Another upbeat song came to an end, the bass beating for the final time as the song faded. The group of four laughed at their silly antics and stumbled off the stage in a semi-sober pile of limbs. As Coco joked about some of the awkward looks they'd gotten, Nora's eyes ventured in Ruby's direction and she began to excitedly slap at the fashion-driven girl.
"It's happening!" Nora hooked her into a headlock and forced her to look at Ruby. That was the largest smile she'd seen in a long time and the cause of it was a gorgeous dark-haired girl about their age, who was resting her back against the bar. The girl rested her elbows on the bar as she motioned with her hands and Ruby laughed, earning a grin from the girl. "Better get that 10 Lux ready!"
"Oh ho! Not yet," Coco fell limp, slipping out of Nora's hold and heading toward the bar. "Time to rain on this parade!"
"Only if it's in Lux bills!" Nora chimed and followed behind her. Velvet and Penny flashed concerned looks at each other and shook their heads. They were really gonna' have their hands full tonight.
As they neared the bar, Ruby's new friend looked their way and lifted her glass. She motioned toward them before taking a sip of her drink and Ruby looked their way. Her eyes flashed with happiness and she waved at them ecstatically. Nora waved back and the girl turned around to speak with the bartender – an action which made Coco stop dead in her tracks and Nora ran into her.
"What gives, Co?" The red-head rubbed her nose. "I hope that didn't smudge anythi- Coco?" If anything, Coco had sobered up from her light-hearted mood and she shifted herself in an unsettled manner.
"That girl knows exactly who Ruby is," Coco said, a queasy feeling in her stomach. "I've only seen something like this a few times, but you guys know who the Elites are, right?"
"Uh, you mean those psychopaths that are literally just Hunters so that they can legally kill?" Nora mumbled with distaste. So much for the awesome night they were having. "They might as well be Puritans, if they allowed Lightbearers in..."
"But weren't Ruby's parents Elites?" Penny asked and Coco shook her head in response.
"No, they were on the same level, but they opted for a different path," Coco explained. "Elites studied their methods and they were given the same respect after they proved themselves, but no. Team STRQ didn't kill for glory. They killed only when necessary. Summer tried to get as little blood on their hands as possible. Ruby's uncle said it made the team seem less Inhuman in the eyes of civilians."
"But that girl is really young," Velvet shifted uneasily, pulling at one of her ears. "What makes you so sure that she's one of them? Don't you normally have to be older and more experienced?"
"The back of her jacket," Coco motioned toward her. "Before you're promoted to an Elite, you're given the option to be a free-unit like STRQ or to become a full-fledged Elite. They're given the freedom to design their own uniform, but unlike the teams, Elites operate completely by themselves. Teams need to fit in with their surroundings, but Elites are required to have an identifying marker. Whatever they wear, the Schnee Emblem must be present and identifiable at all times… just like her jacket. It's the more humane version of what they do to Weres, since only humans can become Elites."
"So, what you're saying," the color drained from Nora's face. "Is that we're letting a murderer get super cozy with our little Ruby… who seems to be a magnet… for trouble…" Coco nodded. "I… see… then… Do we should just act normal or…?"
"For now," Coco resumed their approach, donning a new, albeit fake, smile. "Let's just try not to piss her off. They're not supposed to be in Freak-friendly bars unless they're investigating something due to harassment complaints, but Ruby's presence may have drawn her attention."
"Oh, I gotcha," Nora gave her a silly look as they closed in and jumped on Coco. "Called it!" Nora returned to her usual upbeat disposition and grinned at Ruby once they arrived and then eyed the supposed-Elite up and down. "She's deeeefinitely a cutie, Rubes!"
"You didn't call anything, Nora!" Ruby whined at her friend, who rubbed it in with an obnoxious laugh. "Can't I just meet someone in a bar and be, you know, friends with them?"
"Ah," Ruby's new friend chuckled to herself. "Your friends are trying to pressure you into dating?"
"No," Ruby's face fell. "They're trying to convince me that I'm gay and I'm not!"
"Aw," the raven-haired girl pouted and muttered to herself. "Es is nicht so schlecht."
"What does that mean?" Ruby asked with an innocent smile. She was really enjoying learning about her language.
"Uh," she blushed and took a sip from her drink. "You don't really need to worry about that!"
"She said she's gay." Two glasses clinked loudly as the bartender passed them to two customers further down the bar.
"Sie wissen, dass ich das nicht gesagt habe!" The girl flushed completely red with embarrassment and dropped her relatively cool exterior. "Was fehlt dir?!"
"Hahaha," he passed another drink toward the flustered girl. "Calm down! This one's on me! Hahaha!
"It's still not what I said!" She reiterated to the bartender before she gave Ruby a worried look. "Honestly, that isn't what I said at all!"
"Then what did you say that you had to say that it in a different language?" Nora grinned suggestively.
"Guys," Ruby cut in. "She's Atlesian. It's what she speaks at home. It's cool. It's not like she's hiding anything."
"I just said that it's not… that… bad," the foreign girl pressed her hand against her forehead and silently prayed this would be over soon.
"Which is exactly what I said," the bartender chimed in once more. "You're gay!"
"Verpiss dich!"
"Isn't that why you were talking to her?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eye that evolved into an impish grin. "You're pick up lines are awful, by the way."
