"You know, I still can't believe you decided to summon Kirakishou in the bathroom, Ruby. Like, Oum. There had to have been better options. It just seems so very unsanitary to call for your partner here of all places, especially considering the gravity of the information we were discussing at the time."
The leader of Team RWBY crossed her arms around Kirakishou in a display of protectiveness and glared at Weiss over Kirakishou's shoulder, her cheeks puffing out in combined embarrassment and stubbornness. The small blonde herself merely decided to happily accept the hug for what it was, drawing eye-rolls from Blake and Yang. She was like some sort of weird puppy, always craving affection.
"Oh come on, Weiss! I was just trying to get a bit of privacy!" Ruby retorted, before deflating slightly under Kirakishou's ministrations. "...At least I thought it was a smart idea…"
"It was a smart little idea, little reaper. You did exactly what was necessary to call my pure self into this moment. I am very thankful," Kirakishou pecked her cheek. Yang gave an exaggerated gagging sound, drawing a murmur of amusement from her fellow smaller blonde. The giggles from Kirakishou felt odd against Ruby's skin, making her fidget even worse.
Team RWBY found themselves in a rather strange dynamic to say the least.
Following the previous revelations regarding Kirakishou and her ties to the Alice Game, there had been a sort of change in the wind for Team RWBY and their overall opinion towards the strange blonde haired little girl that had entered their lives some time ago. Where previously there had been a fair degree of scepticism regarding Kirakishou and her odd effect on Ruby herself, alongside all the crazy scenarios that seemed to keep occurring from Kirakishou's mere presence alone, Team RWBY now felt they had some degree of understanding with the curious little blonde.
Of course, none of them bar Ruby herself were supportive of Kirakishou's relationship with their team leader, but considering all that Kirakishou had supposedly gone through during her life they could understand with some reluctance just why Kirakishou acted the way she did. Anybody who had been forced into solitude for a long portion of their life was bound to act a little different. With the figure known as Laplace-no-ma also exerting its influence, it was a miracle that Kirakishou had even managed to develop a relationship with Ruby in the first place.
There was the undercurrent of worry in that Ruby and Kirakishou seemed a little too pleased about how things had gone, but for the most part the overall concern of Laplace-no-ma was enough for the rest of Team RWBY to put things aside momentarily and face the main threat. At least before they were forced to deal with the ticking time bomb of putting two emotionally-damaged girls together in a relationship where both had zero actual experience in the dating field.
Well, admittedly none of Team RWBY actually had successful romantic attachments in their pasts, having all ended rather poorly, though none of the girls had opened up entirely about their romantic history with each other. All the information they had about prospective dates in the past came from Blake's horrid encounter with her previous partner in the White Fang. And their faunus teammate most certainly did not want to talk about that particular relationship, not even to Weiss. Most of the knowledge she possessed about Blake's former partner stemmed from that strange dream she'd had about the girl's past.
Plus it wasn't like they had a chance to ask Qrow Branwen about his experiences in the field. The man had practically booked it out of there the first chance he got. Considering everything that had happened the Laplace, it wasn't too surprising for the girls. The idea of an infiltrator capable of possessing others and manipulating their friends was something of a security issue for a huntsman currently attending during the Vytap Festival.
It was likely that Qrow would be reporting the events to Ozpin, likely including both his findings on Kirakishou and the developments regarding Laplace and his potential infiltration. While Team RWBY had banded together with Kirakishou to defend against Laplace, they doubted that many others knew about the strange figure. Having Qrow informing Ozpin was probably a good idea, all things considered. Though, who knew how such a figure would deal with it?
"So, that's it, huh? Guess you're going back to your room now," Yang asked, looking towards Kirakishou as rubbed her cheek against a giggling Ruby in a manner not unlike a cat.
"Yes~ Such is the way of a rose, to bloom then rest only to rise again. Time is always ephemeral when one wishes it to be extended, you see. Just like any other moment in life. For now, little Ruby shall accompany me on this journey, but she shall be returning later in the afternoon to continue her academic progress. Following everything that has occurred, I do believe she first wishes for some privacy with her pure rose."
Yang made a face at the response, which contained a fair few phrases that she was wholly unaccustomed to dealing with in a polite manner. That is to say, she hated those damnable flower phrases entirely and wished the girl would stop using them. But she was trying to be nice to the volatile little girl that he baby sister was dating and decided to merely hold her tongue. Even if the girl was blatantly implying that Ruby wanted to spend some private time with her.
