The veracity to which Weiss witnessed her tablemates virtually attack their food had brought her fork to a preemptive stop. The room's silence was nonexistent with the horrid chomping of beef and veg, both of which produced the most famished sounds by the others. Ruby was not saved from the experience either. It was usually Ruby who Weiss spent the most time correcting at the table, elbow manners, and when to use proper cutlery. But this… "You'd think they had never eaten before?" Ruby whispered to Weiss, the Schnee nodded in turn.
A hefty fork-full after fork-full was lopped from the beef for Neo's pleasure. The meat was of humongous proportion for the smaller woman. Though one could not tell by the chunks which were driven from it. She was indeed starving. Neo had spent the latter part of her time in Atlas hiding and surviving by the skin of her teeth.
When the city came crashing down, it was three days since she had last eaten, primarily due to her refusal to eat anything aboard that monster Salem produced. That black slime came from somewhere, and she was not going to let anything served by the freaks enter her if she could help it. So the beef and carrots, well, mostly the beef, was doing her an ecstasy of joy. Supplementary, the giant slivers of meat allowed Neo to drop her gaze from the woman across from her, with who Neo was not looking forward to 'speaking' with.
If a rabid stray could be personified, Cinder was very close. Due to the arm situation, her beef had been cut in the kitchen. Though Weiss and Ruby were perplexed by the sudden veracity that the bloody beef dripped onto the plate as the Maiden ate.
Back slouched and arm plastered on the table, Cinder's teeth seemingly became sharper as she attacked the meal, spearing the meat and ripping it from her weapon. In contrast to Neo, Cinder had eaten the 'food' Salem had given them, yet her aura's exhaustion and bodily requirements to get back into proper order had drained her of strength. Weiss set down her fork with a smile to her table mate, "Enjoying the food?"
The Maiden, her mouth and chin covered in the rare red, turned to Weiss, "Yes!" She simply barked before sputtering as some of the unchewed food splashed down onto the plate. Ruby seeing that a silent mass of giggles escaped Neo as she watched the scene across from her. "S-sorry." Cinder said quickly, grabbing hard at her napkin and scrubbing at her face.
The ferocity of the movement caused the Schnee to scoff, "Huh, well, I'm glad…" Weiss turned with a look to Ruby, which Cinder tracked. "Why don't you enjoy my family's food like that." Ruby set down her fork with a befallen gasp, "I could if you let me." She exaggerated with the back of her hand falling upon her brow. Cinder faintly smiled at the act, "I suppose I am a bit more hungry than some." A red embarrassment accompanied a fidget movement of the napkin.
A low clink made Cinder shift her gaze from the bantering Schnee and Rose, turning to her opposite tablemate. Neo's expression was one of shock, her fork's entrails slipping back onto the plate as she stared at the former villainess. A deep scowl grew on Cinder as she glared at Neo, "What?" She mouthed, not wanting to draw too much attention. Neo raised her hands, to which the one-eyed Maiden swatted aggressively. Muttering under her breath as she leaned over the table.
"You know I can't understand a damn thing, you sign. I tried. I didn't figure it out." Cinder huffed, though, in response, Neo looked like she wanted to bang the table, though her grimacing look to the side prevented the act. She instead responded with a mouthing of her words, "What the hell has happened to you?" Neo looked as if she was to growl the question.
Cinder mimicked the expression, "Get bent, I'm starving.-" Neo, with a hidden pointed finger, flashed her eyes at the pair of younger women beside her as she mouthed again. "Not that you absolute dullard!" A flick of the yellow eye to the side out of superstition of eavesdroppers proved fruitless before Cinder turned back with a harsh toothy flash. Notorious for not taking criticism well, she wanted to stand and throw the midget from the terrace behind her, though instead of retaliating with such a display, Cinder stabbed hard into another slice of the beef and tore into it.
