G.N. Chapter 26 (Patreon)

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Chapter 26 Taking a Breath

The time following Jaune’s return was a period of extreme excitement for all occupants of the Arc household. Not a moment went by that Jaune was not accompanied by at least two members of his clan, whether his sisters or his parents.

Or Tami.

Tami, who, upon seeing him for the first time, burst into tears and leapt onto him much like the animal she derived her traits from would. Jaune did what he could to console his honorary aunt, but she would continue to hold him for the rest of her stay that evening.

Unknowingly for Jaune, this would go a long way to awaken the jealousy of his sisters, and from this point forth, climbing atop Jaune would again be a trend. Jaune would not notice as it wasn’t that long ago in the grand scheme of things that Jade and Sky would clamber up his body anyway.

And when Saphron and Scarlett both incidentally asked for him to carry them places, he was all too happy to comply.

Only when Orr asked for a turn did he start to suspect something. Not that this stopped his new friend from hurling herself atop his back, but the joke was assuredly on her because she weighed very little despite her monstrous strength.

But holding his family and Orr near was not all he got up to upon his return; he also made sure to update himself about the going ons of his family while he was absent. It was a testament to their eagerness that the first time he had asked his family, they had all, save his mother, bombarded him with responses. The slight ringing in his ears reminded him not to do that again.

After that, Jaune made sure only to bring the topic up whilst he was with only one or two of his sisters. Thanks to a combination of work and school, Jaune found that he had adequate opportunities to spend time with each of his family individually.

Reception to school following his return was not received well. The younger girls had to be dragged to school, and the grooves they left on the floor were a testament that they had inherited their parent's strength.

Scarlett took him out to lunch the first school day back; it was a restaurant near her workplace favoured by her boss. It was fun spending time with his eldest sister, and she was happy to indulge him and inform him about her life over the past three months.

In her own words, her news was ‘not exciting’, but she told him all the same.

Thus the first piece of news she broke to him was that she was in line for a change in position. Mr Brown had grown to appreciate her efforts and loyalty despite hardships.

Jaune could read between the lines that her boss was probably referring to her stalker.

Scarlett then described to him that if things went through the way she hoped, there was a chance that she would be promoted to an office position and tasked with managing a team. The part that really excited her was that the job would come with travel opportunities and a second office in the Capital.

“Do you want to go to the Capital, sister?” Jaune asked, intrigued.

“I have gone before, of course,” Scarlett started, Jaune nodding as Reach was a transport hub, and it was not hard to find a ship going to or from Vale City. “But I like the idea of there being a place I can go to at my leisure; that’s a kind of freedom often only reserved for Huntsman, after all.”

Scarlett was correct in that; Remnant was not a world where one could afford to travel freely; it was often the case that travel was either expensive or dangerous.

Or both.

Huntsman were often the most well-travelled amongst Remnant’s inhabitants as the Grimm were ever-present no matter from which nation you came. A work position with the privilege of discretionary travel was indeed a lofty one.

And now that Jaune had tasted the world's wilds, he agreed with his sister's sentiment.

“There is a whole wide world out there… it only makes sense you would wish to see more of it,” Jaune agreed.

“Listen to you, acting like a world-weary traveller,” Scarlett teased.

Jaune just smiled and went back to enjoying his nachos and pizza. While he may not be well-travelled, there were days were weary was just about all he could feel.

When nearly all their food was finished, Jaune took a moment to look about and admire Reach. The streets were peaceful, given that he and Scarlett had opted for an early lunch. It was quiet, with only a light smattering of people littered about, most only moving from one store to another.

“Watcha looking at?” Scarlett spoke up curiously.

“Nothing in particular… I just do not frequent downtown often,” Jaune explained with a shrug.

Scarlett glanced about but quickly gasped, the noise alerting Jaune, who sat upright, “What is it?” he asked in a worried tone.

Scarlett looked at him, her hands covering the lower half of her face as she eyed him. “Brother…” She spoke slowly, her voice a quiet taunt, “When was the last time you went shopping?”

“… Pardon?”

Scarlett rose from her seat, waving to a staff member so that she could pay the bill, her body seemingly energised as she moved with haste. When all was seen to, and they could depart, Scarlett grasped both arms and tugged at him, her enthusiasm practically blazing.

“Come on, Jaune, your big sister will spoil you rotten!”

Jaune could never resist his sisters, so he was pulled behind her.

Scarlett dragged him into every fashion store she could spot, everything from formal attire to swimwear. Once inside, she would quickly run him through a lap of the store before casting him into the changing area.

Then her fun began.

She would bring him stacks of clothes, and often the staff would join in until Jaune was little more than her personal dress-up doll.

A fact that caused him no small amount of amusement and led him to wonder once again what his dearest companion would think if she could see him now. She had always been ready to help him with the often complex attires he would don. He could not help but wish for her aid as he was forced to show off another outfit to his eldest sister.

Their journey was not unseen either; many people would glance towards them, a side effect of their height, no doubt. Both customers and staff seemed curious about the two of them, but Jaune was too preoccupied with being buried under clothes to worry about it, and Scarlett didn’t care. There were an amusing number of comments about his many bandages and injuries, but a single scathing look from his sister tended to halt them.

If not, one of his usually caused a hasty retreat.

Scarlett occasionally bought things, telling Jaune not to fret about it as the money was hers to spend, and she got discounts from a few of the stores. It seemed Mr Brown and Ray Shipping were not without their connections, and Scarlett was not above taking advantage of them.

