Ruby Rose was many things, easily excitable, shy, socially inept and prone to rambling about her favorite hobbies, but now she was in a quite unusual state, she was unusually quiet right now which worried Yang Xiaolong. The Golden Dragon worriedly looked at her young impressionable sister who looked at her plate with a pensive expression, her food left by itself as she looked deep in thought. During the combat class she acted like everything was fine and even did really well in her match
The Yellow Brawler felt sorry for her, she was never one that dealt well with conflict and the way Weiss exploded on her didn't help at all, she wanted to deck that snobby little brat on the nose for what she did… But she had to restrain herself for now and not make a scene in front of Ruby, maybe when Weiss has to do something by herself they'll have a little talk about her attitude.
As Yang planned her revenge and probable beat down session she realized something, her sister and Weiss were nowhere to be seen, as she stopped she noticed only her, Blake and Team JNPR were here oddly enough, the Red Huntress and the Weisscream were missing. Yang immediately thought of the worst outcome, that brat was probably bothering her sister again, she hastened her step and used her sisterly 6th sense to follow Ruby (at least she liked to think it worked).
She eventually found the two near an exit to the plaza in the middle of campus, they looked to be in a civil conversation and if she was seeing things correctly Weiss even had a apologetic and sad look on her face, they were talking about something she couldn't quite hear and then… she gave her a quick hug and bowed towards Ruby, that's quite the turn of events if she said so herself.
As much as she wanted to go over there and hug them both for making up as well as her sister finally solving a social dilemma by herself, she knew that it was the sort of moment you don't interrupt so the Sunny Dragon moseyed on over to the cafeteria to meet their friends. After getting there it was just a matter of grabbing herself some food and finding the table her newest friends were on, and found them she did, they were on a circular table by the corner of the eating space engaging in affable conversation (what actually was happening was Blake kept to herself while reading and JNPR were doing all the talking).
One might think that their friendship with Team JNPR was too sudden and out of nowhere from an outside perspective, many of the other teams thought so as a matter of fact, but when you fight a Deathstalker and a Nevermore in a forest full of Grimm you end up closer as people. So she sat down near her friends and engaged them in small talk, eventually her sister and Weiss showed up with none of the tension from before present.
Ruby talked to her partner as they approached the table, a smile on her face and excitement in her voice as she could be heard rambling on about something "If you let me a look at your Myrtenaster I could take a look at the revolver component and see if I can add any secondary functions like interchangeable Dust mixing" she explained to the Heiress as they grabbed their food, the leader rambling on about the possible modifications to her friends weapon and how she'd do it.
The others were surprised but took the change well enough, anything was better than the awkward atmosphere that permeated previous interactions, as they sat down everyone engaged in amenable conversation about their day until they got to their most awaited topic. What is up with Professor Armstrong?
She wasn't exactly secretive in her behavior but somehow most no one knew much except for a few key facts, those being her ability to summon her weapons out of thin air, rumors about her summoning some sort of flying creature that talks, her extremely advanced vehicle that was akin to an Atlesian Mech in its appearance and somehow had some sort of sapience in its gestures, although her strength was the most noticeable of all.
All in all there was one thing that linked all these different facts about her… It was the fact that she exuded this weird aura around her, that larger than life Aura of hers (both literally and figuratively) it was smothering to the point of it her always having it on which was quite the impressive feat in itself. Pyrrah Nikos was the first to speak on the topic, doing her best to copy what she thought others her age would say.
"Professor Armstrong is an interesting figure to say the least huh?" The Champion of Mistral threw out as a conversation starter, hopefully to keep the proverbial ball rolling so she can better understand how a normal conversation is supposed to sound.
"You can say that again, did you see how awesome she looked when she summoned her sword and shield, she was like Kapow, Swish, swish and stab!" Nora happily said as she did onomatopeias with her mouth and copied her teacher's moves using her utensils. Ren tried to calm down his best friend as he put a hand on her shoulder and pointed towards the uneaten pile of food on her plate, the hyper girl immediately shifted her attention to her food and began inhaling it.
