(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
Official Supporters:
High Priestess, Luna Haile
Priest, Xager the Chaos King
Acolyte, DigiDemonLord
Acolyte, Emperor King Perby
Initiate, Shadie
Initiate, Greg Gibson
If you want your name on the lists of my stories and videos, head over to P a t. R e . o n and search for the Temple Walkers. Just let us know you're from Fanfiction, alright?
I am creating a Discord server specifically for my writings and separate from the Temple Walkers Discord server. This way, Commissioners can keep track of their commissions directly without any worries or problems off FF or Archive, and can communicate to me directly. Just DM me and I will get you a link as soon as I can.
I'm still new to it, so any advice or offers of assistance from my community would be appreciated and more than welcome.
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
For all who have asked and possibly will, yes. Jaune has the Leviathan Axe. It is essentially a crossover at this point, which is fine. Other elements - not characters - will likely blend in as well. I will be describing the armor as well, but will confirm here that this set is the Reaver Set you can get early on. I, personally, made much use of it when I rented God of War and played it.
Because on higher difficulties defense is life. Some bosses literally one-hit me in anything else.
I confirm this because I don't want to have to spend a dozen paragraphs describing its intricacies - which I enjoy doing that, mind, it's just a time thing - and can simply keep moving through the story. I did, however, make some tweaks to its design. Nothing at all major, of course, but minor tweaks to fit the character.
Hope you all enjoy.
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
"You know, Mister Arc, there are half a dozen staff members that could run the training rooms for you." Professor Goodwitch said, sighing and smiling thinly to show she meant nothing behind it. "While true that this room is technically mine for combat classes during semesters, that doesn't mean that I am the only one that can run the systems."
"If I'm bothering you, then you don't have to help me." Jaune returned simply, standing behind her and adjusting his armor subconsciously while he avoided the woman's curves like the plague. "I'm not trying to bother you or anything."
"It is no bother, Jaune." She said quietly, pressing a few buttons on her Scroll to activate the lighting systems and Aura monitors. Jaune watched the Aura reader boot on for a moment before he looked back to hard, bright green eyes. "Just wondered why you seem so… Intent on spending time in my training ring, with me particularly."
"I just… Wanted to train, Professor." He answered, grabbing one of his wrists and pulling his arm over his chest to stretch the muscles out. He grimaced when a prim eyebrow arched disbelievingly and added, "You're, uh, the only person here I know, so… And I don't like people, so I didn't want to-"
"To talk to strangers?" She finished, smiling when he grimaced and nodded. After a moment, looking at her Scroll needlessly and turning around, and she smiled when she felt his eyes on her back and lower. Without looking, she asked, "So you don't like people at all? Isn't that a strange sentiment to hold, especially for one who wishes to be a Hunstman?"
"I don't-"
"You didn't want the title of Huntsman." She chided gently, turning back to look at him and taking a seat at one of the benches students used in the year to watch the spars. Aching feet, she found, tended not to be helpful in teaching lessons, so she gestured at the one across the walkway from her, "Take a seat, Jaune. I am a teacher after all, so I feel I should do my job, year start date be damned."
After a moment of hesitating, a hand unconsciously reaching back to thumb the handle of his axe anxiously, he sighed and plopped onto the bench, "Fine. I guess just… Teach away, then, if you want to."
"You say you don't like people, but I find that is likely not the case. I challenge that, because someone who hates people would not wish to help them. You have a disdain for the title and ceremony of Huntsman and Huntresses alike, not what we do." She smiled to match the thin line of his lips, that same eyebrow raising knowingly, continuing after a second of the young man's silence, "I think you rather like people. You just disdain people you think aren't worth your time. People you don't respect."
After a minute, Jaune sighed, "I don't like the pomp and circumstance of Huntsman. It's… needless. Why should Beacon's graduation be some national event? It should just be… Something expected."
"And the reason you are here corroborates that." She observed, Jaune nodding curtly at the assertion. "Not here for our training, or our facilities, or Oum not even our weapons making facilities and smithies. Rather, so your family can merely claim the…. Prestige, I suppose, of having a Beacon graduate in their family."
