She's flying
Like, full on off ground flight, over trees and birds and stuff.
People flew with her too, a swarm of colorful blobs roaring their hype to the sunshiny sky. Weapons blazing, wind bellowing her ears off, random dummies in transit shooting dust into the clouds.
It's freaking crazy. She couldn't help grinning till their flight reached an apex near the wispier clouds. Continuing to grin even on their way down together. Her baby's blade cutting through air and it's pressure so she can keep herself somewhat steadied during all this stuff.
People were spreading out really far now, and what's kinda crappier, is that Yang wasn't falling with her. She disappeared the first few seconds after launch, a big frown of Yangry-ness on her face while doing so.
The look made Ruby sad, and she wished the whole Weiss fight stuff that happened earlier-all the shouting and cussing-didn't.
It felt like the dominos she worked for hours on setting up were knocked over, and as her fall back towards Remnant continued, she felt herself lose that sky-ward grin just thinking about all of this.
Maybe they could get along somehow? Jaune, Yang, Weiss.. All just...she dunno, seeing where everybody else comes from? Ruby thought she herself did it pretty well.
Jaune wanted nobody to beat up each other, Yang wanted to defend her from someone who was being a meanie, and Weiss…
Eh...didn't wanna be with dummies...?
Which hey, Ruby could totally get!-
But anyways, besides Weiss's meanie-ness, she's super iffy on some stuff: like Jaune's reasons for doing what he did. Cuz, ehm, they were kinda...weird in her opinion.
Yeah, she's happy Yang didn't beat up Weiss and get in trouble with the Headmaster guy on their first day of Beacon, but Jaune did yell at her sister like an army instructor. Just for saying bad things.
That stuff isn't what Yang's used too back at home, let alone from some guy with shiny armor, who they've known for basically a day and a half.
So, all Ruby could do-as she hurtled back towards Remnant-is ask the guy about his attitude herself!
He's been pretty cool until now, and she's sure that was genuine, so Ruby sees no problem in a good old fashioned twenty questions session between her and Mr. Jaune.
Yet...er...that's only gonna be a thing if she can get herself to question the guy...and that might be harder than she'd first think-
Her focus, left in her mind and in the clouds, dramatically fwooshed back to reality when trees were fast approaching. Her baby's speed and weight, considering how light she is compared to it, took her down much quicker than the others falling with her.
She's probably one of the first reaching ground so soon, honestly-
Flipping herself over, aiming her baby behind, and letting herself kick off from the extra turbulence her drop-shot gave, Ruby skidded across the tree lines headfirst.
Her body getting real close to sudden slicey-slicey by tree leaves she'd be brushing at high speeds, so she let her rosey red Aura bubble upon her.
Wasn't all that needed though. She-after a few seconds of really friggin' fun soaring-found herself going below the heavy tree thickets and into their darkened forest floor. Luckily landing herself on her feet, give or take a few stumbling steps, and kicking up loose soil underneath the clumsy assault.
When she stopped, panting for breath, hands on her baby's length, slouched over, and definitely wearing booties covered in yucky muck, she groaned her misery into the world.
"T-That…"
She wheezed, breathing in and out, yet the excitement of being able to breath and not be dead from falling out of the gosh darn sky gave her a big ol' smile. Blowing the misery away, much like the breath from out her mouth.
"That was...heh...that was freaking awesome."
In her limelight, catching her breath over a few seconds of peaceful silence, Ruby looked back and noticed the solid meter of ruined forest greenery probably caused by the awesome landing. Flowers, rocks, sticks, gosh-darn bushes too. Oh, and dirt.
This brought her back from her happy time, oh so rudely, but she couldn't say she blamed it for the dumb stuff she does.
Nature didn't ask her baby to stab and destroy all its prettiness until, like, a year from now. It just wanted a quiet life without dummies like her ruining it.
Like all sorts of people do. Heh-
"Ugh!" She thunked her forehead against her baby's handle. "Dang it Rubes! Stop bullying yourself! We've gotta find Yang or...Jaune, or something!"
But before she could do that, Ruby took a moment of their crazy day to breathe herself back into happy feelings.
The 'hold and release' method her dad taught her in middle school-after she pulled her ankle out of joint-during a soccer game really paid off that day.
Still does! It's why she's doing it!-
"Okie-dokie! I can do this!" She's up from her slouch now, her baby twirled into its holster, and maybe a newfound pep in her step at getting those lung muscles all in order.
If they, y'know, had muscles.
"Time to be a huntress!"
The chipper-but really friggin dumb-voice coming out her mouth sounded good enough, so with this confidence she probably doesn't actually have, she walked along the forest floor.
Humming to herself, as she was alone, and she's always comfortable when she's alone. Not a clue why.
And this continued.
/-/
Until it didn't.
Ruby's found herself deep into some stuff. Namely, a hidden clearing she found just now-by cutting through it, sorry nature-that leads into a long winding road of trees. Perfectly rowed apart.
It's a darkened dead-end full of random flowers and vines, but she could see the light cascading in from it's shaded wall of loose moss-stuff from the far corner opposite of her.
She squinted, finished cutting herself into the clearing, got a good eye full of stuff, and surmised everything to her heart's content.
"Wow," she said, blinking at the weird daisy-like flowers dotting the wall beside her, and the spiked vines curled tightly around those flowers. "This is pretty cool. Like a secret hideout."
Just like hers and Yang's, all those years ago, when they were bored and forced dad to buy them plywood downtown so they could have an actual treehouse.
So they didn't have to climb trees and fall down and get Ruby hurt and have Yang laugh at her because she fell down on her knees again and-
She put her baby away, took out a pale hand, then promptly smacked herself across the face.
It hurt. She whined, for both her achy Rubaby face, and boney hand. She wasn't using her Aura.
"Owie." She looked at the poor digits, seeing them all reddened up because she's a big dummy. "Owie ow. Frick."
This misery of her poor flesh, luckily for her, ended when that handy-dandy red Aura came back in waves over her body. Ridding up her torso to hands, working their puedo-magics like a two dollar lucky-rabbit foot charm you'd get at Patch's summer festivals.
In short, she's healed up, and she let this clearing know it firsthand, opening her mouth wide.
"O-" she stopped, as a yawn made her extend whatever she'd think to say. "-oooookahy, nature!"
Her yawning went faster than it came. So, now ready for anything, Ruby pointed a finger up towards the clearing dom above her. Her face scrunched too.
"I dunno if you can hear me!" She started strong, yet one moment of silence came by, and she lost it. "B-But...if you saw me mess up your grass n' stuff…"
She bit her lip, the pointer finger scratched at her cheek, and she looked off to the side.
"Super sorry about that!"
