Cinder stared down at the storm below, at the dark waters of the churning waves, as if a few rickety planks and rotting beams would keep her from the elements' icy grasp. Perhaps the woman would so boldly test the gods by standing with her back against whipping winds and the tips of her boots over the edge, because she knew that if she jumped out of her own free will, she would be unlucky enough to survive the ordeal.
Instead of plunging into the water, gasping from the shock, filling her lungs with numbing cold before a tidal wave would render her unconscious against the rocks and swallow her up without a trace, she would wake up the next morning. Some fitness-nut jogger would have made their way to the edge of the pier just as she jumped, just in time for her to be left with enough debt to want to start the whole process all over.
She would have one chance at this. If she screwed up then her roommate would have her locked up in their apartment for months. So Cinder closed her eyes and savoured the numbing cold creeping into her bones along with the contemplation of human mortality.
Next week. Next week the tide will be just right. She'll jump then.
Cinder scoffed at the thought. Really what was she waiting for? She'll be back next week wishing that she was already at the bottom of the ocean. But before she could stew in these thoughts for much longer, drops of rain started painting the jetty with dark spots of brown. The woman quickly drew a switchblade from one of her pockets, adding a tally mark to match the dozen others, with a slash at a swaying wooden beam.
Hands, one marked with writer's calluses, and the other covered in the scars of a blazing fire, found purchase within the woollen pockets of a black leather jacket. The sound of creaking wood beneath heavy black boots swallowed that of crashing waves before joining the wail of the cityscape.
Beeping trucks, ambulances and construction drowned out any sense of peace and quiet. What else would you expect to find in the gutted carcass of the city, the industrial district? Yet Cinder found an odd sense of comfort in it, if only because it was the panic and discomfort she had grown used to.
What she could never get used to was the smell of rotting fish and sewage, the rite of passage standing between Cinder and the catharsis of fresh air, which she had been drawn to in these last months. Fresh air, as sought after as the half empty pack of cigarettes, now seized between the woman's teeth. Fingers fumbled with the lighter while her feet blindly carried her across the bustling street as it erupted into blaring horns and angry shouts. The lighter was a shitty old thing, it resembled a small, handheld console, used to be painted gold but was now faded black with use. The sentimentality of her sixteen year old self sneaking into an arcade bar and winning it in a bet, and the fact that it hasn't given up on her yet, meant that Cinder saw no reason to throw it out. A single flame spluttered to life just as the woman stepped under the rusty overhang of a bus stop.
Nicotine smoke rushed to placate the threatening irritation which stared back at her in the form of a few colourful squares. The piece of paper advertised the showcase of one Henry Marigold's work at a district uptown, although Cinder would use the term 'work' very lightly. It was nothing more than shallow appeal and aesthetics. The fact that it hasn't been vandalised as of yet spoke for itself. If anything it was just a cruel reminder of the amount of work which would be waiting upon the woman's return to her studio apartment.
Not to mention the piles of bills which needed to be paid. Rent, student loans, treatments, insurance...
Cinder shut her eye with a burning inhale of smoke. She hoped it would be enough to distract her from the debate of whether she should just walk backwards into the romanticised death of frigid waters with a cigarette still between her lips.
The ear splitting screech of rusting brakes snapped Cinder to look up at the bus coming to a slow crawl, barely coming to a halt before passengers began to get on and off.
The next one to stop would be Cinder's. She'd get off at Bridgeway Wharf and drown herself in whatever vices she could afford.
She needed a drink.
Ruby was drowning. Caught in the sea of people pouring out of the bus, it took all of her strength to keep herself upright, clutching onto her crutches as if they were a life-line.
Once her feet manage to find safety next to the sidewalk, amongst the smaller groups waiting for their next stop, Ruby adjusted her backpack and looked for the sprawling Aegean Estates. As the pelting rain trailed ice down the back of her neck, it dawned on her that this was not even close to where she was supposed to be.
Ruby had visited her best friend's new home enough times to know that she should expect white electrified fences, patrolling security and looming trees spaced between parks, boutiques and that one ice cream shop which had the best strawberry milkshakes. But when all that stood before her was rushing traffic, grey apartment buildings and convenience stores, with the odd flickering vending machine here and there, she knew that she must have made a wrong turn somewhere.
Call that the understatement of the century.
Ruby bit her lip, hoping to contain a swell of panic as she looked at the map of Vale, only to find every street crossed out with spray paint and old flyers. When no one seemed to glance at the defaced wall the woman hoped that meant someone would be able to tell her where she'd been dropped off.
