Once Roman had been arrested, Neopolitan had hoped Cinder would let the mute go and do whatever the ice cream-lover pleased. But noooo, Inferno Witch had to go and team up with the bull faunus, who's voice was so deep it sounded like it hurt for him to speak, and drag Neo back into "the plan".
What sort of plan was it without Roman anyways? He was the heart of the scheme! Neo sighed inwardly. No, maybe he wasn't; they both knew the devil-woman was just using him, but Roman hid that knowledge behind his infatuation with her and wouldn't take in anything Neo had tried to tell him about Cinder. No, it was not because she felt like she was being replaced as Roman's partner. Of course not. Jealousy was not a trait the young woman was capable of, especially over someone as trivial as Cinder Fall.
Still, Neo had felt the slightest pang of triumph when Roman's green eyes met Cinder's deadly ones and the woman looked away as if she had never seen the criminal before in her life. But then the hurt on Roman's face took away the satisfaction almost immediately.
Now Neo found herself vaguely listening as the street rat, Emerald, held a one-sided conversation with the mute.
"What do you think of Mercury?" Emerald asked.
Neo shrugged. She knew Emerald didn't understand sign language (Roman does... Neo grumbled silently) so she didn't bother signing that she thought he was an arrogant pretty boy who thought he could charm any girl into doing whatever he wanted. Neo circled her own face, then flattened out her hand with her palm faced down, titling it back and forth. He looks okay, I guess. Neo hoped Emerald understood that much dumbed-down body language.
"Yeah," Emerald agreed reluctantly. Both girls knew that the other would much rather be on a mission with someone else, and neither of them were very happy about being stuck together. Nevertheless, Emerald was trying to make it as enjoyable as possible, even if that meant asking the mute for advice on guys.
Neo strode forward, keeping her eyes away from Emerald. With a huff, Emerald jogged a few steps to catch up with the short girl. "Hey, wait up. I know you don't like me, but we're kind of stuck with each other until Cinder decides to split us up again," she grumbled.
Don't think. Obey, Neopolitan sneered mockingly.
"Do you even like being a criminal?" Emerald asked.
Neo faltered, but wiped the surprise off her face almost immediately. She shrugged.
"Can you really not talk?" the green-haired girl asked inconsiderately. "Or do you just choose not to?"
Neo glared. She jabbed her finger at her own mouth, shaking her head angrily as if it were obvious.
Emerald nodded. "I thought so. I don't know how anyone wouldn't want to talk."
Maybe because there's nothing worth saying that the peopleherewould understand, Neo growled silently, wishing she were with Roman, not Emerald. Roman never asked her rude questions.
She and Emerald walked down the street, blending in with the citizens. Emerald flashed a few smiles when her eyes met someone else's. One young man in a handsome suit that had caught Neo's eye grinned charmingly at the two. Emerald smiled dazzlingly, and his eyes locked with hers. Neo ducked her head in embarrassment. He wouldn't have looked at me anyways. He's not even thatcute, she told herself even though she knew that's not what she really felt. He was stunning.
Emerald stumbled, falling forward. Neo's mismatched eyes widened. I didn't trip her!she thought immediately, and almost signed it in her defense before remembering Roman wasn't there to understand her.
The red-eyed girl with the bronze-colored skin fell into the arms of the gorgeous boy. Emerald looked up at him and laughed nervously. "Sorry," she laughed, while Neo was silently imagining her companion's painful death.
The boy lifted her up and back onto her feet, laughing good-naturedly. "It's quitealright," he assured her as she stepped back.
Emerald sidestepped and kept walking, Neo just behind her, glaring furiously at the sidewalk. Emerald turned and waved at him, and he waved back. Neo glared as the two walked, Emerald laughing lightly. They kept walking, Neo watching the cracked sidewalk beneath her feet.
"You thought he was handsome," Emerald said. It wasn't a question, but Neo shook her head furiously anyways.
"Yeah you did. I could tell when he caught me."
Neo squeaked angrily. No.
"Hey, Neo," Emerald said, her excitement showing in her voice.
Neo looked up, glaring.
Emerald was sifting through the contents of a black wallet. She pulled out an ID card, grinning. "Theodore Fawkce, born in Atlas, attends Kronos Academy. He's eighteen and a Huntsman in training," Emerald read. She looked at Neopolitan, pulling out lien and waving it enticingly. "You still mad at me?"
Neo huffed. So. She stole his wallet. She tricked him. She thought nothing of him. That didn't change anything. Neo crossed her arms, looking away.
Emerald waved the money near Neo. "We can buy ice cream," she offered in a singsong voice.
