Starting to feel like a broken record with my apologies for late uploads lately. Schedules been all messed up recently. Should be back to normal next week (hopefully).
Been a long week. Still had to go to work despite all the craziness while almost everyone else teleworks (stuck in a lab). Then, got a message Wednesday asking me to put together a class for Thursday night and conduct a virtual meeting. Worked out well enough, but had wanted to spend that time writing. At least the week is over.
On to the fun!
"Are you sure about this?" Honey asked, still uncertain if she should help. "I mean, we didn't really specify an age limit…"
"Hey!" Ruby protested. "I'm not that much younger. Besides, I drink milk."
"Ruby, you're only fifteen," Honey pointed out, reminding herself that her friend actually was a bit younger than her. Being the leader of one of the top teams at Beacon always made her seem a little older…at least, until someone pulled out a cookie. Or video games. Or comics. Or a cool weapon. Maybe she shows her age more than I realized. "Isn't that a little young to be dating?"
"You don't get to talk to me like that. You are not Yang!" Ruby paused as she realized what she'd just said. "And Yang's not my mom!"
"Yeah, and about Yang…" Honey trailed off, imagining the path of destruction the older sibling might leave behind. "I'd rather not have her knocking down my door for setting you up with someone."
"Don't worry about her," Ruby insisted rather unconvincingly. "Blake showed me the profile she made for me. Obviously, she wants me to go on a date."
"Ruby, she did that as a joke." Unlike with Weiss and Blake, Yang's fake profile for Ruby had been surprisingly accurate. Then again, listing a dessert cookbook as your favorite book was probably more ridiculous than anything she could make up. Also, weapons shops and arcades made for odd choices under the ideal date section.
"Well, the jokes on her, then," Ruby confidently replied. "C'mon Honey. Pleeeeease? For a friend?"
Honey hated to admit how effective her plea proved. Ruby had been Honey's first friend at Beacon and had helped her through that tumultuous first semester. With all the crap Lilly put the team through at the time, plus Smit's whole blow-up at the end, Honey desperately needed someone to keep her spirits up until things finally calmed down.
"Honey, Puh-leaz!"
"Ruby, I–"
"Please. Please. Please. Please." Ruby's repetitive, monotone begging quickly wore on Honey's nerves.
"Okay!" Honey exasperatedly exclaimed, using her Semblance to add a few inches for emphasis.
"Really?"
"One date," Honey answered, holding up a single finger. "That's it. I'll send you on one date. And if Yang asks–"
"I was never here?"
"You found your own date," Honey corrected, eager to distance herself in case big sister came calling later. Yang probably wouldn't fall for Ruby's attempt at lying, but it would likely paint a target on Randi, instead. Her teammate was more than capable of defending herself.
"Thank you!" Ruby cheered, rushing forward to hug her friend. Having secured the promise, she wasted no time adding constraints. "Make it someone good. Close to my age. It doesn't have to be a Huntsman student, but maybe–"
"I've got this, Ruby," Honey assured her. "Maybe leave the matchmaking to the professionals." After all, other than Blake, they hadn't had a single complaint yet. Whitley doesn't count, she mentally noted. After all, Penny seemed to be enjoying herself and Weiss certainly approved. She was just grateful the boy hadn't tried to take advantage of her friend's naivety. If he did anything…ungentlemanly, she'd be having words with the younger boy.
And by that, she meant Weiss would become the youngest Schnee once more.
"Wait, I don't have to wear those stupid lady stilts again, do I?"
"It's your date, Ruby," Honey said. "Kind of up to you. Though you should at least wear a dress." Clemens wouldn't turn her away, but it was expected that their customers look presentable.
Ruby hurriedly exited the room, mumbling to herself about how she would trick her team. Honey's mind was already racing to imagine who she could arrange with Ruby. Jaune would've been cute, but he's with Pyrrha already. Honestly, after watching the two together, she half-expected them to end up as Beacon's dorkiest couple by the end of the year.
Sadly, all of the guys she knew personally were already taken, meaning she'd have to go off of profiles alone. She pulled out her scroll and began quickly swiping through potential bachelors. Each one failed to meet the exceptionally high standards she set for her friend. Too old. Too boring. Too experienced. Ideally, she wanted someone who hadn't been set up on a date yet. A quick tap filtered out a lot of applicants, but still left more than she needed.
