A/N: Here we are, we're back at again with more!
Some info at the end of the chapter about the story and where it'll be heading if you're interested to read.
Silence had settled over the pair in the restaurant, both seemingly trying to avoid one another's eyes at the statement that came from Naruto. Raven's head was turned, looking out the window that showed more of Kuroyuri's main street, her red eyes flicking and focusing on new people as they walked through her line of sight, she was thankful for the distraction. Her fingers lightly tapped against the teacup that filled her hand, the other resting against her lap while her brain processed his words. Naruto had been looking around the venue, but his eyes kept drifting back to Raven, hoping to see something from her. A response, at the very least.
Granted the situation could be far worse, slightly awkward atmosphere is better than a raging argument. He knew it had been a bold thing to state, and risk destroying the good mood they'd been cultivating since the early morning, but he was never one to shy away from uncomfortable truths. The man didn't have to wait for much longer as Raven cleared her throat a little, moving her head back in as she cut her window-gazing short and looked at him. Her eyes were neutral, a surprise to him.
"What was the name of your home?"
Naruto blinked at the question, his brow flicking upwards as Raven kept her gaze on him. Both her hands lifting as she folded her fingers together, laying her chin atop the folded pair. Nothing further came from her, clearly waiting for her new companion to respond.
"Konoha. It was a huge village hidden amongst trees and leaves." He said with a smile on his face, leaning forward as he folded his hands neatly on the table-surface before him. "This place reminds me of it, my village was much larger, but the people were the same. It's nice to see that no matter how much times change, some things always stay the same." He said wistfully as he kept moving his eyes around the quaint little restaurant that had locals moving in and out. He knew nothing was going to replace Konoha, no matter how hard he'd look. He was an optimist though, he would just find the next best thing and make that his new home.
"But enough about me. What was your home called? Was it nice?" Naruto had beat her to the punch, noticing Raven about to ask another question but he quickly put his own in. His wounds were old, Raven's were not. He watched as her eyes widened a little, taking her by surprise as the long-haired woman took a moment to collect her thoughts at the sudden change.
"We didn't name our home anything special; it was just the Branwen tribe. We moved around a lot, always one-step ahead of Mistral's attempts to snuff us out." She said with a distant look on her face, her eyes drifting as she seemed to be going through her memories. Naruto just patiently waited with a smile.
"Bunch of fighters huh? That figures, you and your brother seem like real tough people." That statement only made the woman snort a little, half-scoffing at the statement, but she didn't make any attempt to argue against it.
"Something like that. A tribe that was tough as nails, fat load of good that did for us in the end though." She muttered under her breath as the mood chilled at the table. A minute passed by as the pair sat in silence, Naruto finding a stain on the table-top quite interesting as Raven sat with a thin line across her lips.
"Not the most ideal conversation over food." Came her sudden dry follow up as she raised her head up and off her hands. Things had been progressing nicely all morning and here they were, back to discussing depressing topics. Raven's life had been nothing but that theme lately and she was tired of it. This was a new day after all, she was determined to keep that feeling going. "I hope you aren't going to bring the mood down tonight; these poor people won't know how to respond." She said, taking a sip with her eyes focused on the attentive male, gleaming with a playful smirk at her new 'friend'.
She was glad to hear him snort a little, watching on as he sheepishly brought his hand up to rub his neck. She had to reign in these pity-parties, it was draining.
"I guess some of the blame lies with me, I did ask you for a clearer answer. My apologies." She said, but continuing once she saw him try to speak, cutting him from responding. "But I believe we can put these conversations to rest, for now at least. The talk by the river was shattering for me, but I appreciate it nonetheless." She asserted before suddenly pushing her hands against the table and raising herself up, Raven's eyes went back to Naruto. "Come on. We're finished here. We have a few things left on our list to acquire before it gets too late." With that, Raven had already moved out of the booth seating as she walked towards the exit. Naruto could only give out a hum to himself.
His hand drummed along the table. "That went better than I expected." He said to himself, happy it didn't explode into anything bad. She seemed receptive to learning about his past, so maybe he could ration recounting his past to Raven if she does the same. "Baby steps Naruto, we'll get there eventually!" He assured himself, hands tapping the table as he stood up and began following the Huntress as he slipped from the booth, working on catching up the marching woman already down in the street.
"Wait up! Raven, slow down!"
Deliverance
"Come on Tai! We can't wait any longer!"
Summer had already gotten strapped and ready, her weapon packed down and provisions loaded up. The Huntress with red highlights clapped her hands briskly as she cheered the tired blond man onwards. His form clearly exhausted as he threw himself against a nearby bench and slung his back across it.
"Uuurggh… Summer, the VTOL won't be ready for another hour!" He moaned out in annoyance, the moon shining high in the night sky. No matter how fired up he might be about going after Qrow and Raven, it was nothing compared to Summer. She was pulling double-duty for both at this point, the leader of STRQ would not be caught lacking.
"Then we can go over strategy until we board!" She clapped out, already fishing into her own rucksack as she rummaged about in it. This gave the man some reprieve as the team leader began to swear under her breath before she dropped the back onto the floor and began rummaging through it with a wanton need.
Finally getting a moment, Taiyang sighed to himself as he caught his breath. His gaze cast upon the spirited woman who was almost ready to rip her bag apart at the seams. Ever since this whole shitstorm had started, Summer had been unstoppable in her demands to get Raven back, refusing to let things play out in anything but her own terms.
He had to admit; Summer looked damn awe-inspiring with how she'd been handling this situation, even going face-to-face with Ozpin like that before forcing this mission on his hands. When their teams had been first picked, nobody expected Summer Rose to be the one leading the delinquent-looking team of Taiyang and the Branwens but she managed to pull it off. Not only was she able to keep things coordinated, Summer kept their noses clean whenever it came to missions.
Thinking back on it, he's honestly surprised how effective Summer was at keeping Qrow and Raven in-line, knowing neither wanted to deal with an angered Summer and her infamous silent treatment. For a bright and shiny girl, she could be unexpectedly cold and dismissive when she needed to be! He had tried to keep himself occupied with her, having his team leader's back and giving her the encouragement she needed. He had his doubts, sure, but he always knew she was special when they'd been assigned partners.
Granted it had been a little one-sided, the awkward girl he'd been nice to suddenly flying at bullet-velocity to come find him when the assignment matches had started was a little weird, but in an endearing kind of way. Assemble a group of hostile people who didn't want to chat, he obviously included the Branwens in that, and you meet the one person who isn't growling or scowling? He'd try to be their partner to.
'Huh, maybe it had been a mutual thing there…' Taiyang thought to himself, he remembers being happy when it was him and Summer being paired. High fives all around. Then, Raven and Qrow were put in a team with them. Both Mistralites, in the nicest way he could put it, looked like murder-hobos. He distinctly remembers the look on Summer's face as she went to shake Raven's hand as a welcoming display of friendship, she got Raven's finger flicking her forehead as her reward. All signs were pointing to this being a troublesome team placement, but he was wrong.
Qrow was an easy guy to get along with, he seemed eager to meet people and get away from just only knowing sister and he couldn't blame him. When they first met her, at least. Raven was… Not the easiest person to get along with, fatalistic and dismissive remarks to any form of friendly conversation, the way she brutally put down people in duelling and her total disregard for any attempts to instill comradery. To say that she was 'rough around the edges' is to say that Grimm aren't known for their conversation skills.
