Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

"I said we need to TALK."​

"I got a lot on my mind."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...my...my what???"​

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about" Yang simpered back as she swung her arm around Ilia's shoulder and started walking down the street. "I saw the side eyes you were giving the less awful Taurus back at Haven, girl. Right..."

...Right before they got in a shouting match. Huh. Somehow that super slipped her mind.

"...N-not that you should be barking up that tree anyways, that'd be a whole mess when we finally go home, right? Haha, ha..."

...

"Seriously you're allowed to punch me"

 

[MyrtenRose]

Her sigh was terse, but she elegantly unfolded the paper to read it a moment later, honestly already holding it like it was a remnant of something that should never have been.

"Hiya!" A sudden rather chipper voice spoke up right then, an equally as sudden head poking around the edges of the doorframe leading into the councilwoman's study, the door pushed roughly open beforehand if it had been closed. Another head poked through in the same manner a few seconds later, the unique but still recognizable AK unit replicating his master's movements with impeccable grace for a machine with a child's understanding of the word grace. "I do not see the usefulness of this position. It is poor posture and could lead to any number of--" "Shush Jennings!" Gwen blurted out in a rush before clearing her throat. "Ahem. As I was about to say, I hope you're not too busy for somebody already here!" Yes she had been eavesdropping. "I wanted to get to the bottom of things myself!"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about" Yang simpered back as she swung her arm around Ilia's shoulder and started walking down the street. "I saw the side eyes you were giving the less awful Taurus back at Haven, girl. Right..."

...Right before they got in a shouting match. Huh. Somehow that super slipped her mind.

"...N-not that you should be barking up that tree anyways, that'd be a whole mess when we finally go home, right? Haha, ha..."

...

"Seriously you're allowed to punch me"

……….At least one person had seen that????

No punches came. No resistance of any kind even as Ilia got dragged along pretty much. Too much gay panic.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Miss Schnee? Hello?"

How had Weiss handled the tumultuous events of the night, the attacks, the contempt, the violation of her privacy and sanctity of home by everything from Grimm-infused monstrosities to insurgents to the military units showing up to redouble her own private security as they trawled through the aftermath? It wasn't difficult to guess for anyone who knew her, really.

She got back to work. Weiss Schnee never wasted time, never skipped a beat.

So it was unusual indeed that the operator on the other end of the line had to repeat her question to provoke a response, the councilwoman's attention occupied by something else as she stood in her study with attire fully donned and hair tied up to reaffirm the regal image of Atlas's ice queen once more. Her tone was distant, but she did field the question a moment later, without shifting her gaze from what it was focused on.

"Tell the colonel my business hours are booked for the day, but he's quite welcome to call at the manor this evening."

She hung up without waiting for confirmation, scroll slotted back into her coat pocket as she narrowed her eyes a bit at what her thumb and forefinger held. A piece of paper she definitely couldn't recall leaving on her desk. Her eyes flickered to Zwei in the corner, but she rolled them when all he offered was a small whine, ears drooped.

How did she just know that girl was going to force the last word somehow?

Her sigh was terse, but she elegantly unfolded the paper to read it a moment later, honestly already holding it like it was a remnant of something that should never have been.​

Spoiler: The very deep and heartfelt last paper left behind

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

……….At least one person had seen that????

No punches came. No resistance of any kind even as Ilia got dragged along pretty much. Too much gay panic.​

Well excuse Yang for being less emotionally blind than the girl in the blindfold, jeez

Yang's grin finally faltered, and gently removed her arm so she could grab Ilia's closer shoulder instead in an attempt to be a grounding presence.

"Uh... Ilia? Hun? You good?"

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I got a lot on my mind."​

"I'm...….." Raven sounded extremely reluctant to proceed with that reply any further. It was enough so that almost ten seconds passed before she continued, quite a hefty pause in a conversation. "I'm afraid you're about to have a lot more on your mind. Sorry." She offered in completely apologetic tones. "Your mission to get Yang went poorly...though you probably figured that much out yourself, since..." She gestured to where he'd just woken up in. "We didn't get Yang. But more than that...Weiss Schnee crushed us. Her sister, Ironwood, Robyn and her Happy Huntresses, Ruby, the kid with the hammer, myself. We got thrashed. Honestly? I wouldn't be surprised if I looked up the word ass-kicking in the Atlas dictionary and saw a video of that mess there. It got so bad that I had to call in help. I latched onto the first viable choice that came to mind...and we lost her. Tock barely managed to buy the rest of us the time to get the hell out of there." She fell silent for a short time again, gulping in dread and worry.

