The back room of Tukson's Book Trade was even darker, with the only windows very high up, and opening into an alley. It was dusty, and there were still a few unpacked boxes lying around, one of them currently seating Blake Belladonna. Twiddling her thumbs, she waited, watching the door until Tukson entered, bringing two steaming cups of tea with him.
"There we are. I seem to recall this being an old favorite of yours."
"Always." said Blake, taking the offered cup while Tukson sat down on another box opposite.
"Sorry the place is so sparse. Haven't really had the money for furniture yet; just stocking the shelves nearly left me broke."
"Is this place new?" Blake asked, looking around.
"New-ish. I've been running it almost a month."
"How did you afford it?"
"Oh, I've been building a pretty little nest egg for years, since before I met you... well, not by much, but still."
She gave him a smile. "It suits you. You always did love books."
"I seem to recall we have that in common. Listen, as far as you're concerned, I want you to think of this place as a library. Call it the old friend's discount."
"Thanks." She was smiling more then she had in quite a while. It was almost as though nothing had changed... although, Blake reflected, she was glad it had.
"So where are you these days?" Tukson asked.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Beacon Academy."
Tukson choked on his tea. "Wow! Talk about moving up in the world! HA, Blake, I can't think of anywhere in the world that fits you more!"
"Really? I wasn't sure..."
"What? You, not sure about what you're doing with your life? I don't believe it for a second."
"No, no, that's not what I mean. I want to train, become stronger, fight for justice. I know all of that."
"You always did."
"I mean, the whole... school setting. Exposing myself like that, living a lie..."
"Oh. I see. I'm afraid I can't really help with that."
"It's fine. It's going pretty well, actually. I have a good team. I get good grades. I like it."
"You're making friends, then?"
"A few."
Tukson gave her an odd look, a smile slowly growing across his face.
"...What?"
"Nothing. Just..." he held up his hands theatrically. "Blake Belladonna, Huntress!"
"Sounds nice, right?"
"I think it sounds like you, Blake. I remember, you've been talking about fixing the world, this great broken thing it is, ever since I could lift you with one arm."
It was Blake's turn to smile again. "Let's be honest, Tukson, you can still lift me with one arm."
Tukson gave a hearty laugh, while Blake stood up and walked around the dusty storage room. "You don't have a backdoor," she observed. "Is there an exit upstairs?"
She had spotted a staircase in a foyer between the front and back areas of the store, which she assumed led up to where Tukson was living.
"No, just roof access." He drained what was left of his tea. "Front entrance is all I need, right?"
"I don't know... that doesn't seem safe. What if you need to get out the back?" She was now looking at the high, narrow windows, which seemed too small for even her to get through.
"What, you mean if there's a fire?"
"Or if you're attacked."
Tukson laughed again. "Who would attack me here?"
Blake turned to give him a concerned look. Tukson sighed.
"Blake, I'm going to be fine, relax." he stood up, grinning. "If anyone ever bothers me, I'll just let them know I'm friends with the best Huntress-in-training in Vale! Now, come on up front, I wanted to show you some of the new inventory."
The sunset over Beacon Academy was always stunning, reflecting off of the emerald-tinted windows and striping the courtyard in long shadows. Blake sat high above the view, admiring it from a narrow, curved ledge on the side of the main tower. The ledge had caught her attention for it's seclusion; there appeared to be no visible way to get onto it, no doors, hatches or windows. Even Blake had only gotten up with some help from Gambol Shroud and no small amount of agility.
She considered the solitude to be worthwile, however. Although she had very much enjoyed the last month spent with Team RWBY (She was discovering how very difficult it was not to be overcome with team spirit when that team was led by Ruby Rose), she still found that there were most certainly times when she needed her privacy. Between Ruby's energy, Weiss's occassionally antagonistic attitude, and Yang's insistence that something fun be going on all the time, she was finding her newfound friendships to be rather... draining.
And yet, paradoxically, it was in these moments of quiet that she found herself unable to think of anything else besides Ruby, Weiss and Yang. She was finding herself getting increasingly sucked into this new life she had chosen for herself. She kept telling herself this was a good thing, and yet... something wouldn't stop bothering her... she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something creeping up on her, something that she wouldn't see coming until it was right behind her...
"Good evening, Ms. Belladonna."
Blake jumped to her feet and whirled around. "AH! Professor Ozpin!"
And there he stood, cane and all, on the same curved ledge she had thought so inaccessible.
"I'm sorry if I startled you." he said calmly.
"How did you get up here!?"
He smiled. "A headmaster has his ways."
The gravity of who she was talking to set in very suddenly. This was the first time she had actually spoken directly to Professor Ozpin. She was a bit unsure what to expect. "You seem contemplative," he said. "Anything I can help with?"
"No, it's nothing." She paused awkwardly. "Thank you anyway."
Ozpin looked around. "This is a good place to be with your thoughts. I come up occasionally, and tell myself I'm keeping an eye on my students. It's quite silly, of course. Most of them are indoors, and I can't really see them from here... but it's comforting, I suppose." He looked back down at her. "And yourself?"
"I... guess it's a quiet place to read."
He smiled. "Yes. In a school with a large library and dozens of vacant classrooms, I imagine quiet reading spots are hard to come by."
She stared at the courtyard below, watching several butterflies make their final rounds around the flowerbeds as the sun set. She could feel Ozpin's searching gaze. What is he after? Does he know what I'm hiding? Does he suspect?
"Fascinating creatures."
Blake looked at him in surprise. "What? Which ones?"
"The butterflies. You were looking at them."
"Oh... of course."
"They change everything about themselves. Shed everything that they used to be, even leave their very bodies behind. And do you know what, Blake?"
She didn't answer, just watching him in silence as he continued:
"I think they come out stronger for the experience."
"I... suppose?"
Ozpin chuckled. Blake felt a bit confused. She supposed she had missed something important.
"Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts, Ms. Belladonna."
Blake looked back out across the courtyard. Well that was... different. Odd. But... I guess there was supposed to be a lesson in there? I'm not sure I understand... maybe I should just ask.
She turned around. "Professor Oz-"
He was gone.