This chapter ended up being a little jumbo sized (like Weiss' bank account!). Hope everyone enjoys it!
"I think we got the address wrong."
"This is the exact address Weiss gave us this morning."
"Yeah but look at the size of this place! It's a small city, not a house!"
In her opinion, that assessment of the mansion sprawling in front of them wasn't very far off. The massive building was three stories tall and occupied an entire block all by itself. What must be acres of pristine green grass spread from the structure to the wrought iron gate running along the roadway, keeping outsiders separated from the gigantic estate.
"I didn't even know they made houses this big…" she muttered to herself, running one hand through her hair in the slightest hint of nervousness while driving up to the imposing guard tower stationed at the main entrance. Rolling down the window as two very intimidating, well-armored guards stepped out of their station to question them, she gave Blake a quick glance before turning towards the men.
"State your busin - holy - you really are Yang Xiao Long!"
What had begun as a forceful demand turned into unconcealed surprise at the man's good fortune to be working today as a schoolboy grin spread across his face.
"Hiya boys," she replied playfully with a big smile. Without even turning towards her girlfriend in the passenger seat, she could practically feel the eyeroll that accompanied her greeting. But these guards were carrying guns. Guns! Of course they got the full dose of Xiao Long charm.
"We're here for dinner with Weiss and her parents."
"We've been expecting you," the other guard cut in, crowding the small car window with his coworker in an effort to be part of the conversation. "You can head in - park in front if you'd like!"
"Thank you," she replied with another friendly smile, grateful that the encounter had gone far better than she'd expected it. "You two have a nice night."
"You too!"
"It was nice to meet you!"
Giving them a small wave and laugh at their overenthusiasm, she waited for the large gate to roll open before driving onto the cobblestone drive beyond. Blake was still shaking her head as manicured shrubs slid by outside.
"You and that stupidly charming smile..." the girl mumbled to herself, loud enough that Yang overheard from the seat beside her and laughed.
"Hey, I've talked us into and out of plenty of situations with that smile," she teased, laughing again when the girl turned the slightest shade of pink at the response.
As they slowed to a stop in front of the mansion, Weiss was already standing at the end of the elaborate stone entryway waiting for them to arrive. A stretch limousine was parked off in the distance, most likely the way Weiss had arrived here tonight. Putting the car in park directly in front of the girl, she and Blake hopped out of the car to join their evening company.
"Damn Weiss. Did you buy this for them?" she asked, gesturing towards the house. It felt even more massive up close than it had from the street. Standing in its shadow, it seemed to take up her entire vision, even blocking out some of the evening sky above.
Weiss looked up at the building with a thoughtful expression before turning back to them, hands held politely behind her back in a display of practiced posture.
"No - this is where I grew up."
"You grew up here?"
She could hear the incredulous tone in her voice as she turned to Blake with wide eyes, both of them probably thinking the same thing - there was a lot about Weiss they didn't know yet.
"Thank you for coming," the singer said before turning towards the house. "You can follow me."
Weiss didn't pause while walking to the front door with the two of them in tow, hardly giving them the opportunity to admire the exquisitely sculpted shrubbery on either side of the wide pathway. Apparently the opulence had worn off for Weiss since the girl didn't look up, to the side, or back to them...her eyes remaining trained forward the entire time. When they finally reached the giant, mahogany front door, Weiss stepped away for an instant to ring the doorbell before returning to wait by their side.
The action made her brow furrow in confusion - a look she shared with Blake while they waited patiently for whatever would happen next.
It was weird though, that Weiss rang the doorbell at her own home. She normally just threw open the door and burst inside with a loud "I'm homeeeee!" But then...maybe ringing the doorbell was a much more polite thing to do…
Her thoughts were interrupted when the door cracked open, slowly pulled inward to reveal a smartly dressed butler - an older man with gray hair and the beginnings of wrinkles creasing around his eyes and mouth.
"Good evening, madams," he greeted them with a formal bow. "Please come in."
Impressed that the man hardly gave her a glance of recognition, she stepped past him in order to follow Blake and Weiss into the foyer, which was an enormous open space that put the large pathway up to the house to shame.
The interior of the home was even grander than the exterior, something she wouldn't have believed to be possible several minutes ago. It was lavish in every sense of the word with every conceivable surface covered or studded in some sort of extraordinarily expensive material. The chandelier hanging above must have contained over a thousand crystals, rows and rows of them hung like drapes that cascaded above their heads. Everything seemed to twinkle or sparkle or glisten under the lights. Even the floor was shining as if it had been polished expressly for their arrival.
"Probably shouldn't touch anything."
Giggling at the advice Blake had just whispered towards her, she leaned over and kissed the girl on the temple.
"You read my mind - wouldn't want to be indebted to Weiss for life."
Throwing a smile towards the singer, she received a rather thin-lipped smile in return.
"Your parents are in the sitting room, Miss," the butler added from behind them, waving one hand towards the open doorway to their right.
"Thank you," Weiss answered politely before finally turning back to them. "Last chance to back out."
Scoffing at the response, she waved the girl off.
"Please - I owe you one, remember? Your parents could be Mr. and Mrs. Lucifer and we'd still stay."
A bit of a smile slipped across Weiss' face before the girl turned back to the sitting room and took a deep breath.
"I pray they're not that bad. You can follow me."
And follow her they did - their steps echoing loudly on the hard marble floor. She reminded herself to step carefully lest she slip in her heels and make a fool of herself. Not that that would be the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to her...
Entering the sitting room, which seemed very appropriately named from the variety of extravagant chairs and sofas placed about, they found a man and woman sitting stiffly on a pair of high-backed, dark blue chairs opposite one another.
