Chapter Text
The stench of ash and Grimm debris still laid thick in the air as the gathering of Maidens and Huntresses moved swiftly over the concrete paddock. Sand was beginning to wash in some measures as well to such a degree which began to restrict their vision.
“This had best be something of importance, Penny.” Winter did her best not to hiss out her concerns, the choking of pride pressing itself down within her as her arm had raised slightly to protect her eyes ; Cinder’s light show having summoned the snot of the dunes up around them. Casting her vision around the installation as they all moved, Winter could easily recognize the military nature of the buildings and adornments; the lack of any vehicles however made it all the more distant from the outside world.
Undeterred by the slight whippings of the would-be stabbing sand, to the point that sand did bother the nooks and cracks of her metallic form, Penny laughed something chipperly. “Need not worry, Specialist Schnee.” Penny turned and spoke to the group as she marched backward with an assured confidence, “I would not have communicated with you at all had this not been something of dire importance.”
Penny’s eyes then fell onto her fellow Maiden, an earnest nature coming to those diodes of green even as Cinder’s arms fell over top of one another as her long limbs all but pace after the girl. “And I assure you too, Maiden Cinder, that this is something you will not regret showing off your skills for.” Shooting one more glance to the pair of Weiss and Ruby.
Ruby offered a readied smile as did Weiss gently nod, though as Penny turned for the warehouse Ruby’s eyes quaked with a measured form of concern. Slowing their pace collectively, Ruby coughed slightly as her shoulders slackened in their sockets.
The younger pair of red and blue Huntresses were bracketed by their older counterparts in their momentary pause, all watching with mixed looks of worry and intrigue as Penny continued for the warehouse’s heavy sliding doors.
A low glare had already formed on Cinder’s face before she released a droning sigh. “Does she always have to refer to me like that?” Eye twitching in chorus as she spoke, then glancing sideward to the other three.
“It helps her, let it be.” Winter responded frankly, sending a reprisal look over top of Ruby and Weiss’ heads to her partner, though it did little to dissuade Cinder’s soured expression. “If you don’t like being referred to as such why do you not just tell her otherwise.”
Though all that did was spark another sigh from Cinder as she scoffed and rolled her eye. Moving forward with a wordless gaunt huff. Leaving Winter to spasm her hands for a moment, one finding its natural position on the pommel of her blade. “Did she just-?” She asked the air with a puff of breath, eyes whirling to Weiss as her hair flummoxed around her. The younger sister, however, merely shrugged which gave Winter none of what she so desired.
With Winter abandoning her side, chasing down her partner it would seem, Weiss turned with her same concerned look to Ruby. One hand at the midst of the red Huntress’ back as she quieted her voice just enough to be heard above the whirling wind. “Are you alright?”
Ruby did her best to nod in reply, “Just took some hits which were a little stronger than I thought they’d be.” She laughed with a shortness brought on by a gentle whisk of a pained gripe meeting her tongue. “I’m fine though, Weiss. Don’t panic.”
“The last time you said that it was definitely something to panic about.” Weiss said with a slight bite to her tone, though one which was very accustomed to her and her care. “When we get back to the airship you will be taking some of those Aura boosters.” The assertion of which only brought out a prolonged moan from Ruby as well as a fine contingent of her puppy dog-like eyes. “Oh, would you just quit it, come on.” Weiss spat and gently pressed her hand further into Ruby’s back, making the two move after their group, though she did manage to sprout a look of pink to her cheeks which was not directly tied to the beating sun above them.
As the younger pair caught up with the others, Winter and Cinder once more shoulder to shoulder though with a distinct air about the pair of them which was symbolised by the twisted glares they shortly exchanged, they found Penny at the mighty sealed doors of the warehouse.
“I believe this is a latch system.” She said aloud with all the optimism the Winter Maiden could seemingly sum up, much to the chagrin of her Autumn counterpart. “I believe we are all safe now!” Penny called out loud, her hands cupped around her mouth slightly as she did so.
“I doubt it is sound activated.” Cinder muttered, her weight shifting from hip to hip as her cape began blowing with increased tenacity; taking note of such and glancing around the skies. Although otherwise blue and fresh, the growing nature of the wind brought Cinder’s eye to a darkening spot on the horizon. Eye flicking from that point and back to the door, she unsheathed her arms from their crossed nature and began to step forward. “Here, I have a key to use.”
