There's a wave of complicated, bittersweet emotion that floods over Ruby in the precise moment that the words 'combat ready' pass Valdis's lips. (There is a green hair tie in her hair. There is a golden locket with a green power symbol around her neck.) Penny's voice echoes in her head, quickly followed by her own.

("How do you handle all of this?" Oscar had asked her, after she said the same phrase. "Who would ask for this?"

She gave him one of her speeches. Ended it with that ever faithful keep moving forward. Sometimes she misses how easy it had been to pretend it was that simple.)

Slowly, she takes the offered strip of fabric. Swallows. Breathes. "...I can't do this with my main weapon, you know. I-If I swing a Scythe around completely blind, people are going to lose their heads."

She stares at the piece for a moment, then sighs and tucks the training blade under her arm to free her hands to tie it over her face.