A Memory of You and I
Jaune walked out of his bedroom with a long yawn and heavy, lumbering feet. He entered the kitchen, rubbing his numb face as he looked for his sugary cereal. He felt exhausted, to the point where he wondered why he even tried sleeping. He dragged himself into the kitchen, when a high-pitched, ecstatic voice greeted him.
"Morning, sunshine!"
He would have jumped if he had the energy. He hadn't even noticed Nora sitting at the table, scarfing down a stack of pancakes. She smiled at him as Jaune turned around to find Ren at the stove, scrambling some eggs.
"I made you breakfast. There's a cup of hot chocolate for you too." Ren didn't turned to look at Jaune, merely motioning to a plate sitting on the counter with his spatula.
"Oh. Thanks, Ren." The cook nodded his head as Jaune took the food and brought it to the table. He sat across from Nora, and before he could even take a bite of his food, the orange-haired woman spoke up.
"So son, you want to talk about last night?"
"Huh...?" He looked up from his food, brow raised. "What'd you mean, Nora?"
"Last night you seemed upset. We just want to make sure everything is okay with you," Ren explained, turning the stove off and pushing his own food onto a plate. "I told you we were going to talk about it in the morning."
"Oh. Right," Jaune could recall the memory, but it almost felt like days ago. He shook his head, trying in vain to wake his mind up. He eventually sighed in defeat, and lifted the food into his mouth. "It's nothing, guys. Really."
"Liar," Nora pouted, finishing another pancake.
"Jaune, it's important to talk about whatever's troubling you. It'll just get worse if you don't talk about it."
The blond mentally groaned, reminded of how annoying it was to have a roommate that studied psychology. "Guys, can we not do this right now?. Can we talk about something else? Please?"
Usually the blonde wasn't so short with his friends, but he simply wasn't in the mood to answer their questions. He felt like he had slept on a bed of rocks, and his mood certainly wasn't helped by being reminded of last night...
What Ruby had said to him still struck a nerve, and Jaune was unfortunately the kind of guy who hated burdening others with his problems.
He sighed, taking a long sip from his hot chocolate. The sweet nectar burned, but it still woke him up and bathed him in a warm euphoria. It was one of his favorite drinks, and on a cold, January morning, it was just what he needed.
"Alright," Ren sighed in acceptance. "If you don't want to talk about it, we won't fight you on it." Jaune caught Nora pouting, but she didn't argue, agreeing with her boyfriend. "Besides, there's something else we need to discuss."
Ren picked something off of the counter, and Jaune raised his brow as he realized it was a white piece of paper, with almond-colored writing and dark-red roses decorating the corners. The dark-haired man handed Jaune the letter, and the blonde's eyes widened within moments.
"Fox and Coco are getting married…? In Hawaii!?" Jaune read the letter again, his eyes combing over it as his jaw hung open.
"Dear Friends and Family,
We request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of a lifetime. Coco Adel and Fox Alistair are to be married on March 8th, 2018, on the beaches of Waikiki. We eagerly hope to see you there, and please know all guests are allowed a plus one as long as the bride and groom are notified ahead of time."
"We're going to Hawaii!" Nora cheered, throwing her hands into the air. "Isn't that awesome?! I got to go get a new swimsuit!"
"Wait, we're going? To Hawaii?" Jaune's voice squeaked, much to his embarrassment.
I can't believe Coco and Fox are getting married...
He still remembered first meeting the two when he was a high school freshman. He had joined the Drama Club with Pyrrha, and they met the costume designer, Coco Adel. From there, Jaune's group of friends met Coco's, and despite the age difference of a year, both groups became fast friends.
Jaune remembered how happy Coco had been when Fox asked her out to the end of the year dance… And now they were getting married?
"They sent us a 'Save the Date' letter months ago," Ren reminded. "You forgot, didn't you?"
"I… Uh… Yeah," Jaune replied. "I mean, I'm not against going, I'm just worried about money, and time. I mean, you two have classes, right?"
"Nope!" Nora grinned. "Wedding takes place over Spring Break! We've got plenty of time to enjoy it and come back here!"
"As for money, We should be fine. Coco and Fox even suggested some cheap airlines we can take," Ren added.
"Wait, so…We're actually going to Hawaii…?" Jaune repeated the words to himself, as if his brain just couldn't comprehend it.
"It'd be the polite thing to do," Ren commented. He bit into his eggs before continuing. "They are our friends, and they did go to the trouble of inviting us."
"Yeah! It's been like, five-ever since we last saw them! Yatsuhashi and Velvet are still in town, but we haven't seen Coco and Foxy Boy since their going away party!"
Jaune remembered that, as well. It was after the group had graduated from high school. Coco was leaving not just Vale, but the United States. She was off for London, where she was going to study at a renowned university, and Fox was going with her to support his girlfriend. It was the last time Jaune saw the two…
That had been about six years ago, back when he and Pyrrha were still dating, and the full weight of time made Jaune's shoulders ache. Had it really been so long? he wondered.
"Hey, what's with that face, Jaune?" Nora's word knocked him out his thoughts, and he looked at her toothy grin. "This is good news! We're gonna see all of our friends again!"
"Sounds great," Jaune muttered, forcing a smile onto his face. He was desperate to match the girl's enthusiasm, but that was close to impossible for him.
"I think we need to address the elephant in the room."
"Huh? Elephant?" Nora looked around the room, as if she really was looking for an elephant. "Jaune, I think Ren's drunk. He's seeing elephants…!" she loudly whispered, leaning towards Jaune and earning a chuckle out of the blonde.
