#I just want her to be happy

[peacockrulz]

Sorry for the lack of posts, have some more headcanons!!

[luluy33art]

*Creates another AU where Chloe is happy

If I may ask with an open enough mind, might I hear out your thoughts on the character of Chloe Bourgeois? I don't expect an answer right out the gate so don't rush on my account. I'm merely trying to collect varying perspectives over what's become a uniquely controversial character.

Oh my that is a doozy of a question, I've debated no less than three separate videos on the topic and multiple essays to boot. Still, she's on my mind and the thing I am working on is obstructing me from modelling or writing but quires breaks to let stuff load so I have time for a longer ask:

So, what are my thoughts on Chloe Bourgeois?

Exactly where to start is rather tricky, so forgive any digressions or rambles.

Chloe is thematically the everyday reality of an Akumatized person.

What I mean by this is that Akuma victims are people in states of emotional distress, tribulation or trouble. Who thanks to the enabling of a power greater than themselves are both encouraged and enabled to lash out at others with borrowed power.

These people are meant to be sympathetic, their emotional tribulation taken advantage of, their situation, methods and thought process untenable. But they do need to be stopped from doing harm, and then healing needs to begin, with some effort made to redress the issue that led to them lashing out in the first place.

Akuma victims are the supernatural theme, Chloe is the reality.

Of course, some might claim she has no reason to have issues but...

Her mother is negligent and largely absent. The time they spent together prior to Queen Wasp, consisted of Chloe praising, giving gifts and trying to please Audrey. Only to be torn down, ignored, rejected or have her efforts disparaged. The woman doesn't even get her name right and the only means by which she earned even a scrap of approval was through being cruel. Something explicitly encouraged by the show's main character which is ???. 

Though it seems Audrey got bored with her fairly quickly regardless.

Audrey is unrelentingly hostile, selfish and cruel and encourages these traits in others and only avoids turning them on a person if they are sufficiently useful, or a match for her in viciousness. You are either her victim, her tool, or a conspirator. This is a hilariously awful parent, the damage she can do limited only by her sheer lack of interest.

Andre is somehow worse.

I am going to ignore the reading undertones of subtext into things but suffice to say that ratchets him up from just a bad parent to kill him with fire parent.

What we see with Andre is a man who explicitly taught Chloe to lie, cheat, intimidate, extort and bribe people to get what she wants. She is fourteen, and has been doing this since before she was in double digits. She's not bad because there's something innately wrong with her, she behaves badly because she's been explicitly taught that was the proper way to conduct herself.

We know full well Andre is capable of reigning Chloe in, be it gently in the Christa episode or with disciplinary action in Kung Food. However he only does this when it suits him, or her actions might cause him problems. For all his alleged affection for her, or her alleged influence on him, Chloe's always on the end of a leash Andre can and will tug back on the moment he feels like it.

This isn't just bad because it's so blatantly hypocritical and self serving. It's bad, because it means he enables Chloe's most self destructive and harmful traits so long as they don't impact 'him'. Given also that he is the one who, to put it charitably, raised her, that means the consequences and fallout of her actions should fall on him.

The fact he is presumably the one who encouraged Chloe to impersonate his wife, given Audrey didn't start rewarding that behavior until Queen Wasp, is also bad parenting. Like even if you ignore the disgust factor, its just fucking awful parenting and like everything else he taught her. It contributed to the fact Chloe is a social pariah hated by most people she has to spend time around.

Because let's get to the next stage, subversions!

In most shows like ML, Chloe as "The mean girl" would be popular, or at least feared, able to pose a threat in a social context, and is usually insulated from the more magical issues.

None of this applies to Chloe.

Even if we don't treat Origins as the shows starting point, she's already only tangentially involved in class stuff. Her fathers hotels own doorman outright says she has no friends, extremely out of pocket of him. & Origins sees one of the first things said to him being that Chloe is a brat and he halfway ditches her before 24 hours are up, and keeps her at nominal arms length for the rest of the series.

We can talk about how there's reasons for this, sure, but the thing that's interesting here is the subversion.

Chloe's mean-ness has not won her friends or influence as it does other mean girls in fiction, such as Heathers or Mean Girls.

Instead, it's made her barely tolerated by her peers and this only grows worse for her as the show goes on leading to her ensuing isolation which only worsens her condition and attitude. This is something Chloe is even varying shades of aware of, as she tearfully confessed to Ladybug when hiding from her Akumatized father. She knows something is wrong, but doing things differently goes against everything her parents taught her or exemplified, so it's not a shock she struggles.

Similarly, compare how Bonnie from Kim Possible could actually out-compete Kim for the role of cheer captain. 

Can Chloe beat Marinette in anything?

No, not really, or least the narrative never lets her do so even when she does have the skills for it, such as 8 years of ballet losing to nice vibes.

This is much less interesting than the previous point because it's basically just the writers using Chloe as a speed bump which gets boring after a while.

Then consider how Totally Spies own Mean Girl, Mandy is rarely tied to the actual adventures save maybe in a way other civilians are; leaving altercations with Clover as civilian affairs.

Does this apply to Chloe?

Fuck no XD

Chloe's frequently targeted by AKuma, even when she either shouldn't be singled out, (Ivan, everyone was scared) or for comparatively minor transgressions (Nathanial, his teacher screamed at, insulted & shook him) or outright targeted by the main villain of the show. (One who has known her since she was an infant!) 

Even before she had a Miraculous, Chloe was a frequent target of violent murder attempts. But this is largely treated as neutral, or even as comeuppance for bad behaviour. The issue is, the sheer scale of what she's being targeted with is so completely disportionate to what she did, assuming she even did things wrong, that it comes off as more unfair than anything else, & liable to give trauma. 

Especially as the show has double standards at times.

I think often-times the writers neglected to actually think through their karmic punishments for Chloe.

Take Pixelator, 

Chloe is the one who recognized Jagged, helped her father, and actually did her fucking job, but is the only student not rewarded with a concert ticket despite having done nothing to piss Jagged off.

