The distant yet soft noise of a conversation, the warmth of the morning sun illuminating my face, the faint scent of dust in the room, the small taste of acid in my mouth.
All these familiar perceptions went along with the natural, and habitual, process of awakening.
But let's not forget the main sense out of the five.
The eyes are the reflection of the soul. They are the expression of one's intent, thoughts and emotions. In fact, you could probably say that sight is the principal link between our mind and reality. It is only when a person opens their eyes that they truly are awake.
Excluding, of course, those who are impaired.
Light invaded my view and my world became white for a second. Colors flashed all around me, oscillating and mixing with each other until they slowly agreed to a stand still. As information flooded my unprepared cerebrum, an invisible and inexorable force pushed my mind to work without even asking for my opinion. Reality presented itself to me like an explosion blasting my consciousness towards the concrete world, or like a painful net dragging me away from the ocean of dreams.
Interestingly, albeit the body automatically wakes itself after deciding it has fulfilled its hours of sleep, the same can not be said for the soul, the spirit. In fact, what's holding an individual back in their attempt at succeeding in life is more often than not a matter of awakening the soul. This fallacy may yet reduce us to mere animals.
Like the fish I am... Devoid of purpose and awaiting the end.
Wait. What? No!
Truly you deserve to be despised, natural sunlight. If you could make a human degrade themselves into thinking they are a fish then you undeniably are an evil to be vanquished.
I fervently shook my head to get out of a time absorbing monologue and rubbed my eyes to clear out the morning blur. I let out a big yawn and sat upright on the bed. My back arced when I stretched my arms forward to dispel the remaining drowsiness and my ears twitched a little. Only then I forced myself to assess my own situation.
I appeared to be in an appropriately large room that, to my disappointment, definitely didn't look like mine. The lights were off to let the sun expose the inside of the chamber in their stead. The small but cozy room wasn't comprised of any sort of dark dyes. Pale blue tones adorned the walls, combined with linear patterns that coursed through the blank space in a clean geometrical disposition. The choice of color granted the room a monotone vibe due to its lack of vibrance and variety yet the dull and repetitive wallpaper did however succeed in giving off a feeling of homely comfort, and relative peace.
It was well maintained. A bit too well for a place someone could exert their ... freedom in the fullest. The space wasn't quite packed with many furniture either but the bare minimum for a simple bedroom. It was most likely reserved for guests judging by the lack of any specific decoration or personal customization. Either that or the person inhabiting this room must be very plain.
The bed I was laying on stood at the far corner of the room and away from the door. A slight turn of the head and my narrowed eyes were gazing at a vast green landscape unfolding right before the windows. A view that not only matched my memories of yesterday's event but also one that reminded me of how far away I was from my comfortable desk and computer. I swiftly reached out for the curtains and closed out the unpleasant scenery before it garnered more of my attention.
I pushed away the blankets and sat on the bedside.
If people were to comment on the room's disposition, they'd say it fit its purpose. The glass just adjacent to me served as a natural alarm clock as it would feel too bright and too hot to get back to sleep when the sun decides to warm your destined resting place.
I snapped a little and glanced around.
Beside me was a little wooden drawer on top of which stood an intricate night light. There was a small note right next to it scribbled with big emboldened red characters. Whoever wrote this made sure I wouldn't simply miss the thing. I grabbed the piece of paper and brought it to eye level.
"If you happen to be reading this, it means you must be up. Don't move." I read out loud.
The universe is making it difficult for me to appreciate the circumstances I'm in. I rate this setup 'low effort' out of ten. Really, this little Rose needs more attention, more care and love... I'm fulfilling my destiny as an otherworldly traveler after all. Being lost in one of the countless worlds the Creators toyed with for millennia and realizing I am but dust blessed with the gift of existence is enough of a punishment for me. Give me entertainment so I can forget how mediocre I am! Just kidding.
Needless to say, I'd totally be fine with this. Never before had anyone told me to stay in bed in the morning. More importantly, as a proud introvert and recluse of society like me, staying idle isn't really something outrageous since it keeps me from experiencing dialogue and social interaction.
Ugh. What a nightmare I wager those would be.
Nevertheless.
I'm too high on energy.
And a bit hungry too.
I deftly glanced at the door.
It wasn't closed per se. There was a small gap wide enough for me to hear a bit of what was happening outside. I'd still need to walk up there if I wanted to listen properly. To gather intel on my whereabouts and stuff.