Penny turned with some speed as she and the other’s all witnessed Cinder’s hand come sparking to life, flame retching from it in heat waves that crystalised the sand in the air with the sheer heat of her flame. Winter was quick to make a stabbing step forth, her hand unconsciously going for the wrist which was alight, though Penny had only to side step and raise her hands.
“That’s not what I-” Penny laughed as she broke Cinder’s movement, the Fall Maiden’s brow quirking into a belittling manner as she quieted the flame. Winter’s hand barely made it to Cinder’s form before she quieted the flame as a droning noise of metal on metal rang out into the air.
Heavy clashes of steel shuddered the door and brought all five’s attention to it in full. The steel nature of the military half cylinder left many nooks and dents in it for sand to be lodged, in which with every clash of metal more of the orange-yellow sediment flittered into the wind. The noise of metal only grew louder as rusted steel crushed over its rails and slid open in mighty struggles, what was forcing the door open however had all of the Huntresses’ attention.
Men and women in ratty clothes, human and faunas alike, pushed and pressed one wing of the mighty doors open in heaves. The four there were backed up by even more as they worked to just get a sliver of light into the building. It took ten seconds of heaving for the door just to open enough so the width of the Huntresses had the possibility of fitting.
“Hurry!” One voice from the door openers stammered out, “Get inside!” Said another, tire and rasp covering their throat. Penny was quick to move, though not to enter but instead to assist in getting the door open, both hands pressing on the edge of the steel door doubled the speed at which it dragged itself across.
Winter’s expression, formerly at the shock of Cinder near detonating the building, had turned to apprehension. As had Cinder’s, forcing the two to stand there staring for a second before both blinked and turned to Cinder’s arm where Winter had grabbed her and was still holding on. When the pair’s attention came back to one another thereafter, all Cinder could do was choke back a sigh and lower her arm, Winter did so similarly though she took another moment to release her touch of Cinder.
Weiss and Ruby took the initiative and dragged themselves forward into the warehouse, Ruby grunting slightly as they went with Weiss hissing all the while. It took little time for the whole of their party to drag themselves into the building with Penny and Winter taking to helping the door be shut again in the stead of the few people who had dragged it open.
“Come on, close it!” “More could get in!” The heavy ka-chunk of the door behind them brought all of the Huntresses force their eyes to try and adjust to the low lighting inside of the building.
As she dragged the hind of her glove across her eyes, Winter returned to the side of Cinder. The pair of them blinked and forced their eyes to focus, but as they grew more used to the dark air the pair’s breath took to a sluggish pitch.
“Gods.” Winter muttered, she could hear the gasp of Weiss down their line and Ruby similarly stifling at the sight before them. As the few worse for wear people who had first opened the door for them slunk through the five of them and Penny rejoined their side, rows upon rows of crumbly sorted beds, boxes, and haphazardly made places of rest became apparent. All of which were crowded by people, people without good clothes that look torn by sand, skin which in some parts and on some people looked closer to leather than anything, and children which played with stitched together scraps of cloth and weave.
“I thought this is what we would find.” Penny said, her voice quiet and more beleaguered but a soft sort of smile on her. “There was an unnatural movement of Grimm in the desert moving toward this place as we all have just seen.” She closed on Ruby and Weiss as she spoke, though she looked to Winter and Cinder as well. “Thankfully you arrived when you did, and it was getting a little dicey out there.” She added with a small optimistic nod and awkward attempt at a laugh--though telling by her friends’ faces she reduced how much humour she was lending to the conversation.
By this time, they had not gone unnoticed, people were beginning to rise from their seats and turn to them. Low mutterings and whispers filling the warehouse sounded like an orchestra with the extra noise and volume. “Are those-?” “Who are they?” “Huntresses? Here?”
“Ruby?” Weiss whispered, looking from the now gathering crowd of people and back to her partner. Silver eyes looked back to her partner with a knowing nod before she weakly stepped ahead of her; though Weiss kept in ready step.
Forcing her throat to clear, and doing her best to force herself more upright, Ruby raised her offhand and waved to the crowd. “Uh, hello!” As chipper as she could sound. “My name is Ruby Rose, I'm a Huntress, this is Weiss, uh.” She sounded slightly at a loss as Weiss waved, feeling some spur in her then as she went about introducing them all, waving from member to member. “This Penny, that’s Winter, and uh, Cinder.” The latter two still stood well behind the younger pair while Penny managed to advance closer to them. “Who are all of you?”
