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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Funny you should mention it, because I happen to have made my—⠀ ❜⠀⠀RUBY'S⠀attention span often dictates she figure out her follow-up long before the other person's finished talking, but once she processes that final sentence, her train of thought's swapping tracks entirely. She's not just rocking in place anymore— she's vibrating with an intensity that suggests liftoff is imminent.

 ⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Waaaaitwaitwaitwait, hold on— Seven Dwarves ? Any of them ?? You have seven weapons ?!⠀ ❜⠀As if experiencing a full-on celebrity sighting, the Huntress leans forward with wide silver eyes. ⠀❛ ⠀Do they have names ? Are they all guns, or d'you have some variety going on ? Aaaah, I bet they're all cool no matter what they are— !⠀ ❜⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Mm—?" Her frustration at the toy gun's limitations had stolen more focus than she realized, with Snow White's attention snapped so quickly and suddenly by the new arrival. A girl in black and red, a long scarf around the neck... The brief sting is shaken off as quickly as it came, the words are more important to process— a more worthwhile and relevant train of thought to follow.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, my real gun?" She snaps the BB gun back into position with her inspection now done, setting it back onto her table for now. "Designing weapons and maintenance have always been my specialties. It feels strange not having any of my Seven Dwarves, so this is the best I can do out of habit."

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀This is the real deal, isn't it ?⠀ ❜⠀⠀THE⠀excitement that has her pitch ramping up every few words made the question seem more like an objective fact, eyes fixed with laser focus on the armor that clings to the young woman's figure. It seemed to taper off at the waist, as if the full set were missing, but that just amplifies the statement — and don't even get Ruby started on that cape !

 ⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Aaand I see you appreciate the value in a good combat skirt,⠀ ❜⠀she continues, gesturing at her own skirt in kind — uh, skort. Close enough. It's all in the skirt spirit !  ⠀❛ ⠀It all works ! It's a little intimidating actually, eheh... But, y'know, in a cool, mysterious kinda way. I feel like I should take notes—⠀ ❜⠀

⤷⠀⠀@jxlter : s.c.

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⠀⠀⠀RUBY⠀lets out a low whistle, clearly impressed by the stranger's dedication. … Well, actually, it's fair to say she's impressed with her overall. There's just something about certain people that makes them ooze cool, no effort necessary — so with her pure-white hair, jagged-edge cloak and neat head visor, this girl more than fits the bill. Thankfully, seeing her try her best to maintain her mostly-useless bb gun is all the opening Ruby needs.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Whew— if this is how well you keep up with that toy, I can only imagine what good a shape your real weapon's in. Is it a gun ? I bet it's a gun. And I bet it's pre-tty cool.  ❜⠀She may or may not be rocking in place; all she's missing is a giant neon sign on her forehead begging to hear about her weapon of choice.

⤷⠀⠀@whitememory !

[petalbursting]

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Man, another dud...⠀ ❜⠀

⠀⠀⠀WAYWARD⠀⠀chips of shaved ice are scattered every which way as she shakes her hair out, wiping along Crescent Rose's blade carefully to ensure no melting ice lingered. It'd take a lot more than some ice chunks to leave rust, or even a water stain, but it just seemed like a courtesy ! She's been trying to sculpt with Crescent Rose's blade for a good hour or two now, which may not sound like a lot from a sculptor's perspective, but when you have a hulking weapon as your tools... Well, that's a lot of duds. Despite these repeated failures, Ruby seems to be in remarkably high spirits. Is this the result of hard-earned maturity ? Have the annals of time finally tempered her restless spirit, giving her a sense of humility in the face of competition ?

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀This one looks like blue cheese, ⠀ ❜⠀She remarks with a pat of her glove against the side of her... creation, flashing a wide grin at the ( self-proclaimed ) disposer of discarded would-be sculptures. Ruby puts up her fists, shadowboxing with nothing in particular — it's absolutely the prospect of seeing this lady send ice chunks flying everywhere with her own two hands that puts the pep in the Huntress' step, forget all that other stuff.

 ⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀It's aaall yours. Give it the ol' what-for— !⠀ ❜⠀

⤷⠀⠀@ivoryslumber !

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀... Is this weird ?⠀ ❜⠀⠀A⠀question posed to no one in particular is also posed too late; after all, she's already stepped out of the bakery with several Zwei-shaped gingerbread and she can't just not eat them. It's... probably fine. After all, people make cute things out of food all the time and eat them all the same ! That's about all the justification she requires in her time of need, already unwrapping one with a single resolute nod. ⠀❛ ⠀I just won't eat them around Zwei— Mm... ?⠀ ❜⠀

⠀⠀⠀Neopolitan was standing mere feet away, hot cocoa in one hand and a... somehow familiar-looking headless cookie in the other. Maybe the real kindness would be to just pretend she never noticed her and keep walking — it's difficult to know just what a person knew or didn't know in this place, and with her especially, that's a big gamble. Ruby recalls an anonymous gift left on her doorstep during her last visit, though, and decides against her first instinct. Her second instinct is to edge closer, holding out one of the gingerbread Zweis still wrapped in cellophane.

 ⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Hey... Want one ? If you move it left and right, it makes it look like he's winkiiiing.⠀ ❜⠀Yeah, that'll sell it.

⤷⠀⠀@sweetretribution : s.c.

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⠀⠀⠀SOMEHOW⠀i managed to hurt my back the very day i got re-accepted, but i'm feeling better and also settled into my new semester now, so have a starter call ! i'll leave it uncapped for now, and they may or may not be winterfes related in these last couple days ♡

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⠀⠀⠀��� ⠀Those are all very good points. The only problem is I'm the one giving myself so much trouble !⠀ ❜⠀⠀RUBY⠀groans as she throws her hands up, crossing them against her middle promptly afterward. Was she putting too much pressure on herself ? Yeah, probably. Definitely. Maybe. Weiss was an even bigger overachiever, really, so maybe this is small potatoes by comparison.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Talk about being your own worst critic,⠀ ❜⠀she says with a short chuckle — seemingly more sheepish than frustrated now as she mulls over the stranger's words. ⠀❛ ⠀Hmmm... I like that last part, though. Something you believe you can do. Just believe a little harder and you're set. … Hey, enough about me ! Have you got a resolution yet ?⠀ ❜⠀

"But resolutions are for yourself, aren't they?

Of course, aiming too high might lead to crashing, but there's nothing wrong with a more realistic goal that you can aspire to fulfil. Deciding on something middle of the road isn't a bad thing — you aren't doing something to impress others, it's something you decided for yourself and believe you can do".

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⠀⠀⠀IT'S⠀been a hot minute, so I'm gonna gently lay a winterfes starter call down here ! I'll cap it at 4 for now, just to make sure I do them in a timely manner for once <3

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Aww man, New Year's resolutions are so hard ! If you get too ambitious and don't stick with it, you lose. But if you softball it and go for something you know you can do, that's basically cheating ! If you go for a middle ground, well... That's just not impressive. Nnnot really New Year's worthy.⠀ ❜⠀

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Yeah, pretty much.⠀ ❜⠀THERE⠀really wasn't any need to be coy about it. She only just learned what coy meant a month or two ago, anyway.

