SLVR

Vance pouted once Gabe had to leave, bringing a hand up to touch his lips where Gabe had been kissing him moments before. His pout turned into a frown, the tension in the air quickly alerting him to the new visitors. He blinked as Sylvia's voice filled the room, quickly edging to the edge of his bed as he waited to see how Sylvia was doing. Seeing her relax and mostly okay, the wolf boy relaxed before perking up again. "Yeah! Like Rain said, we were super worried! I'm so glad you're okay!" The boy chirped, smile wide as he looked over his leader.

Sylvia chuckled as she listened to Lev's croaky voice, though her smile calmed into a more bittersweet one. "Gosh, I'm sorry I worried you guys so much. I'm glad you all are okay, though it sounds like you might wanna rest your voice a bit, Lev." The silverette said, looking over at her friends before turning to her dad. "Hey Dad, do you know where they took my legs? They kinda got cut off, but the damage shouldn't be too severe so I just wanted to check it out to see what I had to do to patch things up." The question should've been a simple one, but Flint quickly froze up, causing Sylvia to frown as she waited for an explanation from her father.

Galena swept to the rescue, quickly trying to divert her daughter's attention. "Sweetie, even if we did have your legs, you should be focusing on resting right now. You can work on fixing up your legs after you guys get released. Now, why don't you go ahead and officially introduce us to your team! We'd love to talk to them more about what you all have been doing!" She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Desperately, Galena hoped that her daughter would take the bait and start talking about her beloved team, but she seemed to forget that Sylvia was a stubborn child.

"It's only going to be for a minute, I promise! Besides, Mom, these are my prosthetics. I kinda need them to walk. So if I could just take a look then I could know how to fix them quicker which means I can do things quicker which means I'll get better quicker." The silverette tried to reason, though her logic didn't seem to quite match. "Sides, I need to make sure my ports didn't get super messed up while I've been out." There she had a pretty good point as Sylvia waited for her parents to tell her about her missing legs.

Biting his lip, Flint quickly went a different route. "All right, but are you sure you wanna see them now? We can wait until we have a little more privacy or even when you get released and have access to your tools." The silver haired man tried to reason, gently pushing the bag the Slaters had brought with them further away from Sylvia's line of sight.

The silverette shook her head, smiling at her parents. "It's all right. Everyone here knows I have prosthetics so it should be fine. Besides, I just wanna see how much I need to fix before I can get back to business." With a note of finality in her tone, Sylvia waited for her parents to either present her legs or tell her when she could see them.

Flint and Galena looked at each other before sighing and pulling the bag they brought in up with them. "All right, sweetheart..." Flint conceded, knowing they would have to tell her sooner or later. Sylvia looked at the bag expectantly, her face falling as pieces of metal and scrap that clearly used to make up her legs started to fall out of the bag. "We were so focused on you and your team that we didn't notice one of the White Fang trying to take them away. We managed to catch the person who was trying to steal them, but they destroyed them before we could get them back." Flint explained, voice gentle and slow as he explained what had happened. Seeing the tears start to form, he reached out to try and pull his daughter into a hug. "Sweetheart..."

Sylvia brushed her dad off, staring at the broken metal pieces with blurry vision. Most of the pieces were either too small to put back together, or once broken never be able to be reattached. "I-I'm fine. It's gonna be all right." She reassured, feeling tears start to spill over as she saw all of her hard work, her only chance at being a huntress, spill down the drain. "I'll just... I-I can... I-I'll ju-ust..." She tried to give something reassuring to say, rubbing her tears away with fists as she tried desperately to calm down. She was with her team for goodness sake! She was supposed to be strong for them after all, especially after all she put them through. She couldn't go crying over something that could be fixed. Yet the tears just kept coming, her chest constricting as she looked at the remains of her pride and joy.

Vance had tensed as Sylvia's parents seemed hesitant to show Sylvia her prosthetics. Once the broken pieces were shown, Vance could feel his own heart break for his leader. He wanted to get up to hug her, comfort her in some way and let her know it was okay to cry. Yet he couldn't really move from his bed, still recovering from his injuries. He was stuck. He could only watch as Sylvia rubbed and brushed her tears away, sniffling and hiccupping.
 
Sylvia called for her prosthetics. Simple, right? Reyna didn't even know they had been cut off, so right off the bat she was starting to tear up. Lev remembered, but it didn't make remembering the moment any easier. But again, it was a simple matter. Just give her the legs... Then the bag was brought up, and Lev's heart plummeted. It didn't take a genius to see what was coming. Flint gave his rendition of what happened, Galena was trying to be uplifting, but there Sylvia was, turning red in the face and doing everything to keep the tears from coming.

Reyna raised her good hand, reaching out for her brave, amazing leader. She couldn't reach. She wasn't even sure Sylvia wanted her to. With how she just shrugged her father off, what would make Reyna special? The pinkette, sympathetic cryer that she was, simply lay on her side and cried, finding nothing better to do then glare at Lev as if to say, do something! Fix this!

And gods did Lev want to. He sat up in his bed, looking down at his leader, then looking at her shattered and bagged legs, then looking at her parents, then looking back at her. He was getting nauseous, that much was sure. Seeing Sylvia's fragility...no, seeing her do everything to ignore her fragility, was frustrating. At least, that's what Lev thought it was. Seeing someone he cared for go through rough times without help; that frustrated him, right? The thought muddied itself in the ravenette's head as he stood from his place, the chill of the hospital floor once again causing him to trip up with shock. He caught himself on Sylvia's bed, but looked up to find himself much closer to the silverette than he intended. Backing up, Lev forced a cough in an attempt to clear his throat. He had to say something. He could feel it bubbling up in him, his chance to help his teammate! His leader!

"W-We'll make new ones!" He practically shouted. Once again, his hand flew to his mouth. Too loud. He tried again after an awkward silence. "Y-You, a-and me, we'll make new ones. T-Together!" Lev felt his voice grit up midway through, so he cleared his throat again, unsure whether it was his lungs or his heart that wanted to burst from his chest. "They'll be one-hundred times better than before..." Too childish. Lev reevaluated what he wanted to say, and tried again. "I mean, they...they'll be better. They just will!" That was an improvement, right? The ravenette grabbed haphazardly at his hair, kneading it between his knuckles as he took a breath. Then just as he thought he could go on further, he looked at everyone else. Reyna was completely bewildered, Flint and Galena were staring, and so was Vance, and Sylvia...gods, he didn't even know what she was thinking. She probably thought he looked stupid. She probably hated him for even mentioning what he did. Lev felt his throat fight against him, and in the end, all he could do was take another breath, and another. And with each breath, he took a step back. It didn't take long before his knees buckled against the side of his bed, and he tumbled down again. Like a cat, he panicked to find his footing, and the moment he did, he ran straight to the door...

SLAM!

It was closed. Lev could've sworn Flint and Galena left it open. He could've sworn, but he forgot about Reyner, who had kindly made sure SLVR had their privacy. The ravenette picked himself up with frustration. Real frustration, this time, and sat himself back on his bed, back turned away from everyone else. How embarrassing. And yet, with his frustration, and the pain of the welt growing on his temple, Lev felt his head clear up from the fog of weird-feelings-that-Sylvia-made-him-feel.

"I'm sure Seymour would say to...y'know...let it all out or whatever. You might as well join the sissy party, Syv. All of your teammates are criers, so it's not like we care." With that said, Lev took another deep breath, then rested his head on his pillow, and began to let himself tear up at the pain coursing through his head. "That damn door hurts." He hiccuped with a smile, resigning himself to the embarrassment of the chaos his moment of panicked emotions had caused.
 
