A Unanimous Agreement
Ruby awoke to a painful, almost drilling sensation in her head. It took her almost a full minute to realize the agonizing pain was the sound of her alarm going off, demanding she wake up. She tried to reach for the small, digital clock's snooze button, but all she accomplished was knocking the clock off of her nightstand and onto the ground.
"Ugh." She groaned, sitting up. She reached down to turn the alarm off, when she realized what was in her hand. "Huh?"
A book. A very familiar book, with a black cover a single red rose on the front. Ruby turned off the alarm as the memories came back like a small wave. She stared at the book with a heavy sigh as she remembered.
Her mother, Summer, had lived most of her life with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She had her own alt, a woman name named Raven that would sometimes come out to talk to Ruby and Yang. The two women gave Ruby the best advice they could, and one of the best pieces of advice was to have a journal or diary.
Ruby's diary was a gift from Summer, and she remembered her mother explaining that it served two purposes. When Ruby was dissociating, she could read it to help ground herself into the present, helping stop the dissociation episode, or she could read it after dissociating.
After dissociating, an alternate personality, or alt, would take control of the body. Usually Ruby would have no memory of what happened when the alt was in control. The basic idea was that the alt that stepped into the driver's seat would write in the diary, noting down everything that had happened during their time out. Then they'd go to sleep and wake up as Ruby.
It was almost scary to think the rose-covered diary now held Ruby's entire life in its pages...
If I have it, then… The young woman tried to remember what had happened last night. All that came back was a blank, though. She tried again, trying to recall even the slightest detail, but all she could remember was a peculiar, yet familiar smell…
Pizza?
Ruby stared at her book, before she opened the covers and read the first page. 'Your name is Ruby Rose.' She wrote those words years ago when she was a child, back when her mother was still with her. She skipped head, slowly making sure nothing important had been forgotten.
Her father's betrayal, Adam, Sun, and finally moving to Vale… There was an ache in Ruby's heart, but at least she knew why it was there. Then she got to the latest entry of the book, and her silver eyes slowly read the words she didn't remember writing.
'Hey, Ruby. So, I guess I'm supposed to write in this and tell you what happened. It's kind of a long story, so bare with me. I know you have questions. I'll try answering them all.' Already Ruby felt a tightness in her chest, but she tried to ignore it. This entry wasn't like the others. This one felt different...
'I forgot about the others. Weiss, Yang, Blake… I forgot they existed. I can't imagine how crazy that sounds. Honestly, reading this book was crazy. I almost didn't believe it, but it's true, isn't it? I know it is. I can feel it… I can almost remember having them, but it feels like some kind of dream.'
Ruby blinked, rubbing at her eyes to wipe away some moisture. She sat up straight, sighing as she shook off the last bits of fatigue and exhaustion. 'So last night, we(you?) were at a party, and this guy drugged your drink.' Those words alone were enough to almost send Ruby into a panic.
I was drugged…? Ruby felt a shiver go up her spine, and she shook her head. It was terrifying to think what could have happened, but she tried to swallow down her growing dread. She shook it off as best she could and kept reading.
'When we realized what happened, we ran out of that party. We were trapped in the middle of nowhere, in a city that I didn't recognize. You didn't recognize. Whatever. I was terrified, but then this guy found me. Jaune. He's a pizza delivery guy, and he let me sit in his car and eat pizza until I figured out what I wanted to do. Long story short, he saved my life and got us home safely.'
'We celebrated New Years together. It was actually pretty fun. He's really funny. Nice too.' There was a new passage, hastily written as if she had been scared to write it. 'I know this might not mean much to you know, and I know I can't really tell you what to do, but I was hoping you could be friends with him? I know how lonely you've been feeling lately, cause I'm feeling it now. Jaune's nice though. I think you'll really like him.'
Ruby wasn't sure how to process what she was reading. This was basically a letter to herself, and her past self was telling her that she apparently made friends with some pizza guy after he saved her life? It was insane, but it must have happened. She tried to remember last night again, closing her eyes as she concentrated.
There was the smell of pizza again. The taste this time. She remembered her head hurting and music, loud honking from cars. But she couldn't see anything. The memory was still too hazy. She sighed, and looked at the book again.
'Here's his number and e-mail. I hope you talk to him. I really liked him, so hopefully you will too.' There was another gap between the next two passages, and Ruby wondered what was going through her mind when she wrote all of this. 'I'm going to sleep soon. When I wake up, you won't remember what happened, so I kind of wonder what's going to happen to me… You won't remember me, and I'll just be you, so… I mean, is it like dying?'
Ruby wasn't sure how to answer the question...
'I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be thinking like that. I'm still Ruby Rose. It's not like I'm going to die, right? I just turn into you.'
That was the last of the entry. Ruby put the book down, closed it and stared at the red bookmark poking out. Another entry in her life.
Surreal felt like a good word for it. Weird might have been better. She didn't know what to do now that she knew what she did. She needed time to process it.
Ruby sighed and looked into her own mind again. She could feel the other alternates in her head: Yang, Weiss, and Blake. It felt like they were asleep.
I'm okay. I'm okay. Just gonna make breakfast and think this over. The thought of calling Jaune popped into her head, but she shook the thought away. Later. I-
There was banging below her, and Ruby cringed at the loud pounding on her door. She ran downstairs in her pajamas and opened the door. "Hello? Oof!" Something lunged at her, wrapping around her neck and squeezing the life from her in an instant.
