Kirakishou's hand tightened in hers, drawing Ruby's attention away from a weapons-display in a nearby storefront. She sent a smile towards the doll, squeezing back ever so slightly and enjoying the sound of the blonde's delighted giggles at her actions.
I love this so much… Is this what you were trying to show me on the balcony of the dorms this morning? Just to enjoy a moment..?
There was once a time where holding hands with Kirakishou had been a little awkward at first, yet in the freedom of Vale and the relative security of being away from her teammates, Ruby was free to enjoy all of her one-on-one time with the doll.
Perhaps she was being a little bit greedy in monopolising the doll's time over checking in with the rest of her team, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Not now. Kirakishou didn't seem to mind, either. If anything the girl had seemed over the moon when Ruby had suggested that they spend a little bit of extra time sightseeing.
They were going through most of the shopping district at the moment. Ruby, unfortunately, didn't have that much in the way of lien to spend so she was mostly just restricted to window shopping for now. Kirakishou appeared very interested in the various weapon parts and how they interlocked together to form a mechashift weapon; a topic that Ruby was more than eager to speak about.
There was something to be said about the visceral experience of touring an area with the person you care for.
On a completely unrelated note, Penny had been forced to return back to 'debrief' with her Uncle. General James Freaking Ironwood after a promise that they not reveal the girl's secret. But if she were being honest with herself, Ruby would admit that she was kind of glad not to have to share Kirakishou's attention with the excitable orange-haired girl. Penny had turned out to be the first person that Kira had displayed any degree of interest in all day.
Not that there was anything wrong with that. Right?
...She wasn't jealous.
Well. Okay. Maybe she was a bit jealous.
Originally she had thought that she'd be fine with pushing Kirakishou to socialise and meet new people, that it was for the best, but much to her chagrin Ruby had quickly discovered that watching Kirakishou chat with others was as painful as chatting to other people herself.
Come to think of it, ever since Pyrrha sent a certain look towards Kira, she'd been feeling weird all day. It was as if the redhead had seen something in her partner. Something that she liked. It was a perfectly normal thing, but something about it made Ruby freak out and want get Kira the hell away from the supposed 'invincible woman'.
See! That! I like Pyrrha! I shouldn't be getting all annoyed with her. She's always nice and friendly and gives lots of good advice when we spar in Glynda's class. Yet… why is it that I can't stand the way you look at Kira?
It was rather odd. She'd never really been like that whenever she had hung out with other friends before. If anything, Ruby typically loved it when a small trip with a friend turned into a big group hangout. This sudden bout of possessiveness had completely came out of nowhere for her and no matter how she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling.
Then Penny comes with her military general uncle and her totaaaaally interesting backstory...
But it didn't matter now. It was just them. Her and Kira- nobody else to get in the way and ruin things. She knew that she was being a little bit possessive in wanting Kira's attention, but they were dating after all. From what she understood of a relationship, it was perfectly normal for her to want the majority of Kirakishou's time for herself.
Plus it helped that the doll was more than happy to comply. If anything she seemed to almost be preening at all the attention Ruby showered her with; which was admittedly all kinds of adorable to witness. She looked like Zwei did whenever she and Yang would spend some the afternoon taking him to the park. Happy as can be.
So she would enjoy the relative freedom with the girl she cared for, in this brief little moment before the rest of her team would message her about how their own missions went. From there, considering her past luck, she'd probably involved in some big fight or something equally as engaging.
"Don't leave. Stay with me in this moment. Please. Just for a little while longer."
The memories of her morning with Kirakishou still sent a flutter of excitement down her spine as she continued to explain mechashift weapons to the girl, watching intently as the blonde's eye never looked away from her. Everything about the doll was so very intense, so very overwhelming, that it was difficult for her to comprehend at times.
It wasn't like she had any experience with romancing magical animated dolls. Or, well, just romance in general really.
Yet, she could try. There was far too much that she shared in common with her partner, after all. For better or for worse.
The doll, Kirakishou, was lonely. A lonely, broken girl that had tried to reach out once before, only to be shunned by her very own sisters and thrown away. For all Ruby knew, there was a distinct possibility that it had even been Kirakishou's own sisters that had put her in that damn shipping crate in the first place. It would certainly make sense considering how traumatised Kirakishou was at even the slightest mention of her other sisters.
