Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

"Why would anyone be scared of you?" She contested hotly, obviously irritable that the chameleon hadn't taken the moodiness as a cue to stay away from her right now. Clearly her and the demented male version of Eve from another world hadn't been very well acquainted if her interpretative skills were that rusty. "Do yourself a favor and get scared enough of me that you stay far, far away."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I can be plenty scary." Ilia defended. The nerve! Her skin changed to a very dark gray and her eyes likewise shifted to a red less like the Branwens and more like a grimm's ominous glow. "See?" She tried to get Eve's attention. "If you spot me in a really dark room while looking like this, it can be plenty intimidating!" Admittedly, it was a more playful response than a serious one as the chameleon tried to lighten Eve's mood.​

"Maybe whatever conspiracy boards someone like you gets your news from were talking about it." Came her sharp interjection, a dark glare incising the one among the humans whose air of smug Atlas elitism stank even from across the room as she took the opportunity to stay involved in the main discussion as much to keep Ilia at bay as anything. "But actual communication from the region has been restricted as a 'temporary security measure'. When Atlas goes dark, it goes dark. Or did you seriously think the CCT towers were for your benefit and not the people who built them?"

Though Eve seemed more interested in the other discussion, and Ilia continued more seriously and equally quietly: "I came to you for help. If I stayed far away from you...I wouldn't be doing her, myself, you or anybody any favors. Besides, I was a member of the White Fang as much as you are. I've seen things more frightening than you." She left it at that, leaning back in the sofa to listen to the others.​

"Okay, Ruby. Can't preach everyone into submission. I'm sure brainiac's more than capable of making his own calls." Qrow intervened, doing a driveby to slip one hand out of his pockets and start towing his wonderful niece away by her hood.

Your actions will have consequences

She grumbled to herself throughout the entirety of him dragging her away.​

He dropped his cargo off next to Yang and took on an even graver countenance as Raven spoke up again.

"Kinda hard not to draw a blank knowing so little about your Atlas, but if it's got anything in common with ours... Our first stop should be a point of contact we can trust. The only people I can see putting up any kind of an active fight against all this are the Happy Huntresses, so my thinking's we head for Mantle and find them. Explain our situation and see what we can do to coordinate. Only..."

His perplexed frown deepened, and he glanced between the two incarnations of his sister present with evident disorientation. That was still taking a little getting used to.

"I don't ever remember you having many friends in Atlas. Or anywhere. When you say 'the heart of the kingdom'..."

His sigh was deep and weary.

"You mean jail, right? You're taking us to jail. And we're gonna have to spring James."

"Well, no. We don't necessarily have to and I wasn't ordering anything. It isn't my place to lead, never has been. Never will be. I was only putting it out there as a suggestion. If you think your approach is the better way to go, I'm in with what you decide. I could still get James, bust him out and then bring him right back here. If we do it your way, who better to know how best to get into the kingdom like that than him? And it's not like they could expect us any more than they probably already are." She shrugged. "Up to you."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I can be plenty scary." Ilia defended. The nerve! Her skin changed to a very dark gray and her eyes likewise shifted to a red less like the Branwens and more like a grimm's ominous glow. "See?" She tried to get Eve's attention. "If you spot me in a really dark room while looking like this, it can be plenty intimidating!" Admittedly, it was a more playful response than a serious one as the chameleon tried to lighten Eve's mood.

She peeked at the display out of the corner of her eye, admittedly always a little happy to see a faunus putting her heritage on display freely and happily. She gave a snort that, although toneless, was still a snort. "Cool. I'm just... not in the mood."

She let her eyes drop to the horn again, still turning it over in her hands as if doing so would make it magically start to grow back. Part of that same heritage was lost to her now.

Though Eve seemed more interested in the other discussion, and Ilia continued more seriously and equally quietly: "I came to you for help. If I stayed far away from you...I wouldn't be doing her, myself, you or anybody any favors. Besides, I was a member of the White Fang as much as you are. I've seen things more frightening than you." She left it at that, leaning back in the sofa to listen to the others.

"I'm not going back to the White Fang."

The admission was quieter than even her broken voice necessitated, having only really kept butting into the main discussion to postpone having to say as much. She had surrendered the right to go back during the fit she threw. The only road forward for her went through Atlas now. She continued not to look at the other faunus, sounding drained as she continued to affix the horn with an empty stare. Anyone around to see even a little of what an idiot she turned into with Blake around would continue to be someone she was too ashamed to look at.

"I don't think I'm the help you came looking for. Sorry."

"Well, no. We don't necessarily have to and I wasn't ordering anything. It isn't my place to lead, never has been. Never will be. I was only putting it out there as a suggestion. If you think your approach is the better way to go, I'm in with what you decide. I could still get James, bust him out and then bring him right back here. If we do it your way, who better to know how best to get into the kingdom like that than him? And it's not like they could expect us any more than they probably already are." She shrugged. "Up to you."

"The hell makes you think I'm any better at it?" He retorted with a stare that was bluntly neutral, save for one eyebrow raised slightly higher than the other in humorous fashion. He did look intrigued by that proposal, though. "That might be an idea, though. If we can lift James out from under their noses... Yeah, that could actually work. He knows all Atlas's air traffic codes, every passage in and out of the kingdom... they'll still be expecting us, and him too. But I bet he could at least get us into Mantle."

He started pacing amid the brainstorm, and ended up alongside the Raven who was much stronger in spirit if not in power to give her a dig in the ribs with his elbow and lean over with a wry, verging on smug, grin.

"So about that. Why not clue us in on who exactly has to stay behind so you can portal back? Wasn't aware you made your little soul connection with anyone in the room, Raven. When'd that happen? Huh? Huh?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

She peeked at the display out of the corner of her eye, admittedly always a little happy to see a faunus putting her heritage on display freely and happily. She gave a snort that, although toneless, was still a snort. "Cool. I'm just... not in the mood."

She let her eyes drop to the horn again, still turning it over in her hands as if doing so would make it magically start to grow back. Part of that same heritage was lost to her now.

Despite her intent to leave it at that, the sound of Eve snorting got her to glance over. There was still no more reaching out again but there was no hiding that she felt bad as she watched Eve continue to hold onto her broken horn. "Yeah. I get it."​

"I'm not going back to the White Fang."

The admission was quieter than even her broken voice necessitated, having only really kept butting into the main discussion to postpone having to say as much. She had surrendered the right to go back during the fit she threw. The only road forward for her went through Atlas now. She continued not to look at the other faunus, sounding drained as she continued to affix the horn with an empty stare. Anyone around to see even a little of what an idiot she turned into with Blake around would continue to be someone she was too ashamed to look at.

"I don't think I'm the help you came looking for. Sorry."

