(Â thuskindlyiscatterâ )
     â hey !! â her face contorts into an abrupt show of displeasure. If the sound âharrumphâ could have an image associated with it, rubyâs face would, without a doubt, be the current dictionary example. â my semblance developed when i was thirteen. i didnât start drinking coffee until i was fourteen, thank you very much. â her form plops down into the seat of their booth, a slight bounce propelling her upwards before she finally settles, expression beginning to sour with the added importance to their conversational topic. â not that itâs doing anything for me now, though. not in this place. â
   her eyes catch the tightened grip of her partnerâs hands before silver flickers hurriedly to meet with weissâ eyes, though she finds no gaze to return with weiss focused on the expanse of her own thoughts & memories. rubyâs expression relaxes, falls into something much more solemn than it had been before. â weiss ⊠â
   yet weiss persists past the point ruby had thought sheâd go â at least in public, where everything but the walls could listen in on their conversations, & even then who could really know if they didnât ? not that their words are something bathed in secrecy, but privacy was an awful thing to invade, ruby thought. purposely or not. she knows weiss values privacy, & also how her emotions are perceived by others. rubyâs face falls softer still as concern & worry form clouds in her eyes & her hands move of their own accord to catch weissâ as they leave the surface of her mug, her own fingers gently grasping around them. ruby gives both a gentle, comforting squeeze. knowing that sheâd held her mug long enough to almost burn herself turns the silver in her eyes to steel. â weiss, look at me, â she pleads, her elbows sliding across the tabletop in opposite directions as her torso lowers, head dipping down in an effort to catch weissâ gaze.
     â i know i never asked much about your dad & what happened â i didnât want to pry because i knew ⊠if you were ready, you would tell me on your own â but i can tell whatever he did, it made you afraid. ⊠& iâm sorry. iâm sorry he made you feel scared. â she takes a breath, then smooths the pads of her thumbs across weissâ skin, as if the simple motion could massage the pain from her soul like a tightly wound muscle finding release. â youâre not alone, weiss. â
   ruby sighs, & blinks back the mistiness of tears thatâs begun to make her vision blurry, willing herself to be strong when weiss could not be. â i would never let someone take you some place you didnât want to go. not even your dad. iâd fight him if i had to. all of us would. getting hurt isnât a problem if it happens while weâre protecting each other. we all have each other to fall back on. â
   ruby pulls weissâ hands closer, further across the table as she shifts in her seat. sheâd moved so close to the edge as she spoke without even realizing it, & had almost fallen off the cushion. how embarrassing would that have been amidst a heartwarming speech ? the thought makes ruby chuckle aloud softly. â you donât have to be sorry ââ we all have worries, weiss, but the good thing is that we can take them on together. â
   her eyes flicker down from weissâ gaze towards their clasped hands & then back, quickly, suddenly very much aware of how long sheâd been holding them. the thought itself makes her gradually release her hold, & she laughs sheepishly as a rosy plume of color blooms at the tips of her ears. ( too bad theyâd been warming up for quite a while now, otherwise sheâd blame it on the cold. she still might. )
     â ridiculous or not, something brought us both here. something ⊠brought us back together. â she flashes a soft smile, one hand retracting from the table to tangle itself within crimson tinted locks, & perhaps to push some of them over her blushing ears. â anyways â at least we both seem to remember everything weâve been through. uncle qrow didnât even know weâd made it to argus when i first saw him here. â
        ( i was scared itâd be the same for you. she keeps the thought to herself, deciding not to bring about a problem thatâs already solved itself. )
   her attention returns to the coffee sheâd forgotten through the escalation of their discussion, realization blooming in her eyes before she quickly reaches for her mug & takes a long, long sip. â ah â one day iâll stop letting my coffee get cold right in front of me. â
   she laughs over the rim. â so â- we both remember everything up to arriving in atlas. â the cup is set against the tableâs surface with an audible clink. â what about your powers ? are yours ⊠gone, too ? â part of her already knows the answer, but she has to be sure.
