The next morning greeted Weiss with a warm wash of sunlight and birds chirping outside her window. Though she was a bit congested and her throat still felt funny, she was itching to get up and stretch her limbs. After Sapphire checked up on her, Weiss asked to spend the rest of the day outside of bed.
"Absolutely not! You are still ill, young lady, and the last thing your body needs is you frolicking around!" Sapphire chastised at once.
"But I'm going to go insane if I have to stay in here all day," Weiss argued.
"Then you should consider that the next time you decide to run around in the rain!"
"What if I promise to stay inside? I'll even return to bed if I get tired."
Sapphire looked at her like she'd asked to go hunt the Grimm. She muttered something under her breath before throwing her hands up in defeat.
"Fine, but you listen to everything I say! No questions asked! If you get worst, I'm not letting you leave this room until you are completely better!"
"Y-yes, ma'am."
After Sapphire returned Weiss' cleaned nightgown, she rushed out of bed and hopped into a hot shower. Happy to change back into her own clothes again, Weiss headed downstairs feeling more refreshed than ever.
Sapphire's house was bigger than Violet's, complete with a second landing and sectioned-off kitchen area. The living room was a cosy arrangement of couches huddled around a modern fireplace where an old radio played classical music on the mantle. Two built-in bookshelves, filled to the brim with medical textbooks and classic novels, hugged the hearth on either side. Framed flower paintings complemented the floral wallpaper, and the dozens of potted plants made it feel like she walked into a conservatory. The pillow and folded blanket piled on one of the couches indicated that Adam must already be up.
Weiss followed the scent of caffeine into the kitchen where it mixed with the earthy aroma of herbs and spices growing on the windowsill overlooking a cluttered sink. Ten wooden crates sat in the far corner of the room, each one was labelled with the same Mantle address. Sapphire was busy with the pot of soup to notice her presence.
She found Adam seated at the round dining table with a cup of coffee. His clothes and hair were no longer dishevelled, returning to their previous immaculate state, and the dark ring beneath his eye had all but vanished. The empty bowl and plate by his coffee cup assured her that he also had something filling to eat. Though he still chose to sleep outside, it was comforting to see he trusted Sapphire enough to eat her cooking.
Embarrassment burned her cheeks when he caught her staring at him. She smiled shyly and greeted him with a small wave – why couldn't she have said good morning like a normal person? It's hardly been a full day since they reconciled, and she still managed to make things weird.
"Morning. You look better today," he said, giving her a quick lookover.
Weiss combed her fingers through her hair, suddenly anxious with how neat it was, before taking a seat beside him.
"Sapphire's been complaining to me about your request this morning," he added. "She seems pretty annoyed with you today."
"I don't want to stay in bed all day. It's not like I asked to go for a hike," she murmured, eyeing his cup of coffee longingly.
"You should take the time to rest."
"You don't get to lecture me about rest and healing." She glared at his right hand, which rested on the table. To a casual observer, there was nothing visibly wrong with him. But the fact he favoured his left hand to hold his mug told Weiss everything she needed to know.
In a whisper, she asked," how does your wrist feel today?"
"About the same as yesterday." His answer didn't make her feel any better. "It's not getting worse."
Sapphire came over with a bowl of soup before Weiss could push the subject further. She thanked Sapphire for the meal before asking if she could get a cup of coffee. That earned her a colourful lecture about the importance of eating healthy foods while Adam watched amusedly beside her.
"Sorry, I didn't realize it was such a big deal," Weiss muttered once Sapphire had finished.
A soft knock on the front door spared her from any further lectures. Two voices greeted Sapphire as she welcomed them inside, exchanging short stories about their weekend. Sapphire, still irked by Weiss' request, complained to the strangers about her morning. At this rate, the entire community will know who Weiss is.
"I'll leave the herbs in here, Doc!" A young man bearing a striking resemblance to Sun entered the kitchen carrying a large crate. He dropped it by the sink with a huff.
Paint stains dotted the young man's blue overalls and brown work boots. The only clothing piece untouched by paint was his white shirt and the spear strapped to his back.
"Be gentle with that, Tanner! I just fixed the crate last week!" A tall woman with white fox ears rushed in after him.
