And some more

Chapter 10:

Yawning as she walked towards the dining table, Blake couldn't help but just smile at the smell of the coffee on the table. Taking a seat Blake couldn't help but see a small flashback to her childhood at the sight of her parents sitting in the almost exact same seat with a scarce glimpse from father time in the few grey hairs she could see in her father's hair.

Taking the offered cup, the youngest Faunus there just couldn't help but yawn loudly before she took a small sip from the cup. She could already tell from the soft giggling coming from her mother of what she wanted to say, Blake just had to beat her to it. "Don't say it Mom. I'm just not used to hard mattresses any more. The one on mine and Ruby's bed is custom made and you can just sink about five to six inches in the centre." Blake said with a smile as she took another drink. "So I didn't really sleep all that well. Certifiably insane ex-girlfriend aside."

The almost laughing tone from her mother, Blake just shook her head as she tried to down more of the hot liquid that was like a godsend at this point. Just because it would make her morning go by quicker or at least smoother like she wanted to.

"So what is your plan today?" Ghira asked softly as he folded the paper close as he tossed it further down the table as he just smiled at his daughter. "Because I'll need to know how many guards you'll need." Ghira continued as Blake just took a deep breath.

"By the end of the week I need pictures of the great tree... the exterior of the grounds... a few of the villages. Which should only take two days. But I also want to spend some time talking to Mom." Blake said as she could see her mother and father quickly snapping towards her. "Relationship and woman things Dad. Both things you're bad at." Blake continued as Ghira continued to stare at her. "I've heard how you met Mom from just about everyone. And the only one you didn't come off as a scared and scrawny teenager is in your own one. I mean you harpooned her."

"I've never once harpooned your mother." Ghira said defensively as both women glared at him sadly. "Intentionally. I've never harpooned your mother, intentionally. But I mean it was just her shoulder and those things are slippery. One minute I'm showing this adorable cheerleader my collection the next minute I'm rushing to the emergency room with a then friend in the car and she has nearly three feet of iron sticking out."

"It took four doctors, nearly a full extra body of blood and three hours of surgery to get the harpoon out. And thankfully my cheerleading career was already nearly over." Kali said continuing the story as Ghira just rolled his eyes.

"Unnecessary details."

"Point is if I intend to stab my cripple girlfriend who an ex-girlfriend of mine was the one to cripple her with a harpoon, that is when I'll come to you. But even then Mom does know what it is like to be stabbed with a harpoon."

"I don't recommend it. The recovery alone is a nightmare. I mean I was left handed before that."

Rolling his eyes, Ghira stood up calmly, brushing the crumbs off his sleeping pants. "I don't need to take this blatant assault on my character. I just got a new harpoon. A traditionally made toggling one." Ghira stated as he started to walk out of the room ignoring the laughter that was coming from his wife and daughter. He was just glad that they had gotten the joke in his statement that was meant to be him leaving to start his day. Stopping at the door, Ghira just remembered the important point causing him to spin around. "Blake, if you are heading outside the grounds, today talk to Perry. Give him at least an hour's notice. Preferably more."

"I will Dad." Blake said with a smile as she watched her dad walk out of the room. Just glad that he wasn't angry from the rapid jibbing on him. Something she knew was a sore point for the man. But now wasn't the time to think about that as she turned to her Mom. "Were you seriously left handed before you got harpooned?" Blake asked as Kali just chuckled at the comment.

"Yes. Yes I was. Now spill. What kind of relationship troubles are you having? Are they the fun kind of troubles like you forgot where you put the keys to let Ruby out? Or the not fun kind like you caught her cheating?" Kali asked lightly patting Blake's hand as the younger Faunus just groaned internally.

"Ruby wouldn't cheat. And I don't want any more of a glimpse into what you and dad get up to. Right now I just want to do my job so I can relax and just enjoy the air on my ears that isn't filled with melting plastic and just being stagnant." Blake said as she began to twitch the feline ears on her head as she just smiled at her mother who had an almost sage like knowledge of that kind of pain.

"Maybe if you didn't tie them up you'd feel better. Plus melting plastic? The hell do you two get up to?" Kali asked as Blake just shook her head. At what she knew was probably most innocent question her mother could have asked, but it did make her wonder a little as to why she always liked taking that stance.

