NeoiluzaF: Yeah kinda made that one when I wasn't in the best mindset, and secondly... they definitely have not paid attention, or are they paying attention to something else? Also, thirdly, HERE YA GO, SOME GOOD MILK AND CEREAL.
"Text" : Speech, everyone can hear
"Text" : Thoughts
["Text"
"Text"] : Memory
Text : sound of the action
'Text' : Exclusive for some people, like another person speaking inside their head.
Next Day, Gym: 5am
Pyrrha POV
"Where is she?" Pyrrha asked herself, walking to the counter at the same time. "Excuse me, has anyone else entered the gym yet?"
"A lotta people have gone into the gym, lassie." The attendant at the counter answered, putting down his scroll at the same time. "You're gonna have ta be more specific."
"Oh… let's see, Ruby Rose… five feet tall." She replied, pausing every moment to give a proper description of Ruby. "Has black hair with fading red tips, and she came with me here yesterday."
"Kids these days…" The attendant mumbled as he checked the attendance sheet. "No, ain't no Ruby Rose in the attendance sheet, sorry lassie."
"Oh… that's… alright, thank you for checking it." Pyrrha said, her attention drifting towards the area where they usually workout. "If possible, can you inform me if she does come here?"
"Sure thing." The attendant replied as he went back to his scroll.
"Since the start of the week she hasn't missed a single day…" Pyrrha thought as she walked towards their usual area. "It's quite possible that she just needs a rest day to recuperate her muscles and her own mental health."
She placed down her bag and started placing the weights into the squat rack, as she did a few thoughts formulated in her head on why Ruby couldn't come here today. From a possible confrontation with her team to her earlier conclusion… if their dorm room wasn't in shambles, then it was probably something that Ruby herself could handle.
"Regardless, I should check in with her." Pyrrha thought, placing the final weight onto the rack. "After I finish my daily routine."
Hallway, near team RWBY and JNPR Dorms: 5:30am
"Sigh… I ended up rushing my routine." Pyrrha thought as she walked over to team RWBY's dorm. "You're beginning to worry me more and more Ruby…"She stood in front of the door, her senses still on the edge from the workout. She placed her head at the side of the door frame, doing her best to listen to what's happening inside the room. There was no sound, no noise, and no movement coming from inside the dorm room, meaning everyone would most likely be asleep.
With a deep breath she clutched the handle of the door and twisted it. The door slid little by little, Pyrrha doing her best not to make any noise as she opened the door, but… A sound squealed from the door as it just became just large enough for Pyrrha to get through, with the speed that rivaled Ruby's semblance her attention snapped towards the nearest team RWBY member.
She watched as Weiss groaned and turned towards Pyrrha, making her immediately back off and exit the entrance to the dorm. With her back towards the wall and now starting to panic, she gulped her throat and postured herself to wait for Weiss to come to the door and close it… then a second passed by… and then another… then a minute… and after a few more minutes of waiting Pyrrha decisively thought no one else was going to check, so she decided to look in.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, she saw Weiss was fast asleep, slight wheezing sounds coming from her direction. Releasing a deep breath, Pyrrha was finally able to calm down. She tip-toed her way towards Ruby's bed, glancing towards the other members after every second to make sure they were still asleep.
Yang was still sleeping, snoring at times and Blake was making no noise at all, but at the same time there were no movements that could be heard coming from her bed. As she got closer, she noticed that Ruby's bed was covered in curtains, something that wasn't there two days ago.
"Did she plan to do this after the fiasco? If she did then why did she only add it recently?" She shook the thought off as she arrived at the bed. "Ruby now, questions and answers later."
Slower than how she opened the door, she pushed the curtains aside. A little crack opened in her composure as it slowly started to break, Ruby wasn't there… The pillows weren't touched, the blankets were seamless… no books or pencils placed on top and even the bedsheet was in perfect condition.
Her mind raced as the possibilities flooded her head, each one worse than the last. She took another glance at Weiss, then Yang, then finally their cat faunist friend Blake… who was also asleep. If Blake herself is sleeping, peacefully in fact… then that means either Ruby went out extremely early when Blake was asleep or Ruby didn't even sleep here, and Blake isn't doing anything about the situation.
