Chapter Text
Books and papers lay scattered across the kitchen table. Career advisers, ads, university guides, everything Ruby had found in the library not far from her home. She had raided the little info stand that stood crammed between tightly packed shelves in a windowless corner. She had scoured for any kind of advice book or pamphlet she could find. The table was barely large enough for the three headed family to have a comfortable breakfast. With her research spread across its surface there was now almost no space left for her mug, that stood carefully balanced on the edge of the tabletop.
The radio on the windowsill was playing some pop song with a layer of rusty static in the background. Ruby didn't care much for the song or the grating noise. They could have just bought a new radio, but her uncle insisted on keeping it. He’d had it since he got his first flat way back in – Ruby pondered for a while - well, quite some time ago, judging from the already yellowed plastic. The kitchen window, a tiny little thing, was tilted open. Little drafts blew through the grimy curtains, they were probably as old as the radio. The wind brought with it the soft smell of rain that had stopped not long ago, outside the sun was still dimmed by the heavy white clouds wrapping around it like a blanket. Ruby wished it would rain again, the gentle pitter patter of the drops against the window made for a more soothing noise than the sad static of the radio. A sigh escaped her lips as she repeatedly picked up one book, magazine, or flyer, skimped over it and then tossed it back on the table.
Frustration mounting, she stared at the wall in front of her. A few pictures were taped to the faded green wallpaper, some of the pictures were bit by bit inching closer to finally fall down and land on the dusty tiles. One of the pictures that threatened to become lose, was a few years old. Its were corners already crinkled. Her older sisters high school graduation. Ruby and her sister had posed with her diploma and a bouquet of roses. Beautiful orange ones, with a few deep yellow roses tugged in between. She remembered pricking herself on the thorns, a little drop of blood falling onto the green stems. It was a nice picture, but looking at it now, Ruby couldn’t help but stare at herself. She looked the same, the same oversized hoodies, the same red and black colors she still wore. Had she not changed since? It had only been months since her own graduation and she still had no clue what to do. It was already October, the time most folks were already starting their grand college adventures. Meanwhile Ruby didn’t even have an inkling let alone a direction. Her sister on the other hand hadn’t hesitated back then when she had graduated, she threw herself into her future with abandon. Even if she changed her mind every three months, at least she wasn't sitting around at home drinking cocoa with marshmallows, drowning in the sugary misery of having too much free time. Ruby hung her head and stirred in her 'Best Team Leader' mug, a present from her friends in summer camp last year. The marshmallows were soaked, and the brownish liquid had already gone stale.
When her sister Yang had graduated, she had thrown herself right into musical studies, switching styles and instruments, trying out everything she could during her time at college, and then only two months ago completely threw everything into the trash, saying she wanted to try something more practical. Promptly she got an apprenticeship at a local wind instrument workshop. It was way closer than the pretentious college, since it was just down the street . During her breaks she would come hang with Ruby, go out for a coffee, or annoy their friends at the café some of them worked part time. It seemed so perfect and Yang seemed so happy. Ruby only wished the best for her sister of course, but that didn’t quench the nagging feeling of jealousy.
She wanted to be content too. Or at least do something. Achieve something. In school everything seemed so easy; you wake up in the morning, go to class, grind through the lessons, go home, have fun with friends, play video games, forget homework, and repeat it all the next day. Looking at Yang, she felt like she was stagnating. Yang was making leaps to adulthood.
Ruby felt like she had to have some kind of plan for her life. She was a leader, she was Yang's sister, she was someone, right? Sure, there had been plenty of times when she’d just act on impulse, throwing herself into situations without thinking and made a huge mess. But at least she was doing something then. Now she was sitting around in the kitchen, with the dirty plates from her 13 o'clock breakfast mindlessly thrown into the overloaded sink, wearing no more than a loose tank top and sweatpants. 'I have given up on life'-pants, as her friend Blake called them, affectionately, always with a small smile. The girl was a friend of Yang, they had met in college, but she had just seamlessly integrated herself into Ruby’s life, too.
