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They'd been driving for around thirty minutes by this point, complicated scenery of technological marvel simply fading into blue neon smudges before the three. Ren's eyes only registering the vibrant directional signs and other cars, Blake catching brief glimpses of towering billboards trying to quickly sell her Government Intern positions for 'cash prizes' and Ruby had her face pressed up against the window as everything became blue noise, as if she were a kid against sitting too close to the TV.
Nestled in the back seat of a limo, there was a lot of space between Ruby and the drivers of the vehicle. Blake had taken the phrase 'give a girl some space' very literally when it came to comforting the girl on a heartbreak she'd still yet to fully process. "I'm fine." Thirty minutes, it had been, since Ruby had sat in this spot and not moved since, battling back and forth on the first stage of grief; denial. And she would not let Ren and Blake hear the end of it.
"Of course, Ruby." Blake forced a smile at the space in front of her, not that Ruby could see her expression, but it did give her the confidence to make sure Ruby's repeated statement was acknowledged. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" She focuses her eyes on Ren's tired expression, dark eyes only growing more empty with every prompt from the scroll's map telling him that it was 'recalculating'.
The usually calm exterior was reduced to an obligated grunt, the distaste clear as the limo wrapped around a corner onto an ascending road. It wasn't any comfort, but the higher they went was probably a good direction for their destination. "Honestly? Not entirely sure, everything's starting to look the same to me, but the map says we're on the right track." Once more, their map seemed to freeze up and announce that it required a second to input new directions, prompting Ren to take one hand off the steering wheel to tap at the screen in restrained frustration.
Thinking that they didn't hear her the first few times, Ruby cleared her throat before loudly announcing "I just want to say that I'm fine and that's the end of it.". As she spoke, she leaned forward in her seat, pulling away from her depression session of silent self-pity with her reflection, pushing herself up on the edge of the seat to broadcast her obvious woes.
"We hear you loud and clear." Ren raised one hand to wave back at Ruby, not even turning to spare a glance at her. Ruby, of course, didn't think of the fact that the driver taking his eyes off the road would be insanely irresponsible, instead of pouting behind his back and taking it as a lack of care when he went straight back to discussing the mundane details of navigation. "Do you know what you'll say when we get there?"
A brief moment to take a deep breath, cutting it short to breathe out a simple answer. The cloud over her heart and mind didn't allow her to swerve from that focus. "I'll assume they won't need introductions." However sure she sounded of that, the questions and doubts still gripped her tightly throughout the ride. Would they ask too many questions? Would they be suspicious of her behaviour? Would she even be welcomed at all?
"You don't have to keep pestering me about it, I'm fine."
The sidelong glance Ren shot her shared the doubts, a definite glimpse of worry and empathy in the man at her situation. His features pulled together tightly as he struggled to stay within his calm thought process while also focusing on the road. Blake picked up the conversation once more, pulling her legs up against the door frame. "Do you think they'll be okay with the memory loss?"
"I imagine they'll want to know where the daughter of their boss has been for the past few months." This time, Blake was allowed to fully exhale her lungs in an ambiguous sigh. She had to admit, despite her emotional state and clouded thoughts, she did find the simple act of bouncing back and forth with Ren on questions neither knew the answer to relaxing. It didn't distract from her thoughts, nor did it push away her bubbling doubts, but it made her feel lighter. "Even if we assume your pre-game self gave them some details on where you were going, I doubt you told them the full story."
"That big teary-eyed goodbye there? That was nothing."
Blake bit down lightly on her lower lip, whether just for the sake of it or to hold back a bitter grunt, letting her doubts bubble to the surface. "And, of course, there's always the chance that I was running from the company in the first place and we're going to arrive to some very angry employees." She found her gaze now dead set ahead, feeling the limo come to a stop before a red light, watching the simple display of a couple of teens dancing across the traffic stop.
Well, dancing was implying too much activity, what they were really doing is stalling. They could clearly see the red light was on and the alarms were blaring for them to cross, but they preferred to tiptoe on the edge of the pavement, making a game out of stalling the red light until the last moment. Little bastards were so carefree, almost like they were mocking Blake with their light-hearted games, rubbing it in her face that they didn't have any of the complex doubts and feelings she currently had dragging her down.
"I mean, I already needed space, but I didn't want Jaune to think I didn't care."
"I didn't want to seem like I was fishing for the worst outcomes, but yes, that is possible." Ren brought her back to the vehicle, sparing a glance at him as he only seemed to grow more tired with each passing word. Before she could respond, the light turned green and the limo soldiered on, the teens she had so easily despised in just a few small moments had seemingly disappeared. "Does the Merlot Company tell us beforehand that we might lose our memories? Because you'd think one of us would have had to forethought to write down a note to ourselves just in case." There was a hint of anger in his voice, but with Ren, it was hard to tell outside of maybe his thumb beating a few tempos quicker against the steering wheel.
"So, to lay it all to rest and, please stop asking, say that I am completely and utterly fine that I was just dumped by my maybe-boyfriend!" The two stoics paused to hear the short breaths that followed Ruby's last outburst, taking the huffing from her repeated insistence as a sign that she was finally done awkwardly trying to comfort herself.
Black shifted in her seat, breaking away from Ren's gaze to poke her head into the back. She saw Ruby had her legs pulled up to her chest, forgoing the use of a seatbelt as she curled up with her chirpy demeanour thoroughly deflated. "This is your first break up, then?"
"Yes." She didn't look up from her knees, muffling her speech. Embarrassing as it was to admit, this was Ruby's first attempt at a relationship of the romantic variety. Sure, she'd had her fantasies, she'd had her crushes, she'd had her sloppily written 'Do you like me? Yes or no' notes that she'd never gotten back. Of course, this Audrey character that was supposedly her might have had other boyfriends in her life… But for some reason, Ruby immediately doubted that which made her stomach turn even more.
