The ceiling was truly a fascinating space.
Blank, white paint, peeling in places, a single fan stationary in its middle. The light fixture it carried was cracked - how on Earth it came to be cracked Cinder would never guess. People were bizarre creatures, doing so many random, illogical things. Stupid things. Like refusing to sleep, despite fatigue dragging them deeper into the mattress, begging, pleading for rest. Stupid, idiot human body, weak and unable to grow stronger, because of all the things Cinder could suffer from, a bout of insomnia was her curse.
She had been laying there for two hours now, if her perception of the clock was accurate. At this point lucid dreaming would not surprise her. Perhaps the clock would turn into a hamburger, at least that would distract her from the monotonous suffering. Nora was entertaining an overnight client, so that avenue was denied, and she was not exactly on texting terms with anyone else yet. As if anyone else would have such trouble sleeping. She was tired, anyone would be after standing around all day. Apparently that was not enough. Her mind had decided to dig its heels in tonight. Perhaps it was to avoid the nightmares. At this point she would willingly suffer a thousand for just an hour of sleep.
Tossing her covers off, Cinder sluggishly slid onto her feet. She walked across the room, pushing open the door to her bathroom and slapping a hand on the light attached to her vanity, filling the room with a gentle red glow. An odd idea Emerald had left her with, after many nights of grousing at the harshness of bathroom lighting, a five lien led light coloured red with magic marker cut the glare and suffering of late night visits by a magnitude. Now it provided sufficient mood lighting as Cinder stared herself down in the cracked mirror. The line splitting her face harshly past her nose.
"You look like hell." She huffed at her reflection, her shadowed eyes barely open, scars on display for her displeasure. "But I don't give a shit, you're being stupid." Her reflection said nothing more, not that she expected it to. She was not insane, just tired.
"You have work in... seven hours, do you want to spend the day tripping over your own feet? Like a fool?" Cinder spat, almost literally, she was practically drooling, and she was not even asleep yet. "This is our only chance, we fuck this up and there's nothing else, we can't take losing this job, you get that? There's nothing left, no safety net, no kickbacks. We're not relying on Nora to keep us up if we fall again, and it'll be on you, so stop being stubborn and go, the fuck, to sleep!" If she was yelling, it barely registered, the world felt like a haze around her, sound filtered through radio, image through a looking glass, the cool porcelain beneath her hands felt distant.
As if she was merely a shadow of her own consciousness.
Her reflection stared, furious in its silence. For a moment she wanted to smash it, destroy that ugly thing, that scarred remnant of a once strong woman. But that would not solve anything. She would just fuck up her hand, and then Raven would make her take the day off again. Then she would probably lose the job. Why bother keeping on a waste of space who is not smart enough not to pick a fight with her own reflection?
Cinder should be committed. But instead she staggered back to the bed and fell upon its covers, arms wrapping around the pillows as she let loose a howl of frustration into the deflating mass.
She was just so tired.
The weather sure was lovely today.
The sun was shining, there were barely any clouds in the sky, the temperature was comfortable... Cinder remembered what she used to do on days like this - Taking Emerald on a nice lunch out, spending the afternoon on the beach... But now... she was standing behind a bar counter, idly staring out the window, trying to find something to focus on to keep herself awake.
The Perch was fairly unoccupied, and with Yang busy cleaning tables Cinder had no one to talk to, but luckily there seemed to be someone arguing on their scroll across the street. She wondered who they were fighting with. Perhaps a sibling, a parent, a friend, maybe a lover, though it made no difference, their petty anger was her entertainment for the time being. Several minutes passed as she continued to watch them, their conversation appearing to be really heating up - it was quite amusing if she was being honest.
If only it were amusing enough to rid her of this feeling of utter exhaustion.
Cinder wished she had something that could help with that. She did have a cup of coffee before she left for work, but the effects of the caffeine had worn off by the time she arrived. Maybe she should buy some stronger coffee. Or possibly... something stronger than that. Her neighbourhood was not exactly the most pleasant place around, so there was a definite possibility that there was at least one drug dealer that hung around there. Maybe she could see about getting something that could... help her stay awake - something she desperately needed at this point.
