Distance
Time was crawling by. Exhaustion clung to her bones, her legs heavy as she walked down the hallways, navigating the unfamiliar maze as best as her sleep addled mind could.
Yet another restless night added to the ever growing list. The first night she had found a small nook in the library to steal a few moments of rest, but that had scarcely made the next night when she inevitably arrived back at her dorm room any less awkward. Or the night after.
Her mind was unable to relax, eyes drawn to her Faunus teammate even in the dead of night, to the twitching bow that sat atop her head. She knew it wasn't fair, that she was being petty. Regret sat heavy in her stomach, but she had made her choice. She would not be so undignified as to recant on what she had said. Like a dog with its tail between its legs, begging for forgiveness. They had asked, she had answered. If they didn't like the answer then that was none of her concern.
She had enough to worry about without second guessing things that could not be taken back. Too many things she had to do. Too many distractions, too many things that reminded her of home… Even now, she felt a concerning amount of deja-vu at the simple action of knocking on Glynda Goodwitch's office door.
The door itself, while nowhere near as imposing as the one that led into her father's study, sat in the middle of a somewhat secluded hallway, allowing Weiss' three quick knocks to echo out down the empty corridor.
Glynda herself answered the door, pulling it open just enough to see who it was before pulling it open all the way to give space for Weiss to enter. A practice she had witnessed many times before when meeting with dignitaries or higher-up board members.
However as Glynda quickly closed the door behind them and moved back to her desk, Weiss could feel any sense of familiarity vanish as she slowly followed Glynda into what, at first glance, looked to be a rather sparsely filled office space.
Following in Ozpin's footsteps, there was very little furniture, with a simple light brown double bookshelf and matching L desk being the only sizable pieces in the entire room. The desk, which was the more interesting of the two, had oddly slanted legs and an off-center glass top that housed a cleverly concealed hard-light projector. The only other furniture in the entire room being two matching, stiff black leather chairs that sat in front of and behind the desk directly across from each other.
It was also quite brightly lit, despite the only source of man-made light in the room being the desk's integrated hard-light projector, and a single desk lamp. Most of the room's light spilling in from a large thinly covered bay window, splashing the off-white walls with the warm glow of the morning sun.
Unlike Ozpin's office though, which had a number of architectural marvels to occupy your attention, what really caught Weiss' attention here was the sheer number of personal items scattered around the room.
The book shelf, for example, held not just a large selection of educational texts, ranging from Dust to psychology, but also no less than thirty different, from what Weiss could only guess based on the titles alone, romance and fantasy novels.
On the small vanity that made up the smaller portion of her L desk, there looked to be a series of well-maintained, complicated-looking series of brass and glass contraptions, along with a number of Beacon Academy branded coffee mugs stacked precariously at the end. The mugs, identical to the one she had seen in Ozpin's hand during his opening address, as well as the one offered to her in Ozpin's office a couple of weeks back.
The scent of dozens of different teas and coffee blends wafting through the air suddenly made a lot more sense given what she could only assume was the Professor's propensity for quality drinks.
Glynda's teaching certificate, and graduation papers hung perfectly in line on the wall behind her in well-maintained frames, along with what, at first glance, could be written off as just a few small awards. It would be quite easy to miss that she had graduated top of her class, or that she and her team had been awarded an Atlas Cross, the highest and most prestigious award in the Atlas Military, awarded only to those who have shown unwavering valor, even in the face of defeat.
It was fascinating in a way. The more Weiss looked, the more personal touches she found scattered throughout the seemingly mundane room. No, mundane was not the right word here. It was simple. Simple and straightforward just like its owner.
There was nothing Glynda was trying to hide. Weiss was quite sure that if given enough time, the entire life and career of Glynda Goodwitch could be found within these four walls, something that both fascinated and terrified her as she stood patiently waiting for the woman to finally address her. It took a staggering amount of confidence to place so much of yourself on display for anyone who entered to potentially see. Almost like issuing an open challenge, boldly stating, "this is me, deal with it or get out". It was a very stark contrast to her father, whose office held nothing but assumptive traps and misdirections for him to gain leverage.
Reaching her desk, Glynda quickly took a seat and promptly began to close down what she likely had been working on prior to Weiss' arrival. While the hard-light display was flipped away from Weiss', her polarized glasses made it relatively easy to make out a number of spreadsheets and monetary expenses on the hard-light display before it was powered down, a number of similar-looking papers on her desk all quickly shuffled back into a single brown folder that, as far as Weiss could see, had no label.
"Coffee?"
Weiss' eyes instantly snapped back to Glynda as the older woman turned in her chair towards her strange collection of brass contraptions. Already pulling a small bottle of purified Mistrali glacier water, and a bag of Atlas Black coffee beans out from under the small vanity.
"Yes, thank you." Weiss bowed her head slightly in thanks. The offer was upfront this time, and very clearly Glynda was making the brew for herself as much as Weiss. If she was trying to use the same trick as last time, catching Weiss off guard with one of her favorite beverages, she had already failed. "Your hospitality is most kind."
