Schnee For Atlas
Schnee for Atlas
In times past, there had been moments when the Schnee Manor had, to Weiss, seemed more like a dusty tomb than the home of a family. A tomb where love and life had died and been laid to rest in old forgotten crypts, and where only brooding silence reigned now.
Klein said that the house had rung with laughter when her mother had been a little girl – at least as much as the Gardener’s Boy, which was all he had been at the time, could recall – but that time had passed long ago now. For the last few years that Weiss had spent in this house, before her escape to Beacon, the house had been nearly empty in its vastness. With Winter gone, and only Klein left in service to the family, the four remaining members of the House of Schnee had rattled around this mansion that was far bigger than they needed but, at the same time, not quite big enough to let them all lead the completely separate lives that they desired. And so they had dwelt, like floating islands untethered from the ocean bed, sometimes passing close to one another for a few begrudging moments before moving away; or like planets orbiting around the servile sun that was Klein, the only one with whom they all had regular contact, whether that was for practical reasons… or because he was the only one who could give them what they needed.
Now, more recently, things were different. Now that her father was running for office, it was as if the Schnee Manor had stirred to life after a long slumber, opening its bleary eyes to see the sunlight poking in around the curtains, a sign that it had slept too long and risen too late.
Although the house was not technically the headquarters of the Schnee for Atlas campaign – for that, her father had rented some floors of the rather phallic-shaped glass tower called The Cucumber, which was said to be a masterpiece of avant-garde architecture by those who understood such things – nevertheless, Weiss could hardly have failed to notice how much busier the manor had become as a result of her father’s run for Council. In the weeks since he had announced his candidacy, there had been a constant stream of visitors coming in and out: prominent backers, political hacks looking for jobs with the campaign, pinch-faced analysts with polling data, journalists looking for a scoop. They came in the daytime to talk business, and in the evening, Jacques Schnee entertained his new friends with lavish dinner parties or intimate suppers.
In truth, the Schnee Manor had probably not seen this much socialising since Weiss’s grandfather was alive.
She found herself almost missing the oppressive feeling of the mausoleum that it had been.
“Do you think that’s very strange, Klein?” Weiss asked. “Do you think that’s very hypocritical of me?”
She had retreated down into the kitchen, where she knew that her father and mother and Whitley would not go, to say nothing of her father’s new friends and supporters. Only Klein could be found here now, which was all to the good, as Klein was the only one whom Weiss really wanted to see.
Klein presently had his back to her, although he turned around shortly, holding in his hands a black teapot enclosed within a hand-knitted megagoliath tea cosy, spout emerging from between a pair of tusks. “Hypocritical, Miss Schnee?”
Weiss clasped her hands together over her knee. “I can’t claim to have been very happy here. I mean, I know you did your best, but-”
“I’m not offended, Miss Schnee,” Klein said gently, as he poured the tea into the china cup sitting on the table in front of Weiss. He poured a cup for himself as well before he sat down. “I know that a few infrequent japes and funny voices were not nearly as much as you needed or deserved.” His eyes flashed from their usual brown to a more golden colour, and his voice rose just a tad. “Nothing made me happier than to see you go away to Beacon. I hoped very much that you might find some kind of happiness there.”
A soft smile crossed Weiss’ face. “I did, for a while,” she murmured. She picked up the little jug of milk and poured in a dash, following it up with a couple of sugar cubs before she began to stir it all in. “Was it very disappointing for you when I came back?”
“It isn’t my place to be disappointed in you, Miss Schnee,” Klein said, adding some milk to his own tea, but eschewing sugar. “And I’m not sure you could, even if you tried.” He took a sip of his tea, and as Weiss did likewise, Klein said, “And besides, if you hadn’t come home for the holidays, then who would have helped the Seacoles during that dreadful business? These things… seem to have a way of working out for the best, I find.”
Weiss lowered her cup from her lips and swallowed the hot tea. “Yes, I… I suppose you have a point there; that did work out quite well. For the Seacoles, anyway, although I daresay that Blake and Rainbow Dash could have handled all of that well enough without my help.”
“No need to do yourself down, Miss Schnee; I’m sure your contribution was invaluable.”
“And you don’t need to flatter me, Klein.”
