Renegades (Act IV)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

As always thanks to all my readers for your support! I hope by now you're getting used to the roleplay style of writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

----------

															Act IV.

Tomorrow, in retrospect, came too quickly.

It was more of a heat-of-the-moment decision, and while she didn't quite regret accepting the invitation, it only dawned on her the next day that showing up to a formal gathering dressed in faded shirts and tattered jeans was probably not a good idea. But being quite literally money-less, she wasn't sure what else to do.

Adam owned a pair of dress pants and a few nice shirts, but what wasn't covered in filth was most likely large enough to look completely idiotic on her.

In the end it was Tukson who ended up being her saving grace. When she'd asked for money, he had reached for his wallet, only for his hands to halt the moment she told him the amount. It wasn't a lot - she figured forty lien could get her a simple outfit that wouldn't draw much attention - though it was more than he was used to giving her and his jaw briefly went slack.

"You know Blake, I don't run a charity," he said, exhaling. "What exactly are you using this for?"

She fumbled over the words in her head, trying to string together words. It came out more or less jumbled.

"A party. There's uh - a party I was invited to and I, uh, don't have the right clothes - for the occasion."

"A party?" His brows rose. "Since when do you go to parties?"

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She didn't go to parties, it was as simple as that. This was special.

Another loud sigh, and Blake looked up to see him roll his eyes good-naturedly, his hand digging into his wallet to pull out a few bills and then push them into her hands.

"Don't spend it all in one place, okay kid?"

She would have told him not to call her a kid, but she stared at the money in her hands with something akin to utter surprise.

It was more than she had asked for.

...

When she awoke the next morning she was as famished as she'd been every other morning, which was probably for the better; if last night's turnover had filled her up too much, her father would surely get suspicious.

But it was a good thing she had agreed to go with Blake last night for food, because her father gave her less to eat today than usual.

"You'll be seen by half the town this evening. You've got to look as close to perfect as possible, though you'll never get there."

She knew he meant her scar, and she bowed her head in shame to hide it.

She had savored the apple she was permitted to eat for as long as possible, but after that she was only given water. The cold flavorless liquid made her long for the warm tastefulness of last night's tea.

Preparations for the banquet were happening all day, tables being set up, lights being hung, food being ordered…

Weiss avoided the kitchen area at all costs.

When the sun started to set, the maids called her up to her room to be prepped and dressed. And with the hopes that Blake would really show up tonight, Weiss put her full trust in the Faunus girl and heeded the call of her name.

...

It took bit longer than Blake thought to pick out an outfit, settling finally on nice black pants and a simple white dress shirt and tie. It covered all the bases, and was hopefully presentable enough not to draw attention in a crowd.

The only thing left to do was hide her ears, and by now tying the bow was something she could do with her eyes closed.

She didn't leave until after sundown, figuring it was best to go in with the bulk of public attendees rather than try and sneak in through Weiss' room - avoiding security altogether, but risking the chance of getting caught wandering through the mansion trying to figure out where to go.

In the end it went by without a problem, the eyes of the guards passing over her with little care, and they were herded towards the gardens.

It was nothing short of extravagant. Tables were set with food and lights were hung illuminating the space and the extensive patio for dancing. All of it was set against the backdrop of blooming flower gardens overlooking the oceanic view, and underneath it all the crash of waves echoed in the distance.

People were mingling, already indulging in the many offerings of food and drink and general merriment. All that was missing was Weiss.

...

They opened up the gates to start letting their visitors in, but Weiss was forced to stay inside until the maids had finished dolling her up.

Her dress was layer upon layer of white, intricate embroidered patterns around the ends, collar, and sleeves. A gossamer shawl was wrapped around her shoulders, her feet squished into small white shoes with slight heels. Makeup was caked onto her face in order to conceal her scar, and her hair was let down and curled.

Overall, everything just felt… heavy, far too heavy for her thinning form.

When she was finally permitted to leave, the maids herded her down the stairs and to the doors.

The gardens were teeming with people, all of whom Weiss was required to greet formally. One small blessing she considered was the fact that her betrothed husband and his family were not present; they were to arrive in Vale within the next few days, and she would only see him on her wedding day, but not before then.

