"-ve one."
The friendly and soft voice tugged on her. In defiance, Weiss tried to go back to sleep and cringed from being disturbed. Did someone have the audacity to shake her shoulders just now? A groan slipped out.
"-y this."
A tiny piece of dry food slipped inside her mouth. The taste was bitter - the way she liked it. Wanting to know what it is, Weiss reluctantly lifted heavy eyelids with the grace of a garage door. Her whole body recoiled as a dull throbbing ripped through her, and then she flinched from the bright light.
A yellow form leaned over her. Was this person royalty? Beautiful and luxurious golden locks caressed her arms. The wide, twinkling grin above her left Weiss confused-how did she get someone so pretty to smile at her like that? Azure stared up like she was mesmerized.
How do I know this goddess? Weiss thought as the gears in her brain turned slowly.
"Better?" Yang asked.
After another groan, Weiss clicked her tongue and blinked slowly. The aftertaste was plain, which helped her stomach digest. While she concentrated on the taste, Yang watched her quietly as her brain rebooted. Haze swirled and faded into azure. At last, the lightheadedness settled and Weiss was left to gasp from their unexpected closeness.
"You-!" Abruptly, Weiss tried to push her away.
Yang kept a firm grip to prevent movement, easily overpowering her. "No need to be shy~ how's your head? Worse, better?"
Like this little bump is going to stop me, Weiss grit her teeth to mask the new rounds of throbs in her skull. "How long was I out?"
"Only an hour," Yang revealed. "It's 0530."
Quickly, Weiss tried to shoot up. "The sun's almost up!"
"We have another hour for that," Yang informed and lowered her arms. "Don't you have another day?"
With new resolve, Weiss flailed to escape. "Yes, but-"
Yang kept her seated by pushing down on her shoulders. "When was the last time you ate?"
It had to be over a day by this point, as Weiss tried to recall. She felt disturbingly empty, but her body was led from overall weakness. She glanced around to find various protein bars and a couple bottles of water. It didn't look like Yang moved her to rest somewhere else. They were still on the bridge by the corner.
Reluctantly, Weiss grabbed a protein bar. When she listened to reason, Yang loosened her arms and gave her some space. That's when Weiss noticed Yang was snacking on the nuts she brought from home. She was glad her companion didn't have the common nut allergy.
"That's the one you just tried," Yang informed and popped another cashew into her mouth. "You better eat at least three of those."
"And leave only one for you?" Weiss retorted.
When she looked around, her tiny tumbler full of tea sat next to her. Looks like Yang had plenty of time to make her comfortable.
"I've eaten plenty," Yang replied sincerely. "What's this, is the ice princess worried about me?"
Rather than answer the question, Weiss looked down. The ripped jacket made her feel guilty. I'm nothing but a liability, she thought. I haven't helped much to escape. I ruined her jacket… "Sorry about this."
"It's been through a lot worse," Yang waved off. "I can sew it, no problem."
She won't get it mended by a professional? Weiss thought and recalled. She's here for money. I don't even know what kind of situation she's in. Is she here for the money to invest, or use it for something more pressing?
"Are you…" Weiss began. "Are you here to get the money for yourself? Or did someone else bring you here?"
The question threw Yang for a loop. She didn't expect her to ask her about herself. "I didn't know you thought so highly of me," she said in amusement. "I'm here for my family. More specifically, my sister."
"The one who makes dry muffins?" Weiss wanted to clarify.
"That's the one and only," the blonde revealed. "She's stubborn and headstrong. Kinda like you in a way."
"Hey!"
"Ruby's her name and she needs surgery my family can't afford. Without it, she's in pain every day and can't walk."
Briefly, Weiss debated if she should ask. "What happened?"
"Ruby…" Yang said fondly and munched on another almond. "She's one of those heroes you read about in the news. She pushed a kid out of the way of a semi truck and saved his life."
Weiss swallowed the last piece of the protein bar. "That's incredibly brave. I could never do something like that. For a stranger no less."
"She's somethin' else,'' Yang agreed and swallowed some chilly water that soothed her parched throat. "You'd think I'd be happy about her saving his life. I am, but not completely. Now she has a lifetime of pain if I can't get the money. It would be easier if she froze up like the rest of us… I'm selfish, I guess."
Deep down, Weiss was aware these were her true and raw feelings. Yang never spoke of this to anyone. A lot of regret and anguish soaked her bones. Azure shyly met lilac. She had no idea such a burden hinged on her shoulders.
"Anyway, I got a job as a waitress to pay for her medical bills," Yang continued. " I didn't last long there. I told my Dad that I was let go."
She almost chuckled when she recalled her father's earlier heated tone. Which wasn't directed at her, but a cell phone.
"What happened?" Weiss asked, leaning over to eat another protein bar.
"Being out-going and flirty gets me extra tips," Yang said as she recalled the small uniforms. "You meet decent people and assholes. And then there's the people I call chocolate hotdogs."
"You mean f-" Weiss stammered and chewed eagerly. "F-fecal matter?"
"Exactly!" Yang said in jest. A half-eaten protein bar bounced into her shoulder and got entangled in her hair. "Hey now…"
Weiss could tell there was a lot of pain in her voice. "Do continue."
"One customer grabbed my ass when I walked by his booth," Yang said evenly. "My gut reaction was to break his nose."