"Yeah…" He sighed, crossing his arms over his blue-armored chest and turning to look out at the arena. More to avoid eye contact with the woman than anything, but he expected she knew that. "I… Guess that's why I like you. You get it."
"Oh?" She smiled warmly at the young man, watching him thinking. The way his eyes moved to the floor and narrowed, and his foot tapped absently, knee bouncing like you might do to amuse a small child. "But Jaune, I may not enjoy them per se, but I do like them. It is important for the people of Remnant to have these ceremonies, it grants us their trust."
"Us fighting and dying should give that to us already." Jaune grunted, looking up at her, "We're the ones who risk our bodies and our lives, and evene our wealth, to protect them. We shouldn't need to… To bend over backwards just to get them to trust us. I can cleave a Grimm in half with my axe, that should be enough."
"Perhaps, but it isn't." Glynda argued simply, Jaune watching her expectantly for more. After a moment of looking for the right words, she continued, "People have… short memories, for good and ill alike. Many atrocities were committed by the Faunus during the Great War, not to say the Human Kingdoms were innocent. The same short memories which require us to constantly reinforce their trust is what grants the Faunus some margin of forgiveness."
"But why do we need that?" Jaune asked, sounding frustrated to an extreme. "I'm strong enough, why do I or anyone else need accolades and ceremonies to show it off? I'd rather just kill Grimm and move on to the next one, If I am to be a Huntsman."
She could sympathise, it was an issue sometimes left out of curriculums. But Jaune had obviously never had it explained, so she pursed her lips, "The ceremony of these things make people happy, Jaune. They make them feel involved. We are an intimidating thing in their lives, don't forget. What is a gentle strike to us could cave in the chest of any of them. Us being some alien entity they know nothing about makes them fear us. And I trust you know what such fear and mistrust would draw."
"Grimm." Jaune agreed, sighing and nodding. "But still, I can't help that it… Is so damn frustrating."
"Precisely." Glynda smiled that same knowing and pleased smile, "As much as we don't quite enjoy these ceremonies for what they are, you and I are alike in this, these are incredibly necessary to our jobs."
"I guess that makes sense." Jaune sighed, staring at the floor between them absently with a dissatisfied grimace. "I don't have to like it, though."
"No, and nor do I." Goodwitch smiled good naturedly, watching him for a moment as an idea sprung into her mind. Slowly, she crossed her legs, Jaune's eyes following the purposeful movement of her calf lifting, resting the inside of her knee on the top of her other and holding it with her hands comfortably, "It is quite… enjoyable to me, you know, to have these kinds of conversations with someone. You're quite intelligent, for one so young."
He forced his eyes away from her legs, the tight leather of her boots hugging the toned legs tightly under equally tight stockings that barely hid her delicious thighs, and making his chest constrict when he saw that same almost teasing glint in the professor's eyes. He swallowed, throat suddenly dry, and she tilted her head to the side and let her hair fall away, exposing the pale expanse of her neck to his eyes.
"Jaune?" She asked, voice low and carrying an edge he didn't understand, "Are you well? You seem quite… Flushed, suddenly. Do you need to visit the nurse, maybe?"
"I-I'm fine." He answered quickly, voice cracking only slightly. The Headmistress' smile grew and Jaune tried to ignore her, "And… Thanks. Everyone back home always said I was too smart for my own good, and cocky. It was always aggravating, they didn't even consider what I said. Just insulted me and moved on. Not like you."
"Oh?" She breathed quietly, watching his reactions with an amused sensation. For someone so mature and intelligent, he was… Easily flustered. Amusingly so. Some light flirting and a slight show of skin, not even particularly naughty skin at that, and his blood had rushed north and south alike, no doubt. "But surely someone of your talent and lineage must have been quite popular, particularly among those your own age and not pursuing this profession."
"Not with anyone I wanted to be around." He shrugged simply, "Just girls that thought my muscles looked good and couldn't think themselves out of a paper bag, guys that thought that since I worked out we had to be buds, and people on all sides after my last name. No one worth my time, you know?"
