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Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]
- Thread starter MyrtenRose
- Start date
MyrtenRose
Knight of Rebellion
Gus Gungus
One Thousand Club
"So one of our teams is cool and the other is boring, gotcha."
"You've never been to a party and don't know what beer tastes like, but okay. You land a point."
"GOOD ONE, CINDER!" Emerald suddenly blurted out enthusiastically, an uncharacteristic goofy grin on her face as she leaned over from where she was conveniently standing close enough for a high five. "That was... ha. So good."
Mercury just stared at her in a mix of pity and embarrassment.
Indolent
Thirsty for Pink Cosmopolitans
"I took care of it. She's home now with family but... well, you know. It'll be hard." He tracked behind Cinder with little difficulty, his gait almost a plodding pace thanks to the redwood that comprised his legs. Cinder was right, there was a distinction to the words Salem had said and his own take on it, while likely more ubiquitous than most might care to admit, was veering for the fatalistic when he thought about it. It was a crucial difference and he was taken aback that he'd overlooked it. Born from that fleeting shock was a gracious, appreciative grin. "You're right. I need to get a handle on myself."
"Teasing aside, I have confidence in our friend--"
Schnee Corp Lawyer
STILL not over Birthright's ending
"....Understood." Ilia eventually managed to reply, that single word all she felt she could say after hearing all that. What else was there to say?
The way she sucked in that breath, the frown on her other self's face, even the slight waver in her voice...all of it gave her a slight spark of hope that even if she couldn't help Blake with words alone, maybe...just maybe she could get through to herself. "But...they died in a dust mining accident. A Schnee Dust Company disaster. The same Schnee Dust Company being led by one of Ozpin's lackeys. You're standing with the very people who you say you'll never forgive, and for what? To take revenge on innocent people who didn't have anything to do with that accident? People who are just trying to live their lives as best they can, you're helping those who want to slaughter them. Where's the part where any of that makes sense?" The unmasked Ilia stepped closer to her counterpart.
"Are you sure you know which of us is the one that would need their forgiveness, if they could see us now?"
She met Blake's eyes with a glance of her own when the doors opened...the look of suspicion she saw staring back at her stung and she tore her gaze away towards the ground, feelings of sadness present in her eyes.
If anyone else had said that to her, Ilia(2) would've broken their face.
But it was a different beast entirely to have another version of yourself standing there, laying bare a slew of doubts and fears that laid in the back of your mind. "I..." her gaze flicked back to Sienna, who was watching this little drama play out with seemingly muted interest. "...I-I don't..."
"It wouldn't be the one who sided with the humans."
Blake slipped passed Ilia and took the double's hand, their fingers interlocking with a warm squeeze even as she turned to glower at Ilia with a scowl audible even past the mask.
"None of the improvements the faunus are getting would have happened if Weiss Schnee wasn't afraid of us and Ozpin, if the humans weren't. There's no such thing as a human you can trust. Ilia's, your parents understood that. Don't you dare look down on her for honoring that."
The other Ilia took a deep breath, clearly taking comfort in the contact, and she shot Blake a grateful smile before she turned to stare her counterpart down.
"...I think its time you left."
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"I can't believe you cut off my hand."
Blake and Ilia were in their room of the barracks, Ilia sitting on her bed with her back against the wall and with Blake's head in her lap as the High Leader's right hand sprawled across the rest of the bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling. At least until Ilia said that, prompting her to glance in a bout of embarrassed shame.
"...It wasn't your hand."
"It kiiiind of was." Ilia answered with a smirk, nonetheless running a fond hand through Blake's hair. "Even if it was to save my life, I think you owe me for that one."
"I don't negotiate with terrorists" Blake drawled back
"Not even the cute ones?"