"Do you need to talk about it?" Blake tried to be as sympathetic as she could be, despite knowing that she wasn't the best person for the job. Ruby's pain was like an echo, bouncing around the room and reaching everyone's ears. When a bundle of cinnamon-like Ruby was hurt, everybody felt it and you immediately wanted to rush to comfort her. That was just the sort of effect Ruby had. Well, Ruby Rose had, Blake still didn't know if it was right to think like this when she wasn't even sure if the person in front of her was Ruby Rose anymore.
"Yes, but Yang isn't here right now…"
The response cut through Blake like a knife plunged into her chest. Yeah, she knew she was the closed-off one who had two relationship experiences hypothetically and one leaving her a little inexperienced in healthy response and advice in such fields. It didn't make hearing Ruby so easily dismiss her ability to help any less of a gut punch. And worse, it made her think of Yang, it made her mind wonder what Yang would say if she were here, it made her angry that Yang wasn't here, angry at no one but herself that she no longer had a partner to confide in. Still, she swallowed the lump in her throat and offered a sheepish smile. "Well, you know, we're still here and WE could-"
Ren stopped her right there. He spoke bluntly and raised his hand to stop her. "I'm focusing on the road and know nothing about this stuff, don't drag me into this. I'll just make it worse."
Blake pushed her sigh to be louder and obviously directed at Ren, huffing at the frustration of being alone to deal with this and making sure he knew it. "I'M HERE at least." Initially, she tried to reach out and pat Ruby's shoulder, but she quickly realized how much distance there was between them and how ridiculous she currently looked with her arm outstretched into nothing.
"I appreciate the thought, Blake, but you have better things to focus on. I'll get over it." She'd never heard her leader so despondent. Blake knew Ruby probably carried a lot of problems on her shoulder, but she was never the type to let it show on her. After all the things the ex-silver-eyed warrior took in stride, it was a break up that would finally get her to crack a little? Then again, as much as Blake scoffed mentally, Jaune always did seem to be the one who helped Ruby process that burden better. Maybe Ruby lost more than Blake thought when she saw that alien anger flash in his eye. "I miss Yang…"
Everyone seemed to grow smaller at that tiny statement. All they wanted to do was sink into their chairs and rest with that thought, but they had to move on. Ren offered token encouragement. "We all do. She was one of a kind."
It was three straight minutes of sorrowful silence before Ruby spoke again, taking time to breathe before she regained her smile. Tai always told her that you can't just dwell on everything, at least not while there's work to be done, otherwise you never move. "Where are we heading, anyway? Schnee Manner?"
She could see Ren's unenthusiastic nod, noticing along with Blake how ready he looked to collapse. At least the limo's seating was ridiculously comfortable, though there was a small worry at the prospect of letting the exhausted man take the wheel. "Schnee Manner is still in Atlas to our limited knowledge, so we're heading to one of the many operations the SDC has set up here." It was left out just how difficult it had been to search through the database of the wifi offered by the scroll, with the information already known drowned in distractions and contradictions from what they already knew. Ruby could only imagine looking through it all.
"Does the SDC work the same as in… You know." It was at this point that Ruby realized she never really knew that much about the SDC as a corporation, just that it supplied dust and that Weiss's father was the biggest bastard in the world who needed to rot in jail. The mundane structure and operation of the corporate ladder never really came up in studying to kill monsters.
"It should. The game is allegedly an accurate representation of Remnant outside of the Salem plot and the NPC's we projected onto." The research had been a harrowing and migraine-inducing experience for Blake to say the least. It was like waking up in your room and finding the door was a different colour, basically the same but a noticeable shift in what was familiar that instantly made her feel like an intruder in what should be her reality. The world progressed almost the same as she knew, but everything that marked her presence, the scraps of Blake Belladonna she still held in her heart were nowhere to be found. No resurgence of the white fang, none of the violent extremism of Adam, no Ilia; and while Ghira and Kali Belladonna did exist they never sired any offspring. It was one of those moments where you know the answer, you know that the harsh truth was a given, but you still can't help but hold out hope you'd find something that goes against it. Blake Belladonna was not of this world. She was fake. "Did some small research and it still seems Jacques is the CEO and married into the family through one Willow Schnee."
Ruby slumped into her chair, groaning like someone who just found their pet had made a mess while she was gone. "Oh, great. Of all the people to be the genuine article."
It almost felt shameful for the woman in the front. Like somehow this revelation that she was connected to that man, that man she clearly had no good things to think of in this world and had only seen as the face of corrupt filth in the other, she had a piece of him attached to her. She had his filth in her DNA and there was nothing to cure her of such a disease. "And now he's my terrible father as well."
"Well, let's hope he's not terrible enough to turn us away." They could tell Ren was really reaching for a silver lining in this cloud, the car curving around a structure, a large mass of floating metal that took up the room of ten houses in width, bringing them in front of interconnecting walls that stretched into the distance and towered over them. Over those walls, they could the foreboding brand of the SDC floating over the area, outlined by a bright white hue. The light wasn't like a beacon that shined through the dark, but a blinding sheen that demanded your attention. "Here we are."
Ruby rolled down the window, poking her head out to get a better look at the skyscraper that took root behind the massive wall. Like the rest of the city's architecture, it seemed that every straight line or corner was converted into some sort of curve that wrapped around the building, curving to position every ledge to make it clear they were hanging off the main block, off the SDC. "Looks about what I expected."
"I'll do the talking. Ruby?" Blake was back to facing Ruby, her features drawn into a false pleasant smile and awkward air of understanding condescension. It reminded Ruby of when she was a child and her dad really wanted her to do something but knew that being forceful would just make her rebellious.
"Yes, Blake?"
"Can you…" Ruby's expression was unblinking and made it hard for Blake to continue, giving the woman a need to stop and rectify her tone in her head once more. "Can you be quiet for this one? You've never been that good with the upper class." Again, her smile was sheepish, trying without hope to soften the blow and not imply any doubt about her fearless leader.
