fling."

Melanie finished fixing her eyelashes, now with a much steadier hand. Once she'd finished, she gave a small nod of determination and turned back around, feet facing towards the door.

"I wish you all the best, Olivia. Really, I do. But I can't let myself be strung along anymore. I need to find someone that wants me for me."

Melanie walked to the door and opened it, taking a moment to give one last parting smile. "Feel free to shower if you need to. I trust you can see yourself out once you're ready. After that… please don't come back around…"

"Mel!" Olivia spoke quickly as the other girl began to leave, stopping her once more. Melanie didn't turn back around, but paused with her shoulders raised defensively, afraid of being given hope. Olivia sighed, "For what it's worth… Thank you. And I wish you the best of luck, too. I really do think there's someone out there for you. Someone better than me."

After a few moments, Melanie nodded her thanks and closed the door wordlessly, retreating downstairs while Olivia remained on the bed. She fell back to lie down in a slump, staring towards the ceiling while coming to terms with the conversation. In truth, she really was sorry that she couldn't be what Melanie deserved. Olivia had used her like all the others that first night they met, not seeing Melanie for herself, but as one of 'the twins' that Mercury had challenged her to coerce.

'I'm not really girlfriend material. Better she realized that sooner rather than later…' With a weary sigh, Olivia pulled herself off the bed and collected the last of her things. She would shower at Beacon, well away from the girl that no longer desired her presence.

Finally getting a look at her scroll, Olivia could only let out one final groan of despair. Aside from the note she'd left herself about her birthday, there were a dozen missed messages, from both her team and Ozpin alike. Slipping on her shoes and exiting downstairs through the club, Olivia began to read through the ones from her team first, responding where necessary to let them know she was fine and would be back soon.

Ozpin's messages on the other hand… Olivia started from the first, and by the third, was once again feeling the anxious doubt spreading down throughout her body. She reread the message once more, intent on getting to Beacon as soon as possible.

"Lotus…

We need to talk."

Olivia was forced to hold her hands over her ears several times during the trip from Junior's to the Bullhead tarmac. The city was alight with activity, human and faunus protesters alike marching down the streets. Some remained in groups while others were segregated, all arguing their point of view on what should be done about the White Fang. Sirens wailed, distant echoes carried over the crowds.

It did little to help ease her hangover. By the time her Bullhead landed on Beacon cliff and the doors opened with an airy hiss, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of her own. She stepped down the ramp and began her long walk along the paved path.

Olivia never thought seeing her own name would be capable of inspiring so much dread. A shudder coursed through her spine, trepidation for the meeting that was close at hand. She had messaged Ozpin back upon seeing the message, letting him know she was on her way. The headmaster had responded with a simple, "I'll be waiting", and left Olivia's mind to fill in the blanks on exactly what that entailed.

There was one small glimmer of hope that remained. 'If Ozpin was going to do anything drastic, then he wouldn't be waiting for me to come to him, right?' If anything, the Headmaster would have shown more signs of discontent the previous night. Trusting Olivia to console Weiss wasn't something he would do if he considered Olivia a threat.

'Or at least, not a threat to her…' Olivia could still very well be a threat to Cinder, despite showing no signs of aggression towards her during the incident at the club. Second thoughts could always be followed by thirds. A mind changed could always be changed again.

All too soon, Olivia arrived outside the front doors to the CCT. She could see some activity through the glass front, attendants for the tower itself going about their work. No students were in sight, a fact that gave her little comfort as she entered.

Olivia stopped long enough to take a look around. It was her first time entering the CCT, but even so, she had no difficulties spotting the elevator off to the side. It was built into the wall of the large, circular chamber. A hefty white pillar dominated the center of the floor, the foundation for the tower itself that kept it from yielding to outside forces.

'Better to not keep him waiting…' Olivia ignored the attendants and stepped purposefully towards her destination. The elevator doors opened automatically, allowing her to enter the confined space. No buttons decorated the panel next to the door. There was only a simple display, a list of floors ordered from top to bottom.

"Welcome to Beacon Tower. What is your destination?" A feminine, computerized voice asked once the doors closed behind her.

