The seven days since the drunkard started living with them was… interesting to say the least. The seven girls of the household pestered the crow at day one, questioning his attire, his hobbies, and most importantly, his validity as a professional huntsman which he confirmed with a simple, but irritated 'yes.' He then proceeded to demonstrate his authenticity by showing his weapon, which awestruck the girls since they rarely see other weapons other than the ones held by their household. Although, the son was not present when he was trying to impress the girls. He was outside training in secret at the time.
Thus, when he returned, however, he asked if the Huntsman lived in a destitute bar in the middle of nowhere his whole life, earning bulging veins from Qrow in response. The sole son of the Arc Family kept complaining about Qrow's presence, nitpicking at his faults here and there, forcing a lot of mental stress on the unfortunate Qrow in the following days. Qrow, on the other hand, plotted multiple ways to smuggle in alcohol under Joana's nose. He could not stand a day without his precious alcohol ever since he promised to obey the mama bear's house rules.
However, to his abject dismay, the boy kept catching him smuggling in bottles of alcohol every time. He did not know how he kept managing to discover his crime. Every time he hid his precious treasure away from Joana's prying eyes, the boy always pointed out where he hid his alcohol, whether it was buried in his room, under the floor, out in the woods within reach, he always knew the location of his stash with uncanny accuracy. He did not know that the boy would keep an even closer eye on him than his mother, leaving him under significant alcohol withdrawal as he suffered the symptoms for the rest of the week.
When the day of departure had finally arrived, Qrow almost broke down into tears, finally free from his abstinence hell. The moment the clock hit twelve at midnight, he instantly took out his casket of whiskey and downed it all in one go.
Unknown to him, Jaune was watching him from outside the room, very displeased at how the man treated the corrupting liquid as if it was his lifeblood.
Qrow was the person Rahm Kota would've been if the jedi continued to subsume in alcohol and misery. It was the reason why Jaune refused to let Qrow torment himself with drink, a grim potential outcome of one of his closest allies… his friend and mentor.
On the day of departure, Jaune was sad. He didn't want to leave his family, despite his sisters using him as part of their evil hobbies, but Joana insisted that he should go outside and make some new friends and spread his wings a little.
Her words made him smile. He could feel her compassion as if it was the three suns of Tattooine combined into one.
As for the Qrow, Jaune could sense that he was strong judging by his 'aura' but his rogue-like demeanor was deterring him from his better judgment. Jaune reluctantly complied, now standing inside the lobby with his luggage already packed for him, carrying Croceas Mors inside the bag.
"Mom. I'll miss you while I'm away." Jaune smiled at her. "Though I did hope that the teacher would be cleaner and not a dirty, homeless alcoholic addict."
"Kid, don't judge a book by its cover. I may look down to par, but I am one of the best of the best in my days. If you don't believe me, ask your mom." Qrow defended.
There was one force user Jaune fought as Galen that was even more decrepit than Qrow, he admitted, much more insane as well, creating a garbage replica of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and even statues of the Jedi masters. Right now he felt like teasing the rogue for his choice of lifestyle as his humorous punishment.
"...Well, I admit he is skilled… unfortunately." Joana admitted.
"Fine… I'll go with the homeless man." Jaune conceded with feigned reluctance.
"Shrimp." Qrow quipped back. He turned his head away and nonchalantly whistled when Jaune looked up at him. Sensing the tension, Joana coughed aloud to catch their attention before the atmosphere combusts.
"Anyways, I packed everything you need on your journey. Mommy will miss you, sweetie. Please make sure to call home every day." Joana lowered herself to Jaune's eye level, wrapping her arms around Jaune's head as she hugged him tightly one last time.
"Stay safe," Joana said before letting him go.
"...okay," Jaune replied as he nodded with displayed resolve, making Joana smile upon seeing his determination.
"Come on, kid. We got a plane to catch, and the taxi driver won't wait for us forever, you know?" Qrow said as he pointed at the open door behind him, to the well-dressed senior man tapping his foot on the concrete street with impatience.
"Okay. Bye, mom. Tell my sisters I love them. And please make sure they won't smother me when I get back." Jaune joked as Qrow grabbed his luggage's handle, dragging it to the taxi by the wheels. Jaune waved his hand goodbye as he followed him out the door, leaving his mother behind as he entered the cab.
"Hah… I hope he won't grow up too fast." Joana said as she smiled, wanting to cherish their time together before he became an adult.
On Jaune's side, he sat at the backseat of the car first, as Qrow dumped his luggage into the trunk, before riding shotgun next to the driver.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
"Oasis Airport, driver."
