Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

Her fierce cry echoed through the silent halls of the base, but the void offered nothing in reply as Raven charged into the darkness and lit the way a furious crimson. At least, not for a few moments.

"Over here!"

The tiny, petrified voice that reached her ears faintly was sniveling so much the words were barely comprehensible, drifting over from the looming wall of darkness that led to yet another pitch black room. Until Raven entered it, that was, the scarlet glow cast by her sword and eyes revealing it to be some kind of mess hall with several more carcasses propped up and posed like they were eating lunch. It was hard to make out what exactly was in their hands in place of food, but maybe it was best not to wonder. The bandit had more pressing sights to address anyway.

The prime example being the one awaiting her at the far end of the hall. Several chairs and tables had been pushed aside, streaks of blood leading up to the makeshift clearing, and in the center of it was a shape. Making it out was nigh impossible at a distance, but as she drew closer it became obvious that the tracks led up to the motionless form of Qrow, aura clearly savaged and bleeding from a jagged wound on the side of his neck.

Over him hunched a tiny, cloaked and hooded figure, their back to Raven as they interrupted the oppressive silence with a soft, despairing weeping, every so often jostling the huntsman meekly in an effort to rouse him. The efforts were in vain, however, and the little girl's voice addressing him was growing more and more breathless in its frantic sobs.

"M-Mister please wake up, please you have to wake up! She could come back any second!"

The approaching glow alerted her to Raven's presence, and the figure stiffened up abruptly before going entirely, eerily still. No move was made to turn around and face her, the only motion at all that of her head slowly raising as she called out in the same small, timid tone; albeit one strained by the panicked and tear-stricken notes of alarm.

"Hello??? You have to turn off the light! She doesn't like the light, you'll bring her back!"​

Oh she liked exactly zero percent of anything she saw here. Not the ever present darkness, not the corpses posed around, not whatever was in their hands, not all the blood, not the sight of her brother laying there wounded that badly, and certainly not whoever that was in the hood. The mystery person who didn't turn around even slightly. It sounded like a little girl. Also known as somebody you wouldn't expect to find running around in a secure Atlesian base full of corpses. Cordovin had made it abundantly clear that she was the sole survivor, and the idea of a little girl surviving where trained soldiers had not...seemed an unlikely possibility at best. Her eyes narrowed slightly, the stranger's words going unheeded as Raven didn't dim the light in the slightest.

The maiden took measured steps forward, but rather than rush to her twin's side she kept herself at a respectable distance. She clutched Omen tightly and slowly circled around to put her in a better position to look into this stranger's face rather than the back of the hood.

"Bring who back?" Raven demanded, by now more than sick of not getting any straight answers.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"SHUT UP SNAKE! I'm not in the mood for your sunshine and rainbows bullshit! And I am sick and tired of knowing this freak is out there, judging me!" She turned her gaze back to Ilia with a dangerous, fragile glare. "Bear should've just killed you while we had the chance, but even though you're just going to go out and get in the way some more, they're still letting you go. Again. So get out. Get out of this fortress, and out of my life."

Snake bit her lip and slowly turned back around to get the airship ready, even her persistent demeanor unwilling to stick her nose into this conversation.

"I...I know you don't believe any of that." Ilia stated to herself. "I'm not a freak, and if you really wanted me dead...I have a feeling you'd try to take your shot. Blake certainly has." She noted with a wince. "I just want to know. Please. How much were you watching? How much did you see through my eyes? Can you do more than that? Could you...feel it when Blake...where she..." She looked down to the side of her torso.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"I...I know you don't believe any of that." Ilia stated to herself. "I'm not a freak, and if you really wanted me dead...I have a feeling you'd try to take your shot. Blake certainly has." She noted with a wince. "I just want to know. Please. How much were you watching? How much did you see through my eyes? Can you do more than that? Could you...feel it when Blake...where she..." She looked down to the side of her torso.​

"Oh I do." Ilia snarled back "I believe every word of it. Because only a freak could have gone through what we did and sided with the humans."

She took a step closer, head tilted down and voice rippling with anger as she glared at herself.



"Because you can make up whatever bullshit about our parents that you want, whatever rose colored lies you tell yourself to justify your lets hold hands, the kingdoms are good, humans are victims too world view. I remember them. I remember everything they told me; never trust a human. They're all the same. Take what you need, and leave them to bleed. That if I ever felt like I could trust one, that's when they'd rip out my heart. and they DIED hating them, and RIGHT ABOUT EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF THOSE THINGS!"

Despite the anger in her words, there were tears in her eyes as she slammed the gate with her hand only to have to jerk it back as the electricity in it jolted through her arm. She cradled it as she took a step back, a wounded smile on her face as she laughed a joyless sound.

"S-so yea. I saw all of it. I saw what Blake did; hesitate. I've seen Blake fight, and how lethal she is when she's actually trying. She did exactly what she wanted to do. She let a traitor like you live, just because you have my face. But you're not me, and if you get in my or Blake's way again, I'll prove to you just how not alike we are. Just try me"

and with that, she turned to walk away.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Oh I do." Ilia snarled back "I believe every word of it. Because only a freak could have gone through what we did and sided with the humans."

She took a step closer, head tilted down and voice rippling with anger as she glared at herself.



"Because you can make up whatever bullshit about our parents that you want, whatever rose colored lies you tell yourself to justify your lets hold hands, the kingdoms are good, humans are victims too world view. I remember them. I remember everything they told me; never trust a human. They're all the same. Take what you need, and leave them to bleed. That if I ever felt like I could trust one, that's when they'd rip out my heart. and they DIED hating them, and RIGHT ABOUT EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF THOSE THINGS!"

Despite the anger in her words, there were tears in her eyes as she slammed the gate with her hand only to have to jerk it back as the electricity in it jolted through her arm. She cradled it as she took a step back, a wounded smile on her face as she laughed a joyless sound.

"S-so yea. I saw all of it. I saw what Blake did; hesitate. I've seen Blake fight, and how lethal she is when she's actually trying. She did exactly what she wanted to do. She let a traitor like you live, just because you have my face. But you're not me, and if you get in my or Blake's way again, I'll prove to you just how not alike we are. Just try me"

and with that, she turned to walk away.

It was to be expected, looking at another version of herself, but it really did feel like looking into a mirror. With every word she could see the person she had been, the angry faunus haunted by the death of her parents and convinced by those around her that the way she was lashing out at the humans was the right way to go. That those who hated their kind deserved to be punished for their cruelty, and the others who just stood by and let the hate happen deserved to be punished for their apathy and inaction. It...was not a fun thing to see. "You're wrong." She shook her head.

"I'm not on the side of the humans. Everything I do is for us. But you can't see that. You can't see that your hate will never stamp out theirs. It can only permanently continue the cycle. A cycle of violence and hate from us to them and them to us until there's nothing left. You just can't see that, and I know why. It isn't just about our parents. Killing people doesn't bring them back, nor does it make the pain easier to bear. No, it goes beyond that...you've allowed Blake's hate to bury the good in you that I know is there...because...you love her that much." A sad smile emerged onto her face.

"I get it, believe me. If the Blake I knew returned my affections that way, it would be hard for me to let go of that. Even if she dragged me down to dark places, as yours did with you. I'm sorry that happened to you. But know this..." The look on her face hardened as she stared down her doppelganger.

"I'm the older one here. If we meet out there, on the battlefield, I'll show you what that means." Ilia promised. "I'll make you see how it isn't me that has to worry about you, it's the other way around." Her glare remained locked on the other Ilia's back until she was no longer in sight. She loitered there for a few moments longer before she turned and headed back for Tock's ship.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

To be expected of a little girl, the mounting hysteria in her breathing didn't waver when Raven didn't call back or heed her warning during her wary approach. The figure's hands balled up on Qrow's shirt, her sobs rising to a wail that cracked with each increasingly vigorous shake as she cried out again.
​

"You mean, disgusting old woman! Why'd you have to bite into him like that when he was already asleep?! The blood tastes so groossssss!"

The figure rocked suddenly in place, head thrown to the side as a much harsher and more scratchy voice trilled with a cackle of manic glee.
​

"Reeeeooowww! How's an old cougar like me meant to pass up an opportunity to take a bite out of a handsome youngster like this fella?! I'd gobble 'im up in a stew if I could!" ​

It was becoming increasingly apparent that the 'girl' wasn't talking to Raven any longer. The shoulders under the cloak seemed to unwind after the exuberant rocking, hunch growing less pronounced and tension in the neck relaxing as the figure's head lolled lazily to the side. The voice that came from under the hood next was much less pronounced and cartoonish than the other two, simply the relaxed, chipper hum of a young woman, an almost comforting melodic quality to it.


