Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MidwayLives]

She didn't.

Ugh.

Why were they always stuck with the difficult ones?

The guard's shoulders slumped and their exposed mouth shifted to one borne of exasperation.

...But it seemed that despite Nora's clear resistance to the idea, the guard wasn't faltering.



As the guard approached, Yang could have sworn she'd seen the corner of the guard's mouth twist up into...amused smirk.

​

 

[MidwayLives]

Ruby recognized the sleek metallic corridors instantly. Jabberwock's underground bunker, the site of the bloodbath that had occurred just a short time ago yet somehow felt like years. An even worse feeling of familiarity settled over her stomach as a woman with blonde locks and red eyes came strolling around the corner, nonchalantly dragging her better-natured counterpart by her hair, and as she saw Yang stop in her tracks at the sight of Ruby's own figure appearing at the opposite end of the hallway she realized she was watching the scene that had played out between the two of them that night, minus audio.

Ruby's eyes widened as the visuals played out before her.

It all seemed so clear.

Just as it had been that day.

"I...I..."
​

Weiss stayed quiet until the recording ended, tapping her finger impatiently against the desk. All the while, she never took her eyes off the Masque's.

There was something colder about them than usual.

"You entered that unsightly tournament acting in my interests. Had you taken action at this point, your sister—The one you purport to be so fond of—could've been spared a great deal of humiliation and suffering. Instead, you did nothing. I want you to explain to me why."

She leaned forward, and Ruby felt the temperature in the room drop at the same time something flickered in Weiss's eyes.

Peeking out from behind her, Ruby felt as though freezing fingertips were resting atop her shoulders.

"Gee, we're in a bit of a bind, huh? Can't exactly tell her why we really left that day?"

The perceived grip grew tighter.

"Can we, Ruby?"

Ruby's bottom lip quivered. She never told anyone-be it Ozpin or even her parents how she'd felt about Yang. Her father would have been disgusted but...

Her mother...?

Ruby's lip continued to quiver.
​

She leaned forward, and Ruby felt the temperature in the room drop at the same time something flickered in Weiss's eyes.

"And then I want you to tell me EXACTLY what the two of you said to each other."

Ruby bit her lip.

"I can't lie to her."

"...What?? If you tell her that-tell her the truth-She'll-"

Ruby waved her hand and the feeling faded from her shoulders.

Back in 'reality', Ruby nodded her head.

"....She wanted to brag to me about how much better off she was now. That...me ruining her life growing up was for the better. Now that she got that strange new arm from Ozpin, she'as as happy as can be." Ruby murmured, the guilt flowing from her word like smoke. "She told me to crawl off and hide and she wouldn't tell Ozpin on me. I couldn't bare the sight of her: a product of my abuse."

Ruby couldn't meet Weiss's gaze.

"I told her I wasn't going back. I was done with him."

She looked at the screen showing her disappearing and her rose petals falling.

"...That I was done with her." ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

As the guard approached, Yang could have sworn she'd seen the corner of the guard's mouth twist up into...amused smirk.
​

She just seemed to ignore him entirely.​

 

[MidwayLives]

She just seemed to ignore him entirely.

The guard shrugged their shoulders as if to say 'oh, okay.'

Moving as though they were simply going to walk past Nora...

The grin grew wider and a hand lashed out to grab Nora by the hair and pull her head back.

*thud thud thud*

Was the sound the head made when it was introduced to the wall
​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"What is... happening?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The guard shrugged their shoulders as if to say 'oh, okay.'

Moving as though they were simply going to walk past Nora...

The grin grew wider and a hand lashed out to grab Nora by the hair and pull her head back.

*thud thud thud*

Was the sound the head made when it was introduced to the wall
​

But as it turns out, despite her apparent disinterest in the guy, she was actually paying attention. Sure, she might seem like it sometimes, but she was not truly an idiot. Especially not with him walking close by. That act focused her attention towards him. At least, just enough so that when his hand shot out to try and grab her, he caught nothing but air. The tiny huntress had been swift enough to deftly avoid that grab, now standing about a foot away from the now empty space where she'd been. Her eyes narrowed in frustrated anger, harshly glaring up at the armored guard without a single fuck given for the massive height difference. In the blink of an eye, she turned it around on the guy, ending up shoving him into the wall. Lightly. She was not so foolish as to try provoking an actual fight or anything like that.

But neither would she just let herself get walked over like a doormat.

"Seriously, dude?!? You try to, what, grab me and arrest me? For what?? Wanting to talk to a friend? Is that all of a sudden a crime now??? DO. YOU. EVEN. KNOW. HOW. THE. LAST. FEW. DAYS. OR. SO. HAVE. BEEN. FOR ME?!?" Her voice gradually rose from a harsh but fairly normal volume until her vexed yells sounded like thunder personified. "No? That's fine, I'll freaking tell you!" Nora cleared her throat.

"First, there was the underground tourney I got involved with. One of the first people I ran into when that thing started, was some scary faunus guy with the most hateful eyes you can imagine. I tried talking to him some but that only seemed to make him even more pissed off. So much so that he came after me with 110% focus, no holds barred trying to kill me just for those few words I shared with him. Then somebody who looks exactly like...like a friend I used to have...she came to my aid, but the CATCH IS THAT IN THIS MESSED UP PLACE, SHE FIGHTS FOR THE OPPOSITE TEAM! Do you know how much that sucks to deal with?! To see the face of a friend and have to deal with the soul-crushing realization that you'll probably come to blows sooner or later?? DO YOU??? Not only that, while I'm with this ghost of a not friend, I get blitzed before I even know an attack is coming. The arm of a FUCKING GRIMM slams into me like it was shot out of a cannon, slams me through like seven walls and leaves me groaning in a crater, feeling like I just got hit by a train!" Nora shook her head, grumbling something under her breath before she continued on.

