Disclaimer: RWBY and League of Legends belong to Rooster Teeth and Riot Games respectively. I do not own the characters or settings used, I'm just a fan that fell in love with a pairing.

Chapter 3: More Than Meets The Eye

The barkeep wiped down the counter for what felt like the millionth time since he opened the inn. He took pride in doing such a mundane task, especially since being able to do such a chore meant that he was still in business. It certainly was the little things in life that kept you going, and sometimes those little things lead to much larger ones. An example of that being his establishment being filled with patrons, so much so that he had to unfortunately turn some away this morning.

Wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, the tall man gazed upon the several denizens enjoying breakfast. Eye contact was made on occasion, and he made sure to flash a warm smile when necessary. It was always nice when the Blossom festival was held somewhere nearby. It meant that both new and old faces would appear at the several tables within the sturdy wooden building. Many hailed from different areas of not only Ionia, but Runeterra as a whole. As the main face people would see, the barkeep made sure to make everyone feel welcome.

He watched as a raven-haired man steadily approached the counter with a Lhotlan Vastayan in tow. The pair of travelers were easy to recognize from the night before as they had made it just in time to claim the last available room. It also helped that Vastaya were rare sights to behold nowadays.

"Hey buddy, I have a quick question," the man began, his voice a bit gruff, "how much would you say that the pillows you have in your rooms cost?"

That was certainly an odd question, and definitely one the the bald man had not heard before. There was nothing special about the pillows he supplied each room with, they were as generic as everything else in there.

"I'd say about two gold each," he heard himself answer, "why do you ask?"

"Sleeping on the ground while traveling is doing a number on my neck," the raven-haired traveler explained while rolling his head around to emphasize his point. "The cushions in that room felt so comfortable I figured they would cost more."

"Perhaps the long days of travel have made you appreciate the simple things you don't always have access to," he replied.

The traveler seemed to think on it for a second before finally nodding his head in agreement. He then turned toward the door and began to make his way out, but he waited for his companion who placed a few gold coins and the key to the room they used on the counter.

"That's for our breakfast," she said simply before following her partner. Just before she was out of earshot, the Vastayan looked over her shoulder to share five more words in the same tone, "it's pinned to the ceiling."

It would be more than apt to say the whole interaction was somewhat bizarre, but when you tended a bar most nights, you got used to these interactions. Shrugging it off, the barkeep collected the coins and counted them in his head. An eyebrow was raised as he realized that there were two coins extra. Normally he would've called them back to return the money, but when he looked up, the pair of travelers were already gone.

Deciding to recall the previous conversation to possibly understand where the extra two gold came from, the bald man became curious. He called over one of his workers to watch the counter before heading down the hall and entering the room that matched the key. Upon opening the door he noticed that one of the beds was indeed missing a pillow. Not a second later he caught a soft white plume gracefully floating down from the ceiling.

The man's eyes followed the path the plume had taken on its way to the floor and in doing so he found the missing cushion. As the Vastayan had said, it was pinned to the ceiling by a feather that matched the ones on her large wing. He reached up to grab it and the feather turned into dust, allowing the pillow to fall flat on the man's face.

The life of an innkeeper was never dull.


I'm going to miss those two gold pieces," Qrow remarked as he stepped out of the building and into the fresh morning air.

"Maybe you shouldn't challenge my reflexes in the morning," Xayah replied in a flat tone.

"You call it challenging someone's reflexes, the rest of the world calls it waking someone up," the huntsman teased.

"I thought we established that I didn't need, 'waking up'," the Vastayan paused for a moment before continuing, "at the very least you said that you were no longer going to do it."

"I know you're not immune to sarcasm."

"Well throwing things at me is never the best way to get something done."

Qrow smirked, "well you're up aren't you?"

The huntsman watched Xayah roll her golden irises, an expression that he was sure he'd get used to seeing. She seemed to decide to drop the insignificant subject before it carried on any further. Unfortunately for her, her companion had one last comment.

"And as favorable of a position as it may be, having you on top of me again is something I'd like to avoid," he winked.

