The Lock in Club, RWBY addition.
It was late. Four girls sat outside the Dean's own office. Each had been called there for different reasons at a very unusual hour. The hushed tones escaping the Dean's office lead them to believe that Professor Goodwitch was unhappy with the punishment Dean Ozpin's verdict. Professor Goodwitch calmly walked out of the Dean's office, each of the girls straightened their backs. Some more reluctantly than others. "Ozpin has asked that all of you stay after your individual meetings with him," Goodwitch explained, making her way to the door.
Ruby herself was left to wonder. Beacon University only had two girls' dorms, yet all the girls in this room had come from hers. She had heard stories as soon as she'd moved into it, something about it being cursed, and how most of the girls that stayed there were forced to drop out. "Miss Rose, Come in please." She heard from the office. Ruby stood, straightening her skirt she turned to place her hand on the door knob. After entering the office she found that Dean Ozpin was in his spinning chair, gazing out over the campus. From this, the only thing she could see was the top of his greyed hair. She carefully, and quietly sat down in the chair across from his desk. Awaiting the berating she was sure would rain upon her, she was surprised.
"Miss Rose, do you have an explanation for your behavior tonight? I should think the time I gave you was well enough to think out an apology." He asked as if his head were in another world.
"I, I… you know all the facts Sir, I didn't think I get the opportunity." Ruby said meekly.
She had only met Dean Ozpin once before when she'd received her GED two years early, and asked special person to attend his University. At the time he had seemed, mild tempered, even nice. But for whatever the reason was, the students feared him. As if he, himself was haunted. No one had ever given her a legitimate reason to fear him, even rumors about him were bland, vanilla even.
"You are, quite, right, Miss Rose. I do have the facts, and yet all they leave me to do is speculate. 'Why," he began questioning himself. "Would a bright young girl, such as Ruby Rose, break into the cafeteria, in the middle of the night no less! Only to pay, for cookies out of the snack machine," he began to spin his chair to face her. Now that she thought about it, she'd forgotten the cameras, she'd been on camera the ENTIRE time. "Which lead us to where we are now." His chair finishing its 180 degree turn. "Where you force me to take disciplinary measures, and to question the abilities of one of my employees which you so easily fooled tonight." He said, bring back to mind the guard that had found Ruby crummy handed. "While the act of buying cookies, in and of itself, is not in any way suspicious, or disconcerting. The act of breaking into a guarded room is. If, you have no further explanation, you are free to leave this office."
"It's the only place within walking distance that carries my favorite brand." Ruby said, somewhat ashamedly as she got up and left. Ozpin smirked behind her, determined not to allow her to know how amused he was.
Ruby took her seat back in the reception room as Ozpin called for his next victim. "Miss Xiao Long?"
"Coming Dean Ozpin!" Said gave a low yell, making sure he could hear her, while trying not to shake the school. Yang was often in Ozpin's office, so much so that they'd almost become friends. A late night call about, Yang Xiao Long was not unexpected, but not so much so as to expel her. Instead of a meek and fearful walk, Yang display a sort of proud, yet care free attitude. Almost as if she were prepared for this the moment she'd done the deed. Passing through the door she glided over to the overly small couch backed against the side wall. Taking the liberty of the candy conveniently placed on the coffee table in front of it.
Ozpin, was the first to concede his position, as he felt there were no need for the formalities. He grabbed the file in front of him off of his desk and proceeded to the wide crested chair across from Yang. "While I do know the charges being brought against you, I would like you to tell me. Why are you in my office tonight Yang?" Ozpin asked.
The color Drain from Yang's face, she'd done a few things, some of which were worse than the others. Now, she might have to concede something that she'd done by accident. Ozpin knew this. She was never in his office for something overtly serious, and there for the clean-up was almost always the punishment. Making for a very easy relationship. However part of said relationship was often the banter. They seemed to play with words like chess. Yang had always been known for her horrible puns, but Ozpin seemed to focus this in Yang. It was no longer about the puns, but playfully manipulating each other into corners of speech.