"Very funny," Ren sighed. "What I mean is, Coco and Fox are inviting all of their friends to the wedding, old and new. "
Jaune's eyes widened, and he groaned as realization set in. He hadn't even realized it, but-
"They've probably invited Pyrrha to the wedding."
"Oh." Nora might as well have just been smacked across her face. She seemed paralyzed in her seat, taking slow, long breaths. Her eyes hung open as she sat there, before her eyes slowly turned away from Ren, and onto her breakfast. She left the remaining pancakes alone as she sat there in quiet contemplation. "Do you think she'll come...?"
She didn't wait for either of the boys to answer as Nora answered her own question.
"I mean, she's not gonna come, right?" She tried to put on a smile, but her tone was bitter. Spiteful. Nothing like the light, bubbly tone it usually was. "I mean, she's missed Thanksgiving, Halloween, all of our birthdays… She's not gonna come for this, right?"
Ren shrugged, and Jaune found the answer incredibly unsatisfying. The blonde opened his mouth, only for his eyes to widen as Nora's rant continued, growing steadily louder, and more passionate. "I mean, we haven't heard from her in a year! I mean, she hasn't called any of us. Not even a text!"
"She's been busy," Jaune replied. "I mean, she's trying to be a star. Auditions, contracts, all that kind of stuff…" He tried to defend his ex-girlfriend, but he was stunned as Nora turned to glare at him.
"But we're her friends! Her best friends! We're supposed to matter to her!" Nora argued. "But she just...dumped us." The fire in her voice was extinguished as Ren placed his hand on her shoulder. Nora's blue eyes looked at Jaune, and she winced. "I-I'm sorry. I… That was a bad choice of words, I just…"
"It's okay, Nora." Jaune nodded his head, but they fell on deaf ears.
"I should be the one sorry," Ren sighed. "I didn't want to upset either of you. I just thought you two should realize it's a possibility."
Jaune noticed Nora open her mouth, but whatever she was going to say never made it past her lips. She hesitated, before mumbling, "I don't think we should get our hopes up." Jaune knew she really meant that he shouldn't get his hopes up…
There was something truly heartbreaking about hearing Nora sound so dejected...
"I'll talk to Coco about if she's heard from Pyrrha. For now, I think it might be best to change the conversation topic," Ren suggested.
Jaune nodded his head, trying to ignore the writhing in his gut. He returned to his food, quietly eating away at it as Nora tried to lift their spirits up. Sadly, even though she was smiling, her voice lacked the natural warmth it typically had.
"Hey, you know what you should do? The invite mentioned inviting a plus one, why don't you invite Ruby?! She'll be on Spring Break too! And who doesn't want to go to Hawaii?"
Those words almost made Jaune choke on his food. "Wait, what? Invite Ruby? But she doesn't even know Coco and Fox."
"So? What's that thing your mom used to say about strangers and friends? I'm just saying, if Ren was invited to a tropical paradise, and he got to bring a plus one, he better bring me!" The blue-eyed girl beamed, looking at her boyfriend.
"Not the words I'd choose, but you have been hanging out with Ruby a lot lately. I think you should at least let her know about the wedding. Ask if she'd like to accompany us."
"Traveling is always better with friends," Nora grinned. "Ooh, we should all go snorkeling together! Ooh, shark diving!"
"Nora, no, we're not-"
"Lava surfing!"
"Not a real sport."
Jaune felt the corners of his lips rise as he listened to his friends bicker. It was some nice levity to the morning, and something he needed after yesterday. But as he listened to Nora and Ren talk about what the trip, he found himself lost in his thoughts again.
Hawaii…. He didn't want to go, if he was being honest. He hated traveling. He hated planes. He hated the idea of going without Pyrrha by his side.
And Ruby… What if I do invite her? Some part of him told him to do it. Ruby was awesome to hang out with, and Nora was right. Travelling was better with friends.
Yet the idea didn't sit well on his mind. He just felt… scared? Anxious? Worried? Whatever it was, it left him feeling sick to his stomach, like he was already on the plane. Jaune sighed, quietly eating his food as he tried to push the thoughts aside...
Instead, all he found were memories of a time he wanted to forget.
Jaune was 18 years old. Young, stupid, and in love with Pyhrra Nikos. Well, younger, and stupider.
He was sitting on his bed as Pyrrha quietly read her book. A typical Saturday night, with the only thing of note being that Jaune had to practice a song for Coco and Fox's going away party.
The blonde strummed his guitar, feeling his fingers pulling on the strings as he thought. He glanced at the notes of the song. Velvet said this was one of Coco's favorite, and he really wanted to get it right, but his fingers just refused to work for him.
"Hey, Pyr." She looked up from her book, glancing at him with those beautiful, emerald eyes he loved so much. "Top three places you want to go before you die."
"Excuse me?" She blinked, staring at him, before a knowing smile formed on her face. "Are you trying to use me to distract you, Jaune?"
"No..." he replied, fingers tapping on his guitar. "Okay, yes." Pyrrha laughed, and he grinned. He got her to laugh, and that was another victory in his book. "Come on, tell me. Top three places you want to go before you die."
"Alright, alright. Hm… Paris."
"Ah, yes, the City uv Luve!" Jaune grinned, trying his best to sound French. Of course, there was a reason Pyrrha was the actress between the two. Still, he made her laugh again, and that was enough.
"Well, yes. It's a bit cliche, but I'd love to go there one day."
"I don't think it's cliche. It's nice," he replied. "Where else?"
"Why don't you tell me about where you'd like to go? Then I'll tell you."
