Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

All of Watts calm authority, stoic, grim, and unflinching as he marched forward to face down a magical threat far outside any training or experience he had, instantly cracked as he saw Cinder. His hands slowly lowered to ball up at his chest as his face curled up in confusion, before he slowly pointed a finger at her.

"...You're... not a hostage."

it was more statement than question, yet Watts didn't sound any less confused as the words left his mouth.

"Well, not exactly...I was at first. It sucked, hardcore, but I managed." She grinned wildly, indicating an exuberant inner fire that would take a lot more than that to dampen. "Restraints and all! I eventually convinced her to let me ditch the cuffs. Took a while, because...y'know...escape attempts." She shrugged. "But it sunk in that I wasn't going to get away, at least not while Vernal was aware. I could have done it while she slept, but...I realized two things. One, even if I did manage to get away from her, I...there was no telling if you'd be where I'd last seen you by the time I got back there. You could have been anywhere in Anima by then, maybe with us accidentally passing each other by and not realizing it. Trying to find you after that would have taken ages. But-" Cinder thrust a finger up into the air to represent her brilliant eureka moment. "-there was only one place Vernal called home, we all knew it and where it was too. I figured if I stayed here long enough, you'd come for me. All of you."

Her smile was ear-to-ear as she looked at the three male members of team WTCH. After a moment she brought her hand to rub at the corner of her eye, as if brushing away something there. "I'm so glad I wasn't wrong." There was a brief period of silence on her part as she simply stood there and appreciated this moment. She soon enough cleared her throat to continue, however.

"And second, even as questionable and sketchy and bandit-y as she was, well........like it or not, Vernal is a maiden. There's only three others of those in our whole world! I was in the presence of one, so...I sorta asked for some lessons. Whatever she could teach. Managed to convince her after a lengthy talk, and I pointed out that her tribe was gone...but that didn't mean she had nothing left of importance in her life. So...yeah. Here we are, heh heh." ​

Hazel took that as Watts flagging, though reasonably. "... What's changed here? Your mind or heart?" He asked.

"...I hadn't thought to ask that, though!" She turned to Vernal. "What do you think?"

Silence was the only answer.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Don't."

Eve didn't resist no matter how harshly the Talon ensured she was restrained, but let her anger and frustration at the situation vent through her vocal cords as she glared Tock down and delivered a one-word, seething command, so much fire and decisiveness to her words it was as if she were a leader from the faunus revolution reincarnate.

"If you do... I promise you you'll regret it."

It wasn't a threat; it genuinely was a promise, spoken with the gravity of a solemn oath being undertaken.

She let out a painfully bitter laugh at that. "I've lived a long time, got a lot of those. What's one more?" Tock shook her head. Her mind was made up.​

"-oh for the love of- I REALLY DON'T CARE IF WE DO OR NOT BUT CAN WE PLEASE CLEAR THIS UP IN THE NEXT FIVE SECONDS?"

"Consider it settled."​

When Ilia roused, she felt surprisingly rested, if groggy, a full REM sleep dumped into her brain. She was in a chair, leaning against the armrest, and her first sight was of Bear's hand withdrawing away from her head. Seated a few feet across from her was Snake, a look a quiet concern on her face, and standing behind her with a dull look of irritation was the other Ilia. As soon as she started to rouse, the other her turned on her heel to stalk out. Snake shot her a wan smile over her shoulder, and gave bear a short nod.

"I can take it from here, Bear, thank you."

Bear slowly crossed his arms from where he was standing, very clearly not content to 'let her take it from here', and his gravelly, ancient voice was somewhere between a reprimand and scolding

"She's a copy of Ilia. Forgive my bluntness, Young Snake, but Ilia would dump you on your ass on her worst day."

She gave him a quirk of a grin and a light shrug of her shoulders, her foot bouncing from where it hung from her crossed leg.

"I'll just have to ensure it doesn't come to that."

"Hmmmm."

"Trust me?"

"....hrmmm...."

For as unsure as he sounded, he nonetheless turned to walk away, and Snake shot him a thankful nod before she turned to Ilia with an apologetic frown.

"I'm sorry about all this. You're free to go. I'll lead you back to your friend's airship if you'd like, ooor if you'd rather I can simply give you directions. I'd understand."

It wasn't exactly the most comforting thing to wake up to, a giant hand pulling away from your face like that. That just set the tone for Ilia for that whole quick conversation, the distraught chameleon continuing to be distraught in silence up until she was alone with the snake. "...You seem nicer than most." Ilia pointed out and adding a second later: "You can lead." After that scene earlier, well she didn't trust that any other Shadow Fang people wouldn't make an attempt at doing something bad to her...but if she was in the presence of one of their own, she felt that the chances of that would be somewhat lesser. And as she followed behind as soon as the snake girl started, she looked around for her counterpart to see if she was anywhere in sight.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Hey. You mind surrendering? That'd be great." Tock kept it really super brief, every second of those ten minutes being counted away in her mind. Despite the fact that her head was facing towards the throne and the bull sitting in it, the gaze of her eyes was angled to the side as she kept one of the two faunus flanking behind her squarely in her peripheral vision. The look and the raised eyebrow both trying their utmost to urgently suggest/borderline beg Eve attack that one, in sharp contrast to her words that she had just spoken.

Tiger was a lot of things.

Mostly she just considered herself a bunch of raw muscle that could be aimed and thrown at a problem. Usually, the problem was solved by being broken and battered.

Never left her with any real satisfaction though. Maybe it was a 'her' problem. She didn't really know and opening up just wasn't the type of thing she did.

None of the things she considered included being an idiot.

Tock hadn't seemed happy at all to accept the proposal the High Leader had given her. She wouldn't have been surprised if the croc turned on them. It's what anyone else might have done.

Right?
​

"Just get down here, Sienna."

She didn't so much as acknowledge the tigress's enforcers as individuals themselves, instead speaking to the comm link she knew Hound and Tiger had integrated in their masks.

"Nice as it is to see my name still carries some weight around here, you and I have things to discuss. You're more than welcome to keep your attack dogs on standby if it makes you feel better. See, I'm in your seat, and cowardice is an interesting look to be showing your followers right about now."

Her smirk wasn't even the slightest bit strained, voice taunting and commanding as she issued missives from the chair as easily and naturally as if it really was her own. She lazily extended Wilt up towards the rafters, wrapped in shadow as they were.

"You wouldn't believe how many eyes are on me."

Outwardly?

Tiger said nothing and her body language didn't seem apprehensive in the least. The sheer lack of acknowledgment or respect didn't really seem to faze her.

