Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or FFXIV. I'm just playing with them in this sandbox. I make no money or profit from this.

"Anyone wanna hit up the feast? Get our PVP on?" Ruby asked into her mic after a near 3 hour session of wiping to the raid had made progress though. Wiping at 1% because of deaths to mechanics just meant getting better and they were very close. They were gonna clear soon.

"Sorry not interested in that shit," Jaune muttered.

"I have a meeting tomorrow morning with my father," Weiss informed them. "I'll be gone until the evening most likely."

"I have a report due Monday morning so I'll only be up for raid or any dailies I need to do to cap," answered Blake.

"OHHH I WANT THE PUPPY!" Nora yelled excitedly before Ren cut in. "But we have an appointment to make so we can't."

"Awwww~" Everyone could hear the pout in her voice.

"Coach asked me to look at a game tomorrow morning so I'll be hitting the sack, sorry Rubes," Yang apologized.

[21:01.][FC]Red Reaper Ok I guess, night everyone who has to get up early tomorrow.
[21:01.][FC]Akouo Milo Good night all, take care.
[21:01.][FC]Jarc Tankmaster Take care
[21:01.][FC]Thunder Valkyrie Nini
[21:01.] Thunder Valkyrie has logged off.
[21:02.][FC]Oum Dynasty Goodnight everyone.
[21:02.][FC]Ember Celica Night
[21:02.][FC]Black Fang Good night.
[21:02.] Oum Dynasty has logged off.
[21:02.] Ember Celica has logged off.
[21:02.] Black Fang has logged off.
[21:03.] Schnee Heals has logged off.
[21:04.] Jarc Tankmaster has logged off.

Having flipped her mic up to mute it, Ruby sighed before the last voice she expected spoke up. "Well, Ruby, I'm not very interested in the feast but perhaps we can get to know each other by doing some content or just talking?"

Ruby blinked, almost wondering if she heard correctly. She looked at the clock and furrowed her brows before flipping the mic back down to unmute herself. "Isn't it a little late for you Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha chuckled, and if Ruby actually knew what she looked like she would have imagined a smile upon her face. "I've got a lazy weekend before conditioning starts. Besides, I wish to get to know you. I have not had the same chance everyone else has."

The younger girl leaned back, looking at her two monitors side-by-side before she returned to the conversation at hand. "Well then, Miss Pyrrha, why don't you tell me a little 'bout yourself to start us off then?"

A chuckle filled her headset and Ruby smiled at that. "Well Miss Ruby, as you know my name is Pyrrha. I'm studying at Mistral University, majoring in biological sciences as well as playing basketball. I intend on getting a doctor in pharmacy degree after that. Yourself?"

Ruby perked an eyebrow, realizing that of everyone else that raided in the static, Pyrrha and herself might be some of the more socially-accepted ambitious students. She answered Pyrrha, "I'm double majoring in electrical engineering and bioengineering along with participating in track and field here at Beacon University. As you know, Yang is my half-sister since we share the same father… We met Weiss and Blake when we dormed in freshman year and decided to share a flat together-"

"Ruby, I asked about you not your housemates," Pyrrha interrupted. Ruby could almost hear the mirth in the other's voice. Ruby felt her face flush, feeling very awkward all of a sudden.

"Uh, well… I've already applied for an internship at Polendina Industries and I hope to continue there while I work on my masters," Ruby finished.

"That's really ambitious Ruby," Pyrrha commented.

Ruby countered, "Is that so much more ambitious over being a student athlete in the biological sciences who aims to get into Pharm.D?"

The two ladies laughed at each other, not taking any offense while realizing that they both took their studies and hobbies seriously. "What's it like at MisU, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha hummed softly in Ruby's headset while the other girl walked to the light switch in her room and turned down the lights. She sat back in her chair, bathing in the soft glow of the monitors while Pyrrha answered. She talked about the weather and the atmosphere.

"It's… overwhelming at times, for me to live here," Pyrrha confessed out of the blue.

"Wh-what do you mean Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, trying to lend the other woman the support she seemed to be in search of.

"Here… I'm the Mistral Champion. I led my hometown to four years of straight wins in basketball. We were undefeated and they all laid their expectations and excitement on me… I just want to try my best without feeling like I have a whole town of people expecting me to do things that I may not live up to."

