"Hello everyone! Before I get started, on behalf of the Schnee Dust Company, I want to give a big 'thank you' to everyone who's supported us throughout all these months since we started this program. Your support means a lot to us and I'm really happy with all of the wonderful letters I receive every day from all of you.
With that out of the way, I, Laphicet Schnee, would like to bring some very exciting news to share with all of you today on what's going to happen with 'Phi's guide to dust'. So, let's get started…"
"Ugh, this is so embarrassing. I look stupid" Laphicet covered his eyes with his hands as he turned away from the monitor that was broadcasting another one of usual PSAs that the SDC had made him do. It didn't help that he was in a car and thus had to sit in close proximity to the thing as he heard himself talking over and over again. "Come now, you've done over a hundred of these for several months now. You should be getting used to them Mr. Schnee" another person said, sitting opposite to him in the other side of the car. He had a lanky and tall frame with bleached blonde hair and spectacles that gave him a look of sophistication.
"I know, I know. It's just…"
"Embarrassing or not, your videos are quite popular with our focus groups and it has been a boon to the SDC's and by extension, your father's public image. So, hold some pride for it" the man calmly retorted, busy dabbling with his scroll.
"I guess you're right Mr. Julius" Laphicet acknowledged in defeat. Deep down, he knew the head of the SDCs Public Relations had a point when he said that it had helped his adopted father's company immensely. Of course, it came at the cost of his privacy, since he was essentially forced to expose himself to the public. To say that it caused an uproar would be an understatement. For nearly a month, half of the tabloids in Atlas were constantly talking about the latest member of the Schnee family, with unsubstantiated rumors being spread left and right.
Especially about the ones regarding his origins.
Some thought he was the bastard child of either Jacque or Willow, a union that came out of forbidden love, thus forcing him to be abandoned at an early age only to have their first parent perish, leaving the remaining parent to take him in either out of sheer pity or to protect their public image should the child lay claim to legitimacy. Of course, these stories also conveniently leave out the fact he practically shared none of the Schnees physical traits.
Others carried over the pity story but replaced the forbidden love part with Laphicet being the victim of the SDCs or the White Fang's wars against each other and his subsequent adoption being seen as a means of atonement.
The more straightforward ones though that this move a simply an act to alleviate their public image done to make themselves look sympathetic.
Of course, the stories and rumors were only part of the problem. The other half of the issue of being a Schnee came from people's opinions on him. Especially since he was practically made the face of their family friendly brand. Some thought he would be no different from the other Schnees and that he would turn out just like them: ruthless and cold, or at least what they thought most were like. The more vocal ones labelled him guilty by association and it reflected in their letters containing threats and intimidations, vows of vengeance over what the SDC did to them. Laphicet had to admit that they disturbed and unnerved him to say the least, though Klein tried his best to encourage him not to take any of them to heart as he explained to him that this was a regular occurrence and that they had no right to say those things to a child that they knew nothing about. As if to further comfort him, the butler would tell him stories of how worse things had happened to his siblings, and how it had affected them. Whitley returned the hatred in kind and treated everyone as beneath him, Winter took the high ground and simply ignored them, believing that she had better things to do. Weiss, much like Whitley, took it badly and it reflected on the person she became now. This revelation helped put his mind at ease and at very least, made him understand why Weiss was the way she was.
As if to balance out the slew of negative publicity, the other half of the public warmly received his arrival, believing him to be the white sheep of the family and hoped that he would be a positive influence on them while still retaining that goodness in his later years as an adult. Little did they know that a malaks' concept of maturity was much, much longer than a human or even a faunus.
But the thing that made him happiest was the endless amounts of heartfelt letters being sent to him by children either his age, older and sometimes younger than him. In their letters, they would thank him for helping them get through their troubled times and inspiring them to reach for their dreams. For a while, he really didn't understand what he did that could've meant so much to them, until the day he participated in a charity program to visit a children's hospital who had all requested to meet him.
And it moved him.
Their smiling faces as they struggled to cope with their various disabilities and their drive to keep on living despite the worst life had given them almost moved him to tears. He was humbled by the fact that they were so happy by him just being there and many said that they looked up to him. He hated that, mainly because of the fact that all he did was stand in front of the camera and talk over and over again, hardly anything that warranted such praise. A hero who saved the world countless times deserved the praise more than he did: someone like Eleanor perhaps.