Jaune decided to go along with it for the most part; he did not mind his sister's attentions; if anything, he preened under them. It was a welcome shift instead of their distance from their younger years. But all her attention did make him feel a little bit bombarded, and thus there were points where he would bother her to look for some clothes for herself as well.

By the end, their hunt for a new wardrobe for Jaune left them with several bags, most of which Jaune himself carried. Not to be outdone, Scarlett would go on to buy them both ice creams to enjoy. With it now being the beginning of summer, the afternoons were long and warm, a precursor of the heat that would surely hit soon. The ice cream went a long way to fight the heat.

Scarlett went with an obscenely sugary strawberry mix, and Jaune settled for a dark chocolate mocha mix as he was not overly fond of just sweet things. With a few notable exceptions, he often likes his sweets to carry an edge of bitterness or some other accompanying flavour.

So it was that Jaune would carry the numerous bags, their weight not even an inconvenience, while Scarlett was kind enough to feed him his ice cream. Scarlett was all smiles as she and her brother walked home; Jaune, while not as expressively, was also having a delightful time.

Perhaps too good a time as both were unaware of their location when Scarlett glanced about and found her body coming to a complete halt. Always watchful, Jaune stopped in synch; his eyes resting solely on his sister.

“Scarlett, what’s wrong,” Jaune spoke, moving so his shoulder brushed hers.

At first, Scarlett seemed hesitant to speak, but then with a faltering gesture, she directed Jaune’s attention to the area around them. “Look where we are…”

Jaune did so, his eyes not finding anything notable about the street and his nose inhaling little more than usual city scents. But upon closer inspection, he saw the alley to their left had a cracked indent on one of its walls.

It was this that reminded Jaune of where they were. After all, he had put that indent there.

Using Scarlett’s stalker's head to do so.

“Ah… are you all right?” Jaune whispered, bringing his head down to look his sister in the eye. For the most part, Scarlett seemed ok. She just looked… conflicted.

“Yeah… yeah I am, it's just… I feel like I should… feel more, I guess?”

“…Why?”

“Well, this is an important place. Like it's where you saved me, and I finally got around to pulling my head out of my ass, it's just… also a really shit memory,” Scarlett cringed, remembering that awful time she was being stalked.

The attack was the worst, but it didn’t make the weeks of continuous unease and the awful messages less devastating.

‘All in all, a shit time,’ Scarlett thought, glaring into the alley and the chain link fence blocking it about halfway down.

“… No, this is an alley where you were attacked; this is not an important place,” Jaune adamantly denied, shaking his head.

“But-“

“We made up at home; this place is nothing, just another section of the street… he doesn’t deserve a single page in the story of your life,” Jaune growled, his voice laced with caustic hate.

Hate that Scarlett could fully get behind.

“… Jaune, if I ask you something… and you don’t want to answer it, I want you to know that… that’s ok, but I still want to ask it,” Scarlett uttered, the words challenging to get out.

Jaune looked at her, Scarlett gulping as she saw his expression of concern; a single brow raised as he addressed her. “I can answer… but just be careful what you ask, sister… somethings are not so easily unlearned once known.”

Scarlett chewed on the inside of her lip as she mulled her brother's words over, his wisdom not falling on deaf ears as she was already battling her indecisiveness. But in the end, curiosity won out.

So she asked in a voice that was less than a whisper, “Jaune… that night when you told me to run home and get mum… d-did… did you kill him?”

“… No, he did not die by my hand,” Jaune admitted to his sister. Scarlett looked at him, a myriad of emotions flashing over her features, but Jaune’s voice silenced her before she could speak. His voice was firm, “But he is dead, of that you can be sure.”

Scarlett didn’t know how to process that, her mind scrambling to find some response, but there didn’t seem to be a viable response in her head.

So she settled for softly breathing out a diminutive “oh.”

Silence crept over the two Arc siblings, Jaune akin to a quiet bastion as he watched over his sister, who was lost in her inner processing. Eventually, though Scarlett started nodding, she looked up to her little brother, who was now barely taller than her and smiled.

Lifting herself, she kissed his unbandaged cheek and spoke when her feet were flat on the ground again. “Thank you for telling me… and thank you for being my brother Jaune.”

Scarlett watched as her brother gave her his iconic smile, the slight upturning of his lips making her feel warm inside.

“Tis a pleasure, dear sister,” Jaune replied happily, “shall we be on our way?”

Scarlett glanced at the alley entrance and the street where her brother had saved her. ‘Jaune is right… it's just a street, and he doesn’t deserve my thoughts,’ Scarlett thought triumphantly.

“Let’s get home… we gotta set up your new wardrobe!” Scarlett cheered happily, beginning to walk forward again, Jaune shadowing her closely.

“Of course, sister,” Jaune agreed happily, trailing behind Scarlett, his arms full of bags listening as his sister began talking about colour tones.

Much of it went over his head, but he didn’t mind; spending time with Scarlett was nice. Jaune had missed his eldest sister.

YVYVYVYVY

Saphron was the next sister he got to spend some time alone with, it was around a week later, and he was officially free of his bandages when the opportunity arose. Saphron was in her final year of school and thus did not need to attend every day, giving her a prime opportunity to spend time with Jaune.

He had just finished a rather intense training session with Orr, the first he had with his new friend. Unlike his mother, who was exceptional at pacing herself or his father, who always took it a bit too easy on him, Orr had no restraint.

Orr excused this by stating she had never actually trained against someone without Aura before, but Jaune was far from complaining. Fighting Orr was challenging, and seeing the absolute surprise on her face when he managed to land blow after blow on her was exhilarating. The downside was that when she landed a hit on him, whether with her fists or a dummy weapon… it took a lot out of him.