The man had mousy brown hair that seemed almost comically messy paired with glasses that perched on the very end of his nose - a nose which was currently glued to the screen of his phone as he read something that must be either extremely important or riveting.
The woman was the antithesis of the disheveled man - elegantly dressed with familiar long, white hair and an air of superiority. It was the woman who seemed to have been anxiously awaiting their arrival, manicured fingers tapping rapidly upon the arm of the chair until she noticed their entrance. It was then that she shot to her feet, striding towards them with long, graceful steps.
"Weiss, it's great to see you," the lady greeted her daughter jovially, leaning forward to nearly brush Weiss on the cheek with a kiss before straightening and looking towards her with a gleaming smile. She felt her own jaw slacken from the effect of that million Lien smile, which seemed practiced to the point of perfection. And Blake thought that Yang's smile was charming...
"Yang Xiao Long...it's a privilege to finally meet you. I'm Weiss' mother," the woman said, stepping forward and clasping Yang's hastily extended hand between her own.
"Oh uh, hello - nice to meet you too -"
"Wow," Weiss' mother continued, hands firmly clasped around her own and smile still going full force. "You're even more beautiful in real life than in your movies."
The compliment blew any canned pleasantries right out of her mind, leaving her with no clever response at all.
"Um...thank you?" she responded, finally tearing her gaze away to look Blake's way with wide eyes, wondering when the woman would drop her hand. Following her glance, Mrs. Schnee finally turned towards Blake with that same smile frozen in place and released her hand.
"Ah, and you must be…?"
"Blake Belladonna," Blake answered, receiving a small nod in return.
"Very nice to meet you, Blake."
"Likewise…" Blake said with slightly narrowed eyes, shaking the woman's extended hand lightly. Yang threw a glance towards Weiss, wondering why the singer hadn't mentioned that her mom had a smile made of gold, only to find the girl aiming a slight scowl towards the enchanting woman.
A short silence draped over the room as no one seemed to know what to speak about next. Fortunately, she tended to be quite good at ice breakers and there was one subject she liked to talk about above all else.
"Blake's my girlfriend," she spoke up, sliding close to Blake's side and wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders. "She's a world famous author!"
The man, who hadn't seemed to be paying attention this entire time, practically jumped up from the sofa at the revelation and rushed over to them.
"Author, you say?" he asked, hastily shaking Blake's hand without an introduction. "What was your name again?"
"Blake Belladonna," the girl repeated, giving the man a warm smile that he returned tenfold.
"Blake Belladonna! In my home!" he nearly cheered in happiness. "Oh, you must let me pick your brain about Chronicle of a Midnight Star."
"Dad, you've read her books?"
Weiss seemed to be just as surprised by the revelation as the rest of the room - except for Weiss' mother, who just shook her head in apparent embarrassment.
"Yes, all of them," the man replied earnestly. "I particularly enjoyed -"
"Harold, dear, we have guests," Mrs. Schnee cut in, jerking her head pointedly towards Yang while flashing a quick smile. "Let's save your book ramblings for another day, shall we?"
For a second, the man looked like he might say something in response before thinking better of it and plastering a polite smile on his face.
"Of course, you're right. How rude of me," he said, straightening his glasses and giving Blake another beaming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you though."
"Same to you," Blake replied before he abruptly returned to his seat to collect his phone and scurried out of the room to places unknown.
The meeting was brief, but she immediately liked Weiss' father. Of course, she liked anyone who was willing to rant and rave about Blake. That was something she would consider to be an active hobby or pastime of hers - something she loved to do whenever she had the right company. This meant that Pyrrha had heard more than her fair share of gushing about the author.
Mrs. Schnee clapped her hands together happily then, the loud noise drawing her out of her thoughts in a single sound.
"Come along, dears - you must meet my eldest daughter, Winter."
As she spoke, Mrs. Schnee took her gently by the arm and drew her away - allowing Blake and Weiss to trail closely behind. Turning to look at Blake over her shoulder, she shrugged at the girl for the strange turn of events. She didn't often walk arm-in-arm with ladies a couple decades her senior, but at least Weiss' mom seemed to like her. She'd been pretty worried about that before they'd gotten here. It would have been awful for the singer's mom to think she was some sort of bad influence.
Plus, Weiss seemed to be in a better mood now, too - the singer's scowl having lifted upon hearing her sister's name.
"Winter's here?"
"Yes, she just came over this afternoon."
Weiss actually smiled in relief at the announcement, sharing that smile with her before Mrs. Schnee tugged on her arm to draw her attention back in front of them.
"Winter runs our family business," the woman explained to her, patting her absentmindedly on the arm as they walked. "She's quite talented, just as you are."
Blinking at the unexpected compliment, she wasn't entirely sure how to respond. Thankfully the woman didn't expect any sort of response. After passing several more doorways, they finally turned into what must be the office - at least, one of several offices in a house this big. Sitting at long desk was a young woman who was so hard at work, their entrance went completely unnoticed until Mrs. Schnee cleared her throat. The sound drew ice blue eyes in their direction, followed by a reserved smile.
When she stood to walk over to them, Yang could already tell that Winter had a presence that demanded respect - something about her seemed to ooze power and intelligence. The young woman was taller than Weiss with the same pure white hair bundled up in a bun and a similar slender build. Along with the ice blue eyes, the two girls could probably have passed for twins if not for their night-and-day demeanors.
"Winter, your sister and her company has arrived," Mrs. Schnee began as Weiss' sister came to a stop in front of them. "This is Blake Belladonna...and I'm sure you're familiar with Yang Xiao Long."