It hadn't been a good thing to kill the former Tiger or even a personal thing. It was just a necessary step that she felt needed to be taken. Her death had been rather messy but Tiger felt certain that no pain was had in the very end. That much could be afforded as a parting gift.

Ever since then, Tiger had kept her opinions to herself. Unless they were ever asked for which they usually weren't.

Her ears were hidden away by her mask but she was amused if nothing else.

For being such a big cat, attack dog hit too close to home.
​

"...Or do you think this audience was only for her benefit?" he asked, slowly tilting head towards Eve without looking away from Tock.

"..."

Tiger reached over and very gently placed a hand on Hound's shoulder.

She had spent most of her childhood and developmental years trying to control her semblance. To fine tune it enough that she didn't crush and destroy everything in her wake.

Too little too late but at least she had the Shadow Fang.

It wasn't often that she spoke up beyond saying what needed to be said or getting something off her chest.

So it was with a firm gentleness that she spoke.

"You're talking too much."

Tiger didn't elaborate further. But while she didn't know whatever history Taurus and Tock might have had, pushing them any closer to potentially working together would be a nuiscance.

Oh, not for her. She would have reveled in it.

But it'd annoy the high leader and that just couldn't be had.

"...Sorry."
​

"Well... Good job. Another successful mission for the Talons. I see why they say you're the best." She made no effort to disguise the flat, mocking tone she addressed the two with, nor was there any reluctance in the way she slowly raised both hands.

"Consider me in Sienna's custody. Provided the old woman gets to take Ilia and walk away, right now."

Once again, TIger said nothing.

it was clear as day that Taurus saw them as nothing more than Sienna's tools.

Fitting and perhaps hurtful to the right person.

Not to her though.

Better to know what you can do and dominate it with absolute certainty than stake your life on anything that wasn't worth fighting for.

If it made her a tool then so be it. A tool she'd be.
​

"No need." Tock replied. "I'm not going anywhere. If Sienna's gonna take her-" She jerked her head at Eve. "-she's gonna have to take me too." Ilia knew how to fly the ship, she'd seen her do so. She knew where to bring it back, and Tock trusted she would do so long as she was still relatively unharmed. Besides, there were still things that she felt she had to say to Sienna, whether it was in a conference room or from behind a cell. Plus...it was her fault for dragging them both into this mess, since it was her ship they both rode/stowed away on.

Tiger's head quirked to the side.

Huh.

In all the scenarios in her head, she hadn't imagined that.

Well, the problem was over it seemed. It wasn't up to her what happened to these two beyond this point.

Making her way over to Tock to cuff her, Tiger spoke once more.

'Sorry about all this. I'd have much rather fought you in a manner far more dignified....than this. But, you've made your choice and I'll respect it."

The cuffs were placed on.

​

 

[MidwayLives]

​

To put it succinctly: this whole situation completely sucked the bag. Maybe chalk up to some semblance of cockiness on Emerald's part but she had entered the fray with the expectation of things turning out the way they normally did with her unique set of skills and semblance. She never thought she would have gotten rocked the way she did and that in of itself constituted one half of that double whammy. Her world was completely turned upside down in a matter of minutes and she found herself in a position she promised she'd never be in again, never to cry or demonstrate a modicum of weakness. Emerald'd come so far from that, assuring herself she'd never need to lower herself to it ever again.

So in a way, she appreciated that her mind took matters into hand, phasing in and out at random hours of the day, the fleeting moments of lucidity barely informing her that someone-- Neo?-- helped her to her feet. Moved her to an abandoned domicile of some kind adjacent to Tock's place or so, watched over her. The light of day flicked to night the next. It was a swirling influx of emotions compounded by the lingering headache that slowly erupted into a migraine. A side effect of whatever that mental confrontation had been? She didn't want to know.

A day later...

Emerald was right.

Neo didn't owe her a damn thing.

...So far as she knew anyway.

Neo didn't exactly see the two of them as chums, buddies, amigos. Any of that. The idea made the short girl want to gag. Being 'friends' with someone sounded something more up the lane of Red or that...other version of her. Wasn't her speed.

Still, even when she didn't have to, Emerald had pitched in to help fight that old bastard. It'd cost the two of them a severe ass beating but deep down Neo appreciated it. Having someone vaguely in her corner beat having nobody there at all. Ozpin's side only saw use in her of her semblance and threatened her with grueling torture if she refused. Now that she'd fought that old guy, she was probably going to be on their shitlist.

Oh well.

Team 'good guys' didn't exactly like her either. Their blonde hated her guts and Neo still had aspirations for revenge on the less murder/maiming inclined version of Ruby. That wasn't mentioning the attempted murder of Qrow. No, it was just better for everyone involved if she stayed away. She'd jump in when needed but she'd only make things worse.

Her shit-tier attempt at 'protecting' was proof enough of that. Everyone had gotten beaten up and the relic had been stolen and she'd ended up laid out in the middle of some dank alleyway.

....But she could be there for Emerald when she needed someone.

She wasn't Cinder, she didn't WANT to be Cinder. That bitch could...oh...whatever.

Point was, Neo could be there.

So she was watching over Emerald for as long as she needed.
​

Ten minutes later, a satisfied Emerald excised the dirt from the bed of her fingernails with an impassive expression as she found herself back at the domicile. The little abrupt confrontation was just that, tiny and insignificant, as Emerald extracted the details she wanted.

"The effort wasn't worthwhile for the crap I got from that truffle pig but it'll do," She said towards the other occupant in the room, "We know they've split up, one for Atlas where that creep came from, and the other going south. I think to get their Cinder. She didn't have diddly squat to offer on those I'm looking for aside them and I just angered a criminal organization so the time for decisions is now. I'm redoubling efforts in making it so I can get home. What about you?" Her expression was a pointed glance towards Neo, expectant of a reply of some kind.

Neo had done good business with Malachite.

She'd given Neo a place to roost and get her strength up when she showed up.

In return, Neo probably should have been quicker to take the ensuing fight outside.

...

Nah, she was too mad for that.

As Emerald returned, Neo hopped to her feet and mulled over the information she'd been given.

....If that guy was heading to Atlas, Neo wanted to stay as far from there as possible. She hated to admit it but that guy could read her semblance like a book. She'd only be going there to die and she had more important stuff to worry about before that idea tempted her again....

​

Emerald languidly reached over to poke Neo, half expecting her to shatter into glass. She was totally positive she used her semblance to avoid this line of questioning. Otherwise, why was she so quiet. Quiet than her usual self anyway. She wouldn't have batted an eye if that were the case.

"...!"

Neo blinked at the sudden poke.

