Ruby IV
She giggled as Corwyn slowly reached up, his hands splayed out in shock as he wiped off the mess of whip cream he'd slapped onto his face while sleeping. The teen grumbled as he sat up on the couch, idly licking his thumb as he hunched forward with amused eyes.
She stopped giggling as she recognized the look he was giving her. That half lidded expression of patient amusement, a soft smile that was tinged with a mask of masculine stoic control. She knew though. She knew that behind the genial expression hid a dark monster that was just waiting for a nice time to pounce, having her at its mercy.
She shivered as she felt the wisps of his touches stroking her body, memories of their latest intimate moment taking place inside her head.
Ruby blinked, before blushing as a hand reached out and guided her next to him, sitting her into his lap. His thumb scooped off a bit of cream, before the hand gripped her chin and the thumb softly prodded her lips. She opened and licked the finger clean, stifling a moan as his free hand roamed downwards, into her pajama bottoms and started to stroke something sensitive.
She whimpered as he retreated, before smiling into the following kiss.
"Morning." Corwyn whispered. "I assume you telling me to 'sleep for once' was all for this little prank?" He asked with amusement that promised retribution.
She wiggled inside his grip, mewling out an agreement.
His chest vibrated, his hum affirming, yet not exactly comforting in its presence. That was him debating with himself on how he'd punish her. She tensed as she heard someone coming down the stairs, rising to get out of such a compromising position; only to squeak in dread as Corwyn tightened his grip around her and leaned back, stroking her hair.
Her panicked eyes caught sight of a tired Yang coming down the stairs, who blinked upon seeing them, only to blush. That caused Ruby to blink. Yang blushing?
"H-Hey Ruby, C-Corwyn; are ya' winning son?" She joked with that old dead meme.
Only for Corwyn to chuckle, real humor dancing through their spiritual connection. "I'd say so." There was something about how he drawled his voice, that tone…
Ruby narrowed her eyes at Yang and caught the fluster of embarrassment in her posture and expression. She'd know, she was the queen of such things after all.
Such a thing had become an increasingly familiar reaction from Yang whenever she'd spotted her and Corwyn; which was practically all the time.
Yang scurried off quickly, saying she'd forgotten to brush her teeth. Corwyn chuckled with more of his amusement, reminding her of an old wolf that'd just gotten done playing with a rabbit in its jaws and let it escape.
Ruby put Yang out of her mind, she was always weird and likely just knew something adult she didn't want to explain to her. She was an adult too! Eighteen baby!
It was the Summer, well, nearing the end of it. All three of them had gotten Beacon Acceptance Letters, with the teens having taken online tests and gone through all the necessary hoops and doors to obtain them. With the three having graduated at the top of Signal, an exceptionally prestigious academy for Hunters, getting into Beacon was practically predetermined.
Ever since graduating, Corwyn and her haven't really stopped. They just kept on going, but faster, and more. Without classes or school holding them back, it allowed for a truly massive time schedule to be opened for stuff and things.
Hunting Grimm, sparring with Dad or Qrow whenever either of them showed up or wanted a scrap. Then there was the physical conditioning, baking marathons, cooking challenges, constant dates, and of course. Camping, Picnics, Hiking, and exploring Patch's coast.
Corwyn even saved up enough money to rent out a boat that they took to go 'fishing'.
For Sea Grimm.
She shivered, remembering him taking her on the boat.
Spreading her legs, braced against the edge, staring into the reflective water as the early morning sun gleamed behind them. Her fishing trousers and suspenders pooled at her feet, while Corwyn grunted, thrusting into her like an animal. His dark smile glinted into the waters as he leaned over, resting his chin on her shoulder, before unloading into her.
She blinked, blushing slightly as she returned to the real world.
She was immensely grateful for Grand Enchantment, Corwyn's Semblance. One of the first few enchanted items she'd made, albeit with Corwyn's help, was a set of barbell nipple piercings with a birth-control enchantment on it.
