Ruby Rose was a hypocrite.
She could admit that. There were plenty of people who could call her out on that fact too. She had met more than enough in her life to have contradicted herself with more than one of them. But she tried her hardest to be straightforward and honest in her ideals.
Be healthy. Be kind. Give others a chance. Do your best to move forward. Learn your limits. Help.
Those were the basic rules of being a Ruby Rose. Even just listing them, she could see where she might fall short on a few of them. But they were ideals not reasonables , to strive for them was the point.
They had changed and evolved, as her experiences had forced them to. Still, she held true to as many as she could. A few of them had bitten her in the butt over the years, and contradicted each other on more than a handful of occasions.
The worst was when "help" and "be kind" clashed. Because some help wasn't kind, and kindness didn't help everyone. Cinder Fall was living proof of the former. To give her another chance was hard, but to take away that chance entirely was… Wrong.
Killing never made the world better; At best it just removed the chance for someone to make it worse. Sometimes that's all you anyone could reasonably hope for. Ruby Rose didn't have an ideal for "be reasonable."
To help Cinder Fall, however, Ruby couldn't be kind. Cinder required someone to destroy her- down to the basic level of her beliefs. From that point, she could be assisted in rebuilding. This time with a better foundation than her previous self had ever known. One made up of those around her, not just anger and fear. It would take time to chip away at the leftover rubble, and Cinder had to be the one to rebuild for the most part.
The conversation earlier in the week hadn't toppled Cinder's fortress of self. it wasn't a strategically placed set of charges meant to cause the supports to crumble and give way. It was a bomb, a pretty big bomb that would cause instability and compound damage already done; What it wasn't, was an endgame. That would take time, and mostly just hard work. Like fighting a Goliath, there wasn't one glorious moment of victory, just carving away bit by bit until the massive grimm just dissolved as it continued moving forward.
Maybe Ruby was being egotistical, thinking she knew what Cinder needed. Forcing her own view on another was far from a kind thing to do, even on a good day it was pretty morally grey. The future lives of her students rested on Cinder's ability to let them in, however; as did Cinder's own.
So, maybe Ruby would top the hatred list again; she could live with that. She'd done it before, and she would do it again if it meant one less name written on a placard attached to a memorial.
Luckily, today Ruby was a hypocrite for a very different reason. Today was Thursday, and that meant it was the best day.
Ruby never held class on Thursday, the time was instead devoted to weekly workshops and internships held by the students. Jobs and leisure time too, should they chose. Professor Rose, eccentric world-renowned hero that she was- along with Professor Xiao Long, were never available for any reason for the entire duration of a Thursday.
Now, several people who hadn't known her for more than a week had wondered why exactly Thursday was such a wonderful day. She could be having a week from hell on Wednesday, she would disappear for a day, and then by Friday she was facing down whatever problems arose like they were Graspers in the desert. Completely hilarious to watch try and kill you. The answer was simple, readily answered, and easily discernible with even a little bit of brain power put towards finding it.
Thursday was family time.
It had originally been "date night" back when the group of them had first attended beacon as students. Not that they were dating back then, it would be years still until the first of them realized their feelings. The name had begun as a dumb, off-hand joke from Nora and stuck forever.
Somehow it was decided that Thursdays were the day to travel into Vale or the Forever Fall and spend time either as a team or in some form of grouping together, away from the school and the future of hunting Grimm. Maybe Weiss and Blake would go shopping, or herself and Yang would drag the other to a movie that needed to be seen with another to truly appreciate how bad it was.
That's what it had started as, just being together. After the Fall of Beacon, each of them had been forced away from that life, but the habits of it remained. For her part, every Thursday on the road as part of her temporary team, Ruby would habitually check her scroll for a certain group's signals, before pulling together some kind of special meal for her current companions. While between settlements it wasn't much, maybe an extra serving of meat or a drink they liked. The weekly event had helped to keep her from really falling apart, she needed that help a lot in those days.
Over time the tradition had remained. It had grow from "not dates" with friends, to actual dates eventually. Forever and always would Thursday be the time to spend together.