"If I were to use pickup lines," she stared holes through him with an impassive smile. "I would most certainly have used literally anything else. The last thing on my mind is that!" She pressed both her hands together against the bridge of her nose. "Oh, mein Gott, I'm going to crawl into a hole and die."
"Haha, sorry White," the bartender grinned and winked at her. "You and I both know it's gonna' take a lot more than that to kill you and your sexy self!"
"Hahaha, Sie and ich wissen beide, dass es nicht passieren wiiiiird!" White sang out the last word melodically and he fake pouted.
"I'd never dream of soliciting you!" He teased back. "Your sponsor would string me up so fast that Junior wouldn't even be aware I clocked in tonight!"
"They won't get the chance!" She grinned mischievously. "Of that, I am certain!"
"So, ya' gonna' buy her a drink, Snowflake?" He urged with a sly smile and winked at Ruby, who blushed.
"Wasser."
"Cheap skate," he stuck his tongue out at her. "Aren't you the Good Samaratin! Counting her drinks for her!"
"Are you not?" White raised her eye brow. "Even if you're diluting it for her, she's on what – seven? And they're the kinds that creep up on you later. Ich bin auf dich, mein Freund!"
"What's wah-sur?" Ruby pronounced each of the syllables hesitantly and hoped she'd heard right over the crowd in the bar.
"Wasser," White brushed her hair back and flashed her a cool smile. "Is water!"
"Aw, booooo!"
"You're starting to get up there in drinks," White explained. "Make sure you drink that before anything else."
"Yes, Mom," Ruby sighed and rolled her eyes as Nora gawked at them, looking back and forth between them. "Please ignore her, specifically."
"But she looks like she might be just as fun as you," White teased at them. "Or am I assuming wrong?"
"Who? Me?" Nora motioned at herself animatedly. "Psssssh! I'm super boring! My precious Rubykins is where all the excitement's at!" The red head smashed her face against Ruby's, almost melding them together and splashing the water against Ruby's nose. Ruby's teeth clinked loudly against the glass and she pulled it away from her face holding her mouth in pain.
"Ruby, are you alright?!" The Atlesian tilted her face toward her and she examined Ruby carefully. "Oh good! Du bis inordnung…" A look of fear took hold in Ruby's eyes and White gave her a confused look. "Did I do something wrong?"
"I," Ruby backed away in concern and straightened her posture. "Never gave you my name. We never exchanged names."
"Oh, uh," caught in her lie, White looked around as she tried to come up with an excuse. "Verdammt… I never even thought it would go this far."
"You can drop the fake friendly Atlesian bullshit now! I was wondering what an Elite was doing in a Freak-friendly bar," Coco interrupted them. "I thought maybe you were gathering information, but I guess you're here for Ruby."
"I am Atlesian," the girl sighed and laughed to herself. "But I think you're mistaken."
"No," Coco insisted. "I know an Elite when I see one and you virtually jumped on Ruby the second Nora left her side. Or am I wrong, Ruby?"
"Well," Ruby fidgeted nervously. She really had thought that she finally met someone who had nothing to do with the world of the Schnee Corps. "I mean, she did, but she's been really nice."
"It isn't like that!" Blue eyes concentrated on Ruby's silver-hued orbs, hoping that she would understand. "Junior's is Freak-friendly – no limitations – meaning that vampires are in here and you left her by herself!" In a panic, the girls began to look around, spotting red eyes and fangs everywhere. "Beruhige dich bitte! Er, calm down!" She corrected herself again. "You don't want them to pick up the scent of fear. It's not just Ruby I've been watching. I've been watching all of you. I'm sure she'd prefer not to lose any friends tonight."
"You're not killing them?" Ruby started to shake. "I-isn't that what Hunters do? Especially Elites… you guys are supposed to kill them," Ruby growled in her seat. "Before they murder us."
"Not everything is so black-and-white, Ruby," White tried to explain. "The ones that come here are fairly innocent. They haven't outted themselves and aren't causing any problems. If anything, I use them as sources of information." Frowning at her drink, she swished it around to mix the melting ice into the liquor. It was watered down, but at least it would be better than if it stayed separate. "They want so badly to return to their human lives and come here just to get a little taste of what that was like. They'd out their Sires in a heartbeat, if it meant they could go back."
Ruby focused on the skirt of her dress, tracing one of the many squares in the pattern. The only good vampire is a dead vampire! Yang's hatred for vampires had only grown over the years. Since their parents' deaths, that hatred had become somewhat of an obsession and she eagerly signed up for any raid that had the possibility of dealing a devastating blow to The Council. Even so, Uncle Qrow had maintained that vampires were not so black-and-white. There were those who hated what they were, but they just hadn't met them.
"You sound like my Uncle. I guess Elites really do have a different way of viewing things. I heard you guys thought about things differently from regular Hunters. You're like, the espionage division of Hunters or something, right?" Ruby's voice grew smaller as she continued to trace the patterns. "I wonder if that's why Yang can't rank high enough…. but you're already there. You all see me and Yang and instantly know who we are, but we don't even know your names or even the slightest bit about you…"
"Ruby, if you'd just let me tell you who I am, you'd remember!" The girl tried to interrupt her, but Ruby flinched at the sound of her name and her head felt like it was starting to warp. "I'm W-"
"Is that why you're talking to me?!" Darkness welled up inside of Ruby and spilled out of her eyes in the form of an intimidating glare. "Because of who I am?" Anything that the Elite had said was lost in whatever music was playing in the background. Ruby's mind went hazy and the excuses didn't matter. She was tired. All that mattered was that she was the daughter of Vale's Heroes –Vale's Burning Priest and White Rose, Tai Xiao Long and Summer Rose.
