This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!

Weiss Schnee laid awake in her bed as her internal clock forced her to exit out of her peaceful slumber.

Rubbing her eyes gently, she groaned while choosing to stretch her arms. As relief filled her arms when she relaxed, the former feeling that started with the letter R spread through the rest of her body. Yet still, she did not get out of her bed. She did not make any sort of effort to get off of her mattress at all.

Simply lying down, her thoughts drifted back to the story from yesterday. Sticking with her ever since she went to sleep, Weiss constantly thought about the tale that many would describe as nothing but pure fantasy.

The boy named Akira Kurusu, whom she had met yesterday, was not from Remnant at all.

Hearing his bizarre tale, she almost cut the black-haired male off on several occasions due to many things of his story seeming to be complete made up to her. But, according to Akira, whatever he said was true. He didn't blame her for not believing the part about the travelling to a magical netherworld to fight symbolic demons born from the dark desires of humanity.

But from what Weiss understood, from the information she had gained, Akira was some sort of vigilante that changed the hearts of corrupted people. There was a fair amount of variety as well in Weiss' opinion. A high-school teacher who attempted sexual advances to female students while physically abusing the males of a volleyball team was something she did not expect at all. Nor one about a politician who used their method in order to kill and take advantage of the population's confusion.

One she was not very surprised about, which she could not decide if it should be to her disbelief, was an owner of a large business. Weiss' thoughts immediately set upon her father but thankfully she was holding her tongue through Akira's tale. While she did not exactly want to say that this Okumura person was the same as her father, their practices were very similar.

A thought then struck the female, and she kind of hoped that Akira will not end up getting too much of a bad impression from her father. But from the conversation when she first met the boy to the rather vulnerable side he presented her, the first time of them meeting one another could go either way.

Speaking of which, she wondered how Akira was feeling right now. The last time she saw him, had just finished using the shower that was provided in the guest room where he was staying for the time being. After washing up, he was right inside the library and reading a book that seemed to be about the history of Remnant. At least… it seemed that he was reading. To Weiss' eyes, she thought he was just skimming through.

Apparently, according to Akira, he had actually read a book that basically gave away a few tips and tricks to actually read faster while obtaining everything you need. Weiss did not believe his words, as it was her own opinion that such material should be read through in a thorough manner. Even when Akira explained how such skimming would work, Weiss was still sticking to her ideals.

Yawning, Weiss made sure to cover her mouth even though now one else was around to see. Stretching and groaning once more, she pushed her blanket off of her and proceeded to walk to the bathroom connected to her bedroom.

Break

Weiss sighed to herself with pleasure as she had stepped out of the bathroom.

Feeling clean was a very large pleasure she was fortunate to be able to feel every morning after showering. Relieving if she should add too.

Looking through her wardrobe, she found a suitable outfit for the day. Quickly changing, she looked at herself in a mirror that was on her desk. Craning her head back and forth, she made sure to see that she looked fine at all angles. Slightly frowning a bit, she pulled out a brush from a drawer and worked on her hair.

Smoothing out the snow-white strands, she reached over and grabbed a metal tiara. Grabbing her hair so that it shaped out a ponytail at the back of her head, Weiss adjusted the accessory in her other hand in order to keep the hairstyle she had at the ready.

Silently criticizing herself once more, Weiss now nodded to herself in satisfaction at how she looked. Getting up to her feet, she proceeded to walk out of her room and into the hallway.

The vast empty path that she had grown used to after many years did not surprise her. As her footsteps echoed all over her, she still proceeded without any problems at all. As she arrived at a flight of stairs, she stepped down each and every step in a rhythmic stride. Reaching the ground floor, her trip to the dining room proceeded since it currently time for breakfast.

Walking past the library, she took a couple of steps forward when she suddenly found herself stopping in her own tracks. A frown of confusion grew on her face. Weiss then turned around and made her way back towards the library. In her sight was Akira sitting in a chair, a new book about Semblances and Aura if she remembered judging by the cover of the book in Akira's hands while Remnant's history was on the table next to him. The tome of knowledge that the boy was holding was open and Akira was actually reading it.

At that moment, Akira blinked and looked up from the subject he was currently studying on. He raised an eyebrow in her direction as he seemed puzzled. "Weiss?" He asked, leaning back slightly as if he were bewildered. "What are you doing up this late? I thought you said you were going to bed."

Weiss still stared, listening to what Akira had to say. "…Going to bed?" She questioned the boy as her own reply. She stepped forward. "Akira, it's currently eight o'clock." The female saw the male blink at her blankly. A bewildered feeling grew inside her. "In the morning?" Suddenly, a new thought then occurred to her while Akira tilted his head in a peculiar manner. "Have you been reading for the past 12 hours?"

Akira blinked once again. Craning his head to the side, he looked out of a window to see that there was light rather than the dark. As he opened his mouth, he sucked in air. "That's why I'm so tired and hungry…" He yawned quietly while seeming to be completely fascinated at the news he had just heard.

