Weirdly Happy
Ruby braced herself for the questions, accusations, beatings, or anything really. She’d more than deserve it.
Instead however all she felt was a pair of bodies collide with her and try to squeeze the life out of her.
“How? We saw you in the cell!” Velvet said as she molded herself to her girlfriends side.
“I’m sure you did. Like I said it’s a long story.”
“We’re not going anywhere, and I suspect you’re going to have a lot of making up to do at the end of it. Explain,” Weiss demanded as Ruby obliged with a small nod.
“Around fourteen or fifteen hundred years ago I was born. It was in a country that no longer exists but was in the area around where Mistral meets Vacuo today.
I’d still wanted to help people and so took up the role of healer for my town. That’s when I met her,” Ruby said fondly.
“Your girlfriend. The one you said was murdered,” Velvet confirmed.
“Correct. Maria is… was , something else. Her story is her own, but she was a Salubri. Her name she was born with was Qawiyya of the warrior caste,” Ruby said, pointing to the third eye on her head.
Weiss had slightly moved back to look for something. With a grin Ruby handed her a small notepad to take notes in for questions.
“At any rate she found me after some invading force had decimated the town for a reason I’ve never cared to look into. I was still trying to help the wounded,” Ruby said, shaking her head.
“She was incredible. What would take me hours, or even be impossible she could do in moments. I followed her around as best I could, and when she was done she asked me if I wanted to learn!”
“And you accepted?” Velvet asked as she grew tired of the distance between Weiss and the two of them and pulled her back in.
“I did. I didn’t find out until later what she was. I didn’t even care that she was a ‘demon’ or whatever. The third eye was weird but I mean the chance to help people was worth whatever happened to me after I died,” Ruby explained with a shrug.
“Sounds like you’re still the same,” Weiss said softly, likely glad that everything wasn’t a lie and that something seemed in order.
“She trained me, and then turned me later. Afterward she was my guide to Golcanda. Once I’d achieved that...I don’t know how but while I was in my own journey I was vulnerable.
Watts had coveted her power and sent assassins after us. I don’t know how many she killed but I do know she was on the verge of her final death by the time I finished my journey.
When I saw what they’d done to her? I destroyed them, utterly. Facing one vampire of Maria’s caliber was a daunting proposition. Facing another who’d just achieved enlightenment? It was a slaughter. Only one got away.
Maria took it as a sign that she was ready to pass on. As you heard from Cinder, that means…”
“Oh Ruby,” Weiss said, looking conflicted as Velvet squeezed them both tightly.
“I do my best to keep her memory alive by wearing her old cloak, and trying to help as she did. I’ve been doing my best to catch up to and destroy Watts for his part in things ever since.”
“How much of everything was your doing?” Weiss asked with narrowed eyes.
“Almost everything truthfully,” Ruby admitted with a shrug.
“Even your own kidnapping?” Velvet asked with a blink as she stared up at her.
Ruby nodded and booped her nose causing Velvet to screw it up as she tried not to sneeze before she glared cutely at Ruby.
“Raven owed me a favor and I knew you were looking for your mother. When the Malachites offered information on Watts, and the location of your mother I needed a reason for ‘Ruby’ the doctor to be out of the picture so I could look into it,” Ruby admitted with a shrug.
“Is Yang a vampire?” Velvet asked.
Ruby winced but nodded. “Yes, but she doesn’t know it.”
“How can’t she know?”
“I found Yang a long time ago. A very long time ago. She’d been separated from her parents who’d been killed in front of her. Well two of them, the third was away at the time. The trauma broke her,” Ruby said with a shrug.
“I helped stitch her mind back together as best I could, but somehow she thought of and latched onto me as her sister. Younger sister even. Without altering her mind on a basic level I couldn’t change that, and while it’s easily doable I have no desire to actually do that to someone. Thus Yang was born.
When I travel I take Yang with me, and every so often I make it seem like she’s aging to anyone who’s looking, including her. After enough time has passed I wipe her memories and we start someplace else.
She grew on me remarkably quickly. For all intents and purposes she’s my sister as far as I’m concerned. Her parents are what I use the templates for her memories as a way to honor them.”
“Is there really no way to help Yang heal her mind?” Weiss asked.
“I’ve tried, and am trying. It’s very slow going. Her trauma is so deeply ingrained and her mind was so fractured I’m as amazed she’s as stable as she is,” Ruby admitted. “Again I could just wave my hand and fix it but I don’t want to fundamentally alter who she is.”
