Author's Headnote: We're getting straight to the point on Thursday's events. I originally planned on adding a flashback for last chapter, but I felt like it wouldn't fit there. We're slowly getting closer and closer to where Volume 2 starts. And the progress is getting there to reach Sunday Morning. I don't have anything else to add so let's jump right into it!
RWBY: Festival of Blood: Contacts and Constables.
Blake Belladonna:
Aura Status: 100%
Semblance: Shadow Clone
Grades: Unchanged
Team Activity (Required for advancement to second year): Nightshift Police Internship, starts at 7PM Thursday.
Team Relations:
-Ruby Rose: Honestly unsure if just friends or something else...
-Weiss Schnee: She's being a bit lazy today, Blake is unsure why.
-Yang Xiao Long: Blake does not care about Yang's nerd stuff, please stop talking about it to Blake.
End of Major character status report
Beacon Academy, 3:30 PM, Thursday, RWBY Dormitory
Blake rushed into the Dorm 15 minutes ahead of time. She had to think of something to avoid Weiss seeing Ruby feeding or entering the box. Although Weiss was just streaming television shows and eating on the couch. Good that's she's relaxing and all, but Blake's more used to Weiss being all stressed and being all snarky, maybe this new change in attitude is for the better. She gets into the bedroom to see Ruby waking up. She doesn't go through that weird 'still tired' phase of waking up, likely due to her vampirism. Blake sees her closing the curtains, vampires must have a natural disdain for the sun or something.
"I guess you don't like the sun?" Blake asked rhetorically.
"It's a giant ball of death to me Blake, the worst can happen to you is a burn or skin cancer after like 3-5 hours without sunscreen. The worst for me is that I'd die within 1 minute." Ruby ranted.
"Don't ever say that in public. Ever. You will lose friends and gain enemies like that. This is a warning, not a threat."
"Ya... in hindsight that was a bit insensitive."
"It's okay Ruby, you were going through puberty and emotional turmoil before you..."
"Yes. We both know what I am!"
"Ruby, you're thirsty, just hurry up and bite me." Blake said, bending her neck for Ruby to bite.
Ruby didn't say a thing when she was about to bite Blake. She lowered her bandanna and her fangs stabbed into Blake's neck. This bite is a lot les painful than the first two, either Blake's body is getting adept to the biting or Ruby's learned how to make biting less painful for the victim. Although she's more of a donor in this case. But she's glad the bite and the sucking are less painful; she'd have to do this daily to keep Ruby somewhat fed through the day. After the usual five to eight seconds, Ruby lets go of Blake's neck and put her bandanna back on. She rubs the bite mark, as to reflex.
"It didn't hurt as much as last time Ruby." Blake said.
"Ar-are you sure?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"I feel like I've just been in a pain in the neck. Pun not intended."
"Ruby, you're not a metaphorical pain in the neck."
"I can sense your irritation and worry, you know."
"I'm only irritated because you're being all negative. And I'm worried that you're going to stay like that. Don't be all-negative Ruby."
"I guess sensing all these negative emotions is kind of rubbing on me."
"Just stay strong Ruby, you can get through this. I'm only here to help you."
"Well, you do have more experience in the whole 'hiding your true self' department."
"That, I do. Just try and be more positive."
"Alright, I'll try."
"Great. Now, do you know why Weiss is acting weird."
"Oh, I ordered her to relax until the second semester starts."
"You... ordered her?"
"Yeah, she wouldn't do so otherwise."
"Well, I'm glad you care enough for your teammates that you order them to take a vacation."
"She deserves it, although she needs to shape up in a couple of hours."
"Well, you need to go in the box in a couple of seconds."
"Wait, Why?"
"To get Yang's contacts."
"Oh. I was wondering how I was going to get to those on time."
"Just get inside the box."
"Wait, just let me shower really quick."
"Fine."
Ruby went into the bathroom and showered; she also brought a pair of clothing for her to change into. She spends 10 minutes in the shower and changing. She got out, ready to be outside in the public. Blake understands the need, nobody would go out in public in their pajamas.