That earned a giggle from Weiss for the first time. "The only appropriate reaction."
Not afraid to assert boundaries, Weiss noted. How many green flags is that?
"Thank you!" Yang exclaimed and savored her sweet smile. "My boss didn't think that way. It felt good in the moment but I kinda regret it now…"
Weiss tried to cheer her up. "Yang, you could have worked there for decades and wouldn't make enough for the surgery. You did yourself a favor," after she took a few sips of tea, she continued. "How much money do you need for the surgery and how much do you expect to find?"
"The total estimate for the surgeries needed is half a million," Yang revealed in disgust. "I'd be lucky to earn that in ten years. My uncle says two million is hidden. The rumors back in Vacuo say five million. I'd be happy if I found a thousand…"
Spare change, Weiss thought, feeling privileged beyond belief. We live in different worlds. "We must find it. You don't want to try your hand at the lottery."
"I did buy one ticket," Yang admitted with a shy smile.
After Weiss finished another protein bar, she decided to open up a little. She almost assumed Yang was there to keep the money for herself. Maybe for the adventure. She should've known she was a special person waiting for her back home. Their situations were a little similar. They're both here for someone else they care about.
"My brother… Whitley," Weiss said sadly. "He's dying as we speak."
"Your brother?!" Yang yelped and her voice echoed in the vast cave. She couldn't imagine if it was Ruby who was dying. "What the hell happened?"
"He was poisoned," Weiss said knowingly and not surprised. "I have an idea of who did it- but that's not the point. My herbalist verified the rare existence of Zestiria herbs. She said to bring back at least five petals for the antidote. That was yesterday. He has less than fifteen hours. Give or take twenty minutes."
Yang gazed at the backpack and petals in a rubber bag. "They're so vibrant."
The lilac color was a soft subtleness, but they almost glowed.
"Beautiful color, huh?" Weiss said and looked up at her. "It matches your eyes." Did I just say that? she almost panicked. It slipped out, that was bold…
Yang only stared in shock and awe. Weiss said that with a straight face like it was easy. Was that her way of… flirting? Was that a compliment? It was too adorable. The way Yang paused made Weiss turn red like a cherry.
"I can't believe you complimented me," Yang said in disbelief and batted her eyes. "Am I really that pretty? Did I evolve from a leech?"
"I'm not repeating it!"
"Okay, okay," Yang waved her hands. "You said you have a herbalist?" that earned a nod. "Soooo," her eyes darted around the room like she shouldn't ask. "You're rich?"
"My parents are rich," Weiss confirmed.
"That's what all rich people say!" Yang pointed at her in jest. "Come on, that dress is at least two-thousand dollars, that's an expensive brand. My jacket was maybe twenty and then another thirty for the fire on the back. Your family has money, so why don't they pay a specialist to find the Zestirias? Why the hell aren't they here with you trying to find them?! Did they send you out on your own?"
How long has she pondered this?
Those were loaded questions. Weiss could tell she had a million more. "My father could pay a professional to find and retrieve the herbs in record time. My sister Winter said Zestiria's are found in treacherous places, so I knew coming here was a gamble. You'd think my father would want to do anything to save his only son. No, he'd rather let him die."
Bitterness washed over her when Weiss recalled a heated conversation. Her father, Jacques, didn't want to waste his precious money on a herb that supposedly didn't exist. Her eldest sister, Winter, shouted, telling him she encountered it a handful of times while on her military deployment. Normally, Winter would search for the herb with Weiss, but she left on a five-year-long deployment just yesterday.
"Wait, no way," Yang muttered like she was hearing things and put the puzzle pieces together. "Do you seriously think your dad wants your brother dead?"
A firm nod.
"Hooooly shit," Yang blurted. "That's a lot worse than I imagined."
"Jacques is the reason I missed our goodbye yesterday," Weiss said in between sips of her tea. "Winter's on a five-year contract across the world in Menagerie. I could have seen her one last time, but the jackass won't lift a finger to help find the herbs."
"You call Jacques, jackass? That's amazing," Yang commented, which earned a brief grin. "That's a big burden to carry. I'm sorry. It's not fair."
Somehow, the news about Whitley stayed inside the family. As far as the world knew, the heir to the Schnee Dust Company was in great health. They were careful about their image and rarely allowed anyone to see past the curtains.
Weiss only sighed and screwed the lid back on her Tumblr. "Life's not fair, oaf. You know that."
"All these compliments are gonna go to my head!" Yang chirped.
"Like they haven't already?!" Weiss jokingly mocked her lack of modesty.
After Yang hid a yawn, she stretched her arms above her head. "I'm afraid it's too late. My ego has been eternally boosted since I met you. Where'd the thorns go, huh? Did I melt them?"
Immune from the joking, Weiss packed the remaining food. "Don't be a dunce."
After Yang finished another bottle of water, she crushed it and put it back in her bag. "My sister's in pain. Your brother's dying…"
"I have to tell Whitley how much annoyance he's caused me…" Weiss said, holding out her hand down to her.
Yang accepted the help and stood with a smirk. "I gotta tell Rubes running isn't hard, after all. That'll trigger her for sure."
"What're sisters for?" Weiss asked.
Together, they moved forward.
Stay dandy,
~Toto