Chapter 4: He's The Fastest Dad Alive
Immortality was something that all men chased. It was the apex of mortals, to be able to transcend the one limitation set upon them all. Some did so through having songs written in their name. Barty believed this to be foolish, nothing more than a waste of time. Songs may sound nice, but how can they convey knowledge? The only legacy conveyed through song was one of false honor and vanity.
Some attempted to achieve immortality through building great structures. This was slightly better. One could convey lessons through murals and such. While not a perfect method, it allowed for the faces of the past to be remembered. Something that, if he was being honest, was not all too interesting. An unneeded detail.
The best method, without question, was books. Books preserved all forms of knowledge, the most important tool known to mankind. Without books, how would the young learn? How would the scholars be able to transmit their ideas to a fresh generation? It was the purest form of transmitting knowledge available.
"Yet still useless, without wisdom to match."
As the elevator neared Ozpin's office, Barty put away his journal. His theory on Aura would have to wait for another time.
The door opened with a pleasant ding, opening into the most convoluted office ever built. A lone desk sat in front of a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Beacon. Gears spun and shifted behind the glass walls, ticking with a sense of inevitability. No matter what happened, time marched on. Cruel, uncaring, yet ever moving forward. The Grimm could disappear from Remnant, and she would not notice.
"Note to self: stop reading philosophy when low on caffeine," he thought. While The Rememberer's works were deeply intriguing, Barty had a habit of drifting off while running on the last dregs of his thermos.
If he was being honest, he suspected that there was another reason why the room had its particular decor. Just like the gears turned perpetually, there were some things that were eternal. The sun, the moon, the stars…
The coffee- guzzling fiend behind the desk…
As they walked towards the headmaster, he stood up. "Good evening. I hope your dinner was well?" He smiled, holding up a cup of coffee. Barty's eyes narrowed. How had he gotten his stash of coffee back so quickly?
"I'll be outside." Glynda's voice was strained. Odd. He'd noticed his coworker's taciturn mood, but he hadn't thought about it. Such things tended to happen when he read Seeker Of Glory.
"Hmm." Ozpin didn't seem to understand either, if his reaction was anything to go on. "Reshan, I trust you found dinner acceptable?"
A sniffle was the only response.
Reshan was trying to hide it well. Truly impressive for someone in his situation, given that he had no memory, and nothing to fall back on. However, from what Barty had heard, Reshan's day was particularly stressful. First there had been the duel with Coco, where he lost his temper. Then Glynda had used him for a demonstration (aka target practice). After being grilled for hours on end, it would have been reasonable for Reshan to call it a night.
Having his hopes crushed? That was the last straw.
Barty patted him on the back as a tear fell from his face.
"I-I-I'm ne-sniffle-never g-g-going to remember, am I?" Reshan's face, normally bearing a quiet smile, was now wet. His eyes shed his misery to the earth where they'd lie until the sun came, erasing their existence.
From their limited interaction, Barty had observed an almost childlike fascination with the world around them. Reshan had only been alive for all of about two days, and he had spent them in a state of discovery. From seeing his first sunset to learning about combat, to the workings of a lightbulb…
During all of this, a light had been present in his eyes. That light was gone now.
The two men paused awkwardly for a moment. Barty froze, unsure what to do. Thankfully, Ozpin spoke up.
"Please, sit down. I always found that having a bite to eat helped to calm me down." The professor pushed forward a plate of cookies which he kept on his desk.
"I-I-I-" Barty decided to intervene.
"Reshan, just because this avenue is closed doesn't mean that there are others. We will help you. Please, sit."
Reshan swallowed, then nodded. He sat in the chair across from Ozpin. "Apologies, milord. I d- I didn't mean to lose control like that." He avoided the headmaster's gaze.
"We all have moments of weakness, Reshan." Ozpin's tone was calm, steady. "Take your time."
Reshan kept his head down for about three minutes, shaking slightly. When he looked up, his voice quavered. "Milord, before we begin I wanted to ask something."
