"What."
Yang Xiao Long found her thoughts grinding to a sudden halt.
"... It's true." Weiss crossed her arms defensively.
"So you're saying that not only was that apparently the real Summer Rose that Kirakishou brought back – using Ruby's memories no less – but also Ruby has known about it from the start and been working together with Kirakishou to hide it from us?"
Off to the side, Blake gave a wry smile. "That... about sums it up, yes."
Yang wasn't even close to finished. She wished that was all that was going on.
"And you believe that Kirakishou did this, all of this, the fighting and bringing Summer back and everything... was because she's madly in love with my baby sister?"
Weiss faltered slightly at her no doubt rapidly paling face and frantic tone.
"...That was our assumption." The heiress stated, looking remarkably off centre. "Blake was first to spot it, then Kirakishou confirmed her thoughts. When Ruby found out about Kirakishou's involvement in her mother's resurrection as a doll, she supposedly established... Um... Intimacy."
Blake snorted in derision, drawing a sharp look from the Schnee. "I pity your future suitors if you believe a single kiss is so very intimate."
Weiss blushed horribly in embarrassment. "Oh shush you! Perhaps for a depraved mind, yes. But this is Ruby we're talking about. It was likely her first kiss."
"Oh, it was." Yang muttered. There must have been something in her tone of voice because the playful atmosphere between her two teammates dissipated almost instantaneously.
"We know this... wasn't exactly what you were expecting, Yang, but we shouldn't be concerning ourselves with Ruby's private life. I'm personally more concerned with her supposed ability to resurrect the dead, albeit as-"
"... No, no... You don't understand..." Yang found herself muttering as memories came fluttering back to the forefront of her mind. "Ruby has always been a bit... weird. Especially around boys she likes. She never really got people and could never hold down a relationship whatsoever."
Blake blinked in confusion. "...So she's inexperienced? I fail to see why that would be cause for concern. She's pretty introverted, yes, but if Kirakishou is to be believed then Ruby seems rather commuted to giving their relationship a try."
Had things been as simple as Blake had suggested, then Yang wouldn't have cared in the least about what poor soul managed to catch Ruby's eyes. The two could be a bunch of weapon geeks and wallflowers together if that's what she wanted.
But this was Ruby Rose.
"Rubes has a bit of trouble handling people, as I'm sure you've both discovered so far." Yang went on to explain, frowning severely as she tried to imagine how exactly she was going to handle this development without everything blowing up in her face. "...After mom died, she had a lot of trouble bonding with people. Yes, she made friends after a while, but she always kept them at an arms reach. Ya'know, no parties, no sleepovers, not even any little meetups outside of school time. Once she got home she'd just tinker with her weapon and hang out in her room for the most part."
"No parties? Oh, I shudder to imagine how Ruby could have ever dealt with such a travesty." Blake deadpanned. "...You do know what your sister is like, right? I'm not surprised she wasn't that open with people. She seems more the type to be focused on her profession than her social life, regardless of how excitable she can be at times."
"...A death in the family can have disastrous consequences." Weiss muttered from the side, her eyes clouded as she glanced down. Blake shot her a look and winced.
"Sorry."
"It's okay." the heiress responded in a small voice, before shaking her head and turning to focus on Yang. "...You say that something changed in Ruby after her mother died. Are you worried about what effect Summer's, um, temporary resurrection had on Ruby?"
Oh. Shit. Shit shit shit.
I did NOT think of that.
...If I ignore all the bullshit and Kirakishou is ACTUALLY capable of resurrecting the dead and had told Rubes from the start, then the news of Summer being killed… told by dad again of all people… oh my oum. That would break her.
Even if Kirakishou is lying and made a copy or a duplication or an impostor, whatever, clearly Ruby believed it to be real. And likely still does.
No wonder why she went straight back to Kirakishou. She'd be completely in tatters. I can't believe I didn't realise…
Oh Ruby… please, little jewel, stay strong…
"...-to Yang? You alright?" Blake called out, looking concerned. She took a moment to clear her head and refocus on the conversation.