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Lev's sudden presence shocked Sylvia, quieting her as she stared at her partner. She had been about to question what was wrong, if he was all right when he suddenly shouted out his assurances. Sylvia blinked, shock filling her face as she tried to respond to his encouraging words. Flint and Galena sat just as bewildered as Reyna, looking between Lev and Sylvia with hopeful and confused eyes. For a moment, all Sylvia could do was stare. She hadn't expected Lev to offer his help as he stood awkwardly, slowly backing away from his leader. She tried to call out to him, to thank him for the offer when he bolted. The whole event felt so much like a car crash. She wanted to look away, but she just couldn't as she watched her partner slam into the closed door. She kept her eyes on Lev, watching him in concern as he slunk back to his bed. She opened her mouth, once again to try and vocalize her concern over her teammates when he just went out and said it. Sylvia froze, staring at Lev for a moment. Had he just...? She could practically feel the relief flood her system as she got the approval of her teammate, the go ahead to just let it all out.

Tears came faster as Sylvia sniffled, reaching out for her father who gladly complied. Sylvia hiccupped before she finally gave in and muffled wails filled the room, the silverette hiding her face in her father's shoulder. Flint sagged as he cuddled his baby girl close, throwing a thankful yet unseen expression Lev's way. Galena moved to cuddle Sylvia as well, running her hand through Sylvia's sweaty and matted hair. The tattooed woman kept an eye on the rest of SLVR, making sure they were all stable and mostly taken care of before focusing on her daughter. In between her two parents, Sylvia felt like a small child again, crying into her dad's arms as he whispered reassurances while Galena carded her fingers through Sylvia's hair. It felt strangely comforting as Sylvia hiccupped and cried, getting her disappointment and crushing sadness all out of her system.

The cry session lasted a good ten minutes before Sylvia finally calmed down some, her eyes red and shiny as she slowly detached herself from her parents. Rubbing the last of her tears from her cheeks, she looked between her teammates before smiling at Lev. "Thanks Lev. I kinda really needed that. Though, I hope you didn't hurt yourself too much running into the door. It'd be kinda counterproductive staying in a hospital only to end up more hurt." She ran a hand through her hair, leaning back onto her pillows as she could feel the stress of the day's revelations tiring her out. "Thanks for offering to build new prosthetics with me, but this is something I'd rather do myself. It's a lot of complicated little pieces that I haven't really taught you to deal with yet." Despite her tired body and her aching arm, Sylvia kept a bright smile and worked to reassure and look out for her teammates.

Throughout the whole event, Vance had sat with worried eyes and shifting ears. Once everyone settled down, he could only smile as Sylvia laid back smiling. "We really missed you, Sylvia! Though, now you have to introduce us to your parents. We only got to talk to them for a little bit before you got here." Vance noted, looking between the two Slater adults with curious eyes.

Sylvia blinked and looked between her parents. "Oh, yeah! Guys, these are my parents, Galena Slater and Flint Slater. They're the ones who taught me the most about fighting and making weapons. Mom, Dad, this is Reyna, Lev, and Vance. The pinkette is Reyna. She's small, but she could probably lift you both with ease. The wolf faunus if Vance. He's a firecracker of energy and can dish back whatever you throw at him. Finally, the boy who ran into the door is Lev. He's the one I met up with in the Emerald Forest. We made his weapon together, and he's a really good sharpshooter." Sylvia prattled on, introducing her teammates as a proud mother would her children.

Outside the room, a familiar woman walked down the hall, eyes trailing behind her. The blonde ignored most of the stares as she got to SLVR's room, tilting her head at the large man who stood guard. Taking a moment to look the man up and down, she adjusted her coat and spoke. "I assume you're Mr. Raleigh? I am Headmistress Alice Wunderland. I was hoping to speak with Miss Slater, but if she and her teammates are currently indisposed at the moment, I can return at a later time." Wunderland took out a pocket watch, taking note of the time before turning back to the man in front of her. "I'd also like to apologize for the injuries your daughter has suffered. I should have anticipated the attack, but alas I did not and here we are. I am certain she will make a full recovery, however. She's quite the bright student, and I'd hate to lose a girl like her."
 
It took a while for the tears to settle once they started. Lev let himself cry for crying's sake, at least while Sylvia's sobs could cover him. The weight of everything that had happened in the simple hospital room crashed over him like a massive wave, but with his leader and friend back with him, Lev felt like he could finally ride it out. He may have felt like a failure for not doing better for his team in the past, but he'd have a second chance now. The ravenette was prepared to lay it all down to make sure this never happened again, and that quickly became his new drive as a hunter over his past claims to perfection.

Reyna, too, let herself cry a bit, glad to see everyone awake and lucid for the first time in days. She had gotten to see friends, Uriah, her parents...it was looking up. Everything was looking up! Vance had a family again, Sylvia's parents were like SLVR sponsors with how they mothered over the team, and Lev... Reyna took a moment to think about the long haired boy, and everything she had said about him, and to him, and against him. Then she thought about Ethan. Her eyes may have been shut, but her ears were all too receptive of what went on between the father and son. At the very least, she thought, I should apologize to him...

Then everyone quieted down, easing back into their pillows and sheets. Lev smiled at Sylvia's affirmation, glad he could help at all. However, his smile quickly faded as she mentioned his running into the door, and his face burned a hot pink when she turned down his offer to help with her prosthetics. "J-Just forget you saw that." He huffed, turning over in his bed so Sylvia couldn't see his face anymore, "and...and whatever, I don't care. I just...I just...just whatever!" With that, Lev heaved his covers over his head, not wanting to go over the things he had said in the heat of the moment anymore. He could still feel the pangs of embarrassment stabbing his chest from how everyone had looked at him, so removing himself from conversation was the only solution Lev could think of.

As the others answered to their introductions, Reyner looked down at the headmistress, expression unchanged from its basic, stoic form. After a moment of looking her over, he offered a hand, unblinking as Wunderland shook it. "Pleasure to meet you." He uttered with a tone of neutrality. Of course, despite all the neutrality he could give off, the one thing that couldn't lie to the headmistress were his eyes. The two glistening stones of sharp purple bore down on her with all the conflicting fury of a father who nearly lost his one and only child. He let the gaze last a moment longer, as if trying to decide how upset to be with the woman who was supposed to ensure the safety of Beacon, before turning away to peek in the room.

"Thank you for the apology. It means a lot." He once again outfitted his voice with an unchanged tone; casual and unassuming. But when he turned away from the door, his eyes once again made up the difference, practically saying Your "sorry" means nothing to me right now. "It looks like they're all free at the moment." Reyner continued on, stepping to the side of the door to give Wunderland the freedom to enter. He refused to speak any more after that, but his eyes remained locked on hers until she passed his field of vision. At least Flint and Galena were in there with the kids. Hopefully they'd handle the headmistress better than he did.
 
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Wunderland nodded as she took Reyner's hand. She could feel the utter loathing the father had for her, for her failure of keeping her students completely safe. "Thank you." She responded gratefully as he moved aside, gently opening the door to enter the room. Sylvia had started to laugh at Lev's embarrassed outburst when the headmistress walked in, effectively shutting the young girl up as she sat up taller to try and seem more professional. "Hello, Miss Slater, Mr. Castor, Mr. Faolan, and Miss Raleigh. I hope I am not interrupting anything." Wunderland started before going to Sylvia's parents and holding out a hand. "Good day, I am Headmistress Alice Wunderland. I assume you both are Mr. and Mrs. Slater? I was hoping to speak with your daughter if she had the time." Wunderland looked between the parents before settling her gaze on Sylvia, taking in the girl's injuries.

Galena responded first, taking Wunderland's hand and shaking it firmly. "Yes, we are indeed Mr. and Mrs. Slater. It's a pleasure to meet you, Headmistress Wunderland." She kept an eye on Flint who shook Wunderland's hand a bit harder than he needed to. "Sylvia does have some time, though we'd like to make sure she's up for it since she's still recovering with her team and it's been a rough day." She settled her hand on Sylvia's arm, looking to her daughter for some hint of what she wanted to do in terms of her Headmistress.

"I can talk." Sylvia blurted out almost immediately after her mother finished talking. At her parents' semi-skeptical look, she flashed a bright smile. "I'm okay. I'm feeling better than earlier." Turning back to the headmistress, she tilted her head. "So, uh, what did you need to talk to me about?"