That got Neo's attention. She looked out the corner of her eye at Emerald, who smiled proudly, saying jokingly, "Theodore's treat."
Neo laughed silently with Emerald, nodding enthusiastically.
Emerald smiled. "We should do this more often."
Neo signed curiously, "Don't you want to keep working with Mercury?"
Emerald cocked her head. "What does that mean?"
Neo paused, forgetting for a moment Emerald had no knowledge of sign language. The irritation from that thought Neo had felt earlier had been replaced with mild disappointment. She mimed holding a pencil, pretending to write on the palm of her other hand, the Neapolitan ice cream in front of her only half-forgotten.
Emerald shuffled through her pocket, not finding either object. With a frown, she skillfully swiped a pencil and notepad from the pocket of a passing waiter. "Here," she said, smiling and holding it out to Neo. Neo returned the smile, taking the paper and pen and quickly repeating her question in small, neat lettering. She held it up for Emerald to see. Neo watched her ruby-red eyes follow the words.
"Well, yeah I do, but you can work with both of us!" she said brightly.
Neo rolled her mismatched eyes. "Mercury's a jerk," she wrote.
Emerald shrugged. "He's not that bad."
Neo laughed. "You like him."
Emerald's face flushed slightly. "I tolerate him," the dark skinned girl corrected.
"But you just said you wanted to keep working with him," Neo pointed out.
"Can't we all just do something together?" she huffed, crossing her arms and scowling defensively.
Neo laughed silently.
"You can come to Beacon with us!" Emerald suggested hopefully.
Neo gave a soundless scoff. "No thanks."
"We can be Team..." Emerald started cheerfully before trailing off. Her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. "Hang on," she said, "I've got this."
Neo patiently took a few bites of her ice cream, watching Emerald calmly.
After a few minutes of mouthing words to herself and shaking her head, Emerald straightened. She pointed at Neo, who drew back in surprise. "Team Cement!"
Neo arched a wary eyebrow. Cement?
Emerald nodded proudly. "Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, and Neo. Spelled C-E-M-N."
Neo snickered.
Emerald glared. "Any better ideas?"
Neo laughed, shaking her head. "I'm not going to Beacon, especially if that's the best you can do for our name," she wrote. "We could always be Team Feminine."
"Feminine?" Emerald laughed.
"FEMN. Fall, Emerald, Mercury, Neo."
"Mercury wouldn't be too happy with that," Emerald joked.
"Why?" Neo asked. "The name fits perfectly!"
Emerald laughed and Neo silently joined her.
Suddenly Emerald's red eyes widened. "Hey, uh, Neo?"
Neo looked at her curiously. Yes?
"We, uh, we never got our mission done."
Oops.
"And where have you two been all day?"
Emerald rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, Cinder uh, w-we..."
Neo looked up at the two, calmly defiant. "We completed the mission smoothly and treated ourselves to ice cream. It was my idea," she signed, even though she knew it was pointless.
"What's the shrimp saying?" Cinder sneered.
Neo glared. She held a paper out to Cinder, where the same words she had just signed were written.
Cinder narrowed her flaming eyes. "What were my orders?"
Emerald ducked her head. "To eliminate the man and return here, ma'am."
Neo glared. She took the notebook back and wrote, "Which we did. And now we're here."
"I never said you could take a detour!" the woman snapped.
"You never said we couldn't," Neo countered.
"You insolent brat!"
"You want your associates to get along, don't you? Consider our detoura bonding exercise. It wouldn't do to have Emerald and I at each other's throats during missions, now would it?" Neo smirked at her own point.
Emerald, who hadn't been able to read anything that Neo wrote, looked up, curios at Cinder's outbursts.
Cinder glared, and fire flared up in her hand, turning the paper to ash and letting it drop to the ground of the warehouse. "Fine. But don't let it happen again." Cinder turned away. Without looking, she snapped her fingers and Emerald jumped like an obedient dog. "We have to meet Mercury at Beacon in half an hour. Hurry up."
"Coming, Cinder," Emerald piped halfheartedly. She took half a step after the woman, but then looked back at Neo, who gave a small, genuine smile.
"Same time, next week?" Emerald asked.
Neo nodded happily.
Emerald smiled brightly. "Same ice cream store?"
Neo shrugged then nodded. Sure.
"Good." Emerald turned as Cinder snapped her name again. "Coming!" In a lower voice, she said as she walked backwards away, waving cheerfully, "Later Neo! I'll ask Cinder if you can join Team FEMN!" she laughed.
Emerald turned and left. She would never replace Roman as Neo's partner and best friend, but maybe she could add another position. Neo smiled at the thought.