She waved off the question. "...It's fine. Just a thought. I'll deal." she shook her head. "But no. Not that. Just, look, Ruby has always been a bit of a fragile girl. She puts up a brave face, but Summer's death hit her really hard. She never really stopped grieving for her mom."
"...Okay… Then, what has you so concerned, Yang? You look paler than our resident snooty heiress."
"-Hey!"
Yang shook her head, ignoring the indignant cry from said snooty heiress. It wasn't time for jokes, even if it had been a good one. They needed to focus.
"...Ruby is not at all ready for a serious relationship with someone. There's no telling how she'll act. If it's anything like her first friendship, then we're going to need a close eye on them. A really close eye."
"What happened with her first friendship?" Weiss asked.
Yang gave a bitter laugh. "...Back when I was ten and Rubes was eight, she started talking about this boy. Real scrawny boy. Apparently he had hair as blonde as mine. Ruby was all over him. It was all she'd ever talk about. Oum, I was so happy she found a friend." Yang ran her hands through her hair, a weary sigh escaping her. "Few weeks past and we get a call from the school. Apparently a bully had picked on the boy she liked, so Rubes got all upset and hunted the boy down. Supposedly she pushed him right off this big slide in the middle of an argument, right onto concrete. Kid broke his collarbone. Ruby was so proud of herself. Thought she was a hero."
"...And what happened to the boy she liked?" Blake had the courage to ask.
The blonde brawler frowned. "He grew so scared of Ruby he never talked to her again. Messed up little Ruby pretty bad. Took us years to get Ruby to open up to another person again and even then it was never the same. She never really had any major friends after that. Not until Signal Academy."
Weiss looked horrified. "...Oh oum. I would never have thought..."
"Yuuup. Not something I really ever wanted to talk about to anyone. No offence. But yeah. She's a good kid, but she's had a lot of bad experiences over the years. Last thing she needs is some crazy girl messing with her heart, even if she's doing it out of some bullshit girlish crush. There's no telling what could happen."
"Then, what are we going to do?" Blake asked.
"...I wish I knew." Yang grimaced, "Dad thinks the easy she's like has all got to do with mom's death. Changed her in some way. But this is worse. She's not talking to me anymore- I know that at least. Ruby thinks that she's hiding it, but it's obvious that she puts more trust in Kirakishou than me nowadays. How in the fuck that blonde-haired little shit managed that is anyone's guess. Crazy attracts crazy, or something."
The heiress made a face at her words, but thankfully didn't call her out on it. Last thing she could handle right now was some agitated reproach for a bit of colourful language.
She just wondered how Ruby was handling all of this…
Kirakishou giggled happily as she clung onto Ruby's arm like a lifeline, ignoring the sight of a goggling nearby student with apparent ease. "...This was a wonderful idea."
"I try~" Ruby mewled in appreciation, enjoying the delicious sensation of the blonde-haired doll holding her close. "Not like I'm going to let some stupid house arrest stop us."
She felt Kirakishou's hold on her arm tighten ever so slightly.
"Good." the blonde whispered, before sighing whimsically as they continued their trip through the school hallways. "I had almost forgotten what it was like, to travel without the N-Field."
Curiosity sparked within her heart. "...What's it like?"
"The N-Field?" Kirakishou asked. Following Ruby's nod, she continued. "Freeing, yet confining in a sense. Imagine finding yourself contained within a room filled with mirrors. The room stretches on as far as the eye can see. Each mirror contains a single moment, a single reflection in time and space. You could walk and walk until the end of time and you will still never see them all."
Ruby blinked at the odd description, taking a moment to imagine such a scenario. "...Sounds overwhelming."
"Indeed it was, little rose. Especially when I was younger. I could view everyone, but I did not understand them. They could neither see nor hear my cries. All that a pale rose could do was witness other dolls, moving and playing about in a different space. A different world- one she came to believe was forever locked to her."
Belatedly, she remembered how Kirakishou had mentioned being confined to such a place during their previous talks. How maddening would it be, to be able to look out and see the world yet never interact with it? Why, Ruby would have done anything to escape such a fate.
