Chapter Thirty-One

Ozpin returned home tired. He'd spent the past three days organizing his office now that he had one again. Leo had been a very good landlord through all the chaos. He never dumped out Ozpin's things or rented out the room, he'd kept everything as was. However, he wasn't the most organized person Ozpin had ever met, and however careful Qrow and the others were, things still managed to… move. Shuffle. The papers from the locked shelves that were in the main room had slid around and shuffled and intermingled and Ozpin had only just finished sorting them back to where they were supposed to be. He hadn't even tackled his desk yet, nor the shelves in the side room where the sand basin was supposed to be.

At least this room didn't get any sunlight by being on the north side of the building. He didn't have to worry about sweltering quite so much. But there was still so much to do. He needed to order more paper and ink, but the papermill he had used was closed down. Ink was far more expensive, almost double the price he remembered it to be. He didn't have to worry about candles, however, since during the fall he usually stocked up on candles for the dark winter days. The biggest loss, outside of the sand reader, was all the herbs and flowers used for the charging wreaths. They were always better fresh, and while he tended to use dried because that was all he could find, his supplies had rotted away. Oscar had already reserved part of the garden in the yard to start growing some of the necessary herbs, but…

Ozpin sighed. That didn't even get into how expensive it would be to rebuild a sand basin. The marble base alone…. Green sapphire was the most expensive precious stone that he knew of and he needed a great deal for a proper sized basin.

For a moment, Salem's tiny disk of a reader came to mind and Ozpin shuddered.

No. Something that small couldn't get the larger patterns, the subtle intricacies. Brothers even knew what gem she'd used as a base.

There was still so much to do to just open. And he needed to open as fast as he could.

The crow that his beloved had sent with him was perched on the chalkboard, looking around curiously. It was already well into the evening and Ozpin had to admit defeat. It was time to go home.

He offered a finger and the crow swooped over, offering its leg. Ozpin tied his message, went to his open window in the side room, and let the bird fly.

I'm coming home.

He shut the window and barred it, more important now on the second floor than the fourth, and left, locking up his office.

On his door was simply, Soothsayer. Clearly Leo was putting in the effort.

Having been sitting all day, climbing down the stairs wasn't exhausting, and the air was cooling, if still uncomfortably humid. So he walked home, trying to get used to how much had changed while he'd been recuperating.

Qrow was at the ramp, still taking messages from people, which also meant that Oscar was inside and had finished with the garden for the day. Good.

"Hey Oz," Qrow greeted. "Expect company. Robyn said she'd probably be coming over. She has a thought she wanted to discuss with you."

"Hn. Dare I ask?"

"Beats me," Qrow replied, turning to his next customer. "I'll stop by and check in later."

Meaning he planned on being there. Ozpin nodded. Qrow was incredibly careful about their relationship. He didn't want anyone to know in case Salem somehow figured it out or learned of his existence.

"She's threatened me once," Qrow had explained. "The only way she'll ever know me is when I'm putting a knife into her back."

Ozpin couldn't really begrudge him that. Having the focus of a soothmaker on him was already a heavy price and Ozpin didn't want that on either his beloved or his son. It was why he was careful as well.

But there were still times he wished they didn't have to talk in code.

Nodding, he headed upstairs. Maria greeted him and encouraged his rhythm up the steps. Thankfully one flight of stairs was… not as exhausting as it had been when he'd started. Now he was merely winded.

Oscar was already getting dinner ready when Ozpin came in and gave a scolding look.

"It's evening already."

"Yes," Ozpin said. "I'm sorry to be so late."

"It's summer."

Ozpin held in a chuckle, knowing that wouldn't be the best reaction. "True. But as I've explained, on the second floor, and on the north side, it's nowhere near as hot. I was sitting by the shelves the whole time. I did not exert myself."

Oscar still scowled, but turned back to the table, slicing up a slab of pork.

"I take it the food distributions gave out meat today?" Ozpin said, limping over. "How extravagant."

"Apparently a pig farmer was selling everything to move somewhere else. The revolutionaries heard of it and bought his pigs and brought them here to Haven for slaughter. Everyone in the foothills has some meat now." He gestured to the stove. "I've already pulled out the bones and have a stock going. That should last us a while."

"Thank you, Oscar." Ozpin leaned forward to give his son a one-armed hug. "We'll celebrate. I can make some bread while the stock is cooking. It will go with whatever we're eating tonight." He pulled away and proceeded to wash up.

Qrow arrived just as they were dishing out, and explained that Ruby was heading out with Yang and Blake to Weiss's place for dinner.

Ozpin nodded, setting the third place as he had expected. Dinner, as usual, was delightful, each sharing their days. Oscar had spent most of it in the garden and practicing standing, since he wanted to eventually get up to the rooftop garden. Qrow had been his guard, mostly working the post stand and keeping an eye on the garden so that Oscar wasn't bothered by their neighbor. It was a level of normalcy, and Ozpin relished it. Any small moment like this, he focused on the bubble of happiness that it provided.

Briefly, he could dream he had a future like this.

He was sitting at the basin, scrubbing dishes while Oscar dried and Qrow put them away when there was a knock.

Qrow went to answer the door and Ozpin stood, offering Oscar a hand, to help him stand, and then letting his son walk to his chair, watching carefully. Oscar, at least, could get back to walking far easier than Ozpin had. It was a matter of endurance as his body continued to utilize much of its energy healing the wound.

He took his own seat as Qrow let in Robyn. They said their greetings and Qrow grabbed stools from the table for he and Robyn to sit at.

