Location: Stathmore, Mistral
Date: Oct.12th-Oct.13th
They see you as small and helpless
They see you as just a child
Surprised when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild
-Flashback-
May 10th
Ruby's eyes are trained on her partner, who had been chosen to go up against a single Beowulf captured from the forests, waiting for the battle to begin.
Glynda moves to release the Grimm from its cage. Weiss detaches her weapon from her side and steps into position, bringing Myrtenaster up to her shoulder and narrowing her brows in concentration. Ruby watches as the heiress slows her breathing, closing her eyes and letting out a breath. Weiss glances toward Glynda and briefly nods, signaling that she was ready to begin.
The cage opens; an armored Beowulf (wolves begin maturing and growing armor around two years of age) charges out of its confinement and straight towards its opponent with bared teeth.
A line of glyphs appear beneath Weiss's feet and she bolts forward to meet the Beowulf, her blade slices into the Grimm's shoulder, taking it by surprise.
The Grimm recovers quickly and turns towards Weiss, watching her for a moment before seemingly settling on its next attack: Charge and pounce, judging by its posture.
The wolf did just that, breaking into a gallop-like run and readying itself to pounce with its brilliant white fangs opened. Weiss had already predicted the attack, she ducks and dives out of the way, putting distance between herself and her opponent. The Grimm slams into the light-dust shield protecting the rest of the students from a potential attack. The monster could not see the students on the other side, thanks to the shield's mirrored reflection.
Frustrated, the Grimm faces Weiss again and its lips pulled back into a snarl.
A sigh of relief escaped when Ruby faintly heard the clicking of Weiss' weapon; she'd rotated the barrel to the red dust, igniting flame up the blade. The Grimm races towards her again, its claws heavily colliding with the concrete ground and flinging pebbles up in its wake. It launches itself at her, exposing its chest by extending its forelegs out in front of it to slam her down.
Weiss remains put. In one quick move, Weiss thrusts her weapon forward and up, her blade cutting into her opponent's belly as she ducks out of the way. The sound of sizzling flesh fills the room as the wolf collapses.
The wolf had already disintegrated when Weiss attached Myrtenaster back to her side, turning to face Glynda as she approached her.
"Impressive," Glynda says, her hands folded behind her back. She doesn't sound impressed. "However… While you ended the fight before the timer went off, that last attack was a delayed response. On the battlefield, that could have very well been your downfall."
Weiss remains silent.
Glynda sighs, "Although, you did earn a passing grade…"
Ruby perks up from the audience, eager to hear the woman's next words.
Glynda continues, "Congratulations, Ms. Schnee. You may join the rest of your team at the final assessment tomorrow, and if you all pass, only then will you earn your huntress licenses."
Without another word, Glynda walks away and the light-dust shield is deactivated. Ruby springs from her seat, her semblance activating and transporting her down to the arena, where she wraps her arms around her girlfriend from behind. "You did it!"
"Of course I did," Weiss answers, unfazed by Ruby's sudden attack and turning her attention towards her friends as they approach, "a young Beowulf is hardly a threat. That's freshman-level stuff."
Blake scoffs, amused. "The entire assessment was based on how soon you can end a fight without your teammate's help."
"I'm aware," Weiss says as Ruby rests her head on her shoulder comfortably, leaning her head against the white-haired heiress' warm neck with her arms loosely around Weiss' midsection. "I just hope tomorrow's test will be more of a challenge. I feel like Glynda went easy on us, and that's not quite like her."
"True." Yang hums inquisitively. "She's always been hard on us…"
"Do you think it's to throw us off?" Ruby asks. "Make us think that since the test was easy, tomorrow's would be, too?"
"Perhaps," Weiss responds curiously, "but why would Glynda, of all people, do that?"
Blake raises a brow in disagreement with her friends. "I believe it is more of a matter of preparation. We need to know how to terminate conflict quickly, regardless of how easy it is."
"Yeah, but, what if we come across a Grimm we don't have experience with? We can't have fought every Grimm species on Remnant, right?" Yang asks, resting her palm on her hip.
Ruby chuckles and lifts her head from Weiss' shoulder. "Well, I guess we just die then, huh?
-Present-
Bullet shots sound through the air as the Grimm roars in frustration, its deformed body rearing up and its human-like paws extending towards Ruby, bony claws aiming to swipe her down from her defense position in the treelines above her.
