Weiss' brain was absolutely fried as she walked at a sluggish pace down the top floor hall of Atlas Academy. After a long day of working for Robyn, she had wound up in another location entirely due to an unexpected opportunity. Though she was loathe to participate in something so exhausting after an already taxing afternoon, she knew that time was running short. It was too important to put off, no matter how much she wanted to avoid it. The worst part of the whole affair was that she was expecting an hour, or perhaps two at most. It had ended up being far longer, and bits and pieces of fragmented dialogue had wedged themselves firmly into her mind and insisted on repeating as she made her lonely journey back to Marrow's room.
"We've just… never felt like a family," she could hear herself saying as her vision blurred. It was like her words came at the speed of her thoughts, and even she didn't know what she was about to say. The only thing that Weiss knew is that it would be the truth. "It was always Winter and I against it all, and Whitley was too young to really understand. But then… she left. I grew cold to everyone after that… including him."
"I chose my own future over my siblings," Winter admitted, refusing to look at either of them. "I was selfish. I knew it at the time, but I didn't care. It hurt too much to stay, so I hurt them to heal myself."
"I think… the Schnee name, it makes me feel… disgusting," Weiss had said, feeling a very real physical wave of revulsion crawling up her skin. "Seeing everything my father has done, the way that my mother has lost herself, the looks I got throughout my time at Beacon… if I'm honest, even… Winter leaving me… it all makes me feel ashamed to carry that name."
"I just want to feel…" Whitley had started in a small voice as he kept his hands clasped between his knees. His sisters and the bespectacled woman that neither of them had ever met before gave him their full attention. He hadn't spoken for much of the session as Weiss and Winter had argued and confessed their feelings back and forth. Whitley dared to look up at the therapist for only a moment before returning his gaze to his shoes. "…I'm not ready to do this. Not… in front of them. I'm sorry…"
"I thought that by joining the Atlesian military, I could maybe change how people view our family, and it would help Weiss in the future…"
"I wanted to become a huntress. It was the only alternative path my parents would approve, so I could protect our dust shipments. I also wanted it for myself, so I could… work out the anger I have been holding in and taking out on Whitley…"
"I didn't really see the damage I was causing and leaving let me put it all out of my mind… except for the constant guilt."
"I felt like a puppet for our parents. I still do."
"I've thought about just… using it. That knife, in the display case. On them. On myself. Maybe both. I came close. I felt like it wouldn't matter who I went after. Something needed to change."
"Neither of you understand how lonely it was. Everywhere I went, they would look at me, and see the two of you…"
"I was so tired of feeling like I had to be a stand-in parent because neither of ours were qualified for the job."
"When you spoke to me, I could hear Mother's cold, standoffish attitude seeping into you. It scared me. I hated you for it."
"I thought the faunus were disgusting. It was so beaten into us, I just… even now, knowing a few that are alright, I still feel… it's like I can't get the thought out of my head that they're inherently dirty, even though I don't really believe it anymore…"
It had all become a blur. Weiss was no longer sure what she had said, or what had come from Winter or Whitley. Her head was throbbing. Her makeup was smudged. Her hair was coming loose from the several times when she had dug her nails into her scalp, and her throat was raw. Hours had passed, and Weiss was at her most mentally and physically drained. She lingered for a moment outside of Marrow's door to catch her breath only to hear a familiar, muffled voice coming from inside.
"I know it's not ideal, and I hate not being able to come around. You know I still love you. I'll… find a way to make this work. We'll sneak around, if we have to."
Weiss swiped her I.D. and strode into the penthouse, ready to be furious and keep her adrenaline and heartbreak going. There on the couch was Marrow, leaning forward and speaking to a hologram projected from a tablet. Weiss stopped in her tracks at the sight and took a moment to look over the two figures floating in the air, who immediately regarded her with an equal amount of suspicion.
On the left side of the projection was a dark-skinned male, his hair slicked back and his jaw was chiseled. His chin was partially obscured by a goatee, and his cheeks were pocked with faint age spots. Despite his rough features, his eyes were a kind and thoughtful deep blue, mirroring Marrow's own. To the man's left was a slightly shorter woman with skin a shade lighter and medium-length, straight dark hair that framed her face. She appeared younger than the man by perhaps five or six years, and the general structure of her face was a softer, closer approximation of Marrow's. The woman was the first to speak as she raised a holographic brow, and her voice came through the line full of disbelief.
"Is that… Weiss Schnee…?"
Marrow turned to look over his shoulder, and for a moment, Weiss wasn't sure which one of them had less color in their cheeks. Upon seeing the state of her, Marrow's expression sank into a worried frown and he rose off the couch without a second thought. It didn't take Weiss long to realize just who and what she had walked in on, and looking like such a mess did nothing to assuage her embarrassment. Without any idea what to do, she, simply froze in place as the gruff looking man spoke in a low rumble.
"Son, what's going on?"
"I… listen, I've gotta go," Marrow announced as he turned back to the hologram, looking almost sick. "I'll explain later, but this is important. I'm really sorry, I know we haven't had a chance to talk recently, but I have t-."
"Wait," Weiss said in a voice that came out almost more like a croak than a word. "Marrow, let's just… today has been awful. It can't really get much worse, and I shouldn't have just walked in on you without a warning at this hour. Let's… take care of this now. Fill them in."
