In spite of Lala's condition, she was more than capable of living a normal life. On a good day, she was little more than a normal, if eccentric young girl.
This was not a good day. Lala woke up far earlier than she intended to. She tried to ignore the flames licking at her skin, and the acrid smoke filling her lungs. She knew that the room covered in flames merely existed in her head, along with the feeling of knives being pressed into her body , but knowing it wasn't real didn't make it hurt any less. She stumbled out of bed, trying her best not to cry out as the bottoms of her feet burned. She made it to the bathroom door and turned the knob. She took a moment to remind herself that the burned flesh she left on the knob was just another delusion. No, delusion was the wrong word. It had certainly happened, just not to her.
None of the doctors or scientists that she had seen knew why her semblance manifested this way. The prevailing theory is that the... unique circumstances behind its activation led to an unprecedented rate of evolution. In short, her power grew too strong, too fast, to a point where it was beyond her control. Being able to read minds was one thing, but the unending stream of raw information that flowed into her mind from every living thing around her was something else. It wasn't just thoughts, but emotions, sensations, memories, and abstract, half formed things that sat in the depths of the human mind. No one could handle that much data. Was it any wonder she was a little odd?
Lala grabbed the medicine bottle out of the cabinet. She contemplated throwing the entire thing away, but sighed and took two pills. She did find it a little ironic; her parents owned a pharmaceutical company, and here she was the guinea pig for an experimental drug. How they worked she didn't know or care, but they helped when her Semblance went out of control. Already she could feel the flames receding. She went to the sink and splashed water on her face. Taking a deep breath, she stopped to meditate. She tried to remember other things, less painful things. She recalled what her home looked like before it was engulfed in flames. She remembered her parents and siblings. She remembered the servants who she considered a part of her family. She cherished all of them, but now only one was left.
A soft tapping at the door diverted Lala's attention.
"Lala? Are you alright?"
Lala opened the door and saw Yasmin standing there still in her pajamas. The plain white nightgown with long sleeves matched the white gloves she wore even while sleeping.
"I am fine. I just had a bad dream", Lala replied. "I apologize for waking you."
Yasmin shook her head. "Please don't apologize. If you are troubled, I will be there to help any way I can. I am still your attendant."
Lala frowned slightly. "I would rather have a friend than a servant. But, I do appreciate it all the same." Lala's stomach started to growl. "I am quite famished. I do not see either of us getting back to sleep, let us acquire some breakfast."
Yasmin nodded in agreement. She went to retrieve her hat and joined Lala as she went to the kitchen.
Walking through the Beacon grounds before the sun had yet to rise was a nostalgic experience for the both of them. The Lamb Manor was a vast place, and the two made a game of exploring in the dead of night and early morning. Their footsteps echoed in the empty halls as the cool morning air brushed against them.
When they arrived at the kitchen they were surprised to discover that they weren't the first ones there. Two other students had the same idea and were currently occupying the large stove.
Ren and Nora, the two Mistrali students they had encountered before. Yasmin's fist tightened. She hadn't talked to any member of team JNPR after that incident in the showers, and with Lala right in front of them she had no clue how they would react. She turned to leave, but Lala stepped forward with a smile.
"Greetings," Lala said. "It seems that strange minds do indeed think alike."
"Isn't that 'great minds think alike'?", Yasmin grumbled.
Nora and Ren shared a look, a thousand words exchanged in a single glance. Whatever they had discussed, it ended with Nora smiling and waving at the two girls.
"Hi. Guess we're not the only early birds here."
"I believe that things that are worth doing are worth doing soon. It is good to see you again."
Nora chuckled nervously. "Yeah. Listen, Yasmin told us about what happened. I know you didn't mean to hurt Pyrrha, it was your semblance. I don't hold that against you."
Lala sighed. "I do appreciate your understanding, but my semblance is a part o f me. To say that I was not at fault for hurting your friend would be a grave error. I bear the blame for that, and I apologize."
