#hamelin-born asks

[secret-engima]

Just wanted to say I am *loving* all your Vox Machina content/comments, and I will be replying as soon as RL lets up a bit!

:D happy to hear it! And looking forward to those replies whenever RL lets you.

[secret-engima]

LC Birbs 'verse: Imagine the *shennanighans* when Team STROQ heads out on *their* road trip! (Qrow and Raven are going to drop various shiny weapons of the ancient Lucii at a puzzled Ozpin's feet, see if they don't! Not only are the weapons SHINY, but they're *helping* him get a full armiger!)

*wheezes* IT’S TOTALLY NOT A PLANNED ONE EITHER. At no point does Regis go “hmmm, maybe my kids should go on a life-changing roadtrip”. NOPE. The twins just up and decided it would be fun to see the world and blow up Niflheim’s stuff and Summer was fully on board with this plan to get away from stuffy noble parties so of course everyone else came along (except Glynda, who blandly waved them off with a handkerchief at midnight while holding the Twins “hey dad so we decided to take a roadtrip” note in one hand).

Instead of a fancy car they have the world’s ugliest campervan. Tai got it from a junkyard outside Insomnia and fixed it up, then painted it in shades gold and brown. They call it the Sawhorse because of the way it seems to rock back and forth on its tires going down the road. Tai swears it’s road safe, everyone else is waiting for the inevitable explosion that never seems to actually happen. They intentionally took The Sawhorse so they wouldn’t be spotted as royalty outside Insomnia and also because it has more room for five people to roadtrip in/sleep in/store supplies in. They save more room by having the twins periodically fly around in bird form overhead and/or rest inside the campervan in bird form so that there’s more room for everyone else to maneuver.

They intentionally stop to say hi to Cid, who looks them all in the eye and tells them they’re idiots and he’s only going to give them one day head start before he calls Reggie and tattles on them. They snag a meal and some spare parts for the road and then book it.

They are having the Best Time™. Sleeping in the campervan when it rains or out on Havens when it’s nice out, picking up hunts, blowing up any Niflheim base they can find, breaking into ancient ancestral tombs to give Ozpin the shiny weapons that lurk within.

Ozpin: I really feel like that last one is a problem-

Raven & Qrow: LOOK WE FOUND YOU A KATANA ISN’T IT SHINY.

Ozpin: .... *sighs*

Regis is a Stress™ and sends Cor after them, and sure his kids call him every week but THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO UP AND LEAVE. COME BACK.

Raven and Qrow: Eventually!!! :D Gotta go dad there’s a giant monster outside we need to kill love you bye!!!!!

[secret-engima]

*snicker* For the Science!Bby 'verse, I just - had the mental image of Auntie Em /weaponizing/ Oscar's dislike of General Ironwood. This - makes it somewhat uncomfortable for Oscar when he actually *meets* the man years later in the future - he's blushing and refuses to meet Ironwood's eyes, even with his Oz-dad at his side. Until, finally, he confesses (cont)

hamelin-born

said:

(cont) that his Aunt used to tell him stuff like "If you don't clean your room, I'll call General Ironwood to come and inspect it!" and "If that bed isn't made in five minutes, General Ironwood will know why!" And he *knows* that she was just saying that, but it's making it *very weird* to finally *meet* him. (Ironwood + the Ace Ops's expressions are indescribable, as are RWBY's et al. Auntie Em just shrugs. It *did* get him to do his chores.)

Me: OH MY WORD YES. Absolutely. She absolutely did that and now that Oscar is meeting him he’s just- dying inside. This is his childhood nemesis/boogie man and that is so embarrassing to even think about now, let alone admit out loud. Ironwood is so flabbergasted, the Ace Ops are dying internally, RWBY et all are just- gaping. Ozpin is the only one to look openly amused. Auntie Em feels no shame. It worked after all, bby Oscar did all his chores.

[secret-engima]

I was thinking about what might lead to LC Birbs Ozpin to finally go 'Enough Is Enough' and break out his (hideously OP) magic, and - well. It's suitably ironic. (brace for long set of asks)

hamelin-born

said:

So - on the Roadtrip? The twins are collecting a new Royal Arm to drop at Ozpin's feet, as they do (Ozpin has long since resigned himself to this, even though he doesn't really *need* an Armiger). And everything is proceeding as 'normal' - except for one thing. It's the Blade of the Mystic. ghost!Somnus takes /one look/ at Ozpin, and reacts - poorly. Namely, he manifests himself in full-on ghost form and - not even /Somnus/ knows what he's going to do, but his initial reactions (cont)

hamelin-born

said:

(cont) are *very* threatening. Leading Qrow and Raven to pretty much *throw* themselves at the ancient ghost who is also-sort-of their many-times great grandfather - only to get faced with the wrath of a full-on Lucii, who, depending on how you like to characterize Somnus, is *not* taking it easy on them - and who is absolutely determined to go *through* them if needed to reach Ozpin. Faced with the specter of - well, a specter willing to strike at his own kin (cont)

hamelin-born

said:

(cont) Ozpin proceeds to lose his temper. Just a little. And unleashes Lucis Caelum Magic, Oracle Magic, and Ozma magic on the ancient ghost who *scorns* all concepts of friends and family. (The only thing that would make it better would be Ardyn *somehow* seeing video footage of *his son* blasting Somnus's ghost within an inch of his un-life. It's one of the most transcendent moments of his EXISTENCE).

Me: My word this would be AMAZING.

And yes, YES to the twins finding the Mystic blade and not realizing who’s it is. They just bring Ozpin new sword. Except when Ozpin touches the hilt to assimilate it into armiger, instead there’s a flash of magic and light and horror-outrage-disbelief-guilt-horror and a GHOST with a ghost armiger that nonetheless cuts is suddenly standing there, bellowing at Ozpin with his own ghostly blades spinning around, once clenched in his hand.

The twins naturally Throw Hands without thinking, and Somnus turns on them too. And who knows what Somnus thinks is happening, but we are never given evidence in canon that he reacts reasonably to stressful situations. Whether he thinks they are traitors to the line, or stains upon it as “illegitimate children bending the knee to a monster’s spawn” or what have you, he fights and he does not play nice.

Idk where Gilgamesh is in this, probably scouting a Nif base with Summer and Tai, but either way they aren’t here for the initial response-confrontation-battle. Their attention is definitely caught by the resulting magic pulses though.

And then Ozpin, who sees his Swords in danger from a ghost, a relative who spits venomous words and who Ozpin might already know a bit about? Depending on if he’s learned about Ardyn’s story and had it confirmed by a reliable (non-Ardyn) source. He hears all this verbal venom and sees the danger and just-

Lets go.

Lucii magic rises first, the newest of the lifetimes, then Oracle magic layers into it, healing any wounds before they can finish forming as he throws himself at the ghost with his own armiger and a shout. Then, as ghost blades clash and struggle with ghostly blades, Ozpin’s eyes burn eerie green and he orders Qrow and Raven to get down.

The following shockwave of green magic (his oldest, his STRONGEST, the one he knows most intimately how to use) can be felt for literal miles.

And you know what? For the Drama™, let’s say Gilgamesh, Summer, and Tai were scouting a Nif base and encountered ARDYN, who may or may not be stalking his son and his son’s Retinue from a safe distance out of a desperate desire to get to know Ozpin (without scaring him off, they are probably still on majorly thin ice because of all the Salem flashbacks he triggers). But Ardyn planned this confrontation because HOW DARE Gilgamesh go near his son, his CHILD. What is Gilgamesh planning hmmm? To stab Ozpin in the back like he did Ardyn?

And then in the middle of THAT whole drama, they feel first one spike of LC magic, then two, then SOMNUS’S magic roars and they are already whirling back in that direction in alarm.

Then Ozpin’s triple-layered magic howls and they are all running back toward it’s source, Ardyn outstripping them all in raw terror because his-son-his-son-Somnus-is-near-is-fightingHISSONNONONO.

But when he arrives on the fringes of the scene, it is to find Ozpin needs no one’s help. Ozpin looms over Somnus, magic of three colors swirling around him in a storm, eyes glowing green and cane sparking like lightning. He is forcing Somnus, The Mystic, The First King, Ardyn’s brother and betrayer-

to kneel.

[secret-engima]

Team Gremlin 'verse: Tai, to a frazzled Qrow. Welcome to the parent club. Want a cookie?

Qrow: *horrified garbled noises*

Seriously tho the drama of this will be fun. Because Qrow’s self esteem is about ten thousand feet below sea level at the best of times, and now he learns that he has a daughter who's running around with Ozpin’s very dangerous, possibly Salem-influenced SON (depending on when they learn about Maggie/when Maggie joins the group). And some frantic investigation reveals this kid is calling herself a Branwen, which doesn’t imply good things as to the fate of her mom’s side of the family. Then if he somehow learns of the abuse she suffered?

So. Much. Guilt.

And also panic, because he has to find his kid. And raise a kid. HOW DO YOU RAISE A KID NOT TO BE A HORRIBLE MESS LIKE HIM.