That all changed when Summer had bested Raven during their combat class.
The plucky underdog had managed to out-speed and overwhelm the dark-haired swordswoman in a surprising show that left even the teacher applauding her efforts, hell he remembered Qrow giving a good cheer once he realised what had happened. Obviously, he cheered for his energetic partner and congratulated Summer for beating one of the best, if not the best, of their year, but he'll never forget the eyes that Raven gave her as she collected herself off the ground. Raising up onto her feet, weapon going back into her rotary-sheath, bangs covering her eyes but Taiyang had been able to glimpse them.
Pure, utter contempt.
He'd genuinely never seen someone look that way; to look at another living person and wish death on them. Worse still, he remembers the chill down his neck as Raven turned silently and left the class. She appeared almost like a wraith, gliding out emotionlessly yet it was obvious a select few that unbridled fury was bubbling below. Poor Summer had been trying to speak to her, to congratulate for a good match and gush over how strong Raven was, but to no avail, the Branwen woman refused to be consoled over her injured pride.
To add to the confusion, Raven changed her tune only a few days later and began addressing Summer as 'Leader' during their exercises. She was dismissive to people, sure, but she seemed to regard Summer with a modicum of respect and listened to her commands. Had it just been a temper tantrum and she needed time to cool down?
Memories of those angsty days are a nice daydream compared to the absolute migraine that Raven had dragged them into now. He couldn't stop the tongue click that came from his mouth, not when the thought of Raven filled his mind. What a confusing woman, he couldn't come up with a single logical reason that she'd do this. Even when he and Summer had sat down and spoken over what they could do about this, they couldn't deny both Glynda and Ozpin's points.
What could they do to fix it? They'd be lucky to keep STRQ together if they brought her back, and that's entirely banking on the scant chance that Raven just surrenders without a fight. Taiyaing scoffed aloud, shaking his head.
'Oh yeah, that would surely happen.' He thought sarcastically. There is no chance their incredibly combative and competitive teammate was going to just throw down her arms and come quietly. Once again, another exhale left the tired Xiao Long as he hung his head back.
"What a mess…"
His mind began to wander back to the last night he saw Raven before their individual missions, each sent to back up another escort team with re-locating the Maidens. The look in her eyes, that stern face as she addressed him. One night it was affection and then the next, she looked at him like a stranger. He cared for her but… He was tired of it. He didn't want a relationship with someone who treated him like that, it wasn't healthy. His booted foot tapped against the pavement as he remembered the last things she said, the callousness to her tone…
If she hadn't botched her mission and gone AWOL, he didn't know how long it would take before they finally called it quits. Little Yang's arrival only made things even more frustrating and confusing, but they could've worked things out and found common ground.
Instead, she decided to murder an innocent and then run off with Yang before he even got the chance to meet her. He didn't know how he could make things work at this point, it was just one act of violence or heinous crime after the other, leaving him processing a mix of anger and grief as the new father could only slowly vent in small doses. He had been apprehensive about rushing out to join Qrow entirely because he had no idea how he'd act with Raven. Could he keep being rational if she just stonewalled him after all she'd done, would she try to downplay it all as minor things she shouldn't be held accountable for?
Both his fists squeezed tight, instinctively clenching his jaw as the man laid with his back pressed against the bench. He always remembered those eyes from combat class as he wondered if that was the real Raven. Was that always under the surface, just waiting for the chance to show itself proper? His jaw slid from side to side, grinding teeth together at the raw implication that laid at his feet.
"No…" He said under his breath, knowing that Raven had her good side. She was Summer's best friend after all, the girl even said that she trusted Raven with her secrets. Summer was quick to bury the hatchet, but she wasn't stupid. Raven had been nice to him as well, downright playful some days, as she offered to be his sparring partner which is what led to their relationship. He remembered the times Qrow would drunkenly confide in him, saying all sorts of things about his sister and their life, but never once did he call her a monster or psychopathic.
'Arrgghh! Nothing made sense! What happened, what went wrong?!' Taiyaing raged as his hands came up and ruffled through his hair, so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed Summer taking a seat to his side, her eyes brimming with concern over her partner's state. The park they waited in was empty at this late hour, only the buzzing of the bright dust-powered lamp above that kept them in the light. Empty and peaceful, leaving them in enough privacy that Summer felt comfortable to speak.
"Tai, are you okay…" The words died out of her mouth as she turned her head away. "Ok, it is very obvious that you are not okay with this situation. Why would I even say that…"
Summer started out strong but quickly buckled, clearly downtrodden at such a stupid question. She had been excited to discuss things with him, go over all the different ways they could make up for time and the formations they'd use to bring Raven down. They'd all trained together, they knew her form and they knew her tricks. Surely with all three of them taking her on, it wouldn't be difficult to capture her! But… The cold reality once again began to settle in on the team leader as she realised what she had been excited over; a plan to beat up their own team member.
Her best friend.
'Good job Summer, I am sure he really wants to hear a plan on how to kick Raven's butt!'
Her face fell even further as Summer almost shrank into herself, all that fire and energy falling away as her heart sank.
Taiyang had been pulled out of his thoughts and taken off-guard, coughing into his hand as he straightened up in the seat. His mind raced to respond but it seemed like a lost cause, the look on Summer's face causing Taiyang to turn his head and look away.
The streetlamp above illuminating the pair sitting on their bench, both seemingly trying to avoid each other's eyes as an uncomfortable silence settled in. Summer's and Taiyang's equipment sat between them, taking up the middle seat.
Seconds turned into minutes as they sat there, Taiyang finally looking back as he peered across at the downtrodden girl. Summer was fidgeting with her hands against her lap, clenching onto rolled up paper she clearly wanted to show him. No doubt a new plan of attack she had been working on. A plan to subdue and beat Raven.
She raged internally, shaking her hair as she chewed on her lip. 'Ugh I am such an idiot!' The silver-eyed woman continued, battling on in her head while the blond man had similar thoughts. His eyes cast upon the worried and changing face of the team leader, watching the way it changed every few seconds, unable to find an expression to sit on while those silver eyes looked on the verge of tears.
Taiyang's eyes hardened as he took in the sight of STRQ's leader.
Was that how he looked earlier? On second thought, was this how he looked all the time now? The wet blanket that moped around, and his team just had to deal with it? Never going to pull his weight and be carried by his two closest friends? Just some big Grimm magnet they'd have to suffer through!? He couldn't stay like this, not with how hard both Qrow and Summer were trying to fix things.
He straightened up in his seat, inner turmoil dissipating as the man hardened his brow. He was in the strange position that this whole ordeal had affected him the most and couldn't be blamed for being depressed or down, but that wasn't Taiyang's style. He was going to be an adult and just supress it all down until they inevitably erupted back up, most likely during his fight with Raven. Was it healthy? Absolutely not. That didn't matter right now.
That could all be saved for when they kicked some sense into Raven for her insane actions. Right now, his team needed him just as he needed them. He had no idea what was going on with Raven, and their personal history complicated things, but that didn't even register on his radar. His teammate had gone rogue, and she was in-need of rescuing so they were going to bring her home, safe and sound. Afterwards though? It was going to be one apocalyptic 'We need to talk' the likes that Remnant had never seen. He took a breath in, washing away his doubts as the brawler of STRQ puffed his chest a little.
'Alrighty, enough of this pity party.'