Blake gave a small nod of acknowledgement as she kept on reading her smut, thankfully everyone was too busy or eating to notice. "Yeah and it looks like she's got a lot of other stuff going on, mainly that sweet ride! Wonder how fast that thing can go… Maybe I can race her on Bumblebee." Yang thought out loud, her craving for excitement and adventure palpable as she spoke of her teacher and unusual experiences, she definitely seemed like a good source for both of those.
The Faux Paladin that was Jaune Arc could only think about much of a dunce he made of himself in that combat class, an embarrassing performance in front of everyone, including both his instructor who would definitely realize sooner or later that his abilities didn't match those on his scripts. He shivered secretly while thinking of how much trouble he was in and what his team might think of him if they ever find out.
His team was aware that their leader was a bit down in the dumps, probably about combat class if they were to guess, Pyrrah in specific thought of how to cheer him up later, she owed it to him as his partner and new friend. Team RWBY on the other hand were still talking about the most recent addition to Beacon, mainly Ruby and Yang while Weiss kept her attention to her table manners as she ate and nodded along (she realized that the sisters didn't have much in regards to that, she might give some pointers later), Blake switched her attention to her teacher while pretending to still read her book.
Speaking of Cassandra, the Liberator of Ala Mhigo was currently helping herself to a third serving (by the gods that woman could eat) as she struck a friendly conversation to other Beacon staff and students alike, treating the both of them with the same amount of friendliness and casual behavior. As the staff left early to take care of future affairs for tomorrow, which meant Gooditch wouldn't have the time to scold Cassandra at least for now, the students continued their meals until a sharp scream drew everyone's attention.
A young Viera girl from what Cassandra could see was having her ears pulled by a Hyur boy and his lackeys for the lack of a better word, a painful thing indeed from the discussions she had with people like Lyna or Erenville. What astounded her the most was how no one was taking action in the face of such terrible behavior, which disappointed her deeply, their lack of compassion and willingness to take action a most terrible display of apathy. Even kids from other races such as the Au ra or the few Miquo'te she saw just shook their head and continued on with their day, the Hyur did the same as she saw the eight troublemakers just give looks of disapproval (with the exception of Weiss and who she recalls to be the Bookworm, who had complete opposite reactions, one uncaring and the other sending a deathly glare).
Cassandra set her food aside and cast a Cover towards the innocent girl, a thin beam of light hitting the girl and connecting to her Aura, the pain felt by the girl disappearing and becoming a slightly numb sensation in the Scion's head. Everyone's eyes were drawn towards the scene, especially the bullied girl as she curiously looked towards the one who was currently protecting her.
"I'll only say this once, you keep putting your hands on the girl and I'll make sure that you're not only kicked out but your family will feel the consequence of your actions for generations" she stated in a tone of finality, Cassandra made sure her words were heard loud and clear, but it looked like the boisterous boy with the carrot top hair didn't quite get that.
"In your dreams Teach, you do anything to me and my dad will cut his funding for Beacon, not only that but he'll make it so that you realize that animals like you and freak here know their place." one Cardin Winchester said confidently, most knew of his family's influence in Vale politics as well as the sizeable donation they made to Beacon Academy, messing with them was the equivalent to career suicide and in some cases the more literal use of the word.
The tension was felt by all, no one dared to make a peep as the stare off continued, no side willing to budge as the bratty student proclaimed without an ounce of shame his willingness to use his family's influence as a weapon, even giving the girl an additional tug on the ear… Although weirdly enough she felt no pain ever since the light connected the both of them.
"You're a kid, a dumb and brash one, but still a kid so I'll tell you something. I don't care for your threats, if you think this is the first time someone tried to pull out this card on me you're sorely mistaken, I've dealt with more politicians, kings, false prophets, xenophobic self proclaimed gods and physical representations of the laws of nature themselves and I've seen more of them than you'll ever see in your life. And you want to know something funny, they all had the same spiel you're so giddy using right now."