"Alright, strap up."
"No worries. I can afford it." Qrow said though he was using Joana's money instead for this. He could not use too much of his allowance, but Joana's an exception, in this case, meaning he could return to Patch much quicker than before.
"Fasten your seatbelt, my little friend. It will be a long ride." He said as he started the engine, pedaled the gas and the taxi took off, leaving dust and pollutants behind.
Jaune looked out the window, letting the outside scenery of his neighborhood fly past the corner of his eyes as his mind mired in deep thought. He reminisced about the past seven days, rummaging through the course of events that lead to today.
It just happened all of a sudden a week ago. Jaune's mother suddenly announced that he was going with the man out to an island called Patch, to teach him the ways of the sword…
As for the man that was going to be his third mentor, Jaune couldn't help but feel a slight suspicion about him, something about him earning his distaste.
The best lead he got was the man's Aura signature as it struck a chord in his memories… as if he met him before. But he cannot remember, the answer forever dancing out of his fingers.
As he mulled over his thoughts, his eyes started growing heavy, as if his eyelids were turning into lead. Drowsiness slowly overwhelmed his consciousness in his lulling boredom, the humming of the engine to the gentle vibration of the car amplifying his torpidity.
Staring at Jaune inconspicuously from the front mirror, Qrow watched as the boy slowly drifted to sleep. In his mind, his thoughts raced with options, possibilities on what the boy indeed was… and the actions to take accordingly depending on his discoveries.
Upon traveling with Qrow, Jaune stood at a line with the drunk crow... holding his hand.
There was a level of strangeness holding the hand of a drunkard.
The ride in the… airplane was something he could not adapt. It felt more… sickening… wait, that's just him. Jaune was experiencing his very first motion sickness in his new life. His complexion was an unhealthy green, his stomach rebelling against his entire being, and his 'caretaker' was grinning madly at him throughout the entire flight. Suffice to say… it was horrendous. Jaune had to use the Force to defeat his stomach's contents, or he would shame himself in front of the drunk, and himself.
He will not empty his stomach just from riding sitting on the plane! He rode the Rogue Shadow across hyperspace, traveled to worlds, to wars!
"Need a bag?"
The drunkard sitting next to him asked with a smug smile on his face, irritating the boy seated beside the window immensely.
"No. I'm fine, mister," Jaune swore that he would not let this man have the last laugh even if it was the last thing he'll do.
"You know, you can just call me Qrow, right? Or, Uncle Qrow?" Qrow nudged Jaune by the shoulder with his hand as he said that.
"I like Homeless Man better." Jaune retorted.
Qrow felt like chucking this kid out the window.
"I mean, you are a homeless man after all."
"Don't equate a professional huntsman as a homeless man, you little devil." Qrow warned as menacingly as he could, but Jaune just went 'ehhh' with skepticism.
A silence dawned the room as they stood in their seats, now without any more topics to converse upon. The only sound is the humming of the engines vibrating throughout the ship within the cloudy blue skies, along with the occasional suppressed retching of Jaune.
"So... Do I know you by any chance?" Tired of the silence and the motion sickness, Jaune asked since Qrow's Aura felt very familiar. He swore he met the man before. Why his mother had agreed to let the drunk take him, he would never know.
"No, we didn't. Why'd you ask, kid? You sure you didn't hear about me from your mom? About the 'Great Huntsman' and his epic journeys?" Qrow deflected his suspicion with a smile and his snarky attitude.
"No, but I do see her frowning at you from time to time. I think it is because of your overbearing stink." Jaune picked his words individually to test the man.
Qrow took note of his words, and his frown. He really was Joana's son after all.
"I see. Anyways, how are you feeling, kid?" Qrow asked, trying to befriend the boy.
"What do you think? I am now suffering from a rare case of motion sickness which I never knew I had, which is being stimulated by your stench." Jaune stabbed, earning more popped veins from Qrow. Their first conversation alone and the kid already knows how to get on his nerves.
"Don't mind my appearance, kid. I can go take a shower and do laundry if that'll make you happy." Qrow ignored his rudeness and went with the flow.
"Please, do. You look like a bacchanal that is permanently nested in a tavern twenty-four seven." Jaune insisted. Qrow smiled as he left the room, only for the smile to turn into a frown.
'He really is a mini Glynda.' Qrow thought as he headed down the halls to inquire about their cleaning services during the trip.
After he left, Jaune sighed as he sat down on the white bed, pondering on Qrow's identity.
'Where did I meet him?'
