The Thing About Lotus Flowers...
Niilamu paced back and forth quietly in front of the school. She was nervous, her hands clasped behind her back twitching and shaking anxiously. Why did she feel so damn nervous?! She brought her jaw up to bite her lower lip in unease and bit far too hard, the taste of blood starting to fill her mouth and sharp against her tongue. She paused and spat out what she could onto the stone pathway, sneering at the sight before picking up the pace again, pacing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, her heavy boots thundering across the floor as she walked. She was sure if she walked any more aggressively she would start to carve out a pathway in the ground. The young woman let out a deep sigh as she fished in her pocket for her scroll, staring at the unresponsible device intently. A lot of motifications for messages from her father sat solemnly on the screen when she turned it on. He was incessant, wasn't he? But nothing from her. That was all she cared about at the moment. Niil grit her teeth a little harder.
"Maybe I shouldn't have just left a note...I should have just waited. What if she-"
"Niil?"
A softer voice echoed from behind the tall, dark haired woman. A figure stood behind her, petite in frame, especially so by comparison to the six and a half foot Niil, with wavy white hair that would fall down to her shoulders if it were not tied back with a thin black ribbon to keep it from covering her glistening green eyes. She smiled softly and gave a half-bow to say hello, nodding her head as she did so. She wore white, a simple but well made dress that came down to just above her knees with black lace trim, a thin black ribbon around her waist that made sure the dress hugged her figure tightly, and tall black boots that covered most of her legs bar a thin line of the pale skin of her thighs.
The woman spoke again. "Are you okay, Niil? Orchid said you wanted to see me about something? She spoke of a note, but you know what she's like. Thought it more sense to read a note addressed to myself, throw it out, and point me in the right direction rather than let me read the note myself. Still, it's good to know you were in fact waiting for me and this was not another of her pranks."
Ivory tilted her head gently to the side. "Niil? Are you listening?" she asked curiously.
The young Huntress in training turned to the voice with her hands in her pockets, shaking the tremble than ran down her side. She still rubbed the back of her neck nervously, looking up and down at the form before her with a shy smile, "Hey, Ivory. I uh.. .yeah. Orchid is a piece of work, alright."
Niil had opted to leave her sword in the dorm and wore a new white button down with navy dress pants. She finished the outfit with a tasteful black belt and shoes, and opted to style her hair back in various crossing braids. Included were the bangs that customarily draped over her right eye which were held in three red bands. The bang was braided but still held the band decoration she was so fond of.
She watched her white haired teammate for a long beat, and nearly missed what the girl had said in her focus.
"I was just, uh, wondering if you wanted to hang out today?" she smiled but she was still clearly fraught with unease.
Ivory raised an eyebrow, something she felt like she might be doing a lot this conversation. Niil was usually very forward and confident, unfaltering in her approach. The fact she was nervous seemed awfully strange, let alone the fact she had resorted to leaving notes rather than just asking Ivory outright, and something about that had set Ivory on edge. She had been acting stranger and stranger lately, and Ivory could not put her finger on why. Lapis' recent reappearance had been a fly in the ointment, but she expected that to be the last thing playing on Niil's mind. So what was it? She held her tongue and tried her best not to pry and let it come naturally from her teammate.
A moment passed as Ivory thought to her day's schedule. She had set aside most of her day to focus on her reports and research for classes, but she was sure that spending one day to relax would not put too much stress on her in the long run. She always had the evening to make up for the lost time.
She nodded. "Of course, I'd love to. Just give me a chance to get a few things before we leave, okay?" Ivory replied. "I'll see you in a moment," she continued, and turned on her black heels and vanished behind the archway back into Beacon Academy.
Although she still pawed anxiously at her hands, Niil struggled to not break out in a little jig the moment Ivory's back had turned. The white haired faunus had always been kind to her, something she perhaps had not expected from the prim and proper woman from Atlas, but she hadn't been sure if her teammate would be interested in spending the day with the tall dork. She nodded quickly as Ivory vanished and went back to suckling on her lip until she couldn't taste blood anymore, even if just to hide the smile that crawled its way onto her face.
Her thoughts wandered back to Lapis, the ass who had abandoned team INOL and set every member on edge. It made trusting party members difficult, knowing that they could up and leave so easily. His return only made things more confusing, and every day that passed since Lapis' snide comments back at the lake had left her feeling less and less like herself. The lies were weighing on her mind and were warring constantly with her wish to be an honorable and trustworthy member of her team. How could she be either of those things when she found more and more things to hide from the rest of team LION every day? The lies were piling up faster than bodies after a White Fang attack--morbid thought, perhaps, especially considering the nature of her companion, but apt--and she was just about ready to explode from the stress of it all.
"Really should have thought that metaphor through..." she muttered aloud.
Today was the day that she would come clean to one of her team. The person--faunus--whatever--on her team that she trusted most. It seemed so strange to say that about someone she had only known for a few months, but she had to get off of her chest, and more importantly she needed to keep this secret quiet, especially in light of recent events. Too much had changed. Someone else needed to know in case things went wrong, and she trusted Ivory enough to know that she was disciplined and respectful. If anyone could keep a secret it was her.
