The dining room was filled with the sound of dignified eating. Sitting at the table was the perfect family.
At the head of the dining room table was the Schnee family patriarch, dressed in his usual suit. Sitting to his left was his wife, and on his right was his youngest daughter. On Willow's left was Weiss, and on Miyu's right was Winter.
Each member of the Schnee family ate breakfast with elegant and practiced grace, befitting the most powerful family in Atlas.
Miyu had been surprised to see her father come to breakfast this morning, and she knew she wasn't alone.
Weiss seemed to be the one most shocked out of the sisters. She grew even more conscious of her every movement in his presence. It seemed like she was trying to impress him.
Winter was more impassive and neutral. Miyu could see a hint of hostility in her oldest sister's eyes when they glanced at their father.
"Have you finished studying your classmates?" Jacques asked Miyu.
"Yes, I've finished reading and memorizing the files you gave me," Miyu answered.
Her father gave her files on all the classmates she would be meeting today. The documents were meant to help Miyu get familiar with those she would be going to school with beforehand. They contained details on the other students' backgrounds, families, likes, and dislikes.
All of the other students were from elite Atlesian families. None of them were on held the pedigree of the Schnees, but then again, no family was on par with them politically or financially.
"Hm, very well. Remember, you're not there to make friends," Jacques said as he sat down his fork. "You must impress your classmates and assert our family's dominance."
Miyu gave her father a single nod in agreement. She would fulfill what was asked of her.
"Weiss, are you prepared for the fundraiser tonight?" He turned toward the middle Schnee child now. His eyes were colder than Miyu's own, even as he was looking at his daughter.
"Of course, Father," Weiss responded with the edges of her mouth raised slightly. "I've been preparing a new song, and it will be a sure hit."
Miyu barely reacted to her sister's comment. She's listened to her sister sing several times in the past. Weiss was a genius when it came to singing, and it was a significant part of her public image. Their father moldered her image around this skill because musicians are held in high esteem within Atlesian culture.
Conversely, artists were viewed as being inferior to musicians; thus, their father didn't let any of the sisters practice painting.
From the ethnographies Miyu's read on Atlas, music being held above art has been a part of their culture for generations.
It was rooted in The Great War generations prior.
Faunus artists of the time created a new style simply called Traurig Art. It placed emphasis on the sadness and harshness of their lives. They tried to capture the cruelty of Solitas and their enslavement. Over time, it was co-opted by the rest of Mantle's art world.
An era of art designed to make people feel negative emotions began but ended just as quickly.
The largest Grimm attack in recent history struck within a year of Traurig Art becoming the dominant art form. Mantle managed to fight back and survive, but at a great cost. Many died, and the city's heating grid was rendered unusable, forcing people to watch as their loved ones froze right before them.
The Atlesian people were left scared and afraid. They needed something to blame for what happened to them.
In the end, the people came to blame the art that invocated negative emotions. They said that since negative emotions attract Grimm, it must be the fault of art.
Instead of fixing the issues that caused the art, they attacked art. They tried to bring an end to such expression because they believed it would prevent any more Grimm attacks.
Even generations later, art is still looked down upon in Atlas. Elites only buy art to show off to foreigners or for other monetary reasons. The only exception is family portraits.
"It better be. Your last song wasn't well-received," the Schnee family patriarch coldly told Weiss.
"It will be," Weiss said with downcasted eyes. Her shoulders dripped a few inches.
"I'm going to go over it again with her before tonight," their mother stated. She placed a hand on Weiss's shoulders. The middle Schnee child sat up a little bit straighter. The sadness in her expression retreated.
Miyu gently placed her eating utensils on the table. The last of her meal had been consumed. "I've finished breakfast. May I leave for school?"
She had to be at school in one hour, and it was at least thirty minutes away. It would take her at least ten minutes to get to the car and get leave. That would leave her with twenty minutes to situate herself at school.
"Go ahead," Jacques waved her off.
Miyu stood up from the dinner table and pushed her chair in behind her.