Right now, he had a duty as Summer's handler to reign her in and keep her mind focused. To see this bubbly girl just as depressed as he had been was a step too far in his mind, this forlorn look didn't suit Summer, and he never wanted to see it on her face again. A grin stretched across his lips as he flexed his hand, he knew the exact way to get her back on-track.
Summer was so engrossed in her thoughts that when the hand came down against her head, she was unable to stop the yelp from exiting her lips while both her hands moved for the sore spot, unintentionally smacking herself across the face with her document.
"Oww?!" She called out, head turning to see Taiyang with a wide smile on his face as he kicked onto his feet and gave a sudden stretch, cracking his back. He turned loosened up as he turned back to Summer, beaming down at her with a face that she hadn't seen in weeks, almost months, while he bumped both of his fists together.
"Come on Summer! Wipe that look off your face, I am not going to sit around and let our team leader look like Qrow after exam week! Why don't we have a spar, shake some rust off. It'll help us when we knock some sense into Raven."
He extended his hand down to the woman on the bench, her eyes taking in the wide, warm smile across his face. That face she loved to see almost every day. She felt her cheeks warm up as she thrust her hand forward, an unexpected meekness that the normally bold girl had to swallow down.
"Y-yeah! You're right! Let's break a leg, we'll smack that bird's butt and drag her back, she'll be on latrine duty for a year!"
Clapping her palm into his, she was yanked off the seat and onto her feet as both immediately swung into action. Taiyang spun and threw Summer into the green grass area behind the bench, flipping through the air before she hit the dirt and slid backwards, landing in a crouch with a smirk extended across her face.
"Oh yeah, nailed that landing..."
Taiyang stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as his weapon lay behind on the bench, just like Summer's. This was a friendly spar, no need for lacerations or puncture wounds.
"Just because you're my team leader doesn't mean I won't pull my punches, ya hear! Get ready for the pain!" He announced with a grin, matching the excited smile on Summer's face as he stood directly before her, a good few meters away.
"Sounds good lazy bones! I expect you to pound my butt hard!"
Both figures just stood there in the silence of the park, their only audience being the loud crickets that seemingly picked up after her words. Taiyang felt his brow slowly raise upwards as Summer did her best to maintain eye contact. Her pale skin slowly heating up as her entire face began to shift to a nice shade of red. Her fists shook, body trembling, as she did her best to hold that fighting pose.
"C-Can we please just start before I die of embarrassment!?"
"Do… Do you mean the fight, or…?"
"OKAY FIGHT STARTS NOW!"
Deliverance
The rest of the day in Kuroyuri passed without much issue, the pair didn't spend too long out on the town as they viewed some minor stores and then found their way back to the inn that was graciously hosting them. Raven had been hell-bent on leaving this day; blowing the dinner plans off and heading out while the sun was still up. That way they could hit the harbour town by midnight and be on the first ferry to northern Mistral by morning. They had all the supplies they needed and once Raven was able to get to a proper bank at a connected hub, she could access her account and drain it to properly go off the grid. They'd be set up for a while and be able to properly plan things out. Quick, efficient and brilliant. The 'Raven Special' if her inflated ego had been allowed to name it.
"Yeah! I was surprised when Raven told me but we're going tonight, little Lie was cute as well. Baby definitely got your good looks, Granny!"
Then Naruto had opened his mouth the moment they walked in and now Raven was watching as the man and the old woman conversed about letting them stay again for the extra night, introducing them to her grandson, his wife and their newborn properly. Her eyes stared listlessly as Naruto roped them into an entire evening of a social situation she was unprepared for. Raven hated social gatherings, and the Huntress barely put any effort in her conversation skills to anyone who wasn't in her list of 'worthy' people, and now? Naruto had just signed them up for an entire fucking night of it.
She couldn't handle his shenanigans for the moment, the red-eyed woman peering off as she went to take a seat in a quiet area of the inn and placed the bland sheathe atop the table and gripped the handle, withdrawing the blade and inspecting the decent-quality metal that would be her blade until she could start on re-making Omen. Her prized weapon's loss still made her heart quake a little, she'd had it since she was a young teen and assembling the rotary, with every single blade made from pure dust? The eye-watering number of caravans they had to raid for those blades made her temper bubble, that's not even saying all the custom modifications she'd assembled over time that she'd forgotten about.
And now she got to experience the joy of starting fresh. Having to try and remake her weapon from scratch, as the burned blueprints laid back in her tribe's grave, was going to be a nightmare. Throw in having to get all those blades of dust reforged, not being able to flash her Huntress license to silence any questions? Raven could only sink in the chair and let out a depressed sigh. The small progress they made today was only a small chip into the towering mountain of mess that Raven had thrown herself into, but that's also she could manage.
Her mind then began to drift over to what she could do as a suitable replacement. The flashy weapons of Remnant's Huntsman and Huntresses were a mixed bag, in her opinion. Having both a ranged and melee weapon was useful, sure, but some people took it too far when she recalled some of the insane things her fellow students back at Beacon used.
She'd seen the most outlandish weapons; a grenade launcher, a rotary cannon and even a multi-chamber missile launcher! Absolute dust-drains that forced students to sink all their finances into keeping their weapons functioning. The destructive potential as well hampered their use, a single-shot rifle could be made quiet, but a missile launcher?
"Pfft... Nothing but amateurs." She scoffed to herself as she swung her hand, testing the weight of her new stand-in blade.
Did Beacon do anything to help these kids realize how useless their weapons might be? Not in the slightest. In fact, they only encouraged them to go more outrageous with their loadouts. Her eyes rolling at the memory of a student who had a Bo-staff that split into explosive nun-chucks thanks to his dust application.
It took a solid week to clean up the mess after his training... 'Mishap'. Aura could stop and cushion a lot of things, but concentrated explosions right in your unexpecting face? Not that.
Raven would stick with her normal and boring bladed weapons that she could hone her mastery over. They had a tendency to save her life when she needed it the most, unlike garish and over-the-top weapons that had a bad habit of jamming when you put more and more sophisticated gears and rotaries in them.
Seeing someone's weapon explode their hands off because the firing chamber got jammed during the transformation was a sight she'd rather not witness again.
Her brow furrowed a little as she began to take note of just how many student fatalities she saw happen at Beacon, a startling high number just from their own weapons or training mishaps to boot. Not even her own team was immune, Summer had been a baby after her hands got pinched in Sundered Rose's mode-change once.
'R-Raven... Can we go get ice cream...?'
Raven couldn't stop a soft grin from forming at the memory of Summer's sniffling face, hands bandaged, pulling on her school skirt like she was her baby kid.
Thoughts of Summer always brought her mood back up, the red-tinted weirdo who acted reserved but was a bubbling volcano of energy and gluttony. Her hand slowly tilted the blade as Raven caught her own reflection in it, blinking softly as hey eyes followed the stress lines under her eyes, not too mention the dark patches around them. She looked like a 40 year old woman already.
Beauty supplies were a waste of Lien in her current situation and she needed every scrap she could get. She knew getting things such as shampoo or face cream would just be a frivolous excess that would be better spent on food or a place to sleep.
Her eyes focused back on the reflection in the blade. Her free hand came up slowly and pulled on her cheek, watching the way it stretched.
Maybe she'd steal some face moisturizer. It'd be small and she could hide in her backpack.
