Of Oracles, Orators, and Hors d'oeuvres (private w/ Pericles)

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest was always astounded by the selections of meat products served around lunchtime. Back home in Oakhearth, they hardly had meat to eat for cultural reasons, inevitably resulting in Forrest having a slimmer physique than anticipated given his harsh training regimen under his great-grandfather. Nevertheless, Forrest still remained healthy. Now at Beacon, Forrest was free to indulge in as much meat-eating as he could stomach. Given enough protein and training, this would result in him becoming quite the strapping young Huntsman.

Forrest made his way to an empty table, noticing that anyone he did know was not present. He sat down at the end of the table, silverware in hand, ready to devour the comically large steak on his plate. Suddenly, a rogue mass of mashed potatoes flew over towards his plate from across the dining hall. Acting quickly, Forrest grabbed his lunch and deftly avoided someone else's lunch from ruining his own. Forrest scooted down one seat, away from the mashed potatoes.

People sure are rowdy today... Forrest mused as he began to cut a piece of steak.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Pericles was new here, he was painfully aware of that. He didn't have any of his friends or relatives to assure him of his judgement. He couldn't turn to a sarcophagus sitting in the corner and ask his great great grandfather if his decision was sound, nor could he consult the texts and musings of his 7th great grandmother, a hobbyist philosopher in her own eyes, though apparently the generations that came after her decided that her work was something to be lauded. Of course, Pericles didn't actually talk to them, no matter how much he had originally hoped his Semblance would have allowed him to. Instead he looked to the stories of their lives for similar situations, hoping to emulate their success while simultaneously avoiding the pitfalls of their failures.

Taking a breath, he removed his helm, painfully aware that while it could be helpful in social matters, that was typically the social matters with the enemy, and not when one was looking to forge potential allies. Tray stocked full of meats and cheeses in one hand and helmet in the other, Pericles surveyed the lunchroom. Seeing the various pieces of food being volleyed around was actually surprisingly helpful, as it easily paralleled the battlefields he grew up studying. Following that logic, he sought the land that the fewest nations were fighting over at the moment, knowing full-well that skirmishes over higher value territory came after one had established their own foothold.

His deductions made, Pericles spotted his target, a nearly empty table, barren but for a single soul. Pericles' mind immediately started analyzing him. 'Young, roughly my age, most likely a first year as well, possibly a second year. Isolated, either a matter of happenstance with usual compatriots missing or a matter of consistency and lack of stout camaraderie, determination of correct deduction is hindered without further understanding of him.' Pericles wanted to think on the matter more, but the fact that he was starting to get a few stares alerted to him that he had now been standing at the end of the canteen line for quite some time now. Squaring his shoulders to make himself seem even larger than he actually was, Pericles made his approach. Nearing the table, Pericles considered sitting down immediately, but he was well-mannered if nothing else.
Knock knock, Pericles' knuckles rapped upon the table as he stood opposite of the boy, "Is this seat taken?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest's eyes bolted upward upon the knocks, noticing the giant lion Faunus that stood before him. Certainly a spectacle to behold, his polite demeanor juxtaposed his large and intimidating frame. In fact, he possessed an uncanny resemblance to one of the heroes in a book he was reading...

"N-no, you can sit here if you'd like." Forrest replied meekly but politely before taking a piece of steak and bringing it to his mouth to chew.

I'm glad he seems more like a gentle giant than anything... Forrest thought as he swallowed the piece of steak he had been chewing on.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Setting his helm and tray upon the table, Pericles sat upon the bench, hearing it groan slightly under his weight. Hoisting a piece of cheese on his fork, Pericles ate it while lamenting the fact that it wasn't fried, nor was it goat cheese.

Sifting through his tray as it rapidly decreased in amount of food upon it, Pericles cleared his throat before speaking once again. "Thank you for granting me space here, I hope you will humble another request of mine to know you're name."

Pericles paused and set down his cutlery in order to brace his closed fist against his chest, "I myself am Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias, son of Dryo Ozymandias and Ramses Ozymandias, a first year Beacon Academy student, and studier of lost echoes and buried tales."

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest heard the creaking and groaning of the bench, but was unfazed by it. He knew full well that it could take a greater load of weight before failing. Forrest ate along with Pericles, but unlike him, Forrest took his time eating his meal. By the time half his steak was eaten, Pericles had nearly finished his own lunch.

