Gentle rays of light trickled through the gaps in the curtain, the fabric itself stirred by brief gusts of wind through the open window. The only sound to be heard was the shuffling of cloth and hands, occasionally accompanied by the turning of a page, or the scratching of a pen as a young child asked for clarification.
Neo lay in bed, her face determined despite the slowly welling anxiety gripping her heart. She was several hours into her second lesson with Celeste. Now that the afternoon had rolled around, Neo could feel her anxiety welling, every moment marching her closer to inevitable first contact with the extended Arc family.
'It shouldn't be that much long-'
A sudden knock interrupted their lesson.
Neo paused with her hands raised, eyes immediately darting towards the door. She was in the middle of replicating a sign that Celeste had been teaching her. The older woman heard the knock as well and quickly checked her scroll, letting out a self-deprecating huff for having lost track of time.
"Neo? Miss Celeste? Mister Arc and his family are here. Did you need them to give you more time?" Linnet asked, muffled by the door between them.
"I was just wrapping things up," Celeste replied, raising her voice slightly to be heard. "Give me a minute and I'll be right out."
"No rush! Take your time!" Linnet answered back. Her footsteps could be heard retreating in the relative silence that came after, leaving Neo and Celeste alone once more.
Celeste glanced back to Neo, taking note of the way she'd reflexively pulled her blanket high to hide her scars. She smiled comfortingly, leaning forward to pat the young girl on the shoulder.
"You'll be fine, dear. I have it on good authority that Mister Arc and his family are wonderful people. I'm certain you won't be disappointed."
Neo smiled hesitantly in return, still uncertain about her prospects. She let go of her blanket to instead sign, splaying out her fingers on each hand before moving them back and forth near her chest.
'Scared.'
Celeste nodded, "It's alright if you are. I wouldn't have expected any different... It can be distressing at times, taking such large leaps in life without knowing where you'll land. But to remain in one place because of that fear, never changing, and instead wallowing in self pity? That isn't living, dear."
Neo shrunk into herself slightly, knowing that the older woman was right. Even so, she couldn't shake the overwhelming dread that haunted her. To allow others into her life, to let them in on the damage that had been done…
'What should I do?' Neo signed weakly.
Celeste smiled, pulling away to begin packing up her things. She spoke matter-of-factly, as if her words were the purest truth of the world.
"Always strive towards a brighter future. If the world of tomorrow is a better place due to the efforts you make today…? I'd say that's worth fighting for, wouldn't you?"
Neo frowned, thinking on Celeste's words while the older woman continued to pack up. Anxiety still gripped her heart, though the encouragement had served to firm her resolve. Neo's body was long since healed, her near month-long residency only serving as an emotional oasis from the terrors of the outside world. That world continued on despite her absence though, time refusing to wait for her to be ready for it.
'I have to go through with this. I can't just stay here forever…'
She could only hope Celeste was right about the Arc family.
By the time she'd finished psyching herself up, the older woman was packed and ready to leave. Celeste graced her with a kind smile, "You'll do fine. I believe in you, dear. Just try to put your best foot forward. I guarantee they'll be doing the same."
Neo nervously nodded affirmation, sinking lower on the bed to more easily pull her blanket up and hide her scars. She hardly wanted their first impressions to be marred by so hideous a sight, hoping instead for the family to see her for who she really was. Just Neo. The reveal could come later, if ever, though she knew it was foolish to think she could keep them hidden indefinitely.
"I look forward to having our next lesson in better accommodations. Good luck, dear."
Celeste smiled once more before leaving, giving a gentle wave that Neo reciprocated readily. The door closed behind the old woman with a soft click, soon followed by the low murmur of voices as Celeste spoke with the hallway's occupants.
Neo's shoulders raised defensively, hearing a multitude of different voices coming from the hall. 'I thought Nicholas was only going to bring a few at a time…' Judging by the number of different voices she was hearing, Neo could only guess that much more were present.
Another knock on the door made Neo nearly jump out of her skin, trepidation mounting now that the moment was at hand.
"Neo? Is it alright if I come in alone first?" Nicholas asked.
