Ruby was well aware of the sort of terror her eyes could inspire. She had seen the faces of family and strangers alike recoil and twist in fear. She was used to her family avoiding meeting her gaze to maintain a pleasant conversation, but she herself had never experienced the terror her eyes inspired. When she looked into a mirror she saw her eyes without emotion.
Other than finding them extremely ugly, Ruby was immune to any other effects of her own gaze.
However, she began to sympathize with her family a little more as she did everything in her power to not look at Weiss Schnee. Both were wearing a pair of old, gray pajamas that the school medical staff provided its patients, yet while Ruby felt small, silly, and downright kiddy in her pajamas, Weiss managed to maintain an air of frigid rage that was weaponized through a glare of such intensity that Ruby didn't know whether to freeze in place or flee.
So she did both, allowing her gaze to wander the room and take in the many medical posters advertising safety advice while scooting as far away from the other girl as the rail-lined medical bed allowed. It was a very big room, longer than it was wide, with around twelve beds surrounded by monitoring devices and privacy curtains. This was just one of four rooms, with more serious cases flown into Vale.
Someone had thought it a good idea to ignore all the other beds available and put Weiss and Ruby right next to each other. Ruby felt this person must be truly twisted and Weiss was splitting her time between plotting against Ruby and plotting against whoever had decided their medical arrangements.
On the far wall, windows with wound blinders were above each bed, allowing natural light to pour into the building. It was quite a pleasant room, and Ruby could imagine enjoying a stay in here if she needed tending to, but that was, hopefully, without the silent storm of arctic fury currently brewing next to her.
The door to the nurse's office opened and Ruby was more than happy for the distraction. Professor Goodwitch walked in with an authoritative strut, then Jaune in his normal clothing following like a kicked dog, and behind Jaune was Nurse Nightingale, a short woman with a face full of wrinkles and a petite figure, with curly, bubblegum pink hair and a pleasant smile.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Alchemilla." Professor Goodwitch told the other woman warmly as she stopped her walk at the foot of Ruby and Weiss' beds. Weiss turned away from Ruby with a brooding, ashamed pout, but the Professor's stare was firmly on Ruby alone. "I didn't expect an incident before orientation." Her tone was decidedly less warm, making Ruby squeak unhappily and the old nurse crack a wry smile.
"Perfectly fine, Glynda. Always happy to help." Nurse Nightingale curtsied and wandered over to a small desk to review the results of Ruby and Weiss' examination and sign her approval of their release as Professor Goodwitch turned towards Jaune. She pointed to the door and he shot a mildly relieved look at the two girls before he meekly complied, shuffling out with his hands buried into his pants pockets. "As for you two," Professor Goodwitch's disappointment was palpable as she focused in on the two remaining teenagers, "aside from detonating a pond, killing the fish Haven gifted us, and ruining your own clothing, you've managed to make complete fools of yourself. Explain yourselves. Now."
"Her." Weiss announced, pointing at a cringing Ruby. "If she hadn't made such a fuss about giving me my suitcase- or- or told me what was wrong with it we wouldn't be here!" Weiss turned to glare at Ruby, and Ruby hung her head.
"I-I just panicked. I didn't want you to blow up." Ruby's defense was delivered more like an upset whine than a heartfelt objection.
"And I did anyways because of you! Not to mention ruining my clothes for the day!" Weiss' lip curled just thinking of the ruined remains of her uniform. She'd just broken it in, too!
"Ahem." Professor Goodwitch had her riding crop brandished, the head resting in her other hand, her hands squeezing tightly enough to make the compact leather creak ominously. Both girls turned their attention to her immediately, and she sized them both up in a stern anger. "If I may remind you, Miss Schnee, Ruby was indeed only trying to help, in the most uncoordinated way possible." Her steely gaze darted between the two, daring them to argue. They wisely decided against it. "Lack of communication, poor equipment management, unauthorized usage of school property, and extremely immature responses from the both of you. May I remind you two that you are huntresses." The crop's head smacked the steel railing on Weiss' right, leaving a visible dent in the textured metal and making both girls flinch. "You are both defenders and protectors to-be, and here you are being examined by a medical professional over an asinine round of Dust-fueled hot potato." Her teeth clicked shut after the sharp rebuke and both teens winced, subtly twitching under Glynda's barely checked outrage. Finally, Ruby swallowed a few times and found her voice.
"Wh-what about the butler guy?" Ruby asked in a quiet little tone bordering on a whisper.
"He has been reprimanded by his employer, me." Weiss glared at Ruby again, though she could stand to learn a few things from the deputy headmistress. "I am responsible for his mistakes." She added in a tone that brooked no argument. The professor crossed her arms under her chest and subtly raised one eyebrow as she peered down at the Schnee heiress.
"Then you are willing to take responsibility for the luggage-based assault on Miss Rose?" Professor Goodwitch asked accusingly, and Weiss chewed her lower lip a moment before she swallowed loudly, and replied in an unhappy growl.
"Yes. Yes, I am responsible for her getting soaked and any damage she's suffered recovering my belongings." Weiss glared down at her knees, her cheeks glowing a hot red as Ruby sniffled happily. "Oh quit blubbering." Weiss snapped, making Ruby jump with a tiny squeak.
"S-sorry, I didn't mean to blow you… us... up." Ruby whimpered, getting nothing more than a sarcastic roll of the eyes from Weiss.
"And that is not in particular your fault, Miss Rose." Glynda interjected. "The packaging of the dust was to blame." Ruby perked up a bit and Weiss visibly deflated. Professor Goodwitch, however, was more than happy to spear Ruby with an icy look and drain the spark of joy right out of her. "You did, however, fail to properly articulate danger to a fellow huntress, and as she was so keen to point out, ruined her clothing in the process. If not for the water diluting and absorbing some of the blast, and your auras reacting to protect you, both of you would doubtlessly be in here much, much longer. If you two had been in the field, handling an actual high-yield explosive, or surrounded by Grimm, and had attempted the same base communication you would both most assuredly be dead."
Ruby curled up on the bed, holding her knees and trying to hold back tears as Weiss muttered bitterly beside her, wrapping her arms around herself as if to ward off a chill. Glynda allowed them a moment to dwell on her analysis before pressing on.
"I will expect drastic improvements in the near future from you both. Miss Schnee, please leave the room and wait outside the door, I will be escorting you all to the Headmaster's office so that he can repeat his introduction for you two and Mister Arc. I need to speak to Miss Rose alone before we depart."
Weiss nodded crisply and slid off the bed and into the pair of slippers she was provided, instantly making her miss her custom-made boots. She threw Ruby one final dirty look and stormed out with all the dignity she could muster in grey, shapeless clothing and without the heels she was accustomed to moving in. Nurse Nightingale had heard the order and snuck away to the back room to give the teacher and student their privacy. Ruby looked up to Glynda slowly, and Glynda focused intently on her. "Miss Rose."
"P-Professor?" Ruby felt her skin crawling as the professor sighed at her.
"I know that, more than anything, you wanted to come here and learn how to protect people. Professor Ozpin was generous enough to give you that opportunity, and you were bold enough to accept, but may I offer you some advice?"
"Y-yes ma'am." Ruby replied hoarsely and resisted the impulse to stare down at her own feet. She didn't want Professor Goodwitch to become any angrier at her than she already was.
