Chapter Three

"...and the streetlights twinkle in the gloom."

Flynt nodded approvingly. "Not half bad. Still got a bit of that Schnee stiffness to shake out, but you know how to do a tune justice."

"I suppose that qualifies as a compliment," Weiss said loftily, failing to hide a smile of amusement. Jemima's Bar was quite empty tonight, so Flynt's band had decided to wrap up early & go socialise with the patrons. Weiss had taken the opportunity to see how her practiced songs sounded with musical accompaniment. Flynt had been happy to oblige.

"Half an hour," Calico called from the coffee table.

"Thank-you Calico," Weiss called back with a wave.

"The old man keeping you on curfew, hmm?" Flynt asked.

"Can't have the next heir to the Schnee Dust Company wandering unchaperoned around the streets of Atlas at night, can we?" Weiss said with a hint of bitterness.

"Y'know, for a guy as controlling as you make him out to be, kindof surprised he let you go to Beacon."

"Oh, don't think he didn't try to dissuade me." Weiss looked away instinctively, trying to obscure the faint scar across her eye. "Anyway, this next song, I was thinking of transposing it to a higher key..."

The two of them played the song – or attempted to. To Weiss' consternation, her form was suddenly slipping. Eventually she gave up mid-stanza and signalled for Flynt to stop playing.

"I don't believe this..." Weiss growled under her breath. Before she could launch into a tirade of dark muttering, Flynt raised a finger.

"D'ya mind if I ask what's eating at you?"

"I don't understand, it was working," Weiss said, fiddling fretfully with her ponytail. "I was back on form, I got this right last night..."

"What were you thinking about while you were singing?" Flynt asked suddenly. Weiss gave him a puzzled look.

"I... I was thinking about how frustrated I was that I couldn't get the melody right."

"No, before that. Right at the start."

"I was... thinking about when I left to study at Beacon."

Flynt nodded sagely. "What were you feeling? What emotions were tied up in that?"

"...Frustration... anger... uncertainty... a need to prove I made the right choice..."

"And the song you were singing... what kind of song is it?"

Weiss considered the question. "Laid-back, nostalgiac, remembering better times, that sort of thing."

"And that there's the problem." Flynt leaned his back against the piano, bringing his hands up to emphasize his point. "Jazz is about what you put into it. You can be the best musician in the world but unless you put some soul into the song, you won't get it right."

"I know that," Weiss countered. "I do that with all my songs already-"

"And what's in your soul right now?" Flynt pointed a finger at Weiss' heart. "Deep down, what's your soul trying to say? What song is it wanting to sing? Is it a laid-back song about remembering the good times?" Her expression gave Flynt his answer. "That's why you can't sing at your best. Every time you get up on that concert hall stage, your head gets full of your feelings about the old man, but you're trying to sing a safe, crowd-pleasing number. You can't put your soul into a piece if your soul doesn't believe what you're singing."

"But... I have to," Weiss said helplessly. "I can't back out this close to opening night."

"Don't worry, you don't need to back out, you just need to be a bit more... honest in your singing."

"What does that mean?" Weiss asked, hands on hips.

"Look, your father's got you in a funk and you can't get out of it, so... don't. If that's what you're feeling then that's what you need to sing. Gotta be true to you before you can be true to the music. C'mon, you must know at least one song that lets you do that."

Weiss mulled over her answer. "...I think I do, yes."

"Great, let's hear it."

"Uh..." she glanced around the bar. "It's a little on the loud side..."

Flynt grinned. "I like it already. Yo, Calico!"

Calico sat up with a start, surprised to be addressed by Flynt directly. "Er... yes?"

"We're heading up to the green room to practice, if you wanna join us."

"Wait, we are?" Weiss asked.

"Well, 'less you've gotta jet for home."

Weiss looked uncertainly at Calico, who gave a reassuring nod.

"We've got time."

"Very well, lead the way Flynt."

Weiss surprised even herself with the performance she gave. She'd spent so much of the last month keeping her feelings dammed up. Now that she had an outlet, those feelings were crashing out of her, adding an edge of steel to her voice that she hadn't realised she was capable of. Her chest heaved as she inhaled deeply, giving her notes all the strength she could muster. Heedless of whether the walls were soundproof enough to stop the sound carrying, she completed the song, her voice flooding the small green room in a triumphant final note. There was no echo, and yet the sound seemed to linger in everyone's ears. Weiss stood in the middle of the floor with arms wide, breast steadily heaving, the stunned look on her face matched by Flynt and Calico.