Smiling a little as she took another mouthful from the cup, Blake just spoke up after a few seconds to calm down a bit. "It's part of Ruby's job. And Vale isn't like Menagerie Mom. I walk down the wrong alleyway with the fact I'm a Faunus proudly shown best case scenario I just get a beating."

"Wouldn't happen if you let us send some guards with you... people would stay nice and distant than." Kali calmly said as she tapped her hand against the table. "But let's not open that can of worms. That would be a slight oopsie." Kali continued as she looked towards Blake who just smiled at her with a slight chuckle.

"I should probably let Perry know I need to head out to take some pictures today." Blake said as she stood up taking a final mouthful of the coffee before she was quickly joined by her mother as if she was a lost dog trying to find someone else it could latch onto. "Mom, I can do it myself."

"You still never answered what type of relationship issues? Good or bad? You just said that she wouldn't cheat on you."

Wincing as she felt like she was dropped into her chair again, Ruby shot a glare towards her father. "You do know, while I'm mostly dead from the waist down... when I have a tube inside my body that goes higher I can still feel it. And this might be a secret but I don't enjoy getting stabbed by piss tubes!" Ruby snapped as the man just shook his head apologetically.

Something that just made Ruby regret the tone she had used but that didn't stop what faint pain she could feel from her bowels is exasperated by her father not taking his normal care letting her down. Even though she knew it was an accident, just something about the pain was enough to snap her from that thought process.

"I'm sorry Ruby. It was an accident." Tai said softly as he stepped to the side allowing Ruby to finish her morning routine of placing the items into her lap as she left to go and empty the clean bags and even switch to her day time ones.

"I know Dad, and I'm sorry. I just don't handle pain too well any more. Especially when I could rupture my bladder or colon which leads to a hospital trip. And you know I have bad memories of those places." Ruby said as she quickly rolled out of the room and towards the bathroom. "Dad, can you open the hall closet and hand me two of the bags from the box with a green band? I don't know why I let Blake put the ones I frequently change up that high but that is where they are." Ruby asked as she stopped in the door of the bathroom.

"Sure... but why would you want the smaller ones?" Tai asked as he walked out of Ruby's sight as she rolled further into the bathroom. "Just seems like you'd be going into the bathroom more often." Tai continued as he walked towards the closet in search for the requested items.

"I don't enjoy bags of my waste sitting in my lap. Sounds like a fair trade off if you ask me." Ruby said as she twisted the connector off with one hand as she lifted the toilet seat with the other. As she was dumping the contents she couldn't help but chuckle a little at her father who stopped in the doorway closing his eyes. Something that just caused her to chuckle at the near instinct he had to keep a sense of being a gentleman preventing him from seeing Ruby. "Dad, relax. It is just a bag of pee. I'm still clothed." Ruby said as she could hear some soft grumbling coming from behind her.

Chuckling a little as she could see the two plastic bags being placed onto her lap, Ruby just couldn't help but look at her dad who was staring intently at the ceiling. Something that she knew was from him trying his hardest to maintain that same sense of manners.

"Seriously Dad. Just plastic bags of human waste. I mean you've once told me and Yang how you almost broke a guy's jaw as he tried to ruin your toilet wine." Ruby said as she could hear a groan of her pushing a button of her father's.

Before he could continue, Ruby tossed the empty bag into the sink making a mental note to run water through it to clean it as she reattached one of the items her Dad brought to her. As that was done, Ruby left it on her lap as she started to twist off the other connector to the remaining bag and just smiled at how empty it was.

Whistling softly to get her Dad's attention Ruby just smiled as she could see the lone eye looking down at her as if to make sure she was decent. Something that just made Ruby laugh all the more at internally.

"I suggest leaving the room now. This is the smelly bag." Ruby said laughing a little at the sight of her father quickly walking out of the room and closing the door. Chuckling softly, Ruby finished removing the connector and started to squeeze the contents out.

'Welp... not a call from Blake yet. I hope she is alright... and possibly had that crazy ass Faunus drowned or dismembered... maybe even crippled... that would teach her.' Ruby thought slightly maliciously as she tossed the now empty bag into the sink as well, just being glad that that was the second bag she emptied today so she didn't need to clean the sink again.

Attaching the new bag to the mass of tubes coming out of her body, Ruby just frowned at the fact that she was going to need to strap them to her legs again in a slightly more painful process than it had to be given the fact if Tai would just help that much she would be fine.

