Chapter Thirty-Eight: will be held in the memories of our

Danny has played a decent amount of videogames over three lives.

If she was guaranteed all videogames in a series would be released before her next death, the brunette is sure she would have liked videogames more. Somehow, she finds them different from books in that sense. Danny can gladly pass on without completing a book series, but an incomplete videogame plot leaves her with anxiety. As much as she likes feeling emotions, leaving something incomplete would eat her alive. It's why she only plays simple, plotless or weak-plotted videogames. Games like Sideways Fighter.

(… She has not played Sideways Fighter since before Mountain Glenn fell.)

Unsurprising to Danny, Qrow loves videogames. Her partner brought his gaming system to the dorm after the Fall break. When the term started, so did the gaming tournaments. Most of the first year groups are in the tournament or betting pool, and some come to hang out in team QADJ's dorm while their teammates practice on Qrow's gaming system.

Surprising everyone, Abigail loves videogames as well. She and Qrow become gaming rivals, and it leads to the first time those two teammates joke and have fun in each other's company. Abigail can look the entire team in the eye, without flinching or ducking her head, by week one of second term. Qrow secretly cares about his teammates, and works on getting to know them as people. All over videogames.

In third term, after Vacuo's tournament and Winter break, Qrow brings the side-scrolling/ one-vs-one, fighting game Sideways Fighter into their dorm.

Abagail and Qrow gush over the game. James takes a few turns at it, before deciding to spend his time with the other team's teammates not involved with the videogame craze. Glynda is the best player of the first years, but she spends time doing homework instead of hanging out, playing videogames in the neighboring dorm.

Ozpin plays for a few rounds. He jokes about all his failures – everyone one of them purposeful – and gets out of playing. It's because he's not the only one trying to get out of the game that he notices Danny not even giving the holo-screen a glance.

It starts out with trips to the library, small enough no one questions her. It isn't her first time turning down a turn at a game because she has things to do.

Then, Abigail begs her to sit in as she 'creams Qrow's feathery butt'. Danny's smiles are all false, and she always has something out when the battlers are too busy fighting to pay attention. She discretely tucks the distraction – her scroll, a book, some sticky note – away and congratulates the winner. She never looks at the screen.

Ozpin takes note of the ear plugs.

He takes note of the one day, two weeks into the term, when the ear plugs are off.

Abigail, Jazz, Leena, Match, and Qrow take turns destroying one another in Sideways Fighter. Ozpin sits on a chair, watching the mini tournament go on. After one particularly gruesome win by Abigail over Qrow, Ozpin notices movement in the corner of his eye. He glances over, and sees Danny pale as a sheet. Her legs are curled to her chest, and her homework barely looks touched. It's only after Jazz is defeated by her teammate, Match, does Ozpin see Danny try to hide her flinch.

Another match starts, and Ozpin makes his way unnoticed to sit on Danny's bed. She looks up and offers him a weak smile. He settles beside her and wraps his arms around her, relaxing as she leans into him.

"What's wrong?" Ozpin mutters.

"Nothing," Danny answers immediately. She shakes her head on his chest.

"Danny," Ozpin's tone is coaxing. "I want to help."

Danny shudders a breath, leaning back away from him and towards the center of her bed. "Don't worry." She gives him another weak smile and settles back to doing homework. "It's my own problem."

"We are all here to help," Ozpin mutters to her, concern on his face.

"I know," Danny's small smile is real, until the victory music from Sideways Fighters plays in the background. "Just hearing you say that in enough."

For one of the very few times in his life, Ozpin feels lost as she goes back to staring at her homework. It takes him a few moments of staring at her, and seeing her flinch at another victory going on behind him, before he cups her elbow and draws her attention back to him. "Let's go grab some coffee."

"Alright," Danny says, lips twisting into smile. "I'm not going to fall apart, you know."

"I know," Ozpin answers, guiding her off the bed. "But I would appreciate some caffeine. You wouldn't want me to walk by myself would you?"

That gets a chuckle out of her. "Of course not. Wouldn't that be the end of the world?"

Ozpin stiffens, and its Danny's turn to carefully guide him out of the room filled with their oblivious friends.

"I won't let you walk by yourself, Ozpin," Danny whispers to him when they're alone in the hallway. "As long as I'm around, you won't be alone. Just come and ask for anything."

Ozpin chuckles. His muscles loosen. The black haired man wraps an arm around her shoulders, glad to feel calm again. "Anything?"

"All you have to do is ask," Danny emphasizes the last word.

"Of course," Ozpin answers.

Because he notices her, he notices how she opposes when he commands things of her. He tries his hardest not to slip on the mask of a general or commander around her. He tries so hard. But sometimes it does slip. And then he is left feeling colder without her calming presence around him.

"I'll always ask," Ozpin promises. Quieter, he repeats, "always."

Danny hears him and smiles.

Their friendship is strong, yet fragile; because anything could push them closer or further away.

(And in the memories of people bound by magic, every moment they spend together shall be recorded, no matter how short the time.)

A/N: Thanks for reading!

Thank you, xenocanaan, for review! I hope this one brought a little less pain. Thank you again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thank you, TheParadoxicalOxymoron, for your review! That's a chapter for another time… Thanks again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Thank you, Praetorianwarrior, for your review! I hope this one didn't cause as much hurt. Thanks again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Have a great August, everyone!