Pouring a small portion of beans into what looked to be a hand grinder, Weiss watched in quiet fascination as the professor tapped it once with her finger, causing a small purple emblem to appear for a brief moment before the hand grinder sprang to life, hovering just above the two mugs as it began to grind.
"Many students think that when it comes to my telekinesis, it's the large, heavy objects that give me the most trouble," Glynda said as she deftly maneuvered the brass and glass device into position before her, filling the larger metal container with water, and dropping a small siphon into the glass jar beside it. "But it's the small, delicate items that are really the hardest."
Glynda punctuated her statement as she plucked the grinder out of mid air before pouring its contents into the glass jar, causing the rich smell of Atlas Black wafting out into the room. A small sigh escaping Weiss as she breathed in the familiar fragrances once more.
"But I suppose with a semblance like yours, you already knew that."
Lighting a flame beneath the water pot, Glynda nodded to herself before turning back to face Weiss.
"We are not standing on ceremony, Miss Schnee. Do have a seat if you wish."
Bowing her head slightly, she quickly walked over and sat down, smoothing out her skirt as she did, before sitting up, legs tucked, back straight, hands still clasped before her. A small frown briefly graced Goodwitch's lips as she watched Weiss adjust herself.
"You are not in the presence of Atlesian nobility Miss Schnee. You can relax if you wish."
When the enemy is relaxed, make them work. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move. Make them march to the beat of your drum Weiss.
Winter had long since drilled the lesson into her, even before she had left her behind. It was a staple test at Atlas academy, something her teammates would not understand, but perhaps… perhaps Goodwitch would.
"Your assurances and generosity are most kind," Weiss quipped, gesturing to the coffee as it brewed, "but I am quite comfortable as I am."
A small sigh stretched out as Glynda sat back in her chair.
"Your sister said something similar when I last saw her. Cut from the same cloth I suppose."
Weiss nodded in agreement, and waited patiently for Glynda to continue. Perhaps explain what she needed from Weiss in order to tell Ozpin that they were a success.
Only she didn't continue. She simply sat in silence, watching Weiss shift in her seat as the dead air that sat between them quickly turned awkward. The sounds of slowly boiling water and the smell of Atlas Black filled the space, serving as the only real measure of time given the lack of a clock anywhere in the room.
Weiss could feel pins and needles running up and down her wings as she continued to sit ramrod straight in her chair while the silence stretched on. Glynda seemed quite happy to simply wait for Weiss to make the first move. Or maybe she simply did not feel the need to rush into whatever this meeting was supposed to be about. Either way, she was quite blatantly allowing Weiss to dictate the pace of the meeting.
"Professor?" Weiss began, giving Glynda a moment to sit up in her seat. "If I may ask, what is the point of this meeting? Other than to fulfill my end of the deal I made with Ozpin, of course."
Glynda, to her credit, seemed to give the question some real thought before leaning forwards in her chair. "As I said before Miss Schnee, you are not the first student to transfer from Atlas. Nor are you the first student whose parents had lofty expectations of them."
She paused as the sound of brass hitting brass brought Weiss' attention back to the small brass coffee maker. The water had completely drained from the glass jar by now, leaving only wet grains in the bottom. A quick circle of her fingers and two mugs miraculously flew to Glynda without disturbing the rest of the stack, the professor quickly pouring out two steaming mugs from the brass contraption upon their arrival. Placing one on her desk before smoothly levitating the other over to Weiss.
The mug was warm to the touch, but not uncomfortably so as Weiss blew slightly on the steaming beverage before taking a small cautious sip. The unmistakably rich tastes of her and Winter's favorite coffee brought a warm smile to her mouth, before quickly vanishing at the sound of Glynda's satisfied hum.
"It was actually your sister who introduced me to Atlas Black a number of years back. I will confess to taking time to acquire its taste, but now? I can't imagine not having it every once in a while." Glynda sighed, taking another deep sip of her own beverage as she seemed to melt back into her seat. "As I was saying though. You are not the first student of mine with a predicament like this. Many of the best Hunters and Huntresses come with baggage that we need to help them with, oftentimes bending the rules to do so."
She paused to take another sip before tapping their desk and powering on the hard-light monitor, flipping the display so Weiss could see it clearly, before pulling up the school profile photo of Ruby onto it.
"Your leader, Ruby Rose, one of the most promising prospects in recent years, is only fifteen and has to play catch-up due to skipping two full years of schooling. The paper work alone to make this happen was a nightmare."
She tapped a finger on her desk and the picture changed to the same first year boy who Weiss had seen harassing the rabbit faunus earlier that week.
"Cardin Winchester. Despite coming from one of the oldest and most noble of Valean houses, has been reprimanded four times already for his bullying."
Following the same pattern, Glynda cycled through a few more of the first-year students, before finally pulling up Weiss' own photo.
"All this to simply say, you are not the only student who I am having meetings with Miss Schnee." She paused, tapping once more on her desk as a full page of student pictures appeared on the screen. "Each student struggles in different ways, and we have found over the years that, especially for students coming from Atlas, the first months can be extremely frustrating and disheartening."
Wiess quietly nodded in agreement, unable to deny that.
