When Raven hears that the girl, Ruby Rose, is dead, has killed herself, she isn't sure what to feel. Raven had never been close to the girl or had ever been so attached to her. How could she have been, when Raven had done everything in her power to separate herself from her family? But still, she finds herself feeling grief in two distinct waves.
The first wave is physical; A shiver that runs up her spine as she realizes her daughter lost an avid ally, capable and strong. She realizes how her daughter must feel. The sense of loss, hurt, anger, frustration. Yang must feel broken, as another person leaves her behind. How will her daughter recover?
The second wave is a chilling wave of judgment; A physical reminder of a broken promise made to a dead woman. Summer's last words to her, a demand of Raven to protect her daughters if anything happened to her, if she didn't make it out alive. She thinks of Summer's face as she made Raven promise, a yearning need for Raven to be the friend Raven never was. She remembers after, how Summer's young daughter looked up at the raven perched on her windowsill, and asked, 'Do you know where my mommy is, pretty bird?'
Raven finds herself blinking away wetness. What a waste. The girl, Ruby, was strong. Or so she had thought. A prodigy. One of those rare types of people Raven could have seen herself one day respecting. She remembers, on the rare occasion she had let Qrow speak of his family, he would go on and on about Ruby when his own biological niece had been there to talk about the whole time. Maybe it had just been a way for Qrow to piss her off.
'Qrow,' Raven suddenly remembers. She doesn't particularly want to talk to him, but how does he feel right now? He must be… crushed. Raven isn't sure how to feel about it, but maybe…
It's a moment of weakness, Raven knows, but the decision is made in moments. She asks Vernal to watch over the tribe for her, and then she tears open a hole in space and steps through to Qrow. Patrons jostle in their seats and stare at her in fear.
It's a bar. Of course, it's a bar. Where else would Qrow be? Her red eyes scan the area, though finding her brother doesn't take long. He's sitting alone in a corner booth. No others were seated in the area around him as if he had somehow erected a wall of sheer sorrow between himself and the rest of the bar. He's slumped over the table, nursing a bottle of alcohol, bottom shelf, of course. His eyes are puffy, his cheeks blotchy, and the bags under his eyes haven't been this bad since–. He's stroking a photo, though it isn't the one she usually sees him fondling. The man lurches in his seat, a silent sob.
Raven doesn't know how to feel. She thought she might want to gloat. Maybe. But here, all she feels is a choking sensation at the bottom of her throat.
She quashes that feeling violently.
She grabs an abandoned bottle of alcohol of some sort or another from one of the tables as she passes, and slowly, she approaches her mourning brother. Coming up to stand just behind him, she looks at the photo he's holding. It presents a wholesome picture: Qrow, laughing, and a small girl, Summer Ruby, on his shoulders. The girl is wide-eyed and laughing, with a near physical sparkle in her silver eyes, as she rides her uncle's shoulders.
Damn. There is that choking sensation again. Raven forcefully swallows it down and slams the bottle of alcohol onto the table in front of Qrow. The man jumps in his seat and sways as he turns blotchy red eyes to her.
"Raven…? What're y' doin' 'ere?" The man slurs, narrowing his eyes, "Don't tell m' y' came here t' gloat… Cause I'm not in th' mood for yer bullshi'..."
Raven clears her throat, "I heard what happened."
Qrow rolls his eyes and tucks the photograph of him and Summer's girl away into his shirt, "Oh, yea'? An' what about it? You here to make fun o' me? O' her…?" Qrow meets Raven's eyes through her mask, "'Cause if it's the second one, ya won't be leavin' alive."
Raven takes a deep breath, her hand tightening on Omen's grip. She should have known her brother would be hostile. She's never given him a reason not to be.
'Let's get this over with…'
Slowly, Raven removes her mask and sets it on the table with a small clink. She does well to keep her face blank as she meets Qrow's suspicious glare with an even look.
"I know how much the girl meant to you, brother. It is regrettable that one with so much potential would pass so soon." There. She had said her piece. Said her sympathies. Now she can–
Qrow cackles at her. The sound is wet and horrible, closer to a sob than mirth, "And you– hah, jus' came here to say that? Don't– heh- Don't bother…" Qrow's laughter peters off into sobs, and he curls in on himself, taking another swig of his bottle of alcohol. "What d'ya really want, sis?"
Raven is silent. Her face is a blank slate as she stares blankly at her brother.
"Do… do you even care?" Qrow asks suddenly, "Do you even care how much Ru–" Qrow releases a shuddering sigh, fresh tears pooling in his eyes, "Do you even know how much Ruby meant to me? To Tai, or to Yang?"
Raven turns her gaze to the wall, her eyes staring into the middle distance.
