"Your stubbornness is on a whole new level." The red reaper growled with puffed cheeks.
"You say that, but you also possess a strong will. It even persuaded me to aid your trivial endeavors." Hawkins rubbed his palms together and narrowed his eyes. The fiery crimson veering to meet a radiant silver, the magician felt his heart twitch.
"What, is there something on my face?" Summer said with pursed lips.
"I don't know why, but the question you asked me a while back is starting to resurface."
"Um?"
Hawkins rolled his eyes. "It's when you asked me if I'd ever put myself between a rock and a hard place. However, that question was more for you than I, correct?"
Summer's cheeks darkened. "O-Oh, you remember that? B-But I was talking about you wasn't I?"
"No, you weren't." The magician deadpanned. "I've spent enough time around you to notice you're habits. Whenever you seek aid, you're rarely direct about it. Instead, you make hints during your conversations in hopes that your colleague will catch on. It's lucky that I like to analyze information relayed to me with a meticulous mind, otherwise, your pleas for aid would shoot right over my head."
The red reaper broke her gaze and whistled. "Haha, why don't we forget about all that? There's plenty more to talk about right?"
The blonde grunted. "I'm not in the mood to talk about anything else."
Summer's head reeled back, since when did the stoic man become so nosy?
"The source of your turmoil, stems from your teammates correct?"
Summer's breath hitched. "Y-You could say that."
"And the reason our conversations feel natural to you is due to my persona acting as a replacement to your lost partner. However, we've already established this fact before."
The huntress nodded but said nothing.
Hawkins observed his acquaintance with speculation plastered on his pale visage. He knew Summer was hiding something, a crucial detail that would put this whole problem together in an instant. Racking his memory, the magician's mind produced the image of the other two members of STRQ.
"Tell me, are you romantically involved with the blonde or the ravenette?"
"W-What? Where did that c-come from?!" Summer squeaked and frantically waved her hands to hide her reddened face.
"And seeing that your former partner was a female, did a wedge of jealousy split you apart?"
Embarrassment shifted to bewilderment, then finally changed to bitter resentment.
"I... I never thought badly of her at first. Sure, she could be petty and had a short temper, but she wasn't the meanest person on the planet." The red reaper gripped the hem of her skirt and squinted.
"Do we have to talk about this?"
"Yes," Hawkins said curtly, leaving no argument for denial as his crimson pupils bored into her's.
"W-Why do you care about this?"
The magician shrugged. "It's been dwelling for some time now, and seeing that I had little to do while recovering on my bed, I allowed my mind to busy itself with trivial matters. Though the predicament with your team dynamic did pique my interest."
Summer tapped the toes of her boots against the floor and leaned forward with her head down.
"We shared so many adventures..." She hummed. "From the times we ventured into the forest during our initiation, to the days we shared in the classroom all the way to our last mission. It's strange really, I cherish but hate these memories at the same time and while I want to let them go, I can't help but hold onto them."
With a light giggle, Summer felt a wash of nostalgia take over as she rambled about the past.
/-/
"Wow, when the headmaster said he came up with a cool way to launch his students into the world of hunters and huntresses, I didn't think he meant it literally." Said a much younger huntress as her favorite white cloak fluttered behind her.
Her red-tinted hair pushed behind her ears by the rapid breeze of flight, Summer narrowed her sights on a tall tree and felt a rush of aura pour through her veins. In a blizzard of rose petals, she twirled across the sky with the grace of an elegant bird. This was rather ironic as she ended up losing control due to crashing into a corvid midway through her landing strategy. With a yelp, Summer spiraled from her initial objective and flattened herself against the wide trunk of another tree.
Luckily, the red reaper's aura took the brunt of the impact leaving her with a steaming pink lump on her forehead that she quickly patted down. Glancing at her surroundings, thick trees and bushy shrubs crowded the area, but the sound of a cough and grunt piqued her interest. Summer traipsed toward a fallen log with her dual blades drawn. It was probably an injured student, but one could never be sure in a forest infested with Grimm.
"Damn it, what the hell was that?"
Summer didn't recognize the voice, but from the way it snarled, she could tell the owner was pissed.