Neo gulped, hunkering down yet further before reaching out to ring the bell on her side table. She gripped her blanket tightly while the door opened, allowing Nicholas in. Neo caught a glimpse of a few different faces at varying heights, golden blond hair resting over brilliant blue eyes, all vying for a peek inside before the door cut them off completely.
Nicholas raised a hand to rub the back of his head, and offered her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but… They're all here. When I let them know you were finally willing to accept visitors, they started clamoring over one another, demanding to be first. Aurora and I tried to talk them down but they were adamant about introducing themselves. They've all been practicing you see, and… well…"
'Practicing…?' Neo quickly wrote in her notebook to ask the question.
Nicholas's eyebrows knit together. He thought hard, taking a moment to pick his words carefully. "They… have a surprise for you. None of them wanted to not be first since the surprise would be used up by then…" He glanced back to the door, an indistinct but excited voice momentarily audible from the other side. Seeing the worried eyes she cast in it's direction, his face took on a renewed firmness. "Regardless of their desires, you are the final arbiter here. Whatever you say goes. I told them they could come along and that I would ask your permission, but you're more than welcome to say no. They won't hold it against you."
Neo bit her lip, glancing between the man and the door behind him. She could practically feel the excitement emanating from the other side of it in waves, a tsunami just waiting to drag her beneath its depths. On the other hand, she did owe Nicholas her life. Part of her couldn't help but empathize, realizing he was being pulled between his duty and his desire to win his children's affection. In a strange way, she could almost feel that desire reflected back within herself, an odd connection forged between a shared soul.
Though she remained timid at the prospect, Neo finally relented. She gave a hesitant nod and clutched her blanket like a shield, hoping to ward off some of the excessive enthusiasm that was about to be directed her way.
Nicholas smiled softly, "Thank you. I promise you won't regret it." He stepped back to the door and opened it gingerly, sticking his head out to speak with those in the hall. "Alright, kids. Just like you practiced, and not a peep more."
There was the sound of a few brief cheers outside, followed by shuffling and the whispered arguing of young girls. After a few seconds and a nod of approval, Nicholas opened the door to lead them inside.
Neo winced prematurely, expecting a rush of bodies. When none came, she opened her eyes to instead see the children quietly filtering through. From oldest to youngest they stepped in, remaining in a line that ended with who Neo could only assume was the mother. She carried the youngest in her arms, a girl that looked to be three or four years old. Only one boy stood in the mix, the least excited of the bunch.
The parents capped off both ends of the line. The eldest child stood the closest to Nicholas. Her golden hair was cut short, barely reaching her shoulders in a wide mane. Blue eyes looked upon Neo with a curious smile, the girl's hand raising in a gestured greeting.
What Neo was expecting at first to be a simple wave proved to be much more. To her surprise, the girl's hands moved into a ready position, as instead of speaking, she started to sign.
'Hello, my name is A-R-I-E-L. Nice to meet you!'
Neo's eyes widened, understanding the gestures made after the lessons she'd had with Celeste. Shock flashed to her very core, leaving her transfixed by the sudden and unexpected display.
'D...did they…?'
As soon as Ariel was finished, the next down the line excitedly began. She was a few years younger than the eldest, but still older than Neo herself. Her hair was longer than her sister's by a few inches, reaching just past her shoulders. The bright orange top she wore stood out among the myriad colors arranged around her. The girl's smile was kind and welcoming, lessening Neo's trepidation with each quirk of her lips.
'Hello, my name is S-A-P-H-R-O-N. Nice to meet you!'
When Saphron finished, the next stepped forward confidently. Her hair was shorter than the rest, even more so than the boy's. She wore a green shirt and shorts, capped with a thin leather vest around her shoulders. Neo could see scuff marks decorating her clothes, and small blemishes on her hands and knees. The girl grinned widely as she began. Overall, Neo had the distinct impression she was a tomboy.
'Hello, my name is E-D-N-A. Nice to meet you!'
With her initial shock dwindling, Neo finally managed to return to her senses. She rushed out a hasty 'Nice to meet you!' in response.
