Chapters 24 and 25 were something cool, essentially trying to tell the same scene from two different perspectives. This is the one and only time POV switching actually helped me out in any way, making this part much easier to do.
-️-️-️-️Ruby POV️-️-️-️-
"Why is she always looking at those weapons?"
"She's always loved them. Remember the thing a week ago where we couldn't get on the bus?"
"PWAHAHA- I mean of course I do!"
"YANG!"
I slam the 328th issue of Weapons Magazine shut and look at her menacingly.
"Don't be like that Rubes! We're laughing with you, not at you!"
She starts laughing now. But I'm not laughing! This is the 5th day in a row she's done this!
"C'mon Rubes! Don't look so mad! How about I get you some of that lemon cake?"
"No!" I retreat into my bed with the weapons magazine freshly reopened.
They have a six-speed hookshot?! So cool!
"See? Instant tunnel-vision."
*Ping!* What's this?
The 329th issue of Weapons Magazine is out! This one features a 16-chamber Gatling gun! It can even shoot all 16 bullets at once!
The new issue?! YES! I have to get it! I grab Crescent Rose and storm out of the room.
"Let me guess, new issue?"
"Nothing else makes her get that excited. Not even cookies."
"Are you sure that's not your fault? You barely let her do anything else fun."
"Hey! She's my sis! I have to keep her innocent for at least a little longer."
"And just how long are you planning to shield her?"
"Oh… until graduation!"
Blake and Weiss look at each other, each with a "This is so not gonna go well" look on their face. But they can't interfere lest they face the wrath of a pissed-off sun dragon. Like Jaune did.
They go silent and just let Yang do her thing.
That new issue is gonna be so great! I can't wait to go cover-to-cover with it! It's gonna be a blast! I can just see it now, Crescent Rose shooting 16 bulle-
"Yeah! Fuck off Grimm! Get eaten by my gigantic tiger! AHAHA!"
…
…
I run faster and faster away from that. From him. Before I can blink, I'm at the weapons shop, feeling like I am about to collapse into a puddle. I look at the shelf that holds the magazines. Please be there! Please be there!
There it is! The 329th issue! YESYESYESYESYESYES…
I speed off, grab it, and jump up to the register.
"OneissueofWeaponsMagazinePlease!" The girl at the register is smiling. Behind him is the owner of the whole shop, who is also cracking a smile on his face.
"10 Lien Pl-" I slam the 10 Lien of the counter faster than you could say cookie dough and I am GONE!
My body rests on its usual spot on the bench. This has happened so many times that they essentially reserve this spot for me now, with red paint and fruit punch and everything. I lift the magazine up and there it is! The 16 chamber gun! This is gonna look so cool stuck in Crescent Rose! I can just see it now! All the Grimm getting absolutely mauled in a hail of bullets! Nothing will get past me! Nothing!
I flip the page and WOW! New 55mm Ammo! I can't wait to stick that in there! It's gonna feel so good as it blows out! And those Grimm will be so shocked seeing a hole that big in their face! It's gonna be just the best! And OOH! A special non-magnetic chain! This will be so good sparring against Pyrrha! And only 25 Lien for 3 feet?! That's an absolute steal! I can't wait to hide that in my…"
The Rose is currently in her own universe of delightful weaponry. It's obvious to anyone who looks over. She's a bubbly presence around here, bringing smiles to everyone who walks in. Except for a person with blond hair, who doesn't even spare a glance at her as he walks into the shop. Why is he so bent out of shape?!
But never mind that. She's still in her nice little world. Let's go back over there, shall we?
20 minutes later…
Oh my gosh! New polycarbonate metal! I'm gonna make the handle of Crescent Rose with this! Then it'll be super strong!
Speaking of it-
"It's a she!"
*Ahem* Speaking of her, she's split up into several pieces on the bench, with all kinds of screwdrivers and knives and even safety glasses out. This happens a lot with her. She got lucky last time, with Ruby not having any money to swap stuff in and out, but it's not looking good for 'ol Rosie on this go-around...
Forgot the POV markers again! You can tell I wasn't really using them anymore. There was 4 or 5 POV changes per chapter, now there is barely any at all. It's not the worst offense of bad perspectiving though, not by a long shot.
...A new custom faceplate! I could put a rose petal on it! That'll go so good with the chain! YEAH! Then I could flaunt that to everyone who sees me kill off a Grimm that it was me! Ruby Rose! Not some other super fancy huntsman from Atlas! Just the unstoppable speed demon that is me!
I start putting Crescent Rose back together for now while I think about just what I can buy. I have over 1000 Lien to spend after all. That chain wasn't too expensive… How about two packs of ammo! I could always use more of that. At least I hope the price hasn't changed…
With Crescent Rose in fully functional form, I head back inside and look to buy everything. I look inside and the first thing I see is the ammo. They don't have the 55mm. Awwwwwwwwww….
I look for the next item, a nice ingot of that polycarbonate steel, and can't seem to find it. I go closer to the display. One of those huntsman nearby does look familiar… His weapon looks like a disaster though. Especially that shield. Who the hell would use something tha-
No. He can't be here.
Is he… looking into a new weapon? That's not possible. Why would he do that? Wouldn't he have given up now?! I would be devastated if my baby was destroyed like that, but he.. he…
️
After a particularly revealing lunch...
