Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

"...Sheesh, what a bum..."

Roman looked around and reached out to try and poke Bandit!Qrow with the end of Melodic Cudgel.

"Wonder if he'll think we're just some kinda drunken illusion..."

"...Huh?" Qrow stirred from his drunken rest after he got a few pokes from that cane, eyes groggily blinking a few times. "Wha--what is it?" He slurred with a raspy voice. Though to his credit, when he noticed the roughly dozen or so people creepily crowding around his cot, he took it pretty nonchalantly. No jumping out of bed, no freaking out, just his eyes widening ever so slightly. He only recognized like, 25% of these people. "...Did somebody spike my drink?"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Yang had taken in the sight of her not-uncle sprawled across the cot, and couldn't help but almost feel relieved. Sure, this Qrow was the one who decided he'd had enough of the fight against sal-err, ozpin and gone back to the siblings' tribe, but while thankfully a sight they didn't have to see very much anymore, an uncle Qrow that had gotten absolutely sloshed and passed out was something she'd gotten very used to over the years. Which, hopefully, meant she could handle this one.

Granted, she wasn't ever really sure she handled her uncle all that well, but she was young then : |

"...Huh?" Qrow stirred from his drunken rest after he got a few pokes from that cane, eyes groggily blinking a few times. "Wha--what is it?" He slurred with a raspy voice. Though to his credit, when he noticed the roughly dozen or so people creepily crowding around his cot, he took it pretty nonchalantly. No jumping out of bed, no freaking out, just his eyes widening ever so slightly. He only recognized like, 25% of these people. "...Did somebody spike my drink?"​

Yang put on her game-face with a smirk as she leaned down into her not Uncle's space and slung an arm around his shoulder, blocking as many other people in the tent from his sight and trying to get him to focus on her as she talked.

"It was me, I spiked it, happy uncle's day. So, love these family chats and all, but I need a quick word with Vernal, she around? If she is I can let you get back to your uh, nap or whatever."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

By this time, Jaune had confirmed it. A hand that had just been severed could indeed be reattached if he was quick enough to hold it against the arm and using his semblance to greatly amp up the target's aura and subsequently, their healing. It would never feel quite the same, and Ilia would always be able to tell that said hand had been cut off without even a bit of hesitation from this Blake, judging from the dark scarred line that ran between her hand and her arm. After a while, the chameleon herself came to, eyes sliding open to reveal the sight the blond guy kneeling beside her. A few seconds passed before he stood up and backed away, the strange feeling of being stronger fading away now that he wasn't in range of her.

She sat up, the fresh memory of her getting her damn hand sliced off still very much present in her thoughts. That had definitely happened, judging from the ragged line that ran across one of her cuffed hands...but the pain was just a phantom feeling. The physical pain, anyway. The pain had been bad but the thing that had hit her far worse...was that it had been Blake who did it. Ilia glanced around in confusion before her eyes settled on the monstrous looking Ozpin. "Wh--why?" She asked weakly.

"A test of loyalty, child. Resolve. It was not intended as a permanent maiming. If you are to be of any use to us, it would be best for you to be whole, at your best. But make no mistake...this was not an act of mercy. If you turn out to not be of any true value...Miss Belladonna will kill you. Isn't that right, Blake?" He turned to face the cat faunus expectantly, but whatever she said in affirmative reply, he added quickly: "Come and get your companion, then. You all know what you have to do." ​

"I stand by my word."

Blake had quietly disappeared after their tasks were assigned and they were dismissed, letting Jaune do his work. She was coming back in just as Ozpin turned to address her, as she finished wrapping a ribbon around her arm, Gambol shroud retrieved from where it had been stored on the ship along with her mask. Whatever expression her face had when she turned to Ilia was hidden behind the red and white swirls upon it.

"Hopefully she understands that as well."