Arms folded upon the scratched up wooden tabletop she buried her face in them. Ruby was about to just take a nap right then and there on the kitchen table in the middle of all those ‘How to Live Your Life’ guides, when her phone started vibrating. Ruby considered it for a moment. She didn't feel like she had the energy to reach over and see who wanted to disturb her well-earned midday misery break. Looking down at herself and her no-life-pants, she slapped herself on the knees with a sigh. She straightened her back and picked up the phone.
To her surprise, Blake’s number was on the display. It had been a while since Blake had contacted her. She’d been so incredibly busy with something, just Ruby couldn't quite remember what or if she had even been told. Was it Blake’s work at the library? That couldn’t have been it. But it also wasn’t like Ruby had gone out of her way to talk to her.
“Hey?” she spoke into the phone. The cold screen pressed against her face made her shiver.
“Hey, Ruby. It's me, Blake.”
Blake didn’t wait for a response before she continued.” Yang and I are going to have lunch at the plaza when she takes her break. You should come too. It's been a while,” she said. Her voice soft and quiet so that Ruby had to strain her ears to listen.
A quick glance at the clock informed Ruby that Yang's break would start shortly. “I just had breakfast...well, more like lunch I guess.” Ruby thought for a moment. “But yeah, haven't seen you around at all, so I'll still swing by! I'll just get ready.”
Blake never had been one for long phone calls and they would have time to talk enough during lunch. After a quick goodbye and once Blake had a hung up Ruby needed a moment, she stared at the tabled covered in pamphlets, none of them had been helpful. There was no use in moping around here any longer. Ruby nodded to herself and got up. It was time to get out of her no-life-pants.
It didn't take Ruby long to get going. She just hopped in the shower and grabbed the first clothes she could get a hold off – a skirt and a hoodie that were lying on her desk chair. She tore through her hair with a brush, almost ripping out a few of her red toned streaks. Glancing at the mirror she saw two small spots of toothpaste on her shirt ., Shrugging, she took her coat and backpack and left the apartment. The lights, of course, still left burning.
Once outside, Ruby took a deep breath. It had been two days since she left the small apartment that she shared with Yang and her Uncle Qrow. She was quite happy they lived in such a nice part of town. The buildings were all quite old, had nice ornaments, and inside they were all blessed with high ceilings. The path to the plaza had a natural stone paving that glistened in the sun, wet from the rain earlier. It always looked like an old fancy painting. It wasn’t surprising her Uncle was so taken with living here.
Being a weekday, it was mostly quiet, the kids still in school and parents at work. On the weekend the street would be full of people, bursting with life. The waitress at the countless little cafés would be scurrying around serving the customers outside, while family’s loaded with shopping bags and the occasional group of tourists would wander through the streets.
Ruby really liked her town. She liked the library, she liked the old folks who greeted her, she liked knowing the names of the cashier in the supermarket, she liked the weekly markets at the plaza. Even during this late rainy October day, the town seemed warm.
Many of her friends in school wanted to ‘go big’ (that was their way of putting it) and see the ‘real world’. Big cities, with lots of people, giant buildings, cinemas everywhere, arcades, clubs, bars, all that cool stuff. But for some reason Ruby didn't think she would even like those places all that much. She preferred the little old movie theatre that had only two showing rooms. It had its own charm, the seats were nice, and sometimes they would just let Ruby in for free. Being the best friend of the owner’s son did have some cool benefits. Jaune, a boy whose limbs seemed always a bit longer than he thought, would sneak her in from time to time. She was sure his parents were very aware of this, but it was fun to pretend.
Her town, as small and suffocating it might seem to some, was Rubys favourite place on earth.
The students that came to town commuting to the nearby colleges or attended the community college in town were less satisfied. They often complained that the theatre only showed boring movies, that there were only old people, or all the movies had been released last year. Ruby thought all of this was just fine. She didn't need much more than this. Her friends were here, Yang was here, Uncle Qrow was, sometimes, here. Sure it was a pain to have to take a half hour train ride to get to one of the bigger cities, and after eight o'clock there were rarely any busses running, but Ruby still loved it.
