Status Quo
Despite her promise to Winter, the week that following their first training session blew past in a flurry of late nights, early mornings and many, many failed summon attempts.
While it was admittedly frustrating that the only time their schedules lined up was either late in the evenings or early in the mornings, neither of them could do much to mitigate that fact. The same could not be said for her inability to find time during the week to work on her other extracurricular commitments, which was why Weiss currently found herself alone in the dorm room, instead of enjoying one of their very few days off.
Weiss quietly cursed under her breath as she crumpled up her fifth attempt at the dances equipment list. She placed the tightly wadded paper in the small trash bin beside her with great disdain, before pulling out another fresh sheet of paper, and taking a brief moment to stretch her arms up towards the ceiling.
A small groan escaped her as her spine popped several times, but the brief moment of relief was cut short when her freshly plucked wings chaffed uncomfortably against the bindings. With a quiet hiss she dropped her arms back down.
At the pace she was going, there was a distinct possibility that she'd have to delegate this task to Yang instead of continuing to put it off. She'd been doing that a concerning amount lately. Less immediate worries like wing maintenance were being quickly shunted down the priority list, outweighed by both academic requirements, and her own attempts at trying to get along with her teammates.
It wasn't a bad thing really, she could stand to miss a week or two with little repercussions. However, after three weeks? The sheer number of larger feathers she had had to remove and dispose of earlier this morning had left the appendages much more raw than usual. Even her jacket was now uncomfortably compressing the worthless appendages, resulting in a constant, dull ache, which made maintaining even a semblance of focus near impossible.
A quick glance down at her most recent attempt at creating this list only further proved her inadequacy when three spelling mistakes instantly caught her eye. The page immediately joined its crumpled siblings in the trash bin as the dorm room door opened behind her, heralding the entrance of one of her teammates.
"See ya later Penny," Ruby's groaned, exhaustion lacing her voice. The familiar sound of Ruby's boots dragging on the floor was followed closely by the creaking of a box spring.
"Ruby?"
"Yeah?"
"Off."
There was a beat of silence before Ruby let out a very familiar groan, followed by the sound of the bed creaking again.
"Good evening to you too," Weiss said before she paused in her writing, turning slightly to glance towards her quite disheveled partner. "I would ask how training was, but I can smell the burning from here."
"Need a shower…" Ruby grumbled as she dug through their shared dresser. Once she'd pulled out her pajamas, she turned to make her way to the bathroom. "It's kinda scary how strong some of these transfer students are. I thought Nora was durable, but… Penny…?"
The slow petering off piqued Weiss' curiosity as she turned in her seat to see what had caught her tired teammate's attention.
Ice flooded her veins as she watched Ruby crouch down and plucked a large, familiar speckled white feather from the corner of their bathroom door. One of the many Weiss had pulled from her own wings before her training with Winter just this morning. The same ones that she could vividly remember carefully tracking and disposing of.
Her eyes narrowed on the cursed item as Ruby held it up to the light. The single piece of evidence of her heritage was now held oh-so-carefully between her fingers. It was more than enough to send her heart into a frenzy.
"Hey, Weiss? Do you know where this came from?"
She was quite thankful that Ruby didn't even so much as glance at her as she asked her question. The utter horror that was likely quite visible on her face would not have been easy to explain.
Weiss took the moment to breathe deeply, collect her thoughts and take in the scene before her. The younger girl stood perplexed as she turned the feather in her fingers, letting the light dance off it. Ruby of all people would never be suspicious of her heritage, and was unlikely to even question where it had come from if she just played ignorant…
"How should I know? Just keep it away from me. It's probably filled with mites and grime." Weiss tried her best to instill her usual amount of disinterest in her tone, all but scoffing at the notion she might have even the slightest clue what Ruby was playing with.
"But it's so pretty!" Ruby practically squealed, twirling it again in her fingers as the light danced off the downy whisps near its base. "I wonder what kind of bird this came from!"
"And I wonder what it's doing in our dorm," Weiss grumbled, half serious and half playing into Ruby's own excitement as much as she could. It was an old trick, letting the other party come to their own conclusion, and when dealing with someone like Ruby it was the easiest way to avoid suspicion.
"Oh, don't be like that Weiss. You keep the windows open all the time. It probably just got in when none of us were looking." Ruby turned and marched over to the desk with the feather outstretched. "Seriously though, look how big it is! I bet the birdy that lost this is super annoyed."
