RWBY (c) RoosterTeeth


Rose Above The Clouds


Musing

"Auntie has to be a sweet person." Ruby declared, nursing the mug of hot coffee as she and Yang walked about the perimeter of the outpost. The drink was sweetened to the point of obscenity by five spoonfuls of sugar and a healthy dose of milk.

Yang preferred the absolute minimum additions to her own coffee, simply opting for the barest hint of milk. She claimed that anything more would distract from the pure caffeine hit she was craving.

They were on their designated thirty minute break, halfway through a twelve hour rotation of guard duty assigned to the S.D.C mine out in Solitas' open tundra. Uncle Qrow was right, Atlas Academy was nothing like Beacon, especially since Penny had taken to waking them up at six in the morning exactly. While Ruby was a morning person, the rest of her team... well, wasn't.

In recent days Qrow had never strayed far from their gossip. In fact, since he had revealed the truth about his marital status - well, that his wife even existed in the first place - this mystery woman had become a frequent topic of their sisterly banter. Lacking a better alternative, the girls concluded to simply refer to the woman as 'Auntie' as a sufficient compromise until Qrow saw fit to properly introduce them.

In their spare moments, they'd gossip quietly about it like an innocent little mystery to be puzzled out between them. Maybe it was rude to speculate on his private affairs, but it gave the girls a much needed and craved distraction from the monumental task ahead. And from the burdens of their daily life as Huntresses.

While Ruby considered this her lifelong dream, sometimes Ruby found the dream preferable. Particularly on those long supply runs that were composed of nothing more than torturous and mind-numbing boredom. She liked the runs where Penny accompanied them, where Ruby could catch up with her friend, once thought lost forever.

Ruby took a sip of her drink, signing in contentment as the warmth pooled in her belly and spread outward. She thought about the matter some more. Qrow had always told them stories about how he was distracted by an innkeeper's skirt length, or missed a blow because he was too busy showing off to an admiring lady friend. They were mostly taken as the gests they were, but Ruby couldn't help but ponder what kind of woman had completely snared their uncle. And what kind of person would make him fall in love so completely that he'd put a ring on her finger?

A darker part of her wandered that her absence was the reason for his heavy reliance on drink, but Yang's voice managed to cut that dark train off before Ruby could muse on it further.

"I don't think so." Yang sipped her coffee, allowing herself a smirk. "Nah, I think Auntie's gotta be tough as nails. A fighter, through and through. Someone with an acerbic bite that'd knock him down a few pegs whenever he got too uppity. You know what Uncle Qrow's like when he's got his mean streak on."

Ruby's lips pressed in a thin line and she sipped some more coffee, enjoying the warmth. "Maybe… personally, I just like the idea that whomever she was, Auntie was just kind to him. After everything we've heard about Oz from Jinn, and about Salem - I think he needs that right now, even if she's stuck in the hospital. And especially now, since he's quit drinking."

Yang brought the cup to her lips, her tone shifting more grave. "You think his wife being back in the picture means he'll stay off the bottle for good?"

"I hope so… or maybe - I don't know. Maybe I'm projecting a bit." Ruby signed, her shoulders slumping. "Maybe for once I just want to have a nice fairy tale ending. For one of us to have a happy ever after."

Ruby let out a slow breath, "Or I'm just being naive."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with looking on the bright side, Ruby. If anything, I'm glad you still can given everything that's been going on." Yang planted her hand on Ruby's head, giving her hair a quick ruffle.

The truth was that Ruby wanted them all to have that kind of ending. For Team RWBY, JNR and Oscar too. They'd all been through so much strife and change in the last year alone. Life changing revelations, death matches with mortal enemies and fate-of-the-world type disasters were running them ragged, and it was beginning to show on all of them in some measure.

It would be just great if they could just have their own fairy tale endings, or at the very least, have someone to show unconditional support and kindness through their adversities. Whether it was a partner they'd found along the way or some other figure in their lives that they could just look to for comfort without judgement.

General Ironwood was doing the best job he could given the circumstances and all the stresses he's had to endure, both on the political and personal fronts, but Ruby couldn't bring herself to trust him. Not completely.

As grateful as she was for the services his military had provided her and her team, the situation was… precarious. And the exchange wasn't one of unconditional support but of a bargain struck. He was the employer, they were the employees. He ordered them to do a job, and they were paid for their service with a licence, training and scientific research to improve their equipment.

Ruby consoled herself by remembering the fact that even if there was no one on the outside, they could still lean on each other for support. As Weiss said, they were a family, and who else could you lean on if not family.

"We're all going through rough patches right now, Rubes. Some of us are weathering it better than others," Yang put her arm over Ruby's shoulder and pulled her close. "But we've just gotta keep our chins up, grit our teeth and barrel on through. And no matter what, I'll be there for you every step of the way."

"Thanks sis." Ruby put her arm over Yang's shoulders, returning the hug with a warm smile of her own.

Yang's smile was dazzling and bright as the sun. Offering easy reassurance. It wasn't long before her joking mood returned.

"But she's definitely gotta be a Huntress." Yang declared with finality, circling back to their recent favourite topic of gossip.

"Oh absolutely." Ruby agreed without hesitation, matching Yang's equally grave expression.

A few seconds passed before they dissolved into conspiratorial giggling, walking on to enjoy the rest of their break before heading back.


Author's note:

Yang and Ruby's new favourite gossip topic; Qrow's wife.

I welcome feedback and criticism,

Aurora313