…
…
…
Eh, no forest response. Is that any surprise though? Ruby didn't think so, and if she's gonna be real with herself here: why the heck would a random forest start speaking stuff to her? Keyword her.
Nothing's even special about Ruby, she's just got some skills her super cool uncle showed her when she was like thirteen, because her body was too 'tiny' and 'frail' for sparing stuff until then.
Thanks to her dad. She loves him a lot but dang, he had issues, like...her level of issues-
Which is why she's always gonna say her knees-and her everything else-were normal...or, ehm…maybe a bit worse than normal. So 'normalish' could work better.
Anywhos, she's just a...normalish girl-person inside the forest, so she can become somebody who'd help others live and be happy. There's no reason why stuff in or of this freaking forest would wanna-
Growling. She heard growling-
And found three kinda...average...smallish Beowolves? Ish?
Anyways, they're tearing their way into the closed off clearing. Letting the shining sun in their wake roll it's wholesomeness onto all the vines and flower-stuffs surrounding her. So bright was this, Ruby squinted to adjust-
Didn't take long, but neither did it take these dang mutts to start prowling on closer. Their canines bared and claws digging into nature's shiny green without any care at all.
If she didn't do something literally worse than this, she'd have yelled bad insulty stuff towards these nobodies wrecking their pretty world...like the people who did that to her at Signal-
She's gotta get her head in the game, though! So she unsheathed her baby's full length once more. Hands on her handle and eyes glaring challenge at the baddies thinking themselves so clever for doing what she did. It made her grumble.
"Heh, just some crappy mutts?" She twirled her baby around, blade first, as these doggies encircled the clearing in random directions. "I can do that. Yeah…"
The encircling Beowulf on her left must've not liked her voice, as it jumped for her open throat, roaring its doggy rage at her like a supercharged Zwei-
Yet, in a flash of silvery metal, it's unprotected head found itself launched up at the ceiling. Growls of rage and fury all around her as the doggie's wimpy body collapsed into nothingness.
Ruby let loose a little sigh, and with the first doggie down, she relaxed herself back into proper stance.
Ignoring the noise of rallying Grimm, from both the remaining doggies barking unhappily at her, to the friggin' doggie head that fell back onto Remnant beside her.
"In and out, Rubes…" She's pretty chilled, but her nerves feel better when hearing dad's words repeat a bit. "In and out…"
The remaining two Beowolves didn't care about this, though, and they rushed like big stupids together. No strategy or anything, just doggies looking for a fresh doggie bone. Once a-freaking-gain, they're basically super zweis.
She, knowing this, had full confidence in her baby's slicey dicey power, so she chambered herself at the beast duo rounding on her-
And started grinning, because her strike connected just where it should've, and she was given the sight of two tiny Beowulf heads flying across the clearing. Staying airborne until plopping all around her feet, to which then they poof'd into nothingness like the rest of their bodies.
She waited a moment in the silence, felt that no more fodder Grimm were coming, then began jumping on the soles of her feet, all that bubbly excitement she had coming out now.
"Aw yeah!" She said, her fist raised high. "Three doggies down, and not a single hit to my Aura!? I'm pretty freaking good!"
...but she thought on her words after that, then frowned, her fist coming down.
"-I...ehm...okay," she scratched at her cheek again. "I might not be that good yet, so…"
Those were some pretty scrappy looking Beowolves-
But Ruby cleared her mind of this junky sadness for now, and by using the courage she had not long ago; she sighed away her frustrations, rubbed that frown off her face, and began leaving the clearing.
Her baby holstered, and hands happily tugging on the red cloak she'll always keep close. Forever and ever.
She's pretty happy about killing those Grimm either way, though, 'cuz at least she knows stinky doggies won't best her. Neither at home or in the spooky forest.
So she walked that shining outcropping of trees and stuff, watching the sky watch her, and let herself enjoy the ride a lil' bit.
They've got only one initiation, y'know, so why not enjoy it while she can?
/-/
The bushels parted under her gloved hand, and since she felt herself comfortable in doing so, she spied into this new clearing with her rifle poking out into it. Only the slightest bit.
Within a minute, past the bushes, she found herself staring at Grimm. In particular an Ursa of okay size, yet nothing she'd consider 'Alpha' by her measures back home.
It's spikes and plating covered it's back, hind legs, shoulder area, and a good portion of upper chest cavity. The protection likely enabled it to take several heavy hits from wayward and not so wayward opponents.
Perhaps it would also willingly rush towards said enemies in a rage. Ursa these sizes grow some undeserved confidence earlier on. Or, until they develop more into Alpha-like breeds.
Still, Pyrrha knew these kinds of Grimm well. They're midtier overall, but comparable in strength with higher leveled Grimm of lower tiers.
An Ursa sized like so could comfortably destroy one or more Alpha Beowolves, depending on if it's 'mind' had any propensity for strategy in it. Besides whatever demonic instincts it's cursed with.
If that armor was bypassed, in a flurry of shots and precise stabs, Pyrrha could likely put it down for the count very quickly...and that's exactly what she's going to do.
Silent and focused, her dust rounds clicked into gear, loading themselves into her rifle.
Grimm like Ursai aren't the most 'sense sensitive' of their kind, so even if she wasn't painstakingly careful in keeping her volume level down, this foolish beast would've probably kept on padding by.
It's bulky bear head sniffing at the ground whilst it's oversized paws left decently large footprints unto the soil as it went.
Watching it have its fun, She aimed her rifle squarely at it's head, that beady red eye of malevolence on it's right socket within her sights.
It didn't notice the barrel poking through the bushel, neither did it hear the trigger tapped lightly against her finger.
No...for a creature of pure darkness, small details and actions that aren't immediately perceived don't get considered.
It's no wonder so many Mistrali cereal brands incorporate Ursa and beowulf-esc creatures into their disgustingly sugar-drenched 'foods' marketed for children. She would know, her sponsorship with one used to have a pumpkin themed cat Grimm on its box. Before she came along and stole the show.
In short? These things...are very dopey sometimes. And so foolish...so susceptible to technique and proper planning.
Pyrrha, unlike when fighting actual soul-bound opponents such as actual people, liked her Grimm this way: without understanding or intelligence of it's coming destruction at her tempered hands. Left with only their armored bones and dumb muscles.
To simply put, they're just pillaging murder beasts, absent of value any sane person could or should see. If not a wholly negative value of them as being worthless creatures that plague humans and Faunus allike.
She knew this well, thus it didn't hurt her heart any when she hit her mark, dulling that beady red hate-orb and stumbling its mass on thick hind legs. A roar of anger and pain echoing across their clearing while it grabbed for the inflamed area. Thick claws curling into its paw quick-
Yet, faster than either she or the injured beast could perceive and act upon right away, a blackened presence shadowed itself onto the beast's shoulders. It's dark Northern Mistrali blade in it's pale hand-
Oh, wait, it's a girl.
