Hey guys! I'm still here, and I'm sorry! Between writer's block, starting a new job, and all of the chaos currently going on across the world with the epidemic and all, it's been a while since I was able to write.
I'm going to do what I can to publish more regular updates again. I promise I didn't give up on this story!
I don't own RWBY
"Okay," Neon said, setting down an overfilled makeup bag. "This is where we can have some fun! We get to experiment, find your style!"
"I don't want anything over the top," Weiss said. "Definitely more subtle."
"I'm aware," Neon grinned. "But, if I recall, you do like eyeliner!"
Blake watched as Neon guided Weiss through her own makeup application.
"I can list out all of the products you use so that you can start your own collection," Neon offered. "I figure that would let you practice in your own time. After all, practice makes perfect!"
"Thank you, Neon," Weiss said. "I really appreciate this."
"So you really haven't had a place to stay?" Nora asked, sitting across from Weiss at their library table. "That's awful."
"It was just for a week," Weiss said.
"I know what that's like," Nora said. Weiss sympathetically met her eyes. "Ren and I were both orphaned at a young age. We were homeless for years until we were adopted."
"I'm so sorry to hear that," Weiss said.
"It's in the past," Nora said, waving it off. "I'm just glad your homelessness is in the past, too. Ruby and Yang are great people."
"It took plenty of convincing for Weiss to be willing," Blake sighed. "I really wish I could have helped you sooner."
"Either way," Nora said. "Things look to be getting better for you, Weiss."
Weiss smiled in agreement, relieved that, for once, the future didn't seem like a pitch black void.
"And... done!" Neon beamed as Weiss finished her makeup. "You look amazing, Weiss!"
"Agreed," Nora said.
"Thank you," Weiss said. She couldn't help but blush at the compliments, a warm feeling of comfort buzzing within her.
"You look beautiful, Weiss," Blake said, smiling at her. Weiss felt herself blush deeper.
"Thank you," Weiss repeated, this time her voice verged on cracking.
"You know what you need now?" Neon asked, stretching her arms far back. "You need some clothes that are much more you. Unless you're more of an 80's rock fan than I thought."
"I did have some," Weiss began. "Actually, I need to talk to Winter about that. Now that I can wear the clothes she helped me get, I should go grab them."
"Have you talked to her at all since we worked out everything with Illia?" Blake asked.
"I haven't had the chance," Weiss said.
"You should," Illia said from a table away. Weiss jumped, not having realized that she was there.
"Wow," Nora said. "Did your name summon you?"
"I'm always around," she said. "Winter should know you've been homeless, now that you're not."
"Yeah," Blake growled. "Winter has a right to know. And Illia was never in a position to tell her, I'm sure. Just like how she was never in a position to tell me."
"I told you, it wasn't for me to tell," Illia said.
"She was living on the street, and you never thought that maybe you should tell the people that could help her?" Blake hissed.
"Blake," Weiss said. "I asked her not to tell anyone."
"But we could have helped you," Blake snapped.
"And I'm the one that had it stay a secret. Not Illia," Weiss said. Blake sighed.
"My position on this aside," Illia said. "I know Winter will want to make sure her little sister is safe. And believe me, Blake. You think I haven't gotten my due desserts for keeping this secret, just remember that Winter is about to find out I've been keeping this from her."
"I'll make sure she knows that it was my decision," Weiss said. She pulled out her MP3 player, and texted Winter her request to meet. She stared back at the screen, wondering if the response would come soon. She felt rather anxious about the prospect of telling Winter that she's been living secretly on the streets. Winter was, after all, very protective of her, and would likely be very disapproving of her secrecy.
"Weiss!" Ruby called, running up to the pale student as she walked through the hallways, backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Ruby, there you are," Weiss said. "I've been wondering where you and Yang were."
"Oh, Yang's gonna meet us at the front. We always meet up there. You alright?" Ruby asked, noting Weiss' conflicted expression.
"I was hoping to meet up with my sister, but apparently she's going to be unable to come into town for several weeks. I'm hoping to get some of my clothes, and tell her about me no longer living with my father, and that's not something to tell over the phone. I'd rather tell her in person, but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen."
"Oh," Ruby said. "I'm sorry. Where does she live?"
"About an hour or so out of town, she's a student at Atlas University," Weiss said. "She's working most of the time she's not studying, so she has a hard time getting enough time on the weekend to come down and meet."
"Ruby!" Yang hollered from down the sidewalk as they stepped outside. Yang shoved her way through the crowd of students, joining up with the two as they began to turn towards their house.