"Quite relatable," Weiss loudly sighed as she turned in her chair to look down at her own feather. Truth be told, she had never really taken any time to examine her own feathers. She had always been much more focused on ensuring that they were all disposed of as quickly as possible, for obvious reasons.
Now that she truly took the time to look though, it was - admittedly - quite pretty. She knew it wasn't fully formed by any stretch - it was still only about the size of Ruby's hand - but it was still quite striking. Most of the feather was a pure white color; a series of larger black dots near the tip helped break up the single color profile. The evening light that enveloped it illuminated the downey material at the feathers base in a soft glow.
"See?" Ruby's smile shone as she twirled the feather in her fingers once more, causing the light to dance off the tips with each twirl. "The birdy this comes from is probably super pretty too. Can you imagine what it must look like, covered in these?"
It was an innocent question, ripe with Ruby's usual infectious curiosity and happiness, yet even as the words left her mouth Weiss couldn't help the frown that stretched across her face.
Because she could imagine it. She had dreamed of it so many times when she was younger. Of gorgeous, pure white wings. Wings that were not broken and bound. Wings that allowed her to soar through the air, free from the weight of the world that lay below her. Wings that would make her mom want to call her Snow An…
Weiss shook those thoughts clear of her mind and refocused on the feather Ruby continued to play with, pointedly ignoring the way her wings twitched in reaction to the abrupt changes in emotion.
Why were those thoughts even still there after all these years? She was older. Less naive.
Better than this.
"No. I can't Ruby." Weiss sighed deeply, the words tasted like ash in her mouth. "And you should get rid of it. Who knows what kind of disgusting things it's touched."
Winter's past words rang in her head as yet another lie was added to the pile between her and her teammates. Maybe Winter was onto something. Or maybe she was still preaching from atop her tower of moral righteousness. It was hard to know for sure.
What Weiss did know was that it was impossible to tell anyone, including Ruby, the truth. No matter how much she wished she could tell the younger girl about her wishes and dreams that no longer mattered, she couldn't. Not when so much was still at stake.
Ruby glanced between her hanging cloak and the feather. The ghost of a sad smile crossed her face for a heart beat before she beamed once more and shook her head.
"Nope," Ruby popped as she reached over and dropped the feather on-top of Weiss' open page. "It's pretty, it reminds me of someone I miss, and it made you smile. So now it's going to live on your desk. Forever."
"Excuse me?" Weiss snapped as the feather floated down onto a blank page with nary a sound. "I did not smile."
"Yah yah did." Ruby raised an eyebrow. "When I first showed it to you. You were all soft smiles and totally zoned out."
Weiss turned away from Ruby with a quiet hmph. "I think I would know if I was smiling, Ruby."
As was quite common, a quiet snicker followed by the familiar sound of Ruby's semblance was the only response Weiss got. A stray petal fell onto Weiss' open book as the sound of the bathroom door closing following moments later.
It was quite frustrating how the petal and feather now both sat there, taunting Weiss with their very existence.
Her first instinct was to immediately brush them off the book and into the trash can beside her. Jaques' rules rang through her mind, compelling her to rid herself of the evidence guiding her hand as it rose to the two irritating items.
But then, she wasn't in the manor. He would never know…
Without another thought, Weiss placed the feather into her pen cup alongside her two other SDC branded pens.
The evidence of her own betrayal, staring her right in the face.
A single feather couldn't hurt… Right?
"Absolutely not."
"You said you would though! I have witnesses, Weiss."
"I said I might if you asked nicely, Yang. Ambushing me in the middle of my studies is not asking nicely."
"Come on. You've been studying for this exam for weeks, Weiss. I thought you could use a break."
"I'm not due to restock my supplies for another week. It would be a waste of a trip."
"Relaxing a little isn't a waste of time Weiss. Plus, we can get some food while we're out! I know you haven't eaten since this morning."
Weiss sighed and placed her pen down on her desk. As much as she wished otherwise, no more valid excuses to stay sprang to mind. Honestly, Yang could be infuriatingly convincing when she wanted to be. Apparently hair products were significant enough to motivate her. If only she could put this much effort into her school work…
"Come on Weiss. It'll be fun! A real girls day out yah know?"
Weiss paused for another few seconds before letting out an exasperated sigh.
"...Fine. You had better be on your best behavior though."
"Hey!" Yang said gleefully as Weiss stood to collect her things. "I'm always on my best behavior."