"Miss Hill," he greeted. "I understand that you had something you wish to discuss."

The blond nodded. "Pardon the late hour. Running a paper seems to make my crazy hours even more crazy. And I told you before, call me Robyn."

"Not a problem. Tell me, what did you wish to discuss?"

"Something your lover boy mentioned."

Ozpin noted another piece of Mistralan slang. "And?"

"I did some digging." She raised a brow at him. "You're a big name in soothsaying circles. The library listed you as one of the most influential soothsayers in generations. Six new patterns?"

Ozpin kept on a pleasant smile while internally dreading that this was someone who wanted to use him for sway. This was a friend of Qrow, so he might be wrong, but prior experience…

"I have come across things I hadn't seen before. I merely published papers so that other sayers might know."

Robyn leaned back, crossing her legs. "And you had quite the pamphlet back when soothers were being called out on filth."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed more and Oscar quietly tutted. "If you please, no soothsayer cares for the wood soother. We merely say what is in the sands. We are sayers. A soother derives ancient connotations from before having sand readers, where anyone could call themselves a soothsayer and spin a web of lies. In Atlas, ancient soothsaying was through palmistry. Anyone can look at the lines of a hand and make up a story. A sayer of old would need only hold the hand and see the story. In ancient Vale, it was through tea leaves. A soother is a pretender. A liar. A soothsayer reads the patterns and says."

Robyn's eyes glittered. "That's exactly what I need. Perspective. This birdbrain," she pointed to Qrow, "was the biggest skeptic growing up. Didn't believe a thing about magic or soothsayers or ancient legends. Said it was all filth because no one could do it now."

Qrow scowled. "I was a bratty punk, birdbrain. We both were. So was Raven and everyone else on the streets."

"But that's just it," Robyn replied. "I don't get how he believes in soothsaying now. I'm trying to understand. And it got me thinking. Why does everyone hate soothsaying? Why do we declaim all of them as liars? It was a respected position until about a decade ago, one lauded and held in high esteem. I talked to a bunch of old-timers. They all say good things about soothsaying and that it doesn't deserve what's happened to it." She turned to him. "So I want you to explain it to me. I need perspective. What does the average person not understand about soothsaying?"

Ozpin leaned back slightly and considered. This wasn't his initial thoughts of someone wanting sway or influence. This was… not what he expected. "Hm. And what would you do with that perspective?"

"Print it."

Oscar blinked, Qrow swore, and Ozpin… well he smiled. Printing, citing sources, academia, this was where he flourished. "Very well. Might I request that I be allowed to preview what you write before printing, so as to prevent any misunderstandings?"

"No editing?"

"Only clarifications."

"We'll test out the first article and see how it works."

"Done."

"Um… what?" Oscar looked back and forth.

"Don't worry," Ozpin said, beaming. "I'll explain later."

"Okay," Robyn smiled. "So you're a soothsayer and not a soother. How exactly does soothsaying work?"

Ozpin settled in for an abbreviated lecture he'd give back when he was teaching. He wished he had his old materials for such a presentation! He gave his usual introductory: the history of saying and how it used the cultures of all four countries, how the word "soothe" spanned all four languages, how the magic a person had was a sliding scale with some having more than others, how it connected to the readers, as much as he could manage until it was well into the night. Oscar was already familiar with this and retreated back to the dishes with Qrow before pulling out books to further illustrate a point Ozpin was trying to make.

"Fye and filth, beanpole," Robyn said, looking at another diagram of how a reader was constructed, "this looks more like a scientific diagram than some sort of vague nonsense."

"That's because it's taken centuries of experimentation to reach as far as we have. Different countries have access to different herbs and flowers for charging wreaths and when you move somewhere new, you end up needing to learn new local plants," Ozpin explained, energized in a way he hadn't been in years. "With the advent of tallships three centuries ago, sayers could connect in ways that hadn't been possible before. A well-trained crow can travel vast distances, but crossing an ocean is beyond their scope."

Robyn looked at all the books that had been brought out. "And all these books are about… saying?"

Ozpin nodded. "Many are references for the patterns themselves, but there are histories and theories the same as in any other profession. And as a sayer, especially when training apprentices who are at their most inquisitive, we have sands to answer. Once, I was doing a reading with an apprentice, and she asked me what the best herbs were for a charging wreath. The sands showed different herbs than what we had available because of the climate, something that someone who only ever lives in one region would never know."

"Wow…" Robyn looked at her notes, then looked at how low the candles were. "I think we need to stop for now. My head's swimming."

Ozpin gave a light chuckle. "A refrain I've heard from many of my students over the years."

"Give me some time with this," Robyn said, sitting up and rubbing at her back. "Let me check on a few things. I'll send a draft to the birdbrain here. And we'll meet again."

"I'd be delighted."

"I'll be dumbfounded."

Ozpin stood and walked her out. By then, Oscar had already gone to bed behind the privacy screen, and Qrow was falling asleep in Oscar's chair. It was well past midnight. After bidding Robyn a good night, Ozpin shuffled over to Qrow and simply sat on his lap and hugged him. Qrow's hands sleepily went around his waist and he nuzzled into Ozpin's neck.

"Beloved?" he asked softly.

"Hm?"

"Shall we get to bed?"

"Too asleep for that…."

"I was suggesting sleep on a bed, not sleep in a chair."

