Exhausted was the perfect definition of how this mission left Diamond. She had nothing more to give. Her body kept barely vertical, but her mind has been in a bit of a turmoil. The fact that they also dragged sleepless up until now ever since Friday morning made her head from the cafeteria straight for the dorm and flatten herself on the bed as she was, in dirty clothes with her shoes on.

But she couldn’t fall asleep. Thoughts alien to her up until now kept nagging on her mind, worries about other people than herself. Since when did she have those? That didn’t seem important, they were there now and she couldn’t sleep because of them. Not to mention the bitter feeling left by the death of the mercs.

Dragging herself out of the bed, she grabbed the school uniform and gone to the bathroom to make herself somewhat presentable to the outside world before leaving the dorm. Fetching an item from her secret stash, she went out.

T’was what she learned from Tony that burdened her mind, she realized. In the heat of the moment, she said a couple of things that she now regretted. True, she wanted somebody else to blame for Emerald’s current state, and indirectly she dumped that on Ms. Vanhomrigh and the Abyss Walkers at the time. Yes, maybe she could have been told more about the strange huntresses they engaged, and told sooner. But when Diamond thought about it, without the teacher and her crew - and that was a support that wasn’t really a standard part of the mission - all four of them would have been bones right now. Or worse, turned into one of those things. When she remembered what Tony told her about how Esther took these things, Diamond was appalled at her own behavior, and set out to make amends.