Olivia bit her lip, taking a moment to psyche herself up before speaking. "Headmaster Oz-"

Before she could finish, the confirmation chimed and options disappeared. "Top floor, Headmaster's office. Request accepted."

'Okay, no time like the present…'

Olivia leaned back against the railing as the elevator rose, an odd feeling of sudden momentum that did nothing to ease the queasiness she felt. She could feel the floors rapidly flickering past.

Olivia let out a slow breath, psyching herself up for the imminent exchange. 'Oz wants you at Beacon. He's just… making a power play... Nothing to worry about…'

She wished she could believe it herself.

The elevator slowed before it finally came to a stop, doors opening to reveal the headmaster's office. Enormous gears spun overhead, an entire story worth of twisting steel that seamlessly and silently meshed together. A green light illuminated the room itself, dimly clashing with the daylight streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows. Olivia could only see blue sky from where she stood, Beacon tower being the tallest building in Vale by a wide margin.

Ozpin sat behind his desk. His fingers were laced, not an ounce of displeasure showing on his face, nor hint of compassion. Olivia stepped into the room, preparing for the worst.

Ozpin held his hand up as soon as she was inside. Olivia froze in place, curious as to the reason behind the wordless gesture.

"Headmaster?"

"I'm at least partially aware of what your semblance is truly capable of, Miss Mandevilla. I would prefer if you kept your distance during this little chat."

Olivia turned slightly when the doors closed behind her. She suppressed a small shiver, body disagreeing with the feeling of being trapped in a room with the unknown. Olivia turned back and nodded her acceptance all the same. She leaned back against the wall for good measure. With around thirty feet between them, there was no way for her to reach him with her semblance.

"So… how long have you known?" Olivia asked first, curiosity getting the better of her despite the tense atmosphere.

Ozpin shrugged minutely, "The day after your… expedition into the Emerald Forest, when Qrow helped you kill the Death Stalker."

Olivia frowned. That was nearly the entirety of her stay in Vale. "That long? Why wait? Why all the games?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "Why, you ask?" He lowered one hand to type on his keyboard, quickly bringing up a video. It was dark, and hard to make out the details from this distance. Even so, Olivia knew exactly what it depicted once Ozpin hit play.

"All I ever wanted was to be the Hero!" Olivia's voice played loudly, an accidental slip of the tongue when pushed to her absolute breaking point.

Ozpin closed the video. "You gave me hope, if not through any direct attempts of your own. I have lived a long time. I could feel the truth of that statement. To your very core, that desperate wish is what you truly want for yourself."

'A long time is an understatement…' Olivia could still feel that second, ancient soul inhabiting Ozpin's body. She nodded numbly all the same, but it appeared that he wasn't quite finished.

"Of course, I didn't simply stop there. It's better to have some sort of proof, especially when dealing with someone as dangerous as yourself. I looked into the academies in Mistral, and found an applicant matching your name within their records." Ozpin pulled open a drawer and rooted within, finally hefting out a small packet that caught Olivia's interest. He flipped through the pages, then raised his eyes with a questioning glance, "You were accepted into Sanctum, but never attended?"

Olivia's eyes fell to the floor, memories of those she'd celebrated her acceptance with coursing through her head. Of the bloody mess she'd found the day after.

"My faction was massacred before I left… I chose to get revenge for them instead of going to school…"

Ozpin let out a self-satisfied hum. "I believed that might be the case, though it wasn't until you told Qrow about them that I was finally able to connect the dots. Reports from Mistral's Hunter Association and the SDC told of the raid on the White Fang, putting it just before the school year would have started. There were also strange reports mixed in… the Hunters involved claimed to be hearing voices during the confrontation. The White Fang were acting crazed. They seemed to believe the Hunters were there to kill them, rather than apprehend them." He watched Olivia carefully, "It matches the semblance of an individual that Qrow fought just recently."

Olivia nodded, letting out a shuddering sigh. "Widow."

"After your arrival in Vale, you tracked down Nicholas Arc, one of the Hunters responsible for murdering your faction. I'm assuming he was the one that told you of Widow's betrayal? Which in turn, sparked your jaunt into the Emerald Forest?" Ozpin was silent for a moment, regarding Olivia closely. "Did you kill Nicholas and his son for telling you the truth?"

