Chapter 4 : New Changes
The time spent in Beacon Academy was time well spent and simultaneously disorganized for every student attending. Those who were attending Beacon for their first year would be forgiven if they assumed everything at Beacon was a common occurrence, however the returning students would be able to confirm that not everything was the same a year prior.
One difference found in this school year was the inclusion of looping music and multiple songs being played throughout the campus of Beacon. During the day was acoustic upbeat music would play on the PA machine as students would wake up, seemingly feeling energized and ready for the day. During the afternoon and evening the music would be slower and in turn be more calming and soothing. The students would be relaxed after they had finished all their classes, any and all forms of negative emotion fleeing from their bodies as they listened to the calming music.
While the addition of music was not a complaint per say from the other students it was odd to hear music play over the entire campus with no evidence of any prior event like it taking place. The oddest part about the music was how when outdoors anyone could hear the music from almost everywhere, however when indoors the music would play in a softer volume and would vary depending where exactly someone was located, ie near the library or the dining hall.
Another odd addition found by the upperclassmen was the new machine found within the training room. The machine was odd in the sense that it created data constructs of potential enemies at an impeccable recreation. The machine appeared to be linked with every student's scrolls, meaning it was connected to everyone in a way. The machine was also located near only one of the larger sparring rings.
Everyone eventually learned of the machine and how it operated within a week's time, however it still amazed the users of just what it exactly was. It was odd learning how so many new things were added over the break in Beacon.
Which leads to the final, and admittedly slightly odd, addition to Beacon Academy. This was the inclusion of the newest and youngest teacher Violet de' Noir. The professor taught the subject of forgotten truths lost to history, however while he may teach the first years on said subject, he could be seen almost everywhere around the school grounds in various locations. Some students claimed to see him striking conversation with them while in the library while others would insist they found him located far away from his classroom, high above the ground on a balcony. One student even claimed to have seen him sitting on a ledge on top of Beacon Tower.
However the location everyone could agree with seeing the young professor was in the amphitheatre and the training room. Students would either spar in Ms. Goodwitch's class or be training either by themselves or with others, and they would swear seeing the faunus watching them from afar.
It would forgiven to assume the young man to be a strange individual, especially after seemingly disappearing out of sight when someone saw him. This caused many a strange rumor revolving around de' Noir to form, one held by everyone in how he has been causing the recent changes.
While not normally one group of friends to gossip team RWBY were currently in the dining hall waiting for more of their friends to join them for their regularly scheduled lunch, and having no other means of passing the time, they started to discuss locally grown rumors and other gossip.
Mainly revolving around the subject of Mr. Violet de' Noir.
"You guys have been hearing the rumors too right?" asked Yang Xiao Long, currently eating a plate consisting of a well done sirloin steak with a side of mashed potatoes with gravy and a glass of orange juice.
"If it has anything to do with the professor then I suggest you ignore them. It'd be uncouth of you to do so." Weiss said skewering the small salad of fruit and veggies in front of her.
"Oh come on Ice Queen, you're not the least bit interested in the new teacher being the talk of the school?" Yang asked eating a piece of her meal.
"First of all I don't pry into other people's business whether it be a rumor or not, as a decent person. And second of all I have can not care in the least about anything involving him." Weiss replied as she stabbed the salad a tad bit rougher than she should.
"That's a little rude of you to say Weiss." Blake spoke up from behind the book she was reading, the signs of any sort of meal she had being the crumbs and very faint smell of tuna on her empty plate.
"I simply just don't care about involving myself with some petty and false accused information of our superior, even if he is still a minor." Weiss answered finishing her salad.
"Still for being the youngest teacher here he seems a bit… off." Yang said.
"Waddya mean sis?" asked the young leader as she threw a strawberry in her mouth.
"Well you know how all the teachers all act sorta weird or have some quirk?" The blonde received only one answer from her sister, although she knew the rest of her team were still listening. "It's just that. The dude doesn't seem to have some sort of thing. He's almost the most normal teacher here."
"Don't worry Yang. I'm sure that he'll do something to change your mind." Weiss said this as she pulled out a nail file and grinded her fingernails down.
