God... don't you just love life? It keeps coming up time and time again. But let's get into the sad Velvet story.
Chapter 5:
Velvet frowned as she noticed the damp ground, but the frown redoubled as she could see the bouquet of the simple white flowers she knew her wife loved. Sniffling a little, Velvet lowered the one in her hands down to match the previous one. 'this had to have been one of Yang's errands.' Velvet thought as she got comfortable and took the seat.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't the first one to get you your favourite flowers. But at least it was Yang." Velvet began softly, as she pulled her knees clear up to her chest. She couldn't stand the fact she was the last one to find out about something so important again.
First it was the fact her parents didn't like her in one of the big cities. Then it was how far Ruby had crawled into her own mind, and the fact that she was now the last person that day that would most likely visit Ruby's grave, and bring her flowers. It had been turning out as a worse and worse few months.
She wasn't sure about how long she could even maintain this constant beating down life seemed to be giving her, she was positive was from some form of spite her subconscious seemed to be wanting to deal out to life. Something that she was finding to be something harder and harder to actually accept. Even though the fact remained most of the time she couldn't withstand the storm life was blowing her way.
"I'm trying so hard right now to keep your Mom from getting her way with your grave Ruby." Velvet began as her ears drooped down to just cover her face. Reaching up to play with the cartilage that was inside them as she begun to think about what she could talk about to the woman. "That honestly feels like the only reason I don't try and join you." Velvet continued as she dug her fingers into the tender flesh, already getting used to the pain once again.
Something that she remembered people once telling her when she would talk to people besides Ruby about her problems, that once someone got used to the pain, that was when danger happened. And now she could see why. She needed the pain, and felt like she deserved it. The only problem being that she knew from experience that she couldn't hurt herself anywhere else because someone would find out then. At least the way it was she could perhaps play it off like the wind had burned her sensitive ears.
Right now though, she didn't care about looking for an excuse. She only cared about grave staring at her. "I know you would want me to help Yang and even at least get her to give your parents the time of day again Ruby. It is just so hard for me to even get up in the morning. I don't have you in my arms, I don't have your soft snoring filling my ears. And with how everyone seems to be trying to take your place... it just makes the pain that much worse."
The way Velvet was speaking was making her a little glad that if anyone was there, they'd understand. The biggest worry right now though was if the grounds-keeper would make his normal rounds earlier. But for now she was going to be able to sit down and just simply enjoy this time. Something that she felt like she needed at this moment.
Sniffling a little as she looked up at the sky trying to see if she could figure out the time knowing that she really couldn't. It was merely her not sure what to talk about. She didn't know what to talk about to this once beautiful woman.
Moving over a little as she heard some people walking up the pathway, she just closed her eyes and took a few more deep breaths. Hoping that the people walking past wouldn't care to see a woman sitting in front of a grave crying. She hoped that they would be able to at least read that she doesn't want nor need their concern. That was until she heard who it was.
Snapping her eyes open, she turned to glare in the direction of the woman walking up with someone that Velvet recognised very well and from the few interactions she had with the man and from what Yang had told her, she knew calling Tai spineless was an understatement.
Velvet laughed a little as she could see Ruby just sitting contently on the edge of the river, with her feet dangling in the water. She knew that she was revealed to the woman who clearly decided to take her break far away from what the Faunus often considered was one of the worst places to be around.
But the smile on Ruby's face as she laid down to stare at the Faunus just seemed to make her feel that much better about this crazy idea that Yang had given her. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Ruby asked as Velvet came to a stop just in front of the woman.
The woman with her feet dipping into the cold water was actually curious as to the reason but more so curious as to what the Faunus woman had hidden behind her back.
"After you said how today was going to be long and tiring because of how hot it was meant to get, Yang had convinced me to make something for your lunch after I had to almost pull her teeth to tell me where you normally are during days like that." Velvet said with a smile as she moved the object behind her back to show a small wicker basket. "So, I made you a little lunch." Velvet said as Ruby just smiled wider sitting up, as the Faunus held the basket out further for the woman to take.
As she grabbed the basket, the red tipped brunette just patted a spot on the rock next to her, as the basket got lowered down next to the heavy duty shoes she had to have. Walking up to the rock Velvet took a seat facing the field leaving her back to the river as Ruby pulled out one of the sandwiches. "Here. You deserve some." Ruby said as Velvet just smiled and took the half Ruby gave. Carefully inspecting it to make sure it wasn't one of the ones with meat in it. "Relax. I made sure for you. I'd be a terrible person if I knew you were a vegetarian and gave you meat." Ruby clarified as she took a bite from the new one in her hands as she looked at the calming water.
