Winters eyes slowly opened before she closed them right back up, turning over and moving the pillow over her head, groaning. She didn't need to set her alarm for a while, and she made sure years ago that her room was far away from the blinding rays of the morning sun, but her body still forced her awake at ungodly early hours. Half of her wanted to try and go back to sleep, but the other half, probably the Schnee half, wanted her to get up.
She took a deep breath and tried to relax, focusing on the thumping of her heart. It was strong, confident, and steady. Winter got lost in it, her mind blank and calm like a still like. For once, Winter felt like she might be able to go back to sleep…
Then, she heard her door creak open, ever so slowly, and her nirvana was lost. Even with the pillow on her head, she could still hear the soft footsteps approaching her bed. Winter kept as silent as she could as the footsteps approached.
The intruder stopped right beside her, and she could feel them watching her intently. Winter laid there, breathing slowly, waiting for an opening. She heard the floorboards creak, which for how much they cost they really shouldn't do that, and knew it was her chance to strike.
Winter threw off the covers and struck her arms out like blades, quick and deadly, wrapping them around the waist of her attacker, throwing them on the bed, sitting on their chest and pinning them down.
Winter grinned as she saw the shocked expression on her younger sister's face. Weiss' hands were over her head in surrender with a marker in her left hand and the cap in the right. Winter reached out and started to pry the marker from her sister's fingers, "Win, no please, I wasn't gonna do anything!" Weiss tried to explain, but her sister wasn't hearing any of it. Winter locked both of her sister's skinny wrists in place with one of her own, keeping her sister from tickling her and escaping.
"Really? You weren't gonna do anything? Then I'm guessing it was someone else who's been drawing on me the past month?" Winter questioned, bringing the marker dangerously close to her sister's face.
"S-Someone's been drawing on you? Why didn't you say anything? Maybe it was Klein, you know how funny he can be" Weiss laughed nervously before trying to buck her sister off wildly. Winter rode out her sisters feeble attempts at escape, her grin never wavering.
"Klein snuck into my room and drew a monkey on my arm? Or did he do the dog? Or maybe it was the elephant on my leg?" Winter questioned, moving the marker up and down her sisters face, almost touching the skin.
"It wasn't an elephant, it was a dolphin!" Weiss explained proudly, before realizing what she admitted. "I-I mean. It was probably a dolphin. They're so much more majestic, right?" Weiss tried her best to play it cool, before twisting and flopping around like a fish out of water trying to get out from under her sister.
Winter looked at her sister, amazed that someone so smart and talented could be so dumb sometimes. "Weiss… I couldn't wear a skirt for two weeks because of you and your majestic dolphin… Because I'm such a caring and loving sister, I'm gonna give you a choice. Do you want a snowflake, or a rabid unicorn?" Winter chuckled, evil twinkling in her eyes.
Weiss gulped in fear before she closed her eyes, accepting her fate, "Snowflake" Weiss mumbled, her hope gone.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you. It sounded like you weren't using proper manners, what would father think?" Winter sang, the marker ready to dance.
"I said a snowflake… please" Weiss admitted, her lips puckered like she'd just eaten something sour. Winter put her hands on her sister's head and guided it so she was looking to the left, half of her face on the mattress. She felt Winter pull at her collar, leaving the right side of her neck fully exposed, "Win, what're you doing? I never put these anywhere father could see! Wiiin!" Weiss complained in fear, but not daring to move.
"Don't worry, I might not be an artist of your caliber, but I can at least put a drawing where nobody can see. Or, maybe I won't. Worst case scenario, you wear a scarf for a few weeks" Winter giggled as she started drawing.
"Wiiin, you're being mean!" Weiss whined, before her eyes lit up, "Is it here yet?" Weiss suddenly asked, all her fear evaporated.
"I am not. I'm teaching you a very important lesson; don't draw on your sister. And not yet. But the school said it should be here any day now" Winter told her sister, an unstoppable giddiness in her voice as she kept drawing.