"So, to answer your question, these meetings are for the exact purpose that Ozpin stated," Glynda finished, flipping the hard-light display back around to face her. "We want to ensure that your transfer here does not have a permanent impact on your mental or physical health, as it has with some of our past Atlas transfers."
"Oh…" Weiss took another sip of her precious beverage, buying herself a few precious moments to dissect all that Glynda had just dropped on her, despite the slight dismay at how fast she was going through her drink. She could see how relaxed and sure of herself the Professor was in what she said. At the very least, Weiss was positive she believed everything she had said, so if there was an ulterior motive to the meetings, it was not something she knew about in the slightest. Given Ozpin's subtlety, and Glynda's close relationship with the man, this sort of scheme would not surprise her.
Additionally, Glynda had shared what could easily be private information about other students with her willingly and only to try to make a point. Clearly she couldn't be trusted to keep a lid on much more sensitive information and plans, again a point in favor of Ozpin working something behind the scenes.
Maybe he had the room bugged, or maybe he was just using the fact that Glynda was such an open book to try and get her to relax and open up to them. Glynda had told her she could relax at the start, so it wasn't too far off. She would need to watch what topics Glynda seemed most interested in to know for sure.
"So," Weiss nodded again. "I assume you would like to ask me a few questions to start with?"
"Yes and no," Glynda replied, placing her mug on the desk before tapping her desk a few times, and pulling a few documents up. "You likely won't answer most of my questions truthfully right now, given your apparent mistrust of me after the misinterpretation during our last meeting. I know I wouldn't if I was the one in your shoes."
Weiss couldn't help the small chuckle at how candidly Glynda stated exactly what she was thinking. Clearly her time in Atlas had taught her a little more than good coffee brews.
"So, let's start simple." Glynda flipped the display around once more, showing Weiss what was quite clearly her current academic and combat scores displayed. Everything from the first three weeks on a single page. "You are under performing quite significantly when compared to both your initiation score and your tutor's provided transcripts. Is there a specific reason for this drop that I can help with?"
The question was deceptively simple. Weiss could easily see that Glynda would have a follow up question no matter the response, but then it also gave her the chance to expand on an answer if she wanted to. Ultimately this was less about her answer, and more about whether she wanted to control the conversation's flow or not.
Weiss nodded. "Yes, there is. However, unless you can somehow change the very foundation of this school's teaching ideology, then I don't think there is much you can do to help."
"No. I can't say that I can change that." A small covered chuckle rippled from Glynda as she sipped her mug. "However, I can help in other ways. What would you say you are having the most difficulty acclimatizing to?"
"The lack of stability." Weiss stated instantly. "Atlas, as I am sure you saw, was quite a bit more disciplined. Whereas even my class schedule here at Beacon has been unpredictable at best. It has made preparing for them… quite frustrating."
Glynda smiled as she quickly tapped her desk, and pulled up Weiss' class list. "Let us see if we can't do something about that then."
"Beep-"
Weiss hand shot out and silenced her scroll before the sound had even finished, her eyes snapping over to the bed across from her… Her three teammates' snores music to her ears.
It was half past five in the morning, and while more sleep would be greatly appreciated, she couldn't dally in leaving the safety and warmth of her bunk. Dealing with her own exhaustion was easy, dealing with her teammates in the morning? Less so…
The darkness was no hindrance to her as she methodically slipped her uniform on, making a quick stop by the bathroom for her small toiletries bag, before grabbing her school bag and slipping out of the room, all with no one the wiser.
Such had been her routine for the last two weeks. Staying up late into the evening, studying until her brain would quite literally shut down for her. Waking up earlier, not just to get privacy in the locker room but to use the school's gym and practice her forms for hours on end. Burning through Dust and practice dummies at a pace that bordered on wasteful, sometimes under the watchful eye of Professor Port, or Glynda. Often skipping breakfast and simply arriving at class with her hair still wet, and clothing slightly crumpled- image be damned. The day, then spent slogging through her classes.
It came as no surprise her wings flared up more and more from the extra workload, the issue, only exacerbated by her inability to remove her harness at night like she normally would have at the manor. At this point she had lost count of the number of times hot pain sliced through her attempts at concentrating during classes, forcing her to wait it out, fists and teeth clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. The pain often left tingling and numbness near the tips of her wings, her fingers even shook in the aftermath…
It was frankly a miracle Ruby hadn't said anything after the first school day- and the chances of her saying anything now was practically zero, so perhaps there was a benefit to their falling out. The loneliness that came from isolating herself, while much more biting and oppressive than she remembered it, was familiar. A place she knew by heart and could navigate with ease. She couldn't mess up when she was alone…
Besides, it was better that way anyway. Knowing that the sisters had sided with Blake meant it was best to simply keep her mouth shut and do as she was told. Something she was quite good at, even if it was quite infuriating at points. Ruby and Yang were persistent. They seemed to delight in checking in on her from time to time, but that was all, and her new class schedule made it easy to avoid them if she so chose…
For all the discomfort though, her efforts were having the impact she had hoped for. As of prior week, she had no longer been hemorrhaging marks, and was instead preening at seeing a steady climb up through the class list- but simply climbing was not enough. She needed to be one of the best, and hard work was the only way she would get her there.
