Cleanliness, Confusion, and Rest

First real chapter referencing She Who Fights Monsters. Spoilers for those who haven't read it, but you should be able to work out from the context what happened without needing to read it if you don't wish to.

They didn't talk after Tukson dropped them off on a random street corner. Blake simply checked a map on her scroll, nodded once, and then guided her back towards their hotel.

It was an even longer walk than their first trip had been. Nearly two hours passed before they made it even to the neighborhood the hotel was in, Pyrrha feeling... unusually irritable by the time they made it back. It was the way her clothes had dried, both in how they clung to her and how they smelled.

Certainly it can't because of just how this day has gone.

She... may have been slightly in denial. And very frustrated with herself. And fate. And... a bit with Blake.

You were the one who involved yourself. She gave you several chances to not get involved. You're being childish because she made you back down from a fight.

Their walk was slowed further when Blake took random turns, glanced over her shoulder constantly, and twice actually had them walk back the way they'd just come.

"Just making sure we aren't followed." The other girl murmured after the second event, their feet finally carrying them back into the faunus quarter. "Nearly there."

Pyrrha nodded without speaking, not sure she really trusted herself to speak just yet. Apparently knowing that she was being juvenile about something didn't allow her to simply stop feeling that way. It did, sadly, leave her feeling rather awful for even slightly blaming the other girl for something that Pyrrha herself had gotten into the middle of. And for doing something sensible to save Tukson, even if it burned Pyrrha's pride to have backed down from mere criminals she was certain she could have handled.

The pair of them slipped in through the side door with Blake's key, making it to their room without running into any of the staff or guests. Stepping inside first, Pyrrha turned to see Blake setting both of the locks.

"Do you mind terribly if I shower first?" Pyrrha asked.

The other girl didn't respond. Didn't turn away from the door.

"Blake?"

Dark hair shifted when her head shook. That was a little odd, but it grew alarming when Blake brought her hands up in front of her face. Her shoulders started shaking a moment later, matching the muffled noises barely getting out.

Oh gods.

Pyrrha moved forward without thinking, her own troubles forgotten. "Blake!"

"I'm-I'm fine!"

No she wasn't. Pyrrha went to grab her shoulders only to gasp when her hands went right through her. A moment later the Blake in front of her faded away into nothing, and she realized there was a second Blake sinking to the ground in the corner.

Semblance? How upset is she to use it now?

"Blake?"

Her friend had buried her face in her arms, knees drawn up to her chest. Feline ears twitched madly in time with the choked sounds coming out of her.

Biting her lip, Pyrrha slowly settled down onto a knee. Reaching out cautiously with one hand, she gently settled a hand on Blake's arm. It was warm, real, and didn't fade away. "Blake?"

"So... stupid! How could I have been so stupid!?"

"About... today?"

The scream was muffled but still loud. "All of it!"

Wincing at the volume, she crept a bit closer. "It's... it's all right. Things will be all right."

"You don't know that! You don't know anything!" Blake head snapped up, tear filled eyes glaring at her. "You just, you just stumbled into this because you were bored! You don't know the first thing about what it means!"

Pyrrha flinched back. "I..."

What could she say? Blake wasn't wrong. She didn't know what it really meant, because she didn't really know what was going on. She'd just... gone along with what was happening, and refused to not be involved in something that was quite clearly important to Blake.

"I lived for the White Fang, for faunus rights!" Blake ranted, "I gave up so much for it! I gave up everything for it! And... and it was all a lie! It's all just...just... just spite and rage! You have no idea what realizing that feels like!"

Pyrrha shrank back further, only for Blake to push herself up, leaning in as her voice rose to a shriek. "The man I thought I loved killed my best friend, he killed her! And he told me a Huntsman did it! Promised me we'd avenge her! Swore it! And I believed his lies about it!"

The words made her gasp, fingers flying to her own lips. Blake didn't seem to realize what she'd just admitted... until she did.

Then her eyes welled with tears once more, and she topped back against the wall, sobbing uncontrollably. Operating on nothing more than the vague idea that she had to do something, Pyrrha crept closer once again.

Blake didn't say anything more when Pyrrha tentatively touched her. Or when she gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She just cried without any attempt to hide it, staring blankly at the floor while the tears ran down her cheeks. Pulling her closer had her turn slightly, leaning into the embrace.

