Winter Schnee

Name: Winter Schnee

Alias: Ice Queen

Sex: Female

Age: Classified (Mid 20s)

Race: Human

Height: 5'10"

Weight: Classified

Allegance: Atlasian Military

Complexion: Fair

Hair: White

Eyes: Light Blue

Aura Color: Light Blue

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Winter Schnee is Jacques Schnee's eldest child and is Weiss and Whitley Schnee's elder sister. She also appears to be a former student of Atlas Academy, a member of the Atlesian military's Special Operatives unit and a subordinate of General James Ironwood. When she arrives at Beacon Academy, she says that it has "been a long time", implying she is familiar with the school and has visited it before. After graduating from Atlas Academy, Winter Abdictaed her position as heir of the Schnee Dust Company to join the Atlasian Military and serve under James Ironwood.

“Emotions can grant you strength, but you must never let them overpower you.” —Winter Schnee

Winter Schnee strives to appear to be a beacon of military professionalism. From her rigid and upright posture, the precision of her uniform and the manner in which she styles her hair, to her choice of words and facial expressions. She desires to appear cold and composed, uncaring, unyielding, and in control of her emotions; the perfect soldier who is capable of following commands without hesitation. She projects confidence and certainty is her actions so as to not appear weak to others, desiring to seem unattached to any affiliations or ties besides those of the Atlas Military. For Winter this is what the ideal soldier would be, someone who is strong and is total control of themselves, mind, heart, and body.

However, Winter still has trouble with her emotions and wrestles with them often. Especially when her family is involved. With Weiss, Winter is proud of the growth that she has shown and wants for her younger sister to find her own path and happiness in life. Though not wanting to seem bias or doting, she finds herself accidentally complimenting Weiss regularly, as well as smiling when speaking to her. Even threatening the guards that brought in after her arrival in Atlas with bodily harm if they were not quick in removing Weiss' restraints. Jacques Schnee, her father, on the other hand often has a way of twisting Winter and working her up to where she loses her composure. Even after years of being away from her home and away from him, she finds herself unable to stand being around him or listening to him to speak, unable to stay in line when he discusses trust.

These emotions are something that Winter regularly wrestles with, and an issue that Winter continues to struggle with. Her temper displayed not only with her father but in the fact that she easily rose to Qrow's taunts when she first arrived at Atlas. That she threatened the guards that brought in team RWBY. But it is not only anger that she deals with, there is the weight of responsibility and the uncertainty which she has to keep at bay. Several times Winter is shown to question herself and berate herself for not 'staying in line' and for seeming to fail James Ironwood. Not all of these emotions are negative though, even in the darkest of times, Winter seems to hold onto trust and hope. Seen when she encourages Weiss to make the most of her life and to follow her own path. And that despite learning the truth that she had been groomed for one specific purpose since she began her military career, Winter is able to take that destiny and make it her own.

Winter's defining characteristic though is her loyalty, to Ironwood, to Atlas, to all of those that she cares about. This unwavering loyalty is shown in how fiercely protective she is of the reputation of the Atlas Military and specifically James Ironwood. When the reputation is insulted or besmirched, Winter often is unable to maintain her cool decorum and quickly acts to address and correct the insult. Even when she did not fully understand what was happening, or might not have completely agreed with orders, Winter followed them without questions. She attacks Qrow for calling Atlas drones trash and calling Ironwood a traitor, when her father states that Ironwood can not be trusted, she breaks rank to say that trust must be earned not bought. Even when Ironwood begins to crack under the pressure of Salem's approach, Winter does not hesitate to support him; pleading for Weiss and Ruby to turn themselves in. To Winter there is nothing more important than protecting Atlas and serving James; to the point that she berates Penny for saving her rather than going after Cinder. To Winter her life is not important when put against the safety of the kingdom.

Her loyalty though is not only to Ironwood, it is to Fria, to Weiss, and to Penny. Over time Winter develops a friendship and bond with Fria. Regularly visiting and speaking to Fria, wanting to learn from the Maiden and feeling a kinship in their sense of duty to protect the powers of the Winter Maiden and Atlas. A fate which she has accepted fully. With Weiss, she trusts that she will do what is right, which is why when they will not turn themselves in she tells them to leave rather than attempting to detain them or stalling until reinforcements arrive. She pushes Weiss and the others away stating that she is giving them a head start, knowing they wouldn't leave with her injuries unless they had no choice. And so she calls for medical treatment and backup. And even when Penny inherits the powers of the Winter maiden in her place, Winter assures that Fria is not gone but is a part of her.

So while at a glance Winter Schnee may seem as cold and uncaring as an arctic blizzard, in reality, she constantly wrestles with her emotions, trying to balance what she feels is right with her sense of duty and loyalty. Trying to carve out her own path, one on which she can be proud of who she is.