At this Blake gave a pointed look towards the heiress who hadn't paid attention to her team. The only one to actually notice was her blonde partner. Yang raised one of her brows a bit before dismissing the act.
Eventually lunch was brought to a close as the school bell rang, signalling all students to head for their next class. Team RWBY each got up from their table, disposed of their trash and went their way to the class of their aforementioned professor. As they made their way to class, discussing slightly about their soon to be due assignment from last week, they say that a majority of their classmates were currently waiting outside of the classroom. The four girls were confused as to why until they all started to hear music coming from the classroom, the sounds of a violin being played behind the locked door.
It wasn't long after the bell rang once more in order, leaving the students slightly bewildered and confused as to what to do. Some of the students began discussing as to what they should do. Most students agreed on waiting for the professor to notice his class hasn't shown up yet while others were deciding whether or not they should just leave and go to their dorms early until their next class started.
It wasn't before long that the music was either turned off or lowered significantly. The students looked towards the door with expectation, the door soon opening up to the face of their faunus teacher.
"Oh… Glad to see you all came early." de' Noir said turning back around around, headed towards the front desk. "All right students please, take your seats and we can get on with today's schedule."
As the students began to take their seats they saw that only one thing was written on the blackboard up front.
Story Time!
The pseudo show-and-tell of the class was an oddly satisfying event for everyone involved in the classroom. The assignment the young professor assigned to his students was completed well in advance of the same day just last week. Each student would be chosen either randomly or voluntarily to tell the story they wished to share.
Some stories were old fairy tales they remembered from their youth as young children, other tales were of the more fictional category that they claimed were based on factual points and events in history. There were a few students who felt reluctant to share a childhood story they deemed as too childish. Their professor continuously reassured his students whenever such an issue recurred.
There were very few stories told by students that had involved any sort of religion, however their professor's reassurrence - and quite possibly the tone of voice when speaking to a certain group of boys, after some sort jeering was made - had helped said students share their tales with the entire room.
Once all stories were shared and told the young professor dismissed his class of future warriors and was left to his lonesome.
At least to anyone else's knowledge.
Another day, another night learning about the world eh Helper? I thought to myself, shuffling some papers that were scattered on one end of the table.
"Yep. Another day wasting away as you keep trying to fill up all my RAM with all this knowledge about this weird world." the AI replied.
Yeah well there isn't a whole lot I can do here besides hold my side of the bargain with Ozpin. I thought/told the AI, writing on a sheet of paper that held information about the piece of technology that came with me.
So long as we do what the old man wants from us, we have freedom over what we do here. And he is our boss now you know, the guy who can give us this important thing called "money".
"Yeah I know. Do what bossman says and you get free liberty to do what you want here, so long as it doesn't involve any ill-intentions."
Yep. And if you aren't holding back any more information about the hud, then our first task is done. I said to the bot, looking over the paper and many others in my hands. In total there were four full pages worth of information about the CAHS-HUD.
Well now that that is done, why don't we take the rest of the day to deliver the report, and get some actual combat practice? I thought, grabbing the papers and began the trek to Ozpin's office.
"Please do. After that little incident when we got here I think a little training is more than welcome. I mean, unless you wanna go and throw your life away again." the bot replied-
What a sec…
Did he just-
"BOOM. Insult and a joke! What you gonna do about that V? Oh wait! You can't, unless you wanna lose an ear and ruin those pants of yours."
He's taunting me. God dammit.
Stepping out of the room, I start to make my way down the halls of Beacon Academy. If there was one thing I was grateful for from this bot was map that came with it. Of course that's to say I haven't fully memorized the lay of the land here and still rely on it heavily. The only parts if memorized well enough to not glance at the map every other second was the area surrounding the Tower, which isn't much. All I knew was which route took you where in the academy.
There was nothing really worth mentioning during the walk to Ozpin's office, the only thing that could be deemed as interesting was how many of the students have taken the rest of the day to relax. Many were in their teams, I assumed, either lounging about and talking to one another or just simply resting in the shade of trees.
It was moments like these where I wished everyone could experience at least once. Just lounging about without a care in the world.
It's a shame that they are so few and far in between.
The elevator ride was quite surprisingly relaxing, if any of you could believe that, although it was also very dull as the fandom has made it.