"Well, then I am glad you are free from it, then." Ruby grinned happily, a little tingle of possessiveness swirling within her gut at the knowledge that the doll had chosen to spend her time with Ruby and with nobody else. "It's been so much more fun having you around, even if nobody really understands us. You've done so much for me. I couldn't imagine how different things could be without you."
Kirakishou had smiled at her words, but the reaction that she got for her efforts was far more subdued that what Ruby had been hoping for.
"Oh, my little maiden of the red rose." the blonde murmured, "I did not free myself from the N-Field. Such a thing is impossible for Rozen's seventh daughter. A dream without form is no dream at all."
"Then what happened?"
"I made it my own." Kirakishou admitted. "My prison became my palace. A palace of new beginnings, one fit for a pure rose to inhabit. Chaos became order, stagnation became inflation. Growth. Change. Eventually, I found myself strong enough to reach out and begin to interact with the outside world."
Ruby smiled, ignoring the tingle of embarrassment that sparked through her body when they walked past Nora and Ren whom had most certainly taken notice of the blonde girl holding on to her arm. The orange-haired valkyrie had sent her a particularly wolfish grin accompanied by a wink that served to darken poor Ruby's cheeks considerably.
The news about Kirakishou's brutal spar against Mercury and Emerald, along with her subsequent house-arrest, had spread through the school in record time. She hadn't even known who had leaked the information about the house-arrest, but whoever it was had done a damn fine job of tarnishing Kirakishou's reputation. By the end of the day most students were giving her a wide berth, or so she had heard.
Not like such things mattered to her. People like that were just vultures, really. Or dolls as Kirakishou liked to put it. Always circling for new gossip and speaking mean words in the background like they were morally correct for thinking that way, yet too cowardly to speak what they meant aloud.
She kind of admired her team for being different than that. Yang and Weiss were the type to up and tell someone to their face what they thought about them. Blake meanwhile possessed a glare so fierce that it rivalled Professor Goodwitch at times.
In the end, though, even her teammates were still uncomfortable around Kirakishou. Regardless of how the blonde Rozen Maiden had gone out of her way to reveal a lot of her machinations and declare her feelings for Ruby outright- even though she shouldn't have had to do so in the first place. All of the 'subtle' poking and prodding by Weiss and Blake had practically stopped overnight following Kirakishou's admission, but the tension was still there.
She was counting down the days until Yang found out about her friendship-turned-romance with Kirakishou. At that point, her big sister would be out for blood. Though if what she'd heard about Kirakishou's fight from the rumours was true, then Ruby didn't need to worry that much. Apparently the seventh Rozen Maiden wasn't lacking in skill. Not at all.
Not that such thoughts did anything to dissuade the agitation festering inside her mind at the idea that her partner may be targeted, just for being the way she is.
Laplace-no-ma, Emerald, Mercury and now her own sister. Would the list ever stop growing? Why couldn't people just leave them be?
"Ruby!"
Torn away from her musings, she paused in her walk and glanced around towards the sound of the voice. A tiny little part of her relished the fact that she hadn't grown all flustered at being caught with Kirakishou in her arms.
A much larger part was simply happy that the doll hadn't detached from her.
"...Weiss." Ruby stated, offering her partner an empty smile. "It's good to see you. Sorry I had to run off after class. There's just some things that need to be done before I can get back to things."
The Schnee heiress frowned at her, glancing in between Ruby and her Rozen Maiden companion with those piercing ice-blue eyes as if torn between who exactly to focus upon. Eventually the heiress' gaze settled upon Ruby herself.
"I see that. And what business is it that would require you to escort a woman currently under house-arrest through the halls of Beacon Academy?"
"Beloved." Kirakishou interrupted before Ruby could speak, her arms tensing around Ruby's slender limb. "We must not allow ourselves to become distracted by the other roses, whether they be a Maiden of the White Rose or the Variant Crocus." There was that ever-present smile still remaining on her beloved's face, but it most certainly did not reach her single amber eye.
...Variant Crocus? Ruby wondered. By this point, Ruby had thought she had gotten rather good at translating Kirakishou's flower phrases, but apparently she still had a bit of learning to do before she could understand it all. That one was weird.
