ELEPHANT GUN!~ Sup everyone, guess this update came a lot quicker than expected eh?
Anyhow, if anyone's been wondering who the daughters of Carmel are, I took inspiration from the two unnamed characters from Cinder's flashback. It's those stepsisters in that fancy hotel. It's just a tad frustrating sometimes when I'm writing fanfiction and there are literally no names for me to even place on some of the one-off characters.
Heck, even Militia and Melanie Malachite got names and they only appeared in a trailer for god's sake!
Phew, welp now that I'm done with my petty rant, I forgot to type in at the beginning of chapter 74 that we've officially started the Mountain Glenn Mission Arc. I don't know how long this one will be, but I can guarantee you that it'll be longer than ten chapters.
With that, have a great day everyone, and happy reading!
The dorm silent, Jaune snoozed peacefully as a warm ray of sun peeked through the window and caressed his skin. His eyelids scrunched, Jaune scratched his stomach and forced himself out of bed.
"Good morning, Mr. Hawkins." Greeted by a flat voice, the blonde rubbed his eyes and narrowed his sights on Ciel who was already dressed in Beacon's uniform with her blue beret as an exception to her attire.
"Wow, that uniform looks really good on you." Jaune's cheeks adorned a faint blush after realizing what he said.
"Thank you, Mr. Hawkins, however, it is rude to stare," Ciel said sternly.
After a slight pause, Jaune curled a brow at his teammate's inquisitive expression.
"Is something wrong, Ms. Soleil?"
Ciel blinked. "Nothing of the sort, it's just that I find your sleeping attire... questionable."
The boy veered his sights toward the floor and pursed his lips. "This blue bunny onesie is the epitome of comfort! If anyone were to try it they'd find themselves lost in snuggled bliss!"
The time-checker tilted her head.
"If you don't believe me, I have a few spares in my suitcase that you can borrow." Jaune grinned.
"I'm fine thank you," Ciel said with a raised hand.
"So, is Hedgehog awake yet?"
A twitch appeared in the corner of the time checker's forehead, but Soleil's stern visage never faltered. Raising a hand toward the bed of the sleeping bully, Vernal's position was anything but elegant. Her hair disheveled with a trail of drool running down her chin, the brunette grunted and nuzzled her face into her fluffy pillow.
"We are due for breakfast in ten minutes, Mr. Hawkins. I've tried everything to get her out of bed, but Ms. Hedge can be rather violent when stirred." Ciel sighed and fiddled with the watch on her wrist.
Rubbing his temples, Jaune took to the task of waking the sleeping beast. He tiptoed to the side of Vernal's bed and yanked off her blanket. The sudden chill rattled the bully's spine as she stretched her arms and reached out to her lost possession.
"Rise and shine, Hedgehog. Don't make me sick Funkfreed on you."
The memory of past humiliation brought to the forefront of her mind, Vernal kicked herself out of bed and landed on her back with a thud. A deep scowl marring her features, the brunette lashed out at the meddling blonde and landed a punch right on the cheek.
"Can we please not do this?" Jaune sighed. The bully's short temper and rude tongue were one thing, but using violence as a solution to all his problems didn't bode well in the long run of their relationship.
"I've ironed your uniform and set it on the kitchen table. All you have to do is take a quick shower then we can make our way to the cafeteria." His stomach rumbled for emphasis.
Vernal clicked her tongue. "I'm not wearing that stupid uniform."
"Proper attire is a necessity for all occasions. Also, it is mandatory for students to follow their academy's respective protocols and I will not exempt my partner from such duties." Ciel positioned herself beside Jaune with her hands clasped behind her back.
"I don't give a damn what this academy stands for, the only thing I care about is learning how to fight. That's just the way it is, you understand don't you, Jaune?" Her icy pupils narrowed, Vernal smirked at Jaune's pondering face.
He knew the moment they met that the bully's history with the Branwen tribe would be a mighty hurdle. After all, the bandits relied on a meritocracy where feats of strength were held in the highest regard. So it's only natural that Vernal would hold such views.
Still, this wasn't Vacuo, and Vernal needed to learn that sooner rather than later.
"I know that's what we were taught, but we have to adapt to our surroundings in order to survive. You can't deny that logic can you?"
The bully rolled her eyes and growled.
"I'm serious, Vernal, I don't want to wrestle or threaten you into submission if things don't go my way, but you're really making it hard to pick other options."
"We are due for breakfast in three minutes." Ciel pointed out.
