Request from Exvnir, who wanted to see Weiss eat a whole turkey based on one screengrab from a RWBY puppet video. Who am I to deny the demands of the people? Go check his art out if you haven't already.
Weiss Schnee was a lady of order. And as such, she had an alarm for everything. Every morning, her alarm clock rang to tell her it was time to wake up. When it was time for combat lessons, her dear sister Winter would knock on her door and inform her so. The same thing applied to singing practice, where her voice coach would burst in and sing in the most beautiful way how she needed to get her ass to the music hall.
But a different kind of alarm was ringing today. An internal alarm. It was the sound and feeling of her stomach rumbling. It was her favourite kind of alarm for the day. It meant she was hungry. And when she was hungry, it meant dinner was being served.
She skipped her way merrily to the dining hall. The Schnee's always ate dinner at exactly six in the evening without fail. They had been doing this for as long as Weiss could remember. As such, Weiss' body adapted to this schedule by making her stomach growl as soon as the clock struck six, telling her that it was dinner time. None of the servants needed to call for her, her body did it for her.
Her stomach was never wrong, and today was no exception. She hadn't even entered the dining hall yet, but she could smell the food from outside. The Schnee's only hired the best of the best, and so they had the best chefs in their service. The delicious aroma invaded her nostrils and made her stomach growl harder.
She rubbed her hands in excitement. An uncharacteristically gleeful grin stretched across her face.
Oh, it would be a fine feast tonight.
Today was Colour Day - the national holiday in Remnant where people of all nations celebrated the end of the Great War. It was a time of peace, joy, but most of all, turkey. Of all the cooked birds she had eaten in her life, turkey was by far the best. There was just no competition. Every time she bit into the succulent meat, she felt nothing but happiness. Her taste buds sang in delight. Her stomach was satisfied even after just one slice. When she ate another, it was craving for more.
Yes, even in a cold, oppressive environment like the Schnee manor, Colour day - or Turkey Day as she called it when no one was looking - was always a happy time. It was more exciting to look forward to than Nondescript Winter Holiday, mostly because of the International Turkey Law enforced by the government. Turkeys had suffered immense casualties in the Great War, and their numbers were now few. As such, the kingdoms had declared it illegal to eat turkey on any day other than Colour Day. Breaking this law was punishable by death.
Turkey's were rare and exotic beasts and were sold at incredibly high prices because of it. Few in the kingdoms could afford to buy one. But being a Schnee had its perks, and one of them was having more money than she knew what to do with. They always had a turkey on Colour Day, giving Weiss enough reason to look forward to the holiday.
Speaking of turkey, she couldn't wait any longer. She didn't exactly burst into the dining hall, but she did enter with much enthusiasm. Her stomach had served her well once again. The whole of her family were seated at the table, while the chefs wheeled out the food cart. Even her mother was present, albeit with her head lying face down on the table and drooling in all her drunken splendour.
Her father took notice of her arrival and leered at her. "Control yourself the next time you enter a room, Weiss," Jacques snapped. "I will not have my blood storm in like some barnyard animal!"
Weiss ignored her father. She had gotten pretty used to doing that lately. Now was not the time for him. Now was the time for turkey. She sat down next to Winter, who had taken a leave of absence from the military for the day. Even a dedicated soldier like her couldn't resist the allure of turkey.
Once she was firmly seated, Jacques clapped his hands to the chefs. "You may serve us now," he grunted. "And be quick about it, I'm positively famished."
The chef nodded and lifted the lid, revealing the turkey for the family to see. Had Weiss been a simple commoner, she would've been drooling at the sight of the bird. Her strict disciple helped her retain her composure, although her fingers did tightly grip her knife and fork in anticipation.
The turkey was being served at what felt like a snail's pace. Oh, how she wished she could just reach out and snatch the juicy meat out of the chef's hands. But she forced herself to remain calm and collected. Patience, Weiss, she told herself. Your time will come.
Jacques received the lion's share of the meat. Everyone else merely had reasonably sized portions. Eventually, everyone seated at the table had slices of turkey on their plates. Well, everyone except her. She didn't mind being served last, for she knew the wait would be worth it. Good things came to those who were patient, even if her patience was thinning a little.
The chef finally came round to her with her slices. It looked and smelt so delicious. She could almost taste it from where she was sitting. The moment she learnt how to summon, she was summoning a million turkeys and would feast on them forever. Her smile turned dreamy at the thought.
The turkey was getting closer. She had to kick herself to stop the excited squeal that threatened to leave her lips. Knife and fork at the ready, she braced herself for the incoming deliciousness heading her way…
… and then the chef walked right past her.
What?
"Halt!" Weiss all but shouted at the passing chef. She couldn't control herself. That man was threatening to walk off with her precious turkey. "Where do you think you're going? I'm sitting right here, you fool!"
"Lower your voice, Weiss," Winter said sternly next to her. Her plate was filled to the brim with turkey. "Shouting is unbecoming of a lady. Learn to exercise control."
Control? There was a turkey thief on the loose! How could anyone control themselves in such a dire situation? It was only out of respect for her sister that she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
"I apologise, Winter," she said sincerely, trying to control the tremble in her lip. "I'm just a little confused as to why our chef isn't serving me my turkey."