Lately it had seemed that she could back him into making a dirty joke, and the game would be one. She'd never once thought that he'd been letting her win. Seeing the fear, and his desired result off letting her know who was in charge, he passed her the file. It was Yang's Permanent record. Something she'd seen and held but never actually gotten a peek at. Now, Ozpin was asking her to read out of the book of her sins. Luckily the top entry was one of the lesser recent evils she had reeked on his campus. "What?" She said drawing out the last syllable. "You didn't like the 'Pin the tail on Glynda game I put in the teachers' lounge?"
"Level of enjoyment aside, you broke into the teachers' lounge under the guise of two A.M. to set it up. You also realize that I can't take an offense so lightly." He said almost wrapping up their conversation. "In addition the apology letter that you will wright to Pr. Goodwitch, I also ask that you personally remove it from the teachers' lounge under her escort."
His punishments of small things like this were always small as he enjoyed Yang less destructive antics. But all in all, he could not continue to receive the amount of calls on her. In the middle of the night no less. "Furthermore, you will also receive the same punishment as your new cohorts in the waiting room… Dismissed." Yang's eyes grew wide.
"Raising the stakes are we?" Yang said, now seemingly glued to the seats with worry.
"I said, 'dismissed' Miss Xiao Long." His tone growing in authority.
In a hop, skip, and maybe even a jump she was out of the room. Leaving only a trail of blonde light in her wake.
"Miss, Belladonna." Ozpin said in a somewhat softer tone than the previous times. Wordlessly she closed her scroll, which, seconds ago had line after line of text. With the Grace, and silence that made ghosts envious, she entered his office. Blake noticed several things, firstly that Dean Ozpin was in his spinning chair. Secondly he was reading over a file that Blake could only ever assume was her own. Third, that on Ozpin's left was another folder. On his right, two folders had been stacked, the top one considerably larger than the bottom. Lastly, this was the first time she'd been in his office, and while looking around noticed the ornate scheme behind it.
It was mostly Victorian, with a strong sense of steam punk, neither of which was overly decorated. It showed taste, strength, and age. From what she could tell, none of his personal accomplishments were displayed, showing either a deep sense of self hatred, or an equally deep selflessness. As she sat the leather of her chair slightly squeaked, making Ozpin's eye flick upwards to meet her quite gaze. Closing the folder he also noticed something. Her hands, they were shaking from the adrenaline.
Ozpin gave a little sigh. "Miss Belladonna?" he questioned her shockingly quite.
"Yes, Doctor Ozpin?" She responded barely moving her mouth.
"You do realize the gravity of the situation, don't you?" He asked her.
Blake's nod was small, but in combination with her blink it sent a clear message. She understood. Cardin Winchester was the golden boy of Beacon's athletics program, he was strong, and brave, even handsome at times. More importantly though, he was racist. She was already trying to hide her ears, not even out of shame, simply to be accepted. But once he found out… Let's just say the past two weeks had been hard on her. He crossed the line when he called her 'a filthy animal.' After which, no matter how strong he had been, there was no stopping her from turning him into a virtual plaything. She might've even put him out of the season, worse, she'd ruined any chances of being accepted by her peers. "You also realize the position I am in Dean Ozpin." A deep gloom setting over her. Ozpin didn't need any reminders of what the poor girl was about to go through. Everyone liked to believe that their society was civil, but it was still going to take a lot of work before faunus were considered equals.
"I do," He said simply. "Miss Belladonna, in light of the situation, I'm going to do you a favor. Under the guise of a punishment."
Blake had begun a serious staring contest with the floor only moments prior, but now felt an involuntary twitch beneath the large bow neatly tied on top of her head. Minutes later she was drifting out of his office. Still skeptical of his plan she thought about just how gently he had handled her in this sensitive situation. "Thank you," Blake breathed, closing the door on her way out. No idea of the smile that had dawned his face.
