Her eyepatch once more fitted onto her while Cinder tugged at her collar. She scoffed, "How thin is your damn neck?" The outfit Cinder had been presented with from Weiss had followed her short request. A simple black sleeveless leather surcoat, with a breast flap lined in golden fabric, "This seems heavily outside of the Schnee clothing ideal." Cinder muttered as she fumbled with her glove.
Cinder's voice carried down to Weiss, who was lacing the villain's boots, some old brown huntsmen pair she had dragged out from gods knows where. Weiss scoffed. "The undershirt is Whitely's. Mine would be too tight in the chest for you." Cinder scoffed, "I sincerely doubt that." Cinder posed slightly, black slacks matched with the remainder of her ensemble. The Maiden, smirking as she looked herself over with Weiss' vanity, chided her appearance, "Though I'll need you to help me with my arm…" Nodding to the empty space at her side, Cinder looked to Weiss with a pleading smile.
Cinder watched as something she could only describe as delayed recognition relayed through Weiss' figure and face. The Schnee turned from thinking to beaming as she snapped her fingers. "I have just the thing. You'll love this!" Watching as the Schnee darted off, Cinder relented to use her teeth to affix a black glove better in place. When the Schnee returned, Weiss called out with a soft hum to draw the biting Maiden's attention.
Her voice was low, Cinder seemingly tired of the guesswork. "What is it, Schnee?" Though when Cinder turned back to see the Schnee, her expression lit up. In Weiss' hands, freshly stitched and repaired, was the black and gold cape she had worn before.
There was some small part of Weiss that wanted to photograph the villain's face as it sparked with a smile. The Maiden took a few quick steps toward Weiss, her eye emboldened with emotion as she shook in disbelief, "Where did you find this?" Cinder laughed, petting the material within Weiss' hands. "This old thing?" Weiss flexed the fabric with a huff, "We found it with you, but it took Klein and I a little while to repair it." Cinder crouched a little as she offered her neck to the Schnee, "Could you-?" Weiss nodded, already undoing the clasps of golden metal, maneuvering them underneath the Maiden's collar. Standing back up, Weiss had hoped to see the brilliant smile upon Cinder again, though she was a little disheartened.
The Fallen Maiden was instead pouting, wincing as she spoke, "Weiss, this is fantastic." Turning back to the vanity and looking over the brilliant ensemble to which Weiss was commissioned. "Is everything alright then? You seem… distracted?" The Schnee commented, her hands folding over each other at her chest while she tilted toward Cinder. The Maiden coughed a little as she looked to the mirrored Weiss, "No, no, this is perfect…" She flexed the material about, finding it lithe and manipulatable, though it didn't stop her head from shaking.
Turning back to Weiss, Cinder raised her hand to the side and just let it drop with a slap to her leg, "I can't remember the last time someone else ever gave me this much effort into helping me out." Cinder laughed with a scratch to the back of her head and sideward glance, "As sad as that sounds."
Though the Schnee merely shrugged, resigning herself to fixing the cape on Cinder's shoulder again, "That's what friends are for, Cin. Now quit the theatrics. We have a party to get to." The Maiden's brow raised as she huffed quietly, "Cin?" Weiss' Hands retreated a little at the query, "O-oh, sorry, too far?" Weiss asked with a worried flash of teeth. A red blush overcame the Maiden, who shook her head and raised her hand, "N-no, I just haven't had a... non-derogatory name given to me by someone…" Cinder nodded with a blush to Weiss, "Cin… I like it." She finished with a smile.
The flash made Weiss sputter for a moment, an awkward giggle drooled from the Schnee, which was curtailed by a cough into her fist. "W-well, unfortunately, we didn't find anything else with you." Weiss shrugged, "Well, except those two little capsules in the cloak, I didn't know they were, but..." She finished with a point to the cloak.
The Maiden beamed as she threw open her cloak again, folding weird without an arm to lean upon. "Really?" The genuine excitement at what Weiss knew to be something so tiny made the Schnee's curiosity grow. Cinder's hand darting to just the right spot within the cape and unveiling two little blackened pieces of what Weiss thought was glass. Cinder sighed, holding the pieces to her chest for a moment as she winced happily.