"Fair enough. Tokyo," Jaune grinned. "Anime, videogames, and there's just so much culture… It sounds super cool." Pyrrha nodded, grinning at the idea.
"That sounds lovely. Hm… I would like to go to…" The beautiful redhead tapped a finger against her chin, staring at the ceiling. "Italy. Venice, specifically. A chance to ride on a gondola… That would be a dream come true." She was lost in her own imagination for a moment, smiling as she envisioned the trip.
"Man, you sure you have some high expectations. I'll have to save up for, like, a whole two months to get us money for Venice," he chuckled, nervously.
"Jaune, you know you don't have to take me," Pyrrha replied with a good-natured smile. "I'm sure we'll find our way there sooner or later."
"Yeah, maybe… But I'd be a pretty amazing boyfriend if I took you to Venice, huh?" Jaune grinned at Pyrrha, and she chuckled.
"You don't need Venice to be amazing, Jaune. You just need to be yourself," she explained, in that kind, sweet tone he loved to hear from her. He smiled at her, though he couldn't resist making a small joke.
"Yeah, maybe. But Venice can't hurt, right?" Pyrrha rolled his eyes as Jaune's fingers aimlessly stroked the guitar strings.
"Your turn," she replied, leaning back in her seat, her book closing around one of her fingers to keep her place.
"Hm… Second place I'd want to go to? Maybe somewhere in the country. Like a small town. I've lived in Vale my entire life, and…" He hesitated, trying to find the right words for how he felt. Pyrrha waited patiently, a gentle, beautiful curve to her lips. He stared into those brilliant, emerald eyes as he continued. "I don't know. It just sounds like a nice change of pace."
"I understand that. Vale is as big of a city as one gets. Somewhere smaller, and less crowded would be a nice change of pace."
"Your turn. Place number three."
"Hawaii." Jaune shouldn't have been surprised, really, but Pyrrha just chuckled at his pouting face. "At least I picked somewhere in the US."
"Yeah, and about a thousand miles across the ocean. Couldn't pick New Jersey or something? That's like a couple of hours away if we took my car."
"Sorry," Pyrrha replied with an amused smile. He accepted her apology as she stood out of her chair and walked over to his bed. She sat beside him and leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulders as he they looked into each other's eyes. "So, what's your third place?"
"Easy. The moon." Pyrrha blinked, and Jaune savored the confused look on his girlfriend's face. "Sure would love to go to the moon. I'd be pretty heartbroken if I never got to go. Just saying."
"That's not fair." the woman huffed, though her frustration was quickly replaced with a giggle as the two laughed together. "Well, it seems I'll need to save up too, won't I?"
"Ah, I don't need the moon to be happy. Just a few kisses from my girlfriend is enough, I think."
"A few?" she repeated, her eyes relaxing into a half-lidded gaze.
Jaune felt his cheeks burn as he licked his lips and swallowed down his nerves. He ushered her closer and, in his smoothest voice, whispered, "I'll tell you when it's enough."
Ruby woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon. She moaned, trying to stretch only for her arms to remain still. She blinked, and realized her eyes weren't moving. A moment of terror filled her heart, before relief washed over her.
"Morning, sis!"
"Yang, you scared me. Did you wake us up?"
It was rare, but there were times in Ruby's life when she'd wake up to find someone else in control. It was strange. She could see her hands preparing breakfast, dashing some salt onto the eggs. She could see her hands, but she couldn't control them.
Surreal was probably the best word for it, and honestly, surreal was probably the word that described her entire life.
"Yep! Even made breakfast for you! You ready to eat?" Yang asked.
Ruby nodded her head, a pointless gesture considering she had no head to nod with, technically speaking. "Er, sure! Thanks!" she replied after realizing Yang couldn't even see the gesture. Ruby watched as Yang pushed the food onto a plate, before taking it to the couch. She sat down, and Ruby could feel her sister leaving the 'driver's seat.'
The young woman slipped in to replace the personality, and Ruby swayed as she felt mild whiplash. Yang had clearly been awake for a while. Ruby, on the other hand, just woke up. Her body went from not tired to tired in a couple of seconds, and it left the dark-haired girl whoozy.
"You okay, sis?"
"Yeah. Just a head rush…" Ruby rubbed her forehead, before lifting up a forkful of egg and biting into it. She winced a little. Yang didn't really know how to cook all that well, at least not for other people. Ruby didn't have the heart to tell her sister she over salted the eggs. "How long have you been up?"
"Like an hour."
"Is anyone else up?"
"Nope. Just you and me!"
Ruby nodded her head as she took another bite of the scrambled eggs. "How was yesterday? What did you think of Jaune?" she asked, trying not to sound too curious.
She had no recollection of last night. In fact, Ruby didn't even remembering going to bed. The only memories she had were going to school, and then switching with Blake after class. Ruby had kept to herself, either 'sleeping' in their mind, or keeping herself busy with her own thoughts and imagination in her Room.
If Ruby was being honest, she found it rather dull, and she really wished she had the chance to at least say goodbye to Jaune, but she shrugged it off. She'd have plenty of other chances to talk to him.
"Oh, yeah. It was great. Did you know Blondie dances?" Yang replied.
"Jaune dances? Wait, like me? Or is he more...?"
"He's actually pretty good at dancing."
So not me. Ruby blinked, clearly surprised by the news. "Huh. You think you know a guy. So what'd you guys do?"
"Went to a club."
The young woman's eyes widened, and her food almost fell out of her open mouth."Wait, what?" she asked through a mouthful of food.
