Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MidwayLives]

"I am EXTREMELY BUSY, Ruby," Weiss answered candidly, a little bit snappish

'Big mistake, big mistake! She's gonna get mad at me!!!'

Ruby braced herself for whatever scolding was going to come her way...

.....But it never came.
​

"...But thank you for knocking. Apparently you were still somehow reared with more manners than the other world's Yang. What is it that can't wait?"

Phew.

Another day of life guaranteed....

"Well, I figured you have a lot of work on your shoulders and I just got up from a nap. I was thinking that if there's anything....Anything at all that I could help you with, I'd be glad to!" Anything to keep herself distracted from nightmares like the one she'd just had. "if there's not then that's ok...." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Phew.

Another day of life guaranteed....

"Well, I figured you have a lot of work on your shoulders and I just got up from a nap. I was thinking that if there's anything....Anything at all that I could help you with, I'd be glad to!" Anything to keep herself distracted from nightmares like the one she'd just had. "if there's not then that's ok...."

If Weiss was put out in any way by the fear and trepidation Ruby seemed to defer to her with just as frequently as she cozied up and sought her affection, she didn't show it. It was a necessary safety net in these early stages, truth be told, and no dog would ever allow you to train it if it wasn't willing to bare its jugular to you first. She did scoff at the idea, though not altogether harshly.

"Not unless you have a breadth of political contacts and broad influence over my kingdom. Hmm..."

She chewed the tip of her pen, looking Ruby over thoughtfully as she narrowed her eyes. She hated to admit it, but it had been a bit perturbing to her just how bored and unhappy Yang seemed to become in her time here. It was part of a larger design, to be sure, but she honestly thought her winsome personality and all the cool stuff she bought would've been enough. Preferable to the alternative, at the very least; yet it wasn't long before the precious thing seemed as haggard and distressed as if Weiss had simply decided to throw her in a windowless cell for daring to lay a hand on her. It had saddened her, the feeling that she was smothering a beautiful flame like that.

In this instance, she simply would've been smothering potential. And it was completely counterintuitive to what she was trying to achieve.

"...You can take Zwei for a walk!"

The heavily panting canine was somehow way too close to Ruby's face, lazily flopped over on an eye-level bookshelf to Ruby's left.

"Arf!"

"TREAD CAREFULLY FOR SHE IS NOT AS YOU REMEMBER. THE BEAST BENEATH HAS A THOUSAND EYES,
AND A BILLION STOMACHS."

Weiss nodded, satisfied with her own solution. She crossed her legs primly.

"Just around the neighborhood. I said I was going to, but I doubt I'll have time. You'd be doing me such a big favor, Ruby. Thoughtful acts like this one make me very happy."

Her words were an appreciative drawl, eyes faintly lidded and mouth a thin smirk as she rested her cheek on her knuckle.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Not unless you have a breadth of political contacts and broad influence over my kingdom. Hmm..."

"...umm..."
​

"...You can take Zwei for a walk!"

The heavily panting canine was somehow way too close to Ruby's face, lazily flopped over on an eye-level bookshelf to Ruby's left.

"Arf!"

"TREAD CAREFULLY FOR SHE IS NOT AS YOU REMEMBER. THE BEAST BENEATH HAS A THOUSAND EYES,
AND A BILLION STOMACHS."

"Awww!! He's so cute!!!"

Ruby burst over using her semblance and scooped up the dog in her arm.

"He's so adorable!! I bet you're such a gooooooood boy!!!"

She'd never so much as had a pet growing up....

Unless you counted Yang.
​

Weiss nodded, satisfied with her own solution. She crossed her legs primly.

"Just around the neighborhood. I said I was going to, but I doubt I'll have time. You'd be doing me such a big favor, Ruby. Thoughtful acts like this one make me very happy."

Her words were an appreciative drawl, eyes faintly lidded and mouth a thin smirk as she rested her cheek on her knuckle.

Very happy, huh....?

"You got it! We'll be back before you know it!"

As she started for the door with Zwei in tow, Ruby could have been heard complimenting the canine all the while.

'We're gonna have so much fun' 'Your mommy is so nice!!' and so on.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Unfortunately Zwei was insane, as Ruby may have realized around the third or fourth time he bolted away from her to tenaciously chase down birds, other dogs, and any other lesser creatures he saw as prey. That list even included one or two humans. The silver-eyed warrior certainly received more than her share of scathing glowers and derisive whispers from well-to-do types out bringing their own fluffy poodles or other overly pampered lap dogs for evening strolls.

As her aura had been informing her for some time, she was also being watched. Eventually she was able to isolate it to the figured clad in a tattered cloak and hood who always seemed to reappear at a distance further up the same street as her, no matter how far she had to run in pursuit of the incorrigible Zwei, though if ever she made a move to head their direction or turn her attention towards them in other ways her tail inexplicably vanished. It was probably getting annoying.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Unfortunately Zwei was insane, as Ruby may have realized around the third or fourth time he bolted away from her to tenaciously chase down birds, other dogs, and any other lesser creatures he saw as prey. That list even included one or two humans.

"Zwei!! No! Put down the bird!"

....

"Zwei! No!! Stop chasing the dog!"

....

"Zwei! No!!! Stop chasing that guy!!"

Walking a dog was a lot harder than she thought...
​

That list even included one or two humans. The silver-eyed warrior certainly received more than her share of scathing glowers and derisive whispers from well-to-do types out bringing their own fluffy poodles or other overly pampered lap dogs for evening strolls.

Were...Were they glaring at her?

Were they talking about her?

Ruby stopped and balled her hand up into a fist.



'Who the hell do they think they are?! It's my first time walking a dog! Give me a break you-"

No!

No growling. No snarling. Nothing of that sort. Ruby took a deep breath and exhaled.

Had to play this cool.

"Hehehe, sorry! Every dog's gotta have his day right...?"

...That was how the saying went, wasn't it?

She giggled and quickly made her way after her dog.
​

As her aura had been informing her for some time, she was also being watched. Eventually she was able to isolate it to the figured clad in a tattered cloak and hood who always seemed to reappear at a distance further up the same street as her, no matter how far she had to run in pursuit of the incorrigible Zwei, though if ever she made a move to head their direction or turn her attention towards them in other ways her tail inexplicably vanished. It was probably getting annoying.

....

Who the hell was bothering her when she was trying to walk a dog?

Sure, she wasn't doing the best job she could be. That much was evident but if she kept feeling like she was having someone watching her...

How was she supposed to get anything done?!

Ruby moved to try and scoop Zwei up. Feisty little mutt as he was, Ruby did her best to try and wrangle him as she glanced around.

'Come out here.....Face me...' ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

'Come out here.....Face me...'

But nobody came.

Ruby was able to gather Zwei up in her arms for a minute or so, but he was just so... squirmy. And apparently dedicated to causing scenes in a quiet upper-class neighborhood. While she focused her attention on her stalker he slipped out of her grip like he was made of butter and bolted for the nearest street lamp, yapping and yowling as he jumped up and scrabbled his paws against it in an effort to get at the crow perched on top. The bird squawked aggressively and flapped its feathers down at him, obviously dismayed.