Hm. Maybe if I add some extra filters. Good sense of humor. Caring. The list began to narrow down as the keywords came into play. Soon, she had a short list of maybe a dozen potential matches. One in particular caught her eye, though she didn't recognize the brightly smiling face.
Luc Burgess. His bio made it clear he wasn't a student at Beacon, but Honey didn't care. There was no rule against Huntsmen and civilians dating. In fact, it was pretty common, though quite a few Huntsmen would unlock their spouse's aura and give them some basic training, just to be safe. Either way, there was no harm in sending Ruby on a date with a local boy, right?
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Sun tried to play it cool, but he soon found himself pacing again as he waited for Neptune to return from lunch. Despite his friend's assurances, Sun still worried that this girl was a fake. He'd asked around the school, but had yet to find anyone who knew an Olive Luri. Hanging around the sparring rooms had been a longshot, but the mystery girl's insistence that her team was always training had warranted a try. Still, nothing.
"Calm down, Sun," Scarlet instructed from his bed, eyes glancing up from his scroll to track his leader's patrol. "You're gonna wear a hole in the carpet."
"Yeah, I know. It's just…I'm really worried about Neptune."
"We all are," Sage assured him. "You weren't the only one looking for Olive."
Sun had told them both about Neptune's new girlfriend already, and they shared his concern. That morning, he'd run into the pair outside the exchange dorms, where they were watching students come and go in an effort to find the elusive Olive. Heh. Guys after my own heart.
Some might call their efforts stalker-ish, but they just wanted to look out for their boy. Neptune had left for lunch whistling a happy tune, reminding them he'd finally be getting a chance to meet Olive today. Sun tried to be supportive, but it was hard to cheer on something so hopeless. He just hoped he'd be proven wrong.
The door opened slowly, halting Sun's pacing as all three boys turned in silence. Neptune stood frozen in the doorway, having not expected to be the sudden center of attention, even as Sun rushed up to him.
"So, how'd your date with Olive go?"
"She had to cancel," Neptune admitted easily. "Guess she was still feeling a little sick."
Now I'm feeling a little sick…sick of this girl's game. It was bad enough stringing Neptune along online, but to get his hopes up like that and then dash them so suddenly was just cruel. Still, he had to focus on taking care of Neptune. This Olive chick could pay later.
"Bummer, man," Sun offered. "Just can't seem to catch a break."
"I know," Neptune complained. "I really wanted her to meet you guys. She called me to cancel. Sounded pretty down about missin' again."
Sun could tell his friend was just as disappointed, but he quickly latched onto the other important detail. "You talked to her? Did she tell you anything about her team? Or which school she's from?" Or whether she's even real?
"Cool it, Junior Detective," Neptune instructed. "I'm pretty sure she's from Vacuo."
"Pretty sure?"
"I'm not gonna spend what little time we have digging up dirt on her. She could only talk for a few minutes." Sure. Sun wasn't willing to make as many allowances as his love-struck friend. Even as he found himself poking holes in the latest excuse, Neptune hit him with a curveball. "She wants to talk to you."
"Me?"
"Yeah. Olive wants to talk to the guy who thinks she doesn't exist," Neptune confirmed.
"You told her?"
"Of course I told her. My best friend doesn't trust my girlfriend." No. I just don't think she's who she claims to be. Okay, so maybe he didn't trust her. "What was I supposed to do?"
"I dunno." Admittedly, Sun had put Neptune in a tough spot, forcing him to choose between him and this girl he was so infatuated with. He'd hoped it would help Neptune see the truth. Instead, it just made things more awkward. "Why's she wanna talk to me, though?" After all, he was basically out to get her at this point.
"To prove she's real," Neptune shrugged. "Olive doesn't want me having to choose between you two. She's hoping she can convince you who she is and finally smooth things over. Maybe then you'll stop badmouthing her behind her back."
Sun winced at the obvious swipe. He didn't want to be the jerk here, but there were just too many red flags to ignore. If it helped protect his friend, he'd gladly play the jerk.
