Falling Cinders, Chapter 7: Dye Me a River, Red
It hadn't taken long for the kiss to go forgotten, and over the next couple of days, the missions were intense enough that they took all of the focus that Ruby could muster, and Cinder, tagging along on each of her missions, continued to heal slowly, her power coming back to her in the fires of battle, she stayed off her arm and thankfully Ruby was playing nice with her again. They'd been out on patrol now, again with Yang and Blake, though the two of them were growing far more wary of her involvement with Yang's sister. Yang in particular found it very specifically strange that Cinder would follow any order Ruby gave, almost with no hesitation, when even herself or Blake might have issue with a certain tactic. The driving force of why she'd suddenly dropped the stubborn act was beyond her, but in reality, Cinder knew the value of having a leader calling the shots, and nothing more. Her favoritism for Ruby was blatantly obvious, considering she was really the only Huntress who'd give her the time of day, and for good reason, but her dedication to mopping up the mess she'd caused was questionable at best.
Twice Blake had noticed, due to her frequent repositioning and her Semblance, that Cinder had wandered away from their patrol. Where she'd gone was anyone's guess, she'd reappeared a few minutes later, but one had to wonder what such a sinister character could be doing just off on the sidelines. It wasn't a wonder to Yang when she'd come to her asking about it, and they'd both agreed that Cinder's intentions could be nothing short of nefarious. Plus, they had still been getting reports of a girl with two-tone hair and heterochromia drifting in from all over Vale, it seemed they had a rogue element that still clung to the plan of upsetting the power. What then, the two of them had wondered, were the odds that conspiracy was quite afoot in their realm of resistance? To Blake, it was completely certain, but the doubt that wafted it's way into Yang's brain came only from the fact that Ruby genuinely seemed to trust Cinder.
But today her suspicions were tested again, because today, Cinder kept staring at her sister, in a way that was making her quite uncomfortable. The look struck her as devious, but Cinder's face naturally sort of did, and in her mind, she was simply admiring one part or another of the red-cloaked girl. However, this wasn't so obvious to anyone else, and it was Blake who finally voiced her concern.
"What is wrong with you?" she blurted as they walked, this sector of the city had been mostly quiet all day. Cinder, however, being suddenly caught red-handed, arched her eyebrow and gave Blake a questioning look as they all slowly came to a halt.
"You've been staring at the back of Ruby's head off and on for the past half an hour. If you've got something to say, then why don't you just say it?!" Nevermind the fact it wasn't that easy... Yang crossed her arms, and stood next to Blake, siding with her.
"Don't you think we don't notice the things you do, Cinder? Where'd you go yesterday during the battle with the wolf Grimms, huh? Off to cavort with your little ice-cream themed lackey, no doubt?" She narrowed her eyes, and Cinder narrowed her one eye right back. First of all, she'd got it wrong. Neapolitan worked for the late great Roman Torchwick, though now, that meant the strange woman was certainly beholden to no one. Besides, her disappearances were easy enough to explain, if she'd been able to, Cinder had a knack for knowing the pattern of Grimm attacks, and usually her tactic when fighting a pack involved at some point searching for other groups that may have split nearby. Usually, catching them when they were scattered like that was a far more potent plan than waiting for the heat of battle to draw the others in. But still, the accusation sparked interest with Ruby, and soon enough she found herself standing on her own side all by herself again, and Ruby gave her a concerned look.
Yang went next.
"I'm tired of the elephant in the room, so I'm just gunna say it. You need to quit acting like you belong here, because you just don't!" So finally they'd grown tired of this little game Ruby had arranged for them? The test of a lifetime, stare a murderer in the face and don't blink!
"Yang, that's not fair, she's out here hunting with us," Ruby tried, but Blake held up her hand.
"Yang's right, I'm sick of this. We don't know if she's just waiting to heal so she can take us down when our backs are turned... I for one, don't like dealing with pulling knives out of my back anymore. And what would Jaune say, Ruby?" Yang backed her up on that point, voicing her concern for the very same thing. Emotions were running, and Cinder started a mental timer in her head. Grimm in five minutes and counting, if this kept up... She looked with a pleading eye to Ruby, whom was unfortunately forced to speak for her in this situation.