Olivia's eyes widened, "What!? No! Widow killed them! I wanted to let them live!"

Ozpin held up a hand, stifling her outrage with a satisfied nod. "I had to be certain. Your venue was well chosen, leaving no footage of the route you took. I couldn't be sure that Widow was there."

Olivia crossed her arms haughtily, trying to allow herself a few moments to cool off. "Well, she was. Widow tried to keep me from finding out the truth, but I forced her to let Nicholas speak. I didn't believe him at first, but once everything started falling into place…" She let out a shaky breath, "Widow has been manipulating me for five years…"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "And yet you chose to work with her again? You secluded yourself with Miss Fall while Widow attacked Qrow, keeping him from intervening on the students' behalf."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "I'd never work with Widow again. Cinder is alive and well, last I saw. I didn't 'seclude' her on purpose, and I wasn't trying to kill her."

Ozpin regarded Olivia curiously. He exhaled, giving a small shake of his head, "Imagine my surprise when I arrived to find that was indeed the case? After being told by Qrow that you had gone upstairs with the Maiden in tow?"

Olivia shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I don't know why that's surprising…"

Ozpin sat silently for a time, regarding Olivia closely. His eyes scanned over her, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. After a while, he gave up with a weary sigh. "I'll admit, I'm confused by the night's events. I refuse to believe it was only bad luck that put you in that room with Miss Fall, but at the same time… If you had plans to kill her, you clearly didn't go through with them. For that, I am truly thankful. I don't doubt for a moment that someone of your caliber could have taken the Maiden powers for yourself if you wanted to…"

"Yeah, well…" Olivia let her arms loosen, falling down to her sides. "I'm supposed to be turning over a new leaf, right? I promised you and Blake that I wouldn't kill anymore."

Ozpin sat back in his chair, raising his mug to sip before speaking. "That brings us to the actual 'therapy' portion of our little chat. I hold no delusions that you will have lost any sleep over the event, but you did kill someone, Miss Mandevilla."

Olivia bit her lip nervously, wondering if Ozpin would truly see that as her crossing a line. "...He was strangling Weiss."

Ozpin nodded, "Naturally, you wanted to protect your teammate. Even so… was killing him necessary? With your strength and skill, surely you could have knocked him unconscious?"

Olivia frowned, ready to bring light to her own line of reasoning. "That was his second chance. I already warned him to leave Weiss alone. Should I have let him off easy? Let him have a third chance at killing my teammate in the future? Mercy can only be taken so far before it becomes stupidity. He could have come back more prepared, or at a time when I wasn't around. I wasn't about to give him that chance."

"I gave it to you."

The simple statement caught Olivia off guard. Ozpin didn't speak with malice or contempt. He only pointed out the truth. He had been willing to allow Olivia a second chance, and even extended that past the death of Cardin. By all rights, using her own rules, Olivia shouldn't have been given that mercy.

"Your past is far more bloodied than his ever could have been. Even so, I've allowed you to remain at Beacon. Trusted you to turn a new leaf. Turned a blind eye to the unfortunate death of one of your peers. Ignored your past desires to harm Miss Schnee in the hopes that you might grow… Did he not deserve the same courtesy?"

"He… He wouldn't have changed…"

Ozpin sighed tiredly, leaning back in his chair. "Now we'll never know… will we? Every saint has a past, Miss Mandevilla. Just as every sinner has a future. You may become a shining example of the latter… but not if you continue to treat life as something so easily revoked."

Olivia could only remain silent, thinking on what Ozpin had said.

After a minute passed, Ozpin nodded in weary satisfaction. "I trust you have much to think about. Aside from our obvious disagreements… I would ask that you tend to Miss Schnee. She did not appear reassured at the end of our session, and your leader has since confirmed as much. I worry that something I said may have been taken out of context."

Olivia's eyebrow rose, "What did you tell her?"

"She asked if we knew why the White Fang attacked. I, of course, couldn't reveal the true reason. I told her we had no current leads, and needed to continue our investigation into the matter."

