SIDE STORY Detective Weiss? (She Ain't No Columbo)

[Camleen]

Weiss sighs contently as she looks over the progress she has made in her quarters. She had found a nice place in the Pathfinder that was sparsely populated… not deserted by any measure… but not a lot of traffic either. Kind of perfect. But, getting back to her room. She has only had 2 'quarters' in her life, living accommodations that is. Her bedroom in her family's home and the dorm at Beacon she shared with the rest of team RWBY. So she didn't exactly have a lot of experience to draw from when she decorated her quarters.

Subconsciously, she made it look more like her bedroom in her home. Maybe someday it will be a place she can start to feel like a home.
But then, she would much rather just go home period.

The room is silent within, allowing her thoughts to drift. For her inner (constant) critic to assess her surroundings and find flaws to fix. But that silence is abruptly interrupted when she hears something at her door. It sounds like someone bumping into the door. She looks over her shoulder towards the door, a brow perked up. Immediately she speaks up "If it's anyone but a Ruby, I don't want any!" she is kind of loud. But as she watches the door from her peripheral… she realizes if it was Ruby she would have heard her coming down the corridor a long time ago. She turns now smoothly on her heels and strides towards the door. Walking passed it's display, she grasps her rapier like sword. And when she gets to the door it slides open. She is tensed, as if preparing for attack. Because… one never knows. She leans out the door, looking left to right. No one. A step forward, and her boot bumps against something laying there upon the deck. A small package… and a confused look upon her pale features. Reaching around her waist she clips her weapon to her right hip, and then she kneels down. She scoops up the package and carefully turns it over in her grasp. Looking down the corridor once more… she calls out "Excuse me! Who left this here?" Another few steps forward, she looks back down to the package.

@Wade Von Doom

 

[Wade Von Doom]

It was a basket. Woven from wicker made from reeds by the feel of it, and well crafted by how tightly the strands tied together. Inside the basket was a set of cookies, five chocolate chip, five raisen, five peanut butter, and five sugared on top; each one stacked beside each other in a circle. In the center was some fruit, strawberries and blueberries mingling together, along with a note on the side held together with a thin piece of tape.

"House Warming gift for the lady of frost. May this new home away from home be comfortable," was what the card read. Finished with a little heart underneath the sentence.

She would see absolutely no one down the hallways. Whoever left it ran off.

 

[Camleen]

Crystal blue eyes sternly gaze along the corridor, looking for anyone that looked obvious. A soft sigh escapes her lips, and as she stands there down towards the basket she would look. Her fingers delicately run along the bottom of the basket as she holds it, finding herself rather taken by its simple yet elegant construction. Holding the basket in one hand, her other hand rummages gently through its laden contents. Well whoever it was, she can rule out Ruby. Those chocolate chip cookies would never have stood a chance if her team leader were anywhere near its vicinity.

Her free hand plucks free the note… and she finds herself rather surprised by its script. She looks up again, and then back to the note. Now who the heck would leave her something like this? She has hardly said 2 words to anyone in this forsaken place… well except that blue spiked…. thing… and she doesn't suspect it would leave her this nice basket. "Lady of frost?" She utter softly to herself, looking along the corridor "What's that supposed to mean?" usually when someone calls her something like that and they aren't her friends… well she is used to it being an insult. But the more she recalls the letter in her mind, the more she finds herself doubting this.

Another sigh and now she begins to walk forward. Her boots clack gently on the deck with her stride, holding the basket gingerly in her hand. The other hand still holds the note. Her long white hair (tied into a ponytail) sways with the rhythm of her gait. And her face starts to redden a little as she walks, glancing down at the note she holds in her hand. Who would have left something like this? Her eyes move towards everyone she passes… but only a few look back towards her. Even here she stands out a little…

@Wade Von Doom

 

[Wade Von Doom]

To be fair, it was only because she wore a royal gown. Everyone else was more just a ragtag of soldiers from advanced worlds, creatures of fantastical realms, and a couple oddities like a toaster with a face walking around. She actually looked like someone from high class society, which set her far apart from those aboard the station.