"It has been a while."​

"Since we ate, or since we-?"​

"-ah-ah-ahhhh! Baby sister is listening!~"​

"-Oops! Well I'm sorry, sugarplum, your old grandma just couldn't resist the smell of this nice young man! Pretty great, ya haveta admit!"​

"It is not! He smells like cologne and bad decisions!"

The 'little girl' sniffled as a sleeve wiped under the hood, apparently reigning in the tears a bit, and her next words carried a strange hum, as if reconsidering her stance on the whole biting thing.

​

"...But I am starving..."

"ᴡʜᴀᴛ
ɪꜱ
ᴛʜᴀᴛ
ʟɪɢʜᴛ"

"-NO NO, IT'S FINE, REAPER, IT'S FINE! GO BACK TO SLEEP!"


The most temperate of the voices shrilled in reply to the downright demonic screech that had just erupted from beneath the hood, a warped, distorted grind of nails on a chalkboard. Both the other voices held a tense, apprehensive silence in response to the newest's interjection, but when it became clear no further boom was imminent the young woman huffed with relief.


"...All the more reason to skee-daddle. Daddy let us out to check on Atlas for him, after all, and we don't wanna disappoint him or the Reaper! Don't you wanna get back to the dark place as soon as possible?"​

"The dark place!" The little girl gasped.

"Oooohhhh, I love the dark place, yes!" The old woman whooped with approval.​

The conversation(?) was playing out at such a rapid pace it was difficult to make all the words out, Raven about three quarters of the way in her approach by this point. Whoever was hunched over Qrow seemed to have taken to completely ignoring her when she failed to play along with the game.

​

"...Ehh... So what're we hanging around here for?"​

"These mean people wouldn't let our friends pass!"

"That's why we killed 'em all, kiddo! And now these sweet little ducklings are here with a way out for us, our ride's still parked up on the roof, it's all good! I'm just curious about this dude."


She prodded the back of Qrow's head roughly, the words she emphasized rolled around her tongue like a gobstopper.

​

"Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, now that you mention it... Did he seem kinda... familiar to anyone?"

"Tasted familiar, too!​

"...Y'know who I think he tastes like?"​

"...Ooooohhh, good call!"​

"You're so smart, big sister!"

The figure rose up, and Raven had enough of an angle at this point to see it was neither little girl, old woman nor monster that waited beneath the cloak, but a woman around her age. She wasn't merely crouched or kneeling; Rather, her entire body had been coiled on its haunches as she hovered over her fallen prey, the manner in which she'd compressed and folded her body with perfect balance to emulate the stature of someone far smaller worthy of a contortionist. It was also extremely unnatural, but it had nothing on the way she unfolded herself from that gangly position to rise up in what could best be described as a blend between a spider emerging from a small hole and a Disney princess about to burst into song. Her eyes glowed, both with genuine fondness and with a harsh, silvery light that matched and even outshone Raven's crimson-eyed glow as she spun towards the bandit chieftain with hands clasped over her heart and a delirious smile peeking from under the edge of a mask that hung askew. When she spoke again, it was with three voices folded into one, and that fact plus the darkly pulsing veins that webbed out from the corrupted patches of skin that were her eye sockets were enough to make Cordovin's earlier confusion on whether the one responsible for the atrocities here was human or monster a just one.

"He tastes just like our sweet, adorable little Masque!"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

It was to be expected, looking at another version of herself, but it really did feel like looking into a mirror. With every word she could see the person she had been, the angry faunus haunted by the death of her parents and convinced by those around her that the way she was lashing out at the humans was the right way to go. That those who hated their kind deserved to be punished for their cruelty, and the others who just stood by and let the hate happen deserved to be punished for their apathy and inaction. It...was not a fun thing to see. "You're wrong." She shook her head.

"I'm not on the side of the humans. Everything I do is for us. But you can't see that. You can't see that your hate will never stamp out theirs. It can only permanently continue the cycle. A cycle of violence and hate from us to them and them to us until there's nothing left. You just can't see that, and I know why. It isn't just about our parents. Killing people doesn't bring them back, nor does it make the pain easier to bear. No, it goes beyond that...you've allowed Blake's hate to bury the good in you that I know is there...because...you love her that much." A sad smile emerged onto her face.

"I get it, believe me. If the Blake I knew returned my affections that way, it would be hard for me to let go of that. Even if she dragged me down to dark places, as yours did with you. I'm sorry that happened to you. But know this..." The look on her face hardened as she stared down her doppelganger.

"I'm the older one here. If we meet out there, on the battlefield, I'll show you what that means." Ilia promised. "I'll make you see how it isn't me that has to worry about you, it's the other way around." Her glare remained locked on the other Ilia's back until she was no longer in sight. She loitered there for a few moments longer before she turned and headed back for Tock's ship.​

It was clear that the other Ilia was doing her best not to turn around, but when Ilia said Blake's name, she whirled on her with a glare that was a heady mixture of hurt and hate, her lips quivering as she bit down the urge to turn around and scream. Not when she wasn't sure what could come out. Not after what she'd seen at Haven. Between Ilia, Blake, and her.

She passed that test of will, and settled for spitting on the cobblestone between them before she disappeared into the shadows, silent as ever.


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


Snake had left the umbrella propped up against the the side of the gate's exit behind Ilia, in easy sight when she turned to leave. Ergo the Shadowfang diplomat was slightly damp as she sat in the copilot's chair, one hand resting in her cheek and a leg crossed over the other as she spoke into the radio.

"Hello again Bear! Could you be a dear and get Sienna for me?"

"Snake."

"Yes?"

Bear sounded absolutely exhausted as his question came out, though still in his level calm "Why are you on that airship?"

"Well that's a silly question. I understand why we wanted the CCT tower gone, but it does make it so I have to go to Atlas to do my job."

"Snake."

"What? Its a perfectly serviceable air ship. It flew here all the way from Mistral."

"Snake."

"And miss Jade seems to think that Ilia is an excellent pilot. Our own Ilia is quite skilled!"

"Our Ilia doesn't see you as an enemy. That is not a fight you would win"

"Oh please. Enemy is such a strong term"

"Snake. I'm sending someone to get you" He growled, the exasperation he was feeling finally seeping into his

"Please, old man. Trust me. We have a common foe. It only does us good if they succeed, and she has no reason to attack me."

"No reason, she says..." There was a long, deep sigh on the other end that lasted almost ten seconds (which still only contained about half the doubt he seemed to feel for that sentence), before he grumbled for them to give him a moment. A short while later Sienna came on.

"Snake, what, pray tell, the hell are you doing?"

"Don't worry, I have Bear's permission!"

"She does not"

"I have Bear's very begrudging trust!" Snake corrected without missing a beat.

"..."

"...Very well. As long as you get your task done, then you have my trust as well. but, If you do have everything under control, why are you already radioing in?"

"To make a request" Snake replied blithely. "You're going to talk to miss Jade, I assume?"

"...Yes" Sienna replied tersely. "I owe her that much- Wait. Is the other Ilia-"

"Don't worry about her, your reasons are unimportant and I'm sure very correct, High Leader" Snake cut off swfitly. "But I just had a suggestion to make. Miss Jade wants you to see her as an equal; she may be more willing to hear you out if you treat her as such, rather than a prisoner. Perhaps the guest quarters would suffice?"

"...You do know you're talking about Salem's immortal enforcer, right?" Sienna drawled back, her regal tone breaking entirely as she tried to process that sentence. "I can't very well waste all my time guarding her myself, nor can I spare any talons. Blake's taking four of them tomorrow."

"Well" Snake continued "Perhaps a pair of unchained aura dampeners to go with it. Not true freedom, but less... prisony, to be certain."

"...Is there a reason you're asking this?" Sienna asked, in a tone that perfectly painted the image of her rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration

"Yes."

"...Are you going to share the reason?"

" Outside of it being a good idea? Nope!"

"..." Sienna sighed. "I will consider it. Goodbye, Snake. Be careful."

"Always, High Leader~"
Snake let out a sigh as she turned the channel off and spun the chair to face wherever Ilia ended up, a weaker smile on her face than her playful tone would've suggested.

"...I'm sorry. I was hoping to have at least some good news for you after that conversation you just had, but the best I could manage was a 'she'll consider it'. I hope Ilia wasn't too hard on you." She said as she spun the chair back around and finished turning on the engines. "I can fly if you'd prefer to rest, but I think miss Jade would rather you be at the wheel."

