"'After much discussion with Miss Goodwitch, we have decided to turn the problem over to you, our 'All-Knowing Oracles' to help solve some of the.. personal problems with team RWBY.'"
"What the hell is Ozpin thinking. How on earth does Oracle mean 'behavioral group therapists?' I can't believe that Glynda is sanctioning this." Atin paced back and forth around the room, hands moving animatedly to give weight to his ranting.
"I dunno, maybe they took it at face value and assumed we'd know exactly what to say to fix these problems," Max replied, checking the timer on their small oven. "It'd be a fair assumption to make when you hear the term 'all-knowing.' Which is why we won't be throwing that term around anymore."
"Look, I admit I should not have gone with Oracle. But I'm still operating on earth, where people know the cautionary tale of Delphi. I will not accept fault for this world not having proper warning labels about Oracles." Atin desperately tried to figure out what they were going to do about this, while enjoying a favorite pastime of the internet, ranting and blaming other people.
With a light ding, the timer went off and Max pulled a tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. "Look, it can't be that bad. You know, never mind, who am I kidding? But come on, it should be fine..sort of. We'll just go in, be our usual blunt selves. Maybe try a little bit of tact at the start. But this is gonna have to be solved one way or the other...though I find it a bit strange that they've already identified internal problems within teams on just the first day. How much observation and psychoanalysis do they do with first years to be able to weed this stuff out within just seventy-two hours?"
"Those cookies actually smell good. How long have you been able to bake? Also, I have no idea Max. For all we know they go through a rigorous battery of psychological testing before they come here, to identify problems. Or maybe they have been under observation for years. Ozpin is basically running the Illuminati here. They even have a dark magical secret to protect. Point is, they know, and we have to get Weiss to stop being an ice queen, Blake to stop being paranoid and closed off, and Ruby being an overactive ball of sugar. Maybe get Yang to stop with the puns. All of this has to be accomplished with two of the least qualified people on this, or any other, ball of dirt."
"Could have been worse. Could have been anyone else in our little circle of friends. Let's be honest, aside from the drunkard when he's actually drunk, we're probably the best equipped in that group for this kind of thing."
"You say that as if isn't horribly alarming."
"Okay, cookie's are sealed in the plastic container, in the bag, let's go down the hall. And knock on the door of four young women. Who could kill us...Atin, help, I'm this close to talking myself out of this…"
"It probably won't hurt for long if that's any consolation. Oh, and we will come back. Although that might to lead bigger problems if one of them kills us, like them questioning their sanity, or accusing us of being demons."
"Just come on," Max said, opening the door to enter the hallway.
"Sure, sure, lets just go knock on the door of four girls. Who can kill us. One of whom might, just might, be slightly, sort of, kinda massively annoyed at me for jerking her chain. Come to think of it, I'll let you go first, you have cookies."
As Atin closed the door, Max turned to him. "What the fuck did you do?"
"Weiss was being…well she was being season one Weiss. So I made her think that she had insulted the TA who would have been grading their papers. She deserved it. She insulted my clothes, and my weight, after I offered my hand in friendship."
Max rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath. Then, with a sigh, he turned back around, walking just a few yards down the hall to knock on Team RWBY's door. "Let's hope this goes well," he said, finally putting knuckles to wood.
The door opened to reveal Ruby Rose in her sleepwear. "Uh...Mr. Max? Mr. Atin? What are you two doing here?" she asked. Further in, the heads of the rest of Team RWBY could be seen poking into view.
"Well, believe it or not, Miss Rose, this is a part of our job...apparently." Max rubbed the back of his head, holding up the paper bag he'd grabbed for the container of cookies. "I brought some fresh cookies in the hopes it would make this less awkward."
"I mean, I personally think that this is gonna be awkward no matter what we do, and baked goods aren't going to help, especially with someone as judgy as Ice Queen over there. Ummmm, side note, I'm fairly sure that those beds would not pass OSHA safety standards. At all. Ever."
Ignoring the indignant squawk from Weiss in the background, Ruby looked at the two, her head tilted in confusion. "What's OSHA?" she asked.
"Just ignore him, he rambles a lot," Max said, waving the question off. "May we?" Ruby stepped aside, Max and Atin walking into the room. "Mind if I take a seat?" He pointed to the chair at the desk beside the door.
"Um, sure," Ruby answered nervously, slowly closing the door.
Atin simply leaned against the wall, being of the mind that a good lean was almost as refreshing as sitting. No one could tell you "no" about leaning either, you just did it. "So, we are here to talk about your team's issues. Its many, many issues. Shall we start at the top?" he asked, making certain to not look at Weiss.
"Issues, sir?" Weiss asked through grit teeth.
"Before we start, we'll give you a chance to air these our before we start picking them apart one by one. And before any of you try to brush this off or snub us, ask yourselves this. Which is easier? Being open and upfront? Or being talked down to like six year olds caught with their hand in the cookie jar?" Max leaned forward slightly, hands clasped between his knees as he swept his eyes slowly across the team. He then aimed a quick glare at Atin. "Not a word at the horrible joke I just walked into."