For some reason she'd immediately thought of 'punkish piercing' when Corwyn was explaining that an item needed to have relation to the enchantment she was trying to imbue it with. Something-something conceptual gestalt of humanity. Corwyn was surprised it held, mumbling something regarding the 'rebellious nature of youth' and how 'the piercing likely represents the desire for risk-free sex', and so on.
She was going to be honest; Grand Enchantment didn't really make sense until it did.
Ruby smiled slightly at the pajamas that she'd enchanted. It was her first working enchantment too! Well, without Corwyn's help guiding her. She'd made her sweatpants to be uber comfy and give her the best night's sleep. Meanwhile, her sweatshirt was automatically receptive to her body's ideal temperature, cooling or warming her as it needed. They were amazing.
While technically she didn't need sleep anymore, blessed be Restless Struggler she'd sacrifice a newborn cookie batch for its blessing, but she liked to grab a few power naps to strengthen the mind.
Corwyn didn't seem to mind either, stating it was healthy for the mind. 'For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak'.
He's smart. Corwyn is smart.
"What're ye' thinking about." Corwyn mumbled into her ear.
"How smart you are." She answered honestly. She giggled as she felt the well of confusion, doubt, and defensive questioning that comment spawned from his Aura. "You don't take compliments well, don't you?" She asked, turning around to look him in the eye.
She saw him blush. Oh my glob, he's blushing right now! She made Corwyn blush! Corwyn looked away, retreating further into the folds of the couch.
She laughed, leaning forward and giving him a kiss on the neck. "Strong." She whispered into his ear as she dug her hands into his own sweatshirt, having asked her to make him a pair of matching sleeping clothes. Her hands stroked up through his abs, sliding over his chest and the trailing back down his obliques. "Reliable." She pressed her forehead against his, before separating and softly kissing his lips. They locked, his arms wrapping around her. "Relentless." She hissed.
"Fuckin'. Get a damned room." She heard Yang storm back up the stairs, mumbling about cold showers.
Too lost was she in her lover's lips, she didn't even bother to care, before separating, "Mine." She whispered.
They continued in their ministrations, only for her to feel a rough tap on the shoulder.
Yang stood over the backrest of the couch, looking grumpy. Hell, her hair was wet! She never left the bathroom without drying it!
"Can you guys, not." She asked with teeth.
She felt Corwyn chuckle, "Jealous, Sunshine?"
"Don't steal my shtick, Hot Stuff." She growled, only to blush as she realized what she'd said.
"Oh? Hot Stuff, huh. That's an… improvement from Hammertime." Corwyn drawled.
Ruby narrowed her eyes, "Yang you're not stealing my fia- boyfriend."
"Psh, I don't want your boyfriend!" Yang retreated, yet Ruby caught the doubt lacing her words, and the quick glance of eyes towards Corwyn.
She needed to talk with her sister.
Yang left for the kitchen, the two teens on the couch falling back into one another. There was a brief silence as they both processed that interaction.
"I'll let you handle it." Corwyn murmured.
"Later." Ruby mumbled back.
A short silence fell once again, "I've been thinking of getting a tattoo to enchant, thoughts?" Corwyn asked.
Ruby quirked her head in thought, "Will it fade?" She asked.
"I'll upgrade its quality if it starts looking bad."
Ruby nodded, "What are you going to get?" She asked.
"Lichtenberg Scars, likely." Corwyn answered.
"Lich-what now?" She asked.
"Lightning Scars. The scars that happen after people get shocked."
Ruby frowned, "Are they ugly?"
He pulled out a scroll and tapped it a few times, frowning and grumbling, "Lichtenberg, oh right different terminology, stupid…hmm, lightning scars? Ah." He flipped his scroll around, and Ruby frowned at a few of the examples, but they weren't bad.
"I'll be getting them done in black, not pink or white."
She framed it in that way and hummed with a satisfied nod.
"And, ah, not to be mean or anything, but I find people who get tattoos of their partners or their initials to be…unsmart."
Ruby snorted and nodded, but flashed the ring, "We don't have that issue though?" She asked.
Corwyn shrugged, "Bad look. I wouldn't be opposed to getting some rose bed tattoos though."