"Hah" Blake huffed as she snuggled deeper into her lap
Blake took Eve leaving harder than either or Eve would likely ever fully realize. Of all the others in the White Fang at the time, she was the one who she thought knew her best, who understood that this violence wasn't just death and destruction for the sake of it. That no matter what grisly work Sienna assigned them, it was for the greater good. That at the end of it all there was a peaceful, happy life waiting for not just them, but every faunus, one with more permanence than the fake treaties and promises. When she left, when she declared the blood price too high for the reward, it shook Blake to her core, harder than even the night of her first kill. She'd already been cast aside by her parents at that point; If everyone who loved her was saying this was the wrong path, could it really be right? She wavered. If left to her own devices, she might have even followed her.
But then another faunus showed a bit of bravery, commendable in time if absolutely not in results. There was a number of reasons that might have been why this Ilia made the step the other didn't; Maybe it was because the Taurus here was a woman, and that good old fashioned gay anxiety never blocked her. Maybe it was because this Blake didn't run from her.
Whatever the reason, she was there for Blake in that time of weakness, with soft words and affection for her, and indignant anger for the ones who they both thought betrayed them. The chains of affection dragging Blake towards the light cracked, and if anything she slid further down. She could hold onto her dream, cling to the notion that this was the right path, just as long as one person still believed in her.
...As she looked up into the eyes of that person, currently so full of warmth, the thought of losing that person made Ilia's hesitation in the great hall something that sat in her stomach like a coiled snake, just waiting to lash out when she let down her guard.
"...I don't think you should go to the assault on Haven."
Ilia scrunched up into a frown, and she gave one of Blake's ears a light tug. "What? We have one bad attack, and all of a sudden you don't want to let me work? I'm not the one who got captured at Beacon."
Blake winced at the tug, but she kept her stare firm to show Ilia she wasn't teasing. "No. I have a feeling the other you isn't going to be able to keep herself out of it." She didn't understand why Sienna thought letting her go was a good idea, even if she was a faunus. "I... I don't want you to have to kill another version of yourself. I don't want you to hesitate"
Ilia gave her a wry grin. "Oh, and you won't?"
"..."
"...I won't."
The answer left a heavy silence in the room, and the two suddenly found it hard to look in each others eyes. "...I'm... strong enough to do what needs to be done, Blake. That's why I'm still here and Eve-"
"Please, don't... don't bring her up." Blake sighed, suddenly swinging herself up out of Ilia's lap to be seated on the bed. She stared at the way across from them. "...I didn't hesitate for her either. What, do you think I should've? She betrayed us."
"That's... that's literally the opposite of what I just said-!"
"-You're staying." Blake said with a snap of authority that made Ilia pull back the hand she'd been hesitantly venturing towards Blake's shoulder. She sighed and gripped the edge of the sheets, before she slowly nodded, backing off.
"...okay. If thats what you think is best."
"I do."
The pair sat in silence for a few moments longer, neither of them equipped to bridge the emotional gap that hadn't been there minutes ago, before Blake sat up and strode to the door. "I have to see who's available for the strike."
"...Okay. Blake?"
She paused at the door, her hand halfway to grabbing her mask from where it hung on the wall
"...I... be safe. If I can't go with you then... at least promise me that. Okay?"
Blake held her gaze for a moment, and lieu of a answer shot her a quick smile before she slid out the door, closing it behind her.
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It was a few hours later that the Ilia Amitola of this world found herself kneeling in front of the High Leader. "Yes, high leader, she was here long enough for me to set it. Are... are you sure this is what you want? Without me using it on Blake, I can't-"
"I am sure" Sienna cut off with a wave of her hand. "All faunus deserve mercy, but trust must be earned. If she ends up merely wandering around or only fighting Ozpin's own jackals, then I'm sure, somehow, you'll find someway to spend enough time with Blake to reset it."
The chameleon's faunus' tan shimmered briefly to pink before she managed to get it under control.
"-besides-" Sienna continued "-I only needed to ensure that Blake was truly reporting everything to me; that Ozpin hadn't turned her against us rather than simply keep to our alliance. If anyone in this has reason for shame, it is me for doubting her." She admitted with a shrug. "But, if this other you decides that she wants to assist these other doubles, if she stands in the way of a true faunus revolution-" She leaned forward in her throne with a slight smirk. "-then she might as well serve the Shadow Fang in her betrayal.
