Chapter 7: Her Chocolaty Gratitude

Ruby Rose

"So you have a sloth."

"Yes."

"And he lives in your closet?"

"It's a very large closet, and there's a fake tree for him."

"And Glynda doesn't know?"

"To be fair they don't make a lot of noise."

The truth was staring deeply into Ruby's soul with the most adorable god damn black eyes she had ever seen. Its little hairy body comfortably latched onto the redhead's chest, its tired claws grappling snuggly around her in the most human-like hug any animal had ever given the girl. The thing that just broke her, snapped her heart into a billion happy pieces was how it smiled the sleepiest contented grin just to be there together. Ruby didn't want one, she needed one.

"I'm keeping him." Ren laughed at that, or more like smiled silently a little, if you could catch it in that beautiful twilight moment of emotion.

"Come on, Monty, don't break the girl's heart," the young and equally lackadaisical man called out to his companion, the sloth detaching for the green sleeves of Ren's dress shirt. Taking away that little Sloth was paramount to ripping out Ruby's heart, but cute and a little furrier. One day I will have you… I promise.

As soon as Ren was convinced he could manage one sloth down. Desperate as the redhead might be, she totally owed him one for being let in his room at the stark hour of ten, a few hours before his classes for sure, a time of deep meditation and slumber for the kid. Not to mention how Ruby had come in a complete sourpuss for the hour, until Monty the fluffy love ball was dumped on her.

"You named him Monty? That was my chem teacher's name in high school. Are there a lot of Monty's in Korea?" Ruby asked, thinking nothing of it.

"Nah, but we got them back home in China before we moved. Not a lot of Monty's there either, but one day my mom gave myself and my two sister's different sloths. Monty, Miles, and Kerry," Ren replied, letting the little guy wrap around him and pass out almost immediately.

"Why all English names?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, you're Chinese, too. Why are you named Ruby?"

"How do you know I'm half-Chinese? I'm a ginger!" Maybe a little dark and freckle-less for a ginger, but still a tiny ginger!

"You look it," Ren answered in a snap, completely serious.

"I do?" Ruby questioned, eyes filled with interest in what exactly told her away. Maybe her cheeks or eyes or something only this kid's masterful perception could grasp.

"No, Nora told me," Ren revealed with a cool disposition, flipping open his textbook and back to reading. Ruby just pouted, slumping back into the side office chair. Defeated and drained of all semblance of pride she resorted to spinning around on the swivel.

Ren lived in a space not that different from Weiss, complete with a kitchen, though not quite as neatly and perfectly kept, with tiny splotches of old pancake mix crusted on the oven's top. He often made food late at night, according to Weiss, though she was up studying or making music, a gentleman's and lady's agreement not to complain about the other silently formed between the two. The rest of the room seemed pretty nice, if not immaculate, certainly cleaner than Ruby's. There was a stack of books, most medical, pressed across the open right wall. The closet Weiss had turned to a sound booth was now backed with assortments of dress shirts, scattered coats, and hung over dress pants, though a copious amount of room was left for the little guy's living space. The bed was in a mirrored place, covered in green sheets and a blanket with a lotus pattern. Instead of a nightstand was his desk, fitting for two oddly enough, as if he had a common guest.

Whoever it was, Ruby's spinny chair felt mighty used to show more of their presence, the seat broken and the fabric a little worn. It made the girl feel less like a complete and total burden on Ren coming in out of nowhere. He seemed even half expecting it, perhaps more privy to specific happenings of his roommates than anyone considered prior.

"So Ruby, you don't have to talk about it, but what was that all about with Weiss? Is everything okay?" He didn't seem to ask with much interest, eyes still locked on his book, occasionally saying a line or two, clicking something, or typing in a search. Everything was in Korean, or maybe Chinese, so understanding any of it was beyond the young girl.

Ruby wanted to answer, but there wasn't one. It was a normal night before. They had stayed up, texting late as always while Weiss studied; eventually one of the pair would acquiesce and go to sleep. Last night Ruby was the one after a couple of less than beautiful beatings from Yang via Halo taught her videogames and fumbling with a phone were meant to be separate activities.