"Then, after that, I have to sit through one of your boss lady's insufferable lectures...oh, and later after that...hmm, what happened...? Oh, that's right! I got caught in a big explosion! Not to the extent of some-" She glanced in concern over in the direction of Yang's cell. "-but enough to feel it. I rush over to check it out and find one of my friends in a really bad condition. After that, despite the rough feelings I got about her, I offer to help Weiss in taking down those responsible, and I live up to my word! I went up against like the biggest woman I've ever seen. She hit me so hard the first time I was almost instantly knocked out. It took some help to get me back on my feet for round two...and what a round two it was! I actually had lightning dust jabbed into my arms! Do you have ANY IDEA how much it hurts to have the stuff we use to power our machines STABBED into your arms?" She leaned in closer to where she had the man pinned against the wall and whispered. "It hurts. A lot." She winced at the mere memory of it.

"So yeah, we're going at it. Blow for blow, punch for pick, kick for kick. I actually lost some teeth there, y'know? Course, I live up to my word, like I said. The big tiger goes down right before I do, and you have me to thank for that! And what do I get for all of that? What gracious response comes my way? Sure, I come to in a medical wing with my wounds being treated, but you know what else? My weapon gets stolen away! The one thing more mine than almost anything else in this world! A reflection of who I am, and..." Her mind flashed back to the wooden toy hammer that Ren had given to her on the night they first met. The inspiration for everything that Magnhild became, though she neglected to mention any of that, instead only shaking her head. "Not only that, but you, random nameless guard guy, try to assault me?? Is that what passes for a thank you up here in Atlas? You try to grab me by the hair and do who knows what, and for what? THE CRIME OF WANTING TO TALK WITH MY FRIEND AND CHECK UP ON HER AFTER SHE GOT CAUGHT IN THAT MASSIVE EXPLOSION FROM BEFORE???"

"How would you feel if you were in that situation, huh? If, after everything you'd gone through, somebody said you were not allowed to see a friend and tried to assault you, for daring to care?!?" Her aqua eyes narrowed to slits and she exhaled, stepping away and letting go of the man, freeing him to do whatever he wished.

"Is it really too much to ask, after all I've gone through, all I've endured, all I've helped you guys with, that I just have a little more time here?" ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Ruby's eyes widened as the visuals played out before her.

It all seemed so clear.

Just as it had been that day.

"I...I..."


Peeking out from behind her, Ruby felt as though freezing fingertips were resting atop her shoulders.

"Gee, we're in a bit of a bind, huh? Can't exactly tell her why we really left that day?"

The perceived grip grew tighter.

"Can we, Ruby?"

Ruby's bottom lip quivered. She never told anyone-be it Ozpin or even her parents how she'd felt about Yang. Her father would have been disgusted but...

Her mother...?

Ruby's lip continued to quiver.


Ruby bit her lip.

"I can't lie to her."

"...What?? If you tell her that-tell her the truth-She'll-"

Ruby waved her hand and the feeling faded from her shoulders.

Back in 'reality', Ruby nodded her head.

"....She wanted to brag to me about how much better off she was now. That...me ruining her life growing up was for the better. Now that she got that strange new arm from Ozpin, she'as as happy as can be." Ruby murmured, the guilt flowing from her word like smoke. "She told me to crawl off and hide and she wouldn't tell Ozpin on me. I couldn't bare the sight of her: a product of my abuse."

Ruby couldn't meet Weiss's gaze.

"I told her I wasn't going back. I was done with him."

She looked at the screen showing her disappearing and her rose petals falling.

"...That I was done with her." ​

"That's half an answer. And barely."

If Ruby was expecting Weiss to meet her shamed contriteness with cold, unwavering impassivity, she was right. The councilwoman's expression didn't flicker, didn't shift, didn't budge, save for the imperceptible frown tugging on her lips and the faintly dubious arch to one eyebrow. She did not look satisfied.

Sighing, she let her gaze fall and started massaging her temples. The stress headaches had been taking more and more of a toll lately.

"How am I supposed to take this, Ruby? What am I supposed to do? You claim to care about Yang, yet you allowed her to suffer. You claim to care about me, yet in the first engagement I ask for your assistance with you snap and regress into some sort of feral mongoose. Do you have any idea how much that undermines me? My goals, my cause? And you allowed yourself to do that in front of them? Those people?"

Her glare harshened as her tone soured.

"Those people are already looking for every excuse they can to justify their stupid crusade against me. They'll take whatever ammunition they can get, and you handed them a whole shipment's worth. I don't have any quandaries about treating my enemies with as much ruthlessness and severity as they dispense to others, but that violence is controlled. I do not expect anyone claiming to believe in my vision to mistake that for base savagery, and I do NOT work with animals. Which leads me back to my first point. You claim to care about me, Ruby. But you don't. You care about yourself. You just want me. And do you want to know the truth?"

She stood up abruptly and paced to the window, striking up a cigarette and gazing out dispassionately over the city skyline.