"Why not?" She asked, returning her head to a more normal position and letting her hair fall back over her neck. Seeing him relax, she smirked and crossed her arms under her bust, pushing her breasts up and drawing his eyes to them, much to her internal amusement. "What about them was so aggravating to you?"
"Just… They were so immature, I guess." He sighed, tearing his eyes from her chest and looking at her face. She smirked and his eyes widened a fraction, the younger blonde looking away from her sparkling, amused eyes, "Always screwing around, talking about useless, unimportant things, and just… Being annoying."
"Even the girls?" Glynda asked almost shyly, Jaune's eyes looking to hers for only a moment.
"Especially the girls." He answered, sighing, "My parents kept trying to pair me off with immature girls who didn't know a damn thing. They were boring, and frustrating, and frankly that made them really unattractive."
"You prefer your women more… mature then, I take it?" She asked with a teasing and almost sultry purr, watching him stiffen at the tone and avoid her eyes again. "And I suppose you haven't found any women like that as of yet? None which particularly… Catch your eye?"
"I-I would very much like to train now, Ma'am." He said quietly, the older woman suppressing a chuckle at his embarrassment. "I don't, you know, want to take too much of your time."
"Oh Jaune, you can have as much of my time as you need. I always make time for students who show initiative like you." She said, standing and taking a step down the stairs towards the arena floor. She hesitated when he stood, looking over her shoulder and tilting her head at him alluringly, "And for you, especially. No matter how we use our private time, or where."
She made sure to add a sway in her step, and felt his eyes rake over the curve of her firm behind and lower, down her legs, all while she smiled, "Now then, I shall order out some drones for you. Make sure you are quite prepared." He stepped past her, and she called out as he left, "I hope your sword skills impress me, Mister Arc."
She didn't miss how quickly he left to go to the arena's floor, and chuckled at it. He was simply too much fun. Now to see if what was said about his prowess in combat matched his wit and surprising maturity, before she made her choice.
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
Many Huntsman and Huntresses didn't much like armor, and the aspiring trainees his age reflected that, he found early on in his involuntary career learning and training as a Huntsman. They preferred 'skill', by which they meant wearing next to no real protection - or clothing even, sometimes - over actual defense. And it seemed like it had become sort of… Normal. Accepted, treated like a normal thing and part of what made a Huntsman or Huntress great.
None of which mattered to Jaune, of course, who thought going up against thing that could rip and tear flesh apart with their claws in bloody skirts and dress shirts. Which he found frankly ridiculous in a way he couldn't quite put into words. And which, of course, had meant more arguments with his insane family that had tried to insist that he stick to 'traditional Hunter equipment.'
Which had been a hoodie and some light bracers and boots, with nothing more than cloth, Aura and flaccid prayers between his internal bits and whatever wanted to sodding taste them. An argument he won by saying he wouldn't actually take the position in Beacon if he couldn't wear armor.
'They didn't want him to die, only to fulfill his duty' they'd said, and he'd sighed. They had an odd sense of duty, at least to him. But so long as he got his armor, he didn't care, even if it was still at least a solid bit lighter than he'd prefer entirely. Still better than a hoodie and not much armor aside from that.
He wore thick black, military cargo pants with built-in defensive padding throughout that made it look bulky and thick, like a gambeson almost but slimmer and hugged against his legs protectively, accompanied by light, dull silver knee pads sewn into the knees of the pants for added protection. Not enough to stop, say, an Ursa's claws but something like a Creep or even a Beowolf should glance off or get caught in the cloth of the pants.
The pant legs' padding cut off halfway down the shin, designed to work with the matched pair of heavy combat boots he wore that they were tucked into which covered the half of his shin the pants didn't. The boots were heavy and weighty, made of thick leather over cloth that kept his feet warm and safe, from attacks from outside the boots and the chafing that such rough leather could bring and all the way back to simple weather and water. Good, solid layered steel a tenth of an inch thick was layered on the shins with thick laces, adding a bit more protection along the shin itself and leaving barely any gap between the metal there and the knee pads above them. Otherwise, they appeared as plain combat boots, like he'd seen in stores throughout Vale. The pants, too, looked like ones on sale in stores and worn by civilians alike, if you removed the knee pads that themselves looked - even if they were clearly built differently and for different purpose - like skate-pads, even if they were slightly thicker than normal and sewn into the pants.