Lala bowed low to the ground. Yasmin knelt next to her, not saying a word.
Nora waved her hands frantically. "It's okay! it's okay! Please get off the floor, you're making me feel bad."
The two stood up. Lala went to the cabinets and looked for something to eat.
"I think I'll have the usual," she said.
Yasmin nodded. "As you wish, Miss Lala." She grabbed a large skillet and turned on the stove. She prepared the eggs, batter, bacon, and ham for Lala's breakfast.
Lala stared transfixed at the flame. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes from it. A bead of sweat rolled down her face. Her mouth went dry. Her vision suddenly grew dim.
"Hey, Ren, you help cook too," Nora ordered. She grabbed Lala by the arm and turned her away from the stove. "You haven't lived until you've tried Ren's cooking." Nora smiled when she saw Lala relax. "So, I wanna know more about you. Where are you guys from?"
"Yasmin and I are from Atlas. It has its charms, but I do enjoy living in Vale."
"Wow. What's it like in Atlas?"
"Cold," Yasmin answered.
Lala giggled. "She's right. It snowed almost every day, depending on where you lived. I grew up in the capitol, so I got used to it."
Nora was enthralled. "Wow, that sounds wonderful. In Mistral it just rained all the time. Why'd you come to Beacon instead of going to Atlas Academy?"
"Why does anyone leave their home?" Lala answered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nora placed a hand on Lala's shoulder. "I know the feeling. At least you've got a good friend by your side."
Lala smiled. "You're right. I do not think I would be standing here if not for Yasmin."
"You give me too much credit," Yasmin replied. She piled the food onto a plate and handed it to Lala. "Here. Make sure you eat it all."
"You didn't make anything for yourself?" Ren asked.
"I'm not hungry."
Lala rolled her eyes and dug into her food. The rest of the morning was just idle chatter about unimportant topics.
After a shower and a change of clothes, Lala and Yasmin joined their teammates and went to class.
XxX
Many words could be used to describe Lotus, but difficult to please was not one of them. If the people around her just did what they were supposed to do then everything would be fine. But no, they had to keep on doing what they wanted, no matter how often it didn't work out or how hard she tried to correct their behavior. Could anyone really blame her for being angry all the time?
The scene in front of her was a good example. Her teammate Iris was once again kneeling on the ground gathering up her scattered books and papers after Cardin had swatted them out of her hand, again. No matter how many times she had told that girl to stand up for herself, she never listened. She'd rather try and get through to people with words. She was an idiot, to put it simply.
Of course it wouldn't be a problem if people stopped coddling her, like the student who stopped to help Iris gather her things. She knew Yang from the way students talked about her. After a single month her name had been spoken of alongside Pyrrha and Giallo whenever the topic of "strongest at Beacon" came up. She had more than earned the rep, beating down every opponent that came her way with ease. She wasn't bad looking either, with long blonde hair and nice shapely legs. She wasn't as big around the chest area as Iris, but very few girls were. Still, they were big enough, and that's what mattered in the end.
Yang looked over and glowered. "Are you gonna help or just stare?"
"I'm fine right here," Lotus said. "I told that idiot to handle her own shit. Not my fault she never learns."
Yang stomped up to Lotus and jabbed a finger into the taller girl's chest. "Why don't you lay off her?"
"Don't tell me how to run my team, Xiao Long."
Yang's eyes flashed crimson for a brief instant. "Someone needs to fix that attitude of yours."
Lotus' face curled with a grin. "I wouldn't mind going a few rounds with you."
"You think you can beat me?"
"I wasn't talking about fighting."
Yang's fist flew towards Lotus. Lotus swayed to avoid the blow, savoring the heat coming off of Yang's fist. She smiled as she readied to attack, but felt a great weight on her body.
Lotus suppressed the urge to shudder when she saw Iris' scowling face. The Faunus had grabbed both Lotus and Yang, catching them in her iron grip.