Her face morphed into an odd expression. "How did you lose track of time like that?" She asked, shaking her head as she found herself once more in a moment of disbelief related to Akira. "Didn't you at least find yourself the least bit tired?"

Akira shrugged his shoulders, closing the book that was currently in his hands. Putting it onto the table, he then took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "Trust me, time has always been something rather odd for me through my entire life." He then squinted while looking closer at his glasses to see if there were any smudges. "An example being from the current year. I once took a train to the shopping district in order to sell some treasures; then took another train after to the red-light district and it was like no time had passed at all. Yet another day I sat down at my desk to craft only one single lockpick and the entire afternoon was thrown out the proverbial window."

Watching Akira put his glasses back on, Weiss just continued to stare. The very fact that the black-haired male had casually said the words craft and lockpick stunned her. After rolling her eyes and turning around, she began to walk out of the library. She heard Akira get off of his seat and follow her. "If I didn't see you thrown out of that purple glyph portal yesterday, I would be having an even harder time comprehending what you claim."

"Most people would think I'd just be considered insane and not allow me to stay in their home to begin with." Akira only replied back, trailing right behind her.

"…Speaking of which…" Weiss found herself silent before speaking. She slowed down her words though as she began to consider not even finishing her sentence. But in the end, she decided to go through with it. "…How are you feeling?"

"…Well…" Akira said in a bit of thought. "My heart rate is normal. Blood pressure is fine. Aside from being tired and hungry at the moment, not that bad."

Weiss turned her head around immediately in the middle of Akira's answer. Her eyes were narrowed. "That's now what I'm talking about." She said with a hint of irritation. "I mean mentally." Her fingers were soon pressed to her head. "But I guess with you making witty remarks, you seem fine."

Akira instead wore a passive face. "Fine, yes." He answered. "But that is because that issue is not my main focus at the moment." Weiss looked surprised at his response. "My friends died because of me and I've been thrown away from my home." Akira shook his head while putting his hands behind his back. "Would it really be possible for anyone to feel okay after something like that? So, my attention is on other things."

"You're probably just suffering from survivor's guilt." Weiss remarked, folding her arms. "From what I can tell, what happened was not your fault. You knew the risks as well as them. Yet it was their choice to follow. Not only that, you were not the one to kill them. That was…" Weiss paused for a second to remember. "…This Yaldabaoth's doing. You shouldn't-."

"I was the one to lead them to their execution." Akira answered back immediately. "It may as well have been me to then have pulled the trigger to end their lives." He spread his arms out in a moment of frustration to emphasize his point. "Now, I would much appreciate it if you dropped the subject right now."

Weiss saw the sharp, curt nod of his head with a hard stare. It was as Akira said, he didn't want this conversation to continue on any further at the moment. Frozen with surprise from Akira's tiny outburst, she stared with her mouth open a bit. With a sigh and shake of her head, she did as he wanted and turned around in order to walk towards the dining room.

As Weiss took a seat, she saw Akira glance at her before pulling up a chair himself. As soon as they did, as if there were some sort of cue, Klein approached the two of them with a small trolley cart that had two covered plates on top. "Right on time, Miss Schnee." The butler greeted with a nod of his head. "Breakfast is served for you and… er…" He trailed off. "I'm sorry, I forgot your name already and. I don't mean to offend you or anything."

"Akira Kurusu." Akira reminded the butler, clearly remembering the character from last night.

It was indeed a sight, the servant extremely concerned for the girl who was letting him stay in this massive building for the time being. Weiss had managed to convince Klein to not let her dad know. While Akira did think that this was not going to be exactly possible since her dad should be able to roam the halls on his own, but that would be an issue when the time came. But in the end, the butler agreed to Weiss' request; albeit still rather hesitant.

"Of course, Mister Kurusu, apologies." Klein apologized once more, earning a nod of acknowledgement from Akira. The butler proceeded to put the plates down while taking the covers off right after. "Anything in particular to drink with your meal?"

"Coffee, the usual." Weiss answered. Klein nodded his head.

"Espresso, if that is okay." Akira replied, looking up towards the adult currently in their presences. Seeing Klein nod again while walking away, Akira felt a pair of eyes on him. "…You're staring." He stated, his eyes wandering tiredly around the grand area where they were eating.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Weiss asked. That got the boy to crane his head over to her with a deadpan expression. "I'm not talking about your… personal events this time." The female felt like she had to clarify this. "I'm talking about how you're not looking very good at the moment." She scrunched her face up while gesturing to many parts of his face in general with a single finger.

Akira scrunched his eyes up and rubbed some sleep out of them. "My appearance has only meant so much to me in my life." He replied, his hand up and shaking it around his face. "There are much more pressing matters rather than looks most of the time, so I choose to prioritize those as I've just explained."

Once again, Weiss gave Akira an mixed look. "You know, I am finding it extremely odd how your brain functions right now. If what you had just said wasn't enough, the fact of how you perceive time perhaps cements that very fact."

He shrugged his shoulder in response. "To each their own." Akira stated back as if it were a fact.