She caught sight of her father, looming and intimidating, but subtly so, calculating as he watched every person who came onto his property. But his eyes focused on business partners, not stragglers.

Weiss kept her eyes open as she greeted the people at the tables, trying to avoid conversation as best she could until at last she saw who she sought.

Blake was near the gardens, away from the bustling activity of the heart of the banquet.

Weiss longed to call out to gain her attention, but knew far better than that; if she made it known that she and Blake were acquainted, it would cause countless, unimaginable problems.

She was forced to stay quiet as she was paraded into the crowd, putting on her best fake smile for every person until her maids set her free. Weiss needed to stay on Schnee property, but now that everyone had seen her once, she would not be missed if she were to disappear for a short while.

Weiss put distance between herself and the party step by step as she made for the gardens.

...

Spotting Weiss wasn't hard. In all the extravagance, picking her apart from the rest was like spotting a rose among thorns, but Blake knew better than to call attention to herself right now.

She mingled about around the edge of the party, out of the brighter lights and the mass that had started to collect around Weiss.

Blake had nothing against waiting, though the minutes that passed after Weiss had been herded back into the main banquet hall to make the last few rounds only appeared to drag. She didn't mind it, though after a bit she kind of wished she had brought a book to read.

The hustle and bustle of the party made her anxious. Not only was she in the presence of the man who single-handedly crushed Faunus rights under his thumb without remorse, but everyone else here supported him. She was quite literally surrounded by those who hated people like her, and it was more than unnerving.

But the moment she spotted Weiss slipping into the gardens, all of that fell from her mind.

...

"Blake…"

Saying her name was a breath of relief after a day of choking down congested, poisonous air. Weiss checked back over her shoulder one last time to ensure she wasn't being followed before she slipped among the bushes to hide herself from view.

Blake was dressed in a new set of clothes, and it made Weiss smile in knowing she had gone out of her way both to dress up and to actually attend tonight. She looked charming and beautiful, perhaps a bit more so than she had the previous nights.

Perhaps it was because they were not sneaking around tonight as much as they normally did; here, Blake was simply an attendee at a party, and Weiss was one of the host's daughters. If people had seen them together last night, it could have meant certain death for Blake. But now, she was simply a visitor Weiss was getting chatty with.

Even so, that didn't mean Weiss was about to allow them being seen together. She needed to ensure Blake's safety above all else.

Skirting a rose bush, she stopped a few feet away from the Faunus girl.

"I'm so glad you could make it," she said earnestly. And just like the last few nights upon their meeting, Weiss' arms lifted up slightly, opening a bit and longing for an embrace.

And normally, she would've caught herself and quickly folded her hands behind her back as she continued to speak. But tonight, for whatever reason, her arms lingered, outstretched toward Blake as the heiress did her very best to have her weary smile reach her eyes.

"Thank you… for coming."

...

From afar, Weiss had seemed to be the embodiment of her station as heiress of Schnee Dust. There was untold amounts of poise and grace, trained in until it was simply second nature.

But when Weiss finally found her on the edges of the garden and pulled her off to the side, the look on the heiress' face was nothing less than weary. It was quite possible this whole banquet was running Weiss dry, and considering the fact that her father was practically starving her, it was no surprise that up close - to those who took the time to look - Weiss appeared as if she could use a break from it all. Or quite possibly two.

"I said I would." Blake spoke softly, a habit more than a precaution. Weiss' outstretched hands were an obvious invitation, and while contact in any form would be risky and made Blake nervous for what might come of it, she inched forward, taking Weiss' hands in hers and hoping it was enough. "I don't intend to break promises."

...

Weiss felt a warm sting behind her eyes, but it was for good reasons; she was touched by Blake's words.

The Faunus girl took both of Weiss's hands in her own, and the heiress curled her fingers coyly into her palms. This was probably the first promise in years that had been made to Weiss and actually kept.

She dipped her face, wiping her eyes into the shawl on her shoulder before looking back to those golden eyes.

"I'm so glad you're here," she repeated. "But… I'm sorry, I didn't really think to plan what we could do out of plain sight. It might be all right for me to be away from the party for a while now that I've greeted everyone. Perhaps I could show you around the gardens? We've got rose bushes over here, and lilies, and my favorites - hydrangeas."

She listed the names as she took Blake step by step across the pebbled path, hoping she wasn't boring her.

