Hello again all I hope your day is going well, today I bring you the opening chapter of a story inspired and requested by longtime reviewer and a good friend Knight7572, it's going to be chock full of wrestling references, an Out of Character cast, and a little salt here and there. And seeing as this story picks up after the events of my first fic "Conversations" if you find yourself feeling a little lost, please refer to that.
Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, otherwise wrestling would be known in Remnant. Bálor Moonlight belongs to me (although I am open to character collaborations), any other company or individual mentioned within belongs to their respective parent company.
Now with those out of the way I bring you: "The Beginning" or "Dalton Wants It Now, but Yang Wants Him Out"
Ruby Rose had always been able to roll with the punches, since coming to Beacon she had endured everything from a rocky initiation exam to trying to earn the respect of her partner, the wealthy and sometimes arrogant Weiss Schnee, to fighting harrowing battles with the creatures of Grimm and the dreaded White Fang: A group of extremely misguided Faunus whose goal was to win equality through force (even if it meant wiping out humanity just to do it.). She had not been alone through those many battles though, aside from the previously mentioned Weiss there was also the feline Faunus Blake Belladonna who despite formerly being a member of the White Fang had instead chosen to use her skills in service to the people as a Huntress, as well as her older sister Yang Xiao Long, a rather beautiful woman whose zest for life was only matched by her ferocity in the battlefield.
Together these four young women made up one of Beacon Academy's finest team of Huntresses, collectively known as Team RWBY, they had managed to foil the White Fang's hijacking of a Schnee Dust Company shipment, as well as thwart the renegade group's attempt at overrunning the city of Vale with Grimm (though the latter wasn't accomplished without help from both their friends and fellow instructors at Beacon.).
One would think that such monumental victories would bloat the ego, but the crimsonette haired reaper always managed to keep a level head and a cheeky smile as the days passed on.
That was until a certain day finally came around.
It was the anniversary of her mother's passing; the once talented Summer Rose who now lay buried on a snowy cliffside just north of a snowy forest, and every year the young Huntress ventured alone to pay her respects to the woman. However this year was a very different case as she had gotten it in her head to bring along a certain someone.
"Well, I hate to say it..but there's no conceivable way Yang will let me take him along without her, but three's a total crowd for this sort of thing." Ruby would be thinking this along with several other conflicting thoughts as she made her way over to the recently repaired amphitheatre, which was now blaring with loud rock music as the red hooded Huntress grinned in anticipation of what her friend was up to this time. She would make her way in to see Lie Ren and Jaune Arc arguing with a silver haired young man while waving about some rather gaudy costumes furiously.
"No way, I know we agreed to help you with this little pet project but I draw the line and dressing like some..some..some!" The blonde haired knight was clearly annoyed and flustered as he searched for the appropriate term to describe the costume he was holding in his hand.
"Slave boy." The raven haired gunslinger would mutter as he shook his head and tossed the costume back to the silver-haired young man in front of them before turning away and crossing his arms. "And there's no way I'm gonna do it either, I'd sooner dress up as a giant pancake and dance around for Nora before I do this!"
Ruby would sigh as she watched her wolf-eared friend argue his case for the costumes, shaking her head as both the men of Team JNPR walked off in a huff and leaving him in the lurch before speeding down to join him on the dais.
"I'm guessing your next big entrance isn't going to work out, is it Bálor? She would look up at the silver haired wolf Faunus and her friend Bálor Moonlight as he sighed in defeat before sitting down, he was a strange case: A self-professed, "self taught" Hunter, he had transferred to Beacon nearly half a year to the day and had managed to annoy the majority of the student body with his constant use of wrestling catchphrases, his ever changing attitude which could range from outright prickliness to boiling rage before landing on a sheepish smile. However he had managed to more or less adjust to life as a student (outside of a few destructive brawls between himself and various others) and had even managed to wrangle her sister Yang as a girlfriend, despite Ruby holding a bit of a candle for the wolf herself.
"It's not like I'm asking for much Rubes, just two guys to act as my "boys" when I make my entrance for the next sparring matches." He would cue up a video on his scroll and show it to her, a rather lanky looking wrestler by the name of Dalton Castle was making his way to the ring being accompanied by two servant boys who would then proceed to get down on the ground and become a human staircase for him to enter the ring. The crimsonette would balk as the "boys" then proceed to help Castle step out of his entrance attire before the video came to a stop.