"Augh, you idiots are so annoying! Fine, I'll get dressed, but you're giving me your apple juice, Jaune!" Vernal spat and snagged her uniform from the countertop.
Stomping into the washroom, the door slammed closed and the sound of rushing water filled the dorm.
"Man, your partner is quite a handful isn't she?" Jaune chuckled and turned toward Ciel.
"Truth be told, there was little information on either of you when Atlas Academy drafted me to Beacon. I didn't know what to expect, but a ruffian like Vernal is less than satisfactory." The beret-wearing girl sighed.
The blonde forced a smile and rested a hand on Ciel's shoulder. "I know Hedgehog can be a little rough around the edges, but she isn't so bad once you get to know her. Heck, I probably would have been good friends with her if my dad and I stayed in Vacuo."
Ciel curled a brow, "excuse me, Mr. Hawkins, I did not give you permission to initiate physical contact."
His hand slapped firmly against his side as Jaune apologized. Luckily, the bathroom door opened, and out came a prim and proper Vernal, that is if she cared about her appearance. Her brown vest's buttons left undone revealing her white undershirt and sagging waist belt. She opted for short black socks and the laces of her shoes were messily tangled in an attempt for a knot.
"What are you looking at?" The bully grunted.
"Huh, that uniform looks a lot cuter on you than I thought it would." Jaune blurted.
"This drops below any standard that I expected." Ciel huffed and politely excused herself.
"I don't blame her..." Jaune hummed and forced a smile. Though he curled a brow at his rude teammate's awkward silence.
"Don't try to win me over with half-assed compliments you idiot. Now get your ass moving, I'm hungry." Vernal turned her head to the side and shoved Jaune out of the room, though Jaune could have sworn there was the faintest of red on her cheeks.
The two quickly joined Ciel halfway down the hall, and after a few trades of witty banter later, the trio would find their way to the cafeteria halted by a loud scream of distress.
"Oum! I thought this strategy was flawless for sure!" Glynda moped and rubbed her temples furiously. Sitting behind her desk that was cramped with stacks of paper and empty ink bottles, the stern professor narrowed her eyes on the bright screen of her computer.
The word DEFEAT blinking boldly in red, Glynda's hand clamped down on the computer mouse as her index finger tapped furiously while she scanned the data of the battle. The online game, Remnant at war, grew popular about three years ago and was now praised as the most realistic strategy game of all time.
Despite Beacon's rules of no videogames during class hours, Ozpin decided to make an exception this time due to a recommendation from Ironwood himself. However, the game quickly ran out of control, and in a desperate attempt to cease the constant apprehending of Handheld Dustboy's, the headmaster and his fellow staff decided to integrate the strategic game into the school's curriculum.
Though Glynda despised the idea, especially due to it being Ironwood's, all it took was a taunt from Professor Port to stir the competitive beast within her. With a few button presses here along with a couple of notes of strategy, Glynda soon rose to the top of the academy's leaderboards and soon took the online platform by storm under the username, StormWitch.
That is until a certain hiccup scratched her clean record. Now standing at 2,574 victories and 33 losses, the defeats wouldn't hurt as much if they weren't all from one opponent. The player's username dubbed as the Tarot Magician, he too quickly earned fame across Remnant at War's online forums and gathered many fans eager to uncover his true identity.
Of course, Glynda spent many hours in pursuit, she even asked Ozpin to see if Ironwood had any insight on the matter. The Atlas Headmaster jokingly stated that he was the mystery player, but after a few games that ended in 2 victories, 5 draws, and 0 losses, Glynda confirmed that Ironwood was not the legendary Tarot Magician.
"Beep!~" The default ring of a message brought the witch's attention to the lower-right corner of the screen.
'Another excellent match, however, you overstepped once when you sent your cavalry down the western flank. Instead, I would have pulled them back to reinforce your canon transports then send them off to the east to pick off the remains of my weakened infantry.'
Grumbling, Glynda thanked the mysterious man for his words of wisdom. Though it took constant messaging and late-night duels, the stern professor finally earned a response from the reserved individual and surprisingly learned a thing or two. Though she'd never admit this if anyone asked her, after all, she had an image to maintain.
'Thank you, Tarot Magician. However, I hope you intend to keep your promise of revealing who you are when I win a match.' Glynda typed with stiff fingers.
'If you can pull off such a feat then I will honor our agreement.'
She might not be able to see the person who used the other screen, but she could tell he was sincere.
'Till your next loss, StormWitch.'