She dressed similarly to Tanner, clad in clean beige overalls and a white t-shirt underneath. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, reminding Weiss how Winter liked to style her hair. The muscles knotting her arms made it clear she wasn't just a pretty face.
"Relax, Saffron. You did a mighty good job fixing her up!" As if to prove his point, Tanner patted the crate reassuringly. "I bet you could fix the aches in my back with hands like those."
Saffron gave him an exasperated look before turning her attention to Weiss and Adam. The light colour of her hair made the striking violet in her eyes pop out.
"Hey there! You two must be the guests doc' mentioned!" Saffron greeted them both with a smile.
After some brief introductions, Weiss learned Tanner and Saffron worked as Sapphire's assistants. Adam kept to himself during their conversation, acting particularly aloof when Tanner attempted to talk with him. Sapphire came in shortly after to go over their schedule.
Adam scrutinized the group as they went over the day's work. Though his gaze bounced curiously between each member of the group, his attention was mainly fixated on Saffron.
Weiss couldn't exactly blame him for staring. With beautiful sun-kissed skin, long legs, and toned upper body muscles, Saffron was a stunning girl. Her physique alone must make guys stop to admire her.
It was a bit odd to see Adam of all people ogle at another girl – not that she minded, of course. It was simply a side of him she wasn't used to yet. With Adam's strong build and refined sense of fashion, it wouldn't surprise her if Saffron also found him attractive.
Weiss stuffed a spoonful of chicken broth into her mouth. The growing knot in her throat made it difficult for her to enjoy the meal. Even when Tanner and Saffron waved them goodbye, the smile on her face felt stiff. Maybe her cold was messing with her more than she initially thought.
"Those two have more energy than I can keep up with," Sapphire said once Saffron and Tanner left the house.
"They seem nice." Weiss glanced at Adam. His neutral expression made it hard for her to see just how smitten he was with Saffron.
"Those two have been joined at the hip since kids. No one in Orchid, not even their folks, was surprised when Tanner started courting Saffron. I've bet a large pool of money to them startin' a family one day too." Sapphire beamed. "They better not disappoint! Ain't no way I'm losing to Pearl again!"
Weiss laughed at Sapphire's intense investment in other people's relationships. Adam stared blankly into his mug like he couldn't hear a single word.
Was he disappointed to hear Saffron was taken? She didn't think he'd be the type to fall for someone so quickly. Then again, there was still so much she didn't know about him. Perhaps Saffron was the type of girl he's always been looking for.
The last of her appetite shrivelled up. Weiss glared at her soup, her stomach twisting at the mere thought of having to finish it all.
"I have a question for you," he spoke up quietly. Sapphire raised a brow at the firm tone in his voice. "That girl…is she the assistant you told me about?"
His question made the tight knot at the back of her throat unravel. Even her appetite returned as if nothing had ever happened. He wasn't staring at Saffron because he found her attractive. He was simply curious about the story Sapphire had told him last night.
Weiss took a large sip of soup to drown the unusual sense of glee – her cold had a more severe effect on her head than she thought. It was no wonder Sapphire had wanted to keep her in bed all day.
"Obviously. Saffron's the only girl assistant I have," Sapphire answered him bluntly.
"But she's…" His grip on the cup tightened. "You went out of your way to help her family…"
"There's nothing weird about that. Doctors are supposed to care for their patients."
"That's not what I meant." He paused for a moment. "She's a Faunus. Why were you willing to do so much for her?"
Adam's question lingered in the silence. For a long moment, Sapphire studied him with an unreadable expression.
"City folks," Sapphire murmured under her breath.
She pulled a chair out and sat across Adam like a strict teacher about to chastise her student. Adam sat up straight in his seat, muscles tensing.
"Orchid is a small community, but we have a rich history," Sapphire began patiently. "We were founded by Faunus and Human farmers who were down on their luck after the war. Unlike city folks, our community thrived because of the combined efforts of Humans and Faunus.
"That's been our motto for decades. When you're living out here, you can't be picky. It doesn't matter if you've got Faunus traits or not. At the end of the day, we're all just people trying to survive."
Adam stared at his hands, not responding.
"As I said last night, you can stay here for free or, if you're feeling generous, you can help me with some chores. I'm not forcing you to pay for basic necessities," Sapphire pressed on. "I couldn't care less if you have horns on your head. You're a distressed young man worried about his sick companion, that's all there is to it. As a doctor, I'm here to help you both through this time."
