RWBY: What Happens at Beacon, Stays at Beacon [Breezi/Mash]

[Breezi]

Beacon Academy was still standing after the attack several weeks back but what good was it? It could only be called standing because not every building had collapsed. The beacon of hope that Ozpin built now only remained as a ghost town. The world had lost faith in its leaders because of the attack and the way that the situation was framed by the perpetrators of it. Not to mention the deaths of Professor Ozpin, Pyrrha Nikos, and hundreds of people. The Vytal Festival had ended in disaster and tragedy, all because Salem and her agents went under their noses, went under everyone's noses. The only blessing was that young Ruby Rose had found out about her silver eyes, protecting everyone from the Wyvern. And even then, all she had done was petrify the beast, letting it stand there as a monument to their failure. That fierce beast stood over the tower, being its own beacon, attracting Grimm to its location. That'd prove to be stressful for anyone to deal with. That was something that was left to the new Headmistress of Beacon Academy.

There were piles of paper on the desk before her, scattered around as she needed the physical documents. She had no faith in any digital information after what happened during the attack. She needed the records of who was hurt, and where the displaced teams would be going until Beacon was finished with repairs. It was her responsibility to care for the students of Beacon and she'd be doing that to the best of her ability. Whatever that was. She didn't know how to deal with kids, she wasn't the most personable person. She cared about them, however, though her influence was tough on them. Not like James, James was a brick wall with which his students collided. Providing push for their students was key, freedom but also guidance. Oz showed her a belief in a better world, even against a seemingly immortal witch. He reminded everyone that they had a choice and they could make the right one at any time. She, however, was less convinced, though she saw merit in his approach. She thought that she was a perfect balance of the two, giving the children freedom while also pushing back on them. But now she had to bring hope to people in the way that Ozpin did. Her prospects were not optimistic.

Getting said files wasn't easy. She had several close calls with the wandering Grimm, some of them being elder and much more powerful Grimm than those that their students dealt with. And breaking through the ruins of Beacon served as yet another reminder of their failure. How could they have been so blind? It wasn't long before she had found Ozpin's documents, hidden away in one of the lower offices. Ozpin, although he was blindsided by what happened, wasn't a fool and hid his documents in what was dubbed the 'old offices'. Before Beacon was the towering light that shined throughout Vale, it was a rather small campus. It was here that Ozpin kept physical copies of all his data. And once she was done going through them, she would take them back to the Vale Library. It was during this time that she finally had a moment to catch her breath.

Glynda Goodwitch had seen better days. Her hair, at least compared to normal, was unkempt and barely tied back, the curl being half-hearted and drooping into her glasses. Her clothes were in a similar condition, not as professional as they once were, wrinkled and could only loosely be called functional. Her glasses hung off of her nose, threatening to fall at any second. She was running off only hours of sleep as she thought about what she had to do next. She had to contact General Ironwood or Professor Lionheart, or maybe even Theodore, any of her contemporaries and she had to direct them. Would they even listen to her? Could she even get back to them in time? Leo hadn't responded to their messages in months, Ironwood's trust in anyone but himself was likely shattered by what happened and Theodore was likely to try punching his way out of problems instead of talking it out. She sighed and rested her head on the desk, realizing that it would be a long night. She didn't even hear the ruffle of wings as she wrote down more notes.

 

[Khaos]

With the fall of Beacon Academy, everything had, almost, come to an end. It felt as if the world had drastically changed. And changes were never a good thing, at least from his experience. Ozpin was gone, most of the people he had trusted unable to cooperate or way too focused on themselves to hear anyone out. And him, well. Qrow Branwen had been way too busy looking after his nieces. Trying to get Yang's spirits up, a task Taiyang had gladly taken over and was now focusing on. And Ruby...well. Of course the pipsqueak couldn't just have remained in one place, back at home, safe and away from all the danger a huntress' life usually entailed.

He hated to admit it but, sometimes he saw part of him on the youngest of both sisters. Although gladly the oldest hadn't turned out just like her mother, Qrow's own sister. That'd be a pain to deal with, after all. One way or another, the world was now in shambles. All the different countries divided and focused on protecting themselves, without even wanting to think what could be done to recover what was lost. Admittedly though, not even Qrow himself knew what could be done at this point. He'd normally go to Ozpin for some kind of advice. But now, all that was left of him was his cane. His cane and a shallow promise stating he'd come back for it later. Later...heh. When was that supposed to be, anyways? What were they supposed to do meanwhile?