Ruby's weapon creaks as the metal folds against each other, she activates her semblance at the last moment and dashes away just as the Grimm's heavy paws crash into the tree limb with a loud crack. She draws in a slow breath and focuses her attention on the monster, she feels the edges of her eyes flicker with silver as she prepares to laser-beam the Grimm.
A crack sounds below her, breaking her focus.
The monster turns to face her as the limb snaps off from the trunk of the tree and rapidly descends towards the ground at its feet. Ruby rematerialized behind the monster and she released a war cry, spinning her weapon mid-air and launching herself towards her opponent with a burst of speed; it does not have time to counter-attack.
Crescent Rose takes the form of a scythe, the blade quickly embeds into the Grimm's shoulder, cutting deep into its bone and causing the monster to roar so loudly that Ruby's body trembles from its might.
She retracts her weapon from the Grimm and falls to the ground, letting out an annoying noise when she notices that the monster was barely fazed from her attack. If the Grimm were not protecting its center, Ruby would've easily defeated it by taking it out with a fierce blow to its unprotected flesh.
But each time she attempts to do so, it moves its heavy limbs to shield its chest while the other one knocks her off course with a rough hit to the side.
She needs to find a way to kill it quickly. Her shoulder was searing with pain, blood trickling down from her injured flesh and staining her outfit. Some droplets found their way towards the earth, caused by her use of her semblance to avoid being struck by the strange monster's unpredictable attacks.
"Ruby!"
Dread pools in the pit of her stomach upon hearing Weiss' voice shout for her in the depths of the forest, closer to them than where she'd left her.
The Grimm seems to sense her fear and turns its head in the direction of Weiss' voice. Its claws dig into the dusty soil beneath them and kick off with tremendous speed. "No!" Ruby follows quickly behind it and activates her semblance again, groaning when her shoulder tenses with unadulterated pain.
She lands on the Grimm's armored back and locks the blade of Crescent Rose around its throat, the monster rears up on two legs the moment the tip sinks into its skin and strong claws begin slashing at the weapon, tightening around its throat, cutting deeper into its throat.
Ruby has her feet firmly planted in two dents in the Grimm's armor, holding herself up and allowing the Grimm to do the work for her, each slash it aims at her weapon causes the blade to cut deeper. She grits her teeth and tightens her grip on Crescent Rose, "Strangest thing I've ever done," she murmurs, "but if it gets the job done, who cares?"
Hearing gravel moving beneath the monster's feet and glances down, silver eyes glance down to notice the Grimm nearing the cliff's ledge.
Ruby loses her balance as the creature lurches forward, she flies off its back and her weapon clangs against the ground near her as her back hits the dusty ground beneath them. She pushes herself up and reaches for her weapon, grunting in pain as her shoulder begins to throb. Strong jaws seize her metallic boot as soon as she gets a good grip on Crescent Rose, the world swirls around her as the Grimm rears upward with a thundering roar.
'Shit!'
Fearing the monster was about to devour her, Ruby twists her weapon around and swings it back, utilizing the power of the wind to propel it forward and smash into the Grimm's thick skull with a gratifying crunch. As she retracts Crescent Rose from its head, her surroundings swiftly collapse around her, and her back slams into the ground at full force, prompting a shout of agony when she feels her aura shatter.
The searing pain in her arm intensifies, her back beginning to ache from the collision; the monster rears up again and Ruby musters the remaining bit of strength she has to administer the final blow to its head, using the wind as leverage once again.
Just as the blade of her weapon sinks into her opponent's bone armor, it swings its massive head and releases her with a forceful throw, her weapon slices the monster's skull open. The Grimm disintegrates into nothingness, its last intention finally registering when she looks down to find that she's rapidly descending towards the sharp rocks and the churning waters below.
'Oh, fuck!'
She activates her semblance and pushes herself upwards, attempting to at least make it to the ledge. Her semblance flickers due to her lack of focus and as the world rebuilds itself around her, she swings Crescent Rose with weakening strength and the blade miraculously embeds into the earth, halting her fall.
Her vision is starting to blur from the pain and anguish reverberating through her body, her arm is limp and she's holding herself up with her only good limb. Ruby wraps her legs around the body of her weapon and attempts to push up, using the raggedy edge as leverage; rocks crumble beneath her feet and she loses her footing, her grip on Crescent Rose slips momentarily and she struggles to regain a good hold.
