Chapter 3

Ruby found herself rushing around, floor to floor, department to department. From the start of the day there was hardly a moment to rest as she delivered and retrieved documents. She walked quickly through the halls, not wanting to keep Weiss waiting, not wanting to disappoint her boss. She had been worried about getting lost, but Penny helped via the earpiece, directing Ruby when she needed help. It did not take long for her to work up a serious sweat, and her leg was aching by mid morning.

Ruby hoped for a respite at lunchtime. She picked up Weiss' lunch from the cafeteria, along with a meal of her own - a sandwich, cherry sports drink, and giant cookie. She delivered Weiss' food, brewed and prepared her a cup of coffee, then sat down at her desk. Ruby hardly got started before an apologetic Weiss asked her to take a package to the mailroom. It was urgent and Ruby would have to go immediately. She capped her drink and slipped it into one pocket, wrapped her sandwich and stashed it in another, and left her cookie behind, assuming she would not have a chance to sit down and eat after making the delivery. She was right.

After delivering the package to the mailroom, Weiss called with yet another request, so Ruby ate and drank on the move. As soon as that task was complete, it was on to another, and another, and another. Ruby grabbed pieces of cookie whenever she stopped at Weiss' office, but she never had more than a few seconds to rest. By three she was exhausted, her leg screaming in agony. Another dose of aspirin did nothing to dull the pain. For the moment she had no immediate responsibilities, so she plopped in her chair with a huff. The last remnants of her cookie sat on the desk before her, but she was not really hungry.

"Ms. Rose." Weiss spoke.

It took a moment for Ruby to realize the voice was not in her earpiece, but right beside her. She turned to face her boss, plastering on a smile. "Yes Ms. Schnee?"

"I've got a board meeting for the rest of the day, so I don't think I'll need you." Weiss replied. "I'd still like you to stay on until five, but take a rest, you've earned it."

"Okay, thank you Ms. Schnee." Ruby nodded. Weiss was already standing at the elevator. It soon arrived and she departed, leaving Ruby alone.

"Ruby, are you alright?" Penny asked once Weiss was gone.

"Oh...yeah, I'm fine, just tired." Ruby answered.

"You were limping, are you injured?" Penny pressed. "Your facial expressions indicate discomfort."

"It's just an old injury." Ruby explained. "It acts up every once in a while, but I'll be fine."

"Okay, take care Ruby." Penny wished her well.

"I will, thanks Penny." Ruby responded. She folded her arms on her desk and rested her head. "What a day."

Ruby remained at her desk for the next two hours. There were no visitors, nothing to do really. She made herself a cup of coffee and tried to relax, but the pain in her leg refused to die down. She would have to deal with it after work. Ruby spent some time chatting with Penny, planning out the following week, setting up reminders to smooth out the upcoming days. She spent the rest of the time on her computer, reading articles or watching videos, anything to distract from her leg. She even managed to finish her cookie.

"Ruby, Ms. Schnee is coming." Penny warned.

"Thanks Penny." Ruby closed the cute cat video she had been watching.

Seconds later, the elevator arrived with a bing, and a somewhat tired-looking Weiss stepped off. She glanced at her watch. "It's quitting time Ms. Rose."

"Oh, okay." Ruby responded. "Do I have to clock out or anything?"

"No, Penny keeps track of that automatically." Weiss answered. "Again, I'm sorry you had to start on such a busy day. I like to get everything done so I can enjoy my weekend without having to worry about work. Today seemed busier than usual as well."

"It's alright." Ruby assured her. "I'm sure it'll be nothing once I get used to it."

Penny's screen flashed to life, her chibi sprite appearing. "Ms. Schnee, your car has arrived."

"Alright, I just have a few things to finish up." Weiss acknowledged. "And Ms. Rose…"

"Yes?" Ruby said.

"You did very well today." Weiss replied. "I'm impressed. Only one day in and you're already in the swing of things. Pyrrha picked a winner."

"Thank you Ms. Schnee." Ruby smiled. Penny's sprite smiled as well. "Hold on a second...Ms. Schnee?"

"What is it Ms. Rose?" Weiss asked.

