Written in Blood Red Ink

"Falling in love is like the rain. You can't always predict it, but you can always see signs of it before it completely falls."

Chapter 1

Oscar's first memory was of the roses in his aunt's garden. He had loved the pretty red color and without thinking, he had wanted to touch the velvety petals. He grabbed at it with full force, however, he hadn't even thought about the thorns. They had dug into his finger-tips and the palms of his hands, making him recoil in pain. He had cried out and his aunt had come running to quickly fix him up. However, since that day; roses had still been his favorite flower.

The memory had come rushing upon Oscar out of nowhere when he stood with Ozpin, his new mentor, and a vampire, in a den full of the undead. His eyes had been drawn to a girl in a red dress with dark hair and eyes like liquid mercury. Her eyes had been focused on Ozpin though. Oscar knew he should have been afraid. Anyone in that room, even Ozpin could have killed him at any moment if he stepped even a toe out of line. Yet he felt no fear.

Oscar had known he was going to become a vampire eventually, but for some reason, it never bothered him. Maybe it was because he had no one else in the world. However, despite knowing all of this. Despite knowing his standing, he still could only focus on the girl in red.

"Qrow, Tai, I need to speak with you; if the children wouldn't mind waiting in the library," Ozpin said and Oscar was already moving forward to the girl in red before anyone else could begin moving to the library.

"You have silver eyes," Oscar said to her when she approached him and she stood up straighter, her whole body going rigid. Strange, seeing an immortal being reacting like that but adorable none-the-less.

"Uh, thanks," the girl said and then he followed her to the library. Unfortunately, the long walk there only seemed to irritate him and he began to kick himself for the way their introduction had gone. Silver eyes? Really? Could he sound any creepier? Hopefully, the rest of their first meeting could go better.

…

Oscar, since sitting in the library, had learned the names of those around him. Though, the only name that really stuck with him was Ruby, the name of the silver eyed girl. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the only thing he was able to learn about her since they seemed keen on learning about him instead.

He explained how he met Ozpin. How the man had found him two years ago after his aunt died. Oscar had explained how he was supposed to be the next in line as their clan leader. Though, how that worked was still a little foggy to Oscar himself so he couldn't go into too much depth about that. What really had set everyone through the ringer was the fact Oscar was still human.

"Ozpin doesn't see much good in changing me before I'm eighteen and haven't reached my full physical potential," Oscar explained to the others with a shrug at the white-haired woman, Winter's, sudden outburst. "At least that is what he explained to me."

"I thought you smelled different," Ruby mentioned with wide-doe-eyes. "Like the forest after a rainstorm."

Ruby leaned forward then, taking another sniff before relaxing. Oscar could feel the blood rushing up to his cheeks and down his neck. Ruby leaned back then with a small smile. Of course, that was when they were interrupted by the door flying open and the adult opening.

That was the end of their conversation. For then.

…

"So, you have never left the castle before?" Oscar asked with a cocked eyebrow as he jumped the stones in the little stream that went around the garden.

"Never," Ruby admitted as she picked up a long stick, void of all twigs. "But I always wanted to."

"Then why don't you come with Ozpin and me?" Oscar offered, responded before Ruby looked at him with a shocked expression. Oscar flushed again. He almost lost his footing to fall into the water he was so embarrassed. "I mean that is if you want to."

"I don't know if my dad would ever let me," Ruby admitted as she picked up another long stick and tossed it to Oscar. He grabbed it pretty easily. "He's pretty protective of my sister and me."

"Well you can think about it," Oscar said with a shrug before he held the stick up in guard. "But you won't ever know if you don't ask."

…

"I wanna go with Ozpin and Oscar. I wanna see the world." The sudden Outburst at the dinner table almost made Oscar choke on his food. The tension in the air was thought enough to be cut with a knife and Oscar only wanted to sink down in his chair in response.

"Out of the question," Tai had responded with a loud growl. Oscar couldn't even really pay attention to the rest of the argument. The only thing he could see was Ruby next to him and the sad expression she had on her face. More than anything she had wanted to see the world.

"I'll talk to Qrow," Winter said as she stood up and whipped her mouth. "He'll talk some sense into Tai."

Oscar really hoped so.

…

It seemed like a miracle. Ozpin had met with Tai in the early morning hours. They talked about Ruby coming along with them, and finally, they agreed. Of course, Oscar imagined that was how it went. He was honestly asleep the whole time and didn't have much of an idea of what had been going on. The whole week had been a blur of but it was enough that he was excited to be traveling again and picking up Ruby as a traveling companion. It would be nice having someone relatively his age physically, even if she was a hundred or so years older then him.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Ruby said as she hugged her family goodbye. They hugged her close and kissed her cheeks and head goodbye. Oscar could feel a faint sting of jealousy. He would never have something like that. Ozpin must have smelled or sensed or whatever sense he used to know Oscar was in dismay because Oscar suddenly felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Whatever was going to happen now, it certainly wasn't going to be boring.

BRK: New story yay! Anyway, this was supposed to be up Thursday but work happened and I was too tired to finish writing the chapter so you get it today instead. This is a sister fic to my snowbird fic "Till Ashes do we Part" so I'm sorry if the beginning is a little confusing. I will, however, do my best to try and flashback to flesh out any questions people might have about the universe. Until next time let me know what you think! Later Gators!