'How could you not care, Raven!?' Summer shouts, her eyes blazing with silver fury, 'She's your daughter! Do you even know how much you mean to her? To Tai, or Qrow?'
Raven blinks before schooling her face into a scowl; her lips part for a retort before Summer steps into her space.
'Do you even know how much you mean to me?'
Raven blinks. She clears her throat and looks back at Qrow, "I failed her too, you know."
Qrow quirks an angry eyebrow.
Raven sighs and runs a gloved hand through her hair, "Summer, the last thing she asked me, she demanded of me, was that I promise to watch over them. Just in case."
A muscle in Raven's face twitches, "Just another thing I ran away from." She scoffs.
Raven's words apparently take a moment to sink in. "What- What do you mean, y' were supposed to watch over them?" Qrow shakes his head, "Y'– You spoke to Summer? Before she died…? Why… How…?" Qrow's voice is shaky, vulnerable.
Raven suddenly can't meet his eyes, and for some reason, she is starting to feel vulnerable, "I–" Raven clears her throat, "I was never suited for parenthood, Qrow," She mutters lamely, "I didn't– I never thought…"
Raven closes her eyes, taking a moment to steel herself, "Summer was always the best of us, Qrow. All of us. But, when she died–" Ravens choked down a sob, "When she died, I just– I couldn't. The moment I laid eyes on her daughter, I knew I would never be enough. And now they're– they're both… Gone."
Qrow's eyes harden, narrowing to slits, "No, no, no! You don't get to do this, Raven!" Qrow is shaking now, exhaustion, grief, anger; Raven can't tell the cause, "You don't just get to come back and say 'whoopsy-daisy' and 'my bad' after all this time and– and– And act like everything is fine!" Qrow punctuates the statement by slamming his fist on the table.
Qrow's body is wracked with another sob, "I– You– We were supposed to watch over them… Yang and– and Ruby…"
Raven shuts her eyes, a desperate attempt to keep her emotions in check, "I– I'm not asking forgiveness."
That simple statement is enough to shock Qrow into silence.
Raven takes a deep breath, "I mourn too, brother." Raven releases a shuddering sigh, years' worth of bottled-up emotion weighing down her shoulders, "I just want to apologize."
'No, no! What is she doing?! This isn't what she wants! She shouldn't be apologizing for doing what was necessary to–' She culls the thought with extreme prejudice.
"I'm not the sister you wanted. I'm not the partner Taiyang needed." Raven can't stop a single tear from escaping her eye, "And I'm not the mother Yang needed. But Summer was. And I failed her. I broke my promise. I was supposed to protect them. Both of them. But I failed. I failed everything. And now Summer– Summer's daughter is dead because of my inaction. Of my cowardice."
Qrow looks absolutely blown away; his eyes are wide, and his mouth hangs open, "Raven– Are– Are you actually apologizing?"
Raven can't muster words at the moment, so she simply nods.
Qrow stares at her, his expression so damnably open before he staggers to his feet. His arms fly to the sides, and for a moment, Raven thinks he is going to attack until–
Qrow hugs her. His arms wrap carefully around her shoulders, and he sobs into her chest. "Raven, Raven– She's gone. She's dead."
Raven's eyes shine with tears; without thinking, she returns the hug, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't– I shouldn't have left. I should have kept my promise. Maybe– Maybe if I did–" Raven buries her face into Qrow's shoulder.
Their relationship is complicated. But for a moment, they are again siblings, sharing in their grief.
However, the embrace lasts only a few seconds before they awkwardly part. Their eyes are now equally puffy and red, and the two of them take a moment to compose themselves, respectively. A moment of peace. Qrow collapses back into his seat and puts his face in his hands.
"Qrow–" Raven sniffles, damn her loss of control, "I promise, I'll do better. I'll– I'll look after Yang. I'll make up for lost time if I can. I failed Summer's daughter, but I won't let another of our family die."
Qrow nods but doesn't remove his head from his hands, instead speaking muffled, "Good, good."
Qrow looks up and affixes Raven with a paralyzing gaze, "Don't fail her, Raven. We– I– We can't afford to lose anyone else. Not after everything." He holds her gaze with that steely look, and Raven knows, she knows, this is not a request. It's an order.
Raven offers a nod, a slow, solemn thing, "Goodbye, Brother. I'll take my leave."
Raven slashes omen through the air and rends another hole in reality. She offers Qrow one last look of commiseration before she steps through, and the portal closes behind her.
Qrow watches as the bloody red portal closes.
"You better keep your promise this time, Raven." Qrow sighs, trying to take another swig of alcohol, only to find the bottle empty.
He eyes the empty bottle of liquor he had been nursing in disdain before his eyes fall to the second Raven had brought to him. But that's not what catches his eye; no, it's the thing left beside it.
She had left her mask behind.