So because of Fanfiction's site being down all day yesterday, this fic missed being posted on RWBY Tuesday. After over 2 years of posting my fics consistently on Tuesdays, please accept it a day late.
This idea came to me a long while ago and so I decided to write it out. You'll find a few bits and pieces of unfinished roleplays in here, because I didn't want to see the writing die away completely, so I put them into a story to share. It's set in a slightly different world, as you'll soon discover. It's still Vale and Remnant, but being a huntsman/huntress is considered a lesser job of sorts by some people.
Set in the future, but not the widely-known Future AU specifically. It's just the girls when they're in their twenties, but there are no outstanding physical differences in their appearances.
The lyrics of the song "Pretend" by Lights have a heavy influence on this story, so give it a listen sometime! (As well as Lights' other great music). You'll find various lines of the song scattered about the fic when relevant.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Play Pretend
Chapter 1.
Being a huntsman or huntress in the kingdom of Vale was considered a lot of things.
It was undoubtedly perilous work, and not for the faint of heart; it required a desensitization toward spilling blood, be it an opponent's, or your own. In more than a few cases, one minor slip-up had cost the lives of countless innocents.
Nowadays, with an unsettling increase in the population of Grimm, it wasn't rare for a huntsman to fail a mission. Depending on the severity of his shortcomings, he may repent by simply promising to do better next time - or more drastically - by killing himself.
Every person reacted differently to their own personal mishaps, some calmly, and others dramatically. In more recent years, the latter had become the most common reaction, for one reason or another.
The devastating truth of the world was that the Grimm were gradually increasing in number, and the numbers of huntsmen and huntresses were on the decline.
Perhaps it was because of the dangerous nature of the job.
Perhaps it was because of the hastiness with which the higher-ups were throwing untrained or unprepared fighters onto the front lines out of desperation.
Or perhaps it was because of how the once-heroic profession was now being looked down upon.
To a normal citizen, one who fought monsters was not a wise person, but a fool.
Few attended the funerals of huntsmen and huntresses who lost their lives in the line of duty anymore. Some were even shunned by their own families.
And yet, there still remained a sizable fraction of people who admired the work of the Grimm-fighters. Despite being a minority, they were a strong faction, united and with a lot of heart.
It was easy to tell which children of the new generation would become huntsmen and huntresses from the start. You either wanted to or you didn't, and there weren't really too many floating betwixt.
Amongst the sea of uncertain, floundering souls that were into hunting for the money, there were many renown fighters who fought for different reasons.
Their names were known throughout the kingdom, and the best of the best were known throughout the world.
In rare circumstances, one such big-league huntsman would end up paying for his recklessness with his life, and the tragedy would make headlines for a single day before his existence was all but forgotten by society, swept under the rug like another mistake. Some died young, and few continued hunting long enough to be considered old.
Many people didn't see the merit in "wasting their prime" in a job that could potentially kill them.
But a certain huntress with a famous red cloak and a massive scythe had once refuted that statement with a haunting one of her own.
"Any job can kill you if you're not careful enough."
. . .
'Cause everyone's watching and quick to start talking – I'm losing my innocence.
. . .
- Ruby Rose was one of the biggest names in present huntresses history.
At the ripe age of just twenty-one, she had already set a new record for killing Grimm for someone of her age and position.
Most hunters took several years after graduation from combat school to achieve their first one-hundred kills, but Ruby had more than doubled that number within the same window of time.
And here she was now with a kill count of five-hundred and thirty four, numbers that bested even most of her old seniors from Beacon Academy.
Due to her impressive accomplishments since she'd finished her studies, she had naturally received the designated pay for her troubles.
But Ruby wasn't in it for the money – no one on her team was.
They all had their reasons.
The main reason for Ruby's high kill count numbers was because of her unwavering dedication to the profession. Her old teammates often still hunted as well, but for the most part, they had other things to attend to.
In addition to hunting regularly, Yang had started her own business at a restaurant and bar in town, a place she ran more or less by herself.
Blake was an advocate for Faunus rights, often using the money she was rewarded from hunts to give to struggling people of her race, and to better their chances for equality and justice.
