Blood of The Rose

Chapter 35: Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Santa Monica

"I think you could really pull it off, though," Ruby giggled.

The cab driver sighed, a smile quirking the edges of his mouth as he turned his head to the side slightly. "I appreciate the thought," he intoned solemnly. "But I disagree."

"Aww, you sure?"

"Entirely, yes."

"Okay, well… I know people, right?" The brunette snickered from the back seat. "Heh, I can actually say that, sweet… Anyway, no, really, I know Tukson and Nebula and-"

"Yes, I am well acquainted with Tukson and his childer," the driver interjected calmly. "But I like my shirt just fine, thank you."

"Okay, so maybe not, like, a really loud print, but something with some color, maybe red, even?"

"No particular preference, of course," he stated with a small smirk.

"Nah, not at all!" Ruby snickered. "Just give it some thought, okay mister?"

"Of course," he replied levelly. "We are at your destination. For now."

"Thank God," Weiss sighed. "If I had to endure one more minute of your attempts at fashion-"

"Hey! I can be fashionable!" The brunette laughed as she hopped out of the cab and onto the sidewalk. "Well, now, anyways."

"Yes, Ruby," her partner sighed once more, dropping a handful of bills into the cabbie's hand.

He gave them both a regal nod. "Until the next time."

"Okay, mister, drive safe, now!" Ruby waved at the cab as it slowly made its way down the street until it turned the corner. "Huh. Y'know, he never gives us his name."

"A Kindred slumming it as a cab driver?" Weiss shook her head. "I'm certain he would rather remain anonymous."

"Eh, if you say so…" Ruby led the way up the steps of Mercurio's apartment building, coming to a stop at the door and giving it a sharp rap. At the welcome from within, she pushed the door open, Weiss following her into the apartment itself.

"Hey hey, kiddo," Mercurio greeted her genially. "So, you had any luck on that ship, then?" He quickly raised both hands up. "Not that I need the details any, just askin', y'know?"

"Oh, no worries," Ruby smiled, folding her legs under her as she took a seat at the edge of the couch. By this point, her jeans had mostly dried, though with the encrusted salt that only served to make them stiff and slightly uncomfortable. Weiss settled demurely next to her, after giving the couch a suspicious glance to ensure there was no remaining blood to stain her white peacoat dress.

"Besides," the brunette continued, "not much to tell. Got in, got out… took a swim… It's all good."

Mercurio barked out a laugh as he walked across the room to open a cabinet against the wall. "Took a swim, eh? Never a dull moment with ya, is it?"

"Never ever!" she replied cheerfully.

"Alright, lemme see what I got here for ya…" He glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows raised in curiosity. "You still carryin' that peashooter?"

"Um, yeah, not that I can hit much with it…"

"Well, that ain't gonna do ya much good… Okay, check this little beaut out."

He turned around, presenting a black automatic handgun that rested in the palm of his hand. It was a bit larger than her little revolver, but infinitely more deadly-looking.

"Ohhh, neat," she gushed, silver eyes sparkling excitedly. "Will I shoot better with it?"

"Maybe," he chuckled, racking the slide back. He turned his hand to the side so she could see the action and the lever he used to keep it back. "This here, kiddo, is a Glock nineteen semi-compact in nine-mil. I think you can handle it, and it'll be a bit more accurate for ya." He worked the slide again, snapping it back, and ejected the magazine, showing it was empty before slapping it home again. "Go ahead, give it a try."

As she 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the semiautomatic handgun, Mercurio glanced over at the platinum-haired Kindred sitting patiently at Ruby's side. "An' how about you, then, Ice Queen? Anything you'd be needin'?"

"No, thank you," Weiss replied primly. "I'm fine."

Fifteen minutes later, Ruby and Weiss were walking down the hallway again. The brunette's new gun was nestled in the small of her back and tucked into her stiff jeans, while in her hands she ogled her newest prize.

"So… shiny…" she whispered reverently, sliding the katana in and out of the sheath. The fledgling was mesmerized by the sleek sword with the engraving of a thorned vine along both sides of the blade, culminating in a stylized rose.

"It is very pretty," Weiss smirked. "We shall have to work on your swordplay some if you are to be effective with it."

"Oh, yeah, that'd be awesome!" Ruby jumped in place before doing a tight little jig in a circle. "I'm gonna be a ninja for realsies!" she cheered.