"You don't deserve me. You don't even come close. So you tell me, Ruby. And I expect a complete answer."

By now the temperature in the room had dropped so low it felt like Ruby's lungs were crystallizing with each breath, air emerging as mist.



"What exactly do you think you do deserve?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Is it really too much to ask, after all I've gone through, all I've endured, all I've helped you guys with, that I just have a little more time here?"

The guard stepped back...

Clearly affected by Nora's impassioned rant.

Placing a hand to his chest, the guard sniffled.

...Before moving to wrench Nora's arm behind her back and slam her against the wall. The grin having turned into a full on smile.

Leaning in his face was close to Nora's, the visor was flicked up casually. A finger was held to the guard's lips

'Shh'

The eyes that met Nora's were a familiar color.

Pink and brown~​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The guard stepped back...

Clearly affected by Nora's impassioned rant.

Placing a hand to his chest, the guard sniffled.

...Before moving to wrench Nora's arm behind her back and slam her against the wall. The grin having turned into a full on smile.

Leaning in his face was close to Nora's, the visor was flicked up casually. A finger was held to the guard's lips

'Shh'

The eyes that met Nora's were a familiar color.

Pink and brown~​

Spoiler: Ohp

Ohhhhhh....this isn't good.

Nora blinked. What do. ".......Hi?" She remarked.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"..."

Winter had set a new personal best in perplexity by the time she tore her eyes off the abrupt melee, marching to the corner of the cell farthest from the block entrance and craning her neck while leaning up against the hardlight field with as much force as possible without activating the failsafes. What she managed to glimpse through the entrance to the cell block had her eyes narrow sharply, before she curtly waved Yang back from the forcefield and took an unyielding stance in the center of the room regardless of compliance.



"Get back against the wall. It's not one of ours."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Nora blinked. What do. ".......Hi?" She remarked.

Neo smiled.

Giving Nora's arm another good twist, she stepped back and the 'guard' disappeared with a resounding shatter.

Taking a graceful bow before the bruiser, Neo tapped her chin in thought before holding out a hand to try and dissuade any retaliation on Nora's part.

Then in Neo's other hand, an illusion of what she'd been here to get appeared.

Pointing to herself and then to Nora, she gestured to the relic shortly thereafter.

She hoped her intentions had been clear enough for the simpleton: find this thing....and work together if need be.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"You don't deserve me. You don't even come close. So you tell me, Ruby. And I expect a complete answer."

By now the temperature in the room had dropped so low it felt like Ruby's lungs were crystallizing with each breath, air emerging as mist.

"What exactly do you think you deserve?"

"..."

Repapering out of thin air as it were, the Ruby that had been done away with sneered. Leaning against Weiss's desk, she couldn't help but shake her head mockingly. "Guess it's down to the wire, huh? No more dancing around it. You said you wanted to tell the truth and you couldn't go through with it. Can't say I blame you! Who'd wanna know that's how you feel about your own flesh and blood? Eugh! I mean, well, I don't have an issue with it but sensible people-heh, y'know- sane folks-they tend to look down upon those types of feelings in general society."

*clap*

"BUT! Butbutbut, I think there's hope for us, yet! I know you hate me, us, we, whatever. That's fine! Cast me off into a dark corner of your deeply disturbed mind! Pretend like I don't exist! That you were never just a wild child living off whatever you could kill in the woods! Like some kinda murder-hobo! That's all well and good!" The two Rubys leaned in dangerously close. "But...just know this, Ruby."

"The past never dies."

Ruby cleared her throat and exhaled with a sigh.

"...Ever since the fight with Blake, hell, even a bit before that, there's always been this nagging feeling before me. That dressing myself up and acting like I belong in the inner circle of some Atlesian socialite...sounds inconceivable when I put it like that. Well, that part of me has never felt like I belonged here....or with Ozpin. It desired a return back to where I'd been before I'd even met him. No better than a drifter wandering around causing trouble on a whim and taking delight in it or savagely going after anyone I'd perceived to have wronged me. That part of me certainly never thought I'd be caught dead wearing a nice suit and fighting on your orders because I believed it was the right thing to do."

Ruby paused for a second or two.

"Fighting without savagery, without intending to maim or mutilate and delight in it....The idea felt alien to me. In a way it still kinda does. I'm afraid of the power you wield, Weiss. There's not a question that if there's anyone in this world who can stop Ozpin, it's you. I want to be on your side. To see what kind of world will be here once the dust settles. To see if there can possibly be a life where I can divide the half of me that wants to roam the land and be wild with the one that wants to just be happy and do the right thing." Ruby sighed again. "I...Keep seeing this other me. Not the actual doppleganger. Just this twisted version of me from when I first left the bandits. It's been badgering me at every opportunity it gets. Telling me what's right and what's wrong. It's why I keep spacing out. Whether there's something more to it or I'm just losing whatever little stability I have, I can't say for sure. But I compare it to looking in a mirror and Weiss?"

Ruby laughed but it was a more melancholy one than one borne of any kind of joy.

"I don't like what I see."

Leaning forward and pressing her palms atop Weiss's desk, Ruby grimaced.

"....So what do I deserve? ....I honestly don't know. I'm fighting with myself to even find the answer. But...I know this much. Whether it's a hallucination born of my psychosis or whatever, I want to show it that it's wrong. That I'll live a life worth something and not just die in a creek surrounded by nothing but the towering trees and the falling leaves....and a life fully wasted indulging in my desires." ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Neo smiled.