Unfortunately, Cinder was not exactly an expert on illicit drugs, aside from how she knew most of them were downers. She needed something that was an upper - something that would be able to keep her from collapsing. There were a couple options that came to mind, but neither of them looked good. The first was... cocaine, but that was an obvious no. It was true she was desperate, but she was not insane. That shit was the downfall of rich and poor alike. Plus there was no way in hell that she was going to put that up their nose. Cinder would not be seen as trashy... at least not any more trashy than she already seemed. But there was another option... speed. Sure it was not exactly a good option, but it was at least better than cocaine... as far as she knew. As long as she kept it to small doses only, it should be fine... she hoped.
Then another thought came to mind. Rather than worrying about something that would keep her awake, maybe Cinder should look for something that could help her sleep - or at least relax. Luckily she knew just the thing for that.
Though Cinder had not partaken in it in quite some time - the last being in high school - she found that pot helped immensely with her anxiety. Perhaps now it could solve her insomnia problem... and maybe help with relaxing on her days off. She could sure use it. Plus, pot was harmless - at least when it was not abused. Though if she did get back into it, she would have to invest in some snacks, since it gave her the munchies as people called it. She would also need company, as getting high alone was, well, lonely. Sadly Nora was usually busy with her... customers... But maybe Yang would partake...
Turning away from the front window, Cinder looked to the blonde, who she found to be standing right in front of the bar... staring at her. She watched Yang open her mouth to speak, but the words that left it did not register.
"Cinder?" Yang spoke again.
"Yes?" Cinder managed after a moment of silence.
"You okay?" Yang inquired. She likely noticed how spaced out the older woman was.
"No, but I'll live." Cinder simply responded.
"Do you... wanna talk about it?" Yang offered. "I have been told I'm a pretty good listener." She added with a smile.
Cinder did not respond immediately, unsure if she wanted to burden Yang with her problems. Maybe she would just keep it simple, lest she cause any worry. "I've just... been having trouble sleeping lately."
"I know that struggle." Yang commented. "You know what's causing it?" Then her mouth curled into a grin. "Or who's causing it?"
Even in her current state, Cinder could not help but let out a small chuckle. "Unfortunately it's not sex that has been keeping me awake." Then her gaze fell. This was not exactly something she wanted to discuss, but there was no use hiding it. She tried that with the accident, and it turned out they already knew. Might as well tell her. "It's nightmares."
Yang's grin quickly vanished in response, replaced with a look of concern. "How long have you been having them?"
Cinder thought the answer was obvious, but maybe the blonde did not think they had been constant - which sadly they practically were. "Since the accident."
"Have you gone to see anyone about it?" Yang inquired.
Cinder sighed. "By the time I was ready to confront people again... I couldn't afford it."
"Do you have another way of dealing with them?" Yang asked, the look on her face becoming one of worry.
Cinder shook her head. "There are times when I have Nora there to help calm me down, but most of the time I just... try to go back to sleep."
Yang raised a brow. "Nora?"
"The girl I told you about." Cinder informed. "I met her when I moved into my current apartment. If it were not for her, I'm not sure if I would be standing here today..."
"Cinder... I had no idea..." Yang managed.
"It's alright." Cinder assured, attempting to plaster on a smile. "I will admit I was in a fairly bad place, but it has been getting better, if slowly."
After a moment Yang slowly nodded. "Well, as long as you're doing better... Oh, and I know it's not exactly the best solution, but I find that when I have nightmares, it helps to have a shot of rum... or two..."
Well, the blonde was not wrong. "I suppose that could help... if I actually had any liquor available..."
"Do you want some?" Yang asked, slightly perking up.
"Do I... want some?" Cinder echoed, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"I mean we've got tons of it here, so if you ever want a bottle of anything, just let me know." Yang explained. "I'll pay for it." She added with a smile. "Just as long as it isn't too expensive."
Cinder blinked. Was she serious? "I... really?"
"Of course." Yang responded. "I know what it's like to be plagued with nightmares, so it's the least I can do."
A smile found its way to Cinder's face. It was a fairly simple gesture yes, but that did not mean it did not mean anything. "Thank you..."