"It's nice to meet you," Winter replied, voice gracious and welcoming. The woman shook their hands in turn before turning to give her younger sister a short hug. "Weiss, I didn't know you would be here tonight."
"Mother requested dinner," the singer responded, doing that same head tilt thing Mrs. Schnee had just done moments before. Winter paused for a second and studied the four of them closely before nodding her head as if their mere postures had just told her a story.
"You wouldn't mind if I joined, would you?"
"Not at all," she answered politely while everyone else voiced their acceptance of the proposal as well.
"Dinner should be ready soon. How about a quick tour of the house while we wait?" Weiss' mother suggested, looping one arm through Yang's once again with a smile.
"That sounds lovely," Winter replied with nearly as charming smile. "How about with a little Schnee history thrown in? I'll lead the way."
Without waiting for a response, Winter swept past them, grabbing hold of Yang's other elbow as she went and prying her away from the eldest Schnee. Confused, she heard herself make a small noise of surprise before getting her feet underneath her and trailing Winter through the hallways. Casting a quick glance back towards Blake, she saw the girl now had a slightly furrowed brow.
She didn't often walk with slightly older women either. Well, she didn't walk with other people, period. Especially not when Blake was around. Blake was, by far, her favorite person ever to walk with. Which was why the current situation was not exactly ideal...
"The regal Schnee Manor," Winter explained grandly from beside her, waving one arm through the air as she spoke. "Built at the beginning of the century as nothing more than a three bedroom farmhouse, it has since been expanded, and expanded, and expanded, until it became the behemoth it is today."
Weiss giggled softly from behind her at the introduction to their story. Yang turned around at the sound in time to see the girl whisper something happily to Blake before turning her attention back to Winter. They were standing by a section of wall that seemed to be much older than the others - a type of fading brick and mortar that seemed unfitting with the rest of the decor. From the story, Yang could only assume this little section was a remnant of that original building built so many years ago.
"The Schnees started off modestly, with only a small farm on the outskirts of Vale to call their own. But that modest lifestyle wasn't enough for the man we consider to be the patriarch of the modern Schnee - a young, strapping Archibald Schnee."
As Winter spoke the name, they stopped in front of a large painting hanging in the hallway they'd walked into - the picture with a gold nameplate centered at the bottom reading 'Archibald Schnee.' With a square jaw, piercing blue eyes and the darkest black hair she'd ever seen, he managed to exude more presence in paint than the man she'd just met in real life downstairs.
"He's pretty handsome," she replied with a smile before being led onward.
"He was ambitious in every possible way," Winter continued, the woman making sure to maintain an arm on Yang while she walked, even as she actively tried to inconspicuously slip away to rejoin Blake. "He turned this three bedroom home into a four wing mansion, and the modest Schnee savings into a fortune."
Winter gestured through the next two doorways as they passed - one opening into a giant ballroom and the other into a music room filled with every instrument imaginable.
"How did he do that?" Blake asked from behind her, the author likely getting sucked into the story despite herself. Blake was always a sucker for a good story - that's why, whenever Yang really wanted the girl's attention, she would start off by saying 'Once upon a time…'
"Easy. He did what Schnees do best -"
"He stole it," Weiss cut in, shaking her head at the answer.
"He earned it," Mrs. Schnee corrected the girl. "He established businesses before there were real rules and regulations. It's not his fault that he was before his time."
The woman's two daughters rolled their eyes in unison at the defense.
"Regardless of moral virtue..." Winter continued, "Archibald exponentially increased the Schnee wealth through various business ventures - all while snapping up acres and acres of land in every direction. Suddenly, the small farm house sat on a vast expanse of nutrient rich lands."
They'd paused by a huge bay window as Winter spoke, the crystal clear glass giving them a view of a immaculate gardens the fell all the way to a large blue lake some distance below them. The surface of the lake shimmered under the setting sun, lending itself perfectly to the story Winter was painting for them.
"It's beautiful…" she whispered, sharing a smile with Blake.
"That's exactly what good ol' Archibald thought," Winter replied with a knowing smile. "But he took it one step further. He thought to himself...if the surface of the land was this beautiful...well then, one could only imagine what lay beneath it."
When they reached another doorway, Winter quickly tapped in a string of numbers on the keypad before it made a beeping noise. Twisting the handle, the woman pushed the door open and waved for them to go inside. Finally released from her escort, she entered first with Blake right behind her. She felt her jaw drop when she saw what was just beyond, spinning slowly in a circle while Blake sucked in a breath beside her.
"Are those...diamonds?"
Mrs. Schnee chuckled and stepped into the room after them, resuming her place on Yang's other side.
"Why yes, of course," the woman said. "Unrefined, of course. These are some of the very first sections of diamond he found when excavating. He had them chiseled out and hauled into the house as a...memento of sorts."
Mouth still ajar, she walked up to the massive slab of stone in front of her and reached out to touch a few of the glistening clear stones stuck within its surface.
"There must be hundreds of them…" she whispered in awe, suddenly understanding why Weiss' house was so big.
"We tried to have it appraised once," Mrs. Schnee added after a short laugh. "Poor man had no idea where to begin."
"Wait," Blake suddenly said, turning back to the three white-haired escorts standing behind them. "Archibald...as in...do you own Arch Diamonds?"
As soon as Blake said the name, Yang felt the connections draw in her own mind. Of course Blake had figured it out before her - the author was exceedingly brilliant in that way.