"Your dinner?" Jacques huffed. "Don't be so foolish, daughter of mine. That turkey is not for you."
Weiss didn't have a very good imagination. Growing up in such a strict environment, there was very little time for her as a child to play and let her mind wander. That is why she was thoroughly convinced that her father had indeed said that the turkey wasn't for her.
"I'm sorry, Father, I'm not sure I understand," she said in a polite way that was painfully forced. "What do you mean that turkey isn't for me?" For the sake of everyone at the table, he had better pray she had simply misheard him.
"Exactly what I said, child," he said. "That turkey is for the rest of us. You aren't getting any."
Ah, so he had spoken true. And here she was without Myrtenaster. Still, maybe she could use one of her heels to stab him in the eye?
"What is the meaning of this?" she cried. Control be damned, she wanted turkey in her belly! "Why is everyone else allowed turkey but I'm not? How is this fair?"
Jacques brought his hand to his face and shook his head. "How did I raise such a selfish girl?" he muttered disappointedly. He removed his hand and glared at her. "Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe the rest of your family needs it more than you, Weiss? Or are you so blinded by your own foolishness that we mean nothing to you?"
Her father was saying a lot of words right now, but none of them sounded like, 'Have some turkey, Weiss. Eat up'. That was starting to become a problem that if not quickly solved, would result in dire consequences.
"Take me for example," Jacques said, pointing at himself with his head held proudly. "I am the hardworking breadwinner of this great family. I work myself to the bone trying to put food on the table. I deserve more than mere turkey for my struggles, but I'm willing to accept it for the sake of you all."
Such noble words. She would've felt inspired if she didn't want to mutilate him and steal his turkey during his rambling. He could at the very least put a slice of turkey in his mouth every time he insisted on opening it. The bird was right there, and he was wasting his time lecturing her? He had no respect for the meal.
"As for your sister, well, she's in the military," he continued. "I've seen what military rations have to offer. That garbage is something I wouldn't feed to the faunus. Would you deny your own sister the chance to eat some real food?"
What kind of question was that? Of course she didn't want her sister to starve. If there was anyone at the table who deserved turkey more than her, it was definitely Winter. She glared at her father. Since when did he give a damn about what Winter got up to? He had dropped most forms of communication with her when she had enlisted. This was just a pathetic attempt at making her look selfish.
"And let's not forget Whitley here," Jacques said as he gestured to her pest of a little brother. He grinned like the little lout he was. "A growing boy needs his meat. If you deny him turkey, you're robbing him of the chance to mature healthily. As for your mother…" He looked over at Willow's drooling form. Suffice to say, she was quite out of it. "... she'll have a hangover when she wakes up. She'll need food to nurse that head of hers."
Weiss was getting impatient. Fair enough, they all had their reasons for needing turkey, but he was making it sound like she wasn't as important as everyone else. If Jacques wanted an argument, she would gladly give him one. Word games were just about the only type of games she had been able to play as a child, and right now Player Two was about to enter the ring.
"But I'm your heir to the company!" she cried out the obvious. "I'll have huge responsibility once I'm placed in charge. Surely I'll need brain food if I hope to manage a company this large, yes?"
"Oh please, you won't be president for another five years now," Jacques scoffed. "You have no other responsibilities in between that time. Right now, all you do is sing and wear pretty dresses. You don't need turkey to be a diva."
Willow belched.
"So you're just going to throw away my slices!?" Weiss gasped in horror. What a waste. To discard such a magnificent beast so easily… that was cruel, even for him. The White Fang may have committed many atrocities against her and her family, but even they wouldn't dare bin any scraps of the mighty turkey.
"Don't be ridiculous. As if I'd ever do something so foolish," he said with an eye-roll. "No, I'm giving all of your pieces to Klein. Schizophrenics have a stomach for each personality, so he needs plenty of turkey to perform his duties."
A mixture of noises ranging from happy, sad, and angry could be heard from outside. Weiss couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her chances of getting any turkey were becoming non-existent. All those days and nights waiting patiently for Colour Day to arrive now felt like a wasted effort.
"But what am I supposed to eat?" she cried. "I still need dinner too. Am I just supposed to starve instead?"
Winter placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Weiss, I've already taken care of that," she said warmly. "Of course we're not letting you go hungry tonight. So I took the liberty of requesting for you a very special meal."
Weiss sighed in relief. Trust her sister to come in and save her. She was always looking out for her. If there was one person she was going to miss when she was finally at Beacon, it was definitely her. And who knows, maybe Weiss would be able to return the favour and save her next time?
She felt herself getting excited again. It seemed turkey was off the menu for her tonight. A tragedy indeed, but Winter said she had something special for her. But what could be more special and delicious than turkey? She hadn't a clue, but it was exciting to think about. Her mind did somersaults thinking about the possibilities. Her stomach was growling louder than ever.
Winter clapped her hands together. "Mungo! The fish heads!" she called out to the kitchen.
Pardon?