"Or maybe I could just sleep over again…" Ruby nudged after a brief moment, her cheeks turning scarlet when she realised exactly where she was. "I-I mean, um. N-Not that I want to spend more time away from everyone or anything like that. I know there's lots of studying to do tonight, plus I need to prepare for the next round in the tournament. But still! We still have time!"
Kirakishou pulled back and merely smiled, slowly detaching from the red-clad trainee huntress to move towards the bathroom wall. Despite the cheery smile, there was a forlorn expression in her eye.
"Little rose, you have answered your own question. You are far too busy to deal with the attentions of little old me," she spoke, before turning to face the other girls. Weiss, Blake and Yang were displaying conflicted emotions over Ruby's reaction. "...I trust you all will take care of my beloved once she returns, yes?"
"Of course," Blake responded, nodding. "You can count on us."
Kirakishou giggled, shaking her head. "Little black rose, I always have. A pure rose never doubts a single soul in her garden, or those of onlookers," she moved over towards the bathroom wall, reaching towards the mirror. "Now Ruby, I do believe-"
"You need me to turn the tap on, right?" Ruby sprang forward, turning on the tap atop the bathroom sink. She blushed in embarrassment at the bewildered look on Kirakishou's face- one copied by the rest of her team, before moving to explain. "Ah, um, you know how Kira uses water to teleport. She likes it at a certain temperature."
Weiss raised an eyebrow, sceptical. "And how exactly does your movement ability work, Kirakishou? Even Ruby's huntsman uncle who has undoubtedly witnessed a great many semblances in play throughout his extensive career, has only seen a single person with a teleportation semblance. Learning about it, especially with the looming threat of Laplace, would be a worthwhile endeavour would it not?"
Both blondes present in the room stared at Weiss for a moment, one seemingly displaying a detached form of serenity whilst the other was noticeably uncomfortable with the reminder of Qrow's history.
Kirakishou, being the former, gave a cute little shrug. She smiled at Ruby and nodded her head when Ruby turned off the tap before the basin overflowed with water. She put a hand just over the top of the confined water.
"Watch," she paused to deliver a small coy smile at Ruby, before looking down at the water and closing her eye.
Pale white thorned vines grew from the basin of water, slithering almost akin to serpents in their movements. They grew around Kirakishou's hand, moving out of the sink and up the wall against the large mirror- soon blocking the reflections of most of the girls. Were the vines not of an unnatural, bone-white shade, the girls would have believed it looked almost akin to a bathroom overtaken by nature.
Flowers had bloomed on several of the vines, also devoid of colour.
"Beautiful, is it not?" Kirakishou murmured, removing her hand from the basin of water and leaning forward to brush the same hand up against one of the vines as she stared at the display with adoration. "Roses are simple plants- delicate and pure. Vines are no different, really. They both require sustenance to grow and can all produce their own resources. However, vines are able to continue growing ever stronger, where a simple rose is doomed to remain beautiful forever. My power is a union of these two concepts. The beauty of a rose and the adaptability of a strong vine- provided both are properly nourished, of course."
Yang soon noticed that what little of the mirror that wasn't covered in vines was no longer reflecting the bathroom itself.
"...There's… there's something there in the background," she called out, drawing the attention of the remainder of her team. "It looks like… your room!"
"Correct," Kirakishou nodded, pulling away from the vines and smiling over at the girls, particularly towards Yang. "Through the strength of my vines, my N-Field, my woven tapestry, this room and my own have been connected. It is but a temporary connection born out of necessity, but it is there."
"So that's how all the bathroom supplies went missing…" Weiss muttered, before flushing when she realised she'd voiced her thoughts out loud. "When Ruby decided to sleep over in your room one night, we found a great many of her bathroom supplies missing the next day, along with her uniforms and school materials. We knew that she hadn't been back in the dorm room, so we wondered how she managed to get her hands on everything. I take it that you were behind it?"
Kirakishou merely turned to giggle at Ruby's surprised expression. "My love, your friends are quite insightful to figure out something like that after such a simple explanation."
"W-Well, they are certainly something…" Ruby answered awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head and nervously chuckling. Kirakishou merely smiled, playfully poking Ruby's blushing cheeks much to the embarrassment of the young trainee huntress.
"Still, the next time something like that happens and Rubes decides to hang out a little bit longer, a heads up would be nice okay? A sister worries," Yang chided good-naturedly, sending a look towards Ruby, who looked down at the light scolding.
"You'll be the first to know," Kirakishou promised. "If that's all, we shall depart. Thank you all for listening to a young girl's story. It was quite the enjoyable time."
"Of course. Have a good night," Weiss nodded, moving to depart. The others joined in, saying their goodbyes. "Ruby, remember to lock the door once you return. If you come back later in the night, please keep it down."