The reassurance did little to ease Weiss' nerves as the two of them left the dorm and began their trip down to Vale. The blonde seemed content to let Weiss lead them through the halls, hands clasped behind her head as she quietly hummed to herself a few steps behind. Weiss was more than happy to allow the silence between them to linger as they waited for the first bulkhead down to the city.
It wasn't until the bulkhead finally dropped the two of them off at the Sopor Shopping district that Weiss noticed a change. Stepping off the air ship, any semblance of Yang's typical relaxed attitude disappeared in an instant. Her posture straightened, she moved to stand beside Weiss, and her normal swagger was entirely replaced by an almost nervous air that only increased as they ventured further into the district.
"Weiss? Where are we going? Where are all the shops?"
Weiss cocked an eyebrow and gestured vaguely towards the store fronts around them. "Everywhere? Can't you see the signs?"
"What sig…" Yang paused as she narrowed her eyes at one of the stores they passed by. "You mean those stupid little plaques above the door? Why are they so small? How do you find anything around here?"
Weiss brought a finger to her lips and shook her head as Yang began to raise her voice. "Not so loud."
Yang's exasperation only increased when she spied the small sign on the door of Weiss' preferred shop, Broadway Beauty Dust Cosmetics.
"We reserve the right to refuse service?" Yang read slowly. A scowl grew with each word until finally she gave Weiss a questing glare."What the hell, Weiss?"
"As long as you have Lien they don't care much who you are." Weiss quickly replied, opening the door and quickly ushering Yang in with as much tact as possible, lest they cause anymore of a scene.
"That doesn't exactly make me feel…" Yang paused to let out a low whistle upon entering the relatively large whitewashed store. Her shock instantly reminded Weiss just how different their upbringings were. "Woah…"
"Hello and Welco-" The young, brunette clerk behind the desk began to greet them warmly before she fully took the two of them in and paused. Shock briefly colored her face as she immediately rushed out from behind the desk and bowed to the two huntresses in training. "Miss Schnee! I am so sorry, I wasn't aware we were expecting you today."
Weiss nodded to the young girl, glancing down at her name tag. "That's quite alright, Lena. It was a last minute change in plans. I hope we are not intruding."
"Never." The young cashier shook her head vehemently. "Let me take your things for you two, Catherine will be out in just a moment to help. Would either of you care for a beverage while you wait? We have a new line of sparkling dust water just released by Klaus Kinski."
"We would love one thank you." Weiss replied evenly, slipping her small purse from her shoulder and handing it to Lena. A small smirk couldn't be held back when she saw the wide-eyed panic that Yang was displaying in the face of the social onslaught. "Plain or flavored is fine. Whichever is chilled."
"Coming right up," Lena replied cheerfully. Her almost hurried pace toward the employee door was the only indicator of the stress she likely was feeling after being thrown to the proverbial wolves.
"Is that Hedkandi branded rinse? I thought they discontinued it years back…" Yang whispered, sliding up next to her as Weiss led them towards the front desk. "Weiss, even with a discount I'm not sure I can afford-"
Weiss cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Of course you can. Not that it matters. You won't be paying a single Lien today."
"Yah? What exactly-"
Any further protests were cut off by a loud whoosh as an elegantly dressed older woman barged through the employee door with Lena in tow. Yang let out a frustrated sigh as the older woman gave Weiss a vivacious smile.
"Miss Schnee! What a wonderful surprise!"
Weiss quietly coughed to cover the frustrated sigh that escaped Yang as the older woman greeted them, the lively melody of her voice easily carried through the store. "Welcome back. I assume you're here for a restock of the usual? Oh and this must be one of your teammates you mentioned last time!"
"Hello again Cathrine," Weiss nodded, her own tabloid winning smile stretched ear to ear as she gestured to Yang."Yes, this is my teammate Yang. She is quite interested in a few of your more specialty hair products."
"How exciting! Lena be a dear and help Miss…" Cathrine glanced towards Yang as she tapered off.
"...Xiao Long?" Yang shrugged, glancing between Weiss and Cathrine.
"Miss Xiao Long with any questions she might have."
"It would be my pleasure." Lena held out a hand gesturing for Yang to follow her.
"Oh, Lena?" Weiss stopped them, holding out a card to her. "One more thing. Today is my treat, so no matter how much she protests, put everything on the SDC account."