Her injured shoulder moves, but not quite enough to help her ascend towards the top; her fingers are starting to slip, and her palm slides. "No, no, no-" Her hand slips from around her weapon and Ruby struggles to activate her semblance again, only to flicker into a few, brief rose petals.
She can't.
She's fighting to keep consciousness.
She doesn't have the strength.
Fatigue washes over her and the world around her dissolves into blackness. She closes her eyes, her body heavy and laced with pain. Feeling the world falling around her as her consciousness slowly slips away, a bright light enters her view and she opens her eyes reluctantly, curiously reaching out to touch it.
Everything becomes still and she finds herself standing in a field of roses, she lifts her head to see a woman wearing a white cloak standing before her. She's greeted with a nod of her head.
'Mom.'
Ruby opens her mouth but says nothing. As a little kid emerges from behind her, her mother says nothing and looks down with a loving smile; brilliant blue and silver eyes gaze across at Ruby, and she is greeted with a sense of familiarity.
Ruby remains perfectly motionless as the girl hands her a magnificent crimson red rose.
Ruby takes the flower by the stem and mouths a 'thank you', the girl immediately returns to the woman's side with a bright smile on her face. Ruby lifts her fingers to touch the velvety soft rose petals.
The woman and the little girl fade away and the ground drops from beneath her.
Ruby opens her eyes with a new rush of adrenaline.
She's falling.
Without thinking, she twists her body quickly and she's embraced by a cloud of rose petals carrying her towards the safest area in sight; a small location with a cave-like structure.
Her body gives up as soon as she reaches the cave, and she collapses in the front; her misty silver eyes look off into the darkness, attempting to focus on the hazy contours of the hollowed-out cavern. Her body feels like she'd been run over by a whole pack of Ursa.
Her arm is entirely numb; she could only feel her fingers enough to be able to wiggle them, but even then it required a lot of energy and focus that she currently lacks. Her back feels as though a four-hundred-pound Grimm was placing all of its weight onto her delicate spine and causing her breathing to become rapid as she inhales tiny, little gasps in an attempt to relieve the pain in her lungs.
Above her, she hears faint screams and misery that sound eerily similar to her name. The aching in her body slowly subsides as calmness floods over her, awkwardly lifting her head and groggily replaying the voice through her memory. After a moment, she manages to register the voice and places a name, Ruby grunts and summons the remaining strength in her being to sit up just enough to be able to look out of the cave.
Her eyes are initially assaulted by a dazzling brightness she recognizes as the blue sky and the golden sun blazing just beyond the dark tunnel. She shakes her head weakly, refocusing on the scream echoing through her head like a broken record.
Noticing something moving in the sky, Ruby pulls herself up and blinks many times, attempting to clear her eyes so she can see the form that is rapidly drifting away from her. Her eyes clear just enough for her to recognize a familiar pink and green airship.
Something clicks through her mind. Blackness obscuring her sight once more, she utters a familiar name, the mentioned individual forming as her final thought before passing out.
"...Weiss?"
The smell of sea salt slowly drifts into her senses, followed by the strangely calming sound of waves crashing against the rock with a loud crack. She's laying on a lukewarm rock and the air around her is heavy and cold, causing goosebumps to appear across her skin. The bitterness stings at her shoulder as a discomforting throb begins to grow around it.
As another wave crashes against the rock, Ruby's silver eyes blink open blurrily and she lifts her head. The cave she sought safety in is dark and cold, the broken moon has long since risen into the midnight blue sky. She shifts her weight and pushes up, but she's abruptly stopped by a sharp, searing pain coursing through her shoulder. Raising one hand off the rock, she sits herself up by balancing her weight until she's on her knees.
She's cold and tired, she hurts all over, but she needs to get out of here somehow.
Ruby looks behind her and squints, hoping to see that the cave leads further back into the mountain and would exit somewhere on higher ground, just like in movies and videos. Unfortunately, this was not a game and the cavern stopped only a few feet deep.
Using the rock wall to brace herself, she pulls herself to her feet and releases a shaky breath before stepping away to support her weight. Grasping at her throbbing shoulder, Ruby steps out onto the ledge and peers upwards, sighing heavily when she sees how far down the cave is from the land.
"Of course."
Ruby takes in a deep breath and steps back, she braces herself by positioning her legs in a running formation and shakes off her nerves. "Okay." She whispers, determined.
She kicks off one foot and launches herself into the air, activating her semblance and turning the world around her into a fast-speeding blur.
