Salutations!
I've been writing a little each day for my other story, but it's all coming together really slowly. This, on the other hand, is really easy to write for, because I can actually allow Ruby to be somewhat normal. At least, she's normal when you compare the two.
Anyway, I might get a chapter for that out tomorrow, or maybe the day after.
As for this chapter, not much happens. Some important details are dropped here and there, but it's mostly a SOL chapter.
Hope you enjoy this anyway!
Disclaimer: I own neither RWBY nor Kara no Kyoukai. They belong to Rooster Teeth and TYPE-MOON, respectively.
Shortly after dawn broke, Ruby found herself at the footsteps to what looked like an abandoned building. The two four-pane windows overlooking the street looked like they had been shattered by a thrown stone or some other heavy object. The brick walls were covered in rather...obscene graffiti, though there was evidence of someone trying to wash the indecent vandalism away.
Cinder fished out a bronze key, opened the door and beckoned for the child to follow, which Ruby did energetically.
The inside was a stark contrast from the exterior. Ruby looked around the small abode with no small amount of surprise at the lack of dirt and other generally poor conditions. The furniture, an old grey sofa, two wooden chairs, and an old wooden table, looked rather nice for the presumed quality of the materials from which they were built.
Cinder let a small smirk slip upon seeing Ruby's reaction. There were many things she hated, but uncleanliness was high up on the list. She didn't have much, but she took good care of her own possessions. Her financial status was what had led her to develop her little possessive streak.
Ruby, still allowing her gaze to wander across the room, stopped when she noticed something extremely out of place. An old wooden grandfather clock stood with its back against the east wall of the room. Ruby found herself getting lost in the exquisite craftsmanship for some time. It didn't look like something that belonged in the room. "Hey, Ms. Fall, that clock there...it looks really expensive. Why's it in here?"
Cinder found herself feeling rather playful, perhaps a side effect of the girl's infectious attitude. "My, are you saying that something so expensive doesn't fit this little rundown home of mine?" she feigned an expression of mock-hurt.
Ruby's face went paler than a sheet. "Nononono! I didn't mean for it to sound like-" she cut herself off when she heard a soft giggle coming from the ravenette. Ruby realized she was being played. "That's mean, Ms. Fall! Geez..."
"Well, it isn't too far from the truth, is it?" Ruby's face reddened with shame; she was thinking the same thing. "As for the antique clock over there, it was a reward for completing a particularly difficult contract. To this day, it's the most valuable thing I've ever had." Cinder smiled as she finished her explanation, admiring the clock herself. No matter how long she stared, she always felt a sense of pride upon seeing the fruit of her labors.
"What kind of contract?" Ruby inquired curiously.
"What was supposed to be a few Beowolves turned out to be a whole pack, complete with an Alpha. Needless to say, I demanded suitable compensation. I was only fourteen at the time, and had almost lost an eye due to my inexperience." Horrified comprehension dawned on the Rose's face.
"You were killing Grimm when you were fourteen years old?" she asked in disbelief.
"I began my little career at thirteen, to be precise." Ruby's expression wavered between awe and sympathy. "I was horrible at the time, however." Cinder's eyes glazed over as she reminisced. Her skill truly was terrible. It had taken years of practice to achieve the level of skill she displayed now.
"Why don't you take your time to get comfortable while I go cook some dinner? I don't assume you've eaten recently." At a large growl from Ruby's small stomach, and an enthusiastic nod from the girl herself, Cinder smiled and went into the kitchen.
"Shoooooo," Ruby gasped out between bites of food, "'ou shedd 'ou er shome kinda Huntresh?" Cinder grimaced as the child spewed out food chunks all over her cheeks. Had she never been taught what manners were?
"Yes, I did say that," Cinder managed patiently, her right hand cleaning off the chunks of chewed food with a dirty rag. Patience, she told herself, 'she's just a child.' "Although, I was never given an official license. And please swallow your food before you speak, Ruby."
Ruby swallowed quickly and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Ahaha, I'm really sorry about that," she apologized. Cinder noticed how she had to physically restrain her right hand. "It's just...I've only really been allowed to eat hospital food for a while now, and this tastes really good!" she exclaimed. Cinder found the corner of her lips twitching upward slightly at Ruby's adorable show of restraint. However, she soon picked up on the contents of the little girl's words and creased her brow.
"You were recently hospitalized?" she questioned. "What for?" Cinder pondered this new information. Obviously, the girl had been running away when she crossed her path, but from what? Was it something simple, like a fear of the doctor, or something much deeper seated? She needed more to work with.
Loss flickered within silver eyes for a moment, but was soon lost. If she had blinked, or diverted her attention elsewhere for but a moment, Cinder would have missed it. "Not recently," Ruby admitted, though she did so cryptically.
'Not recently? Is she suffering from some sort of disease or some other significant problem?' Cinder wondered. She smiled at Ruby, adopting her best comforting smile to cause the child to ease up and let her extract more information. "Aren't you going to elaborate?" Cinder prompted.