Weiss kept her hands in Blake's as they walked, and the heiress paused after a few moments to cast her gaze out over the bushes that marked the edge of Schnee property. Beyond that was the hillside that led through a bit of woods and then down to the beach.

When she was quiet, she could hear the waves crashing past the chatter of the banquet, smell the salt past the cooking of meat. She closed her eyes and imagined herself there.

But with Blake beside her now, she didn't think the beach mattered all that much. She could be in a field of dead grass and it'd still be the best place in the world if Blake was next to her.

...

The gardens were beautiful at night, and with them being relatively free of partygoers, it was just about the best place to be among the festivities.

That didn't mean Blake missed Weiss' glance out towards the beach. From here you could hear the waves, and the sound was comforting to say the least. It made her think of the night just about one week ago, and how that had started it all.

"Do you want to slip away for a moment?" she said, gesturing towards the ocean, ears flicking nervously. "Just for a little break from it all."

She didn't want to drag Weiss into anything she wasn't comfortable doing. Considering that a misstep here could potentially end terribly, it was better to be sure, but Blake was pretty confident in her abilities to get them there and back with the rest of the gatherers none the wiser.

...

When Blake spoke, Weiss wasn't even sure she'd heard correctly at first. There was a buzzing of sorts past the sounds floating up around them on the breeze, but after a few seconds passed, she realized the words weren't in her mind.

She glanced uncertainly up at Blake, and she could tell by the flicking of her bow that she must have been as nervous as Weiss felt. The two of them had already snuck off enough times together, either to be on the roof or last night going into town. Even at their first meeting - as unintentional as their adventures then had been - they had tumbled all the way down to the beach and trekked back up undiscovered.

So what harm could come from doing it just one more time? Surely now that everyone attending had seen Weiss once, she wouldn't be missed?

She looked one last time back over her shoulder, finding that not a single person cared for her whereabouts. When she looked back to Blake's patient eyes, the heiress widened her shoulders daringly.

"Yes. Just for a moment. I'd like that very much."

...

A small smile was impossible to resist, and before she could stop herself, Blake dipped to lightly bump her head against Weiss' forehead. It was brief, over quickly enough where its consequence didn't have the time to register in her mind.

The trip down to the beach was one consisting of significantly less pain than the last time they'd done this. There were no thorns, no tumbling, and the brief trek through the woods was simple enough where Blake didn't need to know exactly where she was going to lead the way. The path was less steep and narrow than the one surrounded by brambles, and the sound of the waves grew with each step down the slope.

It seemed like a matter of moments before they reached the beach, the waning moon casting a dull glow over the sand.

For Blake it was enough, her superior Faunus vision allowing her to see completely unhindered, but the moon's light would have been enough even for Weiss.

Blake stepped out of her shoes, letting go of Weiss to place them carefully at the edge of the woods, and the soft chill of the sand was a welcome reprieve compared to the cramped dress shoes.

"It's a nice night, isn't it?"

Well, all things considered.

...

The apprehension built in her stomach as they walked carefully down the hillside, the heiress being mindful of her dress. Again, Weiss realized she'd been doing a lot of things she wasn't supposed to be doing this past week, and she wasn't sure if it scared her more that she was directly acting out against her father-

-or that she was enjoying it.

She could remember the first night she'd snuck out, and even last night her nervousness had been palpable.

But now, the prickling in her chest never even got to the point where it could be considered fear. It was just… more excitement.

Blake removed her shoes once they'd reached the sand, and after Weiss considered that the walk back uphill would dislodge any lingering grains of sand, she did the same. It was like that first night when she had been barefoot, and she could feel the cool, squishy softness between her toes, providing relief to her skin after being stuffed into her formal shoes.

She wasn't even thinking when she reached out to hold onto Blake's arm; it was just something that came naturally to her now. And Blake didn't seem to ever mind.

The waves rose and crashed softly now, as though subdued by the moonlight that shown silver on their every movement. The sound made for a consistent, methodical rhythm, one that effortlessly caused the mind to forget about its troubles, just for a moment or two.

The ocean waves were lapping higher up the sand now than they did in daylight hours, and Weiss ventured together with her companion to where the sand went from dry to wet, making a visible line of difference in color. She hesitated before her feet could touch the wetter sand however, knowing that if she got her dress wet, she would be done for.