She nodded and accepted that answer. "How's your other enchanting going?" She asked.
Corwyn blinked and smiled, "I've been using Stormplate as a means of recharging my Aura with the Glove of Aura Drain, poor thing, but it's been upgrading my productivity by leagues." Corwyn sat up and one of his manyfold rings on his hands glowed, Stomach, his backpack flew from the doorway of the cabin and was caught in his hand. The Force Band was so cool.
[spoiler=Force Band] Force Band (Exotic)
Transcendent Craftsmanship: This ring was forged by an exceptionally talented student in the arts of metal crafting. They directly created a ring that was of Legendary Status, before further using their Auric abilities to enhance the physical quality of the ring.
Push: With a flex of will, the wearer can summon forth the full strength of their body to push anywhere in their field of sight.
Pull: With a flex of will, the wearer can summon forth the full strength of their body to pull something in their field of sight.
Crush: With a flex of will, the wearer can summon forth the full strength of their body to crush something in their field of sight.
Telekinesis: A weak form of telekinesis, allowing the wearer to manipulate distant objects with roughly half their strength. The farther the distance, the more strenuous the task becomes.
[/spoiler]
He had a few other rings too.
Mr. Clean was a strangely named ring but fitting for what it did. She had one fitted for her index finger. While it was strange to wear so many rings, not really having ever been that kind of girl, they were growing on her.
Corwyn also had a ring he called 'The Articulation'. He didn't really talk about the Ring, having only created it last week. She thinks he screwed up with the ring and was trying to hide his embarrassment.
[spoiler=The Articulation] The Articulation (Elite)
Masterful Craftsmanship: Made by a truly talented ring smith, this ring has been made with utmost precision and created to fit a specific finger.
Sticky Fingers: Wearing this ring grants one utmost control and dexterity over one's fingers. This enchantment has been tainted by some unseen out-of-context entity, twisting it to make the wearer superbly skilled in pleasuring women.
Smooth Hands: This ring grants its wearer a prodigious skill in sleight of hand and smooth movements, allowing one to masterfully perform or steal.
[/spoiler]
With two rings on one hand, she'd had to slightly adjust how she wielded Crescent Rose with them on, as a few of her practiced rotations required unique grips that needed the friction of her hand, and the rings sometimes screwed her up. It was a work in progress, but she was getting the hang of it. The boons were too good to throw away for such minor adjustments in weapon handling.
'Maybe I should make an enchantment that gives me a perfect grip?' She vibrated ever so slightly at the thought but had to refocus as Corwyn started going through his backpack.
"I've been making some more items to round out my kit. Nothing crazy, as I've been working hard on a Beacon Gift for you." He rubbed his nose's bridge at that, and Ruby smiled, enjoying his embarrassed demeanor over being caring. So cute!
"One of the things that I've made would be these really sweet contacts." He popped out a box that held within a pair of contact lenses sitting on plush beds.
"Contacts?" Ruby asked.
"I call them the Eyes of The Storm." He said dramatically, vocal pitch dropping several octaves as he introduced them. She glared at him playfully for flaring his Aura, the weight of which making the introduction more dramatic than it needed to be. He chuckled and started to introduce the item.
[spoiler=The Eyes of The Storm]
The Eyes of The Storm (Exotic)
Lightning Forged: This armor set has been forged with Lightning Magic, granting it the aspect of Storm. Storm, Lightning, Electricity, and Thunder based Enchantments are unlocked and enhanced.
Modern Quality: Made through modern and industrial means, these contact lenses perform their function as was advertised. They've been modified with Lighting Dust, normally something that would be exceptionally ill-advised, but the expert methods of an Enchanter are to never be doubted. These contacts have been configured to turn the wearer's eyes gray.
Dancing Electrons: The user can see the patterns of electricity dancing in living beings and the sky itself. Storm nor assassin can hide their approach; the patterns open to be read.
Crystal Clear: Neither grime nor sand. Wind or rain. Nor the darkness of overcast night or even the blinding blaze of lightning itself. All can be witnessed without obstruction.
