Gravity
Weiss' eyes shot open as a hot spike of pain raked her back, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain as she clenched her teeth and her hand snapped to her shoulder blades. While she'd become well acquainted with the regular cramps in her wings these past few months, this was far beyond anything she'd dealt with prior. It felt as though her wings were attempting to clench down to half their normal size, causing tears to form in her eyes.
She gripped the edge of her wing tightly through the thin fabric of her uniform as the pain continued to worsen, and bit her lip to choke back any further whimpers or gasps. Panic clawed at her as she quickly scanned the room for movement. Her bleary eyes barely cut through the pitch black of the library, forcing her to simply hold her breath and wait for the pain to subside.
Quietly, she counted the seconds in her head.
One. Five. Ten. Twenty-
Ever so slowly, she felt the pain recede to a dull throb, allowing her to strain her ears and listen intently for anything amiss.
There was no unexplainable sound, no thumping or shuffling of movement. The library remained quiet as the dead.
Weiss let out a slow sigh and allowed her hand to drop from her shoulder to the open text book that had been acting as her pillow.
Her wings had almost become an alarm clock for her as of late with the way they seemed to cramp up nearly every night she spent here. Though, perhaps sleeping in one of the library's study chairs was also playing a small part in that. The arrangement was certainly not ideal, but then she had been through worse and survived, so what was the point in complaining?
At least her sleep had been quiet and dreamless the last few nights. For the most part.
The textbook on Grimm below her was still open to the last section she could remember working on, with her notes scattered behind the small wall of books she had built to hide herself. The last few sentences she had written were barely even legible thanks to the fact that half of them were now ink smudges scattered across her hands and arms. There was even a small spot on the textbook where her face had been, slightly smudged with ink and… sweat?
Weiss' glared pointedly at the small spots of moisture on the book. She did feel a bit clammy. A small whiff of the air also confirmed she could definitely do with a shower, and a change of clothing. She would absolutely have to do that before going to pick up her dress for tomorrow.
Her scroll blinked at her from under the last of her dance preparations. The invoices for the services she had requested were all neatly stacked and ready to be handed over. Payment information and details all meticulously calculated and double checked. She couldn't wait to see how the rest of her team would react-
Weiss shook her head quietly, turning her attention to her scroll to check the time. She had a schedule to keep.
Four twelve in the morning. A little under two hours before the library opened. More than enough time to pack and get out before anyone realized she had been here.
Weiss let out a quiet, shrill yawn as she slowly stood, carefully stretching as she eased herself into the morning routine she'd created for herself over the last week, before methodically packing away her notes, and books. She carefully slung her bag over her shoulder before quietly sneaking out of the library and back into Beacon's main hallways.
After stopping by the locker room to freshen up, she hurried to the cafeteria for an early breakfast and coffee to prepare her for her first class. History. While Professor Oobleck tried to make his lectures interesting, they were still an excellent excuse to nap until this affair finally blew over. She could always catch up on the material later…
"Be sure to cover the assigned reading tonight, and have your papers ready for submission after the weekend! Class dismissed!"
The bustling sounds of the other students clambering to leave had Weiss instantly alert and scrambling. She quickly shoved her text book back into her bag and shuffled out of the classroom, into the crowded hallways, poignantly ignoring the looks sent in her direction.
She was still quite tired, but at least a little more alert. The fog from the morning has cleared a bit, and given her next class was combat training it was quite prudent-
A heavy impact on Weiss' shoulder knocked her out of her own head, sending her stumbling slightly before glancing up at the girl who she had run into. The semi-familiar red dress and side swept black hair barely even registered amidst the haze that had clouded her mind for the last while.
"Hm?" Cinder peered over at Weiss as she quickly regained her balance. Her moment of confusion almost made Weiss wonder if she had even noticed she nearly knocked her over.
"Weiss Schnee." Cinder smiled, "You should really watch where you're going in the future."
"..Sorry." Weiss quickly turned on her heel and continued on her way without another sound, watching as the other students almost instinctively seemed to move out of her way. Despite her somewhat disheveled dress, the intensity of her stride cut through the crowds like a hot knife as she pulled out her scroll to check the time. A quick glance showing the time to be a little after one in the afternoon.
Weiss felt her lips curl into a small frown as she slid the scroll back into her pocket and carried on her way. She didn't have time to waste wondering where the morning had gone. She had classes to attend. Assignments to complete. She had to maintain that same flawlessness that she'd been striving for her whole life.
She was fully aware that it should be concerning, how the hours of each day melded together into a formless mass of time that she could barely remember. She could feel her mind wander as her body went through the day to day motions.
Really, this monotonality was familiar in a way. It reminded her of home. The reprieve from the chaos that Ruby and the others had injected into her life was quite welcome. It would certainly make it far easier to maintain her current course. She would be able to bring her marks back up to the level she was expected to - that she knew she could - perform at.
It was embarrassing to see how her grades had slipped below the agreed ranking prior to her father's much needed wake up call. This last week was a good start, but it would take a lot more than that to get her back up to the required top three ranking. Unfortunately, she had yet to manage to cut back on the amount of Dust she was required to use in her bouts, but she was making a concerted effort to at least use it more intelligently so that every speck of it would count.
Goodwitch often reminded her of the resource's finite nature, asking her to stay after class so they could discuss other fighting options. Foolishly forgetting that Weiss was a Schnee, that Dust ran in her blood, and her reservoirs would always be refilled before the next match.
The other school students were less willing to test her in the sparring ring as well. Coming at her with every trick in the book. Sneak attacks, low blows, trying to match her Dust reserves. Anything they could think of. She was already exhausted most days, and now every bout seemed to drain even more from her, with the bindings leaving her breathing so heavily she could barely move-
"shing"
Sweat plastered her bangs to her brow, as she dove away from the sickle that was careening towards her. Nearly tripping over herself as she landed near one of the many ice walls she had created, before bringing up Mythrester to her cheek.
