Intermission: staff meeting

The first week of Beacon was coming to an end, and Salem was surprised at how normal it felt to her already.

It had been an entire world ago that she had last truly experienced life around other people.

Granted, she did have her followers visit her tower but they didn't live there, it was just visits.

But now she was living in the same place as so many other people, a place they considered home.

It truly brought home what she had lost, reminding her of her plans when humanity was restored. Perhaps it was time to return to those plans.

She shook her head. There was no way that Ozma was going to let her do that.

Speaking of Ozma, he was heading up a staff meeting.

"And how has our newest staff member been working out?"

"I won't deny I had my concerns," Goodwitch admitted, "especially after everything you told me about her," she commented towards Ozma, "but they seem to be unfounded. Even the Grimm have been well behaved. Better than the regular students in certain cases."

"I noticed some of this behaviour, the leaders of team WLDS. Is there a reason you let him get away with acting like that?" Salem was genuinely curious as to their reasons. It wasn't like she had any real experience with bullying in the first place. Growing up she had been kept away from others, and since then she was never the sort of person to be a target. And Grimm never behaved in that manner.

"There would be certain issues if a student was expelled mid-term," Ozma explained. "And this also gives him a chance to learn better attitude. Not to forget that it helps students who need it to toughen up."

"That isn't to say that we wouldn't do anything if one of his victims came to us. Unfortunately it is very rare for students to realise it is an option."

"Well said. Anyone with anything to add?"

"Her unique viewpoint has given me a lot more to cover in Grimm studies. In fact the topic hasn't changed so much since..."

By mutual agreement agreement the others ignored the rest of whatever it was Port was saying.

Ozma nodded. "As I expected. Any concerns that need raising?"

"Have you mentioned the extra students to Vales leadership yet?"

Ozma raised an eyebrow over a long drink from his mug.

"It is hardly fair to keep students locked up in the academy all the time, especially when others can visit the city after all."

"You have a point. I'll make sure to have a word with the council to prepare them. I hardly want you be able to accuse us of bias. There is time before we need to worry, the first years have their trip to forever fall this weekend so they won't have a chance to visit the city anyway. Is there anything we need to know about the trip?"

"I don't think so. I would appreciate additional staff presence just in case, but I am confident in my ability to take care of any problems that may arise."

"Good. The only other thing would be the Vytal festival. I'll make sure to bring up the participation of our full teams when I explain the Grimm students to the council. Is there anything else?"

Salem was unsurprised about the hands-off approach Ozma was taking.

He had never really been a leader. He just wasn't the sort to be given authority.

Sure he had always been a skilled fighter and an inspiration to those around him, but that didn't make him a leader.

It made her wonder how he dealt with paperwork, one of the inventions of this age she was glad she'd been able to avoid as long as she had.

It was obvious to her, and presumably the rest of the staff, that if Ozma tried to actually manage their jobs as you'd expect a headmaster to that he would pretty much end Beacon, if not the comcept of Huntsman academies.

Mental note: should I loose my position, ensure Ozma takes on a hands-on role.

"Dismissed."

There wasn't all that much space in the lift down from the office, so Salem remained seated while others, notably Port and Peach, created a jam at the elevator door.

"Every time," Goodwitch sighed, also having not wasted her time getting up yet. She turned to Salem. "I apologise for doubting you, though I will ask if you have any idea why Ozpin was so insistent that you were intending to destroy us?"

"Not to mention how the queen of all Grimm is legitimately helping an academy that teaches how to fight Grimm? After what Oz did he doesn't believe that I can forgive him," Salem told her, leaving out the matter that she didn't intend to forgive Ozma. He hadn't nearly paid for his betrayal. "As for the Grimm... until I make contact they do as their nature commands. And even then there are limits."

There were two main sources of Grimm; the spring of the God of Darkness (which had long since spread through underground rivers to create pools across Remnant) and certain ancient Grimm that could spawn new Grimm.

When she first took the title 'Queen of all Grimm' it had been because her tower was constructed over the spring to ensure any Grimm that spawned from the power of the God of Darkness would be under her control. Combine that with the lack of any Grimm capable of spawning more in Remnant and she would have control of all Grimm.

It had only been when one of her followers, she could no longer remember who as they had been around for too short a time too long ago, had been attacked by a group of Grimm that she had discovered that there were still Grimm outside her control.

Her followers had investigated, upon her direction, and found a new spring.

Or rather a pool fed from the spring.

She had done her best to seal off the spring to once again control the source of Grimm (aside from any spawn-capable Grimm that were already created), but the pools had already formed and she had no way to seal them away.

She had been forced to develop a Grimm that would cause other Grimm to identify someone, her follower, as another Grimm.

If it had been her first attempt to create new Grimm things could have been so much worse.

Goodwitch was frowning. "Ozpin told me that you were the source of all Grimm, that there were none before you created them."

"He of all people would know that the Grimm existed long before me. I had wondered what lies he told his allies. I don't expect you to believe me," she hastily added, aware that Ozma had already had a long time to claim her loyalty and going too far in attempts to convince her would only damage the trust she was building with Goodwitch, "you can't trust what I tell you yet, I haven't earned your trust."

As the crush at the elevator was gone she took the opportunity to leave.

If she could convince Goodwitch of the truth it would be a major blow against Ozma.

She just had to avoid rushing it.


AN: Sorry about this, but I struggled to find any time when I felt capable of writing and then during the periods when I felt able to I drew a blank as to how to deal with Forever Fall (as the arc is no longer really needed), and ended up deciding to release what would have been the start of the chapter as is. On evaluation, it is a bit long for a single scene in a chapter, so releasing it as an intermission could be for the best.

In other news, I have realised that the genre tags for this story may not be the best fit. The problem was summing it up with two tags, and then watching as the story grew from the pure comedy I had intended. So if anyone has any ideas as to what the genre should be, I'd appreciate hearing their advice.