Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

"Wait. A dance...wouldn't be bad. Don't read too much into that."

She did anyway. "Awwwww,~ I knew ya were a perv deep down! Okayyyy, private booths are this way! Get hype, honey!"

In contrast to her attitude towards the forced, impersonal indulging she did of the men in the corner, she seemed genuinely delighted for the rare chance to strut her stuff for someone more inclined to be nice about it. These Samaritan types were such easy money!​

 

[MyrtenRose]

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She did anyway. "Awwwww,~ knew ya were a perv deep down! Okayyyy, private booths are this way! Get hype, honey!"

In contrast to her attitude towards the forced, impersonal indulging she did of the men in the corner, she seemed genuinely delighted for the rare chance to strut her stuff for someone liable to be nice about it. These Samaritan types were such easy money!​

Instant regret. She followed, however reluctantly, all the same though. It was for a good reason, she told herself.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Leaning over the second floor balcony where he and his aide were acting as judicious mission oversight, the hooded, bearded, nigh-unrecognizable even to the criminal element who had reason to know him ex-general looked on at the proceedings with a frown, perturbed as he watched Robyn being led away for a presumed lap dance. Really? Now...?

"Don't ask me about any of the things you see in here, Penny."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Instant regret. She followed, however reluctantly, all the same though. It was for a good reason, she told herself.

Grey watched the two go with a quirked head.

'That...really isn't why we're here...'

Well...given what this event would be described as, he supposed indulging in some of man's vices wasn't too bad an idea.

Still, he couldn't let himself fall victim to them. The bartender had said it herself, he was the only one who looked like he belonged here. If he soiled that image by sitting down at the counter and having a drink it'd be all for naught. He had to admit all the same though that bouncer was something else-
​

"Tell boss lady the dragon wants a word. She can finish with whoever the hell 'Cobalt' is first, but don't make me wait too long, kay? Oh, but first-"

​

 

[Indolent]

Gretchen very much didn't care if any of the clientele demonstrated their thirst for the fairer sex, ambivalent about it all. Not that it was channeled towards a reservoir of self confidence or anything, it was an experience that was earmarked as more than meaningless, it wasn't enough to impinge her bombastic attitude that positively brightened the locale's dark atmosphere. After all, was it not lacking in taste to affirm the physical perfection to the specimen when it knew well enough...?

Nah, it really was just that she didn't give a crap and it definitely didn't hurt being flanked by probably the only entity within the building that was taller and musclier than that one bouncer, acting as a buffer of sorts though she wasn't entirely immune to the surreptitious glances shot her way favoring her svelte type.

"...The thing."

"..." She ignored that, turning to someone more likely to give a straight answer sometime soon than Cobalt and who looked less uncomfortable being here than Winter. "What the shit's that mean?"

"That thing, y'know, theeeeee thiiiiiiiiing?" She chimed in, echoing Cobalt's words unhelpfully with a knowing wink shot the bartender's way. Okay, actually, that was uncomfortable to do, realization and recognition after the fact noted and stored away for future interaction in these seedy joints.

She would have had ruminated on that further along if it wasn't for:

"THE FIGHTS!"

Well, she couldn't leave her new bestie hanging.

"YEAH!!!"

Her stare turned to Gretchen. "And you."

Then back to Cobalt. To say she looked skeptical was an understatement.

"These are your so-called contenders? You know a buncha trainee huntresses aren't gonna make it past the prelims, right? You're all in for a bloodbath. The only person here who looks even a little cut out for the pits is that guy."

She jabbed a thumb over to wherever Grey was standing.

"HEY! Rude. I bet I can bounce better than your bouncer" For whatever reason, there was quite literally a springy effect to her step as she teeter-tottered as if to emphasize a vague point she was making before shrugging and turning with her back to the bar as she took in the surrounding.

Nora for her part sidled over towards Gretchen. “Should we find a table, maybe? Get something to eat? I’m hungry.”

"I'm starving too. This place has got to have some nasty onion rings we can chow on or something. Oh, did I tell ya? Brosel's scoping the joint out." ... Without missing a beat. "Probably, more like assassinating a dozen rats before he gets to it but I'll have details! Cuz I'm stupidly curious like that." She beamed before pushing off to find a table for themselves, leaving Hazel by the bar as he nonchalantly eyes an errant patron here and there.

He allowed himself a loll of the head, asking for a pitcher of their hardest ale.

"A table's just as well, anything to get away from that bird with the nasty attitude." Gretchen commented, grumbling before attempting to flag down one of the servers.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I'm starving too. This place has got to have some nasty onion rings we can chow on or something. Oh, did I tell ya? Brosel's scoping the joint out." ... Without missing a beat. "Probably, more like assassinating a dozen rats before he gets to it but I'll have details! Cuz I'm stupidly curious like that." She beamed before pushing off to find a table for themselves, leaving Hazel by the bar as he nonchalantly eyes an errant patron here and there.