"Hey, Yang," Ruby said.
"Hey, sis. Why the long faces?" Yang asked.
"Weiss is wanting to see her sister, but her sister lives out of town, and can't make it over. She lives about an hour away," Ruby said. "Can we?"
"Ruby, that takes gas," Yang sighed.
"Pleeease?" Ruby said. "Road trip! I wanna go on a drive!"
Yang sighed.
"You're gonna come work at Jamba, right?" she asked.
"Absolutely," Weiss said. "The job experience would be perfect, and I would love to contribute as much as your father would allow, at least."
"Then you owe me for gas once you get a paycheck," Yang said.
"Wait," Weiss froze. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, buckle up, princess. We're going on a road trip," Yang smiled.
"You don't have to, really, I appreciate the offer," Weiss stammered.
"Believe me. Ruby will never let me hear the end of it if I don't take us," Yang said. "Once her mind is set on a road trip, it's happening."
"Again, thank you, Yang," Weiss said as they drove down the highway. Ruby sat, giddy, in the shotgun seat. Blake sat next to Weiss in the back, having been convinced by the group to accompany them on a road trip. She was half buried in a book, half paying attention to the surrounding conversation. "I understand this is a long way to drive. I really appreciate this."
"It's no trouble," Yang insisted. "If it gets this one off my back, it's worth it." Yang nudged Ruby halfway through her sentence, smiling.
"It's been too long since we had a road trip!" Ruby squealed, throwing her hands up enthusiastically.
"You're all far more excitable than my family," Blake said. "Our house is almost always quiet."
"Quiet?" Yang jokingly chimed. "What's that?"
"Anyway," Ruby said. "Weiss. What's it like at Winter's school?"
"I haven't been," Weiss said. "Her apartment was really, really nice. But she lost it when she got disowned. I've hardly even seen her since."
"Your father never ceases to piss me off," Yang said. "I can't believe there are people who would care so little about their kids."
"No one believes it happens, not to the extent that it does. Except for the kids that live through it," Weiss said. "And the sad thing is, there are kids who have it worse."
"You have a younger brother, right?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, Whitley," Weiss said. "Why?"
"Is he still living there?" Ruby asked.
"Yes. He doesn't really understand any of what's going on," Weiss said. "He's been trying to, but ultimately he's in the middle of a storm of chaos."
"As far as you told me, Whitley was just as rude and controlling as Jacques," Blake said.
"That's... not exactly accurate. Jacques can be outright controlling, he has the power to do so. Whitley's the youngest of three, so he has to be more... subtle and manipulative. He was being kinder before I left, but I still don't know if it was genuine. It seemed like it, but in the past he always had an agenda. He was always working an angle," Weiss said. "I kind of have a hard time believing he would actually accept me for being trans."
"God," Yang said, almost in a dejected tone. "That whole house sounds like a nightmare. Were you always having to look over your shoulder?"
"Every second. Perfect grades, or else father would be livid. Chores done ahead of the stated time, or father would be livid. You get the pattern. Winter pretended to be the perfect daughter until she could move out, and then she practically vanished. In most cases, she would only come by about once a month, despite having the option to every weekend. And I know now that she only came back at all because of me. I was about the same. Out of fear to be myself, I constantly molded myself into the perfect son. Almost always, if father wanted something, I made sure to get it before the time he wanted it by. 'A Schnee doesn't meet expectations. We exceed them.' That was what he always said. And each time, there wasn't a thank you. There wasn't any genuine empathy or love. It was always just on to the next thing he wanted."
Blake took Weiss' hand, giving her a look of sorrow.
"Weiss?" Yang asked. "Can I ask something really personal?"
"Alright," Weiss said.
"I've looked online and didn't find any definitive answers. And I'm sorry if this question isn't okay. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to... but is your mom still there?" Yang asked.
Weiss immediately remembered the final conversation with her mother, a mournful wave washing over her.
