Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

"Well, I can certainly walk better naturally, which-"

He held a finger up without looking over. "Finish that train of thought and we can finally find out if you run better. Nerd."

"..."

He slowly craned his head over to the bird, his face a mask of pure suspicion.

"...Really? The evil me has a mustache? The absolute most cliched 'change one thing about a person to show they're evil' change? Really?"

"No, 'cause on the other side of the photograph there was a note written, and in it you said the reason you grew the mustache to begin with was to look less evil." The crow answered, still in a tone more befitting a sage mentor addressing his chosen one disciple.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...If that was true, I doubt we'd even be here. Us ordinary people, I mean." She eventually replied pensively, stopping at a gap between carriages to lean on the railing to gaze distantly at the wilderness rushing past. "I don't think Salem ever meant you to take the responsibility of the entire world on your shoulders, Cinder. People your age shouldn't have to think about anyone but themselves. We'll all take the fight to this guy together, and if we can't win you should just... run away. Be like that bandit chick, find some mangy corner of the world where no one could ever be bothered looking and some irrelevant life to bury yourself in, 'cause being a nobody? It's the only way to be... safe."

“I suppose that...could be right. Scary though.” Cinder commented, her stride coming to a stop alongside Emerald and looking out over the lands they were passing by. A world devoid of regular people...a terrifying thought indeed. But she refused to let that feeling linger and she did her best to let it fade away, not wanting to be so much as a spark for any grimm to come a’knocking.

“No. I can’t do that.” She firmly stated, shaking her head in refusal as well. “I can’t be like Vernal. I won’t be somebody who would just run away and hide and abandon the people who aren’t strong enough to protect themselves. That might keep me safe, for a time, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that. I’m a huntress in training. They’re supposed to make the world a better place, not leave it to fend for itself.” She took a deep breath and tore her gaze away from the horizon back over to Emerald.

“I was a nobody once already, Em. I’ll never go back to that.”​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Get lost."​

Vernal pointedly ignored the Faunus speaking up. The bandit didn’t so much as glance over, or move an inch, or even open her mouth to talk back. She just kept her attention on looking out the windows and chewing on the food.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"No, 'cause on the other side of the photograph there was a note written, and in it you said the reason you grew the mustache to begin with was to look less evil." The crow answered, still in a tone more befitting a sage mentor addressing his chosen one disciple.

He rolled his eyes and attempted to shoo the bird away from his screens.

"So the evil me was attempting to look less evil. We've graduated from 'the mustache of evil' to 'the mustache of disguise'. Excellent, glad we're getting all of them out of the way in one go. Did he actually grow the mustache, or did he save time and keep with tradition by just buying a pair of glasses with a fake nose to hold it?"

 

[Gus Gungus]

Vernal pointedly ignored the Faunus speaking up. The bandit didn’t so much as glance over, or move an inch, or even open her mouth to talk back. She just kept her attention on looking out the windows and chewing on the food.​

"...Tch."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...Tch."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

As the hat gently touched atop his head, Roman’s eye slowly quirked open.

“Thanks, partner.~”

Truth be told, he’d been so out of it when they’d first got on the train to now. He hadn’t even noticed his hat had fallen off. Whatever he’d dreamed of, he’d keep it to himself. But as he smiled at his partner, he knew what he had to do.

In case he never got the chance to.

“Hey Neo...um...you mind if we uh ‘talk’ in private?” Putting special emphasis on talk because, well, yeah. All while not noticing the mustache that’d be drawn on his face while he’d slept.

Maybe it was for the best...

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"..."

When... when did that get there?

Neo had to cover her mouth as a bout of giggles tried to desperately tried escape from her in the face of her partner very gently asking her for a moment of her time. She couldn't help it. She waved the other hand in front of him as she shook her head before she scrambled for a napkin, still giggling as she caught his chin and did her best to firmly remove the offending fake facial hair.

By the time she was done, her giggles had faded to the occasional breathy huffs of amusement, and she released him from her grip as she leaned back and finally gave a quick nod of answer.

 

[MidwayLives]

"..."

When... when did that get there?

Neo had to cover her mouth as a bout of giggles tried to desperately tried escape from her in the face of her partner very gently asking her for a moment of her time. She couldn't help it. She waved the other hand in front of him as she shook her head before she scrambled for a napkin, still giggling as she caught his chin and did her best to firmly remove the offending fake facial hair.

