Pairing: White Rose
Summary: Every budding huntsman looks forward to Pairing Day - the day they'll be matched with another huntsman to embark upon their official career. Ruby's Pairing Day doesn't go as planned though, do in large part to her potential partner but also her own unique set of quirks.
"Oh my god, I can't believe we're here. I can't believe this is actually happening!" Ruby clutched both fists in front of her mouth, practically vibrating with excitement, before holding both arms toward the massive building in front of her. "Look at it, Yang! We're right here, and it's right there, and soon we'll be right there, too! Isn't that awesome?"
Yang chuckled and shook her head when Ruby shook her by the shoulders. Beside her, Blake softly smiled but said nothing.
"I'm going to be a huntress," Ruby added in almost audible disbelief as they approached the iconic building. "A real, legitimate huntress. Just like you, and Blake, and mom and dad, and Uncle Qrow -"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. We know a lot of huntsmen."
"And now I'll be one, too!"
Ecstatic at the thought, Ruby clasped both hands in front of her and burst into a quick spin. Using her semblance sent red rose petals fluttering into Yang and Blake as well as scattering across the impressive expanse of smooth concrete leading to the entryway, adding a sprinkle of bright red to what was otherwise a monochrome background.
"Are you going to do that inside?" Just before Ruby bolted through the front doors, Yang took two long strides to block the path and held out her arms as if Ruby might dodge around her. "Because Blake and I work here, you know…"
"I think it's cute," Blake said when Yang's gaze flitted her way. She then set a hand on Ruby's shoulder and smiled at her. "You should be excited. It's a big day."
Ruby beamed at the endorsement. Yang looked between them, lilac eyes taking in the situation, before relaxing.
"You sure?" she still asked first. Once Blake nodded, Yang grinned and stepped out of the way. "Alright then," she said, clapping a hand down on Ruby's shoulder and leading her through the automatic sliding doors. "Then let me be the first to officially welcome you to Remnant Defense Corp. - the oldest, largest, most important, most successful protector of every corner of the globe."
Ruby's eyes widened as they stepped into the cavernous lobby, whose ceiling towered several stories above. The white tile floor gleamed under bright white lights. Gigantic video screens displayed everything from maps of Remnant to current news to video clips of the famed huntsmen in action. Security doors branched off in every direction, each manned by a reception desk and security guard restricting entry to only the few privileged enough to work here.
A chill ran down her spine while she marveled at two magnificent marble statues occupying the middle of the entrance. The larger-than-life figures depicted a huntsman and huntress with their swords and shields ready for battle, bracing themselves for an onslaught. Three words had been chiseled into the base of the sculpture: Strength. Courage. Selflessness.
The image represented everything Ruby wanted and had trained so hard to be. The effect left her speechless as goosebumps raised along her arms and her semblance begged to send her flying around the room. A muffled squeal slipped through her lips instead, earning another chuckle from Yang and a muted smile from Blake.
"Hits different when you're not just a visitor, huh?" Yang asked. Ruby numbly nodded while Yang's hand patted her back and gently guided her across the room. Once Ruby's gaze left the statues, she finally noticed the other people entering and exiting the building.
"That's Coco Adel!" she gasped upon recognizing the tall, impeccably dressed girl striding past. "And Velvet Scarletina!"
Ruby stared, jaw dropped, at the living embodiments of everything Remnant Defense stood for. Coco had one arm lazily draped over her large, black bag as she talked, flippantly waving her other hand to emphasize her words. Velvet walked calmly beside her, nodding and adding a word or two every so often. Then the most miraculous thing happened - Velvet caught sight of Ruby, smiled, and waved.
"I think I might faint…" Ruby wheezed while numbly raising a hand. When Velvet's smile grew curious, then amused, Ruby realized the first wave had been meant for Blake, who had nodded in return at the same time Ruby waved.
Under ordinary circumstances, Ruby would have been embarrassed about the misunderstanding. Under these circumstances, a blush hardly began to form before her eyes widened at the towering young man carrying a humongous sword walking by.