"Arararrrrruff! Aroooo!"

"FACE ME INTERLOPER FOR I CAN SMELL YOUR FEAR."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Ruby was able to gather Zwei up in her arms for a minute or so, but he was just so... squirmy. And apparently dedicated to causing scenes in a quiet upper-class neighborhood. While she focused her attention on her stalker he slipped out of her grip like he was made of butter and bolted for the nearest street lamp, yapping and yowling as he jumped up and scrabbled his paws against it in an effort to get at the crow perched on top. The bird squawked aggressively and flapped its feathers at him, obviously dismayed.

"Arararrrrruff! Aroooo!"

"FACE ME INTERLOPER FOR I CAN SMELL YOUR FEAR."

"...Coward..."

She mumbled under her breath. It couldn't have been Yang. The blonde would have just confronted her in broad daylight.

No, whoever it was clearly had an interest in her.

One that was really starting to bug her.

For right now though, she had a job to do.

"Stooooooop, Zwei!! The bird's not bothering you!!"

Ruby gripped onto the pole and vanished into a trail of rose petals-

So that she was face level with the crow.

"Sorry, Mister Bird-whoaaaaa!!"

*thump*

She landed right on her rear and aura or not that was embarrassing.

"Okay Zwei....I think we've been around...well...if not the block, a good chunk of it." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Coward..."

She mumbled under her breath. It couldn't have been Yang. The blonde would have just confronted her in broad daylight.

No, whoever it was clearly had an interest in her.

One that was really starting to bug her.

For right now though, she had a job to do.

"Stooooooop, Zwei!! The bird's not bothering you!!"

Ruby gripped onto the pole and vanished into a trail of rose petals-

So that she was face level with the crow.

"Sorry, Mister Bird-whoaaaaa!!"

*thump*

She landed right on her rear and aura or not that was embarrassing.

"Okay Zwei....I think we've been around...well...if not the block, a good chunk of it."

Zwei didn't seem to be listening to her (not that he ever really did), body pressed low to the ground and teeth bared in a growl as he stood in front of her protectively. The reason why soon became clear, Ruby's fall accompanied by a loud ruffle of wings in spite of the bird having shown no fear of her or made any kind of a move to fly away. A single black feather drifted lightly to the ground at her feet, and the voice that reached her was in equal parts gruff and aloof, befitting the scruffy figure who now stood perched atop the lamppost with perfect balance once he'd made sure there were no bystanders around to kick up a fuss.

"Yeah."

"Don't mention it."

Nothing on the man's all-too-familiar face betrayed his inner feelings, a pokerface better than most and arms stiffly folded over his chest as he stared down at his...

Relative. The precise nature of that relation, it would seem, varied depending on who you asked.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Yeah."

"Don't mention it."

That...

Nah, it couldn't have been.

He wouldn't have cared enough to seek her out.
​

"Don't mention it."

Nothing on the man's all-too-familiar face betrayed his inner feelings, a pokerface better than most and arms stiffly folded over his chest as he stared down at his...

Relative. The precise nature of that relation, it would seem, varied depending on who you asked.

"...It's ok, Zwei."

Stepping forward and reaching down to gently pet the dog, Ruby's eyes scanned around.

"If you're wanting to fight, I'm glad you waited til there wasn't a lot of people around. They could get hurt."

Rising up to look at Qrow, Ruby's head quirked to the side.

"You're not my old man. Which means you're from the same world as the other me and the other Yang. What's up?"

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...It's ok, Zwei."

Stepping forward and reaching down to gently pet the dog, Ruby's eyes scanned around.

"If you're wanting to fight, I'm glad you waited til there wasn't a lot of people around. They could get hurt."

Rising up to look at Qrow, Ruby's head quirked to the side.

"You're not my old man. Which means you're from the same world as the other me and the other Yang. What's up?"

The man snorted, the supreme lack of effort he made to hide how he felt about the proposal that they throw down in the middle of the type of Atlas neighborhood a faunus could get questioned just for walking through serving as a stark contrast to his broad inscrutability while observing her. "A fight? Nah. Take it I took a 'tough love' approach to parenting when you were growing up, then, huh? Figures. My old man was the same. Kinda hard for me to imagine a dad being any other way."

He paused, taking in the sight of the two with a tense frown as his eyes narrowed. When he saw her like that, clean, dressed normally, and scratching Zwei rather than bloodied and acting deranged, it was almost impossible to distinguish her from the girl he knew. Besides the stump.



"Y'know you might not have been conscious for most of it, but technically we've already met. Only reason you ever made it out of Taurus's custody was I tracked her down and made a deal. So, you're welcome."

He kept his tone neutral, if a little dry, and couldn't help but note for the umpteenth time that that had resulted in her apparent freedom instead of, you know, prolonged jail time. Funny. This other world's Salem talked a big game, made everyone real positive she knew what she was doing, same as the Oz he knew back home, but when it came down to it she seemed to have all the same bad habits.

"You've had extended chats with both my nieces at this point. Figured it was about time you and I got a chance to schmooze. Yang cheated, by the way."

He threw one of those aforementioned nieces under the bus as nonchalantly and effortlessly as if she was something more socially acceptable to throw under a bus, not that that was a very large list.

"Up for heading somewhere a little less open? I'm one of three people following you, just so you know. One just bolted back in the direction of Barbie's dream house soon as I shifted, so whatever's going on with you two I'm guessing the ice queen's not very enthusiastic about the idea of you wandering around on your own unsupervised just yet. I can help you lose the other."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

When they eventually got to the address Ironwood had given her, it...still took Cinder a long while to actually work up the courage or the willpower or whatever people wanted to call it, to go up there and ring the doorbell. Her thoughts were still racing throughout that whole period of time, and there was a point where she thought that the best decision to make regarding this idea was just to leave before they were noticed by anybody inside the residence, but she didn't actually reveal that thought by saying it out loud towards the other two in the van. Finally she let out a deep breath and exited the van with as much fiery determination as she could muster to stride for that front door. She still was extremely unsure about what to even SAY but she'd resolved that whatever words that came spilling out of her mouth when the moment came...that they would have to do...she'd have to live with them.

It was still a minute or two further of just standing by the front door in awkward silence before another deep breath escaped her and she reached out with a finger to press that doorbell. She stepped back swiftly after that, eyes sliding shut in nervous apprehension as she waited.

God please let this go okay...or at the very least, not terrible...​

The address Ironwood gave Cinder led her to an Atlesian one rather than somewhere in Mantle, down a row of streets that was as close to suburban as could be in the limited space afforded by the floating city (barring heinously rich outliers like the Schnee estate). A three story house with a scant dozen or so feet between its neighbors that looked exactly the same as it; sharp, geometric architecture with placid white colors that stood out just enough from the Solitas snow to not blend in entirely. It was an entirely pleasant building, almost as much as it was entirely devoid of absolutely anything that defined it from the dozens of other entirely pleasant buildings on this street.

A short walkway led up to the door, and a few moments after it rang, there was a click as the door unlocked.

No one, however, actually opened it.