While this new timeline was clearly very different from the ones the doubles called home, the major differences were centered around a specific group of players upon the world stage. Yet there were subtle differences in others; Even if Eve Taurus was a departure from the monster that Adam Taurus was, she was still a powerful member of the White Fang during Sienna's time as leader, a symbol of strength that inspired many of the faunus. Yet instead of approaching her, grooming her, teaching her the true path to victory, she'd chosen Blake. The quiet one. The one who'd slaughtered that first human in the dead of night rather than the heat of battle. There were many, many similarities between one Sienna and the other, so much so that if they were in the same room you'd likely be unable to tell them apart.
But there were differences. Where one strived for victory through strength, the other simply wanted... victory.
Ilia nodded from where she was kneeling, and focused on her semblance. She wondered if her double had the same one, or if she'd even unlocked her semblance. She'd been a very late bloomer herself; she hadn't even manifested it until well into her life as a part of the White Fang, just before the schism. When she wanted to understand why the object of her affection had eyes for someone else. When she was trying to make sense of why the brave, noble faunus girl she'd found herself initially drawn towards was becoming more and more violent. When what she wanted most was to see things through her eyes.
Her blue eyes suddenly flickered, though for this specific use, they didn't change like the normally did. Or rather, they changed into the exact same color, and she saw the airship that had dropped the other Ilia off flying away before her gaze turned to the nearby village.
"I guess we'll find out"
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MyrtenRose
Knight of Rebellion
"Hey hey hey no!!!" She stammered out in a sudden rush to save face. "...that's not true, I've had beer! It was thick and bubbly and it had...okay I've never had beer." She admitted quietly, looking towards the ground crestfallen. It wasn't her fault she wasn't of age yet.
Though she did perk up when Emerald chimed in, a small smile emerging on her face. "...Thanks, uh...what's your name again Emerald." Cinder replied, even going for the high five...though nowhere near as enthusiastically. The fall maiden was lowkey not sure why Emerald was so into it. Normally those two were together when it came to mocking somebody. Does it have to do with why they weren't looking at each other before???
"Glad to hear it! Not the hard part, the home part. And hey, don't sweat it. You're the toughest guy I know, if anybody can endure it, it'd be you for sure."
"Uh-oh."
Schnee Corp Lawyer
STILL not over Birthright's ending
Yang followed a good distance behind the group, having done nothing but shrug and glower after her question and think that everyone who answered her didn't have to be a rude jerk about it. She was very pointedly not joining in on the banter, for multiple reasons. One, she had no idea what any of these people were talking about, and she didn't wanna be that guy, the guy who jumped into a conversation like "Oh yea, I totally know about thing, I love thing, please let me join the talk about thing?" No one ever wanted to be that guy
Two, she knew from her years with team rwby that if banter led to anything... it led to friendship.
Friendship led to attachments.
Attachments led to the dark side.
Two, she knew from her years with team rwby that if banter led to anything... it led to friendship.
Friendship led to attachments.
Attachments led to the dark side.
Indolent
Thirsty for Pink Cosmopolitans
Schnee Corp Lawyer
STILL not over Birthright's ending
"Uh." She glanced over to Hazel as she was suddenly addressed, and felt conversation with his torso was kinda awkward and tilted her head up a few extra degrees.
"...Oh... you know! I'm good, you should go talk to your buddies!" She suggested with a few glances back towards CInder and Mercury and gang
Gus Gungus
One Thousand Club
It appeared that Qrow, in the meantime, was riding high, and was literally physically incapable of shutting up about how lame that other him was.
"Did you see that guy?! That guy was a major league washout! Coolest Qrow in all the timelines, right here!"
