Kylie always liked hearing Weiss sing. Maybe it was the only reason she agreed to this charity performance. Well, that and she needed to support her best friend.
The conversation about it went something like this, a month ago.
"Hey, Kylie."
Kylie looked up from her phone. "Yeah?"
"So..." Weiss explained. "My dad set up this charity to help raise funds for the people of Vale. A little orchestra and vocal performance."
"Classy." Kylie nodded. "Atlas people are gonna love it. Who's singing?"
"...I am. And playing piano."
"...Ah." Kylie said. "Alright, so, you want me to come out that night and watch you?"
"Well, more...ask for your help in it." Weiss said. "...I wanna do a duet with you."
Kylie blinked, and looked around. "With me?"
"Hey, you're the only violinist I know personally." Weiss said. "I'd rather work with you than a total stuck up stranger."
"Ben's got musical talent too, you know. He plays guitar." Kylie said. "And he can shred. Give those Atlesian uppercrusts some goddamn fun music."
"...Kylie. As a violinist, do you think 'Fantaisie Impromptu' is gonna sound good on a guitar?" Weiss asked.
"...you're playing THAT?" Kylie nearly fell out of her chair. "Anything by Chopin is a finger death sentence! Do you WANT me to dislocate my shoulder with all those insane bow motions!?"
Weiss huffed. "They said it'd draw in a crowd if they played a complicated duet. That's what rich people like. Seeing other people accomplish stuff they can't because...they're rich and that's good enough."
"...fair point."
"Listen." Weiss said, putting her hand on Kylie's shoulder. "It's for a good cause. I honestly don't wanna do it, but it'd be better if someone I knew was there with me...and honestly, I know a lot of those creeps are gonna try hitting on me, so I need someone who can make instant sleeping gas with me."
Kylie took a deep breath. "Fine, fine. But you're gonna be hearing from my lawyer if my arm falls off after the performance."
"Really? Who's your lawyer?" Weiss smirked.
"Any cute dog. They're just gonna give you that guilt trippy look and you're gonna give them the money. Because you WILL."
"...I wish you didn't know my kryptonite."
It'd been a while since Kylie played an actual violin. A year or two, maybe. She still knew every scale, a few songs she'd memorized for school competitions, and most importantly...the horrors of double, triple and quadruple-stopping. The piece Weiss was singing had LOTS of those in the sheet music.
...maybe she could fake it by just playing ONE of the areas.
(And she did. It was a big orchestra. No one would notice.)
Kylie's bow traveled across the strings, keeping in time with the other violins- her fingers were perfectly playing the part, but mentally, she was freaking out. The reader is an outsider on this topic, so let me explain. You know how in sync violinists are? Like, their bows seem to line up perfectly with one and other?
...well, pretty much ALL violinists are worried they aren't synced up with the others. This is not a joke.
At least Kylie had some thing to buoy her mood a bit.
She stood alone on a large, empty stage, singing a wordless aria, her arms outstretched. She was perfectly positioned below the center of the painted emblem of Atlas that dominates the stage, and that the broken moon shined brightly on her.
Weiss looked like an angel.
"I'm not your pet, not another thing you own.
I was not born guilty of your crimes.
Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore.
I won't be possessed,
burdened by your royal test.
I will not surrender.
This life is mine."
Kylie, Weiss and the orchestra finished on a high, drawn out note. Weiss gave a bow, as the crowd applauded. Kylie gave a sigh- while that was a performance to bring down the house, she and Weiss still had to do that stupid Fantasie piece.
Kylie quietly moved through through the Orchestra, her violin underneath her arm. Her fingers were starting to hurt just thinking about that stupidly fast song. Stupid Polish composers!
...wait, Anna was Polish.
...sorry mom, Kylie thought to herself.
The break also gave Weiss a chance to compose herself as well. She managed to catch a glimpse of her mom and Ironwood in the crowd. Even with the glaring stage lights and the distance from their seats and the stage, she had a feeling Willow was smiling at the performance. Despite who organized it, at least the night had some positives.
