Have a message for Weiss or don't want to make a new post for a thread? Leave it here!
(If backdated, make sure to note the date and message type in the subject line!)
[There are just some things that Winter cannot express with her voice. Certainly she's never hesitated to scold her sister or express disappointment. But this is the first time it feels as if their relationship has become fragile and threatened. So she writes, because the beauty of her calligraphy is far softer than her harsh and straightforward mannerisms. So she writes.]
Dear Weiss,
I know that my silence has caused you some distress. Know that doing so was not my intention; rather, I have kept silent because I do not trust myself to speak without fear that I may utter something deeply regretful, something I do not truly feel. You do not care for my brisk mannerisms, I know, so perhaps a written communication may prove more agreeable.
Make no mistake. I am grievously displeased at your conduct over these communicators. While comparing my actions to our father (a claim I cannot truly agree with) could not possibly cause me insult, it distresses me that you would even attempt to cause harm for the sake of proving a point. Furthermore, because you judged your point to be far more important than the career I obtained, and your care for me as a sister, you made several vicious claims which, I must say, did not truly bear any fruit, and gave benefit to none. It was poorly done, and wounded my trust in you to such a degree that I find myself questioning whether I could even consider you a confidant -- you, the only one in which I felt I could truly admit my unease in being in such a world. You have grown comfortable here. I have not yet lingered long enough to share that comfort, and your actions have shaken my beliefs that I could ever hope to grow easy here.
But perhaps that is for the best. I should not wish to grow lax in my efforts to return to my duties.
Perhaps you meant to chide so that others would decide to like me, as you do. I have no desire to gain the approval of fools. Those with the patience and temperance to understand my message without taking personal offense are the only ones with which I wished to continue a conversation. Surely you witnessed the sheer number of responses that were little more than knee-jerk reactions or a pitiful attempt to establish dominance and superiority with anger and insults. Let them wither in their arrogance, I do not care for their opinions.
Or, instead, you thought to lash out because you believe I truly did fail you during your brief stint as the Mad Queen of Nova City. A captain of the royal guard of Fayren would not be obligated to respond to such a situation; the vast difference in technology as well as access to resources could not possibly link to one another. But as a sister, it is true. I failed to recognize the true danger, instead believing that you had managed to glean a little personal entertainment. It seemed little more than an amusing game to me, and I had no wish to intervene. It is rare to see you happy. So I stayed my hand.
Even so, I cannot easily forgive the guardians who knew the dangers and made no effort to convey a warning to the public. Attleton in particular remained egregiously lax, which in turn led to a great many tragedies, including that of at least one of Fayren's deputy guardians. You may suppose that I was overly harsh in my condemnation, but you must believe that I spoke as gently as I was able. If anything, I do not believe I was nearly harsh enough in my criticism. They failed the people they had a responsibility to protect. They failed my family. Until I see a genuine effort made to improve, I will keep my judgments, and there is nothing further to be done to persuade my feelings to the contrary.
This letter grows long, and I confess that my soul is weary. I hope this grants you better understanding. We may not agree on many things, but do not think that my love for you is in any way jeopardized. You are my sister, and I will never cease striving to protect you and attempting to give you the insight I lacked when I chose my path. The time will come when you will no longer require either of these things. Perhaps the day has already come and passed.
I Remain Forevermore Your Sister, Winter Schnee
[The letter is neatly folded with two crisp, perfect lines, placed in an ivory envelope, and sealed with a dark blue wax that bears the captain's seal, as she lacks her family's own.]