Winter nodded her head at the question, while Mrs. Schnee looked proud as a parent watching their child take their first steps. Weiss, meanwhile, glanced at the ground and slowly dragged the tip of one foot back and forth across the polished floor.
"Archie was a bit vain," Winter explained. "He didn't like the idea of using the Schnee name and having everyone forget that it was him who founded this legacy."
"Plus, Arch Diamonds just has a good ring to it, doesn't it?" Mrs. Schnee added. "One of the most profitable companies for the past few decades...and we'd be even more profitable if my two daughters weren't determined to give all of our money away."
Seeing Weiss square her jaw at the comment, she quickly let out a disbelieving, yet still friendly sounding, scoff (as an actress, she'd perfected the art of complex expressions of emotion).
"I don't think you'll have any problem with profitability. I was just in there the other day and - and..."
Realizing what she'd just said, her words trailed off as she glanced quickly at Blake to see if the girl had caught on. When she found amber eyes intently waiting for her next words, she felt her wheels start spinning full speed in an attempt to talk her way out of the situation.
"Just browsing, you know? Pyrrha wanted to buy Jaune something...Boy Wonder likes jewelry, you know? But anyway! You have some great stuff!"
Blake laughed at her slip-up while she felt her cheeks darken, letting her know that there was no way the author had just fallen for that cover story.
It had been Pyrrha's idea to go in, not hers! And they'd just been browsing...oh well, now she'd just have to buy her girlfriend a very expensive "just because" gift. That didn't sound all that bad...
Thankfully, the sound of a phone ringing ruptured the silence in the room, drawing everyone's attention to Winter as she searched for the source of the noise.
"Hello?" Winter said before listening for a few seconds to the voice on the other end of the line.
"What do you mean, you can't find it?" the woman asked, tone suddenly demanding and firm, brow furrowed. After listening to the person's response, she let out a heavy sigh. "Don't let anyone leave until I get there."
Snapping the phone closed, Winter turned towards them with an apologetic smile.
"That was the office - I need to get over there."
"Now?" Weiss immediately asked, voice on the edge of a whine. "Can't they wait until morning?"
"A multi million Lien uncut diamond just went missing, so no it really can't wait. I'm sorry, Weiss. Have a wonderful dinner though."
As the young woman scooted past them, Yang caught her mouth the words 'I'm sorry' to Weiss one more time before turning back to them on the other side of the door.
"Yang, Blake, it was so nice to meet both of you. Thank you for taking good care of my sister."
With that, Winter turned and disappeared from view.
"Well, that's alright," Mrs. Schnee said after a few seconds, undeterred by her daughter's rapid exit, "We can see a few more rooms while heading to the dining room."
"It's a really nice place you have here," she offered politely as they left the room with the diamonds behind.
"Oh, thank you, dear," Mrs. Schnee responded, causing Blake to raise her eyebrow at the term. "We built it with the intent of hosting important guests such as yourself. Unfortunately, Weiss isn't keen on making friends with other celebrities. I'm lucky she finally invited you over. I've only been begging her to do so ever since I heard you two had become friends."
The singer let out a huff of air, but said nothing in response.
"She told you about that?" She could feel herself swelling with excitement at the prospect that Weiss had actually referred to her as a friend until Mrs. Schnee shook her head.
"No! I heard from a friend of a friend. Can you believe that? My own daughter didn't even tell me."
"Oh…" she replied, her balloon deflating in a hurry. Blake gave her a sympathetic smile and pat on the arm.
"So Yang, tell me - do you enjoy shopping?"
"It's only my true purpose in life."
As she grinned towards Blake, she earned an eye roll in return.
"Then you'll like this room best," the woman replied, stepping out of the way to allow them into another massive room. Curious, she gave Mrs. Schnee a glance before stepping inside - gasping the moment she did so.
"Is this...this looks just like a department store!" she exclaimed, browsing quickly through several jackets hung on racks before picking up a pair of heels that had been placed on a pedestal display nearby. The walls were lined with different sections of clothing - all of it brand new with tags still attached.
Mrs. Schnee laughed happily at her reaction, joining her by the shoes and picking up a set of navy flats made by some fancy designer Yang could never pronounce the name of.
"It's unfortunate I hadn't met you in my youth. We would have made quite the pair, you and I!"
Hers eyes widened at Mrs. Schnee's comment, looking at Weiss only to receive a mute expression steeped in apology in return.
Oh.
Oh.
So that's why they'd been invited to dinner. Or at least, that's why she'd been invited.
Well, this was awkward…
"Feel free to take anything you'd like," the woman added, walking away while browsing through some of the clothing herself. "I have the newest designs brought in each month."
"Uh, thank you," she responded while inconspicuously backing away from the woman in order to return to Blake's side.
"Is she...flirting with me?" she whispered to the girl, whose amber eyes were following Mrs. Schnee around the room. The 'hmmph' she received in response was more than enough of an answer.
It wasn't as if she was unfamiliar with this type of situation. It actually happened more than she would like.
Basically, she'd discovered that there were a few different categories of people - those who would stare but were too shy to talk to her, those who would "politely" ignore her presence, those who would forcefully try to treat her like a "normal person" (it never works - it only makes her feel more uncomfortable than any of the other categories), those who would respectfully...or rudely...ask for an autograph or picture, and, last but certainly not least, those that would shamelessly flirt with her.
This last group consisted of cameramen (and women), coworkers, delivery men (and women), waiters (and waitresses), taxi drivers, parking lot attendants, any sales staff, doctors and nurses, flight attendants and pilots, postal employees, security guards...basically, anyone she came across.
