The wind-chill stated it was nearly fifteen below zero. Artic winds were gusting in from the north, bringing with them a rather sudden storm. While not uncommon to see snow in the middle of fall, it was causing havoc on all major roads. Snow and ice were falling at an alarming rate, and the SDC plows were struggling to keep up. Atlas natives were used to this angry weather, and went about their day without a care in the world.
Tourists called off their travels, stranded until further notice. Blake shivered, wrapping her bow around her ears as she made her way to the mail box. She'd been checking it every single day, waiting eagerly for the paperwork from her blood tests. Every morning at breakfast, her dour mood proved that the packet of information hadn't come.
"Blaaakkke!" Ruby complained, hip deep in cold white fluff. "Hurry up…" Toppling forward, she crashed into the drift, fumbling around before standing back up.
"I'm trying." She called over her shoulder, but the snow reached her thighs too, slowing her down. Inside, a yellow envelope waited for her. Sealed in triplicate and coated with a red dust bar-code. If a scroll without clearance tried to open it, or, if the package was forced open, the information inside would combust. Hugging the package to her chest, she made her way back to the house, and inside.
"Ruby, do me a huge favor…" Blake said quietly. "Tell Weiss I want to take breakfast in the library, and ask her to meet me there."
"But I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight." Ruby lamented, shaking the snow off of herself to the best of her ability.
"I know, and I normally wouldn't ask that, but there are no strangers in the house right now. Please?" Blake asked, rubbing her hands together, trying to keep them warm as she continued to hug the parcel. "This is really important."
Ruby narrowed her eyes. Blake looked excited. "Well, okay, but If I get in trouble, I'm telling Weiss it's your fault."
"Thanks Ruby." Blake said, pulling the girl into a hug before charging down the hall to one of her most favorite rooms in the house. With great care, she used her scroll to scan the dust-infused bar-code, dispelling it completely. Then she tore her way inside the packaging, revealing a thick stack of medical transcripts. With baited breath, she flipped passed the first few pages, coming to what she had been looking for.
Her family ancestry, of which, there were multiple pages.
Like most Faunus, her family line was as wide spread and varied as they came. She didn't understand the scientific names, but immediately looked them up. Palms flat on the table, she looked down at the series of encyclopedias and took a breath. She was so distracted, she didn't even notice Weiss coming up from behind her. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, wonderful in fact." Blake said "It's just..."
"So, what are you?" Weiss asked, as if she were asking about nationality, and not a specie of cat.
"Actually, I'm a mix of different breeds." Blake replied, almost in awe. One of her great-great grandfathers had the bloodline of a clouded leopard. One of her great-great grandmothers hailed from the Atlas north, carrying the bygone sabretooth blood in her vines. Through the generations though, her big cat ancestry thinned out, marrying into more domestic breeds. Both her father and her mother were heavily of that variety…and so too was Blake. "I never realized how far back my bloodline went. I mean, it had to have, really...but, it's so different seeing it for the first time."
"Hey, look…this says you've got human blood in you too." Weiss pointed to a name on the list.
"All Faunus do nowadays…that's why we don't look like this anymore…" Blake murmured, flipping to a page in a history book that showed a sixth generation Faunus male. A lion variety. He was fully covered in fur, his face much more catlike, teeth predatory. He stood proudly on two legs, but there was no mistaking him for a human at all, even if he had hands and feet. "See? It's just a matter of degree."
Weiss let her fingers run across the picture, amazed by the image. Faunus history was not something she was well acquainted with, at least, not something so far removed. She frowned, thinking of the echoes of the past. It made a horrifying sort of sense that they dragged into today. No wonder humans thought so poorly of Faunus…and no wonder Faunus had struggled to find their place most places within Remnant…Weiss couldn't imagine it…and looking at Blake, she found herself awestruck.
"Weiss?" Blake asked, seeing the shimmering wetness in those deep blue eyes.
The shorter woman shook her head. "It's nothing."
"It's something." Blake said softly as Weiss embraced her. She returned it fully, having no idea why Weiss was on the verge of tears.