The immediate response from the crowd was a silent murmur. “Atlas.” “Are those Schnees?” “Only five?” Which once more ran rampant through the crowd, though through it a slight shuffling of people began to emerge in the middle of it. While the room was devoid of external light, the shifting of shapes in the dark kept them on their toes just a touch as they surged and warped over the seconds. It was Cinder, watching such a warping who had her hand rise to her side in a readied position.
“It has been a while since someone new came around.” A voice denoting some gruff to it slouched out from the crowd, though in its mannerisms it proved to at least put some of the motion in the shadows at ease. “Thankfully too, it’s been even longer that it was someone who could fight for their own.” A clicking of steps across the floor continued to approach them as a shape separated from the crowd, coming with a slanted sort of cadence to it.
As those steps grew closer to where Ruby stood Cinder hissed quietly, her offhand raising from where it would be summoning a blade and going into the air and from it producing a flame. While meagre, it was enough to see the room before them. The light made all of their short interpretations all the worse, but what their voices had said in anxious or panicked tones changed. The children looked excited, the people who had muttered or whispered looked exasperated and surprised, relief pouring from them as some slumped down in their makeshift lodgings.
Cinder felt her shoulders unclench and Winter released the hold she still had on her weapon, the pair’s expressions softening to heavy concern from their former apprehension.
But stood not but a few steps away from Ruby, Weiss, and Penny, was a tall man. A fine set of garments, looking aged by the sun, looked dusty over its dark blue and white chequered sides. A cape which put Cinder’s works to modest shame dangled from his shoulders, torn in places too but otherwise resplendent in the colour of a stormy sky. What looked like once short hair now sat in a, at least attempted to be well kept, tail behind his head and a face which showed the prestige of his unspoken station.
“Hello Huntresses.” The man said again, now sweeping one arm through the air across his body and taking a short hip-levered bow. “I am Theodore, the previous Headmaster of the Mistral Academy.”
A short while had passed between their introduction and Penny slouching over a junction box at the side of the hall. Surrounded by other civilians as they all watched her, Penny raised one finger before them. The top most digit of her index finger bending over and reaching into the box, getting a few gasps and confused glances from the surrounding people, before a green spark allowed the noise of low warbling to come to life.
With another gentle few seconds of electrical humming and continued suspense slowly the lights of the building came back to life, bathing the hall in gold yellow hues. Penny stuck an overjoyed thumbs up out as the people immediately around her clasped her on the back or applauded her.
All the while, Theodore had the four others of their team surrounded around the dying light of a candle and sheets and sheets of paper. He was reclined at what could be seen as the head of the square table, though in a state far worse than what he should have been.
“So, Griffona rolled up out of nowhere one evening not so long after we stopped hearing anything out of Atlas.” Theodore’s arm was up and over the chair he resided in, his chest and side bared as a woman faunas reapplied his bandages. A heavy layer of red laid thick against him still, it was evident his Aura was pulling double to heal it as told by the needing of otherwise civilian medicines.
He itched quietly in his tone as a hiss of alcohol touched his side. “And we thought they were you guys initially,” He added with a gesture to Winter and Weiss. “No clue they were working with the Big One.”
Weiss only blinked for a moment at the latter part though Winter leaned in closer to the table. “So you assumed they were Atlas coming to regroup?” Winter said with a mocking shake of her head, her brow furrowing further still. “There is an immense amount of doubt I would willingly cast at you for believing those modifications visible on their craft are anywhere near Atlas regulation.” Scoffing at the mere thought of the idea.
“Well, Specialist Schnee.” Theodore hummed slightly as the aide assisting him shot him a small glance. Him gently waving off the noise and allowing her to continue before continuing. “If you hadn’t noticed Vacuo is a rather sparse place, Mistral as a whole is all the more so.” He flicked his hand toward the younger pair at the table. “Maybe the youngsters from Ozpin’s school could help you remember that we are a people fighting the continent as much as we’re dealing with Grimm, and with the network down for as long as it was we did not have any way to verify beyond letting them land.”
This time the scoff which responded to Theodore came from Cinder, the Fall Maiden denied a seat in turn for standing and leaning against one of the building’s support beams. The noise drew the attention of Theodore, his hazel eyes meeting her golden in as much of a warning as an invitation.
Cinder seemed keen to take the latter.