Olivia leaned her head back against the wall in exasperation, looking up towards the gears that slowly rotated above them. "Weiss was blaming herself for the attack. If I know her at all, she thinks you're lying to cover up the White Fang being there for her."

"Oh dear… I will have to rid her of that notion during our next session. I trust you can do your best to ease her grief until then?"

Olivia rolled her eyes in frustration, "Do you even need to ask?" She began to turn back towards the elevator but paused, recalling the application Ozpin had unearthed, and a note she'd left on her phone.

'If anything is going to have it…'

Olivia turned back around, and rubbed her hand against the back of her neck. At Ozpin's questioning look, she nodded her chin towards the papers sitting on his desk.

"I know it might be an odd request, but… can I… have that?"

"Your Sanctum application? Whatever for?"

Olivia fought to speak the truth, believing it would sound ridiculous to the older huntsman. "I just… wanted to remember something?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. He picked up the packet and held it loosely, eyes going between it and Olivia. "May I ask what that might be?"

Olivia sighed in vexation, battling against her own pride, "My… my birthday. I stopped celebrating it after… everything. Widow and I just sort of made up a day… The one I put on my Beacon application wasn't real, but that one…?"

With a look of deep consideration, Ozpin set the packet back down on his desk. After a few moments, his hand reached out once more, and he inched the papers closer to the opposite edge of his desk.

"By all means. I can always print spares."

Olivia barely suppressed a smile, and attempted to appear as non-threatening as possible while crossing the room to Ozpin's desk. With one final nod of gratitude, she slipped the pamphlet off and held it against her chest.

"Thank you…"

Ozpin nodded wordlessly and gestured back behind her, towards the elevator that was only then beginning to reopen. Olivia went where she was directed, keeping a tight hold on the application as she did. She turned once she was in the elevator, and gave a slight wave in expectation of the doors closing.

The doors didn't close, however. Olivia waited a few long seconds, confusion rising steadily.

Ozpin only sat quietly, a curious expression on his face. His eyes changed, beginning to contain what Olivia could only call a mischievous light. Her eyebrows knit together, and she was just opening her mouth to speak when the Headmaster interrupted.

"About Miss Schnee's current condition… Might I make a suggestion?"

Olivia wasn't sure she could trust the smile he wore.

'Maybe a fundraiser…?'

Weiss sat in a slump at her desk, tapping the back of her pen against the wooden top while a half empty page rested in front of her. On it, she'd written ideas for how to rectify what the White Fang had done. Paying for funerals, damages to the building, perhaps putting up a statue in honor of the deceased…

The scroll next to her began to vibrate once more. The caller ID was all Weiss needed to see before swiping to end the call. Her father was growing incessant, trying to get into contact with her despite her obvious desire to the contrary.

One of several cameras on scene had caught the heiress leaving the establishment, throat injury and all managing to make its way into the tabloids. If Weiss knew him, Jacques would definitely have seen the news before it was even posted. He had his own influence within all the major networks, after all. That her father had let the story run meant he was going to try and use it towards his own ends.

Weiss could only guess what that meant. Some ill-advised PR stunt in order to make her come home? Undoubtedly, her father would once more be making the SDC out as the 'true victims' of the White Fang's machinations.

All Weiss wanted to do was make amends. She gave a soft sigh while looking over her list again, gently rubbing a hand against her temple.

Weiss was pulled from her musings as the door's lock clicked. The door itself swung open soon after, admitting a swish of black hair and magenta eyes that glanced around it towards her.

"Just you, huh? Where'd Ruby and Blake run off to?" Olivia asked, stepping in fully and closing the door behind herself. She looked mostly worse for wear, with the same wrinkled clothes she'd worn the day prior. Her face looked more rested, at least. Weiss was glad to see that.

"They mentioned something about outfits, then headed down into Vale an hour ago," Weiss replied offhandedly. She turned slightly to rest her arm across the ideas she'd written down, not wanting to clue Olivia in on her plans. The faunus would likely write them off as ridiculous, considering her not responsible for what had happened in the first place.