"Look, guys, I know she's not really part of our team, but... Cinder is on our side, I'm pretty sure. Why wouldn't she throw fights to see us lose? Sabotage?" She looked worriedly to Cinder, who's eyebrow rose curiously at the thought. Mm, sabotage. Definitely her style, but... No, that wasn't her intention at all. She shook her head, crossed her arms, and huffed at Blake, who's ears twitched, and she growled, clenching her fist.
"You're going to regret letting her live, mark my words, Ruby. Her type can never come back from darkness. I would know... It's what claimed Adam."
Now Ruby finally had the excuse she needed to step across the circle onto Cinder's side.
"You were a White Fang too, Blake!" she shouted, grimacing, and Yang cut the air with a downward hand.
"That was before they were the bad guys!" she defended her partner, but Cinder shook her head in disagreement. The White Fang had always been bad. They'd just lacked... Conviction, direction, and a strong sense of teamwork. Cinder had helped give that to them, and sure they'd done some things that were far nastier than before, but she had never seen the group as anything less than what it was; an organization bred from hate, whether in reaction to it or because of it being in their hearts. A shame, really, that they hadn't done a better job before the Huntsmen got to them...
"Yang, Blake, not another word. As your leader I-" Blake threw up her hands, cutting the girl off by raising her volume over her.
"The leader card, seriously?! This isn't team Ruby, it's team RWBY. I know for a fact that's not spelled with a C, she doesn't belong here." Cinder felt like maybe she didn't even need to be standing here, listening to this, since they kept addressing her like she wasn't right here, instead preferring to interact entirely through Ruby. Cinder grew annoyed at this, because it wasn't fair to the girl, and so far, with all of her crazy emotions, she'd still managed to be the only one who seemed sane around here.
It became clear to her, the moment she caught that tiny slight of hand, Blake flicking her safety off of her pistol, that this could potentially be bad.
"Blake, she didn't do anything wrong," Ruby tried, but that only prompted her to double up on her points.
"She killed Pyrrha, Ruby! Did you forget that?!" her escalating voice rang out along the empty street, and Cinder took a minute off the Grimm timer mentally, staying prepared for the eventuality.
"No..." Ruby said sadly, faltering slightly as she looked to Cinder. That cold, icy stare was all that met her, but she knew what Cinder was probably thinking. To her, it hadn't had anything to do with Pyrrha, she'd shot that arrow to kill the Fall Maiden, an unintended target just so happened to have been transferred to their friend...
"Why isn't that bad enough for you?" Yang barked, and Ruby shied away from her aggressiveness, Cinder grimaced.
"Because maybe she didn't want to do it!" Ruby finally shot back, and Blake froze with an angry look washing over her. Who cared if she had or not, they'd lost a friend that day and it was all thanks to Cinder.
"Yes, she stole the Fall Maiden's powers... But if you were in her situation, and up against Ozpin, and the Maiden, and that was your goal... It just seems like you're being harsh on her just because she was on the wrong side of a full blown war," she stated, and broke into an elongated explanation about how arbitrary it might have seemed for her at the time, it could've been anyone, maybe not even Pyrrha.
Yang finally had enough of it and shoved Ruby out of the way, baring her fists at Cinder, who had adopted her usual callous demeanor again. Three minutes.
"Yang, stop it!" the girl cried, and grasped her sister's arm, but she shrugged her off and threw the first punch. Blake jeered behind her, goading her to kick Cinder's ass, but Cinder caught the fist with her good arm, and held it there, opposing. She didn't attack back, but was forced to block a flurry of kicks and punches too quick to be stopped before they happened. Luckily they hadn't been fighting Grimm yet today, and Cinder was able to keep from harm, but she was sure it was by the grace that Yang didn't seem fully intent on blowing her head off with those dangerous shotguns, as she didn't fire any of her rounds before she was tackled to the ground by Ruby. They broke into a squabble amongst themselves, and instead left Blake and Cinder at an impasse, Blake's fingers rolled along the hilt of her weapon.
Cinder's cool eye stared her down, neither of them wanted to make the first move, but Cinder hadn't even wanted this fight to begin with. To her, Yang and Blake were nobodies, they were completely inconsequential now that she wasn't attempting more villainy, but it would seem that they still felt the need to get in the way of her plans. Yang won over Ruby, and pinned her into a headlock, which wouldn't have been a good thing, except for the whining reaction this made Ruby take.
