STAMP!~ Yahoo, and here we are, the long-awaited time skip! Alright, just to clear things up, Jaune is currently six years old and so is Yang. Ruby is four, and Hawkins, as well as most of the adult cast in my fanfic, are around 25-30 years old.

For the length of this particular arc and for those that come after it, I'm planning on averaging around 10-20 chapters, though maybe more for Vacuo as I've got a lot of potential lore and character arcs to build on so please bear with me.

With that, cheers everyone, and happy reading!

*Patch Arc Begins.*

"Come on, Trifa, we're gonna miss the sales if we wait too long!" Cheered a boy with scraggly blonde hair.

His cerulean eyes wide with excitement, the young whippersnapper tugged on the ruffled collar of his pink sweater as he stood patiently in front of his favorite grocery store.

"Jaune, the hoodie isn't going anywhere, and I don't think any other kid in this kingdom has over one-hundred box tops. Besides, who else likes that overly sweet cereal anyway?" His best friend, a Faunus with bluish-gray veins that matched her short moppy locks, crossed her arms and fiddled with the cuffs of her black, long-sleeved shirt.

"You never know! I've saved every coin from my allowance for this day, and nothing is going to stop me!" Jaune held up a jingling piggy bank with a victorious grin. "That's right, Destruction Cannon Ideo Pops is the best cereal out there and all the other kids back home agree with me!"

With the sound of a bell, the sign on the storefront shifted from closed to open, and with it, Jaune sped past the doors and slammed his piggy bank on the front counter.

The cashier laughed. He'd come to know the little tyke from his many visits, and from the moment his father allowed him to venture into the cereal section, he'd come to recognize the blonde boy as a regular customer.

"Well, I hope you have enough box tops?" The cashier pulled out a cardboard box from under the counter.

"Yup, and I've got the dentist bills to prove it!" Jaune announced and retrieved an absurd amount of cardboard slips from his backpack.

Wiping a tear from his eye, the cashier laughed and handed the boy his prize. "Say hi to your dad for me, and maybe ease off the sweets while you're at it."

Squealing in delight, Jaune snagged his best friend by the wrist and rushed out of the store.

"J-Jaune, slow down!" Trifa begged all the way to the park until her friend's footsteps skidded to a stop.

"Dad! Check it out, I got it!" Jaune jumped up and down while waving the box over his head.

"Hm... congratulations," Hawkins replied stoically. Peering over his raised cards as he did so.

His lazy tone doing little to deter the joy in his son's heart, the magician veered his sights to a panting Trifa as she stumbled to her knees. After a few deep breaths, the spider Faunus began one of her trademark rants about Jaune's lack of tact.

"S-Sorry, It's just that I've been waiting for this hoodie ever since it came out!" The boy shielded himself with his package as Trifa put her hands on her hips.

"Jaune." The voice of his father breaking the banter, Jaune tilted his head to meet his father's stare.

"I'll be seeing Mr. Tukson this afternoon, so make sure to return home before dinner."

His son nodded. "No problem dad, you can count on me!"

/-/

With peace reigning over the four kingdoms, culture had been given the chance to blossom and thrive. But for one particular individual, his prized novel had made it onto every shelf of every bookstore in Remnant.

"Ding~"

"Ah, there's my trusty magician!" Tukson grinned as Hawkins entered the shop. "You here to drop off the finishing chapters?"

The blonde nodded. "I have completed the third installment, however, I would advise you to wait until next month to advertise it. I need to pace myself, otherwise, my readers will become expectant of yearly releases."

Tukson chuckled. "You don't need to worry about that. Just one of your books is enough to sell out my competitors, and I guarantee you that the Mistralian publishers are chewing off their nails for declining the potential of your stories."

Organizing a pile of flyers, the puma Faunus sighed happily at the stacked shelves and eager bookworms that perused them.

"By the way, how's Jaune doing? Last time I heard he was trying to learn the way of the tarot cards. I know you gave me a rundown of their basic meanings, but I still don't get how you see percentages without a calculator."

