Notice Me, Ruby!

Chapter 12: Friendly Interview

When Elaine had told Ruby that they should get started on their work, the younger redhead had expected to be taken to the library or a bookstore. However, she had not expected to be taken to Beacon's cafeteria, where the older team leader would get them both big cups of hot chocolate and a plate of muffins. So far, this didn't seem like work at all.

"Ummm... Ms. Lambert? Why did we come to the cafeteria?" Ruby asked nervously. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but weren't we supposed to start working on our project? This doesn't really seem like work to me."

"But of course this is work! We are currently building the foundation for our teamwork!" Elaine said happily with a grin. "If there's one thing I've learned about being a team leader, it's that you need to get to know your teammates. Only through knowledge can you begin to build trust and a healthy relationship, so it's necessary for us to get to know each other. And what better way is there for us to do that than by enjoying some delicious muffins and hot chocolate?"

"That... does make sense," the scythe-wielder said, understanding the older team leader's perspective. "Once you know someone, you have a better understanding on how to work with them."

"Exactly! I knew you would understand!" the older redhead said happily. "Also, just call me Elaine or Ellie. There's no need to be all formal with all that "Ms. Lambert" junk. Besides, remember what Professor Oobleck said? We are equals in this thing."

"O-Okay Ms.- I mean, Elaine," Ruby replied, quickly correcting herself.

"That's the spirit! Now, how about we get started on getting to know each other better?" Elaine asked, as she took one of the muffins and took a bite out of it. "As I told you earlier, I've heard a lot about you, but those are just stories about your progress in school. In other words, they tell me about you as a student. What I want to know is the real Ruby Rose."

"The real me?" the younger team leader asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I want to know the actual person that is Ruby Rose," the older team leader explained while still eating her muffin. "I want to know your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future and more! I want to know just what kind of a person is this Ruby Rose that I have heard so much about!"

"Okay... So, what do you want to know?" Ruby asked, still somewhat nervous. "And can I also ask about you?"

"But of course! Otherwise this wouldn't be really productive, would it?" Elaine exclaimed with joy. "Now how about we start off with something simple? What are some of the things you like?"

"Well... I like sweet treats, especially cookies. I also like reading books, especially stories about heroes. Those are the two things that come to mind at the start," the scythe-wielder began. She then looked down with an embarrassed blush on her face, afraid of how the next thing she was going to say would be taken. "I also really like... weapons."

"Hmmm... So we have a sweet tooth, who likes to read and has an interest in weapons then? Sounds good so far," the older redhead said thoughtfully with a smile, surprising Ruby. "I also enjoy sweet treats myself, along with fun stories. While I don't have any special interest in weapons, I can be curious about them from time to time. But hey, we all have our own interests, right?"

"W-Wait a second!" Ruby suddenly said. "You're not bothered by me liking weapons?"

"Why would I be? Like I said, we all have our own likes, so why should I be bothered by something you like?" Elaine explained. "Besides, having an interest in weapons should be a good thing in the business of being a Huntress. After all, they are our most important tools, so we are going to need them, no matter how much one might dislike them."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," the younger redhead said, as she let out a sigh of relief. "For as long as I can remember, people have always considered my fascination with weapons weird, so I often got strange looks from people. I'm glad to see that it won't be a problem with you."

Elaine suddenly reached over the table to put a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder. The younger girl looked up in surprise at the older one and saw a serious look on her face.

"Ruby, I'm sorry you had to go through something like that. It's unfortunate how people can start judging others based on such meaningless things, but I promise that it won't go on forever. No third-year student that's worth a damn would judge you like that, as we know that there are more important things in this world to worry about. So don't feel the need to hide your true self among us, okay?" Elaine said in a comforting tone, before a smile appeared on her face. "Also, it's good to see you're finally starting to relax. You've been so nervous that I was afraid you would have a heart attack or something."

A small embarrassed blush made it's way to Ruby's face. She had honestly tried her best to stay completely calm, but this whole situation was so strange to her that she couldn't help getting nervous. At least the older girl had been completely calm with her and had not been bothered by the younger one's nervousness.

"Alright, since you told me about your likes, how about I do the same and tell you about mine?" Elaine said, leaning back on her seat again. "I personally like to play games on my free time. Video games, board games, phone games and so on. I'm also very interested in animation."

"Animation?" Ruby asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Pretty much that not only do I love to watch animated series and movies, but I'm also very interested in the whole process of animation," the older redhead began to explain. "I like to watch documentaries about it and making my own little animations as well. Let me show you an example."

