Ruby was sound asleep, peaceful snores sounding throughout the room. She was gently in a cuddle with Yang, who had one arm around her back as her hair was sprawled on a pillow, just as peacefully snoring away, with a more than a bit of drool than her sister. Ruby was gently nestled in her bosom, gently pillowing her and allowing her a more cozy cuddle. It wasn't the most graceful or neatest way to sleep, but they were quite content as they were.
Meanwhile, Weiss as slumbering with a bit more class, having a blue nightgown on with her hair undone, resting on her pillow with a pleasant smile on her face.
Blake, was perhaps having the most difficult time sleeping, at least comfortably. She was more or less uneasy with sleeping on a bed at the moment, even though it was much more comfortable than sleeping on the floor. After years of captivity and poor treatment, which involved being forced to sleep on the cold hard concrete floor or the filthy dirty ground without cover or support, she wasn't used to something as luxurious as a normal bed in comparison. It would take more time for her to readjust.
Nevertheless, the team was in a content slumber, as the first phase of the early morning was soon coming to it's end. And as that time came, an alarm blared from both Ruby and Yang's Scrolls. Yang slowly opened her eyes, then let out a long and audible yawn, before clumsily turning off the alarms. As she tried to stir herself awake, she smiled towards Ruby.
"Heyo. Ruby, it's mornin' time. Gotta get up."
"Nuuuu..."
"Come on, sis. Today's a big and special day, that's why we had these alarms set, ya know?"
Ruby responded by snuggling closer to Yang with a pout. "I don't wanna."
Yang rolled her eyes, then shrugged as she gently caressed the top of Ruby's head. "Alrighty then, your call. Guess we're gonna sleep in on your sixteenth birthday."
That got a reaction out of her. Ruby's eyes shot open, and she found herself tumbling onto the floor before scurrying back to her feet with widened eyes. "Oh my gosh that's right! I can't be all tired and sluggish now! I turn sixteen today!"
"Does turning sixteen mean you're going to get louder?" Weiss muttered as she was stirred from her own slumber, sitting up and pushing her hair away from her face. "Well, in any case, turning one year older might be good for you, in a sense."
"How come?"
"Not many people are going to take a fifteen year old Huntress seriously. Sixteen isn't too much better, but at least it's some sort of advance." Weiss soon sits up and gets out of bed, preparing her clothes. "By the way, it seems that puberty hit you. I don't hear much of that annoying squeaky voice of yours. It's a bit deeper now."
"Really? My voice was squeaky?" Ruby blinked while lightly holding a hand to her throat.
"No offense, Ruby." Blake soon entered the conversation, sitting up while running her eyes, ears flicking. "But when we first met, you kind of sounded like a chipmunk that inhaled a tank full of helium."
"W-What?! I did?! Was it that annoying?"
"Oh, very." Weiss nodded with a groan. "Especially when you get extremely loud. Goodness, I really wanted to put my ears out of their misery. I can't help but dread how annoying that would have been if your voice got higher instead of deeper as you got older. Nobody would be able to take you seriously with such a high-pitched voice."
"R-Really?"
Yang patted Ruby's shoulder sympathetically, with a soft smile. "Don't get it twisted, it was kind of adorable for as long as it lasted, but it ain't gonna be missed. Sorry."
"Your voice by itself would be tournament banned from any that you enter." Blake deadpans.
"Damn. Blake, you didn't have to do her like that!"
"Oh. I see..." Ruby mumbled while looking down in a bit of shame.
"I didn't say anything before our of a desire to be polite, but now that you've seemingly grown out of it, I can be a little bit more honest." Weiss continued while flipping a towel over her shoulder. "You're beginning to sound less like an annoying chipmunk and more like a young woman. That's definitely a step towards others taking you more seriously. Presentation does have its own avenue of importance, after all." Weiss nodded before turning towards the bathroom. "I'm going to freshen up."
"Ah-bup-bup! Not so fast, Weiss-Cream!" Yang held her up by jumping right in front of her, arms slightly spread apart. "Sorry, but you know the rules. Birthday girl automatically calls dibs on showering."
"What?! What kind of a rule is that?!"
"The awesome one that I just made up!"
"Why you-!"
"Thanks Weiss!" Ruby cheered as she speeds into the bathroom and swiftly closed the door behind her. Weiss growled as she pointed her finger at Yang.
"Curse you...!"
"Hey, when it's your birthday, you can call automatic dibs on the bathroom, and I won't fight it. But today's not your birthday, so just deal with it, mmkay?"
"That's not even how it works!"
"It does for today."
"Grrrrr!"
These two sure butt heads a lot. Sometimes over the silliest things. Blake noticed while gazing in-between the arguing girls, with Weiss looking more incensed by the moment, with Yang casually egging her on with a taunting smile on her face. And yet, I don't sense any true animosity whenever they do.
After a rather intense session of brief arguing, the girls eventually settled down. And after Ruby was swirly finished with her shower, the others followed suit, one after another. Blake ended up going last.
And was also taking the longest.
Even though she's somewhat getting into the swing of things again, it was still almost strange to her, taking a bath with plenty of soap and water to be used. She was so used to being dirty due to being forced into the ground into the dirt, sleeping on it without ever being able to clean herself. So it was a bit of a surreal feeling to be able to take a shower with warm water and plenty of soap to help her feel refreshingly nice and clean. It was a feeling she's long forgotten, and was glad she was able to experience again.
'Filthy Faunus. Fitting alliteration, isn't it?'
'A dirt bath is the only cleanliness you're getting, with the trouble you've caused.'
'Bite me again, you're not just getting knocked to the ground, you'll be buried six feet under it!'
Blake's trembling caused her to drop some of the things she was holding, causing a bit of noise throughout, which snapped her out of her trance. Her back hit the wall, water hitting her head as she tried to slow her quick breathing. She soon heard banging on the door, likely from Ruby.
"Blake? Is everything alright in there?"
