walk your own path.

Weiss.

The leader. She applies to Atlas Academy, while Winter goes to any of the other three schools. Like canon, she starts off her first semester as the snobby princess everyone expects her to be. This doesn’t last particularly long as she’s often swept up in rumors about her acceptance. All of which are false, though she struggles to convince others of this. After the fall, she and her team are welcomed into Ironwood’s inner circle and she’s chosen to become the next Winter Maiden. Her inexperience with the world beyond Atlas, despite small glimpses during the Vytal Festival, leaves her conflicted. She doesn’t know whether Ironwood’s plan is right or wrong. Her allusion is 90% Rapunzel, 10% Snow White.

send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it. – Accepting!!

Like canon, Weiss attempts to run from the manor. However, she ends up caught and therefore is on perpetual house arrest.

She never learns of the maidens, Oscar/Ozpin/Ozma, or Salem, because she never joins the rest of Team RBYJNRO. She doesn’t actually know what’s going on in the world, except whatever “information” Jacques deems worthy to inform her of. She also never gains the Queen Lancer as a summon. Nor does she get the v7 look update (until later?)

On the other hand, she may or may not have the chance to grow closer to Whitley if they can find moments to talk.

Weiss still retains the ability to summon, and practices when she can. While she may not have official combat training, she focuses more time on her summons. Her control over them is a bit more refined than in canon.

Though Jacques maintains control by crushing her want to escape whenever he can, he cannot and will not succeed at destroying her belief in RBY. She constantly thinks of them, wondering where they are and how they are. Unaware they’re basically in her backyard (in v7).

Weiss is forced into an internship in SDC as a show of “good faith,” “loyalty,” and that though she’s a “failure of a huntress, the Schnee family looks out for each other.” She doesn’t particular enjoy it as she does menial tasks without pay, but it’s the only chance she gets to leave the manor grounds. The supervision at the manor and on the job is tough, impossible to avoid. A reminder that she will never be free.

She has the most time to herself alone at night. Nights are sometimes sleepless no matter how hard she tries. Or nights are spent dreaming of the days of Beacon before the fall.

Considering how quickly things seem to be going downhill, the last she could probably be rescued in by the dinner party.

send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it. – Accepting!!

She’s quite a bit more serious, than snobby like her first semester of Beacon. She’s appointed the leader of Teame WHTE (White.) Consisting of one other girl, and two boys. Their relationship isn’t terrible, but they’re not particularly close until after the fall of Beacon.

Many rumors circulate about her admittance to Atlas and her leadership, claiming that her father bought her way in. She pushes herself even harder to prove that she can be a huntress.

Her high grades and talent make her a solid candidate for the military, upon graduation. Seeing as Atlas Academy still stands, she’s in her third year of schooling as of v7.

Sometimes she’s excused from school, for concerts and other family gatherings. She hates being used by her father.

Because there’s no volume 4 run away attempt, she’s still the SDC heiress.

Team WHTE serve as the reserves to the Ace Ops and guardians of Mantle. Whenever their seniors are away, they’re tasked with filling in for them.

Similarly to how Ozpin approaches Pyrrha about the Fall Maiden, Ironwood approaches Weiss about the Winter Maiden. Considering the current maiden’s age, there’s no need for the aura transfer. (For now.) Like Winter, Weiss is constantly visiting Fria.

Unlike her sister, her feelings are more complex about becoming the winter maiden. She accepts, because she does want to help the world for the better.

send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it. – Accepting!!

Weiss does have crazy long hair like Rapunzel. She constantly wears up in her V7 style to keep it out of her way. Her hair’s only impossibly long because no one is around to cut it.

Weiss is still the middle of three siblings. She’s never met Winter or Whitley. She still retains the ability to use glyphs and summoning. Her control over both are clumsy as she’s never been properly trained.

Jacques ran away with Weiss, in place of Mother Gothel. Rather than a tower, they live in a large castle atop a snowy mountain. It’s incredibly dangerous to climb, except for a path only Jacques uses to come and go as he pleases. The castle is a monument of his own ego.

Grimm also still exist. Weiss is only let out of her room to fight them off from destroying the castle. Her fighting style is messy, but highly creative as she has no rapier to use.

