Ruby awoke with a sudden start, the remnants of a quickly fading dream still present within the confines of her mind. White rooms and empty islands. Hers had been a beautiful dream, a pure dream, one that overwhelmed her mind and encompassed her soul in a nurturing light. Although the intricacies of the dream were already lost upon her, the intrinsic desires she had felt remained nestled in her core.
She was within Kirakishou's room, snuggling up against the Rozen Maiden herself in her bed in a tangle of gangly human limbs and beautiful artificial joints. Together, they were bound in a white fabric sheet thin enough to see through. Whilst the maiden continued to sleep, Ruby took a moment to admire the ball-jointed doll's complexion in comparison to her own.
Kirakishou was a beautiful doll, impossibly so. Her beauty threatened to overtake the world and force all to gaze upon its light. Even when compared to all of the boys and girls that Ruby had seen trying out their own styles, something about this singular doll had captivated her heart and stubbornly refused to let go. Frail, yet strong. Lonely, yet whole. Tragic, yet beautiful. Combining into a delicate balance that precariously existed in a world that seemed to want nothing more than to be rid of her. Yet, in spite of it all Kirakishou continued to remain.
A timeless beauty, standing forever by Ruby's side. As was right. Nobody else could have this singular doll but Ruby herself, she would allow nothing less. That was the woman she was becoming- for it was all she would ever allow herself to become.
Perhaps she was being a little possessive and, even, rather conceited, to believe that she could ever hope to control an entity containing such power like her doll. Perhaps her plans were bound for ruin in the distant future. It was a legitimate possibility considering all the players on the board. Any single one of them could wake up one day and decide to try and steal away her doll and ruin all she had planned for the future.
Or, perhaps not. Perhaps, those savages attempting to ruin her plans would fail themselves. Perhaps they would be overwhelmed by the combined force of Ruby and Kirakishou. The power of their bond had achieved much, ever since its inception one fateful day.
She loved her doll, with every fibre of her being.
That much was without question.
She, conversely, liked to believe that the doll loved her just as much- if not more.
A pure white rose indeed…
Kirakishou had resurrected Summer Rose for her, after all. Revived her dear mother and turned her into a Rozen Maiden- all in the hopes of attaining Ruby's heart. Somehow, Kirakishou had learnt that Summer Rose was the figurative key to her heart. Her mother had been all that had ever mattered to her for the longest time. Kirakishou had learnt of this and, using her power, turned an errant dream of a child seeing their lost mother again into a beautiful reality with nought but a smile and a hope for the future.
It was only a matter of time until Summer Rose walked the ground of Remnant once again, when the doll was able to gather her body from Ironwood's possession without arousing suspicion. It was an absolute certainty in her mind. A hope. A dream she would never have had were it not for the grand actions of her pure doll. Perhaps it would be through her acquisition of the Fall Maiden powers that would spell the acquisition of her mother as well? Or, perhaps her doll would find an alternate solution. Regardless, Kirakishou would ensure that her mother was raised once again- of that much, Ruby was certain.
If that wasn't a display of love, to go so far as to defy nature, then Ruby didn't know what love could ever be. She doubted that she would care for another that would not involve the overwhelming degree of emotions generated by her beloved doll. None other would ever hope to approach the timeless beauty that her Kirakishou held. It was simply not possible for humans or faunus to attain.
What, then, was she?
How did Kirakishou come into being?
How could someone create a doll so timelessly beautiful and yet cause her so much pain?
"Mmm… Little Ruby… you always present the most curious expressions when you wake."
Despite all of the questions brimming within the confines of her mind and downright begging to be answered, Ruby could not prevent the stupid little pout from growing on her face- brought forth by the awakened doll deciding that teasing her was the best thing to say early morning!
It was, not, the right way she was supposed to be greeted! Happy couples were supposed to wake up with a good morning kiss and some light snuggling. That's just how things worked. Well, at least in all the romance stories that she had read in her childhood. And maybe a few raunchier ones that she hid from Yang when she started growing older.
