Diary of a Concerned Friend

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Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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You already are.

Sorry. For reading this and all that. I didn't know whose it was until I opened it, and couldn't make myself stop. And sorry for writing in it. I know I shouldn't steal your last page like this, but even if it's rude there's something I have to say.

You already are that sort of friend, Ruby.

It was a hard time. I won't lie. Cardin made me miserable. But I wasn't exactly letting people- friends- help me. I didn't have that proper mindset either. I came closer to quitting than I like to admit.

But I didn't because you didn't let me. Because of your silly unreasonable 'nope.'

I'm surprised you didn't write about that. That it didn't seem that important to you. Because it was important to me- maybe as important as 'strangers are friends' was to you. That helped me more than you can imagine. You helped me more than you realize. You were- are- already a great friend. And not just because you're out looking for Blake right now. This diary alone is proof enough. You were worried, you were concerned, and isn't that what good friends do? I think so.

You wondered if you'd ever give me a hand up if you saw me down. You did something better. You lowered yourself to my level.

That night in the hallway- before Forever Falls- that was probably the lowest night of my life. If you'd simply offered a hand, standing tall and confidant while I was down and defeated, I wouldn't have taken it. I probably would have broke. Helped up, by someone so much stronger and competent and confident.

But you weren't, were you? You might have been (definitely are) stronger, but you were just as unsure as I was. Just as worried in your own way. Instead of standing above me, you sat down there with me, and gave me your words of wisdom. Or word, as the case may be. You didn't look down on me, and you didn't coddle me, and you told me how it was. You may have been been speaking to yourself as much as me, but what you did say was important.

You're already the sort of friend who helps, Ruby. You told me exactly what I needed, when I needed it. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure I would have pulled through. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Let me repay you by giving you that advice you wanted. How to 'think' like the hero you want to be.

Keep doing what you're doing.

You're on a good path, Ruby. You're a great person with an amazing team and a bunch of amazing friends and me. Keep those promises. Remember what you told me. Do that, and you'll be an amazing hero in no time. You're already amazing in my book, and that's just as a friend. Just focus on being you, and the rest will come naturally.

You do that, and I'll focus on training, and we'll meet somewhere in the middle. For now? I'll sneak this back to your dorm before you and the others come back with Blake like I know you will. I'd say feel free to ask us for help, but then I know what it means to need to do some things yourself. But you know I'm here if you need it.

Well, kinda. Who knows how long it will be till you re-open and read this. When you're ready to get a new one, I guess. But if you do ask, I'll be there.

(I think you already are ready for that other diary, personally. Maybe I'll get you a new one for Gift Day. Or two, one for both of us so we can compare notes. How does that sound? It's the least I can do for using up the last of your pages- and to repay you for your help.)

I think that's what I need to say, so let me round it up.

Thanks, Ruby. You're a better friend than you know, and I'm proud to call you that. So try not to be too embarrassed when you realize I read this, alright?

(And please don't kill me. Or let anyone else on your team do it for you. This can be the secret between us.)

Love, and thanks, from your first friend at Beacon,

Jaune

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Fin

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Author Notes:

The (real) end of the story. For a story about Ruby's thoughts on Jaune, I thought it'd be nice to end on Jaune's thoughts towards Ruby.

Which I thought were relevant because, as some noticed, Ruby's resolve at the last chapter matches up well with the Blake run-away arc. Despite focusing on Jaune's defining character-development arc, I wanted to give a sense of Ruby's developments as well. The increasing concern leading to an acceptance of weaknesses and an resolve to improve herself as well. Letting Ruby be a flawed heroine who doesn't save the day (bystander syndrome), and so who uses the crisis to push herself forward and grow.

Overall, I like it. It wasn't a perfectly polished fit- the whole body up to Fovever Falls was originally one big stream of consciousness block that I broke apart for diary entries- and there was the occasional elements of repetition. I realize how that can be annoying, but I don't think it's necessarily bad- it fit the idea and intent of someone continuing to worry over something that's not improving. Touching everything only once would be concise, but that's not how people worry. Concern is cyclic, and in Jaundice it's Jaune, not Ruby, who breaks the cycle.

(And- as funny as it was- let's clarify something. The grammar choices and errors in the story are (mostly) deliberate. It's an attempt at Ruby-style stream of consciousness. Hopefully the contrast with Jaune makes clear I was going for personal styles of writing.)

So, with that, it's over. Please share your thoughts,