Weiss stared out over the city of Atlas as she kept her arms folded atop the raised barrier of concrete surrounding the rooftop. Behind her, a gentle hum emanated from the rectangular heating and cooling units while her long, unbound silver hair swayed gently in the night breeze. The shattered moon was high overhead, sharing the night sky with a smattering of bright stars. Despite the stunningly beautiful display of nature, the former heiress was far more interested in the sights below. Neon signs, well-lit windows, and headlights made an artificial starfield of their own, almost reflecting the sights above in a warped, technologically advanced facsimile.

After a few moments of silent contemplation, Weiss returned her attention down to her scroll, where several new texts awaited her.

Ilia, 12:41AM

Alright, I caught Yang up on the meeting. She told me some shit that you should all hear in person. Our gang only- no Aces.

Yang, 12:41AM

Don't lose sleep over it. We'll handle it in the morning.

Jaune, 12:41AM

That doesn't sound worrying at all.

Ilia, 12:42AM

Can it, banana hair.

Jaune, 12:43AM

I like my hair!

Ilia, 12:43AM

Yeah, you would.

Jaune, 12:43AM

What's that supposed to mean?

Corsac, 12:43AM

Is this discussion truly necessary at this hour? Some of us are trying to sleep.

Weiss rolled her eyes, though she found herself smirking at the playful message chain.

Weiss, 12:43AM

Corsac's right. Go to bed, children.

Ilia, 12:43AM

Can't sleep for shit, Jaune's hair is too loud.

Jaune, 12:44AM

That doesn't even make sense!

Marrow, 12:44AM

Hey, you still up?

Weiss' heart skipped a beat and she immediately opened the other chain of messages, ignoring the flood of new comments back and forth from Jaune and Ilia.

Weiss, 12:44AM

I am. The usual place.

Marrow, 12:44AM

On my way.

In lieu of a reply, Weiss turned off her scroll entirely and turned around to watch the singular door upon the rooftop. She didn't have to wait long for her friend to appear through the doorway, his tail wagging enthusiastically behind himself as he approached.

"Hey!" Marrow called as he jogged over to meet Weiss, all smiles. "Sorry I stood you up this morning, if you were waiting to grab breakfast. I got your texts a little late…"

"No, not at all," Weiss reassured with a shake of her head as Marrow stopped just before her. "I know that you're rather busy most of the time. It would be ridiculous to expect you to be waiting around for me every morning. I… may have gotten a bit overzealous with the messages. I'm sorry…"

"What?" Marrow asked, his eyes suddenly wide. He quickly lifted a hand, waving it back and forth as he spoke. "No, no, you didn't! I don't mind! It's… honestly kinda nice to know that someone cares enough to check in every morning and just make small talk. That doesn't happen often around here. I like it. Besides, you only sent what, three messages? That's not bad."

"If you're sure," Weiss said with a bit of uncertainty as she turned back to the barrier and folded her arms atop it once again.

"I'm sure," Marrow confirmed as he walked over and copied Weiss' stance, though he had to lean over slightly due to his height. "How was your day?"

Weiss took a deep breath in through her nose, the chilly air stinging her throat and lungs.

"I'm going to go with… interesting. Not as interesting as yours, given where you ended up."

Marrow's tail abruptly stopped wagging, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So… you already know? Listen, I wasn't avoiding you out of malice, I just didn't w-"

"Marrow," Weiss interrupted. "It's fine. More than fine, actually. I understand why you didn't tell me, and Clover was right- I would've been compelled to join you and had a miserable day. I appreciate the sentiment. I just hope your day wasn't as miserable as I'm imagining."

Marrow let out a sigh and shook his head before shrugging his shoulders.

"…it was. The good news, at least, is that we got everything filmed that Jacques wanted done, so… I should be in the clear. No more Schnee manor for me, at least for the foreseeable future. Your father's an ass, but… it's done, now. We'll be allowed to maintain access to the mines and get the gravity dust we need. That's what really matters, here."

"To the overall cause, yes," Weiss agreed as she gently placed her hand atop Marrow's. "But more than just the cause matters to me."

Marrow offered Weiss a subtle smile, his tail beginning to sway gently behind him once again.

"Thanks, Weiss. I feel the same way… and that's why I have to tell you something that you might find… a little unpleasant."

Weiss sucked in a breath, unsure that she was ready to hear whatever it was Marrow had to say.

"…is it that I butchered Jaune's hair beyond fixing?"

"You did that to him?" Marrow asked, eyes wide. He quickly corrected himself, coughing into his free hand before running it through his own tied hair. "I-I mean, it's not that bad…"

Weiss laughed softly, though it was almost humorless.

"It's… pretty bad. But in all seriousness… lay it on me. I can take whatever it is."

"It's Whitley."

"…I would like to retract my previous statement."