"Moh!~" a weird growl-like gurgle of annoyance escaped her lips as puffed her cheeks, the expression alone seemingly enough to send her doll into a cascade of bell-like giggles. "You're a meanie…"
Kirakishou nuzzled into the crook of Ruby's neck, her peach-blonde hair softly rubbing against her exposed skin. From her experiences with Yang's overly-affectionate early morning hugs, Ruby had thought that she'd never be comfortable with that much hair pressed up against her- but somehow the doll's hair was different to that of her big sister. Softer, somehow. It wrapped her up in a gentle embrace.
"I am many things, little reaper, but know I shall never be mean to you. A doll loves you, more than anything."
She wrapped her arms around the doll. "...I know…" a sniffle escaped her, "I-I love you too, you goof. You know that. Don't make me say it out loud. I-I was only playing around before…"
The doll gave a subtle nod, clutching against her form like a tiny limpet. A pleasant tingle ran down her spine at the possessiveness radiating from her doll. Bound together and bound again, both in part due to the Rozen Maiden contract and their shared feelings.
Could anything be better than that? She highly doubted it.
"You have several classes on today, Ruby." Kirakishou whispered, her voice light and laced with the soft tones of a recent heavy sleep. "While you were resting, I gathered your textbooks for you. Your doll believed that her master likely would not desire to risk any awkward conversations with the other members of Team RWBY, were you to arrive early morning seeking supplies."
Was that why her doll had taken so long to wake up? Normally Kirakishou woke up practically right at the same time that she did. But recently she'd been finding that it would take longer and longer for Kirakishou to wake up in the morning. Had she been doing things in the night whilst Ruby slept? That couldn't be good for her health, even considering her doll physiology.
Not that any of the doll maintenance manuals she'd been reading her spare time ever covered anything remotely similar to the Rozen Maiden and the habits of their living dolls. But, in the very least it was a rather informative read.
"O-Oh." Ruby blinked, surprised. There were a few textbooks and her notepad and pencil case, all displayed on the wall next to Kirakishou's golden mirror- seemingly propped up for her viewing pleasure. Her uniform and cape were visible through the door to Kirakishou's bathroom, which was open just enough for her to get a good look at her signature clothes. "Thank you. That was really sweet of- heeeeyyyy, wait a second. How did you manage to get everything?"
Kirakishou adjusted her position groggily, clutching her side for warmth. "I used the N-Field of course, little Ruby. You remember the beauty of N-Field, do you not? All of its power?"
She nodded slowly. How could she forget? The sheer amount of potential that Kirakishou's Rozen Maiden power held was astronomical. The ability to peer into a sort of astral world and see through reflections present in the real world. If harnessed correctly, it practically eliminated any sense of privacy and personal space. Her doll could effortlessly listen in to any conversation without anyone being privy to her presence.
Perhaps she had.
"Your bathroom possesses a large mirror. It was easy to conjure a connection." Kirakishou continued. "I brought your bathroom supplies into this dorm room, as well. They are next to the shower, on the counter-top. A pure rose imagined that her master wished to shower before classes start."
Ruby blushed at the image her mind conjured. A large portion of her wished to asked the doll if she would like to join her in the shower. It was a particularly pleasant fantasy. She could ask the doll to wash her back… her hands would curl around her sides and hold her close…
"Wait-wait-wait…" an errant thought came to mind. It was enough to startle her out of the increasingly raunchy fantasy that had been playing in her head. "You can connect to bathroom mirrors?!"
The doll pulled away from her, sitting up against the backboard and peering at her with a confused look on her face. "Of course, little rose. They are reflective surfaces, are they not? Why would the location of the surface matter?"
"B-But that means-!"
"What is it, little rose?"
Ruby pulled the blanket up around her body. Specifically around her chest. Her face was red as all manner of embarrassed thoughts ran through her mind.
"You're a peeper!"
The doll froze at her outburst, blinking slowly as if going through her vocabulary to try and figure out what Ruby's shouted words had actually meant. Then, a furious blush grew across her cheeks, lighting up her artificial skin in a vibrant scarlet hue.
"N-No I'm not!"
"Yes! Yes you are! You're a peeper!"