Perfect Fit: These contacts are easy to wear and completely non-irritating. One wouldn't even know they were there.
Thunderbird's Glare: The wearer gains hawkish eyesight, capable of picking out photorealistic details from several hundred feet away. A storm brews within one's iris when one uses this effect. A target that earns your ire will be cursed, with lighting being attracted to them over all else during a storm. This curse can only be applied to one person at a time.
[/spoiler]
"They're enchanted with a plethora of useful abilities." Corwyn delicately stuck the lenses onto his fingertips and then with disturbing familiarity of Earth!Corwyn slipped them into his eyelids. He blinked a few times, and smiled, "I enchanted them with Perfect Fit, as without them they'd be falling out all the time."
Corwyn's eyes turned towards her and she giggled, "They look like your normal eyes." She commented.
"Didn't want to deprive you of my natural self." He winked.
She gave him a playful nudge to the rub, "What else do they do?"
Corwyn gave her the laydown, with Ruby truly reacting to the 'super cool' nature of Thunderbird's Glare.
"That's crazy! If a Grimm escapes, they'll be haunted forever!"
"Not likely to be used against a Grimm, maybe a particularly slippery crook?" Corwyn grinned a bit of his sadism leaking into his tone.
Ruby scratched her cheek, somewhat familiar with his bloodthirst if she could call it that. Entirely legal and governmentally sanctioned of course, but Corwyn wasn't exactly about to mince words that he fully expected to crush some skulls with his hammer.
He'd stated that he'd lived in some rough areas within Vale, and the Mega City that housed upwards of forty million souls didn't have nearly enough policing in the more destitute areas to stomp out crime in any reasonable margin. It wasn't odd for someone visiting from Vale to mention they came from a specific gang's territory. Such origin meant he was likely…experienced in these individuals, in ways she couldn't imagine.
In a way, that attitude rubbed off on Ruby. Previously she was aware she'd been ignoring it or directed away from such notions by her family; but now she couldn't help but face the cold truth that she was a hyper-lethal elite peacekeeper who was fully expected to be judge, jury, and executioner if the situation required it.
Such power invested into Hunters was a hang-on from times past. A very necessary hang-on from the days when Aura Powered individuals were governed and raised entirely by their nations and kingdoms. Far beyond the days of the Great War, when Hunters weren't called as such and instead were known simply as another arm of their nation's military or nobility.
Old Mantle and their far northern tribes had the Einherjar, Bogatyr, and southern Knights who immigrated from Vale during the Uprisings of various fief-lords and the splintering of an ancient kingdom after court intrigue left Ozland The Wise comatose within his bed. The Wise king dying at the old age of a hundred and thirty while his kingdom burned around him.
Independently entrusted warriors of these lands, now known as Hunters, would be judgment made manifest, wiping away entire clans of people if deemed banditry or brigands against their liege lord.
In Mistral, the Samurai followed older codes, skirmishing with political intrigue that made Ozland's Suffering look tame. A mere footnote being the Onmyōdō orders being banished from the hall of the Emperor of Mistral, setting the world in motion with an influx of powerful honorable and dishonorable monks that slew Grimm by the hundred thousand, or established powerful bandit clans.
While it was undoubtedly a lot of power in the hands of the Hunters, efforts have been made to make such enforcements of that power difficult to leverage without oversight or harsh investigation.
Ruby gave Corwyn a noncommittal hum, before continuing their conversation, "Any other projects?" Ruby asked.
"Of course!" Corwyn pulled out another piece of enchanted gear from his bag.
[spoiler=Thunder Resounds] Thunder Resounds (Exotic)
Lightning Forged: This item has been forged with Lightning Magic, granting it the aspect of Storm. Storm, Lightning, Electricity, and Thunder based Enchantments are unlocked and enhanced.
Wind Forged: This item has been forged with Wind Magic, granting it the aspect of Air. Air, Storm, Winds, Pressure, and Sound based enchantments are unlocked and enhanced.
