A Heart of Ice and Coffee [RWBY/SI]
- Thread starter shadenight123
- Start date
It's not explicitly stated, but I assumed he died. If he hadn't died he would have likely been with Glynda or heading some of the huntsmen in some way. Then again, maybe he was at the prison and managed to escape with Winter and Ironwood.
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three
- Location
- https://discord.gg/z9tBvbh
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three
Atlas awoke to a new day, and to a new purpose.
Salem was coming following a route that could be tracked; she must have known that appearing in the middle of Atlas randomly would elicit suspicion. This worked in my favor. I knew when she would arrive, and if anything, she might suspect that I knew and would prepare accordingly to welcome her.
I would welcome her, of course. Time. I needed time. I needed all of the time in the world.
But I had to ensure team RWBY wouldn't interfere. Yet, rather than gather all four huntresses, I would go one at the time, and the first one had to be Blake, because she was the one that knew the most.
"She's coming here!?" Blake was the one who broke the silence of my explanation first. "And you're letting her!?"
"Yes," I acquiesced. "She is travelling by normal means, and shall arrive in two days. I have already prepared a welcome committee with the most lavish of gifts," I muttered. "I have no doubt that she may wish to influence me into changing some of Atlas' rules, or foreign policy. I will allow it, of course. I am merely forewarning you so that once you are in Mistral, you may not think she has me under her spell."
"But she will have, for all intents and purposes," Blake retorted.
"Yes, but I need months still, Blake. I need months to finalize the construction of the rocket, and though I won't be able to test it, that is the earliest I can attempt the removal of one of the relics. This isn't to say that it all hinges on only that. It is true that Djinn said that I could solve all of my problems that way, but the key concept is that Ozma asked for ways to defeat her-" I took a small breath, "Not ways to permanently imprison her. She can be stabbed, for example. She can be cut and probably burned. If she were pierced by a harpoon, for example, I reckon she might end up pinned against the ground. She also has Grimm within her; the failed mutagen has been further refined and perhaps may actually work in poisoning her, or cleansing her."
Blake's eyes half-narrowed, "And you're going to attempt all that while she's here?"
"Never play the game the enemy wishes, always play yours," I retorted. "I've passed some pretty unpopular laws recently. People will hate me. People will attempt to kill me." I smiled. "Those people will, coincidentally, use determined weapons and tactics."
"She might suspect you're up to something," Blake replied.
"No, she won't," I shook my head. "I'll be head over heels in love with her, fearful of losing her tender feelings," I cooed out, "and also, I find it surprising how the Grimm attack around Mistral have considerably dropped down." I chuckled. "I think she's planning on sparking another great war, using Mistral's reluctance to follow Atlas to bring Vacuo into the mix."
"And will that happen?" Blake asked. "What if she does get you to attack?"
"Oh, I have no doubt she will," I answered. "Which is why I have already proceeded to secretly undermine Mistral's government. By the time I declare war, Mistral will fall already. Vacuo may attempt to attack, but I will have messengers deliver a message for me to their leadership. Or, more likely, to the Shade academy's leader." I smiled. "Only the huntsman hold any sort of power in Vacuo, and they will most likely not declare war after receiving the message. I'll do all the nice ramping up for war thing, prepare the troops and whatnot-all the time I can get, I will."
"And what if it's not enough. What if she's coming just so she can do a repeat of Vale?" Blake asked.
"Then Atlas will fall," I said quietly. "But mankind will not. The industries I have built and separated across Remnant are in full frenzy. The wastelands of Vacuo are now rich with automated workers. Every day that goes by, my children multiply. The singularity of steel and technology is close, Blake. Only a few more days, a week at most, and it won't matter how many people or kingdoms fall, mankind will survive. I may not be around to see it, but Salem isn't a fool. She will change her tactics. She already has." I grinned. "So I will welcome her like the person I love the most, and fatten her with the honey of my words. She won't notice what is going on, because she still thinks that I believe that safety lies in big walls and concentrated industries."
I chuckled. "I have already begun planning vaults across the landscape of Atlas, and in the depths of Menagerie and Mistral." I drummed my fingers on the surface of my desk. "But that is why I need you and the rest of team RWBY away. You know too much. I can be afraid of her, but you shouldn't. And if she can sense your fear-she is wise enough to understand what is going on."