 

[MidwayLives]

The man snorted, the supreme lack of effort he made to hide how he felt about the proposal that they throw down in the middle of the type of Atlas neighborhood a faunus could get questioned just for walking through serving as a stark contrast to his broad inscrutability while observing her. "A fight? Nah. Take it I took a 'tough love' approach to parenting when you were growing up, then, huh? Figures. My old man was the same. Kinda hard for me to imagine a dad being any other way."

Ruby gestured vaguely around her before the petting of Zwei was resumed.

"Ehhhhh, y'know? I got plenty of the 'tough'....Not so much of the love. But it's probably for the best. Weiss would get really mad at me if I caused a scene. OR IF SOME OTHER PEOPLE DID." She eyed Zwei with a glare. Before it faded because pain in the ass that he was, he still was a cute dog at the end of the day.
​

"Y'know you might not have been conscious for most of it, but technically we've already met. Only reason you ever made it out of Taurus's custody was I tracked her down and made a deal. So, you're welcome."

He kept his tone neutral, if a little dry, and couldn't help but note for the umpteenth time that that had resulted in her apparent freedom instead of, you know, prolonged jail time. Funny. This other world's Salem talked a big game, made everyone real positive she knew what she was doing, same as the Oz he knew back home, but when it came down to it she seemed to have all the same bad habits.

"You're the one who got me out of there? Part of me thought Taurus had a change of heart..."

Ruby's face scrunched up into one born of anger as she recalled how she was dragged into Salem's office like a wild animal. Wire bound her remaining arm at her side as she lashed out at everyone and everything. Except her otherself and the other Yang. They both asked her how she was doing.
​

He kept his tone neutral, if a little dry, and couldn't help but note for the umpteenth time that that had resulted in her apparent freedom instead of, you know, prolonged jail time. Funny. This other world's Salem talked a big game, made everyone real positive she knew what she was doing, same as the Oz he knew back home, but when it came down to it she seemed to have all the same bad habits.

"You've had extended chats with both my nieces at this point. Figured it was about time you and I got a chance to schmooze. Yang cheated, by the way."

"Mm...I don't really know if you could call punching the other me in the face and wrestling with her a chat....Well, no! We did talk a bit before that!" Ruby waved it off as water under the bridge given how the other her had asked her if she was okay when Taurus brought the Masque into Beacon. "As for Ya-What."

"I knew it! I had no way of proving it but I knew it! Oooooh, I knew I wasn't just bad at the game! Maria and I played it all the time!!!"

YANG HAD CHEATED?! NO DIGNITY!!!
​

He threw one of those aforementioned nieces under the bus as nonchalantly and effortlessly as if she was something more socially acceptable to throw under a bus, not that that was a very large list.

"Up for heading somewhere a little less open? I'm one of three people following you, just so you know. One just bolted back in the direction of Barbie's dream house soon as I shifted, so whatever's going on with you two I'm guessing the ice queen's not very enthusiastic about the idea of you wandering around on your own unsupervised just yet. I can help you lose the other."

Well, she hadn't been with Weiss for that long so she supposed the tagalong wasn't unexpected. The fact that they ran off made Ruby giggle though. What? Couldn't have found anybody who wasn't a sniveling nobody that they'd flee at the first sign of a corvid transforming into a man? .....Well, maybe it sounded more freaky when she put it like that but.

She'd been doing a good job today!

No growling, no snarling, and she'd even apologized to the man who's pants Zwei tore!

"I'm glad you scared them off but...Be careful. Weiss has gotten very strong lately and I don't wanna upset her. I kissed her so getting in trouble while I'm walking her dog would set a really bad precedent!" Ruby exclaimed as if it were a matter of pride.

But if this was the other world's Qrow Brawnen and one of the other people following her had been sent by Weiss....Then who was the third one?

"...Yeah, let's get out of here. C'mon Zwei!" ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The address Ironwood gave Cinder led her to an Atlesian one rather than somewhere in Mantle, down a row of streets that was as close to suburban as could be in the limited space afforded by the floating city (barring heinously rich outliers like the Schnee estate). A three story house with a scant dozen or so feet between its neighbors that looked exactly the same as it; sharp, geometric architecture with placid white colors that stood out just enough from the Solitas snow to not blend in entirely. It was an entirely pleasant building, almost as much as it was entirely devoid of absolutely anything that defined it from the dozens of other entirely pleasant buildings on this street.

A short walkway led up to the door, and a few moments after it rang, there was a click as the door unlocked.

No one, however, actually opened it.

Her eye opened a moment after she heard the click...and her eyebrow raised a moment after that in turn, when she was greeted with the sight of the door remaining unopened still. Her gaze briefly flickered from side to side as she considered...well. That had been an open invitation, right? Though whether it was a welcome invitation remained to be seen. She took a step forward and reached out a hand to push the door open and headed inside after, leaving the door slightly ajar for Hazel or Gretchen if they wished to follow. Once inside the large home, her head slowly moved from left to right as she looked around for signs of, well, anybody.

"Er....Arthur? ...Anyone?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Ruby gestured vaguely around her before the petting of Zwei was resumed.

"Ehhhhh, y'know? I got plenty of the 'tough'....Not so much of the love. But it's probably for the best. Weiss would get really mad at me if I caused a scene. OR IF SOME OTHER PEOPLE DID." She eyed Zwei with a glare. Before it faded because pain in the ass that he was, he still was a cute dog at the end of the day.


"You're the one who got me out of there? Part of me thought Taurus had a change of heart..."

Ruby's face scrunched up into one born of anger as she recalled how she was dragged into Salem's office like a wild animal. Wire bound her remaining arm at her side as she lashed out at everyone and everything. Except her otherself and the other Yang. They both asked her how she was doing.


"Mm...I don't really know if you could call punching the other me in the face and wrestling with her a chat....Well, no! We did talk a bit before that!" Ruby waved it off as water under the bridge given how the other her had asked her if she was okay when Taurus brought the Masque into Beacon. "As for Ya-What."

"I knew it! I had no way of proving it but I knew it! Oooooh, I knew I wasn't just bad at the game! Maria and I played it all the time!!!"

YANG HAD CHEATED?! NO DIGNITY!!!

Well, she hadn't been with Weiss for that long so she supposed the tagalong wasn't unexpected. The fact that they ran off made Ruby giggle though. What? Couldn't have found anybody who wasn't a sniveling nobody that they'd flee at the first sign of a corvid transforming into a man? .....Well, maybe it sounded more freaky when she put it like that but.

She'd been doing a good job today!

No growling, no snarling, and she'd even apologized to the man who's pants Zwei tore!

"I'm glad you scared them off but...Be careful. Weiss has gotten very strong lately and I don't wanna upset her. I kissed her so getting in trouble while I'm walking her dog would set a really bad precedent!" Ruby exclaimed as if it were a matter of pride.

But if this was the other world's Qrow Brawnen and one of the other people following her had been sent by Weiss....Then who was the third one?

"...Yeah, let's get out of here. C'mon Zwei!"

