Blink and you'll miss it

Vol. 6 Chapter 4: What are we doing

Ruby stares at the moon through a window, sitting on the staircase. Snow is drizzling outside as the night wind rattles the frail house. Ruby walks to the living room to check on Blake, (Y/n), Weiss, and Yang, who are sitting on the rug and staring at the fire from the fireplace. Maria reads a book while sitting on the sofa while Oscar is pacing back and forth. After checking on the others, she walks over  toward Qrow. Qrow is sitting in a chair near the front door window, looking outside with his feet propped on the drawer.

Qrow: "Storm's cleared up for now. We should be able to leave by morning."

Ruby: "That's good."

Qrow: "No... I don't have a good feeling about this place, especially with me around..."

Ruby looks down at a wine bottle on the floor with Qrow's hand hovering near it, then looks at him.

Ruby: "Are you... okay?"

Qrow: (scoffs) "Sure. Tell everyone to get some sleep. I'll wake you guys up just before sunrise."

Ruby walks away as Qrow drinks from the wine bottle. Ruby pauses and looks back at him before narrowing her eyes downward.

Back in the other room, the fire continues to burn. The book Maria is reading has a "III" on the cover, with the other two volumes on a nearby table.

Oscar: "It's a diary?"

Maria: "The head of this household, Bartleby. Apparently, he and several other families founded this little settlement to try and live on their own. It sounds like it worked, at least for a spell."

Oscar: "Grimm?"

Maria: "Just one of many hardships. Slowed down their farming, made everything harder... It's a shame, really. He seemed like quite the ambitious fellow, always thinking of new schemes to overcome the odds."

(Y/n): "Sometimes bad things happen to good people, I guess."

Ruby: (walking back into the room) "Hey guys. Qrow said we should get some sleep. We're gonna head out early tomorrow."

Blake: "Thank goodness."

Everyone gets up to get ready to sleep. Maria hops off the couch.

Maria: "Hmph, the last thing you'll catch me doing is letting some kid tell me what to do. (in a mimicking voice) 'Go to bed!'"

She scoffs

Maria sits on an armchair, turns on the lamp next to it and continues reading from the book. Ruby shrugs and smiles before going to sleep herself as the fire continues to burn.
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(Y/n) lies on his back next to a sleeping Blake. Everyone else in the room, minus Maria, is fast asleep. So with a sigh, he stands up and stealthily makes his way toward the entrance hall.

The sound of creaking wood alerts Qrow to someone's presence.

Qrow: "What're you doing up?"

(Y/n): (shrug) "Can't sleep. Plus thought it'd be nice to spend some 'quality father son time.'"

He performs air quotes with his hands