Pericles certainly knows how to eat... Forrest mused as he saw Pericles practically inhale his meal.

"I'm Forrest Waldstein. Nice to meet you Pericles." Forrest replied.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

'Certainly a man of few words.' Pericles determined easily, 'Or, at least he acts as one when he doesn't know the person he's speaking to very well.' Pericles considered his situation carefully, 'Grandma Aspasia always wrote about the importance of never making decisions if your information felt to sparse. I guess I better try digging once again.'

Considering his options, Pericles started off easy, "Well met, Forrest Waldstein, are you perhaps a first-year such as myself, or do you find yourself with a greater level of experience in the path of the Huntsman?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

"Yeah, I'm a first year, too." Forrest responded.

While the statement itself was technically true, Forrest had a reputation for being a rather skilled first year student. In thanks due to the recent Pep Rally, which displayed how well he performed against all odds, he had amassed a good reputation among the general populace of Beacon. However, Forrest attributed his success to luck in the Pep Rally. Despite his rather short responses to Pericles, he still appeared to enjoy the conversation nonetheless.

This guy is absolutely HUGE for a first year, though I shouldn't be too surprised... Forrest thought, recalling at least two other students whose bodies did not know when to stop growing.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Pericles nodded at his response, noticing the familiar look of someone surprised at how big he was, Pericles chuckled internally. He considered mentioning that based on the growth rate of his father he still had at least another foot to go, but decided against it, as it was always more amusing to see peoples' reactions as his body just continued to grow with time.

"I see," Pericles nodded in understanding and looked Forrest over, tall for his age and even the average person, but still dwarfed by Pericles' own form, "I hope that I'm not wrong in assuming that you've begun finding your niche within the sphere of combat; scouting, guerilla warfare, or stealth, perhaps?"

Pericles paused his analysis and took a second look at the man before him, "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but have we crossed paths before? Though I'm sure every soul has met up once or twice in their immortal journey, I can't help but remark that you seem familiar? Perchance, does your dorm sit near mine? Or does some other occurrence implant your resemblance in my psyche?"

Deciding that he had probably pressed enough, Pericles asked a softer question, "Further, forgive me for intruding, but might I inquire as the the nature of your current literary endeavors?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

"Yeah, that sounds about right. I guess you could say I'd be a good scout or skirmisher." Forrest affirmed modestly. Now that he thought about it, his fighting style did resemble that of what skirmishers did. His training with his great-grandfather emphasized hit-and-run tactics and reconnaissance whenever possible, considering he was not as physically gifted as someone such as Pericles.

Forrest took a second to process his second question. As he recalled, this was likely the first time Forrest and Pericles have officially met, though the possibility of seeing each other prior to today is entirely possible.

"I was in the Beacon Pep Rally, were you there to see it?" Forrest asked.

Pericles's third question seemed to make Forrest's eyes light up a bit. How could someone pass up the opportunity to talk about something they like?

"No need to apologize, I'm mostly a fan of fiction books. One of the books I've been reading recently is Stardust Champions, have you heard of it?" Forrest questioned.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Pericles silently lauded himself for his correct assumption of Forrest's combat role, but scolded himself soon after for taking pride in what he believed was quite an obvious matter. Clearing his mind once he realized that he was probably letting to much of his expressions show, Pericles spoke, "I see, a valuable role in any form of warfare and of any scale. Do you find yourself under the command of a team leader? Or do you perhaps lead your own assembly?"

"Oh right, we have Pep Rallies, don't we?" Pericles asked himself, seemingly remembering the concept on the spot. Realizing that he had temporarily dropped his cadence in result of his surprise, he spoke steady once more, "No I haven't found myself in attendance to any events of such nature since arriving at the academy. Perhaps we simply have just crossed paths in the hall prior to now, fate always finds jubilation in playing her games on us, don't you think? Either way, I do presume that it is fair to say that we most likely haven't crossed paths outside of the walls of the academy, you appear to be a native Valean, or at least by your accent you do."

"Regretfully, I do not recall the tale of Stardust Champions, the only fiction books I have ever consumed have been historical fiction, and even those often tread too far from the truth for my liking." Pericles was tempted to leave it at that, but...

