[Song "Polarize" by 21 Pilots.]

https://youtu.be/7DnFMAc446k

Oscar had made progress in his written accounts of what he'd been learning.

In a way, it helped him sort it out.

He contemplated how it had gone with Shine and Wally when, the day before today, he'd finally talked to them about what he wanted to do.

"I understand now that you wanted to give me the freedom to choose," he told them very seriously. "And I'm grateful for that. It wasn't about pressuring me. But this is serious. You guys worry about me, and it's honestly kind of nice that someone does. But I'm in this--we can't pretend that I'm not. And it probably won't get any better if I back out now."

Wally rubbed his head but didn't speak. Shine just waited for Oscar to finish his thought.

"Also though," Oscar said, "I've been...starting to understand Ozpin a little bit better. Since we've stopped merging, I feel like I can look at him more objectively. He's not me, but I can understand him. He's not a bad guy, overall. I think the curse burdens him. I think Alicia was right, that it was too much and too long, and you're right that it's twisted him up inside. But he's tried to do good things for people, and it's not like he chose for Salem to be there, countering it all for centuries. I still want to help him. I think he should find peace. I know it won't be easy to carry this for more time, and...if Qrow is right, it could affect you too. I guess I should ask if you're okay with it."

"You want to ask us?" Wally was surprised.

"Ah...that is so sweet." Shine put a hand over her heart. "Actually worrying about what we want."

"I just think it's not fair to you if it ruins your lives because we're too late," Oscar said. "If Salem gets the upper hand again here, I might run out of time. I mean...how long can I keep the curse at bay?"

"I don't know the answer to that," Shine said. She looked at her hands. "The trouble with curses is that they are sneaky. If you're willing to carry it, then you need to be aware--it's not just the gods you have to think of. The enemy will try to tempt us in other ways. Forcing you would be brutal, but no one could blame you. But if he can't do that, the enemy will try to trick you into making choices that Ozpin would make, ones in line with the curse and the magic. We've told you not to use magic, but if you do in a moment of weakness, you could set yourself back. But it's not just that. Ozpin's weaknesses are ones you must come to fully understand and identify them in yourself. You are supposed to be like-minded. You might be his better self, now. But you're young, innocent, and that's easy while you're like that. But the things you've gone through are going to break down that innocence if you let them. Anger, envy, despair, I'm sure you've already felt them, but if we experience more setbacks, you know they will get worse."

Oscar flinched.

"I don't want to invite fear," Shine said carefully. "It may be that it won't be a problem...if you stay on the right track. But, Oscar, you will have to do it on purpose. If you're lax, you'll slip; we all slip when we're not actively trying to be good. You can't think that just because we can stop the effects of the magic by force that means it can't still take effect. You must be vigilant. I believe if you are, you have nothing to fear from it. But it will be up to you."

"Ozpin...once asked me what I'd do if you and I disagreed," Oscar said slowly, "the way he and Alicia did... If I was sure I was right and you were wrong, what would I do? I said I wouldn't send you away...but are you worried that I will?"

Wally sighed. "I want to say it couldn't happen," he said, "but I've seen even my best friends tempted to...do stuff they fundamentally believed they shouldn't do."

"The trick with belief, Oscar, is that it's resisted," Shine said seriously. "The world fights it, and our own selves with it, anything that would bring us into line with something better than us. And we have to remember also, the more you advocate for something, the easier it is to doubt it, because honestly, we don't trust our own minds that much anyway. A moment of weakness can make us doubt everything we thought we knew, and that is to be human. True faith is knowing that even when that doubt shows up, you will fall back on what you really believe, once it's passed. I've walked with the Lord for many years now--I still wonder if this is all true sometimes...even though I do this." She gestured around. "But I wonder, am I making it up? Or is God not the way I think He is? Maybe this doesn't work... Maybe there are people I will never reach... You are like me, I think. You want to help everyone...and that's beautiful. But you're going to be hit the hardest when it doesn't work because of that. Every strength has a weakness with it. That's all right, but you must be aware of it and pray that you will not fall to it. You can recover from any fall except the one that convinces you that you don't need help anymore."

Oscar was sober. "I think I need help." 

"Dude," Wally said, "I can't tell you how easy it is to get arrogant even when you know there are tougher guys than you out there. Shine's right. No matter how mature you are, you can always slip. You need people who you can rely on to help you out of it."

