Ozpin faded back to reality as he realized Marcelle's latest sparring match had come to an end. As hard as they tried, the students just couldn't keep pace with her. Glynda glared his way, realizing he had zoned out, but her eyes quickly returned to the match as the next batch of students took the field. "She really is something else…" she added, Ozpin smiling a bit as he saw Marcelle jump up above the students and use her staff on the way down to produce a shockwave.
"This is nothing." He replied. "Now seeing her fighting Grimm? That's the real show-stopper." He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "What was next on her agenda?" he asked, Glynda sighing and shaking her head before turning to him again.
"She has a break, but she mentioned attending the weapon display I believe."
"That's definitely in her wheel house." He nodded, smiling a little. "We should attend as well."
"Professor, we have other duties." She reminded him. "She can handle on her own for an hour."
"I know she can…" he stated. Glynda sighed again, knowing Ozpin had been sticking to Marcelle's side for various reasons.
"We can walk her there, but that's all." She stated, going back to watching the last moments of the match, Marcelle knocking down her last opponent as the timer ran to 0.
"Winner! Miss Lune!" the woman looked up into the stands, meeting Ozpin's gaze and smiling a little. He smiled as well, Glynda giving him the side eye.
"Flirting with her now, are we?" she asked as he bowed his head to her, sipping from his coffee again.
"Glynda, I'm too old to flirt."
"I doubt that highly." She replied, picking up her riding crop before heading down to where Marcelle was. "Hurry up. We'll be late otherwise."
After being dropped off at the Weapon Display by Ozpin and Glynda, Marcelle took a walk around with a smile. All students had to attend this part of the festival, but she noticed a familiar face as she approached. "Qrow."
"Well well, Little Miss Merci." He smirked as she stood next to him. "What're you doin' here?"
"My matches are done for the day… I have an hour before my next obligation so I wanted to come and see the weapon display." She looked around him, eyeing a staff next to a blonde faunus boy with a tail. She wandered the wall though, taking in every weapon. "These weapons are extraordinary…" Marcelle looked at the weapons one by one, inspecting each one with her eyes but looking as though she wanted to handle them. She stopped at the staff, eyes widening upon closer inspection. "These are…" she turned to Sun. "May I?"
"Sure." He grinned. She picked it up, flipping it on her wrist as she did with her own, looking cheerful. "You know how to handle those, huh?"
"Staffs and Canes are my forte." She replied. "Keeping an enemy just far enough away… its been a long time since I've held two, though…" she did a couple of tricks, then placed them back down. "I need to get back into doing that…" she muttered to herself. "I hope Aya doesn't get mad for me asking something so suddenly…" she took out a book, scribbled it down for later, and went back to inspecting weapons.
"Staffs and Canes, huh…?" Qrow looked at Marcelle, knowing Ozpin's teaching must have influenced her quite a bit if she said that openly. Everything was supposed to be her forte, as a huntress of a hundred weapons. She'd never been that way before… she used to be mostly long range, Qrow remembering those twin pistols that she could take anywhere without anyone noticing. But now she was carrying other weapons too…
"Oh, that's right. Qrow, I wanted to test something against Harbringer. Can I?" she asked him, the man nodding his head.
"A new weapon?"
"Hehe, yes~" she smiled. "I got the chance to make something myself when I was at home." She added.
"Oh? Picking up your granny's talents, huh?" Qrow laughed. "Alright, kid. Let's see what you've got." Some of the students followed them out to the area they used for sparring practice. "One point match?" Qrow questioned.
"Five point, please. I'm not that good with it yet." She chuckled.
"Alright." He nodded, downing a sip from his flask. Marcelle took out the weapon, Qrow quirking an eyebrow at her. "Is that…?"
"Hehe, yes yes make fun all you like, Qrow." She replied, smiling still. "I value what Ozpin taught me as much as I valued Grandfather's and Grandmother's teachings." She flicked the weapon over her wrist, the extension coming out and revealing a cane-like weapon. Not quite a sword, but most definitely strong. "So… let's begin, shall we?" Without hesitation, Qrow charged and Marcelle parried, flicking him up and following him up. They exchanged blows and knocked one another down a few times, Marcelle missing a step. She flew towards the ground, some of the students rushing to catch her. But she stopped short, eyes widening when she realized a head of silver hair and a strong pair of arms holding her up.
