Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

"And one who has eluded us for far, far too long."

The flash of cruelty in her eyes made it readily apparent just how much she approved of the twist of irony in Raven's fate, abandoned by her allies and left alone in a darkened pit to rot.

"Tell me, as one more familiar with Salem today than I. Do you think she even knows you're here?"

Her ambling pace carried her around and behind the two, before she stepped around Raven's opposite shoulder with a followup that was softer yet somehow far more mocking.

"Do you think she cares?"

Hurt. Trapped. Auraless. Weaponless. Stuck with perhaps the most irritating, annoying, spiteful fellow prisoner she could have ever imagined. When Raven had come to, she recognized the situation was about as far from an ideal one as any she had experienced throughout her lifetime. Yet she did not wallow in the despair or general negativity such a situation likely would have left most anyone else with. She'd chosen to go with the proposed assault, risky as it was, because they had to try. She had been ready the whole time for it to go poorly, and it did, but not to the extent that it might have. The others had gotten out and it only cost her sacrificing Omen and her own chances of escaping.

A trade-off well worth it.

At least on their end. When she stepped in though, when it was confirmed that the other side of their assault hadn't managed to accomplish what they set out to do, a bolt of pure concern and alarmed worry shot straight through her. The only thing that kept it from being worse was the fact that there was only one other prisoner here, and Raven refused to believe any of those four had perished. That meant they must have gotten out too. The troubled expression reflecting her inner turmoil was only there for a brief moment as she came to that conclusion, her face settling back into a neutral stare as the figure approached.

Red eyes tracked every step until the woman was out of her sight behind her and then flickered to the other side when Ozwen reappeared by that shoulder. The pair of questions got several low and bitter but amused laughs to come on out. "What stupid questions to ask."

"She doesn't know but that doesn't change that she would care if she did know. She cares about people...always has. She'd once found someone so beaten and broken that they basically had one foot through death's door, but she didn't let that come to pass. She carried that person for so many miles, so many days, stabilized them as best she could...until she saved a life. Someone who doesn't care wouldn't have done that, idiot, but I guess that's something that would elude you, Oz." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Red eyes tracked every step until the woman was out of her sight behind her and then flickered to the other side when Ozwen reappeared by that shoulder. The pair of questions got several low and bitter but amused laughs to come on out. "What stupid questions to ask."

"She doesn't know but that doesn't change that she would care if she did know. She cares about people...always has. She'd once found someone so beaten and broken that they basically had one foot through death's door, but she didn't let that come to pass. She carried that person for so many miles, so many days, stabilized them as best she could...until she saved a life. Someone who doesn't care wouldn't have done that, idiot, but I guess that's something that would elude you, Oz."

To take such an impudent tone with who Ozpin had been some sixteen hours ago would've been tantamount to a death wish, or at the very least an enthusiastic request for excruciating pain. Ozwen, though, never once so much swiveled her gaze to meet Raven's during her slow, methodical circling, somehow appearing to both listen to the rebuttal intently and dismiss it out of hand as she halted before the two prisoners once more, making her contempt for the words clear with a brush of the hand and a pithy scoff.

"Another grand fairytale-in-waiting Salem no doubt one day intends to lionize herself with. Impressive, is it not? How her honeyed words have a way of concealing even acts of flagrant self-interest behind a veil of altruistic purpose. I imagine the story you were told was meant to emphasize Salem's benevolent wisdom, but would you care to hear the tale I just heard?"

Her voice was sharp as she sneered, the satisfaction she derived from bursting the huntress's bubble apparent.

"For thousands of years your luminary hoarded the secrets to eternal life. Had she shared them she could've cured cancer, ended war, erased the very concepts of poverty and hunger. Instead? She bred herself an immortal foot soldier with an even more undying sense of loyalty. This is what Salem does, you see." She flapped her wrist. "Creates obligations. Creates martyrs. She preys on the young, the rudderless, those who lack and those who yearn. All too eagerly she steps into the role of mentor, offers purpose and direction, perhaps imparts a magical parlor trick or two to ensure her most gifted prospects remain indebted."

Raven didn't need the flicker of Ozwen's eyes in her direction, barely holding for a moment before they were away again, to feel the stab of pertinence the words evoked in her own gut.

"And then? The story ends when they die, and she keeps going. Salem knows not what it is to care. She knows nothing of sacrifice. Nothing of loss. These concepts all begin to fade in the silence of eternity, and when they do the act of caring becomes little more than a token performance. Come now. You must know how this tale ends, even if you're yet to reach the final page yourself. Because this isn't a mere story for you, is it? It's the story of your life. Let's evaluate, since I assume you'd like to let on that you don't know what I'm speaking of; What has Salem, in all her caring benignity, asked you to give up for her?"

Weiss pivoted, affecting a mocking veneer of deep thought as she touched a finger to her lip, and took a step closer.

"Your closest friend."

She took another.

"The father of your child." And another. "And, of course, how could we fail to mention..."

Her final step brought them nearly eye to eye, and at this distance Raven could actually see how much disgust smouldered in the darkly analytical gaze as it probed the depths of her soul. When she spoke again it was through her teeth, notes laced with mordacious venom.

"Hmph. I beg your pardon. I was certain there was someone else you gave up who you probably shouldn't have, but I suppose I must've simply forgotten her."

Manicured fingers shot out to grip Raven's jaw, ensuring her gaze remained steady for her conclusion, Weiss having to fake absolutely none of the scorn and outrage she channeled through her narrowed eyes and not caring what she saw reflected in the huntress's.

"But please. Tell me more about how caring eludes me."

Her eyes followed Ozwen's movements.

Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

What was she to say?

Sorry?

....Sorry just wouldn't be good enough.

"And you."



Whatever response Salem's elite huntress might have formed, it appeared Ozwen had had her fill of her for now. Instead she shifted her focus to Ruby, though admittedly didn't seem inclined to waste anywhere near as much time as she did on Raven as she stepped into the Masque's field of vision and gave her a brief, apathetic once-over.

"Is there a point to you? Do you even believe in anything, bar indulging yourself to suit your every passing whim and notion? You're like a moth buzzing around a candlelight. I can't help but feel my previous incarnation found a kindred spirit in you."

Her appraisal was scathing, words blunt and unminced. The eyes taking Ruby in communicated nothing but cold, abject disappointment, but when the silence endured there was a flash of anger in them as her voice returned more harshly.

"Well? Do you even have anything to say?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

Whatever response Salem's elite huntress might have formed, it appeared Ozwen had had her fill of her for now. Instead she shifted her focus to Ruby, though admittedly didn't seem inclined to waste anywhere near as much time as she did on Raven as she stepped into the Masque's field of vision and gave her a brief, apathetic once-over.

"rrrrAGH!"

The second Ozwen turned to face her, Masque lunged out as far as she could.

Her teeth bared and her eyes locked in a spiteful glare.

Weiss had been kind to her. Something that'd always been a bit of a surprise to Masque even if she imagined Weiss had her reasons.

To see the man she'd once admired/followed wearing her body.

All while all Masque could do was run from Weiss in disappointment.
​

"Is there a point to you? Do you even believe in anything, bar indulging yourself to suit your every passing whim and notion? You're like a moth buzzing around a candlelight. I can't help but feel my previous incarnation found a kindred spirit in you."

Her appraisal was scathing, words blunt and unminced. The eyes taking Ruby in communicated nothing but cold, abject disappointment, but when the silence endured there was a flash of anger in them as her voice returned more harshly.

"Well? Do you even have anything to say?"

Masque glared for a little bit longer, the restraints pulling at her limbs.

No matter how far she reached though, Ozwen was out of her reach.

Leaning back, Masque's glare didn't soften.

"I don't have to explain myself to you. Do what you want. Or let Blake do it for you."

If she'd said she'd come back for Yang...no. She didn't want their opinion. Just whatever 'punishment' they felt like dishing out.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

To take such an impudent tone with who Ozpin had been some sixteen hours ago would've been tantamount to a death wish, or at the very least an enthusiastic request for excruciating pain. Ozwen, though, never once so much swiveled her gaze to meet Raven's during her slow, methodical circling, somehow appearing to both listen to the rebuttal intently and dismiss it out of hand as she halted before the two prisoners once more, making her contempt for the words clear with a brush of the hand and a pithy scoff.

"Another grand fairytale-in-waiting Salem no doubt one day intends to lionize herself with. Impressive, is it not? How her honeyed words have a way of concealing even acts of flagrant self-interest behind a veil of altruistic purpose. I imagine the story you were told was meant to emphasize Salem's benevolent wisdom, but would you care to hear the tale I just heard?"

Her voice was sharp as she sneered, the satisfaction she derived from bursting the huntress's bubble apparent.

"For thousands of years your luminary hoarded the secrets to eternal life. Had she shared them she could've cured cancer, ended war, erased the very concepts of poverty and hunger. Instead? She bred herself an immortal foot soldier with an even more undying sense of loyalty. This is what Salem does, you see." She flapped her wrist. "Creates obligations. Creates martyrs. She preys on the young, the rudderless, those who lack and those who yearn. All too eagerly she steps into the role of mentor, offers purpose and direction, perhaps imparts a magical parlor trick or two to ensure her most gifted prospects remain indebted."

"Tch." She grunted dismissively.

"You know nothing beyond hearing what you want to hear. Salem's not out to make herself be some grand hero in a fairy tale that all the world knows about. That's not the goal she's devoted her life towards. She's only ever tried to keep you from succeeding, Oz, and protect as many people as possible while doing so, not be renowned as the legendary savior of Remnant. So much of her work is done behind the scenes, behind closed doors and spoken only in hushed words. You know that damn well. You're the one who's trying to make yourself out as someone infamous, not her! Your dark council of murderers and thugs you've manipulated and deceived into thinking that you're the one to bring out some kind of new world order. And her? The best of everything she's done are not things she wants to be celebrated. The worst of what she's done weighs heavily on her soul, and yes, she's not perfect by any standard but she's only ever tried to do what's right." Raven shook her head.

"Your continued existence forced her to bend and break, but she's never wavered from keeping you from succeeding. She's trained generations of huntsmen and huntresses, and yes, so many of those didn't know the full truth of what they faced...it is a terrible thing to have to face, but if people knew the truth, the whole truth, it would be so much worse! If every potential huntsman or huntress knew that the enemy they would be really fighting is one they could never hope to truly defeat...how many would even continue to volunteer? How many would still be willing to make that sacrifice? Not to mention the civilian population...if they knew the truth, the despair and lack of hope that would come from it, the amounts of grimm that would be drawn by such widespread negativity..." Her eyes widened, as even just imagining the likely catastrophic losses was painful.

"No. No. You're the last person in the whole damn world who has any right to judge her for what she's been forced to do, the tough calls and the sacrifices she's had to make! Not while you live on as a curse upon all of us and not while you don't know a damn thing about what you're talking about! She couldn't have made all of humanity and faunus into immortals. That place, it...ever since the gods left us behind, Salem revealed that it's constantly been moving. It's appeared and disappeared all throughout Remnant over the ages. She's only ever found it a handful of times, and that time just happened to be one where she knew where it was. It is a heavy undertaking even trying to find it and getting in, and more than that, this attempt at trying to save a life cost her too! Only life pays for life. What it took for her to do it, and the magic power she had to lose because of it...it was a sacrifice, but that's the job."