The morning came and Weiss was silent. Class started and suddenly she was sick. After all that when everyone departed and it was just Ruby outside of the door did she see her, after quite a bit of banging. The silver hair on her was let down, the long locks combed and clean, but not fashionable as Weiss always was. She was in her PJs, blue and frilled though Ruby could barely see with how little the door was cracked open. What she did see was actually way more distressing and bothersome. Her eyes were irritated and red, the way they got from a lot of crying. That very kind of crying that showed in the hitch in someone's voice, the same hitch she had when the most bothersome sounds left her lips.

"I need to be alone. Give me a day. Please." It was a formal please, not a request, but the kind of words that sound like the snappiest, best dressed demand one would ever hear.

Ruby nodded, the door slammed, and now all of a sudden she was crying too. That was how Ren found her, more like heard her knocking on his door. She never intended to bother the boy, but she didn't want to be alone. Weiss was crying, now she was crying, and nobody was around, and sure there was no way it had anything to do with Ruby, but suddenly she felt like it was all her fault and that heavy loneliness was setting in all over again. There's a really deep sort of hole one falls in upon realizing they are completely alone and a vagabond without a home to speak of. That was a dark enough feeling to wake a rather mild-mannered student to gather some amount of company. Not Ruby's proudest moment.

"I don't know, but she's really upset. I think she was crying." Maybe telling Ren wasn't exactly proper, maybe it was all supposed to be a big secret, but it wasn't like Weiss left her a fine set of instructions to dictate exactly what to do.

"Yeah, I heard her last night before I went to bed. Lots of screaming."

"What'd she say?"

"German, German, German, something bitch, German. Sorry Ruby, it's all I got. Unless Monty reveals a hidden linguistic skill." The sloth was silent on the issue, yawning into Ren's green shoulder. I forgive you cutie.

"Thanks for hanging out. Mind not, uhh, telling anyone I cried?" Ruby asked with a worried smile, scratching the back of her neck, an awkward sod by any measure.

"I get home sick, too, I don't think anyone who loved their family hasn't had one of those days. You're Nora's friend and she, as silly as this sounds, is a good judge of character," Ren reasoned, petting his pet, "Plus my little buddy likes you. I mean, he's a dumb ball of fluff, but it works."

Ruby discovered something about Ren that morning. He was kind of like Blake, despite being quiet, and not as bombastic as Nora, or maybe because of that, the kid ended up one of the easiest people she had known to talk to without recourse. He just seemed someone to withhold any judgment, whether that was a result of some sort of Zen like practice, or not caring it was pretty cool. Definitely a new friend.

"I think she's lonely too. No one seems to talk to Weiss," Ruby started again, thinking about why the young girl would have been be crying. Maybe she was missing Germany, though memory could not recall a single mention of the family in the northeast or her hometown.

"She doesn't ask either, though that fight with Blake," Ren paused, clearly taking a moment to think, "Blake's kind of the eldest around here. Didn't help. Maybe you should try to, you know, connect them?"

"But they are like sworn enemies no—"

A buzz familiar to Ruby went off in her pocket. She didn't even think about finishing her sentence, pulling the phone out and checking the messages, begging for something from Weiss to say she was okay and that they were cool, whatever it was that tore her up. Instead, Penny.

'Hey friend! I'm out early with Nora! Are you with Weiss?'

It wasn't what she was hoping for, but Ruby was a few miles out from complaining. Weiss might have been the... special friend to her, but Penny held the best friend title pretty firmly.

'No I'm in Ren's, I'll be out in a second where do you wanna meet?' Ruby typed up quickly, sending the message on its way. Her host was exhausted, though he always seemed to be so, eyes drooped and dark, his movement a bit stifled. Kid needed a break and Ruby aimed to give him one.

"Penny's out. I think I'm going to see her, you seem like you need to—"

"Sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Desperately," Ren stood just to fall again on his bed, collapsed with his little buddy still tight to him, seemingly unaware there was even any movement to begin with. Ruby had never seen someone just pass out on cue, it was even kind of fantastic, though what to do with the aforementioned sloth, or if she should just leave it to do whatever it do.

End choice, Ruby ignored it and voted to trust Ren's pet ownership know how, traipsing her way out the door in an awkward stealth waddle. Not a sound besides the awkward clicking of the door creaking open and closed, the same noise anyone who has ever tried sneaking anywhere was so intimately familiar.