“I only flatter your father, Miss Schnee; with you, I say only what I see in front of me.”
Weiss let out a little titter of laughter. “And yet you say it so charmingly,” she murmured. She took another sip of her tea.
“Would you like a biscuit, Miss Schnee?” Klein asked. “I apologise; I quite forgot.”
“No, thank you, Klein,” Weiss replied quickly. “I’m meeting some of the girls for a picnic.”
“The girls, Miss Schnee? Not dashing young Mister Sentry?” Klein asked.
“Flash is on duty,” Weiss explained. “He’s Officer of the Day, which I think means that he’s in charge.” She paused. “You think he’s dashing?”
“I think that he makes you happy, Miss Schnee,” Klein replied. His eyes flashed red, and his voice became a low growl. “And the moment he stops, he’ll answer to me.”
Weiss giggled. “I might tell him that when I see him next,” she said.
Klein’s eyes returned to their normal brown. “I hope you will, Miss Schnee; if it isn’t prying, when will you see him again?”
“Tomorrow,” Weiss replied. “We’re going dancing at the Mortimer.”
Klein smiled beneath his walrus-like moustache. “Does that mean that you’ll miss your father’s dinner party, Miss Schnee?” he asked before drinking some more of his tea.
“Yes, unfortunately, it does,” Weiss said, in as bland a tone as she could muster. “Luckily, father understands that we’re only young once.” Dates with Flash were about the only things that Weiss could use to get out of these tedious social functions – the fact that Flash’s mother was one of the prominent backers of the Schnee campaign might have had something to do with that – and so she took every opportunity to schedule them in opposition to one another. Flash was sometimes around for these campaign functions, with his mother, but the two of them sitting at the same table along with a dozen officials of state talking politics, with Weiss and Flash stuck waiting for the moment when everyone not involved in the campaign could get up from the table and leave her father and his new associates to talk politics, was hardly the same thing as having time to themselves.
“You’re very fortunate, Miss Schnee, to have found a young man your father approves of but who is not…”
“The kind of person you would expect my father to approve of?” Weiss suggested.
“I’m afraid that I could never imply such a thing, Miss Schnee.”
Weiss smiled thinly. “Fortunately, I could,” she said. She took another sip of tea. It was not quite so hot any more. “I am, as you say, very fortunate. I’m not sure that I would if Flash’s mother wasn’t backing Father. It’s not really Flash he approves of, I think, or at least I’m not sure that he would if he knew him better than as the son of Silver Sentry.” She put down the tea cup. “Klein, if you only tell me what you see, then tell me: what do you think of all of this? About Father’s campaign?”
Klein thought for a moment. “In some ways, I’m reminded of when your grandfather was alive, Miss Schnee. You may be too young to remember, but even when he was old and frail, the advice of Nicholas Schnee was still greatly sought after by many people.”
“Really?” Weiss said. “I don’t remember that.”
“You were only a small child when he died, Miss Schnee,” Klein reminded her. “Indeed, for some of the time that I’m talking about, I wasn’t even the butler, only the under-butler to Mister Beach. But it’s true that even when Nicholas Schnee was unable to leave the house, people came to the house to hear what he had say: officers about to be posted to foreign lands came to find out what he knew about them; Councillors wanted to know what he thought about the great events of the day; even the old headmaster of Atlas consulted him on the curriculum. Sometimes, I think people just came to hear his stories. The only person who didn’t extensively consult with your grandfather was…”
“My father?” Weiss guessed.
“Yes, Miss Schnee.”
“Hmm, I see,” Weiss murmured. “And yet… the difference is that all of these people aren’t consulting my father; it’s more like he’s consulting them. I’m not sure that I trust them, Klein.”
Klein was silent for a moment. “Forgive me, Miss Schnee; perhaps I know less of the world going on beyond these walls than I ought to, but I don’t think I quite understand.”
“I don’t understand it myself,” Weiss said. “Why are all these officials and officers backing my father to run for Council? And why is Father even running for Council; he’s never cared about politics except when it interfered with the company. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Are you worried, Miss Schnee?” Klein asked.
“A little,” Weiss confessed. “Although I’m not sure I could say what it is that I’m worried about.”