"Penny's avatar...it was familiar but I couldn't place it until now." Ruby answered. "It's Okami, from Modoku's Journey, but with a palate swap and minus the dog tail."

"Maybe." Weiss shrugged. "I don't really know the exact idea behind it. I assume someone in the art department just wanted to give her a little more character, and used that as inspiration. One of our subsidiaries is the Atlesian distributor for that program."

"Oh, cool." Ruby nodded.

"Ruby, I advise you head home and get some rest." Penny spoke up.

"Yes, go enjoy your weekend." Weiss added before slipping into her office.

Ruby was ready to leave, but she was not about to head home. She had to take care of the lingering pain in her leg first. She collected her things and boarded the elevator, heading down toward the exit. As she descended, she slipped open her scroll and started the Ryde app. She still had very little knowledge of Atlas, but she knew someone who did. It was time to take up Vulpe on her offer. She put in for a pickup, requesting the fox Faunus as her driver. Hopefully Vulpe would know where to find the sort of place for which Ruby was looking.

Ruby made her way outside, and it was not long before her Ryde pulled up. She gladly but painfully pushed herself forward. Vulpe waved at her, craning around to speak as Ruby fell into the back seat, slamming the door beside her.

"Hey!" Vulpe greeted with a cheerful smile.

"Hey Vulpe." Ruby returned, though muted.

"Man you look wiped out." Vulpe observed. "Rough day?"

Ruby laughed. "That's an understatement."

"Straight home then?" Vulpe asked.

"Actually...do you know any good bars?" Ruby inquired. "Cheap ones?"

"Hmm, those two don't really go hand in hand." Vulpe quirked her brow in question. "And I only know Faunus ones."

Ruby shrugged. She had nothing against being around Faunus. It would be an interesting experience being somewhere that catered to them. "I don't mind."

"Yeah, but they might…" Vulpe warned. "But I know one that might work. Strap in, traffic's gonna' be hectic."

Ruby was close to dozing off when the car softly jerked to a halt. She blinked, reaching up to rub her eyes clear, before doing the same to her leg, the dull flame within burning. "Hey, you sure you're up for this?" Vulpe asked, leaning over the back seat.

Ruby smiled, stretching. "Yeah, I really need that drink." She chuckled, looking out the window. They were parked on a relatively rough but busy-looking street. Many of the pedestrians were Faunus, but tired, lethargic, just like her. It was obviously an older part of Atlas, with less metal and neon, and not a hologram in sight. A warm yellow tinted the immediate area. Ruby looked up to see a large sign, capital letters fading from yellow to red.

SUNRISE

"Huh, looks nice." Ruby admired.

"Just be careful." Vulpe warned. "Don't stare, don't step on any tails, try not to rub up against people unless you're really into that. Humans give off mixed signals by accident all the time."

"I'll try." Ruby stated. "I've never been around so many Faunus."

"Not many back home?" Vulpe asked.

"Patch is friendly, but Faunus still mostly stuck together, and there weren't many to begin with." Ruby explained. "I had a friend when I was young, but he moved away when I was twelve, and no one really kept contact." Ruby trailed off, leaning her head against the glass, the chilly surface almost pleasant compared to the toasty interior.

"Hey, I knock off in a few hours, but give me a call when you need a lift anyway." Vulpe smiled. "I've got nothin' on tonight, and it's not safe for humans to walk around the streets here."

"Thanks Vulpe, that really means a lot." Ruby smiled back.

"You see the big buff blonde guy?" Vulpe pointed to the door beneath the sign. An intimidating man stood there in a grey coat, long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, thick sideburns framing his strong jaw.

"Hard to miss him." Ruby smirked.

Vulpe laughed. "That's Myron. He's a sweetheart. Just let him check your ID and purse. As long as you're not a bigot he's got nothin' against humans."

"Alright, thanks Vulpe, you're a lifesaver." Ruby pulled out her card, tapping it against the screen on the console. After a few moments thought, she dug into her purse, pulling free a healthy tip. "I really mean it."

"You're the kind of human we all hope to meet." Vulpe noted. "Don't let anyone scare you in there. The bar lady's tougher than all of 'em."

"Thanks again." Ruby repeated. "I'll uh, see you tonight?"