With the meeting finished, it was now the time for action, and the station was lit up with life as people began reconstructing it. Sections were expanded to help with more room, and planners got together to figure out the best facilities for research, engineering, training, and living quarters. People cleaned up trash and discarded items, washed the floors, helped build furniture and bedding, gave out jobs and tasks, it was a far sight better than before with the feeling of gloom spreading to everyone like a virus.

Now, they had a purpose, they had an objective, and people they felt they could trust with the singular goal of helping out their worlds, even if they were light-years away from them. "Excuse me, miss?" A voice called out to Weiss, as a soldier came running up to her. He was a knight, with a sword holstered to his side and a shield on his back, though the insignia on both would be lost to her. Yet another strange kingdom she had to add to the list of places people had been taken from. "Sorry to disturb you, but I was asked to see if you would be willing to help? We have some magic users who feel like they are being forgotten about with all the changes happening. I was asked to see if you would like to help solve the issue."

@Camleen

 

[Camleen]

Tentatively Weiss continues down the corridor, nearly at just half a pace. Eyes continue to scan the ruffians around her. She doesn't pay a ton of attention to them, her mind other places. But.. she usually doesn't pay them much mind anyways. Some call it snobiness, but she often just has other things on her mind. But the way she carries herself, her wardrobe… it's easy to see it as being a snob.

But a voice from behind catches her attention, and she pivots on her heels to see the knight approach. She looks down at the basket a moment, and then back to the stranger. No… he can't be the one that left this…

She turns to face him fully, standing almost regally before him. Not trying to show off… that's just how Weiss carries herself. She listens to his query, looking over his shoulder to see where he might have come from, and then back to him. Intently she listens to him, nodding a little with his final statement. For a moment or so she has to think, and then down to the basket she looks once more. Around herself Weiss gazes around, and then back to the basket. Back up, then back to the basket. And then to the knight she looks as she smiles softly "Of course. Give me a moment, if you would." she lightly hefts the basket to bring his attention to it "to put this in my room." With her free hand she motions him to stay put, and she goes into a light jog to her door.

Stepping into her room she sets the basket carefully upon a near end table. She turns it a little as it sits there, to alow it to look nicer on the table. Turning then she steps out of her room, moving in the same light jog to the stranger. His armor is very similar to the armor that had been in her family for generations… the kind of armor the heroic knight would use to ride into battle to defend the kingdom and her peoples.

She loves the old stories.

"Okay, sir. I don't know if I can help, but I'd like to try." She extends a slim hand "I'm Weiss. Weiss Schnee."

 

[Wade Von Doom]

"A pleasure, ma'am," The knight grabbed her hand gently and bowed before her. Usually, royalty didn't offer their hand to lowly soldiers, which slightly threw him off guard. Still, he is appreciative of such a gesture, and was quick to lead Weiss to where she was needed.

In this case, a newly created section of the Pathfinder. Once it was agreed there would be a division of the station that would be focused on the magical arts, representatives of those that could wield magically induced powers, such as wizards, sorcerers or witches, were asked about what kind of accommodations would best suit them in such a foreign environment. To be stuck in a space station, when such technology was possibly thousands of years away from being possible in their world, was quite jarring to a lot of them, and making something familiar would undoubtably help them feel more connected to the Alliance than just outsiders of this technological war.

But, there was a small hiccup. Because of such accommodations being so favorable to magic users, that left a bad taste in the mouth of 'divine' wielders. Priests, clerics, paladins, those that had their powers come from a holy source of power or being, felt like they were being disregarded because they were not as important as their counterparts. Magic for many of them was occultic, unholy, and being considered second class was an outrage.

It was in a newly created 'church,' designed by some of the holy fighters, that the latest argument had broken out. As the soldier informed Weiss, a few of the priests had started putting up religious symbols pointed directly at the magic users, as the two groups were now side by side. One even shouted out a slur to a witch who had been practicing a dark spell, only for said witch to throw the spell at the priest. A fight ensued, and both sides were now meeting in the church to discuss the issue before it got further out of hand.

"As has been established, this place of worship is meant not for one religion, but a shared space for everyone to worship their worlds' gods without prejudice. But, if this place is used to segregate, whether because of their gods or use of magic, then we will see this place instead become another closet space for weapons and supplies," said a knight in the middle of the two groups, who had organized this whole thing.

