Sparks and Ice

Abhorrent.     Absolutely abhorrent.     That’s what these damnable social events were.     For the past year, Jacques had dragged Winter to these terrible events and paraded her around like some sort of showhorse. She knew that was exactly what he wanted, though. He wanted to show her to partners and potential investors, hoping she’d catch someone’s eye and they’d make an offer for her hand in marriage. They’d have to wait for five more years until she turned eighteen for his final choice, but the sooner he started, the quicker she’d be out of his hair.     She let out a sigh as she sat in a chair near the young women a few years older than herself. One of them giggled as she looked over at the crowd of young men. “I hope my father will take the offer from Melbrooks Inc. Cooper’s been very good to me at these parties and—”     “Oh, you dog, Shelly! You know my father’s also looking at him!” The girl pouted and folded her arms while Winter just rolled her eyes. She stood up and the girl blinked. “Where are you going, Winter?”     “I need a little fresh air, so I’m going to the balcony for awhile.” Winter replied with her usual sharp perfection and lifted the sides of her dress, leaving the group behind her.     Sheep, the lot of them. They knew nothing of the world beyond Atlas and the incredible things outside of the confines of their comfortable lives. Groomed to be nothing more than dolls and empty vessels for their fathers to use for their own gains. It was disgusting.     Not that Mister Gelé wasn’t trying to do the same to her.     She pushed the door to the balcony open with a gloved hand, then raised an eyebrow. A girl with short, brown hair stood with her back to the door. She bobbed her head in time with the music from her headphones, tapping out a beat. Who was this? WInter knew most every girl in Atlas’ upper class by this point. Plus, no self-respecting father would allow his daughter to listen to music at a function.     Even so, the girl turned to face Winter almost immediately. She grinned and let her headphones rest around her neck. “Sup?” A small, two-fingered salute accompanied the comment and both of Winter’s eyebrows raised. A Vacuan accent; how unusual.     “I apologise if I interrupted and distracted you, miss. If you wish me to leave, I will—” THe girl just let out a ‘pff’ sound and shook her head, pulling her sunglasses down.     “Nah, not at all. I hate these damn events. Formality ain’t my thing.” She tugged at the dress and Winter caught her eyeroll. “My parents drag me to Atlas three, four times a year and I have to endure it. Hate how brainwashed the aristocracy is.”     Winter drew her eyebrows together and squared her shoulders. “I believe you ought to rethink your position on the matter.” Her tone chilled the air around them and the girl took her sunglasses off. She did not approve of being lumped in with the mindless drones when she was more than five years ahead in her studies.     “Woah, can’t say I expected the SDC heiress to have a backbone like that.” Winter’s eyes narrowed. The girl grinned and put her glasses back on. “I like it. Name’s Coco Adel. My grandparents knew your grandpappy back in the day.” Ah, so they were among the SDC’s first investors. She knew of the Adel family, but not much beyond that.     “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Adel. I am Winter Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.” Well, she wouldn’t be for too much longer. In two years’ time, she planned to enter the military so she could hopefully rescue Weiss from Mister Gelé’s abusive hand.”     Coco flapped her hand as she rested against the banister. “You can get the stick out of your ass, Winter; just Coco’s fine.” Winter wrinkled her nose at the comments. She couldn’t drop her air of perfection around anybody but Weiss. Her pride wouldn’t allow it and it helped drive away potential husbands.     “...Anyway, what brings you to this humble balcony?”     “The same reason as you: I cannot stand the shallow, vapid aristocracy. There is more to life than pretty dresses, marriage, and needlepoint.” She wrinkled her nose again. That and art tended to be the only things these girls could discuss by design. She held her hand up and brought forth one of her Glyphs. Coco smiled and peered over top her sunglasses again, that grin still on her face.     “Oh, I have a feeling we’re going to be very good friends, Miss Schnee.”