"Also, if you ignore us, there will be a fate faaaaaaar worse than us talking down to you. We'll have to come back here until we fix the problem. Also, we can come back anytime we want. Knocking is a formality for people without faculty access," Atin chimed in from over by the door, still eyeing the dubious bunk bed creation.
The reactions were about what Max and Atin had expected. Blake simply opened a book, pointedly avoiding the TAs. Yang and Ruby simply averted their eyes, though Ruby seemed to express more shame than her sister. And Weiss harrumphed, crossing her arms and staring down the TAs. Max sighed. "Ladies, you really don't want this. As Atin told me earlier, his weight was brought up by young Miss Schnee here. While most certainly not the best in shape, we are still faculty of Beacon. The fact we're in any kind of position that allows us to be in a classroom should be telling, to a degree. And I've dealt with much more stubborn people than you lot. I'm willing to play nice. But Atin is just as willing to go the hard route, if only because he finds it fun. Last chance."
"Well, thanks for making me out to be such a pleasant person. I would be insulted if it weren't mostly true," Atin said, slowly and deliberately walking over to Blake's bed.
"Well, let's start with one of the smaller issues, shall we? Not engaging with your team. You four are a team. A team. You must live, work, and sleep together for the next four years ladies. You will have to put your lives on the line for each other. You need to talk. You need to engage. YOU NEED TO STOP READING SMUT AND LISTEN TO ME." As he said the last sentence he whirled around, snapping Blake's book shut, and placing it on the nightstand.
"Do. Not. Speak. I am not finished. You, Miss Schnee, need to get over the fact that no one knows, or gives a flying fuck, about who you are. Get over the fact that you weren't made leader. Or perhaps you think that you know better than Professor Ozpin. The man who runs the most prestigious combat academy. I'll answer for you. You don't. You can sit there and glare all you like, but I'm right, and you know it. Oh, and stop grinding your teeth, it's bad for them."
'Well they haven't tried to kill me yet. Might as well keep going. Things can only go up from here' Atin thought to himself, doing his best to disguise his nervous shaking as anger instead.
"All excellent points, Atin." Max looked at the two currently in the crosshairs. Blake's face was one of shock, while Weiss was more indignant. And a rather alarming shade of red on her cheeks. "So let's break them down a bit further, shall we? Mind you, these aren't the only issues, there'll be at least one more we address tonight. And no, I'm not expecting an overnight miracle, that's just ridiculous." He cleared his throat. "Miss Belladonna. You strike me as someone who believes herself to be a lone wolf. That teammates only tie you down. Am I incorrect in this observation?"
"Well, sir...I." Blake looked down, slowly nodding. "I suppose it's not an...inaccurate conclusion to draw."
"But you want to become a Huntress? Someone who, as you yourself answered earlier today, must be dependable. So tell me, how are you accomplishing that on a team by being this lone wolf? I'd love to know your method for succeeding in such a thing." Max stayed silent for a few moments, letting it stretch out. "By your silence, I'll assume you don't actually have an answer. So let me take a guess to your thoughts, at least. That you can't rely on others. It's up to you to accomplish what they can't. They haven't made any progress, which means only you can. You don't need anyone who can't keep up." More silence. "You are on a team. As Atin said, you four ladies will be living, eating, and sleeping together for at least four years. You will be dependent on each other in combat. You will come to rely on each other for comradery. You need trust in order to operate as a team."
Atin sat down on the nightstand, careful to avoid the book. "Look, you don't know us. You think we don't know you. You're right, we don't know all the details. But we have done this before, not from this side of the fence, but we have been here. You don't want to trust people. Trusting people, liking them, it can hurt. Look at me, I'm an out of shape, cold hearted, cynical, blunt ass. But I learned a long time ago, you can't do it all on your own. I tried. I failed. Miserably. The only consolation was that the only person who got hurt was me. You girls don't have that luxury. You screw up, and people die. Maybe someone you know, maybe not. But that doesn't matter. You have all the potential to be amazing. Ozpin doesn't let in slackers." 'Well, except for us anyway, but they don't need to know that'. "But you all have to work together, and trust each other. You have to try. No-one wants to see you kids die." Atin ended his surprisingly kind monologue, wondering where it all came from.
"A sudden change isn't what we're looking for here, Blake." Max looked at the young faunus. "But a promise that you'll at least think on what we said will be enough for us to not hound you for a little while."
Blake looked away, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "I'll...I'll give it some consideration, sirs." Her reply was quiet, muffled by her knees.
"Then that's enough for now. Now, Miss Schnee. The matter of the leader of this team. In your honest opinion, do you believe that you are the best choice to lead this team? And why do you believe as such, if so?" Max looked at the heiress, awaiting her answer.