"Ow, owww, Yang you know dad told you you're not allowed to use this move! You could choke me or put an eye out!" The situation defused around the comical display, at least for Blake, whom always found it amusing when Ruby and Yang had their sisterly quarrels. Her demeanor shifted slightly, from hostile to at least calm, if not still wary, eyes still hooked on Cinder's movements.
The muted female approached Yang where she held Ruby in her arms, and although Yang pointed a free gauntlet her way in warning, she kept her movements slow and deliberate as she approached, and leaned down toward Ruby. The girl was helpless when Cinder flicked her in the nose a couple times. She couldn't really defend herself from the light assault.
"Waaahhh, seriously? Now even you're ganging up on me?" Blake and Yang shared a glance, and Cinder straightened up with a smile. Yang lowered her weapon.
Grimm in one minute.
"Let her go, Yang," Blake commanded, and she finally released her sister, who coughed a bit and rubbed at her neck.
"Everyone calm now? Can we stop arguing?" Ruby chimed, and Cinder brought attention to herself with a gesture. She waved around, indicating their patrol should probably resume, and considering their little temper tantrums, Grimm were certainly on the way. As if to agree with her, they heard one in the distance nearby, the cry floating in on the wind that was threatening to summon rainclouds over their heads once more.
They moved toward the sound, of course, that was why they were here. Clear the area, keep them out of the city, make sure the people were safe, that was the name of the game. The authorities had held the less rundown areas of Vale, no doubt because of the assets of the wealthy there, those with power or money of course got to be saved first... A fact that perturbed most people, but most of all, it bothered Cinder still. The girl with the dirty, ragged doll could've been saved if only they'd sacrificed a few fat cat bankers or dust company executives.
"Seriously, Ruby, even if she didn't want to kill Pyrrha, I'm having serious doubts about Cinder," Yang mentioned, having pulled Ruby to the side as they went in order to keep the menace out of ear shot.
"Blake says she disappears in fights some times, and we know what she's capable of... We shouldn't let her out of our sight." Ruby's brow furrowed in concern, for she supposed it was a legitimate reason that Yang had to be suspicious. She didn't want to impose on Cinder, but she also couldn't ignore her other team mate's views. And besides, of course they all missed Pyrrha. But surely somebody Cinder had lost made her feel the same way? The street went both ways, and although she was wrong about that fact, that Cinder didn't miss a single one of those pawns in that chess game she'd had, she wasn't wrong that Cinder knew loss.
"Are you guys talking about Cinder behind her back?" Blake questioned, sidling up to them and leaving Cinder to take point up front while they gossiped. She wasn't stupid, she knew it was about her, but if it was going to make them feel better, she'd simply allow it.
"I want in," Blake added, and Ruby groaned lightly.
"Okay, guys, look... I know what it might seem like, but she's actually a very normal person! Sort of! When she's not brooding at home she... Well, she can draw? That's normal, right?" The other two exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"That's a stupid hobby anyone could have, I don't care if you can draw some dumb art if you turn around and stab a child or-"
"But she never has! She doesn't attack children, she's not a monster like that! She saved them, too! I can't believe you guys don't trust me..." Yang pointed forward at Cinder's back, some twenty paces in front of them as she searched for the Grimm they'd heard earlier.
"I just don't trust that one," Yang stated, and as her hand fell back to her side, she sniffed lightly.
"I haven't seen her so much as give anyone but you the time of day," Yang started, "and on top of that, she's really creepy whenever she looks at you... It's like... a hungry Grimm, one that wants to devour you whole..." Ruby remembered some of the gazes she'd received from Cinder, but for the life of her, she didn't know what Yang was on about... The only expression she'd seen that matched that description had meant a very, very different thing. It sounded to her like Cinder had been...
"You're wrong, her eyes always look like that. Besides, she glares at Blake all the time too." She seemed rather adamant about defending Cinder, enough so that Yang grew worried by it. Up ahead, Cinder downed the stray Grimm, and it didn't seem like any more were nearby, but they kept on their patrol path anyway.
"Well, I bet if Weiss were here, she'd agree with us," Blake said, "and on top of that, have you even confronted her about Pyrrha yet?"
"Well, no, but..."
"And what about that train bombing, what about Beacon?"
"No..." The silence that drifted over them for a moment grew pregnant as Blake's internal rage threatened to boil out.