Ignoring the voices of her friends and the Elite, Ruby was done. She stood up and hurried her way out, squeezing through the crowd of humans and Freaks. Who cared if any of them were vampires? Maybe if she were lucky, one would get hungry and end all of this for her. She'd never have to deal with it again.
"Ruby!" Penny called from within the sea of people. "Wait!" Penny looked back at the others and called back. "I'm going to follow her!"
"Right!" Nora gave her a thumb up and turned back to the stare down between the two most dominant personalities in the room. Getting fed up, the Elite stood up in agitation and tried to go after them, but Coco stood in her way.
"Move…"
"You're not going anywhere near her," Coco maintained her position, meeting the Elite's glare. "Elite or not, I'm not letting someone like you stick around her. Her life is already hectic enough!"
"That's the one thing I certainly cannot do," the Elite growled darkly. "I've waited long enough…"
"You what?" Coco's eyes went wide and she backed up.
"Hey, girls!" The bartender snapped his fingers. "I get that you're doing your whole best friend vs. potential suitor thing, but 1. Your friend's tab isn't gonna' pay itself and she left her card. And 2. Junior asked me to pass this along to you, Miss Tall Dark and Angry," he motioned to White. "Said he owed you some information or something, but you haven't been in town in a while. A new Piress that calls herself the Ice Queen has shown up, but… you're not gonna' like the name she's going by." He held out a small piece of paper and she snatched it from his hand. "Rude…"
"What?" She glared at him. This had better be a damn good reason to interrupt her stalemate. She opened the slip of paper and her eyes widened as she read the name to herself. A silent rage radiated from her and the paper crinkled beneath hand as she trembled in anger. A symbol sizzled to life on the back of the black gloves that covered her hands and he shrank back. "This is most certainly… unexpected…" She laughed darkly at the paper. "Things have really gone to Hell since I've been gone…"
ooOOoo
Everything was a blur. Shapes meshed together, her vision was doubling, she was swaying back and forth, and her eyes couldn't focus. Leaves scraped across the ground, hardened by the blast of autumnal winds they'd recently been getting and made more obvious by the city's eerie silence. Summer was almost at its end and along with that came the memories of the girl in white who had long since left her side.
Ruby wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as a chill crept up her spine. It always seemed like chilly weather reminded her of Weiss, but it was how Weiss had left her that left the deepest impression. They'd never even had a chance to patch things up and Ruby spent much of her time trying to fill the void the loss of her friendship created. In short, even when she was surrounded, Ruby felt empty – truly empty.
Weiss was a chilly girl, but she had always shown a warm side to Ruby when they were children. Ruby's mother had absolutely adored her playmate and encouraged them to spend ungodly amounts of time together. She'd often joke that it was like they were joined at the hip… but that all came to an abrupt end one day.
For some reason or another, Ruby was always in and out of the Schnee Corps' labs and she'd met Weiss during one of those visits. It almost seemed like she wanted nothing to do with her at first, but the pale girl suddenly came to life the moment she saw Ruby's mother. Summer had introduced them to each other and it took a while, but it eventually worked itself out.
She remembered that they would argue all the time as kids and that Weiss was mean. Weiss didn't like to be touched and it bothered her that she was so adamant about wearing gloves if they had to interact. Ruby couldn't really recall what made things change, but Ruby had stayed the night with her and their entire friendship had changed from that moment on. The girl who everyone called "The Future of Circadia" had suddenly become so dependent on her and Ruby wondered what it was that made Weiss gravitate to her… And that was a secret that Weiss took to the grave with her. She'd only asked Weiss about it once, not long after she'd returned home, but Weiss no longer seemed to remember it. Maybe Ruby was the weird one for letting it eat at her mind.
Still, there was a reason that days like today made her think so much about Weiss. Lab visits always reminded her of her former best friend and the not-so-fond memory of how she came to be injured so badly. It had been another of those days where they both had appointments. She had gone home with her, like they always did after, but that day wasn't like the others.
Ruby vaguely recalled a woman dressed from head to toe in white and the darkest eyes she had ever seen. Not much was clear, but she remembered that Weiss's eye had been horribly hurt before Ruby's parents showed up. The rest was a blur, but she knew that Weiss was injured and had saved her. The pale girl had been taken away for weeks, but she promised to come back to her… It was just that the Weiss that came back wasn't Ruby's Weiss. This Weiss was broken.
From that day forward, Weiss was incredibly cold and pushed Ruby away. She was cruel to her and really showed the side of her that was a Schnee. Weiss was always so angry – so violent, but she wouldn't tell Ruby anything. Ruby blamed herself and cried for an endless amount of days. The only friend she'd ever truly let in rejected her with such a force that she felt completely shattered and this caused several brawls between Weiss and Yang. To this day, Ruby had never been able to apologize… and she never would.
…Weiss died not long ago… and it had been a horrific sight. It had actually been just after the first snowfall of Winter last year, when the snow was still pure and untainted by footsteps, but the same could not be said about the Schnee grounds that day. The Schnee matriarch had always been one to appreciate snow, and that same love of Winter's seasonal power was what led her to find her daughter and driven the woman insane with grief.