Or how when her locker was broken into she's largely dismissed and needs to threaten the principal with her father to get a response. One might say this is abusing her power, but A, it's her dads power and B, we see with Lila later that the principle will basically just bow to whoever can make the bigger fuss. This isn't a Chloe issue it's a Damocles issue and I think being upset people broke into her locker isn't exactly unfair.

Similarly, I noted above how Chloe loses to Marinette even when she shouldn't logically do so. 

A bigger example of the narrative short hand delivered is the fact we see other characters do stuff Chloe does and get free rides.

IE, Kagami can dramatically strut into a fencing hall talking the most boastful shit, actually lose more or less legitimately, Akumatize and still be treated with sympathy and become a hero.

Chloe boastfully auditions to be Ladybug for a music video, but actually is the best audition scene, but loses out to positive vibes, gets angry & through her father lashes out, gets punished & no one gives a shit about her side of the story. 

To be clear, I like Kagami, I find this comparison interesting, I just don't think the show realized that it did this or does stuff like this a lot. 

That whole episode also demonstrates what I said at the start, about Chloe embodying the thematic of Akuma, IE, anger or distress, powerful sponsor, lashing out, ETC. 

So the double standard in how she's framed and treated VS Kagami is framed and treated becomes a weakness of the writing and show. 

We also see this with stuff like her & Marinette sabotaging Kagami, but Marinette largely getting portrayed sympathetically for doing so while Chloe isn't. 

This creates the impression the problem isn't Chloe's bad behavior, it's with her mere existence.

IE, she's the audience and writer's punching bag/designated target, so it feels like the writers just kind of don't bother a lot of the time actually making her wrong or thinking through the implications of their story beats with her, or other characters' behaviour. 

This stuff is present in Season 1, much more overt in season 2 and basically caps off season 3 which is where I stopped watching.

Cos like, the villain who's known her since forever has been actively trying to utilize her through the seasons, who explicitly aimed to puther in a state of severe emotional distress, ambushed her in her own home & had her parents in his grasp.

Right after the show's hero blatantly walked back a previous ruling that kept Chloe from being Queen Bee, (& did so for selfish and if one considered HK targeting known heroes, incredibly callous reasons)

But we're meant to hate the 14 year old for responding badly?

I would also argue stuff like this is a large part of what makes Chloe such an ensemble dark horde to the fandom. Not just because one can read into things about her history and character, but because the author's hand is so heavy it actively hurts and hinders its own narrative in order to harm Chloe and so feels unfair.

Some final notes I couldn't place elsewhere:

Akuma don't usually harm their loved one's. Chloe's mother tried to kill her on sight & then kept looking for excuses to do so & finally did. Andre turned the powerful & willful Audrey into a simpering hanger on and wanted to do the same with Chloe, which again, yikes.

When fused together they declared her incapable of loving anyone but herself. A fact blatantly disproven already but even in the episode itself with her demanding their release in exchange for helping Hawk Moth. & then tried to fucking EAT HER.

Her butler, school friend and teacher seemingly love her more than her own parents.

As an aside, Sabrina's explicitly encouraged to work for Chloe by her father as it makes her "Useful" which has loads of implications. But at least one can't blame Chloe for Sabrina's character.

Madame Bustier, when Akumatized uses having "Taken care" of her father as a lure to try and get Chloe to come to her. So again, yikes if one wants to read into it as it means even as an Akuma who was upset by Chloe, Bustier perceives Andre as the threat/problem to her.

Chloe by all accounts seems to live alone in a hotel suite, not even one of the fancier, super suites but like... The walls are 50% glass with no curtains, that lead to publicly exposed areas (as we see interviews with Jagged being conducted in them) and there's almost nothing to identify it as a space she lives in. Hell, the pictures on the wall are often blank and it seems she's lived here alone since she was a toddler.

That would have calamitous impacts on a Child's psyche & development! 

Despite her portrayal, Chloe was shown to be extremely good at being Queen Bee in many respects.

She almost soloed Mayura.

She is the first person shown able to resist Akuma, got civilians out of an Akuma infested train cart & protected Sabrina during the second red Akuma swarm.

She was able to quickly and easily keep up with Ladybug on the roof tops and using a similar weapon & travel style creates a visual parallel between the two which carries implications of them being counterparts. 

But most especially Chloe proved herself a skilled and heroic combatant during Heroes Day; covering for the other heroes without orders, doing so easily & needing to be targeted by multiple villains all with personal ties to her to be brought down, while protecting other heroes.

But that never really gets acknowledged.

So much like with "Nearly being brutally murdered for being kind of a dick" this sense of narrative imbalance engendered sympathy from those who notice.

I also find it fascinating that Chloe is, despite spending her life surrounded by abusers and enablers both, that she, without any real guidance, managed to soften their behaviors on her own.

Yes she buys Sabrina presents in luew of saying sorry, but she also spends time with her and does fun stuff, Andre just buys her off. She wants Adrien at her side and the like, but she doesn't actually try to stop him from befriending people she hates, Gabriel tries to keep him locked up. She doesn't like losing, but compares her relatively mild huffiness or brief theatrics to Audrey's violent response to merely being snubbed.

She's already doing better than all of them despite explicitly being taught or demonstrated, or victimized with all the wrong lessons and is fourteen.

Chloe also obviously has a deeply unhealthy understanding of relationships as seenin in how she recreates her parents awful dynamic with everyone around her. 

IE,

Andre fawns on Audrey, who is domineering, never satisfied and harsh at best. Chloe acts accordingly with Sabrina, while fawning on her mother and Ladybug who are much the same though  for different reasons. She's internalized this deeply unhealthy dynamic and applies it to herself as much as she does to anyone else.

This is just one element of the fact she honestly seems deeply troubled on a social level. I mentioned earlier that Chloe seems to know "Something" is wrong with everyone hating her & is clearly unhappy about it. But also seems unsure how to fix it, or what the source of the problem is.

The fact she often doesn't seem to get social cues, even from people she's treating like a peer, such as Ala or Adrien, gives off the sense that her problems go deeper than just "Being a brat".

This is further emphasized by the fact that so much of her daily persona seen is her doing an impression of her mother. Or otherwise putting on a show to try and get her dad or Kim, or the principle ETC, to do something.

Because when she's "upset" it's all theatrical prancing and squeals of daddy and then it's over.

