Chapter 9: Dedication to Craft
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The nail of an index finger strikes incessantly against a wooden armrest. The hand clenches, tensing then releasing. Next, all four fingers drum along in a line.
Ta-ta-ta-tap! Ta-ta-ta-tap!
A preteen boy sits in a cushioned chair, wooden armrests. Leaning towards the opposite side from the drumming fingers, he rests his head on his hand. His dull, half lidded blue eyes zone out on the far wall.
Carmine
Age – 12
Six Years til The Day
The boy shifts with a sigh. "Can I leave yet?"
The boy draped his right leg over his left, bouncing up and down. He wore cobalt blue shoes, black pants with a blue stripe on the side running down, a gray zipped jacket with metallic blue striped around the zipper. The jacket only had a right long sleeve, but a black short sleeve on his right arm sticks out from an undershirt. His hair was cut short on the sides, but longer on the top.
Across from him was the professor with the wild hair and glasses, Professor Oobleck. He sits on a chair of his own, a pen and paper in hand. "I don't recall saying you couldn't leave. Did I?" His rapid speech made it a chore to listen.
Carmine's eyes clench shut, a pause before snapping open to the man. "If I leave before you're done, it just makes more problems. I'd like to know when I can walk out without getting in trouble."
"Interesting you say before I'm done. These sessions are for your benefit, Mr Uhlric. If you feel no benefit, you are free to do as you wish. I'm only here to listen."
The boy's jaw set crooked, guilt flashing across him. His legs uncross as he leans forward. "Right. I'm sorry."
"You did nothing to apologize for." The professor gives a curt nod. "Have you made any progress in training since we last met?"
Carmine scoffs. "Not in the slightest. I just-" Frustration slips through, but he pauses. Don't take it out on someone neutral. "I'm just not fast or strong enough. I still can't touch the old man."
The professor chuckles before speaking quickly. "Perhaps the headmaster of one of the four main governments of the world is not the best measuring stick, then? Based on some of your exercises, you're on the upper curve for your age group. That's factoring you starting training early, you're still quite exemplary."
Unfortunately, that didn't stick. Carmine slinks back on the seat, eyes moving to the ceiling. "It's not good enough." A short pause before he speaks again, quieter. "I'm not good enough."
His eyes clenched shut. Shouldn't have said that. Oobleck perks up at that. "You cannot consider yourself good enough if you never define what 'enough' truly means. You cannot compare yourself to an unknown standard."
Carmine sighed. Another long back and forth incoming...
. . .
The preteen exits the door into the hall. Heulin Noon sat in its holster strapped to his left thigh. Walking away, he immediately felt heavier than when he came here.
Stupid. Freaking stupid. Why do you need to put your problems on Oobleck? Always a burden, right?
He sighed while marching through the halls. Several students were passing by in their uniforms. As the norm, he made sure to travel as far off from them as possible. This was always when the most students saw him, whenever he came to visit the professor.
These visits started primarily because Carmine just needed some form of interaction, and, well... Professor Port ground his nerves to a pile of rubble with his stories. Like, please get a noose, I'll hang over their from the corner while you talk kind of irritating. There was Peach, but he'd merely seen her once.
Oobleck was just the one that was nerdy enough to possibly have something good to know. That and Carmine hoped the man's attention span would be as quick as his mind, so he wouldn't pry into Carmine's thoughts past that.
The boy was wrong.
Still, the interactions had become a weekly thing. Sometimes the topics would range to homework given by Ozpin, though Carmine always had that done. With the exception of his reading assignments. Seriously, who the hell wants to know about the first dust activated street lamp?
The answer is Oobleck, as he'd hammer home the reading and history whenever Carmine brought it up. Then the boy stopped bringing it up, so now the man directly asks.
It was weird though. As far as Carmine was aware, only Ozpin and Qrow knew about his relation to said headmaster. Oobleck's forthcoming about helping and listening when he wasn't a proper student was just weird.
Oh well. Not to look a gift Grimm in the mouth.
Barely past lunch, he'd spent an hour with the professor. It was almost time for a training session. His walk found less and less students until he found the training room. The hexagonal pattern within the room greeted him.
All clear. Not a soul around as usual. He opens the panel on the far wall, entering the desired settings.
A line of hexagonal pillars raise to a gut high wall. The wall pillars extend out, creating the shooting range. The tops of two hexagons open up with dust shells.