Jaune thought as he tried to come up with any memory of the man, but his face failed to pop up within his mind. He will have to continue pressing him until he knows, but until then he will play the unhappy child for now.
"I wish I could clean him with a good dose of Force Lightning…" Jaune imagined it would be hilarious though, zapping the man like that.
After a half hour later, Qrow returned to the room with a fresh set of plain clothes, white shirt, and gray trousers. Upon entering the room, he saw… Jaune sitting on the bed, meditating like a Buddhist monk. Only this time, he sensed something off about the air around the boy.
"Finally, you are clean of the stench." Jaune exhaled in relief as he opened his eyes and turned his head to Qrow.
"…Yeah, what were you doing though? Were you meditating?" Qrow asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"How do you know how to meditate? And why would you meditate?" Qrow asked unsure how to phrase his curiosities.
"To… relieve some stress. My sisters back home are quite hard to deal with, so I need something to relax." Jaune half lied. He wanted to relieve his distress whenever they dressed him up.
Qrow suddenly understood what he meant, remembering how his sisters would crossdress him.
"I see. Anyways, want to see something cool from good old Uncle Qrow?" Qrow asked as he stepped to his sword leaning on the wall next to his bed.
"Uncle Qrow? Really?" Jaune scoffed at the self-proclaimed title.
"Haha, yeah. I am a genuine uncle, you know? And these are my girls," He proudly introduced pulling out a small picture of two little girls. An energetic girl with long, golden flocks with brown gloves on her hands and the other with short, black hair, wearing a red riding hood around her. The latter looked quite cute for her age, Jaune admits. However, he suddenly widened his eyes upon realizing a shocking truth.
"Oh… oh god," Jaune started to compare him to his nieces.
"Don't tell me you infected them with alcohol?" Jaune demanded, testing the Uncle's decency. Another vein popped in Qrow's head for his rude accusation.
"No, I didn't, you cheeky brat."
"Oh, thank Oum. They're too cute to be corrupted by you." Jaune sighed in relief. The boy's offhand comment gave Qrow a forbidding feeling causing his inner protective instinct to flare up slightly.
"Ignoring that, please watch this," Qrow said as he picked up the sword.
Entertaining the drunkard, still, on the bed, Jaune leaned his elbow on his lap, watching the sword wondering what makes the detail interesting, only to open his eyes in shock when the sword transformed into a scythe. He did not expect this. Not even the technology in his past life was this… creative.
"Whoa… I admit. I didn't expect that." Jaune praised as he clapped with genuine praise. "How did you manage to get the scythe to transform like that? Won't that wear on the joints?"
"Trade secret, kid."
It was mostly the application of dust and advanced technological know-how, dust to reinforce the joints and protect them from decay and grime. Otherwise, the joints would only serve to weaken the weapons.
"Okay… do you at least believe me now about being a Great Huntsman?"
"Ditch the alcohol and I will. Otherwise, prove it to me with your skills." Jaune retorted.
"Oh really? Want to experience it personally, brat?"
Jaune raised an eyebrow.
"If you're going to demonstrate, I would suggest another time and place. Otherwise, you'll attract unwanted complaints should you mess up." Jaune raised a valid point.
Qrow then retracted the scythe back into its sword form.
"Fine, though I must ask… what do you do for fun?"
Jaune pondered on his question, going through his past activities.
"…"
The air grew very awkward as he had no valid answer.
"…kid?" Now the crow grew very concerned for the boy.
"Wait…" Jaune halted for more time to think.
"…What'd you do in your spare time?" Qrow asked again hoping that he had some hobby instead of training like the one he saw Jaune perform or spending time with his family.
"...most of the time I spend with my family." Jaune awkwardly deflected the question. Thinking about it, he didn't have any good hobbies other than regaining his powers and more.
Qrow scoffed at his answer, knowing better on the subject of Jaune's extracurricular activities.
"Oh really? Would you like to play with this useful drunk, then?" Qrow wryly offered, smirking at the boy.
His offer, however, made him frown. His answer only made Jaune much more suspicious of him, his disbelief too apparent.
"What? Afraid to lose to this uncle, kid?" Qrow teased. He continued receiving Jaune's growing frown, making him sweat.
'Did I say something wrong?' Qrow thought afraid of his cover being blown.
"…Are you good?" Jaune asked, his words washing his worries away as he sighed in relief.
"Yeah, of course, I am. I graduated from Beacon, you know?"
"...My dad usually bragged about graduating from Beacon before he settled down. Is it as good as he said?"
"…you're serious?" Qrow asked, caught off guard only to receive a nod in return. The boy proved to be very intelligent, so he thought he would have above average common sense as well… but he thought wrong.