But when she's actually upset, like panicking over losing Adrien upset, or breaking down cos Ladybug chose another hero with a known identity over her (Said by Kagami in the episode so we can't pretend it's not true). Chloe usually builds up to a brief explosion followed by a collapse, or just collapses outright into a panicked, curled up state. One that in one instance seemed to be intentionally drawing comparisons to an infant, but again give what we know that says less about her & more about Andre.

Basically, Chloe's life is a performance, we rarely see the real her, because she's always trying to play a role she thinks she's meant to, in order to be liked and successful & is confused, hurt and lonely because it's not working the way her family promises or demonstrated it would.

I also think it's interesting how Marinette & Kagami both firmly instruct her to stop bothering about seating arrangements. Like, we see he react to insults and anger with anger back, but those firm instructions seemed to make her actually inclined to listen, or at least intimidate rather than rile her up.

Also on the insults front, I think it's notable with the pariah angle that Chloe did basically become an open target. No, she doesn't do herself any favors, but her efforts to do video assignments, or participate in art class getting naught but degrading insults. Or her simply not participating in Madame Bustier's birthday causing the class to collectively tear into her says a lot.

Also much like with Damocles, Chloe getting away with mean-ness is not a Chloe thing, the other students get away with it too. At most getting a mild "Well that was kind of mean" which gets shrugged off.

So again we are back into one rule for Chloe another rule for everyone else, which engenders sympathy or frustration in many of the audience. 

Also I find her & Adrien's friendship conceptually fascinating. because like... Adrien outright admits that he totally understands sabotaging a train to try and win a parents love. Meaning he both can likely imagine himself doing the same and also does not grasp how fucked up it is to think one has to go to such insane lengths for someone who treats them like trash.

Am I speaking about Audrey or Gabriel?

Trick question, it's both!

As a sort of final cap off, I quite enjoy the fact that Chloe's so aggressively defiant. Yes she can get scared & panic, but like. She spent 95% of her Stoneheart kidnapping oscillating between bored, pissed off and irritated.

One can say it's a fight based trauma response and I agree, but it's also just a fun dynamic to have for a character who'd normally be relegated solely to screaming damsel.

So yeah, I think she's a fascinating character in concept and at times execution. Who subverts, twists and breaks expected tropes tied to her archetype in fascinating ways but who's handling leaves me wanting, I hope this was useful! 

@princess-of-the-corner @generalluxun @maestro04yayyy you might like this post too!

MAJOR EDIT!

I can't believe I went through Chloe's entire persona section & neglected to mention the fact that her efforts to flirt with guys always come off as so awkward and in-genuine compared to her enthusiastic adoration of Ladybug.

[holyblanchett]

Three Of Swords

Heartbreak Rio, Sorrow Evanora, Grief Nicky.

[aestheticallysxx]

| Love Next Door (2024)

[oozebrain]

I Returned Her Glance

Vicky x Gender neutral reader. You remind Vicky she is beautiful.

Sfw, fluff. Minors dni.

All of the mirrors in the house were broken and their shards pulverized into dust. She would not allow one inch of reflective surface to remain for fear of witnessing herself. With care, you open the door to the closet and find Victoria huddled into herself as tightly as she could, as though she were hoping to shrink and disappear into nothingness.

You kneel beside her and wordlessly offer her reassurance by resting your hand on hers. She starts at your touch and looks at you for a brief second before hiding her face. She doesn’t want to be seen by anyone, not even you. 

“Don’t look at me... just don’t look at me...” She hiccuped in a sob and shook her head as she dug her nails into her arms. Their bleeding spoke of this repeated behavior and you gently navigate her hand onto yours. She gently squeezes yours, her grip holding uncertainty and anxiety. She allows this before she seemingly snaps back into reality.

“Get the fuck out of here! I don’t want see you! STOP LOOKING AT ME! ” her sobs turn into rage. She felt like you were mocking her, or worse, pitying her. She pulls away from you and crawls further into the closet to hide in the darkness, “Just go away... LEAVE!! Stop looking at me...”

But you wouldn’t. You knew when she told you to leave, when she tried to push you away, that you had to resist. You wanted to dig her out of this mental hell she had descended into and, after a day of brainstorming, you felt like you may have an answer.

Without a word you withdrew a bottle of nail polish, full of glitter and shimmering powder. You shake it slightly, the familiar rattle of the bead inside catching her attention. In the darkness, you can see the glow of her iris as she observes you. You’ve seen her looking through the magazines, fingers tracing with yearning over the women in the ads wearing makeup.

She is curious and comes out of the closet slightly, just sticking her head out, her eye fixated on the indigo nail polish. Vicky glanced down at her own nails and balled her hand into a fist to hide them from herself. You gently hold her hand, drawing it near. You cradle her hand, massaging it gently in a gesture of comfort.

Vicky is hesitant but allows you to continue and quietly observes you as you take the brush out of the bottle. Carefully, you begin applying it to her nails one by one and as each is completed she seems to relax more. After a time, she has scooted out of the closet and the two of you are sitting together, your knees touching and her other hand awaiting the same treatment.

As you begin working on the next set of nails you can see something on her face. It starts off as a small grimace but turns into a smile. She wiggles her fingers on her free hand and giggles slightly, tilting her head in admiration. Her bottom lip quivers but no tears come as she watches the shimmer and sparkle. The color is that of the cosmos and she is enraptured by it.

Once finished, you offer her a smile, and her own grows, though it falters. Her lip is still trembling and her eye begins to well up. She sniffles and rubs the tears away with the back of her hand. You hold her other hand with both of yours, offering a sign of safety and protection. Gingerly, you stroke her hair away from her face, untangling it from the mess of tears. You smooth it back and show her the other gift you have for her.

She gasps quietly at what appears. It is an elegant, pink bejeweled butterfly. Its wings bounce slightly when she touches them and you hear a small giggle of glee as she continues this experiment. Her eye is alight with joy and she looks to you with question and hope. In kind, you smooth her hair and pin it back with the butterfly clip. 