Ruby sniffled to herself and rubbed her arms in an effort to warm herself up. Whose idea was it to wear these stupid clothes?! Oh yeah… Coco.
But you're the idiot that let her pick them.
Yeah, no one's asking you!
Her mind was such a stupid thing to be left alone with. Maybe she should have taken the headmaster up on his offer, or actually even talked to Penny for that matter. She swayed a little bit more and looked over the buildings. Maybe she could find a hotel… but she'd left her card at the bar with her tab.
Dammit! She was already halfway home and the thought of going back didn't sit well with her. At least, she still had her keys. She'd call and come back tomorrow. For now, things would be fine. They knew who she was, and for the first time, she was glad.
A wooshing sound swept past her ears and she shuddered in response. It really was kind of scary out and she didn't want to stick around alone. Even under the purple haze of lights, she didn't exactly feel 100% safe. Vampires weren't the only thing that could come out. She started to continue on her path home, but something told her that eyes were on her. Maybe it was that wolf again? She rolled her shoulders nervously as she thought about what it could have actually been and she scanned the rooftops and alleyways. As she did, she happened to peek behind herself and saw a lone figure, walking at a fast pace with his hands in his pockets. Something about him didn't sit right.
The man drew closer and closer and as she picked up her own speed, so too did he. He must have noticed that she'd figured him out and he was about to try something. She silently cursed herself for going out drinking and leaving on her own. No matter how angry she had been, this had been a stupid decision on her part and she was about to pay for it. She picked up the pace and ran, but suddenly the street light in front of her went out, causing her to come to a dead stop. He was taking the lights out.
She cast another glance back and saw that he had come much closer, standing and simply watching her. Standing about two streetlights away, he was thin and wore baggy clothes that prevented her from seeing any defining features. Over his face, he had a neck warmer that brandished the bottom jaw of a skull and wore a beanie. In his hand, he held a gun, but the alarming part wasn't necessarily the gun. It was an accessory on the weapon.
To prevent Hunter class weapons from being used by their enemies, Hunters were given gloves that allowed them access to their weapons. The weapons were outfitted with a system that registered users in the weapons history, but also only activated and unlocked the safety when the system registered the chips in their gloves. In other words, he was one of them.
He lifted his arm and shot out the light directly in front of her and she flinched. He stepped forward once more and she took a step back as he trained his gaze on her. Another shot fired and the light above him went out. It was now just her, the light that protected her, and the dark silhouette in front of her that was barely illuminated by the lights behind him.
"A mutual friend of ours would like to have a word with you…" The voice was muffled but sounded vaguely familiar. She just couldn't place it right now.
PAH! The light above Ruby suddenly went out and she could hear scampering all around her. Had he been clearing the way for others? Wasn't he just going to take her to this person?... But why go through all the effort of eliminating the lights?… unless he was White Fang… and that friend was a vampire… She'd almost forgotten that the Fang had recently begun to aid vampires in their hunts.
"It's been a while." Icy fingers latched onto her arms and she was shoved against a wall and lifted above her attacker. She looked around in a panic, trying to focus on where she was. "How stupid can you be? I'm down here." Ruby's eyes fell and locked onto the crimson orbs that glowed through the shadows.
Though it was dark, she squinted her eyes and tried to make out the details from the light the moon provided. Her sight wasn't perfect at night, but the woman below her was definitely around her age and had long white hair… White hair?!
"W-Weiss?" Ruby stuttered in surprised and the vampire's eyes twitched at the sound of her name. She had to be imagining things. Weiss was dead. "How is this possible? Y-you were cr-cremated."
"Yeeeeah," Weiss' eyes narrowed at her as they burned more brightly. "Funny thing about cremation and vampires, we can still regenerate as long as our core isn't destroyed. Turns out they weren't thorough enough and someone was looking out for me." The vampire slid an arm up Ruby's arm and placed it around her neck, proceeding to hold her in place with one arm. "But enough about me, let's talk about you. Why so scared? After all this time, we've finally been reunited! This is a happy occasion!"
"Rrrrgh, because," Ruby hissed as Weiss' grip tightened and the vampire grinned maniacally at her. "You're going to eat me!"
"Oh, we'll get to that soon enough!" Weiss exclaimed. "But first! I want to know… why?"
"Why, what?!" Ruby screamed and tried to kick her legs, but the weight of the boots Coco had given her weighed her down and clunked against the bricks she was pressed against.
"Settle down!" With a jerking motion, Weiss slammed her into the building hard enough to shock her straight and Ruby burst into tears. She wasn't ready to die. "No, you don't get that right! Not when she gave you everything, not when she chose you, and especially not when you can't even tell the god damned difference!"
"Who are you talking about?" Ruby's eyes went wide as she tried to comprehend what was going on. Did fully-turned vampires still have lapses in sanity? Vampires generally reanimated or turned within the first two weeks of being bitten. If what she had said was true, then she had been a vampire for almost a whole year. Frenzying periods only lasted for a couple of months at most, unless new sirelings managed to feed enough in a shorter time period. "What can't I tell the difference?"
"Weiss!" Weiss barked and increased the pressure, all but burying the Rose girl into the wall. "I lost her because of you!"
"What are you talking about?!" Ruby struggled, clawing at her arm. Did she mean that she lost herself? What did Ruby have to do with that?! Weiss stopped being friends with her long before she ever died. None of this was her fault! "You are Weiss! What's wrong with you?!" Did vampirism really drive them so insane they didn't know who they were?