Her eyes narrowed intensely. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You don't sacrifice anything. You give up nothing." ​

"And then? Well, I'm confident you know how this tale ends, even if you're yet to reach the final page yourself. Because this isn't a mere story for you, is it? It's the story of your life. Let's evaluate, shall we? What has Salem asked you to give up for her?"

Weiss pivoted, affecting a mocking veneer of deep thought as she touched a finger to her lip, and took a step closer.

"Your closest friend."

She took another.

"The father of your child." And another. "And, of course, how could we fail to mention..."

Her final step brought them nearly eye to eye, and at this distance Raven could actually see how much disgust smouldered in the darkly analytical gaze as it probed the depths of her soul. When she spoke again it was through her teeth, notes laced with mordacious venom.

"Hmph. I beg your pardon. I was certain there was someone else you gave up who you probably shouldn't have, but I suppose I must've simply forgotten her."

The trip down the memory lane that was her life, if any of what Ozwen said got to her, it absolutely didn't show on her face. "If I'm going to be reminded about who I've lost or judged on the mistakes I've made, it's not going to be from you. I won't have it, do you hear me?! I won't."
​

Manicured fingers shot out to grip Raven's jaw, ensuring her gaze remained steady for her conclusion, Weiss having to fake absolutely none of the scorn and outrage she channeled through her narrowed eyes and not caring what she saw reflected in the huntress's.

"But please. Tell me more about how caring eludes me."

"And I won't waste any more breath on somebody who cares about people as little as you do." ​

"And you."

Whatever response Salem's elite huntress might have formed, it appeared Ozwen had had her fill of her for now. Instead she shifted her focus to Ruby, though admittedly didn't seem inclined to waste anywhere near as much time as she did on Raven as she stepped into the Masque's field of vision and gave her a brief, apathetic once-over.

"Is there a point to you? Do you even believe in anything, bar indulging yourself to suit your every passing whim and notion? You're like a moth buzzing around a candlelight. I can't help but feel my previous incarnation found a kindred spirit in you."

Her appraisal was scathing, words blunt and unminced. The eyes taking Ruby in communicated nothing but cold, abject disappointment, but when the silence endured there was a flash of anger in them as her voice returned more harshly.

"Do you even have anything to say?"

"rrrrAGH!"

The second Ozwen turned to face her, Masque lunged out as far as she could.

Her teeth bared and her eyes locked in a spiteful glare.

Weiss had been kind to her. Something that'd always been a bit of a surprise to Masque even if she imagined Weiss had her reasons.

To see the man she'd once admired/followed wearing her body.

All while all Masque could do was run from Weiss in disappointment.


Masque glared for a little bit longer, the restraints pulling at her limbs.

No matter how far she reached though, Ozwen was out of her reach.

Leaning back, Masque's glare didn't soften.

"I don't have to explain myself to you. Do what you want. Or let Blake do it for you."

If she'd said she'd come back for Yang...no. She didn't want their opinion. Just whatever 'punishment' they felt like dishing out.​

Raven was true to her word, staying silent after all that but if the harsh glare that burned with the flames of a thousand suns that she gave Masque was any indication, the huntress hated her almost as much as Oz himself.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"You know nothing beyond hearing what you want to hear. Salem's not out to make herself be some grand hero in a fairy tale that all the world knows about."

"No, of course not. That's why she's in most of them." Ozwen remarked with a perfunctory sigh of pity, her bearing solemn and dignified. She let Raven get a few more sentences into her tirade before deeming it a complete and utter waste of everyone's time, turning away with contemptuous amounts of disinterest and a vague wave of the hand sent the former bandit's way to glyph her lips together for the present moment.

"I think we've all heard quite enough obedient yapping from her staunchest allies, who by no coincidence also tend to be her most well-fed of lapdogs. Now be silent, pawn. I suggest you hang there, continue playing your part flawlessly and contemplate the lengthy string of poor decisions that led you to this moment."

Masque glared for a little bit longer, the restraints pulling at her limbs.

No matter how far she reached though, Ozwen was out of her reach.

Leaning back, Masque's glare didn't soften.

"I don't have to explain myself to you. Do what you want. Or let Blake do it for you."

If she'd said she'd come back for Yang...no. She didn't want their opinion. Just whatever 'punishment' they felt like dishing out.

"Ruby Rose. What a resounding disappointment you turned out to be."

If the Masque's feral thrashing and snapping affected her in any overt way it didn't register, save to sneer in disgust and have the Grimm restraints pull her taut as a bowstring. She scanned the self-described 'bandit princess's' face in much the same manner she had Blake's, eyes probing for something, their lidded state the only indicator of the intense scrutiny she was subjecting Ruby to.

"...One it seems I, nevertheless, owe an apology to."

Ruby was certain of one thing: Such a concession would never have come so freely from the mouth of the dark lord she once knew, whose favored mode of communicating with his acolytes appeared to be the looming threat of harm and cloying assurances. Ozwen, it seemed, put more stock in open communication, and though it was cold and peremptory it was hard to deny the candour in her voice as she firmly held the Masque's gaze.

"You served me faithfully and went unrewarded. I claimed to be your friend, then failed to value you. My new form has left me better able to recognize past shortcomings, and so... I am sorry."

She kept her words brief, yet there was an air of imperious majesty in how she waved her hand, as if presiding over a trial and ruling in the accused's favor.

"Now, renounce your actions in Atlas and pledge fealty to me once more. Do this..."

Her features relaxed, mouth forming a small, lenient smile that would've been more at home on the councilwoman in her kinder moments as she clasped her hands benignly in front of her.

"And I will release you."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"No, of course not. That's why she's in most of them." Ozwen remarked with a perfunctory sigh of pity, her bearing solemn and dignified. She let Raven get a few more sentences into her tirade before deeming it a complete and utter waste of everyone's time, turning away with contemptuous amounts of disinterest and a vague wave of the hand sent the former bandit's way to glyph her lips together for the present moment.

"I think we've all heard quite enough obedient yapping from her staunchest allies, who by no coincidence also tend to be her most well-fed of lapdogs. Now be silent, pawn. I suggest you hang there, continue playing your part flawlessly and contemplate the lengthy string of poor decisions that led you to this moment."

 

[MidwayLives]

Raven was true to her word, staying silent after all that but if the harsh glare that burned with the flames of a thousand suns that she gave Masque was any indication, the huntress hated her almost as much as Oz himself.

Masque's eyes narrowed as she felt Raven's burning gaze digging into her.

She never asked Yang too much about her mom. Masque had never really felt it was her place/they didn't need her anyway. The two of them had eachother and all Yang really needed was for Ruby to love her and for Yang to return those feelings forever and ever. As she got older and left Yang alone in the camp to explore for herself, Masque felt a wave of guilt wash over her at the memory.

'I'd only been fifteen but I should have realized how much you hated it there.'

Something that she very well played a major role in.

But that was why she'd come back. Why she'd let herself be used as an impromptu shield during that battle. Yang had been right all along. The two of them deserved to be together and Masque was going to do everything within her power to make that happen. She was done abandoning Yang.

So, she didn't give a damn what Raven felt about her.
​

"Ruby Rose. What a resounding disappointment you turned out to be."

If the Masque's feral thrashing and snapping affected her in any overt way it didn't register, save to sneer in disgust and have the Grimm restraints pull her taut as a bowstring. She scanned the self-described 'bandit princess's' face in much the same manner she had Blake's, eyes probing for something, their lidded state the only indicator of the intense scrutiny she was subjecting Ruby to.

Masque winced as the restraints acted against her. Her body was still ravaged from what she'd been subject to in the last hour or so. A hammer to the face that shattered her aura, razor sharp metal spikes through her arm, getting punched so hard it knocked teeth loose/came dangerously close to breaking her jaw. But as Ozwen called her a disappointment, Masque's growling and snarling faded away to despair.

....Those had been the exact words Weiss used after Masque had lost it during the battle with the Shadow Fang. Her impulses lead her to forgo even the use of her own weapon and instead bite and scratch at the wolf faunus with her hand and teeth. She'd acted little better than an animal. Something Masque was two minds of: she envied the freedom of wildlife. Free to roam however they pleased with no masters or mental issues to plague them. They just lived their lives. But on the other hand, she had no desire to be anybody's attack dog. Whether it be Ozpin's, Weiss's, or anyone else's.

She just wanted to be her.

Ruby Rose.
​

"...One it seems I, nevertheless, owe an apology to."

Ruby was certain of one thing: Such a concession would never have come so freely from the mouth of the dark lord she once knew, whose favored mode of communicating with his acolytes appeared to be the looming threat of harm and cloying assurances. Ozwen, it seemed, put more stock in open communication, and though it was cold and peremptory it was hard to deny the candour in her voice as she firmly held the Masque's gaze.

"You served me faithfully and went unrewarded. I claimed to be your friend then failed to value you. My new form has left me better able to recognize past shortcomings, and so... I am sorry."

...That certainly took things for a loop.

"I....I don't understand. You're apologizing to me?"

It felt far more like...a Weiss thing to do. The Ozpin she'd served and proclaimed to be her best friend with rabid devotion told her up and down of what the world would be like if they'd won. It'd be a better place. One where everybody could be happy in Masque's childish mind. Everyone who'd worked with Ozpin could join together and be happy. But as had been pointed out by both Maria and Weiss herself, until Cinder had been ordered to do otherwise, Masque sat in that prison cell in Vale for what felt like an eternity to her. With no one to talk to but her own erratic thoughts.

She didn't want to remain bound here any longer. The idea of that sounded scarier than anything that could have been physically done to her.

....But how could she ever forgive Ozpin for doing this to Weiss? Weiss had fought so hard against Ozpin and his forces. Even being shot in the knee and struck in the head over and over and over again just after losing her sister moments prior hadn't shaken her commitment. If anything it'd only made Masque feel worse for failing her like she had. It'd actually been the last conversation they had. If she said yes here, would she be throwing away all the time she'd spent with Weiss? All the faith that the other Yang....had in her?

Yang....
​

She kept her words brief, yet there was an air of imperious majesty in how she waved her hand, as if presiding over a trial and ruling in the accused's favor.

"Now, renounce your actions in Atlas and pledge fealty to me once more. Do this... and I will release you."

If she said no...

She'd be left here to rot. That didn't seem like it was even up for debate.

If by some chance the others came through here, would they just throw her in jail? Or would they just leave her here?

"It's an easy choice isn't it?" There it was again, that voice that sounded so much like her own. Yet there was a disturbing undertone to it. Something that showed all wasn't it seemed. Looking out the corner of her eye, Masque saw herself standing beside her with both of her human hands. An idealistic version of who Masque wished she was? A figment of her imagination? Her delusions come to life? Masque really didn't know. Slipping an arm over Masque's shoulder, 'Ruby' nudged her in the side.