With that thought in mind, she made a beeline for the training area and locker rooms, her pace faltering significantly as she entered the locker room, only to find it not quite as deserted as she had come to expect.
Velvet's large rabbit ear perked up before she herself even glanced up, surprise and elation written on her face, before she locked eyes with Weiss, and her expression dropped even faster than her ears.
"Oh. Good morning."
"Good morning," Weiss politely replied as she quietly walked over to her own locker plugging in the combination. The whiplash of moods twisted at Weiss' stomach but she kept any evidence of that off her face. "Are you expecting someone?"
"No, no," Velvet replied with a small smile, adjusting one of the small armor pieces on her mostly brown attire, diligently clipping the last bits of her armor on into place. "Just surprised. Not a lot of earlier birds around here."
Weiss knew full well it was a term of phrase, but that didn't stop her hand from freezing before pressing the final number. Something Velvet must have noticed as she pulled out a small box from her locker, pausing mid motion as she spoke. "Which isn't a bad thing! Not for a Heiress like you; early bird gets the worm after all. I was just surprised. Everyone on my team needs a bit of caffeine to even function in the mornings. Meanwhile I get a lot of energy in the morning…"
Weiss kept her back to the rambling rabbit as she unslung and shoved her bag into her locker with more force than strictly necessary. The loud bang of the book ladened bag hitting metal silenced Velvet, giving her time to pull Myrtenaster from its holder and sheath the blade with a practiced flourish before finally turning back towards the Faunus. "Fascinating. Well, good luck to you with all that."
"Wait!" Weiss stopped dead in her tracks, glancing over her shoulder again as Velvet gave her a sheepish shrug. "Sorry. I know it's not proper etiquette, but I just wanted to ask if you wanted to train together?"
Weiss let out a tired sigh as she looked away from Velvet and towards the locker room door. "What do you want?"
There was a pungent pause as she waited for Velvet to say anything in response.
"I don't-"
"Oh please," Weiss scoffed as she turned, crossing her arms as she continued to speak. "You clearly come from Atlas as you know who I am, we both know how the games are played, so let's just cut to the chase. What do you want? Dust? Lien? For the record I never agreed to giving Nora a discount, so don't expect anything like that."
"I- I just wanted some company…" Velvet replied, the nervous twitch in her words clear as day. "Even though we are out in the field a lot, I've been trying really hard to be more open this year and you're from Atlas as well, so I thought maybe you would like some help with-"
"I do not need help," Weiss ground out, shame coloring her cheeks as she turned her back to the Faunus. "Besides. I'm sure you don't want to be seen with a Schnee."
Velvet tried to respond but Weiss didn't pay the words any mind, diligently walking out of the locker room without another sound. Already planning out her morning as she did, shoving the conversation into the back of her head along with the rest.
The words however stuck with her, even as she moved through her forms, sweat trickling down her brow as the conversation played out over and over in her mind. God's how far had she fallen for someone she barely knew to say something so- so demeaning…
Her mind drifted back to the words again during class. Her father would have been furious to hear such a lowly individual say something like that. She was Weiss Schnee. She didn't need help.
She was fine.
A pained groan escaped her as she passed by Yang with barely a glance in her direction, and found her usual seat in the library. Pulling out her book and pen, the sounds of diligent students all around her pushing her hand to begin jotting down a tentative plan.
"Weiss?"
The grumbling in her stomach was nothing but another distraction on a long list. The essay on regional Grimm was her priority. Dinner would be her reward. Something to break up the evening.
"Weiss."
No attention was given to the voices around her. The smattering of conversations around her downed out amidst turned pages and half muttered phrases. Her pen quickly jotted neat script down on the pages before her before she leaned back in her seat, the old chair creaking as she balanced it on two legs. The pieces of this essay slowly coming together in her mind-
"Weiss?"
Weiss snapped around as she felt a hand gently shake her shoulder. The sudden turn sent her tumbling backwards, instincts kicking into high gear, wings painfully straining against the harness as they flared out to try and catch her- only for her to stop mid fall.
"Woah there Ice Queen," Weiss could hear Yang chuckling as she easily pushed the chair, with her still firmly planted in it, back to a more stable position. "Didn't realize you were that out of it."
The sudden stop did little to stem the pain that lashed at her back, eliciting a tight breath from her as yet another cramp tore through her wings, the unruly appendages wiggling against the taught leather straps.
"Yang!" Weiss hissed angrily as she turned her head towards the brawler, earning a myriad of quiet sounds sent their way from other students.
Embarrassment crept up her neck as Yang sheepishly scratched the back of her head, a small smile still visible. "Sorry. Just wanted to let yah know I'm gonna spar with Nora tonight."
"And you-!." Weiss stopped mid sentence as another person behind her cleared their throat. The harsh words on the tip of her tongue, her heart hammering against her rib cage…
She was better than this.