"Can you help me I... Hi uhm- do you know how to get to-"
"Sorry, can't help you."
"Do you know where I can..."
But soon it became apparent that those who couldn't help her either ignored, or sped up their gait just as Ruby struggled to turn from one direction to the other. She hobbled from the street back to the bus just as it creaked into motion and sped off, leaving her stranded in the wrong side of the city, unless her brain could manage to develop a sense of direction.
Direction. GPS. Scroll. Scroll scroll scroll.
With her crutches swaying dangerously beneath the shift of her forearms Ruby fished the device from her jacket pocket.
2%
Shit. Shit shit shit.
Almost dropping the device in the midst of her frantic scrolling, Ruby wasted no time once the ringing against her ear crackled with the noise of office chatter at the other end.
"Weiss!"
Ruby swore on the spot that if she managed to get out of this mess she'd never play another game of Ultimate Ninja Slayer Death Battle 2.
"Ruby? Where on earth are you-"
"Sorry Weiss but my scroll is about to die. I think I got on the wrong bus and now I have no idea where to go."
"What bus? You were supposed to take the train!" If the woman was trying to hide her aggravation behind surprise and incredulity she wasn't doing a very good job.
"Wha- no you didn't.
"You asked me where the train station was and I told you it was directly across the bus stop down from where you exit the airport."
"I-" Ruby wanted to object but the longer she lingered on their conversation, the more her memory sounded like Weiss was right, and that it was indeed a bad idea not to sleep on an 8 hour flight. She sighed in defeat, and reached up to stroke her face for the only comfort she'd get anytime soon. "Yeah okay. I messed up. Sorry Weiss."
Luckily for her, Weiss seemed to be in a forgiving mood, no later did her tone lose its sharp edge as attention diverted to the task at hand. "Where are you now?"
"I don't know uh..." Ruby lowered her scroll to piece together the letters underneath scrawls of graffiti and faded street signs. "Bridgeway Wharf?"
A long pause followed. Clearly Weiss didn't know where that was either, but luckily that was what the sound of a tapping screen was for. "Send over your pinned location and I'll have a driver pick you up. Don't. Move."
Ruby's chest swelled with relief. Nice-Weiss strikes again. "Thanks Weiss. You're the best." As fast as her numbing fingers could muster the woman swiped open her messaging app and- blank.
Tap. Tap tap tap.
"No, no come on, I still had two percent left!"
Ruby's plea landed on deaf ears as the screen could only show the woman's panic reflected back at her in black.
"Shit!"
It took every ounce of her willpower for Ruby to refrain from smashing it to bits against the concrete. The last thing she needed was to do something harsh. With a deep breath, and a metaphorical step back, she reigned in her thoughts.
Okay okay.
Just calm down.
You can figure this out.
Calm.
Calm...
Cigarettes.
With no need to be told twice Ruby pocketed her scroll, then) pulled out a lighter and a nearly empty, mostly crumpled pack of 'cancer sticks' as Weiss liked to call them. The woman's attempts to get the lighter to produce so much as a spark were fueled by the rate of her growing anxiety.
"Oh come ooon!" She knows it's bad, unhealthy and that the money could go to something bette, however Ruby was also keenly aware that a brand-spanking pair of lungs and a few extra comic books wouldn't do anything for her at this moment. Yet still the spark refused to yield even the tiniest of flames. Disgruntled and grumbling, Ruby put away the lighter, only to look up and see a flickering flame drifting inches from the unlit cigarette until she leaned forward to catch that first breath of smoke. Ruby exhaled with a deep shudder of relief. "Th- thanks." Her bad habit wasn't going to get her home any time soon but at least she could take comfort in the fact that she at least had something going her way.
Ruby turned to the woman who had offered her the light, hopeful that the amount of nicotine she still had left to burn would mean that she'd be willing to lend an ear. "Today is just giving me a lot of trouble." The stranger's appearance would usually be one to have Ruby too intimidated to approach, if only because of her height, stature and the curves and splashes of ink on the skin of her neck as it peaked out the thick, worn and studded black leather. The air around her seemed to warn every passerby that she was not about to take shit from anyone.
"My phone died and I-"
It was at that moment the stranger turned to listen, revealing a single amber eye and faded scarring crawling from under the locks of raven hair that covered the left side of her face. Ruby's gasp nearly had her swallowing with her next drag. She was left spluttering in a whirlwind of past memories as they suddenly resurfaced from her unconsciousness.
"I know you!"
But a little more discretion might have been a better approach, as that amber eye immediately narrowed with clear distrust and caution. Ruby quickly attempted to backtrack.