As surprising as it had been to hear her snort, that quiet declaration was far more so. "...You're wrong." Ilia refuted. "Okay, I'll admit, maybe in a perfect world, you wouldn't be the ideal choice for help. But this isn't a perfect world and you absolutely are the help I came looking for. I tried to get to Blake and I...my attempts were doomed from the start. I'm a stranger here, to this world. I don't have the history with this Blake that you two have. That common ground. But you...it was working. You were getting through to her, I could tell. And even if words aren't enough...I can't say who'd win in a fight between me and Blake. Who would knock the other out first? It could go either way, honestly. But you? You could stop her that way too, if it comes down to it."

The chameleon shook her head. "So what if you aren't the perfect ideal? So what if you don't think you belong with the White Fang? You are the one in the best position to help and you don't need to be a part of them to do it. Her parents are too far away and even if I thought they'd come, I'm less sure they could get through to Blake. My counterpart, I don't think she has it in her right now. Blake's got her wrapped around her finger. She needs help too, even if she doesn't realize it. You are the one, you hear me?" She said as loudly as she could to get that across without drawing the entire room's attention onto them.

"You're Eve Taurus. You were the one who broke away from Sienna and Blake and the other me and all the rest when they were heading down a path you couldn't go down. You were the one who gave courage to many to follow you instead, from what I've gathered. You can't give up now." Ilia sat up straighter, those still red eyes staring deeply with passionate determination at Eve even if the look wasn't returned. "I won't let you." ​

"The hell makes you think I'm any better at it?" He retorted with a stare that was bluntly neutral, save for one eyebrow raised slightly higher than the other in humorous fashion. He did look intrigued by that proposal, though. "That might be an idea, though. If we can lift James out from under their noses... Yeah, that could actually work. He knows all Atlas's air traffic codes, every passage in and out of the kingdom... they'll still be expecting us, and him too. But I bet he could at least get us into Mantle."

"Never said I did." She countered with just the slightest upturn of the corner of her mouth. "Those were my thoughts as well--"​

He started pacing amid the brainstorm, and ended up alongside the Raven who was much stronger in spirit if not in power to give her a dig in the ribs with his elbow and lean over with a wry, verging on smug, grin.

"So about that. Why not clue us in on who exactly has to stay behind so you can portal back? Wasn't aware you made your little soul connection with anyone in the room, Raven. When'd that happen? Huh? Huh?"

"I..." She blinked, trying to look away but she couldn't manage to keep doing so, returning her gaze back to him soon enough. "You know exactly who. Don't make me say it." She asked. Maybe it had been too fast. Maybe it had been out of nostalgia for how good they used to be together, as part of a team way back when, something that she was keenly reminded of when dealing with those nevermores. Maybe it was because she had been longing for the return of the brother who wasn't weak enough to turn his back on everything and retreat back to that bunch of thieves and killers, even if she would never admit it to him. Maybe it was just a twin thing that could never be broken or denied, even with a him from another world...and maybe it was completely foolish of her to allow that connection to form with somebody who would have to inevitably leave one day. Which would leave her with a brother who couldn't even compare to this one's shadow.

She sighed, keeping her eyes on him if only so she could avoid looking at her counterpart and witness how she was taking it.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Tyrian. I know you have your troubles with Watts right now but can't he help you with your injury as well?"

Er, maybe too soon to inquire along those lines and Hazel was quick to jump to the next question.

"So what is this Trifa like? We've already got a collection of personalities. Granted we might be going our separate ways but."

Tyrian scoffed.

"I need help from Watts like I need another wound in my side."

A moment or two passed.

"A non-self inflicted wound, mind you!"

Throwing his hands up in the air, Tyrian hissed and groaned before eventually just folding his arms across his chest.

"....It's just not something someone like Watts would understand, my dear Hazel. My tail's been with me for as long as I can remember. That..." He brought the bandaged up tail up to eye level. "Was the first time I'd ever used my stinger and landed a hit. Losing a chunk of it was like losing an arm or leg. It's just not a thing I wanna take lightly." Tyrian tapped on Trifa's contact information.

"...Besides, it needs to be done right or else it'll screw everything up. The length weight, width, all need to be spot on and I doubt Watts ever bothered taking my measurements!" The faunus yelled, a blush tinging his cheeks as he did so. He didn't know why. "If the length's off, it won't feel right, if the weight's off it'll throw my equilibrium off, and the width? Well, I KNOW what my tail looks like. It just won't feel the same if the width isn't entirely accurate. I'd list them all of myself but...well.."

Tyrian looked around, grateful that it was just him and his partner.

"I stopped measuring my tail years ago. Didn't really see a point to it. It'd always be with me. Or so I thought.." He said, his voice breaking a bit. "Trifa has something of a photographic memory. It's been a couple of months but maybe she'll remember every exact thing about my tail."

As for what she was like?

"....She's....interesting."

Yeah, that was the best way to put it. At least until Hazel met her in person.

"Hazel. I feel confident in saying that my time as your partner and friend, they've been some of the best moments of my life. I don't want to say goodbye to you but..." Tyrian frowned. "...I just don't believe Watts and I can ever see eye to eye." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

As surprising as it had been to hear her snort, that quiet declaration was far more so. "...You're wrong." Ilia refuted. "words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words"

The chameleon shook her head. "words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words" She said as loudly as she could to get that across without drawing the entire room's attention onto them.

"words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words" Ilia sat up straighter, those still red eyes staring deeply with passionate determination at Eve even if the look wasn't returned. "I won't let you."

"E-Ever think about shutting up?!" Eve finally snapped at full volume when there was a gap in Ilia's delivery large enough to seize, whipping a wild-eyed glower of incredulity over to the chameleon faunus after having been scanning the room's other occupants with fearful apprehension and a tightness of the shoulders that grew in tandem when Ilia started getting louder. But it was flustered bewilderment, not frustration, that her glare was laced with, and she dropped her gaze back down to her lap a moment later. She didn't know how to say words like that. There had been a time when she did. She was never the most talkative at the best of times, but ever since she started to lead, in particular started to lead without Blake, her sentences had been getting shorter, as if she was losing the ability to string them together entirely. It worried her.

She looked at her palm and flexed the hand a few times before she even thought about replying further.

"Won't 'let' me?"

The inflection was dark and challenging, as if daring Ilia to continue that train of though. In truth, though, the other girl was wasting her breath. Like she ever had any intention of letting this go to begin with. Eve knew deep down that this conflict was chewing her up and spitting her out, and the chances of her making it through while retaining any sense of herself were looking grimmer and grimmer every time her quarry and her crossed paths. It was probably already too late for her.

