...
Blair watched the dog as it died.
"Is this what real animals are like?"
… Is 'animal meat' even a real thing? Was I lied to?!
It… felt like the rotten sludge of plant mass that she had left in the apartment's plant pots. The… dog hadn't even left anything behind to decompose properly.
Not ALL animals had seemed bad in her books! There were ones she had actually wanted to discover!
She wailed out into the abyss, tears streaming down her face.
"NOOOOOOOOO! I WANTED TO FEEL A RABBIT!"
"FUR!"
"SCALES!"
"FEATHERS!"
"IS THE CRUEL WORLD ONLY FILLED WITH BONES AND DARKNESS?!"
…
Blair cried for all the foolish things she believed in all these years, and wept for the evil minds of men that saw such lovely things, but never explained that they only lived in books.
"…"
"You… really did never go outside."
Feet stood next to her, but she did not care. She chose to bawl her heart out and try to dream of those lovely, lovely, sweet little creatures.
… Her eyes closed, and she tried to glimpse the things she dreamed of; the beautiful 'animals'.
All she saw was yellow eyes, white bones, and blackness.
It… corrupted me. I can't see any of them now.
…
Paige stood next to the girl as she wailed.
"-noooooooOooooOOOoooo-"
"Blair. I showed you the Grimm. Do you want to head away now?"
Blair responded after throwing herself downwards. "I'm going to lock myself back in my room if this is the horrible world I was born into.
This is what made Angeline so horrible. I couldn't even imagine this was the cruel, cruel world outside."
"Blair. What's gotten you into a depressing mood?"
"I was LIED TO, Woods! LIED!" she moaned.
Paige groaned. She had been tortured, abused, turned into a nightmare immortal creature, KILLED, brought into the afterlife, had a talk with DEATH HERSELF…
…and she only JUST realised that this wasn't normal?
"Bla-"
Blair flung her head into the air and screamed.
"ZOOLOGISTS! GO TO HELL!"
…
…
…
Paige laughed so hard she couldn't breathe. "Blair… You're an animal person?"
Blair frowned. "Not anymore if these things are what we call animals. I read that wolves are GREY and BROWNS and INTERESTING COLORS. This is literally an illustration of The Big Bad Wolf from my Brothers Grimm and Other Stories, Illustration 3, page 56!"
… Paige tried really hard to not snort.
"It's not FUNNY, Woods. It's an inhuman act of cruelty to me."
...
Hoo boy.
….
"Blair. Have you ever wanted to see a dog?"
"YES. That thing is NOT a dog."
Paige watched her quiver in rage at the thought of the Grimm Paige materialised.
Paige began to realised she needed to evoke a change in scenery by now.
"Blair," she began, "This is my mind."
She ignored the look of confusion given to her, and turned on her heel, black cloak of shadow flowing around.
Paige walked into the void, and sat down on the bench next to Qrow and Weiss. "-and that's a dog."
Paige pointed around with a bone white hand, eventually locating a brown dog similar to a mop that really wanted to be an Airedale she had noticed during her visit.
Though, knowing an actual scraggly old Airedale let her tell that it was actually pretty close.
It was a very strange and silly looking dog, but it exuded, as Nyx said about every dog she wanted Paige to get, "peak dogginess."
Blair's face was euphoric, and she looked at Paige like she was looking at the form of a goddess.
Paige idly pointed at a bird that appeared in the square five minutes later.
"That… is a bird."
"It's so beautiful."
The bird was practically an orb, it was so fat.
"Blair. This is a lovely place, right? I'm just showing you a small glimpse of the world as it is now-"
"-IT'S A RABBIT!"
Blair wept tears of joy at her wildest, most fantastical dreams coming true…
…
Paige followed her eyes and flinched slightly.
...
There was a woman walking down the street with a grocery bag, and yes, she had rabbit ears.
Ooooh… This is going to be hard to explain to a girl only used to humans.
Paige took the time to deliver a quick lesson before anything else. It had thrown her for a moment herself, but stealing a few history books let her discover how much of an absolute minefield this could become.