 

[MyrtenRose]

To be expected of a little girl, the mounting hysteria in her breathing didn't waver when Raven didn't call back or heed her warning during her wary approach. The figure's hands balled up on Qrow's shirt, her sobs rising to a wail that cracked with each increasingly vigorous shake as she cried out again.
​

"You mean, disgusting old woman! Why'd you have to bite into him like that when he was already asleep?! The blood tastes so groossssss!"

The figure rocked suddenly in place, head thrown to the side as a much harsher and more scratchy voice trilled with a cackle of manic glee.
​

"Reeeeooowww! How's an old cougar like me meant to pass up an opportunity to take a bite out of a handsome youngster like this fella?! I'd gobble 'im up in a stew if I could!" ​

It was becoming increasingly apparent that the 'girl' wasn't talking to Raven any longer. The shoulders under the cloak seemed to unwind after the exuberant rocking, hunch growing less pronounced and tension in the neck relaxing as the figure's head lolled lazily to the side. The voice that came from under the hood next was much less pronounced and cartoonish than the other two, simply the relaxed, chipper hum of a young woman, an almost comforting melodic quality to it.


"It has been a while."​

"Since we ate, or since we-?"​

"-ah-ah-ahhhh! Baby sister is listening!~"​

"-Oops! Well I'm sorry, sugarplum, your old grandma just couldn't resist the smell of this nice young man! Pretty great, ya haveta admit!"​

"It is not! He smells like cologne and bad decisions!"

The 'little girl' sniffled as a sleeve wiped under the hood, apparently reigning in the tears a bit, and her next words carried a strange hum, as if reconsidering her stance on the whole biting thing.

​

"...But I am starving..."

"ᴡʜᴀᴛ
ɪꜱ
ᴛʜᴀᴛ
ʟɪɢʜᴛ"

"-NO NO, IT'S FINE, REAPER, IT'S FINE! GO BACK TO SLEEP!"


The most temperate of the voices shrilled in reply to the downright demonic screech that had just erupted from beneath the hood, a warped, distorted grind of nails on a chalkboard. Both the other voices held a tense, apprehensive silence in response to the newest's interjection, but when it became clear no further boom was imminent the young woman huffed with relief.


"...All the more reason to skee-daddle. Daddy let us out to check on Atlas for him, after all, and we don't wanna disappoint him or the Reaper! Don't you wanna get back to the dark place as soon as possible?"​

"The dark place!" The little girl gasped.

"Oooohhhh, I love the dark place, yes!" The old woman whooped with approval.​

The conversation(?) was playing out at such a rapid pace it was difficult to make all the words out, Raven about three quarters of the way in her approach by this point. Whoever was hunched over Qrow seemed to have taken to completely ignoring her when she failed to play along with the game.

​

"...Ehh... So what're we hanging around here for?"​

"These mean people wouldn't let our friends pass!"

"That's why we killed 'em all, kiddo! And now these sweet little ducklings are here with a way out for us, our ride's still parked up on the roof, it's all good! I'm just curious about this dude."


She prodded the back of Qrow's head roughly, the words she emphasized rolled around her tongue like a gobstopper.

​

"Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, now that you mention it... Did he seem kinda... familiar to anyone?"

"Tasted familiar, too!​

"...Y'know who I think he tastes like?"​

"...Ooooohhh, good call!"​

"You're so smart, big sister!"

The figure rose up, and Raven had enough of an angle at this point to see it was neither little girl, old woman nor monster that waited beneath the cloak. She wasn't merely crouched or kneeling; Rather, her entire body had been coiled on its haunches as she hovered over her fallen prey, the manner in which she'd compressed and folded her body with perfect balance to emulate the stature of someone far smaller worthy of a contortionist. It was also extremely unnatural, but it had nothing on the way she unfolded herself from that gangly position to rise up in what could best be described as a blend between a spider emerging from a small hole and a Disney princess about to burst into song. Her eyes glowed, both with genuine fondness and with a harsh, silvery light that matched and even outshone Raven's crimson-eyed glow as she spun towards the bandit chieftain with hands clasped over her heart and a delirious smile peeking from under the edge of a mask that hung askew. When she spoke again, it was with three voices folded into one, and that fact plus the darkly pulsing veins that webbed out from the corrupted patches of skin that were her eye sockets were enough to make Cordovin's earlier confusion on whether the one responsible for the atrocities here was human or monster a just one.

"He tastes just like our sweet, adorable little Masque!"​

Oh was she so glad that she hung back instead of rushing to Qrow's side. Her instinct about how off this was had been right on the money. Whoever was hidden underneath that hood was talking so fast it was not easy to keep up. But what was more unsettling about it was that none of that conversation seemed aimed her way. No, this stranger was talking to herself, in three distinct voices--no wait, scratch that. At least four, though that fourth was quickly shut down. Raven had the time to speak while she cautiously circled over in front of the hooded stranger, but she did not. She could not, because she truly didn't have any words for the madness she was listening to as the little girl voice, a more elderly sounding one and one somewhere in the middle went back and forth. Yet by far the most unsettling thing was a combination of things: the way the stranger rose up, it was utterly inhuman. In addition to that, the way she looked! Those dark veins, the twisted skin...now she could see it. She understood precisely why Cordovin had called this one a monster, a devil.

Raven found herself agreeing with that assessment. Something that left a bad taste in her mouth, being pushed into agreeing with someone that foolish and ridiculous.

A monster who had apparently taken a bite out of his neck. Disgusting, but not particularly shocking for somebody responsible for the massacre she had discovered. Raven's eyes lowered to the prone form of her twin in a quick scan before bringing her gaze back up. That wound was nasty, definitely one that needed to be treated as soon as possible. If there was a chance of avoiding a fight...

"Listen you, whoever the fuck you are. You want to leave? If I said you could go, right now, no fuss...would you? Or does this have to get even uglier?" Her hand wrapped around Omen's hilt even tighter, Raven hoping for the easy way out but preparing for the hard way through.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...I'm sorry. I was hoping to have at least some good news for you after that conversation you just had, but the best I could manage was a 'she'll consider it'. I hope Ilia wasn't too hard on you." She said as she spun the chair back around and finished turning on the engines. "I can fly if you'd prefer to rest, but I think miss Jade would rather you be at the wheel."

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Ilia kept it at that. "And I guess that's better than nothing." She added in regards to Sienna. In truth, her mind was not just on Tock but also on Eve, currently. After the rage fueled rant the bull gave her back in the city of Mistral, and what she had said to her after...leaving her here in particular felt wrong. But there was nothing she could do about it. Were it not for them knowing that she was in the vicinity and also having a way to track every move she made, the chameleon might have tried to get her out too. As it was the odds, were stacked against her heavily. So, though it was with a forlorn expression, Ilia settled into the pilot's chair to get the unique ship moving.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

A monster who had apparently taken a bite out of his neck. Disgusting, but not particularly shocking for somebody responsible for the massacre she had discovered. Raven's eyes lowered to the prone form of her twin in a quick scan before bringing her gaze back up. That wound was nasty, definitely one that needed to be treated as soon as possible. If there was a chance of avoiding a fight...

"Listen you, whoever the fuck you are. You want to leave? If I said you could go, right now, no fuss...would you? Or does this have to get even uglier?" Her hand wrapped around Omen's hilt even tighter, Raven hoping for the easy way out but preparing for the hard way through.

"Yeeeeee! Scary!" The childlike voice squealed, a genuine wobble to her lower lip as a combination of Raven's harsh glare and readied weapon hand had her fall backwards into the folds of her cloak as she executed a sudden, bendy handstand over to the other side of Qrow. The movement was so flexible and silent it was as if the woman was boneless, and when she came back up on the other side it was with a fistful of her unconscious twin's hair in one hand and a single rustic sickle-style weapon held to his throat with the other, its staff adorned with all sorts of engravings and head a skull effigy similar to the mask she now wore properly over her face. Wispy black veins curled out from where the edge touched her skin, as if plate and flesh were fused.

"Hush now, lovely. Don't be dull. Can't you see we're playing a game?" The (apparently) dominant persona addressed Raven for the first time, tiny orbs flickering deep in the hollow darkness of the mask's eyes as she gave the bandit a once-over with a discontent shudder of a sigh. "Ugh. Now that you've scared baby sister back inside the rest of us I'm gonna get all hyper, and annoying, and nggh, sorry, I know it's not really my place to say this but you guys are so COOOOL looking! I mean, everyone else here broke like paper mache, and the little tin soldier who came marching through was so boring I could barely keep my eyes open ughweraughhg-"

Her meandering trailed off into a deep, luxurious yawn, head rolling back and jaw stretching wide under the mask to accommodate it.