Iris spoke with a voice full of authority neither girl had ever heard before. "That's enough. Both of you."
Lotus couldn't move a muscle. It had to be Iris' semblance. She felt the girl's fingers digging into her shoulder. Lotus knew full well how strong Iris was. If she had a mind she could turn a person's bones to powder with her bare hands. All the desire to fight left her body. She pried Iris' fingers off and walked away.
She could hear the whispers surrounding her. It didn't make any difference to her. They were just trash, litter on the side of the road. All she saw was the path ahead, nothing else was worth her notice.
Lotus' mood didn't improve any once she had actually made it to class. Port was a windbag, more concerned with reliving his glory days than actually teaching anything.
At least today the topic was actually relevant to her interests.
Port pointed to an elaborate diagram of a castle, pointing to all the possible entry points for a siege.
"Now class, while the odds of any of you storming a castle is rare in this day and age, there may come a time where you will need to rout an enemy from a disadvantageous position. If you are to take a fortress, what do you think is the best call?"
Port looked through the class and pointed at a student. "Mr. Fiamma, what would you do?"
Giallo shrugged. "Go in through the front door. Not like they could stop me."
Several of the students laughed at that comment.
Lotus rolled her eyes. A lot of them were still blind. If anyone could do it then it'd be him. She had to watch out for that one.
The professor cleared his throat. "That is certainly a unique strategy, What about you, Miss Chahna?"
Lotus thought for a moment. "Chaos tactics. Drop some bombs, start a few fires, the usual. Get them disorganized, panicky, stabbing at shadows. Mess them up so bad they don't know which way is up. And then once they're on the ropes move in and clean em up. That's how I usually do it."
Port chuckled. "You speak from experience, I take it?"
"Hell yeah. Let me tell you, watching the camps burn, listening to those bandits scream, smelling the smoke, that shit's magic. There's nothing like it in the world."
Port let out a hearty laugh. "Fascinating. Perhaps one day I'll have you deliver a lecture for the class."
Port went back to delivering his lecture. Lotus sighed and put her head down. She looked over and saw Iris grinning.
"I'm shocked, for a moment you almost looked happy."
"Shut the fuck up," Lotus replied.
XxX
Iris hated the end of the day. No matter the schedule, the day's classes always ended with sparring. This was Iris' worst subject. She had the second worst record in Beacon's history, the only worse fighter in her year being the leader of Team JNPR. It wasn't her fault. She hated getting hit, but she hated hitting people even more. Grimm were no problem, but when people got hit they cried, bled, broke bones, it was completely different. Part of her wished she was like her teammates, able to fight without hesitation, but she saw the way they looked when they fight. They enjoyed hurting people, and she certainly didn't want to be like that. The part she liked the least was having to change in front of everyone. It's not that she was embarrassed about her body, but she didn't like the other students looking at her like she was a piece of meat. A few of them she swore were actually drooling. She slipped out of her shirt and sighed in relief as the constricting fabric fell off her body.
"Damn, girl. What're they feeding you?" a voice shouted.
Iris noticed Yang smirking at her. She was always like that, saying whatever was on her mind at any given moment. Iris admired her confidence, but sometimes she wished Yang was a little more tactful.
Iris crossed her arms in front of her chest. "These aren't as fun as you think they are, you know. People stare at me everywhere I go, I can never find clothes that fit, they get all sweaty when I exercise, and I get the most terrible back pain."
Lotus snorted with laughter. "You can bench press two tons and you complain about back pain?"
"How sweaty are we talking?" Giallo shouted from across the locker room.
"If those titties are too heavy I can carry them for you," another student shouted.
The locker room erupted with laughter.
Lala pouted as she put on her hakama. "Mine are big too."
"You're absolutely lovely, Miss Lala," Yasmin said.