Modern Quality: Made through modern and industrial means, these earphones perform their function as was advertised. They've been modified with Lighting and Wind Dust, normally something that would be exceptionally ill-advised, but the expert methods of an Enchanter are to never be doubted.
The Rumble and Crackle: The user can hear in ranges both higher and lower than normally possible.
Distant Whispers Carried on The Wind: The user can hear past the thunder above to what the winds whisper afar. Can hear what targeted individuals are saying despite interference of intervening noise.
The Quiet Before: Deafening sounds cause no harm.
The Songs of Earth: These earphones have been connected to an otherworldly source of knowledge, filled with the songs of another world. At will, the wearer can play these songs which are adjusted to the wearer's taste of music, known or otherwise.
[/spoiler]
"I call them Thunder Resounds. Sometimes I call them Thunder Re-Sounds, but either way works." Ruby blinked at the offered wireless set of earphones.
"They're a rather complex monster of a device, infused with Wind and Lighting Dust to add a larger and more specific field of enchantments for selection."
"What's it do?" Ruby asked.
"Well, since you were so kind." Corwyn teased. "The first enchantment would be 'The Rumble and Crackle', allowing the wearer to hear in ranges both higher and lower than normally possible for human ears."
Ruby frowned, wondering why he'd want that enchantment.
"White Fang use very selective signals and messages, often coded in these sounds that only specific Faunus types can understand or hear. It allows them to use public CCTS to send information that is unintelligible to humans, even technologically advanced ones. Without that specific breed of Faunus there to decode what a message exactly means, then listening posts are fucked. They might also be using things like dog-whistles or other such sounds to give orders or directions."
"Woah." Ruby whispered. "You're interested in the White Fang?" She asked. "They did just bomb a selection of shops in Atlas…" She whispered sadly.
"They're a rising militant terrorist organization, and well, you know how I'm a dual soul?" Corwyn asked.
Ruby gave a nod.
"One of my souls does not like terrorists." He grinned, but the exact nature of his grin, well, let's say it made her loins itch with desire and her throat choke up in a bit of fear. A cocky hunter who knew his prey.
"Anyway, that's just one of the enchantments. This bad boy is an Exotic." Corwyn had keyed her into the grading system of his Enchanted items.
Mundane was the base, generally having no enchantments or effects. The next step up was Magic, an item that was magical. Sometimes certain items could already be magical, by virtue of having Dust infused into them. This just meant they had an Enchantment Slot open that could be filled without paying the Auric cost of needing to raise Rank. After that was Elite, with Two Enchantments. Then Unique, with three, Exotic with Four, Relic with Five, Legendary with Six, Mythical with Seven, and lastly Divine with Eight.
Their wedding bands were a Relic Ranked item, and Corwyn had told her he was working on making one Relic Item right now, and a theoretical Legendary or Mythical Item that he'd be fixing up in Beacon. His newest Relic Item was for her actually, which made her heart throb with joy.
They'd created a system where she worked on the lower-tier more general amenities of Enchantments, slowly learning the power as she worked until she was confident enough to make some truly unique things. She had ideas for that, but didn't have the skill in the Semblance to make them real. Corwyn for now made the big things, and while she did ask him to enchant Crescent Rose, he'd told her something both disappointing, but also realistic.
She'd made Crescent Rose when she was fifteen. She was eighteen now, and Corwyn had softly told her that maybe it was time for a new weapon. One better than Crescent Rose. It hurt to hear, but she was glad he'd said it, especially as they both poured through the massive budget allocations both of them were getting for becoming Beacon Students.
Corwyn had said he was working on a theoretical item that would magically transform his items into whatever he wanted, 'transmogrifying' his armor and weapons into different physical forms, but keeping their enchantments and quality.
However, to do that, he needed to 'sacrifice' a piece of equipment that was to be the 'image' of their new form. Doing that with Crescent Rose meant they'd already be building a new Mechashift item out of sub quality parts they had now at Signal, making a subquality Mechashift weapon whose quality of design couldn't be improved with Corwyn's semblance.