The last person she expected to fall into this group (the very last, as in, she'd been so confident this wouldn't happen she hadn't even caught on until now) was the middle-aged, billionaire, married mother of one of the most popular singers of their generation who, by the way, just so happened to own the largest diamond distributor on Remnant.
And Blake was here.
When she was alone, she would sometimes play along just to give people a good story to tell their friends - a grin or a wink was usually enough to send people home happily. But when Blake was around, she reverted to politely dismissing the unwanted advances, sometimes forcefully if they were too pushy. What was she supposed to do in this case? If she was dismissive she was being rude to Weiss' mother, the afore-mentioned billionaire with who knows what staff on the payroll. If she wasn't dismissive she was knowingly allowing the behavior to continue, thus upsetting her girlfriend.
To sleep on the couch or not sleep on the couch, that was the question...
No wonder Weiss considered a favor - talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
Thankfully, Blake very was adept at reading social situations - way better than even she was. So the author had already figured out what kind of predicament they were in and, because she had the very best girlfriend in the world, Blake would also know that Yang wouldn't want to be needlessly rude...so she could make it out of this relatively unscathed if she just held the woman at bay.
First things first though - she needed to make Blake happy even under the current circumstances. Which, fortunately, was one of her specialties.
Looping both hands around the girl's waist, she leaned close and whispered into the author's ear.
"I know you're upset right now, but you're so adorable when you're jealous," she said before placing a kiss to Blake's temple.
Blake smiled at that comment, one of those cute, shy smiles that the raven-haired girl tried and failed to stifle.
"Stop making me feel better when I'm trying to mope," she pouted in response, the answer making Yang laugh and, unfortunately, drawing Mrs. Schnee's attention back to them.
"Oh! I just had the most marvelous idea!" Mrs. Schnee exclaimed, hastening back towards them as if forgetting she needed to keep the two apart. "We should go shopping sometime - my treat."
"I really doubt she has time for that," Weiss finally stepped in - to her...sort of...rescue.
As she looked back and forth between Weiss, Mrs. Schnee, and Blake, she tried to figure out exactly how to navigate the extremely beautiful women-infested waters without losing a body part to a woman scorned (seriously, the most dangerous creature in existence).
"That's really nice of you to offer," she began with a warm smile. "I'm actually going to have to go on a pretty extreme diet for a part in my movie soon, so it's probably best to wait until that's all behind us."
Mrs. Schnee made a hum of acceptance at the response before turning back to a row of handbags. While the woman's attention was elsewhere, she gave Blake a quick shake of the head which said that she didn't actually have to go on any diet. Weiss gave her a look that said 'I know you just lied, but I approve of it.'
Navigation successful. She should be promoted to captain any day now.
"Would you girls like anything to drink?"
"Uh, no, thank you, Mrs. Schnee," she answered politely, to which the woman laughed.
"Oh, dear, you can call me Isabelle."
Blake's eyes narrowed at the response, but Yang's widened as she turned towards Weiss.
'Your mom's a cougar?' she mouthed to the singer, who pretended not to understand the question even though her cheeks grew noticeably pinker.
"Oh my god, Weiss is setting me up with her mom," she said quietly to Blake, voice filled with disbelief.
Blake giggled at the comment, the girl still managing to find a tiny bit of this situation amusing. The noise drew Weiss their way - the singer approaching them hesitantly, as if afraid they would try to kidnap her if she got too close.
"So Weiss, your mom is...uh…really friendly," she settled on saying, giving Weiss what she hoped was a reassuring grin to bring the girl closer.
"I think you mean really flirty."
"Nawww…" she retorted, trailing off as they looked towards the woman who was currently walking around the exterior of the room. From behind Mrs. Schnee didn't look a day older than any of them, much less a couple decades their senior. Her long, white hair was perfectly curled, but not too curly. Her clothing was form-fitting and definitely immodest. Even the way she walked was meant to draw eyes her way.
"Well, maybe a little," she agreed, turning back to Weiss and Blake. "But hey, I'll survive."
"I wish Winter had been able to stay," Weiss said with a sigh. "She'd be much better at running interference than me."
"Oh, is that what she was doing? Thank god - I just thought your whole family really liked holding my arm."
Weiss let out a soft scoff.
"Well my mom really does -"
"Aw come on, Weiss - you don't have to be shyyy about it," she teased. "You wanna walk arm-in-arm with me too?"
Holding out a hand to the singer, she giggled when Weiss backed away as if Yang were trying to burn her.
Tugging Blake close to her instead, she gave Weiss a wink. "One day, Weiss. One day."
"One day Weiss will decide she's tired of you teasing her," Blake said, tapping her softly on the side of the head.
"But that day is not today!" she replied triumphantly.
"Could be tomorrow."
She opened her mouth to say something in return, but saw Mrs. Schnee headed back their way and let her companions know with a subtle tilt of her head.
"Dinner should be ready now, if you'll follow me to the dining room."
This time she made sure to grab Blake's hand when the woman swept past, noticing the extended glance their joined hands earned before they were back in the hallways of the mansion. If they hadn't had a guide, she would have gotten lost in a heartbeat - that's how big the house was. There should be maps in every hallway like museums have...complete with the little red 'you are here' arrows.
Her nose, however, was nearly as good as a map. While they walked through the downstairs hallways, she could smell the pleasant aroma of cooking food wafting in the air around them. The smell grew stronger and stronger until they finally entered the dining room which, true to form, was giant and magnificent just like the rest of the house. The ceiling towering above their heads held three crystal chandeliers to provide ambient lighting. One of the exterior walls was composed almost entirely of windows, creating the feeling of looking at a panoramic view of a serene lake at night. Situated in the very center of the room was a long, wooden table with an elaborate flower centerpiece placed in front of every third chair. Most of the chairs would go unused though, since there were place settings for only five set along one end of the table.