He allowed himself a loll of the head, asking for a pitcher of their hardest ale.

"A table's just as well, anything to get away from that bird with the nasty attitude." Gretchen commented, grumbling before attempting to flag down one of the servers.

"OR MOZZARELLA STICKS!"

Nora raised a hand to her chin after that, thinking... "You know, I should get an animal companion too, maybe. What you think, would a polar bear be my style?" She smirked at the thought. Especially of picturing it out there slaying not rats, but GRIMM! There was a bounce to her step as she followed after Gretchen towards a table. Any table. Wish Ren was here though...he'd probably have sanitizer wipes or something on hand. A clean life is a good life and all that, he would say as he dispensed his zen wisdom. She doubted any table in here was anywhere near the definition of clean.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"A table's just as well, anything to get away from that bird with the nasty attitude." Gretchen commented, grumbling before attempting to flag down one of the servers.

"Hey cuties! What'll it be?!~" The two, apparently not regarded as a viable source of cash by many, were totally ignored by every other server and member of staff until the tanuki faunus reemerged from giving Robyn her money's worth, or doing the best she could for someone so hellbent on pretending not to be into it anyway. If it was even pretending. She looked a bit self-conscious after the experience, to be honest. And definitely still felt like she was being pitied. Friggin' narcs making her second-guess herself...​

 

[MyrtenRose]

It was with a perhaps expected mood that Robyn stepped out of there and stepped up to slide in between where Raven and May stood. A face that all but screamed she'd seen things she hadn't come in desiring to see, that it was some freak chance and some part of her getting the better of her to agree to that at all...she did her best to not say anything, to not start a conversation...but Raven started one anyway while she awaited her turn. "You should have just said no, idiot."

"Hate to say it, but I'm inclined to agree there, Robyn."

"Don't you start."​

 

[Indolent]

"OR MOZZARELLA STICKS!"

Nora raised a hand to her chin after that, thinking... "You know, I should get an animal companion too, maybe. What you think, would a polar bear be my style?" She smirked at the thought. Especially of picturing it out there slaying not rats, but GRIMM! There was a bounce to her step as she followed after Gretchen towards a table. Any table. Wish Ren was here though...he'd probably have sanitizer wipes or something on hand. A clean life is a good life and all that, he would say as he dispensed his zen wisdom. She doubted any table in here was anywhere near the definition of clean.​

"Party platter of both? Party platter of both. Good."

Came a sagacious nod cementing an agreement between both huntresses before Gretchen dropped all pretenses, affecting an easygoing posture in her seat in a slouch as she contemplated. "Maaaaaaaybe, it depends on the animal. Some are easy going, some are definitively nooooot. A polar probably isn't going to be in the mood for tea and crumpets likely. It would definitely fit your style, though. Maybe a big cat too, though those are far and few in between sadly..." Cocking her head as a natural progression in her thoughts, she ruminated along a similar bend.

"They'd definitely shred an Ursa Major at minimum. Brosel's favorite are the Boarbatusks, goes right for the nape of the neck and all."

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"Hey cuties! What'll it be?!~" The two, apparently not regarded as a viable source of cash by many, were totally ignored by every other server and member of staff until the tanuki faunus reemerged from giving Robyn her money's worth, or doing the best she could for someone so hellbent on pretending not to be into it anyway. If it was even pretending. She looked a bit self-conscious after the experience, to be honest. And definitely still felt like she was being pitied. Friggin' narcs making her second-guess herself...​

"Hi, can I say I love your ears! Also, oh wow, that was quick with Miss Hill." Seemed like awkwardness was also on the menu tonight. "My friend and I are looking for something of a savory combination, if you offer that on your menu? Do you have specials? D'ya have menus. Specifically, we're thinking a platter of mozzarella sticks and onion rings annnnnnnd maybe a diet Dr. Piper to go with that. Nora, I assume you like Ol' King Cold best?"

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Y-you're pullin' my leg, right? You mean you're...?"

His face went as white as the checkered patches on his suit as he frantically took the actual time and effort to root out a clean glass. Inside, his mind was racing, even as Cookie made her way over to the backroom curtain with one final glance at Yang before she lifted it and hunched her humongous frame to disappear inside.

"...S-somethin' sweet, somethin' sweet... aheh, heh, y'know how many wise guys walk in here lookin' for sugar in their drinks? Ahh, n-not that there's anythin' wrong with that!" He scrambled, his efforts at keeping up the chatty barman persona somewhat hampered by his obvious terror at the potential ramifications of sticking his foot in it. Some OJ, tequila and strawberry grenadine were splashed together with a helping of ice, the resulting concoction slid across the countertop with a 'ta-da' flourish as he took a suspiciously large step back.

"Sweet as a Vale gal in the summertime! I c-call it, uhh, the Fruity Sunset. Just don't go expecting any little umbrellas or nothin', ya dig?"