She strode over to Ilia and hoisted her to her feet by her elbow, before she turned and walked back to the door she'd come in as she glanced to Ozpin. "I will return to High Leader Sienna and see what forces we can muster, and turn this Ilia over to her. We'll make it to Haven in time for Salem's attempt at the relic. Come on"

The last words were a direct command to Ilia, leaving the faunus with the choice of following Blake out to the airship that awaited them, or staying in this Citadel. If she followed Blake, any attempts to speak were silenced with a dangerous glare until they were finally onto the ship itself. Blake gave the faunus pilot a curt nod as they entered, before she turned and dropped onto the bench one one side of the cargo area and took a deep breath as the engines fired up. The tension in her shoulders loosened ever so slightly. No matter how much she respected the citadel and its master, it was not a place she took lightly. It was a church of evolution, and natural selection was king; in its halls you were predator or prey.

She had spent her entire life fighting to be a predator; It had gotten her her place at the table, and she had no intention of losing it.

That said, her eyes never left Ilia, far from inclined to let the faunus turn the tables on and repeat the fiasco on the Schnee's ship. She held up a finger once more if she tried to talk, and forced the silence to hold for a few minutes after they took flight. Finally, she lowered it and leaned forward slightly as she picked up her feet

"Make sure you're not touching anything but the bench."

She barked an order to the front, and from within the ships hull a whirring began to sound, before a huge jolt of voltage suddenly arced across the cabin and across every metal surface on the ship. In a corner of the cargo hold, a bit of grimm dust began to slide away. It was standard procedure for the shadow fang; Sienna refused to see herself as underneath Ozpin, but instead as equals, and she would have no grimm eyes wandering her halls.

Blake let her feet drop and let out another sigh, and finally gave the other faunus a chance to speak as she regarded her past her mask

"...I'm sorry about all of that. Once he gave the ultimatum, it was your arm or your life."

 

[MyrtenRose]

Yang put on her game-face with a smirk as she leaned down into her not Uncle's space and slung an arm around his shoulder, blocking as many other people in the tent from his sight and trying to get him to focus on her as she talked.

"It was me, I spiked it, happy uncle's day. So, love these family chats and all, but I need a quick word with Vernal, she around? If she is I can let you get back to your uh, nap or whatever."

Her being one of the few faces he recognized. If the look on his face was anything to go by, he was not pleased to see her. "...Raven's bastard." The arm was quickly swept off his shoulder and he stood up, dusting himself off. He was more coordinated than he had any right to be, judging from the amount of empty bottles scattered around and underneath the cot. Qrow rubbed at his eyes before he took a clearer second look at the gathered crowd, his gaze lingering momentarily on the very back of the group. "Oh, look at that. Dear old sis too, everybody!. If it weren't for these...whoever the hell they are..." He gestured out to most of the people. "...I'd call this one hell of an unexpected reuni--"

He suddenly noticed Ruby, having missed her in the crowd at least partially because she seemed to be deliberately trying to avoid getting seen by him. "...…" His expression became a lot more surprised and after a few moments he turned back to Raven. "What the hell's up, Raven? To what do I owe the pleasure of my sister, my niece and my daughter coming all this way, along with...friends, I guess? There has to be more to it than just having a chat with one of my people."

"............"

"...........................................................................what."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Qrow strode to the middle of the encampment and looked around.

"Vernal?"

:|​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Her being one of the few faces he recognized. If the look on his face was anything to go by, he was not pleased to see her. "...Raven's bastard." The arm was quickly swept off his shoulder and he stood up, dusting himself off. He was more coordinated than he had any right to be, judging from the amount of empty bottles scattered around and underneath the cot. Qrow rubbed at his eyes before he took a clearer second look at the gathered crowd, his gaze lingering momentarily on the very back of the group. "Oh, look at that. Dear old sis too, everybody!. If it weren't for these...whoever the hell they are..." He gestured out to most of the people. "...I'd call this one hell of an unexpected reuni--"

He suddenly noticed Ruby, having missed her in the crowd at least partially because she seemed to be deliberately trying to avoid getting seen by him. "...…" His expression became a lot more surprised and after a few moments he turned back to Raven. "What the hell's up, Raven? To what do I owe the pleasure of my sister, my niece and my daughter coming all this way, along with...friends, I guess? There has to be more to it than just having a chat with one of my people."

