Chapter 5

"As Winter said I'm out of a job." Yang said. "I don't suppose any of you could help with that." She was met with silence and head shakes. "It was worth a shot." She shrugged.

"Anything else?" Glynda asked.

"Well my nightmares…" Velvet started. "No, I don't want to be a downer with a new person here."

"We just told the stories of how our loved ones died." Glynda said. "I don't think you have to worry about being a downer."

"Oh...okay." Velvet said. "It's actually good news too I suppose. My nightmares have been less frequent lately."

"Why don't you explain them for Winter?" Glynda suggested. "As long as you're comfortable with that."

"It's fine." Velvet said. "I already described Coco's death. I have a recurring nightmare where I relive it. There were times when I'd have the dream almost every night, but I've only had it once in the last week."

"That's good." Glynda encouraged. "You're making progress."

"And I don't have to wake up to her screaming." Blake laughed. Winter gave her a curious look. "Oh, yeah, we share an apartment. Our jobs aren't the best paying and it helps to split the cost."

"Anyone else?" Glynda asked. No takers. "Alright. Winter, this is the freeform part where we socialize or just hang out. It's a good chance to get to know everyone."

"Not everyone." Pyrrha said. "I have an exam coming up and I've got a study session with a few classmates, so I have to go." She got up and picked up her bag from under her seat. "Ready to go Nora?"

"Do I have to?" Nora groaned. "I want to hang out with Sun."

"You know what I'm going to say." Pyrrha said.

"Okay." Nora sighed, making an exaggerated gesture of it. She got up and headed for the door. "See you next week!"

"We'll play something later." Sun said with a wave.

Pyrrha followed, stopping at the door. "It was nice meeting you Winter." She said. "Bye everyone." She walked out and closed the door behind her.

"So...are they...a couple?" Winter asked.

"No." Blake replied. "Pyrrha drives Nora here."

"In her capacity as my assistant, she periodically checks on Nora and ensures she's taking her medication." Glynda explained. "Nora isn't allowed to drive and Pyrrha doesn't like the idea of her walking home or taking public transportation."

"They could probably be a couple though." Sun added. "They're good friends for sure. But Nora can be a bit...strange sometimes."

"Speaking of which, what was the deal with her story?" Winter asked. "It's obviously not true."

"I've been Nora's therapist for quite some time." Glynda said. "She's had...great difficulty dealing with her husband's passing. Her wild story is one of the ways she copes. I encouraged her to attend this group because she was very isolated, but she's not quite ready to face what happened. I know the truth, and when she's ready, she'll tell everyone else as well." She sighed. "I'm always hoping it will be time."

"She hasn't even told me and we're pretty good friends." Sun said. "We don't see each other much outside of the group but we play lots of video games together."

"If I had the cash I'd join you." Yang said.

"Sounds like fun." Winter added. She turned to Velvet. "Velvet, you mentioned you work in a shop. What kind?"

"Uh...I uh...lingerie." Velvet said in an embarrassed whisper.

"Can you tell she's shy?" Blake laughed. "Come on Velvet, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's actually a pretty classy place."

"Way out of my price range." Yang said.

"And it's not like you're there to model the goods." Blake continued.

"Not that she couldn't." Yang teased.

Velvet blushed brightly. "Come on guys, stop it." She said.

"Alright, that's enough teasing." Glynda stepped in. "So, Winter, what do you think of our little group?"

"I think what you're doing here is wonderful." Winter replied. "I feel like you've already helped me and I think I'll be back. I suppose I should schedule a private session as well."

"Only if you want to." Glynda said.

"If it might help, it's worth a try." Winter said.

After chatting for a bit the group broke up. Winter offered to treat Yang to dinner and she readily agreed, having nothing but pancakes to eat at home. Winter picked out a seaside steak place that looked upscale, though it turned out to be a bit less so once they got inside. Yang did not care, it was far better than pancakes. It was after the peak hours for dinner so the pair were seated almost immediately, stashed in a booth by a window that overlooked the ocean. Not that they could see it in the dark of night. They ordered food and drinks - wine for Winter and beer for Yang - then settled in to wait.

After their drinks arrived Yang pulled out her wallet. After searching through it for a second she pulled out a folded and wrinkled picture. It featured Yang beside a petite girl with black and red hair, both smiling. "That's Ruby." Yang said, handing the picture to Winter.

"She's beautiful." Winter said.

"Ha, she would have found that funny." Yang laughed. "She was a tomboy at heart."

Winter sighed. "Weiss went through a phase like that." She said.

"I'm imagining you with a pixie cut, and it's doing strange things to my body." Yang said.

"Father was furious." Winter continued.

"I get the feeling he usually was." Yang said.

"You have no idea." Winter sighed, shaking her head.

"I was goth for a while and Ruby took after me." Yang said. "I dropped the aesthetic after the 'septum incident' but Ruby kept it and made it her own."

"Septum incident?" Winter asked.

"I was...a little overzealous with my piercings." Yang said. "The septum was a bridge too far."

"I used to have a lot of piercings too." Winter admitted. "My rebellious phase."

