White - Loneliness
lone·li·ness
/ˈlōnlēnəs/
noun
1. sadness because one has no friends or company.
"I always feel lonely when Winter's away…"
2.(of a place) the quality of being unfrequented and remote; isolation.
"Even if we're all together, the manor still feels empty…"
What makes a family?
Is it the blood you share with your kin?
Or is it the bonds you make with them?
The clock ticked away as the sun began to set, echoing through the cold, quiet room. Weiss signed and slumped back in her chair. She'd been sitting at her desk for hours now. How much homework did one tutor need to give? It didn't matter now; all of it was done and she wouldn't have to deal with any more until next week.
Her scroll buzzed and she jumped up, running to her nightstand and checking her notifications. A text from Winter! She quickly opened her messages.
Winter Schnee
Tell Mother and Father I won't be home when the semester ends. General Ironwood offered private training to me and several classmates. We'll be spending all of our time training with his military personnel. I'm sorry I'll miss your birthday again.
Weiss' smile faded as she read her sister's message. Winter would be missing her birthday… again… She sat on her bed as she typed out her reply, fighting the urge to cry as she did so.
Winter Schnee
- Okay. When will we see you again?
Probably during the break between 2nd and 3rd year.
- So… a whole year?
About. I'll let you know if things change. Oh, and I'll have you and Whitley's birthday presents sent to you sometime this week. Can you ask Mother if there's anything she's been wanting? I'm not sure what to get her.
- Sure. Nothing for Father?
No.
- Alright. Are you going to get Klein something?
What would he want?
- I'll ask him.
She set her scroll down and left her bedroom, first heading to her mother's study. Ever since her 10th birthday last year, her mother had started drinking and staying in her study. Winter had taken their mother's place for her and Whitley when she could, but she was at Atlas Academy now. Klein took care of them most of the time, but he still had other duties to attend to.
As she drew closer to her mother's study, she could hear both of her parents' voices coming from inside. It wasn't often that they were in the same room together, much less speaking to each other. Curious, she tiptoed to the door and pressed her ear to it listening to what they were saying.
"We are not bringing that monster into our home!" Jacques shouted, getting more irritated by the second.
Willow sighed, rubbing her temple, "She's just a child, Jacques! Investigators ruled her parents' deaths an accident and if we don't take her she'll be placed in foster care."
Her husband gritted his teeth, "So?! She isn't our problem! You contacted Vale authorities on a whim and now I have to deal with the backlash of taking in a delinquent!"
"You won't have to do anything. I'll be the one to deal with the adoption process. The only thing you will ever have to do is be aware that she's here. Trivia will be a Schnee from now on whether you like it or not."
Willow glared as Jacques stormed towards the door. He never spent time around his own children, so why did he care so much about her adopting one?
Weiss backed away from the door and quickly hid around the corner as her father stormed out of the study, heading towards his own office. She peeked out to make sure he was gone before cautiously walking into the study, "Mother…?"
Startled, Willow whipped around to look at her daughter, "Oh, Weiss… did you need something, sweetie?"
The girl glanced at the almost-empty bottle on her mother's desk, frowning slightly. She looked at Willow, fidgeting with the ribbon on her shirt, "Winter wants to know if there's anything you want for your birthday. She said she won't be home until the break between her second and third year…"
Willow sighed, "I'll… tell her myself…"
"... who's Trivia…?"
The woman looked at her daughter in mild surprise, "Ah, you heard that…" She knelt down to be eye level with Weiss, "Trivia will be your new big sister. She's only a year younger than Winter but won't be joining her at Atlas Academy until Winter's third year. When she moves in… treat her like family, alright?"
Weiss was confused but nodded regardless. So she'd be getting another sister that her father described as a "delinquent." Interesting…
As Weiss walked back to her room, questions she couldn't answer passed through her mind. Who exactly was Trivia? Why were they adopting her? Why was her father so upset about it? Her mother obviously had good intentions and it wasn't uncommon for her father to be rash.
She closed the door and picked up her scroll. Maybe Winter would know more about this Trivia girl?
Winter Schnee
- Mother said she'd talk to you and Klein only wants a toolkit to maintain his pocket watch. Do they really make toolkits for that?
They do. I'll make note of it and look for one next time I'm out.
- Okay. Winter, do you know who Trivia is? Mother said she'd be our new sister and Father didn't seem very happy about it.
Trivia? No, I don't. Do you know her last name?
- No. But I heard Father mention Vale authorities.
I'll see what I can find.