"You really don't think much before you act, do you Ruby?" Yang questioned, and the girl gave her a cheerful smile.
"Nope!" This caused a collective double-groan from her teammates.
"Weiss had better come back from her training with Winter soon, or I'm going to throw a fit. How come whenever she's gone, Ruby gets to do whatever she wants? All I wanted to do was punch Cinder in the gut, one real good one for Pyrrha. But no, I can't even have that." Yang pounded her fist into her other palm.
"Ruby, the moment she does anything, and I mean anything that goes against what you're telling us, she's a dead man walking," Blake stated, and poked Ruby roughly in the arm. She made a face and rubbed the spot, but nodded.
"I'm not saying that might not happen," Ruby mentioned, "but I think it's unlikely. Cinder is... Complicated. Sometimes, I think she likes me, and other times... Well, it's pretty obvious she'd strangle me if it would make her feel any better. But, I'm pretty sure she knows it won't. It won't do a darn thing." She put her hands behind her back, and sighed.
"I know it's not much, but... I think I did it for my mom. You remember how she was, Yang... She could find the good in anyone. I guess, this was just my attempt to be something like her. Already I've seen that she wasn't wrong... Cinder's dark, she loves toying with me, but so far she hasn't hurt me any more than the side effects of her plans before she lost everything. And in case you two boneheads haven't noticed, I haven't exactly been the most friendly to her in the past." They all watched Cinder walk with that casual, leggy strut, her air of superiority evident even from such a distance.
"I realized I took pretty much everything from her. I don't think I was wrong to do so, but now that she's got nothing and nobody, well, the least I could do was let her have a friend. So for now, that's what we are. Friends." The word came confidently enough, but still managed to sound sour to both Blake and Yang. Yang couldn't dispute the fact that their mother may have done something similar given a chance should she still have been in the picture, a second chance could be all someone needed to turn their life around. She watched Cinder's back, eying the tattoo in the center of it. If Ruby's heart was set, her hands were often tied, but she'd learned to trust her judgement, anywhere from stuffing a dog into a backpack, to knowing when to give up, which was typically, for her, never. Ruby was a problem solver, and she had grown so very independent lately, however the stress of being a Huntress weighed on them all. At least, Yang thought, she could be sure that this wasn't some lapse of that judgement misplaced in another sick puppy that would turn into a ravenous hound when it was fixed.
Blake blew a raspberry at the sob-story, and her ears flattened as she gave a look of disbelieving Ruby, but it didn't do much to sway her out of the way she felt. No, doing that would've taken a ten ton bomb strapped to a train.
"Yeah well if she's so great why doesn't she find her own stupid team?" Blake wondered, but finally Yang socked her in the arm and shook her head.
"Stop it, Blake. We can't talk about this here. You're upsetting Ruby again." It was true, the girl was starting to frown more and more the longer they entertained the subject. The whole situation was tricky, but they weren't going to solve it by attracting every Grimm in a five mile radius. The Grimm in this part of the city were varied and scattered, mostly small creatures picking through the remains of other Grimm or a poor soul fallen to them. Much of Vale was still overrun, but the other Huntsmen teams were indeed around, and because of this fact, Ruby found her mind drifting to Jaune and the lack of his fourth member. She dreaded what that conversation was going to be like. She knew how he could get when he lost his temper, there would be no consoling him, and likely, Nora and Ren would side with him, too. She didn't like the fact that somewhere out here, a team of three was wandering, that ticking time bomb just waiting to cross their paths.
Ruby jogged to catch up to Cinder, leaving Yang and Blake to steam about the situation among themselves. Cinder, when she'd finally been acknowledged again, gave a light smile to Ruby, which was returned with a nod, and for now, she could feel accepted, at least enough to get on with her life. The patrol concluded easily enough, and once more they parted ways, but on their way home, ran into a familiar face.
"Sal-u-tations, Ruby!" Penny called from across the street when they were walking by, and crossed over enthusiastically to meet them.
"I see this one here is still looking... Erm..." Cinder was scowling at her, so she dropped the subject.
"Hi Penny," Ruby greeted, giving her a minuscule wave. It was so much nicer to see the android back in working order, even if she'd been forced to forget all the summer plans they'd been making by way of a memory wipe. Penny's semi-blank stare drifted between the two of them at fairly predictable intervals, hinting at her robotic nature as she contemplated the situation.