"Rubes! Oh, thank god you're okay! I was so worried last night! I wanted to come and check on you, but then the cops came cause I kicked that guy's ass, and it was this whole thing, and the party got ruined, and I was angry, and-"
"N-Neon?!" Ruby tried to pull the orange-haired girl off of her, and after a bit of fighting, Neon allowed herself to be removed. Ruby stared at her with confused, silver eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to give you your stuff back!" Neon reached into the large satchel hanging off of her shoulder, and pulled out a red coat that Ruby recognized as hers. "Your wallet, keys, and phone too!"
"W-wait. What? How…? Why do you have these?" the dark-haired woman questioned, taking her stuff back. "Wait." Neon's words finally set in for her, and her brow wrinkled. "Did you say something about cops?"
"Yeah! The guy who tried to drug you! When I saw you run off, I totally kicked his ass! That's what he gets for hurting you! Then someone called the cops on us, and, well… Stuff happened so I couldn't go find you." Neon grinned, only to almost immediately deflate. She looked like someone had poured cold water all over a cat. "I'm sorry."
Ruby was told she was pretty energetic, but Neon was moving at a mile a second. The young crimsonette stared at Neon, catching up as she shook her head. "Neon, it's okay-."
"No, it's not! I invited you to that stupid party!" Neon groaned, walking past Ruby and falling onto her sofa. She buried her face in her hands, as Ruby closed the door.
Come right in, the woman thought, mildly annoyed at the sudden intrusion. She brushed it off, her better nature pushing her to help Neon. Whether or not the orange-haired womn was her friend, Neon clearly needed to talk to someone, and Ruby wanted to help.
"I really feel awful about this, Ruby. You could have… i-if you hadn't ran away from that guy, you might have…" Neon rubbed her face, groaning angrily. "I feel like such an ass! This is so my fault, and I can't believe I messed up so bad! Ah! Stupid, stupid!" Neon smacked herself in the head once, and she was about to do it again, before Ruby caught her hand.
"Neon!" The girl looked up at Ruby. Her usually bright, emerald eyes had almost seemed to fade into a dull teal. "It's not your fault. It's okay. You couldn't have known, and I'm okay, aren't I?"
"Y-yeah, but…" Neon bit her lower lip, digging her teeth into it, before speaking. "It's so stupid. I had this whole plan! The night was supposed to have been awesome! Me, and my best gal, partying. We were gonna ring in the new year together! But I ruined it. You could have gotten hurt, o-or worse because of me!"
"Well, I mean, we can still enjoy the new year together," Ruby smiled. "It's okay, Neon."
"How are you not hating me right now?!" The woman pulled her hand out of Ruby's grip and she fell back into the sofa with a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry, Rubes. I mean, it's my fault. I've been thinking about how if something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself…"
"I get that." Ruby placed a hand on Neon's shoulder, sitting beside the girl on the sofa. "But it's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm okay, and I forgive you for what happened. Nothing to worry about, right?"
Neon just looked away, and it was almost as if the usual glow on her skin was fading. Ruby felt a pang of guilt. She hated seeing others sad. Her mother taught her better than that.
"Okay, what if you promise to be better in the future?" Neon blinked, and she looked at her friend with an arched brow. "You messed up. Everyone makes mistakes, Neon, but you know what you did wrong, so in the future, you'll do your best to be better. That's all any of us can do, right? Beating ourselves up won't change what's already happen."
The depressed woman sniffed, wiping her eyes as she slowly nodded her head. "You're right… You're right!" Suddenly Neon jumped off the sofa and landed on her feet, a toothy grin on her face. "I'll be the best damn friend ever!" The light in her eyes came back, and her skin seemed to radiate with energy.
Ruby wasn't sure if she was happy to see Neon feel better, or confused at how quickly the girl seemed to bounce back. Either way, Neon's finger was suddenly pointed right at her face.
"Ruby Rose! I, Neon Katt, swear to be the best friend you could ask for!"
"Um, okay! Awesome," Ruby nodded her head, deciding to just be happy Neon wasn't upset anymore.
"Let's start! You got any breakfast yet?"
"No, but I was just gonna-"
"Awesome! Come on, come on, I'll get us some McDonalds!" Neon reached down and grabbed Ruby's arm, pulling on the shorter girl as she beamed. "Come on!"
"N-Neon, hold on! Wait! I'm still in my pajamas!"
Neon proved to be incredibly difficult to stop when an idea popped into her head, so rather than fight it, Ruby decided to accept the free meal. She was at least able to convince Neon to let her change in her bedroom.
The two drove to the closest McDonalds, with Ruby clinging for dear life again, and sat inside the restaurant after ordering their meals.
"I mean it, Rubes! You and me? We're gonna be like this!" Neon crossed her fingers as she smiled. "I'm going to make last night up to you, I promise!"
"You really don't have to, Neon. I'm okay, and I'm not upset at you or anything," Ruby repeated.
"I know, but I'm mad at me! Friends don't do that kind of thing! Friends don't leave friends with some scumbag asshole," huffed Neon. "I just feel like such an ass," she groaned, resting her head on her hand.
"Hey, come on. Cheer up." Ruby smiled at Neon, gently punching her arm. "I didn't get hurt, and the whole thing wasn't all bad."
"How is getting drugged by some asshole not all bad?!" Neon scowled.
