Been a bit huh? I Got into dnd and have been exclusively playing that for about a year lmao anyway enjoy
Hunter had been quiet today. It unnerved him to a great degree. It's almost bearable if he knows what his other half is feeling and thinking- he almost had grown used to it. Without him there it was...paranoia. The restlessness of waiting for something to happen but not knowing when it's going to happen exactly.
"Have you made your mind up?"
Analytical eyes left the page full of obscenities and colorful descriptions of ones private parts and turned to the man who asked such a question. Ironwood.
In truth the Schnee wasn't sure. He had thought about it. It makes sense to talk to Winter, other than their mother she is the one who knows the most about the family semblance- and if there's a way to reverse this she would have the best idea.
On the other hand...
He remembers a time he saw Winter training from the window in his room. Weiss was there as well, in the courtyard watching their sister train. He was a rather...sassy child. He knew what he could use his name for and he loved it, he loved attention and loved knowing he was destined for greater things. As such he thought training was a waste of time, yet constantly being ignored by Winter left him feeling...unwanted. Perhaps due to his own behavior and mimicking their fathers views towards fighting for the sake of others. He can now reflect and see how that would put her off- but as a child only wanting someone's affection at the time...
Well, she was in a difficult position too.
He can keep his emotions in check- he's a Schnee after all. Despite all that's happened.
Slowly, he nodded his head.
"I have. I am ready to see her."
Ironwood seemed about as sure at that decision as he was, which was not at all. He let out a surprised cough.
"Are you certain? I know your relationship isn't-"
"General." He cut the man off. "She knows the most about the family semblance, other than my mother. And I doubt you can convince her to put down the bottle long enough to consider coming here."
He did twinge a little at the coldness of his own words- he did care about their mother...even if she was infuriatingly broken.
"Willow...is complicated." Something seemed...off about that. The Schnee caught a sense of underlying guilt in that tone, but the general was never involved with his mother directly- right? "I'll bring Winter in within the hour. For that matter, I should inform you your other sister has returned to beacon. But she insisted on giving me her contact information so she can call you via a scroll. I of course will have to be present and you will have to return the scroll once the call is finished."
That...did make him feel better. Weiss was also a complicated matter, but...she came back for him. There was still some bitterness there, but it was overshadowed by a deep feeling welling up inside his chest. A warm one. Acknowledgement. Attention. Care.
He...actually looked forward to seeing Weiss. He still needed to apologize to her and her team.
"What, if anything, can I tell them?"
"Officially, Weiss is to have no knowledge of our experiments with your semblance nor can she know what it is. Unofficially...there may be a few moments I may be required to leave the room during the call. Whatever is said in those moments, I would have no knowledge of."
...Suspicious. Where one might be thankful for the humanity- and he was- he had no reason to believe the cold general Ironwood would value that above his nation and duty. He did not verbalize this, he kept that thought in the back of his mind.
...The back of his mind...where he repressed things. That was Hunter, wasn't it?
"Understood, General."
It was uncomfortable. This cold stagnant air of two people who want to reach out and say more but...can't for one reason or another. With a nod, the general left Whitley to his own devices.
He supposed he could read in the mean time. It took him a while to become adjusted to this...type of literature. In the Schnee manor any type of depravity was kept under lock and key, especially if it featured a Faunus. He had to say, despite what his father said about them- he never really brought it. From a personal sense they never slighted him, although the white fang are an issue, more so it made no sense from a business perspective. It was un-needed costly hate. PR can't be brought, not easily anyhow.
...In fact, that one Faunus girl from so long ago at that party...one of the staff had apparently snuck their daughter into the manor for the party. They were fired of course. He just wanted to show that girl around the manor and boast about his piano playing, that was all. They aren't beasts, like Weiss and Father think so. Such ideas were below someone of his intelligence.
Not that he could ever say such out loud. Always repressing things to the back of his head...that was his life as the cowardly Whitley Schnee.