"And you have us," Shine said. "But it would be best if you had others also... You're too isolated on the team often, when it comes to telling people what's really on your mind. I'm glad to see you're making some progress there, but don't stop. They need you too. Our goal is not to be the only answers, it's to show you guys the real answers. We won't always be here."

She smiled sadly. "Which is all right, but it means that you should be independent of us as much as you can be once we've covered the basics. We're happy to help you as much as we can, but there will be things only you native dwellers are going to be able to do. It's the way it is."

"What things?" Wally asked her.

"I don't know, I think it's not something you can just put into words," Shine said. "All I know is that I see things at home that I won't away from it, and vice versa. We need both. C. S. Lewis believed strongly that the familiar and unfamiliar were both necessary to have a true perspective on life. I agree with him."

She tugged her hair. "But don't worry too much. This journey lasts the rest of your life. Even if we win, you'll have more to learn. That's why I just try to focus on what you need right now. And you have what you need--just take care not to pick up things you don't need from other people and make them your own. Wisdom is knowing what to imitate and what to do on your own."

"Okay." Oscar nodded. "I'll think about it... Actually...you're saying that I need to know Ozpin's weaknesses so that I don't copy them. About that...something weird happened to me twice in the last few days..."

He told them about the memory visions.

"Weird," Wally said. "But don't you already share Ozpin's memory?'"

"It wasn't like that," Oscar said. "The first time I thought Ozpin set it off, but he says he doesn't think it was him after all. But it wasn't like the memories I share with him--those I feel like are mine too. This was like a video of something. Like I was there but I wasn't."

"A vision," Shine said. She tapped her chin. "I think maybe God or something else is trying to show you what happened. It could be good or bad, but if it's God, I'd say that visions are to help you understand just that--what went wrong...and whatever it was that Alicia was supposed to accomplish here. If Ozpin didn't understand it, maybe you can. And as you're standing in the gap for him, you should know what he needed to hear. It's possible also that it's sort of a way to bridge the gap itself, between Ozpin and Alicia, for you to experience this with him. If they keep happening, try to pick out what might be important about each of them. Writing them down is a good idea. I'm glad you thought of it."

Oscar fingered the book. "I just feel like it's the right thing to do. But they make me sad, too. I wish I could tell her that we're still trying to help and that she wasn't forgotten."

"But she knows, Oscar," Shine said, eyes bright. "We know that she knows. Don't give up. God makes everything come right in the end for those who love Him and who are for His purpose--that's in the Bible. It may not look right now, but you'll see, in the end, it will be right."

Oscar hoped so. But he smiled then. "I'm glad you guys came," he said. "It's... For the first time, I really have a reason to hope that this could work out. And it really shows... I mean, how great is it that someone we don't even know cares that much...and that...this God of yours, is reaching out to us even without us knowing Him? That's pretty amazing."

"It's cool, right?" Wally said.

"'For you did not choose me,'" Shine quoted. "'but I chose you.'" [John 15:9]

She looked upward. "Remember that, Oscar, whatever happens. It's a high honor to be chosen. Many are called, but few are chosen."

She got up and walked to his chair and hugged him. "Remember also that we love you. The bond between DJs and their people is strong. I don't think it ever fully fades. Maybe, in a dark moment, it helps the most to know that people love you. Even if they aren't there. Love is a powerful thing."

Oscar didn't expect to get emotional at that, but if it just wasn't kind of good to hear that after so long...

Wally sighed. "Woman, if you make me cry, I'm going to be really sore about it. I have man points over here."

"Oh, no one but us would know, and we don't care," Shine dismissed it.

Oscar hugged her back awkwardly. "Thanks."

Shine straightened and patted his head. "And even without being a DJ, who couldn't love that cute little face," she kind of killed the coolness factor by adding.

"Oh, brother," Ozpin muttered. "I really don't like being called cute at my age."

"Oh, can it, Oz," Shine said. "It's a compliment. You sound like my sister."

"Ah!" Ozpin was affronted.

Oscar managed to laugh.

"I mean, for that age, he looks pretty good," Wally said.

* * *

"Ren--" Nora interrupted his brooding on that same day, though in their room...well, JNPR's room. "--talk to me. What's going on?... You've been really down ever since Atlas."

Ren shrugged.

"You can talk to me." Nora sat next to him. "I'm always here for you."