"Darling, you can sit next to me at the head of the table."
The offer was followed by the audible clack of Blake's jaw snapping together.
"Actually Yang, could you sit on the other side of me?"her girlfriend asked sweetly, placing a hand on Yang's arm to prevent her from moving away. "You know how I like to sit at the end."
Initially confused because she hadn't known Blake had a preference of seat at the table, she finally caught on and gave her girlfriend a relieved 'thank you' before grinning and turning back to Mrs. Schnee.
"Sorry, Mrs. - er, Isabelle. She has very peculiar seat preferences though."
Mrs. Schnee gave her a thin smile and nodded as if she understood.
"You're the best," she whispered softly to Blake as she took the seat furthest away from the woman with Weiss sitting across the table from them. From this distance, she wouldn't have to worry about any 'accidental' foot brushes or a myriad of other things that could happen under such proximity.
"I don't like her," Blake muttered under her breath while Mrs. Schnee gave some directions to a waiter who had appeared out of nowhere.
"You're so cuteeee," she replied giddily, leaning over to brush noses with the suddenly embarrassed author.
Blake didn't like to admit it, but she really, really liked it when Yang called her cute. Or adorable. It was plain to see by the way she blushed ever so slightly and tried to brush the comment away. Yang was on to her though.
Before Blake could respond, or Mrs. Schnee could cut in, they were interrupted by a bustling at the other end of the long dining room. Turning towards the noise, she was surprised to see Mr. Schnee rushing in with a large box held in both of his hands.
"Harold, what are you doing?" Mrs. Schnee asked, tone apprehensive as the man hurried towards them.
Without a response, Mr. Schnee set the box down on the table next to Blake and began pulling out stacks and stacks of books and setting them in front of the author. Leaning closer, she quickly read some of the titles legible on the spines facing her.
"Are those…?"
"Yup," Blake answered without hearing the whole question.
"I know this may be rude," the man said while placing a pen close to the author's side. "But would you mind signing these for me? It would be a true honor."
Floored by the request, she glanced at Weiss before turning back to the man.
"Sure, absolutely," Blake answered without a second thought, picking up the marker and the first book on the stack. But when the author opened the cover, she paused. After several seconds with no action, Blake picked up the next book and turned it over in her hands - studying it just like she had the first.
"These are all first editions," the girl finally remarked in disbelief after she'd checked the first few.
"Of course!" Mr. Schnee remarked proudly, chest puffing out while he pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I secure first editions of all the authors I follow."
"I couldn't even find first editions!" she complained from beside Blake, having spent a large amount of time trying and failing to secure the precious copies of her girlfriend's writings. Apparently they were well sought after as collector's items for some people, who refused to sell no matter the price. Well, they did have a price, but it was so excessive Blake made her promise not to buy any of them.
"This is...impressive," Blake said, continuing to sign as she went through, taking great care with each book before returning it to the pile.
Sinking back into her chair, she let out a soft 'hmmph' of discontent. She had liked Mr. Schnee before, but now she was feeling just a tad bit...envious.
"I'm very excited for your next novel," the man said cordially. "I have a contact at your publisher who ensures I get a first edition each time."
This time, she small scoff escaped her lips.
"I've already read parts of it," she muttered, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at the man. The look he gave her was priceless though - half admiration, half pure jealousy. And Blake...well, Blake initially gave her a shocked expression before it fell into one of those all-knowing little smirks.
Just like she liked when Blake was jealous, the author seemed to be particularly fond of the times Yang was jealous, too. Which meant that Blake was extremely fond of her right now...
"Honestly," Mrs. Schnee said dismissively from the end of the table. "You're lucky you inherited half of Vale. Otherwise you'd be working in a library or a bookstore or something."
The comment was supposed to be an insult, but Mr. Schnee just leaned across the table towards them and whispered, "I wish I was working in a library!" before quickly collecting the books and pretending he hadn't said a word. Mrs. Schnee must have heard him though from the glare she was leveling his way. Setting the box on the table next to Weiss, the man returned to ignoring them while pulling out each copy in turn to look at Blake's signature. Weiss, meanwhile, was pinching the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes and looking like she'd like to disappear out of sheer embarrassment.
After briefly contemplating how she might steal the collection and get away with it, she eventually shook her head and focused her attention on the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the dining table.
"So...what's for dinner?"
"Filet mignon," Mrs. Schnee responded while unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap in one fluid movement. "It's been flown in from Atlas just for this dinner. I hope you're a fan of filet?"
"Oh yeah, it's great!" she answered while giving Blake an apologetic glance, knowing that steak was among Blake's least favorite meals.
"A girl after my own heart," the woman responded with a sweet smile. "Weiss never did enjoy steak."
For the second time tonight she had no idea how to respond, feeling slightly dumbfounded that the woman had just slighted her own child in front of guests. Weiss didn't even flinch though, sitting passively across the table from them, quiet as a mouse. Finally, she glanced at Blake and chuckled nervously.
"Well, I've never known Weiss to enjoy much!" she joked, both of them turning towards Weiss as if they hoped she would look up from the placemat where she was now tracing patterns with the tip of one index finger.
Mrs. Schnee snorted with laughter at the comment. "That's certainly the truth. But tell me, Yang, how's filming going on your newest movie? I read they'd closed down several streets recently."
"It's uh...it's going great!" she replied, forcing a happy tune in face of their uncomfortable conversation. "We had to close down the streets so Cinder and I could run around and jump in the river. It was great fun."