"...sounds good…"

Ozpin blew out the candles, save one, guided a sleepy Qrow to bed, and slid under the covers. This time Qrow was in the middle, and Ozpin allowed himself to hold his dusty Qrow closely and be so very happy that Qrow had such friends who wanted to understand and who wanted others to understand.

He was looking forward to reading the draft.

By Midsummer Oscar felt proud that he could just about walk anywhere. Well, he still needed his cane, but he needed it less and less. Stairs were still… stairs, but Nana Calavera made light of it saying he had a better rhythm than Oz and as a bonus he could go up all the flights where his father could only consistently manage one or two. His next goal was the roof access to the greenhouse, he didn't want to keep asking Qrow or Penny to lift him up to check on the plants.

The result was that Midsummer Feast kind of snuck up on him. He woke as usual, let his overheated father sleep in, and as he went out to the garden he noticed that all the twelve year olds were swishing around in their fancy baptism clothes. He blinked, staring, as he realized he'd done nothing to prepare the roses for the baptism procession. That had him turning right around and going up to Qrow's apartment, knocking politely to get help up to the greenhouse and check on the rose bushes.

"The revolutionaries and the palace are still in negotiations, right?" he asked. "Do we know if that will affect the celebration?"

"The one to ask is Robyn," Qrow said. "She said she'd come by tomorrow to interview the professor again. I think you two got a convert."

Oscar snorted, smiling at the thought. "Were we able to get all the birth announcements?"

"I think so," Qrow said. "You know if anyone's missed there'll be hell to pay, but the Brother of Light should be satisfied. The bigger thing is the baptism, but none of us are twelve so I don't really care."

Oscar frowned, patting down the soil of the rose bushes. "I never thought about our vows until last year," he said, "When Yang and Penny said what they were like in other countries. I never realized how… every vow was work, and when I was twelve I didn't think anything of it. I was on the farm, I was working since they cut my braids when I was seven. But now, all I see is us working ourselves so hard - Oz will work until he overheats this time of year, Leo stays just as long as Oz at the office trying to maintain the building, Nana Calavera would starve if she didn't chase everyone for rent. We have to work so hard just to eat, and I wonder if it's like that in other countries."

"It isn't," Qrow said. "Ask the girls. Even with all the stuff going on in Vale, they grew up knowing work ended at a certain time of day. Tai says every tenth day they have off, do nothing but rest their bodies and their minds."

Outside the greenhouse Oscar took up position on the roof as the crowds started to gather, Ruby joining him quickly. "No Yang this year," she explained. "Now that she's part of the patrol they got picked to be part of the procession. She says she'll be done after the birth readings."

"It won't start at the palace still, will it?" Oscar asked. "Would the imperials allow it?"

"I don't know," Ruby said. "Yang said she has to report in the Atlas burrough, near Weiss' house. There's this big square there. After that I don't know."

"And will the procession branch down the mountain?"

"I don't know that either," Ruby said. "I know there have been a lot of messages back and forth, the crows have been really busy. Oh! There's Weiss! Weiss!" she shouted, waving her arms. "Weiss up here! We saved a spot for you! Oh, let me go get her, I'll be right back."

"Sure," Oscar said, leaning on his cane for a second. One of the crows snuck out of the aviary and landed by him, cawing softly and pecking expectantly at his hand. "Sorry," he said, "I don't have any treats for you. I remember you all danced last year at the baptism procession. Will you do that again this year?"

"Oh! Cute boy Os!"

He turned at the long nickname and saw the redhead - Nora - running up to him, jolting him into a giant hug and squeezed and oh that hurt in a way that wasn't good. He gasped, coughing when she finally let go and rubbed at his side.

"Oh, it's so good to see you I was just telling Ren that your garden is really great and he said it helped a lot of people over the winter and I didn't know that last time or maybe I did and it just slipped my mind, I'm kind of an idiot in that respect anyone can tell you but I really wanted to thank you for that early squash you got me last week it was just what I needed and I just love that you're here! We all are!"

"... Not all of us."

Oscar stiffened, peeking behind Nora to see Jaune there, still as tall as ever, with his arms crossed and looking down. Ren was with him, giving his friend a look before stepping forward.

"Thank you for all the food," he said softly, gently tugging Nora away from him.

"Uhm, you're welcome," Oscar said, keeping his eyes down. "I'm glad I could help."

Silence settled on them, awkward and painful.

"Oh Brother of Light, this is terrible," Nora said. "You!" she pointed to Oscar, "Have nothing to worry about. We have Jaune nice and trained, he won't bite at all so you don't have to be so careful. You!" she pointed to Jaune. "Had better behave or we'll slap you on the nose!"

"He's not a dog, Nora," Ren said, shaking his head.

"I don't care! I heard what Aboo-ell… Abu… Granna Calavera said and I promise that's not going to happen on my watch! I'll break legs if it does."

"So said any street rat," Qrow said, hunched forward and looking at the group as he moved up to join them. "Now I'm curious where you come from."

Nora put her hands on her hips fiercely. "I'm from Kuroyuri, same as Ren," she said brightly, giving a toothy grin. "We grew up together. What's this about street rats?"

"Just that street rats set boundaries by breaking legs," Qrow said, moving to take the crow next to Oscar and popping it back in the aviary. "Ruby and Weiss are in the apartment downstairs, Oscar. They said Weiss had a message and that you needed to read it. You able to get down on your own yet?"

Oscar was grateful for the out, and he took his cane and limped to the roof access, Qrow joining him. The crowmaster went down first, Oscar sitting on the top of the near vertical stairs. Qrow offered his shoulder, and Oscar slowly set himself onto it, gripping the stairs as Qrow glided down. One he was on the ground he slowly crouched until Oscar's feet touched the floor and he braced his balance with his cane.