Edna beamed and nodded, happy to receive a reply.
The next two appeared to be twins and began in tandem, as if fighting over who was going to be first. Their long ponytails swished as they turned to glare at each other, neither relenting while signing as quickly as they could, hoping to beat the other.
'J-A-S-M-I-N-E.'
'E-L-A-I-N-E.'
Neo struggled to keep up, glad at least that the last three letters of their names appeared to be the same. Both sets of hands became a blur as they finished gesturing 'Nice to meet you!', all the while smirking at each other, as if both believed themselves the victor.
Neo gave a hesitant 'Nice to meet you!' in return before turning to the only boy in line. From what she could remember, he was supposed to be the same age. Just comparing by eye, Neo knew he was taller than she was. Then again, it was hardly surprising considering everyone her own age always had been.
Unlike the others, the boy seemed less eager. He raised his hands and gestured clumsily, messing up in several parts while trying to repeat what the girls had already signed. He arrived at his name and grew frustrated, seeming to struggle while trying to remember how to do it. After a few moments, he gave up altogether and stuffed his hands back into the pockets of his hoodie.
"Name's Jaune. Nice to meet you... I guess."
The other children turned to glare at him while the mother sighed. One of the twins even went so far as to let out an exasperated "Jaaaaaaune!", further breaking the relative silence.
The mother shook her head, "It's fine. Opal, you're next."
'Opal' frowned up at her mother, miffed that her name had been given before she had a chance to sign it. She turned back and straightened out her overly sized glasses, remaining determined despite the circumstances. Long blond hair spilled down her back, straightened with the help of a light blue headband that matched her immaculate knee-length dress.
'Hello, my name is O-P-A-L. Nice to meet you!'
Opal nodded approval for her own performance, then glanced back up to see Neo's response. Neo quickly signed in return, doing her best despite being distracted by the complete apathy the boy had shown.
The last two in line were the mother and the youngest she carried. The woman gestured to herself with one hand, a wide smile on her face. "Sorry, my hands are a little occupied. My name is Aurora. I'm the mother to all these little rascals. It's nice to finally meet you, Neo. My husband has told me so much."
Neo could only nod in greeting, put at ease by the soothing, gentle nature of Aurora's voice. The older woman turned to the child in her arms and bounced her on her hip, speaking low. "Did you want to try signing as well, Iris?"
Iris nodded, shifting awkwardly in her mother's grasp to regain full use of her hands. She stared at them in concentration, doing her best to begin signing while audibly speaking at the same time. "Hi. My… name… is…" Her fingers hesitated, eyebrows scrunching together as she fought to remember how to sign her name.
Neo caught her attention and slowly signed the first letter, waiting for Iris to mimic the action before continuing on to each in order. The young girl laughed happily after completing the 'S', then waited to follow Neo's instructions on how to sign 'Nice to meet you!' Though her attempt was flimsy at best, Neo's heart rose at having helped her.
"And that's all of 'em," Nicholas stated, "We can leave for a minute and come back in smaller groups. We'll start with Ariel, and…" Several of the girls jumped up and down, vying to be chosen. Nicholas's eyes momentarily softened in amusement. "The twins. You three will be the first to come back in. Everyone else will have to wait their turn outside."
A few of the girls looked as if they wanted to argue before their mother chipped in, "As he says, girls. Come on." The complaints died on their lips, each flashing Neo varying levels of hopeful, pleading smiles before being escorted out the door.
Only Nicholas remained once it had closed behind them, leaving the two in relative isolation after the influx of so many new faces and names. Neo was trying her hardest to remember all of them, and immediately began jotting them down to make sure she wouldn't forget.
Nicholas exhaled deeply. "That went about as well as I expected. I'm sorry about Jaune. He's not too keen on gaining an eighth sister after already growing up with seven. I'm sure he'll come around soon enough."
Neo nodded acquiescence, though after his showing she remained doubtful.
An earlier, unvoiced question came to mind. Neo wrote it on another page once she was done with the names and held it up for Nicholas to see.
'When did they learn how to sign?'