"This is Midnight." Cinder said with an extension of her hand, presenting the two cylindrical pieces to an observant Weiss. "Oh?" Weiss asked, her smile lessening from worry, "What is it?" The Schnee's hands gravitating behind her, mentally taking stock of where her rapier was in the room out of habit. Weiss couldn't tell if Cinder noticed the subtle flick of her blue eyes to the weapon. She had hoped not.
Cinder held the two bits for a moment, blinking with a shake of her head before she looked up to the Schnee. The apprehension at the small yet dangerous pieces from the Schnee made Cinder grip the things tight. Promptly nodding as she sighed, "I-its not important right now." Cinder gripped the two cylinder bits of obsidian and placed them carefully down onto the vanity.
Weiss' worry seemingly dissipated, but the Schnee's curiosity was yet to be ended, "Show me later?" Weiss asked with a laugh, making the Maiden huffed, "Sure. When everyone is more comfortable with me being here, maybe?" Cinder rolled her eye, though she saw the worry in Weiss' expression return. The Schnee placed her hands to her hips as her face took a downturn, and she released a tired wince at the statement.
Though, before Ciner could amend her commentary, with her hand already reaching out to console her companion, the Schnee hesitantly nodded and quietly brushed the appendage to the side. "Let's just see how this goes. I'm with you, Cin, but.-" Weiss gestured to the door, but Cinder swallowed and spat out a wince, "I get it." Turning to the door, Cinder felt the need to speak her mind as she cut the air, "I don't need them to like me, just to know I'm genuine about being here." Cinder managed finally, taking her steps toward the door, hand resting on the handle with a smile to the following Schnee, "Now, let's bite the bullet then, Schnee." A quick nod from Weiss, right behind an emboldened Cinder, set the pair off with the opening of the door.
Still looking behind her, Cinder spoke to Weiss, "Let's see if Neo is- Gods!" The Maiden's sudden shock startled Weiss, as well as the shorter woman who was leaning against the opposite wall. Neo jumped a few inches in surprise before silently cursing and gesturing at the pair, "Neo... Neo, I-We." Still trying to catch her breath, Cinder tried to reason with the mute. Weiss frowned a little, "Neo?" She managed. Her interruption seemingly earned a tired glance from Cinder and a spiteful one from the mute.
Swallowing, Weiss removed her scroll, a tired smile of her own taking over her as she handed the device toward Neo. "Would you care to put your number in this? I'd think it'd be good if we could actually understand one another…" she scoffed, "Besides the whole... Aggravated gestures and that." Spying the outstretched device, Neo withheld her reaction for a moment. For so long, she'd been solely dependent on a few people.
Neo didn't react until a long sigh from Cinder broke her train of thought, "No, just stand there longer. I couldn't really use a bourbon, and you don't either." Cinder's sarcasm earned a pointed glare from both the Schnee and Neo, "Fine, just give Weiss your scroll, and we can all text around a warm fire." The dictate from her seeming boss made Neo look from the taller Fall to the weary smile of the Schnee.
A silent-deep sigh followed Neo swiping the device, her fingers tumbling unthinkably fast before throwing the scroll back to Weiss. "Hey, be nice to our host." Cinder groaned, her hand rummaging the shorter girl's hair, Neo protesting with a silent flutter of hands to stop Cinder.
Removing herself from one of the few operating air taxis in Atlas still, Winter had to mentally prepare herself for another Schnee manor party. This time, she was dressed without her military regalia. Recent events made her want to get as much distance from her and Ironwood, especially when surrounded by many people who deposed the tyrant. The soft click of Winter's heels up the steps of her home felt so distant. As had it felt odd to see her baby brother attending the door.
The boy had just let in some of what Winter recognized to be municipal workers, and his eyes drifted over to Winter and her vehicle. "Sister!" Whitely said with a short smile and wave, Winter irked lightly. Stepping up the steps, Winter exhaled, "Good evening, Whitely." She said flatly, though she had not expected the sudden 'wump' as Whitely collided with her.
