'I made you a new weapon' turned into 'let's test out this new weapon' turned into 'let's test this new weapon by raiding this spooky hospital' turned into 'robots are attacking us'.
So, not that unusual of an outing for members of the Xiao Long-Rose household.
The axe-rifle is working out pretty well for Qrow. It feels like what he imagines a cross between Summer and Port's weapons would feel like (without the benefit of the smooth transformations) which means he's already got an idea of how to move with the thing. It's no Harbinger, though, and so Qrow is forced to play more of a supporting role in this fight.
Playing support, at least, is pretty easy. Misfortune doesn't play nice even with brand new electronics. The assorted automatic defenses in the hospital are so old and rusted that Qrow barely needs to look at them before they start to act up. The ones that don't break are pretty easy to avoid. Most of them he can just dodge, though a few force him to shift into crow form and dart between the narrow gaps in the arms.
But their own luck doesn't hold out. They have the misfortune (or perhaps the Misfortune) of ending up in the one hallway in the entire hospital that seems to be full of mostly functional robot arms, and before long Ruby has been seized and is being dragged off to parts unknown. Qrow knows he needs to stay calm and stay focused, and he's doing both of those things. But in his mind he can't help but think not again, not again, he can't lose either of them again—
Look. In most situations Ruby was quick and agile enough to avoid getting too caught up by traps like this. Unfortunately after one burst of speed from her semblance she doesn't quick stick the landing, and finds herself falling into a handful of mechanical arms. Between the mechanical arms and a handful of tough leather straps she finds herself trapped in a weird glass case that looks like something out of a weird science-horror movie.
She takes a moment to flex her hands but her claws can't reach the straps. She leans forward and that's a no go for her fangs either.
"Okay... Think Ruby.
Think..." And the best that she comes up with is starting to bang her glass feet against the glass.
Maybe the thuds and thumps will let either her uncle or someone else know where she is.
Fortunately, the thuds and thumps floating down the hallway are exactly what Qrow needs to locate her. He spends much longer than he would like outright sneaking down the hallways, shifting in and out of bird form as he goes. At one point he even gets to flit up into an air vent, which is somehow even cooler than in the movies. In fact, he emerges from that vent directly over one of the glass science tubes. He perches on top of it, tilting his head to listen for the next bang.
Only to give a startled jump and an equally startled caw! when the next bang comes from directly below him. Qrow hops from foot to foot for a moment, ruffling his feathers, and then finally shifts back into human form. He's still perched on top of the tube, but Ruby will be able to see his cape dangling over the edge in front of the glass.
Ruby hears the clang of the vent above her and immediately her mind starts to race. Oh great. It's probably some sort of weird science torture thing. Like the dentist.
Except after kick she hears the caw and the ruffling of feathers, and her curiosity peeks for a moment. She stops kicking once she sees the cape form and a flash of relief hits her.
"Yeah. I'm here, and okay.
I don't think this is actually fully working- Or maybe they were expecting some weird mad scientists to be around for this part."
That sigh of relief was a little much for the lack of danger they were actually in at the moment. But... After their encounter with the apathy the last time around, maybe that was just something he needed to work through.
"Yeah. They'd totally be twirling their mustache if they came across a place like this."
She shifts for a second and tries to remember.
"Between being robot-handled, and tossed in here I didn't get much of a view." She admitted a little sheepishly.
"But I think the glass came up? And I heard some buttons being pressed? Is there a panel or anything around."
'The glass came up' isn't a lot to work with, but it's something. That means there's some sort of pneumatic mechanism or mechanical crank or something raising and lowering the glass, which means there's something to break.
Buttons are a good start, though.
"Yeah, I see some."
He finally hops off the tank and drifts over to examine the buttons in question but... well, none of them are labeled. Hmm...
He glances over his shoulder.
"What else do you see in there? Any vents or extra needles?"
Look. Ruby wasn't quite as worried with her uncle on the scene. She takes a moment to glance around the confines of her glass tube. This must be what a goldfish feels like.
"There's a vent on the ceiling of this thing actually. I don't know about needles but it looks like there are panels on the side. Could be hiding needles, or maybe they're to hold like a creepy lab bed here this place was in working order."
She shifts and looks around.
"Looks like a drain on the floor of it. It's looking like a pretty well stocked little cage thing.
Maybe- And I don't want to sound rude. But maybe be careful if you start pressing buttons?"
"What, you don't want me slapping at the control panel and hoping for the best?"
If he did that he'd definitely have poor enough luck to tell the machines to start jabbing Ruby with unknown substances. Maybe even subject her to some dentistry.
But that's useful information. A door, a vent, and a drain is probably three buttons. And the panel...