"No problem." Yang smiled. "But in the meantime, why don't you take an sports drink or an energy drink from the mini fridge below the bar? It'll help keep you up until you get home."
Energy drinks? Leaning back to look under the counter, Cinder spotting the mini fridge in question. She crouched down to peer inside, and found a variety of bottles and cans lining the shelves, filled with red, blue, orange, green, and even yellow-coloured liquids. They were not bad per se, but how some people could drink so much of this stuff was beyond her. Eventually she decided on one of the energy drinks - Hunter - because she sure needed the energy. Plus it was a brand she recognized, so she at least knew she somewhat enjoyed it.
After closing the mini fridge and standing back up, Cinder popped open the tab and took a sip, and... wow. She forgot how extremely sweet energy drinks were... and how sour the aftertaste was. Then the blonde chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Cinder questioned.
"Have you ever had an energy drink before?" Yang wondered. "Cause your face tells me this is your first time."
"It has been quite a while, but yes, I have." Cinder answered.
"How long has it been?"
"Since high school." Cinder informed. "They were very beneficial for when I was up late working or at parties. By the time I entered university I had stopped drinking them, as I did not attend nearly as many parties anymore because of Emerald, and I had moved onto coffee for work."
"Emerald?"
Shit. "She was... my partner, before all of this..." Cinder began. As much as she did not want to be having this conversation, it was her own fault for mentioning her name. "She..." Cinder took a deep breath, fighting the urge to tear up. "She... passed, in the fire."
Yang did not respond immediately, likely trying to formulate a response. "Cinder... I'm so sorry, I can't imagine what you went through..."
Cinder shook her head. "Don't be. You didn't know."
After a moment Yang slowly nodded. "Okay... If you need anything, just let me know, alright?"
Cinder offered a small smile. "Thank you Yang." It was nice to know someone other than Nora would be there for her. After all, that redhead deserves a break from all that she does for her.
A few moments passed in silence before Yang spoke up once again. "So... got any plans this weekend?"
Cinder was thankful for the change in subject. "I'm not sure. I might see what Nora's up to, so long as she isn't... busy with work."
"Busy on the weekend? What kind of job does she have?" Yang asked.
"She's an... an escort..." Cinder hesitantly answered, her voice lowering as she spoke.
Yang blinked. "As in the type of escort who..." She leaned closer. "Picks people up for sex?" To which the older woman nodded. "Oh wow, I uh, wow."
Cinder raised her brow. "What?"
"Sorry, I just didn't think you were the type of person to be hanging around someone like that." Yang admitted.
Cinder let out a chuckle. "Believe me Yang, if she hadn't tried to pick me up when we first met, I never would have guessed she was... in that line of work."
Yang's eyes went wide in surprise, a grin spreading across her face. "Oh you have got to tell me that story!" She laughed.
Cinder could not help but join the blonde in laughter.
"Maybe another time Yang."
It was amazing how a dreadful morning could turn into a fairly pleasant afternoon.
Not only did Cinder gain the necessary energy to actually get through the day thanks to that Hunter energy drink - she was not sure if she could have stayed awake without it - but she also got Yang's number. Well, sort of. It was more like the blonde insisted she have it, saying something about how she should have more than one person to talk to on a regular basis. If Cinder was being honest, she appreciated the gesture. It had been quite some time since she made a new friend.
And so the day continued on.
Several hours passed, the bar slowly filling with customers as more and more people finished their workdays. All was fairly normal until a familiar girl - clad in an unusually pink dress shirt under her spiked black leather jacket - trudged through the front entrance... and she did not look happy. Cinder silently hoped she would approach Yang instead of her, but unfortunately that would not be the case, as she headed straight to the bar counter.
Breathing a heavy sigh as she sat down, she turned to Cinder, a tired look in her eyes. "Hey." She spoke, causing the older woman to flinch. It was odd. The first time she met this girl, she spoke in such a soft, pleasant voice. But now her voice really fit her attire to say the least - aside from the pink shirt she was currently wearing.
"Good afternoon... Weiss?" Cinder guessed. She was fairly certain that was her name.
"That's my name sweetheart." Weiss confirmed. "Think you could get me some ice? My wrist is killing me due to how much fucking ice cream I scooped today."