"Thank you for letting me know." Weiss quietly stated before turning back to her books, her dismissal no doubt clear as day as she listened to Yang awkwardly shuffling side to side for a moment before letting out a deep sigh as she turned to leave.
How the blonde managed to pass with the grades she did without putting in half the effort was anyone's guess. She had barely been there more than an hour or two. Weiss cringed as her stomach grumbled once again, a not so subtle reminder she needed to finish quickly-
A cough from beside her drew her attention from the paper once more, Yang standing in the same spot, her arms crossed as she looked down at her.
"What?" Weiss glared at her.
A flicker of frustration creased Yang's brow before it melted into concern. Weiss watched intently as the blonde took a deep breath, her arms dropping by her side when she finally spoke. "When was the last time you ate?"
The question only further exasperated her as Weiss removed her glasses to rub the bridge of her nose, glaring daggers at the blonde. "I don't know? Lunch? I'll eat when I finish this-"
Yang let out an even heavier sigh as she brought a hand up to massage the side of her head. "It's almost nine Weiss…"
A quick glance at her scroll confirmed the time, along with her updated grades. Weiss quickly closed it as an icy pit formed in her stomach. Yang had probably seen it… probably thought she was a failure, just like her father.
I do, however, still worry you may end up like your sister. Influenced by your teammates.
She wouldn't allow them to distract her. Not this time.
"Thank you Yang, but I'm not hungry. And I still have lots of work still left to do, so if you would be so kind…"
A soft scoff followed by the sounds of her teammate leaving was all the assurance Weiss needed to hunker back down once more.
Only to be interrupted again, not twenty minutes later, when a familiar hand carefully placed a plated sandwich very deliberately in front of her, covering her notes.
Weiss sent a scathing glare at Yang as her heavy collapsed gauntlet creased her notes paper, her mouth already open, a retort primed and ready as she watched as the blonde oh-so-casually sat down in the chair next to her and pulled out her scroll.
Out of pure spite alone, she tried to shove the hunger aside and continue studying. Shifting the sandwich to the side until she caught Yang glanced up from her scroll at her with an all too familiar disappointed frown…
"Please." Yang nodded towards the sandwich as she spoke. "Just eat."
Weiss bit her lip as she glanced down at the textbook, but dust be damned, it was nigh impossible to ignore the meal, especially now that it was right in front of her. The somewhat haphazard presentation of the meal quickly overruled by the fact the turkey piled high on it smelled absolutely delectable, a fact Weiss couldn't refute as her stomach made itself very known once more…
With a defeated sigh and red tinged cheeks, she put down the pen and picked up the sandwich. Glaring at Yang's head as she reluctantly took a small bite.
Then another. And another.
It was… good. Much better than any of the quick cafeteria meals she had scarfed down the last few days. So good in fact she had to stamp down on the impulse to tear into it like some kind of rabid animal, forcing herself to take slow, deliberate bites befitting a lady. Chewing thoroughly each and every bite.
She glanced back over to Yang between bites, the blonde unsurprisingly still there, leaning precariously back in her chair while playing some strange game on her scroll. Their eyes met every so often as her gaze shifted from the scroll, back up to Weiss every minute or so.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was waiting to make sure Weiss actually ate.
The realization unfurled a sudden twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach as she was reminded of all the times Winter had done something similar. Forcing her to take time away from studies and training to take care of herself…
Or at least she had until she left Weiss behind.
Just like Yang would eventually do as well…
"Why?"
Weiss was surprised to hear her own voice disrupting the quiet of the slowly emptying library. Though not nearly as surprised as Yang who glanced up from her game, curiosity etched into her expression as she blinked in response.
"Hm?"
Quickly schooling herself into a more dignified position, Weiss gestured towards the empty plate in front of her.
"Why did you bring me this?"
Glancing back down at her game, Yang shrugged back. "Force of habit I guess. Ruby was really bad at taking care of herself when she was younger."
"That's Ruby though," Weiss wet her lips as she struggled to find the right words. "Why bother… with me?"
Shutting down the game she was playing, and getting to her feet with a deep sigh, Yang reached over to collect the plate as she spoke.
"I'm not gonna lie Weiss. I am not happy with you right now. I've spent a lot of time learning to control myself- More than you could possibly know. And you managed to break through all those years of practice in a single day."
Weiss almost smiled at the brutal honesty. It was a breath of fresh air to be told something like this upfront. So used to the implied meanings and veiled insults of her father and the Atlas upper class as she was.
An angry snarl curled up onto Yang's lips as she continued. "What you said last week? That really got under my skin."
Weiss felt herself tense up as she caught Yang's eyes flashing from lilac to red as she spoke. Warning bells instantly sounded in her mind, her own hands clenching, prepared to cast a glyph as she leaned forwards, ready to bolt from her seat at a moment's notice.
If Yang noticed any of the change, she didn't show it, barely even glancing in her direction as she gripped the plate in her hands much tighter than would ever be required.
"And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, you practically ran away! From Blake, from us. Your own team!"
The words were pulled from clenched teeth as Yang closed her eyes, physically shaking as she struggled to keep her emotions contained.