"Go ahead," Ozpin said. He took a deep draught of coffee.
"When I fought Coco today, I was, well, less than impressed." Reshan paused to clear his throat. "During our entire fight, I followed dueling protocol. I was courteous, I was polite, and I did not attack her when she was down. She tried to take advantage of all of this. She did the exact opposite. And the crowd didn't help either!" He leaned in. "Sire, I am confused. This is a place where knights- er, Huntsmen are trained. Where is their code of honor? Your treatment of me speaks to your charity, as does Dr. Oobleck's. I have yet to see such grace from the cadets."
Barty's jaw hung open. He had never seen this side of Reshan before. Gone was the politeness. His quiet nature had been replaced by a stern face. A face streaked by tears, true, but a stern face indeed. The face of a man who wouldn't back down. No matter who faced him, or what the consequences might be.
Ozpin took a swig from his mug before he responded. "Beacon Academy is where Huntsmen and Huntresses are forged. It is a process that can take quite some time." He had a faint smile on his face. "Forgive our students if they are not a finished product. I would recommend having a bit more patience." Reshan seemed to understand the unsaid message, if his mortified expression was anything to go on.
"Apologies, sire." Reshan blushed. "I spoke out of line."
"Apology accepted," Ozpin said. Barty let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Now, let's discuss your placement here. Barty?"
The conversation continued from there. Reshan didn't really fit in with the typical Beacon attendees. He far outstripped most of the students in the theory of combat, but his actual ability put him at about a third-year level. Unfortunately, his utter lack of knowledge in most areas put him completely below even the worst first-year, muddling his placement.
As Reshan munched away on his cookies, the teen was given a schedule akin to most first years. It was a temporary measure- once he had caught up, he'd most likely go with the upperclassmen. On Mondays and Wednesdays, he would have combat training in the morning, followed by history in the evening. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he had Grimm studies in the morning, followed by Dust 101 (the only area in which his knowledge actually approximated the class being taught) in the evening. Fridays were an elective class- in this case, Philosophy of A Huntsman by Professor Ozpin.
As for other areas of knowledge, they had decided on a different course of action.
"Young man, to help remedy your lack of knowledge I will be meeting with you every three days, starting tomorrow. We will discuss a variety of topics, such as culture, electronics, modern expressions, the political system currently in place, to name a few."
As Barty spoke, he saw the light start to come back in Reshan's eyes. "Success," he thought. It was good to see the boy starting to recover.
"We have also decided to not assign you a team." Ozpin was on his second cup. "There aren't any vacancies. As such, you will be living in your own room."
Barty was concerned about this decision. Reshan needed friends other than his professors. How would he get along with his classmates?
Beacon, and the rest of the academies, put their students into teams for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it helped to force students to socialize. It was for this reason that students were paired up on eye contact with another student. Doing so avoided pairings based on familiarity, and encouraged the class to mingle with each other. Barty feared that without a team, Reshan might find it difficult to engage with his peers. Doubly so given his mannerisms and lack of knowledge.
That wasn't to say Barty believed Reshan to be dumb- far from it. However, while the boy may be wise, he needed cultural knowledge- knowledge that could only be gained by experience. There was only so much the two could cover in their sessions.
"However, we will be assigning you to a team for combat training. During said sessions, you will be considered as a fifth member."
Barty started. Ozpin hadn't mentioned this in his message before the meeting. Ozpin looked at Barty with a small smile, as if to assuage his fears.
"As of now, you will be assigned to team RWBY. I will be meeting with them later tonight to let them know. You will meet with them at breakfast, and go to the freshman combat class together with them."
Reshan thought about this for a second. "Who is on this 'team RWBY?"
"Team RWBY is currently composed of Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, and their leader, Ruby Rose." Barty pulled out a Scroll from his pocket, pulling up the pictures of the team and showing it to the teen. After looking at this, Reshan frowned. "I believe I saw two of them in the mess hall earlier today," he said. "They were giving me… odd looks."
"What kind of looks?" The professor took a sip of his coffee.