The vampire's eyes widened, jittering as the words sank into her head. Her grip loosened and she dropped Ruby to the ground, with a loud thud. The thick soles of her boots scraped against the bricks and she landed hard on her knees. Weiss' arms dropped to her sides and the vampire looked up at the sky with a broken smile and dead eyes.
"That's right," Weiss laughed emotionlessly. It was so obvious. Hadn't she already come to terms with this? Outside of the family and the remaining members of the STRQ operation, no one knew. Even the vampires recognized her this way. They had blended in so seamlessly that it didn't even matter… but this girl… She should have been able to. "I'm Weiss."
"How could they forget me so easily? None of them ever even… but I was so sure that out of everyone you would see through…" Weiss looked at Ruby and spoke as if a realization had suddenly dawned on her. On the verge of a mental collapse, the ivory haired girl brought her hands to the side of her head as she spoke to herself. "No, it's you too. You're the same. You're all the same. Every last one of you are so blind. It was only ever us… but now it's only me."
As the former heiress to the Schnee Corps broke down, Ruby tried to use the opportunity to escape. She pressed a knee into the gravel beneath her and mentally cursed at the radiating pain of the bruise that was surely swallowing her knee. If she survived, how was she going to explain this? It was probably going to hurt even more. She kicked forward and started to dash away, but suddenly she tripped and her foot refused to move forward. Taking a look back, her foot had been frozen in a solid brick of ice.
"Tsk tsk, I only looked away for a few seconds, Ruby," Weiss tutted at her. "When did you get to be such a naughty girl? Did you think I would forget about you?"
The once-proud Schnee walked toward her at an agonizingly slow pace and Ruby tried to struggle against her frozen trap. Sure, there was an incredibly simple solution to this, but Coco's fashion sense made that kind of difficult. How the hell was she supposed to get these damn boots off in a hurry! They were laced knee highs!
"You don't remember," Weiss stopped in front of her and her eyes seared into Ruby with a look that spoke of years of pent up frustration. "I need your blood," Weiss pulled her up to meet face-to-face with force that shattered the ice that had held her foot in place. "So I'll make you into a Grimm! Then you'll have no choice but to remember! We can share both of our memories!" Weiss' teeth gleamed in the moonlight as she raced toward Ruby's neck and Ruby shut her eyes, bracing herself for the oncoming pain… but it never came.
Instead, a powerful gust of air blew through Ruby and suddenly she was being cradled by something soft that smelled heavily of coffee, cedar wood, and citrus with a hint of alcohol. Ruby peeked open a single eye and was met with the sight of dark leather. She brought her hand up and touched the material until her fingers ghosted over the teeth of a zipper, chilled by the night air. It was a jacket that was worn in an open fashion and Ruby could feel the cloth of the shirt beneath it. Her fingers trailed up to the new person's chest, sitting in place so she could feel the heart beating beneath it. Relaxing, she opened her second eye and looked up, meeting a pair of concerned eyes… It was her - the Atlesian from the bar.
"Fuck!" She heard Weiss' voice from below them and looked down. When had the Elite brought her to the roof of the building? Below them, the vampire held her arm as blood splashed to the ground in a shimmering puddle beneath her. "Do you know how much energy it takes to regenerate?" A dark mass began to form, rebuilding her missing limb. "Too damn much!"
"Are you alright, Ruby?" The Elite asked, ignoring the raging vampire. She watched Ruby patiently and waited for her to nod. The dark-haired girl screened over her, stopping at the torn stocking that barely covered her bruised knees. "Liebes, do you think you can stand?" Again, Ruby nodded and the Elite gently placed her down.
A feeling of weakness suddenly rushed over her and White knelt down, guiding Ruby as she slowly collapsed in relief. The air was still chilly, but she was surprised when an abrupt warmth enveloped her. When she located the source, she found the Elite's black jacket draped over her shoulders. A soft glove touched to Ruby's pale cheek and turned her to face her Atlesian savior and she gave White a grateful look.
"Who the fuck are you?" The enraged vampire shouted from below, discarding her white bolero. "What is your name?" The Elite barely cast a glance at her and inhaled in annoyance.
"I haven't needed one in a long time," she muttered. "But some call me Snow White."
"The Bandersnatch?" Weiss gave a half-hearted laugh. "I've heard you've been giving The Council a run for their money. Perhaps I should be cautious?"
"Perhaps you should," Snow gave a small smirk. "I'm not interested in fighting you… but this I can't allow…" Snow paused for a moment, but added something that Ruby could only make out in broken syllables. "…Mein…Schw…ter…"
"What did you call me?" Weiss hissed in surprise.
"It doesn't matter," the dark woman dismissed her and returned her attention to Ruby. Lacing her fingers around a thin, steel chain that fit loosely around her neck, Snow withdrew a necklace hidden within her shirt. Attached to the chain was a strange purple gemstone that appeared to have some sort of herb encased in it. "Wear this, mein Liebster. Keep it safe for me?"
"Huh?" The Atlesian unfastened it and placed it around Ruby's neck, letting it fall against her blouse. Ruby's eyes followed the jewel as it wrinkled the fabric it sat on top of. The moonlight reflected from it in a glassy fashion and it gave off an otherworldly presence.
Lifting her eyes from the strange charm, she met Snow's with an even greater curiosity. Again, she found Snow looking at her warmly but there was something different. Under the moonlight, her eyes glowed with an intensity that rivaled the brightest sapphires and Ruby sat in awe.