"Sorry sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound weird." But with the woman's guard now lowered and awaiting some kind of explanation, Ruby was even more unsure as to how to broach the topic. She looked for the right words in the puddles of water at her feet, only to decide 'fuck it' and bite the bullet.
"Did you maybe used to go to Tsushima Primary? Maybe had a friend who was super into playing Evernight: Grimm Revolution, Battle for Remnant, comics and all the nerdy things... which definitely doesn't make me sound even weirder…"
When the stranger made no indication of recollection past a slightly wider gaze, Ruby had to look away to hide the sudden heat as it rose to her cheeks. She could always count on herself to make any conversation as painful as possible. Who else would ask a complete stranger, who vaguely looked like someone she knew if they were-
"I did..."
For a moment all the noise Ruby's mouth could muster was that of silence. "You- you did?" Only for the other's lips to twitch upward. Her tone was dry but amusement flickered in her scrutinising gaze as it travelled down Ruby's body and back up to unmistakable silver eyes.
"Although I can't say I remembered their name?"
Ruby faltered for a moment, "You don-'' then caught on. "Ah yeah I mean..." She awkwardly shifted her weight around, holding out a hand in greeting while trying to pronounce as clear as one can with a near finished cigarette between her lips.
"Ruby. Ruby Rose."
Ruby noticed how the woman's hardened gaze softened ever so slightly as a smile tugged at her lips.
"Cinder."
Cinder.
Ruby committed the name to memory and looked upon her old friend, as if meeting her for the first time, a woman who seemed to have come into her own. The sight was as jarring as it was welcoming. The surprise and absurdity of it all was nothing short of a fever dream, which called for Ruby to take a deep breath with a step back. "Oh wow. I really am having... having a day." As she spoke, she took the chance to regard Cinder in full. In the depths of memory, Ruby recalled the hazy image of a short and scrawny little boy in an oversized button up with thick rimmed glasses. Their nose was always buried in a book and that single golden eye could look at things with such awe while still regarding most with a narrowed glare. And now… "You- you look amazing. I- I can't believe you're here." …Ruby couldn't help but to wonder how she had gotten here, so different, but still carrying that dry and inquisitive tone.
"I could say the same thing about you. What is it that brings you to the wrong side of Vale?"
Habit had Ruby lifting her hand to her neck to rub away the sudden bout of embarrassment, only for it to snag on her crutches and quickly shoot back down to correct her balance, while Cinder's steadying hand lingered close by. "Heh. Crutches." Ruby, quick to jump topic as her cheeks flooded with warmth. "I actually just moved here from Patch. Landed a few hours ago and found out I actually wasn't supposed to get on the bus. Which is… y'know… oops. I'm supposed to go to Bridgeport. Do you maybe know how I can get there?"
"I'm afraid I cannot help with specific directions, but a taxi might be of better help for the directionally disinclined."
Ruby chuckled at the jest, briefly reminded of how Weiss loved to chastise her with good intentions. She wondered if they'd like each other. Weiss was top of her class in highschool and Ruby remembered how smart Cinder was, even if smart in second grade meant knowing a lot of dinosaur facts. Not to mention the fact that Cinder's mother moved them to Atlas. Who knows, they might even have crossed paths.
Speaking of which: "My friend told me that she'd send someone to come pick me up so I'd rather get my phone charged and just send her my location."
Cinder exhaled deep and Ruby imagined that she saw a flicker of disappointment in the crunch of a cigarette butt under her heel. Ruby, hopeful, determined not to waste these precious moments. "Maybe you know a place where we could catch up?" Nerves and giddy anticipation bubbled over into the wiggle of her eyebrows and slant of her smile. "I kinda wanna find out what turned you from a book nerd to a total punk." Ruby has never been known for being forward and was quick to backtrack with a small shuffle in place. "If you're not supposed to be somewhere else anyway." But she was happy to feel the leap in her chest when she caught a glimpse of Cinder's teeth with the upward turn of her lips.
"Nowhere that cannot wait."
Fuck 'a drink', Cinder was going to need need five at least. Never in her twenty four years on Remnant did she think that she would get on a bus one day, only to arrive at her destination with an old friend who she hadn't seen in almost fifteen years. Cinder was surprised that she was recognised at all. Then again, listening to the other recount the havoc in which she managed to make her way from one end of the world to the other, she could tell that some things would always remain the same. Ruby could always get so excitable about the things around her and she wasn't afraid of showing it. Back when they had first met, Ruby's exuberance would frequently border on that of annoyance. It was… something Cinder had forgotten she missed.