"Huh? D-Did I say somethin wro-"

The napkin and her grabbing his chin told Roman all he needed to know. Somebody thinking they were really funny must have drawn something on him.

He would have done the same thing so no point getting mad.

Waiting until Neo was finished to speak, Roman laughed. "Guess somebody think they're god's gift to the world of pranks, huh? Didn't anybody tell them that's reserved for you and me?" Rising to his feet and ruffling Neo's hair, Roman grabbed Melodic Cudgel from where it'd been laying beside him and twirled it in hand before leaning on it like any normal cane. "Thanks Neo." He added on softly before making his way to the room he'd presumably be sharing with his team once it came down to finally get some shut eye: and not in a chair. Once Neo had followed, Roman shut the door and sat down at the edge of the bed. This was going to be difficult. The very idea of getting this off his chest terrified him. What if something DID happen...? But then, what if it did before he could say how he really felt? Maybe he was just a blind doofus but the way he saw it? There were no 'happy' routes. He had to bite the bullet and go through with this.

"So, I...I did some thinking, Neo. About what exactly?" Roman pointed his weapon towards various parts of the room. "I guess 'everything lately' would suffice. We're on our way to Haven and going to have to fight Ozpin's goons and who knows what else again. I....I didn't wanna tell you this. Not because I'm like...I dunno, embarrassed or anything. It's nothing like that. But, Neo?" Roman looked towards his partner.

"I'm scared."

His tone somewhat shaky, he took a deep breath before continuing. "Life's tragedies aren't a competition but the two of us? We've taken a lot of the worse things this world has to offer and we've gotten through it everytime. Every. Single. Time. I've always been there to speak up for when you got something on the tip of your tongue and you can't spit it out. You? You've saved me on the battlefield more times than I can count on both hands. Not that I'm saying I'm a slouch or anything! But..." Roman set Melodic Cudgel on the bed and took off his hat, clutching tightly onto either side of it's brim. "I'm...I'm just not you. You're...You're..." Roman looked at his partner, the apple of his eye, the one person he wasn't sure he could go on without.

"You're....beautiful, funny, probably the most skilled fighter on our team!" Roman chuckled at the end of that. "By the by, don't tell Mercury I said that." Placing his hat back atop his head, he opened up his jacket and pulled out the pack of cigars he'd tucked away in a pocket. "Had these ever since we got to Beacon. Hid them under our bed but never touched em until recently. I...I ended up in the hospital and sure I got some internet fame out of it, which was pretty cool...Roman 'Badass of Beacon' Torchwick. But that's not who I am. Not by a long shot. Then after Mercury got you upset after he told us what he did, I kinda just...gave up and started smoking them. To tell you the truth...Dunno *cough* what my dad saw in em." Roman said as he tossed them into the nearest garbage can. "I saw the way you looked when you caught me smoking one so, that's it, they're done. ...But there's also another reason."

Roman rose to his feet and knelt down so he'd be at face level with his partner. "...Do you remember what Ruby said about her Torchwick? Guy was a scumbag.. By all accounts, sounds like getting eaten was what he deserved. But then I thought about it and..." Roman's voice broke slightly. "His Neo had to come to grips with the fact that he was dead by herself. She probably didn't have friends like you've got Emerald and Merc. Or even that nerd Watts! Might explain why she's so cold....Got nothing left to lose. S'not an excuse but I was thinking that if we see her again, IF we do, I can only hope we don't have to fight."

Placing a hand on Neo's shoulder, making sure his grip was not too rough or too loose, he looked Neo right in her multi colored eyes.

"It..also got me thinking on something I've wanted to tell you....for, ugh, a long time I guess. Neo...I..." Roman paused, his eyes darting away for a moment as he sighed. The weight of what he wanted and what he wanted to say were still weighing on him even now...​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Huh? D-Did I say somethin wro-"

The napkin and her grabbing his chin told Roman all he needed to know. Somebody thinking they were really funny must have drawn something on him.

He would have done the same thing so no point getting mad.