When he dwelled on it, he realized that while people like Eizen and Velvet would shun such praises and move on, shamelessly hiding any sort of humility that they actually might have, Eleanor would've instantly taken it upon herself to live up to their praises and do everything in her power to make things better for them. The young malak couldn't help but smile in nostalgia and he felt that if Eleanor were here, she would tell him to help these children however he could.
And it was this belief that spurned him into using his healing artes to alleviate some of the problems that the children were facing. It wasn't exactly an instant miracle fix nor did it do much against the more severe ones, yet it was enough to lift some of their burdens. In return, they would talk about their life, interests, struggles and share their dreams to him
Since that day, Laphicet had been invited to several dozen other charity programs for children as well as advertising collaborations with apparently some popular names and brands, including one with a cereal brand called Pumpkin Pete and their latest mascot, the Champion of Mistral, Pyrrha Nikos; something that had apparently been on negotiations for a while now. Ultimately however, it was Mr. Julius and his father who made the final call on everything.
Still, if it made children happy, he was more than willing to do it. As a matter of fact, he was just happy to be doing anything to help instead of simply staying in the manor all day doing nothing but studying or collecting bugs.
…
At the moment, Laphicet was currently on his way to another of the children's hospital located in the lower city of Mantle in order to visit a special patient who had requested to meet up with him. While he was supposedly going under orders from the PR team, it was something he was more than happy to oblige as it was a duty, he had gladly taken a liking to. His only gripe was the endless hordes of media groups that would constantly swarm and make everything a nuisance as the constant flashing of lights irritated him greatly.
Nevertheless, it was an issue he had learned to endure for the sake of charity and at the end of day, if he had made that one important person happy, then it would be enough.
Entering the room of the patient, Laphicet saw a young girl patiently waiting for him in a seated position. As he got closer, her face lit up in his presence as she gave him a wide smile.
"Hi" Laphicet greeted as he sat next to her bed with the seat provided for him. She looked like she was about his age with medium length brown hair and eyes of the same color as her hair. With bags under her eyes, she looked rather pale and sickly; something that darkly suited her hospital garments.
"You're Laphicet right?" she asked, shifting herself to face him. It was then that Laphicet notice that her right arm looked incomplete as a short stump for the end while everything else from the elbows up to her hands were missing. He had seen several such sights during his frequent visits and while he was used to such things, he still couldn't help but feel sorry for her and others like her.
"Uh huh. I'am" he answered while nodding, "and what about you? What's your name?"
The girl blinked for a moment before shaking herself and smiling at him again, "oh right. My name is Angela"
"It's nice to meet you Angela" Laphicet said, as he reached out for his bag underneath him in order to take out an item. The girl watched curiously as the boy lifted what seemed like a neatly packaged book from the bag and placed it on her lap. Laphicet smiled as he asked "I heard you liked to read a lot, so I thought I'd bring you some books. Do you like it?"
The patient excitedly ripped open the package with her hand as stacks of small books unveiled themselves. The girl's face was beaming with joy as she saw her gifts and she looked over Laphicet with a sweet smile, "thank you so much!".
Laphicet smiled back as he replied, "you're welcome. So, you want to read up on the old civilizations of Remnant, right? I think that's really cool".
"You really think so?"
"Yeah. It's amazing how there's little written records about them and how they just disappeared like that. There's so much we don't know about them and I think it's fascinating" Laphicet shifted his chair so he could inch closer to her.
Hearing this, the girl's face brightened and was beaming with joy. "Right? That's why I wanna travel the world and study their ruins when I get older".
"I wanna travel the world too. I wanna see all of Remnant someday" the malak retorted back.
"But don't you get to travel the world all the time? I mean, you're a Schnee, right?" Angela asked, being slightly confused at what he had said.
Laphicet was a bit taken aback by her questions, though he quickly shook it off as he had become accustomed to such prodding. "Well…. it's not as easy as you think it is Angela. I really can't go wherever and whenever I want" he answered, scratching the side of his head.
"Oh, I see" she said, looking down at her new books almost as if to hide her embarrassment in asking that question. Eventually she regained her confidence enough to raise her head and look at the boy again. "Say, Laphicet. What's it like…I mean, being adopted by the Schnees" she asked.