The kitchen doors burst open and a giant of a man wearing a chef's outfit walked in Each step he made the ground tremble, causing the table and even the chandelier above them to quiver and shake. With his hard, unblinking gaze, thick muscle set and big, bushy beard, he looked like the kind of man to eat Goliaths for breakfast. He was carrying an unusual silver bucket in his huge, meaty hands.
His heavy footsteps made their way towards Weiss' quivering form. He stood over her and placed the bucket down on the table with a heavy thud. Once the deed was done, he stomped off back to the kitchen to punch meat or whatever a man of his strength and size did. Weiss peeked inside the bucket he had left behind, and nearly hurled at what she saw.
Inside were hundreds, if not thousands, of fish heads. Their eyes were staring at her from all directions and carried a gaze so lifeless, it was hard to believe that they ever had a soul to begin with. Their mouths were open in a silent scream, one that was silenced upon decapitation. And oh God, the smell! It was like raw sewage mixed with her mother's vomit. The rancid odour was eating away at her memories of the delicious-smelling turkey.
Weiss looked up at Winter in despair. There had to have been some kind of mistake. As if her sister would ever expect her to eat this. She was all for eating dead things, but not usually those that came out of the sea and looking like that. Winter wasn't known for pranks, but there was no other explanation for this travesty.
Winter met her gaze with a beaming smile. "I know how important brain food is to you, Weiss. So I figured this would be the perfect meal," she said happily. "They're filled with plenty of acids like eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic. Perfect for a growing girl such as yourself, especially one who will determine the fate of the company."
Eico-what!? Weiss prided herself on her vocabulary, but some of the words had to have been made up. They sounded like magic spells than something fit for human consumption. Alas, there was no trace of humour or irony in her tone. There rarely was. What Winter had said was completely honest. She genuinely thought she was doing a good thing. Her older sister was always so helpful, except when she wasn't.
Weiss looked at her family for support, even though she knew she would likely receive none. Sometimes she hated being right. Indeed, none of her family came to her aid. They too expected her to eat this bucket of misery. She had no one to turn to but her fish heads. No words of comfort came out of their wide-open mouths.
"Right, we've wasted enough time we this rabble," Jacques said. "I will not have my dinner get cold because of one girl's whinging. Let us feast."
The rest of the Schnee's wasted no time gobbling down their food. Weiss had yet to even touch her knife and fork. This was without a doubt the worst Colour Day she had ever had. At least the one three years ago, when the White Fang tried bombing their home, they still had turkey in the Schnee bomb shelter. This though? This wasn't a dinner fit for a dog, let alone someone like her.
The fish heads stared up at her, almost as if they were waiting for her to eat them. Sorry fishies, but their sacrifice was going to be in vain. She was not eating these things. No way!
"Weiss, you're not eating your dinner," Winter noted. "Is there something wrong?"
Was there something wrong? Was the sky blue? Mirror mirror on the wall, was she the loneliest of them all?
"... do I have to?" she moaned in a whiny tone she had never used before, even when she was a little girl. "Can't I eat something else? We have plenty of other seafood, I'm sure. Can't I have lobster or smoked salmon instead?"
"The cat's eaten them all," Willow muffled with her mouth full of turkey and brandy. Damn you, Mr Mallos!
"But they've still got their eyes!"
"Indeed." Winter smiled. "Fresh out of the ocean and ready to eat." Did she have to sound that happy when she said that? When Weiss looked up at her again with a pleading expression, she saw her sister's face drop. Her pale-blue eyes were becoming moist and her lip was quivering. "Unless… you don't like what I gave you, Weiss?"
Weiss' complaints died on her lips. This was the most emotional she had ever seen her older sister be. Not even in the face of extreme adversity did she ever let her cold demeanour slip. Now it looked like she was about to start crying over a meal. Weiss could see her shoulders shake and could hear a small whine escape her lips.
Weiss didn't know what to do. Winter had always been the one to comfort her. She had never been in a position where the roles were reversed. What was she supposed to do? Give her money? No, she had plenty of that. Put her hand on her shoulder and say everything was going to be alright? That sounded like something normal people would do.
Weiss turned her gaze slowly back to the fish heads. They looked back at her with their dead, expecting eyes. Those scaly scallywags knew just as well as her what she had to do to calm Winter down. She sighed and embraced her fate.
She looked back at Winter with the expression she always used to mask her anger. One that carried a calm smile and an excited gleam in her eyes. "No, there's nothing wrong, Winter," she said in a professional tone. "I was just being silly. Of course I love what you've prepared for me. I shall eat it right away."
Winter's smile threatened to rip her face in half. "Oh, that is wonderful," she cheered. "For a second there, I thought there was a problem. If you hadn't liked it, why I wouldn't be able to live with myself." And then she went back to eating her turkey right in front of her face.
Weiss rolled her eyes when no one was looking. If she hadn't made a career in singing, she could've been an actress. That being said, she doubted she had the acting capability to look like she was enjoying eating these wretched fish heads. It was only for the sake of her sister that she would eat them. That and her stomach, which was still rumbling away, a reminder that she still needed to eat something today.