"I'm...I'm fine." Blake called back, before she shook her head and lightly pulled her hair back. This has been happening for a while, now. She may have escaped captivity, but due to her time within it, her body will randomly go into 'fight or flight' whenever she recalled a memory of her times being enslaved. Her concentration breaks, her breathing gets quicker and off-balanced, and she's several steps away from a full-on panic attack.
She managed to suppress it this time, though. Today wasn't the time for it. It was Ruby's Birthday, her special day. Blake can't go ruining it with her trauma acting up. Ruby was the one who saved her. She couldn't let this get in the way.
It will pass. She told herself, hoping that repeating it enough times in her mind will help her believe it. She's managed to keep herself calm so far, it wouldn't do for her to start cracking now. At least for today, she needed to keep a cool head and not have a breakdown. That simply wouldn't do.
Eventually, Blake managed to finish without complications, getting dressed along with the others as they prepared for Ruby's birthday outing.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Ruby asked again, eyes focused on her for the moment.
"I'm fine. Truly." Blake nodded with utmost certainty, even though her eyes betrayed the sentiment slightly. "Let's be off. We have a whole birthday ahead of you."
Ruby eyed her for a moment more, before she smiled and nodded. "Alright then, everyone! Let's be off!"
"Got us a kickass list of activities already prepared, so we know what we're doin'!" Yang beamed sunnily while wrapping an arm around Ruby. "Without further ado, let's get going!"
"She just said...nevermind." Weiss gently facepalmed before following the sisters out, with a quietly chuckling Blake not too far behind.
This was good. Celebrating a birthday will help her relax. This is a good opportunity. Yes, a good opportunity.
She hoped she wouldn't screw something up.
You taste freedom. How long will it take for you to wake up from this newest, lifelike dream? Until you open your eyes and reawaken back into the nightmare of captivity?
Blake ignored the doubting voice in her head, and continued onward.
"ZWEI!"
Both Ruby and Yang cooed delightfully as their pet corgi barked as he ran up to them, whom they need immediately cuddled into a hug. From there Zwei was blissfully subjected to a series of ear scratches and belly rubs, all the while the sisterly duo proceeded to gush at how much of a good boy he was. And he endured all of that with nothing but the happiest of puppy smiles,.simply glad included.
Needless to say, both Blake and Weiss were a little bit baffled by the display.
"So, uh, this is your pet corgi?" Weiss blinked after managing to break through her surprise.
"Zwei is gonna be coming along with us on Ruby's B-Day adventure!" Yang sunnily smiled, while briefly looking to the side with a frown. "Looks like Dad and Unc couldn't make it. Busy with whatever the hell they think is so important to not be here for Ruby's B-Day..."
"Don't be too mad at them, Yang. They must have their reasons." Ruby attempted to ease, while lightly scratching around Zwei's ears. "Besides, I've spent every birthday so far with them. And this is the first one where I'll be spending it with friends somewhat around my age. It's fine."
"Tch. If you say so..."
"They couldn't show up, yet they sent a dog in their place?" Weiss folded her arms and glared right at Zwei. "Honestly, why would you even consider bringing such a drooling...-"
Zwei stared back at her.
"-...mangy-"
Zwei was panting with a tilted head.
"-...f-flea-ridden..."
Zwei's eyes seemed to grow bigger and brighter.
"...Oh to hell with it." Weiss sighed. It didn't take her long at all for her to slide over to Zwei and scoop him up into a hug."Is this cutie patootie gonna have a nice adventure with us? Happy walkies togetha foreva and eva? Yes we are! Who's a fluffy fuzzy little sweetie?!" Weiss cooed as she happily nuzzled her cheek against Zwei's, the pup still blissfully appreciating the attention. "You are! Yes you are! Oh yessss you are!" Zwei barked, cheerily licking her face and making her giggle.
"I knew she'd love him. She's so much of a softy on the inside. There's no way she wouldn't." Yang chuckled with folded arms. "There aren't many who can resist the charms of an adorable puppy."
After getting her fill of cuddling at the moment, Weiss eventually, reluctantly, set Zwei down. Even though she's much rather cuddle with him all day long if she has the time and opportunity. Zwei barked a little bit more, before his ears shifted up and he soon turned his attention towards Blake herself, who was looking back right at him with serene indifference at first. Barking a bit louder, Zwei looked up to her with a wagging tail, lightly leaping at her several times with much happier barks.
"Woah! He really likes you, Blake!" Ruby couldn't help but smile at the sight. Zwei was always a friendly dog, but it was rare to see him warm up and approach someone with this level of giddiness.
Blake's catlike pupils stared into Zwei's big and bright eyes, lowering his front side and lifting his back into the air, his stubby tail wiggling excitedly. Blake tilted her head at the sight of him, initially not knowing what to make of him. Though after some consideration, she smiled as she got down to one knee and smoothly petted his head.
"You're an energetic one, aren't you?" Blake commented with a quiet laugh, slightly caused by Zwei going about to gently lick her hand. "And friendly."
"Huh." Yang blinked in calm surprise. "Not gonna lie, Blake. A part of me did think you were going to have a bit of a kneejerk reaction to Zwei at first. Since...uh...well, you know..."
"It's alright, Yang." Blake reassured as she goes on to lightly scratch under Zwei's chin, which in turn got him to thump his leg several time. "Despite what cartoons might imply otherwise, cats and dogs get along a lot better than you'd think. It's just easier to depict them as always clawing at each other or something along those lines for the sake of a conflict. Or simply for humor." Blake soon scooped Zwei into her arms and picked him up, all the while he gave happy licks to her cheek. "You'd be surprised as to what kind of friendships can form between animals that are completely different."
Weiss rubbed her chin for a moment. "Now that you mention it, you have a point. I remember occasionally ve during outside with my siblings, and we'd see a snow owl always spending time with a white wolf. They've never been hostile to each other for as long as we've seen them. The white wolf would even let the owl ride on its head sometimes, though it's a bit more annoying than simply riding on its back."
"True enough." Yang conceded with a shrug. "So, Ruby! Today's you're day, and we've got plenty reason of things to choose from so you can enjoy it to the fullest. Have at it, what do you wanna do?"
