Anywhere

Winter stepped through the portal and jerked away from Raven a bit. The woman folded her arms before sighing. “Did you get what you needed? I hope Kiroro wasn’t too unruly for you. I know how she gets with people outside of the family—” She cut off when Kiyay hissed at her and crouched forward, fluffed up to make himself look about three times larger. Raven blinked then looked at Winter. “Wow, he really is attached to you. He’s neverthread displayed at me before. Well, I guess I’ll leave you alone then.” With that, the woman returned through the portaly. Kiyay’s feather smoothed down then started to run them through her beak. I think Dove made the right call in giving him to you. It takes a lot to get Dove’s birds to bate or threat display like that. And he knows Raven. He really does care about you. She could practically hearthe smile in Summer’s voice and couldn’t help but offer one to the bird too. She really had no idea what any of that meant. But she was so grateful he cared despite not knowing each other that well. She put the glove on and he hopped up. Then she kissed his head. “Thank you.” He chittered in response and pressed into her. She still couldn’t find it in herself to not fear Raven. Her appearance was so…wild. Dove wore the same reds and blacks, but everything about her was so gentle and calming. Even the way she moved. Refined was about the only word she could find. However, she blinked when Kiyay chittered and pointed behind her. Huh? Oh, the…whatever Dove had called it. She removed the pin with her free hand along with the cloth. It was quite beautiful. A cross symbol with complex geometric patterns, all embroidered skillfully. She could only imagine how long this must have taken. It was nearly perfect but she could see a few imperfections. For such a…different culture, it must have been a highly valuable item. The manwork that went into it… She couldn’t even begin to imagine. The pin on the other hand was a simple stick. It was clearly hand forged, though. How much time and effort would that have taken as well? Obviously, both were highly prized items. She truly felt humbled that Dove would offer her despite the abundance of caution and deep distrust she had shown the woman. A glance at the clock made her flinch. Only half an hour until— Her scroll pinged. Harriet? Uh, hey, Winter. We’ll be a bit late. The stress from today kinda got to Clover which made his aquarium spring a leak. We’re trying to make sure we don’t cause tens of thousands in damage to the complex. Sorry about the inconvenience. Winter sighed a breath of relief though she winced. That two hundred gallon aquarium would definitely cause some seriousdamage if it busted. And the last thing Clover needed for his Semblance right now was his precious fish dying. If he needed time to take care of it, then he could have it. That’s fine, Warrant Officer Bree. I need to speak to Mister Branwen alone fo ra while anyway. Depending on how it goes, I may not need meet with you. I’ll keep you posted. The only response was a thumbs-up emoji. There was only person she needed now. She felt awful for waking her up but she couldn’t do this without her. She clicked the alarm app Coco had coded and pushed it. It took about five minutes for her best friend to pop up on the screen and she yawned widely. “Sorry, Wint; I needed to sleep.” Being back in full Atlassian felt sogood. It was like coming home even if she despised everything the kingdom stood for. She was surprised she hadn’t gotten whiplash from all of the language changes over the past two hours or so. Maybe she ought to invest in learning more than just Valian and Atlassian. “No, it’s fine. I spent most of the day asleep myself. Are your teachers frustrated you threw off their lesson plans again?” Coco was constantly doing that for her. Those teachers were expensive so her parents were probably frustrated. Coco was the antithesis of order and predictability—for good and for bad. “Eh, they know better by now. They aren’t happy but they know I live by my own beat. They still get paid.” Coco shrugged. “So what’s the emergency?” Winter pressed her lips into a thin line. How best to explain this and her sudden heel-face turn about giving Qrow the benefit fo the doubt? “Qrow…proposed marriage to me…and I’m willing to hear him out. But I need you to record it as a reminder to him should things go through.” There was no way she’d do this without some sort of insurance policy. Not that any abuse would matter in the eyes of the Atlassian courts. Even all the videos Coco had of her father beating her and Weiss truly meant nothing to them. It was all justified. A woman ‘put in her place’ was far too important. “What.” Coco looked over the top of her glasses, eyes visible. Yeah, that was about the reaction she expected. She could still hardly believe it herself. But everything pointed toward Qrow being who he presented himself to be. “I know. That’s why I want you there. And you.” She looked at the laptop. “You’ll record this too, right?” “If anything goes awry, Raven will be the first one to know, then Dove will come kick Qrow’s ass.” The AI gave an ‘okay’ sign with its fingers and she felt a lift in the air. Summer grinned wildly even if she couldn’t see her. These family relations were strange. At least Summer would have her back and Raven’s line was direct. She had that much to back her up, at least, even if Qrow didn’t know. “I’ll be right here, Wint. I’m not going anywhere.” Coco’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. This would definitely be a trial, but it was one she needed to do. She needed to know his true intents. And she couldn’t do that if she stayed huddled in her room all day.

