Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

"Whoops, sorry! Forgot about introductions! I'm Aurora Beige, right hand to The Boss- leader of the Bound Ashes. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Dude, what the hell is going on with your hair?"

Emerald emerged from the back herself just in time to catch that statement from her partner, whose air was completely incredulous as he leaned up against the end of the bar with his arms crossed. "Mercury! Don't cop an attitude with—oh my God." Her voice dropped to a hushed, quite frankly concerned murmur as she caught sight of Aurora herself, given that he was pretty freaking difficult to miss. "...Well... whatever. Apocalypse, remember? People can do what they want. Don't judge customers, and don't hassle him if he's just here to drink."

"I'm just saying, too many of this guy as regular patrons and people might start getting the wrong idea about what kinda bar this is." He clicked his fingers, hoping to get the dude's attention. "Hey buddy! Let us shave you."

He was also the bouncer now, if it wasn't obvious.

Spoiler: Same energy

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Really?" Robyn couldn't help but echo Fiona, her eyes shifting towards somebody in particular once she'd put together what was going on here herself. "Really, Cobalt? Are you actually encouraging this or was it in your idea in the first place? Because if so...I approve." Her tone suddenly changed, giving the leader a half smirk and a thumbs up. Couldn't hurt to let off some steam now and again. "You know, you could join in if you wish." Robyn added, turning her attention back to Fiona by tapping the sheep faunus in the back at the same time she said those words.

"Well shucks, ah'm just along for the ride, miss Robyn! Ah wanna measure my potential!" The gunslinger declared cheerfully, halfway through rapidly guzzling their second processed food puree.



"And BOY HOWDY, does that answer that question! This don't lend itself to eatin' quickly at ALL! Ah actually feel REALLY SICK!"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Well shucks, ah'm just along for the ride, miss Robyn! Ah wanna measure my potential!" The gunslinger declared cheerfully, halfway through rapidly guzzling their second processed food puree.

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"And BOY HOWDY, does that answer that question! This don't lend itself to eatin' quickly at ALL! Ah actually feel REALLY SICK!"​

"You know..." Nora began as she leaned over closer to the cybernetic looking cowboy, her mouth full of food and chewing wildly.

"You could just give up! Clear the field a little bit, because the speed you're going at, there's no no no no way you're gonna beat me. Valiant effort so far though!" Cinder was doing her best to keep up, though even she chimed in on the Cobalt situation. More seriously than Nora however, a note of genuine concern in the fall maiden's voice. "Yeah, don't risk yourself getting sick over this, please. Take care of yourself first!" ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

The Ace of Spades, Mantle. The dingiest little hole in the wall in the dingiest back alley of Remnant's dingiest city, a place where truly only society's lowest or most downtrodden went to be at home. Among their own kind.

He didn't even know which category he fell under any more, but he sure as hell knew it was the only place for him at this point. It was where Raven could find him every single time she reached out to him with her semblance, if she was even still bothering by now. She'd been persistent, he gave her that, but Qrow had simply doubled down and moped and self-pitied until even the most stubborn and foolhardy of would-be interventionists would've had no choice but to dismiss him as a lost cause. Those who made no active effort to help themselves simply couldn't be helped. He wasn't exactly proud of it, but he reasoned it was what had to be done to get her to leave him the hell alone.

It'd been about a week now since his abrupt vanishing act, and the most he could say in his own defense was he hadn't gone totally off the reservation. He still kept tabs. Be it in Atlas or Mantle, the pertinent figures still occasionally might've noticed a mysterious black corvid monitoring their progress just a little bit more often than could be considered ordinary, always watchful and always from afar.

And if they ever tried getting any closer?

It always flew away.

You could pick up a lot when you disengaged from a conflict, retreated to the relative safety and vantage point of a bird's eye view. He'd followed some threads his own way, picked up a few things here and there he probably wouldn't have moping around the resistance facilities, so that was something. Yang was out. That was great. Still being kind of a dumbass, which not so great. Really? Go Fish? Would she have been as eager to play a few rounds if it had been Cinder Fall up on that roof? Tyrian Callows? In that respect, at least, Qrow had successfully adjusted to life in Remnant Two; Had to, after what went down with this world's Valkyrie. These people, they might've had the same faces, the same names, even the same pasts as the ones they knew up to a certain fork in the road turned everything on its head. But they weren't the same people. They were acolytes of life's enemy. Just Cinder Fall, Tyrian Callows, and Hazel Reinhart—The original flavors—wrapped up in insidious, painful little packages that for whatever reason seemed tailor made to hurt them. But Yang?

Well... she really was just the biggest sucker for a pretty face. Or a friendly one. Either way, he figured him and Tai were probably to blame for that. It wasn't like she was brainwashed or anything, he didn't believe that. It just made her a little soft. A little reluctant to fight the fight they had before them, the one they needed to win to get home. It wasn't... it wasn't necessarily the worst trait for a person to have. Qrow could admit that, even if his one and only priority in this world was getting his nieces back to their lives. He'd help out the forces of good in this world along the way so long as their goals aligned, but this hellhole... it wasn't their world. It wasn't their fight. On some level, he was pretty sure Ruby understood that. But Yang... she just couldn't help herself. Couldn't stop seeing people who needed help, couldn't keep herself from looking for the good in those people, couldn't stop believing it was there. That was just the kind of heart she had. Qrow had had a lot of time to reflect of late, on all sorts of matters, and while he might've had his own feelings regarding that one he had reached the conclusion that it wasn't the kind of trait she deserved to have grilled and patronized and lectured out of her by people who thought they knew better. All that stuff... it'd just make her plant her feet and refuse to admit she was wrong more, anyways. There was nothing wrong with being a compassionate soul, nothing weak or scorn-worthy about it. Qrow knew a thing or two about being the only person who believed in a kinder way of living among a tribe of cynics and misanthropes, all preaching their own views about the way the world 'really' was and how things 'should've' worked. Deep down, in his heart of hearts? He was kinda even rooting for Yang to stick to her guns, even if it was making things really freaking inconvenient.

But she was fixing to get hurt. Of that, he had no doubt. She was getting too close, to this world, to the people who inhabited it; too invested. That was her mistake, the one that worried him. That much was plain as day to him with the way his mood had been lately, and it had even made him reflect on how he'd been starting to make the same mistake himself despite his better judgment. He... honestly had no idea what the hell to do about it. Not a single one.

At the very least, on the day that hurt came to collect, he'd be there. For her and Ruby both, watching over both of them without getting close enough that it only made things worse. He just hoped that big, dumb, stubborn heart could make it through the other side of all that pain unscathed.

Otherwise, well... you ended up like him. And the last thing Qrow Branwen wanted either of his nieces to turn out like was himself. For crying out loud, he couldn't even fall off the stupid freaking wagon properly; had it always tasted this bad? Had he just gotten so used to the burn, the smell, that he stopped noticing? He honestly didn't know.

On this particular night, he had at least managed to put enough away that he stopped caring, and as the bartender came to retrieve his glass the huntsman shook his head and covered it.

"Just bring the bottle."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"You know..." Nora began as she leaned over closer to the cybernetic looking cowboy, her mouth full of food and chewing wildly.

"You could just give up! Clear the field a little bit, because the speed you're going at, there's no no no no way you're gonna beat me. Valiant effort so far though!" Cinder was doing her best to keep up, though even she chimed in on the Cobalt situation. More seriously than Nora however, a note of genuine concern in the fall maiden's voice. "Yeah, don't risk yourself getting sick over this, please. Take care of yourself first!"

"HA! Yeah, right! You gals'd like that, wouldn't yall? Big reveal time: ah ground TEN PLATES o'what you're eatin' up into every single one'a these here smoothies! Now, ah can't attest as to what kinda state I'll be in afterwards, but ah reckon this here rodeo's mine for the takin'!"

And thus, against all better judgment, did they continue to slurp.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

On this particular night, he had at least managed to put enough away that he stopped caring, and as the bartender came to retrieve his glass the huntsman shook his head and covered it.

"Just bring the bottle."​

Raven indeed still was trying to get through to her otherworldly brother, taking whatever chance she could when not doing something important for Cobalt or James or Robyn or anybody else. She was built stubborn like that. Though this time, a week after Qrow had first ran off to go do things solo, it wasn't that Raven who predictably showed up when the portal opened up nearby with that distinct sound. It was followed by an equally distinct sound as the noises of a wheelchair reached Qrow's ears. It came to a resting stop just behind him, a silence lingering just long enough for crimson eyes to look over every inch of him from behind. When that was done, she was still silent, shooting a furtive glance all around. This was still absolutely humiliating. For someone who had so prided strength to be this weak...yet even despite her heavy humiliation, that was still a very distant second to the thing most on her mind right now. "No, don't." Raven spat at the bartender in turn, eyes both narrowed to slits as she glared for however long it took for the bartender to comply with her demand instead.