It took a moment for Ruby to realise that it was the first time she'd manage to make her doll react in such a downright scandalised way. She took a moment to look at the Rozen Maiden, who was crossing her own arms and frowning at Ruby with a blush seemingly etched on to her face. She looked remarkably human in that singular moment. A sad part of her realised that it was probably the first time that somebody had ever got close enough to Kirakishou to actually tease her that way.
"I-I would never- Not with- no!" Kirakishou looked away with a humph of annoyance, pouting severely. "To think that-"
Laughter erupted from Ruby as she finally couldn't stand it any longer, reaching out and yanking the doll back against her body as the doll let out a string of unintelligible words and struggled against her playful grip.
"Y-You… oh oum I really had you there! Hehehe!~"
Kirakishou stared at her at the sound of Ruby's sudden laughter, mouth gaping almost like a fish for a moment, before she looked away and slumped into Ruby's tight hold. "...And my master had the gall to call her doll a meanie, when she is one herself…"
"Nuh-uh!~ I'm not a meanie, I'm just educated!" she giggled, her chest heaving with heavy laughter against the doll's tiny frame. Even with the blanket in the way, it felt nice to have the doll so close to her body. "Educated enough to suspect that my little doll has a lot of potential in her power! Why, am I not good enough to look at, so that you have to look at others?" she questioned.
...Wait for it… Ruby thought with a downright malevolent grin. She was realising very quickly why her sister loved to tease people every chance she got. It was surprisingly fun.
"O-Of course you're enough! You're beautiful!" Kirakishou shook her head childishly, a playful frown still on her face, one which lessened into confusion as she slowed and leaned up to stare at Ruby's mirthful silver eyes and foxlike grin.
The doll looked weary at her expression. Ruby took the moment to strike with all the glee of a little sister finally getting the chance to experience the other side of teasing. The fun side.
"So you were looking!"
Kirakishou caught up with her own words following Ruby's statement, her lone eye widening in surprise as she blushed profusely. "No- That's not-" she slumped at Ruby's sudden laughter, sighing heavily. "Oh, you're the worst…"
"And I'm all yours~!" Ruby chirped happily, pressing a kiss to Kirakishou's forehead. "Now and forever! The teasing, however, that comes completely free of charge!"
Soon after Ruby's sudden inspirational desire to leap into the world of relentlessly teasing unsuspecting victims with all the force of a bull in a dust shop, she had been forced to get up out of bed and start getting ready for school. Not at all out of a desire to actually leave her doll's tight embrace, but more out of a need to use the bathroom. Then, she'd idly checked her scroll and realised the time.
Apparently she'd also been developing a bit of a habit in sleeping in when coupled with her beloved doll. Whilst she was keeping up with her studies for now, the later wake-up time had been forcing her to study later and later into the evenings. It had become a rather vicious cycle. To think that there had once been a time in which she'd arise at the crack of dawn without a care in the world.
Though, that had been back when I hadn't met Kirakishou. When I was happy letting my big sister baby me all the way into a huntsmen academy. All because I was too scared to speak up about it. Apparently all it took was meeting a Rozen Maiden to snap me out of it.
Plus I'm not doing that bad in my studies. In fact, I'm doing a lot better than I used to. Perhaps also due to Kirakishou. It's a lot easier to study when you're motivated by the idea of finally having some free time afterwards to play with the doll you love.
Thankfully, the doll in question had been more than happy to lend out her room so that Ruby could get ready. Considering what Kirakishou had said about delivering her school supplies, that had likely been her intention from the start, so Ruby hadn't felt all that anxious about asking the doll if it was okay.
Not a moment later and Ruby had been racing to the shower, as she felt that if she'd stayed and thanked her doll it may have gotten a little too heated and knowing her she would have lost track of time. The last thing she needed was a scolding from Professor Doctor Oobleck about showing up to class on time, right in front of her team after a night spent in the embrace of her doll.
She shook her head, trying to shake away the bad thoughts. Though considering that she was currently in the shower at the time, all it did was throw a bunch of water everywhere. Eh. It didn't matter. She was surrounded entirely by glass walls so there wasn't a mess. Not like her doll would even care if she created a mess in the first place.
They'd probably have a lot of fun together cleaning it up. Throwing suds everywhere… cleaning each other…
No! Bad Ruby!