"Well-" Ruby hesitated for a moment, glancing at Neon. The young woman really hoped this didn't come off as weird. "I met a guy. He helped me. He was really nice, and he saved my life, basically. Made sure I got home okay."
"A guy?" Neon's eyes widened at that, before she frowned again. "You sure he isn't a creep?"
Ruby wasn't sure, honestly. She had little to no memories of last night, but she trusted what she read. As strange as it was to think, if her self from yesterday liked Jaune, then she probably would to. "I'm pretty sure, yeah."
"Since you have your phone now, are you going to give him a call?" Neon inquired, sipping at her mountain dew.
"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe?"
Neon nodded her head, understanding Ruby's hesitation. They both lifted their head as they heard their orders being finished. "I'll get it." She stood up and walked away, leaving Ruby alone.
Well, almost alone.
"Thought she'd never leave."
"Blake?" Ruby's eyes widened for a moment, before she glanced around the resturant to make sure no one heard her. "I didn't hear you get up."
"I know. Who is this guy?"
"Oh. Neon? She's Yang friend."
"I mean the one from last night."
Ruby winched, knowing she had been caught. She couldn't lie to Blake, unfortunately. The alt knew Ruby too well. She sighed quietly, before answering. "Can you wake up Weiss and Yang for me? I don't want to explain it two more times. I promise, I'll tell everyone everything as soon as we're back home, okay?"
The young woman didn't get a response for a moment, and she wondered in Blake was even listening still. Finally she got a response, when her own chin dipped down without her knowledge. Blake nodded Ruby's head, before vanishing into the depths of their mind.
"Ruby? You okay?" Neon walked back to the table, placing the trays down. "You look spooked."
"Y-yeah. Just… thinking."
"About the guy, right?" the orange-haired woman asked. Ruby didn't answer, which Neon took as confirmation. "For what it's worth, and I know it's not a lot, I think you should talk to him again."
"Huh?" Ruby blinked, looking at Neon with raised brows. "Really?"
Neon unwrapped her burger and bit into it, nodding. "Totally." She smiled at Ruby. "I mean, he sounds like a cool guy. Why not?"
Ruby had a dozen different reasons for why she shouldn't talk to Jaune again, but she wasn't sure if she could tell any of them to Neon. "It's… weird. I mean, I'm not exactly normal." Ruby unwrapped her burger and began to quietly eat as Neon nodded. "I'm socially awkward…" And that's putting it mildly.
"Aw, come on! Where's the Ruby I know and love?" the other woman wondered. "Where's the badass boss bitch who gets violent when people get grabby? Where's the party chick who dances with me at raves? Who does shots with me?!"
Yang does what now?! The young woman shook her head, avoiding Neon's emerald eyes. She was expecting Yang, but Ruby wasn't her sister. She was just… Ruby Rose. "I guess I'm not always like that, Neon. I guess sometimes I'm just… me."
"Well, what's wrong with that?" Neon asked. "You're pretty cool if you ask me. This guy would be lucky to know you. I know I am."
Ruby lifted up her head at that, surprised by her words. The silver-eyed girl smiled, truly appreciating the Neon's kindness. She was undoubtedly weird, but so was Ruby. Maybe Neon wasn't just Yang's friend...
"Thanks, Neon."
Jaune smiled as he held the small whiteboard in his hands. He stood among a small crowd of people in the Vale International Airport, happily awaiting the return of his two best friends. Their plane had already landed, so he didn't have to wait long for them.
"Jaune!" a voice greeted, and he smiled as he saw that familiar bright orange hair. An arm waved at him as Nora Valkyrie ran towards the blond, dragging her boyfriend, Lie Ren, behind her.
"Welcome back, guys!" Jaune hugged Nora as soon as she was close enough, a gesture that was happily returned, before doing the same for Ren.
"Good to see you, Jaune." Ren's eyes glanced down, noticing the whiteboard, and Jaune grinned at the blush that burned on his friend's cheeks. "Is that really necessary?"
Jaune smiled at him, handing the whiteboard to Nora, who grinned at the words on it. "No, but it is accurate."
"Mr. and Mrs. Valkyrie? Awww!" Nora pushed the board into her boyfriend's vision, pointing at the heart surrounding the words, all written in pink. "Ren, you're my Mister!"
"It is pretty accurate," the blond commented.
"Well, it's good to be back home," sighed Ren. The smile on his lips, and the spark in his eyes, betrayed him. No matter how stoic he seemed, Jaune and Nora could both tell how happy the young man was. "Mind helping?" He lifted up his hand, and motioned to the luggage.
"Sure. Come on, the car's not far." Jaune took the luggage and walked along his friends, smiling as Nora skipped beside the two boys. "So, how was seeing your parents again, Ren?"
"Good. They showed us the country. It was a nice change of pace from Vale."
"We went hiking, climbed mountains, saw the Great Wall!" Nora listed, counting on her free hand. "Pretty good wall. Seven out of ten!"
"She's been waiting to make that joke," Ren stated. "For the last two days. I had to tell my parents not to ask her what she thought of it." The corner of his lip rose as Nora let out a loud gasp, gawking at her boyfriend.
"You told them not to ask?! R-Ren! I feel betrayed! How could you?!" The raven-haired man kept walking as Nora pouted. "Y-you're some kind of evil mastermind!"