"Don't mess up," Weiss warned her sister. Winter nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I won't," Miyu agreed. She knew it was her sister's way of being concerned for her. "And I look forward to your concert tonight."
Weiss frowned but didn't say anything else.
Miyu walked out of the dining room at a practiced pace. Her mother didn't say anything or even look at her as she left the room.
She made her way to the front of the Schnee manor. Their family had an entire garage full of vehicles. But Miyu had never been there before. In the rare instances where she left the Schnee mansion, someone else went and got a car. They would then bring it out front.
"Miss Miyu," Klein Sieben said to her as she arrived at the Schnee manor's front door. He was standing there in his suit and had yellow eyes. "A car has already been pulled around, and your things have already been packed.
"Thank you," Miyu fiddly thanked.
She silently took a breath and mentally prepared herself for the day ahead of her
Miyu rode in the back of one of her family's limousines. It was, of course, white and had the Schnee family logo painted on its roof.
The spacious area she sat in had white leathered seats with built-in heating. There were options for air conditioning, but there wasn't a single situation someone from Atlas would need to use it.
The school was coming into view through the tinted windows. It was a large white multi-story building with no decoration or decor. Space was limited in the floating city, so the school was built up.
It had its own special driveway that split off from the road and into a large garage-like area.
Miyu looked over at her backpack. It was white, with a Schnee snowflake painted on the front. Inside was everything she would need for school. A dust-powered laptop, notebooks, a lunchbox, and more.
Paper notebooks like the ones she has aren't common in Atlas, where paper is a luxury. Digital means are far more common for recording information.
The youngest Schnee picked up her backpack from the seat across from her and placed it next to her. At the same time, the sound of something opening could be heard as the vehicle came to a temporary halt.
The car started moving a couple of moments later. It entered the school's car garage and dropped off point.
The space was large and empty in a sense. There were cars and people in the garage, but they were all quiet. It was like sound itself was frozen.
Miyu put her backpack on her back as the car stopped outside the doors to the school. Technically, she should've waited for the chauffeur to open the door, but she ignored that rule. The white-haired girl exited the vehicle and closed its door behind her before the driver could open his. A quick glance from the Schnee to him told him to leave it be. He did so, driving away.
Miyu continued to walk forward toward a set of glass doors. She could see people within.
The door automatically opened as she approached it. Her eyes looked over the room as she entered.
There was a desk in the center of the brightly lit room, with a woman in her mid to late twenties standing behind it. The official logo of the kingdom of Atlas was printed on its front. The woman was dressed in a formal suit.
There was one set of people composed of a large man and a child two years older than her. The two were talking about something Miyu didn't care to listen in on.
It looked like they were father and son. For some reason, the father must have come with his son for his first day of school. It was strange. Why would a father want to see their child off?
"Name," the woman behind the desk asked as Miyu approached her. The woman's green eyes were businesslike and uncaring.
"Miyu Schnee," She answered.
"Class 1. Section 1. Room 101. Go down the hall and take a left. It will be the first room on the right," the woman robotically answered after a quick look at her computer screen.
Miyu nodded without making a sound and walked down the hall she was directed to. It took her only a few moments to reach her classroom.
Said classroom was a large room that looked more like a lecture hall than a traditional classroom. There were long tables set up with several chairs behind them instead of desks. The only desk in the room was a half-circle desk at the front of the space. There were around twenty seats in total, and about half of them were already filled.
The seated students were easy to identify. They were all the children of wealthy Atlesians. People who would never have to put any effort into supporting themselves. Never needing to find fulfillment.
Miyu walked forward and took a wall seat at the front of the classroom. With all the other children sitting in the back, she wouldn't have to worry about talking with any of them. She pulled a book out of her bag and began to read it.
It was an easy-to-understand book on Dust Thermodynamics.
Miyu quietly read the book while blocking out the other students' noises.
Other students slowly trickled in. A majority of them walked in with an air not dissimilar to Miyu's father. The rest were nervous but were attempting to hide it.