Blake took a deep breath. "This feeling of powerlessness-" she looked down at her hands, "I got into the White Fang to fight it off," she remarked. "And now-now I realize it wouldn't matter what mask I picked, I'd still be unable to do anything."
"Well, if I were to ask you to dig a mountain with your nails, I guess it would be the same," I mused. "But that's why I don't want you to do that. I want you to go gather the tools needed for me to dig a mountain. I want you in Mistral, helping the people like the huntsmen from Vale that I will send together with you. Now that I've publicly declared Watts and Tyrian enemies of mankind, she may decide to leave them. She may dangle them as bait for me to pick. They won't appear in Atlas, and since I think her purpose is for me to start a violent war..."
"She could have them show up in Vacuo," Blake muttered, "Not necessarily Mistral. Or even in Menagerie-"
"Wherever she chooses, I will be ready. I'll be having talks with Miss Khan later in the day," I added. "I'm also planning on explaining things to Weiss, Ruby and Yang."
Blake winced. "Ruby's...she's still not over what happened in Vale."
"Then it's better to deal with her first," I mused. "There is something she is uniquely suited to doing, after all, and if she doesn't-well, it's important she does." I rubbed the ridge of my nose. "I also have to talk with the Winter maiden and convince her to give me the Staff of Creation. Hopefully it's as powerful as the name implies. If I can just create a rocket-" I chuckled. "Oh, the fun I would have with it." I smiled wistfully at the thought.
"And have you thought about what will happen afterwards?" Blake asked.
"You mean after Salem's defeat? Well, I'm thinking on putting up a democratic parliament and letting people vote for their representatives. Then, I'll get back to my beautiful island surrounded by my loving daughters and enjoy life as the rich magnate that I am," I chuckled. "I'll wake up at three in the afternoon, enjoy a bath of coffee as breakfast-the usual things the rich and lazy love."
My eyes glazed over. My fingers clasped together. "I'll get a dozen of dogs, and cats, and just hang around the day playing the latest games, reading the latest books, enjoying the best years of my life-" I sighed. "And if mankind will ever need me again, I'll leave it all up to my children. I'm no longer taking it personally after this. I feel like I've aged a hundred years in just twenty, and it doesn't help that I'm even older than what I appear to be."
I realized I had closed my eyes lost in thought.
I opened them when I realized Blake was chuckling. "What is it?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"It just...sounds so silly," Blake answered. "How you go from one thing to another-like...it's like a roller-coaster."
"Oh? Well, Miss Belladonna," I remarked nonchalantly, "Some people like roller-coasters, and some people don't," I winked at her. "When everything is over, I may end up falling head over heels for someone else, this time truthfully." I stretched, "But until then-I must put on my best poker face."
Blake nodded, a hint of an amused smile on her face.
"I've never been on one," she said nonchalantly. "Perhaps you should have one built?"
I blinked.
My eyes widened.
"Blake," I mouthed. "You're a genius."
It was such a brilliant idea...
...Steno, I require a Big Whoop Rollercoaster built, for the glory of Mankind!
Atlas awoke to a new day, and to a new purpose.
Salem was coming following a route that could be tracked; she must have known that appearing in the middle of Atlas randomly would elicit suspicion. This worked in my favor. I knew when she would arrive, and if anything, she might suspect that I knew and would prepare accordingly to welcome her.
I would welcome her, of course. Time. I needed time. I needed all of the time in the world.
But I had to ensure team RWBY wouldn't interfere. Yet, rather than gather all four huntresses, I would go one at the time, and the first one had to be Blake, because she was the one that knew the most.
"She's coming here!?" Blake was the one who broke the silence of my explanation first. "And you're letting her!?"
"Yes," I acquiesced. "She is travelling by normal means, and shall arrive in two days. I have already prepared a welcome committee with the most lavish of gifts," I muttered. "I have no doubt that she may wish to influence me into changing some of Atlas' rules, or foreign policy. I will allow it, of course. I am merely forewarning you so that once you are in Mistral, you may not think she has me under her spell."
"But she will have, for all intents and purposes," Blake retorted.