It was only after that, that she spoke to Qrow directly.

"Little brother. This pity party has gone on long enough, don't you think? Let me answer that for you, yes, you do think so. And even if I'm wrong on that(i'm not) and even if you don't think that(which you do), then just understand this. I absolutely believe it has gone on for long enough now. We need you back with us, standing alongside us, not...skulking around in the shadows as you're doing...when you aren't wasting away drinking." ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

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"HA! Yeah, right! You gals'd like that, wouldn't yall? Big reveal time: ah ground TEN PLATES o'what you're eatin' up into every single one'a these here smoothies! Now, ah can't attest as to what kinda state I'll be in afterwards, but ah reckon this here rodeo's mine for the takin'!"

And thus, against all better judgment, did they continue to slurp.​

"That...THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK! I WON'T LOSE! NO WAY!" Nora scrambled to move even faster in her quest to cosplay as a human vacuum cleaner sucking up all the food in sight. Cinder wasn't eating quite as fast, but beyond not being able to match the Valkyrie's hyperactivity, Cinder was going somewhat slower because her concentration wasn't fully on just eating. Some of her focus was also on trying to see if she could discreetly(and definitely carefully) internally use her maiden magic to burn away the food inside her before it could build up and make her feel full. That was not something Salem had ever said or implied could be done, and there was no way for her to see and gauge if that attempt was working at all. But by the gods, she was going to try!!!​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Raven indeed still was trying to get through to her otherworldly brother, taking whatever chance she could when not doing something important for Cobalt or James or Robyn or anybody else. She was built stubborn like that. Though this time, a week after Qrow had first ran off to go do things solo, it wasn't that Raven who predictably showed up when the portal opened up nearby with that distinct sound. It was followed by an equally distinct sound as the noises of a wheelchair reached Qrow's ears. It came to a resting stop just behind him, a silence lingering just long enough for crimson eyes to look over every inch of him from behind. When that was done, she was still silent, shooting a furtive glance all around. This was still absolutely humiliating. For someone who had so prided strength to be this weak...yet even despite her heavy humiliation, that was still a very distant second to the thing most on her mind right now. "No, don't." Raven spat at the bartender in turn, eyes both narrowed to slits as she glared for however long it took for the bartender to comply with her demand instead.

It was only after that, that she spoke to Qrow directly.

"Little brother. This pity party has gone on long enough, don't you think? Let me answer that for you, yes, you do think so. And even if I'm wrong on that(i'm not) and even if you don't think that(which you do), then just understand this. I absolutely believe it has gone on for long enough now. We need you back with us, standing alongside us, not...skulking around in the shadows as you're doing...when you aren't wasting away drinking."

"Ahem."

"Ah-ah."

The bartender kept her warning confined to a tut and a subtle, almost daring flare of the eyes as she stared the paraplegic Raven dead in hers, a rather hefty axe produced from under the counter to rest across one shoulder before she shook her head lightly and used it to tap the sign hanging over the bar.

NO SEMBLANCES

That reminder delivered, she went to serve another customer further up and left the emo twins to figure out their bullshit, wondering idly if her sister in Mistral ever had to put up with this kind of crap.

Qrow's shoulders didn't even stiffen up that much anymore whenever he saw that ominous crimson glow wash over the room. He just stonewalled, having become plenty experienced at shoving his feelings into compartmentalized objects (like bottles) throughout the years, and preferred for the better-natured of his sisters to needle him with more empty words. What he got... wasn't quite that, and he actually did hunch over the bar a little further in the moment before pivoting in his seat to take in the sight, Raven the bandit queen in all her wheelchair bound glory. He blinked, and proceeded to do probably the worst thing he ever would do in his storied life.

"Bahahahahahahaha!"

He slapped his knee, in the midst of a drunken stupor that probably would've had a more graceless drunk toppling off his stool with the motion.

"Oh, man, I'm s-sorry, this is lousy I shouldn't be laughing, I know, holy crap should I not be laughing. It's just..."

Now that he knew she was gonna walk again, his disposition towards the entire thing... well, it actually hadn't changed that much, and he'd still never forget what had happened to Raven so short a time after she ended up back in his life. But it at least let him appreciate the irony in the sight, after everything Raven had said and done, and she knew better than anybody that as far back as their teenage years him and Taiyang 'roast your invalid daughter' Xiao Long always did look for the humor in the dark stuff.

"I think even you can see the irony. Now screw off."

He turned back to order another drink.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Ahem."

"Ah-ah."

The bartender kept her warning confined to a tut and an subtle, almost daring flare of the eyes as she stared the paraplegic Raven dead in hers, a rather hefty axe produced from under the counter to rest across one shoulder before she shook her head subtly and used it to tap the sign hanging over the bar.

NO SEMBLANCES

"Bahahahahahahaha!"

He slapped his knee, in the midst of a drunken stupor that probably would've had a more graceless drunk toppling off his stool with the motion.

Oh, man, I'm s-sorry, this is lousy I shouldn't be laughing, I know, holy crap should I not be laughing. It's just..."

Now that he knew she was gonna walk again, his disposition towards the entire thing... well, it actually hadn't changed that much, and he'd still never forget what had happened to Raven so short a time after she ended up back in his life. But it at least let him appreciate the irony in the sight, after everything Raven had said and done, and she knew better than anybody that as far back as their teenage years him and Taiyang 'roast your invalid daughter' Xiao Long always did look for the humor in the dark stuff.

"I think even you can see the irony. Now screw off."

He turned back to order another drink.

Miraculously she managed to refrain from actually snapping back at him, in spite of her clearly annoyed mood. More than that she did the exact opposite of what he just demanded. With a heavy grunt of exertion she pushed herself out of the wheelchair with upper body strength alone, and slowly, awkwardly, swung herself up to take a seat at the bar next to him. Once she'd settled in a way that felt at least somewhat comfortable, she ordered a drink herself. A few moments after that: "...Yeah. Yeah, I can see it." Raven painfully acknowledged, though she didn't turn to face him. Her eyes stared straight ahead. "...Qrow. I don't know if...I don't know if you heard any of what I said to you back on that ride over to Atlas. Hell, I don't even know if you were aware I spoke to you then. You were pretty unconscious. I guess it doesn't matter much either way. I can see the writing on the wall here, you know. I already figured trying to get through to you now, to return...it wasn't gonna happen. But other me wanted me to try one more time. And that was it." Raven exhaled before taking a gulp of her drink. She still wasn't looking at him.

"I wasn't joking when I said I was going to do my best to be better, though. If you really are gonna keep insisting that doing your own thing separate from the rest of that big bunch is for the best, fine. I ain't gonna waste one more word trying to convince you to return. But know this...I'm not leaving your side. Not this time. As long as this stubborn streak of yours lasts, I'll be right there with you. The others can take care of themselves and I'm not letting you go lone wolf on this. Don't think you can ditch me that easy, either. Walking's not that great at the moment, neither's the chair, but...I can still use the semblance just fine. Plus...you know."

She took another sip of her tea beer. "You're not the only Branwen who gets to be stubborn. And this time I'll be with you until the end of all this, come hell or high water." Even now she still hadn't turned her head to face him, though her eyes did shift slightly in his direction.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Miraculously she managed to refrain from actually snapping back at him, in spite of her clearly annoyed mood. More than that she did the exact opposite of what he just demanded. With a heavy grunt of exertion she pushed herself out of the wheelchair with upper body strength alone, and slowly, awkwardly, swung herself up to take a seat at the bar next to him. Once she'd settled in a way that felt at least somewhat comfortable, she ordered a drink herself. A few moments after that: "...Yeah. Yeah, I can see it." Raven painfully acknowledged, though she didn't turn to face him. Her eyes stared straight ahead. "...Qrow. I don't know if...I don't know if you heard any of what I said to you back on that ride over to Atlas. Hell, I don't even know if you were aware I spoke to you then. You were pretty unconscious. I guess it doesn't matter much either way. I can see the writing on the wall here, you know. I already figured trying to get through to you now, to return...it wasn't gonna happen. But other me wanted me to try one more time. And that was it." Raven exhaled before taking a gulp of her drink. She still wasn't looking at him.