Qrow's apartment had grown considerably in the last month. Marrow as a sorter had brought home small, mostly unbroken pieces of furniture and Ruby had gleefully signed off on everything. There was a dining set next to the stove, two mattresses under the window, some tiny shelves by the door for papers and shoes, and a triple wide upholstered chair - Weiss called it a couch - that jutted out from the wall, back to the door and facing the stove. Ruby was sitting on that couch, Weiss dressed in fancy blues and hiding her face with her hands, shoulders slightly shaking. Oh…

"Is everything okay?" he asked softly, closing the door behind him and limping around the back of the couch.

"I'm sorry, Oscar," Weiss said, looking up and rubbing at her eyes. "I'm sorry, even when they got you back and you were this bloody mess, it still wasn't real to me. I'm sorry it all happened, I'm sorry it all went so badly…"

Oscar looked to Ruby, confused. She got up and pulled one of the dining chairs over for him, taking her seat again to comfort Weiss. "She finally got a letter from her sister," Ruby said. "From Winter."

All at once he was back in the workhouse, the cold air, the rows of readers, the tall frame of the general. He blinked it away, taking a deep breath, slouching forward to put his elbows on his knees. After a shaky exhale he turned to Weiss. "What did she say?"

Weiss sniffled, the new scar on her eye bright red to match the flush of her cheeks. "Not… not much," she replied, pulling out the letter from inside her riding jacket. "Her handwriting used to be so elegant…" She offered the message.

Oscar hesitated to take it, but Ruby nodded her encouragement and he took the paper, unfolding it. He knew Winter's handwriting, clipped and efficient and easy to read. This handwriting, it wasn't hers. It was shaky and uneven, almost a child's writing, but he recognized the shape of the characters and he wondered what had happened.

Weiss, it read. I've been reading your crows, but I've only now healed enough to be able to write back. I was injured. The doctor's say I might never regain full motion of my arm. General Ironwood wants you to know he's doing everything he can for me. I miss you. Operative Winter Schnee.

"It had to have been that night," Weiss said, her voice watery. "The night the palace caught fire. Blake said the soldiers fired into the soothsayers, and even with Qrow and Blake carrying you back it wasn't real. Winter, my sister, she's too good. Too strong. She wouldn't be the type… but look at this! She's hurt! Her arm! When else could it have happened, except for that night? Oh, Oscar, I'm so sorry you had to go through that!"

She lunged from the triple wide chair, throwing her arms around Oscar and squeezing much like Nora had done earlier. It wasn't painful, this time, and Weiss needed the hug back just as much. His eyes caught Ruby, and she motioned going downstairs.

"Can you tell me," Weiss said. "Can you tell me what Winter was really doing at the palace?"

"She… she did a lot of things," Oscar said, the two of them pulling apart. "She was the general's assistant sometimes. I would see her leave the workhouse to go to the command wing. She stood by the general when he came in sometimes. Mostly though, she was a soothsayer like all the others. She split her time between doing readings with the soldiers for strategy and helping teach the apprentices. She's a seventh year - well, she might have finished her apprenticeship by now maybe, and she helped Lady Fria teach the really young apprentices."

"But, you and the professor said it was bad to read the war," Weiss said. "Does that mean Winter is in danger?"

"Not the way you think," Oscar said, looking down. "The soothsayers, they were all tricked into doing some really taboo things. There's consequences for doing it, but not like lectures or fines or trials. The consequences go to all of Remnant. That's why the professor was so against it, that's why I never did a reading at the palace. I didn't want to be a part of what they were doing. Winter, all of the soothsayers, they're not in physical danger, but there will be a price to be paid."

"And Winter will pay it?"

"We all will," Ozpin said, making Oscar turn to see him limping heavily into the apartment, Ruby following behind him. He moved stiffly, a sign that the summer heat was bothering him, and there was already a shine to his skin. He said next to Weiss, his bad leg sticking out. "Ruby said you had word from one of the soothsayers?"

"My sister, Winter," Weiss said. "She was hurt, I think on the night Oscar came home, and she might never have full use of her arm again. Her handwriting, it's so different. She said the general is doing everything he can to take care of her. I'm not sure I believe it."

"Oh, he is," Ozpin said, holding her gaze. "She is a woman of fierce loyalty, and he values that trait. The general is no doubt sparing no expense to ensure she is getting the best care at the palace."

"But the palace is surrounded by the revolution in siege," Weiss said. "How good is the care actually?"

"If he is using the doctors that serve the emperor, then the finest in the city," Oscar said as Ruby sat on Weiss' other side. "He kept trying to move Ozpin there, saying he would get better treatment."

"The finest are chosen to serve the emperor," Ozpin agreed, nodding. "Teachers at University that taught at the Imperial Court were considered the greatest educators of the entire country. Do we know how she was injured?"

"No," Weiss said with dejection, looking down. "I'm not even sure when she was hurt, but the only possible time would have been-"

"The night of blood and fire," Ozpin said, voice far away. "When they fired into the soothsayers."

The silence that bloomed was heavy, Oscar's mind back in the workhouse, watching the General make sweeping gestures as he tried to discredit Oscar, wheeling out Oz's reader and demanding a reading. Then, the horrible sensation of tipping, seeing blood fly out of his… He shook his head, sucking in a breath and shutting down the thought. His father was looking at him, concerned but giving him space, and Oscar shook his head subtly. Not here, not now.