"What do you know about the Grimm?"
"Hmmmm… strange dark side apparitions. They do not seem natural no matter how I look at them."
"You encountered one before?"
The boy remained quiet.
"No." He shook his head.
The boy seemed very educated. He wondered if it was due to his upbringing.
"Alright, would you like to hear a story?" Qrow asked Jaune, the boy tilting his head in confusion before nodding, unsure about the subject.
Qrow had a hunch as to what the boy was now. He would need to give him time first.
"Alright, long ago… there were two gods."
The little faraway home in… Jaune forgot, but it was very isolated, he admitted. Using Qrow as his convenient informant, the gray one strictly reminded him of their location. Now, they stood in Patch, a tranquil island ideal for raising a family or so the drunk said.
Now, Jaune stood in front of a log house in the deep corners of the woods with his luggage standing behind him as he took in the drunk's abode from roof to base. It was a very modest and familial home designed for a caring family despite being very primitive in origin compared to the metal architectures he witnessed in his previous life.
Design-wise, the structure was a modest cabin home built from logs, covered by a triangular prism roof of tiles, in the middle of the woods of fall, a warm, comforting haven amongst the untamed wilds.
"Here we are, Shrimp. Welcome to the home of your new playmates!"
Qrow dramatically presented, spreading his arms wide apart before the kid that kept calling him 'homeless man' was not impressed in the slightest. His ostentatious display did remind him of a character in one of the books his older sister hides from their mom.
However, that was not the case.
"You actually have a proper home?" What surprised Jaune more was the fact that he actually lived in a proper establishment.
The urge to sock the boy died in his attempt to maintain self-control.
"…yes. Yes, I do have a proper home you ungrateful little shrimp. And so much more that will shake your world."
"And what could you shake me with?" Jaune asked with a taunting smirk.
"Two words. Ruby and Yang," Qrow countered with a gloating smile.
"Who-hm?"
Before Jaune could retort, he was interrupted by the door suddenly burst open before a red blur exploded from the entrance.
"Uncle Qrow!" A bundle of petals and happiness crashed into the drunkard's chest with surprising velocity.
Another bundle, this time a yellow flare of energy and spirit, crashed into his legs, hugging him tightly with affection. The combined impact caused the drunkard to tumble to the ground.
"Uncle Qrow!"
His mom's friend, the self-titled 'Great huntsmen,' was knocked down and dog-piled by a pair of little girls.
"Alright, alright. Get off me, you little squirts. Don't embarrass your uncle in front of the kid."
The uncle chuckled as the two still clung onto him like glue.
Tilting his head, Jaune scrutinized the two little girls.
The taller one of the two was a fair-skinned girl with lilac eyes and bright golden hair reaching down to her back. As for her spirit, sensed via the Force, her soul simmered, calm, yet fierce, a placated sun that could explode into a nova at any given time. The girl was outside in her sleeping attire; a light yellow cloth with cute brown bears in children's drawing.
For the smaller one peeking from behind the homeless man was a girl around his age, bearing round silver eyes and short dark and red choppy neck-length hair, adorned with a simple red cloak that seemed a little large for someone her size. Overall, she was the epitome of innocence and youthful energy, someone that Jaune could consider as a child form of a puppy judging by how she shyly appraised him behind the cover of her uncle.
Peering into her spirit with the Force, Jaune sensed… a tranquil red dyed by the season of Fall while dotted by a tinge of silver, like a moon standing alone in a scarlet sky.
However…
Jaune narrowed his eyes, his eyelids shifting slightly at the girl. Something about the girl felt… off. Her Aura, there was something else inside her that-
*Cough cough*
However, his thoughts were cut off due to Qrow's coughing.
"Girls, let me get up. I have someone I want you two to meet. Say hello to this blond pipsqueak called Jaune. Jaune, meet Ruby and Yang. Your new playmates."
The two girls both looked at the young boy that accompanied Qrow, slowly dismounting their uncle as they cautiously inched closer to the boy, inspecting him from head to toe with childish curiosity.
Ruby turned back to her most favorite uncle and asked, "Why'd you bring him here? Why does he have such a girly face? Why is he looking at me funny? Why's he wearing your color?" She fired off questions at such a rate that those listening were hard pressed to catch.
Yang chuckled as her little sister confounded Qrow and the young boy with her rapid paced and somewhat scatterbrained questions. Once sufficiently calmed, Qrow answered Ruby's childish curiosity.