MyrtenRose
Knight of Rebellion
"...…" And just like that, the fleeting brief sense of hope was gone. It was unfortunate to realize, but this Blake was clearly as negative an influence on this Ilia as her Blake had been a positive one for her. Her eyes lingered on their hand-holding for far too long before she sadly shook her head and turned away. With this Blake around, anything else she said would just fall on deaf ears. That, and as sad as she was, there was some frustrated anger underlying it too. Maybe she'd been reading into that handhold way too hard but...just the idea that it took a her that was still on that dark path to be with Blake, in that way, it was really really REALLY maddening.
Yeah, like the other her had said. It was time to get out of here.
When she got dropped off in the nearby village, Ilia finally let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her gaze went to the village for a few moments before lifting up to the shuttle as it went back in the direction of the Shadow Fang HQ. "I'm...sorry. Both of you." Ilia thought out loud to herself with a sigh. Her gaze lowered to the ground as she reached into one of her pockets, pulling out one of the few pictures of her parents she had left and running a finger across it in a despondent mood. "You too, mom. Dad." This world was so messed up.
But...at least she felt she had somewhere to go. If this Sienna and Blake and Ilia were all fighting with Ozpin for his cause, then that surely had to mean that Adam...er, Eve, was not. That maybe there was an ally out there that could help her, as strange as it seemed. She just had to find out where Eve was. Ilia turned around, sliding the picture back into her pocket and studying the area around her. If she recalled right, the nearest White Fang camp from here back in her world was...she looked to the left. That way.
The chameleon started heading in that direction, hoping the camp locations held true in both worlds and also that it was not a Shadow Fang camp here. Someone in the White Fang had to know where Eve was.
Yeah, like the other her had said. It was time to get out of here.
When she got dropped off in the nearby village, Ilia finally let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her gaze went to the village for a few moments before lifting up to the shuttle as it went back in the direction of the Shadow Fang HQ. "I'm...sorry. Both of you." Ilia thought out loud to herself with a sigh. Her gaze lowered to the ground as she reached into one of her pockets, pulling out one of the few pictures of her parents she had left and running a finger across it in a despondent mood. "You too, mom. Dad." This world was so messed up.
But...at least she felt she had somewhere to go. If this Sienna and Blake and Ilia were all fighting with Ozpin for his cause, then that surely had to mean that Adam...er, Eve, was not. That maybe there was an ally out there that could help her, as strange as it seemed. She just had to find out where Eve was. Ilia turned around, sliding the picture back into her pocket and studying the area around her. If she recalled right, the nearest White Fang camp from here back in her world was...she looked to the left. That way.
The chameleon started heading in that direction, hoping the camp locations held true in both worlds and also that it was not a Shadow Fang camp here. Someone in the White Fang had to know where Eve was.
Indolent
Thirsty for Pink Cosmopolitans
He squinted.
And accepted that she probably didn't want to deal with the mess that was Team WTCH and MTEN.
That was the only rational conclusion possible to arrive at he thought.
He offered a placating nod and resumed attempting to replicate Ruby's feat with the dragon but instead with Mercury and Emerald.
Schnee Corp Lawyer
STILL not over Birthright's ending
She gave him a thumbs up as he left and watched him go before she let out a relieved sigh
It was a heavy burden she bore, being so likeable that she had to take an active hand in stopping people from being friends with her
Gus Gungus
One Thousand Club
And lo, where one tall person exits another shall arise to take its place. Though it had to be said that if making friends was Yang's chief concern then she had absolutely nothing to fear from the one who approached her next, having been hanging even further back from the main group than the blonde herself. Now she strode to catch up to her, falling in step as silently as the most insidious of grimm as she studied her quarry through the eyes of one.
"What did you mean?"
It was as civil a tone as the huntress had heard from Eve during their brief time together. That still didn't make it nice, or even polite, a sharp, demanding edge to it that many a human and faunus alike had been wise not to contest.
MyrtenRose
Knight of Rebellion
It appeared that Qrow, in the meantime, was riding high, and was literally physically incapable of shutting up about how lame that other him was.
"Did you see that guy?! That guy was a major league washout! Coolest Qrow in all the timelines, right here!"