"Baby steps Raven…" She said to herself as she placed the mass-produced blade back into its sheath and laid it down, resuming her lean into the chair. Letting out a sigh as she relaxed, it felt good to sit and not worry about onlookers. She kept her back to Naruto and Granny Li's animated conversation, her ears finally picking up on their words whilst she was relaxed.
"I am not too sure, I think they'd be blond. My mother was a redhead and it was a strong element in the clan, but this is my dad's hair, so I guess it's stronger? Red would be cool though; I like red hair a lot. No idea on Raven's side, they'd probably have her bird's nest hair at the very least."
Raven could only blink, her head twisting sharply to look at them. Her confused red eyes took in two wide smirks across their faces with matching amused eyes, clearly talking to get her attention. The Huntress had been unaware how loud her grumbling and sighing had been to the pair chatting about Li's family. Her brain could only process the statement that Naruto had said, unprepared for Li's follow up, her brow creased downwards as she glared at them.
"I don't know dear, hair colour has a strange way of re-appearing, picturing her with red hair is quite the striking sight. Hopefully they get more of your handsome looks, you're far easier on the eyes than Miss Scowling over there." She had been looking at Naruto whilst she started but her eyes made their way back to Raven, the older woman's face alight with teasing joy. "But don't worry dear, I am cheering for you two. I don't have long left, so get those kids out soon."
Naruto looked aghast, turning back to the older woman. "No, don't say that Granny! You're going to live to be a thousand! I won't allow you to go!"
"You won't allow me?!"
Confused eyes only blink as Raven sat there in the chair, watching the pair completely veer off teasing her and back onto arguing with each other, the older woman reaching out to squeeze Naruto by his whiskered cheek while he was pushing a finger into her cheek.
"No! Not until you have great, great, great grandkids at the least!"
"I have enough grandkids as it is! My handsome Kim is waiting for me on the other side, do you know how long it's been for this old girl!?"
"Eww! Granny, that's gross! I don't want to hear that!"
"What's wrong!? Old Li has needs to, dear! Don't act all prudish now!"
They were leaving first thing in the morning. She refused to let these two hang around each other any longer.
Raven grabbed the weapon and began heading upstairs to their room, bypassing the arguing pair while she climbed the steps, the words of the older woman ringing in her head. Her hand wrapped around a rogue strand of black hair, twisting it between her fingers as Raven idly began thinking while she walked up to their assigned room.
'Red hair huh…?'
Deliverance
Footsteps walked past the room but Qrow had to push down the urge to shout for help. He knew it would be a stupid thing to do but the base urge was there, he had to report back to his team to get help but here he was, stuck in this new mess he'd caused for himself.
"Okay, so the idea is you're all playing against the dealer, me, and you gotta hit 21 exactly or the closest to it without going over. Hitting 21 is victory, unless I also get 21, then it's a draw. You all following?"
Nods all around, Qrow kept going as he began pulling the cards from the deck he only recently began carrying around with him. He was so glad he bought this thing on a whim; he didn't know how much longer of back-and-forth interrogation he could stomach, especially after the latest conversation. Having to explain what he could to a total stranger, one who looked down-right terrifying, about the silent war going on between Salem and Ozpin was one thing he knew Oz was going to chew him out for.
Though after seeing those eyes? The fangs, the tails. He knew this guy wasn't normal by any means. Ain't Human and he ain't Faunus. An enigma that Raven managed to land herself into the arms of, from how he described it. Well, rather, he landed in Raven's arms as she saved him. A snort left Qrow's nose as he shuffled the cards, the idea of Raven bridal-carrying anyone was funnier than it had any right to be.
He still had zero idea how this guy knew about not only Ozpin but Grimm-damned Salem as well. Did Raven just blurt it out in the, what, day? Two days? Whatever miniscule amount of time they've known each other for? If so, his sister really was slipping. He was glad the topic had moved off that though, he already had enough of politics and the dire situation they were in from Ozpin and the staff at Beacon. Managing to barter with Naruto for mild-freedom and the ability to play a game of cards to get their minds off serious topics was a game-changer for his mood.
Pun intended.
"Okay, so I am going to deal you all the cards like… This…" He said, drawing once for each of the clones and then circling back, repeating until they all had 2 cards each. Hopefully this could stretch out for the rest of the night and he didn't have to hear anything more about Salem, Grimm or his sister. He was allowed to be selfish just this once, right?
"Oh hey, 21!"
"Yeah me as well! Right off the bat, damn I am good!"
"Wait, what does this card mean?"
Qrow could only watch as a 3rd clone lifted a King and an Ace, resulting in an immediate 21 as well. Great, it appears he had supernatural luck to boot. How amazing. "You three won this round, unless I get 21, so wait." Before he began dealing to for himself, his eyes moving back to the only tail-having Naruto who was looking around in grumpy annoyance at not hitting 21 immediately, hearing his grumble under his breath about having shitty luck. The Branwen could only chuckle to himself at the irony.
Another set of footsteps walked past, hearing some conversation that went back and forth. The temptation itched in Qrow's throat but he kept it down, with his Semblance it was almost guaranteed it was going to end badly. He flicked more cards out, watching one clone immediately bust and hit 23, followed by the tailed Naruto who blew straight past 21 with the 10 he drew. "Unlucky draw, my guy." Qrow wore a smug grin as he spoke, looks like this game was going to be more fun than he originally thought.
"This is BULLSHIT! I am the boss, how come you guys win and I don't?!"
"Should've drawn my cards then, baaa~ka."
Qrow could only laugh as he laid out his own cards, hitting 20. He didn't win, but he didn't lose. Seems like this was going to be a good night after all. Maybe he could relax for a bit, not like he could break out and overpower these five blonds. That was his excuse for it if he got caught playing cards with these guys, anyway. I mean, come on, it wasn't like Summer or Tai were going to notice if he didn't clock back in for a day or so. Reception was spotty out in Mistral!
Meanwhile on a VTOL preparing to leave Vale, however.
"This isn't good Tai! H-He could be dead! Something must've happened, what if She got to both him and Raven?!" Summer babbled out as she dragged her hand through her hair, her face wrapped in some bandages with a band aid across her nose.
Taiyang could only try to get his words in as Summer kept talking over him, the blond man nursing one stunning shiner of a black eye from where he copped Summer's knee. The pair sat together in the VTOL while he watched Summer just keep trying the number over and over, spamming Qrow's scroll as it immediately went to stand-by. It was unable to make connection at all.
"Qrow... QROWWWWW!"
"Summer please calm down!"
Back in Kuroyuri, the Branwen just shrugged.
'Yeah, it'll fine.' Came Qrow's thought as his hands steadily flicked cards between each other.
"Deal me back in! I refuse to end on a loss like this!"
Qrow just grinned as he snapped his hands shut and consolidated the deck, his pale-red eyes gleaming while he nodded at the tailed blond. "Consider it done, Boss."
Deliverance
"You three have a good night, tell those two that I plan to see them real soon! Make sure you squeeze little Lie's cheeks for me, okay?"
Hours had passed in the comfort of the inn but now came the worst part of Raven's night. The dinner date with the Ren's was here.
Naruto grinned, waving back as the small group walked away from the walk-in entrance of the large inn, Raven holding Yang as she did her best to not entertain his actions while she rocked little Yang, her eyes cast down on the tired girl in her arms who seemed to be struggling to stay awake. Finally a smile worked its way onto her face, brushing the bundle to let more of Yang's face be visible. The Kuroyuri main road was soaked in the fading colour of the setting sun, the great trees of Mistral starting to block its light as the atmosphere in the village was content and relaxed, distant lanterns starting to flash on in the town.