Waiting until Neo was finished to speak, Roman laughed. "Guess somebody think they're god's gift to the world of pranks, huh? Didn't anybody tell them that's reserved for you and me?" Rising to his feet and ruffling Neo's hair, Roman grabbed Melodic Cudgel from where it'd been laying beside him and twirled it in hand before leaning on it like any normal cane. "Thanks Neo." He added on softly before making his way to the room he'd presumably be sharing with his team once it came down to finally get some shut eye: and not in a chair. Once Neo had followed, Roman shut the door and sat down at the edge of the bed. This was going to be difficult. The very idea of getting this off his chest terrified him. What if something DID happen...? But then, what if it did before he could say how he really felt? Maybe he was just a blind doofus but the way he saw it? There were no 'happy' routes. He had to bite the bullet and go through with this.

"So, I...I did some thinking, Neo. About what exactly?" Roman pointed his weapon towards various parts of the room. "I guess 'everything lately' would suffice. We're on our way to Haven and going to have to fight Ozpin's goons and who knows what else again. I....I didn't wanna tell you this. Not because I'm like...I dunno, embarrassed or anything. It's nothing like that. But, Neo?" Roman looked towards his partner.

She gave a solemn nod at Torchwick's dismay towards someone not respecting their title, though it shattered like one of her illusions when he ruffled her hair and she let out a huff of affectionate annoyance that quickly shifted into a grin at the thank you. She swung to her feet and followed him out of the car and into their room, and from the moment he sat down she could see this was going to be a serious talk. Her smile dropped, and she sat down on the bed next to him with a pensive frown as she waited for him to start.

"I'm scared."

His tone somewhat shaky, he took a deep breath before continuing. "Life's tragedies aren't a competition but the two of us? We've taken a lot of the worse things this world has to offer and we've gotten through it everytime. Every. Single. Time. I've always been there to speak up for when you got something on the tip of your tongue and you can't spit it out. You? You've saved me on the battlefield more times than I can count on both hands. Not that I'm saying I'm a slouch or anything! But..." Roman set Melodic Cudgel on the bed and took off his hat, clutching tightly onto either side of it's brim. "I'm...I'm just not you. You're...You're..." Roman looked at his partner, the apple of his eye, the one person he wasn't sure he could go on without.

Oh.

Was that it?

She smiled softly and shook her head at the thought that Torchwick felt any shame about being scared. They were being sent out to go toe to toe with someone who'd apparently been humanity's greatest enemy for centuries. She put a comforting hand on his knee to try and center him as he talked. if anyone had reason for shame it was her; only a dumbass would be excited about this job.

"You're....beautiful, funny, probably the most skilled fighter on our team!" Roman chuckled at the end of that. "By the by, don't tell Mercury I said that." Placing his head back atop his head, he opened up his jacket and pulled out the pack of cigars he'd tucked away in a pocket. "Had these ever since we got to Beacon. Hid them under our bed but never touched em until recently. I...I ended up in the hospital and sure I got some internet fame out of it, which was pretty cool...Roman 'Badass of Beacon' Torchwick. But that's not who I am. Not by a long shot. Then after Mercury got you upset after he told us what he did, I kinda just...gave up and started smoking them. To tell you the truth...Dunno *cough* what my dad saw in em." Roman said as he tossed them into the nearest garbage can. "I saw the way you looked when you caught me smoking one so, that's it, they're done. ...But there's also another reason."

There were probably other girls who would've blushed and stammered at the sudden bout of praise, but Neo wasn't other girls. For one, you couldn't stammer when you didn't talk, and for two, her best friend gushed about her literally all the time so it was nothing new, and three, she was, maybe, just a tiny little bit vain. She knew she had her problems (obviously), but none of those problems extended to her looks or her skills, and she preened under the compliments with a smug grin and an easy shrug that said none of what Torchwick was saying was new to her but that she appreciated the reminders nonetheless.

it wobbled when he brought up the cigars, and she took her hand off his knee to cross her arms and look away with a dull glare. She winced at the mention of his dad; she hadn't known that. She knew his dad had smoked, but somehow she didn't connect the dots that they were his. Why hadn't she? The idea that she missed something so obvious about the most important person in her life stung, and started to turn back with a guilty frown. Before she could respond in her own way, they'd been tossed, and all she managed with a slight raise of her hand in its direction before they hit the trash can with a metallic ding. She gave him a soft smile as he told her that her not liking them was enough of a reason to toss them, but it didn't really assuage all her guilt. He seemed to be on a roll though, so she figured she'd at least let him finish first as she let her arms drop to clasp her hands while she waited.

oman rose to his feet and knelt down so he'd be at face level with his partner. "...Do you remember what Ruby said about her Torchwick? Guy was a scumbag.. By all accounts, sounds like getting eaten was what he deserved. But then I thought about it and..." Roman's voice broke slightly. "His Neo had to come to grips with the fact that he was dead by herself. She probably didn't have friends like you've got Emerald and Merc. Or even that nerd Watts! Might explain why she's so cold....Got nothing left to lose. S'not an excuse but I was thinking that if we see her again, IF we do, I can only hope we don't have to fight."