“So she latched onto you somehow,” Weiss mused.
“She wasn’t the only one. Her birth mother did eventually track me down. I was rather impressed at her tenacity. Yang however…didn’t respond as well to it as I’d hoped.
I’ve been introducing them every so often and it’s getting better. Yang actually calls her mom nowadays. Raven still calls me her daughter even though I’m older,” Ruby said as she wrinkled her nose.
Velvet laughed at how absurd she looked.
“What happens to Pyrrha then? When Yang gets older?” Weiss asked.
“Nothing. Pyrrha will be around for a good long while and she’s already clued in Yang on the supernatural so this will take far longer than normal.”
“Does Pyrrha know?” Velvet asked.
“She does. Once it looked like it was serious I explained as a doctor what had happened to Yang. If the relationship looks as though it will lead to marriage I’ll have another sit down with her as,” Ruby gestured to herself in her robe.
“How do you have a tattoo? I thought vampires healed so quickly it just wasn’t possible,” Weiss asked after a moment.
“I actually don’t!” Ruby laughed as she pulled up her sleeve to reveal pristine skin. “I knew you were coming and got one of those washable tattoos when I knew you’d be in from Velvet, and anytime we were together I did the same.”
Velvet giggled as Weiss whined at being fooled and led astray by a child’s tattoo.
“So the dreams were you?” Velvet asked.
“They were,” Ruby said easily.
“Just why?” Weiss said after a beat.
“In Yang’s case it was more of me trying to help her deal with her mental trauma. Typically that’s what it manifests as. It would have been very obvious if you only had good dreams and everyone else had night terrors so I just let it play out.”
“So you stole the blood then?”
“Hardly stealing,” Ruby joked until Weiss gave her an unimpressed look. “I took it and left the trail I’d knew you’d follow. I needed you to do your part and get you to continue looking at the club, and help expose Watts pawns.”
“Why did he think he took it then?” Velvet put in.
“And what if they’d killed me?” Weiss asked incredulously.
“I let him think he got it, and I needed it to serve as a wake up call to you. Besides I was ready to interfere until I sensed this one coming your way.
Had it looked bad I would have stepped in as the sponsor and warned everyone away. You were never in any danger that night. I wouldn’t allow it, but if you thought or knew you had a safety net in play you’d never try to improve or find the answers on your own.”
“And you little bun would never have moved past thinking of your powers as a curse without motivation,” Ruby said gently petting Velvet’s ears.
“I don’t like being manipulated,” Weiss said as Velvet agreed.
“I don’t enjoy doing it to people I care about, but I’d rather have you alive and furious at me than dead.”
“Never again,” Weiss said.
“I know we aren’t really equals. We’ll never be as strong as you are, but you have to promise, and mean it. No more of this behind the scenes manipulation, or at least tell us. Please, Ruby,” Velvet begged.
Ruby looked into her chocolate eyes and nodded sadly. “I’m sorry. When you’re as old as I am with plans and plots that span centuries sometimes it’s very easy to lose track of what matters.”
“Cinder knew the whole time? Actually, wait, who was that man she was carrying?” Weiss asked.
“Her sire, Rhodes. She’s been looking for him and I was fairly sure Watts had him so it was yet another reason we started things, and yes she’s known the whole time.
She just put on a show for you, or did you really think an elder vampire wouldn’t know people can listen in at a door?” Ruby asked in an amused tone of voice.
“That’s why it didn’t bother me as much as Winter!” Weiss said as Ruby nodded at her deduction.
“Subconsciously you knew it was me, and I’d never wish to harm either of you so it didn’t hit you as hard as your sister or the others.”
“And the uh extra eye?” Velvet asked as she tapped her own forehead.
“Covered with makeup most of the time, or if I needed to use my abilities, something else like a cleaning rag, or sleeping mask. It can remain closed when I’m not doing anything but it bleeds slightly when used as it opens so unless I want to broadcast what I am, I make sure it’s covered.”
“The apartment when we all came over and you were cleaning, and the blood I found on the couch after you slept on it,” Weiss said.
“And when we stayed over. I’m so stupid,” Velvet said with a whine. “You can’t see DNA or telomeres on the simple stuff you had here, not normally, but you already knew what the blood was so you just pretended and told us what you knew while showing us slides.”
“What didn’t you plan?” Weiss asked.
“On Cinder eating my chips for one,” Ruby joked which helped lighten the mood. “I’m sorry. I know seeing me ‘dead’ was cruel, and so was counting on your reactions to get Watts to lower his guard enough for me to deal with him in a more poetic way.”
