"Good morning, Hawkins!" Sam slapped his stoic friend on the back as he entered the kitchen.
The magician's lips remained shut, but he offered a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"Hello, Hawkins." Carla came next with a bubbly blonde baby snuggled in her arms.
"Ababapmh!~" Jaune waved with a goofy grin.
Again, Hawkins nodded and took a seat at the table.
"So, what do you have planned today magician?" Sam plopped down a plate of crispy bacon, mashed peas, and two pancakes in front of Hawkins.
"It's only been a month since I settled here. You know just as much as I do in regards to action." The blonde replied in a lazy tone.
Sam glanced at Carla, who shared the same concerned look. Despite the savory scents of breakfast filling the room, Hawkins made no effort to pick up his fork. It had been this way ever since Carla found the magician on the riverbanks. Sure, the farm couple was used to Hawkins' slothful attitude and cold shoulder, but it was clear he wasn't taking care of himself.
His hair slightly oily and unkempt, the bones of his cheeks were more pronounced due to lack of nourishment and water. Even his tarot shuffling had diminished, and when he did play with his cards, a few would slip through his fingers and Hawkins wouldn't bother to pick them up right away.
A surge of courage boiling in his chest, Sam turned off the stove and joined the others at the table. He devoured his meal at incredible speed and chugged down his orange juice in the same fashion. Carla scolded her husband's poor manners, but he ignored them and proposed his plan.
"Say, you never told us Jaune's birthday. We have to make up for lost time and prepare another celebration when the little tyke passes another year right, Hawkins?" Secretly, Sam hoped Hawkins would come up with an understandable fib, seeing that the farmer assumed he wasn't Jaune's true father.
The magician curled a brow. "I... don't think Jaune does have a proper birthday."
Jaws dropped and eyes blew wide.
"What do you mean your son doesn't have a birthday?!" The farmers cried in unison.
"It's a basic necessity of parenthood!" Carla sputtered.
"Ababa?" Jaune tilted his head with drool dangling from the corner of his mouth.
"Surely a meticulous man like you would keep note of such an important day!" Sam beckoned.
The blonde rolled his eyes. "Is it really that important?"
"Of course it's important!"
Hawkins sighed. "Very well, what does one do on this supposed special occasion?"
Sam flashed a wide smile and Carla's brown pupils burned with determination.
"Alright, time to get dressed. The first thing we need for little Jaune here is a proper birthday present!" The couple declared and rushed to their rooms to change clothes.
When they returned, Sam wore his brown suit and polished ebony shoes, with Carla in a peach-colored sundress, a white handbag slung over her shoulder with a pair of yellow slippers. Last but not least, Jaune found himself adorning a green bunny onesie instead of his usual blue.
"From this day forward, Jaune's birthday is May 1st!" Carla said with a finger pointed toward the ceiling and proudly led the group out of the house.
The light hum of the store bell rang through the bookstore as the Hawkins troupe passed through the entrance.
"Oh, Sam, Carla, what a pleasant surprise." Tukson greeted with a broad smile. His hands encumbered by a mountain of novels, he set them on a cart and wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Tukson, I need the best selection of child stories you have to offer! Today is Jaune's birthday, and I will not settle with anything less than the best for my grandson!" Sam announced.
"Sure thing." Tukson chuckled and led Sam, Carla, and Jaune to the kids' section of the store.
"Oh, by the way, I've been meaning to talk to you, Hawkins." The book lover returned alone and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.
On said paper was a big number with the lien symbol at the end of it.
"Is this for me?" The magician curled a brow.
"The press back in Mistral and the ones here in Vale loved your book, and I'm happy to say that your story won the contest."
His features remained stiff, but a hint of a smile etched itself on Hawkins' face.
"However, they told me that you'd need to provide your own funds if you want to expand. This was only a simple contest after all, and the publishers in Mistral are well known for being penny pinchers."
The blonde frowned. To deny Sora the opportunity to spread its tales was a crime in and of itself. Very well, if it's money Hawkins required, then he'd take it upon himself to expand without the help of those greedy publishers.
"Tukson, unless I say otherwise, do not allow a single publisher the rights to print my story. You said your business had fallen under hard times correct?"