But not for Blake. She was younger and smarter than Eve was and she had to believe there was still a way for her to come back from all this, even if the only true method left she could fathom to break Blake's masters' influence basically amounted to kidnapping. She'd tried demanding, reasoning, and now even begging, all to avoid what was always gonna be her only real option anyway. Ozpin aside, Sienna was a poison that had infested the minds of so many faunus already, using the exact tools Eve could feel slipping away from her over time; the words and guile and powers of persuasion only a leader had. If Eve had been better at any of those things then maybe talking to Blake would've been enough. Now it was just about ensuring that voice in Blake's ear constantly was permanently silenced, one way or another.

In the end, what she did have was the same as ever. Her strength and her commitment to a cause. Two things that, for better or worse, were tied directly to her heart. Whatever became of her mind, she knew she could rely on the former to keep driving her legs to move and her sword to swing, even if it came to a point where the latter shattered completely.

Right now it felt intact enough to put this yappy punk back in her place, solely for having the audacity to even imply she could boss her around. Eve let her chin rest on her knuckles and lifted her gaze back to the White Fang's best infiltrator again, one eyebrow curiously raised and a droll squint to her eyes as she let their steely blue remind Ilia who its best warrior was.

"So you're implying you could make me. And just how would that work?"

"I..." She blinked, trying to look away but she couldn't manage to keep doing so, returning her gaze back to him soon enough. "You know exactly who. Don't make me say it." She asked. Maybe it had been too fast. Maybe it had been out of nostalgia for how good they used to be together, as part of a team way back when, something that she was keenly reminded of when dealing with those nevermores. Maybe it was because she had been longing for the return of the brother who wasn't weak enough to turn his back on everything and retreat back to that bunch of thieves and killers, even if she would never admit it to him. Maybe it was just a twin thing that could never be broken or denied, even with a him from another world...and maybe it was completely foolish of her to allow that connection to form with somebody who would have to inevitably leave one day. Which would leave her with a brother who couldn't even compare to this one's shadow.

She sighed, keeping her eyes on him if only so she could avoid looking at her counterpart and witness how she was taking it.

Qrow was having absolutely none of it.

"Nahhh! You should say it!"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"E-Ever think about shutting up?!" Eve finally snapped at full volume when there was a gap in Ilia's delivery large enough to seize, whipping a wild-eyed glower of incredulity over to the chameleon faunus after having been scanning the room's other occupants with fearful apprehension and a tightness of the shoulders that grew in tandem when Ilia started getting louder.

"Nah."​

"Won't 'let' me?"

The inflection was dark and challenging, as if daring Ilia to continue that train of though. In truth, though, the other girl was wasting her breath. Like she ever had any intention of letting this go to begin with. Eve knew deep down that this conflict was chewing her up and spitting her out, and the chances of her making it through while retaining any sense of herself were looking grimmer and grimmer every time her quarry and her crossed paths. It was probably already too late for her.

"That's what I said."​

Right now it felt intact enough to put this yappy punk back in her place, solely for having the audacity to even imply she could boss her around. Eve let her chin rest on her knuckles and lifted her gaze back to the White Fang's best infiltrator again, one eyebrow curiously raised and a droll squint to her eyes as she let their steely blue remind Ilia who its best warrior was.

"So you're implying you could make me. And just how would that work?"

"How?" She repeated. "It just would. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from giving up and if you want to stop me...you'd have to kill me. But I don't believe you'd do that. If I'm wrong on that...then you're every bit as lost as Blake is, as Adam is and...and as I once was." It was not something she looked back on with pride, but neither would she ever allow herself to forget it. "So just please don't give up, okay? This is hard enough as it is." ​

Qrow was having absolutely none of it.

"Nahhh! You should say it!"

This damn relentless son of a... "Fine. It's you, okay? Satisfied?" She hissed very very quietly.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"How?" She repeated. "It just would. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from giving up and if you want to stop me...you'd have to kill me. But I don't believe you'd do that. If I'm wrong on that...then you're every bit as lost as Blake is, as Adam is and...and as I once was." It was not something she looked back on with pride, but neither would she ever allow herself to forget it. "So just please don't give up, okay? This is hard enough as it is."

"Or I could just do this." She returned indulgently before getting up and limping away. :|

This damn relentless son of a... "Fine. It's you, okay? Satisfied?" She hissed very very quietly.

A very very loud "HA!" and a hearty slap on the back were her only reply.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Ruby got a calm, cool frown in response from Watts, and it didnt' seem like he intended to give her speech a response even before Qrow dragged her away. He watched the adult's brief back and forth with much the same expression. So the Raven's could bond with people from other worlds. Just not in a way that helped Cinder. Delightful.

He sighed and rubbed at his forehead before he snapped his fingers to pull their attention back his way. "This is all well and good, and I'm certainly glad the intrepid heroes have a plan to assault castle evil, but I really just need to know who's being sent with us ourselves so we can get on our way"

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Or I could just do this." She returned indulgently before getting up and limping away. :|

"...Yeah. You could." Ilia acknowledged, her gaze staying locked to Eve's back as she made her way off. "Turning your back and walking away from a faunus who needs your help, how well did that work last time?"
​

A very very loud "HA!" and a hearty slap on the back were her only reply.

"...…………." She shook her head. "May we focus now?"
​

He sighed and rubbed at his forehead before he snapped his fingers to pull their attention back his way. "This is all well and good, and I'm certainly glad the intrepid heroes have a plan to assault castle evil, but I really just need to know who's being sent with us ourselves so we can get on our way"

Like on that, yeah. "...I'm not--"

"I'll go." Tock cut in, glancing between Watts and Raven. "I'll keep an eye out for whichever of the little kids are goin' with grumpy over 'ere-" She thumbed at Watts. "-and whenever you need it, Ray could just crack open one of her things and I'll be right over. Does that settle it? We good now?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Yeah. You could." Ilia acknowledged, her gaze staying locked to Eve's back as she made her way off. "Turning your back and walking away from a faunus who needs your help seems to be a specialty of yours."

Eve came to a very sudden, very still halt. Even with her back turned, one couldn't shake the intractable feeling that Ilia had fucked up.

"What the hell did you just say to me?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Eve came to a very sudden, very still halt. Even with her back turned, one couldn't shake the intractable feeling that Ilia had fucked up.

"What the hell did you just say to me?"​

Hmm...definitely angry, but still not as furiously explosive a response as she had feared would be one of the likelier reactions to her being decidedly more blunt in her attempt to draw that inner fire within Eve back out. Or at least, it wasn’t that furious...yet. She steeled herself as she looked over at the bull. “I told you. I’d do whatever it takes to keep you from giving up. I meant it. You can’t give up or give in. I didn’t. Not after my hand, or after this stab. There’s a lot of people that need Eve Taurus, me included. So you do whatever you feel you have to do after hearing what I just said...so we can move on.”

