A/N Crash course
Alt title: Realization
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Held a vote, y'all want another chapter of Cyril, so next is Cyril Chapter 7
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Rex-Mortuorum: Pink eye?
Riot Bringer: Seriously, what's this pink eye stuff?
Dancingleaf: Surprisingly, I have yet to see anyone argue that, yet.
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-Date, Time-
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
(Text)
Sounds/Actions*
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-Ozpin's office, 08/23, 9am-
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Cyril Leon POV
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"And now the launch pad will have to be checked over by maintenance again." The hot bl- Glynda rants as she paces back and forth behind Ozpin. "And that's not including the sheer devaluing of integrity using the pad caused!"
Qrow is, taking a swig of his flask.
"Mr. Leon!" She says, now glaring at me.
"Yes ma'am?" I snap to attention.
"You understand not to inform any of your new prospective peers of the presence of the launch pads, correct?" She asks with a glare.
"Um, yes?" I say mostly to appease the hot blonde with a riding crop. And now to divert. "He mentioned a niece, pretty sure he's already told her about them."
Her glare goes to the man, currently mid swig and wide eyed.
"Hey!" He says as he gulps his, whatever's in there down. "I'd never, in sound mind or body, tarnish initiation by revealing the secret behind it."
"Qrow, you're drunk." She says with a glare. "That's hardly, sound mind and body."
He shrugs at her words.
"I said what I said."
She wordlessly flicks her riding crop, sending the flask in his hand out the window. That opened itself, and closed back up.
"Eh, it was almost out anyway." Qrow shrugs again as he leans back in his chair. Kicking his feet up onto the desk.
"Headmaster please!?" Glynda looks to the man who had been silent up to this point.
He slowly looks between the three of us with a discerning stare. Before letting out a sigh, his gaze coming to rest on Qrow.
"Qrow." He says evenly. "I understand you had good intentions, but from here on out. Nothing that takes you further than the courtyard, and nothing with the potential for extensive damage."
"Now is that to property or body?" Is all the man asks.
"Yes." Ozpin answers immediately.
"Fair enough." Qrow says as he stretches and stands up out of his chair.
"Headmaster." Glynda interjects pointedly. "With all due respect. I feel that is far too lenient."
Why am I here again?
"First, what possessed you to test Mr. Leon's capabilities?" Ozpin asks.
"Kid's gonna be a huntsman, wanted to see what he got." Qrow says.
"And it never occurred to you that in the most prestigious academy for huntsmen in all of Remnant." Glynda says with a glare. "To use the specialized equipment in a series of controlled exercises?"
All is quiet for a bit as Qrow leans his head back. His hands in his pockets.
"Hmm?" He says, lifting his head a bit. "Sorry, wasn't paying attention."
Glynda's face scrunches in what is clearly restrained anger. Before she schools herself once again.
"Qrow, don't make me call Summer. Mr. Leon." Ozpin says as he addresses me. "I hope this whole spectacle doesn't sour your view of us."
Knowing that my answer can only get one person in trouble. I decide to be honest.
"Day one saw me kidnapped and thrown onto a bullhead against my will." I point out. "Day two, today, saw me wake up to a bucket of water and being thrown into a Grimm infested forest."
I let that sit as the two look to a sheepish Qrow.
"Kidnapped?" Glynda asks in a low tone that promises pain.
"Well you see-" Qrow starts.
"Glynda, I believe this to be an official matter of the school." Ozpin says as he stands up. "While I escort Mr. Leon back to his lodgings I hereby grant you full authority in this matter as headmistress until my return."
"Oz you don't really-" Qrow starts.
"Any and all further discussion on the matter is to be done with the proper authority." The gray haired man says as he passes us. "Mr. Leon, if you would."
Looking back and forth between Qrow and Glynda. On the one hand I really want to stick around and watch this. On the other, I feel if I don't then Glynda might find a new target.
Choosing self preservation over personal enjoyment, I get up and follow Ozpin to the elevator.
The moment it closes I hear the muffled sounds of yelling behind the door as it disappears above.
"Hmm." Ozpin sighs. "Peace at last."
"Hope I get the same." I say under my breath.
"As do I." Ozpin says. "I understand your first impression of us is, less than stellar. But I hope you can see the reasons behind your-"
"Mandatory conscription into your academy?" I point out.
"If you want, I can have a bullhead prepared for you by the afternoon." Ozpin says. "It's not my intention to hold you prisoner here."