Giving Nora's arm another good twist, she stepped back and the 'guard' disappeared with a resounding shatter.

Taking a graceful bow before the bruiser, Neo tapped her chin in thought before holding out a hand to try and dissuade any retaliation on Nora's part.

Then in Neo's other hand, an illusion of what she'd been here to get appeared.

Pointing to herself and then to Nora, she gestured to the relic shortly thereafter.

She hoped her intentions had been clear enough for the simpleton: find this thing....and work together if need be.​

Nora grumbled in equal parts annoyance and pain after that twist: "Was that really necessary?" She brushed it off and didn't wait for any answer as she began massaging that arm a little as she stared at Neo. A look that shifted from a glare to one of surprise. She glanced around and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You want to get...that? Why would you...no, no why would you want to work with me to get it?" Nora paused for a moment. "Why would you even need me to help, you apparently snuck in here all on your own..." Not to mention that Nora currently wasn't in the strongest condition and was unarmed. An uncertain look spread across the ginger's face, though whether that was about her question or the possibility that she was actually considering this, was unknown.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Leaning forward and pressing her palms atop Weiss's desk, Ruby grimaced.

"....So what do I deserve? ....I honestly don't know. I'm fighting with myself to even find the answer. But...I know this much. Whether it's a hallucination born of my psychosis or whatever, I want to show it that it's wrong. That I'll live a life worth something and not just die in a creek surrounded by nothing but the towering trees and the falling leaves....and a life fully wasted indulging in my desires."

"Well, that's poetic. Maybe you can be an artist." Weiss returned flatly, having settled back in her chair by the time Ruby was through with eyes inscrutable as they probed the other woman dissectingly. "A little self-indulgent, that being said. So probably not a good one."

Her elbows were stacked on the table in front of her, and the disconcerting bite had left her tone as the sincerity of Ruby's words became obvious. She sighed. Well, it wasn't like she couldn't say deranged ramblings were anything other than sincerely, authentically Ruby.

The sigh became a huff, laced with a twinge of pain as she took to kneading her temples in circles again. As many steps as she took to hide it, there came a point where skin peels, seaweed masks and a good foundation couldn't hide it: Weiss was exhausted. She hadn't had a chance to sleep since barely managing to catch ten minutes before the explosion- Or wait, was it the explosion or the fight club arrests? When was the last time she slept?

Anyone to have run up against the councilwoman knew full well how much she spoke of who she was, of what she was. In that moment, run ragged, sitting across from a woman whose mind was clearly a deeper enigma to her than she thought, listening to her wax poetic on all sorts of pseudo-philosophical ramblings she lacked the perspective to understand, she was more keenly aware of what she wasn't. She wasn't a psychologist. Wasn't a goddess or a general.

She was tired.



"Look. I know this may sound rich coming from me, but I just need you to be honest with me, Ruby. I just need to... to..."

The next word out of her mouth was supposed to be 'think', but the fact that it went unfinished save for a gradual loosening of her shoulders, slowing of her breathing and the occasional ladylike snore poking through from her sinuses ended up leaving Ruby with a different impression.

What harm could fifteen minutes do?​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Nora grumbled in equal parts annoyance and pain after that twist: "Was that really necessary?" She brushed it off and didn't wait for any answer as she began massaging that arm a little as she stared at Neo. A look that shifted from a glare to one of surprise. She glanced around and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You want to get...that? Why would you...no, no why would you want to work with me to get it?" Nora paused for a moment. "Why would you even need me to help, you apparently snuck in here all on your own..." Not to mention that Nora currently wasn't in the strongest condition and was unarmed. An uncertain look spread across the ginger's face, though whether that was about her question or the possibility that she was actually considering this, was unknown.​

There was a lot of things wrong with the last few hours, and at the bottom of that list right now was the fact that she almost died to a suicide bombing. Seeing Blake in the state she was in was the stuff of nightmares. Actual, literal nightmares she'd had; when she was at her lowest and didn't just dream about losing fights to adam, but what might happen if she won. Seeing Blake and Weiss together like that, a few mere shots of words back and forth poisoning the air with a hatred more rancid and potent than any she'd ever seen before, that was a scene that her nightmares hadn't even contemplated yet.

None of which even touched on the fact that yes, she had seen Weiss' eyes, and had spent the last few hours of recovery stewing on what the hell that even meant, along with why she was even in this stupid jail cell along with Weiss' stupid stuck up grudge holding sister.

But she couldn't even try to worry about that now, because she was here. She'd rolled her eyes and gently pushed past Winter's weirdly late flourishing protective older sibling activation when she'd heard the violence and Nora's ensuing rant from outside the cell, and almost lost her eyes out of her head with how wide they shot at the sight of Neopolitan

Bruh.

"Hey, hey hey! Hi Nora, great to see, glad you care (;~; ), I'm fine-" physically anyways "-BUT why exactly would you wanna do anything ice cream sundance horror awards asks??? Why are you even here???"

 

[Gus Gungus]

"GUARDS!!!!"​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Look. I know this may sound rich coming from me, but I just need you to be honest with me, Ruby. I just need to... to..."