Ilia took a deep breath, doing her best to ready herself as much as she could if Eve lashed out. There was no fully preparing for that rage if you were the target.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Eve whirled, predictably incensed, and did indeed take a step or two towards Ilia, aggressively jabbing a finger at her. But there was something far more defensive about that aggression than Ilia was probably anticipating, and her eyes were flared wide in a way that spoke more to how wounded she was by the comments than the fire Ilia hoped to evoke.

"You don't know ANYTHING about me! Who the FUCK do you think you are, badgering me, moralizing me, like we're friends, like you're not just sticking your nose in because whatever Blake you knew makes you weak in the knees?! Well JOIN THE GODDAMN LINE, IT STARTS WITH HER!"

That same finger was thrust in Yang's direction without Eve actually looking over at her, too focused on roaring Ilia down until she was blue in the face.

"If you MORONS didn't keep butting in where you don't belong I would've taken Blake back to her parents at BEACON! Now you're going to lecture me, tell me I'm turning my back? You seriously think that's something I'd even consider for a SECOND?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW PERSONAL THIS IS TO ME! NONE OF YOU DO! THIS IS MY FAULT! I'VE LOVED HER SINCE WE WERE TEENAGERS! I STOOD THERE AND WATCHED WHILE SIENNA SANK HER HOOKS IN, WHILE SHE POISONED HER, AND I DIDN'T NOTICE BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO HELP EVERY FAUNUS IN NEED, TOO BUSY DRINKING IN THE GLORY! THE HERO TO FAUNUS EVERYWHERE DIDN'T EVEN REACH OUT A HAND TO SAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FROM DROWNING! I DON'T NEED YOU TO GUILT ME OVER THAT! THE GUILT HAS ALREADY DESTROYED ME, DESTROYED MY LIFE, AND NOW YOU'RE LECTURING ME WHEN ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE LEFT ALONE! JUST BACK OFF! FIND YOUR RELICS, GO BACK TO YOUR ROSY LITTLE WORLD, AND STAY OUT OF THINGS THAT DON'T CONCERN YOU!"

She turned, not so much conversing at this point as delivering a missive, albeit one that left her agitated, breathless, and wiping something away from her cheeks again as she slammed the front door behind her.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

...It wasn't a physical attack, but that didn't make it even remotely better. Ilia was absolutely cowed into silence by the fierce rant that she had provoked out of the bull, so much so that she didn't even move until a few seconds after the front door was slammed so hard the damn thing nearly popped free of its hinges. She had gotten confirmation that Eve wasn't actually going to give up, but feeling good, feeling justified that her blunt approach about it was the right call...that was about as far from her current thoughts and feelings as it could possibly get. She was feeling more certain that she'd never think that attempt was justified...but way more than that, it was a heavy feeling of guilt that swirled within her. It...it was true. She didn't know much of anything about Eve, the different ways her life went. They weren't friends by any means...and...she just...the chameleon had been so hyperfocused on trying to help Blake, her other self.........it never really occurred to her that Eve needed as much help as either of them. If not more. And all that she'd thrown at the former white fang leader were lectures.

"..." The shame hung so heavy on her shoulders that even though her stomach was rumbling, calling out for some good food...she didn't think she could eat a single bite without it tasting of nothing. A few minutes passed in uncomfortable silence on her part, as the young girl simply felt stuck, paralyzed to the spot she current inhabited. When she finally found it in herself to move, it was with a painfully awkward look that she turned to the others. "I'm...sorry about that." She squeaked out just as awkwardly before she trudged over to the door and pulled it open, stepping out and shutting it behind her far more softly than Eve had.

She glanced around the area, trying to determine if Eve had stopped outside this place or had stomped off for elsewhere. If the latter, Ilia did her best to try and follow in the other's footsteps. If she managed to find her, Ilia just...stopped well behind the bull faunus, her soft footfalls coming to an abrupt end. "I...I know that I'm the last person on the planet you want to hear from right now, and I don't blame you at all for that. I just...wanted to apologize. You were absolutely right back there. All my thoughts were so concentrated on Blake, on my other self that...I didn't even consider there was another faunus before me who needed help no less than either of them. Who was hurting and I just couldn't truly see it." Never in her life had she felt like such a wretched, selfish person than she did right then, admitting that.

"I'll leave you alone, I...only wanted to say that as well as this. I'm so so so sorry." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears saying that, the apology far more heartfelt than the one she'd given for the door and the scene she had caused in general, but she managed to keep herself from actually crying out for respect for Eve. "And I know that I probably don't deserve it after all that, but...if you want to talk about you or anything else, if you ever do..." Her voice made it clear that she wouldn't blame the former White Fang leader if she never wanted to talk to her again. "I promise to be there just to listen." She finished, her eyes lingering on the other for a second or two more before she turned away to leave Eve alone as requested, starting back for the residence.

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

She hadn't been the only faunus back there who'd had a reaction to that tirade. That bunch of ferocious yelling had absolutely wrenched Tock's attention away from their discussion about the mission and how they were going to splitting up the group gathered here. Her mouth was a thin expressionless line through most of it, her eyes showing initial surprise, and then growing increasingly more taken aback throughout. One word, however, had her face briefly shift into an unclear expression, many emotions swimming in those yellow eyes in that one moment...and then in a blink, the look was gone, turning back to the same expression that had preceded that strange look.

Tock decided when it was all said and done that she wasn't going to ask, simply brushing off the chameleon's apology for the door. "It ain't a pretty place as is, what's that compared to the rest?" She remarked, looking back over to the others. "So, where were we?" The croc asked, hoping that the others would brush that whole thing off as fast and as easily as she had.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Wait. If you can make a portal to her then why pray tell the fuck-"

Eve whirled, predictably incensed, and did indeed take a step or two towards Ilia, aggressively jabbing a finger at her. But there was something far more defensive about that aggression than Ilia was probably anticipating, and her eyes were flared wide in a way that spoke more to how wounded she was by the comments than the fire Ilia hoped to evoke.

"You don't know ANYTHING about me! Who the FUCK do you think you are, badgering me, moralizing me, like we're friends, like you're not just sticking your nose in because whatever Blake you knew makes you weak in the knees?! Well JOIN THE GODDAMN LINE, IT STARTS WITH HER!"

That same finger was thrust in Yang's direction without Eve actually looking over at her, too focused on roaring Ilia down until she was blue in the face.

