Witless Promotions - Scham__2001 - RWBY [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Chapter Text

Shadows of a cast over midday loomed long and stark over the towering form of Atlas, cold ice and snow still lingering over the canopies and concrete roofing of the city in dispassionate efforts to encourage the final throes of the cold season--though that was only the case for much of the civilian buildings. The hazard of Atlas proper, its private and corporate buildings were just getting used to a return of normality, was that sheens of darkened glass and stone were still flying the emblematic flags and tapestry like flags of the regime.

The war had been long and cruel, brutal in many respects, but the showings of such a horrific experience were far flung from the city itself and mostly drawn to the colonies and hinterlands. Where Atlas itself truly found the war, was the haunting images and soaring images of their victorious strides against the tyranny of their foe and the massacres against their own delt by brutal enemies of the people. The tail end of the war did little to remedy those events, an end was sought much more out of necessity than outright victory as the state had promised those years ago; food and other needs having been disproportionately squandered on the elite rather than the people had proven little in the grand scheme.

For that purpose, an awkward form of armistice had been signed. Critical thinkers had thought it rather mediaeval for the period the state of Atlas claimed to be within, though their foes at the least seemed rather fascinated by the concept; though likewise confused over its readied acceptance by their own leader.

Their foe had taken the form as a conglomerate of lands and warlords, as far as Atlas was concerned, beyond the concrete and barricades of Atlas’ colonies and seemed poised to challenge them to no end even leading up to the war. Where Atlas held their government as a paragon of order and cooperation, in public anyway, their enemy was bled every ounce like a Queendom of Fiefdoms under a mysterious Queen who only operated through mediaries and power figures. Had it not been for their relative technology and economies, Atlas would have certainly attempted to paint the Queendom as if it were some rowdy barbarians rather than what it had really become, resistance against their own incursions given a leader.

The politics of the war had come to a head with the armistice however, where the most odd component of the war came to full force. There was a popular sentiment amongst both the politicians and lords that the outcome of an extended war would only bring total devastation to all the Realms and Atlas alike, so alongside the joint reciprocity and reparations there would be a special insurance plan laid out to ensure a lasting peace.

A marriage, wholly diplomatic it had seemed at first, was to be undertaken by two of the so-called great dynasties of the two civilisations.

Atlas presented their pedigree of the Schnee family, a wealth of children and connected branches in their family tree allowing for a rooted connection to every sphere within industry, politics, and the military of Atlas alike. And most prestigious, the selected member was the Pride of Atlas, the most propagandised servant of the state who dominated news feeds for her command and artistic strategies within the Ministry of War which laid the groundwork for the effortless opening of the war--at least until until the spannings of trenches turned grain fields to mud. Yes, the mighty eldest daughter of the Schnee family, Winter Schnee, was pressed forward as making a heroic sacrifice in ‘volunteering’ for the end of the war to be ended on these terms.

The circ*mstances of volunteering with Winter’s sign off has been muddled with the error of circ*mstance, behind closed doors it was only following the Schnee Patriarch offering the middle child of their family off initially that Winter stood her ground and took the order personally. Of course, it was only after she had seen who her sister, Weiss, would have been marrying that Winter was so quick to rush to the floor of that diplomatic contract.

In their offering, the warlords and Queen alike had pressed forth someone of equality of strength and power within the coalition. A war hero, though in every way which Winter was not. A soldier turned royalty allegedly, the Black Queen division’s leader who was both the target of propaganda on both sides of the war as it dragged on. A war hero within the line and elite alike, Cinder Fall had led violence after violence against Atlas through the war in daring and risky manoeuvres which had silenced even some of the great Winter Schnee’s strategies.

War had taken its toll on Cinder, where Winter had been host to the offices and maps of the war, Cinder had been in the thick of the frontlines across the stretches of land; wherever her Queen commanded she obeyed. The tenacity of the royal warrior brought with it a plethora of war scars and wounds, of which most drew forth wet retches from the Atlesians who had orchestrated in the armistice forum.