Vicky smiles and strokes her hair absentmindedly, fingers trailing over the mobile wings of the butterfly charm. She giggles again, holding her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. You lower her hand and assure her that you not only want to see her smile, its your favorite thing in the world. You remind her of how beautiful she is and can see the blush tinging her cheeks as she processes this. Her smile grows and she meets your gaze. 

You reveal you have an entire bag of makeup products. Eyelashes, blush, and every color of eyeshadow imaginable. She gasps and rummages through the bag, glee filling her as she opened the eyeshadows and tested them on her arms. Her misery was forgotten in the closet as bright rainbows of pastels and purples trailed up her forearm. Vicky didn’t need you to tell her she was beautiful- she felt it.

[cleaetpauline60]

My top otome heroine (ฅ'ω'ฅ)

#5  Jed / Eiar [ Haitaka no Psychedelica ]

[diamondisunmemeable]

I want there to be a game where you play as BOTW Zelda and you go around ID'ing all the flora and fauna of Hyrule. Kinda like a mix between the Hyrule Compendium and Pokemon Legends

[every-tedious-beat]

hot take

maybe auri losing her powers was actually for the best. like don't get me wrong, i see the flawed logic in taking away a character's power after it has benefitted them so much, but was auri's power actually beneficial? it made her brain bleed, and there are implications in aurora's end that the power is addictive. if they didn't cause those side effects, i would be all for it, but brain bleeds and addiction aren't good. that's just my apprehension i guess

[c-jay-s-text-posts-only]

Guardian Angels - Part 1

Written with permission from @danurso

Jaune and Weiss had been feeling unhappy. It may have had something to do with the heat of the Vecchian desert, but they both were sure there was more to it than that.

It had been years since they first met - not many, truth be told - but now nearly into their mid-twenties, the two wished they could have started out differently.

For themselves.

For the people they were before.

And for everyone else too.

But their chief regrets lay in how they first treated each other.

Jaune wished he hadn't been such a pest to Weiss, while she wished she hadn’t been so mean to him. The two had made up and moved on since meeting again in Mistral; it only happened a few times at Beacon after all, but still they wished to see it done.

Now, thanks to Ozpin, they finally had a way, and preparations were made. It took some time, but at last, everything was ready. Unfortunately, due to their personal timelines, they could only go one after the other.

Jaune insisted he go first.

Weiss was content with that. She had a lot to think about before trying this herself. More importantly, if his time shepherding children in Mantle was anything to go by, Jaune was a natural with them.

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Their friends were a little concerned.

"Uhm." Ruby raised her hand, "Are you sure this is safe?"

"Of course we are." Flounced Weiss, "Oscar said that Ozpin said he's tried this before, so we ought to be fine."

"Yeah, but he also said nothing he did worked out for him." Blake pointed out.

Weiss had to admit, that couldn't be ignored.

"We're not just doing this for ourselves, though." Countered Jaune, "We're doing this for each other."

Blake and Yang exchanged glances.

Now, why did that sound familiar?

"Besides," He continued, "We've got timers set on our scrolls. That way, we'll know when we can't stick around in the past anymore."

"We just want you guys to come back." Nora didn't look very happy,

"It was pretty bad the last time." Added Ren.

Neither Jaune nor Team RWBY needed to be reminded. It had been a painful experience for Oscar, Nora, Ren, and Emerald when they believed their friends had gotten stuck in the Central Location. Although it hadn't been long for them, it had still been more than enough.

The relief they felt when they saw their friends enter the academy was enormous, and they all promised never to leave anyone behind again.

"Okay, fine, but," Ventured Jaune, "This time is way safer."

"He's right." Agreed Weiss, "Ozma isn't bound by the same rules as Ambrosius. So he can make a few changes if he needs to."

"That's also true." Conceded Yang, "But Ambrosius was from a God-made relic, so he can do a lot more. Ozma only has his magic powers, and he told us it was dwindling back at Haven."

"Oh, fine!" Weiss nearly threw her arms up, "So our plan is a little flawed, when have any of us ever made a perfect one anyways?"

"Every strategy has risks." Nodded Jaune, "And I find these ones acceptable. Besides, I'm going first."

Everyone stared at him.

"And that's a good thing how?" Demanded Nora,

"If it doesn't work, we'll know." Jaune shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Well, now I definitely don't want you to freaking go!" And she threw her arms around him,

"Oh, come on!" Laughed Jaune, "It's just a joke-"

Nora slapped the back of Jaune's head before he could finish.

"Ow." Jaune winced, "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"

"Not funny, dude." She had grabbed his face and was now stretching his cheeks open and shut.

Jaune blubbered as Nora kept on flapping his cheeks. The noise it made had Yang, Emerald, and even Blake giggling uncontrollably.

"Alright Nora," Ren soothed her, "that's enough."

And he carefully pried Nora's hands away from Jaune's face.

"Now then, if that's everything?" Weiss wrung her hands, ready to carry out the new mission,

"You're really set on this, aren't you?" Ozpin asked through Oscar,

"I'm afraid so." Nodded Weiss, "Perhaps, if we do this right, it'll make for a better future on Remnant."

"But you won't get to see it." Ozpin didn't much like where this was going, "Time travel doesn't work the way you'd prefer."

"That's as well may be," agreed Weiss, "but we'll at least do something. Maybe we'll even right a few wrongs we never got to before Beacon. Perhaps even well before then, for that matter."

Ozpin wasn't convinced, but there was little else he could do. So he simply let it go.

"Then, if you're sure." He sounded very solemn,

"We are." Chorused Jaune and Weiss.

Ozpin nodded and headed to a private room.

"We'll be back soon." Promised Jaune,

"I hope you're being honest." Ruby poked him in the chest plate, "Agh-"

"He is." Insisted Weiss, "We'll both be back very soon."

And quickly hugging their friends, Jaune and Weiss headed into the private room with Oscar. When they walked in, a great, bright swirling of light stopped them in their tracks.

"That's bigger than I thought it'd be." Remarked Weiss,

"Phrasing." Grunted Ozpin,

"Welp, here I go." Jaune cracked his neck, "Trip of my life."

"Be careful there." Weiss gently took his hand,

"You know it." Jaune gave her that classic smile of his.

Weiss's heart swelled, and she squeezed his hand a little tighter. Jaune smiled at her, and when she let go, he headed into the portal.