She felt her throat dry up a little as she neared the teacher’s house. She was as likely to accept the apology as she was to bite her head off. Furthermore Diamond had no way of knowing whether she wouldn’t just make things worse. And she really didn’t like admitting to making a mistake. Who did? Stopping in front of the door, she gave it three knocks and waited.

~~~

Soft jazz music played throughout Esther’s home as she laid on the couch in her living room. Near lifeless, cold eyes staring off into no particular space as she loosely held a highball glass of whiskey by its rim. Hovering ever so dangerously between being dropped onto the carpet of Esther’s floor or the coffee table inches from her hand. Nero, her large solid black Shepherd dog curled in the space at her feet. Nero’s dark brown eyes watching his master with a look of concern, eyes flitting from the glass she held so carelessly and to her emotionless face.

Up until that point, Esther had seen her students’ mission to completion like any other day. Ensured that they had all safely arrived home and were properly cared for before parting ways, like any other day. However, unlike any other day, she came home that night and locked herself in ‘her room’. To let herself fall to pieces for the first time in a very long time. Another four of her family members had died and with their deaths took more pieces of what remained of her heart. Captain LeeAnn ‘Duckie’ Gutierrez. 1st Lieutenant Alexander ‘Gorilla’ Espinal. Sergeant Chase ‘Sin’ Carnal. Sergeant Michael ‘Ski Mask’ Howard. Another sister and three brothers, gone. Another body to bury. Another headstone to be erected in the cemetery of the fallen, both in real life and within Esther’s memories.

After locking herself in ‘her room’, she let it all out. Every emotion that she felt and could release, she did so. Sorrow, Anger, Hatred, and countless others that swirled within the gale force winds of her soul. She sobbed and cried until she became sick and emptied the contents of her stomach on the ground.. She became so intensely rage-filled that every vein angrily pulsed in her bright red face until she gave herself a migraine. She spat. She cursed. She screamed until her voice gave out, damaging her vocal cords. She punched the ground and wall until her knuckles bled and their skin began to peel off. She wept so deeply that at times, she felt as if her very essence was leaving this plane of existence. She let it all out, for her own sake. To save her very own life and empty herself so that she may continue living on in honor of her beloved ones. To her, each and every mercenary or Huntsmen she served with was part of her extended family. Her brothers and sisters, young and old. Mothers and Fathers. Aunts and Uncles. Boyfriends and Girlfriends. Lovers and friends. Take make matters worse, her students came back with more than their fair share of wounds. One becoming hospitalized under her watch, which she thought she could’ve prevented. Which she completely shouldered the burden of blame and fault.

For hours she remained in ‘that room’, locked from the inside until she had no more to give and passed out on the floor. Blacking out until Nero’s whining and scratching at the underside of the door woke her. Esther dragged herself to her feet. Found what little energy she had left to clean up, both the room and herself. Locked it. Moved on. At Beacon, none would be the wiser. She would carry about her days as if nothing had ever happened to her, having taken care of all her mourning in secret. In private. But, night terrors prevented her from getting any more than two to four hours of sleep. Waking up screaming and crying to a worried Nero whimpering and licking at her to comfort her. During those long nights she self medicated by spending unnecessarily long hours at the gym. To keep her body and mind busy and drained of any energy to make it impossible to think about anything else. Spending even longer nights at the bar, imbibing as much alcohol as humanly possible without killing herself from poisoning to forget all the pain, if only for a little while. To maybe give her some chance of a restful night’s sleep, though it would never come.

And now, hardly able to remember how much time had passed since the mission’s end, she merely existed simply to exist. Hollow and desolate within. The music helped to keep her calm and mind cleared. Nero’s companionship prevented her from doing anything too drastic and kept at bay feelings of loneliness. She was easing off of the alcohol, returning to her baseline levels gradually. But, it would still be a few weeks time before she was fully back to ‘normal’, or at least a new semblance of normalcy was established. On the coffee table in front of her was her ashtray, a still smoldering cigarette resting on its side. Usually she rarely smoked within her own home, but she could hardly be bothered to care at this point in her ‘healing’ process. Nero wasn’t too bothered by it, but he didn’t approve. She hated how it made her home smell too, so most often she stepped outside. But she lacked any courage to face the outside world, and remained shut in as often as she could. If she wasn’t dripping sweat at the gym or ‘rehydrating’ at her favorite bar.

Her dark eyes sleepily blinked before she slowly brought the glass she held to her lips, pausing just before. Licking her lips and smacking quietly, she thought to herself about how thirsty she was and how she would like more. Draining the last of the fiery amber liquid in her glass, she set it down and reached for the bottle to refill only to discover she had finished it. With a contemptuous look, she let out a soft sigh.

”Nero. Could you run to the store and get me some more, please? Sweetie?”
Esther’s voice croaked out, weakly pleading to her longtime friend.
Nero’s head lifted, his pointed ears raised high. She hadn’t spoken to him in some time and he was happy to hear her voice again. Laying his head on her exposed thigh, he gave her a look as if saying ‘Really? That’s what you’re going to say to me after all that?’
Esther clicked her tongue and lazily ruffled his ears with a hand.
”Don’t give me that, you old salt. Go on. For me?”
Nero made a noise that was a combination of a huff/woof.
”You’re no fun.”

The worst part of her torment had passed for now. The storm that raged those first few days had blown over and was quietly thundering off in the distance. Now was the serene calm after said storm, until down the line something else happened that threatened her emotional and psychological state. Really, even she hardly knew how many more years of this downward spiral she could take before the end of her days. However long that would be. She hoped at least until her late 30s. The war would never be over, in the true world and for her. Talking to her old comrades from time to time helped. Seeing them helped even more to restore her back to who she was. Before all of the death. Before all of the horrific carnage she had witnessed.

Reaching for the cigarette, she tapped away a growing stem of ash and brought the cigarette to her lips. Taking a long drag, she stopped to look over at Nero when his head suddenly turned towards the door. His pointed ears that Esther loved so much pinned back and he quickly removed himself from the couch. Standing in front of the door, he settled into an aggressive posture and began to growl menacingly. Esther set her cigarette down and eyed her pistol on the coffee table next to the now-empty bottle of liquor. Never one to be far from her guns and never one to be caught unarmed, she grabbed her handgun and made sure it was loaded. Clicking the thumb safety off, Esther stood and moved to the nearest ‘cover’. Surprisingly nimble and steady taking into account how much alcohol existed in her bloodstream when compared to actual blood cells. At this point someone could cut her and receive a ‘contact drunk’ from being exposed to her blood. She could fight though, regardless of what state she was in. She was always ready to fight. Paranoia being one of many symptoms of her disease.

Nero snarled and gnashed his teeth at the door, knowing someone was approaching. Esther always trusted Nero’s senses. No only because they were sharper than her’s, but also because he was always the sober one. Nero was a goody-two-shoes. No tobacco or alcohol for him, oh no.

Pressing her body against the very edge of her front door, she raised her handgun and waited. Three knocks. Who in the hell could that possibly be visiting her at this time? Everyone she knew, always knew to call ahead lest they want a few exit wounds from her pistol punched into their chests. Nero began to bark loudly, threatening whomever stood on the other side of the door to go away. To let them know that strangers were not welcome. Esther hissed quietly at Nero.

”Nero! Hush!”

Nero resigned himself to merely growling at her command.
Clearing her voice, Esther called out to whomever knocked for her. If it was another one of those damned solicitors she’d have to make good on her promise this time and allow Nero a ‘snack’. If they didn’t learn their lesson last time, they would this time.

”Who is it?!”

Diamond could hear soft music through the door. If anything it magnified her gloomy mood. The barking and growling almost made her turn away. She had no plans to be eaten by a barking monster. Or her dog. Tony might have mentioned the teacher was different outside of work, but only now did Diamond realize that could also mean that she was worse. Swallowing dryly, she drew in a breath.
Frost. Too cold.
“It’s Diamond.” she announced herself, wondering what would happen next.

Esther’s brow furrowed, did she hear right? The voice on the other side was Diamond Frost’s? What in all of Remnant did she want? And how did she find out where her house was? Esther gave Nero a look, who still looked ready to shoot out the moment the door was opened to gnaw at someone’s throat. Taking a step or two, Esther peered out of the peephole of her door and sure enough, it was the very same student. She held something in her hand, but Esther couldn’t make out what it was.

Esther clicked the safety to her handgun and lowered it, unsure if the girl could even hear the fact that she was armed. Looking to Nero, she gave him a specific hand signal to which he recognized as the command ‘At Ease’. Obeying, Nero sat down but still kept his eyes trained on the front door. His pointed ears swiveling to try and pick up any other noises in case the ‘intruder’ was not alone.

”What are you here for?”
Esther paused, before adding on another question.
”And how did you find out where I lived?”

Not even an open door. Well, she should have expected as much. Sighing, Diamond turned around and rested her back against it, vanishing from view of the little scope. It did make it a bit easier to say, although somewhat subtracting from her credibility, but she supposed she would have to make due. Convincing herself for a couple more seconds, she hung her head eventually in defeat and spoke.