The heiress rounded on her companion with a furious gaze. "Ruby is my teammate. I have a right to know what's going on."
"Why?"
For a fleeting instant, Ruby revelled in the look of consternation that flourished across the face of the white-haired little huntress-in-training. Only just a little bit. Weiss didn't strike her as the type that was used to having her authority questioned. Having Kirakishou temporarily shut her down with just a single word was a memory she was going to be treasuring for a very long time.
Apparently her cute doll didn't like to have their private time interrupted. It was so cute!~
Weiss narrowed her eyes after she recovered, putting her hands on her hips in a confrontational manner. "What do you mean, why? For your information Ruby and I are partners within Beacon Academy. Moreso, she is my team leader. If I suspect that something's wrong, I'm well within my rights to investigate."
Kirakishou moved to respond, but a brief gesture from Ruby was enough to silence her. As much as she was amused by her doll, she didn't want to cause yet another incident with one of her team members.
"...It's alright, Kira. Weiss is right." Ruby answered softly, shaking her head. She would have to be blind to not notice the worried look that the Schnee heiress was sending her. "...Look, I get that you're concerned and you have a right to be. But despite what you think Kira's done, she hasn't done it to hurt me or anything. She doesn't deserve to be locked up in her room and forgotten. It isn't right."
The heiress went to retort, yet paused and levelled a searching look her way. Eventually, her stiff posture slackened and Weiss sighed.
"I know."
"...You do?"
"Of course I do!" Weiss huffed, indignant. "You've made it clear to us that, despite numerous reasons to be cautious… you clearly trust this girl. That's not why I'm here. I'm not trying to dissuade you otherwise. I trust your judgement and agree that their treatment of Kirakishou was... untoward."
In an instant Ruby had bolted forward, rushing towards the surprised heiress and pulling her into a big hug. Thankfully for her, Kirakishou had managed to disentangle herself from Ruby's grasp before she crashed into the heiress.
She was crying big fat tears into the Schnee's shoulders before she even realised it. How long had it been since somebody outside Kirakishou had understood? Why, Ruby had almost forgotten the feeling.
"Oh, thank oum! I was so worried. I… I didn't know what to do. I thought everything was falling apart, that we… that we'd...-"
Weiss Schnee had been her first major friend in Beacon Academy. Despite their rocky start and more than stressful dynamic as a team, they had grown to be close partners that Ruby could only hope lasted longer than a mere four years as students.
To know that her first friend supported her decision and had her back was a massive weight off her shoulders. Sure, the girl was no Rozen Maiden or anything, but it was still nice to know that not everybody had abandoned her.
The heiress had stiffened in her sudden embrace, but eventually Ruby found two dainty little arms wrapping around her for a far weaker hug that what she was typically used to. Especially compared to Yang's crazy bear hugs or Kirakishou's doll strength.
But it was still nice.
"None of that." Weiss spoke after a moment's pause, a fond tone apparent in her voice. "We're a team, Team RWBY. We'll always be here for oneanother, even if things get difficult at times. That's what it means to be an effective team. I'm just worried for you."
"For me?" Ruby parroted, cocking her head in confusion. If Weiss trusted her, then why was she worried about her? That didn't make any sense. "...What do you mean?"
"All I'm saying is that parading about a girl supposed to be under house-arrest isn't how you go around solving the problem."
"I know. And I don't plan on it having much of an effect." Ruby shrugged, moving back away from Weiss to grab Kirakishou's hand in a loving embrace. "We're not out for that."
Weiss blinked in surprise, looking a bit perplexed. It was a silly expression on the Schnee's face, but Ruby couldn't deny that she loved to have been the one to cause it.
"If that's not your reason for all this, then what?" the heiress asked, before narrowing her eyes. "Please don't tell me that you just decided to go on a stroll with a girl supposed to be confined to her room simply because you wanted to get out of the place with her."
Ruby glares fiercely at both the heiress for asking such a stupid question and at the Rozen Maiden for giggling along with her.
"It's not funny, Kira!" Ruby puffs out her cheeks in anger, but it only serves to increase the artificial girl's giggling. She turned to Weiss who looked rather put out at the reaction from the blonde doll.
