"Penny, do you think I look good in this dress?" Weiss asks as she steps out of the dressing room, a hand tugging at the right shoulder idly, "I'm not sure about the shoulders." Penny's gaze falls onto her partner as she inspects the dress, the dark blue off shoulder garment boasting a wavy, knee length skirt, frills around the bust, and arm length gloves to match.
"Hmm… I think it suits you Weiss!" Penny flashes Weiss a thumbs up as she speaks, presently dressed in her own fanciful outfit, a knee length dark green dress with white lace trim, puffed out sleeves, and a flowy skirt, complete with stockings and inch heels. Weiss turns towards the nearby mirror before looking herself over in it, again tugging at the shoulder before releasing it.
"If you're sure, then I'll get it." With Penny's approval in hand, Weiss changes back into her prior outfit while Penny does the same, the two taking their selected attire and paying before departing the store. Earlier that day, the two were asked to help give Whitley a party in celebration of his birthday. Only after confirmation that it was just a party for Whitley, and not her included given their shared birthday, she agreed to help, wanting to give her younger sibling the first good birthday she's sure he's had in a long time.
With their outfits in tow, the two begin to wander through the mall seeking out a store to get Whitley gifts from. Penny makes a suggestion every so often only to be shot down by Weiss, at least until they come upon a toy store, Weiss glancing towards Penny with a quirked eyebrow. Penny giggles a little as she catches Weiss's expression, then takes her hand and drags her inside, Weiss not protesting and following close behind.
"So, what are we looking for in here, Penny? Whitley isn't exactly the type to play with toys. At least… Not that I can recall, but then again…" Weiss quietly sighs as she trails off, thoughts wandering towards her brother more than she'd like. I really don't know what Whitley would like… All those years, I… Never paid him any attention… Would he like toys?
"Stuffed animals, Weiss!" Pausing to gauge Weiss's reaction, the brace face brightening slightly as she processes the suggestion, Penny pulls her towards the section with the stuffed animals and begins to sift through the many options. "You have Muffin and Nickel when you don't have any of us around, but your brother doesn't have anyone, let's get him some friends!"
"… Penny, you're a genius, that's a wonderful idea!" Weiss manages to keep herself from facepalming as she realizes just how much Whitley could benefit from some friends, even if they are of the non-living variety. With Penny eagerly looking through the various plush animals beside her she follows suit, taking time to select the perfect companion. No, too small… I don't think he likes tigers… Why do they even have Grimm plushes? No… No… Aha! A soft gasp echoes out as she pulls a large brown bunny off the shelf, Penny looking over with her own selection in hand.
"Oh my, Weiss, that's so cute!" Penny cheerfully voices her approval of the plush before holding out her choice, a turquoise furred Labrador plush, Weiss regarding the plush with a smile and a nod before stepping towards her.
"Whitley is gonna love them. We should get some accessories for them, maybe some ribbons?" She suggests, Penny nodding in agreement before moving to the section of the aisle with various accessories for stuffed animals, the two picking out a selection of ribbons to compliment the plushes. "I'll ask Klein if he can make some outfits for these two, Whitley might like to have his new companions looking as nice as he does."
Weiss checks the time on her scroll once they've paid and left the store, Penny humming softly while looking around at the people passing by in waiting. "Mmm… We've got some time before we should get back to the academy, anywhere you want to go first?" She asks while looking around herself, Penny shaking her head with a slight in place bounce.
"We can head back early, get the gifts ready for the party how we'd like!" Penny's suggestion is met with a slight grin from Weiss who steals a kiss from her before taking her hand, both shows of affection being reciprocated before the two begin the trek back to the academy in high spirits.
"Mother, why must I wait in my room? Are you… Planning something?" Whitley questions, almost immediately being waved off by Willow who simply just smiles and giggles softly.
"Me? Planning something? Whatever could you mean, dearest. Please just remain here, I'll let you know when you can come out." Willow's response is met with a huffy sigh and a nod from the youngest Schnee, Whitley settling onto his bed and fetching his scroll while Willow departs from the room. Once the door is closed she looks down the hall in both directions before approaching the nearby Klein, smile widening as she gives him a simple nod.
"It's time. Whitley is going to be very surprised, wouldn't you agree?" Klein chuckles softly before nodding, the two slipping down the hall to the dining room where preparations are fast underway. Weiss, her teammates and friends, Penny, and even Qrow are hard at work setting up decorations, everyone having agreed to help Whitley celebrate his birthday, Weiss having asked for her friends assistance having been roped into the event herself. Watching everyone busily making the dining area look more festive, Willow thinking back to the day prior when she had been contacted by Ruby and Jaune regarding this day in particular and what they talked about.