It was honestly amazing, however, the sheer amount of effort that Kirakishou went to in order to ensure it was all perfect for her. All of her bathroom supplies had been laid out in the exact way that she liked, minus all the extra shampoo and conditioner reserved for her other teammates. It had been the way Ruby would have kept her shower set up back in Patch, when she'd had a separate shower from Yang.
Not only that, but her uniform had been delivered and folded as well. Up to and including her cape that she loved to wear in addition to the uniform itself. They felt remarkably soft to touch and warm as well, the wonderful heat permeating the garments from a recent ironing. Exactly how she loved them.
The image of her doll deciding to go and fold laundry in the middle of the night sent her into a fit of giggles. Something about the scene was just so utterly bonkers in her mind. Though she wondered how Kirakishou had managed to iron her clothes to the point they were still warm after all the time she'd spent teasing her doll before. There wasn't even an iron in her room.
Had it been N-Field shenanigans again? Possibly. At this point it was, admittedly, easier to chalk up all the weirdness surrounding her doll to the sheer versatility of the N-Field being utilised to accommodate for any difficulties.
Mystical astral iron, pay heed and do my laundry! Ruby's mind spouted out, as Ruby herself flung a hand out as imperiously as she could in the shower. She giggled at herself. It was all just so stupid.
But that's what love was, in the end. Being stupid just because you can. It was fun!~
She turned off the shower with a blissful sigh, stepping out into the bathroom and reaching for her towel- folded and warm just like everything else Kirakishou had delivered through the use of her N-Field. Idly, her silver eyes found their way to the wall-mounted mirror, fogged up a little from all the steam generated by her hot shower. Even with the steam, she could still vaguely see her own reflection.
It was odd. Personally, Ruby didn't particularly like the way her body looked- especially compared to many of the other girls in Beacon Academy. She was significantly underdeveloped, even with all the milk she drank. It didn't make any sense. If anything, Ruby felt like she'd shortened ever since arriving in Beacon. Her hair had grown a little, but that was about it. In her eyes, she looked unhealthy. Drained, almost.
Whilst Yang had assured her that it was perfectly fine considering she was two years below everybody else in Beacon Academy, it did little to soothe her worries. She wasn't like Kirakishou or her sister or even miss perfect Pyrrha Nikos. She didn't have a beautiful form. Whilst Ruby had privately entertained the idea of being intimate with Kirakishou, if such a thing was even possible she wasn't certain if the doll would even want to be intimate with a girl like her.
...Perhaps she should do more stretches? She'd heard some of the higher years talking about how their partners liked them to be flexible- whatever that even meant. Would it help? But Kirakishou already liked her. Eugh. All this relationship stuff was so difficult. Asking Weiss or Blake was a possibility.
Well, probably not Weiss come to think of it. She didn't want to act hoity-toity to Kirakishou like she was just some mere suitor like the Schnee Heiress had probably dealt with in the past. Not that there was anything wrong with her teammate and friend, just… it wasn't suitable for her particular needs. Blake was a good choice, provided that she didn't suggest anything from those little black books that the faunus was always reading.
There was raunchy, then there was raunchy.
She put it out of her mind for the moment, focusing instead on drying off and getting ready for the no-doubt hectic day ahead of her. Had it been three days ago when rumour of outside missions began to circulate between the students of Beacon, Ruby may have found herself feeling all manner of nervousness on top of the anxiety she already felt for meeting with her team away from Kirakishou and participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament.
The fact remained, however, that something had changed. Possibly of a result of her own actions.
Unfortunately all missions outside the Vale area proper had been cancelled due to a 'technical failing' and had thus temporarily halted Team RWBY's investigation into the White Fang and Roman Torchwick potentially operating in the southeast area. But with the Vytal Festival Tournament coming up she supposed their investigation would likely have needed to wait anyway. Not like the baddies would be crazy enough to attempt anything whilst Vale was filled to the brim with all manner of hunters and huntresses-in-training.
Plus it wasn't like there was even a high chance of them finding anything during their mission to the southeast quadrant anyways. More than likely it would have been a huge waste of time. If the baddies were in fact hiding from the authorities, then a mere group of first years weren't going to just stumble into their big lair.