"Of course." Cinder nodded. Crouching down, she grabbed a plastic bag from the shelf before searching around for the ice. Eventually she was able to find some inside the freezer of one of the mini fridges. She placed several of the frozen cubes into the bag, making sure to get a napkin before handing the bundle to the other woman.
"Thanks." Weiss acknowledged, placing the napkin-covered bag over her left hand.
"If I may ask, why were you scooping so much ice cream?" Cinder inquired.
"I've got a job over at Two Scoops of Vale." Weiss informed. "And it. Fucking. Sucks."
"I suppose every job has its issues..." Cinder mumbled.
"You have no idea." Weiss huffed. "It's only been a few weeks, and I have never despised children as much as I do now. The job itself isn't horrible, but having to deal with those little snot-nosed brats has made this job a living hell."
Cinder remembered the last time she was around children. It had been quite a long time, over a year ago to be precise... back before her life ended. Her prior boss, Salem, once brought her four daughters into work due to their babysitter calling in sick, and she had previously stated she did not trust daycare. Her husband was unable to pick them up until the mid-afternoon, so the girls hung around in Salem's office. That was until she had to attend an in-person meeting... and promptly left her children with Cinder. At first she was very concerned, downright freaked out, seeing as she had zero experience with children, but soon discovered they were quite well behaved - simply taking to the spare table in Cinder's office to engage in their own quiet activities. Considering what Salem was like, she probably should have expected it, but she was just relieved it was a pleasant experience - unlike what Weiss was describing.
"I always end up having to listen to them bitch and moan to their parents about how they want bigger sizes or more toppings." Weiss continued. "I am so fucking tired of watching moronic parents try to calm down their whining kids and failing horribly."
Cinder opened her mouth to speak, aiming to ask why she does not quit, but the younger woman continued further.
"And don't even get me started on how infuriating some of my dumbass coworkers are." Weiss complained. "For one, they're all just immature high school students, which in and of itself means they're a pain in my ass. Not to mention my piece of shit boss. Fucking bitch continuously calls me Weiss Cream." She clenched her free fist. "Makes me want to break that stupid pierced nose of hers."
Cinder had to hold back a smile. Weiss Cream... That actually made her think about her own bosses. Salem was by far the longest one she had - and that was not even counting the time before she was promoted to head of engineering. Sure Salem was not her boss during that time, but she was still the boss. Strong, powerful, beautiful. That woman built the company from the ground up, and even after getting married, she continued to work from Mistral - while on her honeymoon. Hell, she had four children and barely took any time off. Cinder had no idea how she could have possibly managed all that - Immortality maybe. That would have explained a lot.
On the contrary, there was Raven. Cinder had not worked for her for long - under two weeks in fact - but she could tell she was a respectable woman. One could argue she shared some of the same qualities with Salem - strength, power, and beauty - just, in a different way. While her former boss was quite proud of those qualities, her current one just seemed too tired to care. Cinder bet if she were to call Raven beautiful, she would just brush it off, as if it was untrue.
"She thinks she's so much better than everyone else." Weiss continued once again, pulling Cinder from her thoughts. "Always thinking she knows best, constantly looking down on all of us, especially me." She huffed. "Because I'm short, as if that's anything notable, a lot of women are on the shorter side. I've made my peace with that, but just because she was a basketball player in high school she thinks it's clever to look down on me, the stupid jock cunt."
Wow. Now that was a word Cinder was not expecting to hear today.
It was true a boss should never look down on their employees, but the way Weiss was reacting to it all was... immature, and downright ignorant. If something like that bothered her this much, then she has never had a real boss. Her suffering was her own fault, stature meant nothing in terms of intimidation.
"If you dislike the job so much, why have you stayed?" Cinder wondered.
Weiss breathed a heavy sigh. "I want to have another job lined up before I leave this one." She answered. "I'm trying to find something that I can actually be satisfied with, something that actually challenges me in a meaningful fashion. Unfortunately I never finished university, so I'm not qualified for any real jobs, which is just fucking perfect. It's been over a year and I still haven't found shit."