“It is frankly no wonder why your students and school have fallen into their hands, then.” Cinder said with a rather large amount of lul to her tone. Ruby turned back in her seat to glare at the Maiden, but it was a little too far too late to stop Cinder’s tongue. “An army approaches your shore and the first thing you do to figure out if they are friend or foe is invite them in for tea? How pompous, I doubt Ironwood could have produced a better plan, or Lionheart for that matter.”
The insinuation proved to be too much to bare for Theodore, the Shade Headmaster moving to press himself up from his seat. The provocation of such forcing Cinder to similarly take a step from the spot in which she leaned. Further confrontation was stopped only as Weiss and Ruby both pressed themselves between the pair, with Weiss’ hand pressing into Cinder’s left shoulder and Ruby hurriedly helping the medic push the Headmaster back into his seat. Winter’s hand sat ready to leap to her feet atop the table, though thankfully there had proven to be little need to help physically as Theodore spoke.
“I know that Vacuo has likely been kept out of the loop on a great many things.” Dark brown eyes glared down at Ruby despite his sitting frame, “But I recall that one being quite different in her standings with Ozpin and Beacon.” Spittle followed suit of the grim slanted message, gracing the concrete floor with its mark, as all but a growl accompanied a glance at Cinder again.
Ruby swallowed, feeling the shifting dust in the air grow warmer and closer as Cinder coiled her tongue to strike again—she quickly moved to beat her.
Hands lifted in a glib gesture, Ruby did her best to summon forth a positive tone. “Look, Headmaster-.”
“Theodore.” Gruffly hissed.
Forcing something between a laugh and nervous groan, Ruby clasped her hands together ahead of her. “Okay, Theodore.” She then took in a loose set of breaths. “We are here to help, I would rather do that with as much as you can tell us as possible.” She quietly turned a glance over her shoulder at the pair of older Huntresses. “And with as little commentary as possible, guys?”
Weiss smirked as both Cinder and Winter reclined in their positions, her sister in particular sliding her arms tightly over one another and snootily scoffing aside. The red Huntress and her partner shared an additional look before both of them turned back to the Headmaster, stepping back aside once more.
Though for his credit, Theodore’s eyes never really left Ruby’s. It took another moment, waiting until his aide had finished his side before he waved them off, and then some for enough airspace to form around them. “Ozpin did mention someone a lot like you turning up way back when, he spoke highly of you.. and your team.” He added a commending nod.
While Weiss comfortably bowed her head at the compliment, Ruby did her best to simply knead her hands over one another. After a brief moment as Theodore looked to collect his thoughts he eventually sighed. “Anyway, when we figured out who they actually were it was too little too late, they had already breached the Academy and were not looking to stop.”
The look of distant memories washed over the man, his form going rigid in places which threatened the sanctity of his bandages once again. “The faculty and anyone who could put themselves in front of the students, doing our best to give them time to flee.” Another fitting seething breath warped his throat. “And when that proved to be too much,” Exasperation filled his tone as each syllable came more like a punch against the emptied air. “I put them all behind me.” His knuckles wrapped against the table thereafter.
“I’m sure you have had the pleasure of meeting their boss, that Fadase person.” Cinder’s form shifted uncomfortably side to side as the others nodded along. ”Well I challenged her to a duel, the winner takes all sorts of thing.” He shifted in his seat, trying to push himself up taller through the grit of pain in his side. “But she threw out that scraggly haired numbskull and came in halfway through the fight.” He shook his head.
“Mercury Black?” Ruby asked with a knowing nod, “We saw that him and Tyrian Callows are..” She coughed into her palm, “Were apart of this.” Correcting herself quietly on tenses, though Theodore seemed too enraptured to even acknowledge the change.
“No, no. I never saw or heard of Callows in the Academy.” His hand drew his digits across his eyes in a tired display. “If he had been there we could have lost a lot more.” He said with a beleaguered heave of his chest. “But Fadase and Mercury together were too strong for me, I couldn’t hold them off for long before they beat me.”
“And they let you live?” Winter asked with a purposefully melancholic tone, eyes taking in the extent of Theodore’s injured form. “It looks like they might have just missed the mark on that, sir.”
Though he did scrounge at the address of authority, Theodore did gruffly laugh something short and beat a loosened fist against his chest. “It would take more than some unfamiliar battle tactics and con man fighting to take me down, you would be sure of that, Atlas.” A weakened smirk flashing at Winter with the mark, it lasted only for a short amount of time before a mundanity came across him.