Emerald was tricky. Annoyingly so. And cocky too. That stupid smile never left her face even as she twirled her weapons in hand and dashed in and out so quickly Weiss barely had time to retaliate. If this spar continued the way it had been, Emerald would end up chipping her aura down to almost nothing.
Another loss added to her ever growing list. Another failure.
Anger surged through Weiss. She quickly cycled Myrtenaster's cylinder to fire Dust with practiced ease and launched a series of fireballs towards the girl.
The Dust-fueled explosions barely rocked Emerald as she easily flipped away. At the apex of her leap, she launched her sickles toward a pillar of ice Weiss had formed earlier, anchoring herself. With another smirk and a tug, Emerald launched toward her.
Weiss threw herself out of the way, switching the cylinder again and glaring at Emerald as she slammed into the pillar of ice where Weiss had just been standing.
No. She was not losing today.
There was a dull throb from her back as she threw all her strength into Myrtenaster, launching the rapier at her opponent with a blast of wind Dust and a fierce cry. White glyphs burned along its edge, further amplifying the speed of her makeshift projectile.
The surprise that etched itself onto Emeralds face as Myrtenaster hit her was one of the single most satisfying things Weiss had seen all week. The impact of her weapon tore the green-haired girl from her perch, sending her careening off the pillar while Myrtenaster ricocheted off her and launched itself in another direction, still under the force of the wind Dust. With a metallic ring, the rapier buried itself to the hilt in the concrete training walls.
Elation coursed through Weiss as she watched her opponent slam into the ground far outside the platform, leaving her alone in the ring. She'd need to buy more wind Dust after that little display, but that didn't matter. Sure, it could hardly be called a proper win. The heavy silence from the crowd was more than enough to realize that, but she could not find it in herself to care. Her father wanted results, wanted his Dust being put to good use, and with a fresh victory she was providing just that.
"Miss Xiaolong?" Glynda's voice broke the silence that had followed Weiss' final blow. "Would you please assist Miss Schnee with her sword?
The sound of a chair shuffling against the stone floor was audible even from the arena. She could practically feel the eyes of her peers silently boring into her.
It was fine. She didn't need the praise or admiration of her peers. They were beneath her. They made her weak. She didn't-
"Here."
Yang's voice tore Weiss out of her own thoughts. She quickly took the offered weapon, only to catch a glimpse of Yang's frown turning to a wide grin.
"That was a hell of a move you pulled."
"Thank you," Weiss muttered, looking away as she rose to her feet and brushed away the dust coating her skirt.
"You ok?"
Weiss spared Yang a quick glance with a curt nod. "I'm fine. Thank you for your assistance. You can go."
Weiss turned away from her teammate and quickly made her way back to her seat. Rather than attempting to stop her or speak with her like she'd expected, Yang simply huffed quietly. She heard the distinct clunking of Yang's boots on the stone floor, signaling that she was being left alone.
She didn't even bother sparing the rest of her team a glance. She already knew full well the kind of looks she would be receiving. She could practically feel Blake's anger and Ruby's forlorn gaze.
That was a good thing though… It meant her efforts were working. Just like she wanted – needed them to. She was no longer distracted. Her father approved of the changes she had made, despite how uncomfortable she was. Yes, her eyes stung from sleep deprivation. Yes, her wings ached and cramped much more often with how tight she wore her bindings. However, she was clearly back on track once again. Focused once more on her real goal.
How had she allowed herself to become distracted by such insignificant things? She didn't want their kindness… She had almost forgotten her own birthday! She only had a mere three months until she would be free from the secrets, and she'd nearly forgotten! The fact she needed a reminder of such a significant moment in her life, only further cemented what a failure of a Schnee she had been in recent months.
Three months. She only needed to keep this up for another three months. After that, she could fix this mess. She would be able to set thing right with everybody, finally be the teammate Ruby-
"Miss Schnee?" Glynda's voice tore through her thoughts.
Weiss caught herself before she stumbled and turned to face Goodwitch. "Yes?"
"A word after class if you would?"
Weiss felt the urge to roll her eyes as she nodded and turned to leave the arena. Once she reached the locker room, she took a seat at one of the benches and began cycling Myrtenaster's cylinder to check her Dust levels. Any remaining elation from her win vanished when the cylinder didn't budge. That was fine, there was no need to panic. It was simply a one-off failure. She pushed the trigger again. Nothing.
Weiss scowled as she began inspecting the visible parts of the mechanism. Nothing seemed amiss. She must have knocked something inside loose with that last attack. Oh, who was she kidding? Of course she had. She had thrown the sword for dust sake! Allowed her emotions to control her. She may as well have thrown a temper tantrum in the ring.
She didn't deserve such a beautiful weapon if this was how she was going to treat it…
Weiss delicately placed her weapon in her locker. She would need to have Ruby-
No. She would look after it later. She would fix it. She was the cause of this, she needed to be the one to pick up after herself.
With a resolute nod, Weiss slipped out of the locker room before making the short dash to the dorm rooms.
Glynda had requested she stay behind for yet another meeting, of course, but that was irrelevant. Weiss had made it perfectly clear that Dust would be no issue for somebody of her lineage the first time they'd spoken after her bouts.
She didn't need Glynda's advice or lectures right now. What she needed was a shower, a change of clothing and to pick up her dress for tomorrow's dance. Perhaps she should also stop by the cafeteria to grab some food before her trip to Vale. She likely wouldn't have time after she returned, what with Oobleck's paper and Peach's upcoming test.
Though for now, a nice warm shower was an excellent starting point.
"Central Vale. Mind the gap."