"That was quite a fall, Marcelle." He put her down, petting her head a little as Qrow ran over. "Qrow."
"Sorry Oz."
"No, don't be." Marcelle interjected, a hand moving up to her shoulder. "I should have been more careful." She added, looking up at Ozpin. He looked down at her smiling. The two left without much other word, Qrow sighing a little.
"Oz ruins all the fun." He mumbled before getting back to his niece and her friends, taking them back downstairs.
"That was dangerous, Marci."
"Ozpin I'm fine."
"Your shoulder hurts, right?"
"… I could've handled it."
"Marcelle." She turned to him in the empty hallway, staring up at him with a look that made him feel a little bad. She looked so upset that he was treating her with so much care.
"Ozpin what's gotten into you?" she asked him. "I just wanted to spar… Qrow knew I missed a step, he pulled his blow… I could have landed just fine…"
"I know, Marcelle." He reached up and rubbed her head. "Forgive me… I just…" he withdrew his hand, Marcelle pouting a little at him.
"I'll forgive you if you have coffee with me before we have to talk to Quil." She replied swiftly, making Ozpin quirk an eyebrow. "I was trying to blow off steam before we talked… now I'm all pent up and I need to relax."
"… Of course." He smiled, glad she wasn't really upset with him. They walked back towards his office, sharing a cup of coffee for a while in relative silence. But soon the elevator opened, Glynda walking in with Quilin tagging along behind her. Their talk began, Ozpin relaying to Quilin why he'd been brought in this year rather than any other.
"My semblance?"
"Second hand will greatly assist, should this event come to pass." Ozpin stated as Marcelle stood at his side with Glynda. Quilin agreed of course, but he glared at Marcelle.
"How long has she known?"
"Since I graduated." She replied quickly. "On my last mission before graduating, I ran into the woman with the bow… she almost cost me my arm." She added. Quilin raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "She's more dangerous than she lets on… if Alder hadn't jumped in, I could have died."
"Hah, that pacifist interrupted your fight? That must have been a badass woman, then." He sighed. "I'll help if I can." He turned back to Ozpin.
"Thank you, Mister Quilin." Ozpin nodded his head. Glynda escorted him out as Marcelle finally breathed, Ozpin smiling. "You managed to deceive him."
"I only managed because it's half true… just the times are wrong… since it happened after I graduated… and the knowing has long since been." She let him hand her the coffee cup again and sipped from it. "I'm just glad he agreed to help."
"As am I." he sipped from his cup as well. "… Marcelle?"
"Yes, Ozpin?"
"You should go ice your shoulder before it swells. After all, the gala is tomorrow night."
"Eeeh, you're making me go?" she pouted. The associate Gala was the teacher's night to have fun, and Ozpin had told Marcelle that she needed to go, as a guest instructor. "I don't have a dress or anything, Ozpin… I only have my combat gear. I'm hardly-" she stopped herself, seeing Ozpin staring at her. "… Ozpin? Are you listening?"
"I am." He replied with a smile. "But if you'll recall… the second dress that you turned down for your Senior Prom."
"Wh-what?" she blushed, shocked at the mention of the dress she had turned down in favor of something demure during her senior prom. But that dress was something she still thought about leaving behind to this day. The stunning black fabric that accentuated every curve on her, the diamond-like accents, the high cut neck and sheer sleeves. That dress was like a dream to Marcelle, who had only ever tried on dresses to please her grandmother.
"If I recall, you had taken Glynda with you shopping, but turned down that dress due to a budget restriction." He stated, looking up at her with those soft brown eyes. "But I had a chat with the shopkeeper, who happened to mention that you were the only person to ever carry that dress so well." He smiled. "So I bought it for you… I'm sure it still fits."