"If you MORONS didn't keep butting in where you don't belong I would've taken Blake back to her parents at BEACON! Now you're going to lecture me, tell me I'm turning my back? You seriously think that's something I'd even consider for a SECOND?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW PERSONAL THIS IS TO ME! NONE OF YOU DO! THIS IS MY FAULT! I'VE LOVED HER SINCE WE WERE TEENAGERS! I STOOD THERE AND WATCHED WHILE SIENNA SANK HER HOOKS IN, WHILE SHE POISONED HER, AND I DIDN'T NOTICE BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO HELP EVERY FAUNUS IN NEED, TOO BUSY DRINKING IN THE GLORY! THE HERO TO FAUNUS EVERYWHERE DIDN'T EVEN REACH OUT A HAND TO SAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FROM DROWNING! I DON'T NEED YOU TO GUILT ME OVER THAT! THE GUILT HAS ALREADY DESTROYED ME, DESTROYED MY LIFE, AND NOW YOU'RE LECTURING ME WHEN ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE LEFT ALONE! JUST BACK OFF! FIND YOUR RELICS, GO BACK TO YOUR ROSY LITTLE WORLD, AND STAY OUT OF THINGS THAT DON'T CONCERN YOU!"

She turned, not so much conversing at this point as delivering a missive, albeit one that left her agitated, breathless, and wiping something away from her cheeks again as she slammed the front door behind her.​

Whatever anger Watts had been trying to muster was a mere housefire that gusted out when faced with Eve's scorched earth, and his sentence petered out into a vapid wave of his hand as he pushed off of the wall.

"Fine. the crocodile can come with us. Anyone else?"

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

Yang had been listening to the conversation that was happening literally right next to her with a growing sense of discomfort. She told herself it wasn't her place to get involved. As much as she wanted to see her saved herself, this wasn't her Blake they were talking about. It... wasn't Ilia's Blake either, and the longer the conversation went on, the more a completely different yet still uncomfortable feeling wormed into her gut, and that just made her want to chime in even less.

She could see what Eve was going through, kinda. She'd gone through it herself, except her Blake had just... ran, Not gone completely over the deep end and tried to kill her. She knew that there were points where you just weren't ready to hear words. That even the most well intentioned words from even the people you loved most would just wash over you like a breeze and do nothing to push the sludge off your heart.

But she also liked this Ilia, and there was a point where keeping her mouth shut was doing more harm than whatever perceived good it was doing, and that point was probably right before she said those last words before Eve's explosion. She'd started to reach out a hand to grasp Ilia's shoulder and-

So Angry

Too late. she pulled her hand back with a wince and slowly crossed it under her other arm, her eyes closed and her teeth grit as Eve came at Ilia, and at her, and at the world. She didn't say anything in defense of herself, didn't make eye contact, just sat there and took it, until she heard the door slam behind her. She took a deep breath and scratched the side of her head when it was finally over, only to wince again when Ilia stood up. "Hey, hun, I dunno if that's the best idea-"

Aaaand she was gone.

She sighed again and the scratching at the side of her head grew a little more harsh. A small part of Yang Xiao Long wanted to go after the two; seeing someone hurt like that, on the inside, ironically often brought the best out of her; a patient and calm warmth that had been there for sisters, partners, and on rarer occasions dads and uncles.

But every reason she hadn't jumped in before stood. As long as Ilia didn't come back with a(nother) stab wound, it was probably best she gave the two their space. She shook her head with a short growl of frustration before she finally recrossed her arms and cracked one eye open to study Watts.

"...You should take my mom too. That way you guys can run to us if things get too hot. Plus, if anyone here's proven they know how to handle a Vernal, its her." She finally said.

 

[Indolent]

If Neo was afraid of the display, she didn't let it show at all. Either in facial expression or body language.

With one hand held around the handle of Hush, Neo conjured up three illusions.

One was of this world's Roman standing beside this world's Neo.

Across from them was the wicked Yang working for Ozpin. She lashed out and left a hole in Roman with little more than a punch.

Roman collapsed with Other!Neo cradling them as he fell.

Neo swung out smashing the Yang illusion to pieces, wielding Hush like a bat. Similar to how her counterpart had been holding it before.

Roman's eyes clouded over and he shattered as well leaving the other Neo all alone. Neo stepped forward, looking down at the other Neo who rose up and 'stared' at her.

The two looked different, acted different, but now Neo could see what had been missing.

That sense of loss. Both of them had someone to lean on. Someone to look to in their darkest moments, to always count on. Now, in both worlds, he was dead. Whether it was by a cruel stroke of fate or either woman's failures, Neo couldn't definitively say. Either way she still felt a heavy blame for what had happened.

....Felt strange to think that. She'd killed without so much as a second thought, murdered gleefully, all with little more than a twisted smile on her face.

Yet, here, she felt genuine remorse.

Huh.

Pulling out her scroll, Neo held it outwards as she stepped infront of the other Neo illusion.

{'Protect her. It's all I can do.'}

"...Really? I half expected you to make it all out to be a vendetta against Ruby Rose to deny and disguise whatever you're planning here. But you're going to cop right to it. You realize that's... just as suspicious? And disturbingly sweet, talk about a change of heart for someone like... you, I guess.." The voice ringing throughout the scene positively was drizzled in incredulity, as the color popped back where each clone once stood, the brightness returning in their absence akin to the illumination of stage lights.

"Though, going about it this way for that would be stupid... Regardless." A figure flickered into view, the first Emerald of before, padding up to the diminutive mute with a scrutinizing glare. Neo found herself affixed in that lingering gaze for a few seconds, the silence slowly becoming the loudest thing since her final word.

Before Emerald abruptly shattered it with a query.

"How will I know you won't acquaint me with the end of your umbrella if I release my illusion? We both know how this will play out but luckily for you, I'm not spoiling for a fight. I'm here... to figure out a way to get home and it all hinges on these idiots we're apparently stalking."

Well, they definitely had to have something of a clue or a direction considering the other Raven was apparently here with the relic she managed to steal from Haven from under the nose of every one there. That was no small feat-- wait... was Emerald... wordlessly complimenting the work of that bitch's thievery? Noo-ooooo.

 

[Indolent]

Eve whirled, predictably incensed, and did indeed take a step or two towards Ilia, aggressively jabbing a finger at her. But there was something far more defensive about that aggression than Ilia was probably anticipating, and her eyes were flared wide in a way that spoke more to how wounded she was by the comments than the fire Ilia hoped to evoke.

"You don't know ANYTHING about me! Who the FUCK do you think you are, badgering me, moralizing me, like we're friends, like you're not just sticking your nose in because whatever Blake you knew makes you weak in the knees?! Well JOIN THE GODDAMN LINE, IT STARTS WITH HER!"

That same finger was thrust in Yang's direction without Eve actually looking over at her, too focused on roaring Ilia down until she was blue in the face.