She didn't even give him the satisfaction of acknowledging the statement, and instead she began to walk toward the general store nearby. The huntsman quickly followed after her with a rueful smile on his face and his hands behind his head. He blocked her path before handing her his pouch of gold.

"My guess is that we're going to be traveling for a while, so I'm going to need you to get me a few things," Qrow stated.

"You think I'm going to run your errands?" Xayah replied, crossing her arms while raising an eyebrow.

"We both want to be out of here as fast as possible, so the more you help, the faster we're back on the road," the huntsman reasoned, "I'll be getting my clothes fixed and that hopefully shouldn't take too long. We'll meet near the entrance to the village when we're done."

The Vastayan eventually nodded and after Qrow listed off what he needed, she entered the store. That left him to visit the home adjacent to it as he had been instructed the night before. On the outside, it didn't look too special, but once inside it was obvious that it was a tailor's shop. Clothes were displayed on mannequins and folded neatly on shelves along with several materials that were for sale. All was silent save for the sound of a bell that was rung when the door opened, and the gentle ticking of a reliable clock that was placed on a wall.

"Give me a moment, I'll be right out," a voice stated from another room.

The huntsman looked around without interest for a few moments, the sound of his shoes meeting the wooden floor was added to the small area. All of the attire on display seemed to follow the same fashion that those native to this village wore. However, each piece was quite unique in its own way. A gold trim here, a floral print there, it was all art in a way.

Footfalls from another pair of shoes caused Qrow to look up in time to see a man enter the room. His hair was completely gray save for a few stray strands that refused to succumb to age. The wrinkles on his face weren't very defined, and he dressed in what most would describe as a dignified manner.

"How may I help you sir?" the man, presumably the tailor, asked in a warm tone. The huntsman could feel blue eyes examining him as he spoke, no doubt paying extra attention to the damage to his clothing.

"Ousuke, right?" Qrow asked to gauge how formal of a tone he should use. After receiving a nod, he continued, "Ahri told me that you could take care of my clothing."

The tailor's placid expression quickly changed to a mixture of confusion, understanding, and sorrow. He didn't respond immediately, taking some time to look at the wooden paneling below his shoes before he nodded once more and turned toward a doorway at the back of the room.

"Please follow me," the warm tone remained, but there was a slight hint of melancholy added to it.

The huntsman followed the tailor without any further comments. All the while, gears turned in his head as he tried to figure out the sudden change in tone and expression. Is Ahri his daughter? Unlikely, she was clearly some sort of fox Vastaya and he only looks human. His past lover? Maybe, better not mention anything too specific about the conversation I had with her. As he walked forward he continued to consider the possible connection between this man and the woman that referred him here.

It all came to a halt when he was guided into what looked to be a living room that had several paintings that adorned the walls, a large one among them was of Ahri. She was gazing intently at a white flower that she held in her hands while nine white tails flowed gently behind her. Her attire was identical to the outfit that was visible under her cloak the night before, and she had a cheerful smile on her face. Whoever painted the extraordinary work of art had put in extra effort in making sure her golden eyes were as radiant and lifelike as possible.

"One of the best, don't you think?" the tailor's voice tore Qrow out of his trance. He hadn't noticed the older man leave the room or return with an extra set of clothes bundled in his arms. He could swear he saw a tear in one his blue eyes before it was quickly blinked away.

"I'd say so," the huntsman agreed with the ghost of a smile on his lips. While not being someone who examined art regularly, he could still appreciate the amount of patience and skill it took to create masterpieces.

The tailor handed over the black clothing in his hands, "change into these so I can work on the damaged ones you are wearing."

Qrow headed into a separate room before doing as instructed. The clothing he was given was quite plain, but it fit perfectly. Unfortunately, the pair of pants lacked pockets, so he was forced to simply hold onto his belongings which included his wallet, Scroll, flask, scythe that remained in sword form, and two vials of Dust. He gently slid the vials into the separate belt loops of his pants, before covering them with his shirt. It wasn't until now that he realized how useful such a simple part of clothing could be.