Seconds dragged on as Weiss kept her guard on high alert. A small glyph appeared behind Yang as she intently watched the Blonde for any signs of an incoming attack. A bunched shoulder muscle. A cocked hip. Anything. The seconds dragged on as their standoff continued.
The seconds turned into a minute. Then two.
On minute three, Yang finally let out a shaky breath. All the built up tension leaked out from her shoulders and hands as she took another breath and sighed deeply. Weiss instantly released her glyph before Yang's eyes even opened, the glyph fading away as they opened, revealing pale violet irises once more.
"But despite all that, I'm still not gonna let you do this," Yang gestured with the plate in one hand. "To yourself. You may have lost me as a friend right now, but you're still a person. And this is how I treat people. Even the ones I don't like or agree with."
She passed mid stride, a hand on her hip.
"Well, except for maybe Cardin. But he could stand to miss a couple of meals anyways."
Weiss couldn't stifle the small chuckle that bubbled up from her chest as Yang's words rang in her head.
"Thank you." Weiss smiled, as she shook her head, nodding towards the plate in her hand. "For the sandwich."
"Don't stay up too late Ice Queen." Yang chuckled as she turned and promptly left the library, leaving Weiss once again alone with her work, and too many thoughts now crowding her mind…
But even with the distraction of hunger now gone she just couldn't find her usual work flow. Her wings ached more and more with each passing second, the conversation with Yang continuing to rattle about her mind.
Maybe a change of scenery was needed…
Packing up her things, Weiss quickly made her way through the darkening halls of Beacon, following a well trodden path back to her team's dorm room. The room had a desk she could use, and in the safety of her own room she could probably loosen the bindings a bit more. Maybe finally get some work done on this oh-so-riveting essay.
Muffled laughter pulled Weiss from her own thoughts as she neared her team's room. The dorm room across the hall was very clearly bustling with activity, she could make out several different voices all talking and laughing… Ruby had been spending some time with JNPR as of late, so it wouldn't surprise her if that's where she was right now. She had even spied her and Pyrrha helping Jaune from time to time in class, a prospect that she herself could hardly fathom. What either of them saw in that buffoon was well beyond her.
Swiping her scroll and opening the door, blissful darkness and an empty room greeted her. A deep sigh escaped Weiss as she let the door close behind her, and walked over to the bathroom, not even bothering to flick on the lights even as darkness completely encompassed her.
The jacket hit the floor the second the door fully clicked closed, her deft fingers quickly going to work, feeling out the straps and loosening the bindings quite a bit more than usual, the leather harness resting lightly on her shoulders for the first time since she had arrived. Though the feeling of blood rushing back into the bastard limbs on her back paled in comparison to the freedom her ribs felt as she took a slow deep breath. The rush of oxygen almost made her light headed as she bent down to feel and retrieve the heavy garment, blindly dusting it off before shrugging it back on.
Her jacket would hide the looser than normal appendages from her teammates, of that fact she was quite sure, though it felt strange to have her wings pressed much more firmly up against the heavily embroidered back. Not uncomfortable by any means; she was pretty sure all the nerves in her wings were long since dead from lack of circulation anyways. It was just… strange. A new sensation that she couldn't quite put into words.
What was more important though was that the discomfort in her shoulders and back was mostly gone, so maybe now she would finally be able to get some work done-
The sound of the dorm room door opening had her frozen in place as she listened intently to several voices calling out.
"Oh- Ok, have fun."
"Oh-Ok, have fun."
Blake couldn't stop her feet dragging as the door slid open and she walked into the shared dorm. Not even bothering to turn on the lights as the door closed behind her, walking quietly into the middle of the empty, and oddly quiet room.
Her weapon dropped to the ground with an unceremonious crash as she looked down at the single duffle bag she still had packed. Hand trailing up to her bow, and pulling the taunt fabric slowly free from her head. Her ears ached as the blood rushed back into them, promoting her to slowly message them until the tingles subsided.
It was happening more and more each evening. Weiss, she had expected to distance herself after their argument, but now Ruby seemed to find excuses to stay out. Fixing one of their weapons, or hanging out with Pyrrha and her team. Yang always has something planned as well- tonight she was going to the training rooms to spar with Nora…
Really all it meant though, was Blake was once again left to her own devices.
She was alone.
Again.
How had she let this happen? Things had been going so well. She had been given a group of people who had accepted her. Who didn't judge her for who she was. Even managing to be amiable with a Schnee early on, despite the gnawing sensation she got whenever Weiss talked about her family or home…
She wasn't waking up in a cold sweat every other night. Nor waking up with a weapon in hand. Adam's voice seemed further and further away… She had felt like she was really starting to grow again. Starting to become someone new, and then, because of one single day, everything that she had been working on felt like it was slipping away-
No, that wasn't quite right either. There was so much more to it. So much more that Blake was only now starting to realize, yet both Yang and Ruby seemed to have picked up on immediately. So much more that she had been blind to for so long that he had blinded her to-
"Ugh!" Blake grabbed a pillow from her bunk and pitched it at the wall across from her bed. The soft fabric bouncing harmlessly off the wall, and landing lamely on Weiss' bed. A smile crept up onto her face as she felt a burst of satisfaction at the harmless outburst, before immediately being replaced by a frown.