α

Winter exited her room and settled on the couch, letting Kiyay nestle into her lap. “I’d ask if you’re ready to talk but your body language seems to tell me everything I need know,” came Qrow’s response from the kitchen. He settled into a chair and looked at her. Her heart suddenly thrummed and she felt herself shudder. What a nightmare… All of the strength she’d managed to gather ebbed away so easily. She really was just a stupid, silly little girl. No. She was major Schnee. She’d risen above what Jacques had tried to make her. She was afraid, yes, and she had been leaving Schnee manor. But she’d worked with James and the Ace Ops. She’d worked her ass off to get where she was now. She was going to lose everything, but she could at least face her final moments with dignity. “I don’t want to take over the discussion too much, but given past reactions…how about I start off with a suggestion?” Qrow spoke lowly and deliberately, obviously trying to not set her off. Good thing too. Her trying to set up boundaries had ended in disaster. The lastthing she needed was to lose it and have the Ace Ops see. They’d seen her at her worst a few times. Even so, she was better than that now. Winter nodded slowly. “What is your suggestion?” She could at least hear him out. She really did not need a panic attack right now. Unfortunately, she did need a man to guide discussions like that for now… Hopefully she could move past it someday. Then again, if this went through… “Think you could lay out all the things you think I’ll expect of you? Then we can discuss what I’ll expect of you? Then we can discuss what I actually think point by point.” What he actuallythought? So he didn’t want her to only— Her scrolled pinged and she looked at it. The AI. Of course. Qrow loves Summer and wanted to get married to her. Do you really think he would have been able to force her into what you’re thinking? Well… She knew Willow had been incredibly willful at one point. Even the strongest person could eventually be worn down. Enough time and effort could go into destroying anybody. “That sounds reasonable.” Hopefully she could get through it without breaking down. Though some sort of exhaustion began to creep over her. It was different than the physical and mental exhaustion still clinging to her. She just wanted to put her head down and ignore everything. She had to push through, though. She had to do this. Her gaze did drift down, though. “I’ll expect you to take everything from me. I know I’ll have to give up my job whether you tell me to or not. I’ll lose all respect at work the second it gets out I’m married. I won’t be able to have my own bank account anymore. You’ll pay for everything. I’ll just be…there…when you…want me.” She shuddered at the statement, arms wrapping around herself. There was no way to get around any of it. “Basically I’ll be what Gelé wanted me to be.” Qrow seemed to really understand Atlassian culture. He had to know what would be expected of her. Especiallyon a wedding night, but she couldn’t speak it. “Nah.” Huh? She looked up and saw Qrow sitting forward with his forearms on his knees. His body language was a non-threatening as he could possibly make it. “Those expectations are bullshit where I’m from. Women are equal to men even if they have different duties at times. Plus, I’m not the type of man that wants a subservient woman. I want a woman that can stand on her own and meet me blow for blow. Preferably, she’d be able to kick my ass and be a hellof a lot smarter than me.” All she could do was stare a bit. What…? How could any man want that? Then again…the tribe was verydifferent from everything she’d ever known… Dove and Raven were leaders… Winter herself ranked high, certainly. But it was unusual. Few women reached such a high rank with active service being such a new concept in the military. “I…see.” What else could she say? She could barely process what he’d said. Qrow ran a hand through his hair. “So what I want is for you to be yourself and move past what Gelé’s done to you if possible. However—” Winter Froze. This was where he’d spring something to trap her. “—you won’t be able to do that here in Atlas. I don’t particularly wantto take you away from all you’ve known. But with Atlas being what it is, neither of us will be very happy. You won’t be able to grow. There’s no way in hell I can stay permanently sober. Alcohol triggers you and I don’t want you feeling more unsafe and uneasy than you already do. “ He held his hands up and sighed. Winter shuddered. Stuck in a foreign nation with a man she barely knew? In a culture she couldn’t understand? All she knew was Atlas. Plus, it’d leave Weiss completelyalone. Her eyes misted. She couldn’t just leave her…but what else could she do? All her power would disappear if she agreed to this. She’d have no sway over Gelé anymore. Not that she held much anyway but… …What could she do to rescue her sister now? “But what about employment?” She’d be married. How could anybody in Vale allow her to hold down a job? Qrow snorted at that, making her cant her head to the