Ruby probably wouldn't show up. If the situations were reversed, Weiss knew she wouldn't. She would write off the invitation as a prank orchestrated by her coworkers and spend the next few days surly about the childish behavior. Knowing what her response would be, she refused to waste too much time waiting at E'Clara's, one of the techiest eateries near the Justice Center.
Even if Ruby didn't show, the first message served as an icebreaker - an indication that Weiss was interested in meeting. While waiting to learn Ruby's response, she realized that the two of them had never spoken outside of the courtroom before yesterday. And cross-examinations were so confrontational that they could hardly be considered conversations.
A lot hinged on this initial meeting's outcome, but Weiss wasn't nervous. She knew what she had to offer - a mountain of money and fame, but also respect, the opportunity to help some of the most powerful people in the world, and, most of all, challenge. No more speeding tickets or search functions - legitimate challenges.
Someone like Ruby must crave mental stimulation, and Weiss' side of the law offered those opportunities. They weren't restricted by rules and regulations like the police, giving them the freedom to solve cases in nearly any way they saw fit.
Before making any offer though, she had to earn Ruby's trust. Having tracked down and spoken to several people who'd tried and failed recruiting Ruby in the past, she knew that was their most glaring mistake.
Their efforts revolved around setting up a meeting and presenting a nearly-unfathomable salary, but why would Ruby accept something like that? She had no reason to believe a word they said. For all she knew, they would break every promise they made. If she believed the offer...there was no legitimate reason for her to decline. It was everything someone at the top of their field could want, and then some.
On the flip side, successfully recruiting Ruby meant that Weiss would become senior partner - a position her father swore she wouldn't reach without him. Not only could she prove him wrong, but the prospect of having Ruby's skill and ingenuity at her disposal was enough to get excited about, and she didn't get excited about much.
This was a win-win all the way around. Weiss just had to be patient and do whatever it took to gain Ruby's trust. That would probably entail stepping out of her comfort zone, but the reward was more than worth a few weeks of breaking out of her shell.
It all started with this meeting.
Scanning the restaurant again, she didn't spot anyone familiar. Of course, that was unsurprising considering the time of day and everyone's insistence on wearing holomasks. The ubiquitous devices were just as annoying as they were useful, with her feelings towards them depending on whether or not she was wearing one.
Since wearing a fake identity would make it unnecessarily difficult for Ruby to recognize her, Weiss' mask was still in her bag. Ruby would probably come masked though, so...theoretically, she could already be here.
The thought gave Weiss reason to glance around one more time, but no one looked out of place or suspicious. Several people waited in line for to-go orders while others sat at the tables conversing with company, if they had any. When she tuned her ears towards the nearest table, however, she realized that she couldn't pick out any words. True to what the website claimed, the restaurant had installed auditory scrambling devices for each table.
Willing to wait ten more minutes before moving to Plan B, she pulled out her phone and checked her messages. This new mission was her highest priority at the moment, but she could prod some cases forward while waiting.
When the door of E'Clara's opened and a young woman with dark brunette hair walked inside, Weiss lowered her phone and watched the newest arrival with increasing interest.
Vivid green eyes scanned the restaurant before falling upon Weiss and staying. No one else had given Weiss more than a cursory glance, but this young woman didn't look away. Instead, she approached the table with a hesitant aura suggesting she wasn't sure if she should be there.
"I don't bite," Weiss eventually said before motioning towards the seat across from her. Surprisingly, the comment seemed to reassure Ruby, who even smiled while pulling out the chair and sitting down.
"You never know these days."
After a small scoff at the joke, Weiss studied the person across from her. It wasn't until this moment that she realized how clearly she knew Ruby's eye color, as the absence of stunning silver was more jarring than the vivid green staring back at her.
Even though this person looked nothing like Ruby, it was very obviously her. Weiss made that determination either via the contextual clues of a masked stranger approaching her at the designated time and location, or part of Ruby's...essence...slipped through regardless of the disguise.
The answer mattered very little. The fact that Ruby showed up at all meant this crusade wasn't as pointless as many believed. If Ruby wasn't looking for something, she wouldn't waste her time with a meeting.
"I'm sorry," Weiss added to keep the conversation moving. "I don't want to keep you from work for too long."
"That's ok. I'm actually working right now."
While Ruby grinned, Weiss held her tongue to keep from asking what Ruby was working on. Obviously, Weiss couldn't know what it was, but that didn't make her want to know any less. Most importantly, how was Ruby working on it while sitting here?
"Oh," Weiss said instead, tapping her fingers on the table while searching for a topic to distract herself.
"You want to know, don't you?"
"I'll admit being...curious."
Ruby laughed at the response, the sound so lighthearted that Weiss unwittingly smiled in return. How long had it been since she heard someone laugh like that? So genuine and...happy?