"Yang and Blake don't really follow you around much anymore, do they?" she asked, suddenly concerned as her processor spat out the programmed emotions the moment they were generated. Cinder disliked this one, she'd liked it better when some silly Atlas tech had been strewn about an arena floor. Organic life was far more preferable to... whatever this was.
"They don't like Cinder," Ruby explained, and Cinder looked to the red-hooded girl, her grimace asking the question of why she'd even bother answering that when she was standing right here.
"Well why ever not? She seems... Nice," Penny offered, even a machine couldn't lie that well, Cinder noticed, and crossed her arms, still showing her distaste for this conversation.
"Penny... Really doesn't remember, then, I guess..." The oblivious mechanoid rocked on her feet.
"Remember what?" she asked, and Cinder gave a tentative touch to Ruby's arm, warning her to watch her words here. She had seen the schematics, she knew Penny's design, and the moment it sensed danger to itself, the combat mode would activate. This wasn't something she wished to talk about with the thing around.
"Just an... Accident that happened." Cinder grinned wickedly, because oh, it had been no accident. She remembered that glorious moment, when the soul of every member of that audience had dropped into a pit of despair so deep she could practically have used it to boil stew for the whole city. Such silly, frivolous people, putting their adoration into a machine purpose-built to look adorable enough that it could blind side you with spinning, bladed death.
"Oh. Well you should be more careful, then, Cindy," she stated, somehow getting her name wrong, and the vein that threatened to burst in her anger as she grated her teeth was fairly evident, enough so that Ruby began to push the steaming woman on by.
"We gotta go now, Penny, but um... Talk to you later, okay?" Ruby finally stated, and the two of them moved around Penny, and continued walking, but now Cinder had grown into a foul mood once more, and she couldn't help but stare as the Maiden pinched the bridge of her nose, grumbling quiet noises to herself. She wondered if it was hard for Cinder to endure this kind of treatment. Having to skirt around every conversation, just to be accepted. There was a reason Ruby had been avoiding the conversation she knew needed to happen, it bothered her to see Cinder so agitated like this, her rage was building and soon enough she'd probably have another fight on her hands to try and calm the woman.
"They just don't know you yet," Ruby said, even if the same could be said about her.
"I'm sure they can move on if you can. You've come so far already, remember, you can't snap now just because nobody trusts you." Cinder gave her a grimace, the kind that implied she didn't believe her, she very well could snap and break someone's jaw any time she wanted. Maybe even start with Ruby, if she kept running her mouth in white-knight defense of everybody all the time.
"Ngh," Cinder fumed in her frustration, and Ruby stopped them for a moment, touching her hand lightly.
"It'll all be okay."
Cinder watched her carefully as she said this, and when Ruby turned away, she realized they were home, and that was why they'd paused, it leant credibility to Ruby's statement, and in such a sweet voice, it echoed through her mind.
It'll all be okay. Sometimes, just hearing that was enough to calm a person, and it did take it's effect as Cinder followed the girl inside.
There was something familiar enough about doing this, and when they entered the apartment together, once more, deja vu trickled through Cinder's mind. She remembered how, just a few days ago, everything had felt just like that moment, walking in, looked like it too. That vivid red cloak, the dark, two-tone hair, and those eyes, as they glanced back her way. She remembered the moment she'd had, the burning joy she'd felt making Ruby confused, making her squirm... That kiss...
Perhaps she'd overstepped herself, then, even if it had had the desired effect? Since that day, things tended to get slightly awkward when they were alone like this, and sure enough, she noticed the blush returning to Ruby's cheeks as the couch alone was enough to bring back the memory. But neither of them mentioned it, and instead it created a tense atmosphere for Ruby, enough that she was quick to dismiss herself for a much-needed shower. This left Cinder to her room until she could do the same.
They did eat dinner together, just some pasta that Ruby threw together, however Cinder wondered if maybe she were wary of her in such a way, when she'd not asked her to help with the dishes, and Cinder, since she knew a thing or two about machinations of manipulation, took this as a way of avoiding closer quarters. So she had had an effect? Good, she spent her time instead on the couch, lounging, making sure Ruby had to see her every time she looked up from the sink. But Cinder didn't look her way, no, it was too perfect enough to ruin her concentration just by sitting around.