"I… I get that a bit," Ruby empathized. "After all, I'm that girl who skipped a few years and whose mother well.. My mother was -the other- woman you know? I don't want Yang's mom to resent me any more than she might already. I love everything I'm studying, I really do but sometimes… the pressure is just… so much."

Ruby frowned as her voice wavered a bit. Why did she tell Pyrrha so much? Was it because she was older and experienced something similar to herself? What was it?

Pyrrha made a small self-depreciating sounding laugh, "I guess we do experience something similar to each other."

"Yeah…"

"Have you thought about moving away from Mistral Pyrrha?" Ruby asked. Sometimes she thought about it, leaving the area…

"I have. I've thought about being able to get a full scholarship that included room and board. Dreamt about going far enough away that I'd need to fly over there," Pyrrha answered. Her voice was soft and Ruby could hear just how much the Mistralian woman wanted to leave on her own will. "And you Ruby? Do you wish to leave?"

Ruby pondered her answer before voicing what she had concluded, "I used to think it would be better but I realized that I love being near Yang too much to really want to leave. I love my dad and… sometimes I like to think that Raven loves me too. In the end, I also decided that Polendina Industries really would be a great place to work at. I hope!" Ruby laughed, not really wanting to consider the possibility that she may not even get that internship she had applied and interviewed for.

"That's good, Ruby."

"Thank you Pyrrha," Ruby thanked her before pushing. "This may be too random but… have you considered sending out applications? Like… well, Beacon?"

Pyrrha's voice teased over the voice chat after a moment of silence, "Because all of you are there?"

"No! Beacon has a -great- biological sciences program. We're not too far away from-"

"-I know Ruby, I was hoping to tease you a little. And to answer your question… I have. I just… I'm afraid that I won't be able to do it on my own so far away from Mistral," she confessed.

"You're worried that they will deny you or that you will not be able to afford the out-of-state costs right?" Ruby supplied.

"... yes."

"But you won't ever know if you don't go through with it. If the worst case scenario is you not being able to afford it or being declined, isn't it just the same as you staying in Mistral?" Ruby asked. "It's worth the shot right?"

"Right," Pyrrha answered. It was worth it.

Ruby smiled at Pyrrha's agreement and the conversation moved on from there. They lost themselves in getting to know each other. Time passed before Ruby yawned and blinked, trying to fight off the sleepiness hidden in her eyes. She glanced at the clock and blinked. "Wow Pyrrha I'm so sorry for taking up your time!"

"Oh goodness, I didn't even notice. I'm going to head to bed, Ruby. Good night.. it was a lot of fun chatting with you."

"You too Pyrrha! Thank you and good night!"

With that, Pyrrha muted herself and exited the voice chat. Ruby yawned again, stretching a little as she flipped her mic up to mute it and exited the voice chat channel.

[02:45.] Akouo Milo has logged off.

Ruby didn't even bother to exit the game. She had been 'away from the keyboard' on her character for almost the entirety of her chat with Pyrrha after all. She slid her headset off, placing it on the desk before sliding straight under the covers on her bed, falling asleep soon after her head hit the pillow.

Author's Note: I didn't anticipate this feeling as slow burn as it has. It really should be more fluffy milk and cereal than this but I can't seem to generate the necessary feels and words. Whoops.

A couple of people enquired about FFXIV and what type of knowledge I have of it, to that effect anyway. I play as Kage Kiryuu on Balmung. I used to raid (or tried to) progression and I completed Final Coil of Bahamut before 2.55 dropped. I've had the good fortune of having raided with good people but I never really joined the PF attempts (thank the twelve).

I'm honestly not sure if I can keep heavily writing. I've mentioned before that I only intended on these updates being short ficlets or drabbles. I've just had a lot of time in off-hours not playing FFXIV as much as I used to and being off for a doctor's visit.

For reference here's our static and their roles while progression raiding. I have not thought of the Free Company name or tag yet.

Ruby: Red Reaper (Black Mage)
Weiss: Schnee Heals (Astrologian)
Blake: Black Fang (Machinist)
Yang: Ember Celica (Monk)
Pyrrha: Akouo Milo (Warrior)
Ren: Oum Dynasty (White Mage)
Nora: Thunder Valkyrie (Dragoon)
Jaune: Jarc Tankmaster (Paladin)

GDI FORMATTING. FFnet does not like less than or the greater than signs :/