I do not own RWBY. That belongs to Rooster Teeth, and the late, great Monty Oum.

Min Kvite Russer

"In vino, veritas." - Alcaeus

Qrow drinks.

He does not drink to forget. No. That would be foolishness. Drinking enough to forget dulls the senses and would leave even the best Hunter vulnerable to attack.

Qrow drinks to remember.

In that moment when the burning liquid spills down his throat, for just a brief second, he is brought back to his halcyon youth when he thought he was invincible. For a single heartbeat, he is reminded of one night of indescribable passion with the woman who he loved, and has always loved. Whiskey reminds him of that single night filled with soft skin, whispered words and overwhelming lust that had him betray the trust of his partner and then best friend.

He drinks to remember sweet words and warm silver eyes. He drinks to remember the greatest and most terrible mistake he'd ever committed. A mistake that, could he go back and do it all over again, he would probably repeat, despite knowing what it would bring.

A mistake that, nine months later, brought about a beautiful baby girl that Qrow wished he could have been there for more, but could not. To be there for her would be to invite the truth, and both he and Taiyang know. They know that Ruby Rose, sweet, innocent Ruby Rose, isn't Taiyang's flesh and blood. He still loves her as though she was though, and to Qrow, that might hurt most of all. If Summer could see him now, she'd turn away from him.

And it's what he deserves.

Qrow drinks.

He tilts the silver flask back, the same flask given to him as a gift from Summer, and downs another mouthful of whiskey, and watches. He watches his beautiful daughter march forward into unknown danger, and into destiny.

He cannot be there for her; his path lies elsewhere.

All he can do is pray that the friends she has are strong enough to keep her safe.

Before he takes flight, calling upon the power of his soul to change him, he cannot help but grimace. The blond boy, Jaune, was it? He recognizes that look on his face. How many times had he seen that look in the mirror?

He watches as Jaune pulls out a flask of his own, when the backs of his friends are turned, and he takes a swift drink.

Qrow winces.

He has never been an empathic individual, but he finds himself praying that Ruby might be strong enough to help the boy from following his footsteps, and that neither of them make the same mistakes that he did.

Qrow drinks.

And takes flight.

[****]

Taiyang Xiao Long drinks.

Unlike Qrow, his reason for drinking is straightforward, just like he is. He drinks for the traditional reason, like many Hunters and ex-Hunters do.

Taiyang drinks to forget.

He drinks to forget raven locks and blood red eyes. He drinks to forget nights of rough passion that left him bruised, and scratched, and aching, with her markings all over his body. He drinks to forget that even after he swore he'd never love her again, for abandoning him and their daughter, he still finds himself on lonesome nights opening the door to see her once more, standing there with that cruel smirk. He drinks to forget the shame he feels the next morning when she's gone, leaving only stained, cold and messy sheets.

He drinks to forget his second wife. To forget silver eyes, and soft words. To forget the smell of freshly baked cookies, and reassurances that everything will be alright. He drinks to forget that every time he gazes down at Ruby Rose, his daughter, his pride and joy, that she isn't his. That deep, deep down, in his heart of hearts, he knows that Ruby Rose is living proof of Summer's infidelity. If he drinks enough though, he can fool himself into believing that it was simply coincidence. That maybe Qrow didn't betray him. That maybe Summer truly did love him, and wasn't with him out of some obligation to their team.

Above all, he drinks to forget his loneliness.

For a while, he hadn't needed to. With Yang and Ruby, his two daughters whom were the light of his life, life had come back into some form of normalcy. Life grew on though, and soon enough, Yang had left him to go to Vale, to go to Beacon. Although he was proud of her and her accomplishments, the sting of loneliness reared its head. When Ruby was offered to transfer early, leaving him all alone, the drinking began anew.

And when Raven returned, making it clear she was only using him for sex, the drinking only increased.

When his daughters returned though, the drinking didn't stop. Yang was broken, emotionally, physically, and even worse, Qrow, that bastard had convinced Ruby to leave the safety of Patch to go off on some half-cocked quest based on some legend found in fairy tales. There might have been life in the Xiao Long home, but Taiyang had never been so lonely.

Taiyang drinks.

And prepares breakfast.

[****]

Jaune Arc drinks.

He doesn't drink for the same reasons most do. The pain he feels at his loss is far too fresh, too sharp to understand if he wants to remember the good times, or forget it all.

Jaune Arc drinks to sleep.

Without it, he would surely break from the insomnia and the stress. Without the little flask of rum he'd bought at one of their many stops on their way to Mistral, he'd have gone insane. Perhaps, in some small way, he already had. Without a few swigs of alcohol at the end of each night, his rest is plagued by visions and dreams of his friends and loved ones dying in various ways, and there is nothing he can do about it. If not that, he dreams of potential lives where he hadn't been so damn thick and stubborn and had noticed Pyrrha's love for him. When he awakens, the cold, dark air is enough to rob the strength and will from him. Somedays the dreams are so vivid that upon awakening, he can do nothing but silently sob in his sleeping bag at the unfairness of it all.

Other days, the dreams bring a black mood that would have him committing straight up war crimes upon Cinder in horrible vengeance.

For his own sanity, and the safety of his friends, he drinks to sleep. For just a little bit of rest. For a single night of slumber not interrupted by reminders of his own powerlessness and weakness.

Jaune lifts the flask to his mouth.

And stops.

A pair of arms wrap around his chest from behind, and someone's head rests upon his shoulder, their lips speaking only two words.

"Please...don't…"

He sits there, in the darkness of the tent, listening to the howling winds outside. Slowly, he lowers the flask. "Okay." He doesn't need to see to know that the look on Ruby's face is a concerned one. "I'll...I'll go to sleep." At least, he'll try. The nightmares and dreams will make it impossible for him, he knows. Still, for her sake, he'll do his best to get some form of rest. The arms unravel from around him, and Jaune waits until Ruby has moved before he lays himself down onto the bundle of travel gear that makes up his pillow.

Ruby shuffles more.

"Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"I...I've been having nightmares lately and...would you mind...if I…" she trails off, unsure if she should finish her request.

"Of course you can." Jaune replies, knowing what she wants. Having a pair of younger siblings, he knew how company could help keep the nightmares away.

Wordlessly, Ruby Rose lays down next to Jaune, and embraces him, and he in turn places a single arm around her. There is nothing romantic about it, nor sexual in the least. Not yet. Neither of them is prepared, nor ready to pursue each other, although in time, perhaps. For now, it is simply a pair of friends seeking solace in one another.

Neither of them dreams that night, and Jaune?

Jaune doesn't drink.

The silver flask half full of rum is abandoned at the side of the road the next morning.

It is found by Qrow, who can only smile.

For the first time in years, for just that day alone, Qrow doesn't drink either. He speaks a silent prayer, and hopes that whoever may be listening, could give Taiyang that same strength. Maybe, when all was said and done, he could find some forgiveness.

Until then though, Qrow wouldn't leave behind his flask.

He wouldn't leave behind his memories.

A/N: A strangely sad yet hopeful piece inspired by the song of the same name by Kaizers Orchestra. Check it out on YouTube if you're curious, it's a hauntingly beautiful piece. It was bouncing around in my head for a while, so I figured I'd write it down so I could move onto other things. The song title translates to, "My White Russian."