"…are you sure?" Marrow asked as he turned back to her, seemingly terrified. "Weiss…"
"I'm sure," Weiss declared with a confidence that she hadn't known she was feeling. "I… want this, as long as you do."
Marrow didn't hesitate to offer his hand to Weiss, and she promptly took it to let him guide her to the couch.
"…yeah. I don't mind, I just… panicked. Mom? Dad? This is Weiss," Marrow began with a nervous smile as he rubbed at her knuckles. "We're… well, we're dating."
Weiss was caught off guard and somewhat flustered by the gruff man's smirk when Marrow leaned over and kissed her cheek. She made a halfhearted effort to smooth out her hair as she leaned into Marrow's side, blushing furiously and unsure of what exactly to say.
"We are indeed. Weiss Schnee, though… you know, already. It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Amin, even if it isn't in person. Hopefully sometime soon, after this election scandal blows over?"
"That would be wonderful," the woman replied, her smile genuine. "Marrow has already filled us in on the truth behind the situation. Call me Medulla. This is my husband, Akash. We had no idea that when Marrow told us he was seeing someone, he meant… you."
The statement was made without any hostility, and Weiss was pleasantly surprised to hear a hint of amusement in the woman's voice.
"To be honest, I don't think either of us saw this coming," Marrow admitted as he gave Weiss a gentle squeeze. "But… we're happy. I'm happier than I've been in a long time."
"And that is what matters most," Akash replied with a nod. "Though we may not necessarily understand your dynamic or how you got together… in truth, it doesn't matter. If you make Marrow happy, then as far as I'm concerned, you're an honorary member of our family."
"That's… I-I don't deserve that," Weiss replied with a nervous laugh. "But thank you, all the same. I'm… sorry that I look like an absolute mess…"
"You have nothing to apologize for, dear," Medulla reassured. "You were caught off-guard, and we all have our rough days…"
"I have… everything to apologize for," Weiss said before she could stop herself. "I'm so sorry for everything my family has done here, and how it may have impacted y-"
"Weiss," Akash interrupted, stopping her mid-sentence as he raised a hand. "You are not your family. You can choose to be whoever you want to be, and we will judge you on that alone. Right now, you're choosing to be with Marrow. That tells us all we need to know, until we have an opportunity to actually meet."
"…I'm so sorry, but I have to go," Weiss announced as she stood up from the couch and wiped at her eyes. "I can't do this right now. You've both been lovely… I'm sorry."
"Go," Medulla insisted to Marrow as Weiss walked off toward the bathroom. "We'll call you again soon. She needs you."
"Of course," Marrow agreed. "And… thank you. Both of you."
Marrow reached out and shut off the tablet before hurrying after Weiss. The sink was already running, and he could hear the telltale signs of a breakdown even outside of the bathroom door. Marrow stepped through silently and watched as Weiss brought a damp cloth to her face, wiping away both tears and makeup only to leave her face red and raw.
"…we don't have to talk about it tonight," Marrow said softly as he approached. "It can wait until tomorrow… but let me be here for you now, even if you don't say anything at all."
"I need you here for me," Weiss croaked as she wiped away her running mascara. "It was awful, Marrow… but your parents seem like lovely people, at least. I cannot believe they were so accepting right away…"
"I knew they would be," Marrow reassured as he rested his hands upon Weiss' shoulders. "I just didn't bring them up because I didn't want to put any more pressure on you. I'm sorry you had to meet them under these circumstances…"
"It might be for the best," Weiss considered as she leaned back into Marrow's chest. "Now, they've already seen me at my lowest. As soon as the election is over, I want to go down there and meet them, as well as your siblings."
"Yeah, that would be fun," Marrow agreed as he wrapped his arms around Weiss' waist. "I'm sure they'd also love you, especially the little ones. We've g-"
A sudden vibration upon Marrow's belt interrupted him, buzzing harshly against his side and Weiss' back. She looked up at him with an uneasy expression, and he pulled his scroll out to answer the call.
"…Clover…?"
"Amin, get to Ironwood's office now," Clover ordered. Marrow could hear how tense the man was over the line, and Clover's tone caused him to snap out of his soft and comforting stance immediately. "There's been an emergency that needs taking care of immediately. We need as many people as we can get as quickly as possible. Sun left us a dead drop and additional intel. Mantle has been compromised."
"I'll be right there," Marrow said without hesitation as he hung up the scroll. His eyes met with Weiss' in the mirror, and he looked away almost immediately. "Fuck. Weiss, I have to g-"
"Take me with you," Weiss said forcefully. "I heard him. You need as many people as you can get. I'm going."
"Weiss, you're in no condition t-"
"I'm going," Weiss asserted, her tone carrying a weighty finality as she made one final wipe of her face. "I'm not going to be able to sleep anyway, especially without you. Let's move."
Marrow looked down to find Weiss staring up at him with a face full of determination. He leaned forward and planted a quick kiss upon her lips before releasing his grip around her waist and heading for the bathroom door.
"…right. Let's move."
Author's Note:
Now that the enfuckening of Atlas is well under way, next week, it's time for the real enfuckening to begin in Vale. I don't think anyone's completely ready for what's about to go down with Ruby's crew… characters or readers.
-RD