"Close your eyes and don't look, no matter what you hear." Snow spoke softly and put a hand to her cheek, rubbing with her thumb. "Promise me? I'll take you home as soon as this is over." As Snow stood up, Ruby latched onto her hand and her eyes followed her, almost as if she were mesmerized. "I'll be right back. I promise, Liebling." With that, Snow hopped down and Ruby began to shiver.
For some reason, the night felt that much colder than without Snow beside her, so she wrapped herself up in the jacket. While her fingers were chilled by the outer layer that was absorbing the chill of the night air, she could feel Snow's warmth radiating from within the silky lining. For a moment, her fear got the better of her but she buried herself further into the jacket to bask in the residual scent of her dark knight... knightess?... Did they have a word for a female knight?
Below her, she heard several grunts, followed by a loud growl and what sounded like the whining of a dog. With each crashing sound, Ruby found herself wanting to look, but she had promised not to watch. Still, curiosity got the best of her.
She inched closer and closer to the ledge to the point she could see the edge of the road across the street. However, as she started to peer over, a wall of ice shot up the side of the building. A series of crystals splintered out as it reached the end of the parapet and Ruby threw herself back, deciding not to tempt her fate again. After a few intense minutes of silence, Snow reappeared looking as untouched as when she had left, albeit her hair was a bit disheveled.
"Did you wait long?" Snow asked with amusement, her eyes still maintaining their mysterious glow. Ruby quickly shook her head, jingling the necklace beneath her. Reminded by the sound, Ruby rushed to remove it, but Snow quickly knelt before her and stopped her hands. "Keep it. It's safer this way. They can't find you while you have it." Snow looked at her knees again and frowned. "Can you walk, Lieb?"
"I…" Ruby hesitated as she thought it over. "Think so…"
"Nicht gut genug," Snow scooped her up and cradled her closely. Running toward the edge of the building, she hopped across the roof, doing the same for the rest. Wondering how rare Elites like this were, Ruby blushed and found herself resting against her chest. For the first time in a while, she felt like she had been blessed with good fortune.
"Is this the right way?" The sound of Snow's feet hitting the cement of industrial rooftops had long disappeared and Ruby looked out to see where they were. Wait… air? They were suspended in the air! Ruby clung to her in surprise and Snow tightened her grip reassuringly. "Are you alright?"
"Uh, y-yeah," Ruby looked down to see a dark platform beneath Snow's feet. They were quite far from the ground, but she felt secure either way. "Um, it's that neighborhood." Ruby pointed ahead of them and Snow took off again.
Stealing another glance at Snow's eyes, Ruby felt herself being swallowed by them and instantly wanted to know more about her. Vampires' eyes glowed too, but they were only ever red. It had also been curious to her that her eyes hadn't glowed in the bar. In fact, they hadn't until she removed the necklace. Was this how she was without it? What did the necklace do that was keeping her safe?
"Are you sure you're alright?" As they jumped through the night air, Snow's eyes met hers again and Ruby blushed.
"Y-yeah," Ruby buried her face. "Just… tired…"
"Alright," Snow nodded and Ruby felt herself beginning to descend. "Where do we go?"
"Oh, um," Ruby looked down the street and pointed to a home with a high built brick wall. "That one." Snow smirked and walked toward her fortress of a home. "Well, you certainly have well-built defenses."
"Y-yeah," Ruby looked away as Snow placed her down in front of the gate entrance. "Uncle Qrow doesn't like to take chances." Bright purple lit up the gated area inside the wall and illuminated the entrance. Ruby placed her hand on a touch pad that scanned her hand. After a moment, the word "APPROVED" appeared over it and a keypad slid open above it. A countdown timer appeared above it and Ruby typed in an 8-digit password. Again, a countdown began and an unlocking sound occurred. Ruby opened the gate and walked in.
"Gute Nacht, Ruby." She heard Snow's voice behind her. "Stay safe."
"Wait!" Ruby grabbed her hand in a desperate manner. "Don't leave!" Snow watched her carefully with a curious look. "Come in, please…" For a moment, Snow hesitated but eventually she relented and followed her inside. Behind them, the entrance shut and locked itself down. A paranoid man, Qrow was indeed.
As Ruby unlocked the door to her home, Snow looked around. It was actually quite spacious from the inside. The walls outside just made it look far smaller than it was. There was an attached garage and a shed in the front yard. From the outside, the home itself appeared to be larger than an average single family home and even had a second story. Knowing that this was home to a Hunter family, there was more than likely a basement below, stocked full of weaponry. In the very least, it wouldn't surprise her. They often had extra rooms to use as their base of operations.
When they entered the home, there was immediately a staircase that led to several rooms. Just further, there was an open doorway that led to what Snow assumed to be the kitchen and at the end of the hallway, the living room. With a flip of a switch, Ruby turned on the hallway light and stumbled down the hallway, leaning against the wall. At the end of the hall, Ruby stood there almost in a trance-like state, which raised concern.
Approaching her slowly, Snow came up behind her and made herself known before acting further. When Ruby seemed to react, she placed her hands on Ruby's arms and she calmly turned her around to face her. Eyes filled with unshed tears, Ruby looked so fragile that the Atlesian felt her heart break. She pulled the smaller girl in and held her, letting her cry into her chest. Snow rested her head on top of Ruby's and gently ran her fingers along her back until she eventually calmed down.