"I can't believe you're finally done with college though, Win! You've been working so hard for so long, and you finally did it, isn't that cool! Do you know where you're gonna get a job yet? Or are you just gonna relax for a bit for once?" Weiss laughed, enjoying the feeling of the marker traveling up and down her skin.
"Trust me, it's mostly weird. I mean, for once I don't have to have my head buried in three textbooks at once, quadruple checking that I know everything that might be on the test" Winter sighed, thinking about how many countless hours she spent studying stuff that didn't even show up on any tests.
"I think I'm gonna relax, at least for a few weeks. After that, there was this one guy who gave me his card not too long ago, said he wanted me to come work for him" Winter remembered him clear as day, looking stern but unmistakably friendly.
"Oh, Dr. Ironman, right?"
"Ironwood, but close enough. And with that, your punishment is complete" Winter put the cap back on the marker and nodded at her work, finally getting off of her sister. "Why don't you take a look? While I get ready for breakfast?" Winter grinned as she walked into her closet.
Weiss had totally forgotten about the drawing somehow. In a panic, she jumped off the bed and ran into her sisters bathroom. At first, she didn't notice anything, nothing seemed out of place. Then, she pulled down her shirt, and saw a huge snowflake on her right shoulder, with the tips almost popping out of her shirt, but not quiet. The design actually wasn't bad, but that wasn't the point! "Winter! That's way bigger than what I drew on you!" Weiss complained in time for Winter to walk into the bathroom with a pile of neatly folded clothes in her hand.
"Consider it making up for lost time. Now time to get out. I'll see you at breakfast" Winter walked over and put her hand on her sister's head, turning it around so she was facing the door before walking her out of the room. Weiss turned around in time to see her sister smile at her, riiight before Winter shut the door in her face.
Winter walked in the bathroom and stretched, her mind was awake from attacking her sister, but her body still needed another minute. And her hair… Ugh, Winter could hardly look at the poofy mess in the mirror. Instead of looking at it any longer, she hopped in the shower.
After a long relaxing shower, and an equally long time battling her hair into submission and getting it into a proper bun, Winter was finally ready for her day. She was taking the long way down to breakfast, past the music room. Winter wanted to hear her sister play the piano again, it had been way too long. She figured that she'd bring it up at breakfast.
Before long she was strolling into the dining room, her father and sister already at the proper seats. Father was at the head of the table and she was at the far corner. Her father was reading a newspaper, his face completely obscured as he read. Weiss was sitting there quietly looking forward with a bored look on her face, not saying a word. Winter strolled down with a warm smile on her face and sat next to her sister, noticing that Weiss had changed into a shirt with a collar. Huh, wonder why.
The sisters sat silently next to one another, before Winter silently tapped a beat into her sisters leg under the table. After that, the two of them were taking turns tapping beats onto the other one's leg. They were gentle, but distinct, each one adding a new part to the beat. It was a game they'd made up years ago, a silent way to occupy the time at the table so they wouldn't have to talk and risk father getting annoyed. After breakfast, the two of them would sneak off to the music room and play out whatever beat they ended up with.
Within a minute of her arrival, the chef brought out three beautiful plates of food, setting each one down in front of a Schnee. Weiss had a large waffle covered in decadent fruit, Winter had an omelet filled with exotic meats and cheeses, while father simply had a cup of black coffee and a piece of toast. With as much grace as they could muster, the sisters started to eat.
As always the chefs cooking was to die for, and Winters tongue was in heaven with every bite. The sound of footsteps echoed through the room, slowly getting louder and louder until the they came to a stop at the table, halting the game under the table.
Klein bowed respectfully, "Hello, Sir" he humbly said, his eyes turning to the sisters with a grin.
"Hello, Klein. Has that idiot Richard decided to sell? Otherwise I can't think of a reason for you to interrupt a family meal," Father said in a bored tone, not even dropping his paper.