"I wasn't joking when I said I was going to do my best to be better, though. If you really are gonna keep insisting that doing your own thing separate from the rest of that big bunch is for the best, fine. I ain't gonna waste one more word trying to convince you to return. But know this...I'm not leaving your side. Not this time. As long as this stubborn streak of yours lasts, I'll be right there with you. The others can take care of themselves and I'm not letting you go lone wolf on this. Don't think you can ditch me that easy, either. Walking's not that great at the moment, neither's the chair, but...I can still use the semblance just fine. Plus...you know."

She took another sip of her tea beer. "You're not the only Branwen who gets to be stubborn. And this time I'll be with you until the end of all this, come hell or high water." Even now she still hadn't turned her head to face him, though her eyes did shift slightly in his direction.

"...Raven..."

It was telling with regards to his actual levels of intoxication just how lucid Qrow seemed all of a sudden in the wake of her words, having been staring at her with a growing sense of... something the longer they went on. What that something was, it was hard to say; truth be told it was more like a mix of somethings, all potent and all conflicting. One ruled chief above them all, however.

Frustration.

"Save it."

"You let people screw themselves up for years waiting for you to come back. Remember Taiyang, that plucky wiseass from school you had the hots for? You practically ruined him. Real shell of himself on your account, sis, and oh, man, you should've seen him after Summer died. Not to mention, his daughter? Yang? Your kid, who by-the-by, already seems to have faded from your famously selective memory so much—again—that it makes me just a little skeptical how much you're actually in this to change, that you're not just sucking up to me 'cause I'm the one who finally had the balls to put you in your place? You have any idea how bad you almost messed her up? Did you know she and Ruby almost died when they were kids once 'cause she ran away to look for you? I barely made it there in time. She never forgot. Did you know that the worst part of losing her arm, the part that gave her a hard time getting out of bed for months, wasn't the pain? That it wasn't the guy who did it? She's tougher than that. It was the fact that, right after it happened, someone very important to her up and ran off, without saying a word, and it hurt her real bad. Any idea why THAT might be?"

He slammed his glass down on the counter, pushed out his stool, and stood up.

"You never cared. After all that, I finally decide I want a little time to myself and you suddenly just can't find it in you to leave me the hell be? Maybe you haven't changed. That's not progress. You said it yourself: that's being stubborn, and that's all you were ever good at. Listen carefully: I'm not the one you need to be making things up to. If it wasn't obvious, I came to terms with who you are a loooong time ago. Thing is, pretty recently I also got to thinking maybe that's not all you'll ever be. That there's enough left in there to change, 'cause yeah; I was awake. But the jury's sure as hell still out, and if your definition of 'changing' means following me around like a lost puppy, lecturing me like all's forgiven, without ever even mentioning the people you actually owe it to's names? Ruby? Yang? Then you're more hopeless than I thought."

He tossed a stack of lien on the table and shoved his hands in his pockets, mood well and truly shot.

"Gettin' real tired of this crap, so I'm gonna say this one last time. Unlike all the times you left people who needed you behind, I actually have a reason to. I know me. I know my semblance. I know what it looks like when things start to go wrong because of my semblance. You might not get it, you might not respect it, you might not think it's the right call. Tell someone who gives a shit. It's my call. I made it. You need to live with it. Grow up, accept you won't always get your way, and stop pestering me, and tell your other self all that goes for her too. No one likes a clingy broad."

Qrow turned, flicked three fingers at the bartender in a farewell wave, and left.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...Raven..."

It was telling with regards to his actual levels of intoxication just how lucid Qrow seemed all of a sudden in the wake of her words, having been staring at her with a growing sense of... something the longer they went on. What that something was, it was hard to say; truth be told it was more like a mix of somethings, all potent and all conflicting. One ruled chief above them all, however.

Frustration.

"Save it."

"You let people screw themselves up for years waiting for you to come back. Remember Taiyang, that plucky wiseass from school you had the hots for? You practically ruined him. Real shell of himself on your account, sis, and oh, man, you should've seen him after Summer died. Not to mention, his daughter? Yang? Your kid, who by-the-by, already seems to have faded from your famously selective memory so much—again—that it makes me just a little skeptical how much you're actually in this to change, that you're not just sucking up to me 'cause I'm the one who finally had the balls to put you in your place? You have any idea how bad you almost messed her up? Did you know she and Ruby almost died when they were kids once 'cause she ran away to look for you? I barely made it there in time. She never forgot. Did you know that the worst part of losing her arm, the part that gave her a hard time getting out of bed for months, wasn't the pain? That it wasn't the guy who did it? She's tougher than that. It was the fact that, right after it happened, someone very important to her up and ran off, without any trace, and it hurt her real bad. Any idea why THAT might be?"

He slammed his glass down on the counter, pushed out his stool, and stood up.

"You never cared. After all that, I finally decide I want a little time to myself and you suddenly just can't find it in you to leave me the hell be? Maybe you haven't changed. That's not progress. You said it yourself: that's being stubborn, and that's all you were ever good at. Listen carefully: I'm not the one you need to be making things up to. If it wasn't obvious, I came to terms with who you are a loooong time ago. Thing is, pretty recently I also got to thinking maybe that's not all you'll ever be. That there's enough left in there to change, 'cause yeah; I was awake. But the jury's sure as hell still out, and if your definition of 'changing' means following me around like a lost puppy, lecturing me like all's forgiven, without ever even mentioning the people you actually owe it to's names? Ruby? Yang? Then you're more hopeless than I thought."

He tossed a stack of lien on the table and shoved his hands in his pockets, mood well and truly shot.

"Gettin' real tired of this crap, so I'm gonna say this one last time. Unlike all the times you left people who needed you behind, I actually have a reason to. I know me. I know my semblance. I know what it looks like when things start to go wrong because of my semblance. You might not get it, you might not respect it, you might not think it's the right call. Tell someone who gives a shit. It's my call. I made it. You need to live with it. Grow up, accept you won't always get your way, and stop pestering me, and tell your other self all that goes for her too. No one likes a clingy broad."

Qrow turned, flicked three fingers at the bartender in a farewell wave, and left.​

Throughout all of that, through the entirety of Qrow getting what he needed to say off his chest, Raven sat so still that it would have been easy to assume she was ignoring his every word. That she had fallen asleep, or that somewhere in the midst of all that, Raven had swapped out with a statue or a mannequin of herself. None of that was even remotely true, her ears easily picking up every word as she stared ever forward, not at him. But there was no movement or spoken reply on her part that made it absolutely clear she was listening. She stayed that way not only until he had finished speaking, but even until he was gone, out of sight. It was only then that she moved, just the slightest turn of her head to look over her shoulder towards the exit.

"...I know." She finally stated, an acknowledgement given only to the empty air. The only people who could hear it, it didn't matter in the slightest to them. But she didn't care, the words had been more for her own benefit anyway.

She was well aware of all the lives her choices had affected, and not for the better. Tai, who had retreated into himself, and even when he tried to claw some of his old self back, Summer had...gone. Another teammate, a friend...once...and could never be again. Yang had most certainly not been forgotten, but...Raven herself didn't know if she was ready for that conversation yet. That was one thing, that ever-present doubt that existed within her in some form or another, and frequently made her wonder how...how did Yang end up the way she was? That unwavering conviction, how...it was unrecognizable. Even in her wilder moments of fantasizing about how that determination had come from her...she didn't genuinely believe. How could that have come from her? It was...a complicated matter, and that wasn't even factoring in recent events that had left her...lesser.

Ruby, Summer's daughter...so much a spitting image of their former team leader that it was...difficult to look at Ruby and not see Summer. A girl's whose existence Raven had generally stayed well clear of, but yet another life that could have been lost thanks to the damage she'd inflicted. Because a childishly foolish Yang had been so eager to find the mom who'd left her behind. She did not expect the damage she'd caused over the years would be forgotten and she certainly didn't expect they would be forgiven. She didn't think she even wanted them to be. How could she be better if she didn't remember herself at her worst?

She reached into a pocket and withdrew her scroll, starting to type...

Maybe you're right, brother. I didn't care enough back then, and maybe it isn't change. Maybe I'm still the same me that I've been for so long. Maybe there's no progress, and there can never be any true progress in changing who I am...just shifting the goals in what I think I should do. Maybe you truly don't give a shit about what I think anymore, and I wouldn't blame you if you really don't. But you're also wrong, I wasn't trying to lecture you, I wasn't under the illusion that all was forgiven, it wasn't about getting my way or trying to pester you. It was all about what you're most wrong about. You are definitely somebody I need to make a lot up to. We were born together, grew up together, trained together, fought and bled together. We were supposed to be a duo all our lives and

Raven stared at that blank spot, that unfinished unsent message for a long time before she just sighed and backspaced until it was all gone, stowing her scroll away once more without sending any message.

