Merry Christmas, y'all! I say this unequivocally because in my time zone it is in fact Christmas day. And really, what I mean more than anything by this phrase is that I wish you all good health, good fortune, and people to share it with. It doesn't matte what denomination you are, gender, ethnicity, species, this is the time of year where we should all reflect back on how we treat others as people.
In this respect, I give you my meager offering. May you find some pleasure in it during moments of boredom waiting for guests or presents, tomorrow after the humdrum sets it, or another Christmas from now far in the future. If at all.
"The truth is that any coffee will work, it just has to be ground fine enough. *Sniff*"
The sun fell quickly this time of year in the Northern hemisphere along with the temperature, made obvious by the pervading sniffle. It might have been closer to dinnertime, but a cup of something warm sounded good regardless. It would get her through the long night that was gradually getting shorter as Summer approached.
"I've been using this tin to measure, I think it's roughly about a half-a-cup. Fill it 3/4th 's with coffee and two spoonfuls of sugar. The rest with spice, if you have or want."
"I usually prefer my coffee black."
"As do I, but the sugar here serves a purpose. *Sniff*"
Not their usual conversation. Not that anything about this situation was usual, but Bruno seemed to make it so. Wandering in, out of the bluing twilight to find Lt. Schnee at his kitchenette table, he simply knocked the muck off his boots and wandered over to the tiny stove to begin his task.
"The sugar crystallizes at the top of the pot and forms a cap. This allows the water to infuse more of the grounds."
If he was going to be interrogated further, he might as well be comfortable. Two birds, one stone, all that. Thinking, he emptied his jacket pockets of the rocks he'd picked up and tossed the decrepit coat on the sofa-bed.
"Cardamom, right?"
"Yes," Even though he couldn't smell it himself right now, soon enough the cardboard box he was living in would reek of it. "Clove too. Sometimes cinnamon if I feel like it- not to mention what I have."
Winter nodded in appreciation, not just of the straight answer at long last but the hospitality which was quite frankly unexpected. Thoughtful consideration, including the fact that the man deliberately kept his runny nose away from the ingredients.
"It took me a while to recognize the scent. Even if my family could afford such things, it just wasn't all that common in Atlas." After drifting back into the kitchen nook, his eyes never left the single burner stove, but she could tell that he was listening intently. "There were a lot of things that I never experienced until I left. A lot of things I took for granted."
"It's important to have the right kettle; preferably tall, but it needs to have sloped sides- that's critical." It might have seemed like blather, a deferral to keep the conversation light. But he was listening, and so was she. "The traditional way is to do this one cup at a time, in a little pot called an ibrik. This way is better for a group, or leftovers."
It really was a conversation about nothing- but it was something different than the one-sided questioning which she had been doing thus far. An honest-to-goodness give and take.
"So, what do you do all day up on the mountain?"
At first it seemed like he wasn't going to answer her, or like all times before, with a blithe and uninformative remark. Then she realized he was merely concentrating on the pot which had come to a head and was waiting for the perfect moment to remove it from the flame. Following an ancient rhythm, he whisked the kettle away from the fire and shut it off. After waiting a requisite beat, he cascaded the muddy liquid into two tiny cups that had been waiting centuries, making sure to filter out most of the grounds and loose leaves using the lid.
"Mapping, mostly." A short journey from the counter to the tiny table which was bolted into the wall, he was very careful not to disturb so much as a single bubble on the opaque surface of the liquid. Winter watched him as she had the entire time, finding admiration in this studious task and dutiful execution. "Taking notes."
"We already have maps of all the islands, though. -Thank you." Not touching the cup which had been set before her, simply looking at it and observing Basayev to see when the ideal time to take a sip was.
"Not in detail." He sat down opposite her at that table which could barely hold the two cups, let alone the two of them. "As you remarked, my degree is in geology; and I'm not totally out of practice. There's still a lot we don't know about these islands, how they came to be and why they have so much Dust."
"So you think that mapping the rock units might tell us something we didn't already know."
"Maybe. Mostly I just think it should be recorded before it's too late."
Both knew that the SDC would level the entire mountain if they thought it was worth it. With the explosive material they had imported, they might just be able to do it too.
"I did my own thesis on Dust, you know?"
"I know." Somehow, she knew he did. And strangely, she didn't mind.
Winter smiled at the same time she picked up her cup, her slim fingers slipping easily into the dainty handle while she noted Bruno had to cradle the porcelain thimble in both hands.
Training and lingering suspicion had her wait until he took a sip first, a clearly practiced action which sucked the bittersweet skim off the top and killed the last of his sniffles. Then she followed, allowing the untested concoction between her pale lips.
It was… good. Great, even. Better than she thought it would be, and yet at the same time, everything she expected. Sweet, spicy, alerting, calming. Hesitating to call it perfect because nothing ever should be, and even Bruno's thoughtful face disclosed this truth.
"Lt. Schnee," Foremost, completing the action and setting the cup back down on the table. Not mixing business and pleasure. "Can I ask you something?"
Tidbits and common knowledge had so far been exchanged, but now something authentic was being asked and Winter felt a twinge of embarrassment. Not because she was afraid, but because she'd been so previously bold and inconsiderate compared to this delicate probe.
"Yes." She owed him at least one.
"Why are you here?"
It was not the same question she'd asked him even if it used the same words.
"Perhaps I'm flirting with you."
This was a terrible bluff and even worse joke, so she hid her scowl behind another contemplative sip while Bruno awaited her unblinkingly. He personally never considered himself a handsome man, and neither was Winter the type to exploit her feminine wiles.
"You are the only thing on this island that I don't understand." Setting down the cup, her icy tongue was being thawed by the warm liquid. "You know my history, I know most of the higherups in the SDC like the back of my hand. And while I don't trust them, I understand them. I know their tricks. Then there's the laborers. After I vetted all their files, they were put under the scrutiny of my soldiers so there's very little for me to actually do. There's not a Grimm that will come within leagues of these islands."
"Fair enough." But even as he took another controlled gulp, he kept his earthy gaze on her.