They made their way through the streets, underneath clouds which had shed most of their rain into the churning waters of the ocean, across the sidewalk crammed full with bars and clubs. Cinder's pick of the location was not one she frequented, but it was familiar in the sense that her roommate, Emerald, worked shifts on occasion, which meant that the servers would allow Ruby to charge her phone in the back. The lack of stairs certainly didn't hurt either.
"What can I get you?" The waitress asked, a set, middle aged woman who looked like she'd rather go out for a smoke break.
Cinder answered out of habit. "Six swans. Make it a double." Only to realise that this particular habit wasn't something she'd think would make a good impression. She quickly added; "With orange juice," as if that would make a lick of difference.
Luckily out of all of the patrons, Ruby was the only one who Cinder could say stood out, so her order didn't even warrant a blink from the waitress who expectantly turned to Ruby.
"Do you have any milkshakes?"
"Machine's busted."
Ruby visibly deflated and, while Cinder found herself drifting through the foggy memories of her old friend's sweet tooth, the former considered her options while the waitress' attention seemed to burn deeper by the second.
She…she could have a drink too, right? One would be fine. If she mixed it with- no no. Weiss wouldn't let her set foot in her place if she could smell even a hint of her mother's memory on her. Best not to risk it.
"Some coffee, maybe?"
And with that the woman was off, leaving Ruby no chance to ponder what she might talk about Cinder with. Sure they had exchanged conversation on their way, but now there was no bus, crowd or dead scroll to act as a buffer. In a way, Cinder- this Cinder, was a stranger to her. It made Ruby clam up all the more as she picked at her thumbs while glancing at the ocean through rain-stained windows.
"So uhm… is it always this rainy in Vale?"
Cinder looked over another lit cigarette to follow Ruby's gaze. "Frequent in the early months. But the wind isn't so bothersome further from the waterfront." Black painted nails slid a lighter across the table, while lips twitched upward in both amusement and sympathy towards the other's plight. "But surely you didn't bring me here just to discuss the weather?"
Ruby shook her head. "No I just… There's just so much I want to ask. To know. I don't even know where to start. Or when it stops being curious and starts being just creepy."
Cinder chuckled in turn, as if it would stop the tightening around her chest, as if her body was trying to fight against what she would say next. "Well then, I suppose there is only one way to find out." It was an open invitation, to ask, to pry and to shed light on all of the things she had hidden in the darkest corners of her memory.
"So… are you working?" Ruby struck up with the flicker of flame. "Or still in school?"
"A bit of both. I'm working as an art restorer whilst completing my masters in art history." And while Cinder was carefully picking her way through each sentence the outside world, responsibilities and deadlines, crawled from under the floorboards to grasp at the dread welling up in her throat.
"Oh wow. That's amazing." Only for it all to be blown away by Ruby's enthusiasm, to the point that Cinder imagined her cheeks growing red. Luckily the return (arrival) of their drinks, a numbing ice cold glass of vodka and a burning hot mug of coffee, was quick to cover any shade of colour. "You always loved borrowing my mom's old fairytale books. It seems like you really found your calling, huh?"
Her calling, Cinder mused while taking a long sip of her drink. In concept, the woman did enjoy her job, she loved the smells, the quiet, the slow methodical pace of scraping away yellowed layers of varnish to reveal the full glory of a moment frozen in time. She loved history. She revelled in revealing the truth of a historical figure's appearance, their mistress, their dark deeds as they had been covered up decades later by another layer of slightly mismatched paint. Art was the truest reflection of mankind and Cinder wanted to preserve all of it, the ugliness, the beauty. Because unlike a digital and manufactured photo, art isn't so easily deceived.
"What inspired…you to go into…the art part?" Ruby piped up between cautious sips of piping hot coffee, a question which prompted another few gulps of thought from Cinder.
"I suppose it was a number of things. The wealth of history. Beauty. A good use for a steady hand."
All of those things, and the fact that Cinder once considered herself to be worth more than a hotel's scullion. Now it just feels like she's pissing away money for meaningless titles when she could be using it to get piss-drunk.
When Cinder looked up from her glass it was to find Ruby staring at her with a look that seemed oddly contemplative. It made the woman wonder if she had said something wrong. It turned out to be only the opposite.
"I'm glad. That you're doing well."
Cinder wouldn't go that far, but not wanting to betray the positivity that had always been Ruby's company, she simply nodded. Perhaps there was some truth to it she thought as she leaned back with a sigh, her breath dragging on what remained of her cigarette.
"Although I wish you had let me hold onto my dark and mysterious persona for a little while longer."
