"Haven't seen you in a few months," Roman hands me a glass of my favourite martini. "What'd you get to do, Cinder? You made it sound like it was gonna be good."

"It was," I smirk, tapping my glass against his and Neo's. "An excellent opportunity, at that. Remember that old contact I hadn't spoken to in ages, Dr. Watts? Well, he introduced me to the woman he works for, and while I don't like him much, this woman gave me the most…lucrative offer."

Neo's eyebrows shoot up. "Comment ça va, chérie?"

"Oui," I lean over when she kisses my cheek. She's only two years younger than me, and the most wonderful person I've ever met. I'm more than honoured to be her wife. "Ça va très bien, et je suis là mademoiselle hiver et partiellement la mademoiselle automne."

Roman snaps his fingers in my face, to which I scowl.

"You know that I'm the Winter Maiden," I impatiently remind him. "And this woman taught me how I can take on multiple powers of the maidens. So, she sent me after the Fall Maiden, and I managed to take half of her powers," I narrow my eyes, taking a few sips of my martini. "But was interrupted by someone from my past who, for very clear and obvious reasons, couldn't recognise me."

Neo laughs.

"Great way to get ready to bring in your twenty ninth birthday in September," Roman elbows Neo, who smacks him on the head with her umbrella. "It's true, Neo. Glad to know she's finally getting some extra things since she quit her day job."

I peer over at him from the rim of my glass.

"Speaking of which," I begin to smile. "The Vytal Festival is going to begin in May…and I will be participating. Neo," I wink. "You're going to be a member of my team. Along with Emerald and Mercury, of course."

"So four twenty somethings," Roman rolls his eyes and cracks his knuckles. "Too bad for me being thirty three while you're not even twenty nine yet, Neo just turned twenty seven, and Emerald and Mercury are twenty two. Great. I'm too old, apparently, nevermind that all of us can easily pass for younger if we try."

"Fuck you," I reach over and snatch his hat off from his head and fling it across the condo like a fucking frisbee. "You're not getting left out. You're actually going to have a significant role in the lead up. We're going to…shall we say…disrupt the dust functions, trade, etc in Vale. You know Mountain Glenn? There's a perfectly safe and usable space underground there that the grimm attack couldn't destroy, and we're going to - eventually - drive a train filled with stolen dust through the closed station. I think you'll enjoy that, now won't you?"

His eyebrows shoot right up, and he stands up, coming around to hug (read: also shake) me.

"Shit!" He happily exclaims. "Fuck yes!"

"Il est ridicule," Neo mutters, kicking his (very much unnecessary) cane out of his hands.

"So," Roman seems absolutely unbothered. Odd enough from him. "I get to do some dust robberies, then? Love it, love it."

"Also," There's a disgusting taste in my mouth as I begin to say the words. "She's managed to find a way to bring in Adam Taurus. I don't much like him, but I certainly can't and won't deny that he's more than useful in this matter."

"Et bientôt tu sera là mademoiselle automne?" Neo asks, reaching over to rest her hands over my free one while I continue to easily sip on my martini, more than enjoying the warm feeling it leaves through my veins.

I smirk. "Complètement, oui."

"So, let me make sure I understand this," Roman lights up a cigar, well aware that I hate that disgusting habit but so clearly doesn't care, per usual. "We get to disrupt the same people you and I spent several years fucking with until three years ago, wreak havoc on people who are entitled, wealthy shit heads in this country, mess with huntsmen both in training and otherwise, and make a fuck ton of money?"

I nod, raising my glass before taking the last few sips. "Fuck yes."

Roman takes a long draw on his cigar, then halfway clasping hands together in excitement, his eyes sparkling.

"I'm all for it," He rolls his shoulders back, arrogant as ever, but amusing as always. The amount of back and forth between us is exactly why we've been friends for the better part of the last few years. "I can't help but be excited for it. Any idea how we're going to put the plan into action?"

I start to laugh myself, tossing back my hair. It will be even more effective, beautiful, menacing when it gets further past my shoulders where it reaches now.

"Don't worry," I reply. "I'll be getting that together very soon."

"Je l'aime," Neo begins laughing with us again.

"I do love being the ire of dicks," Roman blows his overgrown side bangs out of his face. "I rather enjoy it."

"I do too," I sigh, leaning back against the chaise lounge. "It will be more than interesting to see how the SDC reacts to the impediment of their fucking dust. After years of exploiting people and acting recklessly and stupidly, I think it'll be wonderful."

"I agree," Roman sweeps up his cane again, leaning against it. "And it will be a wonderful reprieve from the far too common daily occurrence where, to quote Anthony Burgess, 'it's funny how the colours of the real world only seem real when you viddy them on the screen.'"

"Oui," Neo stands up and begins to pace, tossing her umbrella onto the hat and coat stand.

"Well," I smirk at the two of them, perhaps my favourite way to communicate these days. I hadn't much confidence until I came into my own, and it is still the best feeling in the world, the most adrenalised, thrilling feeling in the world. "That seems more than ready to put in the past soon enough."

Roman elbows me, stubbing out his cigar.

"And that, for sure, is the best damn thing."