"-But you guys are cy-ooooot. All goth'n'angry'n'stuff." She let her accent adopt a bit of a rural twang for that last part, head tilting kittenishly as her eyes widened with excitement. "You should let us take you back to the dark place! I can break you in, I'll have fun, eventually you will too, maybe I'll even figure out why I wanna ᴘᴇᴇʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴏꜰꜰ ꜱᴏ ʙᴀᴅ"

A more violent shudder wracked her spine and had the sickle tip pushing dangerously against Qrow's jugular, the deep, distorted growl that tore its way free from the back of her throat something a master ventriloquist would need years of practice to pull off in how much it contrasted the sugary tone of before. She recovered and gave a half-laugh, as though embarrassed.

"Pleeease can't I have one conversation with a girl my age..."

"ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ"

"REAPER THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS SHE DOES NOT smell of- Huh." Her voice came to a calm, unsettling quiet after she sniffed the air twice, a new light to the way she looked at Raven as she cocked her head. "Thatissoweeeeeeeeeeiiiiirrrrrrrd. Hey, who are you guys? 'Cause this dude smells of a little magic, but you-"

She lightly prodded the sickle in her direction.

"-are absolutely reeking of it. Ohmigosh, are you the Winter Maiden?! I'm supposed to find you! I get to play with you if you're not doing your job right!" She leaned forward a little, eyes shining a little brighter through the mask in plain excitement at the notion of finding who she was looking for without ever having to go to Atlas at all. "Then once I'm done playing I can go back to sleep again! My brain is suuuuuper complicated and delicate, so Daddy says it's not good if I stay out of the dark for too long."

The words were delivered with a pleasantly chipper tone, as if this were just a conversation between work buddies by the water cooler and she weren't holding a razor sharp edge to some dude's throat.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Tiger had said nothing upon following Hound to the cells where Tock/Eve would be kept. There was nothing more she could say.

She didn't like the tactics that had been used to get Tock to obey. They felt underhanded, unfitting of someone as strong as she was. Still, it'd been the High Leader's doing and there could be no argument had there. What's done was done and if she was asked to?

She'd kill both of the prisoners without hesitation. Or at least as much as someone like Tock could be considered 'killed.'

She'd feel apologetic sure but tools didn't complain when they were used to hammer in a nail or turn a screw. They'd simply do what they'd been made to do. As Hound and her moved to rejoin the others, Tiger's thoughts still lingered on what could have been. What was Eve's plan? What kind of fight would she have put up if she'd stood her ground? Would Tiger have been in risk of losing, maybe even dying?

Perhaps.

Given how her last fight against a fellow faunus went...

She sincerely hoped either one of them put up more of a fight worth her energy.​

 

[MidwayLives]

She huffed and turned to face Harriet as she leaned on the counter, a wry frown on her face as she shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. Also, 'yes' literally doesn't answer my question. It wasn't a yes or no question. So... no, saying yes will literally get me to do nothing."

Harriet's face scrunched up and she thought long and hard about how to reply to that.

She came to a decision.

"Shut up."
​

She let that hang in the air for a few seconds until one of the phantom servants bumped her shoulder, and it sent a shiver down her spine that immediately had her standing up. "Which is a question you should still answer but hey, maybe we do this game of twenty questions somewhere not here!" She suggested before turning and power walking down the hall in the opposite direction Weiss had gone.

Harriet followed right in step with Yang.

"...To answer your question, no, this world is my home. If your world's Harriet ended up here, I haven't seen hide nor hare of her. But, hey let me ask a question of my own."

Harriet thumbed down the way that Weiss had walked.

"Schnee. Is she just as...is she like this in your world too?"

Whatever it was Harriet really wanted to say, she just couldn't force it up.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Yeeeeee! Scary!" The childlike voice squealed, a genuine wobble to her lower lip as a combination of Raven's harsh glare and readied weapon hand had her fall backwards into the folds of her cloak as she executed a sudden, bendy handstand over to the other side of Qrow. The movement was so flexible and silent it was as if the woman was boneless, and when she came back up on the other side it was with a fistful of her unconscious twin's hair in one hand and a single rustic sickle-style weapon held to his throat with the other, its staff adorned with all sorts of engravings and head a skull effigy similar to the mask she now wore properly over her face. Wispy black veins curled out from where the edge touched her skin, as if plate and flesh were fused.

Her eyes widened noticeably now that the other held Qrow up and a weapon pressed to his throat, but she did her best to hold her face in a neutral expression nevertheless. One wrong move had the potential to end very, very poorly. The last thing she wanted was to give the woman a reason. Or any more of one, as the case seemed to be. Incidentally, focusing on the stranger before her came with a certain, albeit strange, form of appreciation. That mask might very well have been a more frightening one than her own, moreso with how it seemed welded to her face.​

"Hush now, lovely. Don't be dull. Can't you see we're playing a game?" The (apparently) dominant persona addressed Raven for the first time, tiny orbs flickering deep in the hollow darkness of the mask's eyes as she gave the bandit a once-over with a discontent shudder of a sigh. "Ugh. Now that you've scared baby sister back inside the rest of us I'm gonna get all hyper, and annoying, and nggh, sorry, I know it's not really my place to say this but you guys are so COOOOL looking! I mean, everyone else here broke like paper mache, and the little tin soldier who came marching through was so boring I could barely keep my eyes open ughweraughhg-"

"...Lovely, am I?" She commented, hoping that if she kept the woman talking(not that it seemed the stranger needed much incentive for that), this twisted game of whatever this masked lunatic thought she was playing would be stalled. "And cool too? You certainly know how to flatter somebody." ​

Her meandering trailed off into a deep, luxurious yawn, head rolling back and jaw stretching wide under the mask to accommodate it.

"-But you guys are cy-ooooot. All goth'n'angry'n'stuff." She let her accent adopt a bit of a rural twang for that last part, head tilting kittenishly as her eyes widened with excitement. "You should let us take you back to the dark place! I can break you in, I'll have fun, eventually you will too, maybe I'll even figure out why I wanna ᴘᴇᴇʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴏꜰꜰ ꜱᴏ ʙᴀᴅ"

A more violent shudder wracked her spine and had the sickle tip pushing dangerously against Qrow's jugular, the deep, distorted growl that tore its way free from the back of her throat something a master ventriloquist would need years of practice to pull off in how much it contrasted the sugary tone of before. She recovered and gave a half-laugh, as though embarrassed.

There was a twitch of a finger among the hand that held Omen as that sickle weapon pressed disturbingly closer to her twin's throat, and Raven fell silent in response, though her stoic expression didn't break. A stony gaze simply quietly scrutinized this absolute madwoman before her, studying every inch and dissecting every word, looking for something to exploit just as the other brief voice from earlier came in to join in on the macabre fun the stranger was having.​

"Pleeease can't I have one conversation with a girl my age..."

"ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ"

"REAPER THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS SHE DOES NOT smell of- Huh." Her voice came to a calm, unsettling quiet after she sniffed the air twice, a new light to the way she looked at Raven as she cocked her head. "Thatissoweeeeeeeeeeiiiiirrrrrrrd. Hey, who are you guys? 'Cause this dude smells of a little magic, but you-"

She lightly prodded the sickle in her direction.

"-are absolutely reeking of it. Ohmigosh, are you the Winter Maiden?! I'm supposed to find you! I get to play with you if you're not doing your job right!" She leaned forward a little, eyes shining a little brighter through the mask in plain excitement at the notion of finding who she was looking for without ever having to go to Atlas at all. "Then once I'm done playing I can go back to sleep again! My brain is suuuuuper complicated and delicate, so Daddy says it's not good if I stay out of the dark for too long."

The words were delivered with a pleasantly chipper tone, as if this were just a conversation between work buddies by the water cooler and she weren't holding a razor sharp edge to some dude's throat.

...Huh. That's one option.

"And what if I am?" Raven remarked as she took a step or two backwards, keeping her face composed and betraying none of how concerned she felt that this one could apparently somehow smell magic. Like how would that work? What the hell does magic even smell like? "Surely you'd want to play-" She somehow managed to say without a hint of disgust. "-with the main course before you continued with dessert." Raven pointed out as her eyes flickered to Qrow. "So come on. Drop him for now, and let's play this game. You and me." ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Sieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenna." Truthfully, for an immortal being she had an incredible lack of patience.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Harriet's face scrunched up and she thought long and hard about how to reply to that.

She came to a decision.

"Shut up."

She raised an eyebrow as she snagged a bag of pretzels off the counter before the left.