“I wanted to say… I’m sorry. I wanted someone to blame for what happened to Emerald and I put it on you and the Walkers.” she started, taking a moment to consolidate her thoughts, “I was angry at not being told what I thought I needed to know to prevent it, but the truth is if you weren’t there all four of us might have… would have been a lot worse for wear. I’m sorry I said that, it wasn’t your fault.”

Really? She felt bad about blaming Esther for something? She wasn’t one to care for the opinions of others, much less a Huntress that hadn’t yet graduated and taken missions of her own. But, the sentiment was both sweet and funny. Diamond thought she cared about what her students thought of her, was the funny part. The apology being sweet.

Looking herself over, she realized the way she looked may shock the girl somewhat. Underneath her layers of clothing that covered her body were instead tattoos that covered her body. Short khaki shorts that would make a religious person blush in embarrassment. Olive green tank top with stringy ‘straps’ that infuriatingly refused to remain in place on her shoulders and cut short to where her midriff showed. Instead of her hair being put up into a neat bun, it lazily hung down just below her neckline barely touching her shoulders.

Despite of her depressive state, by habit and nature she remained hygienic. Hair brushed, finger and toe nails neatly painted a bright seafoam green/turquoise, body showered and fangs brushed. So, why Esther took the moment to look herself over so absently would later confuse her. She chalked it up to her nature of maintaining appearances, always looking her best if it were not for her tired eyes.

Undoing the multiple locks she had on her front door, she finally twisted the knob and it opened just enough to where a side of her face could be seen. Esther’s eyes scanned Diamond up and down.

”...Did you want to come in?”

Something started shifting behind her, and an old self awoke within Diamond. Sliding sound, likely a chain. An extra lock in the frame. Fireproof door… maybe. Not shabby but a bit less paranoid than I expected of this one. the thief in her thought as she hastily transferred her weight off of the door before it turned open ever so slightly.

Turning back around, she couldn’t see much inside, not that she was focusing on anything but the hazel eyes that seemed to be giving her a bit of a suspicious look. Diamond nearly winced. They also seemed like they shed a lot of tears fairly recently. “Is that an option?” she asked, her tone uncertain and only a little hoping.

Esther shut the door ever so slightly to look back at Nero, who was still anxious and ready to pounce at the bat of an eyelid. Reopening it, Esther looked at Diamond once more.

”Well, you can either come inside. Turn around and leave if that’s all you want to say, or you can have a friendly meeting with Nero. He’s dying to make a new friend.”

When Nero heard his name, he started back up growling. Growing in volume as his stress and anxiety levels grew.

A hint of a smile flashed on Diamond’s face only to be replaced by a bit of a fright when the dog (and not a small one if she was guessing right the height which the growling was coming form) made its presence known again. She wasn’t exactly sure what to make of this, but she decided to take a leap of faith. “I’d… like that. If I went home, I’d have to take this bottle of whisky old enough to order its own whisky with me and then have noone to drink it with.” And if a thief is worried about something more than a gun pointed at them, it’s a dog. she thought, resisting the urge to loosen her collar to help her breathe.

Esther cocked an eyebrow and her expression brightened a bit. Maybe she even smiled?
”Well, since you came bearing gifts we can’t send you away now, can we? It’d be rude of us if we did. How thoughtful too, Nero and I were actually just about to go out to the store too. You saved us a trip. The least we could do is give you a drinking partner.”
Esther shut the door and pointed straight down at the ground while looking at Nero. Immediately, Nero grunted and stepped out of the direct line of the door. Finding a comfortable spot, he then laid down and gave Esther a look.

Turning back, she twisted the knob and let the door swing open a little more. Walking back into her living room, she tidied up what little ‘mess’ she made. Mostly emptied liquor bottles and smoked packs of cigarettes.

”Come on in. Nero’s a booger bear, he won’t bite unless I tell him to.”
The moment Diamond would enter Esther’s home, Nero’s head lifted and snapped to stare at the girl.

Taking a hesitant step over, Diamond clicked the door shut behind her. The first thing her eyes looked for was Oh gods. Big. Shepard. Nice doggy! Somehow though, when she thought about it, of course Ms. Vanhomrigh would not have a chihuahua. The dog seemed to be obeying his master to the letter though, and after a short while the tension left Diamond and she took a look around.

She had to admit she was surprised, maybe more than just a little. She would have expected something similar to a field tent. Instead she saw modern furniture and pastel colors. The apartment looked more spacy than it probably was due to all the glass in it. Her eyes lingered for a short while on where valuables might have been stored, but not long enough to gather any attention. And then…

Tony wasn’t kidding. Diamond couldn’t testify to the age of the tattoos from the brief glance she dared to take but there was no doubt there weren’t just a few of them. She wondered if they were simply an artistic statement, or whether there was any deeper meaning to them. Maybe she would ask, once the bottle looked more empty than it did right now.

They didn’t stop her form also noticing there wasn’t entirely too much covering them, although it made her more curious than flustered. It seemed her intel was good, there was a different person living here than the one teaching at the academy.

Not yet offered a seat, Diamond stood awkwardly still for a while before setting the bottle down on a table in what she assumed was a living room. “Where do you keep the glass?”

”Don’t worry about it, I’ll get them.”
Opening a door to a small closet that housed the trash bin, Esther bent over with her back turned to discard the empty bottles and cigarette packs that she collected.
”Also, I know what you’re thinking. I read your profile background just like any other student and I’m leary of your history. So stop examining the locks to my house and eying my things.”
Nero growled at Diamond ever so softly, which drew Esther’s attention to him.
”Ah, where are his manners. Nero! Stop being so rude. Greet the guest.”
Esther whistled and gave him a hand signal.
Nero groaned quietly and padded over to Diamond, sitting down in front of her and lifting his paw for her to shake.
”Ms. Diamond Frost, meet Nero the Second.”
Should Diamond accept his paw to shake, Nero would then bark once and bow his head.

“Just be mindful that there is a way to serve commoner swill, and there’s a way to serve liquid art and history.” Diamond smiled, a little concerned about how many bottles Esther was throwing out, but arguing that form what she said, more would be added to the pile regardless of her intervention. It’s not your things I’m eyeing. Have her eyes always been so gorgeous or is it the hair change? What have I gotten myself into? Diamond thought, but then the dragon dog expressed its displeasure at her being here.

Deciding that she came to make peace today, Diamond promptly sat herself on the floor cross legged in front of the dog. The thief side of her that screamed for escape was slowly but certainly being banished by the little girl that screamed ‘Puppy!’ even louder. A little hesitantly she accepted the offered paw and yelped a little at the bark, but then reached out with her other hand slowly, empty palm up and where Nero could see it approaching before lightly rubbing one of the dog’s ears.

Nero growled when he saw her empty palm, but became silent when Diamond pet him. The dog expressing neither pleasure or dislike. Instead Nero just sat there, staring at her. When he decided that was enough, he sat up and padded over to Esther’s side who was looking through her cabinets in the kitchen for the ‘proper’ drinking glasses.

”Old fashioned glasses, lowball and highball, and tulip glasses. Do care to inform me the ‘correct glass’ to drink what you brought with. I’d love to know. I’m confident I can accommodate.” Esther said with a bit of sarcasm as she tugged up the waist of her shorts as they rode a bit low on her hips.

“Well if you want to nose the thing - and you should want to - you want the tulips. But! If you want to be authentic to the era where it originates, then the dust miners that would drink this when it was on the shelves would use a tin cup because glass was too fragile.” Diamond said in a bit of a living encyclopedia tone. “My profile won’t tell you that I don’t intend to hunt forever, I want to quench the thirst of masses somewhere down the line. Time to start stacking up favors if you want a discount when I get there.” she grinned cheekily.

”Oh ho. Very well, then.” Esther commented, partially impressed at her knowledge. ” Unfortunately, I don’t have any tin cups so it’ll have to be the tulips. I’m not exactly an ol ’fashioned kind of gal anyways. I’m sure you can kind of see that for yourself, which I don’t doubt you have plenty of questions for me.”

A bit of glasses clinking about as she reached up to grab two and brought them over to set on the table. Standing there for a moment, she put her hands on her hips and gave Diamond a look.

”I forget, but how young are you again? You can legally drink, right? Don’t want ‘Distribution of Alcohol to Minors’ on my record with Ozpin. I already have enough write ups against me.” Sitting down on the sofa and crossing her legs, she continued. ”Have a seat. You can get comfortable, I don’t bite.” Esther didn’t continue that line, but it felt as though there could’ve been something extra added on near the end. Cocking an eyebrow, she smirked at Diamond when she revealed her plans to open her own bar. ”Oh? And how does one start ‘stacking favors’ with you, Ms. Frost? I don’t have any insider information that could lead you to precious treasures or loot, so I’m out of luck there. Besides, I doubt you can beat out the bar I frequent anyways.” Esther chuckled a bit, Nero padded over to her to hop on the sofa and take up any remaining space. He did not want Diamond near Esther, so she would have to sit on the loveseat across from them.

Diamond could have tried to make a jab at her teaching methods certainly being old fashioned, but she decided that this is this, and school is school. “Old enough!” she exclaimed, her mouth dry after a few hours of failing to fall asleep. “Anyway I brought the stuff, if anyone’s dealing here it’s me.”

“No questions I want to ask on a dry throat.” she smirked. Now that she had a better view she noticed some details of the ink Esther covered herself in. She had the decency to keep eye contact but even from her peripheral vision she could see a bloodied heart with a keyhole in some flower motives. “So as far as favors go, start pouring that’d do for now.”