Carmine marches over, left hand drawing Heulin Noon out and aiming. Projectors off the pillars begin forming mobile targets in the range.
BOOM!
The boy begins opening fire as multiple targets flicker in and out. Six shots, six targets flicker away. Carmine flickers his wrist, the revolver cylinder popping open. Six empty shells out, he swiftly pops six more in.
Three larger targets form. Hard light dust projections. A single shot won't do. Another wrist flick jolts the cylinder back in. He full pulls the trigger, firing the double shot from both barrels.
Three pulls and all three hard light projections disperse, leaving Carmine inspecting his hand. He swaps his weapon to his right hand, flapping his left hand with a wince. "Gah! Stupid, friggin-"
Double shots still numb when he fires one handed. Pain in the ass. Sure, he knows he'll adapt well over time, but experiencing any drawbacks using his father's gun...
Not good enough.
The door opens, giving way for his sparring partner. Carmine sighs. "You're late again." The boy turns his blue eyes towards Professor Ozpin. The headmaster walks through, eyeing the firing range.
"I'm happy you take punctuality so seriously." Ozpin speaks with a ghost of a smile on. "It would appear, Mrs Peach had a shipment that needed approving of. It was not expected until tomorrow."
Liar! The boy thinks to himself, but rolls his eyes instead. This is the headmaster that memorized exactly when all his correspondents had time in their day to respond to his transmitted messages over CCT.
Carmine reloads the gun, walking over to the panel and wordlessly entering the settings. Ozpin eyes the boy curiously. "Your aim has grown rather remarkable."
"Say that when I hit you." Carmine mutters under his breath.
The elder man's ghost grin grows ever slightly. "I shall say it with pride." Settings entered, clusters of hexagonal pillars spring up, providing spires throughout the room as cover. "Ah! Been checking different environment settings for your liking?"
The boy purses his lips, stepping across from his father, spires lined along either side of them. None of them reach any taller than ten feet. He twirls his gun up, aiming at the man.
Ozpin tilts his head ever slightly. "Aren't you forgetting something?" The man reaches into his pocket, withdrawing his scroll. A few taps later, the far wall lights up with a screen, one bar, filling with green. An aura level for the man.
Carmine's eyes narrow. His right hand reaches into his jacket pocket, withdrawing a scroll himself. His eyes flick to the device, tapping in before his own aura bar syncs to the screen on the wall.
"There we are." Ozpin states plainly. His hand twirls his cane before holding the instrument behind his back. "Go on then. Do your work."
A low grumble growls from Carmine's throat. The trigger pulls. First shot fires, Ozpin cocking his head letting it fly by his ear.
Putting both hands on the weapon, Carmine turns the revolver sideways. He fires a double shot. Ozpin flicks his cane to his front, deflecting one shot into the other traveling projectile in mid flight. The swipe was quick as lightning, both dust shots bursting off the man's cane.
The bursts obscured vision just enough for the headmaster to lose track of Carmine. The boy had moved.
Carmine slides to a stop behind a spire. He uses the barrel of his gun as a mirror, checking around the corner to see Ozpin's right side.
Good. With a flick, he pops his gun's cylinder, swapping out the three spent shells. The empty casings clatter onto the ground, sound barely audible...
Carmine's eyes widen as a blur of black and green enters his peripheral. His semblance activates, recalling him away as Ozpin's cane strikes the spire the boy had leaned against.
The headmaster smirks, looking out through the room of obstacles. "Ah, trying the avoid and evade approach today?"
Down the rows of spires, Carmine leans against one for over. He gulps, getting his breathing under control. Frick the old man can be scary fast... and scary strong... and scary in general when he wants to be.
The boy growls out a sigh. "You're awfully chatty today. Too much sugar in your coffee?"
"I used one cube, but thank you for the health concern." Carmine jolts, snapping his gaze up to see Ozpin standing on the very spire the boy leans on.
"GAH!" Carmine yelps as he dodges away. Ozpin strikes down with his cane, landing on the ground deftly. The man begins walking forward, cane behind his back.
Carmine rolls to his feet and jumps back. He snaps his gun up, the headmaster halting his calm advance. Ozpin watches curious. The two simply stare the other down. It takes a moment for Carmine to realize. The headmaster wants him to make the first move.
Whether that's condescending or constructive to tactics, he doesn't consider it. He'd just end up angry, he's sure.