There was one final gulp of what remained of her drink, the liquid courage not exactly going down easy but still welcome. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and sighed before she tossed down some lien herself and moved to get back into her wheelchair. She wheeled out the same way Qrow had, but he was likely long gone by now, to...wherever he bunkered down at the moment. Her head lifted up to the Mantle sky and sighed again before going to use her semblance now that she was out of the bar. Qrow had been right, there was somebody she did need to talk to, and the drink had made her feel at least moderately more prepared to handle.

She wheeled on through the portal and that was how the crippled Raven suddenly got hit by a truck she emerged out the other end onto some different sidewalk on a different road(Atlas proper by the looks of it), and she shot glances around in an attempt to pinpoint Yang.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

There was one final gulp of what remained of her drink, the liquid courage not exactly going down easy but still welcome. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and sighed before she tossed down some lien herself and moved to get back into her wheelchair. She wheeled out the same way Qrow had, but he was likely long gone by now, to...wherever he bunkered down at the moment. Her head lifted up to the Mantle sky and sighed again before going to use her semblance now that she was out of the bar. Qrow had been right, there was somebody she did need to talk to, and the drink had made her feel at least moderately more prepared to handle.

She wheeled on through the portal and that was how the crippled Raven suddenly got hit by a truck she emerged out the other end onto some different sidewalk on a different road(Atlas proper by the looks of it), and she shot glances around in an attempt to pinpoint Yang.

Whether she noticed it or didn't, an inky black crow's eyes gleamed crimson from atop the nearest street light as it took in the scene, before with a single beat of its wings it took off and charted a course into the sky.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Hmm... Not necessary."

She shook her head, a peremptory inflection to her words that almost verged on stern. She stood up, pushing away the sandwich she'd put so much effort into constructing without ever actually enjoying a bite of, and brushed off her gown in an elegant sweeping motion as she continued.

"There'll be plenty of time for all that if you're going to be staying here with me. Right now, I'm afraid I simply can't abide the sight of all that blood. It's completely spoiled my appetite."

"Oh!"

Right, her t--shirt and face were still covered in mostly dried blood at this point.

"Sorry."
​

She put a hand on her hip, and grandly threw the other one up to point towards one of the doors leading out of the kitchen. The ethereal servant was in the process of leaving through it, its featureless figure leaving nary a footstep to disrupt the mansion's eerie silence in spite of what looked to be a rather exquisite pair of leather loafers.

"There's a bathroom down the hall to the right. Tidy yourself up a bit once you're finished and change into the clothes he leaves out for you, then meet me back here. Would you be opposed to a trip in my limousine? There's something I'd like to show you."

"That sounds lovely, thank you Weiss."

The Masque finished off what was left of her sandwich and milk and hopped to her feet.

She followed the figureless butler out of the room.

If perhaps a bit uncharacteristically given how bubbly she'd been during her conversations with the other world's Yang, she was dreadfully quiet as she walked down the hall. No exclamations of awe or wonder. Just...melancholy if nothing else. As she reached the bathroom, she looked towards the figure.

"Um...Thank you." She gave a nod and entered the room. There'd been a shower at the motel she'd been sharing with her Yang. But it wasn't all that great. The temperature levels were inconsistent and it just felt trashy. Fitting for a pair of misfits like her and Yang though. To be offered a shower that felt like it'd been properly maintained.

She didn't deserve this opportunity.

As she looked in the mirror over the sink, she pulled off her shirt and tossed it onto the floor or in a hamper if one was available.

It was a sight she hadn't deigned to show the world at large let alone anyone except Ozpin himself.

But her front was coated with scars. Some small, some big. If one were to see it, she wouldn't have doubted they'd have seen it as grotesque.

All earned from years of feeling she needed to prove herself.

And yet her back wasn't marred, flawless smooth skin without an imperfection in sight. She hated the idea of running away. If someone threatened her, she'd do anything to make them fall. Even as her fight with her otherself showed rip her own arm off. ...

"I ran that day..."

And her life had been miserable ever since.

Even to this day.

She wasn't blindly naive. She knew Weiss had it within her power to kill her if the thought ever occurred to her. The realization that she could scared Ruby to her core if she was being honest. Weiss had never spoken to her or even had any interest in wanting to try and be anything more than vague acquaintances. There was something she wanted out of this but what could she do? She was in Weiss's house now and she had all the cards. Better to hang onto her childish optimism than give into despair and cynicism. That simply wasn't who she was as a person.

She took another look in the mirror.

"You're so beautiful, Ruby! Why did I never talk to you before...?"

"Because I didn't deserve your attention-"

"You idiot...."

"I always cared about you."

The mental image faded and Ruby sniffled.

"I'm just....ugly."

The rest of her clothes were tossed off and she proceeded to wash up.

But if anything had made her happy it was one small fact.