"Don't worry," Ruby said, touching Weiss' shoulder. "She's still alive, so she's still fine. We just have to figure out how to get her out of the palace."

"Hm," Ozpin said, frowning. "As a trusted advisor of the general, she would make an excellent go-between with the two negotiation parties. A neutral offering, as it were, to begin a face-to-face meeting. Depending on her decisions, it would be a good experience for her."

"... do you know that for sure?" Weiss asked.

"No," Ozpin said. "I would need to do a reading."

"Oz, no," Oscar said, straightening. "You'll be down with the heat."

"One reading won't ruin me," Ozpin countered, offering his hand. "What question do you wish answered, Miss Schnee?"

"Will my sister be okay?" Weiss asked, taking his hand.

"Oscar, see to Miss Ruby," Ozpin said, softly closing his eyes.

Oscar grumbled, standing. "Come on," he said. "Readings are private."

They exited the apartment, Oscar couldn't grab Qrow to go up to the roof again, so the two of them moved down the stairs and exited the front of the building into the crowds. All the twelve year olds were easy to pick out, wanting to see the birth announcements. There was noise up the lane, a hint that the procession was coming.

"I didn't realize you could do a reading with your hands," Ruby said through the noise of the crowds. "I thought you used that sand table thing."

"We do," Oscar said. "It makes the work a lot easier. Oz shouldn't be doing this without a reader, he's not well enough yet." He still worried about his father doing mornings at the new office - Oscar hadn't been there yet. He was a little afraid to go back to that stairwell, even if he wasn't going all the way up to the fourth floor, the thought of being in the spot where Ozpin had been pushed down the stairs… he shuddered. He wasn't ready yet, but Oz needed to work, needed to get any scrap of lien they could because the food distribution only handed out so much, and there was still rent and herbs and ink and paper and so many things to get. Oscar looked at his hands, knowing he was supposed to be helping, knowing he wasn't doing his job as an apprentice, but the thought of the workhouse was too strong in his mind. Every time he thought about it… he shook his head, trying to shut it down again.

Ruby touched his shoulder, sensing his sudden mood just as there was a roar from everyone around them. They looked up. Oscar couldn't see over the crowds, even at almost seventeen he wasn't tall enough. Ruby wasn't either, but she hopped onto the rail of the five steps to the brownstone, shading her eyes to look.

"Oh, it's a rickshaw!" she said, surprised, and Oscar finally saw it through the bodies: instead of an open carriage drawn by horses, it was a plain delivery rickshaw, a revolutionary with the scroll and calling out names of births. People were cheering as certain names were called out, happy their child had been lifted up to the Light Brother for blessing. Revolutionaries were pulling the rickshaw as the official read out the names, Oscar counted four and their linen tangzhuang had light brown, almost gold embroidery around the cuffs of the sleeves. Oscar realized those were Vale colors, green and gold, and he looked closer to see that, indeed, the drivers were Valean.

"I thought the Valeans agreed to be leaders in the revolutionary army?" Oscar asked, leaning over.

"Yeah," Ruby said. "Isn't this kind of nice: foreign aide lifting up Mistral in ceremony. That's imagery, isn't it? Blake said something about it once. She and Weiss are the smart ones."

Oscar snorted, surprised that Ruby was so humble.

As the procession faded the crowds dispersed. Oscar moved around to the back to finally check on his garden, a line of neighbors already waiting to take what he could harvest for them. He could see Jaune and Ren and Nora on the far side of the yard in the shade, that made him nervous but he was busy with the other tenants so he tried to ignore them. The sun continued its climb, beating down on everyone and making Oscar worry in the back of his head about his father. He also hadn't seen Qrow for a while, but that usually meant he was with Oz and Oscar took assurance in that as he could.

He knew the baptism processional was getting close as the backyard slowly emptied out. He left his garden, wiping his forehead, and taking his cane to head inside and go up the four flights to the roof access. He needed to get the roses ready.

He stared up at the roof access, putting his hands on the nearly vertical stairs. His legs could maybe handle it, mostly, but he needed to brace his hands above his head, and the scar tissue on his side kept pulling in a painful way. He wanted to be better so much sooner, but as Dr. Polendina, Penny, and even Ozpin has said: his body would heal in its own time. He frowned, wondering if he could find someone to help him up. Qrow was probably already up there, but he tried the apartment door regardless, knocking and getting no reply. Yang wasn't back yet from her duties with the procession, and that left Penny.

Down on the first floor.

He grit his teeth. He may be more mobile than Ozpin now, but the stairs were still work. Down the first floor he went and knocked politely on the Polendina's door. There was no answer, which made sense. Everyone was probably getting the best spot to watch the procession of twelve-year-olds to go up the mountain. Dr. Polendina would be with Ozpin, probably in the shade of the building, but where would Penny be…

Frowning, Oscar headed outside to see if Dr. Polendina knew where her daughter was. Failing that, Qrow would likely be with Ozpin, being a silent bodyguard. In almost the same spot as the previous year, Ozpin was standing, chatting with Dr. Polendina, smiling as children raced around doing last minute preparations before the procession made its way back.

"Oscar," Ozpin greeted with a smile. "How are you doing?"

Oscar took a moment to observe his father with direct scrutiny. "You're okay after that reading? You look a little pale."

Ozpin gave a warm smile and a soft chuckle. "I rested afterwards, had some tea, and came here. I've not been gallivanting about after that reading, even though I felt fine."