"............"

"...........................................................................what."​

"...........................................................................what."

Needless to say, that was a family dynamic shift that Yang took about as well as Ruby did, if for obviously different reasons. She looked between her not-uncle and her actual sister a few times, and in a brief but absolutely powerful moment of panic she assumed this must've been true in their world to, before reality slowly caught up to her. This was a different world. Different things went down. Whatever game whatever greater power was playing, it clearly wanted very specific players taking the stage, just with very different lives.

So this didn't necessarily mean jack squat in their world.

...That said, it was still a really, really weird thought, and she sidled over to Ruby to put a comforting hand on her shoulder as she talked again.

"...Which is to say... what else could it be?" she said, putting the exact same emphasis on the what and trying to segue it into a normal sentence, with middling success. " We really just need to talk to Vernal and then we can go home, right Ruby?" she said, giving her DEFINITELY STILL her sister's shoulder a squeeze at the emphasis to try and get her point across to her.

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...........................................................................what."

Needless to say, that was a family dynamic shift that Yang took about as well as Ruby did, if for obviously different reasons. She looked between her not-uncle and her actual sister a few times, and in a brief but absolutely powerful moment of panic she assumed this must've been true in their world to, before reality slowly caught up to her. This was a different world. Different things went down. Whatever game whatever greater power was playing, it clearly wanted very specific players taking the stage, just with very different lives.

So this didn't necessarily mean jack squat in their world.

...That said, it was still a really, really weird thought, and she sidled over to Ruby to put a comforting hand on her shoulder as she talked again.

"...Which is to say... what else could it be?" she said, putting the exact same emphasis on the what and trying to segue it into a normal sentence, with middling success. " We really just need to talk to Vernal and then we can go home, right Ruby?" she said, giving her DEFINITELY STILL her sister's shoulder a squeeze at the emphasis to try and get her point across to her.

"I knew there was no way they were sisters."

Mercury muttered to his ex-classmates out of the corner of his mouth, once again proving he was the anti-Yang no matter what universe or side of the ethical fence he was on. He was content to kick back and observe the situation unfold otherwise, way too outside whatever this weird dynamic was to do any of the talking, though after a few seconds he observed using only his ears as he reasoned the dozen people in the room probably had the one drunken bandit covered and shifted his gaze towards the tent flap.​

 

[MidwayLives]

He suddenly noticed Ruby, having missed her in the crowd at least partially because she seemed to be deliberately trying to avoid getting seen by him. "...…" His expression became a lot more surprised and after a few moments he turned back to Raven. "What the hell's up, Raven? To what do I owe the pleasure of my sister, my niece and my daughter coming all this way, along with...friends, I guess? There has to be more to it than just having a chat with one of my people."

"Did you see that coming because I sure as hell didn't." Roman muttered to Neo.

Out of all people, he hadn't expected 'The Red Masque's' dad...to be a drunk dude.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I stand by my word."

Blake had quietly disappeared after their tasks were assigned and they were dismissed, letting Jaune do his work. She was coming back in just as Ozpin turned to address her, as she finished wrapping a ribbon around her arm, Gambol shroud retrieved from where it had been stored on the ship along with her mask. Whatever expression her face had when she turned to Ilia was hidden behind the red and white swirls upon it.

"Hopefully she understands that as well."

She strode over to Ilia and hoisted her to her feet by her elbow, before she turned and walked back to the door she'd come in as she glanced to Ozpin. "I will return to High Leader Sienna and see what forces we can muster, and turn this Ilia over to her. We'll make it to Haven in time for Salem's attempt at the relic. Come on"

The last words were a direct command to Ilia, leaving the faunus with the choice of following Blake out to the airship that awaited them, or staying in this Citadel. If she followed Blake, any attempts to speak were silenced with a dangerous glare until they were finally onto the ship itself. Blake gave the faunus pilot a curt nod as they entered, before she turned and dropped onto the bench one one side of the cargo area and took a deep breath as the engines fired up. The tension in her shoulders loosened ever so slightly. No matter how much she respected the citadel and its master, it was not a place she took lightly. It was a church of evolution, and natural selection was king; in its halls you were predator or prey.