Wunderland waited for a moment before starting to speak. "I just wanted to speak to you to make sure we gave you proper accommodations until you can repair your prosthetics. I know we do not have many handicap accessible classrooms, therefore I am currently working with the professors to try and work something out for you so you may continue your curriculum with no setbacks." As she spoke, Sylvia's smile dropped until she was staring at Wunderland with wide eyes and an open jaw. Her face had paled as she started to try and speak, opening and closing her mouth as she gathered her thoughts.

Blinking, Sylvia finally managed to speak. "Ah... I'm sorry, Headmistress, but I... don't understand?" She sounded nervous, playing with her blanket as she waited for the blonde woman to respond.

Seeing the confusion and nerves, Wunderland explained, "Well, I heard that your current prosthetics are out of commission. Therefore, I assumed to continue your studies you would simply be using a wheelchair until you could repair your prosthetics. I've seen how you work and I would not keep you from studying here simply because you temporarily have your prosthetics. However, I wanted to inform you that the school is currently working to make sure all of your classes are accessible and make sure you can still participate in what you need to until your prosthetics are repaired." The woman could see the myriad of emotions run across the silverette's face, readying herself for whatever reply the silverette could come up with.

Sylvia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Didn't Wunderland understand just what would happen if she went back to Beacon in a wheelchair? "... I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I can't go back in a wheelchair." Before her parents could express their concerns and dissent, Sylvia kept speaking. "I can still get my notes from my teammates! And they can help explain whatever we saw in class, but I cannot go back to class in a wheelchair. Nobody in Beacon knows I have prosthetics. If they knew that I didn't have legs, their respect for me as a huntress and trust in me would decline rapidly. How could I be a huntress with no legs? Even worse, this would affect my teammates." Her voice started to hitch, her throat closing up as she tried to explain how this would hurt her precious friends. "They'd be viewed as weaker, as worse hunters because they had to help their teammate. Others wouldn't want to team up with them because they would be teammates of the cripple." The term felt like a curse on the tongue, making Sylvia's parents flinch hearing it form their own daughter's mouth. "So, please don't make me go back to class in a wheelchair. I-I can fix my prosthetics in a week! And I can get notes from my teammates! I just... I can't let anybody see me without my prosthetics. I can't let them see me in a wheelchair. Please..." Tears started to drip down Sylvia's cheeks as she begged her headmistress to let her keep her legs a secret.

Wunderland frowned, biting her lip as she looked over the silverette. "... I can understand your concerns, Miss Slater, however it would take a fair amount of convincing for me to consider letting you do this. Even if you could fix your prosthetics so quickly you would need a way to get around the school to do so. The hospital wouldn't even dream of letting you out without some way to get around and they would not allow you to work on your prosthetics while you and your teammates are still healing. While theoretically you could try and enlist your teammates to help you with your assignments, that would be a strain on your teammates that may affect their own schoolwork and studying habits." The headmistress could feel her heart start to strain as she saw Sylvia try to start talking again, try to beg for this little bit of control. The silverette seemed to look between her teammates, almost silently asking them to stick up for her before she stared up at her headmistress again as she tried to come up with the words to convince her.
 
Lev peaked out from under his sheets as Wunderland walked in, his eyes widening at the headmistress's presence. Reyna, too, perked up a bit upon seeing the leader of Beacon stroll into their room, though it wasn't out of happiness or excitement. Rather, Wunderland brought a strange sort of weight to the emotions in the room. It didn't feel good, to say the least.

Sylvia's eagerness to talk put a small smile on Lev's face, but hearing what the headmistress had to say killed that off quickly. His leader's reaction of confusion only furthered the death of hope in the ravenette's expression. He thought it had been over with his little display of camaraderie, as if everything they all went through could be fixed by a quick cry and a few promises...Lev felt ill as he listened on, understanding that no matter what decision was made, nothing was going to be the same. It made him want to cry again, but he stifled the urge to hear out the rest of the conversation from under his covers.

Despite knowing that Sylvia would never go for the solution Wunderland had prepared, Lev appreciated her reasonable approach. If it had been him and not Sylvia, he would've taken the offer in a heartbeat. But then Sylvia responded, and though he predicted her pleas, he hadn't expected them to be so desperate. It hurt to hear her say no; to refuse the opportunity to continue moving forward despite how she was, but she didn't stop there. She started talking about her teammates, about Reyna, Vance, and himself, like they weren't there at all. She cried about letting them help her in the slightest, acting like it'd be the end of the world for her friends...she called herself a cripple. Lev gagged quietly under his sheets.

He recovered from his silent fit just as Wunderland finished saying how hard it'd be to convince her, and stood from his bed before Sylvia could start talking again. After what she had said, he didn't want to hear another word. "I can tutor her, Headmistress." He spoke, doing his best to keep his voice clear. "I'm well ahead on work, and I know the lesson plan by heart. I take strict notes, and I don't do much else once classes let out. Giving a nightly crash course is the least I can do to help out." Lev paused for a moment to look at Sylvia, catching her eyes for a moment before jerking his head away. "...We can handle it. We have to. We're a team, after all. All four of us." Lev broke off there, waiting expectantly for his peanut gallery to speak up.

Reyna was lost for a moment, surprised that Lev was being so quick to help Sylvia out rather than vouch for Wunderland's idea, but she quickly woke up to the silence he left, and began to nod in agreement. "Yeah, Lev's right! We'll come up with something together. We can't really call ourselves hunters if we can't even handle one of our own. Isn't that right, Vance?"

Lev used the opening that Reyna's enthusiasm gave him to slip away from the room. Quietly, he opened the door and whispered a few words to Reyner, who pointed down the hall in response. The ravenette didn't bother looking back as he walked away, Reyner closing the door behind him.
 
For a few moments, Sylvia wasn't sure what to think. As Lev stood, she couldn't help but worry as thousands of possibilities ran through her head. Would he back her up? Try to convince her that Wunderland had the right idea? The silverette waited with bated breath, only to feel relief crash down. She listened to Lev explain his plan to tutor her until she could fix up her prosthetics and return to classes. She had been about to interject, to thank him when Reyna spoke up, adding her consent and urging Vance to reply, Sylvia turned from one teammate to another, her heart starting to warm as she saw them all step up to help her keep her legs a secret, help her keep her respected image as a fearless, whole huntress.

Vance had been watching from the sidelines as everything went down, unsure what to do as he watched his teammates cry and cried himself and then worried as Sylvia refused to comply with Wunderland's conditions. As Lev and Reyna stood up for Sylvia, Vance blinked and jumped in, spurred on by the pinkette. "Ah! Y-yeah! We're a team, so we look out for each other! We'll figure something out." He threw an encouraging smile Sylvia's way, hoping that he had helped somewhat in the argument. He really didn't understand how else to help fix things as he knew Sylvia didn't like having her legs showing, but she still had to go to classes. Maybe this would help them figure out something to work with.

Wunderland looked between all of the teenagers. Seeing that now she had to deal with a whole team rather than just one dissenting member, the headmistress sighed and adjusted her coat. "All right, I will allow it. You won't have to attend classes until your prosthetics are repaired. However! I would like a full report on the reparation process, team problems you were forced to encounter, and a summary of everything you learned during the time you missed classes, am I understood?" She gave the silverette a stern look, her arms folded as she waited for SLVR's leader to respond to her demands.

Sylvia blinked as she felt hope light up her veins. A report? She'd write thirty if it meant she still got to keep her secret if only for a little bit longer. "Y-yes ma'am! I understand!" She sat up straighter, her eyes still glistening as she waited for the headmistress to respond.

"Good." Wunderland nodded, seeing the conviction in Sylvia's eyes and the support of her teammates. "For now, all of you focus on recovery. Then you can start worrying about classes and the like." With that, the woman swept away, heading back to her office to try and explain to her staff of professors why she had allowed this. She was sure quite a few would have a fit. Hell, she'd probably have a fit if she had to deal with that damn smirk on Sher's face as he calmly tells her "I told you so" for the millionth time.