Even though she had spent the first four years of her life in Shenzhen, the connection to it felt vague. She barely remembered it – the only thing clear in her mind were her parents and some random Mandarin phrases in the back of her head. She tried to pick it up later, at Yang’s urging, but it just frustrated her. It felt like she had no talent for it. Shouldn’t she just naturally be inclined to speak it? Struggling with it seemed as if she was failing at being her parents daughter. So she stopped trying.
Ruby was a smart cookie, as Uncle Qrow used to say, but she was just incredibly lazy when it came to studying things that didn't interest her or frustrated her. Which mirrored itself on her grades, which were all pretty average aside for the one or two subjects she liked. At least it was like that after she skipped a grade and people had actually expected her to try. With the new expectations and older classmates she didn’t know, her grades had dropped from top of the class to average. Something that now, searching for a place to study or work, bothered her. Angrily kicking a pebble, she banned those kinds of thoughts. She needed to loosen up a bit and have fun, right?
When she reached the plaza she walked directly towards a little café. Ruby didn't know what it was called, because the green faded awning only said 'Café, Bistro, Restaurant'. Asking one of the waitresses what its name was always slipped her mind, though in the end it didn't matter. The cocoa they served was just the way Ruby liked it, the food was excellent, and the staff was nice. A friend who worked here was the main reason they even started coming. Nora, a bubbly girl her age, was a friend of Jaune and Ruby, and had been working there since they were sixteen. At the beginning they would only show up during her shifts, but after taking a liking to the café and its charms, they made it their usual place. The light always seemed a little warmer than at the other places and the soft cushions on the dark wooden stools had welcomed them many times after a long day at school.
As she entered a wave of warm air and the distinct smell of cheap pumpkin latte and other seasonal spices hit her. Ruby guessed they had to entice new customers somehow, and if she were honest with herself, if she ever started drinking coffee, she’d totally be the type to chug pumpkin spice latte on a daily basis. That’s what cool people did, right? Going by their favorite little café and getting their ‘to-go-cups’ filled with the magically brown brew that kept the economy and workers going.
The café was surprisingly empty for lunch time, only a few groups were scattered around huddled around the tiny tables. Those unfortunate enough to have sat down close by the door glared at Ruby as a draft of cold air blew by them. Quickly she shut the door behind her, the bells tied to the frame ringing in her ears.
“Ruby!”
Nora completely forgot that she was taking an order from a tiny looking grandma and rushed towards Ruby. With equal enthusiasm Ruby greeted her back and hugged her friend. They parted after two short pecks on the cheek, and Nora quickly directed her, “Your sis is at the usual table in the back, I‘ll get your usual in just a sec!”
Then Nora dashed to the grandma, who was waiting with a bemused smile on her face. Taking off her rucksack and coat, Ruby approached her sister’s table. Even without Nora's direction she would have found her easily. The wild blonde mane always made her stick out like a sore thumb. Deep into the café, in an adjacent room right to the bar where the light of big chandelier like lamp started to become dingy and low, sat her sister on one of those uneven creaky old stools. The table, the one Ruby and her friends preferred, was situated slightly further from the other tables. Opposed to her sister on a small bench fixed to the wall was Blake. The dark haired girl played with a little plastic flower placed in the middle of the table while occasionally glancing up at Yang.
“Huh?” Ruby slowed down and took another look. Seated beside Blake was an unfamiliar girl. Hands folded in her lap, back completely straight and eyes half closed. Her presence was almost non-existent, next to Yang's loud presence and personality, which was usually the center of attention. Nevertheless there was something about her. Something Ruby couldn't quite name. It felt like she didn't belong here at all. It might have been the pale, almost colorless hair, which must have been at least as long as Yang's or Blake's, or the expensive clothes she wore, maybe it was the distant expression, or maybe the contrast, the quiet in light of Yang’s uncontrolled energy. Before Ruby knew it, she had stopped in her tracks and was silently watching the unknown girl.