"Even funnier is knowing what fate befell them after that, I'd show you but it'd take a lot of time to dig up all those graves… They all cried and protested that I'd never be able to show my face again, never have a moment of peace for the rest of my life and all those I knew dear would perish due to me breaking their oh so precious status quo, but in the end they all died the same. Alone, bitter and in a shallow grave, most of the time being victims of their own hubris and all of them infinitely more significant than vermin like you who dirties the reputation of your profession"
"So let me tell you one last thing kid, are you gonna keep on this path to an early grave and empty funeral, a footnote in the life of all these people's lives and better off forgotten as well or are you gonna stop being such a self centered, xenophobic and teat sucking failure and actually show an ounce of empathy in your life? Cause let me tell you the first option never ends pretty for people like you and I'm more than willing to be the one to stop you."
The Warrior of Light spoke with righteous fury in her heart and ice in her words, the boy now found himself at a loss for words and the same could be said for his supposed team mates as they slowly made their way towards the exit, the girl seemingly forgotten and placed beside the teacher. All the other students were appalled and impressed by the direct threat to the racist boy and his posse, as well as the courage to stand up to such an important political figure regardless of the consequences.
The boy shut his mouth and walked away, anger and fear present on his face all the while, Cassandra was currently tending to the Viera as she made small talk to try and calm her… Until Goodwitch arrived.
From the look on her face Goodwitch probably heard the whole thing or enough of it to get the context, she made her way through the crowd of students and eventually made her way to the Winchester and his team mates "I want you for to wait in my office, we'll talk later about what you have done" she said while giving the quartet no quarter as she kept the ice on her voice and used her Semblance on the ones who tried to make a slick escape. Her attention returned to the woman who was still standing there helping out the bullied Faunus Velvet Scarlatina, which for a moment softened the Vice Headmistress's expression, although it soon returned to a glare as she went to speak to their newest assistant teacher.
"What in the Gods name were you thinking?! Threatening a student and in public no less, we are teachers and huntresses, even if it was to stop the situation from escalating . It's our job to diffuse these situations without the use of violence or its implications, not even mentioning how both the Council and the Winchesters are gonna be breathing down our necks after this affair. " Glynda verbally bashed her fellow teacher as she tried to instill the importance and consequence of her actions in the supposed dimension traveler (she still didn't quite believe that part of her story).
Cassandra didn't look phased at that comment, she merely took in a deep breath and kept her eyes staring straight into Goodwitch's as she started to speak once more "I should be the one asking Glynda, what in the hells have you been teaching these kids?! There's a girl getting her ears tugged like a rope and meanwhile the supposed next generation of defenders just stays there slack jawed twiddling their thumbs!"
The indignity in her voice could be felt by all as she didn't let Glynda Goodwitch put a word in "You let the rot of apathy and cynicism fester in them for long enough and they'll get accustomed to looking the other way whenever they see something wrong, it'll get easier every time and by the time you realize it that apathy will extended to life itself, a chorus of voices singing for the chilling embrace that oblivion brings."
"I won't let that happen, I would rather break one thousand laws and make an enemy of every political figure in this place before I turn my head for someone in need, the only reason I don't walk out on this place is because of our agreement." The Endwalker boldly stated as she stared deep into the teacher's eyes. She didn't care that this was calling the attention of everyone in their surroundings about her deal with Ozpin, a vow of secrecy was never made, so she turned to the students surrounding her and gave one last piece of advice before making her way to somewhere quieter.
"If any of you are ever gonna pay attention to what I have to say let it be now, apathy is a horrible thing, be it for your fellow man or even your sworn enemies, never stop caring for your Star and those in it. If you are able to help it is your duty to do so, not as Hyur, Viera, Au Ra or any other racial lineage… It is your duty as people to care and lend a helping hand, it is our duty to detach ourselves from the foolishness of these invisible barriers we establish… Be it from our appearances or beliefs. Be kind and be better."
As Cassandra said her piece she left the cafeteria with the Viera in tow, as whispers of a quiet place and something to do with sweet treats were heard as they disappeared from sight. Glynda Goodwitch for her part acted quite admirably as she told the students to go back to their routines and stop crowding the surrounding areas, the mob soon dispersed as both the teachers had left the premises. Something was certain to everyone that was present, today was definitely not going as anyone expected.
/
Ozpin wasn't expecting the report he just received from Goodwitch, not only has Miss Armstrong been the subject of attention due to her kooky antics and rumors of access to both a summoning semblance as well as Atlas military equipment, but for an incident such as the one that happened in the cafeteria is quite the shock.