Jaune chuckled at his friends' antics. The two really played off of one another, and came off as like the perfect couple. He remembered going on double dates with the two when he was dating Pyrrha. Even then, he and Pyrrha were just amazed at the two's chemistry.
When his and Pyrrha's relationship ended, the two were his biggest support. They looked out for him, and even let him stay in their apartment. He felt indebted to them, honestly.
"You guys need any food?" Jaune questioned, motioning at a fast food shop inside the airport.
"Ooh, starving!" Nora beamed, but Ren placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sure there's food at home, Nora. Why don't we all sit down together and eat? It'll be nice to sit down together at our dinner table." The girl looked at her boyfriend, before nodding her head.
"Oh, alright."
The three soon made it to Jaune's car, and he helped them put their stuff away into the yellow sedan. Once they were done, they sat inside, Nora sitting in the shotgun, as she requested, and Ren sitting behind her. Jaune turned on the engine, and the three began their journey home.
"So, what'd you do while your mother and I were away, son? Have any wild parties?" Nora joked, deepening her voice to more resemble a man's.
"Shouldn't I be the dad?" Ren inquired, leaning between the two. Nora chuckled, kissing Ren's cheek, before gently pushing him back to his seat.
"That's nice, honey!"
"Heh. No wild parties," Jaune confessed. "Just work, mostly. Some cleaning up, some gaming. Normal stuff..."
"Ah, I sense hesitation!" Nora grinned.
Jaune did indeed hesitate, staring down the road as he slowly explained. "Well, I met this girl-"
"What?!" Nora gasped. "I mean, what?!" she repeated, deepening her voice this time. "What's her name? How'd you meet? Did you get her number? Was she hot? How hot?"
"Nora," Ren sighed, placing his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "One question at a time, please." He looked at Jaune, raising a single brow. "I am curious though. Who is this girl?"
"Her name's Ruby Rose."
"Ooh, she sounds pretty. How'd you meet?" Nora asked.
"Well, that's kind of a long story." Jaune spent a good portion of the car ride doing his best to explain how he and Ruby met, and how he helped her find her home. He even explained to Ren and Nora how he and Ruby celebrated the new year together.
"Wow." Nora blinked, staring at Jaune for a moment. "We need to give Hollywood a call! We could sell this story! We could even get Ryan Reynolds to play Jaune!"
"Why can't I play me?"
"Sorry, Jaune. You just don't got that face. We'd need star power for this movie!"
"In all seriousness, that's quite the story, Jaune," Ren commented. "Were you able to get any contact information from her?"
"Yeah. E-mail and phone."
"Ooh, have you called yet?" Nora asked.
"Not yet." Jaune shook his head. "I'm waiting for her to call me. I mean, she lost her phone, so-"
"Mmm." Nora's face soured almost immediately. She stared at Jaune with disappointment, shaking her head as she clicked her tongue. "Jaune, Jaune, Jaune. Don't you know anything about women? Guys are supposed to call first."
"But she doesn't have her phone!"
"Then you e-mail! Send a pigeon or something! You need to strike while the iron is hot!" Nora advised.
"You think so?" Jaune's brow wrinkled for a moment, slowly nodding his head. "Maybe you're right…"
Ren's magenta eyes bounced between his two friends, before glancing at the dashboard of the car. "Jaune, the gas is getting kind of low. Do we have enough gas to make it back home?"
Jaune didn't even look at his gas tank. He just read the subtle tone in his friend's voice, before nodding his head. "Thanks, Ren. I'll pick up some gas. You two gonna be okay waiting in the car?"
The blond-haired man was close friends with both Nora and Ren, but he wouldn't deny that he was probably closer to Ren. The two were more than friends. Jaune saw the young man as his brother, and he hoped the feeling was mutual. Growing up together, the two were able to pick up on subtle things. Gestures, tone, little things that helped them communicate silently.
What Ren was really saying was, 'I need to talk to Nora personally. Can we stop the car?' Well, that, and maybe asking for a slurpee at the nearest gas station. Either way, Jaune drove the car off of the freeway and to the closest gas station to pick up fuel, and give the couple their alone time.
Nora wasn't an idiot. She knew Ren and Jaune had a super, secret 'bro-language' that they used to talk to each other. She wasn't offended, or jealous. She knew Ren needed guy friends, as much as he might have denied it.
She just wished he didn't have to lecture her right now. She knew it was going to happen, but still...
She watched as Jaune parked the car and walked out to fill up the tank. Nora looked at Ren, and judging by the subtle frown on his face, he knew that she knew. "What'd I do now?" She tried to make it sound like a joke, but she doubt Ren bought it.
"I know you want Jaune to be happy, Nora." Nora's smile dropped, knowing where the conversation was going. She let out a sigh as she leaned into her seat. "But I'm worried about you and Jaune. I know he's not the only one to miss Pyrrha."
Ren was right, but of course he was. He was Ren. Nora sighed again, crossing her arms as she remembered their red-haired friend. "I know it's stupid. It's not like she's dead or anything, but… a phone call would be nice. A text even! It's like we haven't talked for the whole year!"
"Getting Jaune to date another girl won't bring Pyrrha back," her boyfriend warned. "She won't be Pyrrha, and you can't act like she is."
"I know!" Nora huffed. "I'm not stupid, Ren."
"I never said you were. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way." Nora rolled her eyes. This was the problem with dating someone aiming to be a therapist. Sometimes it felt like she was talking to a doctor, not her boyfriend. "I'm doing it again, aren't it?"