"I wish you'd take more time," Dr. Polendina said. "It takes so long to come back from backbreaker. You shouldn't be pushing yourself."

"Alas, the bills must be paid somehow. I still haven't officially started work. I've a lot of supplies to order and I'll have to write out an advert-"

"Um, where are Penny or Qrow?" Oscar asked. "I need to start gathering roses for the procession, but…"

"You can't get to the roof," Dr. Polendina nodded. "I believe Penny is already up there. She wanted to gather some roses to restock our supplies. After that battle we've been short on a lot of our supplies, to say nothing of that mob who tried to raid the place. I'm mighty grateful for that boy Ren, but his men weren't kind to my glass jars."

Oscar sighed.

Ozpin tapped his chin. "Hmm. The last I saw Qrow, he was in his apartment. He's the one who made my tea. He's likely still there. He mentioned something about us eating together again like we did last year, but this time he wanted to do some of the cooking."

Back up the stairs he went, sweating and a little frustrated at this point. His side was starting to hurt, but he knocked on Qrow's door. Yang opened it, still in her green tangzhuang, hair piled up in a tail. "Hey, Oscar!" she said brightly. "What's up?"

"I was hoping to go up to the greenhouse," Oscar said. "The baptism procession is coming and I need to harvest the roses."

"Sure, let me get my shoes on."

Oscar could only fit one hip on Qrow's shoulder for getting up to the roof, Yang's shoulders were smaller and she simply balanced him across both, his legs dangling on either side of her as she lifted herself up from a crouch to standing. She only needed to travel two steps before Oscar could reach the latch to the roof. It pulled at his side but he was able to open it. Using his cane to get up he moved to around the perimeter of the greenhouse to the entrance, Yang at his shoulder.

"So what did you end up doing?" he asked. "For the patrol?"

"I drove one of the rickshaws," she said. "It was me and Blake's parents pulling a Mistralan down the mountain to read off the names. Her parents are really nice, we talked a lot about Southpoint and the start of the revolution; I guess Blake wrote a lot over that winter, so they were really interested in me."

"And what did Blake do?" Oscar asked, setting up by the two rose bushes to collect their petals.

"Dunno," Yang said. "She sent a crow that she was heading up here, she wanted to be here in time for the baptism. I told her to meet me on the roof, so your coming up was perfect timing. We'll watch the procession, then spend some time together."

Oscar heard the innuendo and coughed, wondering if that was what Yang meant, or if, like the professor, she missed it. One glance saw her cheeks color, but she had a massive smile on her face. Right, she knew exactly what she was saying.

Laughing, Yang said, "You don't have to be so embarrassed you know? It's just sex."

"Maybe to a Valean," Oscar said, feeling heat in his cheeks. "I get the impression that you guys are more casual about it. But in Mistral you wait."

"If that were true Uncle Qrow wouldn't exist," Yang said, waving it off. "Look, every country has their customs for courtship: poems and gifts for us, the five touches for you, all that stuff Weiss talks about for Atlas, but that's just it: they're customs. Not everyone follows them - the trading of gifts the professor did? Almost no one does that anymore, it's faded with time. The families still meet, but not with the honey and syrup. You even said in small villages you can skip some steps. Uncle Qrow grew up on the streets, he said life was way more fun without all the rules."

"I guess," Oscar said. "But, I feel like that makes it cheaper somehow."

"Not cheaper," Yang said, her eyes soft, "Just more special when you find the right one."

"Did you have a lot of… uhm… courtships then? Before you met Blake?"

"Nothing like Uncle Qrow brags about," Yang said, "but I've written a couple of poems. Sometimes they're returned and sometimes they're not. When you're a kid all you want to do is write poems, everyone strikes your fancy, and you think you're going to burst."

"People keep saying that," Oscar said, looking up from his work. "Qrow said he went through a string of lovers just because they were attractive, all the kids when I was in school wanted to get to the Touching Hands as fast as possible, or Touching Mouths, and it all just whistled over my head. When is that supposed to happen?"

Yang shrugged. "Hell if I know," she said. "It all hit me when I turned fifteen. Ruby said she went absolutely nuts at fourteen but I was fighting by then. Dad said he was a late bloomer, poetry didn't hit him until he was sixteen."

"But I'm sixteen," Oscar said. "I'm going to be seventeen in a few months, but I don't have those kinds of thoughts."

"Then you're really lucky," Yang said with a smile. "That means you aren't constantly being distracted by whoever walks down the street. Do you want to be in love?"

"I… I don't know," Oscar said, frowning. "Right now, I just want to be with Oz. He's my father, and we were apart for so long, and he's teaching me so much. I'm happy where I am, and I'm not really interested in changing it."

"Then you might be a familia," said a new voice.

"Blake!"

Yang surged to her feet, bright smile on her face and darting around the long tables of greenery to the entrance where Blake stood. Oscar blinked, realizing her dark hair had been cut to her chin, and she was wearing a black ribbon tied to look like cat ears. Yang cupped her cheek, and Blake smiled shyly, the pair touching foreheads for several seconds before pulling apart.

"Hi, Oscar," Blake said.

Oscar stood, happy to see his friend, and they shared a hug before Oscar sat back down, still filling his baskets with petals.

"So, what's a familia?" Yang asked, pulling over a third stool.

"I don't know how to translate it to Mistralan," Blake said, "But it's someone who prioritizes family. Marriage is unimportant to them, or at least less important compared to immediate family, children, friendships, that kind of thing."

