"I never knew Mistral was so big." Weiss mused as she pondered over a tourism map with Ruby. "Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know. Where do you want to go?" Ruby asked Weiss in return. Weiss could tell Ruby wasn't really interested in actually doing anything on their date, and she couldn't blame her. Really, Weiss just wanted to spend time with the girl she'd only recently been able to reunite with, and it didn't matter what they did.
"Ruby, as long as we're spending time together, I don't really care." She said while bumping Ruby's shoulder with her own. The smile Ruby returned along with a glance and a blush was more than enough for Weiss to consider the cheesy line was worth it.
"Oh, how about this? And we can do something else when we get tired?" Weiss followed Ruby's finger that was pointing out a nearby arcade. Normally she'd be against the idea of playing video games on a date, but it was also the first real down time she'd be able to spend with her partner since they were separated. That fact made Weiss's decision exponentially easier.
"Okay, let's go."
They made short work of packing their map, water, and a couple small snacks of sliced apples into a backpack Ruby had insisted on bringing with them. Weiss made sure she had the cards to her personal accounts, as she doubted her father would have left her cards to the family accounts alone since she'd left. And soon, after explaining to Yang where they were going in case something major came up, they found themselves walking hand in hand through the moderately populated streets of downtown Mistral. Though they had a destination, Weiss found herself walking extremely slowly next to Ruby who seemed to have no wish to speed up as people walked around them, going in both directions. It was an odd feeling to Weiss who often didn't linger, but at the same time it allowed her to see more of their surroundings as they made their way from one street to the next and finally into the arcade.
Mistral was indeed more beautiful than she'd originally thought, and Ruby had seemed almost as happy as Weiss felt when people would nod to them in a silent but friendly greeting as they passed. It was so different than Weiss's home that it was kind of strange that people paid them no mind as they enjoyed the start of their date. And the arcade was no different, the manager asking if they were on a date before offering them their date specials which were honestly nothing that different than the normal specials. The only exception to that allowed them to avoid using the token machine that already seemed to have a long line, since Weiss had decided to pay with her credit card.
"So what first?" Weiss asked as she looked around at the dozens of people all going one way or another, heading to arcade machines, strange bastardizations of athletic sports, and some sort of back room that was separated from the main area with a black curtain.
"What about Mrs. Pac Man?" Ruby suggested, pointing at a nearby cabinet that had two games next to each other open. "We'll each get one."
"I have no idea what that is, but sure. Why not?" Weiss shrugged, pulling Ruby up to the flashing screens that showed some yellow circle eating blobs with eyes.
Ruby activated her cabinet and then Weiss's. She quickly explained the controls and the basics of how the game worked. It all sounded easy enough that when the game's preparation countdown ended, Weiss thought she was ready to win what she thought would be a fairly easy game.
Boy was she wrong. Weiss sighed in defeat as she watched the little pink blob's eyes laugh at her while her yellow circle folded itself into nothingness for the fourth time in under a minute. It wasn't that the game was hard to play either. It was just the chaos of having to navigate around the maze while keeping an eye on four of those little ghosts, as Ruby'd called them. Definitely not something she was good at, despite the fact she could fight a handful of grimm simultaneously on the battlefield. And though she didn't take to the game, she felt that she would rather let Ruby play and watch instead. Especially since Ruby seemed to be making the cutest face of concentration that Weiss hadn't seen since they'd last been together at Beacon.
Ruby's tongue was poking out of her lips just slightly as her eyes flashed around the screen, her arms slamming the joystick one way then another as the fingers on her other hand tapped along to the beat of the sound effect of the yellow circle eating the dots.
Weiss moved aside to allow another person to take her spot and instead wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist, placing her head on her shoulder. The move startled Ruby who drove her yellow circle straight into a ghost.
"Weiss… you don't want to play anymore?" Ruby asked nervously as she noticed the new person at Weiss's machine.
"No, I'll just watch you. It's more fun for me this way." Weiss breathed against Ruby's neck before moving and placing a peck on her cheek. Ruby blushed and looked back at her screen as her next life started and simply nodded as she continued to guide her circle around the screen.
Weiss watched both Ruby and the screen in equal measure over the next eight minutes as she passed the first few levels without losing any more lives. It was only when she started the fifth level that Weiss noticed Ruby start making small mistakes.
At first it resulted in near misses that Weiss imagined could have resulted in a death if Ruby's reaction was a split second later, and then finally Ruby seemed to sacrifice all her remaining lives in short order before turning in Weiss's embrace and giving her a quick kiss.
"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer." Ruby explained as she wrapped her arms around Weiss's neck. The blush on her face was glowing bright, causing Weiss to giggle slightly that Ruby had ended her video game just to be able to hug her back. Something she noted had never happened before.
"So what next?" Weiss asked, deciding not to point her observation out to her girlfriend.
"Skee-ball." Ruby replied with a nod at several dozen machines that were almost abandoned near the opposite wall.
