GOMU GOMU NO!~ Phew I barely made the four-day deadline with this one, folks but here it is. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to flesh out every named character in RWBY, as there are quite a few who, in my opinion, didn't get enough time to properly shine in the series. Again, I'm only going over what the wiki has to say about their characters, so I apologize if a few of them go OOC every now and then.
Also, I hope my inclusion of original characters doesn't seem too forceful for plot progression, I'm doing my best to use what characters RWBY has to offer, but not everyone seems to fit the bill for some scenes in my story that I'm trying to convey.
That's about it for this author's note. As usual, cheers, and happy reading everyone.
"Is that a human?" Muttered a tall Faunus with antlers.
"Maybe his animal trait is hidden under his long golden hair?" Whispered a woman with ram horns.
Hawkins knew this chatter and gossip was inevitable, but he wished it didn't occur so soon. It only took a few minutes for the wandering eyes of the surrounding Faunus to notice the blonde oddity among them, and while Hawkins was used to glares of trepidation from his experience of piracy, the same could not be said for his son and daughter.
Jaune could almost feel the spiteful glances being shot his way, to the point he was too scared to lift his gaze from the ground to meet the eyes of the Faunus around him. He opted to hold Trifa's hand as she led him through the streets and turns which she was grateful for, but deep down she hated having to witness the head of her best friend hanging low.
"Hey Jaune, why don't we get some candies after this? There's a wide variety in that stand we passed by, wanna try them out later?" Trifa said with a meek smile.
"No thanks, Trifa," Jaune mumbled.
Emerald, on the other hand, dealt with the situation a tad better than everyone else, but this was due to Vito carrying her on his shoulders with a jolly grin. The gunslinger's cheerful mood served as a strong deterrent for the warry gazes of passersby, and Kuma's towering presence took up most of the group's spotlight.
For what felt like an eternity of dragging their feet, the Hawkins family arrived at their temporary home. It suited the tropical theme of the island and stood two stories tall. A roof made of tied straw, small logs nailed together to form walls and windows, and a thick drape served as the main door to the household.
"Auntie Carla!" Called a young Faunus with a fluffy cow tail. Her wavy white hair was cut at shoulder length and her dainty figure adorned a simple orange sundress with leather slippers.
"Please come in!" The Faunus waved in her guests with enthusiasm and helped Sam with his luggage.
"So this is the stoic magician that I've heard so much about! Please, you have to tell me all of your stories!" The cow Faunus, who Carla introduced as Annabell, was a bubbly sort who wasn't embarrassed to show her outgoing personality.
Hawkins grunted as his personal space was invaded by a tilted head and wide brown pupils. He stared straight into Annabell's eyes for a good minute, until she blinked and laughed.
"Wow, Sam wasn't joking when he said you could hold your composure." Annabell giggled.
"Now Annabell, that's enough of your antics. Hawkins and the others are in need of a good rest, have you prepared the rooms as I told you?" Carla's eyes narrowed at the sheepish smile her niece showed.
"I was too busy preparing the meals for when you arrived, so the topic of the rooms might have slipped my mind."
"Annabell!" Carla huffed and pinched her niece by the ear.
"Ow! Auntie that hurts!" Annabell whined.
"I'm sorry everyone, but it looks like I have to teach this procrastinator some manners. Sam, why don't you start unpacking in the living room while I dish out some much-needed lessons?" Carla smirked as Sam obeyed without question.
He knew better than anyone how his wife's temper would rise when anyone failed to show proper hospitality, especially if they were a member of her own family.
"Well then everyone, let's get to it then shall we?" Sam chuckled and quickly scuttled away before Annabell could beg for his assistance.
"Y'know, I thought the agricultural district was stuffy, but this is a whole new level of tight." Jaune, after consuming an unhealthy amount of sweets to brighten his mood, was forced out of the house by Carla on the premise of using good old exercise to fix his overdose of glucose and carbs.
"It's not that bad, but the heat I could do without." Trifa wiped a few sweat drops from her forehead.
The two treaded down a few bridges and over what appeared to be a beach styled market. Stands were positioned along the narrow dirt paths, with Faunus bearing all sorts of animalistic traits going about their daily business. However, a few eyes wandered to the oddity among the crowds.
"Hey, is that a human?" Grumbled an old man to his cohorts.
"Why is that Faunus girl speaking so casually with him? Does she want to ruin her image before immigrating to Menagerie?" A teen said in a hushed voice.
