His breaths heavy and mind slogged, Hawkins threw off his bedsheets, the moist covers clumping on the floor.

His eyes weighed by several bags with the veins on his forehead bugled, every time Hawkins closed his eyes the revelation of his greatest failure came rushing like a merciless torent. There, in a pitiful state with the corpses of his crew decorating the decks of the Grudge Dolph, save for Faust, but the shadow of death claimed the mink in due time.

Dressed in a plain white shirt and blue shorts, Hawkins stumbled off his bed and fell to one knee. The old farmers had long since fallen asleep with Jaune, leaving the magician to fend for himself against his haunting nightmares.

"Having trouble sleeping, Hawkins?" Came a humble whisper.

"Who's there?" The blonde snapped his head upward, but only he occupied the room.

A slight sting on his chest, his crimson eyes veered toward the disturbance. The bright emblem he'd received from Jaune's original father seared his flesh and pinched his lungs. It was as if a piping hot kettle had been lodged in his stomach, boiling his blood and stomach acid to the point of steam.

"This might hurt, but you'll get used to it soon enough. In fact, you're dealing with it a lot better than our past candidate." Muttered the voice as the hot sensation dwindled to a comfortable temperature.

Hawkins fell on his rump, his legs crossed as his right hand clutched the mark on his chest.

"Are you some demonic spirit keen on killing me for taking that baby?"

The voice laughed. "Well, that's a new one. Not to worry, Hawkins, I'm just a withered spirit who's here to pass on some wisdom. That is if you'd like to hear it."

"Enlighten me." The magician growled. He crawled back onto his bed and laid on his back.

"First, the emblem on your skin is courtesy of a special Arc bloodline."

"Are you the one who bestowed that baby upon me?" Hawkins sighed.

"...No, that was my descendant, Harold Arc."

A snap, like a twig being split in two, echoed in the background. With it, the emblem on Hawkins' chest faded, and the heat withered to an uncomfortable chill.

"It seems that our encounter has come to a close. Be brave, Hawkins, you'll need that trait if you want to survive in this new world."

The light fizzled into nothingness, and the former pirate pulled the lids over his eyes, desperate to get some sleep.

/-/

Meanwhile, snuggled together in the bedroom two doors down from that of Hawkins, the old farmer couple who nursed the magician contemplated their next move.

"Sam?" Carla wrapped her hands around her husband's back.

"Hm?" The man drawled.

"Is it a good thing that we let Hawkins stay here?"

Sam yawned. "Why are you bringing this up now? We already provided a roof for his child's head, and I got the feeling that wherever Jaune is, Hawkins is going to be there too."

The grip around his chest tightened.

"I know that," Carla sighed. "But Hawkins doesn't give off the impression of a caring father."

"Give him time, Carla. The man just recovered from a shipwreck, I'm sure he'll come around if we're patient enough." Sam pulled the sheets over his shoulders, but let them fall as his wife's fingernails dug into his skin.

"I know it's early, but we've trusted humans before... what if he takes advantage of our kindness then robs us blind?"

"Hm, how about we put off these trivial debates for tomorrow? We can question Hawkins to our hearts desires then and if you're still uneasy with him around, we'll ask him to leave in the most polite manner possible. Sound like a plan?"

The arms around his pectorals slipped to his back. With deep breaths, Carla sighed and nodded.

"Alright, but if that stoic man doesn't give me his full name by the end of the week, I'm kicking him out of the district."

/-/

"Good morning, Hawkins!" Sam called from the kitchen stove.

The magician walked in, his nose turning toward the scent of butter and flour, Hawkins took his seat and pulled out his tarot cards.

"You got a preference for tea?" Sam pointed to the kettle and a few empty cups.

"I'd prefer green tea."

The old farmer gave a thumbs-up as he filled the kettle with water. "So, you mentioned that you came from the north blue, are you a sailor?"

Hawkins curled a brow. "You could say that."

It wouldn't be wise to announce his status as a pirate. He'd lost a great deal already and shedding the blood of the marines was not a pastime the blonde wanted to pursue.

"Alright, but what about your sword? I'm not a weapon enthusiast, but even I can tell that's some high-grade steel. Is it from Mistral? That kingdom is famous for its craftsmen and architects."

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "If it's personal information that you want, you won't get any from me."

