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Entry tags:
ᴏᴏ2 : ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ/ᴛᴇxᴛ
[ filtered to ALL remnant folks EXCEPT torchwick, emerald, mercury, cinder, neopolitian, and team bad guy in general ]
[ ozpin appears on camera, settled comfortably in an armchair, though he looks anything but relaxed. it's rare, that ozpin appears serious. he's normally ambivalent and calm and always with a smile, but he is none of these things today.
emerald has forced his hand. and while ozpin would rather be doing anything else in the world right now than this (and he knows telling this has risks, he knows it has repercussions, but weiss had said that the knowledge of this world stays in this world, hadn't she? telling the truth has no ramifications in remnant, and here, they must remain unified. they must. the other side is bound together, a force to be reckoned with, and his is splintering.
he needs to reclaim control, and trust -- trust of not only his students, but the students of atlas, haven, and vacuo that may arrive here. glynda had insisted upon it -- the students trust and adore you, beacon needs you, and while ozpin sorely disagrees with his own level of importance, it doesn't change the fact that his students need him to tell the truth now.
so. finally, ozpin starts off with a faint smile, though it doesn't reach his eyes. ]
As most of my students know, I love a good story. I tell them frequently -- instead of standard forms of discipline for casual property destruction, I force them to listen to a three hour detailed explanation of Remnant's heroes past. [ team rwby, surely, has endured many a lecture ] Stories are essential, in telling Remnant's history. None of us would be where we are today without the power of oral tradition -- stories make up who we are, and how we make our decisions for the future. We learn lessons from mistakes past, and we gain hope for decisions moving forward.
[ ozpin pauses, here, to allow that to settle. ]
Some of you may be familiar with the Story of Seasons. It is frequently told as a bedtime story, to young children across the kingdoms. It revolves around an old man, who lived on his own, and had no real friends or family. Four young girls happened upon him, and were kind to the old man. The first sister, Winter, encouraged him to meditate, to reflect upon his life. The second sister, Spring, brought the old man fruit, and gave new life to his garden. The third sister, Summer, encouraged the old man to step outside of his home and embrace the beauty of the world. And the fourth sister, Fall, encouraged the man to be thankful for what he had.
When the old man asked the four sisters why they were kind to him, the four sisters responded that they were kind to everyone. So moved by their generosity and selflessness, the old man decided to impart upon the four sisters incredible powers, and unbelievable strength. They are encouraged to go throughout Remnant, spreading their kindness to the kingdoms, and they promised to return to visit the old man once a year. And so, it is told, that is how seasons were born.
[ ozpin stops again, to allow that to settle. and here, he looks like he almost wants to stop, for the briefest second -- but the students deserve to know the truth, and he exhales slowly before refocusing his attention. ]
Like all good stories, it is a bit exaggerated, and fanciful -- but grounded in facts. These four sisters -- Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall -- represent four powerful entities known as the Four Maidens, and they are very much real. They keep balance within Remnant, and guard our world -- it is their destiny to safeguard the balance of Remnant, and the four kingdoms -- and to only use their powers when necessary. This power has been passed on for thousands of years -- from Maiden to Maiden. As one dies, the next is born, and the power moves on. Because of the nature of their gift, it was decided that they must be protected, at all costs. So a society was formed, built of powerful huntsmen and huntresses, to protect the Maidens, and keep the power out of the hands of those that would use it for ill.
[ he pauses before offering a faint smile ]
I am the current leader of that organization. Myself, and my collective, keep the positions of the Maidens out of the public's eye, in order to protect their identity, and allow them to work in peace. We remain in the shadows, because knowledge of this power would have catastrophic results, should it fall into the wrong hands. And I, as the leader of that organization, am responsible for the safety of Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall.