"Yes, but I need months still, Blake. I need months to finalize the construction of the rocket, and though I won't be able to test it, that is the earliest I can attempt the removal of one of the relics. This isn't to say that it all hinges on only that. It is true that Djinn said that I could solve all of my problems that way, but the key concept is that Ozma asked for ways to defeat her-" I took a small breath, "Not ways to permanently imprison her. She can be stabbed, for example. She can be cut and probably burned. If she were pierced by a harpoon, for example, I reckon she might end up pinned against the ground. She also has Grimm within her; the failed mutagen has been further refined and perhaps may actually work in poisoning her, or cleansing her."
Blake's eyes half-narrowed, "And you're going to attempt all that while she's here?"
"Never play the game the enemy wishes, always play yours," I retorted. "I've passed some pretty unpopular laws recently. People will hate me. People will attempt to kill me." I smiled. "Those people will, coincidentally, use determined weapons and tactics."
"She might suspect you're up to something," Blake replied.
"No, she won't," I shook my head. "I'll be head over heels in love with her, fearful of losing her tender feelings," I cooed out, "and also, I find it surprising how the Grimm attack around Mistral have considerably dropped down." I chuckled. "I think she's planning on sparking another great war, using Mistral's reluctance to follow Atlas to bring Vacuo into the mix."
"And will that happen?" Blake asked. "What if she does get you to attack?"
"Oh, I have no doubt she will," I answered. "Which is why I have already proceeded to secretly undermine Mistral's government. By the time I declare war, Mistral will fall already. Vacuo may attempt to attack, but I will have messengers deliver a message for me to their leadership. Or, more likely, to the Shade academy's leader." I smiled. "Only the huntsman hold any sort of power in Vacuo, and they will most likely not declare war after receiving the message. I'll do all the nice ramping up for war thing, prepare the troops and whatnot-all the time I can get, I will."
"And what if it's not enough. What if she's coming just so she can do a repeat of Vale?" Blake asked.
"Then Atlas will fall," I said quietly. "But mankind will not. The industries I have built and separated across Remnant are in full frenzy. The wastelands of Vacuo are now rich with automated workers. Every day that goes by, my children multiply. The singularity of steel and technology is close, Blake. Only a few more days, a week at most, and it won't matter how many people or kingdoms fall, mankind will survive. I may not be around to see it, but Salem isn't a fool. She will change her tactics. She already has." I grinned. "So I will welcome her like the person I love the most, and fatten her with the honey of my words. She won't notice what is going on, because she still thinks that I believe that safety lies in big walls and concentrated industries."
I chuckled. "I have already begun planning vaults across the landscape of Atlas, and in the depths of Menagerie and Mistral." I drummed my fingers on the surface of my desk. "But that is why I need you and the rest of team RWBY away. You know too much. I can be afraid of her, but you shouldn't. And if she can sense your fear-she is wise enough to understand what is going on."
Blake took a deep breath. "This feeling of powerlessness-" she looked down at her hands, "I got into the White Fang to fight it off," she remarked. "And now-now I realize it wouldn't matter what mask I picked, I'd still be unable to do anything."
"Well, if I were to ask you to dig a mountain with your nails, I guess it would be the same," I mused. "But that's why I don't want you to do that. I want you to go gather the tools needed for me to dig a mountain. I want you in Mistral, helping the people like the huntsmen from Vale that I will send together with you. Now that I've publicly declared Watts and Tyrian enemies of mankind, she may decide to leave them. She may dangle them as bait for me to pick. They won't appear in Atlas, and since I think her purpose is for me to start a violent war..."
"She could have them show up in Vacuo," Blake muttered, "Not necessarily Mistral. Or even in Menagerie-"
"Wherever she chooses, I will be ready. I'll be having talks with Miss Khan later in the day," I added. "I'm also planning on explaining things to Weiss, Ruby and Yang."
Blake winced. "Ruby's...she's still not over what happened in Vale."
"Then it's better to deal with her first," I mused. "There is something she is uniquely suited to doing, after all, and if she doesn't-well, it's important she does." I rubbed the ridge of my nose. "I also have to talk with the Winter maiden and convince her to give me the Staff of Creation. Hopefully it's as powerful as the name implies. If I can just create a rocket-" I chuckled. "Oh, the fun I would have with it." I smiled wistfully at the thought.
"And have you thought about what will happen afterwards?" Blake asked.