Once they were in the auditorium Iris sat and hoped that she wouldn't be called on. So of course she was the first one up. Her opponent was a member of Team JNPR, a short girl with a hammer. She was small, but compared to Iris she was tiny. Iris knew better than to underestimate this girl, however. She had heard the rumors that Nora had killed a Deathstalker and helped to kill a giant Nevermore during the initiation, and if she was good enough to keep up with Pyrrha then she was definitely no slouch.
"Begin!" Glynda shouted.
Iris inched forward, axe raised. She waited for Nora to make the first move. Nora was more than happy to oblige. She jumped into the air and sent her hammer crashing down on Iris' head, or at least she tried. Iris blocked with her axe, grunting as she felt the surprising weight of the hammer pressing down on her. She took her hand off the handle and lightly touched the hammer's head.
Nora suddenly felt her weapon drop. Blinking, she tried to heft it but noticed that it had gotten significantly heavier. That turned out to work in her favor. Nora groaned with effort and lifted up her hammer. She stomped the ground and swung as hard as she could. The hammer flew faster than Iris could see, landing in her side. Iris cried out in pain as she went down on one knee. Nora lifted the hammer over her head and swung down. She gasped as her weapon stopped short of the goal, caught in Iris' hand. The Faunus girl's hand glowed with a violet light and Nora's hammer crashed into the ground. Nora tugged and pulled as hard as she could, just barely able to lift it. She stumbled as she tried to heft the extreme weight, only for Iris to tap the hammer again, driving it into the ground so deep that only the handle was visible.
This time Nora was beaten. Her weapon was useless, and Iris was bearing down on her. With her weapon, and her strength, victory was inevitable for the Faunus girl. Nora closed her eyes and waited for the attack.
But it never came. Instead Iris planted her axe in the floor and raised her hand.
"I surrender."
A deafening silence was heard in the room.
"What?" Nora said. "Are you serious? I'm right here at your mercy. Hit me, punch me, swipe at me with that axe, do something!"
"I don't want to," Iris replied.
Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine, whatever. The winner by forfeit is Nora Valkyrie." The woman turned to look at Iris. "Miss Star, what was that?"
"I didn't want to hurt her," Iris replied.
"You understand that your combat record is a part of your grade. If you do not show improvement, then staying here at Beacon may be an impossibility for you."
"Thank you for your concern, Ms Goodwitch."
Iris left the stage. Once she reached the locker room, she fell to the ground clutching at her side. Lifting her shirt, she saw a large, dark bruise on her skin. She hissed as she felt it. It was most likely a broken rib.
"Got your ass handed to you, huh?" Lotus taunted.
"I don't wanna hear it," Iris complained.
"Well too bad. I've told you that you have to start fighting back. If you keep going the way you are you're gonna wind up dead."
"What do you care?"
"I don't, but if you die then that makes me look bad. You think you're some kind of saint, but you're not. There are cemeteries filled with people like you. The ones who think they're special are the first ones to die. Keep going down that road you're on, and you'll end up in the ground like all the rest."
"I don't want to be like you," Iris muttered. "Instead of hurting people I'd rather do what I can to make people happy."
Lotus rolled her eyes. "Happiness is a load of shit. It cant line your pocket and it sure as shit can't fill your stomach. Even when you have it, it's gone just as quickly."
"You're right, it is temporary. But so is unhappiness. It all goes away in the end. I just wish you understood that."
Lotus' eyes narrowed. She stomped out of the locker room without another word. Iris winced and slowly trudged her way to the nurse's office.
Iris Star's official record at Beacon was now zero wins, fifteen defeats. Of those defeats, ten were due to surrender, one due to disqualification. She had never won a fight, but ending a fight without hurting anyone was a victory for her.
XxX
With Iris spending the night in the nurse's office and Lotus doing whatever it is that she did, Yasmin was by herself again. Lala had long since fallen asleep, but Yasmin was too wired to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened this morning. Seeing Lala talking happily with Ren and Nora, seeing the way she smiled.