"Well… perhaps not quite that far," her partner laughed lightly, steering Ruby down the sidewalk and towards her old Haven. "But I can help you at least become somewhat competent with it. Enough so that you will not sever any of your own limbs."

"Huh. Yeah, that'd be bad."

"Indeed."

The pair shared a smirk before Ruby opened the door to the stairway leading up above Tripp's Pawnshop. Her eyes quickly lit up as she saw who was sitting on the middle step. "Blake!"

"Hello," the raven-haired Kindred greeted them softly. She ducked her head slightly on seeing what Ruby was carrying. "Do you… like it? Er… the sword, that is?"

"Does Pikachu shoot lightning outta his ass?" Ruby giggled. She outright laughed at the confused expression on the Gangrel's face. "That was a 'yes'," she stage-whispered.

"Oh! Well, then… good." Blake peered around the brunette to give a small smile to the other Kindred on the staircase. "Hello, Weiss. Are you well?"

"I am, thank you," the platinum-haired fledgling returned cordially.

The three of them made their way up the stairs and down the hall, Ruby chatting away happily the whole time while regaling Blake with their latest exploits. As they entered the dingy apartment, she finished with how they had a new Haven to move into now.

"A… A key?" Blake repeated blankly. "You would… entrust me with a key to your Haven?"

"Well, yeah!" Ruby grinned disarmingly up at the slightly taller vampire. "We're friends, right?"

"Friends," she repeated with soft wonderment, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I… Yes, yes we are friends. I thank you, Ruby, for this trust, and… I swear I shall not give you cause to regret it."

The brunette gave her a wink as she scooped her clothes up, save for a change of outfit, and stuffed them into her worn backpack. As an afterthought, she grabbed the laptop as well and tried to wedge it in, though without much success at first.

"And… are we... friends as well, Weiss?" the raven-haired Kindred asked hesitantly over the sounds of Ruby's grunts and muttered curses.

Weiss regarded her levelly before giving her a slow nod, accompanied by a very slight smile. "Yes, I believe we can be friends as well, Blake."

"This is… nice," Blake murmured hesitantly. "I have not had… friends before. That I can recall, at least. Er… what, precisely, is a 'fuckwaffle'?"

"Oh, don't mind Ruby, you get used to it," Weiss responded with an airy wave. "Now, be a dear and help me with the bed sheets here? No point in leaving them behind…"

"Certainly," she replied. Blake paused at the foot of the bed, head tilted curiously as she listened to Ruby's latest litany of curses as she pulled all of her clothes out of the bag to start over again. The Gangrel mouthed the word 'twatbiscuit' in confusion as she began to pull the sheets off of the bed.

Finally packed up, and after Ruby had slipped into the bathroom to quickly change clothes, the three Kindred regarded each other in the middle of the dilapidated room. "Whelp, I won't be sorry to leave this place," Ruby chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sooo, Blakey, you gonna try and come Downtown with us? I can fill you in on the Ankaran Sarcophagus on the way…"

"Blakey?" the Gangrel repeated, her brow furrowed.

"Oh, sorry, I mean… I just thought it was a cute nickname?" Ruby replied weakly. "Um, if you don't like it, I don't hafta-"

"No!" Blake interrupted vehemently before backing down and glancing shyly at the floor. "Er, that is… I rather like it… I've just never been called anything other than… just Blake... before."

"Well, okay, then! So how about it, Blakey? You coming with?"

The raven-haired girl looked up, glowing amber eyes shining with determination. "Yes," she stated with steely resolve. "Yes, I shall."

En Route to Downtown LA

Said steely resolve lasted for perhaps half of the trip, which, all things considered, was a rather impressive feat in itself.

Blake let out a small whimper as another car whizzed by in the other direction, blaring its horn at the other car which had cut it off. She was safely ensconced in between both Ruby and Weiss, and with the way her hands were clenched in her lap, it was obvious she was working very hard at not flinging herself out of the moving cab.

"Relax," Ruby murmured soothingly. "We're almost there."

"You said that ten minutes ago!" Blake whispered harshly.

"And we're ten minutes closer, now!"

"Blake, close your eyes," Weiss interrupted calmly.

"But-"

"Close your eyes."

"I can't-"

"Close. Your. Eyes."

"Yes, ma'am," Blake squeaked at the imperious tone from the much younger Kindred. She complied, her breath ragged and harsh as she squeezed her eyelids shut.