Placing a hand on Neo's shoulder, making sure his grip was not too rough or too loose, he looked Neo right in her multi colored eyes.

"It..also got me thinking on something I've wanted to tell you....for, ugh, a long time I guess. Neo...I..." Roman paused, his eyes darting away for a moment as he sighed. The weight of what he wanted and what he wanted to say were still weighing on him even now...

Oh. Her.

She rolled her eyes with a growl. She didn't wanna think about her. Not even with Roman. She didn't want to think about the other him, either. An evil Roman Torchwick was a weird, disquieting thought; even trying to picture him without his trademark protective streak and empathetic nature was just... weird. If the other her and the other him had even vaguely the same life as them, then how the hell they ended up like that wasn't something she could understand. If Roman wanted to turn that empathetic nature onto that other her then Neo supposed she couldn't stop him, nor was she really surprised, but she wasn't going to join him. The only thoughts she'd let herself have about her is how she was going to kick her ass if they ever met again. Or get her ass kicked. It was an anxious, stressful thought path if she was being honest.

Roman's hand drew her out of it, and she turned to meet his eyes with honest curiosity, tilting her head with a small frown as he started to drift into mumbles and broke eye contact. That was concerning. Roman was many things, but at a loss for words was almost never one of those things, and she leaned forward slightly to wave a hand in front of his face to try and guide it back to eye contact.

 

[MidwayLives]

Roman's hand drew her out of it, and she turned to meet his eyes with honest curiosity, tilting her head with a small frown as he started to drift into mumbles and broke eye contact. That was concerning. Roman was many things, but at a loss for words was almost never one of those things, and she leaned forward slightly to wave a hand in front of his face to try and guide it back to eye contact.

Roman bit his bottom lip and his cheeks tinged a brilliant shade of pink as Neo leaned in.

"I guess there really isn't an easy way to say this. I've racked my brain for years over how to do this. But...With Ozpin's guys waiting for us at Haven, there might not be another chance."

Roman pulled his hand free from Neo's shoulder and gently grasped the hand she'd been waving. His eyes met hers again and he spoke.

"I...love you, Neo."

The weight felt as though it'd been lifted from his shoulders but he still felt like trembling.

"I...I think I always have. I can't and don't wanna ever imagine a world where you and I aren't together. You mean...the world to me." ​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Roman bit his bottom lip and his cheeks tinged a brilliant shade of pink as Neo leaned in.

"I guess there really isn't an easy way to say this. I've racked my brain for years over how to do this. But...With Ozpin's guys waiting for us at Haven, there might not be another chance."

Roman pulled his hand free from Neo's shoulder and gently grasped the hand she'd been waving. His eyes met hers again and he spoke.

"I...love you, Neo."

The weight felt as though it'd been lifted from his shoulders but he still felt like trembling.

"I...I think I always have. I can't and don't wanna ever imagine a world where you and I aren't together. You mean...the world to me." ​

What

Neopolitan completely and utterly froze. Not a single muscle moved on her face. She wasn't even breathing for the first few seconds. In fact, Roman could've been forgiven for thinking that at some point in the last few seconds the Neo he'd been talking too had been replaced with an illusion, except no matter how hard he squeezed the hand in his grip it didn't shatter. But while outwardly Neo had seemingly been ejected from the time stream and left stuck in this moment in time, inside her thoughts were moving at thirty thousand miles an hour.

Her first thought was that she loved him too. That hadn't been in doubt, wasn't in doubt now, and wouldn't ever been in doubt in the future, nor had she ever really doubted that the sentiment was returned. The only thing being brought to question here was what kind of love it was exactly. There was a chance that she was totally misinterpreting things here and that he just meant she was important to him, but that thought died before it was ever fully formed; their bond was so intergrel to them that making a big to do out of it was like blasting it across the headlines of every newspaper in Remnant that it was going to be 68 degrees tomorrow. It wasn't news. It was a fact of life.

