[There was a reason he had stopped giving full disclosure, both in the Dream and in Trench. While people in Remnant had seen the purpose of his situation, people outside of it had acted with outrage and taken it out on Ozpin.
Midoriya's unspoken guess was more accurate than he realized.
There was a noticeable pause before Oscar continued. ]
It's not like that. I mean, in Remnant it was possible, but we gave up our magic in the Dream before we came here.
I don't know how to explain this easily, Midoriya. We broke our own eggs and broke the eggs of everyone in Julia Sodder's family when the nightmare fell apart to be sure that we came here.
Trench is the only place we've found that we can be ourselves and not worry about what happens.
[It still wasn't a full explanation, and what there was probably made no sense. Oscar hesitated on the edge of explaining, worried once more about bearing his soul yet again.
The continued explanations faltered. He understood why Ozpin had started lying over the centuries.
Repeating the story with every generation was exhausting. ]
Paul will be okay. Ozpin and I just haven't been separated for this long before.
You see... We're two parts of the same. We're hosts for an ancient warrior who was given an impossible quest and cannot die until it's completed. Instead of just being immortal, his soul hops from body to body every generation so that he's never alone, and joins with the host until the can't see the divide between themselves anymore.
Ozpin was the host before me. He died in Remnant two years ago, but Julia Sodder gave him his body back for her dream.
[ He had meant Paul. He didn't realize Ozpin had anything to do with this. To Midoriya, Ozpin is the strange magic school professor who throws his students off cliffs like a UA exercise and was the unwitting karate war rival of Johnny Lawrence.
He's suddenly very glad that the vestiges didn't merge personalities with his own soul. They are simply imprints, there as guides, not true spirits. He has always been himself. ]
Other than your body missing and being a spirit in someone's head, why wouldn't you be safe?
[ He's not going to speculate on what he fears might happen. There's no point when Oscar knows more about this than he does. ]
[There was a fine line between explaining himself and spilling everything out for someone that didn't deserve that kind of burden. Oscar didn't know what to say-- the tangled webs the he was entwined in stemmed from a multitude of sources that couldn't be easily influenced, and his own view of the picture was clouded by the unknown.
The '...' started and stopped a few times while a Oscar typed, was beset by doubt, deleted his words, and started again. ]
I should have been back to myself by now, and Paul shouldn't have to be dealing with me. He needs to focus on his people and himself.
[Somewhere in the Cobra Kai dojo, Paul's body could be found staring out the window in a melancholic state. It was likely not a usual place for Paul, and certainly not a usual place for Oscar unless he was deep in corruption... Or not completely himself.]
I'm sorry. I'm nervous, and I guess I'm not explaining myself well. It's not an excuse-- but, I'm definitely understanding why the guys that came before me started lying.
It's a lot. And, it's tiring to explain over and over.
You don't need to worry about keeping things secret with people in this chat. That's why I'm leaving parts unfiltered, and why I asked Paul if we could call in a couple of people I trust.
Ozpin can help explain if things get confusing, but I'll do my best. Pyrrha might look scary... But she's someone we can rely on.
I'm sorry. This it a lot. What's 'normal' for moving forward after death is joining with a 'like minded soul'. No one has a choice in who gets involved, only in how they deal with it. And the possibilities...
They can range from farmboys to kings.
As for what's happened since Julia Sodder's dream... it's been with people that we've known, but there's still no choice. In the dream, we would stay dead for a week-- did you know that? You had to choose to return.
One time, Ozpin stayed dead for a month. He didn't want to make the choice to come back, since it was actually in his hands.
After that, he awoke in the head of someone he knew well. I'll keep their identities private, but one of them is in this chat and will probably volunteer the info if you can't guess.
He would only stay with them for a day, and then our situation would return to what was normal, for Deerington.
In Remnant... It's a slow blending of identities until you can't see how they separate anymore. Magic makes it happen faster, but there's no way to stop it.
Everyone involved ends up changed.
... And, I'm serious, Midoriya. What ever happens with me, I won't let it do anything to Paul.
[ He's worried himself, drawing shallow breaths as he looks at his Omni for a long time before replying. ]
I didn't know how death worked in Sodder-san's dream. I guess if it was a dream, your will comes into it.