Kylie and Weiss met behind the backstage. Kylie was jittering a bit. "God...I've never had to preform in front of an audience this expensive..." Kylie said.
"It...helps if you just focus on just...what you're doing," Weiss tried offering up advice, "Sometimes, if you know someone in the crowd, sometimes it's best to just...imagine them as the only ones there."
"I'll try..." Kylie huffed. She looked adorably flustered right now.
"I'd say it helps if you had practice just performing for small groups. Nothing really prepares you for it, though does it?" Weiss admitted.
"Yeah..." Kylie said, as the piano was rolled out.
"It's almost time," Weiss sighed. "I promise, I'll make it up to you for this." The heiress gave a small smile. She intended to keep that promise once everything was said and done.
"You don't need to do that..." Kylie pouted.
"You said it yourself. Fantasie is like a death sentence for your fingers, so it's the least I could do."
"...I'll think of something, then." Kylie said. "Well...we're on."
Weiss sighed and composed herself before she walked over and seated herself at the piano. She made sure that everything was set properly. The stage hands probably did that anyway but it never hurt to check...and then, once Kylie was positioned behind her and her violin was ready, they started to play.
Weiss began- two powerful strikes of the piano, and that signaled for Kylie that her point of joining in was coming up quickly.
The audience was captivated as the two played the complex score. Some of the richer members in the crowd made silent remarks about how Weiss must have inherited her mother's talent.
Kylie was so damn focused on her own work that she didn't even hear the comments being made about her. Probably for the best, she didn't want to know if she was...doing well or doing poor. The way she played violin was just her tuning out the rest of the world and just focusing on herself. It was one of those rare moments where her mind was 'zen'.
Up from the seats they had, Willow was just so proud of Weiss. Ironwood felt that same pride as Weiss and Kylie played. By the time they finished, Kylie could swear she could she smoke rising from her strings. God, that was one fast piece...
And when they finished, the crowd had erupted into applause. A standing ovation, in fact.
Kylie took a deep breath, as she stared out into the crowd. It was so weird to get a reaction this big. Weiss got up from the piano and, amid the thunderous applause, she gave a formal bow.
Kylie glanced over, and blinked a few times. Oh, right! Kylie quickly bowed, hoping she still looked...proper. And with that, the lights dimmed on the stage. The duet was finished and Kylie was...just RELIEVED. Although, come tomorrow, her hand was going to be sore as hell.
Kylie just was happy survived the performance...but another creeping dread suddenly hit her.
The dinner party. Kylie still had to endure a really, really shitty dinner party.
*Oh boy.*
Weiss, Kylie, Kevin, Ceres, Ari and Blonko sat at their own table, with Willow, Ironwood, Clover and Winter. The party...was honestly not for the teens. Kevin looked incredibly out of place, seeing as he had the longest hair of any guy present. Weiss and Kylie looked pretty exhausted, and Kylie's arms still ached from that finale.
Weiss, meanwhile, was dealing with another awful thing- her biological father being within earshot. He was speaking with a group of other rich assholes, about his own company...
"That's precisely my point. We offer Faunus the exact same wages given to the rest of our mining staff. Their argument's completely invalid right out of the gate." Jacques argued.
"Well, I think the bigger issue here...is society as a whole." A businessman argued.
Jacques scoffed. "Why, you mean Atlas?"
"No, I was more referring to Mantle and Atlas..."
"There's nothing wrong with the way things are now, right?" Jacques countered. "Mantle is getting along well...well, certainly better than Vale." There was a bitter laugh from a few rich people, as Kylie groaned.
"Hate these guys," She muttered her breath. "I'd strangle them but my fingers hurt."
Ari put her hand on Kylie's shoulder. "Then use your thighs."
Kylie's eyes lit up. "A fantastic point."
Weiss's eyes drifted over to a wall in the ballroom. There were some paintings on there, nothing too...fancy...
Weiss stopped at the biggest one.
An older painting.