"I mean- There are probably worse options in the world." Like destroying the panel. But it was still early n the day. They could get there.
She glances up at the panels and does a count.
"Looks like four. Two bigger ones, and two smaller ones. They're the same on either side. The ones that are the same size I'm going to guess do the same thing."
( action | may event )
Date: 2025-05-29 12:44 am (UTC)So, not that unusual of an outing for members of the Xiao Long-Rose household.
The axe-rifle is working out pretty well for Qrow. It feels like what he imagines a cross between Summer and Port's weapons would feel like (without the benefit of the smooth transformations) which means he's already got an idea of how to move with the thing. It's no Harbinger, though, and so Qrow is forced to play more of a supporting role in this fight.
Playing support, at least, is pretty easy. Misfortune doesn't play nice even with brand new electronics. The assorted automatic defenses in the hospital are so old and rusted that Qrow barely needs to look at them before they start to act up. The ones that don't break are pretty easy to avoid. Most of them he can just dodge, though a few force him to shift into crow form and dart between the narrow gaps in the arms.
But their own luck doesn't hold out. They have the misfortune (or perhaps the Misfortune) of ending up in the one hallway in the entire hospital that seems to be full of mostly functional robot arms, and before long Ruby has been seized and is being dragged off to parts unknown. Qrow knows he needs to stay calm and stay focused, and he's doing both of those things. But in his mind he can't help but think not again, not again, he can't lose either of them again—
"Ruby!"
Re: ( action | may event )
Date: 2025-05-29 12:55 am (UTC)She takes a moment to flex her hands but her claws can't reach the straps. She leans forward and that's a no go for her fangs either.
"Okay... Think Ruby.
Think..." And the best that she comes up with is starting to bang her glass feet against the glass.
Maybe the thuds and thumps will let either her uncle or someone else know where she is.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-29 01:11 am (UTC)Only to give a startled jump and an equally startled caw! when the next bang comes from directly below him. Qrow hops from foot to foot for a moment, ruffling his feathers, and then finally shifts back into human form. He's still perched on top of the tube, but Ruby will be able to see his cape dangling over the edge in front of the glass.
"Ruby? That you down there, kid?"
no subject
Date: 2025-05-29 01:25 am (UTC)Except after kick she hears the caw and the ruffling of feathers, and her curiosity peeks for a moment. She stops kicking once she sees the cape form and a flash of relief hits her.
"Yeah. I'm here, and okay.
I don't think this is actually fully working- Or maybe they were expecting some weird mad scientists to be around for this part."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-29 01:37 am (UTC)Qrow breathes out an audible sigh of relief when Ruby confirms she's both alive and in the tube. Okay. He found her. She's alive. She's okay.
"These would be some nice digs for a mad scientist."
But that's not the point! Qrow immediately starts trying to figure out how to get this thing open, and just as immediately hits a bit of a snag.
"Hard to make heads or tails of this... you manage to catch how it opens?"
no subject
Date: 2025-05-29 01:58 am (UTC)That sigh of relief was a little much for the lack of danger they were actually in at the moment. But... After their encounter with the apathy the last time around, maybe that was just something he needed to work through.
"Yeah. They'd totally be twirling their mustache if they came across a place like this."
She shifts for a second and tries to remember.
"Between being robot-handled, and tossed in here I didn't get much of a view." She admitted a little sheepishly.
"But I think the glass came up? And I heard some buttons being pressed? Is there a panel or anything around."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-29 07:51 pm (UTC)Buttons are a good start, though.
"Yeah, I see some."
He finally hops off the tank and drifts over to examine the buttons in question but... well, none of them are labeled. Hmm...
He glances over his shoulder.
"What else do you see in there? Any vents or extra needles?"
no subject
Date: 2025-05-30 02:46 am (UTC)"There's a vent on the ceiling of this thing actually. I don't know about needles but it looks like there are panels on the side. Could be hiding needles, or maybe they're to hold like a creepy lab bed here this place was in working order."
She shifts and looks around.
"Looks like a drain on the floor of it. It's looking like a pretty well stocked little cage thing.
Maybe- And I don't want to sound rude. But maybe be careful if you start pressing buttons?"
no subject
Date: 2025-05-31 02:01 am (UTC)If he did that he'd definitely have poor enough luck to tell the machines to start jabbing Ruby with unknown substances. Maybe even subject her to some dentistry.
But that's useful information. A door, a vent, and a drain is probably three buttons. And the panel...
"How many panels are there?"
no subject
Date: 2025-06-01 12:03 am (UTC)She glances up at the panels and does a count.
"Looks like four. Two bigger ones, and two smaller ones. They're the same on either side. The ones that are the same size I'm going to guess do the same thing."