"Are you sure you're not a mind reader?" The woman groaned, staring at her boyfriend.
Ren shrugged his shoulders. "No, but I am good at reading what people are thinking."
Nora had to admit, that was mostly true. "Took you forever to realize I wanted to date you." Ren's face flushed, and he stiffened up slightly. She smiled at that, as she continued, "Besides, it's less about me wanting a Pyrrha, and more about Jaune wanting one. Come on, Mr. Mind Reader, you've seen how sad he's been since Pyrrha dumped him! He's been trying to hide it, but even I can tell!"
"I know," Ren confessed. "I've seen it too… He has a habit of trying to wall us out." He relaxed, leaning forward to kiss his girlfriend's forehead. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to see either of you hurt. I know you just want Jaune to be happy, but we have to be careful about pushing him. If he isn't ready, we might do more harm than good."
"You're right… I'm sorry, I just-wait. We?" Nora blinked, turning to look at her boyfriend. A smile was on his lips as he placed a hand on hers.
"Well, it would be nice not to have to worry about Jaune feeling like a third wheel," he confessed, earning a wide grin on Nora's face. "We'll need to play it safe, but if we can help Jaune be happy-"
"We're gonna be matchmakers!" Nora beamed, kicking her legs into the air. "Ren, this is going to be great! Ooh, we should follow them on their date!"
"We're not doing that." Ren crossed his arms, reining Nora in as the girl pouted. Then she grinned as she began to sing, much to Ren's annoyance.
"Every party needs a pooper, that's why they invited you."
"Nora."
"Party pooper!"
"Nora."
"Party pooper!"
Ren rolled his eyes as Jaune returned to the couple. He opened the door and stepped inside, smiling as he handed Ren a large slurpee. "Alright! Tank's all filled. Ready to get back on the road, guys?"
The raven-haired man stared at his drink, confused by the gift, before he looked at Nora. The girl shrugged her shoulders with a smile, before pointing to the freeway.
"Onward! To the future!"
Ruby had been dreading this moment since she read her diary. She held her phone in her hand, staring at it as a meeting was held in her head. She was explaining what happened last night, and this morning to her three alternates. The reactions were what she expected.
"This is my fault, Ruby," Yang apologized. "I never should have pressured you to go to that party." Ruby could feel her sister's arms around her, squeezing her tightly. "I'm so sorry…"
"It's not your fault, Yang." Ruby shrugged her shoulders, silently asking to be released. "You didn't do anything."
"What happened to the man?" Blake asked. Ruby could feel Blake's anger brimming under her calm voice.
"Neon beat him up, apparently. Then the cops came, and I'm guessing Neon got him in trouble."
"Here's hoping he spends the night with a very lonely man," Yang growled. Ruby felt Yang shift from scared to angry, and Ruby trembled at the sensation. It was a scary thing feeling so angry, yet… not. Her mind felt conflicted for a moment as Ruby tried to calm her sister down.
"Come on, Yang. That's-"
"Ruby, you can't try and defend this guy! You don't understand what he would have done if he had the chance!"
"He would have raped me, Yang." Ruby spoke as bluntly as she could, her actual lips curving into a frown as her teeth ground against one another. "I'm not a child. I know what would have happened, but…"
"You're too nice for your own good, sis. He was an asshole, and I hope he rots," Yang huffed, voicing Ruby's own worries. "Whatever. What happens to him isn't our problem. What about this John guy?"
"Jaune," Ruby corrected.
"That's what I said?"
"I think it might be best if we avoid him," Blake suggested. "What he did was nice, but we can't afford to let a stranger in."
"Blake's probably right, Rubes," Yang agreed.
Ruby hoped they didn't feel her disappointment as she searched her mind for one last voice. "What about you, Weiss?"
Weiss' voice echoed through Ruby's mind, and she felt Blake's, Yang's, and especially her own surprise as Weiss gave her vote. "I think Ruby should talk to him."
"R-really?" Ruby gasped. She couldn't see her, but she could feel Blake's shock turn into frustration, or maybe it was annoyance.
"Whoa. Didn't expect that from you, Weiss-cream."
"That's a three-to-one vote," Blake declared.
"I want to talk to him." Ruby surprised herself. She spoke without thinking, not even realizing what she was getting into. She could feel Yang and Blake staring down at her, confusion and dread in their eyes as she shook her head. "I want to talk to Jaune," she repeated.
"Ruby, are you sure…?" Yang questioned.
"Two-to-two."
"I know why you two are so against Ruby talking to him." Weiss spoke up again, her voice almost formal. She was the calmest of the four, Ruby realized, and they all knew why. "You're scared he's another Adam."
"Weiss," Blake growled. "I know you mean well, but-"
"I know I came after he hurt all of you," Weiss interrupted. "I know he scarred you as bad as Tai did."
Hearing her father's name brought up bad memories for Ruby. It brought up something much worse in Yang's case. "It wasn't the same. He sent mom to an asylum to rot! Adam was a shitty boyfriend," she muttered. "Tai basically killed our mom and forbid us from seeing her…"
"Believe what you want to, Yang," sighed the youngest alt. "But my point is that both of them have made trusting others hard to do. That's why we just sit around in our house, trying to wall people out. It isn't healthy."
"Always thought you liked putting up walls," Blake commented. Ruby flinched at the comment, worried her mind was about to turn into a shouting match, but Weiss remained calm.