Someone needed to know... in case she needed to run.
The familiar figure of Ivory appeared only a moment later. She had pulled a white jacket over herself, perhaps unnecessary in the warm weather, but the thin decorative pattern in green along the underside of one sleeve told Niil exactly why she had brought it; dust infused clothing. Ivory smiled as her companion noticed it and pulled her pochette over her shoulder, slipping her scroll into it with her other hand as she did so and readying herself.
"Ready to go?" the white haired woman asked.
Niil didn't fight the silly smile that painted her lips at her teammate's return. She patted down her pants to reassure herself that she had her scroll then gave a nod that she was ready. Quietly she shifted aside to offer Ivory the first steps off of school grounds, although her heart hammered in her chest. "There is something that I hope to discuss with you before we get to the transport to the city. Could I just borrow a few minutes of alone time before we start the fun, please?"
"A-alone?" Ivory stuttered, a rare occurrence indeed. Her mind had immediately wandered, knowing exactly what kind of terrifying things that Niil was capable of, and she had to spend a moment to compose herself and rid herself of such thoughts. "Of... of course, Niil. I am happy to listen and offer advice if you need it."
Niil gave Ivory a knowing grin followed by a wink, neither of which served to settle the smaller woman's nerves. Then she shoved her clammy hands into her pockets as she walked beside the faunus. "I am from Mistral." She figured that would be a good place to start. "Well, I was born in Vacuo, but I grew up in the swamps. My name had been Amara, after my aunt and grandmother." She spoke softly, her voice low enough to be caught by only the faunus next to her in case nosy ears were nearby. "As the youngest of six I terrorized my older sister and brothers. It was practically my job. They humored me, babied me. Might be why I'm so spoiled now, eh?" she joked.
Ivory chuckled softly, an amused expression across her face as she turned her head over her shoulder to face Niil; whom then returned the look with a quirk of an eyebrow, "I wouldn't say spoiled. I grew up in Atlas where everyone's an heiress with daddy's credit card on hand. I've seen spoiled and that's not you." She paused. "Amara? That's a pretty name. Why did you change it?"
"It's still my name," she chuckled back. "Just placed differently. As for why? I didn't. My father did." She paused beside Ivory and then sighed. Ivory stopped in her steps a moment later, turning her head over to watch her companion as Niil spoke again. "My name was changed when I officially became an associate of the Moonblood. At least that's what they are known as in Vale. In Atlas, Vacuo and Mistral, we are simply known as the Nill'ama."
Ivory opened her mouth to speak, a confused look on her face. She recognised that word. "Aren't they the-"
"A crime family known for dust trafficking, fight rings, and underground gambling, yes. Amongst other things," Niil interrupted. She quietly unbuttoned the cuff of her left sleeve as she spoke, "I started as a runner, then moved to weapons management. Then I was an enforcer and bodyguard." Niil shifted her sleeve, slowly pulling it up her arm."My name was changed when I became a bodyguard, and it is set to change again."
"I don't understand," Ivory replied. She looked her companion up and down. Niil had always been secretive of her past, something which seemed awfully common amongst her companions, but Ivory was still trying to process all of the information. She had heard of the Moonblood before and while she knew very little about them she knew enough that any kind of association was worrisome.
"You say your name was changed when you became a bodyguard, and that it is to change? Does that mean you still hold allegiance to them?" Ivory's voice remained calm, making every attempt not to seem overly aggressive or accusatory. She could not lie that this news worried her, but she hardly wanted to aggrivate her short-tempered friend.
Niil gave Ivory a nod. "They are letting me become a Huntress. But my sister is in the hospital. I was her bodyguard..." She showed the faunus the dark lines and curves of tattoos along her arm, now all exposed. The lines seemed to shimmer and glow beneath her skin and shifted with every twitch of her muscle. The markings made an impressive mural with the blank space, a blooming lotus that birthed an intertwined draconian snake and a feral big cat of some sort.
"There are writings and meanings within this tattoo. Ones that even I have trouble deciphering. The higher ups of the Moonbloods know these marks much better than I do." She spoke, "I got a phone call this morning. My sister, the heir to the family, has been declared no longer fit for the role. By tradition the role is supposed to go to one of my four brothers. One was killed, one has a family, one already has a job as spymaster, and one has abandoned the family to live his life in the swamps." She let go of the fabric of her sleeve. "My father has taken over operations in interim. My mother is technically the leader at the moment until either my brother is brought to heel, or I graduate."
Ivory felt a little lost for words. "I." She paused, letting her eyes fall closed for a moment as she took in a breath. "I see," she continued, slowly bringing her hands up to her chest. No, now wasn't the time to fumble. She clenched her fists and stepped forwards with confidence, looking up to the much taller woman who stood before her. "So is that your plan? Once you've graduated, to return home and take up your position as heir proper?"
