Chapter 111: Reddish Black
It has been two weeks since Silva started his two projects on making construction bots to build his homes in Anima and Vale, plus the armored assault vehicle that he will be using for his trip through Anima to Menagerie. Ruby and Yang are back for another weekend with Raven, and while Silva does show up every now and then, he mostly stays cooped up in his lab. The blonde still had mixed feelings about the relationship between the snow leopard faunus and her mother. She is slowly starting to come to terms with it, especially since Raven explained that part of the reason for her change of heart is Silva.
Ruby, on the other hand... She is currently tiptoeing toward the cave where Silva's lab is at, and while she knows she needs permission to enter, which is what she is trying to get in the first place, to ask the snow leopard faunus's permission and forgiveness for entering without his say so. The little reaper is trying to be stealthy, but she only has cartoons as a reference on how to be sneaky. So Ruby is tiptoeing from tree to tree in a silly fashion until she then enters the cave entrance while having her back against the wall and moving from side to side.
The little reaper then sees it; the lit-up complex within the cave filled with various machines and materials. Ruby gaped at how advanced some of the stuff looked.
" Wow!"
The little reaper started to wander around as she gawked at everything, the strange circular area that had some unfinished metal walls, the material crates neatly organized against one side of the cave's wall, and the power cables scattered across the floor. As Ruby tried to find Silva, something drew her eye; it was a small open art studio filled with drawings of... robots and people? The little reaper examined the pictures and found them pretty interesting; most of the robots had a single eye with gas mask-like heads, and another robot had two horns with angular eyes and a beard-like protrusion.
Ruby soon realized that these drawings told a story of giant robots fighting one another, and she squealed excitedly.
" So cool!"
The little reaper tried to make sense of the story she saw when suddenly she heard a deep raspy voice say.
" Give me your soul!"
" EEP!"
***
I couldn't help but laugh when Ruby let out such a cute yelp at me, scaring her.
" Not funny, Silva!"
The little reaper pouted at me for laughing at her reaction, and I teased.
" But it was such a cute little yelp, you naughty girl."
She tilted her head in confusion as she asked.
" How am I a naughty girl?"
" Ruby, where are you right now?"
Ruby soon realized what I was talking about and then said.
" Oh, right, sorry for coming in without permission! But I came to ask for your permission! So pleaseeeeeee, please, please let me look around!"
I wryly smiled at her and shook my head in amusement, then said.
" Let me give you a tour first since you are here."
" Yea!"
The little reaper cried out excitedly as I rolled my eyes with a wry smile and then warned her.
" Now, Ruby, I am telling you, DO not touch anything without my expressed permission, or you can forget about looking around my lab until you start attending Signal and learn proper safety management about weapon construction."
" Aye, aye, sir!"
She gave me a goofy little salute, and I started giving my tour.
" Here, as you can see, we are at my studio, where I am currently drawing up a black and white comic."
" Why aren't you going to color it?"
" Personal preference."
I simply answered her question and led her to the mobile lab that I am building on the side, considering I am still experimenting with the Aura-powered tech I worked out. I explained the mobile lab next to her.
" Here we have my mobile lab that is still a work in progress."
" Why is it in a circle?"
" I will show you when it's finished."
The little reaper followed me as we went to my workshop/bedroom, where I am currently working on my projects.
" This is where I sleep and work on my current projects."
" Oh! What are you doing right now?"
I considered making a joke that I am currently giving her a tour but decided to answer seriously.
" Well, I am designing some robots to construct my homes in Anima and Vale, plus an armored assault vehicle to travel into Menagerie from Mistral."
" Oh! You're going on a road trip, then? I have never been on one before; maybe I can convince dad to let me come along!"
" Sure, if you can get permission, I don't mind you coming along when Winter Break rolls around."
For some reason, I found it doubtful that Taiyang would let either of his daughters come along for weeks at a time with me. Probably because I know he is a slightly overprotective dad that forbids Yang from bringing any boys to his home or her going to their home. I shrugged as I didn't care one way or another; while it would be nice to have Ruby along for the trip, I was not desperate to have to look after the 11-year-old girl. Although, if she did somehow manage to convince her dad to let her come along, I would try to help her through her mental issues, like her hero complex and focusing on other people's happiness over her own.
Then again, with Roman Torchwich dead and my plans to deal with Salem before Yang attends Beacon, it would give Ruby time to mature on her own in her age group unless something like fate or plot exists to ensure that something comes to pass. I shook myself out of my thoughts and refocused on the little reaper as I told her.
" Now, Ruby, I want you to stay within at least earshot of me so that if you have any questions or want to check out anything, you can ask me."
" Sure thing, Silva!"
I turned my back on her as I went to work on my construction bots with the fabricator forge I got from Atlas. I am working on the fifth test model to put through the simulator to run the necessary tests on its practicality and viability in construction. Hmm, better strengthen the core of its body and legs because if it's too weak, it would be crushed under the weight of the materials it transports and manages. Now, how should I design its aerial systems?
" Hey, Silva."
" Yes, Ruby?"
I asked as I looked back at her, and Ruby was pointing at my experimental weapons.
" Are those your weapons?"
" Yeah, do you want to check them out?"
" Can I?!"
The reaper asked excitedly with sparkles in her silver eyes. They really are beautiful to look at; they shine like moonlight, and the innocence that Ruby has makes them well... I lack the right word to describe them that sounds eloquent enough for me without using something silly like really shiny. Ruby went over to my weapons with a burst of petals and started examining them. I better explain some of the mechanics of them, so she doesn't hurt herself by accident. I got up and went to her, then said.
" Any questions?"
" Yeah, what's this strange battery-like thing in the haft of these axes?"
The little reaper asked me with a serious but curious expression, and I answered by explaining how they are Aura-powered and what they each individually do. Ruby gaped at me as I explained the tech I devised but withheld talking about the non-Dust-based gunpowder as it is a big deal to Remnant at large. I want to hold off spreading until I can at least get royalties for the recipes or, better yet, become the sole manufacturer, as Earth's gunpowder is far more dangerous than Remnant's because its combustion is stronger and can propel a bullet at the speed of sound.
Putting that aside, Ruby bombarded me with questions for the rest of the day.
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