Mun saw the new ep, spoilers likely in comments.

[shining_beacon]

...He certainly does like making an entrance. Always has.

Comments

[nailed_it]

That's my uncle!

[Yang, get out, that's not even your line.]

[shining_beacon]

He certainly is. [Rubbing at his temples. Glynda is going to be grumpy for a decade again...]

However, there are certain traits in our loved ones that do not bear emulating, Miss Xiao Long.

[nailed_it]

You've got nothing to worry about there, Professor Ozpin. You know I like to do my own thing.

[Like instigate a fight in a dance club and then blow it up. ...Twice. Or help destroy the cafeteria with an epic food fight. She maaaay have made a huge crater in the middle of town during the breach, but that was totally an accident. ...She did kinda punch some cars around that weren't hers though.

...

Okay, but she's definitely never damaged the courtyard yet, that was her sister.]

[qrunkle]

[ You're doing him proud, kid. ]

[nailed_it]

[Love you Uncle Qroooooow.]

[shining_beacon]

...Somehow that does not soothe my worries.

[AND DON'T YOU ENCOURAGE HER QROW. God Glynda is gonna be the grumpiest for so long now...]

[nailed_it]

[Are we sure Goodwitch wasn't just born grumpy?]

Besides, I've got a tournament to focus on right now. There's no time for anything else.

[Like causing trouble. ...Although she could have an opening in her schedule later, who knows.]

[shining_beacon]

[Hey she can be... very non-grumpy. A cup of tea after a long day and she's much more... agreeable. Except when she has to rebuild the school grounds.]

Yes, focus on the issues at hand, and enjoy the festival. You girls have earned it.

[Please let the tournament drag on forever in that case...]

[nailed_it]

[IF YOU SAY SO, PROFESSOR. She's gonna have to take your word on that.]

Can do! Me and Weiss are gonna kick butt in the Doubles round.

[shining_beacon]

[YOU BETTER TAKE HIS WORD ON THAT. What they do after hours is not for young innocent eyes. Racy games of chess are a thing, right?]

I'm sure you will. Just remember to enjoy yourself. Win or lose, I'm sure you will be competing more in future years, so take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the arena.

[nailed_it]

[OH GROSS, TMI PROFESSOR. TMI. On the upside though, Cinder's probably gonna regret that new contact point.]

You got it! I definitely plan on competing again two years from now.

[Especially because she'll probably get to travel to another kingdom for it. That'll be awesome.]

[qrunkle]

... She started it.

[shining_beacon]

Actually, you did, Qrow. Had you not started the hostilities by beheading a pair of Atlasian Androids, I doubt Winter would have been agitated enough to rise to your taunts.

[qrunkle]

Actually, I only beheaded the one. Just sorta... broke the other one.

[ As if the technicality makes all the difference. ]

C'mon, Ozpin. You really believe that? Girl might be an Ice Queen but she's got a temper that burns like hell.

[shining_beacon]

Perhaps, but was attacking the androids really necessary?

[Have a sigh.]

You do realize the mood having to repair Beacon's grounds puts Glynda in, right?

[Is it any wonder his hair is gray?]

[qrunkle]

'Course not. Felt good, though. Is drinking coffee every waking minute necessary?

[ A beat, as he considers that Ozpin has to deal with Glynda's legendary foul moods almost singlehandedly. Qrow may have seen Fear Itself, but... ]

Y'know what, scratch that question.

Besides, If Jimmy hadn't made the boneheaded move of filling Vale with 'em in the first place it wouldn't even be an issue.

[shining_beacon]

James is doing what he thinks is right. I do not think he has ever faced a foe that a confrontation could not quell. He is a soldier first, and a Huntsman second, I'm afraid.

That said, I do wish he had kept his forces to a minimum. If nothing else, the Mount Glenn breach should prove that the White Fang and their cohorts are not impressed by shows of force.

[He's just going to sigh and take a sip of coffee.]

[qrunkle]

Yeah, right. The day Jimmy [ he's not backing down on that ] actually changes is mind is the day you switch to decaf and I switch to... I don't know. Water?

[ A helpless shrug. His wordplay is hit-or-miss sometimes. ]

He's showing his full hand to a foe that's kept their cards to their chest. It's not gonna work out well.