"As if I had ridden a horse inside an outhouse."
Barty couldn't help but chuckle at the image. The headmaster smiled inwardly as well. "And what were you doing to cause such looks?"
Reshan shrugged. "I ate chicken."
"Hmmm… well, I couldn't quite say how eating, of all things, would evoke such a response," Ozpin said. Standing up, he extended a hand toward Reshan. "I believe that concludes our business, Reshan. Welcome to Beacon. Do you have any questions?"
Reshan stood as well, taking the headmaster's hand in his own. "Just one, sire. How will I be paying for my time at Beacon?"
Ozpin smiled. Most in his situation would have conveniently forgotten that they were here on someone else's Lien. Reshan had not. It spoke of his desire for independence, but also of accountability. A welcome trait for someone in his position.
"You will be paying your debt in due time, Reshan. We will discuss your payment another time. For now, I believe it is time for Professor-"
"DOCTOR!"
"-Professor Oobleck to show you to your new quarters. He has been looking forward to this for some time."
Ignoring Ozpin's slight, Barty nodded. Levona had been rather busy stocking Reshan's new room with all of the essentials a Huntsman in training could need. Given that Reshan had barely anything to his name, he would require quite a few resources. One in particular that he and Levona had spent a great deal of time considering.
"In that case, I will wish you a good night, sire. Thank you for your generosity."
"It is my pleasure, Reshan. Barty?"
"Come, Reshan. I think you will enjoy this!" Reshan nodded, walking with Barty toward the elevator. As they got in, Glynda, who had been waiting inside, walked toward Ozpin with what could only be described as a death glare.
"What could possibly annoy Glynda so much that she waited this entire time to speak with Ozpin," Barty thought. It was unlike Glynda to show so much anger, let alone let it fester for the hour or so the three had been talking. "Did someone already get detention?"
"WHAT THE HELL, OZPIN!"
Ozpin sighed. After a long day, the only thing keeping him going was the mug of coffee in front of him. Unfortunately, running on fumes was taxing. His patience was wearing thin, and having an enraged Glynda screeching at him did not help matters.
"Glynda, I am aware of your concerns, but we have matters under control. Mr. Arc is-"
"You launched a boy with no Aura into a forest of Grimm! What do you mean 'we have matters under control'?!"
Taking a deep breath, Ozpin said with gritted teeth, "When Mr. Arc was launched, we didn't know that his Aura hadn't been unlocked. Otherwise we wouldn't have done so."
"And instead of pulling him from Beacon the moment he made it back to the cliff, you decided to make him a team leader?!" She slammed her hands on the desk. "What the hell, Ozpin! You put an utterly incompetent fool in a leadership position!"
"Um…we can come back later, if you want …?"
The two teachers, distracted as they were, had missed the ding of the elevators, as well as team RWBY exiting. When their leader spoke, only one thought went through Ozpin's mind.
"Thank the Brothers for small mercies. Or in this case, little red mercies."
Reshan smiled as he walked out of the tower with Dr. Oobleck. It was a beautiful night, what with the stars in the sky and all. They passed by the occasional cadet or two relaxing after a long day. An occasional laugh was heard from the students as they lay under the trees talking among themselves. As he gazed up, his mind started to wander.
"What a scene! The stars, the crickets chirping, the gentle wind… if I could only capture such a scene. Maybe I could paint it?"
He shook his head at the thought. Even if he could, it wouldn't capture the feel of the night. No matter how he would try to evoke the sense of the night sky, he would never succeed fully.
"Yet that begs the question: if art can never truly capture a scene, then why paint?"
The answer popped up faster than expected. If art was a method of conveying a scene, then it didn't necessarily have to convey the message exactly. The mind of the viewer would elaborate the scene far more elegantly than any brushstroke. All the artwork had to do was create a general scene, and the viewer would do the rest.
A thought struck him.
"Doctor, do you know what the stars are?" As they walked toward the dormitory, the professor was only too happy to answer.