It was the first time in his life the shred of doubt had built up inside of him. He had always trusted Ozpin, remaining by his side, doing everything he asked of him. However, now he had left them. He had left when they most needed him and now, there were only a few huntsmen and huntresses who could help with the overly huge damage Beacon Academy, and the whole city in general, if not the whole world even, had taken. How long would it take for them to go back to normal? Who would actually manage to unite all countries, all of the people who had witnessed the tragedy back at the Vytal Festival, again? The enemy had won. They had infiltrated one of the safest places of the whole country and had managed to spread doubt and fear in the hearts of all the people who were staring at the screen during such outrageous moments.

Was there anything he, or they, or anyone really, could even do now? "Being the Headmistress in his place must be a hard task to bear." Qrow's gloomy comments echoed through the somewhat deserted, and half destroyed, place as he turned into his human form as quickly as he had arrived. Standing now with his back leaning against the wall as he grabbed his flask and took a sip of his most favorite drink: alcohol. It no longer mattered what it was, as long as it had alcohol added to it. The young man turned finally to glance back at Glynda with a sad, and somewhat tired even, smile adorning his lips. His overall appearance as scruffy as usual as some bags could be seen under his eyes too. Seemingly the new Headmistress of Beacon hadn't been the only one who had been working hard lately...or so anyone thought if they stared at the two of them together right then and there.

"He's left us for good this time...heh. It's almost even funny at this point though. Leaving you with all the work." The huntsman commented after a short pause, still holding Ozpin's cane with his right hand as he stared back at Glynda with a sarcastic smile. "You seem tired. Just get some rest. The kids can probably wait for a while longer to resume their classes, right? Bet that's the least of their concerns right now anyways." Qrow finally concluded, pressing the back of his head against the wall as he simply stood still. Waiting for Glynda to say something...or simply using that visit as a break of sorts, so to speak. Although he did care about his old classmate, that much it was clear. It had always been like that, after all...right?

 

[Breezi]

Branwen. Glynda's eyes darted over to Qrow before they narrowed upon him entering. Qrow wasn't an enemy but she'd be hard-pressed to actually call him a close friend. It wasn't that Qrow was a bad guy or anything like that, she'd vouch for his skills and he had been nothing but loyal to Ozpin but it was his attitude. He always had to get the last word in and he was always drunk. How drunk was variable, and he never made it clear how much of it was an act. And his attitude, he was a constant flirt and a smartass, which made him all the more frustrating. He hadn't changed much since his training days. He had been doing this shtick for damn near 20 years at this point and it was starting to grow old. Maybe, it was the seriousness of the situation or maybe she was just pissed off but she wanted to be angry at him.

But she knew better than to try anything. One, Qrow would likely deflect with snarky comments, two, he likely had something to say to her considering her new title and her new position. He was answering to her now, even if it was only temporary.

Even as her eyes looked him over, she tried her best to ignore him. What was he even doing here? Shouldn't he have been looking after his nieces? And yet, she was trapped here with him. The only person she had left was Qrow and she didn't know what she had done in a past life to deserve this fate but it must have been something terrible. With a sigh and clear annoyance, her head rose, revealing more of her disheveled visage. It was almost funny to her, they looked like each other. Bags under their eyes, couldn't be bothered to dress properly. The only difference was that Qrow always looked that way and she wasn't sloshed out of mind. But his words did bring something out of her.

"Oh great, you're here. Gods, what did I do to deserve this? Don't you have your nieces to look after, Qrow?" Glynda muttered. Even to her own ears, her voice was hoarse. The sound was almost foreign to her and her expression softened when she saw how tired he was. No doubt Ruby and Yang were still on his mind, they were on her mind as well. Why didn't Oz tell Rose about her eyes? Calling them special wasn't enough. If she had known they could have had the time, they could have...

Now wasn't the time for 'could have'.