"That's not only asking for too much, it's freaking weird." The crimsonette would stare at the costumes Jaune and Ren had rejected before shuddering and setting them back down next to the Faunus with a sad smile. "Why not just stick with the Bullet Club, that got a pretty wild reaction. Besides, that way I can wear the shirt you gave me and be one of your..very..few fan girls." She would trail off, remembering that her sister would probably be his boldest supporter and probably block Ruby from his view entirely.
The silver-haired Hunter would groan and throw his hands up in despair. "Believe me little Rose, I'd KILL to saunter down to the ring B.C. style and have you "too-sweet" me." He would pause to hold up the wolf ears in the heel faction's most famous hand gesture (one of 'em anyways.) and smirking as she returned it in kind. "But Goodwitch said if I so much as think about doing that again she'd have me in detention for the rest of the semester!" Bálor would sigh as he remembered the obnoxious entrance he made prior to beating down Team CRDL in a rather violent fashion, grinning proudly before letting himself leave the memory with a soul crushing sigh. "Besides, Yang isn't exactly being the most supportive Bullet Babe lately. I'm starting to think that our honeymoon phase is over and she's really getting annoyed at my fandom." The wolf would frown and stare at his Bullet Club inspired sneakers, complete with the heel faction's logo: A skull with two rifles in place of crossbones and four bullets going across either side of the back. Her heart would go out to him; partially because she understood what both sides were trying to accomplish as Bálor tried to get Yang to understand the magic he saw in those men who chose the path of professional wrestling while the blonde brawler was no doubt trying to get him to ditch the pseudo-sport and join her in the real world with neither side really relenting.
"I'm sorry things are going bad right now, maybe it'll turn around if you two sat down and talked with each other. Let her know how important this all is to you, after all you didn't really have any problems telling me back when we were roomies." Ruby would pat his shoulder gently as she tried to comfort him, debating on whether or not to use the lull in the conversation to ask him about joining her on her yearly outing to visit her dearly departed mother.
"Bálor..I…was wondering if maybe you wanted to…" Her hesitant speaking would be cut off as the main doors opened and students began filing into the amphitheatre for that day's sparring matches causing the cookie loving crimsonette to sigh sadly as her opportunity was squandered.
"Ruby! B! Up here!" Yang would holler down to the two of them, waving her arms about to get their attention while Weiss and Yang moved a couple seats down in order to give the two of them some room. Ruby would wave back happily as she made her way up the long staircase to join her team, unaware that her Faunus pal was far from enthused as he walked behind her shaking his head in quiet shame as felt the weight of yet another failed project.
The sparring matches passed without much fanfare as it was mostly some of the underclassman's first time getting their feet wet in the arena, it was interesting for the crimsonette as some of the students displayed some interesting weaponry. One student in particular had managed to make a pair of gauntlets that doubled as a Dust infused energy cannon, although an attempt to use said cannon had caused the amphitheatre to fill up with smoke and put an end to the proceedings as Goodwitch ordered everyone outside while the mess was dealt with.
"Honestly, who would be dumb enough to try and build repulsor cannons into a pair of gauntlets. We could've been killed!" Weiss would be tapping her foot impatiently as other students were busy talking amongst themselves, including those who were romantically involved trying to sneak off to find a quiet moment for themselves. This left Ruby out of the lurch as Weiss and Neptune were now debating upon whether said cannons were a menace, or just a super sweet idea implemented horribly.
"C'mon Weiss, you gotta admit that with a little rewiring those cannons would be awesome to watch in action." Neptune would try and demonstrate said awesomeness by mimicking a working cannon with his hands and some cheesy laser noises, he would be rewarded with an indignant huff from her partner who seemed even less thrilled with the idea after his theatrics. Ruby would giggle slightly as the azure haired young man continued to argue his case in vain while the heiress began to rant and rave about how dangerous such a weapon could be in the hands of the inexperienced and uneducated. The crimsonette haired Huntress would ponder upon the idea of modifying her precious Crescent Rose to include some kind of cannon, before shaking her head at the idea of further complicating its design any further.