"Umm…. well…I" Laphicet struggled to formed the appropriate words to answer her. He had been taught and warned, not to say anything that might paint the Schnees in a bad light. Of course, that really didn't stop him from giving a roundabout honest answer at times. "It's fine…. for the most part. A lot of them are really nice to me and I like them a lot too".
"It must be nice. To have brothers and sisters" the girl said with a sad smile on her face.
"So, what about you? What's your family like?" Laphicet asked, attempting to alleviate the mood as he began to notice how dejected she was starting to look.
"My mom died when I was really small, so I don't remember much about her. My dad has been the only person I've ever known and he works as a security guard in the SDC" she explained. "Do you remember your real mom and dad?"
"No…." Laphicet shook his head before giving himself a pause, 'w-what I mean is…I never met them but I knew someone who was close to them"
The girl looked surprised, if not a bit confused as Laphicet darted around her question. Little did she realize that this only a fraction of a half truth that he was telling and if he told her everything, she'd probably find it hard to believe.
"I'm really sorry to hear that" the girl said gently, "but even if you're not really related to them, I hope your new family is good to you too"
Laphicet stared at the girl, his eyes wide, as he slowly settled down with a smile, "I…." he paused for a moment, "I appreciate it. And if meet your dad, I'll be sure to tell him about you. I'm sure he misses you a lot".
"Really? Then tell that I'm doing just fine and he has nothing to worry about"
Laphicet got up from his seat as he stood in front of her, his small stature meant that there wasn't any difference in height as they made eye contact. Laphicet gave a swift bow as he said, "I have to go now Angela, I'm sorry that I can't stay here any longer. But I'll be sure to tell your father soon"
Angela in turn gave a nod of approval. "It's alright. I'm really glad you came here to meet me. Maybe we meet each other again someday".
"I hope so too" Laphicet said, his face curved into a big smile as he left the room.
While the climate of Atlas was always cold and harsh, their winters were particularly brutal, even for Laphicet. Still, the state-of-the-art heating technology provided by the SDC meant that the Schnee household would always remain warm even in the coldest of nights. Yet, despite the harsh winter, the staff of the Schnee manor had no time to simply put down their working gloves as they began making preparations for Weiss's upcoming birthday.
And yet, despite the orders supposedly coming from either Willow or Jacques, Laphicet noted that neither of them seemed particularly concerned with their daughter's coming of age as they both seemed to keep to themselves. The malak did see his adopted mother getting some sort of present prepared for her, and despite their relationship not being as they were once before, she did ask him to give it to her on the day of her birthday. When asked about why she couldn't give to Weiss herself, she dodged the question and remained silent.
Laphicet for his part was rather nervous himself. While this wasn't the first time that he would be celebrating someone else's birthday, this one felt special considering that this would be the best chance he would have to try to bond with her. As such, it was a challenge for him when it came to finding an appropriate present for her. He wanted to give her something that would leave a strong impression on her, enough to change her opinion on him but at the same time, he wasn't exactly sure what kind of present she would like or what her preferences were: she was a girl after all.
He would spend nights, pacing back and forth while swiping over his scroll, agonizing over the details of what the ideal present would be for his sister, to the extent that he would sigh more than a hundred times per day. Not even Klein could help him on the matter as nearly all of his advice boiled down to "I'm certain she will appreciate whatever present you give her, Master Laphicet".
Ultimately, just a few days before the fated bash, something had caught his eye as he browsed through his scroll. Something that was very familiar to him as it was one of the few things he remembered fondly from his old life. While it wasn't exactly a compass and to his knowledge, Weiss wasn't someone who would be interested in such, it was something that Velvet held onto dearly and it was one of the first things she gave to him as a sign of trust.
Laphicet thought long and hard on the matter, before eventually deciding to stick to it. After all, it was something that he felt girls everywhere liked and the object itself was beautifully designed with elegant craftsmanship. The malak felt that if he was unsure, it would be for the best to stick to what he was comfortable with. Thus, as a present for his adopted sister, Laphicet decided to settle for…...a comb.
…..
Even if the furious winter season of Atlas raged on, there were certain times where the warmth of the sun would show mercy and shine a ray of light to once every few weeks to allow life to continue forward at a snail's pace. Even when high above Mantle, the icy winter showed no mercy, so these lapses in snowstorms seemed like the perfect opportunity for outside activities.