She once again took her seat, pulled her scroll out, and began reading her digital book.
Leaving Weiss the girl in white to psyche herself up for the next interview of the evening. Before Ozpin could call upon her, she stood up, dusted off her skirt, and dramatically composed herself. Ozpin hadn't even opened his mouth to call her as she entered his office. "Miss Schnee, how fortunate of you to come into my office at such an opportune time." Ozpin said, a slight thread of irritation worming its way into his words.
"Dean Ozpin, there has been a blatant miss use of university protocol." Weiss nearly yelled. The pleasantries all but complete decimated Ozpin decided to carry on the conversation from where she'd left it.
"I'm Glad you agree Miss Schnee, seeing as you are the one who committed it." Ozpin said picking up his cane, and rising from his chair.
"What?!" She forced the air from her lungs.
"Oh yes, our resident librarian was very clear about the way you miss treated them." Ozpin looked over his glasses at her, allowing himself to see the full range of color passing throughout her face.
"How dare you! Do you even know who I am?" Weiss playing her most valuable card, had not thought as far to understand, that while in this office it was no long a 'trump card.'
"One might begin to say excessively." He said reaching to put pressure on his ear canal, as it had just been violently shaken by her increasingly high pitched voice. Her growl, he thought, was probably now heard by the girls outside his office. He decided to defuse her. "Weiss, you acted in an unacceptable fashion, while you are here, you are just a student. Nothing you say will change that. The previously mentioned librarian is a volunteer, who, by definition, is un-paid. Besides, you'll have plenty of time to study this weekend."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" He arms cross, her tone came down.
"It means that now is the time you invite the other into my office, Miss Schnee…"Ozpin raised himself off the corner of his desk on which he'd been sitting. Weiss bit down on the inside of her lip as she curtseyed. Her single inch heels clacking against the thin carpet she peeked through the door, "Dean Ozpin would like to see all of us now." Her expression growing gloomy. It might not have been the biggest offense of the evening, or even ever. But the dawning of knowledge, centered on how much trouble she was in, had begun to pierce through her.
So, four somber girls walked into the Dean's office. Seeing Yang sit on the sofa, Ruby took her place beside her. While Weiss, and Blake were content to sit on the other side of the coffee table in their own single chairs. Ozpin himself had moved to stand at the head of the metaphorical dining table. "Children, it is very late, on a weeknight no less. Therefore, beyond the punishments you have already received, you will spend every weekend for the next three weeks inside your dormitory building." Eyes grew wide, and groans were heard as he said this.
Blake wasn't much to complain anyway, but having known this was coming she felt the need to show a smidge of rebellion, so as to through anyone off that she actually enjoyed the idea.
"And what happens if we don't?" She asked the man nursing a late night brew. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, surprise as well as understanding filled his mind. "It might be said that expulsion is in order for some of you. Whether it be for a single act, or a string of them." His not-so vailed threat scaring everyone but Weiss. "Dismissed."
'Man that could've been so much worse!' Ruby thought as she fled the office trying to remember the route to her room through her late night fog. 'Next time, I'm SO stocking up on those cookies.'
'How dare him!' Weiss huffed internally as her heels thudded against the linoleum tile, also making her way to her domicile. Why did she have to insist on staying on campus with everyone else? It may not have changed her predicament but at least it would've made it a pain in the butt for Ozpin.
Blake was the next to wander out. Her thoughts filled with the possible interactions she would have with these girls around her. Hiding a sea of dread behind a slight smile of hope. 'I wonder if his faith will carry him, as far as he hoped it would. Who cares, if everything goes wrong I'll just dive into my studies until I live down this relative night mare.'
Yang, all but strutted out of Ozpin's office turning around only to ask that he send Yang's regards to his wife. She knew Ozpin would wait until they were all far from his office door before heading home. She also thought about his knew brand off punishment. Her reputation as a party girl had gotten around, but at this point she didn't care how many parties she had to miss. Yang was determined to outlast Ozpin's scheme, whatever it was.