Blake and Ruby walked to where the box is, and Ruby went inside it. The lid of the box is tight on, but with enough strength Ruby can push out of it and exit it, with minor risk of breaking it of course. Blake knows Ruby wouldn't do that, for it would risk her being burned alive by the sun. Blake pushes the box to the point where it's about to be at the dormitory corridors when Weiss suddenly starts paying attention to what's going on.
"Blake, what do you got there?" Weiss asked out of curiosity.
"It's a box on a dolly." Blake answered.
"What's in the box?"
"Box stuff."
"... Eh, makes sense. Just curious."
"Weiss, make sure you head to the police station by 7:00 PM."
"Alright alright. Wait, what time is it?"
"It's 3:30."
"Well, time to get changed I suppose."
Weiss went into the bedroom to get changed, whilst Blake exited the room. She quickly ran to the docking area and boarded the first Bullhead to downtown, where the eyecare facility Ruby ordered Yang's new contact lenses are. Hope the eye doctor accepts early pickups. Otherwise Yang will have to get used to wearing glasses more often.
City of Vale, 4:06 PM, Thursday, Downtown
Blake walked up to Doctor Akhdir's eyecare facility. The name is Vacuan. Nobody but her, Ruby, and the Doctor was in the building now. She covertly finds a place to hide Ruby's box. She can't use the women's or men's restrooms, that would be disgusting and suspicious. Blake found a place around the corner with some plants. Blake placed the box there and knocked on it, signaling Ruby to come out. She quickly comes out of the box, and carefully puts the lid of the box back on. Blake waits and guards the box whilst she pays attention to Ruby picking up her order.
"Hi, I'm here to pick up my order for Yang Warbler Xiao Long Branwen." Ruby said to the doctor.
"You're here early, and you didn't put her under her full name when you first ordered it back on Monday." The doctor stated.
"Wait, how do you know her full name?"
"I checked for her medical files when filling out the order."
"Oh. Makes sense. Can I pick up those contacts now?"
"Right. Here they are." The Doctor said, placing a box of contact lenses in Ruby's hands. "I was a bit worried that you would never show up."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"I saw what happened, some guy took away and I thought you'd be gone for good."
"Do you know what he looks like?"
"He was wearing mostly red and white. Had black hair and pink eyes. His lips were all purple and stuff, not sure what's going on there, he must be sick or something."
"Well, thanks for the contacts, got to go give this to my sister."
"Glad to see business, here's the change by the way." The doctor said, handing 4,800 Lien to Ruby.
Ruby went back into the large box, covertly, holding the box of the contacts with her. Blake closed the box and exited the store. The doctor witnessed the scene of where Ruby was apparently turned. Why he didn't do anything is beyond Blake, but it's too late to prevent it now. She heads back to the bullhead with Ruby's box. Going to Beacon and find where Yang is. Likely in the dormitory to remind Weiss to change. So she heads there anyway to put the Box back, for now.
Beacon Academy, 4:26 PM, Thursday, RWBY Dormitory
Blake put the box back where it was and knocked on it to let Ruby know it's safe to come out. She does so. The box of contacts is unharmed thankfully. Ruby begins texting on her scroll, likely telling Yang that she got her contacts early. Great that one issue with the team has been resolved after another. But the team sill must prepare for the 1-day internship starting in a couple of hours. Yang opened the door with a concerned face. Ruby hands Yang the box, Yang looks excite and rushes to the bathroom. Likely to put them on.
"The Bathroom won't be unlocked for awhile Blake." Ruby said.
"Why? Hasn't she put them on before?" Blake asked.
"When she's calm, she can focus and do it quick, she's not in a calm mood so her eyes do the thing."
"The what?"
Ruby puts her finger towards her eye, and as it gets close, her pupils are seen moving up into the skull."
"That." Ruby said.
"Oh, ya, she's going to be there awhile." Blake said.
"She'd be too excited to focus, then she'll get all angry, then she'll try to calm down and than the contacts will go on. Happens every time we get a new pair that's not a backup."
