Chapter 2: Is it Childish to be a Kid?

The heiress rolled over.

Bed sheets against her skin, an aching desire for something to quell her boredom manifested in the rubbing of her legs. Today was one of those days. The break day. Where she had absolutely nothing to cater to and was required to rest after long days of training. Were it up to her, she'd train every day, but it needn't be said why that wasn't a good idea.

And so, short of a quick breakfast with Klein before he had to run off, Weiss was stuck in her room.

Shopping? She considered for perhaps the tenth time. And again, the cons outweighed the pros. She had everything she wanted off the market, and anything that wasn't on hand right now was on order.

Dancing was an option. But to what avail? She'd be alone doing so. Not a good idea.

This, as some people apparently said, sucked.

The same, typical monotony of the castle was hardly new. And a point of reflection that she almost always found herself repeating. Her father was working, her brother was with his friends. And what a sad realization that was, that her younger brother found more people to socialize with than her. Who would even like that little brat!?

And with a resigned sigh, Weiss flipped over once more, burying her face into the pillow. She just had no idea what to do with herself.

Instinctively she looked at her scroll, the same thought coming back.

The server.

There it was, the little app on her interface, looking right back at her as if to say 'you know you want to'.

It wasn't like the experience was bad. But it wasn't really the kind of thing she was looking for... as far as she knew. Angel and Cookie seemed kind, but she had no idea how they actually were. What if it was all a trick?

The better part of her shook the thought away. The server had been there way before she had, there'd be no point to deception just because she suddenly arrived.

The scroll was tempting, and for a moment, Weiss considered it. In fact, over the past few days she'd been mulling it over more and more. Sometimes she would get notifications that activity was going on, but every time she tried, she'd stop herself.

Why?

A knock at her door.

"Come in."

The door pushed open, gentle gold eyes greeting her from Klein. "A call, my dear."

Weiss sat up, a curious glance sent her butler's way. "A call? From who?"

Klein would always give her this look. Perhaps a second long as if to question her judgement, and then the smile. He knew the news he was bringing was good. And in knowing that, Weiss bolted out the door.

Winter!

~A Place to Be~

Ugh! Why couldn't I go first? Weiss tapped her foot impatiently.

Whitley chatted away with their sister, unfortunately there was no video so they could only use audio, and he was eating up all their time.

"Yes... of course I am taking care of myself. You hardly need worry." Whitley rolled his eyes, though he certainly couldn't hide his embarrassed cough.

"Hurry up, Whitley! I wish to talk to Winter as well!" Weiss hit the boy's shoulder, prompting his annoyed glare.

"I shall let you go now, dear older sister, I'm afraid Weiss has yet to learn patience."

"I'm afraid Weiss has yet to learn patience," Weiss mocked, shooing the boy away and ignoring his snide retort.

Finally.

"H-hello, Winter."

"Hello, Weiss."

Weiss's heart skipped. As though her sister's voice had been able to reach her heart from thousands of miles away. She always sounded so confident. So mature and smart - Weiss felt like she knew everything, that she could rely on her for anything.

A tiny giggle escaped her.

"Is there something funny?" Winter asked.

"N-no I'm... just happy to talk to you."

And it was story upon story from there. Weiss couldn't say how long they went on, only that she felt as pleased and relaxed as she'd ever been. It was a rare joy, to talk to Winter - her Specialist life was demanding. What time could she really afford them when she was busy saving lives?

That thought always nagged at the back of her mind. And of all the things she could talk to her sister about, the topic of work versus family was one she kept quiet.

"I trust you've been keeping busy? Sticking to your schedule?"

"Yes... but, it does leave me with more time than I know what to do with," Weiss said with an exasperated sigh, leaning against the table, "Often I just stay in my room - there isn't much company."

"You have your brother."

"Allow me to rephrase that: There isn't much good company." Weiss wished she could laugh alongside Winter, sadly mentioning her little brother just left a bad taste in her mouth, "Whitley is insufferable - he behaves just like father."

Winter chuckled. "He tries too hard to be like him, but he's made of softer skin. Which you should appreciate. The two of you need to get along better."