That was the problem. It felt good to be able to lash out, to not have to repress her emotions so much. Not hide herself like she had been doing as far back as she could remember. Strike back at those who had hurt her. Hurt her friends and family. Who used the system to exploit our people. They don't deserve to live Blake. They must be made an example of. Torn apart by the same animals they see us as and-
"Ugh!" Blake grabbed the other pillow from her bunk and pitched it just as the bathroom door opened.
Despite the darkness, and her lack of glasses, Weiss' eyes locked onto Blakes, her gaze flicking up to her ears as she stood stock still in the doorway. Fear in her eyes, panic more akin to wounded prey than a powerful heiress, palpable on her shoulders.
A single breath passed.
Weiss spun on her heel, gripping the door to slam it closed-
"Wait!"
The word felt like it was ripped from her throat, a horse, desperate sound that would never have been answered by him, and yet seemed to freeze the heiress in her tracks.
"Wait." Blake repeated, slowly raising her hands up as she had seen Yang do in the past. "Please."
It took a second, but Weiss eventually turned her head to face the dark room. Her eyes locked onto Blake as she reached over and flicked on the bathroom light, illuminating them both as it spilled into the room.
There were so many things she wanted to say to Weiss. So many things she wanted to pin on her, burdens she wanted to bury her under…
Blake took a deep breath as she held up her hands. The voices of the people she had trusted for so long screaming for her to act, whispering all of the things they wanted to scream at her, everything they wanted to blame on her. The urge to unleash it all nipping at her vocal cords. Her hands ready to tear into her-
She let her hands drop back to her sides and shook her head as the anger flooded out of her. She wasn't that person anymore… She didn't want to be…
A small flicker of light behind her caught her eye as the small glyph in Weiss's hand vanished. Her eyes met Weiss', fear and unease pungent between them. Without the haze of anger it was so easy to see why. She was hardly giving the Heiress a reason to trust her. Heil, after years of feeling the ire of the White Fang of course she would be uneasy around the Faunus. Now here she was again, cornered by one…
Blake wet her own lips as she took a deep breath and tried to bury any lingering anger. She had come to Beacon to hide. To find a new way. She wanted to make a difference… A real difference. Maybe… maybe that was why Ozpin put them on the same team…
"Can we just… talk?"
Weiss crossed her arms as she cocked her head. "About?"
"This." Blake vaguely gestured between them as she tried to find the right words. "Us. If we can even make this whole thing work, or if we should both just give up and go home."
The words hit… something. Weiss' cold indifference waving for a moment was enough for her to know that. The small measure of confidence, enough to keep barreling forwards into the unknown.
"I really don't want to leave Beacon Weiss," Blake could feel the lump in her throat as she stepped back from the door, giving Weiss ample room to leave the bathroom. "Or this team. So I'm willing to try. But if you don't think we can find any way to make this work… well…"
Weiss scoffed as she stepped into the darker room, her arms still crossed. "You're quite attached for only being a few weeks in."
Blake couldn't help chuckling at the retort. "You're right. Maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but I'm serious about my question. Do you think you think we can make this work?"
"I," Weiss wet her lips as she frowned, mulling Blakes words around in her head until she finally nodded to herself. "I would prefer to stay as well."
"Ok." Blake nodded at her.
"Ok." Weiss nodded back.
Silence stretching between them as them. Both watched the other. Waiting for them to say something.
"So." Blake rubbed her palm with her thumb as she tried to think of where to even begin. "We should…"
"Yes." Weiss agreed as she glanced tentatively between them. "We don't need to talk about everything tonight… Right?"
"God no," Blake let out a breath, her shoulders slumping. "I just… We can talk more tomorrow."
"Ok," Weiss nodded as she moved towards the dorm doorway, nodding at Blake as she cracked the door open. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
Blake blinked as Weiss let the door close behind her. The soft click of the door left her in darkness, with only the pale slip of light from the moon illuminating the room as she cocked her head, listening to Weiss just outside the doorway.
The door opened not a few moments later, the heiress shuffling back inside as she looked down at the floor, her red cheeks illuminated by the halfway lights for a brief moment until the door clicked closed behind her.
"I… I sleep here. This is our dorm… I have no idea why I left…"
Blake couldn't stop the laughter as it bubbled up. She covered her mouth, muffling the sounds but it was impossible to contain. Weiss' indigent stomp only added fuel to the laughter Blake tried her best to stifle.
"Fine." The heiress huffed as Blake flopped back onto her own bed, watching Weiss between the stifled gentle chuckles. Watching as she took off her boots and placed them down in their exact spot before slowly feeling her way towards her own bed, and pulling out her night wear.
It was fascinating to watch her move about the dorm in the dark. Blake was almost impressed that Weiss never once used her scroll light or glyphs to see, and though it took her a significantly longer time to get changed for bed, she never once stumbled or ran into anything. Gliding slowly around the room as if she had memorized each step. She probably had, knowing her.
