Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

Masque scoffed.

"Say what you want. Believe what you want, kid."




The punch connected and Masque howled

In....laughter?

"Hahahahah!"

Her aura flared as embers licked at her cheek.

"There it is! There's that anger bubbling over!"


Masque didn't seem to resist as she was bowled over.

Instead she only raised her hand to grip Cinder's shoulder and lean in.

"Good."

Masque fell back to the floor.

"You wanna know what I heard just now? Behind the anger, the yelling?"

Masque's eyes widened and she held her arm off to the side.

"Conviction. You really do believe in what you're saying. Hang onto that for all it's worth!"

Masque vanished in a trail of rose petals and reared back up, flicking a thumb over where she'd been punched. A grin across her face.

"....Not a bad punch either."​

Cinder seemed about ready to take another swing but for whatever reason, she didn’t. She forced herself to stop, to take a deep breath and try to get back to some level of calm. Not an easy thing to accomplish, with the Masque’s laughter and words still ringing in her mind but she was going to try. It really was a pain. The other Ruby, she’d been annoying but the fun kind of annoying. The kind of person Cinder didn’t mind goofing off with, enjoyed it even...but this one? This one provoked only anger. Her fists clenched by her sides and she hissed through gritted teeth.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing at, you psycho, but the last thing I need is a pep talk or advice from a total lunatic. Why can’t you just fuck off?”​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

View attachment 843783

"Then send. Her. To jail?????" Qrow grunted with slow enunciation like it was the most obvious thing in the world, having exhausted his patience at some point during her say. "She has trust issues, she needs help blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda. We don't talk this way about Tyrian Callows or Hazel Reinhart or Cinder, Yang, back home. Can you imagine if we did? Can you imagine if everyone who ever fought Salem wore a great big bleeding heart on their sleeve then held it out at her little clubhouse members for a shake 'cause we just feel so bad about their crappy lives? Me and mosta the people I know'd be dead. The kingdoms would've fallen decades ago. C'mon, kid. Start thinking like a huntress here."

He stuck his hands in his pockets, posture slouched to one side.

"It's not about her problems or her tragic upbringing or how lonely she is or whatever else. It's her. We cannot trust her. You can't, and whatever threat she 'might' pose that you think you can handle, you're lowballing it. She's a maniac and a murderer who's hurt countless people without a second thought and, frankly, cards on the table here, I'd much rather you and Ruby spent as little time around her as possible. I'm supposed to be lookin' out for you two. If I don't think you can handle something, it needs saying. And you..."

He huffed, stress and weariness pinching his own brow long before his fingers did.

"...You can't handle this. Neither one of you can. Hell, I wouldn't trust some of the best and most experienced huntsmen I know to be able to deal with this crap. What, one semester at Beacon and a few months in bed and you're ready to run the gauntlet, Yang? Gonna work your way through Ozpin's crew, the worst of the worst, one by one, disarming everybody with hugs and card games?" He shook his head. "Nah. Like hell am I gonna watch you screw yourself over like that. If not physically, then emotionally, firecracker. You have no idea what you're up against on this one. You have no idea what sorta sicko you'd be reaching out to. We don't need the risk, and you don't need the lifelong mental trauma. Remind me again the part of this that's supposed to be a good idea????"​

“Yang, I...agree with Uncle Qrow.” It wasn’t the easiest thing to admit. Not because she didn’t have trust in him, she absolutely did. He was a beloved family member, and that wasn’t going to change. No, it was her conflicted feelings about...herself, technically. The other her. The Masque. There was sympathy there, and concern, and a lot of other things, but as much as she agreed that Masque needed help, she just...didn’t agree that keeping her here was the way to go about it.

“If we’re going to be fighting against Ozpin and the rest, I don’t think we should do it with her by our side. It is about trust, and I don’t...I’m not sure we should try to trust her. Not any more than we should with our Tyrian or our Hazel or our Cinder. She may say she wants to fight Ozpin now, but we don’t know for certain if that is true or what reasons she has for doing so if it is true. And yeah, we do have other people with us who’ve proven to be...less than trustworthy. They’ve made pretty awful decisions. But I don’t think any of them have ever called the monstrous grimm master a friend.” Ruby sighed.

“But the Masque did. For whatever reason, she considered him that. That might be changed now, but someone who once considered him that...” She shook her head. “I think she’d be more a problem than a help to us. She needs help, sure, but that doesn’t have to mean from us.”​

"What, you mean awful decisions like siding with the exact same monstrous grimm master?" Yang snapped back, unable to keep a bit of bite out of her voice. "Or that they're half the reason you and me are so messed up here!? We're giving them the benefit of the doubt because mom's vouching for them, like I'm the only one who's got blindspots?" She continued, glaring at her her uncle as she clenched her fists-

-and then immediately unclenched them with a hiss of frustration. This wasn't helping anyone. Her shoulders dropped and her eyes followed suit as she sat on the bed.

"...Sorry. It's just..." She halfheartedly waved her prosthetic at them. "You're right. both of you. Unlike the other bandits-" she said, still unable to keep her voice from growling slightly "-her brain just... there's some serious stuff wrong there. If anything, bringing her anywhere near Oz'll just make things worse, not better. But that doesn't mean we just leave her here. If she dips while we're fighting Oz, then she's just out in the wild doing who knows what, and then whatever she does do is on us."

 

[Gus Gungus]

“Yang, I...agree with Uncle Qrow.” It wasn’t the easiest thing to admit. Not because she didn’t have trust in him, she absolutely did. He was a beloved family member, and that wasn’t going to change. No, it was her conflicted feelings about...herself, technically. The other her. The Masque. There was sympathy there, and concern, and a lot of other things, but as much as she agreed that Masque needed help, she just...didn’t agree that keeping her here was the way to go about it.

“If we’re going to be fighting against Ozpin and the rest, I don’t think we should do it with her by our side. It is about trust, and I don’t...I’m not sure we should try to trust her. Not any more than we should with our Tyrian or our Hazel or our Cinder. She may say she wants to fight Ozpin now, but we don’t know for certain if that is true or what reasons she has for doing so if it is true. And yeah, we do have other people with us who’ve proven to be...less than trustworthy. They’ve made pretty awful decisions. But I don’t think any of them have ever called the monstrous grimm master a friend.” Ruby sighed.

“But the Masque did. For whatever reason, she considered him that. That might be changed now, but someone who once considered him that...” She shook her head. “I think she’d be more a problem than a help to us. She needs help, sure, but that doesn’t have to mean from us.”

"What, you mean awful decisions like siding with the exact same monstrous grimm master?" Yang snapped back, unable to keep a bit of bite out of her voice. "Or that they're half the reason you and me are so messed up here!? We're giving them the benefit of the doubt because mom's vouching for them, like I'm the only one who's got blindspots?" She continued, glaring at her her uncle as she clenched her fists-

-and then immediately unclenched them with a hiss of frustration. This wasn't helping anyone. Her shoulders dropped and her eyes followed suit as she sat on the bed.