She only uses her Arma Gigas, unaware she can summon other things. She could summon her Queen Lancer, if she knew.

Weiss often dreams of the world outside, when she looks out from her window at night. But lies and manipulation bind her to existence as the “protector” of the castle.

Nearby-ish villages often tell tales and whispers of an ice cold beauty that has protected them. She always vanishes before anyone can thank her. It’s the further she goes from the castle. Weiss claims to Jacques that it’s best to wipe out all grimm within the vicinity of their home.

Shatter the glass. – Accepting!!

“Wh… what…?”

The crack in her voice is sharp. It hurts, how suddenly her voice just breaks. She chokes back a sob. Weiss has been paying staff to check on the situation in Vale for some time now. She may be nothing more than a caged bird, but… the least she could do is search for her friends. The only friends she’s ever had. The only family she has, besides Winter.

Team RWBY felt invincible. Unstoppable. The ground beneath her feet, even in this hellhole of a home. The one thing that kept her sane, even as her father works to bend her will. The only thing that has made her happy these last few weeks are her memories of her friends.

And now it’s just…

Her hands shake. Tears blur her vision.

“N-No… no… n… no! Please…”

The heiress collapses to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. She doesn’t care how foolish or shameful she looks. None of that matters. Nothing matters.

Ruby, Blake, Yang.

Don’t go…. don’t leave me alone. Come back, please…

Don’t leave…

She should have been there. She should have stayed. Why them? It shouldn’t have been them. The brightest lights she’s ever seen in this world. Even the brightest stars burn out, don’t they?

Shatter the glass. – Accepting!!

“I’m… I’m going to kill him.”

Stinging, burning hot tears pour down her cheeks. Her fingers curl into fists, trembling. She can’t stop the tears. Weiss wants to collapse in upon herself. The despair, the sorrow. The anger. The boiling hot rage that consumes her. A snowstorm rages just behind blue eyes.

Weiss has little love for mother. Not after she abandoned her when she was hardly old enough to understand what a mother is, what love is. She holds… some measure of resentment toward the woman, but… no one deserved such a cruel, painful death

Winter…

Losing her sister knocks the wind out of her. It ruins her. A hole that can never be fixed resides within her heart. Weiss feels as though she can never stand again. As if everything is lost. She could sleep and never wake up again.

She doesn’t give in to such temptations. Winter… Winter wouldn’t want that for her.

And more urgently…

Whitley.

She has to save Whitley. 

She doesn’t know how her father’s pulled this off, but he won’t get away with this. She won’t let him hurt Whitley more. She wants to collapse, but… only for her younger brother does she find the strength to stand.

First five asks in my inbox get kisses. – One of five!!

Too much is on her mind. The situations they face can change in an instant. Whether it’s the enemy gaining a foothold in Mantle, or their side turning the tides… if she blinks, she might miss it. To say that this is the life she anticipated upon applying to Beacon would be a blatant lie. Nothing could have prepared her for this. What’s the alternative? Staying in Atlas? Watching Mantle fall apart, from the sky? Remain impervious to the pain others carry upon their backs every day? Close her eyes to the injustice her father inflicts upon the world?

That’s not an option.

That path might never have lead to his arrest. That path never would have lead her to her freedom. She never would have had the chance to decide who she wants to be. And more frighteningly… she never would have met the friends she cherishes most.

It’s a reality that dawns upon her as she walks through manor halls. Weiss went to check upon her mother quickly, before departing for the fight in Mantle. For the first time, she walks through her home… unburdened. It’s a strange feeling that she doesn’t have time to unpack.

It seems someone else might have realized what she’s wrestling. Weiss isn’t particularly surprised. Ruby has this way of… seeing through her, whether she wants her to or not.

“Were you waiting?” she huffs at her partner, moving closer. It’s that playfully irritated way she often teases her now. Weiss doesn’t need an answer for concern to be made known.

She doesn’t have time to put words to her feelings. They both know they’re needed. Instead, she must put feelings to an action. A sign to show that… while she doesn’t know what the future may hold, she has no intention of turning away from it. If she can face her father and come out triumphant, then she can face anything that comes her way.