Eventually, an older woman entered the classroom. She looked like she was in her early 70s. Her hair wasn't a natural white like the Schnee, but an elderly grey. The probable teacher wore a short-sleeve shirt and long pants.
The woman quietly walked to the half-circle desk and stood behind it. "Good morning, class." She attempted to greet the room, but they ignored her. Miyu may have been the only one to even notice the teacher.
In response, the elderly woman just smiled and walked over to the room's light switch and flicked it back and forth. The rapid flicker of the lights brought the rest of the class's attention to her.
"Let's try this again. Good morning, class. Welcome to Kneeler Academy; I will be your teacher going forward," the teacher answered while walking back to her desk. She clicked some buttons, and the holographic screen behind her flickered on.
At the same time, a good portion of the class lost focus on her and went back to talking among themselves. Miyu could pick up on several insults being thrown toward their teacher for interrupting them.
"Ok, then. Being nice doesn't work," the teacher said as her smile faded. Cold air seemed to flow through the room. The breeze was enough to leave Miyu feeling cold, something she had never felt before. The Schnee instinctually activated her aura to protect herself from the strange wave.
None of the other children activated their aura, leaving them chilled. All of their eyes turned toward their teacher in confusion.
"You should all know I have all your parents' numbers of files. Any disrespect will be met with a scroll call, understood." The elderly teacher explained with a cold expression. Her dark blue eyes swept the room. The idea of having their parents call stopped any students from talking for various reasons ranging from respect to fear. "Very good; now for introductions."
The old woman walked towards the holographic board and used her finger to write on it. "My name is Fria, and I will be your instructor going forward. Now, why don't we have you guys introduce yourself."
"We'll start with the front row," Fria pointed at Miyu with a smile. "Why don't you give us your name and hobby."
"Miyu Schnee," Miyu stood up and bowed. As a member of the Schnee family, she should've tried to project an aura of royalty and power, but she didn't. She spoke quietly and softly. Her voice was only loud enough for it to carry through the room. "I enjoy reading."
Miyu felt several gazes fall on her. If the other students were anything like her, they were briefed on their classmates, including her.
They didn't matter.
Miyu sat back down in her seat, and Fria continued on to the next student.
The youngest Schnee barely listened in to the other students' introductions. There was no reason to; she already knew all she needed to know about them.
Introductions took around fifteen minutes to conduct.
"It's been nice getting to know you all," Fria said while walking back to the board. "Now, why don't we discuss the curriculum."
She tapped the holographic board a few times to pull up a slideshow and make it fullscreen.
"We – or rather you – will be learning the necessary lessons to survive in this world," she explained while pointing to the first slide she pulled up. It had the words, 'Welcome to kneeler Academy!' in bright white with a 3d font and black backdrop. "You will undergo the curriculum normal students have and extra studies into Aura and the like."
She clicked on the board, and the slide transitioned into a new one. This one was a slide promoting the students to introduce themselves. "Oh, yes. We already did this…. Why don't we skip to the fun stuff?"
Fria clicked through several important-looking slides, only stopping on a slide that said 'Aura.'
"Aura, the power of the soul," Fria said while walking to her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out several things. Miyu identified them as the things needed to make hot chocolate. The teacher began to do just that. "This year will teach you the basics of it, and you will awaken it by the end of the year. Kids these days go through this so late, don't they."
Fria lost her train of thought as she turned on a mini-stove and put a small pot on it. She put the hot chocolate ingredients into it. "In my day, all children would learn to use their Auras as soon as possible. Now, only one of you can." The teacher's eyes turned towards Miyu. "Miyu, dear, why don't you help me demonstrate aura?"
Miyu was a little confused at being called on, but she nodded. Fria offered her a smile in turn. "Excellent! Come on up."
Miyu did as she was told, scooting past three other students to get to the aisle and walk up to the teacher.
The elderly teacher pulled something else out of her desk from the same place she got her hot chocolate things. Miyu identified it as a vial of electric or lightning Dust. It was a type of Dust that replicated the effects of electricity from her old world.
Fria broke open the top of the small vial and poured some into her palm. "Active your aura."