An irritable sting nicked her heartstrings at the snarky comment, but Glynda took it with grace and bid adieu to the mystery man.
"I guess it's time for my first class..." The dutiful instructor sighed. She detached the cable running from her handheld Dustboy to her computer and shut down the blue screen of her monitor.
When Glynda opened the door, she was greeted with three pairs of curious eyes along with a head of blonde, brown, and black.
"Um, is everything alright, Ms. Goodwitch? You were shouting rather loudly..." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous smile.
While one battle ended, another bloomed. In the cold environments of Atlas, a young specialist brimming with potential locked the door to her new office and waltzed to her computer desk.
Dressed in a white long-sleeved coat with split sleeves that ran from her shoulders to her elbows. A single dark blue clasp tied around her waist alongside a red jeweled brooch on the collar. The coat length ran down to her ankles accompanied by white trousers with dark blue garters alongside a pair of gray thigh boots with black detailing around the knees. To finish her outfit, she covered her hands with black forearm-length gloves with gray trimmed cuffs.
A fresh brew of Atlesian tea with crunchy biscuits lined on a rectangular plate, Winter Schnee took a deep breath and sat down. Many questioned the specialist's decision to invest in a 5,000 lien computer tower, but she dubbed the purchase mandatory as her handheld Dustboy did not match her graphic standards.
With a press of a button, the computer hummed to life and the screen blinked with the emblem of the Atlas military. With a few taps of the mouse, Winter hooked up the cable from her Dustboy to her tower.
"Oh, he's on!" Winter said with a thin smile. Her stern demeanor faltering for just a moment as the number one player of Remnant of War appeared on the PVP list.
The Schnee took great pride in her 1,765 wins and mere 74 losses, but little did anyone know that 71 of those defeats came from one man. Most assumed it was Ironwood, but the headmaster only contributed to three of Winter's losses, the rest belonged to the famous Tarot Magician.
'Good morning, Tarot Magician. I request a match if you'd be so kind.' Winter typed in the message window.
Unlike most who tried to win with half-witted assaults and brute force, the Tarot Magician proved to be an exceptional tactician. Why his wits could triumph those of her headmaster! Though Winter would never say that out loud in respect for her superior.
'Very well, IceCrystal, is a thirty-minute match suitable?' The mysterious player replied.
'That is acceptable.' The specialist hummed.
Wrapping her hands around her warm teacup, Winter sipped and nibbled on a biscuit as the map of the battle loaded on-screen. What luck! The terrain she would fight on today would be the northern mountains of Atlas. A territory she was most familiar with.
Her troops dispatched, a flare of determination burned in Winter's icy pupils as she wrapped her fingers around her mouse. After countless reviews of previous defeats, the esteemed Schnee would win back her pride and finally taste victory against the legendary player with 2,100 victories, 320 draws, and 0 losses.
Crucial minutes passed and the tides of war swayed out of favor. The day tipping on the verge of the afternoon, the owner of the username IceCrystal found herself grasping at straws.
"Please, this has to work!" Winter's grip on her mouse near the borders of crushing, she frantically typed and clicked to maintain her strong position at the base of the mountaintops.
The tie around her neat bun long gone, Winter's long hair fell below her neck as she sat on the edge of her seat with her face inches away from her screen. How did the Tarot Magician manage to infiltrate her southern ranks? She made sure to collapse the mountain pass after her tanks and infantry made it through, yet here were her enemy's forces bearing down on her most vulnerable position.
With two minutes to go, Winter forced her southern troops to retreat then regroup in the eastern mountains. Unfortunately, her opponent expected this and had what was left of his air forces at the ready.
"What, he's not aiming for my troops? But they're wide open, what could he be planning?!" Winter cried.
Flashes of bright explosions and billowing smoke answered her question. The impact of the Tarot Magician's bombs disturbed the thick layers of snow atop the eastern mountains, which resulted in a devastating avalanche that swept away the remainder of Winter's forces.
'DEFEAT!' The game announced with a somber tune of a dented trumpet.
Winter bit her lip and sulked back into her chair. The back of her skull patted against the headrest as she did her best not to cry.
"Beep!~" A message from the legendary opponent roused the Schnee from her depressive stupor.
'Congratulations, this battle was a great improvement compared to our previous confrontations.'
The specialist huffed but accepted her defeat with grace.
'Thank you, you are indeed a worthy opponent but please tell me, how did you arrange your troops for an ambush on my southern flank?'
A whole minute passed, and when Winter received her answer her jaw slacked.