Both hands to the gun, he pulls the trigger. The double shot releases from the barrel, but the boy already activates his semblance. Carmine recalls, his image flickering to a blue-green shimmer shifting back to the spire behind Ozpin.
He reappears, leaned against the spire, as he aims at Ozpin's back and fires a second double shot. The two blasts close in on Ozpin from both sides.
The headmaster twists back. The first double shot narrowly glides over his shoulder, while the second double from behind flashes by the small of Ozpin's twisting back. Both shots pass the man, the second hitting the far wall.
The first speeds towards Carmine. "Frick!" He ducks to the side, the shot hitting the spire and blowing him to the side.
The boy steadies himself, looking up to find Ozpin already at him, swinging his cane. Carmine leaps into the air, dodging the swipe. He flips back, landing atop the nearest spire. The elder man smiles lightly. "A well executed pincer attack."
Don't patronize me. The boy thinks to himself. He scowls down and fires his last two shots in frustration.
In a blue, Ozpin's forward hand flicks his cane up twice, deflecting both shots aside. Brandishing his cane like a rapier, he blitzes forward and thrusts. The cane jabs into the surprised boy's chest, propelling him off the spire and onto the ground hard.
"Ouch..." Carmine mutters as he leans up. His scowl is met with a calm look.
"That's the closest you've gotten, and that's an honest truth." The man stood composed over the boy, offering his hand. "Now, let's reset and try again. Your progress is going well."
The boy stares at the hand slightly too long before taking it. "I'm going to hit you today."
. . .
He did not hit him today. Carmine hits and tumbles across the floor. He slides to a stop, splayed across the ground. His head cocks to the side, jaw hanging open in a near silent cry of pain. The high pitched whine escapes. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh~"
Across the room, Ozpin lands elegantly, cane cocked up so its tip rests on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Carmine whines slightly lower in pitch. "Ahhhhhh~"
Ozpin blinks. "Perhaps I was too harsh today." Behind him on the wall, the lit screen showed Ozpin's aura bar green and full. All the while, Carmine's was empty, save for a small red slit at the end.
The boy painfully leans off the floor, gasping for air. His scowl at the headmaster was softened by his exhaustion. "N- Gah!" He sighs, swallowing another breath. "Nah. Let's go again."
"You are in no condition to continue today, Carmine."
He growls as he moves to sit forward, hands steadying himself. "I'm not done! I'm fine!"
WHEW! The wind blows Carmine's hair as his eyes flinch shut.
Slowly, the orbs open wide, seeing the tip of Ozpin's cane at his forehead. The elder man withdraws the weapon, tapping the cane to the floor. "Go and rest. We will continue two days from now at noon."
The boy's jaw clenched shut as the man turned around to walk from the room. A groan escaped his lips as he stood, arm wrapping his sore gut. "Fine."
Ozpin pauses at the door, turning back with a small smile. "Perhaps you could go and make some friends. Get out for a change." With that, he makes his exit.
"Oh yeah. All these teenagers will love talking to the twelve year old." Carmine huffs dryly as he limps to the door.
. . .
"OW pain..." The boy grumbles under his breath, opening a door. Entering inside, he finds a bedroom. His room.
A few shirts and pairs of pants litter the red carpet floor. By the door sits a desk occupied by books and papers. The wall to the desk's left was occupied by a single window allowing the sun to beam into the room, reflective almost off the stark white wall. Across from the window was a brown dresser with golden handles. The center of the room was home to his bed, a silver comforter atop it.
He shuts the door, shuffling to the bed and falling face first into it. "mmmrrrf!" He sounds out unintelligibly. So sore. Breath in through the nose... and out through the mouth. Every ache spoke volumes.
You're too slow. The old man batted you away with ease every time.
You're too weak. Not once did the old man so much as bunch when blocking.
You're such an damn idiot. Not one plan even remotely came close to succeeding.
With a wince, the boy draws Heulin Noon, pulling the gun into view of a side glance. The wolf crest stares back at him, matching the red of his hair. Eye drape close, letting the mind loose.
"Now, we might be limited, fully integrated in modern society, but this? This weapon, and one day a weapon of your own creation, will represent that power. To protect. To hunt. That's the power behind this crest."
The grip tightened, the boy opening a glistening eye at it. Six years, and he still remembers the exact pitch of the voice. Still, a spark stoked from the melancholy.
"This weapon, and one day a weapon of your own creation..."