Miyu did what she was told without saying anything. The grey-haired woman smiled as a minuscule amount of lightning sizzled in her hand.
The Dust made lightning lept toward Miyu, but she had no reaction. The youngest Schnee let the weak lightning hit her without moving a muscle.
There was no need. Her aura would protect her.
The lightning dissipated harmlessly against said Aura. It was almost as if it didn't happen.
Inwardly, Miyu was mildly surprised by how much lightning there was. For how much Dust her teacher used, there was a lot of it. And, Fria's control of it was above incredible. Using Dust in its pure form so elegantly was almost impossible.
"By the end of the year, all you will be able to do what Miyu just did," Fria said while quickly moving to stir her hot chocolate. Miyu thought it would be finished cooking in a few moments. "Oh, Miyu, you can sit back down."
Miyu nodded speechlessly and walked back to her seat. She felt people staring at her as she did, but she couldn't understand why or the emotions behind them.
"Another thing we will be doing is learning the basics of weapons," Fria switched slides once again. This one had various weapons plastered all over it. They ranged from normal-looking weapons like axes to more peregrine designs… like a jump rope. "They are a reflection of yourselves. Obviously, you wouldn't be making your own yet. But you will begin learning the basics of each weapon so you can make an informed decision later."
Miyu considered what kind of weapon she would want.
Her older brother had used magecraft on a measuring tape to use it as a weapon.
The only time she ever saw him try to use it, he only managed to take one step before getting skewered with swords. Then, the next time she saw him, he started to use swords.
Thus, he must've considered the measuring tape weaker than swords. Miyu shouldn't use something so weak. Especially since she doesn't know anything about magecraft to make it stronger.
A sword might be better –
– but the image of her brother getting brought to the edge of death by them left her weary.
Even if she knew not all swords were bad from Willow's.
Maybe she could try something long-range. Like a sniper rifle or something.
"You kids will get to practice with weapons from the Atlas Military," Fria pulled a key out of her pocket and her hot chocolate off the stove. She held the pot of hot chocolate in one hand while using the key to open one of the compartments of her desk. The elderly teacher pulled out a silver handgun. "Like this one."
Miyu was left stumped at the presence of a gun in the classroom. In her first life, she had been told guns were dangerous and nearly impossible to get. Yet, this teacher casually had one in a room of students.
First, Fria was willing to shoot a student with lightning. Now, she had a gun.
The display left Miyu surprised by the resources of the school. Being able to do either of things wasn't cheap. It must only be possible because this is an elite school.
Miyu pulled the lunchbox out of her backpack.
It was now eleven o'clock, which was the time assigned to lunch.
The day had gone smoothly so far. Fria passed her gun around for everyone to look at before continuing on with her introduction. She further explained what they would learn throughout the year and their expectations for the students.
The teacher's talk lasted until lunch when she broke class. She took the students who wanted to eat in the cafeteria there. Meanwhile, students who brought their own lunches could stay in the classroom.
A clear divide was made in the classroom. Kneeler Academy was a high-class school with the best of the best, and its cafeteria was no different. The commissary, as it was known, hired the best chiefs they could. No one could find fault with the food found there.
Thus, it only made sense to eat there unless you had access to even better food. In other words, the students who brought their own lunches had access to better chiefs than the school. It was a display of rank and wealth.
Including Miyu, only five students out of the twenty in their class stayed in their homeroom. Those five were the wealthiest and most powerful.
The youngest Schnee was forced to sit with the other four when they sat around her and began talking. She did her best to block them out unless they mentioned her, which they did.
"Aren't you young to be in our grade?" One of them directly asked her.
"No. My abilities place me in this grade," Miyu answered before taking another bit of her lunch. The meal was delicious and carefully explained, except for a single piece of round chocolate that didn't seem to belong.
"Talented, as expected of a Schnee," another one of the boys in the group said. Miyu knew that their families had several projects together. He was like all the strangers at SDC functions. He probably had an ulterior motive to be genial. "You even have your Aura unlocked already."