Esther actually laughed, ”Old enough, huh? Fair enough, though it’s a little odd to have the tables turned and orders being given by the other side. Aye, ma’am…” Esther leaned forward and poured Diamond’s glass first, filling it to just before it reached the top portion. After pouring her student’s, she poured her own and brought her glass to her face to take in the scents of the aged whiskey. Looking at the bottle, she turned it to where she could clearly see the label and examined it for a moment. ”So, explain to me something. How does someone like you...End up with something like this? What’s that story? While you’re at it, remind me of the street price a bottle of this fetches.”

“Rocks?” Diamond asked, a sphere of ice appearing in her hand before promptly being dropped into her glass. It was a tad blasphemous, but it was a first glass on an empty stomach. “Ah, if memory serves I got it form an unlucky bartender who had to pawn a piece of jewelry passed down to him through several generations because he fell victim to a loan shark. He was very grateful for my...” Diamond drummed her fingers, looking for the right word, “Mediation in getting it back. Price wise? I don’t know what’s your income but suffice to say you’d have to work for a few days for it.” she said, taking a sip and savoring the taste. A bit of lemon and honey.

Seizing the opportunity, she put up an inquiry of her own. “So, what’s with the ink?” she asked, nodding towards the tattoos. “Just artistic or is there a story to them.” she continued, her eyes set on the heart. “I’m very good with locks.”

Esther put up a hand when offered ice for her drink. ”Are you serious? For something like this? No thank you. I prefer not to water down my drinks anyhow.” Looking at the liquid in the glass as she swirled it ever so slightly, she took a hearty sip and licked her lips. Hmm-ing and tilting her head as she mulled on the flavor. In all honesty, she wanted to just drain it for the sensation it gave but this wasn’t the kind of swill or rotgut to do that with. You had to take time to savor and enjoy it. She took another sip while quietly listening to Diamond’s story of recompense.

Her eyes looked up at Diamond when the question was finally posed. ”My tattoos?” She shrugged. ”Some I liked simply because of how they looked, few other pieces do have some meaning to them. Nothing too super sentimental, I don’t believe in that crock. That every piece of art you have engraved onto your skin has to have some sort of superficial meaning or reason. Like I said, a lot of mine I got simply because I wanted them and liked them.”

Esther raised her glass and was just about to take another sip when Diamond took her off guard slightly. Mentioning her chest piece. Looking down at it as best she could, she looked back up and smirked, giving a short chuckle. ”I don’t doubt you are very good with locks, but I would have to wager you’d have a difficult time with this one. Now this one…” she tapped at her chest with a finger. ”Does have a small story with it.”

Turning to Nero and moving the glass to his snout, she let him sniff at it before petting him. ”But, before we go off into stories of what tattoos I have in all, where, and why. I want to know why you’re really here, Ms. Frost. Because I severely doubt you hunted down my address, gift in hand, just to say ‘sorry’ about something. Tell me what you’re really here for and don’t lie to me.” She turned away from Nero and locked eye contact with Diamond. ”Nero and I hate liars.”

“Fair enough.” Diamond nodded. “I knew a public attorney - you know, the one who people get when they can’t afford one - who hung up a name of every case he won on the wall and stamped every one that lost on his back. 40:6 last time I checked. I like that kind of dedication, especially when it’s directed at someone who is powerless on their own.” she went on a little tangent.

Snuffing the ‘challenge accepted’ before she said it out loud, a little bit of a frown twisted her face. “I’m not the one hiding behind a mask. I value honesty above most things.” she sighed, finishing the glass in one go. “If I may… what made you become a huntress? Or rather, why are you one, no specific time. I guess… I’m searching a little for my own reason.”

“What I said about my future plans, well… I’ll be honest, I didn’t come here out of some need or want to help people. I came here because this was the last place that would take me no questions asked. A stopgap to get the cash so I can do what I actually wanted to do.” Without involving dirty money.

Diamond paused for a moment, looking into the depths of the empty glass as if she was searching for something on the bottom of it. “And then, I met four guys who got killed trying to make sure I kept on breathing. Just regular people with less predispositions than even myself, but they still went out there despite the odds. And me? I couldn’t protect a little girl from harm. I owe it to them to give this a serious try at least.”

She finished with a heavy sigh a little ragged with a concealed sob. She said much more than she wanted for starters, but she felt a little easier now that part of why she came here was out there. “I could use another one right about now.”

Esther sat very quiet and very still for some time. An analog clock she had on the wall softly ticking the time away as Esther chose her words carefully. She chose to ignore the comment about masks, and instead focused upon the meat of the matters.

”One thing at a time, I guess. First, about why I’m a Huntress. When I was much younger, I was a little shithead. I had no direction in life. I wasn’t interested in continuing my education. I wasn’t interested in any fields of employment. I was simply content leeching off of others like a parasite until the end of my days like the little snot nose kid I was. My parents had to resort to some underhanded tactics, but they got my ass into Beacon. I was far from happy about it and tried every trick in the book to get out. To get expelled.”

Esther leaned back in her seat, not noticing a damned strap of her top slowly slid from her shoulders.

”But, of course that all changed when my Huntsmen team was assigned our first mission. Like any other it was just a simple search and destroy/kill mission. But, they never turn out that way, do they? At a very young age, due to my mistakes as a shitty Huntress, people died. When I realized that my actions or inactions affected the lives of so many innocent people, I woke up. I woke up to the reality that this is a cold and cruel world we live in, and if not for others like us, we wouldn’t have much of a world left. So, I started taking things a lot more seriously and with the help of some...how would I say it. Hard-assed teachers? I focused on completing my time at Beacon and I did it with flying colors. One of the top Huntresses of my class.”

Esther finished her drink also, but held it in hand for a while staring at it.

”When I graduated, I wanted to do more. To be better. I tried doing the solo Huntress thing, I tried forming a team but it wasn’t enough for me. So, I looked to joining the Atlesian military. But, quickly learned that they had no home for me. Wasn’t my place. One way or another I learned of the private military contracting group you had the pleasure of serving a mission with. The Abyss Walkers.”

Esther leaned forward to refill both of their glasses.

”Before I go any further, I’m going to tell you the story of how the Abyss Walkers was founded. Long ago, before either you or I was even born. There was a man who wanted to become a Hunter. Only problem was, he was complete shit. No Semblance. No detectable Aura. No command of Dust. Nothing. Yet, he held such a strong desire to become a Hunter, he refused to let anything stop him. Somehow, some way, he forged and falsified documents to force his way into a Huntsmen academy. Somehow, some way, he graduated and became a Hunter by title only. I’m going to tell you this now, but this story does not have a happy ending. One of his first few missions as a ‘Hunter’, he failed. Dying in a very tragic and brutal way that I don’t care to mention at this moment. But his death was very important, as you can see. From his death, he became a martyr of sorts. You may not realize this but there are many people in this wonderful world of Remnant that have a deep desire to become a Huntsmen but can’t for one reason or another. Try as they might they can’t activate a Semblance. They can’t control Dust. They have laughable Aura levels. Yet they still yearn to serve honorably, to contribute to the survival of our peoples and the like. But the Atlesian military for example only exists for the most basic of desires. They’ll recruit anyone with half a brain and a pulse. But the Abyss Walkers set themselves out to recruit only the most willing and dedicated souls. People who would lift the Heavens upon their shoulders just to say they could and that they did. People who wanted to become Huntsmen but couldn’t. I wanted in. Luckily for me, they had a special forces division reserved for Huntsmen that wanted to serve in a military outfit. Luckily for them, I was accepted and inducted. Slated to go through their basic training courses before taking on contracts and missions.”

Esther stopped to stretch and sigh.

”There, I grew. There, I learned a lot more than I ever did at Beacon. They trained me and taught me many things. Most importantly were the experiences I went through. Because I had such an advantage over my peers, it wasn’t an uncommon sight to see them fall before my very own eyes. It wasn’t uncommon to make it back without a few casualties. But it never stopped them. It never slowed them down or dispirited them, and I liked that. After I finished my contractual time with them, I decided to come back to Beacon and become an educator. Teaching and sharing whatever I knew with young minds so that they had a better chance than I did coming out into the world. It developed as time when on, but I created a purpose for myself when I had none. I made and gave myself a reason to become a Huntress. Because if you think about it, what is one Huntsmen? In the eyes of scores of Grimm, you’re just a single target waiting to be smited into the dirt. But what if you were a well-trained Huntsmen, not only that, but part of a well-trained team who shared the same knowledge you had and shared the same experiences. Now that team would give the Grimm a run for their money. That is the reason why I’m a Huntress. To accelerate this war to its end. To help. To nurture. Any way I can.”

Esther took a sip of her drink.

”But, I’ll be the first to tell you this. If staying a Huntress isn’t your intention, then by all means drop out if you so chose. Just when you become a bartender, be the best damned bartender Remnant has ever seen. Be happy doing it, and enjoy your life. Because to see a civilian walking down the streets of Vale without a care or worry in the world, knowing that people like us exist to keep things safe is the best reward. Duckie’s, Gorilla’s, Sin’s, and Ski Mask’s deaths were not in vain. As long as you continue to live your life to its fullest. All of the Abyss Walker mercenaries know that their time on this rock is not long. The next day is not guaranteed and they very well may die. Never to return to their families or loved ones. But this is a fact they all know very well and accept into their hearts. None of them have an issue with what they do, and as such you shouldn’t allow yourself to get so….”