"She's classified as a rabbit Faunus. She just has body parts of that corresponding animal."
Blair clumped her hands into a ball and emulated Rodin.
"Ah. That's like a pronoun."
Paige hummed and hrmmed, unable to really respond with enough detail properly. She herself didn't actually know if it was fine to agree in this case.
History is written by the victor, and all that.
Blair looked at her, and sighed exasperatedly. "Pronouns? To reduce long winded sentences?" She remarked whilst continuing her annoyed face.
"It's so you don't run out of breath going…"
She leapt off the bench and bellowed "WOOOOOAH! THERE'S AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WITH EARS CORRESPONDING TO A RABBIT!"
The woman in question paid the girl no heed, even as they kept shouting compliments about her extraordinary loveliness, grace that makes gods cry, and other qualities.
Paige was crying with laughter at the scene, but then had to rapidly return to the lesson. "You can't do that. People have names, as we both know. You need to be polite and respectful to people, so you should not just call out people who fall under that category by that title."
… Blair looked blankly at her, so Paige backed up to a more understood example. "It's like you only called someone by their skin tone. It's racist."
…
The two sat in silence, and Blair looked around at the fake square.
…
….
…..
Did Blair just speak?
Paige leaned to try to listen, causing the imaginary bench to glitch slightly as she stopped paying as much attention to it, causing it to grow significantly in order to keep all four people on it.
Blair's astonished whisper, now much more audible at close distance, made Paige to lose control. The void encroached on them, which momentarily jolted the scene away, then Paige's sharp glaring invoked a returning to the materialised environment.
Paige leaned back in to her seat-mate. Her bleached face was now a perfect match to her current state of mind, if she heard the words she believed to hear from the girl.
"Blair… care to… repeat that?"
"People have different skin colours. How is this possible? Is it like… how animals have different colourations? How does it work?" she whispered.
Paige froze at the words coming out of Blair Hardy's mouth. She had heard the first time. It turns out she did not need to get it repeated again. All the repeat did was solidify the ensuing problem in her mind.
SHIT.
SHIIIIIIIIIT.
Time to reveal racism to an isolated and abandoned special needs kid who's the child of an insane bigoted scientist from the 1940's. Oh BOY.
Paige gave a grim smile. She was definitely going to be sleeping in tomorrow.
...
….
"Hello, Mrs Woods. Are you performing well today?"
"Yes, Professor!"
The man stood watching her in front of his classroom. "Mrs Woods. I say this because I am unused to my coworkers meeting me at five in the morning."
Paige nodded briefly. "Apologies."
"Not much need, the impact's already been blown over well! Now, I can use this time we have to answer your problem, then I believe I can get some preparation help from you in today's lesson. What's wrong?"
"I never gave you any kind of information on myself. It was… uncomfortable to leave it undone." She said this furtively, then handed him a small paper. Port read it, and paused for a second.
This… is not what I was told.
Name: Paige Woods. 23.
Relationships: Married.
Relations: Blair Hardy. Angeline Hardy. Cassandra Woods. Nyx Woods.
Weapons of Choice: Axe and Shotgun.
Semblance: Blood Bond.
He folded the paper with a quiet chuckle. "Mrs Woods. There's no need to try to be misleading. The staff are aware of your abilities, and you have no need to worry about us trying to hurt you. I, for one, would be an excellent match against anything you so chose to use."
Port watched the young woman as she followed his gaze with empty eyes.
"Sir. I am aware of what you are insinuating. This is my information."
"Then, I will just note you settled on a new name for your semblance. An unusual choice to change it now. Besides that, I would like you to use it in my lecture hall for one second. I need your permission to have it used for a little test case before our serious preparation."
The two of them entered the lecture room, and Port closed the door behind him to not attract any more attention than he was trying to get-
-"Hold it, Peter. Just what do you think you're trying to do?"
Paige stood in the room and listened to the quiet argument. Four sets of feet entered the room.
She nodded briefly. "Ozpin. Glynda. Qrow. New person."
"School doctor."
Fox. A very lovely fox. Waitnohell. Fox... Faunus. This ignores the original terms, but who cares... I deeeefinitely don't
... I want to pet her so much right now.
