Chapter 22 - Conversations and Requirements
Ruby smiled after seeing Blake's almost resistant hug with Yang. Ruby's smile widened when Yang's kiss on her cheek sent her face into a fierce and uncontrolled blush. Those two definitely were good for each other. It had been a while since she had seen her big sister truly happy. It was also great to see her happy about something other than Ruby's own life. As much as Ruby loved her doting older sister, Yang needed to have a life outside of her. After everything, Yang deserved nothing left.
Smiling as Blake closed the door to the limousine, the two sisters watched it drive off into the distance, each with their own little wave until it disappeared from view.
"So? What do you think?" Yang asked, heading back inside.
"Out of ten? I give her a seven."
"Only a seven? Come on Rubes, she's definitely at least a seven and a half."
Ruby laughed at her sister's remark.
"So, why so low?"
"She didn't give in to the puppy dog pout!" Ruby harrumphed.
Yang whistled, "not many people can do that. I think that warrants at least an eight or nine on the awesomeness scale."
Ruby giggled. "Blake is amazing. She gets the little sister seal of approval."
Fist-pumping in celebration, Yang walked into the kitchen to finish up a few last-minute chores. "And how was your day?" She called, turning on the tap.
"It was incredible." Ruby's replied wistfully. It had been everything she had dreamed it would be. She had a chance to build with some of the best machines and materials she had ever seen in her life. It had been a great day to work and she had built a beautiful piece of weaponry. She almost wished she had it with her to show to the headmaster.
And almost like magic, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Ruby shouted, dashing towards the door.
With only a small stumble over her own feet to slow her down, she opened it to two people. The first was a sharply dressed woman with light blonde, nearly silver hair tied up in a tight bun. Standing behind her was an older man with grey hair and spectacles on his nose. He held a cane in one hand and a closed mug in the other. His suit was black, yet Ruby could not help but see flickers of green in the thread.
"Is this the house of Miss Ruby Rose and Miss Yang Xiao Long?" The woman's voice broke Ruby from her stupor, allowing her to mumble in the affirmative.
"May we come inside?" The woman asked, now a fair bit stricter in her question. She was a guest and yet Ruby felt like she was being commanded to do something inside her own house.
It vaguely reminded her of Miss Fall. A comparison which did not inspire confidence in Ruby, nor sway her impression of the woman very well.
"Yes, of course. Please come inside," Yang replied, coming to Ruby's rescue. "Don't mind my little sister. She just got back from the Schnee's sword-making competition or whatever. Do you want anything? Coffee? Tea? Cookies? No, we're out of cookies… Coffee? Tea?"
The man let out a small chuckle, giving his mug a gentle shake, "I seem to have brought my own with me. Glynda, anything for you?"
"Tea, with a lump of sugar, if you will."
Yang nodded and quickly darted off into the kitchen, leaving Ruby one again alone with the two individuals. She had no clue what to say. There were these two people in her house, and she could not recognize either of them. The woman was scary and glaring at her, while the man just stared at her with a faint smile on his lips.
"Hi, I'm Ruby." An easy starting point.
"Good evening Miss Rose. It has indeed been some time since we last spoke. You have grown quite a bit since our last meeting," the man said, taking a sip from his drink.
Ruby nearly asked, "we've met?" but held her tongue. She squinted, tilting her head to get a better look at him. After far too long, it finally clicked. Crimson reached up her neck and dotted her cheeks. How could she have forgotten him so easily?
"Oh! You're Professor Ozpin! The headmaster of Beacon."
"I am glad that I am so memorable to you. I only gave you a tour personally showing you around campus."
Ruby's blush deepened. Ruby wanted to argue back that it wasn't entirely her fault. The headmaster had indeed given her an extensive tour of the campus, but her focus had been a little more centered on the campus itself. Well, it was a little more centered on the machines. And weapons being made by those machines. And 3D printers. And the laser drills. Because of course Beacon University had laser drills. She could only imagine what it would be like to use one of those. She thought back to the sword she had made only a few hours before. It was incredible, but she was sure that the Quilon was not as straight as it could have been, had it been done by computer guided lasers. Everything is better with computer guided lasers. Well, maybe not everything. But everything fun.
Realizing that she had descended into a spiral of nerd-dom, she quickly apologized to the headmaster, scratching her back awkwardly.
"Sorry, I was a little distracted by everything you were showing me."
The headmaster waved it off, "please, it is not like my face is famous. I would never expect someone to know who runs a school, let alone who gives you a tour. I know I didn't remember who gave me mine when I walked those very halls, even though he was my own professor."
"Would you guys like to sit down?" Yang asked from the kitchen, bringing with her a tray of drinks.