"...Sorry. It's just..." She halfheartedly waved her prosthetic at them. "You're right. both of you. Unlike the other bandits-" she said, still unable to keep her voice from growling slightly "-her brain just... there's some serious stuff wrong there. If anything, bringing her anywhere near Oz'll just make things worse, not better. But that doesn't mean we just leave her here. If she dips while we're fighting Oz, then she's just out in the wild doing who knows what, and then whatever she does do is on us."

He just growled, rolled his eyes and stalked away in frustration with a gruffly irritated wave of the hand when the Tribe's name got dragged into it, somehow not even a little surprised Yang wasn't willing to let that one lie. He unscrewed the cap on his flask and swigged down the last of its contents as he leaned an elbow on the windowframe and scanned the gloomy streets, jaw tight, but when his response came it was more measured and tired than his prior vexation promised.

"Listen up, Yang. Your sister already knows this. There are people in life who cannot be helped. I'm not talkin' the usual self-involved criminal type here; Cowards, thieves, or folks with as trashy a worldview as your mom. Some people are just... lost." There was a quiet, faraway solemnity to his voice, as if the knowledge that one of them could be Ruby had him on the cusp of an out-of-body experience. "They're screwed up and twisted on the inside and the only thing that gets 'em out of bed in the morning is the thought of dragging some other poor sucker down to the bottom of whatever deep, dark pit they live in. So they can prove to everyone else, and themselves, that they were never the crazy ones, that it's the rest of the world that's wrong. You won't meet too many of those people. And if you ask me, nothing this lousy Remnant has had to offer compares to two of 'em being you two."

His bearing was grimmer than ever by the end, and the sigh that accompanied him rubbing his brow and sweeping his hair back in a terse motion had far less teeth in it.

"So what are you suggesting, exactly? Her story's that she came here to help. We start trying to coax her inside a cage, she's liable to get nasty or bolt. You gonna be the one to catch her?" He tossed Yang's way, snark thinly veiled.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"What, you mean awful decisions like siding with the exact same monstrous grimm master?" Yang snapped back, unable to keep a bit of bite out of her voice. "Or that they're half the reason you and me are so messed up here!? We're giving them the benefit of the doubt because mom's vouching for them, like I'm the only one who's got blindspots?" She continued, glaring at her her uncle as she clenched her fists-

-and then immediately unclenched them with a hiss of frustration. This wasn't helping anyone. Her shoulders dropped and her eyes followed suit as she sat on the bed.

"...Sorry. It's just..." She halfheartedly waved her prosthetic at them. "You're right. both of you. Unlike the other bandits-" she said, still unable to keep her voice from growling slightly "-her brain just... there's some serious stuff wrong there. If anything, bringing her anywhere near Oz'll just make things worse, not better. But that doesn't mean we just leave her here. If she dips while we're fighting Oz, then she's just out in the wild doing who knows what, and then whatever she does do is on us."

He just growled, rolled his eyes and stalked away in frustration with a gruffly irritated wave of the hand when the Tribe's name got dragged into it, somehow not even a little surprised Yang wasn't willing to let that one lie. He unscrewed the cap on his flask and swigged down the last of its contents as he leaned an elbow on the windowframe and scanned the gloomy streets, jaw tight, but when his response came it was more measured and tired than his prior vexation promised.

"Listen up, Yang. Your sister already knows this. There are people in life who cannot be helped. I'm not talkin' the usual self-involved criminal here; Cowards, thieves, or folks with as trashy a worldview as your mom. Some people are just... lost." There was a quiet, faraway solemnity to his voice, as if the knowledge that one of them could be Ruby had him on the cusp of an out-of-body experience. "They're screwed up and twisted on the inside and the only thing that gets 'em out of bed in the morning is the thought of dragging some poor sucker down to the bottom of whatever deep, dark pit they live in. So they can prove to everyone else, and themselves, that they were never the crazy ones, that it's the rest of the world that's wrong. You won't meet too many of those people. And if you ask me, nothing this lousy Remnant has had to offer compares to two of 'em being you two."

His bearing was grimmer than ever by the end, and the sigh that accompanied him rubbing his brow and sweeping his hair back in a terse motion had far less teeth in it.

"So what are you suggesting, exactly? Her story's that she came here to help. We start trying to coax her inside a cage, she's liable to get nasty or bolt. You gonna be the one to catch her?" He tossed Yang's way, snark thinly veiled.​

Ruby lifted a finger into the air. “For the record, I’m not saying we shouldn’t keep an eye on them either. They’ve all turned on us before and just because your mom says she has them in line...I do think we should be watching them as well.” Not to the same extent, maybe, but she was still wary of them for sure. That much said, she lowered her hand and waited for Yang to answer the question that Uncle Qrow asked of her.​

 

[MidwayLives]

“I don’t know what game you’re playing at, you psycho, but the last thing I need is advice from a total lunatic. Why can’t you just fuck off?”

"Psycho, lunatic, all words you believe describe me,"

Masque sighed.

"...And the funny thing is I can't even say you're wrong. But I can't just leave. I want to help."

Masque held out her hand.

"All I'm asking for is a chance....you can stop me if you think you're up to it."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Psycho, lunatic, all words you believe describe me,"

Masque sighed.

"...And the funny thing is I can't even say you're wrong. But I can't just leave. I want to help."

Masque held out her hand.

"All I'm asking for is a chance....you can stop me if you think you're up to it."​

She looked away with a frown, conflicted. On one hand, she did try looking for the best in people. She’d done so with a dirty bandit who had likewise turned on them, and the fighting that had followed ended with the CCT destroyed and one of her friends...gone. Tried to appeal to something, anything in Blake even as the faunus woman was kicking the crap out of her. But...they were different cases too. She knew Vernal was a self-serving thieving opportunist from practically the second they met. Her, that Qrow, they would do what they believed was in their self-interest, and at some point that Qrow had been coerced into thinking attacking them was in that self-interest. Ordered Vernal to do the same on the spot. They were looking out for number one. Themselves. She...could not forgive Vernal for that, but she looked past it trying to become stronger.

Likewise, Blake. The cat faunus, revolutionary to some, terrorist to many others. She did reprehensible things, and deserved justice for all her crimes. Cinder hoped to be the one to bring her to said justice, one day. The young maiden’s attempts to reach something in the killer were just...desperate appeals, praying that she would not have her throat slit that day. It was not an invitation to fight together, and even in her most optimistic thoughts, she doubted the zealous murderer would ever accept such. That was the difference between Vernal and Blake as opposed to the Masque. All deserved to pay for their crimes. Cinder had half a mind to throw Vernal and Qrow into a cell herself even now but...

Cinder had never held any illusions about where she stood with them. Why she hated Masque more than either of them, maybe more than all of them put together, was because she hadn’t known that with the feral girl. Her world’s Ruby Rose hid herself behind a facade of friendship. She pretended to be something she was not, hid bullshit behind a smile, and when the time came? The Masque, Pyrrha, they tried to destroy her new home. Bring it all down in a chaotic slaughter of innocents and allies. They showed their true colors, and one even took an eye from her.

She took that far more personally.