She stabbed one of the heads with her fork and brought it close to her face. The fish looked at Weiss. Weiss looked at the fish. The longer she looked at it, the less appetising it became. Good Lord, why hadn't they removed the eyes?
"It's okay, Weiss, you can eat it now," Winter said happily.
She sighed. She couldn't wait to leave for Beacon.
[/]
To call Beacon paradise would be an underestimate. Compared to her home in Atlas, this was practically a whole new world. She had heard many complaints from fellow students how classes were taking up too much of their free time, or how they felt the teachers were too controlling and oppressive.
What fools. If that was all they were complaining about, they were the ones who truly had a pampered life.
Beacon gave her the kind of freedom she could only dream about. Sure, there were some rules that still needed to be followed, but they were only put in place to benefit their learning environment. Otherwise, they were completely left to their own devices, free to do whatever they wanted.
Weiss certainly couldn't complain. Whilst she had her doubts at the beginning, she now had more friends than what she ever had before, as well as the best team she could've asked for. Compared to her old lifestyle, it was like a dream come true for her.
And the dream was only getting better. Today was that blessed day of the year, one of far more importance than even the day she graced Remnant with her existence. Today was Colour Day, and even the most backward, unwashed hoodlums of the White Fang knew what that meant.
Turkey!
She had to admit, she hadn't been that excited for this year's Colour Day, nor was she for the ones in the next three years. Beacon had such a large student body, that it was unrealistic to think they'd be able to afford enough turkeys to every student there. She saved herself the heartache by not getting her hopes up.
Turns out she had completely underestimated the school's budget. Not only did they have plenty of lien to spend on turkeys, but they were rich enough to keep doing this for her entire time at Beacon. Upon learning this, Weiss wasn't over the moon. She had ascended to another plane of existence.
Finally. The chance to eat turkey again. Oh, if only she could just live the rest of her life at Beacon with her team forever. She'd truly know the definition of paradise if she could.
She was currently standing in the lunchline in the school's canteen. Waiting in line was still a new and frustrating experience for her, especially as she watched students walk past her with trays of food in their hand, all of them filled to the brim with turkey. She even saw a turkey faunus walk away with slabs of the delicious meat on her tray. That just proved how heavenly and divine the golden bird was.
It was a wonder how real turkeys didn't cannibalize themselves due to being so delicious. Weiss knew if she was a turkey, she'd eat herself the moment she came into existence. At least she'd die with a full stomach.
After waiting for what felt like an eternity, she was finally at the front of the line. The lunch lady glared at her with a sour expression. She looked like she carried more fat than a pregnant Ursa. Her uniform was ready to burst underneath all that flab. Nevertheless, Weiss put on her best smile when looking at her, for the woman who would soon be the key to her salvation.
"Good afternoon to you on this fine Colour Day, madam," Weiss said politely. She had been taught how to speak with the utmost respect to your betters. "If it is no trouble, I would like some-"
"Oi, yer Weiss Schnee, right?" the flabby woman grunted.
Weiss beamed. "Why yes, that is indeed me." Unlike Pyrrha, she actually enjoyed it when people recognised her. It made her feel like nobility, which she pretty much was compared to most of the students here. "And how should I address you?"
"Name's Phyllis."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms Phyllis."
Phyllis' eyes narrowed, although they could've just been squashed in between all that face fat. "Whaddya mean, 'Ms'?" she murmured. An angry line of drool trickled down her meaty lips as she spoke.
Weiss' foot tapped under the table impatiently. This woman was eating into something else other than food for a change. She was eating into her time. Time that could've been spent eating turkey. Her stomach growled. That turkey was calling to her.
"My apologies, Phyllis," Weiss said patiently. "I did not mean to offend you. I was simply trying to be polite."
Phyllis leered at her and spat on the ground. She used her sleeve to wipe away the drool left on her lips. Weiss accepted this. If she had wiped her mouth with her hands, then yes, there would have been bloodshed. No one was touching her turkey with saliva-ridden fingers. Only she had that privilege.
"In any case," Weiss continued, "I would like some turkey if you please. There's no better way to show my appreciation for the holiday than by eating turkey, wouldn't you agree?"
Phyllis blinked slowly at her. It looked like she was having a stroke until she spoke up again. "Ye read the menu outside, didn't ye?"
"I did indeed." And what joy she felt when she read what was on it. She couldn't remember what the other options were. That beautiful, six letter word was all she saw.
"Right, ye don't need to worry about that one," Phyllis grunted. "Ye'll be ordering from the Weiss Schnee menu today."
Weiss blinked. The Weiss Schnee menu? Since when was this a thing? Every other time she came to the canteen, she had always ordered from the menu everyone else used. Before she could ask, Phyllis handed her a fancy-looking menu with her name on it. It was written in silver ink and in a handwriting style that was all too familiar to her.
It was Winter's handwriting…
A cold feeling of dread crept up her spine.
She opened it with shaky fingers. She remembered the last time she had eaten something prepared by her sister. Her stomach and toilet bowl certainly did too. It seemed she would never be able to escape her family, even the members she loved the most. Winter was precious to her, but now when she tried picturing her face, all she could see was a fish with white hair tied into a bun.
