Deaged Oz AU - Custody Arrangements
Em Pine sighed in frustration as she filled out yet another form to try to become the legal guardian of her new nephew. She didn't remember it being this complicated to claim custody of Oscar, surely it shouldn't be in Oz's case? She double checked to make sure the birthdate matched the other forms, happy she'd asked what Oz's birthday was before they'd left. (He'd sounded so confused, the poor dear, as though he didn't think he deserved one.) So much about Oz made her angry, so many red flags. If she ever found his parents, they would be having words, she was very certain of that, if nothing else. She filed the latest form and left, at least they'd promised to actually look into things this time...
"There is no record of the boy in question. Denied." Was all the letter said. Just that and nothing more, so much for the promises they'd made. She stared down at it in frustration and anger before picking it up and storming back to the train station, hoping she'd make it in time before the office closed for the day. This needed to be sorted out as soon as possible, if only to give Oz some form of legal identity.
The official behind the desk sighed. "Look, ma'am, we can't find any record of this 'Tip Pine'. Do you have any proof he exists? Pictures, physical proof? The boy himself? Even talking to your nephew would help."
"I'm not certain where the boys are right now, they're travelling with a family friend and friends of their own, but I do have pictures, yes. She dug out her scroll and started to show the pictures to the official. Lots of images of Oscar and Oz together, a few of them with her, too. There were even a few they'd sent her of all nine kids together with Qrow in the background. The official tutted to himself.
"Tell you what, contact the older boy, see if he picks up. We'll go from there." He seemed willing to listen at least, though part of that might have been the sheer adorability of the boys in question. They'd looked so sweet asleep against each other in the house in Mistral. It had been rather nice of Qrow to send her that one.
Oscar blinked as his scroll rang, he hadn't been expecting a call after all. Pulling it out, he grinned at the caller ID.
"Hi, Aunt Em!"
"Oh, hello Oscar, do you have a minute?"
"Sure, what do you need?"
"I have a gentleman here that needs to talk to you, if that's alright?" She passed the scroll over to the official, who smiled.
"Hello there, you'd be Oscar Pine, correct?"
"Yes? Hello, who are you?"
"Well, my name is Aster Lyme and I work with the families department here in Haven. I just have a few questions regarding one Tip Pine? There are no records of him, you see. Your aunt claims that you see him as a brother?"
"The families department?" Oscar sounded confused, but shrugged. "Yes, Tip's my brother now. I always wanted a brother, and now I have one!"
The man smiled to himself. "Well, you certainly do sound very attached to him. Now, the records your aunt submitted claim that he's ten? Do you know his parents, at all?"
"Uh..." Oscar looked uncomfortable for a second. "I'm not sure who they are? He's never really talked about them. I can go and get him for you?"
"That might be for the best, yes."
Oz blinked as he accepted the scroll from Oscar, who just grinned at him, looking slightly confused.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hello there. You'd be Tip, right?"
"I, well, yes, who are you?"
"I'm Aster Lyme and I need to ask some questions, if that's alright? Do you know where your parents are? Or their names?" He sounded softer than he was when talking to Oscar, his eyes sympathetic as the little boy on the other end blinked in shock.
"I... I'm not sure who they were, why do you need to know?"
Oscar, in the background, sent a horrified look towards Oz. He hadn't known that his brother didn't even know who his parents had been. Who'd raised him, how... just, what?
"I work for the family department here in Mistral, an Emerald Pine has tried to claim custody of you, but your records are incomplete. Are you sure you don't know your parent's names, can't describe them at all?"
"I'm certain. i have no memory of them, I'm sorry."
The official sighed heavily. "No need to apologise, little one. I'll mark your parents as unknown, that's alright, I just needed to check."
Oz pouted slightly at being called little one, but still looked confused. "Aunt Em is trying to claim custody of me? But... why?"
"She seems rather attached to you, as does your brother. Now, do you know where you were born, at all? Or is that unknown, too?"
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm unsure. As stated, I don't really remember that, either."
"Noted. You have a Vale accent, so I'll note that as the possible origin point, but I think that should be just about everything. Nice to meet you both. I'll let you talk to your aunt for a while and thank you for the help!" The scroll was passed back to Aunt Em, who looked rather concerned.
"Aunt Em?" Oz sounded confused. "Why exactly are you trying to adopt me? I'm really, really honored by what you and Oscar have done for me, but custody? Really?"