[ he runs his fingers along the arm of his chair, pulling at a loose thread idly, his expression faltering from peace into something a bit more troubled ]
Our Fall Maiden, Amber, was attacked -- lured into a trap, by Cinder. She removed half of Amber's aura -- crippling her, leaving her practically dead, and leaving Cinder with half of the Fall Maiden's power. Amber was recovered by one of my agent's and brought to me immediately -- and I, having no other choice, put her in stasis, underneath Beacon Academy. Keeping her safe, and stable, until ... until the next Fall Maiden could be found.
[ here, ozpin definitely looks troubled, and he draws in a breath before letting it out slowly. ]
The next Fall Maiden was to be Pyrrha Nikos. And I am not going to... speak for Pyrrha, or for her decisions, or our conversations together, and I will ask you all not to ask me to. But I will say that on the night that Beacon fell, I was in the Vault with Pyrrha to... to transfer what remained of Amber's aura to Pyrrha, in order to complete what was meant to be. And it was dangerous, and a foolish last hope -- something that I had never wanted to occur, but -- well. Hindsight, as they say, is always twenty-twenty. Cinder had managed to get into the Vault, and she killed Amber before the transfer was complete. The power transferred to Cinder, and I attempted to get it back. [ which is professor ozpin's gentle way of saying i tried to kill her ] And -- well. You all know the rest of the tale.
[ he stops again, and ozpin finally allows himself to look slightly tired, and rests his head back against the amchair. ]
I tell the students of Beacon, at the beginning of every academic year, that knowledge can only carry you so far. Your experiences, your trust, your loyalty, and your tenacity will carry you further -- books, and school, can only teach you so much, and it is frequently not enough. And that is true -- but I did not listen to my own advice. I treated you all as students, as children, and I did not allow for the possibility of war because I wanted, desperately, to avoid such atrocities for all of you. No one should live through war, especially those that are still finding their place in the world -- but war has arrived at our doorstep, and we must remain unified against it. The other side -- Cinder, Torchwick, and their followers -- they know precisely what they want. We -- collectively, Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, and Haven -- must decide what we want in return.
It is a lot to ask of you -- overwhelmed as you are, and surely angry, frustrated, grieving, and distrustful. All warranted, and all necessary. But I ask of you to remember who you are, and why you fight, because it is not for me, nor is it for your headmasters, your professors, or even your kingdom. You all have, in your hearts, a specific reason why you elected to become huntsmen and huntresses in the first place. You know, in your hearts, why you took this oath to protect Remnant. Do not forget it, even here, because we must rely on our own faith, and our own strengths, to get through this difficult time.
[ he's silent, after that, for a solid thirty seconds. ]
Please ask me whatever you like, and I will do my very best to answer. But I ask that you do not share this information with those not from our world. I do not want to start a war here, over the Maiden's power. Protect yourselves, and each other, and know that I could not be more proud of a group of students as I am all of you.
[ and he disconnects the video feed. for now. ]
[ filtered to qrow, glynda, and ironwood]
And now we wait.
[ ozpin appears on camera, settled comfortably in an armchair, though he looks anything but relaxed. it's rare, that ozpin appears serious. he's normally ambivalent and calm and always with a smile, but he is none of these things today.
emerald has forced his hand. and while ozpin would rather be doing anything else in the world right now than this (and he knows telling this has risks, he knows it has repercussions, but weiss had said that the knowledge of this world stays in this world, hadn't she? telling the truth has no ramifications in remnant, and here, they must remain unified. they must. the other side is bound together, a force to be reckoned with, and his is splintering.
he needs to reclaim control, and trust -- trust of not only his students, but the students of atlas, haven, and vacuo that may arrive here. glynda had insisted upon it -- the students trust and adore you, beacon needs you, and while ozpin sorely disagrees with his own level of importance, it doesn't change the fact that his students need him to tell the truth now.
so. finally, ozpin starts off with a faint smile, though it doesn't reach his eyes. ]
As most of my students know, I love a good story. I tell them frequently -- instead of standard forms of discipline for casual property destruction, I force them to listen to a three hour detailed explanation of Remnant's heroes past. [ team rwby, surely, has endured many a lecture ] Stories are essential, in telling Remnant's history. None of us would be where we are today without the power of oral tradition -- stories make up who we are, and how we make our decisions for the future. We learn lessons from mistakes past, and we gain hope for decisions moving forward.