"I suppose I could always build a second weapon just for a cannon. But wouldn't that be the same as saying Crescent Rose isn't good enough?" Ruby would pull at her hair in frustration at the thought of "insulting" her beloved scythe by adding a second weapon to her repertoire, fortunately her thoughts would be interrupted by the sounds of various people chanting "Fight". As she looked around the cookie loving Huntress would spot a crowd of students gathered in a circle cheering and hollering, desperate to see just what exactly was going on she would fight her way to the front by any means necessary.
"Move, move, excuse me- hey, watch where you're touching!" The crimsonette would be fuming by the time she made it through to see Cardin with his fists up as he stood across from a very annoyed Bálor, flashes of their last encounter playing through the reaper's mind as she suppressed a gasp.
"Crap, he's gonna do it again. Why the hell isn't Yang stopping this?!" The hooded Huntress would look around for any sign of her sister, finding her at the front with her arms crossed over her chest and a defiant scowl on her face as the wolf Faunus slipped a pair of headphones on over his human ears and bobbed his head calmly.
"You're worse then crazy Fido, you really think ignoring me's gonna help you?!" The arrogant chestnut haired man would charge at his silver haired opponent, growling as Bálor sidestepped his attack before bobbing his head once again. Cardin would try and press the assault with a side kick only for the wolf to block it with a swipe of his hand, not even bothering to counter as he gently shoved the arrogant Winchester aside, looking for some kind of an exit from the crowd and smiling once he saw Ruby watching him. She would've returned his smile but instead the Huntress would pull him into the crowd just as Cardin tried to hit the back of his head with a rock causing the crowd to boo loudly.
"Are you nuts, you could've-" She would pause upon seeing him bobbing his head slowly before gesturing for him to remove them, sighing as he did so with a happy smile. "You almost got the back of your head caved in and you didn't even know it!" Her silver eyes would burn with anger as the wolf finally realized what she had done for him, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. "I guess I really owe you one little Rose, thanks." He would smile gratefully even as Yang shoved her way through the crowd and over to the pair.
"Have you learned your lesson now, cheap fights in front of a gaggle of morons isn't cool!" The circle of students would boo as she dragged the once smiling Bálor off with her back into the Academy, muttering about how he should quit idolizing "fake" fighting already.
"Wow, I haven't seen Yang that mad since that time I lost sleep obsessing over hunting down Torchwick and the White Fang." Blake would be standing beside her boyfriend Sun Wukong as the crowd dispersed upon realizing there would be no brawl today, the raven haired feline Faunus would glance over at her younger teammate with a calm expression in her eyes. "You know something about this don't you Ruby?" She would sigh and turn to Sun with an apologetic smile. "Can we take a rain check on that discussion we were having?"
The blonde haired Faunus would grin and slip her the smallest of kisses on her cheek before nodding. "Sure, it's not like anything else is gonna suddenly start exploding any time soon. Catch ya later Ruby." The younger Huntress would see her friend off with a wave before turning to her cat eared teammate with a sad frown. "Apparently, things are not as happy as they appeared to be when we accidentally walked in on the two of them making out last month." The two of them would pause, as if remembering the uncomfortable scene in question before going off to find a more private place to continue their discussion. Once they finally settled down under a shady tree away from prying eyes Blake would motion for Ruby to continue her story, knowing that their had to be some reason her partner had done a one-eighty in regards to the silver haired Faunus.
"Apparently Yang's really trying to get him out of his old habits: The anger, the fighting, and especially anything pertaining to wrestling. As you can probably tell, Bálor's not exactly taking it well, but to think he'd pick a fight with a Cardin, especially after what happened before?" The younger girl would shake her head as it seemed her friend was falling back into his old habits. "I guess it's no wonder Yang's so mad at him, she goes through all that hard work to get him to open up and here he is relapsing on her." Ruby would frown as she pictured Bálor returning to his former self: Isolated behind a wall of noise and eating sub sandwiches by himself in the courtyard while her friends debated about which of their boyfriends were superior before Yang would inevitably silence them both by pointing out her own power.
