"Hello~"
That voice... that... insufferably beautiful voice... Ruby felt...
"It's time to wake up my lovely~"
Fury... all she could feel was... nothing but fury... and yet... she couldn't even see. Taking this as a terrible sign, and finally finding the strength to open her eyes, the yet again drowsy woman realized that everything looked off. For one: every time she blinked, she caught on to a fairly disturbing change to the usual rhythm of such.
No eyelids moved.
Seeing as that was already weird enough, Ruby tried reaching for her face, only to see a hand that wasn't hers. She paused, taking note of the articulated joints along each and every finger. Sculpted wood may have made up most of the 'skin', but each joint was a bolt of metal, or so it appeared via the glare of light from a nearby candle.
I have to be dreaming.
Even so, most of her dreams - when she had them anyway - didn't feature her untimely appearance within children's toys. While she may have been dealing with many many things since her journey from the start of this era, she had not once stopped to truly question whether she would, or should, take particular notice of just how sturdy such dolls were, or even how fragile they could be under certain circumstances.
Ruby knew she could move, so there was at least that to keep in mind, and assuming she had legs, the corrupted reaper chose to try her luck at standing.
The motion came... shockingly easy, and she was on her feet before she knew it. Again, this came with a caveat however, and she noticed almost immediately that she couldn't really feel the act of standing. Yes, there was still pressure beneath her soles, but it was miniscule, to the point she actively had to think about it just to notice; searching for a basic cognitive response to physical touch.
"Look at you: just reborn and already standing! What a good girl~"
"Who's there?" She asked aloud, taking note of how her voice didn't so much come from her lips, but rather, played back in her mind as if she were simply thinking it... and yet the tingle along a phantom tongue who ceased to exist acted as the signal that such thoughts were actually speech, even if they were limited in scope to her mind.
This didn't bother the voice though, who responded in kind.
"Aw~ Can't quite recall yet? Wasn't my love pleasurable? I'd believed you would have had a hard time forgetting the heat of my fluids filling up your tummy and throat, or, perhaps you'd wanted 'other' fluids to be sprayed within instead~ Such a naughty little lover you're turning out to be~"
No, she recalled now, and Ruby understood why such a voice brought on hatred.
"You... I remember you now bitch... What did you do to me?!" It was a shout heard only by the voice and herself, with the former giggling incredibly.
"Ooh~ Such naughty lips... I like them!"
"Yeah? Well I'd hold off on whatever thoughts you're having: I bite."
Ruby felt the seething need to rip and tear as more chuckling came from the recesses of her mind, and rather than dignify the whore with a response, she instead let her vision slip and slide around the room. Her less than fleshy body was situated on a shelf, or so it appeared, with the layout looking like it belonged to a child's bedroom. The place was delved in royal red and purple hues, with solid browns making up the wooden furniture.
An open window allowed the moonlight inside, and the curtains were brushed aside by the invited breeze.
"Cute, isn't it? The warden likes to keep his little girl spoiled like the doll she is, and by sheer coincidence, said young one adores keeping herself company with dolls."
"Uh huh, right." Although her arms were stiff along the limbs, and only flexible at the aforementioned joints, Ruby somehow managed to pull off crossing her arms... even though the motion was half obscured by the floral pattern dress, who's colors matched her surroundings. "So why am I here?"
"I'd believed I made myself rather clear earlier, but I suppose that isn't quite fair, now is it; you were half asleep before I made my plea. The job is simple: my little boy is being held somewhere within the lower floors, inside the prison, and I want you to set him loose."
"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" More importantly, why would she do any of that? Sure, she was a doll now, and that was kind of concerning, but even while being a mere bit of childhood decoration, Ruby had high hopes she'd be able to rip the bitch's throat out if she found her way back. Disregarding that though... "I'm currently trapped as a toy, something I'm certain you're loving by the way."
"Oh, I most certainly do~ Trust me, the craftsmen are both skilled, and passionate. For context, I'm glad to inform you that the body you inhabit is biologically accurate in every detail. A one-eighth scale replica of a beautiful young woman; sculpted in both visible, and non-visible areas."
Pervert toymakers… Ruby internally scoffed. Great.
Then again, she supposed it wasn't that uncommon, especially if women like Merci were occupying the city. Most of the time, a lot of the toymakers were wannabe sculptors, at least in Veilroot, and wished to carve their intricate arts within the very roots of The Embracer: a gift allowed only to the most talented of artisans. Their ability to craft what amounted to a perfect replica of the living was their proof of skill, tested rigorously in their later years when trying for the right to work their magic.