"Hunters need to be aware of their surroundings at all times. We are already providing you with more than enough material to elevate you to Beacon-ready status, we are overlooking many standard requirements for entrance on your behalf. I understand your lack of education and relative youth puts you out of touch with other students but this tomfoolery will not stand. If you keep making more mistakes…"
"I-I won't!" Ruby insisted, trying to relax her tense body as Professor Goodwitch studied her closely, frowning slightly at the interruption. "I'll communicate better, and be more aware, and catch up with classes, and-"
"Miss Rose, do you know how many people here have been victimized by the Grimm?" Professor Goodwitch cut in with a stern look. Ruby froze, her lips trembling slightly as her mind scrambled for something to say before ordering her jaw shut. Glynda subtly lifted her chin, satisfied with Ruby's reaction before continuing. "When I was eight years old an Ursa destroyed my family home and mutilated my father's arm, leaving us homeless and without money for months." She began to pace, her heels clicking with nearly mechanical rhythm, and Ruby watched on with dismay. "I spent that time sustaining myself on scraps, assuring myself that through good grades, relentless practice and tireless vigilance I'd put myself in a position where I could prevent that from ever happening to another family." Professor Goodwitch halted her motion and gently pushed her glasses up her nose to refocus her gaze on Ruby, the grit in her voice disappearing. "I hold no resentment towards you for that. That was not your doing, obviously, it happened before you were even born. Numerous students are here, however, for some measure of vengeance towards the Creatures of Grimm, and being children, they often lack the wisdom and perspective to disregard coincidence. How do you think the student body would react to your abilities?" Glynda raised a thin, golden eyebrow. "You, more than anybody else, are being tested here. Your restraint, your prudence, your intelligence, and your cunning. You have been invited here under the assumption that you are both trained and mature enough to entrust with the lives of the innocent and defenseless." Ruby bit her lower lip as Glynda's expression sharpened. "Do not, I repeat, do not let incidents like today become commonplace. You were flirting with expulsion the moment you stepped into this school. You must earn faith, Miss Rose, before you can ask us to expend it on your behalf."
Professor Goodwitch let out a breath, too softly to be a sigh, before she turned heel and began to walk towards the door, beckoning Ruby to follow with her riding crop. Ruby watched after her, her face pinched with dread, and a quiet realization came to her. "Professor Goodwitch?" The woman stopped walking, turning her head just enough as to point her left ear towards Ruby. "You don't want me here at all, do you?" She asked in a tight voice, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed, letting them wave idly as she waited for an answer.
The blonde woman was still and quiet. Ruby couldn't see her face, and couldn't figure out how she was taking the accusation. Professor Goodwitch gently pinched the bridge of her nose, and turned to face Ruby with as calm an expression as she could manage. "You are breaking numerous conventions in being here. Ignoring your powers entirely, your lack of grades, socialization-"
"But it is my powers, right? It's why I wasn't allowed in Signal. It's…" Ruby was squeezing the hem of her shirt tightly. "It's why I don't get to go anywhere, or meet anyone…" She trailed off, her voice shaking.
"Miss Rose… Ruby." Professor Goodwitch corrected herself and walked back over to the student, leaning down to get eye-level with her. Her golden eyebrows knit together gently as she took a moment to articulate herself. "I was against your entrance since the very beginning. In my opinion, the risks associated with your semblance outweigh any potential rewards that may come from training you. However, Headmaster Ozpin made a choice, and I trust him. He believes in your capabilities and capacity for goodness over the innate stigma of evil everyone, including myself, will associate with what you can do." She reached out to lift Ruby's chin, and seemed to try to stare through the goggles. Her voice became softer and almost… pleading, in a way Ruby had never really heard before. "Don't ruin this opportunity, Ruby. I am not an idealistic sort but I want to believe that maybe, just maybe, the Grimm can be used for the betterment of mankind through you. I want your dream to come true too, understand?"
Professor Goodwitch stood and let out a quiet, tired sigh as Ruby looked up at her in minor awe. She straightened her skirt, adjusted her glasses, and focused her teacher's gaze on Ruby, the look at the woman behind the role of educator officially over. Ruby stiffened to something like attention and nodded at the woman firmly in answer to her question, who just barely inclined her head in return.
"You will be meeting with your professors after you three hear your welcome speech. Convince them of your potential as you did the Headmaster and your tenure here will run much smoother for the both of us." Professor Goodwitch's eyes lingered on Ruby a few seconds longer, her face an unreadable mask as she searched Ruby's limited expression and abundant body language. The moment passed and she turned away, walking towards the door at the brisk pace of a professional with somewhere to be. Ruby slid off the bed and into her own Beacon-branded pair of slippers, rushing to follow and, for the time being, stay in Glynda's good graces.
"So, I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc." He swore he could feel the attention of everyone else in the elevator settle in his head like some mysterious, ethereal hat.
"Charmed." Weiss answered in a tone implying that she was anything but. Her foot tapped the floor of the rising transport as she firmly squeezed her hips. For a fleeting moment, Weiss dared to believe he had taken the hint and would stop talking. She quickly realized that was foolishly optimistic of her.
"Cool! So, I like long walks on the beach, hot dinners after a hard day of work, the smell of the rain after a storm…" Jaune counted off on his fingers. "Also hot dogs, hot dogs are great."
"They're disgusting." Weiss sneered. She refused to look at the boy, her shoulders hunched sharply in annoyance.
"Well, I mean, sure, they're nothing compared to a good steak, and they're kinda unhealthy, but-" He was motioning his hands, about to launch into his personal theory on the uplifting benefits of condiments when Weiss' eye spasmed and Ruby silently pressed her back against the rear of the elevator just to be safe.
"Are you going anywhere with this?!" Weiss finally snapped, glaring directly at Jaune now. He paled in surprise, and rubbed the back of his head. Ruby stared at the floor, listening to every ding of the elevator while Professor Goodwitch stared straight ahead, lost in thought and blocking out the sound of squabbling teenagers with masterful skill.
"W-well, see, I know it's early in the semester but we get some free days every week! Right? So I was thinking, mm, picture this…" Jaune waved his hand, but Weiss's cold stare was firmly locked onto his face, possibly in an attempt to freeze his head. He wiped his forehead, starting to sweat. "A nice table and two chairs by the coast, you and me, dining on lobster-"
"Shellfish allergy." Weiss rebuked harshly, whirling away with a more furious stance. Jaune babbled and grappled with words for a few moments before the elevator slowed, stopped, and the doors opened. The three students stared into the spacious office and its singular desk. Multiple chairs sat around the desk, and there was a small table tucked away to the right with a chessboard.
Professor Ozpin stood over the chessboard, stroking his bald chin thoughtfully as he stared at the mixture of black and white pieces. The entire board looked like a mess as the differing pieces intermingled on opposing sides. As the three students stepped in, Professor Goodwitch walked straight to the desk to stand at attention, clearing her throat loudly for the headmaster's attention. He did not look over right away.
His fingers delicately ran over the rounded heads of the black pawns, then he touched his remaining black knight. He seemed to reconsider and touched the nearby black rook. As he thought, Ruby took in his situation. She wasn't much of a chess player, but she recognized the pieces. He had taken four of the white pieces, two pawns, a knight, and a rook. He was missing three of his pieces, both his bishops and one knight.
Everybody was silent, even Weiss had stopped tapping her foot to watch as he moved his rook four squares forward and paused in the space in front of a white pawn. Almost immediately, a white bishop moved on its own, crossing the board and pressing into the square of the rook, pushing it aside. Ozpin took the rook and set it on the white side, among its captured kin, then took the black queen and moved it to where the white bishop had occupied.
Ozpin cracked a self-pleased smile and pressed a button on the side of the board, causing the white tiles to shine a soft yellow. His game successfully paused, Ozpin walked straight over to his desk, leaned his cane against the side of it, and plopped into his winged seat unceremoniously. "Hello students. Despite being clearly stated on your schedules to be in attendance for the welcoming speech, it seems each of you managed to land a trip to the nurse's wing in its place! That's quite the drastic change in plans." His tone was warm, amused even as he watched the three young hunters.
Ruby was barely able to look up at his eyes, and was shuffling her feet. To her side, Jaune managed a forced smile and wiped some hair out of his eyes. On his other side, a few feet away, Weiss was looking at the headmaster, trying to remain emotionless but her eyes were too soft, the edges of her lips quivering.