She cleared her throat and adjusted her posture, sitting upright and looking him over. "I'm not going through the files to reenroll our students, Branwen. I'm sure you've noticed but we're in no condition to reopen. Not with that out there." Her head gestured to the frozen Wyvern in the distance. "What I'm doing is making sure our students have their files ready for the transfers we'll have to do for those not willing to wait for the reopening. For all his faults, at least Oz had a plan for that."

 

[Khaos]

Glynda Goodwitch. It was hard to forget her name, no matter how much he drank. How could he forget the first woman he had ever hit on, who had also become the first woman whom had rejected him too? Back at the time, it had been somewhat harsh. Having most of the class burst into laughter at the whole thing and then simply brushing it off as one of his many attempts for a date. Albeit this one had ended in total failure. Well, it was to be expected. Back at the time, there weren't many men who dared to attempt to flirt with such a stern a serious girl, something that hadn't changed even as years passed. If anything, he'd say those two traits had become even more intense now. Especially now she had even more responsibilities to attend to. He could just imagine how she might be now in that regard...even if the situation did call for it. If it was up to him, he'd just tell her to take everything easy. That's what he'd do, or maybe he'd simply drown himself in alcohol. But, of course, neither choice was something the blonde woman would ever even begin to consider.

If anything, she'd simply snap at him for even daring to propose it. Although...it wasn't as if he wasn't used to that already, right? That being said, he should have expected that kind of reaction from her. It wasn't as if it particularly hurt him either, but still...he was just tired. Everyone was.

"You're really beautiful when you're working even harder than usual like this, Glynda." That was Qrow's response to her...could it even be called greeting? Of course also a mocking reference to Glynda's far from usual, overall, appearance. Then again, of course he wasn't one to judge. Yet teasing the overly strict professor was just...one more of his hobbies, or so he guessed. "I appreciate your worries, but the kids are fine. They've grown strong enough to fend for themselves. Probably even stronger than either you or me. Especially the pipsqueak." He still wondered, just like Glynda, why Ruby hadn't been told of her silver eyes. Then again, that was also his fault, wasn't it? And of course, it had ended up being his duty to fill her in, in the end.

He then remained silent, grabbing his flask again and even about to open it...only to stop midway and withdraw it inside of his clothes again. "You mean the giant wyvern-like grimm Ruby managed to defeat? Oh, yes...without her, guess we'd all be dead, wouldn't we? To think a little girl was the key to our...can it even be called victory at this point?" Yes, indeed. Survival was probably a better way of explaining it. Then again, it was still ridiculous. That and...he couldn't stop blaming himself for not having gotten to his nieces any sooner that day. By the time he got to Ruby, all he could do was carrying her unconscious form back to a safe place. That was...all he had done for them during such a crisis. Just...great. Who knew who would have happened if he had been around though, given his semblance? The mere thought of that always brought cold chills running down his spine.

"Well, I'd say they all will be safer anywhere but here. Guess that gives you more time to deal with the invading waves of grimm, doesn't it?" Qrow finally said, his back leaving the wall as he stretched his arms. "And, with that, I can help at least. That if the current Headmistress of Beacon gives me her permission, of course." The dark haired male teased her one more time, a playful, yet somewhat tired, smirk crossing his thin lips, even.

 

[Breezi]

Qrow's demeanor was not all that different from what it usually was, a disarming facade hiding the fact he was effective at what he did. She herself could never pin down how drunk he was, though she knew enough to know that he had at least a buzz most of the time. It was through this that she could tell Qrow was hiding something, putting on yet another facade but she wasn't going to pry for information, not then. That would have to wait until he wanted to, despite being a drunkard, loose-lipped he was not. Only a raised eyebrow gave away her thoughts, alongside a scoff at his flirtations.

After nearly twenty years of it, between him and James, it seemed as though something about her attracted her co-workers. For James, it was no doubt her diligence and her perseverance, all Atlesian virtues. For Qrow, her best guess was that he saw her as unobtainable, the ideal woman, one that resisted all of his advances and would never break. The annoyance of it was only balanced by the fact that Qrow knew where to stop. Small blessings in a world abandoned by the gods, she supposed. Her expression remained unamused as he mentioned the Wyvern.