"Maybe I can find a different partner..." The red reaper thought to herself and began to shuffle away from the log. However, the sound of a twig snapping had other plans.
Like a disturbed lion, the student behind the log pounced from her position. Revealing a dust-infused katana with a sheath fitted with some sort of rotary chamber near the hilt, a pale face with thick black locks and blood-colored eyes met with a profusely apologizing red reaper.
"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to crash into you, it was an accident, honest!" Summer bawled.
Mixed in a pot of confusion due to the sudden rise in tension, both huntresses in training were alerted by their situation by a loud hum from their scrolls.
"Partners formed, Summer Rose and Raven Branwen. Please press the continue button to receive your next list of orders.~"
Summer felt her cheeks grow hot from embarrassment. She didn't have any complaints about her recent partnership, but by the look on the other girl's face, she was absolutely livid. The silence between the two felt like a mountain. Neither seemed interested to make the climb and converse, but eventually Summer took the first step.
"W-Well, it's nice to meet you, Raven. My name's Summer, but you already know that from what the scroll said right?" The red reaper said while rubbing her arm. "B-But I didn't need to tell you that right? I'm sure your ears are working just fine, they look really nice after all! N-Not that the rest of your body doesn't look nice, w-wait this is starting to sound weird, h-how about we restart from the beginning? My name's S-Summer Rose... wait I said that already..."
Lost in her never-ending rambles, the red reaper continued to flounder despite her new partner's demands to stop.
"Will you just shut up already? You're giving me a headache." Raven hissed with a scowl.
"S-Sorry." Summer recoiled.
"Raven?!" Called a dusty voice from above the trees.
Summer jumped and picked up her weapons, but all Raven did was roll her eyes.
"That idiot..."
Intrigued by her cohort's calm demeanor, Summer followed Raven's example and sheathed her dual blades. From a nearby clutter of shrubs, a spiky-haired hunter with a chiseled jaw adorned in a simple white shirt and black slacks poked through the foliage with a nervous smile. His pale red pupils landing on his sibling, the young man let out a sigh of relief but gulped when he spotted another student behind her.
"Qrow... I told you where we were going to meet didn't I?" Raven crossed her arms with narrowed eyes.
"Hey, don't go blaming this on me, I'm not the one who didn't show up on time!" The man, now known as Qrow, protested with a growl.
"U-Um..." Summer tried to include herself in the conversation but decided against it when Raven raised her voice.
"Don't try to blame this on me, we both know it's your stupid semblance that caused all of this!" The ravenette grunted. "But there's no point in bickering about it at this point, our new priority should be pairing you up with a competent and powerful student."
"Yeah, about that..." Qrow rubbed his neck and sheepishly turned to the bushes he came from.
Another set of footsteps trudging through the greenery, a muscular teen with tousled blonde hair and navy blue eyes waved to the group with a pearly smile.
Raven's temper boiled up another ten degrees. "Don't tell me that idiot behind you is your partner."
Her younger sibling scratched his cheek and shrugged. "Hey, the guy helped me with a few Ursa's and Beowolves, he's not that bad."
"W-Well, it's nice to meet you all!" Summer blurted, doing her best to push down the pink on her cheeks as all eyes fell on her.
"Huh, I guess our first school year is going to be pretty fun, ain't it sis?" Qrow laughed which earned him a swift punch to the gut.
/-/
"...And that's how everything started. While there were a lot of sour moments, there were plenty of happy ones too. Hehe, just between you and me, Raven was the most ticklish member on the team." Summer said with a mischievous grin.
Given the lengthy explanation, Hawkins offered nothing more than a simple nod and turned his view to the window. The sun three-quarters below the horizon, a pink-tinted sky marked the coming of night.
"Hey, now it's your turn." Summer puffed her cheeks and poked the magician's bicep.
"Pardon?"
The red reaper's pokes turned to repeated jabs. "After a heartfelt moment like this, you're supposed to share something about yourself!"
"There isn't much logic in that statement."
"Oh no, you don't!" Summer hopped off her seat and stood on her tippy toes. It was hard to be intimidating given her short stature and cute features, but nevertheless, she tried to be assertive.