[shining_beacon]

No, however there might be a trump card that we may have up our sleeves that not even James is aware of, and I believe our enemy may be underestimating.

[Sorry Qrow... but he can't deny just how effective your nieces have been in routinely finding out what the White Fang is up to and doing their damndest to screw over their plans.]

[qrunkle]

[ If they're going to survive as Huntresses they need to deal with the stuff you come against in the field as early as possible. Besides, he knows the kids. He knows they kick ass. ]

If we can convince our enemies to maybe pluck a hair outta Yang's head, I think our troubles will be over pretty quick.

[shining_beacon]

[He leans back in his chair, bringing his mug with him.]

I would prefer that they stay out of this. They are too young to have the weight of the world on their shoulders... but I cannot argue that they have been anything less than willing and more than able.

[qrunkle]

I dunno how much choice we're going to have in the end, Ozpin.

[shining_beacon]

And our inability to exercise choice is a fault they will have to pay for.

[He sighs a bit. He gets kind of tired of sending Hunters off on missions that will likely get them killed...]

[qrunkle]

Then maybe we ought to bring them up to speed before it's too late. Trouble's already here - the least we can do is help them see it before it blindsides them.

[ Maybe that's a hasty suggestion, but those two girls are virtually all the family he has left. If something happens to them... ]

[shining_beacon]

[He threads his fingers together as he sits in his chair, shaking his head.]

I realize you are concerned for them, I would be more upset with you if you weren't. However, if what you say is true, that our enemy is already in Beacon... even if one team begins acting differently, anything that might tip them off that we know anything, they could go to ground.

As much as it pains me... it is for the best that they remain ignorant for now.

[qrunkle]

[ His expression darkens, but not at Ozpin directly. It's just a shitty situation, more than anything because he knows the man is right. If the enemy is here, at Beacon, that doesn't just mean they're all at elevated danger - it also means this might be the best chance to nip this thing in the bud before it gets any further out of hand.

But God, don't let Yang or Ruby pay for it.

He shakes his head a bit as he pulls out his flask - shooting the Headmaster a look as if to say "don't even think about telling me not to" - and pours a gulp of the stuff down his throat. ]

Anything happens to those girls, do yourself a favor.

Stay out of my way.

[shining_beacon]

I know how you feel, Qrow. However, Team RWBY is but four lives, and how many more will be put in danger should our enemy have their way? I have to consider the safety of all of Vale.

[He returns Qrow's look with one of his own determination.]

I have ordered others to do things knowing they would not return alive. It is not something I take joy in, however, if the safety of Vale is put in danger... I will do all that I have to.

[qrunkle]

[ He raises a finger to his lips, as if urging Ozpin to hush. ]

I didn't say I'd come after you. I didn't say I won't understand your choices.

[ That finger trails a lazy arc through the air, before pointing right at the headmaster. ]

All I said was, if that happens, stay out. of. My. Way.

[shining_beacon]

And I'm saying that should that come to pass, and I pray it does not, I will be in your way. If only to keep you from doing something you would regret, or endangering others.

[qrunkle]

You better do a lot more than pray, Ozpin. Fat lot of good that's done anyone.

[shining_beacon]

In times like this, it is unfortunate but having faith in the next generation is all we can do at times. I do not accept just anyone into Beacon, let alone allow a student to skip two years, if I did not see something in them.

Should it come to that, yes, I would send them into a situation that logic dictates would kill them. But I have faith they would walk out of the fight on their own volition, leaving only their broken enemies in their wake.

[crescentxrose]

That's my uncle!

(Ruby doesn't mind if Yang says it one-two threads up; she's her sister too, after all!)

[shining_beacon]

Miss Rose, I realize he taught you how to fight, and you owe him much. However, as leader of team RWBY, you would do better to take more after your father.

[He likes Qrow, really he does but... being caught between the sass singularities that are Qrow and Glynda... is it any wonder he's already got gray hair?]

[crescentxrose]

Hmm?

Of course! Sure my Uncle taught me how to fight and all, but I didn't learn everything from him. And, I-I wouldn't do anything that might damage Beacon...!