So close.

There was a snicker that escaped the dragon's lips as she watched the bartender work his magic, and she snatched the glass with such gusto that his step back suddenly seemed far less large than it should've been. She sat up and swirled the liquid around a few times before she tipped the glass back for a long sip. She licked her lips and stared blankly ahead for a few seconds, before a disappointed huff escaped her and she slumped back down across the bar.

"Eh."

She took a smaller sipped and squinted her eyes before she shrugged.

" Whatever. Had worse. Now fuck off til someone wants to talk to me about the important stuff."

Her eyes drifted back closed, and until someone roused her she seemed content to occasionally nurse her drink and lounge, like her namesake in its own cave despite the viper's den this place was.

View attachment 728951

Leaning over the second floor balcony where he and his aide were acting as judicious mission oversight, the hooded, bearded, nigh-unrecognizable even to the criminal element who had reason to know him ex-general looked on at the proceedings with a frown, perturbed as he watched Robyn being led away for a presumed lap dance. Really? Now...?

"Don't ask me about any of the things you see in here, Penny."​

Penny gave a curt nod, her Disguise Hat and trench coat and amorphous blob of anonymity next to Ironwood that whispered back

"Understood, General. I will use this as a learning experience in drawing my own conclusions!"

Penny had learned a bit more about the real world than she had in her Beacon days. The ironwood back home might've kept her on a relatively short leash, but the protector of Mantle had done in-numerous field runs and missions in Atlas' sister city since her time at the Academy and preparing for the Vytal festival. She'd people at their angriest and most terrified during grimm attacks of course, but she'd also seen far more of humanity just... being human on her quieter patrols. It was almost impossible not to with her sensors; It was likely many would take Penny's mere existence as an invasion of privacy if they knew just how extensive they were, but she did her best to give everyone their privacy.

Of course, that was impossible on a task like this. Her sensors were half the reason she was here! If anyone wished to attempt any skullduggery or subterfuge to harm their allies and friends, it was Penny's solemn duty to take in everything around them and to parse that danger out. And of course neutralize it if necessary.

This also meant she had very clear audio of what went down in Robyn's time in the private room, and she had a quiet look of confused wonder as she tried to parse that data with any sort of sense.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Party platter of both? Party platter of both. Good."

Came a sagacious nod cementing an agreement between both huntresses before Gretchen dropped all pretenses, affecting an easygoing posture in her seat in a slouch as she contemplated. "Maaaaaaaybe, it depends on the animal. Some are easy going, some are definitively nooooot. A polar probably isn't going to be in the mood for tea and crumpets likely. It would definitely fit your style, though. Maybe a big cat too, though those are far and few in between sadly..." Cocking her head as a natural progression in her thoughts, she ruminated along a similar bend.

"They'd definitely shred an Ursa Major at minimum. Brosel's favorite are the Boarbatusks, goes right for the nape of the neck and all."



"Hi, can I say I love your ears! Also, oh wow, that was quick with Miss Hill." Seemed like awkwardness was also on the menu tonight. "My friend and I are looking for something of a savory combination, if you offer that on your menu? Do you have specials? D'ya have menus. Specifically, we're thinking a platter of mozzarella sticks and onion rings annnnnnnd maybe a diet Dr. Piper to go with that. Nora, I assume you like Ol' King Cold best?"

“Or a giant snow leopard!!! Claw off the grimm's arms with one fast swipe!”

She blinked, rapidly changing topics back. "Well, if you're buying...I don't have the lien for both. Though yes, both is good! Real good!! As for soda, nah. Sunflower drop, that's the good stuff right there. For me, at least!" : D Nora didn't comment on the business with Miss Hill, either displaying an impressive amount of sensitivity and tact towards the stuff that had gone on with that...or she simply and genuinely had not noticed the awkwardness there.​

 

[MidwayLives]

She blinked, rapidly changing topics back. "Well, if you're buying...I don't have the lien for both. Though yes, both is good! Real good!! As for soda, nah. Sunflower drop, that's the good stuff right there. For me, at least!" : D Nora didn't comment on the business with Miss Hill, either displaying an impressive amount of sensitivity and tact towards the stuff that had gone on with that...or she simply and genuinely had not noticed the awkwardness there.

Well...If the others were going to be standing around here for a while, he supposed it wouldn't do for them to grow restless.

Pushing himself back from the wall he'd been leaning on, he stepped over by Nora and Gretchen standing over the two huntresses.

"Get what you want. I'll cover the cost. Not a big deal."

It was the least he could do for Gretchen in particular. He hadn't forgotten how she'd been able to spook him back at the base...

"...I'd be fine with a small Dr. Piper. No ice."

He had his reasons.

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Pushing himself back from the wall he'd been leaning on, he stepped over by Nora and Gretchen standing over the two huntresses.