Ruby waved off her concerns. "Psh! I'm not going to be gone thaaaat long! Just a little while. And don't you be going to bed to early, either! We'll need to talk about the match-ups for the second round of the tournament. I've got a good idea on a few pairings."
The heiress made a face somewhere between discomfort and resignation, before slowly forcing a brittle smile. Ruby figured that once she returned she was going to put on her charm in order to get the pairing that she wanted.
Kirakishou's hand grasped Ruby's own hand and the two girls were pulled into the web of vines.
Cinder was done. Well and truly done with the world. These… animals, these faunus, these White Fang… they were the absolute worst.
For three days, she had been stationed in Mountain Glenn, forced into overseeing the current operation whilst Adam Taurus kicked puppies or whatever it was that got his engine running these days. The supposed main man in this White Fang branch had been suddenly recalled by the High Leader of the White Fang herself, Sienna Khan. Considering that all the damn animals in the White Fang operation in Mountain Glenn followed around Adam like veritable sycophants, his sudden absence had completely destabilised their operation.
Originally she had believed that Roman Torchwick and his axe-crazy mute lovesick psycho of an assistant would be more than capable of managing the insurgent cell of faunus, but the two were having significant difficulty shepherding all the faunus as of late. Enough to warrant her stepping in and personally taking control over the operation.
The White Fang members had, apparently, been meeting in secret while Roman slept and voicing their opinions over his… less than subtle racism and belittling. This had been going on for some weeks now. Eventually their mutual discomfort with Torchwick and distrust over humans had led to a full-scale firefight breaking out right in the middle of the underground city itself.
Supposedly, the plan had been to silently execute Roman Torchwick and his little right-hand-woman Neopolitan before Adam came back, then blame it all on a sudden outbreak of grimm. Well. When the group of faunus discovered that trying to sneak up on the equivalent of a master thief that was well versed in the arts of protecting his valuables was a horrendously bad idea, Neo's subsequent rampage had awoken a great many grimm indeed.
Say what she will about the girl's mental state, but there was no denying that Neopolitan had a vicious streak a mile wide and the training to back it up.
Had she not happened to be visiting Mountain Glenn at the time for a routine check up, there was a significant possibility that the entirety of the White Fang cell residing in Mountain Glenn could have been eliminated by a vast surge of grimm and one severely unhinged little girl armed with an umbrella. All because one fucking human didn't know when to keep his mouth SHUT.
Knowing Torchwick's luck over the years, it wouldn't have surprised her if the thief and his protege were to have been the only survivors, had it come to pass without Cinder interfering.
Thankfully Cinder had still possessed a seeker grimm stashed away in case of events such as this and had been able to contact her mistress before everything got too out of hand. Salem had been… less than pleasant to deal with at the time. Supposedly Cinder had woken up the Grimm Queen herself whilst she had been napping, but a quick explanation of events had been enough to get Salem to force the grimm to retreat temporarily.
And by 'force the grimm to retreat', all that Salem had done had been to ward off the stampede of goliaths that had been about ten minutes away from crashing through the ceiling and slaughtering everyone.
All because of Roman FUCKING Torchwick and his big damn mouth.
She had been about ten seconds away from gutting the man. However, she wasn't stupid enough to mess with a crook that was -as of this moment- sitting on enough dust to blow away a continent. Even if Cinder was able to kill off Torchwick before he could prime the ignition, his illusionist killer of a henchwoman would just slink away and blow them all the kingdom come in retribution.
Thus, all she could do was force Torchwick back to Vale to continue his little stealing spree whilst she was left handling the rowdy faunus all on her lonesome. Though, when all of this was done the first thing she was going to be doing was to arrange for the two thieves to meet an untimely demise.
While at first there had been a few complaints at her taking over the operation, considering she was also human and absolutely done with cordiality following Roman's absolute fuckup, a display of her status of a half-maiden had been enough to quell any dissatisfaction.
Burning that fucking buff racist smart-mouth of a faunus had been the highlight of her damned month. She'd trodden upon his stupid fucking glasses as well. Just for good measure. Damned things always catching the light and blinding her. How in the hell did those glasses always seem to reflect right into her fucking eyes?! It was as if everything was designed to minutely infuriate her in just the wrong way as to slowly drive her mad.
She was done. Well and truly done. Thankfully, she wasn't the only one that was suffering due to convoluted bullshit.