Ruby rushes upwards, praying she would reach the edge of the cliff before her semblance flickers out. Her energy drains quickly, like stepping out into the scalding hot sun. The pain in her shoulder increases and spreads through her body like a wildfire, pleading and begging her to stop.
The world stops moving and her vision focuses steadily, she has only a moment to push herself towards the cliff before her semblance completely gives out. Urging all of the remaining strength in her being, she jolts forward and her feet unsteadily collide with the rock.
Rose petals flickering and dying around her, she stumbles and loses her footing only momentarily. Catching her balance, she stabilizes herself before taking in her surroundings; she's a long way away from the village.
"Okay. A hotel, medical care, and then find Weiss…"
Using the last bit of lien she'd managed to find in her pockets, Ruby purchased a hotel room for one night; she trudges into the room and closes the door behind her with a heavy, exhausted sigh. With a soft click, the door is locked and she strolls over to the bathroom, leaning against the door before slowly opening it.
Her back and shoulder throbbed with pain and she hissed in agony as she shifted her shoulder to lift her shirt off. "Agh," she groans, sliding the cloth off her shoulders and discarding it on the floor. Stiffly, she turns around and looks over her shoulder at the mirror, grimacing when she sees the large, black, and blue bruise stretching across the width of her back.
Her shoulder is covered in dried red blood spread around a deep gash crossing from one end of her shoulder and towards her elbow; fortunately, the wound had blended in with her sleeve enough for the people at the counter to think it was part of her shirt and she wasn't questioned.
Gods, she aches all over. It feels like she'd been trampled by a Goliath. She could use a warm, relaxing shower right now.
Ruby had awoken early in the morning to set out into the village and find a new, temporary weapon; she also needed some more clothes as her uniform was ripped and torn in several places. It wasn't something the hotel staff hadn't seen before, evidently, this was a popular spot for Grimm nesting, thus many huntsmen and teams were dispatched every few months to clear them out.
"There is a clothing store right across from the new weaponry place that opened up!" The lady at the counter informs her, "The town medic left this morning, so I'm not sure what to tell you about that wound there…" She gestures to the still-red gash across Ruby's lame shoulder, completely unfazed by the bloodstain that she had tried her best to remove.
Ruby nods in understanding, repeating the information through her head a few times so that she'll remember it. "How would one get to Atlas from here?"
"Why would you want to go to Atlas?" The woman asks, puzzled. "They're hosting an inheritance ceremony for the youngest Schnee daughter in a few weeks," the lady scoffs and rolls her eyes, entering something into the monitor before returning her gaze to Ruby, "I bet you she'll be exactly like her douche-bag of a father."
Ruby's chest churns with rage as she processes the worker's harsh words. Her brows furrow and she inhales deeply through her nose, her eyes closed. She exhales softly, "The woman you're insulting just so happens to be my fiancee ."
The lady raises a brow and observes her suspiciously as if she doesn't believe her explanation. Her eyes close and her brows angle upwards in incredulity; judging by her attitude, she must believe Ruby's insane. "Okay, anyway, the weaponry and retail store are just down the street, good luck to ya."
Leaving with a nasty feeling in her gut, Ruby walks out the door and starts down the street. She hated how people assumed Weiss was just like her father without knowing anything about her, other than the fact that she was a Schnee.
Well, she'll just have to find her way to Atlas.
A jolt of pain bites at her.
Damn, her shoulder hurts like hell. It feels like a thousand stinging Deathstalkers stabbing into her skin, and she could hardly move it without feeling searing agony racing through her entire being.
She needs to have her shoulder looked at, but she can't afford to be slowed down. She'll try to use the next hotel's phone to call Weiss…
Ruby continues down the street, searching for the buildings while she counts the remaining lien in her pocket. Disappointment rolls through her, she only has enough for one hotel stay. If she uses this to purchase a new weapon, it'll be a low-quality one with a bad caliber. It would be a flimsy first-time-practicing weapon, one like that couldn't possibly endure the trek to Argus.
Oh, how she misses Crescent Rose… She'll never see her again… If she fell, then it was likely that her precious weapon had fallen into the depths of the sea, never to be seen again.
Ruby pauses in front of the weaponry, sighing heavily as she withdraws her lien and enters the building, hoping that she'd be able to somehow purchase a decent weapon. She looks around the wood shop, admiring the weapons strung across the walls to display their stock, most of which were highly expensive. One appears to be a staff with chains as whips, and looking at the design, the chains were flammable. That sounds dangerous but cool.