Most women didn't care much for the extra details on the toys, supposing they weren't being given from their daughters to their sons.
Ruby began tapping her jointed heel impatiently.
"Not exactly giving me a good reason to act here."
"No? Then how about this: you set my son free, and not only will I restore you to your original body - which I'm keeping perfectly preserved and healthy by the way - but I'll also give you whatever it was you were searching for."
As if that'll help. Scoffing internally, Ruby felt the jab of irony in the understanding that it was Merci's deception which had been the ultimate goal. The silks were to be transported for pick-up by the buyer, but it was looking like they were instead delivered directly. Unpredicted, unwanted, and surely unwarranted; it was rotten luck all around. Even if she did escape this strange turn of events, she'd have to accept the offer and take the silks, but it would ruin the plan.
She needed chaos, and for some reason, there was looking to be only one option to ensure it.
"You will?" Making certain to allow just the fairest bit of interest to show, Ruby let her posture fluctuate somewhat, becoming less stiff as she heard the voice attempt to woo her once again.
"Of course~ I, though powerful and playful at times, am a woman of my word. I swear to you I'll grant whatever wish your needy little heart desires... and, if you so choose, show you the vigor of youth~ Has it not been quite some time since you'd felt another woman's touch?"
"You're assuming I've the heart for our own?" A tiny hint of sass escaped her... well, 'escaped' was a strong word: she passed it the key.
"Your mouth speaks differently, but the beating of your heart as I drew close..." A distinct shiver shot up Ruby's spine. "It told me all I needed to hear~"
The slight hiss at the end was uncalled for, and the dollified one knew she was being underestimated. In all honesty, being looked down upon had its uses, such as when a set of footsteps drew close to the door in the corner by the desk, and Ruby had to stiffen as a little girl danced her way inside. Carefree and overjoyed for some reason, the loveable little bundle of fluffy cloth - and far too many bows - looked up at her. A smile stretched honestly over the little one's lips, and she stepped closer.
Climbing up on what Ruby assumed was a stool positioned before the shelf, the living doll felt the warm hands of the child grip and pull her down, and the arms began to cuddle her.
"Papa's letting us see big brother tonight, isn't it wonderful?!" The excitement was a nice source of joy for the withered soul within... but recalling just what this 'papa's' career was had Ruby wilting a little inside. The small girl was clearly happy about seeing her big brother, but if she had to be 'allowed' then it probably pointed towards him being a member of the prisoner population.
Having to visit family in jail and being so excited about it too: only a child, both innocent and pure, could look upon such parody with any sense of truthful joy.
Ruby would have moved to hold on as the girl skipped back out her door, taking to the halls and plopping her way down the staircase at the end, if she hadn't been worried about being caught. Scaring a toddler wasn't exactly something Ruby wished to do any time soon, and seeing as she was being taken to the prison at the hands of the girl, there was no need to complicate things.
She'd just wait it out until inside, at which point she'd come up with a plan of action.
Whoever Merci's boy was had better have been counting himself lucky, because not everyone got to face rescue at the hands of a toy.
.
.
Heh, armatures.
Whitley Schnee, the often forgotten youngest of the family, was sitting in a secretive room. He'd requested the servants to construct such an addon silently a few years ago, as in, without the knowledge of his father. They themselves didn't know what he used it for, and that was fine; he'd rather nobody know what he was up to.
Oh yes, there had been plenty of times where one or two of them tried to take a peak, but little did they know, changing both the lock type and combination on a weekly basis did wonders to keep undesirables out. Many of them just assumed he was up to the usual things teen boys such as himself may have required privacy for; this was fine, he didn't care about the assumptions of the ignorant.
Scoring another win was just as cathartic as ever, but despite 'Stürmisches Eis' obtaining another victory for the record, there was something bland about the matches of the now. After a loss, most of his opponents quit, but just the other day he'd experienced someone different.
A player who kept on fighting.
Loss after loss piled up for them, and yet they kept requesting rematch after rematch, getting better at an astounding rate. It was both incredibly concerning, and exponentially amusing. For the first time in a while, he was being pushed to his limits, and he was having a heck of a time because of it. It had been so long since he'd had enough fun that his alarm beat him to the punch, and the little ringing was the only thing telling him he had exhausted his couple hours designated to playing games.