The magician glanced at his chest pocket. "My son has shown promise and his work ethic is acceptable, but he still has a long way to go in regards to his speed and accuracy."

"Hmph, you'd make a great teacher with that stoic attitude of yours."

Hawkins shook his head. "I don't need to hamper myself with the unpredictabilities of children. One is enough for me."

Placing a thick stack of papers on the main counter, Tukson excused himself to the storage room and returned with a small box with the Atlesian symbol imprinted on it. Holding up the item toward the magician, Hawkins curled a brow and accepted it.

"Is this a gift?"

The store owner nodded. "Yep, it's the finest model on the market, and it's guaranteed a worldwide signal no matter which kingdom you're in."

Tearing open the box, Hawkins tilted his head at the dormant piece of machinery within. Three buttons at its base, the moment Hawkins' finger pressed against one, the scroll came to life and snapped a picture of the stoic man's visage. The bright flash was uncalled for, and the blonde frowned in response.

"Why do I need a scroll?" Hawkins grumbled. He wasn't a talkative person by nature, and most of the people he interacted with were within walking range.

Tukson stroked his chin. "It's not because I think you need it, I just thought that a gift was in order after all that you've done for me. It's because of your book that my shop is still standing, and the envious glares I get from my competitors is the cherry on top. Though, if I'm being honest, getting a hold of you when I need to ask for more specified details is a lot more convenient than waiting till we meet again."

"...Very well. I appreciate the token of gratitude."

Tukson clapped his hands. "Alright, now that all the pleasantries are out of the way, how about we meet up again for a couple of drinks? It's been a while since I've been to a bar, and it's usually better to go to one with a friend."

"I'm more of a wine person. I don't usually dabble in other liquors."

"That's fine." The puma Faunus grinned. "There's more to do in a bar other than drink, but don't blame me if you get a few questioning stares from the bartender and staff when you don't order any drinks."

Hawkins' frown deepened. "If that's the case then why should I attend? It's obvious that a bar isn't the place for me."

"Come on, Hawkins, don't be like that. It's been over two years since we became official business partners, and I'd like to know more about the man who saved my store. So how about it? Does eight o'clock sound like a good time to hit the drinks?"

The magician opened his mouth to politely decline, but a poster plastered behind Tukson stole his attention. Its background black, the image of a white puma head within a white circle was painted in the middle.

"Hm, you're a white fang supporter?"

Tukson blinked and turned to follow the blonde's gaze.

"Yep, that's right. It's an organization that's been on the rise to ease the tension between Faunus and humans. I'm not completely sold on their cause, but for the most part it's been nothing more than peaceful rallies and boycotts of industries that discriminate against Faunus, and as long as it stays that way I'm more than happy to offer them a stage of publicity."

Hawkins nodded. It wasn't hard to figure out that Tukson was a Faunus, though he did hide his trait rather well due to his calm demeanor and leveled head.

"I see." The magician sighed. "I suppose I'll see you at eight o'clock then?"

Tukson gave a thumbs up and went back to sorting his books as Hawkins left the establishment.

/-/

Meanwhile, as the fame of Sora, the warrior spread across the continents of Remnant, not even the most isolated of islands were spared from the heroic tales of the legendary navy soldier and his seagull Faunus sidekick.

"Please mom, can you read it to me again?" Asked a Faunus with two fluffy cat ears that peeked through her ebony locks.

Holding a thick novel with a red leather cover, the girl's amber eyes sparkled in anticipation.

"Blake dear, I've already read you that story five times today." Kali rubbed her temples. She loved her daughter to death, but her vocal cords were already straining to speak small sentences. She too had a pair of velvety cat ears, but hers were larger and had two golden earrings pierced in the left one.

"Then can you read me one of yours then? The one's about the cool ninjas and stuff!" Blake beamed.

"M-Maybe your father can read your favorite story when he gets home!" Kali slapped on a forced grin and picked up her baby by the armpits while taking note to find a better hiding place for her more adult-themed novels.