Free of all burdens associated with slothing and an unconscious Ren, Ruby took the short walk down to the main Beacon plaza. All the buildings connected to it, and though the signs were not exactly useful to her yet, walking in almost any direction would loop you around to it eventually.

The plaza itself was beautiful, a simple narrow cobblestone connection between the main campus building and the rest of the city. The only thing unusual was a statue of two knights over a hiding wolf, something to do with the mythic founding of the city. Even this, Ruby had learned, was not inherently odd. Plenty of marble statues and fountains stood in every formal plaza, a physical connection to European Renaissance.

"Ru-by!" Nora. "Ruby! Turn around buddy!"

Ruby spun around, the sides of her skirt kicking up into a cool, if totally unintended, twirl. Penny was there, waving in her usual overalls and dress combo. Nora was a bit more noticeable in that she was standing on a chair, hopping up in down regardless of the fact that she was in a skirt. Still, Ruby noted, it was really nice to see them.

"Hey guys!" she shouted back, running for them. Penny ran too, both colliding in one of what had to be Ruby's favorite awkward hugs. "What happened to class?"

"What happened to you?" Penny asked, pulling Ruby away from her and giving the girl a look. The crying had stopped a while ago, but one of the many follies of incredibly pale features is that redness around the eyes didn't leave the girl as expediently as she hoped.

"Is someone picking on you?" Nora asked flushed in anger, or excitement, telling which was hard, "I'll break their legs!"

"No no no, I was going to see Weiss and she was—"

"She made you cry? I swear Ruby, she puts way too much pressure on you, what does she expect of you? She is not on about you picking a program again, is she?" Penny did this sometimes, Ruby noticed, though it wasn't necessarily bad. The concern was coming from the right place, but it was never apt. Weiss wasn't a bully, just a supporter in a fashion many misconstrued for pushy. In the end though, it wasn't Weiss pulling the strings. They were working on Ruby's story; they were talking about helping Ruby get her dream job. It was always about what Ruby wanted. In some says it felt a little selfish, but only when everyone else was giving Weiss crap about it.

"No, she didn't," least not about the program, that was yesterday, "She's really upset and wanted to be alone, and for some stupid reason that made me really upset and not want to be alone. It's okay." Thing that was nice, at least from Ruby's perspective, was that Penny always accepted being wrong. Her smile came back with a quick breath and her eyes softened, and little old cheery ginger she was came back in full force.

"I'm sorry, I just get so worried. You're my friend, I want you to be happy." Penny hugged Ruby again, which was nice. Good way to make the day feel a little optimistic. Nora though let out this weird giggle. Something evil brewing in it.

"You two are cute," Nora explained, or didn't really.

"Shush!" Penny answered, getting more out of that than Ruby did.

"What?"

"So! What we are going to do today!" Penny yelled over Nora who was saying something Ruby couldn't make out, "I think we should go on an adventure!"

"Where?"

"The best place!"

"Penny, it's autumn."

"It's not that cold!"

"I needed a coat," Ruby countered, looking herself in the mirror of a pub bathroom stall. She still had the hoodie, but now it was over some borrowed swimwear of Penny's that implied something a bit more tropical than the European Atlantic out of season. It was nice enough for Penny to grab something that matched her style, little polka dots of red all over the white primary that at least made for a kind of snazzy one piece, though a bit tight on her chest. For the sake of her best friend's pride, she would not mention it.

"You kids and your coats!" Nora in her own stall, not crammed all into one nightmare box. The stalls were only two in number and Nora was adamant about having her own. Changing in front of Penny was whatever, not like there was any other choice in high school swim team locker room. All in all Ruby had to admit, the Pub had really clean restrooms, though not exactly the best changing spot, but it was near enough to the beach and Coco, the bartender, swore no one would be bothering them.

"You wear a vest!" Ruby countered.

"Not a jacket though!" Nora retorted with a giggle.

"Don't mind her; we are going to have fun. Water can't be that cold. I mean in England it's colder and I swam in that…"

"Really?"

"In the summer," Penny clarified, "With a wetsuit."