"You don't have to comment on every single thing I say, you know?" He pointed out gruffly, looking halfway between preoccupied and nonplussed as not for the first time it occurred to him just how hard it actually was to treat anyone with Ruby's face and voice like a dangerous person. That was generally why he'd enforced a distance between himself and anyone from this world outside of the other Raven, who he had tried to but she was just as stubborn and annoying as the one he remembered growing up with so it didn't work. When your heart told you somebody was your kin, turned out your brain really wanted to believe it.

Reeeeeeeaaaaaaally playing with fire here, Yang.

Then again, he apparently had no room to talk, but if he was gonna be going it solo for a while he needed to employ his own methods of staying in the loop. Plus, he was honestly just curious.

"Motormouthing's a surefire way to kill off any mystique you had with girls, first off, if that's where your head's at. Think about playing it cool every once in a while. Ladies, particularly windbags like the ice queen, like someone who's willing to just sit, listen, and smoulder. Then sprinkle in something enigmatic at the end that shows you were actually paying attention, but the smoulder's the important part. Like this."

He cleared his throat, though his voice remained coarse like gravel. He let the silence linger a moment longer than necessary, setting the scene.

...

"...You kissed Weiss, huh?"



He slicked back his hair.

"Ew."

The Smoulder™ demonstrated, he shifted his weight to the back foot so he could turn around on the street light without losing his balance, brow creasing in the middle slightly as his eyes scanned the distant rooftops. Mainly so he was at the wrong angle for Ruby's other pursuer to read his lips.

"There's a bar pretty close by here, even allows dogs. Meet me there in fifteen after I take care of this. If you're lost, just ask around."

He stepped off the lamp and vanished, spiky-feathered corvid arising in his place and taking to the sky above to start circling.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Her eye opened a moment after she heard the click...and her eyebrow raised a moment after that in turn, when she was greeted with the sight of the door remaining unopened still. Her gaze briefly flickered from side to side as she considered...well. That had been an open invitation, right? Though whether it was a welcome invitation remained to be seen. She took a step forward and reached out a hand to push the door open and headed inside after, leaving the door slightly ajar for Hazel or Gretchen if they wished to follow. Once inside the large home, her head slowly moved from left to right as she looked around for signs of, well, anybody.

"Er....Arthur? ...Anyone?"​

The interior of the house was not all that different from the exterior, save that it was a whole lot warmer on the inside. The walls were the lighest pastel blue imaginable, and after a short landing the tile floor gave way to carpet. A simple hallway lead off towards what looked like a kitchen with a few offshoots, and seated at the table was a woman totally absorbed in her scroll, flicking through it on one hand as her other sipped through her coffee. Her skin was a similar color to Watts' own, though her hair was a scraggly mess of blonde instead. a pair of sleek black glasses contrasted with her basic sweats and T-shirt. A pair of headphones covered here ears, which led credence to just how surprised she looked when she caught Cinder in the corner of her eye and almost choked on her coffee as she tried to gasp mid sip, sputtering it back into the cup before she managed a quiet "oh shit" and gave the young huntress and uncomfortable frown as she warned her with a slightly shaky tone.

"I-I don't know how you got past the alarm, but I promise that whatever you could get out of this house would not be worth spending the next month in jail."

 

[MyrtenRose]

The interior of the house was not all that different from the exterior, save that it was a whole lot warmer on the inside. The walls were the lighest pastel blue imaginable, and after a short landing the tile floor gave way to carpet. A simple hallway lead off towards what looked like a kitchen with a few offshoots, and seated at the table was a woman totally absorbed in her scroll, flicking through it on one hand as her other sipped through her coffee. Her skin was a similar color to Watts' own, though her hair was a scraggly mess of blonde instead. a pair of sleek black glasses contrasted with her basic sweats and T-shirt. A pair of headphones covered here ears, which led credence to just how surprised she looked when she caught Cinder in the corner of her eye and almost choked on her coffee as she tried to gasp mid sip, sputtering it back into the cup before she managed a quiet "oh shit" and gave the young huntress and uncomfortable frown as she warned her with a slightly shaky tone.

"I-I don't know how you got past the alarm, but I promise that whatever you could get out of this house would not be worth spending the next month in jail."

Well that's a pretty shade of blue--

!!!!!!

"....Whoa no no I'm not a house thief!" Cinder coughed out with frantic waving of her hands that...probably didn't help the awkward situation she found herself in. "The door unlocked and I figured I...wait, let me start over...this is...the Watts household, right? Y'see, my name's Cinder. Cinder Fall...I was...Arthur's team partner? At Beacon? Please tell me I didn't somehow get the wrong house."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Well that's a pretty shade of blue--

!!!!!!

"....Whoa no no I'm not a house thief!" Cinder coughed out with frantic waving of her hands that...probably didn't help the awkward situation she found herself in. "The door unlocked and I figured I...wait, let me start over...this is...the Watts household, right? Y'see, my name's Cinder. Cinder Fall...I was...Arthur's team partner? At Beacon? Please tell me I didn't somehow get the wrong house."​

The woman's suspicion didn't fade immeidately, but the more Cinder talked, the more it started to shift to a confused frown.

"....No. no its not. There is an Arthur here but... Beacon? Watts? What-"

"Don't mind her Martha, I let her in. She's a friend of mine from Guild Warps 2."

The voice came from another exit to the kitchen as Watts came down a flight of stairs and leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. Gone was the hunter's outfit he wore at Beacon, looking wholly out of place from Cinder's memories in a basic set of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. His expression was inscrutable as he eyed her and continued in wholly in place dull sarcasm "She has trouble separating fiction from reality sometimes."

The woman turned to her son and blinked, adjusting her glasses as she frowned again. "You should have told me you were going to have a guest."

He arched an eyebrow at her "I did."

There was a quiet, uncomfortable tension in the air for a few seconds before the woman sighed and shrugged, waving her hand at them both. "Fine, fine. You're feeding her, not me."

He gave a nondescript grunt in response before he turned back to Cinder and jerked his head back the way he came before he disappeared up the steps.

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

The room that Watts called his own in this abode was far more in character for what she knew of her partner. The top floor of the house was apparently his own, and large swaths of it were buried under wiring and loose parts. various posters lined the walls espousing different bands and games, and a small bed was jammed into a corner half forgotten, barely noticeable next to the downright hilariously large computer rig that dominated an entire wall. Watts dropped into the rolling chair in front of it and let his momentum spin him back towards Cinder, his hands clasped together as he gave her a level stare.

"So. You're not dead yet. Certainly a surprise, if not an unpleasant one."

 

[MyrtenRose]

The woman's suspicion didn't fade immeidately, but the more Cinder talked, the more it started to shift to a confused frown.

"....No. no its not. There is an Arthur here but... Beacon? Watts? What-"

"Don't mind her Martha, I let her in. She's a friend of mine from Guild Warps 2."

"I--oh thank god." She finished that sentence with a relieved whisper. She had no idea what she was going to say after that. Not until he spoke up and saved her from having to do so all alone. "Yeah, that! I'm a pretty good slayer of...elves!" Cinder threw a thumbs up and flashed a smirk over at Martha even if it was unnecessary.​

The voice came from another exit to the kitchen as Watts came down a flight of stairs and leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. Gone was the hunter's outfit he wore at Beacon, looking wholly out of place from Cinder's memories in a basic set of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. His expression was inscrutable as he eyed her and continued in wholly in place dull sarcasm "She has trouble separating fiction from reality sometimes."