But maybe he wouldn't have to.
"I'd love to talk with her," Sun agreed. If Neptune wasn't willing to ask the hard questions, perhaps it was time Sun dusted off his badge – the one he totally hadn't switched with a toy badge when no one was watching. Regardless, Junior Detective Sun was on the case. "Maybe we can do a video chat this evening."
"I told you, her camera's still acting up."
"Oh, of course." Sun didn't believe it for a moment, but he wasn't about to give up on his biggest lead yet. In the meantime, Sage and Scarlet could keep pursuing their own investigation while he questioned the perp. "I'm free whenever. Can't wait to finally get to know her."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Ruby had felt nervous before. Coming to Beacon two years early. Being named leader over Weiss. Watching Lilly fight with Yang. Trying to convince Yang that Blake had eaten all her cookies. She was no stranger to frayed nerves over the past year.
But nothing was as bad as this.
"Are you Luke?"
"Oh, for the love of–" The young guy didn't looked thrilled at her arrival, but recovered quickly. Maybe he's as nervous as I am. The thought comforted her. "Hey, Re– Ruby." Thank goodness. It's him. Ruby had worried she'd be forced to hunt the unknown guy down herself with nothing more than a name.
"You know me?" It took a moment for her mind to catch up, but he'd clearly recognized her.
"Of course," he answered with a grin. "Your team sure gets around. Why, you might be the most well-known kids in Vale at this point." Ruby suddenly felt even more nervous. Normal knees. Normal knees! "It's Luc, by the way." Despite it sounding almost exactly the same, Ruby felt she understood. Uncle Qrow corrected people all the time, somehow able to tell when they we using a C rather than a Q.
Luc rose and circled around the table, pulling out the opposite chair for her. Ruby giggled a little at the gentlemanly display, but her laugh was cut short as he accidentally pushed her chair in too far, nearly knocking the wind out of her. As soon as he turned to go back to his seat, Ruby wiggled back enough to breathe again, keeping her friendly smile the entire time. Even if it had been uncomfortable, his simple mistakes reassured her that he was just a normal guy like her.
Luc definitely had an odd style. The large, green bowtie looked a little weird with his white shirt, pale yellow vest, and brown jacket. His orange hair further added to the strange mixture. The tones were more muted than what she was used to seeing at school, but that sorta made sense. Honey had told her Luc wasn't a Huntsman student. Civilians tended to wear simpler clothing compared to the crazy, bright outfits Huntsman preferred. It occurred to Ruby that she hadn't really spent much time with non-Huntsmen lately.
"So…" Ruby tried to think of a conversation starter, but all her usual topics wouldn't work. Spars. Weapons. Semblances. All things a civilian would have no experience with. "You live in Vale?"
"All my life," Luc answered. "People always talk about travelling, but this is my town. Not really planning on leavin'."
"I'm from Patch. It's an island just off–"
"I know Patch. You can practically see it from the docks. Some of the taller buildings uptown can spot it on a clear night, too."
"Wow. You really know Vale," Ruby commented. She'd been to Vale a lot growing up, but she only vaguely knew the area. The docks were rather familiar, though the reason wasn't ideal. She knew a few parts of the shopping district and the general location of the residential areas. Luc seemed a lot more familiar with the city.
"Like I said, it's my town." Luc leaned his chair back, linking his hands behind his head. "So, tell me, what's Beacon like?"
"Oh, it's awesome!" Finally, something she could talk about. "I'm on one of the top teams! We might even get to fight in the Tournament. Whenever that happens," Ruby grumbled. Most of the school hated the delay, especially those hoping to participate this year. What could be safer than an arena full of armed Huntsmen? Surely the White Fang weren't dumb enough to attack such a hardened target.
"Think you stand a chance of winning?"
"Absolutely!" Pyrrha would be a challenge, but RWBY was a strong team. Ruby had a spot ready on her dresser back home already. As leader, it only made sense that she'd get to keep it. "We've trained super hard. Plus, we've basically been fighting the entire year."
"You mean against the White Fang?"
Ruby wasn't surprised he knew. Dad had nearly blown a gasket after seeing them in the newspapers…three times. Their visit home after Yang got hurt on their mission had felt like a never-ending lecture on safety. "And Torchwick. We've fought him twice already."