"If you're struggling to find a good job... why don't you go back to university?" Cinder asked.
"I just... I dunno." Weiss simply replied. "It's complicated."
Cinder understood that. Her whole life was complicated. She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the squeaky noise of the back door opening - revealing Vernal. As she approached, she grinned.
"Hey babe." Vernal greeted her girlfriend before facing the older woman. "Sorry I'm a bit late, traffic was shite, and I snoozed the alarm a few times..."
Cinder looked up at the clock hanging above the shelves behind her. "You have an alarm... for four thirty in the afternoon?" She hesitantly questioned. She may want to know the answer, but that woman still intimidated her.
"Well my little Snowflake here likes to make an effort to keep me on track." Vernal smirked, shooting a glance over at Weiss as she did so - who she realized was glaring at her.
"That's Snow queen to you."
Vernal quirked a brow. "Oh is it?"
"Closet, now." Weiss near-commanded.
Vernal just chuckled. "Yes ma'am." Then she turned to Cinder. "You mind staying a bit later? We won't be long."
"Very well." Cinder simply replied, to which Vernal thanked her before she and Weiss headed into the back room.
It was interesting, while Raven allowed Vernal and Weiss to not only openly make out in the public space of the bar, but have sex in the back. Salem would have never stood for sexual liaisons in the workplace. Hell, she remembered how Emerald had to make sure their boss was not around before kissing her on the cheek. Frankly, it was surprising Salem even had children, she seemed so... above sexuality.
What a difference in work environment.
I hope they spray something once they're done.
Once Vernal and Weiss were finished with their fun, the former came to relieve Cinder since her shift was over. Now she could go back to her apartment and... maybe see if Nora was free, or watch some videos on her scroll... She really needed to find something else to occupy her time. Perhaps she could text Yang after she was finished her shift. They could talk about... she was not sure actually. It had been quite a long time since she texted someone just to talk - She definitely needed practice.
After putting her name tag back in her locker, Cinder made her way out the back door. Greeted by the shining sun and a warm breeze, she was instantly reminded why she loved the summertime - even though it was not summer quite yet. She remembered countless days with Emerald spent picnicking, tanning on the beach, bike riding... There were even a few times they went to Vale's big amusement park - Emerald sure loved those thrill rides...
Too bad none of that was possibly anymore... and not just because her soulmate was gone. Tank tops, short shorts, bikinis... none of that stuff really looked good with the burnt pizza that Cinder called a left side.
As Cinder walked across the outer edge of the parking lot, towards the alleyway that led to the sidewalk, she heard a voice call out to her - and unfortunately, she knew exactly who it belonged to.
"Cinder!"
As much as she wanted to just ignore them and keep going, that voice was too close. Hesitantly turning around, Cinder caught a glimpse of two people she honestly hoped she would never have to see again - Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck.
Cinder watched as the pair closed their car doors and approached her. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She wondered to herself, already feeling her heart rate begin to increase. As the two stopped in front of her - Ruby slightly farther back, a... conflicted look on her face - she scowled. "What do you want now?"
"We were just wondering if we could speak with you." Pyrrha answered.
There was no getting out of this. Fuck. Again. "Fine." Cinder simply responded before turning to head back inside, taking a deep breath as she did.
"Where are you going?" Pyrrha asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
"Inside." Cinder replied as she continued walking. "We're not airing our dirty laundry in public."
"Oh... okay..." Pyrrha mumbled, seemingly following with Ruby close behind.
Reopening the back door of the bar, Cinder stepped back inside, not even bothering to hold the door open for the other two women. Her morning may have been a bit rough due to the lack of sleep, but she was actually having a good afternoon. But now it had been ruined. Ruined by something uncomfortable and infuriating, something she had no desire to confront but unfortunately will not go away due to familial proximity. Pulling out one of the chairs from the lone table and taking her seat, Cinder crossed her arms, continuing to glare at the other two women - mostly Pyrrha - as they sat down across from her.
After a few moments spent in silence, Pyrrha spoke up. "I... I know you likely aren't happy to see me... but it was Ruby who wanted to come talk to you." She informed. "I'm just here to support my wife... so I will be quiet unless my input is needed." Taking Ruby's hand, the redhead smiled at her.