"My father wanted me to have my Aura awakened before starting school," Miyu partially answered. She didn't feel like talking about the specifics of her entry into the school.
"Why? What's the point of going to school if you know everything?" the only other girl in the group asked this time. At least one of the boys rolled his eyes at her question.
"To exhibit my abilities," the youngest Schnee explained in a short sentence. Her eyes never left her lunch or went towards any of her companions. "It will be good for my family if I prove I'm above my peers."
"Wait," the last boy in the group spoke now. There was a harshness in his voice that confused Miyu. She couldn't understand why he sounded almost angry. "Peers, do you mean us? Do you think you're better than us?"
"Yes," Miyu answered with a single word. She wasn't trying to be arrogant or snide. Her answer was simply what was logically valid. Despite being two years younger than them, Miyu already had her Aura unlocked and could use her semblance. No one else in the class had done either of those things, and it would take them years to reach her current level. Furthermore, Miyu was certain she was even further ahead in academic matters.
Thus, the logical conclusion is that she is better than her peers.
The youngest Schnee continued eating as the other students fell silent for a moment. Her blue eyes still hadn't left her lunch. Why they weren't talking wasn't Miyu's problem. In fact, she welcomed it.
"Your name sounds foreign," the first boy said, now sounding like the last one. There was a hint of restraint in his voice, almost as if he was struggling to maintain his composure.
"It is Mistrali," Miyu explained.
In this world, there was a land known as the Kingdom of Mistral. If Atlas was the center of technology and science, then Mistral was the center of the arts and culture. Their development ran parallel to many of the societies from Miyu's old world at once. Meaning they were like a mixture of many of Earth's cultures.
One of those mixtures happened to be Japanese-like names, such as her own.
Miyu would've been okay if her name had changed when she was reborn, but she preferred keeping her name. Even if the reason she was given it was less than savory.
"Did your parents not want to give you a proper Atlesian name?"
"To be fair to them, I don't think one would fit her."
"That probably isn't their reason. She's the third Schnee child after; she isn't going to inherit anything major. Why bother giving her a proper name."
Miyu looked up from her lunch for the first time, she felt like something had changed in the other student's tone, but she didn't understand what or why.
"Yeah, look at her lunch," the other girl reached into Miyu's lunch and pulled out the chocolate. "The rest of her lunch is as good as ours, but look at this cheap candy. Did your chiefs decide to stop making your lunch partway through and throw this trash in?"
Miyu's only response was to blink at the girl with cold, unfeeling eyes. The blue in her eyes was reminiscent of the ice all Atlesians knew well. The girl almost began to squirm under the younger child's gaze.
The Schnee found the feeling of having someone take something from her to be unpleasant. It was her lunch, and people worked hard to make it. Calling it trash was wrong.
Miyu stood up from her chair and began packing her lunchbox. She didn't understand what was happening, but she didn't want to keep sitting with these annoying people.
A brief thought of how to get her chocolate back flickered in Miyu's mind, but she ignored it. She didn't want to make a scene, even if she wanted it back.
"Where are you going?" one of them asked, but Miyu ignored them and walked away. Anything else they said was treated in the same way.
Students could sit anywhere as long as they were inside and not in restricted areas. They just had to return to their classrooms after the bell rang.
Miyu didn't know anything about the school's layout, so she exited the classroom and began walking aimlessly in search of a quiet and solitary place.
Unfortunately for her, her quest would end up being cut short when she turned a corner and encountered her teacher.
"Miyu," Fria acknowledged her with a warm smile. She had her own lunch on a tray in her hands. "Where are you heading off to?"
The youngest Schnee looked up at her teacher and carefully considered her response before speaking. "Do you know anywhere quiet?"
"I know lots of quiet places, yes," the teacher answered jovially. "Would you like me to take you to one?"
Miyu nodded a yes. The teacher then prompted the Schnee to follow behind her, which she did. The pair ended up walking to a hallway that seemed deserted and far from anywhere.