"…And honestly, I'm pissed about being here." Whether it was the informal setting, the plying of indulgences or his dispassionate stare, Winter felt inclined to come clean with her own personal grievances. "I was scheduled for duty in Vale at the Vytal tournament, and I was hoping to be able to see my little sister there. But then Ozpin up and decides to finally grant this concession and the General jumps on it. Of course, I'm his first choice for glorified guard duty."
"-And I'm 'Ozpin's man'." Bruno concluded for her.
"Yes."
Despite the shame of unprofessionalism, Winter felt better admitting this out loud. And if the gentle smile was anything to go by, Bruno did too. Although, it could have also been rueful. That was something she had noticed- should have taken into account from the beginning. The man couldn't hide his true feelings, even if they weren't always obvious.
"I was in your class." Halting with the cup hovering just under her nose, Winter saw the surprise in her muddy reflection. "Back in the Atlesian Military Academy. We both sat in the front row. Even back then, my eyesight was terrible." He chuckled at himself, scratching at a bit of fluff which escaped from his knitted beanie. "Although, I did have a buzz-cut back then…"
"I… I'm afraid I don't remember."
"I didn't expect you to. It was only for one year. After that you went off to the special forces and I… drifted."
"Right."
Bruno wasn't exactly sure why he said that. It was one thing to let his thoughts show through facial tics, but there was no reason for him to say anything about back then. It wouldn't convince her he wasn't hiding anything. There was no sense in making her- either of them feel guilty. No sense in trying to reclaim nostalgia that wasn't there.
What was the point to any of this?
"I'm not your enemy."
This is what he believed. Their détente had become tense. This was his fault as much as hers, he admitted at last. And even if they couldn't see eye to eye, maybe she could at least see that.
Though as the minutes carried on in silence and both sipped their drinks absently, he wondered if it were true. He looked at the stacks of books bequeathed to him which were no doubt worth more than the building they were stored in- probably worth more than his life. And yet, were they not worthless until put to use?
Being a scapegoat was perhaps not the worst thing.
"I should get going." Time had slipped past yet again, settled the dregs at the bottom of the cup in a thick scum. "Thank you, Mr. Basayev. For the coffee. It was quite good."
"Wait." Only when they both were standing did their proximity register- to Winter at least, as Bruno focused on collecting the cups and crept into the kitchen. Clearly watching him work, he poured the vast remainder of the pot into a cleaned travel thermos and handed it over the small counter. "Here. You look like you could use it."
Tactless, yet sincere. An appropriate summary of the man himself, Winter accepted his gesture.
"Thanks." Perhaps they were both like that. "Goodnight, Mr. Basayev."
"Goodnight, Lieutenant."
"See you tomorrow."
Intended to make him pause, she looked up from the doorstep to see how he reacted.
"Should I take that as a threat?" In the primitive illumination from the porchlight, he looked as tired as she.
"Take it as you like."
Her foggy breath faded into the night.
"Dance?" The question struck her out of the clear blue sky, knocking the laden fork out of her hand. "Oh, man, I completely forgot about that!"
"Why are you getting so stressed? You don't have to go."
"What?!" Joining the conversation, Yang stood up and loomed over her partner and sister who had given up on lunch and seemingly life in general. "Of course you're going!"
"Why?" Having enough manners to finish her bite, Weiss felt compelled to weigh in her two lien- or twenty, considering how many formal soirees she'd had to attend as a young teen.
They could tell that Yang was winding up for a lecture as she straightened upon the bench seat, and it unnerved them. Because apart from her sister, they'd never seen the self-described 'easy-going girl' get serious about anything.
"One: It'd be a great way to socialize with other people." This point struck them as both valid and unusually subtle for the otherwise outspoken teen. "Two: Tradition. Three: Pyrrha asked very nicely."
Forced to stand there uncomfortably while viewing the fallout from her simple question, the redhead from team JNPR felt some responsibility for their anguish.
"I just though it would be nice to do something as a group, since we haven't seemed to spend much time together lately." Or at all, since initiation.
"Thank you, Pyrrha." Coming a long way since the initial toadying, Weiss still treated the Mystralian champion with the respect she was due. "I take it then that you will be going? Have you… has anyone asked you yet?"
"Well, Actually…"
"Thinking about making a bid, Weiss?" Now Yang leered across the table at the white-haired girl who had gotten accustomed to these antics enough to simply shake her head and sigh.
"Uncouth, the lot of you."
"Well, what about it?" Seeing she wasn't going to get a reaction, the excitable blonde shifted her attention back to the misplaced redhead. "Got anyone in mind?"
"To tell the truth, no one has asked yet…"
"That wasn't the question." Springing forth from the table like a jack-in-the-box (and with an expression that was just as creepy), Yang seized the champion by her shoulders and bore into her with a fiery passion. "Girl, if there's something you want, you've got to take it! Chase down your heart's desire, beat it into submission and make it your-"
"*Ahem*"
"Right, well…" Used to seizing such gaps in the rhythm of her opponents, Pyrrha used this one to extract herself from Yang's grip. "Thank you for the advice Yang, team RWBY. I, uh, I hope we will see you there."
With that, the stalwart warrior retreated, back to the (relative) sanity of her own team. For once, anticipating the animated antics of Nora with somewhat of a relief even as she saw the girl enacting another one of her dreams.
"Great. You scared her away." Weiss lamented, pushing aside her demolished meal. It was safe to say that all of them were changing their habits to accommodate the extra workload. "I think someone's rubbing off on you too much."
Yang just shrugged her shoulders as she plopped herself back onto the bench next to her sister who was still face-down in her orange chicken. She reached over and plucked one of the morsels which had escaped the plate and popped it into her mouth, licking her fingers clean of the sticky glaze.
"When he's not perving, he's actually got some good advice." She finished chewing over both the idea and the chicken, to Weiss's disgust. "Actually, even when he is, not everything is that wrong."
'Ero-Senin, would you quit trying to corrupt them?'
'Bah! I am doing nothing but exposing what is already there. Do you think my books would have sold as well if I had to convince everyone to read them? Everyone has sensuality inside of them that is merely repressed by the prudish norms of society- although, I am beginning to wonder about you, my wayward apprentice.'