"What… are you doing?" Winter asked with a fluctuation in her calm. Whitely's hands gripped her back as he shook his head. "Weiss' friends recommended that the Schnee's should try being more open with their emotions." Winter, purely out of reflex, returned the gesture. Winter sighed, eyeing around to other guests with a glare, "Was it the red and yellow one?" A low mutter from Whitely made her stifle a laugh. Winter awkwardly adding, "Pat pat." He continued as he patted her back, then retreated from Winter's grip. "Awkward, but okay." She mused with a slight huff.
The younger brother only nodded, "Yes, but I think if we were to do it to Weiss, it would be far more entertaining?" Whitely smirked with a wink, making Winter scowl. "Are you suggesting we should pointlessly exercise our family's power to force our sister into a situation she would be uncomfortable in but not risk her wellbeing?" Winter asked with an upturned brow. Whitely shrugged with a nod, "That's about it, yeah?" He scratched his neck with a coughing laugh. Winter's scowl was quick to drop to a smile, "Sure, I don't wanna talk to mother. Let's disappoint our sister." Winter snatched her brother around the shoulders, the boy laughing as she dragged him off.
"This is highly unorthodox, you know?" Whitely said as he pointed directions for the pair, "Absolutely." Winter responded, smirking as she pressed them on, commenting further, "Just as long as we can pay back the redeemed Schneebling, I don't care." Making the pair of Schnee's chuckle quietly. Leaving the large atrium, Winter and Whitely continued to hold each other in the darkened halls, "Did mother cut the electricity bill?" Winter asked with a glare into the dark.
Bobbing his shoulders with a shrug, Winter could feel Whitely's eyes roll with the amount of sass, "Weiss thought it would be a good way to dissuade visitors from coming down here toward her group's little party." Though Winter could hear the sarcasm, she nodded along, "Well, it's better than a dinner and wine with mother, Robin, and..." A horrified shudder went through the elder Schnee, "Qrow." Winter muttered with a laugh. Whitely nodded along, looking sideward to his sister, "I never said it was."
The dismal corridor blanketed in the quiet night, and a soft echo of refinery made Winter smile, better than spending another night in the cold barracks, she supposed. The click of her heels and Whitely's shoes filled the air, "Did Weiss mention who all would be here?" Winter asked with a slight roll of her shoulder. Whitley thought for a moment, "Well, her usual crowd of miscreants. Her Beacon team and the blonde boy's group-."
Winter chuckled, "You say 'blonde boy' like Jaune is not close to a decade older than you." The boy groaned in turn, "Yes, but he cannot do math or run a complex set of businesses, so to me, he is a boy." She scoffed, shaking her head. Winter patted her brother's shoulder, "Yes, but he's also a competent military leader and a fine fighter." The boy groaned, "Fine, I'll give in to him being a good boy then."
Smirking, Winter nodded briefly for Whitely to continue. "Oscar should also be there, I believe Penny as well." Winter's pace slowed a touch, "Penny's back up and moving?" She asked with a laugh, though the soldier stifled it down, "That's good to hear." Whitely's sole reaction was a weak backhand against his sister's chest, "Aw, the tin soldier has a heart." To which she muttered a huff, batting his hand down.
"Quiet, she's a good person." Her scowl did little to dissuade Whitely, as he merely rolled his eyes and picked up his speed for the pair of them, "Whatever, weirdo." He paused for a moment, "Oh, also, we have two new guests." Whitely's tone was near flippant, but Winter heard distinct laps in his breath, "I believe you've met one of them before."
Ruby sat with a kick of her feet atop a small bar in the drawing room's corner. Sitting at the bar were Penny and Yang. The brute of a sister was once more trying to prove she was the most physically gifted within the room, her flesh arm in combat with Penny's own.