Now, of course, it had been some months since the signing; and the pair of war heroes wedding. Now Atlas worked to rebuild itself, turning businesses back over to their owners, or new ones, as the military slowly receded back from day to day life. Parades returned to their prewar times, though it was difficult to remove the highlights of the public ‘victory’ from underscoring the mutual terms of the war’s end.

In which the elites worked hard to retain their continued power, terrified of the people of course, to which they required the lavishness of the retreats the Schnee family offered.

A stark different tone painted the estate of the Schnee family as the bleeding jewel of the concrete city, lights from tall and century old unshaken windows breathed light onto large and open plots of land which lay on the capitol hill of the city. Music from a live band bellowed loud and with such range that it could be heard almost over all of the estate even as it competed with the merriment of the well gowned and suited gentry and gentlefolk.

Shouts of earnings from arms manufacturers, construction, and resource extraction filled the once hallowed halls of a respectable name, now nothing more than a tycoon breeder--or at the least that’s what Winter spat under her breath as she removed herself from an offshoot office room within the manor proper.

Heavy and loud, the door crashing shut behind her did little to even interrupt a millisecond of the preceding. The stench of alcohol still wafting through the air from the room behind her form lingered in her nostrils, staining them in a stench which forced her eyes to water. Coughing indignantly into her gloved hand as she fought to remove such a smell.

The eldest daughter of the Schnee’s form was coat in something more fitting for the propaganda posters she normally frequented. A white tunic matched with turnbull blue pants and blackened jackboots, shoulder straps and a wide collar fold of the same colour were outlined in a bright red, all only laid the foundation for her regalia of the evening. Her chest was encrusted with awards and service medals, alongside a gilden shoulder cord, alongside markings of her rank and her definitive Herald of Atlas cross at her throat, she felt more ready to pose for another painting than attend a gala; and the thick belt at her waist only made it more difficult to breath as she gasped for breath.

Blue eyes of crystal-like quality glared at the floor, long and uneasy breaths coming with a mark of sweat at her brow, thanks to only the music and noise about her did she force herself to return to the golden lit hallway as a hesitant rapid succession of footfalls approached her.

“What did she say?” A voice Winter knew all too well asked with shaking urgency, making the war hero swallow her lingering bile as she turned her head with a glance. The former hazed look on Winter’s expression dimmed, not entirely, but a forced retraction allowed her to gaze over with some calm breaths at her sister.

Taking a moment to breathe in the fragrance of Weiss’ perfume, some expensive gift from some despot more than likely, her young sister was growing up so fast and she had not even been present enough in the past years to have seen it happening. There she stood, capable, prideful, Weiss was everything she had been and so so much more.

It took effort, but Winter forced herself to summon a slickened sorry smile and nod. “Mother will not be joining us.” She could see the soul in Weiss’ eyes drop, making her next movement come with much less force as her will returned. “But…” Her offhand rose from her side, in between her index and middle finger she held a neatly folded page. “I did find her lucid enough for you, Weiss.”

That light returned with a soaring shine to Weiss, as her heels clicked rapidly forward and gently took the offered page from Winter’s hand. Looking down over it with such a passion, Winter only momentarily felt prideful about what she had done. “Thank you! T-thank you, Winter.”

The page itself was little more than an official document from Winter’s ministry. The war being what it was there were some issues with transport, enlistment, which the state sought to streamline. “Now I need to remind you again, how unethical this is.” Winter said with a slight barb of seriousness, watching as Weiss’ eyes lingered over the seal of her mother’s signature stamped upon the bottom of the page.

“Furthermore.” Winter continued, sighing strongly as her hands fell onto Weiss’ shoulders, making her strong and excited sister look her finally in the eye again. “I need you to promise me again.” Her eye lingering for a moment behind her white hair for a moment as she felt Weiss nod.

Weiss clutched the letter tightly as she snatched at her sister’s form, embracing her elder with a tightness that made Winter choke. “I will make you proud, Winter.” Holding her tighter as she breathed heavily.

“I already know that.” Winter chuckled into her sister’s hair, returning the hug. Her voice turned sour once more however, breathing uncomfortably as she now whispered. “I mean promise me that you will at least try and be safe?”