....Tempted as she was to poke back, she resisted the urge.
​

Unless she poked the genuine article... then oops. She'd play that off immediately by maneuvering the conversation towards the brandishing of a wallet flush with lien.

"This much lien should get us out of Mistral without issue. So whatcha say, pipsqueak?"

Neo smiled for the first time since Emerald and her had bumped into eachother here.

She hadn't had much time to really do or talk much with this world's Roman but given how close they were and that they seemed less inclined to murder whoever got in your way/pissed you off, Neo assumed this world's version of her and Roman got up to some hijinks. Maybe like yoinking somebody's wallet?

...Tch, she had to catch up to them as soon as she could. Maybe she could do something to make up for doing such a poor job helping out...?

Neo smiled and nodded her head.

Sounded like a plan to her!​

 

[MidwayLives]

Presumably in the process of eventually shifting cars, Tyrian was stirred awake by any number of his companions. Whether in the world of dreams or the world of the woke, Tyrian didn't seem any better. His hair was frazzled and unruly enough to be considered a mess, his wound still stung, and he was still tired.

He felt as though his body had gotten enough sleep but that's because it wasn't the right kind of tired.

He was just....emotionally drained.

Carneilan had forced Tyrian to look death in the eyes fora third time and Tyrian had almost blinked.

If it hadn't been for Watts and Neo(the latter of whom Tyrian felt too uncomfortable to thank. He hated being vulnerable and the idea that caught up in his terror as he had been, he almost put upon Watts and Hazel the same kind of pain Neo and her crew were likely feeling made him wince. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, not at all.

As they switched cars however, Tyrian stepped aside for a moment or two and opened up his scroll. He'd given it some time and received sporadic texts here and there. ...Replying to none of them which likely wasn't going to bode well when he called again. Still, he felt something of an obligation. He'd been the one to approach her after all.

"Trifa...Are you there-"

"Tyrian! I'm so glad you called, are you okay??? Did something happen did-"

"I'm fine, Trifa. I'm...fine. Is everything ok on your end?"

"...Well, if you read the texts I sent you then you'd know, It's been hell trying to get my mother onboard with me leaving Vale. Add on me wondering who cut off your tail, why you're not replying, and it all piles up."

"Sorry."

"Anyway, I've got a rough model of what'll eventually be the finished prosthetic. It's at the point now where I can work on it while I move. I'll try to catch up as soon as I can."

"...okay. I...I can't tell you exactly where we're going but head south if you can. Talk to you later."

Tyrian hung up before she could reply. He didn't want her to worry anymore than she already had.

Rejoining his friends and teammates, he sat quietly as they continued on the way to the camp.
​

Her smile was ear-to-ear as she looked at the three male members of team WTCH. After a moment she brought her hand to rub at the corner of her eye, as if brushing away something there. "I'm so glad I wasn't wrong." There was a brief period of silence on her part as she simply stood there and appreciated this moment. She soon enough cleared her throat to continue, however.

Tyrian burst forward, the remnants of his tail loose and flaling as he ran past both Hazel and Watts.

Scooping up Cinder in a hug, Tyrian's bottom lip trembled.

They'd been through so much while Cinder was here, knowing, believing that she'd see them again.

....He really missed her.

"Cinder!!! I'm so glad to see you again!!!"

Hugging the maiden tightly, Tyrian eventually set her down and stepped back wiping at his eyes.

...She hadn't learned about his self-inflicted wound or the loss of a chunk of his tail.

.....That could wait, couldn't it? He didn't want to ruin the reunion.
​

"...I hadn't thought to ask that, though!" She turned to Vernal. "What do you think?"

Silence was the only answer.

Tyrian only coldly glared at Vernal.

He had no words for her.



​

 

[MidwayLives]

Things had been different ever since General Carneilan took over as commander of the Ace Ops.

...But not different enough that Harriet wouldn't follow him.

Whatever the man may have done, whatever was said about him. All that mattered to her was what he did in the present.

A good soldier followed their orders, they didn't stand around and question them.

Such was the case when Harriet had been the only one of her squad to have been close enough/informed of the ruckus that Yang's arrival had caused. An apology was given for her less than helpful role in it all(of which there was absolutely none, Schnee handled it herself with the same poise and dignity she had everything else. Or at least that's what Harriet was told and what she assumed.

She had her own opinions on the councilwoman. Whatever those might have been would have to be discussed between Weiss and Harriet herself. If they ever were at all.

Truth was, Harriet hated the fact that for all the speed her semblance gave her, she hadn't arrived in time to help where it'd mattered. So far as she knew the blonde chick who'd been brought her resembled an infamous terrorist which made looking at her for too long made Harriet's skin crawl. ....Her seemingly been nice to talk to from the going ons that she'd heard while patrolling the manor didn't help ease things either. She was an enemy and Harriet would treat her as one.

...She refused to ever be too slow again.

Wherever Yang may have been wandering around, Harriet appeared behind her, skidding to a stop as she did so.

"Enjoying yourself?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Scooping up Cinder in a hug, Tyrian's bottom lip trembled.

They'd been through so much while Cinder was here, knowing, believing that she'd see them again.

....He really missed her.

"Cinder!!! I'm so glad to see you again!!!"

Hugging the maiden tightly, Tyrian eventually set her down and stepped back wiping at his eyes.

"TYRIAN!!!" She shouted back just as excitedly in the split-seconds before she was swooped up in that embrace, the level 2 maiden making it even more clear to all that she was a level 99 happy dork at being reunited. The hug was ABSOLUTELY returned, warmth coming just as much from her excitement as it did from her magic. Yet, when she got put down and she had a moment...the look on her face grew more concerned. Even as swiftly as that hug had come charging in, she hadn't missed something.​

Tyrian burst forward, the remnants of his tail loose and flaling as he ran past both Hazel and Watts.

"...What happened?" Cinder asked with a sadder note in her voice as she leaned to the side to try and get a better look at his tail. Or what was left of it.
​

Tyrian only coldly glared at Vernal.

He had no words for her.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Tiger's head quirked to the side.

Huh.

In all the scenarios in her head, she hadn't imagined that.

Well, the problem was over it seemed. It wasn't up to her what happened to these two beyond this point.

Making her way over to Tock to cuff her, Tiger spoke once more.

'Sorry about all this. I'd have much rather fought you in a manner far more dignified....than this. But, you've made your choice and I'll respect it."

The cuffs were placed on.

