A Path To Omniscience

The kiss lasted only a couple of seconds—more like a gentle peck—lips pressing together briefly before parting.

Weiss's eyes stayed locked on Asher's, but now they carried a flicker of conflict, replacing the dazed look from before. The silence between them stretched on, their faces still close, and the memory of what had just happened replayed endlessly in her mind, like a loop she couldn't shut off.

She took a few steps back, drawing in a steadying breath. After a brief pause, she finally spoke, her voice trembling with the same blend of emotions reflected in her gaze.

"I... I don't know why I did that." Asher gave a faint smile.

"I'm pretty sure you just told me the reason a minute ago." Hearing his response, Weiss nodded without thinking. She raised a hand, running her fingers through her ponytail before letting it rest on the back of her neck. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, somewhere between frustration and release.

"Yes, I know, I know. It's just..." Her voice faded, leaving her sentence unfinished.

Asher tilted his head slightly, taking a small, almost imperceptible step closer. She seemed lost in her thoughts, barely noticing his movement.

"Was it that bad? Do you regret it?" The question startled her. Her eyes widened instinctively as if the idea itself shocked her. She shook her head quickly, raising both hands as if to ward off the notion.

"No! I-" She stopped abruptly, realizing how loud she'd gotten. Lowering her hands, she coughed lightly into one to compose herself. Her voice came softer now, more measured.

"No, it's not that. It's just... that was the first time I've ever... kissed anyone. And the first time I've, well... you know." As she spoke, Asher leaned casually against the stone railing of the balcony, his gaze drifting into the distance for a moment.

"If you don't regret it, then... did you enjoy it?" Weiss hesitated, her gaze dropping to the ground.

"I think so? I- I don't know. I don't even know what a kiss is supposed to feel like. And right now, I'm just... confused. And my face feels really hot." She sighed again, exasperated, her inexperience with all of this painfully clear. Asher's expression softened into a slightly teasing grin.

"Well, your face is pretty red."

"Not funny," Weiss muttered, her tone sharp enough to cut through Asher's soft chuckle. He straightened from the railing, taking another small step toward her.

"In that case, how about we do it again?" He suggested.

Weiss blinked, her expression blank with disbelief.

"What?"

"You heard me," Asher replied.

"Let's try it again. You said you don't know how you feel, right? Well, the best way to figure it out is to keep trying until you decide, don't you think?" For a moment, Weiss stood frozen. It was hard to tell what stunned her more—how straightforward he was being or the strange, almost logical reasoning behind his suggestion.

Am... am I actually considering this?

That was the first thought that raced through her mind, followed by the second. 

I'm the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, not some girl who sneaks off kissing boys on balconies in the middle of the night. Especially in a nightgown and bare feet, for crying out loud. If anyone found out about this... Father would probably disown me.

Yet, despite the voice of reason screaming in her head, her gaze drifted back to Asher's face. At some point, he'd gotten closer again—so close now that only two hand lengths separated them.

Well... I suppose I've already kissed him once. Doing it again couldn't hurt... right?

Her cheeks burned as she glanced away, muttering, "This really isn't how I imagined this would happen."

"Oh?" Asher leaned in slightly, his voice tinged with playful curiosity.

"And how did you imagine it?"

"I'm not sure," Weiss admitted at first, but after a brief pause, she continued, her words flowing without hesitation.

"I thought maybe it would be after a few dates with someone who truly understood me. He'd be attractive, of course, but our connection would go deeper than anything I've had with anyone else. Then, on a snow-covered walk—or maybe during a sunset—we'd look at each other, and there'd be a spark. A silent understanding. Our first kiss would feel... magical."

She painted the image so vividly that even she seemed momentarily swept away by the fantasy.

"You've really thought this through, haven't you?" He remarked, an amused glint in his eyes.

"Makes me think your brother might've been right." Weiss's brow furrowed at the mention of her brother.

"Right? About what?" Asher's smirk deepened.

"You read a lot of fairy tales." Her mind flickered back to the memory of when she and Whitley had recommended books for him to read.