Weiss instinctively glanced up toward the Bulkhead's speaker system as the unfamiliar female voice cut through her thoughts. She shook her head quietly, leaving the aircraft and headed along a long memorized route through Vale to the Sopor Shopping District.
Weeks ago she had planned to take her team to get dresses. Honestly, the lot of them almost certainly had nothing even remotely acceptable for any sort of formal event. That little black duffle bag Blake kept under her bed was all the evidence she needed in regards to Blake, and if the sisters had anything nicer than their everyday attire, they had certainly never given any indication of the fact.
It was a shame really. She had even scoped out a quaint little boutique at the edge of Sopor that specialized in regional specific dresses. She'd even set aside some funds to purchase their dresses…
Now though, what did it matter?
Weiss shook her head before straightening her posture. With her head held high, she walked past the small line of people, and straight into Torsten Amft. When the queue let out a small cry of annoyance, she made sure to pointedly ignore the complaints.
"Ah, Miss Schnee," the familiar attendant at the door greeted her, before gesturing for her to follow. "Perfect timing. We have the dress ready for you in the back."
"Excellent." Weiss nodded, stopping with her at the front desk where they quickly typed a few things into the hard light display. "I'd like to see it before delivery if that's alright."
"Of course, Miss Schnee. However, before that will be possible, there has been a small issue in regards to the payment," she said with a hesitant smile. "I'm afraid the account you gave us has blocked the transaction three times now."
Weiss' brows furrowed as she bit her lip. Of course she should have expected it but all the same it was very much an embarrassing sting to see the pitying smile on the attendant's face.
"How much is the total?"
"21,500 Lien"
Pulling out her wallet, Weiss extracted her personal card and handed it to the cashier who swiped it through the terminal and handed it back to Weiss.
"Excellent, and again I am so sorry for the trouble."
Weiss smiled back. "No trouble at all. It must have been an accounting error."
They both knew that was a bald-faced lie, but the attendant nodded anyway and motioned to lead Weiss into the back rooms.
Her scroll buzzed right before she followed. Pulling it out Weiss frowned when she saw her fathers contact.
"One moment please." Weiss held up a hand before, walking a distance away from the woman and answering.
"Good afternoon father," Weiss said, keeping her tone as even as possible. "Is there something I can be of use for?"
"What did I tell you about spending my money Weiss?"
The familiar bored tone of her father was at least slightly less worrisome compared to the last time they had spoken.
"Rest assured I remember Father. The SDC account was locked after all. The money came from my own account." Weiss replied evenly.
"I can see that." Jacques scoffed over the line. "Torsten Amft nonetheless. What exactly do you need a new dress for? And why was I not consulted?"
"Oh, it's nothing really. A school dance." Weiss replied easily. "Pyrrah will be there as well as a number of high profile students from the other schools. I thought it prudent to impress them all."
"Oh? And what possessed you to believe I would allow you to attend such an event alone?"
There was a small chill that crept down Weiss' spine at his words.
"My apologies, Father. I did not wish to bother you with such a trivial matter, given how small the event is. Frankly, there is a lower risk of discovery than even simply wandering the halls of Beacon. Of course, I have also taken all the usual precautions regardless, and more besides. The back of the dress is even more conservative than the one you selected for me for the Spring Gala-"
"I thought you were done talking back to me," Jacques said, his words far more oppressive than they had been mere moments ago. "When have I ever allowed you to attend such an event by yourself? Your mother is as useless as ever; Winter, as I have been informed, is not at Beacon right now; and I am unable to attend. Were something to happen, there would be nobody to step in without raising suspicion. Frankly, I'm disappointed you didn't realize this sooner."
Weiss felt rooted in place as a cold anger gripped her. She took a brief moment - as long as she could without angering her father - to calm herself.
"I have accounted for that as well, father. I arranged to be the hostess to minimize-"
"And what if one of those commoners were to spill something on you? Or if you were to fall like at the spring concert? No, there are too many variables, too much risk."
"F-father! I understand your concerns. However I am the individual responsible for planning the dance. I am expected to attend-"
"That will be enough from you, Weiss." Her father's clipped voice quashed any resistance Weiss had left in her. "You may have made some strides in the past week, but you're treading far closer to defiance than I would like right now. You will not attend the dance, and that is final."
Weiss dug her nails into her palm as she took a deep breath and spoke the words that were forever seared into her mind.
"Yes, father."
"Good. Do hold onto the dress though. It will need to be checked, of course, but the Winter Gala is still on the horizon. It would be a pity to waste it."
"Yes, father."
"Do not forget your brother's birthday is tomorrow as well. Consider giving him a call instead of wasting your time with such an unimportant event."
The line went dead as Weiss' emotions ran cold. With practiced ease, she stamped down her anger, smoothed her skirt and turned back to the attendant.
"My apologies."
"That is quite alright. We have the dress prepared for viewing. Right this way, Miss Schnee."
Weiss' eyes stung as she followed behind the attendant. The dejection and humiliation her father had inflicted upon her finally reached a boiling point as she entered the viewing room and saw the beautiful gown they had prepared for her.
It was perfect.
Of course it would be, she had paid enough for it to be but still. The flowing lines and pale blue color of the long gown, complimented by a splash of deep blue and red on the inside lining of the small jacket that would cover her shoulders and back more extensively. It was all at once familiar and comforting to her, while still being more than striking enough to catch anyone's eyes.
Weiss stepped past the attendant and began a slow circle around the room. Taking it all in. The Schnee family crest on the back of the jacket. The darker blue silk that would run across the top of her shoulders. The slit down the left leg that opened to show the white textured fabric beneath.
Her eyes stung as she drank in the beautiful garment. A garment she would not be allowed to wear until he allowed it. The very idea that it would simply sit in the dorm room's closet for months on end was tortuous, let alone the thought of her father rejecting it.
"It's perfect," Weiss said simply, keeping her emotions as far from her voice as possible. "Please have it sent to Beacon Academy. First year dorm, room number five."