Cathrine immediately smiled, nodding to Lena who all but lept towards the front of the store, guiding Yang by the arm towards the shampoo section near the front of the store. "Miss Xiaolong, today is your lucky day! For hair like yours we have this amazing new product, Phillip B. Peppermint Avocado Shampoo! It's specifically designed for thick and wavy hair like yours and is clinically proven to…
When the two of them finally arrived at the dorm room a few hours later, arms ladened with bags, Weiss was just about ready to collapse. Her back and wings had begun to ache only half way back, and the extra weight she had been carrying in the bags did not help in the slightest.
She would also likely be receiving a call from her father about this shopping spree. She wasn't concerned by any means, it was easy enough to wave off since she hadn't dipped into her allowance much this month but still.
"We are not doing that again." Weiss sighed deeply, relief evident on her face as the bags were unceremoniously dropped onto her bed, and she stretched her arms high into the air. A series of pops echoing out through the dorm. "Lena is liable to get a promotion if we keep buying this much product."
"I mean she was… nice?" Yang stared ahead blankly, walking beside Weiss and dropping what was admittedly the majority of their bags onto the bed as well, catching one of the bottles that nearly spilled out. "A bit on the pushy side but at least she knew her stuff."
"She just wanted to make sure you got the most out of the experience. Exclusive regulars are a big deal for people like her." Weiss sighed, watching as the smile on Yang's face instantly dropped and her eyes flashed red. "Don't be too angry with her. I was the one who offered to pay. May as well have rolled out the red carpet that proclaimed to the store, 'I messed up and need to make up for it'."
"Wait, is that what this was?" Yang muttered, gripping the bottle in her hand with a bit more force that was needed. "You were a total bitch and now you're trying to, what? Buy your way out of it?"
Weiss immediately stamped down on the angry flare that ran through her. She turned on her heels and, despite the sizable height difference between them, tried her best to share Yang down. "Look, we didn't exactly get off to the best start, and I don't have the best track when it comes to apologies, so consider this a peace offering."
Never one to back down, Yang crossed her sizable arms in front of her and matched Weiss' glare. "My friendship can't be bought Weiss."
"If I was trying to buy your friendship, I would have bought you a new bike, or a scroll! I'm not trying to buy anything from you Yang. You are not an Atlesean noble, so I doubt it would work regardless." Weiss paused to take a deep breath before glancing towards her more hot-headed teammate. She gestured to the bags now strewn on her bed. "I honestly thought you might appreciate this. Clearly, I was wrong. If you'd prefer, we could simply return it all."
The two girls stared each other down a second more before Yang took a deep breath, her shoulders visibly losing as she exhaled.
"Weiss? You're really bad at being nice," Yang grumbled, voice laden with exasperation.
"At least I'm trying!" Weiss said as she stamped her heel on the ground for emphasis. She could feel her wings flare in their bindings at the indignation of being the subject of Yang's joke, much to her chagrin. "Clearly, it wasn't important for you to establish social hierarchy growing up!"
Yang tossed the bottle between her hands as she weavered. "Not exactly. Probably not in the same way as you anyways. I wasn't exactly close with any of my friends at Signal though, so… I couldn't say for sure."
"Friends is a strong word for the few people I knew in Atlas. As Winter so eloquently informed you all, dances and social events were the only times I really interacted with anyone in a less-than-professional setting."
Yang cocked her head at Weiss. "What about Winter though? You seemed pretty close."
"Winter and I were close at one point, but… nothing like you and Ruby." Weiss pointedly ignored Yang's curious expression as she carefully worded the explanation Yang was sure to ask for. "Our parents were quite… busy… early on in our lives. She was often more like a mom than an older sister."
"I get that." Yang nodded and gave Weiss a small, understanding smile before glancing up at Ruby's bed. "Ruby used to call me mom when we were growing up. Usually with a lot of sarcasm thrown in."
Weiss cocked her head as she glanced over at Yang. "You and Ruby never really mention your parents. Were they quite busy when you were growing up as well?"
"Hmmm? Oh, uh… Yeah, you could say that." Yang made a non committal sound before turning, arms now ladened with products. "I'm going to shower first. You shower after. Make sure to use this rinse though. Trust me this is going to rock your world."
"Wait, why-" Weiss began. The bathroom door closed in her face not half way through the sentence.
"It's not even two…" Weiss finished muttering to the closed door, turning to face the empty room as the muffled sounds of Yang's happy humming petered out into the empty dorm room.
Weiss allowed herself a small smile as she took a seat on the bed to wait, wondering when the sounds of her teammates became more calming than annoying.
Weiss almost rolled her eyes when she left the bathroom some time later, only to find Yang sat beside Blake's bed with the remaining bottles of hair care products layed out in front of her. Yang's eyes flicked in her direction before she gave Weiss a small grin and patted the ground beside her.