Approaching the front desk, she taps the little silver bell and it sounds off a soft 'ding', alerting movement in the back of the shop.
A woman with silky black hair and bright green eyes walks around to the front, wiping her greasy hands-off and smiling warmly. "Hello, ma'am! How may I help you?" She eyes the wound on Ruby's shoulder, "Are you a huntress? If you have your license, we offer free bandages for those who can't afford the medical care around here!"
Ruby lifts a brow, stunned by the offer. "Uhm, sure, I didn't know that was a thing," the woman nods and reaches beneath the desk, she hears a clattering noise in the back and pays little attention to it, "do you have any decent weapons I can purchase for one-hundred-thirty lien? I lost my-"
She's cut off by a face appearing around the corner with a questioning expression, she silences herself upon recognizing the blond man and returns the smile when he grins excitedly. What was her father doing here?
"Ruby!" He greets, speed walking over to her and around the desk, pulling her into a tight hug that causes her to grunt in pain, she swears she feels something crack. "What are you doing here in Mistral?" He steps back, his hands on her shoulders. "I haven't seen you in forever. Why didn't you call?"
Oh, she can breathe now.
"Weiss and I were out on a mission here to clear out some Grimm… I lost my scroll, and I didn't know where you lived," she informs him tiredly.
She'd known her father had moved to Mistral, after receiving the information from Yang, but she never knew exactly where and she hadn't had the time to find out.
"I sent out a-..." Tai falls quiet as his eyes dart to Ruby's bloodied shoulder, his expression morphing into one of concern, a face that Ruby instantly recognizes.
She's going to be scolded for being reckless.
"You're hurt!" He exclaims, his voice sharp with horror, "How long has it been like this?! It looks broken! Why haven't you seen a doctor?!" Tai turns to the woman watching them, "Grab some alcohol, cotton swabs, and bandages!"
The woman nods and quickly retreats to fetch the requested items.
Ruby lets out a sigh, ignoring the fiery pain in her shoulder to the best of her ability. "No money," she answers quietly, meeting her father's eyes, "you haven't happened to see Weiss pass through here, have you?"
Tai shakes his head and Ruby's heart drops, "I didn't even know you two were here…?" His bushy brows pull together, "What's wrong? Is she okay? Are you two having premarital problems? You know… Like pre-wedding jitters?" The brunette's eyes widen as he continues, "In that case, I can help!" Tai pats his chest proudly, "I have lots of experience, just ask-"
"Everything's fine!" Ruby interrupts quickly, her voice high-pitched. She clears her throat, "I, uh, we were just separated during the mission, and I haven't seen her since…"
The man nods worriedly, gesturing for her to follow him, Ruby obeys silently. "I'll help you find her, but first," he leads her into the back room where the other woman greets them with the medical supplies, "we need to get that taken care of."
She had not been expecting to run into her father, but it's a good thing she did.
The back room is full of unfinished weapons, boxes, and tools, and it reeks of grease and oil. Ruby, however, welcomes the familiar smell.
Ruby is led into a room resembling a crowded lounge, with a sink, and two chairs sitting next to each other with cans and cups sitting everywhere. This must be where they come to relax.
A sound comes from the front door, signaling that someone was entering the building.
"You must be Taiyang's daughter, Ruby," the older woman smiles politely as Ruby sits down, taking the supplies from her, "my name is Holly!" She introduces herself as Tai exits the room to greet the customer.
Ruby fidgets, unnerved by the woman's presence. "It's nice to meet you," she answers nicely with a strained, but practiced smile, "you must be Dad's new girlfriend he told us about."
It feels strange to think of her father dating again, but if it makes him happy, then who was she to judge? Perhaps she'll like Holly!
The woman's cheeks turn a flustered pink, "Well, we're just seeing at the moment… We haven't exactly decided where we want to go with this, considering all of our kids are grown and married." Holly smiles sadly, it was a look that Ruby often saw on her father's face.
She needs to say something. As much as she wants her to leave so she can clean herself up, she would feel bad for not getting to know her father's potential partner.
"You don't look like your father," Holly comments curiously, "your sister bears a lot of resemblance. I don't see him in you, why is that?"
Ruby shrugs, "I take after my mother, I suppose…"
The woman lets out a hum, disbelieving. "My son takes heavily after his father's side, but you can still see some of the resemblance from mine." She smiles a little, willing to drop the subject, "Genetics are confusing."
