The "gated" community which held the Schnee manor was an understatement it had seemed to Neo. The portion to which the Schnees enjoyed their lap of luxury once seemed so detached from the rest of their wealthy peers. She had noticed that much, at least when she and Cinder stayed here.
Now, Neo rode on the lap of the blonde brawler, eyes flying about as she inspected the 'come-to-land' downfall. Large gates that had once been the arteries for visitors and 'the help' were torn asunder as if by a force of nature, fitting that the place was such a rollover, reminded Neo of Jacques in the sparse few minutes she served him cocktail shrimp at the morose party.
The bike slowed to a brief crawl as they passed into the grounds of the estate proper. The large circular driveway that once occupied airships and cars now served as a relatively good footpath for rodents, the blonde behind Neo scowling at a passing raccoon. "Hate those things," Yang muttered, revving her engine something fierce to get the rodent to scramble.
A low gurgle from Neo's stomach made her wince. Yang must have heard it as she leaned forward on the smaller prisoner. "I'm sure you'll get some gruel soon, what Watts is getting too." Neo flashed her teeth at the glimpse of lilac in the corner of her eye.
As Yang retreated, Neo drew up a thought of the brief words Cinder had deemed Watts with. "He's as brilliant as he is smug, don't talk to him less you desire to lose your privacy to a bug." At the thought of rooming with the man, Neo's limited range of speech drew forth a "Humf."
"Yang?" Blake called from her own bike, speeding up a touch and bringing herself alongside Yang. "Jaune's calling. They found a griffon and sphinx den." Blake said with a slump. "Ugh, why did we come back?" Yang growled, Blake, nodding to Neo as she patted the umbrella. "Oh, right, didn't see her there." Yang laughed while Neo grimaced, "Well, let's call Weiss and Ruby, drop her off and run to help them?" Yang suggested as they drew to a stop at the front doors.
Blake had scarcely removed her scroll before the doors were thrown open with a bang. Ruby billowed down the steps, Klein a scarce few steps behind her, "Hey guys!" Blake glanced at her scroll for a moment before pocketing it again. "Rubes!" Yang called, then gestured to Neo, "Look what we found in the gutter." Ruby met Neo's eyes with a deep glare from the tri-coloured woman. Ruby slowed her run to a halt, "Yeah, I heard..."
Ruby muttered with a sigh, "We're just collecting baddies now, huh?" She asked the air. Klein hiked past the red leader with his kit in hand, "Right then, is she injured?" Blake removed the weapon, tossing it to Ruby as Yang winced, "Think she got winded, but other than that, not sure." Klein released a heavy sigh, "Young women, don't you two know it's against Atlas law to not inspect detained persons for injuries?"
The pair of huntresses looked at each other. The red leader sighed heavily, "Didn't you guys go to Hunter-Kingdom relations class in Beacon?" Ruby shook her head. "Skimmed the textbook." Blake offered, "I did not go." Yang stated flatly, interrupting herself as Neo was picked up by her arms and presented like a cat to Klein and Ruby. "But we gotta go. Jaune and the others found a big nest of Grim left over." Neo scowled as she shook in the blonde's grasp.
Klein released a heavy sneeze, red overtaking his eyes as he slapped Yang's wrist repeatedly, "Don't shake detainees is also a law!" Neo dropped to her feet with a wince as Yang recoiled, "Ouch! Fine!" Yang relented, retracting her hands with nursing to her offending wrist. "We'll get out of your hair then," Blake said with a chirp and scoff. "Good luck, watch this one." Yang said with one last nod to Ruby and Neo, "She's tricksy." Klein huffed before sneezing, "I'm sure we will be able to handle her. She will experience the finest of Schnee hospitality!"
Yellow eyes glittered like gold as Klein placed his hand firm on the shoulder of the equal in height Neo. Ruby waved to her sister, "Good luck! Be safe!" Neo was pressed along by the still happy Klein, the ever happy man speaking enough for both her and the mute. "You know, it has been quite a while since I've met someone else my height!" Neo's scowl and eye rolls intensified as Ruby followed the pair into the manor proper.
Weiss winced, sitting in a chair within what was once her father's study. The cool crackling of the fireplace in the corner and the warm smell of charcoal made the Schnee grow tired. Her legs crossed, and her hand mopped the dreariness from her face. She was ever more aware of the other being within the room.
Answering a waiting question in the air with a shake of her head, "Yes, we bought the district some years ago." Cinder growled from her place, inspecting the various maps laid upon the desk. Weiss still smirked at the sight of the villain encased in the thrown-together clothing of different Schnee siblings. Though the trousers had not been valiantly handed over from Whitely.