"Forgive me if I don't believe that." I say sarcastically.
"You're forgiven." He says smugly as the elevator dings. "No, in all seriousness I don't expect you to like us. But I only ask you give us a chance."
"I did." I say as we step through the door into the halls. "And I nearly got mauled to death."
"I had time to review the cameras." Ozpin says. "And I can say that while you were attacked, I'd hardly say you were in danger."
Bullshit!
"If I didn't have my semblance-"
"Qrow was right there." Ozpin cuts me off. "Yes, as counterintuitive as that sounds. Qrow is just doing as he believes best."
We come up to my temporary room, and Ozpin opens the door for me.
"Please understand I'm only interested in what's best." He says as I walk past. "I won't pretend to always know what that is, but trust me when I say that there are others out there who would kill for you. And kill to get to you. Silver eyes are highly valued in near every circle. And I want you prepared for the inevitable day when others try to take advantage of that."
The sad part about that statement, is I don't have enough information to dispute it. All my research tells me that Silver Eyed Warriors are the closest thing to living nobility across all of the kingdoms. Somewhere between celebrities and royalty. But, they're also rare. There's actually a registry of Silver Eyed Warriors in active service.
It's only available for those with proper clearance, but the fact it exists should say a lot. The actual number of Silver Eyed Warriors is estimated to be somewhere between five hundred, and a thousand.
Which makes sense when you think of them as an extended family.
"If you'll excuse me, I must return before Glynda signs any paperwork and makes Qrow the official janitor." Ozpin says.
"Would that be so bad?" I ask.
"Janitors get keys to the entirety of Beacon." Ozpin says with a raised brow before closing the door.
Oh.
That would be bad.
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The next several days saw me under the tutelage of Glynda for an hour every day. And, I cannot stress this enough, massive step up.
For example, instead of beating the shit out of me for hours, she registered my aura to gauge. I have twice the average aura as compared to a regular student my age. And, a tenth of the control.
Basically, she called me a brick. I have good defense with my aura, but nothing else.
My running speed? Average. My endurance? Above average. My strength way above average.
Then came, academic pursuits.
Math! Above average! Not a surprise, I loved math. Math was my lover in highschool.
Except calculus. That was my abusive ex.
Science? Above average! Social studies! Out of a hundred questions, I got, two right. Which brings us, to now.
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-Classroom 109, 08/25, 8am-
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Glynda's at her desk, she stares deftly at the paper. She then takes the paper in her hand and stands up, goes to the side of her desk, and drops it in a shredder.
"You are to never mention this to anyone." She says as she looks to me. "If the history teacher ever heard of your score, whether you answered incorrectly on purpose or not. I will not be responsible for any of the fallout."
"Um, okay?" I say, more than a bit confused.
"Until then, I will have books sent to your room." She instructs as she heads back to her desk. "They will be from the library and you are expected to return them at the end of the semester. Assuming you pass initiation You will not be attending history class until the next semester."
"Um, isn't that a bit much?" I ask as she starts writing on a document slip she pulled from the desk.
"Mr. Leon, would you have a student take trigonometry, when they struggle with basic multiplication?" She asks pointedly. "No, you bring them up to that level."
"Then, shouldn't I have a tutor?" I ask.
"The only individual currently qualified for such a role is occupied with compiling their syllabus for the year." She says, almost too quickly.
"Okay?" I say as she hands me a piece of paper.
"Take this to the librarian and study." She says. "Until then, I expect you at the combat room tomorrow at five."
"Yes ma'am."
Glynda is, honestly more to my speed. Both my parents are military brats. Hell, I grew up calling my dad sir. The only time I was allowed to call him dad was when we were fishing.
Qrow is more like my little brother. Who I can't stand for the life of me.
Or, couldn't.
They're, not here. Technically, they're dead? Or, I'm dead.
Do they think I'm dead?
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Huh.
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-Beacon Auditorium, 08/28, 2pm-
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Hanging out in the rafters of the auditorium as I watch the prospective students file in, I can't help but think of how many will die. Or decide this isn't for them. Or just won't make it.
Every year, one thousand students apply. One hundred make the cut. And of those one hundred, only twenty will be accepted based on their performance in initiation.
Sounds bad, but just getting accepted in the first place looks great on applications. And if you make it past initiation, and someone was just better? Outstanding.
And, you can keep applying until you're twenty. So, there's always next time.
