"Text" Speech, everyone can hear
"Text" Speech inside head by own person
Text sound of the action
"They're still going out." Thought Ruby, lying on her bed alone in the room of team RWBY. It had been a couple of weeks now since WBY had started going to parties each and every weekend with team JNPR. Everyone would be at the bar, enjoying drinks, getting drunk and having fun… well everyone except Ruby.
Each time Ruby had asked to join they would say "You're too young." Or "Maybe when you're older." Ruby, of course, understood the reason behind it but... this wasn't the only activity that she has been excluded from. She had been excluded from normal activities like discussions to things like practice matches.
Apart from the usual group studies and Weiss teaching her, that was all the interaction she has had with the entire team. Which led up to now... Ruby alone in their room with a lingering feeling of melancholy drifting in the air.
"I wish I could join them but... they will just say the same thing again." Ruby thought to herself as she opened her scroll and opened it, the white text read 9:45pm. "They should be going out right now… maybe I… should... SAY... GOODBYE BEFORE THEY LEAVE!"
Ruby ran out the door and dashed towards the group. With her semblance she covered the distance rather quickly, arriving right around the corner, an idea popped into her head. She could surprise them! Scare and surprise them at the same time! How brilliant, right?
Her excitement bundled up as she thought about the surprise… but that excitement dwindled down the moment she heard her name being spoken in the group.
"Yang, are you sure there isn't something you would like to say?." Weiss said "There must be something you would like to say about Ruby?"
"I guess there is… just… one thing." Yang replied "She's… a bit too much sometimes, there were a ton of times that I couldn't go to my friend's parties because I had to take care of her."
"Case, proven." Weiss said with pride in her tone. "She's too clingy, annoying and she slacks off way too much, it's as if she doesn't even want to be a huntress in the first place.!"
"I agree with... only the first part… I just want to be left alone to read, but most of my free time is occupied by taking care of a hyperactive teenager." Blake whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear before she was tackled by Yang
"Awwww, the kitty wants her purrrivate time!" Teased Yang, to which Blake responded with rolling her eyes.
"Yeah! And I thought I was hyper active!" Nora added "Ruby is just on a whole other level! And her love for weapons feels kinda weird, you know?"
During the discussion Pyrrha herself was becoming perplexed by how her team and WBY spoke of their leader. She did have some complaints about Ruby but those were complaints that made Ruby… well.. Ruby.
"Why would they say these things behind her back? Can't they see that these are qualities that make Ruby interesting?" Pyrrha thought. "It's not as if that's all that she is, so why are you all speaking about her this way, you are her friends so why?."
Around the corner Ruby was already shaking in anguish, hearing awful comments that her friends said about her was bad enough but... these words were behind her back… it was like being repeatedly stabbed in the back with a knife. Her body told her to run away but her mind told her to stay, thinking maybe just maybe, someone will say something good… right?
The next few words could not prove her more wrong.
"I mean, how does an awkward person like Ruby have so much energy?" Jaune said "I didn't think anyone could be so hyperactive… it can be… a bit much sometimes…"
"Replace sometimes with all the time." Weiss interjected "Then you'll be right."
"Jau-" Pyrrha stopped, her heart froze in place, she had heard a soft hic around the corner, she looked around to see if anyone else noticed but it seems that no one did. "No… please no," "hey Jaune?"
Pyrrha had assumed right, the soft hic around the corner was indeed a soft and quiet cry. Ruby had been softly crying by now, even her friend Jaune, who she thought would back her up, was now saying hurtful words about her.
She wanted to go, no, she needed to go, she didn't want to hear so called friends to add more wounds to the already shattered heart of hers. So… she did the only thing she could do… run.
"Yeah Pyrrha?" Jaune replied. "What is it?"
"Yes, on second thought, I won't be able to join the party tonight." She answered. "I'm not in the mood to party today, please tell Coco my apologies."
"Oh, uh okay... See you later then?"
"Yes, see you later." Pyrrha slowly walked away, and around the corner… she stopped in her tracks as her heart sank to the ground, what she feared had come true. Tiny water puddles and rose petals scattered around the wooden floor. Her mind raced, thinking of what she could possibly do.
"Ruby… I need to find you. Now!" She thought as she ran following the trail of rose petals, gritting her teeth and tightening her fists. Slowly the group's discussion slowly faded away from earshot.
Running with her semblance, Ruby made quite the distance, already reaching the dormitory rooftop… where she could be alone with her thoughts, no harmful words, no backstabbing friends, just… herself. Yet, she did not feel any calmer, she felt more alone than she had ever been, she felt like there was no one who could understand her.
"Why did they say that?" Ruby thought as the earlier discussion slowly broke her composure. "It's not like I do it just to annoy you, I do it because I want the group to be more together! I don't do it because I want to be annoying, I do it because… I JUST WANT US TO BE BETTER, SO WHY IS IT THAT EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS MY FAULT?!''
Her blood boiled and her anger rose, she needed to hit something… anything, she needed to release it. She stood up and turned towards the door, Pyrrha stood in front of it, panting like she just ran a marathon. Her anger quickly dissipated, but her adrenaline was still at its highest.
"Pyr-" Before she could even say anything Pyrrha already interrupted her
"Ruby..." Pyrrha ordered, her tone being sympathetic. "You heard them didn't you?"
The only response she got was a nod and the small girl's fist curling up and tightening, you could see the tears in her eyes, she would likely explode any second now... "How do I help her… she's still decoding her feelings. So how do I-"
"P-Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, her voice cracking ever so often, her fist gripping tighter at the same time. "C-can you h-help me with something?
"Yes Ruby?" Pyrrha said "How can I help you?"
"C-can you… s-spar with me for a bit?" Ruby said. "I…I need t-to h-hit something."
"That." Pyrrha paused before continuing. "I can do."
The two came closer and readied a stance. The moment Pyrrha signaled for the spar to start Ruby rushed forward, leaping into the air so that all her momentum would transfer into her punch. She poured her hate and anger into the punch, her heart was fed up, it wanted to release it's built up frustration.
But, the thing she expected the least to happen… happened. She thought Pyrrha would dodge but instead she just stood there, taking the brunt of her attack. She punched again, but Pyrrha held her ground, she punched again, then again but Pyrrha just stood there taking all of Ruby's punches. After the nth time her adrenaline had worn off, she wasn't punching anymore, she felt tired even more than normal… her body felt weighted, her throat throbbed, and her sight beginning to blur.
"Pyrrha…. W-why?" Tears were now flowing down Ruby's pale face "W-why… would y-you d-do this?"
"Because, you're in a lot of pain." Answered Pyrrha, trying to pull her into a hug at the same time. "And this is my way of helping you."
"N-no I-I don't n-need a hug." She tried pulling away but Pyrrha's resolve didn't falter. "S-sto-."
Her words were cut off when her defenses crumbled, Pyrrha had successfully pulled Ruby into a hug. Ruby tried to fight it and squirm out, but it was to no avail, the older girl kept her in place, not letting her go. After a few seconds she stopped, letting the warmth of the hug heat her cold heart.
"P-pyrrha…" She couldn't stop herself anymore, the emotions she was desperately trying to keep buried unearthed themselves, and flooded out..
"It's okay Ruby, let yourself cry." Pyrrha tightened her hug as she let Ruby pour her heart out. "I'm here for you, don't worry… I'm here for you.."
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