"Don't look so glum. I understand the situation, and Professor Goodwitch has been kind enough to administer disappointment for me, so I'm going to move straight to the congratulations." The three students gave him mystified looks as he leaned on his arms against the table, looking over each of them carefully. "Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, welcome to Beacon Academy. Each of you have made it here through your own unique merits, but don't mistake your entrance here as the end-goal of your lives. It is, quite frankly, delusional to assume that in this safe, controlled world we built within Vale we will be able to fully prepare you for the world of hunting. Our goal here at Beacon Academy is to give you the skills to survive, but it is your job as students to strive to succeed." He looked into each of their eyes, evaluating their timid, unsure responses before he gave Professor Goodwitch a nod.
"Mr. Arc, Miss Schnee, help will be waiting on the first floor to escort you to the banquet hall for the night. You may socialize, explore the public areas of the school, or catch up on your rest. You will not be given your weaponry until tomorrow morning when the first test begins." Professor Goodwitch told them, gesturing towards the elevator. "You are dismissed."
"Wait." Jaune looked between Professor Goodwitch and the headmaster. "That's it? That's the speech?" He asked. Ruby shuffled a bit, silently relieved she wasn't the only confused one.
Ozpin gave a small, throaty chuckle before answering. "Brevity is a gift only given to few, Mr. Arc. Please, enjoy your stay and education at Beacon, and try not to make it to this office too often." Professor Ozpin winked at him.
Weiss and Jaune both stared at the professor, then Ruby. Weiss shot Ruby one more sharp look before turning, trying to strut while her slippers clopped against the floor noisily. Jaune looked down at Ruby, then to Professor Ozpin with suspicion. "Is Ruby going to be okay?" He asked, eyes locking onto Ozpin's. There was no hostility to his gaze, but Ozpin did note that it was the first time their eyes had met.
"Perfectly fine, Mr. Arc, but due to unique circumstances regarding her admittance we need to hold her for a few minutes longer. Thank you for your concern, however, a Huntsman should always be ready to watch out for the wellbeing of his allies." Ozpin inclined his head, hiding a small grin behind his hands.
Jaune hesitated, but ultimately joined Weiss in the elevator after nodding at Ozpin's words and sharing a small, silent goodbye with Ruby. Ruby shifted nervously as the headmaster and Professor Goodwitch talked briefly, then Professor Goodwitch picked up the papers on the desk to review them as Ozpin stood. He took his cane and stepped out from behind his desk, beckoning Ruby. "Follow me, please."
Ruby wandered after him, confused as he went back to the small table with the chessboard. Professor Ozpin touched a button on the board, turning the yellow light off. Immediately the white king shifted into an open space away from the black queen's line of sight. The headmaster chuckled, gesturing to a nearby chair and Ruby sat down, turning her head to focus on the board. "Who are you playing with?" She asked in quiet curiosity, while Ozpin clicked his tongue in thought.
"A friend of mine in Mistral. With any luck, you may get to meet him someday." Ozpin pinched his chin, and reached out to touched one of his pieces, but he hesitated. He worked his jaw as he considered the near dozen moves he could make, then inspiration seemed to strike. He looked to Ruby. "What do you think, Ruby?" He gestured to the chess board. Ruby immediately flushed with embarrassment.
"Oh, err, I'm not all that good at chess. My family doesn't really play." She had only played with her dad a few times out of boredom and found the game to be counterproductive as far as entertainment went, and equally frustrating due to her short-sighted decision-making. Despite this, she leaned over the board to examine its contents. The white king was comfortably covered in all directions but two. One was at a diagonal, where the black queen would swoop in and take the opposing king if it dared move there, and the other was straight across from one of the black knights' positions. Ruby chewed her lip nervously and reached out, pausing to look to Ozpin. He gave her a quiet nod to go ahead.
"In the long run, it doesn't matter how good you are at a game." He reassured, while Ruby moved a black rook in a space that would allow her to remove a pawn protecting the white king on her next turn. "You have all the opportunities in the world to get better at a game. Thankfully, chess is a mere brain teaser, we can't expect practical chess application on the battlefield." The remaining white knight shifted from its place behind the black pawn line and knocked out the black rook. Ozpin picked up the defeated piece and set it on the white side's captured zone as Ruby stared dismally.
"I messed up." She pouted, and Ozpin let out a soft, comforting chuckle.
"Come now Ruby, don't be so down on yourself. One lost piece is nothing to fret over, the game will continue until the most important piece is forced to surrender." Ozpin touched the black king, nestled behind two black pawns but out of the range of any white pieces. "It's the heart of the army. When this piece is captured, no matter how many other pieces remain, the army is forced to surrender. One must always protect the heart, the king, while carefully aiming for your opponent's. It's near impossible to play this game without losing one piece, and many players believe there is no other way to succeed other than to sacrifice any pieces necessary to open their opponents up and win. The two armies will decimate each other until one side wins, or all that's left is the two kings, unable to continue. However, I always find it an invigorating challenge to play the game and try to keep all my pieces."
"That sounds hard." Ruby watched the board carefully, while Ozpin lifted a black pawn to inspect fondly. "You'd have to capture a lot of the white pieces first, wouldn't you?"
"Not necessarily." Ozpin eyed the pawn, cradling it in his palm like a precious treasure. "Sometimes your opponent will create an opening for you to exploit early in the game. As time wears on, it becomes impossible to protect every piece as capturing and sacrificing pieces becomes necessary, but if you move quickly enough and catch on to your opponent's mistakes early, all it takes is one versatile knight or queen in the right position to ensure victory while keeping every piece on the board."
Ruby nodded slowly as Ozpin placed the pawn back on the board and leaned over to read it closely. He worked his jaw, touched one pawn, then the next, then seemed to consider one of his rooks before turning to face Ruby. He gave her a little smile.
"Your move, Ruby Rose." He stepped aside. Ruby paled at the offer, and stared back at the board.
Black and white pieces, black and white squares, there were a dozen moves that could be made and many of them could be fatal. She risked opening her heart- err, king up to the white side's forces, and she was afraid that all the easy moves would fall into a trap she did not foresee. So many options, so many pieces to lose and take, she could easily fail this game here and now…
Snap.
Ruby came to, her eyes focusing on the crossed fingers in front of her eyes, and Ozpin gave her a serious expression. "Don't space out. I know it looks intimidating, but it's far more simple than you think. Remember, this is a game. Expand your awareness, use your brain. What can your opponent do, what can you do?"
Ruby looked at the board again. There were so many routes to failure and she perceived few to victory, but Ozpin had stepped back. What can her opponent do? By the spacing of all their pieces, they were set to threaten most spaces on the board, but they could hardly move without losing a piece to the headmaster. She couldn't not make a move, or the game wouldn't continue. It would essentially be the same as forfeiting with both sides at a loss. She had to strike the enemy's king.
Four of her pawns would lose immediately to opposing pawns and the white knight. Without bishops only her queen had any diagonal movement. Her remaining knight was safe, but only one space wouldn't lead to instant capturing. Her rooks could capture pawns and pawns alone, but then get trapped with nowhere to go. There were a dozen moves and a dozen captures, but nothing would benefit the headmaster's efforts except for short term captures in a war of attrition. She considered it for a few moments longer.
There was the option to take a move with no immediate benefit for herself or her opponent. There would be no grand plans, no bold moves, simply unsettling the waters and forcing her opponent to make the next move. That was a distinct possibility, much like feinting in combat, making a move and seeing if your opponent would react to create an opening. She didn't know if the professor had an idea in mind of what she should do, if there was some grand, end-all, be-all move she could make that would end this game in three moves flat, but what she saw was an opportunity to force her opponent to make a move while she stayed safe. She took ahold of the one black pawn to the king's left that had yet to move and slid it forward. She let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding and looked up to Professor Ozpin, who simply smiled.
Ruby shrugged her shoulders weakly. "Well, it wasn't much…"
"No, but you considered your options and made a move." The opposing player took around a minute to move a white pawn towards Ruby. Ozpin, without a word, moved his remaining knight into the open space. "All we can do, sometimes, is cover our bases and hope for the best. There are moments you cannot plan for, but that does not mean you shouldn't try to predict every outcome you can. In all situations, you must acclimate immediately and act decisively." Ozpin settled a calm, expectant gaze on her. She slowly turned away to look over the board as she connected the dots.