So when they finished, Jaune was laid out on the ground with extensive bruises and welts already forming on his body, and Orr was left with a bloody nose and a manic laugh. Jaune considered this a massive victory. His friend did as well. Orr said she would have to try even harder next time as she couldn’t afford to be taking such beatings from an Auraless civilian.

It was then that Saphron showed up, or it would be better to say she approached, as she had been watching his training the entire time. She bid farewell to Orr, who told her to “scrape him off the lawn” as she had to get to a shift. Her parting cry of “See ya next time Sprout,” would have had a sane person trembling.

Jaune just smiled.

“Um… bro. You good?”

Jaune opened his eyes, still riding high from his training. His smile grew that much wider upon spotting his older sister. “Hello, Saphron, I am just… catching my breath,” Jaune said, his chest heaving. Saphron just nodded, looking around before glancing back at Jaune’s face.

“You sure you don’t need help… she was kinda beating your ass out there…”

“Yes, sister, Orr and I haven’t sparred before, so she was just going through her paces and adjusting her strength accordingly,” Jaune explained, his breathing slowly returning to a more regular calm state as he got a handle on it.

“Oh… remind me not to spar with her,” Saphron commented, her eyes dancing to the many new bodily injuries littering Jaune’s frame. She wanted to be concerned, but Jaune wasn’t even paying them any mind, so she decided to trust that her brother knew better.

“Mm, if you are considering physical combat training, I recommend starting with father; he has the most restraint and control… Mother is a tad enthusiastic,” Jaune informs his sister, eyes darting away from hers for a moment.

“I’ve noticed.”

“Ah, good,” Jaune grunted, sitting up, his sister plopping down on the grass beside him.

The two Arc siblings sat peacefully with each other for a moment, Jaune happily revelling in the peace and company of his sister and Saphron…

Saphron was thinking.

“Hey, Jaune.”

“Mm.”

“What are you going to be when you grow up… more,” Saphron finished sarcastically, looking up at her brother, who was still taller than her even when they were both sitting.

“… I have never really given it any thought,” Jaune admitted.

“… Me neither,” Saphron whispered, pulling her legs up into her chest, her voice gaining a hint of remorse.

Jaune took notice immediately. “Saphron?”

“Jaune… I graduate this year and have no idea what I should do!” Saphron shouted in frustration. “I only ever put all my focus into my athletics, but now… I don’t even have that,” Saphron spat spitefully.

Jaune nearly growled but restrained himself, “Are you still having… ‘issues’ at school?”

“No,” Saphron quickly warded her brother off, recognising his tone, her hand coming around to push against his chest. “No, no, no, no… no, everything is fine and trust me, no one there has even had the guts to look at me the wrong way,” Saphron explained, hoping such information would stop another incident.

“… Then what is wrong dear sister?” Jaune enquired, bending down to look his sister in the eye, an action Jaune was doing much more frequently now.

“… Volleyball is a team sport… I don’t have a team anymore; I don’t have anyone at school anymore. That doesn’t mean they're being mean to me, so just settle down there, killer,” Saphron pointed out, prodding her brother, who did his best to remain docile.

“What of your friends?” Jaune asked curiously.

“I just… can’t connect with them anymore; they are still nice, don’t get me wrong, but I struggle to even talk to them,” Saphron admitted pressing her head into Jaune’s arm.

“I see,” Jaune could understand difficulties communicating; he practically embodied such a characteristic.

“And then there is actual school. Do you know how frustrating it is always to be compared to Scarlett? She was like every teacher's favourite! And the ones who didn’t like her still thought she was a great kid!” Saphron bemoaned loudly.

“I do not,” Jaune admitted; he knew very little about his eldest sister's time at school as she never really brought it up.

“Well, they love her, all of them, and I thought I had something with sports, but… but I graduate at the end of the year, and I just don’t know what to do anymore, Jaune…” Saphron finished weakly.

Jaune saw his sister seemingly wilt, her body slump in on itself and took it as a personal challenge.

“Sister, I think you are looking at this incorrectly,” Jaune spoke calmly.

“Huh?”

“You are an Arc, dear sister,” Jaune began leaning into his sister gently so as not to knock her over. “The question isn’t what are you ‘supposed’ to do; it's what do you want to do.”

“Jaune-“

“You are my sister Saphron, and I truly believe that you can do anything, and I will happily help you should you need it,” Jaune said in an attempt to comfort.

Saphron nodded her head for a moment before making up her mind. Rising to her feet, she offered Jaune a hand up, putting all her strength into pulling her surprisingly heavy brother off the ground. She took a second to look her brother over, a hand coming up to trace the faint marks about his right eye that were still healing.

“I can tell you one thing; I don’t think I’ll ever want to be a caravan worker…” Saphron admitted looking at her brother’s marred face.

“Mm, I would think such a job is for a very special breed… or the desperate,” Jaune agreed, as he could not imagine such things to be all that safe. He and Orr were just two people and still encountered something monstrous due to bad luck.

A caravan of more than thirty… it was no wonder they often went missing.

“Hmm… maybe I could be a cook or something,” Saphron mumbled, “Or a nutritionist.”

“You are the second-best cook in the family,” Jaune agreed wholeheartedly.

Saphron laughed, “Well, Dad does have a couple of years of practice over me.”

“True… not to mention he has to feed all of us,” Jaune commented.

“Ahh, that’s it then, is it? I need to get myself my own brood of young Arcs to fatten up,” Saphron proclaimed as she led Jaune back inside the house.