"Calm down, nothing bad happened, sis," Yang replied. "Me, Neon, and Jaune just hung out at Junior's for a bit. Danced. Had a few drinks. Everything was fine."
"I'm not going to get a hangover, am I?" It was a question Ruby often wondered. Yang was the only alt to drink alcohol. Ruby rarely had the stuff, and Weiss and Blake had never even touched the stuff.
"Probably not?" she replied, though it was clear she wasn't sure. "You haven't yet, I mean."
Does not fill me confidence… There was no book on DID. Ruby just learned as she went, and plenty of times she had been proven wrong about something. The only person she could ask who had knowledge about DID was her mom and dad.
Neither of who she could talk to…
The thought of looking online for answers had crossed her mind, but Ruby found herself too scared to do it. Too worried about how other people would think she's crazy… Well, more like know she's crazy.
"Ruby? You okay?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah! Totally. Maybe later I'll call Jaune and see if he wants to hang out. If you approve, of course," the dark-haired girl teased, smiling at her reflection in the TV screen.
"Go ahead. I'm not going to stop you. Got to admit, Blondie's pretty nice."
Hearing Yang's approval brought a smile to Ruby's face, and she felt excitement bubble in her chest. It was nice to have Jaune in her life. He was just what she needed, and to hear that her sister approved just brought a smile to her face.
Ruby sent a text to Jaune, asking if he wanted to hang out later that day. She didn't get a response, and by the time the sun fell, Ruby decided to call her friend. It went straight to voicemail, leaving her pretty confused.
'Hey! Don't know if you're busy or anything Just wanted to know if you wanted to get some burgers or something later. With me. Duh. okay, bye!'
Ruby stared at her text, before sighing. She shook her head, burying it into her pillow as anxiety piled inside her gut.
"Do you think he's mad at me?"
"Why would he be mad? We didn't do anything," Weiss' voice answered.
"He could just be busy," Blake suggested.
"Yeah, but for the whole day?!" Ruby wasn't convinced. It just didn't sync with the Jaune she had been getting to know.
"Hey, come on, Rubes. I'm sure everything's fine between you two. How about you put the phone down and we play a board game together or something?" Yang suggested. "We can bust out Uno, or Monopoly."
Board games were pretty much the only way for Ruby and the alts to play games together, and Yang knew Ruby loved playing games with the three. Games tended to be pretty slow since they had to switch, but it was the closest thing that Ruby had to social interaction for a while.
Of course, videogames were next to impossible to play together. Ruby only had two hands, so even if they had a second controller, it'd be pretty pointless.
Yang knew all of this, because she was Ruby's first alternate personality, her big sister, and her best friend. She really thought that her sister would have taken her up on the offer, but Yang's suggestions did nothing for Ruby.
The girl just shrugged her shoulders lazily. "I don't know, Yang. Maybe I'll just go to sleep or something."
Yang cringed at her sister's depressed state. She couldn't understand why she was being mopey about some guy she barely knew. As she wondered why Ruby was so upset, a thought popped into her mind. A question.
Did she do this? Was Jaune mad at Ruby because of Yang?
No. Of course could she be responsible for what Jaune chooses to do? If he decides not to talk to Ruby, that was all him, and it just proved how unworthy he was to talk to her sister.
Yang, for a moment, tried to tell herself that Jaune was just another Adam waiting to happen. If she scared him off, then maybe that was for the best. If all he wanted out of Ruby was a girlfriend, then Ruby was better off without him.
One glance at her sister grounded Yang. It didn't matter right now. Jaune didn't matter. What mattered was that Yang took care of her sister.
"Hey, come on, Rubes. It'll be okay. The guy's probably just busy." Yang tried to console her sister, and Ruby let out a long sigh.
"Yeah, I know you guys are right, but… I don't know, I like talking to him. He's…" Ruby shrugged her shoulders again, sitting up on her body. "Nice?"
"I don't know why you're so fixated on him," Weiss sighed. "I suppose he seemed polite enough, but you seem weirdly infatuated with him."
Yang really wished Weiss had chosen a different word for it. And apparently, so did Ruby. "H-hey! I am not infatuated!" she quickly argued, her face heating up."I just want to talk to him. He's funny! He makes me laugh!"
"Alright, no need to yell," Weiss mumbled, sighing again.
Ruby was just about to say something when her phone rang. Yang kept her lips sealed as Ruby picked up her phone and gasped, seeing it was Jaune's name on the screen. She swiped her finger over the screen, before bringing it to her ear in a single moment.
"Hey, Jaune!" She kicked herself, mentally, and toned down her excitement. Maybe Weiss was right. Maybe Ruby was weird, but she pushed that thought aside. "What's up?"
"Hey, Ruby." Immediately, she knew something was wrong. Jaune sounded tired, even exhausted. She blinked in confusion, waiting for him to continue, but he was eerily quiet.
"Um, Jaune?"
"Right, sorry. I'm sorry for not responding to your texts and stuff. Just a lot on my mind."
"It's okay. What's up?" She hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip, before speaking her mind. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just a long day," he replied. "Um, I was just wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow. I was going to bring home some pizzas from work."
"Yeah, that sounds great. I'd love to," Ruby replied. "Movie night?"
"Yeah. Movie night. Um, if you have anything you want to see, bring it over. If not, we can just watch something off of Netflix or something."
"Alright. Sounds awesome."
"Alright, see ya tomorrow." Before Ruby could stop Jaune, he hung up the phone, and the call ended.
"Wait, Ja-" She sighed, dropping her phone onto her bed. "He seemed upset…"
"He did say he had a long day at work," Yang reminded.