The store owner rubbed his neck and nodded.
"Then I'll produce the new capitol that this humble space requires."
Tukson's expression shifted to one of hopeful wonder.
"From this day forward, Tukson's book trade will be the foundation that Sora the Warrior of the sea will be based off."
A twinkle in his crimson pupils, the magician turned to a jolly farmer couple who'd finally picked out a book. Its title, Knights and Dragons, beckoned fantasy. A quick tarot shuffle and Hawkins surmised that Jaune would enjoy the story a whole 98%.
"Alright, now we gotta head back and bake little Jaune here a cake. Come on, Hawkins, there's no time to lose! See you around, Tukson!" Sam and Carla made for the door but paused when their blonde companion didn't follow.
"I will return home before nightfall, do what you will until then." His dismissal given, Hawkins was the first to leave despite the protests of Jaune's adoptive grandparents.
"Chances of success of robbing a bank stand at 56%." The magician furrowed his brows and cupped his chin. Back on the same bench of the park that he'd claimed as his own, passersby opted to keep their distance from the menacing man, though a few lingered for a few seconds before moving on.
The quickest way to earn wealth would be to steal it, but as Hawkins continued to shuffle his cards, the percentages would never dip into his favor. Perhaps a legal approach is in order then.
"Tug~"
Hawkins grimaced. A familiar head of moppy blue hair, ragged clothes, and gray hands clinging to the hem of his cloak, Hawkins veered his sights from his cards and narrowed his crimson pupils on a pair of trembling cobalt.
"I don't have any lien for you brat. Go ask someone else."
A whimper followed by excessive tugging, the magician rubbed his temples.
"I said go ask someone..." Hawkins blinked. A mark of blood on the peasant's forehead, her fingers were also wrapped in makeshift bandages from torn rags.
Weakness, was the first word that popped into Hawkins' mind, a weakness that he could relate to. He resumed his tarot readings and came to the conclusion that the authorities would do nothing for this child's plight of hunger and homelessness.
"32% chance this brat will leave me alone after her stomach is filled."
The blonde's frown deepened. Did this random kid actually gain an emotional attachment to him after the pizza debacle?
"There has to be someone else you can ask. There are plenty of charitable people around here, all you have to do is look." Hawkins groaned.
The pulls on his cloak ceased, but the hold remained.
"I-I..."
Huh, so the child did have a voice.
"Stop wasting my time, if you have something to say then say it. Otherwise, I'll leave right now."
Hawkins pocketed his tarot cards and shoved them in his inner cloak pocket, a new feature Carla had sewn in since he didn't like the feeling of his deck jumbling against his waist and thigh when he walked.
"Y-You're the only one who's fed me without..." The girl bit her lip.
"Are you blind? I don't want anything to do with you, so I suggest you move on."
The girl swallowed a thick lump. "B-But that's the thing, you treat everyone the same way. W-When I follow you, you speak to all those around you in that same deep tone, whether they're your friends or rude strangers."
"You stalk me?" Hawkins grimaced.
The Faunus shivered. "N-Nobody has ever given me food like you before..."
"So people do offer you assistance. Why don't you go and find them and stop pestering me?"
The girl furiously shook her head. "B-But you're the only one who doesn't give me a funny look..."
"A funny look?" The magician deadpanned.
Tears drenching her cheeks, a few civilians stopped to stare at the odd scene but vacated once Hawkins locked sights with them.
"E-Everyone who's given me food always gives me a pitiful face... Except for you... P-Please, let me follow you."
A vivid memory flashed with those words.
"What is your name?"
"Faust, sir. Please, let me join you on your journey. I wish to explore the world and meet my fellow brethren in the moving city of Zou!"
"Tug!~" Brought back by the annoyingly insistent hand of a young Faunus, Hawkins slowly shook his head and narrowed his eyes on the child.
"... Will you leave me alone if I get you something to eat?"
The child replied in a weak whisper. "P-Please let me follow you, I don't want to be alone anymore..."
Oh for the love of...
A deep sigh, silence hung between the two like a guillotine. Despite his earlier reprimands, Hawkins stood himself up and told the child to keep close.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." The magician muttered and strolled down the concrete paths of the park with a little Faunus in tow. Their destination, the agricultural district of Vale.