Sam scratched his cheek and chuckled.

"I don't mean to pry, Hawkins, but if you plan on living here then I need to know who I'm dealing with. After all, you can't really blame me for being curious seeing that you almost crashed into me, literally."

The old farmer did have a point. Though Hawkins hated to admit it.

"Why don't we start with a full name?"

"It's Basil Hawkins." The magician grunted.

"There, was that so hard?"

Hawkins said nothing and continued his card shuffling until a familiar set of brown eyes and cow ears entered the kitchen with a bubbly baby snuggled in her arms.

"Ababapm!~" Jaune grinned with his hand in his mouth.

"Ah, there's the star of the house. Sleep well, little buddy?" Sam turned off the stove and pulled the cap off the whistling kettle.

"Good morning, Hawkins." Carla hummed and took her seat across from him. Dressed in a simple gray gown with a green apron and a pair of matching leather slippers, she glared at Hawkins with pursed lips.

The magician curled a brow, why was Carla looking at him as if he were a delinquent?

"Is something wrong?"

Carla glanced at Sam, and the man whistled a merry tune, turning his attention to his scrambled eggs and bacon. A light kick under the table forcing his eyes up, the old farmer shrugged his shoulders and proposed his elaborate plan to dig up some information on their new guest.

"Say, why don't you join me for a walk, Hawkins. Carla has some of the girls coming over, and they don't want us burly men intruding on their dainty affairs."

His wife shot him a furrowed brow, but Sam waved it off and collected the dishes.

"Say, aren't you going to start chowing down, Hawkins?"

The old farmer made sure not to put any meat on the blonde's plate, but the man hadn't touched a single egg or hashbrown since he sat down.

"... I'll finish my meal when we get back," Hawkins mumbled and stood from his seat. He sighed at the questioning look he got from Carla and made his way out of the kitchen and through the front door.

"Hold on." A firm set of fingers gripped the magician's shoulders.

"Hm?" Hawkins turned to meet the puffed pout of Carla with Jaune still cradled in his arms.

"I don't want you strolling through the farms in your pajamas. Why don't you try that cloak I sewed up for you? I tried to match it with your original attire, but I didn't know how long to make the ruffled collar because it was torn."

The magician nodded, eager to get back in comfortable clothing, he made his way back to his room where a folded ruffled, navy-colored, cloak and green striped pants with a wide orange sash and tall brown boots. His armlet had been lost in the confrontation with the warlords and navy admiral, but his chipped longsword and its sheath had been spared.

After dressing himself, Hawkins sighed. The clothes Carla made for him were surprisingly fitting for his figure, but not to the point of restraining his movements.

"Well, that's quite a spiffy look you've got going, Hawkins." Sam grinned as the stoic magician joined him at the front door.

"Well, it's better than what I'm wearing anyway." The old farmer chuckled, pointing to his thick overalls and mudded leather boots.

"I'll be back after the main rounds have been done, Carla. Don't go having too much fun ya hear?"

With a reassuring call from his wife, Sam snatched his straw hat from the coat hanger and put a toothpick in his mouth.

"Alright, let's get going, shall we? There's a lot to see in the agricultural district, Hawkins and I plan to give you a full tour!"

"Hey, what's Sam doing with that human?" Grumbled a group of Faunus as Sam and Hawkins approached.

The majority of them mirrored Sam in size with matching overalls, but a particularly large man stepped past his peers with his hands on his hips. A few inches below Hawkins, the dark-skinned Faunus sported a small pair of moose antlers.

"You don't look like you're here to help with the crops. Unless you want to entertain us with a dance in that silly getup of yours." The Moose Faunus smirked.

"Easy there, fellas. Hawkins isn't here to cause a ruckus. If anything, you're dragging our good name as honest workers through the mud with your petty insults. So let's pick up the tools and get those hay bales balled up. The Valesian horse races are right around the corner, so a fat paycheck is in store for us if we meet the deadline." Sam tipped his hat toward Hawkins with an apologetic look.

"I know this is sudden, but I don't trust those boys to behave when the merchants come to pick up their orders. You're free to explore the area, and I promise that not everyone in the agricultural district resembles this poor lot."

Hawkins nodded. He didn't like being dragged around like a possession to be showed off anyway.