His eye widened for a moment before he masked his reaction with another blank expression. Weiss wanted to reach out and assure him what he heard wasn't too good to be true. Scared of pushing her boundaries too soon, she instead scooted closer to him till their shoulders barely touched.
"Now, if that's everything, I have medicine to prepare for some other patients," Sapphire said, helping herself up.
Adam mumbled something under his breath as he ran his thumb over the rim of his mug.
"You'll need to speak up. My ears aren't as good as they once were."
"I said." He paused to take a breath. "I…appreciate your generosity…and I don't mind helping around while you care for Weiss."
Weiss' jaw dropped open at his offer while Sapphire smiled and nodded.
"Tanner's going out to help gather some supplies. Why don't you go along with him?" Sapphire asked. "And don't worry, he won't mind you tagging along. He's always open to making new friends."
Adam grimaced at the mention of befriending Tanner but he held his tongue and nodded.
"Perfect!" Sapphire exclaimed. "I better tell Tanner before he runs off alone!"
Adam slumped back in his seat once Sapphire rushed outside. He finished the rest of his coffee in a single gulp.
"You didn't have to force yourself to help," Weiss said softly. "It can't be easy working with a Human you don't know."
And that's not to mention the injury he was desperately trying to hide.
"Well…if you can show the Faunus so much generosity…I don't see why I can't return the favour to Humans."
"Adam…" Weiss didn't know what else to say.
She clasped her hands together beneath the table, holding back every urge to wrap her arms around him.
"Besides, I still owe Sapphire," he added quickly. "She's overly generous, but I don't like accepting favours for free."
—
Weiss spent most of her day in the living room while Sapphire was busy preparing medicine in the kitchen. Weiss had tried to make small talk with her but regretted it when Sapphire told her the unique names and personalities of her houseplants. Weiss curled up in the living room with a book after she'd become well acquainted with Sapphire's green housemates.
It was around late noon when they got their first visitors. The group of ten were all Faunus except for the woman with short blue hair. The heavy weapons and rifles strapped on their backs led Weiss to believe they were either travellers or Huntresses.
The presumed leader of the group, the blue-haired woman, spoke with Sapphire. She carried the largest weapon of them all, an impressive staff with twin blades on both ends. The staff was familiar, but Weiss couldn't remember where she last saw it. She eavesdropped on the conversation while pretending to read her book.
"I'm assuming you want the usual order?" Sapphire asked.
"Yeah, but we also need extra bandages and disinfectants this time," the woman answered.
"How many?"
"We'll need three full boxes of each."
"Three boxes?! What in the world have you lot done this time?!"
"We've got a busy few weeks ahead. The boss wants to prepare for the worst as usual." The woman laughed. "Sorry about the late notice, Saph."
"You'll have to wait while I get it ready."
"It's fine! I can get the girls to load our usual order into the airship in the meantime."
After exchanging an impressive roll of bills, they carried ten boxes worth of medicine out from the kitchen. Sapphire disappeared into a storeroom to prepare the extra order. Weiss couldn't think of a situation where anyone would need so many medical supplies.
After they'd taken all the prepackaged boxes, the woman ordered her group to go out and help Saffron. Everyone left the house one by one until it was just Weiss and the blue-haired woman. The radio played a soft piano piece to placate the silence.
"Are you one of Saph's patients?" the woman asked, resting her staff against the wall before taking a seat on the couch across from Weiss.
"Yeah." Weiss cautiously peered over her book.
With the stranger sitting across from her, Weiss now had a clear view of the robin-shaped pin fastened to the collar of her shirt. Her blood turned cold. The pin was an exact copy of the one Fiona wore in Rumduol. She turned her attention to the woman's weapon. It was no wonder she found it so familiar, Fiona had carried the same thing.
This couldn't have been a coincidence. Ash had shared his confidence about the Silver Robins, but Weiss wasn't buying it. Something about this was wrong.
"What's your name?" the stranger asked with a sweet smile.
Weiss jumped when the front door swung open again, relaxing when she saw Tanner and Adam walking through. Tanner was in the middle of laughing at something while Adam stared at the ground, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"I'll go update the Doc, you should go check in with your friend!" Tanner exclaimed, seemingly unaware of Adam's awkward demeanour.
