The orphanage
Purified_and_cursed
Laughter could be heard coming from the harbor, where children were playfully running around, dodging obstacles as they engaged in an age-old game of tag, which continues to provide amusement to the younger ones. Mothers, observing from afar, wore contented smiles as they engaged in light conversation while carrying on with their shopping errands.
As spring season arrived, the village of Argus buzzed with activity. Merchants from the kingdom of Mantle, crossing the vast ocean, brought a surge of business to the small town. The small fishing village called Argus was beginning its initial transformation into a trading port connecting the two kingdoms.
"Tag! You're it!" A boy screamed.
"Not fair! I wasn't even ready!"
"Too bad! Catch me if you can~"
The second boy who was 'it' displayed a small frown before chasing after the boy who tagged him. He sprinted past numerous merchant stalls offering a wide array of goods, including enchanting crystals and innovative fishing gear like rods and nets. Eventually, he exited the harbor and found himself in the bustling central plaza.
The boy couldn't help but notice how bustling the place was, with both visitors and villagers filling the area like bees in a hive. However, he found himself uninterested in the activities happening around him. He let out a sigh. Realizing that this was a major disadvantage for him. It seemed impossible to single out someone in such a large crowd, let alone tag them.
'where are they?'
Nevertheless, the boy remained resolute and unyielding. A few may question why the boy was so fixated on emerging victorious in a game of tag. Yet the answer was actually quite straightforward.
It was pride.
The boy was determined not to let the other children perceive him as the slowest individual in the village. The mere idea of being measured against the elderly woodcutter pushed him to run with all his might. After all, he was the source of immense pride for the entire village, damn it! Making his way through the throngs of individuals, he wormed through the crowd.
Out of nowhere, a strong scent invaded his nostrils. The aroma brought immense pleasure to his sense of smell, causing his mouth to salivate. His empty stomach emitted a faint growl, expressing its discontent after a whole day of recreational activities.
It directed him towards the source of the delectable fragrance. There it was. A group of children gathered around a small mat, where a man sat in a seiza position, wearing a joyful smile, while accepting payment from each child for their treats.
The boy's mouth watered as he watched the boy he had been chasing receive a stick adorned with colorful balls—a popular treat called Dango. Dango, a mouth-watering treat, is considered one of Mistral's finest delicacies. Initially, there was some skepticism surrounding this new innovation, as it was invented by a faunus.
Rumors circulated that Dango were lethal weapons used by assassins to destabilize the aristocratic society. However, its popularity rapidly grew, and it eventually became widespread throughout the entire continent of Anima. Once his stomach started growling once more, the boy gently rubbed it to soothe the hunger and then joined the gathering of people.
"I must admit, you children have great taste! However, please wait your turn patiently. Hahaha!"
The seller couldn't contain his laughter, sitting comfortably on the mat with crossed legs. His olive complexion was marked with scales in different areas. 'A lizard faunus?' Before him were clusters of Dango firmly adhered to a log. The vivid orbs, composed of shades of pink, green, and light blue, glistened magnificently under the warm spring sunlight.
He had to get one of those. Moving ahead, the young boy extended his arm and vigorously waved it in the air.
"One at a time. One at a time, I said," The faunus with scales attempted to soothe their agitation by offering a treat to each of them.
His gaze shifted from one person to another until it landed on a young boy who waved his hand in a rough manner.
"Hahaha, even the son of the village leader is dropping by to see my humble mat! My luck must be smiling on me today! Thank the gods, I didn't do business with that child; things would have gone awry. Hahaha! Anyway, how may I serve you?"
The boy, now named Perseus, displayed a sly smile as he acknowledged his position as the village chief's sole eldest son. Maintaining a sense of pride, Perseus raised his chin and wiped his nose. "I sure am! You must feel honored that I came across your mat."
The scale man chuckled. "Indeed, I am. I'm very honored that you decided to stop at this humble mat."
Taking out two sticks, he held them forward. "As a token of honor and appreciation, here are two Dango's on the house!"
Perseus' mouth gaped, but he quickly regained his composure and accepted the gift with a big smile.
"Thank you, I will tell my father about your gift."
"Hahaha! The pleasure is mine!"
Perseus bid farewell, leaving behind the small gathering. The remaining boys and girls, eagerly anticipating their own turns, looked on with jealous eyes as they witnessed the village chief's son receiving two complimentary treats.
Perseus was not particularly concerned about the cost of things. After all, he was the son of the village chief. It was natural for him to receive free items that caught his interest. Anything favored by a person of high status, such as a chief or noble, would boost sales significantly.
According to his father, people enjoy being members of a group under the guidance of significant figures, which his father referred to as sales tactics or similar strategies. It seems that there are certain advantages or benefits associated with these Perseus guesses. Chewing a big mouthful, the boy emitted a soft hum of satisfaction.
The delectable flavor caused an explosion of delight on his taste buds as he maneuvered through the bustling crowd. Perseus veered to the left and entered an alley that would lead him more swiftly towards the port. While journeying through the alley, Perseus found the narrow pathways to be a convenient route for navigating the port and returning.
Skillfully evading old crates and various hindrances, Perseus came to a halt upon noticing a sizable box positioned at the side. The box itself was quite ordinary, just a basic wooden container. However, it was the girl perched on it that caught his attention.
Her hair, dark as a raven's feathers, fell softly around her shoulders, adorned with an exquisite rose accessory. She wore a plain white dress that reached her knees and let it hang loosely, creating a carefree effect. But that wasn't what captivated Perseus.
Her eyes.
For as long as Perseus can remember, he has never seen anything quite like it. When important individuals visited his father for business, he encountered people with striking eye hues like green, blue, hazel, and gray. However, this girl's eyes were truly unique—they exceeded even the captivating shade of a gray iris.
They were silver.
The silver eyes seemed to emit a faint glow, reminiscent of the fragmented moon in the dimly lit alley.
"What are you staring at!"
Perseus's gaze grew in surprise as he made eye contact with the girl who possessed silver. A scowl appeared on her face upon noticing the boy with messy black hair resembling that of a hedgehog clutching two Dango treats.
