Here we are another chapter, a quick apology X3runner, I really wanted to make a funny scene in regards to Jaune and Yang, but that'll have to wait as this first part of Patch is going to be more on the serious side.
"Hey, dad, how much longer until we meet up with the others? I wanna show Trifa and Yang this cool-looking leaf I plucked off that low-hanging branch!" Jaune grinned as he presented the leaf to Ruby.
"Wow!" The little reaper eyed the piece of foliage as if it were a foreign specimen. "That leaf looks like a puppy!"
"I know right?" Jaune's smile grew wider. "The chances of another leaf looking like this has to be one in a million!"
As the children laughed atop his stiff shoulders, Hawkins veered his crimson gaze to the paths ahead. The twists becoming more straight and linear over the next few meters, he surmised the junction between all the hiking trails were no more than ten minutes away.
However, he didn't want to be seen as a pack mule, so he ordered Ruby and Jaune to get off his person.
"Aw, do we have to? This is the first time I got to ride on your shoulders dad!" His son whined.
"Yeah, and I never get to do anything fun with my scary-looking uncle when he comes to visit!" Ruby pouted.
The magician rolled his eyes. "Don't make me lunge forward, if that happens, each of you will be missing some teeth when we meet the others."
The kids gulped at the idea and hurriedly asked their carrier to kneel down. The man did so, but his excited son had forgotten to zip up his backpack after he retrieved a sugary snack and a piece of paper slipped out as a result.
"Oops," Jaune sighed, but as he went to pick it up a sudden gust of wind carried it away.
"Aw, I was almost done that tarot test too!" The boy growled.
'Then I suggest you hurry up and fetch it." His father stated.
"Huh?" Tilting his head to meet his father's stare, Jaune scratched his cheek unsure of how to respond.
"I didn't write those tests so you could go on and lose them," Hawkins grunted, "I expect ten tarot tests to be completed by the end of this week and they all need to score higher than seventy percent to be a pass."
"B-But..." Jaune whimpered.
"D-Don't worry, Jaune, I'll help you find it!" Ruby piped up while raising her hand like an excited student.
"That is forbidden," Hawkins said firmly, "my son will not impose on someone else for such a petty task. Now retrieve your paper, Jaune, before the wind carries it deeper into the forest."
"O-Okay!" The blonde boy yelped with mustered courage.
Seeing the worry on his friend's face, he assured her that he'd return soon and took off his backpack.
"Just hold onto this while I'm gone, Ruby, and when I get back we can share the rest of my chocolate chip cookies!"
Ruby nodded eagerly while a dribble of drool trickled through the corners of her mouth. With that, Jaune disappeared under the shadows of the nearby trees with a goofy smile and determined glimmer in his ocean eyes. The paper was still in sight, albeit a tad higher in the air now, but it would come back down to earth eventually, as the laws of gravity demanded so.
/-/
The back of her friend fading till it reached the cover of trees, it finally dawned on Ruby that she was alone. Well, not exactly, but by the stoic face of her temporary guardian, she wished she was.
"U-Um..." Ruby stammered, unable to lock eyes with the daunting man who towered above her.
"Yes?" Hawkins curled a brow.
"W-Will Jaune be okay? M-My parents said that if Yang and I wandered too far into the wilds there'd be plenty of Grimm ready to gobble us up."
The blonde sighed. "There's no need to worry about my son's well-being. There's only a 4% chance of him encountering a foul creature in that direction, and the wildlife in this area is also rather tame."
"O-Oh..." Ruby gripped the hems of her shirt and continued to mumble under her breath. Though she paused when the sound of shuffling paper reached her ears.
Tilting her head to see the source of the sound, Ruby's eyes widened at the dancing movements of Hawkins' tarot cards as he muttered quietly to himself. Curiosity getting the better of her, Ruby tippy-toed over and tugged on her honorary uncle's pant leg.
"Yes?" The magician said flatly.
"J-Jaune says you can predict the future with those cards."
"That is correct, however, this ability is not limitless nor is it entirely accurate. While I prefer choosing the highest probabilities, there's often a chance that the situations I find myself in can swing out of favor."
"U-Um... what?"
Hawkins stopped his shuffling then rubbed his temples. He couldn't blame Ruby entirely for her inability to comprehend intricate sentences as she was only four years old, but it annoyed him nonetheless that he was forced to look after a tyke. A curious tyke at that.
"I'm saying that my cards can only see one path at a time. Unless I prepare, the outcome of my choices remains unclear."
"I think I get it," Ruby cupped her chin and stared into the distance.
"83% chance that she doesn't get it." Hawkins deadpanned after a quick tarot reading.