"Now, concentrate on my voice. Imagine the forest. Feel it beneath your feet, crouch down and feel the dirt in between your fingers…"

Bit by bit, the Gangrel began to relax, her white-knuckled fists loosening in her lap. As she listened to the platinum-haired fledgling's quiet murmurs, her breathing began to even out as well as the terror encroaching upon the edges of her mind began to recede.

"Can you feel the trees, the leaves?"

"Yes," Blake whispered with a slow smile. "I can…"

"Good. Now open your eyes again, but keep that feeling in your head."

As she opened her eyes slowly, Blake came to realize that the cab had come to a halt. They were, indeed, at their destination.

"Wow…" Ruby breathed wondrously. "You… You're, like, the Blake-whisperer!"

"I'm not…" Weiss let out a semi-irritable huff as she reached into her pocket, handing the fare over to the widely-smirking cabbie. "Don't be a dolt," she finally grumbled.

"That was quite impressive, childe," the cab driver murmured. "There are not many who can soothe an anxious Kindred of the Gangrel line who is not used to the cities."

"Oh, er… Well, thank you. It was nothing, really."

Blake let out a soft sigh as she exited the cab, gazing around with her eyes half-lidded. She didn't breathe in the smells of the city, rather, keeping the scent of the forest with her.

"Thank you," she addressed Weiss with quiet warmth.

The fledgling smiled, giving Blake a nod. "You are welcome."

"Okay, guys!" Ruby cheered, spreading her arms over her head to encompass the building before them. "This is it! Skyline Apartments! Fourth floor, here we come!"

The trio entered through the double doors, Ruby letting out a squawk as her backpack got caught on the handle. She freed herself with an irritated grunt before turning back around and peering across the small lobby.

"Oh!" she squeaked, startled by the presence of a uniformed police officer standing against the wall next to the doors. "Hiya!"

"Evenin'," the cop greeted them levelly. "You bunch live here or visiting?"

"Oh, yep, we're livin' here now!" the brunette responded cheerfully. "Apartment four!"

"Ah, right," he responded with a grin. "Your… friends already went up, told me to expect you… Um, the hot blonde, is she single by any chance?"

Ruby and Weiss shared a smirk while Blake just looked on confusedly. "Yep, she sure is!" the brunette replied, chuckling. "She's my sister, actually."

"No shit? Um… My name's Bob, think you could put in a good word for me?"

"You betcha, Bob! My name's Ruby, by the way, and my sister's name is Yang!"

"Yang," he repeated with a faraway look. "What a nice name…"

Snickering, Ruby led the other two Kindred over to the elevator. "Yang's always had a way," she laughed in a soft voice. "Guess bein' what we are, now, only makes it worse, huh?"

"Oh, undoubtedly," Weiss smirked. "At least she's got a willing 'donor' close by."

"Hmm. Maybe she could order carryout?"

"Or a housecall."

"Room service!"

"Er… excuse me," Blake interjected over the pair of fledglings' giggles. "What are we waiting for?"

Ruby glanced over her shoulder. "The elevator!"

"I see." Blake's brow furrowed as she tried to remember the term from long ago. "And this… elevator… will take us… to…" As the doors dinged and opened, her amber eyes suddenly widened in shocked realization as a very small "eep" flew from her parted lips.

"Now, Blake…" Weiss soothed.

Ruby, though, was quick to spring into action. She grabbed both of the Gangrel's hands, immediately gaining her wild-eyed attention.

"Hey, just like in the cab, right? C'mon, Blakey, it's no big deal, we'll all go up together…"

From behind, Weiss placed her own delicate hands on the raven-haired Kindred's shoulders which were trembling slightly. "Remember the forest…" she murmured, moving the three of them forward together.

"Forest… right…" Blake squeaked breathlessly. She gave a jump as the doors closed behind them. Weiss pulled one hand back to hit the number 'four', and as the elevator gave a lurch, Blake jumped yet again, almost crushing Ruby's hands in the process.

"S- Sorry," she whispered at the brunette's pained wince.

"Don't worry about it, Blakey, look, we're at our floor already!"

She turned around as the door opened to reveal a short hallway. To the left was a clouded window, while across the way was a single door.

"Oh," Blake murmured, relaxing muscles she hadn't realized were tensed up. "Er… That wasn't so bad, really."

Ruby giggled as she led them out and into the hallway, giving Blake's hands a squeeze before releasing them. "Nah, see, you did just fine!"