"Hey, mom, why is that man sitting alone by himself?" A young Faunus, this one with a pig's tail walked over with a face of wonder.

Despite his intention to travel, Hawkins' body simply wouldn't do as it was told. Whether this was out of laziness or his past traumas remained to be answered.

The magician shuffled his cards, straw protruding from his back as he pinned his cards onto them to observe. The young girl scooted closer, she was about six years old if Hawkins were to guess, but she had a certain air around her that made her feel older than her peers.

"Hello, watcha doing?" The pig Faunus peeked around Hawkins cards and squinted.

"What does this card mean?" The child pointed to a card with the image of a jolly man whistling nonchalantly as he strolled through the countryside.

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "75% chance this brat will leave me alone if I answer her questions..."

"It's the fool card. It provides a new beginning, new paths, and a fresh start. Though with tarot cards, when reversed they mean the opposite of their positive representation."

"Wow, you got that all from one picture? What does this one mean?" The pig Faunus sat down beside the blonde man. Her legs crossed, she pulled out a packet of crackers from her pocket and tilted her head.

"Can you not read?" Hawkins grunted.

"No," The girl said with downcast eyes. "Mama and Papa don't know too much about words, and a lot of the other kids say that I'm too stupid to learn how to read and write. They say I'm better off tending to the farms like my folks."

"I see." Hawkins sighed. Why didn't the girl leave as he predicted?

"So, what does this card mean?" The kid raised a finger to a single sword pointed upward.

"Oi, what's this supposed to be, a robbery?!" A loud shout erupted next to a wide stack of hay bales.

Hawkins lowered his cards and narrowed his eyes. As did the little girl beside him.

Gathered near the northern bridge, a group of farmers was bickering with raised voices at four strapping men who arrived in a truck with three flatbeds attached to it. Behind the men were a set of workers adorned in gray uniforms with the Atlesian symbol on their backs.

"Aw man, did those nitwits come back to pick a fight?" The pig Faunus growled.

"What is their intention?" Hawkins mumbled.

The young child puffed her cheeks. "Those louts, that's what my parents call them, come by to gather the crops they ordered, but they always try to swindle how much money they give us."

"I see," the magician nodded. In business, everyone always wanted to be a step ahead, it was extremely rare for someone to empty their pockets for the benefit of their fellow man.

The blonde and his acquaintance continued to observe, but the scene quickly went south. Hawkins didn't see who acted first, but a fist was thrown which was followed by the drawing of swords.

"You think you can boss us around? We're trained hunters and we could beat the snot out of all of you if we wanted, or worse!" The tallest man, roughly a head and a half shorter than Hawkins, had short brown hair and polished spaulders with a thick green undershirt. His legs covered by blue pants and knee-high boots, he jeered at the snarling Faunus as he pointed his sword at them.

The magician felt a tug on his sleeve. The young Faunus next to him shot a pleading look.

"This situation has nothing to do with me." Hawkins shook his head and went back to shuffling his cards.

"Alright, that's enough!" A familiar straw hat in view, Sam made his way to the tensed crowd with a shovel slung over his shoulder.

"We finished your order ahead of time, and we managed to score an extra haybale to boot. So why don't you pay us what you promised and we can all sleep easy tonight?"

The brunette sneered at the old man's proposal.

"Is that so? Well, as it turns out, there's been a change of plans for today's race. A lot of the competitors backed out a week before the event, so that means we don't need as many hay bales. So why should we pay for something that we don't need?"

"That's beside the point. I have the receipts of your demands right here. They said twelve bales of hay for 105 lien a bundle. It's not our fault the race took a turn for the worst." Sam quipped.

"Still testing my patience eh?" The hunter snarled, but by his flushed cheeks, he knew he'd been caught as the bad guy in this scenario.

"Fine, I'll let you off with a warning, but don't expect us to be so nice next time."

Sam chuckled. "You think we're still going to do commerce with you blokes? There's plenty of business in agriculture, bread doesn't grow on the streets you know, and it's a basic necessity that people need to be fed."

The rude man and his lackeys shot the Faunus a mischievous glare, but said nothing and had the workers under them load all the hay bales onto the flatbeds.

"Hm, that went better than expected." Hawkins cracked his knuckles and glanced at the girl next to him with his peripherals.