"We should do something else." The ginger girl didn't seem to care for that though, spinning Ruby around to look her straight in those silver eyes. She was a pale little thing, even shorter than her. Pretty though with a cute slim form. She chose a similarly matching green one piece with a little necklace of what looked like a green sword around her neck.

"Ruby, it'll be fun. We haven't gotten to do much outside of school in a long while, so I figure maybe this will be a nice change of pace," Penny practically begged, ignoring any complaint off hand, but who had the courage to say no to her, "Just till class."

And so they walked out together, earning a nod of some sort from Coco, the aforementioned bartender girl who, despite being inside, seemed to have a preference for beret and sunglasses. She did look really stylish though, so no one could complain.

The air outside wasn't nearly as cold as Ruby feared, though it definitely had a sense of chill to it that was very, very, real. Still, there was a bit of the famous Spanish sun blazing even this far north, leaving a warm touch to everyone's skin. The path itself was so pretty, cobble roads down the inner city walls. The yellow brick not far from where they walked, its path carving down from the hilltop castle with its circular towers watching the town below, not a soul there besides the poor guy who had to raise that Spanish flag.

"One day I'm getting inside there," Ruby happened to mention in a quick stop down the ocean avenue. Here the beach hotels were beginning to supersede the older buildings, so it would be out of view

"Consider it a date then," Penny mumbled, taking Ruby's hand and pulling her after Nora, "but, uhh, we got plans for now. We'll go on like a Saturday."

"Maybe we can take Weiss, too. She should get out more." The idea was a good one, after all Weiss' seclusion was mostly self-imposed. If she could get her to meet everyone else half way, then it would work out. Perfect plan.

"Okay, yeah, maybe," Penny answered not so enthused. Not everyone got Weiss, but they would. Ruby knew she could definitely.

The rest of the path was less ancient mystical Spain and more corporate built resort stuff, kind of felt more like home to Ruby in a kind of depressing way. There were high rises, but not too many of them, long stretches of upraised boardwalks along the beaches where some amount of business was still booming along the different resort spots. There were small venders here and there, open construction, but few swimmers and even fewer without wetsuits. Brave few souls though, just enough to prove their plans at least somewhat valid.

"Ready?" Penny asked, holding Ruby's hand tight, a bit of cautious hesitation in her.

"Ready?" Ruby replied.

"Like, really ready?" And so stalling began.

"Maybe."

"Later losers!" Nora shouted, sprinting passed them both. Sand kicked up with her steps, coating both of them in a dusty trail. She tossed away her towels and the backpack of her clothes, her suit was not as protective as the other two's chaste one pieces. All that shielded her from the cold was a heart marked bikini, though she didn't seem to rightly give a damn. That fearless pride of Scandinavia diving off the long plastic boardwalk into a form fitting spin complete with what Ruby could swear was a salute.

"I'm going." As a former swimmer, there was some amount of pride on the line. Personal and national, this was for her, for Rose and Long families, for America. Maybe China, too, I guess. Penny didn't try to stop her. Good move. There was no stopping Ruby from doing the most supremely stupid thing she had done all week.

A rush came before the fall, before the jump, before Penny shouted her name out. It was a powerful rush up the beach planks, before the shallow dive. It felt like being alive. A short respite, then the much more intense and real feeling of the Atlantic in fall hit her, which on the other hand felt like death. It was so cold, unspeakably so. The kind of cold one couldn't describe well enough before the chill itself snapped the victim's attention away. Never again would this folly repeat. Never again.

"Watch out friend!" Penny shouted out from the surface world above before she crashed into the shallows beside Ruby. The wave of her cannon ball sent an unpleasant torrent of salty ocean water straight into the redhead's mouth forcing her to rise to the surface. The wind above was somehow even cooler than the water below. So much regret.

"Good god, this is bloody fucking cold!" Penny shouted in the first curse Ruby had ever heard pass those lips. She was a total shivering mess, the poor girl clutching herself for some heat.

"Wuss!" Nora was unaffected, the Danish kid swimming backstrokes around them with a delighted hum, not even a slight shudder as she giggled at them and their non-Scandinavian sensibilities.

"I'm cold, hold me friend!" Penny mumbled, treading the water in a panic.

"I'm coming buddy!" Ruby answered, rushing over to her with relative ease. Together things weren't so bad, swimming as a single tangled mess was worth it for the little bit of shared heat.