He looked to be as young as Weiss, and wore a thin blade along his hip. Although he was mostly out of his armor, and took the seriousness of the matter at heart by the way he spoke. He didn't even see Weiss come in, so focused on the groups.

 

[Camleen]

Weiss walks a few steps behind the young man, her blue eyes scanning their surroundings. Intently she listens to his explanation as to what is going on, why they thought that perhaps she could help. She has… a lot of doubt in that regard. Did they seek her out because she is known to them, or because she was the first one they came upon?

And as they come into the large 'church', she looks up with a gaze in awe. It was so tremendous… so beautiful. This was something like she had not seen in so long. In her years performing she would be in places like this. In front of a crowd of hundreds at times. But she can not remember a place as beautiful as this.

But she has to focus on the task at hand. Her eyes fall on the groups of mages, noting how differently they are dressed. Each denoting a different discipline. So from what she understands, this is the nature of the problem. These groups, they seem to be at odds. And it isn't something she's unfamiliar with. And judging by the looks on their faces… they aren't thrilled. She stops short of the group, one of her hand resting on her hip. "So, how can I-" She pauses when she then notices other knight amidst of them, her eyes widen a little. She seems flustered as she looks him over, and then composes herself. "Uh… how can I help?"

@Wade Von Doom

 

[Wade Von Doom]

"Ah, Lady Weiss. I'm glad you could join us," the knight bowed before her as he began to introduce himself, "I'm ser Alva. I'm a knight from my world, and offered to help with sorting out the living quarters for everyone. However, there seems to already be tension, as our newly made church is right next door to the sorcerers quarters."

"We are more than happy to share our space with those who believe in their own divine beings, but such tribalism by these priests will not be tolerated when they constantly harass us!" One of the witches spoke up, leading the group.

"And you thought violence was the correct answer?" The leading priest, a radiant knight by the look of his armor, replied. "I will admit to you such actions made by our clergy was uncalled-for and shall be disciplined for it. But, we will not allow such justice to be made to our people by outsiders!"

"And yet, if you really did care to get along with us, you would not be antagonizing our people with such obvious displays of disdain!" The witch yelled back.

"Our people are from a diverse range of religious beliefs. Some are bound to see the magic you wield as unholy, and it is only through familiar faces and safe harbor can we hope to make them understand." The priest argued.

 

[Camleen]

The knight bows to her.. and for a moment she finds herself a little taken aback. It's been a long time since she had been bowed too.. in a non-mocking way. Despite that, she reacts out of practiced instinct. Her hands move to the hem on either side of her skirt, her legs cross at the ankles and she bobs in a little curtsy. Her head bows a little, her eyes down. "Ser Alva." She greets softly, and then she pushes herself to her full (unimpressive) height.

Nodding slowly as he explains the situation… but frankly it wasn't that hard to see what was going on. Blue eyes move between the two groups as their arguing gets louder and louder. Twice Weiss attempts to interject, but she is quickly drowned out by the raised voices. She shoots a glance towards Alva, seeming to completely understand his frustration and the need to call another to help.

And here is how Weiss sees it… neither of these groups are going to give an inch. They are both (in small measure) right. And that fact won't allow an ego to stand down. She refuses to try to yell over them, she refuses to lay hands on them to get their attention, she refuses to force herself into the middle. So how can she get their attention?

Weiss is gonna Weiss.

With a soft impatient "Hphm!" She takes a few steps back from Alva and the others, and she unsheathes her rapier like sword. Myrtenaster. She turns elegantly on her heels so she is facing away from them, and she raises her sword pointed to the sky. In front of where Weiss stands (well away from the others), a glowing white glyph forms on the floor and spins slowly. She is motionless, the sword she holds giving off a soft blue glow. And abruptly from the middle of that glyph rises what can only be described as an armored giant. It holds a broadsword above its head, mimicking Weiss' stance. The mages won't sense any magic.. this is something different from Weiss' world. The giant rises wholly, standing at about 10 feet tall. It glows a soft shimmering white, light steam seeming to rise off of it. She pivots once more and the giant takes a step forward, getting closer to Weiss, still holding the sword upwards. She lowers her own sword… and the armored giant swings his thick blade downwards. With a rumbling 'CLANG' it strikes the ground directly in front of each group, each group on either side of the blade. The giant raises its sword once more and moves to stand directly behind Weiss as she begins to sheathe her own sword. Hoping that got everyone's attention, she speaks in a loud and stern tone to all of them. "Enough of your squabbling! Ser Alva and I are going to solve this dilemma. But we will need you to be silent!" She stresses that last word, and the armored giant behind her seems to push its chest out a little, as if to also stress it. It stands tall behind Weiss, holding its broadsword in front of its chest with both hands.