"But that's not the worst of it. Not even close." Tock was a survivor. An immortal, and built tough in addition to that. If anyone could handle being in Atlas custody, it'd be the croc faunus. That was not so much the case for...Raven sighed and shifted her body so that Qrow could see beyond her, where he could see the other Raven in her bad condition, now that she was no longer blocking his vision of the broken woman. Concerned eyes stayed steady on Qrow as he took that however he would.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Well excuse Yang for being less emotionally blind than the girl in the blindfold, jeez

Yang's grin finally faltered, and gently removed her arm so she could grab Ilia's closer shoulder instead in an attempt to be a grounding presence.

"Uh... Ilia? Hun? You good?"

"I think the punch and the kick hit weaker than that. Please...please don't tell anybody especially Eve about--wait a second. Who else knows, if anybody...?"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"I think the punch and the kick hit weaker than that. Please...please don't tell anybody especially Eve about--wait a second. Who else knows, if anybody...?"​

"nobody, nobody!" Yang assured frantically as she waved her hands "I'd never just toss someone crushing to the wolves like that! I know you think I dumb but I promise I'm not heartless. And Eve's dumb too there's no way she noticed unless you sent her like a formal letter or something." She added with an eyeroll.

She huffed and let the the grin return to her face as she gave Ilia a slight nudge in the side with her elbow.

"Though with that confirmation I gotta ask; what is it? Big on redheads? Muscles? blindfolds?"

 

[Gus Gungus]

Spoiler: The very deep and heartfelt last paper left behind

"Oh. That's it? This is basically garbage."

There was an almost relieved note to the words she murmured as she nonchalantly crumpled it up, wondering what exactly it was she'd been so apprehensive of seeing. Come to think of it, why had she been making such a fuss over any of this? What was she, twelve years old?

She contemplated all this and more as she continued to stand there, hand on hip, and not do anything with the crumpled up ball of trash in her hand. Staring at it. Because of how dumb it was. While Blumenkranz played.

"Hiya!"

Gwen's first view of the heiress offered the somewhat uncharacteristic display of her stiffening up so abruptly she fumbled whatever she was holding, making one or two uncoordinated grabs at it before she finally managed to snatch it and whirl with both hands clasped firmly behind her back, very obviously hiding something in one of her back pockets.

"EXCUSE ME I DON'T KNOW what you THINK this is, if at the military barracks you all roam aimlessly as you please in and out of one another's private spaces like rabbits huddling together in a burrow but this is a private residence and you cannot barge in here without knocking! Who's your commanding officer?!"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"nobody, nobody!" Yang assured frantically as she waved her hands "I'd never just toss someone crushing to the wolves like that! I know you think I dumb but I promise I'm not heartless. And Eve's dumb too there's no way she noticed unless you sent her like a formal letter or something." She added with an eyeroll.

She huffed and let the the grin return to her face as she gave Ilia a slight nudge in the side with her elbow.

"Though with that confirmation I gotta ask; what is it? Big on redheads? Muscles? blindfolds?"

"..." How was it that it felt easier talking about murderous and evil people that looked just like their friends than......this? Ilia sure didn't know but she did fiercely shake her head. "Can we not...look, do you want to know where to go or not?!" Ilia hurriedly attempted to change the topic.​

 

[Indolent]

"..." How was it that it felt easier talking about murderous and evil people that looked just like their friends than......this? Ilia sure didn't know but she did fiercely shake her head. "Can we not...look, do you want to know where to go or not?!" Ilia hurriedly attempted to change the topic.​

That was when a steel gray on porcelain vehicle of immaculate make reminiscent that of the Model A Ford with a modern take pulled alongside the two, the driver's words ringing out.

"Get in bitches, we're progressing the plot."