Raven had never been one for such a cushy vibe but after the last few days? She could honestly admit that she missed being able to kick her feet up and just stop caring for a few hours. The day she was able to take a hot bath and not worry about a hunting party burning down the building would be a sweet, cherished thing. The mere thought made the red-eyed woman sigh aloud, unknowingly drawing Naruto's attention as he had caught back up.
"Something on ya mind?"
Her eyes flicked to his, looking at his grinning face. Any attempt at being grumpy or mad just seemed to dissipate, it was very annoying. "Just hoping I never have to sit through a conversation like that again. I swear I aged by 15 years just sitting in that inn with you two." She grumbled out, that old woman had a surgical way of getting right under her skin. Always speaking to her as if she and Naruto were going at it like Vacuon baboons or something, they had just met only a few days ago! Who did she take Raven for?! If she got Qrow involved, Oum forbid, she might actually kill all three of them and burn down the inn.
"Ugh, yeah, I know. Old people sex is gross."
Naruto's response detonated in her mind like a mental flashbang, the half-listening woman's head snapped to him at a worrying pace. Her eyes wide, her brain desperately trying to figure out where the connection was to that loaded sentence. It took the blond Fox a few seconds when no response came from his companion, head turning to peer at her dinner-plate sized eyes and her mouth hanging ajar.
"What? That's what you were talking about right?"
Raven turned her head back, still trying to figure out how this man was as strong as he was. Some kind of ancient deity or something, yet those words could leave his mouth? Raven coughed to herself as her brain properly re-booted and she managed to get a response out, all the while still holding Yang who had long since succumbed to sleep. She envied the baby.
"I… Look, let's just get this night over with. We'll be nice, engage in some minor conversation and then get out. We get to bed early and be up when the sun is starting to rise, that way we'll be well within the schedule for hitting the ferry before its too late. Okay?" She asked, her head turning back as their eyes met.
The whiskered male saw the look she was giving him, it wasn't the normal dismissive tone either. Clearly, she wasn't used to things like this, and he couldn't really say he was as well. Countless centuries sealed away had left his dinner etiquette skills a little rusty, if you could believe.
"Sure thing! Don't worry. A little social interaction will do us good and then after this, we'll be locked in for leaving." He said which immediately allowed Raven to breathe a little, she had been worried he was going to try and drag their stay out but it seemed like she was wrong. They really didn't have the luxury of time to hang about, the clock was ticking.
The Branwen woman always had a small voice in the back of her head, posing the question of how long it'd be before she receives a visit from the great White Witch herself. As callous and cold as she tried to be, the idea of causing this town's destruction purely by her presence was not what she regarded as a professional act on her part.
The quicker they could be gone, the safer these people would be.
"Besides, a little networking isn't so bad. You never know when we might need to come back to these parts." He said, winking at the red-eyed woman as they kept walking down the street. "We can keep in-touch a little, if all goes well, we might even have another place we can stay if our main plan goes to pieces. After all, who would look for us in a place they know we've long-since left, right?" He posed to the woman, watching her take his words in as she mulled them over.
Raven hummed to herself. He wasn't wrong. She did see the logic in that, especially if Argus ends up a disaster and they are forced to hit the road once more. Stopping through here for some respite before heading elsewhere, like further south or even leaving Mistral entirely, would give them time to breathe. Raven huffed under her breath, who knew being a wanted criminal could be such a stressful life?
"You know what, you might be right. Just some bland dinner conversation and baby admiring is some dull normalcy I could use right now." She uttered, finally giving in and just accepting the situation for what it was. No sense in kicking or screaming about something that she agreed to herself. She was to blame, once again, and she just had to lie in the bed she made. Raven didn't say anything further as she focused on Yang, her baby girl steadily drifting in and out as their eyes keep meeting before the girl lulled back off into sleep from the sway of her mother's movement.
Happy with that response, Naruto moved his attention to now looking at everything he could. His head turning and twisting, taking in the sights of a rural village for the first time in millennia. The small things of hearing idle chatter, kids and parents arguing and the faint sound of street cooking as they passed some familiar vendors from earlier today. It was something he missed, life in its simple existence.
It had been so long he was excited to even see a paved road and smell the crisp sunset air, to hold out his hand and run it against coarse wood and stone. Fresh smells and new textures to discover once again, he couldn't stop the huge smile that worked onto his face.
The morning didn't have much foot traffic walking about but now the whiskered man was able to take it all in, the late-evening hustle and bustle. Kids moving about as they went about their lives, twisting out the way for a rogue pair of children who came darting from a small side-alley and ran into another.
So caught up in his enjoyment of the atmosphere that he didn't see Raven's eyes watching, taking in the wonder he displayed for practically anything his eyes were able to lay themselves on. He had an infectious energy about him, one that gave Raven that little extra boost in her step. She couldn't help but mimic him a little as she smiled, her attention moving back to Yang but that didn't stop her from simply enjoying the evening. They continued like this, walking down the cobblestone street of the village as a quiet Raven was able to let her mind drift while a boisterous Naruto waved and made faces at the various kids running.
'Maybe a settled life wouldn't be so bad…' Raven thought to herself as she looked up, seeing the distant but energetic form of An Ren waving with both arms. 'Showtime. Just get through the next few hours Raven.' She assured herself mentally, preparing to stave off the boredom she already knew was going to set in once the bland conversations started. One thought filled her mind as they approached, however.
'I swear to Oum, this meal better be good.'
Deliverance
Raven's eyes shined in delight as she stood motionless in the central room of the Ren household, looking at a whole wild boar, gutted and prepared, skewered over a crackling fire pit. The rich scent of roasting tree nuts was filling her nose as it mixed with the cooking boar meat, its belly stuffed with all sorts of herbs and supplements that was making the Branwen woman almost drool all over her chin from the array of smells gracing her nose.
Her attention moved to see Naruto enthusiastically talking with another man; black hair bunched into a tied ponytail with a thin moustache with whispers of a goatee slowly coming in across his chin. He was dressed in a dark green shirt, the loose sleeves bunched up around his elbows, a matching set of baggy black pants that ended at his bare ankles with a black strap for a belt to hold them up. His hands were darkened with ash and soot, she assumed the man had been working on this prized catch all day for tonight's dinner, that man having introduced himself as Li Ren when they arrived.
"Looks good, doesn't it? Now you know why I was insistent!"
A cheery voice came from Raven's right as she turned and was met with An's smiling face, both her hands holding a tray of drinks that she quickly placed down against the table and offered the raven-haired woman a drink. "Here! It's good, I promise. Local recipe." She said, picking up another two drinks as An headed to the men stationed at the fire pit. Raven brought the drink up slowly, getting a feel for the ceramic cup as she enjoyed the warmth against her hands before finally taking a sip. It was strong, the alcohol burned a little, but the added spices and thickness of the warmed drink made the Branwen let out an enjoyable groan at the drink.
The sigh left her lips as she enjoyed her spot, idly looking around the cosy home of the pair. The warmth of the fire lulled Raven into a familiar comfort zone as she settled in with her gaze taking in all the personal items near her, one item catching her eye as she looked at a family photo of the Ren's. She recognized that smiling old face of their benefactor, hand against a pregnant An's stomach, with a middle-aged woman standing to the right of the pair with her hand on An's shoulder and a proud smile on her face. Her eyes lingered on it for a few moments, stuck on the sight of the family photo, before Raven looked away and raised her drink back up to her lips.