"He's not relapsing Ruby, it was Cardin and his boys who picked that fight and got everybody excited. I know because Sun and I saw the entire thing." The feline Faunus would sigh and look up into the green, leafy underbelly of the tree. "Yang didn't exactly do much to keep things from getting out of hand, much less keep him from getting trapped in that circle of fight crazy maniacs." Blake would sigh as she looked at the younger girl with a kind smile as she got to her feet and began to head back into the halls of Beacon, stopping to look back. "If it makes you feel any better, he never had any intention of fighting Cardin, That doesn't sound like a relapse to me now does it Ruby?" The feline would raise her hand and wave before walking off into the distance, leaving the crimsonette reaper relieved to know that her favorite wolf Faunus wasn't completely losing his marbles once again but also wondering just what the hell her sister was thinking. She and Yang had spent the better part of the last few months trying to get the once reclusive Faunus out of his shell and out into the world, and while she and the silver haired wolf had a few instances of a loving relationship at certain points in time it would be Yang who would come back in and steal the show and eventually his heart.
"Maybe I should just ask Yang to come with me, I'm sure Mom would like to know that she's doing well..with a new boyfriend." Ruby would sigh in exasperation as she stood up and headed back inside with the rest of the crowd, knowing that she would have to deal with her sister sooner or later, and she really didn't have time to wait for later.
Sounds of a loud argument could be heard from inside Team RWBY's dorm as Ruby made her way back with a box of cookies, only to be surprised to find Weiss and Blake sitting outside the door with a deck of cards and a sour look on their faces as the argument escalated to the point of objects being thrown and curses flying as the crimsonette took a seat alongside her friends. "So what're they going on about now, did Yang find out about the whole Dalton Castle idea?" She would stop short as both the heiress and the feline exchanged looks of confusion before shaking their heads. "Yang's not happy with the new, less aggressive version of her boyfriend." Weiss would mutter as she drew another card from the desk and winced at her hand as Blake grinned in anticipation of a win. "She claims he's lost the fire that she fell in love a while back, and while I kind of agree with her, she seems to have forgotten that she sort of HELPED to snuff out that fire by becoming a walking tween romance cliché." The feline would lay down her cards to reveal a Full House with the pale haired heiress groaning in acknowledgement at her loss. "I swear to Dust Blake, if you rigged this deck somehow I will make you pay." Weiss would then shuffle the deck as Ruby carefully learned closer to the door in order to listen in on the heated argument between Yang and Bálor, frowning when she heard nothing but silence on the other side.
"Wonder if they've finally calmed down." The crimsonette would slowly begin to reach for the doorknob when she felt a hand touch her should, she squeaked in surprise as she looked back to see Blake shaking her head quietly.
"Think of this like a tornado, this is the eye of the storm and while it sounds like things have calmed down the worst is yet to come." The raven haired Faunus would wince as something hit the other side of the door and shatter, causing her to sigh in annoyance. "Dammit, I just bought that lamp Yang!" She would receive a muffled but furious response from her partner before resuming the argument she was currently involved in with the wolf Faunus. Ruby would pout at the thought of her sister and friend bickering so soon after finally getting together romantically, sure it hurt to see the two of them together at times but in the end Yang was happy and that knowledge helped put her mind at ease. But after her earlier talk with Bálor and seeing the sullen and dulled look on his face as he spoke about his failure with the latest flashy introduction idea along with his disheartening views on his already degrading relationship with Yang. It did indeed look like some of the luster had gone out of him since finally committing himself both to Yang as a man, and a more docile life as a student at Beacon.
"Geez, I can kind of understand why my sister's furious now." The other two Huntresses would look over at her, surprised by Ruby's sudden observation. "When he got here Bálor was moody, always throwing himself headfirst into fights without even thinking, and cursed off Goodwitch without any fear of the consequences." The two of them would nod quietly while continuing their game of poker while the sounds of arguing only intensified to the point where the three of them could now hear it in earnest.
