Chapter 20

The rest of the night went well, Blake thought, though Ruby was oddly silent for much of it. It was rare that Blake went out, even rarer to be invited, but she had figured it was worth the chance, if only to learn more about the people Ruby consorted with, who Weiss considered friends. It came as no surprise that Weiss herself did not show. She came off as the sort to hide from the sympathy of others, dealing with her issues in private. Blake understood that, and what a strange feeling it was to relate to a Schnee.

"Sooo…" Ruby sleepily slurred. Lightweight, Blake scoffed internally. "Whadidya' think of 'em?"

"I liked 'em, haven't had food that good in years." Sun praised, petting his stomach.

Blake scoffed. "Because you have shit taste in food."

"Oh, and you're a world class cook!" Sun jabbed sarcastically. "Besides, you were enjoying yourself. Don't think I've ever seen you praise food before."

Blake shrugged. "The sushi was perfect."

"I wasn't really sure you'd like it there...I've never seen you smile at anyone else." Ruby noted.

True, but then again Blake rarely smiled, she saw no reason to most of the time and felt no need to do so. Still, exceptions existed. "They're Mistrali, I gave them the benefit of the doubt."

"How come?" Ruby questioned.

"Mistral's really Faunus friendly." Sun explained. "At least the cities. Like, besides Menagerie it's probably the best place to be a Faunus."

"Faunus have deep roots in their cultures Ruby." Blake continued. "Our kind are respected."

"Oh...did you live there once?" Ruby asked again.

Blake's ears flicked. "Once." Came her clipped response.

Ruby ducked her head. "Oh, okay…"

"I don't say this lightly Ruby." Blake began. "The Mistrali are strong, proud people, and loyal to their loved ones, friends and family...even strangers." She let out a breath. "Keep them close, and they will take good care of you."

"I will!" Ruby promised. "I'll try...I mean...by take care do you mean as friends...or more. Because I didn't expect Pyrrha to be so open about...sex." She blushed, stifling a giggle.

Sun laughed. "Yeah, that was weird. Like, damn, no shame."

"Considering her mother is a Spring cultist, it's no surprise." Blake sighed, stopping at an intersection and rubbing her tired eyes.

"Spring clutist?" Sun balked.

"It's like the Church of Summer, right?" Ruby asked.

"Similar, but for fertility rather than prosperity." Blake confirmed.

"Ooooh…" Ruby nodded.

"How do you know?" Sun challenged.

"The idol, traditionally mothers gift them to their children when they reach maturity." Blake explained.

"Weird." Ruby observed.

"Religion is weird Ruby, but it's all many have." Blake noted.

"I know...I didn't mean anything-" Ruby started.

"I know Ruby." Blake sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Try to rest. That wine is stronger than you expected."

"Okay." Ruby agreed.

"I didn't know you were religious." Sun spoke to Blake.

"Hmm." Blake grunted. No, Blake was not religious, not really, but she gave respect where it was due. That was one of her mother's most important lessons.

Ruby slept in the next day. After all, the wine had been stronger than expected. She had already done her shopping the prior day, so there was nothing stopping her from snuggling into her covers and dozing the day away before work called her back into action. She enjoyed this ritual, but rarely got to indulge in it...ever really. When she was young her parents wanted everyone helping around the house. When she was in college Yang might have barged in unannounced at any moment, and that put to bed any extracurricular plans. Now...she could do anything. Sun was always more considerate of privacy than Yang, and Blake would at least knock before entering. Plus with her sense of smell...well she would probably be averse to entering if Ruby were up to no good. But lately Ruby had just...lost the spark for that. Neon kept coming to mind, and with it more loneliness.

Better to focus on more pleasant things, like Carmine! Ruby regretted not asking for her details, but maybe she would appear next week. Blake said she had made sure she got home safe, but not before Sun had to peel Ruby off of her. Ruby did not appreciate the grin Blake wore upon telling her that. So she got clingy when she was drunk, maybe she just wanted more hugs! Sun would not judge for hugs, he was reliable like that.

When they were young and Yang was not around, Sun was, and when he was Ruby got all the hugs she wanted with half the teasing. And piggy backs, and tickle fights, all that good stuff. On a rainy day she could always be sure of Sun filling the gaps Yang occasionally left in Ruby's life. His departure really was a sign of changing times for the two. She never expected it would take so long to see him again. They really needed to do more together, but it was not fair to try and monopolize Blake's partner. She needed his cheer far more than Ruby did.