Nicholas grinned proudly. "Yesterday evening. I managed to get a hold of Miss Celeste. The girls knew about your condition and decided that was how they wanted to greet you. Late as it was, the instructor was more than happy to come by our house and teach everyone the proper signs. Some took longer than others to get it down, but… We'll all be taking lessons as well once you agree to move in with us."
Neo stared silently at him, a jumble of emotions building that caught her off guard, along with his admission. '...They're willing to do so much just to make me feel welcome… To make my life easier…'
Neo raised the blanket further to hide her face, feeling the first few tears beginning to fall. Celeste had been right. The Arcs were better people than she ever could have hoped for.
'They can't replace my parents…' Nothing ever could, but that wasn't what Nicholas was offering. He didn't want to replace them. He wanted to pick up where they left off, to make sure that the end of their story didn't also spell the end for their daughter.
Neo buried her face even harder into the material, letting the tears run their course. For his part, Nicholas stood quietly. Neo knew he understood. The overwhelming emotions coursing through her veins had revealed themselves as tears of joy, not sadness.
Once Neo finally managed to relax, she took the time to thoroughly wipe off her face. She smiled softly at Nicholas once she was done and reached for her notebook, ready to make her request. It was a big step for her, but one she was willing to take after the previous showing of support.
Finished writing, Neo allowed herself only a moment of hesitation before spinning the notebook around to face him.
As stoic as he was, even Nicholas wasn't immune to the occasional bout of surprise. Neo saw his eyes widen ever so slightly, followed by a tiny smile gracing his lips.
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
With one final gulp and a glance towards the door, Neo nodded.
"As you wish," Nicholas accepted. He stepped towards the door and turned the knob, opening it halfway to speak with those in the hall.
"Change of plans, kids. Everyone's welcome."
Hearing the sudden roar of excitement, Neo adjusted her blanket.
And readied her pen for the onslaught.
'Ariel, Saphron, Edna, Elaine, Jasmine, Opal, Iris... Neo...'
Jaune sighed as he stepped out of the room, the sounds of his departure drowned out by the cheering gaggle of girls. Two hours had passed since they'd introduced themselves to the newest member of their family. His sisters had spent all of their time with her since then, chatting about their hobbies, school, friends, likes, and dislikes.
Now they were playing a board game across Neo's lap, one of many that had decorated the countertops within the room. Jaune had no interest in playing and had waved off their requests for him to join, more than willing to seclude himself and explore the clinic instead. It was a much better way to satiate his boredom, and hopefully pass the time.
'Neo isn't so bad. For a girl, anyway. She isn't rough like Edna, or constantly arguing like the twins. She doesn't look down her nose at me like Opal, and we're the same age so she can't lord that over me like Ariel and Saphron.'
She also wasn't a toddler like Iris. That was a plus. That was a big plus.
'Couldn't they have just brought her home already though? Wasn't that the whole point of-'
"So, how do you think it's going in there?"
Jaune's thoughts cut off as he heard a female voice from around the corner. He ducked down to hide, unwilling to be caught so soon after deciding to explore the building.
Another responded, "Oh, I've listened in a few times already. It sounds like it's going great!"
The first let out a delighted humm, "That's good! I've been so worried about her, stuck in that room this whole time... Do you think she... let them see…" Only the brief sound of cloth followed. A gesture that Jaune couldn't see.
The other voice sighed, "Not a chance. I bet she's clutching that blanket tighter than ever, poor girl. All these weeks later and she still doesn't even like us seeing it. I can't imagine her willingly showing anyone any time soon."
The conversation ended, both women letting out a sad sigh that only spiked Jaune's curiosity. His eyes lit up, something better than exploring a dingy old clinic presenting itself before him.
'What's she hiding from everyone? Something under her blanket?'
As quietly as he could, Jaune withdrew from his position near the corner and returned back down the hall. The muffled voices of his sisters could be heard once again, talking loudly as they played.
Jaune opened the door and slipped back inside, only to be immediately greeted by his mother. She wore a worried frown that disappeared upon seeing him, then fell once again as her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Where did you run off to, young man?" His mother demanded quietly, not wanting to interrupt the fun the girls were having.