"Oh, there's a word for that in Valean," Yang said. "Wow, I haven't thought in Valean for a while. Let me think…"

"So, it's normal?" Oscar asked. "To not be interested in marriage?"

"Yes," Blake said. "In Menagerie, familia are rare but lauded, because it means they can see relationships on a truer level, because their minds aren't clouded by their own relationships. You would be a matchmaker in Menagerie."

"Matchmaker? I thought that was only for nobles."

"Menagerie is too small for that kind of separation," Blake said, pulling at her linen sleeves. "We do things a little differently there."

Oscar was about to ask what when there was a roar from outside, a sign that the baptism procession had arrived. Oscar grabbed his basket and pulled himself up to his feet, feeling the need to rush. He hobbled outside and moved to the lip of the roof, pausing every few steps so the tenants could grab fistfulls of petals in preparation.

The rickshaw was coming back up the lane, a different set of Valeans pulling it, and the Mistralan had something new: a bamboo flute that was presumably making song. Osca couldn't hear it over the crowds shouting and catcalls, but the children all joined the procession of color, the shower of flower petals raining down. Everyone crowded around the lip of the roof, pressing up to see the parade, and Oscar felt slightly claustrophobic, the brick edge of the lip pressing into his healing wound and making him think of that night. He shut down the thought, then shut it down again, then again.

He tried to back up, Yang and Ruby were there, he could see concern in their eyes, and small hands were on his back: Blake. That just made him think about it more, and his breathing started to shallow out.

His next clear memory was looking up in the greenhouse, Blake and Ruby on either side giving him hugs, Weiss at his feet with a hand on his knee and Penny filling his vision as her hand was on his forehead, Yang looking on with her one hand on her hip.

"There," Penny said, leaning back. "He has returned from his trip."

"I'm sorry," Oscar said slowly. "Trip?"

"You were dreaming," Penny said, standing. "Something happened to pull you into that dream, but now you are free of it. Welcome back."

"I… what?" He carefully sat up, his side was so sore. No stabbing pain, that hadn't happened in a month. He normally had a deep ache if he was standing or walking around too much, but this was… he didn't have the words for it. It felt like shards of glass in his side just pulsing small waves of pain that made everything sore and uncomfortable.

"It is a common condition for a soldier," Penny explained. "It Atlas, everyone joins the military to honor the Generals of the Round, their families, and understand why the generals make the choices they do."

Oscar gave a dubious look.

"In the military, there are many different jobs," Penny continued. "My apprenticeship spent a great deal of time helping soldiers who were hurt in battle. Troopers who were sent to assist Mistral in the Valean uprising, troops who did secret operations, any who came home needed treatment." She set aside her small bag, reaching in and pulling out a small vial of something. "Those who had faced such horrors, often had a condition once they returned to civilian life. They are pulled into a dream of what was. I had been wondering if you would face that illness."

"Ummm, I what? I went into a dream?"

Penny nodded. "Here," she handed over the vial. "A drop in your tea tonight will ensure a restful sleep. When pulled into such a dream, the successive nights can also be restless. The dreams trigger the stress of whatever horrors someone has faced."

Oscar frowned. He'd been avoiding thinking about… that night… the past winter… all of it. Ozpin had suggested talking regularly about it, and they had tackled small pieces of it… He grimaced. He just didn't want to relive it. But it kept creeping up. What was he supposed to do?

"Oscar?"

He looked to Yang and everyone. "Sorry," he mumbled, "for worrying you. I'm… I'll be okay eventually."

Weiss and Ruby glanced at each other, uncertain, but Blake and Yang nodded solemnly.

"Those dreams don't go away easily," Blake said softly. "Even when you're happy, even when you've found your peace, they can still creep up."

"I've been okay for over a year now and I still get nightmares sometimes," Yang added. "Not as often, but… Once in a while I wake up screaming."

"And I've faded away in the middle of conversation," Blake looked down, holding Oscar's hand gently. "When the memories hit… It's difficult."

"We're here for you," Weiss said softly. "Whatever you need. I'm sure that's going to be true for Winter and all the other soothsayers."

"It is even true for me, on occasion," Ozpin said, making everyone turn.

"Dad!" Oscar blurted out. "How'd you get up here?"

"When Ruby came running to get Penny, she might have mentioned it to us," Qrow said, stepping into the greenhouse. "I didn't mind helping Oz up the stairs."

"As long as such trips to the roof are a rarity for me…" Ozpin muttered. Ruby got up so he could carefully sit down, his bad leg sticking out awkwardly, by Oscar. "As you know, the Grimm has been a part of my life for a long time. You've seen the sands and what I've been through. Even now, decades after the death of my master and the burning of Beacon, I still can wake up from such a nightmare. While the spacing of such things does widen with distance, it does still happen." Ozpin reached out and wrapped an arm around Oscar's shoulders. "After that night of blood and fire, after you were home, I dreamed of Beacon again. It's no wonder. A city on fire… I've survived that before."

"Point is, the dreams may follow you, but you're in a better place once you're back," Qrow said. "I dream about Clover, the last things I said to him, when the officers came to my door to explain he was gone… It's trauma. Trauma doesn't go away. But it can scar over."

"Oh…" Oscar leaned into his father. "I wasn't expecting… I mean everyone was crowded so close. I was pushed up against the edge of the roof and it dug into my side… I knew I wasn't back there… I knew I was safe… but…"

"I understand."