"What became of it, if I may ask?" Cinder asked with a quiet wince, pointing to a building on some backend district road Weiss had never heard of before. Weiss shook her head with a slight pout, "Couldn't tell you. Father didn't keep many things from that part of the city. Anything within it probably got liquidated." Cinder paused at the phrasing, "Clarify that? Liquidated as in absorbed?" Weiss shook her head again, "More likely bulldozed and replaced with a statue to Father." A poignant smugness came over Weiss, "Makes me happy that he's finally locked up." The offhand comment made Cinder a complete turn to the Schnee.
Retreating from the desk to her feet, Cinder's hand rose to be placed on her hip. As she cleared her throat. "I thought the Schnees were all very close. All those family balls and charity events aren't exactly subtle about that?" Weiss heaved a laugh. The sarcasm dripped from it as Cinder took one of the seats ahead of the table.
"Yes, well, Father thinks it's good business to have a unified front and disagreement behind closed doors." The Schnee explained. It wasn't hard for Cinder to sense the unease about the Schnee. She had coaxed one too many things in the personal world, now she sat in her home with what she was sure was a pair of Weiss' socks on. The low groan that accompanied the chair's old wheels as it rocked gently beneath the anxious Schnee made Cinder see the whiteness of the Schnee's knuckles.
Electing to keep quiet, something new she was learning, Cinder tapped her fingers against the leather armrest. Weiss mimicked the gesture of keeping quiet, sitting back further in the chair, folding her hands and toying with her gloves. The fire filled the air, a low dulcet crackling that made Cinder turn to it for a moment.
Though the portrait pictured above the fire made her wince, Cinder's voice came with a spectre of laughter. "I can see why you hate him." Weiss' attention turned over to the woman opposite her, then turning to the large portrait. "Ah, yeah. He never had a small impression of himself." A smirk graced her face, "With that pencil-stache? It's hard to see the resemblance between him and the bigger portrait in the hall." Cinder joked, looking to the Schnee for a glimmer of relaxation.
Weiss' shoulders did seem to settle, though only a touch as she nodded, "Father is not a Schnee." She said flatly, "He married in." A low hum left Cinder, "Hence the darker hair?" Weiss nodded, "He tried to dye it early on to stay black." Scoffing, Cinder replied, "Surprised none of you ended up with that gorgeous colour." She mused, playfully throwing a hand through her own. Weiss winced, leaning forward slightly, "Well, actually." She flicked her finger at Cinder, drawing the Maiden to lean in closer. "My sister, Winter, is naturally black-haired. She dyes it."
Something kindling within Cinder forced her to playfully drop her jaw, "You're kidding, huh." Nodding as she looked to Jaques, "Well if it's not overstepping, she looks better with white hair." Cinder said with a solitary flick of the leather. A dull scruff of a laugh left Weiss, "I consider it a compliment…" Weiss seemingly bit her tongue, shaking her head for a moment. Cinder swallowed as the Schnee continued, "Though I know the last time you and my sister met," Weiss's heart quickened, she pressed herself to continue speaking. "It wasn't on the best terms you two parted." Weiss hesitated with the wording.
Cinder opened her mouth for a moment, closing it as she caught on air, "I-." She tried to begin, though the banging of the door drew both Schnee and Fall to their feet. From the other side of the door, Klein's voice called out, "Pardon me, Misseses?" The door cracking a touch as the small butler's head poked through, "Miss Rose would care for you two to join her in the dining hall." Weiss and Cinder shared a look, the pair noticing the other's hands. Weiss' rested on Myretensuar's hilt beside the desk, while Cinder's was flexed in such a manner Weiss had seen throw fire before.
Upon the pair's individual realizations, a low chuckle made the pair drop their hands. "We're on our way, Klein. Thank you." The butler bowed his head at Weiss' voice. As the butler stepped away, Cinder blinked at the interaction, looking to Weiss as the pair left the study.
Speaking as she glanced up and down the hall, spying Klein's footstep around a corner, Cinder felt confident enough to speak. "How long has the butler-" Weiss correcting her quick, "Klein, his name is Klein." The Maiden blinked, "R-right. How long has Klein served you?" Her brow furrowed as Weiss gestured sideward to the passing portrait of Nicholas Schnee, "Klein started at the end of my Grandfather's career as a warrior, as with most of the estate's workers." Cinder's mouth quirked at the answer, "That's a long time to own so many people, is it not?" Weiss turned with a start, propelling her finger up and under Cinder's chin.