Paige mentally gave her new attentive occupant an advisory warning.
No. Stop that. I'm being nice letting you be here, and I need your help. Don't just thirst after every Faunus you see.
Is it racist to acknowledge that they are so awesome they are practically all a gift from a loving god up above?
Paige had had many bad and uncomfortable days. Getting her life MST3K-ed by an awakened furry… was not on her WTH bingo card. She controlled her face and waited for the reasons behind dealing with four faculty here…
Oh wait. She can summon beasts. From. Hell. She stayed calm, and felt soothed by the incredibly competent behaviour of these teachers to avoid incidents. Then she actually thought about some of the glaringly big things:
1: Their warden against her going on a rampage is an alcoholic. Or... they implied he was.
2: This headmaster let her in the campus, even after putting a hit on her.
3: They gave her an UNRESTRICTED HUNTING LICENSE. NO REASON.
4: They gave her access to what amounted to a phone. The last time she had access to any kind of digital device over a long term period, it ended with her using it to track down and kick a real estate broker out of a window.
A voice choked slightly in the back of her head.
You caught me… because you had phone access?!
Angeline. You literally emailed me every damn night about the apartment. I had to get wise eventually.
Banter asides, these were professional people to train young adults like the rooftop sprinting speedster Ruby. Paige doubted they couldn't hold their own against just her. Granted, they only barely knew what she could do… but she still admired them. Teaching's difficult, and she knew this from experience.
Paige talked to them like she had to talk to her supervisor's coworkers. Just act like our supervisor's just returned and he remembered he's legally allowed to shoot me.
... And I thought my workplace was bad. Angeline muttered.
...
...
...
"Hello, other faculty. Are you here to help moderate?"
… "Damn. Port. What did you do to her?"
Port may have smiled, but she wasn't paying much attention to the man looking at her right now. "Oh, I just had a small chat with her!" He exclaimed.
Paige, however, saw Qrow's noiseless shuddering.
I don't respect that man, Paige. Go explain to him why his disrespect of elders is wrong.
Paige's face twitched as she visualised a disapproving her in her mind.
She put her hand on Blair's shoulder, and spoke calmly.
Blair. This is from the girl who calls her older sister a 'sadistic flesh loving bitch.'
-because she is one, Paige.
Paige knew that, but it didn't mean being civil to your elders wasn't completely off the table. Qrow did help her get this job.
I demand you to call attention to his disrespect. And, shake his hand.
Or…..
I won't share with you.
Her eyes widened a millimeter. That… was not a good thing to happen.
Paige brought herself back to the material world. It appeared everyone was watching her. "Excuse me, before we begin… there's something I'm obligated to do."
"What do you need?"
She quietly gestured out a hand to the seats.
A voice sighed as she failed to waver. "… You really aren't dropping this, are you?"
"I was told you need to respect your elders more."
"Says the 23 year old."
"Branwen," she barked out, "please just… work with me here? Do I have your consent to do this non-violent procedure?"
Qrow warily caught the looks of the room's other occupants. I'm seriously going to have to do this?
He saw Glynda pull out her crop.
…Well, at least I'll be revenged if this goes to shit.
He sighed. "Fine. I consent, as long as this is will not cause any damage to my life or limbs."
He stood, shook her pulled out hand, then watched as Qrow sat down in his chair, eyes slitted and staring.
…
…
What?
Qrow Branwen stood again, and slowly moved his hand towards… himself.
His voice rolled ominously, coarsely promising a bad outcome if it wasn't answered. "Explain this."
"Mrs Woods. You haven't used your semblance. Do you care to explain wh-"
Qrow turned to watch Ozpin as he spoke.
"Ozpin. She did use it. Get her to stop it."
His eyes raised in confusion as he turned to talk to him. Qrow noticed Port seeming perplexed, and Glynda was trying to subtly raise her crop in a threatening manner.
Now is NOT the time to be that bellicose, Glynda.
"Glynda. Don't do it. Just… ask her to stop her Semblance."
The woman looked towards the man speaking. "Stop… what, exactly?"