"I told you, I'm not that good at talking," Ren said. "Besides, it doesn't seem like anyone wants to hear what I have to say."

Nora put a hand on his shoulder. "I know...it's been difficult to adjust. But things are looking better, right?"

"I don't know," Ren said. "I know I said that we're not qualified to make these decisions, but now we're handing this all over to two people who don't even live in this world. Like they know better. And some other stranger, who was here centuries ago, we're supposed to take her word for it. From a god that has never spoken to any of us and doesn't seem to care about us except when they're here. It just doesn't seem right."

Nora sighed. "I know...but I'm glad to get any help. At least we're not on our own, right?"

"I almost liked it better when we were," Ren said. "We might not know what to do, but it's our world. I think we should decide. I feel like we're being blackmailed into this. That it's like 'do as we say or else,' but we don't know that anything terrible happened because Ozpin rejected her help. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it all would have happened anyway. And even if not, I don't like people telling me what to do who I don't trust or respect."

"You seemed happy to have help in Atlas," Nora said. 

"But that ended badly," Ren said. "We sabotaged ourselves so much..." He lowered his head.

"I'm confused," Nora said. "Who are you mad at, them or us?"

"I don't know." Poor Ren was not a good judge of his own emotions.

[Sure, give him the empath ability, because he's always been so suited to that! Stupid show.]

They sat in silence for a bit.

Pyrrha came in, not seeing them because they were behind one of the beds, listening to music on her scroll.

She'd been copying some of the songs from the DJ broadcast stations onto it.

She unplugged the headphones so she could change clothes behind the partition that they had, and this song began playing off of it.

https://youtu.be/-sO2UMoOaFQ

"Hold on for a minute, 'cause I believe that we can fix this over time. That every imperfection is a lie or at least an interruption.

 Now hold on, let me finish. No, I'm not saying perfect exists in this life. But we'll only know for certain if we try ...

  The list goes on forever of all the ways I could be better, in my mind. As if I could earn God's favor given time--or at least congratulations.

  Now I have learned my lesson. The price of this so-called perfection is everything. I spend my whole life searching desperately, to find out grace requires nothing of me... 

I hold it all more loosely, and yet somehow much more dearly. 'Cause I spend my whole life searching desperately to find out that grace requires nothing, grace requires nothing, of me."

[Sleeping at Last is underrated, and let me tell, you this song hits home for me.]

Ren didn't even get what part of it was about, but somehow the tune and words about perfection got to him. He looked a little watery.

Nora sniffled. "That's actually really pretty," she admitted. "Pyrrha, what is that?"

Pyrrha gave a jump as she came out wearing more lounge-appropriate clothes. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were in here." She grabbed her scroll to turn the music off.

"I mean, we were the ones who didn't say anything," Nora said. "But I liked that song you were just playing. What was it?"

"It's called 'One'," Pyrrha said. "It really is almost other worldly, isn't it?"

"One what?" Nora asked.

"I don't know," Pyrrha said. "Shine might know. It's from their CDs... Well, anyway I should probably go."

"Pyrrha, you've gotten into this whole thing, right?" Nora asked.

Pyrrha paused, then she figured out what Nora meant.

"Yes," she nodded.

"And Jaune, he has too," Nora said.

"Yes, I think so," Pyrrha said. "I mean...he didn't say that to me, but he's been showing interest in it, and he seems convinced."

She flushed a little.

"Maybe we're being bad teammates." Nora glanced at Ren. "I mean, we have never asked you why you're so sure and given you a chance to explain. Maybe that would help." She nudged Ren.

Ren nodded. "Maybe."

Pyrrha sat down on one of the beds. 

"Hey, why did you come in here anyway?" Nora said.

"I left my clothes in here," Pyrrha said. "Funny, right? I just came in here automatically earlier... I was kind of hoping no one would notice."

"Maybe it's a sign you should just join us again," Nora said.

"I would, but I think that Miss Likstar and Emerald might be more comfortable if there was a third person in there with them," Pyrrha said. "I feel bad for Emerald, though. She has nightmares still. I don't think she thinks we hear her waking up, but it's hard to miss it."

"Nightmares about what?" Nora asked.

"She didn't specify, but I'd guess the things she's seen working for Salem," Pyrrha said. "Anyway, what should I tell you?"