"Every time?"
"Every. Time."
"What happened when she got her first pair?"
"Well it's a long story, I'll tell you after we're done helping the police."
"I guess I'll have to wait than."
After 27 minutes in the bathroom, Yang came out wearing her contacts. From the box's description, it says it's designed for huntsmen and huntresses on the field, so they won't break as easily. Of course, Yang still needs to take them off and on daily, because the risk of eye infection. But from what Ruby told Blake, it's quite regular to her. Blake's surprised she never noticed Yang wore contacts until it was brought up last Monday, when Ruby went out and got them. It's relieving that she cares for her sister, even as a vampire. Blake would never know what it's like to have a sibling, she's an only child, and likely would remain so.
Blake received a text from Ruby.
'In the Box, drop me off in the police station, I can handle it from there.'
Blake sighed, and went off to drop off Ruby to the police station. When Weiss, who is now wearing a different T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and sneakers asked where she was going. She responded that She needed to bring this somewhere. Yang asked that as well, answered the same exact way. Blake doesn't like lying to her team, but it's for the sake of team she's doing it. Since Ruby's technically a sentient grimm now in a school dedicated to hunting and killing grimm. Although she has no remorse for actual, mindless grimm. Those things can rot for all she cares.
Blake pushed the cart to next bullhead to downtown, where she'd be heading into the police station to begin the team activity.
City of Vale, 5:30 PM, Thursday, Downtown VPD
The downtown VPD. This is where the RWBY Team activity will be. It's the most active department in the entire city, mostly due to it covering the more crime-ridden districts of downtown and the Industrial District. The jails are usually filled up with minor crooks who commit misdemeanors. The police here are busy day to night investigating cases around Vale's downtown and Industrial district. So, no doubt they have interns cleaning up the station and stuff. The officers range from simple citizens wanting to help their kingdom to those who wanted to be huntsmen but failed the mark and didn't want to join the military. Nowadays, it's packed with officers trying to track down Beacon's stolen dust capacitor, and the perp who stole it in the first place. Except for like, one officer who's just spinning around in their chair.
Blake covertly plants the box just outside of the police station, and she'll text Ruby when she can get out. Which will be at an estimate time of 6;30. Sure, she may risk suffering some sunlight damage, but it's to keep up the ruse. Blake left the box by itself and went on to spend 1 hour in Vale for herself, surely Ruby could handle being in a box by herself for one hour.
Character Change: Blake Belladonna - Ruby Rose
City of Vale: 6:30 PM, Thursday, Downtown VPD
Ruby was browsing her scroll. Typically, in a cramp space like this, vampires like her would be dead asleep, literally. But Ruby wasn't tired, she likely couldn't get tired now that she's clinically dead. She was mostly browsing social media and stuff, nothing out of the ordinary for a teenager... except for the 'being a vampire inside a wooden' box thing. She got a notification from Blake, saying that she should exit the box now. The sun is likely still setting, so chances are it would hurt her, but if she rushes to the police station, minimum Aura damage can be done. She quickly opens the door and activates her semblance to rush into the police station. Ruby checks her scroll for any damage... only down to 96%, thankfully the sun is setting so It's less damaging.
"You're here early." Chief Blue stated.
"I am the fast one after all." Ruby responded. She's not wrong though. On average, she is faster than the rest of her team even without using her semblance.
"Huh, so the rest of your team's going to arrive?"
"within a half-hour, give or take."
"Huh?"
"I have a speed semblance."
"Just don't destroy the walls."
"Gotchia!"