A couple of moments later, Klein came back with their requested drinks. As the beverages were distributed, Akira glanced over to Weiss' choice. Picking up his small cup of specific coffee, he took a small sip while the female took a gulp from her own. He then released an impressed hum. "This is very good." A statement was first before looking over to Klein. "What beans did you use?"

"Beans from Vacuo." The butler answered before walking away to tend to his duties.

Eyeing Akira warily, Weiss silently stared at him while taking small bites of her food. Chewing for a few second, she swallowed. Tilting her head as if observing a wild animal act about, her mouth was sealed shut for a few moments. After a while, she soon took a small breath. "About what you said earlier-"

"This is very delicious." Akira complimented, cutting Weiss off mid-sentence after he swallowed. "Is that pepper actually inside of the sausage? Hmm, good decision." He said to himself as he took another bite.

Narrowing her eyes at Akira, Weiss fumed in irritation as the boy continued to eat his meal. "Why did you do that just now?"

Looking up from his food, Akira had a blank look on his face. Continuing to chew, he eventually forced the food in his mouth down his throat. "Do what?" He asked, his hands continuing to clean the plate that was in front of him at the moment.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Weiss gestured both of her hands towards the black-haired male who sat right next to her. "Cutting me off rather than-"

"I'm finished eating." Akira suddenly stood up off of his chair, taking a final sip from his cup which seemed to annoy Weiss.

"Why-" Weiss looked over cut herself short when she saw Akira's plate already empty. All that remained were some crumbs, but all of the food was gone. Eyeing the blank dish before looking up to Akira, Weiss moved her jaw up and down and released a strangled sound for about a second. "H-how did you eat so fast?"

Akira shrugged his shoulders. "You consider 15 minutes fast? Me, it is a rather average time if I do say so myself." He then wore a muddled look while having a finger point back and forth between Weiss and her drink. "I think your drink has gone fairly cold right about now. Might I recommend that you forgo the whipped cream and chocolate shavings next time? You can truly appreciate coffee a lot more if you would choose to do that." He then gestured to the plate. "So, do I just leave my dishes here or…"

Listening to Akira the entire time, Weiss dumbly nodded her head in disbelief. Watching the boy walk back from where they had entered, Weiss turned back to look at her meal and then back to her drink. Hearing a door open soon, her eyes diverted upwards and saw Klein approaching her.

"Is… everything okay, Miss Schnee?" Her butler asked, making Weiss blink and snap out of her thoughts. "Anything else I can get you?"

"Y-yes, everything is good." Weiss nodded her head, raising the mug in her hand to her mouth. Taking a sip, her eye twitched when a lukewarm yet cold liquid filled her mouth. She was about to ask for another one, but then a thought came to her. "Actually… if it is okay with you, may I actually have the usual coffee but without the whipped cream and chocolate?"

If Klein was surprised, he didn't show it as he took the offered mug without hesitation. "Of course." He nodded his head and walked back to where Weiss knew was the direction of the kitchen.

Putting another forkful of food into her mouth, she wore a bit of a sour expression as she remembered that she had left it alone for about 15 minutes and now it was not as appealing as it was before.

After a couple of minutes of eating, Klein returned back with her new drink and put it right next to her. With a nod of thanks, Weiss picked up the drink and eyed it critically. Raising it to her lips after, she took a small sip. She shuddered at the taste as it was as she expected. It lacked the sweetness she was used to as there was more of a bitter flavor to it.

But… there was something else to it she couldn't put her finger on. Glancing down to her drink once more, her face grew a curious look before the female decided to take another sip.

Break

Akira found himself staring at a portrait when he was wandering the halls of what he considered to be the mansion with a book from the library in hand.

Eyeing the picture, he couldn't decide if it was a photo or a painting. If it were a painting, he would be impressed by the amount of time the people had to stay still. But, according to the picture, there were three young children in front of two adults whom all sat in proper positions. He doubted that children of that age would be able to sit still for so long, so photo was his conclusion.

Akira recognized Weiss in that photo. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the expression that was worn on her face, guessing that she was not enjoying herself at that moment. The same could be said for the other female child at the opposite side of the picture. Even who he assumed to be the mother didn't look very happy, but that was perhaps because for a professional look.

But then the two males, which he assumed one was the father and the other was a little brother judging by the size and looks. Both seemed to be rather proud or happy in that picture. Those looks caused the eyebrow he had already raised to grow even higher up.

A question formed in Akira's head. Why did the females look a bit glum or sad while the males seemed content?

Hearing footsteps coming from the side, Akira turned his head over. Approaching him was a boy with white hair and light blue eyes with a fair complexion. His hair was mostly pushed to the left, although there was a cowlick. The attire the boy had on consisted of a short-sleeved white dress shirt, the sleeves fastened just above his elbows by navy blue cuffs, each with twin gold buttons. Over his untucked shirt he wore a light blue vest with a black handkerchief in his right breast pocket. He also wore a black necktie, navy blue trousers and black dress shoes.