Suddenly she felt inadequate in her hoodie and worn out skirt. The childish rucksack with stickers and buttons on it seemed a lot heavier. Ruby had never been shy or insecure, nothing like that really, but in a matter of seconds Ruby suddenly wanted to be back at home in her no-life-pants. She let out a heavy breath, lifted her foot and took a step forward, only to halt again.
Thankfully Blake, who seemed to be either bemused or bored by Yang's story – which was illustrated with violent hand gestures – noticed her. With a warm smile she waved her hand, which freed Ruby from whatever had taken possession of her. Easing up, she quickly hurried to the table. Yang ceased her antics, followed Blake's eyes, and then started waving too. Her waves were just a lot more...spirited, yes that was definitely the right word. Quickly hugging Blake, Ruby seated herself beside her sister.
“Sorry, I came as fast as I could,” she apologized, slightly bowing her head.
“Nah, nah, totes our fault. Thing was kinda on a whim." Yang shrugged, patting Ruby's shoulder apologetically. Blake gave an affirming nod.
“This is Weiss Schnee,” Blake explained with a smile. “She is the reason I have been so busy recently.”
The girl in front of Ruby looked at her. Her lips were slightly tugged upwards in a polite smile.
“It's a pleasure to meet you,” she said, her voice surprisingly clear.
From her looks Ruby would’ve guessed the girl was shy, but she met her with an unwavering gaze and a firm voice. Weiss Schnee's features, even graced when with a smile, had an edge to th em, one so sharp that Ruby had never encountered one quite like it.
“Ah, yeah! Me, too! I am Ruby!” A mix between a giggle and the soun d of being strangled escaped her lips.
Ruby didn't know why she suddenly felt so squirmy in her seat and had problems returning Weiss’s gaze. It might have been because she had spent the last few month mostly at home, not knowing what she should do with her life, but Ruby didn't think she had gotten that awkward.
“So, cutting right to it. Blakey.” Blake raised an eyebrow, but Yang didn't care. “You wanted to wait until Ruby was here before you spilled the beans. So, what have you been up to?”
Yang either noticed Ruby's awkwardness or she was just being Yang, either way Ruby was thankful that the introduction seemed to be over.
Blake sighed and opened her mouth, but it seemed Weiss was faster. With a flick of her hair she explained, “'Blake-y' has been helping with my performance.” Ruby might have imagined it but the girl seemed strangely hostile, no, maybe dismissive was the right term. Yangs furrowed brows indicated that she had noticed it too.
“Yes, Weiss is holding a performance at the old theatre next week. I am accompanying her on the piano,” Blake continued with a smile, trying to ease the tension.
A slight “ah” escaped Ruby's lips. She had almost forgotten that Blake, too, had been into music – she and Yang originally had met during college, after all. Blake dropped out way earlier, saying that it just wasn't her thing and she just liked working with books better. It felt sudden, not only did she drop out, music had become something Blake didn’t mention anymore.
Yang slammed her fist on the table. The glasses atop the table shook with the impact, Ruby startled as Yang yelled: “What!?”
“Yeah,” Blake sighed again. She took another big breath, as if motivating herself. “But Weiss asked me to, and we have been friends for a long time.”
Yang didn't seem satisfied, she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She glared at Weiss, who just raised an eyebrow.
If Weiss and Blake had been friends for a long time, did Weiss come from around here? Ruby had never seen her, and she certainly hadn't been in her school. Sure, Yang and Blake didn't become friends until college, they hadn’t known each other before, had just missed each other so there was always that even in a small town like this. But Ruby doubted she wouldn't notice someone like Weiss. Ruby tried to estimate how old the girl was. She couldn't be much older than her, could she?
“It's going to be my last performance and I would not want anyone except for Blake at my side for this,” Weiss said. “I still think it's a waste you are not playing anymore. You have talent.”
