Okay, I was able to pull myself away from Xenoverse long enough to at least start this. Fear the adorable little girl Majin I created. But her aside let's get onto this.
Guest: there are ways to be simple but still hiding how much you are hurting. Which is why I think she keeps the innocent mask which is why I find it fishy. And I do enjoy white rose. It is in my top five ships for Ruby. But I think they work best as friends and nothing more, and we could continue this back and forth, but I respect all opinions including yours. But of course they'll spend time together. One is a doctor for the other.
Chapter 7: Day Three
Ruby sat on the chair in the visitor room. The only reason she wasn't locked away from everyone else, was because Blake and Weiss both thought ahead to get Velvet to come in at her earliest convenience. Which Velvet made sure it was the next day. She did not trust Ruby with that kind of information until Saturday.
Even Ruby doubted if she could handle it. The night passed without her needing to be drugged. But like always the nightmare still came. The only difference was that it didn't seem to hurt as much as it normally did. And the pain seemed to subside once Nora became her roommate. She wasn't sure why. She didn't care why really. All she wanted was her space back. The space that had been violated by the small ginger haired girl.
She loathed every extra second. The longer she was there the more she would strain Ruby's already fragile nerves. And she wasn't sure if anyone was prepared for the backlash if those same nerves broke. She knew she wouldn't be able to maintain what she had built up trust wise for the staff. But she hoped Velvet would be able to repair some of the damage Blake and Weiss had caused.
It was the waiting. She didn't have anything to also occupy her time. She was left to just have her own mind torment her. And she wasn't sure of it was a good thing or a bad thing. All she knew was she couldn't compose her thoughts correctly. And that was causing some stress. She preferred it when she knew exactly what to do.
If she knew what to do than she would figure out how to resolve the storm within her mind. Since the last visit the only reason she could hold out was because Nora being there had a time limit. But she just learned that time limit was for the eye. And Ruby knew enough about eye of the storm to know the storm wall hits the hardest. And that future hit made it hard for her to know if she would be standing by the end. She just hoped she would.
Ruby didn't even notice the girl she waiting for taking a seat across from her. Velvet wasn't sure if she should interrupt Ruby. But she had to talk to her.
"Ruby? You awake in there?" Velvet's concern just seeped through. While it was soft, almost inaudible to most, to Ruby in her inner turmoil it was as if she was shouting in her ears directly.
"Sorry Vel. I'm just so... I don't know... all because of that girl." Ruby stated as she hugged her knees. She was ready to call the day over. She wasn't in the mood for the day to continue. No what she wanted was to just sleep the week away.
"Well Blake didn't tell me much when she called me. She just said that she and Weiss had some bad news for you and doubted if you would be able to handle it. And seeing you now I agree with them. What happened?" Velvet asked as Ruby just furiously shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. She knew that was why Velvet was there but she still didn't want to talk about it.
"Ruby, I know you know that is the exact reason I got called here. Just please. Talk to me." Velvet spoke as she reached across the table to grab a hold of Ruby's hands. She needed to ground Ruby, even if it is partially. It would make it a lot easier to get the information out of Ruby.
Ruby maintained her adamant nature of refusing to talk about it. "Ruby. I can't offer support if I don't know what the problem is. All I know is that you can't fully handle it all yourself. So tell me Ruby." Velvet demanded in such a way that still sounded like Ruby had a choice.
'How does she do that? Once I figure that out I might be able to actually defend against it.' Ruby thought as she began to compose her thoughts. She knew the facts, but she is yet to figure out anything else. Like what it is making her feel.
"Nora is here until the end of the week and she is already destroying my order to things. Hell in the last two days she has left the room in a state of disarray and constantly letting the mess spread to my side. She won't even clean it I have to do it and it is starting to become a hassle and I'm at my wits end because Blake and Weiss are also trying to figure out ways to make it easier for me to talk to them that doesn't involve even more medication. And I'm lost I can't even figure my own thoughts out and the only joy from all this is my nightmares seem to be less scary." Ruby ranted so fast she had forgotten to breath, and Velvet could see it showing as Ruby's face began to go red from a lack of air.
Velvet began to cover Ruby's mouth as a way for her to remind Ruby to breath. It was a tradition for either of them to do once the started to rant off what was on their chest. Something Ruby felt special because she was one of the few people when Velvet was there that Velvet didn't mind touching her.
"Okay Ruby. Let's look at these problems logically. The first two, and I only know they are problems you've induced, you've failed to tell Nora how it is hurting you. Secondly Blake and Weiss are only trying to make it easier on you to talk to authority figures like the staff. Thirdly, you'll figure your thoughts out. You always do." Velvet began pulling her hand away from Ruby who waited patiently for Velvet's logical reasoning for the final major issue hampering her thoughts.
"And finally, if Nora is making the nightmares easier, regardless of how, is her staying the week really all that bad? I remember the year we were roommates. And you always had the same nightmare. Nothing except them drugging you could remove them." Velvet continued as Ruby nodded along. Trying to digest what Velvet was saying. It made sense, but at that point anything would make sense.
She preferred it when she was the person to make sense. That was when she found the silence perfect. Until Nora came she found the silence comforting. Her thoughts, while sometimes were a complete mess, to her it was an organized mess. She knew how to think and that was more than enough to keep her partially sane. But now, that loss of what she knew was starting to make her question everything.