She wanted to go into the water so badly…

But just this was far more than enough. So she stayed back with Blake, not even realizing when her admiring of the the water's waves had turned into her admiring the waves of Blake's luscious onyx hair. She found the Faunus girl's eyes again, and her own were sparkling.

"Beautiful," she murmured.

And she wasn't sure if it was in agreement to Blake's statement of the scenery she spoke of…

…or perhaps something else.

...

The water crawled up the sand with each wave. Slow and methodical, it was almost as if it was keeping time. Something which they shouldn't take lightly, considering the circumstances.

Weiss was meant to be the center of attention at the banquet, and if she happened to be gone a second too long, it might put her in a situation that she didn't deserve.

Weiss' hold on her arm was a welcome distraction to the direction her thoughts had taken. Pulling her back, it drew her attention down to Weiss, their eyes catching. Her ears flicked under the stare, the bow not quite able to mask the action, and for a moment Blake was lost.

Lost in the moment - in everything.

A hum rose up her throat, and with any less control it would have slipped from her mouth as a purr.

"It is."

She couldn't help the smile now. It came naturally.

...

Weiss felt the swell of emotion rise up in her chest, curling warmly around her heart. Blake's smile always had a similar affect on her, but this time was different - the ambience, the scenery, everything was different. And that wasn't a bad thing.

But it might've been dangerous, because it was making Weiss feel things she didn't think she should be feeling, things about Blake…

She wasn't sure if it was being imposed upon her by the night, or if it was something from her own heart, but either way, if Blake kept looking at her like that-

Weiss needed to look away, realizing her heart was pounding quickly. And she settled for simply staying at her side like that, pressed against her, sharing her warmth against the ocean's nighttime breeze.

After a short while, Weiss let out a long sigh, and a regretful murmur. "I guess we should head back. We've been away for a while."

She tried to sound calm, but she was getting a bad feeling in her stomach, something that twisted and gnarled until she was more anxious than ever. She looked back to where she'd left her shoes and gave a small tug to Blake's sleeve.

...

It felt like they had just arrived, but when Weiss tugged her sleeve, she knew better than to suggest otherwise. Weiss would know best when it came to things like this, so when the suggestion was made, Blake nodded in understanding.

There was an edge to Weiss' voice - worry maybe - and Blake didn't want feelings like that to grow any more than necessary. There was already too much on Weiss' plate as it was, and she brought them back to where they had left their shoes without another thought.

Before long they were beginning the trek up the hill, through shrouded trees and the distant call of waves, but a nagging feeling in her gut made it seem as if she was bringing Weiss to a villain in the guise of her father.

It left a sour taste in her mouth by the time the gardens came back into view, and the hand around Weiss' tightened.

And for a moment, Blake thought about how simple it would be to just not go back at all.

But that was an impossibility. There was nothing she could do - nothing that wouldn't see her injured and Weiss punished. It wasn't worth the risk, and when they were safely back in the gardens, the ambiance of the party sunk back in like they had never left.

Blake's hand curled, squeezing.

"You look really beautiful tonight, Weiss," she said before she could stop. It was what little comfort she could offer freely - she only hoped it was good enough.

...

She was silent as they walked back up the hill and returned to the property. It was ironic, but she felt almost better in going back now; the fear of being punished for being away was greater than any sense of recreation she could experience being with Blake, and to be back in range of her father was a necessity for her sanity.

The whole situation just left her feeling like a butterfly snagged in a spider's web; every time she tried to free herself by being together with Blake, the coils of her father's web only wound tighter.

And it wouldn't be long before her wings were cut off entirely.

The comment about her appearance caught her completely off guard, and she jumped a little bit in surprise - flabbergasted - as she looked up into Blake's eyes.

"I-I…"

She'd heard comments like those a thousand times before, all from lustful suitors chasing her skirt in a stupor.

But this was the first time - the only time - such a phrase sounded genuine, and Weiss knew it was. It send her heart aflutter all over again, but for a different reason.

"Thank you very much. I can't remember if I've said it already, but you're very beautiful too, Blake."

Not "you look beautiful tonight" or even "you look beautiful." Just "you are."

And Blake certainly was.