"Or I need a replacement for him. A dog, preferably. All the money in the world and Father still won't let me have one."

"Can you blame him? What is he to do if they ruin his million dollar trousers?"

Weiss laughed as they continued on, the conversation shifting so quickly from subject to subject. It felt like she could stand there forever - let time slip away.

"Have you tried anything new to keep yourself entertained?"

"Well," Weiss admitted, "I did join this online community."

"Community?"

"Yes, it is a group chat room. I can talk to the people part of the group. I tried it but..."

"But?"

Weiss hesitated. She honestly didn't know what to say. That it was bad? No, that would have been unfair. But to say it was good wasn't exactly true either... it was simply her jumping into a world she didn't understand. "It might not be what I thought it was..."

"Rarely is anything, Weiss. Often it takes more than a single attempt to find value in a new interest."

"Well, yes but -

"If you require something to spend time on, interacting with different people will net you good experience in the future. Huntresses need to be good with people as well, do they not?"

Indeed it was true. Huntsman didn't only kill Grimm, but rescued and protected people too. But it was hard to relate to the common folk locked up in a castle. If Weiss were taking her father's advice, she was supposed to be above them. "But -

"Try, Weiss." Winter said with finality, "And stand up straight, I know you're slouching."

"Wh - how did you..."

"You are my sister. I dare say I know you better than you know yourself."

Weiss straightened up, brushing down her dress just to be sure. "R-right, yes ma'am."

"Alright, I must go."

"Oh..."

"Weiss." Was Winter's gentle warning. One that always told her there was no need to get upset. Even if it was really hard not to, "I will call again when I can. Be nice to your brother, understand?"

Weiss scoffed but nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Then I will go now. Look, I..."

Winter was never good with sentiment. Weiss grinned. "It's okay. I know."

"Hm. Yes I suppose you do. Until next time, sister."

And then she was gone. And the mansion was cold again, as it always was without Winter. But in her stead, was there anything Weiss could put her attention to?

With haste, Weiss made back for her room.

~A Place to Be~

Open it.

Weiss stared at her scroll.

Why should she bother? It's not like it mattered anyway, what would she have to talk about with those people?

She had to try.

With a sigh, she swiped away, finding the app on her home screen. Hesitation, but with a single click, it opened up.

The categories were bright, with only a few shaded out as if to imply less activity. It seemed to have left her in the #General category, which looked to be scrolling pretty frequently.

NormalGirl27 (3:44pm)
I am of the opinion that waffles are superior to pancakes.

PancakeQueen (3:44pm)
You take that back!

Two new people? No, actually it sounded like they were accustomed to each other. Weiss scrolled up, a myriad of names listed beside a wall of conversation. Was this what it looked like normally?

The girl swallowed. It was as though the place had forgotten about her. Did coming there even matter at this point? Maybe it was better to just back out now...

ArcAngel95 (3:45pm)
More of a cereal guy really.

As if her knew of her strife, a familiar face appeared. Weiss let out a reassured breath then, only now noticing how quickly her heart was beating. She was being silly. This wasn't a big deal, what did she have to be nervous for?

Several people are typing…

What? Were there more people?

CookieMonster (3:46pm)
Angel is baaaaasic

ArcAngel95 (3:46pm)
One day I will find you, Cookie. And you will regret such slander.

CookieMonster (3:46pm)
Uh oh! TheBoobiestofBlondes Stalker alert! Stranger danger!

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:47pm)
Hey! What the fuck, Angel!?

CookieMonster (3:47pm):
Get him sis

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:47pm):
Why aren't you stalking me!? So unfair!

NormalGirl27 (3:47pm):
.concern

Whoa, the chat moved pretty fast, and Weiss's heart sped up in tandem as she tried to keep up. Her back ached with her hunch, shifting onto her stomach so she could read comfortably. With a scoff, she shook her head at how childish she was being. What was with the sudden interest?

It's not like any of this was particularly intelligent or stimulating conversation…

Looking to the right sidebar, she could see the list there. Quite a few people actually. About eight, though that was honestly tiny compared to other servers.

ArcAngel95 (3:49pm):
Why must I suffer you all? I've lived my life as a decent person. I never littered, I open the door for old ladies, and I look both ways before crossing the street! So why?