And so it came back to Ruby's loneliness. Bummer, she thought, no more dozing for her. She needed to take her mind off the negative. It never served her well in life, and it would not start now. Throwing off the covers, Ruby shivered as the frigid air surrounding her set in. She attempted to curl up into a ball, but suddenly her leg began to ache. "Fffffffffudge, cramp!" She groaned, stretching her leg out straight as her thigh ached and throbbed in sudden pain. "Goawaygoawaygoawaygoaway…"

Several taps rung on the door. "You alright in there?" Sun asked.

"Yep, just a cramp!" Ruby yelped, letting out a sigh of relief as the cramp began to dissipate. "Morning Sun!"

"Afternoon Rubes." Sun laughed, before the sound of footsteps indicated his departure.

Stretching her leg anew, Ruby carefully shifted off the mattress, gently putting weight upon the offending limb. The last thing she wanted was to spend the day in pain again, or even think about it really. Ignorance was bliss, literally in this case. Thankfully no pain returned, and that was a blessing Ruby could relish as she gathered her clothes and towel, and made her way to the bathroom for a nice, long shower. Showers made everything feel better.

Refreshed and rugged up, Ruby went about cleaning her room. Not all of her clothes made their way into the same pile. She made a mental note to buy a hamper, and a coat hanger for the door, and more underwear...and socks. Life was hard. She never knew what was needed until she did not have it. School did not teach her these things, her parents always took care of them, or Yang did at least. It was a shocking reality to find out just how inexperienced she was. Thank the gods Sun and Blake put up with her asking for toilet paper.

Ruby needed to brainstorm a big list of life things, stuff she would never think about on her own but other people might. She should call home. Really, Ruby should have been calling home a lot more often, but weekdays were so busy, and the weekend was mostly spent sleeping. More often than not, the best she could manage were random texts to her parents and sister. It was never enough.

Flopping back down on the bed, Ruby reached for her scroll, swiping it open and heading to her contacts. Her priority list had been growing - Mom, Dad and Yangarang were now followed by Big Choc, Pyrrha, Sun and Blake. She had not sent Blake a message yet. Ruby was not sure Blake would appreciate Sun giving out her number like that, but for emergencies it was valuable. She was family after all, or as close to family as could be in Atlas.

Blake's words from the prior night had surprised Ruby, fuzzy though her head may have been. Sure, Pyrrha and Ren had invited them out, multiple times in Pyrrha's case, but Ruby only took it as politeness - over politeness, like perfect politeness. Maybe it just spoke of how inexperienced Ruby was at making friends. Flings were so much easier, alcohol made everyone cut out the middle man, eliminated her socially awkward nature. She did not second guess herself when her inhibitions were nullified. She did not blush like an innocent school girl at the mention of sex either. She just blushed all the time, so no one could tell either way.

Tapping the contact for her father, Ruby tapped out a quick text.

[Ruby: Hey dad, are you busy?]

Ruby did not have to wait very long for his response.

[Dad: Not at all! Just grading some papers. How is everything? You okay?]

[Ruby: I'm fine, just a bit homesick, but it's a bit late to run home now]

[Dad: It's never too late. There's always stuff to do here.]

[Ruby: I take it back, I love it here]

[Dad: hahaha]

[Dad: But seriously, everything okay?]

[Ruby: Yeah, just realizing I've got a lot to learn about life]

[Dad: Such as?]

[Ruby: Remembering to buy toilet paper]

[Dad: Oh I always forget that. If it weren't for your mother I wouldn't survive. Seriously, Summer carried me through highschool, and most of college until I got my shizz together.]

[Ruby: Yang did the same for me]

[Dad: I'd say Summer taught her well but…]

[Ruby: She did, Yang's just being stubborn]

[Dad: I think she's coming around, they cook together sometimes.]

[Ruby: Oh man dinner was great last night, I think Pyrrha and Ren gave mom a run for her money]

[Dad: Don't type that so loud! She might hear and fly over to challenge them!]

[Ruby: A competition with me as the judge? That's a win-win for me!]

[Dad: Not when your mother loses her shizz and stabs them with a carving knife]

[Ruby: Isn't that against her religion?]

[Dad: Depends on her mood]

Ruby laughed at that.

[Ruby: Can I call you?]

[Dad: Sure, you want me to get mom and Yang?]

[Ruby: We haven't talked alone in ages, I miss my dad]

Ruby's phone rung instantly. She smiled widely as she answered.

"Well I miss my baby girl." Tai greeted.

"Hey dad, how's work?" Ruby asked.

"About the same as usual." Tai replied. "Kids are kids, none of them as bad as you or your sister were."

"Pfft, my record is still unbroken?" Ruby chuckled.

"Not even close." Tai answered.

"Yes!" Ruby pumped her fist.

"What about you?" Tai inquired. "How's it going at the big SDC?"

"Good, mostly." Ruby replied. "You saw the news."

"Yeah, you did great Rubes." Tai praised. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks dad." Ruby beamed.