"Ummm," Jaune raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, eyes darting away from his mother's as he flailed for an excuse. "To the… to the bathroom?"
His mother narrowed her eyes for a few moments longer before sighing. She put a hand around his shoulder and pushed him back towards the hospital bed, towards the group of girls that surrounded it.
"Get over there and… just try to enjoy yourself?"
Jaune hurriedly nodded acceptance, steps faltering for only a moment before he moved forward and resumed his seat along the outside edge of his sisters. Both of the twins were at his sides and a little ahead of him, completely engaged in the game they were playing. Ariel and Saphron sat across, while Opal, Iris, and Edna rounded the foot of the bed.
With a newfound reason that had nothing to do with the game itself, Jaune began to actually pay attention to Neo and her posture. She was resting fairly low on the bed instead of making full use of her headrest. Her blanket was fully raised and tucked high under her chin, held in place by both hands whenever it wasn't her turn to play.
Jaune could see how tightly Neo was clutching her blankets. Her hands themselves shook from the continued effort, and her eyes flickered worriedly to every disturbance that might tug them from her grasp.
'What are you hiding? It can't be anything that bad, right?'
Jaune could feel his curiosity getting the better of him. If Neo was going to come home with them, they'd have to see whatever it was eventually. Why wait, when they were all here now?
'It's like pulling off a bandaid. It just hurts more if you do it slowly...'
Jaune inched forward, taking his time so as to not draw suspicion from any of the girls. Jasmine did turn once as he accidentally bumped her chair, but she immediately ignored him in favor of the apparent land dispute she was having with Elaine.
Seeing that it was currently Saphron's turn, Jaune knew his time to strike was close at hand. As soon as she was done, Neo would go, and be forced to take her hands off the blanket. Inching forward little by little, he carefully grasped it's edge, hidden from view off the side of the hospital bed.
Saphron finished paying Ariel for the space she'd landed on and turned to Neo with a smile, "Your turn! If you roll a six or higher then you'll pass go. But don't roll too high. Edna bought both of the lands for Vacuo a few turns ago. They're really expensive."
"And I stacked 'em with settlements! You might as well just give me your lien now~" Edna teased.
"You never know," Saphron giggled. "Go ahead and roll, Neo."
Neo stared nervously at the dice, seeming to size up her odds.
Jaune's eyes widened as the moment he'd been waiting for finally came. Neo's hands left the edge of the blanket, elbows beginning to drop to continue holding it in place despite the lack of support from her hands. His fingers tightened around the edge, and with only a moment's hesitation, ripped it down and away from her grasp.
The girls fell silent.
Neo froze, inhaling sharply in surprise.
Several of the girls immediately realized what happened and glared. Jaune was too taken aback to care, as he and a few of his sisters were staring widely at the thick, jagged scars that lay across Neo's neck. Her eyes caught theirs, all the color draining from her face in an instant.
Jaune's heart dropped in his chest, sorry for what he'd done even as Neo scrambled to reclaim the blankets. She pulled them over herself and spun as she did so, digging down into the bed beneath her and knocking the game board to the floor. Plastic pieces were sent flying in every direction, clattering against the ground and catching the attention of his parents near the window.
Both of the adults stared in confusion for only a few moments before deducing the culprit, easily following the trail of sisterly glares to spot Jaune among the mix, his hand still holding one edge of the blanket. Jaune shrunk away, seeing pure outrage and disappointment on their faces, unlike any he'd ever seen before.
"I-I'm… I'm sorry!"
With only a few seconds to spare, Jaune ran. He blasted through the door and sprinted down the hall, as fast as his legs could carry him.
The distant shouts of his family echoed angrily after.
'They know…'
Neo clutched her blanket tightly, still shaking more than ten minutes later. Her scars had been revealed. Some of them had seen, and it was only a matter of time before they told their sisters.
She couldn't get the faces out of her head. Ariel, Saphron, and Opal… All three of them had seen, now knew of the hideous scars that marred her flesh. A steady stream of tears flowed down her cheeks, long since staining the pillow and bedding that she'd dug herself so deeply into.
