There was a certain kind of sadness Weiss felt between classes as students wandered aimlessly throughout the halls, looking to kill time without any specific place to go. While her teammates always seemed to have somewhere to be or someone to meet up with during their break periods, Weiss often found herself strolling the school's grounds, reflecting upon her studies, and wondering why she didn't have anyone to share her thoughts or knowledge with. She had become used to being alone, as she had spent most of her childhood isolated by her father's stern regulations, but along with that loneliness came a constant yearning to be understood, to be appreciated by those around her for who she was.
The only problem, though, was that Weiss had absolutely no idea who she was behind all of her family's wealth and glamor. Her teammates, and most of the other students at Beacon, only seemed to think of her as a nuisance, a rotten brat who received anything she asked for, and never bothered to thank a soul. But it wasn't the truth; everything Weiss had belonged to her family, including her future, and no matter where she turned, she was always expected to put on a good face for anyone who might recognize her. It was why she tried so hard to be perfect all the time—she just wanted to be liked by people, and to the Schnee family, perfection was acceptance.
She only wished she'd realized at a younger age how wrong she, and the rest of her family, had been. It was too late to change, now; everyone at her school had already formed their own opinions about her, including her teammates, and while Ruby seemed to be the only one who even cared enough to listen to her half the time, the girl was way too quick to point a finger at Weiss whenever something got a little out of hand. It was easy to blame the snobby, rich girl—she already had everything she wanted, so it was okay for them to take away her dignity, the only thing that had true meaning to Weiss.
Who needed friends, anyway? The only thing they were good for was backstabbing when the going got tough. For a while, Weiss thought she was finally getting somewhere with her teammates, but as soon as she let her guard down for the first time, they penalized her for saying what was really on her mind. It was probably one of the reasons her father had warned her never to show any vulnerability—someone who saw Weiss or her family as a threat would take advantage of her emotions, and twist them to make her look like the bad guy. She was sick of pretending to be someone she knew she wasn't, but if being constantly ridiculed was the price she had to pay for actually being honest for once, then she would just have to deal with living the rest of her life alone.
There was still at least a half-hour until her History lecture with Doctor Oobleck began, but instead of returning to her dorm to work on her assignments as she did during most break periods, Weiss started in the opposite direction of the school, toward the entrance of the Forever Fall. The forest, in all of its richness and beauty, stood so tall and mightily around her, that with each step she took along the bright, leafy path, Weiss could feel herself shrinking further and further into non-existence. She was afraid, at first, and every little snap of a twig made her heart do a flip, but as she continued through the trees, Beacon's large structure fading into the distance, she suddenly realized that there was no one else around to tell her how to behave. Finally, she was free to let herself go.
After marching through an endless trail of grass, dirt, and leaves for about ten minutes, Weiss came across a small, shallow stream running in the opposite direction of the cliffs that she had not noticed during her previous visits to the forest. Sighing, she lowered herself to her knees at the edge of the stream, and hesitantly glanced at her reflection in the clear, rippling water. As usual, her gaze was immediately drawn to the long, jagged, pinkish scar that extended from the top of her left eyebrow all the way down to her pale, elegant cheekbone. She'd had the scar for a little over a year, now, but sometimes, when she pressed her fingertips over the healed tissue just hard enough, it still stung, like salt being poured into a freshly-opened wound.
How she received the scar was still a mystery to her teammates and most of the students at Beacon, but the memory, much like the scar, remained tattooed in her mind, forever haunting her like a malevolent spirit that refused to be vanquished. Whether she liked it or not, the event was now a part of her, and every time she looked in the mirror, she found herself scowling at the person she saw.