"So, um, how old are your kids?"
Holly's expression brightens, "Oh, they're twenty-five and twenty-two," so they're not that much older than Ruby, "the oldest has a son on the way, he will be here next February! Your father and I have been debating introducing him as his grandfather," the woman sighs a little, "I would love for him to meet my ex-husband, but he passed away when my boys were only kids… The youngest doesn't remember him at all."
Ruby's heart becomes heavy, "My sister and I lost our Moms when we were little…" It was no secret, and she's become more open with talking about her mother. "Yang has a complicated relationship with her Mom, and I hardly remember my mother, so I know exactly how he feels…"
"Your father told me…" Holly says sympathetically, "the world out there is cruel and unjust… The person you love can be snatched away at any given moment, especially when you just start to think things will be okay."
This causes a dagger to shoot through Ruby's chest. The Grimm, her weapon, the violent ocean waves, Weiss' scream, waking up in that cave…
No, Weiss wouldn't think that, would she? Then again, how would she know Ruby hadn't fallen in?
She has to let her know she's okay.
Ruby stands up abruptly, her hands hitting the table as adrenaline rushes through her like lightning hitting a powerline. "Do you have a scroll I can borrow?" She asks urgently, startling Holly out of her grief, "I have to call someone, I have to let them know I'm all right."
Holly nods, "Your father's scroll is right over there…" The woman gestures towards a work desk and Ruby quickly strolls over, stepping around furniture so that she doesn't hit her knee or stub her toes in the small, cramped room. "Mind me asking who you're calling?"
"My fiancee."
She unlocks the scroll and dials her partner's number. The number immediately flatlines to a consistent beeping noise, before being transferred to an automatic voice message system.
"I'm sorry. The number you have dialed appears to be no longer in service."
Ruby frowns, withdrawing the scroll from her ear. "What…?" She murmurs in bewilderment, dread forming within her like an anchor being dropped to the depth of the deepest ocean, "She just renewed it last week, what do you mean it's not in service?"
She ends the call, cutting the robotic voice off and bringing the dial pad up. "Okay, maybe the company's number." Ruby hopes, rapidly punching the number in and raising it to her ear.
One ring…
Two rings…
'Come on, come on, come on.'
A man's voice greets her from the other side of the line, "Schnee Dust Company customer service, how may I help you?"
'Customer- what?'
"Hi," Ruby greets politely, "is there any way you could transfer me to someone who could refer me to Weiss Schnee?"
"Well, that's the strangest request I've received today!" The man remains quiet for a moment, tapping away at the keyboard. He answers, "Of course! Give me one second and I'll be transferring you to-"
Tai's voice overlaps with the other man's, giving a small wave as he enters the house in his usual overalls. "Who's on the phone?"
Ruby gestures for him to keep quiet, lifting a finger to her mouth and making a shushing motion. He holds his hand up in a silent apology, nodding in acknowledgment and walking away to approach Holly, who is sitting on the couch with a magazine in hand.
"There we go!" The man on the call says cheerfully, "Transferring you over now, thank you for your patience, ma'am!"
The call switches over with an audible click, followed by several ringing noises. Ruby sighs and rubs at her temple in aggravation, pleading with herself to keep as calm as humanly possible.
"Hello-"
Holly's voice interrupts, "Did you get in contact with them?" Ruby lets out an annoyed groan, hoping the person on the scroll didn't hear her.
"How may I help you? The person asks politely.
Ruby almost sounds desperate when she speaks, "Is there any way you can refer or transfer me to Weiss Schnee? I really need to speak with her!"
The clicking of the tongue sends sparks of annoyance through Ruby's chest. "I'm sorry, ma'am, Miss Schnee isn't taking any calls at the moment. Perhaps you could call back in a few days!"
"No, I can't-" Ruby says quickly, her heart beating as if she'd just run a marathon, "I can't wait a few days, I need to speak with her now. Please, if there's any way you could help me, I have to talk to her."
"I'm sorry, ma'am," he repeats, "I can't help you."
Ruby grits her teeth, "I hate to sound pressing here, but you don't understand. I am her fiancee."
The man scoffs, "And I am Jacques Schnee. Good day, ma'am, sorry I could not be of service." The call ends and Ruby's hand turns into a fist as volcanic rage bubbled within her.
"Damn it!" She slams her fist down on the hard surface of the table, causing a rattling noise to echo through the house and Tai and Holly turn to look at her.
What is she supposed to do now?