Weiss juggled hunting with being the heiress her father had always wanted, working relentlessly to please him with her work at Schnee Dust while still somehow managing to get in a few hunts on the side.
And Ruby knew that they were all following their own dreams as best they could.
But Ruby herself had nothing else to hold her back. Hunting was what she'd always wanted to do with her life, and she intended to continue on down this path unobstructed and without an ounce of distraction or shred of regret.
The four of them still hunted together often, be it with their old partners or each others' - whomever was available at the time, really. It was a bit rarer where the four of them could find enough free time to be able to hunt together.
But even if fighting Grimm as a team was no longer and everyday occurrence, at the very least they made it a point to see one another as often as possible.
The typical meeting spot was Yang's place, as she'd give them all a bit of a discount on a meal and some free refills on drinks so they could all sit, relax, and catch up.
There was a mission ahead tomorrow, one they had all set aside all else for. They'd made arrangements to be covered, and had anticipated to be absent in their respective lines of work.
Presently, Ruby hurried down the sidewalks of the streets of Vale, her infamous crimson cloak drifting out behind her on the wind.
Her hair had grown a bit in recent years, but not enough yet to warrant getting cut. The rosy tips framed her white cheeks like roses kissing snowy hills. Her silver eyes were bright and lively, sparkling like the stars that would soon be winking to life overhead in just a few hours' time.
She always kept Crescent Rose on her person now, its weight a constant but unrestrictive presence on her back, a pleasant, familiar pressure that reminded her to be proud of herself each and every day. As a legal huntress, she had a permit to carry her weapon with her anywhere she might choose.
Naturally, it was a bit off-putting to some people, mainly those who didn't know her personally. But she was a regular at her sister's restaurant, and slipping in through the glass doors now wasn't an issue or an inconvenience for anyone.
She was glad to see that the restaurant was more or less filled to capacity, indication that Yang was doing well in her work.
But Ruby knew there would always be a spot open for her.
She skirted the restaurant area, knowing where she'd find her sister at this hour of the evening. Sure enough, she spotted Yang behind the bar's counter, laughing heartily with the patron she was presently preparing a drink for.
But the instant she saw her little sister – who really wasn't so little anymore – Yang put down the glass and hurried from behind the counter, opening her arms with a cheerful cry.
"Ruby!"
The call of her name was like a cue, and the huntress dashed forward to cover the last few yards between them, sending up a little spiral of rose petals behind her.
"Yaaaang!"
A split second later, she was met with her sister's tight, crushing embrace, one Ruby had long-since gotten used to. It was a combination of hard and soft as Ruby nuzzled into her neck, catching the faint scent of citrus and alcohol on Yang's collar.
When Yang released her, it was with an affectionate ruffle of hair, followed by a sloppy kiss to the forehead.
"How's my baby sis been doin'? Haven't seen ya in like... three whole days! Busy?"
"A bit." Ruby fixed her ruffled clothing and smoothed out her dress and cloak. "But never busy enough to miss our usual meet-ups! How've you been?"
With a grin, Yang opened her arms and gave a small spin, presenting the restaurant to Ruby like any hostess would.
"As you can see, business is boomin'!" she declared. "But I made sure to tell everyone I'll be MIA tomorrow. The place'll still be open, but my best workers'll be in charge instead of me."
With a glance behind her, Yang realized she hadn't finished preparing her patron's drink for him yet. He hadn't taken offense, but still, Yang caught the eye of her nearest, unoccupied employee and sent them a silent request to finish what she'd started.
Meanwhile, the blonde slapped a heavy pat onto her sister's back, making Ruby cough.
"C'mon, then! Our secret table's waitin' for us!"
Ruby followed her back past the bar, to a small room where there was indeed a 'secret table'. The restaurant had several other rooms that were meant to entertain parties and the like, but this room in particular was for "team RWBY get-togethers only", Yang had once declared.
Ruby's eyes flashed about the familiar room, instantly noting that it was otherwise empty.
"You're the first one here," Yang informed her. "I got a call from Blake on my scroll 'bout half an hour ago saying she'd be here soon, but no word yet from the princess. She say anything to you?"
Ruby shook her head.
"No. She's probably busy trying to shake her father off her sleeve."