She squinted at said girl, a ravenette with golden eyes and chambered arms striking her blade down onto the beast.
It was a spectacle: the eye Pyrrha hadn't hit yet found itself caved in by that thin blade's darkened metal, all the way till it's hilt-and owner's hand-nearly grazed the beastly material outside the eye socket itself.
This blow proved fatal, obviously, since the beast's Grimm brain-if she could even call it that-found itself a new companion. Made of metal and pain, in equal measures.
It was also a companion in the form of an average sized girl, who has a tiny black bow on top of her head, and her piercing blade running its complete course inside it's foolish Grimm face. Hence the metallic pain.
Which lasted for quite awhile. A few solid seconds of ursine screaming towards the unforgiving sun beating down from above. Eyes unseeing and claws uselessly curling for the quiet Beacon initiate hijacking it's plated shoulders.
Until it stopped its misery, curling it's claws no more, and collapsed from off its hind legs.
When this beast disappeared, and the girl gracefully landed back onto solid ground, Pyrrha stood herself up from the bushes. Giving the girl her usual 'friendly' smile.
"H-Hello there!" She piped up, getting those golden eyes unconsciously locked in, and entire body jolting her way. "That was a wonderful kill!"
This girl, with her black and white outfit scheme and blade casually held out to her side, must've realized how everything about today was supposed to work-
As her eyes, once a neutral solemness, became openly hostile towards Pyrrha. She actually hissed at her fellow Beacon initiate in annoyance and contempt. Despite them incidentally working so very well together against that Ursine threat.
Pyrrha frowned her sadness at the girl, a finger fiddling with her ponytail, and a hand mecha shifting her rifle back into its proper place. She went to say something more-
But the girl was speaking, her dark sword sheathed onto her hip and eyes glaring those golden orbs into Pyrrha.
Whoever this girl was, she didn't like what happened here, neither the girl she made here happen with.
"Yeah, thanks." The girl grumbled, rolling her eyes away from Pyrrha's, already strutting herself down the clearing. "But I don't need or want your help. I prefer to be alone…"
...and just like that, this girl was walking down the trail and attempting to exist Pyrrha's life without so much as a complete paragraph, let alone sentence. Her sassy attitude all but confirming the seriousness of this girl's lack of sociability.
This made Pyrrha keep frowning...yet deep down her wary soul, under the fighter and warrior's gaze, she thought about such a person.
Whose irrationality is so fine pointed and nonsensical when compared to their true goal here-of doing exactly what she just wanted to deny-that Pyrrha was honestly refreshed.
Perhaps she and this girl could get along, as who else to tolerate the Invincible Girl, but the 'doesn't want to talk' girl?
Nodding to herself, Pyrrha jogged after her new partner, vowing to make something rather valuable out of this abrupt relationship they've quite literally waltzed in together.
She'll simply be persistent in her calm and collectedness. It might open this sassy girl's horizons to new things, and even more hopefully than that, maybe it will also open up the potentiality of accepting her? The less acting oriented Pyrrha?
It's worth a try, so she-fortunately, as this girl kept strutting forward and nothing else-caught up to her partner, side by side, and politely coughed onto her elbow for the girl's attention.
"So…" she started, not getting the girl's unhappy eyes yet, though seeing them stare off ahead and around their area. Attentive yet uncaring. "My name is...ah, Pyrrha."
No response. They kept walking. She tried again.
"Pyrrha Nikos."
The girl gave her the slightest of glances, yet when she looked back, golden eyes rolled away and returned their attention towards their road ahead.
If she understood the true value behind that name, Pyrrha couldn't tell, all she saw was casual dismissal.
Not one to deny the challenge, though, this negativity was quickly disregarded by her, and she continued talking the girl up.
"I'm happy we killed the Ursa," she started simple, almost foolish, in an attempt to get the girl's guard down and open up. "They're ah...quite yucky, even amongst their peers, no?"
More silence.
"I-I think so, at least..."
She fiddled with her gloves now, a nervous tick she's somewhat manufactured, and to her greatest joy? This girl was looking the distraction over. Her eyes detailing her hands fidget like a grumpy cat with too much free time.
"Just beasts...lacking all things but hatred and thick skin. Such is the Ursai and Grimm-born way…"
An even bigger joy filled her, as this girl not only turned herself to her completely, but a little snort of derision worked its way out her nose.
"Oh, is that so?" She heard the girl muse, more to herself if anything. "Because I could totally name at least two people in my life that'd match that to a t…"
Pyrrha smiled, this girl paused and frowned, then gave her a nasty look.
"No."
Pyrrha stopped smiling.
"No?"
"No." This girl confirmed, her head leaning back from Pyrrha, negativity thicker than her dark mane of hair. "I'm not going to be your 'partner', I don't have partners and I never will."
She dilated her golden eyes at her now, that's the level of suspicion this girl has.
"When I came to Beacon, I told myself that this is it; that I'd finally escape all my problems in life beforehand, and can live a quiet life as a huntress who'd help the needy and make good money while doing it..."
This girl looked away from her now, a newfound sass in her steps Pyrrha wasn't seeing earlier, her shoulders tucked in as well.
What really made her think, though, was how in the world this girl figured huntress work anything but chaotic? Just what madness has she taken part in before coming to Beacon?!
Pyrrha frowned deeper, yet her curiosity only peaked, so she kept listening.
"So I don't care what our Headmaster dude says we are, me and you? Nothing more than circumstance. I'm practically my own team, but with you, and two other additions I seriously shouldn't need to talk to."
She's up ahead now, so she turned back to Pyrrha, not a single ounce of care in those golden eyes. The look of a loner who's made some very poor decisions.
"Better yet? How about me and you only talk when killing Grimm? Just four years of peace and quiet and all things not having a life-partner would be...for the both of us." She put her hands on her hips, a demanding question on her frowning face. "Until we need to work together. Do our bottom line and get paid. How's that sound?"
Pyrrha blinked, looked at her hands, then fidigited them out some more.
"It...ah," she swallowed, not sure if she's giving too much away so soon. "It sounds like you're h-hurting inside…"
…
…
…
The girl, done neutrally thinking on that, returned her demanding gaze back to Pyrrha. But this time, to her delight, a snort graced the girl's lips again.
"Yeah. Maybe." She muttered, the tiny smile on her face weirdly sad in its expression. "Maybe…"
…
The silence stayed for a while, yet when Pyrrha's quiet remained, the girl gave her a look of annoyance. Some consideration tinged in as well.
"You're not going to go away, are you?"
Pyrrha nodded, the girl sighed.
"Ugh, fine. Whatever. Just...don't get in my way when I'm killing Grimm, alright? And also…"
The girl looked up and away for a moment, as though she really didn't want to say anymore, yet she pushed this aside and gave Pyrrha that look again.