"So, how 'bout it, Rubes? Does our captain have a plan to lead us into battle?" Jumping on this opportunity, Yang prodded her despondent sister. Little to know that she had already been asking this question.
'I don't know what to tell you, Ruby. We never had these kinds of celebrations.' This might not have been entirely true, but Naruto had been either too busy, or too discouraged from ever attending them had they existed. 'Sounds like it could be fun, though.'
"But I've hardly talked to anyone here besides JNPR." Realizing at last the warning that Naruto had bestowed upon her earlier that term. "It'd be so awkward. I don't even know anyone I could go with."
'Well, Blake is right in a way. You don't have to go, but that also means you shouldn't feel any pressure if you do attend.' And despite knowing that something like this would happen, Naruto still felt responsible for not being there. 'It's not meant to stress you out. It should be a reward for all your hard work. And besides, it's only a single night.'
It was only a simple remark, but by now Ruby had come to glean even the smallest subtleties in his inflections and phrasing. An aching in her bones and in her heart said that he would go if he could, if there was but one chance, he would seize it.
'Naruto is right, it is only one evening.' Interjecting at a most (in)opportune moment, Shikamaru decided to be the sober voice of reason. 'What you should be thinking about is whether or not you will enter the Vytal tournament.'
"Well, of course-"
"No," As if all attention wasn't suddenly on her, Weiss sighed wearily.
'Why would it be a bad idea?' Shino spoke up when he observed the hesitancy in his bearer. 'It is a week of prolonged combat. Even if you were to be exempt from your normal training, it would still be difficult. Why? Because there is still the obligation to be vigilant. Your enemies would not care if you are tired from fighting.'
"It's also not a good idea to draw too much attention to ourselves. Not at this point." Reluctant, even as she rationalized this. The others looked to Weiss with reforming conceptions, seeing how she had been one of the most vocal proponents for participating several months ago.
"Do you really think it's getting that bad?" Picking herself up to show that she hadn't actually been lying in a pile of food, Ruby asked this question to whomever wished to answer it.
'Perhaps,' As there was always an omnipresent danger, nothing could be said for certain at this point. But Shikamaru did note a subtle shift in the atmosphere around Vale and the school in particular- as subtle as mass troop-movements could be, anyway. 'If they were planning anything big, the festival would be the time to do it.'
They were speaking from experience, and that was the greatest asset they leant.
"That's still a big 'if'," Yang reasoned soberly. "What do you think, Blake?"
"Both are troublesome." At last entering the conversation proper, she marked her page and set the book down. "But I agree that we should think carefully about entering the tournament. We know Roman is still out there, but we don't know who else he's working with or what they could be planning. Only that it has to do with Dust, and by association, us."
'Maybe,' When Jiraiya spoke like this it was like the transition between dialog and narrator. 'though there is still something more than just that. Ozpin might think he can keep secrets to himself, but I doubt that he even knows what is really going on. Salem is hiding under the guise of his nemesis, when in reality, she is merely a symptom of the larger issue.'
And the one who probably knew this better than anyone continued to sit in silence. She stood in the eye of a hurricane, chaos and schemes, past and present howling at her from every side and threatening to tear her to shreds should she take a misstep in any direction.
'But even then, you can't live in fear.' That omnipresent voice, reminding her, stepping out of the rain to hold an umbrella over her head. 'The world might be bigger than any one of us, but if you give in to it too much, you will be swallowed up eventually.'
"Together," Latching on to this idea, to her sister's and Blake's hands, Ruby bound them. "We will weather the storm."
"It's confirmed. Ironwood has pulled back his mechanized forces to within the Emerald Forest."
Reports coming back in from the squadron of drones she had sent out confirmed this. Thermally-diffusive netting hid the encampment's signatures, but not from the sharp eyes of the drones or her own scrutiny. Koharu had already crosschecked the numbers of AK and Paladin units against what they knew to already be in Vale, so this left but one question.
"How did you manage to get the General to concede to this?"
"He knows that he doesn't have a choice." Neither pleased nor upset, Ozpin simply stated, "He cannot rely on his own security, so he must rely on ours. I promised him that I was taking measures against the White Fang, so he can't use that as an excuse. It was also part of the deal he signed for the mining rights."
"Yes! Indeed, how is Bruno doing? I do envy that young man, in the prime of his career and given opportunity to study such a potential treasure trove of ancient history! I asked him to take as many detailed notes and samples as he could. I am sure he is doing exceptionally, even if he did have somewhat of a lack of motivation in school, he was very dedicated whenever it came to something that interested him. No doubt by now he has finished deciphering the texts you sent as well-"
"From what I understand, he is doing fine." Ozpin interrupted, only slightly more amused than weary with his verbose colleague. "…For now."
Maybe he didn't need to mention this; however, it did quell the green-haired doctor's enthusiasm as he acknowledged with a rather subdued, "Yes."
"How was your own mission, Bartholomew?" Making an effort to sound encouraged, Ozpin leaned towards his two guests.
"Further proof that we will never know everything," Adjusting his glasses, Ooblek appeared both excited and frustrated by this fact. "Every time we go back to Mountain Glenn, we seem to learn something new regarding Grimm behavior. Unfortunately, nothing about the whereabouts or movements of our adversaries. -Well, perhaps I should not say nothing." At Ozpin's silent indication, Ooblek passed the torch off to the seat next to him.
"Ha, ha! They are indeed sneaky- as they would well need to be, for if they should dare show their faces out in the open, why I'd-" Knowing how to coral his comrades, all it took was a look from Ozpin to get the man to his point. "Ah-yes, well, they covered their tracks well, but there were without a doubt signs of occupation in the lower sections of the city. Not enough to tell us how many had been encamped there or when they moved, I am afraid. Whatever careless tidbits they might have overlooked had been trampled by the Grimm by the time we got there. Hmph! Such a problem I never encountered during my time in the Veldt. Now there was a marvelous hunt!"
"What beasts had been above for the most part all seemed to have moved underground and crowded into the tunnels." Ooblek added to prevent another tangent. "Clearly, not by accident."