She had spent her entire life fighting to be a predator; It had gotten her her place at the table, and she had no intention of losing it.

That said, her eyes never left Ilia, far from inclined to let the faunus turn the tables on and repeat the fiasco on the Schnee's ship. She held up a finger once more if she tried to talk, and forced the silence to hold for a few minutes after they took flight. Finally, she lowered it and leaned forward slightly as she picked up her feet

"Make sure you're not touching anything but the bench."

She barked an order to the front, and from within the ships hull a whirring began to sound, before a huge jolt of voltage suddenly arced across the cabin and across every metal surface on the ship. In a corner of the cargo hold, a bit of grimm dust began to slide away. It was standard procedure for the shadow fang; Sienna refused to see herself as underneath Ozpin, but instead as equals, and she would have no grimm eyes wandering her halls.

Blake let her feet drop and let out another sigh, and finally gave the other faunus a chance to speak as she regarded her past her mask

"...I'm sorry about all of that. Once he gave the ultimatum, it was your arm or your life."

It was hard to determine if Ilia did understand, given how quiet the chameleon faunus was in the wake of all that she had gone through in less time than it takes to eat a good dinner. The grimm hands that had pushed their way through her skin and dug deep through the muscle and scraping across the bone...the somehow temporary loss of her hand...even the mere appearance of this terrifying Ozpin. No matter how much she had been healed, or how far she got away from this place...all of that would linger within her for a long time. llia didn't even hesitate to fall in step behind Blake, determined as she was to get the absolute HELL out of here. She didn't even speak so much as a single syllable the whole time, so deathly afraid that she was even doing her best to make her breathing as quiet as possible.

And when they were on the ship, she obliged to Blake's command further and avoided potentially getting shocked by that jolt. When it passed, she slowly lowered her feet again and sighed. "...are you really? Sorry, I mean. Are you actually sorry for any of it? How...how do I know you're not just saying that?" She questioned softly, unable to bring herself to look at Blake and instead eyeing the thin ragged scar that ran across where Blake had cut through, tears dropping from her eyes and splattering the floor below.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

It was hard to determine if Ilia did understand, given how quiet the chameleon faunus was in the wake of all that she had gone through in less time than it takes to eat a good dinner. The grimm hands that had pushed their way through her skin and dug deep through the muscle and scraping across the bone...the somehow temporary loss of her hand...even the mere appearance of this terrifying Ozpin. No matter how much she had been healed, or how far she got away from this place...all of that would linger within her for a long time. llia didn't even hesitate to fall in step behind Blake, determined as she was to get the absolute HELL out of here. She didn't even speak so much as a single syllable the whole time, so deathly afraid that she was even doing her best to make her breathing as quiet as possible.

And when they were on the ship, she obliged to Blake's command further and avoided potentially getting shocked by that jolt. When it passed, she slowly lowered her feet again and sighed. "...are you really? Sorry, I mean. Are you actually sorry for any of it? How...how do I know you're not just saying that?" She questioned softly, unable to bring herself to look at Blake and instead eyeing the thin ragged scar that ran across where Blake had cut through, tears dropping from her eyes and splattering the floor below.​

"..." If nothing else, there was at least enough shame in Blake that she had to break her gaze away from Ilia as she started to cry, and her response was soft. It almost sounded like the Blake she knew, if slightly muffled by the mask.

"...of course I am. None of this would have happened if you hadn't snuck onto Schnee's ship, but you can't really be at fault for not understanding you that you'd literally crossed worlds. I don't spill faunus blood recklessly, especially not one who's heart is in the right place. But once you were in Ozpin's sights like that, you were dead, or you were going to be used."

It wasn't the same as what Eve had done, an act of war declared on the master of grimm and shadow fang alike. Ilia had just been confused, and trying to help a friend. Blake saw no reason that she couldn't be saved.

At least not yet.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Qrow strode to the middle of the encampment and looked around.