"Perhaps... Perhaps you could tell me about it, I'm sure that its quite interesting." He'd take his parents' advice this time, they only gave him so little anyways.

[Forrest Waldstein]

"I usually serve under a team leader. Besides, I don't think I'm much good at leading anyway..." Forrest said, aware that he had shortcomings that would not translate well into leadership, mainly self-confidence. He hoped that Pericles wouldn't press him on that.

"Yeah, I was born in Vale, specifically a small town named Oakhearth a good ways east of Beacon. It's nestled between the mountains to the east and surrounded by dense forest from every other direction. It's very... quiet, very isolated from the rest of Vale, despite being within it." Forrest explained. Now this was a topic he very much enjoyed elaborating on.

"I feel like you'd enjoy Stardust Champions. It's a pretty simple story, taking place in ancient Mistral. The protagonist has the ability to harness the various powers of constellations in the sky to fight evil, but he has to undergo different trials and tests of skill to prove himself worthy of each new constellation's power. Along the way, he makes friends with different people and teaches them how to wield the same powers as him." Forrest described. Overall, a satisfying read in his opinion.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

"A wise acknowledgement." Pericles agreed appreciatively, "It requires immense internal strength and keen self-reflection to recognize when you are not fit for leadership. Many seek the role as a title, rather than a responsibility, hence we are surrendered to a world with far too many leaders in comparison to those who are willing to be lead, willing to listen, willing to learn from others. Then again, history has found that some of its greatest leaders emerged from those who did not seek it out." Pericles' eyes had drifted off as he continued to speak, his mind venturing to places far from where his corporeal form resided.

"Oakhearth? I apologize but I am not familiar with the settlement. Though, from how you speak of it, in certainly holds the airs of simple wisdom and philosophical comfort. Perhaps you could educate me upon the matter: Its history, culture, people, and desires?" Pericles, while always preferring the fascinating history of Vacuo and Mistral, was certainly more than enthused to be regaled on the history of a town so foreign to him.

"Ha!" Pericles chuckled with a twinkle in his eye at the description of the book, a genuine smile stretching onto his face, "Well, then, I must apologize, it appears I have divulged falsehoods to you, I am in fact familiar with the story. While the details are most certainly different, the overarching theme bares striking resemblance to an old Mistralian tale. No one knows quite how old it is, but the earliest records of the story we have are well over 200 years old. Its gone by many names, but the one I grew up upon was called The Wisdom of Ancestors as the early people of Mistral believed that the stars and constellations were manifestations of the guidance of their ancestors. Have you gotten to the part with my 5th great grandfather yet?" Pericles, in his excitement, subconsciously let his Aura glow upon his skin, the iridescent constellation blue harmonizing with the cloth of his armor.

[Forrest Waldstein]

"Sure! At the very beginning roughly a century and a half ago, Oakhearth was just a small safe haven for homesteaders. It was a small, agrarian community whose environment warranted the residents to be strong and self-sufficient There wasn't much in the way of history until my great-grandfather, Silvanus Waldstein earned significant glory in the Great War. After the Great War, he radically transformed Oakhearth. He modernized the town, implementing a code of laws, establishing a stable form of government, used his Semblance to skyrocket agricultural output, and created a standardized and modern militia known as the Oakhearth Rangers. Since then, the Waldstein family became a household name amongst the people of Oakhearth." Forrest explained. He enjoyed divulging the history of his hometown.

"To answer the rest of the question, Oakhearth has always maintained a strong agrarian, self-sufficient culture with an emphasis on community and family as well. People needed to be strong, so their families could be unbreakable. Oakhearth also has a strong oral tradition, with stories being passed down to every new generation. The elderly are revered with great respect for their wisdom, and Oakhearth society is simple and egalitarian. They judge people by their actions, not their words or appearance. As a result, we treat everyone, human or Faunus, the same. In terms of desires, Oakhearth wants to remain isolated from the world. They don't want to get involved in the complicated web of modern politics that exists today. They all just want to live simple lives, as they have from the beginning." Forrest continued.