"Agreed." Visibly approving with a nod, Ozpin turned his thoughts inwards as he pontificated out loud. "I had considered having Ironwood billet his forces there. But I see that is ill-advised. Pity, the subways, had they been intact would have been ideal for ferrying troops into the city had there been unexpected complications."
"This was probably their own intentions." From over Ozpin's shoulder, Glynda was still focused on scanning her tablet which held a strategic map of Vale and surrounding territories. "It might very well have succeeded. As it stands now, I would suggest collapsing them while we have the chance. The Grimm are getting even more aggressive towards Vale and Beacon in particular lately. Why they abandoned this plan of action though is strange."
"Perhaps not all of Her forces are as consolidated as we thought?" Ooblek put forth. "Such has been the case with many legitimate alliances, let alone this unholy one."
"I had always thought that such undertakings were beyond Roman's capacity, or even desire. It would make sense if he were having cold feet." Thinking twice, Ozpin rolled his head back and forth on his shoulders. "Although, he is also unlikely to provoke their ire, so I doubt he would attempt to double-cross whomever Salem sent to represent her."
"-Unless he thought he would have a better chance of surviving." Peter Port reasoned heavily. "Such is the rationale with opportunistic prey. They will bite their own leg off if it means escaping a trap."
"This is still just speculation." Glynda reminded them all, setting down her work to highlight her focus. "It is just as likely that there is contention within the White Fang over working with humans."
"Very true." All agreed on this point which unfortunately robbed them of most avenues of thought. "In any case, we shall all be keeping our ears close to the ground for anything unusual, especially during the festival."
"Yes," Standing up immediately when he sensed the meeting was over, Ooblek was never one to waste a moment. "Unfortunately, I do not believe we can count on the repetition of history to help us this time. -I do wonder if Bruno is enjoying the coffee I sent him…"
*Achoo!*
"Gesundheit."
"Thanks, *Sniff*."
After this exchange, Basayev went back to writing in his fluorescent yellow notebook as if nothing had changed. As if he was still the only living thing perched on that cusp of rocks just beneath the summit.
Saying nothing, Winter may have been slightly embarrassed- annoyed with herself. If it weren't for these two giveaways, she might have passed right by the man as he reclined in the crag of two boulders. His jacket with its discoloration and stains proved to be almost the perfect camouflage for this terrane.
Really though, she wasn't bothered. She had accepted that Basayev was pretty good at disappearing when he wanted to. She even suspected that the vague trail of parted grass she'd followed today had been intentionally provided by him.
Whatever reservations she had were left behind in the camp, far below the cloud line.
"It's beautiful up here."
"Mm."
Quiet too, which was another reason to like it. Here above the fog, one could at last see the sun along with the eight other 'Teeth' jabbing up out of a foamy sea. It was a surreal sight that neither words nor even a camera could truly capture.
"Are you drawing it?" In the dearth of conversation, she noticed that he kept glancing between the tiny gap under the rim of his glasses and the faraway horizon.
"Sketching." Rubbing his thumb over a pencil-mark to blend the lines. "I'm not very good, but it helps the memory when you do this. More so than a photograph."
"That's true. May I see it?"
"Maybe," Satisfied enough, he shut the book with a light clap. "Someday."
She didn't press the issue and settled for continuing to look at the scenery, unsure of when she'd get another chance to just stand here and call it her job.
"This rock, it's granite, you know?" She did, but failed to grasp the significance of the seemingly irrelevant fact. "It's strange, because one would expect islands like these to be basalt. It means that they, too, are Remnants. Pieces of some long-forgotten continent."
Picking up a rock, he looked at it and weighed it in his hands. Contemplated the pits and hackly surface as if he were judging a human heart before casting aside where it skittered down the steep cliff to his right.
"I see," -Meaning that she understood what he was saying, not why. Though she listened to the free info regardless, trying to glean a meaning. Maybe he was trying her logic, or perhaps testing her memory to see if she remembered the little geology they had learned in class together.
"I remember you now." She said after a silence in which he offered her nothing else and in which she could not decipher his intent. "Three seats down. The first day I sat next to you, and then my father found out and ordered me to move."
"Your father also probably doesn't remember who I am. Although, that seems to be something else we share." Bruno had been cleaning his glasses until that point but paused for a moment of regret. "I'm sorry."
"You're not wrong."
"But that doesn't make it right. I should know more than anyone. The past is vindictive, isn't it?"
"You were from the Blancs." It had been the first time she'd seen the man genuinely surprised with anything. Even when the Faunus boy almost fell through the docks, he had simply reacted. It would have been funny, except for the fact that he nearly fell over the precarious edge on the other side of his perch. Actually, it was still funny, but she chose to smirk quietly lest she surprise him again. "I told you that I remembered."
It was hard to forget, though she somehow had. Even if their name meant "White", the mountainous region was a bloody stain on Atlas' history. Mantel had fought a decade-long conquest which only ended after the native population was halved, the rest being scattered to the arctic winds with a sizeable chunk ending up in the capital with no other place to go.
"I don't think I ever told anyone that." He sighed, regaining his balance and readjusting his glasses which had slipped almost as far as he did. "Though I suppose it's pretty obvious."
Winter nodded sadly. Everything about him screamed foreigner to her biased perception. Basayev was not a common name in Atlas and for good reason. Anyone who had it was driven out of town or strung up by the neck. Emigrants from the Blancs had been 'encouraged' to change their names to better blend in, and the Atlesian government encouraged this cultural amnesia for two populations who wanted nothing more than to forget.
"Back then, I probably deluded myself into thinking I would have a hard time being a Schnee in a public military academy. When for you, it must have been so much worse." Her white hair was as much a giveaway as his darker skin and swarthiness which he kept neatly at bay. However, his features were almost as reviled in Atlas as a lion's tail or dog ears.
"I don't care about that." He declared without hesitation and in such a way as to make the rocks tremble. "I told you: I'm not your enemy. I won't be defined by the past."
And what was his relation to history, to that infamous Basayev who sacrificed thousands for his ideal of independence? A cousin, nephew, son? Any of these titles would be a much harder legacy to live down than 'daughter of Jacques Schnee'. It made sense why he enlisted in Vale, though she was surprised he had made it as far as he had.