⠀⠀⠀Ruby was surprised at first, sure, but she'd already been up there a decent length of time before Ritsuka showed up; not enough time to feel better, but just enough time to be too mellow to freak out. So they'd ended up staring at each other in a few heady beats of silence, sizing each other up and nodding in acceptance without ever moving either of their heads. And so now they're sitting side by side, Crescent Rose compact and secure like a nurturing hand against the small of her back — bracing her against the wind that comes with high altitude.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Most of the time... I honestly feel pretty fine. Better than fine... Better than I've felt in a long time, honestly,⠀ ❜⠀she explains despite not really needing to, partially to her companion and partially to herself. ⠀❛ ⠀But other times... Well— being better isn't being best. I've always liked being up high, so that helps— my big sister used to say it's because I 'like to feel tall,' but that, uh... that's our dog's thing, not mine.⠀ ❜⠀

muscle memory can be a hell of a thing. even if years have passed, Ritsuka still recalls Ezio's instructions to her so clearly. the way to scale a building with speed and ease, the way to move along them as if she were just the wind. it helped when things turned hectic but more importantly, it helped when she needed that quiet that only came when she was alone, separated from every living thing in the city. and sometimes, that required retreating to the seclusion of a tall building's roof. it was a rare thing to find someone else up there, but on this evening, she had stumbled upon a girl in red.

one who, after about an hour or so of conversation, felt far more like her than others she has met in the city.

" So," starts the mage after a bout of silence as she takes a seat, gaze carefully observing Ruby. " Did you come up here to escape from it all for a little bit, too?" perhaps that was a bit forward but, if her hunch was right, then there was no need to beat around the bush.

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Quick question, totally random, off the top of my head, not keeping me up at night at all— how would you go about making cat-ear muffs ? You shape it around the ear, right ? That's just the design ? Or are we talkin' a sorta... ear-pocket— situation—⠀ ❜⠀

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Answering the ring of the doorbell to Ruby’s current home would see a box laid upon the doorstep. Its lid was a clear plastic displaying the contents- a small, spookily-decorated ice cream cake! On top of the box lay a card that read “Happy Birthday Ruby” in neat cursive letters. There was no signature.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Hmm...⠀ ❜⠀ONE⠀might think a slight aversion to eating or drinking random stuff was in order after her and her friends' latest adventure (mis-adventure ? … no, adventure ), but trepidation had no place on a girl's birthday. She spent quite a bit of time studying the card, although there was nothing really there to study aside from the obvious message. Well — that and... whoever it was had beautiful handwriting. She could never get the hang of that fancy cursive stuff... But if they're already going through the trouble of writing a card, why not sign it ?

⠀⠀⠀Ruby only realizes it's an ice cream cake when she notices signs of it thawing through the clear material of the lid, which makes her let out some sort of unidentifiable ( but very sharp and pitiful ) squawking sound as she ushers the cake indoors. When she's shutting the door behind her with her foot, the answer hits her with an abruptness that has her back leaning against the wood.

⠀⠀⠀It's an ice cream cake.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀... Ohhh. Huh...⠀ ❜⠀The card wasn't signed because they didn't want to sign it, obviously. She was genuinely taken aback by the realization, but... Where most would experience suspicion or dread, she feels warmth. She can't explain or justify why she views the gift with optimism, only that she does — and she doesn't plan on mistrusting her gut feelings ever again. She'll eat every bit of this cake, and until the sender's ready to show themselves... Well, she'll just act none the wiser.

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⠀⠀⠀IN⠀case anyone was wondering, Ruby still doesn't entirely know what to do with herself at these things.

⠀⠀⠀All she knows is that this free food is delicious, she could eat it all night long, and maybe there actually is a limit to the word 'free' — because she can feel a pretty potent stink-eye being aimed at the back of her head. Ruby slowly turns on her heel to confirm the feeling, and spreads her arms in defense — which may or may not have caused a couple of iced brownies she'd been saving for later to tumble dejectedly across the ballroom floor. Hopefully no one steps on one.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Heyheyheyyy, c'maahn, I'm a little huntress—!⠀It's also my birthday, I'm a little birthday huntreeess— ❜⠀Her eyes land on Blake mid-sentence, and suddenly this encounter takes a complete back seat. With a single finger held up in an 'excuse me one second' sort of gesture to the less-than-convinced stranger, she promptly zips off in a brief flourish of petals.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Oh, I was looking for you ! I narrowed it down to nnnot the dessert table. ❜⠀