"Friend Yang," The calm voice of the ever-youthful ginger came with a chuckle, "I feel as though you have not thought through my vastly superior hydraulics." Yang scoffed with a wiry smirk at her opponent, "Penny, please. You're good, but not that good." Penny offered a short shrug, her freckled face upturned in a smile as she nodded to Ruby. "I am prepared, Ruby." She said shortly, the red leader looked from Penny to Yang, "Me too, count it down, Rubes." Yang made some final adjustments as Ruby nodded and stood upon the bar.
"Right, hey everyone! Yang and Penny are gonna arm wrestle for team's strongest!" A short shout from their small gathering, particularly from the other ginger, Nora, "I got the winner!" Made Ruby, among others, laugh. "Right, we shall begin on the count of three, are our contestants prepared?" Ruby hollered out again, pointing between the two. Blake slunk around Yang's shoulder with a kiss for luck as the brawler nodded roughly. Then Ruby looked to Penny, backed by Jaune and Ren, "I am arm-wrestling ready!" Penny laughed out as she set her arm stiff.
The pair of men behind Penny shared an elbow, "I bet you ten Yang wins?" Jaune said with a whisper to Ren, "Oh come on, I got twenty on the Protector." The ninja replied with a scoff. Across from them, Blake waved, mouthing, "Forty on Yang!" The men scoffed, "This is gonna be bloody." Jaune huffed, "For you, maybe." Ren corrected, crossing their arms, "You can do it, Penny!" Ren hollered, making Jaune wince, "Come on, Yang!"
All the while, Oscar sat beside the fire with his cane cross his lap. "You lot are going to get yourselves in trouble when Weiss comes back, you know that, right?" His pestering was met by a collective gawking by the group, "Oscar, come on, she won't care about a little damage." Blake responded with a swipe at the air, earning a mere shrug and scoff from the younger boy. "Suit yourself. I choose life." He said finally, turning back to a digital book upon his scroll.
Bolstered by a myriad of factors, Ruby looked over her resolute sister and the still pleasant Penny. "One!" She began, holding her hand up tall as she continued, "Two!" Yang and Penny's hands flexed hard together, Nora near foaming at the mouth as Blake whispered increasingly to Yang. "Three!" She waved her hand down with a flash. A soft shot of air and weakened splinters of wood flew from the bar, an exhibit of Penny and Yang's raw power put on presentation.
"Go, Yang!" Blake said loud, "Do it for me!" Yang's brow dotted with perspiration as her teeth clenched. Penny seemingly was having a more difficult time as well, her brow hardening slightly as her smile lowered. The grouping of huntsmen and huntresses continued to cheer on support as both contestants' postures gradually worsened into a near head to wrist battle. More cracking of the wood drew forth a growing issue.
"Hey!" Came a bark from the doorway, "Oh, crap." Ruby groaned. Though the combatants continued their bout, the door caught the mass attention of the people.
Weiss had her hands on both sides of the doorframe, her face a scowl as she shouted, "Quit breaking my furniture! What are you dogs?!" With a slight bout of yelling done away with, Ruby was shortly on the floor and rushing over to the rageful Schnee.
"Weiss! Hey~, we don't know what you're talking about?" Weiss grimaced as she glared down at the leader, "Don't play stupid. We could hear the wood breaking from the hall." She mused a little quieter, though seemingly with more menace. Ruby smiled weakly as she opened her mouth to reply,
"Truly, you don't hide things well, do you, Red? Ruby blinked at the low tone which emanated from the obscured hall. Stepping past Weiss, who offered a bark at being sidestepped, Ruby turned the corner to see Cinder and Neo both leaning against the wall. "Hey, you two! I didn't know you were going to join us?!" Ruby exhaled loudly, moving toward the pair with her arms outstretched for a hug. Though the tri-haired woman was the first to caybash the action, as Cinder mused, "Don't presume we're on the same side, quit breaking the host's furniture. It is highly disrespectful."
Ruby huffed with a clear of the throat. Weiss behind her gawked for a moment, "I have never had such support in anything…" The Schnee said wide-eyed, while Ruby looked back to her partner with a laugh, "Is it too late to turn them over?" The comment drew a laugh from the pair of villains while Weiss shook her head, "Not even a chance, I finally have allies, Rubes." Weiss smirked at her partner.