"Weiss," Marrow said, his tone forceful and serious enough to catch the girl off guard. "I need you to be serious for a minute. He's… completely had it. To the point that after a little prodding, he opened up to me. A faunus stranger he's barely seen before. Do you understand how desperate he must be?"

"…what do you mean he opened up to you?" Weiss asked, her disgust plain in her tone. "Even among family, Whitley is nothing but hostile and cold. I know it isn't entirely his fault, but it's not like I haven't tried to spark a relationship with him. He did nothing but push me away when we were growing up."

"After Winter left?" Marrow asked.

"Yes," Weiss confirmed, exasperated. "It was just the two of us in that house, and I wanted to try to connect with him, but he refused. Whatever he's feeling now i-"

"He's feeling like he kept you at a distance because he assumed that as soon as you were of age, you'd leave him there alone like Winter did," Marrow interjected. "And he was right."

Weiss said nothing as she reached up a shaking hand to brush back a few strands of hair. A moment later, she began to hold her forehead, feeling very much like she wanted to leave the rooftop.

"Weiss, I am not blaming you," Marrow emphasized as he turned to face her fully. "I understand why you did what you did."

"I don't think you do," Weiss denied, her eyes locked on the city below. "The emotional abuse I suffered from both of my parents…"

"Do you think it stopped when you left? Or that it only applied to you?" Marrow asked gently. "You don't need to relive your childhood right now, and I don't want to make you feel guilty… although it's somewhat inevitable. I'll listen to anything you want to tell me and comfort you as best I can, but what's really important is right now. Whitley asked me to set up a meeting with you and Winter. He wants to salvage things. He's hurting, and bent to the point he might break, soon. Will you talk to him?"

Weiss took another deep breath, her head pounding as she closed her eyes.

"Tell him that I will."

"No," Marrow replied with a shake of his head. "You have a scroll."

Weiss swallowed the lump in her throat and took out her device, only to shake her head as she turned on the screen.

"…it's one in the morning. He's asleep."

"Is he, though?" Marrow asked.

"You've been there this entire time?" Weiss replied as she looked over at Marrow in disbelief.

"No, not quite," Marrow corrected. "I stopped in at my own home for a few hours before coming back here, but… the point stands. Please, Weiss. Reach out to him. Baby steps. No one that young should already be that broken. I know that applies to you, too, and it's not your fault. But… it will be your fault now, if you let it continue."

"…I feel like I'm going to throw up," Weiss confessed as she began to tap out a message. "You'll hold my hair back, won't you?"

Weiss, 12:56AM

I just spoke to Marrow. I'd like to meet with you as soon as we can arrange it.

"If you'll still let me," Marrow offered as he moved a bit closer. "I'm sorry to do this to you, bu-"

"No," Weiss cut in. "No, it's… justified. Needed, even, and I know that you're doing it for my own sake. I just… I need someone to hold my feet to the fire, sometimes. I grew so used to unpleasant things being done for me as I grew up that… even after going through actual hardship, it's easy to slip back into old habits when under pressure."

"I know," Marrow acknowledged. "But you're mature and strong for being able to admit that."

"You really don't know," Weiss denied. "I had comforts that would make even other members of the upper class blush. I had a cake butler. A butler. Specifically for cake."

Marrow and Weiss stared at each other for an uncomfortable moment before the faunus reached up and scratched at the back of his head again.

"…I'll be your cake butler."

"…what does that even mean?" Weiss asked, hiking a brow.

"…I'm not entirely sure," Marrow admitted as he turned back to face the barrier and the city far below. "Just… trying to lighten the mood."

Weiss merely rolled her eyes before bringing them back down to her scroll, awaiting a response. As none came, she found herself surprisingly disappointed. With a heavy sigh, she slipped the scroll back into her pocket.

"Honestly, though… thank you, Marrow," Weiss said with a frown. "Even if this goes nowhere… I appreciate the effort. I was doing my best to put my family out of my mind entirely while there's so much else going on, with intent to resolve that situation later, but… I think I was looking for an excuse more than anything."

"He's young," Marrow reminded. "Young, under pressure, and alone. That's a dangerous combination. I'll do what I can for him… if he ever texts me back. I haven't reached out since I left, in order to give him a little space. Maybe I'll check in with him tomorrow."

"Please do," Weiss encouraged. "And… let me know how it goes. How's your own family doing…?"

Marrow let out a light laugh, his tail picking up a bit of speed.

"They're alright. Home is just as chaotic and messy as always- I'm sure you'd tear your hair out if you saw how I was used to living back down in Mantle."

"Well, if your room here is any indication…" Weiss muttered as she moved a bit closer to Marrow.

"Oh, home's worse," Marrow said with a grin. "So much worse. Cluttered, chaotic, noisy… and school's currently on a break, so everyone's at home…"

"Everyone?" Weiss asked, giving Marrow her full attention. "You have siblings, I'm guessing?"

