Ruby, Behind the Mask by @rollee (Rollee Bitterblossom)

I've been meaning to draw Ruby without her mask for quite a while now, so here's a quick little sketch and short story of back when she was still alive.

After getting horribly scarred by her father, Ruby became incredibly self conscious about her appearance, and constantly hid her face. As years went by Ruby would eventually be more open, especially around the kids who have been with her in Piedmont since the beginning. But there was always an emotional hesitation even amongst them. Then she met Lucas.

When Ruby first met Lucas Hallows, she was overwhelmed by a sense of freedom and relief for the first time in her living memory. For Lucas was blind and so he would never see her face. Unfortunately proud, confident Lucas had no interest in shy Ruby and so she continued to merely live in the shadow of others; too smothered in her own self pity to realize that her old friend Robert had always liked her just the way she was.

If you liked this story and found the Factory of Madness interesting I have a group where I store the art and stories. Here