"Yeah, I guess…"
"I mean, people say that sort of thing all the time. It's called lying," Weiss commented.
"Wow. Really?" Yang didn't want to sound mad, but she couldn't stop herself from growling. "How would you even know? You barely talk to anyone, Weiss."
That silenced the other personality, and Yang felt a pang of guilt. She didn't mean to upset her, she just didn't want Weiss to upset Ruby. Yang considered apologizing to the other alt, and she wanted to, but nothing came out of her.
So Yang just sighed quietly to herself and continued to try and help her sister. Despite her best efforts though, Ruby couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Ruby was picked up by Nora the next night. The orange-haired girl grinned and waved at Ruby as she entered the car, and the two traded small talk. Ruby considered asking her about their mutual friend, but she kept her questions to herself. If Nora could tell something was wrong, she didn't say anything about it.
Eventually the two made it to the apartment, and stepped inside. They entered the humble home and found Jaune and Ren setting down several boxes of pizza onto the counter.
"Honey! We're home!" Nora declared, waving at the two boys. Ren just gave his girlfriend a small, quick smile before returning to setting out the pizzas.
Jaune, on the other hand, placed the box he was holding on the counter and walked towards Ruby with a smile. She stared at him, her silver eyes combing over his face to find something off, but he looked completely fine.
Weirder still, he acted fine. He smiled at her, holding his hand out to take her coat.
"Hey, Rubes. Glad you could make it."
"Thanks. Um, you okay, Jaune?"
"Yeah. Come on, pizzas hot and ready. I got some soda too, if you want."
If it weren't for the call yesterday, she would have thought nothing was wrong, and she wanted to believe that, but… Ruby shook her head and handed her coat to Jaune. She tried to smile, but she was sure she looked awkward.
"Awesome! Thanks for inviting me…"
"No problem."
Ruby joined the three friends around the table, and they each sat down. Ruby sat between Nora and Jaune and Ren sat across from her. For a moment, the dark-haired woman really felt like everything was okay.
It was moments like this she missed most after leaving Patch. Just friends hanging out. Nights in with her pals, laughing and joking around. Nora was making a show of rolling her pizza slices like burritos, Ren was quietly watching her, and Jaune was chowing down on his pineapple pizzas.
"So what movies do you guys want to see tonight?" Ruby inquired.
"Well, I couldn't pick between two movies," Nora grinned. "Lilo and Stitch, or Snakes on a Plane!"
Ruby noticed Jaune giving Nora a weird look. It was like a glare, but less upset. He just shook his head and returned to his dinner.
"Sounds cool. I love both of those movies," Ruby confessed.
"Mmm! Woman after my own heart!" Nora beamed, placing a hand over her heart and 'swooning.'
"There's something we should discuss before the movie," Ren announced, catching Ruby's attention. "Jaune, would you like to tell her?" The stoic man turned his bright eyes to Jaune, who stopped mid-chew.
"Wight now?" he asked through a mouthful of pizza. Ren nodded his head as Ruby stared in confusion.
The alts, who had been mostly quiet for the night, pushed themselves to the front of Ruby's mind to watch with her, voicing their own thoughts.
"Finally, some answers," Weiss muttered.
"What do you think he's going to say?" Yang wondered.
Blake was silent, but Ruby could still feel her presence in her mind as Jaune swallowed his food down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He opened his mouth, glancing at Ruby, only to look away.
"Where to start…?" he sighed. "Okay, Ruby, you know how I have an ex-girlfriend, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I never told you who she was. She was-she is a good friend of mine, and she even grew up with me, Ren, and Nora," Jaune explained. "Her name is Pyrrha Nikos."
At first the words didn't add up for Ruby. She tilted her head slightly, waiting for him to laugh the whole thing off as a joke. Weiss did not take the news so silently, and of all the alternate personalities, she was the most vocal in her reaction, to the point where Ruby winced at the sudden emotion she was feeling.
She could feel Weiss' shock to the point where her fingers were curling into fists. Weiss almost took control, unintentionally, but Ruby was able to maintain control.
"Wait, what? Ask him which Pyrrha Nikos! Ask him what he means! He can't be talking about Pyrrha Nikos!"
"W-wait. I'm confused. Pyrrha Nikos? Like the-?"
"Like the TV/movie star. Yeah. The same."
Ruby blinked. She felt all four parts of her brain fizzle out as she tried to comprehend the news.
"We all knew her when she was just Pyrrha Nikos. Drama nerd and super athlete," Nora commented, before finishing her pizza burrito. She smiled at Ruby, like a bomb hadn't just been dropped on the young woman's brain.
Weiss took it the hardest though, even as she tried to understand the new. "Wait, no. Hold on. Jaune Arc. That Jaune Arc." Ruby felt her left index finger unfurl and point at Jaune, and Ruby wondered if Weiss realized what she was doing. "He dated Pyrrha Nikos, an actual actress and singer. A celebrity. That's… that's not… How?!"
Ruby's mouth opened, and she was scared it was Weiss' voice that would have come out. Thankfully nothing did, as she tried to keep up with the conversation.
"W-wait, wait. You dated Pyrrha Nikos? Like the one who stars in 'Champions,' and who sings, and… and all that stuff."
Of course Ruby knew who Pyrrha was. Pyrrha was a rising star for many. She wasn't world famous or anything, but she had been in enough movies and TV shows to gain a fanbase. She had appeared in several different dramas as a one episode character, where she showed off her many talents. Gymnastics, singing, dancing... She even did her own stunts!