Olivia didn't bother to take notice of her paper, though. She looked mildly flustered, and was trying to hide it by only glancing partially in Weiss's direction.

"Something wrong, Olivia?" Weiss asked curiously, raising one eyebrow as she did so and leaning closer to her teammate.

"Right, uh… no, just going to take a shower." Olivia pointed awkwardly towards the door to the bathroom.

Weiss shrugged, "Go ahead. All yours."

"Thanks."

Olivia set a stack of papers down on her own desk, then walked to her dresser and began pulling out a change of clothes. She seemed to be considering each more than she might have otherwise, but eventually settled on what looked to be a nice, casual outfit. Olivia snagged a towel along the way and stopped at the door long enough to look back at Weiss. She met her gaze expectantly, but Olivia could only avert her eyes once more.

Weiss sat staring at the door in confusion after it had closed. She'd never seen Olivia quite so flustered before, if that's what she was. The stoic faunus rarely let down her walls, aside from the occasional sassy joke at her friends' expense. 'Or when she told me about her family…'

Was Olivia thinking about revealing more of her past? Weiss tapped her pen against her chin in thought. The shower turned on, water drumming against tile. The steady thrum was soon interrupted by a body getting in the way. The sound became more intermittent, Olivia now cleaning herself beneath the stream.

Curious, Weiss got up from her own desk and crossed the room to Olivia's. She picked up the packet of papers, wondering if it had anything to do with her friend's current mood.

'Application to Sanctum…? And it was filled out by Olivia...' Weiss read down the page, taking note of some of the information it held. Olivia had apparently applied to the school in Argus four years ago. She'd never mentioned that fact to Weiss, though, and Pyrrha had never spoken to her as if they'd met any earlier than the first day of Beacon.

'So she never went?'

Weiss set the application back down and returned to her own chair, sitting in thought. After a while, she decided to leave it alone for the time being. If Olivia wanted to bring it up, she'd do it on her own time. It wasn't Weiss's place to snoop into her past, especially when the faunus seemed to be downright ashamed of whatever she hadn't summoned the courage to speak of yet.

Weiss turned back to her own plight for the time being. Olivia was a welcome distraction, but regardless of her presence, the heiress still needed to come up with a way to make amends. If her father was going to try and use her injury for his own gain, then she could at least find a way to help out those actually affected.

A fundraiser wasn't a terrible idea. Unfortunately, Weiss wasn't as well connected within Vale as she was in Atlas. Aside from Headmaster Ozpin, she hadn't met any of the members residing on the Vale council. Wealthy business owners were also a bust. Weiss didn't doubt that she could put on a sizable gathering in time, but her father's influence would go a long way in finalizing anything.

Weiss was still sitting at her desk, idly tapping the screen of her scroll with one nail when the sounds of the shower ceased. Two wet steps echoed out from beneath the door, followed by a slow bustling of movement while Olivia dried herself off and got dressed. Weiss smoothed out her skirt when the door finally opened, admitting an Olivia that was more nicely dressed than Weiss had first given credit.

As always, Olivia wore a long sleeve top, currently in the form of a black turtleneck. This one however, was designed to utilize a small purple clasp around her throat. The bunched cloth was left open around her chest, leaving a clear view of perky cleavage that forced Weiss's eyes to dart away immediately. They traveled down instead, only drawing attention to a pair of well-toned thighs.

"So… nice enough?" Olivia asked, waiting for Weiss's response.

Weiss raised a hand to cough into it and clear her throat. "Nice enough for what, exactly?"

Olivia shrugged, "We're going out."

Weiss choked, now truly coughing into her hand. She waved Olivia away when the other girl approached in concern, and finally got a hold of herself long enough to let out a strangled, "W-What!?"

"You've been cooped up in here all day," Olivia explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Blake and Ruby already went out, and we've got no clue what they're doing. So it's just the two of us. Let's go do something."

Weiss let out a long breath, realizing Olivia hadn't suddenly been demanding one of the things she herself wanted most. 'We're just going out on the town. Gods, Olivia needs to work on her phrasing around me…' Or better yet, her reasons for saying those exact words.