"Uh-huh. Five of 'em," Marrow answered.

"Five?" Weiss replied, her surprise clear in her tone. "And… your parents are still around…?"

"They are," Marrow confirmed. "Like I said- absolute bedlam. My youngest sister isn't quite a teen yet. I'm the oldest of the lot, and everyone else is all over the place in between. I don't get to see all of them often, so a quick stop-in escalated to the entire evening."

"…I cannot even begin to imagine what growing up in such a situation was like," Weiss said cautiously. "Literally, given my own circumstances."

"I know, but that isn't your fault. You should come and see, sometime," Marrow offered. "I'm sure they would all love to meet a cool huntress."

"They haven't met Harriet or Elm?" Weiss inquired.

"I said a cool huntress."

Weiss snorted before she could stop herself and quickly covered her face with her hand.

"Kidding. Those two are cool, too, and yeah, they've met my family. But… Elm tends to keep everyone at a comfortable distance, and Harriet wants nothing to do with kids, or really, most people, so…"

"So I've heard," Weiss replied. "I actually spent most of the day with Clover, and he filled me in on some things."

"Yeah, I was going to circle back and ask about that," Marrow let on as he watched Weiss move in even closer to him. "What exactly h-"

Both occupants of the rooftop kept their eyes forward on the city below as Marrow's tail whipped straight across the center of Weiss' rear with an audible thump. Neither of them said a word for a moment as Marrow sucked in a tense breath, his tail falling totally limp immediately after the strike.

"Um…"

"Don't apologize," Weiss said quickly, her cheeks a bright scarlet. Slowly, she turned to look over at Marrow, who was equally red. "Please. You shouldn't feel guilty for being happy around people."

Marrow let out a nervous laugh, the tip of his tail slowly twitching as it began to work back up into a gentle wag.

"It's... yeah, that's exactly what it is. I swear that thing has a mind of its own. I don't even realize I'm doing it half the time, and with you being so close…"

"It's fine," Weiss reassured as she completely eliminated the space between them to loop her arm around his and intertwine their fingers. "I think your tail is cute. It suits you."

Another awkward pause occurred as Marrow kept his eyes upon Weiss.

"S-so, Clover," Marrow tried. "Uh…"

"You know," Weiss said as she rested her head into the side of Marrow's shoulder. "It can wait. I think we've spent enough time talking about serious things tonight, what with my family. Can we talk about it tomorrow?"

"We don't have to talk about anything in particular, if you'd rather not," Marrow replied. "Besides… look at us. We can barely stay on any one topic as it is, and when we try, it always turns into something totally off the rails. We're a mess…"

"About that," Weiss began as she gave Marrow's hand a squeeze. "I'm starting to feel like not all messes are necessarily bad. This one has been a lot of fun, so far."

"It has," Marrow agreed. "I'm still not entirely sure what we're doing…"

"Does it matter?" Weiss asked immediately. "We're surviving and enjoying ourselves in a situation where doing either can't be taken for granted any longer."

Marrow felt his tail smack against Weiss' lower back and consciously tried to reel in its trajectory to avoid hitting her again with the next wag.

"You're right. We'll talk about Clover tomorrow, if you're comfortable with it. What do you feel like doing now? It's getting late, and apparently, your first round of jobs is getting posted tomorrow…"

"To be completely honest with you… I don't think I'll be getting sleep tonight," Weiss lamented. "Between Whitley, Clover, the job postings, and just… everything, I don't see it happening. I'm exhausted, but I'm wide awake."

"I know that feeling all too well," Marrow empathized. "How about we go somewhere a little warmer? Maybe… hang out on the couch under a blanket, watch some trashy TV, and hopefully pass out eventually?"

Weiss raised a brow and looked upward at Marrow, considering the proposal.

"That sounds… not at all like something I would have even considered doing a year ago, and yet… right now, I want nothing more."

"Cool," Marrow said with a smile as he gave up on sparing Weiss from the gentle lashings of his tail. "I think I've still got some ice cream in the freezer, too."

"At one in the morning?" Weiss questioned with an accusatory tone.

"…we're getting ready to defend the biggest city in Remnant from an evil witch!" Marrow tried. "Under this much stress? We're allowed! Besides… embrace the mess."

"Embrace the mess," Weiss repeated before rolling her eyes. "At this point? Maybe I will. Come on, then. Let's go behave like children before a big, important day."

"That's the spirit!" Marrow encouraged as he turned toward the door to the staircase, keeping his hand in Weiss'. "If we run from our problems and responsibilities together, what could possibly go wrong?"

"A lot, actually," Weiss answered. "But it could also be a lot of fun…"

Author's Note:

One more chapter to go before the licensed hunter jobs begin… and those lead straight into the election.

-RD