The sudden flash of malice by the Maiden made Neo pause, though when the blood once more hit her lips, Neo continued to stare at the face of the still glaring predator. Her gesturing and expression grew tamer as she resumed her questioning, "I mean, why are you breaking bread and laughing with the enemy." Neo added with a light flick of her head to Ruby.
Slowing her chewing, Cinder continued to glare at Neo, swallowing and wiping hard at her face. Cinder turned to the side. Weiss and Ruby talked with a content nature. These private words making it a little easier for Cinder to look at Neo and untie the knot in her left sleeve.
Presenting with a marketable aggravated wince, Cinder rolled the sleeve just enough to reveal the edges of bandages and the wound of her former arm. "These two saved me from being eaten by that monstrous thing." Cinder whispered with a growl, "Now wait for the coffee to discuss something like this." Neo winced with a gawking shake of her head, "Are you high?"
Before Cinder could respond, Ruby cut into their conversation with a smile. "So, you two, how are things?" A groan from Weiss made it evident something had gone awry, though Cinder was more than happy to not be bickering silently with Neo anymore. "That's not what I meant, Dolt." Weiss slapped the red leader's bicep, making Ruby recoil with a wince, "I was going to get to it." She bit back at the Schnee, who only continued to wince.
Ruby paused, waiting for the sighful confirmation from Weiss. As Weiss nodded, Cinder let her frustration fall from her. "Well. Get on with it." Cinder mused, not so stealthily hiding some annoyance. Ruby pointed quickly at the woman, "Easy there, Fall." The sudden aggression made Cinder blink at the girl's sudden confidence.
Lowering her hand, Ruby sighed. "So, I'm afraid that something here has to be said and done before anything else can be made of our…" Ruby looked to Weiss, "What did you call it?" The Schnee turned to the pair with a smile, "Lucrative partnership." Leaning on the table as she spoke, the phrase made Ruby nod, "Right, so the hospitality that Weiss has gracefully provided for you is with some strings attached." Neo tensed, her back flush against the chair as she and Cinder shared a look, "I imagine it will involve a summary execution, knowing Atlas." Cinder mused, turning her head to her plate.
The more diminutive bodyguard's eyes went wide, and she started to stand to make a run for it, though a laugh from Ruby killed the muscles of Neo in their attempt. Though the same reaction did not come as well from Weiss, "What? No!" The Schnee bellowed, the chair tumbling out from behind her as she stood with her hands planted firmly on the table. The sudden bark made Cinder retreat in her chair out of habit, a move Ruby noticed as she flicked a laughing tear from her eyes.
Shaking herself free from her self-imposed panic, Weiss shook her head wildly, "No!" Accompanied by a wincing kind of laugh. Ruby patted Weiss' hand on the table, smiling up at the Schnee. "We wanted to talk about, well, for lack of a better term…" Ruby sighed as Weiss sat down, the pair holding hands as Ruby continued, "Changing teams?"
A long and sharp inhale through Cinder's nose was the only sound that immediately came from Ruby's question. Neo croaked out a cough before she turned coolly back to her plate. Weiss' smile faltered as Cinder turned away herself, "It is, of course, up to you." Weiss muttered quietly as she placed her hand upon Cinder's shoulder, the woman flinching hard at the contact. "I-!" Cinder cracked with a twitch, her breath quickening as she looked at Weiss' hand.
The Schnee removed her hand as Cinder pressed up from the table, quiet, and the eyes of the three others at the table followed her. "Cinder?" Ruby asked with a sweet smile, following the Maiden as she paced around the behind of Ruby's chair. Weiss' smile continued to fall, even as Neo turned to watch Cinder as well.
Her hand stuffed into her pocket, the Fall Maiden traced her thigh as she meandered to the windows. Looking out, she mulled over the idea, 'Change teams. It would be funny if not so plausible.' Cinder's mind was loud as she thought over the concept. 'Naturally, it's this or imprisonment in one of Ironwood's contraptions, or worse…' Cinder thought, bringing her hand up and summoning a match-sized kindle of flame. A low pushing noise from the table made Cinder think of how to reply to the Schnee or Rose.