They had been lucky thus far with their actions against the baddies, but they couldn't rely on luck to carry them all the way.
Idly she found herself walking back into the living room, still lost in thought. Now that Ruby had dried off and dressed herself, she wanted to get Kirakishou's attention. She was wearing her uniform and cape, nice and warm in due in equal parts from the hot shower and whatever N-Field shenanigans that Kirakishou had pulled in order to keep them the perfect temperature.
The doll herself was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring over at the large ornate gold mirror that had miraculously found itself in Kirakishou's dorm room. Ruby could spot Kirakishou's reflection staring back over her way, silently watching her every move.
Briefly, her mind wandered if the mirror also held special properties- just like her clothing. She had known that Kirakishou had used the mirror somehow when taking Ruby to the N-Field the first time, but her eyes had been closed at the time and Ruby could only rely on her hearing to determine the mirror's involvement.
Now that she knew about reflections having some connection to the N-Field, as a medium for which Kirakishou could push her power though, she wondered if the doll had been using the mirror to transmit her power around. The mirror hadn't been here when Ruby had first shown the room to the doll on her first day, nor had Ruby heard anything about any mirrors being delivered.
It was a mystery, definitely.
"Hey there, Kira. I'm sorry I took so long." Ruby leaned against the doorway with an embarrassed look on her face. She was certain that her cheeks were burning, but she couldn't see her own reflection in the mirror from the current angle.
The doll didn't make any movement apart from a slight tilting on her head to see Ruby though the mirror itself.
"You needn't concern yourself with time, darling. I will be here in the end regardless."
"I know…" Ruby wrung her hands nervously, "um… I was wondering. Could you, er, could you come and help me with my hair?"
The silver-eyed huntress-in-training soon found herself treated to the rare sight of Kirakishou blinking at her in surprise. It was rare that she managed to startle her doll- so much so that it had become a sort of game for her to try and cause the typically-placid girl to have any kind of major response.
It had been a sight witnessed through the reflection of a mirror, but it was still an interesting expression for the doll.
"Of course, little Ruby. Your doll would be delighted to assist." Kirakishou stood up, turning and walking over to her with a peculiar twinkle in her eye. "Perhaps, she may even be able to tame that mess- given enough time."
Ruby crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks, looking away even as her expression managed to draw a bout of giggles from her partner. Stupid doll! Here she was trying to be all romantic… No fair! It was just like before!
Well… she thought with a mischievous leer, two can play at that game!
"Least I'm not a peeper." she sniped in a triumphant tone, drawing an over-dramatic sigh almost immediately for her actions.
Bam bam! Shots fired! Ruby wins! Total annihilation! Ruby giggled, pulling the doll into the bathroom with a wide grin on her face.
It had come with borderline no surprise to Ruby to find out that the Rozen Maiden currently brushing her hair was oum-damned phenomenal with her craft. In all honesty her entire reason behind asking the doll to even assist with brushing her hair in the first place had just been an excuse to have the doll close to her body.
Grinding up against the doll was more satisfying than it had any right to be. Feeling one of the most powerful individuals she had ever met focusing entirely on brushing her hair of all things was a beautiful experience for the teenaged huntress-in-training. Especially when said powerful individual was the doll she loved.
"...May I braid your hair, little reaper?"
The voice that came from her doll was soft and innocent- nearly missed despite their close proximity. It was in stark contrast to the playfulness displayed earlier.
"-Huh? What? You want to braid my hair?"
She wasn't exactly opposed to the idea as a whole. It had been years since she had even considered having her hair braided, more as something for her sister to practice her skills on than any actual choice. Yang had always possessed remarkable talent with hair-styling, despite what her own hair would suggest- and her skills had been learned and sharpened through a lot of experimenting on Ruby's poor nest of hair.
"Yes. I would like that very much."
Ruby bit her lip in thought. She knew she was missing some context within the doll's seemingly idle request. There were few things that Kirakishou did without reason- most having something to do with Ruby herself. But for the life of her the idea seemed so out of the blue for a girl like Kirakishou.
"Well, okay. If you want to. It's been a while since I had my hair braided."
