As whiffs of steam rising from the coffee he abandoned on the balcony were nudged into the campus by the gentle evening breeze Ozpin leaned onto the railings and sighed. It was not uncommon for him to contemplate what could have been as life went on down below. Everything that they have built, every student that they have trained all contributing to a single overarching purpose of humanity's survival yet at the same time utterly meaningless to the true goal. He might have convinced the kingdoms, and partially even himself, that huntsmen were the answer and yet it was all a delusion. Every warrior they trained burned like a candle in the darkness, yet eternal night held endless nightmares only really kept at bay by eyes of flashing silver. Every time a warrior of this lineage stayed Salem's hand for a time he hoped against all odds that the awakened emotion would take hold but it never happened. She retreated in shock and Grimm calmed down for a time, but they always, always returned. Until now. Now it was finally over, stopped in the most unlikely way imaginable.

A rustle of cloth behind him disturbed his contemplation.

"Will you tell them?", a voice asked from behind him.

"No. Not for now. I can't. I am afraid of what happens if the kingdoms no longer have a common enemy."

"Or that you will never live down the embarrassment?" she teased.

His lips curled up in what would usually display his absentminded amusement yet for once held a genuine smile.

"That too. Still, you have to admit, my semblance gambit worked."

"I can't believe I am saying this, but yes. Did you really think torturing me with the echoes of our children was going to ever help?"

"I didn't know what else to do, faking their aura and their eyes at least stopped you for a while."

He turned around to look at her. The malice tainting her visage for eons now completely gone yet he still couldn't stop himself searching for deception even as he knew he won't find any.

"You know, I went to thank Mr. Arc yesterday."

"Did you explain what for?"

"No, of course not. That only made it more amusing. He's so cute when he is flustered. Though his teammate seemed to not appreciate the competition"

"Ms. Nikos thought you're gunning for him? Really?"

"Imagine that. We will have to arrange for her to become Mrs. Arc soon, her obsession is unhealthy."

Salem picked a Grimm plushie from the table keeping his cup warm and snuggled into it.

"Still, I can't can't complain about her succumbing to the power of cuteness strong enough that broke through the madness of the absent gods, can I?"