Thankfully, the pouting anger Ruby displayed was far more exaggerated and joking than any actual offence, the girl crossing her arms and lifting her legs onto the seats in a childish manner. "Fine! But know that I'm very offended on the inside." There was something to be admired in how Ruby managed to stay perfectly balanced in her position without a seat belt bounding her to the chair, even when limo went over multiple speed bumps on the approach to the front gate, still Ruby's body did not move. It did, however, jump into a face-first fall against the floor when she was 'ambushed' by a bright blue light blasting through the windows.
As they arrived at the gate, they'd received no warning, no guard, nor any greeting. A panel sprung from the exposed wall, aiming the bright end of what seemed like a cylindrical scanner at the limo, unleashing the light that surprised Ruby so. When it passed over Blake, she bit back a brief flash of panic as it came to a sudden halt. For seconds she was trapped under its gaze, seconds turning into a minute, a minute turning into multiple until finally, the gate let out what she could only see as a pleasant chirp before the walls parted to let them through. The scenery before them unravelled into a straightforward road leading into a gaggle of parked cars, each perfectly sitting equal distance from each other and inside their parking spaces. It was very neat, orderly and made Blake feel a little uneasy as they made a comparably messy park.
They hadn't even had a second to take it all in before the crusty, yet soft voice travelled through the open window. On Blake's side, she was faced with a portly man grinning down at her through warm green eyes, his auburn hair fighting a losing battle to cling to his balding head. Something about the way his pointed moustache jiggled as he talked made her feel instinctually giggly inside. "Miss Schnee, it is a delight to see you return!" Digging through her own memories provided nothing to tell her about this man, though he clearly knew her and there was a sense of familiarity. However, that's when it hit her. If Weiss, or the Schnee's in general in the game, were based on her experiences or hidden anger at her situation as a Schnee, perhaps thinking back to the fictional Heiress's own story could shed some light.
Wracking her brain, Blake recalled a name accompanied by a funny story, of a butler Weiss thought of quite fondly as she grew up. One that was kind and warm where her father was resentful and cold. And this man did look the part of a Butler. "Uh… Klein?"
The small smile that upheld his moustache struck Blake with a smile of her own, calming her nerves with how happy he seemed that she remembered his name. Immediately, he dipped his head in a polite and cordial bow, his hand reaching up to the door handle to create an opening for her. "My apologies, Mam, I finally decided to take you up on your advice and get that haircut. I must look unrecognisable!"
It seemed she had waited on her answer a second too long, but thankfully Klein provided a quick and easy excuse. Though Blake did feel a pang of guilt at the fact that it was expected she wouldn't recognise him right away, especially when the man crouched down to drop a small carpet at her feet and unroll it. Apparently, Wither Schnee didn't like stepping out of a car and onto the pavement. "O-Of course, that's what it is." The overwhelming respect, the look of devotion and the simple steps to make actions more convenient for her, it was odd. Blake had never exactly been pampered before, well, not in her current state where she lacked the memories. Wither Schnee might be extraordinarily experienced with pampering and took a liking to this Butler.
"The staff were absolutely thrilled to hear of your limo being spotted in the driveway. Your father doesn't show it, but he and the SDC have been sorely missing that ambitious cunning of yours these past few months." Blake stood tall in her new platform heels, immediately pushing herself into that coldly dignified pose she'd often seen Winter sport, taking the inspiration as a good prediction of how someone like Wither Schnee would present herself. From the other side of the car, she saw Ren getting out with little fanfare, playing it casual with just the stiff posture of someone who just wanted to observe. However, Klein's eyes seemed to immediately home in on him. "Ah, and Operator Kuriyuri, I trust you kept the young miss out of trouble?"
Ren was taken aback by the instant attention but quickly recovered his empty expression as he regarded the Butler. The recognition sparked more questions in his mind, but at least put others at ease. He knew he was working with the S.D.C in some capacity before. Now, he knew that he was Miss Schnee's personal employee of sorts. Though, he supposed it was too much of a coincidence for a Schnee and an S.D.C worker to happen to be in the same group for the game. However, that didn't explain him being armed with permission to kill. So, I must be some sort of bodyguard or agent for the SDC. Did I go with Blake because of my job? Is my reasoning so simple? In a way, it hurt. He thought that the knowledge he might not have had any big emotional hang-ups that he needed to escape would bring comfort, yet now he found the idea that throwing away months of his life was just a job more depressing. Did he have no life to go back to? "That's not for me to discuss… Sir."
Klein seemed to take no issue with Ren's tone or reply, so Ren was at least working in character as far as he knew so far. To save trouble, they could just explain to Klein the situation with Merlot Corp and the lost memories, but there was always an element of unease around revealing this problem. How would people react to such a thing? Would they take advantage of it? Would it cause more troubles? For now, it was best for the group to keep it quiet and try to keep things normal. "Let's take this inside, I will handle your bags."
Before Klein could reach the back door where Ruby was pouting to her heart's desires, Blake found herself sliding in front of him, blurting out words before she could think. "Are you sure you're Klein?"
Klein and Ren shared an equally befuddled look, though for different reasons as Klein softly asked "Mam?"
Ren rounded on her, pushing past Klein and keeping his back to the man so that he couldn't see Ren hiss "Blake, what are you doing?"
"It's been so long and I just want to be sure before I trust my luggage to you." Blake kept her eyes dead ahead, not letting on that Ren was speaking to her. In her mind, it was simple, if a little rushed thought process. If they weren't going to out themselves as amnesiacs, then they had to find another excuse to probe for information on their past life. "As you said, you look different than I remember, maybe the haircut is just an excuse. Answer some simple questions, just to make me feel safe." Granted, it wasn't the most believable excuse, but considering she rushed it out in a matter of seconds, she thought it was decent.