Following her hesitant acceptance, a sort of silence fell upon the two girls. Ruby herself was content to allow Kirakishou to continue her odd venture into styling provided that it meant the girl continued to play with her hair. The silence seemed to stretch on for quite some time, to the point where Ruby was beginning to grow worried that she might miss breakfast at the cafeteria.
Nevertheless, it was remarkable to watch the effort Kirakishou put into her hair as she continued to silently manipulate her black and red strands with a distant expression fluttering on her face. More than a few times Ruby got the impression that Kirakishou was purposefully moving slow- paying attention to various sections of hair for far longer than what was strictly necessary.
"...You have beautiful hair, Ruby."
She scoffed, opting to shoot a pointed glare towards the doll's perfect peach-blonde strands. It still irked her that seemingly no matter how many times they fell asleep together, Kirakishou would always be there with somehow flawless hair- not an ounce of bedhead whatsoever. Whether it had something to do with her Rozen Maiden physiology or some other kind of unfair ability she wasn't sure. Only that it was stupid and unfair and stupid stupid stupid!
"Says the girl with enough hair to tie it all in a braid and still have it nearly reach the floor."
Kirakishou giggled lightly at her response, the movement enough to send little sensations through Ruby's head from the brush the doll was holding. "You sound almost envious, my dear rose. To be envious of others is a silly thing for a soul like you."
Her cheeks immediately blazed crimson in bashful embarrassment, stamping down the desire to look away from Kirakishou's knowing gaze lest she interrupt the doll's ministrations. It still left her with an opening to talk, however.
"Well… perhaps after a few years of seeing Yang with all her long hair, I started to wonder what it would look like if I were to have hair like that… But I never really wanted to let it grow that long for, um, certain reasons."
Summer Rose never had long hair.
"Because of your mother?"
At this point she wasn't even surprised that Kirakishou figured out her reasoning so quickly. Still, it hurt to recall the memories even after everything that had happened. Summer Rose had been a chapter of her life that she had worked to slowly build over.
"...Yes." the word escaped her throat in a small, pained anguish. "When Mom didn't come home, it took a lot for me to get over it. After far too much time spent being a big crybaby, I resolved to try and become a huntress- just like my mom. If I could be like her, then it would be like she was never really gone, you know? Originally I wanted to try and use a weapon similar to hers, but I could never get the timing right. When Uncle Qrow came along and suggested a scythe, I learnt very quickly that big weapons are difficult to handle with even medium length hair."
Kirakishou nodded slowly, reaching for a comb to try and tame a group of unruly locks that the doll had been fiddling with through the entirety of her story.
"A doll doubts that her master would have trouble handling such weapons even with longer hair, now that she has become a huntress."
"Huntress-in-training." Ruby corrected lightly, chuckling to herself. "And, I dunno. It did happen when I was younger. Who knows, maaaayyyybeeee I could do it, but by the time my hair grew it'd be during end-of-year exams. If Glynda is as much of a scary grader as Coco's team says she is, then I really don't want to risk it..."
"If you insist, my love. It is only natural you would feel some discomfort toward grading. From my understanding, many students experience similar thoughts." Kirakishou nodded to herself, before stepping away and gesturing to Ruby in a flourish. "What do you think?"
Turning her head to the side, Ruby could see that Kirakishou had styled her hair to be slightly choppier, a small rope-braid handing from the side of her head just behind her right ear, tied up with a deep red string that the Rozen Maiden had seemingly placed in her hair without Ruby even noticing at first. Thankfully the rest of her hair wasn't braided, just a singular braid itself.
It reminded her of a vine. A single, small vine.
She blinked owlishly at the style. It looked surprisingly nice all things considered. Ruby hadn't ever considered having her hair remain braided after a session with Yang when her big sister was trying out all different styles on her hair, but when coupled with Ruby's Beacon Academy uniform and her flowing red cape, the choppier style with a braid looked quite remarkable.
"It… huh. It looks really good!"
Kirakishou seemed to find some amusement from the look on her face. "There is no need to be surprised, love. Many styles work with your hair- a doll only chose one of many. Although, a pure rose cannot help but feel enamoured in the knowledge that her master enjoys her work. Thank you."