Why am I on the rafters? Easy, who'll stop me? I like climbing and if I fall, my aura will protect me.
And I really don't want to run the risk of interacting with any canon characters. They breed trouble like a puppy mill pushes out beagles.
The crowd quiets down as Ozpin taps his mic. And I listen in to his speech. Hard not to, there's a speaker twenty feet away from me.
"Hello and welcome." He starts out dispassionately . "I'll keep this short, and would like to start out by congratulating you select few on making it this far. It no doubt took you a great deal of hard work, study, and determination to get this far. But, the sad reality is that in two days time, only a fifth of you will see this room a second time within the year. To some of you, that's not a problem, to others, it's your last chance. Hard work will not be enough. You'll need to apply everything you have. You'll need to not only work harder, but also smarter, and more creatively. Keep that in mind moving forward."
He then walks away from the mic.
"That's it?" I say to myself as I see Glynda walk up on stage.
"Would all of you please follow Mr. Port to the locker rooms where you'll store your belongings for the time being." She says while gesturing to the, portly man.
Yeah he looked goofy in the show. But here? His age only demanded respect. He's fifty seven and still on the active roster, when most die or retire in their thirties. Hell, even Glynda is technically retired from being a huntsman.
As the students follow the man, I notice Ozpin walk back up to the mic.
"That includes you as well Mr. Leon." He says.
Rolling my eyes, I lean forward and let myself fall. Activating my semblance last second to slow time and adjust my landing.
You'd be surprised how easy some things are when the danger of it is just, gone. Falling sixty feet? Aura and the ability to think as fast as lightning!
"Thank you." He says into the mic as I notice Glynda giving me a soft glare.
Or she's just looking at me. It's hard to tell sometimes.
Following behind the crowd of students, many of whom are now looking at me curiously. I make my way to the lockers, sit on the floor, and close my eyes.
Mostly because I have no intention of using the lockers. And because I don't want any other students seeing my eyes.
No joke, I don't want any attention from the other students. And for however a big deal my eyes are to the public, they're doubly so for huntsmen. Whether it be jealousy or veneration, I don't want either.
"It's you!" I hear a chipper, squeaky voice shout.
'Fuck me!' I silently rage.
Cracking an eye open, I'm nearly scared shitless by the girl right in my face.
"It is you!" She says excitedly. "I remember you from the robbery!"
So much for avoiding attention.
"Um, hi." I say somewhat awkwardly.
She's, very close.
She's silent, seemingly waiting for me to say something more. Before her smile fades in favor of an awkward blush. Suddenly, in a burst of petals she's standing five feet away from me.
"Sorry!" She says as she avoids looking at me.
It's worth noting that her hood is up. Hiding her ears and partially hiding her eyes from clear view.
"Ruby?" I hear another familiar voice from the show say. "Is everything alright?"
Looking over to the-
'Oh what the fuck!?'
It's clearly Weiss. Pale skin, icy blue eyes, white hair in a side tail. White dress.
But why the fuck! Does she have ears and a tail!?
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-Earlier that day, Beacon Courtyard, 08/28, 12pm-
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Weiss Schnee POV
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I'm finally here! Beacon.
'It's much warmer than I expected.' I muse to myself. 'Though, that's sort of to be expected. I surely hope the rooms are air conditioned. It is the start of spring. It'll only get hotter from here on out. Of course, I'll need to pass initiation first.'
As I feel the heat bear down on me. I shake those negative thoughts from my mind. If I can't get in here, then I'll go to Haven. And if that fails, Shade. And then, well, I hear Menagerie is developing their own academy! They, might accept me.
Anything to avoid Atlas.
"Woah!" I hear a girl say as my luggage that I was carting is toppled over!
"Excuse you!" I say as I turn to address the lout. A red cloaked girl in a black combat skirt and corset. "Do you know how to watch where you're going!?"
"Oh, um, I uh." She stutters like an imbecile as she gets up, revealing the busted case of dust vials!
"You idiot!" I curse as I rush to the case, crouching down and going through the various vials.
I feel my temper rise and my ears splay back as I quickly inspect each vial.
'This is expensive!' I think to myself. 'I used a third of my allowance just to get this much! And this is hardly enough to last the month!'
"Do you have any idea the level of destruction you could've caused!?" I ask as I stand to address the fool. "This is dust! You know? Highly volatile fuel for all things on Remnant?"
"Well I just, I was walking by and you-" She stutters out excuses as she hides further under her hood.