"Did you have somewhere in mind?" Weiss gained control of herself and stood, hiding a portion of her previous anxiety by heading over to her own dresser. The idea of going anywhere alone with Olivia was still enticing. Even her question was only really posed in order to feign composure.

Olivia rubbed a hand against the back of her head, suddenly regaining that previous shyness she'd sported earlier. She raised her eyes to Weiss's along with a cautionary hand, holding it as if to ward off judgement.

"Don't laugh or anything, but…" Olivia winced as she spoke, "an... amusement park…? It wasn't my idea! Someone suggested we go!" She finished in a rush.

Weiss frowned, taking in Olivia's entire demeanor. The caution in the reveal, the choice of garb. Understanding surged to the forefront, and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow along with a friendly smirk, "Olivia, have you never been to an amusement park?"

Olivia's hand stilled against the back of her head, "...No."

"I haven't either. Sounds fun," Weiss admitted eagerly, turning to pull out a change of clothes for herself.

Olivia sent her a shocked expression, "You haven't?"

Weiss shrugged while rifling through her garments, "My father was always strict about how his children spent their time. If we weren't doing something that furthered our prestige then it wasn't worth considering. Dance recitals, singing lessons… They were the most I could talk him into, and that was after years of only ever doing as he said."

Olivia sat down on her desk chair in a slump, "Wow… I always sort of thought you just did whatever you wanted."

Weiss shook her head while bundling up her choice of outfit. "It was only ever what he wanted." She perked up, flashing Olivia a smile, "But, he isn't here now, is he? And I want to go to an amusement park. I'll be out in a few."

Olivia nodded her assent as Weiss stepped past into the bathroom. She got to work, stripping off the casual clothes she'd been wearing in the dorm to vie instead for a white, short sleeved blouse. A pair of light blue jeans came next, taking a bit of effort to work their way up her hips. Weiss let out a breath when they were finally buttoned and gave a little spin to look at herself in the mirror. Lastly, a pair of white high heels rounded off the outfit.

Weiss stepped back out to find Olivia still sitting at her desk. The application had vanished, tucked away somewhere to be displayed when Olivia was ready. Weiss spoke nothing of it and instead gave a little spin, showing off the outfit to her waiting teammate.

Olivia flashed her an appreciative smile, but had a touch of concern in her eyes. She kept smiling to make it apparent that what she said next wasn't meant as an insult, "Do all of your clothes have the Schnee snowflake on them?"

Weiss frowned and glanced over her shoulder, noticing that the blouse did indeed have the Schnee logo emblazoned across the back. She paused in thought, "...All of my clothes are specially tailored… Why? Is it a problem?" She couldn't help but sound a little defensive, even though she knew Olivia hadn't meant any offense.

Olivia shook her head, "Not exactly. It's just… have you seen how crazy it's gotten out there? I don't know if you want to draw too much attention when there are so many faunus rights' protestors marching in the streets."

Reminded of her own involvement with those riots, Weiss's excitement began to diminish. 'Should I really be enjoying myself right now?' Her paper rested on her desk, half finished list of ideas ready to implement if only she could pick up her scroll and face her father.

Olivia noticed her crestfallen expression and jumped up, grabbing Weiss by both shoulders to force the heiress's attention back on her. "No, nevermind! Not a problem! We'll just…" She looked around the room as if still thinking of a solution mid-sentence. Like a lightbulb going off, Weiss saw a glimmer of an idea behind Olivia's eyes. She let go and moved to her own dresser, rifling around inside for only a moment before withdrawing one of her own garments.

"How about my coat? It'll cover up the logo easily enough, and I bet black would look good on you." Olivia held up the coat that Weiss had seen her wear only once before, the first night after initiation. It was similar to the top of her own combat outfit, leaving the entirety of the chest exposed while only covering the arms and back.

Weiss couldn't help but blush slightly. She held her hand out to accept the garment, but was surprised when Olivia moved to help her put it on instead. She slipped a hand down one sleeve, and accepted Olivia's assistance when the faunus wrapped it around her to the other side.

