G.N. Chapter 33 (Patreon)

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Chapter 33 The Prince and the Kutsuki

Vacations are an interesting venture.

The fact that it seemed to differ in meaning to each person was a particular curiosity that had managed to captivate Jaune. At first, he thought it meant a rest period, but this seemed incorrect.

Scarlett was a key example of this, as since her arrival, Scarlett had been particularly driven to accomplish a series of tasks. The beach had been but the first of her desired destinations and was also one she revisited and intended to do so again.

Saphron, in comparison, was quite happy to meander about, often just tagging along with others, glad to be swept up in the acts of her siblings. Seemingly all while maintaining a relatively relaxed and calm demeanour.

Jade seemed to move from one curiosity to another, utterly beholden to her curiosity as she explored the island and pursued new inspiration for her art. In truth, she was not much different from how she was at home, but she did seem to be more enthused. Jaune was happy that she seemed pleased even if, once more, she seemed unable to keep herself from joining her art.

Sky was arguably the most hyper of all. With this being her first vacation, Sky desired to try everything, and Jaune found a lot of his time dedicated to her. For once, it wasn’t even at his own whim; his mother and father had directed him to keep an eye on the girl on multiple occasions.

The Isle wasn’t big; his father had mentioned that it was about twice as large as Patch, which itself was comparable to Reach. Even still, Remnant was not a world free of danger; even on an island as they were, there was the potential for Grimm.

Steps were taken to minimise this, of course, signage being the best example, warnings not to venture alone to certain areas, namely the coast and the swamps. Plus, with the academy staff, there was a powerful Huntsman presence, providing the residents with a strong sense of security.

That sense of security was the greatest protection of all.

It was difficult to fear the Grimm when you witnessed a Huntsman easily take one apart. Of course, you would still fear one should it pop up in front of your face, but that worry, the anxiety of when the next one would appear, became significantly weaker.

It did provide the island with a pleasant atmosphere, but Jaune was vigilant all the same.

This morning, all the girls had decided to venture out again, providing their parents a much-needed break, the two heading off to do their own thing and leaving the twins with their Aunt.

Hinata had been so happy she started to cry, much to the embarrassment of Arslan, who had been present at the time.

They travelled through the village of Himawari and kept to a tight-knit group; Jaune was moving at the rear while Scarlett and Jade led the way. Saphron was happily maintaining pace with an amazed Sky, who was looking every which way.

Jaune found it very… intriguing.

It was a fishing village.

While he made sure to know where his sisters were at all times, he could not help but scope out the whole area, his nose inhaling a veritable myriad of scents. It was a cocktail that stirred his memories and even caused his blood to thrum in his veins.

But a simple glance at the world, the bright waking world, settled him with haste.

He snorted softly, earning a probing look from Saphron, who was the closest to him at the time, her raised brow a question all its own.

His smile was a suitable answer.

The village’s architecture was even more traditional in some ways than Shrine Academy; with far less modernisation, there were areas where it felt like one stepped through time. Jaune noted that bamboo was a prevalent material used in the construction of many of the buildings.

The sight made him smile, reminding him of his Trial.

As They walked, Jaune was aware of the glances they attracted; it was not so surprising given they both looked and were foreigners… but it did little for his mindset.

Scarlett was not nearly so bothered.

“Hello, sorry to bother you, but could you direct us to somewhere to buy some clothes, preferably traditional wear,” Scarlett politely asked a random passerby, the older man turning before slowly looking up to meet Scarlett’s elevated gaze.

“Oh… umm, yeah, Madam Kuro, just go…” Quickly, the man parted with direction to a store, all while giving the gathered Arcs curious looks. His curious gaze halted when he met Jaune’s own, his eyes instead locking onto Scarlett’s and not looking away as he talked.

When he was done, Scarlett quickly departed with a passing ‘thank you’, eager to reach their destination. Jaune could match their pace with ease but still couldn’t keep his eyes from peering at the many strange faces he passed.

Those that met his gaze were few and far between.

Their destination was another older-looking building, though Jaune noted it had an impressive size compared to its neighbours, at least three stories and nearly twice as wide as most other buildings. Pinned above the doorway was a sign that read Madam Kuro’s in both Common and Eastern Mistrali.

“You think this is it?” Saphron chirped sarcastically, earning an eye roll from Scarlett.

“Yes,” Jaune was quick to add, ever helpful.

“Right enough from the straight man, let's go,” Scarlett piped up, entering the establishment, a small bell ringing out as they did, making Jaune’s eye twitch for a quick flash.

Some ticks were more problematic to be rid of than others. He had already made peace with the fact that bells were just something he would never be okay with.

Kos help him if Sky ever became interested in an instrument that sounded like chimes.

“Hello, are you open?” Scarlett called out, walking into the apparel store, her siblings following behind her. Jaune, much like Scarlett, had to bend slightly coming into the store, a common trend with a number of the buildings on the island.

Jaune had taken note that a lot of the doorways on the island were notably short, but given the aged design, that wasn’t too surprising in the grand scheme of things.

The store's interior would have been spacious were it not for the rows of clothes and fabric decorating it. Robes of all shapes and sizes were seen throughout, with accompanying attire of all forms. Jaune noted that with so many colours, it looked like a more orderly form of Jade’s early escapades into tie-dye.

Robes, kimono, dresses, shirts and many other types of apparel were on display, most of Mistrali design, but there were even exotic selections. Jaune, not one to look with just his eyes, found his nose inhaling the scent of the store, fabrics, old silk, old flowers… young human female.

From out of the blue, a child popped out from one of the back rooms; she was short, shorter than Jade and was young to boot. Her appearance successfully surprised all the girls, only Jaune not reacting as he had smelt her as soon as they entered.

He felt like he could smell the whole damn village today; perhaps he needed to calm down.

“Hey there, and welcome to Madam Kuro’s. How can I help you today?” The young girl asked, hopping up behind the counter.

“Oh, hi, we were hoping to get fitted for some kimono?” Scarlett proposed, her face adorned with a beatific smile as she gestured to herself and her siblings.

