genessia | ᴏᴏ1 : ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ

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ᴏᴏ1 : ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ

[ ozpin has collected all the information he needs to feel relatively comfortable finally introducing himself. he knows there are enemies here, and he knows there could be more enemies to come. he knows the majority of his students have experienced quite a lot of trauma in recent weeks, and he knows that he seems to be the only actual adult here to deal with any of it.

worst of all, most of this is his fault, and ozpin seems to be delightfully absent for most of it.

so, after dwelling on that for a moment, the feed turns on to show ozpin in a chair, in a corner of a bookstore that seems to be mostly empty. his cane is leaning against the table and while he still looks somewhat tired and worn down, his eyes are bright and he has a warm smile in place. ozpin has always been horrendous at playing the game, especially when such things are at stake. perhaps peace has made him lazy -- or perhaps he just genuinely believes that everything will be overcome.

at any rate, his students (and the others here) need him to be the leader that he proclaimed to be before everything went to utter hell, and so when he speaks, ozpin sounds like a conversationalist, calm and at the ready. ]

Hello.

[ it's almost like today is a normal day, with yet another inspirational monologue from professor ozpin. ]

It seems that quite the collective of my students have taken root in this city, and transformed it into their own. [ weiss. ] I wish I could say that I could bring half of what they have to this place, but I'd rather not disappoint you all.

[ probably too late for that. ]

But as for introductions -- my name is Ozpin. I am the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, for those from Remnant who may not recognize me. [ which should be no one, but you can never be too sure. ] I've already spoken with several of my students, and it seems that our world has become rather popular in terms of new arrivals... but to the students I haven't yet had the opportunity to see, and the students that I don't have the pleasure of calling my own... I would very much like to speak with you. Privately.

[ the slightest hint of his teacher voice, but it's gone in an instant, and ozpin returns to his faint smile. he's not going to waste time concerning himself with roman torchwick or emerald or anyone else who happens to show up. they will come find him if they wish to speak more. ]

As for the rest of you, if you would indulge me with suggestions on where to locate a decent cup of coffee, I would be forever in your debt. In addition, I would also like to hear some of the positives of this place -- what do you like to do? What are your hobbies? Your work? You would be surprised how effective positivity can be in curing most problems.

{ ozpin inclines his head toward his cane (and the untouched cup), with a slightly knowing look. ]

I've had something of a rough week.

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[ he had been expecting a message, but perhaps not so soon after mercury's arrival. ]

Of course.

Where shall I meet you?

Fayren, outside the Cloister of Trials.

[ Fayren's least likely to have technology for eavesdropping and she knows Torchwick's hiding out in Everglade. She's not sure where Mercury is, but she doubts he's anywhere near there. She still hasn't.. 100% decided how she wants this to go yet. ]

[ ...... fayren is the place with the clockwork roaches. ]

Perfect.

[ glynda is going to kill him ]

[ Emerald can be found leaning against the outer wall. What she's heard about this place makes it funny to her that she chose this place even if her reason is more privacy than anything meaningful. She still looks like she doesn't seem remotely confident right now. ]

[ ozpin arrives as quickly as he can (deliberately giving james and glynda the slip, certainly), and once he approaches emerald, he stops a healthy distance away, pressing his cane into the ground as he leans on it. ]

It seems we've both had friends show up.

[ though ozpin feels a lot more comfortable navigating the city with 3/4s of the squad ]

We did.

[ Looks like she isn't denying that much any more. ]

I tell you the truth and he finds out, I'm not going to be around long.

So there are three options. You are either here because you're afraid, you're here because he asked you to be, or both.

[ with a slight raise of his eyebrows, surveying emerald over the rims of his glasses. he lets that hang in the air for a moment before continuing. ]

I have absolutely no intention of harming either you, or Mercury, while within this city. But I will also not hesitate to defend my students, my staff, or the people within this city. There has been enough death and bloodshed, and I have no intention of seeing more.

[ he pauses, and while he knows ironwood or glynda will probably not be happy with this -- or ruby, for that matter -- he continues. ]

Should Cinder arrive, I am going to tell her the same thing.

[ The second he mentions Cinder, Emerald seems to get a little more skittish. This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea. Get out. Just go back to Mercury and say it didn't work. Avoid the broken ribs, avoid her neck on the chopping block if things go south. They were so outnumbered before and Emerald didn't know if she could see something like that again, but what Ozpin said about having no intention of seeing more...

That wasn't going to happen. Emerald shakes her head. ]

If Cinder comes here, that definitely won't happen. Mercury won't hold back anymore- he doesn't have to, and Cinder won't tell him to if he comes. There's no reason to anymore, we don't have to hide.