Finally, it forced Ruby's hand, because she'd thought about it long enough to figure there was a reason why they weren't quite acknowledging one another.
"Cinder, why did you kiss me?" she suddenly asked, which prompted her to sit up on the couch, and look over. She thought about it, letting her face work up a really detailed look of false contemplation, and then she shrugged like it was nothing. Ruby didn't like that answer, and she stewed it over for a bit, grumbling. Cinder had told her, it was to thank her, but really she was enjoying how much it had seemed to mess with the girl, who faltered where she stood at the lack of a real reason. Her mind filtered through the possibilities; one, Cinder liked her, two, Cinder was a jerk, or three, Cinder was a jerk. She settled on 'Cinder was a jerk.'
But her torment didn't end there, she became acutely aware of the look Cinder was giving her now. The light curiosity, almost detached, and she floated from the couch and to the counter of the kitchen, leaning against it with her elbows, resting her chin on her hands. She batted long lashes at Ruby.
"What do you want now?" the girl asked in mock-disdain, but Cinder motioned her over slowly, with one long digit. Ruby blushed at how sultry it seemed, but she moved closer, until Cinder repeated the gesture, and she leaned forward. If she hadn't fallen for it before, she might've this time, but when Cinder moved to her ear, she knew her closing in was only to do just that.
"Don't flatter yourself too much," Cinder whispered, her voice every bit as poisonous as it always seemed when she spoke continuously.
But that was all she said, and Ruby blushed again, this time more with annoyance as her face went red from the statement.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" she blurted, and all she received was that nonchalant shrug from before, thrown right back in her face again.
She growled, she wouldn't take that, and she aimed for Cinder's good shoulder when she lept right over the counter and tackled her, knocking her in her surprise straight to the floor. Cinder was luckily not injured in the process, but now had a very enthusiastic short Red Riding Hood climbing about her, trying to wrestle her into a submissive headlock. Cinder just let her body go rigid, unamused as she was tugged in different directions without much result.
"You jerk! You don't just do that to somebody, then... Then... Mmrrr!" She was trying to lift Cinder enough to get her arm around her neck, but she didn't manage well at all with Cinder's dead weight. She just smiled in that sinister manner, until eventually Ruby tired herself out, and Cinder merely pushed her off. The Huntress rolled into her face, defeated, her rump in the air as she groaned in displeasure.
"Not fair at all, how could I? How could I be so taken by the pretty one...!" she lamented melodramatically, and Cinder rolled her eye. Was it really such a big deal, to make over one little thing? But still, she had to admit, Ruby made for an entertaining puppet to dangle about by the strings. When Ruby had fallen silent, and hadn't moved in a few seconds, Cinder, having already got up off the floor, poked her in the ribs with her toes.
She got a groan in response, so she prodded harder, until instead she got a loud "ow!" and the girl rolled onto her back. With one hand wound into her own hair, Ruby looked up at her with the eye not blocked by her hand, and sighed.
"I guess I just wanted my first kiss to mean something," she said in a sad, languid manner, and Cinder's eye widened slightly. First one? Ohhh no, she groaned mentally, what had she done? She pressed her palm to her face and groaned softly herself. What had been intended as nothing more than a nice gesture had ended up being taken as one more endearing, and she had unwittingly stolen such an attachment and arbitrary label. Never mind the fact they'd both seemed to enjoy it, she wasn't all about causing childish girls to attach themselves so deeply they... Say... Defended her every move?
There was no way around it, she'd have to deal with this situation, too, or risk further complications. She moved to her knees over the girl, and leaned down. Ruby got the wrong idea, falling for the trick this time when she slipped toward her ear, filling with a slight hint of disappointment when she wanted to speak, but Ruby wanted something else...
"You are too quick to trust. Your friends were right not to trust me, and now here you are again, digging yourself a hole..." In this moment, the closeness, that smell of roses again, they reminded her of what she'd said, that sense of purpose. For Ruby, it would seem, she could find a sense of purpose in everything, even something as simple as a first kiss.
"If I told you it was just a thank-you, why place it on such a silly pedestal? Surely, you don't think a shared experience constitutes a relationship?" She would have pulled away then, leaving her to contemplate her words, but Ruby stopped her with her words, while their faces still floated side by side.
"It doesn't," she returned, "but that doesn't mean it couldn't." Cinder was surprised to see the look on Ruby's face when she slipped back, and sat next to her, looking down. Oh, the poor worm, waiting for the bird to be eaten...