"They did save so many lives, all of our students did. Everyone there did their part in making sure there were some survivors in Vale. Ruby and Yang might be still alive but I don't think they are handling it all too well. Xiao Long lost an arm and although Ms. Rose stopped the beast, we're not quite sure it's dead. Ozpin always said the strongest Grimm are able to break out of their petrification. And the fact this one hasn't...that troubles me, Qrow." Gylnda's voice was almost a whisper. "We can't be sure that she stopped it for good. Gods, I hope she did but the chances are it's waiting for something. And my bets are on it waiting for her."

She didn't need to clarify, not in this circle.

But then she turned to the last point, knowing that they needed any answer. "I won't say no to help, Bart and Peter have been working damn near to death ever since the attack ended. But I have something to say to you."

She rose to her feet, walking towards the lanky Huntsman, the clattering of her heels echoing throughout the room. Her expression was rather neutral, as neutral as it could be. As much as she hated to admit it, she did have a rather aggressive expression. It had been called 'Resting 'witch Face' before, a joke she was very amused at first hearing from a snickering Qrow about 15 years prior. As she got up into his face, her expression intensified.

"I need a drink."

 

[Khaos]

It was always fun, at least to him. Teasing someone as firm and responsible as either Glynda or Winter were. For some reason, he felt attracted to that type of women. Or, he had at one point, at least. It wasn't as if he could afford to think of such things as love and physical attraction at the moment, either. Even if he did, even if the world wasn't absorbed by the overwhelming chaos ruling everywhere now, he didn't think any relationship he could ever had could just work out. After all, his semblance would, at some point, break everything down. Be it by his partner getting physical hurt, or by simply having the two of them grow apart. One way or another, he had always felt as if he was doomed to be alone. A fate that kept repeating itself over, and over, and over again.

And now, with the fall of Beacon, everything had become just even worse and more difficult. That...in case it was even possible, to begin with. However, Glynda's next words managed to bring him back to reality. Her statements even making him look serious, even if it was just for a second. Only to simply smirk and let out an amused chuckle as soon as she started suggesting the frozen, or rather, petrified beast was waiting for something. "What now? Are you suggesting that giant beast over there is actually choosing to remain like that? I'm fully aware of what most grimm are capable of. But I also have my own share of information regarding my niece's...special abilities. We don't know just how powerful silver eyes might be. So, why don't we just assume Ruby's managed to stop it for good and that's-"

Finally, the blonde woman managed to leave Qrow speechless, at least for once. That was no moment of talking about either Yang's lost arm or Ruby's failure to save one of her beloved classmates. The topic Glynda was trying to bring up was far more serious than that, no matter how much Qrow himself actually cared for both women. Anything that entailed bringing Salem's name, even without directly mentioning her, up to the conversation would warrant a long gulp of whatever booze Qrow could access to, almost immediately. That was no joke. If what Glynda was guessing, if that beast was indeed waiting for its mistress...then that meant Salem's arrival was close. They all knew she'd be coming at some point, however...no one could have predicted she'd come so soon.

Then again, Beacon's fall might have been the beginning...of the end, so to speak. If anything, it didn't bring precisely good news. That much was obvious already. The man's expression didn't soften until Glynda admitted to needing help. In a quite...subtle way, far from direct. Then again, it was just Glynda's style, wasn't it? However, he swallowed a lump down his throat when the woman approached him. Whenever a woman told him they needed to talk or that she needed to tell him something, it had never been good news. Thus the quite startled expression drawing all over his pale face now after hearing Glynda's next and final words. He could have bursted into laughter, he could have mocked her. Yet all he did was smile gently at him, withdraw his flask inside his clothes and simply nod at her words.

He'd have never believed it though if someone had told him he'd be sharing a drink with Glynda Goodwitch at some point. "Do you think there's any bar left in here where we can share a good wine? Or are you more of a beer girl? Then again, it's a surprise you're even considering it, in the first place...that unless you had all of us wrong and were drinking in secret?" He finally teased, walking towards the door and even holding it open for her. Which was, probably...one more way for him to tease, and probably also annoy, the woman in front of him. "Ladies first I guess...right? It's never too late to become a gentleman. Not that it even matters now the world's in shambles, I guess..." He muttered to himself as he then turned to Glynda. Relief and even a faint joy written all over his face after hearing her proposal to share a drink with him, something he hadn't really been expecting, to say the least.