She thought of Weiss, not her Yang.

~~~

Once the shower was done, Ruby poked her head out and gladly accepted the clothes she'd been given.

"Thank you, again. I know it probably doesn't matter what I say to you but...It means a lot to me."

She closed the door and got dressed. Making sure to tie off the empty sleeve and tie her sword to her back.

"Hey Weiss, I'm back.."

She didn't let it show but boy was she excited to ride in a limousine!~​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Dude, what the hell is going on with your hair?"

"You know, you're the second person to comment on my hair today! Is it really that noticeable...? I guess pink just isn't a subtle color-"

That....That couldn't have been.

The Boss had just assumed he'd gone off and died or been killed. Whichever one seemed like the more likely option. Was something of a shame to lose someone so talented but with a semblance like his...?

The Boss hadn't shed any tears and neither did Aurora for that matter.

'Marcus never mentioned anything about having a son...I guess it wasn't really prudent. The Boss wanted him to knock off the people he wanted dead and he did it. Wasn't really room in the contract for familal stories to be swapped.' More so when Aurora tended to be the point of contact. Maybe it was for the better he was dead or gone. Didn't need somebody potentially raising any fuss as to why for a 16-17 year old, Aurora didn't seem to look much older even after some years had passed. Idly the thought crossed Aurora's mind if this boy was anywhere near the fighter his father had been.

If he was, it wasn't something Aurora wanted to test. Fights scared the hell out of him.
​

Emerald emerged from the back herself just in time to catch that statement from her partner, whose air was completely incredulous as he leaned up against the end of the bar with his arms crossed. "Mercury! Don't cop an attitude with—oh my God." Her voice dropped to a hushed, quite frankly concerned murmur as she caught sight of Aurora herself, given that he was pretty freaking difficult to miss. "...Well... whatever. Apocalypse, remember? People can do what they want. Don't hassle him if he's just here to drink."

"I'm just saying, too many guys lookin' like this as regular patrons and people might start to get the wrong idea about what type of bar this is."

"Huh...? What do you mean...?"

Aurora didn't drink much for reasons he'd already stated but he still tended to try and come around regularly. Just to be sociable if nothing else!
​

He clicked his fingers, hoping to get the dude's attention. "Hey buddy! Let us shave you."

"W-Why I'm flattered you'd provide me such a service..."

Aurora reached to place his cap atop his head. The same one that Vernal had made a habit of knocking off in between punching him.

"But if my hair's a bother, I'll wear my hat if it helps any..."

That topic hopefully averted, he looked over the two.

"You're Mercury and you're...?" He looked towards Emerald.

​

 

[MidwayLives]

Gretchen slid across the table's surface she'd clambered onto at some point, leapt across the gap onto another apart from the others almost as if she were leaving. Except! The minuscule huntress skidded to a stop, dropped to a single knee as she did declare emphatically so with a forward swing of her right arm into a pointed jab of the finger that rested upon someone in this very room, this Colosseum of the gods of dining and cooking.

Grey enjoyed eating his meals in relative solitude.

Wasn't anything against the others, just a personal preference. One he'd slowly grew more of a fondness for during his time with the Resistance.

He'd favored his masks to hide his face, he preferred handling things on a personal 1x1 basis if possible, his semblance was really only good against groups of enemies or for subterfuge.

The latter of which hadn't exactly panned out so great in recent memory. His arm in the sling was still proof enough of that.

'Hrm. Wonder if a scouting mission by myself would be out of the question?" He pondered aloud. Bad habit. Needed to fix that.

'...Maybe bring Cobalt."

...No, definitely bring Cobalt.
​

"Hey, you! Funny get-up aside, you're a reporter, right?! Dedicated to the pursuit of the truth and nothing but the truth? At all costs, you'd wrest the facts from the cold, unscrupulous hands of those that would sooner see them buried within purgatory than the light of day?!" A beat transpired at the end of her words and whatever Grey might have said, Gretchen bulldozed right to the point.

"AGH!!"

He immediately pulled the drawstrings on his hoodie taut leaving barely any off his face visible.

'Didn't need to scream like that in hindsight. Had decent enough amount of time to notice her.'

"....I've never heard it put better than that."

It was nice to be recognized.

'Funny get-up' kinda stung a bit though.
​

"I nominate you as an impartial judge! No! The impartial judge!"

"I gladly accept."

It came out sounding a bit muffled because of his hoodie but Gretchen got the gist.

'Impartial...Yes. Nobody likes a biased reporter...'
​

"HA! Yeah, right! You gals'd like that, wouldn't yall? Big reveal time: ah ground TEN PLATES o'what you're eatin' up into every single one'a these amigos! Now, ah can't attest as to what kinda state I'll be in afterwards, but ah reckon this here rodeo's mine for the takin'!"

Grey held up a hand to try and signal his slight concern.

...But then he lowered it.

What a brave cowboy...


​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Once the shower was done, Ruby poked her head out and gladly accepted the clothes she'd been given.

"Thank you, again. I know it probably doesn't matter what I say to you but...It means a lot to me."

The specter of Schnee Manor was standing outside the bathroom in the exact same spot it had when Ruby went in, practically part of the furniture in how eerily still it was. It offered no reply, either verbal or physical, if indeed it were even capable of any; Its face was entirely featureless, though the vague impression of a neatly pressed suit, tie and pocket handkerchief could just about be made out beneath its celestial glow. Whatever it was, whoever it had once been, it didn't matter. It existed for only one purpose now.

Spoiler

To do as it was told.

"Hey Weiss, I'm back.."

She didn't let it show but boy was she excited to ride in a limousine!~

Weiss hadn't been joking in the slightest. If she had truly believed for a single second that this woman came here with any intention of harming her, Ruby would've died that night. There were three key factors that kept that from transpiring: one, the girl simply wasn't the actively manipulative sort. She had no pokerface. Depraved or otherwise, every single thought the Masque had ever had had been worn on her sleeve, perhaps necessitating the need to don a mask in the first place. She had seen the ruthless, bloodthirsty way the Red Masque treated her enemies, and witnessed firsthand the shy meekness worn by Ruby Rose whenever she craved somebody's approval; It had been right there in every order Ozpin ever gave her, in every failed attempt ever made at conversing with Weiss herself, and the moment she laid eyes on her in her kitchen she knew exactly which light she was being viewed in.

Two, it needed no affirming that the councilwoman was always thinking, always leveraging new opportunities when they came her way. An hour ago, she never foresaw a future where she would've ended up in a dialogue with the Red Masque—Frankly, she imagined she was going to end up having to put an end to her rather soon. Then other avenues presented themselves, and the goalposts shifted. That was business. That was politics. That was war. When you broke it down, it really was all one and the same.

And three?

Weiss loved dogs.

It wasn't really something she made any effort to publicize, but she did. Adopting so many of the dears from rescue shelters all across Remnant had never been one of her many publicity moves. Weiss was lonely. She always had been; It was how she had to be, the very nature of her. She simply couldn't allow too many people into her life for fear of compromising what she hoped to achieve. It was a delicate balance. She needed some warmth for herself every now and then just to keep going, to remind her of why she was needed, but there needed to be a cutoff point in turn or the entire thing would've been in danger of unraveling. Her dealings in Atlas more often than not saw her interacting with what she thought to be the very worst of humanity, and her time among Ozpin's cabal had seen her indulging people who were somehow even worse. It had been easy, of late, to maintain that distance, to view humankind from a high tower and not allow them to undermine her goals. That didn't mean it had always been easy, and during those times, the dogs helped.

But all dogs were different. Some dogs had seen more suffering, neglect, and mistreatment than others, and those dogs often turned feral. Most commonly, those dogs never had a pleasant interaction with another human being again. They forgot what it was to feel love, and in turn forgot how to dispense it. Weiss could relate. So they growled, and snapped, and bit, and the average human lacked enough emotional discipline to do anything other than bare their teeth and snarl right back. The dog interpreted it as further cruelty, it became a vicious cycle of pain, and before long so many of those dogs slipped too far into the shadows to ever be reached again. Weiss hated that. It was such a waste! Honestly, when she built the new world she was going to keep a very watchful eye out for people who were cruel to dogs.

That was never going to be Weiss. She espoused ruthlessness, seeing it as simple necessity, but she abhorred cruelty. It was just one of so many things that made the world wrong, and her right. The fact that somebody like Ruby Rose could even exist was a failing on humanity's part.

If there was one thing Weiss never lacked for, however, it was discipline. She set herself goals and pursued the most efficient paths towards achieving them, and that didn't always mean being brusque, being authoritative, being cold. Just most of the time. So many of the dogs she'd taken into her home had been downright rabid; take Zwei. The little angel had been a terror when he was found roaming around on that island off Vale's coast, scarred and traumatized behind belief, and he had taken that trauma with him when he first arrived here. So many of Weiss's fingers had been bitten; her pillows shredded. Doilies, swallowed whole. All the same, Weiss loved him. And now?

Well, he was still a little bastard most of the time. But he was happy, he was cared for, and he loved her back.

Breaking Ozpin down, destroying him and everything he'd built, that had been chief among Weiss's goals for just about the entirety of her time associating with him; And that meant being observant. She saw how he treated the Masque. Saw how she responded in turn. She idolized him, because he made her feel wanted, made her feel important, made her feel like she was a crucial piece in his goals. And in those interactions, the barest seeds of an idea had been planted. Something she never got the chance to put in motion, never quite felt it was the appropriate time to do so. Because while Ozpin might've shown Ruby the barest, most laughable pretense of respect Weiss had ever witnessed?