Once Wunderland left, Sylvia rushed into a flurry of thank you's, wanting to show her friends just how much all of this meant to her as well as show her appreciation for them sticking up for her. Her flurry of activity was interrupted by her parents who were quick to scold her for calling herself such a derogatory term and trying to fight with the headmistress when she was only trying to help. Despite this, they understood where the young woman was coming from somewhat in her worries of how others would view her as a huntress and her teammates as fellow hunters and huntresses because of her disability.

Time seemed to fly and soon enough it was the next day. Vance had been deemed well enough to get up and walk so he was off getting some alone-ish time with his boyfriend. Reyna had been taken for a checkup to make sure her shoulder was healing properly and the bones were repairing as they should. This left Sylvia and Lev alone in the room, the former's parents having had to leave for some official hunter business though they promised they would be back the next day. Sylvia stared up at the ceiling, trying to entertain herself while refusing the option of just going back to sleep. She'd been sleeping far too much lately. She wanted to get up and actually do something. Though, she was quite limited in that front especially with one of her arms out of commission, so she was forced to lay there and try to figure out something to pass the time.
 
Lev returned to the room to find Sylvia giving out thank-yous at a mile a minute, Vance and Reyna being encouraging, and the silverette's parents being consoling as ever. Before the attention could turn back on him, Lev took to his bed and began to rest up. As much as he wanted to be happy for his partner's success in getting her way, what she said to get to that point ate at him. Watching her stoop so low to preserve her image...it hurt Lev's pride, which was an odd feeling, considering it wasn't his pride being wounded...or was it? The ravenette swum through the confusing thoughts as he attempted to find what he wanted from the situation, and before he knew it, it was the next day.

It felt strange to look over and see Sylvia, awake and lucid after what felt like a century of being in the hospital. It only felt like moments before that she had been sobbing over phantom pains, fretting over her legs, begging against the chance at a wheelchair... They were alone in the room again, but the atmosphere was totally different now. She didn't need his comfort. She was just bored. Waiting to get on her own feet again, so that she wouldn't have to pin her chances on her team...on him...

"Uh, hey..." Lev broke the silence between them, not sure whether he should be casual or not, considering how much they had both been through over the past days. "S-So, no wheelchair, huh?" the ravenette immediately bit the inside of his cheek. Not a good start. It wasn't even in the ballpark of what he wanted to say. "I mean...I mean, I'm glad that I can kinda pay you back, y'know, for being a f-f-friend..." Again, going nowhere, but this time he decided to run with it. "With the tutoring, I mean... I mean..." He tried once more to segway into his thoughts and opinions, taking breath after breath. Why was this so hard? Sylvia just looked so nonchalant; maybe he just didn't want to disturb her. Maybe, after all he had seen, it just seemed like it'd be too easy.

"...You...You sounded like my mom, y-yesterday..."
 
Sylvia had been about at her limit when Lev suddenly spoke up, startling her out of her bored reverie. "Oh! Hey Lev. Well, I mean, technically I still have to go back with one, but I don't really have to go around school in front of other people with it." She answered, sitting up straighter as she got ready to attend to whatever may be on her partner's mind. She tilted her head, confused over the stuttering as Lev tried to get to his point. She waited patiently, seemingly ready for whatever he could throw at her. Then he said it. Her veins turned to ice. Her whole body stiffened. She paled, staring wide eyed as her mouth gaped in pure horror at the impression she had made on her partner.

Immediately she started to stutter out apologies, "Oh God, Lev, I'm so sorry, I didn't... I didn't realize I... When did I...? I didn't think, I mean I just I..." She struggled to get the rest of her question out. To be compared to such a loathsome woman as his mother, to have said something that had such a strong effect that he would need to tell her about it. It broke her heart. Worries flew through her head as she tried to analyze everything she had said. What did she say that would hurt her teammate so? When did she become like the monster of a woman to her teammate? She could feel her insides squirming at the mere thought, the utter horror and disgust and shame that she could sound similar to the monster who had hurt Lev for so long poisoning her from the inside out. She clenched at her blankets, eyes pleading for Lev to tell her where she had gone wrong so she could try to fix it, to try and make it right again as she tried to sort through her behavior and pick out what exactly had made her partner so off.
 
"N-No, please, I just..." Lev put his hand out to stop her from thinking too hard over what he had said, but the damage had been done. His fingers curled into a fist back at his side as he thought of how to follow up. He said it. No going back now. "You called yourself a cripple, Sylvia." That was obvious enough. The word came off just as harsh from the silverette's tongue as it had from Lila's. But that wasn't all, and the more Lev dug into what he had heard, the more visibly upset he became. "Why...why would you say that? Say any of it? Worse hunters? Because of..." Lev choked on the thought, became ill on it. He dragged a lock of hair from his scalp to keep his hands busy, but he was breaking into a sweat as he spoke. "-Because of you? Gods, Sylvia, we wanted to help you so badly! That's what a team is supposed to do, right? That's what you taught me! I had to learn that the long and hard way, and you know it!"

Lev's emotions were coming to light far faster than he wanted, but it couldn't be helped. The day before, he had been able to avoid looking at the silverette; he knew what the result would be. Now he had her eyes square in his own, and no matter how shaky his voice became, he couldn't pull away. It hurt to try and pull away. It was like she'd be on the ground, with a broken arm and no legs the second he looked away.

"What do you want me to care about, Syv?!" His voice broke for a moment, and he grit his teeth to pull it back together. "...What do you want my help for? My mom cared about image, Syv. I'm good at protecting images. My whole family was just another damn image. I did it up until coming here, and I can do it again. Is that what you want from your team? From me? To save you from how some stranger sees you, as if they wouldn't change their mind in a second if they had a chance to talk with you like any of us have?!" Lev went quiet for a second, the grimace on his face making it apparent how he saw that option. That was his mother's option. The ravenette could feel the cogs turning in his partner's mind...or maybe they were his own, desperate to halt the excuses, the games, the play-by-plays. "Don't use us as your scapegoats! You don't chose what makes us weak! You chose what makes us strong, Syv! You're our leader for gods' sake!"

Lev sat back in a slump. He could feel it, that he had gone too far; that he was hurting more than helping...but it's what he thought. He couldn't help the talons that Sylvia's past words had set upon his heart. "I...I refuse to believe you just don't trust us. Reyna, Vance, and I...we all just want to help." With one last deep breath, Lev collected the rest of what he wanted to say and compressed it, already upset that he had spoken down to the silverette so much already. She didn't need this. She needed comfort.

Why...Why can't I comfort her?

"If you're just gonna lump us all away from you...then why are we even a team?"
 
As Lev explained, Sylvia could feel herself bite her tongue, wanting oh so desperately to fight against his questions and accusations. If only she could just explain, correct him and move along with life. Yet his words cut deep as she looked away from her partner, unable to deal with his stare. Tears dripped onto her blanket, causing the girl to try and wipe them away. Of course she was crying. She always seemed to cry at stressful moments like these. Even when she tried her damnedest not to, she always ended up roughly wiping away tears. For a while after Lev had finished the silence settled over the duo like a deep fog. Sylvia could probably cut it with a knife as she tried to gather her thoughts, try to figure out what to say to her partner to help him, to fix this problem she had unknowingly created. For a long moment, it seemed as if the silverette simply wouldn't respond.

"... I wish you were wrong." Sylvia finally managed to get out. Her voice sounded strained, her throat clogged as she tried to get the words out. "I wish I could just correct you and leave it at that, but I can't because you're right and it hurts." She moved her hand to clutch at her chest, still refusing to look at Lev for fear of seeing him stare back at her. "I used you guys as scapegoats. I shouldn't have done it, and I shouldn't have sunk that low and I'm being selfish because I want you guys to uphold this image of me that you shouldn't have to. You're right, and that fact hurts so much." Tears started to fall faster, but Sylvia brushed them away as quickly as they came. This was not the time for tears. She had more important things to do. She still had more to say. "I never want you to have to go through the same shit your family put you through, yet here I am making you do something you've had to do your entire life and I thought I was better than that."