"Ah, hello there Miss Rose and Mr. Arc, come in, come in." Willow says as she motions Ruby and Jaune inside, the two entering before following her along into the dining area, where Klein had set out tea and snacks. "I was quite surprised to hear you wished to speak to me of all people, how may I be of service?"
"We wanted to ask you about Weiss's birthday." Ruby begins explaining, accepting a cup of tea before continuing, "Back when we were at Beacon Academy, after much pushing she finally told us when her birthday is, but that she doesn't celebrate it, and… Well, she never told us why, exactly, she doesn't celebrate. We were hoping you could tell us, it hurts seeing her so unhappy on that day in particular." Willow grants Ruby a curt nod before sipping at her tea momentarily, then glances down at the table before looking between the two.
"What I tell you, you must not let Weiss know I've said this." Once Ruby and Jaune nod, she continues, a muted sigh escaping beforehand. "Her father, Jacques, he was obsessed with many things, most of which centered around the Schnee Dust Company, his reputation, and his heir. Before her tenth birthday, she quite liked celebrating, Jacques wasn't as hard on her as he came to be, so she spent the first part of her life a happy little girl, and then… Her tenth birthday came around."
Ruby and Jaune quickly grow disgusted and angered over hearing how Jacques refused to go to Weiss's party, that he finally admitted he only married Willow for the Schnee name, and the increase in abuse directed towards his middle child all in the name of shaping her into the person he wanted her to be. "While her birthday used to be something she enjoyed, ever since her tenth, I suspect she treats her birthday as a reminder of what happened, how her father treats her, and just how little he actually cares about any of us." Willow grits her teeth as she falls silent, a hand coming to rest against her forehead for a few moments, this drawing out worried expressions from the two huntresses.
"Don't worry you two, this is just… Withdrawal. I don't ever want to go back to drinking, hurting my children like I did…" Sighing softly, she sips at her tea again, gaze sinking back to the table. "My son, her brother, Whitley, he share his birthday with Weiss. I'm sad to say he doesn't have any positive memories of it either, with me closing myself off and drinking, Jacques being despicable, and Weiss being… Well, Weiss, I fear Whitley's had it as bad as his sister, if not worse."
"What if we tried to give Weiss a birthday to celebrate?" Ruby suggests, looking to Jaune afterwards as he nods with a smile. "Yeah, we could give her a party, try to see if it might cheer her up." Willow shakes her head after Jaune speaks, a soft chuckle escaping for a few moments.
"I fear Weiss wouldn't appreciate that, it would likely just reveal I told you this and make her upset with me. However…" Willow taps at her chin for a few moments as she gets an idea, smile growing a little before she speaks. "Perhaps… Instead of trying to force Weiss into having a birthday she may or may not enjoy, what if instead we do so for Whitley? If we convince Weiss to join in on the preparations and partake in the party, she could have a positive birthday memory not directly associated with herself, and… I don't see the harm in getting her gifts that she could open later on."
"Say, that's… Actually a really good idea, Mrs. Schnee. Knowing Weiss, she might appreciate being able to help her brother, and being able to open gifts in the privacy of her room at the academy, I think she'd like that." Ruby nods in agreement with Jaune, the two getting into discussing the finer details of their new plans and just how to get Weiss involved.
Before long the dining room is finished being decorated, a myriad of wrapped gifts laid out in a pile on the table, everyone dressed in their finest outfits. "My my, you've all certainly done a great job with decorating, Whitley is going to be very surprised. Weiss, would you like to go fetch him from his room?" Willow asks after complimenting the state of the dining room, Weiss gladly nodding before slipping away and up to where she remembers Whitley's bedroom to be.
"Mother?" Whitley calls out after Weiss knocks on it, the entrance of his sister drawing out a surprised expression. "W… Weiss? What are you doing here, and… Why are you dressed so nice?" His question is met with a soft smile from Weiss who approaches and hugs him, Whitley all too willingly leaning into the embrace with a small smile of his own growing.
"Happy birthday, Whitley." Weiss softly says before giving him a kiss to the forehead, this making Whitley blush slightly before smiling wider.
"I… Should say the same to you, sister. Happy birthday Weiss." He responds in turn before sighing softly, a soft chuckle ringing out afterwards. "Let me guess, mom?" Weiss nods in response to his guess, then gently affixes a blindfold around his eyes before taking his hand and guiding him downstairs. Her hand leaves his once they're in the dining room, his cue to remove the blindfold, a rather harmonious cry of "Happy birthday!" ringing out once he does. As Whitley looks over the room, seeing the decorations, the gifts, and everyone standing there, Willow slowly steps over to him before tugging him close, a soft hum becoming audible moments before she speaks.