"Yes, thank you both…"

"Don't even worry about it," Weiss smiled. "Now, then, shall we see your new Haven, Ruby? And, perhaps, what your sister has done with the place in your absence?"

"Ugh, I forgot to set any conditions," Ruby groaned. "Son of a shitbiscuit, she had a frigging disco ball in her bedroom, even…"

"No."

"She did, cross my heart!"

Weiss let out an inelegant snort. "Somehow, I suppose that does not surprise me."

Ruby's knock was quickly answered by the blonde in question, who wrapped the brunette up in a tight hug. "Heya, Rubbles! Wait till you see the place! It's the bee's knees!"

"Urk!" her sister grunted. "Um… yeah… hey… Yang… meet… Blake…"

"Oh!" Yang let her go, allowing her to slump wearily almost to the floor, were it not for Weiss' quick reflexes. "Hey, there! I'm Yang, Ruby's big sister and resident ass-kicker!"

"Er, hello," Blake replied with a shy duck of her head. "It's… a pleasure to meet you."

"Well, don't just stand there, come on in!"

As the three were ushered into the apartment, they all paused in the entryway, staring about in surprise.

It was a loft apartment, with a living room at the front that had two couches and a comfortable armchair arranged around a wall-mounted big-screen television. To the right was a staircase that led up to the loft area, which contained a bedroom and then an open study area. Across the way and under the bedroom was a kitchen and a separate dining area, already furnished with a round table and four chairs. Behind that was what looked to be a bathroom and an open storage closet, perhaps a pantry. A ceiling fan spun lazily overhead.

But the crowning glory of the entire place was the fish tank set into the left-hand wall, stretching from waist-height to above the ceiling of the first level, and easily just as wide across. Schools of bright fish swam in circles amongst the coral and seaweed and blue rocks.

"Wow," Ruby breathed. "This… is seriously cool."

"Indeed," Weiss murmured appreciatively. "In fact, this is a step above my own Haven."

"No kiddin'?"

"I kid you not," Weiss chuckled, turning toward the entrance to close the door behind them, but then pausing in concern. "Er… Blake? Are you well?"

"She's been like this since you guys stepped in," Yang chuckled, watching the Gangrel with amusement. "Ain't torn her eyes away yet."

The raven-haired Kindred was transfixed, watching the fish swim about with an avid gaze. Her mouth was parted slightly as her amber eyes followed the aquatic creatures unblinkingly.

Ruby laughed quietly as she stepped past Weiss and closed the door, locking it behind them. "I think she's got an even better reason to visit us, now," she grinned. Her expression sobered suddenly as another figure stepped out from the kitchen, regarding her intently.

"Oh, yeah," the brunette mumbled. "Um, hey there, Heather…"

"I'm so glad you're back," the redhead gushed enthusiastically as she walked forward. "I've been waiting here with your… um… sister, just like you asked!"

"Yeah, awesome," Ruby grinned weakly.

"Is there something I can do for you? Anything? Just ask…"

"Ruby," her partner murmured from behind. "You should really… explain some things to her, now."

"Oh, yeah, suppose I should…" Ruby let out a sigh as Weiss and Yang moved past them to sit on a couch. Yang grabbed a remote off of the square coffee table and flipped a news channel on, leaving the sound at the lowest level. Weiss settled down at the opposite end, watching the news anchorman without comment. "Alright, um, let's sit for a sec, okay?"

The brunette stepped around the seemingly comatose Gangrel to plop into a chair at the dining table, Heather taking her own seat right next to her. With a grunt, Ruby twisted around in her chair and scooted it backwards a bit.

"Okay, so… um… Heather, let's talk about your… um… duties? Or, I mean…" Ruby let out a frustrated groan. "Look, you said you wanted to be helpful, right?"

"Yes, absolutely!"

"So… what I need from you… is to, um… watch over me and my friends during the day, when I, um… sleep."

"Oh, you're a night person?" Heather smiled chipperly. "Me too!"

"Okay, no, look…" Ruby ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "So, the reason you survived was… because of my blood, okay? I'm… I'm a vampire, and you're, like, bound to me, now." She sighed, looking down at the floor morosely. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You're… what?" Heather blinked her eyes, pushing her glasses up on her nose in confusion. "You're, um, joking, right? That's slang for something, like catcher, or some fetish term, right? Not like a…" She waved her arms about erratically. "Bleh, bleh… vampire… right?"