Edited 2017-11-07 06:24 (UTC)
a video, sent on nov. 4th after she receives the letter
[ Weiss doesn't send a letter back. She wants to, and it makes it harder because she has to think about what she wants to say first, and she has to make sure that her emotions don't overtake her in it. That's the whole problem that got her into this mess in the first place. But eventually, Winter will receive a video message private to her. ]
I can't write you a letter in return, Winter. I'm sorry. I want to, and I know that's our "thing" so to speak... [ She makes little quotation marks with her fingers, then looks apologetic toward the camera. ] It's not because I don't want to, I actually.. gave up the ability to do so, in order to open a subarchway to Beacon Academy before it.. before the fall. I closed it in an effort to capture Cinder while avoiding anyone getting hurt when I was City Guardian, and I gave up my ability to write letters to you and all the ones I had written since my arrival in case you ever came. It was a steep price, but it kept people safe. Which is perhaps why I was a little.. protective, of the City Guardians. I know I wasn't one when you arrived, but for a long time, being City Guardian was one of the only things that kept me motivated. It's part of why I don't know what to do now that I'm not one, because I was so reliant on that role- it was protecting me as much as I was protecting others, I think. But that meant that most of the City Guardians are my team, and they're people that I would die fighting beside a second time if that were the case. So I.. may have overreacted and had far too negative a reaction to your criticisms of them. I still do not think that it was the appropriate channel through which to do so- not because it would make people dislike you, but because they deserve respect enough to not be publicly humiliated without being given a chance to correct their actions through private discussion and positive action first.
[ She looks down, apologetic. ]
I shouldn't have made that post though. I was angry, and.. I don't usually try to stand up to you, I had no idea how to do it, and you weren't listening and I just-- I didn't know what to do. I didn't like that you weren't speaking to me and Whitley basically said to just stay quiet and leave you alone until you decided you were speaking to me again, which I hate because I love you, Winter. You're my sister. I followed your every word back home and trusted everything you did, but I know that it was wrong to speak to the people who are doing their best to protect the cities like that in that manner so I couldn't just nod in agreement like nothing was wrong with it.
[ A deep breath and she looks back up at the camera, folding her hands in her lap. ]
I was heading to you, in Remnant. Whitley and I have done some work to repair our relationship here, but back there... you and Klein are the only people I even consider family anymore. I'm so sorry that I behaved immaturely and rashly, that I hurt you. I didn't want to do that, Winter. I'd never want to do that. It's just.. I think I forgot how to face family without screaming and slamming the door. When things get heated, I tend to.. try to keep it public nowadays, Father won't do anything he'll lose face for when I do, so I got into the habit. I shouldn't have done that with you.
[ There's safety in speaking in front of people. She shouldn't have applied that to Winter, but everything's backward now. Speak to Whitley in private so Father doesn't see and take it out on him, speak to Jacques in public so he can't lose his temper without losing face too. He's done too much of a number on her and she's not sure what to do with disagreeing with Winter when Winter's solution appeared to be just to not listen if Weiss disagreed, even if that wasn't what it was in reality. ]
[Weiss regrets being unable to send a letter, but if the truth were to be told, Winter vastly prefers this method. There is just too much that cannot be said with words alone, and though she was hurt, the video is a soothing balm that quiets much of her previous and quiet wounds.]
[Would that she'd sent that letter sooner, they could meet up in person. But Winter's just begun the first day of training for the new recruits, and she's in the thick of the Fayren wilderness. She can't leave, and she wouldn't dream of inviting Weiss to relax in the same hell into which she's pitching her tent.]
I accept your apology, on the sole condition that you accept mine.
[There's a rare softness in her smile as she closes her eyes and tips her head forward.]
[ She smiles, a fair sight happier now that she and Winter have made up to almost immediate effect. She doesn't want to fight ever again, at least not with Winter. There are plenty of other people to pick fights with- her favorite family member should not be one of them, even if she disagrees. Perhaps next time she'll make a list of counterpoints, then go through them and talk to Winter calmly in person. It sounds like a better plan than what happened this time.
[Honestly the best way to get through to her. She's far more pliable to points of logic than pleas of passion. It's just her nature, and why she so vehemently rejected anyone who exhibited signs of a temper.]
How terribly sentimental.
[She shakes her head as if gravely disappointed. But her smile is still there, so as not to provoke any further distress.]
It seems the affliction is contagious, however. I've missed you as well. I was not exaggerating when I confessed that you were the only one I trusted enough to carry on a perfectly congenial conversation.
Good. Then I shall give you the one that found its way into my possession the next time we meet. A soldier has little need for baubles, let alone a box in which to contain them. The craftsmanship is quite remarkable, I think it will please you.