...Emerald and Mercury had been less than pleased upon discovering that their original plans had changed in light of Cinder's current situation. With the Vale Police Department and the Atlesian Military stirred into a fury following rumours of a supposed serial killer on the loose, security was far too tight to risk Emerald getting caught in the crossfire. Without Cinder nearby to tie up any problems that the two ambitious tools caused, it just wasn't worth it to have them continue with their plan at the moment.
Considering what she had seen from the security recordings in the area through her Loki virus, this supposed Laplace figure was most certainly a significant enough threat to warrant such precautions. Didn't stop said precautions from being a massive pain in her ass, though.
While at first the plan had dictated manipulating a student in the tournament, preferably a Beacon Academy student, into seriously injuring poor defenceless Mercury, they had been forced to scrap everything in favour of waiting until the final showdown. Mostly in thanks to the stipulations that James Ironwood had proposed to the council, dictating severe cancellations should another security breach occur during the Vytal Festival Tournament. Which in turn meant that Cinder had been forced to instruct Emerald and Mercury to lose their next match so as to be able to ensure their spot in the spectator stand during the final showdown.
It still baffled her as to how in the world James Ironwood was able to sneak such a horrid proposition past the supposedly all-seeing eyes of Ozpin himself. Knowing what her mistress had said about the peace-loving man, she had thought there would be no way the Vytal Festival would ever face potential cancellation.
Another thing that Cinder hadn't accounted for was that her two disciples had gotten rather invested in the tournament. Having been actively looking forward to a chance to target Team RWBY of all things- in payback for how Ruby and Kirakishou absolutely wiped the floor with them during the tryout matches. Well. That had been Emerald's reason in the very least. Mercury's supposed justification had been far more petty.
All because somehow Kirakishou knew about Mercury's deceased father and decided to rub her knowledge in Mercury's face at the end of the match, inflaming the boy's pride something fierce. However in the world that had happened, she didn't know and frankly didn't care. So what if some loony girl with stupid ass flower powers knew about some random guy's dead father? Not like anybody would listen to her, confined as she was in her room over some unknown slight against the headmaster. Even then, by the time she did speak to anyone willing to listen, it wouldn't even matter soon enough. Not that Mercury and Emerald even cared about such a thing. They just wanted their pointless revenge to settle some perceived slight.
Honestly, it was like everybody just lost their sense of rationality around this Kirakishou figure.
What Mercury and Emerald didn't seem to understand was that their problem had already been dealt with. Cinder was going to bomb the girl and be done with things, preferably right at the end of the final tournament match. Couldn't they be satisfied with that? Oum. What else could she even do? Fucking Emerald. Fucking Mercury and his stupid daddy complex. Couldn't he just be a good assassin and stay silent for once instead of running his big damn mouth?!
Noooooo. She thought morosely. That would be too easy. Gotta make things hard for the PERSON WHO PAYS YOU.
Whatever. They could pout all they want. She knew that Emerald and Mercury would eventually shut up. Either that or she'd find new subordinates. Preferably silent ones that actually knew how to follow orders.
Her only saving grace so far had been the LOKI virus. Despite the various bugs that had presented themselves directly following the implantation of the virus itself, likely as a result of the damage that the transmit tower sustained at the time, the virus was continuing to transmit a wide variety of data that was proving to be quite useful to her plans.
It was the only invention of Dr. Watts that Cinder actually found herself enjoying.
While some of the data had been some rather useful classified information, most of the data that she had been able to decrypt revolved around a current census taking place throughout the various Remnant shipping districts regarding the recent inflow and outflow of dust inside the kingdoms. While the data was no-doubt concerning to those who relied upon dust to ensure a peaceful way of life, Torchwick's recent thefts had been a sizeable benefit to both her mistress and Cinder's own plans. One only needed to look into any of the dozens of dust shops littering the business district of Vale in order to see the effects.
The kingdom of Vale, where most of Torchwick's thefts were occuring, had increased the asking price of dust by roughly 400% due to limited availability. Considering the sheer volume of dust typically processed, such a markup was nothing short of ludicrous and had already caused a number of civil suits to be filed. Businesses were already becoming desperate, turning to some rather notorious criminal sources in order to have their supply demands met.
It had gotten to the point where, if the need arose, Cinder could easily net herself quite the fortune simply through black market dust sales. While the riches she would gain from the sales would be but a drop in the water compared to the major conglomerates like the Schnee Dust Company, who had their hands in a great many smaller businesses to continuously generate revenue, Cinder could easily create enough sales to live a lavish life for a great many years.
Not that she desired such, but it was still an amusing enough thought. Especially if such a thought involved personally executing Torchwick and Neo, merely to prevent those two street rats from taking her fortune. Shame that such a plan was currently off the table.