Esther paused for some reason, and didn’t finish her sentence.
She shrugged, shaking her head and waving her hand dismissively.

”In any case, no one can fault you for milking this Hunter gig for what its worth as a springboard for what you really want to do. Not every Hunter that graduates stays a Hunter. But you have to understand that whether you stay a Huntress or not, there are people out there sacrificing themselves for you each second of each minute of each day. Just so you can lead a happy and full life. The sooner you can come to terms with that, the better.”

Shaking her head again, Esther laughed.
”Oh gods...I’m rambling like an idiot again. Much of what I said probably doesn’t make much sense now, does it? Ugh...I need a little more myself.”
Downing her second glass, she poured herself a third.
”Shit though, this stuff is good..”

Diamond sat still, listening silently and letting what she was told sink in. At first she was surprised at how much she got to know. There was a lot of personal facts that Diamond was certain she would have had trouble sharing to someone she knew for total of two days. Then again, maybe all the booze Esther downed in advance had a part in that. It didn’t really matter though.

It was interesting to hear. She could see certain similarities in the two of them. It was a frightening prospect really, Diamond was fairly certain she didn’t want to turn out like Esther did, and was glad that their differences most likely prevented that. Still for all her flaws, and there certainly were some, there was a growing admiration for the older woman in her. Diamond was certain she wouldn’t have survived through what Esther had seen. Not with her sanity intact. “Perhaps it isn’t such a curse not to have anyone to lose.” she said in a half hushed voice, more to herself. “Accepting it doesn’t make it any easier.” she said, pointing a second gaze to where all the bottles went, “Does it?” she asked, her tone rather rhetorical.

Esther tipped her glass back as she sipped her third helping. ”It doesn’t, you’re right about that. But it’s almost a requirement if you’ll be in this gun club for any amount of time. A necessity. Someone much smarter than myself with some fancy degree says that it’s part of the healing process. Part of growing as a Huntress. Coming to terms with the fact that many innocent people die every second of every day to those cursed creatures…” Esther closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, not finishing that line of thought.

She spent a couple of minutes afterwards just sitting and absentmindedly sipping from her glass, thoughts racing from the question she asked to the irritating fact that Esther was either oblivious to or ignoring the fact that her already sparse outfit was coming apart. Forbidden fruit is always the most appealin- she very nearly had to shake her head to help herself to lose that line of thought. First she had life choices to make. Seducing the teacher later, maybe. STOP!

Esther gave Diamond a curious look, but said nothing. Instead just finally realizing she was becoming somewhat ‘indecent’ and pulled her top’s strap back over her shoulder.

It took her almost the rest of the glass to come up to some conclusion. “It’s not what I want anymore. I’m not going to say I want to hunt to protect the people. One I’d be lying, two I think that is a pretentious claim. I’m not doing this to be appreciated by the masses, to make sure they get to enjoy life, no. I don’t care what the world thinks of me, it never did me any favors, I owe the people nothing in return.” she said a little bitterly.

“But call me born into the wrong era, I don’t think I could live with myself just… knowing there are people with less predispositions than me to do this and yet they still throw themselves at the danger hoping to come home alive. I don’t even know why, I just can’t have that. Maybe my greed concerns nobility in some manner as well.” She wasn’t entirely happy with this, it felt like there should be something more to this. But until she figured that out, this would do.

Downing the rest of her glass in one go, she shook her head. “And to add insult to injury those fools have families. Actual something to come back to and live for that isn’t corked in a bottle or the job itself. Kind of makes the both of us look a bit pathetic if you ask me. On paper we have much better chance of returning home from any given mission. Return to what? Who?” Diamond spat, loathing herself a little more. She really should drink less, alcohol tended to awaken the philosopher in her, and the philosopher asked questions hard to answer.

Esther chuckled bitterly as she looked at Nero, ”Return home to fluffy butts, that’s who.” Nero’s tail wagged as Esther again petted the top of his head and patted his sides. ”Crazy, isn’t it? The PMCs, that is. Each and every one of them know full well how expendable they are. They all know where they stand in the food chain and yet, they don’t care. Still do what they do for whatever reason, just like us. As far as yourself, however. If you figure this life isn’t for you, then leave it behind and focus your energy elsewhere. There are plenty of oblivious sheep content to carry on without ever knowing the hardship and sacrifices people like us and the Abyss Walkers make.” Esther took another sip, her eyebrows arching as she looked to Diamond over the top of her glass. ”But something tells me you wouldn’t be happy with that either.”

Looking at the ashtray sitting on the table in front of her, Esther remembered that she had forgotten the now snuffed out cigarette that awaited her. Leaning forward, she grabbed it along with a white lighter and relit it. Putting it to her lips, she took a drag and exhaled a cloud of smoke off to the side. ”Don’t mind me. But, it is my house. So, my rules. You want one? Or am I wrong in thinking you mentioned something about trying to quit?” Picking up her nearly empty pack, she offered it to Diamond.

“Crazy but… admirable.” Diamond sighed out. So much for sleeping lightly. She did feel a little easier though. “Aaah, fuck it! Give me an armor and a horse and I’ll reclaim this gods forsaken land!” she quoted out of a play she seen but couldn’t recall the name of.

Shaking her head, she refused the cigarette. “Trying indeed, and people are not making it easy. First the godsdamn Stovetop is all like ‘boo quitting is for losers’ and then this. But it’s exactly what was happening to him why I want to stop. Rest of my guys bicker with me enough already without me being cranky over running out halfway through a mission.”

Esther shrugged, setting the pack back down as she continued to alternate between taking sips of her drink and drags of her cigarette. ”Suit yourself, more for me. It’s difficult, but over time you can learn to manage your time during missions. Just gotta pick and choose the right moments.”

Settling back into her seat, Esther laid her head back over the top cushions of her sofa and sighed. Rubbing at her neck, a faint smile on her face as the alcohol took her in its welcome and familiar embrace. Truth be told, Esther was probably severely dehydrated and starved which didn’t help her current drinking habit. Combined with lack of sleep and it didn’t take much for her to reach that comforting warm and numb feeling from consuming liquor by this. She felt relaxed and loosened up, ‘floaty’ in a sense. Satisfied, she set her unfinished glass down in her lap for the moment to nest there while she kept her eyes close. Nero laid his snout on her though, but still kept one eye out for Diamond.

With another soft sigh, ”Thanks for this. It’s nice just...talking to someone from time to time. Especially thanks for the drinks. I’ll have to get you back for that sometime soon. You sure can tell the difference between drinking shit that tastes like dry erase marker, and this high quality liquid gold.”

Nodding with an affirming grunt, Diamond locked herself momentarily in a staring contest with Nero, eyes glued open. “Something to return to?” she said with a soft chuckle. “I mean talking, I doubt I can keep the fluids coming fast enough. But if you’re offering I did get a tip that when you are serious about this job and get a hardass teacher to guide you you have a chance to turn out reasonably well. You know of any? I got Weekends free.” she baited, face straight and focused on the dog not to betray any hint of the slowly growing desire to spend some more time with her.

Esther tapped her chin, thinking for a moment. ”Hmm, not sure if I can help you there. From what heard, most if not all of the teachers at Beacon are way too soft and nice. I don’t know of anyone who could be considered a ‘hardass’...They’re all just the sweetest, gentlest angels as far as I know.” Esther sat and posed, making an expression that was half sarcastic and half self-deprecating. Smiling ever so innocently and fluttering her eyelids. Laughing, she settled back into a normal posture and continued. ”I mean, if you’re looking for a tutor of some sorts after hours...My door is always open, but I don’t think I’m the hardass you’re looking for. I’ve been told I am too kind and soft for my own good. Maybe you can temporarily be under my tutelage until you find that ‘hardass’ to guide you? I don’t have a life, so I’m pretty much free whenever. Hours can be flexible.”

Esther smirked and laughed again, winking at Diamond. ”But I must warn you, my prices are a bit high. Think you could afford me?” Nero didn’t like where the conversation was going by the tone of which the two spoke. His chest rumbled as a soft growl grew.

Raising her eyes to face Esther’s, Diamond smiled. “People are awful liars.” Nodding back to the dog, she giggled: “The mutt looks like he’s about to go mark his territory just to be sure, careful there or you will need to go clean up puddles.” she laughed. “He’s a spoiled little puppy, taking you for granted.” she said, her eyes again pointed at Nero, a challenging smirk on her face. Later she would feel like an idiot for trying to one up an animal. “He should be reminded of the fleeting nature of love.”

“You mean the comforts of my presence and my top shelf are not enough? This den is full of greedy creatures. All about gold, no love for diamonds. Oh, woe.” she faked a sob, brushing a nonexistent tear from under her eye.

In response to Diamond’s liar comment, ”Aren’t they all? People are just the worst. Someone once told me that we’re all born into sin, as liars and thieves. That we all require redemption before moving on to the afterlife.” Esther scoffed, taking another drag of her cigarette and exhaling. Esther looked at Nero and ruffled his ears again, ”Him? Spoiled? Oh, absolutely. He’s my little fluffy butt, but he’d never take me for granted. Isn’t that right, boy?” Esther leaned in and made little kissing noises. Nero broke his attention from Diamond to look at his master and nudged his snout against Esther’s cheek.