"Yatsuhashi?" she gasped, clutching Yang's arm as the huntsman joined Coco and Velvet near the exit. Ruby's eyes swept over the sword several times, searching for as many intricacies as she could find, before she groaned. "I want one of those…"
"Good luck swinging it," Yang joked while nudging Ruby toward the left side of the lobby. "Alright, so here's how it's gonna go -"
"Wait, where's Fox?" Realizing she hadn't seen the fourth member of Team CFVY, Ruby spun around only to be surprised to find the fabled Fox Alistair already standing at the door, dressed all in red and black with two sharp red blades attached to both wrists. "How -?" she began to ask, but Yang shared an amused look with Blake before prodding Ruby along.
"We don't ask."
Ruby's gaze lingered on the team - more specifically, on their drool-worthy weapons.
"Think they'd let me hold them someday?"
"Their weapons?" Blake clarified while Yang sent Ruby a miffed look.
"Yeah! I wouldn't do anything to them…well, unless they wanted me to. I just want to…touch them…" Ruby glanced over her shoulder just in time to watch Team CFVY head out, but Yang chuckled and tugged her away.
"I'd love to hear you ask them," Yang said while leading Ruby over to a reception desk. "Let's meet whoever you got paired with first! And try not to be too weird because you're pretty much stuck with this person forever."
"Is that what you told yourself?" Blake teased Yang from Ruby's other side.
"I was praying for someone hot," Yang answered without missing a beat. "Guess I lucked out, huh?" She winked at Blake, who shook her head but smiled at the shameless flirting. "But you get what I mean, right?" Yang asked Ruby as they approached the desk. "Good first impressions go a long way."
"Right." Ruby nodded once before her nerves crept back in. "But…I can switch, right? Like…if they're awful?"
"You can always change," Blake assured Ruby, but Yang scrunched up her face.
"Yeah…you can. It just looks a little bad." Ruby's brow furrowed at the response, so Yang shook her head and waved both hands in front of her. "Don't worry about that. They've been matching people for a long time. They're experts."
"Right. Ok." Ruby blew a big breath through her lips as they walked up to the desk. A young woman looked up from her monitor and smiled at them - or at Yang.
"Hey Yang. Wasn't expecting you here today."
"I'm here on super important business." Once the young woman's brow rose, Yang beamed and clapped a hand down on Ruby's shoulder, pushing her forward in the process. "It's my little sister's pairing day!"
The woman's eyes flashed between Ruby and Yang several times before settling on Ruby.
"You're the infamous little sister?" she asked with no small amount of amusement in her smile. "We've been waiting to meet you for forever now."
"Definitely feels that way," Yang replied while Ruby mustered a nod. "But she just finished up at Beacon, so she's ready to join the big leagues!"
"Congratulations," the young woman told Ruby, this time with a genuine smile. "Surviving Beacon is quite an accomplishment."
"Thanks. It helped that I had Yang to train with - even though she'd never take it easy on me."
Ruby nudged Yang's side with the gripe, and the young woman smiled at them before tapping the screen in front of her.
"Well, we have you all set up for today…"
"Who is it?" Yang instantly asked, leaning closer as if waiting for a secret, but the young woman smiled and shook her head.
"You'll be in the Boarbatusk Room, right down this hall," she told Ruby, gesturing at the door behind the desk before turning back to Yang. "You'll be spectating?"
"Is that your way of saying I'll find out in a few minutes?" Yang asked and, when the young woman nodded, sighed. "Fine. Me and Blake are spectating."
Yang wrapped an arm around Blake's shoulders and planted a kiss on Blake's cheek, sparking vindication in Blake's eyes while simultaneously decreasing the young woman's enjoyment in the conversation. After a glance between the two of them, she ultimately nodded and typed something at the computer station.
"You'll explain everything then?"
"You know it."
"Perfect." Once done, the young woman looked up and smiled at Ruby. "Good luck. And welcome to Remnant Defense Corp. We're excited to have another member of the Rose-Branwen-Xiao Long clan here."