"Um, can you show me how you move your cards like that? Jaune says it's really cool and I want to practice for the next time I build a card castle with him."
The former pirate grunted, but seeing his son's return was likely a swift one, he supposed he could cater to the silver-eyed girl's curiosity.
As Hawkins satisfied the many questions of Ruby, her sibling found herself kicking a pebble across the dusty trail with both hands clasped behind her neck. Her parents right behind her, they followed their daughter with linked arms and happy smiles.
"Why did Ruby go with uncle Hawkins, mom?" The young brawler puffed her cheeks.
"It's because you and your sister are in need of some serious bonding time with your uncle." Summer replied warmly.
"Trust me, Yang," Tai added, "there's plenty of knowledge hidden behind that stoic face he wears."
"But he's mean and creepy!" Their daughter protested, kicking the pebble she'd found with extra force thus losing it in a thick bundle of bushes.
"And Jaune's stupid too!"
Concern on their faces, Summer, and Tai separated their arms and closed the distance between themselves and Yang.
"Yang Xiao Long, you watch your mouth young lady," her father wagged a finger with a hand on his hip. "Otherwise I'll have to prepare a proper punishment should you keep this up."
"But it's true!" The young brawler huffed. "Uncle Hawkins gets to say whatever he wants and he doesn't have to sit in a corner! And all Jaune has to do when he gets in trouble is run to his Granpa and Grandma!"
While this statement was true, what Yang didn't know is that the last time Carla and Sam punished their grandchild, they made him sweep the floors and scrub all the windows of their house for two weeks straight; and Oum forbid that Hawkins delivers discipline on his son. As an example of the magician's methods for punishment varied from sleeping outside for three days to writing several tarot and other academic tests that required Jaune to hit 90%. If the boy failed to hit that score, he ended up having to retake all his tests in the next hour.
"That's true," Summer said in a soothing tone, "but Hawkins is an adult and he knows when to hold his tongue when addressing those he respects."
Yang avoided her parent's stare and crossed her arms.
"Yang, look at me when I'm talking to you." Her mother's tone shifting from sweet to stern in an instant, the young brawler shivered in response as she reluctantly stopped staring at the ground. Though she still refused to meet her parent's gazes.
"I know you're mad at Jaune and your uncle Hawkins, but you've never told us why. Believe me, I know from experience that when you share your problems, the solution for them comes a lot quicker and clearer." Summer leaned down so she could meet her daughter eye to eye.
Set in a sitting position, the red reaper patiently waited for a reply while Tai decided to join her and knelt down.
"U-Uncle Hawkins..." Yang trembled. Her hands clenched in fists, it took all of her willpower to spit out her bottled emotions.
"J-Jaune made his dad say that I'm nothing like my parents!"
Summer and Tai blinked then turned to one another. While the mother tilted her head and furrowed her brows, all her husband could offer was an unsure shrug and frown.
"I'm sorry," Summer pursed her lips, "could you say that a little slower sweetie?"
Stifled sniffles shifting to heavy sobs, Yang couldn't hide her tears despite her furious sleeve wiping.
His fatherly instincts on high gear, Tai quickly embraced his daughter with his wife not too far behind. Rubbing the young brawlers back, the parents' efforts succeeded in easing their child's rattled emotions.
"I-It... Happened when I asked uncle Hawkins to do one of those wierd card readings for me..." Yang sulked as the vivid memory came forth.
Onwards to said memory...
The sun bright and morning young, the Xiao Long siblings snuck around the log cabin with pearly smiles on full display.
"Come on out you guys, it's useless to conceal yourselves from the master of hide and seek!" Jaune proclaimed boldly.
No response, he hurried back up the stairs to the rented room his father occupied and asked him for a few sneaky hints of the other children's hiding spots. Information received, the blonde boy stealthily made his way to the living room and peeked behind the living room couch closest to the window.
Noticing a twitching ahoge, his cerulean eyes met with a pair of lilac that quickly widened in surprise.
"I found Yang!" Jaune announced and upon his words a head of cobalt and red-tinted locks revealed themselves from under the kitchen table and bathroom tub.
"You know what that means!" Ruby laughed as Yang's visage adorned a pout.
"Jaune always makes sure that we each get a turn to be it." Trifa sighed, though she wore a smile while doing so.
"Hey can your dad really see into the future by staring at a bunch of cards?" Yang asked. "Because if he can that's against the rules of hide and seek."
Pointing an accusing finger at her fellow blonde, Jaune shook his head to her claim of cheating but confirmed her primary statement.