How can he do this! He was so inspiring! I thought he was a hero! But now I learn he cheated?! That the whole thing was a massive lie? But why? Why would someone do that? Is he really that cold?
Yang walks in the dorm. Her face did have a small grin on it, but it quickly fades into concern after seeing me.
"Rubes…"
"He can't do this!"
"I know… Pyrrha is getting that taken care of. I know it hurts. But trust me, this will all blow over before you know it."
Yang brings me into her arms as I continue to sniffle.
"Think about it this way. When he goes out there to battle, if he loses his weapon, he's done. He'll be absolutely screwed. He won't die a hero. He'll die as a scared little boy, curled up in a ball, overwhelmed by everything."
Yang then grabs a pack of cookies from a nearby drawer.
"Here, have a cookie." She almost jams it into my mouth. I chomp on it and let the flavor take me.
"T-thanks sis…"
I'm already beginning to feel a little better. And she's right, isn't she? He's not a hero. Heroes don't cheat. Heroes fight until they can't fight anymore.
All he has done is stolen another hero's place. A new person, a real hero, not a fake one, will replace him. And he'll probably have a cooler weapon too.
I'm impressed that I managed to go back to the very beginning for a flashback, and didn't completely botch it. It's still not that good, but followable.
️
That cookie was so good..- FOCUS!
I can't believe that an impostor like him is here. Was it not enough for him to steal a spot at Beacon? He has to steal a weapon too?!
And that's exactly what he's doing. I saw him looking through those info cards. I did that last week when they debuted the new crystallized ferrofluid! He's got all the ideas flying through his head!
I can't let this happen. I have to end this right now.
But I can't kill him… a hero wouldn't do that, right? A hero would help out people in need! People who are stuck in a sticky situation!
But he cheated. Maybe he deserves what has come to him so far. And what will come to him now.
These two thoughts wrestle in my mind as I lay my hands on Crescent Rose, gearing her up for a quick shot. I try to lift it u-
Make a huge point of calling Crescent Rose a she, then proceeding to call it just an 'it'. Bleh.
Why is she so heavy?!
Ugggh, please Ruby! This is like taking a cookie from a baby! Just lift her up and-
*bump*
Uh oh...
"Sorry about that, I didn't watch wh-"
I see his eyes flip from something generic to a look of… concern? Why does he look like that? He's an impostor! There's no way he is here to help us heroes out!
"J-J-J-J-J-J…"
Curse my awkwardness! That concerned look is growing bigger and bigger now. Why can't I stop stuttering?! Why is he reaching out for-
*tap*
ROSEPETAL️.EXE HAS CRASHED. LOOKING FOR NEAREST CHECKPOINT…
CHECKPOINT FOUND! TELEPORTING…
…
...Where am I? I look around and see myself in a bakery. Wasn't I in the weapon shop earlier? And there I ran into-
It was him, wasn't it… My hands ball into fists at the thought of what happened earlier. He hurt me again! I need something to take my mind off…
I walk up to the counter and order an amount of sweets large enough to drown me…
"Give me three dozen cookies, and a sundae with extra extra extra strawberries. Oh also gimme some vanilla ice cream, and some cherries on top, and also some cherry popsicles, and…"
The man at the register can only watch as the red huntress continues to name pretty much every possible dessert that is red. After she finally finishes, he can only say three words.
"Coming right up!"
I sit at one of the tables, completely alone. After a long time of waiting and thinking, my nose catches something that smells really, really good...
"Here you are!"
A massive plate of sweets almost as big as the table I'm sitting at is set down in front of me. He takes the plate out from under them all, and I am left staring at the mass of sugary paradise.
I begin to eat. And eat. And eat. A sundae is gone in a flash. Three strawberries are swallowed whole. A cherry is completely lost in an avalanche of ice cream. Before I know it, the spoon turns bright pink from all the ice cream, cookies, and red fruit that it has picked up.
I look up at the clock. 8:30 already? Just how long have I been here? I take a peek outside, and the sun is setting. But that is not all I see.
Jaune. Again.
And this time, he has his weapon. A gun, huh? It's pretty cool-looking. Wait, did I -did I just call HIS weapon cool?!
…
I don't want to think about that faker again. He can keep his stupid weapon! It still won't save him!
I lower my head back into the dessert pile. Oum, this tastes so, so good… I don't ever want to leave…
(A/N: This chapter was originally much, much different in my head. But I reeled it back. Yes, Jaune's weapon has a name, it will be revealed soon. Don't get your hopes up too much though.)
I'll talk more about what that Author's Note means. This chapter was one of the ones who's basic idea came about during that crack era. I wanted Ruby to almost kill Jaune, and initially this chapter was going to be just that, Ruby was essentially going to try to shoot him multiple times while at this shop. However, this chapter was at the back of the line, behind the whole Weiss/Pyrrha and Yang bits. The seriousness began to come in, pushing it farther and farther back, and by the time it finally got to here, it had to figure out how the hell it was going to change 'Ruby tries to kill Jaune with Crescent Rose!' into something that is much more sane. And this is what it came up with. Ruby is actually a believable character! Almost. There's still the 'in your face' styling a little bit, but it's more tame.