"The former makes more sense, and I don't think team RWBY's neglect would go that far." Pyrrha asked herself as she hurriedly tip-toed out of the door. "So where could she have gone?"
Pyrrha's unease only grew larger and larger as she passed hallway after hallway. No petals, no tears… nothing, there was no evidence of Ruby's trace anywhere. Even the rooftop where she and Ruby would train in the afternoon was vacant… it was as if… Ruby was nowhere to be found.
"Ruby, where could you possibly be?" She thought as she turned around the corner. "You're not in your dorm, you're not at the training spot, you aren't in the gym… so where could you possibly be?"
She went to the training grounds then the shooting range and found out that neither had a Miss Rose in their attendance sheet, not a single trace of Ruby anywhere. At this point Pyrrha could feel her heart starting to pound faster and her mind starting to panic. She had gone back to the dorms and even checked team CFVY's dorm, only to find it empty. "She's not here and even then Team CFVY is currently on a mission."
"I've been searching for an hour now, and I still don't have a clue where you are Ruby." Pyrrha bit her lip as she ran back to team RWBY's dorm to once again check. "You weren't supposed to do anything like this… this isn't what we agreed o-."
"Miss Nikos?" A voice asked right behind Pyrrha, making her turn towards the voice with her guard up. "What are you doing, causing so much noise running this early?"
As she looked towards the source of the voice she saw Ms. Goodwitch standing in front of her, a worried expression on her face. After taking a moment to breathe, she felt herself calming down and her adrenaline slowly wearing off. "I forgot to ask the teachers if they have seen her… put that on the list next time."
"I was… looking for someone." Pyrrha told the teacher before shifting her posture. "I was supposed to check in on her but when I came to her room she wasn't there."
"Is it one of your teammates?" She asked, to which Pyrrha shook her head. "Is it a friend of yours?"
"Y-yes." She replied. "I was looking… for Ruby, she didn't come to our daily routine so… I got worried and searched for her, so far I haven't been able to find her."
"Miss Rose?" She paused for a second, contemplating on something. "I… I know where she currently is."
"You do?" Pyrrha asked, her mind and heart finally feeling relief. "May I know where she is?"
"Yes, she's uhm, currently sleeping at the teacher's lounge." Taking another glance at Pyrrha before gesturing to her to follow. "If you wish to see her, then foll-"
"Wait, what?" Pyrrha questioned as she got closer to Glynda. "Is she ok?"
"I will answer your questions but first we should head towards the lounge first." Glynda told her, once again gesturing her to follow. "It's best not to speak in the hallways of dormitories, esp-."
"W-wait, is she alright?" Pyrrha interjected, her mind starting to become uneasy again. "Did something happen t-."
"Pyrrha Nikos, calm down." Glynda hushed, pointing towards the dorm room at the same time. "You might wake up the other students."
This made Pyrrha snap back as she looked towards the dorm rooms before nodding at the request her teacher had asked of her.
"I understand your concern for her and yes, she is completely fine." Glynda reassured her as she continued to walk. "But as for right now we will head to the teachers lounge and continue our talk there, as I don't think that either of us want to wake up anybody else."
"I understand, ma'am."
Near teacher's lounge: 6:45am
The walk towards the teachers lounge was both silent and uncomfortable. It wasn't either of the two's fault, as both didn't want to continue talking until they had arrived at the teacher's lounge. But, the aura and pressure emanating from the two made the atmosphere extremely dense to the point that even Pyrrha felt more than a little anxious about Ruby's current well being.
For the past few days, Ruby had been working extremely hard and consistently did her best at both her academics and training… but never at that point did Ruby say or do anything that was this drastic, this was something new, and one that Pyrrha didn't see coming. She thought of the girl as an up front individual, a leader who never backed away, and for her to do something like this… then that means something bad must've happened.
Once they entered the lounge, the atmosphere immediately changed. She stopped as she heard Glynda sigh and point towards one specific area. Her mind and heart immediately slowed down as it got relieved of all worry and unease she had been feeling for the past two hours.