Weiss sighed and laid on her bed, legs dangling over the side. It was about time for her to go to bed but she didn't feel tired. There was too much on her mind for her to rest. Winter wouldn't be coming home and they'd be getting a new sister. She wasn't even sure if their mother had told Whitley yet. She doubted he would take it well. He was, unfortunately, a lot like their father.
She stared at the clock as she thought about what to do. All she could do was wait for Winter to get back to her about info on Trivia. It didn't take too long though, as her scroll buzzed with another message.
Winter Schnee
I found a news article about an incident that happened in Vale a few weeks ago. The Vanille family estate went up in flames and the only survivor was Trivia.
Winter sent the article link and Weiss took a look for herself. Like Winter had said, the Vanille family estate had caught fire with all three residents as well as a few staff members inside. Trivia Vanille had been found as the only survivor and was placed under temporary care of the Vale authorities. The article stated that after an investigation, the fire was deemed an accident caused by a servant disregarding kitchen fire safety.
It didn't mention anything else about Trivia as a person, just that she would be placed into foster care once the case was fully closed. So… was that why their mother wanted to adopt her? Weiss was even more confused now. Why was their mother adopting this girl when she had nothing to do with them?
She decided not to think about it much more and just got ready for bed. Her mother hadn't said when Trivia would be arriving, but it likely wouldn't be too long before the girl moved in. Sleep soon took over and she crawled into bed, curling under the blankets.
It took only a week for Trivia to move into the room down the hall from Weiss'. And yet, in the entire time she'd been there, Weiss had only seen her once. Was she hiding?
Weiss spent a good portion of the day searching for her new sister, looking everywhere she could think of and calling out her name. She plopped down at the dining table around lunchtime and sighed, having been unsuccessful in her efforts. That was until the end of a pink parasol poked her in the side of the head, startling her. She jumped up and looked at Trivia.
The other girl smiled at her, waving and gesturing to another girl beside her. Weiss looked between the two, tilting her head in confusion, "Who's this?"
Trivia pulled out a marker and scribbled on the table, much to Weiss' alarm. The white-haired girl looked at what was written. So this other girl was Neo… how'd she get into the manor?
"Okay… nice to meet you, Neo. But… how did you get into the manor?" She watched as the two looked at each other before Trivia gestured for her to follow them. Something didn't seem right, but she followed the pair.
Neo skipped ahead of them, almost knocking a vase over as she cartwheeled at the end of the hall. Weiss' heart jumped as it wobbled but thankfully didn't fall. They'd wandered close to their father's office; if he caught them messing around, they'd all get in trouble. He already didn't like Trivia and Neo being here wouldn't make it any better. Neither girl was willing to speak- if they could speak, that is- and not answering him might make a blood vessel pop.
The half-pink-haired girl gestured for them to be quiet and tiptoed past the office and into the hall leading to the main staircase, Trivia and Weiss in tow. Thankfully, Jacques didn't hear anything.
"What are we doing?" Weiss asked in a whisper. Of course, she didn't get an answer. Instead, Neo and Trivia skipped up to the family portrait on the wall and pointed to it, looking at the younger girl as if asking "what's this?"
"That's our family portrait," she looked up at the painting, "that's Father, Mother, me, Winter, and Whitley. Mother might have another one made with you in it."
Trivia looked at the painting for a moment before blowing a raspberry in her "father's" direction. Neo silently giggled and tilted her head, tapping her chin. She was planning something and whatever it was would likely get them in trouble. Weiss watched the pair for a moment before turning her head at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She relaxed when she saw it was just Whitley.
The boy looked at his sisters, then the portrait, then back at them, "What are you doing? And who's that?" He pointed at Neo in confusion.
"Uhm… I'm not sure what we're doing. But that's Neo. You've already met Trivia, right?" Weiss scratched her neck, unsure of what was going to happen.
He nodded, "Mother introduced us."
While Weiss had her back turned, Trivia had managed to move and climb up onto a small table, standing right in front of Jacques' section of the portrait. She took the marker and not only scribbled over his face, but also jammed it into the canvas, ripping a decent sized hole in it. Weiss and Whitley looked up at her in both shock and alarm. Destroying the family portrait was bad enough; should their father find out Trivia was the one who did it and they didn't stop her, they'd be grounded for who knows how long. Not like being grounded was much different from a normal day.
"Trivia! What are you doing?!" Weiss grabbed her sister's skirt, not being tall enough to grab her hand, "We're going to get in trouble! Father will be really angry about this!"