First of all in regards to the treatment that the Winchester boy and his team were giving poor Miss Scarlatina, due punishment would be given at a later time, as well as the thinly veiled threat that was the dressing down she gave Team CRDL. Hopefully none of the students thought to record that, Ozpin didn't feel like dealing with a media backlash right now, but the threat itself presented some interesting information from what he could gather.
Talks of felling all types of powerful figures both in the conventional sense and more politically inclined foes, the way she spoke of fights passed much like the veteran of a war or oddly enough… Just like him after his countless lives. At least she spoke some truth with her public shaming of all the students, apathy if let to grow freely could be the end of society as they know it.
So Ozpin started to think on how to best deal with this whole situation, first he'd have to address the standout point that is the Mystery Teacher's confrontation with the student body and faculty, then he'd have to quell the rumors about her being able to summon things like… Magic…
He just realized the crucial mistake that was made, he'd forgotten to tell her about how scarce the use of magic, or Aether as she had called it, was in Remnant and how it was believed to be only a myth. In spite of this he could feel the wild magic in the air more and more as the day passed, it's flow much like in the olden days, all could be attributed to the Crystal lodged in the middle of his floor.
As much as it brought him joy to see the sensation that blessed Remnant come back it also brought a terrible possibility, that the Queen and her pawn would soon realize so, they would try to monopolize it for their own wicked plots and harvest it for their own gain. Hopefully he could find the time to talk to Cassandra about it.
/
When Velvet woke up this morning she had thought that it would be another uneventful day at Beacon Academy, she'd have her classes, hang out with her team and maybe have a movie night with them. What ended up happening was far from that, getting harassed again by a bigot and subsequently getting saved by Beacon's newest rumor mill. Now said rumor mill brought her to the Initiation cliff to hangout. Velvet was thinking on how to best break the silence currently present, she sipped the lemonade that her teacher gave her (which was admittedly pretty tasty, although she doesn't know where she got it from).
The silence was broken, but not by the student, "So… How you feeling, I know having your ears pulled isn't exactly pleasant, many of the Viera I know say so. And that's not even mentioning those weirdos messing with ya, by The Twelve those types are the worst." The Paladin expressed her distaste for the boys whom she dealt with.
"I'm fine they didn't get to do much before you came in, you kinda get used to it after a while when you realize no one is gonna do anything… Also what do you mean by Viera?" spoke the meek girl in a soft tone, her legs hanging on the edge of the tall cliff as she stared at the setting sun, the warmth from it comparable to the one she was feeling inside as when the teacher asked how she was. That same feeling gave way into curiosity at the unknown term the fellow Faunus utilized to describe her.
Cassandra stopped in her metaphorical tracks as she was somewhat surprised by the question "Viera you know? People sporting bunny ears also known as Vlis and Shetona, they live way longer than most other races and almost eighty percent or so are females…"
The Orchestrion Hunter went on with the facts about the Viera she knew off the top of her head, as she did so Velvet continued to be confused. These sound like the types of things to come from one of those long winded RPGs that she saw being sold in Vale, Velvet was pretty sure she saw Yatsuhaichi eyeing them while they were hanging about… maybe she'll buy him one of those on the off chance.
Velvet once again found it in her heart to speak once more "Um Miss Armstrong, I really have no clue, I know some Faunus are particular about their attributes, be it the ones feline, equine and especially aquatic Faunus. From what I remem-..." The Leporine girl continued her explanation until she was abruptly interrupted once more by her teacher.
"I kept hearing people say that all day long, at first I thought it was a local word that I didn't have any context for, but then I started hearing some Hyur calling me while mentioning my ears… Is it a term for when someone is not Hyur? I don't really get it to be honest." Cassandra earnestly asked her junior as the look of awe began to set on the Viera's face, she didn't know what a Faunus was even though she was one… Oh my Gods this really wasn't what she expected to hear from a veteran huntress.
"Professor Armstrong, I want to be as clear as possible here when I say this… HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT A FAUNUS IS? YOU ARE ONE, YOU'RE NOT HUMAN SAME AS ME!" the photography aficionado shouted at the top of her lungs, her utter shock and surprise felt through the exclamation. She breathed heavily after doing so, her diminishing social battery and the sheer weirdness of the situation draining her.