Yes, the fish heads had been brain food alright. As in they made it slowly wither away one day at a time.
Weiss' eyes scanned the menu cautiously. The first page was completely blank. There wasn't even a drink selection to be seen. She thought the whole menu would be like this, but then she saw the second page. It was hard to miss the words written down, for they were the only words to be seen.
Her heart stopped. There, written in big, bold, capital letters was the source of her nightmares and indigestion.
"Fish heads!?" she cried out in shock and revulsion.
"Coming right up," Phyllis grunted. She turned to look at the kitchen doors behind her. "Mungo! The fish heads!" she called.
The beastly man burst through the doors at the sound of his name. He looked exactly the same as Weiss had remembered him; still large and intimidating with that seemingly unblinking gaze. It was hard to forget the man who had served her that ghastly meal last year. The only thing that had changed about him was that he was wearing a Beacon kitchen staff uniform.
In his hands was a silver, familiar bucket. She could already smell the contents of it, as could several other students. Their faces were scrunched up in revulsion from the rancid odour coming from the bucket. She could even hear one student's aura breaking from how powerful the stench was. Mungo stomped over to her and slammed the bucket down on the table before slinking off back to the kitchen. What he was even doing there was a question Weiss wanted to ask, but she had lost her ability to formulate words due to shock.
"Yer sister requested we give ye these," Phyllis said. "Said ye needed brain food or something like that." She pushed the bucket closer to her. "Now get outta here. I got more of ye brats to feed."
Weiss dragged herself out of her stunned state. No! This was not going to be a repeat of last year! She was going to put up a fight this time!
"Now hang on just a minute," she snapped. "I'm not done here yet. I was planning to have some turkey for lunch, and as a Beacon staff member, you are obligated to serve me."
"Quit yer whining," Phyllis wheezed. "Ye've enough lunch there to feed most of the little punks here. No one else is getting as much as ye."
"No one else is eating fish heads!" Weiss cried. She looked around the cafeteria. She was surrounded by commoners and plebeians. She was a queen amongst peasants, but she was willing to walk among them for the sake of her education. So why were they eating better than her? It made no sense!
Phyllis sighed. "Look, ye think I wanted to be a dinner lady? This job is the only thing keeping me from being executed for me war crimes. So just shut up and eat yer fish heads, and maybe then I can go on living fer the next three months." She spat on the ground again and banged her ladle on the counter. "Next!" she shouted at the lunchline. That was the end of that conversation.
Weiss peeked into the bucket. She was greeted by the thousands of fish heads staring up at her with that lifeless, fishy gaze. Her brain and her stomach played memories of the last time she had to eat these things. She had left the bathroom smelling like an aquarium by the time she was done with it. These ones looked like the same kind of fish too. Perhaps some were even related to the ones last year?
She wanted to ask them if they had any brothers and sisters. She'd look like a lunatic talking to fish heads, but anything was better than eating them. And she was not eating them! Not this time. She wasn't living under the tyranny of her father anymore. She didn't have to accept things for how they were.
She looked over at the table where her team and Team JNPR were sitting. All of them were laughing and bonding over turkey and friendship. Each of them had copious amounts of turkey on their trays that practically sang to her.
"Eat us, Weiss," it gobbled. "Eat us and be whole…"
"Don't worry, my darlings," she whispered back to the meat. "I will."
Before Phyllis could ask who she was speaking to, she grabbed her bucket and headed towards her team. Her team wasn't like her family. They were compassionate, generous, and absolutely compliant to her every whim. All of them had more than enough turkey to go around. Once they saw what she had to eat, they would no doubt share some of their delightful servings with her.
When her friends saw her approach with her bucket, their eyes widen and their noses flared. She took her seat in between Ruby and Yang, who were all too eager to put as much space between them and her as possible. Team JNPR also lurched back as well.
Good. That was the kind of sympathy she wanted. They now understood her plight, although she noticed Blake's eyes light up with excitement for whatever reason after smelling the air. Whatever. At least she had their attention.
"Great googly moogly, Weiss-cream!" Yang cried. "What the hell have you got there? Smells like something the cat dragged in."
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it~?" Blake purred. Was she drooling?
Yes, everyone was looking at her fish bucket in horror. She could work with this. She sighed dramatically in an attempt to sway their hearts. "I know. Whatever am I to do?" she moaned. "While the rest of the world eats turkey, I'm forced to eat these fish heads. Oh, woe is me."
It wasn't hard to get into character. She really, really, didn't want to eat these things again. It took her nearly four hours to eat them last time. It would've been longer if Whitely hadn't demanded she speed up so that he could get a desert. Starving children In Vacuo didn't realise how lucky they were.
"Fish heads?" Ruby yelped. "What are you thinking, Weiss? Why would you do this to yourself."
"I have no choice in the matter," Weiss sighed. She swayed her body in a way that looked like she was about to faint. "My family's influence follows me like a shadow. They are forcing me to eat these vile monstrosities. I am powerless to resist." For added effect, she made tears form in the corner of her eyes. She wasn't usually one to rely on pity to get what she wanted, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Damn, seriously?" Yang said. "Geez, that sucks, Weiss. It really does."