TwilightSerendipity (3:49pm):
All men must suffer, Angel.

ArcAngel95 (3:50pm):
I'm the only man in this server!

PancakeQueen (3:50pm)
Hey!

ArcAngel95 (3:50pm):
SeRenity is a sloth. Doesn't count.

PancakeQueen (3:51pm):
I've got my eye on you, Angelica.

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:51pm)
But you're my man!

ArcAngel95 (3:51pm)
I'm going to choke you

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:51pm)
Put it in my mouth baby

TwilightSerendipity (3:52pm)
Shameless as usual

Weiss snickered, smile getting bigger as she watched this Blonde's response. Clearly she was the clown of the group. Which Weiss couldn't say she was prepared for, but then, she was only watching.

Should she say something? Introduce herself? Swallowing, her fingers hovered over the scroll, backing out just before she could get a word down. What would be the point?

They were all obviously well acquainted with one another. Her jumping in could make things awkward. Another side of her argued that she was part of the server too, but then, she hadn't logged on in a week…

CookieMonster (3:52pm):
Hey! W is on!

Crap.

W (3:53pm):
Hello.

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:53pm):
Damn it! Angel won!

Angel won what?

ArcAngel95 (3:54pm)
Welcome back. I was kinda worried you might not show up again.

W (3:54pm)
My apologies. I have a busy schedule.

ArcAngel95 (3:55pm)
It's fine, well, now that you're around again, meet my pack of degenerates.

He then typed something for a second. An everyone term that ignited an alert sound on her scroll. Was it a way to communicate with everyone?

ArcAngel95 (3:55pm)
Introduce yourselves to our new member, you fucks. And be nice.

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:56pm)
I'm always nice!

PancakeQueen (3:56pm)
Whazzahp?

TwilightSeredipity (3:56pm)
Hi

NormalGirl27 (3:57pm)
Hello W

The sudden influx was a bit jarring but Weiss did feel like she was suddenly in a room with strangers, even though she was clearly alone. It was a strange feeling, projecting a sense of amity with a screen.

But it felt... nice.

W (3:57pm)
Hello everyone, it is a pleasure.

W (3:57pm)
Why is your name... that, Blonde?

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:58pm)
Because I got some thicc titties. Angel knows what I'm talking about.

ArcAngel95 (3:58pm)
Don't listen to her, W

TheBoobiestofBlondes (3:58pm)
Don't deny us. You want me!

ArcAngel95 (3:58pm)
oh boy

Were they in a relationship? It was hard to tell. Weiss would have assumed Blonde was harassing Angel, which she was, but he didn't seem particularly upset. Perhaps it was just flirting?

But why flirt online if she didn't know what he looked like?

W (3:59pm)
If I am interrupting something between you two, I can leave.

ArcAngel95 (3:59)
No, you're fine. Blonde is just crazy.

CookieMonster (3:59pm)
Can confirm.

SeRenity (3:59pm)
Indeed.

PancakeQueen (4:00pm)
Slothman awakens!

Twilight (4:00pm)
Very

TheBoobiestofBlondes (4:00pm)
I'm crazy in love with you, my Angel. Break up with Normal. I'm the one you need.

NormalGirl27 (4:01pm)
I was not aware Angel and I were in a relationship.

TheBoobiestofBlondes (4:01pm)
That's what they all say, you filthy skank.

Something bubbled in Weiss's throat, it took her a mere moment to almost choke on a laugh. She might have reprimanded herself - Winter would not exactly be proud at her laughing at something so vulgar.

But... it was funny.

In a way it felt kind of freeing. Like she didn't need to be ashamed at finding it funny. Not knowing these people perhaps made it easier but that didn't sound like the whole story. Knowing that it was immature, too childish for a person of her standing, it…

It was exciting.

Ping!

A small notification lit up the left side of the app, and she tapped it to bring it up. A direct message?

ArcAngel95 (4:07pm)
Hey, um, I'm glad to see you're back.

Weiss paused, unsure of what to say. It was certainly a kind thing to say, but a bit out of the blue. Why did he feel the need to send a private message?