"You came back here because you hit a dead end, right? We did. The others just wanna throw us in the loony bin and throw away the key. They don't care about us. Even Weiss told us to get the hell out. But you know who'd never give up on us. Your own flesh and blood." 'Ruby' nudged Masque again. "Yang saved you, us. If it wasn't for her, we'd be....well I'm not sure where we'd be actually. But we'd look like we'd just had our brains blown all over the floor and walls. Blake would have done it without a second thought and that's also what you want right...?"

Masque's face twisted into a scowl.

"There is it is, the look of a girl who's pissed off at some faunus trash stealing her sister! Who cares if she's a maiden? You could be one too....if you wanted it bad enough. But you won't even get a chance unless..." 'Ruby' gestured towards Ozwen. "Say yes."

Masque said nothing and then she felt a sharp pain in her stump.

"All they need is a little faith. If you trust them, if you accept me, you'll get Yang....and so much more..."

"Accept you....? But aren't you...me?"

"....Of course I am.~"

The pain in her stump didn't stop.

Masque had to make a decision.

"....Okay."

"Good! You've made the right choice, Ruby! For both of us..."

Then like that, they were gone. The pain had stopped and Masque felt like she was back speaking just to Ozwen themselves.

"....What I did in Atlas was foolish. I regret and renounce my actions. My only purpose is to serve you faithfully. On that I'd stake my life..."

....Masque wasn't sure but when she'd finished those words, she was certain she'd heard a giggle.

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Yeah, they've really been going at it hard. Letting out some steam or somethin'?" A sudden new voice chimed in behind them all, getting Cinder to jump into the air a little. Something that only got a laugh out of the new arrival who was clearly amused by the fright she'd accidentally given the teenage maiden. "Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to scare ya." Even the apology sounded teasing. The cocky smile Cinder saw when she looked over her shoulder only confirmed that. And also made her feel more at ease, given the smile belonged to at least a kinda sorta familiar face. "Hard to miss you coming in though, what with the big guy doin' his thing, ya know? Figured I'd check it out."

"Sup, hot stuff? Grown a little, looks like." Sun directed at Cinder, the faunus's bluish-green eyes giving the maiden a playful wink. "And sup to all ya too!" She added with a light wave of the hand.

"Oh yeah, and Tyrian's ex is here. Just showed up and started following us around again one day like nothing happened. Hilarious, right?" He pointed out with a passing snigger, like it was something funny he'd forgotten to tell everyone. The faunus received a pair of sporting fingerguns flicked in her direction, though Mercury otherwise didn't break his stride or slow down. "Sup buttonless. Love the look, as always. Heads up, you're probably gonna wanna raise your awkward blockers if you're stickin' around for this next part."

Emerald had grown increasingly sullen and withdrawn as she led the way, but if anything Mercury actually seemed more at ease the closer they got, as if the the thought of the conflict fueled him in some way or it was just something he really thought should happen. Emerald stopped and craned her neck just a few feet from the entrance alcove to a large, cavernous room, its circular formation and the ramshackle bleachers erected against the walls giving the impression of a serviceable, if makeshift, arena space. The din of combat was thunderous now, and it was obvious to everyone just how hard its two originators were going at it.



Emerald came back down from tippy toes, running her hands down her face. "Uhgg. They're right theeeeere."

Sensing his partner's dread as it bubbled over, MTEN's old leader slung his arm around her shoulder and gave her a playful jostle. "C'mon, it's cool. This needs to happen."

The full extent of the stress the situation was causing the often-unflappable thief was on full display for the first time, Emerald's eyes engaged in a thousand-yard stare dead ahead and posture clearly agitated as it hunched into crossed arms. "Yeah, no shit, I know that, but—Mercury, Neo just always feels so mad at us now, and what happened last time—you all just got so pissed at each other, after Roman, and I—"

Emerald slid down against a tree, having sort of just excused herself from the situation unfolding at the campsite in the clearing behind her as everyone yelled over each other, her crush started throttling her best friend, and her other best friend started attacking everyone in sight; all a matter of days after her other-other best friend had been horribly and brutally murdered.

Yeah.

Her head was in her hands, but it wasn't quite enough to stop the succession of muted sniffles escaping from under them. God. Friends.

She was such a fucking idiot.

Minutes went by, enough that Emerald managed to have a semi-decent cry to herself by the time she heard Mercury's boots picking their way across the foliage. His head poked around the tree a scant moment later, and his haggard "we're going." reached an Emerald who, through the magic of illusions, looked as poised and imperturbable as she always did. She glanced up, making a show of examining her nails.

"Yeah, whatever, totally. You guys done being loud?"

"—I just, I don't, I'm sorry, I don't wanna get caught in the middle of something else like that, I can't lose any more friends, I can't—I don't think I can be in the room for this."

A very off-brand look of actual concern had cemented itself across Mercury's face by now, brought on by just how... not like his partner his partner was acting. The tightness of breath, the tremble in her shoulders... if he didn't know better, the assassin side of him would've guessed she was on the verge of having a panic attack. Which was stupid, because Emerald was way too cool to get panic attacks, right? Plus even if she did it wasn't like she could've kept them hidden from everybody for a whole yearooooohhhhh crap. He reached out, trying to steady her opposite shoulder as well. "Hey, seriously, it's gonna be—"

"No, Mercury, I can't."

He cut off, momentarily flummoxed as his hand passed right through Emerald before she vanished entirely, reappearing a short distance back the way they came and already in the process of a hasty retreat as she furiously avoided looking at anyone.

"I'm sorry! This just really isn't my sceeeeeeeeeennnne—!"

She rounded the corner, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Mercury torn over whether to follow her after taking an automatic step or two. He opted to let her split, brow thoughtfully scrunched and mouth a tight frown as he stared after her before turning, attempting to sweep it under the rug for the sake of Emerald's reputation with a shrug.

"Was that weird? Yes. Should we let it discourage us?"

He glanced at Cinder.

"...Yes."

He turned, taking over his partner's duty of leading the way in a casual amble.

"The approach here is key. Now, me, I vote we take a page outta Sun's book and just walk up like it's nothing. You know? Like we never even stopped hanging out. Pfft."

He snickered, as if it was a joke.

It wasn't, though, and unless anyone had any better ideas that was exactly what they did, Mercury settling into his seat up on the bleachers with a gaggle of hanger-ons like he'd just walked in late for Goodwitch's morning sparring sessions, watching Neo and Tyrian go at it as intently as he'd taken in every single match back then.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"....What I did in Atlas was foolish. I regret and renounce my actions. My only purpose is to serve you faithfully. On that I'd stake my life..."

"Passable."

It was a smirk characterized by amusement, munificence, and above-all a cold twist of indifference that awaited Ruby, Ozwen's stare unflinching and unblinking for the duration of her prisoner's little episode as she calmly awaited the words she wanted to hear, never once assuming them to be anything other than forthcoming. She elegantly raised her hands, ever-prim and poised as she gave a single brisk clap by her shoulder.

The mass hoisting Ruby into the air receded, and she dropped to the floor at Ozwen's feet, the composite of her two most recent masters gazing down at her with a shrewd, vaguely dry squint.

"Though very forced. Do not mistake this for a sign of my crumbling resolve, dear daughter. Nor any indication that future counts of mutiny will go unanswered. No, I'm simply acknowledging my past failures and granting you clemency."

She reached out, stroking along the curve of Ruby's forehead to sweep her bangs away with a soft, frigid touch. When she spoke again, her voice had dropped to scarcely a note above a whisper.

"Ozpin would've had you tortured for a week to make his point; but I will no longer condone brutalizing our own assets. That being said..." She cupped Ruby's cheek, stooping down slightly to speak in even more of a gentle hush. "Betray me once more and I will allow Blake to do as she pleases with you. No strike three, no slaps on the wrist. You'll simply be gone. And I will find another more suited to enacting my will."

She gave her cheek one final pat before leaning back, lips once more set in a thin smile.

"Have I made myself perfectly clear?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Passable."

It was a smirk characterized by amusement, munificence, and above-all a cold twist of indifference that awaited Ruby, Ozwen's stare unflinching and unblinking for the duration of her prisoner's little episode as she calmly awaited the words she wanted to hear, never once assuming them to be anything other than forthcoming. She elegantly raised her hands, ever-prim and poised as she gave a single brisk clap by her shoulder.

The mass hoisting Ruby into the air receded, and she dropped to the floor at Ozwen's feet, the composite of her two most recent masters gazing down at her with a shrewd, vaguely dry squint.

Masque felt herself dropped to the floor and immediately clutched at her stump. What had that feeling been just seconds ago? It’d felt as though when she ‘spoke’ to that other her, her stump had started hurting like crazy. It’d felt like it’d only come to a stop when she agreed to repent for her betrayal. Looking up at Weiss-no...That wasn’t her anymore. No matter how much Masque might have preferred it was.

How much she wished it was.
​

"Though very forced. Do not mistake this for a sign of my crumbling resolve, my dear daughter. Nor any indication that future counts of mutiny will go unanswered. No, I'm simply acknowledging my past failures and granting you clemency."

She reached out, stroking along the curve of Ruby's forehead to sweep her bangs away with a soft, frigid touch. When she spoke again, her voice had dropped to scarcely a note above a whisper.

Ruby said nothing but as the hand came near her face, Ozwen could have seen Masque's eyes shoot over at the extending extremity.

Whether it came off as subtle or not, she leaned away ever so slightly from the initial touch.

She didn't stop it though.
​

She reached out, stroking along the curve of Ruby's forehead to sweep her bangs away with a soft, frigid touch. When she spoke again, her voice had dropped to scarcely a note above a whisper.

"Ozpin would've had you tortured for a week; but I will no longer condone brutalizing our own assets. That being said..." She cupped Ruby's cheek, stooping down slightly to speak in even more of a gentle hush. "Betray me once more and I will allow Blake to do as she pleases with you. No strike three, no slaps on the wrist. You'll simply be gone. And I will find another more suited to enacting my will."

She gave her cheek one final pat before leaning back, lips once more set in a thin smile.

Masque stared into Ozwen's piercing red eyes, her hand balled up into a fist at the mention of Blake. The corners of her lips pulled upward as though she were going to bare her teeth again at just the slightest mention of Ozwen's loyal faunus enforcer.

She couldn't afford anymore mistakes. Any more running around.

She'd come back here for one reason and one reason only.

Yang.

Nobody was going to get in the way of that.

Nobody!
​

She gave her cheek one final pat before leaning back, lips once more set in a thin smile.

"Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

"Crystal."

Masque took a knee and ran her arm across her chest. Submitting in everything but words to the one who stood before her.

"I won't lose sight of where I stand ever again, my lord. Whatever my life is worth, I'll stake it all on that claim."



"I'll do what I have to."

There was that giggle again.