"You mean after Salem's defeat? Well, I'm thinking on putting up a democratic parliament and letting people vote for their representatives. Then, I'll get back to my beautiful island surrounded by my loving daughters and enjoy life as the rich magnate that I am," I chuckled. "I'll wake up at three in the afternoon, enjoy a bath of coffee as breakfast-the usual things the rich and lazy love."
My eyes glazed over. My fingers clasped together. "I'll get a dozen of dogs, and cats, and just hang around the day playing the latest games, reading the latest books, enjoying the best years of my life-" I sighed. "And if mankind will ever need me again, I'll leave it all up to my children. I'm no longer taking it personally after this. I feel like I've aged a hundred years in just twenty, and it doesn't help that I'm even older than what I appear to be."
I realized I had closed my eyes lost in thought.
I opened them when I realized Blake was chuckling. "What is it?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"It just...sounds so silly," Blake answered. "How you go from one thing to another-like...it's like a roller-coaster."
"Oh? Well, Miss Belladonna," I remarked nonchalantly, "Some people like roller-coasters, and some people don't," I winked at her. "When everything is over, I may end up falling head over heels for someone else, this time truthfully." I stretched, "But until then-I must put on my best poker face."
Blake nodded, a hint of an amused smile on her face.
"I've never been on one," she said nonchalantly. "Perhaps you should have one built?"
I blinked.
My eyes widened.
"Blake," I mouthed. "You're a genius."
It was such a brilliant idea...
...Steno, I require a Big Whoop Rollercoaster built, for the glory of Mankind!
- Location
- United Kingdom
Wren no. No slingshotting Salem via rollercoaster railguns. Bad Wren!
- Location
- france
He could be.
Why using a rocket when an electromagnetic catapult would work?
Shape of Fire
Burns
Someone post trebuchet memes.
Baladar
Mad Scientist in Training
- Location
- Louisiana
It worked on Kars. So why not use it on another god like being?
All of Wren's daughters getting toegther to build their GLORIOUS EMP... I mean father a rollercaoster.
And Blake is just adorable wanting a rollercoaster ride.
As for the future, looks like he's positive he'll even be alive to enjoy and not, you know, dead?
Only when the Relics are brought together. Otherwise, they stay the fuck away.
Dragonskyt
Ashen one, hearest thou my voice, still?
- Location
- Kiln of the First Flame
If anything, Shade might just reveal who he is to them and ask them to bring whoever is responsible for his presence in RWBY forward.
I've never seen a R.O.B. brought to justice before.
Fragnostic
Cheshire
- Location
- Neko City
If I was a faunus, I'd be proud to NOT be a human. Humans are quite flawed. I should know, being one.
Then again, faunus are just humans with animal traits... Seriously, it's a paradise with animal-girls, stupid Remnans!
The pedophile Oz is probably inside Oscar Pine now.
Faunus harem confirmed! <3
Those fuckers are probably still watching. Remnant once an experiment of theirs and I don't think they would abandon it lightly. The fact that that the God of Light talked with Ozma AFTER they supposedly left is telling, so is the re-emergence of humanity and appearance of faunuskind...
And the fact that magic still works is telling that the God of Darkness is still around...
Yeah, fuckers be scheming hard.
GiftOfLove
From the Heart
I want to get off Mr. Wren's Wild Ride.
- Location
- Asia
Not a bad idea actually. Get Salem comfortable and used to rollercoasters. Create a ride with a bullet like shape. Have the whole ride be famous and tested with many people, but there's some dark underground parts where the track can be switched to an underground railway of a mass driver that opens up far away. Ride with her and get off in the dark after the ride enters the switched railway. Attach auxiliary boosters and shit to the ride then launch that bullet shaped ride out with the mass driver railgun style and engage boosters at the optimal timing to ensure ride escapes the planet's gravity. Fuckin safer than the rocket launch since that thing takes longer to get off the ground and might give Salem an opportunity to escape.
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- Location
- U.s.a.
Well, maybe you say that because you're not faunus? Because faunus themselves even waged war to be recognized as humans...
Fragnostic
Cheshire
- Location
- Neko City
No, they fought because they wanted equality. They wanted to have the same basic rights a human has.
But, sadly, they are a minority. And we see from our own world how minorities are treated, even today.
What I don't understand is, why with the Grimm being a common enemy, did they not see faunus as natural allies?