 

[Breezi]

His reaction was quite expected. His expression, his charm, everything about it was just the same as it was when they first met. She would never admit it to his face, at least not before getting utterly plastered. Still, she couldn't deny that Qrow had some charm, even if annoyed her to no end. It wasn't all an act, she knew that much, seeing as he had been doing it for twenty years now, the changes were in what side of his personality shone through. Ending on that note was almost more for his benefit than hers, she had piled on the worst possible information with nothing real to latch onto him. And even if she was being an alcoholic's enabler, she wouldn't have made it much worse. Fifteen years of drinking wouldn't be stopped by her words, not just her words.

Her expression shifted, a small smile curling on her lips before shaking her head. "I can't believe you've forgotten already, Branwen. I'm a wine kind of gal, though there's a bit more to it than that, Qrow. Why don't we stay where we are?" Glynda mentioned, turning around and starting to make her way back to the desk, rolling her eyes before fumbling underneath the desk, it took several attempts before she found what she was looking for. "Ozpin was also a wine man, in the rare times he actually partook in drinking. If you could even pry the hot cocoa out of his hands. I think... it should...be...right here!"

A hatch opened up underneath the floor and a cylinder-shaped container rose out of the center of the room. She walked over to it and pressed a combination on the keypad. In it were several bottles of wine. It was clearly one of Ozpin's wine coolers "If we're going to drink tonight, we're drinking his supply. I know you're usually not a wine person, but Oz only had the good stuff. He wasn't a professional like you but when he drank, he liked drinking the classics. I'm sure he even knew the family that started this brand."

Glynda grabbed one of the bottles, walked over to the table, and placed it down. "I'm guessing this was for staff parties, no wonder he always had more than enough. Or almost enough whenever you were there," She chuckled at him, a tad bittersweet considering the context. "Let's drink. For Oz."

 

[Khaos]

Qrow couldn't help but raise a brow upon hearing the woman's words. It wasn't the part about her being a wine woman what had caught his attention, precisely. That just...kind of suited here. After all, such an elegant woman as herself...well. It was just to be expected. Yet the part about the two of them remaining there, the part where she showed how she exactly knew where the previous headmaster had hidden the scarce liquor he had ever allowed himself to taste...that was indeed quite a surprise. Then again, he would be lying if he admitted he had forgotten about the woman's tastes. He just...didn't want her to think she was still that important to him. Why would he bother in stating it out loud, anyways? Would it change anything? Besides, at that moment, when everything was drowning in chaos, the last thing Glynda needed was to know she was still as important to the dark haired man as she had always been. Far more than the woman in question had ever thought.

"You did grow quite familiar with his office already. Remind me not to underestimate you again, will you?" Qrow simply commented. An amused smirk adorning his thin lips as he found it even somewhat appealing the way Glynda snatched part of the alcohol the previous headmaster of Beacon had always kept hiding. Of course Qrow too knew Ozpin drank from time to time. He just had never bothered to ask that much about it, either. Yet whenever he did, he could smell it in the air. After all, he was an expert when it came to that kind of things...unfortunately. Finally, the small, hidden place for Oz's alcohol supplies appeared. Qrow's own smile growing somewhat bitter upon hearing Glynda's next words. "Bet I'm the reason why he kept it this hidden...even if I don't usually fancy wine. For once though, I'll make an exception. No one would refuse a lady such as yourself treating them to a drink. Even if the alcohol is not preicsely yours."

He then grabbed himself a glass and poured some of the contents on it. Doing the same for Glynda, even if it had seemed as if he'd have her pouring it for him before. When it came to alcohol, he could barely hold himself back. Then again, Glynda had already revealed such a precious secret to him, he had to also contribute a bit...didn't he? "For Oz." Qrow quickly agreed, lifting his glass and gently, and softly, making it collide against Glynda's. "And for the new headmistress of Beacon." He then added, drinking all the contents of the glass from a single gulp. "Bet you've been so busy lately you even forgot to celebrate it. Am I right?" The young man then inquired, pouring himself another glass as he then smiled a bit gently at her. Trying, in his own twisted and awkward way, to cheer her up a bit. Even if he did need that quite a lot as well. Who knew, maybe if Glynda felt better, maybe if he managed to make her feel better, it'd help him feel better too. Just...maybe.