The attendant behind her said something, but the sound was distant as Weiss said her goodbyes and made to leave the establishment.
Weeks of work, planning and effort, all up in flames with only a dress that might be worn months from now to show for it. Yet another failure to add to her ever growing list.
This was supposed to be her chance to bask in success, even just a little. All of her hard work, finally paying off. Her team would finally experience a small glimpse of the world Weiss had come from, to see why she had been putting so much effort into it, why she cared so much.
It was meant to be their chance to see her as she truly was…
Frustration and anger coursed through her veins as Weiss boarded the airship back to Beacon. Emotions bounced around her mind as she took a window seat and watched as the street lights faded into the dark evening clouds. She was already hard at work planning out her evening, accounting for all the missed classwork and studying she still had to catch up on before sleeping.
A part of her was curious as to what her team was doing right now. Probably not any school work. Granted, they didn't need to maintain a near-perfect ranking, so what did it matter anyway? She had seen Ruby spending far more time with Penny as of late. Blake would likely be reading. Yang would be either relaxing or at the gym. One way or another, all of them were doubtlessly enjoying yet another evening of rest.
Weiss frowned as she exited the airship.
When did things become so… unfair? She was trying so hard. Working herself to death. She'd given him everything he'd demanded in a mere week and he couldn't even give her even one moment of reprieve. How much did she need to give for him to be happy? To say he was proud of-
A shiver rippled through her as a cold wind cut through her combat skirt. The brisk evening air sent goose bumps up her arms, forcing her to leave the doorway and tuck them under her jacket as she glanced around the dorm roof.
Oh…
Weiss took a few deep breaths of the cool air before pulling out her scroll, the time flashing just after ten in the evening. Over an hour past the library's usual closing time.
"Mist," Weiss sighed, slipping the scroll back into her pocket and glancing out past the roof's edge once more.
The lights of Vale and Beacon were so charming this time of the evening… She supposed she could indulge herself a little before she found a place to work and sleep for the night. Perhaps the comfortable-looking chairs by the main office?
Weiss walked slowly to the edge, stepping onto the small raised ledge to stand on the edge as she had done so many times before.
She breathed as deeply as her bindings would allow, letting a small amount of the tension she felt eb away into the night, before crouching down and sitting on the edge to enjoy the soothing feeling of the cool evening air. She could practically feel the tense knots and aches fade as she gazed out at the city lights far below her.
She could always sleep here… though maybe that was a bit too reckless, even for someone who ran as cold as her. Besides, the irony of falling to her death - not to mention the absolutely horrid jokes the tabloids would make - was decidedly not the legacy she wanted to leave behind…
Though it was admittedly, somewhat ironic how so much had changed, and yet here she still was. Alone atop the roof, looking out at the night sky.
Weiss crossed her arm, rested her head in her hand, ignoring the binding digging deep into her sides. With a sigh, she wistfully looked out at the stars scattered through the night sky. She could practically feel the small specks of light taunting her.
As if she had any right to wish for more.
And yet…
She could try and convince herself otherwise, but deep down she knew the truth. She did wish for more. She wished she could have everything that the closeness she'd found with three girls she had barely known for three months had promised her.
She should have known better. She… she did know better. Her father had reminded her of that. Now she was paying the price. The pain she felt now, it was just another reminder of why she didn't let people in.
Why she didn't belong-
"Hey, Weiss."
Yang stopped in the darkened main hallway as she let out a deep sigh, glancing around the area.
Part of her wanted to turn back now. Searching for Weiss was beginning to feel more and more like walking towards a blazing inferno. Not that she was really all that worried about getting burned, but it was still good to be cautious. Honestly, it was a bit ironic given how much everyone was calling Weiss Ice Queen these days… Granted, a lot about her current situation was ironic.
A day earlier she had been telling Ruby to let Weiss simmer down and wait for her to come around. Now here she was looking high and low for the heiress the following night.
All because of a stupid feeling.
Yang groaned as she quickly turned and headed out the main doors, heading towards the training grounds.
Yes, she could blame her over active imagination, but given all the shit that had hit the fan as of late, and how worried Ruby was, she couldn't stop her gut from churning as she thought back to the blank stare of the heiress after her victory. How the happiness never made it to her eyes.
What was even worse though, was the more Yang watched her, the more she saw that Weiss was less and less… there. Her eyes were glazed over as she stalked from class to class, looking like her mind was a million miles away while her body still went through the motions. Ignoring all three of them as she ran head first down her warpath.
No. Something bad was going on with Weiss. It was really the only explanation that made any sense given what they knew.
Everything had been going fine. Better than fine actually. It seemed like Weiss was actually starting to make progress and open up, and then bam. All of sudden she pulled a total one eighty and threw all that progress back into their faces.
The Ice Queen was back in full force, and scarier than ever. Well, at least when compared to the girl who tore into Ruby at the-
A flash of white caught the corner of Yang's eye just as she turned towards the training halls. Her head snapped towards it just in time to see the pale back of the heiress as she walked away from her, her white dress briefly illuminated by one of the many lamp posts along Beacon's paths as she headed deeper into the school grounds.
Yang quickly redirected herself, almost stumbling in the darkness as she trailed after her. It was admittedly hard to see in the evening light, but with each lamp they passed by, a frown slowly grew on Yang's face.
Yang knew that normally Weiss managed to hide it pretty well, but now that she seemed to have her guard down, it was easy to see the complete and utter exhaustion suffused into every fiber of her being.
They all knew Weiss struggled to take care of herself even on the best of days, but this? This was so much worse. The way her stride was clipped as she put extra weight on her right side meant she was likely still hurt from her fight earlier in the day. She seemed to barely be aware of the world around her. She hadn't even noticed Yang following behind her, what with how occupied she seemed to be with looking up at the night sky above.