Now...
What do I do?
Do I heed my captor's order? Request? Advice? I'm tempted to just bust through the door and run around screaming 'Help me!' but I'd make more enemies than friends.
However!
Considering I am currently shaped like a four-year-old infant and that my appearance was designed to trigger a feeling of protectiveness and a 'oh my god he's so cute' reaction from my fellow human brethren, it might not be unreasonable to claim they are likely to show at the very least a speck of leniency towards my actions.
That is to say, mistakes of youth are always to be forgiven, such is the rule of childhood learning. Let's just forget the note, that's affordable. I'll just say I can't read. Hahaha, I'm such a rebel.
I stood up with difficulty, my kidnappers didn't bother changing my clothes so I was stuck with my bulky robes.
.
.
.
It's a relief to know I got to preserve my privacy, and that people here are sane enough not to strip a random kid.
Still wasn't easy to move around though.
I took heavy steps forward, straining to even get a few steps without messing my footing.
Huff!
A little more! Physical effort is indeed my worst enemy. Wizards never were supposed to build up muscles anyways. Why bother maintain a good shape when you could just raise your hand to blast away any target you encounter? Even so, I guess people were right about calling us mages lightweight. Squishy. And easy to kill.
Let's not talk about how a single neck tap knocked me out.
I was about to reach the door's handle when I heard people speak up in the corridor. The diffracted noise clearly spread itself into the room. I'd eavesdrop even if I didn't want to.
Friend or foe? I don't know. Should I move back and fake being asleep?
Nah, let's face them head on like an idiot.
I softly closed the door then put my ear against the wooden fabric to hear better. I don't want them to know what's happening on my side yet.
"Yang, are you sure this is okay? Uncle Qrow told us not to approach here."
"It's fine Rubes, he's about our age anyway. And he might know something about my mom."
Two distinct childish feminine voices echoed, one of which I could vaguely recall. The first was firm, assured and loud while the other sounded shy, reserved and more akin to a whisper.
"But I thought mom was on a mission." The smaller voice argued.
"... Not that mom. I'm talking about Raven, and Summer is probably not coming back Ruby."
"What do you mean? Dad told me-"
"Shhh, we're here. He might still be sleeping, and we might get caught too."
The sound of their footsteps came to a halt. They were just standing in the other side. The knob slowly tilted downwards to allow the door to open.
I instinctively leaned back to distance myself from my guests.
I'd need to choose my words carefully. Considering I'm not the best at having conversations and that my mind has almost five times the age of my physical body, the chances of me acting out of character are significant. Despite everyone back home insisting I still behave like a child, I do think I've matured a bit. Even if just a little.
Did I? Hmm. Probably? Hopefully yes.
I let out a silent sigh and intently watched the door's gap widen. The wooden fabric creaked when it turned around but the annoying noise only lasted for a few seconds. The door didn't completely open, or at least couldn't let anyone pass through. It only tilted 45 degrees.
I raised an eyebrow at this. What were they doing? Don't just put me on edge like this! You had one job. Open the door. It's that simple. All this mental preparation just to abort right at the very end is equivalent to plain suffering and torture.
I fumed and stomped my way to the entrance. I lodged my head in the open space and glared at my visitors. A familiar blonde head was peeking out from the other side of the door.
Of course, I was directly in front of her.
And our faces couldn't be closer.
The motion surprised both me and herself.
...
"Waaaah!?"
Donk!!
She jumped and violently pushed the door open, while accurately hitting me really hard on the face and sending me whirling in the air. The move was powerful enough to propel me back towards my bed.
I conveniently crashed on the mattress with a big thump. My hood had pulled itself up in the middle of the flight and covered my eyes.
How strong were kids these day? Surely there's more to this world than violence?
I could see stars spinning over my head, sweeeet staaaars.
"Yang! You killed him!"
"Ah. Err. Whoops. Sorry?"
They quickly approached me in my rather humbling stance. I felt hands pull away the cloth covering my face and shake my shoulders. Everything was still upside down. What ? No! Stop staring! Not like this, don't take away the little honor I have left!
Two girls where leaning on the bedside, their faces just above mine, in a totally dominant position.
I underestimated my opponents. I thought I was matched against amateurs but in fact I was the fool. They swiftly knocked me out and mercilessly incapacitated me when I tried to regain consciousness. The blonde was holding me down and her companion cut off my escape route.