As the two approached, leaving behind the majority of the gamers in the arcade, the machines came into view and Weiss was able to make out a set of rings of varying sizes arranged like two eyes and a mouth. The inside of the rings had numbers printed on them and each station had a long ramp leading up to the rings with a caged channel on the side leading to an opening just large enough to put your hand in.
"So how do you play this one?" Weiss asked curiously, though she felt she could figure it out from the terribly drawn graphic on the machine's sign.
"Well…" Ruby said as she swiped the card a few times on two machines next to each other which loaded their tracks with a few dozen balls. "You try to get as many points as possible. Watch."
Weiss smiled as Ruby pulled a ball out of her machine and rolled it down the isle where it hit the ramp and landed neatly in one of the eye holes that was marked with a thousand points, the scoreboard on Ruby's machine updating to match. Ruby gave Weiss a smug smile as Weiss picked up a ball and copied Ruby's movement, sinking it in the eye hole on her machine. Ruby's smug smile faded into one promising a competition as she picked up her second ball and repeated the process using the opposite eye hole.
Weiss continued copying Ruby's targets, finding this game far too easy considering the training they'd done before. Ball after ball fell into the two spots on the machines that were worth a thousand points each until both Ruby and Weiss had run out, their game ending in a tie. With a slight smirk, Weiss took the card from Ruby and swiped it again.
"Until we break the tie." Weiss explained as Ruby cocked her head at her.
"You're going down." Ruby replied without a moment of hesitation.
And so the two continued rolling their balls with precision, both keeping pace with the other and scoring nothing but maximum points as the afternoon slowly went by. The somewhat monotonous game evolved into a bit of a show as Ruby rolled her ball from behind her back, and Weiss answered by rolling one with her eyes closed. A crowd soon gathered to watch the two seemingly infallible players as they kept attempting to outdo the other, now adding in the cheers from the crowd to see who was winning. Of course, Weiss and Ruby didn't honestly care about that, but it was still fun.
"Weiss, check this out." Ruby announced on her last ball as she simply pitched it forward, the ball never once touching the ramp before it landed in the thousand point hole. The crowd went crazy as Ruby clasped her hands together and shook them around her head as if she'd won some kind of medal for her disregard for the skee-ball table.
"Alright Ruby, watch how it's done." Weiss announced as she focused her semblance on a myriad of glyphs before she turned around and gestured for the crowd to part. It did and Ruby watched as Weiss pitched the ball perfectly away from her machine where it caught a glyph and bounced toward the ceiling before it hit another glyph and bounced again and again as it went left to right, up to down and back again, and then finally landed, teetering, on the edge of the thousand point hole before it slowly dropped in.
Weiss flinched as the crowd exploded. She could barely hear as Ruby scooped her up onto her shoulder and spun around as Weiss waved, hoping her hearing wouldn't be completely destroyed when the crowd quieted down.
Ruby couldn't help but feel proud that Weiss of all people had gotten a crowd of gamers to cheer like that, especially considering she had refused to step foot in an arcade back when they were still at Beacon. Ruby let Weiss down, never letting her go as people from the crowd congratulated her on such an amazing game. Ruby found herself blushing as Weiss reminded them that despite the throw, she had still technically tied with Ruby.
"Finally…" Weiss sighed as the last person left them and resumed playing their games. "I think I've had enough of the arcade. How about you?"
Ruby smiled and pulled Weiss into a hug. "I feel the same. Lets go cash out."
Ruby led Weiss to a glass counter that looked like somewhere you might order food. A large sign with a few dozen items hung in the back, almost hidden by the sheer amount of junk hanging from every available surface. The counter itself was a display case, which was more sparsely populated on the top than the inside, which was a big jumble of containers or contraptions, and allowed the lone worker that would fit into the space to lean as he waited for somebody to break his boredom.
"Saw your game, lets see how many tickets you earned." He said as Ruby handed him the card and scanned it through the attachment he had attached to his scroll. "Damn, that's a lot of tickets. Hold on, my manager wanted to do this cash out herself."
Ruby nodded and turned back to Weiss with a shrug as they watched a woman in a business jacket walk out of a door and over to the counter. Weiss doubted having people so good at games like this would be good for business, so she guessed that they'd just be told not to come back or that they wouldn't be allowed to claim prizes, or something of that nature. She just hoped Ruby wouldn't be too sad about it.
"Hello ladies, my name is Scarlet and before we get down to business, I'd like to congratulate you on one of the best skee-ball games I have ever seen." Ruby smiled and bowed as Weiss simply nodded in response.
"I'm Ruby and this is Weiss." Ruby introduced quickly as she surfaced from her bow.
"Yes, Weiss Schnee was the name on the credit card attached to your token card." Scarlet nodded as she waved them to a table nearby. "That's actually what I've come to talk to you about."
"The card should be fine." Weiss said with a hint of concern. She knew her father had it in his power to cancel her personal card, but she didn't see how he would care enough to do that since it wasn't linked with any of the family accounts.
