An: A little shorter than normal, includes stuff alluding to the events at the end of episode 4, spoilers.

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Max has scars. It's something that Ruby has noticed with all the time they spend together.

It's not unusual, theirs' is a dangerous profession.

But it takes a lot to scar a Huntress, and she is a Huntress –officially labelled as 'in training' though she may be.

A little reckless perhaps, and still stuck in that awkward faze between adolescence and adulthood, Ruby knows that even 'prodigy' as she is she doesn't hold a candle to a powerful, experienced Huntress, no matter how good with a scythe she is.

Knows that Goodwitch could reduce her to a smear on the wall in half a second if she really wanted to, Ozpin probably in half that, Max too if her ability to move at speed is half as good as Ruby thinks it is.

She might still only be a third year but Ruby knows. Max is a Huntress.

And it takes a lot to wound one, and a lot more to leave a scar.

Modern medicine has come a long way when it comes to treating wounds, and Aura has the dual use of softening blows and healing the wounds they leave behind. Add that to the level of skill and resilience most Huntresses posses, coupled with the sheer dodging ability present in most of them and they're not likely to get hit with anything damaging enough to leave a scar.

And the wounds that do are usually the kind most don't recover from.

Ruby is no expert at scars but Max's look like they are the kind that comes from being restrained and fighting those restraints with an almost animal desperation until those bonds chafe to the bone.

Ruby recalls her aversion to needles and how she shies away from being photographed, even member of the photography club that she is.

She wonders in her mind if they might be connected.

Of course she is curious, how can she not be, but she knows not to push.

Ruby does not know what happened to Max, but she knows the marks will never fade, and somewhere deep inside Max is hurting.

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An: Max's scars are from her presumed captivity following the end of episode 4