With rather formal posture, the boy seemed to have a curious expression when his light blue eyes met Akira's grey ones. "So, you are the new guest the servants have been talking about." The boy stated lightly, pacing around Akira. The black-haired male kept the open book balanced in one hand the other behind his back while slowly watching himself be observed. "The one who my sister decided to help. Has she already taken a liking to you?" A teasing look grew on the face.

"Doubtful, especially considering the fact that we met just yesterday." Akira said simply with a blank look on his face, which made the other boy chuckle. He then extended his free hand. "Akira Kurusu." His greeting was curt but polite.

"Whitley Schnee, a pleasure to meet you." The white-haired male smiled while shaking the hand that was offered with his own. "I hear that you are not from Atlas, Vale, Mistral, nor Vacuo. Does that mean you have grown up from outside of the Kingdoms?" He then asked curiously, having one hand cup his chin while the other support the elbow of the former hand.

Akira wracked his brain in a single second for the answer. He mentally patted himself on the back reading up on Remnant's history. Albeit it was at the cost of sleep, but he could easily do that later. He at least had the basics down. "Yes, that is very much correct."

Whitley curled his lips down in interest. "Fascinating." He stated, still taking in Akira's appearance. "Father always said that people from outside the Kingdoms are barbaric, yet… you seem to be something completely different."

Like that, Akira's opinion of the father began to plummet like a stone in water. Granted, Akira shouldn't judge on words alone. But sometimes words held their truth, so he was going to keep such a sentence in his mind. "I get that a lot." Akira nodded his head in agreement, his face being rather straight despite almost taking an insult straight to his face.

The younger male seemed to have noticed this and hummed. He then noticed the book that was in Akira's hand. "Oh?" He leaned forward to get a better look at the text that the taller male was holding. "Is that a book from the library? What is it that you are reading about at the moment?"

Akira gazed at Whitley, as if trying to figure out what was making the boy tick. "Just a book about Semblances and Aura." Akira answered, staying perfectly still despite Whitely beginning to move closer into his personal space. "It's basic, but I think such fundamentals are good to brush up on."

"Oh, most agreeable." Whitley chuckled, standing up straight once more and folding his arms behind his back. "It is a pity that many people forget about such."

The black-haired male looked up to the ceiling in thought as it slowly began to occur to him. "Might I ask where you were during breakfast?" Akira asked, craning his head around back to Whitley. "Seeing as there is a family portrait here, I thought that it would be good to eat with such a group. But it was odd that it was just Weiss and I in the dining room."

"Ah, you see, that's a rather complicated issue." Whitley answered Akira's question rather easily. "I woke up earlier than usual, so I decided to have my breakfast at that moment which was before Weiss. Winter however just… Oh, that's right!" He suddenly snapped his head back with realization. "You don't know the names of our family members. How silly of me."

Akira switched the book to his other hand quietly and listened intently.

"Winter Schnee is our eldest sister." Whitley explained, pointing to the female on the bottom left side of the picture. "She wanted to either become a huntress or join the Atlesian army; I could never remember which it is. Because of this, she had just joined Atlas Academy about three years ago and has resided in their dorms. Father is constantly busy with work so he doesn't eat with us. As for Mother…" Whitely paused and looked up while tapping his chin in thought. "…She's occupied with other things as well most of the time."

"…I see." Akira said, face scrunched up a bit in thought. "You seem rather open in telling me these things related to your family."

"Well, these are not very secret among Atlas and Remnant. Winter is already famous – or infamous – due to her status. Father is the head of the Schnee Dust Company as well. Mother meanwhile is known to be very occupied with her own things." Whitley then snapped his fingers as if he remembered something after his explanations. "Oops, it's almost time for my classes." He said in realization before smiling. "It's been a pleasure talking to you, Akira. Perhaps we will be able to chat some other time."

"Maybe." Akira answered while nodding his head. Whitely nodded back and began to walk away and turn a corner.

All alone once more, Akira looked down the hall where Whitley went down. At the mention of lessons, he actually was now curious about what Weiss was leaning about. That is, if she was having classes at the same time. Weiss' education came to mind because she was the one who was much closer to his age, therefore her academic level being possibly close to his.

Walking down the hall, he also kept an eye on the book he was reading. It was a rather interesting subject, Aura and Semblances. A supernatural shield that also fueled a power depending on the person. Aside from the shield part, the Semblance sounded similar to a Persona in theory.

He would attempt to clarify that with Weiss, but then he didn't mention anything about Personas during his confession. Plus, it was a theory that could go unsolved for all he cared at the moment.

Flipping through the pages, he soon began to hear the sound of metal hitting something. Looking up from the book, Akira looked around and stared in a general direction from where he thought the sound was coming from. Walking towards that door, he shut the book in his hand and slowly opened the barrier.

Inside was a rather large room. The walls and floor were lined with metal but there were also light blue circuit designs decorating such surfaces. Keeping his eyes at normal level though, he saw Weiss running around while avoiding an adult seeming to attack her. Akira was surprised at the sudden sight before his eyes.