Carmine rolls onto his back, staring up at the revolver in hand. A brow rose. "My own weapon, huh." He holsters the gun back, staring now at the ceiling. Eyes blink wide before the boy sits up. "ow!" Too fast! Yet, a look of wonder slowly came. "My weapon. Heulin Noon is mine, but it's still Dad's." His lips curl up. "A weapon all my own."
Like a bolt, he's off the bed... and dropping to the floor. "FRICK!" He catches himself on the corner of the desk, wincing loudly. "Oh! Slower. Slower, darn it."
Seconds later, he's out his door, walking through the halls. A short walk away allowed him to find the offices for many professors. The boy mutters under his breath to himself. "P... P... P... where are you, ya mustached- AHA!"
Stopping before the door, he pauses with his eyes on the plaque. 'Professor Port' the engraved sign reads.
A sudden feeling of disgust fills him, taking a breath to steady himself. He opens the door, finding the pork bellied man sitting and stroking his mustache. A large screen showcased two students fighting an Ursa, one screaming and running while the other face palms.
The man turns to Carmine, brightening. "Oh! Young man, welcome! What brings you to seek me out?" How can a man say something that should only be said sarcastically say it so seriously?
The boy shrinks a bit under the bright man's attention. Huh. So this is what doubling the regret for one's choices is like. "Um. Hi, uh, Professor Port?" His voice comes out quiet, unsure.
Unlike Oobleck, the boy hadn't spoken much to... any of the professors, really. Not outside niche lessons that his father couldn't cover himself.
"What troubles you, son?" The man turns his chair square to Carmine as the boy shuts the door to the office.
"Ah... Um, I had a question since you have a focus on Grimm hunts. Um, you know a lot about weapons, right?"
The man rose to stand proud. "Why yes! Ah, there was one time myself and twelve others tracked a Ghoul to the inner depths of a dust mine off Southern Mantle! Where-" There he went.
"Well, sir-"
His attempt to cut it short was ignored. "-the foul beast attacked at the mine entrance, resulting in a collapse! My compatriots were separated as the beast felt it could prey upon us within the dark." He began hand gestures, holding them out to portray a predator.
"Cool, but actually I-"
"We were in a tough spot! Without facing it in the open, only a fool could hope to defeat the black beast in the shadow. But I was not a fool..."
"The drama is cool, but I just need-"
"One of my teammates had a semblance that allowed them to bring objects to their boiling point! Guiding their semblance, I smelted and crafted a trap with local dust crystals. Thus, we made our trap and awaited our enemy, turning the hunter into the fool he'd tried to make of us!"
"I WANT TO MAKE A WEAPON!" Carmine shouted, cutting the man's story off. Getting the man's attention, Carmine shrinks back. "I, uh, wanted to know if there was anywhere on campus where I could... make one."
Port tilted his head at the child. "You're asking if one of the premiere hunter academies of the world would have the capabilities to craft unique weapons?"
Hmm. When you say it out loud, it makes him sound retarded. Carmine shrunk. "S-sorry, I should've-"
The man laughed, slapping a hand onto the boy's shoulder. "Nonsense, dear boy. Don't apologize. Most hunters already have their weapons for life made before coming here. It's rare for Hunters to design and create weapons from scratch here, and you're allowed ignorance given your situation."
Carmine's eyes trailed down still, frowning. "So, I can't..?"
The man chuckled. "I said 'rare', not never. One can find the tools to do so within the workshop at the basement floor of the senior hall. Typically only later students work so hard to fine tune their weapons, but some early years will do so as well."
The boy brightened, looking up at him with a grin. However, his blinks as a thought occurs. "And, how do I get parts?"
Port regards the boy and strokes his majestic walrus stache. "Hmm, well typically, students would be allowed a set amount of materials to work with per semester. The workshop had a worker that can provide material, only if you have a clear goal in mind. To make a full weapon from scratch though would be a challenge unless you obtained your own materials as well."
The man continues. "But given your age and status as a specialized student here, you're at the time that most combat school students are designing their own weapons as well. So, perhaps they'll give you some leeway." He leans down to the boy. "Tell them, 'I have the Port Permission'. They'll give you some bonus material."
Carmine's eyes widen, shining at that. "Thank you! You're awesome!" He turns to leave, but pauses to give the man a respectful bow.
Port chuckles. "Off with you. Craft to your heart's content!" He watches the boy exit before he returns to his seat. A few second tick by before Port perks up. "He knows how to use the equipment, right?" He questions himself out loud.
. . .