"Happy birthday, dearest. Today is your day, we're here for you." Whitley, hearing Willow's words, can't help but get choked up, gladly embracing Willow before Weiss joins in and hugs them both. Once they separate from this hug, nearly a minute after it began, the party begins to pick up, Whitley socializing with his sister and her friends, asking about what they do on their missions, what it's like at an academy. While he used to think that Huntsmen and Huntresses were barbaric and that the Atlas military could do their job much easier, everything he's come to see through the news, especially regarding Weiss and Penny's missions, began changing his perspective, as he hadn't realized that huntsmen do more than just fight.
As the party carries on, eventually it comes time for dinner, a decadent feast prepared by Klein and the other servants being laid out before everyone digs in. Once everyone has eaten, Klein and Willow bring out a gorgeous two tier chocolate and raspberry cake with fifteen candles lit, Whitley blowing them out before the cake is cut and served up, the time for gifts approaching at last. Whitley is first given his gift from Willow, a sizable box containing art supplies, stationary, and some new outfits. Whitley gently lifts each item out before setting them aside, then shares a hug with Willow and thanks her before moving onto his next gifts.
Opening his gift from Weiss, he pulls out the large brown rabbit plush and regards it dryly, quirking an eyebrow before looking to his sister. "Oh, sister! What a lovely bunny you've given me. I'm sure he'll fit right in with my collection. We'll walk through the gardens together. And have tea parties!" He sarcastically quips, unable to resist grinning slightly before looking over the rabbit again. "I suppose you expect me to speak to the rabbit as well, like you do Muffin, no?"
"Whitley, please. Just because I speak to Muffin doesn't mean I expect you to start talking to your rabbit, you aren't me." Weiss retorts with a grin of her own, the two sharing a hug before he places the bunny on the chair beside him. "Are you gonna give him or her a name?" Whitley quirks an eyebrow yet again, then glances back down at the rabbit momentarily.
"… Bunny." He dryly says with seriousness to his tone, laughter ringing out in response to how genuinely he voices the rabbit's name. Next up comes Penny's gift, the blue Labrador being looked over just as he did Bunny before he huffs. "Sister, your girlfriend thinks far too much like you." With a teasing remark directed towards Weiss, he places the dog beside Bunny and gives Penny his thanks, then moves on to his next gifts. Every gift is met with thanks given before being piled up together, Whitley genuinely looking to be happy as the party begins to wind down.
Eventually it comes time for everyone to depart, Weiss sharing one last hug with Whitley before moving to leave only to be intercepted by Willow, who holds out a few neatly wrapped packages, Weiss taking them with a slight frown before being given a loose hug from Willow.
"These are from me, Klein, and your brother, my darling. I know you don't like celebrating, but I wanted to tell you happy birthday before it ended." She says before squeezing Weiss and kissing her forehead, Weiss leaning into the hug as best she can with the gifts in hand.
"Thanks, mom, I… Appreciate it. I'm happy we were able to give Whitley a birthday to remember." Weiss's response is met with a smile and a nod, Willow motioning her off with a wave before returning to the dining room. The trip back to the academy is quiet and unassuming, yet as she enters her dorm Weiss notices a pile of gifts on her bed, Ruby and Yang whistling nonchalantly as Weiss glares over at them momentarily. Her gifts from her family are placed with the pile, then she changes into pajamas for the evening before settling onto her bed and starting in on the gifts.
From Penny, she receives some accessories for Muffin and Nickel, and a framed picture of both girls together on the day of their first mission, Weiss unable to keep herself from smiling as she looks it over. Ruby, Yang, and Blake pooled together to get her a gift certificate for a day of rest and relaxation at a local spa, the certificate being safely tucked away before she moves on. Nora, somewhat characteristically, gave her a book of breakfast recipes, while Jaune gave her a certificate good for dust from a local shop, and Ren gave her some new earrings and an apology note for Nora's gift, the note receiving a chuckle as she reads it. Oscar's gift to her is a book of folk songs from across Remnant, something she finds to be fitting giving his semblance and her own talent for singing.
With her gifts opened, she gets up and shares an embrace with each of her teammates individually, the group eventually getting together for a proper group hug before Blake, Yang, and Ruby whisper to Weiss.
"Happy birthday, Weiss."