W (4:07pm)
I admit, I was hesitant to return, I wasn't sure if this was a place I would like.

ArcAngel95 (4:07pm)
I can understand that. Just wanted to make sure we didn't freak you out or anything. I want you to feel as welcome as possible. We're pretty much just a bunch of weirdos but everyone is cool. Except for Blonde. Oy.

Weiss chuckled.

W (4:07pm)
She seems kind. I think I needed a laugh.

Weiss suddenly wished she could delete it, but by then Angel was already responding. She hadn't meant to sound so somber.

ArcAngel95 (4:08pm)
Same. My hometown is kind of small, you would think it'd be easy to make friends then but well... it's not. At least for lame ol' me.

Weiss's chest warmed, a tiny smile appearing on her face as she responded.

W (4:08pm)
It is hard for me as well.

A Schnee couldn't lack social skills. To be the heiress, she had to be good with talking to and reading people. Weiss was confident she could enter a room and take the fore of a conversation, her lessons ensured that.

But friends?

A Schnee had servants, supporters, investors, and even business partners. But that was what it always boiled down to. Business and influence. What would this person do for her that warrants her attention? How would a relationship like this most benefit the Schnee name?

Those people were talking to a Schnee. Not to Weiss.

ArcAngel95 (4:09pm)
There are a couple of others in here like that too. So you don't have to feel like you're alone in that. I hope you can have a good time hanging out with us.

And Weiss beamed.

W (4:09pm)
I think I can

The place was definitely odd. Not a place befitting of a Schnee. But hey, here, she wasn't a Schnee. She was just W. So turning back to the chat, with a little more mirth in the way she typed, she was greeted with yet another change in topic.

PancakeQueen (4:10pm)
I'm telling you Pancakes are better!

NormalGirl27 (4:10pm)
I must disagree

PancakeQueen (4:10pm)
Girl, are you trying to catch these hands?

CookieMonster (4:11pm)
Whose hands?

ArcAngel95 (4:11pm)
No hand catching, or its the plank with all of you.

PancakeQueen (4:11pm)
Make me

ArcAngel95 (4:12pm)
That's it. SeRenity, sic 'em.

SeRenity (4:13pm)
Woof

TheBoobiestofBlondes (4:13pm)
Guess you could say SeRenity is a real…

TwilightSerendipity (4:14pm)
Stop

CookieMonster (4:14pm)
Angel, stop her!

TheBoobiestofBlondes (4:14pm)
DOG!

TwilightSerendipity (4:15pm)
Damn it!

Had she responded yet? Weiss hadn't really noticed. She was probably the one that engaged the least, but strangely, she was fine with that. It was more than enough just to listen to everyone else. They were silly, perverted, immature, and frankly the kinds of people she wouldn't normally associate with.

But not once did she click away.

#PMs: A NormalGirl Friend

Angel (11:32pm)
Hey

NormalGirl (11:32pm)
oh, um hello, ArcAngel95.

Angel (11:32pm)
I'm sorry if everyone made you feel uncomfortable. I ask Blonde to tone down on her jokes when new people arrive.

NormalGirl (11:32pm)
It's fine. I was not offended... just surprised.

NormalGirl (11:33pm)
She seems like a very endearing girlfriend.

Angel (11:33pm)
lol no. She just gets a kick out of flirting with me for some reason. She's actually just someone I met playing video games online. First one to join the server.

NormalGirl (11:33pm)
Oh, I understand

Angel (11:34pm)
Again I'm sorry if she made you uncomfortable. I hadn't seen you on in a few weeks so I thought we'd scared you off.

NormalGirl (11:35pm)
You don't have to go out of your way for me.

Angel (11:35pm)
I do

Angel (11:35pm)
I want you to feel welcome. I mean, I know I should be already since I'm the Mod but still. I hope I'm not sounding like a creep.

NormalGirl (11:37pm)
You aren't. You are very considerate, I appreciate that.

Angel (11:38pm)
We're all just people, right? I'd think everyone would want to be treated the same.

NormalGirl (11:38pm)
Right, one would think that.

NormalGirl (11:39pm)
Thank you. I don't often get people showing concern for me personally.

