"What the hellare you doing here, Corden?"

"Thought I'd stop by." Rue straightened, her eyebrows twitching when a sharp pain shot through her side. "I work here."

"And you're on recovery time," Rayne countered, crossing her arms. "You're getting paid to lay in bed."

"I don't want to lay in bed."

"Well, I can't pay you for doing nothing."

"Watching to learn isn't nothing."

The rest of the Kingsglaive watched in stunned silence as the two bickered, knowing full well that Rayne would have throttled anyone else for that level of defiance in her training room. Rue waited for Rayne's reply, suppressing a smile she knew would get her in trouble. Finally, Rayne huffed and waved a hand at her.

"Fine. Just stay out of the way."

"I'm good at that."

"No," Rayne snapped, eyeing Rue's cuts and bruises. "You're not."

She shrugged, slumping against the wall as she sank into a seat on a bench. Relir shot her a knowing smile. As the rest of the glaives stood to show off their warping to each other, a few others wandered to the sidelines, accepting defeat that many others did. Without the talent for soaring through time, the rest of them were basically upgraded guards. Rue was okay with that. She jumped when she realized someone was standing over her.

"Oh, hey Ari."

"Hello." Ari's pale eyes flitted toward the practicing glaives. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all." Rue smiled, waiting. He hesitated a moment longer before sitting down, keeping a large gap between them. In his hands, he turned a small book over and over. "Why's it taking you so long to read that one?"

"Pardon?" His head snapped around to look at her before he glanced down at the book. "Oh." He shrugged, leaning forward the press his elbows to his knees. "I'm studying it," he answered finally.

"Studying?"

"Yes." Ari sighed, flipping through the pages quickly. She could see hundreds of markings, notes, and highlights.

"What, like, language class?"

"No." He was clearly beginning to get irritated with her prodding again. "To learn how to improve."

"Improve…? Oh, your writing, right."

"Yes, my writing," Ari muttered.

"We don't have to talk."

"No, it's alright. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm a bit… short-tempered these days."

"Hard not to be when it feels like we're always taking two steps back," Rue huffed, running a hand through her hair. Ari glanced at her, nodding slowly.

"Yeah. I guess." He tucked the book away and looked up at the glaives, watching them vanish and reappear around them, cringing ever so slightly with the air-bending pop that followed every return. "Looks like most of yours is going right, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Your friends. The support you receive." He gestured toward Rayne. "No matter how much you fail, you're brought back up to your feet."

"Yeah… I guess." Rue watched Rayne bark orders, admiring her determination in shaping these people into mindful, powerful soldiers willing to die for king and country. She remembered the faces of those who surrounded her, whether they be supporting her through smiles, gruff teasing, or tight hugs. A faint smile tugged her lips. "I'm very lucky."

"That you are."

"… Ari, do you have anyone to turn to?"

"Truthfully? No." He shook his head. "But I prefer it that way. The less you have to fall back on, the less that can turn on you."

"I guess. Kind of sad, though." Rue thoughtfully chewed on the inside of her cheek. "You know what…" She patted his knee, refusing to back down when he flinched. "I know you don't really want this, but I just want you to know you can ask me if ever need anything. I don't know how much help I can be, but I know what it's like to be lonely. It's not all so pretty."

"Never called it pretty," he mumbled, refusing to look at her. "And I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity. There's no harm in asking for help, especially when you have nowhere else to turn." She withdrew her hand, leaning forward and pressing her elbows into her knees. "Just keep that in mind."

"Right." Ari stood stiffly. "I'll remember you and your polished, perfect companions the next time my career's ended." Rue started to protest, but when she looked up, she caught the light in his eyes and smiled.

"Yeah, you better."

When Rayne clapped her hands to signal the end of the session and the sweating glaives froze in their tracks, doubled over to catch their breath, Rue stood and stretched, recoiling with a wince when her side cried out in agony. Relir waved to Rue before heading to the locker room and Rue smiled back, watching Rayne approach from the corner of her eye. Here's where I die.

"So, what's up with you and Iggy?" Rue hesitated; that's not what she'd expected to hear. Rayne raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"Me and Iggy?"

"Yeah. Prompto says he saw his car outside your house last night."

"Oh." Rue laughed awkwardly, rubbing her arm. "He dropped me off at home last night and offered to make dinner."

"That's sweet." Rayne's lips quirked into a tight-lipped smile. Uh oh. "Listen, I won't push you about it anymore, but I know you're seeing someone, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"And you know how Ignis feels about you… Right?" Rayne's face was grave, dead set on getting her point across. Rue wasn't quite sure she understood, feeling her face go red.

"I guess."

"I just don't want you leading him on," Rayne said finally. Rue's heart warmed. Ignis was lucky to have a friend like her. "He's really a great guy, and I get it if you aren't into it or whatever, but I just need to make sure he's not subconsciously getting his hopes up. I don't want to see him crushed again."