"Like when I realized that briefcase was going to explode." Ruby deflated at the realization, and a hand gently rest on her back.
"Correct. I understand that it can be difficult to raise your voice in a tense situation, but when emotions run high, somebody must serve as the voice of reason." Ozpin leaned over, keeping himself propped up on his cane as he gave Ruby a smile. "Don't lose focus. You have a rare opportunity, and I'd like nothing more than for you to succeed."
Ruby quietly nodded, a small frown on her face as she considered the lesson. "They took your rook." She noticed, and Ozpin immediately glanced to the board.
"Well then." Ozpin pouted. The elevator dinged, and three heads turned to look as three new people walked in. The headmaster turned on the chessboard's yellow light again and turned to greet the new arrivals. "Professor Port, Dr. Oobleck, Professor Peach, welcome."
"Absolutely, headmaster!" An average-sized, silver haired man with a particularly bushy moustache and a rounded belly said with a dramatic enthusiasm. "Thank you for having us, today is truly a day of excitement, curiosity, revelry!" His hands moved as he spoke, emphasizing his words with sweeping motions while the tall, green-haired stick-of-a-man chugged a cup of coffee.
"Indeed, many many things to cover before classes start in two days. Coffee machine in the third floor faculty room is broken yet again and my order of Vale Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday has yet to come in." The tall professor spoke rapidly, hands gesticulating almost randomly compared to his silver-haired companion.
Ozpin turned to look at the one lady of the group. "I'm good." The shortest of them spoke, a brown-skinned woman with a head full of dreadlocks. Unlike her formally dressed fellow-professors, this woman wore a grease stained tank top underneath a loosely tied apron and long gray slacks with a utility belt with a few standard tools. Her heavy duty brown boots were the best fitting thing on her, other than, as Ruby noted, a reddish-brown mechanical right arm. "Though I'll need a little help installing the forge ya ordered for me."
"Of course, we'll be sure to have everything ready and on time for the start of classes." Professor Ozpin moved towards the three, Professor Goodwitch putting her papers down to join them. The five created a brief social circle in which they chatted and laughed. Ruby sat quietly in her seat and watched, feeling a mixture of amusement and envy as she watched the five adults prattle on to each other. Even the headmaster joined in on some friendly ribbing and was the target of a joke or two. They seemed so equal, and friendly. Despite being professionals, each no doubt an excellent hunter on their own, they were friendly, social people.
Ruby felt her cheeks heat up a little. It was calming and fun to watch them socialize. They were friends, their own little family, with lives. She liked that, it reminded her of home, and reminded her that the lonesome legends of old truly did miss out on something special.
Then she caught sight of the taller professor watching her. His glasses seemed as opaque as her goggles, but he lowered them down the bridge of his nose to show his brown eyes. The more portly professor elbowed him good-naturedly, but the man didn't lower his gaze. It was only when he didn't answer a question did the rest of them turn to see what he was looking at, and those warm and fuzzy feelings quickly turned to tight apprehension.
She clutched the edges of her seat and stopped herself from rocking back and forth. It was a very bad habit of hers as a child, and every now and then when people surrounded her she had to physically restrain herself from regressing.
"Ahem." Professor Goodwitch extended her hand towards Ruby. "As I explained in the memo this morning, you will be meeting a special-case student. This is Ruby Rose."
The three new professors did not speak as they evaluated her from a distance. The atmosphere of easy camaraderie was gone as curiosity and measured looks took over. Professor Goodwitch gestured to each of the three teachers.
"Miss Rose, this is Professor Port," the silver-mustachioed man seemed tense as he watched her, "Professor Peach," the dark-skinned woman had her head tilted, mystified, "and Dr. Oobleck."
Ruby nearly lept out of her skin, the green-haired man had moved so quickly she barely had time to react as he got close to an inch of touching her nose with his. He was holding his chin, his glasses hiding his eyes in a way that made Ruby squirm. "Thompson model." He suddenly spoke.
"Huh?" Ruby squeaked as Oobleck, without permission, rest his fingertips on the straps of her goggles. She momentarily feared he was going to remove them, and her hands reached up to touch his wrists, but then he moved aside her hair and turned her head so he could stare at the strap. Ruby was too nervous to defend herself.
"I was correct! Exploration wear, for the sands of Vacuo. Perfect, absolutely perfect model, I've never met an eyewear developer with such fine quality and taste in all my years." Oobleck radiated genuine pride as he turned Ruby's head the other way. "Ah, the Sumusarian line too. Expensive, most expensive, but I've seen a pair get stepped on by a Goliath and the only thing that needed to be replaced was one lens. Truly an excellent set of headgear! For a young huntress, these will last you well into your career!"
Oobleck stepped back, and Ruby sat in quiet stillness, unsure whether to feel complimented or violated as the older man seemed satisfied with his findings. Professor Port and Peach seemed less sure, however, while the headmaster cleared his throat. "Focusing on the task at hand…" He walked over to Ruby and extended a friendly hand. Ruby took it, sliding out of her seat and onto her feet as Professor Ozpin walked her closer to the professors.
He let her hand go, and Ruby looked up at both Professor Port and Professor Peach with a small, bewildered frown. Professor Port had his arms crossed as he looked her over, while Professor Peach stuck out her remaining hand. Ruby flinched, but took it, getting a firm, strong shake. "Hello Ruby, welcome to Beacon. Headmaster's made a bit of a hubbub bringing you here." Her smile was thin and pinched, but wide.
Ruby tried to match it. "Th-thank you. Sorry if I caused any problems, I really didn't mean to." She balled her hands together once they were free, wrestling one another nervously as Professor Peach chuckled.
"Ah, don't worry too much. We've had a few special cases come through here before, though certainly none quite as, mm…" Professor Peach rolled her jaw as she hunted for the right word.
"... Dangerous?" Ruby offered. The professor's eyes widened, and she waved her hands casually while letting out a little laugh.
"No, no honey, not dangerous, I was thinking more along the lines of, uh, y'know…" Peach seemed at a loss for words, and Ruby wilted the slightest bit. A large, stubby hand extended towards her, and Ruby looked to Port, then his hand curiously.
She took it, and rather than shake, he firmly squeezed her smaller hand while his dark brown eyes searched her face. "Welcome, Miss Rose. I'm the professor in charge of Grimm Studies here at Beacon, and qualified as I am, I have never heard of anybody quite like you."
Ruby nodded meekly, keeping her hand relaxed, not wanting to possibly offend the man as Professor Peach offered an awkward smile. "Professor in charge of Dust Chemistry and Mixing, also have a hand in the forge if something were to happen to your weapon." She explained. Oobleck immediately seemed to appear to Ruby's side, taking her free hand and shaking it with both of his vigorously.
"Professor of History, Oobleck!" He let go of her hand just as quickly, and Ruby balled both her hands back together as they watched over her.
A hand rest on her shoulder and Ruby flinched violently. Professor Ozpin lifted his hand in response and let it hang by his side. Ruby frowned guiltily. "These people, along with Professor Goodwitch and your Physical Fitness coach, will be your teachers here at Beacon Academy, Ruby." He gave her a pleasant smile, and Ruby nodded, calm and slow as she tried to relax. "They each teach very important skills, and are each very qualified for their positions. I want you to pay attention in their classes, your catch-up studies will directly feed into their lessons and propel you to graduation faster than you would expect."
"Indeed." Dr. Oobleck raised a finger thoughtfully. "The keystones of being a hunter aren't just skill, strength, and speed, but intelligence and understanding. What we teach here won't just prepare you to fight, but to anticipate, adapt and protect!"
Professor Port nodded, his furrowed brow lightening as he clasped his hands casually behind his back. "The key to victory is understanding your foe, but also the world around you."
"Knowing about people may not help you in battle, but will help you understand why your job is so important." Peach chimed in. "Knowing the right ingredients to get the best results will ensure your success and safety."
"And," Professor Goodwitch spoke up, "of course, we will be teaching you advanced combat against Grimm and Hunter both. The world is full of dangers, human and inhuman, and our students shall be ready to deal with either."