Whether out of duty or genuine agreement, the Butler's features faded back into an accepting smile. "Of course, Miss Schnee. I will do my best to answer your questions as clearly and succinctly as possible." He dipped his chin in another bow, Blake noting his efforts to make sure he stays smaller than her and stop his moustache from tickling his nose. Hadn't Weiss mentioned something about his sneezing problem?
"What do you know about my… Absence?"
Klein suddenly found an intense interest in stroking his chin, undoubtedly thinking over his answer very carefully. Blake took from this that Wither was a woman who was either very risky to talk about or had no patience for wasted words. Either one added onto the already unpleasant picture Blake had of herself. "Well, even someone as hardworking and dedicated as you needs their breaks. You went on vacation for a few months. It was just after that Robyn Hill incident; your father had never been prouder than when you sussed out that vigilante's criminal attempts to sabotage his chances in the Atlas elections."
She didn't know what took her back more, the fact that she'd apparently helped put away Robyn, someone who she had blindly trusted in the other world, or the idea that Jacques had the ability to be proud of someone. Not that it brought any comfort. If this world's Jacques was anything like the one she'd been acquainted with, his pride in her only made her feel more disgusted. "What do you know about me?"
Klein's pride, on the other hand, at being able to answer the question was almost overwhelming. For a second, Blake let go of the cold heiress she was playing up and appeared flustered. "You're the pride and joy of the SDC. No one thought a fresh-faced little girl straight out of Atlas Academy would have the ambition and gusto to handle her own corporate branch of the company, but your father held firm and watched their jaws drop after you pulled the SDC out of the fire after the Beacon incident."
Quickly, she pulled herself back together, nodding over to Ren. There was a small hope that Klein would be just as complementary to Ren as he was to her. God knows they could all use some compliments about their grim odds. "And him? What do you know about him?" There was a sneeze, quiet and contained, but when he opened his now mint green eyes. Klein didn't hold the same joyful recognition of Ren. His shoulders sagged slightly, his eyes shifted away and he broke from his demeanour into a more nervous tone quickly.
"A-are you quite alright, Miss?"
"Answer the question."
The gulp before he spoke could be heard loud and clear. "I try not to pry into the SDC's more elusive personnel, I swear. All I know is that when they need a friendly and charismatic face to seal a deal, your faithful operator, from the powers that be themselves, is sent in to offer persuasion and keep you safe. That's all."
There was more to the story, she could tell even through the carefully crafted honey words approved by a PR group. Ren's gaze broke away from the conversation. Both out of concern for Ren and the instant guilt of putting Klein on the spot like that, Blake broke off that line of questioning. "It's alright, Klein. You did well, I was just checking." She hoped her smile would bring him some comfort after he'd been so pleasant to them. Even if it was his job to put up with this, she appreciated his efforts. "To be honest, my head has…" She was cut short by another sneeze. "Escaped me a little in my absence."
"I see, miss. Perfectly understandable." Thankfully, he shifted back into his previous demeanour. Eyes a soft blue and tone tinged with understanding. "I'm sure when anyone spends so long away from work, they need some time to get back into their rhythm. Shall I call your father and tell him you've returned early? I'm sure he'll be thrilled!"
She shouldn't. Ideally, Blake should hold off speaking to that man as long as possible. There was no telling the dangers of showing weakness or ignorance in front of this version of Atlas's most hated businessman and politician. And how would Blake react to being so close to the man? Would she be able to focus? Able to keep it straight? No, she might just let all the pressure of the past day fuel her to make some very bad decisions and choice words. "Y-Yes, please. Go ahead." She'd say that curiosity killed the cat, but Blake wasn't a cat Faunus anymore.
"Let's get you two settled in first, of course." Klein was more enthusiastic than any man had the right to be about grabbing people's luggage, striding over to the back door and ripping it open with gusto. He stopped when his eyes met the bland brown eyes of a girl now attempting to stuff herself into the limo's trunks end… And failing. "Oh. You have a passenger."
Ruby gave a sheepish wave as Blake groaned at the sight. "Is that a problem?"
"I'm afraid to inform you, Miss Schnee, but after some recent developments," Klein gave Ruby a reassuring wave back, turning to address Blake with an air of unspoken words he couldn't say in front of Ruby. "your friend will not be allowed inside the premises. Company personnel only."
"Even if they're with me?" Blake crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, trying to project the coldness and ego she imagined someone like Wither to have into one concentrated glare. Schnee's got what they want, right? "This is ridiculous."
Klein winced. Why did he make it so hard to pretend to be mad? "Your father's orders."
As Blake tried to think of a response, Ren cut in with the quickest rebuke he could offer. "We can't just leave her here."
"It's alright, Bla-" Their eyes were all drawn to Ruby's sudden interference, her eyebrows furrowing as she stopped to think of how she should address Blake in public. She couldn't just continue calling her Blake, that would just be weird to everyone else. And calling the high society heiress by her first name when Ruby was clearly of the lower class wasn't exactly going to stop wandering eyes. "Miss. I can just make my way back to Jaune while you work this out."
Gripping the open door tightly as Ruby pushed her way out (needing Klein's help when she almost tripped on the smaller frame), Blake could feel her eyes widen with worry. Sending Ruby back to face Jaune alone when they're both just had an emotional outburst? If that didn't spell disaster, nothing did. "Ruby, you can't, you were just-"
"It's fine." The sheepish tone made Blake soften her eyes, impressed by Ruby's ability to keep it all together and make things sound so simple, so easy. "I may be a bit upset, but I'm not a child… I just hope Jaune is understanding."
"Fine." Blake and Ren surrounded Ruby, their concern almost overwhelming the poor girl when Blake reached out to grasp Ruby's shoulders tightly. She didn't care if it looked weird to Klein. "If we don't hear a phone call from you in one hour, I'm going to hunt you down."