A stroll across Beacon's campus was always uncomfortable. It's just... people. Students, specifically.
Carmine's shoulders hunched up slightly as he moved too fast to be walking yet too slow to be jogging. Several Huntsman and Huntresses in training moved about. Surely, they were with their teams, or even their assigned partners.
And he could feel their eyes on him. It didn't take a genius to notice that he wasn't close to their age. That creeping itch at the back of his neck. Made him feel hot, skittish.
Maybe he was paying too much attention. He always watched people around him. Unconsciously, his jaw worked, recalling a knee to his face resulting from getting too involved. Perhaps, he was obsessing over others' thoughts on his presence.
The image of an orange haired teen standing over him by a hospital came to mind...
He shakes himself off, walking faster. Turning a corner, he stops short of slamming into teen boy with the male uniform on. The two stop, spooked, but Carmine quickly shuffles around, muttering a 'sorry'.
As he moves down the hall, he catches the boy with his friends chatting. "Why the heck is that kid here? Shouldn't he be in combat school at best?"
"He's part of some program and helps some of the professors. Super weird and quiet."
With a twitch, Carmine glances over his shoulder, the students already gone. Weird and quiet? What the absolute hell?! They didn't even know him the jerks! Seriously, what part of that was necessary?
His eyes drew low, a scowl forming. What the hell is a judgmental person like that doing at a school for freaking protecting people? What did he even do to make them judge him? Is it some kind of projection?
Maybe that's why Kerry hated him so long ago? It's always jerks who start judging first. Pompous prick- "OW!"
Distracted, the boy had half jogged directly into someone else. He falls hard on his butt, wincing as he looks up. Half angered, half embarrassed to have done this twice now. "Ugh, what-" He shrinks in with wide eyes under the woman's gaze.
Wearing the student uniform, the tall woman wears the standard uniform with black leggings, replacing the white undershirt with gray. The woman's blonde hair was pulled back, loosely curled while in a ponytail. Her bands swept to the left side of her face like a frame.
Her arm clutches at her gut while her darkened, shadowed over eyes glare down at him. A golden amber burns at the kid, somehow conveying no emotion and all the fury of the sun at once.
"Meep..." Carmine weakly squeaks out before snapping his gaze down.
"Hn." She huffs, straightening her posture. Ah, he'd run into her gut. He bowed his head, embarrassed as the scary lady offered her hand.
And yet, his mind conjured the image of the grim reaper in place of her. God, her eyes scream murder. "Scary- I-I MEAN SORRY! Ah!" He sputters out, eyes darting side to side. He takes the hand, only to cringe with bugged out eyes.
The woman's digits crushed his wrist, freezing at the same time! GAH! How was she so strong?! She's a tooth pick- Oh, now I'm judging. Somehow, her eyes darken further. The woman pulls him up to his feet.
Getting his footing, he backs away, eyes down. "I-"
"Just. Watch. Where. You're going." She cuts him off, voice calm, collected. Snooty? No, authoritative.
He gulps, nodding before walking off, down the hallway. Like a mouse scurrying away from a house cat in fear. The woman keeps a look of ire as he leaves until a violet haired woman beside her nudges her. "Oh, come on. Give the kid a break."
The blonde takes a deep breath, eyes clenching closed a moment. Centering. She turns to her friend, opening again. "If one is to be in this academy of all places, they should at the very least know how to walk calmly down a hall."
The two females begin walking, the violet haired girl sighing. "I'm just saying, it's a kid. You don't have to put the fear of god into him." When it became clear the blonde wasn't going to respond, the other girl tries again. "Anyway, can you believe Port's standards for that assignment?!" She pulls out a list. "I can't even keep track of it all."
The blonde rattles off without looking. "Notation of the weak points of insectoid Grimm carapaces will be your job."
The friend's jaw dropped. "Ugh! Why do I get the short end?"
The blonde sends a smoldering eye glancing to her. "Do YOU want to check the water toxicities found in various water Grimm homes?"
The violet haired girl pouts, facing forward. "Right, good point. You can take that, professor." She emphasizes the title mockingly. "I'm going with Cella to study up on Oobleck's history assignment due next week. You need any notes done?"
"No. I'm going to touch up florescent in the shop." She responds emotionless. No tone, just responding. Despite the cold shoulder, the friend smiles.
The violet haired girl purses her lips in a half lidded pout, but shrugs. "Alright then. Don't get into any spats with people, please." The two women part ways. The blonde makes her way towards the senior dorm halls.