How could this happen?
"A-are you okay?" The latter asked with quite a high pitched voice.
I won't be deceived again!
"..."
The shorter of the pair was making a face that was a mix of concern and guilt. Her expression seemed genuine and not at all forced. Makes me wonder whether these two are cold blooded kidnappers or not.
Now that I think about it, it's funny. Kid kidnappers. Kid kid kidnappers also works...
What am I thinking about? Focus, brain!
Did they truly care about my wellbeing? Surely this compensates being door launched across the entire room as if I were a mere projectile, right?
No.
I wordlessly kept watch of her every movements amidst the doubt, effectively disregarding the one who's directly restraining me just next to her.
She was about my age and a bit younger than the blonde girl. Her pale hands were loosely held together as she continuously glanced left to right in order not to match my gaze. The bangs of her dark neck length hair were slightly swaying every time she turned her head side to side, drawing out a hair color that's more akin to dark crimson instead of deep black. I tried to figure out her thoughts but only found nervousness as she pursed her lips and stared at the floor. After she swept aside a strand of hair that's been bothering her, she looked up to catch my answer to her question. Our eyes met as silver fell straight into silver. We exchanged looks for but a second before she promptly shifted her gaze back down.
A fellow antisocial comrade? How fortuitous, two of a kind tended to get along well.
"I'm fine." I finally responded.
She slightly broke out of her timid demeanor when she heard me. Her face brightened up as she clumsily approached me. She was wearing a peculiar attire. Her top was a black sleeveless pajama essentially emblazoned with a big red heart covering her chest area. White silk pants completed her outfit with pink circle patterns to match the overall design. What struck me was the red hooded cloak she wore over her shoulders. It looked a little to big for her yet but she obviously was attached to it.
"Yang why did you hurt him?" She scolded the blonde.
"I didn't do it on purpose." She defended. "And he's fine, isn't he?"
"Yeah, I'm alright." I added.
Then blood started dripping abundantly from my nose. Bloody luck.
As expected, my karmic balance is nowhere near favorable enough for me to be a loudmouth. The odds are I'll get bashed just by saying anything.
I look like a main protagonist that's bleeding over a ridiculous interaction with a female character and most of the time it is under extremely unconventional circumstances. And I dare not venture my thoughts there because we are all physically under ten in this room. Let's stay sane and ethical, shall we?
But! I needn't remind you these kind of incidents only happen in anime or whatever you call it.
People can actually bleed for legitimate reasons. Like pain.
"Oh no.. He's got a nosebleed."
"I.. I'll go get some tissue."
"Yang, wait!"
The blonde swiftly departed the room. And I was left alone with silver eyes here.
She obviously didn't want to be dealing with me all on her own.
Logically speaking, she's a kid, she has parents. Or tutors at the very least. Parents tell their kids not to speak with strangers one to one. I'm a stranger, and I see no other person around. Therefore, she won't communicate with me.
What a literal pain. I started pinching my nose to apply pressure and stop the blood flow.
The only thing we were left to do was staring at each other.
Silently..
For like 30 seconds...
.
.
.
I guess that's what happens when two people inept at conversing are stuck with one another.
"..."
"..."
I could just divert my gaze and look away, but that'd just be all the more awkward. Let's not do it. Keep the status quo, it's better than losing it.
.
.
.
The periodic tic toc of a clock rang from afar.
.
.
.
Even the crickets outside made their presence known.
.
.
.
The eye contact broke, she turned her gaze towards the window. Her face was flushed from the bizarre situation and her hand was tightly gripping her shirt. She apparently couldn't handle the pressure we put on each other, and that meant one thing.
I won the duel! Hahahahaha! Nailed it.
Growl.
.
.
.
Oh right... I did mention I was hungry. Famished actually.
The girl's eyes widened, she giggled softly.
"I'm sorry."
I really am. That for sure ruined my moment.
Her chuckles increased a bit. My nose pinching was affecting my voice like I'd inhaled some helium.
"It's not funny."
I tried to look composed and stared at her with my best poker face. It's simply rude to make fun of someone injured and I hoped she'd understand that.
She calmed down a bit after that.
"Okey. Um. Sorry!" The redhead bashfully apologized to me and looked down. She scratched the back of her head while thinking of her next course of action. A moment later, her lips formed a small O. She seemed to have something in mind.