"What!? Hold on a second! First of all, those weren't fairy-" Weiss's protest was cut short as Asher leaned in, his lips meeting hers once again. The words she'd been about to unleash fizzled out, replaced by the warmth of his touch. His hand gently rested against her back, pulling her closer with an unspoken tenderness.

The sudden intimacy froze her in place, just as it had before, but this time Asher pulled back slightly, his lips hovering near hers as he whispered, his voice low and soothing.

"Relax. Just follow my lead... like when we were dancing." His words carried a weight that settled over her, calming the rush of thoughts in her head.

The kiss, which had started as a brief peck, slowly deepened. Hesitation lingered in Weiss's movements, but gradually, Asher felt her begin to soften. Her lips started to move in rhythm with his, her initial uncertainty giving way to something more natural.

The soft sound of their kiss mingled with the cool night air, and Weiss's hands, once idle, found their way to rest against Asher's chest.

As their kiss came to an end, Asher pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, a light smile on his face.

"So? Do you know how you feel now?" Weiss, still catching her breath, glared up at him, her cheeks flushed a vivid red as she struggled to regain her composure.

"Have I mentioned how much I dislike how cheeky you've gotten since we met?" Asher chuckled, nodding.

"Once. Well, twice now." Weiss rolled her eyes with a faint huff, stepping back and turning toward the glass doors that led inside. Her hand had just settled on the door handle when Asher's voice called out to her.

"Make sure you warm up by the fireplace before you get back into bed. Don't want you waking up with a cold." She glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes briefly sweeping over him.

"What about you?" Asher offered a warm, easy smile before turning his attention back to the view of Alrcliff City in the distance. He took a deep breath, his expression calm yet contemplative.

"I think I'll stay out here a little longer. You've helped me clear up a lot of my thoughts... but you gave me a few new ones too." He glanced at her one more time, tilting his head toward the room.

"Don't worry. I'll come back in before I catch anything." Weiss lingered for a moment, studying him, before nodding. The soft click of the door closing behind her left Asher alone with the night once more. Turning back to the city lights, he let his thoughts drift as the cool breeze brushed past him.

Once again, Asher was alone, left with nothing but the sounds of the night: the whisper of the wind, the faint glow of distant city lights, and the swirling cacophony of his own thoughts.

He closed his eyes, drawing in a slow, steady breath. For a moment, everything seemed still. But then, he heard it.

At first, it was faint—so faint it felt like a trick of the mind, barely discernible beneath the ambient noise around him. It was a sound he could only hear when he wasn't actively trying to find it, like a phantom just out of reach. Yet, with each passing second, it grew louder, until it began to drown out the world entirely.

Cackling.

Inhuman laughter that clawed its way into his mind, sharp and invasive, like nails scraping against his thoughts.

Mori's laughter.

And with it came the memory of his words, ringing through Asher's head as clearly as if they were being spoken again.

"It's a bit tragic. Love wasted on someone who's so adamant about never feeling it."

The voice echoed in a relentless loop, methodical and maddening, each repetition drilling deeper into his psyche.

Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

Asher's eyes opened, and silence rushed in to fill the void. His expression remained neutral—calm, collected, the picture of control. His lips were set in a straight line, his gaze betraying nothing, every hint of emotion tucked safely away.

But the words he muttered under his breath, so soft they barely escaped his lips, carried a taint of malice so thick it felt like it would infect the air.

"How annoying."

With that, he turned and headed back inside, his voice and those venomous words carried away by the winds, lost to the night.

The following morning brought an odd sense of normalcy mixed with strangeness for the Schnee siblings, though for slightly different reasons. Asher's bed was large enough to fit all three comfortably, so Weiss and Whitley had fallen asleep on the right side, while Asher occupied the left.

The strangeness began when Whitley woke up first. Much like Weiss when she woke up in the middle of the night, he was initially groggy and disoriented, unsure of where he was or why. As he lifted his head from the pillow, the covers slid off his chest, but a tug on his right arm stopped him.