And she’ll never have to do it alone.

Ruby won’t take on the world alone, either. That’s what Weiss needs her to know the most.

She gently cups the other’s cheek with one hand. She leans forward, her eyes fluttering shut. A feather light, shy kiss is pressed to Ruby’s lips. She hesitates a moment, reluctantly pulling away. A small smile.

She hopes… those feelings came across to her.

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks. – Seven of ten!!

“I always knew… that the four kingdoms were different, but I didn’t know how they were. Until Beacon, I never interacted with people outside of the upper elite of Atlas. My view of people was entirely based upon only those who looked out for themselves. People who would whisper about you and mock you, if you so much as looked at them wrong.”

Weiss sighs, gaze averting from Ruby. Focusing instead upon the wall.

“I was never just a child, you know. I always had to prove my worth. One little mistake was enough to receive criticism, if not further punishment. And our first encounter was you tripping over SDC Dust. I can’t… don’t even want to imagine the kind of trouble I would have been in, had I done that.”

Another awkward pause. This is far too much honesty for her tastes.

“You were accepted into Beacon two years early, and you were made team leader. At the time, I just… wanted to be acknowledged by my father. I wanted to feel like… like I was more than nothing.”

Her eyes close. She wants to stop talking.

From Me to You. – Accepting!!

number seven: written in the case of my muse’s death.

Dear Winter,

If you’re reading this… I must be… gone. 

I’m… sorry. In truth, I hoped to never have to write this. I hoped you’d never have to read this, but… I can’t just go quietly. I hope I didn’t go down without a fight.

You never let me thank you. From the time we were little to even writing this letter, you’ve been my rock. You’ve done so much for me. Sacrificed so much. You were careful to never show me your pain, but sister… I know it must have been great. Yet, you endured it for my sake. Even now that we’re older, you still look out for me. I’m eternally grateful for everything you’ve done for me. There are no amount of words across all of Remnant that can express my gratitude toward you.

Please don’t blame yourself. I don’t blame you. Rather…

I’m incredibly proud of you, Winter. You are the strongest person I know. This war is harsh and cruel, yet you continue to do what is right. I admire and respect you. You’ve always been my number one role model. Please… remember to find warmth and love. No one can go through this life alone. I pray that you will find happiness.

Rememer that… if you can’t believe in yourself, I believe in you. Always. Forever.

And finally… should it not be broken or lost when I fell, I’m entrusting Myrtenaster to you.

I love you so much, Winter. You’re my one and only big sister.

Your little sister,

Weiss.

From Me to You. – Accepting!!

number six: a farewell letter.

Dear Ruby,

I hope this finds you both quickly and safely. I started writing this as soon as father’s airship took off. I’m sorry for leaving. I’m sorry I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I’m sorry I cannot be with you.

I want to there with you, Blake, and Yang more than anything. Especially after…

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what to say.

I want to believe that we will reunite before long. Knowing my father, that may prove difficult. If I thought he was doing this for my genuine safety, because he truly cared about my well being?…? Writing this would only be marginally less difficult. I know that he has only whisked me away back to Atlas, because he needs to preserve the safety of the heiress.

But that’s irrelevant.

In any case, it may take some time… it may take a long time, but… I will find my way back to you one day. That’s a promise.

I imagine you won’t sit still for too long. You’ll find somewhere to go and be all too reckless doing it. Whether I am by your side or not by then, you had better stay safe. Or else. If not, even the scariest grimm will be nothing compared to me.

Be well, Ruby. Whatever you choose to do, wherever you choose to go… know that my belief in you is with you every step of the way.

Your best friend,

Uncomfortable truths. – Not accepting!!

“I… don’t hate my mother. I think. I wish I wasn’t so angry at her, either. I wish she had just… been a mother to me. To Winter and Whitley. I wish she showed she cared as much as she does with words, when she’s in the right frame of mind. I wish she would have installed those cameras sooner. I wish I could run home to her when things are hard, and just… speak with her. I wish everything were different.”

A frustrated sigh. 

“Sometimes I daydream about being a mother… A wife. It’s easy to believe I could be those things in a dream. Then… I remember Mother said she sees herself the most in me. And the daydream shatters.”

…