That night, Whitley Schnee returned to his usual bouts of study and merrymaking at his father's designated gatherings, but rather than thoughts of ire towards the usual lot who tried to cozy up with him, the women seeking his fortune and the men wishing his partnership, his head was filled with one simple desire: to face that opponent again some time.
Unfortunately, they were offline today: proven by their name on the leaderboard sporting a dull gray star.
Tonight's foes were suitably less worthy of his time.
Allowing a tired sigh to escape, he shut off the game after securing another victory, checking his scroll to see he'd beaten the timer again by a whole hour. Tonight was a hollow replicant of last night's joy, and he sorely missed whoever it was that kept his mind racing with counter strategies.
Making his way out, he came back into his room and saw it was relatively cleaner than usual. The maids had tended to it, and as was his habit, he went to inspect their work. His shelves, drawers, and even the few sealed boxes whose sole purpose were to hold within gifts and tributes offered up by the other rear-kissing upper class were all searched and confirmed untampered with. Everything was in place, meaning that nothing was stolen...
This time at least.
What is it with them?
Even the less savory butlers - not counting Klein, who was the only real butler according to him - had never tried outright stealing from him. It was always women for some reason, which simply added to his already secretive distrust towards them.
Whitley Schnee, unfortunately, had next to no faith in the opposite sex, despite how unfair he knew it to be. His mother was a lousy drunk, more concerned with her booze than the wellbeing of her own children. Yes, she snuck her stupid little cameras around the house, all in the hopes of catching his father off-guard, but that was solely to her own benefit.
Most of the time, the lady of the house couldn't even do that right.
Whitley spent more than a handful of hours outside of his father's lessons re-adjusting the things, so as to keep his worthless drunk of a caretaker - if he could even call her that - from getting potentially kicked out: he knew his father wouldn't even hesitate to use their discovery as an excuse to reap from her everything she owned.
His sisters were no better; both having little care for him, and at points actively ignoring him throughout his whole life. Winter was obsessed with escaping the patriarch of the family, to the point she'd essentially had herself disowned from the upon the choice to join up with the military, rather than accept the role of heiress. Of course, that would have happened sooner, had he not stumbled upon her ultimate slip up.
Through a bout of suitably moronic disregard, Winter had accidentally left her letter of acceptance towards a tutoring program under James Ironwood himself out in the open. Winter needed that piece of paper as confirmation to even be allowed into the school at the designated times as spelt out on the sheet, and so Whitley swiped it from its place and slipped it into one of her coats while she was arguing with their father after a rather grueling sparring match with her own summons.
Winter always cleaned her clothes before resting after a spar, and it was here she found the note and properly hid it this time. Sure, he assumed the letter might have slipped out of a better hiding place before, but even so, his sister should have known better.
Winter was just the first sister though, and Weiss had, much to his own annoyance, accepted that path of escapism too. But rather than run from the family legacy, she chose to challenge it. Of course, this meant she had little time for anything other than her goal, and so she too had left him to the dust.
After losing one daughter to what was assumed as 'senseless ambition', Whitley recalled seeing a change in the man who raised him. He did everything in his power to dissuade Weiss from trying to leave, at one point nearly threatening to disown her entirely. Once again it had fallen on his shoulders to prevent such a thing, and so, Whitley had spoken with Jacques, convincing him there was more to gain from a CEO who was a well renowned huntress.
While quite the fight, Whitley won out in the end, and recalled their father presenting Weiss with the deal, one she'd actually managed to win on her own.
Even the servants weren't without their flaws, with most stealing due to their own low pay. Jacques Schnee wasn't a man who'd give even a second's consideration towards those who were beneath him, and more so to keep their already ragged family reputation from being dragged through the mud even further, Whitley would sneak a portion of his allowance into the bags and drawers of the maids who were going through a particularly rough patch; if nothing else, it helped to keep his father from needing to hire a new maid every other week, and thus saving money overall, which in turn meant a larger allowance for Whitley himself.
His father, while a pathetic scumbag even to him, at the very least took the time to educate him on various life topics, even if it was simply to ensure the family legacy would be upheld: the legacy of Jacques Schnee, that was.
Really, the only family worth anything in Whitley's eyes was a man by the name of Nicholas Schnee: Willow's father, and by extension, his grandfather.