"Oh, so you're here to boast about your two treats, huh? It must feel great to be someone with power to do anything they want." Perseus knitted his brows.
"What's your problem?"
"None of your business!"
"If you want your own dango, then go buy some, or are you too poor to afford one?" Perseus questions.
Without uttering a word, the young girl gazed unfailingly at her feet. Her sandals, on the brink of slipping off, dangled as she passively swung her legs back and forth.
Perseus could not determine the true emotion behind the girl's face—was it bitterness or perhaps anger? He was unable to ascertain, as he had never crossed paths with her before. Could she really be someone who came from Mantle and accompanied a merchant's family to Argus?
It seems unlikely, as she wouldn't be sitting here all by herself if that were true. Although Argus isn't as large as the capital of Mistral, its population has already reached around a thousand! It would be easy for her to get lost on these streets.
"He refused."
"Hmmm?"
"The Man refused to give me any!" The girl expressed her dissatisfaction, with tears on the brink of falling from the corners of her eyes. Not unknown to Perseus, the girl emitted a soft sniff.
"It's not fair! I waited there longer than the rest of them! Yet why am I the only one who did not get anything? Why is everyone so mean? It's not like I did anything wrong, right?"
"What are you talking about? If the man won't sell you anything, then it must mean you did something wrong." Perseus nochantly answered as he took another bite of his dango.
"Like what then? All I ever did was try to pay for a dango. That, that bastard! He even refused my payment, saying that he would rather not have anything than be cursed or whatever!"
Perseus tilted his head. curse? Did this have any connection with divine blessings? Perseus' father had been granted a divine blessing when he was about twelve years old. By the way, the ceremony to mark adulthood was approaching this year in the summer season, weren't they? However, that wasn't the current focus.
"If you're cursed, then why won't you go to the priest? Heard he had a gift of healing."
The girl gazed in the opposite direction while nibbling on her lips.
"... can't"
"What?"
"I'm not welcome."
"What do you mean you're not welcome in the temple? Are you part creature of the night or something?"
The girl didn't take Perseus' words lightly as she glared daggers at the poor boy. The village chief's son himself shuddered as the angry stare was directed at him. Was it something he said? He just gave his own opinion. Wait a minute. He was the village chief's son for god's sake! Why would he stagger by a girl's glare!
Giving a slight cough. Perseus folded his arms. Why was he even speaking to this strange girl?
He had more important matters to attend to. (Like tagging that bastard or eating his second dango in front of the other's.)
He encountered numerous girls, consequently Perseus had no motivation to initiate a conversation. Was it because there was no one here except the two of them? Perseus cocked his head.
No that can't be it. It was something else, the boy couldn't put his finger on. Perseus cast another glance at the girl whose eyes shimmered like silver. Her wet silver eyes appeared as if they were on the verge of exploding at any given moment.
Did her angry expression indicate her disappointment for not getting a dango like the others, or was it more about her feeling left out from the group?
'that's why huh…'
The boy reached his own conclusions and let out a sigh.
"This is so stupid. Moping for some silly sweet. What are you? A baby?"
"Wah! W-why you! I'll show you who's the real baby here-"
Before the girl could finish her sentence, she was interrupted abruptly. Her fierce expression swiftly morphed into profound surprise, evident from her eyes widening like dinner plates. Perseus could understand her reaction, for even he himself was taken aback by his own actions. The boy forcefully placed the second dango that had not been eaten yet into the girl's hand, and proceeded to walk by her without saying a word.
"Huh? H-hey wait!" The girl shouted. "where are you going! What about your dango!?"
"Shut up and keep it. I didn't want my teeth to rot anyway." Perseus dismisses her. Swiftly changing direction to the right, the boy exits the narrow passage, leaving the astonished girl by herself, still clutching the dango he had given her.
Once he returned to the port, the boy stole a quick glance over his shoulder to check if the girl had followed him. Realizing she hadn't, Perseus finally allowed himself to drop his façade of coolness.
"Damn it! Why did I even give her my sweet! What the hell was wrong with me! I want it back but can't because the deed was already done! Aargh! Such misfortune!"
The boy let out a sigh following his outburst, realizing that he had already experienced the joy of having tasted heaven, so it didn't really matter if he couldn't have a second one right now. He was willing to wait, especially since he still had one ball left on his stick. Perseus found himself smiling a little, realizing that perhaps it wasn't such a terrible thing to give his second stick away.
"Hey Perseus!" He glanced to the side and noticed the boy he was supposed to tag approaching him.
"What took you so long? We thought you gave up?"
"Why would I do that? I'm the future village chief after all, I will never give up!"
"Then what about that round of stone skipping?"
"IT WAS THE STONE! THAT STUPID STONE WOULD JUST SINK FOR NO REASON!!" Perseus screamed.
The boy gave Perseus a look that basically said: Like I'll ever believe that.
Perseus just sighed as he began moving. The other boy quickly followed. "But seriously, what took you so long?"
Perseus thought for a moment.
"I met an interesting girl with an eye color I've never seen before."
"What kind?"
"Silver."
The boy stopped on his tracks as his mouth went agape. Perseus raised a sudden eyebrow at his friend's sudden behavior.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
The boy looked at Perseus as if he met someone that ran through a forest full of giant two headed snake demons and then came back in one piece.
"H-hey snap out of it. You're freaking me out!"
"Did you talk to the cursed kid!"
Perseus was confused. Why did his friend call the girl cursed? If anything she looked completely normal except those eyes of hers.
"What's so cursed about her that makes you chicken out?"
"I'm not a chicken!"
"You do sound like one." Perseus countered.
"W-whatever! The point is what makes her so cursed are her silver eyes. Ever heard the saying silver is where the demons are?"
Ruby examined her reflection in the mirror, taking notice of the red cardigan she had received from one of Aureolus's maids.
It was slightly too big for her, and the sleeves were notably wider than she expected. In fact, Ruby was confident that she could fit both of her arms inside just one sleeve without causing any damage. Ruby's unbuttoned lab coat-like cardigan, reaching her knees, gave off the impression that she was wearing a red lab coat. She let out a sigh while gently scratching herself.