The room had cleared shortly after. Nicholas had ushered his children out, giving her the room to grieve, to piece together her shattered will, her meager confidence evaporating so quickly in the face of those stares.
They'd been having so much fun before disaster struck, too.
When Ariel found out that Neo's aura was unlocked, she'd offered to spar for fun. Ariel would soon be entering her last year at Pharos Academy, well on her way to becoming a Huntress just like her father.
Saphron had gushed over Neo's hair, complementing the vibrance of the colors and how she kept it so well maintained. She'd then spoken excitedly about her friend, Terra, and how Neo definitely needed to meet her as well.
Edna had told her about all the streams and hillsides they could visit once she was out of the hospital. About the bird she'd found and nursed back to health, the animals she would feed.
Jasmine and Elaine had shared their interests in art and music after seeing some of Neo's doodles in her notebook. Jasmine was the musician, and was learning as many instruments as she could. Elaine loved to paint, and would often set up canvases overlooking the woods around town.
Opal had seen the amount of books lining the countertops and given her own recommendations, a wealth of titles that Neo had never even heard of, let alone read. She'd also nervously offered something she'd written herself, though she wouldn't get into any of the specifics with her other siblings so ready to tease.
Neo sighed raggedly, 'It was going so well. Why did Jaune do that? M-Maybe I'm… Maybe I'm not really welcome...' She curled into herself more tightly, drawing her knees up as far as they would go. 'He… He doesn't want me arou-'
Neo suddenly heard a clattering sound coming from the window. Her shoulders reflexively raised in panic, hearing something scrambling up the wall outside. She tucked herself beneath the blankets even further, too afraid to look, incapable of calling for help. Fear gripped her heart.
'Oh god! It's a b-beowolf! It came to finish the-'
"Oof!" The voice was accompanied by a loud thud and a groan.
Neo paused, taking a moment to place the voice she'd heard. 'Jaune.' Neo remained as she was, huddled protectively beneath her blankets. 'What is he doing here!? If you don't want me then just... just go away!'
The light footsteps approached, Jaune hurriedly whispering her name.
"Neo, it's me, Jaune! Listen, ummm… I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so, so, so, sorry! I didn't know, really! I heard the nurses talking about you hiding something, and I just… no. There's no excuse. I'm just really sorry!"
Neo remained where she was, unmoving.
Jaune sighed loudly, the sound of a chair being pulled up next to her bed following immediately after. He was quiet for a minute. Neo could feel his eyes on her, staring at the mass of blankets covering her form. She tensed, wary that he might try to pull them off her once more.
"I um…" Jaune trailed off for a few moments, "I don't know what else to say. I'm not really good at this sort of thing. Mom always says I need to try harder when I apologize to my sisters… I guess that means you too, huh? So um… I got you something instead…"
Neo shifted, heart rising ever so slightly after hearing him call her his sister. Even so, she flinched when she felt a weight behind her head. The bed depressed for a moment, then remained in place. Whatever it was didn't appear to be very heavy.
The chair scraped against the floor once more as Jaune stood, footsteps leading him back towards the window. He paused at the ledge, his voice carrying faintly back.
"I… figured you'd like it, and… My sisters really like you. I can tell. They were… You were all having a lot of fun before I ruined it."
A few more moments passed before he continued, "Um… I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't forgive me… but... I'd like to have the opportunity to earn it? Your scars…"
Neo tensed.
"...They're really cool, you know?"
With that, Neo began to hear the scrambling sounds once more, Jaune in the process of climbing back out the window. They were followed by another thud and an "Oof!", before all signs of his presence faded completely.
Neo shifted uncertainly, aware that his 'gift' was still resting on the bed behind her. With no one else around though, she felt it was safe to peek. Neo timidly extricated herself from her fortress of blankets, checking to make sure the room was clear and that he wasn't playing another nasty trick. However, the door remained closed and she couldn't see hide nor hair of him.