Closing the lid, Ruby quickly pushed the plunger as she began to roll back towards the door and flung it open. Feeling a little relieved that she could have at least stayed a few more hours in bed because of how empty both bags seemed to be.

Groaning internally as Blake kneeled down and begun to look through the viewfinder, as she could just feel her mother next to her doing what Blake just knew was her trying to get further information from her daughter.

"Mom, seriously. Go back home. I'm trying to work." Blake said as she pressed the shutter button just enjoying the fact that she could hear a groan coming from her mother. Almost as if this had been something to just sully her mood, and with what Blake knew of her parents that was a near impossible thing to happen with her mother.

"You do not get to walk out on me after you just tell me something like that! How long have you been thinking about this?" Kali pleaded as Blake just rolled her eyes at her mother as she took a few steps to the side to get a hopefully better angle to get the picture she wanted. "I mean do you have a ring? Is it with you!? Details Kitten or I swear I'm going to make sure you eat nothing but overcooked octopus."

Laughing softly Blake stood up as she quickly turned towards her mother. "That would be a lot more threatening if I didn't know you hate the smell of overcooked cephalopod. Same with shrimp in general." Blake said as her mother just chuckled as she met her daughter's gaze.

"Well, you will need to ask yourself Blake. Is the information of my daughter wanting to getting married to the girl she has been dating for years worth me suffering something I hate? Because you can ask your father. If I want something nothing is going to stop me. Harpoon shaped or not." Kali deadpanned as Blake shivered slightly. She wasn't sure if it was from fear or even the thought that she knew her mother would gladly suffer something if it meant that she would get information no matter how much of it is gossip driven.

Folding at the fact that she knew there was only one way out of this situation that her mother wouldn't chase her down to continue pushing for even the smallest of more information. "I've been thinking about it for the guts of a year. And I have a ring... it is actually in my bag because I'm not going to run the risk of Ruby finding it before I have the chance to ask her. I do not want this to become some cheesy soap opera subplot." Blake stated as she couldn't help but groan at the fact she had mentioned the ring being on the island. She just knew that this was going to be so much worse.

"You need to show me. If it is anything under a carat I'm going to slap sense into you." Kali stated as she could see Blake roll her eyes at the comment, groaning as she felt one of her ears being tugged. "And you know how much I hate it when you roll your eyes. It took me years to get your father to stop it and if it takes years for you I will gladly do it again."

"MOM! OW! NOT MY EARS!" Blake yelled as Kali just smiled faintly at her. As though she was glad her message was getting through to Blake.

"I know Kitten. It hurts. But that is why I'm not pulling your ears on top of your head." Kali said as she could see Blake crying out in pain once again. Kali just couldn't help but smile as she could see the years of her doing it in Blake's childhood for the same action was getting through to her. "Will you roll your eyes at me again?"

"NO! Just let go of my ear." Blake yelled back at the matriarch who let her go of the lobe before turning to the guards with a slight skip in her step. Reaching under her hair, Blake just started to rub her aching ear. A little angry at how her mother had an earseeking sense when she put her mind to harming Blake to teach her some lesson.

Before Blake could even register it, she could see her mother reappearing next to her with a smile on her face. "We are going to stop off to get some more green tea, and you young missy are showing me that rock." Kali said with a smile as Blake just shook her head at her mother's comment.

"Mom, I do still have a job I intend to keep doing. You know, to recover some of that loss I took on buying said ring." Blake said as she tried to ignore the minor fear she was feeling from the gaze her mother had. It was one of a predator meeting the pray in a corner.

"You only have the exterior grounds back home, and a few village shots. We can take care of both of those on the way." Kali said using flawless reasoning as she took a few steps towards Blake as if to back her further into a corner. "I demand to know if my daughter is going to treat that nice woman with respect or if she is going to be like her father." Kali said as Blake took a step back to try and distance herself from her mother a little in the circle of security they had around them.

She wasn't sure why but there was a small amount of mirth in the one comment from her mother. If just because she knew how her mother tended to get for a while after the story was brought up. But she also knew that she shouldn't laugh because she also knew her mother had no qualms with holding her by the scruff of her neck when she wasn't doing something that Kali deemed to be the correct thing in a situation, and with a situation they were in there was no doubt that Kali would be doing that gesture as if it was a joke to her.

"Fine Mom. But I do need a few pictures of a few villages... not just one." Blake said as Kali just smiled at her.

