Chapter 18: A Real Hello

"An accident?" Ruby tried with a tiny smile in hopes of lightening the mood under the harsh question Weiss had presented her with. Ruby's insides however were flipping wildly. She was supposed to make a better introduction with Weiss! Weiss had done so much for her already without even knowing who she was and the two of them already had a… less than pleasant history.

How could Ruby show Weiss that she just wanted to let bygones be bygones if they kept bumping into each other at the worst possible times? Like for instance, entering a part of the estate that she probably shouldn't be.

Weiss held the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. "Whatever, not a problem right now." Grabbing onto her wrist, she dragged the younger girl away, down a series of corridors. She didn't really have a place she wanted to take the bumbling girl, but she knew it would be as far away from her father as possible.

"Where are you taking me?" Came the obvious question.

Weiss scowled, "quiet paint girl."

"My names not-"

"I don't care. I'm taking you away from my father. Now just shut up and-"

"Hey!" Ruby dug her feat in, nearly yanking Weiss backwards. "You can tell me to be quiet or even yell at me for being where I shouldn't, but you don't need to swear about it. And my name isn't Paint Girl, Paint Girl. My name is Ruby-"

"I don't care about your name, Ruby. Right now, I want to know what you think you're doing here."

"I'm here for the competition, duh. You paid for my ticket as well. Thank you, by the way." While Ruby's tone was harsh, Weiss was taken aback by the words of thanks. She… hadn't expected it.

"Oh, um… You're welcome."

There was a pause, neither knowing exactly what to say to the other.

Ruby let out a quiet breath, "I'm sorry for wandering around your house. I didn't mean to. I was just looking and then I got lost. I was going to ask for help, but then I heard you and some guy talking and-"

"How much did you hear?" Weiss panicked.

Holding her hands up and waving them in front of the shocked white-haired girl, Ruby gaped, "Not a lot, promise! Just about a marriage proposal and him wanting you to cheat for someone. Honest."

Weiss's glare continued.

"I promise I won't tell anybody. I'm just here to make the best weapon I can. I've been working on this design for such a long time and now I get to really make it. I'd like to win, but this has already been a dream come true just to be here." Ruby's honesty was refreshing in a way.

There was little doubt in Weiss's mind that Ruby was a terrible liar. Her eyes shone with honest pride. They were just so big and silver. Such an unusual colour. And with that red shirt with her dark red hair, they seemed to shine that much more.

Finally, she acquiesced, letting go of Ruby and allowing her to rub it. Weiss had not realized how tight her grip on the girl was.

"I… apologize for hurting you."

"That's alright. I'm stronger than I look." Ruby smiled sheepishly. "I guess now that we aren't yelling at each other, we should probably say hello."

Ruby held out her hand with a smile, "Hi, I'm Ruby."

Weiss looked at the hand in front of her, and then back at the smiling girl. How could she be so forgiving so quickly. More so, why should Weiss forgive her for that paint, all that time ago?

"I'm Weiss," she grabbed the hand, giving it a firm shake. "I guess I can forgive you for wandering through my parents' estate. And for listening into our conversation. And for spilling paint on me."

"Hey, you ran into me. And I almost missed out on finding my perfect spinning noise toy."

"You weren't the one who ended up with paint on them after your little incursion. I believe that would make me in the right."

"I don't think it works that way, but… I'm sorry too. I wasn't looking where I was going. Really, I was just so focused on getting that toy."

"What could be so important about a toy?"

Ruby smiled, "you will just have to wait and see!"

Weiss shook her head. That made no sense.

"I guess then, I should bring you back to the main plaza. Help you get set up before the competition starts."

Ruby waved a hand at Weiss, "Pshh. No need, I set everything up before I went wandering off. I may be a poor girl from a tiny town, but I'm smart!"

"Smarter than you look, anyways," Weiss turned away from Ruby, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Hey!" She could hear Ruby's high-pitched whine and could almost feel the girl's pouting reply. "I look plenty smart. Maybe I don't have all the fanciest gadgets but I'm going to be the best weapon-smith ever. I'm going to win your competition and everything!"