Once Mr. Aureolus allowed Ruby to enter, he instructed one of his maids to accompany the young huntress to an unoccupied room and furnish her with dry clothes while she waited. As Ruby was being guided to the third floor, she took Yang's advice to heart and attempted to engage in a conversation with the maid accompanying her.
The Maid was incredibly beautiful, reminiscent of the models often featured in the magazines that Yang and Weiss occasionally read sometimes. With her dirty blond hair neatly arranged in a bun and long bangs cascading down to her shoulders.
Ruby couldn't help but be reminded of professor Glynda's strict demeanor as she observed the way this person walked with elegance and grace, just like the professor used to while keeping an eye on the dorms.
If only her communication skills were as good as her looks. Despite her stunning appearance, the maid remained completely silent. Not a single word. Not even one glance did she spare for the young huntress. Ruby couldn't help but wonder if the maid was actually alive at some point, since her face remained completely stoic and devoid of any emotion.
The awkward silence dominated over the two, making the short three-minute walk feel like an eternity. As Ruby walked by, young children couldn't help but steal curious glances from behind slightly ajar doors, observing her with the same fascination they might reserve for something unusual or a famous person.
Ruby inadvertently stumbled upon a few of them, yet their glances swiftly vanished the moment her gaze turned towards them. Did her appearance seem strange in her soaked combat attire? Or were they interested in Crescent Rose? The crimson scythe hung calmly at her side. Gentle murmurs circulated, and Ruby was able to distinguish a few of the phrases being exchanged.
"Is that a huntress?"
"What is a huntress doing here?"
"isn't that the huntress that took out the bad guys from that dust shop?."
"She is! I heard how she stopped a Dust robbery!"
Ruby had a small smile on her face. It made her feel a strange sensation in her stomach when younger children, who were at least 8 years younger than her, looked up to her with admiration. Was that how mom was viewed by others? A hero that people looked up to? A person that was adored and loved by others? As they walk further, Ruby throws them a peace sign.
Smiling brightly to all the kids to see. The children of the orphanage all awed in amazement as they whispered on how cool Ruby was. Gotta show them how badass she can be. As they reached the empty room at the middle of the third floor on her left, Ruby was met with an uncomfortable gaze from bright green eyes.
It was only when the maid gestured towards Ruby's damp combat attire that Ruby understood the intended meaning. Ruby was now wearing borrowed clothes and a highly uncomfortable cardigan. She sat on the bed, fixated on the window, with her weapon, Crescent Rose, by her side.
The rain relentlessly pounds on the window frame, resounding through the room with no indication of stopping. Ruby figured she'd be stuck here for a while. The girl with eyes the color of silver let out a second exasperated sigh before collapsing onto the bed.
"...I wonder what the others are doing?"
Yang mentioned that she planned to attend a concert at the same time that Professor Peach's classes were scheduled to begin. Given the heavy rainfall outside Was Yang also sheltering from the rain?
She couldn't help but chuckle softly as she envisioned a damp-haired and disgruntled Yang returning home from the concert. Ruby didn't usually entertain mean thoughts, but this time she couldn't help herself and found it amusing. Ruby gazed around the bedroom, adjusting her position slightly to find a more comfortable spot.
The room was devoid of any furnishings except for a basic bed and a desk situated across from it. Its simplistic design left little to discern, suggesting a strongly minimalist aesthetic. Similar to Blake, the young huntress could still recall the moment when Blake's suitcase accidentally opened up on their first day of school.
Ruby wasn't the type of person to pry on someone else's property. But when Blake's suitcase dropped all her stuff for the world to see.
It is hard to just ignore the content. There wasn't much inside, just a couple of weeks' worth of clothing and a few books. Ruby did admit that her own suitcase wasn't much to compare against Weiss's. Who had a whole wardrobe brought to Beacon. The thought that Blake was so light prepared. Confused her.
Blake did not strike as a person who was insecure about failing to enter the entrance exam. Was she then hiding something? Among all of her teammates, Blake stood out as the most exclusive when participating in team activities, and her habit of consistently returning to the dorm late raised some suspicion.
Another thing that caught Ruby's attention was Blake's bow. Throughout the three weeks they lived with each other. Her teammates with amber eyes always seem to wear the same bow. Even when Blake was asleep, the black bow stayed securely tied to her head as if it were a permanent accessory for her. Ruby frowned at that. Could it have been connected to her daydreaming?
Was it a possible present from a friend, a parent, or maybe even a romantic partner? Whatever it was Ruby had hoped that Blake would discuss whatever was bothering her. she knew that when someone holds something back, it usually results in something negative.
"What do you think?" Ruby asks her most trusted partner. Ruby held the compact scarlet weapon, Crescent Rose, above her head, eagerly anticipating its voice.
"..."
"...Figured your right. I should leave Blake alone for a while… Maybe when it's just the two of us?"
"..."
Ruby rolled her eyes. " Of course you're also included! We'll make it our first priority to confront Blake and help if she has anything on her mind, okay?"
"..."
"I know I can always trust you crescent Rose but let's go. It's enough small talk for now."
Feeling she had enough of the conversation with her beloved weapon, Ruby exited her room and began exploring for a different activity. Returning to the orphanage's halls, the young huntress navigated through corridors that lacked impressive dimensions, measuring only twelve to fourteen feet in width. However, what caught her off guard was the presence of symbols engraved on every door.
Ruby had noticed them before, but she had yet to have a good look at them. Curiously, it was once more an unusual circular formation featuring symmetrical figures. The main entrance differed from these in several ways, primarily due to the absence of a triangle. Instead, a serpent biting its own tail served as a replacement for the triangle. Ruby's eyes narrowed while she delicately ran her fingers over the carvings, once more coming across words that held no significance to her.
What does 'Ouroboros' even mean? Why was it carved into every door in this building? Was this yet another thing related to magnum opus?
"It symbolizes something that mortals could reach somewhere beyond or something."
Maybe it was a metaphor or a saying, similar to how Ruby's father would occasionally mention that one can only truly understand their own strength by putting it to the test. A rhetorical advice that would inspire you to go beyond your limits. Perhaps it can also be interpreted symbolically.