"I mean...for starters, what is it you actually have accepted about this?" Nora asked. "You buy that there's three gods?"

"I'm starting to really think there is only one," Pyrrha said. "And I am buying it, in your words. While we were in Underland, I felt something was guiding me to the way out. We found it by following that voice...and then, Alicia, she showed up and confirmed it. I don't see any need for more proof. I did a lot of thinking while we were down there, about what I want. I'm not choosing this because I feel I have to, after being given life. It's because I want to. I want to be on the side of Something that would do that for people...and die for them and teach them to love each other, instead of fighting and fearing. Somehow, it's more like it's something I've always known, I've always wanted, and I never had a name to put to it. For all the stories, the gods of Light and Darkness ended up being cruel and petty and selfish. They don't teach people, they punish them." She made a fist. 

"And they abandoned them. Not even a human being would do that if they were good. When Ozpin has more honor than them, you know that we're in trouble. By contrast, this new God, He came to people Himself and showed them what He meant, and He died for them. And He rose again, which is apparently why we can also. He is still guiding us and sending us help, even though we did not even know Him. I'd rather serve that. To be honest, I don't even care who created this planet anymore. Probably the gods lied about it, but even if they did make us, they must just have copied it, because we see there are humans in other worlds also. And animals. Nothing here is original. It doesn't matter. They aren't worth following. I wouldn't even care if I did get punished for that. What can they do anyway that this One cannot do?"

She sounded so sure that it struck Nora and Ren as odd that they hadn't seen it that way before.

"But how did a god die?" Ren asked.

"That...I'm not sure," Pyrrha said. "He became human, for a while, but this is something I don't fully understand. Somehow I believe it though, because I think...it has to be. What else could so perfectly explain it? Shine and Wally are sort of doing the same thing He did, I think, coming to a world that isn't theirs and trying to help people who aren't theirs either. They must do it because He did it first. They may not be gods, but they can act with the same authority because of that power, and I think that makes sense. It's not that far from what we do as huntsmen because of the council, even how Salem gets Grimm to obey her because she is like the god of darkness, even is she is not him. That's not a very nice example, but...well, Ruby has the god of light's gift also. They just have the God's, so they seem to be stronger than us. I think it all comes out evenly."

"That is kind of hard to argue with," Nora said. "Even if it didn't, though, it sounds nicer. I mean, better to talk about love and self sacrifice than...old curses and immortality. At least those are things I can kind of understand."

"Pyrrha..." Ren said slowly, "I'd be...happy for you that you have something that you think makes sense to you and it's making you happier... I'm just worried that in the end, you'll be punished. The gods are still powerful. Yours might be nice, but He's not here in person. Who would stop them if they got angry and returned? I don't think those two World Walkers are strong enough. Not if they can't even stop Salem."

"Can't or won't?" Pyrrha said. "I'm not sure they can't. I know that they don't want to."

"Why not?" Nora said.

"I don't know," Pyrrha said. "Shine only says that it's not the point. I don't know if I care about stopping Salem anymore."

"Pyrrha!" Ren was shocked. "We have to. She's a menace. She's dangerous."

"Ren," Pyrrha said, "if I've learned one thing for dying and coming back and hearing the truth, it's that we are dangerous. Consider this: Salem has killed none of the people directly that we've been angry about--except Ruby's mother, perhaps, but we can't even be sure that was Salem and not someone else... Even then, Summer would have gone to her. But Salem was always just waiting for us to kill each other, or to let the Grimm do it because we get angry and afraid. Salem used to be human. So did Ozpin... He's still human. Aren't we kidding ourselves if we say that she's really the problem?"

Pyrrha might have been ready to admit that, but Ren wasn't.

"She's a monster," he said.

Pyrrha didn't usually push things.

"All right," she said gently. "Maybe that's true... Well...um, Jaune and I are going to go to a movie, since we're done with patrol for today, if you want to join us. Maybe we'll invite team RWBY also."

"Sure," Nora said. "We'll think about it."

Pyrrha left.

* * *

The movie theater was pretty empty. Apparently not many people in Vacuo had money to spare for movie tickets--probably some of them had snuck in anyway.

The movie playing was about some superhero-type character.

"Does this strike you as kind of like Mr. West's powers?" Jaune asked Pyrrha at one point.

"Yeah..." Pyrrha was thinking the same thing.

