"Weiss thinking."
"Salem thinking."
Weiss was walking down the streets of Vale. It was early morning and she left the SDC bank twenty or so minutes ago. She did indeed find the information she needed on this 'Ursula' woman. It was easy once she flashed her identification as Weiss Schnee. The employees practically gave her the keys to the building.
"Humanity's foolishness never ceases to amaze me..."
Weiss rolled her eyes as Salem's comment. "What are going going on about now?"
"About how all those men and woman in the bank simply gave everything to a child so easily."
"First of all, I'm not a child. Second, the Schnee name holds a lot of power like that. There's probably a few places I could walk into and be treated similarly despite not owning the place."
"Yes, I know all about the Schnees. Man always did put too much effort towards status."
Weiss continued to walk while talking to Salem in her head. Though she could begin to feel her feet drag. Pulling that all-nighter to read those fairy tales was beginning to take it's toll. But there wasn't time to stop. Their destination was close.
This Ursula person owned a small bookstore that she managed throughout the week. It was a bit passed 8am and it should be open by now.
"We've arrived." Weiss thought to Salem as she stared up at the sign. It read 'Atlantica Books'.
"So how are you going to get the information we need?" Salem asked her. However Weiss just let out a yawn.
"Honestly? I'm just going to ask bluntly. I'm too tired, let's just get this over with." She answered and opened the door, walking in. A small bell rang indicating customers entered as she did so.
Salem didn't say anything in rebuttal to the upfront approach. Sometimes simply asking did indeed work and there was no reason for them to be too secretive.
"Oh, welcome to Atlantica Books." A woman's voice called out and turned from the shelf she was managing.
Weiss stepped in further and focused her attention on the woman. The first thing noticeable is they were certainly on the older side of life. The second is that they were Faunus. Rather than having a head of hair, purple octopus tentacles took its place.
Weiss' eyes narrowed a bit at that. It wasn't exactly the most appealing thing to look at. However she held her thoughts on the matter.
"Hello... Ursula Berpdioloo?"
The old woman fixed her glasses and smiled. "Oh, yes. Did you need something? Are you a fan of one of my stories?" She chuckled to herself.
"Something like that..." Weiss answered and pulled out 'The Man with Two Souls'. "I have a question regarding this book."
Ursula looked at it for a moment. "Ah, The Man with Two Souls. It was always one of my favorites as well." She then squinted. "Ah, this copy even has my signature on it."
Weiss looked down at noticed it was well. She didn't pay it any mind until now though. "Ah... This is my friend's copy. I just asked to borrow it..." Weiss cleared her throat. "-Anyway."
"Right, ask away." Urusla said as he tentacle-like hair swiveled around her.
Weiss tried not to stare and just went ahead and asked. "... In the first pages of the book it says it's based on a true story. I was wondering if I could learn more about that."
Urusla seemed to give a surprised look and there was a pause.
Weiss felt a bit awkward now. "Is... That a problem?"
The old woman shook her head. "No, not exactly. You're not the first to ask but... It's not the sort of thing I enjoy sharing."
Weiss felt a bit tense now and looked down. "What now...? I still need answers..." She thought to herself before Salem chimed in.
"Don't just give up, girl. Push a bit harder. Being discourteous is a small price to pay for the information we seek."
Weiss knew Salem was right. This was their only real lead right now and she couldn't let it just fall apart so easily. She looked back up at the woman and dug her heels in.
"I'm sorry to ask again then, but I'd still like you to tell me." Weiss said to Ursula and the woman had a plain expression. "It's... Important."
The two stared at each other for a few moments after that.
Weiss feeling a bit nervous about their answer now. She knew if they still refused then she would have to push even harder. Perhaps even pay for the information if need be. Though she didn't really want to throw her lien around like that...
"We should have started with that option..."
Weiss ignored Salem's comment.
She heard Ursula let out a light sigh. "Oh, Very well... You seem rather determined."
Weiss felt a feeling of relief flow through her body upon hearing the woman's answer.
Ursula turned around and gestured for Weiss to follow her. "I don't know what you need it for, but if you say it's important than it must be."
The two of them walked behind the front desk and to a small back room with a desk in the corner. "Go ahead and take a seat." Ursula said and walked over to a small safe embedded in the wall while Weiss sat down.
