Headmaster Ochre Gumo sat before the many monitors at his desk, each of his eight eyes fixated upon a different display. Though the stream of so much information was overwhelming even for him, the man remained as focused as he could while taking a long drink of coffee from the ceramic mug in his hand. He knew that time was of the essence, especially with his incoming company. The door to the underground office slid open, and the faunus didn't even bother to look up. He knew exactly who would be standing before him even if he hadn't seen her coming through the security feed. After all, Professor Gumo prided himself on having the most secure Academy in Remnant, and there was only one person in Vacuo who had direct access to his office with the blessing to come and go as she pleased.
"Ochre," Maria Calavera said with a nod of acknowledgement as she entered the room. "Have you managed to find anything interesting concerning Miss Rose and her team?"
"Precious little," the man replied as one eye swiveled toward his guest. She was wearing her skull mask and black traveling cloak, as though she planned on setting out on a journey in short order. "I was hoping you could fill me in better than remotely accessing Beacon's databases has been able to."
"Oz isn't going to like that," Maria warned. "Either of those things, actually."
"Oz also isn't going to like that I'm giving the girl time," Ochre countered. "And yet, taking this on unprepared or shoving such responsibility upon young adults so quickly while they were planning to be on vacation won't end well. For all the good that Ozma does, when something involves Salem, he grows… cold to the feelings and needs of others. I'm sure you've noticed."
"And you're telling me neither of us fit that description at all times?" Maria mused as she approached Ochre's desk and leaned against an adjacent wall. "We're not exactly warm and fuzzy, either."
"Perhaps not… but at least we're consistent in our distancing from students and letting our guards down to show warmth when it is needed. The opposite approach breeds distrust, even if such a thing isn't warranted in regards to Ozma."
"You're really not going to tell him?" Maria questioned.
"In time," Ochre explained as he leaned back from his keyboard and gave the woman his full attention. "But I want to be sure. Riling Ozma with news of a Maiden's discovery only to backtrack on a simple mistake later would be… less than favorable for any of us. We take this slowly, Maria. Carefully. Consider all sides, and only make our move when we are sure of the conditions surrounding us."
"As you are so often wont to do," Maria shrugged. "Your Academy, your call. Just don't expect me to back you up if he isn't in favor of your methods."
"He'll understand," Ochre insisted as he stood, taking his cup of coffee with him. "Besides- if I can assist her in learning to control her powers, then so much the better. Miss Rose will return to Beacon with a newfound skillset and appreciation for who and what she is. Confusing the issue by having two mentors telling her different things at the outset is unnecessary."
"You sound almost thrilled to have a secret project to take on," Maria mused. "That's so like you."
"And remaining mum with your own opinion and scrutinizing others from afar is so like you," Ochre teased with a smirk as he lifted his opaque helmet from the desk and slid it over the upper half of his head. "What did you manage to find out, after our little meeting?"
"Nothing we didn't already know," Maria answered with a wave of her hand. "Team BASS has indeed taken an interest in STRQ and OKRA. I managed to bug their dorm, though not their scrolls. They've been discussing their theories as to what was in the briefcase, and they also seem to be particularly interested in Adam Taurus."
"…the boy with the missing eye and bull horns," Ochre considered as he ran his thumb and forefinger along his chin, rubbing at his goatee. "His official files within Beacon's database are… missing information, to put it lightly. Why?"
"That boy is…" Maria paused, for once. The unexpected delay caused Ochre to tilt his head, and even behind the helmet, Maria could tell that her rare instance of hesitance unsettled him. "…troubled. Full of potential, and full of anger about the plight of the faunus. He's among the most capable of his friends, though he lacks the discipline and understanding of his own semblance to wield it without causing a catastrophe just yet. He's become something of a personal project for me… and Team BASS being so invested in him is going to complicate things."
"The leader of BASS, Ghira Belladonna, is a spirited youth," Ochre considered. "Very level-headed and wise beyond his years, but also incredibly convincing when he wishes to be. If he manages to goad Adam's anger, it could very well undo your efforts at calming him."
"Very much so," Maria agreed. "Adam has spoken about trying to take a more hands-on approach in the fight for faunus rights in Sanus. While I agree with the cause, of course, I don't know that Adam should be the one leading it. Even if that bond doesn't lead anywhere harmful… the more that BASS is around STRQ and OKRA, the higher the chances that Summer's potential secret slips. After all, STRQ did fill in OKRA about their standing with Ozma, against his wishes. Maidenhood will hardly be kept under wraps if that was fair game to share."
"…meaning we need to surveil their resort, and bugging their scrolls is now a priority," Ochre concluded before taking another sip. "An unfortunate reality to keep tabs on our efforts and make sure that nothing slips out of place. Salem doesn't allow her subordinates to flounder or influence her plans. Neither can we allow ours to do the same."
"Is such a heavy-handed approach really necessary?" Maria asked. "If we're caught, they'll never trust us again. A small problem for you, but I have to teach them again next semester…"
"They'll never trust me again, you mean," Ochre corrected. "Officially, you'll have nothing to do with it, though you have a better chance to plant the devices while checking in with Adam. They'll likely expect you to pay them a visit soon anyway."