"Yup," he said, "my dad can predict almost any scenario! All he has to do is calculate the odds and after a few shuffles he can see almost anything he wants!"
"Wow, that sounds cool." Ruby commented.
"So your dad can see a little into the future, that's not so great," yet despite her words, Yang did believe that her uncle's ability was very cool.
"Jaune?" Called a low stoic tone.
To the surprise of everyone present, Hawkins revealed himself while adorned in his regular pirate attire. He planned to take a stroll before anyone woke up, but his hopes were dashed by the four pairs of eyes that stared back at him.
"Hey, dad!" Jaune rushed to his father. "Can you do some of your cool tarot readings for us? Yang wants to see you predict the future."
"Can I really see it?" The young brawler asked, excitement clear in her voice.
Hawkins rolled his eyes and tried to decline, but the excessive pant pulling from Jaune, Yang, and Ruby wore down his resolve until he reluctantly took a seat on one of the living room couches. Retrieving his cards from his coat pocket, he demanded the children remain silent as he meticulously calculated the day's events.
"75% chance there will be omelets for breakfast." He mumbled.
"W-What about cookies?" Ruby hopped onto the armrest and peeked over her uncle's shoulder.
"There's only a 6% chance of there being cookies for breakfast."
Ruby's head fell as she mustered another round of courage. "How about the chances of me using an awesome weapon?"
"13% chance," Hawkins deadpanned.
"Alright, my turn, Ruby!" Yang grinned and hopped on the empty seat beside the magician.
"What do you want?" Hawkins asked lazily.
"What's my favorite dessert?" The blonde girl smirked. There was no way her uncle could predict something he didn't know, and this was his first time visiting Patch so there was no way he could possibly know-
"91% chance that it's strawberry cake."
Yang's jaw dropped. Noticing the smug smiles of Jaune and Trifa, the blonde brawler blushed and forced another question from her throat. She needed to make a comeback to regain the high ground, and she knew just the question to tip the scales. Before she could ask it, however, Ruby stepped in and asked her own.
"Uncle Hawkins, am I more like my dad or my mom?"
The question seemed innocent enough, so the magician performed a perfect shuffle.
"60% chance you're like your mother, and 40% chance you're like your father."
"Oh yeah, then what about me?" Yang butted in.
Annoyed at all the attention, Hawkins grumbled out his last tarot reading, but in his haste he allowed his tongue to move without his mind to guide it.
"25% Chance you're like your father, and 14% chance you're like your mother."
Curling a brow at the results he'd just said, the magician's lips slouched to a neutral line as an awkward silence filled the room.
"W-What?" Yang looked at her uncle as if he were a Grimm.
"That's enough questions," he replied swiftly and abruptly stood from his seat.
The action sent Ruby to tumble onto an unfortunate Trifa, while Jaune did his best to ease his fellow blonde's fall.
Without another word, Hawkins exited the room then passed the front door and breathed a deep sight to clear his head. While the children would have to fuss among themselves with questions that he refused to answer, Hawkins would not entertain the subject any longer.
One of the reasons was because he wanted to avoid any potential drama, but the more important reason racked his mind no matter how much he denied it. Hawkins didn't deserve to delve into delicate and personal matters like these, especially when they regarded the woman he once held affection for, and a man he deemed more than worthy to wed her.
Now back to the present time...
"Y-You always say that uncle Hawkins is really nice, so why did he say such mean things about me?" Yang continued to sob and soaked her mother and father's clothes in salty tears and murky snot.
"Am I... Am I really..." Yang didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Summer's voice cut in.
"Yang!" The red reaper's grip wavered for a moment but quickly developed into a devoted hug that rivaled that of a mother bear.
"You'll always be our little girl, no matter what, do you understand?"
"T-That's right," Tai fumbled as his track record of maintaining a stoic demeanor was rather lacking, "at the end of the day you'll always be our Sunny Little Dragon!"
The gentle yet strong words warming the young brawler's chest, quivering lilac met with a radiant silver and tender indigo.
Allowing the waterfall to finally flow, Yang let out all her stifled wails and freely bawled in her parents' loving embrace. As she did so, the two loving adults lifted their heads for a brief moment and stared at one another, sharing a look that they'd set up a private talk with Hawkins the next time they saw him.
/-/
While drama brewed between the families, another uncle found himself in quite the bind as he stared numbly at his twin.
"We don't meet for five years and that's the tone you use to address your elder sibling?" Raven scoffed.
Qrow glanced at the nearby trees warily searching for prying eyes. Content with the surrounding privacy, the raven-haired hunter drew a long sigh and faced his sister.