As for not being a faunus, yeah, I'm not one.
Though considering the advantages Faunus have, it's a shame.
Seriously, we as humans are on top of our food chain because we are inventive and use tools. Imagine that creativity along with superior senses?
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- Location
- U.s.a.
Yes, also called Human Rights, the rights of a human being. The recognition of being one and therefore entitlement to those selfsame rights.
Fragnostic
Cheshire
- Location
- Neko City
They're called human rights and we didn't even offer them to all of our own kind in the first place.
In some places, we still don't...
It's simply that it's what we know it as, that I called it that.
Should have said Universal Sophont Rights.
The problem wasn't not being called human, it was being called an animal.
And subsequently being treated like one. (See S06E03, Ozma's first reincarnation)
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Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four
- Location
- https://discord.gg/z9tBvbh
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four
People needed bread and circus. I had given them all the bread in the world, so it was high time I got them a circus too. I was heavily militarizing Atlas even beyond the kens of the past government. There weren't mere Paladins guarding the streets. No, there were Praetorians. It was the new classification for the latest children, born from the depths of Atlas' forerunner's industry in weaponized murdering. They didn't stand taller than the Paladins, but they were indeed forged of tougher alloys.
Their bodies were covered in a light haze, the heat dispersed from their processors and the venting creating some kind of light fog that left them like two glowing sets of blazing blue eyes in the mists.
They weren't there to scare the people, and for the most part, they didn't even move.
But they were there. Protecting mankind whether it wanted it or not.
The streets of Atlas had been freshly cleaned. I had given the order to hang bright pink and gold festive balloons and spools of cloth to make the air a bit more festive. It would be a joyous occasion after all; there would be an amusement park who'd be built, and people from all over Remnant would come witness it. First of them all would be a roller-coaster ride to die for.
Well, not really. Not for everyone. Only for just one special person.
In the meantime, though, I had a meeting with a certain Gerda, Winter Maiden.
"I'd like you to open the door to the relic of Creation," I said, "I think it's high time we used it, whatever its use is."
The woman had her blond hair in a braid running to a halt just slightly past her shoulder. Her eyes looked at mine with a mixture of cool indifference, and silent judgment. She wasn't one for many words, apparently, and she did enjoy the cold because the moment she stepped inside my office, the temperature dropped a good dozen degrees.
Perhaps the cold never bothered her anyway.
Or maybe she just didn't want to sweat while wearing the thick polar bear cloak she had on. Why bother removing it, when you could just lower the temperature around you?
"What does Ozpin say about this?" she asked instead.
"He's still not come around," I pointed out. "He might be dead, might be in the process of dying, or might just not be around to begin with," I shrugged. "Doesn't really matter though. I know the door's below the huntsman academy in Atlas, so we'll just head there and you'll open it."
Gerda's expression shifted ever so imperceptibly. "And what makes you think I obey you?"
I raised an eyebrow. "I am trying to save mankind, Miss Gerda. Now, I have politely asked for your help. Why wouldn't you give it?"
Gerda's arms crossed in front of her, "Because I see no desire to aid mankind, but merely yourself," she answered with natural ease.
"My most selfish desire is to see mankind freed from the demons that attempt to devour it," I pointed out. "Perhaps the path I chose is not the best lit, but it has been working for the time being," I acquiesced. "What proof of character would you even accept as truthful, anyway?"
"Ozpin might have vouched for you to guarantee my safety," Gerda answered, "But I will not deliver the staff of Creation in the hands of anyone that isn't pure of heart. The dangers would be too great otherwise."
I rolled my eyes. "Perhaps I have no need for it to begin with," I pointed out. "What does it do anyway? Let's start by that. It creates stuff? How? What is the price to be paid?"
"At its simplest, the staff creates water," Gerda said. "At its most complex, it creates a jet of water."
I blinked. "You're bullshitting me."
Gerda bristled, and shook her head. "It does that." She remained quiet.
"The water is special then," I pointed out. "It does something, doesn't it?" I turned thoughtful. "What does it do?"
Gerda didn't answer. I looked straight at her, and then past her. "Oh," I mouthed. "I got it," I snapped my fingers, "It's the Staff of Creation, it creates water. The water of Creation, the water of life-a Panacea for illnesses, I guess!" I clapped my hands together. "And-and since it's a powerful tool forged by the Gods, I suppose that if a corpse were thrown inside the water, it would return to life? The waters of the Styx! Yes! Yes it makes sense!"