"...mmmm'kay!" she answered.

Harriet followed right in step with Yang.

"...To answer your question, no, this world is my home. If your world's Harriet ended up here, I haven't seen hide nor hare of her. But, hey let me ask a question of my own."

Harriet thumbed down the way that Weiss had walked.

"Schnee. Is she just as...is she like this in your world too?"

Whatever it was Harriet really wanted to say, she just couldn't force it up.

She popped a few of the pretzels in her mouth and continued with the shutting up with a helpless shrug

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Sieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenna." Truthfully, for an immortal being she had an incredible lack of patience.​

now that Snake and Ilia were on their way and thats one less NPC to juggle The wait finally ended.

...for Tock, anyways.

a pair of shadowfang guards strode in, Bear waiting calmly at the gate as one let themselves in to Tock's cell and handed her what were essentially a pair of the blandest bracelets she'd ever seen once the door was closed behind her. "Put these on. You get your meeting with Sienna once you do." she grunted

If she complied, the other guard open the door, and the pair took the lead for the exit with Bear nodding his head for Tock to move past him so he could bring up the rear. It was a cramped elevator ride up. Her aura didn't return like it should've when they left the cell.

The halls of the complex were massive, winding affairs, but Tock felt relatively sure that she wasn't being led in the same direction she'd come from when they exited the elevator. The door they knocked on was far simpler than the elaborate, elegant design of the Talon's hall, or the massive great oak doors of the throne room, though it was the same voice that answered when the knock came.

"Enter."

One of the guards opened the door before they both took position at either side, and Bear ducked his head to follow into the room after Tock. It was obviously a part of the castle's original construction, unlike the prison cells she'd just been stuck in, with arched stone ceilings and a fireplace, though where a chandelier once hung was instead a modern ceiling fan. An ornate bed sat in one corner, and an equally elaborately wrought table sat in another. That was where Sienna sat, in one of the chairs on the far side of it, looking every part the queen despite the small setting with how formidable she made the simple chair looked, an arm on each armrest and one leg over the other with an imperious frown. She nodded to bear, who closed the door, before she gestured to the seat across from her.

"...If you're still going to be here after this chat, it will be here. Either you're quite the snake charmer, or your Ilia is a better saleswoman than ours. But..."

Whatever brief flash of annoyance crossed her face in that sentence died quicky, and she put up a hand as she slowly shook her head with a slightly muddled frown.

"...What do you want here, Liadan? Really? If the only reason you're still here is to lecture and preach to me about how Salem's really just an ancient, blameless girl scout and so much better than Ozpin, I swear to the gods you're going back in that cell and I'm filling it with concrete."

That threat, at least compared to her earlier ones, only sounded half serious.

 

[MyrtenRose]

now that Snake and Ilia were on their way and thats one less NPC to juggle The wait finally ended.

...for Tock, anyways.

a pair of shadowfang guards strode in, Bear waiting calmly at the gate as one let themselves in to Tock's cell and handed her what were essentially a pair of the blandest bracelets she'd ever seen once the door was closed behind her. "Put these on. You get your meeting with Sienna once you do." she grunted

If she complied, the other guard open the door, and the pair took the lead for the exit with Bear nodding his head for Tock to move past him so he could bring up the rear. It was a cramped elevator ride up. Her aura didn't return like it should've when they left the cell.

"...Really?" She exclaimed, looking down at the things. "Can't say it much goes with my look, fellas. Clashes with the whole cool thing I got goin', y'know." She sarcastically retorted. Yet continuing to stay in here doing nothing didn't hold much appeal to her, so despite the mockery she did slip them on. When they opened the door for her, she gratefully stepped out, following behind the leading pair and super mindful of the behemoth behind her, a brief wink being directed over to the bull as she passed by that cell. Her assumption about the purpose of the bracelets quickly proved to be the correct one, her aura not coming back in the slightest despite no longer be stuck in that hole.​

The halls of the complex were massive, winding affairs, but Tock felt relatively sure that she wasn't being led in the same direction she'd come from when they exited the elevator. The door they knocked on was far simpler than the elaborate, elegant design of the Talon's hall, or the massive great oak doors of the throne room, though it was the same voice that answered when the knock came.

"Enter."

"Huh. Gotta say, didn't think ya guys still believed in not fancy doors." Tock snickered, more just to keep herself amused than being a meaningful jab at them. Simple doors or fancy ones, it didn't matter to her that much, or at all.​

One of the guards opened the door before they both took position at either side, and Bear ducked his head to follow into the room after Tock. It was obviously a part of the castle's original construction, unlike the prison cells she'd just been stuck in, with arched stone ceilings and a fireplace, though where a chandelier once hung was instead a modern ceiling fan. An ornate bed sat in one corner, and an equally elaborately wrought table sat in another. That was where Sienna sat, in one of the chairs on the far side of it, looking every part the queen despite the small setting with how formidable she made the simple chair looked, an arm on each armrest and one leg over the other with an imperious frown. She nodded to bear, who closed the door, before she gestured to the seat across from her.

"...If you're still going to be here after this chat, it will be here. Either you're quite the snake charmer, or your Ilia is a better saleswoman than ours. But..."

Though she did let out an appreciative low whistle at the sight of the room. So much nicer than the tiny cramped cell. "New digs, eh? Niceeeeeeeeeee." Her slightly mischievous smirk stayed on her face the whole way over and even after she had dropped into that chair. "And nah, I think you and me both know that tiger charmer is way more accurate." The look on her face shifted into a more knowing and absolutely shameless smile. Complete with her eyebrows shooting up a couple times.​

Whatever brief flash of annoyance crossed her face in that sentence died quickly, and she put up a hand as she slowly shook her head with a slightly muddled frown.

"...What do you want here, Liadan? Really? If the only reason you're still here is to lecture and preach to me about how Salem's really just an ancient, blameless girl scout and so much better than Ozpin, I swear to the gods you're going back in that cell and I'm filling it with concrete."

That threat, at least compared to her earlier ones, only sounded half serious.

"That'd be a new experience." She commented, sounding just as serious as Sienna had. "Girl scout? Blameless? Nah." Liadan countered with a shake of her head. "Still, she saved my life in the past, Sienna. Without that, there's so much I would never have done in my life. Never would've met ya, for starters. Surely a little loyalty isn't that surprisin' to ya, considering that?" She sat back in the chair, propping an elbow up onto one of the armrests. "And I don't care how lost you are, even you have to admit that the person that doesn't control grimm, AKA the things that want to viciously murder us all, is a better person than the one who does. But no...I don't want to talk about them. Well, not specifically." The croc leaned forward, eyes locked completely onto Sienna's own.

"I want to talk about you." The way she said that, coupled with the few hints sprinkled throughout what she'd said earlier, would have made it easy to guess what was on her mind, but it honestly wasn't that. Ignoring a couple brief daydreams anyways. "You don't do anythin' without a plan, Sienna. No matter what you're fightin' for, I've always respected that about you. That sharp mind of yours, the ways you used it to fight for the causes you truly believed in. I'm bettin' this is no different. You were once workin' with Salem and the rest of us, you know very well how dangerous Oz can be. So if you get what you ultimately want here, after its all said and done...there has to be a plan for him. Let me hear it."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

...Huh. That's one option.

"And what if I am?" Raven remarked as she took a step or two backwards, keeping her face composed and betraying none of how concerned she felt that this one could apparently somehow smell magic. Like how would that work? What the hell does magic even smell like? "Surely you'd want to play-" She somehow managed to say without a hint of disgust. "-with the main course before you continued with dessert." Raven pointed out as her eyes flickered to Qrow. "So come on. Drop him for now, and let's play this game. You and me."

"...Hahahahahahahaha!"

Raven probably wasn't used to getting hearty, jubilant belly laughs when she laid out ultimatums like that, but Qrow would've attested there was a first time for everything had he not been unconscious and dangling from a grip on his hair like a puppet from some strings. Maria composed herself and let her head tilt into that playful incline again, apparently a bit more sly and lucid than her chatterbox persona let on.

"I can't do that. I'm allowed eat my meals in whatever order I want, anyway. Plus who knows how long I've got left before I croak?! I might never get my hands on a stud like this again! Shut up shut up SHUT UP, grandma! DON'T SAY THAT!"

Her singsong trill was more an indignant screech as she shouted herself down, body jerking and contorting into a new posture whenever her voice changed. The stance of the young woman was a perky, energetic one, but when the old crone forced her way into the conversation so too did her bones seem to compress into a tinier, more hunched frame, though it was difficult to discern the specifics of it under her billowing cloak.