It depicted Beacon Academy and its Cross Continental Transmit, both untouched by Salem's army.
Weiss started to move away, drawn to the photo.
"Weiss?"
Weiss blinked, as she looked back. "Is there something the matter?" Blonko asked.
"I'm just a little thirsty." Weiss said, a meek expression on her face.
"Why not ask one of the waiters to get you something?" Kevin said.
"What? No. I can get it." Weiss countered. "I'll be right back, I promise..." Weiss walked into the crowd, towards that picture...
It was beautiful.
Weiss stared at that pic for a few seconds, as the voices behind her faded away. For a moment, she felt like she was staring at it for the first time. She closed her eyes, and imagined her first time on Beacon...
She still remembered her luggage cart being filled up with other packages, her servants helping her unpack...and...well...
"Uh, sorry!"
Weiss stared down at the girl in front of her. "Sorry? Do you have any idea what damaged you could have caused?" Weiss wasn't angry in the "traditional sense", more of the sense of like "holy shit, you could've fucked all of us".
The girl in the red cloak looked at her, then the case, then back at her. "...do I...know y-"
"Give me that!" Weiss said. Weiss opened the case, revealing some fire dust. "This is dust, mined and purified from Schnee quarries!" She began shaking it for emphasis.
Ruby blinked again. "No, seriously, do I know-" Her nose started feeling weird?
"Are you listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"
...Ruby sneezed.
And there was an explosion.
"...I forgot about the explosion." Weiss whispered to herself.
"What?"
Weiss flinched- in the midst of her flashback, Kylie had approached the painting too.
"Hey."
"...hey."
"It's been like...two minutes. Can't be hard to get your own drink, can it?" Kylie grinned.
"...shush."
Silence. Kylie and Weiss stared silently at the painting.
"Pretty painting, isn't it?" Kylie said. "You could stare at it for hours."
"It certainly IS beautiful." A voice said. "Just like you too."
Weiss and Kylie looked over to see a young man with light-brown eyes and dull-blue hair in an undercut hairstyle, with the long unshaven hair swept to his left and hanging slightly in his face. He wore a maroon dress shirt and black tie with a black vest decorated with a marigold flower design, silver buttons, and a breast pocket containing a red handkerchief. He also wore a pair of black pants and gray dress shoes. His black belt was worn over his vest and had a silver chain connected to the front of it, with the other end trailing into his left pocket. On his index and ring fingers on each hand, he wore plain silver rings.
"...yes, it's...a lovely painting." Weiss nodded.
"Your music could compliment it well," The boy said, a teasing smile on his face. "That was an excellent performance."
"...thanks?" Kylie said. She kind of just hoped this guy would leave, but yet, he just stayed.
"...well, that was my attempt at breaking the ice." The boy said. "How am I doing?"
"Flat 5 out of 10." Kylie frowned.
"You leave a lot to be desired." Weiss added.
"...well, I've always appreciated honesty." Henry said. "Henry. Marigold. Heir to the Marigolds." The boy offered a handshake.
Weiss raised an eyebrow- the Marigolds were an influential family in Atlas. Had she know she was speaking to a member, maybe she would've been a bit more attentive.
"...Weiss Schnee," She said, offering a handshake as well. Kylie gave her a look, but shook her head. Might as well follow her lead.
"Kylie Dombrowski." Kylie said, as Henry shook both of their hands.
"I know you, I know...I saw your performances. Obviously." Henry said, with a laugh. "You two were wonderful. I promise I'm not saying that cause you're both pretty."
Kylie and Weiss just turned back to the painting, quietly taking in the beauty of it. Kylie had a ton of regrets about stuff she never did at Beacon- she never asked about the Orchestra, she never made many friends outside her own friend group, she didn't go to a few clubs she wanted to try out...she honestly just felt...a bit angry at her past self for not putting herself out there.
"...pretty picture," Henry butted in again. "You gonna buy?" Henry rattled the railing as he spoke.
"No. I don't think so." Weiss said, shaking her head.
Henry whistled. "Yeah, kinda pricey for a painting."