[ Emerald leaned away from the rock, uncrossing her arms and making sure that she's got running room in case this really is a trap. ]

We stood on top of one of buildings while Mercury recorded. He couldn't stop grinning. Cinder smiled as she called it horrendous. They loved it.

[ And Emerald couldn't. That's the whole reason she's here to begin with. She doesn't say that, but- ]

I've felt wrong about doing things before. I always get over it eventually- I have to, I owe her everything. I wasn't lying about that. She's the only one who ever gave me anything-- without her I'm not anything. But I don't know if I want to get used to what happened in Vale, even if it's what she wants.

[ his fingers tighten over the head of his cane -- they recorded it? the suffering of his city, of his school, broadcast for the world to see? like it was some kind of entertainment? children had been murdered, and they had recorded it?

what had glynda said, earlier? if you turn up a casualty, then everything is going to get worse. ozpin has done nothing but stand for peace -- why did she need to ruin all of that, why did she have to remove him from his damn school, he could have helped, he could have put an end to this, but instead that woman had to -- ]

You broadcast the murders of innocent people, and the destruction of my institution, to the public.

[ no. mercury did, by cinder's orders, by her orders. ]

Do you understand the magnitude of what has been set into motion? What has been created, and what imbalance has been pushed onto the world? Beacon Academy was more than just an institution, it was a safe haven for --

{ -- but ozpin stops himself abruptly, drawing in a deep breath.

being angry will not help. being heartbroken will not help. hatred, anger, frustration, all of those emotions are what caused this mess in the first place. focus, calm -- there is a reason emerald is here, and while her interest is most likely entirely self-motivated, he needs to be practical.

strategize. move the chess pieces into alignment. this is what you're good at, ozpin. calm down and focus on what's in front of you. ]

... I am sorry, I shouldn't lose my temper.

[ it's murmured, and he exhales before refocusing his attention on emerald, his eyes narrowed

if she wants his help, fine. ozpin is willing to give it. but first thing's first: ]

What happened to Penny Polendina, and Yang Xiao Long?

Beacon was a safe haven for brats who didn't know what it meant to be unsafe in the first place. They thought surviving was a game, and the people who actually needed help were the ones who were left for dead in the streets by the same hunters schools like yours churn out. Maybe if you focused a little less on trying to cover up the Maidens who are powerful enough to handle themselves, your stupid little club could've prevented people who didn't have anything from wanting to take that safety away.

[ Emerald was practically seething through her teeth. She had a lot of anger. So much, and she hadn't expected it to come out like that. But she was nervous. SHe shouldn't have been this nervous, she was never this nervous when she was lying. Especially not when she was risking her life for it.

Emerald took a deep breath and looked to the side. ]

Which doesn't make it okay. If you had to tell me, I wouldn't be here. What happened to the- to Penny and Yang was the same thing that happened to the Fall Maiden to lure her in.

[ Emerald looked around, as if she was making sure that no one else could see them. There couldn't be anyone else who heard this. ]

It's a semblance. The ability to change someone's senses, to manipulate them any way you want. Make them see and hear anything you want them to- physically feel. [ At least, that's how she's going to explain Yang feeling Mercury's knee crack. ] Yang did see Mercury attack her, and Pyrrha saw Penny's weapons multiply and completely surround her.

[ that isn't true, ozpin wants to say. beacon academy accepted people from all walks of life -- blake belladonna, certainly, would contest emerald's accusations of having it easy, and survival is not a game. his students may be enjoying their youth, but they knew the reality. they knew what was out there. ozpin did not shield them from the truth.

or did he? secrecy is what got them into this mess, in the end. secrets, and more secrets. isn't he here right now, without telling glynda or james?

he almost misses what emerald tells him about the semblance, lost in his own head -- but his brow furrows slightly. illusions, as suspected. and, as expected, yang and pyrrha had done nothing wrong. they had simply reacted as trained.

reacted as trained, and broadcast to the world as monsters. ]

Quite the gift, you have been granted.

[ his tone is even, controlled. assuming that it is her gift, anyway. ruby had been particularly insistent -- emerald was there. could his own semblance negate hers? slowing down time enough to see the truth, to spot the real emerald...

unimportant, right now. he would talk to glynda later. ]

It is a shame -- how you chose to use it. You would have made a fine huntress.

[ and used your powers for good, instead of this... lunacy. ]

It's not-

[ Emerald hesitated. She was supposed to do like she and Mercury planned, but she wasn't sure if she could. She was supposed to tell him it was Mercury's- that he was the one who did all this, that she had some stupid semblance she made up and would be using her actual semblance to fake if he asked. ]

The only good its ever done was keep me alive by lying and stealing. Cinder made it so I didn't have to anymore, as long as I obey. My choice was to follow her or starve on the street. She's the only one who's been good to me, and Mercury's been through enough that he'd be villainized for saving himself too, even if he didn't come with us. You said it's hard to find someone to trust last time we talked. You're right.