Rising to her feet and moving her arm up and down, Masque couldn't resist a soft smile at being able to move of her own volition again. Nobody punching her or hitting her. Nothing holding her back from doing what she desired. Sparing one last look over her shoulder at Raven, Masque sneered. Hoped she enjoyed remaining bound and imprisoned. That'd teach her to throw such hateful looks her niece's way. Giving another nod of deference to Ozwen, Masque turned towards the doorframe, outlined in the same fleshy substance that had held her just seconds prior. She spread her feet apart and vanished out the door in a trail of rose petals.

~~~



Making her way throughout the whale's innards would have been an arduous task for the Masque. Had it not been for her semblance anyhow. Hallways were traversed, rooms were briefly gazed into, she avoided anyone who wasn't whom she was looking for. But coming to a stop, Masque looked over her shoulder and saw that other her standing against another flesh encrusted doorframe. "Already enjoying the taste of freedom, huh?" Gazing around from side to side to see that there was no one else around, Masque tried to approach the other her. Her boots plodded across the floor of Monstro as she approached. "Looking for something....or maybe someone? Maybe we can use a bit of help."

"Who are you? Really?"

'Ruby''s smile didn't seem to fade one bit.

"It's like I told you before, Ruby. I'm you."

Before Masque could fully close the distance between them, the former bandit came to a stop as she tilted her head slightly over towards the room 'Ruby' had been standing by. "...What room is this?" 'Ruby' smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Why don't you go and take a look...? Come on, we'll do it together..." Reaching out to grasp Masque's hand, Masque almost immediately bolted back as another rush of pain coursed through her stump. "Aha, no letting go. Not yet." Masque winced and continued trying to pull away but as 'Ruby' lead her into the room and Masque's eyes scanned around amid the whimpers of pain escaping from her mouth.

Nothing here much of note but....

"....!"

There she was, the person she'd come back here for.

"There she is, Ruby. It's been so long since we've had a heart to heart. Why don't you go show her just how much you appreciate her...?" 'Ruby' finally let go of Masque's hand and with it so too went the pain. Masque shook her head and looked around. No...There was no sign of the other her again. She was just in this place with Yang. Masque could feel her heart racing and with a quick use of her semblance, Yang-tired as she probably was-felt something brush up against her. If she so much as inclined her head to the left, she'd see two silver eyes peering back at her, Masque having made her business to climb atop her cot/bed and lay beside her older sister.

"Yang.~" ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Oh yeah, and Tyrian's ex is here. Just showed up and started following us around again one day like nothing happened. Hilarious, right?" He pointed out with a passing snigger, like it was something funny he'd forgotten to tell everyone. The faunus received a pair of sporting fingerguns flicked in her direction, though Mercury otherwise didn't break his stride or slow down. "Sup buttonless. Love the look, as always. Heads up, you're probably gonna wanna raise your awkward blockers if you're stickin' around for this next part."

She finger gunned right back and snickered. "Ex? Please. We weren't even together. If ya want to spread rumors around to hurt my rep, you could at least make them good ones, ya know?" Sun smiled shamelessly at the comment on the look. Not her fault she rocked it. Plus, yeah, scorching desert. "Seems your look's popular now too." She pointed out with a quick once-over at the shorter Cinder, and completely neglected to say anything about the warning about the awkward to come. Frankly, it wasn't clear she even heard it. "Better late than never, eh?" She remarked, giving a playful nudge with her elbow.​

Emerald had grown increasingly sullen and withdrawn as she led the way, but if anything Mercury actually seemed more at ease the closer they got, as if the the thought of the conflict fueled him in some way or it was just something he really thought should happen. Emerald stopped and craned her neck just a few feet from the entrance alcove to a large, cavernous room, its circular formation and the ramshackle bleachers erected against the walls giving the impression of a serviceable, if makeshift, arena space. The din of combat was thunderous now, and it was obvious to everyone just how hard its two originators were going at it.

Emerald came back down from tippy toes, running her hands down her face. "Uhgg. They're right theeeeere."

Sensing his partner's dread as it bubbled over, MTEN's old leader slung his arm around her shoulder and gave her a playful jostle. "C'mon, it's cool. This needs to happen."

Cinder didn't miss the ever growing troubled feelings either, and her first impulse was to reach over as well. To offer a comforting hand or embrace or at least just to let Emerald know that...she was here to help, if Em wanted it. But, well, after the more than painfully awkward chat between them earlier, she figured it was best to keep her distance, which was exactly what she did. Mercury and her were, no, are practically inseparable. Attached at the hip, even! Surely he has this. ​

The full extent of the stress the situation was causing the often-unflappable thief was on full display for the first time, Emerald's eyes engaged in a thousand-yard stare dead ahead and posture clearly agitated as it hunched into crossed arms. "Yeah, no shit, I know that, but—Mercury, Neo just always feels so mad at us now, and what happened last time—you all just got so pissed at each other, after Roman, and I—"

"—I just, I don't, I'm sorry, I don't wanna get caught in the middle of something else like that, I can't lose any more friends, I can't—I don't think I can be in the room for this."

A very off-brand look of actual concern had cemented itself across Mercury's face by now, brought on by just how... not like his partner his partner was acting. The tightness of breath, the tremble in her shoulders... if he didn't know better, the assassin side of him would've guessed she was on the verge of having a panic attack. Which was stupid, because Emerald was way too cool to get panic attacks, right? Plus even if she did it wasn't like she could've kept them hidden from everybody for a whole yearooooohhhhh crap. He reached out, trying to steady her opposite shoulder as well. "Hey, seriously, it's gonna be—"

"No, Mercury, I can't."

He cut off, momentarily flummoxed as his hand passed right through Emerald before she vanished entirely, reappearing a short distance back the way they came and already in the process of a hasty retreat as she furiously avoided looking at anyone.

"I'm sorry! This just really isn't my sceeeeeeeeeennnne—!"

Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooottttt. ​

She rounded the corner, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Mercury torn over whether to follow her after taking an automatic step or two. He opted to let her split, brow thoughtfully scrunched and mouth a tight frown as he stared after her before turning, attempting to sweep it under the rug for the sake of Emerald's reputation with a shrug.

"Was that weird? Yes. Should we let it discourage us?"

He glanced at Cinder.

"...Yes."

She said nothing, only meeting his gaze for a moment before her own fell, waiting until they resumed walking again to follow silently behind.
​

He turned, taking over his partner's duty of leading the way in a casual amble.

"The approach here is key. Now, me, I vote we take a page outta Sun's book and just walk up like it's nothing. You know? Like we never even stopped hanging out. Pfft."

He snickered, as if it was a joke.

It wasn't, though, and unless anyone had any better ideas that was exactly what they did, Mercury settling into his seat up on the bleachers with a gaggle of hanger-ons like he'd just walked in late for Goodwitch's morning sparring sessions, watching Neo and Tyrian go at it as intently as he'd taken in every single match back then.

Yet as they entered the place, she was hardly listening to him. The words only dull echoes in her ears, barely registering in her mind. Yeah, true, it was possible, or even very likely, that staying on the sidelines was the better approach. That letting herself be seen, while they were in the middle of a fight, was...not a good idea. Not after what she'd done, and not while emotions ran hot in battle alongside spiking adrenaline. But, after all this time...seeing them down there and just, sitting, watching...she felt her imagination would run wild. All the ways she could picture this going, all the negative outcomes and scenarios she could think of...the dread of it all would just build up inside her until it...until she probably ran off just like Emerald had. That...

...really didn't feel like...no, she didn't want to let the uneasy apprehension build up. Didn't want to to lose her nerve.

Better to just rip the band-aid off as soon as she could rather than sit and wait and let that all happen. That was why, rather than take a seat herself, she simply strode right past them on a direct, if slow, path to where the two were fighting.​

That was as far as Trifa got before she felt something prod her in the side, and when she turned-

*bonk*

Hush thwapped against the top of her forehead, Neo's opinion on the fight being interrupted made clear despite the cracks in the gym's floor where Tyrian's fist had landed. It wasn't as if Neo was looking a hundred percent either; that last slam and elbow had hit hard enough that there was a bit of blood smeared along the side of one nostril.

Neos face told the real story though; she wasn't even looking at Trifa; her own eyes were locked with Tyrian's, a dangerous glint in her eyes and smirk on her face as she wiped the blood off the underside of her nose with her arm.

She knew that he got it; More than Mercury and Emerald, or maybe they just didn't want to get it; This was the first time they'd had an audience, but this wasn't the first time her and Tyrian had sparred over the last few months. They both had reasons, and neither of them had taken the time to discuss with the other, but they both understood each other perfectly.

They needed to get stronger.

You didn't get that way going up against an opponent that was taking it easy.

the next breath and Neo wasn't there anymore; not because of an illusion, but because she was already sliding to a stop scant inches from Tyrian's side, her foot whirling towards the underside of his chin, and Hush' top slamming down into his foot to keep him from leaning out of the way.