"Yeah, this is pretty good…" She said under her breath before taking another sip, her gaze focusing back to the approaching purple-haired woman as she took up her own drink and joined Raven in conversation.
"I take it you haven't been to Kuroyuri before, have you?" An asked with a twinkle in her eye, both her hands holding the hot drink as she took a long sip. Raven shook her head as she took a seat by the large table that An had taking painstaking effort to set up and organise for their dinner. Candles and small lights were all over the large central room, backed by the bright light of the fire, plates and bowls already set up with another alcoholic drink prepared as a corked bottle sat waiting for when the meal properly began. Raven wasn't the type to put on a display like this but she had to give credit for the effort the excited woman had put into the set up.
"I am from around these parts, but I never visited much of the towns. My family kept to the forests, nomads you could say." She said with care, hoping the woman wouldn't press too much.
"Makes sense!" An replied, but any form of follow up she wanted to ask was cut short as a warbling cry from a freshly-awoken Yang began to start, drawing her attention as it wasn't long before Lie began to join her as if competing over who could be louder. Their conversation interrupted, both mothers moved to the crying babies sat together in a wide cradle. Raven deftly placed her drink down before lifting Yang up and working on silencing the girl, An already had little Lie in her arms as she took a seat once more and bounced her little man against her.
"Oh dear, hopefully this won't be our entire night." Came An's worried response, her arms filled with a wailing Lie Ren and occupied with calming the little boy down. An slowly rose up as she walked with Lie, turning to smile at Raven as she tipped her head. "I just need to prepare a few more things for dinner, I will be right back."
Raven nodded to her as she watched An leave, bouncing Yang against her while entirely focused on the banquet of food that was going to be coming her way soon. A free meal of this magnitude? She would accept without hesitation or shame! Both she and Qrow had been taught from a young age to take what you can and survive with whatever means you can use.
'If I knew this village was this well off, we should've raided this place a lot earlier.' She thought with an amused grin as Raven sat back into the chair, but it didn't last, the smile on her face soon dropping. She adjusted herself and looked back to the fire pit as Naruto was eagerly twisting the handle of the spit, the look on his face was that of a child getting their new favorite toy. That wasn't what she was focused on, however.
Her eyes took in An standing near Li, handing him Lie with a smile while leaning in to kiss against his cheek before she did the same to her baby, the couple talking for a moment before the housewife moved back towards the kitchen where she was preparing the rest of the food. She didn't know why but the sight made her fidget in the chair, that unsure feeling resurfacing in her gut, adjusting Yang as she kept bouncing and rocking the little girl who had thankfully settled down.
Raven rose up from the seat and placed Yang back in the set-up crib, the girl not making a peep as Raven set her down. The red-eyed woman turning back to Naruto, their eyes meeting as she could see the happiness radiating through his soul from being able to twist the giant pig on the spit. She was envious of the way he found enjoyment in these things. She noticed Li looking at her as well, a reserved smile on his face but giving Raven a curt nod as he kept little Lie occupied. She tensed her jaw a little.
There it was again, that feeling.
She reached for the cup and brought it to her lips, throwing herself backwards as she poured the entire alcoholic beverage into her mouth and downed the whole thing in one continuous drink. The warmth of the spiced alcoholic brew burned her throat, but she fought against it while she cleared her throat loudly. Placing the cup down, Raven turned on her heel and marched into the kitchen where An was busy jostling a salad with her hands, surprised to see Raven's sudden appearance as the crimson-eyed woman stood by the doorway in an awkward but determined stance.
A few seconds passed as they stared, a nervous smile appearing on An's face as she felt a slight chill down her spine at how intense Raven was looking at her.
"C-Can I he-" "I am here to help you."
An's nervous words were cut short by Raven's sharp interruption, stepping forward as she moved opposite to An at the large bench-top counter she was preparing the side dishes on. The purple-haired woman blinked for a moment but that kind smile moved back onto her face, shaking her head.
"Oh, you don't have to worry yourself! I am more than happy to-" "I am helping you. This is not a negotiation."
An just blinked once more before nodding, pushing down the gulp she almost did on instinct. "O-Okay! Sure, if you could help peel those eggs right there, they've already been hard-boiled." The chipper housewife was able to get out while indicating to the vinegar-filled bowl on Raven's right.
Those intense crimson eyes looming over the bowl as the Branwen woman gazed at them like a hawk to a mouse. Both of her battle-worn hands came together as she folded her fingers between one another before stretching the joined palms out, a symphony of knuckle-popping filling An's kitchen, the woman herself feeling a cold sweat go down her neck at the sight as Raven responded with an intense voice.
"With pleasure."
Deliverance
One filled bowl after the other was placed on the table, An humming to herself as she organised the dinner spread while her husband and their guests had just moved the roasted animal off and began the grisly work of stripping it. The roasted smell filling their house was a delight, she knew there was no way for them to finish this whole animal on their own and trying keep it for later meals would be annoying from the sheer volume. A dinner party to meet some new friends was a perfect way to solve this problem they had.
'They both seem quite nice and little Yang is adorable.' She thought to herself as she happily positioned everything, the awkwardness of the kitchen still in her mind but she just had to assume that's how a woman like Raven worked. 'Those eyes and the way she holds herself, Huntress for sure.' She idly thought, Raven's ferocity in shearing the eggs was one thing but after watching the red-eyed woman wield a knife against produce? She was a trained warrior at the very least. Her mind then drifted to her male companion, who she assumed was Yang's father, and the way he acted.
The housewife couldn't stop the little grin appearing across her face, recalling the way the man acted like a happy dog; so excited to be in their home and asking about everything they had on-display the moment he had walked in. They were a unique couple, but she guessed they were like herself and her dear Li in that regard, albeit with some role swapping.
"Hooo boy! The feast is here."
Naruto's voice hit her ears as An turned to see Naruto, Li and Raven walked out with trays of meat. Naruto eagerly holding up a shredded platter of roasted pork, all of it mixed with a rich sauce that the blond couldn't wait to start tasting. Li had already walked to the table with his platter, placing the tenderloin cuts down while he waved for Raven to place her tray stacked with spare boar-ribs at a free spot.
Raven felt her hands twitch, eyeing up a few dishes that her body was craving for. Hey eye keenly stuck on that platter of shredded meat that Naruto had carried in, the Branwen had been sneaking pieces while the men were distracted with the de-boning and stripping and she was dead set on getting more. Inhaling slowly, Raven took delight in smelling the roast meats with fresh produce. It had been too long. Those red eyes could only sweep across the table that was filled to the brim with food, all of it homemade and prepared by a family hosting them out of their own goodwill.
She ignored that unsettling feeling once again as she settled herself into a chair, watching the purple-haired woman finally move for the bottle on the table.
"Looks like we're ready to begin! I pulled this out for this exact occasion as well, it's a good bottle." An called as she lifted the bottle of Mistralian wine and brandished it, grinning ear to ear. Li could only watch with a slow shake to his head, about to reach out to stop her before Naruto piped up.
"Oh, what is that? I have never seen a drink like that before!"
The smile on An's face was one to be worried about as she popped the cork and poured everyone, especially herself and Raven, a healthy portion of the dark-red liquid. Moving around the table and gave everyone their glasses, the group settled in before the feast provided to them.
