Nora couldn't help her excitement, it was uncle Roman and Cousin Neo! She loved them, especially with how much trouble they could get into. She watched as both Lie and Jaune gave her weary looks. She knew they were worried but they shouldn't be! She couldn't help herself, constantly bouncing on the balls of her feet a manic grin on her face, her lightning burns shimmering with sparks as her excitement hit its peak.
Before she could literally explode though, she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to her side she noticed it was Rouge. "It's okay Nora, breathe." The warm smile on her face helped soothe Nora's nerves as she nodded in response. Her attention going back to Momma and Roman's conversation.
"SO! Dearest little brother of mine." She watched as Roman flinched, Neo who had been standing in between the boys couldn't help but snicker. Though that stopped the moment Momma turned back to her, suddenly she stood straight. Momma had that effect on people, and so did Verde now that she thought about it, man her mom and sisters were scary!
"Why are you here?" While her tone was calm, there was a rumbling of judgement in her words, ones that caused the greatest thief in Vale to shrink under her scrutinizing gaze.
"Can't an uncle come see his dearest nephews and niece before they take off to one of those fancy combat schools?" His question seemed honest enough, though his facade began to break under the scrutinizing gaze of Momma.
"Yes, I can see most uncles doing that, and I do believe that's part of the truth, what's the rest?" Nora watched as Roman squirmed, reaching for the collar of his suit tugging on it as he swallowed.
"Right, I was kind of hoping to… maybe borrow your help?" Any confidence he still held fell straight down with the looks he gave him. Even Nora felt that! And she wasn't the one it was directed at, she and everyone in the room took a step back making sure to avoid any form of line of sight. Neo herself had hid behind Jaune and Lie, hoping to use them as some form of barrier.
Even Rouge took a step back, not quite as far as the rest of them, but she was definitely scared of her mom still, which to be fair wasn't the worst thing to be afraid of.
"Why?" Once again Roman squirmed, he tried to get Neo's help but she had long since closed her eyes, avoiding any kind of eye contact with her adoptive father.
"Right well you see, I kind of need help with this heist I got going on, and I thought, hey! Why not bring my wonderful sister into the fray? It's been so long! You know, make an outing out of it?" He chuckled, hopefully alleviating the tension in the room, it failed.
"Brother dearest." Roman's eyes glanced up to look at his sister, he wished he hadn't done that. "We both know that I no longer follow the family legacy. I've washed my hands of that for years now, especially after I became hunter." She paused, leaving the room in tense silence, "So why would I." She pointed at herself, "Help you?" She pointed at her brother, her finger against his chest.
"Well! It's kind of important! It's the crown jewel of the previous king of Vale! People are still doubting me, and I have to show them that the Torchwick family isn't out yet!" His eyes pleaded with her, he knew how much family meant to her and hoped to possibly draw her in with that.
"No." Nora watched as Roman's expression failed, that was probably not what he was expecting.
"Aww! Come on! Please!? For your poor little brother? For the family!" She watched as her mother rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I get that it's important for the family, but it'd do you no good if I joined, I was already infamous as it was. You'd end up having all your infamy taken by me, and I don't need that now. Especially after I've gotten Ozpin to clear my name." She began tapping her shoes against the ground.
The following silence was terrifying, everyone in the room felt an intense pressure on their shoulders.
Though, that silence was finally broken, "I'll do it!" Everyone's attention went to Rouge.
"You'll do it?" Her mother asked, a hint of contempt in her voice, one that made Roman panic.
"Ya, I'll do it." The ensuing stare down caused the room to chill, everyone shivered at the intense glares passed between the mother and daughter combo.
After what felt like an eternity Momma Jeanne relented, "Fine." And just like that all of the tension evaporated from the room. "Just make sure you don't seriously hurt anyone... " She turned to Roman, "NO KILLING, do you hear me?" Roman nodded in desperation.
Rouge pumped her fist, "Finally! I was starting to think I wouldn't find anything I wanted to try!"
"What is it you wanted to try?" A new voice joined the fray, Papa had arrived. He stared at Roman, a look of pity on his face for his younger brother in law. He walked over to the boys, placing his massive hand on Neo's head giving her a good pat. Nora watched as the small girl pouted but relented and smiled greeting her Step Uncle.
"Well, my dear brother here needed help with a Heist, and decided to ask for my help."
The only response she received was a grunt of acknowledgement.
"And our eldest here decided to take the spot."
Charles didn't say a thing, instead he eyed the room, after a minute or so he turned his attention to Neo. "Keep them out of trouble, ya hear me?"
"Hey!" The dual voices of Roman and Rouge responded.
The pint sized ice cream girl nodded a smile on her face as she turned to her elder cousin and adoptive father. She pointed a finger at them in an authoritarian type manner.
"Right then, I just finished preparing the food, since everything is decided, I assume you two will be staying for dinner?"
He received a rather enthusiastic nod from Neo, and a more subdued but no less receptive nod from Roman. "Right then, let's eat."
With that Nora watched as the others left the room, Jaune and Lie staying behind with her.
"Well… that was something." Jaune was the first to break the small silence.
"Tell me about it! Big sis is going to be a big time thief!"
"I hope she doesn't hurt anyone." All three of them felt a shiver down their spine, ya that was going to be something to worry about. Well, that was for the future, now was food time!