“Was it the only way?” Velvet asked.
“No. I could have ended it in moments if I chose to, but I wanted him to think he had it all, and then pull the rug from under him.”
“He spent a thousand years getting stronger and he was still that weak?” Weiss asked.
“He was strong, far stronger than when he was first turned but the difference in generational levels increases exponentially the farther up you go. A twelfth and thirteenth are fairly close, but Watts wasn’t anywhere near a fourth of fifth generation. He was maybe a seventh or sixth if you were feeling generous. He’d have needed thousands more years to get close to my level, and that just assumes I wouldn’t get stronger in that time.”
“Winter did tell us that Cinder said it took all thirteen third generations to beat the three seconds,” Velvet mused.
“Correct and it was still a costly win for them they nearly lost.”
“I’m looking back over all of our interactions in a new light. Even you asking to come into my apartment when I brought over Velvet, and the blood from your arm at the club,” Weiss said as she rubbed her forehead in agitation.
“I don’t want to think about the past. I want to know…if there’s a real future for us,” Velvet said.
“Was it all a lie?” Weiss asked once more.
“No. It wasn’t. I could have thought of dozens of other ways to deal without it involving either of you, but I grew fond of you. Vampires as a rule fall hard and fast. I knew as soon as I met both of you that I wanted nothing more than that dream you had earlier,” Ruby whispered.
“Let’s…talk a bit more. I still have questions,” Weiss said.
“Of course.”
“So how are you feeling kid?” Raven asked as Yang rubbed her head.
“Mom, right? Kinda awful. At least Ruby is alright though,” Yang said as she squeezed Pyrrha’s hands.
“I’ll be back to check on you later but I see you’re in good hands for now,” Raven said with a grin as Yang offered a wave, and Pyrrha a nod to her.
“Why did you bring us here?” Blake asked seriously as soon as Raven left the room and wiped at her eye.
“You don’t belong with the tribe. I can tell it’s not for you. Vale is much more your speed. Speak with Cinder, and her sponsor and start a new life in the city. Here’s some money to get you started,” Raven said, handing over an envelope.
“You’ll still visit?” Ilia asked seriously.
“From time to time. I have daughters old and new to check on after all,” Raven said with a smile as Ilia beamed and spun Blake in a circle, the darker haired woman laughing at Ilia’s smiling face.
Emerald held up yet another handmade outfit Coco had given her. One thing she really should have anticipated was that Coco was going to use her new abilities to create even more clothes faster than before and she insisted that while Emerald had a great style going for her she needed an even better one now that showed Coco’s influence.
Honestly she was just glad the feelings from last night were gone and she could look to a new day, metaphorically, with Coco now.
That was until she was hit in the face with something.
A belly dancer outfit? SHE WASN’T WEARING THIS!
“Adel what the hell is this?” Emerald demanded.
“Your new at home attire obviously. I know you can’t go out in the street or of the house like that, but around here it’ll look great,” Coco assured her.
“Excuse you?”
“Yeah you might be older but I’m the top here babe. Especially now that the whole ghoul thing is over with.”
“This was a mistake,” Emerald said as she sank to the bed determined to be done with the conversation.
“Hey. You didn’t see what my at home outfit is yet did you? Or what it’s not rather…” Coco teased.
Emerald was suddenly much more interested in the conversation again.
“What a fascinating tome,” Beckett said as he closed the book and set it on the desk.
“Did you find any of the answers you sought?” Hazel asked.
“Some, but there are always more to find. Still a bargain is a bargain and I’m duty bound to watch over the retainers as they reforge her sire’s sword and then a few more months providing my expertise.”
“You’ll be back.”
“Most likely. Now that I know a Methuselah walks among us? One who won’t kill someone out of turn for asking questions? I can hardly wait to pick their brain. Think of what they know, what we could learn about our condition!”
“You’ll end up working for a long time to pay for those answers,” Hazel said leaving the room with a backward wave.
Beckett looked out at the city and smiled. “Yes. I suppose I will.”
“You’ve grown. In all the best ways. I dare say you’re far stronger than I am now with how long I’ve been kept out of the game,” Rhodes said with a self depreciating shake of his head.
Cinder shook her head. “No. You saved my life, me saving yours was the least I could do. Our last talk…we fought. The thought of you thinking I hated you being the last thing you thought of,” Cinder said clenching her fist until he put a hand on it.