Velvet smiled as she heard the water splashing a little from Ruby swinging her feet in the water. "So, what was the reason you were talking to Yang? I thought she was still a bit angry at you for that time you tripped while painting and got paint all in her hair." Ruby asked, not really trying to be rude, but just curious because of how normally when Yang was angry at someone she would do anything but be helpful.
"She was. But we both thought you were probably going to forgo food just to relax a little more, and Yang said she had to go downtown." Velvet said as she could see Ruby just shake her head as though that was something terrible that Velvet said.
"I suppose a night won't be complete without heading to the police station." Ruby muttered as she took another bite of the sandwich. The look of anger in her face as she began to chomp down once again. The once delicious food didn't seem as good considering that she knew it was probably her sister trying to make the call later bearable.
"What's the matter Ruby?" Velvet asked feeling like she just ruined the entire thing with the woman she had found increasingly beautiful the longer she was around her.
"Yang only goes downtown for one thing. Despite how I would prefer it to be two. But that one thing is to go get wasted and then get arrested for drunken disorderly." Ruby said with a frown as she took another large bite, before instantly regretting it by biting her thumb. Pulling her hand free she winced as she began to just fling her hand around to try and ease the pain.
Giggling a little, Velvet placed the sandwich on her lap as she grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled it closer to look. As Velvet was looking, she could see out of the corner of her eyes Ruby head first in the basket looking through it as if she was trying to find something.
"The cookies are under the sandwiches for a reason Ruby. And you didn't break the skin. You should be just fine." Velvet said as Ruby frowned pulling her head out of the basket, holding a sandwich in her other hand. A pout deeply stretched across her face as she reached in and pulled out one of the triangle sandwiches. "What is the other reason you want Yang to go downtown?" Velvet asked trying to make some small conversation as Ruby's pout seemed to vanish.
Normally, Velvet would be overjoyed with something like a pout going away from Ruby's face but the look on her face wasn't a frown or even a smile. It was a look of pure indifference that just seemed to give more pain to Velvet than the pout.
"Our parents live in downtown, and I've been disowned for reasons by them that I don't want to get into. But Yang isn't and she decided to stick with me throughout everything despite what I keep telling her." Ruby said softly as she stared into the water as she began to swing her feet in it lightly.
"It's okay." Velvet said as she picked up the sandwich in her lap again, just taking a bite from it and frowning at the fact Ruby didn't seem to bounce back from that thing as easily just made her feel so much worse. She didn't want the entire time they were there to be ruined by the simple fact she was nosey.
"I should probably get going. It is a long walk back." Ruby said before she all but shoved the sandwich into her mouth and pulled her feet up and grabbing her socks she begun to dry her feet off with them. Before Velvet could question it, she could see Ruby reach into the shoes to pull out a small plastic bag and pulled out two new socks before tossing the wet ones into the plastic bag. "I'll call you later. Maybe we can have a girls night before I need to go bail Yang out." Ruby said with a smile that just seemed a little false to Velvet but she couldn't pass up the opportunity.
"That sounds like fun."
"The fuck are you doing here!" Velvet yelled at the duo as the large almost wall of a man began to hide behind the much smaller woman who was glaring a little.
"We are here to try and convince you to change our son's gravestone to his real name. Not this farcical thing you and Yang keep trying to do." Summer said almost callously to Velvet. Not that it really mattered to her. She wasn't going to budge on this matter. She couldn't even begin to imagine facing Ruby again if she let something like this happen.
"It isn't going to work because you don't have a son. You had two daughters. Something the government recognised when they changed her birth certificate. And even then you both disowned her long before that happened. So stop trying this it won't work." Velvet said as Summer bit her lip, as though she was trying to chew something over mentally before deciding on something.
"We'll see about this Velvet. I don't care if we need to go to the highest court. We will change Ruben's gravestone to something appropriate. Not this lie that the world keeps seeing." Summer said as she took a step closer to Velvet who stood up and stared into the woman's eyes.
"Try it. Unlike what you wanted with her life, Ruby made a lot of friends. Some very powerful friends. So try it."
Author's Note:
Okay, shorter chapter but it is half three in the morning. And I'm intentionally leaving it there... you'll see next chapter. But hopefully life will slow down enough so I can start cranking more of these out then the current '1 a week' I'm at. Onto the Guest reviews...
Guest 4: The trick with healthy food, is moderation. and actually making it yourself. but glad you like the chapter and it was probably a translation issue. I mean who knows perfect Morse code these days?