Weiss was holding some kind of rapier in her hand. The rather odd thing about the weapon was there was a six-chamber magazine like a revolver that each held different colors. Raising the weapon in a stance as she held it in her left hand, Weiss spun around as she advanced forward.

But the older figure raised a metal rod vertically and blocked Weiss' swipe. Retracting her rapier quickly, Weiss tried a diagonal slash from her right shoulder downwards before spinning around to do the same thing. Both attack were deflected easily by her opponent. With her body bent forward from the second slash, Weiss tried to go for a stab.

But the adult kicked the sword away with their foot. Using the momentum behind their attack, the person spun around with a swing of their equipped arm. Weiss raised her weapon to block the attack, but she didn't have enough arm strength as her guard was broken through. The adult continued to use the same momentum to swing their arm around again.

Weiss quickly managed to recover though, and this time held her other hand up in order to properly guard against the incoming swing. Pushing against the rod her opponent used away, she tried to horizontally slash the adult. But the older person jumped up at the same time and avoided the sharp edges of her weapon.

When the adult landed on the ground, the tried to attack Weiss' legs right away. The girl was quick enough to block the swing with her rapier pointed vertically to the ground. Swinging upwards, Weiss missed since the adult rolled backwards and up to their feet. As she tried to go for an overhead slash next, her attack was blocked by the rod which was held up above the adult's head. Weiss then felt a pair of feet slam right against her stomach as she reeled backwards upon impact.

Weiss looked down at herself quickly before bringing her eyes back up. Her previous action proved to by a massive mistake as the adult was in her face right away. Having to face an onslaught of swings, Weiss concentrated as much as she could in order to only guard against each attack. Thinking she saw an opening, she tried to strike with a stab.

Her piercing attack was deflected however just so that it missed the adult's face. With the older figure's back towards Weiss, they snapped their right foot up and the heel struck Weiss right against her stomach. Coughing while bending forward, Weiss let her guard down and felt the bottom of another foot kick her to the ground.

Coughing, Weiss placed her hands on the floor in an attempt to get back up. A loud noise immediately echoed through her ear and caused her to freeze in response. Slowly turning her head over to where she heard the sound, there was the same metal rod planted right on the floor.

"Not bad, Miss Schnee." The instructor complimented with a neutral gaze. Pushing back on her weapon, she walked backwards a bit so the item was at a 45 degree angle. She watched as Weiss grabbed the weapon before pulling the younger female back up. "But you've been at this for two years yet there is something you lack. Take a five minutes break to think about it before we continue."

Weiss nodded her head, panting at bit in fatigue. But still, it confused her to what her instructor meant. What was it she was lacking? She was doing everything she was taught to by the adult and her sister. Walking over to a wall where a small table was set up with a chair while thinking, she noticed Akira standing around the exit of the room. "What are you doing here?" She asked in a bit of surprise.

"I just so happened to meet your brother, Whitely, a few moments ago." Akira answered straightly before his eyes wandered the room. He then gazed at the rapier in Weiss hand. "I am going to assume that this is not just a simple exercise room."

Weiss took in a deep breath to ease her panting. "You read up on Remnant's history, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then you are aware of hunters and huntresses?" Weiss' question sounded more like a statement.

Akira answered with a nod of his head. "Licensed elite warriors dedicated to slaying the creatures of Grimm and whose duty is to uphold the peace of the world. Rather shaky on the upholding peace part in my opinion." He rocked a hand back and forth to make his point, yawning the paragraph he had read last night.

Weiss frowned at that last comment Akira made, placing her rapier into a case that was sitting on the table. She folded her arms while keeping her body faced towards the boy. "And what makes you say that?" Her expression just challenging Akira to make a point.

"Corruption eventually grows whenever too much power goes to one's head." Akira shrugged his shoulders, forming his hand to imitate the shape of a gun. Lifting the fingers, he pointed the imitated barrel to the side of his head. "No society is perfect as there will always be a problem. Even if it's a wild guess and I may be wrong, I believe that it would only take a matter of time for my opinion to happen."

The female sighed while shaking her head, using a hand to support the skull. "Again, let me say just how incredible yet completely impossible your mind functions." Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms again. "Speaking of how your mind functions, there is still a subject you have yet to-"

"Is that Dust inside of your rapier?" Akira suddenly asked, looking over towards the chambers connected to the finesse weapon. Stepping over, he leaned forward to get a better view. "Interesting, I've only read about Dust so you'll have to excuse my high curiosity."

Weiss now wore disbelief all over her face. "Why do you keep doing that?" She raised her hands up to gesture towards him before slapping them down to her sides.

"Do what?" Akira asked, not even looking back towards her while looking at the chambers at different angles.

"This!" Weiss shook her hands in exasperation. "You keep cutting me off every time I try to bring up the subject about you and this Earth world!" She suddenly sharply pointed a finger in Akira's direction when she saw him open his mouth. "Don't even think about it." Her warning was curt before continuing. "This is not healthy for you at all!" A deep breath filled her lungs before exhaling to try and calm herself down. "Look, I'm just trying to help you."