"It took me nearly getting thrown in a padded cell for Weiss to tell you I like order. I couldn't do it. And I still can't tell her. All she knows is I have OCD that needs to obey my rituals. Hell as far as she knows it starts and stops at the door." Ruby stated. She enjoyed her current place. She had one of her closest friends talking about what was troubling them. Just like the times before Velvet got discharged.
"How is that guy you're dating? I may not be sound enough to leave but I will break out and hurt him if he hurts you Vel." Ruby stated trying to shift the conversation. She hated when the conversation was about nothing but her. Even when she was talking with Blake or Weiss. And she could tell that Velvet wanted to talk about that man. She just didn't want to bring him up herself.
"Ruby, Yatsu won't hurt me. But he is here just waiting outside for our impromptu meeting to be over. He wasn't even mad about waiting for two hours last time. He just got some tea and read a book that he had been meaning to start. So he was wanting to thank you with some of his family's special dumplings. But he said he wouldn't bring any unless you want him to." Velvet spoke as she carefully began to ponder the big question she had, if Ruby would mind meeting him.
Nora was positive when she woke up the day prior, that she would be waking up in her house. She wasn't sure if she would wake up in her bed, but she knew it would be in her house. She had wanted to go out drinking as a way to celebrate her clean bill of mental health. But all that greeted her was the same roof as the previous day.
'Fucking figures I'm stuck here for a few more days. Granted if I ever do something serious and I'm on trial it would be a lot easier to plead insanity. But the main question is am I taking up a residency? Because I would not be able to take that lying down. I have no idea how or why Ruby takes it that well.' Nora thought as Ren walked in glaring at the ginger girl.
"Nora! Where have you been? You missed your medication, so either come with me or I'll get orderlies in here to force you to take them!" Ren yelled startling Nora as she fell out of her bed. As Nora connected with the floor, she began to plan a way to get back at the onyx haired man.
"Jesus Ren. I just lost track of time. I've been here the entire time. Besides those pills are changing me a bit too much. I'm focused and haven't thought about breaking a single person's legs. Which is strange because I enjoy thinking about breaking someone like Cardin's legs." Nora began as she sat up. Meeting Ren's cold glare, and raised him her own. She was slightly pissed from him, as far as she knew he agreed with the other doctors and got her placed in the hospital for a few more days.
"Nora, those pills are just mood stabilizers, another one is for your blood pressure, and the rest are to actually just various nutrients you've been lacking. So come on and let's get you your medication. Because I will call in the orderlies in, I don't care if you are still sulking. For the final time they went over my head." Ren scolded as he helped Nora up. Nora fuming partially at how Ren had just assumed her answer.
"Fine I'm coming. But stop being such a poo face. I'm just plotting your doom." Nora hissed as Ren rolled his eyes. To him, Nora just seemed to be throwing one of her tantrums because she didn't get her way. Which was nothing but a slight annoyance, he had seen all Nora could throw and then some. Her being mad wasn't going to hinder him.
"Okay Ruby. Just call me if you Blake, Weiss or even the remnants of our group of friends aren't helpful. I couldn't stand it when you got put in solitary when I was here. And I know I'll hate it even more on this side of things." Velvet spoke hugging Ruby tightly.
It took Ruby a few extra seconds for her to remember the correct response. She returned the hug. Not as tight as Velvet was hugging her, but Velvet knew from the start of the hug that, that wasn't going to happen. She still wanted Ruby to how much the simple talks they had meant so much to her.
"You know I will Vel. I always come to you if Blake can't help me. I would never do anything to harm you... unless Nora does something to cause me to get angry. Then I can't help it." Ruby stated pulling away from Velvet's hug. Missing the embrace partially. She wanted Velvet to stay longer. But she couldn't tell both Velvet and her boyfriend to forget the day's paycheck.
The man... this Yatsuhashi she knew of in name only. She couldn't care about him. But Velvet needed to survive. And she couldn't do that without money. But Ruby also wasn't joking, if he hurt Velvet, he will rue the day he was born.
"Just speak to her Ruby, don't do what you normally would and pull your knees to your chest and think. Most people can't read you, and even I have some trouble." Velvet spoke, enjoying seeing Ruby already trying to figure out what she was going to say. But she was also happy to see Ruby already beginning to relax just from them speaking.
"I don't do that." Ruby defended as Velvet just giggled at Ruby's pout developing. It was Ruby's way of trying to maintain some mystery since Velvet left.
"Right Ruby, I need to go. But promise me you'll talk to her." Velvet sternly spoke, as Ruby's pout fell. "I promise Vel." Ruby spoke, fighting the side of her that didn't want to hug Velvet once more. She quickly dived into Velvet's arms and hugged her.
Loathing the odd feeling. She had no idea why it was odd. But to Ruby it felt almost like a last time she would get the chance for a while. She had no other way to describe it. But she was sure that she was just blowing her feelings out of proportion.
The said their goodbyes, and Ruby watched Velvet walk out of the small portion of the world that she had been reduced to. Turning around Ruby began to walk towards her room. She wanted to do what she always did to think. Sit down on her bed pull out her picture, hide it between the pages of a book and just think about what Yang would do.
But as she entered her room she saw Nora sitting on her bed, holding the picture of Yang. "PUT THAT DOWN!" Ruby yelled as she pulled the picture from Nora's grasp. She didn't want Nora destroying her precious picture.
Author's Note:
Two more chapters left. Then I move back to one of the ones I've already started. Sorry about updating this late, I sort of messed up my hands. Don't punch walls kids. But I shall push on and start the next chapter.