In the end, no matter who was behind it, Kirakishou had lost someone dear to her. Either her sisters or 'Jun'. Whilst she didn't know much about this 'Jun' fellow, he must have been a pretty great guy for someone like Kirakishou to fall for him.
...Though he did choose her sisters over Kira. So perhaps he isn't that great. I can't believe that a guy could do that. I know I'd never do something so horrible- no matter what. I hope that Kira knows that.
Yet Kirakishou still hadn't given up after Jun's betrayal. She was still trying, in her own way, to forge a strong connection and finally get a chance at happiness. Even if it was with a little girl from Patch who didn't have a clue how to handle something so complex like a relationship. To finally-
"I can finally be like my other sisters, without their interference. And it's all due to nought but a single glance at a chance moment."
Perhaps that was why she had fallen so hard for the girl. To experience what it was like to have someone who truly understood the pain she went through when she lost her mother. Together they would turn agony into bliss.
And just look at you now. You're thriving, aren't you Kira? We're thriving. All from one chance encounter. Guess you were right after all…
"...Ruby? Beloved, are you alright? You're crying."
She was pulled out of her thoughts by the very doll that had captivated her in the first place. With as much haste as she could, she wiped away the infernal tears that were impeding her vision of the wonderful doll that had captured her heart and restored her family.
"I will be. Just a little emotional, I guess. Going through a few things. I'm just... pretty new to all of this stuff, you know."
Understatement of the century right there. It was, quite literally, the first romantic relationship she'd ever had. None of the boys back in Patch had ever been interested in her before. Nor had any of the girls, not that she'd thought she swung that way at the time. Certainly was a bit of a surprise to say the least.
Part of her wondered how dad would react to the news.
"I'm pretty new to this stuff, too, you know." Kirakishou parroted straight back at her, adding her own little 'too' at the end as a mischievous smile flourished on her face.
Ruby puffed out her cheeks at the teasing tone, even as the doll had the audacity to giggle.
To be fair, she hadn't known for sure about Kirakishou's history. Not really. Not until Kira confirmed it for her. Ruby had of course suspected that Kirakishou was about as oblivious in the relationship field as her considering just how grabby she had been before they had confessed their feelings. Ruby had been much the same when she was younger, before Yang had sat her down and explained boundaries.
She didn't see other couples doing that in public, after all. Not that she'd ever paid that much attention to all of that icky romance stuff until a few years back.
Well she's still a bit grabby… Ruby thought with a blush as the doll rested her head on Ruby's shoulder for support, but perhaps that's not something that I really mind.
"...We should do this again. In another moment. Together." Kirakishou stated suddenly, glancing off in the distance towards the afternoon sun with a wistful expression on her face. "Would you like that, little rose?"
She followed Kirakishou's gaze, momentarily entranced by the sunset. There was something beautiful in the way it shone through the buildings of Vale's shopping district, how it spilled out into the roads and covered everything in its nurturing golden glow. Perhaps she'd spent a little too much time stuck inside studying to ever truly notice it before.
Crap. Lost track again… Damn dastardly sunsets!
Ruby blinked a little, tearing her gaze away from the sunset as she struggled to remember what Kira had said in the first place. "Huh? You want to hang out with Penny again?" she clarified, not particularly pleased about the idea. Though she tried to keep that thought out of her voice.
The doll giggled at her, before shaking her head and clarifying. "We should experience this beautiful city of yours. Together. As a couple. Just the two of us."
Oh. Well at least she didn't mean hanging out with Penny. She honestly wasn't entirely sure exactly how she would feel if Kira wanted to hang out with Penny again, even if the girl was nice enough to help out with her investigation. That would be-
Wait wait WHAT-
"Y-You want to go on a date?!" she almost screamed out in surprise, barely managing to keep her voice at a level enough volume so as to prevent people nearby from overhearing. Though it did nothing to hide the shock in her tone or prevent the frenzied flutter of nervousness from suddenly blossoming within her stomach.