"Do you have a name at least?"
"I-It's Trifa."
"Well, this is a surprise." Sam cupped his chin.
When the old farmer opened the front door, he expected Hawkins, but the little tyke behind his leg was a shocker that's for sure.
"Can she eat here?" The magician groaned.
"Hold on a minute, I remember your face!" Sam snapped his fingers with a jolly grin.
The child burrowed her face in Hawkins' pant leg, refusing to meet the face of the deer Faunus.
"You're that hungry kid who fled into the alleyway a couple of weeks ago. I spent a long time searching for you, but late is better than never I suppose. Come on, let's get a proper look at that injured hand of yours. I'll get you some food while I'm at it too."
Her head jolting upward at the sound of food, the young Faunus meekly nodded.
"Alright, follow me, little one! Hey, Carla, add some more vegetables to the soup, we've got another guest who I think is gonna be around for a good while!"
"Sam, we don't have that much food left, if Max has come to visit I'll be the one to-" A sudden gasp from the kitchen, Carla yelped with tears in her eyes as the ragged orphan walked in.
"What are you doing just standing there?! I'll get the medicine kit in the bathroom, you work on the soup!" The dutiful wife ordered in a tone that left no room for betrayal.
Eager to not join in the farmer's antics, Hawkins fled to his room and locked the door.
"Ababa?~" Chimed an innocent tune.
His gaze darting to the floor, Hawkins met a pair of dark cerulean that blinked up at him. Sprawled on the floor was a teddy bear and several pillows with Jaune in the middle of the pile.
"Aba~" Jaune repeated and held up his hands towards his supposed father. Of course, the infant didn't know that, but he'd seen the stoic blonde whenever he woke up and went to sleep, so it was natural he'd feel comfortable around him.
Hawkins rolled his eyes and sat down on his bed.
"Ababa!~" Jaune crawled out of his pillow fort and made his way to his father's leg.
"Apmf!~" The tyke snagged his hands on his dad's cloak and shoved it in his mouth. The hem covered in slobber, Hawkins unstrapped his sheathed blade from his hip and pushed Jaune away with it.
"Wababa!" Jaune cried with tears.
The magician groaned. He stood up and opened the room door, but Jaune stayed put. His blue eyes enveloped with curiosity, he followed his father throughout the house with the speed of a crawling baby. Now in the living room, the rambling of Sam and Carla could be heard from the kitchen.
"Ababa~" Jaune blinked with a hand in his mouth.
Hawkins sighed, dinner was soon and he was quite famished. So he'd have to put up with this tiny annoyance until then. The magician withdrew his tarot cards and ignored the excessive tugging on his pant leg. However, the moment his cards began to dance between his palms, the hands-on his clothing let go.
Peering down to the blonde infant, Jaune's cerulean eyes were wide and his arms fell to his sides. He observed the rapid card play and quickly became engrossed in it.
Curling a brow, Hawkins added extra finger moves, now the cards flew into the air before he snatched them and added them to the deck.
"Ababa!~" Jaune did a messy clap with a goofy grin.
"Oh, is that little, Jaune-" Sam peered around the corner of the hallway to find a most peculiar sight.
Granted there was nothing wrong with the scene, but it was unfamiliar territory for the old farmer. There, shuffling his cards without a care in the world was Hawkins, with his son spectating the entire scene in silence.
"Hm, Sam, is dinner ready?" The magician and Jaune shifted their attention to the bewildered Faunus.
"Um, yeah, our little guest has decided to stay too. I've got the feeling that you've done a great service today, Hawkins, but I know that you'll never admit to it."
"So your name's Trifa eh? That's a nice name." Sam chuckled and fetched the roasted beef from the oven. Carla saw to it to set the table, while Hawkins and his little follower took their seats.
Jaune, seated next to his father, clapped his hands and the table in a messy rhythm.
"Well, it's a good thing you decided to visit today because this is a celebration that is best done in numbers!" Sam plopped the succulent beef opposite of Hawkins and fetched a steaming vegetable soup and crisp spinach salad with dressing.