"Oh, it is. Sorry if you misunderstood. Actually…" Scarlet trailed off as she pulled out her scroll, hitting a couple icons before she dropped it on the table and spun it for Ruby and Weiss. On it was an advertisement for a classic arcade game night and as they watched it, Weiss noticed the skee-ball segment was very familiar. Scarlet paused the commercial when the segment ended and looked up at the girls across from her. "This is just a rough edit, but the clip shouldn't change too much. I would like your permission to use the footage of your game earlier for this and other advertisements. Naturally, audio taken during the footage will not be used in accordance with my standard consent form. In return, I will reimburse you for your entire trip here."
"That sounds fine with me, how about you?" Weiss said as she considered how her funds were very much limited now that she'd left her family. She turned to Ruby who appeared deep in thought, wondering how Ruby would feel.
"It's okay, on one condition." Weiss watched as Ruby leaned over the table and whispered something to Scarlet who listened intently. After a moment, Ruby and Scarlet both leaned back as the latter proceeded to think to herself. She glanced back down at the duo more than once before she snapped her fingers.
"I have just the thing." She leaned forward with Ruby and whispered her reply.
"Deal." Ruby agreed with a smile and an outstretched hand. Scarlet shook it quickly before pulling up a new page on her scroll where she pointed out for Ruby and Weiss where to put their names and where to sign.
Two minutes later, Scarlet left and returned with a pair of small boxes which she handed to Ruby.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you Ruby, and with you Weiss. Please come back whenever, and pop your head into the office when you do. After seeing that skee-ball game, I'd love to see how you two play hoops." Scarlet shook their hands again before heading back to her office.
"So what's in the boxes?" Weiss asked as Ruby led them back out of the arcade.
"Your prize." Ruby announced as she popped the top off both boxes to reveal two small stuffed teddy bears in red and white. "They're key-chains! I figured since we'll be travelling again soon, we should pick something that we can take with us and that won't get in the way, and I kind of thought you might like this one."
Ruby held up the white bear, dangling it from the short chain and loop that was affixed to its back. Weiss smiled and reached for the red one instead. She smiled at Ruby's look of surprise before she clipped it to her belt.
"Red reminds me of you, so I'm going to take that one, if it's alright." Weiss felt her face blush as she told Ruby why she'd picked the red bear.
"O-okay." Ruby blushed in response, dropping the empty boxes in a garbage can as they passed, and clipping the white bear to one of the clips that kept her cape on. "I kinda like this one myself."
Weiss giggled at Ruby's response as her eyes settled on a large facility down a side street. To most people, it wouldn't have stood out, but Weiss had spent a great deal of her childhood entering and leaving a facility just like it, but never had she gone in for fun. She decided that had to change.
"Ruby, let's not head back just yet." Weiss started as she pulled Ruby to a stop at the corner. Ruby looked slightly confused but she nevertheless followed as Weiss pulled her along. Weiss didn't offer any further explanation, leaving Ruby to wonder where Weiss was leading her.
They arrived at a building, and Weiss watched Ruby as she looked around, attempting to find a sign and failing.
Weiss left Ruby's side and knocked on the door to a shuttered window that had an open sign dangling from it. It opened to an elderly man with nothing but a ring of hair left on his head and a frown on his face.
"What do you want?" He asked, his voice cracked as if he hadn't spoken in a long while, and was laced with exhaustion. Weiss tried to smile at him as best she could before responding.
"I wanted to know if you were open to the public? And if so, if you rented skates." Weiss continued to smile as Ruby slowly approached, obviously deciding she'd get better clues from listening to their conversation.
"I only got the bladed kind. Not those stupid wheeled things kids are all about these days." The old guy complained as he set a paper down for Weiss to look at and tapped the area that mentioned the prices. Before Ruby could read anything, Weiss handed the paper back to the man and nodded with a smile.
"That's exactly what we want. Do you take cards, or do you need cash?" Ruby took her hand as she looked through the small opening in the building without any luck determining what was inside.
"Cards are fine. Hold on a minute, I'll need to open the door for you." The man sounded much less grumpy as he pulled the shutters closed and left Weiss and Ruby to slowly approach the large wooden door that separated them from the inside of the facility.
"What is this place?" Ruby asked anxiously as she thought about what sort of item could have knives or wheels attached. And considering the building was down some side street that looked a little less than populated, she was a bit nervous.
"You'll see. I used to go to places like this all the time before Beacon. It was pretty good exercise, and it was one of the few activities I wasn't forced into competition for. But I think my father was training me to be well positioned to enter the club at Atlas Academy." Weiss shared as she thought back to the drills she'd been assigned on every visit. "I figured it was time to just visit for the sake of having fun. Because despite having to learn a routine, I actually did enjoy gliding around."