 

[MyrtenRose]

Gwen's first view of the heiress offered the somewhat uncharacteristic display of her stiffening up so abruptly she fumbled whatever she was holding, making one or two uncoordinated grabs at it before she finally managed to snatch it and whirl with both hands clasped firmly behind her back, very obviously hiding something in one of her back pockets.

"EXCUSE ME I DON'T KNOW what you THINK this is, if at the military barracks you all roam aimlessly as you please in and out of one another's private spaces like rabbits huddling together in a burrow but this is a private residence and you cannot barge in here without knocking! Who's your commanding officer?!"

Gwen wordlessly shifted her eyes to share an aside glance with Jennings. The effect was largely lost on a completely blank faced machine staring back at her with only a glowing turquoise faceplate. There was a faint disappointed grunt and her forehead briefly scrunched up in concentration...and a moment later, a tiny emoticon expressing surprise popped up in the center of that faceplate. Better, she thought to herself, her gaze returning to Weiss split-seconds later. All the militaristic discipline came out in reflex as Gwen fully stepped into the doorway and snapped an instant salute. "Ma'am! I report to Colonel Ector, ma'am!" She reported loudly, not daring to comment on any of the rest of that.

Though she was definitely thinking about it.

"Apologies for my master. Occasionally her excitement overrides her sense. Give the order and I shall escort her away forthwith to leave you to your crucial documents." Jennings droned, robotic arm pointed straight at Weiss's back.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"nobody, nobody!" Yang assured frantically as she waved her hands "I'd never just toss someone crushing to the wolves like that! I know you think I dumb but I promise I'm not heartless. And Eve's dumb too there's no way she noticed unless you sent her like a formal letter or something." She added with an eyeroll.

She huffed and let the the grin return to her face as she gave Ilia a slight nudge in the side with her elbow.

"Though with that confirmation I gotta ask; what is it? Big on redheads? Muscles? blindfolds?"

"..." How was it that it felt easier talking about murderous and evil people that looked just like their friends than......this? Ilia sure didn't know but she did fiercely shake her head. "Can we not...look, do you want to know where to go or not?!" Ilia hurriedly attempted to change the topic.

As wholesome and endearing as this conversation had turned out to be, it occurred to both women around the same time that the front gate of the Schnee manor felt like an especially exposed place to have it. It didn't take last night's unraveling fiasco to know it was bound to be a hotbed given Weiss's recent activity, but it wasn't that; both were starting to feel a strange, odd sense hovering around the fringes of their aura attunement, one that had no place in a heart of civilization like Atlas. It was the feeling of being watched, only a very specific kind; when you were deep in the wilderness, alone, maybe feeling a little down or angry, and your senses picked up the faint, unmistakable rustling of something moving around in the undergrowth. A distant snarl. Maybe even a glowing red pair of eyes. That kind of watched.

Across and about halfway up the street, it struck them as a little odd that a sleek black motorcycle was parked on its kickstand, an oddity in itself given the wealthy nature of the neighborhood around them. Stranger still was its driver, who was leaning up against the seat with arms folded and legs crossed at the ankles. Watching them. And making no secret of it, clad in a leather jacket and pants that were all black in their own right to pair with the opaque motorcycle helmet they wore, obscuring any discernible features.

But whoever it was was definitely watching them, ominous and unflinching as if they knew something the duo didn't. And the first time either of them looked, however cautious or surreptitiously, their immediate response was a sly, pointed tilt of the head.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"..." How was it that it felt easier talking about murderous and evil people that looked just like their friends than......this? Ilia sure didn't know but she did fiercely shake her head. "Can we not...look, do you want to know where to go or not?!" Ilia hurriedly attempted to change the topic.​

Yang snickered but relented, a light smile on her face as she soaked in the energy of a conversation with someone on her side, from her own world, about something at least kinda normal. On a normal day this would be nice. After the two months she had in this world, it was wonderful.