No, this was an entirely different beast. This was asking what the point of their bond was in the end, what the shape of it was, and how it was going to shape their future. Neo couldn't fathom being apart from Torchwick either, nor did she even want to attempt to, but... did that mean she loved him like that? It wasn't a thought that had ever fully crossed her mind. Roman had always been there for her ever since they were tiny, and his importance to her couldn't be overstated, but that importance was always wrapped up in what they already were for each other; she was his shield and he was her words. They'd never lingered all that long on what they could be for each other, outside of dull looks and unamused snorts at the occasional dirty joke from him or Mercury.

...Was that the answer?

He was already her best friend. They'd grown up together in the same rotating cast of foster families, Neo at least never quite connecting with any of them the same way she did with the one she'd carried with her from the start of her life. When Neo thought of Torchwick, she thought of safety, she thought of laughter, she thought of... of family. The idea of them being something that to her, wasn't more so much as just entirely different, hadn't ever stuck in her mind.



She finally broke out of her stupor as she glanced back and forth between the hands that held hers and Torchwick's waiting, hopeful, anxious gaze. If this was anyone else she was talking to, the solution was obvious; Roman would've spoke for her. She knew her as well as she knew herself, probably better, and he'd swoop in with an grin that was either disarming or dripping with protective malice and words to match as the situation called for. But it wasn't anyone else. This was Roman. Her words were the one looking at her, and they were expecting an answer. It was an answer, she realized with a plummeting sense of dread, that couldn't be given with a simple nod or shake of her head.

"..."

Her mouth opened as her breathing started to quicken, and her gaze was focused as she fought past the anxiety to try and find the words. Any words. She knew her vocal chords worked.

"..."

Her face screwed into a frustrated snarl that didn't match the moisture touching at the side of her eyes as she gripped his hands back.

"..."

Please. Just this once. Just let her work past this just one time and she'd never try to talk again.

"...ngh..."

Please. Don't let this be the reason she lost the most important thing in her life. If there was anyone in the world who deserved to hear her thoughts, it was the boy kneeling in front of her who'd just emptied his heart.

"....I....nnghk.....I-I....."

Her breath hitched in a sob, and she realized that it wasn't going to come. Whatever miserable demon that had squatted in her heart since the day her parents died that had throttled her words wouldn't let them out, not even for this. Not even for him.

Her shoulders shook as she ripped her hands away, and not a second later did the Neo in front of Torchwick shatter and the door to the hallway seem to slide open of its own accord with a slam.

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Ever think about chewing with your mouth closed?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

He rolled his eyes and attempted to shoo the bird away from his screens.

"So the evil me was attempting to look less evil. We've graduated from 'the mustache of evil' to 'the mustache of disguise'. Excellent, glad we're getting all of them out of the way in one go. Did he actually grow the mustache, or did he save time and keep with tradition by just buying a pair of glasses with a fake nose to hold it?"

The crow's eyes gleamed in the moonlight.

"C'mon, pal. You're honestly telling me you've never noticed anything strange? You've never stood in front of the mirror at five o'clock and felt the bristles growing at the top of your lip, even though you just shaved this morning? It's never occurred to you to wonder why the rest of your hair just doesn't grow hair like that, it just goes all fuzzy and weird? What the universe might've been trying to tell you? You know it was real. All six inches of it."

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Ever think about chewing with your mouth closed?"​

She wordlessly turned more fully towards Eve, her mouth opening even wider and her chewing slowed down immensely, just to let the bull faunus appreciate every single bite that much more. The whole time her steady glare didn't move a single inch from staring Eve down.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

“I suppose that...could be right. Scary though.” Cinder commented, her stride coming to a stop alongside Emerald and looking out over the lands they were passing by. A world devoid of regular people...a terrifying thought indeed. But she refused to let that feeling linger and she did her best to let it fade away, not wanting to be so much as a spark for any grimm to come a’knocking.

“No. I can’t do that.” She firmly stated, shaking her head in refusal as well. “I can’t be like Vernal. I won’t be somebody who would just run away and hide and abandon the people who aren’t strong enough to protect themselves. That might keep me safe, for a time, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that. I’m a huntress in training. They’re supposed to make the world a better place, not leave it to fend for itself.” She took a deep breath and tore her gaze away from the horizon back over to Emerald.