Naruto sat in his seat, hands folded against the hand-crafted wooden tabletop while he looked around, taking in the plates of food, the cutlery and the plates that lined it. Only one bowel had a set of chopsticks to it, the rest was lined with all these unique tools! He'd never seen a forked spoon like the giant one crammed into the huge salad bowl. It was all so new and so exciting.
It was the first proper meal he was having, with company, in this 'new world' that he was in. It felt strange, his joy dampened a little at the thought of the other Biju while he was here enjoying this cosy meal. He pushed that down; it was a serious topic for him, but it didn't belong at this dinner table. He couldn't snap his fingers and make everything okay, so the least he could do was enjoy this meal with Raven and be thankful for what she's allowed him to experience once again.
But once he busted them all out? He planned to organise a feast that would go down in the history books!
'It all looks so good. I doubt the taste of pig will have changed much but there are a few vegetables I don't recognise… Oh that looks good, I gotta try some of that.'
Before he could make any movement for food, however, An cleared her throat and lifted her glass with a happy smile. "A toast to this lovely bounty provided by my darling and the preparation done by yours truly!" She stated, before holding the glass out towards Raven, the closet one to her. "And to meeting new friends, we're thankful for the company tonight!"
Raven lifted her glass without much issue and silently hoisted it into the air, all eyes then turned to Naruto as he sat there with a smile on his face. It took a few seconds before he realised that he was also apart of this toast. "Oops, sorry!" His hand moved the glass up into the air with as Naruto responded with a toast of his own.
"To a great feast with good people!"
Then came Raven's quiet voice with a sudden follow up.
"To new beginnings."
Naruto's eyes flicked to hers, meeting her gaze as the red-eyed woman looked at him with an air of gratitude to them. They held each other's gaze for a moment before Naruto's glass moved and met Raven's glass, repeating her toast.
"To new beginnings!"
Li raised his glass to that, unsure what they meant but he knew it was an important statement for the pair.
"To emptying all these bottles we've have had stashed since before Lie graced our lives!"
An's sudden voice startled the pair in their moment, Li could only sigh as his wife swung her glass and happily clinked it against every single raised glass she could reach.
The repeating sounds of glass meeting glass soon stopped as the four-person dinner party was finally underway. The whiskered male raised the glass and drank, clicking his tongue as the strange taste washed against his tastebuds.
"Hmm, don't know if I am a fan of this. Isn't as bad as that stuff Pervy Sage always made me try to drink though..." He said to himself, unaware of the way An had angled her glass and steadily drank the entire contents in a single go, much to the wide-eyed stare of Raven and Li.
"Oh, this isn't good…" Came Li's quiet statement as he watched An reach over and began to immediately re-fill her glass back up before she'd even taken a bite to eat. He turned to Raven to offer his apologies before he was met with the sight of Raven taking a tentative sip, swishing it around in her mouth for a few moments before the Branwen woman then followed up by pouring the whole glass into her mouth just like An.
He could only turn to Naruto who was loading up a healthy portion of the meat onto his place, alternating between all the boar dishes. The blue-eyed man looked to him, blissfully unaware of the storm happening around him as he smiled at Li Ren.
"Come on, dig in! It's getting cold! I would hate for all your hard work to be wasted."
The Ren patriarch looked between the two woman who had finally began to take notice of the food as well, albeit while on their 2nd glass of worrying-low wine, everyone was starting to dig in. Li just shook his head and let out a chuckle, he figured this might get out of hand with their antics but at this moment, the man was just happy to have a night to cut loose after all the mundane village chores. He tilted the glass and took a long swig, drinking the wine in the same way his wife was 'enjoying' it.
This was a night to enjoy and let loose after all. The married man began to think to himself as he watched Naruto experiment with the wine, his face seemed to be one of mild displeasure.
'Perhaps he'd like something closer to beer.' Li thought, already thinking of breaking out his special brew.
Raven tapped at her cheeks, feeling them flush with heat as she blinked in quick succession. The Huntress having completely forgotten the last time she properly drank water, her body struggling with the torrential influx of wine. She placed her glass back down, feeling her head swim just a little from the rapid ingestion of wine. She wasn't drunk but she was well on the way.
'Let's slow on the intake, ease up and get some food in me.' The red-eyed woman thought to herself, not noticing her wine glass get moved by another hand.
"Oh here, let me get that for you!"
Raven could only watch as An poured her a 3rd glass of wine that almost reached the top of the glass.
Deliverance
Qrow placed down the final card against the table, revealing the number '8' across it.
"And with that, 20. Nobody's above or on 20, so Dealer wins."
"Oh come on!"
"This is bullshit!"
"Rigged!"
The Branwen hostage could only laugh from his chest as the array of distress blonds cursed him out. The Huntsman easily reaching across as he took everyone's cards and began to re-shuffle the deck. He had to make sure to not move too much, the prizes he's earned in the game were hampering his mobility as he began to re-shuffle and deal the table back in. He lost track of how long they'd been playing, easily a few hours at the least, time flies when you're raking in the rewards.
Arranged across his head and shoulders was 4 headbands with a metal plate, inscribed with a symbol that represented the Fox-man's home, the final headband was around his neck as that was his final prize to gain from the blonds before they began just handing over their coats and clogs to him. As of right now? Qrow sat with 5 Sage coats all worn over each other at the same time, the outfit looking incredibly bulky on the slender man while all the shoes laid at his feet, a pile of clogs that made it look like the Branwen man was hoarding firewood.
"Don't be so down about it, you boys just learned this game tonight. No harm, no foul." Came the Huntsman's cheeky reply, that grin clearly winding them up further as the main fox-tailed Naruto leaned back into his chair and sighed aloud. Many of the other clones was mimicking his actions, clearly reached their limit over the card game as they all began to look at Qrow.
'Surely the Boss and Raven can't be much longer, they've been gone for hours!' Thought the Fox-tailed man as he looked back to see Qrow staring at him with interest, his hands stopping his shuffling as he placed the cards neatly in a pile. He crossed his arms, looking at the whiskered man with a serious expression even as he was draped in all the clone's apparel.
"I guess that means game night is over." He said while he folded his hands atop the cards, Qrow dearly hoping this didn't mean he was about to rendered a paralyzed statue again until Raven cared enough to come see him. A shame, he was having fun with this guy and his wacky clone semblance.
"But before you do anything to me or hog-tie me up… I wanted to talk to you." He said slowly, hoping to not get jumped but after the night he spent with Naruto he had a good feeling it wasn't in the man's nature to do that. At least, he was dearly hoping so. "I can't go back to sitting around like a vegetable okay, I was going stir-crazy, and my team is no doubt reaching out for me. If I don't respond soon, its only going to turn this headache situation into a full-blown migraine." Qrow could see Naruto's eyes take interest, the scruffy Branwen began to take the headbands off one at a time, placing them down while they maintained eye contact.
"I want to cut a deal with you, man to man." Qrow said to Naruto, watching intently as Naruto's eyes widened a little. "Raven and I aren't going to find common ground, who knows how long I am going to be here for. 2 days? 3 days? I won't sugar coat it Foxy, you're a fun guy and all but if I have to hear about ramen or ninjas anymore, I will bite my own tongue off for a way out of this hell." A snort or two around Qrow only helped him keep his smile, it wasn't often he found someone who didn't get irritated at his humor.