"Whatever." She snarled, averting her eyes to look anywhere other than at the Talon member slapping those cuffs on her and her aura getting cut off as a result. No matter how polite any of them tried to be...they were still part of an extremely misguided cult that was making the world worse for everybody, faunus included. People who had been ready to kill a young fellow faunus just for the crime of trying to do what was right. Tock couldn't say their respect or their apologies were very high on the list of things she wanted. "So...off to a dungeon cell, I take it. Some probably dark, dirty and damp little shithole? Just get on with it." ​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Watts listened as Cinder spun her tale, and mid way through it he started slow, uneven steps towards a nearby rock so he could sink on top of it before his knees gave out. He'd spent that entire car ride plotting and planning, drumming up tactics for both conversation and combat against the bandit maiden, and how to deal with whatever state Cinder was in when they got here. Making himself mentally imagine her bound, beaten, maimed again, or who knew what else just to make sure he didn't freeze when the time came to fix his mistakes.

None of it was necessary. Cinder solved it on her own, just by being her obnoxious, cheerful self. The relief that flooded Arthur knocked the knees right out from under him, and he rested his face in his palm as he took a deep breath.

"...I'm glad you're alright." he eventually managed to say, his voice quiet and cracked.

Would that he could hold onto that feeling, the simple joy of knowing one of his best friends had come out of this alive, unscathed, and even better for it in some ways. But the dread of the next part was already working its way up his gut, and his made sure his voice stoic and level after he took a deep breath and looked back up to meet Cinder's eye.

"...Not everyone was so lucky, Cinder. Roman. He's... he-"

The sound was subtle, and what it was wasn't easy to deduce unless you'd heard it before, but it made Watts freeze up. He planted his hands on his knees and slowly cast his eyes around the camp. That couldn't happen. This wasn't a fight any of them should actually take. Even if...

"...Neo. Do not."

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

She still hadn't cried.

There had been tears as it happened, and Watts had almost broke the dam back in Mistral with his sharpened tongue, but Neopolitan had yet to cry after Roman's death. She'd barely emoted at all, her eyes a dull, blank slate with only rare flashes of anger or irritation at any who'd ventured a hand or word to her in what should have been a time of need. While she'd never spoken, it would've been hard to describe Neo as a 'quiet' person nonetheless back at Beacon, yet it would've been easy to forget she was there at all for how little she seemed to exist on their journey across Anima.

She couldn't let herself. Acknowledging anything her heart was feeling was admitting that it had happened, and she couldn't. From the moment Torchwick's hand went limp, no matter how clearly the objective part of her brain knew the facts, her brain refused to accept them. She'd never had to stand on her own two legs for as long as she could remember, never had to speak for herself, and she'd never imagined a life where he was gone. She still couldn't, not even when that was the life she was already being made to live. She'd disappeared from the camp entirely on more than one occasion, and any who hunted her back down swore they saw another figure standing with her in the woods, one dressed in right with a flare of orange that shattered before they could get a good look.

Yet when she saw Cinder was alright, hole appeared in the dam. A tiny prick of genuine joy that could've grown into a healthy expression of emotion. But only if she hadn't seen Vernal too.

She was there.

She was there as one of them.

She'd kickstarted the violence that crescendoed into what Neo still couldn't accept

From underneath the shell of illusion Neo was projecting around the rest of her team, Neo finally showed anything at all on her face, and it was something wholly out of place for anyone who'd known the tiny ice cream warrior at Beacon. Rage. miserable, hot, shoulder shaking rage, anger that had her breath coming out in uneven spurts an had tears, accursed, long held back tears pooling at the sides of her eyes.

The sound that Watts heard was the quiet *shtick* of Hush's blade extending from the top. Whether Neo heard him was wholly unclear.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

It wasn't exactly the most comforting thing to wake up to, a giant hand pulling away from your face like that. That just set the tone for Ilia for that whole quick conversation, the distraught chameleon continuing to be distraught in silence up until she was alone with the snake. "...You seem nicer than most." Ilia pointed out and adding a second later: "You can lead." After that scene earlier, well she didn't trust that any other Shadow Fang people wouldn't make an attempt at doing something bad to her...but if she was in the presence of one of their own, she felt that the chances of that would be somewhat lesser. And as she followed behind as soon as the snake girl started, she looked around for her counterpart to see if she was anywhere in sight.

That startled a giggle out of her, as pleasant and genuine as every other sound that came out of her as she tried to cover it with a fist. "I suppose I am" She answered breezily as she stood up and gestured in the direction they were to go before she turned to leave "But unlike those meatheads, I couldn't fight my way out of a paper bag. Some faunus are lucky enough to be able to defend themselves from our oppressors with fist, claw, and powerful auras, but the rest of us have to make due with words and hope of mercy."

She let the silence carry for a little while, before she slowed her pace a bit to fall into step aside Ilia instead of in front of her. "...You were never to come to any harm, so you know. The High Leader may have to be cold and strong in her words, with all that talk of 'only one chance'-" (Her Sienna impression was not good) "-but we only took you to ensure miss Jade did her part. Nor would you have come to harm if she hadn't."

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

"Don't."

Eve didn't resist no matter how harshly the Talon ensured she was restrained, but let her anger and frustration at the situation vent through her vocal cords as she glared Tock down and delivered a one-word, seething command, so much fire and decisiveness to her words it was as if she were a leader from the faunus revolution reincarnate.

"If you do... I promise you you'll regret it."

It wasn't a threat; it genuinely was a promise, spoken with the gravity of a solemn oath being undertaken.

She let out a painfully bitter laugh at that. "I've lived a long time, got a lot of those. What's one more?" Tock shook her head. Her mind was made up.
"Consider it settled."​

"Woow, Taurus. Looks like your word doesn't carry as much weight as you thought it did" Hound sneered as he snapped the cuffs on and shoved her down the rest of the steps. It was a sullen, halfhearted action though, and the extent of the abuse she suffered at his hands as long as she and Tock kept in line as they were disarmed and marched through the halls and down, down, and down some more, till they reached an elevator that, you guessed it, went down some more

Where they ended up looked nothing like the castle above, dull grey metal and utilitarian lighting showing either a heavy remodeling or an entire new addition to what had stood here before. Tock and Eve were pushed onward, passed a gate that opened with a buzz to a long row of cells, though it seemed that they were the only occupants to be for now. "We'll even keep you next to each other, since you seem to get a kick out of each other's company." Hound drawled as he pushed Taurus into one and activated it with a button press, the gate slamming shut and the soft buzz of atlesian aura dampening kicking into affect above.

 

[Gus Gungus]

"You read my mind, Neo. Think I've seen about all I can stomach of this garbage."