Laphicet certainly thought so, as he wasted no time making his way to the courtyards to soak up the early morning sun. Sitting in one of the benches outside, he narrowed his gaze curiously over to an object that he had placed on the table as he watched it with excitement. He placed a plate of sliced fruits next to the thing as it moved closer to it, as if intending on consuming it.
"Here you go Mr. Beetle, eat up" Laphicet said as he nudged the little creature towards the plate of fruits. Despite the frigid environment of Solitus as well as the fact that Atlas was floating island high up in the atmosphere, insect life flourished in spite of the circumstances. Some species even managed to fly all the way up from ground land below, while others were brought in on purpose, with the intent of actively allowing them to pollinate some of the plant life here. Thus, there were more insects then one might have initially suspected due to the symbiotic relationships some of them shared with the flora.
For a bug enthusiast like Laphicet, this was something to rejoice over as it meant that he could continue with one of his favorite hobbies, provided he kept it away from the rest of his family: his instincts told him that they would not appreciate the sight of him holding insects so casually. While it did cross his mind to screw around with Whitley by putting a bug to his face just to see his reaction, he never got around to doing it out of uncertainty and fear that he might harm the bug in question. So, for the moment, he was content with just watching this strange species of rhino beetle consume a slice of banana as if it was the greatest form of entertainment in the world.
"Had I known that you would be feeding those fruits I sliced for you to your Ummm…pet, in an open courtyard, I might have had protested against it, Master Laphicet", the Malak's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the Schnee butler as he approached him.
"I know" Laphicet replied as he turned around to face him, "but Mr. Beetle has been staying in my room for so long, I wanted him to get some sunlight".
Klein chuckled at his reply, before standing next to him and reached for the plate, as he took out a banana slice and fed it to the insect. 'You do know that you cannot keep him inside this box forever".
Laphicet sighed as he replied, "I know Klein, but they won't let me get a proper place to keep bugs in and I'm only keeping him until winter is over".
"Speaking of winters, have you thought of a present for you sister?" Klein asked.
"I have. But it's surprise" Laphicet answered with a cheeky grin.
Klein looked to his left and right side, as if to make to sure no one was watching before his eyes changed to pink as he leaned in closer to Laphicet until he reached his ears as he whispered, "I know what it is, but don't worry. Your secret is safe with me".
As he leaned back, he could see surprised look that his charge was giving him while gagging under his own words. "H-how did you….?"
"Is something the matter, Master Laphicet? I haven't the faintest idea as to what you are trying to say, ohohohoho" Klein placed a hand on his chin and bashfully feigned ignorance. He quietly muttered to Phi with his left hand covering the right side of his face as he winked, "Don't worry, sweetie, I won't tell a soul".
Thankfully, it was enough to reassure him as Laphicet let his guard down. "So…do you think she'll like it?".
"I'm not sure if Miss Schnee will like it, though with all of the extravagant gifts she's been accustomed to reviewing, something as simple as yours would be a welcome change of pace" the butler answered, returning to his default persona.
"Really?" Laphicet asked as he raised a brow.
"What matters in the end, Master Laphicet, is that your gift should come from the heart. And I know yours is in the right place" Klein reassured him.
"Well, if she doesn't like me after this, then I don't think anything I do will" Laphicet quipped.
"Now, now. Don't say such things, my little prince" Klein objected as he continued, "after all, this is a momentous occasion. You should at least be excited over the party".
Laphicet frowned as he answered, "I guess so".
"Good" Klein shrugged as he sat next to him, "now then, I'm sure Mr. Beetle needs his daily calorie intake before the sun dies out. We should help him".
Phi let out a sigh once before cracking a smile, "okay".
…
As the warm sun eventually retreated back into the dark clouds, so too did Laphicet and Klein return to the warm interior of the manor. Taking a stroll around the place while the servants were busy making preparations for the bash, Laphicet made sure to keep the bug well hidden in a small box he carried around with him so as to not accidentally frightened one of the staff and possibly start a chain reaction of unfathomable disaster. If that were to happen, he sure that a certain someone would hate his guts for eternity, not that it was difficult to begin with.
Entering his room, he placed the box on his study table as it rested comfortably next to another box that was smaller in size. "Ah, is that the one Master Laphicet?" Klein commented.