For now, the only real use of all the dust was to deplete the huntsmen and huntresses of a vital component in battling the grimm. When her plan entered its final stages, Cinder would need every advantage she could get to ensure that the city of Vale remained broken and beaten for just long enough to secure her enough time to successfully find and locate the Fall Maiden. Oh, and kill Ozpin for her mistress. Something about a vault, too… yada yada. At this point, she was trying not to think about all of it.
It was all becoming quite the headache. But at least she was filthy rich. In theory. Push comes to shove and she could likely jury-rig Torchwick's trigger-mechanism to the dust and blow them all to kingdom come herself. Insinuating such, especially to those in the White Fang who were beginning to voice their displeasure with Adam's absence in spite of her rule, had been a major highlight in the recent weeks.
"U-Um, Cinder? Miss Cinder, ma'am? W-We're having some trouble with the south-east quadrant…"
She groaned. Fucking White Fang. Fucking Torchwick. Fucking VALE. Cinder could only hope that the current crisis was proving as infuriating for everyone else as it was for her.
Kirakishou departed from the embrace of the N-Field with her master in tow, stepping out from the gilded ornate mirror alongside Ruby Rose as the reflection of Ruby's bathroom faded away. She eyed her master curiously, wondering how her beloved was handling the recent developments. While she would learn such things in time, either through her web spun within the N-Field or through their Rozen Maiden contract, she delighted in moments where her rose opened up to her verbally.
"...Well. That could have gone worse, but for the most part I think we did okay," Ruby breathed a sigh of relief before turning to face Kirakishou fully. "How do you think it went, Kira?"
She found some difficulty in answering at first. How does one answer a question when the topic behind the question is already decided? Her words had been successfully interpreted by the other members of Team RWBY, as they had hoped. Was that what Ruby meant?
"They were very receptive to my words. Even Qrow Branwen, despite his possession by Laplace."
Ruby frowned, biting her lip in an apparent sign of discomfort. "I-Is he going to be alright? Qrow, I mean? There's no side effects or anything from being controlled by Laplace the way he was?"
"Qrow Branwen will endure. Laplace only wished to journey to this place and assess the situation," Kirakishou affirmed, grasping her master's hands in a loving hold. "Are you happy, Ruby? Your friends are accepting of us, like you wished."
Ruby frowned at the question- the opposite effect that was supposed to occur. "I... Well... Perhaps I'm being a little bit selfish, but even if explaining things to them made them understand you, I'm a little sad that I learned about what happened to you through my team."
Ah. She was talking about the events spoken about pertaining to her darling sisters and Father. Had Ruby wished to learn of them privately? Or through the N-Field, perhaps? It was a difficult thing to predict. Although, there was little method in which she would have been able to privately inform Ruby without alerting her friends. Her beloved master wore her heart on her sleeve and, loathe as Kirakishou was to admit it, Ruby's friends had displayed an uncanny curiosity towards their team leader.
Their continued observations were becoming difficult to endure, though endure she would in order to see her master smile.
"It is in the past, Ruby. A past I would willingly speak about a hundred times over in order to hold you in my embrace once more."
A tentative smile etched on Ruby's face at her declaration, though Kirakishou could still sense the faint tinge of sadness flowing through their bond. Along with an odd skeptical confusion, but it appeared to be waning over time.
"R-Right..." her master nodded to herself. "Right," she repeated with more conviction, "I'm sorry if I'm a bit emotional, but I wasn't expecting everything that just happened to... well, happen. I thought Qrow just wanted to speak about Laplace, not interrogate you about your past."
"He loves you," Kirakishou giggled lightly, pulling a hand away from Ruby's grip to caress her cheek, "it is within the nature of one who loves another to worry for their safety."
Ruby leaned into her touch, drawing a small smile from Kirakishou in response. Kirakishou suddenly found lips pressed flush against hers. A kiss. She could feel the emotions her partner was trying to press forth. Longing. Want. Worry. Love.
Kisses were curious things. To feel one in the physical world had been an eye-opening experience for her. She had originally believed them to be nothing more than cute gestures between partners, but experiencing them with her master had taught her to enjoy the sensations offered and the emotions held behind them.
When they separated following a kiss, Ruby would often be left with flushed cheeks and a heated breath. In this instance, Kirakishou found herself mirroring the expression of her darling rose.
"...I love it when you kiss me," she admitted shyly, drawing a blush from her darling master.
"D-Do you? Really?"
"Yes."