Trifa salivated at the sight. Her hands clasped underneath the table, she shifted in her seat and turned to Hawkins.
The magician curled a brow. "What is it?"
The young Faunus flinched and forced her eyes to the floor. However, Hawkins continued to stare at Trifa. Instead of her torn rags, she adorned a clean black long-sleeved shirt and blue shorts.
"Tsk, Hawkins, you need to fix that dismissive toned of yours if you want to be accepted. Especially when you're conversing with a child." Carla shook her head and retrieved a decorated box wrapped by a ribbon and gave it to Hawkins.
"Is this for me?" The magician asked.
Carla rolled her eyes. "No, it's for your son. It's his birthday present. Were you not paying attention when we visited Tukson's store?"
"I believe you said this was your gift to Jaune. I have a different present to bestow upon him."
Sam stopped slicing the roast and his wife clamped her mouth shut. Shooting glances between one another, the farmers tilted their heads in disbelief at Hawkins' words.
The blonde sighed and pulled out a straw doll from his cloak pocket. Unlike his voodoo-themed creations, the doll he made resembled that of a courageous warrior wearing a navy cape with matching knee-high boots, brown gloves, a white uniform with four gold buttons, and a red scarf.
"W-When did you buy that, Hawkins?" Carla whispered.
"I didn't buy it." The magician frowned at the reminder of his empty pockets. "I created it with my own straw powers."
Confusion swiftly transformed to stunned appreciation.
"Ha! You've already passed the first step of parenthood, Hawkins, and Carla and I didn't even need to do anything!" Sam stroked his chin with a smug smirk.
"Alright, without further ado, let's get this birthday underway!" Carla's cow ears flapped haughtily as she carried a chocolate cake drizzled in a thick layer of vanilla. A singular candle burning brightly atop the dessert as the old farmers sang the trademark birthday song.
A few bits of light banter and snarky comments later, Jaune managed to put out the candle with a sputtering gasp of air. The farmers laughed, as did Trifa, but Hawkins kept his stone expression.
The main attractions done with, Carla sliced the cake and removed the half-burnt candle.
"T-This is really sweet," Trifa mumbled through a mouthful of cake.
Hawkins offered a curt nod and allowed the sugary morsels to dissolve on his tongue. A pat on his shoulder, his stoic gaze drifted to Sam.
The farmer's smile replaced by one of concern, Hawkins stood from his seat and followed Sam outside.
"That was a pretty good birthday wasn't it?" The deer Faunus shrugged.
Hawkins pursed his lips. "Just get on with what you want to say, Sam. It's obvious that you wanted to talk to me alone, otherwise, you wouldn't have dragged me out here."
Sam laughed. "Always the perceptive type eh?"
The evening well past, the shattered moon and its twinkling children filled the pitch-black sky. Dark clouds bunched together, the magician was led to the same bridge he had crashed into upon his arrival to the district.
Leaning on the railings, Sam fiddled with his straw hat and toothpick before he took out a small golden locket and presented it to Hawkins.
"A gift for me?"
The farmer shook his head. His suspicions confirmed with the blonde's ignorance of the item, he clicked it open to reveal a portrait of a father and his son.
"Tell me truthfully, Hawkins. Are you the real father of Jaune? Or rather, do you have any history with him or his family at all?"
The magician took the locket and squinted at the two figures within. The knight in shining armor held no value, but the infant cradled in his arms on the other hand...
"This is Jaune, isn't it?"
Sam rubbed his neck. His brown eyes watching the humble waves of the river as he did so.
"That's what I assumed yes, but you haven't answered my question."
A deep sigh followed by a long frown, Hawkins affirmed the old farmer's suspicions.
"I never wanted to be a father and from my point of view, the whole affair was unfairly put upon me. Though, I still have the wishes of my first mate to uphold." The magician's swallowed a thick lump and retrieved his tarot cards.
"There is a 75% chance that this man is Jaune's true parent. The woman, on the other hand, I have no clue."
Sam blinked and tilted his head toward Hawkins.
"Hold on, I don't see a woman in that picture."
The blonde pointed to a foggy silhouette in the background. No facial features could be drafted, but it was clear the female had curly blonde hair that reached a tad below her shoulders.