The words were starting to come a bit easier as Sylvia spoke. Her mind felt jumbled and overfull with things she wanted to say, things she needed to explain but her mouth could only work so quickly. "I don't know what I want you to care about. Yourselves? Each other? I'm not sure. I don't know why we were made a team, but I don't want to give it up because I'm learning so much about you and Vance and Reyna and I already care about you guys so much and I just want to protect you all and keep you safe, but I can't do that all the time and logically I know that you all can take care of yourselves, but I still have this stupid urge to just keep you all from having to go through things like seeing me in a damn wheelchair, but I can't and it's unfair to you all." She was starting to ramble. Despite the chaos in her head, she just kept talking. "I didn't expect to be a leader, Lev. I thought I was going to be put on some team and support whoever I managed to work under. I never expected to be put into this position of responsibility, and it scares me. I don't know what I'm doing, and all I have to go off of is what I assume a leader is." She had to pause to catch her breath, the tears leaving her a bit breathless as she tired desperately to talk to Lev, to explain what she was thinking, to figure out how to fix things.

"You asked why. Why did I say those things?" Sylvia took a deep breath, trying to tame the roaring emotions swallowing her heart and tearing at her lungs. "I needed to get a point across, and I did it in a horrible way. Why couldn't I just accept Wunderland's offer? She was letting me stay in the school. She was offering to give me a way to still get to my classes until I could rebuild my legs. That's more than I could ever ask for in a lifetime. Yet, I couldn't accept it. Why?" Her hand moved from her chest to her blanket, curling and uncurling as she tried to explain what was on her mind. "Part of it had to do with image. I wanted to uphold the image that our team was whole, that I was whole. I didn't want you guys to deal with the crap people would throw at you because they don't want to understand. The other part was I couldn't.... I wouldn't go through that again." She ran a hand through her hair, still sweaty and dirty from the nights of fever.

Sylvia took a moment to gather herself, lifting her gaze to stare at the wall yet still avoiding her partner's stare. She tried to even out her breaths as she continued. "It's been years since I had to live with a wheelchair. I can still remember all the stares, all the pity, all of the comments that people thought I couldn't hear. When I was in a wheelchair, I wasn't a person. I was a charity case, a tragic accident, a tale of caution. I wasn't seen as a person with thoughts and feelings and dreams. I had to be helped with everything. I couldn't reach the cupboards by myself. I couldn't go up the stairs without someone carrying me. I couldn't even go to the bathroom by myself for a while without my parents worrying over all the things that could go wrong. When I had my prosthetics, I didn't have to deal with that kind of dependency for a long, long time. And now look at me!" With a sudden burst of energy, Sylvia threw the blanket as best as she could off of her legs, showing off the scarred and bare stumps. Skin and metal seemed to meld together as Sylvia's ports attached to what was left of her legs. Deep scar tissue seemed to distort the appendages, showing off the injuries that had taken her legs so long ago.

"I can't do anything by myself right now!" She cried, gesturing to herself. "I can't push my own wheelchair, I can't dress myself properly, I can't even take a shower or go to the bathroom! I have to rely on people in a way I haven't had to in a long, long time and that scares me, Lev! I don't have any control right now, and that hurts. So if I can control how people see me, who gets to see me like this, then I'm going to take it. It's the one thing I have power over, and it's selfish and hurtful and wrong. I'm pushing things onto you guys and shoving you away because you scare me! The fact that you all are so willing to help, so ready to let me be dependent on you when I'm the leader absolutely frightens me! I'm supposed to be the wall that everyone else leans on! How can a leader lead when everybody else is taking care of them? I want to take care of you guys, not the other way around! And that's selfish of me, and I trust you all with my life but I don't want to be a burden! I don't want to be seen as some chore you all have to help out with, and it's stupid to think that way after all we've been through. I'm scared of going back to that dependency after finally being able to do things by myself and function like a normal human being!"

She was nearly outright sobbing now. It was getting harder to control her voice and her tears. "I don't want to be that dependent, but I don't want to be scared of relying on you guys. I know I'm going to have to at some point. I need to take more breaks when the weather gets too hot because my prosthetics heat up easier and that makes me hotter. When it's humid or rainy my stumps ache. When I get sick enough I start getting the worst phantom pains. Even in regular things I'll need to go to you guys, but I don't want to with all of the other stuff you guys have to deal with already. I just..." Her words were finally petering out. Her mind started to settle as Sylvia tried to find what she wanted to get at, where she wanted to go with things. "I don't know what to do." Finally she looked up at Lev only to immediately look away, still unable to stand seeing her partner's red eyes staring back at her. She tried to take some deep breaths, scratching at her casted arm. "... I'm sorry. That was a lot. I shouldn't have just dumped all of that on you."
 
Sylvia opened up much quicker than Lev expected, and when she did, he realized he wasn't prepared to follow it up. He had been ready to argue for a long while, his mind set on shutting down the toxicity she had so desperately fell on. In his head, he wanted her to start yelling back, to get defensive, or something like that. He wasn't a comforter, at least not like the rest of his team, and certainly not like Seymour. But Sylvia sat across from him, refusing eye-contact, crying, admitting everything, and all he could do was sit there and stare for the longest time. Then he stood, and in two slow strides he was standing over her, his expression still warped in a swirl of emotions.

His hands shook at his sides for a moment longer. There were so many things to react to, and so many words to say in response. He wanted to fit them all in the spans of a second, but it just wasn't going to happen. First he grabbed Sylvia's collar. Nothing escalated from it, but gods how he just wanted to shake her! Lev gritted his teeth when the words wouldn't come to support his action. He was hesitant to let go, so for a moment he stood there, Sylvia's collar held tight in his hand. Every once in a while, his hand would shake in a desperate attempt to get her eyes back on him, as if what he wanted to say would come back to him then. But Lev eventually softened his grip, and slowly let her go. That wasn't the right thing to do. Lev swallowed as he continued to stare down at his partner, still unsure of how to get everything out.

It took him a while, but eventually he found the action he was looking for. With gentle hands, he wrapped his arms under Sylvia's and around her back, drawing himself close in an embrace. "Just...Just shut up, Syv." The words came out rough, unpolished, and unprepared. It was all he could think to say as he held his partner closer and closer.

"'You're sorry'? Don't say that to me. You're as full of it as your dad, I-I swear..." Lev sniffed, doing his best not to cry along with Sylvia, and failing pretty hard. But now that he was this close, he felt his response flow out of him. "You're not better than that." And again with the bumpy start, but Lev simply shook his head with the familiarity, used to picking up the pieces at this point. "I mean, nobody is. If I wasn't able to deal with what you asked yesterday, then I wouldn't have volunteered to help. I would have sided with Wunderland. But I know you have your reasons... despite that, you bet it's unfair to us! We have to pretend like nothing's wrong with you while we're all in class, y'know? That's what we all just agreed to do..."

Lev paused for a moment to give Sylvia a squeeze, enjoying the embrace for just a moment longer before pulling up a seat by her bedside. "And...and that's what normal people do, Syv. They go to their damn class! Rain or shine. Now I get to come up with an excuse for our classmates to explain everything, because gods know Reyna can't lie to save her life, and Vance certainly isn't any better... You're really not making anything easier, Syv. Not for us, and not for yourself either." Lev looked down at his hands for a moment, taking a deep breath to pace himself. There was no reason to rush now.

"...sometimes I... I hate you, Syv." He felt the words slip at first, but let them out voluntarily as he reached over Sylvia's form, taking her covers and placing them back over her legs with a weak smile. "I hate you in the way that...that I couldn't hate my mom. And you'd think that it's a bad thing, right? ...I hate that you've been so nice to me. You make me care so much, and then you go and say stuff like this! You say you want to keep us all safe, but then you go off and make us want to stand with you no matter what, y'know? If you really didn't want that from us...if you really just wanted to be a wall for us...for me, to lean on, then it should've been easy. You could've been callous. You could have ignored me. You could have stayed behind when my mom showed up. You could have been confident in me when I fought Azule. You could have brushed off my rudeness, and you sure as hell could have died during the attack!" Another breath. This one longer than the last.