"You… Ozpin but that dress was astronomically expensive!" she exclaimed, face red. He'd spent that much Lien on her? Why? As she fumbled for words, Ozpin stood up and pet her head.
"If it bothers you that much, you can come to the gala as my payment… please?" he asked, looking almost eager as he waited for her answer. She took a breath, looking up at him.
"Thank you, Ozpin…" she said, pouting a little. "But if you ever spend that much on me again I will literally throw you into the floor."
"Oh, will you?" he smiled. "I suppose it'll be deserved." He chuckled, rubbing her head again. "I'll have it delivered to your room so you can be ready for tomorrow night, then."
Ozpin sighed as he waited for Marcelle at the entrance to the Gala, Glynda with him. "You should have gone to her room to get her." Glynda scolded him. "And what are you thinking, having someone else deliver that dress? You should have just delivered it to her in person. And moreover-!"
"Glynda." He stated, the woman sighing. "Please." The woman held her tongue, knowing Ozpin was absolutely losing his head.
"It wasn't long ago you stated that you couldn't accept her feelings, and yet here you are showering her with tokens of affection." She told him calmly. "Ozpin… you need to choose."
"… I know, Glynda. I know." He replied, sighing again. "But how can I pursue her, knowing that someone could end up hurting her because of me?"
"You need to put some trust in her, Ozpin." Glynda almost whipped her riding crop straight in his face. "She's strong… she's a good person…" she retracted her crop, placing it away. "So I think… that if you trust her to take care of herself sometimes… then you'll be less afraid of losing her." Ozpin closed his eyes to calm down, hearing heels clicking on the stone path. They got closer, stopping just in front of him. He opened his eyes, staring at the stunning young lady before him. "Marcelle. Glad you made it." Glynda smiled.
"Glynda." She bowed her head to her former teacher, then looked up at Ozpin. "… Thank you again, Ozpin." She smiled, causing the old man's heart to skip a beat. "I do hope you weren't waiting on me."
"Of course he was." Glynda stated, walking with her inside while Ozpin stood there for a moment before following. "He knows you didn't want to come along to begin with, so he's trying his best to keep you comfortable." She added, glancing back at Ozpin. The three spent some time chatting, letting Marcelle calm down in the tense atmosphere before General Ironwood came along to take Glynda to the dance floor and leaving Marcelle alone with Ozpin on the sidelines. The two stood in relative silence, Marcelle shifting on her heels a little before Ozpin spoke.
"You look beautiful." He stated. She turned to him, smiling meekly.
"I do…?" she chuckled nervously. "I'm not used to all this so…"
"You have nothing to worry about." He told her. "You're carrying that dress like it was made for you." He offered her a cup of premium coffee, knowing it would calm her down. She sipped from the cup, looking down at the floor. As much as Ozpin wanted to say more, he knew she was already uncomfortable because of the atmosphere. "When you want to leave, let me know."
"But don't you have to stay?"
"Everyone's having fun… they won't miss me." He smiled at her, Marcelle staring at him. "I just wanted you to make an appearance so that you wouldn't be asked about attending… now we can both leave without a word and no one will notice." He chuckled, Marcelle soon joining him.
"Then… please." She walked out with him quietly, no one any the wiser. Ozpin was happy that he could take her out of the environment he knew made them both uncomfortable. But more than that, he had her to himself… that made the night all the better. They headed back to his office, spending the rest of the evening talking over coffee before Ozpin escorted Marcelle back to her room. "Thank you again…"
"No need for thanks." He pet her head a little, knowing that she was almost asleep as it was. "Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day."
"… Right." She smiled, closing the door slowly before he walked away. Ozpin wandered back to his home, lost in thought the whole way. Back in his own home, he thought long and hard about the evening, knowing that he had already made his choice. He'd made that choice a long time ago. He was going to pursue her. But he had to be careful not to let anyone else notice. After all, she was his former student… they had to be cautious about it all. But he knew one thing. At least making this choice was his own.
((Finally got another chapter! Sorry for the delay, work has been crazy... I hope you all like it!
-Winter Cheshire))