(Does he know about the courtyard? Maybe she can say it was Yang; her awesomecool! big sis does have a knack for destroying stuff. Twice. Still, Ruby was instrumental in some stuff that involved a food fight, not!sneaking a Corgi dog through campus and taking part in a major Grimm attack.

Not to mention the 'incident' that caused Beacon to bring her in early; attempted robberies stick with your career, or at least she might've read that somewhere before.)

[shining_beacon]

[There's a bit of a wry smirk.]

I'm sure Professor Goodwitch will be happy to hear that.

[He's on to you, Ruby. And your little dog too.]

[crescentxrose]

Hehehe...that's good to know!

(Zwei's very well trained, and there's a good chance he's not on campus since the tournament's underway.

...Anyway the Corgi's presence can be kept between them?)

[shining_beacon]

Enjoy the festival, Miss Rose. You and your team have certainly earned it.

[Their little secret. Not even Glynda knows there was a dog on campus.]

[wrecktitude]

[ Winter hesitates to even say anything. She doesn't entirely... agree with the trio's propensity to let Qrow get away with every little thing, but they are her superiors whether she likes it or not. And while Ozpin himself holds no rank over her...

General Ironwood considers him an equal, for the most part. It would be in her best interest to treat him as such, as well.

And so, have an elder Schnee stiffly inclining her head forward in what can be considered a gesture of prostration. ]

Headmaster. [ She lifts her head as soon as she's able to, eyes sharp, lips tight. ] I'd like to personally apologize for my part in the destruction of your campus.

[ ...be...latedly......................... ]

[shining_beacon]

When running a school of excitable teenagers with weapons capable of crushing an Ursa's skull in one blow, and putting them in situations that demand the added concentration and reflexes that adrenaline requires, some damage to the grounds is to be expected.

However, if I could make a suggestion, do try to take everything Qrow says with a grain of salt. He thrives on confrontations like that, and engaging him only gives him the victory.

[There's a pause as he takes a sip of coffee.]

Your sister is doing quite well, by the way, both in her school work, training, and taking care of herself.

[wrecktitude]

[ It's been a long time since she'd last been at Beacon, and thus a long time since her last interaction with the man. At the moment, she can't quite remember if every conversation then had always felt like a subtle lecture... but currently she finds herself wishing she were without it.

She's rather tired of feeling like a little girl getting scolded.

Damn that Branwen for bringing out the worst in her, really. ]

I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Headmaster, [ she answers tightly, lips straining over a polite smile in an effort to hold back a few choice words of her own. Mostly how she wonders if he ever once bothered to make suggestions to Qrow about, oh, not being such an infuriating jackass.

Though perhaps not in those particular words...

She softens, however, at the mention of her sister. A tiny crack in the stony exterior of the picture perfect soldier she strives so hard to be. ]

...Thank you. She had mentioned as much, actually. [ Both in person, and in her letters. ] But it is nice to know she hadn't merely said so for my account.

[shining_beacon]

[The lecturing is something that comes with the job. He's been in teacher mode so long he's not sure he could turn it off if he tried. Still, he's not going to lecture Winter all the time. He has to save some for Qrow too.]

She was not initially pleased with my decision to make Ruby Rose the leader of team RWBY, but she quickly adapted to the situation and has really come into her own. She's shown significant growth, and I have high expectations for her.

[wrecktitude]

[ The urge to gloat comes quite easily. Of course she'd be exceptional — she's a Schnee. But it's a phrase Winter miraculously manages to stamp down; it's a different sort of pride she feels at the moment. Not in name, nor in blood, but in heart. That's her sister. ]

Weiss has always managed to overcome anything life throws at her, [ the Elder Schnee notes quietly. ] Whatever the case.

[drunqen]

I'd say she started it, but apparently the other me has that covered.

[shining_beacon]

Well then, I'll refrain from pointing out again that you initiated hostilities by attacking her android escort.

[grimm_masked]

[Sigh.]

That's my brother.

[shining_beacon]

[He had seen what happened on the train, thanks to his mun. He hears her speak, and sees her right before him... yet he cannot believe it yet.]

...Raven. [What does he say to her? A plethora of questions flood his mind but... he realizes answers may not be forthcoming given the unique circumstances of the meeting.]

Yang is doing quite well. You should be proud.