Jaune slowed his steps and lowered his head again. He reached into the new sachel Sam had gifted him for the vacation and took out a knitted blue hoodie, courtesy of Carla. He unfolded it, but before he could put it on Trifa tugged on his sleeve with a disappointed frown.
"What are you doing Jaune?" Trifa made it sound like a sarcastic and rhetorical question.
"I'm just going to hide my face until we're back at the house. Maybe the people staring at us will think I'm a Faunus if I'm hidden." Jaune whimpered.
Trifa bit her lip and growled. This wasn't the boy who would defend his friends with a toothy grin. Why was Jaune being such a coward?
"Jaune, don't you dare put that hoodie on. You didn't care what the kids in the agricultural district said about you, so why are you being such a baby about this?"
"I don't care what lies they spit on me, but I do care what they say about you Trifa. I don't want my best buddy to lose another chance to make friends because I'm a stupid human." Jaune sighed.
Trifa's cheeks reddened a tad as she let out a long breath. She enjoyed spending time with Jaune and having him all to herself, but not like this. Jaune wasn't like the other noisy Faunus back in Vale, but he was polite and considerate to everyone he met. He didn't deserve the scorn from the Faunus of Menagerie, and Trifa took it upon herself to cheer him up and be at his side whenever he needed her.
"Come on Jaune, let's go to that sweet stand I saw earlier, I'm sure we can find a dentist in Menagerie if you get a cavity." The girl giggled and dragged her reluctant friend down the road.
"Just my luck for Jaune and Trifa to disappear when I wasn't looking-rero." Vito scratched his head and peered over the crowds of Faunus along the docks. Menagerie might be a big piece of land on a map, but with only one-third of the island being habitable this left its populace to strive in stuffy conditions.
"Pardon me, but have you seen a young boy and boy about this height? The boy has short moppy blonde hair and his friend is the same only her's is a bluish-gray-rero." Vito politely asked a few kind looking Faunus, but they shook their heads and walked away without saying a word.
Perhaps his gangster attire combined with his staggering height of 7'11" put off a lot of people? Sure Vito was a former mafia member and pirate, but he wasn't that intimidating to the general populace, was he?
"Hey, you're that guy who was with the blonde human earlier." A group of delinquent looking teenagers approached the gunslinger and surrounded him.
"Ah, you mean Hawkins right? I do apologize if he gave off a menacing demeanor, but he hasn't been feeling well as of late-rero so please don't take offense to his stoic glare." Vito didn't want to cause a scene and raised his hands to prove he meant no harm.
"That doesn't matter. Don't you know the rules of Menagerie? You're a Faunus so I'll let this incident slide this time, but I'd recommend you stay away from that blonde weirdo and tell him to leave this island as soon as possible." The tallest of the group, a muscular fox Faunus with dark skin and black hair that was done up in a mohawk with the sides shaved served as the leader of the rambunctious group.
"I'm sorry, but wasn't it said that Menagerie was a place for everyone? That's what I've heard anyway-rero." Vito shook his head and glanced around as the teens closed in on him.
Some of the bystanders on the sidelines stayed behind to watch the scene play out, but the majority looked the other way and hurried out of the area. Vito sighed and rested his hands on his hips. If this is how these kids wanted to play, then they should know the stakes of their gamble.
"I plan on enjoying my vacation, and I'm not going to stop because some punks decided to impose a fake rule-rero." The gunslinger's tone and visage shifted to one of a cold and calm killer.
While Vito agreed with Hawkins that useless violence was unethical, these punks before him needed to learn the severity of their actions.
"You might be big, but there is power in numbers." The fox Faunus gestured for his fellow allies to deliver a much-needed punishment, and they all took out short staffs which Vito assumed to be their weapons.
"Nyororo! Is that all it takes to get you kids riled up-rero?" Vito chuckled.
"You're laughing now, but you'll regret taking us so lightly." The fox Faunus growled.
"Might I ask your name before we exchange hands-rero?"
"It's Corsaic Albain, a name you'll remember if you ever decide to come back to Menagerie!" The fox Faunus declared with pride.
"The name's Vito." The gunslinger sighed. "At least you were courteous enough to give me your name-rero."
A large wave crashed against the wooden planks of the docks. In the blink of an eye, Vito's fur collard coat flapped in the wind as he whipped out a revolver with his right hand and used his left to slam on its hammer.