Yang rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Yeah, good ol' Weissy'll be here soon enough, I'm sure. But for now it's just you and me, sis!"
The large table before them was set for four, and Yang took her usual seat first, pulling out the chair beside her and patting it for Ruby.
One of Yang's employees came back to ask what they'd be drinking. Ruby's immediate response of "chocolate milkshake, please!" very nearly made Yang chuckle, just as it always did. Her little sister might've grown some inches and gained some muscle, but she really hadn't changed.
"I'll have a beer," Yang requested.
The boy nodded before dipping his head and leaving them for the moment.
Ruby puffed out one cheek and looked at her sister.
"I can't believe you turned into a drinker."
"Hey, it's not like I have a problem, or anything," Yang defended herself. "Only time I ever drink is when the four of us are meeting up like tonight. Drinkin' alone's no fun." She'd tried it before, but knew well enough by now that it was no use. Even when it was just herself and Blake for the night, trudging home to the other's humble apartment to get some rest, drinking did her no good. Or even when Weiss could afford to invite Yang up into her fancier hotel room, the alcohol did nothing for the blonde.
Yang had eventually decided she'd much rather enjoy the company of her individual friends soberly, and be a bit tipsy for all of them to laugh at together.
But again, seeing Ruby's eyes light up when the waiter came back with her tall glass full of liquid chocolate was incomparable to anything else for Yang - even a good glass of beer.
Even now, Ruby's taste buds still favored soda and sugar, as opposed to an arguably more refined palette that preferred booze and bitterness. It was something that never failed to make Yang smile.
By the time she'd sipped half of her beer, Ruby had already gone through two milkshakes and had requested her third. They were holding off on ordering food until their partners arrived, so for now they stuck to chatting and chugging.
But several minutes later, the person who entered the room wasn't the waiter.
Like a shadow, Blake appeared in the doorway, dressed in her typical choice of darker clothes.
She'd recently lopped a few inches off her hair, but it still reached down to the middle of her back. Her Faunus ears stood proudly and unbound atop her head, the black ribbon now tied around her left wrist instead.
After graduating Beacon, she had revealed her Faunus identity officially and stated that she would no longer be ashamed or intimidated into hiding who she was.
The second Ruby spotted her, she gulped down the mouthful of milkshake she'd been holding, resulting in the instant sting of brain-freeze.
"A-Aaaahhh B-Blake!" she called out, trying to sound less in pain and more inviting and excited. "G-Good to see you!"
And despite the stress of the long day, the curses and remarks she'd heard hurled her way through the dark alleys, Blake smiled all too easily at the sight of the sisters.
Yang had a bit of a beer mustache and Ruby was tapping her foot insistently and shaking her head like a wet dog. It never ceased to amaze Blake how quickly these people could make her laugh.
"Hi, Ruby," she greeted, dipping her head as she entered the room. "How are you, Yang?"
The blonde clapped her hands together and stood, revealing white teeth as she grinned.
"Never better, partner! Glad you could make it!"
She stood and pulled the Faunus girl into a brief hug, gentler than the one she had given Ruby, but no less comforting.
Blake sighed, closing her eyes for a second to savor the contact, then opting to return it. She saw Yang at least every other day, but her hugs were some of the only ones Blake ever received anymore, so she made sure to relish each and every one.
When she was released, Yang led her to her seat across from Ruby. The waiter returned to ask for what she'd like to drink.
"Water will be fine, thank you."
It'd been all she'd gotten by on in her younger years, and even though she could afford something else now if she truly wanted to, water was all she needed. Humble beginnings had demanded humble sources of sustenance, and that gratitude for the simplest, most basic human necessity had carried over to shape who she was today.
The waiter brought a glass of ice water for her, and handed Ruby her third milkshake for once the brain-freeze had subsided. Blake took a few sips from her glass, realizing it had been the most she'd drank all day, considering the most she got whilst doing her work was a sip every hour or so.
Yang took a drink from her beer as well, wiping the foam off her lips with the back of her hand. Blake swatted her partner's arm and handed her a napkin instead.
"This might be your restaurant, Yang, but you should still have some manners. You're lucky Weiss isn't here yet."