"Not yet Sir, but I'm sure he will soon. I'm actually here with some mail for Miss Winter, that is all," He stood up, pulling a large envelope from behind his back. Winter felt her heart stop looking at what was in his hands.
"Something from school I assume?" Her father asked with the same tone, flipping the page of his paper. Winter looked at Klein, and felt her voice choke.
"N-No. Just a contract from a company that wants to hire me" Winter lied, trying her best to keep her composure. See, lying to your own father was pretty hard. But when he's as sharp as a whip and can read someone from a mile away, it makes it that much more difficult. The only thing that had saved her so far was her father's total disinterest in her schooling aside from where she went and that she got a business degree.
"You're already looking at job prospects? I didn't think you'd graduated yet. Do you want one of the lawyers to look over it?" He grabbed his coffee and took a slow sip. Winter knew he was hardly paying attention, if she asked him in an hour what he said and he wouldn't even be able to recall the conversation.
"I haven't graduated yet, father, and I'm not looking for jobs yet either. Some companies are offering positions. Don't bother the lawyers with this though, it's not like I'm gonna accept" Winter explained, taking a shaky breath.
"Winter, you know that we look at every option in business. I'll have the lawyers take a look and see what they say. Klein, would you-"
"No! Father, it's really not an issue, I'd hate for someone to waste their time with something so unimportant. I'll look it over, I know what I'm doing" Winter forced a smile, hoping her father couldn't read her too well right now.
Her father seemed to stiffen as he put down the newspaper, revealing his piercing cold blue eyes. Despite his relatively young age, he had white hair which was combed back, without a single hair out of place. He also had a moustache that filled in his face and made him seem a lot more threatening than he might be without.
He cast his gaze on her, and she felt like gravity had suddenly increased exponentially and she was getting crushed. Despite the pressure, she still managed a soft smile at him. "You're sure you know what you're doing?" He asked, his voice hard and unyielding.
"Of course, father. I would never disappoint you" Winter nodded, trying her best to match his hard tone. He eyed her down like a matador eyes down a bull, without fear, and unwilling to give any ground. He nodded at her, picking up his cup of coffee and taking a sip.
"Very well. Klein, take the contract up to Winter's room" he picked up his paper again and continued his breakfast without skipping a beat. Klein nodded, leaving quickly. He looked back at Winter, giving her a guilty expression which she subtly tried to wave away.
Winter wanted to eat, but her hands were too shaky to hold her fork anymore. Weiss had a worried look on her face, but Winter reached over and grazed her hand, getting her sisters attention long enough to send a smile her way.
When everyone was done, father stood up and left his paper on the table. "Weiss, go and practice your keys. Winter, I would like you to join her. Show her how you play Gaspard de la Nuit" With that, he turned on his heels and walked out of the dining room with all the grace and power he showed everywhere.
Winter pushed her plate forward and sighed, dropping her forehead so it was resting on the cold table. "That was close. I should've told Klein to bring it to my room, not to me. Stupid," Winter cursed at herself as she closed her eyes.
"Well, he didn't find out, so it doesn't really matter. He'll forget about it in an hour, and if he doesn't just say the deal wasn't in your favor. On the bright side, it's here" Weiss grinned as she started to rub her sisters back gently.
Winter sat up and rested her head on her hand, a small smile on her face, "Yeah, it finally is. Come on, let's go play for a bit before we check it out," Winter got up, grabbing her half empty plate as she did. Weiss followed her example, picking up her father's plate as well before the two of them strolled into the kitchen. The chef was out, but that didn't stop the girls from washing the dishes before putting them away.
The walk to the music room was filled with random conversations and jokes, just like always. Once they were at the music room they closed the door up tight before they really started to goof off. Instead of Winter teaching her sister how to play one of the hardest piano pieces ever, the two of them made up random melodies, played their song from breakfast, and even tried to play blindfolded.