“My, that’s a large order; we usually only get Academy Robe requests from such big groups,” The little girl remarked, pulling out a ledger and opening it.

“Oh, we aren’t students; we are just here visiting family,” Saphron quickly cut in, wanting to waylay and confusion.

“Mm, well, unfortunately, I don’t think I can take on such a large order on short notice…” The girl admitted, her eyes going over the ledger as she spoke.

“Oh, well, no matter. Is there another store we could potentially go to,” Scarlett asked, her expression transforming into something more neutral.

“Nope,” the girl replied, popping her ‘p’.

“What?” Saphron exclaimed.

“Not a big island, you want kimonos or any traditional clothing, I’m it… you want something more modern though; you can hang by the docks for one of the ship traders or hit up Wu’s Depot.” The girl shrugged, closing her book with a thud of finality.

“… What would be the latest you could see to our order then?” Scarlett enquired, her tone retaining its neutral nature.

“Don’t know, new school year and a lot of first years are going through robes like nobody's business,” the girl sighed.

Scarlett’s mask of neutrality slipped for a moment, a scowl forming on her features. But before it could settle, Jaune stepped forward, his voice low as he whispered in her ear. “Wait here, I’ll be back with a solution,” Jaune instructed, his head turned away from the little girl at the counter.

Scarlett, ever quick on the uptake, gave the faintest of nods.

“Pardon me, miss, can we at least browse your merchandise?” Scarlett enquired, gesturing to the numerous clothes and display models.

“Of course, if you are interested in any, just lay them on the counter and ring the bell… though I am doubtful we would have any in your two sizes,” The girl sniffed, hopping off something and walking back around the corner she had entered from.

“… So, was it just me, or does she not like us?” Sky whispered to Jade, who just nodded.

“I’ll be right back,” Jaune said as he left the store, his eyes blinking as he walked back into the morning light.

*Sniff.*

Jaune smiled, wondering if it would be considered a faux pas to call into play a perceived debt with one’s grandmother.

‘… Probably,’ Jaune thought as he went on his way, following his nose.

YVYVYVYVY

Himiko Kutsuki was a challenging person to surprise. She liked to blame this fact on the nature of her long life and the mountain of experience she had collected.

Hinata claimed it was due to an unhealthy amount of paranoia and pessimism.

Himiko, as the Clan Head, concluded that her daughter was wrong and then, for absolutely no reason,  proceeded to put her on night watch at the dorms for two months.

Sometimes, it was good to be in charge.

But this aside, the fact was that Himiko did not startle easily. Blame it on paranoia, experience or even the innate Danger Sense that came with an unlocked Aura. It was a fact nonetheless.

So when Himiko, sitting on a nearby roof enjoying some tea, suddenly had her Grandson pop up over the lip of the building she was on, she did not startle.

She threw her drink because it was hot.

“Good morning,” Jaune greeted politely, the boy pulling his long body up onto the roof casually.

“… Morning,” Himiko greeted, internally doing her damndest to work out how her grandson had gotten the drop on her.

“I am glad I managed to find you; I would like to ask for your aide,” Jaune announced, his face like a mask for all it gave away.

“Are you all right?” Himiko asked, already rising to stand, wondering if she had missed some other danger and it wasn’t just Jaune that had slipped through.

“I am fine, but I would like to make use of your… ‘pull’…”

“My ‘pull’?” Himiko repeated, confused as to what her grandson was talking about.

“Yes, Arslan, the student who joined us for our unsuccessful lunch, told me that you are someone with a great degree of sway on the island, ‘someone with a lot of pull,’ was how Aunt Hinata put it,” Jaune nodded.

“Ah, well, they are not wrong, but… why were you discussing this with them?”

“I was curious as to what led you to… act in the manner you did,” Jaune explained, his expression unmoving as he did so.

“Ah…” Himiko managed to leave, a disturbingly awkward silence descending on the pair.

“… Are you open to helping, or should I go bother Aunt Hinata?” Jaune asked after a moment, clearly uncaring for the silence.

Himiko cleared her throat, taking a moment to fiddle with her long sleeve, wondering if her Grandson was even aware of what he was doing to her.

She could feel her hair greying.

“… I am available, but I feel it would be irresponsible not to ask what you need my… ‘pull’ for.”

“Scarlett desires for us to get fitted for some traditional Mistrali wear,” Jaune shrugged.

Himiko smiled widely. She thought that was an excellent idea. She had said as much when her eldest granddaughter arrived. They would all look fantastic, donned in some proper silk, blonde hair and blue eyes aside; they were all beautiful children.

‘Damn, Arc genes.’

“That sounds like a great idea,” Himiko nodded, noting that this was the right thing to say as the ghost of a smile glossed across Jaune’s features.

“Yes, well… unfortunately, we cannot employ the store’s services, and they are supposedly the only one on the island,” Jaune continued. Himiko found her mood quickly dampening at the idea that her very own grandchildren were being denied on her island.

Judging by the sudden… icy quality her grandson now had in his eyes, she was not the only one whose mood took a hit.

“Madam Kuro’s correct?”

“Yes, that’s the establishment; a young girl was operating the counter. Is what she said truthful? Is it the only store of its like on the island?” Jaune enquired, his head cocking ever so slightly to the side.

“Yes, but fret not; I believe you will find them only too happy to accept your business,” Himiko assured, quickly making her way to the roof's edge.

When she hopped off, she noticed that her grandson fell into step behind her with such skill that she struggled to hear his steps even with her focus on him.

Hellebore had indeed worked wonders with this boy.

Their journey was short, many of the village residents politely stepping aside for her, a courteous bow thrown in for good measure. Himiko observed that her Grandson seemed only to have eyes for their destination, his tall form shadowing her flawlessly, his form moving with her own.

When they arrived, Himiko made sure to pause and address Jaune quietly, “From this point forward, if you have any questions for me, please only ask them in Mistrali. The young lady inside is not nearly fluent enough to understand our speech.”

With that said, Himiko turned and marched inside, the bell not so much ringing as it did clang.