Once more Weiss nodded, though now with far more weight to it, “I’ll have Miss Rose with me, Winter.” Stammering, Winter could tell it was only a partial show of compliance.

“I think I know you too well.” Winter huffed quickly, tightening the hug even more once more as Weiss coughed.

“You’re stabbing me now.” Weiss heaved, forcing the elder to quickly break her hold. Seeing the open components of Weiss’ dress littered with slight marks from her medals. The small sight brought another lingering smile and laugh to the pair; though it was only for the moment.

Quickly shaking a breath from her, Winter parted from Weiss. “Right, now, go get your things put together. Including your uniform. Make sure father does not see either your trunk or this page. I will come and get you personally when it is time.”

“Right, right, I understand.” Weiss emphatically whispered, clutching the page tighter as she made sure to fold it safely again. “And then I shall meet you in another moment for our usual Gala Appearance?”

Winter and Weiss shared a smile of mutual assurance, “Where we always have been, right by the window and the food.”

“And here I thought I was a widow.” Winter’s back ran cold as her eyes widened, Weiss similarly looked shocked as the pair of sisters turned despairingly onto the voice.

Walking towards the pair with just the lingering notion of a limp was Cinder. Her form fitted in a uniform all too similar to Winter’s, though an emphasis on blacks and reds and a myriad of different medals matched her alongside a matte black cape at her left side.

“Commandant.” Winter said with a stiff cadence, a warning if it had ever been given a tone. “I thought you were adrift in the band’s performance?” Her eyes narrowed on Cinder’s sole golden eye, murth of humour lingered within it as Cinder took to a toothy grin.

“Oh, I was for a time.” She motioned flippantly with her right hand. “But I grew rather bored and decided to see where my partner had rushed off to.” Cinder mused, blinking slightly as Weiss peeked around her sister’s form. “Ah, and that would be why.” The dark-haired woman crept forward, Winter stood her ground all the while--watching the taller Cinder approach her. When she was a few steps away, Cinder’s form craned slightly to her better side, her voice turning somehow sweeter as she chuckled low, “You must be the indomitable Weiss I have heard so much about.”

Winter flinched gently as she watched Cinder’s hand extend aside her toward her sister, instinctively moving her arm slightly aside to block the gesture. The act alone caught Cinder’s eye, turning her smile on her wife. “Oh please.” Cinder mused, straightening herself gently as she stepped forward even closer; the presence alone made Winter step aside. “If I am her Sister-in-Law should I not at least make a humble introduction?” Though Cinder’s tone and look of a peaked brow toward Winter did little to disprove Winter’s reflexes while even at the side.

Ever closely the elder watched Weiss’ hand extend in reciprocity to Cinder’s, though both Schnees held a similar look of doubt and confusion at Cinder’s presence; Weiss attempting to stuff the page up her sleeve in one swift movement is what first broke Cinder’s attention from the pair’s faces themselves.

“And what is that?” Cinder hummed, pointing with her right hand as she released the hold. “I cannot imagine you two are exchanging letters in some far away corridor during such a display of Atlesian power?” The hand gilded back to her side as she looked between the two.

“It’s a deployment letter.” Weiss was quick to hiss out, quiet for the rest of the hall, but loud enough for Winter’s vindictive glare to whirl from Cinder to her sister.

Low and stern, all of Winter’s former gentleness with her sister turned to near vengeful. “Weiss.” She barked in a similar whisper.

“How interesting.” Cinder mused quietly, smiling all the while as her hand drew to her chin.

“As if she is going to tell anyone.” Weiss muttered, “She’s as much in a cage in Atlas as I am.” While she was not looking at Cinder at that moment, the younger was quickly able to hit a point of tension between the pair of older women. Winter’s face tightened, though she looked to bite her tongue, as Weiss turned to Cinder; her smile remained the same as if her eye was not burrowing its dagger into the hind of Weiss’ head at that moment.

“It-it's obvious really.” Weiss muttered with some apologetic humming. “If you had been able to, why would you not return home?” It was easy to give Weiss the credit of being older than her years, though in that moment Winter could only sigh, and look at her partner.