“But she is strong, stronger than a lot of things and people I have ever fought against.” Again, another spittle crossed the floor and again Weiss had to glare at Cinder as she scoffed. “The fight ended with me being thrown out of the city with nothing but a broken Aura and a mark to not forget who had broken it.” He gestured to his side, the red beginning to soak through his bandaging reflecting a grotesque gash.
“So that makes Mercury’s claim to be Headmaster justified then?” Weiss asked with a note of haunting disbelief. “I so wanted them to be lying about that.” Her partner turned to her all the same, looking confused as to Weiss’ meaning. “Don’t you remember our classes on inter-kingdom relations? Headmaster selection works differently in Mistral.”
“Indeed.” Winter muttered, her own fore and middle fingers surging against her temple as she spoke. “Those who can defeat the Headmaster have the right to claim the position.” Her brows flexed ambivalently she spoke, “To whoever proves to be the strongest.” A sure note of disapproval was scrounged from Winter’s tone as she brought her gloved hand in front of her.
“Surely cheating proves such a thing illegitimate.” Cinder said with a casual flick of her hand.
“As legitimate as a coup is.” Winter muttered in response. “Look at all of those conscripts we ran into, not exactly fighting out of free will there.”
The response had Theodore glancing between the pair of older Huntresses, blinking slightly before he once more tried to massage his eyes. “So clearly you all have been in the continent for a lot longer than I had guessed.” Some sorry but relieved manner took to his stature, nearly sinking in the chair. “I’ve been too focussed here to find out more about the current happenings of my home.”
“What IS happening here?” Ruby settled herself back down at the table, her hands folding over one another as she leaned into it, Weiss sitting alongside her as she did so. “Who are all of these people?” The youngest member of their band asked with a fervent lilt to her tone.
Cinder had fought off noticing them, or even addressing the thought of them all, but as the others turned and looked out into the crowd of people they became impossible to ignore. The struggling stitches of clothes hung like loose tassels in many respects, age and the desert had turned what were once good wardrobes into thin fabric and even worse things could be said about the people themselves.
“Refugees, Mistral is largely Nomadic to begin with but food and supplies were always at least available for purchase from the city.” Theodore explained in the back of Cinder’s mind with a bare tone. “But with Vacuo closing itself off thanks to Fadase, and with the Hunters and Huntresses being… in short supply.” He turned glum again before sighing, looking out at the crowd again as the light of green and Penny’s ginger hair captivated him. “These folks had to hunker down and wait for the worse of it.” Theodore said, watching as Penny worked on something technical, surrounded by a group of people who watched in awe and excitement. Eventually the noise of static came through from the gathering as Penny held up what looked like some ancient speaker, music quietly but certainly playing from it.
“They’re why I have been missing from the goings on, honestly.” He further explained. “I wouldn’t have made it far through the sands if I hadn’t been picked up, and the amount of fear a group of starving folks give off is,” Gesturing to the Huntresses as he continued, “As you’ve seen, very dangerous.”
The Schnees and Ruby could only offer a nod in agreement with Theodore while Cinder quietly turned inward for a moment. Her eye leapfrogged for a moment, from Theodore to Ruby. It was growing so apparent that Little Red was becoming so much than that thorn in her side from all those months and years behind them, clearly she was growing into a capable leader and smart; such a person putting trust in their one time enemy like brought Cinder’s fingers to coil around her biceps.
The look Theordore had given her, the barely constrained anger which was clearly in those eyes was undeniable. The Headmaster knew about Vale, he had to of, whether her Lionheart comment was of any meaning beyond the likeness to the man and rather her intended nod to his cowardice was unknown to her. But it was harsh to ponder if given the chance this man would be akin to that of Qrow in their first run in, dominantly objective and untrusting.
Weiss and Ruby filled her vision then, the readiness of the pair to defend her and separate him from her regardless assured her enough of her value. It would at least be different if Theodore attempted something in the way of separation this time, she had some steady support to keep that from happening.
It was enough to make a coolness drip at the hind of her neck all the same, once more playing the accused for what she had done in the past.
“Cinder?” That voice snapped her out of the pit which that line of thought could quickly form however, as Cinder turned her attention unblinkingly toward Winter. The elder Schnee stared at her as she drew herself to stand, a hand out to the side of the table. Looking back, Ruby and Weiss were similarly looking at her, as was Theodore, without imparting anything contrary, Cinder pushed herself off of the support and made to follow Winter side-boy-side.
