video; un: ushiromiya

[entreats]

[ Even as the image can be seen, it seems like there's still a moment of set up, tiny hands fiddling with the Omni like they're trying to get the perfect shot.. But then there are two faces visible. Two faces that are looking decidedly younger than usually - it's Ange and Ruby, looking like they definitely can't be much older than six years old.

And looking very excited. ]

Um, so, so..! We heard that there's some sort of reaaally scary snake monster out there! So.. we thought we'd help out everyone and get rid of it! Because Ruby.. She's a really, reaaally cool huntress! [ Ange may be Will-Smith-esque posing at Ruby for emphasis right as she says that. ]

[Ruby just stares at the camera briefly until she notices Ange's hands pointing her way. She blinks and quickly starts to flex her twiggy arms to the camera.]

Yeah! We're super strong and awesome and we've got tons of weapons! [Ruby gestures to a sack of potato's and a large collection of sticks that they've gathered up.]

That snack is going to be- a- -uh- a, a piece of snack!

[ While Ruby is saying that last part, it seems that Ange has already moved over to grab one of the sticks for a demonstration. As she's running back towards where Ruby and the Omni are, she's waving the stick wildly. ]

We'll get it just like thi--

[ Ange manages to smack the stick right against the device, turning the view sideways before it just cuts out entirely.

Oops. ]

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video; un: caripan

[expiera]

[My, my! Is this the same miss deadpan she met barely a few days ago? The eye-catching hair of red stylized with the telltale twintails make it unmistakable, and she's got an equally adorable friend with her too! (Ange was right, the Trench is wack. Gloucester was utterly normal and uneventful in comparison.) Whether Ange remembers the fattydingdong bread inhaler newcomer she helped, the feed is opening to the selfsame woman with short blue hair, wearing glasses this time and beaming quite brightly at both girls.]

Goodness! With such a [precious] valiant and inspiring declaration, I'm sure anything with an evil bone in its body would recoil at your very approach. Snakes are cowardly creatures and like to slither around in hard-to-see places though, trying to look for them would probably be rather boring. [No, someone did NOT get (or care about) the memo that snakes are venerated creatures here in the Trench, but whatever,] Are you two brave huntresses sure you don't have greater evil to smite, so to speak?

[happymeal]

[ There is a hint of recognition in Ange's eyes, but it's pretty faint. After all, she only met Ciel once before. Her Trench memories have been transferred over to this much younger form, but that's a lot of information for a six year old brain to work with.

Which means she just squints at the screen for a moment, trying to tell why this person looks so familiar, before momentarily giving up and deciding to instead answer her question. ]

What greater evil could there be though, miss..? I haven't heard of anything else that's bothering people here.

[expiera]

[Yes, good girl~☆]

Godzilla came by before, though. What if it shows up again?

[No don't ask the cute 6yo about Godzilla with such a cheerful wink...]

[happymeal]

.. [ Ange gasps. ]

You're right..!

[ Apparently the Godzilla memory is still somewhere in there.. though only god knows how Ange's little brain is somehow coping with it. ]

We should be preparing for Godzilla..! I don't want that big bad lizard to hurt anyone here..!

[expiera]

[However smol Ange's 6yo brain is coping with it, the mention of the big giant blockbuster lizard also seems to have successfully distracted her from more talks of snake chasing, and that's good enough in Ciel's book. Yes, let's focus on worse but imaginary scenarios, instead of the very dangerous and very real one plaguing the Trench in this very moment--]

Exactly, and I'm not sure if your arsenal of sticks will be enough if you want to be ready against Godzilla, the King of Monsters! You'll need better training and equipment, thorough preparation goes a long way. What's your current routine, if you don't mind me asking?

[happymeal]

Umm.. well.. Ruby and I just practice fighting each other with our combat sticks..

[ The little girl definitely sounds a little unsure as she's speaking now - perhaps because she's realising that those preparations don't sound very special, now do they. What if this nice lady doesn't think they're real heroes, even though they clearly are..! ]

O-One time she accidentally hit me on the head! But it's okay, I didn't even cry..! [ There.

Now it clearly sounds so much more epic. ]

[expiera]

[Oh no, they are definitely the real deal. But you know what they say: Every battle is won before it's ever fought. So preparation is key, naturally--]

How hardy of you! Sparring with each other is just the beginning, though. Have you done any obstacle courses, or practised special maneuvers like a team attack? Maybe also look into huntress armour for better protection, too? You have to be prepared for anything out there!

[happymeal]

[ Ange's little head is definitely starting to feel woozy with this sudden onslaught of information and possibilities, but she is really doing her best to try and keep up..! ]

Well..

[ ....

She pauses. It's like she doesn't even know what to address first. ]

I dunno where we'd find an obstacle course here.. [ That feels like a good one. It's a little more concrete. ]

[expiera]

I could help you make one~! Training would be good for huntresses and heroines, don't you think?

[Pick whichever one and go tbh, she can work with any of the aforementioned possibilities for the ultimate goal of keeping these precious buttons distracted and AWAY from Actually Dangerous Things!]

[happymeal]

You could..?!

[ It seems to be the first surprise here on the little kid's part, though it's quickly followed up with: ]

You would?! [ After all, it's not like even the older Ange knows Ciel well enough to expect the other would do this - which translates to even less in this bitty form. So she's just amazed at this total kindness on a stranger's part, clearly without any ulterior motivations! ]

It sounds like it'd be so much fun, miss..!

[expiera]

Of course! We just need to find a good place and the equipment for it. I'm sure it'll be fun setting it up too, and I already have an idea of where to start. Is it okay if it's somewhere public where anyone may come by? You may get competition and have other kids to help, but that's all in a day's work for a huntress too, isn't it?