That definitely got Luc's attention. "Oh yeah? I heard he's pretty strong."
"Nah, he's not that bad." Ruby's date seemed shocked by her dismissal of a professional thief. "He's strong and all, but we've already beaten him twice, and we're just first-year students."
"Well, don't get cocky," Luc instructed. "He's still a dangerous criminal. He didn't get to the top of the underworld by accident."
Aw, that's so sweet. He's worried about me. "Don't worry. I don't think we'll be seeing much of him anymore."
"Why's that?"
"Didn't you hear?" Luc watched her curiously. "He got caught at the Breach. Ironwood's got him."
"Oh yeah," Luc recalled, laughing at his own forgetfulness. "Atlas nabbed him. No way he could spring himself from the most secure cell in Remnant, right? He's good, but that would be legendary!"
"Well, that's what happens when Huntsmen get involved," Ruby proudly declared. Torchwick had risen to power outwitting a bunch of civilian police. The moment he had to face their team, he'd been thwarted at every turn, eventually leading to his capture.
"Right," Luc unenthusiastically agreed. "Well, why don't we get to know each other a little better, eh? Tell me about yourself. Favorite foods. Best friends. Biggest fears. Greatest weaknesses…"
"Duh-doi!" Ruby had been so focused on her accomplishments as a Huntress, she'd forgotten the whole reason they were there. A first date was a chance to get to know each other. Figure out what they had in common.
The next hour flew by with Ruby barely even realizing she'd eaten a whole meal along the way. As it turned out, the two of them had a lot they could talk about. They were both from the area. Luc seemed to know a lot of the businesses around town and had even met the owners of her favorite arcade and her favorite comic store. They also shared the same favorite holiday – Halloween! Admittedly, Ruby liked it more because it was her birthday – something she was keen to mention a few times. With it being just around the corner, she figured it wouldn't hurt to let him know. Especially if things worked out and they started – gulp – dating.
For a civilian, Luc sure seemed to know a lot about Huntsmen and Beacon. He knew the names of all the teachers, even referring to Oobleck as Barty – a name she'd only heard Port call him from time to time. When she accidentally started rambling on about weapons and fighting styles, he'd followed along easily, even correcting her at one point. Ruby found him very easy to talk to. In fact, she wound up doing most of the talking, as he seemed content to just listen as she excitedly talked about her team, their training, and even her plans for after graduation.
"Well, whatd'ya say we hit the town, Ruby?"
"Do what now?" she asked.
"You know. Go see the town. Walk the streets a bit. Take in the nightlife of Vale." Luc looked eager to continue their date beyond dinner as he offered his arm to her. "It's been a while since I've gotten to enjoy a night out."
"Don't you live here?"
Luc appeared a little unnerved by Ruby's catch. "Er…well, yeah. But I've been pretty tied up lately thanks to work. I think it's time the city and I get reacquainted."
"If you say so." Ruby hadn't really planned for anything beyond dinner, though now that she thought about it, it sorta made sense. People talked about dinner and a show, so she assumed a date meant food and some sort of entertainment. For Luc, shopping in Vale must be a big deal. Maybe she could find a gift for him, since he'd paid for dinner. At the very least, she could take him to her favorite dust shop and check out the weapons on display.
"It's settled then." Ruby hooked her arm through his, feeling a little silly but also enjoying how comfortable it felt. Nothing like she'd imagined. "Just need to grab my hat, and we'll be on our way." As they exited Clemens, the host handed her date a round hat adorned with a single, yellow feather and the pair cheerfully stepped out into the cool, night air.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Where do you suppose all the shoppers went to, Luc?" Despite being near the center of town, the small crowd of shoppers had quickly vanished, leaving them nearly alone on the quiet, brightly lit street.
"Ah, they're around here somewheres." Luc assured her, carefully eyeing the display of a high-end clothing store. As they walked, his right hand swayed oddly, his hand occasionally twitching as if to hold some phantom object. "What do you care? You're havin' a good time, ain't ya?"