Weiss looked at Blake, who didn't seem to mind her gaze, unlike Ruby. And then Weiss turned her head just a little and Rubys nd after a moment she came to realize that it wasn't part of the girl's almost white hair, but a pale scar marking her face. Now that she realized it, the scar, which should have been hard to spot among the pale skin and hair, seemed so striking. It was now almost impossible to miss.
“I already told you, Weiss. It's my decision.”
“Yeah, who are you to get up in other people's biz.” Yang didn't even bother to hide how much she disliked Weiss. She never hide such things. Even when Ruby asked her to, and god knows how much Ruby wanted to ask her in this moment. Weiss looked scarier every second.
“I just think people with talents, that are free to follow their passions, should do so. And Blake is with no doubt gifted. Throwing that away is quite foolish.”
Weiss didn't even look at Yang, casually pulling strands of hair behind her ear. Yang was about to say something, something probably mean and something probably insulting. But suddenly Nora almost dropped a giant plate in front of her.
“No fighting, Yang. Or the next time you come here, I’ll spit in your drink.” Nora grinned from ear to ear.
Nora quickly served Blake her salad and something white, which Ruby suspected could have been Tofu once. She then ran to the nearby counter and brought their drinks, along with Ruby's cookie and an overflowing cup of cocoa with cream.
“Seriously, Ruby? Do you drink anything else anymore?” Yang huffed, looking to the side arms crossed over her chest. Either she was trying to prevent any of Nora's fluids getting anywhere near her drink, or maybe she really didn’t want to pick a fight right after meeting Weiss.
“Leave me be. I like it.” Ruby pouted and began nibbling her cookie. It wasn't like the whole soda bottles her sister usually consumed were much better.
“It's unhealthy,” Weiss said as she sipped her tea. Taking a quick look at the table she saw that the girl didn't put any milk or sugar in it. Weiss also seemed to look way more dignified with her drink than Ruby ever could. Looking at the cookie in her hand, she felt childish compared to her. The rucksack at her feet with some trashy fantasy hero novel and a game console in it didn't help much. Again, she wondered how old Weiss was.
When she put the cup down, Weiss continued.
“You don't want to end up with diabetes before leaving high school, do you?”
Ruby heard Yang and Blake giggle. A blush rose to her cheeks.
“I graduated a few months ago!” she cried, trying to defend herself. A bit too loudly, as a few guests turned their attention to the four girls, but Ruby didn't care. She felt embarrassed, and she had been self-consciousness enough the last few days. She skipped a grade, so naturally she looked young, right? So of course, Weiss would assume she was still in school. And plenty of adults liked a good cup of hot cocoa. There was probably no malice in it, she was sure, an honest mistake. There was no point in being embarrassed. It still stung though.
It wouldn't bother her usually, but for some reason she felt incredibly immature in company of Weiss. And she didn't like that. At all.
“Oh, I am sorry for assuming.” She wasn't. If she was, it didn't show on her face.
“Sure, no, yeah, whatever, it’s okay.” Ruby mumbled, eyeing her cookie, suddenly not sure if she wanted it.
“How old are you then?”
Ruby didn't know if the girl was just trying to small talk or if she was actually interested. It was hard to read her, especially if one didn't dare to look at her properly. “I am turning 17 this month.”
“I see.”
With that, the conversation ended. Ruby wondered if she herself wanted to ask the other girl's age, but she couldn't really get words out anyway.
“So, what do you play?” Thank god for Yang.
“I sing. Classical trained.”
Ruby heard Yang go 'Ohhhh' in faked awe as they started to talk about some music stuff that left Ruby absolutely clueless. Some Italian sounding things were said, one of them might have been soprano, which Ruby thought was related to high pitch and opera. She tried to follow but the Italian terms got more distinct, more complicated and Ruby gave up when suddenly Weiss used German words. Though it ended with Ruby at least understanding that Weiss sang some thing but actually preferred to sing a different role? Ruby had no idea what any of the words meant and wouldn't even dare and try to pronounce them. She felt quite alienated between those three. The most she had to do with music were silly pop songs she sometimes danced to when nobody looked. Insecurity seemed to be following her around these days, always looming over her. Bored Ruby started playing with the fringes of the red table cloth, slowly twirling the lacey ends. It wasn’t like she could add anything to this conversation anyway. She was kind of glad when Weiss excused herself to go to the bathroom.