She smiled, then she reached for her pocket and pulled out a cookie.
She handed it to me.
"I was saving it for later but, here, you can have it."
Are you perhaps a saint?
I blinked. My eyes couldn't leave the very palatable snack she's holding out for me. Just the sight of it was enough to make me drool.
Offering food might yet be the best way to enthrall me it seems. But considering food is a basic necessity for us living creatures, what she's doing is nothing short of saving my life.
In other words, she's my hero and savior.
"Are you an angel? Thanks." I accepted without hesitation.
I gobbled the snack in one bite. The taste of chocolate chips filled my palate. A feeling of ecstasy enveloped me. Never before have I eaten something so delicious.
Her smile grew wider.
"You're welcome! What's your name? I'm Ruby." She asked, taking the initiative.
This conversation might not be a total disaster after all.
"Hi Ruby. I'm Rose."
I said that without thinking. Unsurprisingly, I spoke my character's name instead of my real name. I already went with that when I talked with the blonde so I wouldn't change that on a whim.
My savior lightened up.
"That's a nice name. It's the same as my mom's surname. I think it refers to the flower, and I've seen some of them. They're so pretty! We always notice some when we take a walk with dad. And you know? My mom's super cool and awesome, you've got to meet her. She's the best-"
She started rambling.
How could you speak this fast as a 4 years old? Even I had trouble articulating properly...
I tried listening but lost her at some point.
"- good at cooking and fighting too! She's a huntsman, like a hero!"
I interrupted her. If I don't make her stop and breathe she'll suffocate.
"Wait, a huntsman? As in she tracks and kills animals?" I asked after catching her last words.
I don't know if you could compare a hero to a hunter. Those two jobs didn't have many things in common.
"Nope, she slays grimm. Don't you know what a huntsman is?" She raised an eyebrow.
Unfamiliar terms from an unfamiliar world, that was to be expected.
"I'm sorry... What's a grimm?"
The only grimm I knew were the Grimm brothers. They were german writers who gathered and published many european fairy tales such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty. Oh and Little Red Riding Hood too. Unless I'm missing common sense, why would there be a job involving killing innocent authors?
"Oh."
She made a genuinely surprised face, then put her hand up her chin.
And stared at the ceiling, lost in thoughts.
She must be coming up with something to remedy my cluelessness. Being 4 years old, it shouldn't be that hard to catch up with this world. They don't teach you much at kindergarten usually, so I'll just lack the information your parents give you at a very young age. That is to say bedtime stories, educational tales and a little of how the world works.
"I'll tell you about them then!" She suddenly exclaimed. "But my sister Yang is better at storytelling than me."
Yang must be the name of the other kid, the blonde one. I do remember talking to her during the forest trek. So Ruby was the one inside the wagon huh? I couldn't get a visual amidst the action.
Speaking of the devil, the blonde suddenly barged in again, this time without causing me any unreasonable amount of physical pain. She came back with a tissue box for me.
"Is he still alive?"
By the time the room's population grew back to three, my nosebleed had already stopped. I just needed to wipe my face clean so as not to look like a zombie.
"I feel better now. Can I have some tissue please?"
That's a simple request right? Slowly, gently pass me the item you're holding right now. No tricks!
"Sure, here."
She tossed it to me.
Now listen here, if a door could deplete over half of my vitality in this world then undoubtedly a tissue box would finish me off.
So me bracing at the sight of the incoming projectile was a necessary measure!
.
.
.
It just fell to the ground.
Now that really was a shameful display. I wanted to die right now.
I could feel their eyes on me, berating my entire existence and inflicting immeasurable damage to my self esteem.
"I'm not actively trying to kill you, you know?"
I'm sorry for thinking otherwise!
Ruby snorted.
Okay okay, I admit that was lame, but please try to understand.
I picked up some tissue and tidied up my nose.
"So Rubes, what did I miss?"
"His name is Rose, like mom! And he was hungry so I gave him my reserve cookie." She stated proudly.
She cheerfully talked as if she had made her first friend or something. Her lilac eyed sister turned to me with a surprised look.
"Hey Rose, I'm Yang. We met last night if you remember. Hope you don't hate me too much. I'm a nice person."
Sure, I totally believe you. Never before have I been so inclined to trust someone...
In all seriousness though, we may have started on the wrong foot. Let's give it another try?