"Competition? A club at Atlas? Routines? What are we even doing?" Ruby was getting excited, her nervousness giving way to the need to find out what her girlfriend was talking about. Weiss had no doubt she was making up some sort of idea of what they were about to do in her head, but she found it more enjoyable to watch her partner flounder.
A creak broke her musing and Ruby's babbling speculations as the man pulled the door open and waved them in. He shut the door behind them and pointed them down a hallway as he took his cane and hobbled along behind them.
Weiss smiled to herself as the air turned colder the further they went before one last set of doors stood before them. Weiss pushed them open and let Ruby pass as she looked around. She held the door for the old man who nodded and started to make his way over to an area of the stands that was cleared out for what looked like a vendor shack.
"Whoa, I've never been inside an ice rink before!" Ruby told Weiss as she continued to look around. The stands circling the rink were grey with blue plastic fold-down seats, the jumbo-tron hanging from the rafters wasn't too big, but fit the smaller rink size perfectly. The lines on the ice looked old and worn as if they hadn't been properly maintained while the ice itself looked like a sheet of untouched glass. "I mean, I've seen them on TV before, but wow!"
"Come on, we're going to skate." Weiss started pulling Ruby before being pulled to a stop herself.
"Weiss? I… I don't mean to rain on your parade or anything, but I've never skated before in my life." Ruby braced for a hurt look to appear on Weiss's face, but it didn't. Instead Weiss tilted her head in confusion.
"So?" Weiss asked as she considered a few options to remedy Ruby's problem. "I can teach you a little bit."
"Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to." Ruby smiled for a second before squeaking in surprise.
Weiss licked at Ruby's lips as they parted, breaking the strand of saliva that had connected them as she looked deep into her girlfriend's eyes. "I'm positive. I want to share this with you. No matter what. And I'm sure you'll have fun too. At least, you will once you learn not to fall."
"If you're sure…" Ruby looked down and followed Weiss to the counter.
In a matter of minutes, Weiss had rented some sleek looking skates for herself, and a pair of more rugged looking ones for Ruby. While Weiss laced up her own skates, and then helped Ruby with hers, she explained that the metal piece on the bottom was sometimes called a blade, and the basic ideas on how to stay balanced.
And so Ruby stood uneasily on the rubber mat beside the door to the ice as Weiss let her hands go and stepped onto the ice herself. Ruby carefully stepped closer to the edge and grabbed onto the edge as Weiss did a quick circle around the close half of the rink before gliding to a stop in front of her.
Weiss didn't say anything as she smiled at Ruby and offered her hand. Ruby prepared herself and stepped out onto the ice with Weiss's help. Her legs wobbled, but remained mostly straight thanks to the high ankle of the skate.
"Don't tense your legs so much." Weiss offered as she continued to hold Ruby while she slipped back and forth on the blades. After another few seconds, Ruby's legs stopped wobbling so much and she let out a sigh of relief. "Good, now try sliding forward one foot at a time. Don't worry about actually making yourself move for now, I'll help you with that."
"O-okay." Ruby nodded as she looked down at her feet and slid one foot forward at a time.
"Ruby!" Weiss squeaked as Ruby's hands gripped hers tightly as her feet slipped out from under her. Weiss was pulled forward and landed across Ruby's stomach. With an exchange of glances, they both burst out into giggles as Weiss got back to her feet and helped Ruby up. "Try not to look at your feet."
Ruby nodded, but it didn't make too much difference. Over the next hour, Ruby found herself reacquainted with the ice on a frequent basis that seemed to only slightly diminish as time went on.
"Okay Weiss. I'm just going to hold onto the side here. Go have some fun cause I'm getting tired." Ruby said as Weiss helped her up from yet another fall.
"It's okay Ruby. I'd be surprised if you learned to skate so quickly. I really don't mind helping you." Weiss said as she nevertheless helped Ruby get back to the side of the rink.
"I'm happy you feel like that Weiss. Really, I am. But go have some fun for yourself." Ruby saw Weiss's look of disappointment and sighed to herself. "Why don't you go impress me. Show me something cool you can do, other than not fall over, that is."
"Are you sure?" Weiss's question was met by a smile from Ruby and a nod. Weiss let out a long breath as she smiled back. "Okay… let me think."
Weiss skated out to the center of the rink, gliding in long curves before she slid to a gentle stop in the center of the rink. After a moment, she turned to Ruby and winked as she pushed off, her arms held casually at the small of her back as she picked up speed.
Ruby watched as Weiss flew around the rink so quickly, the wind blew her combat skirt back behind her as her legs pumped, sending her faster and faster. Ruby watched as Weiss came out of a turn to the longer side of the rink and jumped, doing a simple turn before landing facing the opposite direction.
Ruby gasped as Weiss approached the end of the rink and Weiss suddenly leaned over, allowing one leg to lift as she turned, using a single skate to slide around the turn. Ruby couldn't help but feel her heart race in excitement and anxiety as she watched Weiss keep perfect balance. She was reminded of a ballet she'd seen when she was little as Weiss slid back to the center of the rink and spun, still on one foot as she bent her leg back and up near her head. Ruby blushed as a thought about Weiss's flexibility crossed her mind, but her eyes never left her lover.