Gerda's eyes widened, "I-How."
"All this world is but a collection of fairy tales, stories and myths," I snickered as I said that, "Keep your staff, I actually have no use for it then! I mean, no! Wait a moment, there must be a limit to the number of people it can resurrect. It would be too powerful otherwise. Also the healing-it has to have limits, I would reckon."
Gerda was actually too surprised to keep playing the silent game. "It cannot bring back those who died of old age. It cannot bring back those that died and whose body's remains are but fragments. It can only bring back one person every hundred years-but the waters will heal all manners of wounds and sicknesses...provided they are drank while the staff is touching the pool of water they spring from. Bottling it has no effect. Creating water and splashing it on someone, instead...will work."
"Nice, interesting, but it doesn't really help me," I grumbled. "I don't need the fancy staff. If it had been some kind of equivalent exchange thing that could create stuff from basic materials, it would have been better," I sighed. "But then again, it's fine. You can go. Actually, you should return to whatever hiding hole you had before James came to get you. Just, you know, stay as hidden as possible and try to keep the lowest of profiles."
"Is...is that so?" Gerda muttered, furrowing her eyebrows. "You-just like that?"
"I have no need for you. I actually don't want you to fall into the wrong hands. So, go, unless you wish to stay that is, in that case I'm sure I can have some place prepared. You could enjoy a bit of the city life. There are cookies, hot drinks, cold drinks, cinemas-" as I began to list the amount of stuff that Atlas offered, the Winter Maiden seemed to be uncertain on her feet.
"I'll also have a bank account set up and money brought to it, I'm relatively sure that as a maiden you've spent most of your life on the run and things might not have always been peachy, but anyway, once I get you all sorted out, you'll be free to live your life and, extra bonus," I grinned, "You might even see that I'm not all that bad of a man." I winked at her. "Though I'm not going to be dancing around a broken mirror with you to spell eternity, I'm afraid. And the roses aren't going to tell you where to find me once this is all over."
Gerda actually took a step back, as if physically struck. I raised an eyebrow at that.
Roses hid underground, and spoke of how the beloved wasn't amidst the dead.
Oh.
Wait a moment.
Are you shitting me-
"Did you know a huntress by the name of Summer Rose?" I asked, wariness starting to rise up.
Gerda, true to her previous flinching, actually paled a bit more.
It's all in their stories, Shade...
...so why haven't you been paying attention until now?
People needed bread and circus. I had given them all the bread in the world, so it was high time I got them a circus too. I was heavily militarizing Atlas even beyond the kens of the past government. There weren't mere Paladins guarding the streets. No, there were Praetorians. It was the new classification for the latest children, born from the depths of Atlas' forerunner's industry in weaponized murdering. They didn't stand taller than the Paladins, but they were indeed forged of tougher alloys.
Their bodies were covered in a light haze, the heat dispersed from their processors and the venting creating some kind of light fog that left them like two glowing sets of blazing blue eyes in the mists.
They weren't there to scare the people, and for the most part, they didn't even move.
But they were there. Protecting mankind whether it wanted it or not.
The streets of Atlas had been freshly cleaned. I had given the order to hang bright pink and gold festive balloons and spools of cloth to make the air a bit more festive. It would be a joyous occasion after all; there would be an amusement park who'd be built, and people from all over Remnant would come witness it. First of them all would be a roller-coaster ride to die for.
Well, not really. Not for everyone. Only for just one special person.
In the meantime, though, I had a meeting with a certain Gerda, Winter Maiden.
"I'd like you to open the door to the relic of Creation," I said, "I think it's high time we used it, whatever its use is."
The woman had her blond hair in a braid running to a halt just slightly past her shoulder. Her eyes looked at mine with a mixture of cool indifference, and silent judgment. She wasn't one for many words, apparently, and she did enjoy the cold because the moment she stepped inside my office, the temperature dropped a good dozen degrees.
Perhaps the cold never bothered her anyway.
Or maybe she just didn't want to sweat while wearing the thick polar bear cloak she had on. Why bother removing it, when you could just lower the temperature around you?
"What does Ozpin say about this?" she asked instead.