"It makes for a good study environment for me, but it's been hurting all of us." Despite her words, Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand was small, petite. She knew it belonged to Weiss.
She said 'all of us,' but Ruby knew Weiss was referring to Ruby. It surprised the young redhead. She had forgotten that as cold as Weiss might have come off, there was a very kind and compassionate woman just under the surface…
"We can't live our lives in here. We came to this city for a new start. It's been a year, but what have we started? The only friend we have is Neon, and I doubt we can trust her for long."
"Hey! She's my friend!" Yang growled.
"Exactly. Your friend." Weiss ignored the angered alternate, speaking to the group once more. "Ruby, do you want to talk to Jaune?" The young woman hesitated to answer for a moment, before she steeled herself and nodded her head. "Then I vote you do."
The silence was deafening, and Ruby opened her mouth to thank her alt, only for Yang to speak. "I'm changing my vote. Ruby, if you want to talk to the guy then do it."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. If you want to do this, then I support you, just… be careful, okay?".
"Right! Always!" Ruby was beaming, her lips spreading into a wide grin as she squeezed her phone.
"Alright. I know when I'm outvoted," Blake conceded with a sigh. For a moment, Ruby felt guilty for opposing her, but Blake's voice soon returned to her stoic nature. "Let's call him."
Jaune stared at his phone, knowing that the small item held his fate. Nora sat on one side of him, and Ren was on the other, as the three sat on the couch in their living together. They all starred at the phone.
"You need to touch 'Contacts,'" Nora advised.
"I know how to work a phone, Nora," Jaune mumbled. "I'm just… worried. I don't want to be weird."
"What's weird is staring at your phone like you've got a bomb! Just call her! What's the worst that can happen?"
"I get rejected? I get called a creep? She calls the cops on me and I get arrested and stuck in a cell with a very lonely man who sells me for cigarettes?"
"That would be unfortunate," Ren commented, dryly.
"Nah. The worst would be if she was actually part of a Satanic cult and just needed a virgin sacrifice. Or if she was witch. Or a witch in a Satanic cult, leading an army of werewolves, werebears, and wererats. That'd be the worst."
"This is not helping me call her," Jaune realized with a sigh.
Nora chuckled quietly, and she opened her mouth to apologize when his phone buzzed to life, playing one of Jaune's favorite songs as Ruby's name appeared on the screen.
"This'll be the day we've waited for! This'll be the day we opened up the door!"
"S-she's calling! Nora! You said guys call first." Jaune looked at Nora, who smiled sheepishly.
"Whoops. Yeah, I don't know anything about dating women. Sorry. Boop." Nora tapped on the phone, and Ruby's voice greeted them.
"Hello?"
Jaune glared at Nora, who grinned back at him, before he took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Hey, Ruby! Um… What's up? Um… you got your phone back okay?"
"Yeah. My friend found it and brought it back to me."
"That's great. Happy to hear it!" Jaune stood up, pulling away from Ren and Nora as he began to pace from one side of the living room to the other. "Um… So you're okay now?"
"Yeah. I'm alright. My head still hurts from yesterday, but I'm okay… Um, y-you know you really saved me last night, right?" she stuttered, tripping on her own words for a moment.
"Hey, it's no big deal!"
"It's a huge deal," she corrected. "Um, I know this is kind of awkward since we just met and all, and us meeting wasn't… the best."
"Awkward? No, no. Not at all! It's…" Jaune stopped, taking a deep breath and sighing. "Okay, it's a little awkward. I'm sorry. I-"
"It's not your fault!" Ruby quickly said. "It's just… I mean, feel free to disagree, but I was thinking it'd be better if we talked face to face?"
Face to face? Jaune came to a stop for a moment, before a smile lit up his face. "Yeah. That sounds great. Did you have anywhere in mind?"
"Not really. You?"
"Let me think… I know there's a nice little coffee shop near your apartment. We can meet there!" he suggested, before his eyes widened. "Ah, j-just so you know, I'm not weird. I haven't mapped out the area around your house or anything! I just know it cause I'm a pizza delivery guy, and I've been to that cafe before, and it's nice, and-"
Ruby laughed on the other side of the phone, and Jaune's worry melted off of his shoulders. He chuckled with her as she spoke. "It's okay. I thought as much. I'll see you there tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow sounds great! I'll see you then." Ruby hung up the phone and Jaune put his hand down, grinning at his friends as Nora began to move her hands in the air.
"Hooray! Imaginary confetti!" she cheered, pretending to toss the confetti around.
Ren did not share Nora's happiness, to Jaune's confusion. He was frowning as he stared at Jaune, who tilted his head. "What? What'd I do?" he asked, before his phone rang again. He answered it quickly, holding it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hi, Jaune. Um… I never asked for the address for the place."
"Oh! Right. Sorry. Let me go get it!"
The two watched Jaune walk off, leaving them alone on the couch as he talked with Ruby. Ren and Nora glanced at each other as the young woman voiced both of their opinions. "Is it me, or is she a little bit like Jauney?"
"Cut from the same cloth, it seems," chuckled Ren.
Ruby Rose walked down the sidewalk, the many stores and shops of downtown Vale passing by her as her eyes searched for the 'Blue Skies Cafe.' She tried not to let her nerves get to her as she took slow, deep breaths.
She wore a red hoodie on her body, with simple jeans going down her legs. She fixed her purse for the hundredth time as she finally saw the small cafe.