They put in the combination and opened it up, retrieving a small book from it and then closing it. Ursula approached Weiss and handed it to her.
Weiss examined the book briefly. It was old but still looked like it was held together nicely enough. The woman obviously took care of it. "What is this?" she asked.
"It's the 'true story' you asked to read. 'The Man with Two Souls' was a story I wrote after reading my grandmother's journal. Most of it takes place during her childhood and teenage years but- Ah, well... You can stay in here and read it to see for yourself." They said and turned to leave the room. They still did have a store to run after all.
As Weiss was about to turn to the desk and open the book up, she noticed a coffee machine in the corner of the room.
"Great... More reading..." Weiss internally sighed. She wasn't against it, but she felt so tired already.
"Stop complaining and start reading." Salem told her and it made Weiss scoff.
"Erm- Do you mind if I make myself a cup of coffee?" Weiss asked.
"Feel free to help yourself." Ursula responded as she walked back into the front of the store.
Weiss spent the next couple hours reading through this journal and comparing it to the book. It wasn't very long so it was easier than reading a novel. She even took out some paper and began to jot down notes on information she felt was important.
The more she read... The more her heart sank.
The owner of the journal was named Rosie. The first many chapters was just about her daily life. She had a crush on her best friend, a boy named Austin. They grew up together but then one day Austin said he began to hear voices. They kept it a secret from their parents.
Though as time passed and they entered their teenage years, Austin began to change. He would talk to himself, act differently at times, and at other times fluctuate in personality. Sometimes he refereed to himself as 'Oz'. Eventually it settled on 'Oztin'.
Rosie felt like she lost him. He was still Austin but he was different, seemed more depressed than his happy self from the past. She didn't know what to do or how to help him.
The one day he told her that he had to go and just left. The journal's entries stop after that. However there was one more written in about ten years later.
She wrote that she laments not being there for him more. Blaming herself for not getting him to let her in.
Weiss sighed and closed the journal. It gave her a fair amount of information. A lot of it wasn't concrete, but it could be insinuated if she compared the journal to her own issues with Salem.
"So? What do you think? The boy in the story was definitely Ozma. It looks like there were some... 'Growing pains' as he took over the boy's mind."
Weiss narrowed her eyes at the thought of having her mind and body taken over by Salem. But she pushed the feeling away for now.
"Yes... Things certainly seemed bumpy. But judging from the journal, the book, and Ozma's naming conventions, I don't think it's a take over." Weiss stated aloud.
"How do you mean?"
"In the book it was about a man struggling to keep himself. While the journal was more... Personal. We got to see the thoughts and feelings of someone close to him. He still had the memories of Austin but was just... Different." Weiss surmised.
"True. Each generation we clashed he would have similar goals but at times a different personality. Though it was always hundreds of years apart so I just figured he was simply trying something different."
"If I had to guess... Rather than Ozma taking over his hosts, they... Merge or something. Hence why he doesn't just call himself 'Ozma' each time and instead combines the names. The boy, Austin wasn't completely gone after all."
"Hm... Hehehehe~ I see." Salem seemed to enjoy what she was hearing.
It made Weiss narrow her eyes in confusion. "What's got you so happy? If it is a merge than we're both essentially dead when it happens. 'Weiss Schnee' and 'Salem' will cease to exist. We'll become...-" She thought for a moment. "Saiss? Weilem?... Weliss?"
"You're awful at names."
Weiss huffed.
"But to answer your question, I'm happy because this means I succeeded."
That made Weiss confused. "What do you mean you 'succeeded'?"
"In killing myself of course."
Weiss's eyes widened. She kind of pushed that suicide plot of Salem's away since she heard it.
"Sure, it might be in a roundabout way. But at the end of the day once we finish merging, 'Salem' will cease to exist. All this will be, as you said, 'Weliss's' problem. Even if it takes a few more generations, I'm nothing if but patient."
Weiss grit her teeth. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was doing all this work and stressing over survival while Salem was basking in the glory of dying. She stood up, angrily and slammed her hands on the desk.
"I am not going to stand around and just die!" She shouted in frustration.
It was then that she noticed Ursula standing at the entrance way, staring at her. Weiss' eyes widened and she collected herself. How long were they there for? Weiss forgot to speak to Salem in her head. Were they listening to everything she said?!
"-Oh uhm. Ms. Berpdioloo! Sorry, I just finished reading and it was- uhm..."