"The past is the past. I have already forgiven all your offenses. Let us begin anew."
The pair grimaced.
"Yep, you still speak like an old man. That's kinda cringe."
Again, the harsh criticism.
"But he wasn't like this when we were alone. And Yang? What does cringe mean?"
"It means that something is so embarassing it becomes hard to watch or hear."
"Okay. Then yeah that was kinda cringe."
Oof, you just freaking killed me, both of you! And Yang, you said you were a nice person!
Alright, I give in..
"Fine, fine. I'll stop."
You have to adapt to lower lifeforms, lest your superiority gets you ostracized.
"And stop what, precisely?"
Another voice let itself known, familiar like Yang but more masculine this time.
We all turned towards the intruder.
" "Uncle Qrow! Dad!" " The girls both exclaimed at the same time.
A third party just popped in front of the door. A tall man was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and his crimson eyes locked with mine. He had short black hair with some bangs kept to the sides of his head, the same color as Ruby but without the reddish tone. He was garbed in a gray and white shirt along with long black trousers. Near his waist was a big looking sword, at hand's reach and probably deadly enough to one slash my entire life bar.
His expression was stern, and obviously it was aimed at me. Come on! I'm like 4 years old. Have mercy on me puh-lease. I remembered the guy. He knocked me out after I got rid of the mobs. Did I do something wrong at the time? Hopefully he didn't notice my magic, I made sure to make everything extra noisy and flashy so the girls get scared and stop watching but a third party could very well observe things from afar.
Behind him in the corridor was another man. He was blonde this time, like Yang , and in a probably worse state than I currently am.
Remember my 62 hours session of skill strengthening? Or unhealthy gaming activity if you prefer? Well he looked just like me back then. Bags under the eyes, barely open eyelids and tired-looking stance.
Surprisingly, it didn't look like it was caused by fatigue, but emotional pain. I could see traces of dried tears around his eyes and cheeks. He visibly was biting his lip, for a reason I couldn't fathom.
He was still in white pajamas, and as opposed to the black haired kid kidnapper, he didn't seem too threatening as of yet.
Those two reeked of alcohol though.
Hello!? We're still minors. A bit of decency here!
"So? What were you about to stop doing?"
He insisted.
"Err, nothing special, sir?"
"Then you better start coming up with something, kid, because I have plenty of other questions and I'm in it for the long haul."
Woah. Scary lad.
"Tone down the interrogation, Qrow, he's only Ruby's age." The blonde guy intervened.
Did I mention how much faith I had in humanity?
If Qrow's the mean one, then the blonde should be the daddy.
Anyways, let's have a proper dialogue.
"I-"
"Rose said he'd stop speaking like an old man, because he uses difficult words each time he does. Plus, we told him it was kind of cringe so he had to." Ruby said excitedly while raising her hand.
I don't know whether or not I should be thankful that she spoke on my behalf.
"What she said." I added.
Qrow kept eyeing me suspiciously.
"Rose heh? Like Summer. What do you think Tai? He's got it all. Silver eyes, Raven sculpture and now the name."
"I think we need to talk to Ozpin about this. You do that. I'll stay here with the kids, need to hear about what happened last night."
Riight, you mean what happened before someone preemptively knocked me out?
You know what? I'll call the big meanie Bird-san from now on. That's what he gets for being unreasonably hostile.
Getting back on topic. Bird-san seemed to hesitate there. He apparently did not want me out of his view, but papa Yang's words were convincing enough.
"Well then, fill me in later."
With that, he left.
Papa Yang then approached us, and crouched down to our height.
"Okay kids, spill everything."
In these circumstances, the best course of action is to assign the task to another person. Since my rethoric and oratory skills were quite low leveled due to my isolationist ethics, I couldn't possibly do the talking. As for Ruby, she slept in the wagon the whole time so she couldn't remember everything that had transpired back then.
That left only one...
"Yang, you start."
"Huh? Why me?"
"Because you are a nice person." I said with a sly grin.
I didn't feel a single grain of guilt pushing everything on her.
She grimaced while sending me a look of betrayal.
"Yeah, sure then." She said dejectedly.
Don't be like that. You deserved it.
As everyone stood silent, the mood abruptly went down. I was already feeling uneasy.
"So.. sweetie, why did you wander off that far with Ruby in the middle of the night?"