"We start out nice and sweet." Ruby raised her arms with a cheer. "And I know just the way to do so!"
Weiss sighed at the look on her face. She knew exactly what she wanted first, considering it was still a bit into morning time.
It didn't take long for them to find the nearest café. It took them even less time for them to find and order Ruby breakfast for her birthday, which could be whatever she could have wanted. Yet despite this, Weiss already had quite a handle on what the energetic girl wanted, so much that she hardly missed a beat on it.
She only needed to know that strawberries were a major element of her and Yang's tastes. So of course, Ruby wanted something strawberry flavored. And there was one kind in particular that she always wanted to try.
"A strawberry crepe..." Ruby slightly slurred while gazing at it in anticipation. It didn't take long for her to begin with a testing bite, before her eyes seemingly sparkled and she hummed gleefully. "And it's tastier than I imagined!"
"You two really are into strawberries, or anything strawberry based." Weiss couldn't help but mention again as Ruby didn't waste any more time eating her strawberry crepe.
"Well, I'll say that it isn't too much of an exaggeration that we're kinda crazy about strawberries." Yang hummed while sipping some of her drink.
"What even is that?"
"Morning Breakfast Strawberry Lemonade."
"How can you...you know what, it doesn't matter. Go nuts." Weiss gave up, not willing to exhaust herself trying to understand their eccentricities. Not today. It's Ruby's birthday, this isn't the time to be grilling her and her sister about how their minds work. She's just gonna have to go along with whatever's going on and hope she doesn't feel the need to facepalm too many times.
That didn't mean she was used to it, though.
"That's right, Weiss. Relax. It'll help you enjoy the day better." Blake hummed while scratching the top of Zwei's head, which he received with happy barks of approval.
"I think I'll enjoy it even more if that fuzzy cutie was in my arms instead..." Weiss admitted while gazing right at Zwei. "You've held him long enough, your turn ended!"
"Oh? I didn't know we were cuddling Zwei in turns." Blake smirked. "Are you sure you didn't make that up just to get me to hand him to you?"
"Of course not!"
"So if your 'turn' were to end after I hand him to you, you'll have no problem letting him go, right? Or will you admit to making that turn rule up just to get me to comply?"
Weiss, far too prideful to admit defeat on that front, didn't answer the question, and yet that was all the answer Blake needed. Thus, after Ruby was quite finished with her morning treat, everyone exited the café while Blake still held Zwei in her arms, with Weiss glaring frigidly at her.
"My my, Miss Schnee. Are you at a loss for words? Do you need time to think on your response?"
"Quiet, you!"
"Now now, girls. There's no need to fight." Yang gently stepped in to placate them, although couldn't help but chuckle at the silliness of it all. "Everyone will get a chance to cuddle Zwei since he's so cute and cuddly. I understand, he's hard to resist. So be patient, as Zwei welcomes all cuddles no matter from whom."
"A puppy wuppy?! I wanna hug and pet him too!"
The girls, sans Blake, recognized that loud voice quite easily. They turned around in their seats as Nora was making her way towards them with a wave, while Pyrrha wasn't too far behind. Ruby smiled and waved back. "Oh, it's Nora and Pyrrha!" It didn't take long for them to join up with them, and it took even less time for Nora to take Zwei off of Blake's hands and cuddle him for herself.
"Good boy! Such a goodie good boy!" Nora beamed while scratching Zwei's cheeks and around his ears. "Are you gonna be my new friend?" Zwei cheerily barked in response. "I'm hearing a yes!"
"Hello again, Ruby!" Pyrrha greeted the birthday girl. "I almost missed the fact that it was your birthday today! You should have told us a bit earlier! I would have prepared better than I actually did!"
Ruby looked a bit surprised at that, as did Yang. Though before they could say anything about it, Pyrrha handed her something, in the form of a piece of paper. "What's this?"
"A copy of my blueprints for my weapons Miló and Akoúo̱. I figured you'd be interested in giving it a look, due to your deep appreciation for weaponry." Pyrrha smiled kindly. "If you'd like, I could even send a digital copy to look over in your Scroll. If that's alright with you."
"Oh, yeah! I can do the same with Magnhild, if ya like!" Nora added in with a beaming smile.
Ruby blinked owlishly at the offer, before her eyes widened and sparkled. "Promise?!"
Weiss sighed as she briefly massages the temple of her nose. "Why of course. For someone like you, weapon schematics might as well be the perfect birthday present. I should have guessed."
"My sis is pretty simple like that." Yang shrugged casually.
"Ruby?"
Another arrival caught their attention, and Ruby saw that it was Velvet. She moved over to them while donning a brown jacket and yellow platted skirt, her ears briefly flicking.
"Woah, it's Velvet!" Ruby was pleasantly surprised by her arrival. "How have you been doing since our mission? Quite a few things have happened since then. You probably had your own thing to deal with."
"You could say that." Velvet lightly scratched her cheek, with a rather awkward smile. "Was I a bit busy since we came back? I'd say yes. With several things at once, actually." Velvet sighed while gently pushing a bit of hair away from her face. "Not only did I have to further complete my ascension to Senior Class Huntress, I also had to make sure that my friend doesn't constantly hassle me for being gone for two long."
"Hm?"
An arm was roughly found around her shoulder, nearly causing her to stumble over and trip.
"What am I hearin' right now? Because it sounds like one of the gals that Velv was rockin' with on a mission is having herself a birthday. Wish ya told me, I'm killer at pickin' presents."
"Huh?"
Ruby turned towards the source of the voice next to her, seeing a young woman smiling cheekily at her while pulling down her sunglasses.
"Sup?"
Velvet sighed, having known there'd be no avoiding this encounter. Well, she said we already here, there's not much use in worrying about it too much. "Ruby, this is my friend I was telling you about. Coco Adel."
"Oh, this is her?"
"The one and only. Nice to know that Velvet gave you a heads up on me ahead of time. I might have been a tiny bit annoyed if she didn't." Coco admitted while lightly patting Ruby's shoulder. "So, you're the rookie that Velv met up with. And you also have quite a gathering of buddies of your own, by the looks of it. Having a little birthday gathering?"