He didn't know if Neo was expecting to hear a voice of reason chime in from her ex-team leader, a staying hand or impassioned plea to the heart to keep her from making a potentially bad decision. Maybe his and Emerald's presence was barely registering to the kid at all. Whatever her assumption may have been, Mercury at least threw Emerald for a loop with his bold proclamation as she glanced over to where he was curling his hand into a fist, raising her eyebrow skeptically.

"Are we really doing this?"

"She stabbed us in the back, deep fried you and ran away while Roman died in the mess she caused. A little bleeding heart like Cinder might be willing to play nice with her, but I respectfully say to hell with that. Anyone even considering giving her the chance to betray us again is too stupid to get a say. Is that what you're saying?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I just think-"

"Good. Then get ready."

He went to stand in formation with Neo, footfall heavy as he put his fists up and dropped into a stance.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Woow, Taurus. Looks like your word doesn't carry as much weight as you thought it did" Hound sneered as he snapped the cuffs on and shoved her down the rest of the steps. It was a sullen, halfhearted action though, and the extent of the abuse she suffered at his hands as long as she and Tock kept in line as they were disarmed and marched through the halls and down, down, and down some more, till they reached an elevator that, you guessed it, went down some more

Where they ended up looked nothing like the castle above, dull grey metal and utilitarian lighting showing either a heavy remodeling or an entire new addition to what had stood here before. Tock and Eve were pushed onward, passed a gate that opened with a buzz to a long row of cells, though it seemed that they were the only occupants to be for now. "We'll even keep you next to each other, since you seem to get a kick out of each other's company." Hound drawled as he pushed Taurus into one and activated it with a button press, the gate slamming shut and the soft buzz of atlesian aura dampening kicking into affect above.

The moment she was shoved into the cell Eve started to pace like a caged animal, the uneasy sight one she left Hound with as she gave him her one verbal acknowledgment of the entire walk.

"Sienna."

Despite the context and predicament she found herself in, there was no mistaking the word for anything other than an order as Eve sat down on the floor with legs crossed and waited.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Things had been different ever since General Carneilan took over as commander of the Ace Ops.

...But not different enough that Harriet wouldn't follow him.

Whatever the man may have done, whatever was said about him. All that mattered to her was what he did in the present.

A good soldier followed their orders, they didn't stand around and question them.

Such was the case when Harriet had been the only one of her squad to have been close enough/informed of the ruckus that Yang's arrival had caused. An apology was given for her less than helpful role in it all(of which there was absolutely none, Schnee handled it herself with the same poise and dignity she had everything else. Or at least that's what Harriet was told and what she assumed.

She had her own opinions on the councilwoman. Whatever those might have been would have to be discussed between Weiss and Harriet herself. If they ever were at all.

Truth was, Harriet hated the fact that for all the speed her semblance gave her, she hadn't arrived in time to help where it'd mattered. So far as she knew the blonde chick who'd been brought her resembled an infamous terrorist which made looking at her for too long made Harriet's skin crawl. ....Her seemingly been nice to talk to from the going ons that she'd heard while patrolling the manor didn't help ease things either. She was an enemy and Harriet would treat her as one.

...She refused to ever be too slow again.

Wherever Yang may have been wandering around, Harriet appeared behind her, skidding to a stop as she did so.

"Enjoying yourself?"​

Harriet skidded to a halt in front of a warzone.

It used to be a kitchen, but that wasn't the correct term for it anymore. Flour was everywhere. The sink was missing a knob and perpetually on. Something in the oven still had a few wisps of acrid black smoke coming out of it, even though the sprinkler system had doused the flames along with the rest of the kitchen a few minutes ago. Seated at the counter and still sopping wet from her foray into a battle with the culinary arts that found her well and truly crushed to a level this Weiss Schnee could only ever dream to reach was Yang, very slowly spooning some cereal to her mouth so that she didn't aggravate the cornicopia of minor burns she had across herself.

This wasn't some form or petty rebellion or anything like that. Yang just figured she'd try and make something more complicated than some toast for once to try and keep herself busy. Her dad always told her she should cook with her aura off, she'd always told him that sounded stupid, and it always ended in disaster; she figured this was as good an excuse as any to finally follow that advice, even if she was missing an arm, again. And she did get it now, kinda; it was way easier to tell if you were burning the food if you were also burning yourself. It just... wasn't very easy to focus when you kept doing it, and by the time the sprinkler went off she'd given up entirely, settling on a cereal of defeat before she cleaned up her mess. Any joy she might've felt at a familiar face only vaulted her back to the lofty heights of 'slightly below neutral', and her dismay at being discovered in such a state didn't keep her at that level very long. She slowly pointed her spoon at Harriet as she finished chewing her current bite.

"...Are you... *gulp* the Harriet I know or are you the one that's already from here?"

 

[MyrtenRose]

Watts listened as Cinder spun her tale, and mid way through it he started slow, uneven steps towards a nearby rock so he could sink on top of it before his knees gave out. He'd spent that entire car ride plotting and planning, drumming up tactics for both conversation and combat against the bandit maiden, and how to deal with whatever state Cinder was in when they got here. Making himself mentally imagine her bound, beaten, maimed again, or who knew what else just to make sure he didn't freeze when the time came to fix his mistakes.

None of it was necessary. Cinder solved it on her own, just by being her obnoxious, cheerful self. The relief that flooded Arthur knocked the knees right out from under him, and he rested his face in his palm as he took a deep breath.

"...I'm glad you're alright." he eventually managed to say, his voice quiet and cracked.

That reaction, even for the sort of person she knew Watts to be, was not one that Cinder had expected even in her less than positive imaginings of how the reunion between partners could go. It wasn't really all that friendly, but neither was it a really bad one...just somehow incredibly...neutral. Something that in select ways, left her even more on edge than a few of the most negative scenarios she had imagined could've. She could feel a bad feeling already starting to form deep within her just by watching him.​

Would that he could hold onto that feeling, the simple joy of knowing one of his best friends had come out of this alive, unscathed, and even better for it in some ways. But the dread of the next part was already working its way up his gut, and his made sure his voice stoic and level after he took a deep breath and looked back up to meet Cinder's eye.

"...Not everyone was so lucky, Cinder. Roman. He's... he-"

The sound was subtle, and what it was wasn't easy to deduce unless you'd heard it before, but it made Watts freeze up. He planted his hands on his knees and slowly cast his eyes around the camp. That couldn't happen. This wasn't a fight any of them should actually take. Even if...

"...…...…...…...……...………......…...……...…...……...…......……...………..no." He can't be...the words he said...but even more the ones he hadn't managed to get out...they only made that terrible feeling inside start to swell up. Whatever remained of her ecstatic mood vanished from her face and her posture as her shoulders slumped. No no no no, please don't say it, that can't be true.​

"...Neo. Do not."