It was a small, simple place squished between two other stores, with a large sign hanging above the door. The sign was painted a light blue, with the name of the store written in a bright yellow, with white clouds shining around it.
Ruby stepped inside, and the smell of sweets and caffeine hit her nose like a breeze. She enjoyed the scents, inhaling the chocolate and coffee wafting in the air, but it was a familiar face that brought a smile to her face.
"Hey, Ruby! Over here" Jaune smiled, waving at her from a table in the middle of the cafe.
For Ruby, this was the first time she had ever seen the man. She hoped he'd recognize her before she was supposed to recognize him. He wore a simple white shirt with a dark grey jacket, and his own pair of jeans. He smiled at her with bright blue eyes as she returned the gesture, waving back at him.
"Hey," she replied back, smiling as she walked towards his table.
The cafe was a nice place, all things considered. There were a few tables spread out in the small place, with a couch pushed into a corner for anyone who wanted softer seats. The walls of the small cafe were covered in work done by local artists, ranging from artistic photos of buildings or plants, to abstract illustrations of melting buildings. There were a few people there already, talking quietly as the baristas worked.
Ruby was almost surprised she'd never heard of the place before, but she reminded herself that she rarely got out of her house. When was the last time she even sat in a cafe?
Oh. Right. Never. First time, she thought to herself, trying not to wince at the awkward realization.
"Did you have a hard time finding the place?" Jaune asked.
Ruby shook head her, smiling. "Nope. No problem."
"Cool. I was going to wait until you came here before I ordered anything, so…" Jaune scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly as he motioned to the menu that hung off of the wall.
"Oh! Right. Sorry. Um, I don't really know what they have here, so you can just order, and I'll get something for myself later," Ruby suggested, but Jaune just shook his head.
"It's alright. If you're okay with it, I can pick some of my favorites and see what you like. I'll cover for it."
"I can't ask you to do that, I can pay for my stuff!"
"It's okay. I insist," Jaune grinned, and Ruby stared at him for a moment, before nodding her head with her own smile.
"Alright. So, what's good here?"
Jaune motioned for her to follow him, and the two walked to the cashier together, standing in line as they stared at the menu. "Well, they've got great quiche, and really good hot chocolate… Ooh, but their pie is really amazing."
Ruby nodded her head, glancing up and down the menu as she thought to herself. I don't recognize half of this stuff… What's a breve? What's the difference between a cappuccino and a latte? What is this stuff? She did recognize one treat though, and the simple word made her grin.
"Hey, how about I buy us some cookies? It's the least I can do if you're going to buy us food. Besides, I kind of owe you for… you know. That night," she muttered, turning her eyes away from Jaune at the memory.
"Sure… How're you feeling, by the way? I mean, I didn't really ask on the phone, but I didn't know if it was bothering you, or something," Jaune asked, his blue eyes straining with worry. "I was going to call, but I was worried about being weird… I mean, we just met, and maybe you wouldn't even remember me, and-"
Ruby elbowed Jaune gently. That stopped the young man as she tried to calm him down. He was right that she didn't really remember that night, but he had no idea about the reason why.
"It's okay. That night is pretty fuzzy, honestly, but I know you really helped me out. I seriously owe you, Jaune."
"You're right. Gonna need two cookies to pay back this life debt," he joked, earning a small laugh from her.
Eventually it was their turn to order. Jaune went first, ordering the pair a couple of hot chocolates, plus one slice of pie, and one slice of quiche. He paid for his meal, before Ruby paid for their cookies. The two then returned to their seats, sitting across from each other.
"So, why did you want to meet?" Ruby asked.
"I was worried," Jaune answered. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." The red-head nodded her head as the man shifted in his seat. "Are… you okay? I mean, I get that, that night must have been pretty awful for you."
"I'm okay," she quickly answered. "I've had worse," she admitted.
"That's… not good," Jaune commented. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Ruby could feel her foot hitting her head. And now I've made it awkward… "I-it's okay. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?"
"Right... Guess that makes you Supergirl, huh?" he grinned, and the smile was practically infectious.
"I've always been more of a fan of Starfire, personally. Maybe Cassandra Cain," Ruby offhandedly mentioned. She watched Jaune stare at her, blinking with confused eyes. Oops.. "Er, Cassandra Cain is this Batman character-"
"The Black Bat. Right?" Jaune grinned at her, clearly surprised. "You like comics?"
"Yeah," she confessed, clearly excited by the question. "I used to read them all the time as a kid. They were some of the first books I ever read!"
"Me too! My dad used to have these comics back when he was a kid! The Phantom, the Spirit, Action Comics, even some old 'Tales to Astonish!' issues. I grew up on that stuff."
"Man, you are so lucky. I love those old comics," Ruby giggled. "Like that issue where Batman has to change the colors of his costume every night?"
"Oh, I know that one. The Silver Age was awesome!" The two chuckled at their shared interest as a barista called out the two's order. Ruby moved to stand, but Jaune held up a hand and smiled at her. "I'll get it."
"You sure?" Jaune nodded his head as he got out of his seat and walked over to front counter. Ruby watched him, a small smile on her lips. It was fun talking to Jaune.
She wondered what else they could talk about...
"Alright, favorite Marvel movie?"
"Hmm." Ruby bit into her cookie, savoring the delicious crunch as she pondered the question. "Civil War."