⤷⠀⠀@reliberated

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀BlaaaaaaaAKE—⠀ ❜⠀THE⠀extra emphasis at the end was, of course, due to her colliding with her— a vice-like hug with an emergence of petals. The hug had so much force behind it that it left her feet dangling ( more like swinging emphatically ) in the air for a few moments, but what else was she supposed to do ? It's hard being here without any of her teammates, all for different reasons. Weiss was her partner and bestie, Yang was her sister, and Blake... Well, Blake was her person. It felt like they'd arrived on this island together, so it made the whole place feel off when one was here without the other.

⤷⠀⠀@RELIBERATED 

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Spooooo-ky season is once more upon us ! Can you think of a better time to have a birthday ?! Oooh, I hope the Stars lean more on the 'treat' side of things this year—⠀ ❜⠀

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⠀⠀⠀ALL⠀this time, Ruby has been slowly inching closer to the seat in question. She has no intention to repeat the mistake and sit, oh no no— she has every intention to start chowing down. In fact, the thought of it not being edible hasn't even crossed her mind. She's only been half-listening, but snaps to full attention when the question is posed; her hands retreat from the vaguely t-rex-like position they'd been in, prepared to break off a piece of that chair right then and there. She rears back into a straight-laced, perfect-posture position with such force that she rocks back and forth on her heels for a few moments, stiff as a board with an expression that very much screams deer-in-the-headlights.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Yes—!⠀ ❜⠀Ruby answers a little too quickly, and at a little too high a decibel. Clearing her throat, she tries again. ⠀❛ ⠀Wahawell— I mean— … It's not like they weren't wearing pants ! Probably ! I mean, right ? So really, it'd be... wasteful to... not...⠀ ❜ ⠀Her nervous laughter eventually dies off entirely, acutely aware that she's probably not helping her case at all. ⠀❛ ⠀... You break off the right arm and I've got the left—⠀ ❜⠀

STARING AT THE INTRICATE CHAIR, anyone would compliment on the way it was molded to such a believable degree. had it any other time in their arrival, perhaps she would be astounded at whether it was a proper seat or not, especially in how it finds itself arranged... were it not for the glaring flaw -- that of melted indent into the area that was meant to be a cushion, perfectly reflecting someone's rear who had the misfortune of sitting just a little too long. ❝ It's amazing that even in here as the attraction, there are people who will sit without thinking about it, ❞ she muses, more in awe at how long they must have been sitting there for it to melt even the slightest, let alone to leave behind an everlasting dent.

fingers press to her lips in thought, pondering the entirety of it, as she stands there with the younger girl. a few blinks are had before a sudden question escapes her lips.

❝ Do you think it's still considered edible— ❞

@petalbursting

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⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Not even u— NOT even USE ?⠀ ❜⠀

⠀⠀⠀THIS⠀seems to be utterly beyond Ruby's comprehension, scoffing incredulously. There may or may not be a slight pout forming, even if she sort of predicted he'd turn it down. Ragna was totally old-school, through and through; not that there's anything wrong with the classics.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Uhhh, there's always a use for a gun attachment. Sure, maybe there usually aren't Grimm walking around here, but there's plenty of Grimm-adjacent stuff ! … You know, dependingonthemonth—⠀ ❜⠀All the while, her hands never leave his sword — gesturing wildly every few words, thereby swinging that impressive hunk of steel around and somehow managing to avoid collateral damage ( barely ).

⠀⠀// @petalbursting

⠀⠀⠀⠀"For the love'a— We went over this already, brat! You're not gonna tape a damn gun to my sword, that's off the table indefinitely!" Seems like the Rose girl thought she could put him on the spot and make him say maybe out of awkward pity or something... But she vastly overestimated his stubbornness. "I'm already bein' too nice by letting you inspect it and stuff, but I draw the damn line at dumb modifications I'd never even use!"