Ursula looked over at the desk to see the journal open along with the book and many papers full of notes. She then looked back up to regard Weiss for a few moments.
"... My grandmother would tell me that she wished she did more to help Austin. That maybe if she tried harder it could have worked out between them. Not that she wasn't happy, she got married and had a good life. But everyone has regrets." She said and approached the desk where Weiss was.
Weiss relaxed and watched them.
Ursula took the journal, closed it, and then handed it to Weiss. "Take it. It's yours."
Weiss' eyes widened and took it. "What?! B- but I-... Isn't it important?"
The old woman sighed and smiled. "It matters a lot to me, but I've no children or anyone else to take it after I'm gone." That made Weiss get a heavy feeling in her stomach. Too much talk of death recently. "Besides, it looks like you need it more than me."
Weiss stiffened and her grip on the book tightened as she stared at Ursula, trying to understand what they meant by that. "I, uhm..."
"I think my Grandmother would want you to have it. Good luck, young lady." Ursula said and turned away to head back to the main room.
"Hm... It seems like she has an inkling. I'm unsure if she's keen or senile enough to believe in something so mythical as two souls inhabiting one body."
Weiss ignored Salem's comment.
"Wait." She found herself speaking and Ursula turned around.
Weiss stared at Ursula for a moment, mouth opening and then closing. She sighed then spoke. "Austin... Or... Oztin, rather... He..." Weiss took breath. How should she word this? "I'm sure he's okay." she decided on.
Ursula's eyes widened a bit and her mouth opened but no words came out.
"... I like to believe he is as well." Ursula said after a delay and smiled at Weiss. "Thank you."
Weiss was now riding a bullhead back to Beacon. Both the book and journal under her arm. Salem's been silent since they left the bookstore. They both seemed to have a lot on their mind and left each other to their own thoughts.
Weiss let out another yawn. The coffee from earlier was nice, but it was now passed 12pm and she hasn't slept yet.
"Girl, I have a question." Salem finally spoke up.
Weiss internally groaned. Why couldn't the witch just stay quiet right now. "I keep telling you my name is Weiss. Now what is it?"
Salem ignored the name correction like always.
"Why did you tell that woman that?"
Weiss assumed she was talking about her final words with Ursula. "I just thought she deserved... Something, I guess."
"It could have went badly. This isn't the sort of secret we can let out carelessly."
Weiss shrugged. "It sounded like she already knew what we were going through. Or maybe she just had faith. Whatever the case, I doubt she has any malicious intentions."
"She might not but others could. I'm simply trying to say to be careful with who you trust."
Weiss let out another yawn and her eyes were drooping down. "I understand, okay? Now leave me alone. I'm too tired..."
"Impudent girl..."
Weiss just ignored that.
The bullhead finally landed and she walked out, heading into Beacon's halls. It was a weekend so students were all around, making noise and doing what they do. But she just headed straight to her dorm room.
When she opened up, her team was inside. Yang and Ruby were playing video games while Blake was sitting on the top bunk, watching them. Weiss walked in and Blake was the only one who looked at her.
"Where have you been? You were gone when we woke up." He voice didn't sound that of worry, just curiosity.
Weiss rubbed her eye. "Just went out for a bit." She answered and looked at Ruby and Yang. "Can you two lower that, I need to catch up on some sleep." She said and walked over to her bed, sitting down on the mattress.
She almost collapsed into it then and there.
The game they were playing made an explosion sound and Ruby pumped her fist. "Yes! Take that!"
Yang groaned and leaned back. "Damn..." She grumbled and then turned to Weiss.
"You not get enough sleep?" she asked.
Weiss simply shook her head while Ruby was lowering the televisions volume.
"Wake me up before dinner, okay? I don't want to ruin my schedule beyond repair." Weiss told them and then laid down.
Ruby shrugged. "Sure, we can do that. It's about lunch time anyway, so we'll leave you alone for now." She said and stood up. Blake hoped off the bunk and the three of them walked out of the room.
Yang turned off the light. "Seeya."
The door closed and Weiss was finally falling to sleep. Though hopefully she'll wake up from this nightmare.
This chapter felt a bit boring to write. I enjoy writing character interactions more than anything while this was more of a way for Weiss and Salem to just gain needed information. I'm looking forward to writing the chapters after this one more.