Queen to E1 / Den Verteidiger Entfernen II
There was a steady metal click from his boots as he walked down the hall, occasionally glancing at the bulletin boards scattered on the walls, checking to see if a classroom door was locked - most of them were - he wished more were open so he could rifle through the contents inside to see if there was anything helpful inside. But he didn't get very many opportunities. It was just club rooms that were open at this hour for the students in case they needed to use them, along with the library, but that was a given.
And he hadn't come out here to run into any studious students so he had avoided the library, instead glaring at the walls around him. This mission of his was turning out to be far more difficult than he had originally thought it would be.
Not only did he have to get close to Weiss, he had to do it completely from the shadows. He wasn't suppose to be seen with her by anyone from what he had gathered when Cinder spoke to him again about his task, shortly after Roman was captured as planned in her grander scheme.
She had surmised that at the dance it didn't matter, no one would remember some random guy that had danced with Weiss, and her teammates had been too preoccupied to have noticed him. He did point out that Neptune - Weiss' crush - had seen him, and after an extended minute Cinder said it was fine, she just told him not to let it happen again. Apparently she didn't think it would cause any issues with her plans for Weiss, but she had stressed greatly that he couldn't be seen hanging around Weiss by her teammates; it would be troublesome, she wanted to keep the 'subject' in a controlled environment. He honestly wasn't sure if she was referring to him or Weiss as the subject, and Cinder hadn't elaborated.
It had just been made clear how troublesome this was becoming. If he had known his little comment would spark this idea in Cinder's twisted mind he never would have said it.
He had originally thought it would be difficult to get close to Weiss because she was usually with her teammates, but with his new orders now he couldn't even approach her at those times. How was he suppose to do this when he couldn't place even a toe into the light? And beyond that, even if he managed his task... what was going to stop Weiss from telling her friends about him?
It was a legitimate concern, as much as Cinder said it wouldn't be a problem he couldn't help but think she was simply too confident for her own good. According to Cinder if anyone knew he was even hanging out with Weiss it would completely ruin her plan, or at the very least severely hinder it.
It was completely insane how she expected him to operate under such rules. If they didn't have a deadline already with the future fall of beacon he wouldn't be as worried, but his time wasn't unlimited. He had a very short time span to get close to Weiss, to grab her attention enough to be considered a confidant.
How the fuck was he suppose to do this?
Mercury came to a halt in the hallway, staring down at the floor. He wanted to unleash his frustration on something, whether it be the school building or a student dwelling within. But that would definitely hinder the plan.
And he couldn't let that happen.
Cinder had been smiling the whole time she had told him his role - and not much else. She clearly thought this would be advantageous to her in the future. Her eyes glowed with desire, the same kind he had seen when she had just started to plan the fall of beacon. It's part of what had drawn her to him: that merciless destructive nature. That unbending will that had allowed her to take control of the White Fang in Vale, to obtain the Fall Maiden's power. Cinder got this plan into her head and she wasn't going to abandon it until she got what she wanted; which from what he could tell was Weiss herself. The why was a mystery, of course.
If he could he would ask Roman about it, but he was in prison now like he was suppose to be, which made that impossible.
Not that Roman would tell him anything even if he did ask; Cinder had likely struck a gag order on him in case any of them thought to do that. And Roman took her orders very seriously, but then again anyone would if they saw that look in her eyes. You didn't get between Cinder and what she wanted. Not unless you wanted to die that is.
He still couldn't find it in him to be as confident as her when it came to this mission. It came out of the blue so suddenly, and yet she appeared to have everything in place with that little smirk of hers. She was so sure it would work, she practically acted like she had already obtained what she wanted after coming back from talking with Roman, who appeared to have fucked up majorly with the early departure of the train.
Even if Ruby had interfered once again, you would think he had taken into account that it might happen. That man really was a lowly criminal that just happened to strike gold. If it wasn't for the fact that Cinder found him more amusing than annoying Mercury had no doubt she would have burned him to a crisp by now with all the ships he had sunk.
A soft note drifted down the hallway, somewhere further in, possibly twisting down another hallway with how faint it was. If he hadn't been so wrapped up in his thoughts he might have heard it earlier. As it was... he had to wonder who the hell would be playing this late at night.
It was in the school rather than a dorm room, so he guessed they didn't have to worry about waking anyone up. But still... he wondered what their reasoning could be. It was almost midnight, even those studying should be on their way back to their dorm if they hadn't gone back yet.
Mercury slowly placed one foot in front of the other, again and again. Perhaps he could take his mind of his own worries for a moment to sate his curiosity instead.
It seemed like a solid plan to him anyway. He could think of ways to approach Weiss from the shadows afterwards.
Still, all of this really was just a gigantic pain in the ass.
He continued down the hall, making the turn he had predicted before coming to the room with a panel that read Music Room next to it. The door was open a crack, explaining why he had heard the noise from so far away as faded as it was. There was no window so he had no choice but to open it. He pushed it forward softly, hoping it didn't creak and alert the person to his presence.