"...I don't give a damn what you want, Syv." Lev shook his head. Again with the really poor openers. He'd fix it though. Looking at Sylvia, he just had to fix it. "I mean...you can say what you want, but I'd drag you anywhere you needed to go no matter how much you cry about it...I don't see that as a burden, Syv. I think if I want to do it, then it's not a burden, and it's not a chore. You aren't a chore...but I guess my saying so isn't gonna help much, huh?" The ravenette sighed, trying to think of a way to tie everything up neat. He'd gone all over the spectrum in so short a time. Looking at Sylvia, he accepted the fact that a one-sided argument wouldn't be enough to change her whole life outlook. He had to push that hope aside, much as he wanted to cling to it.

"Listen to me, Sylvia. Look me in the eyes. I am your partner before anything else. If there's any peer of yours that can boss you around, it's me, understood? ...don't worry about what to do. I'll take care of that. I have a right to take care of that, and a duty... Hey, I'm serious here. Look me in the eyes. That's how this all started, right? Back in the Emerald Forest? I'm owed a share of the blame for bothering with you back then...for looking you dead in the eyes...and I'm collecting on it now. So, don't be sorry for dumping anything on me. If you're gonna apologize, do it for not giving me what I'm owed sooner." Lev gave Sylvia one last hug before settling back in the chair, his folded arms and crossed legs making it apparent that he wouldn't be moving for a while.
 
At first Sylvia wasn't sure how Lev was going to respond. She heard him get up and walk over, getting closer before grabbing her collar. Her mind swung back to the other times he had done a similar move. That seemed to be his go-to to get her attention, huh? She braced herself for some sort of impact, but was surprised when instead Lev hugged her close. She reciprocated the embrace immediately, awkwardly maneuvering her broken arm as she clutched her good hand into Lev's shirt for leverage. He seemed to have started a habit of saying something that could be taken completely horribly then quickly backtracking and giving context as to what he truly meant. Sylvia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she listened patiently to Lev address all of her mess one subject at a time, still managing to scold her all the while. She blinked when he practically ordered her to look him in the eyes, forcing that overwhelming sense of judgement and self-awareness as he drilled into her that she was not a burden to him, that he wanted to do this. For a moment, the words seemed to steal her breath away as she sat frozen. She could only stare as Lev finished up, settling himself down in what seemed to be his new permanent spot.

Silence reigned once again. It almost seemed as if the two would fall into another awkward silence. Sylvia looked Lev over from how he had planted himself to the determined glint in his eyes. Finally seeming to regain her movements, Sylvia broke into a small smile and ran a hand through her hair. "... Thanks, Lev." With that the silence that fell around them became more comfortable, almost warm as the silverette laid back and tried not to let the sudden excitement and wave of emotions completely exhaust her. She had precious bonding time available to her now! She couldn't just waste this chance after all of the crap they had been through.

It seemed that the duo would be content to just interact in silence when Sylvia suddenly piped up. "I think I'm gonna get another tattoo soon." The statement came suddenly, and seemed almost too mundane after all of the drama the silverette and raven haired boy had gone through. "Probably after I get my prosthetics rebuilt, but before the Vytal festival. I might get a new piercing while I do it too. The parlor I go to does piercings and did most of mine along with my first tattoo so why not?" Sylvia's smile grew into a mischievous smirk as her eyes gleamed. "I can hear my dad complaining now. 'Why couldn't you be more like your old man, Sylvia? Why'd you have to take after your mother so much? I just wanted a respectable looking child and here you are getting piercings and tattoos and who knows what else! Next I'll hear you'll have died your hair and pierced your tongue!' Ah, funny he's so uppity about that kinda thing yet he married my mom." As Sylvia laid on her bed, she could only stare up at the ceiling in nostalgia.

She turned her head to her partner, looking him up and down before smiling. "I could probably take you with me. Show you what a real tattoo place looks like. Heck, we might even be able to get you one if you wanted. You've already got the hair and the nails to be a punk, Lev. You just need one more push and soon you'll end up a no-good punk just like me!" The silverette gave her partner a conspiratorial smile, simply glad to be talking with her partner as if they were just in their room chatting the night away.
 
The thanks from his partner was the last thing Lev needed. He relaxed further into the chair with a smile, satisfied with the result of their conversation, as well as the silence that followed. The ravenette didn't see a major change happening in Sylvia any time soon, but at least the seeds had been planted. He got to see fear, doubt, and uncertainty in her for what felt like the first time ever. It was new. It was progress.

Then she spoke up, about tattoos of all things. Lev looked at her confused for a moment, as if trying to decide whether he was really surprised or not. He didn't have to bother choosing though, as Sylvia quickly continued on her tangent, letting Lev settle back once again while she talked on. It felt so nostalgic, like they were back in their room, staying up late, with Sylvia working on her gear, and Lev looking over her desk simply to satisfy his night-owl tendencies. The whole feeling was soured when he looked around the hospital room. It wasn't the dorm. Not one bit. Everything was too bright, and the beds were so plain. Sylvia didn't have her legs on-hand, and one of her arms was out of commission. Vance wasn't anywhere within earshot, and Reyna's snores weren't permeating the air.

Before Lev's expression could drop at the atmosphere of the room, Sylvia broke his concentration. He shook his head to reorient himself to the conversation, and again the look of confusion returned. He must have misheard her. Take him with her? Get him a tattoo? "E-Excuse me?" He questioned, but she wasn't done there. She pointed out his hair, and he immediately took it up in his hands, unsure how to hide it from her attentive gaze. Then she pointed out his nails, which brought a bright shade of pink to Lev's face. Quickly, he released his hair and put his hands out of sight. "My nails are none of your concern, Syv!" he chuckled, fluttering between a state of embarrassment and disbelief. "And I don't need a push anywhere. I'm quite comfortable where I am, thank you! ...but, I mean, I'll still come along, I guess..."

In his head, Lev told himself that there was no way Sylvia could convince him to get a tattoo or piercing. No chance at all! ...but one look at her conniving grin, and Lev couldn't shake the feeling that she could be way more convincing that he was giving her credit for.
 
Though Lev tried to deny his interest and keep his looks to himself, Sylvia couldn't help the burst of victory she got when Lev conceded to coming with her to get her tattoo. "Oh don't worry. You just have to be in there once and you'll be hooked. I'm sure. Sides, your hair and nails are totally my business! I'd like to be able to style them once and a while you know! You think I'm going to stop badgering you to let me play with your hair just because you let me do it once for the dance? I've got a whole bunch of pampering I can do if you'd let me!" Despite the serious nature of the hospital and the lack of Vance and Reyna, things were starting to feel like they were back to normal again. It felt strangely relieving to tell Lev of her fears and worries and have him still reassure her and back her up. Overall, the silverette felt good.

Their hospital stay didn't last much longer as the team was soon deemed fit enough to return to classes. Reyna was confined to a sling, Vance had to rub a special ointment on some of the longer lasting bruises, and Sylvia still had a cast on her broken arm, but they were at least able to go back to classes. Despite her insistence on not needing a wheelchair, Sylvia was forced to bring one at least to use in the room to get around. The silverette definitely fought it a bit at first, but ultimately conceded as she realized she was still able to pretty much hide out in their room and work on her prosthetics. So the team returned to their regular-ish schedules, sans a certain silverette.

Once she was back in the room, Sylvia got to work immediately. She had had her parents order the materials she would need before she got out of the hospital so she could start to work right away. Sylvia's desk became a mess of parts and metals as Sylvia used her one hand and her semblance liberally to recreate and reimagine her prosthetics in a better, more effective form. By the end of the first day, Sylvia had already gotten some of the major parts formed, working to get the wiring in the parts just right so she could attach things properly. Because of the wheelchair, she had gotten rid of the chair at her desk for the time being, simply using the wheelchair as her desk chair and to help her move about the room to grab things. The lack of both hands hindered her ability to wheel herself around, but the silverette managed whenever her teammates weren't there. When Vance was in the room, he deemed himself official Sylvia mover as he often would pick her up and push her where she needed to go or get her things she couldn't reach. Overall, the team seemed to be adjusting well.
 