"No specifics," Ruby said before leaning forward and lowering her voice. "I made a program that uses machine learning to 'read' facial expressions and type them into words."
"You mean...it can look at a photo of someone smiling and write 'happy?'"
"Exactly!" Ruby leaned back in her seat and smiled. "You're the first one who's gotten it without an explanation."
"Well, it's not that difficult to understand. Although, I can't fathom how you programmed it."
"Lots of trials and lots of errors."
Even though Weiss wanted to discuss the implications of such a program, she also didn't want to overstep her bounds. That was, however, valuable information. Knowing what Ruby was capable of would go a long way in preventing surprises.
Although...if Ruby was willing to share, Weiss suspected some unfortunate attorney would soon learn exactly what this new program could do. After the past few days, she sincerely hoped the first casualty was someone in her office.
"Then I'm glad I'm not keeping you from work," she replied, and Ruby smiled again.
Three minutes into the conversation and Weiss could definitively say that Ruby smiled often - maybe too often. What was she so happy about? What was she expecting out of this that Weiss didn't see?
"So, uh...why'd you want to meet with me?"
Having expected that question, Weiss already knew her response.
"We've been working in the same field for...four years now, right?"
"Three years, eight months," Ruby answered with enough certainty that Weiss raised one brow. "I mean, yeah, about that," Ruby added before glancing away.
The response confirmed one of Weiss' long-held suspicions - Ruby had an impeccable memory, especially when it came to numbers. That was only a small part of what made her so dangerous and frustrating on the stand - nothing impressed a jury more than someone who could rattle off case numbers, dates, and specific values on a whim.
"Right." Deciding not to dive into that topic, Weiss smiled instead. "It's been a long time, but recently I've been curious about you."
"You're curious about me?"
"It's no secret that you're the most competent member of the department," Weiss replied with a nonchalant wave. "I don't think it's outlandish that I'd like to know more about you."
"Uh...but it kind of is?"
That response gave Weiss cause for concern, and she searched Ruby's expression for hints of suspicion.
"Why do you say that?" she asked at the same time, carefully noting Ruby's reaction.
"It's just that...you haven't shown much interest in me before." Ruby tapped her fingers against the table with the response, suggesting there was more she wanted to add. "And usually when people want to meet with me out of the blue, they're trying to convince me to leave my job, not get to know me better."
Even though that was Weiss' ultimate goal, she didn't flinch. And she wasn't lying, either - she did want to get to know Ruby better. With the purpose of convincing her that leaving the police department was in her best interest.
"Well, I'm not them," Weiss stated before moving away from the potentially dangerous topic. "And I know it might be...unconventional...but I think as long as we establish some ground rules, there's no reason why we can't get to know each other."
Technically, being friends with a member of the police department wasn't forbidden. Perception, however, discouraged most from doing so.
"I'm ok with ground rules."
When Ruby nodded, Weiss found herself increasingly grateful that Ruby was so easygoing. This might not be so difficult, after all.
"Most important one - no discussing current or pending cases in any way, shape, or form."
"What about closed ones?"
"Those should be fine," Weiss answered after several seconds of thought. "But not if they're pending appeal or you even remotely think they'll appeal."
"What about cases of other attorneys?" Ruby followed up with. Again, Weiss furrowed her brow and considered the potential conflicts of interest. How much risk was she willing to accept?
"None from my firm," she decided. "Other firms, fine, but you shouldn't give away any new methodologies before presenting them in court."
"What if it's new but has no current use?"
"You still shouldn't." Weiss shook her head to emphasize that point. "You should hold onto those for when you need them. You never know how it might line up with future work."
"Ok, but what if I have a new program that's only for entertainment purposes?"
"That should be fine..."
"But what if it could be used in a case? How will we know without being able to predict future crimes?"
Stumped by the question, Weiss searched for a solution that allowed them some avenues of conversation. But if it could be used in the future, Ruby shouldn't share. The chances of Weiss forgetting were slim, which gave her a competitive advantage. And, knowing herself, she would use it.
But she should be allowed to use it if Ruby provided the information willingly. In that case...
When a giggle interrupted her deliberation, she frowned across the table. That was when she spotted the sparkle in Ruby's eyes.
"You're messing with me," she finally figured out, only making Ruby's smile grow.
"You're so serious."
"I'm an attorney."
"Those aren't correlated."
As soon as Ruby made the claim, Weiss felt a strong desire to argue the counterpoint. When she realized Ruby already expected an argument, however, she clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. "A debate for another day," was all she said. Impossibly, Ruby looked even happier.
"I get that we can't talk about work," Ruby added, probably to reassure Weiss. "So don't worry. I'm not trying to figure out your strategies and stuff."
"I wouldn't expect that considering I'm the one who initiated this meeting."
"You never know. I can come up with an evil plan pretty fast."