“Oi, easy on the door!” A young voice hollered from around a corner, making Himiko scowl.

“If this is how you treat your customers when your grandmother isn’t here, young lady, the door will be the least of your worries,” Himiko announced crossly, her voice cutting through the quiet store like razor wire through meat.

The startled shriek from the room over let her know that her words had made their mark.

Rapid scampering footsteps pounded around the corner as the young girl overseeing the store presented herself in front of Himiko, face flushed and eyes cast downward. She was dressed in a short-sleeved top the colour of a Sakura blossom held closed by a sunflower yellow sash. Black fitted pants, perfectly tapered and fitted despite the presence of extra fabric, were decorated with pins stitched through at several points.

But most notably was the hair done up in a bun and adorned with even more pins, giving the young girl the appearance of someone wearing an urchin.

“L-lady Kutsuki, it’s a pleasure to host you today, madam,” the girl stuttered.

‘Good, she at least knows that she is in trouble,’ Himiko thought, crossing her arms beneath her diaphragm, her long sleeves hanging down to be level with the child’s eyeline.

“Is it… where is your grandmother?” Himiko’s question was posed in such a manner that her words cracked like a whip despite their volume.

“… She… she is working on a new dye and therefore isn’t available today.”

“Is she? That’s odd; she tends to close the store when she is… experimenting,” Himiko recalled, though choosing to use a more diplomatic term to describe Madam Kuro’s dye work.

Her talent was without question, but her methodology was most certainly something that deserved to be scrutinised. Her work always made Himiko recall that old saying about the line between madness and genius.

“… I can run the store,” the girl stated boldly, straightening up and puffing out her little chest.

“By turning away business? What an interesting idea you have of running the store,” Himiko tsked.

The girl turned to face Jaune, openly scowling at him, her little hands balling into fists.

“She seems displeased at me for bringing you here,” Jaune informed his grandmother, speaking Mistrali as requested.

“Of course, she is; Joon here hates foreigners; clearly, she is unaware of our shared relation,” Himiko informed her grandson, her eyes locked onto the child, who quickly stopped glaring.

Now, she just looked confused.

“Ah… I see. How unpleasant,” Jaune commented, looking away from the girl to observe his sisters.

“It is not wholly her fault; she is a child and merely reacting to past influences; her grandmother will break her of the habit of that, I have little doubt,” Himiko chuckled, thinking already of how the actual Madam Kuro would react to this sort of behaviour.

“… How understanding of you,” Jaune commented, his words baring no inflection and thus confusing Himiko as to whether or not they held some meaning she was not party to.

“Look, I don’t know what this Gaijin told you, but I just told them that we aren’t doing fittings,” Joon snapped, crossing her arms.

“Watch your tone,” Himiko was quick to hiss, the girl instantly losing her fire. “As for your words… these are my grandchildren,” Himiko proclaimed.

Jaune watched as the little girl practically folded into herself, her face turning pale and her hands crossing about her abdomen. Jaune witnessed his sisters all looking startled by the sudden reaction, but he paid little heed.

He was trying to keep his temper, not having expected to be called… outsider.

It prickled some rather surprisingly exposed nerves.

“They may not be from this island, but they are as welcome as anyone can be,” Himiko declared, “Now, I would like to have words with your grandmother; please go and fetch her.”

Joon paled further but swiftly departed.

Saphron was the first to speak, letting slip a long low whistle, “Damn grandma, you put the fear of god into that little tyke.”

“Her grandmother is an old friend; we play cards every fortnight,” Himiko shrugged, bringing her arms down to rest on her hips. “I am sorry you girls had to be treated as such; Mei will set this straight, and believe me, she will be overjoyed to accept your request… to not sour your vacation, let me pay for your order.”

“Grandmother-“ Scarlett was quick to speak up, but a raised hand silenced her protests.

“Hush, think of it as an opportunity for me to spoil my grandchildren… I am allowed to do such, no?”

Jaune shrugged, unaware of whether her words were valid or not; the rest of his siblings all seemed to agree with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

“All right… thank you, grandmother,” Scarlett bowed.

“Wonderful! Now tell me, my children, what were you thinking?” Himiko asked, already picturing her beautiful grandchildren dressed, befitting their station. The mental image made her smile at the idea of them appearing as the nobility they were.

“Oh, we didn’t have anything planned out yet. I was going to ask for a proper showing,” Scarlett explained. “I am not sure how often I will get to travel to Mistral, so I figured I should take full advantage of the opportunity.”

“Of course, a wise choice, though I hope you don’t mind me saying you would look great in anything you choose,” Himiko spoke honestly as she appraised the tallest of her granddaughters.

“I want something radiant!” Sky proclaimed, twirling on the spot, her dress fluttering behind her like a cloud.

“I am thinking something… autumnal,” Saphron added after thinking for a moment.

Himiko smiled widely, already thinking of how superb they would all look; Scarlett nodded next to her, giving an appraising look at Saphron, asking for her colour scheme.

Himiko turned to Jade, who seemed to be holding something up, to Jaune, who was distracted looking at…

‘A bonnet?’

It was an older fashion that had been out of circulation for a while but had a few followers in Mistral, if Himiko recalled.

Himiko couldn’t see the appeal herself; anyone who wore such clothing would look like a doll.

“What about you dears?” Himiko spoke up, causing Jade to whip around to face her instantly. Jaune’s head turned much slower, only glancing in her direction, his expression distracted.

“Oh… umm, something colourful,” Jade decided with a shrug.

Jaune shrugged, eliciting a chuckle from Saphron and a happy giggle from Scarlett.

“Oh, grandmother, Jaune is a darling model to shop for,” Scarlett declared, leaning down to whisper in Himiko’s ear. “He will wear anything.”

Himiko glanced at Scarlett, who only reinforced her point with a knowing look and a slow nod.

‘Oh, this would be fun.’

YVYVYVYVY

It turned out that under the watchful eye of her grandmother, Joon became a far more tolerable presence, even being courteous to the Arcs. The arrival of Mai was an experience, to be sure, the woman marching in with her granddaughter’s ear locked in a pincer-like grip upon which the child was made to apologise.