"My name's Blake Belladonna," her voice sounded strained and long-suffering, like the very words out of her mouth ached the soul to say. No wonder she paused on this just a moment prior.
"And for the next four years of our lives…"
Blake turned her back to Pyrrha, the sassy walk in full effect, as Pyrrha actually had to strain a tiny bit so they'd stay within feet radius.
"Don't talk to me unless you have to." She grumbled, and truly, Pyrrha could imagine the frown on her grumpy face. "I want to be alone. As much as possible…"
When silence reigned, and her Blake companion dulled herself in it, Pyrrha felt a warm smile come upon her face.
"Ah, okay!" She nodded. "I-I can do that, of course…"
Yet when thoughts, the devious and humorous ones, came to mind?
She...well, let's just say she's got some things to try later, after things at initiation are all said and done.
So Pyrrha waited for that. Joining her unhappy camper of a partner as they strut across the forest floor. Nothing but their wits and lack of thereof about them.
Which, honestly? She likes it a lot. Difficult people make fun situations, take Jaune for example, and the secondary effects his attitude has on others. Such pride and prejudice must be cultural!
Yes, now there's a difficult person if she's seen one. The way he could spit and shout at others so angrily, it interested and intrigued her, which is why she gave him some advice.
Blake could use that treatment as well...if she'd accept it that is…
Oh well, Pyrrha will need to bear with it in the meantime, and perhaps find that diamond in the rough hiding under Blake's grumpy facade. She certainly knows a lot about that herself.
So Pyrrha stayed vigilante, at Blake's side, and kept her smiling face the same. A needed and polar opposite of her partner's negative look.
At least, she thinks so.
/-/
They, by the forest edge-and neat enough, a big-ass clearing with a shrine place at the center-Yang and Weiss stood.
Not meeting eyes, shoulders, or anything that'll signify they didn't wanna gut each other alive in their emotional upheaval.
The only thing they've got which distracts them, besides the obvious relic place they just so happened to stumble towards at the same time, is that up above those emerald drones were zipping around.
Buzzing their influence across the clearing and upon them, as they likely both stared unhappily up at the things, since they've yet to really meet eyes.
Yang found this clearing not two minutes ago, and when she went to turn back for something, she saw a length of pale-white ponytail coming her way, which promptly forced her to forget about the relic clearing and stare up into the drone-filled sky.
That's all that's happened so far. Yang wants to keep it like that, or maybe more than that, she ought leave the fucking clearing and pretend she didn't see this bitch's stupid ponytail.
The drones couldn't see them looking at each other, right?-
One drone, as just to fuck her day the fuck up, swooped lower than its friends and aimed its front end towards them.
For long, almost thirty seconds, they were analysed like goddamn extraterrestrials with big-ass eyes and small bodies. It made her cringe. Badly.
They stayed silent, yet Weiss's squawk of annoyance sounded out, all but confirming the shitty reality these...partners are gonna have living together.
All because Yang soooo wanted to reach the relics before anyone else, like a fuckin' dumbass, and got herself in this stupid clearing with this stupid broad who-
Yang heard a long suffering sigh, and really, she couldn't agree more.
"Well then."
She heard Weiss sigh, already imagining miss preppy bitch flicking her ponytail around.
"I suppose this matchup is all but confirmed. Me and you are...partners, during these four long years at Beacon. What a joy…"
…
…
…
Nothing moved, Weiss still was there, the shrine area too.
Yang isn't happy about this, so she took a deep breath, and said what's on her mind.
"I don't fucking like you."
A pause, then to Yang's growing anger, this bitch had the audacity to chuckle.
"I can say the exact same, you blond bimbo."
Oh, it's on now bitch.
Yang rounded on her, a finger jabbing out at where she'd think her face is, her semblance making that familiar burning feeling come into her eyes.
"I'm bouta-"
Weiss, for some reason prepared for this, simply leaned back and held her hand up in front of Yang's pointing finger. Her face cut from icy stone, eyes non-bullshittery boring into her own, like magic eight balls telling you 'no' on important life questions.
"-not do anything, Xiao-Long."
She gave the Schnee a funny look, and in return, she got an annoyed hiss in return. The girl's dainty white hand pushing Yang's away without hesitation.
"I heard some students gossiping about you."
Weiss prattled, turning herself away, and looking off towards their relic shrine thingy in the center of it all.
"They knew your full name, because somebody was so horribly annoyed by your actions, and searched it out themselves. How fitting, really, that you've already made such a name for yourself at this Beacon academy of ours..."
The Schnee mulled over that.
"Not in a positive light, truly, but what's a brute like you to do? Only good for starting fights and getting ourselves scolded by grumpy knights in shining armor."
On that note, Yang heard her groan, it practically bled privilege.
"Oh, how cruel is that? The one man who'd potentially match the image of a humble saviour, a hero with a bashful smile and caring qualities..."
From her side, Yang saw a deep frown come on the Schnee's face.
"Yet in this cruel reality, his heart is harder than armor, and he treats women as nothing more than commodities to the state. Isn't that simply the cruelest thing you can imagine?"
"...I can think one crueler."
When Yang got her attention, she grinned, yet growled at the same time.
"Imagine being forced to tolerate your melodramatic bullshit for the next four years of our lives-oh wait, I am."
Yang leaned towards the girl again, her eyes aching with angry flame.
"How's that for a cruel reality?"
Weiss's face must've hated her reality too, as she squawked, and stepped back from her.
"Hmph! You truly are a brute, Xiao-Long!"
She shook her head then, those spindly little toothpicks she'd probably call arms crossing over her even smaller chest, all that attitude for no substance.
"I too hate this reality of yours, very much, and wish it wasn't so. The same can also be said of you!"
Ooooh yeah.
She growled to herself.
Keep talkin' shit. -man ain't gonna stop me from beating your ass out here. Count on that!
She answered with a little less pizzaz though.
"Yeah? Wanna fight it out then?"
She beat her fists together, grinning like mad, and feeling even madder.
"Just a couple rounds, yeah? That's all I'm askin' for bitch. Square-up. C'mon now-"
"I refuse."
Yang about had the angry equivalent of an aneurysm.
"You what?"
An annoyed sigh.
"I refuse to fight you, Yang Xiao-Long."
"Why the fuck not?"
The Schnee's hand gestured up towards the drones, and though she's mad as fuck, Yang followed along.
"Our spat would surely have consequences. Perhaps expulsion on the spot for such uncouth behaviour? Or a detention equivalent for weeks on end..."
"..."
The drones, sparse and scattered, buzzed their shitty song. Yang didn't like it.