"Whitley."
"Winter."
Neither of them looked eachother in the eyes.
Winter at least looked towards the others direction, Whitley however did not look up from his book. Something that, when noticing the cover, made Winter cough.
"I...did not realize you were into such literature."
"I nearly die and this is the first thing you say to me?" Ouch... "That quack doctor gave it to me, I did not ask for a specific genre."
Winter made no obvious signs that it affected her, but a almost undetectable click of her tongue gave him the sense of superiority in this conversation. Perhaps bringing up your own potential death is a low blow, but when were they above such things?
"I'm not going to act like I've been a particularly doting sibling, but it is human to worry after someone nearly dies. That includes you Whitley."
"...It's my semblance. I'm sure you know. I consumed a grimm. I wanted to know if you know a way to reverse this."
"...No." She almost sighed, her eyes straining to meet his. Guilt, shame even. "I've never been able to un-summon a grimm. Neither has Mother. Nothing like your semblance has been recorded in history. I doubt it can be considered the Schnee semblance anymore"
You aren't part of the family anymore.
That is how he heard it. He gritted his teeth, but bit back the urge to yell out.
"Wonderful." He replied sarcastically. "That will be all"
"...That's all you wished to talk about?"
"Well I suppose there was one thing. Tell Weiss I am fine. I'm sure the general already told her, but I think she'll appreciate hearing word from you." That was uncharacteristic, and Winter caught that.
"Since when did you care about Weiss?"
Now it was his turn to click his tongue. Yes, he taunted her. He taunted Weiss a lot. He belittled some of her choices as a child but as he grew up there was care. He always cared about Weiss because unlike Winter she responded to him- she attempted some level of care. More than that...
"She came back for me. You didn't." He responded in a cold flat manor, icy blue eyes meeting shocked ones.
"That...you never made it seem like you wanted help."
"If you're done making excuses about your failure as a sibling, I'd like to be alone."
She opened her mouth with furrowed eyebrows and venom ready to spew from her tongue- but she bit it back. Just like Whitley did. Just like Father taught him, and how Atlas academy taught her. She swallowed her frustration and turned around.
She did turn her head at the door for a moment. A brief moment...
Whatever was going on in her head during that moment, the boy in the cage did not know. Nor did he wish to. She had her chance, too many of them.
...At least that's what he tells himself to fight back the tears.
Ironwood made good on his promise. A scroll.
Whitley briefly thought back to his broken body looking for a scroll on the ground of a crashed airship when he felt that hunger...
He shook his head out of this stupor and looked to the General. He extended the scroll through the only gap- and Whitley happily took it. Part of him wished he had access to the internet on the regular- but the security risk was clear there.
A single contact was on it, and he pressed the call button. Thankfully Atlas academy had something similar to its own radio tower, making this possible.
Brrrring! ...Brrrrring! ...Brrrring! ...Brrri- Click!
"Whitley!" It was Weiss, but she wasn't alone. Weiss was in what seemed to be a dorm room with three other people in the background. The blonde who tanked one of his claws was in the distance talking with the black haired one. The remaining member of team RWBY...was currently staring at Whitley from directly behind Weiss having climbed up the side of the bunk bed.
He didn't really get a good look at her before, she had a slight red tint to part of her stark black hair and great big Silver eyes.
Silver eyes...
His arm tightened, why?
"Weiss. It's good to see you."
Despite how much he wanted to keep up that cold exterior, the memories of her sticking by him as he was running out of breath awaiting capture by Atlas made that ice melt rather rapidly.
Her eyes scanned over him worriedly, breathing a sigh of relief.
"You actually look much better than I thought you would. Good. Winter told me they've been trying to get you to a healthy weight and trying to understand your semblance more."
"Yes, that they have. They seem to think it's a mutation from the Family semblance."
He was about to explain more, but it seems Ruby managed to climb her way onto the bed properly and spoke up behind Weiss.
