Humming.

Someone was humming.

Blake let her eyelids drift open gently — even that infinitesimal movement was enough to send pickles of pain down her entire body. Weary, she took note of her surroundings.

This definitely wasn't Master Cardin's house, which answered at least one of her questions.

The room was the most ornately decorated room she had ever seen and yet, while it was decorated tastefully, at the same time, it seemed so sterile. The walls were painted an ivory white, embellished only slightly with small snowflakes. There was stone pillars around the corners of the room. The wall-long window on the opposite side of the room sported a majestic ruby drape. Red seemed to be the highlight colour of the room. It was there in little places all around. A single red couch of two white ones set around the glass coffee table, the red carpet over the white marble floor… There were pieces of black here and there as well. The long couch was an onyx black. The fireplace was made with black stone. There were the obligatory paintings on the wall — one of the forbidden forest, another, it seemed to Blake at least, was an abstract interpretation of dust crystals.

So the decor was cultured and refined, and yet, it had no personality.

Blake's fingers went to her neck, pausing just before she made contact with anything. For a moment, she let herself hope that the collar wasn't there. That maybe, she was free. That she did see an angel. Alas, her fingers drifted over a new velvet collar until it felt a cool metal tag. She rubbed her thumb over the embossed design, the her new owner's emblem was a snowflake.

So she got rid of one owner, just to move on to the next. But that was alright, wasn't it? This one couldn't be possibly be worse than Ma— Cardin, just Cardin. Blake would sooner slit her own throat than give her old owner any of that respect he demanded but never deserved. Blake's eyes drifted over to the bandages over her arms. No, this new owner was kind, probably.

The new owner that had Cardin trembling in his pants.

Better not take any unnecessary risks. Blake reminded herself.

She was still humming. Blake noted, turning her attention back towards her hearing. The humming was muffled by the pitter-patter of water droplets. Then, the pitter-patter stopped and Blake picked up on the squeaking of a shower door being pushed open, and the fumbling around for towels and clothing.

A surge of panic rose up from within Blake. Her new owner was coming out. How should she present herself? Pretend to still be asleep? That wouldn't do. She couldn't pretend to be asleep forever.

After a moment of indecision, she sat herself upright into a kneeling position on the bed, her hands on her knees, just in time.

The angel had arrived.

"Mistress," Blake greeted, bowing her head and staring at the bedsheets under her.

"I am not your mistress," was the icy reply. Blake could hear the angel shuffle and cross her arms.

Blake bit back a whimper. She could do this. Just make a good first impression. Still not daring to look up, she opened her mouth to ask how to properly address her new owner, but then decided against it. Her… non-mistress hadn't said she could speak yet. Instead, she just waited.

"You can call me Weiss," the angel spoke finally, walking towards the bed in a fluid motion. Her gait was accompanied by the scent of cool jasmine, refreshing Blake's mind. "You can look at me. I will not hurt you."

Blake lifted her gaze to settle on a girl with the most beautiful countenance she had ever encountered. Her silvery hair had been let down. It cascaded in waves down behind the petite frame. The angel's features were flawless — as though they had been chiselled and polished by a renowned sculpture. The angel's expression, however, was a mask. The pale blue eyes seemed to look straight into Blake without revealing any secrets of their own. The thin lips were ever so slightly curled, softening the intense gaze.

"Lady Weiss," Blake murmured, nodding her head in acknowledgement.

"Just Weiss," the angel corrected once again.

Cardin.

It's Master Cardin to beasts like you.

Blake didn't respond.

"Alright, call me whatever you feel comfortable with. Except Mistress," Lady Weiss shuddered, "God that makes me sound old." Weiss rambled on, her fingers drifted absentmindedly to Blake's hair, trailing through the silky strands.

Blake didn't move.

"What shall I call you?" Weiss spoke suddenly, abruptly stopping her hands and folding her arms in front of her.

"Whatever you wish to call me."

"I want to call you by your name," Weiss affirmed, her lips pursed in what Blake interpreted as annoyance, impatience.

"Blake," the Faunus answered quickly.

"Alright, Blake."

Then the most amazing thing happened.

The angel smiled.

It was like a ray of light illuminated the room. It was a smile that brightened the room, lifted the weight of the air. It softened all the harder edges of the angel's face. It created an innocence Blake didn't want to shatter.

Blake wished the angel would smile all the time.

"I have clothing for you to change into," Weiss' voice cleared Blake's awe and brought her attention to the dirty rags she was still wearing. The dirty rags she had worn on the angel's perfectly white sheets — well, they weren't perfectly white anymore. Before Blake could wallow in her dread, Weiss continued. "And the shower is open. I tried my best with your wounds but did not want to do to much while you were unconscious. I think I got most of the glass and dirt out though. I will reapply the bandages after you clean up. Can you make it across the room? Or do you need help?"