Ruby blew a raspberry of smoke that rose into the air with her smile. "Pffff, I saw that lighter , and the Wyvern tattoo on your neck, so I knew you were still a huge nerd." Granted few strangers would linger close enough to realise the dichotomy of the woman's appearance. "Is that what got you into tattoos?" Ruby ventured upon noticing the symbols etched in black ink on Cinder's fingers. Some ancient symbol or forgotten language perhaps. "Studying art? Or maybe the other way around?" She didn't know if it was appropriate or not, and didn't think to linger on the thought as she wondered what they meant and meant to her. Ruby couldn't help but to wonder what she would find underneath but her growing blush was as halting as any bedrock.
"I suppose they both influenced each other to some degree. My teenage rebellion and need for self expression certainly fueled the fire."
A tattoo… Ruby considered getting one to commemorate her mother before her passing. But the woman's feelings towards her mother grew…complicated after her death. Then there was the fact that she couldn't have anything visible due to possible brand backlash. Her father and sister also weren't too keen on the idea, for it would mean that she was no longer a child. There was no better time than now. Her arrival in Vale was the time to commemorate the new stage of her life…
"What's the first one you got?"
Cinder had to pause for a moment to think back to all the times she had sat or lain beneath a thrumming needle, to keep close what she thought of as beautiful, and to boldly state that her body was hers and hers alone. Only, good intentions made her suddenly aware of what some of them tried to cover up. Burns and cuts, thin and jagged, from erratic and frenzied punishment to premeditated and perfectly spaced.
She did her best to push those memories aside, a sly grin slipping onto her face as her voice dropped to a mischievous murmur. "If I show you. I might just have to kill you." That earned her a laugh which made it all the easier to bear.
"Fair fair."
Silence lasted for but a moment. Cinder's thoughts cast far into the ocean. "Do you remember it? How you would drag me into the kitchen at midnight to do the dirty work of stealing cookies out of the jar?"
Ruby spluttered with the subsequent inhalation of her coffee, and Cinder had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from chuckling. If it wasn't for her cast Ruby would have been up on her feet already. "Wha- I was look-out," she defended. But her adamance wasn't long to last, softened by a shrug and the sweetness of the memory (and her six-sugar-coffee). "Besides, you were the best at hide and seek." Practice makes perfect, Cinder mused. "Also, my mom would never get mad at you."
Ruby softened, from the stiff incline in her shoulders to the shade of silver in her eyes. Summer, her mother, truly was the best a parent could be. She was her 'super-mom', always happy, always comforting. She was a bit embarrassing, as all parents are, even more-so when Ruby brought her very first friend home to work on a project about wolves. Ruby cut out the pictures and Cinder wrote down the facts.
"My my, you certainly took care of every detail." Cinder smirked.
Ruby was unsure whether to take it as a playful jab or a compliment. Perhaps a bit of both. Her old friend had a rough exterior at the best of times, even when she never meant to. When still-upset after an apology from the other, it would take Summer to explain to Ruby that, like her, Cinder probably struggled with making friends too. Ruby wondered if that had changed. If she- there were- a lot more people Cinder could call her friends.
"That's why no one got in trouble. Even though I'm sure she knew what we were up to the last few times."
A chuckle rumbled in Cinder's chest. "I'm sure she knew from day one." But the sweetness of the memory quickly grew bitter. Summer always knew. Maybe… maybe she knew a little too much. Luckily, that was what the alcohol was for, drowned and numbed with the last gulp a moment later.
The timing was for better or worse when the waitress came around for Cinder to order another round and Ruby to get her phone , which ought to be decently charged by now. As the woman watched Ruby carefully consider her reply , Cinder couldn't help the sinking feeling of dread deep in the pit of her stomach. It was completely irrational of Cinder to feel as she did. What was she expecting? For the world to come to a standstill and the two of them to have an eternity to catch up? It was ironic for Ruby's company and their memories to make her feel as they did.
"Good thing that's sorted at least. My friend said she'll pick me up here in an hour." Ruby chirped, eager to get back to the conversation at hand and forget the scolding that loomed over the horizon. Two missed calls from Weiss were bad enough, but twenty? She shuddered at the thought. Thank the gods Weiss seemed to be caught in one meeting or another if the clipped texts were anything to go by. That was a problem to deal with later. She was in the middle of something much more important.
"So…" Cinder started in that smoky voice Ruby couldn't help but to be drawn to. "Before you are yet again whisked to who knows where, pray tell, what has Ruby Rose been up to all these years?"