"Don't you remember our job??? Life is beautiful, we have to protect it!"

ʙᴜᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪꜰᴜʟ ᴛᴏᴏ

(；￣Д￣） "That is not the point I'm trying to make right now, Reaper!! It's our job to watch over the balance!"

"Was that actually our job, though, or is that just something left over from before?" The old woman chimed in, sounding genuinely confused.

"GO BACK TO BED GRANNY AND REAPER!!!! There is no before, there's just forever!~"

ʜᴜɴ ʜᴜɴɢʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴜɴɢʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ

"It is getting sooooooosooooosososososoosso crazy up in here." She leaned forward with a conspiratorial whisper as she finally addressed Raven again, bonking her weapon's shaft against the side of her head briefly. The glowing pinpricks denoting her eyes widened with excitement again. "Heeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy, if you're really Winter can we go to your house or something? I was supposed to go to Atlas but I can't remember the way! My friends were taking me there when I had to go through this place for... some reason!"

She gestured upwards using her nose with a simpering, animated giggle.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

now that Snake and Ilia were on their way and thats one less NPC to juggle The wait finally ended.

...for Tock, anyways.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I can't do that. I'm allowed eat my meals in whatever order I want, anyway. Plus who knows how long I've got left before I croak?! I might never get my hands on a stud like this again! Shut up shut up SHUT UP, grandma! DON'T SAY THAT!"

ALL THE MADNESS IN BETWEEN

"It is getting sooooooosooooosososososoosso crazy up in here." She leaned forward with a conspiratorial whisper as she finally addressed Raven again, bonking her weapon's shaft against the side of her head briefly. The glowing pinpricks denoting her eyes widened with excitement again. "Heeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy, if you're really Winter can we go to your house or something? I was supposed to go to Atlas but I can't remember the way! My friends were taking me there when I had to go through this place for... some reason!"

Okay, enough of that holding back and trying for a more peaceful solution crap. She had just about hit her limit of tolerating this woman's rampant insanity and especially her holding a weapon against his vulnerable throat. Her eyes pointedly shifted away from looking directly at the woman to staring in concern at something behind her. "Oops. Looks like you missed one." Raven offered in warning just as a very strange sound echoed out from behind Maria, hoping that the more childish persona inside this woman was fooled enough by both of those into taking a look. If the stranger did so, the maiden launched herself forward that very second, Omen swinging to precisely cut away at the arm that held Qrow up, lethal intent aiming to sever it entirely and free her brother from her grasp.

If the stranger didn't look...the very same thing still happened, except from behind where the very real threat of the other Raven Branwen had just emerged lunging right out from the portal to Qrow. Whichever attack it was that came down in the attempt to free their brother, the maiden didn't plan to leave anything to chance and in addition went for the same move Cinder had once used against her. Namely, A swift projection of ice to freeze Maria solid, starting from the legs up. If it hit, it was followed through by a swift kick from the OG Raven that struck before the ice had fully crystallized over the psycho, intent to knock her away from Qrow and then move to catch her wounded twin in one fell swoop.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Okay, enough of that holding back and trying for a more peaceful solution crap. She had just about hit her limit of tolerating this woman's rampant insanity and especially her holding a weapon against his vulnerable throat. Her eyes pointedly shifted away from looking directly at the woman to staring in concern at something behind her. "Oops. Looks like you missed one." Raven offered in warning just as a very strange sound echoed out from behind Maria, hoping that the more childish persona inside this woman was fooled enough by both of those into taking a look. If the stranger did so, the maiden launched herself forward that very second, Omen swinging to precisely cut away at the arm that held Qrow up, lethal intent aiming to sever it entirely and free her brother from her grasp.

If the stranger didn't look...the very same thing still happened, except from behind where the very real threat of the other Raven Branwen had just emerged lunging right out from the portal to Qrow. Whichever attack it was that came down in the attempt to free their brother, the maiden didn't plan to leave anything to chance and in addition went for the same move Cinder had once used against her. Namely, A swift projection of ice to freeze Maria solid, starting from the legs up. If it hit, it was followed through by a swift kick from the OG Raven that struck before the ice had fully crystallized over the psycho, intent to knock her away from Qrow and then move to catch her wounded twin in one fell swoop.

"Oh baby no," Was all the woman managed to cluck before the dual offensive commenced, shimmering eyes never once wavering from the Raven she'd been addressing even as her identical duplicate lunged in for the mirror scissor. That didn't stop what happened next though. The reaper's movements verged on insectoid as she made a noise through her hidden grin so feral it sounded more grimm than human, and the hand clutching Qrow's hair released it to instead snatch a corner of her cloak and sweep it out in a disorienting curtain that appeared deeper and more spacious than was physically possible as it encircled the bandit maiden. She found herself in a void on all sides, the shadows that awaited within like the antithesis of everything her powers of Spring, life and fertility represented, and she suddenly found it exceedingly difficult to take a breath as they swarmed and flooded her every airway.

From the huntress Raven's perspective it just looked like her other self was being entangled and constricted by a cloak that swirled, writhed and melded with the shadows around her like it was very much alive, which somehow wasn't as disturbing as the way Maria coiled over backwards with the flexibility of an invertebrate to catch the Omen swinging from behind on Life with an exhilarated giggle and a "Heya cutie." One foot was popped bombastically in the air as the other kept her stable, a stance that should've offered absolutely no equilibrium but seemed to regardless as Death's blade gently encircled the huntress's back and sought to draw her closer and closer, the spider slowly dragging a fly across its web.

"Preflexes yooooo! It's not as cool as the gifts Daddy gave me, but it still helps a lot."

"YOU BET YOUR SWEET LITTLE ASS IT DOES! That's the one I was born with, and you better believe I was the best huntress to ever lace up a pair of aaaaand I can no longer remember what I'm talking about."

She puffed up her cheeks and pouted. At herself. "Granny, would you get back inside so we can level off?? These guys are being really serious! If they make Reaper get up out of bed he's gonna be so mad he'll ruin their pretty faces!"

"Ho-ho-hooookay, deary, here I gooooooooooooo-" A cackle of witchlike laughter echoed fainter and fainter as the old woman withdrew from the stage, whatever absurd psyche the Ravens were dealing with growing that much closer to attaining some semblance of completion.

"Ughhhh, that's a lot better. Now I won't be so loopy but we can still have some EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THAT'S SO COOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!"

Assuming the maiden Raven still attempted her freezing while trying not to get strangled, the Reaper's only recourse as her legs were rooted in place was to start flailing around wildly with Life and Death, though the ferocious, unpredictable arcs of her almost incomprehensibly fast swings were a danger to all within proximity.

Including herself, as she nicked her own arms, legs and torso a few times in her frenzied tornado, and Qrow, who suffered a deep crimson line painted across his left shoulder where he was slumped as one of her weapon's points carved a shallow gouge through him. Her teeth gnashed and snarled under mask, practically foaming at the mouth so instinctive was the reaction to the bitter cold.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Really?" She exclaimed, looking down at the things. "Can't say it much goes with my look, fellas. Clashes with the whole cool thing I got goin', y'know." She sarcastically retorted. Yet continuing to stay in here doing nothing didn't hold much appeal to her, so despite the mockery she did slip them on. When they opened the door for her, she gratefully stepped out, following behind the leading pair and super mindful of the behemoth behind her, a brief wink being directed over to the bull as she passed by that cell. Her assumption about the purpose of the bracelets quickly proved to be the correct one, her aura not coming back in the slightest despite no longer be stuck in that hole.



"Huh. Gotta say, didn't think ya guys still believed in not fancy doors." Tock snickered, more just to keep herself amused than being a meaningful jab at them. Simple doors or fancy ones, it didn't matter to her that much, or at all.



Though she did let out an appreciative low whistle at the sight of the room. So much nicer than the tiny cramped cell. "New digs, eh? Niceeeeeeeeeee." Her slightly mischievous smirk stayed on her face the whole way over and even after she had dropped into that chair. "And nah, I think you and me both know that tiger charmer is way more accurate." The look on her face shifted into a more knowing and absolutely shameless smile. Complete with her eyebrows shooting up a couple times.





"That'd be a new experience." She commented, sounding just as serious as Sienna had. "Girl scout? Blameless? Nah." Liadan countered with a shake of her head. "Still, she saved my life in the past, Sienna. Without that, there's so much I would never have done in my life. Never would've met ya, for starters. Surely a little loyalty isn't that surprisin' to ya, considering that?" She sat back in the chair, propping an elbow up onto one of the armrests. "And I don't care how lost you are, even you have to admit that the person that doesn't control grimm, AKA the things that want to viciously murder us all, is a better person than the one who does. But no...I don't want to talk about them. Well, not specifically." The croc leaned forward, eyes locked completely onto Sienna's own.