"Bang!" "Bang!" Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
Five bullets matched their targets and split the staves of the delinquents in two. They all ducked for cover and clamped their eyes shut with their hands over their heads, but Corsaic remained standing and moved in front of his friends to serve as a meatshield for any stray bullets. When the sounds of gunfire died down and the splinters and broken bits of staffs plinked against the dirt, Corsaic opened his eyes and almost fell backward when he saw Vito standing a mere inch from his face.
"I'm not a man who enjoys violence for the heck of it. But if you pull out a weapon against your fellow man, then you should be prepared for the possibility of retaliation... rero."
Vito latched a hand onto Corsaic's throat and raised him into the air. He pressed the nose of his revolver against Corsaic's chest, and the fox Faunus winced as the hot metal burned through his shirt.
"I could shoot you right now and end your life. But I have to ask myself, will this give me the outcome I truly desire-rero?" His lesson done with, Vito released the teen and let him fall on his butt.
"You're lucky it was me who you ran into. If it were Hawkins you may have found yourself through the face of a building. Though I think he would have bestowed similar words of wisdom-rero." Vito returned his weapon to his holster and laughed.
He walked past the trembling teenagers and ignored the stares of the spectators. If any of them had a problem with how things played out, then they could confront Vito directly about it.
"Nyororo! Now, where did Jaune and Trifa get off to-rero?" Vito's long tongue swayed back and forth as he strolled down the streets with a cheerful smile.
The candy store that Jaune and Trifa walked into seemed promising. There were tall displays with stacked shelves with all sorts of hand made candies, and Jaune wanted to try every one if he could afford it. The boy selected his sweets and packed them into a plastic bag and walked up to the counter with a nervous smile.
"There you are, dear." A ram Faunus with curled horns gave Trifa her bag of candies and took her coins. Though when she turned to Jaune, she crossed her arms and turned away.
"Is this not enough?" Jaune put fourteen lien on the counter, but the ram Faunus in charge of the store refused to sell him her wares.
"I'm sorry kid, but you'll have better luck in another store." She huffed.
"But this is the fifth store already..." Jaune sighed and took back his money. His stomach grumbled as the scent of sugar and fruits wafted into his nostrils.
Jaune was trying to adapt and politely greet everyone he met, he really was, but the tension and constant glares weighed him down like bags of sand.
"It's alright Jaune, you can have some of mine." Trifa smiled. She opened her bag and presented Jaune with an assortment of fruit-flavored treats.
Jaune reached to take a few, but a harsh glare from the store owner made him retract his hand. He glumly shook his head and dragged his feet out of the store. Trifa turned to follow him, but the ram Faunus had a few words for her before she left.
"I'd stay away from him if I were you kid. Knowing his kind he'll disappoint you sooner rather than later." She huffed.
Trifa said nothing and hurried after her best friend. No matter what store the two entered, Jaune was always turned away with a rude scowl.
His gaze glued to the ground and a gloomy cloud over his head, Jaune failed to register his surroundings and bumped into the leg of a very tall and muscular Faunus and tumbled to the dirt. Oddly enough, when the boy fell, none of the surrounding Faunus laughed at him.
"I-I'm sorry!" Jaune squeaked. He was on thin ice as is and he really didn't want to get into more trouble with the locals.
"Easy there kid, no harm was done." The giant Faunus had a firm demeanor, but his hazel eyes were soft and gentle. He picked Jaune up by his shoulder and patted the dust off his hair.
Jaune's knees buckled and his hands grew clammy. Maybe this was another prank in disguise like the second store where the owner let Jaune try a green mushy substance called wasabi for free. Was this hairy Faunus planning the same thing? Perhaps he was luring Jaune to lower his guard so he could smack him on the head when he wasn't looking...
"Hey, is everything alright kid? You don't look so good." The Faunus reached out a hand to comfort the child, but Jaune's survival instincts kicked in and the frightened boy turned around and ran away so fast a cloud of dust was all that was left of his presence.
"Hey Jaune wait for me!" Trifa shouted and did her best to keep pace with her best friend.
Unbeknownst to the poor boy, the Faunus he fled from happened to be the chieftain of Menagerie, Ghira Belladonna himself. Unfortunately for the devoted man, his wife happened to come out of the grocery store she was shopping in and only witnessed the crying blonde boy run from her husband as if he had assaulted him.
"Ghira." Kali tucked away her purse and rested a hand on her hip. The other held the ingredients for tonight's dinner.