"I'm not in the mood for petty family disputes," he grumbled, "I'm on a bloody vacation, Raven, and I intend to keep it that way. So why don't we stop beating around the bush and get to the point? Are you going to try and kidnap Yang?"
Qrow couldn't see it, but there was definitely a scowl behind that boney mask his sibling wore.
"I've already moved past that," Raven hissed through clenched teeth, "though I suppose her fake mother is doing a good job at weaving lies?"
Raven gave a mocking chuckle.
"It's surprising really, my former partner couldn't craft a believable fib if her life depended on it during our schooldays."
"There's a benefit to telling the truth," Qrow snapped back, "you earn the trust of people you want to be around. Not to mention that very same trust gave Tai another kid to watch over."
For a moment the air stilled and felt as if it were adding weights to Qrow's shoulders.
"Another... child?" Raven said a bit too slowly to not go unnoticed.
"Yep." Her sibling said smugly. However, he didn't want to go into detail about his niece's appearance in case Raven got any ideas, that was a risk Qrow wasn't willing to take.
"Just as big a goofball as their dad, not to mention the kindness that radiates off them is like a breath of fresh air."
Another period of brooding silence, it was replaced by an abrupt chuckle, this one much more sinister, owned by the bandit as she raised her chin and stepped forward. Her brother reclined, his hands quick to position themselves on the hilt of his weapon, he leaned down as if ready to take a dive.
"Calm yourself, brother, if I wanted to spill your blood I wouldn't do it here. After all, I wouldn't want our former teammates to find your corpse. It wouldn't be a funeral they'd be hoping to attend."
Qrow shook his head in disgust. He could not deny the bond he shared for his twin, but blood only ran so deep. Plus, while he was a very competent fighter, he wouldn't allow anger to cloud his judgment of the potential combatant he now faced. Raven was in a league of her own, though only by a slight margin. As stated by her academic scores in Beacon, she was nothing to gloat about, but she more than made up for it with brute strength and cunning.
"Enough of this," Qrow spat a thick loogie onto the soil, "if you're not here for Yang then I can't imagine why you'd go through the trouble of seeking me out."
"The answer is simple," Raven shrugged, "I need information on a certain someone who's gone off the radar. I trust you know who I'm referring to?"
"Can't say I do." Qrow replied.
His sibling shook her head and maintained her assertive position. "I've heard rumors that Haven's spring maiden is has broken free from the cowardly lion's grip."
Her brother's eyes widened and his speech came out under a growl.
"How the hell do you know about this?"
Raven waved a dismissive hand. "I have my ways."
"Well, all I can tell you is that she's missing. No one's seen the girl since she abandoned her academy, and that happened a year and a half ago."
"Do you take me for a fool?" The bandit sighed. "I'm well aware that she fled into Vacuan territory, so it's only a matter of time until I find her and integrate her into my tribe. The same tribe that you deserted by the way."
"I didn't desert anyone, I merely picked a new career path."
"They were your family, the ones who raised you into the powerful warrior you are today."
"That's not how I see it," Qrow grunted, "sure the tribe had a few good drinking buddies and all that but I'd bet my top lien that they'd butcher me the second I turned my back."
"The dangers they presented were to ensure that we didn't become weak. Our instincts are sharper and our decisions aren't hampered by petty emotions. Why can't you see that?"
"It's because I've got a conscience, and I intend to keep it that way." Her brother replied sharply.
"Conscience? Please, that's nothing but a pathetic word for those who don't have the gall to do what needs to be done."
"You're calling the murdering of innocents necessary? Tell me, Raven, can you really look at yourself in the mirror with a clear mind? Or has that stupid mask robbed you of all things that relate to common sense?" Qrow's rebuke did not go unchallenged.
The geared mechanisms of her trusted weapon shifting back and forth from red to yellow, it finally ended on red, meaning its wielder was prepared for battle.
"Are you really that riled up? I knew you were hard-headed but this is ridiculous."
With the tension between the Branwen siblings steeping to blood-curdling temperatures, neither took notice of a fluttering piece of paper that had unfortunately flown its way to the potential battle to come.
"Come on, so close!" Jaune panted as he finally snagged his test paper after a mighty jump that had taken far longer to get ahold of than he expected.
"Alright, now I just have to... Uh oh, where am I?"
He spun on his heels and searched all around, but he couldn't retrace his steps no matter how hard he tried. Instead, his cerulean pupils landed on a familiar figure set in a large clearing. A torn red cape fluttering in the wind, there was only one hunter Jaune knew of with that specific detail.
"Yahoo! I'm in luck, hey, Uncle Qrow!" The boy yelled while waving his arm. Hurrying over as he spotted a figure he did not recognize.