Mai surprised Jaune, as she was not what he had expected of a tailor.

Firstly, she was young, younger than the title grandmother would have made him think the woman baring an age closer to his mother than to Himiko. Next was the woman’s reaction to seeing them; Jaune was used to looks of curiosity as he and Scarlett both earned a few just walking here.

He was not expecting Mai to look upon them with a look akin to a duellist approaching a challenge.

“Oh… Oh, this is worth a halt to my research,” Mai breathed, walking forward. The woman was about 5’7 and, much like her granddaughter, had black hair in a bun decorated with pins.

She wore a seafoam green top with at least three sashes cinched around her waist, the long top going down to her upper thigh. She wore a skirt that reached the top of her ankles and a pair of boots with visible mismatched laces.

The skirt made Jaune think of an opal with its colouration; the item weaved with threads that caught the light and made it glimmer as Mai moved.

It was something that would not be amiss in Jade’s own closest save it looked too clean.

When she approached, she moved straight towards Jaune, making the boy quirk a brow at the woman’s approach. Jade quickly moved to his side, her face adorning a similar expression as she gave a warning look at the newcomer.

Their combined looks must have been enough as Mai paused and looked them over, her scan ending on Himiko, who was far warmer in her greeting.

“Hello Mai, it's been a while,” Himiko greeted.

“Lady Kutsuki,” Mai bowed.

“None of that, their family,” Himiko sniffed, nodding to the gathered Arcs.

“Really!” Mai startled, turning back to look at them once more. “You told me Hellebore married a blond, but… my look at that something that finally bested the Kutsuki blood… meaning…” Mai twirled once more, stopping directly in Jaune’s personal space.

Jade was scowling now.

“A male Kutsuki… my, aren’t you a specimen and so tall!” Mai marvelled, moving around her eyes, never meeting Jaune’s own, instead tracing his torso.

“Indeed, it's from his father, as he has already bested Hella,” Himiko said.

“Mm, a treat to be sure,” Mai mumbled, then with no warning, her eyes launched to Jade, making the girl hop a little. “Oh… I like your hair… Mm… painter right, dye is different, but the stains are alike, no?” Mai asked, holding up her hands where there were different splotches of colour.

“Oh! Umm, yeah,” Jade uttered, glancing at her hands with similar splotches.

Mai moved again, this time to Sky, Jaune’s eyes following her with piercing intensity, and Sky grabbed for his hand for comfort.

“This one is precious… the youngest?”

Himiko nodded.

“A treasure… you remind me a little of Hinata; she was small once if you can believe it,” Mai smiled. Sky gave a shy one back but didn’t relinquish Jaune’s hand.

“You can relax, Jaune; she is a friend,” Himiko spoke up in Mistrali.

“She is… forward,” Jaune ground out, not liking the sudden invasion of his space.

“Sorry,” Mai spoke up, joining in on using Eastern Mistrali. Jaune’s head returned to look at the older woman who was now meeting his gaze. “I got a bit excited. You might not know this, but all of you are a rarity. I don’t think there has ever been a blond Kutsuki, and I certainly don’t think I have ever heard of a male one.”

Her eyes were narrow and fuchsia, making Jaune think of a fox.

“… I see; I will bear this in mind, but could you kindly step back, if only for the moment?”

“Of course… now I must say I have high hopes for seeing five new Kutsuki in my store; what can I help you all with today,” Mai asked, presenting them with a bow.

Scarlett stepped forward, a calming hand brushing Jaune’s shoulder as she passed, doing a lot to calm him. “We came out today to get fitted for some traditional Mistrali clothes; we were thinking Kimono, seeing as that seems to have been the preference for the Isle.”

“Oh yes!” Mai grinned, her eyes widening slightly, her hands coming about to grasp Scarlett’s. “You, my dear, are the ring leader of this outing, no doubt; thank you! Such an opportunity I could not ask for!”

“Oh, umm, you are welcome,” Scarlett nodded, shooting a glance at Himiko, her confusion apparent.

“I will make sure there will be no doubt as to whose family you belong… but first, I am afraid I must curb my enthusiasm… what is our budget?” Mai spoke, putting on a stony expression as if burying her own excitement.

“No budget. Have your fun, Mai. My grandchildren deserve your best,” Himiko spoke up, her voice awash with the amusement of unsung laughter.

Mai’s whole body shifted, and a smile bordering on manic grew as she turned to her friend. “Truly?”

Himiko nodded.

Mai looked back to Scarlett, who gave a confident grin, “She’s paying, and what girl doesn’t want to feel like a princess.”

“My lady Kutsuki, by the time I am done, you will make the Empresses of old envious,” Mai boasted proudly.

From that point forward, the store came alive; even with only two people to work it, their skill was unquestionable. Mai was a master, and with measuring tape in hand and Joon at her beck and call, she became a flurry of activity, a permanent seafoam green blur.

The group's size did mean that Mai couldn’t work on everyone at once, but that hardly stopped the woman as she decided that if the Arcs were willing to make a day of it, so was she. With a snap of her fingers, Joon became their server, supplying an arrangement of teas and snacks that, over time, were chipped away at.

The girl was well-versed, and even Himiko complimented her on her presentation and tea.

Jaune was puzzled by the whole process, but Scarlett came to his rescue while she was being measured to explain the nature of tea ceremonies. Jaune listened intently, learning that they had a lengthy history in Mistral, and their purpose varied, as did the call for the event both in region and period.

“This is good practice for her; we aren’t a big island, but you never know when a wedding might pop up,” Mai spoke while taking Saphron’s measurements. “It’s tradition to perform such a ceremony during the Brides fitting.”

“Oh, that sounds nice!” Sky exclaimed after munching down on some sweet biscuits.

“They are wonderful chances for a bride and her closest people to make some beautiful memories,” Mai intoned, a glance being shot at Himiko, who nodded.

“Did you have one, Granma?” Sky asked, patting Himiko’s knee.

Himiko sipped her tea, “I have had two.”

“You married Granpa twice?”