Ruby lightly turned and scratched her cheek. "Something along those lines, yeah. I'm not really used to having so many people gathered up for celebrating my birthday. Usually I'm spending it at home with just Yang."
Weiss blinked. "You never had anyone over to celebrate your birthday?"
"That would kinda require friends, and we didn't have many, if any, of those." Yang wasn't too excited to bring that up, but she was being honest. "Not many buddies around for birthday celebrations. It's not like there's anything wrong with having a birthday at home, but to some extent, didn't really have much of an option." Yang rubbed the back of her neck. "For more than one reason, friends were kinda hard to come by."
"Oh, is that so...?" Pyrrha looked quite troubled by this, brought she already there wasn't much she could do about the past. Especially one that isn't hers.
"Well, that's no good. Ain't no way you're about to spend a birthday without friends when there's so many potential ones all around ya. It's not right, not right I say." Coco grinned as she lightly poked Ruby's cheek. "Thus, I know the perfect activity for you to partake in. You don't mind me adding to the fun a little, do ya?"
"Oh, not at all."
"Great! Lemme lead the way and show ya a fun time!"
Velvet sighed, her ears drooping slightly. "Here we go..."
Weiss didn't miss her muttering that, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Neither did Blake, honestly.
This isn't made to last. You know you'll eventually snap back to reality. You're not preparing yourself for crushing disappointment and despair.
Once again, Blake pushed the voice to the back of her mind. But she couldn't deny that it got a bit louder.
Velvet already knew this would happen. She's already called it along while ago. Once Coco heard that she was assigned as a supervisor for Ruby and friends first mission, she was going to want to hear about it. And furthermore, she was going to want to meet the girls herself. And with that, Coco already began doing what she says does with newfound friends, which Velvet eventually learned was quite inevitable when it came to her.
"Um, does this really look good on me?"
Ruby wondered as she was gently lifting the helm of her pink rosy dress, paired with red dress gloves and red heels.
"I'm not really knowledgeable on fashion and stuff, so I don't really know."
"It ain't too shabby." Coco hummed while running her chin. "Do ya want it?"
"Maybe I can find something else." Ruby grumbled while trying her best to get out of her heels. "Anything to get out and stay out of these high hells."
Weiss blinked. "Ruby, those are high heels."
"That's what I said, high hells."
Ah, Ruby and heels don't mix and never will.
Understood.
"Coco, you shouldn't be turning Ruby into your new victim for dress up." Velvet could be heard muttering from behind a curtain, changing around clothes herself.
"Relax. This is just how I bond with people, is all. Me and Little Red are having ourselves a heart to heart on her B-Day." Coco chuckled while pulling her glasses down. "And whatever she likes, she can keep. I'll even pay for it myself as a sign of goodwill."
"What?! No no, you don't need to do that!" Ruby also said behind a changing curtain.
"I insist. There ain't no way that a birthday girl's gonna pay for own stuff. That's simply not how it works!" Coco waved off the concern with casual grace, before turning briefly to Velvet's spot as she was currently still changing. "And remember, V, you've still gor plenty more to try out yourself. You gotta make things up to me for taking so long somehow."
Velvet could be heard sighing from behind the curtain, which has Yang a bit curious. Reluctantly, very reluctantly, Velvet slowly pulled the curtain aside to reveal herself. Needless to say, the likes of Pyrrha and Weiss were very much shocked by what they saw, while Yang and Nora simply looked curious.
"It's unfair that you keep calling those in for things like this." Velvet muttered. She currently donned what was a brown, cleavage-revealing leather dress, paired with short sleeves over what looked like a lighter, yellow polka-dotted under dress. Topping this off would be brown thigh high-heeled boots.
Needless to say, a couple of passerby were easily distracted. Yang even chuckled as someone didn't pay attention and ran right into a wall.
"Come on, V! You gotta admit it looks great on you!" Coco insisted with a chuckle.
"You keep looking for excuses to dress me up in whatever you pick out."
"Guilty as charged." Coco raised her hand with a smile.
"Nn." Blake also pushed her curtain to reveal herself nearby. Currently she donned a black dress that exposed her shoulders and wraps around her neck, long, open sleeves that reveal her hands and shoulders, a short skirt with a frill shaded a lighter tone of black, and long, black high-heeled boots. "I kinda like this one. Feels nice."
"Good choice, super cute!" Coco clapped.
Coco has been made aware of Blake's situation via Velvet. And it was rather clear that out of everyone, Blake especially needed some changes of clothes. It was the least she could do for a rookie. Shes literally had nothing for who knows how long, the least that Coco herself could do was help her build up some wardrobe.
"Found something a bit simpler!" Ruby pushed the curtains aside once more, wearing a short red dress with a black puffy skirt, which she paired with her hood.
"Not bad, not bad. There's beauty in simplicity." Coco rubbed her chin while smiling.
A brief once over of her gave her confirmation that yes, Ruby was a blossoming young lady indeed. Slender and curvy, rather well-endowed. Not as much as her older sister, nor was she as built, but Coco could definitely see some of it on her. Had to have strong arms to swing a giant scythe, and strong legs to move as quickly as Velvet informed her that she did.
Speaking of which, Velvet sighed as she came out with another outfit. "I guess this one will do. Feels a bit inspired." She chose a sleeveless pink blouse with a frilly collar and light blue ribbon, a frilly brown skirt, and black pumps.
"Oooh, pretty good, V!"
"Since you're gonna make me pick anyway..."
Weiss sighed, though she wasn't all too upset because this session meant she could hold Zwei for the time being, keeping him in her arms with her chin resting atop his head. "They seem to be quite into this."
"Hey, if Ruby's getting into it a little and having fun, I'm all for it." Yang stretched her arms a bit.
"They look fantastic!" Nora supported with a high salute and a bright smile.
"By the way, while they're tied up with that, where are your teammates? Did they not have time to meet up with us?" Weiss pointed out.