"...it's to raise money." Kylie said.
"Huh?" Henry seemed lost. "For what?"
"...you're...kidding, right?"
"You know," Weiss said. "I would've expected the heir to the Marigold family to know a thing or two about where they're at."
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I just BECAME the heir." Henry explained. "Something about...politics or news made my cousin, the original heir, run off or whatever...I think they're hiding out in Mantle because...that's the one place my aunt and uncle won't go."
"...that explains a lot, actually," Kylie whispered to herself.
"Honestly, I just came to this thing because there's free food and drinks." Henry admitted. He reached out and took a champagne flute as a waiter walks by. "And the extraordinary company. Of course."
Weiss just...glared daggers- no, rapiers, at this bastard. This was the most IGNORANT a person she'd met- no knowledge of what was going on outside of his little bubble, an INSULT to what she'd been through in these past few months. Work. Blood. Sweat.
...actually.
She and the other Zeta-RWBY members here had probably worked harder than anybody in this room. Kevin was working on mastering his fusions, Blonko was busy with Revonnah Kai, Kylie had gotten out of therapy the month prior, and Ceres had been busy with a project she hadn't yet disclosed.
And Henry?
A lazy sack of shit. An ignorant sack of shit.
...A sack of shit entirely.
"...get out." Weiss said, shifting her stance to face Henry.
"H-huh?" Henry said.
"What?" Even Kylie was caught off guard.
"Get out, or I will have security escort you out." Weiss growled. "This isn't a free pizza party. This is a fundraiser for a tragedy. If you're here only because of dinner and a show...then you can get the fuck out."
Henry stared at her in disbelief, as did Kylie.
"...whatever," Henry said, as he palmed the bottle off to Weiss, before he stormed off.
Kylie was...well a little surprised. Did that guy deserve such a talking to? Yes, it was clear he was an asshole. But to hear all of that come from Weiss was new. She half-expected herself to say that. Or Ironwood if he was over here.
"Woah..." Kylie said. "Are...are you okay, Weiss?" That was the best thing she could ask at the moment.
Weiss blinked a few times, in shock at herself. "Um...y-yeah. I'm fine." Her voice suggested otherwise.
"I've never seen you react so...viscerally to a guy." Kylie said.
"I just...he didn't even CARE. He just saw this as something to go to. Don't get me wrong, I feel like some people here feel the same but there are some who actually KNOW and might actually at least...PRETEND to care. He was just..." Weiss was struggling to find the right words to describe Henry, while still keeping it acceptable, what with so many people within earshot.
Kylie sighed, as she was about to say something...but a shrill voice cut her off.
"But really, does it come as any surprise, what happened to Vale?" The voice asked. Weiss and Kylie looked over to see...a woman, completely and utterly hammered.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Kylie said. She shouldn't be surprised, really.
"Honey," a man, presumably her husband, placed a hand on her shoulder but she quickly shook him off. The stares that were coming their way forced him to chuckle nervously. "D-don't mind her, I think she's just had one too many drinks."
"Don't give me that!" the woman practically shouted at her husband, "You said the same thing last night! If they're oh so arrogant to think that they can just get by without prop...proper defenses, well then I say good riddance!"
Weiss had murder in her eyes. She bawled her fists, as a glyph suddenly opened up by her side...she didn't even realize it.
Kylie noticed it though. "Um, Weiss?"
Weiss' eyes locked onto the woman, as she uttered a single spite filled word.
"Pig."
The glyph she summoned spun and glowed, though oddly no one seemed to notice. What they did notice, however, was a shining white and blue Boarbatusk stepping out of the glyph and snorting.
Kylie gasped- Weiss' glyphs must've been responding to her innermost emotions.
The pig Grimm scrapped its tusks against the floor, as if it was sharpening them. It stamped its hoof against the floor. It was getting ready to charge.