"What did you do to that cute little boy?" She asked with her ears perked up and eyes narrowed.
"I promise that I didn't do anything, Kali! I bumped into him and helped him up, when he looked up at me he ran away!" Ghira tried to explain but Ms. Belladonna was skeptical.
"Fine, I believe you, but if I hear otherwise I won't make your favorite meals for a week and you'll have to sleep on the couch for a month." She huffed.
"But I'm only in Menagerie for a few more days before the next white Fang meeting." Ghira sulked.
"Then I pray to Oum that you told me the truth. Blake dear, come on now, we have to prepare for the Taurus family and their friends who'll be visiting us tonight. I made sure to buy your favorite fish too." Kali giggled.
A young Faunus with short hair and amber eyes had her cat ears hidden beneath a black bow, jumped through the store doors, and placed herself beside her mother with an expectant glimmer in her eyes.
"Let's go Ghira," Kali said in a somewhat distant tone.
The chieftain of Menagerie grumbled and continued to try and explain the situation all the way back to the Belladonna mansion, but things wouldn't improve for the Faunus leader until dinner time came around.
"Hi uncle Vito, we're back!" Jaune announced with a tired smile. Trifa offered a meek wave and headed to the bathroom.
"Jaune! I've been looking all over for you-rero!" Vito sighed and patted the boy on the head.
"Take off your shoes and let's go to the kitchen, Carla and her niece have prepared quite a feast for us-rero!" Vito led the way and the scent of roasted pork and steamed vegetables wafted Jaune's nostrils.
A happy smile chipped through his depressed stupor, and the blonde boy was surprised to see his father sitting next to Fiona. While the magician wore his trademark stoic visage, he didn't seem to mind having the sheep Faunus so close to him. This was a conundrum, usually, Hawkins would try to distance himself from any person who tried to invade his personal bubble, other than his family and extended uncles of course. Maybe Fiona's cheerful attitude was finally rubbing off on his father.
Vito took a seat by the window and grabbed two plates and stacked them to the max. One was for him, and the other was for a patient Kuma who took his nightly meal through the open window with a warm thank you. Jaune was more than eager to stuff his mouth with delectable flavors, but two people were missing from the table.
"Hey Granpa Sam, where is Minty?" Jaune asked.
The senior chuckled. "Don't worry about your sister Jaune, she's with Carla and Annabel and I'm sure she's having a blast."
Jaune tilted his head and chomped down on another spoonful of salad, but the cry of desperation from his sibling answered his curiosity.
"I don't want to put the dress on!" Emerald whined and ran into the kitchen wearing nothing but a blue t-shirt and shorts.
"Emerald Sustrai Hawkins, you will put on this violet dress and let me take cute memorable photos of you!" Carla said sternly and chased after the mint-haired girl with a short frilly dress with a flower design. Annabel was close on her aunt's heels with a camera in hand.
"Save me Gold Nugget!" Emerald cried in despair and tucked herself under Jaune's chair and then the kitchen table.
Jaune winced at the sound of his awkward nickname, but Trifa felt a sudden pinch in her chest.
"Gold nugget...?" Trifa turned to Jaune with a questionable look. The blonde boy shrugged and continued to eat, but a swift kick to the shin made his head spin back to the spider Faunus.
"Y-Yes Trifa?" Jaune asked and leaned down to rub his sore shin. He didn't know what he did to earn Trifa's ire, but by her narrowed cobalt eyes it was clear she was miffed.
"What does gold nugget mean?" She asked in a suspicious tone.
"Huh? It's just a lame nickname Minty made for me." Jaune sighed.
Trifa thought for a moment, then a lightbulb dinged over her head and a giddy smile crossed her lips. Jaune hadn't a clue as to why Trifa became so happy, but he was thankful nonetheless that the issue had solved itself. Now he could go back to enjoying the bountiful dinner, or he was supposed to until Carla and Annabel positioned themselves behind Trifa.
"Alright Emerald, you can wear the dress on a later date. Perhaps Trifa would appreciate a more delicate attire?" The old woman grinned as she wrapped the spider Faunus with the violet dress.
"J-Jaune!" Trifa begged and latched her arms around the blonde boy's neck.
"Urgh!" Jaune was caught mid-chew and swallowed a chunk much too big for his throat. His face went blue, and everyone at the dinner table reached out to help him.
"Stop punching your neck Jaune, and let me do a Hendrick maneuver on you!" Sam yelled and rushed behind his grandson.