[ ozpin pauses, here, to allow that to settle. ]
Some of you may be familiar with the Story of Seasons. It is frequently told as a bedtime story, to young children across the kingdoms. It revolves around an old man, who lived on his own, and had no real friends or family. Four young girls happened upon him, and were kind to the old man. The first sister, Winter, encouraged him to meditate, to reflect upon his life. The second sister, Spring, brought the old man fruit, and gave new life to his garden. The third sister, Summer, encouraged the old man to step outside of his home and embrace the beauty of the world. And the fourth sister, Fall, encouraged the man to be thankful for what he had.
When the old man asked the four sisters why they were kind to him, the four sisters responded that they were kind to everyone. So moved by their generosity and selflessness, the old man decided to impart upon the four sisters incredible powers, and unbelievable strength. They are encouraged to go throughout Remnant, spreading their kindness to the kingdoms, and they promised to return to visit the old man once a year. And so, it is told, that is how seasons were born.
[ ozpin stops again, to allow that to settle. and here, he looks like he almost wants to stop, for the briefest second -- but the students deserve to know the truth, and he exhales slowly before refocusing his attention. ]
Like all good stories, it is a bit exaggerated, and fanciful -- but grounded in facts. These four sisters -- Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall -- represent four powerful entities known as the Four Maidens, and they are very much real. They keep balance within Remnant, and guard our world -- it is their destiny to safeguard the balance of Remnant, and the four kingdoms -- and to only use their powers when necessary. This power has been passed on for thousands of years -- from Maiden to Maiden. As one dies, the next is born, and the power moves on. Because of the nature of their gift, it was decided that they must be protected, at all costs. So a society was formed, built of powerful huntsmen and huntresses, to protect the Maidens, and keep the power out of the hands of those that would use it for ill.
[ he pauses before offering a faint smile ]
I am the current leader of that organization. Myself, and my collective, keep the positions of the Maidens out of the public's eye, in order to protect their identity, and allow them to work in peace. We remain in the shadows, because knowledge of this power would have catastrophic results, should it fall into the wrong hands. And I, as the leader of that organization, am responsible for the safety of Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall.
[ he runs his fingers along the arm of his chair, pulling at a loose thread idly, his expression faltering from peace into something a bit more troubled ]
Our Fall Maiden, Amber, was attacked -- lured into a trap, by Cinder. She removed half of Amber's aura -- crippling her, leaving her practically dead, and leaving Cinder with half of the Fall Maiden's power. Amber was recovered by one of my agent's and brought to me immediately -- and I, having no other choice, put her in stasis, underneath Beacon Academy. Keeping her safe, and stable, until ... until the next Fall Maiden could be found.
[ here, ozpin definitely looks troubled, and he draws in a breath before letting it out slowly. ]
The next Fall Maiden was to be Pyrrha Nikos. And I am not going to... speak for Pyrrha, or for her decisions, or our conversations together, and I will ask you all not to ask me to. But I will say that on the night that Beacon fell, I was in the Vault with Pyrrha to... to transfer what remained of Amber's aura to Pyrrha, in order to complete what was meant to be. And it was dangerous, and a foolish last hope -- something that I had never wanted to occur, but -- well. Hindsight, as they say, is always twenty-twenty. Cinder had managed to get into the Vault, and she killed Amber before the transfer was complete. The power transferred to Cinder, and I attempted to get it back. [ which is professor ozpin's gentle way of saying i tried to kill her ] And -- well. You all know the rest of the tale.