Elaine pulled a small flipbook from her pocket and showed it to Ruby. When you flipped through the pages, you saw a small baby sitting on the floor, who then suddenly started to breakdance. The baby's movements were very fluid and detailed, which impressed the young sniper very much.

"This is so cool!" Ruby exclaimed with a big smile on her face. "Did you make this!?"

"I sure did!" Elaine replied proudly. "I've done all sorts of animations on my spare time, and I hope to become a legitimate animator in the future! In fact, one of the reasons I decided to become a Huntress was to help me reach that goal."

"How would becoming a Huntress help in that?" the younger redhead asked.

"That's simple. Huntsmen and Huntresses have a lot of sway over a lot of things," the older redhead explained. "It's a common fact that those with the status of a Huntsman or a Huntress have an easier time getting some things than other people. They have better chances at getting into higher positions, especially in the police and the military. They also find it easier to get loans and many other things. Now, this doesn't obviously apply on everything, as you still need to consider the Huntsman or Huntress themselves and whatever they're trying to achieve. But generally speaking, they have it easier. I'm hoping to use my influence as a Huntress to start my own animation studio, which will then hopefully grow."

"Wow... That sounds pretty cool," Ruby said in amazement. "Do you perhaps have any ideas for series or movies planned?"

"Why yes I do! I have concept art for characters, settings and all sorts of things! Not to mention, I've been working on a script on my spare time for a few years now!" Elaine answered happily. "The problem is just that I really lack a lot of resources I would need to make my dream come true. There's equipment I need and possibly a few helpers as well. While fulfilling my dream isn't the only reason I decided to become a Huntress, it will greatly help me get a lot of the things I'm going to need."

For a moment, Ruby was completely silent as she thought about what her new partner had told her. While she herself had decided to become a Huntress in order to be a hero, like the ones she had always admired in stories, it wasn't obviously the same with all the other students. There were most likely many who saw their studies as more of a means to an end, rather than their whole goal. The sniper thought about Weiss and Blake, and about what they hoped to accomplish in the future. Their goals sounded somewhat similar to what Elaine was trying to accomplish. While the older student's dream wasn't as idealistic and grand as Ruby's two teammates', they were still things they wished to achieve with the help of becoming Huntresses.

"By the way, why did you decide to become a Huntress?" Elaine suddenly asked, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. "I'm kind of curious to hear what made you choose such a dangerous career."

"...Well, it might be a bit childish, but I have always admired the heroes in stories, so I've sort of wanted to become one," Ruby answered. "I mean, it's a dream I've been holding onto for as long as I can remember and I want to make it a reality. Although, if there was a bigger reason for me wanting to become a Huntress, it would be my mother."

"Your mother? How come?" the older team leader asked out of curiosity.

"You see, when I was a kid, if there was a single person that I thought of as my greatest hero, it would have been my mother. She was also a Huntress and I often listened to her stories about all the adventures she had. She made it all sound so fun and great that I couldn't help but dream of being like her someday," the younger team leader explained. "However, I was eventually hit in the face with a harsh amount of reality. One day, she went on a mission and didn't return when she was supposed to. We waited for two weeks, hoping for the best, when a man came to our house. He told us that my mother had lost her life on her mission."

"Oh... Ruby, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" Elaine began to apologize, but was cut off by the younger redhead.

"It's okay. It's probably for the best, if you know about it," Ruby said, as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She took a deep breath to compose herself, before she continued. "When I found out about what happened to her, I was honestly devastated. For a few weeks, I was like a living corpse. I couldn't bring myself to play, laugh or even smile. I... I'm not sure what would have happened to me, had my dad, Uncle Qrow and Yang not been there for me. I did manage to overcome my sadness over time, but I still remember how I felt back then. In time, I learned more details on what had really happened to my mother on her mission. Apparently, she had sacrificed her life, so a group of villagers could escape from a large number of Grimm. I then realized that what my mother had done was prevent many others from going through what I did, even if she had to lose her life because of it."

"She truly was a hero then," the older redhead said with a sad smile. "I'm guessing that you really look up to your mother and want to be like her, huh?"

"Yeah... I want to be someone she could be proud of. That's why I'm trying to become the best Huntress possible, so that no one else has to go through what I did," the sniper said with a small, sad smile that soon disappeared from her face. "I... I still think about her, you know? I wish that she could be here, to give me tips on how to be a Huntress and to see how much progress I've made. However, I can't help but also fear what she might say about me. Would she be proud of me or disappointed? Is there something I've done wrong that she would disapprove of? Would she-"

Ruby was suddenly cut off by the sudden feeling of a tight and comforting hug. Seeing how saddened her young friend was, Elaine had gotten up from her seat and gone around the table to sit right next to Ruby, after which she had pulled the younger girl into a hug.