The woman turned to her son and blinked, adjusting her glasses as she frowned again. "You should have told me you were going to have a guest."

He arched an eyebrow at her "I did."

There was a quiet, uncomfortable tension in the air for a few seconds before the woman sighed and shrugged, waving her hand at them both. "Fine, fine. You're feeding her, not me."

He gave a nondescript grunt in response before he turned back to Cinder and jerked his head back the way he came before he disappeared up the steps.

She fell silent for the rest of that talk, though her head tilted and eyebrows quirked up in the slightest hint of sadness as she witnessed the exchange between the two. It didn't remind her of her folks, this carefree dismissal, almost lack of attention was like...the opposite of what they'd have done. Their attention would have crushed her, and moreso if she had dared to bring somebody there. But this seemingly uncaring feeling was no less...saddening. She tried not to think about it too heavily as she followed after.​

The room that Watts called his own in this abode was far more in character for what she knew of her partner. The top floor of the house was apparently his own, and large swaths of it were buried under wiring and loose parts. various posters lined the walls espousing different bands and games, and a small bed was jammed into a corner half forgotten, barely noticeable next to the downright hilariously large computer rig that dominated an entire wall. Watts dropped into the rolling chair in front of it and let his momentum spin him back towards Cinder, his hands clasped together as he gave her a level stare.

"So. You're not dead yet. Certainly a surprise, if not an unpleasant one."

This part of the home for sure screamed Watts more than the rest of it. Some might have been put off by all of it, but she wasn't. There was a slight smile on her face as she took it all in, though by the time he had turned back to face her, the expression on her face was more serious. "I...almost was. Dead I mean." She admitted, thinking back to the cold feeling of the sharp edge of Gambol against her throat. That admittance validated...so much of what had Arthur had said back then but she didn't remotely feel like withholding or lying about that. "But I didn't come here to talk about that. You're...you're looking good. All things considered." Cinder began, at least appreciating that before continuing.

"I...came to apologize." She said with a trembling voice. "You don't need to accept it or anything, and I'm not expecting it after...how I left. I just want you to know. To know that I'm so sorry. I didn't intend it to come across...the way it did for you...and probably the others too. Considering my mom and dad, I should have known better. I just...I was so desperate to be able to do something about...the losses we suffered...that I clung to the power. The maidens' strength, above all else. Even you guys. I thought I was doing what was best, but it's become increasingly more clear to me that what's best and what's right aren't always the same thing. I made a mistake. I prioritized the power over my friends, over you...I thought that said power was more crucial to help out with...everything. Yet, even with the power...if it hadn't been for Hazel and Gretchen..."

Cinder shuddered in fear, head falling as she couldn't even bring herself to finish that sentence. Her stare stayed aimed at the ground for a few seconds, and by the time she lifted her head back up, the tears falling from her face were far beyond obvious and noticeable, though she wasn't looking directly at him right now. Even a blind man probably could have noticed those tears.

"I'm sorry I abandoned you guys. Words will never be enough to express how sorry, but they're all that I..." Cinder hesitated, briefly moving as if to get closer for something, but the shameful guilt on her face only increased and she moved back with a slight shake of the head. It wasn't fair of her to even try for that. "I...didn't want it to go like that." She didn't know what else to say. The teenage maiden just lowered herself to sit on the floor and nervously and quietly rubbed a thumb across her opposite hand's knuckles.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Reeeeeeeaaaaaaally playing with fire here, Yang.

Then again, he apparently had no room to talk, but if he was gonna be going it solo for a while he needed to employ his own methods of staying in the loop. Plus, he was honestly just curious.

"Motormouthing's a surefire way to kill off any mystique you had with girls, first off, if that's really where your head's at. Think about playing it cool every once in a while. Ladies, particularly windbags like the ice queen, like someone who's willing just sit, listen, and smoulder. Then sprinkle in something enigmatic at the end that shows you were actually paying attention, but the smoulder's important. Like this."

Whatever else Ruby might have had to say went on standby.

She hadn't a chance to tell the other world's Yang about what had happened since the last time they'd spoken. Or rather, the two parted ways before Ruby could have asked her for dating advice.

As a bandit princess turned assassin she was going to need a lot of it.

Thus she listened to Qrow with wide-eyed idealism.

"Smoldering...."
​

He cleared his throat, though his voice remained coarse like gravel. He let the silence linger a moment longer than necessary, setting the scene.

"...You kissed Weiss, huh?"

He slicked back his hair.

"Ew."

"Yup."

She said while trying her best to smolder back.

This was some great advice!
​

The Smoulder™ demonstrated, he shifted his weight to the back foot so he could turn around on the street light without losing his balance, brow creasing in the middle slightly as his eyes scanned the distant rooftops. Mainly so he was at the wrong angle for Ruby's other pursuer to read his lips.

"There's a bar pretty close by here, even allows dogs. Meet me there in fifteen after I take care of this. If you're lost, just ask around."

He stepped off the lamp and vanished, spiky-feathered corvid arising in his place and taking to the sky above to start circling.

"We'll be there, count on it."

Once it was just Zwei and her, she seemed to mull something over before clearing her throat.

"Hey.....punk."

A moment passed and Ruby's smoldering continued.

"....Pfft, I can't smolder at you. C'mon, let's get a move on. I'm sure your mommy won't mind a bit of a detour."



"I hope."
​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Say what you will about Qrow's drinking habits, but this place was just freaking cool.

It was also about 20 minutes away on foot and really, really hard to find. Hidden away in a true nook of Atlas's technological architecture, on the fringes of the suburban and embassy district Weiss lived in where the dust-lit buildings started to give way to more commercial use⁠—tucked away at the very back of an alley between a drycleaner's and antique store. There was no sign outside, only a large, black steel door, nothing to set it apart as anything other than a worker entrance to one of the aforementioned business save for a symbol scratched into the wall beside it. It would've been next to impossible to notice if not for the single slitted eye that glowed an unnatural green in the darkness; if one were to look into it for too long, both eyes seemed to take an interest in you, and in the gloom it almost seemed like the crescent grin framing them inched a little wider. Zwei, having been trotting ahead, stopped and growled at the symbol before they proceeded inside.

It had also ended up taking way longer than fifteen minutes to find this place, meaning as Ruby stepped through a pair of plush velvet curtains the first thing that struck her besides the splendor of the bar itself was the fact that Qrow was already sitting at it. The room, no larger than your average gin mill or hole-in-the-wall and yet obviously so much more, couldn't have been more dazzlingly lit. Lamps and sconces lit by all sorts of dust varieties reflecting off both the liquor on display and the stained glass pane behind the bar, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that blended together in a way that was soothing and atmospheric rather than harsh or an eyesore.