Remembering something, she straightened up and locked eye contact with him. ”Nero. Safe and secure. Go!” Nero gave a light ‘woof’ and hopped off of the sofa. Opening his jaw, he carefully bit and grabbed the handgun Esther had set on the table and padded away with it into another room of the house. Esther watched as he left before shooting Diamond a look, giving a brief explanation. ”Alcohol and firearms never mix well. He’s trained to put away my weapons whenever I’m currently drinking. Sometimes he hides them whenever I get a little too inebriated, the fucker.” She chuckled. ”Spoiled he may be, but damned if he isn’t trained well. He knows he’d be punished if he pissed where he wasn’t supposed to, so no worries about him ‘marking territory’. Not that he views me as ‘territory’ or ‘property’, just his best companion.”

Crossing her legs and leaning back to get comfortable again, Esther exhaled another cloud of smoke. ”But you’re right about this household being nothing but greedy creatures. I won’t lie, I’m pretty insatiable and selfish. Though, I’m not one for shiny jewelry. I’m more in the business of…” For some reason, Esther paused to look Diamond over.

”Well. Usable goods and services. Cosmetic and fashionable trinkets aren’t my thing.” She looked at her sleeve tattoos on her arms, and gave Diamond an innocent smile. ”Well. You get what I mean, I hope.” Leaning forward, she started to fill her glass again. Which would make it number four? Soon, she’d lose count or stop caring. Lifting her glass to her face, she swirled the liquid a little. ”So you came to my home to apologize and ask for a mentorship. The drinks are just the icing on the bribery cake, huh?” She shrugged. ”But don’t think I can’t just be ‘bought’, Diamond.” Taking a hearty gulp of the firewater, she continued. ”Funny story. My record is about ten or so plus shots in about thirty minutes. I say plus because I don’t remember much after number ten, but my buddies say I kept going.” Esther giggled. She raised her glass and shook it a little. ”Think I’m gettin’ there pretty quick or do you think I should slow down?” She smirked, winking again.

“You forgot cheaters.” Diamond said, an eyebrow raised as she listened. “You know maybe you should train him to hide the booze instead. I’m no novice to the stuff but if I drank that much, I’d wake up and my liver would be next to me having a cup of coffee and telling me that i’m an asshole.” she smirked, before giving Esther a pointed, almost scolding look. “How long do you think you’ll last like that? One day you’ll want to tie your boots and your fossilized liver will break. There won’t be any accelerating the war to the end, no helping, not if you’re wrecked or dead. All of that training, knowledge, skills, gone forever. Why do you think they rotate the best hunters out of the job and into the schools?”

Esther quipped ”Liver? What’s that? Oh, you mean that thing I surprise every now and then with actual water? Pfft. I’ll live. Not looking to make it past ….40 anyways.” Esther laughed, joking as she took another sip.

The sound of glass shattering cut through the smoke and whisky atmosphere as Diamond’s had gripped a bit too hard, enraged. “What? And that’s it?” she asked in a deadpan, “That’s not living that’s surviving. And cut that other crap.” It was infuriating, to think that anyone would throw away their life that recklessly. Diamond didn’t struggle to live to listen to garbage like this. “Biting it fighting grimm is one thing, but you’re just… content on destroying yourself? Just like that? You tell me how it doesn’t get easier getting over loss and you’d do this to them?” she fumed, unable to understand how someone could even think that way, all the while unaware her unfeeling hand was bleeding all over the chair from half a dozen of small cuts.

Esther sat there in silence, glass in one hand cigarette in the other. Staring at Diamond, unmoving. She couldn’t help but think ”I liked that glass. It was expensive too..” Dismissing the thought, Esther calmly set her glass and cigarette down and got to her feet. Standing, stumbling ever so slightly, she quietly walked out of the living room.

Returning a few minutes later with a little kit and waste bin, Esther knelt in front of Diamond and began picking up the broken glass pieces. In all honesty, she should’ve and would’ve made Diamond pick up after herself but she chose not to. In a soft voice, she gave her answer to the girl. ”First off, that was a joke. I do like the drink, but I don’t drink that often or go nuts drowning myself.” She half-lied. ”Secondly, even if I did, that’s my life and hypocritical choice to make. You don’t have much right to comment on that, just as I don’t have much right to comment on your life.” Finishing picking up the pieces, Esther gingerly took Diamond’s hand and turned it over to examine it. Making sure there was no glass in her wounds, she took some cotton balls from the kit to dab away the blood. Locking eye contact with Diamond, Esther smiled. ”Thirdly, if I lost my liver…” She chuckled. ”The Walkers would just give me a new one.” She joked again. ”Relax, it’s not that serious….Do appreciate the concern however.”

“Sheesh, sorry.” Diamond whispered, fetching some of the shards that fell over the chair. Great, now she stepped right into it. She hoped Esther was wasted enough not to notice her mangled arm under the long sleeve, that would be awkward to explain.

“Yeah uh-huh.” she grunted, remembering the pile of bottles Esther put away. True this was probably a different occasion with what happened yesterday, but if even the dog was trained to make the house safe in such cases, she didn’t completely believe it. “One, it’s not something to joke about. Ever. Not when I can hear at least. That’s my equivalent of walking around waving loaded and primed guns.” she smirked, but it was a bitter one.

Esther made a face and nodded. ”Fair enough.”

Diamond was a bit surprised when her hand was being tended to, those scrapes wouldn’t be there tomorrow if her aura had something to say about it, although it was far from uncomfortable. She could only imagine what the hand touching her own felt like, but they way it moved, precise even under influence, she imagined it to be quite soft, not often used for heavy lifting. Without much thought her thumb ran over the top of Esther’s palm, gently brushing against it. Nope. Still no touch.

Esther frowned, noticing something...off with Diamond's arm. Lifting up her sleeve, her expression seemed to drop. ”Poor girl. You must always be so cold…” Absently running her hand up and down Diamond's arm, she continued. ”How’s the Dust working out for you? I know it's gotta be rough. Some Walkers had it done and...Well, it never worked out too well for them.”

“Two, in right or not, it…” she bit her lower lip, “It would be a waste.” When those dazzling eyes locked with her own, Diamond froze, lost in the big brown irises for a while before having to turn away as she burst out laughing.

Esther laughed with Diamond. ”Well, aren't you sweet? What! The Walkers have great medical care. 70 percent of those fuckers have synthetic parts anyways!”

“No comment.” she said when it passed, quite unable to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching in amusement. “What? You said not to lie to you, so yeah, it’d be a waste of a perfect face.” she said before she could think of what she was actually saying. She realized a second after, scrambling for something else to say as her cheeks turned light pink.

“Hm? The implant? Ah, just the opposite actually. I read up most on the serious risks, not the common side effects. There was something about the infusion messing with your metabolism, I guess that’s what happened. My body temperature just dropped, but of course since I’m over all colder, when I get to a warm place I get much bigger shock. Taking a shower the first few days was just agonizing, it stung like if you poured steaming hot water over yourself. Also it left marks on my skin, although I can’t compete with you in that regard.” she grinned cheekily.

“It’s why I gave you those transfer papers despite the, uh, tension when we met. I kind of almost turned myself into a block of ice in a tub and the rest of the team is not too excited about my chilling down the room during the night. I need to get a firmer grasp on this before I hurt myself any further.” she sighed, not really wanting to talk about school stuff.

Esther narrowed her eyes. Ignoring most of what Diamond had just said and instead focusing on one sentence that was uttered. ”Pardon? What did you just say? You want to run that by me again? I didn't catch that.”

“Now who’s not telling the truth?” Diamond asked rhetorically, it’s not like one can suddenly overhear the same voice in a silent room. “Now, why would that be?” she mused out loud. “Is that a hint to quit while I’m ahead?” she continued, eyes fixated on Esther to judge for any reaction, “Or just maybe she wants to hear she’s beautiful?” she said, leaning slightly closer as their eyes locked again. If she was sober, Diamond would never dare, but alas that was not the case. She said it. Let the chips fall where they may.

When Diamond leaned in, Esther did the same until their noses practically touched. Staying like for what felt like an eternity, seconds ticking by. Esther’s eyes lowered and she happened to remember that she was in the middle of cleaning up Diamond’s mess. Noticing some of the alcohol had landed on some of the exposed parts of Diamond’s thighs.

Moving back away from the girl, Esther picked up the kit and collected glass shards. Standing, she walked away and disappeared into another room. After a minute or two, Esther returned with a little cloth rag and stood looking at it for a moment. Normally, she would just give it to Diamond to have her wipe herself off. But tonight wasn’t a normal night. As time dragged on, the alcohol more thoroughly saturated her blood. The evening was quickly turning to night, and Esther was still hurt whether she liked to admit it or not. Hungry, thirsty, and sleepy feelings didn’t help her mind remain clear either. All of this being thrown out the window, and it was partly Diamond’s fault. She couldn’t really know or help it.

Returning to Diamond’s side in a kneeling position, she looked at the girl’s face as she spoke. Slowly and carefully helping her to wipe off the spilled drink from her thighs. ”You’re playing a dangerous game right now, girl. I’m giving you a fair warning, if you keep talking sweet like that…” Esther’s hand crept up just a tad higher on Diamond’s thigh. The cloth brushing against the ruffled pleats of her skirt. ”Well. Let’s just say I have a sweet tooth.” Locking eyes with Diamond once more, the girl would be able to tell there was something different to the way they looked. A flame burned behind them, a predatory gaze that hungered for sustenance. ”To make matters worse..” Esther tossed the cloth aside and sat next to Diamond on the loveseat. For the second time, she leaned in closer to her where the tips of their noses actually did touch. ”Redheads drive me crazy. It’s been a little while since I’ve had a little of that too. I already feel bad about you being cold and you’re makin’ me think you’d like a little help warming up. In all, things don’t look to be in your favor, stacking up higher and higher against you.”