After having been scolded, Tyrian's tail hadn't risen up from where the stinger rustled against the floor.

He didn't hate Neo or hold any harsh feelings against her. Far from it actually. Time and time again she proved to be the only one who'd understood him. From having awkwardly and sheepishly trying to explain why he'd come out to Mistral(while not really saying much in the process)to a bedraggled Neopolitan to requesting her team's aid to save his childhood friend. There was a understanding between the two. One that he appreciated and Neo hadn't any need to say so much as even a single word. Seeing the look in her eyes, Tyrian saw that Trifa had been wrong. Neo wasn't a waif. A flower to be delicately cradled. She wanted to do this just as much as he did.

For reasons he could assume but they were hers all the same. If the time came and the two could find time to confide in eachother? He'd gladly welcome it.

'Never been much for talking.' Most of the people he'd grown up around hadn't paid too much mind to what he said. He was just the champ or the scrapper. Or a cocky brat that needed to be put in his place. Looking down at his weapons, he exhaled. Helping the faunus make his weapons had been the last thing Ichabod had done for him. It'd...also marked the last time that Tyrian ever saw him.

'If only I'd been there.'

'If only I'd been stronger.'

IF.

'If only I could change everything.'

Tyrian's tail coiled up and his eyes widened at how quickly Neo had resumed the spar.

His tail swung out with the back of the stinger poised to try and knock her in the side of the head.

It stopped just inches away as her foot connected against his chin, causing him to cry out and step back. A trail of saliva flew through the air as his aura glistened under the force of the kick.

He stayed gazing up at the ceiling for another second or more.

Then his gaze met Neo's again.

'But this...this I understand.'

He moved onto all fours with his tail poised to strike. The glare had disappeared into a more excitable grin.

His fingers softly tapped against the floor before he skirted forward and let his tail take lunge after lunge, attempting to keep Neo off balance.​

Yet, despite all that, she still had next to no clue what to even say. Her mind was racing, the frown on her face deepening and the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach only getting more twisted up and worse. "T-tyrian. N-neo...I..." She stammered and coughed, hardly speaking above a whisper. Then she shook her head, all but slapping herself to get a grip. She'd faced down so many grimm, pushed back against her parents' abuse, and had even taken a stand against an older, way more of an asshole version of herself! This is just a talk! I can handle this!

"Tyrian! Neo!" She yelled louder, trying to get their full attention.

Please let this go as great as it possibly can.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Crystal."

Masque took a knee and ran her arm across her chest. Submitting in everything but words to the one who stood before her.

"I won't lose sight of where I stand ever again, my lord. Whatever my life is worth, I'll stake it all on that claim."



"I'll do what I have to."

There was that giggle again.

Rising to her feet and moving her arm up and down, Masque couldn't resist a soft smile at being able to move of her own volition again. Nobody punching her or hitting her. Nothing holding her back from doing what she desired. Sparing one last look over her shoulder at Raven, Masque sneered. Hoped she enjoyed remaining bound and imprisoned. That'd teach her to throw such hateful looks her niece's way. Giving another nod of deference to Ozwen, Masque turned towards the doorframe, outlined in the same fleshy substance that had held her just seconds prior. She spread her feet apart and vanished out the door in a trail of rose petals.

Ozwen watched her go, an air of immense self-satisfaction to her smirk that frankly wasn't even part of the masquerade as she folded her arms and waited for the Grimm's biomass to slink back over the ivory door. She didn't look back at Raven, though no sooner than the whale's bone was entirely subsumed again was the huntress once more buffeted by the ice-cold tones of her voice. It was sharp, terse, and bizarrely juxtaposed, as if Raven's captor was straddling a midpoint between not wanting to waste any more breath on her than she absolutely had to and absolutely needing to get the following off her chest.

"You are the most repugnant, deplorable shrew I've ever had the misfortune of encountering and the only thing I feel towards you and your counterpart is existential distress. Because you both serve as inescapable proof that no matter how hard it tries, some trash will never rise above trash."

She turned the moment her scathing rundown was completed, and with a contemptuously flicked wrist the glyph holding Raven's jaw shut was dispelled so she could instead immobilize her with a stern glare of unmitigated distaste.

"Please, feel free to offer up one of your effete return serves or cutting deflections. Or don't. I truly don't care. As it stands, I only need one thing from you."

She sniffed, and her eyes narrowed by such a subtle margin it was almost imperceptible as Weiss brushed a few fingertips against her chin in scheming contemplation.

"How convincingly can you pretend to be tortured?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Ozwen watched her go, an air of immense self-satisfaction to her smirk that frankly wasn't even part of the masquerade as she folded her arms and waited for the Grimm's biomass to slink back over the ivory door. She didn't look back at Raven, though no sooner than the whale's bone was entirely subsumed again was the huntress once more buffeted by the ice-cold tones of her voice. It was sharp, terse, and bizarrely juxtaposed, as if Raven's captor was straddling a midpoint between not wanting to waste any more breath on her than she absolutely had to and absolutely needing to get the following off her chest.

"You are the most repugnant, deplorable shrew I've ever had the misfortune of encountering and the only thing I feel towards you and your counterpart is existential distress. Because you both serve as inescapable proof that no matter how hard it tries, some trash will never rise above trash."

She turned the moment her scathing rundown was completed, and with a contemptuously flicked wrist the glyph holding Raven's jaw shut was dispelled so she could instead pin her in place with a stern glare of unmitigated distaste.

"Please, feel free to offer up one of your effete return serves or cutting deflections. Or don't. I truly don't care. As it stands, I only need one thing from you."

The hateful sneer from Masque was met with an intense withering glare the whole time, the look only dropping when the bitch vanished from sight beyond the doorway. After that, she only briefly looked at Oz before she lowered her eyes to the floor. She did nothing else but listen to what the dark grimm master said, and when her mouth was free again, she didn't let loose with some scathing retort or any defense of herself. Raven merely lifted her gaze back up, an empty look in her eyes. Almost dead looking, really. Devoid of any of the harshness she'd given towards Masque, or to Oz just mere moments ago, and she only said two words.

"I know."

She left it at that and would have turned her gaze back to the floor were it not for what was said next.​

She sniffed, and her eyes narrowed by such a subtle margin it was almost imperceptible as Weiss brushed a few fingertips against her chin in scheming contemplation.

"How convincingly can you pretend to be tortured?"

"...What are you playing at? Just...do whatever you're going to do to me. Don't play games."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

As it transpired, the destination one of the foul, portentous Seers had earlier seen fit to drag Yang to turned out to be the same room one parallel world's Cinder had been dropped off in, nestled somewhere between Monstra's third and fourth rib. The power-hungry fall maiden was on the other side of the room, laid out on a gentle incline atop what was less a cot and more a twisted altar made of purely biological components; several of which latched onto her most grievous wounds, where they suckled hungrily like leeches. Her aura glowed a little brighter around those points in spite of the grisly mode of treatment, injuries that would have killed a less spiteful soul slowly but surely beginning to heal at an accelerated rate.

A few of the creatures teethed on Yang herself, seeing to the last of the damage Blake's lush touch had lacked the time or precision to attend to. The Hand had done most of their work for them, though; it would've been impossible to discern that her right arm had ever been anywhere other than its rightful place had it not been for the thin white scar running around the point of separation, and what were horrifying facial burns had been reduced to something no more visible than a birthmark where the fresh layer of skin had grown in. She seemed to be sleeping soundly, and judging from the initial languid, giggly murmur she gave when she felt a weight settle on top of her it stood to reason her dreamy state mistook Masque for someone else.

"Yang.~"

Unfortunately that one word, spoken in that specific tone, had never once failed to drag her kicking and screaming from the blissful solace of her dreams into the reality of her waking nightmare.

"What, bitch."​

 

[MidwayLives]

A few of the creatures teethed on Yang herself, seeing to the last of the damage Blake's lush touch had lacked the time or precision to attend to. The Hand had done most of their work for them, though; it would've been impossible to discern that her right arm had ever been anywhere other than its rightful place had it not been for the thin white scar running around the point of separation, and what were horrifying facial burns had been reduced to something no more visible than a birthmark where the fresh layer of skin had grown in.

'She's so beautiful...'

Masque cherished being able to lay this close to her again.

It was something they hadn't done since they were younger. Before she'd left home when she turned fifteen.

Nowadays, Yang didn't like it when they so much as even slept in the same bed.

Looking over the scar and remnants of the burns, Masque huffed. 'If I had the same...power...I could have fixed you. I could have made you better again. Because I love you, Yang.' She leaned in and wrapped her arm around Yang's side. 'And I always will.' Masque thought to herself as a smile slowly spread across her face.
​

She seemed to be sleeping soundly, and judging from the initial languid, giggly murmur she gave when she felt a weight settle on top of her it stood to reason her dreamy state mistook Masque for someone else.