Weiss let her leg down and jumped, keeping her spin as she landed, sliding backward, directly at Ruby as she picked up speed again. Ruby watched, knowing she couldn't move even if she wanted to as Weiss kept coming without a glance back.
"WEISS!" Ruby squealed as Weiss came a bit too close only for a loud scraping noise to sound as shavings of ice flew up into the air as Weiss stopped with plenty of room to spare.
"Did you see anything you liked?" Weiss asked as she closed the space between her and her partner. She picked a shaving of ice out of Ruby's hair and smiled at the blush that burned all the way across Ruby's face and part way down her neck despite the cold air.
"Yeah." Ruby nodded as her brain scrambled to come up with more words, except it seemed her brain was stuck. The only thought crossing her mind pointing out that a charming Weiss was definitely a dangerous Weiss.
"I think we should stop now, unless you want to keep going?" Weiss asked as she took Ruby's hands and pulled her along as she skated back toward the exit.
"No, my butt has had enough, thanks." Ruby mumbled as Weiss moved aside to let Ruby step out first. Ruby pulled herself out, almost falling as she did so. Weiss giggled behind her and Ruby yelped as a sharp sting landed on her abused backside as Weiss followed her off the ice. "Weiss!"
"I think your butt could use a bit more attention myself." Weiss smirked as she left Ruby and walked over to the benches, perfectly balanced on the blades of her skates as Ruby watched her partner's posterior sway. Weiss turned back and winked at Ruby before she sat and pulled the laces off both skates in one quick motion and slipped her boots back on within a few seconds. She glanced up at Ruby who's whole face was glowing red and started blushing a little herself as she watched Ruby watching her. "As fun as this is, Ruby… I think you should hurry up and get your boots back on."
"Uh, yeah." Ruby nodded, looking down as she stepped down from the rubber mat only to almost jump onto the bench as her foot wobbled. Weiss laughed a little and brought Ruby her shoes and helped her undo the laces on her skates before taking both pairs back to the old man who was reading a book at the counter.
Ruby waited for Weiss to return, looking at her scroll to see what time it was. It was already late in the evening and she figured the sun would be setting if it hadn't already. And despite how much fun she'd had, she didn't want this day to end. It was the first time she'd really gotten to hang out with Weiss since they'd been reunited, and even the previous evening of intimacy couldn't truly hold a candle to simply relaxing and having fun together.
"Alright, we can leave now." Weiss said as she returned. Ruby took her hand and stood.
As they left the building, Weiss leisurely guided them back to the place they were all staying. It had been a perfect day for her. And although she didn't want it to end, she was extremely exhausted as her aura still hadn't recovered completely from the almost fatal wound she'd received in their last battle.
"Thinking about it again?" Ruby asked, making Weiss snap back to reality to find Ruby watching her carefully.
"Yeah. It's nothing to worry about though. Just idle thoughts, is all." Weiss shrugged as she leaned her head on Ruby's shoulder. She knew Ruby probably wasn't happy with her answer, so she figured she might as well try to explain. Especially since she'd resolved to never take for granted the time she had left, or those she would spend it with. "I was just thinking that after everything that's happened… at Beacon and now at Haven… these last couple days have been somewhat surreal. Its as if things are the same as before, except better. I want you to know that I'm unbelievably happy right now, Ruby."
"That's good. I feel the same way, about things being the same but better, I mean." Ruby squeezed Weiss's hand and they shared a few giggles as the slight tension between them popped like a flimsy bubble. "Hey, if you want, I have one more idea for how to end the day. If you're interested."
"Of course. You don't even need to ask." Weiss replied as Ruby's sunshine smile swept away the fatigue that had been fighting her.
"Just follow me princess." Ruby giggled as she ran up the steps to their hotel. Weiss just smiled and chased after, knowing that however they were going to end the day would probably make this one of the best days of her life so far. All because of Ruby.
"Wow, look at that…" Weiss breathed in awe as she looked skyward from the very roof of their hotel.
"It's not bad, but if you like this, you'll love what it looks like outside the city." Ruby mused as she looked up with a much more experienced eye. "You can barely see a third of the stars that I saw after I left patch with Jaune, Nora, and Ren."
"Ruby…" Weiss shifted her position and re-situated her head atop Ruby's shoulder as Ruby wrapped her arm around her. Ruby probably knew what she wanted to say, so she decided to just leave the topic there. Some things would only get better with time, and this was one of them. Nevertheless, Weiss felt greatly honoured that after everything that had happened, Ruby still held her so close to her heart. "I've never really looked at stars before. Do you know anything about them?"