Kirakishou detached herself from the embrace and nodded. "Yes. I do." she answered, squeezing her hand and pulling it forward in some grand gesture towards the rest of the city. "Imagine. To walk through this area. This... Vale… together. A doll and her precious rose. You have always adored the city of Vale, have you not? Would you not enjoy spending some of your time touring the city with a little doll like me?"
W-Well…
It was true… Ruby had always loved seeing Vale every time that she had visited the city through her childhood. Whether it was just her tagging along with dad when he went to fix up his weapon or tutor a class or something, or even when it was a trip of her own to purchase exclusive parts for Crescent Rose found only in Vale.
Vale was a wonderful place to her.
It was almost some picturesque fantasy city from one of those books that Yang used to read to her as a kid. A shining example of what the rest of the world could be like if it weren't for baddies ruining everything. Innovation, invention, discovery, adventure. Freedom and prosperity. Vale had it all.
...Not to mention there was this fruit shop near a park that sold some really yummy strawberries that her dad would buy for her every time they went on a trip. It was practically a tradition at this point.
She would really enjoy taking Kirakishou to that little fruit shop. Perhaps hand feeding a few to her. Couples did things like that, right? Or was that only in movies?
"I-I think I would like that..." Ruby answered shyly, glancing away from Kirakishou momentarily as she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. "...I just don't know how you can always figure out all this stuff about me, Kira. I've spent so much of my life just being the 'girl with a big scythe' ya know? Then out of nowhere you just come by and you… you see right through me. Now you want to go on a date and I just..." she sniffed, shaking her head and trying to focus her thoughts. "There are times where I can't believe what's going on, where I feel like everything is changing and it's so hard to-"
Kirakishou moved closer to her, pulling Ruby into a tight hug. For her part, she just couldn't find the fight in her to resist and instead snuggled into the embrace, resting her head against the doll's shoulder and trying not to openly weep in public from the sudden emotional weight.
It was all just too much to handle at once. She was scared and confused. This wasn't something she had trained for.
"You told me that you would be there for me, Ruby." Kirakishou whispered into her ear. "I would do the same for you. I would always do the same for you. I would follow you down every path, through every avenue… just to be by your side as I am in this very moment. I would change the past and correct the future, if it meant that we would be together. You need not fear change by my side, because we will change together."
She sniffed, glancing at the doll with teary silver eyes. "Together?"
Kirakishou leant forward.
"Together."
"...Together."
Summer Rose shot up awake, breathing heavily as she felt her heart pound rampantly within the confines of her artificial body. She wasn't even sure if it was her own heartbeat, or the resultant effect of the illusion cast over herself.
It didn't matter. It had certainly felt real enough.
"...Go back to sleep, Sum.." Tai snoozed next to her. Whilst they had fallen asleep in a lovers embrace, it would appear that sometime during the night her husband had shifted over and fallen asleep on his side, facing away from her.
It was actually rather odd. From what she remembered, Tai always slept on his back. Perhaps it was for the best, however.
She didn't think she could handle seeing his face.
The sheer grief that lay within his eyes whenever he gazed at her, the palpable concern that she might fade away if he even glanced in another direction was more than she could handle in her fragile state.
Whilst she had put up a brave face for her little girl, she couldn't for Tai. Not her Tai. Not for the man that had seen through her, so very long ago. The man that had been with her though the highest and lowest points of her life. Summer couldn't hide her feelings from him. She had bawled her eyes out and screamed until her throat felt like it was going to burn.
It was almost funny, in a sense. She didn't know who exactly had been the most surprised when she had opened the door to her home for the first time in over ten years- her husband or herself.
To see that stupid coffee table that she'd always bump into, laying innocently in the centre of the living room.
The same stove that still had a bad element on the top left, still carrying the scorch mark when little Yang had first tried to cook for her baby sister all those years ago.
That stupid oversized plush kitten that Tai accidentally won when they were still students.
Multiple PICTURES OF HER DAMN DAUGHTERS ALL GROWN UP.
Grown up without her.
The mere sight of everything was overwhelming. No. Beyond overwhelming. It was as if her very heart was screaming at her in a despondent, anguished rage. She didn't know if it was because of her resurrection, or the knowledge that so much time had passed but her grief was all the same. There was no stopping it.