"Yeah, but you can't tell anyone about it, Klein" Laphicet answered as he stared at the object.
"Of course, I made a promise before and I will do so again: my lips are sealed" the butler mimicked a scene where he metaphorically zipped his mouth shut, giving Laphicet cause to smile. "Anyways, have you begun wrapping the present yet?"
The boy sat on his chair as he gently opened the casing, revealing a wooden comb of elaborate design and craftsmanship; it consisted of a snowflake like design that dominated the top while being supplemented by floral patterns. The teeth were long with thickness varying at the end of each spectrum, perfectly suited for someone with long hair. "I'm thinking of doing it as soon as possible but I'm not really sure how to do it. Can you help me Klein?"
"It would be my honor" Klein said as he gave a swift bow, "speaking of which, may I suggest we also make a birthday gift card for Miss Weiss as well".
"A birthday card for her?" Laphicet titled his head as he asked.
"Indeed. It would compliment that beautiful comb nicely and it would help you express your feelings better through your writing without the need to fumble over words as you would should you be speaking to her" Klein explained.
Laphicet closed the casing as he rested a hand on his chin while his eyes wandered around as if in deep thought. Suddenly, the malak seemed to have snapped back into reality as his face gleamed with joy. "That's a great idea Klein!" he exclaimed, "but how do I get started on this?"
"Hmmm" Klein pondered on for a moment, "I was thinking of helping you today, but my schedule says otherwise, unfortunately. So how about you start by writing what you want to say to her on the card and I will help you make one tomorrow. We could simply buy one but I think something made by your own two hands with words written from your heart would have a greater impact. What do you think?".
"I think I'd like that" Phi replied.
"Very well then, I will begin preparing the materials needed as soon as possible" the butler gave him another bow before slowing showing himself out the door.
Now all alone with no one but the insect to keep him company, Laphicet took out a piece of note from the study table and opened it, while taking a pencil with his other hand as he took a deep breath. Before he could start however, he hesitated for a moment as turned his gaze towards the box where the insect was kept.
Opening it, he let out a smile as he turned his attention back to the blank paper as he prepared himself to write the words down. "Alright Mr. beetle, how do you think I should start?"
Rummaging through the messy study table, Laphicet grabbed hold of the pencil as he began scribbling onto a piece of paper with such intensity, that it nearly seemed like it would tear off at the slightest pressure. Next to him were mountains of crumbled paper that began overflowing from the wastebasket as they stacked on top of one another.
After a few minutes, he finally laid down his pencil as he took hold of the final piece of paper and raised it up with a gleaming smile. "There, it's done!" he proclaimed with great pride as he stood up from his seat with excitement. "Now let's take this to Klein" he stated, leaving his room with paper in hand.
Yet in his state of contagious anticipation, Laphicet had failed to realize that a looming figure had entered his room just as he left it, with unknown intentions.
….
"This is just perfect! I didn't think Klein could make something this nice" Laphicet looked like he was on cloud nine as he walked through the hallways with the newly made card in hand, excitedly making his way back to his room. He had entertained the idea of giving his presents to her right away rather than wait for tomorrow on that important day, though ultimately, he decided against it as he felt that it would ruin the special feeling of the present.
As he opened the door to his room, Laphicet walked back to his study table only to be shocked by the sight of what could only be described as a disaster for him. Not only was the casing for his comb missing while the comb was out in the open, his insect box was uncovered and worst of all, his beetle was missing!
With a gasp, his eyes widened as he began frantically searching for the little creature. "Oh no!" he exclaimed as he looked left and right in the hopes that his precious insect was still around somewhere. It was a priority to him over the fate of that comb box as it could easily be replaced while a life of his pet bug was irreplaceable. "Mr. Beetle? Where are you?!" he called out, rummaging through the messy papers and looking underneath his table.
Suddenly, a loud shriek echoed through the entire manor as it took Laphicet by surprise. Regaining his composure, he put two and two together, before coming up with a hunch that the insect was at the center of that scream. Realizing that this might the best chance to get both the bug and his casing back, Laphicet took the comb from his table and placed it in his pocket while exiting the door.