"...I don't!" She said with a shrug as they continued walking. The smile drifted closer to neutral as she made herself get back into reality. "If you wanna give me a ride to mantle I'd appreciate it, but I'm not sure if its safe yet for me to go where a whole bunch of people Weiss thinks wants her dead are. I don't think she'd hurt me personally, but there's a good chance this-" she raised her eerie as hell prosthetic up and waggled the fingers a bit "-might have some kinda tracking thing in it. I'd rather not risk it."

 

[MyrtenRose]

Yang snickered but relented, a light smile on her face as she soaked in the energy of a conversation with someone on her side, from her own world, about something at least kinda normal. On a normal day this would be nice. After the two months she had in this world, it was wonderful.

"...I don't!" She said with a shrug as they continued walking. The smile drifted closer to neutral as she made herself get back into reality. "If you wanna give me a ride to mantle I'd appreciate it, but I'm not sure if its safe yet for me to go where a whole bunch of people Weiss thinks wants her dead. I don't think she'd hurt me, but there's a good chance this-" she raised her eerie as hell prosthetic up and waggled the fingers a bit "-might have some kinda tracking thing in it. I'd rather not risk it."

"...Then why not just...remove it?" She questioned, eyebrow raised in confusion. "That seems a problem with a pretty easy solution, I'm sure those guys can get their hands on something suitable to replace that." Ilia pointed out. "Or I guess you could come with me, I've been going at it alone for...similar reasons--" Ilia shut up pretty quick as she noticed something, eyes locking on pretty quickly to someone observing them from a distance. Call it experience with scouting, infiltration and spying on people.​

As wholesome and endearing as this conversation had turned out to be, it occurred to both women around the same time that the front gate of the Schnee manor felt like an especially exposed place to have it. It didn't take last night's unraveling fiasco to know it was bound to be a hotbed given Weiss's recent activity, but it wasn't that; both were starting to feel a strange, odd sense hovering around the fringes of their aura attunement, one that had no place in a heart of civilization like Atlas. It was the feeling of being watched, only a very specific kind; when you were deep in the wilderness, alone, maybe feeling a little down or angry, and your senses picked up the faint, unmistakable rustling of something moving around in the undergrowth. A distant snarl. Maybe even a glowing red pair of eyes. That kind of watched.

Across and about halfway up the street, it struck them as a little odd that a sleek black motorcycle was parked on its kickstand, an oddity in itself given the wealthy nature of the neighborhood around them. Stranger still was its driver, who was leaning up against the seat with arms folded and legs crossed at the ankles. Watching them. And making no secret of it, clad in a leather jacket and pants that were all black in their own right to pair with the opaque motorcycle helmet they wore, obscuring any discernible features.

But whoever it was was definitely watching them, ominous and unflinching as if they knew something the duo didn't. And the first time either of them looked, however cautious or surreptitiously, their immediate response was a sly, pointed tilt of the head.​

"Uhh...you seeing what I'm seeing over there?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"I'm...….." Raven sounded extremely reluctant to proceed with that reply any further. It was enough so that almost ten seconds passed before she continued, quite a hefty pause in a conversation. "I'm afraid you're about to have a lot more on your mind. Sorry." She offered in completely apologetic tones. "Your mission to get Yang went poorly...though you probably figured that much out yourself, since..." She gestured to where he'd just woken up in. "We didn't get Yang. But more than that...Weiss Schnee crushed us. Her sister, Ironwood, Robyn and her Happy Huntresses, Ruby, the kid with the hammer, myself. We got thrashed. Honestly? I wouldn't be surprised if I looked up the word ass-kicking in the Atlas dictionary and saw a video of that mess there. It got so bad that I had to call in help. I latched onto the first viable choice that came to mind...and we lost her. Tock barely managed to buy the rest of us the time to get the hell out of there." She fell silent for a short time again, gulping in dread and worry.

"But that's not the worst of it. Not even close." Tock was a survivor. An immortal, and built tough in addition to that. If anyone could handle being in Atlas custody, it'd be the croc faunus. That was not so much the case for...Raven sighed and shifted her body so that Qrow could see beyond her, where he could see the other Raven in her bad condition, now that she was no longer blocking his vision of the broken woman. Concerned eyes stayed steady on Qrow as he took that however he would.

"..."