"Get what you want. I'll cover the cost. Not a big deal."

"...…!!!"

"Thanks, Mister, uh...what was your name again?" She thanked and asked, all the while giving him a hug of friendly gratitude that might or might not have been bonecrushing in intensity.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Hi, can I say I love your ears! Also, oh wow, that was quick with Miss Hill." Seemed like awkwardness was also on the menu tonight. "My friend and I are looking for something of a savory combination, if you offer that on your menu? Do you have specials? D'ya have menus. Specifically, we're thinking a platter of mozzarella sticks and onion rings annnnnnnd maybe a diet Dr. Piper to go with that. Nora, I assume you like Ol' King Cold best?"

She blinked, rapidly changing topics back. "Well, if you're buying...I don't have the lien for both. Though yes, both is good! Real good!! As for soda, nah. Sunflower drop, that's the good stuff right there. For me, at least!" : D Nora didn't comment on the business with Miss Hill, either displaying an impressive amount of sensitivity and tact towards the stuff that had gone on with that...or she simply and genuinely had not noticed the awkwardness there.

"...I'd be fine with a small Dr. Piper. No ice."

He had his reasons.

"Thanks! My ears love ya back!" The barmaid chirped back with all the exuberant energy of the sun. Her replies were kept intermittent and polite for the duration of Gretchen's rattling off, punctuating each of her queries accommodatingly despite the fact that this wasn't Chuck E. Cheese and the answer to all of them was no. "Yah-huh, yea, okay. So we don't have any'a that stuff, but I sure can getcha some bacon fries! How's that and two cokes sound?"

Her ears had pricked up at an overheard mention of Grimm, and never quite flattened back to their neutral state again by the time she burst out with her own questions. "Say, you gals wouldn't happen ta be huntresses wouldja? And is this freaky guy in the mask botherin' ya?"

Penny gave a curt nod, her Disguise Hat and trench coat and amorphous blob of anonymity next to Ironwood that whispered back

"Understood, General. I will use this as a learning experience in drawing my own conclusions!"

Penny had learned a bit more about the real world than she had in her Beacon days. The ironwood back home might've kept her on a relatively short leash, but the protector of Mantle had done in-numerous field runs and missions in Atlas' sister city since her time at the Academy and preparing for the Vytal festival. She'd people at their angriest and most terrified during grimm attacks of course, but she'd also seen far more of humanity just... being human on her quieter patrols. It was almost impossible not to with her sensors; It was likely many would take Penny's mere existence as an invasion of privacy if they knew just how extensive they were, but she did her best to give everyone their privacy.

Of course, that was impossible on a task like this. Her sensors were half the reason she was here! If anyone wished to attempt any skullduggery or subterfuge to harm their allies and friends, it was Penny's solemn duty to take in everything around them and to parse that danger out. And of course neutralize it if necessary.

This also meant she had very clear audio of what went down in Robyn's time in the private room, and she had a quiet look of confused wonder as she tried to parse that data with any sort of sense.

What Pietro didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

So close.

There was a snicker that escaped the dragon's lips as she watched the bartender work his magic, and she snatched the glass with such gusto that his step back suddenly seemed far less large than it should've been. She sat up and swirled the liquid around a few times before she tipped the glass back for a long sip. She licked her lips and stared blankly ahead for a few seconds, before a disappointed huff escaped her and she slumped back down across the bar.

"Eh."

She took a smaller sipped and squinted her eyes before she shrugged.

" Whatever. Had worse. Now fuck off til someone wants to talk to me about the important stuff."

Her eyes drifted back closed, and until someone roused her she seemed content to occasionally nurse her drink and lounge, like her namesake in its own cave despite the viper's den this place was.

She didn't have to tell him twice. The man was way down the opposite end of the bar pretending to stack mugs if she cracked an eye open to look again, and she didn't have to wait long before a much harsher and less deferential tone beckoned her from just past the curtain.



"This way."

The bouncer shot Yang a single stonecutting glare in warning before she lumbered back to her duties, and if Raven tried to step forward for her turn she got shooed off no differently than if she were in bird form interrupting someone's picnic as the proprietor kept her severe eyes trained on the supposed dragon until she approached. They were eyes and a voice sharpened by the edge of mercilessness through the years in their own right, but even that edge appeared somewhat dulled by a guarded wariness in the presence of Yang as she turned away to walk on without holding the curtain for her.

On the other side of the veil of darkness was a relatively normal back area, doors to the manager's office and locker room for the dancers slightly ajar as she cast scrutinizing glances through each of them like she was expecting the entire venue to be engulfed in a whirlwind of carnage and bloodshed from around any given corner at any moment. She otherwise led her straight past and down the hall, towards the very end, around a corner past the stock cages and towards decidedly more murky lighting and what looked to be nothing more than the door to a utility closet of some kind. It was only around that point that she started to speak again.

