edited by - Crescent Sunrise
An eye the color of blue steel opens as a soft vibration goes off in her jacket pocket. With a small grumble May reaches a hand up and into her pocket pulling out her Scroll and opening it to see a message calling her back to NDGO's room. Hopefully they've got something to work with because, checking the time, there's only a few hours left to head into Vale if she wants to get what she'll need to start up with a plan she was working out.
With more confidence than she's felt since discovering her crush the sniper swings out of her perch and heads across the grounds towards the girls room her rifle re-slung over her shoulder as her hands slip into her jacket to warm up. She rubs them back and forth building up some friction. Her heart calm for once as she moves calmly, trying to keep herself from getting worked up until after she's got more information to work with.
Instincts scream suddenly and the sniper has turned completely around. Left knee hitting the ground as the right props her elbow keeping her rifle steady as she eyes the trees behind her over the top of her scope carefully. The hair at the back of her neck raising as she hears a soft clapping before the black haired girl from Ruby's team approaches.
"Good reflexes." She comments stopping her soft clapping as May stands re-slinging her rifle once more before tilting her head in silent question. Already growing more uncomfortable with all the people she's had to interact with recently adding new people is not near the top of her list. A new person who happens to be a teammate of her crush adds a whole extra level of complexity as the need to make a good impression wars with the temptation to avoid further contact and keep walking despite it being rude. Before she can decide however Blake continues.
"It's obvious you know, your crush? Well it was to me at least." She states matter-of-factly, instantly putting May's mind into overload as it races with possibilities. 'Oh no! She's Ruby's teammate! There's no way she won't tell her leader, has she done so already? Ugh, stupid Dew and her stupid cookie plot ruined everything!'
What comes out of the shy snipers mouth however is along the lines of, "Whuh, huh, buh..." Followed by a low embarrassed groan and a deep blush rushing over her features having been caught out so easily. Talking to Ruby this morning was hard enough with all the other people around and she was certain she did a good job then keeping her cool. Hands reach up and tug her beanie lower in a futile attempt to hide under it.
"Hey, don't worry. It's not my business I was just curious about the girl interested in my team leader. She's young and pretty inexperienced but judging from your reaction she's not alone there, am I wrong?" Blake asks her brow lifting as amusement glimmers in them.
May can only glower for a moment before sighing and shaking her head in answer. She pauses before lifting her head her one visible eye finding shining amber ones. Building herself up a bit to talk to the girl she finally manages to speak. "Thanks... F-for not saying anything I mean. I won't either so don't worry." May replies as Blake gets a questioning look until May points to the top of Blake's head. "Y-you're a Faunus right? Your bow was twitching at breakfast when the blonde was being loud and I have a sharp eye." She clarifies, hefting her rifle strap with one hand for emphasis.
Blake tenses at the mention of her heritage her eyes scanning May intensely making the sniper even more uncomfortable as she starts to fidget and shift nervously until Blake relaxes and nods. "I appreciate you keeping it to yourself." The cat girl says before straightening up and heading past Zedong with a small wave moving towards the dorms leaving May with a small feeling of relief as if she just passed a test she didn't know she was taking.
When she arrives at NDGO's room her three accomplices are standing inside two looking sheepish while Dew just looks frustrated. "U-um. What's going on?" May asks softly stepping inside and closing the door behind her.
"We got nothing. After breakfast she spent all morning in the forges working on that massive weapon of hers. I think she would still be there if the Schnee didn't come in and physically drag her away to eat lunch, but then she went right back to it. She was listening to music but with headphones on so we couldn't even hear what kind." Dew admits annoyed that the target of her borderline stalking didn't reveal her secrets in the eight hours they spent watching her.
"Well... We learned she takes amazing care of her weapon. I get that it's a complicated weapon but she took her time with every piece. That's dedication." Nebula inserts trying to be helpful but aware it's still not much to really do anything with. May's own forming plan not aided or impeded leaving her to ponder until the door swings open again as Gwen comes in dropping a small notebook off in front of Dew before moving to her bed and sitting on it and pulling out a book to study without saying a word.
Dew blinks and opens the note book to the dog eared page before blinking rapidly and looking over at Gwen. "Wh—what? How did you find all this out?" She asks incredulously as Nebula grabs the notebook to look at it with Octavia reading over her shoulder. Gwen however fixes Dew with a glare.
"While you were busy with your stalking—"
"Careful observation"
"—Stalking. I did the intelligent thing and asked her teammates about her. Said it was for a friend who was too nervous to say anything yet and I wanted to help them out. All true." Gwen states and May blinks rapidly. Not because Gwen was helping her. While unexpected yes it's also the most likely way she'll get peace and quiet again. No, the part that surprised the quiet sniper was that Gwen considers her a friend. A small shy smile grows on May's lips that apparently doesn't go unnoticed as Gwen glances over and lets out a 'Hmph' before going back to reading leaving her team to share the information she gathered.