"I'm sorry." It was the only thing she could offer. "I'm sorry."

Dark hair shifted with the tiniest of shakes of her head.

Right. Best not to speak now.

She fell quiet, just holding the other girl as she cried.

Pyrrha wasn't sure how long they sat there like that. Blake increasingly letting her head fall until it was on her shoulder, her own tipping until her cheek was resting between two soft cat ears. It wasn't until she checked the clock later that she knew more than an hour passed before Blake's breathing steadied into a calm, slow rhythm.

"...I shouldn't have screamed at you." The whisper managed to be nearly as loud as her screaming had been.

"It's all right."

"No, it's not all right." Blake let out the tiniest of huffs. "You're... actually trying to help me. You didn't deserve that."

Pyrrha felt herself smile a little, that rare honesty slipping out once again. "No. You're not wrong. I... I forced myself along because... because I was bored, and tired, and I thought... I don't know what I thought."

"That you're rich and know better than me?"

"No. Well... no. I think.. I think I just wanted an adventure." She paused, then admitted. "And... I know my parents would have hated it."

Blake sniffled quietly. "How was the adventure?"

"Fun. Confusing. Worrying."

"You missed terrifying."

Another smile. "I wasn't afraid. I'm a Nikos."

"Not even when two professional huntsmen cornered us in a flooded basement?"

"No. I found that rather... exciting really." She frowned. "Except for the part where you dragged me away. I was rather annoyed with you. I've never retreated from a fight in my entire life, and I was... I am, very put out about that. I would like a rematch to prove myself."

"...I wasn't any happier, but Tukson wasn't going to stay." Blake admitted as well. "And I... I couldn't afford to try and make him to fight. He knows more than he managed to say, and without aura..."

Pyrrha nodded ever so slightly, feeling one ear twitch against her cheek. "About your friend's death?"

"...yes. And maybe more besides."

"Is... that what all of this is about? Finding her killer?"

"No. I..." Blake sucked in a long breath, then let it out. "He was the one on the train with me, when we met. I left him behind. I'm not... I'm not strong enough to fight him, and even if I was..."

She loved him, once.

After a few silent moments she found her voice again, going on, "But I can find evidence of what happened. Tell people in the White Fang who aren't as far gone as he is. I can stop whatever they're doing in Vale. I can be ready for Beacon. I can make Ilia proud of me, wherever she is now."

Pyrrha nodded again. "What's our next step then?"

"Pyrrha... you shouldn't be involved in this."

"I am involved."

There was a tiny growl. "You shouldn't be. We barely know each other. I owe you. I owe you a lot, that's why I don't want to drag you any further into this. I'll call Ozpin, see if he can find a Hunter who can take you in for the summer."

That would be the smart thing to do. The wise thing to do.

"It wouldn't be right. You need help."

A longer, louder groan of utter frustration came with a little jab of an elbow into her side. "Why are you being stubborn about this?"

"Because you're the first friend I've had since..." She paused, thinking hard on it. "...I can't even remember. Since I was seven or eight, maybe?"

Silence. Then it was Blake's turn to shake her head, "I liked you better when I thought you were an uptight rich girl looking to cut loose with regular people before someone dragged you back to your palace."

Pyrrha let out a quiet giggle. "Did I really come across like that?"

"For about five seconds, then you started apologizing for things I still don't understand." Blake muttered. "Let me up, please. I'm still going to try and talk you out of it, but we should shower. And change. And wash these clothes."

Nodding, she carefully pulled away, frowning a little when she suddenly felt rather cold. Standing made her legs and arms shake a little; she'd been sitting awkwardly for too long, and everything felt rather stiff.

"May I shower first?" She asked once they were both upright. When Blake nodded, she tried to make a little joke. "Do I need to hide the lien this time?"

Blake's cheeks colored slightly. "No, I'll be here when you get out."

That made her smile, "Good. It was very lonely without you."

For some reason that made her redden further. "Just... go shower. I'm going to call Beacon's help line, see if I can get someone over to Tukson's book store to take care of those idiots we left locked up."

I forgot again! "Do you think they're all right? I kept forgetting to remind you to call someone!"