"You don't seem like the type at all." Yang observed.

"When I went to college it was the first time I had some freedom from Father." Winter explained. "I hung out with art students, got into some crazy stuff. Then Father found out and threatened to cut me off. That straightened me out real quick."

"What kind of crazy stuff?" Yang asked.

"Oh, the usual." Winter replied. "Drugs, sexual experimentation, learned to tattoo, got pretty good with knives…"

"Unbelievable…" Yang gasped.

"And now I'm a top executive at the world's largest corporation." Winter said with a smile.

"So what brings a top executive from Atlas all the way to Vale?" Yang asked.

"I needed to get away." Winter answered. "Everything there reminded me."

"Of...your sister, right?" Yang said. "But why Vale?"

"There's no snow here." Winter replied. "Weiss loved it, despite her poor circulation. I think of her whenever I see it."

"Ruby loved the snow too." Yang said. "We would make snowman families and snow angels. Then she would spend the night in my bed shivering because she usually forgot to bundle up."

"It snows in Vale?" Winter asked.

"This was back when I lived on Patch." Yang answered. "Before Ruby got sick."

"Oh yeah...you mentioned that…" Winter sighed. "I've never been to Patch, though I've heard it's quite beautiful."

"I might go back there one day, once I've got the cash." Yang said. "I've been meaning to visit Summer. I used to go with Ruby all the time when we were young."

"Summer?" Winter asked.

"Ruby's mother." Yang replied. "Only woman I ever called my mother."

"Oh…" Winter trailed off.

"Yeah." Yang said.

"My mother died too." Winter said.

"Cancer?" Yang asked.

"Childbirth...Weiss…" Winter said.

"The world really likes to screw over our families." Yang observed.

"Truer words have never been spoken." Winter agreed.

"This turned into quite possibly the saddest conversation of all time." Yang said, forcing a laugh.

"It sure did." Winter said, shaking her head.

"Why is our food taking so long?" Yang asked. It was a way to change the subject as much as a legitimate complaint.

"It's not even busy tonight." Winter complained.

Eventually their food did show up, along with profuse apologies from the staff. Apparently they were having some issues in the kitchen. The food was quite good, worth the wait. Winter picked up the tab, Yang joking that she would help if she had any money. After a short wait their car arrived and the pair climbed in the back.

"So, have you considered my offer?" Winter asked.

"Oh...I think...I'm not sure." Yang said. "It's a big decision. You held up your end of the bargain so I'll certainly think it through."

"You don't need to feel obligated." Winter said. "Going to the group turned out to be very helpful. Thank you for that."

"Not a problem." Yang said. "Tell you what, drop me off at my place and come back in the morning. I'll have an answer for you then."

"That sounds good." Winter agreed.

After being dropped off Yang made her way to her apartment, traversing the dilapidated stairway and halls. She entered her tiny abode and sat on the wobbly chair. She looked at the couch, stained and falling apart. The ancient TV. The table with its charming 2x4 leg. She rocked the beat up chair back and forth, listening to it creak. Yang looked at Ruby's painting and smiled. She had her answer.

Winter entered Yang's apartment building while the hired car waited outside. She made her way through the building as she had the day before, but with none of the anxiety. She stepped up to Yang's door and knocked. Almost immediately it opened. "Let's get the hell out of here." Yang said. She had a single duffle bag in one hand and Ruby's painting under her other arm. "I don't know what I was thinking. Of course I should move in with you."

"I'm glad but hold up a second." Winter said. "That's all you're bringing?" She gestured into the apartment and stepped inside with Yang. "One bag? I take more than that for a weekend vacation."

"Winter, it contains everything I have." Yang sighed. "All my clothes, my toiletries, important papers, everything."

"Oh…" Winter said. "You don't want to keep any of the furniture? I hired a van just in case."

"You're living in what I can only imagine is a luxury house with artsy furniture and state-of-the-art everything." Yang said. "All I have is what other people put on the curb as garbage."

Winter fixed her gaze on one object. "We're keeping this." She said, pointing to the kitchen table.

"You want to keep that?" Yang gasped. "You're kidding right? It's got a 2x4 for a leg! The top is all scratched up! I don't even want it!"

"It's got character." Winter said with a smile. "It's going to look great in the kitchen."

"No offense, but you're completely insane." Yang said.

"I did ask someone who punched me unconscious to move in with me, so the evidence is really piling up." Winter laughed. "We'll take your stuff down to the van then come back for the table."

"You're the boss." Yang shrugged. She loaded her bag and the painting into the van before returning to the apartment, then helped Winter carry table down. It just fit in the van when laid on its side. Yang did not understand Winter's fascination with it. The van driver looked perplexed as well. "That's everything." Yang said. "My life in a van." She stood beside the vehicle and took one last look at the apartment building. "Good riddance."

The van rolled down a long drive, stopping beside a modern-looking white house with many large windows. The driver carried Yang's bag and painting into the house while Yang and Winter lugged the table in. Winter tipped the driver and he departed, leaving Yang and Winter behind. "Well, this is my place." Winter said as she and Yang put the table down just inside the door. "What do you think?"