There was a reason to be surprised. She hadn't believed that anyone apart from her big sister would be able to style her hair with such fluidity on the first try. Well, except for professional hairdressers of course. But they didn't count.
"You also have your opening tournament match for the Vytal Festival this afternoon, by the way. Do not forget your mission." Kirakishou interrupted suddenly, "A doll believes that you will be facing Team ABRN of Haven Academy. They are a strong team that relies on combination strikes to disorient and demotivate their opponents, but are easily overwhelmed if you separate each member from the other."
"H-How…" Ruby was at a loss for words as she turned to face the doll. "How could you know that's who we're facing? Why do you think we're facing them? Did you overhear somebody talking about the match-ups or something?"
Kirakishou giggled, fixing a loose strand of Ruby's hair that she had apparently missed during her session. "No, master. The teams are decided randomly. However, such a technique is not enough to prevent a doll's guiding influence." She cupped Ruby's cheeks, before pressing her lips against Ruby's in a chaste kiss. "I suggest you bring this information to your team prior to the fight. They will be greatly interested in any strategies that you suggest."
She looked down, playing with her feet as embarrassment surged through her tiny body. "You didn't have to tell me all this, you know…"
"I know~" Kirakishou cupped her chin and forced Ruby's eyes to meet her own singular slit amber eye. "I wanted to. Just as I wanted to braid you hair. My master deserves to know all she can. It is the least a doll can do to participate, even if she is unable to grace the stage with her pure self."
"Well. Okay. If you put it that way." Ruby conceded, blushing almost shyly under the absolute intensity of her lover's blazing gaze. "I-I don't think Yang will be happy about this, though…"
"Ah~ She will." Kirakishou giggled, offering Ruby a jointed hand- one Ruby gladly accepted. The two girls moved back into the bedroom, where a litany of vines had grown from the mirror to assemble Ruby's school supplies for the day. "She is your beloved onee-sama, your big sister. You two are bound together in certain ways that, as of now, escape your understanding. She will understand because you will make her understand."
"Right. Um. I'll get right on that." Ruby muttered as she awkwardly collected her backpack and books from the vines, grimacing at the idea of trying to make her sister do anything. She heard the sound of the bell ringing, signalling the beginning of the first class of the day. "I-um, I have to go now but… are you sure you can't attend? Maybe we could go to Ozpin or-"
"There is nothing that can, or should, be done." Kirakishou interrupted, sounding wistful and legitimately regretful. "For now, my love, go forth and know that your doll is always with you. I shall be watching your match intently."
Ruby quickly burst forward with a flare of her semblance to park a sudden kiss on the surprised doll, before activating her semblance again and moving back to the door.
"Okay! Just be safe! I'll try and message you when I can! I love you!
The last thing Ruby saw before rushing to class, was her doll smiling at her.
"I love you too, Ruby Rose."
Ah. I forgot to talk to her about Amber and the Maiden powers… I-I guess I can leave it until later. She already knows about it, right?
Kirakishou watched her little reaper depart, smiling placidly at Ruby's retreating form as the girl shot her a few over-the-shoulder looks brimming with longing. It reminded her slightly of how she would occasionally see humans raising pets through the confines of her N-Field. In her repeated viewings, she established that pets would occasionally glance back at their master in order to reassure themselves.
Humans occasionally did this as well. It would seem her beloved master was no different. Although, referring to her beloved master as a mere pet was inaccurate. Nothing could compare to Ruby- not in her rose-grown sight. They were equals, twin pillars forever rising together. The other humans and faunus weren't much compared to a Silver-Eyed Warrior burdened with glorious purpose.
Purpose given to her by Kirakishou- enhanced and intensified by her Palace of Beginnings made manifest within Remnant. Bound together and bound again.
A surge of pleasure spiked through her body. Learning new things about Ruby Rose had always sparked a certain sense of glee within Kirakishou's pure form. There were only so few things that her explorations within the N-Field could uncover before the intricacies wound too deep within Ruby's unconscious mind for her to establish any sort of concise understanding.
The Rozen Maiden contract had helped in this endeavour, allowing her to delve deeper, but even Father's creation had its limits. If anything, the contract was a mere stepping stone compare to her power- her force of heart.