"... Am I missing some kind of inside joke or something?"
"No no. Well, not really." Ruby said. Admittedly the idea to steal Kira out of her dorm room had been a really exciting part of her early morning, but it hadn't been the point. At least not the main point.
"... Then? Why are you doing this, Ruby?"
She grinned excitedly. It had been one of her more devious plans and she was excited to share it with someone.
"I want to make sure that Kirakishou can attend the dance!"
Silence followed her proclamation, ignoring if course the small tittering sounds of amusement that still escaped the doll's cold lips.
"... Excuse me?"
Ah. Right. Perhaps that was a little bit of an odd thing to say without phasing. Considering how uppity the heiress had been regarding the Vytal Festival she'd hoped that Weiss would understand from the get go.
But apparently not. Talking to people was harder a lot than she thought. Atleast to normal humans. It was much easier to explain things to a Rozen Maiden in their own secret language whilst they were alone in their room.
Ahh~ Our room... Not entirely inaccurate considering how many nights I've been spending in there. I wonder what it would be like to have an actual room with Kira, without guards. Hm. Or maybe a place?
Maybe I should invite her over to the house in Patch? Probably without mom though... I doubt that Dad would take it lightly if she came back again, after everything that's happened.
Stupid dad. I'll ask Kira about it later. In our room~
"Little Rose, you're daydreaming again..." Kirakishou's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Weiss had a hand to her forehead, muttering choice words under her breath.
She flushed in embarrassment. "...Sorry. Well, um... You know that there's this big dance coming up, right?"
The heiress fixed her with a withering glare. "I may be aware." She answered sarcastically.
Ruby faltered a little. If Weiss was so aware of things when why didn't she get it?!
"Right, well~ I wanted to go on a date with Kira, but because of everything that's happening we can't... so..."
"So, naturally, you decided to try and get a woman under immense suspicion to somehow attend a dance filled with trainee hunters and huntresses from across the globe who have all probably heard a bunch of nasty rumours about her?"
Ruby blushed. When she put it like that it sounded like a bad plan.
"Well, yeah. Kinda. But I don't think I could ever think of going with anyone else, you know? I just want to dance with her and be my own person, with someone I like."
"...oh darling..." Kirakishou murmured, staunchly reminding Ruby that she was holding onto the doll's hand by suddenly pulling Ruby into a tight hug. She melted in the embrace. It was sooo much better that the hug from Weiss.
For a number of reasons.
"Uck." The heiress made an exaggerated gagging sound. Ruby just giggled happily and snuggled into the doll, enjoying the hug whilst she could. It was rather refreshing to be able to express herself fully, without worrying about what others thought about her. The only person who she actually cared about was the one happily receiving Ruby cuddles, after all.
Well, Mom as well. But there wasn't that much they could do about that right now in thanks to the actions of Laplace-no-ma. Hopefully Kirakishou could get that problem sorted soon enough. She was dying to introduce Kirakishou to Summer without the threat of an impending White Fang crime spree looming overhead.
Though she might wait a while before introducing her lover to dad. He would be, well, less than enthused to put it lightly.
"I just want this." Ruby said over the doll's shoulder, loud enough for the Schnee heiress to hear her. "Is that so bad?"
"... No. Of course not." She heard Weiss speak amidst the bliss of Kira's cuddling. Honestly with the amount of hair that the doll had, it was like wrapping herself in a big peach-blonde blanket sometimes. Not that there was anything wrong with that. "Just... What's your plan to make it happen?"
"Hm? Oh. That was Kira's idea. We're going to talk to the Headmaster!" Ruby chirped excitedly, detaching from Kira's embrace to spin around and face her white-haired teammate. "We have a booking and everything! Well I do at least. Kira is going to be a bit of a surprise."
The heiress raised a brow. But ultimately nodded along with her reasoning. That was a good sign, right? She knew that it had been a good idea to book an appointment first instead of barging in one day. It was a mature action. So, something that others would be more inclined to take into consideration instead of brushing her off as some needy kid.