"....Grrr..."

That giggle hadn't been meant to herald her arrival.

Yang never laughed like that when Masque tried to comfort her.

Which meant that she thought it'd been someone else who'd come to see her.

Someone like...

"Blake."

Masque growled out as she clenched her hand hard enough for her fingernails to leave bloody nicks in her palm.
​

Unfortunately that one word, spoken in that specific tone, had never once failed to drag her kicking and screaming from the blissful solace of her dreams into the reality of her waking nightmare.

"What, bitch."

A kiss was planted on Yang's cheek and Yang distinctly heard two sets of giggles.

.....But at the moment she saw only Masque.

"Hehehehe....Oh Yang, I'm so glad you're okay." Cuddling up to her sister as though they were kids again, Masque exhaled. For once since arriving on the whale of her own volition, she'd felt the closest to happy she'd been since this whole thing transpired. "I talked to...Oz..mm...." She mumbled under her breath having been in such a rush to see Yang that she hadn't thought of how to properly address Ozpin's new form. "But they let me go! Now we're back together!" Masque squeaked. "It took me a long while but you were right, Yang. The two of us belong together and now that I'm back? We can be side by side. Just like we were always meant to be.~"
​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Tyrian's tail coiled up and his eyes widened at how quickly Neo had resumed the spar.

His tail swung out with the back of the stinger poised to try and knock her in the side of the head.

It stopped just inches away as her foot connected against his chin, causing him to cry out and step back. A trail of saliva flew through the air as his aura glistened under the force of the kick.

He stayed gazing up at the ceiling for another second or more.

Then his gaze met Neo's again.

'But this...this I understand.'

He moved onto all fours with his tail poised to strike. The glare had disappeared into a more excitable grin.

His fingers softly tapped against the floor before he skirted forward and let his tail take lunge after lunge, attempting to keep Neo off balance.

Those already watching in the stands and those walking in just now saw something rather strange as the fight continued. Or more accurately, they didn't see anything strange; Neo was always right where it looked like she was. Throughout the entire sparring match, she hadn't used her semblance once. The battle against the Boss back in Mistral had made her realize something; she'd been using it way too much, it was a crutch. And while Tyrian likewise didn't use his own semblance, it was an entirely different beast; They were both hunters (in training); Tyrian had to fight enemies his semblance was useless against all the time, and he'd adapted himself accordingly.

Which was all to say that he didn't need his semblance to go toe to toe with Neo, whether she was using hers or not.

The fact that he'd agreed to spar with her at all after the first time a month or so ago was practically charity after how bad her first showing was. But bit by bit, she was getting better. Not as good as him, and definitely not as good as Merc, but better; She could read the flow of a fight even before moves had started to happen, and while she lost more than she won, on days when she fell all the way in the rythmn of the fight, and really got into the zone....



It felt like she didn't need her semblance to be untouchable.

She leaned back away from the first strike, gently spun to the left of the second, and by the time the third was coming in she was already dashing to the side of it, Hush pulled back for a bladeless jab straight into Tyrian's gut-

Yet, despite all that, she still had next to no clue what to even say. Her mind was racing, the frown on her face deepening and the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach only getting more twisted up and worse. "T-tyrian. N-neo...I..." She stammered and coughed, hardly speaking above a whisper. Then she shook her head, all but slapping herself to get a grip. She'd faced down so many grimm, pushed back against her parents' abuse, and had even taken a stand against an older, way more of an asshole version of herself! This is just a talk! I can handle this!

"Tyrian! Neo!" She yelled louder, trying to get their full attention.

Please let this go as great as it possibly can.

What.

Neo froze on the spot as her eyes just barely caught sight of Cinder behind Tyrian, just before the young maiden actually vocalized, and her eyes went blank-



Then she disappeared entirely, but still not because of her semblance.

She was just a good twenty meters down the sparring ring, laid out on the floor after the first bounce from her face getting piledrived by Tyrian's tail shattered her aura, her eyes now staring blankly at the ceiling.

 

[MidwayLives]

Those already watching in the stands and those walking in just now saw something rather strange as the fight continued. Or more accurately, they didn't see anything strange; Neo was always right where it looked like she was. Throughout the entire sparring match, she hadn't used her semblance once. The battle against the Boss back in Mistral had made her realize something; she'd been using it way too much, it was a crutch. And while Tyrian likewise didn't use his own semblance, it was an entirely different beast; They were both hunters (in training); Tyrian had to fight enemies his semblance was useless against all the time, and he'd adapted himself accordingly.

Which was all to say that he didn't need his semblance to go toe to toe with Neo, whether she was using hers or not.

The fact that he'd agreed to spar with her at all after the first time a month or so ago was practically charity after how bad her first showing was. But bit by bit, she was getting better. Not as good as him, and definitely not as good as Merc, but better; She could read the flow of a fight even before moves had started to happen, and while she lost more than she won, on days when she fell all the way in the rythmn of the fight, and really got into the zone....

Tyrian's hands moved just as quickly as his tail as he scampered forward after each thrust.

He hadn't forgotten how painful it'd been to have a chunk of his tail severed. The original stinger was gone. Something he'd been born with.

A natural weapon that he'd always treasured.

It'd only been thanks to Trifa's willingness to help/knack with tools that she'd manufactured him a prosthetic. It wasn't the finest piece of technology in the world/there were times where it angered/upset him to look in a mirror and see that behind him. It hadn't been part of who he was.

But he couldn't let it or anything else slow him down.

The way they were fighting now, the fact that there was something of an audience.

It reminded him of days since past.
​

It felt like she didn't need her semblance to be untouchable.

She leaned back away from the first strike, gently spun to the left of the second, and by the time the third was coming in she was already dashing to the side of it, Hush pulled back for a bladeless jab straight into Tyrian's gut-

The tail started to retract after the last missed lunge.

It began to curve in order to try and stop the impact of Hush's thrust.

As it turned out though, it was entirely unnecessary.
​

Then she disappeared entirely, but still not because of her semblance.

She was just a good twenty meters down the sparring ring, laid out on the floor after the first bounce from her face getting piledrived by Tyrian's tail shattered her aura, her eyes now staring blankly at the ceiling.

The tail swung out like a wrecking ball catching Neo across the face.

Watching as her aura faded away and Neo herself was flung far from Tyrian's person, the scorpion stayed hunched on all fours.

What could have possibly happened? What had broken her concentration?

Making his way over to where Neo lay, Tyrian looked down at her.

"Hey. Get up."

It didn't make any sense. Neo had objectively been beaten.

"Get up. It doesn't count if you were distracted."

Anybody else would have just let it go.

The stinger of Tyrian's tail hooked the front of Neo's shirt and scooped her up off her feet.

"I said get up. What did you do back there? That wasn't a win. That didn't even deserve to be called a win."

Tyrian clenched his hands up.

"You got completely distracted. What the hell could have-"
​

"Tyrian! Neo!" She yelled louder, trying to get their full attention.

Please let this go as great as it possibly can.

Neo was gently deposited back onto the ground.

Tyrian looked away from her and turned to face the source of the voice. His stinger swung hard enough against the floor to crack it.

A sign of pent up aggression? Or a display of pure shock?

"...Cinder?" ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

What.

Neo froze on the spot as her eyes just barely caught sight of Cinder behind Tyrian, just before the young maiden actually vocalized, and her eyes went blank-


Then she disappeared entirely, but still not because of her semblance.

She was just a good twenty meters down the sparring ring, laid out on the floor after the first bounce from her face getting piledrived by Tyrian's tail shattered her aura, her eyes now staring blankly at the ceiling.

She let out a panicked gasp after that, rushing a few steps forward herself intent to check up on Neo after a hit like that...but came to a shaky halt several feet away instead of closing the whole distance. Tyrian had beaten her to it, pulling the small girl up to her feet. Cinder did want to rush on nevertheless, to wrap them both up in a hug, if not even tackle them into same but...she kept herself from acting on that desire yet. She forced herself to remain practically rooted to this spot. She had no idea how they would even-​

Tyrian looked away from her and turned to face the source of the voice. His stinger swung hard enough against the floor to crack it.

A sign of pent up aggression? Or a display of pure shock?

"...Cinder?"

...yeah. Even at this distance, she flinched some at the speed at which that tail lashed out, the power behind it as the floor cracked beneath where it struck...Cinder gulped, the painful feeling in her stomach getting worse but doing her best to ignore it as she looked at them both. "Tyrian, Neo." She repeated. "Hey guys, I...I..." The teenager fell silent for a moment or two, rubbing nervously at her arm before she managed to continue. "It's me, yeah." Her face shifted into a small, hopeful smile, but still didn't move. Her golden eye flickered between them, trying to determine if or when it would be a good idea to go for the hug.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