When Ruby waggled her brow, Weiss huffed.
"Alright then - let's hear it."
When Ruby blinked, Weiss felt her advantage return.
"Hear what?"
"An evil plan," she elaborated with an encouraging wave. "I'd love to hear what the masterful Ruby Rose can come up with on short notice."
She didn't expect Ruby to play along - no one she knew would play along with such a ridiculous request - but Ruby looked around the restaurant before grinning.
"Ok, how about...in under thirty seconds, I can hack into the ordering system and change all the food options. Then when someone tries to order a hamburger, the kitchen will get an order for a salad, and vice versa."
While Ruby beamed, Weiss tried and failed to hold an impassive expression.
"Are you kidding?" she asked, her amusement growing when Ruby nodded. "That's your 'evil' plan?"
"But...isn't it evil? No one can order what they want! What if people have allergies? Besides, ordering a burger and getting a salad is like a crime."
"Ah, of course. I understand now. Very evil."
After chuckling at the thought of someone screaming at a salad that should have been a hamburger, Weiss realized she wasn't paying enough attention to the conversation. So she refocused on her goal - learning what Ruby wanted from life and work. Any unrelated topics should be kept to a minimum so she didn't waste too much of her time.
Still, that plan was the opposite of evil. She'd done worse to her coworkers without batting an eye.
"So," she continued before softly clearing her throat and feeling her comfort dwindle. This next part required getting to know someone, which she usually avoided at all costs. "What are some things you do in your free time?" she asked regardless.
"I, uh...I work from home a lot," Ruby answered with a fleeting smile. "Or I mess around on the computer."
"How do you 'mess around' on a computer?"
"Oh, you know, I just do whatever I feel like. Fix random websites, investigate cold cases, read about the newest tech..."
"You fix random websites?"
"Yeah! Tons of sites have vulnerabilities they don't know about. If it's pretty bad, I'll patch 'em up and send the owners a note."
For the life of her, Weiss couldn't understand why anyone would spend their free time doing that.
"Do you make them pay?" she asked, only for Ruby to stare at her.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you're providing a service -"
"I'm helping them," Ruby corrected before laughing. "And no, I don't make them pay. I don't need their money."
Weiss struggled to comprehend the charitable aspect of Ruby's 'hobby,' but she could at least cross one motivation off the list - Ruby didn't see the allure in making more money. That made sense too. If she did, she would have left the police department years ago.
"What about you?"
Surprised by the question, Weiss gave Ruby a searching look.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you do in your free time?" Ruby elaborated with a small wave of one hand.
"You act as if I have any," Weiss scoffed. But Ruby had been forthcoming in her answer and deserved the same attempt in return. Even if it made Weiss uncomfortable...she'd signed up for uncomfortable.
"I spend most of the day working," she admitted. "When I'm home, I'm drafting arguments or writing remarks."
Somehow, that felt like too much information while also being no information. Ruby could do nothing with the knowledge except know what Weiss was up to at home, which seemed...fine.
"So you don't have any hobbies? Not even...I don't know...chip art?"
"What's chip art?"
"You've never seen it before?" When Weiss shook her head, Ruby pulled out her phone. "If you're looking for a hobby, I recommend it," she added while tapping the screen, giving Weiss the opportunity to marvel at the speed with which she operated the device.
Everyone had the same type of phone these days, so it seemed like they should all be comparatively competent in using them. Apparently, that assumption was boldly wrong.
"Here."
After finding whatever she was searching for, Ruby turned on the projector. In the air above her phone appeared a small sculpture of a bear made from small, individual memory chips.
"We have so much old tech these days, people are repurposing parts to make things. Chip art is my favorite, but they're also making really cool stuff out of broken projectors or old camera lenses."
While Ruby spoke, more examples projected above her phone. The effect was so seamless that Weiss felt like she was watching a planned presentation. But it couldn't have been planned. Ruby hadn't known this conversation would come up, so...she was just that fast?
"Are you saying I should spend my free time making art out of memory chips?" Weiss finally asked. Ruby's eyes immediately widened.
"Just a suggestion! There are tons of hobbies you could look into. Like...uh...anchor boarding, vivid Dreamscaping, mask-making -" Again, a slideshow of visual aids accompanied Ruby's rambles. "Basically, there's something for everyone these days. If you can find the time, that is."
For a moment, Weiss didn't know whether to be impressed or amused by what she just experienced. On the one hand, what were they really even talking about? On the other hand, the conversation felt remarkably fluid and carefree. It was easy to get swept up in it and just...forget everything else for a second.
"I can help you find something, if you want," Ruby added, quickly flipping Weiss' reaction to surprise.
Ruby had no reason to help Weiss with anything, least of all her personal life. Yet she still offered, and the offer seemed genuine.