You'll never be strong enough, she thought to herself as a gentle breeze blew past her, causing the water, and her reflection, to momentarily scatter. She had heard those five words so many times before that they shouldn't have still affected her, but every time her father or one of his board members would scrutinize her, she would be reminded once again of how little her family truly thought of her capabilities. And maybe they were right—maybe she never would be strong enough. Sure, she could take down a monster when she saw it as a threat, but when it came to dealing with people, she just didn't know how to act or respond. She was cold, bitter, and more than anything, lonely, but she was so afraid of being betrayed, that anytime she felt herself becoming even remotely close to a particular individual, she impulsively tried to push that person away.
It wasn't right, she knew, but at the end of the day, she was the only one to blame for her aloofness. As much as she wanted to believe that it was her family's fault for making her this way, or it was her peers who were the ones shutting her out, Weiss knew that if she would just allow herself to open up a bit, she might actually have a friend or two to spend her breaks with, rather than just sitting in an empty forest, staring at the reflection of a hollow, broken girl. She hated the way she treated people, almost as much as she hated the way she treated herself, but maybe a part of her truly believed that she didn't deserve to be happy or loved. How could someone possibly care for her if she admittedly didn't care much for herself? She wasn't perfect, as much as she wished she was, because if she didn't have any flaws, then there would be no reason for anyone to ever turn her away—but she was only human; no one, not even her father, was perfect.
Weiss leaned in toward the water's surface, and warily dipped a finger into the cool, tranquil stream. As her reflection danced before her, her heart became heavy, and, morosely, she wondered if she would ever stop feeling this way. Pull yourself together, she thought, taking in a deep breath, but as she exhaled, her throat began to tighten, and all at once, the emotions she had been trying so hard to suppress came crashing down upon her.
She lifted a hand to her lips as they started to tremble, and squeezed her eyes shut at the first hint of tears. For once, she was glad to be alone, if only because she saw crying as a weakness, and weak was the last thing she wanted anyone to think that she was. She rocked back on her heels as sadness overwhelmed her, and she buried her face in the sleeves of her blazer as a loud, desperate sob escaped from her throat. The sound echoed off the base of the trees, and was carried off into the warm spring breeze, leaves of crimson floating delicately around her, seemingly whispering words of comfort as they drifted to the grass.
You don't have to pretend, Weiss told herself as tears rolled sloppily down her cheeks. There's no one here to judge you. She thought about what her father would say if he saw her like this, gritting her teeth at the image of him with his back turned in disapproval. How much longer would she have to keep up her facade, to keep smiling even when all she wanted to do was scream? How much longer would her peers buy into her lies, before the mask she wore every day started to chip away?
A few moments later, once the tears finally started to dry and Weiss could breathe normally again, she picked herself up to her feet, stumbling slightly, and brought a shaky hand to her Scroll. When she checked the time, her heart stopped for a split-second, and she had to stop herself from swearing as she realized her next class had already started five minutes ago.
Great, not only do I feel like absolute trash, but now I'm late for class. The heiress wiped her eyes, and let out a deep sigh before starting her trek back through the forest to the school. As soon as Beacon's looming architecture came into view, Weiss broke into a sprint, fighting back her conflicting emotions as she tried to make it to the lecture building as quickly as possible. She was too focused on the classroom to notice the black-haired figure shouting at her from behind as she pushed past students, and finally stopped in front of Doctor Oobleck's door, nearly out of breath.
She was just about to reach for the door's handle when her ice-blue eyes found a piece of paper taped to the front of the door, and a short note scrawled in hectic chicken-scratch signed with Doctor Oobleck's name.
Students, I have been called off-campus for a pressing matter in the city. Class is canceled until next week. There will still be an exam on Menagerie when I return, so study, study, study! Be sharp! - Dr. Oobleck
The content of the note was enough make Weiss want to cry again. She had nearly strained her body in a mad dash to get to class, only to find out that said class had been canceled, and now, she was out of breath, feeling like she might explode, and she still had to find a way to pass the rest of the day on her own without yet another breakdown. Her mind beginning to numb, Weiss sunk down to the floor, her back pressed up against the closed door.
Could this day possibly get any worse?