"..."
She paused, standing still while the world slowly dropped the heavy pressure surrounding her while she looked towards a red headed girl lying at the makeshift couch-bed, sleeping soundly, looking as peaceful as ever.
"Thank the fates." She whispered to herself as she walked closer to her. "She's alright."
Once she sat down, she could hear Ruby softly snoring, looking as if she was having a peaceful dream… It would be a crime to wake up someone this cute and adorable. I just wish we all would be able to see this side of Ruby again… the side where it's all rainbow and sunshine, and hopefully that version of her that I admire will return. "I'll make sure that that's what's going to happen."
"Professor Ozpin found her at one of the rooftops just a few hours after midnight." Glynda said, her tone low but audible enough for Pyrrha to hear. "Thankfully he found her in time and brought her here, before she could catch a cold."
"..." Pyrrha said nothing as she silently thanked the Professor, placing a hand on Ruby's forehead at the same time. "Professor Glynda… You said that you wanted to talk a while ago, I don't think you only meant about Ruby's current wellbeing."
"Perceptive as ever, miss Nikos." She smiled as she took a seat beside her. "I want to talk about her… mental state for the last few weeks."
"I will do my best to listen and answer." Pyrrha replied back before taking a deep breath. "But I do not think all the answers are for me to say."
"That… I can work with." Glynda stopped talking for several seconds before looking at Pyrrha. "As you know, I am your professor, but at the same time, I am still your teacher, so while I will do my best to teach all of you, I will also do my best to make sure all of you are performing at 100 percent."
Pyrrha stayed silent as she continued to look towards Professor Glynda, making sure that they made eye contact the entire time.
"We noticed that while she starts interactions with her team within class, they normally don't respond back." Glynda stopped for a second as she took a deep breath. "And when Team RWBY does start conversations, they only sometimes include her in those conversations."
"I… do not think that is something I can talk about." Pyrrha replied. "It may be best to ask her yourself about it."
"Understood, I also noticed that Ruby has been improving slowly not only in combat but also in her academic performance." Glynda took a glance at Ruby before continuing to look at Pyrrha. "And I'm assuming, after what I've seen today, you're helping her in both."
"Yes." Pyrrha broke eye contact as she nodded. "Yes I have."
"But, while she's been growing in her school performance, since the start of the week she has been interacting less with her teammates." She took another glance at Ruby, this time unease swirling in her eyes. "And, from what I've heard from other Professors, periodical moments where they could see her in distress, is there anything you could say about her recent behaviors?"
Pyrrha didn't talk for a good few seconds, the silence making the atmosphere heavier and heavier before she finally broke the silence. "That… something is one of the things I cannot talk about."
"Ah… understood." Glynda sat still, presumably gathering her thoughts. "But the one common thing in all of this, is that each time that they see her in these periodical moments, a few seconds later you would start talking to her, there have even been reports where they see her almost breaking down, but you would be there to make sure she's alright."
"I… Like I said earlier, I have been helping her in both academics and combat training." Pyrrha stopped to take another look at Ruby. "At the same time, I have been giving her my support in… whatever hardships she has been dealing with."
"That's… quite nice to hear." Glynda chuckled for a bit before placing a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. "Please, continue helping her… it seems that recently she needs it more than ever."
Before Pyrrha could reply to Professor Glynda, another voice had interrupted the conversation, a particular voice coming from one specific man.
"Well… I think a thank you is due, Miss Nikos." Professor Ozpin said, walking over to the trio.
"Professor Ozpin?" Pyrrha questioned, baffled that the Professor had even come here.
"I thought you were busy with your duties as headmaster." Glynda asked, her tone changing from soft to serious. "I didn't know you had spare time, if I did I would've asked you to come help me talk to one of your students."
"Well, I'm here now Glynda." He smiled, before turning his attention to Pyrrha. "Miss Nikos, I cannot thank you enough for this… You have been… a rather incredible friend to Miss Rose, I'm sure your parents would be proud."
"It's nothing sir." She replied. "I'm doing what any person would do if they were in my situation."