[ Emerald holds her arm slightly, shaking her head. ]

I can't do this.

[ She looks up at him. She tried. That's the best she can do. She couldn't betray the closest thing to a family she has. Even Mercury made sure planning this there would be some way he wouldn't have to kill her. It was screwed up, wrong, but it was all she had. ]

You got what you wanted, can you just.. attack me and I'll run? I can't just say I walked away.

[ well, then. for the first time, emerald sustrai tells the truth, he thinks to himself, his eyes flickering over her face. watching her breathing, how she holds herself. she's nervous, skittish. almost as if he would actually attack her, even if she hadn't asked.

ozpin pauses before sighing, allowing his shoulders to relax. ]

Mercury murdered someone, and broadcast it, the last time he was in Genessia. And by our earlier conversation, he shows no remorse for what happened to Vale. I hardly need to tell you what will happen if he attempts the same stunt again.

[ it's said quietly, and he looks at emerald, with a hardened expression. ]

And I have absolutely no intention of attacking you, simply for the sake of doing so.

[ he shakes his head before taking half a step backward, turning to leave. ]

I have had enough of violence. Thank you for the information. Be safe.

[ She takes a step after him, narrowing her eyes. ]

Mercury knows I went to talk to you. It's not just for fun, attacking me is saving my life. I was supposed to come here, tell you that was his semblance, then buddy up to you and your people to feed he and Torchwick information. I chose to tell you the truth. If I don't come back with something, he's going to know something's wrong. He already asked me why you thought I was the one who would talk anyway, please.

[ there's only the slightest sigh before his semblance activates.

suddenly, everything slows down to a bare crawl, and ozpin turns around to see emerald frozen in place. he watches her for a moment, letting his eyes travel over her face. it's not being attacked, that's not what she wants -- it's information. and ozpin, who hardly fights, who is the bastion of optimistic diplomacy within the four kingdoms, rarely has need to show off what he can do.

emerald wants to know. she wants truth, in exchange for truth. and ozpin will give it to her, but only a little.

so, with a casual sweep of his cane, he knocks emerald's legs out from underneath her, and suddenly, time is restored as it should, though all emerald sees the fact that ozpin had been walking away, and suddenly -- in barely half a second -- he is casually nudging her leg with his cane while she's on the ground. ]

I have absolutely no idea who has been filling your head with the idea that I am capable of attacking someone incapable of defending themselves, but I have no intention of proving them right.

[ it's said simply, and he rests his cane on the ground again, surveying emerald critically. ]

You have more than most. Go.

[ Emerald had never been put on her ass so quickly in her life. That had to be the fastest she'd ever been put on her ass. If this had been an actual fight and she'd lost, it would've been less embarrassing than the fact that he was prodding her with his cane. Emerald jerked her leg away sharply, rolling and getting up on her feet again.

Her hands went to her weapons, ready to draw with her teeth ground together, but she ended up making a frustrated sound and turned away to leave. ]

[ he's almost ready to activate his semblance again, to protect himself against those knives -- but instead, she decides to make the (admittedly smart) decision to leave. ozpin watches her go, almost in silence, before he speaks suddenly: ]

Emerald.

[ he pauses before drawing in a breath, turning to go himself. ]

I am sorry, that Beacon did not find you before she did.

[ surely, she would have found a much better family, with them ]

[ She doesn't turn around. The implication that he would've offered something to her if he'd known, even after knowing that Cinder's horrors were carried out by her, is a little unnerving to her. ]

I was on my own for years and no one was looking. You're only sorry Cinder found people better than yours at what we do.

[ She wasn't sure she believed that, but she's definitely trying to make herself believe she's doing the right thing in going back to Cinder. Or, Mercury and Torchwick anyway. Cinder isn't here yet. ]

[ yes, he's certain that's what emerald was told. and he considers saying that, but he lets it go. in the end, it has no effect on him -- he knows, in his heart, that what he does is right. but he is upset that this girl managed to slip through the cracks. ]

I suppose she did do that, yes.

[ it's said quietly, and he resumes his walk ]

I don't create weapons, I create compassion.

[ Emerald can tell he said something, but she's no longer close enough to hear it. She breaks into a run, not particularly wanting to hear any more. She was lost enough as it was. ]

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ᴏᴏ1 : ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ

private text; dated to after her conversation with mercury

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private text; 1/2 i'm so sorry

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