A kiss was planted on Yang's cheek and Yang distinctly heard two sets of giggles.

.....But at the moment she saw only Masque.

"Hehehehe....Oh Yang, I'm so glad you're okay." Cuddling up to her sister as though they were kids again, Masque exhaled. For once since arriving on the whale of her own volition, she'd felt the closest to happy she'd been since this whole thing transpired. "I talked to...Oz..mm...." She mumbled under her breath having been in such a rush to see Yang that she hadn't thought of how to properly address Ozpin's new form. "But they let me go! Now we're back together!" Masque squeaked. "It took me a long while but you were right, Yang. The two of us belong together and now that I'm back? We can be side by side. Just like we were always meant to be.~"

"Are you on crack?"

In marked contrast to the volume of gushing and praise lavishing her sister was doing, Dragon's eyes were hard and her voice carried a harsh bluntness as she came back to her senses and drew in her surroundings, apparently far more interested in studying the room itself, its other occupant, and just about anything she could rest her gaze on that wasn't those giant silver orbs. She sat up, rubbed her eyes with one hand and planted the Grimm one against Ruby's face so she could casually shove her off and over the side, speaking in a slow, lifeless scowl.

"Fuck you mean he just 'let you go'?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Are you on crack?"

"I don't think so-"
​

. She sat up, rubbed her eyes with one hand and planted the Grimm one against Ruby's face so she could casually shove her off and over the side, speaking in a slow, lifeless scowl.

*thump*

Masque poked her head back up after she hit the floor.

"That wasn't very nice. I come here so happy to see you and you push me away...?"
​

"Fuck you mean he just 'let you go'?"

"I said I was sorry and they let me go! What? Would you have rather they tortured me?"

Masque frowned and she leaned in again to gently press the side of her face against Yang's stomach.

"Of course, they said the next time I do something like run away they'll let..." Masque scowled herself. "Blake..." She spat out with such venom in her voice you'd think her mouth was full of it. "...Do whatever she wants to me."


"But that'll never happen so why worry about it!!"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

The hateful sneer from Masque was met with an intense withering glare the whole time, the look only dropping when the bitch vanished from sight beyond the doorway. After that, she only briefly looked at Oz before she lowered her eyes to the floor. She did nothing else but listen to what the dark grimm master said, and when her mouth was free again, she didn't let loose with some scathing retort or any defense of herself. Raven merely lifted her gaze back up, an empty look in her eyes. Almost dead looking, really. Devoid of any of the harshness she'd given towards Masque, or to Oz just mere moments ago, and she only said two words.

"I know."

She left it at that and would have turned her gaze back to the floor were it not for what was said next.

"...What are you playing at? Just...do whatever you're going to do to me. Don't play games."

Weiss pinched her brow, and for just one moment allowed the full weight of the frustration, stress, and overwhelming soul-draining tension this entire ridiculous situation warranted shape her sigh into a full-blown groan of exasperation as her foot tapped an erratic rhythm against the floor.

"Give me strength. Okay, how can I put this in terms a self-pitying, over-the-hill layabout will understand?"

She curtly pointed to her right eye, which drained to its cool blue momentarily before once again being subsumed by a dark, malevolent red that spread throughout the iris like ink dropped in a pool.

"Sorry to interrupt you valiantly falling on your sword to atone for past mistakes or whatever it is you think you're doing, but it's me. You know, the scheming, treacherous villain who should just go away forever?"

No attempt of any kind was made to keep the sarcastic bite from her tone.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Weiss pinched her brow, and for just one moment allowed the full weight of the frustration, stress, and overwhelming soul-draining tension this entire ridiculous situation warranted shape her sigh into a full-blown groan of exasperation as her foot tapped an erratic rhythm against the floor.

"Give me strength. Okay, how can I put this in terms a self-pitying, over-the-hill layabout will understand?"

She curtly pointed to her right eye, which drained to its cool blue momentarily before once again being subsumed by a dark, malevolent red that spread throughout the iris like ink dropped in a pool.

"Sorry to interrupt you valiantly falling on your sword to atone for past mistakes or whatever it is you think you're doing, but it's me. You know, the scheming, treacherous villain who should just go away forever?"

No attempt of any kind was made to keep the sarcastic bite from her tone.​

Her eyes widened in brief surprise before they grew skeptical and narrowed again. "Even if that is true, that you're not really Oz right now...what does that change? You hate me with a passion, you've never made any secret of that. I disgust you, you just said so yourself. You think the world would be better off without me, I'm sure, and I'm not like Liadan. You could do it. Or just keep me here until I'm gone naturally. Or you could torture me for real just as easily as you can keep me from talking so...again, what are you playing at with this pretend to torture me crap?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"I said I was sorry and they let me go! What? Would you have rather they tortured me?"

"Am I supposed to actually answer that, or..."

She drawled with a flash of a dangerous, smouldering leer, but made no move to. The remainder of Masque's explanation fell on a Dragon who looked dull, distracted, and mostly apathetic, hand alighting on the nape of her neck to detangle the locks there in a slow, circular scratching motion as she squinted in thought. The grimm arm she stretched out, fully extending the joints in her shoulder and rolling out the stiffness there until Ruby started nuzzling against her midriff, at which point it automatically planted against her face again to shove her back with additional force.

"Of course, they said the next time I do something like run away they'll let..." Masque scowled herself. "Blake..." She spat out with such venom in her voice you'd think her mouth was full of it. "...Do whatever she wants to me."

Only then did she finally perk up, glare whipping back towards Masque with a flareup of threatening anger in her eyes that made the one before it seem positively tame as she spoke that name in that tone, her blackened, gnarled hand's claws unsheathing with a gentle snkt.

By the time she was through, though, her gaze had fallen back to her lap in time with her hand alighting against her chest, having watched it gently close over with the barest edges of a fond smirk.

"Guess you better not do that, then."

This was... a strange side of her sister to see, especially after all that had happened lately. When the Red Masque first encountered Dragon long after there had been a Ruby or a Yang she had been practically unrecognizable, the first change Ozpin affected in her having plumbed the depths of the darkness amassed in her heart over years and rendered her little more than his cruel, reverent disciple, a conduit for his will, his words, his wrath. The transition from semblance to parasite as his chief measure of control had affected a more disturbing change still, warping her into a volatile, unhinged beast with little in the way of moderation or restraint.

It occurred to Ruby that the expression she wore in that fleeting instant was the first time she had even remotely resembled the girl from the camp.

Then it was gone, and she swung her legs up over the altar with a light grunt to hop down, grab Ruby's hood, drag her over to a slab of Grimm mass herself and bodily fling her onto it, all with a sense of obligatory duty. She kept her reticent streak alive, lazily peeling a few of the leech-like creatures from the wall and beginning to drop them onto Ruby's arm where the ugliest of the wounds were as she inquired in a breezy chirp.

"So, maybe time to consider not being such a thirsty slut?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Then she disappeared entirely, but still not because of her semblance.

She was just a good twenty meters down the sparring ring, laid out on the floor after the first bounce from her face getting piledrived by Tyrian's tail shattered her aura, her eyes now staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Hey. Get up."

It didn't make any sense. Neo had objectively been beaten.

"Get up. It doesn't count if you were distracted."

Anybody else would have just let it go.

The stinger of Tyrian's tail hooked the front of Neo's shirt and scooped her up off her feet.

"I said get up. What did you do back there? That wasn't a win. That didn't even deserve to be called a win."

Tyrian clenched his hands up.

"You got completely distracted. What the hell could have-"

"Hey!"



Guess their big moment was just gonna have to wait.

Mercury was stomping his way across the arena floor towards Tyrian with a dangerous look in his eye, having stood and vaulted the parapet the moment he saw the tail hit home. Whatever it was about seeing such excessive force in a spar seemed to have set him off in a major way, and while it wasn't certain what exactly his intentions were as soon as he reached the faunus his clenched fists and grit teeth gave a pretty good indication.

"What the hell's the matter with you, man?! She could've died. My old man taught me cheap shots aren't given, they're taken. Think that makes you big? Think you can just twist that into some kinda lesson?"

He stomped his heels once each with more purpose, the unmistakable sound of a magazine loading each chamber sounding off in response.

"I'll give you a lesson!"​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Am I supposed to actually answer that, or..."

"No.~ I know what your answer would have been."

Masque purred....until she was pushed away again at which point she growled.

Didn't seem like someone was happy to see their little sister up and running about...
​

Only then did she finally perk up, glare whipping back towards Masque with a flareup of threatening anger in her eyes that made the one before it seem positively tame as she spoke that name in that tone, her blackened, gnarled hand's claws unsheathing with a gentle snkt.

Masque huffed but didn't drop her scowl at all.

Blake had tried to kill her! Wasn't that enough justification for her to be mad?