"Thank you." Weiss smiled and hoped Ruby could read her sincerity. "If I ever find time to pursue something like that, I'll let you know."
"Right! Yeah, definitely."
Ruby was embarrassed now, as evidenced by her glance at the table while her fingers drummed faster.
"I'm sorry," Weiss said when she remembered her manners. "Do you want something to eat?"
She'd already motioned towards the counter and was partially out of her seat by the time Ruby shook her head.
"I'm good, thanks. I'm not really hungry."
The response felt like a lie, but Weiss didn't press the issue. Instead, she sat back down and smiled. Amongst the 'bad' scenarios she'd imagined, being unable to hold a conversation had seemed the most likely. But that worry had already disappeared. Not only was Ruby easy to talk to, but her obvious nerves ensured that Weiss retained the upper hand. The advantage might diminish over time, but she would use it while she could.
"Maybe another time? My treat."
"I won't turn down free food," Ruby replied with a soft chuckle. "But I think I owe you a few lunches by now."
"Why would you owe me lunch?"
"Oh, just, for being a great adversary, I guess."
The word stuck in Weiss' head, and she mulled it over before giving Ruby a curious look.
"Is that what you think of me?"
Now it was Ruby's turn to be surprised, as she waved her hands and backed away from the statement.
"No! I mean, kind of, but in a good way. A professional way."
"A professional adversary?"
"This is where you use my words against me," Ruby pointed out with another effortless smile. "I just meant that we're on opposite sides of the law, so we're kind of...adversaries."
"I'd prefer 'competition,'" Weiss remarked.
"What're we competing for then?"
"To win cases, of course."
That seemed like an obvious answer to Weiss, but Ruby shrugged.
"Technically, I don't win cases. I only help the prosecutors."
"Then I guess that, technically, we aren't direct competitors."
Whether or not that was what Ruby wanted to hear, the sparkle in her eyes refused to give away the answer. Instead, she looked entertained by the entire conversation. If this initial meeting wasn't so important to Weiss' goal, she might ask why. But, considering this was their first official, non-work-related interaction, she didn't feel comfortable pressing her luck.
Ruby's glance at the time confirmed that this rendezvous was nearing its end, but Weiss couldn't walk away without setting up another one.
"You probably need to get back to work," she said before checking the time and discovering that she should also return to work. "But if you're not busy, maybe we can meet again sometime?"
She left the option open-ended so as not to sound too determined. Considering Ruby responded with another big smile, that was unnecessary.
"I'd love to. Message me when you're free? I'm usually overdue for a break, so...whenever you have time."
"I can do that. Using the same method?"
"If you want, but that encryption stuff doesn't do much. It took about twenty seconds to figure out the message was from you."
While Ruby made the comment as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, Weiss gave her a long look before voicing her disbelief.
"That software's advertised as untraceable."
"Yeah, to normal people maybe." Unperturbed, Ruby waved one hand as if erasing the notion that she was anything near 'normal.' "I wouldn't trust what you read on ads though. Almost everything's traceable these days."
Even though Weiss had no reason not to believe that response, she still couldn't quite accept it. Bryant & Waters shelled out thousands of credits each month for the 'best' encryption software in existence. The attorneys and clients heavily relied on it for passing confidential information back and forth, so to learn that all of that money was essentially being flushed down the drain...was alarming and somewhat comical.
"I won't tell my boss," Weiss said with a smile and shake of her head. When her phone buzzed with an incoming message, she glanced at it before picking it up with a sigh.
"You need to go?" Ruby guessed from the response, and Weiss felt almost genuine regret while nodding. Work always had a way of butting in at the worst times, now being one of them.
"Unfortunately, yes. This client will probably have an aneurysm if I don't call soon."
"That's fine. Um...thanks for the invite."
"Thanks for actually showing up."
"Please," Ruby replied with a scoff. "Like I'd miss the chance to talk to Weiss Schnee without getting grilled on the stand."
The strangely flattering response made Weiss smile while gathering her belongings and standing up. "I'll see you later then?" she asked, earning additional reassurance when Ruby quickly nodded.
Convinced that this wouldn't be their last opportunity to talk, Weiss gave one last smile before making her way to the exit. She didn't leave, however, without glancing over her shoulder and confirming that Ruby was watching her walk away.
She was used to people watching her, often because she wanted them to, but Ruby's attentive gaze filled her with something closer to anticipation. The unexpectedly pleasant feeling kept a smile on her lips as she walked out of the restaurant and let the door fall shut behind her.
That hadn't taken much effort on her part, yet she felt remarkably closer to the girl she'd passed in the hall hundreds of times before today. If these meetings continued at the same pace and candor, she could learn what Ruby wanted from work or life in no time. At that point, it wouldn't be long before Bryant & Waters celebrated their newest technology specialist...and senior partner.