When he re-entered the living room area he found the tailor sitting patiently with several different threads and needles. A pair of spectacles now sat on his nose, and he began his work almost immediately. His display of care and precision was more than enough assurance for Qrow to believe he was in the company of a real professional. After propping his weapon up against a low table, the huntsman took a seat.

"So, tell me about yourself," Ousuke requested after a brief silence.

"Pardon?" the raven-haired swordsman asked, slightly caught off guard.

"Well by the look of your clothes I can see that you're not from around here. Also, these slashes didn't form themselves, so I figured you had a good story."

"I guess I'm just a bit of a lost soul at the moment, traveling to find myself and appreciate what I've taken for granted all my life," Qrow answered easily. It was the same way he would respond to similar inquiries he received on Remnant while he was working in the field. This time there was more literal truth to it though, despite slowly getting accustomed to Runeterra, he still felt quite lost.

"Oh is that so," there was a glint in the older man's eyes, "I must say that I can relate to that feeling all too well. I don't think it's coincidence that I was around your age when I went through the same thing."

How old does he think I am? The huntsman thought to himself before replying with a simple, "oh?"

Ousuke continued with a smile, "well yes, I think when someone gets closer to reaching mid-life they start really considering their priorities and values. Am I happy with how things are? Are there things left that I want to experience? Could I be happier somewhere else, and for the married, with someone else? These were all questions I know that I had."

Qrow had to admit that he never really considered any of those questions, so in a way, that meant he was perfectly content with how things were right? He mentally scoffed at himself, did people who were content with how things were drink to forget? For some reason I doubt that. Perhaps after he was back on Remnant and whenever things slowed down, if they ever did, he'd consider humoring these notions of looking for something better.

He mused for a while longer, but when his focused returned to the present, he realized the man sitting in front of him was waiting for a response.

"Sorry," the swordsman replied sheepishly, "it seems I got lost there for a moment, could you repeat that again?"

The tailor chuckled, "it's quite alright. All I said was that I was out of the specific thread necessary to mend your clothes until just a day ago when a trader arrived. You could call it chance, but it could also be fortune smiling upon you and letting you know you're in the right place."

Qrow grimaced at the word 'fortune' and suddenly he wished that he hadn't asked Ousuke to repeat himself. The irony was never lost on him when he heard that word or any of its synonyms, and as if right on cue, his semblance spoke for itself when the tailor pricked himself with his needle. There was no blood though, and the man simply laughed it off while calling the small tool 'lively'.

With the conversation dying down, Qrow couldn't help but look around the living room once more. It had a wooden floor just like the front room that posed as the store area, and it had several fancy throw rugs decorating it. The huntsman wondered if the tailor had the ability to make those decorations himself, but he couldn't be sure. His clothes sat on a large mahogany table in the middle of the room where Ousuke was mending the fabric. Two neatly organized bookcases sat next to the doorway that lead back into the store, but Qrow's attention eventually returned to the paintings hanging on the walls.

Now that his focus wasn't solely on the portrait of Ahri, he was able to identify the other works of art. There were several set pieces, Tevasa Mountain at sunset, a placid lake surrounded by a forest, and other things of that nature. The paintings that piqued the huntsman's interest were the ones of other people, two in particular. One was of a woman who looked to be in her early twenties if the picture was anything to go off of. She must've been in some sort of flight program as the clothing she wore just screamed aviator. Brunette hair flowed out of her yellow cap that matched her coat, and the brown set of goggles on her head matched her boots. This woman looked like she could be the tailor's daughter, she had a pair of cool-blue eyes that matched the fabric of the pants she wore.

Just like the painting of Ahri, this artist truly captured emotion and seemed to make the pair of eyes come to life with the amount of detail put in. There was some personality thrown in with the beautiful smile the woman had on her face as she gave a mock salute.

The second painting that caught the huntsman's attention was one of a man who looked to be around the same age as the woman. Like her, he also had the family's blue eyes, but he had raven-colored hair instead. His attire didn't say much about him as it was rather plain, a simple baggy white shirt under a black overcoat that matched the color of his pants. The length of his hair was much longer than Qrow's, and the man had grown out his beard.