The mention of Cinder's name seemed to immediately perk the woman's interest, drawing her forward to rest both elbows on the table.
"Whatever did happen between the two of you?"
This time she laughed for real.
"Besides her being insane? Nothing, really. Just wasn't meant to be." She shrugged her shoulders with the response, calmly spreading her own linen napkin across her lap and smoothing out the wrinkles.
"Well, not to worry. You're Yang Xiao Long, after all. You can have any woman you want," Mrs. Schnee said, full-strength smile suggesting that she was definitely throwing herself in as one of those options. Which was flattering, or would have been if Yang was older, in to married women, and single.
Really though, the 'single' part was important - because she wasn't.
Nodding her head enthusiastically, she grinned even wider when she noticed the frown her action pulled onto Blake's face.
"Oh, I don't worry at all! I've already found the perfect person for me."
Just as planned, Blake smiled when she leaned over to kiss the author on the cheek - the gesture seeming to flatten Mrs. Schnee's smile ever so slightly. Take that, diamond smile. Yang Xiao Long is packing some anti-cougar spray today.
Several waiters appeared then, each carrying with them a plate containing a juicy cut of beef along with sides of broccoli, carrots, and some sort of pasta, which were placed neatly in front of them. Mrs. Schnee waved in a gesture that said it was ok to begin eating.
"Hey Blake -"
The author didn't even wait for her to finish the request, sliding her plate over so that Yang could push the carrots onto it.
"You should try them eventually," the author mused while moving her plate back in front of her. "They won't kill you."
"Yeah, but...they're weird!"
"You're a big baby."
"But I'm your big baby," she replied with a grin.
As Blake grinned back at her, she suddenly realized they had a bit of an audience - both Weiss and Mrs. Schnee watching their interaction closely. Coughing lightly, she turned her attention back to her food.
It was kind of a bad habit of theirs - speaking to each other as if no one else could hear them. Pyrrha normally just made a comment about how Yang was lucky to have found someone to put up with her, but with other people it was a tad bit...awkward.
"You don't like carrots?" Mrs. Schnee asked curiously, somehow managing to start a conversation out of it.
Having just stuffed an entire piece of broccoli into her mouth (she would take that etiquette class eventually, Glynda - promise), Blake answered in her place.
"She refuses to eat them. Something about how they're 'too orange.'"
She just giggled while Blake smiled at Mrs. Schnee, who gave her a short smile in return.
"Well, next time no carrots then," the woman replied before changing the subject completely. "You know, we've been trying to get Weiss into acting, but she just won't budge. She's gotten several good offers, too."
"Oh, well, it's really not for everyone…"
"Yes, but it would be a good idea. Singing is great, but actors get all the attention."
"That's not really true - there are plenty of singers who get just as much media attention as top actors," she pointed out. "It really just depends on how much limelight you seek out."
Glancing towards the reticent Weiss, she didn't want to say out loud what she'd observed over the past few years - that Weiss didn't seem to want any of the spotlight at all. That was part of what had initially drawn her to the girl, a rabid curiosity about why Weiss would put herself through something she was clearly uncomfortable with, day in and day out. It was one thing if her family had needed the money, but that was clearly not the case.
"Yes, but there's no way a singer's star could ever shine as brightly as an actress like you."
Her jaw opened to argue, but she thought better of trying to respond. Clearly this woman was out of her tabloid-infused mind. One too many popular culture magazines off the deep end. Weiss was endlessly successful in her field and yet, somehow, that wasn't good enough. This was aggravating to her - she had no idea how Weiss was sitting across the table eating quietly...as if this was a normal family dinner.
"Acting is just...such an art," the woman continued, not seeming to notice the silence around the table. "I know that Weiss may not be as breathtakingly beautiful as you are, but she's still pretty enough to be quite successful."
"If she'd been an actress, singing would have been an art…" she heard Blake mutter under her breath before the girl stabbed another forkful of pasta and stuffed it in her mouth.
"But anyway, I digress. Do you think you'll win a Celica next year?"
She laughed at how the conversation had somehow circled back around to her.
"Oh no, I wouldn't think so. There are a lot of really great movies coming out this year -"
"But you always win so many coveted awards."
When she heard Blake set her knife down rather forcefully on the china plate they were eating from, she knew that it was time to say something. Blake was the last person to become agitated, so if the author was upset about this turn in the conversation, it was time for her to be upset, as well.
At least, that was the excuse she gave herself. It could have been that Blake just accidentally dropped the knife against the plate - she would never know. The author did always seem to have impeccably good timing when it came to giving her permission to speak out...
"You know that Weiss wins way more awards than I do, right?"
Mrs. Schnee just looked confused about why the subject suddenly switched back to her own daughter.
"Well I know that she does win many awards..."
"And you realize that Weiss is the best solo singer in the world right now, right? Not only that, but she's highly regarded in the industry for being both hardworking and naturally talented."
Weiss was looking up now. Even Mr. Schnee had torn his eyes away from his precious books to see what was going on.
Blake set one hand on her arm.
"Yang…" the girl said softly, always the first to try to diffuse a situation.
"No, she needs to hear this," she said before turning her attention back to Weiss' mom, who was watching her with avid attention. "She wins all those awards for a reason - she's amazing. Much more amazing than I am. You should be really proud of her."
Silence fell over the table for a few seconds until the sound of Weiss' chair sliding backwards across the floor filled the room.
"I'm done eating," the singer announced to no one in particular before walking out through the door they'd used to enter.