“I was a nobody once already, Em. I’ll never go back to that.”​

"But that's..." She started with a huff, but didn't finish. She drummed her fingers against the railing and turned her head towards Cinder with a disapproving pout, obviously judgmental. Not in a harsh way, just... frustrated. "Guess there's no swaying you hero types... Well, let's go rob these rich guppies."

Saying anything else she felt on the subject would just lower Cinder's opinion of her. Because Emerald... wasn't like that. She couldn't even fathom being brave that way, being as selfless and willing to lay down her life for the good of the many, or responsibility, or whatever else. It wasn't in her DNA. The idea of Cinder judging her, thinking she wasn't as strong and unflappable as she seemed...

It was just... another reason this wasn't something that would ever work out, and she pushed open the door to the next carriage with a distracted air.

 

[MidwayLives]

She finally broke out of her stupor as she glanced back and forth between the hands that held hers and Torchwick's waiting, hopeful, anxious gaze. If this was anyone else she was talking to, the solution was obvious; Roman would've spoke for her. She knew her as well as she knew herself, probably better, and he'd swoop in with an grin that was either disarming or dripping with protective malice and words to match as the situation called for. But it wasn't anyone else. This was Roman. Her words were the one looking at her, and they were expecting an answer. It was an answer, she realized with a plummeting sense of dread, that couldn't be given with a simple nod or shake of her head.

"..."

"...Neo, I-"

He'd known it in his heart all along. He loved her and nothing would ever change that. She was his everything, the yin to his yang. They were partners in crime in one universe.In this one, they were defenders of justice.....and maybe lovers.

But, had he spoken too soon? No...What if something happened to him? Then Neo would be left wondering and he just couldn't do that. Not to anyone, not to her. She'd been with him through rough and through thin. He may have talked the talk but she walked the walk and he admired it about her. Skilled, beautiful, and all around just...amazing.
​

"..."

Her face screwed into a frustrated snarl that didn't match the moisture touching at the side of her eyes as she gripped his hands back.

Was she...

"Neo, please. You don't have to-"

He stopped himself as she felt her hands grip his.
​

Please. Just this once. Just let her work past this just one time and she'd never try to talk again.

"...ngh..."

Please. Don't let this be the reason she lost the most important thing in her life. If there was anyone in the world who deserved to hear her thoughts, it was the boy kneeling in front of her who'd just emptied his heart.

Nobody else at Beacon had heard Neo's voice besides him.

Whatever she actually might have sounded like didn't matter.

Seeing her smile and laugh was enough for him.

Feeling the corners of his eyes getting misty, he struggled to keep his composure. "Neo...You don't have to force yourself...I"
​

"....I....nnghk.....I-I....."

Her breath hitched in a sob, and she realized that it wasn't going to come. Whatever miserable demon that had squatted in her heart since the day her parents died that had throttled her words wouldn't let them out, not even for this. Not even for him.

Just as Neo struggled to find her voice, buried under years of neglect, Roman racked his brain to how to comfort her.

The fact that she'd try her damnedest to speak to him. To show him how she felt. How tightly she'd gripped his hands.

That said more than words ever could.

But before he could wipe away the tears starting to form-
​

Her shoulders shook as she ripped her hands away, and not a second later did the Neo in front of Torchwick shatter and the door to the hallway seem to slide open of its own accord with a slam.

-She was gone.

The warmth of her hands against his was just as absent.

"Neo!" He called out but with how quickly she moved, he could only hope she heard it.

As he knelt down now by himself, he could say nothing.

'We've been through everything together and I blew it. I did the one thing I hate seeing the most in this messed up world.'

'I made her cry.'

As his hands shakily reached inside his pants pocket, he pulled out a lighter and cigar. He'd saved one as a just as case. If the train were attacked or if gods forbid, something happened to Neo. But as he tried to ignite the cigar, he cursed under his breath.

"The hell...*sniff* let us ride this damn train...*sniff* when it's got holes in the ceiling...Letting all this damn rain in..."

Dropping the cigar and lighter to the floor, Roman wiped at the stream of tears coating his face as he stepped out into the hallway. "Neo!"

He'd done this to her. He had to make it right.

He had to.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"But that's..." She started with a huff, but didn't finish. She drummed her fingers against the railing and turned her head towards Cinder with a disapproving pout, obviously judgmental. Not in a harsh way, just... frustrated. "Guess there's no swaying you hero types... Well, let's go rob these rich guppies."