The next word out of her mouth was supposed to be 'think', but the fact that it went unfinished save for a gradual loosening of her shoulders, slowing of her breathing and the occasional ladylike snore poking through from her sinuses ended up leaving Ruby with a different impression.

What harm could fifteen minutes do?

"I AM being honest with you! I just don't know-"

Ruby blinked.

"....She looks so pleasant when she sleeps." Ruby murmured before looking around.

She didn't really have anywhere to be...

Laying her arms on Weiss's desk, Ruby laid her dead down and closed her eyes.

Maybe now that she'd gotten some things off her chest, she could....rest...a little....

"...zzz..."

easier.

 

[Gus Gungus]

"I AM being honest with you! I just don't know-"

Ruby blinked.

"....She looks so pleasant when she sleeps." Ruby murmured before looking around.

She didn't really have anywhere to be...

Laying her arms on Weiss's desk, Ruby laid her dead down and closed her eyes.

Maybe now that she'd gotten some things off her chest, she could....rest...a little....

"...zzz..."

easier.

Then, because this was a VIP office and visiting hours were over, an actual real guard brought her out.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Nora grumbled in equal parts annoyance and pain after that twist: "Was that really necessary?"

Neo nodded.
​

She glanced around and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You want to get...that? Why would you...no, no why would you want to work with me to get it?" Nora paused for a moment.

Neo rolled her eyes and the illusion disappeared. Hadn't it been clear enough? She was here, she wanted the relic, time to go get it.

As for the question of working with the enemy? Neo slipped an arm around Nora's waist and grinned.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend! Or something along those lines. Besides, having more than one person helping her made it easier for Neo to write them off/throw them to the figurative wolves if things ever got dicey. Fighting a maiden had been something Neo had done. Winning a fight with one? Not so much in that case. Better to invite the muscle along-dim witted as they may be-to take the blows so she didn't have to. On top of that...

The smallest illusion of a question mark appeared above Neo's head. Indicating that she hadn't surveyed the place enough to have the best guess as to where Schnee was holding it. Given that these people had been here long enough to wander down to visit the prisoners/get arrested in the first place, they might have had a better idea than her. Tapping Nora on the forehead, Neo stepped back and smiled before holding a hand out.
​

Bruh.

"Hey, hey hey! Hi Nora, great to see, glad you care (;~; ), I'm fine-" p

Ugh.

Neo rolled her eyes so hard that she was sure if she did it any harder? They were liable to roll the way to Vacuo.

She didn't miss hearing that voice. Least of all after...what she and the other Neo had been through.
​

"-BUT why exactly would you wanna do anything ice cream sundance horror awards asks??? Why are you even here???"

Neo feigned mock hurt at the nickname.

Reaching up to pat Nora on the head, Neo made her way over to Yang's cell, keeping a fair enough distance from the hardlight wall.

Seeing that face gave Neo ideas.

Mostly on how she'd like to put the one who'd killed this world's Roman through as many torture methods as possible.

Buuuut, she was neither here nor there and they didn't have the time.

Neo crafted a small illusion of the relic which appeared as a keychain on the loop of her pants. Gesturing to it and then to Nora, Neo finally pointed at Yang herself.

If either girl looked close enough at the keychain, they'd see the words 'HOME?' on it.
​

"GUARDS!!!!"

Neo didn't exactly have any qualms about murdering the guards here.

Hell, it was up in the air as to what she'd done to the guard she'd been impersonating.

Though the blood on the tip of Hush might have been a clue.

But kill too many and you'd end up stuck wasting time with them and if Schnee herself showed up....

Neo grimaced.

Neo pointed to the hardlight wall and then to Yang.

Was she gonna suck it up and work with her?? Or stay in that cell??​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Hey, hey hey! Hi Nora, great to see, glad you care (;~; ), I'm fine-" physically anyways "-BUT why exactly would you wanna do anything ice cream sundance horror awards asks??? Why are you even here???"

"You know, the first option of fighting? Don't think that would go well for me. A lot still aches, aura's not back to 100% and I have no weapon!" She reported cheerfully and opened and closed her empty hands several times to further emphasize that statement. "Somehow, that doesn't add up to going good for me. On the plus side, glad to see you doing better as well!" Nora gave a brief ear-to-ear grin before she re-focused on the matter at hand. Or more specifically, the person.​

As for the question of working with the enemy? Neo slipped an arm around Nora's waist and grinned.

Hurt and unarmed or not, that wouldn't stand. The arm instantly got wrenched off and thrown to the side, the ginger frowning angrily at the even smaller girl. "Don't do that." ​

Reaching up to pat Nora on the head, Neo made her way over to Yang's cell, keeping a fair enough distance from the hardlight wall.

She intercepted the pat, grabbing Neo by the wrist and again throwing the arm to the side. "Or that!" Nora glared for a few more moments before her eyes relaxed some. "And more importantly, to answer your question Yang..."​

Neo crafted a small illusion of the relic which appeared as a keychain on the loop of her pants. Gesturing to it and then to Nora, Neo finally pointed at Yang herself.

If either girl looked close enough at the keychain, they'd see the words 'HOME?' on it.

"...Yeah. That's what I thought. I haven't met the you that's from here, if there is one, but I kinda figured you're the one from back home. Dunnooooooooooo what exactly would make me reach that conclusion." Nora remarked, her tone making it very obvious she did know exactly what did and she was just being sarcastic. "Bad guy or not, we...we all want to get home, right? From what I've been told, we need all the relics for that, yeah? I...it might be smart to...to at least try. At least with the lamp. I have no clue if Weiss would give them up, no matter what she says." She pointed out, though the way she bit her lip indicated that she was not certain in the least.