Weiss suddenly snapped out of her anger, as she realized there was some screams. "H-huh? Wait!" Weiss couldn't stop it- it was already charging towards the trophy wife, who JUST realized what was happening-
"P-please! I'm-I'm sorry! I didn't!" The wife tried to excuse herself, but the Boarbatusk snarled and pounced at her, jaws open-
Only for a single shot to ring out. The Boarbatusk was hit by a bullet and it fell to the ground, shattering into white and blue shards. The smoking barrel of Due Process revealing the woman's savior.
Ironwood frowned. "Sorry about that." He said, returning his gun to his holster.
"Wha- that's IT? General, this woman should be arrested! She almost KILLED me with a...what even was that, her Semblance?!" the woman shouted. Maybe her inebriated mind didn't realize just who she was asking the general to arrest.
The others joined up with Weiss and Kylie. Kylie was still in shocked silence, as Weiss looked down at her hands.
"What did you do?" Ari asked.
"She...she summoned a Boarbatusk." Kylie said. "And it almost attacked those two..."
"It was her Semblance," Ironwood said, "I suggest you sober up before you try demanding I arrest my own daughter."
The woman's eyes widened in horror when she realized. She REALLY did just ask for the General of the Atlesian army to arrest his own daughter.
"...ooooooh, shit." Kevin said. "You did something hardcore, and we didn't even get to see it."
"It...it wasn't hardcore." Weiss said, sounding ashamed. "It...it was more...immature."
"Sometimes," Winter said as she walked over the group, "strong emotions can make interfere with the summoning. Makes them...unresponsive."
"Seriously?" Ceres asked. "Weiss is the most 'in control' person I know. I didn't know that she had that in her. What did that lady even say?"
"...she insulted Beacon." Weiss said.
"...I see," Winter was glaring daggers at the woman. "Perhaps we should escort her out. She's clearly too intoxicated to stay here."
"I think the only people who should leave is you."
Weiss and Winter's eyes darted over to a rather disappointed voice. Jacques looked most unamused that his party had been rudely interrupted by an emotional brat.
"Really? We should leave?" Winter emphasized the word "we". Everyone could tell though, each word she spoke to Jacques was practically dripping with venom.
"Yes. I don't know HOW the general or your mother is raising you...but it certainly isn't...the most attentive." Jacques frowned.
"Isn't the most attentive? That's funny, I don't remember you being a standout father. You were always so preoccupied with company dealings."
"That's called work, dear." Jacques countered. "I was busy. But try to paint me in the negative light..."
"...shall we discuss what those dealings were, in front of everyone?" Ironwood asked.
Silence.
Jacques could only sigh and adjust his tie. "I'd...prefer to keep my private business meetings just that. Private."
"That's exactly what I thought you'd say." Ironwood said. "And with that...we'll take our leave." Ironwood and the others began to leave...but, oddly enough Kylie stayed.
"Kylie?" Weiss asked as they started to leave, "Are you coming?"
Kylie shooed her away. "Gimme a minute." Weiss gave her a weird look, but shrugged it off.
...Kylie was about to be hella passive aggressive.
Jacques sighed. "Unbelievable. I swear it's like they always TRY to antagonize me."
Kylie just stared at Jacques for a few moments. Jacques felt a bit unnerved, as he tried to look away. But Kylie just kept staring.
"Can I help you?" Jacques finally said, a mixture of unease and annoyance getting him to speak.
Kylie paused for a few moments. "...nope!" Kylie said, as she walked out.
...that was weird.
"Well...that was odd," Jacques said. The people he was talking to suddenly found themselves trying not to laugh.
"Anyway where was-...what is it? Is there a joke I missed?" And then it registered. His voice had reached a slightly higher pitch. "What the hell?!"
Kylie walked back out, feeling a bit proud. She could hear some laughs coming from the hall. "What did you do?" Kevin asked.
Kylie cleared her throat a bit. "Huh? Whatcha mean?"
"You have that 'I just did something evil' look on your face." Kevin frowned.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kylie lied, painting herself as innocently as she possibly could.
Kevin smirked, as he ruffled up Kylie's hair a bit. "Sure."