According to the knowledge acquired from Professor Oobleck, Vale has selected crossed axes as their emblem to symbolize unity and resilience, while the laurel wreath positioned behind signifies victory. The snake could represent something that Ruby couldn't figure out.
Continuing to ponder the mysterious picture. Coal eyes watched as the young huntress tried to figure out the symbols. Scoffing at her with a slight venom dripping from his tongue.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Suddenly, Ruby was startled by a voice and swiftly turned around, much like a king taijitu had bitten her. She locked eyes with a boy who squinted at her, his hair disheveled and his two dog ears twitching in annoyance.
"Oh Hi! I'm Ruby-"
"I didn't ask for your name stupid."
"oh, haha.. yeah, right. hehe silly me."
Ruby discreetly coughed to conceal the rosy hue gracing her cheeks. "Was just checking this cool image. A snake biting its own tail is pretty cool huh."
The faunus boy clicked his tongue. "There is nothing cool about those slithering reptiles. They're gross."
"not really. but I can understand why some dislike them." Ruby gave the boy a sheepish smile.
Judgemental eyes made Ruby wish her cloak was dry already.
"What does a wannabe huntress like you even doing in our orphanage?"
Ruby brows knitted closer together. That's rude. Although Ruby may be younger than her peers by two years, she is not a wannabe. Despite her humble attitude towards being one of the youngest students at Beacon Academy, she prefers not to be seen as a child, especially when it comes from a boy who appears the same age as Gerda.
"I'm actually a student at Beacon academy. That makes me a huntress in training. As for your question. I'm just sheltering from the sudden rainstorm."
"Tch, so wannabe Huntress can't even take on a little rain storm. What a joke."
"hey! Of course, I can take on some rain! But what's the point of getting wet for no reason?" Ruby questions. Besides, Ruby would rather stay dry. Taking off wet clothes was always a struggle.
"Shouldn't you guys be hunting Grimm or something?"
"Well…yeah. At least I planned to…" The faunus boy scoffed as Ruby looked out the window. The Rain still pouring as if there was no tomorrow.
"Planned to? So, like, because it's raining, you left the people who might be in danger. Just to stay dry? Pathetic."
"It's not that. My teammates were just busy-"
"Your teammates?"
The boy that looked the same age as Gerda folded his arms as he leaned against the door he came from. A scowl on his face appeared as the ears that stood straight up in a hostile manner.
"They made someone like you a team leader? Vale keeps getting more and more dumb every day. Why did they choose a girl who can't even keep her teammates on a leash!"
Ruby's face twitched at his last statement. This was just plain rude. Ruby could already feel her face twitching. Yang, Weiss, and Blake weren't some kind of grunts that would follow Ruby's orders no matter what. That is not how teamwork works. It feels like this kid was the second coming of Cardin. God forbid if that was ever the case. The world would be better off without them.
'Calm Ruby he is just a boy that doesn't know any better. You're a mature lady that drinks milk and isn't flat like Gerda says.. Wait, the last part was unnecessary.'
Taking a deep breath Ruby calms herself down. No reason to get all worked up. She recognizes that not everyone understands the challenges of being a huntsman. The nature of their job often involves causing property damage or being unable to evacuate villages, resulting in some people viewing huntsmen negatively. However, the main focus of huntsmen is always ensuring the safety of lives, not material possessions.
Although it can be difficult to detach emotionally, Ruby understands that being alive is ultimately more important.
"I don't know what your problem is and what you have against us hunters. But you must understand that we do our best to save lives, you know."
"I don't need to. I can already see how retarded you are. Your dumb friends must have some brain cells left to even consider following a kid around was a bad idea."
"They are not dumb! Each of them had something else to do! It's bad to just assume things you don't know of."
The boy snorted at how Ruby tried to defend her friends. "Sounds to me they are more busy with their own lives instead of us. What a team full of useless bunches of hunters! I bet they would run away like the cowards they are."
Ruby clenched her teeth. Ruby didn't much care if she was ridiculed herself. But making fun of her teammates and friends went too far.
The boy had never met Blake, and how she was always so distant for reasons unknown to Ruby.
The boy had never met Weiss and how she struggles to strive for perfection for reasons Ruby doesn't know of.
The Boy has never met Yang and the happy smile she always wore would slip sometimes.
He had no right to judge them as retarded. Even if they were busy with various things. Ruby believed she could still count on them. She did when the nevermore attacked them, so she would do it again.
"You take that back! You have no right to label them as cowards if you never met them. So I would gladly appreciate it if you stop bad mouthing my teammates." Ruby's tone was stern. The boy whose name Ruby did not know of widened his eyes for a bit before returning to their uninteresting mocking ones.
The boy gave a sneer-like growl. It resembled that of a person who remembered an unpleasant memory.
"Risking their lives… Bullshit." The boy then took a couple of steps towards Ruby. Now standing in front of her. His coal eyes directly stared at Ruby's silver.
Ruby had to look down since the boy was a head shorter. "Huntsmen are just a bunch of selfish cowards that care about their own profit. The day when they see something they can't take care of. They run with their tail between their legs."
"We don't. That's against the promise we stand for."
"We both know that's, like, totally not true!" The boy spat.
"You guys act all special just 'cause you've got aura and semblance, thinking you're heroes or whatever, expecting everyone to be like, 'Wow!' It seriously makes me wanna puke that everyone trusts useless huntsmen. No wonder they died! You really, really shouldn't trust the words of wannabe huntsmen! Especially the ones who act all big and special, like you make me wanna be tear down by a beowulf!"
"What you are saying is not true!" Ruby interrupted. "You may be right about some hunters being jerks or jackasses.
You may be right about some only caring about fame and status." Ruby's eyes gleam as each word she says seems to fill her with new found energy.
"But that doesn't mean that everyone is the same! There are a lot of them out there that want the best for us!"
"Tch, are you that dumb? Whatever. It doesn't matter what you say. We both know I am right!"
"No you're not!"
"Yeah, I am!"
With each word coming from both their lips. Ruby and the faunus boy were practically headbutting. Sparks of electricity were seen as both had their thoughts and beliefs tested.
"What's going on?"
A third voice has appeared. Sounding light in tone, Ruby knew who that belonged to. In sync, the boy and the huntress turned to the owner of the voice.