Her daughter gasped. "Dad's coming home today?!"

"That's right, his boat arrives this afternoon and I'm sure he got you the next installment of Sora!"

Blake's ears reached for the sky. "Really?! I can't wait to see how Sora defeats Dengeki Blue! Or maybe Judge and his commanders will break Sparking red out of jail before Sora confronts them!"

Pressing her book against her chest, Blake skipped around the room while singing the novel's justice-filled anthem.

Kali plopped down on the living room couch and politely covered her ears with a thin smile.

"You'd better have gotten those books Ghira..." She hummed to herself.

To cut a long story short, the man of the house failed to snatch the successors to Sora's first story. This led to a very upset Blake, who wouldn't speak to her father for a whole week until he swayed her heart with her favorite seafood dish. Yet even with that the little cat Faunus proved to be a tad grumpy whenever she asked for her parents to read her a book.

/-/

Scooting back to the cheeky adventures of a happy blonde, Jaune found himself jumping for joy as he wore his new Pumpkin Pete's hoodie with pride. Thick cotton died black, a cartoonish bunny with long ears was sewn on its chest.

"Man, this thing is really comfortable! I can't wait to show Grandma and Grandpa when they get back from work."

Trifa rolled her eyes. "It can't be any more comfortable than the shirt you were wearing before."

Jaune tapped his chin in deep contemplation. "Hm, I guess you're right, but that only proves that this is a quality hoodie!"

However, in his pumped-up state, the boy failed to realize the one problem with his new attire. The sleeves far past his hands and the hem quite below his knees, it dawned on Jaune that this hoodie was meant for an adult.

"This hoodie is too big for me isn't it?"

His best friend giggled. "It took you that long to figure that out?"

"Yeah..."

"If you take it back to the store, I'm sure the cashier wouldn't mind swapping it out for one your size."

A lightbulb dinged over Jaune's head. Pointing a finger toward the sky, he struck a sophisticated pose and stretched his lips to his trademark goofy smile.

"But wait, maybe this is better for me! With my hoodie so big, I'm sure to grow into it right? This means that I won't have to buy another one for the rest of my life!"

His best friend pursed her lips. "Well, you're not completely wrong."

"Exactly!" The blonde exclaimed. "By the way, do you want to wear it?"

Slipping the hoodie off his person, he held it up to the spider Faunus but she waved off his advances.

"I don't want to wear it."

Jaune puffed his cheeks. "Why not?"

Trifa narrowed her eyes. "Because we're in the middle of summer and I don't feel like sweating bullets."

"Aw, but it'll look great on you, I'm sure of it! Please Trifa? It'll only be for a few seconds, then you can take it off." The blonde said and tried to shove the hoodie over his cohort's shoulders.

"W-What are you doing? H-Hey, stop that!" Trifa flailed as she desperately tried to stop Jaune's advances.

"Come on, my hoodie is super comfy! The description on the cereal boxes says so!"

"No means no, Jaune!"

"Alright, you've forced me to take desperate measures!"

"W-What? J-Jaune, don't you dare!"

The boy managed to snag his hoodie over Trifa's shoulders, and with her arms trapped above her head, Jaune went straight for the kill. Flexing his fingers and prodding the Faunus' exposed ribs, Jaune's tickle attack went unchallenged as his helpless victim could only squeal and wriggle in protest.

"S-Stahahahap thahahat Jauhahahan!"

"Not until you agree to wear the hoodie!" The blonde pushed on and positioned his hands just below Trifa's armpits.

Allowing his friend a moment to gather her breath, her eyes grew as wide as saucers when she realized where Jaune's fingers rested.

"DON'T YOU DARE."

The boy's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"Will you put the hoodie on?" He asked while adding in a few light taps against her bare underarms which caused Trifa to shiver.

"Y-Yes..." The Faunus' resolve wilted in an instant.

"Alright, so put it on and see how comfy it is!"

Grumbling all the while, Trifa wrestled her head through the top opening and grunted as she adjusted the sleeves and collar strings.