Jaune went conspicuously quiet at this, his gaze pinned to the back of his sister’s head, his thoughts turning to the fact that he had never heard his sisters mention children. He did not think that they thought of such matters.

“Is that something you would enjoy? Children, I mean,” Jaune enquired.

Saphron, who had directed Jaune to sit down, began getting food from the cupboards, nothing complex, just some stuff to make sandwiches. As she did, she thought over Jaune’s question, the idea not seeming entirely out there.

“I suppose, probably not as many as Mum though. I somehow don’t think I could control such a hoard,” Saphron commented.

“Father still believes that she planned it out so that us older kids could care for the younger,” Jaune replied, telling his sister what his father often whispered conspiratorially.

“Jaune, you are one of those younger kids,” Saphron commented, bringing up the age gap between him and his two elder sisters.

“Mm.”

“Now, now don’t brood; besides, I will not be having seven kids,” Saphron abjectly refused, shaking her head.

“Is there a number you think more suitable for yourself, dear sister?” Jaune asked, now curious about what his elder sibling thought.

“Less than four. I think that is a nice manageable range,” Saphron quickly replied, revealing to Jaune that maybe she had thought of this before. “But first, I want to have just one, that way; I can see if I can even handle that; I have some experience, what with Sky and the twins, but… yeah, it might be different with adoption.”

“Are children so different from one another? A baby is a baby, no?” Jaune spoke warily, trying his best not to think of his more negative interactions with infants.

He did so by focusing on his memories of Sky and the twins and keeping his thoughts far away from other… things.

“I guess… I haven’t researched all that baby stuff, Jaune; I’m not even seeing anyone, for Brother's sake,” Saphron chuckled as she placed a bacon sandwich in front of her brother.

“Thank you,” Jaune nodded, taking a bite of the food, eager to regain some of his spent energy.

“No worries. So what about you, Jaune, my fellow single,” Saphron spoke with mock suffrage. “Any kids in your future?”

Jaune finished chewing his food and swallowed before saying, “No.”

“No? Just no… don’t you want kids?”

“I don’t believe children are for me, dear sister,” Jaune informed her, tone neutral to hide that this line of questioning did a lot to unsettle him.

“But you are really good with the twins, and we had to pry Sky off you back in the day… and last week,” Saphron giggled, remembering the young girl refusing to go to school and clinging to her older brother.

“Mm… I think you will have to settle for me being a very caring uncle, dear sister, besides I am more practised in the art of ‘spoiling’ according to you and Scarlett,” Jaune complained, disagreeing with his elder sibling's judgments.

“Jaune, Jade is eleven and still sleeps in your bed sometimes. That’s not spoiling. That’s coddling,” Saphron accused.

Jaune shrugged, “Perhaps my dear sister, Jade, is the one ‘coddling’ me. Have you considered such?”

“Then you, sir, are a big baby,” Saphron snickered.

Jaune snorted in amusement, a laugh nearly bubbling out of his throat; he had never been accused of immaturity before. “Perhaps, dear sister, perhaps.”

The two finished their lunch together before Saphron invited Jaune to watch a movie with her, an offer he gratefully accepted, only asking that he could shower first. Later that day, when Tami came home with the twins, she saw Saphron curled up on her sleeping brother, snoring happily.

The pictures taken were many, and they were spread about like wildfire, Hella demanding at least an album more and Cloud asking for her to add the twins.

Jaune would remain blissfully unaware as he rarely checked the family group chat.

Saphron was not so lucky.

YVYVYVYVY

The next sister he ended up having a private moment with was Sky. However, the moment was not nearly as peaceful as it had been with his other two siblings. Sky had invited some of her friends over for the weekend, a plan that had been in the works before his return.

When he exited his room to hear strange children’s voices, his immediate reaction was suspicion. Thus he did not march downstairs but instead prowled to the banister and peaked down to see what was happening.

He beheld a rather charming sight.

Sky and her friends were all playing some music game on the TV with their Scrolls. Sky took the place of lead singer, which came as no surprise to Jaune as he was well aware of her love for singing, as was anyone that knew her. There were two other young boys with her; one was playing what was likely supposed to be some proximation of a drum kit, and the other had a toy guitar.

But Jaune only had eyes for his sibling; she was hopping around and singing her little heart out to some upbeat music filling the lower half of the house with song. It was a testament to his strangeness that he heard the stranger children’s voices before the music.

The song soon came to an end, and Jaune watched as they celebrated, Sky giving both of the boys high fives as they set a new high score. The children began talking but rather than prepare to play again; they started packing their stuff up.

It was then that Jaune realised he had slept until it was well and truly midday.

This upset him immensely. He had struggled to find any rest last night, his nose conjuring phantom scents that drove him to distraction. Three times he had skulked in and about his house looking for a threat that wasn’t there; three times, his nose had sent him chasing ghosts and three times had he resisted the urge to vent his frustration loudly.

By the end, he decided to force his body into exhaustion, working it to the point that even his great endurance could not withstand, and he succumbed to sleep.

As the boys left, Jaune watched Sky slump a little, her body losing that same hyper energy it had boasted moments before. She meandered back into the living room and finished putting her game away before she began moving to the kitchen.

It was here that Jaune intercepted her.

With a soft thump, he landed behind her, having jumped the banisters so she would be surprised. Sky had only begun to turn her head when Jaune scooped her up in his arms, her soft startle ‘eep’ stirring the mischievous side that Orr had awoken in him.

“Hello, dear sister,” Jaune crooned, “why so gloomy?”

“Jaune! You’re awake!” Sky cheered, wriggling about so that she could hug him.

