#aestasrosis

"Corpses, I've found, don't tend to do very much talking."

The source of the rather sarcastic-sounding reply is a lanky individual inspecting a bag hanging from an IV stand that... appears to feed into a tube that ends in a needle taped into Summer's hand. Moreso in a way that implies familiarity with the whole apparatus, rather than a curiosity: a doctor? No labcoat, but that doesn't mean much, does it? The amount of coverage and the choice of clothing (a dress shirt, albeit with the sleeves cuffed, and waistcoat, with a necktie and gloves, even if they're fingerless) might not quite scream "Atlesian," but it certainly does more than whisper it.

The piercing green eyes that fix themselves on the huntress are also the liveliest things in the otherwise blank face as the doctor turns to face his newest charge, arms folded but with only one hand tucked into the opposite elbow. The other is resting on his upper arm, one finger tapping impatiently against yellow fabric.

THE NEWS HAD hit him like a ton of bricks the second he answered his scroll and the hospital staff spoke to him. summer rose was alive. she had undergone a lot of treatment, a lot of therapy, and it only took so long to call family because her memory was foggy when she first got to the hospital. it took so long to get her treated to the point she was able to recall his contact information. then the communication towers went down, he travelled alongside their daughter, his niece and their friends, their team. qrow's heart was racing violently within his chest as his hand dropped to his side, pale red eyes wide as he stared straight ahead of him. summer rose was alive. the hunter stared towards the girls, who were all sitting around and trying to enjoy some semblance of normalcy in the midst of all this chaos, and he knew he couldn't tell them just yet. he needed to check everything out for himself first, just so he didn't get ruby and yang's hopes up that they'd see their mother again. so he excused himself after explaining away his shocked expression when ruby brought it up, rubbing her hair and telling her he had something important to take care of for a few days, but he would be back. that was his promise.

he flew faster than he ever had to before, desperation fueling every muscle in his body. summer... his beloved rose was alive, and his heart ached at the thought of holding her again. did she still smell the same ? would she feel the same wrapped up in his arms as he nestled his face against her soft hair ? the more questions that formed in his head, the more anxious he felt, the more eager he was to see her. what should he do when he does see her ? take one of her hands into his and stroke her hair ? wrap her up into a hug that screams that he dreamed of her return every single night since she disappeared ?

kiss her like she's the last rose of summer ?

as it turns out, he couldn't make himself do any of those options the second his eyes landed on the woman. he could only stare at her as she had finished dressing herself, ready to leave the hospital. beautiful and radiant as the day she left, captivatingly stunning as she turned to face him. his heart leapt up into his throat, beating there frantically as he gazed upon her for the first time in over fifteen years. it was like they were team strq again, and he was confessing his feelings to her for the first time; his palms sweat, his tongue flicked out to lick his lips and his brows knitted together slightly.

" summer... " his voice surprised him, despite how meek it came out, barely echoing in the sterile room, " please tell me it's really you, summer, that this isn't just... another dream of you. "

@aestasrosis

“Oh please, I have no soul.”

summer to qrow ? :3

Qrow rolled his eyes fondly. "If anyone has no soul here we all know it's Raven." That was a joke, of course. They all had a soul, they all had a semblance, didn't they? What was that but a reflection of what someone would call a soul?

But that was a discussion for another time.

He smiled warmly at Summer, cupping her cheek in one of his hands. "Besides, you have more soul than the rest of us. Maybe even than all of us combined."

Qrow was bored out of his skull. The rest of his team had strictly forbidden him from going out to any parties in Vale, or even leaving Beacon grounds. True, he could always sneak off. But Raven's Semblance meant she'd always be able to lead them right to his location. Plus, he was starting to hate the look of disappointment Summer had each time they pulled him out of some club or bar. Drinking had become a rare celebratory engagement rather than a need to numb himself.

"Yo, Tai! You got any recs for lunch?" At least he could go get some decent food. As he walked in to the dorm, he immediately spotted a letter left open on the desk. "Seriously, Rae?" he grumbled. Leaving contact out for Jackdaw where anyone could see it? How careless could she be? Qrow made a move to toss the letter when he recognized the writing. It wasn't Raven's...it was Summer's. He might have left it alone if he didn't see his own name mentioned in the script.

She was writing home to her aunt. She always went on and on about that aunt. Qrow couldn't understand. He didn't have aunts or uncles or even a father he liked. Then a specific line caught his attention.

'I think I actually might have a small — and I mean VERY SMALL — crush on him'

He found his face flushed from something other than alcohol. Had he been missing signs? Were those instances he took as kindness attempts at getting close to him? It strangely made him want to mull these thoughts over a malted whiskey in a dimly-lit bar.

for ruby ! ❝ it's okay... it was just a nightmare. ❞

✧ Nightmare Starters // accepting ✧

Ruby shook her head, pulling her knees up to her chest along with her quilted comforter. "It didn't feel like just a nightmare, mom." Her hands were shaking despite the grip she kept on the blankets. "I thought I saw..." She wasn't entirely sure what she saw. Several shadows creeping across a clocktower and causing it to crumble, the debris crushing buildings. The streets were full of scattered and discarded weapons.

“You don’t have to be gentle with me, I don’t break easily.”

@aestasrosis

Qrow lets out a breathy laugh, leaning down to murmur in Summers ear.

"I'm not worried about you breaking Summer, I'm worried someone might hear you and catch us." He teases her, one of his hands pinning hers to the wall, the other in between her legs.

"You cannot kill me in a way that matters."

“Hm.”

Salem said nothing else as she laid Summer upon the granite slab that served as her worktable; crimson light flared, and a quartet of tarry two-fingered hands burst from the stone to restrain the woman, broken though she was. Any sane person would have lain still, overwhelmed by blood-loss and pain, but she was fast coming to realize that Summer Rose lacked any instinct for self-preservation at all.

Her final blow had shattered ribs and torn open a deep gash across the young huntress’ stomach; and still Summer had struggled as Salem carried her to Evernight, writhing and clawing feebly but with all the strident fury of a newborn grimm.

She smoothed the sweat-soaked bangs away from Summer’s forehead, a hint of mockery in her faint smile, murmuring, “Martyrdom is not the winning position you think it is, child.”

Ozpin truly had outdone himself with this one.

Lips thinning, Salem shifted her attention to the woman’s injuries. The wet rasp of Summer’s breathing and red flecking her lips suggested the ribs as the most immediate problem; the wound across her stomach still wept blood, but if she had severed any major arteries, Summer would not have survived the journey.

“Besides…” she said sarcastically, fingertips tracing the jagged lines of snapped ribs.

Summer’s aura guttered like a candle-flame half drowned in wax, scattered embers too weak to heal the damage; her own glowed white-hot as Salem drove into the woman’s flesh and yanked the bones back into alignment, not bothering to be gentle. The golden radiance of living water burned scarlet through pale skin, outlining the shadows of Summer’s ribcage as what had been broken knit violently back together.

❝  i’m staying.  end of discussion.  you gotta learn to let people take care of you.  ❞

raven glared to the floor , wanting to put up a protest but there would be no use — her team leader had proven to be more stubborn than herself . slender digits raised up to remove the bandana from her hair , letting the midnight waves to tumble over her shoulders .