"I'll get it done," Maria reassured. "But I don't like it. I don't like any of this."
"Neither do I," Ochre agreed. "But we're in a state of perpetual war, even when that doesn't seem to be the case. I hope these youths are reliable. I would like to grow to trust them and form a relationship over time, so that they might have another headmaster at their backs in their times of need."
Maria simply nodded and offered the man a smirk.
"I think you'll find that the majority of them are surprisingly mature for their age…"
Adam stood in the doorway to the beach house, cradling a cup of tea and watching in confusion as Roman and Qrow traded blows on the concrete just outside. The faunus was still swaddled in a cocoon of blankets, and he wasn't entirely sure whether or not he was hallucinating. Upon hearing Roman refer to Qrow as a 'low-budget man-whore' mid-swing, Adam closed the door, turned around, and wandered back toward the kitchen where Bartholomew and Taiyang were finishing breakfast.
"…so… what the hell is going on out there, exactly?" Adam asked in an exhausted voice. "Are they doing a role-reversal?"
"We're actually still trying to figure it out," Bartholomew answered while rinsing out his cup within the kitchen sink. "But it would appear that Roman is convinced that Qrow is interested in Kali, for some reason. We have no more specifics than you do."
"That's… stupid," Adam said in a bitter voice before sitting on the other side of the counter and facing his friends. "Qrow is interested in Willow. Everyone knows that."
"Yes, we do," Taiyang agreed. The boy still looked a little sickly, though he was well enough to pick at his eggs. "And I'm interested in Raven, and neither of those two want to make a move. Still nothing on your end, man? What about Summer?"
"…what about her?" Adam asked looking between the two other boys as Bartholomew rolled his eyes. "She's… cute, I guess?"
"So, why not go for it?" Taiyang asked. "Make it nice and complicated- our entire group dating within itself, with the exception of Barty and Yatsu."
"That's exactly why not," Bartholomew answered for Adam. "Things are already tense enough, and if Adam sees no reason to enter the dating scene, then I see no reason we should push him to do so. It's not for everyone, and thus far, he has expressed no interest. Unless, of course, something has changed."
"Nothing's changed," Adam reassured. "Besides, she's about to go through a lot of shit, being a Maiden and all. We still don't even really know what that means. She doesn't need me dragging her down."
"So… lift her up, and let her do the same," Taiyang proposed. "You're both lonely."
"And you say that from a place of knowledge?" Adam asked. "Because you can literally feel it?"
"Yeah, exactly," Taiyang explained. "I can't help it- part of my semblance is passive. I've actually been meaning to talk to you about it for a while, but I just never really worked up the courage in case you got pissed off. You've got a constant negative aura about you, Adam, and it isn't anger. You're lonely."
Adam narrowed his eye and looked down into his tea. Something about the notion didn't sit right with him.
"…how can I be lonely when surrounded by friends if romance isn't for everyone as Bartholomew claims? I have no interest in it right now, and I have all of you, so… why? What makes you so sure?"
"…perhaps you're misreading emotional states," Bartholomew offered.
"Are you talking to me, or him?" Taiyang asked.
"Yes."
Taiyang put his head in his hands and mumbled something that sounded like 'jackass'.
"In all seriousness, though, and as has been said time and time again- this is a vacation. If you're exuding such negative energy, then there's no better time than now to figure out why," Bartholomew reminded. "At the very least, you're willing to talk to us about these things instead of immediately going on the defensive. You've changed, Adam. Grown."
"But not changed enough, apparently," Adam grumbled. "Fine. Have it your way, Tai. I'll give it a shot, but I'm more inclined to try my chances with Velvet than Summer."
Taiyang nearly choked on his eggs at the notion and coughed several times.
"Whoa, Velvet? You barely know her!"
"Perhaps that's the point," Bartholomew mused as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. "If it falls through, Adam can wash his hands of it in a few short weeks. What better place to experiment than on another continent entirely?"
"He gets it," Adam nodded. "Nothing lost if it falls apart."
"And if it doesn't?" Taiyang asked. "You'll be about as far from her as you can get once we're back at Beacon. Sure, if it fails, then no big deal. What if you fall head over heels in love with this chick?"
Adam paused, knowing that Taiyang wasn't going to like his answer.
"…I won't. Which is why I wasn't terribly inclined to try in the first place. This is more about trying something new than expecting any success to come of it. If you want me to experiment, I'll experiment… but let me do it my way. If the worst-case scenario comes to pass, I'll… figure something out then."
"…successful dating is the worst-case scenario?" Taiyang asked as Adam stood up, leaving his cup behind.
"In some ways," Adam answered as he headed for the door. "Now, is anyone else going to come and watch Qrow beat Roman into paste?"
"Coming," Bartholomew answered. "And afterward… perhaps I'll jump into the ring, for once."
Author's Note:
Legend has it that Bartholomew knows how to fight.
Legend is usually wrong.
-RD