[ he stops again, and ozpin finally allows himself to look slightly tired, and rests his head back against the amchair. ]
I tell the students of Beacon, at the beginning of every academic year, that knowledge can only carry you so far. Your experiences, your trust, your loyalty, and your tenacity will carry you further -- books, and school, can only teach you so much, and it is frequently not enough. And that is true -- but I did not listen to my own advice. I treated you all as students, as children, and I did not allow for the possibility of war because I wanted, desperately, to avoid such atrocities for all of you. No one should live through war, especially those that are still finding their place in the world -- but war has arrived at our doorstep, and we must remain unified against it. The other side -- Cinder, Torchwick, and their followers -- they know precisely what they want. We -- collectively, Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, and Haven -- must decide what we want in return.
It is a lot to ask of you -- overwhelmed as you are, and surely angry, frustrated, grieving, and distrustful. All warranted, and all necessary. But I ask of you to remember who you are, and why you fight, because it is not for me, nor is it for your headmasters, your professors, or even your kingdom. You all have, in your hearts, a specific reason why you elected to become huntsmen and huntresses in the first place. You know, in your hearts, why you took this oath to protect Remnant. Do not forget it, even here, because we must rely on our own faith, and our own strengths, to get through this difficult time.
[ he's silent, after that, for a solid thirty seconds. ]
Please ask me whatever you like, and I will do my very best to answer. But I ask that you do not share this information with those not from our world. I do not want to start a war here, over the Maiden's power. Protect yourselves, and each other, and know that I could not be more proud of a group of students as I am all of you.
[ and he disconnects the video feed. for now. ]
[ filtered to qrow, glynda, and ironwood]
And now we wait.
[Private] will probably retcon later but ???
Yes.
[ but whether or not that was the reason summer died, ozpin will not say ]
[Private] Yay retocns! :D
...What about Yang's mom? ...Wait, don't answer that. That's not any of my business. If Yang wants to know, she'll ask.
[She's just... going to sigh.]
I just wish I knew how to do... whatever it was I did...
[Private]
You will learn how to master it in time, I think. For now, rest, and recovery -- both physically and mentally -- is needed.
Do not concern yourself with your eyes just yet, Ruby. You will come to understand it in time.
[Private]
If the time comes that I'm needed, I need to know how to control whatever power this is. I don't want anyone else getting hurt...
[It's bad enough that Yang lost an arm and Pyrrha lost... everything... to say nothing of Penny getting ripped apart.]
[Private]
[ it's said quietly, but with an undercurrent of firm tone. ozpin will not have ruby serve the same fate as pyrrha. ]
We will deal with the threats in the city together, or not at all. You are not the only one who will fight this battle.
[Private]
[For Ruby it's not even just about having the power to protect her friends, though that is a big part of it. Just after what Qrow said... she feels like finally she has a connection to Summer more tangible than pictures she doesn't remember being in. Yang at least got to remember the good times with Summer. Ruby doesn't have that.]
I hope you're right. It just feels like... everyone is so splintered now.
[Private]
[ gently enough ]
We will come together, in time. For now, people must find their own path, and stand on their own two feet. Healing is a long process, and everyone does it differently. The bonds that connect you still remain.
[Private]
[She sighs, pulling the cape and hood around her as much as possible, almost like a kid with a security blanket.]
I hope so... I've never felt quite so alone, despite everyone being here.
[Private]
[ to both parts, really ]
But I do not want you to rush into something you may not be prepared for, simply for the sake of doing something. You will learn, and master, your talents, Ruby. But take heed to what happened the last time you used it -- falling into a coma will do no one any good, especially you.
[Private]
Yeah... you're right. Doesn't make it any easier though... I promise I won't do anything stupid.
[Private]
[ impulsive, maybe, rash, reckless, but never stupid. ]
[Private]
[I mean, have you SEEN team RWBY's 'bunk beds'?]
[Private]
[ so there ]
Take care, Ruby. And when the time comes, I will do the best that I can to help you through your next challenges. Including your powers.
[Private]
I will. I'll be in touch if there's anything you need to know.