"Don't be shy." Vulpe smiled. "See ya' 'round Red."

Stepping out of the car, Ruby braced herself against the door, her leg stiff and throbbing as she hopped on her healthy one, closing the supporting object and offering a final wave as Vulpe drove away. The frigid air nipped at her exposed skin. She turned to the club entrance, avoiding a few pedestrians as she limped. A few Faunus flashed their IDs as tey entered, several more just exchanged a nod. The doorman's size was understated at a distance, but he towered over Ruby. A single raised brow was his only reaction. "You lost?" His voice borderline purred. It would have been pleasant if Ruby did not feel so small before him.

"No, I'd like to come in." Ruby held out her ID.

Myron frowned. "You been to a Faunus club before, or is this a tourist thing?"

"No, I'm just here to drink." Ruby answered.

"Why not drink in a human club?" Myron pressed.

"Because I don't know any human clubs." Ruby replied. "My Ryde driver, Vulpe said it's safe here."

The doorman closed his eyes and sighed. Nodding, he took her ID and scrutinized it. "Vulpe tell you what not to do?"

"Don't stare, step on tails or rub up against people." Ruby stated.

"And don't cause trouble." Myron added. "Stay in sight of security. It's safe here, but there's always assholes. Faunus come here to get away from the shit they deal with every day. They're short tempered enough without a human buzzing around."

"I'll do my best." Ruby promised.

"Better hope so." Myron returned her ID and jerked his head towards the door. "Have a good night."

"Thank you." Ruby smiled tiredly, pushing open the heavy door and entering the entryway to the club.

The dull throbbing of electronica surrounded Ruby, muffled by another door ahead. Several others lined the hall, one of them marked MANAGER, another SECURITY. She had been in human clubs before. This was not new to her, but there was an odd difference in atmosphere already. A strange scent hung upon the air, growing stronger as she traversed the way, earthy, sour, but not unpleasant. She pushed the inner door open and it washed over her in full, along with the familiar loud music of a nightclub, meant to dull the senses, to carry away worries and pain. If only it were enough for her own pain.

It was strange being around nothing but Faunus. Everyone around her had something new - feline, lupine, reptile tails, ears, scales, slitted eyes, pointed teeth bared in snarling grins, claws of all lengths and colors. It made Ruby feel very...bland. She was just Ruby, a human with two knees like any other. The only unique aspect she had was her silver eye color. It was apparently rare, but Ruby never saw them as anything more than a light grey. She dyed the tips of her hair like her mom used to, and had a love of gothic attire in which she no longer indulged. It was expensive, and everyone thought she looked silly.

The dance floor was packed, the bar crowded. The tables were taken and so were most of the booths, and more Faunus were piling in by the minute. The throbbing in her leg begged for relief, but for the time being the least she could do was follow Vulpe's advice and find an unoccupied area to keep to herself. Avoiding the other patrons and their suspicious glares, Ruby discovered an empty booth in the corner, beside the bathroom door. She hurriedly limped forward, sliding onto the hardwood and hissing in pain. She massaged the offending area. Gods she hated this. Why did painkillers not work for her like every other normal person? Why was this her special snowflake downside?

Ruby looked around, trying to focus on the interesting sights before her, never staring at one person too long. Multicolored lights flashed, music pulsed, bodies gyrated, many against one another. One girl in particular, skimpy clothing, bright red pigtails, a third actual tail, was borderline melting in the arms of another woman, moving in sync, a million dollar grin turning to a drowned out howl as teeth sunk into her neck. Ruby blinked, averting her gaze as a warmth tinted her cheeks.

Ruby glanced to the bar instead, only to find the barwoman staring right back at her, eyes blinking gold even at a distance, long silky black hair hanging over her shoulders, a pair of feline ears flat against her head. In spite of this she seemed to be in conversation with a tall blonde man beside her. She handed him several drinks, never taking her eyes from Ruby, who broke eye contact first, feeling more than a little discomforted, like she had been pinned in place. She ceased rubbing her leg to bury her face in her hands, taking several deep breaths. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. She could have bought some cheap wine from a liquor store. Atlas had those, right?

