"Hey, sis. Would you mind if I borrow Adam real quick? Don't worry I won't tell him what you told me, I promise!" Yang spoke so suddenly but Ruby's mind was still reeling from her own confession. It didn't occur to her until their hands began to part and the music stopped what her big sister intended to do.
"Please don't make this a big deal. I know you're protective of me but he's a good guy, I promise!" Ruby insisted but Yang had already jumped off the stage, she could tell by the dull sound of feet hitting sand. She felt lost. In the frenetic movements of the dance floor, she had lost her bearings. When she couldn't hear or feel her way around, she relied on memory, counting her steps and the lefts and rights she took.
Well, I was doing that while I danced, but Yang's question kinda forced everything out of my mind. Now I have no idea where Adam or Yang are. I can hear the ocean that way, and the music was loudest over there, so I probably need to go this way. It sounded so simple when she thought of it, but since she lost count of her steps, she had no idea how far the drop from the dance floor to the sand was and if she mistimed her step, she'd fall flat on her face.
She walked slowly, pressing her toes down with every step and then prodding a little bit further in hopes of feeling the drop-off.
It didn't matter. The next step she took, she almost fell on her face. Her muscles tensed and her jaw clenched. Catching herself in her home was no big deal, but she had no idea what was in front of her. It could be a person, maybe someone big enough that she wouldn't harm them and her fall would be stopped… or she could land on a young child and hurt them. She hoped that, at the very least, she'd be the only one hurt.
She felt air whip around her body and her heart felt like it skipped a beat. She shut her eyes tight on instinct and braced for impact.
"Whoa there," A woman's voice spoke as Ruby fell into the arms of a rather strong stranger. "You okay?"
"Don't bother with her, she's probably drunk. She wouldn't be the only one." The voice of another woman spoke up as Ruby felt herself eased back onto her feet.
"I'm not drunk, I-"
Before she could finish, she was cut off.
"We don't have time for this. He could be getting away at this very moment." The second, more bitter sounding woman spoke again.
"Real good look for the Atlas Military not giving a shit about civilians. No wonder everyone hates you guys." The woman who caught her retorted. It wasn't lost on Ruby that her hand was being held rather carefully and the woman's other hand was on her back. 'She must think I'm drunk too. I need to clear this up. Wait, did she say Atlas Military? Why are they here? Did something happen?'
"I'm not drunk. I'm blind," Ruby tried to bring her non-existent vision to where she thought the soldier woman was, but of course, she was quite a bit off. "I left my cane somewhere so I could dance but I lost track of it."
"It's probably been stolen. You should be more careful with such important things." The soldier woman griped but she sounded a bit more sympathetic this time. It occurred to Ruby that she must be feeling embarrassed by her behavior and is trying to cover for it. It reminded her a little of Adam in a way, back when they first met.
Ruby doubted anyone at this festival would steal something like that, she'd never experienced something like that before and she'd come here plenty of times.
"Weiss, calm down. We can spare a minute to help her find it." The nice woman chided the soldier, whose name Ruby now knew. Though she found herself much more eager to learn the name of the nice woman.
"Do you remember where you left it? What was around it?" She asked, removing her hand from Ruby's back but still holding the blind woman's hand. Normally that would feel patronizing, but Ruby actually found herself feeling comforted by the gesture.
"She's blind, Blake. How would she know what's around it?" Ruby didn't know what rolling one's eyes looked like, but now she was sure she knew what it sounded like. "How long were you dancing for since you left it? Were you with anyone who could have seen where you left it? Did you notice any specific sounds or know what kind of object you might have left it near?"
Ruby blinked in surprise. Though Weiss was definitely abrasive, her questions were actually somewhat helpful and to the point. Did she perhaps know someone who was blind? Or maybe she was just a very clever person? Still, Ruby noted that she probably could have answered Blake's question too, but it would have been more vague.
Ruby hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I- I um, I think I left it against a stall? It was maybe twenty steps to the dance floor? I was dancing for maybe five minutes, I think? I was with my sister and… friend, but they went to go talk in a hurry and I don't know where they went." That was all the information she could give them.
Blake, in a warm, gentle voice, reassured Ruby that they'd help her look for it. Weiss, meanwhile, tempered their expectations by saying there was a chance it was stolen or returned to the lost and found. Still, she could hear the soldier's voice getting further away, so it was clear to her that Weiss was taking the initiative in the search.
Ruby could navigate without her cane, but in such a crowded and noisy place, her usual tactics weren't that useful. Really, the cane was her best tool. Blake acted a lot like Yang, gentle and protective, guiding Ruby around by the hand. It made her smile, a little, taking her back to her childhood when big sister would do just the same.
She could tell they were getting further from the dance floor and that another song had started, the dance she expected to have with Adam. She let out a soft sigh and for a moment, felt a pang of frustration towards Yang, but quickly snuffed it out. She knew that Yang was only looking out for her.
It occurred to her that she had never come to the festival on her own. It was always a family thing. Though she hardly knew the two women who were helping her out, she let herself imagine that maybe, just maybe, this was what it's like to have friends. Her imagination wandered and she thought about maybe seeing if they wanted to join her for some games or she could buy them snacks as thanks. I've never really had friends before.