It wasn't what she was after. It wasn't affection. It wasn't kindness. It wasn't love. The man wasn't capable of any of those things. They were the Masque's true yearnings, the most base human wants that Weiss could see from her high tower as clearly as if they were spelled out in bright neon colors. Dangerous a game as it may have been, for somebody so rational Weiss always did have a daring side; And she found herself extremely curious to observe the results of someone providing Ruby Rose with what her heart truly wanted. Did that make her a bad person, in the most objective terms?

She really didn't care. But she liked to think not, and she was certainly better than Ozpin.



Part of her couldn't help but ponder on whether Yang would've approved of this approach. Then again, of course she would. The silly girl.

"Well?"



The voice came from the hallway on the opposite end of the gigantic kitchen to the one Ruby had emerged from, and when she looked she saw a Weiss who cut quite the different figure from the nightgown-wearing spinster of before. She didn't look particularly extravagant or anything, for someone of her wealth; her hair dangled in a braided ponytail, and the skirt and cardigan she wore were modest affairs. But by her own assessment, she looked... Cute. Why, she would've even gone so far as to say adorable. It was the type of thing she might've worn on a date.

She raised an eyebrow with a benign smile, extending one hand in the direction of the manor's entrance invitingly. Their limo was already waiting.

"There's no time to dilly-dally!"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"You're Mercury and you're...?" He looked towards Emerald.

Mercury interjected again before she could answer, apparently eager to move on from the subject of that maniacal hairstyle as quickly as he raised it. "Miss Malachite... two!"

And then he was bored, so he immediately walked away.

"...Yeeeeaaaahhhh... That, I guess. Or, just Emerald. So who're you? Brightly colored people are usually important somehow."​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Well?"

Ruby turned her head-
​

The voice came from the hallway on the opposite end of the gigantic kitchen to the one Ruby had emerged from, and when she looked she saw a Weiss who cut quite the different figure from the nightgown-wearing spinster of before. She didn't look particularly extravagant or anything, for someone of her wealth; her hair dangled in a braided ponytail, and the skirt and cardigan she wore were modest affairs. But by her own assessment, she looked... Cute. Why, she would've even gone so far as to say adorable. It was the type of thing she might've worn on a date.

It wasn't often that things got Ruby to blush.

There weren't many happy things in her life that warranted it.

The bandit lifestyle didn't exactly reward or seem fitting for a growing girl. Especially one who'd been so cruel in order to get by.

Hormones, the need to stretch your wings and wander, love, romance.

It was all foreign to her.

If you wanted 'love' then you'd shack up with anybody who bought what you were offering. Then you'd sit around camp as if nothing had changed among you.

The Masque couldn't stand it. In hindsight it may have been why she was so hyperfocused on making Yang 'love her.' Just a sample of intimacy, of feeling wanted and sought after.

It'd leave her tingling in joy.

But the woman before her looked as if she'd stepped out of the Masque's wildest dreams.

She was a true goddess in every sense of the word. Powerful, beautiful without equal, and deserving of admiration.

...Without equal.

For the fairest second, a frown spread across her face. For reasons known only to her.
​

"There's no time to dilly-dally!"

The Masque's internal mental state was as such:

Spoiler

On the outside, she simply smiled.

"Let's go.~"

She followed alongside Weiss and seemed to hesitantly try reaching out. As if to hold Weiss' hand.

That's what people did on dates right....Wait, was this a date?

Was she going on a date with Weiss???

....If by the end of this Weiss revealed she cared zero for her and tossed her aside?

The Masque didn't think she'd able to go on.

Getting insulted at, laughed at, it was one thing.

But to be abandoned emotionally...?

Her body was strong but her heart just wasn't.

So for now she just wanted to live like the girl she was supposed to be.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Let's go.~"

She followed alongside Weiss and seemed to hesitantly try reaching out. As if to hold Weiss' hand.

That's what people did on dates right....Wait, was this a date?

Was she going on a date with Weiss???

....If by the end of this Weiss revealed she cared zero for her and tossed her aside?

The Masque didn't think she'd able to go on.

Getting insulted at, laughed at, it was one thing.

But to be abandoned emotionally...?

Her body was strong but her heart just wasn't.

So for now she just wanted to live like the girl she was supposed to be.

Weiss had already turned and started walking ahead, but slowed to allow her guest to match her pace. Whether it was blessing or curse that she was far too observant to miss something like a proffered hand was entirely for Ruby to decide, since—as if in response to her indecision—the heiress seemed to have no compunctions about simply reaching out and taking it, interlacing their fingers firmly so she could pull the other girl along. What was the harm?

"Have you ever had champagne before?"

One limo ride and some champagne later.

Whether Ruby drank or not, Weiss most certainly did. She led Ruby by the hand into an opulent white limousine, each end of the plush leather seating inside genuinely absurd in how far apart they were. The vehicle was quite clearly intended for more than just two passengers, and it wasn't just a limo. It was an Atlas limo.

It was so. Freaking. Cool. There was even a screen to play karaoke on, and a billion different light settings Weiss finally let settle on a moody purple after impulsively cycling through all of them super quick, giggling at the resulting disco-like strobe effect. It was obvious she didn't get an excuse to use the vehicle very much, since it was meant for outings with friends and she didn't have any.

She kept conversation light for the length of the journey, asking Ruby a few cursory questions about herself such as what books she liked, how she'd been spending her time in Atlas, that sort of thing. Nothing very revealing, and nothing at all pertinent to Ozpin; though if the story of her encounter with the not terrible version of her sister was relayed in any detail, Weiss's eyes were wide and her brows simply sky high with how utterly awe-inspiring she found Yang's strategy of playing cards with and aimlessly coddling her. "Wow. Truly that girl's brain operates on another level," she drawled, voice rife with that same awe.

Which was what it definitely was.

It wasn't a terribly long drive, and they had to get out to take a gravity lift up to their destination proper. Atlas Academy's use of hardlight dust in its construction meant the building lit up a technological blue during the twilight hours, a marvelous sight even from afar and the one the very city they were walking in had built up around. To walk through its campus proper was something else entirely, with the lack of students in sight instilling it with an unusual serenity in light of the academic year having come to a premature end. Understandable, given the allegations against its headmaster and threat of inter-kingdom conflict. Now the school lay dormant, and proper care of its facilities was a heavy responsibility Weiss had very thoughtfully proposed to the other council members she be allowed shoulder using her own resources; a suggestion they had been unanimously receptive to. Naturally. With the kingdom's military occupied keeping it safe from external threats, Weiss's own private security staff now had the run the place; along with a generous contingent of androids, of Atlesian design and otherwise. Weiss's slender fingers still held Ruby's own firmly as she led her towards the main door, where a woman in a black suit and sunglasses (despite it being nighttime) snapped to attention at her security checkpoint and half-jogged to meet them.

"MADAME COUNCILWOMAN, MA'AM! WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR!" She boldly saluted, though there was a confused squint to her eyes she was glad her tinted lenses blocked as she looked down at the odd duo's joint hands. Another one...?

"Just a flying visit to Merlot's lab. That'll be all." Weiss informed curtly, and left it at that as she swept right by the disheartened woman to continue into the main tower and immediately head for its core elevator. The heiress clasped both hands in front of her once they were both inside, the lift beginning its slow descent through numerous floors as she let her eyes flicker once over to Ruby and then away again.



"...So..."



She found herself hoping her assumption that Ruby had no idea what a good date was like had been accurate, because truth be told Weiss was horrible at them.

"...What... is... your favorite... color?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

Weiss had already turned and started walking ahead, but slowed to allow her guest to match her pace. Whether it was blessing or curse that she was far too observant to miss something like a proffered hand was entirely for Ruby to decide, since—as if in response to her indecision—the heiress seemed to have no compunctions about simply reaching out and taking it, interlacing their fingers firmly so she could pull the other girl along.

It was an image Ruby would never have imagined in years.

The fearsome Red Masque who'd take on any of Ozpin's enemies, perceived or otherwise, holding hands with the heiress to the esteemed SDC fortune.

It wasn't as depraved as the things her Yang got up to. It wasn't as crude and Weiss hadn't annoyed her just by inanely blabbing on and on.

So it was a real dream come true.
​

"Have you ever had champagne before?"

One limo ride and some champagne later.

Due to the general proximity of it growing up, beer or gin was her usual 'drink of choice.'

She thought it tasted fucking awful. The bitterness inherent to alcohol never settled well for her no matter how many times she tried it.

But....This was a date and who knew how things would end up before the night was through???

The Masque happily grabbed the bottle.

"I'd be glad to have some!~"

​

It was so. Freaking. Cool. There was even a screen to play karaoke on, and a billion different light settings Weiss finally let settle on a moody purple after impulsively cycling through all of them super quick, giggling at the resulting disco-like strobe effect. It was obvious she didn't get an excuse to use the vehicle very much, since it was meant for outings with friends and she didn't have any.

She kept conversation light for the length of the journey, asking Ruby a few cursory questions about herself such as what books she liked, how she'd been spending her time in Atlas, that sort of thing. Nothing very revealing, and nothing at all pertinent to Ozpin; though if the story of her encounter with the not terrible version of her sister was relayed in any detail, Weiss's eyes were wide and her brows simply sky high with how utterly awe-inspiring she found Yang's strategy of playing cards with and aimlessly coddling her. "Wow. Truly that girl's brain operates on another level," she drawled, voice rife with that same awe.