“So, what's up with her?” Yang asked as soon as Weiss was out of sight.
Blake shrugged. “What do you mean?”
“She acts all hoity toity and shit. And then forces you to play the piano again, for her own amusement.”
“She is not forcing me, Yang. She asked and I decided to go with it. It's not like I hate it”
Ruby pulled up her shoulders and tried to vanish into the chair as much as she could. Yang glared at Blake, who just returned the gesture with a raised eyebrow and took a bite from her salad. This seemed to remind Yang of the giant, though already cold, piece of meat on her plate, forgotten over a shared passion in music. With a huff she started cutting, almost ripping the meat into pieces.
Turning her glare to Ruby she then said, “And what's up with you!? Did you forget how to talk?”
Ruby looked around helplessly, not sure what to say. She never backed down, she would always find a thing to say and talk back. Qrow always said that sometimes she and Yang were both too headstrong for their own good, and he’d wondered out loud if maybe both girls were just stupid.
“Are you intimidated by the prissy girl? You usually never can keep your mouth shut but a stuck up rich girl suddenly gets to you?” Yang said, stuffing a way too large piece of steak in her mouth and gulping it down. Before more crass words, and tiny bits of half chewed steak probably, could fly out of her mouth, Blake interjected.
“Yang, please,” Blake only glanced at Yang, one eyebrow raised to make some unspoken point before she addressed Ruby. “I guess, Weiss just brings out that kind of reaction in people...”
She smiled at Ruby, as if to cheer her up, and continued.
“It's normal to feel a bit – “ she paused for a second, “...unsure around her. She is not easy to deal with.”
Ruby blew a strand of hair out of her face and leaned back in her chair. Yeah, no kidding. Though she had a nagging feeling that it wasn't just Weiss, but her own recent insecurities added up on top. Not that she could tell them that, Ruby certainly didn't want to whine to them while they were supposed to have a lovely lunch together, as much as that already seemed to have been ruined by conflict.
“Seriously. I don't like her.” Yang swallowed the last piece of steak; it was concerning how fast it had vanished under Ruby's eyes. “Also, she takes way too long to piss.”
“Vulgar, even for you.” Blake scolded and then added, “You don't even know her, don't judge her so harshly.”
“I don't wanna know her.” In one go Yang downed her coke. Table manners were never her strong suit, especially when in a bad mood.
“How can she be an old friend and I haven't heard of her, like ever?”
Ruby nodded; she had also wondered this. Certainly she wasn't as close to Blake as Yang was, but she would still consider Blake one of her better friends. Weiss really came out of nowhere. Blake just sighed and shook her head.
“I have mentioned her. Several times, not by name, but I have mentioned her,” she started, eyeing a tomato she had stabbed with her fork. “Her parents knew mine and Adam's. We even went to the same -”
Yang interrupted her immediately. “Hah! So, she is one of his folks. No wonder I didn't like her.”
Blake rolled her eyes and continued. “She is not one of 'Adam's folks'. Quite frankly she never liked Adam.”
“Well at least she got one thing right.” Yang played with her empty glass. Her mood had been ruined the first time Adam had come up, Ruby guessed. It was always like that.
“Yang.” Blake scolded and put her fork down.
“Seriously, why the hell are you playing music again? Also, what are you 'yang-ing' me about, I told you, that dude is a piece of shit.”
“Don't call him that.”
“I call a piece of shit, a piece of shit.”
Ruby played with a few strands of her hair nervously. It was always like this. Yang and Blake usually never fought. They had their differences, sure, but they knew what buttons not to press. They knew what to not make jokes about, as they were both quite sensible when they wanted to be. Even Yang, who could be quite harsh, knew how to deal with people. Or at least she knew how to deal with Blake.