Outside his room, it was apparent that the scream was audible enough that it had shaken everyone else as well since the staff were looking at each other with visible fear and confusion. Retracing the sound of the echoed back to its source, Laphicet could only gulp in fear as he felt his worst fears were possibly coming true: It was Weiss's room.
Running with all of the strength his legs could carry, Laphicet bolted for the door, not caring if he was entering a girl's room without her permission: the life of that bug, depended on him!
Crashing through the door, Laphicet was exposed to the sight of a terrified Weiss who looked like she was ready to stomp out the little creature underneath her heel, while being oblivious to the presence of Phi. "Wait!" Laphicet shouted as he made a mad dash towards them, quickly kneeling down and tenderly clasping the insect in the palm of his hands. "I'm so sorry Mr. beetle, I should've been more careful" he heaved a sigh of relief as he looked at the insect with a smile, "I'm just glad you're safe".
Weiss, however, was not amused.
"You!" the heiress shot an angry glare at the boy, "what is the meaning of this?!"
"I- "
"Is this some kind of cruel joke? Do think this is funny!?" Weiss snarled as she pointed her finger at him.
"No! It's nothing like that!" Laphicet justified, however his plea fell on deaf ears as Weiss continued lashing out.
"Oh, I see. It's not enough that you had to take everything I had; you have to rub it to my face! Isn't that right?"
"Weiss, that's not true! I'd never do something like that"
"Don't lie to me. You think that just because they took you in, that means you're one of us? That you have the right to call me by my name and act like I'm your sister? It's baffling to me that someone like you could be so naïve" Weiss was at that point where there was no longer a filter between her mind and her mouth as she continued berating the young malak.
Laphicet was, by all accounts, the sweetest child there ever was. At least from the perspectives of those who have met him. Despite all his posturing and pouting about how he was a wicked, selfish little boy who ran with a troupe of even worse people, it mostly fell on deaf ears since for all that big talk about being bad, Laphicet was really, really terrible at being actually bad since his own idea of what it meant to be wicked was a far cry from what it really was.
That being said, he wasn't an extreme doormat, a shrinking violet nor someone's punching bag either. If he learned anything from being with the likes of Eizen, Velvet and even Rokurou, it was that even he had limits and when it was too much, he needed to stick it to the people responsible, no matter who it was.
Those big round eyes of his narrowed into a menacing glare of its own as his whole faced frowned into something more aggressive.
"What does that even mean!? Why do you hate me so much!?" Laphicet was just as sharp tongued and loud as Weiss was in order to match her levels of intensity.
"Because you stole from me! You stole my mother, you stole Klein, and you even tried to steal Winter from me. They were only things that mattered to me in this world and you tried to take them from me. You, a nobody, waltzed in and acted like you belonged here, parading around like one of us and pretending to care! You are just like my father!" Weiss stomped her feet as she ranted on with venom in her words.
"I didn't ask to be Schnee, I never wanted to be here and I never wanted to take anything away from you. All I ever wanted was to understand you and be the little brother you'd want!" Laphicet yelled back with equal ferocity.
"You are a usurper, no different from father! You are not my brother and you will never be one!"
By this time, the two had given up on anything resembling a civil discussion as venomous words were hurled at each other. The sheer animosity between the two was such, that they were one short snap from escalating to physical violence and from the looks of it, this was turning out to be coming true unless a mediator stepped in.
Thankfully, it came in the form of someone both were very familiar with and would most likely listen to.
"I think it would be for the best if the both of you gave each other some space and let cooler heads prevail" Klein immediately stepped between the two of them as both Weiss and Laphicet continued to angrily stare at each other. However, the both seemed to have heeded Klein's suggestion as they both stopped talking and simply remained silent.
Eventually, Weiss was the first to back off as she crossed her arms and turned towards the opposite direction with an audible yet distasteful "hmph".
Laphicet followed suit as he eased himself before reaching for his pocket and taking out the comb, "I'm sorry I exist. Here's your stupid birthday gift!" he tossed the comb to the ground before storming off, "do whatever you want with it".
…..
Silence filled the room as Klein nervously looked on at the aftermath of the war on words that had just been waged. Even if everything was intact as it did not escalate to destructive levels, it felt as if a storm had just ravaged through and the survivors were left stunned and speechless.
"Don't you think you were a little too harsh on him, Miss Schnee?" Klein gently tried to nudge an answer out of her. Yet, she stood still in silence, almost as if she was trying to block out all of the outside voices.