"Almost no one ever comes to the janitorial hallway since we switched to robots," Fria explained while sitting down in the hallway. Her back was against one of the walls. "Why don't you have a seat as well?"
Miyu had wanted to sit alone, but she knew she couldn't say no to her teacher. Thus, she sat down across from Fria and began unpacking her lunch.
"I'm surprised you sat down so quickly; most people in your class would think it was below them," Fria began talking before stopping briefly to take a sip of her drink, which Miyu thought was still hot chocolate. "It used to be different before Atlas flew into the sky."
Her teacher's statement caused Miyu to look up at her in curiosity. Atlas as a city formed a relatively short time ago, and it was only lifted into the sky a few decades ago. There are still many people alive today who witness both. Hearing about those events from somebody who lived through them greatly interested the youngest Schnee.
Fria seemed to notice her student's curiosity and continued. "I've taught at this school longer than your parents have probably been around. Teaching was always my passion. Seeing people be people and come together warms my heart. Over time, the demographics of this school have changed. No longer do the children strive to forge friendships or their dreams, but to build their image. Winter has been forgotten."
Miyu slowly processed her teacher's words but was left stumped by part of it. Especially the last part about winter.
One thing she did understand was wanting to see people be people.
"You are slightly different, though," Fria said with a melancholic undertone. Her eyes looked down into her drink. "Do you know about the Great War?"
"Yes," Miyu told her teacher truthfully.
Fria nodded in turn before continuing. "I was but a child during it, far too young to fight in it. The fighting and loss of life aren't something that could be put into words. The pain of it was only made worse by Mantle itself. They taught us children to suppress our emotions, to give up our individuality, and become empty. We were to become machines for our own safety."
The elderly teacher's words were filled with regret and sadness. Her eyes seemed to think back on days long gone. "Ironically, it taught me the value of life all the sooner. My duty to preserve it and all its fleeting moments of joy became engrained in me. Even if all my memories fade, I will never forget what I must do. Which is why I'm telling you all this now, in our first private conversation."
Miyu didn't say anything. Her teacher left her confused and unsure. It felt like this was too personal a conversation for her to be having with a complete stranger.
"Miyu – to be blunt – you remind me of myself and all the other children raised to be machines, not people. And I want you to know that you can come to me for anything. If something is going on at home that you need someone to confined in, then I will listen, ok."
The youngest Schnee nodded, but she couldn't think of any reason for her to need to go to her teacher.
"Very good," she said as her smile returned to her elderly face. "Just remember not to wait too long if something comes up. Life doesn't wait for anybody; sometimes, you could be too late."
Willow leaned back in her seat as she listened to her daughter sing.
Weiss's brilliant voice echoed through the room with a soft elegance. Countless hours of practice were reflected in the beautiful tone.
"Excellent," Willow told her daughter as her song came to an end. "You've improved greatly in such a short time."
"Thank you, Mother," Weiss responded with a warm light in her eyes. "I've been practicing every night."
Willow nodded and took a sip of her drink. She felt like she should remind Weiss why she was training so hard. "You should've, or you will be shoved to the side tonight."
"Why?" Weiss asked as the light in her eye faded slightly. "Wouldn't Father appreciate my song?"
"Of course, he will, dear," Willow reassured her daughter. Those words didn't come easy to the elder Schnee. They felt more like sandpaper being rubbed on her tongue than anything else.
Weiss nodded and bowed, but the light in her eyes still didn't burn as brightly as it once did.
Willow pulled out her scroll and checked the time. "Your younger sister will be home soon from her first day of school."
A small part of Willow wondered how Miyu's day was, but it was dwarfed by the apathy in her heart.
Willow herself had been sent to a complete boarding school growing up, not a normal day school. Her father said that going to school and meeting people was an essential part of life she couldn't get being homeschooled. Plus, he wasn't home most of the time anyway, as he felt it was his duty to lead the Schnee Dust Company's expeditions instead of being there for his daughter. How was he supposed to make sure she was on track if he wasn't home?