A man, sporting green eyes and a messy head of hair every bit as pale as Weiss's, was identifiable by the classy bartender's vest he wore as he idly polished a glass towards the end of the counter. Outside of Qrow there seemed to be practically no patrons, despite it being prime opening hours for an evening bar. The only other customers were a rather odd trio seated together all the way over in the darkest corner of the room, extremely distinctive in their own rights; one seemed to be some kind of clown, of the lurid and offputting sort rather than anything you'd expect to find entertaining masses, his hands idly flexing and prestidigitating playing cards from seemingly nowhere. The second was a tall, slender man with pupils as black as his long and supremely greasy hair, while the last of them was a faunus whose tangle of ashen blonde locks did nothing to hide the twin cat ears poking up from their midst that twitched and flicked playfully in time with her tail swishing in response to every new sound and stimulus they picked up. None were drinking, and all three swiveled their heads to look at Ruby when she entered; the first sly and intrigued, the second expressionless, the third lively and curious.

And if it wasn't obvious enough that this was no ordinary bar, all three of their auras felt malicious and insidious enough that they seemed better suited for Ozpin's roundtable than any kind of a public setting.

Spoiler

None of which stopped Zwei from instantly making a beeline for the faunus, whose exuberant yet strangely empty eyes immediately screwed shut in unconcerned dismay as soon as the corgi started yapping and running circles around her ankles, promptly causing the other two at her table to lose their shit. She carefully pulled her feet up and under her, simply taking their laughter on the chin and trying to give him the brush-off. He did not seem deterred.

"BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK-"

"I love you. Please love me too."



"Nyeeeeeeeeh?"

Qrow ignored the disturbed corgi's shenanigans and calmly sipped whatever was in his glass, not turning around to regard Ruby just yet. Instead he spoke, a rough, solitary rasp.

"Late."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Qrow ignored the disturbed corgi's shenanigans and calmly sipped whatever was in his glass, not turning around to regard Ruby just yet. Instead he spoke, a rough, solitary rasp.

"Late."

The spectacle of this place was something to behold.

She'd have said it was too good for a scoundrel like her. But then given the vibes radiating off that clown looking guy, she reconsidered.

Maybe this was her kind of place.

Trusting that Zwei wouldn't get himself into too much trouble, Ruby pulled up a seat next to Qrow.

"Sorry. Zwei had to stop for a bathroom break."

Okay, that wasn't entirely true. She'd just underestimated how long it'd take to walk here! Presuming that since Qrow had invited her here that he'd be paying, Ruby got herself something to drink while they apparently chilled out here. It'd be weird to just sit around right? If she didn't drink then she'd end up looking like those other three weirdos.

"....So....Da-I mean...Qrow. What'd you wanna talk about?"

Blegh. Alcohol always tasted so bitter no matter how many sips she'd taken of it in her youth. When she was a kid, she'd do it to try and look like a badass. She'd sit at the table and drink with the adults, no problem! But in reality it always tasted like hot garbage water.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"....So....Da-I mean...Qrow. What'd you wanna talk about?"

Blegh. Alcohol always tasted so bitter no matter how many sips she'd taken of it in her youth. When she was a kid, she'd do it to try and look like a badass. She'd sit at the table and drink with the adults, no problem! But in reality it always tasted like hot garbage water.

A more analytic eye might've noticed the faintest of eye twitches at Ruby's slip of the tongue, but Qrow kept any overt reactions to a minimum as he stared at Ruby chugging whatever she ordered like it was milk from a sippy cup. And anyone who knew Ruby knew she could really put away her milk.



"Guess your pops never clued you in, but anyone who makes a real habit of drinking can spot someone who doesn't a mile away. If you're trying to impress me, I ain't. Gimme," since he doubted she planned on picking up the tab anyway, he snatched the bottle out of her hand in a rapid motion and tapped two fingers against the bar. "Just fix her something with more sugar than booze."

The man behind the bar nodded without answering, grabbed the freshest polished glass without looking, and began fixing Ruby a more appropriate cocktail without delay. Once a splash of liquor, cream liqueur, ice and some orange juice had all been shaken together, he tipped it into a glass and flipped a red bottle of grenadine into his grip professionally, not even hesitating as he started pouring and his eyes flicked over once towards Qrow in confirmation. When the huntsman signified he should keep it coming, he kept pouring within reasonable limits, garnished the entire thing with some sugar and an orange slice, and slid it across the counter to Ruby expectantly, a red bloom starting to creep up over the orange from the bottom of the glass as the grenadine floated upwards.

"Strawberry Sunrise. Modified." He intoned, deadpan and stoic.

Qrow snorted. "That figures. People come here for infotrading. Huntsmen, crooks, mercs, assassins... nobody really asks questions. You bring a piece of valuable intel they don't know about, you get something you wanna know back. Divination can be fluky business, so in general the more detail you give the more you get. That's how it works. Guy who owns it's a real enigma; a semblance curator. A whole bunch of his people got ways of knowing things they shouldn't. Like someone's drink, even if they've never had it before."

The man behind the counter bowed. "It's my affinity, sir. Do either of you wish to trade today?"

"Might get back to ya on that."

He nodded and returned to his duties. Qrow pushed out his chair and stood up, beckoning Ruby over to a booth with a little more privacy with a jerk of the head. Having refilled his glass from the bottle his niecedaughter ordered, he swirled it around and watched it sparkle in the light momentarily.

"I'm not lookin' to dig into your tragic history or make you question who you are or whatever else you might be thinking. Tell you the truth, I don't wanna know. I get the gist. It sucks. There's just one thing I would like explained."

He brought the glass to his lips and tipped it back, the burn of the liquid still like second nature to him even if he didn't actually enjoy pretty much anything about it anymore.



"The hell is even goin on here anymore? I'm so confused. Why's Weiss just letting you live in her house and walk her dog? Didn't one of Ozpin's people try to eat her? 'Cause she betrayed the Fang group, right? 'Cause they got ballsy on her turf and made a mess for her. That's about all the timeline I've been able to piece together. Still get the impression I'm missing a big chunk of the full picture, though. Was hoping you might be able to help with that. You know where I'm from that's your dog, right?"

He brought the tide of questions to an abrupt halt, thumbing back over to where the Zwei antics were still unfolding.

Spoiler

Zwei was standing on the faunus's shoulders, happily resting his head on her crown and cozying up in her twisty locks. She seemed to be purring, which had the strange clown pitching a fit as he clapped and cheered and did a one-armed handstand on the table in celebration. "BRAVO, BRAVO!~♡ HURRAY!~ I'VE DEBATED WITH MYSELF FOR YEARS ABOUT WHETHER A FAUNUS CAN PURR!~"

The third guy was still just sitting there, completely placid.

"They don't, she's just a freak."

"Uh... anyway, info for info's how it works at this joint, like I said. I figured if you could help me fill in some blanks, maybe I'll field some questions about... us. Me, Ruby... Yang. Our lives. You seemed pretty curious during that card game, and I get to decide whether I answer or not. Should go without saying, but nothing that could be used to hurt them." His voice carried a more severe edge towards the end of the statement, but it was gone a moment later when he cocked his head with a questioning look. "So?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Might get back to ya on that."