It was… sad… seeing her like this. The usually proud spirited girl seemed so frail and fragile, even as they powered through Beacon's empty grounds, seeming to head back towards… the dorms?
Why was she headed there? She hadn't slept in their room all week…
Yang frowned as Weiss disappeared into the dorm building. Not wanting to lose her, she quickly closed the distance and threw the door open. Finding the first floor completely empty. She'd probably gone up the stairs. She definitely wouldn't be anywhere below the fourth floor. She had no reason to be staying with an upperclassman. Sure, she'd spoken with Coco and Velvet occasionally, but the idea that she was staying with them seemed unlikely. Especially if that rumor about a fight between her and Coco was true. Yang quickly rushed up to the fourth story landing and checked the floor. Nothing. Maybe the roof then?
The dorm's room roof wasn't exactly a place Yang went to often. She had heard from Ruby it was a place Weiss visited pretty regularly though. That would definitely explain, at least a little bit, why the heiress might be heading there so late in the evening… but still…
Yang was about halfway up the flight of stairs when she felt the cool air pooling down from the floor above. The elation at having guessed correctly quickened her pace until she finally reached the roof. Yang was sure the rough grating of the metal door would alert Weiss to her arrival, but then, she was here to talk so maybe that was for the best-
Yang's heart dropped.
Weiss was slowly stepping up to the edge of the building. Her shoulders slumped, and head hanging low, giving her silhouette a particularly solemn look.
Yang was a breath from dashing toward her teammate when, instead of what she'd been dreading, Weiss eased herself into a sitting position at the edge of the concrete. She could feel the panic gripping her quickly lessen now that it seemed Weiss wasn't planning something… drastic.
Why had she been so worried?
Weiss was a fighter, through and through. Sure, she was going through the ringer right now, but there was no reason for her to be worried about her standing on the edge of a building…
Yet something about the situation had Yang on edge. Maybe it was the exhaustion, the raw display of emotions in the spar earlier that day, or maybe it was just her own honed instincts. Whatever it was, watching Weiss on that edge, seeing her breathing deeply before crossing her arms and cupping her cheek, all of it had her stomach roiling…
Before she could think twice, Yang was out the door and into the cool night air. She quickly made her way towards her teammate. Her footsteps were hopefully heavy enough to alert Weiss of her approach.
"Hey Weiss."
Weiss' head snapped up towards Yang. For a half second, panic flared through her expression, until recognition at who she was looking at finally registered, only for her expression to immediately turn to annoyance.
Yang sighed deeply as she crouched down by the ledge, taking in the heiress' bagged eyes.
A flurry of emotions flashed across her face before she finally settled on a firm glare. "What are you doing here, Yang?"
With as much casual confidence as she could muster - and that was quite a lot, if she did say so herself - Yang said, "Nothing much. Just came up to enjoy the view. What about you? Didn't take you as an adrenaline junkie."
Weiss' scowl grew. Turning her gaze back to the city below, she sighed, "I'm not. I just like heights. They help me… breathe..."
Yang's gut clenched with unease at the motion. It was such an unrealistic thing to worry about, and yet…
Yang breathed deeply, calming the alarms ringing in her head as she took in Weiss'.
Despite the situation, it was possibly the most "normal" looking Yang had ever seen her. Her clothing was rumbled and her hair rife with flyaways. She almost looked like a typical seventeen year old rather than the perfect nobel daughter she usually presented to the world.
"Why are you actually here?" Weiss' voice cut through the silence.
"Mm?" Yang blinked before standing, stretching her legs as she did. "Oh… Just here to talk, check in. That's all."
"Then talk," Weiss curtly replied, wincing as she slowly rose to her feet. "Otherwise, stop wasting my time-"
"Stop," Yang interrupted. When Weiss' expression flipped from annoyance to outright anger, she quickly threw her hands up. "Sorry, just – Look, could you please get off the ledge before we talk?"
"Why? It's not as though where I'm standing is particularly important."
Yang took a moment to consider her answer before finally shrugging to herself. "Because I'm worried you're gonna fall."
Weiss let out a scoff and looked away from Yang. "We were launched off a cliff during initiation, Yang. I can handle a little fall."
"I know," Yang said with a smile and a shrug. "But just because somebody knows something, that doesn't mean they'll stop worrying. Like, I know Ruby can tear apart a couple of Beowolves without breaking a sweat, but I still worried about her during initiation."
There was a heavy silence as the two women stood across from one another before it was promptly broken by a heavy sigh from Weiss as she stepped off the concrete curb. She narrowed her eyes as she stepped up to Yang, hands resting on her hips.
"Better?"
"Yah… Thanks."
For a moment that seemed to stretch out for hours, the two stared at each other with an uneasy silence between them. A harsh breeze blew over the roof, prompting Weiss to visibly lock up. To prevent a shiver? Was she not shielding herself with her aura? If she was right, Weiss must be freezing.
"Well?" Weiss asked, shooting a glare at Yang. "You said you wanted to talk?"
"Yah." Yang sighed. Weiss might be fine freezing herself to the bone, but she didn't want to rush this, or miss something because she was cold. "Okay, maybe talk is the wrong word. It's more that I wanted to check in… It's been a week now and… well…"
"How considerate," Weiss huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm fine Yang. You should be more worried about Blake. She's lost every bout this week."
Yang quietly chuckled and shook her head. "Y'know, I don't get you Weiss."
Weiss scoffed, opening her mouth to reply but Yang powered on.
"Every time I think you're finally coming around, something happens and you fall right back into whatever this is. Then, out of nowhere, you'll say or do something that makes me think that you actually do care… Like, what happened? Did we miss something important? Did something happen that we should know about? Because this whole thing came out of nowhere and I'm really starting to worry about you."