"There, are you happy now?"

"Yup!" Jaune chuckled. "This is perfect, now I've got two of my favorite things in one awesome package!"

Trifa blinked dumbly. "What?"

Pointing a finger at his cohort's chest, the blonde's cerulean pupils sparkled as his pearly teeth reflected the morning sun.

"Isn't it obvious? It's my special best friend and my new favorite hoodie combined into one outstanding spectacle that I get to see every day!"

His innocence on full blast, Trifa felt her cheeks grow hot and the fair skin around it quickly followed. Before she knew it, Trifa's entire visage was as red as a tomato.

"U-Um, Trifa, are you okay? You look like you're burning up." Jaune gulped.

"I-I'm fine, just don't say s-stuff like that..." Masking her embarrassment with her palms, the Faunus turned away to avoid the boy's curious eyes.

Jaune tilted his head, pursed his lips, and crossed his arms.

"Why wouldn't I say stuff like that? It's the truth, and Granpa and Grandma always told me to speak with an honest tongue!"

Puffing his chest, Jaune's next set of words broke his best buddy's attempt to keep her composure.

"So I'll say it as many times as I want, you're my very special best friend Trifa, and I'm happy whenever I see you!"

"Aaaaah!~" Trifa squealed like an embarrassed schoolgirl and bumped past her friend before breaking into a sprint with her hands still over her face. "H-Hey, where are you going? Um, Trifa, can I get my hoodie back? Hey, I still wanna wear it!"

The bumbling blonde gave chase but tripped and fell flat on his visage allowing his friend a good head start. Running all the way back home, when Jaune got back, he was left to ponder as to why Trifa had shut herself in their shared room, still dressed in his Pumpkin Pete's hoodie.

"Trifa, can you please open the door? Grandpa and Grandma are gonna get mad at me if they think I made you sad!"

The boy didn't want to get spanked over a petty misunderstanding, but the only one who could shed any light on the situation was currently snuggled under her bedsheets as she did her best to cool her heated face and ease her rapidly beating heart.

/-/

"Why is Jaune sitting in front of his bedroom door?" Hawkins curled a brow as Sam and Carla scratched their heads.

"I don't know what's gotten into the little tyke, but he said ever since he and Trifa got back from the grocery store, the girl went on and shut herself in their bedroom for no good reason." Sam sighed as he finely sliced an onion.

"He's been sitting in front of his bedroom door for Oum knows how long, and has only left to use the bathroom or get a snack. But he always comes back in a matter of seconds." Carla added as she stirred the chicken broth over a humble flame.

After the fire five years ago, the Acre household was rebuilt and expanded. Standing three stories tall, most of the original wooden frame had been swapped for brown bricks, and the roof had been fitted with ebony shingles.

A wide hallway connecting all the rooms, Sam and Carla's chambers remained at the end of the hall while Jaune's room stood beside theirs with Trifa's right across from his and next to the washroom.

The kitchen was still right after the front door, but Hawkins preferred this setup as it made is easy to grab a snack and go if he was in a hurry.

"Can you please check on our little knight? I'm worried that he got into a fight with Trifa and that they've decided not to talk to each other." Carla asked with a pleading face.

The magician rolled his eyes and made his way down the hall. His heavy footsteps reaching his son's ears, the boy turned and showed his father a frown.

"Jaune?"

"Hi dad..."

"Is something the matter?"

His son puffed his cheeks. "Trifa won't talk to me and she's been hiding in her room since this morning!"

"What did you do?" His crimson gaze narrowed, Jaune did his best to meet his father's eyes.

"T-The only thing I did was say that Trifa was my special best friend!" The child jumped to his feet and frantically waved his hands.

His patience exhausted, Hawkins withdrew his tarot cards and began to shuffle. Jaune fell silent, his sights solely on the pieces of paper that danced gracefully between his dad's palms.

His focused expression piquing the interest of Hawkins, the magician noted that his son was already six years old and would be seven in a few months. Perhaps it was time to bestow upon him his first tarot deck? But what right of passage would Hawkins use to deem if his child was worthy of such an item?