"So, if you don't wanna watch me beat your ass-"
"You haven't the smallest chance in Grimm infested hell, you blond-"
"Lemme say that again." She growled. "If you don't wanna get your ass beat, whatcha have in mind for us?"
Weiss saw her feral grin looking her over, furrowed her brows at it, and promptly huffed out her annoyance.
"I suppose we should find the relics."
The Schnee looked off towards the shrine thingy at the clearing's center.
"This looks like the place they'd lay them. So, perhaps we should focus on being productive huntresses, and not on winging our insecurities at our partner. Is that good enough for you?"
The attitude of this bitch...Yang oughta smack her upside the head, maybe get that tiny skull's other side a big-ass scar that'd make her an even bigger eyesore.
But, on the other hand, when Yang thought about their situation…
And saw those pedestals with the chest pieces on them, at the shrine, probably acting as their relics or something…
She put her rage away, for the moment, and nodded along.
"Yeah, sure. Go on ahead."
Weiss paused at the agreement, giving her a look, but Yang wasn't kidding around here.
She's shooing this bitch forward, eyes not feeling that dull aching of her semblance running its magic.
Her words were true, and will always be, because Yang doesn't like two-timing bitches who talk a whole lotta nonsense.
Like this bitch-
But that's not the point. What is, though, is that Yang needs some proper priorities.
Beacon isn't gonna happen for her if she doesn't follow their rules, neither will she be watching her sister live the Beacon life here, if she's spending it doing stuff that'll get her in trouble.
So there's gotta be a compromise down the middle here. Yang's gotta tolerate this stupid bitch for a few years, that's all. -horse and his shining armor was right on that part at least...
And...if that'll let me protect Ruby? Heh…
She's on the move now, at Weiss's tiny back, watching her prance herself along towards the shrine place and its different colored chest pieces.
Then I'll do it. I'll play nice...ish.
/-/
Jaune liked this.
The Grimm weren't up the wazoo so far, and when they did show up?
Nothing strong, just some occasional Beowulf fodder, or sometimes Ursa. The latter one much less likely too.
As of yet, he's spent more time and energy keeping his blade atop his shoulder more than for anything related to its actual purpose of killing Grimm in mass.
A shame for him in a way, as the more Grimm he kills, the better off everything is.
But that's not his assigned goal here today, as he walks this clearing path, rows of trees making way from where he's wandered himself at.
Valen forests get surprisingly cluttered with their clearings the further he goes into them, he thinks; and it might be evidence enough of the distance he's traveled, if the way these trees grew sparser said anything.
It's only been a couple hours, too. He might find a relic at this rate.
So he kept wandering on, his tummy pretty satisfied on it's empty self, and found that this quiet forestry was soothing to the soul.
Nature does that kind of stuff, where you consider things that you'd usually never even dream or care about, though if that's actually good Jaune's gotta plead ignorance. He's only pointing out how nice it feels and nothing more.
And it does, man.
The crackle of sticks and grass under his grieves, the chirping of birds atop the thick tree lines, a dull buzzing of bugs and maybe even forest critters pitter pattering across the soil, all coming together in a symphony of Monty-given glory he's found himself thinking quite a holy and meaningful experience, somehow.
How? He's got no clue, but Jaune's gonna have to repeat: he loves nature, and wholly of that honest statement, he hopes nothing will come by and terrorize it again-
From off on the right, Jaune jolted in place, as a black mass found itself catapulted several steps in front of where he'd have walked. It struggled itself to sharp claws and armored legs, it's body curled at the back and growling indignation into the world.
An Alpha Beowulf. It's pretty hurt. Comparing it to the one he killed at Barneburg, he'd guess this one's halfway dead and probably a bit bigger.
It's plating covers the legs in their entirety. That'd make precise blows that much harder, especially since it's chest and head areas have so much bone armor as well.
Jaune saw it see him, and when it growled it's hatred, his Yellow Death was reached for-
Suddenly, though, he felt a presence also on his right, and spared a curious glance towards whatever the hell it could be-
Oh.
He blinked, beady silver eyes found themselves blinking back, on a body that looked very torn and scratched up in comparison.
She was panting her little heart out, her mouth wide open, and Crescent Rose gripped white-knuckled tight in her lack of stamina. It's as though she got thrown around the bushes for a couple fun rounds.
Sarcasm on the 'fun' there.
"Ah." He probed, still getting his blade out, yet sparing half his gaze on the ditsy girl besides him; and the other half on the Alpha Beowulf grumbling its contempt ever so closely. "Hey there, Ruby. You havin' fun today?"
Double sarcasm on the 'fun' there now-
She continued staring and panting for a second, before she glanced at their opponent, and neatly enough, pointed her baby towards the injured fucker's left shoulder blade. In particular it's visible indent.
"I-I killed all its buddies," she breathed, her chest going up and down. "They know how the forest works, I friggin' ran for hours jus' to find them all." More breathing, panting. "'Least I think it's hours…"
Jaune took that in silence, eyes watching the small limp their enemy stumbled with, starting in its hind legs to the upper shoulder blade that's got an indent. It's guarding the latter, likely knowing at least the proper instinct to protect what'll kill it faster.
Besides that, it looked overwhelmed, Ruby's zippy zooming must've worn the fucker out long before any semblance of strategy or self-preservation could come upon the beast's hardly thinking shoulders.
Matter in fact, 'least one of said shoulders were injured, so score one for Ruby-
Anyways, it's here now: wheezing exactly like the girl doing a mighty fine job of hunting it and it's buddies down to size, all...Jaune would say at least nine or ten of them?
At least, that's the usual size of Beowulf packs of Alpha this size. He could be be wrong-
Yet that's not gonna finish the flighty sonofabitch off, so he settled into a proper stance, and waited for the careless beast to come his stationary way.
Ruby's breathless warning reached his ears while it's claws decreased the distance, but Jaune held fast, and kept his blade up before his armored chest.
Waiting, searching, and defending himself until a somewhat decent opening on this reckless bastard makes itself apparent-
There it is. He saw its jawline far too extended, likely a consequence of its shoulder going out of whack, and continued seeing it be that way the entire time this beastly charge kept on.
Not even the clarity of the other Alpha Beowulf's charge and sneak attacks, simply scattered brained musculature-vaguely canine looking-on its way for his and her throats.
Howling it's anger and misery like a kicked puppy-
Which was accurate, really, as he did the beast one better and jabbed his blade into its jawline the second he saw it try jumping up.
In result, slouched over said fine piece of metallic justice, this incompetent bastard among incompetent bastards found itself jammed through the jaw and outside that other side of its boney fucking skull.
Jaune heard Ruby gasp in surprise, yet he cared for none of it, neither did their interrupted prey most likely.
Because on it's wicked tongue was a crackly whimper right from impact. And after it, nothing sounded out but it's broken body crumpling down onto Jaune-also incidentally itself-in wake of his effective killing.