"I'm so fucking tired of your lame hand gestures and those stupid freaking clothes, why don't you just dress like a normal person and not some beer swilling meth head!" Yang would shout as loud stomping was heard behind the door. "Ohh you're one to talk about fucking wardrobes woman, when you're not in the Academy uniform you're traipsing around Vale flaunting it like you're single! Like I don't even exist!" Bálor was clearly furious as the sounds of something hitting the wall repeatedly before continuing to speak. "Honestly, I CHANGED myself for you Yang. Changed. Myself. FOR YOU!" The door to the dorm would open as the silver haired Hunter made his way outside, surprised to find the rest of the team sitting outside and taking a breath before forcing a smile on his face.
"Ladies…Schnee." Weiss would glare back at him as he carefully stepped over the card game in progress and made his way back to his own dorm while muttering obscenities to himself.
Ruby would sigh in exasperation as she made her way into the dorm room, gently closing the door behind her with a shake of her head. "You know sis, you really should try and take it easier on B..he really has sort of turned over a new leaf since you two started going steady." The blonde would furrow her brow in thought as she looked at the crack in the wall of their dorm room. "Really Rubes because that doesn't exactly scream "changed man" to me. And besides, if he really has turned over a new leaf then he would finally give up on that fucking pseudo-sport he loves so much." The crimsonette would frown as her older sibling's angered retort and while she didn't completely disagree with Yang's viewpoint, only Ruby could understand why the wolf was reluctant to give up his fascination with those titans who called the squared circle home. "Yang, you don't really expect him to just quit being who he is do you, I mean he certainly wouldn't demand that from you so why are you trying to do it with him?" She would look up at her sister with a puzzled expression, wondering what happened to the Yang that not too long ago promised Bálor she'd never let him fall back into darkness.
Three weeks and a few petty fights shouldn't be enough to destroy a relationship that had endured violence, solitary confinement, a coma, and Ruby's own aspirations for him on the way to a final commitment between the two.
Yang would sigh and run her hands through her golden mane with a frown before pacing the area of floor between the two bunk beds. "Ruby, you probably won't understand this until you get a boyfriend of your own, but relationships aren't just built on warm hugs and promises. They involve a compromise between two people that certain things that were once considered "cool" or "edgy" need to be toned back after a while, otherwise they turn into super annoying habits that just make you want to tear off the other person's face every time you see them!" The older Huntress would sigh and go the vanity mirror which had since been lined with pictures of the two of them together, incidentally the pictures would display the visual decline of their very shaky happiness: Smiling faces slowly became muted and forced, and what started with the two of them staying very close to one another became two people standing a distance apart while glancing sideways. "Believe me sis, if I could go back in time and warn myself that this was coming…" Yang would let her words hang in the air, not wanting to finish the sentence but knowing that her point had been made. Ruby would stare at the back of her sister's head, stunned that she had once again had decided to write off the silver haired Faunus without a moment's hesitation. This hadn't be the first time she had made this particular decision either: The first had been on the night of Beacon's inaugural Couple's Dance, and after a solid argument on the way to the ballroom the crimsonette had spurred her friend to take his chance and tell Yang what his feelings were. Instead he had enacted a lame duck speech that encouraged others to go after the person they loved while he made an escape back to his dorm room. Both sisters were hurt by this move and had spent the night dancing alongside others, with Yang in particular never spending more than one song with a particular partner before going after someone else. The second instance of this happening was in the midst of what had turned out to be a battle between the wolf and an unnamed assassin, Ruby had been busy waiting on a confrontation with her older sibling in which she would finally make her stand against her. What transpired instead upon the brawler's return was a rather mellow heart to heart between sisters that ended with Yang practically giving the go ahead for the younger girl to stake her claim upon the Faunus, although after they had gotten dragged into the battle it didn't take long for the blonde's overprotective instincts to negate by not only using her new Howling Dragon gauntlets to defeat the enemy but to once again emerge from the wreckage with a wounded Bálor in tow.
"You realize that this is the third time you're doing this Yang, there might not be another opportunity after this. I mean, there's only so many times a person can take being rejected-" Ruby would begin to argue her case against the blonde's decision until she was cut off by Yang smashing the mirror with her fist, graciously protected by the Howling Dragons before turning to face the startled crimsonette with her eyes blazing red. "Ruby, if you want to deal with that sack of catchphrase spouting deadweight then by all means take him!" She would stalk off in search of someone or something to vent her frustration on, leaving Ruby alone and perplexed before looking back at the date circled on her calendar with a frown.
