Ozpin leaned forward in his office chair, coffee forgotten as he studied the several-week-old footage of Mr. Arc's "cooking competition" against Team RWBY taken from the cameras in the cafeteria for what felt like the ten thousandth time. His tense expression was at odds with his calm analysis of the footage he was viewing.
'Mr. Arc's semblance seems to be very similar to Ms. Xiao-Long's. It appears to burn brightly but is incapable of actual harm to people.'
He once again doubted his theory as he watched Ms. Nikos reenter the room, and the resultant increase in intensity of the flames that Jaune produced. If they became any more intense, the Headmaster feared for the structural integrity of the kitchen.
'So, Mr. Arc's semblance responds to intense emotions. Again, the similarities to young Amber Autumn cannot be ignored…'
Ozpin leaned back to sip his coffee as the activity in the kitchen began to cease, relaxing as he once again thought about the potential of Jaune Arc somehow obtaining the status of Fall Maiden. It had been several weeks now, and he was still uncertain as what it all meant.
His confidants were certain that he was simply being paranoid and jumping at shadows. However, they were not cursed. They had no true grasp of the higher powers at work within Remnant, and the scope of the war that they truly fought.
After so long, and so many years, he could just tell. Something was coming.
Sighing dramatically, Ozpin set down his coffee cup, glancing at the newest item to grace his desk, a birthday gag gift from Qrow, given to him because he would 'Have about as much luck getting' answers from it as the videos you keep lookin' at.'
Truly, he surrounded himself with a unique group of colleagues.
Still, Qrow did have a point. Ozpin still lacked information, and without all the information necessary, he would not act. Too much was at stake, and he needed to know more before committing to a course of action.
Reaching over to his scroll, Ozpin hoped that he would soon be able to correct this deficiency. As his most trusted scout Glynda began her weekly report on teams RWBY and JNPR, the Headmaster of Beacon resolved to keep to his usual strategy. 'It is not yet time to act. For now, we must wait…'
XXX
"What is this, Emerald?"
"Well ma'am, it's a plushie toy of one of the members of a team from Beacon. Team RWBY according to the records. This one is the leader, Ruby Rose. She even has weapon accessories, according to the website, but you have to buy those separately."
The deadly criminal mastermind just gave her subordinate a deadpan stare, "And how exactly is this relevant to our mission? And hand me that bra."
"Well, they are very popular in Beacon right now, and they are gaining recognition in the other Kingdoms as well, in a very short amount of time. Hunter Team Plushies are considered a must have item by nearly every student of Beacon. If we want to blend in, we need to have one," the green haired young woman explained as she handed her boss the bra she requested.
She was grateful that her darker Vacuan complexion helped hide her blush, not that Cinder seemed to notice.
Emerald did her best not to linger too long on any one area, as her boss turned to her for inspection, making certain that her uniform was immaculate. Her throat went rather dry as she took in the sight of her boss's alluring curves packed into a school uniform, and she did her best to sear the image into her mind as Cinder tossed her dark hair over one shoulder, golden eyes glinting with confidence and danger.
"P-perfect as usual, ma'am. No one should be able to tell us apart from any other Haven guest student."
The temptress smirked as she sashayed up to Emerald, placing a hand on her cheek. Her eyes sparked with amusement as she felt the young woman tremble slightly from her touch, caressing her skin as if she were a favored pet, before reaching over to gently smooth down an unruly lock of Emerald's hair.
Nodding in satisfaction, the would-be seductress continued her way to the door, before stepping out into the hallway to meet the other member of her team, Mercury, waiting in the hall. Just as she was about to leave the room, she turned to Emerald, calling over her shoulder, "Coming?"
It took the green haired illusionist a moment to reboot her brain from the last few moments, but she managed. Emerald gave a full body shudder, and took a very deep breath, before beginning to follow dutifully behind her boss, "Yes, Cinder."
Once they were out in the hall, Cinder was all business, taking the Ruby Rose plushie from Emerald, and holding it in her hand, while she decided what to do with it. She stared down at the thing as she walked, trying to understand its appeal. Frankly, it's wide, naïve stare, cherubic face, and tiny, soft body inspired the exact opposite reaction from what the designers likely intended.
It reminded the woman far too much of her old self before her Mistress had found her: Trusting, naive, weak…
She was fighting the urge to set it on fire.
Observing the people around her for insight didn't help in the slightest. She understood the words they were speaking of course, but the context? Not at all. The new meaning of the terms escaped her, and it was both confusing and infuriating.