"Nope. Wrong," Jaune replied, shaking his head.
"What? Why?" She gave a playful glare to the blond as he leaned back in his seat, waving his spoon like a stick as he corrected her incorrect opinion.
"Because you didn't say Guardians of the Galaxy."
"Civil War has better action scenes."
"Guardians has the main cast not trying to kill each other by the end of the film."
Ruby rolled her eyes, but the smile on her crumb-covered lips betrayed her. She was having fun talking to the older man. Despite the two year age difference, Ruby had an easy time talking to him. Ruby's mom probably would have called them two peas in a pod.
"Alright, alright. Best Marvel villain?" Jaune inquired, taking another bite of his quiche.
"Zemo."
"Ego the Living Planet. He's a living planet! How do you get better than that?!" Jaune and Ruby chuckled at the statement, clearly not taking the debate completely seriously. "Plus, he's played by Kurt Russel."
"Celebrity crush?" she teased.
"Hey, anyone who can set an alien monster on fire is pretty attractive in my book." The two chuckled again, before Jaune slid his cake towards her. "Here. Have some."
"You sure?" He nodded his head, and Ruby took the fork and slowly stabbed it into the chocolate dessert. She lifted the piece to her mouth and bit down, eyes widening as it melted on her tongue. "Wow… That's really good," she beamed.
"Right?" Jaune happily motioned her to keep eating. She did as he smiled at her. "Hey, Ruby? Can I… tell you something kind of weird?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"I'm having a lot of fun. Is that weird?"
"Why would it be weird?" she replied, lowering her fork as her cheeks felt warm. "I mean, yeah, the way we met was weird, but this isn't. I'm having a good time," she confessed.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're funny. Nice. I like talking to you."
"I like talking to you," he replied, a grin on his face. "Um, are you doing anything after this? Any plans, I mean?"
"Studying. Dinner. Watching stuff." Ruby lazily shrugged her shoulder.
"Want to come with me to an arcade? There's this cool place nearby, I don't know if you've been, but it has a bunch of games there we can play. I mean, if you want."
"Well, I'll have to make room in my schedule." She smirked at Jaune. "Sure." She dug into her cake and took a bite as the two smiled at each other.
Once their shared cake was done, the two walked out, not even noticing the small crowds that filled Vale's street. They walked side by side with one another, grins on both of their faces.
"So, you mentioned studying. You go to Beacon, right? Can I ask what you're studying?" he inquired.
"Engineering. You know, machines and stuff."
"Whoa. That's awesome," Jaune beamed.
"What about you?" Ruby felt regret as soon as the words slipped out of her lips. Jaune's smile fell for a moment, and he scratched the back of his neck as he avoided her eyes.
"Er, no. I'm not really majoring in anything. Kind of just… between education, I guess."
The fact clearly wasn't something Jaune was proud of. She reached for his shoulder, squeezing it as she tried to comfort him. "Hey, don't sweat it. Means you can just step right into finding your own dream! That's pretty cool, you know?" Ruby smiled. "Don't beat yourself up." She gently bumped against his side as she confessed, "I think you're pretty cool."
Ruby kept her smile up, but inside she was worried she had overstepped her boundaries. She didn't want to ruin her friendship with Jaune after just starting it.
But the smile on his face told her she had nothing to worry about. "Thanks, Ruby. I appreciate it." His sapphire eyes stared into her silver orbs, and both relaxed, knowing the day was far from ruined. "Come on! Let's go! The arcade is just around the corner!"
Ruby and Jaune grinned at one another, before the two stepped forward, happily walking side by side as the conversation shifted to happier subjects. Ruby hadn't felt this at ease in a long time. The voices in her head were quiet, and she actually felt normal.
For Jaune, he felt anything but normal. He felt special. He felt lucky to meet someone as nice and fun as Ruby Rose. He laughed with her as time just flew by them.
END
Whoo! Chapter 3. Here's hoping people still like this story. It is not easy to write. Lots of characters, and lots of trying to make everyone transition well.
Finding how things from the show translate into the real world is sometimes easy, sometimes not. Like instead of legends of Huntsman, Ruby grew up on superheroes and fairy tales (not that different, honestly). But what about jobs? What about professions? Not everyone's trying to be a Hunter, obviously. How does the 'real' world setting affect their characters and stuff?
It's also important to make sure no one comes off as unreasonably dickish. All the characters in this chapter were our heroes, after all. Neon, Ren, Nora, and, of course, our main stars: Jaune, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. I'm especially happy to have Neon star in the story because, well, I like Neon Katt. Hopefully they all came off well.
Phew. I am tired. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and stay tuned for the next one! Hopefully it'll be done on the date I promise it. And if you can, please leave a review, it always helps me out. Keeps me going, ya know?
And look for the Lancaster one shot I'm making right now! Should come out in the next couple of days. It's almost certainly going to be smut. That's my contribution to the 9 Days of Lancaster. Well, that and this chapter.
Enjoy my work? Remember that you can support me on Pat-reon slash Leafydream! Make sure to remove the hyphen. Donate to me once a month and you'll be able to request one shots and short stories from me. Smut, horror, romance, you ask for it, and I'll deliver!
Also, I had to look it up. It's 'A Unanimous,' not 'An Unanimous.' Unanimous makes a 'yoo' sound so despite being a vowel... Sorry. Now I'm just blathering. Have a good day!
Next Update: May 25th 2018