Which was what it definitely was.

"It does doesn't it?"

Man, buzzed as she was(mostly due to actually liking the taste of the champagne and drinking quite a bit due to nervousness...)she couldn't help but feel Weiss had said one of the most intelligent things since they'd started the date. "You know...you're so right, Weiss. The other Yang always seems to know what to say..."

She giggled.

"Wish I had that talent."

As she looked over the features of the limo, she didn't comment too much on it.

You didn't get to make many friends as 'The Red Masque' certainly not ones who'd sing karaoke with you....

Something she could relate to Weiss on in some regard.
​

It wasn't a terribly long drive, and they had to get out to take a gravity lift up to their destination proper. Atlas Academy's use of hardlight dust in its construction meant the building lit up a technological blue during the twilight hours, a marvelous sight even from afar and the one the very city they were walking in had built up around. To walk through its campus proper was something else entirely, with the lack of students in sight instilling it with an unusual serenity in light of the academic year having come to a premature end. Understandable, given the allegations against its headmaster and threat of inter-kingdom conflict. Now the school lay dormant, and proper care of its facilities was a heavy responsibility Weiss had very thoughtfully proposed to the other council members she be allowed shoulder using her own resources; a suggestion they had been unanimously receptive to. Naturally. With the kingdom's military occupied keeping it safe from external threats, Weiss's own private security staff now had the run the place; along with a generous contingent of androids, of Atlesian design and otherwise. Weiss's slender fingers still held Ruby's own firmly as she led her towards the main door, where a woman in a black suit and sunglasses (despite it being nighttime) snapped to attention at her security checkpoint and half-jogged to meet them.

"MADAME COUNCILWOMAN, MA'AM! WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR!" She boldly saluted, though there was a confused squint to her eyes she was glad her tinted lenses blocked as she looked down at the odd duo's joint hands. Another one...?

Just once Ruby would have loved to meet a security person or soldier that didn't end in 'Over here! She's over here!' or 'It's the Red Masque!! Stop her!'

Seems like another opportunity she'd never expected was achieved thanks to Weiss.

"Hello. : )" Ruby said to the guard all while holding Weiss' hand.
​

"Just a flying visit to Merlot's lab. That'll be all." Weiss informed curtly, and left it at that as she swept right by the disheartened woman to continue into the main tower and immediately head for its core elevator. The heiress clasped both hands in front of her once they were both inside, the lift beginning its slow descent through numerous floors as she let her eyes flicker once over to Ruby and then away again.


"...So..."

She found herself hoping her assumption that Ruby had no idea what a good date was like had been accurate, because truth be told Weiss was horrible at them.

"...What is... your... favorite... Color?"

A soft mewl of disappointment left Ruby's mouth as their hand holding was interrupted.

Easy come, easy go....

As they stood side by side in the elevator, Ruby whistled the tune that'd helped calm her nerves so many times before.

When she was in jail, when she contemplated certain things, and when she'd seen the other Yang again.

Upon Weiss addressing her though, Ruby blinked and turned her head to face her with a small fit of giggles proceeding.

"Hehehe, it's red. From the roses on the ground to the apples in the trees, red's just always felt like a warm embracing color. It's something that I should try to aspire to be more like, huh?" It didn't matter if you were Weiss or the Other!Yang, if you wanted to sit and talk with the Masque/Ruby you were perfectly free to do so and she'd treat you as if you were an old friend.

"But you know..."

Ruby took a step closer to Weiss.

"I think after looking into those beautiful eyes, I think I have a new favorite color." She stated with as much warmth as she could muster. Every word was the honest truth coming from her. It was as Weiss had put it before: There were no falsehoods or manipulation with Ruby Rose. She told you how she felt and what she thought of you as truthfully as she could. Which might have been why with a bit of a morale boost from the champagne, she closed her eyes and leaned in.

"And I think my new favorite person.~"

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Hehehe, it's red. From the roses on the ground to the apples in the trees, red's just always felt like a warm embracing color. It's something that I should try to aspire to be more like, huh?" It didn't matter if you were Weiss or the Other!Yang, if you wanted to sit and talk with the Masque/Ruby you were perfectly free to do so and she'd treat you as if you were an old friend.

"Oh!" Weiss exclaimed with an approving smile and comprehending nod, having absolutely no idea where to take the conversation from there. She wracked her brain, trying to come up with something. Yang was smooth, probably. She assumed. What would she have said?

"But you know..."

Ruby took a step closer to Weiss.

"I think after looking into those beautiful eyes, I think I have a new favorite color." She stated with as much warmth as she could muster.

It appeared she didn't need to be smooth in this instance. She guessed that made sense. She was obviously much prettier than Yang.

"Oh...?" She repeated with more anxiety, a bit of an instinctive apprehension bubbling to the surface of her demeanor that ill-suited the cool and commanding politician as she fought long-buried impulsive urges to step back when her personal space was invaded, quashing them by skirting the floor with her shoe's toe. Was it an invasion, though? No... she supposed not. She knew exactly what she was doing here, even if some of the basic fundamentals had always eluded her. Had she been courting a more civilized individual she might've pointed out it was little under an hour ago that Ruby had broken into and damaged her property, but she supposed it was too much to expect an affection-starved barbarian to understand the concept of pacing things properly. Still, this soon...?

"And I think my new favorite person.~"

"Oh."

It was definitely for the best that Ruby's eyes were closed for those last few inches as Weiss evaluated her options. There was only one, of course. It wasn't like it was that big a deal. A kiss was just a kiss, and Weiss had had to fake more of them in her time than she cared to name. In an extremely bizarre, messed up way? She wasn't even sure it would've been fake. Weiss was certainly feeling the effects of the top-shelf bubbly herself, was a bit deprived of intimacy in her own right, and it wasn't like the young woman beneath the guise of the Red Masque was hideous or anything once she cleaned up. Quite the opposite, actually. Had it existed in a vacuum and not on the face of an unhinged killer, she might've even found all Ruby's nervous flattery and off-the-cuff yammering rather cute. It was sincere if nothing else, the total opposite of the nauseating courtship attempts she typically had leveled her way, and Weiss always liked squeezing that extra drop or two of excitement out of her disciplined existence where it could be allowed. She had a taste for the daring; the audacious. Alone in a moving elevator, with a self-professed bandit princess advancing on her? As a child, she would've found this terrifying. Now it was almost exhilarating.

She also knew this was the part where she was going to have to be extremely careful.

Feral dogs were just that: feral. They responded well to offerings of patience and warmth, the things they so-desperately needed, but too much too fast was liable to have the opposite effect of the one intended and lead to them believing they controlled you rather than vice-versa. They became demanding, needy, and the next time you failed to comply with their set expectations of affection or generosity? They reacted badly. This was a process that was going to take time. Weiss harbored no illusions that she could undo an entire upbringing full of savagery and teach a girl whose only notion of affection had ever been offered to her for causing harm the proper etiquette of civilized society overnight. Atlas wasn't built in a day, as the saying went. One of the first things Ruby needed to understand was that things weren't just hers for the taking; sometimes things needed to be earned, and boundaries needed to be respected.

All that being said, any visible misgivings the other woman may have noticed in Weiss amounted to nothing initially as she slowly curled her arms around Ruby's shoulders and leaned in for the last inch or so in turn, her own eyes drifting shut as their lips met. It was hardly anything, really; just them brushing for a few seconds, though whether it was something being held back or Weiss being genuinely bad at the act wasn't entirely clear. Nobody was perfect, even if she definitely considered herself the closest thing, and this whole... aspect... of living was one she never really got to put the same level of practiced effort into mastering as her catalogue of other talents. It just didn't really gel with her ambitions, she liked to tell herself; it was messy and entangling, so she didn't bother. The reality was, she had tried. She had been with people. But people by and large disappointed her, and she set her standards far, far too high for someone who could be so cold and unfeeling and was so unpracticed at the whole thing overall. It never really took. On some level, she was even aware of that.

But she was willing to bet Ruby had no idea what a good kiss felt like either.

There was a genuine effort put into those few seconds, even if she kept things rather maidenly and chaste. Any attempts to take things further by Ruby resulted in Weiss gripping her chin between thumb and forefinger, gently but insistently parting them for the time being. In contrast to her prior uncertainty, the smirk she wore was cool and coy, if a little offset by the healthy flush in her cheeks.

"As I said. We've plenty of time."

The elevator doors dinged open, and Weiss curled a wrist invitingly towards them before beckoning Ruby along with a tilt of the head.

"This way."

She led on, a brisk stride down the steel corridor making the other woman work just a little bit to keep up with her this time. Not too hard, though.​

 

[MidwayLives]

All that being said, any visible misgivings the other woman may have noticed in Weiss amounted to nothing initially as she slowly curled her arms around Ruby's shoulders and leaned in for the last inch or so in turn, her own eyes drifting shut as their lips met. It was hardly anything, really; just them brushing for a few seconds, though whether it was something being held back or Weiss being genuinely bad at the act wasn't entirely clear. Nobody was perfect, even if she definitely considered herself the closest thing, and this whole... aspect... of living was one she never really got to put the same level of practiced effort into mastering as her catalogue of other talents. It just didn't really gel with her ambitions, she liked to tell herself; it was messy and entangling, so she didn't bother. The reality was, she had tried. She had been with people. But people by and large disappointed her, and she set her standards far, far too high for someone who could be so cold and unfeeling and was so unpracticed at the whole thing overall. It never really took. On some level, she was even aware of that.