"Wait - your fifth great-grandfather is in that story?" he inquired curiously.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Retrieving a journal from his pack as Forrest began to speak, Pericles rapidly inscribed as much as he could of his words. Nodding along at several points with Forrest's words, Pericles inquired, "Has secession ever been proposed by the people of Oakhearth? From how you've spoken of it, it sounds as though they think of themselves far more as people of Oakhearth rather than Valeans, if they think of themselves as Valeans at all."

Pericles smiled at Forrest's question, "I'm unaware if the novel you currently hold kept his original name, but yes, my fifth great-grandfather, Xanthippus Alcmaeonidae, warrior philosopher that he was, is a member of the tale's cast. He was one of the allies of the constellation wielder and was allegedly taught to harness the wisdom and guidance of the ancestors. He claimed that it was the origin of his unique Aura coloration, and further reinforced the explanation once it was discovered to be hereditary." With a spark of mischief in his eyes, a emotion usually devoid of his day-to-day life, Pericles deliberately flared his Aura across his left hand. Fluttering his fingers back and forth, while tilting his hand clockwise and then counter-clockwise, Pericles watched with pride as his skin took on a deep constellation bluish purple hue. Between his movements, tiny sparks of radiant white light could be seen, like shooting stars across the backdrop of the twilight sky. With a flick of his wrist the Aura dissipated from his hands while several stars were cast off into the open air before dissolving into transparency.

Turning back to Forrest, Pericles elaborated, "Your novel wouldn't perhaps happen to contain any illustrations of the characters would they? It'd be much easier to pick my ancestor out for you then."

[Forrest Waldstein]

"That's actually a matter of debate right now. The Separatists want complete isolation and independence from Vale, but the Loyalists want Oakhearth to remain part of Vale, mostly for the good trade that comes from the rest of the world. Most of Oakhearth is in support of the status quo, as seceding would likely create more problems." Forrest explained. Despite his disinterest in politics as a whole, you learn a few things when your guardian is the leader of your hometown.

Forrest noticed the spark in Pericles's eyes as he displayed his purple-blue Aura which seemed to sparkle like stars in the night sky before shooting off into nothingness.

"Wow... That's really something..." Forrest replied in awe at this sight.

"There's only one illustration on the cover art for the book..." Forrest said, using his scroll to look up the cover art for Stardust Champions. The cover art of Stardust Champions has an art style reminiscent of old Mistrali paintings with a field of stars in the background and the foreground containing groups of ancient warriors battling and harnessing the power of the stars above. The art is detailed enough to differentiate individual warriors from the rest of the crowd.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

"And where, then, do your loyalties lie, or your grandfather's for that matter?" Pericles inquired, deeply intrigued by the political discourse. These were the moments that set the stage for the greatest moments in history, and now, it was happening in his lifetime, "How difficult would you say one might find it to traverse the lands to Oakhearth? I can't help myself but be urged onward to explore it with my own eyes."

Sifting through his satchel pack for a few moments, Pericles' hand returned with thing wire-frame reading glass. Placing them across the bridge of his nose, Pericles leaned forward across the table to get a better look at the cover art on the scroll.

"Ah, there he is." Pericles pointed to a man in full armor, his helmet doffed into his right hand, and a sword-stave in his left. The man was of a lighter complexion than his descendant and his hair was closer to brown than black, but otherwise the similarities were there. Pericles parsed over the image briefly, "Hmm, the artist's depiction of his armor is off by quite a good bit, but I guess creative liberties are understandable. Technically, it should look nearly exactly like mine since my armor is based off of the remnants of his that we have at the museum. Though, I must say, I'm a little confused as to why they depicted him as a Faunus, and a boar Faunus at that."

[Forrest Waldstein]

"My great-grandfather and I want Oakhearth to remain part of Vale. If Oakhearth wasn't a part of Vale, I probably wouldn't be here today." Forrest replied, enjoying the interest in that aspect of his life.

"It's a dangerous trek to Oakhearth, if the predatory wildlife isn't trying to kill you, the Grimm are. The dense forest doesn't help either." Forrest continued, becoming acutely aware of the small scar on his shoulder blade.

"A boar Faunus? Your guess is as good as mine..." Forrest seemed a bit bewildered as he shrugged his shoulders.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Pericles nodded along with Forrest's words, "An honorable and loyal ideal to hold, I certainly cannot fault you with that reasoning. The only matter I could broach, is that while Oakhearth most certainly is indebted to Vale for its continued existence, is that Vale the same Vale that stands today, the same one we find ourselves in now? Governments change after all, new councilors are elected over the years, policies change, opinions change, people.... People change."