"I appreciate it." Cinder deadpanned, attempting to keep herself calm. She did not want a repeat of the last time Pyrrha visited.
Another few moments passed in silence before Ruby opened her mouth to speak. "I... I'm sorry Cinder."
"What what are you sorry for this time?" Cinder questioned, a scowl on her face. It caused Pyrrha to wince, Ruby to shut her eyes. "Do you want to tell me all about how many friends you lost?"
Ruby did not respond immediately, taking a second to open her eyes back up. "There's nothing I can say that you haven't heard before."
"Then why are you here?" Cinder inquired, her eye narrowing.
Ruby shrugged, her mouth forming the beginning of several sentences, before settling in a grimace. "I don't know Cinder, I just... don't feel right, leaving things like I did."
Cinder raised her brow. "What, staring at me for a minute before running out of the building?"
"I panicked." Ruby admitted.
"No shit."
Ruby sighed. "I've never been good with social stuff. People are scary, you're scary, you always were." She continued, unable to meet the older woman's unfriendly gaze.
"I'm surprised you find me scary considering you've met Salem." Cinder observed.
"I don't think scary is the right word for Salem." Ruby huffed, the semblance of a smile passing over her lips. "She like... needs a new word, like anxiety and shame mushed into one thing."
Cinder managed a small smile. "I suppose you're right about that one."
"Have you been talking to her?" Ruby wondered.
"I haven't seen her since the trial." Cinder simply answered.
Ruby scowled, confusion evident. "You haven't talked to her at all?"
"As I just said, not since the trial. I haven't seen anyone since then." Cinder repeated.
Now Ruby just looked lost. "I just... I thought after the defense... I'm sorry, I thought she'd have helped."
"As is turns out." Cinder bit. "No one is interested in helping an accused arsonist who got off scot free."
"I... I'm-" Ruby started.
"Don't you dare apologize again Rose." Cinder interrupted, already feeling her anger flaring again.
Ruby flinched, bowing her head, downcast. "I was being selfish." She murmured. "I didn't question it, because it gave me someone to blame. I was angry, it gave me someone to be angry at, because if I could be angry at you I didn't have to be angry at myself for not being able to save anyone... But it didn't matter, you didn't do it, no one knows who did it, so all we have is pain and sadness and I just wanted to try and stop some of it, because you lost more than I did, and no one paid for it."
Cinder narrowed her eye, her anger growing further. "You really think no one paid for that fire? Look at me, I paid for it with my life! My job, my home, my body... my soulmate... I lost everything!"
"You didn't deserve this!" Ruby growled, Pyrrha jumped at the exclamation, and even Cinder paused, as Ruby rubbed frantically at her eyes. "Someone out there was just walking around while we were blaming you and it was all their fault. It's them that should be in pain, they should have been on trial but they're not, we don't even know who they are. It all got called a stupid fucking accident, they're saying we went through all the pain and suffering for some... damned gas leak?"
Cinder had to admit, it was surprising to hear Ruby swear. She had always been very mild mannered. Swearing did not fit her. It softened Cinder's ire just a tad. "Unfortunately it doesn't matter if I deserved it or not. It happened, and we all lost things. I'm just trying to move past it." Cinder sighed. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm herself. "I just want a fresh start..."
"Is there any way I can help?" Ruby asked, concern creeping its way into her voice.
Cinder did not respond immediately, as she was not sure what kind of response she would give. All she wanted was to have that fresh start, but unfortunately that could never happen when people like Ruby kept bringing it up. Did she want to just not have to hear about it ever again, or for those people to just leave her alone entirely? She sighed again. "I honestly don't know Ruby. I appreciate your words and all, but they can't exactly change anything."
Ruby slowly nodded. "I know... I just... are you doing... okay? Like, living and stuff?" She asked.
"I'm surviving."
"Alright, good, then..." Ruby took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Thank you, for letting me talk... I know you've never really liked me."
"It was not that I disliked you Ruby, you were just always so... bubbly. It was always a bit much for me." Cinder explained. She remembered what the younger woman used to be like in the office. When she was first hired, she was so... quiet. The only person she ever hung around or hell even talked to was this one rabbit Faunus... Velvet if Cinder recalled correctly. Yes, that was her name. The one Pyrrha mentioned... another victim of that damn fire.