If it weren't for Tai, she wouldn't have been able to take one foot inside her own house without bawling like a child. Yet he was there for her- as he always had been. Not once had he even questioned her sudden arrival. Not once had he asked her what the hell happened. No. Not her Tai.
He had simply walked forward, pulled her close, and kissed her soundly. Beautiful buffoon that he was. He'd known exactly what to do, even after all these years. She had vowed to pull him close and never let go, all those years ago.
And now you're the one pulling me back… Oh, Tai…
There were no words to be shared between them in that first initial encounter. And she hadn't complained in the slightest. For there were no words that could be said between them that wouldn't do anything but detract from the wonder of the moment.
It was only after they had been forced to pull back, if only to breathe, that the questions had started. She had known it was coming, but oum if Summer wished that she would only have more time to understand things for herself.
What happened?
How are you here?
Where were you?
Are you alright?
What's wrong?
Though each question, through each of her responses, Summer Rose found herself realising an inescapable truth. It was a horrid truth. She hadn't wanted to admit it. Whether it be out loud or to herself.
But there was no denying it. It was too obvious.
Her memories were missing.
Not all of them, thankfully enough. Oh no. She could never forget her life. Not all of it. But a sizeable portion of her memories seemingly weren't present at all. Small bits of her childhood. Random events through Beacon Academy. Much of her time with Yang before Ruby's birth. Several missions, up to and including the final mission that had apparently ended in her death.
They were all gone. Cut out and discarded in an almost surgical precision.
Once Tai had realised what was happening, they had sat down and systematically gone through everything that she could remember. He had consoled her each and every time that she felt like the journey was getting too much. She, of course, hadn't mentioned her… transformation into some magical doll.
With the illusion from Ruby's little doll friend covering her body, it was as if she was simply the same Summer Rose as always. She didn't know when she'd ever be ready to even begin to explain such a thing to Tai. It was like something out of a stupid fairy-tale. It was perhaps the first piece of information she had withheld from her husband since their marriage.
Fifteen minutes and she was done. Fifteen minutes. That was all that it had taken to recount all of the major events of her life barring that single exception. By the look on Tai's face, she had missed out on a lot of things.
She just couldn't take it. Not in front of Tai.
It scared her, she would admit it. To suddenly find herself over a decade into the future following a mission that she couldn't even remember? It was frightening to attempt to understand the sheer amount of time she had lost. Her baby, her precious little jewel, had grown up and was following right down her footsteps.
How much of Ruby's life had she truly missed? All because of some mission she couldn't remember.
The last thing she remembered of little Ruby was her running around in the backyard with her diaper on her head, for oum's sake! Now her little Ruby was a student in Beacon Academy of all places, fighting against extremists and grimm alike with a scythe that was bigger than her!
My little sun and stars… Why oh why did you decide to become a huntress? What in the world could have made you want to pursue such a blood-soaked fate?
Yet she knew why. She knew the moment that she stepped inside the house again. She could tell from the pictures of Ruby all around the house, from her birthday photos to her graduation photo. One thing was made readily apparent.
Ruby was her mother's daughter, through and through. To think that her daughter had gone and trained to become a huntress in order to follow in her footsteps was not what she had expected happening.
She had rounded on Tai with a vengeance.
Summer would take pride in the fact that Tai still feared her pinches, even to this very day. Because it was made mighty clear that the man deserved a great many of them after letting their daughter become the one thing that she was staunchly against.
Yet knowing Tai he probably didn't stand a damn chance against a Rose girl with her mind set on something. She shook her head dejectedly as she gazed at her snoring idiot of a husband. Summer had been much the same when she was younger. Were it not for Tai's help, she would have found herself in a lot of trouble throughout her time at Beacon and beyond.
You stupid little fool… Even after what happened, seeing Ruby trying to become a huntress must have hurt you beyond measure. I know it would. Seeing her running around with some silly hood and pretending to be her departed mother… But you put all that aside and trained her as best you can, just to make her happy.
You really are a wonderful man, Taiyang Xiao Long.
My beloved husband.