Nebula clears her throat then and draws attention to herself. "Well, I guess the primary concern can be laid to rest. She's a lesbian, according to her older sister, the blonde, she came out to them about a year ago." Nebula blinks. "How did you even ask that Gwen?"
"I didn't, when I mentioned that I was asking for someone who was to nervous she guessed half right. She assumed the interest was romantic but also that it was a guy and her words were. 'Sorry, you'll have to tell your friend he won't have any luck. My lil' sis is as straight as her scythe.' Not how I planned to get that information but you know, gift horse. Mouth. I didn't bother to correct her." Gwen says waving her hand dismissively, as May's hope for the situation grows despite that hurdle not evening having occurred to her yet.
"Well... Alright then let's see. She plays video games, eats a frightening amount of cookies but apparently prefers strawberries. We can use that, I saw a spot in the city that could help there. Aha, this explains today. She's a huge weapons nut, her own weapon being treated like one would expect a parent to treat a child. Ehhhhh, nothing on her music taste but that's negligible right now. Hmmm... She doesn't seem to have many friends and those she does have she acquired recently. A bit socially awkward but that could just be because she's so young and trying to fit in with students two years ahead." The green eyed leader reads out contemplatively.
"W-well... I have an idea what I want to do." May inserts, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the room with the possible attention of Gwen, May still can't tell how interested she really is. "I was thinking I could challenge her to a little anonymous marksman competition. With targets and time limits, maybe a bonus round? I dunno..."
Dew having been strangely quiet this whole time can't seem to contain herself any longer as she skips across the room to grab a blushing May and swing her around. "That's an amazing idea! And a prize can be waiting for her at the end or a task she has to perform. Either way you get a date win or lose!" She states inserting her own addition that the poor sniper hadn't considered yet drawing a familiar self-conscious groan from the love-stricken girl.
"U-um... I need to write up the rules and stuff for the competition. C-could I ask you girls to help get a few things from the city? I can give you the lien for it." She asks trying desperately to avoid going herself and subjecting herself to the crowds.
Octavia saves the day for May by nodding with a kind smile. "Sure thing May, I felt like a bit of a failure earlier when we didn't find anything out so we can make up for it now. What do you need?" She asks softly.
"U-um. Strawberries, chocolate dipped ones and normal ones please, a basket. A-and um A bag of green sticks or cylinders. Doesn't really matter what they're made of, they just need to be green like flower stems and thin." May replies as Nebula writes down a little list and tears it out giving the sniper a thumbs up before the three of them head out the door leaving the last two behind.
"You know the green stick thing is clever, it's going to drive Dew up a wall until she figures out what they're for. I'm surprised you even know how." Gwen comments not bothering to look up from her book as May gets to work on her note of challenge outlining the rules. Suddenly she stops and looks up. "I forgot to give them the lien... I have to remember when they get back." May mutters to herself.
"They won't take it and you won't see a receipt. They want to help you." Gwen inserts turning the page startling May out of her thoughts.
"Why?"
"Because you're our friend obviously. They want to see you happy." She says as if talking to someone with a weak grasp on the language.
"But you barely know me..." May responds. Interacting with NDGO in the past day being the most she's spoken with anyone outside of her team in a long time.
"We know enough to know you're sweet if a bit antisocial. Fact is until yesterday getting to know you was hard and that was due to how little you interact with other people unless you have to." Gwen replies before shrugging. "Plus, helping you gets them two things. A new friend and getting front row seats to watching your frankly adorable attempt at courting an equally adorable girl."
"I'll have to do something for you girls..."
"Don't do anything for us out of obligation, it would fly in the face of their generosity." Gwen shoots back her eyes refusing to leave her book, nor does her voice change from its usual bored tone. With a thought May grabs her papers and moves to sit next to Gwen on her bed. The bed's owner shoots her a glance at that but doesn't comment to send her away. After several minutes of comfortable silence May speaks again.
"I'll do it because I want to do it, for my new friends." She says simply getting a small silent nod from Gwen along with a tiny smile.
~later that night before curfew~
A knock sounds against the door leading to the dorm room of team RWBY. A black haired Faunus wearing a bow answers the door seeing no one she looks down and smirks before calling her leader to the door.
Poking her head out in confusion Ruby looks down the hallway in both directions before glancing down and giving a small gasp, a basket sits innocently on the ground outside a white cloth covering the contents while a rose made using a carefully carved strawberry with a green wooden stick for a stem sits on top with a message. She carries the basket to the dorm kitchen to read the note away from her team.
Hello Ruby,
From the moment I saw your eyes my heart sped up so quick I was afraid it would burst from my chest. I am admittedly awkward when it comes to expressing myself so I propose a small competition with a prize waiting for you at the end should you prove victorious. A draw will of course go to you. Should the prize at the end prove insufficient I will of course try to come up with something new to satisfy. Should I win however I request that you humor me for an evening on a date.