"Yeah, yeah..." she grumbled. "Leave it to the princess to hound me about conducting myself on my own turf."
"Where is she, by the way?" Blake wondered, naturally looking to Ruby for answers.
The brunette swallowed another mouthful of ice cream before shrugging and shaking her head.
"Dunno. She didn't tell me specifically this time. But she shouldn't be long now!"
And she was right, as she often was when it came to predicting her partner's behavior.
It was just a few minutes later, after Yang's stomach had started to growl, when the final member of their group entered the room.
Ruby jumped up instantly.
"Weiss!"
Dressed in her usual attire – white and blue business clothes lined with a bit of red all around – Weiss' posture was as defined as ever, though she was a bit out of breath.
Ruby raced to her, throwing her arms around Weiss' shoulders and forcing her into a much-deserved hug. The heiress stuttered and stumbled against the added weight, just barely managing to move her face to once side to avoid smashing her chin on Ruby's shoulder.
"G-Goodness!" she huffed. "Ruby, I understand you're happy to see me, but must you come running like a massive dog each and every time to tackle me?"
"Aw, lighten up, princess!" Yang called. "Like ya said, she's just happy to see ya! Since you're fashionably late, and all."
"She saw me yesterday..."
With a grumble and a sigh, Weiss patted Ruby's back, feeling the girl nuzzling affectionately into the side of her neck. This was one of many things about her partner that hadn't changed in six years.
Only when Weiss was actually starting to have trouble catching her breath did she gently coax Ruby back a step. The brunette sheepishly released her grip on her partner's ribs and smiled widely.
"Gang's all here!" she declared. "Now we can order food!"
Yang cheered, Blake laughed, and Weiss rolled her eyes.
"If I'm not mistaken, the four of us were supposed to be meeting here to discuss something of importance?" she prompted. "Something like... oh, I don't know, a mission of sorts?"
Yang waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't be so uptight. We'll get to that eventually. Gotta have some grub first, though! Take a load off!"
Ruby took the grumbling Weiss' hand and brought her over to her seat before sitting back down beside her. Weiss kept her back straight and proper as ever as she turned the other way to meet Blake's eyes.
"How've you been, Blake?" she asked. "I haven't seen you in a few days. I hope these two haven't been driving you too mad."
"Hey!" The unanimous cry off offense came from both sisters, and Blake laughed again.
"Not too much," she replied. "How are things with the company?"
It was a casual question, but a topic she needed to tread on lightly.
Weiss' countenance was contemplative for a few seconds as she thought through a response.
"Same as always," she answered. "In exchange for my utter devotion to overseeing the Dust mining and selling, my father's keeping his nose out of your peoples' business."
Blake's smile returned.
"And I can't thank you enough for that."
Over the years, the two of them had come to this silent, unofficial agreement. Weiss did everything within her power to keep her father from using Faunus labor unfairly – she saw to it that all of her workers applied for the job themselves and were paid equally, regardless of race.
In exchange, Blake had adamantly defended Schnee Dust and prevented unruly Faunus from stealing products or harming Weiss' people in any way.
The deal had gotten off to a rocky start within the first few years, and there had been minor bloodshed and other mishaps.
But now – after years of painstaking work and the convincing of others – the Faunus and Schnee Dust had formed somewhat of a tolerant relationship. And while it might not have been as preferable as a symbiotic one, at least Faunus were no longer being abused, and humans were no longer being harassed.
Whenever Ruby saw Weiss and Blake sharing those prideful little looks with one another, she couldn't help but smile.
She could still remember it like yesterday, their first argument back at Beacon, the storming off and the yelling and the huffed comments. But through taking the time to listen, and trying to understand each other, they had gradually gotten to where they were today; accepting business partners on the surface, and the closest of friends deeper down.
Ruby was so proud of them – of all of them.
Blake and Weiss weren't the only ones working to better the world they lived in, after all.
Yang's restaurant welcomed all kinds of people and didn't discriminate. A human who ordered the same dish as a Faunus would receive the exact same bill, nothing tweaked or tainted. Her elder sister had done a wonderful job with helping to spread equal treatment for all people, but Ruby always had to wonder...
Where had Yang's dream gone?