Cinder had to lean back down, but this time, she pulled at Ruby's cloak, hoisting her up slightly so she didn't have to change positions.
"But, you forget, dearest Ruby... I'm the bad guy here," she whispered, and though Ruby shook her head in protest, Cinder gave a moment for her to process that statement.
"You'd be a fool to think you could handle me. You're barely able to control your team," she insulted, and let her sink back to the floor, hovering over her so their eyes would meet once more. Ruby was frowning, but then, with her blinding speed, there was a sudden force on the side of Cinder's face, and her head twisted with the slap to her cheek. Now Ruby was glaring.
"You really do have some nerve. I keep them from ripping you limb from limb, while you're still weakened, and you spout your mouth off like that?" She smoothed her cloak from where Cinder had released her, and remained laying in the carpet, strangely not seeking to move from that spot, though she crossed her arms to couple that with her stare. Cinder touched her cheek where she'd been hit, and glowered down in her sparked rage.
Ruby really had a way of pissing her off...
"Now if you can't say something nice, don't say anything to me. You screwed up, Cinder, and that was definitely on you, even if I liked it." Cinder frowned, having forgotten, for a moment, that this was still about the theft of Ruby's first kiss. So she leaned down, and brought those lips close to her ear once more.
"I'm sorry," she managed simply, and Ruby smirked at her minor victory.
"That's better," she chimed, and Cinder grimaced again, though this time, when she closed her eyes and looked away, something found her cheek, over the sting from the slap, and those soft, delicate fingers brushed her flesh. They ran over her scar, which covered much of that side of her face, of course... Ruby brushed the hair out of Cinder's eyes, and touched the rough flesh in a couple of places...
"I really did this, huh?" she wondered aloud, but Cinder stole her hand from it's place with her own, and nodded. She didn't like it when it was touched, or even really noticed... But she supposed it had, indeed, been caused by this goofy girl and her mysterious power.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. And I know you are, too, about everything you did. You don't have to say it, okay? Just tell me it's true? I don't think I could stand it if..." She choked back her words, but Cinder got the point. Did she feel remorse for her actions? No, not all of them... But the one big one that had been winding her up, and certainly Ruby as well, was that Pyrrha person... With a gentleness not normal for those strong hands, Cinder pulled Ruby up to sit, so she could lean in.
"If it means anything to you," she said slowly, having to pause from all the strain she'd been putting on her voice box lately.
"I would take it back if I could... My eye, the Maiden powers, my voice... I'd rather undo everything than deal with these..." Another pause, and she rubbed at her throat. With a hint of concern, Ruby watched her.
"Problems... They weren't... worth it," she finished, and the two of them stayed close for a moment, until Cinder leaned back and searched her gaze. The silver-eyed warrior nodded gently. So she was right, then... There was a genuine sense of remorse for the biggest problem she'd caused. Penny was one thing, but first to give Pyrrha such a scare like that, and then to end her life...
Cinder though, she really looked upset, seemingly out of the blue, when her mind rolled over that day again. She looked lost in her thoughts, and Ruby could tell, like she seemed to be so good at doing, what her counterpart was probably thinking about.
"You're remembering, aren't you?" she suddenly asked, and again those terribly soft fingers found her scar. Cinder's hand gripped Ruby's forearm, stopping her from going any further with her gesture, but it didn't stop a soft caress to the spell-burnt flesh underneath.
"You actually have lost someone. But I know you won't tell me who..." Ruby's observations really were on point tonight, Cinder noted, and she bubbled in her dark memories, her face twisting up in her beleaguered state. It wasn't something she remembered often, but of course she'd lost someone dear to her, it would be impossible to be so imposing without first gaining such a potent mental shield as the guard that game from the pain of having a life you loved stripped right before your eyes. There was no way Cinder was talking about this subject right now. Instead, she tried to not look uncomfortable, shifting slightly, and Ruby's soft eyes finally met hers when that gentle hand turned her gaze back to her face.