She never smiled like that around her. All Yasmin got was that same placid expression Lala gave everyone. It was better than before, but she wished that Lala would smile like she used to.
Yasmin sighed. "Who was it that took away her smile?"
Yasmin took a deep breath and cleared her mind of distractions. Swinging her sword always helped her relax. The sound of the blade slicing through air was like a pleasant melody. She fell into a rhythm of drawing, slashing, and sheathing.
"I always love watching this."
Yasmin groaned. This person was always around. He had accidentally looked into her past and now he wouldn't leave her alone. No matter how often she asked him to go away, he refused. Reasoning with him didn't work, and hitting him just encouraged him. He was impossible.
"Why are you here?" Yasmin asked.
Rock shrugged. "I like watching you. The way you swing your sword is so..."
"Elegant?"
"Erotic."
Yasmin's lip curled in disgust. "You sicken me."
Rock laughed. "Girls say that to me all the time."
"I can imagine. Don't you have anything better to do than watch me?"
Rock shrugged. "Not really, no. To be honest, ever since I saw that dream I just can't get you out of my head."
Yasmin went back to her practice. "You need to find better hobbies."
"Why are you so cold to me? I think we could be really good friends. We've got a lot in common."
"Like what?"
"Well, we're both orphans for one. I doubt you'd be living on the streets if you had someone looking out for you. I came up the same way. I ripped and ran, taking what I needed to survive. Sometimes I'd go days without eating."
Yasmin felt a pang of sympathy. "If you're looking for a companion this place has no shortage of orphans. But, you're right. I never knew my parents. Maybe they died, or they gave me up. I have no idea, and honestly I don't care. Atlas is quite a different place when you're homeless. My days were mostly spent avoiding the police."
Rock laughed. "I feel you. I've been locked up a few times. Trust me, it's not fun."
"So what about you? What happened to your parents?"
"Eh, my mom tossed me in a garbage can, and I'm pretty sure my dad's dead. Maybe."
Yasmin's face fell. "What?"
"You ever heard that song 'Brenda's got a Baby'? Can't blame you if you haven't, it wasn't very popular. Huge downer. Anyway, it was a few minutes after I was born. She tied me in a bag and left me in the garbage. I almost suffocated, but someone found me."
Yasmin dropped her sword. She suddenly felt sick. "That's horrible. What kind of mother would do that to her own child?"
Rock shrugged. "Not a very good one. Would you believe me if I told you that's not the worst thing my mom's ever done?"
Yasmin shook her head. "I find that difficult to believe. Is she some kind of monster?"
"The worst kind: a human." Rock let out a sigh. "Sorry for bringing the mood down. Hey, you wanna spar? I'm better at fighting than talking anyway?"
Yasmin snorted. "I certainly hope so."
Rock's face broke out into a smile. "See? I made you laugh. We're making progress already."
After they were finished, they both fell to the floor. They were both out of breath and drenched with sweat, but they had enjoyed themselves. Yasmin gained new insight into who Rock was. She could see in his eyes how at peace he was when he fought, how happy he was. It was fleeting, but it was there.
"That was fun," Rock said. "We should do this again sometime."
"I agree," Yasmin replied. "You've gotten better since I last saw you fight."
"I've been doing a lot of training." Rock looked at his scroll. "Shit, it's late. I better go, if I don't give Nigel his good night kiss he gets all crabby."
Yasmin watched Rock leave. She still didn't know how to feel about him, but she felt like she knew him a little better now. He reminded her of herself, or at least who she used to be.
But that person died in Atlas, and they're never coming back. Yasmin's purpose, her only reason for living was Lala. Nothing else mattered.
AN: yep, it's a LILy chapter. I wanted to really establish them as characters and set the foundation for events to come later. more importantly, I wanted to get something posted before the year ended.
Also, in case you were wondering, in terms of bust size it goes IrisLalaLotusYasmin.