Angel (11:39pm)
Well, everyone here is nice. And... if you ever want to talk to someone, I can listen. I'm not the best with advice though. Or girls. I can't help you out with girl problems.

NormalGirl (11:39pm)
As a girl who is not interested in other girls that way, I do not think that will be a problem. :)

Angel (11:40pm)
oh okay

Angel (11:40pm)
Wait

Angel (11:40pm)
You're a girl!?

NormalGirl (11:43pm)
um yes, is that an issue?

Angel (11:43pm)
No, no! I just thought we finally had another guy in the server.

Angel (11:43pm)
I'm outnumbered here

NormalGirl (11:44pm)
oh haha XD. You have my sympathy.

Angel (11:44pm)
I'll have another male in this server, I swear it. I can't have you all starting a revolt.

NormalGirl (11:45pm)
Fear not, I think I like you as a leader.

Angel (11:45pm)
Really? Well, thanks. I don't think I do a very good job myself.

NormalGirl (11:45pm)
No, I disagree. Even before me, I have seen how you engage with the others. You don't leave them feeling left out. I'm sure everyone respects you for that.

Angel (11:50pm)
maybe...

NormalGirl (11:51pm)
I assure you, ArcAngel95. They do.

Angel (11:51pm)
Angel

NormalGirl (11:52pm)
what?

Angel (11:52pm)
Typing out my whole name must be a handful, so you can just call me Angel. Everyone else does.

NormalGirl (11:54pm)
Ah, well... is that not a bit too personal?

Angel (11:54pm)
You don't have to if you don't want to. I guess I get carried away when I make new friends.

NormalGirl (11:54pm)
...we are friends?

Angel (11:55pm)
Can we not be?

Angel (11:55pm)
Normal?

Pyrrha covered her mouth, eyes squeezed shut as she fought off the tears. It felt so embarrassing, sitting there on her bed in the middle of the night in only a crop top and underwear. Getting so emotional over a chat but...

Friend. It was an amazing word. One that felt so impossible to reach, for all her victories, that was one she'd never attained.

And Angel had just given it. Without a bit of hesitation. Were it not so late, she might have squealed in joy.

NormalGirl (11:59pm)
My apologies. Yes... I would be happy to be your friend.

Angel (11:59pm)
Great. :) Then um... I guess I'll see you around?

NormalGirl (12:00am)
Wait. Do you mind if we talk a bit more?

Angel (12:00am)
Um sure, I hope I'm not keeping you up too late.

Midnight, Pyrrha noted upon looking at the clock. Normally she was asleep by now, sticking true to her training regime so she could get up at 5 every morning. Staying up any longer would leave her exhausted during the day - and if her father noticed that, he wouldn't be too happy about it.

NormalGirl (12:02am)
No, its fine. I have more than enough time.

Angel (12:02am)
Ha alright, then what do you want to talk about?

NormalGirl (12:02am)
Anything... friend.

Angel (12:02am)
lol okay, friend.

Okay so its been an eternity.

While simple, this is actually one of the hardest fics for me to write. Primarily because of the editing, just that alone can take hours. Especially since this story is very dialogue heavy.

Its maddening I tell you, which is why I held off on updating. Simply because the task is daunting, and for good reason. Books just aren't made for chat style storytelling, its very hard to pull off in my opinion. So while I'm glad I updated, there is no guarantee I'll update anytime soon. Though I will certainly try.

So this chapter goes into Weiss's relationship with her sister and brother, which I tried to go with as realistically as possible. Whitley is pretty much a douche in canon, which is a shame. I think his character could have had more to him than just 'Jacques 2.0'.

But who knows? Maybe RT has some surprise depth ready for him. Maybe not though.

Chapters are short, but honestly making them long in this particular style would be hell on me. Not worth it.

I realize some of the stuff the characters say might feel a little strange, but remember that they are online. People are much more free to express things they wouldn't in real life. Jaune is a bit more confident, Weiss laughs at dirty jokes, etc.

Anyway, I'm glad I updated this. Hope you enjoyed and let me know how you felt about it in a review! I'm still not very confident in my portrayal of Weiss so I'd love to get some feedback.

Later!

ISA