Eventually his gaze returned to the painting of Ahri, as he tried to figure out more about her as if it were as simple as looking. Each work of art was amazing in its own way, but this portrait of the beautiful Vastayan was easily a cut above the rest. Whoever had put their brush to that canvas had a strong affinity towards that woman.

"How did you meet her?" Ousuke asked, breaking a silence that admittedly felt much longer than it truly was.

"She came to me," Qrow began, "I was simply sitting in the room I rented over at the inn, and then I heard someone tap on my window. At first I thought it was just the wind, or something I imagined, but it happened again shortly after. I checked, and sure enough there she was, standing outside my window."

"Ah," the man simply nodded.

"How do you know her?"

Ousuke didn't respond immediately, when he did he started with a short sigh, "she and my son were lovers, one would say they were made for each other. Not only that, but without knowing, every family in this village owes their lives to her."

Everyone here owes their lives to her? That was a pretty strong claim, there was clearly more about her than what met the eye. "How's that?" the huntsman voiced his question.

"Well, as most know, there was a lot of carnage during the war between Noxus and Ionia. Stories of villages being ransacked spread like the fires Noxus set ablaze within our natural forests. Everyone was always on edge and especially wary of travelers, sometimes we went as far as denying entry to this village. However, we were never attacked," Ousuke paused for a moment before continuing. "Many attributed it to luck, or their religion smiling down on them, but my family knew better thanks to my eldest daughter." He pointed to the portrait of the woman saluting in aviator gear.

War between a nation called Noxus, and Ionia. Qrow made a mental note as he hummed in acknowledgement to show he was still intently listening.

"At the time she was aspiring to join the Ionian military, they would've gladly taken another person to send to the front lines, but my son, her mother, and I managed to talk her out of it. I truly believe to this day that if she had joined, she would no longer be with this us. However, she was a stubborn one, and she joined the town's guard instead."

Another pause.

"One day she was out scouting, there had been some rumors that the Noxian army was getting closer, and soon we'd have have to take up our own arms. Whether she planned to fight them on her own, or just quell the rumors, I still don't know."

"Do you think she'd actually try to take an army on by herself?" Qrow finally interjected. The prospect was quite naive, but he couldn't help but think of his redheaded niece when he heard it. He remembered when she had asked him to teach her how to wield a scythe when she started at Signal. He had laughed at first, but she continued to ask, no, beg him to teach her. The little pipsqueak had guts, that much was clear, and eventually after a year of begging, he caved.

"With the fire that burns in her heart, I wouldn't doubt it," the man chuckled. "My little Mizuki would move mountains if necessary, although she isn't so little anymore I suppose. After the war ended she joined the Ionian military as she said she would, but I seem to be getting sidetracked." He cleared his throat, "while she was out scouting she saw Ahri, who at the time was dating my son. Naturally, Mizuki wanted to make sure she was safe, so she followed her. In doing so she got her first real taste of bloodshed. Ahri had found a group of Noxian scouts, and using my daughters words, 'she quite literally ripped them apart.'"

"So the scouting party that potentially could have lead to this village's destruction was killed by Ahri before they got too close." Qrow understood.

Ousuke nodded, "not only that, but my daughter was clearly not ready for the bloodshed war would bring, and she fainted on the spot. Ahri found her soon after and carried her all the way back here, and for that I give my eternal gratitude."

"She wasn't ready for blood, but she still eventually joined the military anyway?"

"Well she waited a few years, that portrait was painted the day she was sent off to the capital city. She has grown a lot since then."

The huntsman thought about the story for a bit, and that made him wonder if all Vastaya were capable in combat. Ousuke spoke about his daughter as if she were still clearly alive, and that was a good sign. However, he remembered that he had said 'were' when he spoke about his son and Ahri.

"I assume that painting is of your son?" Qrow indicated toward the portrait of the raven-haired man.

"It is, he was an artist, one that was always improving due to never being happy with his work. The only painting I've seen him be content about is the one of his lover."

"Was?"