It only took 10 minutes for Yang to arrive, since she has a motorcycle and all, it's parked outside the police station. Although she's a bit surprised that Ruby beat her. Blake arrived 13 minutes later, she of course wasn't as surprised and knew that Ruby would 'arrive' first. And at 7:01, Weiss arrived... unfashionably late. She was wearing that outfit of T-Shirt, Jeans, and Sneakers back when she was at beacon, even though wearing her normal outfit would take less effort, guess she didn't want to wear heels. Ruby never understood how Weiss runs and fights in those, unless Weiss is also secretly a cat faunas like Blake, she's got nothing. Ruby can understand why Blake can fight in heels, she has much more balance, and Ruby has seen her walk on her toes without wearing heels, unlike Weiss. Ruby should consider buying Weiss some flats. Ruby should buy some flats for the dance, so she doesn't have to wear her sister's old heels, or her mothers.
After everyone arrived, team RWBY gathered around Chief Blue.
"You all are here for your mandatory first-year activity." Chief Blue stated.
"That's right, we are!" Ruby said.
"I like your enthusiasm. You said you're the fast one?"
"Yep, that's me."
"I'll be giving your task last than."
"Welll... Okay?"
"Now what do I see here? Isn't that Weiss Schnee in Jeans? Well, since you're here, go scrape gum off all the desks." Chief Blue ordered.
"Okay, I guess." Weiss said, Ruby can see Weiss is just being calm about it.
Five seconds later, one of the officers, a fox faunas with fox ears, shot the blonde officer with a man-bun in the head.
"Officer Grayox, why did you shoot Officer Anderson in the head?" Chief Blue demanded.
"Well a long time back, I joked around and said if a Schnee were to scrape gum off my desk, I'd shoot him in the head, and I did." Officer Fox said.
"I like your honesty and dedication; you get promoted to lieutenant just for that. Never liked that guy anyway."
Jeez, with police like that, no wonder why the White Fang act so openly around in downtown and in the Industrial District.
"And you, the one with the bow, paperwork!" Chief Blue ordered.
Blake just nodded and accepted her fate, with some eye-twitches!
"Of course, there's Taiyang's daughter." Chief blue said.
"Yes, that's me." Both Yang and Ruby said at the same time!
"Jynx!" Ruby quickly yelped!
"Aaaugh!" Yang groaned in defeat.
"I meant the yellow one. You'll be a traffic cop!" Chief blue stated.
"Why me?" Yang asked.
"you're the tough one, you need to learn patience from how I see you fight back in Junior's club."
"So, I just tell cars to stop and go?"
"Not just that, you see. the dust you all use, is the same kind used in automobiles."
"Uh-huh."
"So, one little accident can make an entire city block or even district go BOOM!"
"What?"
"Go. Boom. Being a traffic cop is a matter of life and death for the civilians."
"So why can't you-"
"LIFE! AND! DEATH!" Chief Blue interrupted!
"Don't you have a nightshift traffic cop?" Yang asked.
"You mean Officer Anderson?" Chief Blue pointed at the corpse.
"Oh. I see, just give me the equipment and I can head out."
"But here's one more thing."
"What?"
"If there's a report of even a car scratch caused by traffic, you will all fail and have to select a new activity!"
"Jeez, way to put so much pressure on me!"
"Now get to the roads and start policing traffic!" Chief Blue puts the traffic cop stuff in Yang's hands.
"You don't have to yell at me." Yang grabs the traffic cop stuff and heads out.
"Now for you."
"Yes?" Ruby asked.
Chief Blue hands Ruby a mop and bucket, along with a series of sponges. "Clean the bathrooms."
"I feel like Yang's the only one doing actual police internship." Ruby said.
"Well according to various legal loopholes, I can have you do anything so as long as it doesn't involve touching you... or yourself, or my employees, or your teammates."
"I see your case..." Ruby said in defeat, she heads out to clean the bathrooms.
Ruby can sense the negativity in the air... stress, anger, and hatred mostly. The hatred and anger are likely coming from those in the jail and the stress from the police. Ruby's own anger and stubborn defeat added onto it. There she is, a huntress in training, ruining her outfit to clean bathrooms. she starts with the women's bathroom because she thinks it'll be less messy, she was wrong.