"The stars are the same object as the sun, Reshan. They are merely further away than our sun, so we can only see a small portion of the light produced. Not only that, but we typically see the star as it was millions of years ago. This is due to the light from the star traveling great distances."
Reshan cocked his head at this. "Truly? And what is the sun composed of?"
Dr. Oobleck grinned. "The sun is effectively a nonstop explosion in the vacuum of space."
Reshan started laughing. "Sire, you jest."
"No, I am not. It's far more complicated than that, however. You see, there are small particles…"
The two continued their conversation on science as they walked to the barracks. Dr. Oobleck knew a great deal, and he was pleased to explain the basics of astrophysics to the young man. While Reshan didn't quite comprehend the concept of nuclear fission, he got a good enough grasp on the subject that he could pretend to know of it. They soon arrived at the barracks, a squat brick building. Opening the doors, they went up two flights of stairs. They walked along the hallway, stopping their conversation so they didn't disturb any of the cadets.
They came to a door. Turning to the scarred teenager, Dr. Oobleck gestured at the door. "This willbeyourroomforyourtimeatBeacon. We have a couple more things to discuss, then off to bed for an early start of classes tomorrow!"
Reshan put his hand on the doorknob, twisted and pushed. The door opened, revealing his new home.
The room was rather large, if he was being honest. The walls were made of plaster, with a rim of wood running around the room at about waist height. Below the rim, the wall was composed of an oak wood paneling. A dark green carpet covered the floor. Directly opposite the door was a window with see- through curtains.
Tucked into the back- left corner of the room was a bed with a striped grey/black cover and pillows of the same striation. A small nightstand huddled at the side of the bed, with a rickety lantern crouching on top. Squatting at the left wall was a dresser that came up to his waist. Underneath the window was a singular wooden desk and chair. The entire right side of the room was bare, with the sole exception of a bookshelf and a door which Reshan assumed led to the bathroom. A good chunk of the left side was bare as well.
"Levona put all of this together for you," Doctor Oobleck said. Reshan turned to see the professor leaning against the doorframe, sipping coffee from his thermos.
"Who?" Reshan hadn't heard this name before.
"Ah, how could I have forgotten? Levona is my wife. She works in the nurse's office."
"Truly? Is she a doctor as well?" Barty chuckled.
"No, my boy. But that is a story for another time." He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Now, we have two more matters to discuss. Firstly, the matter of your last name."
Reshan hadn't really thought about this. He had no family, so how could he take another?
"Sire, how could I take a House name? I am clanless, as you can see."
Doctor Oobleck raised an eyebrow. "Young man, what do you mean by 'House name'?"
Ah, so House names were a new concept to his friend. "My last name is my House name, indicating what family I am from. You are of House Oobleck, correct?"
The doctor shook his head in amusement. "No, Reshan. There are no such things as Houses on Remnant. Not for several centuries, at least."
Reshan cocked his head in puzzlement. "Truly?"
"Yes, for approximately one and a half centuries following the Portetzki Revolt. So, have you thought of a name to take?"
Reshan shook his head.
"In that case, young man, I have an idea for you. If you don't like it, I brought a book of last names for you to look over."
The professor paused before continuing. "If I am correct, you currently have no cover story for your past. Neither do you have anyone to go to if an issue comes up. I believe I have a solution for both quandaries."
Clearing his throat, the professor suggested his idea. Reshan's jaw dropped.
"Say what now?"
There had been so many surprises since she had come to Beacon!
First, there were her teammates. Thank Oum she had her sister on the team! Ruby had been so scared that she'd be alone at Beacon. With Yang on her team, she no longer had to worry about that.
Then Weiss! The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company was her PARTNER! Holy cow, that was awesome. Would she get a discount for her ammo? Sweet! It would be nice if she, you know, actually talked with them. Just saying.
Blake was the black sheep of the group. Ruby honestly still didn't know much about her, but she was basically a ninja, from what she'd seen during the initiation. She smelled funny, too. What was that all about?
Being made team leader was even more shocking. Ruby was two years younger than anyone here, and she was put in charge? It honestly felt like a dream.