That canine body disintegrated into nothingness, too, leaving his Yellow Death theatrically stabbed into the air. Just empty space once full of Grimm matter and stupidity the likes he's hardly seen Beowolves this side of Sanus have.
For a beast of such good bone coverage and stuff, it fought like fodder you'd find tailing the actual Alpha.
Jee wiz-
But, Jaune's not complaining. Instead he's turning towards his partner, seeing that look of curiosity and wonder in those eyes of hers, and figured she oughta know some neat stuff.
"'Where I'm from." He started, re-sheathing his Yellow Death, and slowly beginning himself a strut down the forestry lane around them. "The Alpha Beowolves wouldn't be all that different looking, but man, if they'd be this fucking stupid?"
He shook his head, noticing Ruby already stumbling on after him, her chest not nearly as heaving.
"They'd never need people like me to kill their Grimm for them."
"Eh?" She muttered, at his side now, making good pace and sheathing her baby into its red hostler. "Who's them?"
"Villagers, townsmen, farmers and stuff."
"And you...eh, kill their murder dogs?"
He gave her a look.
"H-Hey!" She sputtered, scratching at her cheek, getting really comfortable doing that in front of him it seems. "I'm not wrong, eh? Y'know?"
"I'd prefer 'demons' ripe for the slaughter, but hey." He shrugged. "Ya don't see me out here with weird nicknames about death, or the damn process of becoming dead."
"But it makes sense though, r-right?!"
"Maybe to other weirdos it does-"
"Ugh!" She groaned, her face already flushed in embarrassment, those hands at the hem of her cloak again, playing with them and very clearly not meeting his eyes because of that.
"Whatever! Don't be a meanie…"
He chuckled, but as he hadn't much stuff on the mind, let them walk in silence for a bit. Her face pouty and grumpy, his more...dulled and content of things.
That usual thinking face he'd have when minding his own forestry inclined business, which happens a whole lot, since his entire adolescence was spent roaming it. How could he not have changed from whatever he was before?
All to say that, point being, he couldn't.
Vale's forests, roads, cities and towns, he's known the general aesthetics and layouts for the most information aboring years of his youth. His super youth, more like, because Jaune ain't even eighteen years old yet. He's still a boy running around Vale in bulky armor.
Even if he's seen some...very intense things here and there on his lengthy travels.
It's the whole 'mature for your age, but deep down, still that age' kinda thing that psychologists with big houses in downtown Vale City would explain. From their spinny armchairs no less.
So disconnected yet connected at the same time.
Either way, Jaune kept enjoying his quiet, taking the little blessings in stride-
Until Ruby spoke up again.
"H-Hey Jaune?"
He wanted to chuckle at the meekness.
"'H-Hey' Ruby?"
She didn't like that. From the corner of his lazily gazing eyes, he saw those flushed cheeks, and they were puffed out.
"Hey!"
"Hey what?"
"I-I said don't bully me!"
"No you didn't-"
"Yeah I did!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Prove it."
She groaned into her hands.
"Uuuugh..."
He heard this misery, but didn't see it, as Ruby was hiding from him.
"I don' wanna, nope. you're the freaking worst."
"...Okay-"
"Can you-" Ruby pulled the brakes on whatever that was gonna be, though, and her hands came up towards the pretty skyline. Her groan bespoke great suffering. "Oh my god. Just…c-can you please let me say some stuff real quick?"
"Mhm."
"Just for, like, two seconds." She went on, stressedly, for longer than two seconds. "I need to say some super serious stuff that's super important about the serious stuff that happened in the rocket locker room thingy place earlier."
And then, she breathed.
"Please?"
…
…
…
They kept walking, as the trees were getting sparser, and the Ruby was getting crankier.
"Hello? Remnant to Jaune?" Feeling extra brave for some reason, Ruby's pokey finger meshed against his left shoulder, all her yucky skin oils sadly included. "Hellllooooo? Can ya hear me, your partner, being unhappy 'cuz of you?"
"Happiness is a choice."
"So is friggin' talking to you, but you 'don see me complaining."
"But you are-"
Her bravery must've born some confidence, as Jaune felt that finger on his shoulder no longer, instead finding itself proper-yucky and gross though it be-placement against his stubbled cheekbone.
"Shut mouth."
She grumbled, her eyes from the corner of his vision sparkling angrily.
"Or I'm gonna bug you like Yang when she didn't share her sugar cookies from Wallymart that one time."
Oh, she's a vindictive little soul, ain't she?
He idly asked himself, seeing her sparkling eyes grow devious in their plan of oppression, a final crux of 'little sister annoyance' coming finally to the forefront. It took only two or so days too.
What a brat.
And yet, Yang babies her-
"Oh, and." She put her other finger against her cheek, so smug, yet so childishly flawed. "I'm gonna keep your stinkin' drugs, and-and, I'm gonna eat em all up. All at once-"
"Yang would kill me." He mused. "Then maybe herself-"
"Good." She squeaked, her finger furthering it's oppression, completely unmerciful. "'Das what you get for not letting me say my speaky stuff. Ya dingus."
He gave her a look
"'Dingus', huh?" He glanced at the finger still on him, it let loose a bit, and he hummed. "That's a new one. Does that mean we're friends now?"
…
…
…
Her face wasn't so pale anymore.
"E-Er, I-ehm, I…" she retracted her finger from his abused cheek, using it and her other pointer finger to mesh their tips togethers. "I-I...I mean, yeah maybe, just...can you please tell me something?"
"'Something'-"
But her frown looked genuine, and legitimately unhappy due to him, so he immediately brushed aside his good humour and looked her dead in the pouty silver eyes.
"Uh, yeah." He mumbled, wanting to wince at his own dull voice, that lacked anything but tiredness and lazy pronunciation. "Ask away, we're 'partners' now, which means we oughta know each other and stuff."
"..." She kept staring, her eyes sparkling in suspicion and hesitation. "You sure?"
He sighed.
"Yes, absolutely."
…
…
…
This took long, but Ruby took a little sigh of her own, and began meekly kicking at rocks atop the soil beneath them.
All because their waltz, towards wherever this path would take them, was currently halted by this random upset Jaune somehow got his partner feeling. Her somber face clouded by loose red-black strands of mopey Ruby-mane.
It kept him silent and attentive, more so than usual.
"Jaune…"
Her voice, eventoned and solem, found his ears. Dark brows furrowed at him.
"Why'd you do all that stuff in the locker room?"
She asked, her fingers going back to poking tips, the nervousness definitely showing.
"Yang and Weiss were...I dunno. They were gonna beat each other up and everything but...didja have to do that?"
In those eyes, he saw pleading, a confusion and care born from conflict. She really does wanna be friends.
"Do what?"