Ruby shuffled in her seat as a mixture of excitement and trepidation bubbled up in her chest, before finally relenting with a shy smile. "Promise not to freak out?" Cinder's expression betrayed no emotion, prompting Ruby to continue albeit with a nervous rub to the back of her neck. "I uh… I'm- was an athlete." Surprisingly the usual recognition, followed by shock and elation, never came. "I run track- have been. For the last eight years. For the Vytal festival."
Silence settled for a moment, then was broken up by the mirth in Cinder's breathless chuckle. "It's no wonder you are so directionally challenged. Touring all of Remnant and yet you still can't be trusted to run along anything more difficult than a straight line."
It only took the meeting of their gazes for the two women to burst into laughter. "You jerk!" Ruby's fist found playful purchase, in a jab against Cinder's upper arm, which was much more solid than she expected.
"You and your family must be proud."
Ruby chuckled nervously. "Heh, yeah." She looked to the bottom of her coffee cup and suddenly she wished that she had ordered hot chocolate instead. "I thought they couldn't coddle me any more than they already were."
From the number of storybooks Cinder read as a child, she had always assumed that being coddled was what every child wanted from their caregivers. Now she found herself wondering if there was more to it. But something told Cinder to veer slightly to the side of the subject.
"Can I be so bold as to assume that's why you are here and not running from one finish line to the other."
Ruby's lips curled upwards with a sharp exhale of amusement. Her fingers fiddled with the ear of the mug, something to hold onto as she cast herself back into the months past. "Kinda. The injury would have put me out for the season. But I guess it just made me realise that track wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life." A part of Ruby expected Cinder to ask, to ask what happened, just like all of her concerned friends and family. Perhaps that's why Ruby already had the practised reply on the tip of her tongue. She had all of the points committed to a thundering heartbeat. It was an accident. She was busy with the leg press. She accidentally put on too much weight that she convinced herself she could carry- that she could keep up the pace long after she told herself she would stop. She just didn't- couldn't hold on anymore. Her ankle just…went wrong. Gave in. To the side. It was an accident.
An accident.
But the pressing questions and further investigations never came, not from Cinder, granting her a moment of reprieve as the weight lifted from her shoulders. "Track was there when I needed it to support my family, and I'm grateful for that, but I think it's time for me to move on to the things I really want to do. Like attending university, working on an engineering degree and not having to check the calorie count for everything before I put it into my mouth."
"I didn't mean to upset you." Cinder murmured, nursing her warming glass.
It was only then that Ruby realised that her smile faltered. "No, no it's fine. It's…I guess a part of me still wished that the Lien from running track, that went to my transition, also went to my mom's hospital bills. Maybe then she'd still be here."
Cinder swallowed thickly.
So… Summer was dead. The only woman who Cinder could look to for comfort despite the distance that came with withheld secrets. There truly was no justice in the world, was there? Or perhaps it had nothing to do with justice. Existence had a sick sense of humour and some people just had the misfortune of being at the end of the joke.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to drop all of that on you."
It was only then that Cinder realised she had been quiet all this time. "Did you… ever tell her how you felt? About your transition?"
Ruby paused for a moment to think, "Yeah she… " only to break into a bittersweet smile. "I honestly think that if she had to choose, she would have chosen my transition over any of her bills."
Cinder didn't even have the slightest idea as to broach the topic, but she found herself speaking regardless. "Perhaps she knew that her chances were slim, that she wanted to see the woman you'd grow into, as a way to comfort herself about a future she suspected she wouldn't be there to see."
A still warmth blossomed in Ruby's chest. It was a feeling she had almost forgotten. Ruby looked to Cinder, at all that she was, and felt her gaze soften. She… she really missed her.
Silence settled over them in what felt to Ruby like the first time they crossed paths. Not wanting it to linger any longer, she rummaged through her backpack, a moment later producing a small black and red cardboard box with a smile that was as excited as it was nervous. "Do you still play? 'Evernight', I mean." Fingers nervously fiddled nervously with the lid as Ruby regarded Cinder. "Cause I still have mine and I thought that we could maybe play a round before I have to go?"
Ruby felt unsure if this would still be something Cinder'd be up for, much less something she'd remember how to play. Cinder, however, wasn't short of surprises when she pulled an identical box from her jacket's inner pocket and began shuffling.
"No way!" Ruby was ecstatic and her enthusiasm bubbled over into the sliver of Cinder's teeth.
"Sentimentality keeps them close at hand."
Such sentimentality shone clear in the wear of the edges and accidental-taped up tears. Each card acquired during their youth, whether it was through birthday presents or stolen Lien, only seemed to strengthen the bond between long-lost children as the hours dragged long into the night and the years to come.