He nodded and returned to his duties. Qrow pushed out his chair and stood up, beckoning Ruby over to a booth with a little more privacy with a jerk of the head. Having refilled his glass from the bottle his niecedaughter ordered, he swirled it around and watched it sparkle in the light momentarily.

"I'm not lookin' to dig into your tragic history or make you question who you are or whatever else you might be thinking. Tell you the truth, I don't wanna know. I get the gist. It sucks. There's just one thing I would like explained."

Ruby followed over with a skip and a hop.

"That's okay with me. I think talking about that would put a real damper on my mood, anyway..."
​

"Uh... anyway, info for info's how it works at this joint, like I said. I figured if you could help me fill in some blanks, maybe I'll field some questions about... us. Me, Ruby... Yang. Our lives. You seemed pretty curious during that card game, and I get to decide whether I answer or not. Should go without saying, but nothing that could be used to hurt them." His voice carried a more severe edge towards the end of the statement, but it was gone a moment later when he cocked his head with a questioning look. "So?"

"....That...Zwei was MY dog....?"

Well, another thing to be jealous of her otherself for.

"....It's not that complicated I guess. I sat in jail for what felt like an eternity while you guys went and did whatever. The guards weren't nice, the cell was cold, and I was miserable. Eventually, Ozpin sends someone to get me out and she does. Blah, blah, blah, Ozpin sends me and my Yang here to make sure Weiss is still on our side." Ruby took a sip from her drink and then looked away. "....The one who tried to eat her was-IS my friend Maria. Weiss and her fought I guess and Weiss actually saved her. In a way I guess. She's locked up but her entire view on things have changed. She hates Ozpin. I guess she fought you too huh? Sorry if she hurt you. She's just a little old lady now."

Another sip was taken.

"After I talked with your Yang, I went to see my Yang. We argued, we fought, and I left. I didn't wanna go back and my only options were to break into another motel or sleep in the alleys. I figured I'd go see Weiss. Odds were pretty high that she'd either hear me out or kill me. I was kind of leaning towards the latter to be honest. We'd never really talked before that moment to be honest. Or interacted beyond the bare minimum. Keeping that in mind, I just crashed through a window and landed in her kitchen. She could have killed me....but she didn't. She says she sees potential in me. To do better, to be better....and it was encouraging to hear that."

A huge sip was taken and Ruby trembled a bit.

"....I sat in that cell for so long. I never said it aloud but getting killed by Weiss terrified me....but a part of me was also okay with the idea. So for her to give me a chance? To let me stay in her home, raid her fridge, walk her dog? It...feels nice. That's all."
​

"Uh... anyway, info for info's how it works at this joint, like I said. I figured if you could help me fill in some blanks, maybe I'll field some questions about... us. Me, Ruby... Yang. Our lives. You seemed pretty curious during that card game, and I get to decide whether I answer or not. Should go without saying, but nothing that could be used to hurt them." His voice carried a more severe edge towards the end of the statement, but it was gone a moment later when he cocked his head with a questioning look. "So?"

The idea of inquiring about whether the grass was greener on the other side did intrigue her.

"....One question has been on my mind since I met the other me."

Ruby coughed and her eyes couldn't meet Qrow's.

"....What was the other me's dad like?" ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"....That...Zwei was MY dog....?"

Well, another thing to be jealous of her otherself for.

"....It's not that complicated I guess. I sat in jail for what felt like an eternity while you guys went and did whatever. The guards weren't nice, the cell was cold, and I was miserable. Eventually, Ozpin sends someone to get me out and she does. Blah, blah, blah, Ozpin sends me and my Yang here to make sure Weiss is still on our side." Ruby took a sip from her drink and then looked away. "....The one who tried to eat her was-IS my friend Maria. Weiss and her fought I guess and Weiss actually saved her. In a way I guess. She's locked up but her entire view on things have changed. She hates Ozpin. I guess she fought you too huh? Sorry if she hurt you. She's just a little old lady now."

Another sip was taken.

"After I talked with your Yang, I went to see my Yang. We argued, we fought, and I left. I didn't wanna go back and my only options were to break into another motel or sleep in the alleys. I figured I'd go see Weiss. Odds were pretty high that she'd either hear me out or kill me. I was kind of leaning towards the latter to be honest. We'd never really talked before that moment to be honest. Or interacted beyond the bare minimum. Keeping that in mind, I just crashed through a window and landed in her kitchen. She could have killed me....but she didn't. She says she sees potential in me. To do better, to be better....and it was encouraging to hear that."

A huge sip was taken and Ruby trembled a bit.

"....I sat in that cell for so long. I never said it aloud but getting killed by Weiss terrified me....but a part of me was also okay with the idea. So for her to give me a chance? To let me stay in her home, raid her fridge, walk her dog? It...feels nice. That's all."

Qrow tried to take notes on a napkin, frantically scribbling with a half-exploded pen he fished out of his pocket in an effort to keep pace, but by the time Ruby was finished the makeshift parchment was tossed to the side with only a few sad little abbreviated bullet points to show for it.

Ruby and Weiss too?

Maria = old

Jail changes people

Despite his infantile chickenscratch, he crossed his arms with a deeply contemplative expression as the words fully sunk in, slouching back in his seat and staring at this alien Ruby in a sullen silence. Maybe not quite as alien as he wanted to box her into being in his thoughts. No, not wanted; Had to.

The idea of inquiring about whether the grass was greener on the other side did intrigue her.

"....One question has been on my mind since I met the other me."

Ruby coughed and her eyes couldn't meet Qrow's.

"....What was the other me's dad like?"

He shot her a glance at that, sharp and curious. "Guess Tai bought it before you were even born here... He's a knucklehead, but a good guy. Never really knew what the hell he was doing as a dad, but he gave it a better shot than I ever could. He... wasn't in the best shape after Summer died. Yang had to pull a lot of weight for Ruby's sake, grow up pretty quick; but she got a lotta what makes her so great from him... and lot of it from Summer. Most of what makes her such a dingus sometimes came from them, too. The lousier parts were a gift from me and my sister, but so were her street smarts. When she decides to actually use 'em."

He couldn't keep the dry note from his tone, wondering idly at the back of his mind how much flak she'd already caught for some of her decisions lately now that she was back with the rest.

Ha! Good. As someone who'd made a career of pissing off other huntsmen with his judgment calls 95% of the time, based on early readings he had a gut feeling Yang was gonna need the practice.

"...Nah... she's her own person more than anything, honestly. And that's not a bad thing. Most of the names I just mentioned let life tear 'em down as soon as hardship came knocking; Yang's already suffered more than most do in their entire lifetimes and come through the flames swinging. She might be the strongest person I know. Ruby, though... hh. Ruby's her mom through and through. Pretty much everything that gives you faith in humanity wrapped up in one package."

He left it at that in regards to the other's doppelganger, far from blind to the envy this version of Ruby felt towards his niece, how different their lives had been. He wasn't going to rile her about it, planned to steer clear of the subject whenever possible, but neither would he mince his words.