Papa Yang seemed more concerned than angry judging by his tone. He sounded more intent on understanding his daughter rather than immediately reprimanding her actions. He tactfully approached the subject, clearly knowing that being forceful wasn't the right answer.
Still, Yang had some explaining to do. I didn't understand what she had been doing either.
She turned to her father, and looked him in the eyes. Papa Yang gently rested his hands on his daughter's shoulders in a reassuring manner.
I instantly felt out of place. This was a family conversation I had no right to take part in. I quietly made myself scarce in the corner of the room.
"I-I knew mom wasn't going to come back." She admitted hesitantly. Her voice was frail and very much unlike the confident sister I judged her to be. Her lilac eyes hid uneasiness and probably regret as well.
Papa Yang tensed up, she must've hit a sensitive topic. He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. Listening to his own daughter had struck a chord deep inside.
"She'd been gone for weeks without sending back any news. Her missions never were that long so it was really weird. On top of that, you acted different too."
"You were so sad about it I kind of... just guessed. You keep having fights with uncle Qrow. You don't talk to us. You know dad, I don't want to see you like that. It felt so wrong at the time. I had to do something, so I figured I'd just find my real mom."
Yang's voice started quavering.
"What do you mean?"
"I came across the name Raven. That's when it clicked. I sneaked into your room two days ago and found a picture."
The atmosphere in the room dropped. My heart felt heavy realizing the situation. Time seemed to slow down.
Papa Yang's expression though, changed. The pain on his face faded and was replaced by signs of care and empathy. His former sorrow washed away in an instant as he breathed out a loud sigh. He gently hugged his little girl and spoke to her ear.
"Oh, my little firecracker, Raven left a long time ago. Even though Summer was your step mom, she treated you like her own child."
Yang bit her lip.
"And deep inside, I know you think of her as your true mom. Finding out about Raven wouldn't change that."
Tears were building in Yang's eyes.
"I found a map that I thought would get me to her. I brought Ruby with me." Yang continued. "When we reached our destination, Rose was already there. He looked like he was waiting for us, so I assumed he knew about Raven."
The father glared at me briefly before mending his child again.
"But then grimm appeared out of nowhere."
She started sobbing.
"Sniff.. It's my fault we almost got killed...I was so confused when I understood mom wasn't my real mom... I just ran away. I'm sowwy."
She burst in tears.
Her father embraced her.
"It's alright Yang. I promise I won't make you worried again, I won't hide anything from you. Shush. Shush. It's okay sweetie."
.
.
.
"Mom is not coming back?"
Ruby, who stayed silent up until that point, suddenly spoke up.
"Dad. You told me she just had a longer mission and that she's fine right?"
Her voice cracked a bit.
The father turned to her and spoke with a trembling tone.
"I'm sorry Ruby. But mommy will not be returning anytime soon."
She ran out of the room rapidly like a blurr, leaving red petals behind her.
The Dad looked at me expectantly, he still had his hands full dealing with Yang.
I sighed.
"I'll go get her."
And formally left the room as well.
I can't even understand why I volunteered for the task in the first place, considering my inability to move with my current vestments. I suppose I'll just have to make do with this torturous setting...
You see how princesses with absurdly long dresses walk around in ballrooms without tripping? They hold their cloth up with their hands so that it doesn't mess their footing.
That's exactly what I am doing right now. If I could see myself I'd definitely die of embarrassment and laughter. Of course, it was because my method didn't look half as elegant as it should have.
Well.
How troublesome could chasing after a girl be? I'd say it depends on context, personality, mood and, in this literal case, speed.
She just ran really fast. I mean I did expect this world to be nothing short of a fantasy. I shouldn't even be surprised, but that factor made it harder for me to follow Ruby.
Thankfully, whatever superpower she used left me a trail of red petals to pursue, so the only issue would be a matter of distance. I doubt she'd leave the house though, considering what happened the day before. Eventually getting to her was feasible, the hard part came after that.
Why?
Because it involved people skills.
The only thing I never sought, and even purposely avoided in order to retain the status of eternal loner. This time, I had to face something far more delicate than I could handle...
How do you deal with an emotionally troubled kid having most likely realized they'll never get to see their mother again?
I have three options here.
First, I could bluntly tell her the truth. Her mother died and she'll never see her again. She would probably have to deal with the emotional trauma afterwards but the faster it gets to her, the sooner she'll recover. With her young age however, the damage would end up as a big scar and I'm pretty sure it's hard to fix.