Ozpin must really trust her a ton. Why else would she be the leader?
As they rode up to the headmaster's office, Ruby shuffled her feet, ears down. Maybe Ozpin didn't trust her. What other reason was there to summon the whole team in the middle of the night?
He probably had decided to make Weiss the leader. She was always so calm, she never spaced out. Weiss always had a plan, some way to deal with whatever came up. Calm, cool as ice, and beautiful to boot. The perfect choice.
"Ruby?"
She started. Blake was, as usual, reading a book. Just what did she read that was so fascinating? Yang was playing a game on her Scroll. Weiss was looking at Ruby with an expression she didn't recognize.
"Y-yeah?"
"I… I wanted to apologize for earlier."
Ruby recognized the expression Weiss wore: shame. Huh.
"I think that you have what it takes to be a great leader, Ruby. I shouldn't have said what I did- it was immature of me." Weiss spoke hesitantly, as if trying something new.
Ruby realized that she had some apologizing to do as well. Ears perking up, she said, "Weiss, I'm sorry for not being a good leader. I promise I'll do better." Yang perked up.
"Aww, my little sister is growing up!" Yang put an arm around each of them, pulling them close. The two partners shrieked simultaneously.
"YANG! We were having a moment!"
"You DOLT! What are you doing!"
"Just making sure my sis is happy," Yang responded. She grinned, then grew serious (or as serious as Yang can be). "It's good to see you two making up."
"If we're going to be the best team in Beacon, it's important that we work together," Weiss retorted. "I don't want to be responsible for disrupting the team's rhythm." Her tone was icy.
"Wait, so are you actually sorry, or just trying to be nice?" Yang countered. Blake turned a page, but didn't say anything.
"I…." Weiss visibly deflated, pride vanishing. Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a breath. "I meant what I said, Yang. My behavior was atrocious. I want to make up for it."
The ice had melted. Success!
"Weiss… thank you," Ruby said.
"Yeah, well…" Weiss's voice faded as the elevator opened to a scene that shocked all four of them.
"-YOU PUT AN UTTERLY INCOMPETENT FOOL IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION!"
Professor Goodwitch was currently leaning on the desk, red faced from shouting. Professor Ozpin huddled in his chair, his face resigned to the onslaught he was now suffering.
"Um…we can come back later, if you want…."
When Ruby spoke, she didn't expect Yang to answer.
"Well, I guess we know who wears the pants in this relationship."
A scarlet red started to creep up her face. Why was Yang smiling? Didn't she realize how much trouble she was in? Were they all going to get detention, or expelled? It was way too early! It had only been one day, for Oum's sake!
Professor Goodwitch froze. She slowly turned around to see the assembled team RWBY, who were all bearing mortified blushes.
"Detention, Miss Xiao Long. I will see you on Saturday morning at 10:00 sharp." With that, Professor Goodwitch moved so she was standing at Professor Ozpin's shoulder. Ruby let out a sigh of relief.
"Dammit," Yang muttered.
"I trust your first day went well," Professor Ozpin said. He seemed to be wearing an intentionally blank expression. Almost as if he was trying to keep a straight face.
"U-um, yessir!" Ruby spoke for the team. The rest of the girls nodded.
"Excellent. We have some business to attend to regarding your team." Ozpin's calm voice filled Ruby with fear. Was it true? Was she really going to lose her position as leader?
"Professor, does this have to do with what we spoke about earlier today?" Ruby was starting to panic.
Weiss would be a good choice, Ruby just knew it. But she hadn't had any time to prove herself!
"It's not fair! It's only been a day!" She'd already improved! Ruby had been studying until the time of the meeting. She even skipped eating with the team and everything!
"No, Miss Rose. This is another matter entirely."
Ruby sighed with relief. She was safe.
"We have a new student at Beacon, and there unfortunately isn't any space on a team for him. He has been assigned to your team for combat training and such."
The reactions of the team were varied.