"Damn, I was hoping that I could take him with me..but not like this."
Ruby would soon find herself standing outside the door to Bálor's dorm, she looked over to a doodle of a chibi-fied wolf nestled in a bed of roses.
"I guess he misses me as a roommate, or maybe he just misses the company." The young Huntress would shake her sadly before knocking on the door, debating on whether or not to tell him about Yang's earlier outburst and what it meant for him.
"Yeah it's open!" He would growl in response from the other side of the door, something that further disheartened the crimsonette further before walking into his dorm room to find her friend staring at his open closet quietly, his body trembling with barely restrained anger as she watched him without making a sound. The last time she had seen him this angry was the day Cardin Winchester had taken his trash talking a step too far by saying that all Faunus were animals that belonged in a cage, the arrogant Hunter had paid the price for his hurtful words when the wolf Faunus let loose his telekinetic Semblance and beat Cardin unconscious with his own weapon. It would be some time later on that the cookie loving young woman learned of his painful past living with an alcoholic father and bearing the name of a legendary demon, and while she may have declared her love for the young man weeks prior it was that tear-filled admission of his past and the fear of becoming the monster that dear old dad wanted him to be that solidified her feelings towards him more than three little words could ever hope to match.
"I'm sorry that Yang said those things back at the dorm, I'm sure she'll take 'em back once she calms down." Ruby would choose her words carefully, knowing that if she were to jolt him with the details of Yang's latest rejection of their relationship that there was a good chance that he might snap once more, only this time there would be no instructors to restrain him before things got too bloody.
"Maybe, but I'm certainly not without blame on this one Ruby..I didn't mean to go that far with what I said. But it hurts when the person you love is amazing enough to catch the eye of every guy in the room." His shoulders slumped in defeat as he kicked off his sneakers, still not turning to face the silver eyed young woman. "She promised that she would never let me fall back into the darkness, but every time we go somewhere together it's all eyes on Yang while I get shuffled into the background. Into the dark while she shines in the spotlight."
Ruby's heart ached for him as she watched Bálor start pulling things from his closet, she wanted nothing more than to comfort her dear friend and remind him that she too was capable of keeping him from drowning in the dark depths of despair. Sure she didn't have her sister's social confidence, and outside of the battlefield and times spent with dear friends she wanted nothing more then to spend a quiet evening in her dorm room polishing and maintaining her dear Crescent Rose while pondering what other sorts of weapons were out there in the world of Remnant just waiting for her to discover them and say hello. But she also treasured her friendship with the wolf Faunus, who shared with her the secret of the "too sweet" hand gesture that strangely resembled a wolf with its ears pointed up, the friend who had given her a place to stay when Weiss had overstepped her boundaries by attaching an ankle monitor to the crimsonette as she slept. The man who had given her his most prized possession in his wardrobe of wrestling related t-shirts: A Bullet Club shirt that had been autographed by every member of the renegade group, stating that even though it was indeed valuable (to him at least) its value paled in comparison to their bond. Since then she had made a point to wear it every time sparring sessions were held in the amphitheatre, ready to cheer Bálor onto a victory whenever he fought and even though her sister soon mimicked the gesture once they became a couple it didn't deter the crimsonette from wearing her hood and trying her hardest to make sure he saw that special shirt adorn her small frame by waving her oversized sleeves all about.
"Maybe Yang's right…Maybe I oughta just pack it up and dress like everyone else. After all, this stuff belonged to the old me..the violent me." Ruby could take no more as she watched him prepare to tear one of his precious t-shirts and in a burst of roses she would snatch it away before staring up at Bálor defiantly, instead pulling out one of his travel bags and carefully setting it inside.
"No, you don't need to change yourself for anyone. I like the Bálor I see in front of me: This is the Bálor who helped me discover Cookie World, paid for every type of cookie I thought I could carry out with me, and when that didn't work you stole a forklift from a construction site and drove it back with me to Beacon!" She would stop to wipe away a few stray tears before continuing to speak, even as her voice threatened to break. "Do you use a lot of wrestling slang out in the real world, absolutely! But only because you have the kind of passion and respect for those people and everything they do that you would put your life on the line to become a Hunter, so that maybe someday someone else could see the same magic in them that you do!" Ruby would start pulling more clothes and packing them away, using the distraction to keep him from seeing the tears slowly falling from her eyes as she continued on. "If that Bálor were to disappear then who would I root in the sparring matches?" The wolf Faunus would watch the red hooded crimsonette packing a bag for him, darting into his washroom to grab the essentials before returning to his wardrobe and continuing there.