Turning over, Neo found the medium sized shoe box that he'd left. Curious, but hesitant, she reached out and fumbled with the top, gingerly pulling it up in order to glance inside.
A small smile flickered across Neo's lips.
A pink scarf lay within.
Its design wasn't anything special. No filigree decorated its edge, or fancy colors through its length. It was plain, and unlikely to draw attention to itself whilst wrapped around someone's throat. As far as Neo was concerned...
'It's perfect…'
Neo pulled it from the box and wrapped it around herself, looping it slightly to make sure it would remain in place. Once that was done, she jumped up from her bed to rush into the bathroom and check the mirror. Neo turned from side to side, looking from every direction to make sure her scars wouldn't be visible.
They weren't.
Neo leaned against the counter and breathed a deep sigh, closing her eyes while allowing one hand to raise and stroke the smooth length of cloth. She stopped to press that hand against her throat, basking in the overwhelming relief flooding through her core. With this… with this, she could-
"Jaune! There you are! Come here!"
Neo heard the raised voice of Nicholas outside, having spotted his wayward son. Perhaps through his voice, or through something else, Neo could feel the disappointment the blond man was feeling. The anger he was doing his best to keep in check. Her heart ached with worry for Jaune, her courage so recently renewed by the simple length of cloth bundled around her throat.
Firming up her resolve as well as she could, Neo prepared to show Jaune her forgiveness.
"Where have you been!? We've been looking all over for you! Can you even begin to understand what you've done!? You'll be lucky if you aren't grounded for-!"
Nicholas's tirade was cut off as the door to Neo's room burst open. Surprised faces stared at her from every direction. Ignoring them, she wasted only a moment taking in her surroundings before spotting her quarry and rushing into Jaune's arms. Neo held him as tightly as she could and buried her face in the side of his neck, feeling a steady flow of tears breaking free once again. Slowly Jaune reciprocated, wrapping his arms uncertainly around her in return.
"N-Neo? How…? What are you-? Out of your…?" Nicholas stumbled over his words, completely blindsided by the act of the young hermitess before him. Eventually, his eyes caught on to the scarf wrapped around her neck, and understanding seemed to blossom across his face. His eyes widened, and he stared back and forth between Neo and the room she'd secluded herself in for so long.
The other girls, though confused, smiled at the display in front of them. Aurora followed suit, placing a hand on her hip and ruefully shaking her head for all her children's antics.
"W-well," Nicholas blustered slightly. "What you did was still wrong, Jaune, but part of being a man is owning up to your mistakes. If Neo forgives you… well, then we can, too."
Neo pulled out of the hug to nod agreement, then smiled back at the other girls and gave a small spin to show off her scarf. Not a hint of their earlier shock or apprehension remained. They all smiled in turn, many of them throwing out quick compliments for the way it matched her hair.
Nicholas frowned, glancing over at Jaune while scratching his chin. "You did good, son. Where'd you get it, though?"
Jaune's eyes darted away, "Ummm… There's a store down the street?"
"Oh," Nicholas nodded, "How much was it?"
Jaune looked further away, his hands raising to poke his fingers together nervously.
"Jaune forgot his wallet at home!" Saphron called out, a mischievous grin on her face. "He was mad about it earlier on the car ride here."
Nicholas's eyes narrowed once more, voice hardening like cold steel. "Jaune. Did you steal-"
"It was for a good cause!" Jaune shouted as he ran, attempting to charge headlong through his sisters before being stopped by a hand on the neckline of his shirt. Ariel used her superior strength to drag him back, tutting all the while.
Nicholas glared, watching him struggle in his sister's grasp. "One month, Jaune. I want all your games, comic books, anything fun, out of your room and in my hands the instant we get home."
Jaune deflated, practically dangling from Ariel's amused grasp. "Yes, Dad…"
"And while you're at it… show Neo around."
Neo's eyes darted to him, turning to see the questioning look he was leveling her with. She gulped, eyeing the people around her. The smiles. The promises of a better tomorrow.
A chance to keep moving forward.
Giving herself a moment to calm herself, Neo turned back to Nicholas.
And nodded her acceptance.