"You're the freak from Anima? Funny. I was picturing someone a little older."​

 

[Indolent]

Well...If the others were going to be standing around here for a while, he supposed it wouldn't do for them to grow restless.

Pushing himself back from the wall he'd been leaning on, he stepped over by Nora and Gretchen standing over the two huntresses.

"Get what you want. I'll cover the cost. Not a big deal."

It was the least he could do for Gretchen in particular. He hadn't forgotten how she'd been able to spook him back at the base...

"...I'd be fine with a small Dr. Piper. No ice."

He had his reasons.

​

"...…!!!"

"Thanks, Mister, uh...what was your name again?" She thanked and asked, all the while giving him a hug of friendly gratitude that might or might not have been bonecrushing in intensity.​

"Hey, Grey!" Gretchen called to the masked man in his robes and all, completely unperturbed by his appearance still. "Thanks for the offer, I'll go in on with you. I don't have a lot myself but I wouldn't feel right about taking your money."

She did wince at the sight of the diminutive Valkyrie bear hugging the man, though.

"Thanks! My ears love ya back!" The barmaid chirped back with all the exuberant energy of the sun. Her replies were kept intermittent and polite for the duration of Gretchen's rattling off, punctuating each of her queries accommodatingly despite the fact that this wasn't Chuck E. Cheese and the answer to all of them was no. "Yah-huh, yea, okay. So we don't have any'a that stuff, but I sure can getcha some bacon fries! How's that and two cokes sound?"

Her ears had pricked up at an overheard mention of Grimm, and never quite flattened back to their neutral state again by the time she burst out with her own questions. "Say, you gals wouldn't happen ta be huntresses wouldja? And is this freaky guy in the mask botherin' ya?"

Gretchen's own exuberance deflated at the revelation, the makings of a petulant frown gracing her features in a downcast gaze. When she leveled them back onto the tanuki faunus's own, it was with doe eyes that seemed imploring as she spoke. "Y-yeah, that'll be fine... Bacon fries aren't so bad. Maybe some of the bar nuts too." She honestly hated coke through and through and what kind of seedy joint didn't offer the standard fare in sodas? Wait... was that soda machine outside completely busted then?

The tonal conveyance in her posture shifted so dramatically it was as if night slipped into day for whatever reason when she moved to the questions made. "Huntresses? Nah. Well I'm not one myself, can't speak for Nora here though. Was training to be one when the attack fell on Beacon all those months ago and, well, circumstances change." She frowned before her head lolled towards Grey in particular, eyes brightening.

"Don'tcha know this guy? This icon of justice, the terrifying scapel acting as the hand of truth excising fact from the detritus? That guy, the reporter, Mister Grey. He's not bothering us at all!"

Hazel, for his part, was eminently disappointed he didn't get his drink but that might have had something to do with the fact he was strictly underage and looked the part. Was it the lack of the years within the creases of his brow and jowls, the absence of bristly hairs that he was sure would've made for a gorgeous beard? Most probably.

 

[MidwayLives]

"Hey, Grey!" Gretchen called to the masked man in his robes and all, completely unperturbed by his appearance still. "Thanks for the offer, I'll go in on with you. I don't have a lot myself but I wouldn't feel right about taking your money."

"It's no trouble. It's been burning something of a hole in my pocket."

Getting the attire he used to make his costumes hadn't been exactly cheap. Thankfully, he knew enough to maintain and repair them when need be.
​

"Thanks, Mister, uh...what was your name again?" She thanked and asked, all the while giving him a hug of friendly gratitude that might or might not have been bonecrushing in intensity.

Grey didn't say anything at first.

But after a second or two a drawn out wheeze escaped from behind his mask.

"...You're welcome..."
​

Her ears had pricked up at an overheard mention of Grimm, and never quite flattened back to their neutral state again by the time she burst out with her own questions. "Say, you gals wouldn't happen ta be huntresses wouldja? And is this freaky guy in the mask botherin' ya?"

"Freaky...?"
​

"Don'tcha know this guy? This icon of justice, the terrifying scapel acting as the hand of truth excising fact from the detritus? That guy, the reporter, Mister Grey. He's not bothering us at all!"

Although he didn't say it yet, Grey appreciated the complimentary praise Gretchen gave him.

'Nice kid.'

Presuming Nora released him, he nodded in agreement with Gretchen's statement.

"It's all true but there's more..."

He made the call-me gesture.

"...If you're interested."

While he did that, he gave Gretchen a thumbs up. His way of showing thanks.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Don'tcha know this guy? This icon of justice, the terrifying scapel acting as the hand of truth excising fact from the detritus? That guy, the reporter, Mister Grey. He's not bothering us at all!"

"It's all true but there's more..."

He made the call-me gesture.

"...If you're interested."