“Perhaps I am a spy and want to be here, Snow Angel.” Cinder callously murmured through her slowly descending smile. “And if I find out where your deployment is I can arrange for a second romp in the Valeic wilds?” Winter only rolled her eyes while Weiss turned a little paler, “What? You think that despite me not having introduced myself I have not heard the litany of your conversations with your sister here?”

“Alright, your theatrics do you a disservice.” Winter spat, glaring at Cinder for a moment before roughly sighing and turning on Weiss. “Weiss, just, go do what we talked about, okay?” Forcing Weiss to break her worried look on Cinder and turn back to her sibling, nodding with some effort before turning and rushing down the hall beyond them both.

Stopping abruptly as Winter opened her mouth however, Weiss did quickly turn back and barely contained her voice to a respectable volume. “You are not nearly as scary as the news said!” Turning with rapture and continuing her rushed march down the hallway.

The small act left Winter and Cinder there for a moment watching after the younger Schnee, holding for a moment as Weiss turned a corner away from the party’s noise. It took another moment for Winter to summon forth a belittling sigh and glance toward Cinder.

Lulling, Cinder shrugged meagerly, “You were not wrong about the spirit that one has.” Rolling her eye as she turned fully to face Winter. “She does remind me of you to some degree, though with certainly less composure.” Her arm crossed over behind her, falling gently at the small of her back as she broke into a smirk; likely caused by the small quirk of lines which now furrowed on Winter’s brow.

“Is your intel still as good as you promised?” Winter muttered back at Cinder, a slight spit to her as she folded arms tightly across her chest. Eyes narrowing to a mixture of worry and dissatisfaction as she whittled her gaze over Cinder.

Smirking still as she returned the gaze, Cinder allowed her head to fall at an angle as she met Winter’s attention. “I thought we had some amount of trust built when you came to me with this?” A false look of hurt met Winter as Cinder’s hand fell gently across the medal laden chest. “I know you wouldn’t think using your ‘favour’ on something like this would lead me to be so hostile.” A lingering look wandered over Cinder’s complexion, “Or do you still think me a spy looking to give an excuse for a war?”

Holding her despondent look for a moment upon Cinder, Winter forced the dark-haired woman eventually to break her faux ire and return to her smirk; allowing Winter to as well to drop her tensed shoulders. “I am just heavily concerned.” Turning her attention toward the refined flooring with another lengthy sigh, “She wants so desperately to be out of the capital, really I do not know what else to do.”

For a moment, Cinder watched as the Schnee's thumb moved, fussing over her sleeve. Golden eye slowly watching the manoeuvre before turning back to Winter’s face. “Your mother didn’t stamp anything, did she?” Her smirk tightened as she watched the movement at Winter’s arm slow, crawling to a stop before Winter returned her glance finally.

“Weiss needs to be somewhere else, if going to the colonies on relief missions is that pathway…” Winter said with a quiet passion, fitted with a pointed hardening of her expression. “Then I will do whatever is possible to make sure she gets there.” Cinder’s hand dragged back behind her as Winter lingered on her hard glare.

“I cannot possibly tell you how little I care, Snowflake.” Cinder huffed through her grin, moving with clicked footsteps aside as she wandered a short distance back towards the party’s noise. “If you and your sister agree that her place is not here, then everyone and myself from the Queendom would applaud the initiative.” The comment did little to squander Winter’s expression to ease, instead Winter made an effort to catch up with Cinder in short order.

Her hand falling somewhat roughly down on Cinder’s right arm, hard enough that it jostled the pair of their forms at contact. “Watch your tongue, I don’t need my father or his drones hearing of this before Weiss is prepared.”

Though Cinder’s hand moved swiftly, gently swatting the hold on her arm aside as it then coiled and brought the two interlocked at the elbow. “I thought the documents were already signed? What is there to worry about now? There is nothing that,” Cinder shook her head for a moment, scoffing out the chosen name after a moment, “Grendel of a man can do anything about your sister’s departure.”