"Weiss? I take it you didn't get my message?"
She flinched at the familiar voice. Of course... She raised her head to look up at the taller girl, her amber eyes seeming to glare at Weiss in puzzlement. "What?"
Blake crossed her arms over the front of her blazer. "I guess not... I tried to call your Scroll to let you know that Doctor Oobleck canceled class for the day, but you wouldn't pick up, so I left a message."
Weiss swallowed, feeling utterly helpless. She turned her gaze away from her teammate, instead focusing intently on a small crack in the cool, tiled floor below her. "I didn't hear it go off," she muttered.
"Where were you, anyway?"
The paler girl just huffed. "I was taking a walk, if you must know."
Blake hummed. "I see..." She made a shifting sound, and Weiss looked up to see the other girl's arms now at her sides, her expression mildly concerned. "You... seem upset about something. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Weiss said almost reflexively, biting back the urge to just break down one more time. She stood up, however sluggishly, and started walking away from the classroom. "I'm going to go to the dorm to get some rest."
"Weiss."
She closed her eyes, and let out a low groan. "What, Blake?"
The Faunus's expression hardened, however slightly. "You don't have to spend every break alone, you know... You clearly don't want to talk to me, so maybe you'll talk to Yang... She's in the dorm."
Weiss clenched her jaw, averting her gaze from her teammate once more. "I'm fine," she reiterated, and with that, she left, pushing through the large double doors of the lecture hall, and hastily making her way back toward Team RWBY's dorm. When she finally reached the room, she didn't even bother to check if any of her other teammates were around before plopping face-first onto her bed. She let out a frustrated grumble into her pillow, still fighting the tears that wanted so desperately to fall.
Why does everything hurt so much right now?
She drew in a shaky breath as she started to feel hollow again, and she turned toward the wall, her face still pressed into her pillowcase, finally allowing a short sob to escape. Both her chest and throat tightened as another sob left her mouth, her entire upper body trembling as she clung to her pillow as if it was her only lifeline.
The heiress was much too absorbed in her own sadness to even notice the soft thud as something hit the floor, followed by footsteps that slowly made their way toward her bed. It wasn't until the hand was on her shoulder that Weiss realized she wasn't alone, and just the thought of one of her teammates seeing her in such a vulnerable position caused her to cry even more.
Instead of the other person trying to press Weiss for an explanation of her erratic behavior, she felt strong arms enclose around her midsection, her body instantly being surrounded in heat as she was pulled into a comforting embrace.
"Shh," the voice whispered, calm and sweet, and much more nurturing than Weiss had ever heard the other girl use before. "You're okay... You're not alone."
At those last three words, Weiss tensed—it was as if her teammate could read her mind. She slowly lowered the pillow from her face, and sniffled as she turned to meet the bright, lilac eyes of her rescuer. Weiss may not have been in any real physical danger, but unbeknownst to Yang, the blonde had just saved her from having to spend the rest of the afternoon in such sorrow and loneliness that certainly would have chipped away at her heart piece by piece until there was nothing left but a hollow shell of a Schnee.
Once she had finally calmed herself enough to speak, Weiss blinked away what was left of her tears, and she gave her teammate a grateful, but fragile, smile. "Th-thanks for not just leaving..."
Yang smiled back, and loosened her grip around the heiress's waist. "No problem. I used to have to do this for Ruby all the time when she was little... You know, nightmares and stuff."
Weiss nodded silently, unsure of what to say. She drew in a deep breath, and while her mind told her to pull away from the other girl, something about Yang's warmth and kindness only made Weiss want to draw even closer. She bit her lip, debating internally for what seemed like forever, before she finally decided to rest her head on the blonde's shoulder, and close her eyes.
"Just so you know," she murmured tiredly, a small smirk painting her face, "you're still a brute... You're just a nice one, is all. When you want to be..."
"Weiss, shut up," Yang chuckled. "You're ruining the moment."