"And what do you plan to do with that win? Take me on a date? Dance with me at the ball? Or exchange it for a cash reward." Weiss crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, waiting to see how the younger girl could stumble her way through this question.

"You could exchange it for a cash reward? I just wanted to build a weapon not made from scrap metal."

Or bumble straight through it. Who was this girl?

"I know Yang said that winning would be a great way to meet you a-and get contacts or something, but… I just wanted to build. To… to prove to myself that I could actually do this. That it isn't just a hobby or something like that. I know that this is probably a little more important to you than it is for me," she gestured behind her, "if what I heard was right, then this is about you getting married, but to me, you were never something I considered."

Ruby flinched and shrank into herself, eyes darting to her feet, "sorry. That was a little rude. Yang always told me to think before I spoke and-"

"That's alright."

Ruby looked up, "huh?"

Weiss let out a small smile. A real one, for once. "It's refreshing to hear that somebody thinks this whole thing isn't about me. Truthfully, I've been using it as a means to get out of a forced marriage. Or at least to slow it down. The winner of this competition is supposed to take me on a date. The hope was to have my parents' choice of betrothed win, and then us to 'fall in love' so our engagement would look more legitimate… And I have no idea why I told you that. Repeat it to anybody and no one will find the body."

And to Weiss's shock, Ruby giggled. How dare she giggle at her threat.

"S-sorry, Weiss." She gasped through giggles, "I-it's just you are so funny."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "knock it off, you dolt."

It took a few moments, but eventually Ruby calmed down enough to continue their conversation, wiping a tear from her eye as a last measure. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. And since I'm trying to win anyways, maybe I'll help you out with your problem as well!"

Just as Weiss was preparing to speak, an announcement rang out, letting all the contestants know to make their way back to the Central Plaza. The competition was to be starting soon. Sooner than either Weiss or Ruby expected; until they checked to see how much time had passed while they spoke to each other.

"Follow me, Ruby." Weiss said, already walking passed the redhead. "Don't want you getting lost again."

"Thanks Weiss. Maybe you are nicer than you look."

"I look plenty nice; I will have you know. Just maybe not to incompetent bumpkins from nowhere. Hopefully show that apparent intelligence of yours during yours while manufacturing my weapon."

Ruby laughed at that, running up to walk beside Weiss. "Don't worry about me, I plan to. Are you going to be watching the competition?"

Weiss nodded, "at least a portion of it. I can't stay until the end, due to it being a blind judging process, but I do enjoy watching masters at their craft."

"Are you going to watch me?"

"I guess I will have to. Hopefully you don't blow up and leave a crater in my floor."

"Wouldn't that be disastrous. I can't imagine any new words you could use to beat me spilling paint on you… I did apologize for that, right?"

"You did," Weiss smirked, "and I am fluent in three languages. I have plenty of more vocabulary with which to assault you with for when you inevitably make a mistake."

Finally they reached the Central Plaza. Dozens of contestants were preparing their tables, getting their last-minute notes jotted down or re-positioning the tools on their table for ease of use. Ruby turned back to look at Weiss, the person who initiated this entire event.

"Wish me luck?"

Weiss huffed, "a true master wouldn't need luck."

"But she'd still like it," Ruby grinned.

"Maybe next time. I'll be watching to make sure you don't screw up. Right there by the roses."

Ruby laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing Weiss. Just a funny coincidence. It's just that my-"

"All contestants to your stations!" Came the final call.

Ruby gave one last shout back to Weiss, before waving and darting off to her station, leaving Weiss wondering what Ruby had just found so funny. As well as with plenty of thoughts as to how that girl had been so cheerful and honest. Weiss the thought shook her head with a smile, "I'll be needing to thank Blake for meeting that girlfriend of hers."

Until then, she had a competition to watch. And with silent thoughts, she wished that bumbling girl good luck.


So much obvious foreshadowing! We are almost at the story's midpoint climax, so stay tuned!

iamkin - Thank you!