Despite her no-nonsense attitude in not wanting to waste any time...even Raven couldn't resist turning around at that and flashing a smile that some might have considered uncharacteristic of her. "You'll get no disagreements from me." In truth, merely standing there in her brother's presence reminded her so keenly just how disappointing he was. Really put some perspective on how this Qrow and Yang had acted towards her initially, if the her from their world was anything like that.
"..." Her turning around to face Qrow let her catch that as well and her forward stride halted completely, one hand resting on the hilt of her weapon just in case things got...heated.
MidwayLives
"What's your favorite scary movie...?"
Shaken from his rather depressing thoughts by Qrow, Tyrian smiled.
"Yes! He didn't seem like an equal for a warrior like you!"
Tyrian exclaimed as he looked at Qrow, his eyes beaming.
"Yes! He didn't seem like an equal for a warrior like you!"
Tyrian exclaimed as he looked at Qrow, his eyes beaming.
MidwayLives
"What's your favorite scary movie...?"
Okay, she was no longer hungry. She thanked the medical staff for that much.
But the longer she lay here, the more danger he was in. Plus the lack of an arm and no current way to replace it was really starting to bother her.
"What a waste of good technology...It didn't even hurt them..."
The Masque looked around, wondering if anybody would care what she had to say.
"Can I speak to....Salem?"
Until she devised a way out of here, what else was there for her to do? ...Well, besides wonder what her 'Other' was getting up to.
But the longer she lay here, the more danger he was in. Plus the lack of an arm and no current way to replace it was really starting to bother her.
"What a waste of good technology...It didn't even hurt them..."
The Masque looked around, wondering if anybody would care what she had to say.
"Can I speak to....Salem?"
Until she devised a way out of here, what else was there for her to do? ...Well, besides wonder what her 'Other' was getting up to.
MyrtenRose
Knight of Rebellion
MidwayLives
"What's your favorite scary movie...?"
The Masque narrowed her eyes...
You'll get yours, random nurse...
You'll get yours, random nurse...
Schnee Corp Lawyer
STILL not over Birthright's ending
Yang blinked and glanced to where Eve had pretty much entirely snuck up on her, and let out a far less relieved sigh as she rolled her eyes. She put one hand on her hip as she raised the other, launching into her explanation with a facetious grin.
"Well, you see, a buddy is another word for friend, and a friend is-"
Gus Gungus
One Thousand Club
"Hah?"
Qrow finally regained himself long enough to notice that in the time since he'd started dragging his other self Yang and Ruby had both evaporated like smoke, probably for unrelated reasons. It occurred to him for the first time that he hoped that dweeb of a bandit chief hadn't said anything weird to them.
The moment he realized just who'd started substituting for his darling nieces as his enraptured audience was one where he probably would've spit out his drink, if he were still doing that. Of course it was only the two people here he was most uncomfortable being around. The mental reminder had him remember the charade he was keeping up for appearances' sake and he nonchalantly reached for his hip flask, but when Raven said what she said and—and this was what really threw him—actually flashed some teeth, the hand stopped just short as Qrow gave his parallel universe twin a lingering, outright dumbstruck stare.
"...You remind me of the old Raven." Was all he eventually grunted, unable to keep his own smirk from looking a little wistful as he tore the look away.
As for Tyrian, the most Qrow spared him was that weird fucking strained grin again. "You know my niece Ruby said she thinks your tail's really cool."
No. This wasn't gonna be a thing. He was not gonna be the one this freaky kid took a shining to. He was putting his foot down, spitting in fortune's face. The line existed and it began and ended right there. No.
"She's got it." Qrow stated with confidence, though his bearing grew a little sheepish as he realized the reassuring hand he rested atop her shoulder on instinct probably shouldn't have been there and withdrew it with a cough. For both their sakes. "C'mon."
He slid his hands into his pockets and trudged onward.
MidwayLives
"What's your favorite scary movie...?"
"Wow...She really said that?"
Tyrian smiled and made his way over to Ruby. His tail uncoiling as he went.
"Greetings Ruby! Your uncle has told me you believe my tail to be....cool!"