"Y'know...being a big meanie to them?"
…
…
Jaune nodded, more to himself than anything, and strutted down the forest lane. Waving her along, and after a moment's hesitation she did just that; her eyes never leaving his face the entire time, craving an answer.
He obliged.
"During the summer time, I used to go down the east coast and fish the sun away, just so i'd stay busy even when enjoying myself."
He gave her frowny face a serious look.
"If you've a life reliant on killing demons, Ruby, there's a point where you gotta know when to stop killing them for a bit."
As Ruby mulled over that, the path was very clearly wiring into a complete opening. Maybe a relic or two, which Jaune dully noted and continued on from.
"Sometimes for a week, or two, or month, or any amount of time that's needed to keep you alive and well...but that's not my point with this here."
He coughed.
"What is, though, is a local tale I've heard say...three summers ago, 'bout some fisherman and his wife."
"...Huh." She's thinking about this super hard, her face is all scrunched up, and that frown was more confused than upset now. "What'd they do?"
"Well...that's, hah."
He chuckled a little.
"That's actually the wrong question here. The right question is 'what did they not do?'"
Her confusion was intense, so he nodded, and went on.
"See, during the summer time, there was this fisherman who also liked to fish the sun away. He'd do it every single day and night, too, all the way until dinner was already eaten up and served."
Even to him, Jaune's voice sounded wistful, kinda nostalgic.
"Fishing was the passion his regular life must've lacked, and so meaningful was it to him, that he ignored all the things his wife demanded he do."
He rubbed a gauntlet across his neck. Feeling The Torch there.
"Ya know, 'saying that he should be home, and eating dinner with her and the kids. Like, 'a man oughta do.'"
His chuckling couldn't be helped. No sir. Too bad Ruby doesn't get it.
"She'd demand this from him time and time again, until she pretty much had enough, and came down to those docks where he fished…"
"...What happened then?" Her voice, small and weak, yet not enough to be a whisper. "What'd she do?"
"A lot. First she'd yell, then she'd hit, then she'd yell and hit, then after that? She'd just cry."
Ruby looked really unnerved, her face froze in concern, but he's not done yet.
"This went on for a long, long time. Months turned into years, then a decade, and then before you know it: these two became the 'town dysfunctionals' who couldn't get themselves in order. They'd only see what their significant other lacked or didn't wanna do, and that breed negativity like a motherfucker-"
"W-Wait. Hold on." She's poking at his shoulder now, instead of the meshing from earlier though, she prodded nice and gentle. "Does that mean they-"
He gave her a funny look, then with a hopefully equal gentleness as her, moved that poking finger off of him.
"They never changed. All they did was fight over the things they couldn't be satisfied by, since in reality, they both had issues worth addressing."
He paused on that, feeling like he had to cough, but continued after the feeling went away.
"But yeah, 'like I said...it breeds a lot of negativity over the years. Which...well…"
He slowed them down a peg, running a gauntlet thoughtfully across a nearby tree, frowning at it.
"It came to a head one day, after the wife was literally coming in guns blazing, pistol in hand."
Ruby sucked her teeth in.
"She'd probably have shot her husband with it right then and there...but before the guy could even so much as say a word?"
He tore off a big piece of tree bark sticking out, tossed it into Ruby's clumsy-and stressed-hands, then continued their march.
"Out popped a Grimm. Not a big one, just a little flounder lookin' thing, with huge spikes all over it's puffy body."
She audibly winced, and from the corner of his eye, he saw her scratching at that bark. A pouty look back on her face.
"Yet the actual 'size' of Grimm isn't important when talking about civilians, Ruby. Becuase if you've fuckall Aura on your person, and don't know how basic weapons work?"
A stick once again came under his grieves, he didn't hesitate to stomp it down, loudly.
"You're fucked. Big time. That little bastard ate the fisherman's throat out in seconds, Ruby. 'Tore that man a new one in the most fucking disgusting way imaginable, all infront of his screaming wife, who panicked and started shooting the goddamn water like a maniac."
"Ouch-"
"And better yet, after getting itself some brunch, the fucker latched itself on the wife's blouse next."
Jaune shook his head.
"She's made it out alive, but man, i'd have to take you there sometime because that lady walked funny. Almost like having a limp, but she kinda had to hop everywhere instead. Something about her kidneys being charred out…?"
Ruby really shuddered now, and as he didn't wanna scar her for life quite yet, Jaune got to the point. Coughing into his elbow.
"So yeah, I uh, I guess what i'm saying with all this stuff…?"
He made sure he looked into those confused silvers curiously staring back.
"Is that I view what Yang and Weiss were doing kinda like this. Not all that dangerous in the short term, yeahs, but give it a couple years and...ya know…"
Jaune sighed, looking away now.
…
…
…
Ruby's feet were shuffling up to him, quickly, and he felt something pressed against his chest-
Oh hey, it's his motion sickness pill bottle, that's nice. Jaune watched her hand shake a little bit when holding it over though, her face conflicted too, which would make a lot of sense.
That was a violent story. But a needed one, he'd think.
He nabbed that pill bottle, put it in his back pouch, and tilted his head at her.
"Ruby?"
It took a healthy moment, but Ruby seemed to get herself in order then, giving him a-albeit shakey-smile.
"I...er...don't know if I can accept that. B-But i'm happy you told me that stuff, y'know? It's gotta mean a lot to you…"
He nodded, yet she's still paused on that, thinking.
"...Sooo ehm…"
She went on again, not meeting his eyes, face scrunched up in her thought process.
"You yelled at Yang and Weiss 'n stuff because you think they'll get hurt in the long-run?"
"Basically."
"Huh. Okie, but...why'd you gotta be so mean about it?"
He raised a brow, but she wasn't having it, and groaned at him.
"You spat on the freaking ground, Jaune. That's a super mean thing to do."
"As long as it gets the point across." He shrugged. "It's tough shit, Ruby, but in our world you've gotta realize that."
And he planned on helping her do just that, right then, as he cleared his throat.
"Especially since we're gonna be the people who go out and kill these demons ourselves. Any long-term struggle between us is liable to become something far worse given the right circumstance...and that's all I've got to say on that."
He gave her one more pointed look then, carrying all the regrets and fears he's got on his mind right now, and spoke.
"...But i'm sorry for having to do all that stuff, Ruby. It's just...the only thing I know that gets to people. 'Cuz where i'm from they're stiff-necked to a fucking default, and-"
She surprisingly had enough, and Jaune saw her little hand press itself to her lips. A sad little smile on her face.
"I gotcha, Jaune...at least, I-I think I do." She blanked on that, jolted in place, and held a hand out. "But can you promise me something? Y'know, partner pinky-promise?"
"That's a thing now?"
"Yep!"