Mai chuckled at this; it was a low thing as she silently directed Saphron to lift her arm.

“No…” Himiko glanced around but found only expectant looks from the rest of the Arc children, curious about her answer. “I have been married… three times.”

“Three? I thought you’d only been married twice?” Scarlett spoke up with an accompanying sound of agreement from Saphron, who was taking her sister's place on the stand, Mai directing her how to stand.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, once to our mum's dad and then to Aunt Hinata’s,” Saphron spoke up as the tape was taken away from her throat.

“Who’s the third?” Scarlett asked, scootching her chair closer to her grandmother, a look of curiosity in her keen eyes.

“… Well, now that’s an old story,” Himiko muttered into her tea. “But… not necessarily a happy one.”

“Oh… well, that sucks. I really wanted to hear it,” Scarlett sighed, genuinely disappointed.

“I was curious as well,” Saphron agreed.

“No moving,” Mai chirped.

“Are you sure it's sad?” Sky asked.

“Guys, come on, a little tact, please; I expect this stuff from Jaune, not the rest of you,” Jade spoke up sternly.

“…” Jaune remained silent but did give Jade a searching look, wondering what she meant by her statement.

“I feel it is one worth telling, though I feel like certain ears present we would need to adjust… aspects of it,” Mai said with a tone of certainty. Jaune reacted to this, glancing wearily at his younger siblings, his countenance gaining an edge as he appraised both of the older women.

“… Fair enough,” Himiko surrendered, placing her now empty teacup down with a pointed look at Joon, “something… bitter, please.”

“Right away, my lady,” Joon was quick to reply, dashing off with light feet.

“Grandmother… you don’t need to revisit bad memories-“

“They are actually quite lovely memories, for the most part,” Himiko admitted, cutting off Scarlett’s offer. “It’s something of my own personal fairy tale, in which I went and snag myself a prince.”

Sky was instantly captivated, her whole attention captured by her grandmother as she leaned into the older woman who was happy to wrap an arm around her small shoulders.

“See, this was many years ago; it was after the Great War, and my older sister was the current head of the Kutsuki family. My mother had died in the war to a Grimm Incursion, so it was just us and my father,” Himiko explained, holding out her cup for Joon to fill.

“I was late into my teenage years, and things, for the most part, were comfortable on the Isle; we were all but untouched by the war with only a few people less to show for it… it was sad, but we knew that we got off better than most,” Himiko sighed.

Jaune immediately felt his thoughts return to his known history of the Great War. He knew that Mistral, for the most part, suffered two separate uprisings during the war and massive civil unrest that resulted in numerous losses due to Grimm. Due to the Atla's effort to suppress all expressions meeting with heavier resistance than it had in Mantle, the result was countless riots and even a small-scale civil war.

Mistral ended up bleeding as much as Vale due to the upper class’s dismissal of the common folk's wellbeing. This hampered their war effort to the point of Vale being able to not only repel the invasion on multiple fronts but even engage in reprisal assaults on Mistral.

After all, few things are more damaging to an army than its supply lines being ravaged from within.

It got so bad that many said that Mistral was indeed the last to exit the Great War, having to go through the bloodiest upheaval following their loss, ending in the overthrowing of the imperial family. It was not a good time for Mistral, and what followed only worsened its situation; of all the countries, they lost the most territory following the war.

Not even Vale, which saw the majority of the conflict happen on its soil, could boast such a tragedy.

“During this time, a lot was happening in the world, the establishment of the Huntsman Academies, the restructuring of governments… the world was rebuilding, and even we couldn’t escape that,” Himiko recalled.

“That’s where I met my prince,” Himiko announced, her voice taking on the wonderous lilt of a storyteller.

“What was he like?” Sky asked, voice awash with enraptured wonder.

“Well, when I first met him… he was a dork,” Himiko admitted unabashedly, making Sky’s expression a confused mix-up as she came to terms with her grandmother’s words.

“Ha!” Saphron laughed loudly and boldly, pointing at her sister, only for Mai to cross her arms at her in annoyance.

“Shut it,” Scarlett hissed back, her cheeks flush in a colour befitting her namesake.

“Sorry, love, it's genetic,” Himiko apologised with a boisterous laugh. “Oh… Oh, but he was charming, don’t be mistaken; for all his oddness, he was a terribly polite thing bowing and stuttering but… but also so open. It was nice.”

All the Arcs were quiet now, watching Himiko talk of her first love.

“He would talk of dreams and plans and ideas and… and I could listen to him for hours, I did listen to him for hours. I would seek him out; the poor thing didn’t even realise I was interested, but he always greeted me with a crooked smile and a wave. I would train, he would talk and tell me of all manner of things, inventions, art, ideas and dreams.”

“A curious topic for someone of Mistrali origin,” Jaune spoke up, his expression unreadable.

Himiko smiled, but it was not a kind one, “Clever boy, no, see, my prince was a trickster at heart and a lover of freedom above all else. When Mistral began to tow Atlas’s line, he, like many of his ilk, fled.”

“… He was a Faunus,” Jaune stated confidently, getting surprised looks from everyone present.

“… Hm, you are perhaps too clever,” Himiko jested dryly, not denying Jaune’s claim. “Yes, he was; his whole ‘family’ had fled from Mistral as the crackdown came through; they had managed to escape the chains of slavery by disguising themselves as those already belonging to a circus… when those became outlawed…” Himiko trailed off her gaze solely for the older children, who were quick on the uptake.

“That’s… really bad,” Sky added, a heavy look on her young face.

“Yes, but that was a long time ago, and things are better now, no matter what anyone says,” Himiko stated with a degree of certainty that spoke of knowing. Sky hugged the older woman, and Himiko, with a gentleness that surprised even herself, returned the embrace, her hand coming out of her long sleeve to stroke Sky’s young brow.

“What kind?” Saphron asked, curious about the man who could woo her grandmother, stretching as she did as she was free from Mai’s ministrations. Jade received a tap on the shoulder and a nod, letting her know it was her turn.