"Vernal?"

:|

"...Something up, boss?" : |
​

"I knew there was no way they were sisters."

"Did you see that coming because I sure as hell didn't." Roman muttered to Neo.

Out of all people, he hadn't expected 'The Red Masque's' dad...to be a drunk dude.

Cinder couldn't help from overhearing both of those and she shrugged. Looks like Mercury has solid instincts, she thought to herself before she leaned over closer towards Roman and Neo, her gaze shooting back and forth between Ruby and this Qrow in quick succession. "I mean I can kind of see it, honestly." She chimed in.
​

"...........................................................................what."

Needless to say, that was a family dynamic shift that Yang took about as well as Ruby did, if for obviously different reasons. She looked between her not-uncle and her actual sister a few times, and in a brief but absolutely powerful moment of panic she assumed this must've been true in their world to, before reality slowly caught up to her. This was a different world. Different things went down. Whatever game whatever greater power was playing, it clearly wanted very specific players taking the stage, just with very different lives.

So this didn't necessarily mean jack squat in their world.

...That said, it was still a really, really weird thought, and she sidled over to Ruby to put a comforting hand on her shoulder as she talked again.

"...Which is to say... what else could it be?" she said, putting the exact same emphasis on the what and trying to segue it into a normal sentence, with middling success. " We really just need to talk to Vernal and then we can go home, right Ruby?" she said, giving her DEFINITELY STILL her sister's shoulder a squeeze at the emphasis to try and get her point across to her.

Ruby was so taken aback by that sentence that at first she didn't register Yang putting a hand on her shoulder. Her mind was working into overdrive trying to EVEN process everything that sentence meant, what it must have meant for the her that lived here. It was only when Yang squeezed her shoulder that Ruby was yanked out of that storm of messy and conflicted thoughts. "Yeah. Yeah...right." Ruby nodded.

Raven pushed her way through the crowd of former students until she stood face to face with her brother. "What they said. We need to know where Vernal is, because they suspect that she might be the Spring Maiden. Are. They. Correct?"

"...As charming as ever, sis." Qrow grumbled, doing his best to hide his surprise that they had known something like that. How would they even have? "Say, hypothetically, she was. What would you want her for?"​

 

[MidwayLives]

She'd been captured and she hated herself for it.

He was probably worried about her. They'd be sending someone to retrieve her anyday now...

But for now she'd simply rest.

~~~

Dreams were often seen as childish things, even as far back when Ruby was a kid.

The Beowulf who'd taken her arm would never harm anyone again. But there were dozens of them out there and they'd never stop.

No matter what she did as the Red Masque, people would say this and that. Nobody would ever know or care about the truth.

The truth being that Ruby detested all the killing and hurting she had to do.

But she'd do anything for him. Because it was through agreeing to work with him that her dream sounded plausible again.

'How could anyone see him as a monster?'

It didn't make any sense to her. Not really.

But as she continued to wiggle in her sleep, her smile turned into a frown and her eyebrows furrowed.

...What would he say when she got back to him?

~~~



She'd lost Crescent Rose and her arm.

Both could be rebuilt in time but that wasn't on her side. She had to get back to him now! Through various jinks and shenanigans, she'd finally arrived at their fortress.

"Ozpin? OZPIN!!! I'm back!!!"

No answer.

"No..."

She continued to run throughout the halls. But no matter where she looked, where she stood, even calling his name didn't register a response.

Those jerks had done it. They'd killed him. They'd taken away the only friend she had in this miserable life!!!