"I agree. It does indeed 'suck', as you say." Weiss lowered her head so that her face remained hidden. Those who didn't make eye contact looked even more helpless. One of the few lessons her father taught her that hadn't been completely worthless. "But please, don't worry about me," she whispered. "Don't let me ruin your meal. I don't want to be a burden. I shall endure this burden."
"Oh, okay," Ruby said happily as she returned to her turkey.
"You got it, Weiss."
"Thanks, Weiss."
"Turkey!"
Weiss looked up to see everyone eating their meals like nothing happened. The only one who wasn't eating was Blake, though her focus was on the fish bucket rather than her. Everyone else carried on chewing away and ignoring her.
Weiss' eye twitched. Her fingers trembled. That was not the reaction she had been looking for. They were supposed to help her in her time of need. She took a deep breath before she could lose her temper. Perhaps she wasn't making herself clear? She just needed to turn the sympathy meter up a notch.
"But, you know, if you want to help me, then I'd appreciate that," Weiss said suggestively "I suppose I wouldn't say no to a little turkey-"
"Don't worry, Weiss. We won't patronize you," Ruby said. Her rosy-red partner looked at her with pride. "As you said, you can handle this. I know you hate it when we give you unnecessary help, so we'll leave you be." Her silver eyes were glowing with admiration. "I wish I had your confidence. You can handle anything by yourself. You're awesome." And then she went back to her turkey.
Weiss' teeth gritted together. Of all the times Ruby chose to respect her personal preferences, she picked now of all times to do so? Looking around, it seemed everyone else was quite content to let her suffer alone as well.
"Ruby's right, Weiss," Yang said. "You've totally got this. We believe in you."
Not helping, Yang…
"Thank you for understanding," she said in a painfully forced polite tone. She had to keep her breathing in check if she wanted them to sympathise with her. "Of course, if you have any excess turkey that you're unable to eat, I will gladly eat it for you."
Yes, make it seem like she was doing them a favour. Everyone loved charity. They'd be offering her servings in no time.
"Oh, I don't think anyone's worried about that," Pyrrha giggled. "I can't imagine anyone who'd be willing to let turkey go to waste. Don't worry, Weiss. We'll finish it all."
No, not you too, Pyrrha! And here she thought Jaune was the oblivious one of Team JNPR. Apparently, subtlety wasn't the strongest suit of any of her friends. If she was going to get any turkey, she was gonna have to be more clear.
"I'm sure you will," Weiss nodded. "That said… I mean, if you're able too… I'd still like some."
Everyone looked at her like she had grown a second head. Nora's mouth even dropped open, allowing precious turkey to spill out.
Was Blake ever gonna take her eyes off the bucket?
"Only if it is okay, of course," she quickly added. She needed to sound charitable, not desperate. "I'm not saying you have to… but if you have any to spare, I wouldn't mind-"
Everyone burst into laughter. It had been the first time any of them had laughed at what she had said. She wasn't really one for jokes. Was this a joke she was making? It didn't feel very funny and she wasn't trying to be funny. Nevertheless, everybody laughed their heads off. Even Ren was on the verge of tears.
Weiss felt a vein in her head throb with anger. This was serious business she was talking about here. Why was no one taking her seriously? Did they not understand the magnitude of importance that eating turkey carried? If they did, they'd stop their incessant giggling and help the poor girl.
Yang wiped away a tear and looked back up at her. "Sorry, Weissy," she giggled. She could barely control her laughter. "But that right there? That's gotta be the funniest thing you've said in a while. Share turkey? Turkey?" She broke into another fit of giggling.
Weiss sighed. Why did she expect any good to come from this? Even if they were all friends, a hungry peasant was still a hungry peasant. "I take it that's a no to my offer?"
"Afraid so," Ruby giggled. "Especially because the rest of us kinda need it more than you do."
The world around Weiss screeched to a halt for a split second. Those words. They sounded so familiar. Where had she heard them before? Oh yes, from none other than her dear father. Ruby's voice was different from that cantankerous old fool, yet the words rang loud and deafening in her ears.
Weiss felt her lip tremble. Her fingers twitched underneath the table. She could even feel what felt like a blood vessel bursting in her eye. "Forgive me, Ruby," she said slowly. "What do you mean by that exactly?" The little rose needed to choose her words carefully, lest she wanted her petals plucked.
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Ruby said. When Weiss didn't give her an answer, she rolled her eyes and pointed to herself and Jaune. "Me and Jaune are the leaders of our teams. As leaders, we gotta keep everyone together and plan our team strategies. We gotta have turkey to give us the energy we need to do all these things."
Keep talking, Ruby. Weiss prayed the fifteen-year-old would make a more convincing argument than her father. For her sake, of course.
"Yang and Nora are the muscle of the teams," she said, pointing to the blonde and the ginger. "You gotta have protein if you wanna keep those arms in check. What better way to beef yourself up than by eating turkey?"
Yang and Nora kissed their biceps with pride. The two of them looked strong. Very strong, she would admit. Those muscles were quite impressive. She wondered if they would keep them warm in the oncoming blizzard of fury.