“You don’t even try to deny that you’re crazy.” Cinder bitterly chuckled. Some truth, at last. “I don’t care what you want. You think you deserve a chance?!” The maiden suddenly whirled on the Masque, flames shooting out of her eye as she took an angry step forward. Nora did likewise, but before she could move in to intervene, a sudden ridiculously strong blast of air slammed her back against one of the walls of the room. It didn’t let up, keeping her away for at least a few seconds.

“I gave you one! I thought you were a friend, but it wasn’t real! You lied to me, lied to so many people, so you could help destroy one of the world’s huntsman academies!” One of Cinder’s clenched fists exploded with flame, lifting it up and letting loose with a blast that even if it missed the Masque, collided with the wall and shook the whole building, melting a large hole into it and exposing the room to the outside. It...really wasn’t the smartest move especially after the damage they’d already done to the place, but right there in the moment, Cinder was beyond caring about that. The winds surging against Nora intensified even further as the maiden stepped forward, aiming to grab Masque by the collar and roughly throw her through that newly made hole before she stepped through it herself.

“You know, I grew up with a real asshole of a dad and a complete bitch of a mom. They hurt me so badly, in ways that I’ll never be able to forget. But at least they were real! They never tried to be something they weren’t! They didn’t lie! They didn’t pretend, they didn’t work their way in faking friendliness and then turn on me with cruel, gloating smiles on their faces. In some ways that hurt more than anything they ever did to me!!” If her eye wasn’t blazing with superheated rage, there was a good chance it would have become watery.

“And you come here, pleading for a chance...a chance to what? To prove yourself a liar again?! To trick me, trick us all? How can we even try to trust you? How can we know what you really want in that insane head of yours? How can we be sure this isn’t just some deception and you...you...”

Cinder shook her head in frustration. “You can’t give any guarantee of any good intentions and now, now you have...something in your arm that...that’s...I don’t know what.”​

 

[MidwayLives]

“You don’t even try to deny that you’re crazy.” Cinder bitterly chuckled. Some truth, at last. “I don’t care what you want. You think you deserve a chance?!” The maiden suddenly whirled on the Masque, flames shooting out of her eye as she took an angry step forward. Nora did likewise, but before she could move in to intervene, a sudden ridiculously strong blast of air slammed her back against one of the walls of the room. It didn’t let up, keeping her away for at least a few seconds.

Masque stood looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
​

“I gave you one! I thought you were a friend, but it wasn’t real! You lied to me, lied to so many people, so you could help destroy one of the world’s huntsman academies!” One of Cinder’s clenched fists exploded with flame, lifting it up and letting loose with a blast that even if it missed the Masque, collided with the wall and shook the whole building, melting a large hole into it and exposing the room to the outside. It...really wasn’t the smartest move especially after the damage they’d already done to the place, but right there in the moment, Cinder was beyond caring about that. The winds surging against Nora intensified even further as the maiden stepped forward, aiming to grab Masque by the collar and roughly throw her through that newly made hole before she stepped through it herself.

The blast slammed into Masque's chest, causing her aura to flare up, and sending her back through the newly made hole.

She clutched at her chest and looked up at Cinder as the maiden grabbed her the collar of her shirt.
​

“And you come here, pleading for a chance...a chance to what? To prove yourself a liar again?! To trick me, trick us all? How can we even try to trust you? How can we know what you really want in that insane head of yours? How can we be sure this isn’t just some deception and you...you...”

Cinder shook her head in frustration. “You can’t give any guarantee of any good intentions and now, now you have...something in your arm that...that’s...I don’t know what.”

"You're right!"

Masque yelled.

"You're...you're right about me. They all are. I...just wasn't made to walk the line you guys do." She admitted while not making an effort to remove Cinder's hand from her person. "I tried with Weiss. Bless everything she did for me but it just wouldn't take. I don't WANT to live like everyone else! I...I would have just been happy living in the woods...hunting...surviving....Like an animal. You wouldn't trust a stray wolf would you?"

Like a feral dog left to it's own devices.

"...Weiss did all she could for me and I left. It wasn't her fault. It's not yours for trusting me either. I came here and settled in some alleyway. Hoping maybe that...I'd just not wake up. I...I didn't want to endanger anyone here...but I also couldn't sit by...." She looked over to her bandaged up stump. 'I can't fight my Yang again..... I can't beat her and I don't want to fight her..." Masque felt her breath hitching. "All of you can hate me, I don't care... All I'm asking is that you just let me help just this once....if the dust clears and we make it...."

Masque couldn't meet Cinder's eyes.

"I won't fight you or your friends. I won't. But I just...need a reassurance from you....If you'll hear me out..."

She looked over to her stump again.

"...My arm hasn't been bothering me since I popped up here...but...I cut off my Yang's arm and it didn't take. If any of you see her and have to fight her....you'll just knock her out won't you? None of you would have to do anything more than that would you...?"

Masque for all her bluster and seeming willingness to help/stand down when it seemed like this Yang would have been upset....Just couldn't seem to get over the proverbial hump that was her own sister. Masque could meet her on opposite sides and scrap with her like a mad dog. But it'd always be the same. She couldn't out muscle her and in her heart of hearts, she didn't want to kill her either. Despite the frankenstein-esque situation Masque had embroiled herself in with her playing a central role in her Yang becoming what she is....the idea of killing her just wasn't something she could stomach. Which meant that someone else had to stop her....just....stop her. That's all.

....Right?

She grabbed onto Cinder's arm.

"If you can promise me that, you'll never have to see me again after this!" ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"You're right!"

Masque yelled.

"You're...you're right about me. They all are. I...just wasn't made to walk the line you guys do." She admitted while not making an effort to remove Cinder's hand from her person. "I tried with Weiss. Bless everything she did for me but it just wouldn't take. I don't WANT to live like everyone else! I...I would have just been happy living in the woods...hunting...surviving....Like an animal. You wouldn't trust a stray wolf would you?"

Like a feral dog left to it's own devices.

"...Weiss did all she could for me and I left. It wasn't her fault. It's not yours for trusting me either. I came here and settled in some alleyway. Hoping maybe that...I'd just not wake up. I...I didn't want to endanger anyone here...but I also couldn't sit by...." She looked over to her bandaged up stump. 'I can't fight my Yang again..... I can't beat her and I don't want to fight her..." Masque felt her breath hitching. "All of you can hate me, I don't care... All I'm asking is that you just let me help just this once....if the dust clears and we make it...."

Masque couldn't meet Cinder's eyes.

"I won't fight you or your friends. I won't. But I just...need a reassurance from you....If you'll hear me out..."

She looked over to her stump again.

"...My arm hasn't been bothering me since I popped up here...but...I cut off my Yang's arm and it didn't take. If any of you see her and have to fight her....you'll just knock her out won't you? None of you would have to do anything more than that would you...?"