"A friend of mine asked if I could set up a playdate for him. Between the three of you, I don't know. Maybe he's just girly. "
Qrow looked at the befuddled Jaune, noting the clothes he brought with him on his body. While not dressed like Qrow, his color scheme nearly mirrored his along with the hoodie.
The boy in question cast a glare at the alcoholic uncle for calling him 'girly,' one unnoticed by the two nieces.
"Well, Ruby, I think he has excellent taste," Qrow smirked, unfazed by Jaune's threatening glare.
After Qrow answered Ruby's question, Yang chose to chime in their place. However, a portent shiver tingled through both Qrow and Ruby's spines upon sensing a common but dreadful disturbance coming from the Goldilocks.
"My sister's the speed of the cheetah when she talks and a lifetime ban from the zoo!"
**Ugggggghhhh**
Audible groans cried from the dark-haired uncle and niece, obviously suffering under the puns.
"Heh."
"""!"""
However, something unbelievable happened when the family heard a soft chuckle. The eyes of Ruby, Qrow and the blond punster were the sizes of dinner plates, two out of horror while one out of joy. Someone actually found Yang's puns funny.
Jaune simply found the girl more amusing than anything else.
"...Did you just laugh?" Qrow asked.
"What? It's adorable." Jaune admitted.
Yang was the first to snap out of her stupor putting a small arm around Jaune's neck.
A corner-side grin curved on her face as she proudly yet innocently exclaimed, "I like him!"
*Thud*
Hearing a sudden, loud thud, they all turned to look back at the house, only to see an unconscious blond man lying face down on the dirt in front of the cabin's entrance.
"Not ready… she's still my little girl… all Qrow's fault."
Seeing this, Qrow stopped any possible panic by hurrying over to him, picking up the unconscious blond by the shoulder. The alcoholic addressed the pipsqueak who was the only one unacquainted with the unconscious man's dramatics.
"Jaune, listen here. They may be my girls, but that unconscious man is their father. So, yeah, don't be freaked."
However, Qrow would later realize that his choice in words would haunt him.
For the briefest moment, in a split second, Jaune's eyes widened out of shock from a terrifying realization.
'They are like the guys from the books Alessa hides from mom, Bend Back Hills.'
He decided to be polite and ask Qrow about it later. However, Qrow did not miss the quick shift in Jaune's features.
Recalling his only experience with the book, Jaune remembered his sister's most frighteningly perverse giggle he'd heard so far while absentmindedly reading a page aloud before cutting herself off, causing his face to grow ghastly white before he quickly walked back to his room to pretend that it never happened.
"Kids, let's go into the house. We have to wait till your dad wakes up so we can introduce the squirt."
Then, an evil grin made its way into Qrow's face; he now had a chance to get back at the kid for the headaches he'd caused on their journey.
"Ruby, Yang, while we wait, why don't you show him your toys? You could dress up and play Huntsman."
"Huh?" Jaune looked at Qrow in disbelief. All he received in return were wiggling eyebrows and a wry smirk. He does not like that wry smirk.
"Ohhhh! Yang, let's play! Let's play!" Ruby jumped and pranced like a happy kangaroo all around Yang.
"Let's get our weapons!"
Yang grabbed Ruby by the sleeve and dragged her into the house while leaving a comet trail. Jaune only looked at them in confusion, slightly afraid of what they'll bring out of the house. A few minutes later, Ruby and Yang came back out, each of them dressed in their own choice of clothing. Ruby dressed in a signature red, black skirt dress with a rosy red cape hanging from her back. Yang wore a sleeveless tan jacket, one that left her stomach bare, black fingerless gloves, brown knee-high boots, and mini shorts.
Ruby was carrying what looks like…
"Uhhh…"
A scythe. She was holding a wooden model of a scythe.
Looking at Yang, Jaune saw her wearing yellow gauntlets on her arms. Looking closer, the material of the gauntlet seemed to be plastic. They were toys, fortunately.
"Is that a scythe?" Jaune asked as he looked back at small girl's weapons.
"Yep! I call her Crescent Rose! It might be a toy right now, but I'll make a real one when I go to Signal!" Ruby replied with a bright, innocent smile.
"And you?" Jaune asked pointing at her gauntlets.
"Ember Cecilia. What? You like?" Yang asked wiggling her eyebrows, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Jaune.
"Seems… normal compared with her scythe," Jaune replied as formal as he could.
"Is that a compliment made out of paper?"
Jaune raised another eyebrow at her words.
"Because it was 'TEARable'!" Yang then laughed at her own TEARable pun.
""Ugggghhhhh.""
Qrow and Ruby groaned in contempt. Jaune, on the other hand…
"Hah. Wow, you are really 'tearing' at it, aren't you?" Jaune asked, approving her sense of humor with a smile.