"Loud and clear, Captain Schnee!" Ruby's hand slapped her forehead in a mocking salute before she marched out with the exploding enthusiasm that she was known for.
Ren and Blake turned to Klein, who in turn was still staring at Ruby departing from them and slip out the gate. He was dreadfully amused by her antics. "She seems delightful."
The new duo couldn't help but smile at this, Blake nodding and sparing one last thankful glance at Ruby. Even if Ruby Rose was fake, that girl's charm and ability to keep up smiles was something Blake would forever be thankful for. "She really is. Especially when you need her."
She felt Ren's hand on her shoulder, though instantly pulling it back when Klein's eyes seemed to widen in suspicion. "We can do this, Blake."
Blake repeated it to herself for good measure. "We can do this."
Jaune had lost many things today. Walking down a sparse street with little traffic, eyes focused on the cracks in the pavement and ears tuned to nothing but the dense bustle of unfocused feet; and yet he still managed to run into the shoulders of several people. He'd lost awareness, but that wasn't what was bothering him, it wasn't a loss that you could just feel the absence of. Dignity? He never had much of that in the first place, and he was confident his past-life didn't either. Though maybe some would argue that the balls you needed to break up with a girl as amazing as her- As amazing as anyone could be, because he didn't know her. He just knew… Her.
He'd definitely lost focus there. He fought hard to keep his thoughts straight. Yes, he wouldn't deny that it struck him in the heart to say those words, to wipe that winning smile off her face. It hurt like hell, but it had to be done. As he reminded himself for the fifth time. It wasn't a real relationship, it wasn't anything tangible or something they could build off of. The ghostly kiss he could feel on his cheek from when she would flick ice cream at him just for an excuse to touch him that didn't involve directly telling him, it was nothing. That smile he held at the memory of her jumping up to peck his cheek due to the height gap, the way that made his eyes cringe under the intensity of how cute it was to him, quickly wiped away because he would NOT allow himself to wallow in something that never could be anymore.
The warmth she brought him was gone. He shivered under the oppressive wind of the city air, no thought cast to where the wind came from in an underwater city, as he pulled his patchwork trench coat tighter over his shoulders. Oh, and there he could hear something rip as he pulled too tightly. If that wasn't a metaphor for my life right now… He paused on the thought, netting him another body threatening to knock him over as they passed. Hoping to make himself less of a hazard magnet for the passer-by, he darted over to press himself against the first wall he could find, scraping past a shattered store window with boards loosely hanging off it.
Inviting. Jaune didn't voice his displeasure out loud, now taking in more of the street, its features radiating a subtle icy stare with every look. Long gone was the blue he remembered bearing down on his sight throughout the car ride, now only finding grey slabs and dark corners for miles ahead. Some buildings leaned forward, looming over him with flickering windows and torn stone flesh, while others seemed to shrivel up tightly with their brickwork practically popping out of their joints. But it was hard to differentiate them from each other because… because…
Jaune had lost the colour in his life. His eyes swept over the monochrome landscape, only seeing the world in flavours of darkness and blandness. There was no red to catch his eye against the stark dreariness of the day, no bubbling sunshine to wash away the cold thoughts scratching at his mind and no silver to captivate his heart with no restraint. He'd pushed it away, he's stained that silver with tears, damped the red with his bitterness and stolen the smile that even in this world should never be tampered with. "Great going, Arc. You probably made her cry…" He could justify the breakup. He couldn't justify being such an ass about it, even to himself.
Before he could press on, he found his eyes falling upon a billboard hanging off a distant skyscraper, greeted by empty smiles and mocking stares. He saw Merlot Corp's initials underscoring happy models, happy memories and promising adventure and contentment in a world just like his own. Or if he preferred different worlds, they had varied settings and campaigns as well. Pick whatever fantasy you want and, for a reasonable price, you could be hooked up to that reality for years to come, never worrying about the harshness of reality.
It pissed him off. Jaune could think of many things that angered him, scared him, hurt him, but this unique method struck a special chord within him. These memories he had, where he could remember those special moments with family, the start of a new life with JNPR, the time he spent mourning his fallen comrade, the connections he formed with the ones he loves, all of it he could see before him. The ups and the downs. Usually, he could take those moments in stride, treasure the happy ones and keep the harsher ones close to heart to remind him why he must keep fighting. And that's how these Merlot Corp bastards hurt him deeper than he imagined a real version of Salem ever could. They took his life, his identity, his memories and tainted them. No longer could these memories serve as anything other than bitter desires of a pathetic man who deemed his own life lesser, who by the very act of reaching for these memories admits that his own life would always be inferior and unable to live up to them.
"You bastards." He ripped his eyes away from the advertisement, marching onwards with no regard for anyone else as he bit back the sudden tears brewing. "Why did you have to take it all away?" A few glares were sent his way, no one hearing his pleas to nothing, nor anyone caring as the man stumbled through the streets. Jaune wouldn't say he felt drunk when everything only seemed to register as a blue, alleyways and clutter amongst the pavement reduced to splatter on a dry canvas, but that was only because he'd never been drunk before. So, when he looked up and found a glowing lotus flower, one that stood out against the dullness of everything else with its size and actual colour, he convinced himself that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.
Sure enough, after rubbing his eyes and focusing for a few moments, he found that he had indeed arrived at the Open Lotus by complete accident. He'd forgotten he even had a map. Caught up in the haze of his own self-pity, he wagered he had more of a chance of accidentally stumbling into traffic than here. Maybe he was just a surprisingly good navigator when he's sad. Then again, looking up at the building, maybe this joint was just a magnet for people down on their luck.