"Pyrrha," Two hands rose in a calming gesture. "It's been four hours, at most. They're fine. Probably annoyed and uncomfortable, but they're fine."

"Oh. You're sure?"

"Yes. Now go shower or I'm taking it."

It was her turn to flush, grabbing one of her spare set of clothes before retreating to the bathroom. With her new hairstyle it was a far less laborious process to wash it, even if cleaning off the dark makeup took up some of the time she'd saved. She did both as quickly and mechanically as she could, doing her best to not think about anything.

Is she really going to be out there? Am I really going to...

Of course she was going to help her. She'd come this far, it wasn't a question. She just... wanted to know more of the details in advance this time. And have a better idea as to what the real plan would be to get them through the summer months.

The real question was if Blake would let her help, and if she would actually be there when she came out of the bathroom this time.

She held on to her patience long enough to pull slacks and a red shirt on, but it snapped before she could dry her hair or face.

Please still be here, please still be here... oh thank the gods!

"...I didn't go looking for trouble, Miss Goodwitch." Blake barely glanced at her, instead pacing furiously back and forth in the small room. "I just wanted to buy some books, and see if the owner could get in touch with my parents for me."

Whatever came out of the speaker made her wince while Pyrrha settled on to her bed, toweling her hair.

"I'm not lying, Professor! If I'd known the White Fang would be there I'd have avoided it." Pyrrha couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at the audacity of the falsehood, which made Blake scowl at her. One hand rose to cover the scroll, "Don't say it."

A startled giggle was her only response, Blake's eyes rolling as she went back to the conversation. "Yes, she's here too. No, she's laying low to avoid attention. Thank you for your help, we're going to get dinner. Goodbye."

Pyrrha could just barely make out a woman's voice from the tiny speakers, "Don't you dare hang up that-"

Blake ended the call, then blatantly turned the device off when it began to ring again. "Don't say it."

"Um... I'm not even sure what to say."

"Good. Stick with that. Do you have anything else I could wear?"

"Just my sleepwear, everything else needs a wash."

"That's fine. We can order food in, probably smarter to stay here for the next day or so." Blake started for the bag she was still keeping her things in, then glanced at her.

Guessing she wanted permission, Pyrrha waved for her to go ahead. "Is Miss Goodwitch going to send someone to arrest those people?"

"She said so before she started telling me off for fighting them." Pulling Pyrrha's pajama shirt and pants out, Blake carefully held them as she started for the bathroom. "I'll toss what I'm wearing out before I get in. Can you take them to wash? And my old clothes in my bag?"

"Of course!"

Blake gave her one last grateful smile, then ducked into the bathroom. Humming happily to herself, Pyrrha resumed drying her hair until she heard the door open and then close once again. After that it was a short little walkabout to pick up their various clothes, make sure she had her key, and then heading out to the hotel's small laundry.

One of the housekeepers, a handsome older gentleman with a rat's tail protruding from his slacks, took them with a smile. "A rush order, or will in the morning be sufficient?"

"The morning will be fine." She replied cheerfully. "Thank you!"

He beamed at her. "Such a polite young woman, as always, Miss White. Thank you for choosing the Wall Hotel."

It was so nice to be able to do simple things like this on her own. Without being rebuked for talking with people below her station, without being told to be quiet and let them do their jobs.

Blake was still showering when she got back, as she had more or less expected. Laying down on her bed, she picked up the guide book with nearby restaurants from the nightstand. She'd glanced over it once or twice, but she hadn't allowed herself to think of ordering with so much of her money gone.

Now that it had been brought back, it seemed a fine way to celebrate her first friendship. Even if that first friend was an admitted terrorist, and even if they... probably did need to talk quite a bit more about what they were doing.

Pyrrha Nikos Finds Refuge with White Fang! The imaginary headline made her giggle quietly, if only for the absurdity of it.

"What would you think of that, father?" She wondered out loud. "How would you spin the news?"

That his pride, the pride of Mistral, would sooner run away from home to befriend a wanted terrorist than stay one more day under his roof.

He would find a way, I'm sure. He was always good at that.

Shaking her head a little, she went back to reading through the little booklet. She didn't know what Blake would want, but nearly all of it sounded good to her. Which made sense... she hadn't eaten since this morning and was becoming very aware of that.