A pause, followed by an intake of breath. She found herself admiring the body of her chosen human, filled with insecurities yet hiding a beautiful rose within. Father would have liked her, had he not lost himself to his calling. Though, perhaps Kirakishou would have stolen Ruby away from Father were they to have met, if only to keep the young girl for herself. Her Father did not deserve to lay his eyes upon such a sweet little soul.
"...Do you, um, want to continue then?"
Kirakishou nodded eagerly, puckering her lips and pressing forward. Her partner responded enthusiastically, gripping her delicate from in an intense grip and pulling Kirakishou flush against Ruby's own body. She could feel the tiny vibrations of Ruby's heartbeat, elevated and excited. Her rose was enjoying the moment.
She allowed herself to follow in the footsteps of her beloved master, retreating from the N-Field to focus her attentions on Ruby's ministrations. Her lips were soft. Softer than Hinaichigo's had been, during that one time in the N-Field. Yet there was a force behind them, a driving motivation that she so very much enjoyed experiencing.
Soft yet strong. Her master was a paradoxical being.
Kirakishou found herself pulled toward the bed, her ball-jointed knees giving way from Ruby's force as the smaller reaper pushed her down against the mattress. A strangled whimper escaped her as she felt Ruby's lips move away from her, only to moan appreciatively when her master returned. Oddly enough, she felt the strangest desire to keep her mouth open ever so slightly and decided to follow her thoughts. Kirakishou could feel Ruby tense up at the sensation, before a low moan of pleasure slipped through her mouth. Along with her tongue.
It felt odd. Pleasurable, almost, to taste of her master in such a way. A new experience. It had been the first real taste she had experienced with this body upon arriving in the world of Remnant and chancing upon her master. An intimate kiss. No. That wasn't what it was called. She struggled through the memories of her dreamers in search of a-
A French Kiss. That is the proper name for it. At least in Father's world. Lovers do this, when they want to make each other feel happy. People usually don't do it very often. Why is that?
When Ruby pulled back her eyes were wide. "I-I didn't…" she muttered, looking lost. "So… wow. I didn't know you could do that. I-I mean, I've read about it… but I didn't know it would feel so good…"
Kirakishou merely smiled. Her lips felt… odd with Ruby's saliva coating them, but she found herself enjoying the sensation immensely. A physical reminder of her master's presence, perhaps. More intimate than the Rozen Maiden Contract ring, yet far less stable. Already she could feel the cool air working its magic on her lips. She wanted to feel the warmth again.
"Did you like it?"
A bright grin was her master's answer, sent her way with all the enthusiasm that Ruby had been displaying in spades ever since they arrived back in Kirakishou's dorm room. She particularly enjoyed it when Ruby was so physically close to her, especially when the young reaper was laying atop her like this. Watching as her vision was lit up by Ruby's face and curtained by her dual-coloured hair. It was beautiful. An experience originally impossible during her confinement in the N-Field.
"Oum, yes," Ruby answered dreamily, before paling when her words caught up to her, "I-I mean, um… perhaps a little bit," she looked down, cheeks a rosy red hue despite the tentative smile fighting to last on her lips. "Is… is that okay? That I like it? It's not weird or anything?"
Kirakishou ran her hands up Ruby's back, feeling the fabric of her master's dress against her own jointed fingers. She exerted pressure and forced her reaper close, until she could feel Ruby's warm breath fluttering across her cheek.
"Darling Ruby, I could wish for nothing more."
A delighted smile was her master's response. "That's what I love about you, you know. I-I've always had a bit of trouble expressing myself. To others, I mean. I would always get so nervous, like I'm going to mess it up. But that doesn't happen with you. I always know that, no matter what I say, you'll understand."
Kirakishou listened intently as her master seemingly voiced thoughts that had been plaguing her mind for quite some time.
"A-And," Ruby continued divulging her thoughts, "I'm not entirely certain if it's because of everything that's happened with Mom and the Rozen Maiden or because of me just growing up and getting a dose of what the real world is like, but whenever I'm with you I feel stronger as a person. More confident."
"I'm glad," Kirakishou idly poked the braided portion of Ruby's hair, playing with the dangling piece. Moments of intimacy had seemed to soothe her beloved before, after all. Plus, it helped that Kirakishou personally enjoyed the motion. "You deserve to be a stronger person, for all that you have gone through. Now that your friends are no longer actively attempting to hinder us, our twin gardens are free to grow together and eclipse the world."
Ruby seemed to feel the need to relax from her prone position atop Kirakishou's body, sinking down to rest her head atop Kirakishou's chest. She smiled at the moment, bringing her arms lower to circle around her master's waist in a supportive cuddle.