His thighs were covered by a large, flat piece of hardened leather sewn onto thick cloth that hung over his front and rear, protecting most of his thighs and hips. A dozen thick, red leather pieces with hard metal tips hung around his waist under that, serving as decoration but also able to catch strikes from claws and blades, pinning themselves between the weapon and his leg to protect him. It wasn't perfect, and he'd have liked more protection, but it let him move freely and fight easily.
Equally thick leather armor protected his chest, ornamental golden design on the front worn down by time. Thicker leather shoulder-guards rested atop his shoulders, pinned in place above his annoyingly bare upper arms. A hook for his axe hung off the back right shoulder where it hung right now. Worn but comfortable and thick gauntlets protected his hands and forearms, simple things of cloth under heavy and hardened leather.
He'd had to buy it second-hand, which sucked, but it had taken a strike from his father's sword so he didn't mind. It was sturdy, protective and didn't inhibit his movements, and that was all which mattered to him in the end, really.
"How many drones would you like to be challenged by?" Jaune looked up at hearing Goodwitch's voice, the woman leaning on the concrete railing that surrounded the training arena. She smiled down at him and added, "These machines are formidable enough. Third years face up to ten of them at once. I suppose five would do for you? That is normal for end-of-term first years."
"Four, please, ma'am. Melee variants only." He answered instead, the woman looking marginally disappointed until he added, "I've never actually fought these before, so fighting the maximum number meant for my year would be kind of arrogant of me, especially with ranged components. And kind of stupid."
"Ah." She smiled, nodding understandingly and smiling approvingly, "You are quite right, Mister Arc. My apologies for suggesting such foolishness. I suppose I got ahead of myself. Please, let me know when you are quite ready."
He nodded and an alarm sounded, a synthesised voice announcing, "Energy field raised. Arena compartmentalized successfully. Unscheduled activation registered. Please input command override." Goodwitch pressed a card to a reader on her Scroll and the voice chimed again, more pleasant this time, "Override acknowledged, Professor Glynda Goodwitch. Please prepare yourselves for live combat exercises. I repeat, please prepare yourselves for live fire exercises."
A small panel in the arena's wall, previously hidden, slid back and a set of four black Atlesian Drones lumbered out mechanically, stepping just outside the openings before they slid closed behind them, Glynda calling out, "These are Atlesian Knight 130s, designed for training use here. For an initiate first year such as yourself, defeating three is considered challenging with a partner on your side. I will be… I suppose highly impressed works if you can defeat four of them."
They fanned out in front of him, standing a few feet apart from each other and extending the blades of their right arms in preparation, standing with their arms hanging limply at their sides and simply waiting for some manner of command. Jaune nodded, raising his axe in preparation.
"Engage."
One of the drones lunged for a slash as Jaune brought his axe up, parrying the blow with the flat of his axe-head and giving the droid a swift push to the side and away with his shield to separate the group more. He lifted his axe to throw it but relented and turned from the staggering machine when he heard the mechanical feet behind him move.
The next two came in for a slash as Jaune let his shield collapse down and blocked the slash of one's arm with his axe's haft and pushed it to the side, following through as he ducked under the second droid's slash and turned, raising his axe high over his right shoulder. He brought the haft of the axe into the drone's abdomen to force it back as well and give him breathing room for his counter on the first droid.
Almost immediately, he took the opportunity to turn bury his axe into the drone's shoulders from behind, unintentionally beheading it along with a chunk of the shoulder's internals amid the grating sound of ripping steel and the electrical hum of sparking cords on his metal axe. Yanking the blade and letting the maimed machine fall back with a heavy clang, he turned with a smile to the next droid.
He slashed as he heard another heavy metal footstep behind him slam into the concrete beneath him, and spun quickly with both his hands gripping the haft of his axe and swinging up and into the machine's chest.
Or aiming for it at least, the droid seeing the attack and moving its right arm in the way, sacrificing the limb to the bite of his axe as it was flung back and slammed into the wall it had previously emerged from. It landed on the ground in a crouch and staggered up, its leg damaged from the journey, raising its blade menacingly before Jaune's axe embedded into its chest and sent it sprawling across the ground.