"Uh huh. Detritus, huh, wow. Ya don't say," she murmured back dismissively with her cheeks puffed up, fluffy tail swishing once in a fit of pique at both Grey's weird pickup line and Gretchen's use of the sorta namby-pamby Atlesian blue bloodish words those types liked to just casually drop into conversation to make people like her feel dumb. It worked! It literally worked all the time! How the hell was she supposed to know what some well-read whupty-doo word like 'detritus' meant??? Her thoughts were more concerned with another part of Gretchen's reply anyway.

The tonal conveyance in her posture shifted so dramatically it was as if night slipped into day for whatever reason when she moved to the questions made. "Huntresses? Nah. Well I'm not one myself, can't speak for Nora here though. Was training to be one when the attack fell on Beacon all those months ago and, well, circumstances change." She frowned before her head lolled towards Grey in particular, eyes brightening.

"Never even finished trainin', huh...? And you're here fer that fight club thingy..." Came her thoughtful musing, eyes squinted and crook of her finger tapping against her lower lip as she joined all kinds of invisible dots between that info and some own considerations that had been swirling around her head of late. Without warning, she executed a sharp turn fast enough to slap both of them in the face with her tail by mistake and sprinted off in the direction of the door, the opposite of where she needed to be to get their order. She was too caught up in whatever flight of fancy took her to remember that right now. "COOKIE, COOKIEEEEE, I GOT SUCH A CRAZY IDEA YA CAN'T SAY NO!"

"No."

Came a distant rumble.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Never even finished trainin', huh...? And you're here fer that fight club thingy..." Came her thoughtful musing, eyes squinted and crook of her finger tapping against her lower lip as she joined all kinds of invisible dots between that info and some own considerations that had been swirling around her head of late. Without warning, she executed a sharp turn fast enough to slap both of them in the face with her tail by mistake and sprinted off in the direction of the door, the opposite of where she needed to be to get their order. She was too caught up in whatever flight of fancy took her to remember that right now.

Grey stared while still wrapped up in Nora’s embrace.

Well, he tried.

"..I'm here for it too-"

Oh, she was already gone....

'Small talk. Still need to work on that.'
​

"COOKIE, COOKIEEEEE, I GOT SUCH A CRAZY IDEA YA CAN'T SAY NO!"

"No."

Came a distant rumble.

"Her name's Cookie???"

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Thanks! My ears love ya back!" The barmaid chirped back with all the exuberant energy of the sun. Her replies were kept intermittent and polite for the duration of Gretchen's rattling off, punctuating each of her queries accommodatingly despite the fact that this wasn't Chuck E. Cheese and the answer to all of them was no. "Yah-huh, yea, okay. So we don't have any'a that stuff, but I sure can getcha some bacon fries! How's that and two cokes sound?"

Her ears had pricked up at an overheard mention of Grimm, and never quite flattened back to their neutral state again by the time she burst out with her own questions. "Say, you gals wouldn't happen ta be huntresses wouldja? And is this freaky guy in the mask botherin' ya?"

"Awwww man, no cheese sticks?! That sucks...but I can settle for bacon fries, yeah!" Nora smiled in agreement, still clutching Grey in her hug of friendly friendliness. "And I am a huntress, alright! Got the license to prove it!" : D​

Grey didn't say anything at first.

But after a second or two a drawn out wheeze escaped from behind his mask.

"...You're welcome..."

"Yeah, I--wait hold on...."​

"It's all true but there's more..."

He made the call-me gesture.

"...If you're interested."

"...your game sucks though, dude."​

"Never even finished trainin', huh...? And you're here fer that fight club thingy..." Came her thoughtful musing, eyes squinted and crook of her finger tapping against her lower lip as she joined all kinds of invisible dots between that info and some own considerations that had been swirling around her head of late. Without warning, she executed a sharp turn fast enough to slap both of them in the face with her tail by mistake and sprinted off in the direction of the door, the opposite of where she needed to be to get their order. She was too caught up in whatever flight of fancy took her to remember that right now. "COOKIE, COOKIEEEEE, I GOT SUCH A CRAZY IDEA YA CAN'T SAY NO!"

"But I wanted to order...more..."​

Grey stared while still wrapped up in Nora’s embrace.

Well, he tried.

"..I'm here for it too-"

Oh, she was already gone....

'Small talk. Still need to work on that.'

She let the poor man go at last.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

if Raven tried to step forward for her turn she got shooed off no differently than if she were in bird form interrupting someone's picnic

She didn't, simply continuing to lean against the wall as she waited for the right opportunity to go next, however long that took from now.​

 

[Indolent]

She didn't, simply continuing to lean against the wall as she waited for the right opportunity to go next, however long that took from now.​

Hazel would saunter right past the second before the opportunity presented, bypassing her with seeming impunity :|

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

She didn't have to tell him twice. The man was way down the opposite end of the bar pretending to stack mugs if she cracked an eye open to look again, and she didn't have to wait long before a much harsher and less deferential tone beckoned her from just past the curtain.