Gerda.
The girl in a chocolate dress carried a stack of papers. With a tilted head and a blank face, her eyes turned to dots as she watched Ruby and the boy were fighting.
"Hey Gerda!" Ruby smiled while the boy with dog ears grumbled under his breath. Gerda said nothing as she watched the two so close to each other.
A million thoughts ran through the girl's mind. Trying to figure out what was between the two. Suddenly, she dropped her stack of papers, letting them fly freely around.
"Gerda?"
Clasping her hands over her mouth, the tint of Gerda's pale face colored to a lighter pink.
"G-Gerda!?"
Ruby asks with a tint of worry. Both the boy and her watched as Gerda trembled in place. Ruby had a strange feeling something bad was about to happen.
"Hey Gerda was wrong? You're scaring us a bit."
Brought back to the present moment, the girl in her cocoa-colored attire regained her composure and let out a discreet cough, her cheeks still sporting a subtle rosy hue. Gerda spoke.
"Never knew love at first sight was this powerful…"
"..."
"..."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Then again. It doesn't matter. Love is love!" Ruby was at a loss for words as she gazed into Gerda's eyes, which were filled with a glittering sparkle that she couldn't adequately explain.
Glancing over at the boy, they both turned their attention back to Gerda, who had both hands placed on her cheeks as she made weird movements only to be found in animated shows.
"Hehehe. First time seeing the enemies to lovers trope. That's sooo romantic! didn't know you were into older girls Kai hehehe~"
Ruby blinked.
Her eyes grew softer as she gave the dog boy a small smile.
"...What?"
"Sorry, the feeling ain't mutual."
"S-SHUT UP! This isn't some dumbass love confession!"
Ruby found herself unable to do anything but smile in response to Kai's sudden outburst. Finally, she understood why he had been displaying such rudeness towards her. It reminded her of the scenarios depicted in romance novels, in which the main female character encounters one of the antagonistic love interests. Although they exhibited rude and mean behavior, they possessed a kind and gentle nature deep down. Perhaps Kai shared the same traits.
The smile on Ruby's face grew brighter. Although she has never been in a romantic relationship herself. The young huntress can already imagine all the precious moments two couples would do. Going on walks, dates, hand holding! (How lewd!) Ruby couldn't help but giggle.
"What the hell is wrong with you two!"
"There is nothing wrong with us Kai! It's you who can't see a young maiden's dream!" Gerda looked at Kai with a hint of disappointment.
"Can't you see what the countless possibilities are? There are so many routes a girl can take to find what is considered love! There is the knight in shining armor, the childhood friend, the bully, the forbidden love between family, the love between two rivals, teacher and student, the love triangle!"
Ruby's heart skipped a beat at the last one. L-love triangle! Isn't it the pinnacle of a student's life to be confronted with the difficult decision between love and friendship? To engage in a forbidden romance with the potential to disrupt the dynamics of the group? To be forced to make a choice between preserving their friendships or pursuing love!?
"What's wrong with you!? That grin on your face is disgusting!"
"Tch tch tch," Gerda wiggled her index finger as if educating Kai like some teacher.
"See, that's your problem Kai. With that attitude of yours. If you keep that up you're going to end up lonely."
Kai glared sharp daggers at Gerda which the girl simply brushed off. Instead she focused her gaze on Ruby, grinning ear to ear.
"Ruby! I didn't think you'd stay sooo long, and you met Kai! That's super cool!"
'Kai?'
Ruby looked at the boy named Kai. His dog ears twitched as he gave Ruby a stinky eye.
"Gerda, you know this wannabe huntress?"
"Don't be so mean, Kai. I met her when I was dust hunting for Mr.Aureolus."
"That walking plant, huh. That guy works you like a dog."
Gerda gave Kai a disappointed look. "Don't call Mr.Aureolus a plant! Like you're any better puppy!"
"screw you! I'm not a puppy!"
Gerda smirked as she stood in front of Kai. There was a slight height difference between them. Kai was a bit taller than the petite girl known as Gerda. That did not stop Gerda's smile from widening one bit.
"All I see is a little puppy yapping angrily."
Kai glared at Gerda as he gnashed his teeth. Ears standing up straight showing he was not amused by Gerda's comment.
"Call me puppy one more time and I-"
"What's that? You're barking too much. You want to be patted that badly? Let big sister Gerda then spoil those ears of yours!"
before Kai could refute. Gerda's hands were already on the move. Skillfully making it to Kai's dog ears, she pulled one of them making Kai let out a small screech. Gerda wasn't done yet. Ruby had no idea what she did there but it seemed to work in Gerda's favor as Kai lighty struggled to free himself from the girl's grasp, only to give up and whimper in embarrassment.
She gotta try that on Zwei sometimes if she got the chance.
"Now be a good boy and run along."
"WHAT ARE YOU? MY MOM!?"
Gerda in response pulled harder. "Yup, so better behave okay~"
Kai's eyes flared with anger mixed with embarrassment. He sneered as he walked away.
"I'll leave! All that girls talk about sounds stupid."
The boy stopped for a moment and gave one last look at Ruby. "Silver is where the Grimm are anyway."
"!"
Having said his words, Kai's left.
"Hmhp! He really would end up alone if it wasn't for me... Sorry for his Behavior Ruby. Kai can be suuuch a meany sometimes."
"Hmm? Ah, no it's fine. It doesn't matter anyway."
Gerda's grin turned into a frown. From her point of view, something seems to affect the young huntress.
Gerda wasn't there when the whole conversation started. The moment the girl in the brown dress came to the scene, She was met with two headbutting individuals. One was a friend she spent a lot of time with. (Read as bothering.) And the other was a new friend she met today. Gerda did not like when her friends fought against each other.
It reminded her of something she would rather forget. It was stupid and neither side would gain anything from it. Only thing anyone would gain was sadness and abandonment. Simply put, Gerda was done with it. She hated it, simple as that. Fighting only brought misery. As long as she was around, That won't happen. Ever again. As long as she still has the strength to go on, Gerda would try to push a bit more. Mr. Aureolus did promise her that she's gonna make it.