"We've all lost someone, Cinder. It could be to Grimm, or maybe another person... But we find ways to look passed it. I won't lie to you. Pyrrha meant a lot to all of us... Probably everything to Jaune, and nobody's happy that she's gone, not even you... But you can't start blaming yourself, no matter who points the finger at you. I won't lie to you. Jaune will probably try to murder you on first sight, and I'll do everything I can to stop that from happening, but ultimately, it's up to you to make it right again. You are going to be the one to figure this thing out. You'll be the one to... To make forgiveness pie out of... All the ingredients you have now." Her words sunk in for a moment, her touch somewhat comforting the contortion of her face, softening her gaze until she closed that singular eye, and Ruby smiled sadly. She leaned over, and pressed a gentle, rose-petal kiss to Cinder's forehead, causing a gentle gasp, and a slight red shade to appear on her cheek.
"Just do what you feel is right when the time comes. Make sure it's from the heart, and make sure it counts, because if redemption is your new purpose in life, then you've got to give it your all..." Her fingers idly played with the long fringe of hair Cinder preferred, enjoying how soft it actually was, silken despite her rough demeanor.
"And Cinder?" she continued, the woman opened her eye to take in the sight of Ruby's smile again. She waited expectantly.
"If you claim my eyes are yours, then... What do I get in return?" Her face twisted again into that naughty little expression she was capable of making every so often, and Cinder smirked darkly at her. This time, when her lips found that ear, she let them brush gently along the surface.
"If you figure out where it is, you can have my cold, dead heart," she whispered, almost as though she were begging for Ruby to do just that.
Ruby actually chuckled at that form of a joke, and gave Cinder a playful push. She knew now, based on how she'd acted before, that that had been a joke, a ruse... One not to be trusted. And Cinder, knowing she hadn't taken the bait this time, could only grin to herself.
"I'll take your hair, and we'll call it even. I always wished mine was more wavy like that." She played with it like a kitten might a mouse toy, until Cinder batted her hand away in annoyance.
"Ffhine," she croaked, and rolled her eye. It was no use arguing. But now it was getting late, and with their mission tomorrow, they'd need rest yet again. They awkwardly agreed to head to bed, already trying not to think about this strange feeling welling up inside of them both. It was better if they didn't think about it, both of them tried, but Cinder was deeply conflicted.
But this time, after they'd fallen asleep in their respective rooms, something happened late at night. A whimper filtered through Cinder's ears, and when she woke from it, it came again. Like a whining puppy... She listened at her door, and again she heard it, that noise of pathetic cowardice... What was it?
She went to Ruby's door, quiet as an insect, and peeked inside. Ruby was turning in her bed, tormented in her sleep by a nightmare. Cinder furrowed her brow, as she watched the girl toss about every few seconds, muttering and squeaking in fear to herself. It had to be the Grimm, she figured, and all the things that a Huntsman must see. The gruesome, sickening deaths at the hands of the monsters left their scars on every warrior... Even her. She'd long ago stopped fighting the nightmares, and every night, desensitized as she was, she refused to let them wake her.
But, just for Ruby, maybe as a return for that gift she'd been given, she slammed the door ever so slightly to provoke Ruby awake. She heard her stir, and crept off quickly into the night, back to her own bed. Hopefully, when Ruby fell asleep again, that would be the end of her night time terrors this evening.
[Author's Note: BOOM! Two'fer. I haven't had much to do today except sit around and think, or write, since my new laptop isn't quite full of cool games yet and I decided against bringing my mouse for some reason, soooo... Either way, I'm feeling better about these last two chapters, Anguish and this one, I feel like I'm more on point regarding actual storytelling which is a large part of why I wanted to crank this stuff out when I had a good, meaty chance to do so. The chapter after this one might take me awhile to figure out, so that's fine, but if all goes well it could arrive as early as tomorrow but that is by no means a promise, however since I work tomorrow also it's still fairly likely I'm going to be writing something, even if it's for a different fic.
One of my main goals with Cinder is to play up her disability as much as possible, which tends to have a strange effect of causing lots of motion descriptions of her leaning around to get close and whisper, or reacting in certain ways during a conversation when she just can't defend herself. It's a challenge, lemme tell ya. Telling story with less dialogue always is, really, especially when trying to describe thoughts and feelings relating to words or as a reaction.
The fic had a rough start I felt like but it should be where I wanted it to be now, essentially this whole project was a horrendously half-baked idea and I knew fully well that my beginning was going to be super rocky. But I decided to do it anyway, and now that I powered through it a bit I feel more confident in the coming material. Hope you enjoy!]