“A crocodile, though you would never think so for his size,” Himiko giggled fondly, “he stood about as tall as you, dear.” Himiko nodded at Saphron, who blinked in surprise, freezing with a biscuit in her mouth.

“Sounds more like a caiman,” Jade spoke up, earning a short scowl from Mai for moving during the first measurement already, “Sorry.”

“He would crack the same joke; he was never afraid to laugh at himself, deeming life far too serious, already saying ‘that it didn’t need any help’.” Himiko snorted.

“He sounds great,” Scarlett smiled.

“Oh, he was… my prince of the willow, that’s what I called him. He said since I was a Kutsuki and this was my island, he would never dare to impose himself as an emperor or king… but what did I have to fear of a prince of a single willow tree.” Himiko whispered her words low but audible.

“Even made me a crown out of those long leaves. One day, I spent the whole of our time together training, and as usual, he talked… when I finished, I was sweaty and tired and… he just plopped it on my head,” Himiko reminisced, a hand hidden by her long sleeves brushing over the crown of her head as if adjusting something that wasn’t there.

“So to thank him, I kissed that dorky prince and told him I would be back to see him tomorrow,” Himiko proclaimed, earning a snort from Saphron, “I think he got that I was attracted to him after that.”

“One would hope so,” Mai spoke up for the first time during the storytelling.

“Hush you, your husband still looked shocked even at the wedding; the poor boy looked as if you had snatched him from his bed,” Himiko scolded Mai, a smirk adorning her face the whole time.

“Of course I didn’t. I live on the same island as the Kutsuki; I just hired one of them to do it,” Mai replied, though whether her words were a jest or not was lost on the Arcs.

“So then you got married, right,” Sky asked, getting frustrated at the change in topics.

“Hmm… oh, well, that’s complicated, see… well before we got married, my prince gave me a gift, a treasure unlike any other, and once I received it, I was so overjoyed and my sister so… happy… for me that she demanded we get married… immediately,” Himiko iterated.

“Wait… did he knock you-“

Jaune’s hand was silencing Scarlett instantly, the breadth of his palm over her mouth, the younger boy giving his older sister an exasperated look.

“Seriously, sis, small ears,” Saphron groaned, her face buried in her palms.

“Well, anyway,” Himiko cleared her throat, her sleeve covering her face to hide her blush, “the point is that we were all set to be married, and those days were wonderful, even if the anticipation was killing me. My stomach was particularly unsettled during those times…” Himiko regaled her eyes, glancing at a bundle of white fabric.

“I bet,” Scarlett got out her hands, having yanked down her brother's arm.

“Hush you,” Himiko chided.

“So then you were married?” Sky urged, eager for the continuation of the story.

“… No.”

“No?”

“You see, child, during this time, there was… hmm, I think some background will be needed…” Himiko muttered to herself, looking at the children, but her eyes settled on Jaune. “What do you know of the Faunus Rights Revolution.”

The mood took an instant dive.

Jaune, seeing no one else willing to speak, as well as the look his grandmother was paying him, decided to fill in the silence. “It was the conflict waged between a sect of Faunus against the four nations in protest of the trampling of their hard-won rights… they noticed that the human elements of the nations were becoming increasingly adamant about the segregation of all Faunus to Menagerie. They responded violently.”

Himiko nodded but didn’t speak, urging Jaune to continue.

“It was not a war in the conventional sense, though many call it such. The majority of the fighting and violence was found to be present on Mistral and the newly renamed Atlas. Vale was not spared either, but the fighting was far more contained for the most part. Vacuo was nearly untouched.”

“Wait, really?” Jade inquired, looking over and earning another pointed scowl from Mai.

“Yes, Vacuo has always been far more fair to Faunus than any other nations… However, in regards to the Revolution… Well, Queen Europa was still around at the time, and a Faunus queen probably went a long way to keep things calm, not to mention that Hawk-Eye Yarrik was still present… the Revolution did more damage to the Dust Mining companies than it did to the nation and its peoples.”

“You do take after your father, don’t you,” Himiko nodded.

“History is a shared interest, yes,” Jaune supplied.

“… We didn’t escape the Revolution untouched…” Himiko began her words already foreboding. “We did not have many Faunus, to begin with, my prince’s ‘family’ making up nearly half the number, and they had only migrated over during the war to hide out in the swamps… but still, there were… disagreements.”

Himiko spoke the last word with a degree of venom that left little to the imagination; Jaune could practically smell her hate, arid and still burning despite the passage of time.

“There were humans who wanted them gone, but again, my relationship was quite public, so they had the common wits to keep their mouths shut,” Himiko explained, pausing to take a sip of her tea, the hot, bitter liquid seeming to soothe her somewhat. “The issue, if you can believe it… was the other Faunus.”

“Huh?”

“Wha-“

“Oh no,” Scarlett mouthed.

“My prince and his family wanted to leave, to go to Menagerie; he would speak of it ceaselessly and even joked that perhaps he could be the prince of more than just a willow tree,” Himiko, recalled her voice now carrying a tone of such fondness it captivated everyone present. “For once, it wasn’t just him talking… I was going to go with him… with my sister in charge; I had little to hold me here, nothing that could compete with him and our future. With the need for Huntsman Menagerie would have welcomed us eagerly.”

“But… There were other Faunus on the island who saw them leaving as a betrayal, stating that they had every right to stay and if they didn’t, they were submitting to the Humans… called them pets… idiots.”

Himiko put her teacup down now, her golden eyes hiding a wave of anger that made even Jaune’s nerves twitch with anxious energy. “An argument… that’s all it took for one of those ridiculous worthless scum to stoop to murder; they attacked my prince and… hurt him… badly,” Himiko breathed, the breath doing little to smother anger that she had never let go of.

“When I found him, he was bad but… but he was still a foolish lovely dork; he was fading, but a fire came over him that would not let him go; he demanded someone pass him something to drink, a bottle of sake finding its way into his hand as he pressed a bloodied sunflower to my chest.”

