[ As with the last time Ruby witnessed this scene unfolding, she isn't sure if she would make her presence known. Loss has been felt keenly around their household lately - first her Uncle and Ren, then Blake, and then...Pyrrha. Each departure has left bruises upon her heart, but Pyrrha's disappearance is different. Ruby knows she will see the other three again, as soon as she goes home. But with Pyrrha...
This was it. There was no home to return to, no inevitable reassurance of "well see each other again someday". Ruby doesn't know that. Maybe she'll return - she hopes she'll return - but what if she...doesn't?
What if she doesn't?
Of course, her thoughts have been on Jaune since the first, though she's given him distance at first. None of them can possibly understand what he's going through right now, and he will need time to process his grief. And if he needs her, she'll know. She'll know when the time is right.
Which is why Ruby is here now. Maybe it's a subtle cry for help, but this time, she doesn't turn and go back. This time, she draws near, making her footfalls loud enough he'll be able to hear them, so as to not catch him off guard. ]
You've really improved a lot. I remember our first day at Beacon...you could barely hold your shield. [ A soft, sad chuckle. ] That was a long time ago, wasn't it?
[ Although he came here to be alone, Ruby's presence is far from unwelcome. He knows he's not the only one who's trying to deal with this, and sooner or later he'll need to step up and be there for Ruby and Nora.
At her nostalgia, he responds with a soft laugh, too. It's been a while since he smiled, but Ruby has always been good at making others do that. ]
[ She answers quietly, but not because she's reluctant to. Their journey has been so unexpected, but they've always done their best to learn, to adapt, and to move forward. This...will be no different, in the end, she's sure of it, no matter how tremendously difficult it may be to face.
She looks up at him with a wan smile. ]
Everything was a lot simpler back then. But when I think about it, it makes it easier to appreciate how far we've come.
[ And right now, it's important to hold onto that. ]
[ The old recording stops looping, and this time ends at "I'll always be here for you, Jaune.". How many times has he heard it by now? How many times has he believed it...
A quick moment of silence is followed after that, as Jaune finally looks at Ruby. There's a helpless look in his eyes; he doesn't know what to do, what he wants, or if there is anything he can even say about it. Eventually, he gives her an answer. ]
About her, you mean.
[ Of course, she didn't come all the way out here for them to talk about Beacon...
He sheathes his sword and picks up the Scroll, stashing it away in his pocket. It has now become more precious to him than ever. ]
I... I told her once that our time is short... I just don't think I ever believed it until it was too late.
[ There's a lot she could say to that - a lot she might want to say to that, but Ruby doesn't want to place hollow words upon ears that don't need to hear them. She and Jaune are alike in so many ways, and she knows that eventually, he will be okay again, and that deep down, he knows he will be, too. Someday it will be easier to smile again, and so Ruby doesn't need to remind him of that, that they did all they could with the time they had, that he shouldn't have any regrets. There's no way to not have regrets, in a world like this, when those precious to you can vanish in the blink of an eye.
So she takes a different approach, stepping up to rest a hand on his forearm, a wan smile on her lips. ]
It...really kind of stinks, doesn't it? That we don't know when things will stay like they always have, or when they're about to change completely.
[ She's quiet a moment before leading him to sit against the fence. ]
Do you...think it was worth it? Giving things another shot?
[ Having Ruby reach out the way she does, it's a familiar feeling for the two of them. It's how they were there for each other back in Remnant, too. When he could sense her doubting herself, a simple gesture such as a hand on her shoulder was there to remind her she's not alone.
He musters the smallest of smiles as he follows her to the fence. ]
The first time we lost her... I think she went out with a lot of regrets.
[ Pyrrha died young with many dreams gone unfulfilled. Here, she had a second chance... they both had a second chance to do things that they couldn't back in Remnant anymore. In the end, nothing was left unsaid between them, so if he had to answer Ruby's question, then yes - it was worth it. ]
If our time was gonna be short here, I wanted her to be happy. Do you... think she was?
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This was it. There was no home to return to, no inevitable reassurance of "well see each other again someday". Ruby doesn't know that. Maybe she'll return - she hopes she'll return - but what if she...doesn't?
What if she doesn't?
Of course, her thoughts have been on Jaune since the first, though she's given him distance at first. None of them can possibly understand what he's going through right now, and he will need time to process his grief. And if he needs her, she'll know. She'll know when the time is right.
Which is why Ruby is here now. Maybe it's a subtle cry for help, but this time, she doesn't turn and go back. This time, she draws near, making her footfalls loud enough he'll be able to hear them, so as to not catch him off guard. ]
You've really improved a lot. I remember our first day at Beacon...you could barely hold your shield. [ A soft, sad chuckle. ] That was a long time ago, wasn't it?
[ For so many reasons. ]
no subject
At her nostalgia, he responds with a soft laugh, too. It's been a while since he smiled, but Ruby has always been good at making others do that. ]
Yeah. Guess we've all come a long way.
[ For many reasons. ]
Do you... think about those days a lot?
no subject
[ She answers quietly, but not because she's reluctant to. Their journey has been so unexpected, but they've always done their best to learn, to adapt, and to move forward. This...will be no different, in the end, she's sure of it, no matter how tremendously difficult it may be to face.
She looks up at him with a wan smile. ]
Everything was a lot simpler back then. But when I think about it, it makes it easier to appreciate how far we've come.
[ And right now, it's important to hold onto that. ]
Jaune...do you want to talk about it?
no subject
A quick moment of silence is followed after that, as Jaune finally looks at Ruby. There's a helpless look in his eyes; he doesn't know what to do, what he wants, or if there is anything he can even say about it. Eventually, he gives her an answer. ]
About her, you mean.
[ Of course, she didn't come all the way out here for them to talk about Beacon...
He sheathes his sword and picks up the Scroll, stashing it away in his pocket. It has now become more precious to him than ever. ]
I... I told her once that our time is short... I just don't think I ever believed it until it was too late.
MY INBOX SURE ATE THIS
So she takes a different approach, stepping up to rest a hand on his forearm, a wan smile on her lips. ]
It...really kind of stinks, doesn't it? That we don't know when things will stay like they always have, or when they're about to change completely.
[ She's quiet a moment before leading him to sit against the fence. ]
Do you...think it was worth it? Giving things another shot?
no subject
He musters the smallest of smiles as he follows her to the fence. ]
The first time we lost her... I think she went out with a lot of regrets.
[ Pyrrha died young with many dreams gone unfulfilled. Here, she had a second chance... they both had a second chance to do things that they couldn't back in Remnant anymore. In the end, nothing was left unsaid between them, so if he had to answer Ruby's question, then yes - it was worth it. ]
If our time was gonna be short here, I wanted her to be happy. Do you... think she was?