“Perhaps you are worried about your father?” Klein suggested.
Weiss let out a little laugh. “Perhaps I am,” she admitted. “But am I worried about him, or am I worried for him?” She glanced at Klein, and her tone became a little accusing. “But I asked you what you thought, if you recall.”
“So you did, Miss Schnee, I do apologise.”
“You don’t need to apologise,” Weiss assured him. “But I would like you to answer.”
“Very few people see me, Miss Schnee,” Klein said. “Even when I’m serving them. If they aren’t asking me for something specifically, why it’s as if the wine bottle is simply levitating itself in such a way as to refill their glass, or the next course is simply appearing on their plate as if by magic.”
Weiss chuckled. “If I’ve ever been guilty of that – and I probably have – then I apologise.”
“I don’t mention this to shame you, Miss Schnee, but to explain that your father’s friends talk freely in my presence, because they don’t really notice that I’m there.” Klein paused. “They are ambitious people, Miss Schnee. The sort who, although they have risen high in many cases, can only fume that they have not risen as high as they once dreamed or feel that they deserved to rise.”
“I know the type,” Weiss said. “I’m sad to say that there was a time when I almost became that type myself.”
“I find that hard to believe, Miss Schnee,” Klein said, with commendable loyalty.
“That’s very kind of you, Klein, but there was a moment when I was getting very frustrated with my lack of progress,” Weiss confessed. “Fortunately, I decided to do something about it rather than stewing in my resentment.”
“Sadly, Miss Schnee, I fear that some of Mister Schnee’s new friends have had a long time to marinate.”
“You think that they mean to use him as a vehicle for their ambitions?”
“I’m not sure that it’s my place to say, Miss Schnee,” Klein said. “Although, if it helps at all, I doubt that Mister Schnee will find it a particularly unpleasant experience.”
“Not unpleasant?” Weiss asked. “To be a puppet of other men’s ambitions?”
“He will still be a Councillor, with all the status and privileges implied,” Klein reminded her. “And, when his term expires, the SDC will be waiting for him, I’m sure. There are far worse fates to endure.”
“Mhmm,” Weiss murmured. “Do you think that the fate of living under the government of this cabal might qualify?”
“You’ve seen more of the world in eighteen years than I have in far more, Miss Schnee, but I can’t worry about that too much,” Klein admitted. “No matter who is elected, Atlas will always be Atlas. I know that I spend more time in this house than might be healthy, but when I emerge, I still recognise the kingdom I grew up in.”
That was certainly a comforting notion, albeit one that gave Weiss less comfort than Klein had, perhaps, intended. In the first place, it might have been true that Atlas had always been Atlas, but that was no guarantee that it would always be so. Beacon, after all, had always been Beacon… until the tower was destroyed and many of the buildings savaged by grimm, and then it hadn’t quite been Beacon any more. And secondly, how comforted one was by the knowledge that Atlas would always be Atlas very much depended on how good you thought that Atlas was in first place.
“We’ll see, I suppose,” Weiss said as she got to her feet, pushing her chair back across the kitchen floor. “Thank you, Klein. For the tea and for letting me hide down here.”
“You’re always welcome, Miss Schnee,” Klein told her. “Have a very good day.”
“I hope so,” Weiss said, smiling at him as she turned away, her heels clicking on the floor as she climbed the stairs up out of the kitchen and back towards those areas of the house where the family was supposed to be.
She started to climb the grand staircase, meaning to go to her room and wait there until it was time to go and meet the others, but as she began to climb, she was arrested by a voice behind her.
“Hiding with Klein again, I see.”
Weiss turned around, looking down at her little brother where he stood at the foot of the stairs. “I wouldn’t call it hiding,” she replied. “I’m not ashamed of where I was.”
“I wasn’t suggesting that you should be,” Whitley replied. “Although Father might disagree. After all, I suppose it’s not really the done thing. One is supposed to have the butler bring tea, not go down to the kitchen to have tea with the butler.”
“I don’t really care what one is supposed to do, anymore,” Weiss replied.
“And that’s your right,” Whitley informed her. “Or should I call it your privilege? Not all of us can so easily disregard Father’s opinion of our conduct.”