"Do not imply that the Schnee Estate owns these people. Klein and his staff are practically family to us, and I trust them all." The commanding tone sounded out of place in the hall, but not from the woman using it. Cinder's surprise at the outburst was apparent. Though minor from what she was used to, she recovered with the drop of the finger. "I didn't mean to offend, it's just…" Cinder winced, then shook her head, "It's just I have had experience with one such caste of servants in Atlas." Weiss seemed to pause as Cinder brushed off the comment, "Forget I said anything. Let's go see what Little Red is up to, hmm?" Cinder managed to project a smirk, though it did little to snuff Weiss' interest. "Sure…" The Schnee said, sticking her hand out and leading them on.
The brief opulent halls of the estate seemed so different to Weiss, already work was being done in this wing to repair the damaged screens of glass by workers. 'Mother is moving quickly.' Weiss thought to herself, noticing removing one of Jaques' portraits by a worker, leaving a patch of faded paint behind in its stead. "Seems that the saving face is starting." Cinder huffed with dry humour. Weiss hummed a laugh, "More like positive rebranding." She corrected with a point to the air, a light snort drew from the Maiden, frankly surprising the Schnee.
Coming to the large doors of the dining hall, Weiss held her hand on the door handle. Cinder glanced from the Schnee to the knob, then back again, "Are you alright, Weiss?" Blue eyes blinked, with red sputtered lightly on the Schnee with the former villain's use of her name. "Y-yes. Just.. the last time I opened this door, it was all dramatic, and I arrested my father." Cinder's brow peaked. At least Weiss thought it did; the eyepatch made it hard. "You arrested your father?" A quick nod and turn to the door made Cinder huff a laugh, "Huh, good on you, Little Schnee." Opening the door with a turn and push of the knob, the door steadily creaked open to reveal the brightened hall.
Broaching calmly into the room, Weiss inspected it with a curious tenacity, though her attention focussed as Ruby's voice called out to her. "Weiss!" Turning with a slight jump and more fully entering the room, Weiss bellowed roughly back, "Ruby! Don't yell in here. This place has such a dreadful-." Her voice drained away from her as the door drifted open unprovoked. Ruby sat at the far head of the table beneath a portrait of her grandfather, eating a fine cuisine for lunch with what looked like chocolate milk and a swirly straw, yet that was not the most startling component.
To Ruby's right and one chair over sat the criminal Neapolitan. Beside her on the table laid pair of handcuffs as she quietly ate and drank a similar meal. Neo must not have cared to greet the Schnee, as she continued to tear into the beef with a tenacity only a starved animal would possess.
Weiss sputtered, "What you got there, buddy?" Ruby held her cup aloft, "Choccy milk! Come, join us!" Weiss shook her head in bafflement as she proceeded deeper into the room. "How- Why is Neo sitting at my table?" Weiss whispered with a spit to herself. Out from behind the Schnee stepped Cinder, who commented on the opulence. "Jeez, lots of windows for a dinner-." Cinder halted, locking eyes with Neo, who was mid-chew. The smaller of the staredown, freezing with a heavy swallow and look sheer of shock.
The Maiden's eye, if even for a moment, blew up with orange fire and her teeth flashed the mute. Though the Maiden quickly extinguished it herself with a shutting of her eye and a deep and breath. "Weiss?" Cinder managed, the Schnee turning back to her, "Can you do me a favour?" Weiss looked at Cinder as she asked calmly, "Sure, this lunch is already weird as it is." Weiss mopped her brow, "Can you sit next to me? I fear for Neo's safety otherwise." Cinder said shortly, Weiss' head tilted as she asked, "I-is Neo in danger?" Cinder nodded, "Yes because I'm going to throw her like a ragdoll if I sit next to her for leaving me behind with a sentient black goo dog." The Maiden said concisely as she cut the air with her hand, staring at Neo as she did so, the Mute jumping a little in her seat as she did so.
Watching the small interaction, Weiss sighed. grabbing Cinder's hand and lowering it with a nod to the Maiden, "Okay, just don't break anything, please." A sigh left Cinder, "I shall try…" Before she continued, however, a servant exited the side room with a pair of meal trays. Cinder coincidently sniffed the air, making her stop her declaration. Weiss snickered as Cinder's stomach erupted in a low and painfully sounding growl, "Though I cannot promise the same for your food stores."
Cinder said with a quick apologetic smile, Weiss, blinking with a blush at sight, dropped her hand from Cinder's hand, "Fine. I get the feeling you could do with food more than a fight then." Weiss stepped past Cinder, grabbing the door to the dining hall before the pair took on a united deep breath, exhaling hard as Weiss shut the door with a wooden slam.