"Cheer up Ruby! Even if Kai's not your type, I'm sure you will meet someone special one day!" Gerda jokes, poking fun at Ruby's love life.
"Hehehe. It's not that. It's been a while since I heard that saying again..."
Gera cocked her head in confusion. Ruby didn't blame her. It was mostly said around parts of Minstral, at least that's where the expression came from. Shaking those negative feelings away, Ruby showed a light hearted grin.
"You know." Gerda began. I'm glad you're here."
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "why's that?"
"Not many huntsmen have time to visit an orphanage. They have no reason to. We orphans aren't really that special. So it makes reeearly happy that you decide to stay with us. Even if it was because of pouring rain."
Was that the reason why all those kids gawked at Ruby with amazement? Ruby agreed that huntsmen were cool and all, there everywhere. They were beacons of hope for humanity against grimm but that doesn't mean they didn't have time to do other stuff.
With a grin on her own Ruby felt a bit better.
"Thanks, Gerda, I appreciate it. Anyhow you made a mess again."
Gerda looked around her. She chuckled. the stack of papers she was supposed to deliver lay carefree all around the floor.
"It will be fine, Mr.Aureolus's servants clean the floor daily. I'm not that worried they will be dirty or anything."
"We still have to clean up though."
Gerda just shrugged as she bent down to collect the papers she dropped. After scrambling all of them and neatly turning them back in a stack. The petite girl then puffed her chest forward, very pleased with how grown up she was. "Going to deliver these to Mr. Aureolus. Wanna come?"
"Sure, why not. Where is he actually? The young huntress asked, scratching herself in the meantime. Stupid itchy cardigan made from the depths of hell!
After pausing briefly, Gerda proceeded to take action.
"Usually Mr. Aureolus can be at three places. The first one would be his office on the third floor at the very end of the hall."
Ruby looked towards the direction Gerda was pointing at. "Since I came from that direction. He either could be in the archive or his lab. But I'm pretty sure he's in his lab."
"Lab?"
Gerda didn't answer any further. Instead, she took the stairs to the ground floor. Ruby following up close saw the petite girl opening a lock under the staircase. As the door unlocked to what seemed to be a basement,. Gerda, without much entered. Ruby wasn't quite sure if she should follow. This was something only Gerda was supposed to do. Not Ruby. What Ruby would be doing now was basically inviting herself in Aureolus's workspace without permission.
'ah screw it, It can't be that bad right? Besides, If Gerda leads me, then it should be fine.'
Deciding to just go for it. Ruby followed Gerda only to raise an eyebrow in confusion. What Ruby saw was something she had not expected from what one would call a traditional lab.
Instead of modern equipment seen at Beacon or Signal this so called lab seems to be a hundred years behind on development. It missed monitors, ventilation and a fire alarm. To put it on simple terms it broke every rule of safety. All of that gave the image that this was some sort of place where a witch or a wizard would reside. Brewing weird potions or casting ridiculous spells like Abracadabra.
In the midst of it was a large table with different sizes of tubes and jars filled with diverse kinds of dust. It was there that they found the man himself. Aureolus Izzard with narrowed eyes, carefully added a small droplet of unknown substance into a tube with fire dust. His hands seemed to tremble as the drop was halfway leaving the water dropper.
"Only a single drop..." Aureolus mumbled to himself not knowing who was behind his back.
His concentration was focused on that one task. The stoic face spoke volumes on how serious this situation is.
"Mr. Aureolus! I found what you asked for!"
Although not everyone can read the mood like little Gerda. With her sudden voice, Aureolus pinched a bit too hard that all that content spilled into the tube. Immediately, a reaction came as flames sprang out of the small tube as if it was a flamethrower. Aureolus, in an instant, made some distance, giving a slight frown on how his experiment had failed.
"This leaching method does not quite work with dust... How vexing."
With a tired sigh, Aureolus looked at his unwelcoming newcomers. Both girls wore a sheepish smile. Gerda was more apologetic. Chuckling nervously, Gerda stepped forward handing Aureolus the papers he was looking for.
"Thank you, Gerda, though I would kindly remind you that when I am working, you will wait till I finish, understood?" The girl in the chocolate dress quickly nodded.
The tall man would only sigh at Gerda's antic's. That girl would be the death of him. Not that it would happen anyway.
Aureolus had no plans on dying without reaching his goal. Shifting his gaze towards the nervous huntress, Aureolus changed his demeanor in a more professional way. "Good to see you all well, Miss Rose. I assume the red cardigan suited your style?"
"Y-yup they feel very comfortable." Ruby lied.
"Huh but you were scratching yourself the whole- hmpth!"
"That's right! It feels very cozy! Thanks for the output Gerda."
Ruby gave Aureolus a thin smile. There is no way in hell she was going to be acting ungrateful. Even if she had to endure the itching pain. She was dry, asking for more would be selfish. So to prevent Gerda from saying anything. The young huntress had to cover that mouth of hers. She would apologize later with some romance novels recommendations.
"Sooo," Ruby began, "whatcha working on?"
Aureolus would then turn back to his work. Eyes staring at the crystalline dust. Gentle holding it up high. Aureolus examined the dark blue color.
"Constructing a new type of dust."
"A new type of dust?"
Aureolus took a new tube and filled it with steam dust as he sturdy it gently with something else.
"What are your thoughts about this so-called dust, Miss Rose?"
Ruby cocked her head in confusion. What did that mean? She felt like this was some sort of trick question professor Peach would ask regarding herbs. There was lots to say about dust. How it aids huntsmans and huntresses with fighting grimm. How it powers up everything from simple light bulbs to whole cities. Ruby bet Weiss could list a million reasons on what dust is. For Ruby though, dust was your average day to day material you can't go without.
"Well, dust is a super useful thing for a day to day life. If it wasn't for dust, the human race would go extinct along with the faunuses, before aura and semblances could manifest."
Aureolus, still having his back turned to Ruby, was silent. Constipating on Ruby's words.
"Then what is dust?"
Now Ruby was even more lost. Hasn't she already explained what her thoughts on dust were? Everyone knows what dust is. You come into contact with it every time.
"I'm a bit lost, what do you mean?"