"Yes. Yes, she is. Physically at least. When I was a child, she was there a lot more commonly. Honestly, she's probably the only reason I learned any empathy whatsoever. Well, her and Illia. She would be there when father would get... upset. She was there when he got violent. I never understood as a child, but I think now, I do. She would always be there, and I could see on her face that each time she wanted to interfere. She was just terrified. And then... one time she tried to stand up for her children. Father had been angry at me for not doing chores to his standard, and I argued with him. And right as he raised his hand, she spoke up. She begged for him to let it go, to back off. Then..." Weiss swallowed hard, eyes tearing at the memory. She struggled to keep her voice calm and steady. "It worked that time, to a degree. He turned his palm to her instead of me. And he shouted. For hours. I learned several new words that night, none of them pleasant. And he said a lot of things that changed the dynamic of the house permanently. It was there that he made it clear that he blatantly believes women should be seen and not heard. It was there that he first directly stated that his children were just tools to him as much as a computer or a pen. And it was there that he first told mother that he didn't love her, he had only married her for the family business. Everything changed that night. She stopped driving Winter to school in the mornings. She wouldn't show up to family meals as much. She just started to vanish to the garden. More and more as time went on, she would only come in to sleep and to get wine from the cellar. At first, she would get a glass. Then, it was two. And eventually, she would grab bottles at a time, and didn't bother with the glass. She just hid away. And that was years ago. I went to see her just before I left for good. She was so far into her bottle that, just because I was still wearing Neon's makeup, she thought I was Winter. So, yes, Yang. She is still there in person. She just... isn't really home. Ever."
The car was quiet for a very long moment, the other three sitting in a stunned and mournful silence. Blake tightened her grip on Weiss' hand, looking protectively at her friend.
"It's a bit different, but I know what it's like to have an absent parent," Yang said, breaking the silence. "But having to see everything devolve like that... I'm really sorry, Weiss."
"I'm worried. I don't know how to proceed. I want to get her out of there. But she's endured years and years of his lies and hate, and at this point doesn't believe it's possible to escape him. And I'm still unsure of if Whitley actually cared, but if he did, if he actually has a chance of being anything other than his father, I don't want him staying in that either. But father's a monolith of power in today's society. One of the wealthiest CEOs in this entire half of the country. He has so many people that will break the rules to keep him on their side. Police, doctors, judges, lawyers, he owns so many of them. I feel like no matter how it's done, if I try to do it through the courts I'm doomed to fail."
"I know it looks that way," Yang said. "But if there is a way to do it, we'll find it, Weiss."
"You'll never be alone in this fight ever again," Blake promised. "No matter how bad it is, I'll be at your side."
"That means more to me than I could put into words," Weiss said. She squeezed Blake's hand back. Despite all of the fear, the comforting and warm feeling of love and friendship Blake emanated seemed like the ultimate shelter. Weiss wanted to lay on Blake's shoulder and step into safety.
Come to think of it, Weiss knew she didn't want to let go of Blake's hand at all. Every time Blake was there, it felt like she could stand in front of giants. Not necessarily without fear, but she knew that she could hold her ground.
She sank into her thoughts, once again almost in turmoil about her emotions. Blake never failed to make her feel safe and happy, and the idea of being even closer to Blake seemed to taunt her. Her mind swirled with the thought of curling up with Blake, watching a movie and resting her head on the bookworm. She thought of the school dances, and the idea of going with her, hand in hand. Slowly turning, Blake's hand around her waist, gazing straight into her eyes, knowing that she was, for once in her life, completely happy and exactly where she wanted to be...
"Weiss?" Ruby asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. Weiss internally pouted at being dragged back to reality.
"Huh?" Weiss asked, looking around.
"You've been staring off into space for like ten minutes," Ruby said. "Are you alright?"
"Oh... yes, I'm sorry," Weiss said. "I didn't mean to alarm you. I was just lost in thought."
"Ruby had been asking if we wanted to stop for a bathroom and food break," Blake said.
"That would be lovely," Weiss said. Yang pulled forward and into the the parking lot of a gas station off of the highway.
Weiss stepped into Atlas University, taking in the campus. Snow littered the walkway, trees clear of any leaves sprinkled around the grounds. She trudged through to the dormitories, her friends a few steps behind. She pulled open the double doors, stepping into the heated building, breathing in the warm air. A dormitory staff receptionist sat behind a desk ahead, looking up to see them. Weiss showed her visitor's badge.
"I'm looking for Winter Schnee, my sister," Weiss said, stepping up to the desk.
"Let me call her down," the receptionist smiled, picking up a landline. "Room thirty-two. Winter Schnee."
There was a moment of waiting while the receptionist was on hold.
"Hello, Winter? You have a visitor for you," the receptionist said. She covered the reciever. "Could I get a name?"
"Weiss," Weiss said.
"Weiss is here to see you," she smiled. "Thank you," she set the phone back on its stand. "She will be down in just a moment. Feel free to wait on those chairs. We have complimentary coffee and hot cocoa, if you would like to warm up."
"Thank you very much," Weiss smiled, politely bowing her head.