Ousuke immediately became somber, the expression of sadness from earlier returned to his face, "he is in a better place now. It has been a few years since he passed, but I still miss him every single day."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," the huntsman quickly apologized.

"It's fine, he is always in the back of my mind," the skilled tailor admitted, "he was out traveling with Ahri in search of inspiration for his work when it happened. His body contracted a strange disease while they were in the mountains, and the nearest sign of civilization was miles away. Ahri tried to find some sort of cure, but the time she had to do so was far too short."

The man let out a hollow breath, and it seemed like he was done talking, but instead he continued, "I wanted to blame her, I really did."

To say that caught Qrow off guard was a severe understatement, Ousuke seemed like he had one of the kindest souls, and that was with the huntsman only knowing him for a short amount of time. He had such a warm air about him, and hell, the man was mending his torn up clothes for free with probably more skill than the person who made them. Hearing that he had negative thoughts toward someone was something he wasn't expecting, but at the same time, Ousuke was only human like everyone else.

"Why's that?" Qrow finally asked.

"Well, I was beyond heartbroken, so I know I wasn't thinking rationally. Ahri is a part of the Vastaya, and I know that automatically meant she had control over magic. My mind wondered why she wasn't able to make something that would save him, or at least keep him alive long enough to get help. She just hadn't tried hard enough, or something, anything to replace my feelings of grief," he paused. "However, it wasn't until my wife passed away that I truly understood how she had felt in my son's last moments. If I felt helpless at my wife's bedside while depending on doctors to do something, imagine how Ahri must've felt with a connection to magic and still being powerless to save the one she loved."

Unbeknownst to Ousuke, the huntsman didn't have to imagine. He didn't have control over magic, but he did have to watch three people close to him die. Two were literal, while the third was more metaphorical. It never got easier, and memories of those situations still plagued him.

"None of us have seen Ahri in years," the tailor stated, unknowingly helping Qrow peer out of his mental prison, "not too long after my son passed away, she disappeared. On occasion I hear people whispering about seeing a fox-like Vastayan, but that's it. As far as I know, you're the first to have actually spoken with her." Ousuke looked up from his work for the first time since the start of the conversation, "now that I think about it. If your eyes were blue and you let your hair grow, you wouldn't be too far off from what my son looked like."

'Even in damaged clothes, you catch my eye a lot easier than most men I see around here,' Ahri's voice played in the huntsman's mind. I suppose it's a lot easier to catch someone's eye when you look like someone they loved or still love, he mused. He personally didn't see the resemblance between himself and the tailor's son, but that was usually the case between people that looked alike.

"Do you think she mistook me for a chance of your son still being alive?" Qrow asked.

Ousuke chuckled, but there was no humor in it, "no, I think she came to terms long ago with his fate. It is possible that seeing a slight resemblance did make her feel more open to speaking with you, however."

The monotonous sound of a clock ticking dampened the silence that overtook the room after that final statement. Neither the huntsman, nor the tailor, could find a suitable topic to jump to from that point. It wasn't too long after that Ousuke finished his work and handed Qrow back his clothes. They looked as good as the first day he had bought them, and he quickly changed back into them after giving his thanks.

There was an offer for him to stay and enjoy some tea, but the huntsman turned it down, He had already spent a lot of time waiting for his clothes, and there was no doubt that Xayah had been waiting for a while at this point. With her attitude, she probably was none too happy about it, and that made Qrow crack a slight smile..

Picking up his sword and placing it on his lower back, the huntsman gave his thanks once more to the older man before heading to the front door. Over his shoulder, he promised to give Ahri the man's condolences if he managed to see her again. Just as he entered the store portion of the home, the door flew open and five people charged inside. Their attire gave them away as not being from around here as they all wore light leather armor opposed to what seemed to be tradition on Tevasa Mountain. The one at the front of the charge was a male that looked to be in his mid twenties with slick black hair and brown eyes.

Qrow simply stared at the group as they casually surrounded him, his crimson eyes evaluated the situation as it unraveled. They were all around their leader's age, and if body language was anything to go by, they didn't know the first clue when it came to combat. Furthermore, they didn't seem to have any interest in the shop itself, but rather they seemed to have quite a bit of interest in him. The huntsman saw Ousuke cautiously hovering around an area behind the counter, and the tailor was the first to speak.