The bouncer shot Yang a single stonecutting glare of warning before she lumbered back to her duties, and if Raven tried to step forward she got shooed off no differently than if she were in bird form interrupting someone's picnic as the proprietor kept her severe eyes trained on the supposed dragon until she approached. They were eyes and a voice hardened by the edge of mercilessness through the year in their own right, but even they were tempered somewhat by a guarded wariness as she turned away to walk on without holding the curtain for her.

On the other side of the veil of darkness was a relatively normal back area, doors to the manager's office and locker room for the dancers slightly ajar as she cast scrutinizing glances through each of them like she was expecting the entire venue to be engulfed in a whirlwind of carnage and bloodshed from around any given corner at any moment. She otherwise led her straight past and down the hall, towards the very end, around a corner past the stock cages and towards decidedly more murky lighting and what looked to be nothing more than the door to a utility closet of some kind. It was only around that point that she started to speak again.

"You're the freak from Anima? Funny. I was picturing someone a little older."

When Yang got her call back in that tone, her eyes cracked open in a dark glower for the curtained area, before she let her eyes roll with a huff as she push herself upright and rolled her shoulders before she slid off the stool and sauntered off for the back area, giving the bouncer a wink and an affectionate brush on the cheek with a fingers as she passed with a gloved hand that didn't at all feel natural underneath.

She glanced across the back area with a modicum of disinterest outside of a bit of rubbernecking when they moved past the lockers, and she seemed more amused than offended at the question as they reached the back. "What can I say, we start em' young down there. Gotta say though, if we're being judgy here am I even in the right place? Didn't think the Ace of Spades was a 'Happy Huntresses' kinda establishment."

 

[Gus Gungus]

When Yang got her call back in that tone, her eyes cracked open in a dark glower for the curtained area, before she let her eyes roll with a huff as she push herself upright and rolled her shoulders before she slid off the stool and sauntered off for the back area, giving the bouncer a wink and an affectionate brush on the cheek with a fingers as she passed with a gloved hand that didn't at all feel natural underneath.

She glanced across the back area with a modicum of disinterest outside of a bit of rubbernecking when they moved past the lockers, and she seemed more amused than offended at the question as they reached the back. "What can I say, we start em' young down there. Gotta say though, if we're being judgy here am I even in the right place? Didn't think the Ace of Spades was a 'Happy Huntresses' kinda establishment."

She stopped in front of the door, shooting Yang a look of scrutiny that started low and ended on her eyes as her shoulders were wracked by a giggle that was as much a shiver and didn't quite shave off the glaze of nervousness. It was a shiver that carried the note of mild exhilaration more than it did fear, though, as if deep down in her core she got a minor thrill just from being in the presence of someone with Yang's notorious reputation in spite of every self preversational instinct she had trying to tell her to do otherwise. "Sensitive for a serial just-about-everything, are we? Is there really a 'right' place in the world for someone like you? Your local asylum? The morgue, maybe?"

She shook her head mildly, eyes flaring with an undisguised tut.

"A kingdom's criminal syndicates are a family, miss Dragon. There's bickering, turf wars, murder, all that normal fun happy family stuff. But everyone respects the community, 'cause everyone stands to gain something from it. Even huntresses. You just don't give a fuck, do you?"

The things she'd heard made that a question in need of no answering, and she hovered with her hand grasping the knob and another ocular dissection of Yang that lingered on the veiled arm longer than anywhere else.

"You types come and go. Self-declared bad bitches who kick the hornet's nest to carve out a name, get everyone stirred up and ready for blood, then before long you swim into the path of a bigger fishy and there's nothing to worry about anymore. The family can move along just fine without a weird cousin. You'll run the cycle same as everyone else who thinks they can go to lower places than the underworld, but as for right now? You being in the 'right place' is dependent on what you came here for. I can say we do our best to cater to all our clients' individual needs, vices and most shameful impulses, no matter how... niche."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The city of Mistral had seen better days.

It had taken her quite a while to get down here from Solitas, even with the traveling speed of an inconspicuous bird. She'd cursed to herself fairly often throughout the length of her journey. About her need for breaks, the length of the journey itself, how there was nobody in that city she could use her semblance to get to and conveniently bypass all that effort and time...and at the sight of the city when she finally did get there after several weeks. She'd hoped the least it could have done was be a welcoming sight after all that travel, but the place turned out to not be that obliging. A shame, but it didn't bother her for anything more than a brief time. She had not come all the way just to appreciate the architecture or the calm state of things.

She flew casually enough over the buildings, eventually finding a shady spot to transform back into a person. It took some time after that to track down the right facility she was looking for, and some more time after that convincing the security guard that she had both the reason and the legal clearance to go in unsupervised, explaining that she had been the huntress that had helped lock him away. A lie, but she looked so much like the Raven Branwen who did actually do so, that any objections were brief and half-hearted at best. It probably didn't hurt that a lot of his attention was clearly on the intriguing colors of her eyes, though he was polite enough to not ask about them directly. He let her in without further delay and gave her the appropriate directions. Luckily so for him. She would have been just fine with knocking him out and entering regardless.