Glynda nodded, following Yang to the couch, where she sat down, leaving enough room for Professor Ozpin to sit beside her. Yang placed the tray on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa chair across from the Beacon University faculty. Ruby squeezed in beside her big sister, reaching for her own cup.
Ruby sighed. It was cold milk. The perfect drink for calming the nerves.
"I do believe we have forgotten to introduce ourselves," Professor Ozpin began, taking a small drink from his own mug. "My name is Ozpin and I am the headmaster of Beacon University. With me tonight is Glynda Goodwitch, my esteemed deputy headmistress, as well as head of scholarships and admissions." He gestured to Glynda, who bowed her head in acknowledgement.
"If I remember correctly, you Miss Rose are looking to enter into beacon's weapon-smithing program and are on track for a scholarship, with the potential for a full-scholarship, is that right?"
Yang had to nudge Ruby for her to let out a sharp, "yup!"
"And you, Miss Xiao Long are hoping to enter into Beacon's huntsman program."
"Yes. Hopefully with a scholarship of course," Yang affirmed with a grin.
"Indeed."
"Miss Xiao Long, Rose. Scholarships, as you know are offered on three basic bases. Grade-point average, extracurriculars and circumstance," Professor Goodwitch chimed in, fixing her triangular spectacles on her nose. "Miss Rose, you are on track for a full scholarship, as you are no doubt aware. I would like to offer my early congratulations to that fact. But do be aware that you can lose said scholarship if your grades slip. Similarly, if you are unable to keep up to date with your extracurriculars. Do I make myself clear?"
Ruby nodded, smiling despite herself along with Yang. It was fantastic news.
"Miss Xiao Long, your grades are… adequate to make it into the huntsman program, though as of now, they are not at scholarship level."
"Rubes here took all the brains in the family and that's completely fine by me," Yang said with a smile.
"Your documentation does say that you do not possess any extracurriculars aside from working as a bartender. And that is due to your at-home circumstances?"
"Yup," she replied, popping her 'p'. "It's just Rubes and I living here, so I gotta do whatever I can to keep the house up and running and rent paid."
"Where may your parents be-"
"Dead," Yang interrupted.
"I apolo-"
"It happened years ago," Yang interrupted Professor Goodwitch a second time. Ruby leaned into Yang's side, enjoying the feeling of her older sister wrap an arm around her. "I bring in the bread and Ruby here keeps the place clean and gets the grades. Not to put any pressure on you -oh, hell. Who am I kidding, tons of pressure on you-"
"Yang, don't." Ruby whispered, even as Yang barreled onward.
"you guys know the situation we're in. University's expensive. And even with the perks that come from low income pricing, we just don't make enough money to both go to school. I don't have the grades for anything for a scholarship based on anything other than my at-home circumstances, but Ruby does."
"Yang," Ruby said, a little louder this time.
"We need her to get a full scholarship or at least mostly full scholarship to afford university. Not just for her but for me too. But know that she is going to your school no matter what."
"Yang," Ruby said with a commanding voice. Yang brushed off her sister.
"If she doesn't get a scholarship, then there is no reason to even look at giving me one. If it's a choice between her schooling and mine, it will always be hers. I know that there is a lot of pressure being placed on my sister for my sake, and I absolutely hate that I've put her in that position, but what's done is done. Look at her grades first. And if she is found lacking, then if it is at all possible, give her the scholarship that hopefully would have gone to me."
"Yang!" Rubbed stood up glaring at her sister, who stood firm in her own resolve.
"I'm not backing down Ruby. We both knew this was the truth. Your education is infinitely more important than mine."
"And I'm two years younger than you. I can wait and apply at a regular time. I could work and help you pay your way through university."
"Would mom have wanted you to push back on your dreams?"
Ruby stepped back, looking like she had been struck. "How dare you. Mom wouldn't have wanted you to give up on your dreams either."
And with that, Ruby left, giving one final look back to the headmaster and deputy headmistress in a silent apology.
I gave myself a mini heart attack when I couldn't find this chapter in the document manager tab. Took me a moment to remember that I had it saved in a word document. Woops!
Dragonqueen1993 - Weiss is in for a world of (romantic) trouble!
Read and Stayed - The climax will indeed be blissful!
timrocks99 - There is no other way to end than perpetual cliffhangers! The final chapter of this will end with 'The End... or is it?'
Chaks - Yes, exactly! I was hoping the story's name would be a big enough hint to the plot.
KillamriX88 - *silent giggles*
Darknight2124 - Does it? Well, stay tuned to find out!
Cun - So glad you're enjoying it. Writing evil Cinder is a lot of fun. As is writing sad Ruby.
iamking - Thanks!