"Well..there's always your sister, your fellow teammates, everybody in Team JNPR, Sun, Neptune." Bálor would sigh and stop her as she was preparing to start adding in socks to the nearly overstuffed travel bag. "Honey, it's not like I'm going away or anything. I'll still be around, I'm just going to do the right thing and start becoming the kind of person Yang can be proud of. Definitely not worth packing a bag for, why are you packing a travel bag for me anyhow? Goodwitch finally find a way to have me expelled?" Ruby would shake her head and sigh, knowing that she had to tell him at some point.
"No, she's still in the library looking for legal loopholes to go over Professor Ozpin's head." The cookie loving Huntress would hesitate, staring down at her feet before bravely pressing forward. "I was actually getting ready to go on a trip to go visit my mother, and I was hoping that..maybe you wanted to come with me?" She would look into his amber eyes, seeing her nervous reflection staring back at her from within them.
"Honey, I-I'm flattered but..shouldn't this be a trip that you and Yang take together? I mean she's your family, and I'm just a stranger." He would start reaching into the straining travel pack to start removing things she had set in when she placed a hand on his shoulder and gently tilt his chin to face her before planting a gentle kiss upon his lips.
"You're as much a part of my family as Yang, or Blake, or Weiss. I think Mom would be happy to meet you Bálor, that is..if you want to." Ruby would step back and watch the surprised Faunus boy mulling over his options as well as the kiss she had given him, it wasn't the first time she had made such a bold move with him either, just the most recent.
"Well, I guess it would be rude to not meet my best friend's mother. After all , just because my folks aren't around doesn't mean I can ignore everyone else's parents now does it?" Bálor would smile despite the slight blush that colored his cheeks, it had been far too long since the crimsonette had seen it and it proved a most welcome sight to her teary eyes. "But Dust help me Rubes, we're gonna have to talk about that kiss you just planted on me while we're traveling to..wherever it is we're headed." The silver haired Hunter would then resume packing his travel bag, picking up where he had stopped her by packing away some socks in one of the few pockets that wasn't already stuffed with clothing or other sundries. Ruby would smile quietly as she picked out his favorite monochrome sneakers, they were weathered, beaten, and scuffed but she knew him well enough that he wouldn't dare step foot outside Beacon without them.
"They remind me of Bálor: weathered down by life's hardships but still dependable enough to lead the way forward no matter how ugly things get." The crimsonette would look over at her friend, the brave wolf who had spent years scratching and clawing for some shred of acceptance from others through his strength and felt proud to know him. She knew what it meant to struggle for acceptance from people who had it differently then they did, and while Weiss had eventually came to accept her as RWBY's leader, Bálor was still struggling to gain a tenth of that even as Yang looked to strip away that passion that made him special to her.
"Don't ever change Bálor, even if all of Remnant wants to boo you out of the building. I'll be there for you, cheering my heart out." She would think those words as she handed over his sneakers, holding them close to her heart as he slung his bag over his shoulder with a confident smirk.
"Alright little Rose, let's get this show on the road."
Okay, okay put DOWN the torches and pitchforks! Yes I know I'm going to get an earful of "Mary-Sue" and "Harem" complaints and yes Bálor is a bit of an M.S. but those who read Conversations already knew that, as for the "Harem" issue. I don't believe in one man getting ALL the women, outside of smut that never seems realistic, for those of us who've been in a relationship our partner's habits can sometimes grow to be annoying (especially if they're used constantly) and Yang is the kind of girl who never likes to stay docile for too long, she said it herself: She's a thrillseeker who likes to get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as possible, and the new, less violent and cocky Bálor wouldn't exactly fit that bill. So unfortunately it had to break down. I'm not guaranteeing it'll stay broken, but right now that's where the pieces stand.
For now, feel free to review or PM. I'm open to requests so drop me a line.