When she got there, despite being informed he was still in his cell, it still came as a surprise on some level to see him in there. Not just because he hadn't made any attempt at escaping, especially given the situation of things in Mistral...but also simply because it still felt strange to reconcile his face with her actual brother. She'd seen enough before to be well aware, and it only made sense beyond that. Her counterpart still worked for Salem here, the Oz from back home equivalent, and that also meant that Qrow must have been the one that had taken her place. The Branwen twin who had returned to lead the tribe of bandits they hailed from. Another reminder how different this world was from her own. But none of that awareness or logical thoughts made it any less strange.

"...Qrow."

His head lifted and though there was a look of wide-eyed surprise, it was only temporary. A bitter looking smile took its place soon enough. "Hey there, sis."

"Wrong one."

He raised his eyebrow before he nodded in understanding. "Right. One of them, from that other world. Is that why..." He gestured at his own eyes instead of actually asking further, staring intensely at those red and blue ones of hers.

"None of your business."

He snickered in amusement that was just as bitter as the smile from earlier. "You certainly have her charm. So why then? What brought you to little old me?"

She disappeared from his view for a short while after he asked that, and when she came back into sight it was with a chair in her hand. A chair that she firmly slammed onto the floor in front of his cell before she dropped into it and answered his question from there. "I'm here because you, weirdly enough, might be the one person of this world who can understand me the most...and I, you. Even if I am not technically your sister. But make no mistake, that connection is not one that you are going to be able to exploit. Do you understand?"

"...You're just as fierce sounding as she can be, too." He deadpanned, an affirmative nod following after nevertheless.

"Good." With that out of the way, she continued. "More than that, I'm here because you and I? We. Need. To. Talk."

He shrugged lackadaisically. "Well, I'm not going anywhere and I have all the time in the world. Go on then, talk. No promises I'll listen."

"Oh, you will." She half-threatened, half-promised. If looks could kill, her harsh scowl would have done so, and it was he that first tore his gaze away from their staring match. The second he did, she started saying what needed to be said, asking what she needed to ask. And he listened, and he answered.

He didn't have a choice otherwise.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

She stopped in front of the door, shooting Yang a look of scrutiny that started low and ended on her eyes as her shoulders were wracked by a giggle that was as much a shiver and didn't quite shave off the glaze of nervousness. It was a shiver that carried the note of mild exhilaration more than it did fear, though, as if deep down in her core she got a minor thrill just from being in the presence of someone with Yang's notorious reputation in spite of every self preversational instinct she had trying to tell her to do otherwise. "Sensitive for a serial just-about-everything, are we? Is there really a 'right' place in the world for someone like you? Your local asylum? The morgue, maybe?"

She shook her head mildly, eyes flaring with an undisguised tut.

"A kingdom's criminal syndicates are a family, miss Dragon. There's bickering, turf wars, murder, all that normal fun happy family stuff. But everyone respects the community, 'cause everyone stands to gain something from it. Even huntresses. You just don't give a fuck, do you?"

The things she'd heard made that a question in need of no answering, and she hovered with her hand grasping the knob and another ocular dissection of Yang that lingered on the veiled arm longer than anywhere else.

"You types come and go. Self-declared bad bitches who kick the hornet's nest to carve out a name, get everyone stirred up and ready for blood, then before long you swim into the path of a bigger fishy and there's nothing to worry about anymore. The family can move along just fine without a weird cousin. You'll run the cycle same as everyone else who thinks they can go to lower places than the underworld, but as for right now? You being in the 'right place' is dependent on what you came here for. I can say we do our best to cater to all our clients' individual needs, vices and most shameful impulses, no matter how... niche."​

Yang eyes were lidded when the owner turned back towards her with a hungry smirk at the tail end of her words that was briefly interrupted by her tongue rimming the top of her lips.

"Mmh. So mean, margie. We just met, and you're already telling me to die? Think I'm just some rabid bitch? You wanna try to be the one to put me down?" she asked as she started to get a little closer, the faintest hint of something glowing red piercing the glove's fabric as she lowered her voice. "Or does everyone here take six hundred before you put out? C'mon, we're all alone now. You can play the huntresses you're apparently so hot on and slay a real monster."

She let the challenge hang in the air for a second before she gave a disappointed sigh and backed off to lean against the wall on the other side of the door. "Just kidding. I'm not here for that, at least, not today. See, I already found my bigger fish, hun. Only it didn't put me down, its feeding me. And in return, I help it out here and there with the sort of thing I'm good at. Like getting my hands on files that some idiot named Jabberwocky has. Ring a bell?"