Pyrrha Nikos was going places, and… and she used to date Jaune? Nora and Ren were friends with her?
"Whoa. Blondie's got game," Yang whistled.
"Hm," Blake added.
"How?!" Weiss repeated.
"I-I'm confused," Ruby admitted.
"We were friends with Pyrrha before she was famous. She grew up in Vale, with us. She and Jaune dated for several years before breaking up, and she left for California," Ren explained, his tone remaining as calm as ever.
"Yeah," Jaune nodded, tapping his fingers against the table. "That's pretty much it."
"Oh. Huh." Ruby wasn't sure what to say after that. Thankfully, Jaune did.
"Um, there's more."
"Oh. Awesome." Ruby's voice cracked, and she blushed as she wondered what was next.
"What? Is Elvis his grandfather?" Yang wondered.
"There's this wedding coming up between two of our high school friends. Fox and Coco. It's in Hawaii, and, well, we just wanted to…" Jaune hesitated, scratching the back of his head as he tripped over his words. "T-to...uh... let you know."
"Not just let you know!" Nora corrected, glancing at Jaune with a pout. "Invite you!" She beamed at Ruby as the girl's jaw fell open. "You want to go to Hawaii, Rubes?!"
"W-what?" All of Ruby was floored by the question, eyes widening.
"You don't have to decide now," Ren quickly added. "We know it is short notice. Take time to think about it, but it is over Spring Break so we hope you accompany us. You're good company."
"Oh. Thanks." Ruby tried to smile at the compliment, but there was so much to take in. Jaune dated a celebrity, something that was bothering Pyrrha more than she liked to admit, and now she was being asked to go to Hawaii?
That's when Weiss spoke up.
"Ruby. I want to switch with you."
"What?" Ruby blinked.
Jaune must have thought she was talking to him, and he was quick to repeat th "We wanted to invite to the wedding. We know you don't know Coco or Fox, or… anyone that will be there, but...uh… um." Ruby blushed, smiling at the blond as her mind raced.
"We want you there." Ren came to Jaune's rescue, and the blond nodded his head, his cheeks a subtle red.
"We're going to Hawaii!" Yang cheered.
"Hold on." Blake didn't sound nearly as excited as Yang was. "That's not set in stone. We need to have a meeting about this."
"Right, right. But should we? I mean, Hawaii! That's great! But also, Hawaii with Jaune and his friends," Yang muttered, clearly not a fan of the company they'd have to endure. "But come on, Hawaii! That's awesome!"
"T-this is a lot to take in," Ruby groaned, massaging her temple with two of her fingers. Her mind was filled with the alts' voices, and she could feel her head spinning as their emotions and thoughts clouded her own. It was becoming too much for her. "I…"
"Ruby? You okay?" Jaune asked, reaching for her hand.
"I'm okay." She quickly replied, yet she didn't stop his hand. His touch was nice, warm, and soft, and Ruby found her eyes glued to their fingers. "I just...need a minute to process this."
"That's entirely understandable," Ren declared. "Perhaps we should drop the subject for tonight and focus on the movie?"
"I'd like that..."
"Ruby," Weiss called out again, trying to catch the girl's attention.
"Weiss, why do you want to come out now?!" Ruby's thought loudly, clearly annoyed by the alts pestering. Blake and Yang sat in silence as the main personality frowned. Usually Weiss was quiet, and cared little for socializing, but that had changed in a matter of moments, and Ruby had no idea why.
"It's about Pyrrha. I want to ask Jaune about her. Please, Ruby, how much have I asked for over the course of my life?"
She had a good point. Beyond time to study, Weiss didn't ask for much. Ruby would often have to ask the personality what she wanted, and sometimes Weiss would simply shrug off the question. Even Blake asked for new books to read… All Weiss ever asked for was time to work, and some peace and quiet.
Looking back, Ruby remembered Weiss standing up for her weeks ago. Weiss argued with Yang and Blake about Jaune, and even said Ruby needed friends of her own. Ruby bit her lower lip, staring at the floor, before looking at Jaune.
"Can I use the bathroom?"
Weiss walked out of the bathroom slowly, a hand on the wall as she took in her surroundings. It was… odd seeing Arc's apartment first hand. It was different seeing the world through Ruby's eyes. Weiss couldn't explain how it was different, just that it was… Like watching a movie, versus seeing the set in real life, she supposed.
"Welcome back," Nora, the orange-haired girl with the annoying voice, greeted Weiss.
"Okay, Weiss, just act naturally. Actually since you're supposed to be me, just do the opposite of what comes naturally." Ruby's voice echoed in Weiss' ear, though she found the advice to be less than useful.
"H-hello!" Weiss replied, lifting up a hand to wave at Nora. The strange girl grinned at the wave for… some reason, before going back to messing with the TV, trying to play some movie on it.
"This seems like a bad idea," Yang commented, her voice barely hiding her amusement.
"Agreed," sighed Blake. "What was so important you had to come out now of all times? This couldn't wait?"
"Lay off, guys. I trust Weiss. She can take a few minutes to talk to Jaune if that's what she needs."
Weiss didn't expect any of the others to understand. She didn't need them to, though Ruby's sympathy did not go unnoticed. She almost thanked the woman, but the thought never left Weiss' little corner of the mind.
Instead, Weiss zeroed in on her target, and she approached Jaune with quick, even steps. He was putting away the pizza, wrapping it up in plastic and putting it in the fridge.
"Hey, Rubes." He smiled at her, and Weiss simply nodded in greeting. "There's still some pizza left, you want to have some before we put them away?"