"Is there something you five needed?" he asked in a standard tone that was all business.

"Sorry sir, we don't need anything, we just wanted to talk to this person here," the leader answered evenly as he pointed at Qrow.

"Yo," the crimson-eyed huntsman replied nonchalantly as rubbed the scruffy hair on his chin.

"You're traveling with a Vastayan aren't you?" the leader asked, unable to contain his excitement.

Qrow shurgged.

"We'll help you capture her if you each get a cut of the money that's made?"

That made the swordsman smirk, were these kids that naive to think someone would sell out the person they were traveling with? How off-base. The way Remnant treated Faunus no longer sounded so bad if people in Runterra still hunted Vastaya like they were animals.

The huntsman extended his hand out with an open palm. Everyone in the little group that had barged in seemed to light up at that, while Ousuke seemed become very uneasy.

"So is that a yes?" the leader asked while outstretching his own hand to complete the deal.

His answer didn't come in the form of a word, but rather the sound of a sickening crack as his body was thrown to the ground. The transition from open palm to fist was so seamless as Qrow delivered a quick uppercut to the man's jaw. Everyone in the shop was rooted in place by shock as the huntsman stuffed his hands back into his pockets and stepped over the man who was writhing in pain.

"Come after us, and a broken jaw will be the least of your worries," was all that was said as he left the building.


Waiting any amount of time always felt like an eternity, and Xayah was not a very patient person. She counted every second that went by as she leaned against a tree near the entrance to the village. Next to her sat a medium sized pack that contained the supplies Qrow had asked for. None of it was anything too special, rice, bread, dried meat that humans called 'jerky', a small pot to boil water for the rice, canteens with water, and lastly a bedroll that sat on top.

Unknown to most, bartering and haggling was something the winged Vastayan quite enjoyed to do, and she had managed to get all of the supplies for a price she deemed decent. The most expensive item was the pack that held it all. That left her companion with fifty gold which would last him fine if he didn't spend money on ridiculous things like alcohol that was way too expensive. However, if she kept getting half of each bottle, she wouldn't mind too much.

Xayah's attitude toward her traveling companion hadn't changed too much, but she found him somewhat tolerable and that was a lot for her to say about anyone. She was still very wary of him though, and she spent extra energy making sure she was on her guard. He was armed, and probably quite capable. There was just a strange energy that radiated off of him that mixed in with the confidence in each stride he took that made her regard him higher than most.

He kept to himself, and respected the fact that she did the same. If things continued that way, then there shouldn't be any issues between them. Although, Xayah wasn't a fan of the fact that she didn't know how long they would be traveling together or how far they would be going. She was used to doing everything alone, eating, walking, infiltrating, scouting, and sleeping, it was always her decision to make. Now she had to be wary of the needs or wants of someone else, and that could definitely cause some problems.

The Vastayan let out an agitated sigh, she hated being in her own head and overthinking simple things. It was one of the many reasons she hated waiting. She swore that she had been out there for at least fifteen minutes, but the reasonable part of her brain reminded her that it had only been five.

Fortunately, a distraction seemed to materialize itself in the form of a crow that flew overhead. Something in Xayah's mind assured her that it had been the same one she had seen by the river not too long ago. There was just something off about that bird that made her feel uneasy, yet so curious. She followed it with her eyes until it flew out of sight.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Xayah leapt into the air before turning and flicking one of her feathers in the direction of the voice she had heard.

Of course it was him, she thought as she landed while glaring at Qrow. It was clear that he had gotten humor out of the whole ordeal as the stupid smirk he loved to wear was present on lips.

"And here I thought you were so excited to head to the capital, but instead I found you day dreaming," he teased while slinging the pack over his shoulder.

Xayah said nothing as she magically recalled the feather that had imbedded itself harmlessly into a tree. It whistled through the air before attaching itself to her right gauntlet for later use.

"Neat trick," Qrow remarked.

"Let's go."