She'd said it herself many times, how she was a thrill-seeker who wanted to travel the world. Opening up a restaurant in the heart of Vale kept her cemented there, like a bird with clipped wings. It went against most things she'd ever wanted, and Ruby couldn't understand.
She'd asked Yang about it once, and her sister had sighed and showed her a small, sad grin.
"It's better this way," she'd said. "Putting food on peoples' plates – human, Faunus, or otherwise – and giving them a place where they don't have to worry about letting out some laughs or showing their ears and tails... I'd rather do this for the benefit of others than be selfish in following my own dream for myself. Plus, it's really not bad. I love it."
And it was clear that she did.
But it was also clear to Ruby that... there was something else her sister would love even more.
Freedom. The freedom to spread her wings and travel without a care in the world, to go on all of those adventures she'd dreamed of as a child.
And Ruby knew that Weiss' and Blake's lines of works probably hadn't been their first choices either. Of course, like Yang, they too enjoyed shaping the world for the next generation, creating a better future for all of them.
But what about their dreams?
It was incredibly selfless, what they were all doing, but it always made Ruby feel guilty.
She'd achieved her dream. She'd become a hero long ago, waking up every day to go out with her beloved Crescent Rose and hunt monsters, protect the innocent who couldn't protect themselves. She lived her dream on a daily basis.
But she always felt guilty in knowing her teammates were more or less stuck in a purgatory of sorts. They'd pushed aside their own desires for the sake of others, and it was hard to say if they'd ever get to experience the same luxury that Ruby did.
Growing up hadn't been kind to everyone. Even now, as she watched the three of them order supper, she could see it in all of them.
Weiss' posture was painfully stiff, and despite her pristine appearance, she seemed to be stressed enough to be ready to collapse.
Blake's eyes weren't sparkling like they'd used to – that initial curiosity and wonder was gone, replaced by a dullness forced on by routine and homogeneity, a look that made Ruby look away.
And Yang's smile was fake, unless she was looking at one of her teammates, then it was a tired smile – plastered on – one that longed for something more.
Ruby felt as though... she was the only one of the four who truly lived anymore. She didn't want the people she cherished so dearly to be unhappy in life, for any reason.
Just in thinking about it, Ruby's shoulders had visibly slumped, and her eyes had dropped down to the empty plate in front of her.
The rest of them weren't idiots; they'd sensed something was wrong from the second they'd walked in. If the obvious visible cues Ruby was giving them weren't enough to demonstrate that something was off, the unfinished chocolate milkshake was more than enough.
The three of them shared concerned, puzzled looks. Then, Weiss opted to move her chair a bit closer to her partner's, touching her shoulder lightly.
"Ruby, please," she murmured. "Just tell us all what's on your mind. Is this about the mission you're going to tell us about?"
Her words reminded the brunette that she still had yet to give them details on that, but she figured it could wait. She shook her head in response to the question, and crumbled, voicing her fears.
"It's just... you guys don't seem happy," she began. "Yang-" She looked over to her sister. "You never got to travel the world like you wanted to. And Blake, you're making things better for humans and Faunus, but you're sacrificing your own freedom in the process. And Weiss... you've inherited the company, but you still don't get along with your dad or sister, and I'm sure you're forced to take dangerous risks sometimes. I dunno, it just... doesn't seem like you guys got to live your dreams like I did..."
Her eyes went back down to the vacant table in front of her.
Weiss, Blake, and Yang all shared shocked glances with one another.
And then the room was filled with laughter.
Ruby straightened up, looking around at all of them in utter confusion.
"Guys? What is it?"
"You, Ruby," Blake mused.
"Huh?"
"Ruby..." Weiss patted her shoulder once more. "You worry far too much for your own good, or anyone else's." And you still have the heart of a kid. She kept that part to herself before continuing. "You don't need to worry about us. I, for one, am perfectly happy with where I am right now. Albeit's not exactly ideal, but I'll get there."
Blake nodded from where she sat beside the heiress.
"Weiss is right. I'm not in the best spot right now, but believe me, it's far from the worst. And I'm still enjoying what I do every day. It benefits others, and that's what makes me happy."