But it was, wasn't it? What else could it be that would prompt that out of Arthur's mouth, a demand for a team he wasn't even in charge of. Cinder glanced around, trying to see if she could spot Neo anywhere in sight. As bad as the feeling inside her felt, the fall maiden couldn't begin to wrap her head around how much exponentially worse it must have been for Neo. The two of them had been practically inseparable for a long time, and now...

…now they could never be again. Not on this planet.​

"You read my mind, Neo. Think I've seen about all I can stomach of this garbage."

He didn't know if Neo was expecting to hear a voice of reason chime in from her ex-team leader, a staying hand or impassioned plea to the heart to keep her from making a potentially bad decision. Maybe his and Emerald's presence was barely registering to the kid at all. Whatever her assumption may have been, Mercury at least threw Emerald for a loop with his bold proclamation as she glanced over to where he was curling his hand into a fist, raising her eyebrow skeptically.

"Are we really doing this?"

"I..." She forced herself to cough out when she heard them talking, the sounds greatly helping in trying to pinpoint where they were. But Cinder found it exceedingly difficult to say anything further as she struggled. Honestly, she considered it a minor miracle that she hadn't dropped to her knees yet, given how much her legs were shaking.​

"She stabbed us in the back, deep fried you and ran away while Roman died in the mess she caused. A little bleeding heart like Cinder might be willing to play nice with her, but I respectfully say to hell with that. Anyone even considering giving her the chance to betray us again is too stupid to get a say. Is that what you're saying?"

When she spoke again, it wasn't with any excuses made on behalf of the spring maiden. She couldn't do that. Mercury wasn't wrong. Vernal had stabbed them in the back when prompted by Qrow. The bandit had taken Emerald and herself out of the equation with extreme prejudice, something that kickstarted the conflict. She couldn't say anything about what had happened during that battle, having missed out on the whole series of events, but between Tyrian's tail and Roman...it didn't seem she'd want to know. She wasn't sure which side had come out more victorious in the end or even if she wanted to know that.

"Please. Don't." That was all she could force out, an emotional pleading for them not to do this. "She had me restrained and so much time before any of you got here. She could have left and been so far away by now, could have turned on me again, but I managed to convince her not to do any of that. I know I did. If I hadn't...I don't think I would be here now. She could have delivered me to Ozpin, cuffed and all wrapped up like a present. But she did not. I don't know exactly what inside her stayed her hand, I only know that she didn't go for that option when she had every chance to do so."​

She rolled her eyes. "No, I just think-"

"Good. Then get ready."

He went to stand in formation with Neo, footfall heavy as he put his fists up and dropped into a stance.

She took a few steps closer to where the voices were coming from. "Please. I know she made some horrible decisions, but..." Cinder's hands outstretched to indicate the largely empty camp around them. "...she suffered for them too. As she should have." Cinder made clear, agreeing on that point at least. "But she didn't kill Roman. She didn't even kill the two of us." She referred to herself and Emerald. "She could have, if she felt so inclined. Please, I'm begging you. Don't do this. Don't force this." Her eye drifted downwards to gaze at the dirt beneath her boots.

"We're hurting enough as it is." This, Tyrian's tail, it was a lot to take in all at once. And she dreaded the possibility of more than just those had occurred.

The bandit maiden herself was as silent as a grave the whole time. It was all she could do to listen, and when Cinder gestured out to the rest of the camp, to the family that was no longer here. Yeah, it stung.

But vengeance was a motive she knew all too well and one she couldn't fault them for. So she just stood there, leaving whatever happened next in their hands.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Woow, Taurus. Looks like your word doesn't carry as much weight as you thought it did" Hound sneered as he snapped the cuffs on and shoved her down the rest of the steps. It was a sullen, halfhearted action though, and the extent of the abuse she suffered at his hands as long as she and Tock kept in line as they were disarmed and marched through the halls and down, down, and down some more, till they reached an elevator that, you guessed it, went down some more

Where they ended up looked nothing like the castle above, dull grey metal and utilitarian lighting showing either a heavy remodeling or an entire new addition to what had stood here before. Tock and Eve were pushed onward, passed a gate that opened with a buzz to a long row of cells, though it seemed that they were the only occupants to be for now. "We'll even keep you next to each other, since you seem to get a kick out of each other's company." Hound drawled as he pushed Taurus into one and activated it with a button press, the gate slamming shut and the soft buzz of atlesian aura dampening kicking into affect above.

Guess upgrades aren't on the cards for now, the croc couldn't help but bitterly note when they took her swords away. They obviously were never going to let her keep them, and she knew that, but even so...seeing them in another's hands was extremely insulting. As she imagined his words were meant to be. She didn't respond to his verbal jab, refusing to let herself get baited into it. Tock had zero intention of wasting her breath. When she got shoved into the cell, she immediately went for the back wall and leaned against it, narrowed eyes focusing on the Hound.​

The moment she was shoved into the cell Eve started to pace like a caged animal, the uneasy sight one she left Hound with as she gave him her one verbal acknowledgment of the entire walk.

"Sienna."

Despite the context and predicament she found herself in, there was no mistaking the word for anything other than an order as Eve sat down on the floor with legs crossed and waited.​

"What she said." She added, crossing her arms.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Tyrian frowned as Cinder seemed to notice his tail. Or whatever was left of it after Harbinger cut through it.

“I...”

He didn’t want to explain. The sooner Trifa got him his prosthetic, he could look at his tail again and not want to cry. As Beo and Mercury made their intentions known and as Cinder protested, Tyrian stayed quiet until everyone had finished speaking.

“Her boss...leader...whatever he was. He’s the one who cut off my tail.”

It wrapped around Tyrian’s waist. “I know a fight I can’t win but letting her go on her way doesn’t sit right with me. I have a friend making me an artificial tail but it won’t erase the pain I went through or bring Roman back from...”
​

 

[MyrtenRose]

That startled a giggle out of her, as pleasant and genuine as every other sound that came out of her as she tried to cover it with a fist. "I suppose I am" She answered breezily as she stood up and gestured in the direction they were to go before she turned to leave "But unlike those meatheads, I couldn't fight my way out of a paper bag. Some faunus are lucky enough to be able to defend themselves from our oppressors with fist, claw, and powerful auras, but the rest of us have to make due with words and hope of mercy."

She let the silence carry for a little while, before she slowed her pace a bit to fall into step aside Ilia instead of in front of her. "...You were never to come to any harm, so you know. The High Leader may have to be cold and strong in her words, with all that talk of 'only one chance'-" (Her Sienna impression was not good) "-but we only took you to ensure miss Jade did her part. Nor would you have come to harm if she hadn't."