Weiss scowled, turning away from her gaze to stare out at the night sky.
Yang let out a deep sigh, halfway to throwing her arms up. "Weiss, we've been teammates - friends! - for months now. You know you can come to us if you're in trouble right?"
"No. I can't."
There was a cold finality to Weiss' words that cut deep. A certainty to them that threatened to ignite her anger.
"You can't or you won't?" Yang asked, her voice dangerously low.
"What does it matter?"
"Because one's a choice."
Seconds ticked by as Weiss silently stared out into the night, biting her lip the whole while. Yang could feel the tension in her shoulders build more and more as her anger continued to burn hotter and hotter.
She was just about to demand an answer, when Weiss shook her head and let out a tired, resigned sigh. "Can't. Now, as I said, I'm fine. You can go now."
Yang stood taller at the dismissal, her rage quickly redirecting itself at whatever had caused Weiss to treat them the way she had been. "No."
Weiss snapped her gaze back to Yang. "Excuse me?"
Yang stood her ground. Watching Weiss' brow furrow further with each word. " I said no. I'm done, Weiss. Done watching you run away. Done being in the dark. Done with you not trusting us. Either you tell me what's up, or you go pack your bags and find a different team."
"How dare- you have no right to demand anything from me, Tang." Weiss said, a low, resigned anger simmering in her eyes as she locked eyes with Yang.
The two held each other's gaze for a brief moment before Weiss' scowl wavered. The expression slipped from her face as she backed off, practically deflating without her indignant anger fueling her. If there had been any doubt before, it was now abundantly clear just how much Weiss had been running herself ragged. She looked as though she was barely staying on her feet.
Yang's anger was quickly snuffed out at the clear sight of Weiss' blatant exhaustion. "Weiss. Talk to me. I won't tell Ruby or Blake if you really don't want me to. Please, just, tell me what's really going on."
Slowly, Weiss nodded, looking back up to Yang. "Not a word of any of this to the others."
"My lips are sealed."
Weiss nodded much more firmly this time before taking a deep breath. "I… have been trying to… to correct myself as of late. My father noticed a change in my behavior and he… he reminded me of my goals, of the consequences for not uploading my end of our deal. That reminder helped me see how much of a distraction you three have been…. That is why I have been avoiding you… "
"You've been avoiding us because of something your dad said?" Yang shook her head, "That's it? That's why you've been running away from us? That's why you threw away Blake's trust like that? Because you were, what? Scared your dad would take away your allowance or something?"
"Of course not! He was nearly ready to pull me from Beacon, Yang! Besides, I didn't–"
Weiss cut herself off with a horror-stricken look. She'd already said more than enough to set the cogs in Yang's mind spinning.
It didn't take long for her to come to a conclusion about what Weiss had been about to say… but even as the pieces all slotted together Yang found herself doubting it.
Slowly, deliberately, Yang said, "You didn't tell him about Blake, did you?"
Weiss let out a small tsk before locking her eyes on Yang once more."It doesn't matter. What matters is I failed to uphold my end of the deal, and you three are to blame."
The words, the pure disdain that Weiss spoke them with washed over Yang. It was so easy to see now that Weiss was just trying to get Yang fired up. Trying to distract her.
It was too little, too late though. Yang's mind was already hard at work putting the pieces of this puzzle together.
"It doesn't matter? Weiss, you lied to us, made us think you'd sold out Blake… We thought you were trying to ruin her chance at a new life!"
"Only because you three wouldn't leave me alone!" Weiss stamped her foot. "I've failed on so many accounts and you're all to blame!"
"We're to blame? Why? Because we have been 'distractions'?" Yang let her words hang in the air briefly before shaking her head. "Weiss, the only thing we have been 'distracting' you from is being a total bitch."
The cold glare of Weiss was almost answered enough until she spoke once more."Whether you meant to or not, you inflicted far more damage than that."
"Damage?" Yang almost laughed in disbelief, hearing the absurd things Weiss was saying. "Right. Being nice to us, and not being judgmental of other students and the Faunus. I'm sure your dad is really bent out of shape over that change."
"You don't get it! My marks dropped below the agreed upon level! I've been speaking and acting in a manner unbefitting of a Schnee! I even lied to him, Yang!" Weiss gripped her dress tightly in either hand, breathing as deeply as she could.
"You lied to him? What do you–" Yang was instantly on high alert as the connections were fully made. "Do you mean the whole academic leader thing?"
"Yes…"
"He found out about that?! How?! Weiss, why didn't you tell us!?"
"Obviously because I handled it." Weiss sighed as she turned away from Yang. " I'm still here aren't I?"
Yang paused as she digested the new information, putting a few of the pieces together in her mind before she spoke. "When did he find out?"
Weiss seemed to struggle for a second as she thought back. "I'm… not entirely sure. Perhaps a week or so ago? But it doesn't matter. Everything is fine Yang. I told you, I handled it."
"A week huh?" Yang shook her head, "So that's why you threw us away huh?"
"No, I… I just…" Weiss sighed, defeat plain in her expression. "Yang, it was either this or returning to the Manor. Attending Beacon may seem like a miniscule step in your life but for me it is everything…"
Yang opened her mouth to respond, but whatever words she was about to speak were swallowed by the single question that now dominated her mind.
"What's wrong with going home?"
For the first time, Weiss' unshakable confidence wavered before she gave her answer. "Nothing… It doesn't matter."
"If it doesn't matter then why not tell me?"
Weiss spared her a cold glare before looking out at the city lights once more. "Because my home life is private."
"You told us about the deal you made to come here."
"Yes and look where that has gotten me," Weiss scoffed.
"It got you at least a couple of people who are trying to care about you." Yang shrugged. "Despite your best attempts to convince us otherwise."
Weiss bit her lip before she shook her head. "You shouldn't waste your time on someone like me, Yang."