It was an understatement to describe the Open lotus as sad looking or shady. The lights were all off, leaving the windows empty with their mouldy paint job on full display, below them the brickwork looked to be poking out of every side, ready to pop. It was something an estate agent would challenge themselves to describe as a fixer-upper. At least it stood out in contrast to its surroundings. Not just because its neon sign was flickering on and off and looked to barely be hanging by a thread, but in how the building almost looked to be sinking. Its foundations dipped below the metalworks on one side, slanting the building slightly, giving the impression of being two seconds away from collapse. Its shape was odd too. Where you'd usually have a large foundation supporting equal or smaller upper floors, this building started out with a small first story that was about as big as a check-in station, somehow holding up two more floors that were far larger in scale. It was upside down and had one tiny building carry and entire apartment complex.
"Well, this place seems welcoming. I wonder if the drug dealers are on the first or second floor." Jaune didn't see much point in being sarcastic when no one was around to hear it, but in a small way, it gave him comfort before he strode up to the front door (a broken automatic door he had to tear open with his bare hands) and face the inside.
The interior was surprisingly clean for the most part. Didn't help that someone had decided the wall colour should be that of scraped away piss yellow, the walls themselves barely straight with a small bump every few inches. It was a thin hallway that funnelled Jaune to the hazy glass that stood over the receptionist desk, a small mailbox just below which Jaune assumed was for transferring physical objects between this room and the other. It was worrying that apparently this person needed a protective glass wall between them and the residents.
Gazing closer through the glass, he could just make out a larger man stomping into view. He was about what Jaune expected, shaved head, a few scars over the eyes, tattoos strangling his neck, greasy shirt (which Jaune assumed at one point was white) that exposed a portly belly. "Ey, have I seen you 'round here before?" That was the voice of someone who didn't just smoke eight packs a day but swallowed those lit packs without breathing out the smoke.
Jaune was both happy and terrified at the prospect of this individual recognising him. He shouldn't let it show, he should be confident and stare this bulldog of a man down so he could get this over with. Of course, when the man's gaze narrowed at Jaune's lack of a response, all Jaune could think about it that this looked like the type of man who had blood under his fingernails. Immediately, Larry stumbled over himself to fumble out an answer. "Uh, you might have done… I used to live here a few months back. I'm Jaune- Larry, I have this" Sweaty palms dropped the wallet when Jaune tried to rip it out of his pocket, making sure this meeting started off with Jaune already kneeling down before the intimidating landlord to scoop up his wallet and wave around the Open Lotus card.
The man didn't growl, but Jaune could hear it in his mind as beefy forearms banged against the other side of the mailbox, telling Jaune the obvious. With a sheepish smile, he dropped the card into the box and watched the man retrieve it with a tired gaze. His eyes looked far too big for the sockets they were fitted in, exemplified when they widened followed by a small chuckle that sounded more like a hacking cough. "Oh, I think I remember ya. Always assumed the cops finally caught up to ya, ey?"
That got Jaune's heart squeezing itself tight, swallowing his fear and squeaking out "W-Why would the police be after me?".
Instead of showing confusion or understanding, the man only continued to cough out a laugh, his loose cheeks jiggling with every squeak of his lungs. "I get it. I get it. 'Course, why would the cops be after you?" Jaune didn't know if the man followed that with a wink or he had something in his eye due to how he'd been repeatedly blinking throughout this entire conversation. "You kept your room reserved, so it should be just how you left it. No one's been in, no one's been out. Hope you didn't leave any food behind before you scarpered off."
Wanting to exit this conversation as soon as possible, Jaune took back the card with as enthusiastic a nod as possible, before making quick advances to move off to the side. "Alright, thanks. I'll be on my way."
However, before he could reach the twisting stairwell, he heard those meaty knuckles crack against the glass. The sound itself felt like a leather whip lashing out at his spine, stopping him in his tracks. With a shaking hand hidden behind his back and a calm sigh, Jaune hesitantly turned back towards the man, seeing one cheek spread over the surface of the glass as a bulging eye stared him down. "And if you're still in the old 'cheering' business, my mind's been feeling pretty dreary lately." The man spoke like a starving man waiting for food, like a patient in need of painkillers, underlying desperation to it that came off like a foreboding warning.
Jaune didn't wonder what the man meant, he didn't dare question what the implication on Larry's dealings this had, he just wanted to get out of view as fast as possible some he could curl up into a corner and scream. "Good to know… See you later," His eyes wandered to the broken nameplate pieces strewn across the floor in front of the desk. "Mr Gillman."
In any other instance, the focus of his mind would be on complaining about the stairs. They were long, winding and felt so loose to step on anyone would fear their next footstep sending them through the stairs. Right now, all Jaune could focus on was discussing his ever-increasing dismay at who he apparently is, but without anyone to discuss it with he was stuck talking to himself. Why did I think splitting up was a good idea again? "Great, so apparently I was a fugitive before I went into the pod? Was I on the run? Am I still on the run?" A roar undercut his words, making the stairway shake as he passed the next floor. Of course, he was situated at the top of the building. He'd punch the wall in frustration if he didn't fear he'd break the hope, spit and prayer that was holding this sham of a complex together.
By the time his tired legs left the staircase, stepping out into the empty corridor ahead, he was running purely on his questions and his contained anger. The room was close, he just needed to hold on a little more and then he could finally scream at himself in private. He'd transitioned into a full-on job through the hallways, not caring about the squealing of the floorboards with every step, not caring about the chunks of the ceiling that fell apart around him, just rounding corners as panic hammered at his mind. "Oh crap, maybe I shouldn't stay here any longer, I could be walking right into a sting operation. Or I'm at the one spot everyone knows where I am. Or… Or…"
All at once, he felt that surging energy building up within, that anger that kept him pressing on, that panic that gripped him tightly and pulled him forward; gone. In an instant, he lost control of all limbs and stood slacked jawed in front of his door. His open door. The light was on the inside, boxes keeping the door open and he swore he could hear movement inside. Someone had gotten here before him. "I should start running now." And yet, his body refused to move. He just stood there, possibilities racing through his mind, heart thumping like a sour drum. He should move. He should run. He shouldn't just stand there like an idiot. "That room might hold the only other keys to my identity… If I run now, I'll just be lost. And I can't go back to the group yet, I can't…"
Walking in like an idiot, on the other hand…
He crept towards the open doorway, fingers reaching for the frame and pulling his head forward to peer beyond it. More boxes awaited him in the mostly empty room, stacked up neatly to the side. "Are these moving boxes? Maybe I got the wrong room." A quick double-take at his card proved that hope in vain, forcing him to grit his teeth and slip inside the apartment. The space was wide for one person to live in, no kitchen, no cupboards, no windows, but two doors on one side of the room. It was mostly barren aside from two unstable looking chairs and a table that was missing a leg. It looked like a dorm room. "Funny, it kind of reminds me of the Beacon dorms. Just without all the colour."