side. “Winter, you’re Major Schnee. Valians would clamor to hire you. Your skills are beyond marketable. Marriage doesn’t matter in Vale. You could even go to Beacon next year if you wanted. Hell, Oz would be thrilledto have you.” Her eyes widened. She could hold employment even married? Could she even…have a driver’s license without needing to jump through a billion hoops? It sounded to good to be true. “What’s the catch?” There had to be one. There always was. She’d need to merge his bank account with hers or something. He shook his head. “No catch. Do what you want. I’ll need to teach you how to job hunt, though. Not exactly a skill you probably learned.” That much was true. If only she hadn’t been so damn sheltered her whole life by Gelé. “There are a few things I’d like, though, but not in the way you’re thinking. I’d like to get a home outside the main city. I’ve never done well having to live for long periods in it. Plus, these guys wouldn’t do too well in it either. You saw where I grew up and how they live.” That…was a good point but it felt like an attempt to isolate her. Small villages tended to be insular from her understanding. They might not be welcomed. But… She looked at Kiyay. Could she really let them be unhappy? They’d spent some time in Persia’s back yard, but that was only a few hours. How would not being able to fly free wear on their minds and bodies? But she’d never been away from the city for too long. How would it effect her…? “I’d rather them be happy,” she replied quietly. Her hand went to Kiyay’s back as she looked down. How could she force these beautiful animals into something that would upset them? She could get used to it…hopefully. “The next two things kinda tie in together. While we look for a house, I can probably have you stay with my former teammate and his daughters. I don’t want to put you in a hotel for the time being. Some guys might get the wrong idea. Plus, patch only has a small village on it. I’m accepted there and you will be too. It’ll let you stay sheltered from prying eyes. “The other…is take some time to learn and explore. You’ve always been forced to do things so you don’t know much about yourself. Learn to drive. Get your license. Read until your eyes fall out. Listen to crazy stories Persia tells you. Just…learn to enjoy life a bit.” Know…herself? Her brows furrowed. What would the point of thatbe? She didn’t understand. Weiss would deserve that chance if given it. But her? No, she didn’t especially not with her failing her sister so badly. “I can stay with them as long as it’s no trouble. I can help pay for necessities too.” She had a pretty decent nest egg. She really didn’t spend frivolously so it was a decent chunk of change…though she’d needed to spend a pretty penlen on a new wardrobe. Vale was somuch hotter than Atlas. “I’ll have to talk to Taiyang.” He winced for some reason which made her sense. If it was to much of a problem, then she could stay with Persia. It seemed quiet and out of the way. But at the same time…the birds… They wouldn’t be able to fly free… Wouldn’t they get depressed? So far this wasn’t as bad as she thought but… She pulled her knees up on the couch. “And I suppose I’ll have to take your name.” Legally, a woman had to take her husband’s last name unless they petitioned the government. Jacques had done that or just had strings pulled when marrying Willow. Either seemed likely. But she had no good reason to petition the government. Jacques would probably be able to block any petition in the first place. But what other alternative wasthere? “Eh, there’s an easy way around it plus Atlas’ stupid need for ceremony—get married in Vale. Oz is part of the council which lets him officiate ceremonies. All we need to do is sign a certificate—nothing more, nothing less.” She stared at him again, startled. It was thateasy? Just a certificate? How could it be so simple? “And that’ll let me keep the Schnee name?” How could Vale allowthat? Women were supposed to belong to their husbands after their fathers. But then again, should she even be arguing the point? He was doing everything he could in order to assuage her fears for the absolute worst… “Yup. In Vale, as long as you aren’t hurting someone, you can do damn well anything you want. You won’t have to give up your name unless you wantto.” He spoke gently and offered her a smile. All she could do was wipe away the mist from her eyes. She wouldn’t have to lose the name she loved so much. If she could figure out a way to bring down Gelé, then she would. Her original plan wouldn’t work anymore… Hopefully she could figure out an alternative in time… This all sounded to good to be true. Vale sounded like paradise in comparison to Atlas. If there was any sort of eternal punishment, it would just be Atlas but even more iron clad. There could be little worse than this den of poisonous vipers. Though one thing still bothered her and she shuddered. She couldn’t say it. How could she? Even the one vague sentence had almost been too much. “Hey snow, mind if I sit next to you?” She shuddered and shook her head. He could