"... And what could you possibly have to say to the Headmaster that would convince him to accept Kirakishou to the dance?"
Ruby traded a glance with the peach blonde Rozen Maiden, wondering if it was okay for her to talk about these things with Weiss.
The doll offered a supporting smile in the face of her worry and Ruby felt a significant desire to kiss the girl that would stand by her side.
"W-Well, we were going to offer to give Ozpin more information about Kirakishou and... and mom."
Her reveal shocked the heiress into a brief silence. Once again. Perhaps she was being a little too hard on her team, but she was sick of all the reveals somehow always surprising them.
They should be happy she even bothered to tell them something about it in the first place. Not like she had to explain every little detail about her time with Kirakishou.
"I-I see..." Weiss shakily answered after a moment, surprise lacing her words as Ruby had predicted. "Considering the Headmaster was supposedly the one to issue Kirakishou's house-arrest it's a suitable offer. Though remarkably cunning. I didn't expect such a thing from you."
Ruby pouted.
"What did you expect, then?"
"Some heartfelt speech and those big watery eyes you do whenever Yang does something you don't like." The heiress drawled immediately.
Ruby pouted even more.
"That does sound like my little red rose, doesn't it?" Kirakishou added with a demure smile. Oum, she loved it when the doll smiled her way, to where she would allow the teasing for now.
Along with their talk during the outing to downtown Vale, this would be the second major time Weiss had spoken to Kirakishou in relative comfort.
She didn't include the first time Weiss had met Kirakishou, of course. Barging over to the blonde doll like she owned the place. Still, Ruby didn't mind that the first time talking to Kira had been a bit of an odd experience. They had met and that was all that mattered.
"You know..." Weiss cut into her thoughts with a rather odd look plastered on her Atlesian-born face. "It would be for the best if I were to attend this meeting as well."
Indignation surged through for body in a heartbeat as the previous relation she had felt chatting to Weiss drained away in a heartbeat.
Clearly Weiss had noticed, because she was quick to raise her hands up in a feigned surrender. "Now now, before you leap to assumptions, there's a good reason for my request."
"...like what?" she asked. She could feel Kirakishou slinking up behind her, resting her head on Ruby's back. The blonde didn't outwardly say anything, but Ruby could sense a feint amusement radiating from her.
Yet another weird thing to add to her growing list of strange abilities gained from interacting with the doll.
Either that or it was a couples thing. She wasn't entirely certain.
"Firstly considering your blatant infatuation with Kirakishou, no offence intended, the Headmaster will be likely disinclined to believe anything you say- concluding it to be positively biased in her favour. You could benefit from a neutral party offering their support."
Ruby gave a slow nod as she processed the words, ignoring the agitation she felt for her wonderful bond with the Rozen Maiden being treated as a negative thing by outsiders. She swallowed her pride, however unwillingly. This was the game she needed to play, just to make sure that Kirakishou could attend the dance.
Kirakishou had to go to the dance. There was no escaping it. Every fibre in her body knew that if the girl wasn't there to keep her stable, Ruby would spend the entire night moping about and potentially embarrass herself infront of hundreds of people. Throughout most of her time in Beacon Academy, the Rozen Maiden had been ignored or outright feared. She hadn't lived.
Her doll deserved to experience something fun.
It would be Ruby's gift. Their date.
To achieve that dream, she would stomach the idea of allowing the heiress to attend her meeting with Ozpin. For all she knew, it may actually prove useful in persuading the Headmaster to actually consider allowing Kirakishou to attend the dance.
"Okay." she conceded, however much it pained her to say. "Fine, you can attend. But no funny business! If you mess this up for me, I'll be really mad."
"Naturally." Weiss drawled sarcastically, before nodding at her stern look. "I'll do what I can to assist. Now, should we not be departing?"
Ruby narrowed her eyes at the heiress, before roughly grabbing Kirakishou's hand and yanking her forwards before she could say anything to Weiss. Kirakishou's approving murmurs whispered in her ear the entire time.