But before anything more could be said between them, Weiss noticed movement from the garden beyond. Guests were beginning to file out, and she knew she needed to be there to see them off.

"I'm sorry. I've got to go. But don't follow me just yet, lest anyone gets suspicious." Weiss let go of her hand and it almost hurt to do so. "But I'll see you again tomorrow night?" She looked hopefully up into Blake's golden eyes.

This was her final week of freedom, and she wanted to make the most of it.

...

Blake hadn't expected to receive a compliment in return, and its blunt honesty took her aback. It was weird hearing when the most she heard in regards to herself and her looks were ones of disgust, more often than not coming from people who were just like Weiss.

And yet that only made the words that much more poignant.

The words weren't said as a vague sense of comfort, it was a truth. One Blake might not wholly believe to be true, but the thought behind them - that sincerity - was more than enough for her heart to skip a beat.

At Weiss' words she nodded once, uncurling her fingers from around Weiss' hand. It turned out to be harder than she imagined.

"Tomorrow," she stated.

She didn't want to wait until tomorrow.

...

It was with great reluctance and much effort that Weiss finally let go of her hand and hurried off into the crowd to say her farewells to the partygoers.

She went to bed that night feeling almost rejuvenated, the night having gone well, Blake's warmth and scent still wreathing around her even as she drifted off into slumber.

It'd been a good night, and she couldn't wait to see Blake tomorrow.

But she wouldn't see her.

The next morning, Weiss was roused not by the sounds of the bustling town outside her window nor the bright, milky sunlight like she normally was. It wasn't even the knock of the servants on her door if she'd slept in a bit.

Instead, she was woken by the sounds of heavy, furious footsteps crashing up the steps and down the hallway to her room. She jolted awake, her heart already sending fearful throbs throughout her entire body.

She knew what those footsteps meant.

She scrambled up into a sitting position, clutching her sheets to her chest and whimpering as he slammed her door open.

"F-Father-"

But when she saw his face, she was far too terrified to speak another word.

He was absolutely livid, and the fury and rage with which he walked was enough to make her start crying even without the help of his bellowing shouts and wrathful expression. He stormed across the room, grabbing her by the collar of her nightgown and howling curses into her face.

Weiss needed to swallow her scream.

...

Blake didn't realize what had happened until early afternoon.

It was a trickle at first - words heard on the street as she made her way from Tukson's bookstore and back to the apartment to grab a few things for later. They were small instances about last night's banquet that had filtered down into even the poorer of areas.

From what she could gather, something wasn't entirely right, but Blake could only hope that the fear growing in her gut was simply misplaced.

She hadn't expected to see Adam - he was gone more often than not these days, and when she opened the door it was nothing short of a surprise to see him standing there waiting for her.

It was at that moment that things decided to sink in.

"What where you thinking, Blake?"

"I didn't-"

Her words were cut short by a glare, and the tension that curled into his fists had her reaching for an excuse. For something.

But the truth was she hadn't been thinking.

The only thing on her mind for these past few days had been a girl, a feeling, and too many wishes to count.

...

Her father threw the morning newspaper onto her bed before dropping her down beside it. He towered over her, the manifestation of rage itself as he glared icy fury at her. His voice was loud and cruel and it made her ears ring.

"What is this?" he snarled, shoving the papers at her.

Weiss looked down, blinking away the tears, watching the drops melt dark grey circles into the paper, making the ink run.

There, on the front page, was an image of two figures - one in a white dress and the other in a dress shirt and pants. They were standing side by side on the beach, the harsh headline over the image ruining its tranquility:

"Weiss Schnee, Having an Affair a Week Before Her Wedding?"

She choked on her breath as she shook her head, looking helplessly up at the man looming over her.

"F-Father, it's not what you-"

"Isn't it?" he barked. "Who is this person? A Faunus, of all things? How did one of those even get onto my property…" His finger pressed hard onto the newspaper over Blake's head, the shape of her ribbon appearing to be ears.

Weiss wanted to tell him that wasn't the case, that it was a bow and not ears, though she knew exactly what Blake was. But saying that would imply Blake was a girl, and Weiss didn't want to give away any more information than had already been revealed. And if her father found out she was so close with another girl...

Weiss was in enough trouble as it was.