"What are you looking for?" Ruby responded with a relaxed sigh since they were so close. "There are all sorts of stories about the figures that constellations depict. Sometimes they're happy, sometimes sad. Sometimes they involve heroes or villains, sometimes princesses locked in their towers."
Weiss remained silent as Ruby's voice faded into thoughtful silence. Minutes passed, or maybe it was just seconds, but Weiss paid the passage no mind as she enveloped herself in Ruby's embrace and hoped her feelings were reaching her girlfriend.
"My mom told me a story once, and it actually has something to do with Valentines. See that constellation over there? You can barely see the end of it." Ruby said as she pointed out a bunch of stars that formed a strange bisected triangle. "That one is Cupid's Bow."
"Cupid? The one that makes you fall in love with an arrow?" Weiss asked. She hadn't actually read it herself, but the gist of it was easy enough to pick up as she met with other heirs and heiresses throughout her childhood.
"Yeah, well, there are enough stories about Cupid making people fall in love. But have you ever heard of the time he failed?" Ruby asked, her voice telling Weiss she was already smiling at the memory of her story.
"The stories have something to do with him using magic to make people fall in love, right?" Weiss asked as she thought about the minuscule amount of information she remembered about the fictional character.
"Yeah, and as legend has it, the arrow was guaranteed to make someone fall in love with the person who was hit with the other half of the arrow. It was so powerful a love that it was said to fill your entire heart with love for each other." Ruby said with an excited grin as Weiss cuddled closer to her.
"Okay, so how did Cupid fail?" Weiss asked as she breathed in Ruby's scent and closed her eyes to enjoy Ruby's story and warmth.
"Our story begins with two princesses actually. Cupid comes later. Anyway, these two princesses were from neighbouring kingdoms and as such, often met to discuss various dealings between them since they were such good friends. They were also both training to take over their respective kingdoms when their parents stepped down, so they had a lot in common too. One day, their relationship evolved past the point their parents were comfortable with, and they were separated. In the Eastern Kingdom Roseia, the Beautiful was locked in a tower guarded by a dragon that could breathe fire and spit acid, and who could move faster than the wind and roar louder than the sea. And while Roseia's fate was saddening, the King of the Western Kingdom decided that his daughter Ivy, the Fair was to be married so as to return the honour that his daughter had cost him." Ruby said as she gently started to run her fingers through Weiss's hair. Weiss hummed her approval and cuddled even closer as Ruby continued.
"So the first few princes Ivy's father brought in were turned down, and it wasn't long before his daughter's reputation let her be known as Ivy, the Cold. In distress over this development to further damage his reputation, Ivy's father called on the Saint Cupid to ensure the next prince to attempt to gain his daughter's hand would be successful." Ruby said, thinking for a moment. "I guess it's kind of like how your dad did it."
"Yeah, let's not go there Ruby." Weiss replied shortly as she pushed the thoughts that came up back down. "And how do you even call Cupid?"
"I dunno, probably some ritual or something. Who knows?" Ruby replied, giving the question some thought before shrugging. "Anyhow… back to the story."
"And so Ivy was met by a prince from the North-Western Kingdom named Randel, and as Cupid had promised he sent his arrow forth, striking the souls of Ivy and Randel as he'd done countless times before. Cupid left without waiting to see the results of his work, as he'd seen the reaction countless times and grown bored of it long ago. So it came as a surprise when he was called back by Ivy's father and informed that while Randel had fallen hopelessly in love with his daughter, Ivy showed no signs of affection in return, though she had asked Randel to move to her wing of the castle and join her in morning practise with the castle guard." Ruby stopped for a moment to remember the next part of the story, and Weiss simply waited as she enjoyed the gentle fingers working their way through her hair. "This development confused Cupid, but he figured it must have been a bad arrow that had caused the problem, and resolved to try once again, if only to see the conclusion of this confusing event. And it wasn't long before Prince Gavin of the Island Kingdom came to call. As the two sat to tea, Cupid struck once more with his two arrows and watched as the two seemed to grow closer, Gavin obviously falling deeply into love, but Ivy as he'd been told was seemingly unaffected."
"Ruby, you said this story was told to you by your mom?" Weiss asked as Ruby took a break between the events in her story. "Did she make this up herself?"
"Yeah, actually. She said she got some help on it from an old friend on one of her hunts, but otherwise she made it for me while she had down time between a couple of nests." Ruby grinned at the memory as she started stroking Weiss's hair again. "So… Right. Cupid returned to the king to report his findings, and told the king that he would need to do further research. And so like Randel, Gavin moved in to Ivy's wing of the castle and joined Randel and Ivy for morning practises."
"She must have put a lot of work into it." Weiss commented as Ruby traced patterns on her scalp.
"She was always the best story teller." Ruby remembered with a sigh. "You should have heard her tell it."
Weiss hummed in affirmation of Ruby's words, and Ruby thought back to how the next part of the story went.