At least he made sure she knew he never forgot about her. Willow could still remember all the letters he would send her and the stupid candy he'd include with them. Her father had been a self-made man, so his taste had been simpler than hers.
His favorite was the kind he always sent to her. It was a round ball of chocolate that could be eaten or melted and mixed into some milk. Willow hated the taste, but the gesture itself…
Willow wondered if Miyu would enjoy the one she put in her lunchbox.
It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing. Something she did for no reason and wasn't a big deal, but she couldn't help but put the candy in Miyu's lunchbox. The gesture satisfied the same small part of Willow that wondered how Miyu's day was.
"Does that mean we have to stop practice?" Weiss inquired with a frown.
"No, I'm sure she doesn't need us to greet her," Willow said while making herself comfortable in her chair. She had been sitting for an hour and needed to change positions.
"Are you sure?" Weiss asked once more with an expression Willow couldn't decipher. It was like her child was feeling a mix of happiness, concern, jealousy, worry, and so much more simultaneously.
"Of course. Why don't we start your routine from the beginning."
Miyu walked into the Schnee Manor after a long day at school. The sun was still in the middle of the sky despite it being 4:00 PM. Due to Atlas's location, they have long, extremely long nights during the Winter and extremely long days during the summer. Currently, the sun rises around 5 AM and sets at about 10:30 PM. By the time of the Winter Solstice, the sun would never rise, and Atlas would have an entire day without any light.
It was a phenomenon known as a polar night, and its inverse was the midnight sun.
The polar night was considered the worst and most terrifying day in Atlesian culture, with many cultural rituals having been formed to endure it.
"Miyu," Winter called out to Miyu as she closed the front door behind her. "You're back. I trust your day went well."
"Yes, Eldest Sister," Miyu said before walking extremely close to her sister. "We didn't learn anything today."
"I'm sure you will in the future," Winter commented before taking a step back from her sister. Miyu responded by taking another step toward her. "You need to get ready for tonight."
"Of course," Miyu happily agreed in her expressionless way.
Even with changes like school, normal life marches on.
AN:
Hello! Hope everyone is doing well.
A few more of these small set-up chapters, and we can get into the real start of the story. The current idea is:
The next chapter will be setting up the Faunus. Then we'll have the chapter for Weiss's birthday, followed by a reaction chapter or three (one for each sister), and then maybe two or three more, setting up the foundation of the story. Then we'll be done with the prologue.
Fria being Miyu's teacher, was something I came up with while writing this chapter and considering her possible background. It seemed like it would be more interesting that way than having a generic Oc, and it can make some fun dynamics in the future. (Note: I've written an entire outline of her character history, which we'll be exploring later.)
Also: the gun she had was a dummy used to show the Atlas Military's technology and try to impress the kids. It was just meant to show how the Military tries to recruit people from a young age and Miyu's lack of common sense.
On reviews:
Thanks to everyone that took the time to leave a review.
I'm sorry to say this again, but: THERE WILL BE NO SHIROU EMIYA IN THIS FIC.
IceQueendomFan: The idea of Miyu having an exclusive wish-granting glyph and a lot of Aura is my plan. In fact, I thought about having her weapon be a high-powered snipe rifle she designed to store up her Aura over time to fire super high-powered shots from afar when needed. (Which would be boosted by her semblance and dust, plus her eventual summon.)
Also: I take details from the Comics that I think are interesting or will improve the story I'm writing. There is nothing good in the Justice League/RWBY comic; thus, I'll completely ignore everything about it. Especially the moment at the end of the comic where pre-volume 3 Ironwood is arrested for *checks notes* stealthy assassinations. Like, where did they even get that idea? Ironwood is literal the last person to do something like that; he doesn't have a stealthy bone in his bone.
h_t_t_p_s_:_/_/_i_m_g_u_r_._c_o_m_/_a_/_m_6_B_S_f_s_k
Talon Scythe: I'm happy to hear the balance is right. I always have difficulty with that.
JaDe In Night: Weiss may grow more introspective with time, but it wouldn't be for many years.
Have a great day, everyone who reads this!