"They always do this, those dang humans waltz in here like they own the place and demand whatever price they want." A dark expression took over the pig Faunus' face.

A sigh leaving her lips, the little girl flashed Hawkins an innocent smile and jumped to her feet.

"Thanks for teaching me about your cards, mister. Now I can tell my friends that I know how to read!"

Hawkins deadpanned. All because he gave her the definition of his tarot cards, that doesn't mean he bestowed her the knowledge of letters and words.

The magician shrugged, whatever outcome occurred with the girl, it was none of his business.

Another night spent in awkward silence, Hawkins took his usual spot at the dinner table and waited for his meal to arrive. Minutes passed, but neither Carla nor Sam seemed to be in the house, even the faint cries of Jaune were amiss.

"Sam?" The magician called. The ticking clock in the hallway drawling out the muted atmosphere, Hawkins pulled out his tarot cards, but the creaking of the front door froze his hands.

"Hawkins?" Panted Carla as she stumbled into the kitchen.

"Hm?" The blonde curled a brow and stood himself up.

Carla's hair disheveled, she whipped her head back and forth as if on a frantic search. Jaune was still in her arms, snoozing away without a care in the world.

"Is something wrong?"

"I-It's my husband, Hawkins. Sam hasn't come back yet has he?" Carla bit her lip.

"It's only me here." The magician sighed.

Carla took a deep breath and relayed all the places Sam could be. With each destination, Hawkins performed an elaborate tarot reading.

"32% chance he's out drinking with Max."

"55% chance he's fishing by the river."

"65% chance he's in danger."

Carla didn't understand how Hawkins produced this knowledge, but her eyes did widen at his last prediction. Her fingers tightened around, Jaune, and the baby gave a whimper in protest.

"P-Please, Hawkins... If a Grimm were to find Sam at this hour..." Carla fell to her knees, clutching Jaune to the point where he cried.

"Waba!" The tyke floundered in the vice grip.

Hawkins offered no sentiments, instead, he grabbed Carla by the shoulder and forced her to stand. The old woman yelped at the harsh action, but the magician paid her no mind.

"Take care of the baby. I'll be back before morning."

"No," Carla grit her teeth.

"You don't know your way around the farmlands, if it's time you're concerned about then I'll be your guide."

Carla rushed to her room and layed Jaune down in the makeshift cradle Sam had built for the boy yesterday. She slipped on a jacket, switched her slippers for a pair of leather boots, and followed her stoic ally into the wilderness.

The shattered moon overhead once more, the thin clouds parted as Hawkins entered the eastern forests of the agricultural district.

"Why am I doing this?" The magician muttered in his head. His arm on his longsword, Hawkins peered through the darkness trying to make out the length of the road ahead.

"This way, Hawkins, Sam always passes by this path when he goes fishing!" Carla snagged the blonde's wrist and rushed him down to the nearest bridge.

"There's only a 29% chance that he's down that way. We should try heading east instead of south." Hawkins advised.

Meanwhile, in the eyes of the man, the magician was searching for...

"This has to be the way home!" Sam picked up his feet and rounded a sharp turn.

A hulking monstrosity behind him, the bone-plated creature howled through the forest with its beady red eyes and jagged teeth were keen on hunting down a meal. This was not what Sam had in mind when he went out for some late-night fishing.

"The one time I wish I was a cat Faunus with the gift of night vision!" Sam wheezed as the sound of thudding paws grew closer to his person.

The farmer had abandoned the main paths in his panic and was now regretting his foolish decision wholeheartedly. In a glimmer of hope, the reflection of the wide river beckoned in Sam's hazel pupils. The stream, if followed, would lead him back to the safety of the agricultural district, where his fellow farmers would be able to shoot down the monster that chased him.

"Sam?!"

The old farmer skidded to a stop. That voice belonged to Carla, no doubt about it. This must mean... hold on Carla could be in the same amount of danger or worse!

His heart skipped a beat as the grunts and snarls behind him slowed. Turning to face the voracious beast, it too tilted its head in the direction of the sudden voice. What had become a desperate act to escape, had shifted to a noble cause of self-sacrifice.

"Oh no you don't, you're not taking Carla's life as long as I breathe!" If the Faunus could buy his wife some time to escape, then his death would be worth it.