A primal desire strengthened in intensity behind her eyes as she gazed deeply into Diamond’s. ”Tell me. Do you live up to that stereotype of Redheads? Because your adorable blushing makes me really want to find out.”

This was probably wrong. Diamond was confident she could keep things in and out of school separate, but still… But why did wrong always feel good? After all she thought of doing this an hour ago.

Decision made, Diamond moaned quietly as the hand crept up her thigh to pour gasoline on Esther’s fire. One thing was for certain, the dog would hate her even more in the morning. As the older woman sat next to her and leaned in, Diamond’s arms went around her waist, pulling her closer. “My entire history is a dangerous game. I’m good at bending the rules. Are you certain you’re in the lead? Maybe the chips have been stacking in my favor instead.” she whispered, moving around to whisper in Esther’s ear.

Esther gasped softly and devilishly grinned when Diamond first moaned, stoking the raging flames within her. Allowing herself to be pulled in closer as the girl’s arms wrapped around her, a metaphorical icy gust of wind travelled through her when Diamond whispered to her. A tremble and shiver crawling up her back. Cheeks flushing red as her half-lidded eyes gazed at Diamond.

“Maybe I was always cold and lonely. Maybe I like how those stunning eyes to look at me with that fire behind them. Is there more?” she whispered in a teasing tone.

---

- Saturday morning -

It was one of Esther's few recurring dreams, thankfully not one of her recurring nightmares, that was the culprit responsible for her nightly interruption. It always involved the graveyard where the fallen Walkers were put to their final resting place. She always wore her dress service uniform with all of her awards and decorations from her time in service. The sun was shining during that day, not a cloud in the bright-blue sky. A cool breeze traveled through the trees that bordered the graveyard and playfully caused her medals to softly clink against one another. She was walking in a line in the freshly-cut green grass, moving between one headstone to the other as her black boots rustled the cut blades underneath. With her white gloves on, she gently brushed her fingertips across their top edges, hazel eyes lingering on the names of their owners and recalling a happy moment she shared with them when they were still among the living. For the time being, that was all she could think of. Memory being gracious to her and blurring out the causes of their deaths to save Esther some despair. She stopped when she saw she wasn’t alone, seeing a young girl that was the spitting image of herself but not quite. The girl was dressed in an all white summer dress and straw sun hat, smiling as she held a bouquet of flowers in her little hands. The girl didn’t seem to notice her as Esther stood by her side and looked upon the empty and open grave that the girl stood in front of. Esther wasn’t phased when she saw the name on the headstone, reading it carefully and aloud.

”Here lies Esther Vanhomrigh. Cherished educator and comrade-in-arms to all. Honorably served with unparalleled courage, fallen in the line of duty. May the Heavens timidly open their gates to welcome you. May the Abyssal Hells fear your coming wrath and new regime. Wherever your soul chooses to go, In Tenebris, Simul.”

Esther chuckled, smirking. Now who could’ve come up with those last few lines? Curiously, she saw her date of birth but no date of death, left blank. The girl standing next to her turned her head to look up at her, and recited an odd phrase that Esther used to keep herself motivated and to persevere through tough times.

”I have died many times over, before. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Esther looked at the girl and thought to ask where she had heard that, but in the real world Esther’s eyes opened as she woke. Blinking a few times, she looked at her analog clock sitting on her nightstand and lifted her head as she reached for it and brought it closer for her to read. The sun was just starting to think of rising, the sky outside still dark and black. ”Eugh, zero-dark-thirty…” Setting her clock back down, she sat up and nearly jumped when she felt and saw another body in bed with her. It took her a moment to fight through the sleepy haze as her head felt a little dull. After a moment, she recognized the sleeping form to belong to Diamond and vaguely recalled the events of last night. The student came by to apologize for something and to talk. They both had more than their fair share of drinks, and then…

Esther quietly sighed and rubbed at her eyes. More than certain that the two of them had done something mature and adult in nature, typically considered taboo. ”Damn it, Essie. Again?” she cursed at herself silently. Shaking her head, she carefully slipped out of bed so as to not disturb the redheaded girl, if she even was still asleep. First order of business for the morning, tend to Nero. Knowing her drunken self well, Esther padded to Nero’s room and opened the door. Nero had fallen asleep at the door and immediately woke when he heard the door swing open. Wagging his tail, the dog stretched and yawned before taking a few steps and sitting in front his companion.

”Come on, boy.”
Esther quietly said, motioning with her head and hand.
Nero understood what she implied and followed after as Esther let him out the front door to do his morning business.

In about 10-15 minutes, Esther finished her morning routine for getting ready for work. Face washed, teeth brushed, hair pulled back into a tidy and neat bun. All that was left was to get dressed, deciding to skip breakfast as she still had a ‘guest’ present that needed to leave quick, fast, and in a hurry. Opening her closet, she swiftly pulled on her attire. All of her clothes freshly laundered and pressed, ready to go at any time. As she finished tying the laces to her boots, she pulled her long overcoat over her shoulders and began to button it. Turning her head ever so slightly, she checked to see if her ‘guest’ had woken yet.

Sleeping more peacefully than usual, Diamond didn’t wake until the rustling and movement thrown her out of dreamland. Sitting up and blinking the tiredness out of her eyes, she did not quite succeed. Looking to the side, she spotted her host. “Hias Ess-” as her view came to actually focus, she paused. “Good morning Ms. Vanhomrigh.” she corrected herself, fighting down a smirk. It was ironic really - for their day lives to be the role play.

Esther’s eyes averted from Diamond when she saw that she had indeed awoken. As she finished adjusting her outfit and appearance, she tugged her white gloves over her hands and grabbed her cover. With a very soft voice, she offered a rather curt response. ”Good morning, Ms. Frost.”

Yawning, Diamond stretched and vacated the warm bed with a slight dismay. It only took her a couple of minutes to make herself presentable to the outside world, all that was left was the hairclip that was left resting somewhere back in the living room. Looking around for a bit, Diamond decided that this household could not satisfy her immediate needs.

“Pardon me, but I do not believe you have anything I would call coffee in sufficient quantity here. If I could interest you in a morning snack out to finalize the details of our arrangement, or is this a bad time?” she asked.

Checking the fit of her cover in a mirror and again making final adjustments to her uniform, she spoke to Diamond’s reflection. ”You need to leave. If you need to contact me, you can find my Scroll’s number in the Beacon directory. If anyone asks…” Esther turned to face Diamond. Her eyes were cold, the features of her face seemed more severe. Her jaw set. ”Where were you last night?”

“Indeed, that’s why I was suggesting a breakfast out.” Diamond deadpanned, but didn’t press on any more. “Where have I been? None of their goddamn business.” she replied, making a grab for her shoes. Good thing the house was remote enough that nobody would see someone in a student uniform leaving in the morning. Diamond would like to be more cautious, but she had nothing to work with. Perhaps she could go to a hairdresser at least, there was no need to dye her hair now.

Taking her scroll, she compiled a list of five addresses somewhere in Atlas and one in Vale. Her old emergency cash stashes. She couldn’t well access them now, so it wouldn’t hurt her to part with them. She opened the door before sending the list over. “Have your mercs pick those up. First one is yours for my lessons. If they had any family, than one of the others for each of them. Whatever’s left is for the mercs to make it worth their while. It won’t pay for the downed skyhawk but it might pay up for an armor or two or an aura healer. The last one… they make the best coffee around and the pastry is to die for, it’s about 10 minutes walk from here.” she explained, winking at the last one before giving Esther a two fingered salute and disappearing on the street.

Esther looked at her Scroll and briefly glanced over the list Diamond sent her. She would have to remember to send that information to her boys later. Pocketing the Scroll, she silently saw Diamond off, waiting as the girl grabbed her shoes and disappeared. Softly sighing to herself, Esther did her daily walkthrough of her house. Making sure that everything was in order and in its place before locking up for the day. Once done, Esther walked through the living room and paused mid-stride seeing the glasses and bottle of liquor on the coffee table. Curious, she walked over and picked up the bottle to inspect the brand and label.

She made an odd face at it.
”Gods above, no wonder I hardly remember last night...”
Setting the bottle down gently, she shook her head as she opened the front door to be greeted by Nero. Having finished his morning business, Esther took a few steps out and let Nero in.
”Nero. Fetch.”
Nero barked and bolted back into the house to ‘fetch’ Esther’s hidden weapons.
While she waited, she pulled out her pack of cigarettes and lit one up. Placing it to her lips, she took her first drag and exhaled.
”Nothing like the first one of the day.”
Nero returned with Esther’s weapons, one by one and barked when he was done. Tail wagging.
Turning her head, Esther smiled.
”Good boy. Rifle.” She held out her white gloved hand.
Nero safely bit at Esther’s rifle and ‘handed’ it to her, Esther slinging it onto her back.
”Pistol.”
Same drill. Esther, holstering it at her side.
”Knife.”
Same drill. Esther, sheathed it on her belt.
Esther knelt and hugged Nero, giving him beloved head pats and kissing him on the top of the snout.
”Good boy. You’ve got the house for the rest of the day. No slacking on guard duty, okay?”
Nero barked once in response.

Standing, Esther closed the door on Nero and locked it. Walking off as she smoked her cigarette, Esther pulled out her Scroll to look at this cafe that Diamond had told her about.

”..Hm.”

