Author's Note: Ever get the feeling like you're accidentally copying something you read a long time ago? I've been feeling deja vu this entire week, even while I was writing, it felt like I've read this somewhere before. I guess it comes with the life of a student, you do the same shit everyday, and it feels like you're living through Groundhog Day.
"It's not much, but it'll have to do, until I can get you out of my hair," Jaune said as he opened the front door to the apartment, leaving his guest at the entrance for his liquor cabinet, "Since it's a studio, you can take the couch. Not like the bed is any better. Bathroom's right there, do you want anything to drink?"
Ruby collapsed onto the low three-seater, stretching her sore limbs, "I guess I'll just have whatever you're having."
"You asked for this," Jaune shrugged, filling two mugs halfway with whiskey then filling the rest with cold black coffee. Sauntering over to the couch, he set one mug onto the coffee table and proceeded to take big gulps from his own mug.
"No creamer?" Ruby stared at the suspiciously dark liquid before taking a sip, "Ugh, dude, isn't it too early for alcohol?"
"It's never too early to drink," Jaune said with a grunt.
"You know, sixteen-year-old me would have found this hot," Ruby scowled as the drink burned its way down her esophagus, but continued to sip, "but this is just sad. Is this what you do all day?"
"If I'm not on a mission," Jaune quickly retorted, then finished off his drink, "the caffeine just gives it that oomph, y'know?"
"So, you've been taking jobs as a huntsman since Vacuo fell?" Ruby asked.
"Mmhmm," Jaune simply responded, pouring himself another, emptying the percolator's remaining contents into his cup.
"How's that going for you?" Ruby continued to prod, "You got any stories from missions you've been on?"
"Well, there's this one time I took a mission to clear out sector three in Forever Fall," Jaune started, feigning a smile, "I survived, came home and drank."
Ruby pouted in disappointment, "That's it? You've gotta have more stories."
"Well, there was one mission I took in the wastelands of Vacuo to stop a Goliath's advance towards a village," Jaune started his story once more.
"Oooh, how did that go?" Ruby set her mug down and leaned forward in anticipation for the epic she was about to hear.
"I killed it, went home bloody, then drank," Jaune unapologetically continued to drink as he walked back to the couch.
"God dammit, Jaune," Ruby rolled her eyes, "where's the excitement, the suspense, the adventure?"
"What's there to tell?" Jaune took a seat next to Ruby, "It's more or less the same every time. I don't talk to anyone, I just do my job, get paid and get home as fast as I can."
"You make being a huntsman sound some any old boring job," Ruby replied, "and drinking and eating can't be the only thing you do in your down time."
"It's what makes the hangovers go away," Jaune shrugged, setting down the mug.
"What about that scar? It looks like a brand," Ruby asked, pointing to the burn mark that encircled his left forearm, "what's the story behind that?"
"I was kidnapped by a group of cultists that worshipped Salem. They managed to brand me before I killed them all and burned their bodies," Jaune lied, unwilling to admit that he dropped one of his weapons on himself while forging it. Ruby responded by nodding, already anticipating his answer if she asked any further.
"You're not going to ask how I've been doing?" Ruby fidgeted nervously with the edges of her combat skirt.
"Nope," Jaune popped his lips as he turned on the TV, flipping mindlessly through the channels.
"I just told you I spent six years looking for you, you're not even remotely interested in any of that?" Ruby coaxed.
'Hmm, remote,' Jaune turned his head lazily, resting it on his shoulder, in Ruby's direction. After staring blankly for a few seconds, he looked down at the remote before getting up and recollecting his aviators and scroll. He tossed the remote into Ruby's lap on his way to the front door, "I didn't ask, so I don't care. I'm going out to mug some random grandmas, console and games are in the cabinet thingy under the TV if you get bored of flipping through channels. Other than that, don't touch my stuff."
