บท 8: 8
"Hello, James." Her eyes focused on the screen as her boss greeted her...
Friend, a coworker.
"Ozpin, Glynda." How did he...
Oh, of course, this was James, who she spoke about.
"General." She politely greeted back, her eyes widening a little at the smile he gave her. How rare...
She thought that he had stopped smiling like that a long time ago, and it seemed that even Ozpin noticed it by the grip on his mug.
"James, I read the news." Ozpin began just for James to chuckle.
"As have many people, and yet you don't see them telling you about it."
...
Her grip on her weapon tightened, this...
This wasn't James, she remembered, he never joked like this, he was more like her...
It was one of the reasons she found him attractive, the way they both chose their career and duty before their own pleasure...
That, and her place was in the Beacon as was his in the Atlas, and even with the fast transportation, a relationship on distance with them both being such workaholics couldn't be a healthy one, something they both agreed on.
"...Did something happen, James?" Ozpin asked, his voice even if full of concern, showing warines, and she didn't blame him for James to act so naturally. Something was deeply wrong going on, and it wasn't just changing. A very sudden change is happening in Atlas.
Like the arrest of SDC head Jacques Schnee, Atlas Council member Edward Brown, and most of the board members of SDC, very wealthy and influential people, and many more, it was like the entire Atlas became like a kicked ant hill with how much movement there was...
And yet, it didn't bore any negative feelings from fear of change or uncertainty, not when James spearheaded these movements and changes, showing a strong and protective front to the masses, letting them know there was nothing to fear...
That, and most of those who were arrested, were known to have questionable lifestyles, and with the information released by the Atlas Council, their arrest was supported by the people of both Atlas and Mantle...
And James Ironwood's strong image just helped to show that their government and military were doing their best to protect its people from both Grimms and dangers within...
In truth, after reading, she agreed with the arrests, but she knew she needed to look at it from other perspectives too, and James was one of the members of the circle, he knew too much, and all these changes showed that something happened to him...
Did she get her hands on him?
She was worried if that was the case, Raven had already chosen to run and hide. Did James fall to her's ploys too?
She watched as James flinched and then sighed. He looked so...
So suddenly, he looked so weary...
"No... I apologize for this outburst... I do understand that you have your doubts, but... I had an understanding." James finally said, his voice so heavy and yet so light, it was like he was suddenly at peace and the man who was always strong-armed through everything...
She didn't know what to think of this.
"Understanding? James, what is happening, and what does it have something to do with such multiple arrests without communicating with us." She frowned. She could guess what Ozpin wanted to say, he wanted to ask why James didn't ask him...
It's something she had noticed so long ago, Ozpin liked to think he knew better than most with his multiple life experiences, but he seemed to forget how aggravating he sometimes sounded, even though she sometimes had the desire to smack him with something with the help of her semblance...
Though she never voiced such thoughts or acted on them, it would be unprofessional of her if she did.
"This, this is the problem... Ozpin... I do not have time. I'm not you. I can't just wait and let things happen as you can. If I want something, I need to do it myself." Oh...
She now understood, Ozpin mostly always forged, but she understood where James was coming from even from these brief words...
Still, James didn't let Ozpin speak.
"In a year, I'm forty Ozpin, forty, even if I accomplished much, advancing in my career more than others, and earning two important positions for myself, something that was until now unheard off... I accomplished little, at least little that truly mattered... And this shadow war..."
There James stopped, and if she wasn't behind the camera, she could almost feel his gaze on her...
"Winter Schnee, daughter of Willow Schnee, now works for me... Winter Schnee, who is now twenty-one... Ozpin, the time flies so quickly... And it made me realize that if I wanted to be sure that something changed for the better, I needed to make that change myself. I can't wait and hope it will get better, not like you. I don't have an infinite number of tries and chances..."
A breaking noise could be heard as she quickly looked, her eyes widening as she saw Ozpin crush the mug in his hands.
"James. What do you have in mind." Ozpin asked, and she almost shivered. It was so wrong to hear such a tone from the man she always spoke in a patient or understanding tone...
"If I want this war done, then I need to do it myself... Old friend, you always preferred to take a back seat in this conflict, and I understand, I truly do, there are a lot of risks that could kill a lot of people if done wrongly, but as I said, we don't have your luxury to wait for results... And sometimes you need to risk to gain something, just like taking a life to protect others..."
She...
Agreed, but when she saw Ozpin's eyes sharpen, she knew her boss didn't...
"James, you are treading into dangerous areas. You know that I just want the best for all of us. She and her agents will surely use this chance to seed even more distrusts and danger." She watched how James once again became the man she remembered as he nodded at Ozpin's words.
"She would, wouldn't she? But again... I can't any longer behave so defensively. If this conflict is to advance, then I need to move, Ozpin. Please understand this. I'm just a human."
A human.
Where did that come from...
And why she felt so strongly about it when she looked at Ozpin...
Now that she thought of it, when was the last time she ever saw Ozpin do something human, and she didn't mean a mistake or error...
When she last saw Ozpin angry, or did she ever see more emotions from him other than disappointment or amusement?
"He changed." She simply said, watching Ozpin mull over both James' words and her intake, ultimately nodding.
"That he did... But I fear what brought such sudden change." Willow Schnee...
She knew of the story, the one that shaped James into what he is now...
It could be cruel to say it, but what Willow done just helped James in the long run...
It still made her feel strange... She knew when she and James met in the past, and almost something grew out of their meetings, that he never was truly over Willow. There was always that small part of him that loved that woman.
She didn't truly mind it, or no...
She did, but she understood that person couldn't influence his feelings, and as such, she ignored the feeling when she was meeting James.
Maybe even trying to help him in moving past Willow, but when she understood that there couldn't, at least at that time, there couldn't be anything between them, as both of them needed to have their full attention on their jobs and careers, she didn't try to replace herself with Willow, she didn't want to help James with one shadow and just take its place...
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