Throughout her life, Ruby could attest to several specific moments in which a similar instance of verbal neutrality had been used against her in such an infuriating manner. Several had been involving her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, which she was younger and attempting to request extra cookies in trade for eating her vegetables at dinner. Other times had been asking Yang if the older girl could teach her about different things without teasing or leading her into an embarrassing situation.
Somehow, dealing with Professor Ozpin was without compare.
At first it had been quite the simple affair. The man had been surprised upon the arrival of not just Ruby herself, but Kirakishou and Weiss Schnee. Yet Weiss had come through and alleviated the manner by stating the uniqueness of the situation. It was impossible to select Kirakishou as an attendee because she did not show up on the student registrar and Weiss had only tagged along at the last second.
The Headmaster had appeared rather surprised by the declaration courtesy of Weiss, yet had relented and allowed the two addition to attend without any fuss.
It was likely the best that they were going to get, all things considered. She had to play nice. Lest the sheep suspect the wolves, or something like that. There was probably some really cool metaphor she could use to describe the situation appropriately, but for the life of her she couldn't think of it at the time.
"And, if I may be so bold..." Ozpin had asked, leaning forward and placing his hands under his chin in a display of outward curiosity, "If you are not here to discuss academic matters, Miss Rose, then what can a humble Headmaster do for you?"
Ruby had flushed with embarrassment at the time. She had listed the appointment under 'academic instruction – first year'. There, well, there wasn't a category that had came remotely close to describing what exactly she had been planning with Kirakishou. Plus when she had been setting up the appointment on her scroll she may have had a little trouble focusing at the time.
...I'm sure Kira likes to wear those outfits to mess with me. Stupid hormones. Stupid beautiful doll.
Perhaps it had been her wayward thoughts, or the doll sitting beside her and holding her hand, or a multitude of other variables, but Ruby had blurted out the first thing that had come to mind.
Which led to now.
"I-I want Kira to be my date to the Vytal Festival Dance!"
Almost instantaneously she witnessed the heiress sitting beside her face-palming and muttering several choice words underneath her , however?! She was the worst! Giggling on her other side with that stupid beautiful laugh of hers. Not far.
"... I... Er, I see." Ozpin appeared rather perturbed, as if unsure how to respond. She took a moment to inwardly grin at causing the typically stoic Headmaster to lose his cool.
"What my illustrious team leader is trying to explain," Weiss began after sending her an irate look, "is that the Vytal Festival Dance is occurring in the coming days and Kirakishou's ongoing house arrest prevents her from attending."
The Headmaster leaned back in his seat, a blank expression flouting on his face as her peered at the three girls, his eyes briefly settling upon both Kirakishou and herself.
Ruby remembered the words of her doll, the words that Kirakishou had said when Ruby had awakened in the hospital.
This was a man that had been manipulated by Kirakishou's enemy, Laplace-no-ma. She couldn't trust his actions, influenced as they were by a man who would seek to injure either Kirakishou or even herself.
An enemy so vile as to target not only an innocent doll, but a student.
"... I take it that you are aware of why exactly I saw fit to confine Kirakishou to her room, yes? Even having her in this meeting unannounced is a troubling development. How exactly did you two even manage to elude the guards?"
Ruby blushed in embarrassment.
"We, ah, there was a shift change you see and, well..."
"Naturally, you two opted to use the moment in your favour in order to smuggle Kirakishou out of confinement." the Headmaster finished with a harsh frown as Ruby squirmed under his hardened gaze. "That displays a certain level of premeditation and planning that went into this day. I daresay you have developed quite the cunning mind, Miss Rose."
"... Thank you?" Ruby tried. It was not her best response, but what was she to say?! It was a miracle she could even speak to the man at the moment! Getting interrogated about something so basic was not what she had signed up for.
This would be harder than she thought.
Ozpin seemed to take her silence for an answer and opted to turn towards Kirakishou, who had also stilled under his gaze. As usual her smile remained readily apparent on her face, if not more pronounced.
"You seem pleased." Ozpin observed.
She did?
"Of course." Kirakishou responded, "A pure rose will always applaud the development and growth of a young rose, especially the rose she cares for most above all."
Ruby shifted in her seat, a shameful arousal fluttering through her body at the heartfelt words that had completely taken her for surprise. Even in the harshest of times Kirakishou is still there for her, keeping her stable and supporting her every move.