So, that usually meant that Wednesday night was a mess of last minute work or a frenzy of trying to make sure the next day would be open. Shoes rarely made it back into their correct place in the closet during the rush. But, even when one of their number was away, without fail they would put whatever else was happening on hold for each other; even if it was for a call from another kingdom.
Also without fail, Ruby was the first to awaken. The current state of the house was not organized. There were coats hanging over the sofa, coffee mugs in the sink, and shoes tossed aside in the rough direction of the door.
That of course, meant that the normally messy woman would start the morning by making sure everything was right where it should be. Ruby may have had her own system, but Weiss was not one for even a hairbrush out of place when she woke. The inability to find her coffee mug in time could throw off her entire daily rhythm, and had once lead to an Atlesian Cumulus-class cargo ship being literally flipped onto its dorsal in drydock.
As she cleaned, luckily not scrubbing sinks or wiping windows today, she would come across small signs of plans and gestures awaiting the others to wake. They weren't secret plans or anything, trying to have four people make plans separate from each other without some kind of communication just didn't work. The gifts and such were usually surprises though.
Ohhh, looks like Blake's been trying to find a new part for… Gambol? No way a UG-1036 would fit anything but that. The UGx maybe, for Myrtanaster's chamber, but Weiss prefers the variable resistance of her UHk. I'll have to ask.
Ah, is that a reservation for tonight? Guess I won't have to worry about what to do after the boardwalk.
Hmm… what series is Blake reading this week? Ultranormal? Sheesh, feels like she picked that up back in our teens. How many books are there even?
The time passed quickly, Ruby barely even noticed she was out of things to clean when Yang entered the room. Her hair was yet-unwashed and it's usual morning tangle still somehow looked like it came out of a magazine. InspiRushan seemed to be the band if the day according to her shirt. Their concerts weren't Ruby's scene- or any concert really-, but the music was pretty good for working out.
To call her sister anything but amazing was lying. Not even a 'she knows my favorite brand of shampoo changed' amazing either; Yang looked amazing. It was hard to describe Ruby's feelings towards her sister, in that regard- Envy, certainly. Yang was sexy, objectively. Being half-sisters, and being raised together did mean Ruby didn't see her in the same light as she did, say, Weiss lounging across the couch in her nightgown- tired rings under her eyes and all.
She is beauty. She is grace. She can s-
"G'mornn…"
Yang, despite her flawless skin and luscious mane, was not a morning person. Her normal sunny demeanor and social awareness just didn't exist before coffee. Podoby's Nerfect.
"Heh, ' nerfect '. Mornin' Sis! Your deathtrap's already going." Ruby "yelled" at a morning-appropriate volume, standing from the couch as she did so. Deathtrap was really the only word for it, and Ruby regularly worked with volatile explosives.
"Mmm.. Your th' best Rubes. Shower's heatin' up." the shambling golden corpse managed on her way to the strange setup of glass flasks and burners currently working its way to a boil. How she managed to operate the whole system while unable to have more than half an eye open was a mystery for the ages. The shower awaited, however, and Ruby left the legend of Yang's alchemy for another time.
As she entered the hall, a certain black haired faunus exited, carrying two hairbrushes and a fresh towel. She gave the towel to Ruby, for the low price of a good morning hug and headbutt; the light peck on her ear was just gratuity. After they had passed, Blake made her way towards the smells of chemistry and caffeine, leaving Ruby to finish her journey to the cleansing waters.
The shower was as close to perfect as she entered, quickening the whole process by minutes. Instead of turning the water off, Ruby twisted the knobs to a temperature more to Weiss' liking as they changed places with a bit of ballroom flare; a few simple dance steps, a dip, and kiss were as much a part of the routine as they were spontaneous each morning. Her toothbrush was prepared, and fresh clothes awaited her on a shelf specifically built for that purpose.
Ruby finished drying her hair as the next change-over occurred, a fifty-fifty chance game of "guess who" led Weiss to take her own prepared toothbrush as Ruby took her leave. The cycle never static, but familiar in all the best ways.
The rest of the morning was spent in each other's familiar company: pancakes with fruit awaited Ruby as she re-entered the kitchen. Yang somehow misplaced her favorite earrings, only to find them sitting atop a gift box containing a matching armband. Blake and Weiss juggled some almost-conflicting plans for the day back and forth. A spoon once favored by Ruby for ice cream eating was rediscovered in the back of an old box of clothes. Various long-tired jokes mixed with new information to tease one another about.