[ Qrow isn't in this chat or he'd be Midoriya's guess, but Ruby is. Midoriya can't think of two people more different, Ozpin and Ruby. It must have been awkward. ]
This isn't a great way to find out if this world or your Paleblood have altered your existing power. Both of you keep saying everything will be fine, but you also say there's no way to stop the merging...
[ He'd normally be more optimistic and trusting in Oscar and Paul, but his trust has recently taken a serious blow. His primary objective is seeing everyone safe, even if he has to sacrifice his well-being to do it. His Corruption will keep him in this feedback loop until it is done or he is incapacitated. ]
[ It's impossible to know exactly what Oscar means by that, but if he says the partition will remain up, then it will. Midoriya visualizes, for the second time in his life, cups full of water. ]
So we have that at least. Working together like this is hard but it can be done.
[ Midoriya knows he himself isn't being very reassuring, and he was only good at that sometimes on a normal day anyway, but this is the best he can manage at the moment. ]
I wasn't there, so I can't say much, but I think... You rush into danger too quickly. This probably sounds weird coming from me of all people. You and I have a lot of people who care about us. It hurts them.
[But he read further, taking the words for what they worth. Sometimes the bare reality was all they had. Platitudes meant nothing if they couldn't be put into action. As Oscar took in the words, he did think of Ruby and the rest of the team that they had left behind-- all of the times each one of them had pulled a dangerous stunt that they hoped would tip a batter into their favor.
As much as he wanted to write it off-- he knew there was a point.]
Yeah, I know. When I get back to them, I'm going to hold all of them close for a long while. You're a Hero, and Ruby is a Huntress. Both of you have good reason to take action quickly.
And you were left wide open when you did. I know. I did that a while ago and a friend told me to stop trying to do everything on my own. At least, that's what they told me they said. I wasn't myself at the time.
Take care, Oscar-kun. [ In more ways than one. Then he thinks about how Oscar takes care of his family in turn. ] Want me to bring them anything while you're away?
[Deku was the first one to ask after his people, his family, and it was enough to for his heart to catch in his chest. Without thinking, Oscar found himself smiling.]
Just let them know I'm okay, and help them if you can.
Thanks, Midoriya. I'll remember all of this and do better.
[ He has a guess as to what Oscar specifically means by multitudes, but Oscar said he gets tired of explaining, so Midoriya doesn't pry deeper. Oscar is in a pickle. In times like this, Midoriya has found that the members of his found family have saved him. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
private | we'll get there.
And at Ozpin.
[There was a reason he had stopped giving full disclosure, both in the Dream and in Trench. While people in Remnant had seen the purpose of his situation, people outside of it had acted with outrage and taken it out on Ozpin.
Midoriya's unspoken guess was more accurate than he realized.
There was a noticeable pause before Oscar continued. ]
It's not like that. I mean, in Remnant it was possible, but we gave up our magic in the Dream before we came here.
I don't know how to explain this easily, Midoriya. We broke our own eggs and broke the eggs of everyone in Julia Sodder's family when the nightmare fell apart to be sure that we came here.
Trench is the only place we've found that we can be ourselves and not worry about what happens.
[It still wasn't a full explanation, and what there was probably made no sense. Oscar hesitated on the edge of explaining, worried once more about bearing his soul yet again.
The continued explanations faltered. He understood why Ozpin had started lying over the centuries.
Repeating the story with every generation was exhausting. ]
Paul will be okay. Ozpin and I just haven't been separated for this long before.
You see... We're two parts of the same. We're hosts for an ancient warrior who was given an impossible quest and cannot die until it's completed. Instead of just being immortal, his soul hops from body to body every generation so that he's never alone, and joins with the host until the can't see the divide between themselves anymore.
Ozpin was the host before me. He died in Remnant two years ago, but Julia Sodder gave him his body back for her dream.
I won't let anything happen to Paul. He's safe.
I'm just not sure if I am.
private
He's suddenly very glad that the vestiges didn't merge personalities with his own soul. They are simply imprints, there as guides, not true spirits. He has always been himself. ]
Other than your body missing and being a spirit in someone's head, why wouldn't you be safe?