Once it was on, Weiss peeked at herself in the mirror, taking a moment to appreciate the gesture. All things considered, black didn't look too bad on her. She wouldn't have said no, regardless. The coat was comfortable and warm, and Weiss couldn't stop from hugging herself in it momentarily.

"Th… This'll do…" Weiss finally replied, taking note that the material in the back did fulfill its purpose in covering up the Schnee logo.

"As an added bonus, it should scare away any prospective faunus mates. They'll catch my scent and know you've been claimed."

Weiss's cheeks turned beet red, and she spun to give Olivia a flustered look of surprise. The faunus was fighting to hold back a grin though, and Weiss realized all too late that she was only pulling her leg.

Olivia laughed good naturedly at Weiss's expression. She gave her head a little shake and walked to the door to hold it open for her, "Sorry, Princess. That's just one of those wild beliefs I've heard humans spread before. Faunus don't 'claim' anything with scents."

Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster and brushed haughtily past the other girl on her way out the door. She attached the rapier to her belt and stood with her arms folded until Olivia joined her, locking up their dorm on the way out. "Well, I would hope not. Besides, you already have a girlfriend anyway. I'm nobody's mistress."

Olivia gave a nonchalant wave of dismissal as they began to walk down the hall together. "I told you, she wasn't my girlfriend."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, "Wasn't? Past tense?"

"She dumped me this morning."

Weiss felt her heart skip a beat, but played it off as well as she could by trying to act casual. "I'm sorry to hear that… D-don't you need to be dating in order to get 'dumped', though?"

Olivia held a hand to her chin in thought, as if truly considering Weiss's words of wisdom. She flashed the heiress a smirk after a few moments, a familiar light sparking behind her eyes. "For my own sake, I think you're right. That brings the number of times I've been dumped back down to zero… Hurray for loopholes!"

Weiss scoffed at the girl's antics, but the topic did bring up something she'd been wondering for a while. "How many girls have you dated?"

"Hmmmmm," Olivia hummed out, glancing at Weiss while thinking hard on the number. She brought her hand up and started counting off fingers, finishing off one hand, then the other, then the first again. She trailed off in thought, eyes raising to the ceiling while trying to remember all of her past flings. Weiss's heart fell in her chest, wondering exactly how much more experienced Olivia really was compared to herself.

Finally, the faunus finished counting in her head. She nodded to herself, and Weiss gulped when Olivia turned to her with a serious expression.

"Including everyone I've ever been with, and subtracting Melanie thanks to your valuable insight… One."

Weiss felt her pent up anxiety release with a sudden laugh, and smacked Olivia lightly across the shoulder while shaking her head. "All that build up and you've only dated one girl? I thought you were more experienced than that?"

Olivia smiled and raised her hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. "Hey, there's plenty of fish in the sea… but not many of them ever really managed to catch my eye..."

"High standards?" Weiss asked in the most casual voice she could muster.

Olivia gave an uncomfortable shrug. "It's hard to find someone you can trust. And I was, well…" She glanced at Weiss uncertainly, but eventually shook her head, "Some other time."

'She was what?' Weiss had to admit to her own curiosity. It was getting to a point in their… friendship, where she was beginning to yearn to know what secrets she kept. Opening up had given Olivia so much relief before. What else could she be holding back?

Weiss stepped in closer, bumping a hip against Olivia before they began descending the stairs. "So?"

"So what?"

Weiss scoffed as if her question was obvious. "So, tell me about the girl. What made her special?"

Olivia took the lead, Weiss following close behind. "Nothing much, really. She was just my first."

"Your first as in…?" Weiss blushed when Olivia nodded confirmation.

"Yeah. I was young, and thinking more with my libido than anything. She would babysit for a married couple that lived nearby, and we met each other a few times in passing before anything happened that could have been considered an actual date." Olivia shook her head ruefully, "She was a year older and could see I was nervous, so she took charge when it came to planning everything."

"You letting someone else take charge? I never thought I'd see the day," Weiss teased.

Olivia gave the heiress a smug grin, "Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere. What about you, Princess? Any maids catch your fancy? Any sheets need cleaning after a quick romp in the sack?"

"C-certainly not," Weiss blustered.