Klein stepped forward, a little bit nervous at the prospect of his charge snapping and lashing out again. At first, he thought of how similar these two were, of the circumstances they face and yet, these similarities only drove them further apart. Seeing as how volatile and unpredictable Weiss was at the moment, the butler thought it was for the best that he gives her some space.
"I suppose, I'll be taking this comb and it's casing with me, since you won't be needing it" he said with a gentle tone as he picked up the comb from the ground "All that he ever wanted, was for you to acknowledge him, you know? He never cared about the wealth or the family title". Looking at it now, Klein thought this item was certainly beautiful with elegant craftsmanship and bright jewelry that would befit someone of high status. The fact that Laphicet went through all the trouble to get one for her as well as asking for his help in making a gift card, showed just how much of her approval he wanted. Sadly, now it seems that was all for naught as he slowly made his way towards the table to grab the casing.
"Klein?"
The butler shot a look of surprise at his charge suddenly speaking up as he turned towards her, only to see Weiss standing in the same position as before.
"Yes, Miss Schnee?"
"Can you keep those things on the table. I…. just want to look at it"
"Of course, Miss Schnee" he bowed as he placed the comb inside the casing and departed in order to give her some privacy. Leaving the room, Klein decided to make his way towards Laphicet, whom he guessed, was in his own room as well, his own face lightened at the prospect that there still might be hope after all.
…
Klein's guess turned out to be correct as Laphicet really was in his room, standing and sulking around. Look at his room, he could tell that the mess he had made all to get a present for Weiss had almost been for naught, evident by the look of frustration on the boy's face. Yet, even so, he found it strange that the birthday card was in his study table next to the insect box and not in the waste bin as he would've expected. A pleasant surprise, to say the least.
"Are you thinking of leaving, Master Laphicet" Klein gently coaxed as he approached him.
"And what if I'am? Are you going to stop me?" the boy grumbled. He was in a grumpy mood for sure, and for good reasons: His adopted sister had completely and utterly rejected him, refusing to acknowledge him; worse still, she compared him to Jacques of all people. The two were so different in personalities as the sun and moon were, that Klein was shocked to realize that she resented him that much. And nobody could blame him, for any person in his position would feel just as angry as he was; confused, hurt and betrayed.
Still, if there was one thing Klein was really good at, it was making people feel better about themselves, especially those he served under. "Well, I won't stop you, dear Master. You have every right to feel this way" the butler said, taking Laphicet out of his pouty face and into something that seemed more like a look of genuine surprise at the answer that was given.
"But if you did, I think it would break your mother's heart…...and mine as well"
"Klein" Laphicet said with a hitch in his voice. He really didn't see this answer coming.
"I know things are difficult, but please, do not give up on this life or your family just yet. You mean the world to so many here, even if you don't see it. And Weiss…please, give her another chance" he pleaded.
Small bits of tears were forming in the boy's face before he quickly wiped them off and regained his composure. That stern, pouty façade had returned, "If Weiss doesn't want to talk to me then I won't talk to her either. She's hates me as much as she hates father, so I'm done trying to get her to like me because it's just not going to work. So, if she doesn't want me to be her brother, then I won't,".
"Of course- "
"But…...I won't run away either. If you don't want me to…. that is" the façade slipped for a moment as Phi momentarily returned to that precocious child that he was, "Even if I don't like father and mother keeps sticking to the bottle, Winter hasn't given up on me, so I'll stay to be the best brother for her, and even Whitley".
Klein couldn't help but respect the determination that the boy held, even in the face of such adversity.
"I'm glad to hear it. Just know, that I will always be there to support you Master Laphicet" Klein reassured him with a beaming smile on his face.
"I know Klein" Laphicet nodded, "That's why I'm counting on you".
A smile had finally returned to the young malaks face as he shared in this moment. It may not have been the conclusion he had wanted but at the very least the air had been cleared and he knew where he stood on, at least when it concerned Weiss and that and that was something he counted as a gain. Still, he couldn't help but wonder, just who in the world, stole his bug and send it to Weiss?
Apologies for taking this one longer than usual. A nasty cyclone hit near the place where I lived and we didn't have electricity for weeks.
This chapter was both difficult and easy to write. Hope you enjoy it and stay safe out there.