"And it is very much appreciated." Akira responded back quickly, but not in a manner to cut Weiss off. In fact, it was more as if he were agitated. "However, right now, it is completely unnecessary. At the moment, I believe that I should be less focused on a form of rehab and more attention to learning the ins and outs of this world." He pushed the book that was still in his hands in front of Weiss' face for more emphasis. His eyes narrowed into a disagreeable look. "I will accept your help when the time comes."

"And when will that be?" Weiss remarked, jutting her hip out while her hands rested on her waist while challenging Akira. "A day? Weeks? Months? Years?! Akira, you can't have that sort of luxury! This is an issue I think you should have taken care of as soon as possible!" She shoved the book and his hand out of her face

"I'll be sure to keep your opinion in mind then!" Akira raised his voice back in response, snapping the literature in his hands shut. The noise that came was deafening in their conversation. A frown twisted onto his lips. "But when I face such issues is when I choose! This is my own problem, not yours! So I would very much appreciate that you keep quiet about it!"

Weiss stepped back, startled at the volume Akira had suddenly burst out. Hanging her jaw open for a bit, she huffed in frustration. "Fine." She hissed out, turning around back to the center of the room. "But you are making a huge mistake."

Silently, Akira watched Weiss seemingly storm away from him. A sigh escaped his nostrils. Raising a hand to rub his face, Akira massaged his forehead until he put back on his usual neutral gaze. Not even looking back towards Weiss. Pivoting on his heels quickly, he swiftly left the room while quickly leafing through the book to the page he was previously on.

But as soon as he reached the spot, he found his mind to be unfocused. Groaning to himself, he closed the book. Feeling like he probably had done enough reading after more than about 12 hours, Akira now had a destination in his head rather than mindless wandering. Going towards the library, he was quick to put the book about Aura and Semblances back onto the shelf.

Rubbing his eyes, he felt the fatigue from the lack of sleep beginning to take over. But he still refused to fall asleep at the moment, especially with caffeine inside of his system.

Weiss' words stuck in his mind. Scratching the top of his head, Akira then shook his skull around as if it were to help him get rid of the thoughts. Continuing to sit in silence for a few more minutes, Akira looked up and towards the door of the library. Maybe just a walk around the building would help.

Getting up to his feet, the black-haired male allowed himself directed without any specific places in mind or to find. It was during his walk he began to notice just how much white and blue occupied the entire building. It was almost he were inside some sort of asylum for the criminally insane.

"But… ma'am, it is almost noon and yet-"

"I don't care, Klein. When I've had enough, that's when I ill stop. But for now, fetch me another bottle please."

"… Of course, ma'am…"

Hearing voices, Akira stopped in his tracks. Craning his head to the right slowly, he saw a single white door just next to him. Akira suddenly felt an instinct to keep himself hidden as he swiftly pressed himself against a part of the wall next to the door but was a bit deeper, so it provided a small gap. Hearing the door creak open, Akira didn't risk peeking.

Hearing footsteps walk away, Akira peered around the wall to see that Klein was walking away and down the hall. Slowly stepping away from his hiding place, he looked over and kept an eye on the door that he saw a few seconds ago. Quietly walking over, he stopped when something made his nose twitch.

Sniffing, Akira's nostrils burned a bit due to the strong scent of alcohol invading his senses. Scrunching up his face, he moved a single foot forward. Leaning closer, he heard a voice. Well… more of a whimper or cry.

One that belonged to a female.

Akira immediately felt something bubble inside of him while his heart sank at the same time. He then suddenly swallowed as several things snapped into his mind at the same time. The first one was rather than alcohol in the situation, it was something else.

The next ones were more related to much more recent events. Yesterday, words from Weiss came to him. About how she knew he looked lonely because she too has seen that look too many times. Then there was today, about what Whitely revealed about the family.

It was an assumption, but Akira ran on these a lot whenever evidence show themselves. Pressing his finger gently against the door with minimum force, he slowly traced the flesh along the wood as if he were longing for something. A look of pity and sorrow formed on his face, for no one to see at the moment. But that didn't stop Akira.

Dropping his hand to his side, the black-haired male turned around as if something was calling to him. Moving towards the window that was across from him, he looked down towards the ground that was covered in snow.

Break

Weiss grew even more frustrated when she flipped through a bunch of flash cards she was studying from.

Irritation plagued her mind despite the attempt of distracting her from a negative emotion. Scratching the top of her head as it itched, she harshly flicked through another card when she got the answer the card provided wrong in her head. Slapping the mentally unanswered cards down onto the table in front of her, Weiss buried her face into her hands.

Akira's dilemma was irking her with every passing minute. She didn't know why her mind just refused to let the issue be. After all, it was his own problem. But it also frustrated her that she refused to accept that fact. She tried to offer help; he refused it. That conflict should be done within seconds.

But Weiss was having an inner debate whether or not she should let it go. Akira was a completely mixed bag of emotions and events, Weiss would almost now officially say one of the most appropriate words to describe him would be unpredictable. That was not a good thing at all.