[She's already as fancy as she wants. :| She's got her brooch, and the fashionable gauzy underskirt that flutters so nicely when she walks. Anything more is just asking to get snagged and ripped out if it catches on something in a fight, so no earrings, bracelets, rings, or necklaces please.]
[Weiss can have them all.]
I'll be sure to send you any others that find their way onto my doorstep, then.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Sent November 3rd - Letter
Dear Weiss,
I know that my silence has caused you some distress. Know that doing so was not my intention; rather, I have kept silent because I do not trust myself to speak without fear that I may utter something deeply regretful, something I do not truly feel. You do not care for my brisk mannerisms, I know, so perhaps a written communication may prove more agreeable.
Make no mistake. I am grievously displeased at your conduct over these communicators. While comparing my actions to our father (a claim I cannot truly agree with) could not possibly cause me insult, it distresses me that you would even attempt to cause harm for the sake of proving a point. Furthermore, because you judged your point to be far more important than the career I obtained, and your care for me as a sister, you made several vicious claims which, I must say, did not truly bear any fruit, and gave benefit to none. It was poorly done, and wounded my trust in you to such a degree that I find myself questioning whether I could even consider you a confidant -- you, the only one in which I felt I could truly admit my unease in being in such a world. You have grown comfortable here. I have not yet lingered long enough to share that comfort, and your actions have shaken my beliefs that I could ever hope to grow easy here.
But perhaps that is for the best. I should not wish to grow lax in my efforts to return to my duties.
Perhaps you meant to chide so that others would decide to like me, as you do. I have no desire to gain the approval of fools. Those with the patience and temperance to understand my message without taking personal offense are the only ones with which I wished to continue a conversation. Surely you witnessed the sheer number of responses that were little more than knee-jerk reactions or a pitiful attempt to establish dominance and superiority with anger and insults. Let them wither in their arrogance, I do not care for their opinions.
Or, instead, you thought to lash out because you believe I truly did fail you during your brief stint as the Mad Queen of Nova City. A captain of the royal guard of Fayren would not be obligated to respond to such a situation; the vast difference in technology as well as access to resources could not possibly link to one another. But as a sister, it is true. I failed to recognize the true danger, instead believing that you had managed to glean a little personal entertainment. It seemed little more than an amusing game to me, and I had no wish to intervene. It is rare to see you happy. So I stayed my hand.
Even so, I cannot easily forgive the guardians who knew the dangers and made no effort to convey a warning to the public. Attleton in particular remained egregiously lax, which in turn led to a great many tragedies, including that of at least one of Fayren's deputy guardians. You may suppose that I was overly harsh in my condemnation, but you must believe that I spoke as gently as I was able. If anything, I do not believe I was nearly harsh enough in my criticism. They failed the people they had a responsibility to protect. They failed my family. Until I see a genuine effort made to improve, I will keep my judgments, and there is nothing further to be done to persuade my feelings to the contrary.
This letter grows long, and I confess that my soul is weary. I hope this grants you better understanding. We may not agree on many things, but do not think that my love for you is in any way jeopardized. You are my sister, and I will never cease striving to protect you and attempting to give you the insight I lacked when I chose my path. The time will come when you will no longer require either of these things. Perhaps the day has already come and passed.
I Remain Forevermore Your Sister,
Winter Schnee
[The letter is neatly folded with two crisp, perfect lines, placed in an ivory envelope, and sealed with a dark blue wax that bears the captain's seal, as she lacks her family's own.]