Qrow finally actually opened her eyes and swung his legs off the gurney he'd been set on in time with her own motion, meaning he didn't even end catch a glimpse of his Raven before his gaze fixed on the far wall in a thousand yard stare with his back to both of them. But she could see it in his slouch, the sag in his shoulders, the way his hand clutched the fabric on his jeans' knees as he played back his last recollections in his mind.

Qrow couldn't see shit.

This was just like the Argus base, but more... the shadows were tangible somehow. Moving. Some of them were larger than others, more defined. Harbinger was fully extended in his hands, not that it did anything to solve his immediate problem: not seeing shit.

"Watch this"

He whirled, but there was no one there. There was, however, a sudden flare of light dead-center in the middle of his vision, the tiny spark of a fireball being conjured into his older twin's hand. Tense as their relationship had been for a while, she was probably just about the most familiar thing in his life, so a minor huff of relief had him start taking an assured step or two in her direction.

Until he saw what the dim light illuminated just above and below her, where there should've been floor and ceiling. There was neither. What there were were crevices, deep ridges that the shadows gathered in as if to escape the flickering flame. It took him a second to work out what exactly the ridges were between. A second too long.

CRUNCH

He knew.

"...Yeah."

She may have woken him up, but it quickly became apparent that that didn't necessarily mean he was all there, and anything else she did or said only prompted a strained grunt at the most until he finally stopped answering completely.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Uhh...you seeing what I'm seeing over there?"

The figure gave them a minor 'shoo-shoo' motion.

Then it put up its hand, all five fingers splayed wide for a full beat before it slowly curled one of them down to make four.

Then there were three.

Then two.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Then why not just...remove it?" She questioned, eyebrow raised in confusion. "That seems a problem with a pretty easy solution, I'm sure those guys can get their hands on something suitable to replace that." Ilia pointed out. "Or I guess you could come with me, I've been going at it alone for...similar reasons--" Ilia shut up pretty quick as she noticed something, eyes locking on pretty quickly to someone observing them from a distance. Call it experience with scouting, infiltration and spying on people.​

"Bold words from someone who was so upset about losing the hand that in the end they got to keep" She shot back sarcastically "But no, its also-"

"Uhh...you seeing what I'm seeing over there?"

Yang blinked and followed Ilia's eyes towards their mysterious watcher, and they immediately narrowed with a calm frown. "...Now I do."

She gave a test flex of some imaginary muscles, and got a satisfying whirring noise from the arm. That was the other reason she didn't wanna give it up just yet. She nodded to herself and planted her stare right on the helmet, gave the rider a short wave, and started just striding towards them to see if they wanted a conversation or a butt kicking.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

The figure gave them a minor 'shoo-shoo' motion.

Then it put up its hand, all five fingers splayed wide for a full beat before it slowly curled one of them down to make four.

Then there were three.

Then two.​

Yang just did the 'shoo shoo' right back except slightly more exasperated and kept walking straight for them

 

[MyrtenRose]

"..."

Qrow finally actually opened her eyes and swung his legs off the gurney he'd been set on in time with her own motion, meaning he didn't even end catch a glimpse of his Raven before his gaze fixed on the far wall in a thousand yard stare with his back to both of them. But she could see it in his slouch, the sag in his shoulders, the way his hand clutched the fabric on his jeans' knees as he played back his last recollections in his mind.



He knew.

"...Yeah."

She may have woken him up, but it quickly became apparent that that didn't necessarily mean he was all there, and anything else she did or said only prompted a strained grunt at the most until he finally stopped answering completely.​

"Yeah." She repeated herself, one hand moving to rest on his shoulder as she likewise fell completely silent. She could hardly say she was content with the situation, but this? Right here? She didn't see any problems with simply standing there quietly for as long as he remained where he was. So what if he wasn't technically her brother? He was an improvement over that scum, by leaps and bounds, even miles. And in her eyes, there was nothing wrong with just staying here, by his side and in his corner, showing all the quiet support she felt he needed right now. It might have ended up being minutes standing there, it very well could end up being hours. It wouldn't matter to her. She'd stay by him as long as he needed.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Bold words from someone who was so upset about losing the hand that in the end they got to keep" She shot back sarcastically "But no, its also-"



Yang blinked and followed Ilia's eyes towards their mysterious watcher, and they immediately narrowed with a calm frown. "...Now I do."