Huffing to herself, she leaned back against her chair before taking a deep breath. Exhaling, Weiss tried to calm her nerves. Looking up when hearing a pair of footsteps, she blinked when she saw who it was. "Hello, Whitley."

"Greetings, dear sister." Her younger brother nodded his head with a smile. "I've heard that you have allowed a stranger to live in our home." His statement sounded far too pleasant, as if he were finding the entire thing amusing.

"Yes… I have…" Weiss answered slowly, in a slightly annoyed manner at the mere thought of Akira as it reminded her of the small issue she was having with him. But then it occurred to her which made her face lighten up with curiosity. "You seem rather… cheery today."

"That's because I already have met such stranger." Whitley put his hand to his chest while rolling his shoulders back. "Akira Kurusu is such a curious yet already entertaining character."

"If you say so." The female muttered to herself unconvinced, lifting up her flashcards again.

"It is also very kind of you, sister." Whitley added. "I mean, this person must have been quite interesting for you to invite living with us. Without asking any of your family members I might throw in as well." He shrugged his shoulders. "Still, I have a feeling that he will indeed be a character I may take a liking to. Maybe."

"Good for you." Weiss stated curtly, mentally wishing for Whitely to drop the subject.

"By the way, Father asked me to pass a message onto you."

That one sentence brought Weiss mind to a screeching halt. As if a rusty machine, Weiss slowly moved her eyes away from her cards to look at Whitley. "…What?" She asked slowly.

"Father asked me to pass a message onto you." Whitley repeated himself before tilting his head. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"N-no…" Weiss stuttered just a bit. "There is nothing wrong at all." She shook her head. "What does Father want?"

"I'm not sure." Her brother shrugged his shoulders. "He said that it was an issue that was only meant for your ears alone." His hand was held out as if offering something to Weiss. "Unfortunately, since he is busy, he says he wants you in his office in two hours."

"…Thank you, Whitley." Weiss nodded her head slowly. But at the same time, a couple of questions ran through her head. What did her father want to talk to her about? Why didn't he ask her personally? Her father had the time to ask Whitley to tell her, so why didn't the adult-male take that time to speak to her? In Weiss' opinion, she had a schedule which allowed her to be tracked down easily through the household.

Her younger brother nodded his head swiftly before spinning around on his heels. Taking one step forward, Whitley paused before turning back around to look at Weiss. "Actually, Weiss, could you perhaps tell me where Akira is? I would like to have another conversation with him."

That made Weiss frown. Where was Akira at the moment anyways?

Break

Staring at the ground covered in snow, Akira remembered.

That one spot were his eyes were fixed was where Weiss had first found him. The one place that he could say was his closest to home in a sense. Bending his knees, he trailed his fingers through the snow and formed letters. M. R. A. Y. M. F. H. A. Each of them were simple yet were so special. Morgana. Ryuji. Ann. Yusuke. Makoto. Futaba. Haru. Akechi. After that, he started to trace more letters. T. O. C. I. S. M. H. Y. K. S. Takemi. Ohya. Chihaya. Iwai. Sojiro. Mishima. Hifumi. Yoshida. Kawakami. Shinya.

After finishing his tracing, he looked over towards the first set he had made. Akira then looked over to the latest letters. Keeping both sets in his sights, he did nothing but stare. Like a statue, Akira stayed very still. The snow above him continued to fall without any problem, eventually burying the markings he had made after who knows how much time had passed.

A shaky breath then escaped his lips when he exhaled. He could see the pattern just due to the cold air mixing with the warm element that he released. Standing up, he dragged his feet through the snow. It was like several weights had suddenly been placed onto his body when he tried to move. Sluggishly feeling the cold continue to fall on him with every passing second until he finally reached a single tree that was right next to the spot.

Putting his right palm against the wood, Akira put his entire weight forward and placed his forehead against the back of his hand. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he silently stood in that position while his mind drifted all around the subject of the Phantom Thieves and everyone else back on Earth.

"…I am such an idiot…"

Break

The sky was already getting dark when Akira entered the large building after his time outside.

Shaking his hair when he went inside, he made sure that he got rid of all of the snow that had piled up in the wavy substance. While vibrating his head at such a violent speed, Akira took his coat off. Walking over to where he remembered a closet was. Hanging the clothing up, Akira turned around and began to head in a certain direction.

His footsteps now held a bit more of a purpose as he stridden through the path that was already fixed. Continuing his walk, he eventually found someone who he was looking for. Where they were however was a bit of a surprise to him.

"…What do you want?" Weiss asked curtly after a brief moment of staring, looking forward and away from Akira's sight. She was seated on a small bench that was set up right next to a door.

Akira blinked at the response he got due to his presence being right next to her. But he understood why she acted a bit cold towards him. He did act like quiet a bad person a few hours ago.

"…I want to say… I'm sorry for what I said and how I have acted." Akira held his hand out limply as if he were attempting a handshake. "It's just…" He looked down, trying to find the right words in thought. "At that moment, I did not want to look back in shame and be hurt. Pain can make people not think straight. A fear of pain however… that's even worse. Know now that… I am going to follow your recommendation. But it will be mixed in with my studying. So, in the end… there will be a balance."