"I'm not going to let you off the hook that easily. You still owe me a few favors, and your not the kind who likes to be indebted to others right?"
Hawkins wished to deny it, but the huntress had saved his life from the burning windmill. "Fine, I will answer one question."
"Only one?" Summer grumbled.
"Only one," Hawkins repeated.
Her mind on overdrive, a plethora of inquiries rushed to the forefront of Summer's mind. What should she ask? Would Hawkins lie if she made the question too personal? Peering into his fiery crimson eyes, Summer could tell this was an opportunity of a lifetime.
"Well, how long are you going to make me wait?" Hawkins frowned.
The seconds of his patience on the verge of tipping over, the blonde curled a brow as an expression of wonder bloomed on the red reaper's face.
"H-Hawkins..." Summer whispered as she placed a quivering hand over his.
The magician tried to move away from the abrupt touch, but Summer's fingers had already coiled around his own.
"W-Will you..." Her heart pumping blood at the rate of a bullet train, Summer forced herself to stare Hawkins straight in the eye.
"Will you be my friend?"
"...What?"
Summer's cheeks darkened to the point she resembled a cherry, but her eyes lost their sparkle and her lips curled downward.
The word of nakama. How long had it been since Hawkins had uttered the word? Large black sails fluttering in the morning sky, with many crew members awaiting their captain's next course of action. The camaraderie of his fallen brothers long since passed, the wounds they left behind would never be forgotten. But how would a relationship with Summer work out? She was kind beyond measure, and she didn't seem like a very good liar which meant she'd be easy to read if a problem between them occurred.
Without the aid of his tarot cards, the magician felt his heartstrings being pulled every which way. It wasn't a matter of verbally agreeing to the arrangement, rather it depended on how much Hawkins was willing to contribute to said friendship. Given his past, save for his crew, the majority of people he met were either killed or discarded. He didn't want to put Summer in either of those situations, but knowing his recent luck she'd probably end up in a position like that anyway.
A tug on his sleeve, the fingers around his hand tightened. Though Summer faced him, she kept her sights away from his gaze and continued to pull on his sleeve with her left hand while her right maintained its initial hold.
"...Very well, I suppose I can bear your childish tendencies every now and then..."
As if he'd flipped a switch, the huntress' head snapped upward and showed a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
"Thank you, Hawkins!" Summer lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the magician's chest. "You won't regret this, I'll introduce you to my teammates and other friends and I'm sure you'll get along with them!"
"Ms. Rose..."
"And we can show you the best places to eat in Vale! Not all the restaurants are in the commercial district, and I'm a pretty good baker too!"
"Ms. Rose..."
"Oh, and I'll have to introduce you to Yang! She's so cute she'll make your heart melt!"
"Ms. Rose!"
Hawkins' stern tone earning a yelp, Summer tilted her head at her new friend's uncomfortable expression.
"This position is rather awkward."
"W-What? I... Oh!" The huntress jumped back so hard she fell off the bed and landed on her rump.
"S-Sorry about that, I've been told that I can be a little overdramatic."
"It's fine, I expected that much from you. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to recuperate in peace."
Summer nodded but jumped back on her feet to give the magician one more hug before blitzing out the door in a wave of rose petals.
Glancing down to his freed hand, for some strange reason, Hawkins wished Summer had held onto it for a little while longer...
/-/
"Knock~ Knock~ Knock~"
Lifting the lids on his eyes, Hawkins coughed as he forced himself to stand. With the light pitter of rain along with a dark window, the magician confirmed the time after a quick glance at the clock that hung on the wall.
Well past visiting hours, Hawkins could only imagine who could be on the other side of the door. With a creak, the frame opened to reveal a familiar sight that he didn't want to see.
"Hawkins, are you awake?" A stern voice accompanied by a pair of large cow ears, Carla tucked a stray hair behind her ear and put her hands on her hips.
She'd been given a simple white shirt and blue jeans to replace her burnt clothes, and despite the bandages that laced her arms, she held an air of determination as she strode into the room.
The blonde stared blankly at the new arrival. He shook his head and stepped past the old woman, but she positioned herself in front of the door and crossed her arms. A weary crimson meeting a pair of determined brown, the magician stepped back and grimaced.