"If you MORONS didn't keep butting in where you don't belong I would've taken Blake back to her parents at BEACON! Now you're going to lecture me, tell me I'm turning my back? You seriously think that's something I'd even consider for a SECOND?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW PERSONAL THIS IS TO ME! NONE OF YOU DO! THIS IS MY FAULT! I'VE LOVED HER SINCE WE WERE TEENAGERS! I STOOD THERE AND WATCHED WHILE SIENNA SANK HER HOOKS IN, WHILE SHE POISONED HER, AND I DIDN'T NOTICE BECAUSE I WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO HELP EVERY FAUNUS IN NEED, TOO BUSY DRINKING IN THE GLORY! THE HERO TO FAUNUS EVERYWHERE DIDN'T EVEN REACH OUT A HAND TO SAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FROM DROWNING! I DON'T NEED YOU TO GUILT ME OVER THAT! THE GUILT HAS ALREADY DESTROYED ME, DESTROYED MY LIFE, AND NOW YOU'RE LECTURING ME WHEN ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE LEFT ALONE! JUST BACK OFF! FIND YOUR RELICS, GO BACK TO YOUR ROSY LITTLE WORLD, AND STAY OUT OF THINGS THAT DON'T CONCERN YOU!"

She turned, not so much conversing at this point as delivering a missive, albeit one that left her agitated, breathless, and wiping something away from her cheeks again as she slammed the front door behind her.​

Wow, Gretchen was super glad she had maneuvered her way over to the other side of the room. But even she felt the energy that was growing between the bull and the chameleon, the kind of energy that was so entrancing that you couldn't really help but steal peeks at the exchange. It wasn't anything that was so easily ignored and it was a real, visceral moment that absolutely exploded between the two, the kind where you learned so much about a person and their circumstances to a degree in mere seconds. She knew someone like Eve was someone that would have been incredibly intense to even hold a conversation with, what with her strong will and deeply rooted opinions. Never mind the fact that she really had no reason to even approach her, unless it was to help her. Not that she even would request someone like Gretchen or even accept it. She was positive the very notion if it even occurred to the faunus might have very well left her in a more than irate mood.

But still. Wow. That was just absolutely horrifying and now the twinbling corvids had a contender.

"...Wait. If you can make a portal to her then why pray tell the fuck-"



Whatever anger Watts had been trying to muster was a mere housefire that gusted out when faced with Eve's scorched earth, and his sentence petered out into a vapid wave of his hand as he pushed off of the wall.

"Fine. the crocodile can come with us. Anyone else?"

"Pssst, language," Gretchen hissed unhelpfully before she enjoined herself to the roster of Operation Fall Rescue, "I'm coming along too!"

And yes, she was perfectly aware her brother had swore but frankly, Gretchen always thought that while Watts was cool in his own way of being a complete and total wizard with all things technological, he was such an uptight jerk that the stick shafted up his bum had to be pressurized into something like tungsten by now. So he deserved that abrupt shift in the larger Rainart's personality anyhow. And maybe if he had the stick extricated, he would've been less of a dead weight in the fighting. Well, that was strictly her opinion, not her brother's. But still. :|

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...You should take my mom too. That way you guys can run to us if things get too hot. Plus, if anyone here's proven they know how to handle a Vernal, its her." She finally said.

"No. I have not come here to waste time with someone whose existence won't matter once we're back where we belong." That Raven refused to entertain the idea before it could even get out of the gate. Vernal was dead, she had already buried and mourned her. The double that existed here, she was just a shadow, a reflection, and not one that Raven cared to think much about. She cared even less about the scene she'd just witnessed between Eve and Ilia. "If you want to waste time focusing on the people here, that's your call. I will not. I'm focused on our goal, as I've already proven when I got the relic while the rest of you let yourselves get caught up in the madness."​

 

[Indolent]

Tyrian scoffed.

"I need help from Watts like I need another wound in my side."

A moment or two passed.

"A non-self inflicted wound, mind you!"

That quite literally only exacerbated the growing concern present in his chiseled features, a slow draw of the breath that was very much the telltale sign of an incoming scolding. Maybe.

No, it definitely came.

"Don't ever joke like that. Even if you didn't intend that, it was difficult to see after the battle. It's part of why we're having this conversation."

Throwing his hands up in the air, Tyrian hissed and groaned before eventually just folding his arms across his chest.

"....It's just not something someone like Watts would understand, my dear Hazel. My tail's been with me for as long as I can remember. That..." He brought the bandaged up tail up to eye level. "Was the first time I'd ever used my stinger and landed a hit. Losing a chunk of it was like losing an arm or leg. It's just not a thing I wanna take lightly." Tyrian tapped on Trifa's contact information.

He instinctively glanced to where Tyrian kept his tail, pondering about that. The closest he could approximate would exactly like how Tyrian described and in a way, it was a helpful comparison to an extent as he couldn't quite just empathize since he'd never lost a portion of his limb. The person that came closest to that would have been--

Hmm, Hazel intuited they didn't like Tyrian as much nor the other members of Team WTCH including himself.

"I did notice you never used your stinger whenever we fought Grimm or otherwise. I always wondered why, I knew it had something to do with keeping it a fair fight but. Now I know." He frowned, a contemplation plain as day in the musculature of his face. "Just... promise me you'll use everything at your disposal to survive if you find yourself in a situation like that again. And lean on your team if you need to."

"...Besides, it needs to be done right or else it'll screw everything up. The length weight, width, all need to be spot on and I doubt Watts ever bothered taking my measurements!" The faunus yelled, a blush tinging his cheeks as he did so. He didn't know why. "If the length's off, it won't feel right, if the weight's off it'll throw my equilibrium off, and the width? Well, I KNOW what my tail looks like. It just won't feel the same if the width isn't entirely accurate. I'd list them all of myself but...well.."

Tyrian looked around, grateful that it was just him and his partner.

"I stopped measuring my tail years ago. Didn't really see a point to it. It'd always be with me. Or so I thought.." He said, his voice breaking a bit. "Trifa has something of a photographic memory. It's been a couple of months but maybe she'll remember every exact thing about my tail."

"No, I understand. Well, as much as I understand it conceptually considering I don't have anything like this. It'll have to be tailored to you, not unlike how the average huntsman makes a weapon that's uniquely their own." Hazel did make note of the blush, strange as it was. "But, Tyrian, I must say. You might be giving Watts less credit than he deserves. But then again, maybe he doesn't care as you say but you'll never know if you don't ask."

He did have an addendum.

"I insist you work it out with Watts. See it as a project, that he overtakes completely but one you can use to find a middle ground between leader and teammate. You understand?"

"....She's....interesting."

Yeah, that was the best way to put it. At least until Hazel met her in person.