Ruby and Weiss had tagged along. Blake was off with Sun somewhere, and Yang was actually with her dad. Oscar had come also, but he seemed a little nervous about sitting next to the girls.

The movie was actually a double feature, but Pyrrha got up at the short intermission to get more snacks.

She actually ran into someone who was standing outside the room where the people who play the films sit. Someone who wearing a cape and high boots.

Pyrrha had stepped on the edge of the cape in the dark.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said.

"Watch where you're going, carrot 🥕 top." The person looked up, it was a woman...one with a deep voice.

It was hard to see her in the dark, but the glint of her gold jewelry and goldish-purple eyes.

"Sorry," Pyrrha repeated.

"Pyrrha Nikos?" The woman squinted at her suddenly. "Oh...wow...I've seen you on TV."

"Oh..." Pyrrha said.

"And on the back of that one cereal box... What was it? Pumpkin Patty's?..." the woman added.

"Oh..." Pyrrha said, much more deflated. She was never going to live that down.

"What are the odds of running into you here?" the woman said. "You're not bad, kid. But, little tip, you should probably consider using your Semblance when you fight."

"I do actually, just only slightly," Pyrrha said.

The woman's eyes flickered.

"I get it, pal, the humble act," she said. "Don't want to look too showy. Hey, maybe that works for some opponents, but let me let you in on something." She leaned in and said, in a rather dramatic tone, Pyrrha thought, "Sometimes you gotta let people know what you're really capable of. If you really want them to see who you are. Also, if you want to be a huntress, the Grimm take no prisoners, and they don't forfeit. They don't care if you've got fancy tricks. Raw power is all that matters to Grimm. Don't be a dumba-- about it."

She actually flicked Pyrrha in the forehead, which was really weird for a total stranger to do.

"Well, see you around, Invincible Girl," she said, walking out of the theater.

Pyrrha rubbed her forehead. "What a strange woman," she said.

* * *

"Vara, what were you doing out of the booth?" Theo came looking for her.

"I just wanted to use the restroom. Is that a crime now?" Vara snapped at him.

"I..." Theo said. "Look, there's still people here. No one noticed you, right?"

"No one who matters." Vara shrugged irritably. "You think I'd expose myself like that?"

"Vara, have you looked at yourself lately?" Theo said. "That get up doesn't go unnoticed by people."

"Jealous of my hotness?" Vara said. "And a blue, plaid tailcoat is the epitome of inconspicuous, jackass?"

"You're just so--" Theo stopped. "Well, let's just go."

"No way. I'm finishing the movie," Vara said. "I want to see if that guy with the bear claws ever finds his past. He kind of reminds me of some people I know. We haven't been out on the town in half a year, and you are not getting paranoid and ruining it for me."

"Fine." Theo rolled his eyes. "By the way, the fights in this movie? Totally fake. No one fights like that. They don't even use Aura."

"It's called Science Fiction for a reason," Vara said. "Duh. That's what makes it fun--no one would ever have those powers in real life."

[Ha ha...yeah, imagine that... *Looks at Wally.*]

"Better than magic," Vara added.

"Shhh," Theo hissed.

"Oh, I can say that," Vara said. 

Sneaking back into the booth, Theo said, "Well, this does take me back, arguing and fighting about stuff. Just like 13 years ago."

"My unlucky number." Vara could be really mean sometimes.

"You were lucky I didn't kill you," Theo said.

"Like you weren't scared like a little b----," Vara said.

Theo snorted in derision.

But he remembered it like it was yesterday...

* * *

[Cue flashback music.]

Theo had spent weeks trying to track down the new Maiden after she'd fled Vacuo.

He wasn't looking to protect her though. He'd learned that the previous Maiden died an untimely death, and the wrong person had received the powers, not the person they intended...and that person had mysteriously disappeared too.

It was easy to put it together. This new Maiden had to be working for that crazy witch.

He knew she wouldn't be that good at using her powers yet, and he intended to take care of this before he broke the news to the other guardians that things hadn't gone as expected. He would capture this new Maiden, and send her to Ironwood to test out the new tech he'd been working on on the sly--or maybe to Victoria. That crazy woman always had said she'd find some way to transfer Aura.

They could pick a new Maiden, one who deserved it, and that would be that.