Weiss hesitated for a moment. Her brow furrowed, and she felt a slightly squirming sense of guilt in her stomach. She had never really considered what it had been like for Whitley after she had left for Beacon. For her, it had been liberation from a house that had grown cold and oppressive, but for Whitley… Weiss descended the stairs. “Was it… hard, for you?”
Whitley’s eyes darted left and right. He shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“When I left,” Weiss said, “for Beacon. When I left you… alone here.”
Whitley’s face twitched with irritation. “I wasn’t asking for your pity,” he said sharply.
“I wasn’t… I’m sorry,” Weiss said quickly.
“I just wanted to remind you that not everyone has the same way out that you do,” Whitley said.
“I’m not sure how open that route is to me anymore,” Weiss reminded him.
Whitley hesitated. “No,” he said quietly. “No, I suppose it isn’t. Which some might call a good thing.”
“A good thing?” Weiss repeated. “A good thing that I’m-”
“Stuck here?” Whitley suggested. “Like me?” He smiled, or smirked, or something in between. “Come now, sister, if nothing else, surely you’ve realised by now that being here isn’t that bad. You’re not a captive fairytale princess; your shining armour boyfriend-”
“Actually, my boyfriend’s name is Flash Sentry; Shining Armour is his superior officer.”
Whitley groaned. “Your sense of humour has gone to the dogs since you went away,” he muttered. “The point is, you don’t need a knight of any kind to rescue you; you can go out whenever you want, and you have this house to come back to whenever you want. And Klein.”
“Are you telling me to count my blessings?” Weiss asked.
“I’m telling you that you could be a lot worse off than you are,” Whitley said. “The answer to your question, by the way, is that it wasn’t that hard, because things aren’t that bad.”
“No, I suppose they aren’t,” Weiss acknowledged. “They’re just not where I want to be.”
“You’d rather die in battle?”
“I’d rather fight,” Weiss replied firmly. “Dying is… a possibility, not a certainty.”
“And here, it’s an impossibility,” Whitley declared.
“Lucky me,” Weiss said dryly. “Was there something you wanted?”
“Do you have somewhere better to be?” Whitley asked.
“A lot of things would be better than this conversation,” Weiss said.
Whitley took a step back, and he actually looked a little hurt. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said sharply. “I just… do you have any idea what it’s like knowing that you or Winter could die basically at any time? Wondering what the news would do to Father or Mother? Wondering what I’d have to do? You didn’t just leave me here, sweet sister, you both left me here knowing that I might have to pick up the pieces, and for what?”
“For humanity,” Weiss whispered. “Do you think that this life that you – that we – benefit from so much would just continue if someone wasn’t willing to fight for it?”
“I’m not an idiot, or a naïve child; I know that someone has to fight, but why does it have to be you?” Whitley demanded. “Why can’t you leave that to your brutish faunus friend?”
Weiss frowned. “Blake?”
“I don’t know, I can’t keep track of all of your new friends,” Whitley grumbled. “Is she the one with a face like a thug?”
“Ah, Rainbow Dash. With the multi-coloured hair.”
“Yes, that one,” Whitley said. “She looks as though no one would miss her if she got eaten by some monster somewhere.”
“You would be wrong about that,” Weiss said, her voice as chilly as the snows beyond the city. “Everyone has someone who would miss them if they were gone.” She paused. “But… I’m sorry for not considering you… your situation. I didn’t think about it. I only thought about-”
“Getting away?” Whitley suggested.
Weiss hesitated for a moment. “Yes.”
“Congratulations, sister, you're as selfish as a Schnee ought to be,” Whitley informed her. “But I won’t press the point any further, lest you decide to sic a summons on me or something.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Weiss assured him. “Although I might throw you across the hall with a glyph.”
“Oh, you won’t attack me with a ghost, but you will break my back, how very reassuring,” Whitley muttered. He paused. “You look nice,” he said.
“Thank you,” Weiss said softly. She was dressed in white, a one-piece gown with a skirt that was ankle-length and a little narrower than A-line in cut, with a blue sash running just above the hem, adorned with the Schnee snowflake at the four ‘corners,’ for want of a better word. Another blue sash was bound tight around Weiss’ waist, tied into a large bow at the back, with two streams of fabric trailing down from the bow towards the floor. The white collar swooped downwards from her shoulders, while a choker of blue was fastened tightly around her throat.