"NO!!!!"

~~~

"aaaaaAHHH!"

Ruby shouted as she woke up in a cold sweat.

Okay, she was still strapped down which heavily impeded movement. But now she had a goal in mind. She'd take her not-sister's advice and get her strength back up! Then she'd bust out of here, rebuild her arm, and follow where her Other and company had went! They wouldn't lay a finger on him if she could do something about it-

*GROOOOWLLLLLL*

"...Ugh. soooo hungry...Okay, that comes first..."

Boy, a glass of milk sounded sooooo good right about now.

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Something up, boss?" : |

"...Are you... Vernal?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"..." If nothing else, there was at least enough shame in Blake that she had to break her gaze away from Ilia as she started to cry, and her response was soft. It almost sounded like the Blake she knew, if slightly muffled by the mask.

"...of course I am. None of this would have happened if you hadn't snuck onto Schnee's ship, but you can't really be at fault for not understanding you that you'd literally crossed worlds. I don't spill faunus blood recklessly, especially not one who's heart is in the right place. But once you were in Ozpin's sights like that, you were dead, or you were going to be used."

It wasn't the same as what Eve had done, an act of war declared on the master of grimm and shadow fang alike. Ilia had just been confused, and trying to help a friend. Blake saw no reason that she couldn't be saved.

At least not yet.

"...I want to believe that." Ilia admitted, sounding hopeful and desperate all at once. Her voice hardened as she added: "But I'm sitting here, still cuffed and treated like a prisoner after everything back there. It's kind of difficult to believe you." Ilia sighed, still not bringing herself to look up over at Blake. "You said you're doing this for the faunus, that you want for our kind to dominate. But...here you are, doing whatever that..." She hesitated, unsure of how to even describe him. "...whatever he tells you to do, even harming fellow faunus. You kneel before him, call him your lord..." Ilia shook her head, like she still couldn't believe it even though she had been an eyewitness to the whole thing.

"Who are you really fighting for? Who really will be the dominant one in the end? The faunus? Or him?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...Are you... Vernal?"​

The two shared a look before turning back to Qrow. "Er...did you drink too much, boss? That'd be a first for you."
​

 

[Gus Gungus]

The two shared a look before turning back to Qrow. "Er...did you drink too much, boss? That'd be a first for you."

Riiiiiight. Good cover.

"Figured you two goons were too big, and... goony... Ssso lemme ask you somethin'." His slurred, messy intonations of old came back to him all too easily, not that he'd been missing 'em. "If you're not Vernal, and I'm obviously stumbling around out here lookin' for Vernal, and I'm your boss, and you're not Vernal, why is it you're interrupting me with anything that isn't the exact current whereabouts... of Vernal?"

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Riiiiiight. Good cover.

"Figured you two goons were too big, and... goony... Ssso lemme ask you somethin'." His slurred, messy intonations of old came back to him all too easily, not that he'd been missing 'em. "If you're not Vernal, and I'm obviously stumbling around out here lookin' for Vernal, and I'm your boss, and you're not Vernal, why is it you're interrupting me with anything that isn't the exact current whereabouts... of Vernal?"

​

“Well, forgive us for sayin’ this boss, but we’re mostly wondering how the hell you’re so drunk you’d ever mistake us for Vernal. What the hell did you drink?”​

 

[Gus Gungus]

“Well, forgive us for sayin’ this boss, but we’re mostly wondering how the hell you’re so drunk you’d ever mistake us for Vernal. What the hell did you drink?”

"Hmm... Think it was a bottle of 'tell me where she is or I'll bust you both up'."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Hmm... Think it was a bottle of 'tell me where she is or I'll bust you both up'."​

"Shit boss, no need for that." One of them held up their hands placatingly as the other turned to look over his shoulder, face scrunched up and clearly hard at work trying to recall where he'd last seen her. "Over there, somewhere, I think?" He pointed vaguely over at a closed tent in the distance.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Shit boss, no need for that." One of them held up their hands placatingly as the other turned to look over his shoulder, face scrunched up and clearly hard at work trying to recall where he'd last seen her. "Over there, somewhere, I think?" He pointed vaguely over at a closed tent in the distance.

"Haaaaaaa, you fellas know I'm just clownin' ya, right!? Not really though. But we have fun." Qrow drunkenly rambled, giving the pair of confused bandits a pair of equally confusing fingerguns. "You guys... You guys..."