[ He's not going to speculate on what he fears might happen. There's no point when Oscar knows more about this than he does. ]
private
The '...' started and stopped a few times while a Oscar typed, was beset by doubt, deleted his words, and started again. ]
I should have been back to myself by now, and Paul shouldn't have to be dealing with me. He needs to focus on his people and himself.
This is New, Midoriya. It's not good.
Re: private
Tell me about what's old then. How would it happen the normal way? Normal for you anyway. It doesn't take this much time?
And is your immortal warrior something I should keep secret from everyone?
private
I'm sorry. I'm nervous, and I guess I'm not explaining myself well. It's not an excuse-- but, I'm definitely understanding why the guys that came before me started lying.
It's a lot. And, it's tiring to explain over and over.
You don't need to worry about keeping things secret with people in this chat. That's why I'm leaving parts unfiltered, and why I asked Paul if we could call in a couple of people I trust.
Ozpin can help explain if things get confusing, but I'll do my best. Pyrrha might look scary... But she's someone we can rely on.
I'm sorry. This it a lot. What's 'normal' for moving forward after death is joining with a 'like minded soul'. No one has a choice in who gets involved, only in how they deal with it. And the possibilities...
They can range from farmboys to kings.
As for what's happened since Julia Sodder's dream... it's been with people that we've known, but there's still no choice. In the dream, we would stay dead for a week-- did you know that? You had to choose to return.
One time, Ozpin stayed dead for a month. He didn't want to make the choice to come back, since it was actually in his hands.
After that, he awoke in the head of someone he knew well. I'll keep their identities private, but one of them is in this chat and will probably volunteer the info if you can't guess.
He would only stay with them for a day, and then our situation would return to what was normal, for Deerington.
In Remnant... It's a slow blending of identities until you can't see how they separate anymore. Magic makes it happen faster, but there's no way to stop it.
Everyone involved ends up changed.
... And, I'm serious, Midoriya. What ever happens with me, I won't let it do anything to Paul.
Re: private
[ He's worried himself, drawing shallow breaths as he looks at his Omni for a long time before replying. ]
I didn't know how death worked in Sodder-san's dream. I guess if it was a dream, your will comes into it.
[ Qrow isn't in this chat or he'd be Midoriya's guess, but Ruby is. Midoriya can't think of two people more different, Ozpin and Ruby. It must have been awkward. ]
This isn't a great way to find out if this world or your Paleblood have altered your existing power. Both of you keep saying everything will be fine, but you also say there's no way to stop the merging...
[ He'd normally be more optimistic and trusting in Oscar and Paul, but his trust has recently taken a serious blow. His primary objective is seeing everyone safe, even if he has to sacrifice his well-being to do it. His Corruption will keep him in this feedback loop until it is done or he is incapacitated. ]
no subject
He was growing weary of needing to keep comforting others when all he wanted was a slushie and a nap.]
You know Paul better than I do, Midoriya. He... contains multitudes.
So do I.
To make it simpler to explain, we both have a full cup. the contents can't mix unless something is poured out first, and neither of us can do that.
no subject
So we have that at least. Working together like this is hard but it can be done.
[ Midoriya knows he himself isn't being very reassuring, and he was only good at that sometimes on a normal day anyway, but this is the best he can manage at the moment. ]
I wasn't there, so I can't say much, but I think... You rush into danger too quickly. This probably sounds weird coming from me of all people. You and I have a lot of people who care about us. It hurts them.
no subject
It's just not from this side.
[But he read further, taking the words for what they worth. Sometimes the bare reality was all they had. Platitudes meant nothing if they couldn't be put into action. As Oscar took in the words, he did think of Ruby and the rest of the team that they had left behind-- all of the times each one of them had pulled a dangerous stunt that they hoped would tip a batter into their favor.
As much as he wanted to write it off-- he knew there was a point.]
Yeah, I know. When I get back to them, I'm going to hold all of them close for a long while. You're a Hero, and Ruby is a Huntress. Both of you have good reason to take action quickly.
I just saw I had an opening. And, I took it
no subject
Take care, Oscar-kun. [ In more ways than one. Then he thinks about how Oscar takes care of his family in turn. ] Want me to bring them anything while you're away?
no subject
Just let them know I'm okay, and help them if you can.
Thanks, Midoriya. I'll remember all of this and do better.
no subject
We both will.