"I think I found it." Weiss' voice spoke up, cutting through the jubilant white noise of the festival.
She could hear footsteps coming her way and Blake let out a sigh of relief. Weiss placed the object in Ruby's hand and did so more gently than Ruby would have expected. The grip fit perfectly in her hand and was extremely familiar. Now it was her turn to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Thank you both so much for helping me. I really appreciate it, and I'm sorry for any trouble I caused." She gave them both a warm, bright smile.
"We all need help every now and then, honestly I was feeling pretty tense but I'm doing a lot better now, so I should be thanking you." Blake affirmed with a gentle pat on Ruby's shoulder.
"Be more careful with your stuff. You got lucky this time but you might not get off so easily next time." Weiss was a bit cold in her words, but her tone was endearingly sweet, even if she was trying not to be.
Ruby assured them she'd be more careful and clutched her cane tight for emphasis.
"By the way, have you by chance seen a man around, we're looking for him. He's a bull faunus, roughly six-foot-four um… oh, I guess you wouldn't know what he looks like." Blake hummed and appeared to be at a loss.
"How did I get stuck with you?" Weiss sighed. "His name is Adam Taurus. He's extremely dangerous. If you make contact with him, make sure you don't arouse any suspicion and call the police immediately."
Ruby froze. Her warm and happy mood suddenly felt like she'd been plunged into the coldest of waters. She knew, she knew she was bad at hiding her feelings, she didn't know how to hide her expressions well. Her heart was pounding and her grip tightened around her cane.
"There- there's someone dangerous at this festival?" Ruby stammered, trying her best to let her fear look like it had any other excuse to be on her face.
"That's right. Some of the details are classified, but he's extremely dangerous and a violent radical. For all we know, he could be planning on a terrorist attack on this very festival." The solider spoke, and every word dripped with venom. It was far more frightening than the actual words she was saying.
"Weiss, that's enough. The only thing we have evidence of, is that he's on this island. Our intelligence indicates he was badly injured some months ago, so he might not be fighting fit yet and even if he is, I revealing himself here would only jeopardize his larger goals. It's unlikely that you or anyone else here is in immediate danger. However, she's correct in saying that he's a very dangerous man and if you encounter him, get away and call the authorities.
All Ruby could do was nod. She felt her blood turning to ice in her veins and she heard them walking away, but everything felt so unreal.
Adam… they're talking about my Adam. Her stomach churned and her guts twisted themselves in knots inside her. She felt like she would vomit up all the junk food she'd eaten right then and there. Balance became her main focus as her legs nearly gave out on her. She couldn't know if she was still being watched by the two woman who had helped her.
All she could do was use her cane to mauver her way through the festival back to the dance floor, though her confidence that she wouldn't get lost was next to zero. It was a struggle to merely put one foot in front of the other. Her heart was pounding and she felt herself swaying as she walked.
My Adam… a terrorist? Suddenly, a memory slammed into her brain with the force of a tidal wave. That day, shortly after he first arrived at my home. He asked to borrow my scroll while I went to get cookies. I thought I heard a fragment of it. Something about radical actors and General Ironwood.
Her grip on her cane became so tight that her knuckles and palm hurt.
I know. I'm not stupid. The way I found him, the way he acted and evaded my questions, I knew there was something going on. I considered calling the police but-
Ruby came to a dead stop. She had no idea if people were looking at her, but that was so far from her mind it hardly registered.
I kept putting it off. I kept holding back. I was lonely. I was lonely in that big, quiet house. The longer things went on, the easier it was to put it out of my mind and convince myself that I knew him. I ignored the gaping holes in his story, the areas of his life he didn't talk about. Then, before I knew it, I liked spending time with him. The little victories, the moments of peace together, the times we came to understand each other better. I never wanted it to end. Then, at some point, I fell in love with him, a man who, in all honesty, I hardly know.
She was shaking and her mind was racing. What do I do now? Do I truly believe the man I fell in love with is incapable of change? Do I think he's the same man that did horrible things? Do- do I trust him?
She clutched her stomach and shut her eyes tight. The sound of his voice played in her mind, the smell of his body, the gentleness of his touch, the moments they shared and the things they had done together. She smiled and tears pooled in her eyes, which she wiped away as fast as they came, stifling them down with all her might.
What does it matter now? I'm deeply, impossibly, hopelessly in love. What can I do? I haven't even told him how I feel? Before I do anything, I need- I need-
Suddenly, a scent on the breeze took her mind away from the turmoil she thought she'd never escape. It was subtle, the slightest fragrance amidst the many smells of the festival, but she knew it well. She turned and she felt a hand embrace hers. Without even trying, a smile pulled at her lips.
Before anything else, I need him to know how I feel, and I need to know how he feels.
"Ruby, there's something I need to tell-"
"ADAM TAURUS!" Weiss' voice screamed over the music and the waves and Ruby's blood turned to ice. The woman who had helped her just moments ago now had bloodlust tinge her every syllable. "I've finally found you."