"I want to talk about you." The way she said that, coupled with the few hints sprinkled throughout what she'd said earlier, would have made it easy to guess what was on her mind, but it honestly wasn't that. Ignoring a couple brief daydreams anyways. "You don't do anythin' without a plan, Sienna. No matter what you're fightin' for, I've always respected that about you. That sharp mind of yours, the ways you used it to fight for the causes you truly believed in. I'm bettin' this is no different. You were once workin' with Salem and the rest of us, you know very well how dangerous Oz can be. So if you get what you ultimately want here, after its all said and done...there has to be a plan for him. Let me hear it."​

" Tch. That gift she gave you was just the leash she put around your neck." Sienna said with a dark frown "Maybe if you saw it for what it was, you-"

She caught herself with an intake of breath as she closed her eyes, and when they reopened what little was left of the warmth in them was gone, and Sienna's tone was calm and strict.

"I'm doing here what I've always done, Liadan. The same thing I thought I was doing under Salem before I was faced with the truth of this world. When my work is done, no human will ever hold the chains of a faunus again. No matter how ancient they are, no matter what god they draw power from, no matter how much money or reputation or military might they put in my way."

Her glare sparked with a bit of heat, though to call it warmth would've been a mistake.

"And as long as you serve one of those humans, my plans are my own; Our past doesn't matter Liadan. All it makes you is an enemy it'll hurt to put down. But I will. Immortality or not, I will."

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Oh baby no," Was all the woman managed to cluck before the dual offensive commenced, shimmering eyes never once wavering from the Raven she'd been addressing even as her identical duplicate lunged in for the mirror scissor. That didn't stop what happened next though. The reaper's movements verged on insectoid as she made a noise through her hidden grin so feral it sounded more grimm than human, and the hand clutching Qrow's hair released it to instead snatch a corner of her cloak and sweep it out in a disorienting curtain that appeared deeper and more spacious than was physically possible as it encircled the bandit maiden. She found herself in a void on all sides, the shadows that awaited within like the antithesis of everything her powers of Spring, life and fertility represented, and she suddenly found it exceedingly difficult to take a breath as they swarmed and flooded her every airway.

"Oh what fresh hell is this?!" Raven furiously let out in a half-shout, caught too off guard by the impossibly massive cloak of absolute darkness that swallowed her up so suddenly to even think about how this crazy chick had just called her baby. In an unknown to her but somewhat ironic way, the dark void that enveloped her was similar to the illusionary grimm monster that had done the same to the Spring Maiden of this reality. Already she could feel herself starting to choke, gasp for air in the struggle with the shadows within. Her sword slipped from her hand and ended up somewhere in the middle of this mess, too caught up simply trying to breath to hold onto it as she squirmed about.

But as the blackness started to creep in at the edges of her vision, pure instinct kicked in as she started using her maiden magic more extensively, eyes flaring up with the familiar sight and slightly illuminating the void.

I didn't...

She felt the fire swelling within.

...end up stuck here...

The fierce flames began shooting out of her fists, projected out the bottom of her shoes and even out of her mouth.

...on this strange world...

The magic fires started searing holes into the shadowy void cloak.

...to go out...

Raven's eyes shot fully open as she concentrated far more fiercely.

...CHOKING TO DEATH IN SOME FUCKING CLOAK!

A far more intense explosion of fire and wind radiated around her to burn it completely away, and facilitate her proper escape from that hell. Perhaps it was overkill but she frankly didn't give a damn. Once freed and after retrieving her weapon and taking the necessary heavy breaths...

She glanced briefly at the other her and the stranger, deciding that for the moment that even a lesser her had it in hand for the moment. Her attention swiveled after that-​

Qrow, who suffered a deep crimson line painted across his left shoulder where he was slumped as one of her weapon's points carved a shallow gouge through him.

-to her brother, who she instantly approached and pulled up to his feet and balanced him against her shoulder with one arm wrapped around his waist. The Branwen twins started walking/being dragged along to the still open portal and went through it, ending up back near the airship where Ruby was still waiting. The portal closed behind them. When she saw her uncle, the young huntress instantly leapt to her feet and took hold of him from the opposite side. "What's going on???" She asked in a panic.

"Don't think about that. Just shut up!" Raven ordered in a stern voice that betrayed some of her own panicked worry she couldn't deny no matter how hard she tried. The two carefully lowered Qrow to the ground. A gloved hand heated up by fiery magic pressed against the neck wound, just hot enough to cauterize it before pulling back.​

From the huntress Raven's perspective it just looked like her other self was being entangled and constricted by a cloak that swirled, writhed and melded with the shadows around her like it was very much alive, which somehow wasn't as disturbing as the way Maria coiled over backwards with the flexibility of an invertebrate to catch the Omen swinging from behind on Life with an exhilarated giggle and a "Heya cutie." One foot was popped bombastically in the air as the other kept her stable, a stance that should've offered absolutely no equilibrium but seemed to regardless as Death's blade gently encircled the huntress's back and sought to draw her closer and closer, the spider slowly dragging a fly across its web.

"...I don't fly that way." A bewildered Raven spat out as she fought with the demented stranger, albeit one who was doing really well in counter even while having a full on conversation with herself.​

Assuming the maiden Raven still attempted her freezing while trying not to get strangled, the Reaper's only recourse as her legs were rooted in place was to start flailing around wildly with Life and Death, though the ferocious, unpredictable arcs of her almost incomprehensibly fast swings were a danger to all within proximity.

Including herself, as she nicked her own arms, legs and torso a few times in her frenzied tornado, and Qrow, who suffered a deep crimson line painted across his left shoulder where he was slumped as one of her weapon's points carved a shallow gouge through him. Her teeth gnashed and snarled under mask, practically foaming at the mouth so instinctive was the reaction to the bitter cold.

And then for the moment abandoned any attempts at striking back entirely, for it was all she could do to avoid any of those out-of-control errant slices of those two weapons. "You...you're completely insane!" The woman hardly seemed to care that she was cutting herself too! Raven leaped back to put some more distance between them, sheathing Omen mid-jump and yanking it back out once she landed, this time with a light blue blade attached to the hilt. She lunged back into the fray then, equal parts blocking any strikes and trying to dish out some of her own in an attempt to use the ice dust in her blade to freeze Maria further.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

" Tch. That gift she gave you was just the leash she put around your neck." Sienna said with a dark frown "Maybe if you saw it for what it was, you-"

She caught herself with an intake of breath as she closed her eyes, and when they reopened what little was left of the warmth in them was gone, and Sienna's tone was calm and strict.

"I'm doing here what I've always done, Liadan. The same thing I thought I was doing under Salem before I was faced with the truth of this world. When my work is done, no human will ever hold the chains of a faunus again. No matter how ancient they are, no matter what god they draw power from, no matter how much money or reputation or military might they put in my way."

Her glare sparked with a bit of heat, though to call it warmth would've been a mistake.

"And as long as you serve one of those humans, my plans are my own; Our past doesn't matter Liadan. All it makes you is an enemy it'll hurt to put down. But I will. Immortality or not, I will."

"Hmph." Her eyes narrowed as a thumb rose up to rub at her forehead. It wasn't easy witnessing so many of her fellow faunus go on and on about truth when they were, from her point of view, only deluding themselves and making mistake after mistake...but it stung most of all to hear that garbage coming out of that mouth. "No, you're wrong. The past does matter. It has to." Tock replied, not letting herself believe that. If the time ever did come where she believed that the past was irrelevant, as Sienna did...that possibility was a painful one to imagine. If she came at Sienna with the same sort of hostile intentions that the tiger faunus seemed committed to coming at her with...if it had been her that led the Shadow Fang and Sienna that stayed...

What she imagined was as terrible to think about as it seemed it would be easy to do.

Tock had been able to walk into this fortress despite Sienna viewing her as an enemy. She would have been free to leave, too, if she hadn't expressed to the Talons her refusal to leave. The crocodile faunus had no doubt that a Sienna who had held onto the more noble parts of herself would have let her walk into Beacon, or Haven, or wherever the tiger might have been in this scenario. And if that Tock thought the same way the Sienna she was looking at did...

She could have just walked right in with a whole bunch of explosives strapped under her outfit, positioned herself in an optimal spot and activated them without suffering a single wound to herself thanks to her semblance. A terrorist bombing with none of the risk, that could have easily killed so many before they even recognized the danger.