Ruby had grown irritated during the other Yang's call to her counterpart. Not out of hate or anything like that. Just simple jealously and nothing more. Her otherself seemed to fight just as hard for what she believed in and what did she have to show for it? Friends, a sister who actually loved her, family who were worth a damn? Ruby didn't know if the other her had a boyfriend or even a girlfriend but she supposed it didn't matter. Nobody got through life and avoided the peaks and valleys that came with it. The dizzying highs and the inevitable lows. In her world, she'd gone from being the daughter of the leader of a bandit tribe of killers and thugs to striking out on her own as a infamous criminal seeped in legend and rumors abound.

But, here right now, she wasn't any of that.

She was Ruby Rose...and she was in love.
​

There was a genuine effort put into those few seconds, even if she kept things rather maidenly and chaste. Any attempts to take things further by Ruby resulted in Weiss gripping her chin between thumb and forefinger, gently but insistently parting them for the time being. In contrast to her prior uncertainty, the smirk she wore was cool and coy, if a little offset by the healthy flush in her cheeks.

"As I said. We've plenty of time."

The kiss had been brief but for Ruby? It'd felt like she'd reached the unobtainable.

She'd just shared a kiss with Weiss frigging Schnee!!!

...If she had anybody to be proud of her, she'd be even happier.

"Yeah~" She said dreamily.
​

"This way."

She led on, a brisk stride down the steel corridor making the other woman work just a little bit to keep up with her this time. Not too hard, though.

"Coming!~"

Ruby followed to catch up and see just what Weiss had in mind~​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Miss Malachite... two!"

So Malachite was out of the picture.

He looked over Neo, Emerald, and Mercury.

Did...DId these kids really take her out???

"Oh..."
​

And then he was bored, so he immediately walked away.

Watching Mercury away, he turend towards Emerald.

"He's certainly an interesting fellow isn't he??"
​

"...Yeeeeaaaahhhh... That, I guess. Or, just Emerald. So who're you? Brightly colored people are usually important somehow."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emerald!~" Aurora exclaimed with a giddy smile. "Important...? Mmm, I don't like to blow my own horn but I guess you can say that! I'm the person that handles most of the business coming in and out of Mistral. Things are terrible now but they could be a lot worse..." His smile faded for a second before bouncing right back.

"But being negative is really a downer for everyone involved isn't it?? I'm Aurora Beige and I belong to the Bound Ashes. Now, Emerald, if I can ask you a question.." He looked from side to side. "Do you know what happened to Malachite...? I trust you guys are doing a fine job running the place but it's nice to stay informed, y'know?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

View attachment 718717

Ruby had grown irritated during the other Yang's call to her counterpart. Not out of hate or anything like that. Just simple jealously and nothing more. Her otherself seemed to fight just as hard for what she believed in and what did she have to show for it? Friends, a sister who actually loved her, family who were worth a damn? Ruby didn't know if the other her had a boyfriend or even a girlfriend but she supposed it didn't matter. Nobody got through life and avoided the peaks and valleys that came with it. The dizzying highs and the inevitable lows. In her world, she'd gone from being the daughter of the leader of a bandit tribe of killers and thugs to striking out on her own as a infamous criminal seeped in legend and rumors abound.

But, here right now, she wasn't any of that.

She was Ruby Rose...and she was in love.

The kiss had been brief but for Ruby? It'd felt like she'd reached the unobtainable.

She'd just shared a kiss with Weiss frigging Schnee!!!

...If she had anybody to be proud of her, she'd be even happier.

"Yeah~" She said dreamily.


"Coming!~"

Ruby followed to catch up and see just what Weiss had in mind~​

"...So then what is your favorite color? You knowingly gave me the wrong answer." :|

She led them through a few interlocking corridors that all seemed to fit together like jigsaw pieces, all relatively uniform in their chrome sterility and tinged blue by the generous application of hardlight technology everywhere. It was Atlas's part and parcel, after all; their primary tool in carving out a high-tech utopia in the middle of the frigid tundras, what should've been the harshest climate to survive in in all of Remnant transformed into the most comfortable standard of living for those who lived above and not below. As for the ones who didn't, well, nobody talked about them.

After what felt like about the tenth sliding door, they found themselves in a large, open laboratory with various scattered components and pieces of machinery lying around, some finished, some half-assembled, some gathering dust. They spanned just about every field from computing to cybernetics, but it only took a single glance to determine what the owner of the lab's true proclivity was; biology.

In particular, Grimm biology.

Numerous tanks lined the room's walls, and suspended in some kind of green viscous liquid were an absolute menagerie of the creatures so diverse and strange that even residing in Ozpin's shadow kingdom Ruby had never seen many of them before. One of the larger tanks contained something with the upper torso of a centipede but the lower body of a horse, and a face that looked almost disturbingly human save for the massive pincers dividing it in two. Another held some sort of eyeless abomination with a long, shiny dome of a skull, a tail that looked as sharp as a razorblade and what looked like some kind of a retractable inner jaw, one that came with its own ridges of angular teeth. The next tank over had something that gave the impression of a praying mantis, only instead of two mandibles it had twelve. And far, far too many eyes.

Most seemed to be sedated somehow, but those that more resembled the more noncorporeal geists all swiveled their heads to lock their gaze on Ruby from the moment she walked in the room.

The bedding in the corner and opened food containers lying everywhere gave the sense that whoever owned this lab hadn't left it in days, if not weeks, and the man in its center certainly did nothing to disprove that theory. He was a rankled, disheveled old man in a scientist's uniform, his back to them as he hunched over an operating table with another insectoid Grimm strapped down. Their very nature meant it had to be alive, but appeared heavily tranquilized in its own right as he carved open its thorax with a precision laser tool, a number of vials next to him containing a serum of a similar green shade to the one the many creatures were suspended in.

"Doctor."

His refined, sophisticated drawl was cordial, if rather distracted. "Councilwoman Schnee. You'll have to forgive the mess I'm afraid; I never do know when to expect your visits. My greatest inspiration tends to strike me during these twilight hours."

Weiss didn't seem to appreciate the dismissive attitude, hands on her hips with fingers drumming as she pursed her lips. "I've brought a guest, Merlot. You're being rather rude."

"A guest? To my laboratory?" He almost sounded a bit affronted himself, and used what looked almost like some sort of dental equipment to pry open the incision he'd made and keep it from regenerating before he swiveled in his chair to face them. His eyes were covered by a pair of advanced-looking goggles, but judging by the way his lips parted with sudden fascination it wasn't hard to imagine them being wide. "Oh, my goodness gracious."

It was a spinny chair, and he suddenly pushed off the operating table to wheel it all the way over and closely inspect the Red Masque at a distance most people would've found quite uncomfortable. His lab coat's sleeves were pulled up, and Ruby could tell at this range that there was very little to separate the overall design of his cybernetic arm and the one she'd seen Yang wearing, right down to the odd, blood-red liquid that seemed to be running through some integrated plastic tubing, perhaps hinting at a more organic component than the Polendina-patented arm Yang had entered this world with.

He tapped his chin with one of its fingers, a fond smirk building on the corners of his lips.

"Why, my dear... you have simply the most marvelous eyes."



Weiss rolled her own. "Yes, yes, you're extremely creepy. Miss Rose here requires an arm. I trust you can make that happen?"

He scoffed, appreciative of any opportunity to flaunt his genius as he stroked his scruffy goatee.

"Naturally. I even have one of the earlier prototypes for the other one you requested I can refit to a smaller scale and calibrate rather than beginning anew. Do illuminate me, girl... what manner of arm might you be looking for? That of a craftsman? Or would you rather some more... assassinative implements? Tell me, are you abreast of the latest in cybernetic modifications?"

Weiss objectively knew this man was an unparalleled genius, but subjectively she also just found him... so dumb. She sighed. "She just needs an arm. Ruby, I've watched you tinker with your old one in Ozpin's castle. I'm sure you're well aware of what's attainable. Are there any particular features you'd like him to implement?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Watching Mercury away, he turend towards Emerald.

"He's certainly an interesting fellow isn't he??"

"The hell you say?" Mercury demanded in an aggressive, confrontational tone, immediately coming back. :|

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emerald!~" Aurora exclaimed with a giddy smile. "Important...? Mmm, I don't like to blow my own horn but I guess you can say that! I'm the person that handles most of the business coming in and out of Mistral. Things are terrible now but they could be a lot worse..." His smile faded for a second before bouncing right back.

"But being negative is really a downer for everyone involved isn't it?? I'm Aurora Beige and I belong to the Bound Ashes. Now, Emerald, if I can ask you a question.." He looked from side to side. "Do you know what happened to Malachite...? I trust you guys are doing a fine job running the place but it's nice to stay informed, y'know?"

The flicker that came over Mercury's face at the mention of the Bound Ashes was of the unreadable sort, but it was hard not to get the impression that he was viewing Aurora in a different light entirely as he made his way back over to stand beside Emerald with arms folded, one eyebrow raised and mouth a frown as guarded as it was analytic.

Emerald didn't seem to share in whatever knowledge he did, a bit of a girlish sway to her posture as she tapped her chin and pretended to think about his question.

"Leeeeeet's see... yeah, you know what? I think it had something to do with... Nunya."​