“He poured. I held the dish. We each drank even as his heart began to slow… he choked down the last one, and then, with his ridiculous lopsided smile… he said, ‘I love you, my wife,’ then he held me as tight as he could for as long as he could…”

Himiko didn’t speak again, her face awash with old pain, but she held her head high, a mixture of conflicting emotions washing over her. Jaune couldn’t look away, seeing such pain mixed with love and acceptance, such rage with fondness.

It wrenched on parts of him he was not even actively aware of.

It left him… longing… if not a little less lost.

“I’m so sorry,” Saphron spoke up, words earnest, her eyes downcast, moisture gathering in their blue edges.

Himiko smiled, a crying Sky held in her arms the youngest of the Arcs doing her best to cry quietly. “We had so many plans… we were going to carve out our own little kingdom,” Himiko joked, “I was going to make him my king… of at least two willow trees just to make sure he got the message.”

Scarlett was teary-eyed, and Jaune had risen to be by his older sister’s side; Jade was dry-eyed but just as sorrowful, leaning over to rest her head against his arm. Saphron claimed a hand for her own, her tears held back by sheer force of will.

“I’m sorry you lost your prince… what happened to his treasure?” Sky asked between sniffles.

Himiko, who had been keeping a tight reign of her emotions, finally slipped her eyes, gaining a sheer quality as a slight glimmer of power danced behind them. All of this was unseen by Sky, who she tucked into her shoulder, but the older kids saw it.

“A villain stole it… and destroyed it,” Himiko spoke sullenly.

The girls flinched.

Scarlett and Saphron both looked at each other, seeing the same horrible understanding show on their faces. Jade raised her hands aghast as she realised what her grandmother was saying.

Jaune was looking at the floor, his eyes seeing mist and blood as the cries of an infant thundered in his ears. Wet heaving sobs of an orphan. The broken cries of a mother.

“Jaune?”

He jerked; Sky was standing just in front of him and was looking at him with reddened eyes, having somehow moved across the room, with him being none the wiser. “Are you okay? It was pretty sad, huh…”

“Yes… yes, it was,” Jaune agreed, meeting his grandmother’s gaze, the sounds of his past receding. “You have my deepest sympathies, Grandmother,” Jaune intoned.

“Thank you, Grandson,” Himiko smiled, her hand outstretched and open.

Jaune, with only the briefest of pauses, took a hold and held it.

YVYVYVYVY

Afterwards, Himiko would deem that she had perhaps spoiled the mood much to the false denial of those present. Himiko apologised and decided that it would be best if they instead tried again another time. Mai was all for this, stating that she would wrap up her experiments and be ready for them in two days to finish their measurements at least.

Everyone present agreed and even put themselves down for an appointment, a reticent Joon apologising as they left, entirely of her own volition. The girls accepted it, Scarlett telling Jaune to do so as well, mentioning something about a story they were not party to.

Though the day had not gone as planned, Himiko found her grandchildren walking very close to her as they returned to the compound. The girls each asked questions about her first husband, their queries making the older woman smile and doing a lot to brighten the mood.

Though the story was sad, as she answered their questions, Himiko did so with such unshielded love that it was hard not to find their mood brightened. They had not seen this side of their grandmother, and while they had only discovered it through rather dower means, it was beautiful to see.

Jaune thought so, at least.

“Grandmother,” Jaune would speak up, his voice low, his visage for once relaxed as he addressed the mother of his mother.

“Yes?”

“… I would very much like to know where the grave of my Aunt is…” he spoke in Mistrali so as not to bring low the mood of his siblings but not forgetting what it was Himiko had said of her and her first Husband’s treasure.

“… I will take you when we have some time to spare,” Himiko said, her tone one of old pain, but the smile on her face told Jaune he had said the right thing.

“And also…”

Himiko looked over her eyes, looking tired. Jaune saw his grandmother’s age for possibly the first time since he had met her. But he also saw a woman of character, a woman of pride, a woman he perhaps could even relate to.

“I would like to visit the grave of the man… who, in another life, might have been my grandfather,” Jaune requested.

Himiko seemed stunned by the request, but then she was laughing, a light thing that sounded so much like Hella’s that it warmed Jaune’s heart. Himiko wiped a tear from her eye, showing off a bright smile that warmed the world around it.

“He would have liked you,” Himiko declared, “Ryōma wasn’t the Huntsman sort, but… for all his dreams, he was always quite vocal about having a large family, being a circus kid and all.”

Jaune smiled at his grandmother, his words gentle as he responded, “… I would have liked to have met him.”

Himiko would drop them off at the compound, each saying their goodbyes and asking if she would accompany them to Madam Kuro’s again.

Himiko agreed adamantly and departed.

Her dreams that night were filled with love and the treasured memories of a young, lovestruck woman and her prince dancing within his kingdom, the taste of sake and sunflower seeds on her tongue as they twirled beneath the moonlit branches of a willow tree.

It was the best sleep she had enjoyed in years.

Jaune watched on, happy that he could gift her at least this.

OMAKE: Watchu got there. (By me, because I needed it after this chapter.)

Being the Guild Master of a Huntsman Guild base was a lot of work.

Huntsman as a whole were, at best, a bunch of crazies with little to no self-preservation instincts who were ready and willing to throw themselves into danger at a moment's notice. They tended to develop self-destructive habits, and their impulse control was often severely lacking.

A Hunter Commander got to deal with them at their best when he could direct all their manic pent-up energy at laying waste to whatever needed killing.

A Guild Master got to deal with them when they were trapped surrounded by all too fragile structures and people and had to find creative ways to vent their energy.

At least, this was the opinion held by Franky. N. Stein.

Franky had been the Guild Master for the Reach headquarters for too damn long. She had only gotten roped into this damn job by her current Hunter Commander’s grandfather because she was dumb enough to get drunk in his town.

The punishment, in this case, most certainly didn’t fit the crime.

But she couldn’t deny it had its moments; there was a degree of satisfaction that came with successfully herding these dynamite-strapped cats that was incomparable to nearly anything else. She didn’t so much chase that feeling as she wanted nothing more than to bask in it for the rest of her life.

It sustained her.