Honestly, she was. Luc didn't seem overly interested in the comic book store she dragged him to, but still humored her and even surprised her with a copy of the original X-ray and Vav. She hadn't even seen him slip away to the register. She may have drooled over it on seeing the pristine comic behind the counter, but given the rather sizable price tag of anything on the closely-guarded wall, she'd moved on as she always did and settled for something more in her price range.
In other words, something cheap.
Now, precious comic clutched to her chest, she waited to see what type of store he wanted to check out. She didn't have much lien with her, but after he'd spoiled her already, she felt she should at least get him something. Problem was, he never spent very long in any store. No fair! I can't buy you something that fast. She'd have to figure out a way to trick him into taking his time.
Her plan would have to wait, as they arrived at the dust shop she'd told him about earlier. Right in the middle of the display window sat a heavy sabre. The bright light inside reflected off the gleaming edge. Ruby's eyes zeroed in on the thin lines running down the blade from a concealed chamber in the hilt, indicating some sort of dust-infusion. The design was simple compared to something like Crescent Rose, but she could still respect a classic. Maybe I can get Jaune to let me do something like that to his sword. It would take some work, especially if she wanted to avoid enlarging the hilt, but it would totally be worth the effort.
"Can we–" Ruby didn't even get to finish her question as Luc pushed the door open for her and waited. With a grateful smile, and a muted squeak of joy, she rushed inside to examine the weapon. "Oh, it's so cool! Can I hold it?" The elderly shopkeeper nodded in agreement, clearly recognizing her as a Huntress-in-training.
Ruby carefully lifted the sword from its pedestal, marveling at how light it felt. The grip was a little larger than she needed, but it still handled easily. She whistled in appreciation as it sliced through the air, then twirled it twice for dramatic effect. Turning it sideways, she easily found the center of gravity and balanced the flat of the blade against her finger. I expected it to be closer to the hilt. Further inspection revealed the end of the blade to be slightly thicker, offsetting the weight in the hilt while also providing a more forceful swing. The dust chamber popped open with a click, revealing two empty cylinders. Dual-dust infusion? Can it use both at once? She'd read about some new experiments in combining dust like that, but the mixture had to be pretty precise.
"This is amazing!" she cheered as she replaced the sword. "Did you make it yourself? How did you get the dust mixture right? What about the infusion method? Does it run to the end of the blade? And what if– hey, what're you doing?"
The shopkeeper looked a little odd with his hands in the air and a worried look on his face. A stack of lien sat on the counter, next to an open, empty cash register. His eyes darted between her and where Luc was browsing some dust crystals.
Wait. When did Luc change clothes? That seemed like an odd thing to do, especially in the middle of a store. He also looked a little taller. And older. And familiar.
Crap!
"What did you do with Luc?" Ruby demanded.
"I'm right here, Ruby," not-Luc casually insisted as he turned around.
"Nice try, Torchwick." The infamous criminal froze in surprise, glancing down at himself. "But you can't fool me that easily. Now, where's Luc?"
"Dang it, Neo," Torchwick growled before reaching for his weapon…only to realize he was unarmed. "Well, I guess this means the date's over, eh kid?"
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Neo waited patiently outside the dust shop, enjoying the fresh air and freedom as the disguised Torchwick continued entertaining their young foe. She'd been a little upset at realizing Roman had been set up with Ruby of all people, but her illusion had done its job, making him look younger and getting them out of that cramped house for a few hours. Having to maintain an illusion on both of them for so long had been difficult, but with only a change to her hair color, she was able to focus most of her energy on Roman's disguise.
She'd been a little miffed at him getting the girl a present until she'd spotted the random items he "dropped" after visiting each store. A small necklace. Some lien from an unsuspecting customer's pocket. Someone's scroll. Even a whole purse at one point. Truly, Roman was a master of his craft.
She checked her own scroll yet again, carefully keeping track of the time. While she felt confident no one would see through Roman's disguise, she couldn't say the same of her own. At this time of night, there were plenty of other criminals out on the prowl. If one of them recognized her, word would spread like wildfire. They wouldn't be easy to capture, but with their lack of henchmen to cover an escape and the sizable price on their heads from rival crime bosses, she didn't want to risk it. Plus. That stupid Huntress girl would get involved and they really didn't need that kind of heat right now.