""NOoooooooooooooooo!""
Ruby and Qrow were horrified that Jaune already inherited her bad pun disease. They cannot afford another afflicted on this planet.
Jaune then felt Yang's arms wrapped around his waist.
"Ohhhh, thank you thank you thank you! You've no idea how long I've wanted someone besides dad who enjoys my puns!"
Jaune, however, felt more like being hugged by a small bear than by a girl, struggling to keep the air in his lungs.
'Uggh... Strong!'
He felt as if a baby Rancor was strangling him, trying to squeeze the life out of his tiny body.
"Ahem!" Ruby interrupted before Yang finishes contaminating Jaune with her affliction.
"Ummm, did you bring in your weapon?" Ruby asked wanting to change the subject before he converted to the Yang side.
*Cough*
Coughing a little, the boy gently pushed Yang's away for breathing space without insinuating any sign of rudeness.
"Y-Yes, though it is a gift from my Grandfather. I-It's in the luggage… though I don't think I can use a real sword here." Jaune replied while gasping for air.
"Ohhh, what else does it do?" Ruby asked, scrying for additional functions with burning curiosity.
"Ack, cough, excuse me. Not much. I am a fan of the classics. I do plan to make my own sword one day though."
Jaune's answer caused Ruby's eyes to light up with ideas on how to help her new friend.
"Oh. Well, not many appreciate the classics these days, hahaha…" Ruby awkwardly replied as ideas bubbled through her head. Thoughts of gun attachments or a chain sword swirled within her over-energetic mind; each idea was more outlandish than the last.
"Oh yeah! How good are you at playing Huntsman and Huntresses?!" Ruby asked with sparkling eyes. Jaune laughed a little at her question.
Darth Vader raised him in his past life, a terrible, broken man capable of spreading death and genocide with his own hands. From what Qrow told him, Jaune summarized Hunters were nothing but glorified law enforcement, but he cannot deny their worth in society. Kind of like the Jedi in comparison. He wondered if there was a Remnant version of a Sith here.
"Well, depends… I've never played with anyone my age before. I have sisters, but they have… other interests."
Mainly girly interests like fashion and love and more. It was tough being raised in an all-female household.
"Awww, really? Well, come with me! I'll gladly show the ropes!" Ruby shot off in a burst of speed as she grabbed Jaune's hand and dragged him inside the house, rushing to the living room while Yang shouted 'Wait for me!' and followed them in pursuit.
Upon entering the living room, Jaune saw Qrow… caring for TaiYang who was laying on the couch. The boy grimaced with an evident frown, not liking the meaning behind his actions. Their interactions were all too similar to the contents of those debauching novels.
"I heard your conversation, shrimp. Let me get the wooden sword for you. Better than nothing if you're gonna play."
Qrow informed him before casually walking out of the room. Jaune didn't miss the flash of whiskey glass under his vest.
"Ohh! Me first!" Yang shouted as she ran up to Jaune, her arms raised ready for combat. Her excitement was infectious, as she prepared to spar against this new kid.
Jaune smiled in response to her youthful vigor. He wondered how skilled they were in combat… though considering they were children, they will lack even the basics. He decided to have fun with them.
Five minutes later after Qrow gave him a wooden stick…
"You're so unfair!" Yang complained as she tried to hit Jaune again and again, only for him to dodge, deflect, and gently hit her back at her openings.
The boy even placed one hand behind his back, using only his left, while casually dancing around Yang like an adult playing with a toddler. A toddler that really wanted to sock Jaune's face.
"Left side."
Jaune hit her left shoulder with his wooden sword.
"Nnnnn!" Yang's cheeks slowly reddened with anger. She looked cute from Jaune's perspective.
The yellow bear had so many openings, but Jaune noted both her strength and stamina covered that shortcoming. Yang still maintained her assault despite wasting so much stamina with her broad movements.
"Your footwork needs work. Your attacks are too direct. You must integrate unorthodox tactics in your style. Don't just charge in head first." Jaune informed, nearly abandoning his mask of a child, as he gently thwacked the girl's blond head.
"Graahhh! Let me wipe that smirk off with my fist!"
That mocking thwack only made her try harder. On the side, Ruby giggled at sister, even louder when Jaune thwacked her head again at the same spot after Yang threw another blind punch.
"Ruby! Don't just stand there! Help me!" Yang cried out with pouting cheeks at Jaune's smirk.
"Really? Two on one seems unfair though."
Ruby only smiled impishly at her sister.