"Hey, it's the Grimm boy!"
"RUBY!"
A brief scene of the rest of Weiss team catching onto their call happened, namely with Weiss and Ruby getting into a squabble and the scroll falling off the bed- only to be caught by the blonde.
"Whoa, it is! You hit me pretty hard there Grimm boy! Whitley right? Names Yang, rhymes with Bang!" She made a fist to the screen before making a child like explosion noise as she released the fist into an open hand.
Despite his best efforts, he actually giggled.
"Whoa- wait a minute. You're strong AND you like puns? Weiss where were you keeping him?!"
She meant it as a joke, and he took it as such. It was a little alarming how brazen they all were about this- but he supposed it would be better for his sister to be in an environment that wouldn't let her wallow. Gods know she did that in her room at home enough.
"Yes, I uhm...apologize about that. My semblance was in control- I didn't want to hurt anyone. I'm not all that strong either, I've never even been combat trained. Until the day I survived that crash landing, I never really saw the need for it."
Almost instinctively he tried to avert his eyes from the low cut top, focusing more on those lilac eyes. She was attractive for sure, but not quite his type. And admitting to a huntress you never thought fighting important seemed like a poor idea- but it was the truth. He had no energy to lie.
"GET OFF ME YOU DOLT!"
He heard his sister reply in the background
"SIS HELP ME! SHE'S GOT MY ANKLE!" The leader also shouted out, the blonde leaving the scroll on the bottom bed with the sound appearing on top. A few more scuffing sounds echoed before the next person picked up the scroll. He almost felt bad for Weiss but...
They cared about her. This is what a home is supposed to look like. Alive. Not...empty.
Those Silver eyes looked at him again, and he clutched his arm- why? Why did he feel pain when she looked at him? Out the corner of his eye, he saw Ironwood mentally note this down through a particularly interested look.
"Heya! I'm Ruby, Weiss's partner!"
He blinked. Oh- so Weiss was...? Well it's not like he doesn't understand that, he himself was fairly certain he was bisexual- or at the very least there were men that interested him.
"Oh, I was not aware Weiss...well good for her. Despite our father's reputation I hold no such disregard for-"
"NOT LIKE THAT!" His sister once again came into the frame by pushing her non romantic partner out of the frame. "And even if I did swing that way I would most certainly go for someone more mature!"
This comedic scene would usually make him groan of scoff, but after everything he had been through...he laughed. He let out a honest to god chuckle.
Weiss stared as if she had seen a ghost, but seemed to quickly accept this rather than question her brother. She saw first hand the state he was in after all.
"Now that was actually have a moment to talk-" She side eyed Ruby who had come back into frame "What can you tell us about your semblance? It seemed particularly powerful if it let you keep up with huntresses in training"
"Yeah- you looked like some sort of...super cool grimm hybrid!"
"...Cool...?"
He...was cool? He nearly killed them and they think he's cool? That was lunacy- idiotic! ...Yet the boy couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself. For all the trouble it caused him, this WAS his semblance. He couldn't help but have a shy smile on his lips.
"Can we Please concentrate on the important things?"
"Right- yes." It was not like him to forget himself because a girl with piercing eyes complimented him. He should be used to that. He looked to see if Ironwood was watching- but true to his word he seemed to step out the room for a brief moment. "They seem to think it was born from...my repressed feelings. Anger, frustration, resentment- all the things I wished I could say to people but bite my tongue from. ...What I wish I could say to father."
"What? But Whitley you always-"
"Looked up to him? I suppose I'm a better actor than I gave myself credit for. But as you said, may we focus on the important things?"
A desperate attempt to avoid a difficult conversation, but she seemed to accept it- or rather did not wish to fight back.
"They seem to think my semblance IS my subconscious made manifest, as in...it has a mind of its own. That is what attacked you all. Not me. It kept me alive while I was...out there."
