The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 35: Interview

Heels clicked down the sidewalk that morning. That morning, six weeks after Y/N and the others had been labelled terrorists, his heels clicked. Y/N heaved a sigh, looking at Weiss somewhat begrudgingly. "... Hey, Weiss?"

"What is it?"

"Can you tell me what this is?"

He was referring to the long skirt and top he was wearing. His face had heavy amounts of makeup applied, completely changing his appearance. He looked like a woman. Weiss grinned, adjusting her own suit before checking her makeup in a mirror. "Oh relax, Y/N. You look great."

Vao didn't need makeup to look like a woman. He was just naturally feminine. Y/N, however, felt like he had dipped his face in concrete, like if he smiled too hard it would fall to pieces. "I don't like this, Weiss. Vao talked about having a breeze when he wore women's clothes, but unlike him I don't like it. I feel... Vulnerable. And why did you dress up as a man? We completely switched gender identities, here."

"I dressed up as a man because of something Cardin said about Sasha!"

"... And what exactly was that?"

"How much he loved having a 'thick, tall tomboy jee eff', whatever that means."

Weiss was too pure for the internet, Y/N realized. He sighed, glancing at his reflection as they passed by a store window. He had to admit, Weiss knew how to work makeup. It was convincing... Convincing enough for drunken mafia members to hit on him as he left the Club. Weiss glanced up at him, smirking lightly. "Remember the plan?" She asked.

"Not really," Y/N muttered. "I was too busy staring at your manly face."

She socked him in the arm for that. Luckily for him, it was his prosthetic arm. Weiss reeled her hand back painfully, shaking her hand in the air. He wasn't wrong. Somehow, Weiss managed to make her facial hair look real. The heiress chuckled, adjusted her wire-frame glasses. "Thanks to Mr. Ironwood, we managed to score an interview with the news office. This way, we can get closer to Lisa, and prove she has some sort of connection with the King!" She reminded him. "And whatever you do, don't open your mouth once we're there."

"Why?"

Weiss put her hands on her hips, shooting him a dirty look. "If I deepen my voice, I can pull off the appearance of a man. You, on the other hand, have a naturally deep voice. You sound nothing like a woman. You speak, we risk the entire operation. So put that sign language I taught you to use," she pointed out. He sighed, his nerves beginning to spike.

After they had made the connection, the first thing they did after their moment was called Ironwood and told him their suspicions. The general had confirmed that the King had made the broadcast, but not the possible connection to Lisa. No doubt that would be a scandal - Lisa held no rights to the throne. Whether the reporter knew that or not, they had no clue. That was what they were going to find out. They weren't going unprepared, either. In their hands were suitcases with their weapons inside, rattling gently as they walked. Weiss looked back up at Y/N, a light smirk playing on her lips.

"... You look adorable."

"And you look handsome," Y/N joked. Weiss laughed, giving him a gentle push. She had been right - talking to Y/N had done him good. He didn't joke nearly as much as he used to, but it was progress. They could see the news office ahead. They stopped on the opposite side of the street as they waited for traffic to pass, adjusting their costumes. Weiss smoothed out her tie, her face going stoic.

"... We're here," she muttered. Y/N didn't say anything, but his silence was his agreement. He stared up at the building, his eyes hardening. If Lisa was related to the King and knew it, why wouldn't she say anything? That would be denying herself power. A lot of power. And if she was related, how much would she know about King Iris's connection to Salem? He sighed, following Weiss across the street and entering the building behind her. The air conditioning felt amazing compared to the heat of the outside. At the desk, a secretary was typing away at her keyboard. They clicked on their earpieces, hearing a burst if static that quickly fade. Weiss reached up for her fake glasses, clicking a small button to activate the camera.