If Ren were here...she felt he'd know the right thing to do here. Admittedly, she herself felt a little, okay a lot annoyed at Weiss right now and that might have been warping her perspective some. Everything she had just done to help and the real ice queen still had her weapon taken away. So much for gratitude!!!​

View attachment 810296

"GUARDS!!!!"​

Neo pointed to the hardlight wall and then to Yang.

Was she gonna suck it up and work with her?? Or stay in that cell??

Nothing here was ideal, at any rate.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

It wasn't quite as loud, but somehow there was even more forcefulness to the tone Winter outright barked at Nora through the hardlight field as she showed far less courtesy in jostling Yang out of the way than she'd been spared and marched over to affix the only huntress present she trusted to have any sort of tactical sense with a sharp, stern glare.

It was almost enough to mask the edge of desperation it carried.

"My sister may be woefully misguided, but she's balancing on a house of cards! The relics are the only pieces of actual leverage she holds over Ozpin! Internal saboteurs making desperation plays are not what the situation needs, they're only going to get her hurt!"

She leaned forward with urgency, again addressing Nora alone and dropping the pitch of her voice as if it made a difference in regards to whether the others could hear.

"Listen to me. These cells are housing high-priority prisoners. This... woman accosting you is a known Ozpin affiliate! You need to sound the alarm and trust in general Ironwood to help us when the time's right!"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Her gaze softened even further as turquoise eyes met icy blue ones in that moment, and she understood. Understood that Winter's words resonated with emotional concern just as much they did with cold logic, if not more so. Even if she was terribly misguided, the two were still sisters. That much Nora could sympathize with. The war was coming, and without every advantage she could get, it...there was a good chance she wouldn't be around when the dust settled. Right or wrong, hypocritical and bitchy and cold as she had been...she still wanted to fight for the greater good of the people or at the very least, put up a show of it. If the Ozpin here was every bit the dark reflection of the monstrous Salem she knew, none of those innocent lives mattered even the slightest amount to him. Nora's sad, wide eyes narrowed at the revelation that this Neo had worked with that Ozpin. With all of her attention on Yang at the moment, that stare went unnoticed by the ice cream killer, as did the swift glance back towards Winter and the slight nod that accompanied it.

Putting all her trust in General Ironwood, that...wasn't something she could see herself doing back home. Not with the state of things in Atlas, there. The way they looked down on the people below. But here? With how different Ozpin is, Weiss is, Pyrrha is, Yang is, Ruby is.....how different the version of herself here had been, maybe it was true with Ironwood too. Even if it was not, better than working with somebody she now knew had worked with that dark grimm lord. Somebody that had worked with Cinder and the White Fang back home. Someone that was probably scheming against them even now. Even if it did end up getting them one step closer to home, it wouldn't be worth it. Nora just needed the little extra push from Winter to reach that conclusion.

The issue with the relics would just have to be dealt with at a later time. With someone they could hopefully trust more.

"Hey-" She started, tapping on Neo's shoulder. "-if I'm going to be of any help to you, I need my weapon. Good thing, I know exactly where it is." She bluffed. "And you're the stealthy one. If I told you where it is, would you go and get for me? You'd probably be better at doing that than I would be, and all of the no offense, but I know I'd be better at convincing Yang than you would be. So...what do you say?"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Her gaze softened even further as turquoise eyes met icy blue ones in that moment, and she understood. Understood that Winter's words resonated with emotional concern just as much they did with cold logic, if not more so. Even if she was terribly misguided, the two were still sisters. That much Nora could sympathize with. The war was coming, and without every advantage she could get, it...there was a good chance she wouldn't be around when the dust settled. Right or wrong, hypocritical and bitchy and cold as she had been...she still wanted to fight for the greater good of the people or at the very least, put up a show of it. If the Ozpin here was every bit the dark reflection of the monstrous Salem she knew, none of those innocent lives mattered even the slightest amount to him. Nora's sad, wide eyes narrowed at the revelation that this Neo had worked with that Ozpin. With all of her attention on Yang at the moment, that stare went unnoticed by the ice cream killer, as did the swift glance back towards Winter and the slight nod that accompanied it.

Putting all her trust in General Ironwood, that...wasn't something she could see herself doing back home. Not with the state of things in Atlas, there. The way they looked down on the people below. But here? With how different Ozpin is, Weiss is, Pyrrha is, Yang is, Ruby is.....how different the version of herself here had been, maybe it was true with Ironwood too. Even if it was not, better than working with somebody she now knew had worked with that dark grimm lord. Somebody that had worked with Cinder and the White Fang back home. Someone that was probably scheming against them even now. Even if it did end up getting them one step closer to home, it wouldn't be worth it. Nora just needed the little extra push from Winter to reach that conclusion.

The issue with the relics would just have to be dealt with at a later time. With someone they could hopefully trust more.