'The noise of your heavy artillery served me well. While the engines of your tanks thundered through the mountain pass, I had my foot soldiers follow on the sturdy edges high above and the shadows served as excellent cover. Though I must admit, your choice to eliminate the pass' exit after your troops passed caught me off guard. To make up for my sudden losses, I chose to hold off on my assault and wait for nightfall, there I had my troops invade in the middle of the night, their main objective to dismantle your troublesome artillery. Once you were reduced to mere foot soldiers to command, I allowed your panicked actions to take care of the rest.'
His explanation thorough, Winter rubbed her temples and quickly typed with trembling fingers.
'Your words are greatly appreciated, but please, can you tell me who you are? I assure you that my motives are pure and I merely wish to know the one responsible for my many defeats.'
'You already know who I am on this game, I'm the Tarot Magician. Ah, it appears that's all the time I have for today, thank you for the match IceCrystal, I await another victory should you decide to challenge me.'
Gritting her teeth, Winter shook her head and turned off her computer. She unplugged her Dustboy and swiftly made her way to her office's door.
Well, at least she had another battle to review with her upcoming class... though a jolt of petty anger twitched her heartstrings when her students praised the mysterious Tarot Magician for his crushing victories. At least she blurred out the usernames on the screen display to save what face she had left.
"Oh, so you play this game too, Ms. Goodwitch?" Jaune beamed a goofy grin at his professor's computer as she set her office straight with the aid of her semblance.
"I know the students of Atlas praise this military simulator, but I didn't expect it to be popular with the other kingdoms," Ciel commented.
"Hey, do you have an account, Ciel? I'd love to play against you when we have the time, how about we trade user IDs?" The blonde teen said and pulled out his Dustboy from his backpack.
"What's so great about this videogame? It seems like a waste of time to me." Vernal grunted but flinched at the stern glare from her combat instructor.
"Whoa, no way, I didn't think Ms. Goodwitch could lose!" Jaune blurted but wished he kept his mouth shut when Glynda appeared right behind him.
"I trust you three can keep this little incident between us?" Her trusty disciplinarian in hand, Jaune gulped and nodded along with his teammates.
However, the username of his teacher's opponent made his eyes widen.
"Ah, no wonder it's a loss, you played against the almighty Tarot Magician."
Glynda sighed and ushered her students out of her office. She was nice enough to give them a note explaining why they were late for class, but for some reason she asked to speak with Jaune in private.
With Vernal and Ciel gone, Jaune quivered under the harsh glare of his instructor. Flicking her wrist, Glynda shut the office door and told her student to inspect her game screen.
"I believe those pieces of paper you possess are called tarot cards?"
"Y-Yes they are, where are you going with this?" Jaune stuttered.
"It couldn't be Jaune." Glynda thought, but he had to learn how to use those cards from someone, and she'd bet her next paycheck he was tutored by that rude and stoic father of his. What are the chances that Jaune's parent is the legendary player?
"Then perhaps you know who the mysterious Tarot Magician is? I've searched the forums and have asked many players, but none of them have gotten me any closer to discovering the identity of this legendary foe."
A bead of sweat trickling down his chin, Jaune slapped on his best poker face and cupped his chin in a faux thinking pose. He couldn't tell Ms. Goodwitch that it was he who hooked up his father with the game, after all, Hawkins liked his privacy and never added anyone to his friend list or interacted with anyone online. Discounting his conversations on his scroll of course.
"Hm, I don't know who this great player is, but I can help deduce some facts about him if you want!" Jaune said with a forced chuckle.
Shuffling his cards, the magician in training got to work and offered what information he could without exposing his dad.
"63% chance the player is a man."
"25% chance he lives in Vale."
"19% chance he works as a military tactician."
After the third reading, Jaune mentioned the time and convinced his teacher that more elaborate readings would take up the rest of his first-class.
"Very well, Mr. Hawkins. You are dismissed. Run along now, and don't forget to bring your weapon to combat class this time." Glynda huffed and allowed Jaune his freedom.
Before the blonde teen left, he shot his teacher a thumbs up along with his trademark goofy smile.
"Don't feel bad, Ms. Goodwitch, I've lost to the Tarot Magician 575 times!"
A short smile slipping through her calm mask, Glynda waved to her student as he left the office, but scolded him for running in the hallway shortly after.
In the eyes of the legendary Tarot Magician, he found himself in the warm comfort of a small Mistralian cafe with his friendly right-hand gunslinger.