Character Change: Ruby Rose - Blake Belladonna
City of Vale, 7:13 PM, Thursday, Downtown VPD
Blake feels bad for Ruby, she could smell the bathrooms from all the way here, and she's in the file cabinets sorting and shredding papers. She must shred papers and files with a red 'X' on it. And sort everything else by chronological order. Let's see here... Cat stuck up on a tree, red X, shred. Bank robbery, 10 years ago, put them in there with the cases 10 years ago. Nostferatu attack, 3 days ago... Blake just shreds that... no need for the police to have anything to criminalize Ruby now. Transcript forgery fraud investigation, Red X, shred. This goes on and on for awhile.
Blake sees a file that piques her interest though. 'Summer Rose investigation, 13 years ago.' Summer Rose? is that Ruby's mom? Blake opened the case out of curiousity, apparently an esteemed huntress under the name of 'Summer Rose' went missing back when Ruby was a toddler. After endless attempts of search across Vale, they only found her cloak and declared her legally dead. They never found the body. Blake kind of felt sad for Ruby, the only female role model she had growing up was yang, explains a lot about Ruby though. She sees a picture of the apparent KIA huntress, she looked like an older Ruby, although her hair was brown instead of black.
So, this is what Ruby would've looked like in a couple of years. She's kind of hot. I feel sorry for any girl she hits on now.
She puts the folder where it belongs though, no need for taking keepsakes from the police.
She continues to browse the papers and files, organizing and shredding as tasked. It's a mundane task, but if it helps getting into second year, she just must deal with it until 11 PM, according to the description of the activity. Although Blake does have it easy compared to Weiss, Yang, and Ruby.
Poor Ruby, she has to clean those bathrooms, I can smell them from here. chances are she has to wash her clothes after this. No doubt she'd need to take a shower after all of that. She'd end up either smelling like the bathrooms or feel like she smells like the sort after she's done.
Blake's sorrow for Ruby kind of distracted her, she shredded a non-red X paper again. Well, not like they actually check the stuff. She continues to shred and sort until 11 PM or until she's out of stuff to do it with, whichever comes first.
Character Change: Blake Belladonna - Ruby Rose
City of Vale, 7:56 PM, Thursday, Downtown VPD
20 plungers and a bunch of brute force later, she managed to unclog every toilet in the women's bathroom, now to mop the floors and scrub the lower walls. Thankfully, the smell is gone. Ruby managed to put her boots and stockings in a bag so she doesn't ruin them, so she's cleaning barefoot in a public facility. She'd change out of her dress if she found a change of clothes, mostly because she doesn't want to break the law walking around in her underwear. Indecent exposure and all of that. Not to mention she's fifteen, although almost sixteen since October's approaching.
She begins to mop the floor; she can't use her semblance because it would make even more of a mess for her to clean up. She than grabs one of those oversized sponges to dry up the floor. she now than focuses on the walls. She only cleans the lower half because there's no conceivable way for anyone to make a mess on the upper half. After 20 minutes, the walls are done. she than starts cleaning the mirrors of any stains they have. it's a quick process, so she gets it quickly. after all that, the women's restroom is done. now onto the men's.
Ruby opens the door to the men's room and... It doesn't smell as bad as the women's room, but it looks way messier than the women's one. At least the only problem with the women's room is what lurked inside the stalls. But it looks like someone started a food fight in here, and from the smell, they likely did. Ruby started mopping a path to the stalls. This experience is actually the first time, and likely only time she has ever seen a urinal.
She opens the first stall and...
HOLY BLOOD-FILLED STRAWBERRIES THERE'S A BOARBATUSK IN THERE!
The boarbatusk rushed out of the stall, not even acknowledging Ruby's existence. The boar grimm rushed out of the bathroom, and gunshots can be heard. The police can handle one boarbatusk so Ruby stays out of it. She flushes the toilet and goes onto cleaning it. She does this for all the stalls, but there isn't a hidden boarbatusk in there though. After 12 minutes, all the toilets are clean. She went down to mop the rest of the floor, which took 7 minutes of itself. Now she has to clean the urinals. Ruby thought she'd never see a urinal in person until today. Ruby finds them kind of disgusting in an honest scale. She just cleans them anyway, not like she can use them anyway, or would. One, Ruby's downstairs plumbing isn't designed to use a urinal in the first place. Two, she's a vampire, vampires don't pee.