"She's the last one - for now, at least." Yang waggled her brow at Blake before guiding Ruby around the desk, waving to the young receptionist, and pressing her palm to the keypad beside the door. It turned green, allowing her to open it and motion Blake and Ruby through under the security guard's watchful gaze.
"I told you she likes you," Blake muttered as soon as they entered the spacious hallway beyond.
"She's just being friendly!" When Blake scoffed at the response, Yang kissed her cheek and added, "Doesn't matter if she likes me though. I've only got eyes for one person, and that person's you."
For about half a second, Blake attempted to stay disgruntled. Then she smiled and leaned into Yang's side instead. They looked cute, comfortable, and completely at ease as the three of them made their way down the hall - a stark contrast to Ruby's growing nerves as she wrung her hands and imagined the worst case scenarios that could ruin this big day.
"What do you think they'll be like?" she eventually asked, her eyes darting from one side of the hall to the other.
"Hopefully, someone who can match your energy," Yang replied with a chuckle.
"Or someone who evens out your energy," Blake suggested before smiling up at Yang. "Can you imagine two Rubys together?"
"That would be insane," Yang agreed, laughing at the thought before her eyes widened. "What if it's that new girl - with the orange hair? She looks legitimately good."
"I've heard they're not pairing her with anyone."
"Why not?" Yang asked, but Blake just shrugged. "Ok, what about that kid that looks like he's still in school?"
"I hope it's not him…" Blake muttered before noticing Ruby's wide-eyed look. "I mean, he's fine," she quickly corrected. "And I'm sure he's good."
"Everyone's good," Yang added. "So don't worry. Whoever you got paired with can hold their own."
"I hope they like me though…" Ruby muttered soft enough that only Blake heard. Blake's reassuring smile suggested she understood Ruby's concern. Maybe she felt the same on her pairing day, but everything had turned out fine for her. Better than fine, actually, since she and Yang had been inseparable ever since.
Reminding herself that there were plenty of great matches within Remnant Defense, Ruby returned Blake's smile before noticing the shift in the rooms on either side of the hall. After passing offices and meeting spaces, they'd finally reached training rooms - tall, open areas with padded walls, floors, and a few chairs or benches thrown in. Her attention lingered on one room with four participants executing a series of intricate-yet-awesome gymnastic moves together, flipping and catapulting in perfect sync.
"Do you think we'll become a team?" she asked, her gaze lingering until forced to move away.
"That's up to you and your new partner."
"We're open to it though," Blake added. "It would be nice to work together."
"Then we can take on bigger hunts," Yang pointed out. "Maybe we can give CFVY a run for their money."
"Yeah right," Ruby scoffed, but Yang grinned.
"Hey, you never know. You're no slouch, and your partner might be no joke either. We'll find out soon enough."
Yang stopped and tapped a door with an image of a boarbatusk on it, and Ruby's nerves came roaring back. "Ok," she said, blowing a big breath through her lips before hopping between her feet. "I'm so nervous! What am I supposed to do? Or say? Do we spar or just sit and talk? Was I supposed to bring something? You told me I'd only need Crescent Rose, but maybe I should've gotten a gift?"
Yang chuckled at Ruby's mini freakout but, once Blake sent her a look, gave Ruby's shoulders a little shake.
"Slow down, turbo. Take a deep breath." Yang smiled when Ruby obediently sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a long, slow exhale. "Good," Yang added. "Don't stress yourself out. This is just like…meeting a new classmate. A classmate you might spend your entire career with, but still just a classmate."
"What if they don't like me?" Ruby asked, but Yang scoffed.
"Anyone who doesn't like you is a moron. Besides, this is about working together. Having complementary fighting styles, trusting that they'll always have your back - that type of thing."
"Remnant Defense has been doing this for a long time," Blake added. "I've seen the formulas and metrics they use when creating new pairs and it's…extensive. This isn't a random person they found for you - this is someone who should be a great match for your fighting style and capabilities."
"Right. You're right." Ruby glanced down the hall before taking another deep breath and finally smiling. "And once this is done, we can start practicing and go on real hunts!"