"Man, my eyes must be failing me. Good catch, Hawkins, but let's get back on task. You said you had a first mate's wish to honor, is that why you decided to adopt Jaune?"
The blonde nodded stiffly, his fingers digging into the wooden railings, he rubbed his forehead with a frown.
"If you wish to take up the responsibility of raising Jaune, I have no qualms about it. In fact, I'd be relieved to have the burden lifted and beset with a pair much more capable than I."
The Faunus waved his hands in front of him frantically. "Whoa, easy there, magician. I didn't bring you out here to rat you out and make you leave. I just wanted to see how committed you were to raise your new son."
The magician grunted. "I'm a poor choice for a guardian all considering. I never knew my birth parents, but I don't harbor hatred for their acts of abandonment either. To cut to the chase, I have no experience in the subject of handling children. While you and Carla stand at a strong 92% on the matter."
"So why not learn?" Sam said abruptly. With a hint of annoyance in his tone, he shook his head and sighed.
"When life throws a curveball, you either let it pass or you adjust. You come off as a smart man, so why not put that big brain to use and solve the mysteries of parenthood one puzzle piece at a time?"
"But I'm not even his real father." Hawkins groaned.
"Blood is overrated. Sure, if the parents are decent enough then by all means they should be allowed custody over their sons and daughters." Sam's toothpick snapped under his clenched teeth.
"But let me tell you that I've seen dozens of people mistreat their young, so at the end of the day what matters is who the child thinks their true parent is."
Hawkins' face twisted to one of bewilderment. "I don't see how any of this applies to me. I'm already reluctant to have Jaune call me dad, so why not-"
"It's because Carla and I don't have a good history with kids either."
With a slight tilt of the head and a single curled brow, Hawkins crossed his arms and gestured for the Faunus to continue.
"You remember when Carla said that we couldn't have a child right?"
The magician nodded.
"A long time ago, my wife and I were given the responsibility to look after one of my sister's daughters for a month. We laughed and sang songs over the dinner table, and the little spunk had quite the gift for farming and sewing. But, like many things in life, not all happy things last."
Sam hunched as if a yolk of stone had been placed on his shoulders.
"We let the innocent tyke wander off for a bit, as we still had farming to do, only to return a few hours later to find my daughter's niece fleeing from a Beowolf cub. Luckily, Max and some of the other boys were armed with their sharp farming tools, and dispatched the nasty Grimm."
Tears drenched the Faunus' cheeks.
"Well, after all, was said and done, my sister yelled at me until my ears ached and her husband punched my face so hard he almost broke my jaw. However, I wasn't the only one who was scolded."
"Carla as well?" Hawkins muttered.
Sam chuckled weakly. "Yep, my dear Carliana didn't get hit, but sometimes words hurt a lot more than bruises. In fact, my wife was so shell-shocked after the encounter that she blamed herself for everything that transpired and repeatedly told herself that she wasn't worthy of being a mother. It took weeks for me to get her out of the house, but my o'l Carla's work ethic is strong. She joined me in the farms soon enough."
"I see..." The magician muttered.
"Before we knew it, time flew by and Carla and I got so engrossed in our responsibilities and guilt, that we always put aside the issue of having a baby for a later date. I guess, over the two decades, we just dropped the matter altogether and figured that it just wasn't meant to be."
Sam laughed again, but this one was done with a genuine smile.
"But then you literally crashed into me with a baby in tow! Imagine Carla's surprise when you settled in with us without fuss and allowed us to care for Jaune? You may have become a father without intent, but I can tell you that Carla's never been happier. So please, don't be in a rush to leave, Hawkins. There is much there is to see in Vale and plenty of opportunities to go out and see the world when you see fit."
Resting a hand on the blonde's shoulder, Sam's moist hazel pupils met with a calm pair of crimson.
"How about it, Hawkins? Are you willing to start over and try being a parent? Carla and I will support you one-hundred percent all the way, as long as you're willing to spend time with Jaune that is."
"I... Suppose your services are advantageous..." The magician hummed.
"Hahaha! Alright, once again, welcome to the agricultural district, Hawkins. Your new and official home!"