TAI HELP.

[secret-engima]

Y'know - it's highly unlikely that Magpie 'Maggie' Branwen has a middle name. Clearly, the Circus Crew think, this must be amended - Roman especially is keen to find her a suitably embarrassingly pretentious one in order to invoke the Power of the Full Formal Name.

hamelin-born asked: Either that, or *Qrow* is invited to help come up with a Terribly Pretentious middle name for Maggie.

Me: Oh gosh I like that. I feel like the Circus Crew are the ones to give her a pretentious middle name since it will be a while between her joining the group and Qrow being on speaking/friendly terms with them?

Also I can also see Mags willingly coming up with some kind of awful middle name for herself once she learns it's tradition. Because yay for fitting in with new fam! And also it's funny to come up with names so bad even Roman grimaces and says "okay not that one".

[secret-engima]

Wait. WAIT. If Gremlin!Oscar has both a top hat and a fancy cane - he would bear a certain resemblance to the stereotypical circus ringleader. Please imagine this being a source of great hilarity for Team Gremlin, and them sneaking in All The References and In-Jokes. Plus, Oscar /is/ their leader - their Ringleader! (Oscar: LADES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME - TO THE GREATEST SHOW ON REMNANT!)

hamelin-born said: Re: Gremlin!verse. Am I the kind of person to imagine Oscar - Oscar, heir of Ozpin and Ozma, one of /three/ magic users on the face of Remnant - learning stage magic and slight-of-hand? Partially because he wants to (it's cool!) and partially because it makes Torch-dad's eyes tear up at the sheer magnificent /trolling/ of it all. Yes. Yes, I am.

Me: *snickers* it was actually a BOWLER hat but you know what TOP HAT IS EVEN BETTER. His underworld codename is now the RINGMASTER.

Team Gremlin teases him incessantly but he just- gleefully rolls with it. At one their heist cover is in fact a circus of some kind and Oscar gets to make an appearance as the tiny child Ringmaster, the crowd LOVES him. He’s so cute and tiny and energetic despite his noticeable limp.

The crowd assumes that Sondor is a big friendly dog in a costume, because the team made a point to cover up as much of him as possible in gaudy black silk, the mask it totally just a porcelain cover on the doggo’s face. Totally. People find the act of a child Ringmaster and his “Grimm Hound” to be a total hit.

Ozpin, seeing the grainy pictures later, is having a heart attack because he’s been a huntsman for lifetimes THAT IS NOT A FAKE GRIMM.

Oh gosh Oscar TOTALLY learns stage magic and slight of hand. It started as a way to regain his motor control post torture, an idea by Neo to make therapy fun, but now he revels in it because LOOK LOOK LOOK HE HAS MAGIC *does stupid card trick* Team Gremlin: groan and roll their eyes while Oscar snickers because he can almost *hear* all of Ozma’s former lifetimes sighing in exasperation at the same time even though Oz is no longer in his head.

Torchwick is so incredibly proud of his tiny green Troll Child.

Also everyone picture Oscar’s OUTFIT. He has a dark green, double breasted (? is that the right term) overcoat and it’s not EXACTLY a circus master coat, but it’s totally got that vibe when paired with his fancy guncane, top hate with the green ribbon, and his orange with green embroidery gloves (and a thick ribbon with a bowtie to cover the part of his neck that his bandages cover in canon. Just- tiny Troll leaning into the showman/slight of hand vibe even though he’s arguably the most powerful magic user on Remnant (thanks a lot Salem, you really shot yourself in the foot with your experiments on Ozma’s then-host).

....The brief time running a circus cover for the heist would also be the PERFECT time for Oscar to do his “I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OS-car” and then his “PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE GRIMM BEHIND THE CURTAIN” right before he rides out on Sondor and the crowd laughs at the “obviously fake” Grimm.

[secret-engima]

Team Gremlin: Whitley is going to have /all the questions/ for an increasingly bemused/amused Ozpin. Look, Whitley *finally* has access to a fully-trained wizard, he is going to *interrogate* this man about 'classic' magic, see if he isn't!

Whitley is going to be losing his mind with full enthusiasm yes. At least after the initial emotional reunions for Oscar and Ozpin and the adults have their Mandatory Custody Discussions. Meanwhile Whitley will be vibrating off to the side with a notepad and pen, ready to ask questions and take all the notes.

Because! Proper wizard! Oscar’s dad! He’s GOT to know all kinds of ‘classic’ spells and techniques!!! Whitley must LEARN of these things!!!