"That's the spirit!"
Yang beamed and high-fived Ruby. Blake, meanwhile, tilted one of her ears in the direction they just came from. "I hear someone," she explained, causing everyone to fall silent and turn that way. Ruby's heart kicked into high gear but jumped into her throat when a gorgeous girl with the most perfect long, white hair turned the corner.
"Oh shit," Yang breathed out. "You got paired with Weiss?"
"What?" Ruby tore her gaze away from the girl only to glance back almost immediately. "What's that mean? Who is she?"
"Ok, don't panic. Just forget everything we told you."
"What? Why?"
"Because she's been flying through partners like last year's fashion."
"You said we aren't supposed to switch!"
"And then I told you to forget what I just said!" Yang said before taking a deep breath and turning to Blake. "Quick - does she like me enough that I should tell her we're related?"
"She'll find out eventually, so you might as well just tell her."
"Dammit…" Yang muttered under her breath before turning toward the new arrival and throwing on a bright smile. "Hey, Weiss! Fancy seeing you here."
Left in the dark, Ruby stared at her sister for a second before focusing on Weiss, who was even prettier up close. She had the clearest blue eyes Ruby had ever seen and perfect porcelain skin. A faint scar running across her left eye added an aura of tenacity that was only amplified by the way she studied Ruby before acknowledging Blake and Yang.
"Blake. Yang," she greeted them with a dip of her chin. "What're you doing here?"
"Just watching the miracle of pairing day," Yang replied before glancing at Ruby and adding, "Oh, and this is my sister, Ruby."
The introduction brought Weiss' cool gaze back to Ruby, who smiled and waved but couldn't come up with anything to say. Weiss didn't seem to expect a response though. Instead, she studied Ruby from head to toe, as if documenting every visible flaw, before turning back to Yang.
"You two look nothing alike."
"That's what having different moms will do to you," Yang joked, but it fell flat when only she laughed.
Ruby opened her mouth and searched for something cool or interesting to say, but Weiss hadn't even addressed her yet. And Weiss didn't bother to. She glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye, straightened her already-perfect posture, and said, "Let's get this over with, shall we?"
Weiss walked into the room without waiting for a response, leaving Ruby speechless in the hall. When Ruby turned to Yang, eyes wide and mouth agape, Yang led her inside by the shoulder. "It'll be fine," Yang quietly assured her. "Just don't take anything she says personally, and they'll find you a new partner pronto."
Ruby sputtered at the comment, but Yang gently pushed her further into the room before ducking off to the side with Blake. They sat on one of the benches pushed against the wall, leaving Ruby frozen somewhere between them and Weiss in the center of the room. Only when Yang gave a thumbs up, accompanied by a grimace, did Ruby take a deep breath and walk over to Weiss.
The situation had gone from nerve-wracking and exciting to nerve-wracking and confusing in a heartbeat. She was supposed to meet the partner she would fight alongside for the 'rest of her life.' Most huntsmen recounted their pairing day for years to come - she had heard Blake and Yang's story at least a hundred times already - yet Weiss studied her nails until Ruby eventually reached her.
"Do you want to sit?" Weiss asked, gesturing to the two chairs that must have been set up specifically for this meeting.
"Uh, sure." Ruby dropped into the nearest one while Weiss far more elegantly took the other. Ruby's knee immediately started jittering fast and relentlessly, especially when the initial silence extended several seconds too long. "So…you're Weiss?" she eventually spit out, if only to say something.
"Weiss Schnee."
"Schnee as in -?"
"Schnee Dust, yes," Weiss replied with an indifferent wave of one hand. "You must be Ruby Rose."
"That's me!" Ruby smiled at the response but cleared her throat when Weiss merely nodded. "Uh, so, you're already a huntress?"
"For the past two years. Same as your sister."
"Cool." Ruby bobbed her head and glanced to the side, where Blake and Yang observed silently. She had asked for their presence but, now that they were here, only felt more pressured to keep the conversation moving along. "You've been solo this whole time?" she asked and, again, the cool blue gaze studied her.
"On and off."