"Hey, you doing alright?" A loud voice yelled over the music, far too close for Ruby's attention span to handle.

"Whoa fuck!" Ruby yelped, jumping. Her knee hit a nut beneath the table, exploding in pain. She clutched the impact zone, thumping her head down and gritting her teeth. Why did it have to be the bad leg?

"Oh shit, sorry, sorry." The loud voice fretted. "My bad, you okay?"

Ruby felt a warm presence beside her. As the stranger sat down she raised her head to nod. "Yeah, yeah it's fine. I'm fine, you're fine, fuck that hurts though." She opened her bleary eyes to blink at the sight before her, a bare chest, framed by an unbuttoned black shirt, a very toned bare chest, every muscle defined and sweaty. A pang of nostalgia hit her, and she gulped.

"I can get some ice!" The man offered. "I'm a bartender here."

"No, no, I'll be fine uh…" Ruby blinked a few times, wiping the tears from her eyes and looking up with a smile. Then she froze, the flicker of a blonde tail appearing in her peripheral as the man's features came into focus.

"You sure, that looked...Ruby?" The tall blonde man balked.

"Sun?!" Ruby gasped in disbelief, as she beheld before her the slightly more defined and rugged, but familiar face of Sun Wukong, one of the few friends she ever held dear.

"Ruby, wha- whe- w-what the fuck you're here!" Sun stammered, equally shocked.

Ruby laughed, fresh tears sprung forth, and tossing caution to the wind, she threw herself at her old friend. "Gaaaaah I've missed you Sun! What are you doing here? Where have you been?!" She gushed. She felt the chest beneath her heave with laughter of its own, and strong arms wrap around her.

"Well, I work here, and all over the place!" Sun hurriedly answered. "What are you doing here? I missed you too!"

Ruby pulled away, keeping her grip on the Faunus' shirt as she continued to gush. "I got a job here! I moved a few days ago and had my first day today! Dude I tried finding you on everything but you just dropped off the face of Remnant!"

"Hey!" A new voice cut in. Ruby turned to find those same golden eyes burning into her. The barwoman did not look pleased.

"Blake!" Sun yelled, gesturing between them. "Meet Ruby! Ruby, meet Blake, my girlfriend!"

"Hey!" Ruby greeted.

"Whatever, you ordering or are you just a tourist?" Blake replied, deadpan.

"U-uh yeah, do you do Strawberry Sunrises?" Ruby requested.

"Lemme' guess, virgin?" Blake asked.

"Wha-that's not...oh, no, not virgin." Ruby managed.

Blake rolled her eyes. "Bring her to the bar so she doesn't piss anyone off." She ordered, turning to leave. Ruby stared after he before turning to Sun.

"Isn't she great?" Sun laughed.

Ruby chuckled nervously as Sun slid from the booth. Ruby followed, albeit slower. The pain had faded from its dull burn to an annoying sting that flared with every hint of pressure. She had this pain later in her recovery, constant, annoying, but bearable, like a toothache flaring before dying to a dull drone. Thankfully the bar was not far away, and there was a free stool. Score!

"You want an umbrella?" Blake asked as she mixed the cocktail before her.

"Oh, no thanks." Ruby declined. Yang had always enjoyed them, but Ruby thought it was a waste. They always ended up in the garbage, or stuck in someone's hair, which was funny, but not what Ruby needed to care about at the moment. She just wanted to blur her mind for the night before waking up. Then would come the search for an apartment. Gods she was not looking forward to that.

"Hey, I've gotta' scoot but drinks are on me for the night." Sun offered.

"Sun." Blake growled.

"No take backs!" Sun yelled, dashing off into the crowd, bright blonde monkey tail trailing behind him. Ruby laughed, before freezing as she was once again met with a glare.

Blake set the cocktail before her, rich and tall. "Don't take advantage of that idiot."

"I'm not like that." Ruby insisted. "I'll pay him back next time."

Blake scoffed. "Sure you will." And with that she strode away, tending to the next customer who needed her attention.

"Well...Sunrise...Sun…" Ruby snorted. She took a long drink from her glass, the sweet liquid burning down her throat, and a pleasurable shiver running down her spine. "I bet that's why he applied here."