Sam Placed his hands on Jaune's lower abdominals and swiftly pressed them below the boy's ribcage and above his navel. On the fifth thrust, the piece of food was dislodged and Jaune coughed his airways open. However, the meat projectile found its way across the table and splotched against the pale forehead of a distracted Hawkins.
The stoic magician was peeved, and everyone at the table stiffened when he curled a brow. Hawkins heaved a heavy sigh and flicked the morsel to his side, but the squeal of a sheep Faunus broke him out of his dazed stupor. Hawkins turned to see an angry glare of olive eyes directed at his person. On Fiona's chin was the same piece of meat that was lodged in Jaune's throat mere moments ago.
Hawkins sighed and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. With a gentle hand, he tilted Fiona's head slightly so he could wipe away the food piece with the other. Again, jaws dropped. No one expected Hawkins of all people to perform such a kind gesture, and he didn't even blink when he did it!
From Fiona's perspective, her ears were once again flapping madly as a blush seeped through her fair cheeks. Why was Hawkins being so considerate? Maybe this was his attempt to apologize for what happened in his dorm on the ship? The memory of witnessing a hot, sweaty, and half-naked magician slipped to the forefront of Fiona's mind and she excused herself from the table on the premise of needing some fresh air.
The rest of the night went smoothly, Jaune joked with Trifa and Emerald, while Vito decided to chat with Fiona after she returned to discuss their shared experiences as hunters. Carla and Sam were busy catching up with Annabel, leaving Hawkins to dwell in silent thought as he slowly munched on a hot cob of corn.
Not too far away, the Belladonna mansion was in the midst of enjoying a banquet with many Faunus gathered around a wide table, but two of its members had secluded themselves to the backyard for a short and private chat.
"A chameleon Faunus did this to you Corsaic?" A tall Faunus with dark skin poked the scorch mark on the fox Faunus' chest.
She had amber eyes, and wild black chin-length hair cut in an asymmetrical bob style. Several tattoos gave the impression that her body was covered in tiger stripes, and a pair of pointed tiger ears served as her Faunus trait with four golden earrings on three of her ears, one each on her Human ears, and two on her left Faunus ear as well as a small jewel on her forehead.
She wore a black sleeveless top with white lining and a pair of tight-fitting white pants that were tucked inside a set of black thigh-high boots that had an extended strap that latched onto her belt. A small pouch was strapped by a red cincher around her stomach with the chain of her personal weapon wrapped around her right forearm.
"His name is Vito, and I saw him with that off-putting blonde man who docked here this morning," Corsaic admitted.
"Did you initiate the fight or was this Vito the instigator?" The woman crossed her arms and patiently waited for the teenager's reply.
"It was me, Yuma, and a few others who decided to take it upon ourselves to teach Vito that he should be wiser when choosing his allies," Corsaic grumbled.
"I see, but did he spout any insult toward you before the fight broke out?" The tiger Faunus inquired.
"No Ms. Khan." Corsaic lowered his head as he knew an inevitable scolding was to come.
The Faunus known as Sienna Khan was well respected in Menagerie, and she served as Ghira's right hand during meetings in Menagerie. Many had high hopes for the tiger Faunus and praised her for her assertive attitude and ability to make hard decisions. However, Sienna wasn't particularly prone to violence, and only used it when she deemed it necessary. Least to say she was disappointed with Corsaic's careless actions. He was lucky this Vito fellow left him with a simple warning, and the scorch mark on the teen's chest would disappear soon enough.
"We will elaborate on your actions another time Corsaic, go and enjoy the rest of the night with your brother and friends, but don't forget the lesson you learned today." Sienna sighed with an understanding smile and ushered the downtrodden teen back inside the mansion.
"Hm, perhaps I will drop by and see this Vito character and his human friend myself."
News and gossip about a human with long golden locks that had entered the sanctuary of Faunus spread like wildfire over the island and many were keen on evicting him and his family out of Menagerie as soon as possible. Though Ghira himself had openly spoken about the rumors and even went as far as to gather a meeting to discuss the ordeal, Sienna wouldn't be convinced until she saw with her own two eyes that this 'Hawkins' and his cohorts meant no harm.
"First thing tomorrow morning sounds like a good time. The next white Fang meeting is at 2:00 pm, this means I'll have plenty of time to interrogate." The tiger Faunus hummed in a dark tone.