"Speaking of both," Professor Port refocused on Ruby, hands still behind his back, "may we see your eyes, young lady?" His tone was respectful and polite, though Ruby still felt it carried the slightest edge of a command.
The whole office went completely quiet. While Ruby had been enjoying their collective speech, her blood went ice cold, and she immediately back-pedaled away from the group. Her attempt was cut short when a hand pressed against the small of her back. She glanced to Professor Ozpin, who quietly bowed his head.
"Don't be afraid, Ruby. These are your professors, each one will have a hand in training your mind, your weapon, and your power." He spoke in a very calming voice, not forcing her back into the circle. Ruby was still, her skin itched and she had a small frown on her face, but Ozpin gave her a smile. "Everyone, Ruby here is on the shy side. We should try and make her feel welcome before we pressure her."
The five professors looked amongst themselves for some form of idea or suggestion, then all of them focused on Dr. Oobleck. He tightened his lips, creating a rather dramatic pout. "If I must share." He huffed.
Ruby watched the tall man unscrew his thermos and fill the plastic lid with a goodly amount of coffee. Her mouth immediately felt dry, and she realized she hadn't had a drink since leaving the airship. The scent of the coffee was alluring…
"One lump or two?" Professor Oobleck asked, opening a little belt pouch.
"Oh, err, I-I guess two's okay, I usually take four." Ruby blushed, watching shyly as he popped four cubes of sugar out of his belt pouch and dropped them into the hot coffee to dissolve. He passed the drink to Ruby.
The warm cup immediately relaxed her hands. It felt natural and comforting, relieving that ugly, clammy feeling. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a long drink, shuddering in delight as she savored the flavors. "Oh wow, this is really really good!" She stared into the cup in surprise, prompting a somewhat proud smile from Professor Oobleck.
"Specially bred coffee beans grown in a perfect artificial climate in an Atlas coffee shop I visited some fifteen years ago." He sipped the coffee straight from the thermos and sighed in comfort. "Small then, but steady progress allowed them to expand their business and sell their coffee overseas at wallet-gouging prices!" He huffed, then looked into the drink. "The price we pay for perfection sometimes." His next sip seemed much more somber.
Ruby squeaked as Professor Port moved to her side and gently nudged her with his elbow. "Young lady, do you like fairy tales?" He asked with a dramatic raise of his left eyebrow.
"Oh, here we go." Professor Peach mumbled.
"Yeah. Fairy tales and legends are why I want to become a huntress." Ruby gave a small blush, and tensed as the man wrapped his arm around her back and held her close, his other hand extended in front of him to cast Ruby into the world of fantasy.
"Picture, then, yours truly, standing at the forefront of a hunting party searching for one of Mistral's most fierce Grimm predators!" Professor Port turned, moving Ruby with him to stare out the window. "It was me, my companions Yugo, Agate, and Solomon, searching for the dreaded Razorswine, the largest, angriest boarbatusk Mistral had ever known…"
Ruby stared at his hand, then out the window, her jaw dropped. The other four teachers behind them collectively groaned in silence at Ruby's interjection. "Wow, really? W-what happened?"
'Chairs.' Ozpin mouthed to his companions, and they spread out to find seats.
Ruby wasn't terribly sure when the cheese crackers had showed up or who had found them, nor when she had found herself a seat. She sipped the last of her coffee and nibbled a cracker, watching Port stalk against the window, his head turning sharply like a cornered animal. "The beast had smelled my blood, and cruel and primitive as it was, it sought only my death. My companions, lost in the caves of Kailos, would be of no help, so when the dreaded pig showed its face, I used my ultimate weapon!"
"Your semblance?!" Ruby asked, on the edge of her seat.
"No!" Professor Port whirled to face her, his eyes wide. "I used my raw charisma to frighten it into submission with my signature warface!" His whole face flexed, skin drawn taut, eyebrows raised, lips pulled back to show his teeth, eyes wide open as his nostrils flared, and he let out a beastly roar that left Ruby giggling in her seat. "The beast fled in horror, unable to comprehend such a magnificent foe as myself!"
Ruby grinned quietly as the rounded professor conducted himself, his cheekbones risen with delight. "Of course, there is much more to this story, but I'm saving the grand climax for the students who pass my midterm!"
"Aww." Ruby pouted. She turned as Professor Oobleck approached her, handing him the thermos lid to wash out. Professor Port stood by her side, a hand on her shoulder in a friendly fashion. "So, you really do go out and fight these big, legendary Grimm?" Her eyes sparkled.
"Well, once upon a time, of course. Alas, though it may not look it, I have grown slower, and cannot pursue the beasts of great like I once did. Tis such a bittersweet pleasure to work at Beacon, to train my students how to find and fight these mighty monsters, but knowing I will rarely be able to add to the legend of Peter Port." He stared down at the floor, though even Ruby could tell there was a very real difference between actual sadness and Professor Port being melodramatic.
"But, don't a lot a fairy tails talk about the legends being mentored under some great, wise hermit? Simba of Vacuo tutored under the honorable Rafiki, Seras of Mantle under the dreaded Vladimir, they always mention the teachers who slayed great beasts before them." Ruby gently nudged the older man with her shoulder, flashing him a tiny grin.
Professor Port visibly perked up and gave Ruby a comforted look. "That's quite true, young lady. In that case, when you give interviews in the future, remember to give due credit your teachers!" He pat her back, and Ruby bobbed her head in agreement.
"Allllllllllright then." Professor Peach spoke up behind them. Port and Ruby both turned to look at the other four Professors. Goodwitch and Ozpin each sat at the headmaster's desk, while Peach nudged Oobleck to get off his scroll. "Well, now that the show is over, I think we should move on to why we're here."
"Absolutely!" Oobleck stood up quickly. Professors Peach, Ozpin, and Goodwitch each stood to move back with the group. Ruby felt surrounded again, and though uncomfortable, significantly less intimidated as she stood up to face the five of them.
"Let's start small, Ruby. Please, show us your eyes." Professor Ozpin smiled at her, and gestured for her to present herself. Ruby nodded quietly and gripped her goggles. "You may remove them completely if it would make you more comfortable." Ozpin offered.
Port, Oobleck, and Peach each watched, Oobleck leaning forward in anticipation. Ruby slid her goggles over her forehead and off her face, holding them in her hands in front of her chest in quasi-self defense. When she opened her eyes, her three professors were in varying states of shock and horrified awe.
Professor Port had reared back, one hand over his heart, his entire face completely slack and his eyes wide open now. His free hand hung limply at his side, though his fingers twitched at his hip as if searching for a gun.
Professor Oobleck had turned to face the wall, chancing several looks, but always turning back after he gave the most visible shudder of them all. He straightened his tie and cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders before very firmly forcing himself to watch Ruby from the corner of his eyes.
Professor Peach had her metallic hand over her mouth, the other hand squeezing a wrench on her utility belt in a white-knuckled death grip as she took deep, stressed breaths. Her dark skin seemed much more pale, and sweat was visible on her upper arms.
Ozpin and Goodwitch both did their best to not look directly at her while still watching her face, but both gave an inevitable cringe whenever their eyes wandered above her little button nose. Ruby stood still, arms tight to her sides while she clutched the goggles closer to her chest. She felt very small, very exposed. She did what she could to not focus on anybody, but curiosity and nervousness made her search their faces for reactions and any possible hints of a threat.
Her big red eyes carefully went from adult to adult, and her heart began to beat faster as they stiffly began to move. The three professors tried to stand still, arms in relaxed positions, but with little success as they stared at the floor, ceiling, or around Ruby rather than at her.
"Ahem." Professor Port spoke up. "Well, your findings were true enough Professor Ozpin. She is quite difficult to look in the eye."
"Indeed. Indeed indeed. Difficult indeed. Very difficult." Professor Oobleck muttered, his eyes moving up to meet hers.