"Jeez, Hawkins. How many times have you won on that game-rero?" Vito asked as a waiter placed a hot batch of buttered waffles before him.
Tapping at his portable Dustboy with its stylus, Hawkins prepared himself for another match against an opponent with the username Portinater5000.
"It was Jaune who set me up with this game after he begged me and his grandparents to give him a Dustboy. I avoided buying the device due to there being a 72% chance of it distracting my son from his studies, but I gave in to his pleas when Remnant of war came out. Surprisingly, it's a well-thought-out game that caters to strategic minds. Thus I could teach Jaune while he enjoyed himself."
"I see-rero!" Vito smacked his lips and wiped a drop of maple syrup off his cheek with a napkin.
"Well, we should be on our way too, Crocodile and the others are waiting in the rented auditorium-rero."
With grace, Hawkins finished his meal and swiftly ended his 213 victories against the proud Portinator5000. However, the magician stalled when he saw Vito loading his revolvers.
"Say, Hawkins, I know you wanted me to be well-rested when Crocodile's banquet commenced, but aren't you a little too jumpy? If you look suspicious people might get the wrong idea, and I don't want that Carmel lady to cause you any grief-rero."
"I appreciate your concern, Vito. But I can't help but shake the feeling that Crocodile's business event is bound to go awry. I've done a few tarot readings, and I have come to the conclusion that Carmel is a high-level threat whose power could match or exceed that of our golden hooked ally." The blonde sighed.
The gunslinger licked his lips, his long tongue swaying back and forth across his cheeks as he did so.
"I recall you mentioned a nursery rhyme from your youth, but by your meticulous deductions, the jolly tune was actually a warning. Could you tell me what it was, Hawkins? I like to keep myself well informed, and I don't want to see a lot of surprises at the banquet-rero."
The magician leaned into his chair and glanced toward the large windows of the cafe. People and Faunus strolled through the Mistralian streets, though they were clearly avoiding each other if you looked hard enough. His hands clenching to a fist, Hawkins' brows furrowed as he spoke.
"I can recount a few the lyrics, it went something like this..."
"Naughty children come back home."
"Safe from the witch who aims to harm."
"Flee from the night of where she lurks."
"Run for the day where the sun does shine..."
"...I can't remember the rest," Hawkins said glumly.
Vito shrugged and clapped his hands. "You have a very nice voice, Hawkins. Have you ever considered taking up a career as a singer?" The blonde rolled his eyes but did so with a smirk. "Come on, Vito. It's not good to keep Crocodile waiting. The sooner we get this banquet over with the quicker I can get on bullhead back to Vale."
"Sounds good to me-rero!"
"Do we really have to attend this banquet mother? Did Crocodile invite us?" Asked a girl with curly blonde locks which were tied with a black ribbon with four petal-like designs shooting upwards.
"Of course, Delores, this is an opportunity for each of you to meet someone special." Carmel grinned as she powdered her face in front of her vanity table.
The girl now known as Delores wore a wide overcoat with a raised collar that was hitched together by a pale green pendant. A short-sleeved white shirt covered her torso, and a long grey skirt covered her lower half along with a pair of black pointed heels.
"But the suitors we've met are all petty louts with little to no achievements. I don't want to have to raise the poor standards of my future husband." The blonde girl sighed.
"Easy, my child. There are many men to ogle at the event, and many of them are established, businessmen or professional hunters. Why, your sister already has her sights on a certain young man, doesn't she?" Carmel turned around with a mischievous smile.
"Now, where is your sister? We need to get going or else we're going to be late for the banquet." The holy mother chimed in a blissful tone.
"She's waiting for us in the limousine, but I don't think she's too thrilled about the event either."
Carmel clapped her hands and Crocea Mors along with its Shield laughed giddily as they strapped themselves around their owner's waist. Unlike her daughters, Carmel dressed in her huntress attire, eager to sway the hearts of many men with veteran backgrounds of combat.
"Be patient my darling, from what my dear friend Lucci told me, there's a particular man who's attending the banquet that could become your new father."
Dolores' eyes shot wide open and her jaw slacked.
"In fact, I've met him before, but not in... traditional terms." Carmel kept to herself that she met the crimson-eyed man in the spirit world.
"If I may, mother, who is this man that's piqued your interest?"
The holy mother's lips spread into a malicious grin, her blue eyes twinkling with a light that did not bode well for the man in question.
"His name is... Hawkins, the same man who's caused many headaches for my fellow cohorts in my business circle."