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[ The video recorded on the network appears to be from the angle of the podium that Weiss is standing at, though it's obvious that it's taking place in an official space. Just as likely, any character would be able to see the same scene on television as a press conference called by Weiss Schnee. What's stranger is that she doesn't seem quite as confident or self-assured as she might normally. This isn't good news. ]

Nova City has become a home to me. Which is what makes this incredibly difficult. The type of person I decided I wanted to be was the type of person who protects others- someone who fights to make things right, and be a better person than people expect of me. Being Nova City's Guardian has let me be that person, but it takes a toll. Everyone has a point at which their bias and self-interest conflicts with being able to do the right thing. I've recently begun to see where that point lies for me. Before I reach it, I'm going to do the right thing one last time for Nova City.

[ Weiss takes a deep breath, her fingers gripping slightly before she releases both them and the breath. ]

Today is my last day as City Guardian. In my place until the next election, Deputies Garrus Vakarian and Mercury Black will be acting as co-Guardians to lead the Nova City Guardian team. They have very different styles so it may be an.. interesting transition, but I think the contrast and balance will ultimately help to keep Nova City a fair and safe place.

[ She's so aware that it's going to be a controversial decision. Mercury is rash, with little leadership experience, but he got things done and he was decisive. He wouldn't play around with unnecessary ventures, and Weiss honestly felt that if he was going to continue down the path he was on, he needed to be motivated to do that. She'd give him the responsibilities and hoped he picked up on it, using his already skillfully trained abilities to support it. Garrus was far more justice-oriented and enthusiastic about the job, and much more intelligent, but he also acted too quickly and ended up on wild goose chases or involved in ridiculous drama somehow. The biggest worry she had about the team-up would be whether they would go too far in the name of justice, but she was hoping the remaining deputies would keep them in check in that aspect. Her other deputies may have been more qualified individually, but they were less likely to be followed by the rest of the team or more likely to be influenced by outside parties. It was the only combination that worked. They elected her, hopefully they trusted her deputies to uphold her standards in her stead. ]

Thank you.

[ And the transmission ends. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You are quitting!

[He bellows back, suddenly going very quiet and flinching when she explains. It's almost worse that she spoke to someone else. Blinking a few times, he grits his teeth, putting on an angry front.]

Well, I'm glad to know that when it comes to decisions about your team we'll always stand behind someone who isn't even involved and your boyfriend.

Good luck finding your way back Weiss. I quit.

Edited 2017-09-06 05:26 (UTC)

I told you, Jaune! I told you, before he even got here, that I was going to have to make decisions you won't agree with! And you and everyone who I talked to made it very clear that I had told you anything at all, and all it's done has made things harder instead of just letting me deal with him on my own and I thought this was great, I had support, and that was all I needed but things don't work that way, Jaune! It got worse because he felt like he didn't have respect because of me because all of you kept trying to protect me from him! So fine, I quit! I'm quitting, because if I don't quit then eventually I'm going to lose and he's going to have everyone in Nova City at his mercy, so fine.

[ She looks like she's clearly trying not to cry. This was one of the hardest decisions she's made, Jaune hating her because she couldn't keep letting herself get slowly pushed back under by Jacques hurts. ]

The first decision we ever agreed on was that it was okay to retreat, live to fight another day, Jaune. That's all I'm doing.

You--

[She's said enough. His suspicions were right. He might not know the specific details, but he knows Jacques has scared Weiss enough, made her feel defeated enough for her to step down just because of him.

His own eyes might be a little too bright with unshed tears. It hurts seeing Weiss this way and knowing it's because of him, but being left behind hurts too. He bows his head for a moment, eyes shut like he has the world's worst headache, before opening them again and speaking much more softly.

He doesn't meet her eyes.]

That was back when none of us were important. Now it's just most of us. [Sun and...Dorian? Seemed to be the only exceptions.] Don't blame us because you're related to some kind of psychopath.

Don't treat him like a psychopath and I wouldn't have had to.

[ He can't understand it. The worst Jaune's parents had ever done was not believe in him, and Weiss opened up to Jaune more than she had most people to tell him how Jacques made her feel about herself. And he'd reacted so badly. ]

You don't seem to realize that what you do may not have consequences for you, but it does for me. It does for Whitley, and Winter, and there's nowhere to run here. If you want to quit because you're upset with me, then you shouldn't have had the job in the first place. I won't argue with you quitting, and I'm not going to suddenly open up and tell you my life's story because you feel entitled to things that aren't any of your business. Being my friend doesn't suddenly make my feelings your property, Jaune.

What am I supposed to treat him like then? A good person? The way you do? Because that worked so well when you did it.

I'm not responsible for your siblings-- you're not responsible, he is. Why don't you get that? The only power he has is what you give him. That isn't why I'm quitting, but nice to finally know where your true feelings are. ...No, you're right. And whatever happens now isn't your responsibility.

[ She groans. ] You literally just quit after saying that I was a quitter, Jaune, just-- why does everything I do constantly have to be about how you feel? About how if I have a problem, the real problem is that I didn't come to you and tell you everything I'm feeling? You keep acting like I can't exist outside of you and I don't know how to deal with that any more than I do Father, so if you want to hate me just do it! I'm trying not to drown and do the one thing we both swore that we would do, protect people, and all you can talk about is how I'm a terrible person for having feelings you disagree with and not telling you because all you do is making me feel bad about caring about my family.

[ She's just going to hang up now. She can't do anything with this, she can't keep arguing with him, she can't figure out why he can't just be there for her without it always being about him not being the first person she speaks to about something. ]

Because I'm tired of you shutting us all out!

[But he's shouting at nothing now. Weiss hung up. If she really thought he would ever follow Mercury, though, she didn't know him at all. It was a slap in the face. Her one night stand was somehow more qualified, and even if he didn't want the position, the things Weiss spoke about only seemed to matter when she needed them to. Everything she had worked for was gone, and she was leaving it to the murderer and justice freak. Awesome. It's with a mix of self-directed malice and anger at her that he throws his phone, leaving his apartment to get away from there and any thoughts of her as much as he could.]

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