After a good minute or so of waiting in a box the doors finally opened to Ozpin's office. As usual the headmaster was at his desk currently looking at a monitor that I believe to be a news broadcast involving recent break ins, robberies, accidents, and infamous celebrities and important people. On the table appears to be a box, a normal cardboard box oddly enough, with an envelope on top of it. Both that had my name written on them. Ozpin didn't even look away from the screen when I walked up to him.
"I trust that you have everything involving your device written Mr. Noir?" Ozpin asked, a picture of a dust shop now on the screen.
"Everything on these papers is anything and everything I've learned about the hud so far. As I promised, if there is any new information I have learned or gathered I will report it to you right away, sir." I told Ozpin, placing the small packet on the center of his desk.
"That is excellent to hear from you Mr. Noir. As you can see I have fulfilled the rest of my half." he said this waving on of his hands to the direction of the box and envelope.
"If you need to speak with me, I'll be in my usual spot." I told Ozpin, grabbing the box and envelope. I turned and started to make my way to one of the doors in the room, not hearing any sort of sound besides the cogs and gears of the room. Behind one door was a staircase that led to the second floor of Ozpin's office which led to upwards into the inner workings of the tower. After that I walked towards the ledge that I believed was located above Ozpin's window, and sat down with my legs dangling off the tower.
Already spent a week in this world and I still have no idea as to what the hell I'm supposed to be doing here. Talk about cliche huh bot? I thought, opening up the envelope. Inside it was a bunch of plastic cards of different colors and a small white rectangle with a yellow diamond in the center of it.
"It's a little cliche, if you throw in the fact that you almost got ourselves killed on the first day against some pups and had a 'deus ex machina' or whatever you called it."
Well don't worry, I'll remedy that problem soon enough. We are in an advanced facility meant to raise and instruct the future guardians of humanity. Certainly don't won't a repeat of last week now do we.
Fiddling with the small box, I'm able to open it up and see all there is it has to offer. Admittedly there wasn't much too different from how smart phones worked back home. There was the taskbar on the top side, the "app menu" was simply accessed from a circle in the center on the screen, and the other main functions of the scroll were circled around it. There is a small slot on the part with the small diamond still attached. I'm assuming that is basically the equivalent of the SD slot of smart phones.
It wasn't long before a message appeared on the screen from the headmaster himself.
N/A : I assume you have found the scroll first amongst your compensation. This is the number you shall use should you have need to contact me. My fellow associates will also be giving their contact information as well for the same purpose. That scroll shall be your own personal property, so you may do with it as you will. - Ozpin
He sure doesn't waste time, I'll give him that.
Bot, see if you can't give the hud an update with this scroll. I thought, moving the scroll in front of the hud's screen.
"Will do what I can buddy. Might take some time though. After all this is still a prototype build. But at the very least we'll have better information than your Wiki info." With that the scroll was absorbed into the hud and put into inventory.
Setting the cards aside, I started to open the box getting messages from presumably the other professors of Beacon on the hud. For a work in progress the hud works ridiculously fast.
With the box opened now I'm greeted to the sight of my black coat. Pulling it out of the box and stuffing it into the inventory, I see a book that was titled "Making and Styling : Hunters Edition" and a briefcase of sorts below it. I put the book away and pull out the box within the box, and opened it up to the sight of four different colored crystals encased in glass and four vials filled with those same colors. They were a fiery red, a deep blue, a bright yellow, and a clear white each with a symbol of an element on the lids.
These were four types of a greatly unknown renewable energy and a terrible force of power within the right hands of specific people.
Burn dust, lightning dust, water dust, and presumably air dust, the four primary dust types of Remnant were now in my hands.
I honestly didn't expect Ozpin to be so willing to go along with our deal.
From you let me know, the old guy knows a lot more than he lets. And that he is a master manipulator as you've put it. Maybe he's trying to get on your good side for something later.
I did tell you that. But I'll give Oz the benefit of the doubt on that. Plus if this is proof of his willingness then he has the rest for us at the spot.
Getting up from the ledge, I put everything into the inventory and start making my way back down and to the training room. On the way to the elevator I saw Ozpin was now looking through the papers I left him, his face ever calm and stoic. Seeing him in person was honestly unnerving at times
"Like I said, if I find out more I'll tell you immediately." I called out, now waiting for the elevator.