Masque for all her bluster and seeming willingness to help/stand down when it seemed like this Yang would have been upset....Just couldn't seem to get over the proverbial hump that was her own sister. Masque could meet her on opposite sides and scrap with her like a mad dog. But it'd always be the same. She couldn't out muscle her and in her heart of hearts, she didn't want to kill her either. Despite the frankenstein-esque situation Masque had embroiled herself in with her playing a central role in her Yang becoming what she is....the idea of killing her just wasn't something she could stomach. Which meant that someone else had to stop her....just....stop her. That's all.

....Right?

She grabbed onto Cinder's arm.

"If you can promise me that, you'll never have to see me again after this!"

"..."

"Let you help. Give you reassurance. Make you a promise." Cinder repeated some of what Masque said, her voice a low and almost guttural growl. "Tch." The maiden shook her head in a mix of irritation and disbelief. Her boots dug into the sand outside the building, and thanks to her anger and abilities, the immediate area was turning into glass beneath her feet. For a time. With her gripping the Masque by the collar and the woman clutching her arm right back, Cinder blasted off, just as Nora managed to force her way through the heavy winds, her head poking through the melted hole in the wall in time only to watch them rise. "Welp." The two of them lifted into the air of Vacuo's night sky, propelled by furious jets of flame. The teenager either didn't think about or just plain didn't care about anyone else out there who might have potentially witnessed their flight. She slowly came to a stop hanging a few hundred feet above the city, her incensed glare never leaving the Masque's face.

"You have a lot of nerve. Asking for all of that...do you really think you have the right to ask me for any of those things? Why the hell shouldn't I just make it that I never see you again, here and now? Without giving you a damn thing. Huh? How about that?" ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Well it was safe to say that between him standing at the window, the ridiculous amount of property and environmental destruction Cinder was wreaking and the fact that he could see them both ascending into the sky on jets of flame like a molten bottle rocket Qrow definitely noticed what was going on.

"So, uh, anyone ever bother getting to know Kid Cinder enough to figure out just how exactly she's supposed to be anything like the original model?"

He was beginning to get an impression.​

 

[MidwayLives]

he two of them lifted into the air of Vacuo's night sky, propelled by furious jets of flame. The teenager either didn't think about or just plain didn't care about anyone else out there who might have potentially witnessed their flight. She slowly came to a stop hanging a few hundred feet above the city, her incensed glare never leaving the Masque's face.

Masque didn't yell out or struggle as she was carried off,

Just stared at Cinder the whole time.
​

"You have a lot of nerve. Asking for all of that...do you really think you have the right to ask me for any of those things? Why the hell shouldn't I just make it that I never see you again, here and now? Without giving you a damn thing. Huh? How about that?"

"...Because....Because I love my sister and I'd do anything to make sure she makes it out of all this okay."

As okay as one could be anyway.

"It's like I said. You can all hate me. You can want to lock me up. Doesn't matter. All I'd need is a promise that you won't kill my Yang. That no matter what happens, you'll let her live."

Masque let go of Cinder's arm.

"If you can give me that.."

She suddenly snarled and lashed out to bite at Cinder's hand. Hoping to bite down enough for Cinder to lose her grip, even if just briefly.

Masque started to fall back. Which given how high they were...

"....Then I'm fine with whatever comes next."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

View attachment 845016

Well it was safe to say that between him standing at the window, the ridiculous amount of property and environmental destruction Cinder was wreaking and the fact that he could see them both ascending into the sky on jets of flame like a molten bottle rocket Qrow definitely noticed what was going on.

"So, uh, anyone ever bother getting to know Kid Cinder enough to figure out just how exactly she's supposed to be anything like the original model?"

He was beginning to get an impression.​

"Well, I sort of got along with her, goofing off about weapons? Made her mad but...she's kinder than ours when she's not like that? Not a high bar but..." Ruby shrugged and grimaced in one move, palms held up awkwardly.​

"...Because....Because I love my sister and I'd do anything to make sure she makes it out of all this okay."

As okay as one could be anyway.

"It's like I said. You can all hate me. You can want to lock me up. Doesn't matter. All I'd need is a promise that you won't kill my Yang. That no matter what happens, you'll let her live."

Masque let go of Cinder's arm.

"If you can give me that.."

She suddenly snarled and lashed out to bite at Cinder's hand. Hoping to bite down enough for Cinder to lose her grip, even if just briefly.

Masque started to fall back. Which given how high they were...

"....Then I'm fine with whatever comes next."

Her glare softened a bit after hearing that, despite herself. Whatever she saw in Ruby's face got her to ease up on her anger, not by much, but enough so that the bite caught her off guard. Cinder cried out in reflex, pulling her hand back, and Ruby fell...for about 20 or so feet before the teenage maiden shot through the air after her and caught the Masque again with a barely audible sigh. Then she just soared back down for ground level with the crazy woman in tow and as calmly as could be, all things considered. Cinder let the Masque go and dropped her softly. "There it is, if you're wondering. That's the difference between the older Cinder from the other world and me. I don't...I don't really want to kill anyone. Or...or let them die, if I could help it." Her eye shut for a second, and she saw that shadow clone of Blake, that icy fake fooling her and making her think that severed head had been real. It wasn't, but for one horrifying moment, it had seemed like it. A death on her conscience. Cinder grimaced and opened her eye again. "She, on the other hand, couldn't care less. She'd kill...whoever. With no hesitation."

Cinder gulped. Maybe they had fiery tempers in common, and the desire to be stronger, but...she had to believe that difference meant she'd never be just like her older, half grimm counterpart. The teenager took a few steps back and averted her gaze from the Masque, briefly glancing towards the hole she'd made with a frown on her face. A deep breath followed, and she spoke towards the Masque without looking back at her. "I don't like you. I doubt I ever will...but if the others think you should be allowed to help, given a chance..." Cinder nervously rubbed at her knuckles. "Well, I'm not in charge. I'm the youngest...wasn't even a team leader when I still had a team." Watts and Hazel flickered through her thoughts, but most of all she wondered about Tyrian and how he was doing now. "I suppose I'll just have to grit my teeth and deal with you...being around." She sighed.

But she would leave that to them. Cinder turned then, striding away from the building and Masque and the others. "I'll...be back. Just gotta...clear my head. Take a walk." That and she didn't want to be anywhere near Masque for at least a little while. Or the owner of the building for that matter, after what she had done to his place. She disappeared into one of Vacuo's alleyways, with absolutely no destination in mind. Just a walk in the moonlight night to let the rest of her anger fade.

Nora blinked, glancing towards Masque. "So, uh..." ​

 

[MidwayLives]

Cinder cried out in reflex, pulling her hand back, and Ruby fell...f

Masque looked around and sighed.

Well, guess this was it.

She closed her eyes.
​

Then she just soared back down for ground level with the crazy woman in tow and as calmly as could be, all things considered. Cinder let the Masque go and dropped her softly. "There it is, if you're wondering. That's the difference between the older Cinder from the other world and me. I don't...I don't really want to kill anyone. Or...or let them die, if I could help it."

Masque blinked as Cinder caught her.

She supposed...it shouldn't have been surprising.