Each of the professors had experienced their own brushes with death in their days. Some on the battlefield, some in the workshop, some in exploration. Few hunters had cushy enough positions to never encounter something that made them feel the grave calling, but Ruby's eyes did something different.
Oobleck noted Ruby's expression was one of fear and worry, nothing terribly intimidating about her in and of herself, but his heart palpitations went through the roof regardless. The clammy feeling along his skin and the sweat beading on his brow, he concluded that yes, he was afraid. An illogical, but primal part of him feared those eyes. This young girl, who giggled at Port's stories and who sipped his coffee with a delighted smile terrified him. A moment of fury passed through him, an inevitable thought.
Destroy her.
He shook his head. He was, deep down, furious at his utter terror and irrationality. What good was it to be frightened of her eyes alone? Yet he couldn't help himself. No matter how many times he glanced, from which side of his eyes he stared, the clarity of his logic to the contrary, the niggling negativity wouldn't lessen.
Professor Oobleck took a deep, steadying breath. His head lowered, eyes firmly on Ruby in a stare that was nothing short of intimidating, and walked towards her. She began to back away nervously, with clear hesitation in each step. Experience, he noted. She'd been in this position before. He had no words for the hypotheses he was rapidly forming for Ruby Rose's childhood, and he liked none of them, allowing only a tight-lipped little frown to express his anger the possible perpetrators, but was ashamed to admit he wasn't much better than them. Yet, as he stood over her, his eyes now locked onto hers, he could see them sharpen. She was trying to be brave and have faith that he would not over-react. Good.
Yes, the ice sliding down his spine was very much real. The involuntary shivers, the hairs across his body standing on end, all of it was the product of unkempt emotion. This was terror, he couldn't just dismiss it like some amateur fear semblance he'd encountered a few times, it gnawed at him and clung, taunting and mocking his attempts to overcome or contain it. Logic alone wouldn't protect him from her gaze.
He reached behind his back. Ruby began to shrink, her expression begging for his mercy as he handled something small. He struck without warning, arm extended, Ruby recoiling, but his fingers stopped a few inches short of her face. In his hand was a small make-up compact, lid popped open to reveal the dark-toned blush and a little hand mirror. Ruby stared at herself, then up to Oobleck with confusion.
"Ah-hah!" Oobleck turned, holding the compact up for the other professors to see. "She is immune to her own fear effect! Somebody write that down, the gears of progress whir to life in this very moment, and it must be recorded!"
"Bart, did you for real steal my makeup?" Professor Peach all but snarled as she walked forward with an angry gait. "Give!" She held her hand out, and Oobleck complied without protest.
"The very first step to semblance management is knowing whether or not you are affected by it as well! Imagine, if you will, young miss Rose fighting a dastardly opponent who decided to employ mirrors! There is a defeat no more humiliating than one at your own hands!"
Professor Port walked to Ruby, looking thoroughly emasculated as he examined her eyes. "The Grimm have a gaze far more forgiving. Please, pardon my shyness Ruby, I am merely adjusting." His tone was far more reserved than normal.
Professor Peach appeared by his side, and both watched her like she was a never-ending trainwreck. The spectacle and horror on their faces were genuine, but they weren't attempting anything violent. Ruby hung her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels as she tried to calm herself.
"Sorry. Th-they're always like this. It took my family a while to adjust to them, and even then, not really. If you'd like me to keep my goggles on-"
"Preposterous!" Professor Oobleck called from Ozpin's desk, holding a pen and a pad of paper. "We are hunters, we will not be intimidated by one of our own students, even if she has the very eyes of evil itself! Now do you wear contacts or glasses?" He asked, writing rapidly. Ruby blinked, not sure how she should feel about that… she shook her head, realizing she'd been asked a question.
"Oh, um, no. I have 20/20 vision." She answered, earning an excited nod from Oobleck.
Professor Goodwitch took a few silent steps closer, making herself known by her presence alone. Oobleck paused, and Ruby, Peach, and Port all looked to her as she telekinetically sent the chairs back to their places with an elegant sweep of her riding crop. "Professors, if you will stand aside, I believe it's time for a demonstration of her abilities."
Professor Ozpin walked to Ruby's side, pointedly keeping his gaze on his fellow teachers rather than Ruby herself. "As I've told you all, Ruby has a power both incredible and dangerous. In our busy schedules, I'd like for each of us to lend her the time she needs to bring it under her control."
Port, Oobleck, and Peach each nodded, their body language changing as they stood to the side and watched Ruby's feet. Ruby looked to Ozpin worriedly, but his gentle nod made her take a deep, calming breath. "W-well, okay. Um, I can summon Grimm." She watched their reactions, but other than a single nod from Port, there were none. "O-o-okay. Okay. So, I can summon Grimm, and it's a little… iffy."
"Iffy?" Oobleck repeated, causing Ruby to nod.
"See, um, usually I can summon like an arm, or a wing. Small flocks of Nevermores aren't too bad, but the more of a Grimm I summon, the harder it is to control." She extended a hand, and every eye was on the floor beneath her. A pitch black pool seemed to spread from her feet, creating a wide circle of darkness that Ozpin moved away from.
Contrary to a shadow, the pool stirred as if alive, ignoring the angle of light or absence of obstructions as it spread and began producing black bubbles, all while the edges expanded and regressed as if it was breathing. Every now and then a small wave seemed to form, almost creating a claw or a wing, sometimes a serpentine tail before falling flat. Oobleck dropped to his knees and laid on his stomach, cheek pressed to the stone floor while eyeing the darkness, noting that though it seemed flat, it had a barely notable height that was in constant fluctuation. He wrote from his place on the floor while Professor Port walked over.
Ruby stayed still and watched the portly man kneel, his hand over the black pool, though he seemed hesitant. "How is it, like this? Your control, the feel of it, Ruby?" He asked, looking up at her for just a moment before he caught her eyes. He settled for examining the pool with a cold shiver.
"Um, well, nothing comes out unless I allow it…" At his curious glance, she tapped her fingertips together. "I can, um, feel them like this. Like, they know I've made a hole they can come out of. Sometimes…" She swallowed. "Sometimes, when my control's not so great, I can feel them trying to push through. I-I haven't had an incident in a long time, though, not for three years." Her jaw quivered as she focused on the ceiling and collected her thoughts. "They really want out, but I make sure they're trapped."
"Trapped." Professor Goodwitch repeated, her tone a mixture of disbelief and accusation. "What do you mean by trapped?"
"W-well, see, it's like..." Ruby took a deep breath. "I can feel them in there. It varies how many, sometimes I can feel a lot of Grimm. I don't know what they are until they come out, or until I want one out. If I ask for a beowolf arm, I get a beowolf arm, but sometimes a whole beowolf wants out. I can feel it trying to-to form I guess? I can feel it trying to form and I stop it. They try a lot harder when I'm like this." She stared down at the pool. Port watched as the shifting puddle of pitch black formed another wave, and what he recognized as a malformed, gooey creeps' foot poked out, its claws not formed and the leg itself recognizable purely by size and shape.
"Hmm." Professor Port knelt down lower. "YOU THERE!" He suddenly bellowed, making Ruby leap in surprise as he continued. "Yes, you! Damn Grimm, I know you can hear me! I am Professor Port, you have been my prey for years! You don't like that, do you?! Your slayer is right here, what will you do, Grimm?!" He roared at the puddle. The room was silent, and Ruby stared down at the professor as he watched the darkness like he was a madman. He glanced up at Ruby curiously. "Any change to how it feels?"
"They're not happy, I can tell you that." Ruby murmured, making the professor smirk. "I think they knew you were talking to them? It went still all of a sudden. Wait what are you doing?!" Ruby nearly screamed as Professor Port plunged his hand into the darkness.
His arm went deep, and Oobleck, Peach, and Goodwitch instinctively ran forward to grab the back of his collar and his arm. His brow knit, his upper lip curled as he resisted. Without a word, his arm sunk deeper, well into the floor. The pool began to shrink as Ruby recalled it, with the darkness clinging up to the professor's elbow. The pool shrunk under Ruby's feet, and she reached down and grabbed his arm, pushing it out of the shadow still attached to him. The retreating darkness snarled furiously, half-formed teeth clicking together inside a clay-like maw before it shrunk back into nothingness beneath Ruby's feet. Professor Port examined his hand.