"D-Do you really think that?" Ruby asked after a moment of silence, her words coming out as a fragile whisper against Kirakishou's dress, "Do you really believe that my friends were getting in the way of our relationship? Is that why you said the things you said?"
"Perhaps not overtly," Kirakishou allowed as she dotingly rubbed supporting circles on her master's back, "although their intentions were to protect you, they fought to protect their leader by isolating her from a perceived threat. However, a pure rose was never a threat to you. All she ever wanted was to see you flourish, Ruby. I do not want to see others waste your life in vain. Is that so wrong?"
"N-No…" her master answered, "They… they were only trying to help me, though. I-I know that what they did was wrong, but I can understand why they did it, you know?"
Kirakishou gave a low, sad smile as she watched Ruby struggle with her resolves and the conflict that her actions had generated. Her master held a big heart within her breast. It had been what had first attracted her to the girl in the first place. Ruby Rose, who would see a broken little doll and seek not to move away or break her further like Jun, but instead actively work to repair her. Piece by piece. Even to the point of saying she wasn't broken in the first place, as if such a thing was an absolute truth.
It was a shame that the other humans surrounding Ruby Rose were distrustful of Kirakishou. Although perhaps it was in the nature of humans to crowd around those pure of heart. Sakurada Jun had been much the same, prior to the arrival of Shinku and the other Rozen Maidens. She had been forced to watch as her prospective master was corrupted before her very eye.
She did not desire for Ruby Rose to become distracted by the cries of those that would seek to pointlessly trample on a garden they did not understand. Yang. Blake. Even Weiss Schnee with her duplicitous attempts to empathise with a pure rose while simultaneously plotting her downfall. They were all trying to destroy the rose-garden that Kirakishou had painstakingly built for Ruby Rose. Even now, after she had fed them the flavoured truth they so desired.
"-Kira? Are you there?"
"Ah~ Sorry, master," she clapped her hands to her cheeks, "I am just thinking."
"Well, alright…" Ruby looked up at her, silver eyes full of worry, "But, um, I'm sorry that I'm voicing out all of my thoughts like this. It's just been weighing on my mind a lot recently."
She giggled lightly at her silly kindhearted master. "I like it when you talk to your doll, master. Please do not stop out of some belief that I will not enjoy your words. I always will."
Ruby gave her a tiny smile, nodding against her chest. "Right… Thank you. Well, um, what do you think about all of this? How things have gone?"
"Me?" Kirakishou looked up at the ceiling, trying to understand her emotions and give voice to them as requested. It was a remarkably difficult task. "They're your friends, Ruby. You can play with them however you like. I fear that while their minds are set on Laplace for the moment, they will eventually turn their attention towards our relationship once more. This treaty will not last. It is an interlude at best."
"An interlude…" Ruby murmured. She could feel the frown her beloved was displaying, along with several nebulous stirrings sent across their bond. "Laplace-no-ma said something along those lines, when we were fighting it outside the transmit tower. Do you remember? It implied that your time here with me was an interlude, before the Alice Game could restart."
Kirakishou blinked, "I remember, master. What about it ails you?"
"I-I don't like it. I just… I wish that the Alice Game was over, so that we could just hang out and be together without having to worry about Laplace trying to mess with us. You said that it only cares about the Alice Game, right?"
The blonde Rozen Maiden nodded. "Yes. Laplace-no-ma is the referee to the Alice Game, acting on Father's word to ensure that each of his daughters continues to play."
"H-How do we win then?" Ruby blurted out, "I know that you told the others about the Alice Game itself, but you only talked about what it actually is. Not what it means for us. I-If we can't beat Laplace in a fight, or stop it from eventually working its way back to us, then how do we finish the game so that Laplace doesn't have to come after us?"
...Eh?
For the first time in her life, Kirakishou found herself completely and utterly surprised.
"You wish to participate in the Alice Game?" she blinked. Hard. Trying to understand how the world had spiralled into creating this odd circumstance. It was an odd development considering exactly how she had phrased the description of the Alice Game to the members of Team RWBY and Qrow Branwen previously.
Never had she expected her master to accept the burden of the Alice Game.
"W-Well, I don't wanna just participate, Kira," Ruby shrugged her shoulders, seeming a little embarrassed. "I've got a little bit of a competitive streak. You should know that after seeing how I was in the tournament. Y-You did see me in the tournament, right?"
"I did," Kirakishou affirmed, stroking her master's hair in a consoling manner. "However, your doll finds herself surprised. Even among her sisters, there has never been a master that has actively wished to compete in the Alice Game on behalf of their doll, knowing the consequences of attempting such."