"Weiss? Ruby?" Jaune's voice echoed from the room, walking over from the group as he called, "Who've you brought?" The partners exchanged a look, "Hide?" Ruby mumbled to Cinder. In turn, the Fall Maiden joking callously, "Oh yes, we shall be the perfect sculptures." Neo chuckled at the taller woman's eye roll. Weiss, however, merely held a finger to her mouth as she looked at the pair of criminals. When Neo nodded with a scoff, Weiss said softly to Ruby, "We have to get them used to these two soon, better now than never." Ruby sighed as she watched Jaune approach, "Right, but could we do that after Yang leaves her arm wrestle mode?" Another crack of wood echoed into the hall.
Jaune, coming to a stop just before the door, looked from Weiss to Ruby, "You two good? Who have you brought?" His approach came to a stop as Weiss and Ruby stepped a little into the room, "So…" Ruby began, scratching her neck with a laugh, "Well…" Weiss continued, "What's up? Why are you two being weird?" Jaune asked, his gaze shifting between the pair before coming to a stop between the two. "Oh, good. You're up."
He said with a sudden death to his worried expression. Between the pair, a pale arm and gloved hand extended, Cinder's voice bellowing past them. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we have been fully acquainted?" Ruby cringed at the statement as Weiss turned slightly to look at Cinder, "Blonde boy." She said flatly through a whisper. Cinder's eye squinted for a moment as Jaune's hand hesitated to take the woman's hand, "Sorry, I think we may have actually met before?" She offered with a light smile.
The man all the while retained his stoic expression, "Yes, at Haven actually…" Cinder nodded, "Ah, right… What did you say your name was?" She asked, still drawing a blank as she dropped her hand from the man. His hand returned to him, coming to rest upon where a blade's holster would have been. "I'm Jaune Arc, Beacon student, a former teammate of Pyrrha Nikkos? Think you met here?" His face and tone remained even the whole way through, while he spoke, both Nora and Ren journeyed up behind him, their expressions far harder than that of Jaune's.
Cinder, however, blinked in realization, her hand shuttering slightly as Neo crept behind her. The shorter woman clenched her fist behind Cinder's back. "Yes…" Cinder said flatly. Both Weiss and Ruby remained in their spots between the two people. Jaune looked over the woman, eventually sighing. "I can't speak for my team." Ruby watched as her friend's blue eyes softened slightly, his voice sounding more tired than anything.
The man continued on, Cinder watching his slight shift from side to side as he spoke. "But… I think I need a little bit to accept, whatever, this is." He looked to Ruby, then to Weiss. "Jaune." The red leader said quietly, her hand resting on the blonde man's shoulder. Cinder felt the urge to step back as the boy's hand raised from his side, resting on Ruby's hand, "I just need a moment or two to mull it over still, Ruby."
Cinder saw the tired smile he wore, "Weiss?" Jaune said, looking over to the Schnee, "Yes, Jaune?" She replied with a lean. "I think I'm going to turn in. Thank you for the wonderful evening." Weiss bowed her head at the blonde leader's decision. Ren and Nora similarly mimicked the gesture, their eyes trailing over a fixated Cinder and a watchful Neo as they continued out into the hall.
Jaune lingered behind, addressing Cinder directly. "I'm sorry, I'm usually better with words…" The Fall Maiden offered, receiving a lowly laugh from Jaune, "I'm sure you are.." Jaune answered with a nod, stepping around the group, taking care not to bump into any of the group at the door.
"Good night, Friends!" Came a cry from Penny at the bar, who had both Blake and Yang hung from her arm trying to pull her over.
A low drawl of wince caused both Ruby and Weiss to turn back, expecting to see some distraction from their added guests. Though Weiss rolled her eyes at Cinder and Neo's shared a more annoyed expression than anything else. "They'll come around," Ruby assured, smiling weakly.