"You'd rather be solo?"
"Not necessarily. My sister claims there's a limit on how successful you can be on your own."
"You have a sister?" Once Weiss nodded, Ruby beamed and said, "Me too!" Weiss arched a brow at the response, leaving Ruby to backpedal and add, "But you already knew that since you know her…"
"Do you know how I met Yang?" Weiss asked. Ruby glanced at Yang, who grimaced, before shaking her head. "It was at the beginning-of-year gathering. She thought it'd be funny to start a food fight by launching a pie into my face."
Ruby cringed at Weiss' unamused, obviously fake smile and threw a glance Yang's way. Yang at least had the decency to cover her eyes with one hand, clearly regretting the mistake while leaving Ruby to deal with the unintended consequence.
"That sounds like something she'd do…" Ruby admitted with a nervous laugh. "Did you get her back though?"
"Of course not," Weiss huffed. "We're not in high school. This is a job. We're professionals."
"Right. Yeah. I get that."
Ruby nodded once and mentally noted never to let a pie anywhere near Weiss. Weiss, on the other hand, leaned back in her hair, casually crossed her legs, and tapped her fingers on her knee.
"Enough about that though. What traits make you qualified to be my partner?"
"Uh…traits?"
"Yes. Such as intelligence, strength -"
"Oh, right." Moderately shell-shocked by the abrupt subject change, Ruby glanced at Yang and Blake before combing her thoughts for a good answer. "Uh, well, I'm a decent fighter. And I'm really fast."
"So decently fast."
"...no?"
Ruby shook her head at the mix-up, but Weiss was already moving on.
"Where'd you go to school?"
"Beacon."
"Adequate," Weiss deemed a school that had produced some of the best huntsmen in Remnant. "What about your marks?"
"I got top marks!" Ruby grinned and puffed out her chest but deflated when Weiss arched a brow. "Well, in combat. I got average marks for the boring stuff. History of Remnant and all that."
"That would put you somewhere above average."
"Unless you value fighting more than book-work?" Ruby suggested, but Weiss squinted at her.
"Isn't Summer Rose your mother?"
"She is!"
Ruby beamed at the mention of her mom, but Weiss made a flippant motion with one hand.
"What does she think of you?"
"Uh…she loves me?" Ruby tried, but Weiss actually scoffed at the answer.
"Surely she's told you how she feels about your skill. Strengths, weaknesses, where you could improve."
Ruby scrunched up her face thinking about her mom, who'd sent her off that morning with a kiss on the forehead and a, "Good luck, sweetie. You'll do great."
"Not really," Ruby said before shrugging. "But she doesn't really critique me unless I ask for help. Otherwise, she just…encourages me…" Weiss' nose scrunched up so much during the response that Ruby paused and asked, "Do your parents not do that?"
"My parents aren't huntsmen," Weiss replied in such a clipped tone that Ruby winced. This was going poorly before Ruby brought up a sore subject. Now, Weiss frowned at her hands and Ruby desperately searched for a way to lighten the mood.
"Your, uh, your weapon's really cool," Ruby eventually said, gesturing to the silver rapier holstered at Weiss' hip. Weiss glanced at it before pulling it out and laying it across her lap.
"Myrtenaster," she said while lightly touching her fingers to the flawless blade.
"You named it?"
"Yes. Didn't you?"
Despite the challenging tone, Ruby beamed and grabbed her weapon from its space hanging on her back. "Meet Crescent Rose," she said while spinning it around her hands, watching it unfold into a large, red scythe. "She's also a gun," she added proudly.
"'She?'" Weiss asked while Ruby pulled the hammer back with a satisfying click.
"Yeah!" After folding the weapon back into its most compact form, Ruby rested it on her lap and patted its side. "Yang says she's the only girl I'll ever know how to handle," she added before chuckling to herself. "If that's the case, at least I really know how to handle her, right?"
Ruby looked up only to find Weiss staring at her with a slightly creased brow. "Sure…" Weiss eventually replied. For the first time since they met, she sounded uncertain. Perplexed, even. That was better than being annoyed or uninterested though, so Ruby kept talking.