Cinder womanfully repressed the urge to sigh in agitation, as her team passed a group of chattering Huntress students, their crisp, spartan white uniforms marking them as students of Atlas Academy. She really didn't comprehend the snippets of conversation she was hearing.
'White Rose? Hot Coffee? Arkos? What on Remnant do logistics have to do with anything? Shipping, indeed. Is it some sort of secret Atlasian code?' the false Maiden wondered, 'I really don't understand average people.'
It became even worse when she noticed that almost every single student was sporting a plushie of some sort like they were some sort of fashion accessory, standing around in groups and talking about them as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.
She gestured to Emerald, who quickened her pace until she was right beside her, instead of behind. Cinder turner her head slightly, talking as lowly as she could, despite the chance that their conversation was unlikely to be heard in the crowded dorm, "Is this a cult? I feel like this is a cult."
"What do you mean, Cinder?"
"Look at all of them. They are all carrying around these things, chattering about them as if they are the most important things in the world, to the exclusion of all else. They even have their own language. All they need now is to start praying in tongues and they will complete the cult brainwashing checklist, ´Cinder explained, "What does shipping even have to do with anything?"
This time Cinder was quick to notice Emerald's flushed face, her subordinate's embarrassment clear, "Well, do you know something? Tell me!"
"W-well, ma'am, I did a bit of research when I acquired our plushies. Shipping refers to the active desire of a person to see a certain pair or group of more in a romantic relationship. The pairing or group is given a name and referred to as a 'ship'. I'm uncertain as to why."
This explanation was met with a blank, unbelieving stare, "What?" Cinder asked in a tone flatter than pancakes.
"Um, yes, ma'am. That's the explanation I was given..." Emerald confirmed nervously.
"That settles it. This truly must be a cult. Listen, this is very important: If someone comes up to you, offering a drink, do not take it! I refuse to have our plans derailed by the next unhinged Gin Jones copycat..."
"Um, sorry Cinder, but, Gin Jones?"
Cinder once again stared at her subordinate in disbelief, "You know! Gin Jones! The cult leader that convinced all those humans and Faunus that joined him to follow him in a joint suicide pact by drinking alcohol laced with a cocktail of poisons?"
When Emerald, and even Mercury, who had made his way to her other side just gave her shrugs of incomprehension, she snapped out, "It was on every news network for almost two months! People talked about it constantly!"
"When was this exactly?" Mercury asked.
"It was only five years ago!"
"Well now I know I'll have to search the news archives for more information," Emerald muttered as she tapped away on her scroll.
"It's practically a current event!" Cinder insisted, doing her best to rein in her anger, as she gave more serious thought to burning the plushie in her hand.
"Uh, hate to break it to you, boss, but five years ago is definitely not a current event. It's practically ancient and dead in media years..."
Cinder bristled at the implications in his tone, the rage filled glare she shot him promising him suffering and death in the very near future.
Once her lackey was properly cowed, Cinder returned to the task at hand, practically stomping as she continued forward, anger simmering just below the surface, 'Fools, the lot of them,' she decided, 'When we set our plans into motion, we'll be doing these brainwashed sheep a favor...'
The villainous trio kept up the brisk pace set by Cinder until they were nearly out of the dorms, when Cinder suddenly stopped, distracted by an odd event. There, sitting on the door handle that led to the rest of the campus, was another plushie. This one was of a blonde male, with blue eyes, with white chest and shoulder armor. He was dressed plainly in jeans and a hoodie, of all things. Far from the typical flamboyant Huntsman attire.
She looked down at the plushie in her hand again, before quickly snatching the one on the door up, and replacing it with the infuriating Ruby Rose one, 'At least this one is somewhat cute and tolerable in a puppyish sort of way,' Cinder mused.
With her new plushie secure and displayed prominently in the pocket of her school blazer, Cinder opened the door to the campus proper, ushering her subordinates forward.
"Ow!" Mercury exclaimed, "What the hell hit me?!"
"Quiet, Mercury! Your aura can heal whatever it is. We need to stay focused. I refuse to be late for combat class. It will give us a good chance to scout the students for potential Maiden candidates Ozpin is likely to use. Start a list, Emerald, and be on the lookout for anyone exceptional or noteworthy."
"Yes, ma'am" her followers chorused, though Mercury was still scowling and rubbing the back of his head furiously.
As the students made their way to class. perched unseen on one of the emergency exit signs at the end of the corridor, a tiny Pyrrha plush laid prone, rifle Milo aimed directly at the door that Cinder and company had just exited...