"Really? So you're…?"

Weiss's silence was all Olivia needed to have her question answered. She gave Weiss a brief pitying look, "I don't mean to judge. Everyone goes at their own pace, after all, and there's no shame in waiting. Still, to never…?" She shook her head sadly.

"I…" Weiss fidgeted with the cuff of Olivia's coat sleeve, working up the courage to admit how truly inexperienced she was. "I didn't know until recently that… that I even liked girls… It was your book that opened my eyes…"

Olivia frowned in confusion. "I'm glad you learned something about yourself, Weiss, but what book are you talking about?"

Weiss frowned in return, "Uh… N-Ninjas of Love?"

Olivia laughed incredulously, "Princess, I don't read smut. Where'd you get that book from? It certainly isn't mine."

'Not Olivia's…? Then…' The truth of the matter flashed into Weiss's mind, a sudden realization that the book had been Blake's all along, and she'd been too ashamed to admit it. 'B-but then, when I read more…' Blake had left the room, knowing exactly what might happen when Weiss read further. She'd left, knowing…

Weiss smothered her face in her hands, blindingly hot embarrassment heating her cheeks to a crimson red. She could feel Olivia's eyes on her, the quiet snicker aching to leave her lips. Blake must have known all along what Weiss did that night. No amount of bleach or vanilla extract would have covered it up. Even without her faunus nose to fall back on, the other girl was smart enough to put two and two together.

"I-It must have been Blake's… She said she'd ask whether or not you minded if I borrowed it."

"Oh~?" Olivia grinned, "Maybe I'll ask her if I can borrow it. Must be a really steamy book if it managed to sexually awaken a prude like you."

"I'm not a prude," Weiss argued weakly, still too distraught over her previous realization to put much force into it.

Olivia held her hands up as if to drop the subject, "Sorry, Weiss. I won't tease you too much. Just let me know if you want help winning some girl's heart, alright? I told Ruby I'd show her the ropes and I have no problem extending that offer to you as well. Think of it as a... a bonus lesson for my half of our deal."

Weiss averted her eyes as Olivia held the dormitory building's door open for her. She looked to the ground in consideration, and waited until Olivia had stepped up beside her once more before gathering her courage to make a daring request. It was the next best thing, as far as she was concerned.

"Well, I… I think I'll take you up on that offer. We're going to an amusement park, so… Why don't you take this opportunity to teach me? Sh… Show me what you would do if it was a real date…?"

Olivia paused, looking Weiss over for a few moments before smiling. "If you're sure…?"

Weiss nodded, trying to keep her cheeks from heating.

"Well then! First thing's first," Weiss felt her heart stop as Olivia's hand brushed against her own, fingers intertwining to hold her hand in a soothing grip, "Hand holding is an important step. It helps the other girl become more comfortable with your presence, and will hopefully make her want to stay close to you." Olivia smirked, staring into Weiss's eyes, "Is it working?"

Weiss managed to recover her breath long enough to let out a quiet, "I-I'd say so… What's next?"

"Hmm," Olivia thought out loud, gently pulling Weiss along as they began to walk together towards the Bullheads. Weiss fought to not stare at the hand holding hers. She couldn't help but falter in her steps, heart beating a rapid drum beat inside her chest. "I'm not totally sure what there is to do at an amusement park. I guess we'll have to figure that out together, eh~?"

"I-I guess we will," Weiss spoke breathlessly.

Together, they boarded the Bullhead. Weiss was eternally grateful to see no other students on board. Seeing as the last time they'd been this close, Olivia had been adamant to make it seem like the two of them weren't remotely together. Weiss wouldn't have wanted a similar scenario to ruin what she currently had.

The Bullhead lifted off, and the pair descended towards Vale, towards their eventual destination.

In lieu of her current predicament, all thoughts of guilt firmly vacated Weiss's mind.

So, Olivia and Weiss are off on a date. Meanwhile, Ruby and Blake are MIA. Will the snowflake and spider hit it off at the amusement park while 'pretending' to be together? Will Ruby and Blake pull off their scheme and capture a terrorist?

Thanks for reading,

Sybaen