The part in Cassandra's brain utilized for common sense began working once more after it's lack of use and overexposure to the absurdness of her day to day life, as it did it's magic Cassandra realized two things, one she should check on the Crystal in Ozpin's office and probably make something clear to the Velvet girl. "Now I get the confusion, so if you're not Hyur that means you're a Faunus, guess you don't know that an Elezen is then? Guess I need to do more research on new worlds I travel to."
Velvet's brain went into overdrive due to that last bit of information, it somehow made sense, her lack of knowledge about basic concepts, her impossible feats, the Faunus like traits that don't match any known species and all the rumors fit like puzzle pieces, a jagged an half hazard puzzle, but a puzzle nonetheless.
"I guess that last bit fried your brain huh, guess you guys are not used to this type of deal since the Headmaster had the same reaction, the sun is almost setting from the looks of it so I'll bring ya back to the dorms and get on with my business. If I'm not fired by tomorrow I'll see how you're doing ok and we'll talk more ok? One more thing… I'm what people call an Elezen just so you know." Cassandra finished explaining to the wide eyed Leporine girl, she got up from her comfy spot on the edge of the cliff and once again summoned Gabriel α.
The metal contraption stared at the girl as her teacher climbed on top of it, with a quick wave she was off in the direction of the clock tower in which Ozpin resides, meanwhile Velvet just stayed there sipping the last of her diminishing lemonade. One thought remained as she saw the sun disappear from sight, "How am I supposed to explain any of this to the Team?" But that was a problem for Velvet 30 minutes from now.
/
After a quick flight to the tower Cassandra found herself in front of the Headmaster's huge office window, she knocked on it careful not to break it and waited for the enigmatic man to open, soon enough Ozpin saw the woman quite literally flying in front of his window. He sighed pressed a button on his Scroll, the glass slid downwards and made way for Cassandra to jump in to his office, as she did so her mech disappeared and the glass pane came back up.
Ozpin let his guest in and almost immediately started speaking, Cassandra just having enough time to sit down on the chair in front of him. "Miss Armstrong now that you are here we can get on to business. Your actions today have proven worrisome, your threats to Mr. Winchester were inexcusable even in defense of a fellow Faunus, such situa-" before he could continue Cassandra spoke up as to correct him.
"Not a Faunus, I am an Elezen and I'd like to make that distinction clear, for the sake of clarity in Ethrys there are no Faunus or generic categorizations for non Hyur races. And as for my conduct, the boy could be the reincarnation of one of the Twelve and I couldn't care less. I've said this before and I'll say it again… I never promised to stay put in the face of injustice, I'll pick whatever fights I think are worth picking" The Slayer of Zorall Ja said.
"I understand where you are coming from Ozpin I really do, but the moment you let behavior like that slide in any capacity, you'll teach everyone of the students that they should keep their heads down and be good little soldiers. So I'll say this, I promise I won't threaten someone should this repeat itself, but I won't look the other way. Are you okay with that?"
Earnestly stated the Scion, a softer expression on her face than what she had before, the Headmaster with an appreciative look on his face, he was expecting to have a long discussion with her before coming to a compromise. As much as he wanted for her to actually apologize and put her on the metaphorical back foot, he'd have had to settle for this compromise.
"I am, now on to other business, I don't know if you've noticed but what you call Aether is quite sparse here in Remnant, to the point that the amount of people alive that can freely use it could be counted on one hand, but due to your little gift that has changed." He pointed to the glowing Aether Crystal stuck in the middle of his office, the magic flowing out of it thick in the air, a stark difference to how it felt just a day before.
"I feel my magic coming back to me stronger than it has been in years, spreading back into the natural flow we once had here, before long the Entirety of Beacon could find itself able to tap into its uses if not the entirety of Remnant as a whole give enough time… And that worries me"
The Headmaster exhaled as he confessed his worries, as much as it was a wonderful thing to have this gift back to Remnant, it also brought with it many troubles, mainly how it would affect the effectiveness of Dust as well as how the whole of Remnant treats the rediscovery of it. There was currently an uneasy peace in Remnant as the White Fang was getting more and more violent in its attacks and in return the Council was considering violent retaliation a more viable solution, magic would only make that powder keg closer to exploding.