“Are you dressed for anything special?” Whitley followed up.
“Not really, just a picnic with some friends,” Weiss said. “But Rarity keeps sending me new dresses to wear, and even though some of them are a little much, I feel as though I ought to show her that I’m wearing them in case she thinks that I don’t like them or something.”
Whitley chuckled. “Well, you do look nice. I thought perhaps you were meeting your boyfriend.”
“He’s on duty.”
“Perhaps if he goes on assignment and you have to stay here and wait, you’ll understand how hard it is,” Whitley remarked. He paused. “But I hope that doesn’t happen.”
“You’re not the only one,” Weiss said. “I think the reason his mother got him the job on the Council Guard is so that he never has to go on assignment. Anyway, I’m seeing Flash tomorrow night.”
“What a coincidence,” Whitley said. “Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and I are going to the opera tomorrow night.”
“Yes, what a coincidence that we’ll both be missing Father’s dinner party.”
“I’m sure the great and the good of Atlas will manage to get by without us,” Whitley said airily.
“I’m sure you’re right,” Weiss agreed. She reached out and put one hand upon the stair banister. “What do you think of all this? Father running for office?”
Whitley shrugged. “I think all of these people are using Father because they don’t think they could win election in their own rights, so they need a figurehead who can. I also don’t see that it really matters.”
“Really?” Weiss demanded. “Father is being used by a cabal as their puppet – possibly, at least – and you don’t see why that matters?”
“No,” Whitley said bluntly. “So they’re using Father, the same way that Diamond Tiara is using me. He’ll still be rich when all of this is over, he’ll still have this house, and unless he says something unspeakable to turn the whole of the chattering classes against us – which I’m sure he won’t – we’ll still enjoy an enviable social position. I don’t see the downside.”
“That’s because you’re rather cynical, I must say,” Weiss murmured. “I could never go out with Flash if I knew that he was just using me for power or money or… anything. I don’t know how you can stand it.”
“Well, Diamond is much too classy to state her vulgar motives out loud,” Whitley said. “Since we don’t talk about it, and since we have fun in the meantime, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that you deserve someone who-”
“Who what? Loves me for my personality?” Whitley suggested. “Grow up, sister; do you think that Flash Sentry would be interested in you if you didn’t have the face that could launch an Atlesian cruiser?”
“I-”
“Don’t talk about that out loud, I know; it’s the same with us,” Whitley said. “It’s the same with Father and his supporters; it’s the same the world over. Everyone is out for themselves these days.”
“And what kind of damage could these people who are out for themselves do to Atlas if they use Father to gain power?” Weiss asked.
“I’m not worried about that either,” Whitley said. “Atlas will always be Atlas.”
“Klein said the same thing.”
“Klein’s very wise,” Whitley said. “And so am I, it seems.”
“Atlas is only Atlas because people keep it that way,” Weiss insisted. “And even if Atlas does, by good fortune, remain Atlas, what good will that do if the rest of the world has fallen into chaos and ruin in the meantime?”
“Are we supposed to fix all the world’s problems?”
“We’re supposed to not abdicate all responsibility for our fellow men,” Weiss replied.
“It doesn’t really matter,” Whitley said. “Father isn’t going to win. Have you seen the latest polling?”
Weiss had. Father was polling at thirty-two percent, an eminently respectable figure – and well above Robyn Hill’s nineteen – but below Pearl Wistia on forty percent. “The race isn’t over yet,” she said. “Father could still catch up.”
“That’s the spirit, Miss Schnee!” the voice that called from above was high-pitched, seeming to belong to a child. “The race isn’t over, and neither are we! We’re going to fight on and close that gap!”
Weiss looked over her shoulder. The speaker not only sounded like a child but, quite frankly, looked like one too. Although Weiss had known some short girls at Beacon – Ruby and Nora amongst them; and, to be honest, compared to someone like Pyrrha or even Yang, Weiss herself would have placed at the short end of the sale – but this girl was a positive dwarf by comparison. She seemed to have attempted to counter this by dressing in a mature way, wearing a blue waistcoat and skirt over a white shirt and socks, with a blue ribbon tie around her neck, which looked all in all very reminiscent of an Atlas uniform; it didn’t really help to make her look older, not least since it was countered by the curls in which she wore her blue-grey hair and the white ribbon which adored them. Her eyes were scarlet, big and wide as they looked down upon the Schnee siblings from above.