"Um, dad, am I in trouble?" Jaune asked.

"14% chance that Trifa is mad at you." Hawkins surmised.

"Really?!" The young blonde hopped in delight and scrambled back to the door.

"Trifa, if you're not mad at me then that means you're still my special best friend! So I can have my hoodie back right?"

A muffled squeal from the other side of the door, Jaune looked to his father for an answer, but all Hawkins could do was shrug.

/-/

Meanwhile, on an island not too far from Vale...

"Yang, it's my turn to play with the ball!" A young girl pouted. Dressed in a simple black shirt and blue shorts, she sported a pair of squeaky red sneakers that matched the color of her short, red-tinted hair and silver eyes.

"Too slow Rubes!" Yang teased as she tossed the ball into the sky then caught it a few feet away. Unlike her sister, Yang's hair swayed long and proud as it reflected the same color of the golden sun. Instead of a shirt and shorts, the blonde girl opted for a durable set of orange overalls but sported a similar pair of sneakers as Ruby, though her's was colored white and blue.

"Summer, I don't think it's a good idea to let Yang tease Ruby so much, I don't feel like going through another escapade of grumpy hide and seek." Whispered a muscular man adorned in a casual polo shirt and faded blue jeans as he slinked his arm around his wife's waist.

"Don't worry, Tai, I'm sure our little flowers learned their lesson after the first six times." Summer replied with a sighing smile. Wearing her usual huntress attire as she did so, but left her cloak hitched on a hanger by the front door.

"That's it, Yang! You're a big meanie!" Ruby shouted.

"Yeah?! Well, you're a tiny shrimp!" Yang shot back.

"Oh, man..." Tai grumbled with a palm over his face.

"Well, they do say that seven is a lucky number right?" Summer said with a strained smile.

As the loving parents separated their younglings, a lightbulb dinged over Summer's head that would provide her with a quick means of ending the bickering squabble.

"That's right! Did I forget that your uncles are coming to visit?"

Yang's and Ruby's eyes widened as giddy smiles broke through their once souring faces.

"Is uncle Qrow coming then? Am I finally old enough to use his weapon? I drank a lot of milk yesterday so I should've grown a whole ten inches!" The little reaper in the making squealed.

While her older sister shared her enthusiasm, a pensive expression took hold of Yang's visage as she crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Yang?" Tai asked as he leaned down on one knee to meet his daughter's eye.

"Is uncle Hawkins coming too then?"

"Of course he is!" Her father grinned.

"I don't wanna see him, he's creepy." Yang huffed.

"And really really scary!" Ruby added as she scrambled behind her sibling's back for protection.

"Now girls," Summer's voice, while still gentle, held a hint of sternness as she spoke. "Your uncle Hawkins is a very nice man. Sure he can be a little difficult every now and then, but he's still a good person who's helped me, your father, your uncle Qrow, and many of our friends countless times."

"He's also the one who gifted you your favorite red wagon, Yang," Tai assured his beloved's claims with that statement.

"I still don't like him." Yang kicked the dirt.

"His face never changes..." Ruby whimpered.

"Well, does it help that Jaune, Trifa, and Mr. and Ms. Acres are coming too?" Summer was scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point.

"Jaune's stupid and Trifa's bossy." Yang blurted.

"He's really nice!" The group was surprised that it was Ruby's voice that defended the boy. "He showed me how to stack cards and Trifa baked cookies with me and mommy the last time they were here!"

"Alright, that's enough of that then, come on you two little bundles of sweetness, we have to drop by the grocery store and stock up in case Carla and your mother break out into another baking contest." Tai chuckled and picked up his kids despite their childish protests.

"Ding~" Rang the red reaper's scroll as she followed her family into the cabin.

"Hello, Qrow, what's that? Oh, you're already on the island? Well Tai and the rest of us are going to town today so if you want to meet us there that'd be perfect." Summer giggled with a toothy smile.