Weiss' normal piano instructor was cold and only focused on the lesson. That's why on the rare days she was ordered to play with Winter, the two of them made an effort to get no work done at all! Maybe Winter wasn't the best piano teacher, but she was pretty good at keeping her sister entertained.
After an hour and a half of laughing and 'playing' the two of them decided that they'd done enough and that they could finally go and look at what was waiting in Winters room.
The sisters rushed to Winters room, and Winter couldn't help but get excited for her future. Ever since her mom had told her about the plan she'd been walking on eggshells, trying her best not to get noticed by anyone for anything. But with this… It was finally time for her to become her own person, and she was excited.
Winter opened her door to her dark room and turned on the lights, and saw the large envelope sitting on her desk. Winter wanted to say some quippy remark or joke, but she was too excited and nervous.
She couldn't go to graduation for a few reasons, but mostly because she didn't want anyone leaking what classes she'd been taking. Anyone who saw her in a psych class probably thought she was just taking an elective or something, but nobody had ever asked her about it. Guess she was sort of lucky that most people at her school were scared of her last name.
Winter reached out and grabbed the box, but it felt light for some reason. Winter turned it around and saw that it was already open. For a moment she figured Klein had wanted a look at it, but then she felt a shiver travel down her spine that left her breathless.
"How dare you…" Came a cold and cruel voice from behind her that made her skin crawl and her blood freeze. Winter turned around and saw her father standing in the corner holding her degree.
"I-I can explain" Winter stuttered, taking a step back as he walked towards her.
"Really? You can explain why this degree showed up with your name on it? You can explain why it's not for business, like I paid for, but some useless pseudoscience? You can explain where my money went? Tell me, Winter, can you explain to me why my own daughter lied to me, stole my money, and was probably planning to run off in the night!" His words were quiet, but full of authority, power, and hate. The way he was looking at her terrified Winter to her core, and made her shiver like a lost puppy in a storm.
"M-Mom didn't think I had to work for you, so she told me to do what I want. S-she helped me, this is what she wanted" Winter whimpered, tears at the edges of her eyes. He stopped in front of her, staring at her like she was some gunk he'd stepped in on the road.
Winter opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could her father had slapped her across the face with all of his weight. A ringing noise filled her ears and the power of the hit made her take a few steps back. She almost lost her footing and fell, but somehow managed to stay on her feet.
Winter brought her fingers to her cheek, wincing as her fingers grazed the red skin on her face. She looked over at her father who was standing over her, anger in his eyes but with his body looking calm as ever. Like he hadn't just hit his oldest daughter.
"If you think I'll let you sully my wife's name in order for you to sell your sob story, think again. If you ever imply something so atrocious again, you will regret it" His tone was detached but angry, but all Winter could do was stare at him in shock, hand on her face, ringing still in her ears.
He looked her right in the eyes as he held up her degree. She hardly even got to glance at it before he started to rip it to pieces. He ripped it again and again and again and again, his eyes glued to hers before he let the pieces drop to the ground. Winter wanted to reach out, to try and grab some part of it before it hit the ground but she couldn't. She had no will left, and couldn't even find the strength to lift a finger, let alone an arm. Years of work and effort, torn to shreds in an instant.
"The damage can still be undone though. I'll make some calls, and in the morning you'll be shipped off to a private college where you'll get your proper schooling done in no time. Pack and say your goodbyes to your sister, you'll be gone in the morning"
He walked out, closing the door softly behind him, leaving her standing there in shock. That was when her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, broken. She sat there, staring at the scraps of her degree and felt like she was bleeding out, the life slowly draining from her body.
Some small part of her wanted to fight, to stand up and chase after him, to yell about how this is what she wanted… But she knew better. He wouldn't listen and wouldn't care. Instead, she sat there, looking at her shattered dreams, and simply hoped she'd bleed out quicker.