   leave it to ruby to have the ability to bring a smile âpon her features amidst the hectic situation. her pout following the association of caffeine with semblance and the coupled rebuttal makes the air feel just a little bit lighter â itâs another reminder that, over time, things are going to be okay. the light flickers a bit, though, as sheâs reminded that their semblances arenât present among the snowy scenery. just another mystery theyâd have to figure out; together.
  immediately following her sudden, impulsive confession is the feeling of surprise. weiss hadnât planned on laying everything out in the open like that. not that she doesnât trust ruby, or anything like that â weiss is almost certain that ruby is the first one sheâd want to talk with about everything. rather, she canât quite believe that she was so quick to reveal such deep feelings in such a setting... feeling suddenly conscious of all the people surrounding them, weissâs eyes dart around. sheâs used to crowds. sheâs used to onlooking eyes. she should feel more vulnerable like this. never before would weiss have such a conversation with so many people around.Â
  rubyâs hands tighten around her own, and pieces click together. perhaps before weiss would have cared, but now, with her partner alongside her, it makes sense. the rose is a blanket of comfort weiss had lacked. the fact that sheâs not really bothered ( more surprised, than anything ) is the confirmation she needs. sheâs able to relax a bit, returning her full attention back to ruby. per her request, weiss meets her gaze. sheâs met with another wave of comfort as her leader speaks.
  at first, she feels a bit confused. why is ruby apologizing? weiss gnaws her lip, suddenly feeling guilty. to burden ruby with such worry that she felt the need to say sorry â weiss didnât mean for that. but her feelings of woe donât last long. itâs silly, but between rubyâs honest words and the hands that link them together, she can practically feel rubyâs emotions and security pass through to her. thatâs right... weiss no longer has to worry or fear. she trusts ruby â with her life â and itâs okay and ruby would never turn away from her. she feels a surge of composure, shoulders squaring up as she gains back her confident poise.
  when rubyâs hands leave, weiss feels a pang of emptiness. sheâs got half a mind to reach back out for them. it felt... right. ( since when has weiss felt such a sensation? )
  â ... youâre right, i guess i got carried away. â she admits with a bit of red on her own cheeks, a tint thatâs only half due to mild embarrassment leftover from the unexpected confession, â i know you wouldnât, ruby, and i trust all of you, so much. â she allows herself a moment to humor the picture of fight back against her father. where fear used to lay is now a gaining confidence. of course, a lifetime of being broken down isnât easy to fix after one conversation, but she feels more hopeful than ever before. â i know.. and iâd do the same for any of you. â she assures, a small smile returning to her features.Â
  sheâs a bit surprised to find that qrowâs memories didnât reach as far as theirâs. it brings even more questions, if thatâs possible. sheâs suddenly grateful and more assured since rubyâs admitted the degree of her memory, glad itâs the same.
  â ruby? thank you. â sheâs smiling, grief and worry replaced by relief and security, â i guess even i need reminders sometimes, â she quips to feel a bit more lighthearted, â i needed that. itâs a lot, but youâre right. with you here, and yang, and blake, iâm glad weâre here together. i couldnât ask for a better leader or friend. iâm glad youâre here. â a nod is paired to emphasize togetherness. she cups her own coffee now at the mention of it, rolling her eyes in amusement.Â
  â how you manage to say something that makes you sound years ahead and then go back to being so you is something iâll never understand. â she sips her own coffee, affection in her tone. her lips purse soon after, following rubyâs question.
  â well... no. no glyphs, no aura, no dust. i have myrtenaster, at least. â weiss canât imagine being without her faithful rapier. now thatâs a scary thought to entertain. she breaths easier, taking a moment before speaking up again.
  â ruby... what about you? â a twinkle of concern in blue hues, â i went off a bit there, and havenât given you much room to speak. how are you handling this all? i mean, youâve gotten here first... are you okay? what about... â her voice gets softer, â your wish? â