While he was toying with the girls, Qrow and Taiyang stood far in the room entrance, their eyes locked onto Jaune's figure as he played with the elder sister.
"For a 'demon,' I got to say I expected something more… demonic. Are you sure you got this wrong?" Taiyang asked, smiling a little when Ruby joined in, only for Jaune to bonk her with his wooden sword as well.
"Really?" Qrow blandly pointed at Jaune now skipping back while parrying the sisters' assault with… expert grace, while maintaining the distance between them. Too graceful, no wasted movement in each step.
"...alright, he seemed to be… good."
"Too good."
Jaune disarmed Ruby, sliding the tip of his sword across the staff of the scythe until it smacked her fingers. The next second he coiled around her scythe and knocked it out of her hands, the weapon landing into Jaune's open right.
Then he bonked Yang again with the blunt end of his stolen scythe.
"Stop cheating!" Yang covered her head with pouting indignation.
"Gimme back my scythe!" Ruby demanded with puppy eyes fired at Jaune.
Jaune, in response, only chuckled at their adorable complaints to the somewhat unfair situation they're facing.
"…Okay, I won't deny that."
"Now you see why I need you to keep an eye on him in case I'm not around. This shrimp is something else. I want to confirm what he is before making a rash judgment. So, you game?"
Before Taiyang could reply, he caught the sight of Jaune booping both of Ruby's and Yang's noses with his fingers when their guards were down.
""Jaune!""
The two girls covered their noses, pouting in displeasure at the smiling boy's bullying.
"What? You're both wide open."
Taiyang did not miss the blushes. A vein nearly popped from the rising anger alone as his overprotective instincts replaced his remaining capacity for reason.
"I'm in."
He refused to permit any further corruption than this. He shall protect his girls from the dangers of the opposite sex.
"You are such a jerk!"
"Meanie!"
Ruby pounded her fists onto Jaune's chest with less than minimal force to effectively hurt even his skin while Yang, however, wrapped one arm around his neck from behind and gave him a noogie from with the other, drilling her knuckle into Jaune's head.
The boy, on the other hand, continued smiling as he tanked all of their frustrations, finding their reactions very befitting to his image of children, at least at his age.
Remembering this, Jaune reminisced about his past as Galen, recalling his past childhood. Unlike the cold, torturous years under Vader, this one was more lighthearted and… warm. The sense of solitude dissipated in this very moment as he bathed in the experience without resistance.
Although it would've been ideal if it wasn't for… the father searing a burning glare directly at his skull. His anger was as tangible as the blazing sun on a hot summer day, at least to Jaune since he can sense his emotions more palpably with the eyes of the Force.
Jaune could sense the overprotective anger of a father. Jaune wasn't sure about the opposite sex but… at least he could get along with them more.
After the girls were finished venting their frustrations on him, the three started playing video games using the girls' console. The boy… never knew how to play, but he's a quick study.
Although, that did not protect him from several losses to Ruby, and subsequently Yang, in their first plethora of rounds.
After the girls had their fill of vengeance, they proceeded to eat lunch at the dining table. The food was slightly lesser than what his dad brought, but still acceptable. The girls' eating pace was quite…
The sisters ate their meals in gulps, never wasting time to even chew, their lack of etiquette unbefitting their gender to Jaune's opinion. The sisters ate like hungry dogs to Jaune's eyes.
Once they sated their pangs of hunger, the girls started dragging Jaune around, giving them a tour of their home.
Ruby introduced him to the forest, one reminding Jaune of the natural woods behind his home but with fewer trees and leaves.
Yang introduced him to their room, but Taiyang forbade the youngling from even setting foot with indirect excuses to take over from here.
The girls whined for a little while, but the mention of their beloved uncle giving them a surprise present was enough to deter them into a sprint towards the hobo drinking outside.
Once they were gone, Taiyang decided to take Jaune to his room.
The room possessed ample space, a large bed adjacent to a wall at the opposite end of the entrance with a double-hung window above it. A dresser laid at the left, a bathroom at the right, the room accommodated all the basic needs of the inhabitant.
"Did someone live here before?" Jaune asked.
There was a father, an uncle, but no mother. Jaune assumed that the father either had a proper spouse before, adopted the girls, or…
Jaune shuddered silently to himself, not wanting even to consider the possibility of the third biologically impossible probability.
"Yeah. Used to be my wife's."
Jaune sensed… a feeling of loss and sadness coming from Taiyang.
"...what was she like?"
Jaune asked, just in case.
"...she's one of the kindest women I've ever met. And courageous."
Taiyang softly smiled, one filled with nostalgic silence.