Without needing to be told twice, the two women shuffled their decks and drew five cards.
"I'll be generous and give you the first play."
Ruby didn't need to be told twice and put down the 'Hunter' card before swiftly moving it to the side and placing a 'Beowolf' in its place. Two 'Venomous Thorns' cards were placed in front, shielding it from whatever her opponent's onslaught might be. The remnants of her hand, discarded for a fresh set of cards.
While Ruby's brows were set in a concentrated crease, Cinder wore an easy smile and a waying tone. "A sacrificial pawn? Since when did Ruby Beowolf-Hoarder Rose care for the scrap-pile?"
The woman was quick to fire back. "Says the person who would kill all of their Grimm on the field just to play a 'Hound' or 'Witch'." But the intensity of her jab did little more than rustle an amused chuckle in the other's chest. Quickly scanning over her hand Cinder played a card face down on the field, followed by an upturned 'Black Lamb'.
Despite knowing that she won't be able to attack the creature without permanently losing her Beowulf, Ruby couldn't help but to smile at a long lost memory and look to find it in Cinder's gaze.
"Do you remember when we were at the zoo that one time and a sheep started eating Yang's hair?"
Amusement was clearly reflected back at her. "With how she screamed one would think it was a bear."
Ruby laughed at the conjured image of her sister with knotted and chewed up ends. Her sister could be known to some as shameless but this reminder would have her red-faced in no time. The subtle shift in atmosphere was clear in the giddiness of Ruby's draw and movements. Another two cards entered the field.
'Beowolf'
'Shattered Moon'
The second card was one of which Cinder wasn't familiar with and a quick read of its rules text nearly had her clicking her tongue.
'All Beowolf cards gain one strength for each Beowolf card in play.'
Ruby enjoyed playing to the strength of synergies and number of Grimm, a tactic best used for the short or mid-game. Cinder glanced at the time displayed on Ruby's Scroll, thirty minutes, enough time for her to claim victory.
"I also remember the ostrich who ate all of your popcorn when you weren't looking."
Cinder had to act quickly and lessen Ruby's advance before she had the chance to summon an 'Alpha'. Thus, Cinder played her 'Seer', drew three cards; 'Pools of Darkness', 'Apathy', 'Crimson Clouds'.
Two of those would be discarded and Ruby's pick, Cinder would get to play instantly. All three of them would be useful in making Ruby's life difficult, but if Cinder knew the other, then she'd want her to discard anything which would lessen her hand. Cinder held the cards toward Ruby as she recounted: "My brain decided that it was the worst thing that could have happened to me and gave me ostrich nightmares for like a week." Sure enough, 'Crimson Clouds' was committed to the field. But her turn was far from over.
Cinder flipped her face down card to reveal an 'Apathy' which meant one less card in Ruby's hand, and placed another face down from her hand. Joining her Grimm was a 'Pterodactyl', her set-up nearing completion. Not missing a beat in their conversation, Cinder looked up to flash the woman, grumbling across her, a sly grin. "No wonder you came to be such a fast runner."
Ruby stuck out her tongue. No longer playing 'nice' Ruby set down another two 'Hunters', and condemned them to the scrap pile, for the cost of a 'Nucklavee' to bypass Cinder's 'Black Lamb' and do a bit of damage .
Glancing at another Lamb in her hand, Cinder found herself still lingering on that memory. The woman remembered it as the first time she was able to go anywhere with a friend that wasn't each other's homes. It was the first time that she saw… any kind of animal up close and in person. It was the first time she had ice cream and, when she came back home, the first time that her mother had broken her arm.
It was one of the best days of her life.
It also wasn't long before a momentary silence settled over the two of them, as each took turns to play their health and gradually chip away at their opponent's health. It was only until Ruby had to discard another card, due to Cinder's growing army of 'Apathy', that she spoke while in thought.
"I saw 'Brunswick' with a friend from track the other day." A smile played at her lips, as she placed her 'Alpha Beowolf', another buff to her amassing pack. "Thinking back, now it reminds me of when my dad took us to see 'The Girl in The Tower' and I convinced you to sneak out and watch that one horror movie; 'Two Souls', When he fell asleep."
Cinder's attention didn't waver from her play, but a smile could be clearly heard throughout. "The extra large bucket of popcorn made it well worth it." Her memory yielded the faded image of a couple messily making out, well before either of them really knew what kissing was. One of the women's forgotten, salted and buttered up snack was inhaled before they could realise what had transpired.