"Even with my eyes closed," she added, closing her eyes and sliding her fingers across the glossy paint. "I probably know her better than I know myself. Every scratch, every dent…" She opened her eyes and smiled at Weiss' unblinking stare. "When you touch her just right, she'll practically sing for you."
Weiss finally blinked. Then her gaze flitted to the side, where Yang and Blake shifted in their seats, and she cleared her throat before saying, "Most huntsmen are attached to their weapons. We need them in order to do our jobs."
"They aren't just tools though," Ruby protested, clutching Crescent Rose closer as if the insinuation alone might cause harm. "They're like…our better halves."
Again, Weiss looked like she didn't know quite how to respond. "It sounds like you two have a…special bond," she eventually settled on, and Ruby nodded.
"We've been through a lot together. But the best part about her is she's always willing to take more. No matter what I just did to her, she just wants to be part of the action."
Remembering some of those moments, Ruby smiled and stroked her trusty weapon from end to end. Weiss, meanwhile, opened her mouth but shook her head and closed it. Then she opened it again and said, "Do you always talk about her like this?"
"Like she's a person?" Ruby clarified and, once Weiss slowly nodded, grinned. "Yeah! Don't worry though - she loves when I brag about her." Ruby glanced left and right before leaning closer, lowering her voice, and adding, "She also loves when I'm rough with her, but don't tell my uncle that."
"...rough?" Weiss repeated while Ruby leaned back and nodded.
"Yeah, she likes when I just manhandle her a bit, you know? Like putting my hands in whatever position I can get them in. Not worried about proper form, just doing whatever it takes to get the job done. That's what we've gotta do sometimes, right? Whatever it takes to finish the job, no matter how messy."
Ruby glanced to the side when Blake shifted in her seat before turning back to Weiss. Weiss stared at Crescent Rose, her brow furrowed and mouth slightly ajar.
"Oh, don't worry!" Ruby added when she realized how that might have sounded. "She knows I'll take care of her after. Rub her down real good…I'll spend hours cleaning her up if she needs it."
"Hours…"
"She deserves to be pampered," Ruby explained. "And there's nothing better than pampering someone who just behaved so well for you, right?"
"Right," Weiss repeated, staring directly into Ruby's eyes before blinking and hastily averting her gaze. "You…enjoy using her then?" she asked while picking a piece of lint from her sleeve.
"Definitely. There's nothing better than putting her through her paces. Feeling her quiver under my fingertips like she's begging me to keep going. When things get too fast and hard, you can practically feel her shaking with each hit. I've yet to find anything she can't take though!"
Ruby beamed down at her weapon while Weiss uncrossed her legs, then crossed them again. Then she cleared her throat, leaned closer, lowered her voice, and asked, "What do you do if she…misbehaves?"
"Show her who's boss," Ruby replied without hesitation. Weiss leaned back in her chair and gathered fistfuls of her skirt in both hands, so Ruby elaborated. "When she tries to get away from me, I just keep a real good grip on her and make her do what I want. She comes around before long. I can be persuasive."
"Mm yes, I could see that." Weiss let her eyes wander over Ruby, lightly biting her bottom lip while she did so, before taking a quick, shallow breath and turning away. "Anything else?" she asked, directing the question to the other side of the room.
Ruby nearly shook her head but perked up when another of Crescent Rose's best features popped into her mind.
"She can be really loud sometimes. Get that barrel warmed up and she'll shake the walls. Just like bang, bang, bang -" Ruby slapped one fist into the palm of her hand to emphasize each shot before chuckling and adding, "Yang complains when we get going late at night. Like, 'Can you two shut up? I'm trying to sleep!'"
Yang coughed this time, drawing Ruby's glance, but Blake gently slapped Yang on the back and motioned that they were fine.
"I love using her at night though," Ruby continued after turning back to Weiss, who watched her like a hawk. "Or during the day. Anytime, really. So, you know, maybe that's something that makes me qualified to be your partner - you just say the word and I'm ready to go, whenever or wherever you need me."