Turning to Blake, she could feel her brow creased in concern over Weiss' reaction. Maybe she'd gone a little overboard in what she thought was sticking up for her friend. Doing so to the girl's mother was probably not the best thing to do...but she couldn't stand having Weiss' accomplishments go unmentioned for so long.
"I'll talk to her," Blake answered her unasked question, standing with a soft 'excuse me' and following Weiss out of the room.
Slumping back in her chair and staring at her half-finished food, she hoped that Weiss wasn't too angry at her for what she'd just done. Sometimes she could go a little too far when she felt that someone needed protecting. But she'd tried to stick it out! The flirting she could have gotten through, but listening to someone demean Weiss' accomplishments was another thing entirely. She wasn't the star in this room - Weiss was. Ignoring that fact just felt too...criminal.
In the silence, she realized that there was actually a rather large grandfather clock ticking from one side of the room. The sound only seemed to heighten the uncomfortable atmosphere that seemed to permeate from every surface.
She only looked up when Mrs. Schnee coughed once, just in time to earn another big smile.
"So we'll be headed to Mistral next month," the woman began. "If you're free, you're more than welcome to come along."
Her mouth fell open in disbelief at the invitation. If this is what Weiss had had to deal with growing up, she could now understand why the girl had sat in silence. Shaking her head, she stood from the table and dropped her napkin beside her plate. She may not yet have taken the etiquette course Glynda had signed her up for, but she did know that leaving in the middle of dinner wasn't considered the most polite of moves.
"I...I need to go find Blake -" she explained lamely before hurrying out of the room in the direction Blake had gone. Stepping out of the dining room, she was presented with three different pathways she could take in order to try to find the girl. Of course, she had no idea which way to go. Fortunately for her, she had a little something called 'Blake-y sense' which would show her the way.
Or pure, dumb luck and a hope that she'd pick the right hallway.
Setting off in an arbitrary direction, she walked down several hallways...and then several more. A couple more turns and she began to grow legitimately worried that they might need to send out a search and rescue team to find her - if Weiss' mom didn't get her first.
That thought spurred her faster, making turn after turn until somehow, miraculously, she heard muffled voices from up ahead. Picking up the pace, she rounded the next corner and scientifically proved that her Blake-y sense was, in fact, a real thing. The two girls were standing in the hallway up ahead, talking quietly amongst themselves.
"There you guys are!" she called out, rushing up to them. "Jeez this place is a maze. Thanks for leaving me alone with your mom, by the way. That wasn't awkward at all."
Weiss and Blake exchanged a brief glance before turning towards her.
"What did she do now?"
"Oh, you know, just invited me on your next family vacation. At least, I hope it was a family vacation and not just me and her alone…"
She shuddered at the thought of spending any amount of time alone with the woman.
"Is dinner over then?" Weiss asked.
"I think it wrapped up pretty quickly without you guys. And when I walked out."
"I guess I should help clean up," Weiss said as she walked back towards the kitchen, but turned back to give them a smile before leaving. "Oh, and Yang? You're pretty amazing too."
Her jaw dropped open while Weiss disappeared from view. Only when the girl was out of earshot did she turn to Blake.
"Did she...did she actually just say that?"
Blake giggled at the question.
"I believe she did."
"Then she's not mad at me, is she? I just couldn't stand to hear her mom talk like that any longer - like Weiss' accomplishments mean nothing."
"No, she's not mad at you. She's...grateful," Blake replied, taking Yang's hand lovingly in her own. "As am I."
"You? What are you grateful for?"
"For you," the author answered simply, leaning forward to give her a quick kiss. "Come on, let's go help Weiss."
"Don't you think they have someone hired to clean up?"
"Yes, but if I were to guess, Weiss probably helps out anyway."
Allowing her girlfriend to drag her back the way she'd just come, she smiled at the turn of events - happy that their evening was almost over and that maybe she'd done a good thing for Weiss, although it didn't seem to have swayed her mother's personality at all.
"Hey, Blake?" she asked, feeling a bigger grin spread across her face at the thought she'd just had.
"Yeah?"
"If you happened to be way younger than me, I'd totally cougar for you."
"Stop it," the girl immediately replied, pushing Yang away when she tried to steal a kiss.
"I'm totally serious!"
Blake laughed with her, both of them knowing that it was most likely true - that's how deeply she loved the girl. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to do anything of the sort.
"What a night," she remarked as they approached the sounds clanking pots and pans in what must be the kitchen. She had no idea how Blake somehow knew her way around, but she didn't bother asking. "This was not at ALL what I expected."
"Me neither."
"You know what's funny?"
"What?"
"This was still way better than a date with Cinder."
Blake laughed, dropping her hand as she walked away.
"No, I'm serious!" Yang said, jogging to catch up with the girl. "Cinder would probably have made me eat a spider or something."
"Why would she make you eat a spider?"
"Because once when we were out, she said she was going to make me eat a spider!"
Blake gave her a look of disbelief that she returned deadpan.
"I'm completely serious."
"Well...she chased you right into my arms, so for that I'll be forever grateful."
"I don't know about forever," she said, cringing at the thought of being beholden to Cinder in any way. "How about just for another year or two?"
"Forever, Yang," Blake said, stopping and giving her a little smile. "Because that's how long I plan on being with you."
Feeling a prickle of heat behind her eyes at the unexpected burst of love towards her girlfriend, she raised a hand only to wipe away a real tear. For this, she earned herself a kiss on the lips and a quiet, "Now who's the sappy one," before being led into the kitchen.
She was an actress. She'd perfected the art of crying on cue. Just ask -
Oh, who was she kidding. She was the sappy one.