Cover Image: [takenisketch] on tumblr.

Ruby plucked her sweatshirt off from the back of her chair and pulled it over her head before sitting. It was a little chilly in the room, but not enough to turn on the heat. The sweatshirt would be enough, and as a plus it looked pretty cute. With one hand she adjusted the collar while the other opened the laptop she kept on the desk in her bedroom. Ruby logged in, finished getting comfortable in the sweatshirt, and made a quick visual sweep of the room.

It was time for team RWBY's weekly video call-in, and last time, much to her embarrassment, there had been a pair of her spare underwear in full view of her camera. Today, though, she had made sure to clean her room and make her bed, so there was nothing that Yang could make fun of or Weiss could criticize. Confident in her invulnerability to teasing, Ruby opened the chat app and clicked 'join room.' A quiet musical note sounded, a brief 'boo-boomp', and her screen divided into four rectangular windows.

Yang's camera was in the upper-left; Ruby's sister was currently in the background, standing at her window and facing away from the camera. She was wearing her usual yellow tank-top and black gym shorts, and was carrying a mug that Ruby presumed was her morning cup of coffee. Her striking yellow hair was messier than usual, but her room appeared fairly neat, at least by Yang's terms. There wasn't any underwear left out, in any case. "I think my plant is dying." Yang said, her distance from her computer making her voice faint and hard to hear.

"When was the last time you watered it?" Blake's voice came through clear as day. The team's only faunus member occupied the upper-right quadrant of Ruby's screen. She was sitting close to her camera, looking tidy and calm. She was wearing a soft looking robe, and in the background Ruby could see Gambol, Blake's three-year-old cat, lounging on the bed in a black-furred mound.

"Like, an hour ago!" Yang gave a confused shrug and started walking back towards her computer. She looked at the screen and smiled. "Hey Ruby!"

"Ruby, hi!"

"Hi guys! Can you hear me okay?" Ruby lowered her head closer to her laptop, in case her microphone wasn't picking her up clearly. She saw in the view of herself that she was framed too low, so tilted the top of her laptop further back.

"Yup! You sound great." Yang picked up her computer, giving the other two team members a shaky, pixelated view of her stomach for a few seconds before she readjusted the view. She was now sitting cross-legged on her bed. "Anyway, I think my plant is dead."

"Well you can't expect it to improve in only an hour. Is it getting enough light?"
"It should be!" Yang was looking off-camera towards where the window was. "I usually get light all day from that window. Maybe I just wasn't meant to be a plant mom." She sipped from her coffee, then placed it on a nightstand to her right. "Where's Weiss? She's late again."

Ruby looked at the area of her screen that was still black. "She'll probably be-" The quiet 'boo-boomp' sounded again. "There she is."

A moment later the final part of Ruby's screen lit up with an enlarged image of Weiss's profile picture. Along with the video came a loud rustling and very muffled cursing. "Idiotic, stupid, poorly designed-"

"Weiss? Hey!"

"Ruby? Hiii! Hi everyone! Sorry I'm late! This stupid computer never does anything right, and I could only barely-"

"Weiss, we can't see you! Only your microphone is on, you need to turn on your camera!"

"What!? Oh, for f- How do I do that?" There was more rustling and then a view of Weiss's chest filled the final quarter of Ruby's screen. She was wearing a loose blue shirt that drooped a little low. "Is it working now?"
"Sure is, ice princess." Yang chuckled. "Nice pajamas."

"What are you- Oh my goodness!" Weiss quickly adjusted her camera so it showed her face. Her cheeks were a dull red. "Shut up, Yang." Behind her was a large, sparsely furnished bedroom immaculately organized.

Ruby thought it a little funny that everyone's rooms were so neat. When they had been at Beacon together, it had seemed like there had been an argument about cleanliness and dirty clothes every other day, usually between Weiss and Yang. She attributed the change to the quarantine.

Yang smirked in response to Weiss's embarrassment and took another sip of her coffee. "Alright, Ruby, we're all here. Take it away, team leader."

"Okay!" Ruby sat up, cleared her throat, and said with playful dramaticism, "We now commence the fourth quarantine meeting of team RWBY! We will now take attendance!"

"Is this really necessary every time?" groaned Weiss, setting her head on her wrist.

"It is! Weiss?"

"Here, obviously." Weiss lazily waved a hand at her camera. "This was only barely funny the first time..."
"Great! Blake?"

"Present." Blake gave a small wave, playing along.

"Fantastic! Yang?"

Yang saluted stiffly and kept a straight face. "I am here, team leader!"

"Mm, good on you! Attendance has now been recorded! Begin the meeting!" Ruby held her pose for a second longer, then slouched back to her normal position. "So, how are you guys holding up?"

Blake answered first. "Not terribly bad." She reached off-screen and pulled a steaming mug to her lips. "I've had lots of time to catch up on my reading, on some shows..." Blake had been laid off last week. The restaurant she worked in had decided to close until things calmed down. "Been cooking a lot, playing with Gambol." She reached back and scratched the cat between the ears. He thanked her with a quiet purr. "Could be worse. Though I do miss being able to go out. Even though I would usually prefer to stay home, I'm a bit upset that I no longer have the option."

"Yeah, same." Yang brushed her hands through her hair, but the yellow tangle didn't improve. "I feel a little trapped in here." Ruby knew Yang's apartment was pretty small – she had chosen a studio to save money. "I just want to go to the gym, lift some weights, go to a movie..." She turned and looked out her window. "It doesn't help that this hit just when the weather was changing. Just makes me want to go out even more."