"Kinda doubt that." Ilia basically hissed out, looking over to the side at the bad impressionist snake beside her. "Mercy? No harm? Those ring pretty hollow after one of yours sliced my hand off. The same one who later stabbed me, and went for the killing blow at the start of a fight. Is that your joke of mercy, no harm?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I think when it comes to whatever you think is necessary, mercy gets tossed right out the window. No, actually, in fact I just don't think. I know it does." The chameleon corrected herself before adding less confrontationally. "It did for me, once upon a time."

She had known of Adam's plot to kill Sienna before it happened, and had been fully onboard with it at the time. She herself had partaken in the attempt to murder Ghira and Kali too. She knew far too well how far one could go down that path, so long as they believed it was for the greater good of their kind. Slaughtering their own wasn't off the table with that in mind. Not even esteemed leaders who had done so much for the faunus, who had been there when their people needed them.

It was always going to be something she regretted about herself. Sienna had been buried with honors, given the extravagant resting place someone who had fought so hard for the faunus deserved...but when Ilia had personally visited the grave, all the fancy things and everything that indicated that it belonged to a hero of their kind...none of it made it hurt any less. In fact, if anything, it only made it all the more painful. Yet, she had to see it personally, with her own eyes. Face to face, no matter how much it hurt. A reminder to herself how far she had gone on that dark path, and a stark warning on how much further she could have gone on that path if Blake hadn't saved her from falling even more into that abyss. That was one reason she had gone to the burial spot.

And because she owed Sienna that much.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

“Her boss...leader...whatever he was. He’s the one who cut off my tail.”

“..........” She wanted right then to give her scorpion amigo a thousand more hugs at least but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Not when the possibility of another fight seemed likely.
​

“I know a fight I can’t win but letting her go on her way doesn’t sit right with me. I have a friend making me an artificial tail but it won’t erase the pain I went through or bring Roman back from...”

“Nothing will erase that. Least of all another fight!”​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

The moment she was shoved into the cell Eve started to pace like a caged animal, the uneasy sight one she left Hound with as she gave him her one verbal acknowledgment of the entire walk.

"Sienna."

Despite the context and predicament she found herself in, there was no mistaking the word for anything other than an order as Eve sat down on the floor with legs crossed and waited.​

Guess upgrades aren't on the cards for now, the croc couldn't help but bitterly note when they took her swords away. They obviously were never going to let her keep them, and she knew that, but even so...seeing them in another's hands was extremely insulting. As she imagined his words were meant to be. She didn't respond to his verbal jab, refusing to let herself get baited into it. Tock had zero intention of wasting her breath. When she got shoved into the cell, she immediately went for the back wall and leaned against it, narrowed eyes focusing on the Hound.



"What she said." She added, crossing her arms.​

Hound rolled his eyes and settled his spear back across both shoulders as he turned to walk away. "Yea yea, you both wanna talk to the boss lady. We know. We get it. It'll happen."

He paused as he reached the gate, turning to shoot the pair of them a wolfish grin.

"...Eventually"

Then the gate slid closed, and the only sound apart from themselves they heard after that was that of his boots clunking against the floor as he walked away.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Hound rolled his eyes and settled his spear back across both shoulders as he turned to walk away. "Yea yea, you both wanna talk to the boss lady. We know. We get it. It'll happen."

He paused as he reached the gate, turning to shoot the pair of them a wolfish grin.

"...Eventually"

Then the gate slid closed, and the only sound apart from themselves they heard after that was that of his boots clunking against the floor as he walked away.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, jackass! Time's all on my side!!" Tock yelled out in reply.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"This... This is just boorish, immature, unhelpful, ungrateful, uncooperative and BRATTY, Yang. I hope you're very proud of yourself."

The cold winds of genuine Weiss disappointment suddenly blew from under the arch on the other end of the room, the manor's owner drawn by her smoke alarm and assuming no one could be this incompetent accidentally. Her experience was too lacking to understand this was just what 19 year olds were like. She traced a minute pattern on the air with her fingertips, and two of Myrtenaster's barrels glowed where the weapon hung from her hip as multiple glyphs spawned around Yang, blasting her with hot air like a hairdryer from every angle. The one she conjured next to her had a different function, as from its center several pale, featureless figures with humanoid shape were called forth, drawn from whatever other side Weiss could draw upon. They immediately set themselves to the task of undoing the blonde's damage, like ghostly plumbers and maids as the basis for the Schnee manor's scarcity of staff became apparent. The cold, fractal sculpture that was this Weiss Schnee had worked day and night to master every single aspect of herself until she was truly self-sufficient and independent, more isolated from the world outside her manor than ever.

Before addressing Yang's obvious attention-seeking disobedience proper, her sharp glare narrowed its eyes coldly at Harriet.

"It's funny, since if I'm not mistaken the reason for you being here in the first place was to prevent her from doing things like this. I thought you were supposed to be quick on the uptake? What were you even doing before you ran in here just now? Were you running all around the manor, looking for her?"

No attempt whatsoever was made to keep the flat mockery out of her tone, though she didn't plan on giving Harriet a chance to defend herself. Then her stare did shift over to Yang, fluid in doing so despite the frozen weight of it practically demanding a crowbar to budge.

"As for you... Are you going to be the kind of puppy who makes a mess every time I leave the room? Because I don't have time to teach you how a proper and respectable young woman should behave. I don't mind you being bad every now and again, Yang, but I do NOT expect to see you contributing to my stress while you're here. I'll only enforce stricter and stricter measures if you do. Whatever this little performance was-"

She twirled her finger around at the room.

"-make sure there isn't a reprise. There are better and easier ways to get my attention."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Kinda doubt that." Ilia basically hissed out, looking over to the side at the bad impressionist snake beside her. "Mercy? No harm? Those ring pretty hollow after one of yours sliced my hand off. The same one who later stabbed me, and went for the killing blow at the start of a fight. Is that your joke of mercy, no harm?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I think when it comes to whatever you think is necessary, mercy gets tossed right out the window. No, actually, in fact I just don't think. I know it does." The chameleon corrected herself before adding less confrontationally. "It did for me, once upon a time."

Snake had enough shame to look to the side with a frown at the mention of Ilia's hand, her hands clasped together as they walked.

"...I can't speak for what happened at Ozpin's fortress, but you seem to know Blake Belladonna even better than I do. So I hope you believe me when I say she takes no joy in causing pain. You may be the only person alive and not under Ozpin's domain who's walked into that fortress and back out not just alive, but physically unharmed. I'm unsure if you give that the weight it deserves" she finished solemnly. "As for Haven, well..."