Ruby squealed, "OOH! I wonder what weapons he uses? Short range? Or is he a sniper like me?"
Weiss had a more measured response. "Well, having a fifth member would be beneficial in team combat scenarios…"
Yang stretched. "Hope he can take a few knocks."
Blake simply said, "Who is he?"
Professor Goodwitch pulled up a picture on her tablet, then showed it to the teens. "His name is Reshan. His circumstances are… unique, shall we say."
The team fell silent. Blake spoke again. "What kind of circumstances?"
"Reshan arrived at Beacon two days ago. He was late for the orientation, so we had to give him a slightly different initiation," Professor Ozpin said
"You mean the fight with Coco?" Yang asked.
"Indeed, Miss Xiao Long. As you can probably tell, he passed. He has been given a room not far from your own. While he may not officially be a part of your team, we would ask that you try to include him. He is new to Beacon, and Vale."
"Then where is he from?" Ruby's question drew a chuckle from the silver-haired headmaster.
"You can ask him yourself tomorrow at breakfast. Speaking of tomorrow, I believe that now would be a good time to head to bed. You have a busy day tomorrow." The team took the dismissal for what it was. Wishing the professors a goodnight, they went back to their room. Once they were changed and ready for bed, Ruby decided that she had to ask. "Well guys, what do you think?"
Weiss looked up from the letter she was writing. "What do you mean?"
Ruby gave her a look that screamed 'Seriously?' "Duh, Reshan! We're getting a super powerful guy on our team! What else?"
Weiss put down her pen. "I won't deny that having him would be good for a fight."
Yang left the bathroom, having finished brushing her hair. "I'm… not so sure about that."
"Ruby turned to look at her sister. "Huh? Yang, what are you talking about? He tossed Coco around like she was nothing! COCO!" Yang nodded, then grew a smirk.
"True, he may be good in a fight. But Ruby? I was eating with Blake and JNPR earlier when he came in for dinner. Do you know what he did?" Ruby cocked her head.
"He was eating mashed potatoes. With his bare hands. Smiling like a lunatic the whole time."
"Why?" Ruby was confused now.
Blake spoke from under her book. "I'm a little worried about him."
Yang twirled her finger next to her temple. "Seems like he went a little coco for Coco."
Weiss put a hand on her forehead, groaning. "Please, no puns. It's too late for those." Yang grinned.
"Aww, looks like Ice Queen is giving me the cold shoulder." Blake sighed as Weiss glared at Yang.
"Yang Xiao Long, if you don't stop this instant I swear I will-"
"Warm up? Must be feeling pretty chilly over there, Weiss." Yang waggled her eyebrows. At this, Weiss's eyes sharpened. Ruby decided that this would be a perfect time to use the bathroom. As she padded over, a thought made her stop.
"I'm the leader. It's my responsibility to stop this."
There was a reason Professor Ozpin chose her as the leader. She could do this!
Ruby changed her direction, walking over to avert the catastrophe of a pun-a-geddon. She looked Yang in the eye.
"Yang. Behave yourself."
"Or what?"
"Or I fill Ember Celica with confetti." Yang immediately backed off. Messing with her hair was a good way to make Yang angry, so that never worked. Her weapons, on the other hand…
"Whoa, whoa! Okay, sheesh!" The blond Huntress turned to Weiss. "Sorry. Guess I got carried away, huh?"
Weiss sniffed, crossing her arms with her nose in the air. It might have seemed regal on another, but on the heiress's face, the expression only seemed childish. Ruby walked over to look her partner in the eye. "Weiss, you play nice too."
The heiress huffed. "Fine." Turning to Yang, she said stiffly, "I accept your apology." Stalking over to her bed, she climbed in. "Good night."
Ruby stared in dismay. Had she hurt Weiss's feelings? She walked over. "Weiss, you okay?"
"I'm fine." Her partner stared resolutely at the wall away from Ruby, jaw clenched. It was obvious that she was anything but fine. Ruby decided to try again.
"Weiss?" The heiress turned, letting some of the tension bleed away.