"I agree," Weiss was slowly swiveling her chair back and forth. "this time of year is perfect for getting brunch and eating on a patio... But the police are stopping everybody. They even stopped Winter!" She closed her eyes. "I would give anything for a breakfast omelette and a mimosa from that cafe on 13th street..."

"Stop, you're making me hungry! I haven't been able to get eggs in two weeks!"

"Really? We haven't had any trouble with food, but for some reason we can't find toilet paper anywhere!"

"How about you, Ruby?" Blake asked. "How are you feeling?"

Ruby thought for a moment, reflecting on the past few weeks. Weiss and Yang kept talking about breakfast food while she collected her thoughts. "I'm actually pretty stressed." The others paused. "I mean, we're all stressed, right? And I have less to complain about than you guys." Ruby was weathering the quarantine working from her father's house. "I still have my job, I'm not living alone, I'm not trapped in the center of the epidemic like Weiss.

"But this stupid virus is in my head all the time! It's all that's on the news; I have to turn it off because it's just a constantly rising number of deaths. I feel guilty every time I go outside – what if I'm giving the virus to that person I just passed? What if they gave it to me? What if I pass it on to Dad? He's in okay shape, but he's still close to the risk zone. What if I made a mistake coming here? And while I'm still working, I don't know how long the company can take it. Business slowed way down as soon as the quarantine started.

"And I don't know when it's all going to end! It's spreading so fast, and people still aren't taking it seriously! It's terrible already, and it's going to get worse and worse. I'm worried, I'm just so worried about so much... I'm worried about Dad, I'm worried about you guys..." Ruby could feel tears welling at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, Ruby," Blake said softly, "you really don't need to worry so much. Really. You're doing exactly the best thing you can."

"Yeah, sis, you're staying home, only going out for essentials; that's what you're supposed to be doing!" Yang gave her camera a warm smile. "Just gotta wash your hands and keep those spirits up!"

Weiss shifted in her chair so she was closer to her computer. "Yeah, and something that has really struck me is how the entire world is working on this together. People are making masks at home, donating food, money, volunteering. Even my father, who is one of those idiots who denied the severity in the beginning, is switching a bunch of our factories to making ventilators and masks. And I made sure he was enforcing the distancing guidelines."

"Wow, Weiss, nice job!" Yang gave a thumbs up. "That's our Ice Queen!"

"Ugh, just, sh-shut up, Yang!"

"And Ruby," Blake said, "if you're ever feeling overwhelmed, or even just a little stressed, just give us a call. I'll pick up every time, I promise." A thin, sardonic smile started to pull at her cheeks. "It's not like I have a lot going on right now. I'd be happy for the company, if you can call it that."

Yang nodded. "Ya'know, me neither. Not really all that busy. I wake up, check a few emails, then kind of chill the rest of the day. I'm going to work out in my room later, we could have a virtual workout session! Want to join? How about you, Ice Queen?"

"Well unlike you two, I am still busy most of the day. But that doesn't mean you can't talk to me anytime, Ruby. I've been... missing, you a lot. All of you, really. When this is all over we should meet up again, maybe go somewhere together."

Blake sighed. "That would be nice. But we've got a long way to go before then. So everybody be careful, wash your hands, wear a mask, and stay home as much as you can. And call anytime you need to!"

Yang mock-saluted again. "Aye-aye, Blakey!" She lowered her arm and her face became more serious. "But to be honest, you guys, I'm really glad that we have these check-ins. They've seriously helped with my cabin fever. I always feel better when we're done talking. It's great to see my baby sister, Blake's lovely sarcastic smirk, and of course to see Weiss blush."

"Hey!"

"Anyway, who's coming to my workout?!"

Ruby snickered and raised her hand. "I am, definitely!"

Blake nodded as well. "Me too."

"Weiss?"
"Ugh, well if the rest of you are, fine, I will too!"

"Yay! Happy to have you, Ice Queen!"
"Shut up."

Ruby felt a warmth spreading in her chest. "Thanks guys. I feel a lot better now. I think that's all for this meeting though. When's the workout, Yang?"

"Hmm, let's say 3:00? So people aren't so full from lunch."

"Sounds good. So, I'll see you guys at 3 then. Goodbye! Take care of yourselves!"

"Bye guys! Be safe!" Blake's screen went black as she closed her app.

"Bye! See you soon!" Weiss hung up.

"Talk to you later, sis!" Yang's screen disappeared.

Ruby sat back in her chair, smiling. Friends made everything better, she thought to herself. For the first time since the quarantine had started, she felt reassured about the situation. It wouldn't be easy, but she, and the others, would get through it. Like Blake said, she'd just have to keep doing what she could. She stood up from her desk, closed her laptop, and went to her dresser. She'd have to find her exercise clothes for the workout later.

Author's Notes: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been stressing me out a lot lately, as I'm sure it has for you all as well. I wrote this to try and organize my thoughts and feelings and de-stress a little, and because I didn't see any other RWBY fanfictions that address or incorporate the current crisis. I am lucky in that I am still employed and able to work from home, and that my life has not been majorly impacted by the spreading virus. I pray that does not change, though I know that in time it will.

My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, who are immunocompromised, and who have lost their jobs and are worrying about bills and expenses. Please keep yourselves safe.

Things are going to get worse before they get better. You can help by staying home, only buying what you need, wearing a mask when you go out, and washing your hands. It is up to all of us, every human being, to try and flatten the curve of infections so that there is enough space in the hospitals that everyone who needs treatment can get it.

I hope you enjoyed this short little story, and hope that it helped some of you to feel better as it did for me.

Thank you for reading.

Stay home. Be safe. Keep moving forward.