Jaune sighed. She pouted. And as he still feels like a massive asshole, Jaune pushed his pride away for now, and nodded. Locking his pinky with hers.
She beamed.
"Can you...err, maybe work on that stuff?"
"My attitude?"
"Y-Yeah!" She sputtered from that, he didn't know why. "Maybe next time that stuff happens, you...y'know, can be a bit less intol...intolr..interl-"
"Intolerant?"
"Yeah! Can you do that?"
Jaune thought on about for a moment, saw how her eyes practically plead with him here, and had to sigh.
"...Yeah. 'Guess I can."
She cheered, her beaming face looking really nice under the shining sun, and he couldn't help crack a little smile himself.
He's not a hypocrite. Telling her a tale about two people unable to agree on stuff-yet he himself being unable to compromise-would be a greater burden on his pride more so than anything that'd happen if he just decided to not be a dick.
So, he shook her pinky, shook his head, and turned away from her stupidly smug grin and boney pinky.
"Anyways." He mumbled, looking off into the distance, seeing a clearing. A really open one too, beholding a big rocky outcropping, and he's even sure there's a cave there.
"We should keep moving. I think we're finding something here…"
Ruby's gaze trailzed with his, and she tilted her head, curious.
"Ooooh, I think you're right!"
She's moving up on her lonesome now, those dirt caked boots she wore kicking up some dust in her wake, that red cloak fluttering behind her.
"C'mon! There might be relics 'n stuff!"
And she did, that stamina she's also had coming in at the most improbable times. Jaune felt himself sigh for the five hundredth time when watching her go. Already a dozen feet away and happy as can be.
Oddly though, I kinda like it. He told himself, working his body up into a jog. She's happy, plus she wants to be friends, so at least there's that.
So Jaune followed his hyperactive partner down the trail, knowing not what lay ahead, but either way?
They'd do it together. As is probably the partner pinky-promise way.
/-/
They've reached the clearing.
Well, more accurately, Jaune's jog was catching up to Ruby's running. He lost track of her several minutes ago and is now hoping she hadn't run herself into the shadow realm or something. That'd suck.
So he kept on jogging, seeing the outline of a rocky wall get closer and closer with each step, practically smelling all the salts and minerals those natural formations bore in their material schemes already. It sped him up all the more.
He hoped Ruby would like nature like he's always had. It's a good thing to cherish, even more so when you're a person hunting down those who'd theoretically destroy it.
"Ruby!" He called out, his breath somewhat winded from jogging, barely audible over his chafing under-armour chains bouncing step-by-step with him. "Ruby! Do you see anything?"
No response was given, so he quieted up and sped himself down the sparse tree lining, stopping only when it just about cut off. When that happened, thankfully enough, he saw a familiar cloak of red billowing before the expansive clearing before them.
He caught up to it shortly after, stopping his jog about five steps from her herself, a slight pant in his voice when he addressed her.
"H...Hey," he breathed, stumbling himself closer. "You're fast. Find anything good yet?"
Yet despite his words...neither Ruby or her billowing cloak answered him, which was kinda concerning for the usually noisy girl. So he stumbled himself in hand's reach from her, and as nicely as he could, laid a gauntlet on top of her shoulder.
"Hey." He repeated himself, quiet yet concerned, at that mop of red-black looking away from him. "Are you doing o-"
And then, he saw it, the entirety of the clearing.
Nothing special about the place itself. There weren't any trees, yet lots of big ol' rocks, a rocky wall detailing the mass of a hill on the other side of said clearing, and a substantially sized cave on its side mass.
But that alone didn't curdle the blood coursing through his veins, and neither was it the reason Ruby's expressive silver eyes were now dulled in confusion and glossy fear, no…
Because in front of that cave...were two things.
One, a man-in somewhat decent leather armor-laid at the edge of said cave. His head lolling against the rocky outer wall, his legs limpy laying themselves flat, and a bloody hand gripping a bloody chest by the plating. Eyes shut shaky tight.
And two…in front of the prone man, a set of feminine legs were splayed out across a heavy pool of blood, twisted and bended in ways legs oughta never do.
It's upper half was gone, and in place of whatever organs would've remained there, was nothing but fucking red mush and spinal chord ends. Sticking out like a goddamn lollipop stick.
He recognized this kinda devastation on the spot now, after all these years, so he'd know what broken bones and spilling organs would look like. Something big killed them.
Ruby wouldn't know about this stuff though. It's why she's staring and not doing anything.
The tears were already building up in her eyes, while her hands reached for the edge of her cloak once more, shaking in place.
"J-Jaune…" she whimpered, her frail frame looking at the horrible scene and promptly shaking like a crushed leaf. "Wha...what's...why're they-"
The man, for what's it really shouldn't be worth, chose that time to make his life apparent. Light-blue eyes found their reddish tinged mark on them, as they stood idly by, and a even redder smile came onto the fucker's face at them. Blood soaking his teeth.
"H-Hey there..." the bastard called out, coughing after his words. A wheezy sound that croaked itself out like a deflated dust-car tire. "'Glad you could make it. Annie'd be too…"
The man-likely in reference to said 'Annie'-gave a fond look towards those laid out legs, as they twichted and leaked their mushy organ bits out with the rest of it's crimson pool around it.
Jaune grit his teeth, and once again, the man coughed out his broken wheeze.
"She would've, man. She so would've…"
From his side Jaune heard a shudder. A little gasp, one that'd be a whole lot louder real soon, full of negativity and horror.
No...
He turned to his partner, gripping her shoulders, hard.
"Ruby." He breathed, demandingly, as she limply let his hand shake her. "Ruby, you need to-"
Slowly, she turned to him, the tears running freely now. Those beady silvers lacked all it's happiness and excitement from their interactions beforehand. Only a numbness remained. A permanent frown on her pale and shaky lips.
He tried again.
"Ruby-"
She screamed.
Canon divergence time, OH BOY.
Anyways, quick notes this time, cuz im tired.
*Blake wants a quiet life, yet shes either a massive hypocrite for wanting that since she joined a profession relying HEAVILY on social contact, or shes just ignorant of the fact shes never gonna truly be alone. This will be a recourring conflict with her character here.
*Pyrrha likes watching problem child's, maybe because she herself isn't one.
*Yang and Weiss come to a sorta agreement of sorts, and now they'll probably not try and murder each other in their private time, let alone time spent around Jaune.
*Speaking of, Jaune's a prideful bastard, who values his place of travel very much. It reflects in how he tells his stories.
*Ruby...is gonna be remembering this. How much? We'll see.
The World of Sanus/Remnant is a dark and scary place for those who can't defend themselves, and those two by the death-stalker cave are gonna be showing that next chapter. You'll also see the extent to which Jaune's pride desensitizes him to this stuff.
Anyways, that's all for now. Later.