Small men sometimes cast large shadows, but Basayev wanted none of that.
"They've started."
It was then that she realized that the stones hadn't stopped trembling after his announcement. Now they were vibrating, leaping off the flat surfaces to roll down the steep hill. Deep rumbles like thunder emanated from beneath the clouds, and eventually she could even see the muted flashes like lightning. If she hadn't known what was happening, it would be as if Hell were burbling up from the center of the earth and they were staying just above the floodwaters.
"Please, do not pity me." Only the second thing he'd asked of her, and another thing she was too happy to accede. To her mild surprise, he stood up even though the earth still shook.
"It'll be over soon."
"So… It's over? We're screwed?"
The glare formed in reply threatened to end him, to make him nothing more than an ashy shadow upon that concrete wall. You'd think he would have learned by now. The only other person there would have been reiterating this if only her mouth weren't parted in mute horror, watching their 'mistress' stalk up to him with deadly poise.
"Oh no, my dear boy." The hand she laid on his cheek burned, but it was no worse than that her gaze which dried out his very soul. "Not by a longshot."
Patting his cheek nearly sent him to his knees, Mercury repressed a hiss and whatever snide remarks he might have been tempted to form.
"This has simply been a… series of unfortunate setbacks. The truth is that nothing can stop history." Such confidence was easy for her to outwardly display and even believe herself, for her to perpetuate that fear. "We still have Adam and the White Fang dancing to our tune, and that's all that matters. Roman would have become redundant soon enough, anyway."
"But Cinder, what are we going to do about him?" Worrying more about the question rather than the answer, Emerald muddled through both with a look of worry. "We can't let him go. Don't we need the Dust crystal he has to control Atlas' robots?"
"We can get on without it. There are still… other measures in place." Cinder asserted with a scowl, pacing the room which did nothing for her subordinates' peace of mind. "-But we obviously can't let him just get away scot-free."
"Let me deal with Torchwick." Picking himself up, Mercury's smile tugged painfully at the scalded pink flesh on his cheek which only further fueled his bloodlust. "I'll find him, don't you worry."
"I'd be scared if I didn't already know that you'd have trouble finding your way out of a cardboard box, Kiddo." Not quite the devil, but the lesser demon of their conversation waltzed into their hideout as if it were all business as usual. "And really- I am quite insulted that you think I'd skip out like that. Oh, I know I'm a coward. But that also means that I'm not likely to burn any bridges I've got." Shooting a careful eye at Cinder, just to make sure that she understood and wasn't about to attack him. "… I know better than to play with fire."
"Where have you been?" More likely upset at being made a fool than for his delay, Roman hurried with a reply to the woman.
"You mean after nearly getting killed in that deathtrap? Laying low, taking care of some personal business while down there."
"Answer the damn question you piece of-"
"Mercury." Pain a poignant reminder, the silver-haired teen backed off and reeled in his desire to maim. Cinder meanwhile turned back to the redhead who she saw was rightfully wary being in the lion's den. Yet he had returned. "As long as you are prepared for tomorrow night."
"I am at your disposal my lady." Exposing a neck with a bow, Roman did not hide his sarcasm or the fact that he knew what had been said about him.
"Good." Pretending she didn't hear it, Cinder knew that she still held the man by the throat anyway, and he too would get what was coming eventually. "Whoever Ozpin has monitoring the security is good. We couldn't risk infiltrating the tournament, so we will need to be a little more… heavy handed in our approach." At last there was something pleasing to Mercury. "So be sure to bring your little toy, Roman."
Good that he was still bowing, because one of the few things Roman couldn't stand was when such insults were levied against Neo. Lips curled back into a sneer like a rabid dog. This was the true difference between man and beast- one could hide their feelings. Fortunately, he didn't need to for long.
"Are you sure he can handle it?" Doubt made all the worse by the green-haired girl who asked it in all genuineness. "I wouldn't want him standing as the only thing between us and getting caught. What if he leaves us high and dry? Perhaps I should accompany them on this."
Cinder was about to contradict Emerald with the case that they still needed her anonymous. She was very shocked when the cowardly crook interrupted her, so much so that she couldn't be upset.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." It was necessary to show his subservience to Cinder, but luckily her brats were free for the pickings. "You might be disposable, but I have my own reasons for sticking around and seeing things done right. Believe it or not, I still have some pride left. Neo and I both owe Little Red some payback."
"And you think you're up to it?" The idea was truly humorous to Mercury. "Last I recall, she kicked your ass 2 to zip."
"You're more than welcome to try. Just please, no hard feelings when I step over your corpse to finish the job."
"Me? You're the only one around here who's dead-weight-"
"Enough," While infuriated that he was always the one being cutoff, Mercury knew the entirety of his fury was nothing compared to what was imbued in that one word.
"Roman wants to make up for his mistakes? Fine. I'll believe it when I see it."
"This is… nice."
Not what she would have chosen, either the word or the decorations it described. However, after a little while of growing accustomed to it, she decided that it fit well enough. Unlike her dress, which felt like a straitjacket at the same time it exposed more flesh than she ever remembered having.
"What do you think, Ruby?"
Biased by her thoughts on attire, Ruby tried to forget about this for the time being and soak in her surroundings. What had been their great hall was transformed for the festivities, garnished in such a way that one would be hard-pressed to recognize it. The style was invocative of Mistral, familiar, even if she was sure that she had never seen it before. Perhaps out of a picture book, a fantasy world long in the past. Soft, flickering light from paper lanterns strung up by the rafters went a long way to making it feel ephemeral and surreal.
"I gather that team CFVY of second year was supposed to be in charge of it," Appearing only slightly more at ease than Ruby herself, Weiss fidgeted, looking for something to talk about. "But then they got delayed on a mission, and the duty was supposed to fall to us." Wincing as she stumbled upon this revelation buried in haste. "In the end, I guess Ozpin got Ms. Koharu to do it."
"Who cares how it's dressed? I want to know if this school can party!"
"Gah! Yang, don't sneak up on us like that!"