Naruto crossed his arms and leaned back into the chair again, clearly in-thought as Qrow could only watch in silence as the council of Narutos all seemed to be hanging on to the opinion of the one fox-tailed blond who sat before him.
Qrow wanted to push it further but he held his tongue, he was desperate to get out. Their conversations over the past day had let Qrow learn a bit about this guy; a real 'Fish out of water' type that Raven had somehow found. Naruto danced around that point all night beyond vague and open-ended responses to Qrow's questions, so he knew something else was at play but that didn't matter right now.
Right now? He was placing all his chips on Naruto being smart enough to cut a favorable deal with their current situation. Being on the run was awful, but being on the run in Mistral? Not a smart, fun or ideal situation to be in.
A hum from Naruto drew Qrow's attention back, eyes focusing to see Naruto looking at him with a tapping hand against one of his whiskered cheeks, looking back at Qrow with a a face that told the Huntsman that he was taking this seriously.
"What deal did you have in-mind?"
'Here goes nothing…'
Deliverance
"Urrggh. I think I over-ate…"
Naruto groaned out as he sat against a stone surface, feeling his stomach protest to the volume of food he crammed into his body. His toned stomach was clearly bulging a little as he patted it at slow intervals, hoping he could settle his gut before he could began tackling another plateful. He turned his head to look at the only other member at the table, Li Ren.
Head down, snoring loudly with red cheeks, the hunter had passed out after he broke out a special bottle he wanted Naruto to taste. The fermented honey alcohol had one strong punch and Naruto felt the burn going all the way down, but Li was proud of his home-made batch and talked Naruto's and Raven's ear off about how his it was his dad's recipe that he made his own changes to. His chakra was working overtime to process the potent drink, leaving the man a little fuzzy in the head.
Reaching forward, Naruto grabbed the wide ceramic mug near Li and tilted it to view in, almost all of it was gone!
"This stuff is lethal, even I can feel a little buzz in my cheeks." He mumbled under his breath, placing the drinking mug back before the unconscious man. Placing his hands against the table, Naruto moved up as he took to standing, already feeling his body shift as the food weight moved a little.
"Maybe a little walking could do me some go-!" Naruto stopped as information washed over him, a clone had been popped and it came rushing back to him as his brain processed the sudden influx. He blinked a little, an entire day's worth of talk, interrogation and card games filled his head and stopped Naruto dead in his tracks. The last piece of information giving him pause, however, as Qrow's bargain reached his memory.
"…Huh."
Arms crossing, Naruto furrowed his brow as he turned and took a seat on the dining chair once again. This was a sudden change of developments, given that this deal of sorts was cutting Raven out of the decision making. He didn't like the idea of it, making a decision like this and not clueing Raven in was going to have consequences. However...
Speaking of the Branwen woman, Naruto looked across to the sight of Raven's arm outstretched over An's shoulder, the housewife doing the same to Raven as they struggled to stay upright. Both of their free arms were holding their beverages, the pair of women having upgraded to drinking straight out of the bottles that An was eager to use up.
"Y-You have a lovely home and I'ms VERY grateful you invited us tonight…!"
"Noooo! I am MORE grateful that you came! I forsed youse into it, so I wouldn't blame you for ditching meee!"
"What?! Whoose says I would ditch?! I'll boot their asses!"
Both women were now leaning on each other heavily, drifting on a slow descent downwards, while they babbled back and forth about things that Naruto couldn't pick up. He wasn't sure they were even speaking words at this point, but they could somehow understand each other.
"But with how indisposed she is right now… Looks like Naruto gets to call the shots!" And with that, Naruto's chakra pulsed as a clone popped into existence outside the Ren household, the extra Naruto then flashed out of sight and into the cold night.
"That's that sorted, and now…"
His gaze went back to Raven who was holding onto An for dear life, the pair trying to cheers each other with their bottles. It was a heartwarming sight, he knew Raven would enjoy her night, she just needed to lighten up a little.
He wasn't about to stand around let another Uchiha-lookalike go down the dark path if he could help it, he was going to keep dragging Raven into the sunlight until she stopped kicking and screaming about it.
Watching both women tilt their bottles up and began downing them only made him shake his head, laughing to himself as he watched Raven just let it all hang loose. From the state she was in, he could tell tomorrow morning was going to be wonderful for the Maiden.
"I don't think we're making that departure deadline tomorrow."
So much for Raven's meticulous schedule and planning.
"Oooiii! Foxy, you think yer too good to drink with us?!"
"Yeah! Its ruude to not drink with the hossst! Drink! Drink!"
A/N: That wraps out Kuroyuri! Next chapter is all about hitting the road and everything else going on from Raven's little kerfuffle.
Just some little post-chapter notes here, feel free to skip below if you don't care too much! I have had these subjects swirling in my head while making this, but one main issue I have had come in up a rather rude DM is to be addressed: Raven is a main character in this story just as much as Naruto is, it isn't going to change.
This is not going to be a power fantasy where Naruto collects a harem and conquers the world.
There are already quite a few of those stories as it is, so thankfully its not that hard for someone whose looking for that type of story to find what they like.
At this point in Deliverance, most of the 'important' people are out for Raven. Naruto is an unknown variable that nobody knows about, and while I enjoy writing him as a funny dumbass, he isn't stupid. He's learned better, but he's still a showboat at times.
He's suffered significant loss, but he hasn't lost his compassion. He's always been about seeing the good and redemption in people, not too mention enjoying life. He's just managed to jailbreak himself out of a life sentence with no parole and I see it within his character to try and make up for lost time, try everything he possibly can. He isn't a psychopath that's going to torture and maim people at the first inconvenience.
Now, if he meets two certain Brother Gods that he has special history with, is he going to forgive them? Fuck. No.
Trust me when I say that if given the chance, he and the other Biju are going to lay an absolute smackdown on those two. We're talking mid-2000s RAW, all of the Nine taking steel chairs to the pair. Nora might be doing the commentary, we'll see how it goes.
Hope this clears up some things up.
I understand as well that my writing is a little messy right now as I try to find my style. I have no interest in starting other stories either, I want to progress with this fic until its completed. So if you stick with me, let me cook a little, I hope I can make something that'll have people re-reading long after I am dead and gone.
Moving on from that serious stuff though!
I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter, time in Kuroyuri is finishing and the gang are going to start their journey proper. I am going to do my best to be careful on the 'filler' as I don't want to get caught up wasting chapters on them walking. At most, I think it's going to be 2 or 3 chapters before they arrive at Argus proper.
An and Li only had a rough outline of what they were like, so I built a little further off that. I am unsure if they'll be returning in this story, that's for the future to decide. I hope I can find a way to do it, I think Raven needs some actual female friends.
My mind is filled with things I really want to do when the RWBY canon starts, Volume 1 time, but I know I need to get a solid foundation set up. It's inspiring me to fire through these chapters so I can get to all the fun parts that I want to write.
Also, out of curiosity and you are free to respond by PM or Review, is there any particular Faunus characters who would be active in this time? I already know Ghira & Kali, but I am still new to RWBY and I don't quite know every character like I do with the Naruto-side, digging through the Fandom Wiki is agony from how janky the Fandom site is.
Menagerie is going to play a part coming up later and I wanted to make sure I am correct on who is active and who is in diapers. I would like to hold off on populating this story entirely with OCs.
Anyway, thanks again for reading and I hope you all have a good September!