Curious, he glanced over—and froze.

Weiss was sleeping on the same pillow as him. His right hand was tucked under one of her arms, and all at once, the memories of the previous night flooded back to him. He stared at his sister, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

"What..." He muttered, not really expecting a response.

"You both fell asleep during the movie," came Asher's voice from across the room. Whitley turned his head to see Asher sitting on the couch near the fireplace, his head tilted slightly down as his fingers tapped away on his scroll.

"She tucked you in. I guess she ended up falling asleep next to you."

"I see..." Whitley said, his voice trailing off as he looked back at Weiss. He didn't seem sure how to react to the explanation and instead chose to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"So, did anything memorable happen while I was asleep?" Asher paused mid-tap, tilting his head slightly as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Why do you ask?"

"You said we both fell asleep. But you also said Weiss tucked me in, meaning she must have woken up, and you must have been awake too if you saw her," Whitley replied with a surprisingly sharp tone for someone who had just gotten up.

Asher chuckled lightly.

"It's fascinating how you're the same whether it's early or late. But just because we were both awake doesn't mean anything happened. Unless, of course, you're trying to accuse me of something."

"Oh, not you," Whitley said with a sly smirk.

"But I've seen how my sister looks at you. She hides it during our visits, but it's a lot more obvious when we're back home. So forgive me if I'm skeptical that she didn't try to take advantage of you two being alone las-" Before Whitley could finish, Weiss, who had apparently been pretending to sleep, snapped her eyes open.

In one swift motion, she grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back onto the bed.

"Can you, for once in your life, stop being so nosy and keep your mouth shut!?" She snapped, her voice brimming with irritation as she wrestled him down. In one fluid motion, she pulled the pillow they'd been sharing over his head.

The next ten minutes devolved into chaotic sibling warfare, with Weiss and Whitley struggling on the bed, Weiss easily overpowering her younger brother thanks to being older and just stronger. The skirmish ended with Whitley being unceremoniously kicked off the bed.

Whitley stood quickly, brushing off his clothes and straightening them with exaggerated dignity. Shooting Weiss an indignant glare, he turned to Asher.

"Well, for your sake, I hope you can handle a barbarian," he declared, raising his voice dramatically, "since apparently that's who the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company really is!"

His gaze snapped back to Weiss, whose eyes narrowed dangerously. Without hesitation, she grabbed a nearby pillow and hurled it at him. Whitley ducked at the last second, the pillow flying past him harmlessly as he let out a slow mocking laugh.

"Well, it's good to see you two are getting along so well," Asher remarked as Weiss picked up another pillow, preparing to launch it at Whitley, who had already armed himself with the one she'd thrown earlier.

The comment made both siblings pause mid-battle, turning to look at him with identical expressions of disbelief.

"You call this getting along?" Weiss asked, arching an eyebrow.

Asher nodded casually.

"I do. Usually, when I see you two, I see Weiss and Whitley Schnee, the heirs of the Schnee Dust Company. But right now? You actually look like siblings." His offhand remark seemed to catch both of them off guard. Weiss and Whitley exchanged glances, their expressions softening slightly.

Slowly, Weiss placed her pillow back on the bed, smoothing out the wrinkles in her nightgown as she stood. Whitley followed suit, setting his pillow down and adjusting his clothes with practiced precision.

Neither sibling said anything in response, but Asher simply shrugged and rose from the couch.

"Anyway, the kitchen will be serving breakfast soon," he said, stretching briefly. "Lionel mentioned my parents invited all three of us to join them. If you're interested, we can go."

"Breakfast?" Weiss echoed, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes," Asher replied with a small smile.

"I know you'll both have to leave soon, but we still have a bit of time. Our chefs are excellent. They make everything: pancakes, French toast, eggs any style, sausages-" He paused, noting the way their imaginations seemed to run wild with every word.

"Or, if that's too heavy, they can whip up oatmeal or porridge." The mention of food was enough to make both siblings' stomachs grumble softly, causing them to glance at each other with faint embarrassment.