"Yeah, there's my answer."​

Cinder gulped. Maybe they had fiery tempers in common, and the desire to be stronger, but...she had to believe that difference meant she'd never be just like her older, half grimm counterpart. The teenager took a few steps back and averted her gaze from the Masque, briefly glancing towards the hole she'd made with a frown on her face. A deep breath followed, and she spoke towards the Masque without looking back at her. "I don't like you. I doubt I ever will...but if the others think you should be allowed to help, given a chance..." Cinder nervously rubbed at her knuckles. "Well, I'm not in charge. I'm the youngest...wasn't even a team leader when I still had a team." Watts and Hazel flickered through her thoughts, but most of all she wondered about Tyrian and how he was doing now. "I suppose I'll just have to grit my teeth and deal with you...being around." She sighed.

Masque reached out towards Cinder and gently placed her one hand atop the teenager's shoulder.

"...I'm sorry about what I said. Comparing you and the other you, kid, no, Cinder."

Masque pulled her hand back and stepped aside as the kid started to walk off.
​

Nora blinked, glancing towards Masque. "So, uh..."

"So..."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"So..."​

"I dunno, you hungry? We supposed to feed our...prisoners? What do you even like to eat anyhow?" Asking the important questions here.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Even at this time, some of the shops that lay scattered throughout Vacuo's capital city were still open. Cinder's unfocused walk led her to come across a few. Her gaze drifted across them and she stopped where she stood. The Masque's words hung heavy over her mind, that she and her villainous self were so very much alike. Even with her vehement refusal to accept that, and the Masque's weak apology about it, she still couldn't banish that notion from her mind. They shared a lot, after all. Faces, desires, anger...even favorite colors, it seemed. Cinder glanced down at her red jacket vest emblazoned with gold with a sad frown. It wasn't that far off from something the other her would have worn. The frown on her face deepened and her head lifted back up to look towards one of the shops. The young maiden stood utterly still for a few seconds, thinking it over...

...and strode on in, making right for the clothing section of the place. Her gaze flickered through as she checked all the stuff out. Most of it was far more...rough, compared to stuff in Atlas or even Vale, but that suited her just fine. She didn't mind. So long as it helped her stand out more from the monster who'd fallen into her Remnant. As she rummaged through the clothes, her golden eyed gaze lifted momentarily to a mirror hanging on the wall as she studied her reflection.

Namely, her hair. Hrm...that too. ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"-No, Oz is the white king. You know, 'cause of Weiss. If it were the queen it'd feel like just Weiss. Look it ain't that complicated!" Qrow finished re-explaining in a snappish, partially defensive growl, less unhesitatingly confident in his ability to tactically outline using props now that he was sobering up and doing it to a whole bunch of people. Cinder just up and guantanamoing their unwanted prisoner had left too sizable a dent in his side of the argument for letting his stubborn streak tussle with Yang's (enhanced by whatever righteous indignation she felt from seeing that) to feel worth it; however, in light of that—and the fact that it was his plan—He decided she could have the dubious honor of going from room to room, waking everybody up and telling them to meet in the common room while Ruby helped him set up.

That was where he now stood, the others clustered around him in a loose semicircle as he finished using the chess set to stage his idea the same way he had for Yang. By the time she returned with the last of the stragglers he had put Masque sitting in the corner facing the wall closest to him, just short a dunce's cap to complete the picture, and any attempt by his niece to cross the invisible threshold separating her from Ruby's wretched counterpart was met by a hand on her shoulder that was as firm in discouraging her as it needed to be, joined by an even stare and a slow, adamant shake of the head. He kept things all business while he laid out the potential strike, and when he was through he let his hand slowly drift back from the king piece to stare at the board with a dour frown.

"So that's the gist. Can't deny it's a helluva gamble, but I also can't think of a huntsman or huntress alive I'd rather make it with than these two. Oz's still breaking in his new look. Where we come from, that window is when he's at his weakest; his most vulnerable. Supposed to be it's months before his magic comes back to him—trickles in bit by bit the more the two souls merge. Here..." He grunted, slouched shoulders rising in a half-shrug. "Hijacking unwilling vessels wasn't exactly a trick in the Oz we worked with's playbook either. We can't take anything for granted. One thing I do know though: Whatever he might've done to it, Weiss's soul isn't gone, and I doubt the type of control freak who made sure every cog in Atlas was shined, polished and had to ask her before it could turn's gonna make whatever he's planning easy for him. She'll keep that window forced open at least a crack 'til the moment she's swallowed up by him for good, but seeing as we have no way of measuring how long that might be... we do this, we need to do it soon. As soon as possible."

He took a deep, weary breath, finally glancing back up at the others.

"Tonight. So I'm gonna ask for two things and two things only: suggestions and volunteers. First thing's first."

He smirked thinly.

"Do I hear any volunteers?"

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Oh, so that's what those were for..."

Ruby didn't say a single thing throughout Qrow's chess piece briefing on his plan, and even after it had concluded with him asking for volunteers, beyond that one whisper she was still silent. She simply stood there, eyes flickering from person to person as she tried to gauge the room, one fall maiden conspicuous in her absence. It was hard to get anything out of the other Qrow's facial expression, even when he wasn't taking long sips from his flask. The brown haired bandit by his side was almost the same, but she didn't quite manage to hide the fear in her eyes. Neither of them said anything though. Nora, on the other hand, had never been one to stay quiet when she had her mind set on something. She stepped forward with a nod, followed by slamming one fist into her opposite palm. "You know I'm in. You can count on me." The chance to punch this world's Yang in the face after what the Dragon had done to her, Nora sure wouldn't mind getting that chance. Or another throwdown with that big faunus, if she was around. Settle those scores.

Ruby returned the nod with plain appreciation, her gaze moving on-

"This idea is as reckless as any could get. It is stupid, dangerous, just..." Raven shook her head, failing to find another word to describe the proposed plan. She didn't bother trying to continue pointing that out further. She stared at Qrow for a few more seconds in silence, only briefly flickering to Yang and Ruby before returning back to him. The huntress sighed. "But...you're right. He's rarely this vulnerable, and we have a straight shot right to him. We may never get another chance quite like this. And...I think it is a chance worth taking, despite all the risk. Better to try, for us and the rest of the world...than to just sit back and...not seize the opportunity." Her gaze dropped to the floor, saying nothing about who this plan would require her to portal to.

Ruby looked to her for a moment more before moving on to the other Raven. The short haired one looked between Qrow and Yang with uncertainty...and then shrugged. "If you two think this is the way to go forward...who am I to say no?" She finished by taking an even longer drink from her glass than any of bandit Qrow's. Who, speaking of, finally said something. "Figure this nuts plan of yours needs as much luck as you can get, so...count me out." Barring any interruptions, he turned to stride out and back to his room, with only a split second glance at a particular corner of the room. Vernal still didn't say anything, but neither did she move to follow him. She stood about as still as a statue, arms crossed and observing everyone else.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Oh, so that's what those were for..."