"It's a natural part of healing," Penny said, "for it's not just the body that needs time, but the mind as well. In Atlas, all soldiers who have served their time or retire must first spend time in hospice. The hospice isn't just for dealing with physical wounds, but also on how to adjust to civilian life again. To go from order to chaos."

Ruby chuckled. "Penny, we talked about this. Life isn't chaos. It's just life. Random, interconnected, and beautiful."

"And apparently, corny," Yang teased. "Seriously, Ruby, did you have that speech written for just such an occasion? Are you practicing poetic verses?"

"Ruby tells me that hugs are very beneficial," Penny interjected. "Would a hug make you feel better?"

Oscar flushed, unwilling to answer, but he subtly pressed into his father and he squeezed. That felt nice, and Blake on his other side patted his back.

Oscar stayed in the greenhouse, one of the women bringing him a book to read, and his father stayed with him, sweat and all, walking up and down the tables and openly admiring Oscar's work before sitting down with a book himself. The quiet helped, and something inside Oscar calmed as the afternoon wore on. They moved outside as the sun started to set, the roof had almost no one on it anymore, though Oscar did spy Ren and Nora pressed together next to the aviary, whispering in each other's ear and smiling.

Marrow was up there, too, turning and smiling as the pair moved to the roof access. "Hey! I wondered where you two were!" he said brightly. "Happy Midsummer! Did you have a good day down here?"

"Yeah," Oscar said, "Where were you?"

"Up in the Atlas burrough," he said, "The revolutionaries needed me to read out names for the birth procession. I'd never done it before, I was so nervous! I messed up twice, but the drivers said I did great. I got the whole building some pork as payment, it's roasting down in the yard right now. Abuela says we can each get one meat bun - these days that's luxury!"

"Thank you then, for the feast," Ozpin said, nodding his head. "Do you have plans for the light festival?"

"Not really," Marrow said, shrugging his shoulders. "So long as I get a meal I can light my lantern and raise it from my window. I haven't written Ma in over a week and it's a good night for that kind of thing."

"As you wish," Ozpin said, and as they shared more small talk Oscar spotted Qrow's table and chairs from his apartment set at the corner of the building. He moved over, away from his father and saw a sheet of linen spread over the table, and just as he wondered about it he saw Ruby darting up with rocks to keep it set and sets of chopsticks.

"Hey!" she said brightly. "Food's almost ready, Yang and Weiss are bringing it up. Blake got a crow and is reading it downstairs. Do you two have lanterns?"

"... I'll be honest, the whole holiday kind of snuck up on me," Oscar admitted with a wince. "The professor might have something, but I didn't even notice."

"Hah! So you can miss some things," Ruby said brightly. "Uncle Qrow said you picked up every innuendo and joke he ever made."

"... That's because he's not as subtle as he thinks he is," Oscar said with a flat look.

Yang and Weiss arrived with bowls of stew and, indeed, meat buns. Ozpin sat across from Oscar, Yang to one side and Weiss across from her. Ruby took one end of the table and Qrow the other, leaving one spot for Blake when she came back from her message. The shadows were long and warm, golden light giving the air a magical quality and the sunset full of color as clouds moved in from the far side of the mountain range.

They ate and talked all through the sunset, going over their days, thoughts on the ceremonies, wondering how it looked in other parts of the city. They celebrated Ruby being there for a year, having arrived at Midsummer last year, teased Yang for her afternoon "time together" with Blake, marveled at Qrow's income, worried about Ozpin's, admired Ruby's progress, and carefully didn't talk about winter. Yang kept glancing at Blake's empty seat, and Oscar did, too as the meal wound down.

They were lighting the lanterns when the woman from Menagerie came up, her face tight and worried. Yang stood up immediately. "Blake? Blake, what's wrong? What happened?"

"No, uh. I'm fine. It's just…" Blake stared at them wide eyed and pale before Qrow managed to get a chair behind her to sit down. In her hands was the message she had received, clutched tightly in her fingers.

"They… there was… Uh. Mom and Dad are fine," Blake said, taking a breath. "But they just sent a message: someone set off gunpowder in the Atlas burrough square, where the vows were being taken, and the Valean burrough square. They…"

Oscar's gaze swiveled immediately to his father, who was wide eyed and pale, gripping his cane in a fist so tight it shook slightly.

"That's horrible!" Ruby said, silver eyes wide. "Was anyone hurt?"

"I'm… I'm not sure. Neither are Mom and Dad, they're trying to get more information, but…"

The first lanterns floated up from below the roofline, everyone's eyes catching it as several others started to lift up into the sky, hundreds of lights drifting on gentle breezes and looking like fireflies. Instead of wonder and hope, Oscar and the others felt anxiety and dread.

Author's Notes: first, completely unrelated to the fic: AEKDIUFEOIRJ WE DID IT WE HAVE A HOUSE NOW THEY SAID YES! After five months of searching and four disappointments, we are now in the middle of buying a house. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

For the fic itself, this is an obvious counterpoint to Midsummer last year and how much everything has changed. Everyone's in a different place: Oz and Qrow are together, and Oz is recovering from a longterm illness, Ruby and Yang especially have grown, Blake is there, Weiss is a part of the unit now, etc. Mostly though it's about Oscar, who took the holiday responsibly last year and now has a lot more difficulty with it - both physically with his own recovery from his injuries, but also emotionally since he hasn't really confronted everything that's happened to him yet. More on that in a bit.

Robyn has her small part to play now, publishing articles about soothsayers, and will affect Oz and especially Oscar in a little bit. Stay tuned.

Next chapter: Oz and Oscar return to work.