"Sorry Weiss," Wearing a grin that said everything but, Yang pressed up to the two whilst dragging a harried Blake. The dark-haired woman busy trying to straighten herself out with one hand while the other was locked in the blonde's grip. "What's up, are you having fun yet?"
Weiss wrinkled her nose to express displeasure with the idea, or perhaps the wording. Or, it could have even been the fact that her only company had thus far been her captain and partner as they both loitered by the punch bowl without any idea of what to do with themselves, being otherwise unaccompanied.
"Well duh," Yang nudged the tense girl. "Of course it's going to be like that if you just keep hiding back here. Why don't you wander and find someone to talk to? Or just go out there and dance? -By the way, what's the music?"
"The What." Finally managing to fix her shoulder-strap which had become twisted in haste, Blake answered the blonde curtly, still somewhat annoyed at being the last one to the shower.
"The band."
"The What."
"I want to know who's playing."
"The. What."
"C'mon Blake, I'm sorry I took so long, but do you really have to be this difficult?"
"The name of the band is 'the What'." Finally deciding to take pity on the blonde, Weiss supplied the clarification. "Some old-school rock band that Ozpin picked out, I think. Ms. Koharu apparently wanted to play some kind of Junk music instead."
"I think it's pronounced 'Gunka'." Blake corrected. "Although, from what Shikamaru has said, it is junk."
"For a bunch of old-guys, they're not bad." Standing on her tiptoes in high-heals to see over the crowd, Yang was unknowingly giving a few of them a sight as her slit-dress slid further up her leg.
"Glad you approve."
"Hey, Oz! What'cha doing here?" Conservative as always, all Ozpin needed to express was done with a single raised eyebrow, his hands folded behind a suit that was little different than the one he always wore every day to… school. "Erm, never mind."
"At the moment, I think I am getting a glass of punch. Perhaps one of those cheese wedges too if I am feeling so bold." Sarcasm as rich as the brownies which Ruby had tested for quality-control only minutes before. "After that, I imagine that I will go back to talking with the other adults while we keep an eye on things."
"What about the party?" Switching her discontent to her eyebrows, Weiss was worried for the headmaster who looked almost as tired as they did, day after day. "I'd hate to think that we were enjoying ourselves while everyone else is working."
"I can enjoy the band just fine, I won't be needing hearing aids just yet. That, and my days of dancing in the mosh pit ended a long time ago." He placated them with a smile. True to his word, reaching over and ladling himself a cup of the sticky violet drink from which he took a clearly refreshing gulp. "Besides, I don't think my song has come up yet."
"I'll believe it when I see it, Oz. I think I could rock to this. C'mon Ruby-"
"-Wait, what?!" Having let go of her partner, now Yang had a hand free to scoop up her sister and carry the slight girl towards where some of the students had picked up the beat. Leaving their headmaster and team bemused and amused in that order. "No-no-no-no- I- I think I twisted my ankle! It's okay though, I don't want to! Really, I'm fine here!"
"Awe, are you saying that you don't want to dance with me?" Halting her efforts for a moment, Yang presented a voluptuous pout. It was so different than her own, accentuating her sister's fuller lips, crossed arms which drew attention to her more womanly shape; even the confidence with which she wore this expression like that low-cut dress. Everything about Yang was so much more natural in this setting, making it impossible for Ruby to keep ignoring her own sense of dislocation. "Are you really going to make me go all alone? I don't have a date myself, and yet you'd leave your own sister high and dry."
And yet it was guaranteed that Yang was a good deal better off by herself without Ruby to drag her down. Already the young men were drawn to her ripe figure hanging just outside the dancefloor, heedless of their own unwittingly jilted dates.
'And, so what?' The needle hopped the record, reality invading during that brief skip in the music. 'Ruby, I spent a lot of my life comparing myself to others, trying to get people to accept me. You don't need to worry about that, you've already got so many. I'm not telling you to do something that you don't want to, but you shouldn't let anything hold you back. Not other people, not embarrassment, not even whatever responsibilities you think you have, and certainly not yourself. It might just be one night, but it's only a night.'
One night that they'd never get back. What she wouldn't give to have another night with her mother again. Would she ever be feeling that way about anyone else?
'And I promise, I'm not going anywhere.'
"Alright."
But by the time she had reached the threshold of courage and the dancefloor proper, the band had dropped into a slower pace. The lead guitarist had gone from hopping around stage like a man half his age, to an almost senile stoop where he picked a slow and invocative scale all alone. When he sang, it was in a sweet tone made hollow by the excoriation of life and rich with its experience.
"~No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated to telling only lies~"
Uncannily how she'd known what he was singing about. She'd only seen a pair of eyes like that once in a place not dissimilar to this: Flickering darkness, an undefined yearning in a dream that wasn't a dream. So close to people she loved.
"~But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free~"
Like many others, Yang had heard the shift and tried to sway to the slow rhythm, to drag her sister into the melody. But the twang was more for the heart than the feet, and she unknowingly just pulled Ruby closer.
"~No one knows what its' like
To feel these feelings like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger, none of my pain and woe
Can show through~"
Having already secured herself a glass of something not quite as sweet and a plate of treats to compensate for that, Blake was going to find a relatively secluded place remain unobtrusive, listen to the music and possibly play a game of Shogi against Shikamaru. But the first lines had hit her before she even left the concessions table, and she was frozen next to Weiss whose enchantment relaxed the mounting anxiety on her face.
"~But my dreams, they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free~"
It was safe to say that the swell caught them all by surprise, lifted their hearts which had been tied to that downtrodden dirge. Part of the same narrative, but coming alive, expressing itself with the bass and the drums and the other bandmembers chiming in their compassion.
"~When my fist clenches crack it open!
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
And if I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
And if I shiver please give me a blanket
Keep me warm let me wear your coat~"
The chorus came in one more time, but its laments had been lost to the mounting freneticism as the song morphed and evolved underneath the transformed dancers- possibly out of the control of the band themselves as they seamlessly delved into another tune without pause. Maybe it was still part of the same overarching story, or maybe it had been an isolated highlight, low-point, inimitable event.