Though Neo only released a low scoff while Cinder turned to the red girl with a smirk. "I could care less. They'll be around eventually." Weiss stared aghast at Cinder slightly. Her tone had drastically changed from only a few tens of minutes prior.
Perhaps the drink and plant had actually worn out of her system so fast. "Right.." Ruby said with a nod, though Weiss made to open her mouth as the leader took a step at the brooding Fall Maiden. Cinder's eye blinked something furious as Ruby ensnared her within a surprisingly strong embrace, "What are you doing?" The Maiden seemingly growled as Neo strode up alongside Weiss with a smirk.
Ruby looked up to Cinder's face with a brighter smile, "I haven't seen you all day! And it's so cold here." Ruby added with a huff, baring her face against the bare arm of the Maiden. In response, Cinder's expression lowered from surprise to a scowl, "Between you and Neo, I'm not a sentient heater." Though Cinder tried to pry Ruby's adoring from her, Neo flashed her scroll at Weiss.
The Schnee tried to not look as if she was reading the device, but she did lean slightly to observe the machine. In a simple note on the device, Neo had written, "What's with Supreme Fire Ass' new digs?" Neo smirked as Weiss looked over at her. The slight separation between the pairings allowed for some hushed conversation.
"She didn't exactly take care of her old one, something something theft of drink and mother's…" Weiss paused to motion a pinch at her mouth, "More illicit substance." Neo feigned an aghast expression, her hand coming to cover her mouth, before she committed to a laugh, one to which Weiss felt inclined to join with.
Cinder's glower did draw both of them back, the Maiden's hand pressed on Ruby's head as she muttered, "Honestly.." Ruby sulked as she released herself from the woman's arm, "Now that I'm warm," Ruby said with a look to Neo and Weiss, the latter offering a slight smirk at her chipper attitude, "Why don't you two meet everyone?"
Unsurprisingly, Weiss was the first to wave off Ruby, "Ruby, why don't we just let Cinder and Neo have a moment to adjust?" The Schnee looked to Cinder, "They haven't done much in the way of socializing anyway." The golden eye of Cinder flipped between Weiss and Ruby before a small glimmer of a smile grew on the tired face.
"Well, I think I would more than love to meet your friends." The Maiden looked to her trihaired partner, "You game Neo?" In response, Neo merely looked over to the shouting blonde, who had seemingly been bested alongside her partner by the ginger bot. Neo shook her head, pointing instead to the two chairs by the fire. "Suit yourself." Cinder murmured, taking a step forth and placing her hand upon Ruby's shoulder. "Right, let's meet these people."
Weiss swallowed as the trio of herself, Cinder, and Ruby meandered over to the bar. The Schnee's eyes focused upon Cinder's smirk, had barely noticed Yang and Blake's turn from drunken arguing with Penny to sudden alert. Yang was the first to come to her, though stumbling, feet. "Well, if it isn't tall, dark and edgy." The blonde brawler slurred slightly as she squinted at Cinder.
Weiss' back went a little more rigid as the smooth hum of Cinder coincided with Ruby's eagerness. "Yang, Blake, and Penny. I believe you have yet to be formally introduced?" Yang made to gawk at Ruby, "Oh, we have, back at Beacon.-" Though it seemed that Cinder was disinterested with the drunken Yang. She found more challenge from the Winter Maiden turned slightly to Cinder.
The darker woman turned her attention to the ginger. Releasing Ruby, Penny found herself sharing a part of the bar with Cinder's leaning form. The two were a few inches apart, dull functions within Penny sputtered as they panicked to analyze, "I don't think I have received the proper greeting instructions for someone of Cinder's…" Penny looked to Ruby, "Dangerous caliber."
The Fall Maiden continued to loom over the bar, smirking as she usurped Ruby's reply for her own, "On the contrary, I'm no danger tonight." The Fall Maiden threw her hand up in mock surrender, a move that made Weiss wince again. Penny looked over the villain with an analyzing squint, "I'm not so sure of that, Friend Weiss?" The Schnee looked from the still sputtering Yang, "Yes, Penny?" Cinder smiled slyly to Weiss as Penny craned her head. "I seem to have an issue with the Atlas criminal data center, Cinder and Neo are not listed as wanted?"