"You don't have to talk about it if you want," Jaune suggested.
"No, no. It's… alright. So, what do you think of our home?" Taiyang asked as Jaune pulled in his wheeled luggage by the handle into the room.
"Quiet… how should I say this? Remote. Kinda like my place but much farther from civilization."
"Is our place better?"
That was the question Taiyang wanted to know.
"Smaller though, but much more… peaceful… hey, I have a question."
Slowly, Jaune rolled his luggage next to his bed, then turned around to face the father. The eyes the boy gave out were one of mistrust and suspicion.
"...what's your relationship with the homeless drunk?"
"Qrow? He's just a washed up brother-in-law that helps out raising the girls. Whatcha mean?"
"...are you in 'that' kind of a relationship with him?
Taiyang's face remained impassive, unchanging.
"What?"
"Are you in… one of those same-sex relationships my sisters fawn over?"
It now clicked within Taiyang's mind. How he and Qrow shared the same home and raised the same girls.
"No, no! No no no no no no no no no! We are not an item!?" Taiyang stepped back, waving his arms back and forth in denial against such a claim.
"..."
The boy just narrowed his eyes, utterly unconvinced by the man's refusal.
"Don't look at me like that! Wait, how do you know such sensitive materials?! You're like, six or something!"
"My sisters. They have a wide spectrum of… interests."
'What the hell?'
Taiyang questioned the moral integrity of Jaune's family members.
"They don't even care if their little brother is around too. Anyways, just… please don't do anything when I'm around."
Taiyang couldn't believe the insinuations behind his request.
"I keep telling you; I'm straight! Stop looking at me like that!"
He pleaded when Jaune gave him 'the eyes,' one looking at another as if disappointed in another's dignity as a male.
"...just go."
Jaune finished the conversation by giving him his back as he started unpacking his luggage, unzipping the suitcase.
Wordlessly, Taiyang complied, relieved to leave Jaune's room before the atmosphere turned even more awkward. But as he went, he saw Qrow leaning back on the wall. Although, his eyes shared Taiyang's agitation and shock.
"...I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that conversation," Qrow turned his head away, not wanting to delve deeper into the subject.
"...good idea."
The father shared his sentiments. Little did they know, that first impression marked the reincarnated child forever, a black spot for the boy to carry and abuse in the future.
"...you spying?" Taiyang pointed at the Scroll the drunk was holding.
"Oh yeah. Wanna see?"
"...what a weird family," Jaune scoffed as he stopped unpacking his things.
Looking around the room, Jaune scanned the interior with scrutiny; his eyes sharpened and acute.
When he entered the room, Jaune sensed a familiar resonance within. An object of the Force could never be unmistakable. One that he longed to find ever since arriving in this world but never expected to encounter this early on in life.
He moved from his spot, now scrounging the cabin-themed room for the object, opening drawers from dressers and opening cabinet doors.
However, despite being vigilant of the new faces, the boy was unaware of the cameras installed in the room far from his reach, with microphones to boot for a crisper audio reception.
The scroll contained many Live camera windows, each window connected to an individual camera engaged in multiple areas around the household, cameras that Jaune must spend a great deal of time and effort even to find.
Watching from his Scroll, Qrow stared at the screen, focusing on the only camera with the kid in its sights, as he watched Jaune scour the room like a raccoon rummaging through the trash for food
Peeking from the side, Taiyang watched as Jaune dug into the closet embedded in the wall, sifting through the various miscellaneous objects that…
"Oh, that little!" Taiyang furiously gnashed his teeth, angry that Jaune desecrated the memories of his late wife.
But before he could storm off and confront the kid, Qrow grabbed his shoulder holding him in place.
"Hold on…"
In the screen, Jaune took out a specific white rectangular case half the size of a basketball with the emblem of a rose on the latch. Qrow remembered that case. That was the case where…
The boy furtively perused his surroundings first before continuing, then waved his hands in front of the latch. Qrow knew it was locked and cannot be unlocked by conventional means. Forged from Lunarium, the durable metal could repel any heavily forced entry. Any more could destroy the contents inside.
However, despite not having a key, the boy managed to open the lock, lifting the lid as he stared at the now vulnerable contents within.
"Could he be…"
Yeah, I could've posted this earlier. But I was kinda busy with things. Anyways, thanks to X3runner for helping me write. He is an awesome editor, his ideas and synergy with the RWBY cast are much more clear and concise than mine in some cases.
Author from the present, finally cleaned the hell out of this chapter. I hope to reintegrate myself with the RWBY lore and stuff if I can to write more star wars content.