"I understand." Rue nodded, glancing down at the floor. "I'll be more careful. It was just too good of a deal to pass up, y'know?"

"Oh, I know," Rayne grinned, throwing an arm around Rue's shoulders. "So, what's up with your insubordination?" Rue rolled her eyes, shoving Rayne away.

"Shut up. People already assume the worst about me anyway."

"I guess." Rayne sighed, checking her phone. "Alright, well, I have a lunch date with the royal pain in my ass and Cor to get to."

"The royal…?"

"Noct. Get it?"

"Oh." Rue rolled her eyes. "Not funny."

"No, it wasn't." Rayne sighed, heading toward the door. "See ya, loser."

"Yeah."

Rue huffed, looking around the empty room slowly. Mere months ago, she never would've dreamed that coming back here was an option. How time flies. Shaking her head, she stepped out into the hall and meandered down the corridors of the Citadel, staring up at the broad paintings that were hung long ago. She paused in the central room of the floor, her eyes following the golden engravings that traced the black marble walls and pillars. The darkness felt like a tomb.

"You paid to stand around now, Darlin'?"

Rue nearly jumped out of her skin, jerking away from the warmth of the body behind her. She turned to see Gale waiting, eyebrow arched. Her gray hair was pulled back just as tightly as always and her eyes were just as cold. Rue swallowed her surprise and shook her head.

"N-no, I'm not really in shape for fighting right now, so I'm here to watch."

"To watch," Gale snorted under her breath, slouching against a pillar and crossing her arms. "That's what you slept your way up for, huh?"

"Excuse me?"

"What, you think no one saw that you 'n Scientia were gettin' close by the time you were at the end of your pretty prancin' job?"

"Pretty prancing? I was working."

"Were you?" Gale chuckled to herself, shaking her head and watching another guard pass by. "Like hell you were. Heard about Schrader. Looks like I was right, hm? You have to fuck your way in one way or another." Gale turned her sharp eyes to Rue. "If you ain't got smarts, you got looks. Seems to me you got neither."

"That whole thing with Cameron wasn't—"

"Oh please. Rape is an excuse, Sweetheart. You wanted it but you didn't want the consequences. I get it." Gale's smug smile spread wider. "So… Who's it now?"

Rue took a deep breath and started to leave, feeling the anger boil inside her and urging herself to escape before she did something that got her in trouble. Gale snickered.

"Too many to count, huh? Let me know when all your sugar daddies run outta cash; I'll throw a party. Got too many whores in this city as it is."

"What is wrong with you?" Rue snapped, turning sharply to glower at the older woman. "Why are you so obsessed with seeing me fail?"

"Because you didn't earn—"

"Oh, and you did?" Rue gestured toward Gale's slumped posture. "You stand around like you've got nothing to do. You're here because no one wants to deal with the tantrum you'll throw. Do you have anyone that gives a shit about you?" Rue shook her head. "I might've had to take strange ways to make it, but I'm here and you're there. It takes more than a spine and a bad attitude to get this far."

"Please," Gale snorted, though the edge was gone from her voice. "You wouldn't know sufferin' if it slapped you on the ass."

"I wouldn't?" Rue demanded, stepping closer, blood boiling in her veins. "I married a pedophile at seventeen years old; my father disowned me; I miscarried my first child; dealt drugs on the streets; killed my husband; went to prison; watched a group of psychopaths shoot my five-year-old daughter in the head; starved in a cell; became a prostitute to pay the bills; was assault constantly by my boss; was forced to slaughter children… and now to top it all off, I have you up my ass!" Her nails dug into her palms, tears ran down her face, and her throat was raw, but she felt good. So, so good. "How's that for suffering?!"

Gale stared at her blankly, mouth locked shut. Unable to look at the guard any longer, Rue turned on her heels and hurried down the hall, ignoring Ari's stunned stare from where he sat cross-legged on the opposite end of the room, book in one hand and pen in the other. Exhausted by everyone around her, Rue stomped her way up to Ignis's office, not thinking twice about his job.

When she found it empty, she flopped down into the chair in front of his desk dramatically and buried her face in her hands, groaning. Why is everyone so awful? Sighing, she sat up straight and looked around the room. It was so professional, so clean, so Ignis. Rolling her eyes, she eyed the journal on his desk. If she respected him any less, she might have taken it right then and there to see what he was always scribbling down. That, and the door opened. Ignis paused in the doorway.

"I see you've made yourself comfortable," he commented, closing the door behind him. He took one look at her face and sighed. "What happened?"

"Gale is a bitch."

"Pardon?" Ignis frowned.

"Gale."

"Who?"

"The guard."

"Oh." Ignis touched his glasses. "Yes, I suppose she is." They sat in silence for a moment longer before Rue finally looked up, meeting his expectant stare.

"What?"

"Are you going to tell me what happened or are was it a fleeting comment?" Ignis asked, sitting and waiting. A smile tugged at Rue's lips and her heart fluttered. Gods, I love him.