"See you soon." He gave her a two-fingered salute.

Weiss simply waved him goodbye and turned back to the desk she saw in the corner. She pulled out a pen and a little notebook and started to write.

She had to think of what she should say when her turn came.

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fourteen years ago . . .

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had just turned ten years old.

Big tears dripped from her face and dotted the open rug space between her feet. She had come to a stop in front of the door to her father's study.

Father was angry.

Again.

She didn't know who, or what upset him now.

Nor did she want to.

All she knew was that he was.

And it scared her.

Terribly.

. . .

. . .

Jacques Schnee.

Her father.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Schnee Dust Company.

He and mother were fighting.

She heard a loud slap ring out from the study.

"We did not marry because I love you!" He snapped, "I only married you for the money, half-wit wench! I never loved you! I never loved the children! I never loved any of it!"

There came a horrified gasp.

"I don't understand why we even had so many children," He added, "I never wanted any to begin with!"

Those words stung.

Mother burst out the door and ran away, crying.

Weiss stayed where she was, too afraid to move.

If father was telling the truth, then what had he ever loved?

Would he ever love?

. . .

. . .

Could he ever?

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . . Could she . . .?

. . .

. . .

No.

. . .

Should she?

. . .

Was love even real?

. . .

. . .

Could she even feel it if no one loved her?

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

Father was storming back to his office . . .

. . .

He'd forgotten . . .

. . .

Mother had disappeared . . .

. . .

Did she remember?

. . .

Winter was gone . . .

. . .

She hadn't called . . .

. . .

Whitley wouldn't understand . . .

. . .

Would he ever?

. . .

"Well, brat?" Jacques' voice cut hot through the air.

Weiss jumped and looked up, trembling.

"F- Father-" She wanted to speak,

"If you wish to stain my expensive carpets," But he wouldn't let her, "You'll have to pay for them."

Weiss gulped.

"But- but-!" Her tears blurred her sight,

"Go to your room." Jacques said sternly, pointing the direction he faced.

Weiss still didn't move.

"I said go to your room!" Jacques raised his hand.

Weiss flinched, and shutting her eyes she braced herself.

"Hammer of silence!"

*THUD!*

A blow landed.

. . .

But not on her. Weiss opened her eyes, and stared in wonderment. Standing ahead of her, was a tall man.

He wore plate armour on his chest, shoulders, forearms, and knees; his whole set was painted a pearly white and accented by polished brass.

His shirt was black, his pants were brown, as were the spats over his black boots. A red sash was tied around his waist, under a black leather utility belt, which stood out prominently thanks to the brass buckle on it.

A handsome sword hung from his hip and seemed to chill the air around it; the guard and pommel were a shining, silvery steel, and the grip was wrapped in black cotton. It reminded Weiss of the Knights of Yore. Her grandfather once showed her pictures from old books, and she still loved to pore them over.

Then, throwing his fist forward, the tall man buried it in Jacques' stomach. A globule of saliva sprayed from his mouth as he stumbled backward. He coughed and spluttered, but he wouldn't get to breathe yet.

The man hooked his arm under Jacques' and hefted him up over his shoulders

"Throw-Down of Shut-Up!" He growled.

And with an easy effort, Jacques was sent tumbling through the air and broke through the wall ahead with a crash.

He wouldn't get up for a while after.

"That takes care of that." The tall man clapped his hands together, wiping them clean, "Serves you right, frosty blowhard."

Then, he turned around.

Weiss could hardly believe her eyes.

'. . . He's so pretty . . .' She thought.

Truly, this man looked exactly how Weiss expected all Knights to look beneath their helmets. His skin was fair, his eyes were a deep, captivating blue, and his soft, luxurious blonde hair bounced with every bob of his head.

He looked like one of the boys Winter liked, from that one band with the really catchy music

'What was it called again? No Direction?' Weiss didn't remember.

This was much better though!

The man saw her, smiled, and knelt down to look her in the eye.

"Heya." His voice was soft, and so was his smile, "Are you okay?"

"Uh- . . . Uh-huh . . ." Weiss could only nod.

The motion shook the tears from her eyes. The man saw this and quickly raised his hand. Weiss gasped and flinched again.

"Hey, hey!" His voice was still soft, "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise."

Weiss said nothing. The man very carefully wiped away her tears, and brushed a few strands of her hair out of her face.

Weiss felt amazed. Clearly, this man was very strong, but still so gentle. She hardly felt his fingertips brushing against her face.

"There." His eyes crinkled, "That better?"

". . . Yeah." Weiss's voice returned, "Thank you, Sir . . ."

"No prob, Snow Angel." The man assured her.

Well, there was a new name for her.

It sent her heart aflutter. No one had called her something like that before.

"Who are you?" Weiss wanted to know,

"Me?" The man pointed to himself, "Oh, y'know. I'm everyone's favourite."

"No, I don't." Weiss shook her head, "I'd remember you if you were my favourite."

If the man was offended, he didn't show it. He just smirked.

"I'm your one and only knight in shining armour." He declared, and struck a proud pose.

Weiss's eyes went wide.

"M- My knight-?" She was surprised.

"That's right." His smile widened, "I'm your knight. So I'mlike your guardian angel."

Her eyes shone.

"A-Are you really a knight?" Weiss was excited,

"Of course I am." The Knight insisted, and pointed to himself, "Look at my armour, only the best knights ever will dress like this!"

"Woww . . ." Weiss's eyes sparkled as it all sank in, "I have my very own knight in shining armour! This is the best day ever!"

She was so excited, she started bouncing up and down. Weiss didn't care if it was unladylike, or unsightly. Today had turned from the worst day, to the best day, and she was happy.

Her knight chuckled as he watched her happy little dance.

"Hey listen," He quickly called her attention back,

"Uh-?" Weiss stopped dancing,

"What's today's date?" He asked,

"September-" Weiss stopped and blinked, "September fifth . . ."

"And that means . . ." The Knight's smile grew, "Today's your birthday."

Weiss stared up at him.

"How did you know?" She quizzed,

"How do you think?" He quizzed back.

Weiss thought for a moment. Then it came to her.