"There is though a path there, yes? A worn road through the forest, or even at least a couple trail-markers along the way?" Pericles inquired further, curious if he could get there by chariot with only a few day's ride.

"Yeah..." Pericles paused at the matter of his ancestor being a boar Faunus in the book, "Its just, a bit disconcerting, seeing as he... Well, I don't know how to put it lightly, but he was definitely a man of the time. He had a large estate, and hiring workers to maintain it wasn't really in the budget, so he did what most of the nobility did and, bought, a couple of Faunus." Pericles scratched at his lion's mane uncertainly.

[Forrest Waldstein]

"People may change, but as long as we maintain the same mutual understanding along with the benefits of trade and protection, then that's good enough for most people in Oakhearth." Forrest replied.

"There's basically nothing in terms of infrastructure between Vale and Oakhearth. That would mean a lot of deforestation, assuming you could also keep the Grimm away. However, there are some narrow footpaths in the forest, and markers along the way are life savers when it comes to navigating the forest." he elaborated.

"Oh, I see. Maybe they decided to take some liberties with his character in order to avoid that uncomfortable subject matter, or they just didn't do their research." Forrest theorized.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

"Maintaining the status quo, then, yes?" Pericles determined, "I can understand the sentiment. Your home sounds like it is thriving as is, and altering the arrangement may not necessarily be in its best interest."

"It shouldn't be too hard to visit then. I must say that it escapes me at the moment, when is our next break?" Pericles inquired as he moved onto his second tray of food.

"Both are equally as likely, I presume." Pericles agreed, "Perhaps, such a thing is something that is best left in the sands of history, rather than cemented in the stones of tomorrow. Either way, I digress, have you reached the part in the story with the Vacuoan Fishing Captain, yet?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

"Exactly." Forrest affirmed, nodding in reply. Pericles hit the nail on the head with that one.

"Next break is in about a month. You seem like a good person, so I'd show you around Oakhearth when break starts. Just make sure you're prepared for the journey. he added. Forrest knew the journey out of Oakhearth was perilous enough as it was, though he was certain that nothing would have changed since then. Going in should be relatively similar.

"I don't think I've reached that part yet. What's important about the Vacuan fishing captain?" Forrest questioned.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Pericles bowed gratefully to Forrest, "It'd be an honor to visit your home of Oakhearth. I shall arrange for supplies, equipment I believe I already have handled. Unless of course, we need tools for scaling cliff-sides as well?"

"That I cannot tell you. I do not wish to spoil such a wondrous and storied tale for you. Though, in this instance if you are wondering if I'm somehow related to the captain as well, I am not. Or, at least I'm not aware of the connection if it exists." Pericles told him softly. Pericles' hands reached down to grab more food, only to come up empty.

Looking down, Pericles noticed that his tray was empty. Standing up, he asked Forrest, "I'm going to go grab some more food, want me to pick you up anything?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

"We won't be scaling any cliffs on the way, so there's no need for climbing gear." Forrest replied.

"That's fair." Forrest added. Looking down at his plate, it also seemed to be empty.

"No thanks, I'm full right now." Forrest responded, feeling content in how much he had already eaten. The steak was very filling and very nutritious, and would likely be put to good use the next time he decides to train.

[Pericles Herodotus Ozymandias]

Pericles nodded and stood up from the table, tray in hand. Making his way through the cafeteria, Pericles considered the individual that was Forrest Waldstein.

'A wisely cautious and firmly deliberate person indeed.' Pericles mused, as he slipped through the crowd, most people moving aside in order to not be crushed under his size, 'I cannot yet proclaim any matters of his academic inclinations without indulging in pure conjecture, yet when matters condense to simple judgement and perception, he dines in the halls of kings.'

Stepping into line, Pericles began to stack his tray with kale, rice, and chicken as the workers behind the counter began to refill the warming containers for a second time in the last fifteen minutes, 'Perhaps he could be a stalwart ally in the coming endeavors. Someone with a clear sense of wisdom and understanding of the world at large could ensure a steady path ahead.'