. . .
The blonde descends the final stair case, entering through a wave of heat. The smell of ash, sweat, and emissions of various machinery hits her at once, though one would think she barely noticed. Thankfully, she could feel a back draft of ventilation working endlessly to purify the room and keep it livable.
The room was divided into four areas. By the entrance was mostly a resting area with tables and benches. Students and workers could use this area to plan, look at schematics, rest from long labor, or request additional material at the checkout window.
Before her was a warehouse sized basement of furnaces and machinery. To the right, various smelting pots and burning ore chambers. This was meant to refine and process one's materials.
Directly ahead at the far end of the floor was designated tool work. Hand tools to craft, shape, quench, and grind all things after one has their materials in order. The place where forging finally took hold.
Finally, the left half of the room was lined with various work shop stations. Each station held different tools and materials to detailing a weapon. Maintenance, enhancements, as well as addition of mechanical elements of weapons would be added here.
Various half walls and columns divided the areas, though the left half of the room was devoted to the maintenance shop. It figured since most, if not all students had their own personal weapons long before stepping foot on this campus. Most students merely detail and build on top of a base weapon.
She was no different. The woman swiftly removed her uniform jacket, leaving her in a short sleeve gray button up leading down to her skirt. Unbuttoning the top two buttons for heat release, she finds a shop bench with various hand tools and wet stones.
Draping her jacket on the chair, she places a straight black rectangular piece of metal. Just over three and a half feet long, the last foot was a grip with a trigger just by a crease. The length of the metal was over an inch thick and three inches wide.
Gripping the handle, a small ghost of a grin curled to one side. Just as she places her hands upon the weapon-
CRASH!
The loud clangs of metals ring off the floor in the distance. The shrill noise jolts the woman's spine, a fierce scowl coming over. Slowly, she directed her scorn over the shoulder, seeing a metal pan roll by the work benches, falling over and reverberating by her feet. An annoying ten seconds later, the sound stopped.
Like the rest of the rather packed room, she looks at the source, finding that red haired boy again. He stood at the request window, having dropped several materials off one of the bench counters in the rest area.
The kid hunched under the attention, eyes down as he scrambled back and forth to grab the materials. He even had a burning blush, looking as much of a child as possible.
The blonde's narrow scowl remained before she sighed loudly. Turning back to her weapon station, she places her hands onto her weapon-
"The heck is a kid doing here? I mean, what?" A muscled boy with brown hair scoffs two stations down from the blonde girl. "Freaking annoying."
Raising a brow, the annoyed blonde's eyes flicked back to the red haired boy. He'd gathered all his belongings at a bench in the waiting area, only to look lost and tense. A few students simply gave a glance filled with... annoyance? Like the kid was an inconvenience.
Okay, he IS an inconvenience. Yet, rather than simply help the kid and be done with it... they're just going to let him meander and continue to hinder them as an annoyance?
"Hn." Her glare slowly shifted to the annoyed brunette man nearby. "If it's so bothersome, why not help him out so he leaves faster?"
The teen huffs. "Not my problem. I'm not a baby sitter."
The blonde's glare narrowed slightly as one brow rose. "No, just a huntsman in training that will surely tell people they're not his problem when they need help."
The brunette scowls back, huffing. "Whatever, witch." Rather than finish his task, he picks up his weapon, a buzz saw sword, and simply leaves the shop level.
Really? Just up and leave rather than help anything? The blonde pinches her nose in frustration before sitting her weapon back down. She stands away from the shop bench, walking back to the entrance area.
Standing directly behind the red haired boy now, the blonde girl momentarily looks up exasperated. "Are you having any problems?"
The chilling emotionless voice barely catches the boy's attention. he turns about, looking up-
And Carmine flinches upon seeing the terrifying blonde again. "Ah! Um, sorry... Am I in the way?"
"From a certain point of view." Okay, maybe not the best way to go about offering help.
The boy reddened like that of a tomato. "Sorry. I'll just go-"
The blonde raises a finger, the boy clamping his mouth shut. "Just-... hmm. Do you require assistance?" A cursory glance at the multitude of materials revealed something. This kid just grabbed everything he could. "What are you trying to do?"
Carmine bites his inner lip, mulling things over, sparing his supplies a glance. "I, uh... wanted to build a weapon, but..."
She glances down to the double revolver strapped to his thigh. "You already have one."