"What do you want?"
"You look well." The cow Faunus whispered.
"Why did you block my path? If it's my injuries you're worried about then don't bother. Other than a few scratches and burns, I'm capable of moving without assistance." The blonde sighed.
"The same dismissive tone..." Carla lamented, though, for some strange reason, the corners of her mouth twitched upward.
"I held onto these for you, as I'd imagine the stress of being separated from a personal treasure would be too great to bear in your state." A familiar rustling noise, the farmer pulled out a deck of tarot cards from her pant pocket.
A few of the cards were damaged, but the writing and general shape had been spared. Carla held out the paper stack for Hawkins to take, but he didn't accept it, nor did he make any effort to do so. Instead, his focus was set on the door that would allow him the escape he desired.
Peeking at his worn-down expression, Carla placed the deck between them and began to hum a whimsical tune. Though she hadn't had any singing practice, the cow Faunus' voice was surprisingly gentle in contrast to her usual stern tone.
The magician's eyes flicking from the door to the woman next to him, he sighed and reluctantly returned to his bed.
"Hah... You're a really big pain, you know that?"
Carla joined him but set a good distance between the two with her seated on the footrest and Hawkins at the headrest. Seconds turned into minutes, and with nothing to say, all Hawkins could do was wait patiently for something to happen.
"Well, how have you been? Were you visited by anyone else?"
"Yes, but they aren't relevant to this conversation."
Carla rolled her eyes, but the small smile she wore never left. "I really am grateful you know. For risking your life for me and the others."
"It was a debt that needed to be paid after giving me a home. Nothing more, nothing less." Hawkins muttered.
"Is that so? Then why did you save all those other farmers? You could have left them behind and simply taken what you deemed valuable, yet you saved them all just the same."
Unable to come up with a retort, the magician opted for silence as the cow Faunus continued to indulge in their history.
"I know... we haven't seen eye to eye as of late, but you have to understand that what you did to those tax collectors terrified us. If it weren't for Jaune's innocence, he would've been scarred beyond repair after that fight."
Carla clasped her hands together on her lap but maintained eye contact with the tired blonde.
"I'm... not going to forget what you did," the farmer bit her lip as her brown eyes narrowed. "But I don't want to be the reason that you leave your son behind, and I do want Jaune to have a proper parental figure in his life. While I am honored that you deemed me a worthy guardian of Jaune in the letter you gave to Trifa, I think it'd still be best to have you raise him. Sam did tell you about my first attempt at being a guardian didn't he?"
Muffled sobs followed by a depressed smile, Carla let out a hollow laugh as she mocked her former efforts of pretending to be a proper parent.
"There's a 95% chance that you'd be a wonderful mother."
The unexpected comment made Carla's heart skip a beat.
"I'm not one to delve into a person's personal affairs if I can help it, but I did a few tarot readings in regards to your so-called parental failure." The magician asked for his tarot cards, and the Faunus handed them over without a questioning frown.
The feeling of even paper dancing between his palms never felt so wonderful. The corner of his lip twitching upward, a rare grin weaved past his usually stoic features as Hawkins began to label Carla's strong points.
"96% chance that you're a caring person."
"87% chance that you'll teach Jaune valuable morals."
"And 97% chance that you'll risk your life for him. I don't see how these things contribute to you being a bad person."
The cow Faunus felt her cheeks heat up and her eyes grow moist. She muffled a sob, but gave in to her emotions and let the tears roll. As for Hawkins, he said nothing but was taken aback when Carla asked him to come back home.
"You don't want someone like me influencing your child."
"What are you talking about?" Carla stood herself up and put her hands on her hips. "Do you have anywhere to go outside of Vale?"
"I'll find a new place of refuge."
"That won't do." The farmer scowled. "I... I'll be honest to say that I'm scared of how strong you are, but if you can control that temper and promise to be Jaune's father, then I'll welcome you back to the agricultural district with open arms. Sam and the others said the same thing as well."
Hawkins glanced to the door, and for some inexplicable reason, he didn't feel like leaving anytime soon.