"I know it's rough for you, but never think like that about yourself, okay? There is absolutely no way that your mother would ever be disappointed in you. If she were here, the only thing she would feel towards you would be pride, as you're going to be an amazing Huntress one of these days," Elaine said in a comforting tone, before pulling back a bit, so that Ruby could see her face. "And you wanna know how I know that? Because I feel proud of simply getting to work with you. Believe when I say that great Huntresses like you are very rare, so you should feel proud of yourself as well."

Hearing such kind words caused Ruby to start sobbing. Elaine simply kept hugging the younger girl, offering her all the comfort she could need. A lot of bottled up emotions were spilling out and the older team leader was more than willing to be there to help Ruby let them out.

After a few minutes of crying, Ruby had calmed down and wiping away the stains on her face.

"Thank you, Elaine," Ruby said while getting rid of the last of her tears. "I'm sorry about your jacket. I think it got a bit stained."

"Don't worry about that. Clothes get dirty all the time and you can always get them cleaned," Elaine said with a kind smile. "What's truly important is that you're feeling better now."

The younger redhead smiled, as she truly did feel a lot better. It felt good to let all of her bottled up emotions go for once with someone there to offer you comfort as well.

"Now, how about we try to cheer up and finish these muffins of ours? You actually haven't touched a single one of them yet!" Elaine said with a grin. "Besides, I'm sure your hot chocolate is cold by now."

Ruby nodded and the two girls went on to enjoy their muffins and hot chocolate in calm silence. However, the silence was suddenly broken by the younger of the two, as she had a question for the older girl.

"By the way, Elaine, can I ask you something?" Ruby said, getting the older team leader's attention. "Why aren't you bothered at all by my age? I mean, a lot of other students don't seem to like the fact that I got here two years earlier than they did, so how come you're not bothered by it at all?"

"The answer to that is rather simple, Ruby. It's all about experience and maturity," Elaine answered while munching on one of the muffins. "For the first two years, the students of Beacon get to do relatively safe missions. While there is the occasional Nevermore or Deathstalker, you guys don't have to face some of the truly dangerous Grimm out there. When your third year comes along, the difficulty of your missions jumps up significantly. In fact, you are not allowed to take up simple Beowolf missions anymore, as they are far too easy. When you're put in a position where losing your life is very possible, it's best for you to realize what really matters in terms of those you have to work with."

"And what is that?" the younger redhead asked.

"Skill. Things like gender, age, race, name or anything else don't mean anything, unless you've got the necessary skills to not only complete your mission, but to also keep those in your team safe," the older redhead explained. "Not to mention, there's a bit of a special reason as to why I'm not bothered by your age at all, which I'm sure is the same for my teammates as well. I think it might be the reason as to why our team was chosen for this."

"A special reason? What is that?" Ruby asked, curious as to what there could possibly be that would make an older student so accepting of her.

"Well, you'll see what it is, once you meet the rest of my team," Elaine replied, before drinking the last of her hot chocolate and getting up from her seat. "How about we go meet them? I'm sure they would love to meet you."

"Sure! I'm very excited to see the team that you lead!" the younger girl said with a smile, as she got up from her seat, too. "Besides, I'd have to meet them in the end, so what's the point in avoiding it?"

"That's the spirit! Now let's get going!"

With that, the two girls began to make their way towards the dorm of team LION. Even if she had been nervous and somewhat scared not too long ago, Ruby wasn't afraid at all anymore. In fact, she was happy and excited, as she felt that she might have for the first time in her life made a real friend, along with the possibility of making more.

The young redhead couldn't help but wonder what kind of people the members of team LION would be.

Author's notes: Yeah, I know I said that we would see the other members of team LION in this chapter, but I kind of changed my mind about it, as I was writing this chapter. I wanted there to be a moment where Ruby would get to know Elaine first, before meeting her teammates. The conversation between them ended up getting so long that if I were to add the introduction of team LION's other members, it would have been just too long in my opinion. This led to me cutting off at the point I did and leaving the rest of the "OC introduction" to the next chapter. Hope that doesn't bother you guys.

The next chapter will definitely show the rest of team LION's members, and we'll get to see a bit of Ruby's teammates as well. There will be more focus on Yang and her other teammates in the future.

Until next time.

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