"You're my birthday present, aren't you?" If it was possible, her eyes widened even more.

Her Knight said nothing. He just nodded. Weiss couldn't contain herself, and she squealed with delighted glee.

"Alright, come on, birthday girl." The Knight clapped his hands, "What do you wanna do today?"

Weiss stopped.

What did she want to do?

"Umm . . ." Weiss tried to think, but she was too excited, "I don't know! There's so much I'd love to do today!"

Her Knight understood.

"Then why don't we go outside and have some fun?" He suggested, "There's a few places I think you'll love out there."

That was as good an idea as any to Weiss.

"Ooh, yes please!" She chimed,

"Then that's what we'll do!" The Knight stood up, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am!" Weiss nodded,

"Then let's go!" And taking her hand in his, they headed to the front door.

But before they could reach the lobby, they were stopped.

"Ahh- 'scuse me?" Called a guard,

"Yes sir?" The Knight faced him,

"What are you doing with her?" The Guard asked,

"Oh, I'm taking the Little Snow Angel out for her birthday!" He said easily.

The guard, although trying his best to do his job, seemed a rather hapless man. But he didn't seem like he cared too much just then.

"Well, I can't let you out." He said, "Not unless I know she'll be safe."

"Oh, come on." The Knight, "We won't be too long."

He turned to Weiss.

"Will we, Snow Angel?"

Weiss looked between her Knight and the guard, and smiling bravely, she shook her head.

"No sir!" She chirped, "We won't be too long at all."

The guard sighed, that seemed to help.

"Okay . . ." He checked his pockets, "Well, I'll need some identification."

"Oh, sure." The Knight pulled a card from a pouch on his belt, "How's this?"

Weiss couldn't read backwards, it was up too high and the letters seemed all jumbled. It then occurred to her that she never asked her Knight for his name. Now she felt a little silly.

She also spotted on his other hip, a pistol with a long muzzle. She had never seen one like that before, but it very much reminded her of the ones Major Ironwood wore.

"Huh." Grunted the guard, "Looks like everything checks out. You're free to go."

"Thank you!" Smiled The Knight,

"At least be sure to come back before five o'clock!" He called,

"We will!" Weiss and the Knight hollered back together.

A black Limousin awaited them, quietly idling in front of the fountain in the loop. Her Knight drew ahead, and opened the door for her. The driver was relaxing in his seat, but sat up completely straight when he heard the doors open.

"Where to, m'dears?" He asked sweetly,

"Sky Mall, please sir." The Knight told him, just as sweet, "I'll be guarding the little lady while she's out for her special day."

The Driver nodded and cruised smoothly away from the Manor.

"Um, excuse me, sir, but what's your name?" Weiss finally asked him,

"My name?" The Knight blinked at her,

"I was so excited to meet you," She said and looked down at her lap, " I guess I forgot. I'm sorry."

Her Knight clicked his tongue.

"No, don't be!" He patted her shoulder, "Today is for you! I don't mind if you didn't ask."

"But it's still rude . . ." Weiss didn't smile.

Etiquette training was a must among the upper class citizens in Atlas. To neglect it was to imply you were poorly brought up, and Weiss did not want to make her family look bad.

But her Knight understood.

"Ani." He said.

Weiss looked up.

"Pardon?" She asked,

"Ani." The Knight said again, "My name is Ani."

Weiss giggled.

"But that's a girl's name." She pointed out.

Her Knight was nonplussed.

"It's short for Anakin." He clarified,

"Anakin . . ." Weiss murmured, then she frowned, "That sounds made up."

"It means warrior." Anakin explained.

"I don't think it suits you." Weiss still didn't really buy it,

"Well, what do you think my name should be then?" The Knight played along with.

Weiss thought for a moment, and realised she couldn't think of a better name herself.

". . . May I still call you 'Mister Knight'?" She asked.

Her Knight didn't tease her, he just nodded.

"Of course, Little Snow Angel." He allowed.

And that was that.

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two had a lovely day. They went for a treat from the bakery, had a drive through the suburban landscape, and even drove past the army barracks as well.

Weiss liked going there, sometimes, it meant a chance to see Winter. Unfortunately, she wasn't there, so Her Knight took her for ice cream instead. They even bought some for the driver. That made Weiss feel a little better, but she still wished to see the better members of her family.

And last of all, they returned to the Manor, and had a walk around the grounds. Jacques wasn't there when they returned, which everyone thought was just as well. It cheered Weiss up a lot. Although the house was cold, both inside and out, it was her home. And she was happy to have a friendly face with her.

The sun was going down, and bathed the snowy land in a warm, clementine glow.

Soon they reached the flowerbeds her mother always tended to with the gardeners. After passing through it, her Knight checked his watch.

"Ugh." He groaned, and stopped walking.

Weiss stopped too when she heard him.

"What's wrong?" She wanted to know,

"I haven't got much time left," The Knight shook his head, "I've got to go soon."

'Go?' Weiss didn't understand,

". . . You're not staying?" Her heart sank like a stone,

"I'm afraid I can't." The Knight looked sorry, "I have to get back to where I came from-"

"But you can't leave!" Weiss darted forward and hugged his leg, "You have to stay!"

The Knight stammered, for only a moment.

"You know I'd love to." He said honestly, "But I don't think your dad would like that very much. I did put him through a wall."

"But I don't care about that!" Insisted Weiss, "You said he deserved it!"

Her Knight winced, he clearly forgot she had heard.

"I did say that." He admitted, "But I didn't come here to stay with you."

"But why not?!" Weiss was very upset now, "You said you're my knight in shining armour!"

"I am." The Knight promised, "And I always will be! But I can't stay here. This isn't where I'm meant to be."

Weiss began to cry. It didn't make any sense. And now it had gone back to being the worst day all over again.

"Then why did you come?" She looked away.

Her Knight knelt down, put his thumb on her chin and guided her gaze back to him.

"Well, first." He explained, "I wanted to punch your dad. And I did, so I'm happy."

Weiss tried not to smile.

'So he did deserve it.' She thought,

"But second, and wayy more important." He added, "I came to see you."

"To see me?" Weiss tilted her head,

"Uh-huh." Smiled the Knight, "Because you needed someone to help you smile again."