Tyrian smiled and made his way over to Ruby. His tail uncoiling as he went.
"Greetings Ruby! Your uncle has told me you believe my tail to be....cool!"
Gus Gungus
One Thousand Club
"Spare me." She cut across dismissively, having started coming to terms with the fact that Xiao Long was genuinely just this annoying. It didn't make her hate her any less, but she was confident it meant their interactions could be a bit less volatile provided the wrong buttons weren't pushed. That didn't stop her giving a vexed snarl and momentarily tightening her weapon's grip when the blonde started talking with that stupid irreverent grin on her face, but she distracted herself by turning her gaze to coolly return Raven's stare the moment she picked up on it, and both jaw and clenched fist slowly loosened.
"'Or else It'll end the same way'. I almost didn't think anything of it... But then I did. I know a threat when I hear one."
The way she practically spat the word 'threat' from her mouth spoke volumes as to how many she'd received in her lifetime.
"It struck me as an interesting choice of words. See, I made your uncle tell me all about this vendetta you have against me before I let him anywhere near Ozpin's rabid animal. And he did. Down to the last detail."
Summarized, but that was besides the point. Eve's mask turned back towards her again, and she had that same spiteful, know-better drawl to her voice Yang had last heard before things turned against her at the battle for Beacon, cocky and overbearing in its presence.
"Except he never talked about you and I meeting again after Beacon. Which means either he was lying to me, you know something he doesn't... Or your threat was empty."
The condescending, mocking way she delivered that last option gave Yang no illusions as to which of the three was Eve's personal favorite.
"Thought I'd give you the opportunity to clear that up."
MyrtenRose
Knight of Rebellion
"......" His hand on her shoulder caught her attention for the briefest of moments that it was there, her red eyes shifting to meet Qrow's then glanced back towards Yang before she relented, releasing her grip and accepting that Yang did indeed have it, resuming her stride to keep pace with Qrow. After a couple seconds of silence, Raven spoke up. "So...I take it the other me wasn't all that bad. Once upon a time, at least." She thumbed back over in the direction of the camp.
"Mine too. He wasn't always like that. Well, not in the ways that matter most. He was every bit the drunkard, but back then at least he cared for more than just that. He was more than a bitter shell of a man, hiding away in the wilderness, preying on the weak and drinking away his days." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked over at Qrow, not so much in an aggressive manner, but more trying to get a handle on him. "I also know my brother. You may not be him, exactly, but I can tell the difference from a man actually drinking his weight in alcohol, and someone pretending to."
She raised an eyebrow, expression every bit as questioning as the next word that came out of her mouth. "Why?"
"Mine too. He wasn't always like that. Well, not in the ways that matter most. He was every bit the drunkard, but back then at least he cared for more than just that. He was more than a bitter shell of a man, hiding away in the wilderness, preying on the weak and drinking away his days." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked over at Qrow, not so much in an aggressive manner, but more trying to get a handle on him. "I also know my brother. You may not be him, exactly, but I can tell the difference from a man actually drinking his weight in alcohol, and someone pretending to."
She raised an eyebrow, expression every bit as questioning as the next word that came out of her mouth. "Why?"
MyrtenRose
Knight of Rebellion
Big internal mood.
"...Oh, he told you that? Ha...ha ha ha." She nervously chuckled. Yeah, it sure was cool when I sliced a part of it off, that was a thing...this is so unfair Uncle Qrow. But doing her best to keep a chipper mood, she looked over at Tyrian with a smile. A small one. She couldn't bring herself to brush this guy off. "Yeah, I said that. It's pretty cool, honest. The way it...coils up!" Someone help me please.
"...Oh, he told you that? Ha...ha ha ha." She nervously chuckled. Yeah, it sure was cool when I sliced a part of it off, that was a thing...this is so unfair Uncle Qrow. But doing her best to keep a chipper mood, she looked over at Tyrian with a smile. A small one. She couldn't bring herself to brush this guy off. "Yeah, I said that. It's pretty cool, honest. The way it...coils up!" Someone help me please.