"Come here, Weiss."
Weiss sighed as she took the offer and lowered herself down next to the blonde, biting her lip to keep quiet as her bindings, now on the tightest setting, chaffed at her skin. "What is it?"
Yang held up a bottle out to Weiss in either hand with an earnest look. "So, Cathrine is definitely over-selling you. Lena showed me this Ceremonia Guava leave-in conditioner and the one by Mizani that Cathrine recommended for you. They're basically the same thing, but the Mizani costs triple what the Ceremonia does."
"I'm not surprised. She is a saleswoman after all," Weiss scoffed, glancing at her as she took the cheaper bottle from Yang and popped the cap to take a small sniff. "I do prefer the mint smell of the - what did you call it? Mizani?"
"Yah. Ceremonia actually makes a lavender mint scent too. We can pick some of that up next time, save you some Lien that you can put towards a new jacket." Yang chuckled, popping the top of the Mizani and taking a small sniff herself, before placing a dab of the product into her hand and beginning to work the product into the ends of her hair. She gestured with her head for Weiss to do the same. "It does smell good. Really subtle too."
"It has been my preferred choice for years now for a reason, Yang. Trust me when I say I can afford it," Weiss said as she rolled her eyes, popped the top of the bottle and began working the fruity smelling product into the ends of her hair. "As for the jacket, it was a gift from Winter, and I happen to quite like it. Thank you very much."
Yang hummed in response as the two lapsed into silence as they diligently worked the product into the ends of their hair. Weiss easily finished before Yang and reached for one of their new larger tooth combs, noting how it glided through her hair far more easily than her old brush. "I will admit, it's quite nice to speak to somebody knowledgeable about these things. Typically, Winter and I simply buy what the clerk recommends."
"I'm just happy to finally have someone to talk to about these kinda things," Yang said with a laugh while continuing to work on the ends of her mane. "We didn't exactly have a lot of money growing up, so I had to learn what worked best for my hair for as little Lien as possible. Especially since Ruby decided she much preferred short hair when she was pretty young. Made the list of long-haired people in our house consist of me, myself and I."
Weiss nodded thoughtfully before placing the comb down and picking up a new boar bristle brush. "I can't really picture Ruby with long hair. Personally, I have always appreciated the elegance of longer hair. Though the upkeep… less so."
Yang finished applying her conditioner and grabbed a comb as well before glancing at Weiss. "Do you want a hand?"
The sudden question caught Weiss off guard, causing her hands to freeze mid-stroke.
The answer was obvious. While she was fairly confident in the binding and her own heavier lounge wear, it was a needless risk to let anyone near her back, especially for extended periods of time. She should be giving Yang a resounding "no", but…
"It's ok if you don't." Yang instantly picked up on her hesitation. "I just know I liked having my hair brushed for me. It's one of the few things I still remember Summer doing for me when I was younger."
Yang may as well have punched her with how quickly the breath was driven from her. If Weiss was reading into what Yang had just said correctly, then… Weiss' head whipped to face Yang, only to be greeted by a sad smile.
"Yang…" Weiss floundered to find the words, knowing how wholly unequipped to be having this conversation she was. "...I-"
"It's ok." Yang held up both her hands, waving them furiously. "You don't need to say anything. It happened so long ago, I barely even remember the day anymore."
There was a part of Weiss that desperately wanted to listen to Yang's and say nothing. She didn't know what to really say, or even how to say what little she felt she could, yet a single glance down at the mess of hair products they had purchased this afternoon had her searching for the right words all the same.
Weiss met Yang's sad eyes with firm resolve and gave her a small, sincere smile. "Thank you, Yang. I know that it can't have been easy to tell me after everything that happened between us. I appreciate it."
Yang awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "Honestly? I just felt bad you were the only one we hadn't told yet."
A flurry of emotions ran through Weiss as she processed the statement before she finally settled on a single realization that the statement brought to light.
"Wait, you told Jaune before me?!" Weiss smiled as her statement made Yang pale even further. She jabbed her brush toward her teammate and narrowed her eyes. "Yang Xiao Long, I am frankly insulted. You told that bumbling buffoon before your own teammate. I'm sorry Yang but I can't exactly brush this off. This transgression requires penance."
Judging by Yang's shock, she'd likely never encountered the specific brand of humor that Weiss and her sister shared. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for her to pick up on the idea as her shock gave way to an enormous shit eating grin. "Weiss? Did you just make a joke?"
