RWBY: Remnant's Blond Bard

Chapter 16

He'd thought agreeing to practice with Weiss for a future concert for Willow would at least smooth the rough patches between the two of them. How very naïve. On returning to the Schnee manor, he'd instantly found himself the subject of a tug-of-war between mother and daughter, with Willow wanting his time and music at any random hour of the day, and Weiss both trying to get him to practice with her and generally running interference over Willow.

"Breaking the addiction" she called it, and he was really beginning to realise it was. Willow needed him to play in the morning before breakfast so she could start the day with a cheery mood, but she'd also need him to play again mid-morning, after lunch, sometime in the afternoon and then late at night before bed.

Weiss, meanwhile, was a busy bee of her own, having a strict schedule of personal training, huntress training with a hired tutor, voice training with another hired tutor, and regular meetings with her agents and promoters. He'd figured it'd be easy for her to find time for song practice with him, but that really wasn't the case. Their only opportunities were late in the evening, and that was a time Willow liked to keep him close for.

In the end Weiss dragged him for some practice without telling Willow, leaving her completely unawares as to where he was. In all fairness, he wasn't sure where he was either. Some big music room with a piano and various instruments, but the Schnee manor was confusing to navigate and he could be anywhere.

"Why not just let her watch the practice?" he asked Weiss.

"You must be joking," she snapped back. "Aside from constant interruptions, she'll make demands throughout the whole thing. Do this, don't do that, play some different songs. Stop pausing to talk." Weiss scowled. "I don't know what her deal is, but her obsession with you is unhealthy."

"With my music."

"If you say so." Weiss eyed him strangely. "I still think it's more likely you."

"Didn't we agree not to bring this up again?"

"It was never written in contract." Weiss tossed him some sheet music. "Here. This is my current single. You should be able to—" She noticed his panic. "What now!?"

"I… well… I can't read sheet music."

Weiss stared at him. "That isn't funny."

Jaune laughed nervously.

"You can't be serious. This is some poor attempt at a joke, correct?"

"Well… I can read tab music, for guitars, but a lot of it is just mimicking the hand movements and chords. I learn most of my songs from watching and playing along to tutorial videos online and…" He trailed off, a little worried by how she was clenching her fist and shaking. "Um. I… I guess I can try and learn it…?"

"No. There's no point." She mumbled some unflattering things about him under her breath. "I'll just have to teach you that way, then. I'll write the chord progression down here. You at least know how to play each chord, I hope."

"Yeah."

"Good. Idiot," she grumbled. "Just some moron who picked up a guitar. I swear…"

That was unfair even as it was true. It was hard to feel like she was wrong though, especially when he hadn't put as much effort into it as others had to. His Semblance filled in the gaps, with his Charisma making him either sound better, or just look confident enough that most people assumed he had it down.