"Carla, run back home, now! There's a Beowolf on my ass!"

"What is a Beowolf?" Hawkins glanced to Carla's paled visage.

"We have to find him, Hawkins! I think I heard him call from over there!" The cow Faunus pointed down the river.

"Didn't he tell us to flee?" The magician grunted.

A loud slap to the shoulder made him wince. "Sam saved your life, Hawkins!"

The magician sighed. "I suppose he did."

"Carla, didn't you hear me?!" Speak of the devil, the missing Faunus made himself known, along with some sort of wolf-based monster hot on his heels.

Hawkins' fingers wrapped around the hilt of his longsword. He'd encountered many creatures on his adventures in the grande-line, but no memory could match the drooling obsidian-colored beast charging toward him.

In the corner of his vision, the blonde noticed Carla inch forward, her fists clenched and lips curled to a frown, her face showed fear, but her eyes bore unyielding determination.

"I guess it can't be helped..." Hawkins' shoulders slumped as he placed a hand on Carla's shoulder.

"H-Hawkins?" The old woman trembled as the magician drew his sword and narrowed his sights on the path of the raging monstrosity.

The moon shining against the polished steel, the sound of rustling straw echoed across the dim soil of the farmlands. Pushing Carla aside, the magician manifested his devil fruit powers.

"Straw Sword!" With a mighty thrust, Hawkins' blade morphed from sharp metal to piercing straw. It twisted and entwined itself past a running Sam, and lodged itself in the gullet of the daunting bone-plated beast.

"Hmph!" Hawkins stepped forward, and his attack made its way through flesh and bone then came out the other side. The monster screeched, flailing its limbs as its jaw slacked and the life in its eyes faded. His technique done with, the magician's blade returned to its steel form as the Grimm's body dissipated into a hazy black mist leaving only a few teeth and bones.

Sam tripped and faceplanted right in front of his wife and their blonde cohort.

"So, that was a Grimm I assume?" Hawkins coughed.

"T-Thank you, Hawkins..." Sam wheezed as his wife fell to her knees and gave him a rib-crushing hug which he returned ten-fold.

The magician turned to head back home once tears began to spill.

"Dear Oum, I don't know how to thank you enough, Hawkins. I honestly don't have much, so I don't know how to repay you." Sam collapsed on his rocking chair. His hair sweaty and disheveled, he took off his hat and scratched his forehead. Hawkins was seated across from him on the living room couch with Carla beside him, her hands clasped together.

"S-Sam!" Carla shouted.

His eyes widened, Sam fumbled with his hat but it slipped through his fingers and drifted onto the coffee table. The magician curled a brow at the ominous stares directed at him.

"What, do you expect me to pick up your hat for you?"

Jaws dropped at Hawkins' words.

"Y-You're not upset that I've been hiding my Faunus heritage from you?" Sam gulped.

"What is a Faunus?"

Jaws dropped a second time.

"Who would have thought that Hawkins would have a sense of humor." Sam chuckled and cupped his chin.

His crimson eyes lifting to a peculiarity atop the old farmer's head, he noticed two prongs pointed toward the ceiling.

"You have antlers?" The blonde asked.

"It's a common Faunus trait, especially in Vale and Mistral," Carla muttered, turning away as Hawkins glanced at her.

"Is a Faunus some sort of Zoan hybrid?"

"W-What?" Sam crossed his arms with a frown and Carla bit her lip and balled her hands into fists.

"Did I stutter?"

"W-What is a Zoan? Is that supposed to be some sort of insult?" The old farmers rambled.

The magician rubbed his temples. It wasn't a great surprise the farming couple didn't know what a devil fruit was. After all, the majority of folks believed the existence of the fruit to be nothing but a myth in the beginning islands of the grande line.

"Have either of you ever heard of a devil fruit?"

Both Sam and Carla shook their heads.

"Isn't this kingdom under the influence of the world government?"

"Are you talking about the council? They're the ones who call the shots when it comes to global and international affairs." Sam nodded.

Bewildered, Hawkins pulled out his tarot deck and shuffled. Thin lines of straw protruding from his back, Carla scooted to the edge of the couch and Sam reeled back in his rocking chair.

"0% chance I'm in the grande-line or new-world."

"Well, this is a conundrum." Hawkins scowled.