A shred of warmth pierced the icy atmosphere gripping the room as his thoughts continued. It was like the Beacon dorms. JNPR's dorm, in particular, it was just that the room was empty. Suddenly, the world didn't seem so grey for a moment, as if the light had suddenly been turned on and contained in this room, peeling back the layers to reveal old memories. Tentatively, he approached the far end of the room, dazed with a growing smile on his face. He observed this empty corner, reaching out and closing his eyes. He could almost feel the sheets in his mind. "Nora's bed would have been here, she'd be bugging Ren about something, a dream she had or some wild thought that popped into her mind. Heh." Yes, Nora's bed would be here, closest to the middle where she slept next to Ren's own bed. She'd make a joke. Jaune couldn't hear that joke, but in his soul, he was still laughing like a mad man just at the idea of it all. And then on the bed next to Nora, pressed up against the wall, there'd be the source of the bright light in his mind. "And then… Here… Oh god. I remember."
With all his heart, he wished she was here, idly tending to her morning hair on the edge of her bed. Never left the room until she looked perfect. Always said that you can't take your job seriously if you're not even bothered to look like you take it seriously. "She'd know what to say at a time like this, always did. I know she hated being put on a pedestal, but no matter what she was doing, she'd make you feel like she was a pro at it or that you wanted to let her be. You'd never be able to believe she wasn't the Invincible Girl." And now, this amazing woman, all her achievements were reduced to just the fantasy woman he yearned for. Was that all she was now? Just some checklist of his wants for a girl made reality rather than the inspiring figure she was to him? Another good thing poisoned by this screwed up reality.
This time, Jaune was confident he could allow himself to punch the wall, glaring at the empty spot where Pyrrha's bed should be. The light was gone, everything was back to grey. All he could see is what he lost. "It's stupid. I shouldn't be trying to swell on those false memories. She didn't exist, she didn't love me and I… I didn't let her die." He fought tears as he rested against the wall, head buried in his arm. Fifteen months, for fifteen months he mourned a girl who never existed, he grieved over a mistake he designed for himself, he reduced something so precious into a vain fantasy for his own self-pity. In his mind, he could hear the door the bathroom opening, throwing himself willingly into another memory that was soon to be corrupted. He pulled back his head, let his eyes wander through the bright colours he wants paints, letting himself for just one moment live back in that happy place. He could see her spectre there, a small embarrassed smile breaking out upon seeing him. She was happy to see him, always, but while still in her Pj made it awkward. "It's wrong, but I just want her to come through that door and say-"
Pyrrha called to him breathlessly. Her perfect lips opened, echoing the that sweet, honey-tipped voice she practically breathed into the air. "Larry?"
"No, she'd say-" The lights were gone. The dorm room was back to his crappy apartment. The grey had set in once more.
And he could still see her.
"Pyrrha!?"
"Okay, Ruby, one little walk in the big city, by yourself, struggling with memory loss and looking for the man who just ripped your heart out and squashed it like a tomato? Piece of cake." Ruby Rose smirked at doubt, she laughed at it. No, she grabbed it by the hand, took it out for an excellent dinner, held down a stable relationship with a job and got married to it. That is how ready she was to easily navigate this city and talk to Jaune. People break up all the time, it's a natural thing to happen and she just needed to get over it. Correction, she was already over it, because that's what she did. Hell, if she wanted, she could go up to any random guy on the street and find a better boyfriend.
Example A, look at this guy! The man, who was minding his own business on a bench, sported a bushy beard, broad shoulders and perfectly normal knees. What a delight! Sure, he was a brunette and a little more hairy than Ruby liked, but everyone has the little things. And then there was example B who just rudely- stylishly knocked her aside on his way into the store just behind her. Muscles to spare, some nerdy attire and smelled like oil. Of course, he didn't have those bright blue eyes you could just swim in and he didn't seem like the type for cuddling and would it kill god to put one blonde guy in her view? Not that Ruby was complaining. Because she wasn't. She didn't need that gorgeous, amazing, adorable doofus. She was over him. "Ruby Rose, who may or may not also be Audrey Averge, can totally do this!"
Focusing on boys wasn't helping matters, so Ruby turned her attention to her scroll, which was still struggling to load the app. "This map app is useless. Just show me the stupid location, what's with all the tutorial features, payment pop-ups and-" There was a time and place you wanted to see certain advertisements with sensitive material. In public, just as you're walking past the judging eyes of three old women was not the time. "Oh great, I really needed porn games right now." The scroll map wasn't working. With a sigh, Ruby shut off the scroll and stuffed it back in her pocket. Her tiny and completely empty pocket. "Time to do it the old-fashioned way." She may have been a socially awkward person strolling around without what she considered her biggest confidence booster (crescent rose), but she could ask people for something as simple as directions, right? Confidently, she marched right up to the first man she saw, stood in front of him and proudly called out "Hey, Sir?" right before pushed past her without a word.