"Well, it would be rude to decline a request from our hosts," Whitley said, adjusting his posture and looking toward Weiss.

"Most certainly," Weiss agreed with a small nod.

"Perfect. Let's go, then," Asher said, already heading toward the door.

"Wait," Whitley called after him.

"Aren't you going to change first?" Asher turned back, puzzled.

"Why? Is there something wrong with my clothes?" Weiss hesitated briefly before answering.

"Well... you're still wearing your pajamas." Asher glanced down at himself, then shrugged.

"It's still early. I'll change later." With that, he stepped into the hallway, leaving Weiss and Whitley standing there, momentarily frozen. At the Schnee Manor, stepping outside their rooms without being properly dressed was unthinkable. Their father had instilled a strict rule that they must always present themselves perfectly, no matter the time or place.

Yet here they were, following Asher down the hall in their sleepwear. While they trailed after him, the oddness of it all dawned on them, or perhaps they were simply unaccustomed to it.

The servants they passed greeted them respectfully before returning to their duties, their expressions calm and neutral. There were no judgmental glances, no disapproving looks that would have been standard fare at the Schnee Manor.

If their home always felt too large, too cold, and far too empty, Frostvale Manor felt the opposite. Though large in its own right, it felt warm for some reason, welcoming, and alive.

Even if it wasn't truly their home, it was a place where they felt, for once, they felt a sense of freedom. 

As they continued through the halls, Weiss began casting frequent glances in Asher's direction. Her subtle movements didn't go unnoticed by Whitley, who let out a near-silent hum of acknowledgment and annoyance. Without a word, he adjusted his pace, allowing himself to fall behind slightly and leaving Weiss to walk beside Asher alone.

Weiss glanced back at her brother, her expression momentarily surprised, but she quickly turned her focus back to Asher.

"I... I don't want to make this awkward," Weiss began, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"But are we going to talk about last night?" Asher shot her a brief glance before looking ahead again, his pace steady.

"About what?" He asked, his tone calm.

"You know..." Weiss's voice dropped as her gaze shifted meaningfully toward him.

"What's there to talk about?" Asher replied.

"We talked for a bit, you helped me sort through my thoughts, you confessed to me, and then..." He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a near whisper.

"We kissed." Weiss's step faltered ever so slightly, her posture stiffening as she glanced up at him.

"I know," she admitted.

"I just thought it would be... more complicated? That you'd react differently. That things would change, and we'd have this big, serious talk. Honestly, just thinking about it made it hard to fall asleep." Asher walked in silence for a moment before offering a simple question.

"Do you want me to act differently?" The unexpectedness of his question left Weiss quiet for a minute. She stared at the floor, lost in thought as they walked. Finally, she shook her head.

"No... I don't think so. I like how things are now." There was a certainty in her tone that made Asher nod.

"Then it sounds like you know what you want. That's good. I like to take things one step at a time anyway, so there's no reason to rush, right?" Weiss's expression softened as a small smile tugged at her lips. She nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose. No one ever said relationships had to be complicated." Their conversation might have lingered longer if not for Whitley's voice breaking in from behind them.

"So, are you two done with your little talk, or do I have to stay back here even longer?" His words dripped with mock boredom, his sarcasm barely concealed. Weiss turned her head slightly, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, shush. As if you haven't been eavesdropping this whole time." Whitley smirked, and within seconds, the two siblings were squabbling again, their words overlapping as their banter echoed down the hall only quieting down when they passed by servants. 

Asher, however, stayed silent, his focus turning inward as the sounds of their argument faded into the background.

I managed to influence them both a lot quicker than I expected. I suppose I have their broken family to thank for that. It made getting close to them—and mending the cracks in their relationship—much easier. All it took was someone willing to act as a balancing scale between them.

Now, I just need to finish up the two Spectral Unit Variants for Ironwood's weapon demonstration. If I can keep up this pace... maybe it'll be enough.