"Ah, the guys. Jauney and Renny are out training with Cardin's little squad. Porty pulled them aside for a little extra training after they all got back. Literally no breaks for them at the moment." Nora shook her head and shrugged. "Poor guys."
"Same goes for Fox and Yats. You could say they're all on a manly get together. Or something like that." Coco waved her hand. "In any case, it's gonna be a girls only hangout today. Well, except for the pup."
Zwei barked.
"Yep, exactly."
"I think I'm fond of this one, too." Blake eventually comes out once more, wearing a short dark violet open-necked shirt, along with a short, short sleeved partially zipped black coat over it, black tight pants, black low heeled boots with violet collars, and a small black scarf was snuggly wrapped around her neck. She lightly tugged in on said scarf, closing her eyes. Yes, she might like the scarf most of all. Nice and snug.
"That looks really nice, Blake." Pyrrha smiled supportively.
Weiss folded her arms with an unsure tilt of her head. "Are you sure this is how you want to wear these clothes?"
Blake tilted her head. "Is there something wrong with it?"
The way Blake wore them, left her midriff slightly on display, along with emphasizing how large and round her breasts were, somewhat hidden by her partially closed jacket. And her black tight pants managed to emphasize her wide hips and her generous rear. She was a lot less skinny than before due to having had time to eat and replenish herself. Coco was told that when Velvet and Ruby first saw the Faunus, she looked quite underweight, though not to the point where she couldn't stand and fight. It seems that since then, they've gotten some food in her and now she was looking a lot better. Fuller and curvier.
Between her and Ruby and Velvet, Coco wasn't complaining at all.
It didn't seem like Blake herself cared about how much her clothes hugged her, so long as she had some and they fit well enough. Coco couldn't blame her. Denied the dignity of wearing proper clothes for so long, it's understandable that she's not picky at all.
"Nah, don't worry about it, you're fine." Coco cheerily clapped her shoulder with a grin. "Now then, if everybody's happy, let's ring ourselves up. No need to worry, I'm a regular here. They love me."
Ruby was still in a bit of surprise. Like, she was glad for and happy to get new clothes for her birthday as well, but she wasn't expecting someone to go out of their way to help her pick some out, and even pay for them in her stead. This left her feeling quite surprised even as they were exiting the store with their selected purchases in tow.
"Ah, nothing like clothes shopping to help you burn through time, just to look that much cooler, cuter, the likes." Coco chuckled while holding several boxes in one hand.
"I wasn't expecting to meet you so soon." Ruby said while carrying her own things. "Velvet told me that I would eventually. But, uh, I didn't think it'd be so quick. Thought I would have a bit more time to think about it at the very least."
"Nah, Coco shows up whenever she pleases, regardless if you're good and ready." Coco laughed while gently clapping Ruby's back. "You're pretty alright, Rookie Rose."
Ruby pouted. "Hey, my name is Ruby! Ruby!"
"Rise above the Junior rank to Intermediate, then I'll consider rescinding the nickname. Keeping on going and increase your status of sheer badassery." Coco grinned while lightly flicking Ruby's forehead. "Just the way things work, Rookie Rose."
"Hmph." Ruby folded her arms a briefly turned away. Though after some time, she gently turned back around. "Say, you're at a similar rank and class as Velvet, right?"
"Got it in one. Senior Huntress: Class C. V's accomplishment in helping you guys get through your first mission really upped our credibility as Huntresses. It's without a doubt that Velvet's the best and strongest out of our group."
"Coco, come on, stop." Velvet waved off with a hand on her cheek, looking bashful.
"Yeah, she's really that good after some hard work and triumph. Don't let her modesty fool ya." Coco chuckled while briefly taking off her beret. "I can't tell ya how many times Velvet's led the charge when I got us the game plan to turn a serious situation around. We wouldn't know what to do without her." She smiled while setting her beret back on her head. "And if seems that she's been incredibly reliable to you too, so you've seen it for yourself."
Ruby thought it over for a moment, nodding gently while rubbing her chin. "Yeah, Velvet really had our backs in that mission. Super reliable."
"Damn straight." Coco tilted up her shades to look at Ruby closely. "So listen up, Rookie Rose. You undoubtedly already know this, but how you appear to people matters when you're a Huntress."
"It does?"
"Yeah. I know people tend to go all 'looks don't matter' and all that. But that's a pretty limited way to approach that subject. Looks and appearances are important, but more as parts to a whole." Coco nodded. "Think about it. When you see someone like Glynda Goodwitch, whaddya think?"
Ruby thought it over, recalling the very first time she saw Vale's Grand Huntress for the very first time. "She looked, stern. Really stern and strict. Maybe even a little bit mean. And yet, she also looked like she belonged in her position. She looked graceful, yet powerful."
"Strict, graceful, and powerful. A trusted figure in the Huntress community. She looks powerful, she feels powerful, and has proven that she is powerful. On top of that, she's someone who's earned great trust within those who work with her, and those she protects. She has a 'grand' atmosphere around her appearance, and she backed it up with her achievements that built up and supported her reputation." Coco raised three fingers. "Looks, atmosphere, and rep. If you're gonna be a kickass Huntress that anyone can count on, keep these in mind. At least, that's how I see it."
Weiss huffed slightly, folding her arms. "I did mention this as well. If we are to proof ourselves dependable then results are a critical aspect of building upon. Although, I haven't considered appearances to be that crucial a factor."
"Course it is. When civilians are down on their spirits and at the mercy of evils threatening their lives, and they see a dependable Huntress with a pretty amazing rep, they're going to feel some sense of relief that their burdens have become a bit lighter. The sight of you let's them know that everything's going to be alright. As for the enemy, well, seeing you will mean that they're screwed." Coco grinned. "So yeah, appearances definitely do matter. For better or worse."
Ruby walked alongside the others as she took in Coco's advice. She hasn't completely thought of it like that, but there were times that she did want to appear like a cool Huntress. After all, whenever the Grimm Reaper would show up before people, it meant that the ones who she came to protect will be saved. It was no longer a question. Her very appearance was frightening to her enemies, yet a sign of a miracle for those she defends.