He glared down at her, hands balled into fists until his knuckles ran white and he repeated himself. "Who. Is. This. Person."

Weiss bit her lip and tried to speak. "A friend-"

"I asked for a name!" he bellowed. "Must I remind you that you are to be married in six days' time? This scandal has almost ruined my name! It's taking everything within my power to clear this up as soon as possible. Now tell me a name, or else I'll have every last Faunus in this town eradicated by sundown."

Weiss shook her head, begging, her voice fragile.

"No… Father, I only met them last night and they wanted to take me to the beach… that's all. I-I'll never see them again, I promise! They were… just a kind guest…"

He was silent as he looked her over, but Weiss couldn't read him. She almost yelped when he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up into his eyes.

"For your sake," he growled. "That'd better have been all they were. And I'll make sure you never see anyone outside of this household ever again. You are to be married in six days, and then you will belong to your new husband entirely. You are forbidden to see anyone else. Ever. Am I clear?"

Weiss trembled as she gave her submissive reply:

"Yes, Father…"

And with that, he thrust her away back onto her bed, crossed the room, and slammed the door behind him.

And even from where she lay sobbing, Weiss felt the vibrations of his angry footsteps as they stormed away.

...

Blake could count the number of times Adam had risen his voice at her on one hand, and it only made his ire now that much more prominent. She could see from where she was standing the paper on the counter, the headlines black and bold. Adam pointed to it, volume rising.

"Do know what this could mean for us—for you? I can't keep protecting you forever if you keep throwing it back in my face." He took a steadying breath, but it did little to ease things. "If this gets out to White Fang, there's nothing I can do to help you."

"I didn't mean—I didn't mean for something like this to happen."

Her words were shaking as the realization set in. The consequences that would be brought down on her didn't frighten her, at least not yet—it was the image of Weiss trapped in that house with her father that refused to leave her mind.

"What you meant to do doesn't matter because it is already done, Blake!" Adam's voice was a roar, the walls seeming to shake under the stress, and she flinched. There was nothing she could say to that. It was true, and it was all her fault. When she caught Adam's eyes a second later, she wished she hadn't. "Just stay here while I sort things out," he growled. "If you even think of going back out there, you're dead, do you understand? White Fang will make sure of it."

She didn't move as he went around her to get to the door—couldn't move even if she wanted to, but in the silence that followed she heard him pause.

"I want to keep you safe, Blake. So please, stay here." It was a plea, his final words a prayer before the door shut and he left her behind.

...

The entire day passed by with agonizing sluggishness.

Weiss' father never came back up to her room, but he sent up a maid to keep constant watch on her. Even if by some miracle Blake could come again tonight to meet her, it would be impossible for Weiss to show herself.

She wasn't offered any food that day, and Weiss didn't even bother asking; even if it was permitted she could eat, she didn't think she'd be able to stomach anything anyway.

She felt so sick. Sick from fear and dread of her father and the things he could do and likely was doing. There was a slight fear about her wedding as well, but she was beginning to think that even being forced to live with a lustful husband would be better tha being here.

But worst of all, she feared for Blake.

Weiss didn't know how the town worked, where the White Fang's members lurked or whom they preyed upon. But she knew for certain that their attention would be set on a traitor like Blake if they were to catch wind of all of this.

Part of Weiss wanted Blake to show up outside her window again tonight, just to ensure she was safe. But even if she did, Weiss wouldn't be allowed to answer, which would only lead to Blake's fear for her.

The other part of Weiss longed for the Faunus girl to stay as far away from her as possible, and even though she knew that would be better for both of their sakes, Weiss would be lying if she said she wanted that.

She laid in bed all day and wept her eyes dry, and it was difficult to do even that with the maid watching her like an eagle all the while.

When sunset came, no call of her name was breathed up at her window, and Weiss didn't dare to listen for one.

----------

A/N: Many of you already anticipated something like this would happen. But I wonder if anyone can guess what might happen next.

Preview for Act V: Weiss had hardly even spoken the past few days; she had no one to speak to and nothing to say. It'd gotten to the point where she'd almost forgotten what her own voice sounded like.

She just felt… hollow. Hopeless. Like an oyster that had once had hopes of holding a pearl, only to have it snatched away, leaving her utterly empty inside.