“Yes, I seem to have slept in this morning,” Jaune told his sister, placing her back on the floor.

“You slept all day,” Sky admonished.

“Hardly tis only noon,” Jaune rebutted, walking into the kitchen to stuff his face. Luckily the fridge had some leftover steak that Jaune was happy to clean up.

Sky had followed in after him, her voice as she spoke, letting Jaune know she was upset. “Yeah, … but you didn’t get to meet my friends,” she complained.

“The two boys?” Jaune asked over his shoulder.

“Yeah, I wanted them to see that you are real!”

“That… I am real?”

“Yeah, they didn’t believe me,” Sky informed her brother, getting herself a drink.

“Why would they doubt my existence?” Jaune asked, confused.

“Supposedly, only Huntsman can do the kind of things you do, but I said that’s dumb because you do tons of amazing things,” Sky explained.

Jaune didn’t know how to reply, so he settled for devouring the last leftover stake in three huge bites, his eyes curiously gazing at his younger sibling. Sky didn’t mind humming to herself while she enjoyed her drink.

When her cup was nearly empty, she glanced outside the kitchen door before looking back at her brother with a tilt of her head. “Jaune?” she said, indicating she was about to ask something.

“Yes, Sky.”

“What’s that?” Sky spoke, pointing out the door.

“What’s what?” Jaune replied, throwing the empty steak plate in the sink.

“That thing over by the woods?” Sky said, still pointing at something apparently in the backyard.

Jaune’s posture shifted, his body moving so that he was balanced, his limbs slightly bent, at the ready. Jaune turned to face his sister, saw the wide-eyed look of a curious child on her face, and breathed in.

And he smelt Beast.

“Stay inside,” Jaune instructed as he moved past his sister, stepping onto the porch.

If Sky said anything in response, it was lost as his ears only heard his blood rushing to his head.

At the edge of the property, in the tree line he had exited from not even two weeks past, was the Cornuco Deer that had saved him and Orr. It was as big as he remembered, but it looked to be in much better shape than when he had last seen it.

Its rack had grown back and was the same ivory shade intermixed with gold and silver flecks as its species was supposed to possess. Its fur carried a healthier look, no longer jagged and on end buried beneath blood and filth. Jaune could see its dark eyes or eye as one was closed, its enormous muscular body standing proud as it looked down on him.

Jaune stepped off the porch, walking until halfway out in the yard, his nose breathing in the scent of the deer. Jaune revelled in the vindication of knowing that it had not just been his imagination, that there was indeed a Beast. That it carried his Blood.

The deer snorted at his approach, and Jaune wondered if this Beast, so unlike the ones he was used to, could smell how alike they were. Jaune was already sizing it up, recalling the creature's unnatural ability to manipulate the length of its antlers. Not to mention that it had an Aura. Jaune would have to be wary of that.

“Wow, it's so big!” Sky, who was standing on the porch, exclaimed, her voice full of wonder and curiosity.

“Sky!” Jaune yelled in a panic, terrified by the sight of her on the porch steps.

The deer did not move from its spot, its large head only shifting to see the new presence. Jaune did not receive this well and whipped back around, his teeth baring as he stepped forward, blocking off its line of sight.

The deer’s ear flicked as jaune became its sole focus once more.

Then it stepped forward warily into the light, and Jaune observed it, ready to lunge should it move in any manner that could be misconstrued as hostile. But the deer did not. It slowly crept forward, wary but not timidly, its long legs carrying it until it was within arm’s reach of Jaune.

Strangely this wasn’t what put Jaune on edge and made his blood surge beneath his flesh.

It was instead the sounds of tiny feet crunching on the grass behind him.

The deer also heard this noise, its ear twisting, alerting Jaune that it was aware of Sky behind him. But the beast was wary of him and did not move its head to peek over his shoulder, keeping its dark gaze settled on Jaune.

An action that saved it from Jaune attacking it as he was enduring what might be his worst nightmare made real. A powerful, deadly Beast stood mere feet from one of his sisters.

“Sky, I told you to stay inside,” Jaune hissed, not taking his eyes away from the deer; said creature was now sniffing him, its head getting closer and closer.

“But Jaune, it’s so pretty,” Sky whispered.

Jaune was on the cusp of hysterics.

Then he felt the large deer’s hot breath as it sniffed at him, and Jaune decided that was close enough.

Carefully, as if handling an explosive, Jaune raised his hand, ensuring the deer could see it. Just as he had when they first crossed paths, he moved his limb forward until his hand was nearly touching the beast-

It leaned into him. The deer, without preamble, brought its thick neck across to rest atop his palm, its dark eyes closing as it let out a soft whine. Jaune went rigid; Sky began whispering excitedly, her words entirely unrecognisable to Jaune.

“What the… Kos preserve me,” Jaune prayed as he brought his other hand up to the Beast's nose and let his finger run up his skull until his fingers were poised beneath its eye.

Still, the Beast did not react.

The crunch of grass was all the warning Jaune had before Sky stood next to him, her hands clutching at the hem of his shirt as she stared up in wonder at the large animal. The deer responded much the same, moving its head until it could look down at Jaune’s younger sister.

This set Jaune off, and the Hunter appeared with the sound of an inhuman growl that made the deer go rigid. Then it took a step back, and Jaune moved with it, his body furious and his gaze burning as he pressured the Beast.

The Hunter was ready for it to lash out, prepared for its bloodthirsty nature to rear its hideous head… but it didn’t. The deer took another step back and lowered itself to the grass until the Hunter towered over it.