Whatever it might have been, they enjoyed while it lasted. Until the present, the future, became history.
At last it seemed Spring had arrived and the cool night air- not cold- felt wonderful on her flushed face. Bare feet carried her headlong onto the balcony, into the darkness where she twirled off the last of the excitement. Halted by the railing, Ruby looked back upon the festivities framed under the arching gables as a slideshow of life, a flipbook of her past months in Beacon.
There was Weiss, Blake, her sister, Ozpin, Ms. Goodwitch, Nora, Ren, Pyrrha, Jaune… in a dress for some reason. Everyone was there, illuminated by some internal glow and just beyond her fingertips. Some were still dancing to the music which spilled out of cracks and closed doors, others talking in silent animation. All carefree, all alive.
"…Normal knees…"
She whispered the phrase as if it might scare away this tenuous reality. This was normal, this fragile and precious thing.
'And are you sure that's what you want?'
Strangely enough, this voice had become accustomed of her reality, even though no one would ever claim it was 'normal'. Yet she would never give it up, she would protect the colored gem which housed it just as vehemently as the tinted faces behind the glass windows.
"No," Talking as much to herself as to it, the empty night did not mind. "Just… sometimes I wish…"
What did she wish? The yearning was unknown, an ache hidden by muscles which strained with the effort of determination. Setting her shoes down, she rubbed a callused hand over her battered corpse, accounting for all the pains of flesh. Straying to her wrist brought an acute agony that she could not suffer silently, whimper piercing that crisp air.
'I'm so sorry Ruby.'
What more could he say? When words were all he had, he was made to see just how feeble things they were.
"For what?" Through clenched teeth she tried to reclaim that lightheartedness. "You saved my life."
'But I-'
And once again, there was nothing to be said. She could already see through his guilt; conversely, he knew what she meant as well, going beyond the bleeding wrist to the broken heart. In life, he had tried to fill up to the void with endless chatter which ultimately conveyed no understanding. Here, now, he had found someone who knew him better than he knew himself.
"Life always comes with challenges, even the normal kind." She reminded him, dredging up a conversation from the past, and dreaming a reality which had never happened. She could imagine a 'normal life' which Naruto nor any of the others had existed. And from where she stood now, she found it lacking. "We just have to learn to roll with the punches, right?"
'Right.'
Could she, though? Wrapping her arms around the disguised bruises and repressing a shiver as the radiant heat finally abandoned her. The cold of the night had creeped in, reminding her that nothing lasts.
'That better?'
Dependable as death, Naruto came to her aid before she even realized the need. Convective warmth radiated from her chest and flowed over her skin, wrapping her in a sensation more comfortable than her cloak fresh out of the dryer.
"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you."
After all this time the sincerity of this statement had not diminished. So long as he was around, he would never convince her otherwise. It would always be a fantasy that she could stand on her own two feet.
'Ruby, without you I am nothing. I would still be just sitting on a shelf gathering dust… no pun intended. I would be a decoration- or worse, a tool for someone who would use me for their own purposes. You've given me something I thought I didn't deserved, something I dared not hope for. A second chance to do some good. And for that, I would give anything- everything. My knowledge, my strength, what is left of my life. All of it is yours, given freely.'
In this pledge stirred his remnant determination, the last of what made him Naruto Uzumaki. It might have killed whatever jovial mood that had been carried over from the party, but it was something that needed to be said, something that needed to be done as an act of his freewill.
"… Then, would you dance with me?"
Old habits die hard, and so he tried to blink eyes that weren't there.
'…Um, what?'
"You're right, I don't know why I'm asking." Ruby stated sounding somewhat forlorn. At least, before she hopped off the railing and flicked his crystal. "Come on, get out here, you."
'Seriously? You know it's not real.'
"Quit delaying, I don't know how many songs those guys have left in them." The band might have been surprisingly good, but they were still past their prime and were not expected to keep up with teenage huntresses and huntsmen.
'Alright, alright-' "And no toads this time."
The thought had crossed his mind- but no more than a flicker. A flicker which died behind the spark of inception, as he needed all his concentration just to maintain the illusion. Genjutsu was still far from his forte, but doing the impossible is what Naruto lived for.
"So…" Slow to form, when it arrived the sight struck her like a blow, and she breathed in sharp for lungs which had the air knocked out of them. "That's what you really look like, huh?"
Only seeing it once hadn't made it easier to forget, and seeing it now made it no easier to believe. The whisker-marks on his cheeks were as fake as the smirk which tugged at them. Yet to Ruby, it was as she'd always dreamed, a princely visage that she had to drag from the depths of hell.
'As near as I can remember, yeah.' As if he hadn't spent millennia staring at that unforgiving smile. 'The outfit I kind of just made up on the spot.'
A fact which in no way made it any less tangible nor more surreal. Nor did the ethereal glow from the Berlin-blue suit do anything to detract or even enhance those eyes which were every bit as lonesome as described.
It wasn't fair.
'Well?' Him asking with all the time in the world, and herself… 'Did you want to dance, or not?'
It wasn't fair, even the musicians had read the scene and started plucking a slow melody to finish out the night. Perfection, and there she was standing in bare feet, in a dress that she might never fill out. Wasted silk, wasted flesh-
"Ow!" She rubbed her forehead where he flicked it. Illusory he might have been, but to her, he was very real.
'Quit talking down to yourself.' While he admonished her, his smirk had become an endearing smile that she knew she wanted- needed to see more of. She desired that familiar touch when he poked her again and removed the pain. 'Only I can do that, remember?'
She mumbled something so quietly that it was beneath even the muffled sound of music coming through the walls.
'What was that?' He knew, but it was a guilty pleasure to watch her squirm, fidget on the balls of her feet left and right under his mirthful gaze.
"…I don't know how. I was hoping you could teach me." Doubtlessly, Yang would have sprung at the chance to teach her baby sister an 'adult' skill, but this was the very reason she didn't want to ask her. Or, the reason she was admitting to herself.
'And what makes you think I know how?'
She nearly choked on embarrassment, wilted under his flare of laughter.