probably read it on her aura. Touching him or being touched in any way, no matter how benign, would probably send her over the edge. She couldn’t handle it. Qrow ran his hand over the side of his face before sighing. “Even with my aura reading being on the fritz, I can tell what’s scaring you. Let me be blunt to be a hundred percent clear: I will not ever touch you against your will except what we have already stated. I stand by those words now. I have no desire to make you have sex with me especially against your will. I do not want you to have children you do not want. Is that clear enough?” He did speak a little emphatically but she knew it was just get to get the point across. However, the tone still made her shudder and gasp, squeezing her eyes together tightly. Being so blunt about the topic was hard when it was so taboo. It scared her so much. The idea of being touched by a man in such a way… She neverwanted it. Ever. Nothing would ever be able to change her mind. The idea… No. “Hey, Winter, can you try following my counting with your breaths?” She could barelyhim but she nodded. She forced herself to sync her breaths with the arduously slow pace, but she found herself coming back to full awareness in her body. “There you go. Nice and easy. Good job.” His tone remained even and gentle, not once faltering. Her eyes opened and she looked around slowly. Kiyay looked at her, deep brown eyes brimming with concern. Qrow hadn’t moved. She couldn’t be happier. Anymore than and she would have lost it completely. She’d almost passed out as it was. It was just too overwhelming to talk about. “How about I leave it at, if for some unfathomable reason you want to, then the offer’s open? I will nevertouch you against your will.” He backed off the emphasis and spoke gently again. “O-Okay…” was all she could manage to choke out. She’d reached the limit of what she could say. It was fartoo much. Qrow held his hands out to her then put them on the chair’s arms. “Is there any particular tea you like? I can go make it if you want.” All she could do was stare and shake. Her voice was gone, just like when Jacques overwhelmed her systems too much. “Yeah, it’s the Forte brand chocolate orange bags” came Coco’s answer. Thank the Holy Father for her. She did have about a dozen different types in the cupboard. Some had caffeine to help keep her going on late nights she couldn’t sleep. Some she just genuinely enjoyed the taste of. “Thanks, Coco.” Qrow got up and headed to the kitchen where she heard him fumble through the cupboards looking for it. Kiyay fluffed his feathers and she looked down at him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, burying her face in his wing. He had a very pleasant scent, like the earth after rain. She could also pick up on the faint scent of cedar if she thought about it. The scents of the natural world were pleasant. Maybe she could get used to the country living… She’d wanted to explore the forests that Qrow had called home for his formative years. And he knew how to handle the birds so he could teach her. She would learn everything she could about them. Kiyay deserved the best quality of life possible. She didn’t want him to suffer because Dove handed him over to somebody who knew nothing. Hopefully she could make the woman proud… If she could rescue her sister, she might even warm up to them too. Maybe… Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad… Though… Oh right. “Hey snowy.” She opened her eyes and saw Qrow kneeling next to her, offering the mug to her. Why? She did take it, of course, smiling a little at the familiar scent and warmth in her hands. It was the one comfort she allowed herself sometimes. The mingling of the sweet chocolate and tangy orange was perfect when she’d had a hard day. She’d just been too shot to think about having it. Though…why was it so cool? Not os much it’d be unpleasant to drink; quite the opposite in fact. It was perfect. Wait a second… “Another aura trick?” Qrow grinned a bit before nodding. “Guilty as chared. I know a lot of fun tricks, though they mainly focus on hair. I could show you at some point down the road. I can teach you, but it’ll take a while. You need to be Grade Two or Three before then.” She wouldn’t mind putting down the work. ANything that would stand to make life a little easier would be worth it. “I’d be willing. I’m going to need to learn how to care for Kiyay and Mono. I don’t think investing the time to learn how to care for myself better.” The TV flipped on and she saw Coco give her the stinkeye. She tried. She tried to care for herself but her mental state made it hard. She couldn’t manage it most of the time. “That’s something you’ll have to work on everyday then. Oh, also… I’ll be staying on the mainland and not Patch. Too many bad memories there.” His gaze drew a bit distant for a moment and Winter nodded. She…really couldn’t fault him there. If she ever took over the SDC like she’d originally planned, she’d get rid of Schnee manor as soon as possible. It held too many bad memories. The abuse, the manipulation, the