Ruby will have to keep this in mind.
"We can appear dependable, whil also getting more dependable!" Nora raised her arm with a cheer.
"Same here. Throughout my Huntress path, I desire to keep honing my skills and strength against strong adversaries and Grimm." Pyrrha lightly smiled while holding a hand in front of her chest. "I wish to become a Grand Huntress, and be known as one of Mistral's greatest warriors. I want to see how far I can take my potential so I can meet and overcome many fierce challenges." She nodded with more determination.
"And Pyrrha will have me to back her up!" Nora did a thumbs up while having an arm around Pyrrha. "The two of us promised to get stronger so we can meet and surpass any challenge that comes out way!"
"Oh? Kindred Spirits?" Yang smirked while looking at the two.
"Yuppers!" Nora lightly placed a hand on her chest. "A Grand Huntress that can go all around the world and give those that have been forsaken, forgotten, and discarded, a chance. Even if they've never been chosen, wanted, or loved, they'll have a chance for a better life where those things can happen to them. They didn't choose where they started out, but that doesn't mean all is lost for them. I wanna be that Huntress who really inspires that idea in them."
"Really?" Ruby blinked in surprise. Nora nodded.
"If someone's idea of a great life is to eat as much as they want, sleep as much as they want, and overall simply live a happy, peaceful life, then I wanna be able to make that happen for those that believe they never will." Nora smiled. "I know that I can't really do something like that alone, which why I'm glad I've got Renny, Jauney, and Pyrrha with me to handle the parts I can't, and I can handle the parts they probably can't. We're gonna do awesome things together for ourselves and the world."
Ruby lightly scratched the back of her head, before she smiled and nodded. "That sounds really amazing, Nora."
"Quite a few of us have some rather hefty ambitions and aspirations." Weiss noticed while letting the top of Zwei's head. "Definitely not a complaint on my part. It means we all have something we want to accomplish, and thus, a direction to go in."
"Ooh, arcade!" Ruby pointed towards a building in front of her, which had a plethora of glowing and flashing lights, where many a gamer are gathered. "We gotta go for that one next! I wanna see if they've got anything fun to play!"
"Hah! That's an excellent choice, sis! Time to polish our gamer skills!" Yang cheered just as much, as the sisterly duo dashed towards the building post-haste.
"I haven't gamed in forever." Velvet noted while rubbing her chin, before she shrugged. "Guess I can pick that back up now."
"I call Leap Woman!" Nora chanted as she too rushed for the arcade, and soon everyone followed suit, having decided upon agreeing with Ruby's choice.
"Wrekken!" Yang called out.
"Boulevard Brawler. I haven't played that one in a while. Hope it still has tournament matches." Pyrrha smiled while approaching one as well.
"This beast like squirrel woman battles to save and protect her friends." Blake blinked before rushing towards another game.
"I'm not much of a game person..." Weiss blinked. "Hm. Hunt Hunt Revolution?"
Soon enough, the girls were each in their little gaming worlds, passing the time away. Ruby certainly didn't mind burning through time this way, for she was having a blast playing through some classics, such as the Epic of Xelda. The modern editions were fun, super fun. She's not knocking them in any way. Though the classics had a sort of merciless approach to them that really challenged her to step up her game, think of every, any solution to progress forward to the best of her ability.
She was able to get pretty deep into it, with quite an array of tools and weapons at her disposal. She made sure to really enjoy the weapons, as they were always her favorite, the fun part was always the weapons she could use.
By this point, quite a bit of time has passed for the gang, exiting the arcade as it was getting a bit dark out at this point.
"Whew, that was super fun!" Ruby exclaimed with a cheery smile. "I managed to get pretty far!"
"I don't think I'm great at video games..." Weiss muttered bitterly. Her score was absolutely abysmal. A great sting to her pride, admittedly.
"Ah, cheer up, Weiss! You'll get to that gaming zone eventually!" Yang playfully nudged her shoulder.
"Don't pity me! I'm going to learn how to play that game and succeed all of the scores on it!"
"Ooh, her competitive nature is peeking out." Coco observed, while Velvet sighed and shook her head.
"I'd be more than happy to assist, Weiss. If you'd like." Pyrrha offered, though even she couldn't help but giggle a little at how silly she was being.
Blake was following a bit behind, taking much slower steps for a little bit. As much fun as she had playing games with everyone, she couldn't help but slog, because of all the thoughts that kept building up in her head the longer the day went on into night.
Don't you understand? This is a fantasy.
You're still imprisoned. Shackled in chains and covered in filth.
'Stop.'
There's nothing about this dream that hasn't been done already.
It'll always end the same way. Waking back up in suffering.
'Leave me alone!'
Tormented by Humans and betrayed by Faunus! You can't trust anyone! Your dream was a joke in the face of cruel reality!
You don't belong anywhere in this world anymore!
'ENOUGH!'
Everyone stopped in place as they felt a surge of Aura right behind them. They quickly turned to see that Blake had completely stopped walking and fell to her knees, clutching her head. The ground around her was cracked due to the pressure of her Aura, which was coming off of her in waves.
"Woah! Blake, what's going on?!" Yang attempted to ask.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Weiss also exclaimed, in a bit of sincere concern.
"Blake?!" Ruby also called out,.and the rest soon echoed their sentiments, but Blake couldn't hear them. She was just staring at the ground, eyes widened and unfocused, paired with swift and uneven breathing.
"It doesn't seem like her body knows that it's out of captivity, and that will stay that way." Velvet deduced while having the others gently keep their distance. "Don't do anything unpredictable. She's in fight or flight mode right now, and the wrong move will send her into either extreme."
Blake was still breathing heavily, her eyes darting around several times, then back up to Ruby, who then gently kneeled in front of her.
"Blake. Blake?"
Ruby didn't know what to do, but she didn't want to just leave Blake like this. She couldn't just do nothing.