"Right!" Yang grinned. "It's the same for me, Ruby. Could be better, but could be a whooole lot worse, y'know? Of all the things to be doing with my life right now, this definitely isn't the worst."
When her sister was finished speaking, Ruby's eyes went back to Weiss, who had given her shoulder another pat.
"We're only twenty-three years old, Ruby. Don't count us out for achieving our dreams just yet, okay?"
The three older girls offered kind, reassuring smiles for her.
Ruby found she couldn't keep frowning like this. So she allowed herself to smile as well.
"Yeah, of course not," she chuckled. "But still... even just you guys coming with me on hunts kinda... looks bad for you, doesn't it?"
Being a huntress wasn't exactly the most respected profession in Vale nowadays. Whatever merit and recognition the three had gotten in their lines of work was undoubtedly stained in the eyes of society, considering they all hunted on the side.
Weiss was all but running the largest Dust-producing company in the world, Blake was working to unite two species of people, and Yang was striving to feed the hungry.
But no matter the wonderful things they did that got them praise and acknowledgement, when they were affiliated with hunting Grimm, people turned the other cheek and pretended not to see anything.
Ruby knew that her teammates could've been twice as respected in society if they didn't come on these hunts together with her and get labeled as fools who were wasting their time.
But once again, soft laughter intercepted Ruby's thoughts before they could drag her mind down too far.
"Ruby, please..." Weiss sighed again. "We really aren't looked down upon for being huntresses as much as you seem to think we are. I mean, yes, my father would rather I dedicate my time and energy to the company, but he recognizes my skill and encourages me to put it to good use. If I didn't, I'd simply be wasting the potential I was born with, and my father won't accept wasted potential. Hunting has been a part of my life for so long now. There's no way I could just stop."
"And besides," Blake added. "Do you know how many people admire us for hunting? Sure, the majority are disapproving, because a lot of novices have been thrown onto the field recently and made the rest of us look like idiots.
"But the only reason that happened was because they were accepting anyone they could get in the hunting schools. People are scared to hunt Grimm because of their increase in numbers recently, so fewer people go to school for it. But the town knows a seasoned huntress when they see one, and they appreciate what we do, Ruby. They really do."
"Exactly~" Yang hummed. "Hunting Grimm doesn't put a damper on my business, that's for sure! Whenever I can come back and add a hide to the taxidermy collection out front, people flock in. I always lower prices for a day after a good hunt, and I get tons more customers, make bigger bucks, and then I can give more to the people who need it," she declared. "Hunts are good for all of us, Ruby. Any time we can take a bit more of what makes people fearful and anxious out of the world, that's a damn good thing."
As the blonde finished speaking, Weiss nodded and met her partner's silver eyes once more.
"We're not ashamed of what we do, Ruby. You shouldn't be, either."
The youngest of the four sighed again, but the smile remained.
"Sorry. Yeah, you guys are right." She met each of their gazes and grinned. "I'm glad you guys aren't embarrassed of me!"
Blake and Yang blurted their shock first.
"Embarrassed?"
"Of my lil' sis? Never!"
"Well..." Weiss mumbled. "Of course not for fighting Grimm together. But the time you ran in during one of my speeches and tackled me during the middle of my presentation so you could apologize for being late, and the time you met my father and said I was your partner and didn't specify that it wasn't romantic, and the time we were hosting that dinner party and you put sugar instead of salt-"
"Okay, okay!" Ruby whined. "I get it! But yeah, I'm just glad you're not embarrassed about the huntress stuff! Everything else is fine!"
"'Fine', she says," Weiss muttered. "My father still thinks we're engaged..."
"Well...~" Yang hummed, but Weiss silenced her with a growl before she could finish. That earned a hearty laugh from Ruby. Weiss grumbled and sat back in her chair, receiving a playful nudge from Blake. The heiress huffed, her eyes still on the brunette.
"Finish your milkshake, Ruby. You've only drank half and it's making me worried."
"Yes, ma'am!"
With a salute, Ruby grabbed her glass and began sucking on the straw as if for dear life. Weiss' warning to "slow down, you dunce!" came too late, and the girl howled when more unpleasant prickles of brain-freeze assaulted her nose. Weiss pinched it for her while scolding her for being so hasty, while the other two looked on affectionately.