"After a fortnight or more, Cupid returned, with what he believed to be the most powerful of his arrows ever to be cast. He showed the king, who approved the ornate gold and the mythic runes that decorated the shaft. The tip itself was a white-gold heart made to split just as his other arrows so as to link two souls to one, something that had never before happened in Cupid's time. And so Cupid waited until Prince Jay of the North-Eastern Kingdom came to call. During their meeting, Cupid watched and carefully aimed his arrow, but after the amount of work he'd done to create such a masterpiece, he couldn't bring himself to shoot it. Thus, he fired another of his normal arrows at the couple who, like the times previous seemed to only grow friendly but nothing further." Ruby took a deep breath as she paused. She could feel her chest rise and lift Weiss's head slightly as it did so. It was a strangely intimate feeling and Ruby enjoyed it as she continued to play with her girlfriend's hair. "Angered by this unfathomable event, Cupid sprung from his hiding spot and confronted Ivy, the Cold about her behaviour."
Ruby took a deep breath and adjusted her voice to a low register as she boomed out the voice of Cupid. "How do you resist my arrows? Are you not able to love another human being? Or have you cast some black magic to protect yourself! Cupid shouted at Ivy who simply sipped her tea as if she'd expected the intrusion from the beginning. Jay stood to defend his love but his wrist was caught by Ivy who simply asked him to return to his seat. In the doors looking out on the veranda stood Randel and Gavin with swords ready to be drawn should the occasion prove the need. They too, at Ivy's command, took seats next to the table before she offered the final seat to Cupid who grudgingly accepted."
Ruby adjusted back to her own voice when she spoke as the more delicate Ivy. "Do you know of the beast that defends the Princess Roseia, the Patient, known to me as Roseia, the Beautiful as she's been called in earlier years, prior to her imprisonment? She is the daughter of the Eastern Kingdom. The beast that guards her is a beast more powerful than any one man or woman, but I believe that with four committed to the same goal, I will see the threat destroyed and Roseia, the Patient returned to her rightful place. Ivy explained her goal to Cupid who simply couldn't see the point of her rambling, but intrigued now at this apparently random vector of discussion, Cupid thought and asked his next question. So then, your father has used me to assemble the strongest in the land to fight a war and nothing else?"
"I do not believe my father shares my goal, Great Cupid. And even I have heard the stories of your tools. Of the hopeless love that befalls those you abuse with them. Ivy said in response, her tone growing derisive and angry as she reigned in her emotions. I have always loved my fellow man. With all my heart I have loved my father and mother, the beggars on the street, and the shop keepers in the village. I love my kingdom with all my heart, and you have made a mockery of it, filling it with false love for these three gentlemen whom I do profess I love, but not any more than the beggars or the forests or mountains. Because though you have given me these faithful friends, you have yet to give me the one gift I know you have created for me. Cupid was shocked as she pointed to the golden arrow in his quiver and continued. That arrow was meant to join the souls of those it touches, and therefore opens new dangers, but also new possibilities to those it binds, of this much you know." Ruby paused as she cleared her throat. "Yes I know, for I crafted the arrow, but how do you know? Cupid asked in confusion as he'd never even told the king of the arrow's true purpose. Ivy thought for a moment before she laid a hand across her breast and smiled at the Saint. I feel the answer here, Cupid. It is my heart, imbued with thrice your dread magic that has told me its purpose, and I will tell you the last secret your arrow holds. It will seek those whom it wishes, and will not listen to you as your other arrows do. This is because your the souls you wish to bind for love are not so easily persuaded as the heart. So I challenge you now, Cupid. Rend me with this most prized arrow you've made, and have me fall in love as you so desire. And tarry not as I must leave by the break of dawn and I tire greatly of your presence."
"Cupid gave it some thought, but decided Ivy's words of caution were meaningless and conjecture. His magic had never failed before, and though he knew little of the soul, he'd made lovers out of enemies about to kill each other before. If he could stop such hatred, surely he could bind those already joined as friends into something more. So he fired the arrow, attempting to join Ivy to any of the suitable bachelors still seated at the table. But his arrow did not split, instead both halves landed in Ivy's heart and disappeared. A faint glow was all that was left to prove that Ivy had indeed taken the arrow to her heart. Angered at his failures, Cupid left to watch from afar as the princess readied her three companions for their journey. He watched as they left the castle, and watched as they waded across swamp and trekked across desert only to arrive at the river of molten rock that separated Roseia's tower from all others. Sitting on the bank was a creature, black as night, and tall as a castle itself. It rose at the approach of the four travellers and roared a cloud of black flame into the sky as its great wings spread out in a threatening manner. The four shed their extra gear and drew weapons from their waists. The four fought valiantly until at long last, the dragon fell to its great belly in defeat. So elated, Ivy celebrated their victory even as the dragon's last breath came with one last attack of acid that flew straight at the surprised Ivy. But the acid instead struck Gavin even as his shield lay forgotten on the ground next to him. And even through the pain, Gavin told Ivy not to wait around when Roseia was waiting for her." Ruby stopped for a moment as thoughts of Pyrrha and Penny came up unbidden. It was difficult, but she continued as she pushed the pain back again. "Ivy left Gavin in the care of Randel and Jay, knowing that she would likely never again see her dear friend alive, yet also understanding that he had given his life willingly for her own. So both to complete her quest and to honour Gavin's final wishes, she raced across the thin bridge of rock that led to the tower where she found her princess waiting."
