A/N: So, I started this right after s6e8 came out, however the subsequent episodes came out faster than I had spare time to write. Those episodes never really sat well with me, so I'll be coming back and at the very least finishing this out to when we arrive at Atlas, possibly beyond.
Rating set to M for several reasons, including alcohol use, violence and language, and *ahem* grownup content...
Of course, everyone would be worried about Oscar. It's not his fault what the professor did, what he hid from us, but he's still in Oscar's head... somewhere. I understand why he left. Jaune may have been out of line, attacking him like that, but after what we all learned I can imagine Oscar's been having that same fight in his head for weeks. Argus is a big place though, and there's no way Ruby would let him struggle through this alone.
Ruby. Since Yang and I reunited with her and the rest of team JNPR, she's been... different? Its still hard to put my finger on it, but she has grown since Beacon. We all have, I suppose, but this has got to be a lot harder on her than she lets on. I can tell, whenever I look into her eyes, I recognize the fascade she puts up. Its the same I would see whenever I'd look into a mirror as a child.
When everyone sets out to search for Oscar, Weiss finds herself still very much distracted by her thoughts. Walking through the streets of Argus in a vain attempt at spotting him, she finds her eyes more drawn to the rest of the people she passes by. Women and men set about their daily lives, some alone, some in small gatherings chatting about whatever they talk about here, and some paired up. Her eyes linger on the clasped hands of a passing couple. Closing her eyes with a sigh once they've gone, Weiss inhales sharply and tells herself to pull it together and snaps her eyes back open, trying to refocus. A bar, its sign swinging slowly by one of its two hinges, was naturally where she had stopped. Resigned to her loss of control of her own swimming thoughts, Weiss puts her hand on the door.
Chilled drink in hand, Weiss steps slowly through the bar, looking for a place to sit and think. Walking past one of the tables, she's snapped to by a familiar voice, "Congratulations Princess, you can tell Ruby you found m-" Qrow's words cut short when he notices the glass. "Oh." Meeting her gaze, he rises up from his seat and gestures to the chair across from his. Weiss, somehow not surprised by the sudden display of proper manners, half-smiles and takes her seat, Qrow following suit.
"At least my sister had some effect on you, apparently" she chides, taking a sip of her drink. "You're still slouching."
Qrow flashes a smile and lifts his glass, his fourth if the empties on the table were any indication, "Heh, Winter is quite the piece of work." With a wink his glass is drained and he motions to the waitress for fresh ones for the two of them. "So, Ruby doesn't know you're here, does she? You know she'll worry, kid."
"I know." Weiss watches the ice cubes floating in her glass , "they're all out looking for Oscar though, so it'll be fine." She closes her eyes and drains the glass, the alcohol's warmth spreading to her cheeks almost instantly. "Speaking of Ruby," her gaze meets his, then quickly darts away, "I have a plan for getting us to Atlas. I don't know if she'd like it though." Thanking the waitress, she drinks half before continuing, "and I am positive Yang won't."
As if on que her scroll lights up, Ruby's silver eyes staring back at her through the image. Qrow studies Weiss' face as she silences and puts the scroll away with a cringe. "I'm not sure Tai would be too thrilled about this idea either..." he raises his glass to her, "So, tell me your plan, kiddo."
"I knew splitting up was a bad idea! What if something happened to her? Emerald and Mercury are still out there, what if they kidnapped her? Or wo-" Yang stops her sister's pacing and panicking with a hug, taking the wind out of both her sails and her lungs.
"I'm sure she's fine, sis." releasing her hold on Ruby, Yang holds her at arms length. "If she were in trouble she'd call, or explode something. She's okay, okay?"
Ruby's expression shifts only slightly, "I know, but what if I pushed her to far? I know she left Atlas to get away from her family and now we have to go right back there!" she hesitates, then softly adds, "What if she ran away?" Her pleading eyes search Yang's for understanding.
Speechless, Yang can only furrow her brow and rest her forehead against Ruby's. Blake breaks the silence with a hot cup of chamomile tea, a soft hand on Ruby's shoulder, and a remorseful tone. "She wouldn't. She's not like me."
"Blake-" Ruby takes the tea and turns to her.
Yang meets Blakes gaze, "Ruby, Weiss once told me that we each have our own version of loneliness... that Blake leaving was to protect us from her past. That the moment she stopped trying to protect us from it, she had been proven right." Her voice cracks toward the end, and she turns back to her sister, "But she also told me that we are her family. Have faith in her, okay?"
Crestfallen, Ruby holds the teacup in both hands and steps away from the two, "You're right, I know. I'm just worried about her is all. Thanks for the tea, Blake." She takes a sip and looks toward the deck at the back of the house, "I think I'll stay up a bit longer, you two should get some sleep."
Silently nodding, Yang takes her sister's advice, suddenly drained from the emotional rollercoaster they all just rode. As always, she and Blake make eye contact as she passes, but this time its Yang to break first and look away. The two watch as she disappears upstairs.
"She really does love you, ya know?" Ruby's voice softens a bit, "I told you we were glad you're back." The two share a brief smile before Ruby turns and steps out to the patio.
Blake's gaze lifts to the top of the stairs.
"Yeah, me too..."
"You're certain they're still there?"
"Yes ma'am, the Atlas military isn't allowing anyone access, so they'll have to find another way to get to Atlas." Unlike many of her other underlings, who out of fear or ambition would embellish on their reports, Salem has only rarely had reason to doubt in Hazel's word.
The floating grimm shudders as she speaks through it, "Good, we can still recover from the debacle at Haven then." Salem's gaze shifts past Hazel to Mercury, "You two will make up for Cinder's failure, and retrieve my artifact. Hazel, if the children are there, then the other Bronwyn will be there as well. Collect him for me, its time to put Ozpin's pet to better use."
Without waiting for a response, Salem breaks communication and stares across the broken landscape of her domain. Far below her, the black pools continue to churn as they work to spawn her newest batch of monstrosities.