"Cocoa!" Ruby chirped, practically flying to the counter. Weiss shook her head, unable to hold back the smile. Weiss poured herself a coffee. Blake and Yang sat down, not taking up the drinks.
"I've never actually met Winter," Yang said. "But, if she's been as amazing to you as you've said, then she sounds great."
"Well, there she is," Blake pointed, as the giantess of a woman stepped into the lobby, followed by Ciel.
"Weiss," Winter smiled. Weiss stood, stepping up to her sister.
"Winter, I've missed you so much," Weiss said.
"As have I," Winter said, warmly giving a brief hug. "While I am glad to see you, you never did say what was so urgent."
"Right... well, I was coming by to grab the clothes I left with you, if that's alright," Weiss said.
"I still have them up in my dorm... however, weren't you wanting to keep father from being able to take them?"
"Yes... well... about that..." Weiss stammered. "I'm kind of... staying with Yang and Ruby now."
She gestured to the aforementioned duo. Then she stood straight, eyes wide.
"Right, sorry. Yang, Ruby, this is Winter. Winter, this is Yang and Ruby. They're my classmates and friends."
"Hello," Yang chirped, waving.
"Hi!" Ruby grinned, leaping to a standing position. Winter smiled, surprised.
"I'm glad to see you're making friends that are more trustworthy than your previous ones," Winter said.
"It's about time," Blake said.
"And you said you were living with them?" Winter said.
"Yeah, after what happened, dad said he wouldn't mind if she stayed with us," Yang said. Weiss slightly groaned, wincing at Yang's choice of words.
"After what happened?" Winter asked. "And what are the events she referred to?"
"Right," Weiss sighed, giving a slightly irked look to Yang.
"Winter didn't know," Blake whispered to Yang. Yang's face fell, and clear embarrassment flooded it.
"Sorry," Yang winced.
"Father... well... we got into a fight. I came out at school. Publicly. One of my friends did my makeup to help me. And I didn't feel like hiding who I was at home either, since he already knew. So... I wore the makeup home as well. We got into a big fight, and I ended up telling him I'd rather live on the street than with him... so then I did."
"You ran away?" Winter asked, worry rising in her voice.
"More accurately, he kicked me out and I was happy to oblige," Weiss said.
"So you then went to your friends' house," Winter said. Weiss tried as hard as she could to bury her emotion.
"Yes," Weiss said. "Exactly."
All three of Weiss' friends stared at her. Yang and Ruby stared in shock while Blake gave a disapproving glare. Winter narrowed her eyes, catching onto her friends' reactions.
"Weiss. You're my sister and I love you. But please be honest with me. I get the feeling there's something going unmentioned."
"Well..." Weiss said, turning crimson in shame. She couldn't meet Winter's eyes, staring down to the ground. After several seconds of Weiss trying to work up the courage to speak, Blake sighed and stepped forward.
"She got kicked out and lived in alleyways and under bridges for a week without telling anyone," Blake said. "After a week she finally told me, and then she told Yang and Ruby and they strongarmed her into living with them. That irresponsible ass of a father cut off all expenses, including paying for her food at school. Weiss had to steal to get by, and she spent that week trying to survive in the worst season to be homeless. It snowed. She got harassed by a cop. And the whole time she didn't willingly tell a single soul."
Winter stood, worryingly still, for several seconds.
"You've been living on the streets, in the cold?" Winter said, stepping towards Weiss.
Weiss meekly nodded, shrinking back. Fear gripped her mind. Winter seemed to tower miles above her, and Weiss could hear the anger in her voice. She stepped back, worried about the approaching explosion of anger.
Winter quickly stepped forward, and Weiss froze completely, squeezing her eyes shut, bracing herself. And then... she felt her sister's arms wrap around her.
"Weiss," Winter said, her voice full of several emotions seemingly at once. "I could have helped, why didn't you tell me?"
"I told you," Weiss whispered. "I'm not letting you throw away what matters to you just so I can have it easier. I'm not worth that."
"I'll decide what I think is worth it to help you," Winter said, still holding Weiss to herself. "Are you alright?"
No social norms, no dancing around the topic, no classic Schnee coldness. Winter had simply asked three words that Weiss had never imagined a Schnee would say without some kind of a hidden meaning.
"I mean, I'm not on the streets anymore," Weiss said.
"That's not what I asked," Winter said. "Weiss, are you okay?"
Weiss held back tears burying her face in Winter's embrace.