"I… didn't mean it…"
"Hm?" Snow honestly had no idea what she meant.
"What I said earlier…" Ruby sniffed and spoke with a small voice. "I didn't give you a chance, but just because you're one of them doesn't mean you have to be like all of them…"
"Ah, that," Snow smiled knowingly. "I'm sorry I didn't answer you clearly before, but I did not choose the Elite's path. This is myfirst night back home in 11 years." Ruby gently pushed back enough to look into her eyes, noticing the glow had left them. What did she mean? Everything about her screamed Elite. "I wanted to hear about the state of the city from someone who would be honest and I was genuinely curious about what kind of person Ruby Rose had turned out to be."
"Y-you're not an Elite? B-but you took care of everything so fast an-and-". A finger against her lips put a stop her question.
"Mein Liebste, I was given a choice between either becoming an Elite or pursuing something that allows me to walk a much more certain path so I chose freedom from the Schnee." Snow explained, meeting her eyes. She spoke so clearly and honestly that Ruby couldn't find anything to doubt in her words. "I fight for my own goals – not theirs or anyone else's. If they happen to match up, then so be it. For now, it seems that I am needed here. It is the path that I have chosen. Of this, I am certain." The Huntress smiled gently at her. "But if it makes you feel any better, my knowledge and performance is ranked as an equivalent to an Elite. The insignia on my jacket is simply to remind myself of where I came from."
"Oh…" Ruby blushed. "Well, now I feel silly."
"You should," the huntress huffed haughtily. "You never drank your water and I told you to pace yourself!"
"Really?!" Ruby whined. "That's what you're gonna' get on me about?"
"That and," Snow started to fish around in the pockets of the jacket Ruby was wearing. "You forgot this." Ruby's eyes went wide and she suddenly felt sillier. Looking away, she shamefully took her bank card bank from Snow. "Heh heh, you are lucky I am trusted!"
"I thought this was your first time back in 11 years."
"Yes, mein Liebe, but that doesn't change that Junior knows me," Snow shrugged with her arms still around her. "Along with most of his staff." Ruby eyed her suspiciously and rolled her eyes.
"Especially that bartender," she teased and finally let go, stumbling over to the living room couch. Swallowed up in the couch's cushions, she patted the seat next to her and Snow smirked, obeying the call of her damsel-no-longer-in-distress. Snow looked over Ruby, who suddenly leaned over onto her and rested her head on her shoulder. "Stay here, please… I don't want to be alone."
Snow smiled and looked around the living room, seeing happy pictures everywhere. Some trophies lined the walls, along with other mementos that spoke of happiness. At least, it seemed that Ruby was living a pleasant life.
"I can at least stay until your parents return." Suddenly, she felt Ruby's breathing hitch and she almost froze again. The Rose girl sank, burying her face behind Snow's shoulder and into the couch.
"You'll be waiting a very long time," her voice came out muffled. "It's only me, my Uncle, and my sister and I don't know when they'll be back."
"Uh," Snow tried to search for what to say. "Your parents are maybe stuck on a mission somewhere and no one's heard from them?" Ruby shook her head.
"8 years ago," Ruby stopped herself and took a deep breath. "The Originator killed them."
"….oh…." For several minutes, the room was silent save for the sound of Ruby's sobs. Snow pulled her in closer and tried to comfort her, gently rubbing her thumb against Ruby's scalp. The action itself began to soothe her and she thought that it felt pleasant in a very familiar way.
PLIP PLIP
Ruby wiped at her cheek, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together. Water? She looked up and noticed a few tears sliding down Snow's own cheek. Was she… crying?
"Snow?"
"Hm?" Snow suddenly wiped the tears away, soaking them into her gloves. "Oh, don't worry about me."
"But why are you crying?"
"… It breaks my heart when cute girls cry!" Ruby gave her a blank stare and mentally scolded herself for thinking that she could have possibly been cool.
"You're cheesy," Ruby stated flatly. "Are you always this bad at flirting?"
"Verdammte," Snow grinned with a shrug. "You saw through my plan." The two laughed, glad to be freed from the sore subject that had been brought up. It had really been needed. A thought crossed Snow's mind and she realized that Ruby really needed to get rest. "I should get you in bed."
"Wow, you move fast!" Ruby teased with a grin. "Not helping your case any."
"Klugscheißer," Snow poked at her forehead and Ruby whined in response, still remaining close to her. "Alright, I'll stay tonight." The obsidian haired girl stood up, scooping Ruby up in the process.
"Ah!"
"Oh, stille," Snow rolled her eyes as she carried her toward the stops. "I'm taking you to your room."
"Oh," Ruby giggled. "My valiant knight!" Ruby laughed the entire way up the stairs and pointed to which room was hers. Once inside, Snow placed her on the bed and began the painstaking process of removing the boots from Ruby's feet, earning another laugh. Seeing the bruises on Ruby's knees, she then removed the stockings and went to leave the room.
"Don't go," Ruby latched onto her hand and Snow responded with a concerned look.
"I won't," she rubbed the back of her hand affectionately. "But the swelling needs to go down. I'm going to put your boots away and get some ice for you."
"O-oh…" Ruby blushed, feeling silly at her sudden outburst. A few minutes later, Snow returned with a small bag filled with ice.