a video, sent on nov. 4th after she receives the letter
I can't write you a letter in return, Winter. I'm sorry. I want to, and I know that's our "thing" so to speak... [ She makes little quotation marks with her fingers, then looks apologetic toward the camera. ] It's not because I don't want to, I actually.. gave up the ability to do so, in order to open a subarchway to Beacon Academy before it.. before the fall. I closed it in an effort to capture Cinder while avoiding anyone getting hurt when I was City Guardian, and I gave up my ability to write letters to you and all the ones I had written since my arrival in case you ever came. It was a steep price, but it kept people safe. Which is perhaps why I was a little.. protective, of the City Guardians. I know I wasn't one when you arrived, but for a long time, being City Guardian was one of the only things that kept me motivated. It's part of why I don't know what to do now that I'm not one, because I was so reliant on that role- it was protecting me as much as I was protecting others, I think. But that meant that most of the City Guardians are my team, and they're people that I would die fighting beside a second time if that were the case. So I.. may have overreacted and had far too negative a reaction to your criticisms of them. I still do not think that it was the appropriate channel through which to do so- not because it would make people dislike you, but because they deserve respect enough to not be publicly humiliated without being given a chance to correct their actions through private discussion and positive action first.
[ She looks down, apologetic. ]
I shouldn't have made that post though. I was angry, and.. I don't usually try to stand up to you, I had no idea how to do it, and you weren't listening and I just-- I didn't know what to do. I didn't like that you weren't speaking to me and Whitley basically said to just stay quiet and leave you alone until you decided you were speaking to me again, which I hate because I love you, Winter. You're my sister. I followed your every word back home and trusted everything you did, but I know that it was wrong to speak to the people who are doing their best to protect the cities like that in that manner so I couldn't just nod in agreement like nothing was wrong with it.
[ A deep breath and she looks back up at the camera, folding her hands in her lap. ]
I was heading to you, in Remnant. Whitley and I have done some work to repair our relationship here, but back there... you and Klein are the only people I even consider family anymore. I'm so sorry that I behaved immaturely and rashly, that I hurt you. I didn't want to do that, Winter. I'd never want to do that. It's just.. I think I forgot how to face family without screaming and slamming the door. When things get heated, I tend to.. try to keep it public nowadays, Father won't do anything he'll lose face for when I do, so I got into the habit. I shouldn't have done that with you.
[ There's safety in speaking in front of people. She shouldn't have applied that to Winter, but everything's backward now. Speak to Whitley in private so Father doesn't see and take it out on him, speak to Jacques in public so he can't lose his temper without losing face too. He's done too much of a number on her and she's not sure what to do with disagreeing with Winter when Winter's solution appeared to be just to not listen if Weiss disagreed, even if that wasn't what it was in reality. ]
no subject
[Would that she'd sent that letter sooner, they could meet up in person. But Winter's just begun the first day of training for the new recruits, and she's in the thick of the Fayren wilderness. She can't leave, and she wouldn't dream of inviting Weiss to relax in the same hell into which she's pitching her tent.]
I accept your apology, on the sole condition that you accept mine.
[There's a rare softness in her smile as she closes her eyes and tips her head forward.]
It is good to hear from you again, sister.
no subject
[ She smiles, a fair sight happier now that she and Winter have made up to almost immediate effect. She doesn't want to fight ever again, at least not with Winter. There are plenty of other people to pick fights with- her favorite family member should not be one of them, even if she disagrees. Perhaps next time she'll make a list of counterpoints, then go through them and talk to Winter calmly in person. It sounds like a better plan than what happened this time.
But for now, a small confession. ]
I missed you.
no subject
How terribly sentimental.
[She shakes her head as if gravely disappointed. But her smile is still there, so as not to provoke any further distress.]
It seems the affliction is contagious, however. I've missed you as well. I was not exaggerating when I confessed that you were the only one I trusted enough to carry on a perfectly congenial conversation.
Which reminds me...
[She looks thoughtful for a moment.]
Do you have any need for a wooden jewelry box?
no subject
[ She looks a little surprised, confused. ]
I mean, I don't really have one right now. I've been hanging my necklaces on a little wire tree.
[ It makes it very easy to keep them from tangling.. but she supposes she could use it for her earrings for sure. ]
I'd happily accept it.
no subject
[Sorry, Dray.]
no subject
[ As long as it isn't the primary focus of a person's life, you can be as hella fancy as you want Winter!! ]
no subject
[Weiss can have them all.]
I'll be sure to send you any others that find their way onto my doorstep, then.
no subject
I'll be sure to cherish it.
[ She will cherish it until she realizes Winter is just re-gifting stalker gifts. :|