Fifteen minutes later Blake emerged, her own towel wrapped around her head, padding over. "Food?"

"Food." Pyrrha confirmed, holding out the book. "What about this one?"

Blake took it, glancing over it once before nodding. "Salmon dinner with rice. Can you order on the room's phone? I'd rather not use my scroll more than I have to."

She could, and did.

Forty minutes later they were both seated on opposite beds, styrofoam boxes open as they ate their meals. The burger that Pyrrha had ordered may have been one of the unhealthiest things she'd ever eaten, which only seemed to make it taste so much better. She wolfed the entire thing down well before Blake finished, forcing herself to slow down a bit as she progressed to the fries that had come with it.

"Are we going to talk now?" She asked when Blake put her plastic fork aside with a pleased little groan.

"We should. May I go first?"

"Of course!"

Blake nodded, pushing her meal to the corner of the bed before settling back. "What are you really doing here, Pyrrha?"

For a second she felt her true smile falter, then she quickly slid her mask on to replace it. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"In Vale. In this room." Blake paused, then added. "From what you've said to me, and Ozpin, I'm... guessing you don't have a good relationship with your parents."

Understatement.

"...no, not really."

"That's why you left Mistral?"

"...yes." She admitted quietly. "I... I'm sorry. It's hard to say."

Blake swallowed, then looked away. "The last time I saw my parents... I called them cowards to their face. I told them they'd betrayed the cause. That I'd rather live with Sienna Khan then ever stay with them again."

Pyrrha bowed her head, mouth working silently. There was no way she could refuse to answer now. Not after that.

It was still most of a minute before she found her own voice. "I... I don't remember loving my parents. I barely remember liking them. I'm just... I'm their dancing puppet. Their doll. They pull the strings, I dance in the arena, and money falls into their hands."

"...oh."

"I don't have friends. Just... people after my fame, the wealth they think I have." Her hands clenched into fists before she forced them to relax. "I used to love it. The cheers, the fights, the rush of it all. But... by the time of my last victory, it was just... just a chore. One more item to tick off the schedule prepared by others before I was bundled off to smile and wave. To do everything except for what I actually enjoyed, all because..."

She couldn't finish saying. Even if she'd known it inside for years, could think it... she still couldn't say it.

Blake's weight shifted across from her, voice quiet, almost gentle. "So you ran."

"So when I turned seventeen, when there was the smallest window where I had no obligations, no commitments." Pyrrha nodded without looking at her. "It... I knew I wasn't ready. That I didn't have enough money, that I didn't know anything about Vale. I'm not that foolish. But..."

"It was your only chance to run. I think I can understand that part, at least."

"The train?" She guessed, looking up in time to see Blake wince.

"Yes. It was... the timing was terrible. I didn't have an excuse to take lien with, or supplies. But it was going to be the only time I was away with just one other person with. If I hadn't... I don't know when, or if, I'd have had another chance."

I was right. She was just as desperate for help as I was.

She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad way to start a friendship. It seemed better than a lot of other ways at least.

"Well," She tried to sound optimistic. "We have that in common at least."

Blake smiled faintly. "Yeah. Guess we do. So you're here to get away from your parents, live your own life?"

"...something like that." Pyrrha bit her lip, "I know it's... that this is temporary. That eventually it will get out where I am. But I want this to last as long as it can."

"This meaning... what?" Blake pressed. "Being so bored in a hotel room that you helped an ex-White Fang member investigate her friend's murder?"

Pyrrha shifted her weight. "Well, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but I think it worked out. I found a friend, didn't I?"

"...I think you may have." Blake hedged. "Are you sure you want to help me with this? It's going to be dangerous."

She smiled. "Do you really think that will dissuade me?"

"...no, but I felt like I had to try. And... I do need the help. So... I think we should get some sleep, and tomorrow we start working on the best way to stop the White Fang in Vale." Blake paused, then added. "Without drawing attention. Or getting arrested. Or getting spotted by the Beacon Professor who definitely knew I was lying to her."

"That sounds grand to me!" Pyrrha beamed. "Where will we start?"

"I've got a few ideas on that."

Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."

Thanks, Kat