She looks towards Alva as she delicately brushes off the front of her battle skirt, speaking in a tone to ensure everyone hears them. "You are the lead here, Ser. So I hope I am not speaking out of turn. But perhaps… we need to have a sit down. A representative from each group.. and you. Away from the" she motions absently to the groups "angry mob."

@Wade Von Doom

 

[Wade Von Doom]

The room went quiet. Everyone looked up the shining blue knight with a surprised look, while Alva seemed motionless. He didn't flinch at all to Weiss' sudden transformation, instead eyeing the huntress with a raised eyebrow and soft smirk. "Agreed!" He added in, turning back around to the group. "The head cardinal and leading witch may stay. The rest can go back to your quarters to await judgement... unless you prefer to fight the golem on newly sacred ground." He turned back around to Weiss, nodding to her in approval.

Both the cardinal and witch looked to each other, and with ease, agreed to the newly made terms. They weren't going to suddenly make this a bloody feud. The least they could do was sit down and talk. "... Very well," the cardinal said.

"I'm more than willing to come to some compromise. As long as it is respected upon," the witch added.

The others left the room once agreement was made, leaving just Alva and Weiss with the cardinal and witch.

 

[Camleen]

Alva looks in the direction of Weiss and her knight summon, and when he does the 'golem' knight seems to puff up its chest a little, as if to accentuate the point. Now Weiss steps up to stand next to Alva, and she reaches around her waist to sheath her sword on her right hip.
Then she motions to a small study table off to their right as she speaks. "Let's all sit and talk." Her tone a soft one now, doing her best to not be abrasive anymore. Now that they are to the point of agreed negotiations.. things can be sensitive. And in her eyes, it's now Alva and her jobs to ensure things go smoothly now. She moves slowly towards the study table as she speaks, watching Alva out of the corner of her eyes. "If you're worried about things being fair… whatever we can agree on here, I can safely say we will ensure things are carried out. We won't be your babysitters, but we can be a committed third party to help. What do you think, Ser?" She says now with a small smile.

 

[Wade Von Doom]

"I believe that to be fair, Lady Weiss," Alva agreed, taking his seat on the opposite side of the table. The cardinal and witch took the other ends, leaving all four to be at each end of the table. "The issue stems from a lack of respect by either side, along with fears of unfair behavior towards the other for religious beliefs. Lady Weiss, if there was any recommendations you could give to them, do you have any they could ponder?"

 

[Camleen]

Settling into her slightly cushioned chair, Weiss folds her hands upon the table top. To each person she would look as she listens intently on the offered details. She gets it. 2 groups with very different ideals having to coexist in close proximity. More than that… coexist with people that represent things they are diametrically opposed to. A difficult situation in the best of circumstances. But here.. the animosity is magnified.
She is asked her recommendations, and she closes her eyes as she lets out a gentle sigh. A moment or so of stillness, and she draws in a slow breath before her eyes open and she speaks.

"Yes, I do have some points I would like each side to consider." A pause, and she begins again "Firstly, whatever we come up with here should be in writing. Give each side a visual representation of what is expected of them." she then clears her throat politely and continues. "All of you have to coexist here. You don't have to like each other, but you must live with one another in a small space." She motions to each of the parties "Not liking someone is different than acting against them. There's no need to voice your objections to who they are or what they do. No one should be oppressed for their beliefs. It doesn't matter what you think of them."
Another pause and she holds up 2 fingers "Second. You have to remember… we were all kidnapped. Brought here against our wills. That other group you don't like… they are just like you in that regard. They aren't the enemy, this AI is. That's who we have to band together and resist."

@Wade Von Doom