[Good thing she's been scoping out Crenshaw since arrival, and she's relatively certain that the master of the orphanage and its helpers wouldn't mind assisting her in a winter obstacle course for the children. Whether it's for some fun and exercise or ulterior motives some other reason, it'd be a good cause regardless, right?]

[happymeal]

[ Ange goes quiet for a moment.

At first it's hard to pinpoint the exact reason, especially since little kids can be so unpredictable in that sense.. You never know exactly what's going through those little heads.

But then, finally, she does slowly speak up again. ]

Will those other kids.. want to play with me too?

[expiera]

[But kids are also pure and honest in all the ways people stop being once they become more aware of their surroundings and themselves, setting aside the fact that The Trench seems to have a lot of kids running around who don't act their age...

...Aha. That sort of worry... Really is quite relatable.]

I'm sure they will. And if they can't for any reason, like getting a stomachache or becoming too tired, we can always do something else too. Like getting you better equipment, including something to protect your head with? [no more accidental stick bonks! A hat would be very cute, even though it's more tuque season, hm...]

[happymeal]

.. a hat?

[ Clearly little Ange is about to be used as a dressup doll...

Which she doesn't necessarily mind, honestly. But the actual Ange might have a word or two to say about that. Such a shame for her that she isn't present right now. ]

Or.. a helmet? I guess a hat doesn't protect your head from a lot, huh.. [ Even Ange does realise as much! She can be a smart six year old. ]

[expiera]

[Adult Ange is more than welcome to lodge any and all complaints in the future if she remembers any of this! Rightfully charge Ciel for her dressing-up-cute-little-girls-in-fittingly-cute-clothing crimes, officer, 🚨]

It depends on what it's made of, there's no rule against being practical and fashionable. We'd have to go browse and have a look for ourselves to find out, don't you think?

[Piling shopping on top of the To-Do list... But you can never keep kids TOO distracted, especially sharp ones who are aware normal hats don't protect against much, usually!]

video; clickclickbloom

[littlelikeroses]

[Oh. Doesn't she look nice.]

Yeah-! We're like the greatest heroes this place has ever seen, don't forget it!

Uh- Maybe? Probably!? But the snake is causing problems for people in town- So even if it's gonna sneak around like a big old coward we gotta beat it up.

A Huntress doesn't back down just because a fight might be boring, she goes out and makes sure everyone can be safe!

[expiera]

Goodness, considerate and diligent, too. You two will definitely be a force to be reckoned with! Ruby and Ange, right? Have you girls thought of a name for your duo yet? How about the Crimson Angels? Ah, but that's just an example that came to mind. You can pick anything you like, of course~!

[She didn't miss that (quite solid) reasoning, just... you can't crush evil without a cool moniker, everyone can agree on that right?]

[littlelikeroses]

Yeah! That's us!

Oh- Crimson Angels is really pretty! uh- Normally Huntress teams are four people- And the name is uh- well it's a colour. And you spell it out with the four letters of the peoples names.

Like my mom and dad's team. They were STRQ! (Pronounced stark) For Summer.. Taiyang, Raven and Qrow!

Uncle Qrow's my uncle and he's the coolest in all of this place. Say hi to him if you see him.

[expiera]

[-Huh, so there ARE protocols and they didn't just pick a cool-sounding moniker to run with? Ah well, it's on Ciel for assuming, but that's still rather interesting. She definitely seems to be listening avidly, in any case.]

That's quite neat, interesting! I'll be sure to let M. Qrow know that a certain local huntress gave him a glowing recommendation, if I ever happen across him in the future. Is your whole family hunters and huntresses, Ruby?

CW: Parental death.

[littlelikeroses]

It is! The most glowy and shiny recommendation there is!
He's around here somewhere- You'll know him when you see him, trust me.

[And she gives a nod.]

Yeah- Both my dad and Uncle Qrow do it and teach people how to do it too.
Me and my sister are both gonna be them when we get bigger.
And my mom was one too- But-
She's not around anymore.

[expiera]

Haha, okay.~

[...

Hard to tell if the small girl means in The Trench or overall, but the specifics are hardly anything small talk need to delve into. And while she doesn't look or sound too shaken by the almost off-handed mention... Mm. Let sleeping dogs lay, wasn't it?]

Goodness, you really come from a family of professionals. Can you tell me more on what being a Hunter or Huntress is about, Ruby? It's dangerous but very important work, did I guess that much right?

[littlelikeroses]

I do, I do! The best around

[The hard thing is that Ruby's own world is about as dangerous as Trench is. So the line sort of blurs for a bit at her current age.]

A Huntsmen and Huntress is dangerous work. But it's important. There are Grimm and monsters everywhere and they get attracted to people who are having bad thoughts.

So Huntsmen and Huntress fight them off and keep the town safe. And they help out around town too. So people can be happy and feel safe. It keeps the Grimm away.

[expiera]

[On the bright side, that sorta means Trench doesn't always ignore the suitability of people it drags in...(???)]

Monsters show up around people from simply having bad thoughts? That sounds awfully harsh... [But who is she to comment on how bad someone else's world sounds? It reasonably explains why this little girl is so gung-ho about fighting monsters, at least.] Is the profession usually hereditary, or can anyone become a Huntsman or Huntress if they try hard enough?

[littlelikeroses]

[Small miracles?]

Yeah! They're big jerks and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes too!

[The Grimm were common enough that despite being awful menaces they were still part of life.]

Anyone can! As long as they grow up big and tough! You can even go to schools to be one!

[expiera]

[Might as well take what you can get, mhm...]

I see. [If monsters and these 'Grimm' are as common a threat as she makes it sound, then having schools teaching how to fight them makes sense.] If it's okay for me to ask, Ruby, what made you want to become a Huntress? You didn't necessarily have to follow in your parents' footsteps, right?