Boo hoo, honestly. He was raised by those same bandits and you didn't see him murdering a whole buncha people. He hadn't quite decided what his main feeling towards the parallel world versions of his nieces was just yet; this was pretty much the first time he'd had any prolonged communication with one, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been making an active effort not to think about it. But while it may have been harsh, while it may even have been a little rich coming from him... he was pretty sure he could feel those feelings slowly knotting into a profound, abject disappointment.

Even if they had it bad. Even if a shitter version of him had been the one who screwed up their lives from the getgo. They... they were supposed to be stronger than him. Better. The Ruby and Yang he knew already had it bad. Even if it was magnitudes worse, even if they didn't have love... not like that was ever in high supply around the tribe camp, in whatever version of Remnant. Him and Raven, they were able to tough it out as kids. They had each other. And even when Raven reverted to their ways, even when she became as cynical and selfish and cowardly as any of them... she had never even come close to being as cruel, heartless, and vicious as this world's version of Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long seemed to be. Especially Yang. What was the deal?

What was he missing?

"My turn. Look, don't take this too personal, but I just don't... I'm having a real difficult time reconciling you and the Yang you grew up with with the two people I just described. You get how that might be a little hard for me, right? Two of the best people I know, murdering lunatics. Ice queen won't be making my wedding guestlist any time soon either, but she is tame compared to the rest of you Ozpin groupies. If she was telling the truth about fixing whatever's wrong with you... maybe there's something to that. I don't know. But from where I'm sitting, it doesn't even look like you feel bad for any of the crap you've done. You just seem like you're enjoying playing playboy mansion with your crush."

He arched an eyebrow, tapping the table they were at in a slow, pensive rhythm, contemplating what he actually wanted his question here to be.

"...What happened? I mean, can you explain it to me? Why do you think it is you and Yang are like this?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

He shot her a glance at that, sharp and curious. "Guess Tai bought it before you were even born here... He's a knucklehead, but a good guy. Never really knew what the hell he was doing as a dad, but he gave it a better shot than I ever could. Yang got a lotta what makes her so great from him... lot of it from Summer. Lotta what makes her such a dingus sometimes came from them, too. The lousier parts were a gift from me and my sister, but so were her street smarts. When she decides to actually use 'em."

He couldn't keep the dry note from his tone, wondering idly at the back of his mind how much flak she'd already caught for some of her decisions lately now that she was back with the rest.

Ha! Good. As someone who'd made a career of pissing off other huntsmen with his judgment calls 95% of the time, based on early readings he had a gut feeling Yang was gonna need the practice.

"...Nah... she's her own person more than anything, honestly. And that's not a bad thing. Most of the names I just mentioned let life tear 'em down as soon as hardship came knocking; Yang's already suffered more than most do in their entire lifetimes and come through the flames swinging. She might be the strongest person I know. Ruby, though... hh. Ruby's her mom through and through. Pretty much everything good about the world wrapped up in one package."

Ruby politely waited until Qrow was done speaking.

"....I'm...I'm glad she had him."

She didn't really want to delve any further than that. Lest she get upset right here and now.
​

What was he missing?

"My turn. Look, don't take this too personal, but I just don't... I'm having a real difficult time reconciling you and the Yang you grew up with with the two people I just described. You get how that might be a little hard for me, right? Two of the best people I know, murdering lunatics. Ice queen won't be making my wedding guestlist any time soon either, but she is tame compared to the rest of you Ozpin groupies. If she was telling the truth about fixing whatever's wrong with you... maybe there's something to that. I don't know. But from where I'm sitting, it doesn't even look like you feel bad for any of the crap you've done. You just seem like you're enjoying playing playboy mansion with your crush."

He arched an eyebrow, tapping the table they were at in a slow, pensive rhythm, contemplating what he actually wanted his question here to be.

"...What happened? I mean, can you explain it to me? Why do you think it is that you and Yang are like this?"

Once more she waited for him to finish speaking.

"None taken. I told the other Yang the same thing I'm gonna tell you. I'm not a good person. If I were to become one....It'd take a lot of work." Ruby exhaled and leaned back in her seat. "...For the longest time I thought Ozpin was the one who'd do that. That I was going to be on the right side of things. Sure, people would get in our way but I'd only hurt them if they tried hurting me first. I don't LIKE killing people. That's probably a hard sell but...." Ruby picked up her glass and took another hearty sip. "I'd even made it a point to only injure the guards who'd been assigned to watch me. Even after they said some rather nasty things about my whistling."

She shook her head from side to side.

"But that's not the answer to your question. The other world Yang has been nothing but nice to me. She even promised we'd talk even when I was locked up in jail. Trying to keep to that promise was one of the things keeping me going during my stint in jail. Believing that Ozpin would eventually rescue me was the other. But she never mentioned the people I've hurt....or the lives I've taken. I imagine she probably didn't want to associate such things with a face like this." She waved a hand in front of her face John Cena style. "...I imagine Weiss will probably have me pay in some way for what I've done. I'm not a total idiot. She's been kind to me but the underlying fear is still there. That she could easily kill me or have me put in a sling and carted off to who knows where if I displease her. But...maybe it's just the other Yang and me rubbing off but...If I have to do time to repent....then I'll do it once this is all over."

She finished off her drink.

"I....I'm still trying to come to terms with Weiss and Maria and Yang telling me about the man Ozpin really is. You saw me at Salem's office. I got tossed in there like a wild animal. He was the only figure I could look up to. The only one that paid me any mind that wasn't simply scorn or disgust or...simple willful apathy. Growing up I was a total brat to get what I wanted. Being the boss's daughter didn't mean a damn thing other than people knew my name if I messed up. I needed to feel as if I had power over my life. That I wasn't going to just be the Bandit's daughter and nothing more. That I could be who I wanted to be and assert my authority over someone else. I wanted to be noticed so I took it out on the only person I could..." Ruby let the clear implication of who that was sit in the air for a bit. "I made her do whatever I wanted. If she didn't like it? I'd get her in trouble and they'd always take my word over hers. She was the outcast. The burden to us. I helped keep it that way." She looked over to her stump. "....I've been telling myself lately that saving us from the Beowulf was my only kind act towards her....but the more and more I think about it, I think I just didn't want to lose the only person who listened to ME."
​

He arched an eyebrow, tapping the table they were at in a slow, pensive rhythm, contemplating what he actually wanted his question here to be.

"...What happened? I mean, can you explain it to me? Why do you think it is that you and Yang are like this?"

"So, I helped make my Yang what she is. ...To a certain point anyway. Ozpin's....modified her a bit."

Ruby pushed her empty glass away and propped her elbow on the table.

"The way I see it, I have three options. I could have taken up the other Yang's offer and been either gunned down or captured by the Resistance. I could go back to Ozpin and stay in servitude thinking I'm worth more than I really am. I doubt Weiss would let me do that. She'd kill me before I could even leave Atlas's grounds. Or.....I can try to do better and when the time comes that I need to pay for my....crimes. I'll take it, whatever it may be. If in the meantime it means doing what Weiss asks of me and trying to be less of the Red Masque and more....Ruby Rose....then I'll do it."

Her voice broke as she added on.

"....I'd just want a warmer cell." ​