"He's still not come around," I pointed out. "He might be dead, might be in the process of dying, or might just not be around to begin with," I shrugged. "Doesn't really matter though. I know the door's below the huntsman academy in Atlas, so we'll just head there and you'll open it."
Gerda's expression shifted ever so imperceptibly. "And what makes you think I obey you?"
I raised an eyebrow. "I am trying to save mankind, Miss Gerda. Now, I have politely asked for your help. Why wouldn't you give it?"
Gerda's arms crossed in front of her, "Because I see no desire to aid mankind, but merely yourself," she answered with natural ease.
"My most selfish desire is to see mankind freed from the demons that attempt to devour it," I pointed out. "Perhaps the path I chose is not the best lit, but it has been working for the time being," I acquiesced. "What proof of character would you even accept as truthful, anyway?"
"Ozpin might have vouched for you to guarantee my safety," Gerda answered, "But I will not deliver the staff of Creation in the hands of anyone that isn't pure of heart. The dangers would be too great otherwise."
I rolled my eyes. "Perhaps I have no need for it to begin with," I pointed out. "What does it do anyway? Let's start by that. It creates stuff? How? What is the price to be paid?"
"At its simplest, the staff creates water," Gerda said. "At its most complex, it creates a jet of water."
I blinked. "You're bullshitting me."
Gerda bristled, and shook her head. "It does that." She remained quiet.
"The water is special then," I pointed out. "It does something, doesn't it?" I turned thoughtful. "What does it do?"
Gerda didn't answer. I looked straight at her, and then past her. "Oh," I mouthed. "I got it," I snapped my fingers, "It's the Staff of Creation, it creates water. The water of Creation, the water of life-a Panacea for illnesses, I guess!" I clapped my hands together. "And-and since it's a powerful tool forged by the Gods, I suppose that if a corpse were thrown inside the water, it would return to life? The waters of the Styx! Yes! Yes it makes sense!"
Gerda's eyes widened, "I-How."
"All this world is but a collection of fairy tales, stories and myths," I snickered as I said that, "Keep your staff, I actually have no use for it then! I mean, no! Wait a moment, there must be a limit to the number of people it can resurrect. It would be too powerful otherwise. Also the healing-it has to have limits, I would reckon."
Gerda was actually too surprised to keep playing the silent game. "It cannot bring back those who died of old age. It cannot bring back those that died and whose body's remains are but fragments. It can only bring back one person every hundred years-but the waters will heal all manners of wounds and sicknesses...provided they are drank while the staff is touching the pool of water they spring from. Bottling it has no effect. Creating water and splashing it on someone, instead...will work."
"Nice, interesting, but it doesn't really help me," I grumbled. "I don't need the fancy staff. If it had been some kind of equivalent exchange thing that could create stuff from basic materials, it would have been better," I sighed. "But then again, it's fine. You can go. Actually, you should return to whatever hiding hole you had before James came to get you. Just, you know, stay as hidden as possible and try to keep the lowest of profiles."
"Is...is that so?" Gerda muttered, furrowing her eyebrows. "You-just like that?"
"I have no need for you. I actually don't want you to fall into the wrong hands. So, go, unless you wish to stay that is, in that case I'm sure I can have some place prepared. You could enjoy a bit of the city life. There are cookies, hot drinks, cold drinks, cinemas-" as I began to list the amount of stuff that Atlas offered, the Winter Maiden seemed to be uncertain on her feet.
"I'll also have a bank account set up and money brought to it, I'm relatively sure that as a maiden you've spent most of your life on the run and things might not have always been peachy, but anyway, once I get you all sorted out, you'll be free to live your life and, extra bonus," I grinned, "You might even see that I'm not all that bad of a man." I winked at her. "Though I'm not going to be dancing around a broken mirror with you to spell eternity, I'm afraid. And the roses aren't going to tell you where to find me once this is all over."
Gerda actually took a step back, as if physically struck. I raised an eyebrow at that.
Roses hid underground, and spoke of how the beloved wasn't amidst the dead.
Oh.
Wait a moment.
Are you shitting me-
"Did you know a huntress by the name of Summer Rose?" I asked, wariness starting to rise up.
Gerda, true to her previous flinching, actually paled a bit more.
It's all in their stories, Shade...
...so why haven't you been paying attention until now?