"Hey-" She started, tapping on Neo's shoulder. "-if I'm going to be of any help to you, I need my weapon. Good thing, I know exactly where it is." She bluffed. "And you're the stealthy one. If I told you where it is, would you go and get for me? You'd probably be better at doing that than I would be, and all of the no offense, but I know I'd be better at convincing Yang than you would be. So...what do you say?"​

Yang's arms cartwheeled as she was unceremoniously shoved aside, and the moment she caught her balance she far less gently than last time gripped both of Winter's shoulders to wheel her towards the back of the cell and give her a shove "Can you even agree with me without being annoying about it???"

he turned and leaned against the hardlight barrier with her prosthetic, the energy sparking against it despite the casual bend of Yang's shoulders. "Nora. Hun. I love you, but what are you talking about? I don't understand why I'm in here and you guys are all out there, but I'm pretty sure most of us are still on the same, very confusing side, and MurderThot 5000 there still has blood on her umbrella from whatever she was doing before she got in here. Also, miss Shortypants, We're already trying to get home, and we already know how. Whether we take you with us or not depends on whether you-"

"I know where it is."

Yang blanched and pushed off the hardlight with a taut frown as she eyed Blake's cell. "...okay, there's no way that's true-"

"It is." Blake's eyes slowly rose from where she was slouched against the back wall, a dull glower that was no less potent than the anger that had been there minutes ago. "It is, and I want you all gone. That one-" she sneered at Neo "-betrayed us before we were even done in Mistral. If getting you the relics helps you home, I can get it for you."

"Why would you even-"

"Because I want you all gone!" Blake snarled back to Yang. "What, you think you're helping anyone here? Human or faunus? You've been put in jail by the woman who wants to replace Salem as humanity's shadow queen, Ozpin wants you dead, and you've been nothing but a thorn in the faunus' side since you got here. Even the maiden that was supposed to be loyal to your world's Salem betrayed Ozpin. So if getting you this relic gets you all gone, consider it my number two priority. And I'm not strong enough to kill my number one right now." She finished bitterly before she swiveled her gaze back to eyes back to Neo.

"So open this cell, and you get your lamp."

The flicker of hurt in Yang's eyes was quickly replaced by a frantic worry as she tried her best to peer at Neo from the angle they were at "Okay, wait, no, definitely do not do that! I know we're not friends short stuff, but I will be your friend if you just don't do that."

 

[Gus Gungus]

Yang's arms cartwheeled as she was unceremoniously shoved aside, and the moment she caught her balance she far less gently than last time gripped both of Winter's shoulders to wheel her towards the back of the cell and give her a shove "Can you even agree with me without being annoying about it???"

he turned and leaned against the hardlight barrier with her prosthetic, the energy sparking against it despite the casual bend of Yang's shoulders. "Nora. Hun. I love you, but what are you talking about? I don't understand why I'm in here and you guys are all out there, but I'm pretty sure most of us are still on the same, very confusing side, and MurderThot 5000 there still has blood on her umbrella from whatever she was doing before she got in here. Also, miss Shortypants, We're already trying to get home, and we already know how. Whether we take you with us or not depends on whether you-"

"I know where it is."

Yang blanched and pushed off the hardlight with a taut frown as she eyed Blake's cell. "...okay, there's no way that's true-"

"It is." Blake's eyes slowly rose from where she was slouched against the back wall, a dull glower that was no less potent than the anger that had been there minutes ago. "It is, and I want you all gone. That one-" she sneered at Neo "-betrayed us before we were even done in Mistral. If getting you the relics helps you home, I can get it for you."

"Why would you even-"

"Because I want you all gone!" Blake snarled back to Yang. "What, you think you're helping anyone here? Human or faunus? You've been put in jail by the woman who wants to replace Salem as humanity's shadow queen, Ozpin wants you dead, and you've been nothing but a thorn in the faunus' side since you got here. Even the maiden that was supposed to be loyal to your world's Salem betrayed Ozpin. So if getting you this relic gets you all gone, consider it my number two priority. And I'm not strong enough to kill my number one right now." She finished bitterly before she swiveled her gaze back to eyes back to Neo.

"So open this cell, and you get your lamp."

The flicker of hurt in Yang's eyes was quickly replaced by a frantic worry as she tried her best to peer at Neo from the angle they were at "Okay, wait, no, definitely do not do that! I know we're not friends short stuff, but I will be your friend if you just don't do that."

Winter's harsh, frozen glare was frozen in a more literal sense from the moment Blake opened her mouth, having whipped her gaze around from the quite frankly comical look of flabbergasted outrage she was affixing Yang with following her thuggish behavior that only grew more comical, flabbergasted and outraged the longer it went ignored.

Somehow, none of it was as potent as the disproportionately small raise of the eyebrows Blake's words garnered, disproportionate only because of the sheer amount of panic they conveyed.

The quickness with which she snapped out of it was just as disproportionate, and the grip Yang felt on her arm was pincer-like and unrelenting as she was dragged back to the same partition of the cell she attempted to exile Winter to.

"If you don't understand why we're in here then you have no business handling these negotiations." Unlike prior instances, the hiss she addressed the younger woman with carried no exasperation or disdain in its iciness. Just solemn gravity. "And I promise you, if you aggravate this woman into acting against our interests with your juvenile remarks then everything that follows will be on you."

Clearing her throat, she crossed the cell to stand before the forcefield again and stare at Neo with calm, if worried, eyes.