Weiss rolled her eyes, scoffing in faux indignation. "I will have you know I can be funny. Now shut up and brush my hair before I change my mind…"
Yang chuckled quietly as she took the offered brush in her hand and gently scooted herself behind Weiss, taking extra care to avoid bumping her back, and even carefully pulling the strands of pure white hair into a group before sliding the brush through the ends first to prevent any scalp pulling.
It was nice. Really nice actually. Both the respect she was giving Weiss' personal space, but also the gentle way she brushed. It made Weiss feel like a glass vase that Yang was oh so carefully handling. It made a degree of sense though. Yang mostly likely had to be mindful of her own strength quite regularly.
Weiss couldn't help but allow her eyes to slowly flutter closed as Yang worked her way up her hair. The warmth her teammate radiated felt really nice on her back as well, soothing the ache of her bound wings and muscles hidden under her lounge wear.
It reminded her of… home?
Don't worry my little snow angel. He will come back to us. Just you watch.
Weiss was quickly snapped out of her reverie when she felt a small splash of liquid hit her clenched hand. She discreetly raised a hand to her cheeks and was surprised to feel a small stream of tears falling from her eyes. Weiss scowled at the realization and quickly removed the offending liquid with a quick swipe of the hand.
Thankfully, Yang simply continued her careful work, either too focused on her task or simply oblivious to the emotions that her mere attention was causing her.
Weiss took a deep breath as she steadied herself once more. It had been ages since she had felt so relaxed. The tension had been practically bleeding off her. However, that was simply not an excuse for such an unsightly outburst.
She knew better. She knew better…
Before she could continue her line of thought, there was a quick flash of light from the other end of the room. Weiss slowly turned to investigate the cause, and was greeted by the sight of Ruby holding her scroll up with a big, goofy grin on her face.
"Say cheese, Weiss!"
"Ruby! You delete those pictures, right now!"
"Yes, Father... I understand," Weiss said, pinching her nose and bringing her scroll closer to her ear. She quietly glanced at Blake who was patiently sitting across the table from her as she continued to placate her father. "I assure you, I will not be wasteful with my allowance in the future. You have my word. However, I would like to remind you that, due to the continuing robberies here in Vale, the price of Dust is continuing to rise higher and higher. As such, my expenses will be higher than expected."
"Noted. Though I do feel the need to remind you one final time: the one you should be focusing your efforts on is Pyrrha Nicos. Your 'team' are merely stepping stones for you. This 'Yang' individual is nothing but a waste of Lien and should be treated as such. I expect to receive a positive report on your progress with the Nicos girl by next week, Weiss."
"Yes, Father," Weiss replied, defaulting to the tone and cadence that her father had drilled into her head since childhood.
"Good. You may return to your studies then."
The line predictably went dead before she even had a chance to open her mouth in response. Weiss let out a quiet sigh as she closed her scroll. Of all the times for her father to call, it just had to be before a study session with Blake. She lifted the stack of books she was carrying once more, making a mental note to speak with Pyrrha as soon as her responsibilities permitted, before making her way back to Blake.
"Of all the classes you could ask for help with, history was not one of the ones I expected," Weiss muttered, knowing full well her faunus teammate would likely hear her despite her ears being tied down. She placed the last stack of books down at her usual library seat before stretching her shoulders to ease some of the tension in her back. Her wings tingled in their harness as the excess blood flow was cut off by the tightened bands of fabric.
"Oobleck recommended some help after my last test results…" Blake nodded, taking a seat next to the slightly intimidating pile of books Weiss had constructed. "He mentioned that, since the current topic is Atlas, 'it may be prudent to learn from someone with more practical knowledge'."
Weiss shook her head with a scoff, pulling the first of many books from the top of the pile. "Practical knowledge? Most of Atlas' history is written in stone. The stories have been retold so many times it is impossible to change. You of all people should know most of it already."
Blake fidgeted in her seat, her eyes flicking to the ground in a way that instantly told Weiss she was uncomfortable with what she was about to say.
"He may have also been referring to more of the history involving the Schnee family…"
Weiss couldn't help the deep sigh that escaped her as Blake quickly glanced around the relatively empty space.