"I can do it," Blake responded, not wanting to bother the angel anymore than she had to. Ignoring the shooting pain, she set herself off the bed, waited just a moment for the dizziness to clear, then stepped lightly away from the bed.

"Alright then, it is just through that door. I will be back with your clothes," Weiss spoke over her shoulder, making her way out the room.

She was gone before Blake could say 'thank you'.

Breathe, just breathe. Weiss had everything under control. Totally. Perfectly. She didn't think she had come off as that intimidating. She tried not to. Although that first snap, "I'm not your mistress", probably wasn't one of her friendliest moments, it went well after that. Probably.

Weiss paced around in front of the door to the shower. The Faunus' clothing was folded in a neat pile and sent underneath the door. The first-aid kit was ready and placed on the bedside table. She had changed the sheets and sent the dirty laundry to be cleaned.

Of course everything went well. That is, until Weiss' hand developed a mind of its own and basically molested the girl. That must have come off as creepy — that hair touching. Cardin probably did it all the time, touching the poor girl without her permission whenever he fancied it. Weiss had done it twice now. Weiss normally never did things like that. Weiss was all about the personal space. She understood the need for privacy. But Blake's hair, god, it just called to her.

Blake.

What a lovely name. Completely suited to the Faunus girl.

"My lady," a voice Weiss was growing quite used to hearing called out.

Except that wasn't her name.

Biting back a reprimand, Weiss did after all tell the girl to call her whatever she pleased, Weiss turned to Blake, "Blake— wow, you clean up nicely."

"Thank you," Blake bowed, her ears folded over meekly and her hands crossed in front of her. The silk garments were so soft she could barely even feel them. Not to mention the hot water in the shower and soap. Blake couldn't even begin to express her gratitude.

"Come over and sit on the bed, I want to dress your wounds," Weiss directed, moving to sit on the bed as well. "Hold out your arm, like that," Weiss instructed when Blake had padded over onto the bed. "This might sting a bit," Weiss warned before she began disinfecting the wounds.

They continued like that in a comfortable silence. The only exchanges being Weiss ordering Blake to hold out the other limb, or shift to the side. Occasionally, Weiss could pick out a whimper that Blake couldn't muffle. Weiss figured out quickly that Blake pretended to be stronger than she was. She gave off this air of mystery that made her seem capable, calculated. Yet, underneath, Weiss sensed a vulnerability that had been tucked away, cast aside, left to fester. Blake was incredibly intriguing.

"How old are you?" Weiss asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Blake's ears perked up in surprise, a quirk that Weiss found endearing. "Seventeen," Blake answered smoothly.

"Really? You are the same age as me," Weiss noted, just finishing dressing a wound. When Blake didn't comment, Weiss continued, "You can talk you know. You don't need my permission."

"Thank you, my lady."

Weiss flinched, then continued. "Where are you from?"

"A village on the outskirts of Vale," Blake answered after a moment's thought.

"Oh, how did you end up with Cardin?"

"Slavers," Blake responded.

"Alright?" Weiss prodded expectantly, meeting Blake's yellow eyes with her pale blue ones.

"I mean, just that, it, I don't quite remember?" Blake stammered, reflexively pulling away and shrinking.

"Hush," Weiss soothed, her hand grabbing hold of Blake's. "Everything is alright. You are alright. I will not force you to tell me something you don't want to," Weiss spoke firmly, capturing Blake's eyes. "Alright?"

"Alright," Blake repeated, her voice breaking slightly. She could feel tears crashing behind her eyes and she was trying desperately to keep them in.

"Look, let's set up some ground rules so we understand each other, alright?" Weiss continued, setting aside the first aid kit but never letting go of Blake's hand. "I won't ever hurt you for speaking your mind or telling the truth. I won't ever hurt you for asking questions or making honest mistakes. I won't make you do things you aren't comfortable with. In return, I just ask that you don't steal from me or try to kill me in my sleep."

"What?" Blake's eyes widened and the first tear rolled down her cheek at Weiss' nonchalant statement. "I wouldn't— I mean, steal? Have people, kill you?" Blake's mind couldn't think straight. The emotions were overwhelming her. She was never a really emotive person. It took a lot to get her to cry. But this, this was wave upon wave of emotion. She couldn't deal with it. She had never had to.

Weiss' next action hit her even harder in the gut.

The angel gave the Faunus a sad smile. "Alright?"

Blake nodded bravely, steeling her emotions.

"Alright."

That was when the damn broke.