"Please. Whatever you're thinking, just listen to me, please. My sister is a great many things, but she's not an indiscriminate killer. She doesn't want you here any more than Ozpin does, and she's closer to assembling the full set of relics than he is. That woman-" Her eyes flickered to Blake's cell only fleetingly before returning. "-will say anything she thinks will get you to release her. And if you listen, then I swear to you no human in this building is safe."​

 

[MidwayLives]

he turned and leaned against the hardlight barrier with her prosthetic, the energy sparking against it despite the casual bend of Yang's shoulders. "Nora. Hun. I love you, but what are you talking about? I don't understand why I'm in here and you guys are all out there, but I'm pretty sure most of us are still on the same, very confusing side, and MurderThot 5000 there still has blood on her umbrella from whatever she was doing before she got in here. Also, miss Shortypants, We're already trying to get home, and we already know how. Whether we take you with us or not depends on whether you-"

Hurt and unarmed or not, that wouldn't stand. The arm instantly got wrenched off and thrown to the side, the ginger frowning angrily at the even smaller girl. "Don't do that."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Neo's face scrunched up more and more.

She opened her mouth and quickly closed it.

These people had no reason to trust her, understandably so, she'd been their enemy.
​

"My sister may be woefully misguided, but she's balancing on a house of cards! The relics are the only pieces of actual leverage she holds over Ozpin! Internal saboteurs making desperation plays are not what the situation needs, they're only going to get her hurt!"

Neo glared daggers at Winter through the hardlight barrier keeping the two separated.

Whatever was said, whatever they thought of her, what she thought of them.

Neo-quite frankly-didn't give a damn about what happened to Schnee or Ozpin. So long as certain people got what they had coming to them, Neo would be happy.

She'd been wrong to join Ozpin-though it wasn't as if she had much choice initially-and she'd always regret it took....him dying for her to see that.
​

"Hey-" She started, tapping on Neo's shoulder. "-if I'm going to be of any help to you, I need my weapon. Good thing, I know exactly where it is." She bluffed. "And you're the stealthy one. If I told you where it is, would you go and get for me? You'd probably be better at doing that than I would be, and all of the no offense, but I know I'd be better at convincing Yang than you would be. So...what do you say?"

Neo roughly pushed away Nora's hand from her.

Galivanting around for weaponry wasn't why she'd been poking around here. Or why she'd bothered trying to 'recruit' Blondie or any of her friends. They were useful for: figuring out where the relic was being held/being target practice for whenever Schnee inevitably found out there'd been a prison escape.

Neo shook her head.

No deal.
​

"I know where it is."

Yang blanched and pushed off the hardlight with a taut frown as she eyed Blake's cell. "...okay, there's no way that's true-"

"It is." Blake's eyes slowly rose from where she was slouched against the back wall, a dull glower that was no less potent than the anger that had been there minutes ago. "It is, and I want you all gone. That one-" she sneered at Neo "-betrayed us before we were even done in Mistral. If getting you the relics helps you home, I can get it for you."

Neo turned her head and scowled.

Sure, it was a betrayal but they'd earned it in the killer's eyes.

Looking briefly again at Yang, Neo tapped the hat sitting atop her head before pointing to Yang.

An illusion recreating this world's Roman's murder would have been child's play.

But Neo never wished to envision that again.

...Not until she was spilling the other blonde's entrails all over the floor.
​

"Because I want you all gone!" Blake snarled back to Yang. "What, you think you're helping anyone here? Human or faunus? You've been put in jail by the woman who wants to replace Salem as humanity's shadow queen, Ozpin wants you dead, and you've been nothing but a thorn in the faunus' side since you got here. Even the maiden that was supposed to be loyal to your world's Salem betrayed Ozpin. So if getting you this relic gets you all gone, consider it my number two priority. And I'm not strong enough to kill my number one right now." She finished bitterly before she swiveled her gaze back to eyes back to Neo.

"So open this cell, and you get your lamp."

The flicker of hurt in Yang's eyes was quickly replaced by a frantic worry as she tried her best to peer at Neo from the angle they were at "Okay, wait, no, definitely do not do that! I know we're not friends short stuff, but I will be your friend if you just don't do that."

Neo listened.

Then she simply...huffed.

If the initial response to Neo's appearance made anything clear it was this: Emerald and Neo were all that the other had in this world.

There was no lost love between Neo and the others here. Certainly not with this world's Schnee.

If the cat caused a ruckus that took the maiden's full attention then it'd make finding the relic that much easier.

Plus, truth be told, she kinda wanted to see what happened~
​

"Please. Whatever you're thinking, just listen to me. My sister is- she's made mistakes, but she's not an indiscriminate killer. She doesn't want you here either and she's closer to assembling the full set of relics than Ozpin is. That woman-" Her eyes flickered to Blake's cell only fleetingly before returning. "-will say anything she thinks will get you to release her. And if you do, then I swear to you no human in this building is safe."

Luckily for all involved, Winter's words reached Neo's ears before the faunus was released.

Neo turned her head and frowned.

She didn't give a damn if Belladonna slaughtered everyone here. From the state she appeared to be in, Neo didn't think she'd get that far regardless.

....But if Schnee caught her and realized she was the one who released Blake and her friends.

....

No way out of that didn't result in Neo's death.

Gulping down her pride, Neo looked at Yang with pleading eyes.

Neo could skirt around this place's defenses but that didn't mean a damn if she didn't know where she was going.

Neo pointed to the barrier keeping Yang and herself apart.

Yang could finally be free and all Neo would ask for in return was help.

A choice to be made soon given that Winter's screams likely hadn't fallen on deaf ears.​