The older girl shrugged it off and pointed to Neo, who innocently smiled and waved. Was she suggesting that they… use Neo as a scapegoat? But how would that help them? Father would just say that she wasn't allowed back then punish them for letting her in in the first place.
Whitley tugged on Weiss' sleeve and pointed down the hall the trio had come from, loud footsteps getting closer. Shit. Their father had left his office and was heading towards them.
Trivia hopped down from the small table and grabbed her siblings' hands, pulling them along as she and Neo ran down the hall. As they hid around the corner, they could hear their father's angered shouting upon seeing the destroyed portrait. Whitley clung to Weiss' arm as Trivia and Neo peeked around the corner, jerking back before Jacques could notice them. Trivia pulled a crayon out of her pocket and started scribbling on the wall, writing all sorts of insults and profanities directed towards Jacques. Weiss covered Whitley's eyes- not that it stopped him from peeking over her hands. That was some… very strong language.
They didn't have time to think about Trivia's knowledge of swear words as she grabbed them and started running again. She dragged them into the kitchen- far away from where they just were- and weaved around all the staff crowded in there. Many of them gave the group odd looks but ultimately never questioned them. Whitley looked around curiously as they made their way through; he'd never been inside the kitchen before, having only ever been able to peek inside when staff went in.
Out the kitchen, through the hallways, and all the way to their mother's study. Trivia knocked on the door and waited a moment before going in. Willow looked up from her book, smiling upon seeing the three children, "I see you three are getting along. How are you liking it here, Trivia?"
Trivia nodded and Weiss walked up to her mother, "Trivia colored on the walls and destroyed Father's part of the family portrait." Whitley nodded to confirm Weiss' statement.
Willow took a moment to process what her daughter had just told her, after which she laughed softly. Weiss and Whitley looked at each other in confusion while Trivia looked smug and proud of herself. The group could hear Jacques' enraged shouting getting closer; he was likely aware that it was Trivia who destroyed the painting and colored on the wall. Willow motioned for the three of them to sit down around the room, handing another book to Weiss and a couple pieces of blank paper to Trivia and Whitley.
When Jacques opened the door, he saw Willow and Weiss reading their respective books on the sofa while Trivia and Whitley were coloring at the desk. He looked at his wife, "She has been here a singular week and has already caused more trouble than she's worth!"
Willow looked up from her book again, "What are you yelling about now, Jacques? Trivia's been here all day."
"Not only did she cause a racket, but she ruined several of my paintings!" His face progressively got redder, making him resemble a tomato.
Trivia gave him a look of confusion, feigning ignorance. He stormed up to the desk, looking down at the two, "Whitley! Tell me whether or not this brat was the one to defile my portraits!"
The boy looked up at his father, hands subtly shaking. Trivia put her hand on his back, glaring up at the man. Weiss bit her lower lip, worried that Whitley would cave and tell their father what happened. Even if he never adopted Trivia as his own child, she was still living in the manor with him.
Whitley hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, "No, Father. It… it was Neo."
"Neo? And who exactly is this 'Neo'?"
Trivia pointed behind the man and at the door. When he turned to look, Neo waved at him before sticking her tongue out at him. Of course, that only made him angrier. She ran off as he began chasing her, yelling all sorts of profanities that would get him into a scandal if the press were to catch wind. As soon as he was out of earshot, Neo popped up next to Trivia and started making gestures to mock him. The room erupted into laughter as her mocking became more and more ridiculous, making it seem like the man was a complete fool. In her eyes, he was.
The years seemed to move along quicker with Trivia around. To Weiss it was like she blinked and suddenly Winter was home and spending time with her family- minus their father, of course. It was during that time that Trivia had realized Neo wasn't her imaginary friend; Neo was her. They were one and the same. About a month before she and Weiss were to leave for Atlas Academy with Winter, she communicated her realization to them. They helped her tell Whitley and their mother but didn't bother to tell their father. From then on she would go by a new name; Neopolitan Schnee, often addressed as Neo. Now it would be Neo conjuring Trivia with her Semblance simply to fuck with Jacques and make him lose his mind even more.
Winter helped Neo catch up on Atlas Academy's curriculum while Weiss attended its combat school classes. Soon, the older two had graduated with their huntsmen licenses while Weiss finished up her combat school classes. Upon returning home, Weiss expressed that she wished to attend Beacon Academy, which her mother was very supportive of. Her father, on the other hand, was less than pleased with her decision. Unfortunately for him, it was five against one and Weiss had already written up her application.
A/N
Editing text copy pasted from Google Docs. It is pain in my asshole. It does not paste the formatting.
