Hidden Demons (RWBY x Male Abused Bullied Venom Reader)

Volume 6 - Alone in the Woods

Ruby Rose stares at the moon through a window, sitting on the staircase. Snow is drizzling outside. Ruby checks on Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long, who are sitting on the rug and staring at the fire from the fireplace. Maria Calavera reads a book while sitting on the sofa and Oscar Pine is pacing back and forth. Y/n Branwen, is sitting in silence, looking down at his hand. After checking on the others, Ruby stands up and walks toward Qrow Branwen. Qrow is sitting nearby the 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.

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.

Y/n: Whatever.

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!" *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. The fire continues to burn in the fireplace.

~

By next morning, the fire is out. Sunlight seeps through the curtained window while Team RWBY, Y/n and Oscar sleep on the floor. Maria rests on the armchair, still holding the book she was reading. Qrow sleeps on the chair by the window, still barely grasping the wine bottle in his hand. A couple other wine bottles are also on the floor. The bottle slips from his hand and clatters on the floor, causing Ruby to wake with a start. She looks around before rubbing her eyes and getting on her feet. She walks over to the window and opens the curtains.

Weiss: *muttering in her sleep* Close the window!

Ruby walks over to the entrance hall and picks up the empty bottle Qrow dropped before walking over to her uncle.

Ruby: Uncle Qrow. Come on, get up. *shakes Qrow's shoulder*

Qrow: *groans* Leave me alone...

Ruby: We overslept.

Qrow, still groggy, just lightly shoves Ruby away. Ruby looks at the empty wine bottle, and after a moment, her hand starts shaking. She angrily throws it against the wall, shattering it.