She truly loved this girl.
Perhaps it was time to demonstrate that? Hmm. That was an enjoyable thought. Once the dance was over, maybe?
For now she needed to focus on actually getting her partner to the dance in the first part, before imagining what she was going to do after the event.
"I see." Ozpin nodded slowly, a frown on his face. He turned to Ruby. "... And this is what you want?"
"More than anything." She answered immediately.
Ozpin gave a low hum.
"...Considering the allegations towards Kirakishou at the moment, I am surprised you are fighting so intently for her freedom."
It was Kirakishou who responded instead, grabbing Ruby's hand before the little reaper could think to protest the motion. Not that she would, of course! Just that was embarrassing. Even if they had held hands in front of the man before.
Oum, that was a weird thing to have done on their first day together. She hadn't realised it at first, but looking back on it now made her face flush in embarrassment. But the animated doll was just so grabby!
Not that there's anything wrong with that, either~
"A maiden of the red rose only desires to be happy. Is that such an unattainable goal within the arms of a loving little maiden?" Kirakishou asked with a curious lilt in her voice, "How far would you go, in order to attain contentment of the spirit?"
The Vale Headmaster did not respond for several moments, but his eyes did narrow quite severely and she was certain that his hands hadn't been curled into fists just before, but she could be wrong. Things were getting kind of fuzzy with Kirakishou showering her in praise and affection. Were it not for the severity of the moment she'd be…
oooh. Naughty thoughts. Bad Ruby.
"...And why in the world do you believe Miss Rose would find happiness in the arms of one whom would create an impostor of her deceased mother?"
HE DID NOT JUST GO THERE.
NO. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM.
Already she could see Weiss moving to grab her shoulder, but it was too late to prevent Ruby from jumping out of her seat and glaring down at the Headmaster in fury. Wrenching herself away from the Atlesian noble and unfortunately away from the embrace of her beloved girlfriend, Ruby couldn't just let an insult like that simply slide.
"My Mother was NOT some…. some impostor! She was real. You're the one who-"
"...Sit down, Miss Rose."
Pressure ran through her. A thrumming, overwhelming sensation of hopelessness in the face of a trained and hardened killer who would tear through her with ease if given the opportunity. She took a moment to remind herself that the man accusing her beloved doll was not just a simple headmaster, but a veteran huntsman renowned for both his skill on and off the battlefield.
A growl of annoyance escaping her lips, Ruby forced herself back down.
To think such a person had once been an idol to her. A hero. He was nothing but an overly suspicious jerk who would rather throw out accusations than actually-
"He doesn't know, my love."
Ruby took the offered appendage with haste, shifting herself as close to Kirakishou as she possibly could. She hadn't realised that her aura was flaring, even with that agitating fluctuation making itself readily apparent in her crimson shielding.
"...And what exactly is it, that I don't know?" Ozpin interrupted, voice stern.
"Ruby..." Weiss murmured from the side, glancing between the two other girls.
The young huntress braved herself, forcing the tinge of rage away from her thoughts to focus on the task ahead of her. Before, she had felt nervousness in facing the dreaded headmaster. Now, Ruby only felt a cold resolve against a simple adversary. Albeit one with immense knowledge that far outweighed her own.
In the end, it didn't matter. He didn't care for her relationship with Kirakishou. No. His suspicions were controlling him. Laplace-no-ma's influence, perhaps.
Yet his strength was also his weakness.
"...I-If… If I tell you more about Kirakishou, will… will you let her go to the dance with me?"
A/N:
I am publishing this chapter from my phone at the moment, so apologies for any formatting errors present in this chapter. There's a power outage in my area right now.
Messing with canon is, most certainly, not my forte. Writing that little backstory for Ruby in a borderline believable manner was a prospect I was not prepared for as a novice author. Yet the story demanded it and thus it was written.
Paved With Good Intentions has been my writing journey for just over a year now. There's been ups and downs, but we're still here going strong.
Feel free to consider reviewing how the story is going. I look forward to publishing another chapter. Until next time!