Some idiot bumped into her, not paying attention as he trudged along the mostly-empty sidewalk. "Oh, sorry," he muttered half-heartedly, glancing at her as he did. As he turned to move on, the man did a double-take. If that wasn't enough to put Neo on edge, the dawning recognition had her ready to run. "It's you! I thought I'd never see you again!"
Neo managed an awkward smile and wave for her former coworker.
"It's me! Hopkins! You know, from the battleship." The same battleship she'd recently attacked him on, then broke out the most wanted criminal in all of Vale from. "I looked everywhere for you. Look, I don't know what that Torchwick guy has on you, but I'll protect you. You don't have to work for him anymore. Just let me–"
Both of them turned suddenly as a locker slammed into the road a few feet away, just before the display beside them shattered and a red blur shot out. Neo face palmed hard enough to echo in the empty street as Ruby opened her locker and pulled out her frankly ludicrous weapon. With her concentration broken by Hopkins, she didn't need to look to know her illusion on Roman had fallen.
"Not again," came the exasperated groan of her undisguised partner.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Ruby Rose, where have you been?" Yang demanded as her sister dragged herself in well past curfew.
"Leave me 'lone," she whined, trying to climb into her bed. Her foot slipped as she rose, sending her sprawling on top of Weiss. Her partner mercilessly shoved her off onto the floor, where Ruby decided playing dead would be the best course of action.
"I thought you were just going shopping tonight." Heh. At least my lie worked. It wasn't a very good one, but it was the best she could come up with at the time. "Next thing I know, Dad's calling me about you getting into another fight with Torchwick!"
"I didn't mean to," Ruby insisted, finally picking herself off the floor and facing her sister. "I didn't know it was him."
"Who, exactly, did you think it was?" Weiss demanded, making it clear who her traitorous partner had sided with.
"Luc Burgess."
"Who?"
It hadn't taken long for her to realize the truth during their fight, especially once that girl had showed up again. She was just glad the two had chosen to run rather than stay and fight in the end. At least I caught their accomplice. He'd been standing guard outside with Torchwick's partner, but they'd left him behind. No honor amongst thieves. Arresting him didn't do much for how sore she felt, but she needed the small victory after the beating she'd received from the other two.
"I thought I was meeting some guy for dinner, okay."
Yang connected the dots easily enough, though her target was a little off. "Dang it, Randi!"
"Look, it's been a long night, okay? Can we talk about it in the morning?"
"Fine," Yang begrudgingly agreed before helping her into her bed. "But we're calling home tomorrow so you can explain to Dad."
"Whatever," Ruby accepted, figuring it wasn't worth fighting. Considering she'd fought three criminals, then had to endure another grueling interrogation by Miss Goodwitch – who'd condemned her to detention for the rest of the year – before dragging herself back to the room, Ruby just wanted sleep right now. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
Well, almost everything, she thought as she slipped her new comic book out. She'd hidden it in her locker during the fight, then tucked it into her blouse before facing down Miss Goodwitch. The thick plastic covering it had saved her new prize from being damaged in all the commotion, leaving her with a memorable keepsake of her first date.
Been looking forward to this one. Spent almost as much time designing Torchwick's alter-ego as I did writing this chapter. Bonus points if you can figure out the meaning behind his name (last name's easy, first name's hard). Also, while his outfit and a little dialogue may seem off, I wanted to throw a quick reference to his actual origination. Those that own the Encyclopedia for RWBY should figure that out quick enough.
Junior Detective Sun is on the prowl, in the meantime. We'll see updates now and then on their story, but much like with everyone else, they'll not always pop up. Trying to juggle a handful of minor storylines at the moment. Also, poor Hopkins. Wrong place at the wrong time. As any character from In RWBY's Shadow should know by now, being in one of my stories is no cakewalk. Even in a comedy, it seems.
As a bonus, I also threw in a quick reference to the show Community. Love most of the show (the later episodes were a little lacking at times). Can never resist doing quick references like that. Also keep struggling with this story adopting a more serious tone. Had to cut out a small chunk last week about Blake and the White Fang. This week, I cut over a thousand words when a section got too serious and needed a full rewrite. The struggle of writing outside your comfort zone.