Then it lowered its head further, its chin resting on the ground as it looked up at him.

The Hunter disappeared, leaving only a very confused Jaune as he beheld a Beast submitting to him. Just as he could tell that the blood in its veins was his blood, the Old Blood, he could also tell that this Beast… lacked the ravenous madness its moniker should bless it with.

Jaune’s mind swarmed with questions, wondering why this creature, this deer, was acting so… docile. More so, why was it acting so docile towards him? He had not attempted to hide his desire upon approaching it. He had been actively hostile, warning and threatening the deer to stay away from his home.

And now it was lying before him…

Jaune’s eyes came to rest on its back and flank; there, he saw sections of fur far lighter than its earthy pelt. He could see the most notable injuries it sustained from the Spriggan. Aside from its eye that he could now tell was missing, he could also see scars that reached behind its antlers and portions of its neck where the fur had yet to regrow.

It seemed that it, too, had not come out of the confrontation with Spriggan unharmed.

The Beast barked at him, the noise making Sky jump a little, his younger sister moving back behind him, much to his frayed nerves' relief.

Jaune looked back to her and, in a stern voice, ordered her not to move, finishing his instruction with, “And this time, I mean it.”

With his shirt free, Jaune kneeled before the deer inhaling its scent, but still, he could detect Blood running through its veins. Blood that should be warping its nature into that of a merciless killing abomination, but yet its behaviour was entirely contrary.

Then it licked him.

Jaune could only stare at it in stunned silence as the deer licked at his fingers, a Beast, the scourge of Yharanm, lapping at his fingers like an affectionate hound.

Jaune concluded that he might be having a breakdown.

“He likes you,” Sky giggled, still standing back but laughing happily at the sight of the large animal licking Jaune’s fingers.

Though her words struck a cord in Jaune, he was hit with an epiphany.

Rising to stand, Jaune walked back until he was next to Sky and swiftly picked his younger sister up. With her aloft in his arms, he turned back to the befuddling animal and cleared his throat.

“Stand up,” he ordered.

In truth, he had not expected anything to happen; he had been going off a hunch, a strange strike of brilliance that had traces of Insight all over it. But as loathe as he was to draw on more of the horror of Yharnam while so close to his darling younger sister, the guidance was well received.

The deer heeded his command and soon stood tall and proud, its eyes alight with an intelligence that did little to calm Jaune’s racing heart.

Once could be a fluke or a cunning trap. Jaune needed to be sure.

“Back up,” he ordered, still not reassured just yet. But again, the deer heeded his will and walked back until half its body was again beneath the shade of the woods at its back.

Sky gasped in amazement, her head bouncing back and forth between her brother and the ‘pretty’ deer.

“… Come,” Jaune instructed again, this time with a wariness the other orders had lacked. This time the Beast was brought to a halt by his hand pressing against its head; the creature nudged at his hand, a short whine exiting its throat as it tried to rub against him.

Then the sky reached out, and it was like time froze.

The deer stilled, and Jaune went equally rigid.

Jaune did not immediately pull back when the deer looked at his sister. Instead, he brought his hand around to the base of its antlers. A precaution as he took a half step forward and let the deer sniff about his sister.

His heart screamed at him for daring to use her as bait, but she wasn’t truly; the deer would never reach her, not with him here.

It was now that Sky chose to act timidly, much to her brother’s chagrin, her hand flinching as the large animal sniffed about her outstretched limb.

With a snort, it pulled back so its eye could look at Jaune, and even he could tell from its mannerisms that the Beast was befuddled by his sister.

A part of Jaune was amused that he and the Beast had a second thing in common.

But fear would do nothing to aid this situation, so Jaune sighed. “Beast, come,” Jaune ordered, bringing the deer in step with him. “Come now, Sky… you were the one who came outside; he will not harm you, not while I am with you, sister.”

Sky kept her hand outstretched this time and soon pressed her flesh against the creature's fur.

“Do not fear it, sister; you have nothing to fear from this creature,” Jaune comforted her, his blue orbs locked onto the deer's own. “I will not permit it.”

The deer whined gently, closing its eyes, allowing Sky to continue running her fingers across its snout.

When Sky was finished, her elation returning in the wake of her brief bout of timidness, Jaune could barely hold her as she wiggled in his grip. “Jaune, Jaune! Your deer is so nice!”

“He is not mine,” Jaune quickly interjected, the creature moving its head up to sniff at his face, which Jaune permitted only because he was trying to remain calm.

“What’s his name? What’s he eat? Where do you keep him, in the woods? Can I ride your dear?” Sky fired off her question rapidly, Jaune surrendering and plopping her back on the ground. The deer stepped back so he could do so without feeling threatened.

A needless act because now Jaune was sure. While the blood in this creature may be his and it may be cursed, whatever forces were at play had nullified the madness, and the Beast was a Beast in name only.

Such was an Insight, but he would have to explore the matter later when he wasn’t with his little sister.

“Again, he is not mine, Sky,” Jaune reinforced.

“But he listens to you,” Sky pointed out, hopping on the spot, her brow furrowing cutely.

“Yes, but that just means he knows better,” Jaune replied, shooting the deer a sideways glance as it again tried to brush against him.

“But he likes you!” Sky cried out, gesturing to the deer erratically.

“… He’s not mine,” Jaune stated sternly, hoping his sister would understand as it would be best for her not to get attached to the Beast.

Naturally, this was when Orr chose to walk around the side of the house unannounced.

“Oh hey, your deer showed up. Guess your dad didn’t kill him!” Orr cheered, hurrying over the group, actively ignoring the fed-up look Jaune was giving her.