Maybe he just didn't see her? Quickly, she turned to the next man. "Sir?" It was like he couldn't even hear her while he stood in place, raising his scroll up to read the latest news articles. "Miss?" This time, the woman seemed to note someone calling to her as she passed, glancing around to find the source before shrugging and moving on. "Oh common, no one's this busy!" Attempt after attempt, but no one came close to noticing the girl's cries for attention. At best, she got people who looked right through her, their eyes still unable to note her presence, before pushing past. "God, it's like I'm invisible." She rested her hands on her hips, cheeks puffing out as frustration built. These people were rude, either that or blind. Hearing a sweet bark reach her ears, Ruby crouched down to see a tiny puppy dog jog up to her. Its fur was a beautiful golden colour and its eyes were just reeking of cuddly cuteness. "Hey, little doggie, you can see me, right?" She reached out to pet the furball of joy, only to receive a nasty shock when the dog leered back, opened its mouth and bit down on her outstretched hand before darting away. "OUCH! What did I ever do to you?"
Nursing her scraped fingers and wiping off the dog's saliva, Ruby stewed on her situation. She was not about to take this abuse lying down. She may not have Crescent Rose anymore but she was a huntress in her heart, damn the consequences. "Alright, let's try the 'Yang-Bang-Thank-You-Man'g' special." She jumped to her feet and threw herself in front of the first person she saw, making it impossible for the lady to walk around her. Then, taking a deep breath, Ruby yelled out "HEY, LADY!".
"W-w-what? Who-" The woman was scared out of her wits, even her bones could be heard rattling inside when the sudden fright made her jump in place. Her frenzied eyes came to a calm glare when they finally found Ruby, narrowing down on her as if it hurt just to look. "Oh, didn't see you there. What's wrong with you?"
Ruby silently said to herself that there was nothing wrong with Ruby, thank you very much. Alas, she kept her mouth shut and forced on a painful smile. "I just wanted directions and everybody's ignoring me."
"Well, you don't exactly stand out there." The woman stated it bluntly and with nothing that could be misinterpreted as a mistake. Either Ruby really cheesed this woman off, or this woman was just incredibly honest to a rude fault.
Quietly, Ruby tried to communicate how much that comment was unwarranted. "I asked for directions, not insults…"
"Sure, shoot." It irritated Ruby how the woman just seemed aware of what she was saying, yet was so unapologetic about it. Maybe this was why Ruby always feared talking to people.
"I think I'm heading to the 'Open Lotus'. Know where that is?" She kept repeating in her head that the more well behaved she is, the faster this goes and the faster she gets to skedaddle and leave the conversation.
"Seriously?" Quickly, it was revealed that the woman could indeed spare a humorous and gleeful smirk. At least, at Ruby's expense. "What's a fragile-looking thing like you doing wondering to that cesspit?"
Okay, Ruby was a cute buddle of small packaged awesome; She wouldn't deny that. But she did NOT look fragile, she was NOT fragile. She was tough as nails. The non-rusty ones that keep wood in place. That tough. "Fragile!?"
"Girl, you'd faint from opening up the fridge too fast." The woman leaned forward, pulling down her sunglasses (and yes, the weather did not call for sunglasses) to really look at Ruby for the first time. Her tone was low, and her eyes shifted from side to side to make sure no one was listening. "The Open Lotus is in the lower city, the districts where criminals are rampant. Step one foot in there and they'll be scraping pieces of you off their teeth in an hour tops."
"I ain't afraid of any thugs." For her own sake, Ruby tried to stand taller, keeping her hands on her hips and striking that superhero pose. She kept her smirk, remembering the last thugs she met and how she sent them flying into the nearest trash can. "I bet they're not ready to take on a Huntress!"
Laughing ensued. Violent laughing. The type of laughing that you could hear the lungs gasping for air, the type that hurt. This woman was dedicated to finding the suggestion funny. "A huntress? You? You could barely hold a kitchen knife let alone a high calibre rifle against a Grimm."
Ruby's super hero pose deflated in an instant, her frown so low it threatened to fall off her face. "You made your point, the laughing was just mean." However, everything changed when the loud scream of sirens cut straight through their conversation. The anger, the anguish, the embarrassment, all of it was pushed to the side and bathed in red. Around the street, cars threw the speed limit out the window and came within a hairs width from running over other people as they hightailed it to the nearest exit. The dome above was replaced with a red skyline, casting them all into a hellish hue as panicking crowds trampled over each other trying to escape. "What's that sound? Where's everyone going?"
The woman cried out in dismay, trying to sprint away before realizing that Ruby had grabbed hold of her arm. "That was the Grimm Alarm, you idiot. Get inside and make yourself quiet!"
Ruby did not give the reaction the woman wanted, clearly. A confident smirk and sigh of relief in the face of the woman's display of abject horror. "Grimm? Is that all?" Instead of taking off to cover, instead of questioning how a Grimm attack could happen in an underwater city without destroying everything, instead of wondering what her chances were in her current state; Ruby Rose just reminded herself that she was Ruby Rose. Fictional or not, she was gonna kick these Grimm Spawn to hell and back.
"Where are you going?!"
"I told you, I'm a huntress, enemy of Grimm!" As she strolled forward, at a slow pace to maximize the dramatic flair, she raised up one hand in a thumbs-up gesture. Her walk was confident, her smirk was glowing and even if it wasn't there, she could feel her crimson cloak billowing in the wind. Grimm, that's just what she needed to take off the weight a little today. "I know things might seem dark right now, but this isn't the time to panic, that's what the Grimm want. This is the time to get your head together and realize there's something you have to do. So, go on ahead, I'll take care of the Grimm." She stood taller, both physically and emotionally. The only thought on her mind was what was ahead. No reality, no boys, no crippling lack of identity; just Grimm. "After all, I'm a hero, one with skill, style and plenty of spirit to sp-"
This all, of course, meant nothing when the giant Nevermore swooped down and easily scooped the defenceless and fragile Audrey Averge up in its talons.