Tock closed her eyes, banishing these dark imaginings from her mind. No. The past does matter.

A few quiet contemplative moments passed by before her eyes opened again. "You know...I'm older than you are. Obviously. But...despite that, I looked up to you. Admired you so damn much. Your mind, your conscience, wanting to help others regardless of whether they were human or faunus, the way you never gave up. The best parts of you. All that and more. The you back then? You were everythin' I ever wanted to be." Tock said with a wistful smile.

"That's why...I don't believe you. You turned your back on Salem, a lot of the best qualities I remember of you...they may be buried down deep somewhere in there." Tock reached out to tap that chest. "They may be completely destroyed for all I know. Gone forever. Irretrievable. But putting me down? No." She shook her head. "No. I don't believe that's something you could ever do. If I'm wrong about that..." Tock pulled herself up to sit straighter, gesturing with her hands to both sides.

"Here I am. No aura, unarmed, in the middle of your hidden fortress. No chance of word getting out. When are you goin' to have a better opportunity? Sure, I'm still immortal, but that doesn't seem to deter you, so..." Both hands suddenly snapped back to slam HARD against the table, making it shake and rock back and forth with the impact. "Why don't you just put your money where your mouth is? Take your best shot at it! C'mon! If my belief is wrong then show me! Prove to me you're as heartless as you portray yourself to be!"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Hmph." Her eyes narrowed as a thumb rose up to rub at her forehead. It wasn't easy witnessing so many of her fellow faunus go on and on about truth when they were, from her point of view, only deluding themselves and making mistake after mistake...but it stung most of all to hear that garbage coming out of that mouth. "No, you're wrong. The past does matter. It has to." Tock replied, not letting herself believe that. If the time ever did come where she believed that the past was irrelevant, as Sienna did...that possibility was a painful one to imagine. If she came at Sienna with the same sort of hostile intentions that the tiger faunus seemed committed to coming at her with...if it had been her that led the Shadow Fang and Sienna that stayed...

What she imagined was as terrible to think about as it seemed it would be easy to do.

Tock had been able to walk into this fortress despite Sienna viewing her as an enemy. She would have been free to leave, too, if she hadn't expressed to the Talons her refusal to leave. The crocodile faunus had no doubt that a Sienna who had held onto the more noble parts of herself would have let her walk into Beacon, or Haven, or wherever the tiger might have been in this scenario. And if that Tock thought the same way the Sienna she was looking at did...

She could have just walked right in with a whole bunch of explosives strapped under her outfit, positioned herself in an optimal spot and activated them without suffering a single wound to herself thanks to her semblance. A terrorist bombing with none of the risk, that could have easily killed so many before they even recognized the danger.

Tock closed her eyes, banishing these dark imaginings from her mind. No. The past does matter.

A few quiet contemplative moments passed by before her eyes opened again. "You know...I'm older than you are. Obviously. But...despite that, I looked up to you. Admired you so damn much. Your mind, your conscience, wanting to help others regardless of whether they were human or faunus, the way you never gave up. The best parts of you. All that and more. The you back then? You were everythin' I ever wanted to be." Tock said with a wistful smile.

"That's why...I don't believe you. You turned your back on Salem, a lot of the best qualities I remember of you...they may be buried down deep somewhere in there." Tock reached out to tap that chest. "They may be completely destroyed for all I know. Gone forever. Irretrievable. But putting me down? No." She shook her head. "No. I don't believe that's something you could ever do. If I'm wrong about that..." Tock pulled herself up to sit straighter, gesturing with her hands to both sides.

"Here I am. No aura, unarmed, in the middle of your hidden fortress. No chance of word getting out. When are you goin' to have a better opportunity? Sure, I'm still immortal, but that doesn't seem to deter you, so..." Both hands suddenly snapped back to slam HARD against the table, making it shake and rock back and forth with the impact. "Why don't you just put your money where your mouth is? Take your best shot at it! C'mon! If my belief is wrong then show me! Prove to me you're as heartless as you portray yourself to be!"​

Sienna kept the same glare on her face all the way through Tock's words, even as the other faunus tapped her heart. When the final shout was over, the glare still went on. Tock's impeccable internal clock felt the seconds tick by with excruciating slowness as Sienna seemed to not react at all. But only seemed to.

Tock had been alive and been with the tiger faunus long enough to read underneath the lines. She'd always had excellent self control, the ability to turn her heart and back to steel even when she'd been serving under Salem instead of fighting alongside Ozpin. It was what put her on top of the White Fang, what gave her words the conviction and charisma that had hundreds or even thousands of faunus silently tearing at the foundation of the kingdoms under her banner, even after their greatest hero tried to burn the power base out from under her with the split. But it was there. the slightest tensing of the fingers, the slowness of a blink, the smallest motion of her jaw as she bit back the urge to grind her teeth.

The specifics emotions were harder to read; she was either fighing the urge to yell back, or go for Tock's throat with her claws.

What came out was a thin smile as she gently placed her own palms on the table, her words cold and calm as ice.

"Luckily for the both of us, that's not a decision I have to make. You're more useful to me alive than dead, Tock" she said, forgoing her old name this time. "Maybe Salem wants you back, maybe I can use you to figure out a way to kill her, or maybe I just keep you out of the way until something else comes up" She pushed herself out the chair and strode around the table with measured steps for the door

"whatever the choice, you coming here made it so you're no longer a problem until I want you to be. So for that, I thank you. Goodbye. We'll find out if that's the last one you get later."


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


"Eve Taurus. The prodigal daughter returns."

the even clangs of the gate being raised heralded her arrival before the words did. Sienna stood in front of Eve's cell with her arms clasped behind her back, and whatever iotas of warmth Tock had managed to drag up from her heart had been firmly stamped out by the time she'd made it down to this meeting; her gaze was hard as stone as she studied the bull faunus, lips curled into a tight frown.

"You've come a long way just to die. Your past service to the cause is the only reason you still breathe, but it is only a stay of execution, not a pardon. You have to know that after Beacon and Haven, I can't let you live."

 

[MyrtenRose]

Sienna kept the same glare on her face all the way through Tock's words, even as the other faunus tapped her heart. When the final shout was over, the glare still went on. Tock's impeccable internal clock felt the seconds tick by with excruciating slowness as Sienna seemed to not react at all. But only seemed to.

Tock had been alive and been with the tiger faunus long enough to read underneath the lines. She'd always had excellent self control, the ability to turn her heart and back to steel even when she'd been serving under Salem instead of fighting alongside Ozpin. It was what put her on top of the White Fang, what gave her words the conviction and charisma that had hundreds or even thousands of faunus silently tearing at the foundation of the kingdoms under her banner, even after their greatest hero tried to burn the power base out from under her with the split. But it was there. the slightest tensing of the fingers, the slowness of a blink, the smallest motion of her jaw as she bit back the urge to grind her teeth.

The specifics emotions were harder to read; she was either fighing the urge to yell back, or go for Tock's throat with her claws.

What came out was a thin smile as she gently placed her own palms on the table, her words cold and calm as ice.

"Luckily for the both of us, that's not a decision I have to make. You're more useful to me alive than dead, Tock" she said, forgoing her old name this time. "Maybe Salem wants you back, maybe I can use you to figure out a way to kill her, or maybe I just keep you out of the way until something else comes up" She pushed herself out the chair and strode around the table with measured steps for the door

"whatever the choice, you coming here made it so you're no longer a problem until I want you to be. So for that, I thank you. Goodbye. We'll find out if that's the last one you get later."

It wouldn't have been noticeable for most, but there were subtle cues that her words had gotten to Sienna. How much they had, and in what way, Tock couldn't say with certainty. She did have a gut feeling though, given that Sienna hadn't lashed out in response to her increasingly aggressive demands...as well as the fact that Khan had traded up using her real name in favor of her current alias. The tiger faunus had explained it away logically, declaring that she was more useful alive than otherwise...but Tock suspected that usefulness had little to do with it. That it wasn't cold pragmatism that stayed Sienna's hand, but heated emotions hidden away under that detached, aloof demeanor. The croc would have put money on that, were anyone betting.

"I suppose we will." Those were the only words Tock said in response as her eyes tracked Sienna until the high leader went through the door and out of sight. At that point she sighed and rose from the chair, instantly making a beeline for the bed in the room and dropping back first onto it with her arms folded behind her head. Way more comfortable than the cell and in addition...an escape would be easy. If they needed the help, Ray could just whip open her thing and pull her through in the blink of an eye. Boom, done.

Until then?

Tock had no problem with arguing with her ex and having a few entertaining daydreams of the same faunus. Like the one playing out right now.