“He is yours!” Sky cried out, her tone hurt, “Stop lying, brother!”

Jaune gave up.

He should have just eaten the bloody thing.

YVYVYVYVY

Not counting the twins, there was still one sibling Jaune had yet to enjoy some one-on-one time with. It was understandable; Jade was exceptionally busy; she lacked free time between her regular schoolwork and the group project they were inflicting on her.

Jaune was no better between his increased training regime with the addition of Orr and his other sisters also wanting his attention time was a precious commodity. Then it only got worse with the addition of the deer. Explaining that to his parents had been a trial, not to mention his other sisters, who all wanted to pet the cute deer.

At this point, Jaune spent a vast amount of time outside, keeping an eye on the creature as all his siblings shared an intense fascination with the Beast. But despite his misgivings, the Beast did not act up once; it was highly docile around his sisters and parents. The only people it actively moved to and around were himself and Orr.

Which was exemplary in his books as he was confident he could handle its nudges and head butts, and Orr was a Huntress; she could take its ‘rough play’. Observing the deer’s interaction with her was also a great source of information. It seemed that despite Orr sharing a similar bond to the Beast as he, it did not follow her commands as rigidly as his.

Thus again, his mind concluded that it had something to do with the Blood.

Orr also told him that animals with awakened Aura are somewhat more intelligent than their counterparts. This added a whole new element to the deer issue, but Jaune was hopeful that this might be the reason for its stability. It was the kind of positive hypothesis that should have brightened his spirits.

Alas…

Sky, his beloved younger sister, was still mad at him, and that was enough to earn the Beast his ire. Explaining to his younger sister that the deer wasn’t his was an exercise in futility. It only got worse when he refused to name it.

His desire for venison was growing by the day.

But possible meals aside, the fact remained that Jaune was left feeling a pang of terrible guilt over the fact that he had yet to provide Jade with her fair share of attention. Despite living in the same home, neither he nor his sister had yet to find time. Jaune had spent time with all his other siblings, including the twins, leaving Jade out like this, even if it wasn’t on purpose, bothered him.

But it was Jade who put an end to the matter.

It was the end of another week, and Jaune was in his bed on his Scroll, looking up information on deer (recipes), when his door was swiftly opened, and a small figure dashed into his room. Jaune watched with half an eye as Jade closed the door behind her and locked it.

She was slow to turn around, Jaune observing how she was breathing heavily and had a large blue folder clutched in her arms. When she did turn around, Jaune saw she had a half-smirk plastered on her face and deep bags under her eyes.

“Jade?”

His sister sagged at his voice, her smile becoming a little more even as an unknown tension fled her body. “Hey, Jaune,” Jade mumbled, shuffling forward.

Jaune’s eyes darted to his Scroll and saw it was well past midnight. “Sister, you should be sleeping.”

“I know, I know,” Jade sighed, “but… I… I got sick of waiting ok,” She groaned tiredly.

“Well-“

*Ploff*

“… Sister, are you ok?”

Face down and unmoving, Jaune's only response was a long, drawn-out groan as Jade tried to meld herself into his bed.

“Is that a no?” Jaune asked, putting his scroll on his bedside table as he rubbed his sister's back.

“I don’t know… no?” Jade spoke into his mattress. Jaune shook his head at his sister's dramatics patting her head softly.

“How about you go back to bed, little sister, and you can hang out with me tomorrow; we can make a day of it all right?” Jaune offered calmly, hoping Jade would agree and get herself some rest.

“No!” Jade shouted, shooting up off the mattress her folder held to her chest, “I am done waiting. I… I want to do this, Jaune I worked so hard and-“

“Jade, Jade, it's ok, we can do it now. I don’t mind,” Jaune hushed her quickly, not wanting her to get herself all worked up.

“Really?” Jade whispered, her eyes red as she leaned forward, letting Jaune support her.

“Sure, why don’t you get comfortable, and you can show me what's got you so excited,” Jaune suggested.

Jade moved as if all exhaustion had fled from her body; in a flash, she was curled up next to Jaune, her big folder in her lap as she fidgeted in place eagerly. “Ok, so are you ready?” Jade asked, looking up at her brother, who smiled at her.

“Of course, though I am not exactly sure what I am ready for,” Jaune replied, leaning back against his pillow.

“Oh right… umm, ok, so ahh… right, so after you left to go on the First Rite, I really missed you and wanted to do something nice for you when you got back. Anyway, I learned from Dad that members of the clan who complete the Rite are allowed to get their bodies inscribed with the clan and their own Lore,” Jade lectured, her fingers drumming on the hardcover of her folder.

“Right, the tattoos… I had forgotten about those, to be honest,” Jaune chuckled, “I’ve been a bit busy since my return.”

“I noticed,” Jade commented, a touch of bitterness in her voice.

“Sorry,” Jaune apologised sincerely.

“No, I am. That was uncalled for,” Jade rebutted, shaking her head. “Back on topic, after I learned you could get yours, I wanted to help- No! I wanted to design them,” Jade corrected herself.

“Oh?”

“Yes, I… when I found out that grandma did dads, I wanted to be the one to do yours; I wanted to give you something as well, something you would love!” Jade proclaimed boldly.

Jaune smiled at his sister's enthusiasm, “Well, I must say I am quite excited.”

“Really?” Jade breathed, pressing into Jaune’s torso, her head rubbing against his arm.

“Indeed… so do I get to see them?” Jaune asked, eyeing the folder.

It was almost as if something overcame Jade as the excitement and eagerness dampened before Jaune’s eyes and made his hand twitch. Such a reaction was very unlike his sister, who loved to show him her art; something told him it was not merely because of her tired state.