But as soon as it came to Adam, all this perfect “getting along” stuff went overboard without a life jacket and drowned pitifully. After that thing (Ruby really wasn't sure what to call it) with Adam happened, Yang and Blake had grown incredibly close, but Ruby still remembered how both girls had terrible fights occasionally. Ruby wasn't someone to avoid confrontation – rather, she would usually jump in and try to soothe the tides. But even she had decided to just hide in her room, when they got like this. Not that it helped much, as she could still hear them shouting at each other.
Unsure of what to do, as Nora was nowhere in sight and Weiss really seemed to be taking a while in the bathroom, she started looking through her rucksack. It held not just her game and novel, but also a heavy black book with thick yellowish paper and a little transparent bag with several pencil, erasers and a sharpener. Yang and Blake were once again caught up in their everlasting fight about Adam, so they wouldn't mind if Ruby just started doodling a bit. It was her way out of uncomfortable situations. When Ruby drew, she felt at ease and could check out. This way she didn't again have to listen to the debate over Adam.
“You are good.”
Ruby stiffened, breaking the pencil lead in the process. Without her noticing, Weiss Schnee had begun looking over her shoulder at her sketchbook. She didn't seem to care much for personal space, as she was leaning in way too close. At least for Ruby's taste. Not that she usually minded, she herself was a pretty 'touchy-feely' person, as one might call it. But Weiss's hand that was placed on her shoulder made her shiver. Like that time Jaune had put snow down her . It was unbearable.
“Ahaha, just you know, doodles. I’m not like, serious.” Ruby hated the quiver in her voice. But the frosty feeling down her spine made goosebumps spread all over her body. “Like, I just draw like as a hobby, haha.” She must sound like a idiot. Yeah, a complete idiot.
“Oh really.” Weiss straightened her back and returned to her seat. “Why? You could try make something out of it.”
“I, maybe, but you know I always thought you have to be somehow special for that?” Ruby let out a shaky breath.
Those were her honest thoughts. Of course she had thought about that during all of her career planning, but she had always dismissed it. Making a career in art was hard, and only a few managed. Ruby knew that, and it wasn’t like she was especially passionate about it. She just did it. She couldn't imagine not drawing, but she was sure that those few that made it had to be different. Special. Like they must have been doing nothing but drawing for all their life, and had a spiritual art journey through the mountains, or a personal muse tied to them. Those people must be bursting with talent and creativity. Ruby certainly wasn’t, like she knew two or three things Uncle Qrow had taught her, but that certainly wasn't enough.
“And you aren't special?” Weiss raised a single eyebrow at her. Her gaze fixed on Ruby who stared into her sketchbook.
“I dunno, I guess. I mean, I don't think so?” Ruby laughed and closed her sketchbook. Yang and Blake seemed to have ceased their argument and were now looking at her.
“I haven't seen you draw in a while. Do you still give your pencils ‘cool’ names? ” Her sister nudged her in the side with the elbow as she spoke. Ruby heard Blake giggle and she was sure that out of the corner of her eyes she saw Weiss smile.
“What? No! Yang, I was like ten!!” Ruby cried out embarrassed.
Of course, that had to come up. When she was ten she had given her favourite mechanical pencils goofy names 'Crescent Rose', ‘Morning Star’, ‘Blade of Darkness’. Back then she had thought that was really cool . Yang loved to talk about that in front of others, honestly any story that could embarrass Ruby were Yang’s favourite story.
“I don't do that anymore!” Actually she still did that sometimes but there was no need for Yang to know that. And she already seemed immature enough in front of Blake and Weiss, the later quietly sitting down again.
“I just wish Uncle Qrow would be home more often.” Huffed Ruby, a transparent bid to change the topic.
“Uncle Qrow?” Weiss asked, still looking at Ruby.
“Hmh, yeah, our uncle used to draw a lot or something and showed me some cool stuff and techniques. Got everything from him.”
“Must be nice.”