I know you must have tried to fight against her decision. I know you must have done everything to try and dissuade her. You knew what my opinion of hunters and huntresses was. You knew I would have never let her into that world. Yet my little jewel clearly won out in the end… You were exactly the same with Yang, after all. She had you wrapped around her finger. Guess Ruby learnt a thing or two.
She made her way outside.
Taiyang Xiao-Long was many things. Many things indeed. But he was not, as they would say, a light sleeper. The man slept like a bear trying to hibernate for the winter and snored constantly. But they were cute little snores. Many a night in her life, that she could remember, those stupid girly snores had helped her fall asleep and quell any anxiety she had been feeling at the time.
Of course, she would tease him the next day about his little nappy time, but he'd know the true reason behind her words. He always did.
She shook her head, unable to keep the wistful smile off her face as she stared up at the glimmering stars and fragmented moon.
How long has it been since I stood here, gazing up at the sky? How many years have passed? It feels almost like just yesterday night I was right here, saying my goodbyes before rushing off to that final mission.
Her very existence was an impossibility. She should not be here. It defies nature. Defies reason and everything that she had been taught across the years. Dead is dead. There is no going back.
But here I am. An artificial, animated doll. Brought back to make her own little girl smile again.
Ruby certainly makes some interesting friends, doesn't she?
A childish dream had brought her back to life. A beautiful, wonderful dream. Summer Rose intended to make her life count in honour of this dream. She had been given a second chance in the world, a chance to do something right. And, by oum, she was going to use it.
The key lay within her lost memories, she was sure of it.
Something had been lost to time. An important fact had been discarded and thrown away, leaving her incomplete. Without the rest of her memories, she doubted she'd ever feel right. Until then she was nothing but junk. A hollow, empty shell with only the barest thread allowing her to continue clinging to life.
But, no matter, she was junk with a purpose.
If she could make her daughter smile, if she could remove the grief from her husband's heart, then perhaps her life truly meant something after all.
"So it's true."
She turned to see a woman in an all-too-familiar bone-white mask clad atop a reddened kimono, perched atop the dilapidated remains of a treehouse that had clearly seen better days. She knew this woman all too well. Sure, there were a few cuts and scrapes and some obvious patches here and there, but Summer could easily recognise the outfit and its owner.
"Rae?" a strange look crossed her face as she gazed at the woman she hadn't seen ever since she had reconnected with Taiyang all those years ago. "...What are you doing here?"
The mask was swiftly removed and attached to a small fastener on Raven's belt, allowing the full force of the woman's glare to be seen during the moonlit night.
Raven Branwen had been one of her teammates in Beacon Academy- she had paired with her brother Qrow Branwen and chanced upon Summer and Tai within the Emerald Forest during their orientation. They had bickered at first and had more than a few bouts over the years from what she could remember, but eventually they had settled their differences and became the closest of friends.
Until, one day, Raven Branwen walked out and never came back.
From what her broken memories could ascertain, her teammate had betrayed her to join a group of bandits or something. Or she had been with the bandits the entire time. She wasn't sure.
It was still one heck of a surprise to see the woman hanging out in her backyard of all places.
"What am I doing here?" Raven repeated incredulously as her posture faltered, before shaking her head and laughing in a manner that, to her, sounded a little hollow. "No, no… I shouldn't be surprised. Of course that's what you'd say. I shouldn't be surprised. Nothing ever phased the 'White Reaper' after all."
She blushed at the horrid nickname and put her hands on her hips, exasperation rolling off her in waves.
One teacher had seen fit to call her that name and, loathe as she was to admit it, her childhood self had absolutely loved it and used it as her moniker for… far too long. Oum. It was horrible.
"...Please don't call me that. You of all people know how much I hate that damn title."
Raven jumped down from the treehouse, landing in front of her in a well-timed jump that clearly demonstrated that her former teammate certainly hadn't been lounging about all these years. It was still readily apparent that Raven Branwen was as sharp as ever.
In a moment's notice the woman was holding her tight and hugging the life out of her. Shakily, and with a rather sizeable amount of hesitance, she wrapped her arms around Raven.
"I'm glad you're here." Raven whispered softly, before separating from the hug and retreating a small distance before Summer could wriggle free.