"What's been going on since?" Tai asked.

"Nothing really." Ruby replied. "There's a gala coming up in a few weeks, and Weiss is really concerned about making it go safely. So Friday was really flat out, and tomorrow probably will be too."

"There's a chance something might happen?" Tai pressed.

"I don't know." Ruby sighed. "I mean it's Atlas. The Fang are in Mistral and Vacuo...I hope not."

"How's your leg holding up?" Tai changed the subject.

"It's fine, aches sometimes." Ruby admitted. "It's cold here."

"And Sun and Blake?" Tai continued.

"They're fine, Blake and I are getting closer...I think." Ruby hoped.

"That's great!" Tai cheered. "The tough ones are the most satisfying nuts to crack."

"I wouldn't say she's cracking...more like...she's not so hard toward me anymore." Ruby suggested.

"Sounds like...Qrow." Tai reminisced. "Even at his best it was more like he was accepting your annoyance than accepting you."

"Speak for yourself, he's always loved me." Ruby preened.

"He loves his flask more than he loves you." Tai deadpanned.

"With you in his life?" Ruby laughed. "I can hardly blame him."

"Now I know you've spent too much time with him." Tai teased.

"I could hardly spend any time with him." Ruby noted. "He's always running around for that Ozpin guy."

"And yet he still managed to corrupt you." Tai complained. "My own daughter, turned against me!"

"Don't worry dad, you're still the one who gave me my first beer." Ruby reminded.

"And Summer never let me live it down." Tai sighed. Ruby giggled. "But seriously, everything else is fine?"

"Yeah, there's nothing really wrong at all…" Ruby trailed off.

"Buuut?" Tai pressed.

Ruby sighed. They used to talk about things like this all the time when she was young and innocent. But when she hit puberty Summer took over, ever a fountain of wisdom and knowledge, and that was that. Maybe Tai could offer a unique perspective. "All my friends are with each other, except Weiss, but she's like...married to the company, so she's off the market too. But everyone else is a couple, and I just feel like I missed a step somewhere."

"You're only young Ruby." Tai encouraged.

"I know, I know, but it still feels weird." Ruby continued. "You and mom...well you knew each other young."

"And it took years before we got together Rubes, and a lot happened in between." Tai noted.

"I know...but...you had something with each other." Ruby managed. "Now that I'm out here and I see everyone around me together, I just can't help it."

"Try not to think of it as missing something Rubes." Tai advised. "You're not anything less if you don't have a partner, and being with someone doesn't make you better than anyone either. Relationships are things that can come and go, or come and stay, you never know. And trying to force it won't help anybody. Just take every day as it comes. Spend time with your friends, don't get hung up on not having more. It's just one of those things in life that happens when it happens. It might take a while, it might be tomorrow, no one knows, but you will know when it does. Until then just...enjoy life to the fullest you can. There's no sense worrying about something that doesn't really matter yet."

Her father's words rang true, but did not soothe her as much as she had hoped. Loneliness was difficult to ignore, especially with companionship dangled before her eyes. "I'll try." Not that she could do much more.

"That's all we can ever do, isn't it?" Tai asked.

"Yeah…" Ruby sighed.

"Friendship is more important than love Ruby." Tai declared. "Raven and Summer were my sisters before they were my wives...oh man, that sounds awful."

Ruby laughed. "I know what you mean dad, I understand."

"Never been good with words." Tai admitted. "That's always been your mother's strength."

"You mean well, thanks dad." Ruby allowed. "I just...needed parental advice."

"Well I still think your mother would be better at it." Tai suggested.

"I can't let her have all the credit." Ruby noted. "I'm a daddy's girl, remember?"

"Now you're just sucking up." Tai accused.

"I can always stop!" Ruby threatened.

"No!" Tai plead. "Don't leave me alone! You're distracting me from...ugh, history essays."

"Well the sooner you get it done, the sooner you can go play." Ruby teased.

Ruby heard Tai sigh, followed by the sound of a dull thump. "Throwing my own words at me."

"You know it." Ruby chuckled.

Tai laughed. "Goodnight Ruby, I love you."

"I love you too dad, give mom and Yang hugs for me!" Ruby responded.

"I will, seeya'." Tai promised.

"Bye!" Ruby cheered.

Ruby hung up, letting her scroll fall by her side, and stared at the ceiling. She missed her father, she missed her mother, and she missed Yang. Maybe she should ask Yang to ship herself to Atlas. Blake would probably not be happy, but she might be able to smooth things over. Yang could earn her keep by cooking and bunk with Ruby, like old times. Blake might be unhappy, but at least Ruby would not have to sleep alone anymore. If only it were that simple. Maybe if she fell asleep on the couch Blake might stay up and snuggle.