He brushed her tears away once more.

"He," He gestured with his head to the mansion, "he's not very smart. He's just a big, blue dummy!"

That made Weiss giggle through her tears.

"But he's not blue." She wrinkled her nose,

"Yeah, not yet." The Knight winked.

"Are you going to turn him blue?" Weiss thought that would be a hilarious trick.

Her Knight considered.

"Well," He tried, as if weighing his options, "I mean, I'd like to."

"Then why not?" Weiss pouted, through a little smile,

"I get the feeling someone will take care of that for us." The Knight told her.

Although Weiss didn't believe it, she hoped it would happen soon.

"He doesn't know how incredible you are." He moved his hand to her cheek, massaging it, "How amazing you'll be, when he's not being a meanie to you."

Weiss stared up at him.

"Me?" She couldn't believe her ears, "Me? Amazing? Really?"

"Yeah." His smile became serious, "it'll take a while for you to get there, but you will. Because you are that amazing."

He ruffled her hair.

"Then again, I guess your dad is always being mean, so maybe he'll never get it." The Knight's smile returned, "But there will be people who do. And those people? They'll be the best ones you'll ever meet."

Weiss blushed and looked at her feet. Her grandfather would do this to her and Winter when they felt down.

"How do you know so much?" She wanted to know, taking his enormous hand in her's,

"Because I can see it." The Knight didn't miss a beat, "In your eyes. And in your face. You're a strong girl, and I know you'll grow into someone even stronger than you are now."

"I'm strong now?" Such a thought never occurred to her,

"Psh-yeah, you are!" Chuckled the Knight, "I bet Ol' Nicky'd be proud if he could see you now."

Weiss's little heart took off and soared.

"Do you mean it?" Her eyes sparkled with hope, "You can see all of that just by looking at me?"

"Of course I do." The Knight ruffled her hair again, "And yeah, I can see it. You're a regular, little Snow Angel!"

Weiss felt happier than she had since as far back as she could remember.

"Oh." She choked, "Oh, thank you, Mister Knight!"

She threw her arms around him. Her Knight shook his head and picked her up, and standing to his full height, he gave her a squeeze.

"Anytime Snow Angel." He whispered, "Any time."

The two of them stayed like that for a moment. Jacques groaned from his gurney at the hospital, quickly being tended to byt the staff. Suddenly, a faint beeping went off behind Weiss's head.

"What's that?" Weiss pulled back.

Her Knight checked a flashing green device on the back of his left wrist.

"Agh," He grunted, "we're cutting it really close."

He knelt down and put her back on her feet.

"Listen, my time here is almost up." The Knight showed her the device on his wrist, "I have to go now.

Weiss's face fell.

"Okay, I guess." She said, flat as a slate,

"Come on," He nudged her shoulder, "Don't be like that."

"But, but-" Weiss couldn't stop sniffling, "But we'll never see each other again."

"Yes we will." Insisted the Knight, "It might be a few years from now, but we will meet again."

Weiss raised her head.

"You promise?" She asked him doubtfully.

Her Knight gave a reassuring smile.

"I promise." He nodded.

Then, as if on queue to Weiss, he stuck out his pinky.

"Swear on it?" He asked for her.

Weiss's eyes widened again.

He knew she would want to.

If this knight was a present from her grandfather, then by the Gods, had he chosen well.

All she could do was nod. And they linked their pinkies together.

"Now, it's official." The Knight punctuated the promise with every word and their digits unlinked.

A loud rumbling roared behind them. Weiss peered behind him to look. A bright, swirl of energy twisted to life behind them.

"Wow . . ." She marvelled, "What's that?"

"That's where I came from." The Knight told her,

"Where is it?" Weiss was needed to know,

"You'll see it someday." The Knight patted her cheek and stood up, "Now I really have to go."

Weiss sighed.

"Okay." She said sadly, and hugged him again,

"Don't be so sad." He said softly, hugging her back, "You know I'll always be with you."

"Will you?" Weiss was desperate,

"I will." He nodded.

Letting her go, he saw now that she wasn't as sad anymore. She was smiling a little bit.

"Atta girl." He smiled, "Just keep your Rusty-the-Rusted-Knight-stuffie close, and you'll never be alone."

Weiss perked up.

"How'd you-" She tried to ask.

But before she could, her Knight turned around and headed for the bright swirling.

"OH!" The Knight stopped short and whirled around, "I almost forgot to tell you."

"What's that?" Weiss stepped closer,

"I know you're thinking of going to a school called Beacon, am I right?" He tilted his head,

"Um, yes?" Weiss hadn't given it too much thought just yet,

"Well, if and when you do go there," He told her, "you're probably gonna meet a really dorky blonde kid."

"I will?" Now Weiss was very perplexed,

"Yeah, probably." Nodded the Knight, "I'm just gonna ask you to be nice and go easy on him. He's a good kid, and he's honest too, but he's kinda goofy. He won't know how to express himself properly."

Weiss nodded. She wasn't sure what to make of this.

"Uh, alright . . . yes . . . I can do that . . ." She frowned a little.

This didn't make sense, either.

"D'ah," He waved it off, "you'll get it when you see him. Again, just don't think too badly of the kid, okay?"

Weiss nodded again.

"Okay," She was more resolute, "I promise!"

"That's all I'll ask." He smiled happily, and stepped towards the swirl, "Ooh, wait one more thing!"

Her Knight turned back around to face her.

"Also, when you go to Beacon," He added, "You're probably gonna meet this really pretty girl with red hair and green eyes."

"Mm-hm?" Weiss nodded,

"Just try to be her friend as well." He told her, "She hasn't had it easy either, and she would love to have real, true friends in her life."

"She won't have any when I meet her?" Weiss frowned,

"I'm sorry, but no." He shook his head, "She won't."

That sounded awful. Weiss made her decision.

"Okay!" She promised, "I'll be good to them both!"

"You've got a heart of gold." The Knight patted her head again, and finally he turned away, walked up to the swirl, and stepped into it, "Bye-bye, Snow Angel, I'll see you again someday!"

"Goodbye, Mister Knight!" Weiss called out, "I love you!"

