[The question was quiet, yet firm. While he didn't agree with the strategy, he knew that they had no other choice. She was a force that was impossible to stop and equally impossible to negotiate with.
[ He sighs, and it echoes through the connection. ]
The both of them.
I allowed James to deal the blow. It turned to something of an argument. He had some [ there is a hiss of annoyance, more than he means to leak, ] mistaken ideas about my motivations, to which I took reasonable offense.
[ Damn. That explains some degree of the response, too. Ozpin is so very tired of everything to do with James Ironwood. ]
He has taken it as a betrayal, which is... understandable. I do not begrudge him his anger. I am more concerned by his despair.
I do not know how James Ironwood responds to despair, except with increasingly drastic action. I will be keeping a close eye from here out, should he let me.
We are not out of the woods, so to speak. But it did not end in a fight.
That's good. Our conversation didn't end in a fight either.
[But, he was still worried. The pressure which he knew James was feeling was unenviable. However, he had no idea how to alleviate that. ]
... I think he wants to protect this place. After I told him what had happened, he said that he would do whatever it took to keep me from coming back home.
I don't know what he's thinking, but I believe we can rely on him for now.
[ He is silent a moment, thinking in a jumble of low, simmering concern. ]
That is good news. I have said it before, but I do believe James Ironwood to be a good man... or at least, a well-intentioned one. We do not want an enemy of him.
All of us, I believe, would like to avoid an end such as we had on Remnant.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
backdated to 4/14, mind link.
[The question was quiet, yet firm. While he didn't agree with the strategy, he knew that they had no other choice. She was a force that was impossible to stop and equally impossible to negotiate with.
She had lost her humanity.]
Or James. Or the both of them.
Ozpin, what happened?
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The both of them.
I allowed James to deal the blow. It turned to something of an argument. He had some [ there is a hiss of annoyance, more than he means to leak, ] mistaken ideas about my motivations, to which I took reasonable offense.
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[ Some of the annoyance falls out of him, though, and there is a pause. Softly: ]
I have told him the truth, Oscar. About the shape of the war. He is taking it as well as could be expected.
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[After Ironwood had saved his life... It only seemed fair that he know the truth. ]
He took it better than I hoped... I think.
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[ Damn. That explains some degree of the response, too. Ozpin is so very tired of everything to do with James Ironwood. ]
He has taken it as a betrayal, which is... understandable. I do not begrudge him his anger. I am more concerned by his despair.
I do not know how James Ironwood responds to despair, except with increasingly drastic action. I will be keeping a close eye from here out, should he let me.
We are not out of the woods, so to speak. But it did not end in a fight.
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[But, he was still worried. The pressure which he knew James was feeling was unenviable. However, he had no idea how to alleviate that. ]
... I think he wants to protect this place. After I told him what had happened, he said that he would do whatever it took to keep me from coming back home.
I don't know what he's thinking, but I believe we can rely on him for now.
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That is good news. I have said it before, but I do believe James Ironwood to be a good man... or at least, a well-intentioned one. We do not want an enemy of him.
All of us, I believe, would like to avoid an end such as we had on Remnant.
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[It was a sentiment that had been running through his thoughts as an undercurrent for weeks-- only recently had he felt comfortable speaking it.]
... you know, we can't let him go back to Atlas. There's no telling what will happen if he does.
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