Perhaps the power of the Fall Maiden would assist in this matter, but she doubted it.
Understanding Ruby Rose would require time. Enough time as to warrant some annoyance in her confinement. Laplace's machinations had touched even the most stalwart souls with little effort, playing on their insecurities and paranoia with an almost delicate ease. The creature had flown in like a sudden wind, wrapping deep and pushing its targets to a destination unsuitable for her own designs.
Unsuitable for Ruby's designs. Her relationship with her big sister Yang was a suitable example. It would need to be mended before Kirakishou's grand plans could proceed, lest their unbridled emotions tear apart her delicate web.
She did not enjoy it when an outsider chose to mess around with her dolls. She had been enjoying playing a rudimentary game with her beloved master, unknowing or not, before Laplace came and influenced her master into becoming intertwined with the Alice Game. Now, her playtime was coming to a close and the true game would commence momentarily. Pieces would need to be rapidly moved about, before Laplace could turn them all into playthings of the game.
Having Ruby learn of the Alice Game so early had not been a part of her plans. Were it to be a perfect world, Kirakishou would have preferred that her beloved reaper lasted many lifetimes without ever learning of the distant dream of Kirakishou's departed failure of a father. Now, with knowledge granted by the creature, it would only be a matter of time until Ruby began asking questions.
Questions she could not afford to have answered for the time being. Not in the current state that her master was in. Such a scenario would devastate her poor master's psyche. Ruby needed to be strengthened, pieces of the game fed slowly into her understanding, in order to remain bound properly. She knew Laplace's game, having played into it many a time in the past.
For now, however, Ruby remained content in focusing on the Vytal Festival Tournament and all the strings attached to her N-Field for that particular game. Provided that Kirakishou continued to play her role as a Rozen Maiden and provide support for her master through the N-Field, Ruby would remain in a suitable pliable state for her own designs. In accordance of the gospel spoken by Ruby's heart, she would follow the steps necessary in order to grant her master's deepest dream once again.
She turned her attention inward, closing the door to the outside world with a flare of her collected power. Although her darling master had opted not to close the door to her room in her desire to continuously witness Kirakishou's pure self until the last possible moment, having any potential witnesses to her future actions would cause undue panic.
Her N-Field flared brilliantly, a beautiful chorus of waking melodies singing against the world in a tune of slowly increasing strength that only a pure rose could hear. She turned her attention below, moving down from increasing crystalline walls and expanding floors- towards a single wooden patch of flooring that at first glance appeared to be downright refusing to accept her glorious Palace.
The device was hidden well, beneath a floorboard nestled underneath her bed. Were it not for her connection to the Palace of Beginnings and, thus, its physical anchor in reality, there existed the possibility that even a pure doll like her would never have found it at all. Emerald Sustrai had been a wonderful little doll to play with for this particular task- choosing her to plant the device had ensured that only the correct souls knew of its existence.
From her understanding of the passage of time, the device itself had been planted some time during her passage to speak with the Beacon Academy Headmaster. The Variant Crocus had been dispatched to oversee her pure form and ensure she remain suitably distracted whilst Emerald's infiltration occurred. However, neither Sustrai nor Crocus had been aware of her grand design- they were but dolls playing for two masters.
"Shhh. Do not worry, little one. Take root and grow within this beautiful garden. You will accomplish your purpose and more, if you listen to my beautiful song."
The N-Field rushed forth.
A/N:
Oh my god. We actually did it. 100 reviews. I can't believe this story has advanced this far. Thank you all, so much. It has been a wonderful journey with you all and I hope to keep this ship moving. We are entering the tournament as of this chapter and, thus, nearing the end of Volume 3 of RWBY. I'm sure you all know what that means.
Secondly, I don't normally do this in stories, but I wanted to give a massive thank you to Cataquack Warrior. Your review was everything I have ever wanted as a writer. I've been writing so much since reading that for the first time. Oh, it's been magical.
As for everyone else who has read my story, thank you all as well for your continued support. Together, we've worked towards making this story. Piece by piece, mind by mind. It's been a fantastic journey so far. Let's all keep it up!