Blake wilted under Weiss' narrowing gaze, clasping her hands in her lap. "You promised to try and be better, and I promised to learn. I've seen you trying to be better. Yes, you still seem a little uneasy when I take off my bow, but I also saw you talk to Velvet a few times this week. It's only fair that I follow through with my end of the deal. I know it's not a great place to start, and that I promised to tell you about the screening process, but I thought maybe we could trade information. Get to know each other better. If it helps I'll tell you about the White Fan-"
There was a loud thud as Weiss snapped the book she was handling shut before placing it with just a bit too much force on top of the pile she'd been sorting. Her eyes practically bored holes into the books that she had painstakingly selected and risked a wing cramp collecting. "I spent so long finding all of these…"
Blakes small laugh only made the situation more awkward as Weiss sighed again. She nodded this time before sitting down in her chair and glanced quickly around the thankfully empty library.
"You're lucky no one heard that." Weiss glared at the small chuckle Blake hid behind her hand, allowing the cold, calculating business mindset that she'd cultivated for so long to take the reins. "I confess, amidst all the dramatics of the past week, I had forgotten about that part of our deal. However, if we are to do so, I first need you to explain why you are willing to tell me this and not the authorities. If you're not with them anymore then they would be much more helpful to you than a seventeen year old huntress in training."
"There are three main reasons." Blake held up three fingers. "One, I would be likely arrested for admitting to what I know. Two, they have police on their payroll, so going to them could potentially be even more dangerous. Three, they've probably already moved somewhere else. It's standard procedure to move around every month or so. That makes any information I provide far too dated to be of any real use…"
Weiss gave Blake a small nod as she steepled her fingers. "So, you have determined there is far too much risk for what is a very minimal reward. That makes sense. Additionally if you don't seem to want to utilize the information to show your loyalty or get closer to me, as you would have handed the information over in the first place then leveraged that act instead of holding out."
"Which brings us to…" Blake gestured to Weiss to finish her sentence.
"You, telling me how you broke past the SDC screening process. For now."
Weiss allowed herself a small smile, hidden behind her hands as she watched Blakes eyes widened briefly. The faunus clearly caught off guard by Weiss' quite aggressive handling of the conversation flow, though notably she did an excellent job of recovering as she leaned in towards Weiss with a wry smirk.
"We didn't break past it. We swapped a few of the worker profiles information with information from a few of our members. It was easy to convince the workers since they would be getting paid while having to do no work. Even easier to convince the other miners to keep quiet given your treatment of them."
"That explains why it stopped happening once all worker information was being fed through the main hub." Weiss mussed, plainly ignoring Blake's amusement and simply nodding along with the explanation. "Alright. You have held up your end, so let's keep this simple. Question for a question. If it's something we can not or will not answer then we pass until there is a question we can."
"Not an official deal like last time?" Blake raised a brow and grinned. "You're going soft on me, Schnee."
"Tread carefully, Belladonna." Weiss smirked, "First question. Does Ozpin know about your previous affiliations."
"Yes." Blake grimaced. "I forged my application papers. He saw right through it though. After his speech in the hall, I was brought to his office and we talked. It was honestly scary how much he already knew. Goodwitch was not pleased when he let me take the entrance exam anyway. But, after hearing about your meeting with him, I have a feeling this isn't the first time he's done something like this."
"Ruby was allowed to attend Beacon two years earlier than us."
"Mm." Blake nodded. "What is your father actually like?"
"He's not a terrible person if that's what you were hoping for," Weiss bit back, before clearing the spike of anger from her mind. "He's… strict. Demanding. A bit controlling. Meticulous… I will fully admit after my time here, he does have some prejudice, though it is mostly directed to the civilian populace. I think I have a small measure of understanding about why that is after the flight over, though. The general public is indeed rough around the edges."
Blake leaned forward ever so slightly, a surprised eyebrow raising as she did. "I appreciate your honesty Weiss. I expected you to be less open about his less desirable traits."
A small frown made its way onto Weiss' face as she considered Blakes words."I suppose we all have our flaws. All he really wants is for me to be the best I can be. I am supposed to take over the SDC as his successor after all."
"I can understand that. It must be a lot of pressure."
There was genuine empathy in that statement, more than she'd ever expected from someone like Blake. It was almost enough to throw her off guard. Almost.
Weiss allowed the smallest upward curl to form on her lips. "It is. However, if I want to change anything it's the sacrifice I have to make."
"Nothing great was ever accomplished without sacrifice," Blake responded. She promptly scowled as if she'd just tasted something foul.
"A bit melodramatic for my tastes." Weiss chuckled. "Who said that?"
"Adam Taurus…"
Blakes eyes seemed to glass over as she sat back. The name never failed to elicit some form of reaction from her, and the silence that filled the space between them was rife with palpably discomfort.