Ruby didn't say a single thing throughout Qrow's chess piece briefing on his plan, and even after it had concluded with him asking for volunteers, beyond that one whisper she was still silent. She simply stood there, eyes flickering from person to person as she tried to gauge the room, one fall maiden conspicuous in her absence. It was hard to get anything out of the other Qrow's facial expression, even when he wasn't taking long sips from his flask. The brown haired bandit by his side was almost the same, but she didn't quite manage to hide the fear in her eyes. Neither of them said anything though. Nora, on the other hand, had never been one to stay quiet when she had her mind set on something. She stepped forward with a nod, followed by slamming one fist into her opposite palm. "You know I'm in. You can count on me." The chance to punch this world's Yang in the face after what the Dragon had done to her, Nora sure wouldn't mind getting that chance. Or another throwdown with that big faunus, if she was around. Settle those scores.

Ruby returned the nod with plain appreciation, her gaze moving on-

"This idea is as reckless as any could get. It is stupid, dangerous, just..." Raven shook her head, failing to find another word to describe the proposed plan. She didn't bother trying to continue pointing that out further. She stared at Qrow for a few more seconds in silence, only briefly flickering to Yang and Ruby before returning back to him. The huntress sighed. "But...you're right. He's rarely this vulnerable, and we have a straight shot right to him. We may never get another chance quite like this. And...I think it is a chance worth taking, despite all the risk. Better to try, for us and the rest of the world...than to just sit back and...not seize the opportunity." Her gaze dropped to the floor, saying nothing about who this plan would require her to portal to.

Ruby looked to her for a moment more before moving on to the other Raven. The short haired one looked between Qrow and Yang with uncertainty...and then shrugged. "If you two think this is the way to go forward...who am I to say no?" She finished by taking an even longer drink from her glass than any of bandit Qrow's. Who, speaking of, finally said something. "Figure this nuts plan of yours needs as much luck as you can get, so...count me out." Barring any interruptions, he turned to stride out and back to his room, with only a split second glance at a particular corner of the room. Vernal still didn't say anything, but neither did she move to follow him. She stood about as still as a statue, arms crossed and observing everyone else.

Qrow just offered Nora a leery grin and a thumbs up, appreciative as ever of the bruiser's enthusiasm for violence even if it was a little creepy talking to someone he'd stuck with the end of his sword. His knees crackled like bubble wrap as he rose from where he was hunkered by the board, giving a light stretch of his back as his eyes settled on the first Raven to speak. The one he'd spent so long looking to as the example he wished his sister had followed until she started following it herself.

"It's dangerous, no two ways about it. But it doesn't have to be stupid. Doesn't have to be reckless. Not if we do it right. Look, I get it. You spent your whole life fighting a fight you just recently learned the rules of. I know it feels like there's no hope, like he can't be stopped, and some of those tips ol' mom and dad gave us for living a long and healthy life must be sounding real appealing right now. Believe me, do I get it."

As he went on, it became clear that Qrow wasn't entirely addressing this world's Raven the way he would his sister any more. The reemergence of his actual sister's conscience had made things a little complicated on that front, as if they needed any more of that.

He was talking to her the way he would've talked to another Qrow. The best slayer in the game, stalwart protector of Vale, someone who embodied the values and struggle he'd given his life to in a way the boozy jackass who just slipped out of the room never could.

"But fear's how he wins. If he convinces us there's no way, that the only solution is to run and hide and play defense with the relics, then all it becomes is a waiting game. That's one he's always gonna win. She might've been a nutjob, but this world's Weiss saw it before anyone else. Oz wants humanity running scared 'cause that's how he knows he gets what he wants. No one can run forever. Anyone can say enough is enough and draw a line in the sand. If everyone does it..."

He left that thought unfinished, all the talk about running away and its consequences spurring him into spontaneous action.

"Hold that thought. Hey! Pal!"

The other Qrow heard the patter of footfall behind him as he neared the staircase, then felt the sting of a sharp pain as his counterpart pitched his empty flask hard at the back of his head.

"Stick around. You don't have to help us, but I think it's about time you took a swing at fixing your screwup. You count an extra head in there, by any chance? Maybe anyone you might have a responsibility for?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Qrow just offered Nora a leery grin and a thumbs up, appreciative as ever of the bruiser's enthusiasm for violence even if it was a little creepy talking to someone he'd stuck with the end of his sword.

Something about that grin...the heck...​

His knees crackled like bubble wrap as he rose from where he was hunkered by the board, giving a light stretch of his back as his eyes settled on the first Raven to speak. The one he'd spent so long looking to as the example he wished his sister had followed until she started following it herself.

"It's dangerous, no two ways about it. But it doesn't have to be stupid. Doesn't have to be reckless. Not if we do it right. Look, I get it. You spent your whole life fighting a fight you just recently learned the rules of. I know it feels like there's no hope, like he can't be stopped, and some of those tips ol' mom and dad gave us for living a long and healthy life must be sounding real appealing right now. Believe me, do I get it."

As he went on, it became clear that Qrow wasn't entirely addressing this world's Raven the way he would his sister any more. The reemergence of his actual sister's conscience had made things a little complicated on that front, as if they needed any more of that.

He was talking to her the way he would've talked to another Qrow. The best slayer in the game, stalwart protector of Vale, someone who embodied the values and struggle he'd given his life to in a way the boozy jackass who just slipped out of the room never could.

"But fear's how he wins. If he convinces us there's no way, that the only solution is to run and hide and play defense with the relics, then all it becomes is a waiting game. That's one he's always gonna win. She might've been a nutjob, but this world's Weiss saw it before anyone else. Oz wants humanity running scared 'cause that's how he knows he gets what he wants. No one can run forever. Anyone can say enough is enough and draw a line in the sand. If everyone does it..."

He left that thought unfinished, all the talk about running away and its consequences spurring him into spontaneous action.

Raven just smirked, the look torn between amused and a more cautious, wary mood. "Hey, I already said I was with you on this. Don't have to give me a pep talk." She replied, doing her best to sound more sure about that than she actually felt. Like it or not, this felt like a chance worth taking.​

"Hold that thought. Hey! Pal!"

The other Qrow heard the patter of footfall behind him as he neared the staircase, then felt the sting of a sharp pain as his counterpart pitched his empty flask hard at the back of his head.

"Stick around. You don't have to help us, but I think it's about time you took a swing at fixing your screwup. You count an extra head in there, by any chance? Maybe anyone you might have a responsibility for?"

"Son of a..." The man grumbled, rubbing at the back of his skull after the thrown flask bounced off. He didn't turn around fully, just shooting a glance over his shoulder at his lookalike. Qrow's head tilted after those questions, eyes lifting up to the ceiling as if in intense thought...but after hardly a moment, they came back down to stare his other self straight in the eyes as he answered:

Then he turned back, taking another sip from his own flask and started shambling up the stairs.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Son of a..." The man grumbled, rubbing at the back of his skull after the thrown flask bounced off. He didn't turn around fully, just shooting a glance over his shoulder at his lookalike. Qrow's head tilted after those questions, eyes lifting up to the ceiling as if in intense thought...but after hardly a moment, they came back down to stare his other self straight in the eyes as he answered:

Then he turned back, taking another sip from his own flask and started shambling up the stairs.