Second, I could try to be vague. We don't know whether her mother has died or not. After all, her father said she wouldn't be home 'anytime soon' which doesn't ascertain anything. This option would result in the same consequences as the first, but over a prolonged amount of time. It'll essentially give her hope, and she'll come to realize things when she gets older.
The third way to go would be to lie...
Yeah, no.
Since I couldn't claim to know anything about the circumstances, let's go with option two. I'd worsen option one with my wording anyway.
The rose petals stopped in front of a closed door. The corridor was empty and I had reached its end. I casually approached the unidentified room and turned the door knob.
I gently pushed the door forward.
.
.
It looked like a bedroom well suited for two sisters. It seemed to have been recently furbished. Twin beds were placed next to each other, both reminiscing me of two particular individuals. One was themed with yellow and orange colored cushions while the other was covered with a light brown blanket and red pillows. These were Yang and Ruby's respectively.
The red bed was in fact currently occupied. How did I know that? The blanket didn't have the normal.. flatness it had when the mattress was vacant. Its shape made a small bump, which undoubtedly meant someone was resting under it. I used to do that to hide from my parents as a kid, but obviously it didn't work out.
An astonishing discovery I dare claim Sherlock wouldn't have deduced.
I tip toed towards the bed, then slowly removed the blanket.
Ruby was there. Her arms were enveloping a cushion and her face buried in it.
I couldn't hear any sobbing or signs of sadness. She seemed to be processing the news rather than giving in to her emotions. That's presumably mature.
Or maybe she was just denying everything she witnessed. That wouldn't do.
She ignored me at first, so I stepped back and sat on Yang's bed.
I took that opportunity to look around.
The walls this time were not covered by some wallpaper. Instead, they stayed true to their material and exposed the building's dark wooden planks. The colors were, unlike the guest room, much warmer by ranging from yellow to red. You could tell that the inhabitants are used to being lively. Adding to that, the windows were placed upon two parallel faces, brightening the room more than sufficiently.
In front of Ruby's bed was a large wooden desk. It was decorated by a fitting red lamp and a big line of... mob figurines? Those were the exact same I saw last day. The red eyes, black fur and white bone armor were replicated quite faithfully. All the details were present, even their scary looking jawline.
Yang mentioned 'grimm' earlier. Maybe that's what those are.
My focus went back towards Ruby's still body. Either she hasn't noticed that I was waiting for her, or she just doesn't want to acknowledge my existence.
What could I do to get her attention?
I needed to be subtle, clear and gentle at the same time.
Let's go with the classical approach.
"Once upon a time, in a faraway land.."
Her head twitched for a moment, signaling me that she was lending her ear.
"... a happy couple gave birth to a wonderful boy."
Stories were the best way to convey a message to children.
"The father was a businessman, and often left his family to go on work trips. The mother, on the other hand, was a musician. She always stood by her boy's side. She even played pieces for him as lullabies so he could sleep better."
"Upon growing up, the child revealed himself to be quite the talented musician too. Recognizing that, the mother became the boy's teacher."
"The two of them spent a lot of time practicing together. So much that the boy hardly made any friends his age. His mother and music was all he had."
"But one day, the mother fell ill."
Ruby's position shifted a bit. She showed her back to me and seemed reluctant on listening.
"The boy was worried about his mom's condition, so he tried everything he could to help her. Unfortunately, all he knew was music."
"So he decided he'd play the best piece he'd ever played to her mother. A song so great it'd cure her sickness, he thought."
"For several weeks, he trained really hard with his mother's state in mind. Her health though, only deteriorated as time went by."
"When he was finally done, he performed for her mother. The song was magnificent, it could capture the heart of anyone who heard it. All the emotions, the love, the care and the fear the boy felt for her mom echoed in his play."
"Despite that, when the child finished, the mother slapped him on the cheek and berated his work. Confused, beaten and feeling betrayed, the boy insulted his teacher and ran away."
"His mother passed shortly after."
Ruby put her pillow against her ear and pressed her hand on it, showing me she didn't want to hear any more of what I'd say.
I patiently waited for her to calm down. The message wouldn't come up until the end of the story.
I sighed.
The skies outside darkened as rays of lights were blocked off by passing clouds. The small change of brightness dulled the colors around us.