"...So, you're definitely singing that at the concert." Flynt eventually said. Weiss was beaming, unable (and unwilling) to control the smile creeping across her face. Her pianist gave a familiar smirk. "This room is soundproof, you don't have to keep up the prim and proper thing here." Weiss dithered for a moment longer, before she dropped all decorum and rushed over to give Calico and Flynt a tight hug. The concert was going to be a trial – nothing could change that – but for the first time she was no longer dreading it

"Thank you so much," she said, beaming up at Flynt. The gangly teen smiled back, and for the first time it wasn't a coy smirk. It was something gentler, more sincere. Weiss looked closer, unconsciously leaning in a fraction to try and figure out what emotion Flynt was showing. It wasn't simple happiness, it was deeper than that... too kind to be triumph...

An awkward cough from Calico alerted Flynt and Weiss to the fact that their faces had drifted towards each other by several inches. Both of them jumped back as if stung, awkwardly adjusting clothes and clearing throats.

"Right, well..." Weiss stammered, taking control of the conversation. "I agree, that's definitely the tune I'll be singing. But we're getting close to final rehearsal so I'm going to need all the free time I can get to practice. I probably won't be able to make it here before the concert, so in case I don't get a chance to see you before curtain call..."

Weiss held out a hand. Flynt accepted it. The handshake was followed by another awkward pause, and then Weiss called for Calico to follow her, leaving the green room more quickly than usual.

"Are you alright?" Weiss' aide asked as they left the jazz lounge. Weiss didn't reply. She was trying to convince herself the awkward moment had been simply that.

Flynt came down from the green room.

"Flynt! How's it hanging?"

"Not bad, not bad," Flynt replied automatically. Jasper waved him over, shelving a dry glass and picking up a fresh one.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Nah, not tonight."

Jasper paused in his polishing and peered closer. "You okay there, bud?" Flynt shrugged. The bartender put the glass down. "Talk to me."

"Dunno know if there's anything to talk about, if I'm being honest."

"Is it about that Schnee girl?" Another shrug. "Damn, haven't seen you this quiet since you came back from Vale."

"I was thinking about Vale, funnily enough."

The bartender leaned on the counter and waited patiently. Flynt lazily spun the stool around to lean back on the counter and look out at the lounge.

"When I learned I'd be going up against Weiss Schnee of all people, I thought someone was messing with me. I mean here's the family that snuck up on the Atlesian dust market and held a pillow over its face and I get to personally teach the heiress some humility, while an audience cheers. Dream come true, right?"

"Not gonna lie, it was pretty entertaining watching you get under her skin."

"Entertaining, sure... but it wasn't satisfying. Not like I thought it would be. See, it's not really something that shows up on the video feeds, but when she was reacting to the trash-talk, she wasn't being petulant. She was being defiant. She was trying to prove me wrong. And then that move with the lava geyser..." Flynt shook his head. "Rookie mistake. I knew she wasn't knocked out, but I turned my back on her to concentrate on her teammate. I thought she was nothing without her fancy letter-opener. I underestimated her, and it cost us the match."

"I mean, it was an impressive move, but I wouldn't read too much into it. It's a lot easier to be self-sacrificing in a tournament, after all."

"Maybe... I'll see you next Thursday, okay?"

"Leaving early?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Alright, take care."

Flynt got up, heading back to the green room to collect his trumpet. He felt a little guilty for not telling Jasper the real reason he'd cut the conversation short. The reason he hadn't been able to agree with his assessment of Weiss. Because the truth was, he knew better. He knew Weiss could be as self-sacrificing in a real fight as the tournament. He'd seen it. He could still see it now, if he closed his eyes. A faunus lying on the courtyard stones, defenseless. An Atlesian Paladin raising its fist to smash her into pulp. A small, shining white figure standing between them, bracing herself to take the full force of the strike. The slight flinch that showed she'd rushed in without a plan, without an assurance she'd succeed, without anything except the fierce desire to protect, no matter the cost.