If anything, Snake's own gaze slipped into slightly judgemental as she glanced back to Ilia. "You showed up with Eve Taurus. A killer. If you aren't abreast of what happened at Beacon... she drew blood first. The White and Shadow Fangs were never meant to be at war. The split came as a shock to the leader and the hand, but they respected the decision right up until the moment Eve Taurus and the White Fang started killing us. Her fellow faunus. That wasnt' a fight we ever wanted, simply one we were forced to respond to, and it was one you joined in of your own free will. But it doesn't have to be that way. It..."

She sighed, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "...We do not want you as an enemy, Ilia Amitola. We don't want any faunus as our enemy. We aren't the monsters under the bed, just the only ones who are willing to see Salem for what she is."

 

[MyrtenRose]

Snake had enough shame to look to the side with a frown at the mention of Ilia's hand, her hands clasped together as they walked.

"...I can't speak for what happened at Ozpin's fortress, but you seem to know Blake Belladonna even better than I do. So I hope you believe me when I say she takes no joy in causing pain. You may be the only person alive and not under Ozpin's domain who's walked into that fortress and back out not just alive, but physically unharmed. I'm unsure if you give that the weight it deserves" she finished solemnly. "As for Haven, well..."

If anything, Snake's own gaze slipped into slightly judgemental as she glanced back to Ilia. "You showed up with Eve Taurus. A killer. If you aren't abreast of what happened at Beacon... she drew blood first. The White and Shadow Fangs were never meant to be at war. The split came as a shock to the leader and the hand, but they respected the decision right up until the moment Eve Taurus and the White Fang started killing us. Her fellow faunus. That wasnt' a fight we ever wanted, simply one we were forced to respond to, and it was one you joined in of your own free will. But it doesn't have to be that way. It..."

She sighed, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "...We do not want you as an enemy, Ilia Amitola. We don't want any faunus as our enemy. We aren't the monsters under the bed, just the only ones who are willing to see Salem for what she is."

"Tch. You judge others poorly for being killers and try to say you aren't the monsters under the bed...who are you trying to fool??? The man you're working with is the literal definition of the word monster?! I've seen it! Maybe you haven't, but I have!" Ilia was having none of this nonsense. "By allying with him, every horrible thing he does reflects on you too, not to mention all the terrible things you do by yourselves. I didn't go to Eve for aid because I wanted to kill people! I don't like hurting people, but you are all making extremely bad choices and invite even more hatred onto who knows how many innocent faunus?? Attacking the academies?? Destroying the communication tower??? You give every hateful human even more reasons to make us suffer and give even the more neutral or allied humans reasons to doubt their position or slide into that hateful camp!"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"..."

after Cinder's speech, Neo reappeared, but even Vernal knew she didn't look right. Her outline was fuzzy, her colors muted, and the proportions were all just a little bit incorrect. Bits of her were already flaking away like leaves of glass in the wind. She looked up at Cinder, and a Neo with no face at all slowly shook her head.

This wasn't psychological warfare, not like Emerald. It was just all she could manage; in a lot of ways Neo's semblance was making art on the fly, and in her current state of mind this was what she could conjure up of herself.

But it didn't matter whether they knew it was her or not; they still had to look, on the off chance it was her, and the only way they could 'hear' their friend speak her answer. When Roman was teaching her how to pickpocket, the number one rule was to always make sure they weren't watching the hand doing the work.

So the sad fascimile of Neo, the brief window into the current state of her soul, gave the answer, and the real Neo appeared behind Vernal's back with Hush whipping out in an arc for the back of her neck with the blade

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"This... This is just boorish, immature, unhelpful, ungrateful, uncooperative and BRATTY, Yang. I hope you're very proud of yourself."

The cold winds of genuine Weiss disappointment suddenly blew from under the arch on the other end of the room, the manor's owner drawn by her smoke alarm and assuming no one could be this incompetent accidentally. Her experience was too lacking to understand this was just what 19 year olds were like. She traced a minute pattern on the air with her fingertips, and two of Myrtenaster's barrels glowed where the weapon hung from her hip as multiple glyphs spawned around Yang, blasting her with hot air like a hairdryer from every angle. The one she conjured next to her had a different function, as from its center several pale, featureless figures with humanoid shape were called forth, drawn from whatever other side Weiss could draw upon. They immediately set themselves to the task of undoing the blonde's damage, like ghostly plumbers and maids as the basis for the Schnee manor's scarcity of staff became apparent. The cold, fractal sculpture that was this Weiss Schnee had worked day and night to master every single aspect of herself until she was truly self-sufficient and independent, more isolated from the world outside her manor than ever.

Before addressing Yang's obvious attention-seeking disobedience proper, her sharp glare narrowed its eyes coldly at Harriet.

"It's funny, since if I'm not mistaken the reason for you being here in the first place was to prevent her from doing things like this. I thought you were supposed to be quick on the uptake? What were you even doing before you ran in here just now? Were you running all around the manor, looking for her?"

No attempt whatsoever was made to keep the flat mockery out of her tone, though she didn't plan on giving Harriet a chance to defend herself. Then her stare did shift over to Yang, fluid in doing so despite the frozen weight of it practically demanding a crowbar to budge.

"As for you... Are you going to be the kind of puppy who makes a mess every time I leave the room? Because I don't have time to teach you how a proper and respectable young woman should behave. I don't mind you being bad every now and again, Yang, but I do NOT expect to see you contributing to my stress while you're here. I'll only enforce stricter and stricter measures if you do. Whatever this little performance was-"

She twirled her finger around at the room.

"-make sure there isn't a reprise. There are better and easier ways to get my attention."​

Yang seemed absolutely flummoxed by Weiss entry, so lost in the sauce of her own defeat that she hadn't even considered that it might've hurt the far more important battle of wills and wits she'd been forced to join into. She froze with her next bite of cereal halfway to her mouth as Weiss drifted into lecture mode, her eyes jumping between the various faux servants slowly erasing the history of the Battle of Schnee Kitchen from the books. Her eyes seemed to lock onto one servant into particular, and a flash of something other than confusion appeared in her eyes.

Whatever it was was buried in a sullen growl as she dropped her spoon her bowl and looked away. She'd been all ready to clean up after herself and apologize if Weiss ever brought it up, but being talked to like she was, like, five really flattened the desire to do so

"It wasn't on purpose, Weiss. I'm sorry, I was just... trying to entertain myself. I've never been a great cook, so... I was gonna clean up." She finished before she pushed out of the chair and moved to drop her bowl in the sink with the rest of the growing pile of dishes. "Trust me, when I want your attention, you'll know."