What made it all the better was that her staff were some of the best, most competent people she could get her grubby little mitts on. Be it a time of relative calm or an emergency, she knew she could count on her staff, and for the most part, they were kind enough not to add to her problems.

Her HR team earned every damn bonus she gave them, if only for making it so that she could focus all her attention on her Huntsman.

That isn’t to say her Huntsman were incompetent; it was quite the opposite.

She hit the jackpot there, from her Hunter Commander to even winning the third draft pick of any third year needing their hours up out of Beacon. It was a brutal trade, but honestly, she didn’t mind redirecting some Schnee Dust Company contracts to other Guilds.

She hated those stuck-up pricks at the best of times, and while the money was good, the fact that her Huntsman often came back with the urge to blow shit up often made them a net negative in her books.

That’s where she had to earn her paycheck.

Running the day-to-day was one thing, and she had a whole staff ready and able to assist her in those endeavours; whether it be local management or handling national politics, she had an A+ team to back her up.

It was when a Huntsman needed to pull their head in that she reminded everyone exactly why she was in charge.

Oddly, it was mostly Huntsman from out of town that she had to crack down on.

For the most part, her own Huntsman were well behaved; even Orr and the twins, for the most part, despite their quirks, had very few incidents that required even so much as a verbal reprimand. Though that might be appointed to her leniency regarding how they presented themselves, but old Rust wasn’t complaining, so everyone else could shove it.

Her rules were strict but fair, and assuming her Huntsman kept from doing dumb shit that damaged people's property or endangered others, they were free to do as they pleased within the confines of decency. It was so casual it would likely make an Atlesian die of a stroke instantly, but it worked, and her results were bested only by Beacon and Bastion… for now.

An evil grin appeared on her face as she thought of how she had managed to snag herself Nickel Kaiser, the old medic now calling Reach home. For a man who was supposedly retired, he certainly didn’t act the part, even going out on an Elder Hunt, crazy old bastard.

But Franky would lord his being with them over any who needed to be reminded of their place; a retired Hero who still rode out was the kind of prize one couldn’t underestimate.

Especially since it allowed her to snub Bastion on the regular.

Sometimes, Franky just couldn’t believe her luck, and best of all, with Cloud and Hella gone, things had been tranquil. She had been reasonably worried that something would go tits up the moment they were out of Reach, but things had been wonderfully calm.

Sometimes, it was good to be Franky. N. Stein.

This feeling lasted precisely up to the point when she opened her office door.

Franky knew how to deal with many things; she was an old Huntress who had travelled to every single continent and fought everything from Grimm to cultists.

Orr was a battle entirely onto herself.

“And this is Franky’s secret stash that everyone knows about because locked drawers are a dumb place to hide things,” Orr explained to her companion.

Who was a Massive. Fucking. Dear.

Franky looked at the deer in question for a solid three seconds, the beast currently observing the drawer where she kept her favourite selection of leaves from across all of Remnant. You couldn’t even get some of those anymore because the places that grew them got blown up by the damn Grimm.

Finally, her presence was discovered by Orr, who turned to face her with a cup in one hand and the other pressed against the deer’s giant neck.

“Oh! Hey Boss!” Orr greeted brightly.

Franky took a big breath.

“Hi… Whatchu got there?”

“Iced Latte.”

“… I was referring to the thing with antlers.”

Orr glanced to her side, the deer looking right back at her, a small bark ringing out as if it was addressing her. “Oh, this is Rammus… he’s a deer.”

“Mhmm.”

“He actually belongs to the Arcs, and my Sprout asked me to keep an eye on him, so… figured I’d show him around,” Orr shrugged, taking a sip of her Latte.

“In my office?”

“It was on the list,” Orr explained, Rammus huffing his large head, swinging to the side, nearly smacking into the short woman. “Hey, it's ok. We can go somewhere fun next, all right.”

“Orr-“

“Hold that thought,” Orr cut her off, pulling out her buzzing Scroll. “Oh, cool message from the Sprout’s sister… Oh nice, it's my Sprout… wait a minute.”

Franky watched as Orr looked genuinely shocked by whatever was on her Scroll. The deer, however, seemed far more interested in nudging her desk chair.

‘Which is the bigger threat to my office…’ Franky thought, wondering which one she should try to wrangle first. ‘Definitely Orr.’

“Beaches! Swimsuits! At sunset! Oh. Fuck. No.”

Next thing Franky knew, she was holding an iced latte as Orr dashed off to her private bathroom, “Boss need to borrow your bathroom gotta send some potentially incriminating photos!”

The last thing Orr saw before her bathroom door was slammed shut was Orr peeling off her top.

Silence reigned in the office, the deer looking up at her curiously.

Franky stared right back. Then her eyes slowly drifted to the deer's impressive rack, its large pointed antlers a majestic sight to behold.

Then she glanced at her very much too narrow doorway that the deer couldn’t possibly have fit through.

She turned back, the deer still looking at her with big, dark eyes.

“How the hell did she get you in here?”

The deer snorted at her.

Franky accepted at that point that it was going to be one of those days.

A.N.

It is canon that the Great War happened roughly 80 years before canon and was predated by a century of unrest. The Faunus Rights Revolution happened a certain amount of time afterwards but is distant enough to be discussed in line with the Great War.

Eighty years ain’t that long in the grand scheme of things, and that means that some grandparents have been through some shit.

Himiko, as a character, is a woman who has developed a rather terse personality and is often one who behaves in a manner that is expected of her. Not out of malice but comfort, she embraced a role that gave her direction and purpose, a role well suited for her.

Behind this, though, there is a person born amid a World War in a country that was actively attempting to suppress the self-expression of its populace in a time when Grimm were running rampant, and tragedy was just around the corner. She grew up in the aftermath when racial tension was at an all-time high as a race of recently freed slaves were undergoing a schism of sorts as half wanted to uproot themselves to a new continent, and the other half wanted to stay with their homes.

I wanted Himiko to be a character that built herself into what she is out of necessity, not direction or guidance, but in response to the world.

Plus gave me an excuse to fit in another reference, anyway hope you enjoyed.