It was a long held saying in Atlas that came to mind. Weiss spoke it now, the bitterness in her voice clear and unmistakable. "Just something I'd always heard growing up. A Faunus is a Faunus, and that is all they will ever be." She didn't dare look back down at that book, because if she did, she'd only re-affirm what she saw there. A race of people, who at one time couldn't have blended in, even if they wanted to. "Blake, this photo is thousands of years old. Even mankind hails from animal evolution. How much more human do Faunus have to look before it'll be enough?"
"It might never be." Blake held Weiss more tightly.
Weiss made one of the most undignified grumbles Blake had ever heard, as Weiss forced their palms together. "There's no difference…"
"Well, there is, actually." Blake said softly. "My hand is bigger than yours, and I wear nail polish."
"Wonderful, I married a smartass."
"Better than a dumbass."
"How do you always mange to do that?" Weiss asked imperiously, eyes closed as she leaned into Blake's touch. "You seems to take the strangest things so well."
"It's because you honestly don't see a difference between us." Blake explained, the lightness in her voice simple and at ease. "It's hard to feel discriminated against when the people surrounding me love me as much as you do. Times are changing Weiss, and I'd have to be blind not to see that. I know Faunus have a long way to go. I won't stop doing all I can, but, if I'm not grateful for every small step forward that we do make, I'd never be happy."
Blake was right, of course. Too many people had fight for their lives in order to find some small measure of happiness. The battle for equality was a long, uphill struggle. It wasn't one forged over a matter of years. Instead it would be hard won, and forever cherished. It was with that renew sense of vigor that Weiss returned to her office with her blood nearly set on fire.
She leaned over her desk, pouring over that new company policy she wanted to set into motion.
She wanted Faunus to be allowed to buy and sell SDC stock, plain and simple. She wanted it so badly she could taste it…and, maybe Blake was right. Maybe it was too soon, but Weiss would still throw every law firms she knew at that damnable clump of papers. She would do it until they were ironclad and watertight as they could be. If Blake said it wasn't ready, then it wasn't, but Weiss would damn well get it to that point.
"Weiss…Weiss? Uh, boss, you there? Uh-oh...uh, Helloooo…Icy Weissy…ICE QUEEN!"
Weiss lifted herself up from her spot at her desk, blinking at the soft buzzing of the intercom. Reaching over tiredly, she sighed. Falling asleep at her desk was never a good sign. "What is it, Yang?"
"Unlock the door before I tear it down." Yang said, her fist landing heavily on the oak door not moments later. Weiss pressed the green button on her desk, unlocking the door so that Yang came barreling in like a raging bull. At least the door was mostly safe. "What's the matter with you, stupid?"
"Watch the insul-" Weiss bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood when she saw the time. She was supposed to go home three hours ago. "Why didn't you tell me it was this late?!"
"Because I just got back from dealing with Ironwood's newest lackey. Never mind that, though, the goonies I posted outside of your door told me you ordered them not to bother you." Yang huffed a breath, this day was not going as well as she had been hoping for. "We'd better get home so that you can kiss some ass."
"I'll be doing more than that."
"Only if she even lets you as far as the bedroom door."
Weiss didn't even have to question the truth of that statement as the two of them darted out of the company headquarters. They almost forgot to lock the doors behind them. Blake couldn't keep her shift working as a security guard. The aura inhibitors made it too dangerous for her to keep her job. She had to stay home while Weiss and Yang went to work at the offices. The company closed at six, and Weiss had promised never to stay later than eight on business days.
Somehow, she'd lost track of time.
Thankfully, Yang was a speed demon, reckless as they came, and plowed down the icy roads like a suicidal maniac on a good day. She had no problem making it back to the manor in record time. Weiss could have sworn she left her heart, and her stomach, somewhere back on the highway. Entering her now quiet home, she looked around. If Blake wasn't waiting for her there, there were only three options. The library, the drawing room, or the bedroom.