"He's not entirely wrong, though." Weiss let out a deep sigh as she watched as Blakes angry eyes snapped back to her.
"He is wrong. He was referring to the sacrifice of soldiers. Of war. His idea of sacrifice is tainted with violence and blood!" Blake snarled. "He. Is. Wrong."
The sudden aggression had Weiss instantly sitting up straight. Any response died on her lips as a lull formed in the conversation. It was admittedly a little strange to be falling back into old habits like this with somebody other than her father. Weiss was simply thankful she knew how to handle the situation at hand.
However, unlike with her father, the tension between them didn't feel quite so overbearing. Strangely, it almost reminded her of her and Yang's conversation just a few days back. When it was clear that Blake had her emotions under control again, Weiss cleared her throat, bringing Blake's attention back to her.
"I see. Well, rest assured Blake. My sacrifice doesn't involve spilling other people's blood. Business court rarely gets so exciting in Atlas."
The joke was terrible and so, so out of place in their conversation, yet Weiss couldn't help but be satisfied with the chaotic mix of emotions that played out as Blake as anger was replaced first by confusion before finally settling on a small smile.
"No. I can't imagine they would be."
"What about your parents?" Weiss pressed forwards. "What were they like growing up?"
Blake smiled, her eyes once again lost to the world of her mind, but where once Weiss only found biting anger, this time it was sadness. "Warm. Ghira, my dad, was still working with the White Fang when I was born, so Kali, my mom, had to take care of me a lot when I was a baby. He tried so hard to be there as much as possible. But…"
"It always felt like there was something more important." Weiss finished. "I know the feeling."
"Exactly. He helped pave the way for all future Faunus legislature, though." Blake adamantly amended. "I can't really be mad at him for giving up a little play time when he was trying to help everyone. Though I would be lying if I said his dedication didn't wear off on me."
Weiss cocked her head. "What did they think of you joining the white fang?"
Blake slumped a little in her chair as she sighed deeply. "I was twelve when Ghira finally handed over the White Fang to Sienna, but he was still Kuo Koana's chieftain so it's not like he was working any less. He was happy I was involved… despite the direction the Fang went in initially. My mom was… less than pleased when I followed Adam. She must have seen right through him from the start, but I never listened to her. It strained things between us. I said a lot of things I shouldn't have."
"I know the coast doesn't have the best reception," Weiss began, pausing as her father's words began to worm their way into her mind. However, one look at Blakes curious gaze was all it took to force her doubts from her mind. "I could get you tower access if you want to call them."
Blake smiled as she absentmindedly grabbed a book off the stack that Weiss had so foolishly brought to the table. As she idly glanced over the cover, she said, "That's very kind of you. I think we both know that's not the reason why I haven't called yet though."
"Scared?" Weiss guessed, glaring at the book stack once more.
Blake's bow drooped ever-so-slightly as she frowned. "In a sense. It's just been so long, and so much has happened. They have to know a lot of what I've done to… I don't know what I'd do if they hated me…"
Weiss bit her tongue ever so slightly as she thought over her own upbringing. "I don't have much experience in that realm, but your parents both sound like they care about you no matter what Blake."
"You're probably right..." Blake trailed off, her gaze drifting back down to the book in her hands.
An awkward silence sat between them as Weiss quietly tried to think of another question that would be less morose.
"We don't have to talk more than you want. We can study as well. I did spend a lot of time getting these books."
"Thank you." Blake gave her a small smile in return. "I suppose I get to ask you two questions now?"
"I did wonder if you had picked up on that," Weiss said as she allowed the ghost of a smile to grace her face. Without another word, she gestured towards Blake with an open palm.
"Who taught you how to sing?"
"My personal tutor was Auguste Götze." Weiss began, before she frowned. "Wait, why do you want to know that?"
"Oh, just curious." Blakes quirked eyebrow and curled smile had Weiss' own thoughts suddenly working overtime.
"You're incorrigible." Weiss muttered, shaking her head slightly as Blake held up the book she'd been toying with.
"Second question. What can you tell me about the settlements in Atlas before the Great war?"
If Weiss had been confused before, she was outright baffled by this newest question, especially since the book Blake held was entirely devoted to the same topic.
Blake gave her a small cheshire grin. "I wasn't lying about needing help with history."
Weiss scowled. "You are insufferable."
Blake's grin grew wider. "That's a bit rich coming from you, Ice Queen."