Chapter 23 - Conversations and Solutions
Ruby sat outside on the front porch, chin on her knee as she stared out into the front yard and the empty street. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the flickering streetlight and the single moth which buzzed around it. The pale orange glow surrounded the entire street, basking everything in the comforting warmth of familiarity. Ruby loved it. It seemed to always calm her down. Especially after spats with her big sister.
Ruby wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't like fighting with Yang. Especially not in front of other people, and especially not about her mom. It was not a new conversation. Yang had been firm in her belief that Ruby was the more important one out of the two of them. Something which Ruby would vehemently deny. Yang had her own life to live that was separate from her. Ruby would do anything for her big sister, much in the same way that she knew that her big sister would do anything for her.
It was always a strange dichotomy between the two of them. Always a competition. Always trying to place the other's wellbeing above their own. Yang worked every night and was risking giving up her future for Ruby. And Ruby? Well, she had dealt with Cinder Fall for a long time.
Ruby shivered. She still did not know if her time with Cinder was over. She assume not, because she was still their landlady. And held Torchwick, as well as rent over their heads.
It was at times like these that Ruby truly and desperately missed her parents. She missed her mom and dad so much. She could not even gain comfort in wearing her mother's sweater anymore. No, that garment had been torn off of her and left in rags.
But at least something good came out of that bad situation. A small hint of a smile appeared on her lips. Yes, without Emerald and that fateful night, Ruby wouldn't have had the courage, or at least the mindset, to tell Yang about those extra chores. And it had inspired her to use the design she did for Weiss's competition.
"Mind if I join you?"
Ruby flinched at the sound, spinning to see the headmaster looking down at her. In place of his own mug was a pink flower-petalled one.
"Okay," Ruby replied without much vigour.
Surprisingly, the headmaster knelt down and took a seat beside her on the porch, letting his cane rest on his knee.
"Your sister does truly and deeply care about your Miss Rose. You should be eternally grateful for that."
"I am. Of course I am. Yang's the best big sister ever, even if she is a little embarrassing at times. Don't tell her I told you that."
"Of course."
"But she always puts me above her. Did you know that I sometimes find her sneaking in some extra funds into my weapon-smithing hobby? We agreed that I would pay for all my stuff for my hobby by myself. Anything extra gets put back into my hobby or goes to the 'house-fund'. But no, Yang has to put some of her money into my hobby just so I can continue it. Doesn't matter if we can afford it or not."
"Miss Xiao Long was telling Glynda and myself a great deal about this hobby of yours. While I cannot say I am a master of the craft, I have dabbled in weapons design and the occasional smithing lesson or two. She tells us that your work is incredible. That you are a true prodigy."
Ruby blushed and waved off the thought. "She's just saying that."
"Do you have any particular pieces that you are truly proud of?"
"Well, there's my sweetheart of course. Crescent Rose is my scythe that I'm trying to build from scratch. I don't really have the right tools or metal to build it exactly how I'd like to, but I'm doing it with any bits and pieces I can scrounge around. She's my baby. Well, right now she's in two parts, so I guess I have two babies? I don't know. I think I'm rambling."
"Indeed."
"Well, there is one piece I am super duper happy with. I gave it a real fancy name, since I made it for Wiess -erm, Weiss Schnee, for her contest. It's a sword and a gun! The gun itself is a revolver barrel design in place of the guard and most of the Quilon, which makes the most beautiful sound when it spins."
"Sound? Most weapon-smiths prefer their weapons to be silent when they shift or move."
"I know! And I don't get it. If it's perfectly quiet, then you have the advantage of surprise, but what happens if it's a minor shift and you do it by accident? All of a sudden, you're reaching for a gun and whoops, you stab yourself with a dagger. If there is a unique sound, then you always know. And for Weiss's. Each barrel can be filled with a unique variation of dust. Or ammunition or whatever. She'll need to know which track will be released when she fires the trigger! She could look at it, but that takes time. Or, she can wait for the sound. A 'click' for the even turns and 'clack' for the odd ones. Now she just needs to remember what she started on and if it was a 'click' or a 'clack'. Not to mention the spinning is pitch perfect, so it sounds great too… Oh, sorry. Yang says I tend to ramble when I talk about weapons."
"That is quite alright. I find conversing with students about their greatest fascinations to be a fascination of my own. And a true blessing. There is nothing quite like seeing a young spirit discuss something they hold so close to their heart. I see it in you when you talk about your weapons. And I see it in your sister when she talks about you."
"Oh, umm thanks." Ruby's sheepish reply brought a round of gentle chuckles from the headmaster. Chuckles which Ruby joined with her own.
"I would very much like to see this weapon you described to me. As well as the sound it provides. While I cannot say for certain as to whether or not you have earned yourself a scholarship at this time, seeing such a blade may do wonders to help."
"I… don't have it. I built it for the contest so Weiss has it. I doubt it won, so maybe I can ask for it back, but I don't know. I'd show you the music toy the barrel's sound design was based on, but I lost the metal pin which goes brrrrr and makes the sound when it hits the metal and wooden… spinny bits. Yes, those are my technical terms for it. Weiss said she'll find it and give it back to me, so maybe I can show it to you in the future."
"Do the two sound the same? The barrel and the musical toy?"
Ruby nodded. "Yes. Almost surprisingly so. Even though the music toy is made mostly from wood and the sword is, well, it's made from metal. But I spent like a week doing the math before the contest, so I got the ratios almost perfect. You would have to hear both side by side to be absolutely sure though."
The headmaster looked out into the front yard, seemingly deep in thought. Ruby decided it was best not to disturb him. He did a great deal to help her out, maybe without him even knowing it. It was nice to have a conversation with someone, even if it was mostly one sided.
"I can see that it is quite late, and while you may or may not have plans for your morning, my associate seemed it wise to plan out plenty more of these scholarship meetings. I do pray that I find any of them half as interesting as this. Thank you for the discussion, Miss Rose."
The headmaster stood up, balancing himself on his cane and walking back inside. A minute later, he returned to the door, accompanied by Professor Goodwitch and Yang.
"Thank you so much for coming over. It was great to meet you both," Yang said, shaking the deputy headmistress's hand in both of her own.
"We shall be deciding scholarship awardees as well as amounts in the coming weeks, so please make sure you check your mail for any letters from my office. Both of you, keep your grades up. Any specific requests we have for you, be it proof of work, or otherwise, will be sent by mail to you as well, prior to any scholarship letters." Professor Goodwitch was still all business. Strict and with hard eyes.
The headmaster's however, looked just as relaxed as they were when he had arrived. To Ruby, he was a lot more laid back and friendly than Professor Goodwitch.
"I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavours, Miss Xiao Long. Miss Rose. I hope to see great things from the both of you."
"Thank you."
"Thanks."
With a final tilt of his head, the two faculty members of the prestigious Beacon University made their leave. Yang was left sighing and collapsing face-first into the couch, groaning about how nervous the whole situation had left her. Ruby however could only think back to what the headmaster had spoken with her about.
It had been a good day.
Welp, I had to give this chapter a pretty big edit. I kept on referring to 'the headmaster' as 'the hamster' and now I can't stop imagining Ozpin as a laid-back hamster munching on a coffee bean.
Darknight2124 - Yang is definitely somebody I can see giving up any of her dreams in life for her sister. It's a great sibling relationship.
dragonqueen1993 - And nothing is more embarrassing to think about after waking up at 2am and remembering what you've just done!
Read and stayed - It's the secret second genre!
iamking - Thanks!
FN75 - Hope it was delivered. Either wat, plenty of drama is yet to come.