Yang looked around. It was a single story with a back porch and big windows overlooking a white sand beach and the sea beyond. The floor was black marble, as were the countertops in the kitchen area of the main room. That main room included a fireplace, living room, dining room, and kitchen all in one space unbroken by walls. It made the place feel huge. The tables were black and the chairs and couch were white, all sporting very modern and relatively minimalistic designs. The kitchen was full of state-of-the-art appliances, and the living room had a huge flat-screen TV. Black and white curtains flanked the windows, but given the view and seclusion of the location, Yang could not imagine a reason to close them. "It's...huge." Yang said. "It looked big on the outside but the inside seems somehow bigger."

"What about the decor?" Winter asked.

"It...uh…" Yang struggled.

"Sterile?" Winter said.

"I was going to say too fancy for me to appreciate, but you have a point." Yang admitted.

"That's why I wanted the table." Winter explained. "It'll add some character and a little bit of chaos this place sorely needs."

"Chaos is normally a bad thing." Yang said.

"When you've lived a life as controlled and regimented as mine, chaos is refreshing." Winter laughed. She pointed to the dining table. "There, we'll put it there."

"That's a beautiful table though." Yang gasped. "You're not going to throw it out are you?"

"No, of course not." Winter said. "The patio needs a table and that should fit the bill."

"You'll probably need to put some sealer on it to survive the weather." Yang suggested. Winter gave her a confused look. "You don't do your own home improvement, got it. We can go to the store and I'll show you what you need."

"Thanks." Winter said. "I'll apply it myself. I'm not having you move in to be a servant."

"I'll still help out." Yang said. She started walking around, opening the doors and peeking into the side rooms. There was a large bedroom, probably Winter's, with a King-sized bed and attached bathroom. There was another bedroom with a twin bed that Yang assumed would be her own. The bathroom attached to the main room had marble floors and walls plus a huge glass and marble shower with multiple adjustable shower heads. One room in the corner was filled with computer equipment - a desktop, a laptop, and a printer - and Yang guessed it was the business center. There was a big walk-in closet already partly full of Winter's clothes, and beside it was the laundry room with a high-tech washer and dryer. Out the back door there was a deck that wrapped around the side of the house with steps down to the beach. It was like something out of a magazine, and Yang was about to put her shitty table in the middle of it. "This place has everything."

"Unfortunately I don't know how to use half of it." Winter admitted. She and Yang moved the fancy dining room table out to the patio and headed back inside. "I've never washed my clothes or really cooked."

"You've never cooked?" Yang asked.

"I can make a mean salad, but other than that microwave meals are it for me." Winter said. She and Yang maneuvered the beat-up table into position. It looked entirely out of place but when Winter stepped back and took it in she had a big smile on her face. "In Atlas I had a chef, and when I was in college I usually had take-out or ramen."

"Well, I can cook." Yang said. "Having all this equipment is going to be incredible."

"I look forward to trying it." Winter said. Yang went and tossed her bag into the smaller bedroom, placing Ruby's painting on the floor beside the door. "We'll find a nice place to hang that up."

"There was a spot on the wall in the bedroom where it could go." Yang said. She joined Winter on the couch.

"I was thinking we could put it in the main room." Winter said. "It's quite beautiful."

"Ruby would be thrilled to hear you say that." Yang said.

"Did she paint anything else?" Winter asked.

"Yeah, she did." Yang said with a pained look on her face. "But I had to sell it all for her treatments. That painting was my favorite and I just couldn't part with it. It was Ruby's favorite too." She wiped away a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. "Just one of my many regrets."

"Do you remember who bought them?" Winter asked.

"Not by name." Yang replied. "It was just a yard sale."

"Oh...I'm sorry." Winter said.

"I know what you're trying to do." Yang said, turning to face Winter. "I appreciate it, I really do. But this is a problem money can't fix."

"I know...it's just…" Winter sighed. "You deserve to have them."

"I can't have everything." Yang said. She smiled. "I should be happy now. I just moved into a beautiful new house. It might only be temporary, but it's a huge improvement."

"We should go shopping." Winter suggested. "I haven't had a chance and the fridge is pretty empty."

"Yeah, but let's wait until tomorrow." Yang said. "I'm exhausted."

"From carrying the table?" Winter asked. It was not that heavy.

"No, I just didn't really sleep last night." Yang explained. "My body is still used to being up late for my job. Being excited about the move didn't help either. I just want to get some rest. And that bed looks incredibly comfortable."

"Alright, sleep well." Winter said.

"I can't imagine I won't." Yang laughed. "In my apartment I didn't even have a bed, just a mattress on the floor. This place is like heaven by comparison." Yang walked into her bedroom and took a quick look around. The curtains were drawn and with the lights off it was dark. The bed had several layers of covers on it, and Yang almost felt bad when she peeled most off onto the floor to just sleep with a sheet. The mattress was impossibly comfortable, like laying on a cloud. And the pillows were somehow both soft and firm at once. Yang had never experienced such luxury and she was asleep in minutes.