There was a grand piano set in the middle of the room, an assortment of instruments pushed up along the wall, but his eyes were drawn to the middle of the room. The silhouette in front of the window, fingers dancing over the keys. That unmistakable pony tail that was off-center. Her hair glowed in the moonlight as she played, it seemed to make a halo around her in the otherwise dark room.
The song floating through the air was full of soft cords, a haunting melody full of emotion, but it didn't express which one, not exactly. Instead it created little ripples, hinting at what lay beneath the otherwise still surface. It was gradually rising higher as he watched, Weiss' fingers floating across the keyboard, her eyes closed as if she was trying to concentrate on only the music rather than what was around her - an empty room. The climbing of the melody stopped, staying at the same wave length for a time.
And then there was a pause, a moment of absolute silence before her fingers dropped down onto the keys like knives, and suddenly the sound was much higher, an almost rebellious tone overtaking the softer melody from before. Weiss' lips started moving and it took him a moment to focus on them, the shapes they were making to determine what she was phantom-singing to herself.
-me see. The world the way you told me to. But I was young and didn't have a way to know the truth. Born to live your legacy, existing just to fill your needs. A casualty. Of this so-called family; that you have turned into a travesty-
The floorboard he had stepped on creaked, loudly. And the music ended in a heartbeat, her eyes snapped open, head turning so their gazes met an instant later. She blinked.
"Sorry," it was the first word to slip out of his lips. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I couldn't sleep and decided to take a tour of the school when I heard you playing."
Weiss didn't say anything, just stared at him, and he couldn't blame her. She probably came here for peace and quiet, to work on some song, and he might have just messed up her process when he stepped into the room. But this was the type of opportunity he couldn't back away from. It was midnight, anyone else besides them had to be asleep. He would be insane to walk back out that door.
"Would you mind if I watched?"
"Not at all." Weiss blinked once again when he started moving across the room, making a bee-line towards her. He slipped behind her for a moment, her head turning to her to the other side where he sat down on the bench next to her and gave her a simple expectant look.
For a moment the room was silent then Weiss turned to face the piano once more.
"Have you ever played?" she asked.
"No," he admitted, uncomprehending of the keys in front of her, that stretched out before him. That's why he had asked to watch her. But he did know how to kill her in under ten seconds with his bare hands and the objects around him. "I didn't have the time or luxury to learn to play an instrument when I was younger."
He didn't miss the glance Weiss gave him at those words, but she didn't make any further comment on his lack of musical expertise. "Do you want to learn?" She placed her hands back on the keys barely a second after asking him. "Place one hand on the keyboard to start, put your middle fingers on a set of three black keys."
After a second passed he did as instructed.
Weiss continued after checking his hand placement. "Curl your fingers a bit more. Good. When playing your thumb to your pinky is refereed to as number one to five, got it?"
Simple enough, elementary really. He nodded.
"Okay." Weiss paused, letting her other hand drop from the table right now and rearranging her fingers to mirror his on her side. "We'll do something simple. A nursery rhyme. I'll tell you which key to press from the number of each finger, okay? Let's start, then. Four." He stroked the key in the middle the same time she did. "Three. Two. Three. Four. Four. Four. Three. Three. Three. Four. Four. Four. ..."
Time passed as one small song from the next was played in two different frequencies, in symphony. Usually consisting of going through the keys once and then again without Weiss repeating the numbers of the fingers that should be played, and then they moved onto something new. To the point where Weiss had him using two hands instead of just one, though they sticked to the black keys, and he still didn't know what each one was individually refereed to when they were done, but he got the gist of it.
"You're a quick learner." Weiss noted after they played through the handful she had taught him again as a refresher.
She had let go of whatever she was working on before pretty easily, though... it made him wonder what her actual reason for coming out here was if her heart hadn't been in making a new song.
He let his hands fall away from the keyboard. "Why did you come out here tonight?"
Weiss placed her own hands in her lap, glancing down at them. "I needed to get out and think after the Grimm invasion."
"I see." That was understandable. For her, at least. Before now most people had thought the kingdoms untouchable by the Grimm, technically they still were but it must have been quite a shock for the citizens and anyone that grew up in one of the four kingdoms. It was only because of the White Fang - he wasn't counting Roman - that the Grimm had broken through the city's security briefly. And unbeknownst to them it was going to happen again, on a much larger scale.
The possibility that it could happen again after witnessing it had to be on everyone's minds, but it had to be even more troubling for a hunter. It was their duty to protect the people after all, and when Grimm could just burst into the city like that it made that job very difficult. Especially for those without much experience, those in training; every student residing here that wasn't part of the grander scheme. They were in for a rude awakening.
"Mercury..." Weiss bit down on her lip, worrying the skin between her teeth briefly. "Do you think I'm a murderer?"
What? Where did that just come from?
"No," he said after a moment. "You're the picture of innocence."
Weiss looked up at him, frowning, brows drawn inward. "Not funny. I want a serious answer-"
Mercury leaned forward to brush a strand of hair out of her face, making Weiss' voice falter, but he didn't stop moving forward and she went silent when he pressed his lips against her hair. Soft as silk and whiter than bone.
"You got it." He pushed himself up from the bench, moving around her to head for the door as she stared where he had resided previously.
"W-wait."