"Pyrrha… come on, Weiss. She's the Champion of Mistral. She can't keep that title with an empty stomach. If anything, she needs twice the amount of turkey."
That had to have been the first time Pyrrha had ever embraced her reputation. She looked ever so smug at the idea of possibly being served second helpings. Why the champion was practically licking her lips at the thought.
"And finally, there's Ren and Blake. Those two are the book-smarts of our teams. Knowledge is power, Weiss, but the brain can't function when it's hungry. They need food to get those heads of theirs working."
"Fish," Blake agreed.
Ruby looked back at Weiss with a proud look on her face, as if she had just won the argument. Oh no, this conversation was far from over.
"But what about me?" Weiss cried. "You make it sound like I contribute nothing to our team. I'm just as smart as Blake and Ren, maybe even smarter if we compare test scores. And I'm just as capable of supporting you all in a fight. Have you all just forgotten that?"
"Don't be silly, Weiss," Ruby tutted. "Of course we value your bank account."
Thank you, Rub- wait, what?
"My what?"
"Your money has been a lifesaver at times, Weiss," Ruby continued. "Thanks to you, we've been able to buy all the dust rounds in the world. Plus, we always know who to call when we wanna order pizza. We can't thank you enough for your service to us."
Weiss blinked. Was that all they saw her as? But she had contributed to the team in hundreds of other ways too. She helped Ruby and Yang study and even helped Blake bridge her divide between faunus and humans. Was she nothing but a credit card to them?
She would've screamed if she didn't force herself to breathe. Okay, that hadn't been the revelation she was hoping to hear from her team. But it was okay because it gave her something to work with. At least they remembered her for something she could use to her advantage.
"I'm happy to help," she said patiently. Oh so patiently. "But don't you think I deserve a little bit of turkey for my contribution? Just a little?"
"Ah ah ah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Weiss," Yang said with a cheeky wag of her finger. "It doesn't take a lot of energy to spend money, certainly not for someone with your name.
"Now do you see, Weiss?" Ruby said merrily. "This is why we can't share any with you. Some of us just have bigger responsibilities."
"Couldn't have put it better myself, Rubes," Yang said, giving her sister a pat on the back. "Now eat up. You've still got some developing to do, unlike our resident ice-queen here. Sorry, Weiss, but you're flatter than the notes you sing."
Ruby proceeded to eat more turkey in her attempt to achieve her busty desires. Weiss watched the little munchkin eat away to her heart's content. Perhaps it was just her leader's colour scheme, but all she saw was red. Even when she looked away, a blood-red veil shrouded the world around her. The light of the world was replaced with a dark crimson glow.
There was something burning inside her. It didn't feel like rage. It didn't even feel like anger. Whatever it may be, it took control of her whole body. It flowed through her like a river, controlling her senses and filling her mind with very unladylike thoughts. What was this feeling though, and why was it doing this to her?
Her trusty stomach was the one to answer her. Over the laughter and chatter of her friends, she heard its familiar growl. It rumbled like a provoked Beowolf, and she actually got shivers when the soundwave sent ripples coursing through her body. When the rumbles faded, her whole body hurt. It was like there was an emptiness inside her that needed to be filled.
Weiss was hungry. She was hungrier than she had ever been before.
Despite currently living in a world of red, only one thing stood out in a golden ray of light. The turkey slices. They shone brighter than the gates of Paradise and were even accompanied by a heavenly choir. That could've just been the hunger talking, but it made little difference. The turkey was sitting there before her. There was even more than what there had been in the Schnee mansion. It was all there, right for the taking.
"Eat us, Weiss," the familiar voice gobbled. "Let us be one. Join usssss"
Her mission was clear. Her duties obvious. She had been denied turkey last year. It had been a long, hard year for her. She had promised herself she would never let such a tragedy happen again.
And she wouldn't…
"Hey, remember that time Weiss asked us if she could have some of our turkey?" Nora laughed. "Boy, that was a riot-"
Weiss slammed her fist on the table. She may have been small, but the strength of a hunter was undeniable. All the turkey went flying into the air. It was quite a beautiful sight. The turkey looked as free as what it once did when it was alive. Truly a majestic animal. Everyone else agreed as they stared at the airborne turkey slices with wide eyes.
There was little time to enjoy the sight though, as it was rapidly coming back down to earth. But before it could touch the ground and be defiled by dirt, Weiss activated her semblance and created a slope of glyphs for the turkey to slide down on. The slope ended at the entrance of her wide-open mouth.
The world exploded into beautiful colours the moment the first slice entered her mouth. Upon touching her taste buds, Weiss' mind became numb with ecstasy. All the aches and pains in her body faded away. All the strife in the world became nonexistent. The growling beast that was her stomach was immediately silenced. All was right in the world of Weiss Schnee.