“Yeah… about that. Jaune, I want to show you these, but I have a confession…” Jade mumbled guiltily.

“Oh… what is it, sister?” Jaune enquired softly,

Jade didn’t respond. Something was halting her, which only made Jaune worry more. But, whatever it was that held Jade back clearly wasn’t enough as Jade’s hands gripped her folder so tight it creaked, and she whispered, “It might be better if I just show you….”

Jaune was nervous now.

“… Ok.”

Jaune watched his sister closely, his body nearly statuesque as his sister began to open the folder, and Jaune saw it all as if it was in slow motion.

For Jade, it was much more visceral.

The moment Jaune laid eyes on the mark that embodied his very nature for so long, he flinched violently. The Hunter’s Mark, boldly printed on a piece of paper, its shape branding itself unto his very eyes. His voice was weak, hoarse and carried a light shake when he spoke, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“J-jade… where did you see these,” Jaune hissed, fighting with all his might to keep his hands from shaking.

Jade was crying.

“I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have, but I was stuck, and I went looking for some inspiration and then… I looked in your Journal…” Jade finished lamely sniffling.

“… Which rafter,” Jaune breathed, his voice still quiet.

Without hesitating, Jade pointed to the one over their feet.

“… I see,” Jaune mumbled but didn’t say anything more on the matter.

“Jaune, I am really sorry I-“

“Jade, I need you to calm down for a moment and answer me just one question,” Jaune ground out his will fighting to hold back the howling in his mind.

“… Ok….”

Jaune reached for the folder but not to pry it from her grasp or rip it from her lap; instead, Jaune just pointed. His finger stabbed at the page, directly over the mark, causing him grief. The mark that had been his centre for an eternity. A mark that still called to him with a sinister lure.

“This mark… do you know what it means, Jade? Do you know what any of them mean?” Jaune asked, panic hidden just below the surface.

Only for it to die swiftly as Jade shook her head in denial.

“No… I couldn’t read the writing in your journal, so I don’t have a clue. Jade mumbled, “I am truly sorry, brother.”

Jaune remained quiet for a long time, but eventually, he spoke again, and his words were not so cruel or lashing but instead the tone Jade had come to expect from her big brother. Soft and caring, Jaune pulled Jade into his lap, held her like a lifeline and whispered.

“Show me all of them… I need to see,” Jaune nearly whimpered.

And she did; Jade showed him numerous designs, where they would go on his body, and the reasoning behind it. Jaune saw and praised her quietly, but his words were few as he was too distracted by the numerous Caryll Runes.

What was more terrifying was that she used them so that he, who knew the Runes' purpose and meaning, could understand why they were placed where they were. The fact that they were done so meant that either Jade was lying or… she was being guided.

Then he spotted a Rune that didn’t belong.

“Stop… what’s that one,” Jaune mumbled, his hands curling around Jade’s wrists to stop her turning the page.

Jade was sleepy now, enthusiasm could only stave off sleep for so long, but even still, she knew what her brother was referring to. “Oh… heh, guess you know these things pretty well, huh? Yeah, that one wasn’t in your journal.”

“… I know, but it looks… right, so how did you come across it, sister?” Jaune mumbled, his finger tracing the design. It was chimeric in nature, and he could see the Runes it was made from, but at the same time, it was… different.

It was like he told Jade it was right.

“It, um… came to me in a dream,” Jade whispered.

Jaune remained silent for a full ten seconds before he replied, “I see…”

Jaune closed the folder, despite there being more pages to see; Jade went still as she feared that Jaune was about to lose his temper on her, something that had never happened before.

Instead, he kissed the top of her head.

“Jade, I need you to promise me that you won't show anyone else what’s inside your folder… has anyone seen-“

“No… no, not since I started adding the designs from your journal. I felt guilty enough already, but the designs just came so easily, and… no one else has seen Jaune, I swear,” Jade promised, turning in her brother's lap to lay against him.

“I believe you,” Jaune mumbled into her hair.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you… is that it?”

“No.” Jaune shook his head, rubbing circles on Jade’s back. “There is one other thing I need you to do, dear sister.”

“W-what?” Jade stammered, nervous about her brother's serious tone.

“You need to learn how to tattoo, sister,” Jaune proclaimed.

“What!” Jade whisper shouted.

Jaune shifted them both so she could face him easier, “are they not your designs, Jade?”

“They are but-“

“Then I will trust no one else to put them on my flesh… I will only trust you, Jade; no one else will be allowed to put those things on me,” Jaune rumbled, exhausted.

“…”

“Are you ok with that, Jade?”

“… Ok,” Jade squeaked, burying her face into Jaune’s shirt.

“Good, I am glad… and I forgive you for going through my journal, dear sister,” Jaune finished laying back.

“… Thank you,” Jade mumbled drowsily as she let herself finally fall asleep.

Jaune, however, did not fall asleep. He waited patiently until he was sure Jade was well and truly deep into her slumber.

Then he spoke.

“I don’t know who you are, I don’t know what you are… but this ends here. My family will not endure the madness of that cursed place, and should my sister dream of any more Runes, either those belonging to Caryll or of unique origin, there will be a new Hunt.”

Only then did Jaune rest; only then did he let his mind drift to watch over the dreams of his family. Sense sharp as he safeguarded them all, the blood in his veins not nearly as dormant as his body.

Because something had trespassed…

It would not do so again.

A.N.

Right the votes are cast; the Arcs are going to Mistral; also, yes, the deer lived