Weiss nervously opted for the latter of the three, stalking up the long stairs, and down the long hallway that would take her to her room. Then she turned to yang. "Do you want to be skinned alive tonight, or in the morning?" Weiss asked Yang, knowing the blonde haired woman would get chewed out either way. They were both dead meat.
"Does it really matter?"
No, it most certainly did not. With a sigh, Weiss unlocked the door, looking around the room curiously. Blake wasn't in the sitting room, and her book was abandoned. The unfortunate truth was, the bedroom door was closed. Weiss confirmed their suspicions a moment later. Someone locked it from the inside.
"Yep…" Yang noted, popping the end of the world like a piece of gum. "She's pissed, you're screwed, I'm-"
"Would. You. Shut. Up." Before Weiss could override the locking mechanism, the door rattled and Ruby opened the door. "Ruby?"
"Oh! Sorry, Weiss…" She said, sidestepping to reveal Blake. She was laying across the foldable massage table usually stowed away in the walk-in closet. "How was the visit with Ironwood?"
Weiss internally frowned. "The visit with Ironwood? I didn't meet with Ironwood directly…Yang met with a few of his operatives." She didn't think it prudent to correct Ruby. There were other worries on her mind. The smell of catnip oil lingering in the air. It wasn't relaxation that put Blake out of commission. "It went fine, Ruby. I fell asleep at my desk though." She said, turning to heater, dialing it up a few notches. Then she went over to Blake, who was dozing in and out of consciousness. "Hi sweetheart…are you feeling okay?"
"Migraine." Blake murmured, opening her eyes only slightly. "You're late."
"I know." Weiss sighed. "I'm sorry."
"You're making it up to me later." Blake leaned up long enough to kiss Weiss properly. "Can't right now." Her ears were pinned back, trying to block out any extra noise.
Weiss hated seeing her like this. "When did this start up?"
Ruby was back at the table, working on Blake's neck. "Earlier this afternoon and it's only getting worse."
"I thought so…" Weiss said, voice intentionally quieter than usual. She changed out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable. "It's a side effect of the aura inhibitors, we were told to expect them. She never has done well with medication." Coming back into the room dressed in a robe and little else, she tied the sash tightly and let her hair down from its usual place atop her head. "And what's this?"
Blake blinked down as she looked at the bruise on her elbow. Largely unimpressed, she just sighed, closing her eyes again, talking through gritted teeth. "It's amazing what you run into with unnecessary force. I suppose that's what happens without aura." It took her some effort to sit up. Ruby poised to catch her in case she tipped backwards.
Then Yang was there. All concern and raw strength as she effortlessly gathered Blake into her arms. She placed her carefully onto the edge of the bed. "You okay, Blakey?"
"I'm fine, Yang." Blake wobbled a bit as she said this, forcing all of them to frown. "I'm just a little dizzy."
Weiss could only watch the scene worriedly. There were some days she cursed her dainty build. She could force all of her aura into her arms, allowing her to carry someone that way, but that took effort and concentration. Thankfully, Yang would always step into place without being asked. It was a comfort to Weiss that she could afford to keep such a loyal friend under her employ at all times...but it also sparked a feeling of inadequacy.
Yang, pressed her palm to Blake's forehead, looking for a fever and finding none. "Weiss, you got this, or should we stick around?"
"I'll take care of things from here." Weiss instructed, already on her way to find bedtime garments for Blake. "Thank you…" She murmured over her shoulder, leveling her eyes at Ruby, and then to Yang. "Both of you." The sisters left the couple, but Weiss wasn't focused on that. She was too busy getting Blake's bra off of her. She worked wordlessly, mentally chastising Blake for not allowing Ruby to fully help her properly.
The massage was probably a step in the right direction, but she would have benefited from being undressed, and put into a warm bath infused with the oil. Then again, she knew exactly how difficult Blake could be when it came to being coddled. The Faunus woman murmured nonsense about being fine, and not needing any help. Catnip induced delirium made the protests as slurred as could ever be, but Weiss finally wrangled her wife into a warm pair of pajamas, and got her to bed.