Ruby spends 5 minutes just washing the urinals in the men's room, and now she focuses on the lower walls and mirrors. Apparently, she will need to use a step ladder, the upper walls are a mess too. and knowing how gravity works, she needs to start there. She grabs a step ladder and starts cleaning the upper walls. Why bathroom custodians don't have gravity boots is beyond Ruby. It would make the process a lot easier and faster than relying on conventional methods. She spends an entire 47 minutes cleaning all the walls and mirrors in the restroom. She cleaned both of them in record time. Ruby walked out of the men's restroom, putting her stockings and boots back on with a sense of victory.
"Restrooms are clean!" Ruby announced.
"Huh, guess you really are the fast one." Chief Blue stated.
"So... got any other tasks for me or...?"
"Yes, just one. Care to explain to why you let a boarbatusk attack the police station?"
"It jumped me than ran, it acted too fast before I could react." Ruby lied.
"Oh. I see, carry on than." Chief Blue said.
"So... it's 9:27 PM... do I just waddle my thumbs for 2 hours?"
"No, you're going to help the Schnee scrape gum off the desks!" Chief Blue said, giving her an old spatula.
"Doesn't Weiss have one?" Ruby asked.
"Nope. And no talking between either of you."
Ruby takes the old spatula and starts scraping the old gum off the desks in the entire police station, at least it's less smelly than the bathrooms, that's for sure. Ruby wonders how Yang is doing being traffic cop. One mistake on her end and the entire team has to this nonsense again. Ruby loves her sister; she cares for her. But if she has to clean another bathroom in a police station, she'd punch Yang right in the face! She'd deserve it too, guessing by Chief Blue's description on traffic cops, it's serious business. At the same time, Ruby envies Yang. She gets to do actual police work, instead of just doing the mundane tasks the officers are too lazy to do themselves!
Where did they get so much gum from? And why can't they just buy the edible sticks!? They exist!
The amount of gum from there is surprising to Ruby, the desk she went under is entirely covered in the stuff, thankfully she has a spatula to scrape them off with, instead having to break her fingernails like Weiss. Ruby can sense pain and agony coming from her. Likely from the broken fingernails using them to scrape gum off of the desks. Thankfully she doesn't have to do this one anymore, since ruby's spatula-ing all the gum off. Since Ruby's wearing a bandanna, she doesn't have to worry about gum sneaking inside her mouth. One of them even had the wrapper sticking on it... it's from 40 years ago... ew. She's going to need a trash bag for all the gum on the floor. Ruby snuck around and acquired one. And than went back and put all the floored gum in there.
She goes on scraping gum with Weiss, who is still on her first desk for an hour, since there's so many desks. Ruby wonders what Team JNPR is doing though... perhaps nothing out of the ordinary. Wait, did Ruby clean up the rose petals back at the training yard? Eh, not like anyone's going to actually notice a change in Ruby's semblance anyway. Anyways, Ruby can't get distracted, she has one more desk to scrape. Oh, there's just one piece of gum on it, nothing out of the ordinary. She scrapes it with the spatula, and she's done. It's 10:30 PM, so basically, she just has to pretend to work and she can leave, assuming Yang doesn't mess anything up.
Author's Footnote: This one was easier to write than expected, just that I got distracted playing Among Us and Watching the new DeathBattle, which just came out as I am writing this. Yang got her contacts back, The Team Activity is done, and all that they need to do now is get that plan with JNPR out the window. I also had to show why I can't have the police show up for anything other than arrests for the rest of the fic, they're lazy and have a bad promotion system, and they're down one traffic cop. I was finishing this up while Hungry, because the microwave broke. Do you like the lazy Weiss, or do you want the original one back? Let me know in the reviews, along with any questions, comments, criticisms, suggestions, or anything else. Stay tuned for next chapter!