She tried not to balk at the exchange. Raven knew that she was uncomfortable with physical contact, yet had done it anyway.
Has she really missed me that much? Why?
The sheer idea that the woman had gone and initiated a hug of her own accord spoke volumes at just how relieved Raven was to see her again.
"I'm glad to be here. Though it's all still a bit of a shock. To be honest when I came back here I was half expecting to either find the place abandoned or sold off to someone else."
Raven chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh no. Not in a million years would Tai ever think of doing something like that. The knucklehead will probably be here until the end, come hell or high water. He'd find a way."
As Raven stared off towards the house with something shining within her eyes, Summer was distinctly reminded that this particular woman had once been intimate with her husband.
It had been a few year before their time, but it had happened and Tai had never been the same after Raven disappeared and left Tai as a single dad. She had done her best to support the man in his grief and eventually found herself in a blossoming relationship with him.
Were it not for Raven, she would never have discovered what a wonderful man Taiyang Xiao-long truly is. Yet, there was no denying that Raven Branwen would always remain his first flame. The sudden appearance of said woman in their backyard of all places was enough to put her on edge, even if she was glad to see her after so long.
"Look, I'm sorry okay. You know I didn't mean it like that." Raven interjected, clearly having noticed the look on her face. "Hope you didn't scare the blonde idiot too much, though. Bet you gave him to fright of his life when you walked in the door."
She flushed embarrassingly at the accusation. Raven wasn't exactly wrong on that front. Poor Tai must have been so utterly confused. Were it not for Ozpin sending a message ahead, it would have been far worse.
"It wasn't that bad." Summer tried to defend her husband. Although frankly she knew it was a moot point to even attempt to challenge a Branwen's views on practically anything. But she would do her best to defend her husband's honour-
"...Really?"
"Okay. Fine. It was pretty bad."
Raven let out a hearty laugh even as she slumped, defeated.
"I heard you made waves in downtown Vale. Something about fighting against some White Fang that were trying to steal a Schnee company dust shipment? How in the world did that happen?"
Huh? Those guys were The White Fang? The faunus protesters? Weren't they a small band of peaceful- Oh. Right. It's been a while, hasn't it? Guess their protests didn't yield the results they were looking for after all.
Many a time had she been called in to handle protests that had gotten out of hand, if only to use her reputation to cool down any fiery tempers. Usually it had been a simple enough affair and after a while she'd gotten rather friendly with a great deal of wounded souls simply trying to fight for what they believed in.
It broke her heart to see such a noble-minded group of people have their dreams twisted to the point they were acting like common thieves.
"You okay?" Raven asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder for support.
The world had been swirling for a bit, there.
"I'm good." she answered automatically, shifting away slightly from the contact. Whilst she had obviously gotten better with handling contact, for the most part she still felt distinctly uncomfortable having people so close to her person, especially now that she was an artificial being hidden behind some kind of illusion.
She wasn't precisely sure how thorough the illusion was that Ruby's doll friend had placed on her, and Summer most certainly did not want to test the effectiveness against a woman like Raven Freaking Branwen.
It was, admittedly, more than a little surprising to see Raven initiating contact so much. Once was completely understandable given the situation, twice was just plain weird.
Regardless, now Raven was looking all downtrodden after Summer had backed away and she figured that she owed the woman at least a simple response to her question.
"...Sorry. It's just-"
"It's fine." Raven cut her off before she could fully apologise. "I get it. Sorry. Just, please. Continue. What happened in Vale?"
"...I found out that my little girl, Ruby, was down at the docks fighting against armed mercenaries. I most certainly didn't know they were the White Fang of all people. They certainly didn't fight like protesters normally do. They were organised and heavily armed. Fully outfitted with activated aura and dust weaponry. Oum, they'd even stolen bullheads."
Raven whistled in appreciation. "Good vehicles. Strong, reliable. Not that fast though, but I doubt that was their intention. They were probably using the vehicles for mass transport of stolen goods. Decent enough plan provided they don't draw any unwanted attention."
"Can you please stop treating things like it's some Detective Kun-kun episode!" Summer cried out in exasperation.
