Omake 1: Was this talk necessary? (C)

"I gave up trying to understand people long ago. Now I let them try to understand me!" – Lucy van Pelt (Peanuts).

The first thing that made me realize that something was wrong was the sudden wave of cold that woke me up.

The first thing that made me realize that I was no longer home was the large landscape that my gaze first saw when I woke up.

The first thing that made me realize that I was about to handle quite the ordeal this early in the morning was the red-eyed huntress that was staring at me right on my left side.

Raven Branwen, after having 'happily' accepted her duty as a mom, had taken a liking in kidnapping me, and her timing was… quite poor.

Actually slash that, it was atrocious.

Considering the fact the sun was just dawning upon Remnant, I knew that it had to be around… three? Maybe four in the morning.

I groaned, leaning back and allowing gravity to make my head reach the ground with a quiet fall. No damage, just annoyance from the fact that this wasn't the first time it happened.

"Why?"

The question was a must. It was the word that opened the dances, the trigger that enabled the woman to speak and lament of her new life as a mother.

It wasn't easy for me to handle the nagging of someone that just wanted to be alone most of the time and whine about the duties and responsibilities of being a parent.

Raven was certainly a champion in being a pest on these occasions and… for a time I hoped for either Taiyang, Summer- heck, even Qrow would've been better in dealing with this shit on this basis.

Weren't siblings meant to be close even when they loathed each other's presence? Maybe I was drawing a hopeful sketch from my experience rather than accept the cruel reality.

"We need to talk."

And my mind braced for the worst as she stood up and walked closer to the edge of that chilling cliff.

Were we in Mistral? It had to be Mistral. I was unsure because of the frozen tips of the mountains in the distance, and the fact that I wasn't graced with any mercy before the unforgiving cold.

I was still in my nightwear, while Raven had her normal kimono-like dress on, minus the armor. The sword was still there, and I was contemplating how her nest of hair was handling the humidity.

Really, how the heck are hair working in this world? How did she manage to preserve that unruly comb and length after years spent away from the big settlements?

My bewilderment was then interrupted when she paused to glance at the sunrise, then turning to stare once more at me.

"It's about Summer."

…That's new.

"What about her?"

Raven sighed, arms crossing below her bust. "I think she is trying to set me up with a blind date."

…

"That's good to hear," I muttered in approval. "You should totally go for it." And maybe give me a break for once. I'm not your therapist.

"While the chances of trying my luck with… a suitable lover would be interesting, I told her I wasn't interested much in it."

…

"Why?"

She snorted. "Because that would mean going through the same things I went with Taiyang. Maybe worse since very few would understand me as a strong person."

To be fair, that was a legitimate concern. What if the unlucky guy ended up saying something silly to her? Something that could get her to snap into a frenzy, ditch her responsibilities again, and possibly kidnap me in a journey back to her tribe.

If I had to be honest, if that was the case, then I was surely going to keep my shotgun 24/7… again.

Why can't I have anything nice?

…

And why are things so silent here? Hello?

No comment, just silence. Either they bailed on me, or they are sleeping.

I wasn't sure how they worked inside my brain, but I didn't expect them to never need to sleep once or twice in a while.

"Have you thought of using dating sites for that? I've heard the CCTV has plenty of those for singles. And you would get to choose the closest match to you."

She actually seemed to think about it, her stare moving again once more but this time her distracted look quickly turned back at me.

"Are you subscribed to one?"

I frowned. "I'm happily engaged."

"But you should still keep an open door in case things turn bad for you and… Sienna," Raven pointed out. "Fall outs are a thing, and you should be careful about not crashing down because of it."

"That's… thoughtful. I hope you aren't hoping for it to happen," I remarked, and her eyes darted away at the accusation.

"I would never wish for that to happen."

Says the one that is staring away, her face trying to keep a faux innocent expression and her lips twitching in hope for something bad to happen.

What a terrible liar Raven is about social situations.

"Ignoring my love life, how about we return to the main argument. Which is your love life."

"I'm fine to live as a 'single' mom," The woman rebuked calmly, almost annoyed. "Yang still likes her dad, we're working this great- or at least that's what Summer says… but she still presses me to date someone. And she sounds so serious about it, as if it was important for her"

I frowned again, this time feeling that there was something in that cipher that… offered a different perspective than the one Raven was giving me.

It was a chance, but knowing the Branwen, I was ready to give it a test and see if it stood on its feet as a proper possibility.

"Are there times when they want you out of the house?" I inquired with some curiosity. "Like, they want you to walk around Patch or… go drink some beer at the pub? And are Ruby and Yang away when those times happen?"

Narrowing her eyes at me, she looked at me in disbelief.

"How do you… How do you know that?"

"Just a supposition. Also, does Summer look incredibly embarrassed, like her face is all blushy and awkward, when she asks you to leave?"

…

"Yes?"

My God, she can't be that dense. She shouldn't be that dumb about how a couple tended to work.

I mean- she was a bandit, she knew how to kill Grimm in the flashiest and coolest way possible- but she couldn't get her mind to focus on romantic stuff?

…

I'm going to call Summer after this.

Yet I wasn't sure if that call was going to be one to tease at Raven's denseness or prank her about putting me through this unneeded situation.

"I know this might sound sudden and suspicious, but I think you should probably comply when Summer asks you to leave," I offered with a serious tone. "Maybe go to the bar with their credit card, go kill some Grimm- or even crash on my couch, just let them be alone when they ask."

Raven frowned, seeming even more confused than before.

"But… why? Why do they need time alone? We could do the team stuff they were so keen to do once I was back."

I sure hoped Taiyang hadn't thought of that kind of 'team stuff'. Then again, Summer would go ballistic at that mere hint…

"Because if they are left alone, they might end up with a young sibling for Ruby and Yang."

"A… what? What are you talking about?"

"They are alone. No kids, no threats, nothing but themselves. Now, what could be embarrassing to do while there are people around to snoop on them while they are… busy."

…

"That can't be- Summer is… she shouldn't be that much active?"

"Why not?"

"Well, she was quite restrained back in Beacon and… Oh Gods, she loved Taiyang back then and she held back because of that. That means when I asked for the first date- and then… Oh Gods."

Is- Is she discovering what she was dense about… now that one of the truths had reached her brain?

It was absurd to believe that, but it seemed to be the case. And I wasn't sure how to tackle it without actually laughing at the woman.

"This is so… so confusing."

"I can see that," I muttered quietly, holding back a fat chuckle. "And I suppose you will require my couch very soon."

"I… That would be nice- yes."

I nodded. "Good."

…

"So… I've heard you got yourself a new kid- Are you open to-"

"I'm happily engaged."

"I heard you the first time," The woman muttered dryly.

I smiled. "Good then, I thought I had stuttered."

In the end she decided to open the portals back to our respective houses… only for the Branwen to come back with a sheet and some magazines about swords to read while she waited out the 'alone time' for her ex-husband and her former team leader.

Yep, life is crazy and… it was tough to explain to Cinder that Raven wasn't a thief…

Well, maybe she was at a time but-

God, why is this world so crazy!