The aura inhibitors were awful menaces to Blake's immune system, and that was putting the matter mildly. An activated aura was more than just an easy shield in the heat of battle. It was part of a body's natural defense. When fully activated, it could allow a person to endure bone shattering, spine breaking impacts. It would cauterize large gaping wounds, and instantly mend small ones. When left ignored, it still surrounded the body, killing off deadly bacteria, and shortening the span of an illness by halves, or even thirds.
Without it, Blake was forced to deal with inoculations. While she didn't mind needles, even she loathed getting stabbed over, and over, and over again over the course of several weeks. "This is ridiculous." She frowned, holding a wad of gauze to her puncture wound. "Why do grown civilians put up with this? It takes all of three seconds to unlock an aura and utilize it."
"Have you even seen Jaune?" Weiss smirked from her place, leaning against the wall.
"Point taken, but most civilians aren't trying to pick a fight with Grimm." She said, lifting the gauze only to roll her eyes. "How is this still leaking?" She asked, putting more pressure on it.
"Your body isn't used to its own regenerative properties." The family doctor, Midori replied. After she finished writing down all of Blake's newest records she closed the folder. She handed it to Weiss, who then place it carefully inside a briefcase that locked in three different ways. "Aura users tend to have thinner blood, allowing for better oxygen distribution throughout the body. To compensate, aura keeps you safe from prolonged injury. It keeps you from bleeding out."
"Handy little ability…aura." Weiss noted, even as Blake grimaced. "You'll have it back soon enough."
"Yes, she will." Midori assured. "Until then, her body will need to deal with particular conditions on its own." The doctor then turned to Blake. "That's why you've been instructed to have a diet rich in iron and minerals."
"And why I'm perpetually constipated." Blake half growled. "Damn supplements."
"That too." The aging woman nodded. "Up to this point, we've followed Bartholomew's instructions to the letter. To my understanding, you have everything you need for your trip to Vale. You can set up your consultation with him at your earliest convenience. If you need anything more, don't hesitate to ask."
"That will be all for now." Weiss replied thankfully as the old woman left the room. Weiss watched Blake shrug out of the medical gown and back into her own clothing. "Is a Saturday flight good for you?"
"A better question is, will it be good for you?" Blake asked, dragging her long thermal underwear up her legs. They weren't the sexiest thing on the face of the planet, but the weather outside was grueling as the storm slowly continued southeast. "You have that meeting with the Atlas water commissioner…"
"I'll move it back."
"Can you really afford to do that?" Blake asked, dragging up a pair of black slacks. Tossing on her thermal shirt, white blouse, and black blazer with a single button, she then shook out her hair. "I really don't want to upset your clients."
"Chances are good that this storm has caused more than one set of plumbing lines to burst. Atlas uses red dust to keep those pipes from freezing over. They probably need a larger supply. Either way, we'll have to provide it, as far as I'm concerned they can have it for free."
Blake sent Weiss a wide-eyed look. "You're donating thousands of lien worth of dust without even being asked for it?"
Weiss didn't even bat an eye about it. "The SDC can deal with the sky dumping snow everywhere. However, if the kingdom of Atlas comes to a standstill because of frozen pipelines, then it'll be more than a drought that we'll have to be afraid of." In fact, thinking of that made her send a text to her father immediately.
The last thing anyone needed was for the sewers to deteriorate. Not only would that pose a threat to the architecture of underground tunnels, it risked raw sewage to contaminate the passages under the city. Her company needed those to transport the most poisonous and deadly dust from the mines. Even her father would readily agree. The hefty donation of dust was not only good publicity, it was self-preservation.
"Well…if you're sure it won't be an imposition to leave on Saturday…" Blake nodded, as she tied a bow around her ears. "I don't want you to upheave your entire schedule just to make it down to Vale as quickly as possible." This one wasn't silk, but rather a thick, black cotton. It was burdensome on her ears, but it was better than frostbite.
"The only one imposed will be Ruby's beauty sleep…" Weiss said with a smirk. "The earliest flight leaves at eight a.m. and that means being at the airport by six."