"Hazel. I feel confident in saying that my time as your partner and friend, they've been some of the best moments of my life. I don't want to say goodbye to you but..." Tyrian frowned. "...I just don't believe Watts and I can ever see eye to eye." ​

"Heh. If she's a friend of yours, she must be."

He cocked his head, though there was an appreciative air to the act, with a somber bend to it. "So have they been the best of mine. The past year has been... a monumental change since my life as a farmer and while I cherish that time, I wouldn't give this up for anything. And I heistate to even say this but I think I would never forigve myself if I don't say this. I'd ask you to never go back to that life, fighting in a ring. It's... not something I'd want for my partner. I think you could do much more. Like this. Maybe not with Watts but, at the least helping to move the world to a better place..."

...

"But I'd never impress my opinions and feelings onto you. It's your life. So I think I will be glad that you're helping us with Cinder. After that, we'll see where it goes from there."

He was going to bust up these Fight Clubs after all this, that's where.

 

[Indolent]

"No. I have not come here to waste time with someone whose existence won't matter once we're back where we belong." That Raven refused to entertain the idea before it could even get out of the gate. Vernal was dead, she had already buried and mourned her. The double that existed here, she was just a shadow, a reflection, and not one that Raven cared to think much about. She cared even less about the scene she'd just witnessed between Eve and Ilia. "If you want to waste time focusing on the people here, that's your call. I will not. I'm focused on our goal, as I've already proven when I got the relic while the rest of you let yourselves get caught up in the madness."​

"... Wow. You suck not only as a mom but also at cooperating. I'm positive the only reason you're stoking hot airs is because we would have never gotten the relic since Vernal turned on us and that ambush, you know, that madness which you capitalized on. But keep hammering that in, good for you!"

This woman aggravated her to the point of not remaining silent about her stupid, stroppy attitude. :L

 

[MyrtenRose]

"... Wow. You suck not only as a mom but also at cooperating. I'm positive the only reason you're stoking hot airs is because we would have never gotten the relic since Vernal turned on us and that ambush, you know, that madness which you capitalized on. But keep hammering that in, good for you!"

This woman aggravated her to the point of not remaining silent about her stupid, stroppy attitude. :L

“Who are you again? No, don’t answer that. I don’t care. Why don’t you just sit down and shut up? Stay out of it if you know what’s good for you.” ​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Don't ever joke like that. Even if you didn't intend that, it was difficult to see after the battle. It's part of why we're having this conversation."

Tyrian only gave a sheepish frown.

"Sorry."
​

"No, I understand. Well, as much as I understand it conceptually considering I don't have anything like this. It'll have to be tailored to you, not unlike how the average huntsman makes a weapon that's uniquely their own." Hazel did make note of the blush, strange as it was. "But, Tyrian, I must say. You might be giving Watts less credit than he deserves. But then again, maybe he doesn't care as you say but you'll never know if you don't ask."

He did have an addendum.

"I insist you work it out with Watts. See it as a project, that he overtakes completely but one you can use to find a middle ground between leader and teammate. You understand?"

Tyrian swayed from side to side and tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Sorry. Standing still for too long gets me antsy..."

Wrapping his tail around his waist, Tyrian gave it a delicate petting. "When we argued before, things didn't end on the best of notes. Feels like he got the impression that I'm just some battle-hungry brute." Tyrian looked idly up at the sky. "Well. He wasn't entirely wrong about that."

Pulling his right hand out, Tyrian turned towards Hazel and held it out for a fist bump.

"I'll do what I can. I'll see if he wants to talk when we head back in."
​

He cocked his head, though there was an appreciative air to the act, with a somber bend to it. "So have they been the best of mine. The past year has been... a monumental change since my life as a farmer and while I cherish that time, I wouldn't give this up for anything. And I heistate to even say this but I think I would never forigve myself if I don't say this. I'd ask you to never go back to that life, fighting in a ring. It's... not something I'd want for my partner. I think you could do much more. Like this. Maybe not with Watts but, at the least helping to move the world to a better place..."

...

Whether or not the bump was reciperoated, Tyrian went eerily silent at Hazel's request.

A stray gust of wind blew past, brushing Tyrian's wild mane.

"Hazel."

Tyrian oddly enough took a seat on the ground, his back once more to Hazel as he gazed up at the sky.

"I'd seen lots of faunus come and go during my time there. Some looked old enough to be my parents, hell, maybe even my grandparents. Some abused themselves and others were just doing it for a paycheck. But it was always more than that to me. It was a chance to be myself. To stand proudly and declare..."

He held his arms off to the side as he laid down flat on his back.

"I am Tyrian Callows! This is MY choice! MY life!"

A smile appeared on his face not too long after.

"No matter how many times some of the humans running the place insulted me or pushed me around, I never let it ruin the spirit of why I loved that place so much. The crowd cheered for me but I couldn't have cared less. For once in my life I had a chance to do something I loved. Even today, not many faunus get to say that." Hopping back up and cracking his neck from side to side, Tyrian turned back towards his partner and smiled up at him.

"I won't go back. It was never about the place but the feeling it gave me. Now that Ichabod's gone, well, I ain't got no reason to go back. ...If there was anything to go back to." Tyrian didn't know how thorough the White Fang had been but he doubted there'd been many survivors. "All I'll say is that Ichabod's killer is still out there walking around, free as can be. If it turns out that Eve knows who did him in or she was the one to do it, well..." Tyrian let that sentence trail off, his implication clear.

"....Til then, I'll be with you. That's a promise."

This time? Tyrian was the one who gave the hug.

"Got anything else you wanna get off your chest? I'm all ears."​

 

[MidwayLives]

"...Really? I half expected you to make it all out to be a vendetta against Ruby Rose to deny and disguise whatever you're planning here. But you're going to cop right to it. You realize that's... just as suspicious? And disturbingly sweet, talk about a change of heart for someone like... you, I guess.." The voice ringing throughout the scene positively was drizzled in incredulity, as the color popped back where each clone once stood, the brightness returning in their absence akin to the illumination of stage lights.

Neo lowered her scroll and angrily shook her head from side to side.

No.

There'd be a time and place for revenge.

The last thing she'd ever heard him say as the wind took her away and death...took him away.

Red would pay for that but the one in this world was already a monster. Her otherself had no excuse for putting her revenge elsewhere and so for right now? Neither did she.

At the mention of being 'sweet' of her, Neo simply huffed and looked away.

She wasn't doing it out of the kindness in her heart, barely enough of that to go around, but...

She could understand all too well what her counterpart was feeling and she was partially responsible for that.

You gotta clean up your mess, y'know?
​

"Though, going about it this way for that would be stupid... Regardless." A figure flickered into view, the first Emerald of before, padding up to the diminutive mute with a scrutinizing glare. Neo found herself affixed in that lingering gaze for a few seconds, the silence slowly becoming the loudest thing since her final word.