"Ruby, I'm fine. Go to bed- we have combat class tomorrow."
Looking around, she saw Yang and Blake getting into bed. Yawning, Ruby realized that she should probably do so as well.
It took a long time for all of them to fall asleep that night.
"Say what now?" Reshan couldn't believe his ears.
Maybe he had hit his head in the duel? There was no other reason to believe Doctor Oobleck would suggest that.
"Take my last name. You can use it as a cover story- you are a long lost cousin from Mistral." What was in that thermos to make him suggest such an idea? Take a House name that he didn't belong in? Why-
"That isn't a factor, if Houses truly don't exist," he thought. But still, why?
"Why?" He had to know. Why show Reshan so much kindness? Why so eager for a talk? Why him?
What did he have that Doctor Oobleck wanted so badly?
The professor sighed. "That has to do with the second thing I want to talk about."
He took off his glasses, rubbing them nervously. "Our theory on your origin. Do you know just how much of an oddity you present, Reshan? Your accent doesn't match anything on our records. The closest match we could find are miners in Northern Atlas. The issue, however, is your lack of technological know-how. Atlas is the most advanced of the four Kingdoms, which means you being Atlesian is highly unlikely. There is only one feasible answer, but even that one has flaws…" His voice drifted off momentarily before recovering. "Our current theory is that you are from Anima. There are several villages hidden in the mountains, cut off from the rest of Remnant. That would explain in part your lack of modern knowledge, but-"
"It doesn't explain how I got here, or my accent," Reshan finished, starting to see his point. The Huntsman nodded.
"You are perhaps the most puzzling puzzle to have ever puzzled me. I want to help you solve it."
Reshan cocked his head. "Why is that so important?"
"Let me ask you a question. What is the most valuable tool a Huntsman can have?"
The teen frowned. "Weaponry." It seemed to be an obvious answer. Without one's weapons, how could a knight protect?
Doctor Oobleck shook his head. "Knowledge is the most important tool for a Huntsman. With it, not only are lives saved, but quality of life can be improved as well."
"Apologies, Doctor, but that does not change the fact that without weapons a knight is unable to fulfill his duty. What makes knowledge superior?"
The doctor started to pace around the room. "With knowledge, I can prevent the need for weaponry. Let us say that there will be a Grimm attack on a village. With weapons, I can fend off the attack, at the cost of lives. However, if I know that the attack is coming, the village can be evacuated, saving lives and preventing unnecessary destruction."
Reshan nodded. The idea did make some sense in that regard. That only left one question. "So how does regaining my memories help to gain knowledge?"
The professor grinned. "Because your journey will help others in similar situations. You seem to be able to recall bits of information. If replicable, it may allow others to do the same."
Doctor Oobleck took a deep breath. " In addition, taking my last name will make you family."
Reshan paused hesitantly. "Family?"
The green- haired man nodded. "In doing this, I will be considered your guardian for the foreseeable future. This is not something I take lightly. I believe you have the ability to become one of the best. Last night, my wife and I agreed to offer this to you, so that we might be with you every step of your journey."
Reshan smiled. "In that case, I will be honored to take on your name."
The professor gave Reshan the widest grin he had ever seen. "Excellent! I will wish you a good night, Reshan Oobleck. Sleep well." The professor exited the room.
Reshan sighed. "So, I am now of House Oobleck. I wonder what-"
The door slammed open. "Justaquickreminderthatbreakfastisatseven!"
Reshan couldn't help but chuckle at the display. "Good night, sire."
"Goodnight, Mr. Oobleck. There are supplies for you in the dresser." The professor closed the door quietly.
"What a day," he thought aloud. The combat training had taken a toll, making his new bed all the more appealing. "My own room. It feels… empty. It needs an identity."
Reshan set down his pack, digging through his clothes until he found the rock. After setting it on his nightstand, he shook his head. "One item isn't enough. I'm going to have to collect more."