~~~

Yawning the entire way over there, Diamond finally parked her bum at the café and started her day with double espresso, cheesecake and newspaper. She couldn’t help but notice that she felt somewhat more at ease, the only thing that could potentially darken her sunday being the inevitable conversation with Oswald. But with what Cobalt told her about himself, she was heading to that battle with her head held a bit higher. Leaning back in the chair, she started to whistle happily.

Esther looked up from her Scroll, having located the cafe Diamond mentioned to her, seeing the girl already seated and whistling a tune. Pocketing her Scroll, Esther walked up to the girl and cleared her throat to make her presence known.

”Ahem. Mind if I have a seat?”

Lowering the paper, Diamond sipped her coffee before responding: “Fancy meeting you here. Help yourself.” she motioned to an empty chair.

After waiting on a response, Esther pulled out her chair and sat down. When the waiter came up, she quickly placed an order for a large mug of black coffee, a glass of orange juice, and the ‘deluxe’ breakfast plate. Which consisted of scrambled eggs, strips of bacon, sausage patties, a few slices of toast, and hash browns. Though she didn’t look like it, Esther actually ate quite a bit. She had to, otherwise her metabolism would literally ‘eat’ her muscles away, causing her to easily lose weight and appear stick thin. While she waited for her order to arrive, she removed her cover and set it on the table. Folding her hands in front of her to make a ‘wall’, Esther eyed Diamond as she curiously looked at her.

”So? What were these arrangements you wanted to discuss the details of?”

“My classes of course.” Diamond said, pausing to take a bite of her breakfast, “One, which one of your split personalities will be leading them?” she smirked, “Two-” she set down the paper and made eye contact, growing more serious, ”-what’s the game plan? I know you only saw me fight yesterday, maybe initiation, but you have at least a general idea, right? Go ahead, tell me why I suck. I’m interested to see if our theories match.”

When Esther’s order came, she began to neatly divide and cut up her breakfast. Giving Diamond a look when she made a ‘split personality’ comment but offering no response, taking a few bites of each to gauge how much she would enjoy her meal before fully diving in. Setting her utensils down with a slight clink against her plate, she took a sip of her black coffee before finally answering Diamond’s real question.

”You hesitate. You hesitate because you fear your full strength, your full potential. What you can really do. Because of this, you hold back and you second guess yourself. Worst of all, you let your emotions fuel how you fight.”

Taking another sip of her coffee, she savored the flavor before continuing. Dark roast. Not too watered down, not scorched to oblivion. Just right.

”When you combat the Creatures of Grimm, it’s counter productive to let your feelings get the best of you. Fear. Anger. Malice, it all makes them stronger and attracts more of them. When you duel against another Huntsmen, you are more likely to make mistakes. Your judgement becomes clouded, you slip up. What I intend to do, if you truly want to go through with this, is help you discover where your limit is. I can push you beyond your comfort zones as far as your powers are concerned so you know how far is ‘too far’. I can help instill confidence and self-esteem with drills that will make you sure of your own abilities and possibly even regain control of your Semblance.” Lightly picking up a piece of toast and taking a small bite off of the corner, she dusted off her fingers before finishing. ”Once you know your limits. Once you have that confidence in yourself, you can learn how to rid yourself of emotion when you fight. With that, I guarantee you. I promise you, that you’ll be a Huntress above your peers. When you’re in that spot, you can even start learning intermediate and advanced techniques earlier than your upperclassmen.” She stopped to take another sip of her coffee before setting the mug back down.

Making eye contact with Diamond and locking her gaze, which some small part of Esther knew she loved, she asked ”How does that sound? Sound about right? Sound good?”

For a little while, Diamond looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Shakily she set her cup on the table, looking deflated and almost beaten. She was amazed and yes, admittedly a little frightened that Esther could see straight through her like that, but it was more about the memories her summary brought flooding back into her mind.

She remembered it. Despite trying to forget so hard, she couldn’t ever rid herself of that day. They bribed the guard to just walk by. Put something in her food. Cornered her. And then… Then she didn’t defend herself with a shadow. She became the shadow. When it was all done, they found her quivering among a heap of dismembered chunks and a lake of blood.

Looking down on her hands, for a moment she saw the jet black glistering talons her hands turned into that day, dripping red all over the floor. “I know-” she said, having to pause to take a breath, “I know what my ‘full potential’ is. And that is why it scares me.”

Esther could only wonder and ponder as to what Diamond was thinking about, slightly tilting her head with a curious expression. Had the girl already lost control once? What was the result of that? She could only reflect on her own experiences with her powers, though nothing traumatic ever occurred from the usage of her Semblance. She just learned to copy more weapons. More complex designs. Constantly improving and progressing until she plateaued once achieving the peak of her abilities. The memorable look on her now-deceased friends’ faces when she blotted out the skies with spectral phantoms of their equipment.

Once even having created a fleet of gunships from a single aircraft, each one she could individually control. Her strength allowing her to single-handedly go toe to toe with some of the most fearsome giants on the face of Remnant, some that required entire teams of Huntsmen. Tony loved boasting about her war stories when he had a little too much to drink.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
”Then I can help rid you of your fears and take control of what belongs to you. Of what is yours.”
She spread out her hands, as if to show the invisible potential future to Diamond in her palms.

Diamond could see the unspoken question on Esther's face, but she couldn’t answer. At least, not here. “Well, If I backed out now I would be a pathetic weakling.” Sighing she looked down, idly stirring the coffee, “I always ran and hid, but I can’t do that anymore, can I?” Maybe she should share. It was never easy to talk about that day. In fact, she didn’t tell anyone whatsoever. But it was becoming a hindrance. ”I’ll tell you more later, with less prying ears around. I don’t envy you, you got a hard task ahead of you but I’ll let you try.” Finally smirking, she pointed at her face: “But I have to warn you, unless you retract those statements about having no life and your door being always open, you’re going to see a bothering lot of this maw.”

Esther shook her head, almost wagging her finger at Diamond.

”No. If you backed out now, no one would be the wiser and you wouldn’t be considered a ‘weakling’. I’m a firm believer in that your decisions and actions, that determines who you are as a person and your character. You walking away would simply say that this Diamond Frost is who you are. Staying the course would say that that Diamond Frost is who you are. It’s all up to you and the choices you make.”

Esther lifted her mug and took a sip, continuing.

”As far as hard tasks, I’ve seen and completed my fair shares. This is nothing new and I welcome a challenge. As far as retracting my previous statements…”

Esther nearly smirked, but ultimately didn’t.
”I refuse to make any further comment. What was said was said. I mean what I say.”

In the back of her mind, another part of her was somewhat worried when Diamond insinuated that she would be seeing Esther a lot more. Whether she only meant for training and lessons, she didn’t really know. But, if she also meant more late night ‘sleepovers’, well that could become troublesome. Especially if the girl brought more booze that would send Esther’s self-restraint and control out the window. Even still, Diamond impressed her. She was the first and only student this school year to request additional tutoring and mentorship. If that was a bad or good thing, she again couldn’t know. All in all, it would be a good thing for at least Diamond. At the very least, her capabilities as a Huntress would marginally improve and Esther would be satisfied with that. In this world of Remnant, any little advantage helped and could mean the difference between life or death.

“I’ll remind you of that next time somebody gets poisoned with a deadly neurotoxin.” she couldn’t help but poke holes at Esther’s illusion of honesty. “And don’t get fancy ideas! I have school most days, I need my sleep. The only way I am staying over on weekdays is because you ran me to the ground and I have no more strength to walk home. It’s not like I like you all of a sudden or anything!” She said, her tongue cheekily sticking out.

“I need to first oil some grinding gears with my delightful teammates but I should be free at 6 PM. Would that work for you?” she asked, somewhat eager to start if for curiosity’s sake alone.

Esther wanted to grab Diamond’s tongue and yank it out of her mouth, but restrained herself by merely flexing her jaw. ”Any time would work for me.” she simply said, returning to her breakfast meal.

“Marvellous. Where? I’d prefer a place where we could be undisturbed if you wouldn’t mind.” Diamond asked, noticing the twitch in Esther’s jaw but since she was unsure which part of what she said caused it, she didn’t push any further.

Esther’s eyes travelled upwards as she ate, thinking about an appropriate area for her to do her after school tutoring. She had always intended for it to take place in the Practice Class’s grounds, though other students rarely ever signed up for extra lessons so she never gave it more than a brief thought. Swallowing and wiping her mouth, Esther plainly responded.

”The practice class should be more than enough.”
Tidying up her area, she looked about the table in case anything was ‘out of place’ having finished her meal.
All that was left was her coffee.

“If you’re certain… I don’t mind being seen, it’s being overheard that is a bit troubling. Ok then, I’ll see you there.” Diamond nodded, downing the rest of the coffee and asking for her bill and paying for the both of them. “I bid you good day, Ms. Vanhomrigh.” she said as she got up, loud enough not to be made whisper yell it a couple hundred times later.