'Here, I may not be the best, but I picked up a thing or two.' As well as herself, with a gentle word and hand, intertwining with her own. 'Ready?'
No, she wouldn't be, but went along with it anyway because the night was quickly slipping away like those phantom hands through her fingertips. Rolling with the punches, with the music as it tumbled them across the balcony, she bobbed and weaved with the ebb and flow.
'To anyone else, this might look pretty weird, you know?'
If anyone were to bother looking away from the light, they'd see Ruby dancing by her lonesome, twirling languidly in delusion. It was fake, a fantasy- that she could admit. She could also admit that for once, she didn't care.
'I'm glad.'
As was she. Even though she knew it wouldn't last.
And of course, it didn't. The memory itself would become muddled, a swirl of colors and emotions the only thing which would last for posterity. Aquamarine mixed into a black-cherry passion, producing only a desire for that royal-purple life which few could ever achieve.
'There, that wasn't so bad, was it?' Music and moment faded, and they came to a jolting halt.
"Thank you."
He could feel as well as hear the despondency in her voice. It was something he knew well but pretended he didn't recognize, reaching out to perk up her mood and tussle her hair like his own sensei had once done.
'I'm proud of you, you know that? And I know the others are as well.' He stopped, even though he probably could have gone on forever. 'And I know you know it too, even if you have to be reminded of it from time to time.'
As well as he had to remind himself that this wasn't real when she shot past and wrapped her own arms around him- around the hollow projection in which he placed his hopes and guilt. Oh, how hard it was when he knew the dampness burrowing into his chest, felt the longing for human touch rending his soul.
And what would it hurt to pretend for just a moment longer? Nothing would change if instead of pretending to pat her head he rested his chin there, reciprocated her gesture and enveloped her in more of the warmth he radiated.
"-ruto, I-"
He already knew what she was trying to say even if it was stifled by her emotion. He already knew her every thought forward and backwards. And yet, that did not mean what she was trying to say wasn't important.
'I know.' Overjoyed and devastated by this knowledge in the same breath. 'Ruby…'
'…Someone's out there.'
Already fleeting, the scene was banished as quickly as Ruby spun around and back into reality, just in time to see something else flicker in and out of existence in the dark.
It took no time to make a decision, slightly longer to figure out whether she wanted to try wearing her high-heels.
'Be careful Ruby, you don't even have your weapon.' Back in his container and berating himself for not noticing the intrusion sooner, Naruto intended to make up for this negligence.
"You're my dagger, remember?" Without regrets, Ruby hopped up onto the banister and launched herself into the darkness.
'I remember.' Finding gratification in this, even as he scanned the night for their mysterious intruder. 'Lantern too. Even still, be extra careful. Whoever they are is moving quickly and with purpose, clearly they aren't amateurs.'
"Got it." She could already feel it, not needing his guidance. This person was… sticky. Voracious. A firestorm which sucked in everything it needed to burn and consumed everything which stood in their way. "What do you think they want?"
'Nothing good.' This went without saying, but meant that Naruto had no more idea than she. 'Incoming!'
Nothing good did not preclude anything worse, and the sudden appearance of a second assassin definitely counted towards a bad night. However, Ruby was familiar with this song and dance, thus was able to dodge the initial strike pouncing down on her from above. In fact, after dodging another couple of slashes which missed her by a narrow margin, she realized that she was very familiar with this particular dance.
"Neo."
Breaking off the surprise assault to give a mocking curtsy, it was clear that the two could see one another even in the near-abject darkness. There was no spare moment to think of the ramifications though, as Ruby found herself up against a decidedly deadly opponent without a proper weapon.
'Proper' being the key word as she had already removed her necklace and was gripping the formidable crystal in her left hand. It was because of their last encounter that she hesitated to use her dominant right hand. Pain and memory still lingered, boiled over from her head and into her wrist.
"What are you doing here?"
Little chance that the girl would or even could answer, but Neo gestured with an all-too-familiar fleer at her left hand.
"No, I'm not handing him over."
In response, Neo made a swipe with her blade over her own left hand, spelling out exactly what she would do without uttering a single word.
"Not going to happen this time."
Obviously, Roman's partner didn't believe it, and Ruby could hardly blame her. She could hardly believe herself, even as she felt Naruto's Chakra burble out of confinement and spread over her arm into a blade as honed as the one staring her down.
Her first real surprise came when Neo turned her gaze towards her arm, as if she could see the invisible blade of wind now coating her appendage. True, the girl could see illusions, but had previously proven herself susceptible to those cast by Charka.
The second surprise was when she outright laughed- or as nearly as she could which came out as a parched rasp like someone rubbing the bones of the dead together trying to start of a fire. Eventually Neo stopped trying and pulled out a piece of flint- a stone so crystal clear that it looked black against the backdrop of the night and her soul. She let it dangle there mockingly on a necklace similar to Ruby's, swinging back and forth and counting the second which passed in silence.
Last and most fatal, the wind Chakra that Naruto had been controlling for her use dispersed. It took with it the faint rush of air and left her with nothing but her own heart beating in her ears.
"Naruto?" She called to him, "What's going on."
'No, this- this can't be.'
'Naruto?'
Ruby heard it, and it wasn't her voice this time. Perhaps she recognized it on some subconscious level, for it sent chills up her spine. Though Naruto had also ceased the flow of heat- stopped everything as that one word hit him like a paralyzing blow.
'Naruto? Naruto… he's here, isn't he? Been waiting… searching… waiting… long time. Impossibly long… it hurts… need Naruto…'
"Who is that? Who are you?" While confronting with these words, Ruby was already shifting her weight to her back foot in case she had to make a break in the other direction.
'Who? I am… I am his. I am nothing without Naruto.'
'No, that's not true.' Ruby froze as she heard a tone that heretofore had been reserved for her alone. 'No, no, no. You've always been your own person… you were always such an amazing person. But, I failed you too,
'Hinata.'
Song is: Behind Blue Eyes by 'the Who'. (obviously relates to the little joke in there, I couldn't help myself) (P.S. if you listen to one album by this band, Quadrophenia is still one of the most pertinent suite of songs to date, if you listen right).