“Oh my! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt!” she cried, walking carefully down the stairs with one hand on the rail. “It’s just that when I heard you talking about Mister Schnee’s campaign, I just couldn’t help myself!”
“That’s quite alright,” Weiss said kindly. “Um, forgive me, but I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”
“I’m Cozy Glow!” Cozy said. “I’m new! I just joined your father’s campaign as an intern.”
“I… see,” Weiss murmured. “You seem a little young to be interning at a campaign for a Council seat.”
“I get that a lot,” Cozy muttered. She rallied, and her voice resumed its usual enthusiastic tone. “But I’m willing to work and ready to go! I’ll do whatever it takes to help elect Jacques Schnee! Building Back for a Better Tomorrow!”
“If you want to close that eight point gap, you might want to consider a better slogan,” Whitley observed dryly.
“It’s under review,” Cozy admitted. She coughed into one hand. “Anyway, Miss Schnee, Mister Schnee asked me to come and get you. He’d like to see you in his office now.”
“I… see,” Weiss said quietly. “I don’t suppose he told you what it was about?”
“Oh no,” Cozy said, as if the very idea was painful to her. “What gets said between you and your father is private and strictly confidential. I would never want to get in the way of your relationship.”
“Mhmm,” Weiss murmured. “Well, thank you, Miss Glow-”
“Please, call me Cozy,” Cozy begged. “I want you to think of me not just as one of your father’s employees, but as a friend to the whole family.”
“Right,” Weiss said softly and without much inflection. She exchanged a glance with Whitley, who shrugged as if to say he didn’t know what to make of this either. “Then thank you, Cozy. Whitley.”
“Good luck,” Whitley said, so quietly he was barely audible.
Weiss nodded to him. Her brother was not perfect – far from it – but then neither was she, and he wasn’t so bad as to deserve her running away in such unseemly haste. She would have to remember that, next time she left.
She still intended that there would be a next time, somehow.
She climbed the stairs and began to walk down the corridor towards Father’s study. Cozy Glow kept pace with her, a bright smile upon her face as she walked.
“I know the way,” Weiss pointed out to her.
“I know,” Cozy replied. “But I should wait outside in case Mister Schnee needs me when you’re done.”
“Mmm,” Weiss murmured. “So… what made you decide that you wanted to intern for my father’s campaign?”
“Oh, I’m here because I believe in Mister Schnee,” Cozy proclaimed.
Weiss couldn’t stop her brow from furrowing. “You do?”
“Golly, yes!” Cozy cried. “Why, he was born to be a leader! If he doesn’t win the Council seat, then this kingdom will be deprived of the talent it needs, and that would be terrible.”
“I see.”
“Can I admit something embarrassing?” Cozy asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Weiss swallowed. “I… suppose so.”
“I’m a little jealous,” Cozy hissed. Her voice rose once again. “I can’t imagine what it was like growing up with such a great man as Jacques Schnee as your father.”
And you should be very grateful for that, Weiss thought, rather bitterly, before reminding herself that it was not Cozy Glow’s fault. She didn’t know what Jacques Schnee was really like and could hardly be held to blame for her admiration of a man who, whatever else he did, always took great care to ensure that his public image was, in fact, admirable. “Um… I mean… it was certainly… it was an experience,” she said, and said nothing else to the young – or young-looking, at least – intern until she stood in front of the door to her father’s study.
Weiss knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Jacques called from the other side.
Weiss opened the door and stepped in. Cozy did not follow but did stick her head around the door long enough to say, “I brought her just like you asked, Mister Schnee.”
“Thank you, Cozy,” Jacques said indulgently. “You can wait outside.”
“It’s a pleasure, Mister Schnee!” Cozy said cheerfully. “I’ll be right here when you need me.”
She shut the door, leaving Weiss alone in the room with her father, who had not yet said a word to her.