 

[Breezi]

The moment was bittersweet, though she tried focusing on the softer side of things for once in her life. As opposed to Qrow's aggressive gulp she gave it a light sip, though she had to admit his enthusiasm was quite infectious. It brought her back to their younger days, back when he was chasing every girl in Beacon, being nothing but a flirt and troublemaker. But she had been perhaps one of the few people who talked back to him, beyond Summer, maybe. She wasn't the closest with Team STRQ, not until they had all become part of Ozpin's inner circle and even then the relationship was professional but even then there were fond memories of that team. The brooding Branwens, the show-off that was Taiyang, and the glue that kept together, the wide smile and optimism of Summer Rose.

She drank what was left of her wine before filling up her next glass. She wasn't even buzzed yet, though that would likely change if she kept it going at this rate. She'd be like Qrow, though not a constant drunk. Just Qrow for a night. Qrow for a night... That wasn't a very pleasant thought. Though, she was starting to be less angry about Qrow. As much as she hated to admit it, he might have been a good friend. Someone she could trust, even though he was an annoying lecher from time to time. She trusted his abilities at least She thought for a moment before deciding to speak.

"Well, you know how I was back when we were students. When I devoted myself to something, I devoted myself to it fully. Something goes wrong? That's on me. That's why I've been so busy recently. I seem to recall you'd call me leaving my room a blessing every time it happened." Glynda thought for a moment, laughing remembering the situation. "You thought I looked good in the uniform. I can't say you were wrong..."

Qrow made it no secret when he was looking at a woman, though to give him some credit, he kept his comments to himself after the first time that day she expressed her annoyance. Though the next day, he would be right back to talk about her rack. She guessed that he just wasn't able to keep his mouth shut. A tribe of thieves was certainly not the best people to teach him manners.

"That's not an invitation for you to start talking about my looks, Branwen." She said, more amused than actually annoyed, however. "I know how you feel there, you've made that abundantly clear in the past twenty years. I'm just saying, it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm like this. Why do you think Oz chose me to be his second-in-command here? I'm hardworking, I have to be."

 

[Khaos]

Qrow remained silent, on the other hand, just for once. Holding his glass, both arms folded over his chest, as he simply observed Glynda while she swallowed the remaining contents of her glass. He had thought her brief craving for alcohol would be just that. Brief, ephemeral and so short it'd even be hard for him to remember it ever happened. Which explained the dumbfounded expression that appeared all over his face when he saw the woman filling her glass again. "You did need a drink or two tonight, didn't you?" The raven haired male simply commented, chuckling softly at his own words. That amused smirk adorning his thin lips for a brief second before disappearing again as he took another sip at his own wine. Almost finishing all of that dark red substance before he followed after Glynda's movements and repeated them, filling his glass with more wine again. He was so used to that kind of drinks it almost felt as if he had drank a small gulp of water anyways. So, as far as he went, the night had just started.

"Well, yeah...you've always been a stubborn one, I'll give you that." The young man couldn't help but agree with her. Even swinging his glass towards her softly before sipping at it again. "I have to admit it though. This wine's really delicious. Oz should share his drinks more often." Then again, he guessed that could be discussed whenever, or rather, if they met the man again. He tried to be positive about it but...it was really hard. Especially when reality was crumbling away around them in such a cruel and inevitable way. "Of course I did. There was hardly any chance of seeing you at all during the day. That unless we were in class. I even thought once that you had died." He then admitted, laughing at himself upon remembering how worried he had been...and how much Taiyang had teased him for it. After all, everybody had been aware of his crush towards Glynda, no matter how hard he had always tried to pretend he had gotten over it. Those feelings were still lingering, even if they were weaker now. Either that...or he had just matured.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Glynda. I've gotten way over it quite a while ago. I'm an adult now, after all." Qrow simply responded, half teasing even, as he simply tilted his head. Finishing his second round of wine already. "Huh...? Here I thought I was the second in command...guess he always favored more the workaholic types..." He simply provoked her further, laughing somewhat louder now as he simply enjoyed his time with her. Genuinely enjoying himself for the first time in...ten years, at the very least?