The third slowly circled as Jaune turned to it and extended his shield again, seeming to plot a course as it lunged once more, sending a flurry of small slashes and stas at Jaune's face and chest as he backed away and used his shield toward them off. Smiling, Jaune kicked on his magnet and inverted it for half-a second, the powerful magnetic push enough to stagger it back.
Roaring loudly, he charged and slammed his shield up and into its chest, lifting it by its chest off the ground and then leaping over it to throw it to the ground. It landed on its back and splayed out on the ground for a moment before trying to rise, a heavy boot slamming into its chest forcing it down before Jaune punched down on its neck with the rim of his shield once, twice, and then three times before its neck sparked violently and he wrenched with the shield, using it like an axe to splinter the steel away.
The machine fell limp and he rose, turning and pointing his shield at the axe embedded at the droid against the wall and kicking on the magnet. With a dull sound of groaning metal it came free and flew towards him and he lowered his shield, plucking it from the air as it flew by with his other hand and returning it to his back with a satisfied, almost relaxed sigh.
He gave the droids a pleased glance and a nod, and then turned, heading towards the stairs that led back up to the stands where Goodwitch was standing.
"So, did I do well?" He asked as he approached her, the taller woman standing with a hip cocked and watching several janitorial droids clean the broken machines up and clear away their debris. She turned her head to glance at him sidelong and raised an eyebrow with a small, thin smile, and he added, "I know I shouldn't have thrown my axe like that. It was stupid to do with an enemy still in front of me."
"I think you did quite well." She said simply, turning to look back out at the arena. "I have never seen someone, in theirs first encounter with them, utterly annihilate the 130s so completely. So entirely crushing a victory is… Unheard of in first years."
She turned to look at him and he shrugged almost sheepishly, collapsing his shield self-consciously, "I'm… Good at fighting, I guess. It's not that big a deal."
"I disagree." Glynda said, turning to look him up and down and sitting on the railing, "You are… Impressive, Jaune. Quite impressive indeed." A lip tugged upwards and she raised an eyebrow at him, "I quite like impressive men."
"Thank you?" He tried warily, the woman chuckling in amusement at him and shaking her head. He swallowed nervously, her bright green eyes twinkling in amusement and excitement, and he reached back to finger the grip of his axe absentmindedly, "Is...something funny, Miss Goodwitch?"
Smiling, she pushed off the railing and flicked a hand at him, and Jaune stumbled under an invisible force that yanked him off his feet and towards her. She caught him deftly, arms wrapping around his chest and gripping at his back, and he felt her lips press against his a moment later. After a moment he relaxed, his hands settling on her hips while their lips moved against each other. She nipped at his bottom lip and he just felt her tongue tracing out the shape of his lips and starting to press in when she pulled away.
She flicked open her Scroll with a sour look, their hips pressed against each other while Jaune kicked himself for wearing armor so thick he couldn't feel her through it and a hand holding onto his off shoulder's pauldron, "Damn it." She gave him an apologetic smile and a sidelong glance, "Trouble in Vale, Jaune. I apologize but I must be going."
He stammered out a most intelligent, "Durr?"
Chuckling, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and pulled away, her heels clicking as she walked away from him and called back, "We will speak later, Mister Arc. Enjoy your evening while I deal with whoever ruined mine."
When the doors closed he managed a much more eloquent, confused but not actually offended in any way, "The hell?"
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
New Guy (Guest) :
Uh, yeah?
Jaerskov Tempestwing :
As a Commission, it means I am finding out items on a shorter spectrum than in a planned story of my own. Those stories are usually mapped out in summary weeks before being written. This is an issue with me being new to Commissions in general. Apologies.
Josh Spicer :
Well, good news for you!
Lord Goliath the Od :
Honestly? Gonna redo it at some point. Was kind of a stream of consciousness story at first and now I wanna do a real one based on the premise.
Lord Owl :
Yeah, working hard at that. Not perfect yet, and I have some failings, but I am doing my best and hope everyone enjoys it.