'They're as persistent and as they are generous. Maybe.-' Cinder's mind curtailed itself as the soft touch of Neo's white-glove took her calmly by the elbow. Looking to the Maiden with a questioning expression, Cinder sighed. "What do you think?" She asked, watching as the mute wet her mouth. Then gestured for Cinder to lean down.
Turning to face Neo fully, Cinder bent at the hip to put her head nearly on a flat angle to Neo. A low clearing of her throat followed Neo again as she cupped her hand around the unscarred ear. Cinder's eye twitched, and her jaw opened as a croak of a voice met her. "Whatever…. you think…." Neo began, the strain of the attempt evident on her face, even if it was concealed by Cinder's bob of black hair. "I'll…. follow…." Neo finished, Cinder retreating an inch and staring harshly at Neo's face. Her lips pursed hard as she whispered to the wincing Neo.
"You could speak this entire time?" The smaller woman huffed a tired scoff as she motioned a slice at her throat with an equally tired smile. Though Cinder's humour turned quick to a sigh, "If we don't go through with it…" Neo watched as Cinder muttered, "We can imagine a poor outcome for the both of us, prison or not." She looked in the mid-distance as she spoke aloud, a calm thoughtfulness peeking through her evident worry. "There's no going back to Salem. The witch burnt that bridge herself."
The shorter of the pair signed something again, "Still don't know what you're signing, but I don't like how you pointed to my arm." Cinder wheezed out with a tired smirk, "Fine. In this together then?" Her sole hand extended to Neo, the shorter of the pair. However, rolled her eyes as she tapped thoughtfully on her chin.
Ruby's eyes were affixed on the door opposite her seat as Weiss' fingers beat like a drum into the table. Cinder and Neo were only a few steps away, but neither Huntress had the gall to interrupt the pair. "It's not unreasonable, is it?" Ruby asked quietly, "It is help us or prison." Weiss nodded at the assessment, "Or worse, Atlas is still in the dark ages, it seems after this week." The comment drew a chuckle from the leader, which made the Schnee smile.
Ruby's hand slowly moved over and took Weiss' as the pair's eyes met. The Schnee nodded slowly as she spoke, "Whatever happens, we have to be a part of it. Whether it's us arresting them or helping their journeys along." Weiss said calmly, "Right?" she asked. Ruby formed a loose smile, holding Weiss' hand still as she tiredly looked to the table, "Yeah, I'm okay with that." The affirmed statement let Weiss breathe easier as Ruby jostled her hand.
The tapping of shoes on the floor made both of them turn with a shock. Neo was at Cinder's side, making the two appear like a parent and child with how their stances mirrored each other. Cinder held a simple smile, "So, I think I might need a change of clothes if we're gonna be working together." The Maiden scoffed, "Can't look like a cheap Schnee knockoff." The Maiden huffed with a tug at her shirt as the sounds of screeching chairs caused her to look up.
Weiss and Ruby's arms encased the taller firewoman, her black hair justling with the impact of the hug. Releasing a low hum of confusion, "What is?.." Turning to a devilishly smirking Neo, the look made Cinder try to wriggle free, only for Weiss and Ruby to hug harder. Weiss muttered as she did so, "Don't ruin this, just take it." Her blue eyes opening and spying Neo chuckling aside.
"Oi, little one," Ruby called over Weiss' shoulder. Neo's laugh turning to an offended glare, "Get in here." The leader continued, both Weiss and Ruby opening the hug for Neo. Cinder's confusion turned to a haughty scoff as she watched Neo look offended by merely being asked.
Adding to the misery, Cinder mused, "Come, Neo." raising her own hand to Neo. The shorter mute's agape mouth fell more, though it appeared as if she bit the bullet with a shake of her head and a painfully slow joining of the hug. The short one instantly was smothered within the pile, though the wriggling subsided after a moment. After a few moments of hugging, the Schnee mumbled, "So that's enough hugging-." Ruby's arms curtailing them in closer, "No, not yet."