Ruby stopped for a moment as she listened to Weiss's breathing. This time they spent together really had been more fun than she'd had in a long time. It was with some surprise that she was actually repeating this story without crying as it had been so closely connected with her mother. And now the events reminded her of all the friends she'd lost, and especially the last fight where she'd thought she lost Weiss. Despite the feelings of fear and hurt, Weiss helped make a lot of that pain disappear simply from the gentle hug she gave as they relaxed together in the cool night air.
"Are you going to finish the story, Ruby?" Weiss asked after a while as Ruby remained silent.
"Sorry, I thought you dozed off." Ruby admitted with a laugh as Weiss poked her side.
"I would never. It's a truly enthralling story. And I can tell what you're thinking about right now." Weiss said as she pulled Ruby back into the cuddle.
"Well…" Ruby took a deep breath and continued. "Yeah, its always tough. But its better when you're around."
"I'm honoured." Weiss whispered and laid a gentle kiss on Ruby's jaw. They remained silent, simply cuddling for a while until Ruby let out a long sigh. "I'd love to find out how it ends, if you're up to it."
"Roseia, the Patient stood atop the stairs in the tower as the victorious Ivy, clad in dirty metal armour, climbed the stairs. As Ivy approached, Roseia spoke to her supposed saviour. Valiant warrior, I thank you for killing my warden, but I must say that though I must marry you, I cannot give you my heart, as it belongs to another from a time long before. But if you are agreeable to be second, then I will go with you happily to escape this dreadful place." Ruby spoke gently. She recalled how nervous she'd been as a child, hearing this story for the first time. "I will settle for naught but first. Ivy responded through her helmet, which made her voice sound like that of a man. Roseia smiled sadly at the armour as Ivy joined her on the top step, and Ivy pulled her helmet's visor up to the point that it's damage would allow. After a moment of struggle, Ivy sighed and spoke to Roseia. I seem to be unable to remove my helm due to your keeper's attacks. So I ask you only give me a kiss to see if I am to take the place of first in your heart and your soul. Though disconcerted by the language used by this unknown saviour who sounded almost feminine now that their mouth was exposed, she decided she would have to honour her saviour with at least the one kiss before she made her decision. And so as their lips met, Ivy knew of Roseia and her feelings. Her thoughts and even the way Roseia held her in her heart after all these years. But as Ivy knew Roseia, so too did Roseia know of her saviour, Ivy who had seen much danger and adventure and struggle in the attempt to take Roseia back. She too saw the secret of the Saint and knew of it as Ivy had known. She felt the love put there by Cupids arrows and yet, though her heart was filled with love, her heart itself was already owned by her dear friend and now betrothed. The two parted with breathless whispers of the other's name on their lips before Ivy scooped Roseia up and carried her back across the river of rock to where her three friends stood next to a fourth man whom Ivy immediately recognized."
"Ivy took from her pocket a small package of snacks that she'd brought for their victory celebration, placing the grapes due to each of them on their palms. Ivy's gave to Cupid her own share, and Roseia shared hers with Ivy. After a moment of celebration, Cupid couldn't help but ask. How is it that my great arrow, once whole is now split without my intervention? Ivy and Roseia exchanged glances as they thought and turned to Cupid with their answer. You cannot truly control the heart if it is already taken. For our hearts may have been filled by your magic, they were already owned by another. Cupid simply nodded and left them, satisfied that though not intended, he had fulfilled the request of the king to help the Ivy, the Brave find love."
"And they lived happily ever after." Ruby concluded with a smile as Weiss groaned.
"Come on, that line is so cheesy." Weiss complained, much to Ruby's amusement before they fell silent again. After a while, Weiss sighed and looked up into Ruby's eyes. She held Ruby a little tighter as she smiled. "It was a beautiful story Ruby. And I'd just like to say that, barring a few inaccuracies, you are definitely my Ivy."
"Sure thing, Weiss. You can be my Roseia any day." Ruby replied. They both broke out into giggles as they turned back to the starry sky. "But thanks for listening. Mom would have loved that you enjoyed it as much as I did when she told it to me. I love you so much."
"Happy make-up Valentines, Ruby." Weiss replied with a sigh as she looked up at Cupid's Bow. "I love you too. And thank you for a perfect date today."
"It was really nice." Ruby mused with a smile. "Now that we're back together, lets do this kind of thing more."
"Whenever we have time, definitely." Weiss replied as she moved out of her place to place her lips against Ruby's.
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading! This concludes this story, so look for a new one next year!