Using his Semblance to track the person he knew was the Maiden, a Vara Sol... Gosh, she used to be a student. Who knew she'd end up working for them after all this time?... Actually he'd never met her before. She was three years behind him, and he'd been running errands for Ozpin before she'd ever gotten licensed--but still, one of their own huntsmen.

He found her in one of the border towns between Vacuo's desert and Mistral's capital limits.

She'd gotten pretty far in a few weeks. Maybe she thought she could run to the outer lands and hide herself. Idiot, that never worked.

He tracked her to an abandoned farm... Never a good sign, but if you wanted to stay out of anyone's notice...

The farm had one of those small scottie dogs painted on the sign outside it, which seemed too cheerful, considering how dismal it was.

Theo pulled out one of his many weapons and crept up to the house.

The Maiden blended into it with her earthy tones, and it took him a minute to realize she was sitting on the roof.

He looked up.

She looked down at him. Then her eyes narrowed... Of course she'd know who he was. Most Vacuo students did.

She guessed why he was here.

She stood up, and her eyes shot out purple fire.

Overhead, clouds appeared, and the wind began to pick up.

"Not going down without a fight, eh?" Theo said. "All right, I respect that. But I gotta tell you, girlie, that I've seen a few of you in my time, and you're way too green to be much more than a joke--"

Before he could even finish that, the wind swirled up so much stronger around him and formed a kind of vortex.

The woman screamed like a war cry as she tried to control it.

"Hey, are you crazy?--" Theo yelled, but the wind took the words from his mouth.

He got snatched up from the ground, and he wasn't sure what followed that point, but he thought the roof of the house got mostly torn off, and the Maiden got caught up in her own storm, and both of them got flung several hundred yards out into the open countryside, till abruptly the swirling tunnel spat them to.

Theo landed in a tree, and his hair and clothes both got caught in it, while his knife went thudding to the ground, as he was too dizzy to hang onto it.

When his eyes stopped spinning, he saw Vara Sol was standing in front of the tree, panting but with clouds over her head again.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of the tree...but it was pretty bare, in a summer drought, and nothing caught on fire.

"Next one goes into the tree, a--h---," Vara said, eyes still blazing. "I didn't kill the last Maiden, and I don't know who did. But the h--- am I taking a hit for her. I don't care if you believe it or not, I'm not getting shanked in this godsforsaken wasteland by some two-bit schoolmaster who can barely even shave and is probably wearing his uncle's boots."

She held up her hand. "Move out of the tree, I dare you."

Theo glanced at her, then at the ground, then at the clouds.

Then he grinned.

https://youtu.be/ipLRRzJ9sWg

[There's a lot of songs I could use here, but this one seemed like a humorous choice to me.]

"I believe you," he said.

Vara raised an eyebrow at him.

"No one talks that kind of s--- if they're not serious," Theo said. "D---, woman, you have that kind of control in 3 or 4 weeks? Maybe you won't suck as much for this role as I thought. Hey, I'll make you a deal. I won't try to take you in, and you don't set this tree on fire while I'm still in it. But if you could just hand me my knife back so I can cut this branch out of my hair here, that'd be great."

Vara glanced at the knife, then she picked it up and threw it, slicing the branch clean off and letting Theo drop to the ground.

[Sure is a lot of falling out of trees in this story.]

"Thanks," Theo wheezed. He sat up. "Vara Sol, right?"

She nodded warily.

"Theodore Rhodes." Theo stuck out his hand. "So you're not on the evil witch's side after all?"

"H--- no," Vara said.

"And I've never heard of you," Theo said. "You want to find some place less exposed and explain to me just how you got the powers?"

Vara glanced around.

"Give me your utility belt first," she said.

"Whoa, lady, usually a girl at least takes me to dinner first," Theo said.

Wind picked up behind him again, snapping a twig off the trees.

"I know how you fight," Vara said. "But you don't have a combat based Semblance, do you? Give me the belt, and I'll consider it."

"Tough sell?" Theo said. "All right...you know, I like a woman who's kind of dangerous. Might be a mistake, but I'll play along."

He took it off and tossed it at her.

She caught it with some surprise.

"Now, assuming you don't kill me in the next 5 seconds, can I hear the story?" Theo said.

Vara relaxed ever so slightly. "As long as you don't ask me what's my favorite fairy tale." 

[Do you get it? Because Theodore is a genderbent, deviant type Dorothy? And Vara is the cyclone... Bet you didn't see that twister coming. Ha ha.]