"Oh, Tip. Is it really that hard to accept that we want you? You're my nephew, Oscar's brother. This just makes it official. And besides, it's only guardianship, just like I have with Oscar. Just because you don't know who your parents were doesn't mean that you didn't have them and I'd no more try to replace them than I would my sister and her husband. You're just gaining more family, and so am I."
"Yeah!" Oscar chimed in. "You're ours now, my brother and Aunt Em's nephew. Whoever raised you can't claim you anymore. You're safe."
"Safe?" Oz breathed, as though tasting the word for the first time. "I am unsure just what safe feels like, really."
The others, who had been trying hard not to listen in, glanced at each other, looking vaguely horrified.
"Oh, pocket sized." Jaune breathed. "None of us would ever hurt you, you really are safe here, or at least as safe as any of us are."
Oz looked deeply touched by the statement, smiling rather sadly back at Jaune. Aunt Em smiled to herself too, thankful that her boys had friends they could rely on.
Later, months after everything had been finalised, Em Pine got a call out of the blue herself. She answered it rather gingerly, not instantly recognising the man on the other end.
"Hello there, I'm General James Ironwood and I'm calling you regarding Oz. Well, and Oscar, I suppose. I was hoping you'd sign over custody to me. Surely they'd be better under my guidance."
"Excuse me?" She stated, flatly, eyes hard. "And just why would I give up custody of my nephews to you? I also note that you seem worryingly interested in Tip for an Academy Headmaster, does your council know about your predilictions?"
James spluttered out denials, face red as Em glared at him.
"What? What? No. Why would I, why would you imply... Oz is my friend. He needs protection while he's here, they both do. Not... not, that!" It was rather amusing for Winter Schnee, who was still in the room, to see her normally unflappable general in such a state. But then, this was a call involving her uncle and she'd heard... stories, about him, over the years.
"He may need your protection while he's there, but I'm not signing over custody. You can have temporary guardianship, but Oscar is my blood nephew and, as for Tip? There's a saying here in Mistral, General."
"Oh?" He still sounded vaguely dazed, but at least with temporary custody he could recover from the conversation. He might try again, then again, he might not.
"Yes. Finder's keepers. Tip is mine, go find your own."
Winter laughed. Maybe James had finally found his equal after all.
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Deaged Oz AU - Bureaucracy In Vacuo
"Name?" The official asked, looking tired. Processing this many new people into Vacuan records was a round the clock task. It had been bad enough when they'd had several hundred people from Vale, but all of Atlas and Mantle? There weren't enough people to do this quickly, but at least these two were just children so probably shouldn't take too long? The younger of the two looked strangely familiar, though, maybe they'd met before somewhere?
The boys looked at each other and shrugged, then the older of the two smiled, looking as tired as the official felt.
"I'm Oscar Pine. I'm from Mistral originally if that helps?"
The official nodded and started leafing though her scroll, having typed the name in. She found him pretty quickly and nodded, satisfied. "Got you, thank you, you're entered into the records. And your... friend?"
Oz sighed. "Do I really have to say the full thing?"
"It will make it easier to find you and I do have... far too many other people to see today..."
Oscar just grinned at him again.
"In that case... Wintertippetarius Pine. I probably need to spell it for you, though." Oz sounded fed up. The full thing was so ridiculous, yet he'd already been called it far too often for his liking. What was wrong with just calling him Tip? Or Winter, he supposed... though Atlas' council always had sounded strangely possessive when they said it.
"So that's Winter... tip... yes I think I need you to spell it from there, please."
"W i n t e r t i p p e t a r i u s" Oz said slowly, not looking her in the eye and blushing slightly.
"Thank you. Ah, there it is. This should all be in order, go on in. Nice to meet you two."
"She was nice, so what's wrong?"
"I just am not comfortable stating my full name, Oscar. Wintertip was okay, but then after, well, Salem, someone went looking..." He looked almost dejected. "To an extent, it was a relief not to have 'Tippetarius' as part of my name, but... what is, is. I suppose it could be worse, after all."
"Yeah, they could use all three surnames... come on, let's go find the others."
After far too long a day looking people up, the official in question wound up in a local bar, nursing a tankard of beer with, thankfully, not too much sand in it and looking exhausted.
"Had a rough day?"
"Merely a long one. Though some parents should not be allowed to name children..."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, one of the names kinda stuck out. The older brother's was something normal, but I swear the little one's was about fifteen letters long... how would a little kid even spell that?"
"Yeah, I've met a few like that. Don't worry too much, if that's the highlight of this utter stupidity, you'll be luckier than most. Everybody who lived in Atlas AND Mantle? All at once? The sheer amount of political crap this'll take to smooth over... the amount of food they'll need..."
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