So with a gentle sigh, she slowly placed a hand on Blake's shoulder. Her eyes darted to her for a moment, but she didn't say anything or pull back. Once she confirmed that instinctual retaliation wasn't coming, Ruby proceeded, sliding her arms around Blake and pulling her into her chest.
"I'm right here, Blake. I'm right here. I'm here for you." She didn't say anything other than comforting words. All she did was stay and hold Blake until she slowly, gently calmed down.
It took about ten minutes. The Faunus was still shaking a little bit, her breathing taking a bit of time for it to slow to a decent level. She even briefly spasmed just a bit, but didn't actually try and break out of Ruby's grip. It ended as soon as it began, though the rapid breathing could still be heard. It was fine though. Her feline ears twitched a bit, before they settled flat on her head. Her trembling was reduced to tiny, nearly unnoticeable twitches. Her eyes stopped darting around in panic, and she simply sighed and kept them on Ruby, who still remained mostly wordless. Everyone else watched on with silent gazes of worry, not stepping in unless they really needed to.
It took some times but Blake eventually recovered enough to actually speak. She sighed while even got matching into Ruby's shoulders.
"S...Sorry." Blake muttered sincerely.
"Blake, might this have something to do with, you know what?" Ruby asked of her, lightly caressing the top of her head.
"Perhaps." Blake nodded, not too fond of sharing this, but knowing that admitting otherwise would be falsehood they can easily see through. "I didn't want to say anything about it, especially not on your birthday." She slowly blinked, still within Ruby's embrace,.not yet trusting herself with not freaking out again due to voices. "Though, I suppose that didn't really do me any good, did it?"
"Nope." Ruby bluntly answered, which actually made Blake chuckle a little bit. Soon, they were able to fully stand, and Blake pulled herself away from Ruby, attempting to pull herself together. She turned towards the rest of the group. "You know, I think that's enough outside stuff for now. How about we head back to Beacon?"
"Ruby, are you sure?" Blake asked her worriedly. "I don't want to be the cause of a decision like that."
"No, it's okay. It's getting pretty late, anyway." Ruby looked towards Beacon again. "Besides, there is at least a few more times we can do. It's not a loss for us, don't worry."
Blake was reluctant, though no one seemed to outright reject the idea. Yang was supportive of it of course, while Weiss simply kept a concerned eye on Blake after her freak out. Nora and Pyrrha were in ready agreement, while Coco and Velvet each agreed with a raised hand. It seemed they were going through with it.
Yet still, Blake couldn't help but feel guilty, despite herself.
Ruby decided it was time to go to a few, much simpler activities than before, this time with things that can be done inside. There was plenty that could be enjoyed while inside, and she's honestly had enough of outside time for today. She'd rather not say so, because she already knew the person in question would call her out on it no matter how much she denied it nor in what way. It seemed to be something both of them knew about the other, so neither of them decided to bring it up any further.
At least, not right now.
Well, when it comes to things Ruby took an interest in looking at for the time being while they were inside, it was looking at the various weapon schematics she was given to her in a weapons magazine. She wondered if there was some inspiration she could take from them to her own weapon Crescent Rose. Though for the most part, it was just a little bit fun to see the various weapons that people can come up with.
So much fun.
"Katana, Cleaver, Pistol, Kusarigama, and Sheath. Five in one!" Ruby cooed while having gotten hold of Blake's Gambol Shroud, observing it up close and personal. "You can dual wield with it, shoot with it, even slice with it like a mini-scythe! Blake, it must have been pretty tough having to learn how to use this! It's so intricate yet simple!"
"I had a lot of time and opportunities to practice." Blake admitted, though the circumstances of her self-training we're definitely not quite how anyone should train, but she worked with what she had. And what she had, while hated, was useful in building up her fighting experience and using Gambol Shroud. She could say that her handlers desire to squeeze as much combat entertainment out of her as she could eventually allowed her to turn it against them.
And that suited her fine. For now she could direct all of that combat experience towards a better cause, something she could better approve of. And that something would be the dream that she sought out.
Though it seems that some bits of the last still hasn't removed their claws from their heart just yet. It would take a bit more time for her to fully recover, it seems. Or, at the very least, to the point where incidents like that would not happen when they were simply on an outing. She didn't want to bring trouble to her newfound friends in that kind of manner. It would seem that she still had quite a ways to go.
Weiss, on the other hand, found it fitting to bring the focus subject towards something else.
"So, Ruby." Weiss began while holding the sleeping Zwei within her arms, tenderly scratching his belly to further soothe him to sleep. "You're sixteen years old now. Yet another age upwards on your path to maturity." Weiss hummed while pushing her hair to the side. "I suggest you take such progression seriously."
"Pfft, of course I do, Weiss."
"I'm simply saying. Because the age of sixteen can not only be a time where your maturity further progresses onwards, but it can also serve as an indicator for a new stage of danger. Depending on who you are, it means that a layer of safety has been removed permanently."
"Really?" Ruby wondered with a tilted head.
Weiss lowered her head. "I remembered I had to defend myself against another assassination attempt on my own sixteenth birthday. And I did so without anyone's help."
"...Oh."
"It was so the point in which my family genuinely began trusting and believing that I could handle the Huntress life that I sought." Weiss turned to Ruby again. "What I'm saying is that this is the point in where you really transition towards maturity. It is also thought of by many to be the age in which one is put into more danger than ever. The Huntress life is dangerous already, but by this age, it's believed that the danger increases, due to a perceived increased chance that you'll attract many more adversaries." Weiss closed her eyes. "It also coincides with your accomplishments. The older you are, the more accomplishments you accumulate will be taken seriously, to a degree. And the more powerful you are...the greater your opposition. They will see you as a threat worth eliminating."
"Oh..."
"Oh, indeed." Weiss nodded.
"Weiss has a point, to a degree, Ruby." Blake muttered. "Anyone who seeks to change a status quo no one wants changed, they'll become a target. I myself have prepared for and accepted that once the White Fang catch wind of me, they'll attempt to eliminate me. Not to mention, plenty of humans as well. It's inevitable for me to make enemies or both humans and Faunus, but I don't intend to back down."