The rules of the competition are as follows: Inside the basket you'll find ten targets with rods to secure them in position. For the next five days we will each place two targets a day at a random location on campus and take a picture on our Scrolls to send to each other once in position to observe. Picture must contain a recognizable landmark.
Once received your opponent will have ten minutes to locate and shoot the target while the planter tries to spot them. If you make the shot and get away without a picture of your or your weapon being taken you get the point.
Restrictions, no use of Semblance is allowed on either side. If you get the location of a target while in class reply once you are out and your time will start then I shall do the same. This is a one-on-one competition between you and myself, my poor attempt at flirting from a distance, please don't allow your team or friends to aid you in the competition I want to keep this between us two. I don't mind you telling them about it however, I wouldn't ask you to keep secrets from them.
Please send a 'yes' or 'no' to the Scroll number at the bottom of the page to let me know if you'll indulge me in this little competition. Either way, I hope you enjoy the flower. The treats in the basket are also yours regardless of your decision to compete or not.
With love, Longshot
Ruby's eyes go wider the more she reads, a dark blush growing on her face crawling up her neck to cover her cheeks. Even as the thought of competing like this excites her. The issue she started with between eating the beautiful strawberry rose, or trying to preserve it gradually forgotten. As she gets to the part about treats in the basket she slowly peels back the white fabric and gasps at the sight of numerous large fat chocolate covered strawberries in a sealed container waiting for her within.
"Oh that's playing dirty Longshot..." She says to herself her blush threatening to make her dizzy before she shakes her head and pulls out her scroll shooting off a reply to the number given before carrying the basket back to her room.
"Hey lil' sis, what was that about? Did someone give you a rose?" Yang asks looking at the odd little flower in Ruby's hand.
"It's a strawberry actually." Ruby replies getting her monochrome teammates attention as they turn to look at the little fruit flower.
"Wow, that's really well done." Weiss comments as Ruby brings it to her nose inhaling the delicious scent as if it were a real flower before taking a long savoring bite and moving the basket to her other things. Rose petals going everywhere as she uses her Semblance to dart around the room in order to disguise the hiding place of the chocolate coated treats from the others.
She then climbs into her bed finishing the rose and playing with the stick between her teeth as she stares at the ceiling of her room and completely missing the knowing smirk crossing Blake's lips.
~Back in NDGO's room~
May slides slowly down the inside of the door, breathing heavily as the tension slowly leaves her body her eye screwed shut as she tries not to scream, her Scroll in hand the message from her crush still on display.
'You're on Longshot'
AN:
Every other day seems to be a reoccuring thing for me huh... It's not intentional Just that I get excited to get home and write more with ideas that flood in. I've even taken to carrying a pad just to write down idea. a bad idea in retro spect because now i have like three or four other story ideas I'm excited to start writing. but once again I won't start them until i'm done with this. I refuse to let myself get distracted from this story. So yea, I love you guys but don't expect me to keep to this trend. I just can't be sure i'll always have the time or drive to keep cranking these out at this speed. I'm surprising myself with it to be quite frank.
I'm only making one exception to my "no other stories" rule. It's a one shot, and not a one shot like this was intended to be. It will be a tragedy that's all i'm willing to say about it at this point. The only reason I mention it is so you understand that while I intend to keep working on this story primarily this idea just will not leave me alone until its written. Once I thought of it it's been on my mind ever since and it's distracting.
Now I want to say again I do not require reviews no matter how nice it is to see them But I do encourage them because I like reading the feedback and seeing how my story is being received.
now my replies to reviewers!
knight: We spoke in PM's but yes. I underrstand what you meant now. thanks for keeping up with this!
RatedRsuperstar: I can see it too. but I suppose not this Ruby. so slightly OOC? I dunno I'm not even sure what I originally intended the first part of what she was saying to be. I just thought the idea of us missing something like that because we're watching from May's perspective and she's having a moment of mental bliss to be just to good to pass up on.
A simple cup: hehe, glad you're liking this, yea I didn't intend for it to be this long but I don't regret it at all. I hope I can continue to hold your interest. And even if they don't I have a few other ideas to write about so there will be more long distance.
LordNodrogLock: thank you for explaining that joke for me hehe, also do you see what I meant in my PM's now?! also, I'm glad you agree with me about the ship name. tell me what you think of how I handled it!
animefreakbridges: Agreed It's rather rare. But not surprising. personally dispite how much you'll see me shipping Long Distance my favorite is actually Falling petals... and whatever the name for coco/ruby is I can never remember it. I read others but yea. I would be interested in seeing more arslan/ruby too. hehe
That's all for this time lovely readers. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you soon.