"At least have the decency to look me in the eye when you make up excuses!" I say as I reach forward and pull her hood back. Revealing a fellow Faunus with wolf or fox ears, and wide, panicked Silver eyes.
'Silver?' I feel my mind grind to a halt. 'Oh crud! I just berated and talked down to a Silver eyed clansmen! Shit! What is wrong with you!'
You never disrespect a Silver Eyed Warrior. For one, they're premium guards. Experts in fighting Grimm and protecting people. Two, their exploits can be traced throughout history for thousands of years. With legends going back even further. They're revered by the people as heroes and protectors. Three, they're a tight knit group. Disrespect one, and you may find yourself blacklisted from every clansmen!
'Okay! Okay.' I calm myself quickly. 'You can salvage this. Just, apologize, claim fault no matter how much it isn't. And hopefully you can make a strong ally! Teams have yet to be decided after all! And statistically, she's likely the only Silver eyed clansmen attending this year. I need her on my team!'
Schooling my temper, I make an effort to raise my ears up, and still my tail. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and lower my head slightly.
"I'm sorry." I say with practiced sincerity. "I shouldn't have reacted as, virulently as I did. I'm just, a bit high strung right now."
"Huh? Oh, um." She seems to be stuttering quite a bit. Perhaps a speech impediment? "That's fine! I um, probably wasn't looking where I was going either. So um, no harm done?"
Satisfied I salvaged any bad first impression, I raise my head to see she put her hood back up. Perhaps it's a personal preference?
"I suppose not." I agree. "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Weiss Schnee."
"Ruby Rose!" She says energetically. "Um, does this mean we're friends?"
This is, I almost feel bad with how easy that was.
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Bonus
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Lyman "Oz/Ozma" Ozpin POV
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"You asked to talk to me Glynda?" I say as we walk the halls towards the elevator.
"Yes, it's about the boy." She says. "I've notice him developing some, concerning habits."
'Knowing Glynda that could range anywhere from self harm, to picking his nose.' I think to myself. 'Though it's doubtful she'd ask to speak directly over something minor.'
"Concerning how?" I ask.
"A few days ago, after I signed a form for him the retrieve some books I noticed, a shift in his demeanor." She says. "At first I thought nothing of it. Teenagers are unpredictable and prone to mood swings."
"But it's been consistent I take it?" I ask as we reach the elevator.
"Yes." She confirms as I press the buttons. "He's gone from being guarded to being, sullen, drawn in and borderline mechanical."
"Mechanical?" I ask curiously.
"He's compliant with requests." She says almost conflictingly. "No real hints of defiance or resistance. Sure if it's something tedious he gets annoyed, but, I recognize the signs of depression Ozpin. And the boy has them. He dove into the history books with a religious fervor. And not out of interest, he's distracting himself."
That's, concerning alright. A huntsman with depression is a dangerous thing. More prone to negative emotions, attracting Grimm, suicidal ideation, needless risk taking behavior.
The list goes on.
"We do suspect his village was wiped out not long before he arrived in Vale City." I mention. "It could be, that fact is just now registering with him?"
"If that's the case then I recommend grief counseling." Glynda says sternly as the elevator reaches her floor.
As callous as it seems, I disagree. Yes a huntsman falling into a depressive spiral is a dangerous thing.
"If curing mental issues was as simple as making someone attend counseling, then the world wouldn't have had so many wars." I say pointedly. "All we can do is keep an eye on him for now. Hope he gets better."
But you can't force someone into fixing their problems. They have to want to.
"I heavily disagree Headmaster." Glynda says as she steps off the elevator. "But I'll trust your judgement for now."
Oof, she's using titles. She really didn't like my answer.
"That's all I ask."
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A/N So, I put it to a vote on the discord whether or not Weiss would have a tail, or the ears.
And got a dead even score of 50/50
So, I flipped a coin, and then got a bunch of people telling me to do both.
So, fuck it! She has an ultra rare recessive mutation that gives her both.
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If you read the bonus of the last chapter, it's a bit of a hint towards the fact that Weiss, is not Jacques's daughter. Willow had an affair, and Jacques covered it up by claiming he has *some* faunus heritage. And then paid a research firm out the ass to produce that research paper that is half real, half propaganda to cover up the disgrace.
He can't divorce Willow, *she's* the Schnee.
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Link to the discord: discord .gg/DarkWolfShiro