Aureolus then placed the crystallized water dust back to his original place and took out what seemed to be a notebook from a small drawer under the table.
"There have been lots of theories regarding what dust is or where it originated from, correct?" The tall man asked Ruby how just nodded her head.
"Can you name some of them?"
Ruby thought for a moment, scratching her left arm. The young huntress went through her memories of everything she learned about dust from Beacon and Signal academy.
"From what I remember, there were two theories that stood out the most. One was that dust were actually moon rocks that came crashing down on the planet."
The theory behind was, since dust doesn't work beyond the atmosphere. It wouldn't activate when it was on the moon.
"The other suggests that Dust was naturally from Remnant. Somehow able to store chemical formulas and reactions like H2O or ignition."
Both of those theories sounded plausible. Still both had something lacking. With dust being able to store chemical formulas or reactions was considered by some to be false. Storing the ignition was impossible. It needed fuel, some oxygen and of course some heat to spark a flame. It would go against the very laws of chemistry. Even if you'll be able to somehow store it inside a material. It would be dangerous to even touch flame dust since it still would have generated heat from its body.
flame dust should then best be described as a flammable rock thought Ruby. A good example would be bullets. Inside the casing would be flame powder, the prime at the back from the bullet would serve as a trigger to ignite the said dust leading a reaction chain for the bullets projectile to be fired.
The reaction from dust was caused by aura, or in powdered form by sudden movement. (Weiss I already said I was sorry!) In the end, the moon theory was the most plausible. Not that Ruby gave much thought to it anyway. Weiss was more knowledgeable in that field then she was.
"As expected from someone that was born here. However you missed one big theory on what dust is, man was born from dust after all." Aureolus said while working further on his project.
"isn't that more of a legend? What do you make of it?"
"Humor me."
"...Since Dust has a strong trigger when in contact with aura, people assume that's how we came to be."
Aureolus nodded.
"Correct, assuming that man came from dust. What do you think that dust containings one element can represent?"
There seems to be no end to these questions. With Aureolus back towards her. Ruby couldn't see what kind of expression he had. Where was Aureolus going with this? Why was he asking questions about something that should be considered basic knowledge? Even non-combat schools make sure to teach about dust from an early age.
"Hmmpth!"
"Oh! Sorry!"
Gerda immediately sucked in the fresh air she was lacking. Ruby was so caught up, she forgot she covered Gerda's mouth. The petite girl gave the young huntress a pouted stare.
"How rude! I aaalmost died, you know! If you like itchy pullovers then just say it!"
"I didn't mean to!"
"Hmhp! You better, anyway I can answer that question Mr. Aureolus! Can I, can I!" Gerda turns to Aureolus. Playfully pulling on his white jacket.
"What did I tell you about me working? Though you may speak Gerda."
"Hehehe, does it have to do with your heart?" Gerda guessed.
"your heart?"
Aureolus cleared up Ruby's confusion on that matter. "The word I would prefer would be 'the soul', but in a way Gerda is not wrong Miss Rose. like dust having diverse elements, the same can be said about humans having diverse semblances. What I'm doing is a simple research on how to create the ultimate dust form. The Magnum Opus of dust."
"Magnum Opus means greatest work right? you want to create the best type of dust ever created? By mixing two types of dust?"
"...Not quite, mixing different types of dust would be a waste of resources. What I had in mind was more eternal, however I sincerely lack knowledge, better yet practice."
Aureolus then turned to face Ruby standing in front of her with a soft expression.
"What I need is someone with an aura, an semblance. Someone like you Miss Rose."
Ruby eyes turned to dinner plates. Aureolus needed her? Wait, wasn't this going a bit too fast! She barely knew this man.
She can't just say yes without giving much thought to it. Ruby was grateful for being sheltered for a while but she didn't think that helping with an experiment was what she was willing to do. Besides, she was a team leader, Ruby's schedule was already planned for activities to strengthen teamwork. She cannot create more room for side projects like these.
"Sorry, I'm very honored that you consider me as an option. Even if we knew each other for less than a day. I have other things that I need to work on, and I don't think I'm the right person." Ruby apologized.
"I see….."
Aureolus stood there for a moment. A thin smile was plastered on his face though Ruby could have sworn she saw something else. Did she say something wrong?
"Sounds like the rain has stopped. Do you not agree, Gerda?" Aureolus asked the petite girl for a sudden reason. Gerda closed her eyes and listened for a while.
"I think it did! Should I go check it out?"
"Please do, and call one of the servants to get Miss Rose's clothes folded and ready in her chamber."
"Yes sir!"
Aureolus petted Gerda's head, giving her a soft smile before sending her away.
Now with the two of them alone for the second time. Aureolus looked at Ruby before sighing.
"Gerda is a very energetic child is she not?"
"She sure can be fun around from time to time yeah."
"A pity that such a strong girl won't be around for too long"
Ruby brows knitted together. Won't be around for too long? What was Mr Aureolus saying? Was there something wrong with Gerda? The girl may be on the smaller side and a bit pale, but she sure didn't look like she had any problems regarding health issues.
"What are you talking about? Is Gerda sick?"
"Not quite, Gerda has a rare kind of condition that somehow disrupted her flow of aura."
Aura disruption huh. Ruby has heard of some cases before. Unlocking your aura while having a premature body can indeed mess up with the inside. Mostly leading to premature growth at best or heart diseases at worst. There was treatment for this kind of stuff, so it felt odd that Aureolus told her something that can be treated.
"Can't you just take her to the hospital? I'm sure they could heal her up."
Aureolus looked away. eyes back on his project, a sad smile adored his face. Constipating on what he should tell the young huntress.
"It is far more complex than it is… there seems to be an anomaly inside of Gerda's aura. Doctors were not able to remove the said anomaly that caused her disruption. For now it does not affect her much but if this keeps up…"
Aureolus stopped talking as the heavy atmosphere felt more grimm by the second.
Ruby's eyes gazed at the direction Gerda left on. Her eyes soften.
If what Aureolus was saying was true.
Then there was no way of actually helping Gerda right? Would that mean that whatever time she had left was short lived? Does Gerda know she was going to die? Was that the reason why she was smiling so happily? Ruby's heart ached a little. She knew life wasn't fair for anyone but did Gerda really deserve the end of the short stick?