“Even if it is legal and regulated I would not doubt my father to pull some malicious means to prevent her departure.” Winter said with a snarl, though Cinder sensed it was more for the beast of a man in question rather than her personally.

“You know you look like the spitting image of a fine Warlord when you do that.” Cinder all but purred, relishing in the slighted glance Winter gave her in response; though she abandoned the chance to further respond to the comment as the halls wound and turned ahead of them.

The music and noise of the gala proper grew to swelling nauseous degrees, the stench of tobacco and liquor paired with fragrant colognes and perfumes so intense they made the eyes of the uninitiated water. Formal attire of Atlesian halls looked fit for the temperature managed manor, even as the dusts of fresh blizzards began to stalk the windowsills.

Exiting into the party on the second floor, Cinder and Winter did their best to force themselves through the crowd in order to reach the edge of the veranda. Involving more than a few thrown elbows and shovings, when they did make it to their desired spot above the ilk it was with furious fixing and tugging at Cinder’s shoulder cape and Winter’s collar to return them to their desired position.

With a sharp groan, Cinder did little to hide the volume of her agitation. “You would think with all of their revelry someone would have taught your f*ckless aristocrats some proper spacing.” Her hand finishing with affixing herself and setting her medals in place, Cinder did the motion of pinching something in the air and throwing it gently behind her. “One shell stripped could take out half of the Atlesian industrial world.” Doing well to raise her voice as she said so.

“At the least.” Winter jointly emphasised, throwing a glare back and around the pair of them. Knowing well that the pair were already likely being looked at for their political importance, and now they were being retreated from by some very concerned and agitated snobs. The small act allowed Cinder and Winter to share a small witty smile between them for a moment before they took to the railing side by side.

“How in the world did you put up with these senseless events before the war?” Cinder hissed as she looked down over the proper floor of the manor, “So much revelry it makes me sick, there is not even a proper pit here.” Actual venom seemed to linger from Cinder’s tongue at the commentary, making Winter find some sense of calm in the wording.

“Truthfully I avoided them.” She was quick to say, Winter motioning with a flippant gesture. “The Gen-.” Winter paused herself with a small laugh, “Sorry, the Field Marshal usually attended in my stead, though he always had me make a short appearance before dismissing me for office work.”

“What a sorry use of an evening.” Cinder only commented, earning a sharp glare from Winter. “What? I killed my commanding officer for a painful order, attending something like this is for the hedonists and the lower chiefs.” Sending a glance to her other side, spying a pair of glasses of minty green drink which she quickly snatched. When their previous owners turned onto the theft, Cinder only continued her previous conversation. “And when hedonists would party is when I would have my most rewarding battles.” Quickly silencing the pair of elites in one smooth motion as they too quickly turned their backs on the pair of war heroes.

Winter winced slightly as Cinder placed one of the drinks in front of her, “I will not discuss the likeness of my commanding officer in such a space, Cinder.” Though she did frame her hand around the glass and watched as Cinder took the first sip from her own cup as she shrugged.

“Why? Is it not what all of these people are talking about?” Cinder huffed, “They either talk about the state, army, or how they are making money from either or or both.” Placing the drink back onto the fencing. “At this rate it would do you all some good just to quit blithering and actually talk sh*t about the people in charge.”

Winter rolled her eyes, drinking from the concoction with a dry gurgle. Removing it from her lip for a half moment, “And you advise us to do this because all of your Queendom constantly talks badly about your Queen?” Before once more sipping from the drink.

Cinder motioned with her glass a little carelessly, flicking a drop or two over the veranda in the process. “Of course, Warlords and chiefs openly discuss their problems and quarrels with one another and the higher powers that be all the time.” Winter’s brow peaked as she continued to drink from the cup. “But instead of back room deals, shady conversations, and assassins we fight in court about our problems and settle problems directly.”

Though she began her reply with a nod, Winter paused as she turned at the final part of Cinder’s response. “Atlas wouldn’t be so stupid as to use assassins and not the actual due process they have streamlined for such purposes.”