"Why? Why? I am a Schnee. I have had the best education of anyone here. My entire life has been spent training to lead, both in the professional and combat world. My family has produced some of the most powerful and successful hunters Atlas has ever seen. I have trained for years for this role. I am better equipped than anyone else to lead, and quite frankly I deserve better than to be lectured by two glorified gophers!" Weiss finished her rant, eye's simmering with anger, dancing around the room, daring anyone there to argue with her.
"Three times, Miss Schnee." Weiss's glare moved to Max, who met her eyes. "I want you to name me three times, in the last six months, someone told you no."
"And why would you want know that?" she spat out.
"Because to me, as someone who has spent his life learning to read people and situations and then act upon those observations, you appear to be a spoiled young woman who is used to getting her way. Being told no is something of a shock to you, I'm willing to wager. So name me three times in the last six months you have not gotten your way. Three times you had to earn whatever it is you desired."
"I-I…" Weiss closed her eyes in thought, thinking. "There was my application to Beacon. And then there was…"
Max let her continue for a few minutes, watching the back and forth she was having with herself, seemingly remembering something, but quickly realizing it wasn't something she could use as an answer. "So you fought to be able to apply here. And only that, in the past six months. Perhaps there are more times in your life you could use for the challenge, but something tells me you thought back much further than six months already." Weiss shut her mouth, now glaring at the floor. "Miss Schnee, being told no sucks. Plain and simple. When you know your qualifications, you know with every fiber of your being that some kind of job or position is just meant for you, it hurts when it feels like it's suddenly yanked out of your grasp. It feels as though everything you did up to that point was simply for nothing. You want to deny it, blame someone else for simply not seeing what's right there. Anything to accept that you weren't chosen due to someone else completely screwing up. And maybe that's true. Who knows, it is just the first day of school. But I'd argue, Miss Schnee, it's just the first day of school, so why not give Ruby Rose a chance? You said it yourself, you trained for years for this. So why not use it to help your partner become a better leader? She's still two years younger than you, so there's doubtless a number of things for her to catch up on. And she'll need someone's help for that."
"Look, I get it. You think you can do a better a job. Actually, you know you can do a better job. After all, you're you. You have to be right, you always got your way, always got what you wanted. Finding out that you cannot in fact, do everything or be right all the time, is quite the unpleasant wake up call. Take it from someone who knows. Being knocked down a peg by us is much nicer than, say, a Professor. After all, we aren't grading your papers. All joking aside Weiss, I was a very arrogant young man. Well, more arrogant. It took some very good friends of mine to get me to realize what a jerk I was. Max and I aren't your friends. None of us know each other. But I hope you'll listen to someone who has had your problem. I was stupid. I'm still young. Hopefully we can keep you kids from making our mistakes." Atin finished, feeling bad about having to air the team's dirty laundry, but it needed to be done. Hopefully they would air the rest of it. 'I push any harder than this, and they might take a swing at me, TA or no. That would end badly, for everyone. We should probably talk to Ozpin about getting our aura unlocked, before we get killed. At least they seem to be listening to us. At least being the nerdy kid with glasses that always got made fun of is good for something, if it helps them'.
"I understand," Weiss replied, her teeth grit together. "I will...try to take into consideration everything you've said."
Max gave a slight nod to Atin before speaking once more. "And the final issue, though not near as heavy, involves you, Miss Rose."
"S-sir?!" the young huntress-in-training yelped, her back going ramrod straight.
"You can relax, it's not that bad. Being that you were fast tracked two years earlier than the norm, you're behind on subjects. This is more a warning to not push yourself too hard to catch up. Don't be afraid to ask your teammates for help. And don't be afraid to ask the teachers, either. You've got a lot of catching up to do and a short time to do it in. You'll have to really buckle down to catch up and prove that you deserve to keep your spot here just as much as anyone here. Might seem like a lot of pressure, but I trust Professor Ozpin in his choices of teams and leaders. If anyone is here at Beacon, then it's because they deserve to be."
"Oh! Um, okay, Mr. Max. I'll do my best!"
"Good enthusiasm. Well, I think that's about all we need to talk about for the time being. I'll just leave the cookies here with you girls." Max stood up from the chair, placing it back under the desk.
"Do us all a favor, don't make us come back. Please. This isn't any fun for us either. We don't enjoy berating students, even if they have been rude to us." Atin stood up and handed the book back to Blake. "Oh and a final note Blake, maybe make some mock covers for those books. Some people read titles."
"Don't stay up too late, girls. Apparently, the first years have combat class first thing tomorrow morning." With that, Max opened the door, walking out. Atin followed, closing the door as he went, resisting the urge to add one final quip. Once the TAs were back in their suite, with the door closed, Max turned to Atin. "Feel better after those rants?"
"I'll have you know that I take no pleasure in ranting at people. It's no fun when they can't talk back, although it was nice to slap some metaphorical sense into Weiss. I think I could get used to this Oracle gig". Atin said as he headed for his room and his most treasured companion, a warm bed.