Weiss folded her arms, listening intently yet was unimpressed. "Am I supposed to accept your apology?" She asked with her eyebrow raised.

Her expression changed to a bit of surprise when Akira shook his head. "No, you don't have to." He answered with mixed face. Akira then took a step closer to Weiss. "I began to remember what you told me yesterday… and I've come to an understanding to why you said all of that because of today."

"…" The white-haired female unconsciously swallowed at what Akira was implying.

"I understand why you possibly feel as you do…" Akira looked down to his feet. "I too have had… a familiar experience." That was when Akira leaned forward so his face was on the same level as Weiss but remained a bit of distance between them. "Which is why I would like you to know that the offer you have given… it also extends from me to you." He held his hand out while the words exited his mouth.

Taken aback, Weiss' face now had surprise all over her face. Her jaw dropped a bit at the sudden words that Akira had to offer. Running the sentence through her head, she eventually formed a response. "…Why? I don't even know you."

"You don't know me either." Akira shook his head. "As for why you ask… why not?" He shrugged his shoulders.

A new response came quicker than the previous one. "That's not a very good reason." She responded dully.

"I can't always have those." Akira answered back, straightening his back. Exhaling loudly through his mouth, he looked back to Weiss and saw that she was silently staring at him. After a moment of no sound between them, it then occurred to him. "So, what are you doing sitting here alone anyways?" He eyed her curiously.

The question snapped Weiss back to reality. "I… I'm waiting for my father." She answered. "He said that he to talk to me and that I was to meet him at his office."

Akira nodded his head. "I see."

But Weiss looked away with her face falling. "…That was supposed to be two hours ago…"

"…" Akira chose not to respond, as he thought something like that will be appropriate at the moment. His hands continued to dangle at his sides while eyed Weiss gently. "…Do you think he will show up soon? At all?"

She folded her hands together and stared at the floor. "…I don't know." She shook her head. "But to answer your other question…" Her voice trailed off, as if she had lost the words that would have escaped her lips. Weiss then swallowed. "…No." She admitted with a whisper when exhaling.

Hearing her fall silent, Akira looked to his right. He then eyed his left. In both directions that he turned to, there was no sound or indication that anyone was approaching their area anytime soon. Bringing Weiss back into his vision, he took in the almost vulnerable position she was in at the moment.

Stepping forward, Akira turned around and sat his bottom down on the bench where Weiss was sitting. None of them spoke a word at all. Quietly, the two of them stayed sitting next to one another. The white-haired female kept her vision fixed onto the floor, coming to terms about something. The male-with black hair meanwhile had his eyes locked onto the window that was across from the two of them.

Despite them being as still and quiet as statues, there was a comforting feeling and a silent thank you.

Break

Akira was feeling extremely tired now.

Weiss had left the spot next to him in favor of having to eat dinner a few minutes ago. Akira said that he would catch up with her due to needing some time to think. Rubbing his face, he shook his head to do his best to try and remain conscious.

"…And who are you?"

Looking up, Akira moved his face to see a man with gray-white hair and a pale complexion. He had a large gray mustache, and his eyes were a cold blue color. The adult had on a pure white double-breasted jacket with a red handkerchief in the breast pocket. Underneath all of that was a blue shirt and vest with a gray-white tie. Below to cover his legs were trousers that were colored to match his jacket. For an accessory, there was a silver ring on his right hand.

Blinking, Akira rose up from his sitting position. "Akira Kurusu." He folded his hands behind his back while nodding his head curtly. The boy then scanned the white-haired man once more. "I take it that you are Weiss and Whitley's father."

"Jacques Schnee." The man introduced himself, his eyes narrowing a bit. "So, you are the boy from outside of the Kingdom whom my daughter has decided to help."

"Word travels fast in this household." Akira only commented.

"Hmm…" The man only responded with. "Speaking of which, have you seen my daughter? I told her that she was supposed to be at my office." He looked around as if expecting her to arrive at any moment. "So why is it that she has not come here yet?"

Akira's lips dropped down slightly into a frown. This man had his daughter wait for him for nearly four and a half hours on the very spot he was on a few seconds ago. Either Jacques had a bad sense of time, or he lived in his own world. Akira decided to go with the latter. Especially since he began to understand the man's character just a bit more with his most recent interaction with Weiss.

It wasn't much, but Akira was rolling with what he had.

The black-haired male decided not to answer Jacques' question. Instead, Akira decided to ask his own. "I remember seeing your picture from a few years ago, just down the hall." He pointed to where he remembered. "You look as spry as the day that was taken."

If Jacques was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, the man puffed his chest out in a bit of pride. "Thank you."

Akira nodded his head in acknowledgement. "My compliments to the virgins whose blood you bathe in."

Spinning around on his heels, not even bothering to see Jacques' reaction, Akira made his way down the hall to the dining room for some dinner before going to sleep. He was extremely tired after all.

No flames please.