Ruby's lips let out a tiny 'ah' when she looked at Weiss's face. The girl’s expression had not changed, it still looked like a mask of carefully assembled neutrality. But for some reason Ruby found something mesmerizing in watching her sip at her tea, which certainly must have been cold by now. She didn't know why, but the same face that seemed incredibly distant just a second ago, the same scar that made her kinda scary, the same eyes that had made Ruby squirm in her seat – all of that suddenly felt lonely. The scar over her half closed eyes, the perfectly trimmed hair – it all made her feel fragile.
Ruby held her breath. Weiss Schnee, in this moment as she silently sipped her tea, seemed so fascinatingly beautiful that Ruby was not quite sure what to do. She was sure she was staring and she was sure Weiss noticed, confident the girls eyes were meeting hers. She should have stopped. But she just couldn't help herself.
Suddenly Ruby yelped, a swift kick connecting with her shin.
“What was that for?!”
Yang just looked at her with furrowed brow, throwing her hands up in slight disbelief. Ruby blushed, shaking her head. When she saw Blake's concerned expression, she had to lower her eyes in shame. Even Blake had noticed and was giving her a curious look.
“Ehehe.” Ruby laughed to hide her embarrassment, asking herself what had gotten into her.
“Uncle Qrow works as an art dealer. Though he used to be an artist himself, never really successfully. They always said his art lacked soul or something,” Ruby explained. Uncle Qrow certainly was a better topic than her gaping at Weiss like a fish.
“He travels a lot so it's mostly just me and Yang, but when he’s home he often gives me tips and stuff. Pretty cool.”
“I see.” Weiss put her cup down and looked at her. Silence followed.
Maybe they were like that because they didn't want to talk to her? But just a moment ago she seemed somewhat interested? Though if she didn't want to talk to them, why was she here? Now that Ruby thought about it, why was the girl here? Did Blake drag her here? No, it didn't seem Weiss would do anything she didn't want to. In that regard, Ruby assumed she might be similar to her sister.
“How is your Uncle?” Blake asked. She had always gotten along well with him, probably bonding over shared exasperation with Yang.
“Incredibly busy as always. It's a pain I tell you.” Yang grumbled. Most likely she was thinking about all the chores awaiting them at home.
“Tell him I said hi.”
“Sure.”
“Anywaaaay,” Ruby said as the conversation threatened to grow stale again. “What do you, you know, do, Weiss? Apart from singing, I mean.”
“Mostly studying.”
“That seems...fun?”
“It's only appropriate.”
“Uhuh, what do you, like, study?”
“I’m mostly taught in economics, aside from the usual high school material.”
“Uhuh.”
Ruby always took pride at being good at talking, even if some of it was absolute nonsense sometimes, she still was good at it! But this was terrible. First she ogled her and now all she could manage were “uh” and “huh” replies. Great going, real charming. Blake also didn't really seem like she wanted to help her out, and, well, Yang already said she didn't like Weiss, so she was completely on her own. But it seemed as though Weiss decided to take action against this horrible awkwardness herself. With a swift movement she looked at her watch, which looked way too expensive for Ruby's taste, nodded to herself, and then looked at Blake.
“I need to go. I will give you the money for my tea.”
“Ah, it's fine. Let me - “
“Are you honestly trying to take my bill?” Weiss said, a dismissive laugh escaping her lips. She picked up her handbag, also too expensive in Ruby's eyes. Out of her wallet – also too expensive, Ruby was sure that girl must swimming in money - she got some coins and put them on the table, but alongside the coins she also took out two tickets. Without a word she put them down in front of Ruby and Yang.
“I would be happy to have you come see the performance. It’s this Saturday.” Blake added as an explanation. Weiss nodded in approval and then got up. She took her coat and gave Yang and Ruby another nod.
“I will be leaving then.”
Ruby looked after the girl, who had an astonishingly, Ruby wasn't sure how to put it, prideful walk. When she suddenly halted, Ruby quickly averted her eyes, afraid of being caught staring again. Without turning around, Weiss addressed Ruby.
“You should really think about it.”
“Huh?”
“Drawing. You are good at it. It would be a waste.”
And with these words Weiss Schnee left the café, leaving Ruby staring at the exit long after the girl was gone.