“Then explain the pair of thugs which tried to break into this gala. Sure enough, drinks still in hand, Cinder dragged Winter all the way from the main party once more back down the hallway they had their rendezvous in. There, in a darkened servant’s closet just one turn from her mother’s office, Winter was staring down at a pair of black garmented and identity concealed individuals. “I caught them in the back entrance trying to enter through the worker entrance.”

“Why are they so bloody?” Winter asked with a slight shake of her head, she was not perturbed by the scene as much as she was just concerned about how they ended up in this manner.

Cinder, however, merely flicked her cape open, revealing her damaged left arm as well as the pistol and knives within her cape. “The party made the pistol a moot point, so the knives were a better option. Though I do think I have bruised my knuckle trying in the process of interrogating them.”

“Are they dead?” Winter coughed, drinking from her cup in a rather healthy manner as she craned her head over the bleak appearing individuals. “They look shattered in more ways than one.”

“I think one is not.” Cinder shook her head, drinking as well. “One of them for sure is because he for some reason decided to pull an electro stick on me, and well they do not make those things as durable as they used to--shoddy Atlas make--broke that over him.” She emphasised with a sharp kick to one of the bodies, it toppling sideways over the boots of the other in the clumped closet.

Shaking her head, “W-well, did they ever say anything worthwhile? Lords, Cinder, you can’t just interrogate people during a party in some closet-. Weiss was right around the corner!” Winter threw her hand out down the hall beyond them, though Cinder only struggled to find her footing from the kick as she shrugged.

“Well, I’m sorry, maybe I should have just let them try and get you then.” Cinder spat, “Then my darling life would be gone and I could go back to my fine field commission.” Finishing her drink in one more gulp, Cinder tossed the glass aside with less than any care as Winter looked over to her with some confusion.

Somewhat aghast, Winter dropped her near empty drink--it broke over one of the assailant’s heads with a crash--as she whirled on Cinder. “These two were after me?” Trouble heaved in her voice as she fought to steel herself with a gurgle. “Did they say anything more? This is somewhat important to me now, Cinder. Why would you not mention this until now?”

“Well assassination is not too uncommon in the Queendom so I assumed it would be similar if not more frequent here.” Cinder spat her reply, “And I did not ask more than the standard questions before, I don’t know, saw red and dealt with the one answering… And then continuing on the other out of honour.”

“You’re hopeless, we need to report this.” Winter crossed her arms tight and looked back at the pile. “Shut down the party and-.” Though Cinder only let loose a long and exaggerated sigh.

“I don’t see the problem, they’re dealt with, whoever sent them probably will send more and then we just do this again.” Cinder rolled her eyes with a soured tone, “As if I would allow them to hurt you, moron, frankly I am insulted this belittling barbarians thought they could even attempt such a thing.”

The commentary by Cinder brought her heart’s race down, though just a touch, as Winter could see easily the glower grow on Cinder’s face. She was staring daggers down at the bodies of those who were supposedly assigned to take Winter’s life, and here was the woman she had carefully knit a diplomatic marriage with, somehow actually acting like that had more meaning than mere politics. Sure, she had suspected for some time something between them was brewing, but the red growing on her own cheeks was hard to deter her from the actual thought of being in love with Cinder.

“W-well its good to be prepared even still.” Winter coughed, covering her lips with a quick wash with her backhand. Taking another moment while Cinder pressed the bodies back into the closet before slamming it with some effort; the time allowing Winter to fight to return to her tactical mind. “We should depart, or at least return to the active portion of the party and lose ourselves in the crowd, it will be more difficult if more of these people are present here.”

“Does your family have a positive or negative history of cleaning blood out of the floor if there is more?” Cinder asked with some burning aggression, “Because if there are more at hand I am not promising anything nearly as clean as this.”

There it was again, the slight warmth in her face, “It will not matter, Ashes.” She nodded, though her partner turned from their small exchange to purr and smarm a smirk again.

“What a charming name from someone like you.” Cinder snickered, emoting for Winter to lead them on their way. “I can assure you now that you have the best bodyguard possible, Darling Snowflake.” The name once more dragged a huff from Winter, though a small smile did manage to just crease her lips as they returned back to the wretched hive of noise.