"Nor should you." Yang managed to interject.
Black feathers crossed Yang's eyes again, before she blinked and shook her head.
"You wanna free your fellow Faunus from oppression. That's why you're aiming to become Grand Huntress. Not only to show that other Faunus could reach true greatness when they really try, but to also be able to lift them up so they can strive for greater things, with enough effort. Complacency is the biggest enemy of growth. That's kinda why I've taken my promise of self-improvement on many fronts."
"Yang?"
"No matter how many enemies try to stop ya, you'll overcome them all and sharpen your resolve in the process. You'll get there with time, as you put in the work to hone your strength, build upon your triumph, and with us giving you a helping hand."
"That's right. With every triumph, gained through your efforts and our support, you'll eventually reach what you're striving for." Weiss nodded.
Ruby could see what they were saying for the moment. It seems that they were reaffirming that what they wished to do would come with various obstacles, and that would include enemies that would try to knock them down to keep them from rising too high. That's probably what Weiss was trying to warn her of, the risk she'd be taking, due to experience. She appreciated that Weiss was looking after her.
Now it was her turn to bring something up.
"Blake, about what happened earlier."
Ruby began, which managed to stun Blake for a moment, before her ears folded against her head. "Listen, Ruby. I'm sorry that I didn't say anything. It's just that, I didn't want to start trouble on your birthday and-"
"Nope."
Blake blinked at the casual dismissal, while Ruby looked right into her eyes. "W-What?"
"Nope means nope, that's what!" Ruby pointed towards her. "Blake, if something is bothering you, no matter what day it is or the time, you have people to rely on, now. It's no longer just you. Now it's us." She huffed. "You think just because it's my special day that I'm not going to care about the plight of a friend?"
"I-I...I don't..."
Ruby lightly scooted closer to her. "Blake, I can't really promise that I'll be able to understand everything that you might share, but that shouldn't stop you from saying anything at all. Though I can promise that I'll be there for you. So don't bottle things up like that anymore. You can tell Weiss, Yang, and me anything. You can rely on us. That's part of the promise we made, remember?"
Blake looked a bit embarrassed, and a little ashamed, having once again underestimated Ruby a little bit. "I'm...I'm sorry."
"There's no need to be sorry. I'm just reminding you, that's all."
Blake's ears flicked again, as she smiled and nodded. "Right."
Ruby gently reached out and grabbed one of Blake's hands. "Fellow Faunus turned their backs on you, and plenty of humans hurt you really bad. Despite yourself, that's really been weighing on you this whole time, hasn't it?" She nodded softly. "Alright, Blake. You can go on and become a Faunus that lifts other Faunus up and inspire them to achieve better for themselves. Don't give up. The more Faunus you inspire, the greater the change that can happen when they begin to work together." She used her other hand to gently press a closed fist against her heart. "As for me, I'll be your most reliable human friend, and help you achieve your dream."
Blake's eyes slowly widened at this. "You will?"
"I've already promised that I would protect, fight alongside, and support you, along with Yang and Weiss. Though I guess on top of that, I'm also going to make it my birthday resolution. Just to really hammer it home."
"I fight for you, you fight for us. We have each other's backs and kick ass together." Yang grinned. "Face it Blake, you're stuck with us."
"So Blake, no more of this bottling up thing you're trying to do until you nearly explode in public." Weiss reprimanded with a point. "Plenty of people were watching us like we were crazy people, so don't go doing that again." She said, just as she returned to snuggling Zwei and giving him kisses atop his head. "Isn't that wight, bestie westie? Blake needs to stop being so silly willy! Yes she does! Yesss she does!"
"I am feeling several things right now. Surprisingly, offended is not one of them." Blake deadpanned. After a moment of thought, she didn't manage to crack a smile. "Grateful? Definitely."
There was a brief knock on the door, which got Ruby's curiosity. She soon opened it, and was surprised to see Coco pushing her way in with a ton of bags in her wake. Velvet was the same, carrying quite a few with no effort. Meanwhile, Pyrrha was carrying quite a few games, and Nora plenty of snacks.
"W-What's going on?" Ruby blinked in surprise.
"You didn't think we were done, didja? Special day ain't over until the next day begins! Until then, we're still celebrating, Rookie Rose!" Coco reasoned while scrolling in, while lightly lifting her shades. "Cute strawberry pajamas. Really brings out your-"
"Anyway, I have some pictures we can view!" Velvet quickly interrupted while setting some down. "Lemme show you some of the cool places we've been to during our hunting adventures!"
"Sorry, Jaune and Ren couldn't make it. They're dreadfully exhausted." Pyrrha sighed while setting some things down. "Mr. Port really did a number on them during training."
"So it's just us girls for the rest of the night! Who wants snacks!" Nora beamed while having all sorts of food in her arms.
"Yo, lemme see some of those pics, Velvet! How epic are they?" Yang smiled sunnily while scooting over to her.
"What do you have?" Blake wondered while looking over to the various snacks Nora had.
"It's getting crowded in here! Your better help us clean up after this is, all of you!" Weiss insisted, with Zwei barking in agreement.
Ruby blinked as everyone got a little bit rowdier with time, all the while simply having a blast just hanging out. This wasn't a sight she was used to, and she didn't think it was something she'd experience on her birthday. She was so used to having birthday's only with her family, sometimes solely with Yang. Though this is the first time so many people came for her birthday. It wasn't like she wanted particularly big birthdays, though. Nor was she too upset with not having parties or anything or the sort. She had simply accepted that she probably wouldn't ever have any with friends.
That changed today. There was plenty a friend here to help celebrate her birthday this year.
And with that change, a small yet bright smile graced her face.
"Hey, Nora! Do you have any strawberries with you?"
It was a pretty nice feeling, having this many people around and getting along nicely.
Maybe she should get more into it, and do this more often.
Ruby's first birthday surrounded by friends. Despite some unexpected hiccups due to Blake's trauma briefly messing with her head, it was nice and happy one.
It's one she's going to treasure for sure.