The materials, make, quality of parts; all of that could, but the bleeding edge technology straight out of Atlas' R&D that wasn't able to be manufactured couldn't. That was important, as with that bleeding edge technology, that might mean they could grab even more esoteric Enchantments to make the new weapon entirely unique, instead of just a Cresent Rose 2.0.
Beacon might be a 'college', but it wasn't like a civilian college that wanted to make money off of education.
Becoming a Hunter was a noble necessary profession, and a massive amount of Tax Money went towards funding the institutions that provided that education to allow more soldiers to be raised. This meant those who got to Beacon obtained access to a limited Budget that could turn ill-equipped but capable fighters into serviceable combatants.
hose in Corwyn's position were ideal for this, but Government money tended to vanish the farther it trickled down the line, lining pockets and leaving smaller and smaller amounts to be given to those who needed it.
"Ruby? Ruby?" She blinked as Corwyn started snapping in front of her eyes. "Lost you there for a second."
She sheepishly scratched the back of her head and paid close attention.
"Anyway, the second Enchantment is called Distant Whispers Carried on The Wind. It allows one to select a target location or person and hear through ambient noise that might be occluding what is being said. Perfect for spying, and as we're going to Beacon, the gossip is going to be amazing~." He did a bit of mocking jazz hands, "But seriously, good for recon and spy work. It's not something a lot of Hunters like to say, but just as much as we're combat specialists, tons of us tend to fall into the ropes as spies and covert agents."
Ruby nodded, that making sense.
"Next, and likely my second favorite enchantment on this thing; The Quiet Before. Otherwise deafening sounds cause no harm; this means I won't be screwing myself with The Thunderers, although I'm glad that Thunderous Wave sends all of its nastiness in one direction and I only get hit by the aftershocks."
"Wouldn't happen to have another pair of those?" Ruby asked sheepishly.
Corwyn chuckled, "I'll make you one that's Elite or Unique, okay? Don't think you'll be needing to spy on people or listen to Faunus noises."
She snorted and nodded.
Corwyn continued, "The last enchantment would be The Songs of Earth…" He smiled softly, "I haven't really talked about him much, have I?" Corwyn muttered.
"Him?" Ruby asked.
"My other half. Sometimes he's out to play and he's the one talking to you, but the more dominant personality puppeting along the body right now is what we like to call Remnant!Corwyn." Corwyn tapped his skull with his middle finger, poking out a tongue playfully.
"Remnant?" Ruby asked queerly.
"The other personality and soul in my skull we call Earth!Corwyn. He's from another world."
Her jaw dropped. "No way!" Totally believing him without a second of doubt.
"Yes way." Corwyn agreed, "He's from a…world." He grimaced. "It's good compared to here, depending on where you live, what nation you're from, what race you are, how much money you have in your bank account." Corwyn sighed. "Earth's a strange place. Around eight billion people live on that dust ball floating in space."
"Billion." Ruby whispered in shock.
Corwyn chuckled, "No Grimm, No Aura, No Faunus." Corwyn shook his head, "Gods I wish there were Faunus."
"Eh?" Ruby blinked. "No Aura? Or Grimm? Or Faunus!" She asked, growing more and more incredulous.
"Ain't no magic or Dust either."
"How do you power things!" She cried, entirely believing in Magic because Corwyn was magic.
"Electricity." Corwyn answered dully.
"Made with what?" She asked intently.
"Coal. Hydro and Wind power. Nuclear Fission." Corwyn listed out. "We were technologically advanced, with a better fuckin' internet too." He muttered.
"Internet?" Ruby copied.
"CCTS. Billions of people using it at all times, computers on every corner of the world communicating. Crazy thing in retrospect."
"Wow."
Corwyn took the time out of the morning to talk to her about Earth, about his otherworldly soul and how he'd just woken up inside of Remnant!Corwyn's body.
"Now, I got some bad news." Corwyn leaned forward with a grim countenance. "I'm dyin'."
Ruby felt her stomach drop.
"Well, not really." She socked him in the dick bag face!
