Rosy Rooftops

Master of Tides

(A/N): These next chapters were written in a separate Word document and at a different time, so forgive any inconsistencies or diction differences! I hope you enjoy nonetheless!

Also, the song Weiss sings is "Lost in Thoughts All Alone" from Fire Emblem Fates

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"You are the ocean's gray waves..."

The song echoed out of the battered earbuds, Ruby humming along silently. The rain outside the bus was nothing short of torrential, blurring the ever-present neon signs of Downtown Vale. Ruby had taken to recording Weiss' voice as of late, after hearing it for the first time nearly half a year ago. The bus slowed to a stop outside of the beaten-down bar Weiss worked at daily. A man was sitting under the awning of the bar asleep, the rain seeming not to bother him, despite his shoes being soaked to the core. Ruby wondered if the man had stayed there since the night before. The dried vomit on his shirt said he had.

Ruby shuddered and looked away, forward to the next stop. She would soon reach her culinary school, taught by none other than the legendary Jameson Ironwood, host of Ironwood Chef on the National Cooking Network. The ladies in the class always gawked at his robotic arm, which he received after his time spent in the military, but Ruby's attention was focused on the dishes below him, taking avid notes every second. Legend has it that Ironwood's dishes are second to none, but his rule is that only the top five students across all of his classes got to try any.

The bus slowed to a stop one last time, Ruby having been stationed at the stained sliding door before the driver even thought about pulling the door open. Her bag was zipped shut and her mind was open, her feet splashing against the puddles as she sprinted toward the lecture hall.

CRASH

Ruby was soon on the ground, luckily missing the muddy puddle beside her, but the boy she collided with was not quite as lucky. His utensils had spilled out into the puddle, a single spoon floating away from the rest.

"Ack!" They yelled in unison, as the two scrambled to recover the lost silverware. If Ironwood had seen that, the boy would be given a lecture fit from the Devil himself. Ruby hadn't noticed her earbuds had fallen out and cracked on the ground, the scotch tape failing to hold it together. This led her phone to instead relay the song to the air around them.

"You are the ocean's gray waves..."

The boy froze, taking a good look at Ruby, then at her pocket. Speechless, the boy gawked at the voice. "I'm sorry, who is that singing?"

Ruby looked up at the boy in confusion, suddenly realizing her earbuds had decided to abandon ship. "Ah, sorry! That's my girlfriend Weiss singing. She's pretty good huh?" Ruby pocketed the earbuds, silently resolving to buy a new pair soon, and stop taping them together every week.

"Does she sing professionally?" The boy asked, and for the first time Ruby got a good look at him. He was very well dressed, but luckily wearing darker clothes. His haircut and the gleam in his eyes told her that he was indeed wealthy, but not exactly one to brag about it.

"Nah, she works at the local bar down the street. Y'know, the one with the big green awning?"

The boy looked shocked. "When does she work?"

Ruby eyed the boy carefully, choosing her words as precisely as Ironwood would have. "You know she's not looking for a boyfriend, right?"

"Oh no no no! You see, my dad owns the record label Valerian Talent. Have you heard of it?"

"Yup!"

"He tells me every day before I leave for school to keep my ears out for potential talent, and I think my father would absolutely love to offer her a job singing!" The boy chirped, "I mean, her words are sung with such clarity I can hardly contain myself!"

Ruby herself was now perked up, "Really? She'd love that! Here, let me give you the times she works!" With a quick trade of names and phone numbers, the two were then on their merry ways, the lonely spoon still afloat in the puddle of rainwater.