"I won't speak for Blake, because she is still pissed, but giving up on someone isn't exactly something Ruby and I do. It's kinda our whole deal."
Weiss glared coldly out into the night, her eyes never once meeting Yangs. "I don't remember making any such deal with either of you."
Yang let out a deep sigh as she shook her head. "Your life isn't just a bunch of deals and contracts Weiss."
"Of course it is."
"No. It's not." Yang scowled as she stepped up to the heiress. "You're free to make your own choices Weiss. Not everything has to be negotiated."
"No, Yang. You don't get it!" Weiss shouted, rounding on her with a jab to the chest. "None of you do! Deals, negotiations, business, that is my life Yang! It's my entire future! My father is simply preparing me for what lies ahead because once I graduate and take over the SDC, it will be a hundred times worse!"
Yang clenched her fists. "So what?! It doesn't matter if you're not planning on actually being a huntress after graduation! It doesn't give you the right to act however you want! We're your teammates Weiss! People you're supposed to be able to rely on, not lie to and push away whenever it suits you. Do you even realize how much you have been hurting us?!"
Yang's arm shot out to jab her back, forcing Weiss to take a step back. She shoved it roughly aside with a pained snarl. "Of course I do! Do you think that I'm stupid Yang? Of course you're all hurt! I've been doing everything I can to try and keep you all at arm's length! Trying to make the hard choices for you! One that is not only the best for me, but everyone involved!"
"Well your decision was awful! All you've done is hurt people! Make them hate you!" Yang felt the heat creeping into her as Weiss continued to lash out. "You're not doing anyone any favors by doing this to yourself, Weiss!"
"And you're not doing anybody a favor by standing in my way! Do you even understand what me taking over the SDC would mean for the world?! How much good I could do?! My father would never-"
"Oi! Shut the fuck up!" screamed a voice from below. The shout was promptly followed by the sound of a window slamming shut.
The voice stopped Weiss dead in her tracks as her mouth quickly snapped shut. She quickly moved away from the ledge, glancing at Yang with a small click of her tongue as she did.
Yang trailed behind Weiss in a near-suffocating silence as she processed what she'd been told. They all knew Weiss was aiming to take over her family's company, that she didn't have any plans on being a huntress after graduation. And yet, somehow, not one of them had actually considered what that might mean…
When the pair reached the doorway, Weiss turned back to Yang with an almost hopeful look. "Is that enough for you? I'm trying to change the SDC. Change Atlas. Is that reason enough for you to leave me alone?"
In a way, what Weiss was claiming was surreal. Ruby had proudly claimed more than once that when they were huntresses, they would be able to change the world, but they both knew that was an idealistic dream. But Weiss? What Weiss was trying to accomplish sounded real. Like it could actually happen. And to make things even more surreal, Weiss sounded as though she'd been planning this for a while. It was impressive, terrifying, and altogether insane.
But was that enough?
"No."
The frustrated sigh that erupted from Weiss almost had Yang smiling, until her frustrated gaze landed back on her, demanding an explanation.
"Weiss, I'm not saying 'no' because I think what you're trying to do is wrong. I might not know much about what's going on with your family's company, but what you're trying to do sounds like it could do a lot of good. I'm saying 'no' because you're hurting everyone around you. And more importantly, you're hurting yourself."
"I'm fine.."
"No." Yang shook their head firmly. "You're not."
Weiss' eyes twisted with annoyance. "I've told you everything, Yang. I'm trusting you to not tell anyone else about this. So why can't you return the favor and trust me when I say that I'm fine?"
"Because you're not, Weiss! You might not have been talking to us, but we can see how tired and miserable you are. You're barely even there when we're at class, we barely see you in the cafeteria - you will be eating more, by the way! - and you always seem like you're one step away from collapsing in the middle of the hallway. Sure, you got through this week, but how much longer do you really think you can keep doing this to yourself?"
"I will last for as long as I need to Yang, and I don't need your help to do so. Why do you even care? It's not as if my performance has had a negative impact on the team's score."
"It's not about grades, Weiss! All of this stuff with your family and your company, it's crushing you. I might not be able to speak for Blake, but Ruby and I would have absolutely helped you if you'd just told us all of this from the start! You don't need to do everything alone. You can trust us!"
"Trust you?" Weiss scoffed. "I can't trust anyone, Yang. This whole thing became an issue because someone in the faculty told my father everything. Blake hid her heritage and her involvement with The White Fang. My own sister failed to mitigate the changes you three have wrought on me. How on Remnant can I possibly trust any of this team when all you have done is tempt me with things I can't have!? You three have made me weak."
"Being nice isn't a weakness, Weiss! Besides, we were just trying to make you feel like part of the team. Especially since you seemed so much happier."
"My happiness doesn't matter Yang."
"It matters to me! It matters to Ruby! Even Blake cares despite how you've treated her!"
The statement almost seemed to hit Weiss as she took a step back, her eyes boring into Yang, searching for any hint of a lie.
When she finally gave up on the hopeless endeavor, Weiss crossed her arms and looked away with an uncomfortable grimace. "I never asked any of you to care about me…"
"You never needed to, Weiss," Yang said, frowning as her fingernails dug into her palms. "You're not the only one who has baggage on this team. All of us have our issues, but we're a team. We're supposed to carry these things together. Make each other's loads a bit lighter. If you would stop pushing us away, we'd be more than happy to help you, and all you'd have to do is be there for us when we need it."
Weiss shook her head, glancing wistfully out at the night sky. "Why are you all like this?"
"Like what?"
"Kind."
Yang frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"
"It would certainly make things simpler if you weren't…"
The roof was silent as Weiss bit her lip. Taking a deep breath before she spoke again, eyes drilling into the dark sky. "Sometimes, being with all of you scares me…"
Yang gave Weiss a melancholic smile when her eyes flitted up to meet her own, hoping it would encourage her to continue.