Neo had her own reasons for her lack of speaking. Whether they were close to what her counterpart had gone through? Well, nobody knew for sure but her.

Still, at times like this? She absolutely hated it.

'Take a picture, it''ll last longer~' would have made for such a snappy quip.

Ah well....
​

"How will I know you won't acquaint me with the end of your umbrella if I release my illusion?

Two cymbals 'appeared' in Neo's hands and she went to clap them together but stopped short of actually doing so.

A fight right here and now would have been too noisy. Getting mixed up in a brawl with these goody goods would have only ruined Neo's whole reason for following them here.
​

We both know how this will play out but luckily for you, I'm not spoiling for a fight.

"*dismissive snort*"
​

I'm here... to figure out a way to get home and it all hinges on these idiots we're apparently stalking."

"..."

...What was actually waiting for her back home? Not friends, not anybody she particularly cared about.

....Were her intentions on protecting her other-self entirely because of their shared love for Roman or just because....she had nowhere else to go?



​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"No. I have not come here to waste time with someone whose existence won't matter once we're back where we belong." That Raven refused to entertain the idea before it could even get out of the gate. Vernal was dead, she had already buried and mourned her. The double that existed here, she was just a shadow, a reflection, and not one that Raven cared to think much about. She cared even less about the scene she'd just witnessed between Eve and Ilia. "If you want to waste time focusing on the people here, that's your call. I will not. I'm focused on our goal, as I've already proven when I got the relic while the rest of you let yourselves get caught up in the madness."

"...Right. Except... Remind me why we should agree to let you come anywhere with us?"

The voice that broke the silence following Raven's declarations was quiet, thoughtful and aloof, spoken with a carefully guarded expression and restraint that only came from the huntsman at his most sober.

"You know what that 'madness' you keep talking about actually was? Us getting stabbed in the back by another Spring Maiden. Key word: another. See where I'm going with this?"

He arched an eyebrow, waving a casual hand with arms folded as he locked eyes with his sister unflinchingly.

"It reminded me of something. You're always the same, Ray. You show up, throw your weight around, play it close to the chest with your own agenda then disappear the second you have what you came for, no matter who you screw over or how. Who needs the grief? Thanks for the Relic, but no thanks on you coming with. Sit the rest of this one out and you'll be home soon enough. It's about time you learned trust can't be unbroken."

His final word was the only one that carried any sort of shift in inflection, a simple, emphatic note of judgment as he pushed off the table and turned away. His next words were tossed over like he didn't really care what her response was to them was, a shrug to accompany them as his hands slid inside his pockets.

"Or... play ball how we say, go where we tell you to. Last thing we need is to put another maiden within reach of Ozpin, anyway; your survival instincts should agree on that much just fine. Either go with the other team so we can link up a chain from them to us, or go wherever the hell you want. But you'll be going it alone, 'cause this is way too important to let you screw it up with your usual crap."

He left the ultimatum to hang on a severe, disdainful growl, letting Raven know exactly where she stood ultimately after her last major betrayal at another Haven in another time.

Like he said, who needed the grief?​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...Right. Except... Remind me why we should agree to let you come anywhere with us?"

The voice that broke the silence following Raven's declarations was quiet, thoughtful and aloof, spoken with a carefully guarded expression and restraint that only came from the huntsman at his most sober.

"You know what that 'madness' you keep talking about actually was? Us getting stabbed in the back by another Spring Maiden. Key word: another. See where I'm going with this?"

He arched an eyebrow, waving a casual hand with arms folded as he locked eyes with his sister unflinchingly.

"It reminded me of something. You're always the same, Ray. You show up, throw your weight around, play it close to the chest with your own agenda then disappear the second you have what you came for, no matter who you screw over or how. Who needs the grief? Thanks for the Relic, but no thanks on you coming with. Sit the rest of this one out and you'll be home soon enough. It's about time you learned trust can't be unbroken."

His final word was the only one that carried any sort of shift in inflection, a simple, emphatic note of judgment as he pushed off the table and turned away. His next words were tossed over like he didn't really care what her response was to them was, a shrug to accompany them as his hands slid inside his pockets.

"Or... play ball how we say, go where we tell you to. Last thing we need is to put another maiden within reach of Ozpin, anyway; your survival instincts should agree on that much just fine. Either go with the other team so we can link up a chain from them to us, or go wherever the hell you want. But you'll be going it alone, 'cause this is way too important to let you screw it up with your usual crap."

He left the ultimatum to hang on a severe, disdainful growl, letting Raven know exactly where she stood ultimately after her last major betrayal at another Haven in another time.

Like he said, who needed the grief?​

“...Fine.” She snapped back with a scowl, turning on her heel for an immediate stride out the door. If they wanted to do it their way, that was on them. But she hadn’t gone through the effort of finding them, following them, getting the very thing they failed to get and practically handing it to them on a silver platter...just to go and play babysitter. They could do it that way, and she’d do it her way. As far as she was concerned, only one of them produced any meaningful results.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

It probably didn't surprise anyone that Yang's morose demeanor broke into a small yet ever so smug grin as Raven stalked off, a grateful nod shot at her uncle for choosing niece over twin in that little argument. She really did think that it was a good idea to send the maiden they had to confront the other maiden and all, but it wasn't the biggest reason she'd made the suggestion. Raven had eighteen years to decide Yang was worth her time. She had all of Haven to make the right choice and side with the good guys. And at the very end, when it had all played out, she gave Yang the relic and ran off again. It didn't matter that it was Yang's idea; she still chose her own hide over family.

If she thought she could just show up here, with something she needed just as much as they did, and think that it'd all be bygones? She had another thing coming. Yang thought she was doing an excellent job keeping a lid on herself being in the same room as her, despite all the backtalk. If she got stuck traveling with her all the way to Atlas, she was pretty sure she'd be committing her second murder.

Watts watched all that unfold with a deeply unimpressed frown. "Fantastic. We get the other maiden who sided with the forces of darkness for personal gain along with the huntress with no gun to try and fight the flying lady. And Gretchen" he added, the bite leaving his tone for small moment before it came right back " If there's no one else you wish to unload on us, I'll collect my teammates and we can be on our way. Time is of the essence."

He clasped his arms behind his back and strode out the door to do just that. Yang watched him go with an annoyed grimace souring her minor victory, before she huffed and turned back to the Branwens who'd she'd be working with.

"So, the plan's to portal Ironwood out and bring him here, right? Is there any danger of us getting stuck on the other side? Like if the cells mess with your semblance?" she asked the Raven she had even a vague desire to talk to