Reshan moved on to the bathroom. It was striking, with white and black tiling. A lidded bowl was present, along with a sink. A small part of the bathroom was sectioned off with glass paneling, for reasons Reshan could only guess at. A mirror hung over the sink, allowing Reshan to get his first look at himself.
His immediate thought was to get a haircut. Shoulder length hair was out of regulation for a knight, as it would get caught in a helmet. He paused at the thought.
"I haven't seen any sort of armour during my time here. Why?" Aura was the likely answer. The students likely eschewed armour to stay mobile on the battlefield, relying on the power of their soul to protect themselves.
Reshan yawned. It had been a long day, and it seemed like the next would be even more packed. He decided to hit the hay.
As he laid down for the night, a thought came to mind.
"I'm now two days old."
Said two day old had gained access to a military academy. He chuckled as sleep claimed him.
The rain was pounding on the roof. Qrow felt like his head was pounding as well.
"So, you think this tyke is a Brawnwen, huh?"
"As of right now, it is the only feasible answer I have."
Preferably, Qrow would be chugging whiskey at a bar, mission accomplished. Unfortunately, after finishing off the pack of Ursai that had been hounding Patch, his celebration had been interrupted. Old man Ozpin had decided to give him another mission. One that Qrow really didn't want to do.
Just his luck.
"I think you're getting jumpy, Oz. There are plenty of folk with red eyes-"
"And how many of those are able to defeat a Vytal Tournament finalist in two minutes? The eyes are an exact match." A peal of thunder crashed, as if to accentuate his point.
Qrow rolled his eyes, brushing his hair back. "I think I'd remember if we had someone with that Semblance, Oz."
The response was curt. "Times change, Qrow. He would have been an infant when you left. Harsh as it is, I don't think the Brawnwen Tribe starts training at that age." Ugh. There went his excuse.
The Huntsman sighed. "Okay then. You want me to just waltz into the camp and ask them if they lost a member?"
"No. I want you to ask Raven. Discreetly."
Qrow groaned. He was going to need another drink. "Alright, fine. Don't get your hopes up." He clicked off his Scroll, then called the bartender over.
As he ordered the drink, he started planning for his mission. Raven was notoriously difficult to track down. It made sense, her being the Bandit Queen of Mistral and all. Thankfully, she'd drop by every couple of months to check in.
His sister would never admit it, but she did care about her daughter. Qrow had lost count of the times he had come to visit his nieces, only to see a certain bird roosting on the chimney. And while Raven never asked about Yang, Qrow could see what others couldn't in his sister. She did miss her daughter, despite her aloof demeanor.
"Too bad she's too chicken to talk to Yang," he thought glumly. Now that was a mess he did not want to get into. Raven leaving Tai, Summer swooping in on the rebound, then Summer leaving…
Whiskey was the one constant in Qrow's life. Well, that and cute waitresses.
"Bad Qrow. Back to mission planning." He shook himself. There would be time for that later.
Raven would likely come to him, so there wasn't much he needed to do. He messaged Raven, asking for her to meet up in a couple days. Now, all he had to do was wait.
And drink. Cheers!
A couple hours later, Qrow staggered out of the bar into a rainstorm, a grin plastered on his face. As he wobbled up the dark street, he came to the realization that he was drunk. He giggled at the thought. What was in front of him confirmed it. What he saw… it was as likely as Peter admitting he was fat. A figure straight out of his nightmares.
Might as well be friendly. It had been a while, after all.
"Hehey there," he slurred. The figure growled. If he was seeing this, he'd have to go back and tip the bartender. This was way better than he said it was!
Qrow passed out. A chuckle escaped his lips as his body hit the wet cobblestone.
A/N: Hey, guys! Kinda hard to believe this has been going for almost a month now. I can barely type out essays for college- it's hard to believe I've written over 24,000 words.
Please leave a review! It really does help me to gauge how my writing is going. I really appreciate it.
Some of you will notice that Reshan has started to address Ozpin as 'milord'. I think it makes more sense for him to do so- he is, in Reshan's eyes, the king of the castle.
Next Chapter- February 20
See you all next week!