Saying anything else she felt on the subject would just lower Cinder's opinion of her. Because Emerald... wasn't like that. She couldn't even fathom being brave that way, being as selfless and willing to lay down her life for the good of the many, or responsibility, or whatever else. It wasn't in her DNA. The idea of Cinder judging her, thinking she wasn't as strong and unflappable as she seemed...

It was just... another reason this wasn't something that would ever work out, and she pushed open the door to the next carriage with a distracted air.

"...You look disappointed." Cinder couldn't help from pointing that out. "Sound like it too." She still faced Emerald but her eyes weren't focused on her fellow student. They just flitted around rapidly, like she was hurriedly trying to process something in her mind. By the time she seemed to have worked through it, the thief was already moving for the next door. "Emerald." She called out over her shoulder before she turned to face the other girl. "Are...are we actually gonna rob people? For real?" Cinder didn't seemed overly enthused by the idea. ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...You look disappointed." Cinder couldn't help from pointing that out. "Sound like it too." She still faced Emerald but her eyes weren't focused on her fellow student. They just flitted around rapidly, like she was hurriedly trying to process something in her mind. By the time she seemed to have worked through it, the thief was already moving for the next door. "Emerald." She called out over her shoulder before she turned to face the other girl. "Are...are we actually gonna rob people? For real?" Cinder didn't seemed overly enthused by the idea. ​

"Just forget about it. I shouldn't have said anything," she muttered back gloomily, pausing to squint up at what appeared to be a layout schematic for the train. The face that glanced back over to Cinder was clouded, Emerald's head clearly elsewhere, but reacted with muted surprise at Cinder's forthright question. Her eyes blinked slowly a few times before the thief broke into a supremely blasé shrug, throwing her hands up. "Nah. I just like looking around to see if anyone brought any weird stuff aboard. Why, you gonna tell on me?"

 

[Gus Gungus]

She wordlessly turned more fully towards Eve, her mouth opening even wider and her chewing slowed down immensely, just to let the bull faunus appreciate every single bite that much more. The whole time her steady glare didn't move a single inch from staring Eve down.​

"Nice. And I thought we were supposed to be the animals." She seethed back with so much flat, unamused scorn it was almost comical, turning her back to the bandit's attempt at a fierce staredown of some kind just to enlighten her as to her place on Eve's list of priorities. "I take it you're skulking up here for the same reason I am. How exactly does that work if we're both here?"

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Just forget about it. I shouldn't have said anything," she muttered back gloomily, pausing to squint up at what appeared to be a layout schematic for the train. The face that glanced back over to Cinder was clouded, Emerald's head clearly elsewhere, but reacted with muted surprise at Cinder's forthright question. Her eyes blinked slowly a few times before the thief broke into a supremely blasé shrug, throwing her hands up. "Nah. I just like looking around to see if anyone brought any weird stuff aboard. Why, you gonna tell on me?"

"If you say so." That didn't sit well with her but she wasn't going to press the matter further. "Tell?" She repeated before she shook her head no. "Who would I tell? Raven already overheard you talking about it and let us both go with barely any objections. Telling any staff here would only cause problems we don't need right now. I just...satisfying some curiosity or amusing yourself by looking through for weird stuff is one thing but actually stealing stuff...that's another."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Nice. And I thought we were supposed to be the animals." She seethed back with so much flat, unamused scorn it was almost comical, turning her back to the bandit's attempt at a fierce staredown of some kind just to enlighten her as to her place on Eve's list of priorities. "I take it you're skulking up here for the same reason I am. How exactly does that work if we're both here?"

The bandit just gave a casual shrug before finally speaking. After swallowing her food, that is."Figure the people who call your kind that don't really have any clue what an animal actually is. They pretend to, but they don't. The last thing you want to do in the wilds is provoke a real beast, like the way so many try to insult ya. You're a human with one lil extra thing, so fucking what? Only idiots are bothered by that. Hell, my boss is a bird half the damn time." She shrugged again and turned away back towards the window after Eve turned herself. "I dunno. Don't really care, but hey, if you want to hop down, knock yourself out." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"If you say so." That didn't sit well with her but she wasn't going to press the matter further. "Tell?" She repeated before she shook her head no. "Who would I tell? Raven already overheard you talking about it and let us both go with barely any objections. Telling any staff here would only cause problems we don't need right now. I just...satisfying some curiosity or amusing yourself by looking through for weird stuff is one thing but actually stealing stuff...that's another."​

Emerald just watched the assurance unfold with a slowly building smirk, one hand on her hip. She rolled her eyes and let her eyes settle to Cinder's right. "Relax, junior. I'll try not to corrupt you."