“He enjoyed droning on, hmm?” Winter muttered under her breath with a scowl forming as soon as she turned away. The indication of Winter’s displeasure with the Headmaster at the least encouraged something of satisfaction in Cinder. “With everything resting on having some form of base of operations it would have been nice if they gave a little effort to defending theirs.”
“That soldier talk is slipping out again, Winter.” Cinder said with a slight lul, smirking with a rise to her chin as she watched her partner squirm. Her hands crunched together as she gently shook her head in response.
Winter’s lips formed a straight line as she scrunched them together, a fed up huff coming from her as she hissed. “But do you not agree with me?” Winter sounded tired, her voice leaning upward as she did her best to keep her volume lower. “Look at all of these people who apparently relied on the city to restock what they had.” Her hands moved around the pair of them as they moved through the crowd to the side of the warehouse, faces either watching the pair of older Huntresses in intrigue or in suspicion.
“You won’t not hear me disagree.” Cinder said eventually, pulling her cape in tightly around her front when her gloved prosthetic started to get more attention. “But I doubt Ruby or Weiss would agree with the sentiment.” She calmly mentioned.
Winter scoffed, “The curse of being the pragmatic one, I suppose.” They slowed upon finding the wall to the warehouse, allowing Winter to turn and look back out into the crowd. “But if you can overcome such a thing, perhaps I can as well.” She muttered unceremoniously.
“Aw, how substantial you make me sound.” Cinder said with what could almost be a coo, leaning the few inches down so as to put them nose to nose in height. “Now, why have we skulked off into the shadows, Snowflake? Looking to scheme are we?” She chuckled with some mirth as Winter rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again.
Sighing slightly, “You are far from correct. Ah, there she is.” Winter said before raising one hand and calling out, “Penny!” The ginger Winter Maiden turning her attention from the small sound system she was still using, now placing it in the hand of a younger looking girl before turning toward the two of them.
“Oh, gods.” Cinder muttered as she watched the girl approach them.
“She is my best friend, Cinder. You will need to be comfortable talking with her at some point.” Winter replied, while still smiling she did say such in a chastising style of tone.
Cinder made to reply but got caught up in her own throat as Penny got too close for any such underhanded comment.
“Hello Friend Winter.” Penny had such an exuberant excitement even in her face which made Cinder’s gut and skin crawl, and those eyes which turned onto her own just made it all the worse. “Friend Maiden Cinder. How is Headmaster Theodore?”
The trio of Huntresses sent their glances back towards the table they had been sitting at, seeing now as Theodore forced himself to stand and extended an arm out. Looking to now be guiding Ruby and Weiss in some direction off to the other side of the warehouse.
“He is an uncomfortable man to speak to.” Cinder said with a rather forced drag in her voice.
“I would agree.” Penny said with a nod, Cinder blinked. “Having such a wound would make him rather uncomfortable.” Taking on a worried expression as she nodded, though Cinder’s flatlined in response.
Winter suppressed something of a giggle in the interaction, sending a slight bump into Cinder’s side in response. “He has also been having to prop this place up on his own for some time, it would be most prompt that before we go about any further planning concerning the greater schemes at play in the city with Griffona,” Her hands one fist into the palm of the other. “We can begin the process of getting the rest of our people here and assisting these people in need. So we three will go about scavenging this encampment, if this is military then there will undoubtedly be some weather proofed equipment here for us to crack into.”
“Aw yes.” Cinder said with yet another droning tone, “More scavenging, I long for civilization again instead of this sand filled pit.” Penny’s arm was quick to wrap around Cinder’s neck however, a look of excitement plastered on her as she squeezed the taller woman’s head down against her own.
“Come on, Friend Maiden Cinder! This is going to be exciting, I cannot wait to hear all about what you and Friend Winter have been up to since we last met!” Penny practically sang out in a ridiculous volume into Cinder’s ear, producing a look which Winter wished she had the time to pull her Scroll out for before the Maidens were pressed off of one another.
“Was that really necessary?” Cinder hissed, though Penny was already moving off and once again opening the door to the warehouse, the Fall Maiden sending a baffled glance to her partner who chuckled in reply and grabbed at her wrist once again—dragging her after their ginger ally.