He blinked, nose squished to the side at her righteous fist stuck extended, his hand clasped around her wrist out of reflex. He slowly pushed her hand away. "Corwyn and Corwyn are doing a fusion dance, together they'll combine and become one instead of two. With two becoming one, technically both die and a new man is born from their ashes, rising like the phoenix of legend."
Ruby fell forward, burrowing her face into his sweater. "Uwah! Stop being so damned wordy!"
"Swear."
All the fighting left her body and she just limply slumped on the couch.
"Its been happening since day one. Sometimes I'm more Remnant!Corwyn, some days I'm more Earth!Corwyn; most of the time I'm CORWYN THE AMALGAMATION!" He dramatically proclaimed, laughing as Ruby giggled.
He slumped back into the couch, "It is what it is. No use worrying about, but just thought you'd like to know why some days I'm a bit different." He tangled with the headphones, "Still want to hear about Song of Earth?" He asked.
She nodded with wide eyes.
"Well, the earphones are connected to some form of repository of knowledge taken directly from the conceptual link of 'home' from Earth!Corwyn's home. This lets the device play any of the songs from earth. Millions if not billions of songs, all at the ready, with them being automatically sorted and adjusted to the wearer's taste of music, known or otherwise undiscovered."
Ruby rose from her defeat with wide eyes, utterly flabbergasted by the Enchantment.
"Wanna try?" He offered the earphones to her.
She hesitantly took them, before placing them in her ears. She glanced over to Corwyn who smiled. "Just think about playing some music."
And so she did.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3b7sIfvqGCnc2Y3dU4axok?si=e19567d9c0eb4495
She listened, and so she fell in love. The world faded out as she started to enjoy the music, only for her eyes to be taken by Dad coming down from the stairs. The man waved at the two teens, Corwyn putting his hand up in a lazy wave.
She heard Dad make a comment, and then Corwyn pointed at his rings. Then dad gestured over to her, and Corwyn made another comment.
Dad froze, and she took the earphones out.
"What's wrong?"
Dad's jaw worked, but nothing came out. His finger pointed to her, then him, before he gathered himself, "Stand up, lad."
Corwyn raised an eyebrow at Tai, before doing so and rounding the couch.
"Yeah?" He asked casually, only to blink in surprise as Tai brought him into a hug. "Welcome into the family, son."
Bwah?
Dad separated from Corwyn with a smile on his face, "No grandkids until I've got grays though, you hear?"
Corwyn's lips twisted into humored amusement, "You got it…Dad?"
Tai smiled widely, "Got a son!" He crowed as he slapped Corwyn on the shoulder, something she knew would've sent even Yang taking a few steps forward.
Tai walked away shaking his head, "Always thought it'd be Yang to do it…" He muttered, entering the kitchen.
Ruby watched the exchange with horror, knowing that once Corwyn was gone she'd be getting The Talk.
"Oi!" A shout echoed from the kitchen, sound aggrieved, Tai came storming back in with a thunderous expression.
"Who ate all the cheesecake!?" He asked with desperation and mania in his eyes.
Ruby and Corwyn glanced at one another, neither finding guilt on the other's face. "Yang." They replied in unison.
"Her ass is tanned." Tai whispered, crouching to the floor, before bouncing up and then spreading his limbs out wide, somehow sticking to the ceiling as he skittered upstairs from the roof. They heard a terrified scream and yelling from upstairs.
"You think you can eat my food!? Huh?! Huh?! Corwyn made that for me! Go downstairs and beg! Beg! Beg for more of our new son-in-law's baking!"
"He's what!?"
"You know what you heard!"
"They're getting married!? Already!? Fuck! How!? How is she so quick!?"
"Shit!" They both heard a crash and then a slam. "That was my wall!" Tai cried in grief.
They heard stomping, before Yang came storming down.
She growled as her eyes found them. Corwyn looked up at her with mild amusement and curiosity. She felt the same, all said.
No words fell out of a working jaw, before she snarled and stormed out of the house, hair flaming as she went to cool off.
Corwyn's gaze followed her, "She needs to get laid…" He muttered.
Ruby choked on her spit.