Lev had to shrink back a bit at Sylvia's enthusiasm over his hair and nails. Of course, though he played nervous, the amount of attention Sylvia dedicated to his features wasn't lost on him...then again, neither was the fact that she and Seymour had something that he didn't. And back flooded memories, doubts, bouts of uneasy revelations...Lev held onto his contentment as he remembered the dance. Sylvia went with Seymour, two leaders that were practically meant to be. Meanwhile he had turned to Abby, and they, in mutual agreement, conspired to be bitter with each other while they had the chance. It was only that agreement, the shared bond of two people hopelessly crushing on their rival's crush, that let Lev feel content with it all. Content with Sylvia's partnership, and content just being friends.

It wasn't long before SLVR was sent back to classes. Lev still harbored guilt at being the only one fully recovered. As everyone got back into routine, he found himself straying away from interactions with other classmates. They'll just say how I could've done more. They'd be right, but I've told myself that enough times already... The only time he'd really talk was with SAGE at breakfast. Without Sylvia there to prod conversations along, Lev became a sort of successor to the position, not that he wanted it. Seymour didn't need his semblance to see how little Lev wanted to be at the table, and held off from questioning...but Ellie had a very different view of the circumstances.

She had already been crying when SLVR's mobile members came for breakfast. Then she saw Vance's bruises and cried even harder. Seeing Reyna's wound made her near-inconsolable, and when Sylvia didn't show up after a solid fifteen minutes, there was just no end. "G-Gawds y'all, I-I just c-can't..." She'd start to say before going into another sobbing fit. Lev pretended to nod his head sympathetically, but as long as Ellie's crying kept her from wanting to see Sylvia, everything would work out. But of course the next thing out of the cow-faunus's mouth would be, "W-What happened to Sylvia? I wanna see her! M-Maybe I can help. Maybe I can help!!!"

Lev had to take action at once, shouting orders in the middle of the cafeteria to stop Ellie's rampage towards the exit. Tables were sent flying as she took the path of least resistance towards the dorms, and towards Sylvia. "Abigale! Get Reyna's good arm in front of her, ASAP! Gabe and Vance, trip her up! Don't let her anywhere near the dorms! Seymour, on me! Let's set up a blockade! Go, go, go!" And with that, a simple breakfast turned into a bullfight lasting a half an hour longer than it should've. Once it was over, Abby and Gabe carried Ellie's exhausted body back to their room, and they all opted to skip classes that day. Lev was the only one who didn't give himself that option. The moment Ellie was penned in the cafeteria, he slipped away and attended class as diligently as ever, despite having a few bruises to show for it. There was no way he'd forget his promise to the headmistress, nor to Sylvia.

That night, Lev began his tutoring in full force. Sylvia may have seen his emotionally dedicated self back at the hospital, but teacher-Lev was a very different beast. The silverette had five generous minutes to set everything aside before the lesson started. If she wasn't ready by then, a snap of the fingers would see her wheelchair rolled into the center of the room and locked in place by force. Lev played no games when it came to what he said he'd do. "This is what you wanted, Syv." He'd remind her before digging into the day's lessons. It was intensive, it was ceaseless, and above all, Lev made sure it all stuck. And that was only the first day.

The second day came along and...nothing happened. Ellie was calmed down for breakfast. Everyone got along. The teams went to class together, and everyone stuck to their tasks. Then they came back to their dorms after a long day's work to enjoy a moment of reprieve before Lev gave his lesson. The day had gone perfectly...and that was never a good sign.

"Ellie! Ellie what are you-"
"It's fine, it's fine! I'm just- dang-nabbit Gabe, watch the cookies!
"No, it's not fine- Ellie, stop! We aren't supposed to-"
"Seymour I just gotta know! Now don't you stop me or I'll-"
"Ell, I know what you think you're doing, but you just need to settle down and-"
"No I ain't gonna settle, Seymour! I made these cookies for our friend, and by golly if she ain't gonna enjoy 'em."
"Ellie! Ellie! ABBY, GABE, TAKE HER DOWN!"

In a blur, SLVR's door crashed open, and through it tumbled team SAGE, all dog-piled on Ellie, all yelling at the top of their lungs at one-another...all except Ellie, of course. Rather, the plate of freshly baked snickerdoodles she had been carrying lay scattered in front of her, and just past their strewn remains sat Sylvia, wheelchair bound. Lev's eyes grew wide as a platter as he foresaw the next few seconds if someone didn't intervene.

"REYNA!" He shouted at the pinkette, who, for once, immediately understood the situation and stood in front of her leader, good arm raised and semblance ready. Ellie, meanwhile, seemed to have a resurgence of strength that surpassed any expectation. She lifted her three teammates like feathers on her back, and pressed on her path to the legless silverette.

"S-Sylvia!" her voice squeaked as the tears started to flow, "Wha...What h-happened to you?!" Ellie's face was red by the time she reached Reyna, who stood as a wall between the overly emotional cow girl and SLVR's leader. Ellie didn't stop though. She nuzzled her horns against the pinkette's raised hand and began to push very, very, hard. Reyna had her semblance on lock, but her confidence in it's efficiency quickly turned into a realization of its weakness as the carpet under her feet ripped against Ellie's monstrous aura-powered force. As the carpet tore more, Reyna was forced backwards with it, slowly but steadily decreasing the distance between Sylvia and the amalgamation that was Reyna, Ellie, Seymour, Gabe, and Abby.

The odds were looking slim, but Lev's mind operated like clockwork. The ravenette flung open a window and gave a knowing look to SAGE, who all nodded in response. Then, signaling for Vance to prepare to move Sylvia, he gave a quick glance to Reyna, their protective instincts fueling their unspoken communication. On the count of three, Lev shouted for Vance to move, and again, the moment became a blur. Reyna let her semblance go, and instead used the strength Ellie was putting into her steps to fling her right out of the open window. Gabe and Abby followed along at double the speed, using their semblances to catch their teammate before she hit the ground. Then there was a brief silence...

"She passed out! We're taking her to the doc!" Abby yelled up to Lev and Seymour before heading out, leaving the participants still present in the room to sit down and really take in what just happened. Breaths were ragged, chests were heaving, and eyes were hovering around the room without any freedom to settle.

"S-Sorry..." Seymour coughed out with a grin at Sylvia before turning his head to the floor. Slowly, he picked up a couple of the cookies Ellie had dropped in the first place, taking a bite of one and offering the other up to the silverette. "I'sh nice to shee you again!" he smiled, cookie still hanging between his teeth.
 
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When Ellie first tried to make a break for the dorms, Vance jumped right into action. He listened to Lev's orders diligently, tripping the cow faunus with his boyfriend and generally keeping her away from the dorms and away from his leader. The original incident felt tiring to the wolf boy, but it was worth it in his mind as he came back to Sylvia and his team at the end of the day and laughed as she had to deal with the torture that was Lev's tutoring.

The first night of tutoring, Sylvia had tried to get a last minute addition in, but was wheeled away once her five minutes were up, causing the silverette to pout and use her semblance to return the piece to its brethren. Despite her pouting, Sylvia was a surprisingly attentive learner. She took in everything Lev had to say, asking questions when something he said didn't make sense and even daring to take notes at some points for her paper later. Overall, it seemed they had a good system. It certainly helped that Lev wouldn't let up until she had demonstrated that she understood everything completely. Despite the harsh and intense studying, Sylvia felt pretty happy with the circumstances.