Oddly enough I didn't get a response from the headmaster. When I turned to look at him, he was still reading the papers with the same expression. After a moment the doors opened and walked into the elevator, ready to head down to the first floor. Before the doors closed I gave Ozpin a goodbye and a thank you for the payment he gave me.
I was able to reach a compromise with Ozpin when I first appeared on this world, one that I have no doubts fully favored him if when he agreed.
I arrived on the first day of Beacon's school year, several hours before students were scheduled to arrive on campus. The cave system I was in was apparently part some abandoned project some renowned scientist funded during some odd years before Ozpin became headmaster and left under wraps. It was located underneath the academy and has multiple entrances along the cliff sides Beacon is atop of. The path I took was located near an area of the Emerald Forest that was maintained to have little to no Grimm for whatever reason, probably for tomorrow's initiation.
When I told Goodwitch and Ozpin of what I went through, how I got here and how I wanted to go back home - I definitely did not go overboard when telling them - only Goodwitch shown some form of doubt in my truthfulness. Ozpin was his unflappable self as fanon deemed him to be and I wasn't sure on whether to be disturbed or amazed by his calmness to all my claims and performance. Afterwards he just stared at me, uncomfortably might I add, until he decided to make a proposition.
He decided that I should stay here at Beacon, either as a student or staff member, and he would help me find my way home while I help him. I gain an education - of what I don't already know of Remnant - a place to stay, and all the boons of staying on his good side. I decided to say "screw homework" and just take whatever job he gave me while I stayed here. Apparently Beacon was "under staffed" by one professor to teach a new course that was to be added for the first years.
In that instance I decided to barter for some supplies and assistance in order to allow myself the ability to help him when need be. That included the aforementioned box of loot from earlier as well as some tools and work space to help myself, and to have some privacy in whichever area I wished to stay in.
It did not lead to me begging and lying out of my ass to make these demands seem reasonable and giving him the one and only trump card I had in this world, along with having docked pay (thanks Goodwitch) and mandatory curfew and daily logs (damn you Ozpin). Other than that I have full freedom until ten and was constantly kept on watch by everyone because I doubt he would let an unknown like me roam around willy nilly.
The only time I have some semblance of peace and mind from Oz's gaze was back in the Cavern of Awakening I woke up in. It's also the place where I made my personal quarters in with the rest of my "compensations". I found a space that looked like the size of Ozpin's office and chose that to be my "hub" room. I gave boss man directions how to get there thanks to the bot, and now it's haven.
Entering the weird blue room I saw a bed in the far end of the room in the left corner, next to it was a wardrobe with another box in front of it, and a large table was placed in the middle of the wall. On the table there was some sort of computer there already turned on, the school's website was onscreen for a moment before it went black There was what I think is some sort of rack in the far right corner of the room and a large pressing machine, I think, next to it. Another table sat next to the… thing with a sewing machine on it. Next to the entrance were two workbenches with tools, books and two boxes covering them.
I'm still amazed by how quick and effective the old man can work, but I decided to just ignore his ability to set everything up and chalk it up to him being the damn wizard.
I dumped my care package on the bed and opened the box on the ground. Clothes and more black coats were stuffed into the box, and started to fix my now full closet with my outfits. Next I went to the computer and found myself on Beacon's registration page on one tab and an email site on another tab. Getting through the sign up was simply enough with the hud, getting through the rest of the stuff was a bit more difficult with all the tools and the huge thing I couldn't recognize, but the bot was able to help me again.
I left the boxes alone for the day and crashed on the bed once I settled what needed to be done for the day and started to prepare everything else for the year.
It's been a while…
Kept ya waiting huh?
So I would like to apologize to the people who've been waiting very patiently for an update to this fic, I just haven't really been able to focus on fics and just dropped off of FanFic.
But Im back now so I gonna try and keep working on this fic and just post chapters whenever I can, no matter if I think they're finished or not.
I dunno when Im gonna post the next chapter of this fic but I prmoise you all, it won't take another damn year.
This has been everyone's living disappointment - V.