Time passed before Ruby finally loosened her grip on her pillow. She relaxed a little.
I stood up, then kneeled to remove whatever was keeping her from hearing me.
She didn't object.
"Do you know what expression the mother wore when she saw her son running away from her?"
I asked rhetorically.
"She smiled."
Ruby silently sat up and turned to look me in the eyes, a bit surprised and lost in her thoughts.
"What relieves a dying mother the most... is to see that their children are capable of facing the world alone."
Her eyes widened. Tears threatened to fall off. The shock of reality just started to dawn on her.
"Ruby, I don't know where or how your mom is. I have no idea about what happened to her. I can only tell you that you have to be strong."
She started sobbing, her eyes more than watery and her lips trembling.
"So she'll be able to smile." I finished.
She jumped and hugged me tightly, her arms around my back and her head buried in my chest.
I was a bit taken aback by her momentum so I stumbled backwards a little. I caught myself just in time not to make us fall on the floor.
"Rose, do you think my mom will come back?"
"I don't know. Papa Yang said she'd take long. That doesn't mean she'll be gone forever."
"Papaya?"
"I meant your dad."
"Oh. Okay."
"..."
"..."
"That's a nice nickname. I'll be keeping it."
"Calling dad Papaya? Pfft." She giggled softly. "That's stupid."
"Joke's on you by the way."
"I just heard wrong!"
I smiled at her.
"Yes, you were wrong. That means I'm right."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"N-"
"Shhh. We both said yes."
We both said no too, but it doesn't matter.
"Aargh, you're so annoying!"
"The good kind or the bad kind of annoying?"
What?
She gave me a blank stare.
I glared back at her too.
We burst in laughter together.
Her mood was getting better already. The plan worked out perfectly even though I almost derailed back to scenario one with my made up tale.
"Anyways, shouldn't we go back to Papaya? You ran away really fast that time too. How did you do that?"
I was naturally curious about these kinds of superhuman abilities. A chuuni has got to stay true to their core after all, because nothing is more important than looking cool.
"I don't know." She answered hesitantly. "I was caught in the moment so I'm not really sure what happened."
It happens. Emotional outbreaks can lead to unexpected results sometimes and I'm still unaware of the surnatural but natural properties of this realm.
"Okay. It's fine. We can ask Papaya later, he might know."
No use pondering about that now. I really need someone to teach me about common sense before I lose my mind.
I extended my hand to her.
"Let's go back. They must be worried about you."
She briefly glanced at my open palm and inspected as if it were an unknown object coming from another dimension. Her face turned to the side to show her reluctance.
"I don't need your hand." She pouted.
What? My hand's not dirty! You won't get sick from touching me, I promise. You're hurting my feelings here. It's fine though. I tried to be manly for once but I foresaw this outcome. I'll just, sit back in a corner and cry. I'll close my eyes and-
I felt her skin touch mine.
In the end, she shyly took my hand. I grasped it softly and led her towards the corridor.
You tsundere! Stupid.
*
*
*
Chapter end
What if 4 year old Ruby actually knew what aura is?
A large grin formed on her face.
"That's my semblance. I can run really quick when I want to, and I leave petals behind. It's pretty neat."
Eh? What's a semblance?
She sent me a grumpy look.
"What?"
"You don't know what a semblance is, do you?" She asked me, already expecting the answer.
Was I that easy to read? Or did I think out loud?
"You thought out loud!" She confirmed.
"Oh."
She put her hands down her hips and glared at me. She seemed to have grown exasperated.
"Mouuu, do you even know what aura is?"
That's easy. Don't underestimate me, young padawan, I'm more than you can handle.
"Isn't it the energy strong people exhibit when you get close to them or something?"
Like, in these japanese shows, you see muscle heads drawing out energy just by flexing.
"Nope!"
Okay. This world wasn't too bad then. I just needed to know what it exactly is.
"Are girls the only ones to have it?"
"Nope!"
That's promising. If it were only available for girls I'd have to do a total makeover again. That's not really a pleasant experience.
"Do I have it?"
Is it possible to learn this power?
"Nope!"
"Eh?"
Noooo! All my hope vanished in mere seconds! Don't give up, me, you'll have to carry on knowing that you're a cripple.
"You did have a nosebleed. That means you don't have aura yet. People with aura don't bleed until it's broken. "
Wait.
"Yet?"
"Yeah. You need to awaken it first."