Nor did he, at first. Instead, he looked down at something on his desk, as if he wished to make a point of how busy he was and how many important matters commanded his attention.
Weiss took another couple of steps into the study, closer to his desk. “You… wanted to see me, Father?”
“I wouldn’t have sent Cozy to get you if I didn’t,” Jacques replied, still not looking at her.
“She seems very young,” Weiss couldn’t help but point out.
“Hmm? Yes, I thought so too, at first; but she’s very efficient. Does the work of ten other fellows, and full of ideas. She’ll go far, I think.” Jacques looked up. “And I confess, it’s nice to have a young woman in the house whom I can mould into someone talented and successful.”
Weiss didn’t rise to that, although she did allow a touch of impatience to creep into her voice. “What did you want to see me about, Father?”
Jacques paused. “You look nice,” he observed. “Going somewhere?”
“Out with some friends,” Weiss said.
“I see,” Jacques murmured. “No,” he added. “You’re not.”
Weiss frowned. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve given it some thought, and I’ve decided that I can’t allow you to associate with those friends of yours any longer.”
“Why not?” Weiss demanded.
“Don’t raise your voice with me, young lady,” Jacques snapped.
Weiss flinched. “I… I’m sorry, Father, I just… I don’t understand.”
“I should have thought that the reason was obvious,” Jacques said. “Leaving aside any questions of… suitability, they are all very closely connected with James and his faction: Twilight Sparkle, his goddaughter; Rainbow Dash, his prize protégé; Blake Belladonna, the new rising star. No one can doubt that their allegiance lies with my enemies, and your association makes it seem as though your allegiance lies that way too.”
“I…” Weiss hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “I’m not part of your campaign-”
“But you are my daughter,” Jacques reminded her. “If my own daughter doesn’t want me to win the Council seat, then why should anyone else support me?”
“I’m not sure that anyone will read that much into my choice of friends,” Weiss said.
“I disagree,” Jacques said firmly.
Weiss stared down at him. “So… am I a prisoner here?”
“Of course not, sweetheart; young Flash is a fine fellow, and his mother is very closely involved in my campaign,” Jacques said. “You’re free to leave the Manor with him whenever you like.”
“But not on my own,” Weiss said coldly. What was that you were saying, Whitley?
“Not while I can’t trust you not to associate with those people, no,” Jacques said.
Weiss stood silent and still. He… he couldn’t do this, and yet, he just had. He couldn’t keep her here, and yet, there was nothing she could do to stop him.
“Is there nothing I can say to change your mind?” she whispered.
“Nothing,” Jacques said. “I have made my decision.”
Behind Weiss, the door creaked open. “Pardon me for interrupting, Mister Schnee,” Cozy said, “but I think you might be making a teensy bit of a mistake.”
Weiss expected her father to scowl; somewhat to her surprise, he did not. “Really, Cozy?” he asked. “And why is that?”
“While it’s true that Twilight Sparkle and her friends are all supporters of General Ironwood and Councillor Cadenza,” Cozy said, “think about what kind of message it sends that you don’t want anyone to associate with them, because if they do, then they become your enemies. You don’t really want to divide Atlas that way, do you? When you win the election like I know you will, you want to be a Councillor for all Atlesians, isn’t that right?”
“Of course,” Jacques declared. “The reason that I’m running is to benefit all Atlesians, to save this kingdom and everyone who lives in it from the incompetence and mismanagement that has marred our great nation.”
“It might not seem that way if we can’t even talk to anybody who might vote for someone else,” Cozy pointed out. “Not to mention that Councillor Cadenza and General Ironwood aren’t up for re-election, so you’ll have to work with both of them when you win, which might be a little bit tricky if you treat everyone associated with them like your mortal enemies. But if we let Miss Schnee lead the way, then she can help be the bridge that brings us all together!”
Jacques leaned back in his chair. “Hmm. You make a very cogent point, Cozy, but there’s still the question of Weiss’ intentions being misinterpreted into seeming as though she doesn’t support my run.”
“I’m sure that’s not true!” Cozy said. “I’m certain that Miss Schnee is behind you just as much as I am, and I’m sure that she’d love to prove it too, wouldn’t you, Miss Schnee, like appearing in Mister Schnee’s next campaign video?”