"Peter." Professor Goodwitch was staring furiously at the man, her teeth grit. "Of all the stupid things you could have done! We have materials to test this- this madness and you could have lost a hand! What were you thinking?!"
Ruby had her hands over her mouth as Professor Port looked at his hand. A pinprick of blood was dribbling down his thumb, and he looked to Oobleck. "Bart, note the consistency: like a living sludge. Smooth, constantly moving, immediately latched onto my hand and tried to keep hold. I felt the point of a fang in my thumb, meaning there is most certainly a malevolent, Grimm-like presence in there. Unformed, angry, but weak."
"Very good information, Peter." Oobleck smacked the back of the man's head, making him yelp and give the assaulter an offended look. "Mighty stupid of you. Good information though." He began to write as Professor Peach beat on Port's back and ranted at his idiocy.
Ozpin gave a little frown and touched Ruby's shoulder, getting her attention. She looked worried, her eyes forming perfectly normal, clear tears of frustration that Ozpin delicately wiped away with the back of his fingers. "Very good Ruby, I think you've roused their curiosities. Their questionable decisions aside, I think we will yet make progress in figuring out what you can do and how to control it." His tone was pleasant and comforting, and Ruby's fright dissipated as he pet her head. "Thank you for the demonstration. Would you like me to walk you to the banquet hall?"
"Ahem." Professor Goodwitch approached, looking firm. "You still have work to do, headmaster. I will escort her."
Ozpin gave a soft chuckle at her insistence, but ultimately stepped away. "Very well. We'll schedule our next session sometime after you settle in, Ruby. Enjoy your rest, and remember: progress begins at step one."
Ruby considered his words as she was lead to the elevator, and the headmaster and three professors gathered at the desk to talk. When the lift's doors closed she slid her goggles on with a soft, resigned little sigh. Ruby stood quietly, chancing a look at Professor Goodwitch. The woman had her eyes firmly forward, arms crossed over her chest tightly, her spine straight and legs together. Ruby thought to ask Professor Goodwitch if she was okay, but the teacher shot her a suspicious look.
Ruby clamped her mouth shut and stared forward again, her tummy full of agitated butterflies.
"YOU DISAPPEARED!" Was the last thing Ruby heard before she was knocked onto her ass by a flying towel. She was quite suddenly hoisted up by the armpits and shaken violently until the towel fell off, giving Ruby a good look at a very angry Yang. "I went looking all over the place for you outside! Do you know how many people I shook down trying to get them to talk?! I had to bump into some sad old butler guy to figure out where the crap you went! Ooooh, I'm so mad I could- I could-" Yang's rant ended in an inarticulate roar-howl before she crushed Ruby into a hug, burying the smaller girl's face into the valley of her cleavage as she sniffled. "Idiot. Stupid! Making me worry."
"S-sorry Yang." Ruby gasped, tearing her face out of Yang Canyon for air. Yang didn't let Ruby go, and she frankly didn't want her to. She was quietly enjoying the warm embrace even as her ribs protested. After a long while of tearful reunion, Ruby whimpered out, "So much happened."
Yang finally let Ruby go and worriedly brushed the hair out of her face as Ruby took in her surroundings. The banquet hall was a well decorated room with high windows and low-lighting, though contrary to the name there didn't seem to be any food, or for that matter, tables. Everything had been cleared out to make room for the new students to lay out their sleeping bags and, judging by the gathering of students in varying states of casual dress, socialize. Ruby suddenly felt much less like a sore thumb in her plain gray pajamas.
"Yeah, the butler guy told me you and and a Schnee blew up." Yang lightly bopped Ruby's forehead as she frowned. "What in the world are you doing getting into arguments with a Schnee?!" Yang was familiar with their product and services, but from all the rumors, the comparisons to dictators, and the pictures from her magazines, she was fairly sure they didn't actually exist.
"We didn't argue!" Ruby groaned in a defeated tone, feeling pale just from thinking about it. "I accidentally got her wet."
Yang stared at Ruby with a wide-eyed, but otherwise emotionless expression that made Ruby facepalm. "Wow. Uh, way to go, killer. Save some for the-"
"Shut up Yang." Ruby slumped. "I got attacked by her luggage, and I pulled her into some little pond by accident so we both ended up soaked, and then a briefcase exploded and Professor Goodwitch was mad at me and now my clothes are who knows where and I have to wear this and I'm really sorry." Ruby covered her eyes in shame, and Yang opened her mouth, closed it, considered for a moment…
"Um." Was all she managed.
The silence between them was oppressive, so Ruby finally broke it with a mutter. "The professors are nice though." She rubbed the back of her head. Yang cocked her head to the side like a confused Zwei.
"I thought I was going to have a story to tell with breaking into the room they kept all our luggage. Yours…" Yang let out a small, relieved chuckle. "Yours sounds more interesting. I saved you a spot next to me on the floor, let's just sit down and chill, okay?"
Ruby nodded, looking past Yang to quickly freeze in place. Yang raised an eyebrow and turned around to look at an approaching girl. White hair, blue eyes, lithe and lovely, and currently glaring at her scroll.
Yang recognized her instantly. Weiss Schnee. Weiss Schnee. The heiress to the Schnee dynasty, an Atlus celebrity who set trends in fashion by accident and whose graceful dancing and beautiful singing was digitally sold for far more than they were actually worth. Every picture and video showed Weiss nobly, beautifully, her lithe, limber form tightly contained in top-of-the-line clothing.
Wearing ratty gray pajamas and a prideful scowl, she looked nothing like her PR had Yang believe. Wordlessly she brushed past Yang and stood near the silently shivering Ruby, waving a plastic lien card over her scroll's scanner. She held it out to Ruby with a frown.
"For your wet clothes." She stated, her expression stiff. Though she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from the short, dark-haired troublemaker as realistically possible, her sense of duty won out.
"Oh, uh…" Ruby took the card, and Weiss whirled around. She took two steps away, then stopped. She looked down, seemingly in thought, then turned on her heels to give Ruby a dramatic, angry point and matching scowl.
"Don't take this as some sort of apology!" She ordered, furiously shaking her pointer finger at the wilted girl. "I will pay what I owe, but that doesn't mean you're forgiven for your- your idiocy!" Weiss snapped, tearing her eyes off of Ruby and storming off without another word. Yang looked from Ruby to Weiss, then back again. Her eyes flashed red, making Ruby wince even as Yang stomped after the much… MUCH smaller girl.
"Yang, wait!" Ruby gasped, watching her sister muscle past clusters of chatting people, like an Ursa muscling aside foliage.
Mid-stride, a hand on Weiss's shoulder whirled her around to stare into Yang's furious lilac eyes. "Hey princess, you want some advice?" Yang snarled, staring down at Weiss as her grip tightened. "Don't go picking on my little sister!"
"Little sister?" Weiss sneered, looking around Yang at Ruby. Ruby stood, very still and very quiet, her body weighted with horror as Yang held up a fist to Weiss's face. "Put the 'weapon' down, Goldilocks. I'm sure nobody wants anything to do with her!"
Yang let out a disbelieving snort, standing up straight, putting Weiss's chin near Yang's bust height, causing the white haired girl to stare straight down at the taller girl's cleavage with a scandalized expression. "Look, I may not know all the details, but she doesn't deserve your attitude."
"Maybe don't go sticking your nose in other people's business, hmm?" Weiss gave Yang one hell of a stink eye, causing Yang to growl. "Besides, she's here at Beacon, you think babying her is going to help?"
"And what are you teaching her, shake a Schnee hard enough and Lien pops out?!"
"Excuse me?! I paid her for damages done and let her know that I don't want anything more to do with her! You're the one overreacting!" Weiss's voice was raising. People were starting to turn and look at the pair.