As he imagined the scenarios in his head he knew that there was no stopping the return of magic, he has to focus on how to cushion it's impact and lessen the possible damages for the sake of everyone, "How we deal with this as a people is still something I am unsure off, but I ask you this, if any of the students or faculty find themselves able to utilize Aether I hope you will be there to help guide them as well as your allies when you eventually make contact."
He may not know everything there is about Cassandra Armstrong, but there is one thing he can be sure of… She had a desire to help people as big as his and by the Gods he would make the most of it.
"No problem, it'll be my pleasure to help get the ropes of it, also it's kinda my fault that you guys are getting magick back to some extent. Anyways I wanted to ask something, I was thinking of checking out the town whenever I have the time, how about we do it together and make the most of it?"
The holder of the Seat of Azem hoped the Headmaster would say yes, she wanted to explore the town with someone who knew some cool spots, and what's better than the guy in charge to do it… Also Glynda would probably keep her on a metaphorical leash and the rest of the staff were still getting used to her presence. Also she was a bit too old to hangout with any of the students outside school hours.
Ozpin was a little appalled by the request, it's been quite sometime since he was invited so casually without the implications of political interest, a warmth spread in his chest as he considered the request
"Why not? It'll be an opportunity to learn more about her as well as teach her of the culture and people of Vale… And I could use a break from the paperwork for at least a day, I'll just tell Miss Goodwitch that it is a chance to better comprehend and help our newest staff." he finished his training of thought and answered.
"It would be my pleasure, we'll meet at the Bullhead hangar this saturday, that way we'll be free to enjoy the whole day in Vale without any interruptions."
"Alright! This will be the best! I can't wait to see the sights, it reminds me of a couple places I've been to but not quite the same, also I saw some really good looking food on the monitor in my room that apparently is native to here so that'll be something to look forward to." the foodie of light cheerfully stated as she started to think of all the fun things they could do.
"It's a date then Ozpin, I'll be taking my leave now since I'm hoping to avoid Goodwitch and meet some people, take care!" she said as she waited for Ozpin to open the glass pane window once more. He did so with a smile on his face, soon Cassandra was once again flying towards the dormitory on her Mech, he wondered if she had any that he could borrow… Glynda soon came out of the elevator, as she walked in it was apparent the frustration from missing her chance to corner Cassandra.
As the shattered moon came up he began thinking once more on what an odd figure he had just befriended.
AN: Another chapter has come to an end, sorry for this taking so long, I started my last semester of college along with teaching at public school and that has kept my hands full. I'll try to keep waits between each chapter shorter, but I won't make any promises especially since I just got Street Fighter 6... Manon is callin me.
Anyways I'm glad to see way more people checking out this story than I ever expected to, it's kind of dizying to be honest but in a good way. As always I tried to keep my paargraphs easier to digest and all that. Now let's talk about what happened this chapter, I know I said the story wouldn't stick strictly to cannon but I just couldn't resist writing my clichés, especially when it comes to the denoucing of the awful conduct of CRDL.
Also I put some of personal criticisms when it comes to the way RWBY handles the thematic powder keg that is racism, not only that but Cassandra took an attitude that most would consider edgy. In my mind the WoL as a whole has been the type of character to lock in when necessary while being relatively light hearted most of the time, the scene of Velvet being bullied while everyone turns their heads triggered something in Cassandra's heart that reminded her of the problems that Eorzea still faces. As well as the seeds that could bloom into the Song of Oblivion, a song of apathy and death that nearly wiped out all of reality.
So yeah, I'll do my best to avoid some clichés and being too close to cannon, like with having Ozpin be a hangout buddy instead of trying to work in RWBY and JNPR, also the lighthearted tone will continue with a few scant moments of seriousness like the ones found in this chapter. All in all expect more fun times, a little action and maybe a certain gentlemanly someone and their companions to make their appearence soon.
Take care Y'all and hope you continue to enjoy this silly little story!