The thought of fresh meat filled his mind, the irony taste of blood dripping onto his tongue from the gaping wound of a-
"It's alive?"
Focus, Schnee!
"In a loose sense. When I fall asleep it takes over my body. The specialists want to try and help me train my semblance. They also seem interested in my skin. My semblance doesn't just make me look like a grimm, it...changed my body structure to mimic a grimm. Unlike them I am still very much physical, and as such my skin can be used to replicate this effect."
Her eyes widened in shock as she realized the implications.
"You...don't think they would keep you for that. Do you?"
"I...can't say for sure." Honestly, he couldn't. He had no doubt Ironwood was committed to Atlas above all- but the humanity he had shown...was it to lull him into a false sense of security to be reliant on Atlas so he wouldn't leave even if he had the choice? Was he being tricked into being loyal?
"Well we can always kidnap you to Beacon!" Ruby joined in, which immediately threw him out of that headspace.
"I- Sorry? Kidnap me?"
"Ignore her, she goes away if you don't feed her attention." Weiss Quipped
He heard footsteps approaching and realized his time was running short.
"I have to go, Weiss. I'll try and keep in contact as best I can. And...I didn't get a chance to say this before so..." He did want to say this. Not at all. He swallowed what pride remained. "...Thank you."
Before she had a chance to respond he closed the call, as Ironwood stepped back in.
"Are you done Whitley?"
He asked Simply, and he nodded- handing the scroll over through the gap.
"Yes, may I know when I can next contact her?"
"We're still debating on that. I can say, the more progress you show in your semblance training the more willing we would be to making you more comfortable. Speaking of- how has that been"
Whitley did as he was told, stretching his Aura as far as he could into the palm of his hand- a bright white glow.
"I've been pulling it into separate parts of my body before I sleep as per the professor's instructions. Hunter has been relatively quiet today, but I can't say if that's progress or not."
"In any case, we will keep up the exercises and your sessions. I have a meeting to run off to now. Good night, Whitley."
He saw a human smile from the general. One that, if he were a bit more naive or less scared he might believe.
"...Well there you are nerd~!"
Whitley didn't know where he was at first. The boy looked around to see only darkness- and a pale figure with a black arm and bony protrusions from his sides and shoulder blades. The black marks seemed to retreat a little on him, but similarly they seemed to grow on his own body. Perhaps that was to show Hunter was growing more human- or himself more in tune with what was once his inhibitions.
"Hunter. Why were you quiet today...?"
"Because if I saw our bitch of a sister I wouldn't be able to hold back!"
He didn't even try and argue that one. Whitley sat down and crossed his legs, giving the other a puzzling look.
"So you'll be back tomorrow?"
"Yep, betcha missed me~!" Crimson eyes widened as Whitley did not deny it, the other grew closer and bony claws hovered by icy blue eyes.
"Oh- you actually did! Aint that fuckin adorable!"
"It was too quiet. That's all." He didn't flinch at the claws, if he's learned anything it's that Hunter doesn't want to hurt him. Hunter wants him to be stronger.
"Well I guess I could come around a bit more. By the way- that girl was cute huh~?"
"...Pardon?"
"What was her name? Rooby? Her eyes sting, but her smile is cute!"
"I...suppose I can't deny that. If you behave, perhaps we can talk with her more."
"Well now you're talking! Tell ya what, if you let me take over next time we get to talk to Rooby alone- I'll behave for these little experiments. Oh but do tell them I want human meat, boar is so boring!"
Somehow, he doubted either of those things would happen.
The next time he managed to make a call, he didn't expect Ruby to answer the scroll. Much less did he expect her to be alone. He made a deal, so...
"Oh- Weiss is planning for a dance right and left her scroll at the dorm. Sorry."
The voice on the other end was not who she was expecting. It was Whitley yes- but more...unhinged? Psychotic?
"Hiya Rooby~! I'm Hunter, Whitley's semblance! Nice to fuckin Meetcha!"