After a brief greeting with the mysterious woman, he hurried to the storeroom.
Adam ignored the woman, walking right past her to sit beside Weiss. The woman leaned back in her seat, following his every move with a quirked brow.
"You're still out of bed?" Adam asked.
"I'm not feeling feverish anymore," Weiss said, trying her best to ignore the woman.
"I'll be the judge of that."
The woman's eyes burned holes through the side of Weiss' head when Adam took off his glove to check her temperature.
"You two seem close," the woman noted when Adam confirmed Weiss' fever hadn't returned.
Adam looked over at the stranger for the first time since returning.
"I was having a chat with your friend," the stranger said. "It's rare to see outsiders coming to Saph for help."
"You from around here?" He narrowed his eye at her.
"No, but my friend's got relatives here. What about you two?"
"We're from the city," Weiss answered vaguely.
"The both of you?" The woman stared at Weiss for an uncomfortably long time.
"Are you always this nosy?" Adam asked bluntly.
"It's unusual to see a Human and Faunus get along so well, especially when they both grew up in the city. Can't blame me for being curious." The woman shrugged. "What are your names?"
"That'll depend." He folded his arms. "Who's asking?"
"It's just a harmless question."
"With all due respect, I'd rather not give out our identities to someone we don't know. It's a precaution, I'm sure you understand."
The woman smiled at his answer. Her amber eyes lit as she continued to study the both of them like they were a complex puzzle.
"Your friend here is mighty protective of you, isn't he?" the woman said to Weiss. "You know, it's admirable that you two left the city to travel together. You learn an awful lot about the world away from home. Sometimes you hear the most bizarre things.
"The other day I was having a chat with my friend who told me the craziest story. She got called into work with the most peculiar case."
"And what does she do for work?" Adam questioned.
"We're trained Huntresses," she said without missing a beat. "Anyway, my friend was helping some folks out on an emergency call when she heard a crazy story.
"The Faunus she was helping claimed they owed their lives to the Schnee Heiress. I would've called bullshit if she hadn't seen a girl resembling the Heiress earlier that month. But that isn't the strangest part."
The woman leaned forward, the smile on her face growing when she caught Weiss avoiding her eyes.
"I recently got in contact with one of our people out in the field. There's a rumour that a White Fang commander has abandoned ship to help the Schnee Heiress. Now that's a load of horseshit. As if a White Fang commander would risk everything for a Schnee. Am I right?"
Weiss tried to think of a proper response to mask her shock, but the look in the stranger's eyes told her she knew everything about them.
How did the Silver Robins know this much about them? She knew nothing about them outside of what news anchors reported. It was also unnerving to learn how news of Adam's betrayal already spread like wildfire.
How many more people and organizations knew about this?
"Who are you?" Weiss asked.
The stranger didn't have a chance to answer when Sapphire informed her that the supplies were ready. Weiss and Adam stayed seated as the stranger's team returned to move the boxes out.
It was only after the final box was taken out that the stranger turned to acknowledge them again. She smiled and dug in her pocket for something.
"I don't like taking unnecessary risks, but I have a good feeling about you two. I'm willing to put my neck on the line and make an investment," she explained, walking over to them.
Adam rose to meet her halfway, positioning himself protectively in front of Weiss.
"My name is May Marigold, licensed Huntress from Atlas Academy. I'm sure Miss Schnee can confirm my certification later."
The hair on the back of Weiss' neck rose at May's casual mention of her. May fished something out of her pocket and held it out to Adam.
"What's this?" Adam reluctantly accepted the object from May's hand.
"Proof that I trust you," May answered vaguely. "If there's ever a time you need help, look for the robin feathers. We've usually got people in major towns and cities. Show them this pin and they'll lend you a hand. If they ask, tell them I sent you."
"Who's them exactly?"
"Friends. Trusted friends. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that we share many common interests, Adam."
—
I hate daylight savings. It should be considered a human rights violation. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk…
Thanks to LiteralWhiteTrash, CMDR Quillon, Able and Table, a Guest reader, StarStream2005, Gleaming Onyx, and sanjiv121606 for the reviews!
And to answer LiteralWhiteTrash's question, no. I've never seen Breaking Bad so I guess it's just a happy coincidence lol
Lemme know what you all think of this week's stuff!