"Then why do you need me? I'm not a doctor or a specialist. I'm a huntress. First aid bandages wouldn't solve Gerda's aura disruption. I won't be of any help at all."
"You do not have to do anything. Gerda always had a slight admiration for huntsmen. She might not show it but it was always her dream to spend time with one. The problem was that most of them are busy nowadays."
Aureolus then stared at Ruby directly in her silver eyes.
"Miss Rose, the Reason I asked you to be my assistant for this project was to disguise the real reason for having you here for Gerda. Asking you head on, would only make the girl more upset. We do not know how long Gerda has left. It can be years or even minutes until she collapses on the floor dead. It would be a real pity that some of her dreams were left unfulfilled."
Ruby decided to look the other way. Staring at Aureolus' eyes was too much for her. Shame overtook her as Ruby bit her tongue. She felt terrible that she pushed someone who is in need aside for her own selfishness. Was she that terrible?
"The day when they see something they can't take care of. They run with their tail between their legs."
Ruby clenched her teeth, sensing a metallic flavor in her mouth, as she fixed her gaze on the floor. The echoes of Kai's words lingered in her thoughts, this was wrong.
She promised as a hunter and team leader to protect humanity. Surely Ruby could protect one life. That would also mean someone's happiness. If she can't even do that. Then what was she good for? If chances were slim did that mean she could ignore the problems beyond her capabilities? Would someone judge her for being unable to help?
"Then what of your whole dust project?"
"All due time, Gerda is my top priority for now."
Ruby gazed at the tall man's eyes. Seeing a hint of determination, the young huntress took a deep breath. She had decided.
"...What do you want me to do?"
Aureolus Izzard watched from afar as Ruby waved goodbye. Seeing the girl leaving his property. The alchemist climbed the stairs back to his office. After having made arrangements with the girl. Aureolus could finally take a step further. He needed to know more about this world he was in. He needed to learn as much as he could to find a cure.
As he made his way, he noticed a boy with tousled hair and a pair of dog-like ears leaning against the door frame of his office. Wearing an annoying expression like a grumpy old man complaining about youth nowadays. It was the faunus boy Kai. Aureolus, maintaining his stoic expression, acknowledged his presence.
"State your business, boy."
"What are you planning?"
"What makes you think I am planning something sinister?"
Kai curled his lip in disdain at Aureolus' nonchalant tone. The alchemist's demeanor irked him, a sentiment rooted from their initial encounter and lingering ever since. Kai harbored a deep-seated dislike for the alchemist.
"Why her?"
"Whatever do you mean? If you are referring to someone, narrow it down so I am able to understand who you are referring to."
"You know damn well, who I'm talking about!" Kai growled."
Unperturbed by Kai's threats, Aureolus strode into his office, heading directly for the bookshelf. He selected the specific book he sought.
The lesser key of king Solomon.
"If you mean Miss Rose, then what about her?"
"You gave me a task to simply trash talk about her being a huntress. Why is that? Why did I have to insult those eyes of hers?"
Aureolus flipped through the worn pages, the persistent yapping of the dog serving as a background to his search. Magic circles, summoning rituals, and sacrifices filled the pages, but these weren't the answers Aureolus sought. His quest was more profound — a search for something to aid his journey, a key to restoring what had been lost. He needed to know who he was before. Aureolus needed Aureolus back.
"Are you even listening!?"
The alchemist gave a sigh as he closed the grimoire shut. "Let me explain it in simple terms, so that that puny brain of yours can understand. Tell me Kai, What is an aura?"
"The manifestation of one's soul." The boy said with an inpatient voice.
"Then what is a semblance?"
"An power that's connected to one's aura. Get to the point already!"
"Did you know that in alchemy there are three stages to achieve Magnum Opus?"
As Kai tilted his head in confusion, another sigh escaped Aureolus. The boy's stubbornness and lack of ambition annoyed the alchemist, yet he held firm in the belief that enlightenment would eventually dawn upon Kai's understanding.
"With those Huntress girl eyes, I will be able to reach Rubedo. Then I can finally be whole again."
"How will some weird eyes save Gerda?"
"She is the final step to reach Rubedo. I already explained to you the three stages. How many times do I have to repeat myself?"
The boy scoffed and looked the other way. He was tired of being in meaningless circles. What does it take for that man to stop speaking in riddles and get straight to the main point.
"You said something about an black and white stage. I never saw you working on those things."
"All due time Kai, be patient."
"But I don't wanna be patient! He screamed.
"You said you could do all those weird stuff and here you are, doing noth-!"
Aureolus laid his hand on Kai's head, causing the faunus boy to tense up. Kai hesitated to meet the alchemist's gaze. Had he crossed a line by asking those questions?
"Kai. Look at me."
The boy's heart skipped a beat. His heart felt like stopping. This was one of the reasons he hated the man. That tone of his wasn't harsh or demanding. Yet he can't help listening to it. It demanded his attention as if he was under some sort of spell.
"You know you can't run."
"!"
Kai quivered in place as Aureolus' hand tenderly caressed his ears. Adjusting himself to Kai's height, Aureolus spoke in a gentle, soothing voice.
"Kai did I not promise you that you will never be alone again. Gerda is going to be fine and nobody is going to leave you. What I am doing is for the greater good. I will make sure you will be happy again. In a whispered tone, Aureolus enveloped Kai in a gentle, comforting embrace. The unexpected closeness sent conflicting signals racing through Kai's mind – whether to escape or yield. With each passing second, Kai's breathing grew more labored. Aureolus, fully aware of the effect, released a subtle chuckle.
"You do not wanna abandon Gerda do you? After all, you do not wanna be like them."
With a slow nod and trembling hands Kai accepted the hug. His heart's now on the calmer side. The boy calmed down, ever so slightly.
"...Will Gerda really get better?"
"If you listen to my instructions, Gerda's aura will be purified."
"How do you know all of this?" Kai asked, his voice as soft, barely a whisper.
Aureolus then smiled as he looked at the book he placed on his bureau.
The Lesser Key of Solomon.
"I got some help from outside sources."