"I... Winter, it was really bad... I didn't know what I was going to do. I was so scared. And now I don't know what to do. I don't know if this is all one big trick father is pulling. I keep worrying he's going to force me to come back. I don't want to go back to that house. I don't want to be there ever again."
"We'll find something," Winter said. "I'll find something. I'm not letting you go back there. You're away from him, and I won't let him change that."
"There's one more thing you should know," Blake said. "Some would disagree, but I personally think it's incredibly wrong that it happened. Illia knew. Illia knew the entire time. She figured it out on day one and kept it secret."
Weiss was currently unable to see it, but for a moment Winter's eyes flashed with anger.
"She knew my little sister was freezing and starving on the streets and kept it quiet?" Winter asked.
"Blake," Yang said.
"No," Blake glared back. "You know if anything like that happened to Ruby and I didn't tell you, you'd feel the exact same."
Yang opened her mouth to speak, and then seemed to choke on her words. After a moment, she sighed.
"You're right," Yang said. She stepped back. "If someone kept that from me I'd wanna punch their teeth in."
"Please, don't be angry," Weiss pleaded. "I made her promise not to tell anyone at all."
"Weiss," Winter argued. "I'm here for you, and I have loved having Illia back, but I take your safety very seriously. I am upset."
"Please," Weiss urged. "It wasn't her choice."
"Winter," Ciel spoke up. "I want Weiss to be safe as well, but this was a decision Weiss made. If you respect your sister, then you need to respect the choices she makes. And she made this choice, not Illia. You're expecting Illia to break your sister's trust."
Winter took a deep breath in, finally letting Weiss out of the caring embrace.
"I'm still upset... but you make a good point, Ciel. You always do. I'll be reasonable about this," Winter said.
"Thank you," Weiss said.
"Now, your clothes," Winter said. "Allow me to grab them from my dorm. I'll be back shortly."
Weiss nodded. Winter stepped back into the dorms and disappeared from sight.
"Your makeup skills have improved," Ciel smiled.
"Thank you, I've been getting lessons from one of my classmates," Weiss said. "While your knowledge is very useful, she is also trans, and she's got years of experience specifically with techniques used for transition makeup."
"I'm proud to see the steps you've taken," Ciel said. "Even despite the numerous issues you're currently working to make it through, you still look much happier than I've seen you ever before."
"Yes, a good part of that has to do with being open about who I am," Weiss said. "Although, a lot of that also comes from having such amazing friends."
Blake, Ruby, and Yang all smiled, and Blake blushed ever so slightly.
Winter returned a moment later, carrying a bag.
"Would you be willing to make sure I didn't forget anything?" Winter asked, handing Weiss the large bag. Weiss nodded.
"Of course," she said, taking the bag. She looked inside of the bag, digging through the clothing and also saw... most of the clothing her father had thrown away, but in pristine condition, as if it was fresh out of the store. The only thing missing was the wig. Also inside was a significantly more modest makeup collection than before, not that Weiss had expected Winter to spend another six hundred dollars. And also inside as a white purse with a sky blue trim. Weiss' jaw dropped, digging through the bag. "I don't understand..."
"I know that father made sure your belongings were destroyed, but luckily, I still had the receipt," Winter said.
"They refunded them?" Weiss asked, shocked. "I thought you still have to have the item for that."
"You do," Winter said. "I didn't get them refunded. I brought in the receipt so that they could track down those items, as they don't just have one of everything. And while I was at it, I wanted to grab a bit more for you. I'm sorry I wasn't able to replace the wig, I know how much it meant to you."
"How did you even afford all of this?" Weiss asked, befuddled.
"I'm living at the university for free, so all of the money I make at my job is mine. And, I have memberships at all of those stores, I just hadn't exercised the benefits of said memberships until now. Before, I hadn't needed them," Winter said.
"Winter," Weiss' voice cracked, wavering with tears. "You didn't have to..."
"I'm aware I didn't have to. I chose to," she said.
"But right now you need all the money you can get, so that you can cover your own expenses... I..."
"You realize who you're talking to, right?" Ruby asked, stepping up beside her. "Yang once got us front row seats to a Fall Out Boy concert, covered concessions, and everything, all on a Jamba paycheck."
"She's your big sister, get used to it," Yang chuckled.
"But-" Weiss began.
"No buts," Winter said, her voice strict. "Understood?"
Weiss looked from the bag, back to Winter, still in disbelief.
"Yes, Winter," Weiss slowly said, aware that Winter would never allow her to refuse.
I hope that was a decent way to jump back in! I'll be writing more soon!
Please stay safe everybody!