Her Knight said nothing. But he turned back a little, giving her a kind, broad smile. Weiss smiled back when she saw it. And with a deep humming and droning, he stepped through the swirl, and it disappeared.

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the end of that day, Weiss felt better than she had in years. She found a note pad and a pencil in her room, and jotted down her promise to Her Knight.

She would keep it.

No matter what.

‐---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, as Klein the butler tucked her into bed, he saw how she was smiling - he'd been at a different part of the Manor all day, and was secretly upset to have missed his 'Little Snowflake' on her biggest day yet.

"Oh my dear," He covered his mouth and yawned, "Oh, excuse me. You look very happy."

"I am Klein." Weiss gratefully snuggled her Rusty-stuffie when he handed it to her, "Today was the best birthday I can remember!"

Klein's eyes turned yellow.

"Oh bother, was it?" He asked excitedly, and clicked his tongue, "Oh, and I've missed it."

"Well," Weiss fidgeted, "I don't think you would've liked how it started . . ."

Klein's eyes turned violet.

"Um?" He felt wary,

"Father said he didn't love any of us." Weiss told him,

"No!" He gasped,

"Mm-hm!" Nodded Weiss, "He shouted it out really loudly, right in mother's face!"

That made the butler very angry, and his eyes flashed red.

"Why, that insolent, frosty blowhard!" He snapped, then remembering he was in front of Weiss, he quickly recovered, "ATISHOOO! Oh, my! I'm so sorry, my Little Snowflake. Something came over me-"

"That's what he called him!" Weiss's eyes shone like the northern lights.

Klein paused.

"What who said?" He asked her,

"My knight in shining armour!" Weiss recounted, "Ooh, you should've seen it, Klein! He threw Father through a wall, and he didn't get back up until after the other staff had him taken away!"

Brunhilde, one of the maids, told Weiss everything after her Knight left.

The butler stared.

". . . Is that why the Master wasn't at home this afternoon?" He asked.

Secretly, Klein wished he'd gotten to see that himself.

"Yes!" Weiss nodded, bouncing up and down in her bed, "I was so sad and scared when Father started yelling again, but then he swooped in and shut him up!"

Klein was so overjoyed, his eyes turned back to yellow.

"Oh, how wonderful!" He was delighted, "This knight of yours sounds like just the sort of man we need around here!"

Both Klein and Weiss knew they really shouldn't be excited about something like this, but as Jacques was still in the hospital, there wasn't anyone around to tell on them. Another worrying thought came to him, however, and his eyes went back to violet.

"Um, beg Pardon, my Little Snowflake," He asked, "But where is this knight of yours now?"

Weiss shook her head.

"I don't know." She sighed, "He said grandfather got him as a present just for me. He came here to tell me that I'm going to be amazing when I grow up, but then he walked into a big glittery-shaped-thing and left."

The butler frowned. He could understand now why Weiss was so upset about it.

"Oh, please, do cheer up, my dear?" Klein patted her head, "I'm sure you'll see him again someday."

Weiss nodded again, mutely.

"He promised we would." She remembered, "I just wish I could see him now . . ."

"Well, what if we tried to find him?" Offered Klein, his eyes turning brown, "I'm sure we could do that. What did he look like?"

Weiss thought for a moment.

"He had golden hair," she recalled, "and his eyes were like the ocean."

"Ooh, go on." Klein was rapt with attention,

"He was tall too!" Added Weiss, "As tall as Grandfather! He wore armour like his, with the big chest-part, and knee-pads and shoulder-pads."

She paused and pulled her knees up.

"He was really pretty . . ." She finally said,

"Mm-hmm . . ." Klein nodded thoughtfully, "I see then . . ."

His eyes turned back to yellow again.

"This knight of yours sounds truly wonderful." Klein assured her, "I'll send word out to a few of our contacts and see about finding this knight of yours."

". . . Okay, Klein." That helped her a little, "Thank you."

She peeled out of bed and gave him a tight, warm hug. Klein felt startled at first, but hugged her all the same.

"Do you think I will get to see him again?" She wondered, still holding onto him.

Against his better judgment, Klein answered.

"I'm sure I know you will." He promised.

He gently laid her back down, and drew the covers up.

"Good night and happy birthday, my sweet Little Snowflake." He wished her, "Sleep well, and pleasant dreams."

"Good night, Klein." Weiss wished him back, "You too, a-and the others as well."

Klein nodded with a smile and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Weiss shuffled further down beneath her covers and snuggled her Rusty-stuffie again.

"Good night, Mister Knight." She breathed, "I hope I get to see you again soon."

[havikshoochiemama]

I feel like Neytiri was barely in the movie she was more of a side character :( Other then her fight scene.

And I know we had ALOT of characters to introduce but I just miss her fr

[cjs-warriors-designs]

"Frostpaw is a light gray she-cat with darker color points and blue eyes"

Old-ish, but still mostly accurate Frostpaw design. Decided to start the design sharing off with something simple.

Design notes under the cut

I saw some other designs give her longer fur like a mane or hair and I loved it and it to her. This was made pre-scarring. I forgot my exact process for her other than "frost markings". Also, if anyone is wondering how I'll manage to make her not look like Dovewing, trust me. When you see my Dovewing, you will not be able to confuse the two for each other.

[bornt-urnge]

I honestly love how we're given little tidbits about Frey's intelligence. She's got a great vocabulary when she wants to have one, is well-read, and picks up the Athian alphabet pretty quickly.

That combined with her Olas fantasy about helping out disenfranchised kids really twists my heart in a certain way. To know she's such a bright girl with a genuine desire to care for others, and the fact that it's been quashed so far down by circumstance. Hm.

[randomshipperhere]

MY BEST GIRL

[gandalfsparkles]

Casual Widow, inspired by Yor from Spy x Family

[acourtofquestions]

I miss Mor… that’s all… I just miss her🥹

[jeffy-reblogz]

Made some half-assed Chihiro + Chiaki ""redesigns"", any Chihiro discourse will get you blocked because I'm hypersensitive and struggle with confrontation :] don't take it the wrong way. 3rd image is my oc Chise meeting Chihiro bc I can imagine them being friends if they ever met