@wintersrapier never asked for this and neither did i but brain do what brain do
in atlas, there was hardly any rest for the newly licensed huntsmen and huntresses. the training sessions had left them famished quite often, leading to the meals that followed being chock full of joyous energies. indeed, jaune’s newly refreshed spirits were able to take stock of everyone’s morale, even outside of his own team. ruby was naturally fraught with concern about her choice of secrecy, nora and ren were working through…something personal. blake, and yang? he couldn’t tell what it was - be it their relatively recent reunion, their conflict with adam, or something else entirely - but there was a burden on their collective shoulders. oscar was… well…oscar. there were no ends of talks had with the kid jaune considered as bound to him as those by blood.
there was one person, however, that he was concerned about. of course she joined in the carousing at the dinner table. of course she held her impeccable command of the battlefield. and of course, of course she maintained her composure. everything seemed…fine from where he sat, happening to catch that presence of hers. and yet…
she was home. she was near her family, the people who raised her. but jaune had not heard a peep about it, no stories of reunion. thinking back, jaune could recall quite a few times where she was vehemently against going to atlas. it should have been obvious but, with everything that had been occuring; chaos in argus, chaos within his own self, the frustration with ozpin’s truth…he had failed to take notice. until now, when the pieces started to fall together.
somehow, this was unlike any homecoming jaune might expect to find upon returning to his own estate. the specifics eluded him, and it was not to be his place to know, in any case. the simple thought, however, of home being something so cold and unmentionable? unapproachable? his imagination failed him - only the void of the unknowing churned his gut at the attempt to empathize. Is there something I can do? Anything?
«━☾ℂ;; a few hours later, that night
jaune found himself pensively approaching weiss’ dorm, every step taken meant another hesitation. maybe he should have faith in ruby, and in weiss herself. maybe he was just overthinking things… he shook his head slowly, eyes closed as he reaffirmed his decision. as weiss’ friend, and fellow huntsman, he felt it was his place to do what he could to help in any way. even if there was no need for it, jaune felt it was better to try, simply because he could. And so, his gloved knuckles softly rapped against the fresh white metal door. there was no response, though a light certainly shone from the beneath the sealed entrance. a weary sigh slipped through his chest with slumping shoulders. with a shake of the head, jaune began to second guess himself. until – try. if you can. try. he froze mid-turnabout. try, or it’ll just be another regret. one more sigh, and he returned to the doorway, this time placing his finger upon the intercom reciever.
☾ Hey, Weiss! It’s me, Jaune. I uh, just came by to talk. Or, really just to say something. You don’t have to say anything back. ☽ the blond recalled his own silence through the few talks that ren and nora had tried to deliver to him. stubborn, stuck in a tightly locked headspace. but, not deaf. jaune had no idea if this was the case with weiss, or if perhaps she was listening to music. whatever the case, he had come this far already.
☾ Just, I hope you can hear me. I just wanted to remind you that … you’ve got family in us. Us, as in nora, ren, oscar and myself, you know? I only bring this up because, well, I’ve noticed you haven’t really been excited to come back home, to Atlas. Which, for someone like me who dreams of returning to my family – it just struck me as ood. Or, at least, an unsettling sort of thought.
Anyways, what I’m trying to say – or, what I think I’m trying to say – is that even if this place doesn’t feel like home, you have us. And, I hope you know you’re family to us. And when we’re with you, and ruby, and everyone else – even when we’re thousands of miles away from family – we feel like we’re at home. Somewhere we belong. Because you are family. I mean – ☽
jaune’s voice began to rise, unaware of this change for a moment ☾ –when you almost – ☽ but only .. for a moment. ☾ – I. Just. We love you Weiss. And maybe you’re fine, and maybe I’m overthinking and maybe you can’t even hear me but – I had to make sure it was said. …Anyways. I should probably go – FNKI won’t take it any easier on us tomorrow. ☽ jaune paused, finger still on the mic’s trigger. nothing else came to mind. ☾ See ya later. ☽ with an inaudible click, the reciever shut down, and jaune went about his way down the halls, smudging the mist obscuring his vision.
☾ Gods, Jaune. It’s okay. ☽
Well, I'm glad you're all excited. But I don't think you appreciate the trouble I went through to leave Atlas.
Words uttered in irritation the day they set off for Argus. She hasn’t shared their excitement since the day they left. She almost envies them. Their detachment to Atlas, to what this place means. After, Beacon and Vale are half way across the world. As far from home as she could get. Chosen with that reason in mind. Not that Weiss is one to talk about it, or consider even bringing it up.
Securing the lamp supersedes any of her discomfort, in her eyes. She doesn’t have time to be weighed down by personal matters. She’s a huntress. A licensed one, for that matter. It’s childish to be so hung up upon the past, she tells herself. She’s no longer alone, either. It’s become easier to mask her feelings. With endless work and with friends, Weiss hardly had time to think about it. Herself.
It’s in moments when she thinks no one notices that it catches up with her. The inescapable truth. She doesn’t want to be here. She’d rather be anywhere but here. If their duties weren’t so important, would she have come? She feels sometimes as though she wishes she stayed in Argus, in Mistral, in Vale. Not that leaving after the fall had been her choice. And though she could have chosen to stay behind, she doesn’t want to be separated from her friends again.
Thus she carries out her responsibilities with no complaints. They won’t do her anything good anyhow. And even if she did, she wouldn’t know where to begin. Weiss goes through the motions of whatever quest she chooses. She brightens a bit at dinner, whenever they’re all together. Even as they all carry the weight of the world, their friendship never changes. And that’s what carries her through each day.
Once more, she returns to her dorm. With the election coming up, she feels... restless. Her father’s opposing of Ironwood makes it far harder to avoid him. And if he wins? She’ll never be rid of him. He’ll be around, poking his nose into their plans. Weiss can’t quite handle the thought of it. The thought of how childish her father makes her feel, or the others seeing that in person. She’s wrapped up in her thoughts, when Jaune knocks.
It’s half way through his sentence that she realizes someone’s speaking. Listen, huh? Weiss’ll accept that, particularly when she doesn’t know what he wants to talk about. She listens intently, carefully to his words. It takes a bit of time to process and formulate a response. By the time she’s on her feet and to her door, he’s long since gone.
It takes a few days before any of them are given free time again. And it only gives her more time to reflect upon his words. Loneliness that usually clings to her has been staved off.
“Jaune?” she calls out to him, when she finds time to speak with him without anyone interrupting. “I... wanted to thank you, for the other night. I heard what you said,” Weiss starts. She trails off for a short time. Her gaze breaks from his.
“To be honest... I was pretty jealous of how much you looked forward to going to home. And how Saphron welcomed you. All of us, really. Even now, I’m rather envious that you can dream of returning home.” Another long pause. “If... Winter wasn’t in Atlas right now, I wouldn’t have had anything or anyone to return to.” Except, perhaps, Klein. But even she isn’t so foolish as to think her father would ignore the slight upon his power, by Klein helping her. And even if he kept Klein on, that would mean returning to the manor. Blue eyes drift from the floor to the wall. “To me, Atlas is... simply the placed I was raised. Nothing more.”
She doesn’t like this. Being this honest, admitting to her lack of connection, confronting the environment that made her unbearable in their first and only year at Beacon. “But even so..,” she continues onward, seeking out his gaze. “I truly appreciated what you said.” Weiss smiles, softer and a bit shyer than usual.
“What I’m trying to say is... thank you, Jaune.”