Ruby laughed. "That's not as much of a problem anymore."
"I suppose it's not." Cinder observed. "Getting married always seems to... ground people a bit more."
"Well... Yang does call Pyrrha the ball and chain." Ruby giggled.
Cinder actually let out a small chuckle. "Yang is quite the interesting woman isn't she."
Ruby's lips curled into a bright smile. "She's the best, always trying to make others happy."
Cinder nodded. "She's certainly made my time her more pleasant."
"What about Raven? And Vernal?" Ruby wondered.
Cinder thought for a moment. "Raven is... hard to read, and Vernal is intimidating."
Ruby blinked. "Wait, you're intimidated by someone?"
Cinder let out a small sigh. "Yes Ruby, I, like everyone else, am able to feel intimidated."
"Wow." Ruby stared at the older woman in awe. "I need to get Vernal a medal."
Cinder rolled her eye. "At least I'm slowly getting used to her."
Ruby chuckled. "She only acts tough, don't worry about her."
"So I've been told."
"You've probably met Weiss by now..." Ruby added.
Cinder nodded. "I have."
"She's also acting tough, just you know... not as good." Ruby explained, her slips curling into a slight grin.
"I can tell." Cinder agreed. "But I have also heard she enjoys doing it, so I suppose that's what matters."
"Yeah, I guess so..." Ruby shrugged. "Well... I guess we should go."
"Very well." Cinder slowly nodded. "Though I am unsure whether I can say it was nice to see you, I can say it was not unpleasant, at least for the most part."
"Um, thank you... It was not unpleasant to see you too..." Ruby replied as she and Pyrrha stood from their chairs. "Will we see you at the party next week?"
Cinder quirked her brow. "Party?"
Ruby nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Yeah! Weiss' birthday is next week, and Raven is letting her use the bar for the party!"
"I see." Cinder was unaware of this. "I suppose if I'm invited, I will attend." Then she realized something. "But am I required to bring a present?"
"Nah, Weiss'll be happy just to have people there." Ruby answered. "If you do wanna get her something she isn't picky... Weiss hasn't exactly had many good birthdays."
"Well I'm not sure if I could afford anything nice, but I'll see what I can do." Cinder addressed.
"Oh, well don't feel like you need to get her something if you don't have the money for it..." Ruby assured. "Weiss won't care if you get her a gift or not."
Cinder slowly nodded. "Okay."
"Anyways... guess we'll head out." Ruby decided after a moment of silence. "Have a nice day Cinder." She added with a smile.
"You too Ruby." Cinder acknowledged. Ruby turned to leave, Pyrrha offering a small smile and a wave before following her.
As soon as the two were gone, Cinder relaxed her posture, breathing a sigh of relief as she did. At least this talk didn't go as terribly as the last one. She thought to herself. It actually ended rather... pleasantly, if she was being honest. Maybe now she would actually be able to be around those two without getting angry. Well, she likely could with Ruby, given how this talk went, but Pyrrha... she may need a bit more time with her.
"Hey Cinder?" Suddenly came Raven's voice, pulling the younger woman from her thoughts.
Cinder turned to her boss's voice, as she stood in the doorway to her office. "Yes?"
"You alright?" Raven wondered.
Cinder blinked. "Am I... alright?"
"I uh, I heard some of your conversation with Ruby." Raven informed. "Specifically the uh, louder parts."
"Oh... I apologize if I disturbed your work..." Cinder mumbled.
"Don't worry about it." Raven assured. "There are always gonna be times where you gotta raise your voice."
"Thank you..."
Raven nodded before turning to head back into her office, then she stopped, turning her head to face the younger woman. "You know, if you ever need to just talk, my door's always open." And with that, she stepped back into her office, closing the door behind her.
Cinders eyes prickled, as she could not resist a genuine smile. She was so grateful to work here.
Author's Note: Would you look at that, a whole day early! And with a full-length chapter!
Anyways, hope you enjoyed! And as always, your feedback fuels me! :D