Blake and Yang seemed to quiet their bumbling as Ruby began in Weiss' stead, "That's not wrong, Penny. They've changed sides." She said adamantly, making Cinder roll her eye, "It takes all the mystery out of it if you say that so blatantly." The Fall Maiden grumbled, "Yes, I'm one of you now, so let's just have a peek at this bar…" Blake abruptly coughed as Cinder found a glass and bottle, "Wait... When you said, Cinder and Neo were caught and given a deal?..." Blake prodded, the question making Weiss sigh as she nodded, "I forgot to mention that we were a part of an adoption program, it seems."
A pause between the group as Cinder poured a drink and looked back to the group, "Oh, well, don't look so shocked, not the first time I've had a falling out with manipulative lunatics." In response, a frankly poorly concealed laugh began in Yang's throat. Blake looked to her partner, "Come on? That wasn't even anything."
The blonde looked at her Faunas companion with a grasping wheeze, "Cinder Fall, Blake!" Blake's brow shot up in a mix of surprise and fear as the brawler pointed into Cinder's still smirking chest, "You make puns?"
As the Bees and Cinder began to banter, Ruby walked around behind the scene, crouching beside Penny, who watched Cinder.
"Friend Ruby," Penny said with a shake of her head, "I am still not sure that this is a good or even legal idea." Ruby huffed a scoff as she shook Penny's shoulder, laughing out, "Come on, Penny, give her a chance, think of it as a walking sentence." The red leader offered, "So… this is her punishment?" Ruby swallowed blankly, looking to Blake, who was on the brink of crying amidst the worst pun banter team RWBY had ever had.
"I suppose it is some version of punishment." Ruby relented with a pat of her friend's shoulder, "But for tonight, this is a party, let loose!" She slapped Penny's back, a dull thunk of metal causing her to retract the aching hand as Penny stood.
"Hmm, very well, Friend Ruby." Penny sucked in a fake breath for luck, "Miss Fall?" Penny's questioning address drew the attention of Blake and Yang. Weiss frowned in worry as the low huff from the Fall Maiden gave prequel to Cinder's turn to the ginger Maiden. The smile Cinder wore looked genuine, if not vaguely malicious, "Yes?" Cinder looked to think on how to address Penny, "Protector of Mantel?" Penny's calm face released a sigh, "Call me Penny…" Penny paused, looking to Ruby, who offered a nod of encouragement before another sigh made the Cinder's smile waver in worry.
With a quick flash of Cinder's drink and Weiss' shock, Penny launched her arms around a surprised Cinder, "Oh, yeah, she's a hugger." Yang mumbled behind the scene. A curse of air evacuating Cinder's lungs allied itself to the woman's wheezing response, "This is the worst execution.. I've ever endured!"
Cinder's eye glared at a surprised Ruby, though the redhead didn't move to intervene. "Cinder, I have been told you are here to atone for your deeds in a rather humorous manner. I welcome you as a part of your punishment as one of your torturous friends!" Cinder gasped, "Gods! Metal bindings. Breaking spine!" Cursing, Penny blinked at the wheezes before gasping as she dropped Cinder, "I'm so sorry, Friend Cinder! I didn't mean to injure so viciously!" The concern layered upon her reaction followed a worrying smoothing of Cinder's ruffled clothes.
All the while, Weiss elbowed Ruby, "Smooth, so this is punishment for their crimes then?" Ruby laughed, scratching her neck, "I'm not gonna be able to explain the whole emotional turmoil thing while I'm drunk." Weiss' expression went curious, "You're drunk?" A vibrant nod accompanied Ruby's excitement, "Yeah! I've been drinking since four!" The look in Ruby's eyes and the slight slump her back made forced Weiss to blink.