"And yet, as far as I know, you're the only one helping her." Professor Ozpin shot back, but his tone never came as hostile. "Respect is paid, when it is due Miss Nikos, being humble is a great quality to have, but you must also acknowledge the things you have achieved.
"Then, thank you Professor." Pyrrha replied. "But if it's okay, can I ask you a question?"
"Ask away, Miss Nikos." He answered, sitting at the chair opposite to Pyrrha.
"How exactly did you know that Ruby was at the rooftops in the first place?" She stared at the headmaster, fully intent on wanting to know.
"Miss Nikos!" Glynda exclaimed.
"I do not mean to sound as if I'm doubting your ability as the headmaster of Beacon." She stopped, looking at Ruby. "But I promised her that I will be by her side, and part of that is making sure that she is going to be alright."
"Headmistress Glynda, may I ask you to give us a moment?" He requested, settling his gaze on Glynda at the same time. "Please?"
"Don't do anything… stupid, Ozpin." She stood up and walked over to the door. "See you later Pyrrha."
Silence filled the room as both of us waited for Professor Glynda to exit the room. The door creaked as it opened, letting her go through and exit the room. Slower than it opened, the door closed, squealing the entire time. For a few more seconds, neither Pyrrha nor Ozpin spoke, as both continued to stay silent.
"Ehm, once again, you have proven why you have what it takes, and do not worry Miss Nikos, I do not see it as hostile… rather I understand your concern." He answered, pausing for a moment to let his words sink in. "I merely found her by luck, I had been doing rounds the past few nights because there had been another student sneaking out of the academy every night."
"Are you sure this is something you should be telling me?" Pyrrha asked. "Isn't this something that's only told to other Professors?"
"Well, if I didn't tell you, then my alibi wouldn't be as convincing as it would be, right?" He chuckled before returning to his serious state. "I happened to pass by the roof near both your team's and team RWBY's dorm, and saw Ruby sleeping outside, in her huntress outfit. I'm surprised she was even able to sleep despite the coldness of the night."
"So, Professor found her early in the morning, alone with no blankets or anything, and just in her huntress attire?" Pyrrha pondered over the thought, disturbed by the events that transpired. "Just what were you thinking Ruby?"
"After that I brought her here and asked the Professors to let her sleep on the couch, then they did the rest." He finished, exhaling a deep breath right after. "I'm… disturbed by Miss Rose's recent behaviors, but as you said, you don't think it's your place to talk about this, so instead may I ask you to do something for me?"
"I will try to do it, Professor, if I can do it." Pyrrha replied, sounding as genuine as possible. "But please remember, I may have to decline."
"That's understandable." Professor Ozpin answered. "May I ask you to continue what you have been doing, but please, never turn your back on her."
"I've promised her that whatever she may decide… I will support her and be by her side."" She thought, her confidence peaking as she spoke. "I will never Professor, I promise.
"That is all that I will ask you to do." He stood up and looked towards Pyrrha. "Now I think you should head back to your dorm, everyone should be waking up now."
"Wait, can I not just stay here and wait for Ruby to wake up?" Pyrrha asked, confused by the sudden request of the headmaster. "I don't want Ruby to be late for classes, and I think it'd be better if I stayed here."
"Well… you could do that, but I think your own teammates might become worried for your… disappearance." Professor Ozpin replied. "And as for Miss Rose, we will make sure she arrives at class on time, since that is something we can easily manage."
"I forgot about my own teammates for a second… Professor Ozpin is right in thistuation." She thought as she stood up. "Understood Professor, thank you for everything."
"As you said Miss Nikos." He said, a smirk appearing in his face. "I'm only doing what anyone would do in my situation."
Pyrrha couldn't help but chuckle as nodded at Professor and walked out the door. But as soon as she left, she could feel another sense of unease building up inside her, this time it wasn't about Ruby… it was what happened to make her do what she just did.
And here we go, a different point of view... and one that stands beside our protagonist. So, developments and such, cause now we have more stuff to worry about. Sadly, theres going to be more drama and sadness in just a bit... stay tuned for that... I guess?