"Nope," she sighed again. "Vampire, as in… vampire. My blood is in you, with your blood, and… I know this is a lot, I mean, it's not like I meant to make you my ghoul… Um, that's… kinda the term for… what you are, now…"

"No… no, there's no such thing." The redhead leaned back in her chair, looking around wildly but finding no solace in the uncaring presence of the other three Kindred. "You're… this isn't funny anymore."

"Yeah, I get it, um…" Ruby rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing awkwardly. "Look, if you want, you can just leave, okay? I mean, there's nothing that says-"

"No!" Heather interrupted shrilly. She shrank back as she realized that her tone had gotten a bit out of hand, glancing around fearfully, but still, Ruby was the only one to look her way. "Please, don't make me leave," she finally whispered. "I… I don't care what you are, just don't make me leave, please…"

"Okay, okay… um…" Ruby rubbed at her temples to ward off a returning headache. "Cool, then."

"And… are all of…" Heather gestured subtly towards the other three Kindred. "Them, vampires as well?"

"Yeah, they are, and they're gonna stay here from time to time, so… um…" Ruby cleared her throat and sat up straighter. "Okay. So, if you're gonna stay, here's the rules. For now. Um… Anything that any of my friends say is like I said it, okay? So, you do what they tell you."

"Okay, I can do that," Heather nodded rapidly.

"And… so, when the sun is up, we're all asleep, so… make sure we stay safe?" Ruby frowned, unsure how the girl before her could manage such a feat, but she hoped that some of that supposed strength and toughness that ghouls attained would help. Not that it helped Knox much…

"Absolutely, I'll make sure nobody bothers you during the day!"

"Um, great… and maybe… clean a little?" Ruby shrugged. "I really don't have all that much for you to do…"

"Not a problem!" Heather smiled widely. "What else can I do to show my appreciation?"

Yang let out an amused snort, earning both a glare from the brunette and a light slap on the arm from the other fledgling.

"Well, how about… You tell me a little about yourself? I mean, we're kinda… stuck with each other, now, right?"

"Me?" The redhead seemed genuinely surprised at the question. "I'm not so special, you know. I go to college, I'm majoring in fashion design… I think I'm pretty creative. I just started school… a year late, because my… my parents died… um, car crash. I didn't really have anyone special in my life… until you came along."

Ruby didn't even bother to glare at the muffled snerk that escaped from her sister, but the corners of her mouth briefly quirked at the slightly louder slap that followed it.

"Um, yeah… I'm sorry to hear that." Ruby looked away briefly. "My parents are dead, too."

"Oh."

"Well, anyways…" Ruby got out of the chair with a huff. "So, glad we cleared that up. Um… I'm gonna go check upstairs, unpack and everything…" She paused with a frown. "Oh, hey, you know what I just realized?"

"What's that, Rubes?" Yang prompted.

"Well, we got two things to do here in this very building, right? I mean, Paul's apartment is here, and then that Muddy guy is staying here as well! We should go check 'em out while we still can!"

"Yep, good idea. I mean, a lil' proactive investigation wouldn't hurt for Kilpatrick if I give 'im a call first, an' since I got me a bounty hunter license and all..." The blonde levered herself up from the couch, regarding the other occupant with a grin. "You wanna come be an accomplice, Ice Queen?"

"Pass," Weiss returned shortly. "I shall stay and make sure Blake does not actually break the glass on the fish tank."

"I don't think she's moved a muscle," Ruby murmured, eyeing the frozen Gangrel.

Yang chuckled as she flung an arm around her sister and led them back out of the apartment. "Imagine what she'd be like in an aquarium… she's already pawsitively mesmerized."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Yang…"

A/N: Am I playing the whole kitty cat thing up a bit too much with Blake? Nahhh… In any case, apologies for spoiling you with a solid month of regular updates, but this story will be going on a short hiatus again. I want to concentrate on getting Prophecy finished and there's obviously a little bit of gameplay I still need to do for the next chapter to make sure I get it right. Probably should dedicate an entire weekend for a playthrough and just record the whole thing. Hopefully another month or two and we'll be back in action!

Much love for my talented and patient cowriter, SilvanaCrowe, and hugs to you awesome readers and reviewers! Sharkdude5, carpenter656, Gwynevere Whisper, JimmyHall24, zerosabers, AntonSlavik020, Blacsparrow, kinigget, noone297, Mossblomma, RealTerminal, Haley Earthstone, till the next time!

Stay shiny!