"What? Why? I thought you were fine and running this?" Ruby shook her head, slapping Weiss' shoulder, "Absolutely not. I am a woman of the people!" Ruby declared, moving rather convincingly around the bar and unveiling a mostly empty whiskey bottle. "And the people want drinks!" Ruby proceeded to top up Blake and Yang's drink, as well as produce a new drink for a still wheezing Cinder's, "Penny?" Ruby asked, "Do you drink? Like, can you?" The ginger stopped patting Cinder's sputtering back, "I'm not sure," She said thoughtfully, "Perhaps I should see?" Ruby coughed a smile, "That's the spirit!"
As Penny received and downed the experimental drink, Blake and Yang turned their attention to each other. Taking a seat at the far left end of the snug bar, the lighting providing their new spot with a darker presence of warm air. Weiss irked at the pawsy nature the pair displayed, "Gods, I didn't mean to see that." Weiss shook her head but was drawn back up by the sounds of wincing pain.
Lurching from the bar with her new drink in hand, Cinder was momentarily held by the shoulder with Weiss' hands for support, "What the hell?" Cinder asked with a wince, "The punishment of friendship?" She asked, genuine concern in her eyes. Weiss huffed, helping the woman upright, "It has proven to work, it seems." Gesturing to herself, "Oh, get bent, Schnee." Cinder growled with a hum of a laugh.
"I'm serious! Anyway, what's your tolerance?" Weiss asked as Cinder reclined her now empty glass, "Don't know, never drank before." A groan would be an understatement for what then left Weiss' mouth, "Come on? Really?" Rolling her eye in response, Cinder shook the empty glass at Bartender Ruby, "What? I was poor, then a slave, then a servant, then a-."
Weiss waved the idea off rapidly, "Okay! I get it, too sad to drink, just promise to not drink too hard?" Cinder growled, "Take it easy, Schnee, I know my limits." A quick shake of the Schnee's head and a line of sweat conveyed Weiss' concern, "No! No, that's not what I mean, get plastered, but just please don't talk to my family if you are." A scoff shot itself back into Weiss' face, the spittle of whiskey tantalizing across her face as Cinder wiped her gob.
Turning to the room, Cinder huffed, "Spare me, Schnee. I can hold myself to just the right regard when I-." Cinder's voice cut off, making Weiss instead look upon her with a hung mouth and surprised expression. "What? Are you gone already? That was like two-?" Cinder pointed at the door, "Is… Those… Sibling?" Cinder sounded broken, though Weiss followed her gesture. A low sigh leaving Weiss as she spotted the pair within the door, the intense casually dressed Winter and her smartly dressed brother Whitely. "Guys!" Weiss called, running downfield to tackle the pair in a hug.
All the while, the Fall Maiden stood with her mouth still agape. The tantalizing pale white skin and shining white hair of the Specialist she had fought before. Maybe it was the lighting, but something in the room was making her heart pound.
Cinder turned with a snap of her jaw, mouth firmly on her drink's rim as she downed it. "Oh, shit." Cinder mumbled, placing her drink and her hand down on the bar. "Ruby!" Cinder barked through a whisper, the bartender hustling over with the bottle and her own drink. "Hey, Cindy!"
The Fall Maiden knew something was wrong when she didn't even feel prompted to correct that name, "Ruby. What's Weiss' sister's name?" Ruby blinked, leaning around the Maiden to see Weiss release her siblings from a hug. "Winter, Specialist… or something, I don't know, think she got fired." Ruby indulged, though the leader paused as it became evident the warm colours on Cinder's face were not solely from the fireplace's glow.
`"Oh…" Ruby said first, receiving a flick of a wide-eyed look from Cinder, "OH…" Ruby stepped away with a slap to her knees, "Oh." She wheezed, the blushing growing even more prominent on Cinder.
"Perhaps jail would not be so bad." Cinder groaned, looking back over her shoulder as the pale trio of Schnee siblings drew closer. Cinder hammered back her drink for courage, "This is going to be a devastating conversation." The Fall Maiden cursed. Even then, she was picturing the manic look on her own face, paired next to the piercing blue eyes and waving white hair of one Specialist Schnee.