The taste was simply divine. It was like eating a bronze-coated angel. Every piece tasted richer than her blood and added a little dash of spice to the flavour. The spice being virtue and justice. Her taste buds were on fire from the sheer bliss of eating turkey. Everything was clear and pristine. It was like a veil she had been wearing for years had finally been lifted. This world… this flawed, cruel world… it was beautiful…
She swallowed every piece that headed her way without chewing. She had no time for that. Chewing would only slow her down, and she ran the risk of destroying the flavour if she used her teeth. So she gulped down all the heavenly meat without pause or complaint. She could feel the moment each piece hit her stomach. It felt like an atomic bomb of euphoria had exploded inside her.
It was wonderful. It was perfect. She and the turkey had been reunited after so long!
And then it stopped.
Weiss no longer felt turkey going into her mouth. The visions and the feeling of euphoria were quickly fading. It had been mere seconds, and she had already eaten all the turkey on the table.
No!
No, no, no, that was too quick. She had waited a whole year for such pleasure. She couldn't let it end now!
She frantically looked around for more turkey, ignoring the worried and surprised looks from her friends. Her eyes scanned the tables of neighbouring students, but they had already eaten all their turkey. Smart. Though perhaps she could dissect them and eat the remains before they digested it?
No, that was a terrible idea. It would take too long to cut through the aura. She had to find another way to get her fix. She was on a cloud when she was eating that turkey. She was riding through the heavens on a comet, and she wasn't ready to return to Remnant just yet.
Her eyes locked onto the teacher's table. Oobleck and Glynda had finished their meal, but Port still had food on his plate. Unlike everyone else, he didn't have just a few slices for his lunch. He actually had a whole turkey to himself. It was the biggest and most delicious-looking turkey she had ever seen. It was cooked to perfection and had nary a bite mark in it. It seemed the teacher hadn't got round to eating it.
Weiss wasted no time stretching her hand out towards it. She wanted - no, needed - that turkey. Port was a fat, boring, slob of a man. His time was over. Hers though? Hers was just beginning. At that golden bird would lead the way.
The whole turkey catapulted towards her thanks to her semblance. The teachers barely had time to react to what happened, and could only watch as the bird went sailing through the air. Weiss stood firm with her mouth wide open. She would not use her hands to touch it, for mortals were foul, unclean creatures. They were not worthy of staining a turkey with their fingerprints.
The turkey landed in her mouth with a 'fwomp', and nearly took her head off. Her eyes bulged out of her skull and she nearly choked on the size of it.
"Well, that's just silly," she heard Ren murmur. She ignored him, for she had important matters to deal with.
It was obvious she wasn't going to get the whole thing in her mouth naturally, and she refused to swallow. She used her semblance to pry open her jaw wider, allowing the bird to slide in easier. It was already drenched in her saliva, allowing for a more smoother travel down her gullet. She stumbled around trying to deal with the weight of it, nearly falling over in the process.
Slowly but surely, she was swallowing the whole bird. The pleasure that came from consuming a pure, uncut turkey was indescribable. The colours had been replaced by a brilliant golden light that covered the world in its heavenly glow. She could hear the sound of harps playing in the background, as well as the choir of angels.
Her body felt weightless, like a feather floating in the summer breeze. She was falling into the tunnel of light without a care in the world.
When the light faded, she saw a field of grass with the purest shade of green she had ever seen. And in the grass were turkeys. Giant turkeys. Millions of them. They were all staring at her with love and respect. They towered over her like mountains, but they knelt down and bowed their heads before her. She felt like a queen among her subjects.
"It has been too long, your Schneeness," they said in unison. "But we are honoured to have you again. May we meet again next year. Glory to Colour Day! Glory to Weiss Schnee!"
A tear trickled down Weiss' turkey-filled face at the sight of her brothers. "Until next time, my children," she muffled out. And there would be a next time. She would make sure of it.
And then she came back to reality. The legs had finally disappeared down her throat, and the turkey was no more. A huge bulge could be seen in Weiss' neck, but one last swallow sent the thing down to her stomach. A loud and mighty belch erupted from her lips, signalling the end of her meal. Her body shuddered from bliss and from the effort of trying to process such a large amount of food. She closed her eyes and rode out the sensation.
Victory. That was what turkey tasted like. That was what she was experiencing right now.
She felt full. Complete. Whole. She even felt a little heavier too. She supposed it was too be expected. After all, she had just consumed a whole turkey in one gulp. Her knees buckled from her newfound weight and she ended up falling backwards onto the floor. Another smaller burp escaped her lips when her back hit the floor. She couldn't feel any pain. All she could feel was the bliss of turkey and the burning flames of pride. Or heartburn. Either way, a lot of burning.
Her friends crowded over her with worry in their eyes. What silly children they were. They had nothing to worry about. She was feeling fine. Better than fine. She had finally eaten turkey after so long and the sensation was incredible. What was there to fear? She was in paradise.
"Weiss, are you okay?" she heard the voice of Jaune say. She chuckled lightly at their worry for her.
"I am a queen," she mumbled. She was suddenly feeling very tired. The rush and adrenaline of her victory were fading away. She could barely open her eyes. "I am a queen…" She felt the outside world beginning to fade away. Her victory was warm and was putting her to sleep.
The last thing she saw before she passed out was Blake shoving her face in the fish bucket.
Volume 5 was meh.