“Yes,” Jacques murmured. “Yes, that’s a splendid idea, Cozy. Weiss, you and Whitley and even Willow: my loving and devoted family, proof that I understand the importance that family holds to millions of voters, and why I, as their councillor, will be sure to put family first in everything I do.”
“Golly, Mister Schnee, that’s a great idea!” Cozy said. “Isn’t that right, Miss Schnee?”
“Yes,” Weiss said, trying to sound sincere even as she forced the words out of her throat. “That’s a great idea. One that I would be happy to take part in.”
“Why, thank you, sweetheart, that means so much to me,” Jacques declared. “And you know, I think I might have been too harsh earlier. You run along now and have a nice day.”
Weiss bowed her head, and held in the sight of relief. “Thank you, Father.” She turned to go, and it was only by a great effort of will that she didn’t run out of the door before she could change his mind.
As Cozy shut said door, Weiss said, “Thank you. Thank you… so much.”
“It was nothing, Miss Schnee; I’m just I could help.”
“It was a lot more than nothing,” Weiss insisted. “I… I don’t know how to show you how grateful I am.”
Cozy smiled brightly. “You don’t need to do anything for me, Miss Schnee. I’m just here to be of service! From now on, you don’t need to give any of these things another thought. Just let Cozy take care of everything.”
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... 1% chance cozy is a good person
(Up from 0)
Coy Glow, the faux goodness coming off her is... Ack.
I might be SLIGHTLY biased but she creeps me out.
Also, Weiss' father is a dick. And the show... well, he got a pretty bad deal in the end.
This...this will get SOOOOOOO much worse.
I fear for sweet, adorable Miss Sneeze
I must admit, I was rather disappointed to find the newest chapter had returned to Atlas. I truly thought that we would be jumping through the portal, and Sunset's long-awaited return to Equestria would come at last.
Nevertheless, I was so touched by Weiss' interaction with Whitley. Or more accurately, Whitley interacting with Weiss and in a gradually more open and friendly way. As an older sibling myself, I know how much those tiny little signs mean when your little brother is starting to reach out to you. It was very heartwarming.
And Cozy Glow... the pseudo-Darla Dimple.
This cannot go well. She nearly doomed all of Equestria for some of the most short-sighted goals. Not only does she have no idea how friendship really works (she openly spat on Honesty, Loyalty and Generosity; there is no such thing as a real friendship without what the Elements represent!), but she also thought that her popularity could outshine Princess Celestia... and the fact that if there's no more magic, then NO MORE SUN. 
Alright! While I'll admit I'm a little sad we didn't immediately go through the portal, I am excited to see how Atlas plays out. Given Whitley is showing his more emotional side and now fully aligned with his father, I'm now wondering if he has another side to him. I legit wouldn't be surprised if a few chapters from now that secret comes to light. "What do you mean he's a graffiti artist!?"
Wow, it's clear Mister and cozy planned all that, cozy interrupting and, apperently, hearing everything, means it was all a plan to say, you either do what I want in the campaign or you don't see your friends anymore, and the bonus, Weiss will trust cozy, which is in cahoots with jackes, a little spy, well played, though she should have realize it, it's obvious.
Well
So much for going into Equestria as soon as possible...
But hey, my girl Weiss is back! And there is Cozy.... crap...
Lets see how long it takes for shit to hit the fan
*Looks at recent volumes of RWBY* Yeah, right...
Welp, I have a feeling, (from seeing your writing style, i guess) that at the end of this new Atlas arc we will see our Sun horse jumping out of the portal to a total mass destruction caused by GollyDemonChildtm and the folowing chapter will be about how we got to it from Equestria's side
10794732
I for once I would love to have a good Cozy Glow in a story, maybe I'm bias because she helped Weiss and she is my favorite, but I feel like that a good Cozy would do some good for the direction this story is taking, and also the fact that there are so few good Cozy glow story out there.
10812634
i never talked of Celestia as if she was weak or a pushover.And now i remember the "Nightmare night" episode when Luna said then Celestia too talked like her a thousand years earlier, but i didn't think Celestia so scary.now i really, really want mama Celestia against Salem.sorry, this comment was in the wrong chapter.