The elderly man, even in his bedridden state, had done everything in his power to prepare not only his sisters, but even Whitley for the world he was headed into. Shifting through tales of the past, Nicholas had once told him a story of his own family lineage, who surprisingly descended not from Atlas initially, but rather Vacuo, in a time before it bore that name. Only one truth had apparently survived the old oral tales, who's facts and records had mostly been lost. The Schnee legacy was descended from a group of warriors long forgotten.
The Shadow-Hunters: supposed protectors akin to the shadows they were named after.
It was a myth passed down from eons ago, apparently, and there were even a few traditions old grandad himself kept up, at least, until he started the family business.
"The world has no need for violent defenders amongst men, so much as they need the fuels to power their weapons."
It was in reference to Dust, which he, along with several others, chose to mine and distribute. A profit was always taken, but never more than was needed. Nicholas wanted to keep the legacy of his family's roots alive, but time and economy battled with him every chance they got, and when he grew ill, it was Jacques who stepped in. The man carried with him words of hope and wonder, and it was only afterwards that the truth was learned.
By that point though, the newly named Jacques Schnee had already spun his web, and the world soon learned to tremble under the S.D.C.
With these recollections in mind, Whitley wondered if he should pay the old man a visit soon. Nicholas always seemed happy when either his sisters or him visited, and right now Whitley had nothing better to do - at least not for another hour, before another 'party' was held.
.
.
"So... what does the general have us looking for… specifically, I mean?" Ruby didn't know how to start the conversation from right outside the door, but even so, she tried anyway. She knew they were there to check the supposed 'slave pen' where V found another of his obelisks, but beyond that, she knew nothing else.
And neither of the group chose to fill her in.
Sneaking in had been shockingly easy, all things considered, what with the small dashes here and there; not to mention her semblance allowing the trio to bypass most of the path they were told of via the use of several cracks and such in the walls. Just strolling up and walking in with a couple of criminals wouldn't exactly provide the best welcoming party, and so Ruby herself had no issues with doing things the less than savory way.
It did feel a little gross though.
"You pick now to ask that?" Roman sent a queer eye, with Neo beside him shaking her head in a disappointed fashion. Ruby, though mildly irritated, chose to just await an answer, and following a sigh, the man elaborated. "I'll make it quick. He wants us to bring back a piece of the obelisk - if we even can that is - and go snooping around for anything undeniably linking this place's activity to the S.D.C. specifically within the time period where slavery was outlawed. We know it's theirs, but without outright confirmation of their operations they can argue that the 'slave' portion of the facility was axed as the new law was passed, as in, after the great war."
"But wouldn't the presence of machinery be a good enough sign?" Ruby thought computers and stuff logged everything.
"Normally I'd ask the same, but machines can be replaced and tampered with, and that paranoid nut of a general is worried they can argue the tech was just replaced afterwards. He thinks their defense would focus on the place being used without the slaves, as just another part of the mines, thus adhering to the law; albeit holding some vile memories, and just being an overall icky move."
"Okay..." Ruby wasn't so sure that made much sense, but what did she know? She was a Valen huntress, not an Atlesian lawyer; if the place was as corrupt as the rumors stated, then she had no doubts that the S.D.C. could dodge any legal claims even if hard evidence was presented.
Stupid companies and their stupid money!
Unfortunately, holding complaints and anger in her head would do little in the way of getting things done.
"Anymore questions?" Roman tried, crossing his arms and slouching. "May as well get them out before delving in. Trust me, you won't be saying much when you see what's inside; these places are never fun." He popped out his usual smoke, taking a single puff. "But then again, yours truly has seen more than his fair share of things best left forgotten, so don't be surprised if the rest of us just walk it off. Granted, I haven't seen this place myself, but I doubt it'll be anything new."
"Is there anything specific I should be looking for?" Probably the most important question, because Ruby had no idea how she'd find evidence in an old abandoned place like the supposed cesspit of evil ahead.
"Well, Saw here's gonna check the obelisk first and see if he can get a chunk of it off, whereas Neo and I will be looking to see if any of their machinery still works. With any luck, we can rig up one of their computers to a power source up along this door here... if there's a long enough cord anyway. We sure as heck won't be able to put big-man Schnee away with anything we do find, but it'll trip up his election results regardless, and that's what we're counting on." Tapping his finger on his chin, Roman tilted his head. "You're probably best off keeping an eye out for physical documents, if you can find any along the way. I'd rather you spend your time annoying our new buddy here as opposed to getting in my way, and seeing as you share a name with the prick who's responsible for getting us lopped on this gig, it seems only fitting to me that you be the one to see to the main event; sound good?"