"Sure," she answered quickly, without even thinking. "Can we talk?"
"Of course. What's up?" He smiled at her as he opened a couple of pizza boxes for her to pick from.
Weiss glanced at the boxes, her frown growing as she looked at one greasy pile of cheese to another. As she pondered about which poison to pick, and how to rescind her answer, she continued to speak to Jaune Arc.
"You dated Pyrrha Nikos? The Pyrrha Nikos?" she asked, raising her brow.
"Yeah. I mean, every celebrity is a normal person at some point, right? I'm sure Scarlett Johansson had a normal boyfriend before she became a big star." Weiss made a quiet note that what he said made sense, though he still said it in a very… uncoordinated and socially awkward fashion.
"I suppose that makes sense, but… Why you? There must have been plenty of people who asked her out even before she was famous, why did she say yes to you?"
"Okay, you framed that question in literally the worst possible way!" Ruby groaned.
But Jaune just took the comment with a smile. "Actually, she asked me out."
Okay, Weiss could buy that Pyrrha and Jaune dated, but she had to draw a line somewhere. "You must be joking."
"Nope. Pyrrha asked me out, and I said yes. That's when we started dating."
"I…" Weiss shook her head side to side, her throat turning dry as her mouth hung open. Jaune seemed amused by her confusion, a fact that just annoyed the personality. "I… Why?"
"You know, I used to ask myself that question a lot too. Here, grab a slice and I'll tell you what she told me." Jaune opened a box and reached inside to grab a slice of pizza for himself. Weiss, not particularly caring which slice she grabbed, reached inside the same box and pulled out a slice for herself, dropping it on her plate.
The two sat down, and Weiss' eyes traveled up and down Jaune Arc, taking him in once again. He wasn't much to look at the first time she saw him, and the second time, well… He still wasn't. Jaune looked like a normal man, someone utterly dull, someone Weiss wouldn't look twice at.
So why did Pyrrha fall for this man?
"Pyrrha and I grew up together," Jaune explained. "I was actually her first friend, and she was mine. We met when we were like, five years old, when she kicked a ball into my head at the park," he chuckled.
"How… nice."
"Yeah... Pyrrha's parents were the ones who actually got her into acting." Jaune paused for a moment, lifting his pizza up to take a bite. Weiss had to fight the urge to glare at him. Her foot tapped on the floor as she waited for more information. "They wanted her to excel, even when she was a kid. Math, science, English, doesn't matter what subject it was, they pushed her to be her best."
Jaune wiped his mouth, and glanced at Weiss' plate. "Um, you sure you want to eat that? It has pineapple on it."
"Don't worry about me, Arc," Weiss grumbled, picking up the pizza slice.
For some reason, Ruby seemed displeased with the pizza Weiss had picked up."Wait, you got pineapple! Weiss, don't you dare-"
"What does it matter? It's all the same greasy junk food." The woman bit into the pizza, chewing into the pineapple, cheese, and crust. Ruby gagged inside her mind as the controlling personality chewed the food.
She quickly swallowed and glared at Jaune, moving her hand in a circular motion. "Well? Go on," Weiss urged. Despite the grease, she made a small mental note that it wasn't that bad. Sweet.
"I can't believe you just ate pineapple pizza," Ruby groaned.
"What does it matter what was on it?" She didn't bother to reply, so Weiss just huffed and continued to eat the sweet and salty treat. "Go on, Arc. Er, Jaune. Go on."
"Oh, sorry. Pyrrha and I grew up in Vale together. We were best friends. Inseparable. She pushed me to pursue music, even helped me learn how to sing, and I did my best to support her in whatever she did, whether it was athletics or acting."
Weiss nodded her head. "And then you started dating. Why?"
"I asked her that a lot, and she told me it was because I just treated her like a normal person." He shrugged his shoulders, giving Weiss a small smile. "Everyone else kept treating her like she was above them, but I just talked to her like I would anyone else. I made jokes, goofed off, and just… hung out with her."
"And that led to you dating?" It was clear from her voice that Weiss was less than impressed.
"Yeah, I don't really get it either. That's just what she told me." Weiss rolled her eyes at that answer, before taking another bite of the pizza. It's sweet, juicy taste was quickly growing on her. She caught Jaune staring at her, and barely stopped herself from glaring back at the blond. "Can I ask you a question? Why so many questions about Pyrrha and me? I mean, I never knew you were such a fan of hers."
The question caused Weiss to pause, and she avoided his stare as she thought about her answer. It was true, Weiss' fascination with Pyrrha was not something she told everyone. In fact, she hadn't told anyone her whole life. Granted, she wasn't even ten years old. It's not like she had a very long life...
Much like her love of singing, Weiss' admiration for Pyrrha was something she kept close to her chest. They had nothing to do with why she existed, thus there was no reason to let Ruby and the others know about it.
Of course, that meant Jaune knew two of her secrets. Wonderful, she huffed.
Weiss was born from the ashes of Ruby and Adam's relationship. After the two broke up, Weiss was created to protect Ruby from the world, to help her heal, and to help her get through high school. Singing on a stage had nothing to do with that…
"It's complicated," she finally answered.
"Do you not want to talk about it?"
"No. I mean, I can talk about it." Weiss sighed, closing her silver eyes as she pondered. She knew how likely it was that Ruby and the others would hear her answer. She weighed her options, before deciding to simply bite the bullet. It didn't matter if they knew, it was just a ridiculous, childish dream. "Growing up I knew what I had to do and what I wanted. Then I saw Nikos on TV. She was part of a musical, and she sang and danced on the stage, and… it's stupid." Weiss opened her hand and palmed her face, sighing again.