"So bad idea?"

"Pretty bad."

"So like, I guess I'm worried I can't make it," Ruby admitted, putting another ball of wet sand onto their muddy palisade keep. Their beachfront mini-fortress a crude replica of the one visible from most of Vale. It wasn't too hard; the stone was a similar dark brown to match the limited color palette left to them. Actually structuring it was pretty easy, even without buckets. Penny framed it in driftwood and Ruby meshed it together with water and sand. A nice little activity to enjoy as they dried, the autumn sun at its peak.

"Friend, you don't need to pick everything today. You are just perfect as is."

That's not true, Ruby thought, watching Penny extend some of the castle wall foundation with twigs. Both of them were bundled in the towels they had, Ruby adding her hoodie on for good measure. Not like saltwater couldn't come out in the wash.

"But if I don't act now I might lose any chance of getting anywhere," Ruby added, both to her point and to her own confusion. This precipice of adulthood was getting darker, scarier, and ever more drastic the more Ruby hesitated stepping into it. A life of safety nets left Ruby especially unsuited to the task of self-determinism

"I think you'll do just fine no matter what," Penny started up, a beacon of unfettered optimism, "What do you think Nora?"

"I have no idea!" The Dutch girl dropped another load of wet sand, the only one of the three to have no problem going back into the water to collect the much needed materials. "I have no idea what I'm doing! Though I tend to say going head on!" Nora smiled so widely for someone who claimed to be completely lost, something Ruby didn't understand, but totally appreciated.

"And is that going well for you?" Penny asked, happily collecting what twigs Nora had dropped for herself. The Dane didn't say much in reply, just shrugged and smiled. That was before she tipped over and let herself fall right onto the empty space next to Ruby.

"Not really well, I finally got to go to school with Ren and we barely get to hang out. You know his whole sleep schedule worked way better when he was like a million time zones away." Nora pouted, honestly upset, but only for a minute. Instead she stared cheerfully at the castle, a happy, if ambitious, glint within those light green eyes as they outlined Fort Ginger and Ruby who was building it up.

"Who's queen of the Castle?" she asked in such a way that it had to be a trap.

"No one, I would assume," Penny answered, finishing one of the towers, ignorant of the trouble she just brought.

"Then I'm queen of the Castle!" Nora declared as she raised herself from the sand, arms up in celebration of her own new found glory and royal status, "and the queen demands tribute!"

Ruby considered herself pretty chill, someone easy to get along with and not quickly flustered. Or at least so silly that any of the awkwardness she spilled everywhere would be considered cheeky more than flustered. This, this was flustering.

Nora picked Ruby out of the two, a tribute, pulled up her chin and kissed her. Wasn't a bad touch, kind of warm and nice considering how absolutely freaking cold it was dressed in a bathing suit in autumn. Still, to be fair this was a kiss from a really cute girl, but not the specifically desired cute girl of Ruby's current affections. Nora wasn't a bad kisser, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. The last kiss was over a year ago in a memory she really didn't think she'd be revisiting today. Left the ginger as red and blushed as her hair.

"Nora!" Penny screamed, signaling Nora to stop.

"Not bad, I can see why people would be into that," the Dane mumbled with a giggle.

"That was a bit, uhh, forward. I mean, I don't mind Nora, it wasn't bad, but is that like customary or something?" Ruby answered, trying not to be so flustered. After all she had never been to Denmark, maybe all the girl's smooch each other there, and maybe it was a secret lesbian paradise of freeform kissing fights. Maybe Nora was just being, well, Nora.

She didn't reply outright, taking a moment to think, analyzing something. "Yep, I think you're in the clear!" she decided, spinning right around to Penny with an upraised thumb and a dangerous look in her eye. Now Penny was red and fuming, maybe a little too angry.

"You are the worst dorm mate ever!" Ginger turned against ginger as Penny threw an entire wet sand tower into Nora's face. The Dane dropped onto the floor laughing as Penny threw even more chunks of castle at her. Ruby was actually frightened a bit that the poor girl would begin inhaling chunks of the wet muddy pretend stone between her cries of, "I'm sorry!"