"Ugh I nearly threw up."
Cinder chuckled in the face of Ruby's phantom nausea. "Now that would have been terrifying."
"Worse if my parents found out what we did." The woman hated to even consider the possibility. "No idea how I didn't get nightmares."
"And that is why we didn't sneak into 'Ostrich Run 2'."
Ruby laughed.
"Okay, here I go. I sacrifice my 'Huntress' to resummon 'Shattered Moon' and use its ability on my 'Alpha Beowolf'', which means all of my Beowolves have five extra strength. I use my 'Boarbatusk' to self-destruct against your Lamb, three of my wolves to kill your reinforced 'Hound' and-" And that was the game. "Hah! I win!" With a measly two points less that whan Ruby had left. The woman scowled, if only she had saved her 'Seer' then this round would have turned out completely different- "What was that you said about the loooong-game?"
But until their next game, Cinder would concede.
"And here I thought world-renowned athletes were supposed to have humility."
Ruby finished what was left of Cinder's fourth drink and stuck out her tongue.
"Only if we lose."
Cinder laughed.
Ruby shuffled nervously in the uncomfortable hold of her crutches as she stood in front of a black taxi. She found herself wishing that she had put off her message to Weiss, for one more game of 'Evernight', at least. The time she spent with Cinder felt no longer than the blink of an eye, but the memories exchanged between each other, of years past. Still, Ruby felt like she was barely grasping at the person who Cinder became. Ruby herself still had so much more to share. Their time together, precious, but far too little.
Without another thought, Ruby carelessly flung herself forward, for Cinder to catch her in an embrace. Cigarettes, cinnamon and the faint smell of turpentine was no less comforting than old books and candles had been so long ago. Despite how the icy wind insisted on battering at them, like it did the clouds, an odd sense of warmth still hung between them.
"Thanks." What exactly Ruby was thanking Cinder for, she wasn't sure. There were far too many things to name, but for now, she could thank her for this: "For, y'know, not leaving me stranded at the bus stop."
Sheepish as it may sound, Cinder didn't doubt the sincerity. It was a gesture she so rarely came across that, for a moment, the woman wasn't sure how to respond other than with a distancing, but well-meaning tease.
"Remembering you, I'm sure you'll find yourself turned around plenty more times." But that didn't mean Cinder wished for Ruby to let go, but holding might not bode well near the puddles at their feet. A frigid gust was quick to cut through the lingering warmth between them.
Ruby was craving that comfort already. So, as reckless as she was in managing her Scroll's battery, she wouldn't let this moment pass. "Then…can I get your number?" Ruby held her Scroll out to the other while precariously balancing her weight on a single crutch. "So that… when I get lost next weekend… at an arcade or cinema or… or something. Maybe you can help me get back home?"
Not wanting to risk Ruby's fall, Cinder took the Scroll without a second thought. Without warning the wind changed direction, blasting the woman with a sobering chill that shivered with an odd sense of realisation down her spine. Awake in a way she couldn't quite describe, beyond the mixture of alcohol and sea spray, Cinder found herself staring at a cracked screen that showed her name and an empty space underneath.
"Unless you have other plans!"
If there had been any doubt, lingering fear and the dread of what was to come, they were swifty put to rest. In their place, the warmth of Ruby's touch as the woman handed her the Scroll.
'Cinder Fall'
Ruby's chest swelled with a comforting warmth, relief and a sudden burst of child-like joy that bubbled over into a genuine smile which Ruby has never missed so dearly.
"Nothing that cannot wait..."
Watching the taxi drive off, with Ruby giddily waving at her through the back window, Cinder stayed in her place for a moment, as if some part of her was waiting for it to all fade away. For all that she knew she might have already jumped. This might just be her subconsciousness' last attempt at some kind of closure.
But as Cinder walked onward, through shallow pools of muddy water and smoke-laden streetways, she could still smell Ruby's coffee and the strawberries of her shampoo from when she hugged her. Her cheeks burned from the many times it carried a smile. Her mind still swam in the rise and fall of Ruby's laughter. A pleasant heaviness settled in her chest to remind her of what lay beating beneath her rib cage. As dirty soles found purchase on the doormat to her apartment, so did Cinder shed her thoughts of dark and churning waters…
…even if only for a moment.
The rain will cease and the sun will shine.
Passers-by will linger near streetlights and cars will recklessly swerve past.
As the tide will once again rise with the moon, so will Cinder find her way to thundering white horses and glittering green serpents.
Between dusty canvasses, old paintbrushes, washed up seaweed and rickety old planks, Cinder will find Ruby.
The End