Niil took the time to mull Ivory's question over while she fastened up her sleeve. "Honestly? No. Unless something happens to my parents my plan is to travel and put my skills to use. I wanted to become a Huntress for a reason. To fight Grimm and help people live their normal lives in peace. I wanted to-" She paused, "Be different, if only for a while, I suppose." She looked down at the shorter woman and gave her a crooked smile, "Just be Amara, you know? But, if my parents order me back I have to go. At least long enough to be named heir. Then maybe I could leave again to be a Huntress in Mistral? I don't know. This possibility never occurred to me so I never planned for it." She sighed and scrubbed her left hand over her face. "I wasn't supposed to pay for my sister's idiocy."
"I can understand the stress this must be putting you in; having such a responsibility thrust upon you. It comforts me to know that you had no plans to continue the trade, but I hope you understand why I cannot in good conscience support the actions of a criminal organisation, and why it worries me that you might some day return." Deep breaths, Ivory. Remember, she's your friend. You should be there for her. "Not just as a fellow member of team LION, but as a friend."
"Of course I understand. I can't promise that my hands are clean. But, I haven't done anything illegal since I enrolled into Mistral's combat school. I promise. I check in so my parents know I'm alive, but the most I've ever done was act as a bodyguard to a VIP or two or consulted them about Grimm attacks." She said firmly and honestly. Her shoulders straightened in pride and her chest puffed out just that little bit more. "Thank you for being my friend, Ivory. I didn't want this to come out later and..." She trailed off as she internally wrestled with something. She reached out her hand towards Ivory, then hesitated before putting her hand back at her side. "You're the only person I trust here and you're someone that knows when secrets need to be kept. In case I ever needed to leave, I didn't want you to worry." She said quietly. "I didn't want to hurt you by just running away one night."
"There's just one problem," Ivory said. Her voice had stayed still so far, but now it seemed almost cold and distant. "I know this is a new concept to all of us, and it hasn't felt much like it lately with all the changes we've been going through, Niil, but we're a team now and we're all counting on each other to make it through this in one piece. I hate to say this but it makes it hard to trust you to be here when we need you, and that's what a team needs to thrive, ours perhaps more than most right now."
Niil listened intently to Ivory's words then decided to go with the flow. She stepped closer to Ivory, then leaned down to give her the most salacious grin she could muster, "I'm not leaving... until you're my girl." She said before puckering her lips playfully. "Now give your bestest buddy a kiss." She said before trying to wrap the faunus in a hug.
"I'm serious," Ivory replied, managing to hold back the encroaching blush that appeared on her cheeks, taking a swift step backwards to avoid the encroaching woman. She was small and swift, and ducked under Niil's wide-sweeping arms without much effort. The stern, cold expression turned, in an instant, almost pleading. "Please, Niil, I need to know we can trust you. I need to know I can trust you."
Nill turned after her miss and looked at Ivory with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, sorry. Serious time, right." She rubbed her chin and didn't answer for a long while, resuming her pace back and forth again. She had so much running through her head. So many things to say that she wanted to say and that she wanted tp promise but wasn't sure if she could. If it made the woman in front if her happy she would just blurt out anything, but she needed to make sure that she would follow through. To make sure that she could follow through. "I won't extend this promise to the others. I can't, but I promise you that I won't betray our friendship frivolously. I won't leave because I'm feeling bad and just want to get away. But if your life is being threatened because of me then I won't stay." She says honestly. "I'd rather have you hate me than have you harmed because of who and what I am."
She clenched her fists as her shoulders shook with the weight of reality. "I won't take that chance, Ivory. Out there, against the Grimm, I trust that you can handle yourself. I trust that you can handle yourself against the idiots my family has as muscle. But our rivals are dangerous, almost as dangerous as the White Fang. They--" she bit off those words before they could escape, then blew out a breath. "You can trust that I treasure you more than I treasure myself. You're my first true friend, Ivory. I won't see you put into the ground if I can stop i-"
Ivory brought Niil in for a tight embrace, holding her closely in silence, her thin arms coiled around the taller woman's waist. It was uneasy at first, but the pale haired woman held on tightly regardless, and slowly sank into a warmer, more comforting hold. Niil's own arms slowly found their way around Ivory's smaller form, and they stood their silently for a while.
"At least promise me you won't do anything completely stupid."
Niil closed her eyes and hugged the other woman to her tightly. "It is me that we are talking about, right?" She joked lightly. "I promise to not do anything needlessly stupid." She vowed sincerely.
Ivory chuckled softly, turning her head upwards to let her eyes meet with Niil's. "I'm sure I can give you a little leeway." She pulled away slowly, turning away to hide the faint blush that had reappeared on her cheeks. "So... I think you and I have some quality time to spend together in Vale. What do you say?"
Nill turned to meet Ivory's eyes and smiled brightly. She let her go, though her smile dimmed a little at having to let go. "You're too gracious," she replied before she looked away with a blush of her own. "Um, I'd be happy to spend more time with you, my lady." She bowed with a flourish then offered her arm with a goofy smile up at her.
"Please don't call me that." It wasn't doing anything to help with Ivory's increasingly red cheeks, but she took the taller woman's arm regardless. She flashed Niil a playful smile and wink. "What would people think? You wouldn't want to make every guy and girl in school jealous of me, would you?"