At all this Ruby was surprisingly happy. The castle was completely in ruin, but no dynasty lasts forever. The stuff with Weiss happened, but she had made a new friend with Ren and reinforced two of the best friendships she had even outside of Spain. There was nothing that lamentable about today.

"You two are the best, thanks." The joke fighting just stopped at that. Penny and Nora were twisted into a giant sandy mess on top of each other, which was kind of charming.

"Sorry about that Ruby…" Nora started in a bit of a chuckle, both of them looking a little guilty, but Ruby didn't think anything of it.

"No, it's cool," the smiling student replied, "Nora, I'm sure things will work out with Ren. He seemed to think really highly of you!" Now the blushing cycle was complete as Nora's cheeks turned a little pink, actually a little wordless and embarrassed for once.

"Ruby, you okay?" Penny asked, probably sensing what Ruby had noticed already.

"Yeah, I just think, I think I'm going to just go home today," Ruby declared, knowing just after everything, she was done for today. The gambit of emotions left her a little drained, and now, despite being happy, she wanted to go home and enjoy some chill time. "Penny, you mind copying some notes down for me while I'm gone?"

"How are you going to get home?" Nora asked.

"Uh." That caught Ruby by actual surprise. Yang was her ride to and from the school, making skipping later classes a bit of an impossibility. "Walk? I mean we'll go change first of course!" Ruby answered, already knowing she was being dumb. That was way too long a walk from Beacon, even longer from Vale's beach.

"No, I'll pay for a taxi!" Penny cut in, packing up stuff and going through her wallet.

"No, that's silly," Ruby argued whilst both Penny and Nora ignored her, combing their Euros to cover a taxi.

"No you walking is silly, now shush. How many kilometers is it to your house?"

It was a short walk back to the pub, but a nice one filled with stupid jokes and more talk about Ren, to which Nora admitted her heavy crush on him. Penny mentioned about home some, and Ruby mostly listened. It was good to do that sometimes, just let others talk.

Once they got to the pub Coco yelled at them for tracking in sand and called Ruby a taxi. By the time the three came out of the bathroom, the driver was there. Looking forward to a shower, some time to write, and a lot of snack food, Ruby needed to get home. It was then that they all said goodbye.

Sitting in that taxi as it jerked forward over every soft stone road and bumpy cobble passage, she had some time to think, think about her fortunes with new friends. Penny and Nora were such a lucky find. First thing Ruby was doing when she got home was starting operation friendship with the biggest tray of cookies she could shove in one oven. They would know her chocolaty gratitude.

Though there was one person Ruby wanted to make something else for, maybe some lightly sugared thin cookies for a special girl who seemed a bit more concerned with her weight than anybody else in the dorm. There had to be something she could do to show how much her support meant to Ruby. Just having someone around to actually make this crazy adventure feel normal.

In that moment an old though reoccurred to her, just hanging off the side of her mind. It's always about me. It was, it was too much now. Sitting across the city from the sea, silently in that taxi in position to watch the ocean fade in the distance between the hills and the town itself, Ruby reached for her phone. She was committed to things not just being about her, not just everyone making sure she was happy. Everyone needed someone.

'Whenever your ready Weiss lets talk about you I wanna make sure your okay! :3' The message was short, but anything more would seem pushy. Ruby was content with it, sending away the text out to float its way to Weiss' phone. Just something small since the cookies would take till tomorrow, since right now is when it really matter. She didn't expect any reply though, since Weiss had made being alone pretty clear.

Made the vibration as Ruby sat holding her phone a heart pounding experience

'You're* let's* want to*, but thank you, Ruby. Really.'

She didn't respond after that, but it was okay.

**** Hi all! Sorry again for being late, but college is pretty beast and this semester includes advanced integration in calc and I just don't wanna ;~; But I am still committed to Choice, so even if the releases slow I plan on at minimum one release per month AT MINIMUM. I do hope you liked this chapter even if it's kind of a side one about friendship and shit like that :D Also there's a small rosehammer moment for you few and starving rosehammer shippers lol.

Also can the show just have Coco in it already so I can put her in Choice gosh darn it! D:

Also want to thank Lazy Katze who is editing this pretty much as soon as she gets home 'cus she is a boss and also would like to tease perhaps a upcoming project with her that may or may not totally be coming out next week. HUEHUEHUEHUE