​

"Guess you better not do that, then."

This was... a strange side of her sister to see, especially after all that had happened lately. When the Red Masque first encountered Dragon long after there had been a Ruby or a Yang she had been practically unrecognizable, the first change Ozpin affected in her having plumbed the depths of the darkness amassed in her heart over years and rendered her little more than his cruel, reverent disciple, a conduit for his will, his words, his wrath. The transition from semblance to parasite as his chief measure of control had affected a more disturbing change still, warping her into a volatile, unhinged beast with little in the way of moderation or restraint.

It occurred to Ruby that the expression she wore in that fleeting instant was the first time she had even remotely resembled the girl from the camp.

​

Masque opened her mouth to say something.

About if Yang was feeling... 'different' at all.

In truth, Masque had always desired the Yang she knew back in the day. The one that'd comfort her and give her younger sister practically anything she wanted. Over the years that Yang seemed to disappear more and more until all that was left? Was a girl who didn't feel like receiving even the slightest hug from her sister.

She didn't get a chance to ask.
​

It occurred to Ruby that the expression she wore in that fleeting instant was the first time she had even remotely resembled the girl from the camp.

Then it was gone, and she swung her legs up over the altar with a light grunt to hop down, grab Ruby's hood, drag her over to a slab of Grimm mass herself and bodily fling her onto it, all with a sense of obligatory duty. She kept her reticent streak alive, lazily peeling a few of the leech-like creatures from the wall and beginning to drop them onto Ruby's arm where the ugliest of the wounds were as she inquired in a breezy chirp.

"So, maybe time to consider not being such a thirsty slut?"

"Ack! Hey!"

Masque cried out as she was dragged and whipped atop the wriggling and living mass of Grimm biomatter.

After having spent so much time away from the Grimm/seeing the full depths of what so much exposure had done to someone like Maria, it took all Masque had not to jump off the pile kicking and screaming. Instead she just wore a plain look of discomfort the whole time. The leeches suckling on the gouges in her flesh left by Blake's spikes.

"I'm not thirsty..." Masque argued as she looked away from Yang.

Glaring down at the leeches, Masque mumbled something under her breath.

"....Wouldn't need these stupid leeches or any of this stuff if I had-"

"Power?"



Masque blinked and glanced around the room. But this time she couldn't see any trace of the other her. Which is likely because she just so happened to be looking in the wrong place. From Yang's perspective Masque had turned her head to the side. As if someone had addressed her and Yang had heard it as well. It sounded like the little shit in front of her's voice. But different...with a disturbing distortion to it. Though unlike Ruby/Masque, Yang definitely could have heard what sounded like the disgusting squelching and squishing of what sounded like something pulling itself through the pile of Grimm matter that Masque was situated upon. Leeches fell out from side to side as the tips of fingers began to poke through and stretched out more to be revealed as two hands that on the surface resembled a human's extremities but appeared to be made out of the same wriggling mass that they'd erupted from. The hands moved from side to side, likely to give whatever they were attached to a bit more wiggle room to pull themselves through.

Whatever was 'coming through' appeared to be constituting itself out of the Grimm pile itself. First were the hands and then the arms and then finally the rest surfaced through stopping at the waist. The thing's idea of 'hair' was sopping wet and oily with the leeches running through it as though everything going on were normal. The makeshift 'thing' shifted it's head up and it's eyes were a dark blood red much like Ozpin/Ozwen's own but it's face-meaty and not even close to resembling a regular human-resembled that of Yang's own sister.

"Yang.~ We'd been waiting to see you....haven't we, Ruby?"

Masque blinked, having not been at all perturbed by what it was that Yang had seen on her end. Through her own eyes the other 'Ruby' had appeared beside her still looking the same and not at all monstrous. Almost as if it felt it didn't need to 'pretty itself' up when addressing Yang. "Yang...Can see you?"

"Why of course she can see us! She's the one who brought us together.~"
​

As something shot out towards her, Ruby could barely make out what it'd been before-

"AAGHHHHHHH!!! GET OFF MEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

She tried to claw at her stump and whatever it was she felt invading her body. Burrowing deeper and deeper. Her nails cracked as she scratched at the floor. Calling out for her aunt with tears in her eyes. "AUNT RAVEN!!! H-HELP ME!!!" But as Raven had her own issues, Ruby's screams turned to a different plea for help.

"YANG....YANG HELP ME!!!"

Ruby's breath was caught in her throat.

"Mommy.....*sob* Mommy, help me!"

It hadn't clicked to Ruby at all that during all of her encounters with this other her....That it could have had anything to do with that.

She'd been made to feel so vulnerable during her fight with Yang that day. Her punches had done absolutely nothing, her attempt to sever Yang's own Grimm arm had been futile. She'd gotten her nose broken for her troubles and her newly made Schnee-authorized prosthetic ripped off and left for the wastebin. It was the invasion of whatever chunk of the ancient Grimm that had burrowed inside her stump that left Masque wanting to stay away from the others until the urge to rejoin her Yang infiltrated her thoughts. Had...Hadn't that been her own choice? To come back and be with her beloved sister? Nobody else had wanted her anywhere near them. This had all been her choice from the start.

Right?

"So...You're...You're a Grimm? The Grimm that's inside my stump...?" Masque asked with widened eyes. 'Ruby' waved off her question. "Oh Ruby, how many times do I have to tell you before you'll believe me? I'm you, I've always been you, and I'll always BE you.~" The way that was worded...almost made it sound like this 'Ruby' or whatever the Grimm in her stump was going to replace her...

In truth, 'Ruby' hadn't been able to exist as it's own independent being until Yang had tore a piece of her own arm off to 'infect' Ruby with. Pilfering through Ruby's memories and the like once it'd steadily began progressing more and more, it decided to take the form of another Ruby, playing on the girl's issues with hallucinations/delusions. Biding it's time until it got close to where it desired to be: alongside Yang's own Arm. The very place it'd spawned from.~ "But, enough about me..." Yang/Masque saw as 'Ruby' gently wrapped it's fingers or in Yang's POV the disgusting slimy mimicry of fingers over Masque's chin to turn her head.

....Over in the direction of the prone maiden in the room. Still healing from her own battle as it were.

"You want power don't you? We told you that you could have it if you wanted it bad enough. Power to not let anyone push us around or threaten us. Not someone like Taurus, Schnee, or even Blake..."

"....I do."

Masque while not letting the leeches drop from her arm moved to grab the shaft of Crescent Rose. All while her eyes were still poised on Cinder.

"Then take it.~"

"I will." 'Ruby' removed her fingers and seemed to cling to Masque's shoulders as the bandit tried to force herself back onto her feet. "Nobody's going to hurt me again..." Masque growled as Crescent Rose's blade unfurled. "Nobody...."

"Hehehe, that's right." Shifting their eyes to look towards Yang, all while leeches were falling from their makeshift 'hair', 'Ruby laughed.








A̷̛̛̛̪̻̣͔̖̫̤̭̳̱̳̲̱̭̟͙̩̝̲͓͕̮̿́̉̉͐͆̑͂͑͗̇͋͒͑̈́̈́͒̊̀̓͛̀̂̒̉̐̄̈̎̄̂͂̋̀̔̈́̈̿̐́̑͝͠͠͠͝ͅr̴̨̡̛̙̠̮̞͓͔̙̬͔͕͙̝̳̰̹̗̀͌̃́̅̏͗̿̈́͌̆̀̌̿ͅͅḙ̷̢̜̟̫̣̥̩̠̀͒̇̑̕͜͠n̸̨̢̨͎̻͙̲̳̖̮͕̺͓̦̱͉̟̳̹̪̣͓͍͓̘͙̻̘̫̯̜̈́̍̋̒̿̈́̉͆͂̿͋͐͐̂̀̆͊̉̈́̈̆̅͋̃́̍̂̀͋̆̎͌͘̕̕͘̚͠͝ͅ'̵̧̡̨̢̨̢̢̛̭͇̞͙͎̭̱̗̖̲̞̜͇̰̱͖̦̮̫͖͓̱̞͉̫̤̪͔̹̖͕̖͚̹̼̪̱̤̪̦̊͐̓̐̀̋͌͑̍̅́̋̌̀͂̐́́͐̽̄̚̚t̷̨̨̧̡͍̜̳̻͙̳͈̥̫̻̩̮̺͓̱̰͍͇̫̗̻̳͚͍͇̗̓͌͊̌̃́̔͆̇̏̓̉̀̅̈́͂̾̎͑̊͛̅́͊̏̊́̆̚̚͘͜͠ͅͅͅ ̶̢̧̧̛̛̤̱̞̖̤̰͇̯̩͇̞̹̗̹̤͓͕̙̲̤͔͚͎͚̖̪̑̉̎̀͑͑̆͐͌̒̄̀͛͑̏͂́͐̾̇͑̎͐́̄͊́͒̏̾̓̏͐̌̒̔͛̀̽̌͂̓̚͘͜͠͠͠͝͝y̵̛̹̗̟̩͚͇͕̭̹̜̓̔̋̑͊̈́̃̂̓̈́̈́̈́̀́̌́̈́̒͐̀̇̓͒̏͌̅̈́̅̀̈́̐̀͌͊̑̊̉̽̈̽͘̚̚̚̕̚͝͝͝͝͝͝͠o̵̡̨̧̹͚̼͈͇͍͎͖̤͉̹̪̤̘͕̽̈͐̀̆̏́̌́̓͐̅͊͊̅̅̈́̒̈́̌͗̔͊̌̓͌͂͑̓̎̃͌̌u̷̢̨̡̦̻̙̰̭̘̻̻͇̪̦̙̠̝̟̟̞̝̫̞͖̣̹̙̦̗͐̓̏͊͒̈̀͋̋̀̃͒͘̕͜͝ ̸̨̛̝͚͇̯̄̃͊́͊́̈́̊̆̎̓͐͗͛̽́̑̍̄̉̄̑̿̿͋̃̾͒̒͋̈́̂̽̍̂̉̒͊̇͛͝͝͝ģ̴̢̧͚̬̠̞̠̯͍͖͈̭̱̝̪̫͇̫̺̟̆͜͜ͅļ̸̢̨̬̠̱̞̜̞͓͇̩̭̻̩̰̥͔̥̰̱͇̮̯̣̳͖̺̎̋̒̈́̑̀̇̿͜͜͠ͅa̴̧̡̧̡̡̟͉̗͇̞̻̟̪̘̱̭̻̩͓̺̺͕͎͚̘̟͎̖̞̗̗̜̳̤̣͓̖̹̎͊̂͑̿͗̆͗̑̔̋̀͆̐̂̋̽̑̈́͐͗̎̽̈́̾́̐́́̑̏̂͋̔͊͋̌̽́͗́̏́͊͘̕̚͜͠͝͝ͅḑ̵̧̨̢̛̦̭̯̫͔̦̖̟̥͉͖̭͕̬̰̖̭̮̤̳̠̭̦͎̼͇̳̫͙͚̪̫̬͖͋́͑̆̂̽͑͛̓̌́̒̅̓͌̊͛̒͑̒̓̅̾́̊̒͗̏̅̚̕̕͜͜͜͜͝ ̸̧͙̖͓̬̟̹̞̩̥͓̟̣̈̐́͋͌̃͑̀̋̾̍̄̽̊͐͐̇́̒̀̒̆̿͂͋́͊͒̑̓͑͛̽́̅͘͜͝͝͠͠ỷ̷̧̡̢͓̭̰̖͚̙̺̗̻͓̝̤̠̱͕̪̹̟̪̣͓͍̺͚̣̺̹̰̘̙͜͜ͅͅô̷̡̡̳̤̘̱̮̿̓̒̈̈́̓̓̅̈̌̏͌̎̓́̑͌̐̂̎̽̉̃͋̿͒̾̌̀̆́̅̌͑̓́̚̕͘̚̚͘͜͝͝͝͝͝ų̷͖̟͉̺̮͔̝̬̦̮̹̲̹͓̗̞͚͙̖͎̤̩̼̹̟̀̈́̀͌͋̇̽̓̀̒͒̄͗̐ ̶̡̢̨̡̡̢͎͍̱̯̥̝͕͙̣̟͖̥̲͚̙̹̺͖̫̲̼̦͓͈͇͈͖͖͈̺̱̙̞̠̮̹̙̠̮̰̠̝̹͖͇̃̍̋͊͑͛̈́̀̀́́͠͝ͅb̴̢̨̛̛͎̜̤̘̳̦̱̖̩͍̂̃͂̒̅͒̄̎͐́̅̈́̈́̑͊̉̆̃̀̽̊̂͛͋̓̍̾̄̌͊̾̆̍̈́́̑̿͆̏̃͒͐̆̿̕̚͘̕͘͝͝͠͝͝͝r̸̛̫̺͙̳̫͈͕̍̄́̀̽̑̑́͂̐̇́͌̀̿́̊̅̎̔͌̈̃͗̏̏̾̌͋̅̓̑̉̔̈́̾̌̍͗͑͘͘̚̚̕̚͘̕͘̕͝͠͝͝ǫ̸̢̢̨̛̛̖̘͍̣̱̝̬͎̙̞̮̮̘̖͖̩͓̦̦̣̝͉̹̱̼͇̱̦̝̬͈͇͇̞̳̬̼̝͍͙̹̠̬̓̏̒̂̄̀͋̂̐̈́͐͊̓̊͌̀̌́͐́͒́̐̈̏̇̈̄̃̈̾͌̓̆̒̀̈̾͗̌̏͂̾̀̏̀͛̓̃̚̚̕̚̕͜͜͠͝ͅứ̴̡̺͓̠̖̫̪̯̬̘̻̖̲̘̳̰͍̎̅̽̋͌͊̋̒̃̎͑̒̌̈́̓̔͆͑͑̈̓́͋͑̾͑̅̚̚̕͝͝͝͝ǵ̶̡̼̲̥̣͚̱̫̮̯͊̒̂̆̊̊̃̔͋̍̂̒͑̏̿h̸̨̢̧̛̥̠̦̯̺̮͉̱̖̮͇̦̮̯̳̭̙̰̞̬̺͓̼̫̣̎̎͊͆̈́̅̍̌́̈͑̄̍̇͐̓̍̔͆̊̈̔͑͊̾̐̐̋̊̍͂͗͌̽̉̕̕̕͠͠͝͝͠͝ͅͅͅͅt̸̢̲̳͖͉̫̜͎̩̻̻̤̥̜͇̱̖̊̆͋͂̒̆̓͋̓͋̎̂̓͌̅̔̿̒͛́̑͆̈̈́͑̏̌͂͒̈́̒̌̓̊̏̆́͑̈́̾̆̈́̒̃͘͘͠͝͠͝͝ ̷̧̨̥̝̩͆̾̂͆͌̂̔̏̂͋͗͘ư̵̧̢̜̜̣̙̝̼̞̪̰̭͖̠̼͙͇̮̗̫̥̰̹̲̣̼̦̍͒̄͗͌̀̊͛̀̀̿̇̎̓̾͗͋̋̓̔̽͂̾̉͛̄̈́̀̏̑̓͗̽̓̈̍͊͗̌̀̒̆͋̏̆̈̚̚͘͘͝͠͝͝͝s̶̲̭͇̗̓̒̎̽̌̋͊́͐̈́̈̿͆̒͒͘͠ ̶̢̡̨̡̗̭̟͕͕͉̳̳̜̖̳̼̮̘͖̩̥͍̤͙͉̬͎͔̠̣̗̰͇̥͖̙̩͚̞͇̥̙̮͈͎̼̙̲̗͍̈́̉̐̅͌̅͆̋̍̆͘̚͘͜͜ţ̶̡̨̡̡̳͚̬̯̘͎̰̬̟̠̻͕̻̰̝̘̺̖̳̗͙͎͖̭̤̦̰̟̺̬̦͉̦̳̎͊̋͜͠ǫ̷̧̡̛̲̼̳̱̟̖͙̝͙͙̱̹̹̹͕̣̪̜̲̭̖͈̠̀̊̀͊͗̏͆̔̾͑̈́̀́̈́́̐̎̔̽̎͐̍̈́̈́̋̈́̔̈́̾̂͑͌̾̓̎̉̈́̓͋̓͂͊́̅͌͝͝͝͠ͅg̶̨͎͇̦̥̯̼͔̮̫̼̜̔̿̅͂͌͆͆̂̕͝ͅę̵̧̢̧̛͖̳̞̠͚̬͕̰̰̲͓̻̹̹̦̻͎̹̝͎͍͆̓̏̂͋̓͐̋̏̄̀̉́̑͌̈́̐͒͒̾̌̔͒͗͋̋̈́̎̓̿̆̒͊̀̃͊̒̿͌̿̋̈̓̃͐̐̔̐̅͘̕̕͠͝͝͝͠ͅt̶̛̛͓͓̪͚̭̦̖͕̯̳̙̭̯̻̎̓̃̑̎̎͛̆̇͗̏̌̏̑̅̉͘̚͝͠ḥ̵̢̡̭̖͇͍̫͈̖̝̮̗̣̭̰͕̯̞͕͎̮͖̻̠͎̻̜̭̬̦̩̙̼̺͚̣̹͔͙̯͔̺̖̬̲͉̥̬͌͛͗̉̋̃̇̈́́̒̄͊̅̈́̍̾̀̅̓̓̅͌̾̊̌̾̔̄͛̊̃͂̂͆̄̿́͂͛̋̇͐͌͛́̔͌̌̋̚̕͜͜͜͜͝͝͠͠ͅͅȩ̵̡̧̧̡̭̖̮̙͖͓̗͈̦͔̱͉͚̟̪͎̱̙̗̼̯̜͉͉͓̘̺̳͕̘͔̬͉͔͎̟̗͕̥͙̭̪͇̼̲̔͌͛̽̊̑̀̅́̔͛̐̈́͒̀̇́̅͑̾̇̈̑̈́̃́͂̓̽̓̏́̽͑̾̓͛͛̊̌̋͌̓̍͋̽͗͆̐͒͊͑̀̈́͘̕̚r̶̨̭̱͙̝̘̗̬̰̠̬̜̤̹̯̖̲̣͕̟̟̞͉̮͓̂͒̋̿͐̿͆͐̅͋̂́̈͛̉̂̒͊̍̈́̆̿̈́͑́̒͝͝ͅ,̵̡̨̧̡͚̗̤̪͓̰͖̹̜̮̲͔͖̗̲̺̦͔̬͚̱̖͇̣͖̠̦̑̅̐̾͗͆̉͗̾͑͗̀̅̑̔̐͜͝͠ ̶̯̬́̽͆͒͆̈̏̂́͆̈́͑͒̅͊́͐̇̿̈́̉̀͂̉͊̌́̈̿͗̌̈̚̚͜͝͝Y̴̧̢̢̢̛̱̥̜̜̥͓̥̟͚̤̳̝̞̺͍̻̜̫̱͍͚̘̺̥͙͈̞͍̱̝̅̾̑̐̀͗̃̃́̄̐̉́̾̅ầ̸̢̛͚̤̫̗̰͈̅͗̾̆͗͌̋̂̏̒̊̒̑̈́̾͛͊͊̏̏̉̊͘͘̚͜͝͠͠n̸̢̨̡̛̬̙͎̹̖̬̥̖̼͉̻͖̤͙̝͖̹͉͉̟̆̅̑͆͗͆́̊̋̋̀̂̒͂́͗͌͆́̾́̿͌͆̇͋͐̂̈́͐͘̚̚̕͜͝g̸̢̢͍̘̝̪̟͓͕͚̱͇̭͚̿̈̽͋̈̑̂̄̿͊͝͝ͅ?̵̨̨̧̧̢̡̧̢̡̡̠͉̜̣̘̹̦̪̬̮̬̮̯͉͔̟̮͕͉͍͉͚̩̗̳̯̺͈͚͍͎͔͇̟̠͎̊̑͌͑̈̽͋̃̊̽͂̅̆̋̄̀̈́̊̈́͋̏̀́̓̐̃̒͑͂̒̐̿͗́̾̍͊̈́̌͌̏̏̚͘̚̕̕͜͜͝͠͝ͅ~̴̢̡̧̡̛̜̹̝̟̯̣̻̻̗̦͚̫̟̺̥͈̮̱̻̦̪̮͉̰̬̰͉̟̻̞̭̘̒́̓͒͗̆̍̿̐̆͛̐͊͊̋̒̀̋̊̅́̎͑̄̍̎̒̽̾̊́͑̋̒́̍̌̚̕͝͝"̸̧̜̝̖̹͉̯̱̫͊̑̃̓̋̽̅͐̇́͜͝͝​