Not a single word was spoken between them. Nothing more really needed to be said.
Even as Weiss climbed into her bed, and deliberately turned her back to Blake.
Even as Ruby and Yang not so elegantly stumbled into the room and made a mess of getting to their beds.
Even as Blake listened to her soft breaths even out, and her own eyes slowly closed.
The room was quiet. Not silent.
And that more than anything let her relax.
Neither of them made any attempt to talk during the day. Their classes passed in a blur until they finally wordlessly followed one another out of history, leaving the sisters behind.
The evening sun was bright but Weiss didn't let the sweat bother her. Her breathing a touch heavy as she kept step with Blake as the Faunus aimlessly led them around the school's paths as they talked.
"You heard about the mine that collapsed in Atlas?"
She nodded, hands clasped in front of her as Blake glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.
"I knew a couple of the workers… Not well but… they came by the outreach center enough times I recognized their faces…"
"Oh…" Weiss frowned as she looked down at her shoes. "I'm sorry…"
"I know it's not your fault," Blake didn't look at her but Weiss could see her hand clenched tightly. "But I was so angry and I took it out on you. I wanted everyone to see you as I did."
"Well. By the sounds of it, you didn't need to try very hard. I wasn't exactly the most receptive to your… reveal." Weiss grimaced as she glanced up at her teammate. It still felt strange to say that. "That reminds me, why did you tell me? You certainly were keeping it a secret well enough."
"Thats…" Blake bit her lip as she slowed in her steps, Weiss taking the slower pace with much gratitude as she tried to slow her heart. "This honestly might sound a little dramatic but, I felt like I had to tell you."
Weiss felt her blood go cold at the statement- her wings aching as Blake continued, the Faunus's eyes unfocused, like her mothers, looking at something or someone in the distance. Someone decidedly not there. "Being around all these people. Hiding in plain sight. Listening to the talk about my own people day after day. Seeing all the Faunus who are open about who they are. Being unable to say too much. Each day that passed, it felt more and more like I was drowning Weiss. Like I was strangling a part of myself over and over again. I-I was scared to tell you, but… that feeling was so much worse."
Blake blinked a few times as her eyes refocused again, wiping away the moisture that slung to the corners of her eyes.
Weiss tried to swallow the lump of guilt that clung to the back of her throat, her wings flaring angrily as she bit her lip to stifle the small pained whimper. All her willpower focused on keeping herself from reacting to having her own intimate feelings thrown right back in her face. To keep her expression neutral, and not to allow any of the resentment through.
Blake glanced down at her. The sound of course would never escape her extra ears, a flurry of emotions in her eyes. Weiss drove her nails into her palm as she tried to swallow the pain. Looking for something to say. Anything to show she understood…. She wasn't good at showing her support the way the sisters were though. She was cold, cynical and brash. Nothing about her was what Blake needed right now. Blake needed warmth, needed to be told she was understood, and no one else was around to say it. No one else who could say it.
"...I'm sorry…"
Her voice wobbled as she spoke more to the air in front of her than anything else… but she caught the sound of blakes foot slipping mid step all the same. Blake no doubt caught off guard by her words.
"...What?"
Weiss took a deep breath before charging headlong into the proverbial dark.
"It's just… It sounds like a horrible feeling… drowning… that's something no one should ever have to go through… So I'm sorry… for making you go through that with me… That's all…"
Blake's breath hitched as Weiss kept her gaze focused forwards. Not daring to look at the Faunus. The silence that stretched between them was almost too much to bear-
"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwh!" Ruby's sqweel cut through the hot bed of emotions with all the grace of a Boarbatusk. Her red cape wrapping around Weiss as the young girl appeared beside her in a flurry of rose petals. "You two made up!"
The whiplash of emotions had Weiss nearly throwing the poor girl as she lept back with a yelp. "Ruby?! What are you doing?!"
The red dolt zipped in front of her with a beaming smile, stopping her in her tracks. "Spying on you two."
"Why?!" Weiss spread her arms wide as she yelled but Ruby was completely unfazed.
"Well, you and Blake were all so serious when you left-" Ruby began.
"And we kinda were worried you two were going to have another fight." Yang's voice dragged All their gaze up to the tree above them. Yang grinned as she flipped off the branch and landed next to them "Buuuuut looks like we didn't need to worry. Well… much…"
Weiss took a deep breath, before she raised a hand up, a Glyph appearing behind her. "You two have five seconds to run. Starting now."
"She's joking right? Yang chuckled as she glanced between them, her smile wavering as Weiss dropped one of her fingers.
Weiss couldn't help but smirk as Blake took a step back from her. Her arms crossed as she cocked an eyebrow in the sisters direction as if to say don't expect me to save you.
A blast of petals and Yang was all alone, her eyes wide as she turned and spirited back towards the school.
"Pyrrha!"
Weiss couldn't help but laugh as she activated the glyph and launched herself into the air, screaming towards Yang as she desperately made a beeline for JNPR's star.
She knew that really all this was nothing but a bandaid between them… but maybe. Maybe that was enough. Maybe she could make this work out after all.