"... So then I said 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy? '"
"Wait, was this before, or after you spilled the spice packet on your arm, and it smelled like pumpkin spice everytime you punched someone?"
"It was definitely after. The smell didn't go away 'till she upgraded, and the new model had the eggbeater mode she was using."
"How do you know she wasn't just using a normal eggbeater?"
"She made that gesture with her hand to activate it. The next model she got was 100% thought-controlled."
"Wait. Wasn't that the same one that the vent flap would spring open every time we'd flirt with her? I thought that was an involuntary reaction!"
"Hehe, Nope! That was one of the best long-cons. Ruby really helped sell it till my next upgrade."
"Ruby!" "Ruby Rose!"
"What can I say? You two are cute when you work together. Plus, Yang pays well for silence."
"My poor wallet… "
The rest of the day continued in much the same mood. Teasing, flirting, little gifts and stolen kisses. Blake and Weiss went shopping together for outfits and accessories, while Ruby and Yang stayed home to work on repairs and upgrades for their weapons. Afterwards, Ruby, Weiss and Yang took a trip to the local farmer's market to collect ingredients for Blake's current culinary experiment -something which apparently required a "left-handed spatula" to make. Upon their return, they were greeted with a full picnic basket and a set of instructions on where to take it.
Stowing their fresh ingredients, the three set off on a short but intense scavenger hunt for their missing fourth. Of course, for a group of globetrotting Huntresses "short" was relative; by the third clue they had left the neighborhood and found themselves at the local SDC tower offices. Normally a trip like that could take over an hour with good traffic. Thanks to a certain combination of semblances the trio were claiming the next clue from Whitley-ironically also in the middle of a scavenger hunt, and waiting to trade hints with them-in almost the same time as it took to reach their local market.
At the end of the clues, and in perfect ninja fashion, they found Blake sitting in their own backyard atop a picnic blanket reading a book. Her peace was promptly interrupted by three hungry women landing on her lap and demanding everything from food to kisses.
She caved in record time.
From there they took a trip to the boardwalk and pier. Not really riding or buying anything, just enjoying the atmosphere and playing the occasional game in an attempt to flex a little on the young children trying desperately to win the cheap stuffed beowolves or sphynxes. They gave said children their prizes afterwards of course, but nothing quite beat the look on a young face as Blake landed eight rings atop the bottles two at a time while reading a book.
After they had filled their quota for inspiring the next generation, it was dinner time. They had long ago learned that despite the ability to eat at the finest of restaurants, they more often all preferred more hole-in-the-wall places. More often than not, whatever new establishment they dared would then get a rather noticeable bump in customers and quality by their second visit.
Tonight was a sushi place that clearly fit more into passion project realm. It was made to look incredibly high class, the owner personally greeting every new patron wearing a sharp grey-on-black suit and a warm smile, opening the glass-panel doors and giving a polite bow. Warm towelettes offered upon being seated, and music playing which just made Ruby feel classy. She also maybe felt a little underdressed, until she saw several people in everything from hoodies to tuxedos. Clearly her own sundress was more than enough.
The food was amazing, though she found the company may have been affecting her opinions.
While digesting the food and reveling in the time together, the hours whizzed by.
Eventually they managed to get back to the house, and once again left jackets and shoes in just the rough direction from the door they were meant to go. The bed was welcoming as all four finished their rituals of makeup removal and preparations for night with the same practiced ease as the morning routine.
Without fail, Ruby rose- heh. ' Rose' -the next morning, refreshed and wrapped in the usual pile the The Best people, she considered just how lucky she was.
Also, without fail, the rest of the family awoke to a house in its proper order; jackets were in the closet, arranged by color and use. Shoes were stored in their appropriate racks and cubbies. Yang's deathtrap was close to ready as she stumbled into the room once more. The daily dance started again, unique and familiar.
Truly, not even Ruby knew how much she could love. It's end seemed to never be reached as each day brought some new reason to love them all more. That was one limit she was certain she'd never know.
So maybe Ruby was a hypocrite.
She could live with that.
Pobody's nerfect after all.