Ruby, however, shrugged small shoulders. "Nope, not right now. Maybe later." Cinder frowned. Acting so casual was unusual for such a young child, especially if something recently occurred, like Cinder was expecting it had. Come to think of it, Ruby had hardly done anything befitting a child of her age since she met her.
"You're aware that you're acting nothing like a seven year old child, aren't you?" She probed. With Ruby's hand now absent from the dish, she used her fork to roll a couple of meatballs onto her plate.
"And you don't strike me as the kinda person who'd like meatballs so much!" Ruby fired back, a deliberate grin stretching her lips. The girl, Cinder realized, had caught on to her intentions, and was trying to divert the flow of the conversation. 'Too much cunning for a child so young,' she noted.
"They're cheap, and I don't exactly have much money to work with," she explained, playing along with the girl's little ploy.
Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "Don't have much money?" she echoed, mulling the phrase over in her thoughts. "I always thought a Huntress would be paid a lot, considering the nature of the job and all," she mused. Though, considering Cinder's chosen residence, maybe she was wrong? That, or the ravenette had some odd sense for aesthetics.
"Hunters and Huntresses are paid very much," she answered. Ruby looked at her, her eyes asking for more information. "I told you I never received my license, yes?" Ruby nodded, recalling what she said earlier.
"So, you're some sort of unrecognized Huntress, then?" she inquired.
"Precisely," the ravenette affirmed, bringing another meatball to her mouth, signifying the end of that discussion. Ruby, however, wasn't satisfied quite yet.
"But you do the same job, right? Why aren't you paid just as much?" Cinder finished chewing her food before letting out a large sigh. It seemed the child would continue to pester her no matter what.
"Because, in the eyes of most people, the lack of a license equates to a lack of skill."
Ruby's eyes shone in understanding. "Oh, right. You can't become official without attending a training school for four years," she recalled. "But that makes no sense; why didn't you just go to Beacon, or Haven, or Atlas, or something, so that you can make more money?"
Cinder's eyes narrowed and her hands balled into fists. She was angry, but not at Ruby. The child may have caused unpleasant memories to resurface, but she hadn't known any better.
"Um, Ms. Fall? You okay?" Ruby's worried silver pools cut through her red haze. She allowed herself a deep breath and forced her body to relax.
"I'm fine," she forced out. She stared at Ruby straight in the eyes and began to speak. "Training schools are an investment," Cinder began. "Not a handout. Not everyone can afford the staggering cost of admission." She felt a small hand on her own as she gazed into the child's sympathetic orbs.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," she whispered.
"I told you I was fine," she shook her head to clear it and continued. "The summary is, I was denied the chance to become an actual Huntress so I became something akin to a mercenary. I've never cared much for that word, though, so I've titled myself an 'Unofficial Huntress.'
"I like that better too," Ruby agreed. "Sounds much more heroic."
Cinder frowned. It seemed the child had a penchant for things such as justice and heroism. She'd need to find a way to rectify that before Ruby learned the truth. After all, what innocent little girl would desire to reside with a criminal?
"You enjoy tales of heroism, then?" Ruby nodded eagerly.
"My mom used to read to me all the time!" she exclaimed, though her expression soon turned wistful. Perhaps her mother was deceased? Or, maybe, she divorced Ruby's father and didn't want custody? Speculations were wonderful for passing the time, but she'd need Ruby to open up more before she had the chance to confirm any of her suspicions.
The conversation died off, leaving the two to finish up their meal in peace. Ruby was unusually quiet, so Cinder didn't bother to say anything either, until the meal was finished and she told the girl that she was going to wash the dishes.
After drying off her hands, she walked back into the main room to find Ruby staring blankly into space on her couch. Cinder walked over and sat down elegantly beside the child.
"I've answered many of your questions, so I believe it's time for you to answer mine in return, Ruby."
Ruby seemed hesitant to reply, but ultimately gave in. "Okay. What do you want to know?"
"What I was asking about during dinner. You seem to know too many things for your age, not to mention your grasp on language. It's too unlike anything I've ever seen, even from the children of the wealthy, who are offered the best tutors available." Cinder grimaced in distaste, but continued despite it. "Let me ask: what has made you so different from the rest?" she questioned.
Ruby went quiet. The silence in the room turned oppressive, and Cinder had to visibly strain to keep herself calm. The young girl closed her eyes, letting out a shuttering breath as she prepared to speak. When her eyes fluttered open once again, she stared at Cinder with rings of red and blue.
"I had a dream. It was a very long one. I was dreaming for two whole years! Can you believe it? Two years just spent sleeping in a bed. However, though my body was idle, my mind was active. I was a prisoner in my own mind."
Ruby took another deep breath before continuing. "I didn't spend those two years inside my body, though. I went somewhere, and I saw something."
"I saw everything."