The next day seemed to be setting up to be calmer with the first. Vance got to actually cuddle with Gabe that morning instead of herding Ellie away from SLVR's dorm, Sylvia managed to get more of her legs done. Overall it was looking to be great. Sylvia had been in the middle of putting her things away when SAGE burst through their door, shocking the girl out of her semblance and causing some pieces of her newest project to crash to the floor. Vance jumped into position as soon as he saw Reyna jump into hers. As soon as Lev had shouted for him to move, Vance swept Sylvia up from her wheelchair, pushing the device away as Ellie went crashing out the window. For a few tense moments, Vance held Sylvia to him as if she were a toddler, unwilling to let her down. Sylvia blinked as she tried to process all that had happened. Her teammates amount of unspoken communication made her wonder where they had been hiding that from her, but she soon realized that she wasn't in her wheelchair and had more important things to worry about.

"Vance, put me down." She started after Abby had yelled the confirmation that the rest of SAGE was all right. At first the faunus boy held Sylvia tighter, seemingly refusing to let her leave his protective grip. "Vance." Sylvia repeated, her tone warning which finally prompted the faunus boy to put Sylvia back in her wheelchair, wheeling her back to her original position. "Thank you." Now that the girl had time to think, Ellie's words came back like an arrow through the heart. This was exactly what Sylvia had hoped to avoid by holing up in their room. She pulled herself up against her desk, unconsciously trying to hide the fact that she was legless as she felt her determination to stay hidden grow. Seymour's sudden offering shocked her out of her reverie, Sylvia blinking as she looked up at the smiling gazelle boy.

After a moment, Sylvia smiled and reached up to wipe away a few stray crumbs from Seymour's face. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full?" The silverette chided, taking the cookie gratefully and biting into it. She finished chewing before speaking again, addressing the situation. "Honestly, I didn't expect to see you all for at least another week. It's nice to see you again too, but I wish it was under a bit different circumstances." Pulling herself further against the desk, Sylvia turned a bit to look out the window. "Is Ellie going to be okay? I didn't think she'd react quite that strongly to seeing me again..." The silverette bit her lip as she replayed the reaction, mixed feelings raging through her mind as she reaffirmed to herself that nobody should see her like this if she could help it.
 
Lev relaxed with the situation diffused, but seeing Seymour with Sylvia made him antsy. "Hey, I'm gonna go get the janitor, or file a work order, or...something." He shrugged before leaving the room. Reyna let out a long, tired sigh, and flopped on her bed with a groan, forgetting about her cast for the brief moment, and regretting it for many after.

"She certainly did," Seymour responded to Sylvia, tilting his chin up with a cheeky grin to accept the motherly care the silverette offered, "but she's not here to scold me for little things like that." The gazelle's cheery expression soured just a bit as Sylvia's mind wandered, so he stood and placed a gentle hand on his fellow leader's shoulder, making sure he was a comfortable distance away from her seat so he couldn't spy her condition. "Ellie...she's had a very hard time lately. She took all of your hospitalizations poorly, for one. You won't hear about it often, but people are still going on about the White Fang attack, and dealing with the stress that brought along with her own family issues...she missed you all more than she would usually let on, I think. It doesn't help that our peers have started to call her the 'Mad Cow' of campus after seeing her fight. I've had to make a grievance to a few of our professors to shut it down, but I think it was too late..."

Seymour had to think for a moment, letting go of Sylvia and moving back to his seat on the floor with a sigh. "I have to ask for your forgiveness though. I shouldn't have let her come in the first place. Lev said that you would prefer not to have visitors, but Ellie just can't stop herself. She just has to see the situation to calm down, and I...I was lax in my duty, so...so she'll be fine now. She won't disturb you again... It really is nice to see you all back though. We thought you were all...well, we didn't have the highest hopes before Gabe and Abby were allowed to visit." He finished speaking, but remained seated, taking another cookie off the floor and munching on it slowly to distract his thoughts.
 
Sylvia frowned as she listened to Seymour speak, feeling a sense of guilt worm its way up her spine as Seymour explained how distraught they all were at the team's hospitalization. She hadn't thought as to how it would affect their friends when deciding to keep trapped in the room, and that made the guilt twenty times as strong. To hear people tease Ellie for her fighting style, going so far as to make up a stupid, uncreative name added a hint of rage along with her guilt, but Sylvia mainly just felt bad for all of the stuff SAGE had to deal with while SLVR was left in the hospital.

The silverette hadn't noticed Seymour had been holding onto her until he let go. She found she missed the warmth of his reassuring hand, but put that aside as she listened to his apologies and ramblings. She bit her lip, looking away for a moment as she cursed Seymour in her head. Why did he have to be so genuine and sweet? He was making her rethink her whole isolation just a tad bit, and that frustrated her! Sure she didn't want to have to deal with more reactions like Ellie's, but it was causing undue stress and more work for the teams than they should have to deal with. She needed a way to fix this so she could keep her isolation and minimize the damage she'd caused the two teams. Chewing on her lip, Sylvia sighed as she finally turned back to Seymour, ready to address his apologies and concerns.

"It's all right, Seymour. You're perfectly fine. I'm sorry we worried you all that badly. I'm glad though that you all care about us so much. It's nice to know we have friends who want us to succeed and be healthy." Sylvia smiled, running a hand through her hair before turning to stare off into space, trying to avoid Seymour's gaze as she started her next part. "And I know I told Lev that I'd prefer not to have anyone come visit me, but... I mean you guys could probably come over to visit if you'd like. I-I mean, it'd probably help you all feel a bit better and I probably already gave you enough to worry about so this is just a small thing. I just... I need a bit more time before I go back to classes. Though, you'll probably have to wait until Lev's done with his tutoring if you guys want to see me for more than 5 minutes. He's pretty serious about it and wouldn't like having too many interruptions." Sylvia turned back to Seymour, waiting for his response as she joked a bit to try and lighten to mood and get past the knot in her stomach that warned her against letting them come see her again. She wasn't sure if she could handle Ellie's questions or prodding if they were anything like what had just happened, but she didn't want to bother the teams more than she already had with her request.
 
Seymour smiled in response to Sylvia's addendum to her request regarding visitors. "It's alright, Sylvia. We can all stand to be patient for a little while longer. Like I said, seeing is believing for Ellie. Once she wakes up, she should be just fine. We all went through the motions in our own way. No need to sacrifice some well-deserved comfort for us. Besides, I think we'd all love to see you up and about as soon as possible, and that includes your teammates too."

Before he could continue, Lev opened the door for a tall, lanky man with dusty brown hair that reached just passed his eyes. His mouth was shaped in a perpetual snore, and he kept his balance with a broomstick. "Sorry to interrupt. Figured we'd get this cleaned up while Mr. Dorian is awake." Lev sighed, giving the presumable Mr. Dorian a nudge in the hip to get him moving.

"Whazza'? Oh yeah...one sec..." He spoke with a tired slur, tapping his broom on the torn up rug without a care before turning to the door. It took a moment, but the rug rapidly stitched itself back together as the door to SLVR's room closed. Lev just stared at the spot for a second, his brows ruffled together in a mix of confusion and bewilderment, before he shrugged, sighed, and walked back to his bed.

"Five more minutes, Syv. Oh, and Reyna, your parents caught me in the lobby. They said you had something going on tonight? An...appointment?" Lev shrugged again, and began preparing materials for Sylvia's lesson. Reyna picked herself up slowly, easing herself off her bed while being much more careful of her bad arm, before dawning a coat and boots, and heading out with a wave goodbye.

"Ah, I'll leave you to it, then." Seymour picked himself up with a huff, giving Sylvia a quick shoulder-hug and tapping his horns on her head before leaving the room as well, leaving the rest of SLVR to their devices.

-

Reyna didn't return that night. In fact, it wasn't until everyone was off to class that she returned to the room, her face tear-stained, her arms wrapped tight around her chest, and a small pink purse in her hand, zipped tight, but close to bursting with a variety of unknown things.

It was about this same time that Vance received a note delivery in class, from Marie of all people. It read:

Vance darling,

Please meet Reyner and me in the Beacon Garden when you finish with classes. We'd like to talk to you about something serious concerning our little girl. After thinking it over, we decided tha Reyner says I shouldn't spell it all out in the letter, so I suppose I'll just wait for a little while! =^.^=

See you soon!

~Marie (and Reyner)
 
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