"Okay, you can get another village tomorrow." Kali said with a chuckle as she gestured for the guards to come closer because they were leaving. She couldn't help but laugh a little as Blake fell into a sulking pace next to her as she slipped the strap for the camera back over her neck.

'I just hope Ruby is doing better. She is probably getting mad at the fact Tai, Yang or even Weiss haven't really left her alone for very long.'

Humming softly, just enjoying the music playing through her headphones she begun to roll towards the newly printed object so she could actually start doing her job instead of just being dragged along.

A smile started to grow even larger on her face as the parts slid easily into where they were meant to go according to the designs Ruby had gotten. She couldn't help but just groan as she could feel herself moving backwards.

Moving her headphones down, Ruby turned the best she could to see her Dad just pulling her backwards. "It is time for lunch and I'm over asking a wall. Your sister was even nice enough to come by and she is equally done yelling at you."

Groaning Ruby dropped the items into her lap and grabbed her wheels as if she was trying to just get away from him. "Dad, I have a job."

"And it is to not starve yourself." Tai countered as Ruby just rolled her eyes.

"At least let me pause my music." Ruby begged as she knew that a game of strength wasn't one that she would win. She doubted that even Yang could win in a game of pure strength with their father especially from a disadvantageous position like she was in.

"It can wait Ruby." Tai said knowing that his daughter would use the time she could to twist it further than and further into something that she couldn't help but win with. "Or if you really are concerned you'd miss out on whatever boyband or whatever is your musical taste for the month, Yang can pause it." Tai continued as he just enjoyed the sight of his daughter giving up the small fight she had been doing with him this entire time.

Sighing internally as she just let her father roll her to the table. She just knew that this was going to be a long day. Mostly because of how this was going currently. "Yang is the one that listens to boybands." Ruby pouted crossing her arms as she could hear an offended gasp followed by foot steps going towards them.

"I only listen to a single boyband and I'll hav-" Yang began before stopping mid sentence as she pressed a hand on her Dad's back. Looking at her, he quickly saw the finger pointing towards the small trail of red. "Um Ruby... you on your period?"

Groaning vocally Ruby looked up from her lap to see the identical trail her family was looking at. "Shouldn't be..." Ruby said as she bent forward and yanked up her pant leg and groaned at the faint red colour inside the bag of urine. "Nope... bleeding into my catheter. So we should probably put a pin in lunch." Ruby said as she undid the straps to pick up the half empty bag to show the duo behind her.

"How the hell did you not notice you were bleeding!" Yang yelled as she could see her dad quickly rushing to find everything he needed to bring Ruby to the hospital.

"I'm dead from the waist down! I can't feel anything down there unless Dad really did rupture my bladder this morning!" Ruby yelled at her sister before biting her lip as how she knew her dad was going to take it all that much harder if it really was something that he caused. Even if it was an accident. "To be clear I don't think you did actually rupture my bladder dad. I'd pass out from waste in my body plus I'm still getting pee in the bag." Ruby said trying to make this easier on her dad as she could feel a small gust of wind from her being dragged back before being turned around.

"Wait I need my keys." Ruby gasped out as Yang shook her head and reached to grab the full basket of keys before dropping it onto her sister's lap as the door closed behind her.

"Sort through them yourself. We gotta get going because you bleeding is kind of a danger because we've got no idea how long it has been going on or even were it is truly coming from." Yang said as she quickly pushed off the ground and raised herself on the handlebars as the rolled down the small ramp.

Under any other circumstance, Yang would have laughed at that one thing because she knew how much it got under Ruby's skin but also from how it was a fun experience every time she did it. Hearing a groan coming from her sister, Yang wanted to chuckle a little but knew that this was not the time. She did however enjoy the sight of her Dad's truck quickly pulling up to the curb.

Before either could even really register it, they saw the driver door flying open followed by their dad storming out and around and picking Ruby up being as gentle as he could. And placed her down into the cab. As he turned around he could see Yang tossing the wheelchair into the bed before slamming the door closed and looking back at him.

"Go, I'll catch up. I'll call Blake and Weiss letting them know were we'll be." Yang barely got out as she could see her Dad racing back around as Ruby just groaned from her seat. Shaking her head as she watched the truck drive off, Yang just slipped her phone out and quickly pressed it to her ear.

'I hope Blake is having a good day because if she is having a bad day it will become a dreadful day.'

Author's Note:

Welp, some angst, some nice development, and an overall fun chapter to write.