"Oh please, Schnee, I've heard enough about your family. If I snapped at your little brother, none of you would take it sitting down!"
"If, by chance, you ever had the misfortune to run into my little brother we wouldn't even need to step in if that's the best threat you can come up with!"
"I'm not scared, princess, people like you don't know how to solve problems you can't buy or sue your way out of!"
"I'll have you know that the Schnees have a long, proud history as hunters, unlike some no name, roughneck, top-heavy bimbo trying to start a fight in a school because their sister's a walking disaster area!"
Ruby was squirming quietly in place, unable to stop her hands from shaking as her sister squared off with Weiss at maximum volume. This was too much. People were gathering, taking seats around the pair, shouting encouragement at them to start throwing punches. Ruby wanted to disappear and go home forever. She wanted to bury her face in a pillow and just cry for a while, let all this negativity out in one big, boogery sob.
More than anything, she was so terrified of her dream falling apart right here, right now.
"What in the world is going on?" A flat, disbelieving voice asked from Ruby's side. She turned her head in shock and just… paused, all the stress of the situation suddenly leaving her.
She was meeting a lot of very pale girls recently, but Ruby couldn't complain. The black-haired teen next to her turned to meet her gaze, her golden eyes gently shifting as if reading through her goggles. On her head was a cute, fashionable black bow, and she wore a rather short black robe with white trim. Her taste in clothes was excellent, but Ruby's head tilted as her eyes ran along her long, slender legs.
"Hm?" The black-haired girl's head tilted as Ruby's eyes traveled down, from thigh to toe, taking in the smooth, flawless skin and the supple muscle forming lovely curves along each leg. Slowly, her head lifted to meet the girl's eyes once more. "I'm willing to ignore that if you tell me why they're being so loud." She offered in a dry tone, and Ruby immediately heated up. She balled her hands behind her back, looking down at the floor and not at the girl's legs.
"S-sorry. Um…" Ruby looked back up to the ongoing conflict. Yang and Weiss weren't throwing punches yet, but the shouting match had devolved into petty sniping and minor hair pulling. "I kind of, err, me and the girl in the white-"
"Weiss Schnee." The dark girl said with an unnoticed bristle in her voice.
"- yeah, Weiss Schnee. We kinda had an incident because I was stupid and didn't say 'look out, your briefcase will explode', and then it did and now my older sister's really mad at her because she thought Weiss was picking on me when she was just being kinda, um…"
"Snooty?"
"Something like that. It was my fault, and now they're fighting, and- and-"
"You blew up Weiss Schnee, who got mad at you, so your sister's mad at her?" The girl summarized in a disbelieving tone. Ruby nodded slowly, shuffling her feet. "Wonderful. 'Above all things, a hunter is a force of inspiration and wisdom.'" She shook her head, turning away to find somewhere quieter. She stopped, and turned to look as Ruby's hand took hers. "Did you need something?" She asked in a tone that demanded a very good reason for this violation of her personal space.
"S-sorry." Ruby dropped the girl's hand, keeping her eyes above the waist. Then above the chest. The eyes, those are pretty AND safe. "But, um, you read Trendove?" Ruby released the taller girl's hand and held her hands behind her back, watching the her yellow eyes. They travelled the width of Ruby's face, flitting about curiously.
"... Of course." She answered, running her fingers through her dark hair before flipping it over her shoulder, never turning to face Ruby, just look at her out the side of her eye. "His essays on the societal impact of hunters in Mantle were why I chose to join an academy."
"... I kind of thought he was full of it." Ruby admitted. The girl turned this time, her shoulder pointed at Ruby as she gave her her full attention, one thin eyebrow raised in curiosity. Ruby swallowed thickly. "His belief that 'society rests on the laurels of hunters both old and new' leaves out all the hard work everybody else puts in. Sure, without hunters there might be different cities, or maybe no cities, but anybody can pick up a sword and a gun and protect themselves. Not every hunter is a carpenter, so, in a way, we all kind of, um… need each other, right? I wouldn't want to sleep in the dirt every night." Ruby's nose crinkled a bit at the idea.
The girl eyed Ruby slowly, carefully, a low, curious hum escaping her throat. "Blake Belladonna." She finally spoke. Ruby's face fell a moment in lack of comprehension, and the girl clarified. "My name. It's Blake Belladonna."
"Oh, uh…" Ruby stuck out a hand. "Hi. Ruby Rose. My name." She nodded, and Blake shook her hand stiffly. "Sorry, just, I don't really get to talk to people about the things I read." Ruby gave a small, happy smile, the scene behind her now totally forgotten.
"I see. Have you read Alfheim?" Blake asked, turning to face Ruby with her whole body, arms crossed over her bust.
"I've read bits and pieces that were used in other books. He wrote 'A Fuzzy Perspective', right?" Ruby touched her chin with one finger, recalling… "Yang had to read it for some of her classes at Signal. All about the struggle of Faunus in Remnant?"
"Correct. From the first faunus enslaved by humans to the struggles of modern civil rights. What did you think?" Blake tilted her head, and Ruby swore part of her bow turned towards her.
"Well, I didn't read everything about it, but he didn't seem bad." Ruby paused, coughed, and back-pedalled to better explain. "He was really passionate about the faunus and equal rights, but everything I read focused on all the bad stuff that happened between them. Humans and faunus have been working together for a while now, right? I mean, the Faunus got Menagerie as a gift, so it wasn't one-hundred percent bad…"
Blake said nothing for a few moments, her lips quirked oddly in what could have been a smile or in agitation. Ruby wasn't sure if she had said anything wrong, but the girl then nodded. "Sure, not one-hundred percent bad. I'll loan you some of his works later, if you'd like."
"Y-yes!" Ruby blurted out, her cheeks reddening without knowing why. Book sharing? Scandalous. "I mean, if you don't mind." Ruby shrunk, tapping her fingers together as Blake gave her a tiny smile.
"It couldn't hurt. I'm going to go read." Blake pointed to a spot against the wall, and turned away from Ruby, looking over her shoulder. "No offense, but I'll need my peace and quiet. Later."
"By-bye!" Ruby managed to squeak out as Blake walked away. Ruby stood in place, not really focusing on anything. Did she really just have a conversation with somebody? About books? She inwardly burned in nervous delight. It seemed so easy! Did that count as making a friend though? Blake was hard to read, so Ruby wasn't sure what to think.
"Ugh." Ruby yelped as a hand landed on her head. Yang scratched her scalp, and Ruby stared up at her. "Some people are just unbelievable. That girl was- I mean- just absolutely the most stuck-up, pissy, mean-spirited little… ugh." Yang gnashed her teeth furiously, not noticing the black haired girl Ruby had just finished talking to.
"You did kind of rile her up, Yang." Ruby whispered, making Yang throw out her arms in frustration.
"Oh c'mon, I did that for you!" Ruby winced, looking down at her hands. "She was gonna walk all over you and- ugh!" Yang threw her hands up, too angry to continue. "I'm glad I chucked her." Ruby went stone still and stared up at her sister with a horrified whimper. "Just a little! She caught, like, three seconds of air, tops, then landed on some guy with a pink stripe in his hair. Cmon, let's lay down." She grunted. Ruby tossed one more look to Blake, then followed Yang to her sleeping bag. She scanned the crowd and, far off in a corner saw a flash of white hair as Weiss brooded against the wall. She felt guilty. All Ruby could think about was the part she played in this whole mess and how it had been working against her all day.
She settled onto her sleeping bag while Yang… Yang turned over and rested, not talking. Ruby frowned. That was unlike her older sister, she usually blustered and raged until it was all out but… Ruby sighed. Had she made her older sister angry? She got Jaune as a friend, made Weiss an enemy, seemed to have made a good first impression with Blake, and temporarily set Yang off. Socializing was way harder than they make it look on TV.
Maybe today was the worst it was going to get. Ruby laid on her back and stared at the ceiling, taking deep breaths. She just needed to let it go and not let it get her down, or all of this would be for nothing. She closed her eyes.
Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.