"I see…" Weiss breathed out as if someone just pushed the words from her lungs. Her blue gaze had softened to the point of borderline distracted as it slowly roved across Ruby for the fourth or fifth time since they'd met. It looked like plenty of thoughts were running through her mind but, when she remained quiet for too long, Ruby filled in the silence.
"What about you? What's Myrtenaster like?"
When Ruby nodded to the weapon laying across Weiss' lap, Weiss looked at it as if she'd never seen it before.
"...fine, I suppose. Functional."
"Nothing wrong with getting the job done fast and efficiently." Weiss actually blushed at the response, but Ruby beamed. "We'll have to pit the two of them together someday. See who comes out on top."
"I - that sounds -" Weiss struggled for words for several more seconds before shaking her head and abruptly standing. "Excuse me," she mumbled before walking away, leaving Ruby sputtering in her wake.
"But -" was the only thing Ruby got out before the door closed, so she sighed and slouched in the chair. Sensing Yang and Blake walking over, she dragged herself to her feet and returned Crescent Rose to her back.
"I thought we were having a moment," she told Yang before frowning. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Uh…not exactly…"
"You said a lot of…good things…" Blake added.
"Then why'd she leave?" Ruby motioned to the door and, when met with Blake and Yang's open mouths but lack of answers, sighed. "Guess she didn't like me then…"
Graduating from Beacon was supposed to be the hard part, so Ruby never put much thought into Pairing Day. She just figured that she'd meet her partner and they'd hit it off like Yang and Blake or the other huntsmen in her family.
In the midst of her dejection, her scroll buzzed. As soon as she read the new message, she squealed so loudly that Yang and Blake jolted in surprise.
"She wants to be my partner!" she shouted before brandishing the screen for Yang and Blake to see.
"You're kidding me," Yang said while reading the message waiting for Ruby's response.
"Oh, she liked it," Blake concluded with a smirk and knowing nod.
"Are you kidding?" Yang asked. "It's Weiss. She doesn't like anything."
"She liked that." When Yang wrinkled her nose, Blake smiled and patted her cheek. "How's that make you feel?"
"Dirty." Yang shuddered before sneaking a look at Blake. "Would that have worked on you?"
"Why don't you try it and see? Tell me all about those gauntlets of yours…"
"How about I show you?"
"I like the sound of that…" Blake practically purred. When she bit her bottom lip, and Yang inched closer to her, Ruby waved her arms for their attention.
"I'm going to say yes!" Before anyone suggested otherwise, Ruby clicked the accept button and did a little dance. "It's official! I have a partner!"
"Wow, Ruby…"
Yang had much more to say than that, but she just chuckled and shook her head.
"Let's go celebrate," Blake suggested.
"Yeah!" Yang quickly agreed. "Let's celebrate. Unless you and Crescent Rose need a room…"
"She can come with us!" Ruby said, bursting with so much excitement now that a few rose petals escaped by accident. "She fits anywhere. She could probably be in my pants and no one would notice."
Ruby beamed at the response, but they stared at her until Yang started laughing.
"How did I not know this about you?"
"Know what?"
While Ruby tilted her head, Yang and Blake exchanged amused looks rather than respond. Eventually, Yang chuckled and said, "You'll figure it out eventually." Ruby turned to Blake for a better answer, but Blake just smiled and took Yang's hand as they headed toward the door. If Ruby wasn't so happy right now, she would whine at their lack of a response. Instead, she glanced back at the room, then grinned and patted Crescent Rose before following Yang and Blake out.
She'd always imagined that her Pairing Day would include some sparring, laughter, and sparks of instant friendship. Meeting Weiss had been nothing like that, yet it was still plenty memorable. She could already envision a time in the future when they might share a laugh reminiscing on this moment. 'Do you remember when I told you how loud Crescent Rose can get then you rushed out like you forgot you had somewhere else to be?'
But first, she was going to celebrate with Yang and Blake. Then she would go home and tell her mom, dad, and anyone else who would listen about how Crescent Rose saved the day.