Blair looked around in confusion from where she sat by Branwen.
Yes. What's wrong? I did what was asked of me. Also… Semblance? Can you change your appearance, Paige?
Paige winced. The crop was definitely raised with ill intent, and she knew that this was stretching it.
Strange. Is Atlas's levels of unshaken-ness not a consistent theme across everyone?
Blair started, and stared at Paige's memories. Wh….I…. Is he hurt? Am I hurting him, Paige?
… He's not going to be hurt, Blair.
I'm not going to let that happen.
….
Qrow blinked. He watched Ozpin stand to his right, and Port glancing over at him. I… am not going to be drinking tonight. He had no desire to ever drink himself out into an out-of-body experience, because that…
"That could've made me go fucking insane. That's your semblance? What's the nightmare fuel from, then?"
… Huh. I don't sound as hoarse now.
Ozpin was, to say the very least, interested. "So.. You hid your real ability from us? How, if I may, did you manage that? Also, Qrow. Do you care to describe your experience?"
"I was in her head."
Paige grimaced. Oh. Hell. I was only trying to share sight. Blair. Did he see you?
No.
"How did you hide this ability, Mrs Woods? We clearly saw your ability a few days ago."
….
Blair. This is your turf. Want to talk?
Blair smiled widely. It was… unnerving to feel such a change, and it seemed like she was struggling to move her face properly.
"Blough."
Blair tried to push her face into a cute smile, and started some stretching to make the right shape.
"Eeeeeeeeeeehgh…."
Blair bashed her head onto the floor to reset, and came up bearing a cheerful grin.
"I can share what I have experienced with others. I shared my eyes with Uncle Brand-" NOPE. That's too far.
Paige's face fell to a determined stone impenetrability.
"I gave my eyes to Qrow Branwen."
…
…
… Silence should have followed such an incredible statement.
Port denied her this shocked silence, and instead went over to his desk. "This is perfect! An incredible talent that will be very helpful in today's lesson."
Paige saw him remove the pile he'd been using yesterday, and noted his secretive replacing with a separate pile of notes from a well oiled drawer.
She didn't comment.
"So, you can -please be aware this is a generalization, ignoring whatever you specifically think- …make illusions." Ozpin said clearly to the room.
Yes. Blair could make visual illusions.
Or auditory hallucinations.
Or textures.
Or phantom pain…
"It's somewhat more expansive, but it's like that." she clarified.
Ozpin was quiet.
"This then calls into question where you experienced meeting the individual you appeared as previously."
Paige furrowed her brows, and slowly shrugged with annoyed intent.
Knowing where she had been wasn't the important part. But, if she knew where they were currently, she wouldn't be here.
But, despite this uncomfortable prying, she should try to remain civil. "Somewhere up north, by the ocean."
…not far away from a rock standing in the ocean, fully surrounded by water. You could watch the sun rise and set.
Ozpin prepared to reply, but was interrupted.
"If you all wouldn't mind, could this discussion be done at a later point, preferably not in my classroom?" Port declared without looking from his pile, and gestured his new associate lecturer to come over.
"I'm perfectly fine with not encroaching on your work, Peter. We'll leave you both to your preparation for today's class."
"Thank you."
The three left the room, and Paige chose to ignore the woman staying in the room, watching the professor.
Paige instead read through the notes of today's lesson.
PAAAAAIGE. Please TALK TO HER. I want to ask you to feel some fluffy fur! I am an animal deprived maiden!
No.
Curse you. I shall have my revengeance!
Not a word.
She fell into her old habits, and began to read:
"Chill. A rarely discussed Grimm with few recorded instances of the entity, with the one consistency that is capable of possessing creatures.
It is noted as a black liquid, or shadow, being reminiscent of both Geist, and the black material Grimm are made of.
Signs of possession are often bone white hair and skin, a widely accepted sign of the unverified Grimm.
Other versions of the creature gives no outside signs of possession."
Paige noted a set of scrawled words in the margins of the text. The clearest one had a single underline:
"How to demonstrate?"
...
Ah.
...Time to be another guinea pig again.