"You all… You make me want things that aren't possible."
Yang quickly brought her hands up to clasp behind her head, giving Weiss her brightest smile. "I'm sure they are possible Weiss. You just haven't found the right answer yet."
Weiss scoffed, shaking her head adamantly. "I've been looking for a different answer all my life, Yang. This is the only way I have found that works. That gets me to where I need to be."
"Maybe. But if you destroy yourself along the way, then is it really worth it?"
Shook her head even harder. "You don't understand Yang. If I want to change anything, this is the only path I can take to get there… I have to do this. Alone. Not because I want to, but because I am the only one who can do this."
"No, Weiss. You can't," Yang said as she dropped her arms. "Normally, you'd be scolding Ruby for slacking off in class instead of taking a nap. Normally, you'd never have pulled that move against Emerald. Normally, you'd be talking circles around me. Now? Now you can't even convince me to leave you alone! You're only human, Weiss!"
Weiss crumpled as the words hit, her shoulders deflating as she glared into the rooftop.
"Yang, I… I can't stop. Not yet. Not when I'm so close…"
"I'm not asking you to stop Weiss." Yang slowly pulled the smaller girl towards her, carefully enclosing her in her arms and pulling her head into her shoulder. "Just slow down a little. Please. Stow your pride and get some rest. Not just for us, but for yourself."
Weiss was stiff as a board until Yang released her.
"…Blake…"
"I'll handle her. You just head down to the room and get some rest, ok? Can't have you passing out during the dance after all."
"... Right… the dance." Weiss nodded, grimacing as she slowly turned and walked away from Yang. "The dance."
Yang sighed as she followed behind the exhausted heiress, fully ready to collapse in her own bed.
She paused as she closed the door, watching Weiss slowly descend the stairs, one step at a time.
What was she going to tell Blake?
Author Notes:
German Words:
Mist: Technically means dirt, however is is commonly used as a softer word compared to Scheisse. Something you would mutter while being out of it.
Hello there everyone! Quinn here with a, "gasp" new chapter! WOOOH!
This chapter has been a labor of love like no else. So much was written then rewritten. Editing saw almost every single page needing at least some more major tweaking, and that's not even taking into account that this is a little under double our usual word count. So in short, I REALLY hope the wait was worth it.
Now first and foremost... Holy crap thank you for all the support! We have smashed straight into the 5 digit hits club, crushed past the past 350 Kudos and comments mark, hit nearly 350 combine bookmarks and subs.
Honestly I have no idea what is even going on. All I can say is you all are insane, and amazing and just, Thank you. So so much. For everything. All the support, all the comments, everything. I say this every time, but your comments are the life blood of this story, and Y'all keep it flowing like nothing I've ever seen- and that sounds super morbid and weird but I swear its a good thing.
Right moving on from really weird analogies, this chapter... it got a bit out of hand SO quickly. I originally was going to split it up, but both Sorc and Alucard recommended keeping the Yang and Weis convo, instead of dedicating an entire chapter to it because if yah can't already tell, we are getting real close to something big. I personally think it does work better anyways, though if you would prefer shorter chapters next time, let us know in z comments.
Sorc Comment: This chapter length is NOT gonna be the norm.
Now I know a lot of you were speculating that Weiss is suicidal. Even Yang was thinking it. However while Weiss is going through the pits, she is a fighter through and through. So no. She is not about to off herself. Now that said, she is also not acting like someone who wants to live. So I can see where you all were getting the idea from. And before anyone says anything NO, YOUR COMMENTS DID NOT MAKE ANY OF THIS A REALITY. I applaud the predications though ;)
Dress facts: The dress Weiss commissioned is a slightly modified version of her season 4 gown. 21,500 Lien is roughly around $12,000 USD. Anyone thinking this is an excessive cost for a dress, you are correct. However, after much research I found out that in the world of high fashion, this would actually be about right for a high quality, custom, one of a kind dress produced by a famous stylist. Which is fucking insanity. Rich people really do live in another world.
Now onto the big one. Yang and Weiss. This conversation was REALLY hard to write. We had to map out Beacons grounds, nail down all the conflicting emotions and world views and experiences... Yang is deceptively hard to write when she's not just being fun or happy. Massive Kudo's to whoever is writing Yang ALL THE TIME. She is a seriously tough person to get your head around. Also the number of times Sorc, Alucard and I had to remind ourselves that Weiss is fucking exhausted and NOT running at 100% was so damn high, and those are just a couple of the issues we ran into when rewriting this for the seventh time...
However, this was an incredibly important conversation, so I really do think the time and effort put into was needed. Yang finally getting a small hold on what kind of shit is going on in Wiess' life despite not really having the life experience to fully comprehend what most of it means. Weiss opening up even just a little bit. There is so much nuanced shit going on behind the scenes as well, understanding but not really understanding because they lack the others life experiences, and so many assumptions being made and its deliciously messy.
Honestly this is probably the closest I have ever gotten to writing what a high school conversation actually sounds like. Its really riding that fine line of just mature enough to make sense, but not mature enough to still be seventeen year old's talking. The pettiness, the misunderstandings... Only three months have passed since Weiss arrived at Beacon but it feels like a life time.
Right that's enough from me. I would love to hear what your favorite part of this chapter was though, all your your thought, theories, guess', and all the edits we missed in this beast of a chapter XD! Rest assured we will continue to respond. Yes even to your "good chapters" XD
As always, a huge shout out to my TWO beta readers. That's right TWO. Shikotan (ShinraSorceress on AO3) who helps with all the technical edits, and Alucard45 who handles all the continuity editing/tracking and German. Both are amazing, talented and just all around awesome. Please check out their shit, like comment, subscribe, you get the idea.
Fly high and fly far,
Quinn, signing off.