Ruby sat in disbelief for a few moments after hearing the deadbolt slide into place before getting up to look through his game collection as she ranted to herself, "Seriously? I spend all this time looking for him and he's not even happy to see his best friend? At least he's got some decent games, not that I would know since I put my life on hold to look for the bastard."
Ruby sat for a couple hours playing game after game, quickly becoming disinterested with each one she played. Tossing the controller onto the couch behind her, she got up to investigate the rest of the apartment.
'If I were Jaune, where would I hide my weapon stash,' Ruby thought to herself, eyeing the closet closest to the bed, 'bingo.'
She cautiously opened the door to reveal a neat and organized wardrobe. His shirts meticulously organized by color, separated on one side from his jackets and pants, it was even complete with hanging cubby holes for his socks and undergarments. As she turned away in disappointment a glint of reflected light caught the corner of her eye from the back of the closet, 'Oooh, this seems promising.'
Pushing the articles of clothing aside, she found the scabbard of Crocea Mors hanging upon the wall next to the battered remains of Jaune's breastplate among an array of weapons. Ruby slid her hands across the collapsible shield, taking note of the various tally marks that riddled the surface. Picking up the scabbard, she attempted to open the shield up but only a simple click came from the half-weapon as it stayed closed. Disappointed, she put the item back onto its mount before turning her attention back onto the piece of armor. Ruby thought back the day Jaune had acquired it, remembering the look of hope of a better future that glittered in his eyes. Just as she did with the scabbard, she ran her fingers across the surface, accidentally cutting a finger on one of the bullet holes in the armor's side.
'I need to stop touching everything nostalgically,' Ruby inwardly scolded herself, putting her finger in her mouth. Closing the closet door with her free hand, she walked back to the couch to dig into her backpack for a bandage.
Ruby sat back down in front of the TV, picking the controller back up, she continued playing the cartoonish looking shooter game. Contrary to her fighting style, she played passive aggressively, her eyes drifting to the closet door not noticing her squid-person avatar flopping around on the unpainted ground. Unable to sate her curiosity towards the other weapons, Ruby got back up, 'Since I've already broken rule number one, I'm sure Jaune wouldn't mind, as long as I put it back and don't tell him.'
Opening up the closet once again and pushing the clothes aside, Ruby chose a weapon at random, closing her fingers around the handle of a rather large looking dagger. Examining the blade closely, she poked, prodded and pulled carefully at different parts hoping something would react. Poking at a spot just between the back of the blade and hilt, sound of locking mechanisms disengaging could be heard as the blade tilted forwards. The serrations on the back of the blade slid down, collapsing and formed into what looked to be iron sights. The sharp edge of the blade retracted just in front of the revolver that sat just beneath the iron sights as the tip split in half down the middle, revealing the barrel of the hand cannon. The trigger guard unfolded, and as the click that indicated that the folding mechanism was locked, the trigger itself popped right out.
'Oooh, it's also a gun,' Ruby thought to herself, pleased with the design of the weapon. Keeping her finger on the outside of the trigger guard, Ruby made a stabbing motion along with various pew pew sounds accompanied with explosions as she mocked the motions of using the gun-blade in battle.
Jaune gripped the grocery bags tightly, his fingers growing weak while he transferred a large load of plastic bags from one hand to the other in order for him to fish his keys out of his pocket. Hearing the childish sounds that Ruby made, he smiled while inserting the key into the deadlock, feeling proud of his game collection, 'Wow, she must not have played any video games in the last eight years.'
Turning the doorknob, Jaune opened the door in time to witness Ruby attempt to duck and roll, only to hit the back of her head against the coffee table. Surprised by his return, Ruby's finger slipped from the trigger guard and mashed down the trigger, firing a blank, which sent her flying against the brick wall next to the door. Looking to her right, to find Jaune's boots, Ruby lifted her gaze upwards to meet his disapproving stare. Disoriented, Ruby sheepishly smiled. The only words she managed to get out were, "This isn't what it looks like. Okay maybe it does, but I can explain."