The bandit just gave a casual shrug before finally speaking. After swallowing her food, that is."Figure the people who call your kind that don't really have any clue what an animal actually is. They pretend to, but they don't. The last thing you want to do in the wilds is provoke a beast, like the way so many try to insult ya. You're a human with one lil extra thing, so fucking what? Only idiots are bothered by that. Hell, my boss is a bird half the damn time." She shrugged again and turned away back towards the window after Eve turned herself. "I dunno. Don't really care, but hey, if you want to hop down, knock yourself out." ​

"What a terrific philosophy I didn't ask for." She grunted back with uncompromising steel, offering her own contribution to breach the silence as her thumb took to flicking Wilt loose of its sheath over and over, up and down, the smooth noise of tempered metal sliding off metal rhythmic in its persistence. "And if you had any idea what I'm capable of when provoked, you wouldn't be saying that."

 

[MyrtenRose]

Emerald just watched the assurance unfold with a slowly building smirk, one hand on her hip. She rolled her eyes and let her eyes settle to Cinder's right. "Relax, junior. I'll try not to corrupt you."

"...Okay?" Was that meant to be reassuring or mocking...​

"What a terrific philosophy I didn't ask for." She grunted back with uncompromising steel, offering her own contribution to breach the silence as her thumb took to flicking Wilt loose of its sheath over and over, up and down, the smooth noise of tempered metal sliding off metal rhythmic in its persistence. "And if you had any idea what I'm capable of when provoked, you wouldn't be saying that."

"Whatever. You were the one who spoke to me first, I was just fine sitting here and ignoring you." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Vernal took another bite of pizza, eyes narrowing at a hint of movement in the shadows of the trees out in the distance...but she saw no further movement, that treeline rapidly falling out of sight as the train sped along. "Oh yeah. The mighty, scary Taurus. Everyone beware." ​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Dropping the cigar and lighter to the floor, Roman wiped at the stream of tears coating his face as he stepped out into the hallway. "Neo!"

He'd done this to her. He had to make it right.

He had to.

Nobody answered. Neo was a difficult target to track even in the midst of a fight; when all she wanted to do was get away, you might has well have been chasing the wind. The resolution Roman was seeking wasn't going to be found that night.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The crow's eyes gleamed in the moonlight.

"C'mon, pal. You're honestly telling me you've never noticed anything strange? You've never stood in front of the mirror at five o'clock and felt the bristles growing at the top of your lip, even though you just shaved this morning? It's never occurred to you to wonder why the rest of your hair just doesn't grow hair like that, it just goes all fuzzy and weird? What the universe might've been trying to tell you? You know it was real. All six inches of it."

He snorted as he finally returned to work, whatever confused fascination he had with the bird Qrow finally starting to drain away completely.

"I'm honestly not sure if you're describing facial hair or an eldritch parasite, but I'll pass on giving in either way."

His teams records were accessed twice the day that Salem recruited them for this little field trip. Both pinged from the Vale CCT, but... he let out a hum of discontent as he worked to try and figure the locations they had been accessed from.

 

[Gus Gungus]

His teams records were accessed twice the day that Salem recruited them for this little field trip. Both pinged from the Vale CCT, but... he let out a hum of discontent as he worked to try and figure the locations they had been accessed from.

​

Initiating-global-ping:~
...pinging...
...pinging...
...extracting data package...
Error. Remote override.
Your efforts amuse me child.
arthurwatts$ /Arthur's Scroll/Root/function/software_reset ; execute;
[ 0.013031] Frontend <Critical> root/factory.cpp:main:323: Failed to load OS: No OS specified
logout
Deleting session...
...uploading shared history...
...deleting history...truncating history files...
...completed.
Expired session dumped.

All Watts's screens flashed from their cool aqua to a dim, flickering red, the stark white logo in their midst ominous and taunting in the brief instant it appeared before every screen cut out, the device initiating a hard reset. An indeterminate amount of time later and an indeterminate number of miles away, Weiss sat on the edge of a bed far too large to justify her single occupancy of it, brushing her hair and given a yawn as one of her morning reports took a mildly interesting turn.

"Oh?"​