This was how he'd run the tribe if he was Raven, right? Yeah. Excusing himself without ever finishing his sentence or uttering another word, his long, slender legs carried him across the area of the camp in a brisk stride as he made for the tent the man had pointed out.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Cinder couldn't help from overhearing both of those and she shrugged. Looks like Mercury has solid instincts, she thought to herself before she leaned over closer towards Roman and Neo, her gaze shooting back and forth between Ruby and this Qrow in quick succession. "I mean I can kind of see it, honestly." She chimed in.

Yang's congenial grin towards her uncle took a sharp downward turn, and she just barely fought the urge to say that was a weird choice of words from someone with one eye.

'Just a kid. Juuuuust a kid. Reign it in, self'

Ruby was so taken aback by that sentence that at first she didn't register Yang putting a hand on her shoulder. Her mind was working into overdrive trying to EVEN process everything that sentence meant, what it must have meant for the her that lived here. It was only when Yang squeezed her shoulder that Ruby was yanked out of that storm of messy and conflicted thoughts. "Yeah. Yeah...right." Ruby nodded.

Raven pushed her way through the crowd of former students until she stood face to face with her brother. "What they said. We need to know where Vernal is, because they suspect that she might be the Spring Maiden. Are. They. Correct?"

"...As charming as ever, sis." Qrow grumbled, doing his best to hide his surprise that they had known something like that. How would they even have? "Say, hypothetically, she was. What would you want her for?"

"Well for one to make sure she doesn't die in some horrible grimm based violence." Yang drawled from where she was still keeping a steadying grip on Ruby. "I dunno how much you know about what's what here, uncle, but if you do know about the maidens, then I'm guessing, you know there's someone a lot scarier than us who's looking for em. And he's found this one. We wanna make sure she's safe, and that good ol' Oz has bigger problems than her." She finished, her tone growing serious by the end of it.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Haaaaaaa, you fellas know I'm just clownin' ya, right!? Not really though. But we have fun." Qrow drunkenly rambled, giving the pair of confused bandits a pair of equally confusing fingerguns. "You guys... You guys..."

This was how he'd run the tribe if he was Raven, right? Yeah. Excusing himself without ever finishing his sentence or uttering another word, his long, slender legs carried him across the area of the camp in a brisk stride as he made for the tent the man had pointed out.​

When he got there, he found at the very least the tent wasn't empty, though the one inside didn't turn around even as the tent flapped open.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

What was Watts doing through all of this?

Nothing. Just watching and feeling immensely awkward, like when you were sitting next to a family having a vicious argument on the subway.

When the conversation finally turned back towards the maidens' however, he finally felt comfortable enough to at least return his gaze towards the xiao-long-rose-branwen reunion, and he cleared his throat after Yang decided on the direct route.

"Yes. We work directly under-ghrk-"

He suddenly found himself suddenly snapped in a headlock by the blonde brawler, who was smiling just a bit too wide "Ignore him! he's new, and wrong!"

If she'd followed this whole timeline thing correctly, then this Qrow must've pulled a Raven and abandoned his team because he didn't trust Ozpin. Salem. Whatever. Maybe he'd already connected those dots given that Raven with a bunch of Qrow mixed in was here and she worked directly under Salem who was pulling an Ozpin, BUT unlike her mom this Qrow was an alcoholic and hey, it wasn't like that did wonders for one's cognition.

 

[Gus Gungus]

When he got there, he found at the very least the tent wasn't empty, though the one inside didn't turn around even as the tent flapped open.​

"Hey."

He grunted simply, opting for something safe and reliable this time. He made sure his feet were planted and at even width, albeit subtly, just in case this wasn't all gonna go as smoothly as it was just starting to look like it might.

There were two versions of him in the area right now, after all. That was a hell of a lot of bad karma floating around.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Neo, however, was conspicuously absent.

She'd given Torchwick a light squeeze of a hand to forewarn him of her impending disappearance, but as far as anyone else was concerned, one second Neo had been standing there, and the next the tent flap ruffled slightly in a breeze.

A minute or so later, a bandit who was asleep in his own tent was also walking around the camp, his eyes just a little shinier than normal as he ambled through the camp with his hands behind his back, taking in the sights and seeing if there was anything weird afoot while the others did their chatting.