"Just like old times~" Yang hummed.
"Yeah."
By then, their food had arrived, and the four girls began eating.
For all of them, this was the first time all day they'd actually gotten to sit down and enjoy themselves.
Here, like this, they could relax, smile, and laugh. In each others' presences were the only places they ever really did as much anymore.
. . .
It was about an hour later when they'd all finally finished eating, and Ruby had ordered a bowl of chocolate ice cream for dessert.
Weiss was just having the last sip of her wine, Blake was leaning back to close her eyes for a moment, and Yang was wiping off the foamy mustache her beer had left behind.
That was when Ruby finally straightened up and began discussing their mission. As soon as she mentioned it, the other three leaned forward eagerly; after all, this was why they'd all gathered here tonight in the first place, to hear the details of this mission.
"It's a Grimm hunt," Ruby began. "I mean, obviously. But it's not like the others."
Her words caused her teammates' expressions to grow a bit more stern, their eyes narrowing and focusing. Ruby slipped another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and swallowed before continuing.
"It's not just a pack of Beowulves in the nearby forest this time. It's not some oversized Ursa or even a flock of Nevermore. It's... a lot bigger than anything we've ever really dealt with all at once before. Even that time back in Beacon when the subterranean Grimm broke through into Vale. I mean, of course we're all much more experienced now, but even then..."
Her eyes glazed over a bit, and the other three were growing anxious. Weiss leaned forward and tapped her partner on the arm.
"Get on with it, Ruby. Just tell us what we'll be up against exactly."
With a nod, the younger girl went on.
"Bone Weavers," she said.
Just those two words sent shudders through everyone's spines.
Bone Weavers were a recent discovery in the world of Grimm. They were like giant spiders the sizes of horses, and they shot webs that could cocoon and trap a person in less than a second. If you couldn't cut yourself free quickly enough or have someone else come to your rescue, you'd be bitten into by a set of fangs and drained of bodily fluids in seconds. The legs could pierce metal, and the venom that dripped from their mouths meant a slow, agonizing death if it entered the bloodstream.
The beasts had gotten their name because of how they treated their victims – once the prey's body was naught but a husk of a shell, the Grimm would leave the carcasses hanging in the treetops in webs, until the flesh deteriorated and left only bare bones. This resulted in various skeletons dangling from massive webs high up in the forests, clattering ominously in the wind.
It was a sight few ever saw, but none ever forgot.
All four of the girls caught their breath before Ruby went on.
"An entire hoard of them was just discovered not too far from Mountain Glenn. They were only spotted a few days ago by a reconnaissance team, but... the numbers are estimated to be up to a hundred."
That was when the atmosphere got a bit heavy.
Back at Beacon, it would've taken all four girls in top form to take down a dozen of the beasts. But now they were looking at roughly twenty-five each.
While more years of molding their skills and gaining experience were behind them now, it was still a bit of a push.
Ruby could see the uncertainty in all of their gazes.
"I get it if you guys don't want to do this. It's kind of a huge job. But the higher-ups were just saying how it won't be long before these things start causing problems. The Bone Weavers probably were forced out of their own underground colony by other by other Grimm, and now they're wandering to the surface. It'll only be a few weeks before they ravage the forests and start being drawn toward town. We'd wanted to gather a team of experienced hunters to send out before that could happen."
She bit her lip and met Weiss' gaze, then Blake's, and finally Yang's.
"And there's... one more thing..."
She took a breath and tried to configure her words properly.
"The recon team... they found that... there's a... like a really big one. It like... controls all the others somehow, and they obey it."
"So..." Yang mumbled. "Kinda like the final boss."
"The queen bee," Blake added.
"The ruler of the hoard, essentially," Weiss concluded.
"Yeah! It's like... all of those things. And it'd be best just to kill that one first, but it's underground. We wouldn't really be able to find it even if we took an Air Ship and dropped down. So our best bet is to go on-foot. There are a lot of details," she said, grimacing. "But that's the main idea.
"And I know it's a lot to be asking of you guys. This mission is... incredibly dangerous, and really the only reason I'm coming to you guys is because everyone else refused to take it. The people who might've been skilled enough to tackle this have all been dispatched on other missions, and by the time they got back to Vale, it might be too late."