The bandit's ascent was complicated by the tiny black shape that blurred over his shoulder and transmogrified back into the form of his own mirror image, occupying the next step up and impeding his progress with arms crossed and a look that really just was not having it. Without missing a beat, he snatched the flask practically from the lips of his washed-up doppleganger and proceeded to slowly, deliberately tip its contents out onto the floor.



"Start over."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The bandit's ascent was complicated by the tiny black shape that blurred over his shoulder and transmogrified back into the form of his own mirror image, occupying the next step up and impeding his progress with arms crossed and a look that really just was not having it. Without missing a beat, he snatched the flask practically from the lips of his washed-up doppleganger and proceeded to slowly, deliberate tip its contents out onto the floor.

View attachment 848075

"Start over."​

"..."

He looked more disappointed or distraught than actually angry about his drink being swiped away and the soothing taste of the liquor being wasted on the floor. There was no attempt to snatch the flask back to save any remaining drink from the horrible fate or even trying to punch his other self for pulling such a dick move. Just a silent stare down at the drink spilling across the stairs. A few seconds after the last of it fell from the flask, he lifted his gaze back up with his annoyed frustration more clearly expressed.

"Get out of the way." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"..."

He looked more disappointed or distraught than actually angry about his drink being swiped away and the soothing taste of the liquor being wasted on the floor. There was no attempt to snatch the flask back to save any remaining drink from the horrible fate or even trying to punch his other self for pulling such a dick move. Just a silent stare down at the drink spilling across the stairs. A few seconds after the last of it fell from the flask, he lifted his gaze back up with his annoyed frustration more clearly expressed.

"Get out of the way."

He didn't. He did, however, set his lips in a sneer and give a scoff that, while perfectly disgusted, gave off the sense that the response had been expected.



"Y'know, I've been thinking. Investigating, when I had the time." It was astonishing how many lowlifes were willing to cough up dirt on the Tribe when you knew where to look. "And there's one part of this lousy world that just doesn't add up. Ray not making the shortlist for any mom of the year awards might be a universal truth, but the one you grew up with would never have dropped her kid off for life with a do-nothing douchebag like you. Something changed. Maybe it's a shot in the dark, but I get the sense I already know what. So that's it, huh? She died and you just gave up?"

His eyes were sharp, scanning the identical pair opposite for any hint of a response to the accusation. Whether he found it or not, he grit his teeth and gave an even, knowing nod, hands sliding into his pockets.

"Tch. Yeah, Summer had that effect on people. I've seen this movie before, bub, remember? Only where I come from, it wasn't us who got hung out to dry. Or at least, we weren't the person hit worst. It was Tai. He might've been the first to bite the farm here, but I'd almost call that preferable to what I watched happen to him, y'know. After Raven, after Summer. Never seen so much light disappear from a guy. Here's the thing, though."

He abruptly took a step forward, forcing his outlaw counterpart to either take a step down or attempt to hold his ground and leave their staredown at an uncomfortable distance, practically nose to nose.

"He still TRIED, asshole. Even after he checked out, he still did his damnedest to make sure Ruby and Yang turned out okay, 'cause he knew he owed that to her memory. Hell, he owed it to the both of them. Wildest part is, he didn't even have to try hard. 'Cause those two kids? They were supposed to turn out okay. Better than, actually. They couldn't have made it any easier for him if they tried. All he had to do was show up and make sure they both knew he cared."

The bitterness in his voice was more glaring at this point, his eyes' scornful edge slicing his double to metaphorical ribbons.

"And me, well, from the moment we got here I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Who's the worthless moron who dropped the ball that badly? What kinda waste of air could screw those two up?" He stepped forward again, and this time his intent was to shove past the other Qrow with such force the bandit may have needed to grab the railing to avoid tripping. It was the kind of shove that could only come from a place of pure anger, an uncommon level of boiling resentment to show any variant of one's self. "Thanks for clearing that up for me. Hnh. Like it wasn't already obvious."

He shook his head, the reason for that vitriol simple. There were a lot of things wrong with this world's Ruby and Yang, or Masque and Dragon or whatever the monsters who swallowed up his nieces wanted to call themselves. A barrage of factors that made them what they were.

And almost every single one of them could be traced back to him. To his failures.

Par for the course.

He reached the foot of the stairs and stopped, turning his head slightly without looking back.



"Part of me always wondered why she picked him, you know. Tai. I mean, most of me knew damn well why. But that tiny part, it always wondered what it might've been like if she picked me instead."

It wasn't anger in his voice anymore. It was tough to put a finger on what it was, exactly; melancholy was probably the closest word. But whatever it was, it was too tired to be anger. Too deflated. He gripped the banister so tightly the wood creaked in protest, but barely a moment later his fingers loosened and slipped away.

"Now I know the answer, thanks to you. And I'll always be grateful she didn't."

His point made, he touched down from the last step and put one foot before the other, making his way back towards the common room in a measured stride, both his flask and the bandit left discarded where they fell. He'd said his piece. They had work to do.

And he'd wasted enough time on this guy.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Y'know, I've been thinking. Investigating, when I had the time." It was astonishing how many lowlifes were willing to cough up dirt on the Tribe when you knew where to look. "And there's one part of this lousy world that just doesn't add up. Ray not making the shortlist for any mom of the year awards might be a universal truth, but the one you grew up with would never have dropped her kid off for life with a do-nothing douchebag like you. Something changed. Maybe I'm taking shots in the dark here, but I get the sense I already know what. So that's it, huh? She died and you just gave up?"

His eyes were sharp, scanning the identical pair opposite for any hint of a response to the accusation. Whether he found it or not, he grit his teeth and gave an even, knowing nod, hands sliding into his pockets.

The more drunk double didn't even bother to open his mouth to try to confirm or deny, but the silence hanging in the air and the return look deep in those eyes were answer enough. That's all that was needed.​

"Tch. Yeah, Summer had that effect on people. I've seen this movie before, bub, remember? Only where I come from, it wasn't us who got hung out to dry. Or at least, we weren't the person hit worst. It was Tai. He might've been the first to bite the farm here, but I'd almost call that preferable to what I watched happen to him, y'know. After Raven, after Summer. Never seen so much light disappear from a guy. Here's the thing, though."

He abruptly took a step forward, forcing his outlaw counterpart to either take a step down or attempt to hold his ground and leave their staredown at an uncomfortable distance, practically nose to nose.

"He still TRIED, asshole. Even after he checked out, he still did his damnedest to make sure Ruby and Yang turned out okay, 'cause he knew he owed that to her memory. Hell, he owed it to the both of them. Wildest part is, he didn't even have to try hard. 'Cause those two kids? They were supposed to turn out okay. Better than, actually. They couldn't have made it any easier for him if they tried. All he had to do was show up and make sure they both knew he cared."