Raven quirked a brow at her, clearly confused. Summer wasn't buying that look for a second.
The woman was always like this. Always analysing the opponent, as she called it. Plans within plans. Dissecting every move. Whilst Summer was known throughout the criminal underworld for her tendencies in hunting down said criminals, it was primarily through the use of her semblance that made such a thing possible.
With Summer, however, the woman didn't need a semblance to find the people she was looking for.
"Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted..." she continued when she was certain that a certain someone would stay quiet, "I… well. I met with Ruby. She, thankfully, hadn't actually jumped in to fight against the thieves yet. Though she was just about to. Apparently some of her classmates had busted the White Fang in the act and Ruby had overheard the gunshots nearby."
"Makes sense that your daughter would be just as headstrong as you are. From what I hear, she's practically a carbon copy."
Summer rolled her eyes. Her daughter did always possess an eerie resemblance to her, even at a young age Tai would always point out how similar Ruby looked to the old pictures of her childhood that Summer's parents had embarrassingly shown at the wedding reception.
"Well… Yes. Anyway, after we took down the bad guys the VPD arrived and we were forced to take statements. I had a talk with my daughter about a few things and before I knew it, I was back in Beacon and in Ozpin's custody."
The sudden intake of breath from Raven prompting that explanation hadn't been what she had originally been expecting.
"...Shit. That mustn't have gone down well." the woman deadpanned, crossing her arms. "What happened after that?"
Summer shrugged, nonplussed at the caustic tone. She could understand her former teammate's concern, after all Raven had always been distrusting of authority figures even back during their time in Beacon Academy as students- Professor Ozpin specifically. From what vague portions of her memory with the woman that she could recall, that hadn't changed much over the years.
"I gave a statement of what happened and, eventually, I was released."
"Bullshit!"
Unconsciously, she found herself stepping backwards when the dark-haired woman screamed at her. There was a particularly wild look in Raven's eyes that she found to be quite uncomfortably aimed in her general direction.
Still, it was quite annoying to have a woman that she hasn't seen in well over a decade suddenly swoop in and start questioning her in her own household!
"That's what happened." she continued, hesitantly. She knew that the subject of authority figures was something of a touchy subject for the woman. "He actually seemed rather surprised. But I guess it's not everyday that a woman presumed to be dead suddenly helps her daughter stop a White Fang thievery, huh?"
Raven paced around her, eyeing her critically.
"...And what did you tell him?"
She sighed heavily. All of smoke and daggers nonsense couldn't be good for her old friend's blood-sugar levels. What did Raven think she'd said?
"What was there to tell? I stopped the crime and talked with my daughter, Raven." she answered, putting her hands on her hips. "What's all of this matter to you, anyways? You left a long time ago. Can't you just be happy to see me? Can't this just be a simple catch up between old friends? It's been so long, Rae. Can you please just dispense with all of this sleuthing for the moment and come in for a cup of tea?"
Raven sighed heavily, though there was a trace of a smile on her face. "You know I hate tea."
"Whatever." Summer waved a hand. Truth be told, she hadn't known that about the woman. Either she'd simply forgotten it over time, or it was just one of the supposed many memories that were seemingly missing from her mind.
"Can you just tell me one thing, before we go in?"
She blinked at the sudden request, but smiled nonetheless. "Of course."
If it would get them out of this damn cold she wouldn't mind in the slightest. She had already spent far too long out here to be healthy; animated doll body or not.
Plus she might be feeling a bit peckish. Okay, a lot peckish. Hopefully Tai still stocked those cookies that she always liked, or else she was going to be having serious words with her beloved husband.
"What did you tell him about what happened with Salem? You know the moment that she learns that you're alive she's going to be coming for you."
"...Who?" she cocked her head in confusion and attempted to refocus back on the conversation, wondering who in the world that Raven was talking about. The name certainly didn't sound familiar. If anything, it sounded more like the name of a road or something-
A flash of steel was all she saw, before her head was separated from her shoulders.
A/N:
Another one!
Writing emotional scenes is quite entertaining, but it can be quite difficult to find the appropriate words sometimes.
Be sure to let me know what you all think of the recent developments!~