“None of that. I’m here, and besides you forgot who raised you. I know you didn’t hate me, and I wasn’t blameless. I was pushing your buttons to help teach you control, although now it looks like you have someone to teach,” Rhodes teased his student who actually flushed as she looked over at Winter who raised a drink toward them from a few tables over in the restaurant downstairs.
She and Willow were waiting on the two to finish before they spent more time together.
“I was going to ask…can I finish my training under you?” Cinder asked.
“Of course, although I dare say I don’t have much to teach you. I was actually going to ask about your new master,” Rhodes asked.
Cinder cocked her head in a silent question.
“It’ll be a little while before I’m ready to travel again, and honestly I’ve been doing that for a while. Do you think they might need another set of hands around this neutral zone?”
Cinder smiled rather brightly at that. “You know I think they might, but I do most of the hiring.”
“Can you put in a good word?” Rhodes joked.
“Three references, and I don’t count,” Cinder countered and kept up her look at his flabbergasted face for a few moments until she burst into laughter.
“So you’ve already closed on a home in the city?” Winter asked.
“Of course. I had more than enough money to do so. It also came with a basement which with some help I’ll be turning into another small bunker. I should be alright to go upstairs since I’ll be indoors, but…I think this is the best I can do. And I’ll get to see my lovely daughters, and daughters to be,” Willow said, nodding towards Cinder.
“Weiss and I will see you almost every day. As will Cinder, and Miss Scarlatina and Rose,” Winter promised.
“I know you will, dear. I daresay things are brighter today than they have been in over a decade for me, and thanks to Miss Rose I have a steady supply of blood so I don’t harm anyone. Truly I feel blessed.”
“It looks like your girlfriend is coming to speak with us,” Willow said as Cinder approached and locked eyes with Winter.
“So…did Winter tell you how we met?” Cinder asked as Winter’s head hit the table.
“Why no, I don’t believe she has,” Willow said in a teasing tone albeit one tinged in curiosity.
Russell handed over the passport he’d been given as well as Cardin’s as they got ready to leave.
He had a new lease on life, and he owed it all to Hazel and his boss. He’d knocked him out and kept Cardin alive too! Even after the hassle he’d caused them.
Plus his boss in the robe had done something to him. His soul felt more free, no longer buried under the weight of his actions.
He was determined to do better now and drag Cardin along kicking and screaming if he had to.
He owed it to all the people he hurt to do better now, and he would in an effort to repay the kindness he was shown that he didn’t deserve.
“Good you’ve made it,” Bach said as they hurried on board. “You’re the first in the rehabilitation program. With luck we’ll be able to save others like yourself and purge the wicked in his most holy name. The blood bank came through for us. These'll need to last you til we make landfall,” Back instructed handing over a thermos to each of them.
“It’s a shame they don’t have any castles or mountainside manors with large plots of land for sale,” Miltia said in jest to her sister who giggled for a moment.
“We’ll have to work a while to rebuild our influence if we settle here,” Melanie reminded her sister who nodded.
“Yes, and we’ll have to work with and under vampires, but after feeling their power last night?” Miltia shivered.
“And on the train,” Melanie said as Miltia shuddered even harder.
“Not one of my better choices,” her sister admitted.
“Our power base was destroyed anyway and other than the land we’d be starting from scratch. We’ll sell it and use it to purchase and construct something we deserve here,” Miltia said.
“We made the right call with which vampire to side with at least,” Melanie said as they went to their temporary accommodations in the city. A high end five star hotel they’d rented the top floor out of.
“A shame we lost Neo, but her terms overall aren’t as restrictive as I feared the might be,” Miltia said as it began its ascent.
“True, but there’s perks to having someone with that level of power as your superior. Namely their strength backing your words up.”
“I hope father is rolling in his grave at the thought of us not only working with but under a vampire.”
The pair's laughter echoed through the otherwise silent elevator as it ascended.
Neo smiled as she took in the excited form of Penny who was going through a travel brochure.
She’d been informed her service had been transferred to Cinder’s master. Penny had of course instantly asked if she could do that too, and Cinder had handed over a hand written invitation for her to do exactly that.
Only there was a small catch.
Inside with the letter was a frankly absurd amount of money. The sponsor wanted them to travel and enjoy themselves for a while before coming to settle and work.
She’d also said to keep them informed and send back any questions for Beckett. Currently they were in Mistral looking into possible leads about Penny’s sire and feeding her curiosity about almost everything at the same time.