"Sorry that took so long," Snow rubbed the back of her neck. "I wasn't sure where the bags were and I had to find them." She sat down beside Ruby, placing the bag on the one that looked the worst and Ruby wrapped herself around Snow's waist. Almost as if it were second nature to her, she buried her face into her thigh. Snow smiled and went to touch Ruby, but stopped, staring at her glove.
A few rogue beads of water from the ice bag sat atop her glove, slowly absorbing into the fabric and she sighed. With a gentle tug, she removed them from her hands and sat them on the nightstand beside Ruby's bed. Nails first, she started at the base of Ruby's neck and ran her fingers through her hair again, but Ruby felt something different this time.
The hairs stood on the back of her neck and she shuddered in response, relaxing into the touch. Somehow, she felt incredibly safe and secure and this was a good feeling, as opposed to every other time she could feel her hair come to life. It felt like something she never wanted to end and she felt herself lulling away under the careful ministrations to her hair as each strand bristled to life.
"If you're cold, you should get under the blankets, Liebe." Snow's voice interrupted her trance as she removed the ice. Groggily, Ruby nodded and lifted herself to get under the blanket. In the process, she draped the blanket partially across Snow and returned to where she was. Snow gave a small laugh and shut the light off. When she looked back at Ruby, the timid girl noticed that her eyes were glowing under the moonlight that shined through her window… So that was what caused it.
"Um," Ruby started to speak shyly. "You can lie down too, if you want."
For a moment, Snow thought it over and eventually separated herself from Ruby to lie down and close her eyes. Ruby sat up, watching her and debated on what to do. She really liked being close to her, but she was wondering if it was getting to be too much. She was already wearing her jacket and being super clingy. Plus, they barely knew each other.
A blue glow came from one of Snow's eyes, telling Ruby that she was looking at her. With a smirk, Snow lifted her arm and gently pulled Ruby down, leaving her arm around her. The tension that Ruby was feeling vanished as she found herself immersed in the deep rich coffee scent she gave off. Again, she felt the huntress' fingers slip through her hair and relaxed. It really felt nice lying next to someone and she wanted to savor it, but there was also something scratching at her curiosity – something Snow had been saying all night.
"Hey, Snow?" She stayed silent until the older girl acknowledged her with a hum. "What does Liebe mean? You've been saying it since you found me." There was a long silence and Ruby lifted herself to get a clear look at her. Though the only light in the room came from the moon, there was enough light cascading across her features to give away that she was flush red.
"I-it's nothing important."
"Are you sure?" Still tipsy, she found herself feeling braver than normal and tangled one of her legs with Snow's, resting her right arm across Snow's opposite shoulder. Positioning herself over Snow, her savior's hands came up to rest on her waist, keeping her stable. Ruby's hair fell over Snow, tickling against her face. They locked eyes and cast tender looks at one another. She really did feel drawn into Snow's eyes and found herself coming closer.
"You said you're not gay."
"I also never said I was straight," Ruby replied almost instantly with a husky tone to her voice. Snow had seemed into this a second ago.
"Um, look," Snow turned her cheek and looked away nervously. "You're definitely my type and I really don't want to stop you."
"Then don't."
"But you're also drunk and I'd prefer you were sober enough to remember me in the morning." Ruby's face fell and she collapsed into a fit of giggles.
"My knight is chivalrous too!" As Ruby teased her, Snow sighed. She really was turning into a handful.
Still, she wasn't lying. Ruby really was her type and she probably wouldn't have said no… if there weren't underlying circumstances that prevented her from doing so. In the very least, she wouldn't let Ruby go empty-handed.
"Settle for this then?" Snow tilted Ruby's head and kissed her forehead, turning the younger girl into a blushing mess. Eventually, her brain began to process in real time and she lay back down, resting against her chest. The soft beating beneath Snow's chest drummed rhythmically, lulling her to sleep. "Gute Nacht… mein Liebling."
ooOOoo
AN: Ah, drunk girls. Isn't Snow so sweet? *eyeroll* So Forgebearers/Hunters are pretty much viewed as military soldiers and mercenaries. As such, I adjusted drinking ages strictly for those in service. If you're underage, don't drink. If you do, be safe, be with friends, and don't get caught. (It sucks.) Also, water is a god send. Did you know that if you get drunk and Google "Why do I pee so much when I drink?" it gives you this whole thing about how you're dehydrated and your body just sends liquid through your body? I apparently educate myself when I'm drunk. Small world… Drunk Me is over here asking the real questions! -_- (incredibly unamused by Drunk Me's browser history… Like seriously, I couldn't just look up porn or something else that raises questions?)
German (Atlesian) to English:
"Es is nicht so schlecht." = It's not so bad.
"Sie wissen, dass ich das nicht gesagt habe!" = You know I did not say that!
"Was felt dir?!" = What is wrong with you?!
"Werpiss dich!" = Fuck off!
"Sie and ich wissen beide, dass es nicht passieren wiiiiird!" = You and I both know that it will not happeeeeeen!
"Wasser" = Water
"Ich bin auf dich, mein Freund" = I'm onto you, my friend
"Oh gut! Du bis inordnung…" = "Oh good! You're okay…"
"Nicht gut genug" = "Not good enough"
"Gute Nacht" = Good night
"Verdammte" = Damn
"mein Liebste/ Liebster" = My dearest/dearest one
"Liebe/Liebling" = love/darling
"Klugscheißer" = Smartass
"Stille" = hush