Excluding Suigintou's master, though she no longer matters in the grand scheme of things.
Ruby gave a light shrug, snuggling into Kirakishou's frame. She shuffled around a little to rest her chin on Kirakishou's chest and stare up at her with her silver eyes.
"I kinda just wanna compete just to get Laplace off our back. Then we can deal with my teammates. A-And, well, everyone else that seems to be interested in our relationship. Plus all the maiden stuff that Ozpin and Ironwood were dealing with…" Ruby trailed off, looking to the side for a moment before snapping back to focus on her, "But still! I wanna compete! And I wanna win! Please!"
Perhaps this is what Laplace intended, speaking about the Alice Game so brazenly in the presence on my master. If it could not force my pure self away from Ruby, it would bind us together anew.
She hung her head, sighing. To believe that it had come to this after everything that had occurred.
"...I did not wish for you to be a part of the Alice Game, master. All it will do is bring pain."
Ruby gave a chuckle that sounded hollow to her ears. "I think that's going to happen regardless of what we do, Kira. If Laplace is as persistent as I've been led to believe, then the only way to move forward is for me to be a part of this game. Pain or not, I don't care. It's worth it for the chance to be with you."
Tears welled up in her eye, a small amount also trailing from her rose-clad eye socket. Ruby was willing to go through with the Alice Game- not because she wanted to, but in order to reach her desired outcome with Kirakishou. Even after so long, Ruby was still working hard to fix her broken little pure self. Even if such a request would eventually lead to the deaths of her beloved sisters.
"Alright."
Ruby perked up. "Really? You'll do it? You'll let me be a part of it?"
A low giggle escaped her at the audacity of the situation. She sounded so relieved. Considering the memories of which Kirakishou had witnessed within Ruby's dreams, it likely had to do with her previous attempts at persuasion of her sister. Yang had rarely listened to Ruby's whims and wishes- instead going along with her perceived notion of protecting Ruby from outside stressors. Instead, it all had served to do was create a sizeable divide between the two half-sisters.
Her master had endured much at the hands of her big sister, just like Kirakishou had with her own older sisters.
"Master, if that is what you wish then I will follow you happily into the Alice Game. You are my master, my love. A doll would follow you anywhere, just to hold your heart and see you smile."
Ruby smiled pleasantly. There was a unique fragility to her smile that Kirakishou had come to admire in recent days. While her darling rose outwardly displayed her true emotions, there would come times in which they would sneak through the cracks of her shell. It was interesting, definitely, to see how a Silver-Eyed Warrior perceived the Alice Game.
"T-Then… I guess we have no choice. I… I know they're your sisters, Kirakishou, but are you sure you're going to be alright with the Alice Game? If I understand it correctly, if we do win then it won't end well for them."
She giggled lightly. Her master was concerned for her wellbeing. It was an amusing idea, to imagine feeling grief regarding the potential fate of her darling traitorous sisters and their inane quest to ruin her life. But, no. She would be fine. She imagined that stillness would be a decidedly positive outcome for some of her sisters. It would certainly be better to be able to admire their beauty without having to fear retribution.
Plus, it would be quite enjoyable to possess more artificial bodies.
"Kiss me, Master," Kirakishou requested, startling the girl resting upon her. "Kiss me. Then, I believe, I will be okay."
Their lips met. The Rozen Maiden contract ring flared with brilliance, lighting up the dimly-lit room with an immense scarlet hue. Kirakishou allowed her N-Field to flare as well, bone-white vines growing in search of the red-light warmth of her beloved master.
Yes, Kirakishou thought, I do believe I will be quite fine to be rid of my dear sisters. It may even prove an eventful conquest with you by my side, Ruby Rose.
A/N:
Hello again! It's good to be able to update once more. For this chapter, we have the 'epilogue' to Kirakishou's revelations from the previous chapter, along with a little Cinder interlude and some discussion with Ruby and Kirakishou regarding the Alice Game, alongside some developing intimacy. It was nice to be able to write from Kirakishou's perspective again. She has a lot of unique phrases and thought processes that tend to make for unique internal dialogues and speech patterns.
In regards to the Alice Game, I had always wondered what it would be like if the Game itself took a more centralised role in the story. Most of the dolls, barring Suigintou, Kanaria and Kirakishou, didn't seem to want to actively compete. Instead, they were content living their own life and interacting with their master, with the occasional fight breaking out on the side. Now, however, we have a doll and Master pair that have been pressured into participating in the Game. Though, in this instance Ruby's desire to win and her protectiveness over Kirakishou may prove to be quite the disastrous affair.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to let me know what you thought! Until next time!