Ruby held back a grumble, but otherwise said nothing. Looking back to the door, Roman seemed to take it as a silent agreement; it was, but Ruby made sure he knew she wasn't happy with it. It didn't feel safe letting a crook like him wander around on his own, but he did know more about stealing things like information, now didn't he? Besides, getting to see one of the obelisks up close would be interesting, and Ruby silently wondered what they were like.
A sort of pale anticipation began to tickle within her chest, and a strange sense of... 'something' presented itself.
Unable to tell what this feeling was, she stowed it away while awaiting the dip into the unknown. With everyone seemingly in agreement, and no follow-up questions for a solid several seconds, Saw stepped forth and opened the way.
Ruby trudged along behind, letting her eyes fall upon many a frozen memory as they trekked beside the icy echoes of the facility's original purpose. To say she was disgusted would be putting it lightly, and while she never spoke a word or even sucked in a breath, a pulsing chill patiently slid itself along her skin. The place was physically cold, but seeing the multiple cruel states of its long deceased prisoners… it concocted a strange new mix of sickness within the young hunter's core.
Ruby believed in hopes, and dreams, and the good of people... and now she could add nightmares to that list.
Implication and descriptions of the atrocities committed by people during times of war and cruelty scarcely compared to seeing such remnants in person. To look into the face of a corpse and know, just know, that it belonged to somebody who had a life, aspirations, and even a potential future had their life not been stolen away, created an oddity Ruby was not used to: such thoughts made the girl wonder if the idea of destiny itself, often presented in media and theory as an ultimate corrector, was capable of evil. Did that imply evil was essential for keeping the world how it should have been?
Why Ruby had the sudden impulse to contemplate on the topic of destiny could not be discerned.
Maybe Pyrrha might have had an answer to the sudden wonders filling her head; it was the woman's ultimate belief after all; at least, according to what she'd spoken of before. V, on the other hand... he somewhat put a wrench in things.
They started down a set of stairs, again, but this time Ruby saw Roman ignore their descent and carry on ahead with Neo, presumably to search around for that information they so desperately sought, and a power source of course. Again, she wasn't exactly feeling good about letting both crooks out of her sight, but she couldn't really do anything about it, and so it was left at that.
Touching down on the stone below had her mind reeling back to its original point of contention.
V had been down here, and it was his obelisk they were going to grab a piece from, but it wasn't the focus of her mind, at least not until she saw the thing. Pyrrha believed in the idea of destiny, 'fate' as some would call it, and yet V appeared to be the opposite: as he'd made clear back at Haven. Maybe he was just trying to cheer Pyrrha up... scratch that; he was trying to cheer her up, but did that mean everything he said was just fluff?
He sounded sincere with it all, his idea that fate could be altered like everything else in life, and yet...
That idea clung to the back of her mind, and Ruby wondered just how true such a statement was.
"Here." Saw's voice cut her out of the bout of daydreaming, and Ruby was fully alert once again. The prison cells were lifeless and empty, besides the dead within, but Ruby wasn't focused on the newest displays of tortured souls - as appeared to be the only thing present within the oversized graveyard. So much evil hurt her head, and she'd rather just let it pass her by and accept that the man responsible for all of it, Jacques Schnee, was simply the worst of the worst.
At least she had no doubts about that anymore.
Instead, her eyes followed after Saw, and stepping inside the room greeted her with a sight she hadn't expected. A large gaping hole was present in the back wall, and past it sat what appeared to be a sort of spike sticking upwards, like a shard of midnight itself had grown from underneath the ground.
What is-?
This was all the reaction she could muster before intoxication took over.
Author's note
...
Not going to lie, Whitely ended up being probably the strangest part of the chapter. Writing a young boy who's experienced nothing but abandonment and neglect from every woman in his life, as well as a supreme hatred for the man both responsible for both it and teaching him everything he knows.
Needless to say, it didn't leave the kid in a good state.
Future Ruby's also a doll now... yes, we are picking back up the pace, if that wasn't clear already with all the tomfoolery going down.
And finally, we have regular Ruby, who for the first time gets up and personal with one of the obelisks herself. This is not a good sign from the looks of it.
Anyway, I'll leave it here.
Until next time.