"Hey, I don't think it's stupid. I love musicals, and I know from firsthand experience how amazing Pyr is. She's really something, huh?"
Jaune was no doubt smiling at her, but Weiss didn't look at him. She was too lost in memories. "I thought I had everything figured out, but when I listened to her sing, I just… I imagined, for a moment, what it would be like to be there. On a stage, singing."
"Do you regret majoring in Engineering?" Jaune inquired.
The question surprised her with its bluntness, but Weiss rolled her eyes, scoffing at the very idea. "Psh, please. Engineering is practical and smart. Why would I ever give it up to sing on a stage?"
She looked at Jaune, and there was something in his blue eyes that she found... odd. Something different. His eyes lacked that childish gleam, but they were still round, soft. It was hard to explain, but it was probably the most adult Jaune had ever acted around Weiss. "That's not what I asked. I mean, I knew you liked singing, but I just..."
"Oh. Yes, I did tell you that, didn't I?" Weiss sighed. She hadn't completely forgotten about her first encounter with Jaune. She expected she would have, but it was the first real conversation she had with a person. That meant something to Weiss, strange as that may sound. She was just a voice in Ruby's head, a symptom of a mental illness, but...
"I looked up to Pyrrha too. She inspired me, just like you, and I guess... When she left, she took the inspiration with her." Jaune shrugged his shoulders, wearing a smile like a trick-or-treater would wear a mask. "But hey, she went on to inspire people like you, so everyone wins."
"You don't win."
He just shrugged, smiling at her like that was supposed to mean something.
"Hey, I got friends, food, and a roof over my head. What else could I ask for?"
Jaune Arc was a terrible liar. Still, Weiss couldn't help but feel an iota of understanding. Growing up, seeing the life Pyrrha was living, Weiss felt... well, it wasn't jealousy, obviously, but it was something. She had no idea that Arc and her would have that connection. That the same person would affect their lives.
What's that saying? It's a small world...?
Jaune seemed to be having similar thoughts. "Crazy to think my girlfriend inspired you."
Weiss didn't say anything in response. Instead she just sighed. "Sorry about the barrage of questions... and if I worded them poorly. I just wanted to know."
"No problem. Now, you ready to watch a movie? Nora got them back because they both take place on or around Hawaii. Her attempt at being subtle, I guess," he chuckled.
"Go on ahead of me. I just need a moment by myself."
Jaune nodded his head, before standing up and walking towards the living room. As soon as he exited the room, Weiss closed her eyes and released control of the body. There was no fanfare, no goodbye, she just left the body vacant and expected Ruby to take her place, Thankfully she did, and the young woman opened her eyes to find herself alone in the kitchen.
"Weiss? Are you okay?"
No one answered her question, and Ruby realized just how little she knew about herself, and, well, herself. Ruby had been listening the whole time, yet she never knew Weiss liked to sing, or that she idolized Pyrrha. Speaking of Pyrrha, how was she supposed to take the news of Jaune's relationship? How was anyone supposed to take it? She should pity Jaune? Admire him?
Why did her stomach feel like it was twisting into a knot...?
"So, what are we going to do about the offer to Hawaii?" Yang asked, hesitantly.
"We need to have a meeting," Blake replied.
"Yaaay... Meetings," the oldest voice muttered.
Ruby just sighed, shaking her head as she stood up and walked into the living room. She put on a smile for everyone, as her thoughts betrayed her. She wished she understood DID more. She wished she understood her alternate personalities more. Most of all though, she wished she never had Dissociative Identity Disorder in the first place.
END
Late... Damn, damn, damn… Sigh. Oh well. Nothing more I can do now, but apologize and say I'll do better. So here I go.
I'm sorry. I'll be better next time.
Anyways, a new chapter! Learned more about Jaune, Weiss, and most importantly, teased the second half of the Book 1. We're going to Hawaii! Like, there's no chance Ruby isn't going to Hawaii. I already planned that out! Expect to see Coco, Fox, Velvet, and a few other characters from the RWBY universe!
As always, one of the hardest things about this story is how to translate certain aspects from canon universe to here. After all, Weiss has no Schnee Dust Company, no abusive father, no Klein, or Winter, or Whitley. I want to make her recognizable, but it's inevitable that her character here would be different than canon.
Weiss wanted to team up with Pyrrha in the canon universe. For the fame, praise, and skill Pyrrha would give her. In this story, Weiss wants to be like Pyrrha, because Pyrrha has a lot of what Weiss wants.
The chance to actually sing on a stage, fame, and most importantly, the freedom to pursue it. Weiss is good at studying from a textbook in both the canon universe, and here, but just because she's good at it doesn't mean she wants that to be her life. Both Weiss' love singing and music, but this Weiss loves it even more because it's a symbol of her desire to be free.
At the end of the day, both Weiss want the same thing. To be free from their family's binds. It's just that one family is abusive, while another is… um… Ruby Rose and a couple of voices in her head.
And Ruby has to deal with the fact that she has DID at all. It's a pain, from what I've learned.
I think a big theme of this story is that there are few bad people. A lot of times, life is just a conflict of interests between mostly good people. Ruby wants to be normal, Weiss and Yang want to be real, Jaune wants to finally get over Pyrrha... Etc, etc.
Always feel like I'm just pointing out the obvious in these Author's Notes... Oh, well.
See ya next time! Love you! Leave a review if you can, and if you want to help support me, check out my Pat-reon page! Request stories, vote for future ones, and more, all for you! See ya next time!
Next Update: October 6th