Neo watched her with soft eyes as she remembered her own letter welcoming her to the fold, and telling her to give it time, and Penny would be ready for her.
She didn’t ask how she knew. Not after the power she’d felt from her, but for her to be this kind? And that old?
She was grateful. There was some amusing irony in that her old bosses were now on the same level as she herself was in their new service, but she’d focus on them later.
For now she focused on the excited green eyes as they explained a new concept she’d read about in a book.
She even ignored the way a tendril reached out to pluck her to Penny’s side.
Perhaps Penny would be ready sooner than she thought.
“I really should have brought a map or something,” Tyrian said as he searched another mountain looking for any trace of his dark mother.
It was a tireless and utterly thankless job, but he had all the time in the world to look for her.
His devotion would eventually prevail he was sure!
“After the pedicure I think we deserve a good full body massage, don’t you Velvet?” Weiss asked her girlfriend who gave a happy sigh of pleasure as Ruby worked on her feet.
They’d always been a rather sensitive area of her body after all.
“I thought you’d complain more,” Weiss admitted as Ruby continued to work.
“Of course not. The fact that you’re still willing to be with me is more than I can ask for, and besides you’re asking me to run my hands over and service two beautiful girls? That’s more riches than this doctor ever thought she’d get.”
“I’m starting to feel like you’re the winner in all of this,” Velvet said before letting out a low moan as Ruby got the knot on her thigh.
Once Velvet opened her eyes Ruby reached up to gently place a kiss on her lips causing her ears to spring to attention much to Weiss’s amusement.
Ruby then waited on Weiss to nod and initiated a kiss between them before Velvet took her own turn with Weiss.
“So are there any more plots we need to be aware of in the future?” Weiss asked only semi-seriously.
“Just one,” Ruby said jokingly as Weiss raised a brow in silent expectation.
“I was plotting how to properly ask a couple of beautiful women out on a date and to be my girlfriend properly now that everything is over.
“Yes,” Velvet yelled instantly as she tackled Ruby to the ground.
“Really, Velvet? Didn’t we say we were gonna make her work for it?” Weiss asked.
“You did. I’m not missing out on a good thing any longer than I have to,” Velvet said from her position on top of Ruby who gently reached out a hand to brush across Velvet’s cheek.
“Any chance you can swing us a table at Dusk til Dawn? We never got to finish our date from last time,” Weiss said.
“Might be workable,” Ruby said with a grin as she opened up her arm for Weiss who rolled her eyes at them.
At least until they both pouted and she joined in.
She felt the world shift around them as Ruby set all of them on the bed in her apartment as they lay there content to cuddle with each other.
The clues all lead here. Right into the arms of two women she loved more than life itself.
Sure the world was a much larger and more dangerous place, and sure one of her girlfriends was a were rabbit, and the other about as close to vampire god as you could get these days, but to Weiss they were just the two women she was in love with.
And that was more than enough.
-The End-
Guess what time it is?
Called out from the very start
Blake was indeed a gangrel so MisterMab was also on the nose lol.
ChatAi got into the fun
An interesting post very early on hinting at something Watts-like going on by L.Wallace and Neko
Apparently I gaslit Notaduck hard. I didn't mean to I promise. This sort of comment about Ruby being a vampire was an every chapter thing. I didn't have them fooled for a second.
I fooled about no one with Ruby I think lol.
Well maybe one or two early on
A few people called out Ruby's impractical blood method here
I did have some people suspecting Velvet was a vampire for a bit though...
A few people got the Raven ID right off
The diary was mostly rigged by Watts
A few people suspected Summer would make an appearance
Penny was called as a flesh crafter very early.
The sponsor I had some level of mystery around at least (Salem is the dark mother, and Ozpin/Ozma Caine
Despite metioning the dark skin and Ilia being in the story with Blake no one guessed Rhodesas the vampire Watts had.
Tyrian was in on it so grats to Reading for that one...
Reactions to 'Ruby's Undeath' went about as well as I figured...
Despite my simping no one guessed that Maria was Ruby's sire, or old girlfriend that she diablerized as part of a Salubri ritual. I will say go back and notice anytime Ruby and the sponsor are mentioned and you'll find someone noticing blood nearby each time, or something blocking Ruby's head so you can't see the eye.
Pairing that was surprisingly heartfelt? Emerald and Coco.
Pairing that was way cuter than I ever thought it would be? Penny/Neo
Character I didn't despise at the end? Russel.
Character I gained more appreciation for? Velvet.