She gave a test flex of some imaginary muscles, and got a satisfying whirring noise from the arm. That was the other reason she didn't wanna give it up just yet. She nodded to herself and planted her stare right on the helmet, gave the rider a short wave, and started just striding towards them to see if they wanted a conversation or a butt kicking.

"Wait I'm not sure that's a good id--"​

Yang just did the 'shoo shoo' right back except slightly more exasperated and kept walking straight for them

"...Why do I point things out like that..." She grumbled to herself, lightly jogging to catch up with Yang's headstart.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Yang just did the 'shoo shoo' right back except slightly more exasperated and kept walking straight for them

"...Why do I point things out like that..." She grumbled to herself, lightly jogging to catch up with Yang's headstart.​

There was another rapid, more excited 'shoo shoo' volleyed right back, only with this one something became apparent. The motorcyclist may have been waving them on, may even have been genuine about giving them a chance to walk away. It was as if it was an obligatory attempt at blending in, some kind of token effort to commit to whatever watch-from-afar protocol they had been following.

But they wanted anything but for them to take that given chance. It was all there in the quiet, cocky body posture, the sheer flagrant complacency they had as they stared directly at them, practically the aggressive equivalent of a come-hither look. Whoever this figure was, they wanted Yang to ignore the warnings. They wanted her to approach.

The stalker didn't move a solitary further muscle until Yang had closed the entire distance, still regarding the two with that stoic, faceless appetite for them to put themselves in her business as they stood before the bike and its rider. They were still propped up against it in a casual slouch, arms still crossed, but the only further communication the approach yielded was a cheeky finger wag and disapproving cluck of the tongue as the head lolled to one side in another curious, almost predatory tilt. At this range the figure was obviously feminine, and neither Yang nor Ilia could deny a strange, almost uneasy familiarity in the build and posture, as if their senses were trying to tell them something was just a little amiss without being able to put a finger on what.

Beyond that, the figure simply waited, long and expectantly enough that it became evident not even their flagrant investigation was going to make her blink first.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Gwen wordlessly shifted her eyes to share an aside glance with Jennings. The effect was largely lost on a completely blank faced machine staring back at her with only a glowing turquoise faceplate. There was a faint disappointed grunt and her forehead briefly scrunched up in concentration...and a moment later, a tiny emoticon expressing surprise popped up in the center of that faceplate. Better, she thought to herself, her gaze returning to Weiss split-seconds later. All the militaristic discipline came out in reflex as Gwen fully stepped into the doorway and snapped an instant salute. "Ma'am! I report to Colonel Ector, ma'am!" She reported loudly, not daring to comment on any of the rest of that.

Though she was definitely thinking about it.

"Apologies for my master. Occasionally her excitement overrides her sense. Give the order and I shall escort her away forthwith to leave you to your crucial documents." Jennings droned, robotic arm pointed straight at Weiss's back.​

Weiss made her feelings known on whatever this was with a simple, icy huff of displeasure, like it was already an inconvenience just to be dealing with it. Great. Another presumptuous Special Operative with some wacky little gimmick or another. How quirky. She really didn't have time for it.

"My time is crucial, actually. And I already provided my official statements."

She didn't continue any further, but simply raised an eyebrow as if to wordlessly inquire the natural follow-on question of why they were asking more of her.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Weiss made her feelings known on whatever this was with a simple, icy huff of displeasure, like it was already an inconvenience just to be dealing with it. Great. Another presumptuous Special Operative with some wacky little gimmick or another. How quirky. She really didn't have time for it.

"My time is crucial, actually. And I already provided my official statements."

She didn't continue any further, but simply raised an eyebrow as if to wordlessly inquire the natural follow-on question of why they were asking more of her.​

“I know ma’am!” She replied, still locked into the firm salute. “The only concern is that I looked over the recording of that whole conflict in your cellar earlier. To be upfront, at the moment I’m more interested in what wasn’t observed. I noticed a section of the system that had been neutralized. I was wondering if you might shed some light on any situations there.”​