She hung her head for a moment and sighed again. "I hate that I have to put this burden on you guys. I know you have plenty of other work to do, and this job could get us all killed..."
Perhaps that was why she'd called them all out here tonight, to enjoy one last meal when they could be sure all of them would be able to attend.
When she looked up once more, her silver eyes were ridden with guilt and uncertainty.
"I'm not going to force you guys to accept this. I don't-"
"I'm in."
Weiss' answer was swift and decisive, leaving no room for questions. But naturally, Ruby tried to ask them anyway.
"What? But, Weiss-"
"Count me in, too," Blake said.
"And of course me!" Yang added.
Ruby shook her head.
"But this is... this is really a big difference compared to anything we've ever faced before. It's-"
"Ruby." Weiss put a hand on her shoulder again to quiet her. "Don't you think we already know that? You've been gabbing to us about this mission nonstop for the past ten minutes. I think we're all well-aware of the risks."
"But you said it yourself," Blake continued. "No one else would take this job, and if someone doesn't do something about it soon, the spiders will start crawling toward Vale. I think people would rather be invaded by Death Stalkers or Taijitu. Bone Weavers are the most-feared type of Grimm that we know of."
"Someone's gotta do it," Yang said with a shrug. "And it might as well be us, right? Especially if there's no one else available to get the job done. What better team than four of Beacon's top-graduated huntresses, back in business together again?"
But Ruby was still a bit skeptical. She'd heard the reports herself and seen the blurry photos that had been taken. She'd seen just how many of these things there were.
"But still, I... I don't want you guys to-"
"Ruby." Weiss stopped her yet again, boring her crystal-blue gaze into hers. "What are you doing, you dunce? You called us to dinner tonight to brief us about this mission, not warn us to keep away from it. We've all accepted it already, probably as early as yesterday. Just knowing the details now isn't going to chase us away – as much as you might hope it to," she added softly.
Ruby blinked and chewed her bottom lip again. Weiss reached up to brush a thumb over her chin, clearing away a speck of ice cream in the process.
"Don't think you can scare us away from this just because you want to keep us safe. We're with you, Ruby. We always have been, and we always will be."
Her hand then slid down her partner's arm, seeking Ruby's own hand. Weiss wound their pinkies together and gave a wink.
Ruby's smile started to come back.
Blake stood from her seat and skirted the table until she was on her leader's other side.
"Weiss is right," she said, patting the brunette's other shoulder. "I need a break from everything anyway, and a normal Grimm hunt probably wouldn't do the trick. This is the kind of action I'm looking for." She took Ruby's other hand and squeezed. "We're with you, Ruby."
The younger girl turned her head to meet Blake's eyes this time, shimmering gold, and more vibrant than they had been before, now that the prospect of this battle had been brought to light.
Ruby smiled back and forth between the two of them, until she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her shoulders from behind her chair. Tilting her chin back, she gazed upward to find Yang grinning down at her, brighter than the sun.
"We got your back, Ruby. Weiss already said all the cool stuff, but yeah, it's true, okay? Don't ever doubt that. We'll always be a team."
At last, Ruby's smile was back full-force, the way it should've been.
That contagious grin always spread to the rest of them as well.
"Right!" Ruby declared. "We're a team, and we're gonna do this together!"
"Yeah!"
"Right."
"Of course."
The three older girls hugged Ruby as best they could from their respective angles, and Ruby wrapped an arm around whomever she could. A moment later, they pulled apart.
"Alright then," Ruby went on. "We can all meet up an Yang's place tomorrow, and an Air Ship will take us as close as we can get to the forest."
"Good," Weiss nodded. "But for now Ruby, please finish your ice cream."
Ruby grinned and chuckled again.
"You got it!"
A/N: There's the set-up for this fic! Again, the world is essentially the same as the RWBY-verse in the series, but the prospect of being a huntsman/huntress is a bit different. It's not the worst but it's not the best line of work. I hope I described it alright.
And the Bone Weavers were an idea I took from one of my unfinished roleplays. I would very much love to see some spider-inspired Grimm in the show.
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