"Really? Huh. Well, good for him." Qrow spat out in a bitter growl as he took a step back down for some distance. "I'd raise a glass to the guy, the hero of struggling parents, buuuuuuut sadly, I have no drink to raise. Such a shame." He shrugged in a what can ya do manner. If that scornful look in his other self's eyes bothered him in the slightest, it was hidden away behind that display of irreverent, cavalier drunkenness.​

"And me, well, from the moment we got here I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Who's the worthless moron who dropped the ball that badly? What kinda waste of air could screw those two up?" He stepped forward again, and this time his intent was to shove past the other Qrow with such force the bandit may have needed to grab the railing to avoid tripping. It was the kind of shove that could only come from a place of pure anger, an uncommon level of boiling resentment to show any variant of one's self. "Thanks for clearing that up for me. Hnh. Like it wasn't already obvious."

He just barely managed to grab hold, keeping himself from falling lamely as his otherworldly counterpart shoved roughly by. "Ya know, it's really strange...I never knew I could become this irritated with the sound of my own voice before. Pfft." He scoffed. The thought of why he was even sticking around popped into his head, not for the first time. This double's Raven may have pressured him into this so far, but it was not so that he could be insulted by some different fucking version of himself. Far as he was concerned, the sooner he and the rest got back to their own Remnant, the better.​

"Now I know the answer, thanks to you. And I'll always be grateful she didn't."

His point made, he touched down from the last step and put one foot before the other, making his way back towards the common room in a measured stride, both his flask and the bandit left discarded where they fell. He'd said his piece. They had work to do.

And he'd wasted enough time on this guy.

"Lucky you."

That snarl was the last thing the man said to the other's back as he strode away, followed by the sounds of steps as he resumed trudging up the stairs.​

 

[MidwayLives]

He took a deep, weary breath, finally glancing back up at the others.

"Tonight. So I'm gonna ask for two things and two things only: suggestions and volunteers. First thing's first."

He smirked thinly.

"Do I hear any volunteers?"

Someone raised their hand.

Somebody with an ax to grind against one of those in this Ozpin's employ.

Yeah, truth be told, Neo didn't give much of a damn what happened to Schnee. The councilwoman and now Ozpin's new body hadn't killed Neo...which the killer supposed she should have been grateful for. But if this plan went according to plan, they'd be going right into the heart of the other side's operations. Which meant that there was more than a good chance that she'd be there. The one who killed this world's Roman.

...Plus, maybe if she helped out or something, they'd let her in on whatever they had to do to get home.

Neo couldn't turn that down.

 

[Gus Gungus]

Someone raised their hand.

Somebody with an ax to grind against one of those in this Ozpin's employ.

Yeah, truth be told, Neo didn't give much of a damn what happened to Schnee. The councilwoman and now Ozpin's new body hadn't killed Neo...which the killer supposed she should have been grateful for. But if this plan went according to plan, they'd be going right into the heart of the other side's operations. Which meant that there was more than a good chance that she'd be there. The one who killed this world's Roman.

...Plus, maybe if she helped out or something, they'd let her in on whatever they had to do to get home.

Neo couldn't turn that down.

"Sure you're not just gonna stab us in the back the second it looks like it might not go our way?" He grunted, shambling back in. "Oh right, nothing to say. I guess just do somethin' sassy and keep standing there then. Your fashion sense is still all kindsa crappy, by the by. The bowler? Doesn't work."

The Qrow who reentered the room was notably more surly than the one who exited, and apparently had no designs on letting Neo forget almost murdering his own flesh and blood, almost murdering him at Haven or generally just being a piece of crap any time soon. It wasn't like someone who could put that kind of a beating on Yang wasn't extraordinarily useful, though, and they weren't exactly in a position to be picky. He trudged past her without further comment, pivoting when he reached the fore of the room and withdrawing his hands from his pockets as he breathed a terse sigh.

"Okay. So we got our volunteers. And if nobody has any suggestions, then all that's left is figuring out who's got a date with Oz and who's gonna portal to Yang as part of the diversion team. Honestly, I couldn't tell ya which is gonna be more dangerous; so if anyone has a preference feel free to shout it out."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The Qrow who reentered the room was notably more surly than the one who exited, and apparently had no designs on letting Neo forget almost murdering his own flesh and blood, almost murdering him at Haven or generally just being a piece of crap any time soon. It wasn't like someone who could put that kind of a beating on Yang wasn't extraordinarily useful, though, and they weren't exactly in a position to be picky. He trudged past her without further comment, pivoting when he reached the fore of the room and withdrawing his hands from his pockets as he breathed a terse sigh.

Neither Raven missed that his mood had soured in his brief absence, and neither could really blame him for that. One because she was well aware how far her brother had fallen, and the other just as aware that she herself was not so different than that constantly drunk mess. Yet neither broached the subject, for one really didn't want to talk about him, and while the other did, she recognized that this was not the place and time. And certainly not the group to do so in front of.

Perhaps if they were alone later.​

"Okay. So we got our volunteers. And if nobody has any suggestions, then all that's left is figuring out who's got a date with Oz and who's gonna portal to Yang as part of the diversion team. Honestly, I couldn't tell ya which is gonna be more dangerous; so if anyone has a preference feel free to shout it out."

Nora wasn't overly pleased that Neo also volunteered, if the frown and distrustful sidelong look was any indication. The woman had been the most direct part in getting Winter killed and so far the only punishment seemed to be a slap on the wrist, if anything. But she didn't say a word about it. This was not the time to fight and argue among themselves anyways. If Neopolitan wanted to help, by all means but that didn't mean Nora wouldn't keep an eye out around her. She pulled her gaze back towards Qrow. "Consider me on Yang duty! I mean, come on. Nobody can throw a diversion like I can!" Nora grinned, thumbing at herself. "Besides, you need someone strong enough to hold her back. I'm your girl."

Ruby stifled a chuckle though she didn't say anything, She already knew where she was meant to be in this plan, the only question was who would be joining on the direct strike on the prime target. Vernal, on the other hand, did speak up. She coughed, drawing attention. "Hold up. There is something I want to know. Set somethin' straight about this plan. When you all hop through one portal or another, you intend to keep them open while you're there, yeah? If so, someone has to stay back to make sure nobody unwanted comes through to this side, right? That can be me." She offered. Really wasn't keen on jumping into grimm HQ and seeing whatever horrendous monsters could be lurking there. The stuff of nightmares.

A few moments after that was about when the one conspicuously absent member of their group stepped into the room quietly, at first seemingly trying to sneak through and avoid running into the owner and any ire the man may have had for her after that scene earlier. But that attempt was disrupted when she noticed the room was filled up with...like everybody. Cinder blinked several times in confusion before she stood up straighter, her new gray longcoat falling further over the likewise new black pants. Gone were her purple leggings and the red vest trimmed with gold. The only gold now could be found were on the tips of her black boots, the bands on her wrists, and the buckles of her belts. More than that, her hair was now significantly more spiky than it had been, particularly at the back. Not bad hair gel. Not that she was at great risk of being mistaken for her evil self before but now...well she stood out further and that was what she wanted.

Still, the most striking thing about her at the moment was not the new look but rather it was the plain confusion on her face. "Um..." She started, scratching at the back of her neck awkwardly. Nobody had said anything about a group meeting... "Hey, listen, if this is about the damage to the place, I didn't mean....like....well I can pay it back! Promise!"​