fear, the anguish, It’d tall be too much for her. “Can I ask…one question?” Her voice was small as she looked down at her tea. Somehow this felt like a step too far. He’d volunteered the information about Summer. But it was digging past that. She had to know that, though. It’d bother her until then. “Go ahead, Winter. Don’t feel like you can’t ask me things. If you agree, I want us to be able to be open and honest with each other. Okay?” She looked up in surprise. A man wanted that? How could anybody want a woman that spoke her— Right. He loved Summer. She was one of the most outspoken women she’d met. It’d take time for that to settle in. “Is…Isn’t this a betrayal of what you feel for Summer. I mean you’ve been loyal to her since she died then you’re marrying me basically on a whim.” How could he flip flop so easily? It felt wrong. Plus, they hadn’t known each other that long. He couldn’t have fallen in love with her so quickly, surely? Her scroll vibrated and the AI popped up with a message: Here we go. What did that mean? “…Not really. You’re terrified of me; I still love Summer and I don’t doubt that’ll ever change. I’ll always love her.” He gave a sad ‘heh’ as she looked at his own mug. The grief clouded his eyes. For the first time, she wanted to comfort him. She’d hit his weakest point but it did line up with what the AI said. He wanted her to know things. “This is a marriage of convenience; I don’t think I need to spell that out. There’s no love. But I do careabout you. You might not believe it, but I do. Is protecting somebody from men that have horrible intents a betrayal of my feelings for a dead woman? I don’t think so.” He leaned his head against the back of the chair and her own mind wandered back to what Koro had said. He would protect others even at risk to himself. It wasn’t hard to believe there would be ‘consequences’ from his father after those displays. Just like she herself had faced when standing up to Jacques. “After seeing how battered you were last night and today, I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t let you face those events. You wouldn’t be able to withstand work, let alone all those events. You’d be on less than fumes tomorrow. And what would Gelé do when you couldn’t think of a comeback or you passed out or something? He wants you married off. What better to do than cut him off at the pass?” Qrow shrugged. “Not to freak you out further, but even my…offer isn’t betraying her. It’s an important face of relationships. I want to offer you a safe space to explore that side of yourself if you ever want to. It’s an offer; nothing more, nothing less. It’s up to you if you ever take it or not. Plentyof people in Vale are intimate with others without even be married or have feelings for each other.” If anything,she was more started than scared. People…did that? It sounded like…recreational rather than procreation. What? “Uh.” His cheeks reddened as he looked away. “How about I point you toward a resource that can help you. It’ll be better than me trying to explain everything. “Uh, sure.” She didn’t want to look into it put that had piqued her curiosity. Again, not that she wantedto be intimate with somebody but the fact there might be more facets to it than what she knew… Though…anything Atlas taught always had more facets to it. She had definitely learned that in her time staying with the general, but before going to boot. She’d learn even more once she got to Vale… “By the way, that loyal also means you’re stuck with me. I’ll be here to support you through everything as long as you’ll have me. If you decide one day, you’re done with me, the say so. We can divorce on the spot.” D-D-Divorce? A woman?! A woman could divorce a man?! Vale truly was some twisted wonderland of privilege for women, wasn’t it? “I-I see… Well, as of right now, I have no inclinations of doing that.” Her tone raised more than a few pictures and Qrow blinked. “Wait, you—” Winter nodded slowly before finishing her tea. “Yes. The points you raise are good. I…have nothing left to give at the moment. I wouldn’t be able to withstand even an hour of those events, let alone eight straight nights.” It killed her pride to admit it, but he was right. She’d need at least three or four days to fully recover from the battering she’d sustained. She reallyneeded to rest. But she needed to get affairs in order first. “I’ll need to get everything in order before I can leave Atlas, though. Thankfully the military allows for women newly married or engaged to suspend active service effective immediately with proof.” It was after hours for most things, but if they did it in Vale, they would hopefully be able to process it. A smile spread across her face as she thought about something. “Coco, Qrow, would you be willing to help me rub in the that fact Mister Gelé didn’twin by me marrying?” Coco grinned widely while Qrow smirked. “Anything to piss mister penlen pincher off.” “I’m game for anything, Wint.” Maybe this marriage wouldn’t be so bad after all. If he was petty as she could be, maybe they had more in common than she thought.