Carmine scratches the back of his neck, frown pulling down. "Y-Yeah, but, uh... it's not. I... wanted to make my own." Her eyes widen, slight panic. Oh no, not a sob story.
"What exactly were you looking to build then?" She blitz's past the obvious dark spot in conversation.
Carmine looks up in thought. "I..." Only for his head to drop. "... don't know yet."
"It would be smart to have a plan before cleaning out supplies." The woman crosses her arms. "Perhaps once you have a concept, you could return to make it."
"Yeah... sorry, I came here on impulse."
"Yes, I can tell." She states. Maybe directing him away from here would both help him and let her concentrate! But, to make sure this never happens again, she gestures to a Faunus gentlemen across the room smelting material. "If you require assistance, might I recommend-"
A new voice, barely more emotive, speaks up. "Are you ACTUALLY offering someone help?"
The blonde freezes, rigid, blood coming to a boil. Carmine doesn't seem to notice, looking around the woman to spot... the blonde woman also standing ten feet away. This one's bangs framed and curled around the right side of her face, and she had bright green eyes. This one still wore the full uniform, and even had glasses.
"What do you want, Glynda?" The blonde by Carmine states plain.
The newcomer, Glynda, gives a snooty huff. "I merely wanted to inform you that our team will be having dinner at seven tonight, rather than six." Glynda's eyes trailed down to the boy. "The extra time might be nice if you wish to help this boy out."
The blonde glared bloody murder over her shoulder at her near identical look alike. However, the glare immediately sweetened, a false polite smile. This could be her chance to ditch. "Actually, this would be a perfect time for you, dear sister. Practice for that mundane teaching career you wish to have. Why don't YOU help him?"
Carmine watches as the two blondes glare at one another, atmosphere suddenly suffocating. "Uh..."
"Well, it seems you're ill equipped to show the boy what he needs to know. Perhaps I'll help him out." Glynda speeds back, green eyes lighting just a bit. Is that... a challenge?
Carmine begins raising his hand. "Um, I can just come back another day- um, what's happening?"
The blonde scoffs. "I just wished to assist your precious teaching focus, but on further thought, I shouldn't expect someone with a wand of all things to know weapon forging."
The boy's lips purse as he stares forward in a half pout. "Oh, I'm being ignored now." Immediately, both women turned their focus on him. He flinches back, eyes widening. "Pardon?"
Both women met eyes again and, for just a second, Glynda's lip curled before reigning in. "I trust you'll be responsible enough to ensure he obtains the best weapon to suit him then?"
The yet unknown blonde's eyes narrow a tic, despite Carmine's sudden perking and bright look. Although, just glancing at the blonde, the boy's uplifting mood plummets. The blonde responds. "I don't quite have the time, I'm afraid-"
Glynda huffs, cutting her off. "You're three weeks ahead of yourself in all classes. Don't worry, I'll take notes for you if need be." Eyes leaving the now fuming blonde, Glynda looks down on Carmine, air of superiority. "If she is unsuccessful helping you, you may come to me I suppose. You are..?"
The boy gulps. "Scared- I mean, C-Carmine! My name is Carmine Uhlric." A nervous smile mismatch his fearful orbs. His hand shakily extends out. "Uh, ma'am."
Glynda accepts the hand, ignoring his fears. "I am Glynda Goodwitch, senior here at Beacon." She waves her hand towards the rigid blonde glaring daggers. "You already know my dear sister, Blair."
"I do?" He flinches upon the daggered eyes directing at him. Another gulp as nerves hit in a whole new wave.
Glynda hums to herself. "I'll see you at the dorms, Blair." The authoritative woman took her leave, leaving Carmine with Scary #1.
His eyes flick from the entrance to the fuming woman beside him. Awkwardly, he shifts his weight side to side, not knowing what to do or say. Should he leave? Apparently, now he's this woman's problem? Why? What the actual hell is going on? Asking... probably wouldn't be the worst mistake. "So, what's, uh..."
Blair's eyes snap closed as her hand moves slowly up. Carmine's eyes track the movement as her hand firmly grasps his jaw and shuts it. "Sh... Sh... hearing you talk is already a train wreck. Just speak when I ask something." Her orbs open, eyeing him over. "Understood?"
Carmine's frantic nod answers, so she releases him, pinching the bridge of her nose. He stands ram rod straight, shoulders up in a mock military attention. She sends a half lidded stare at him, unamused.
"And now you're an eyesore. Just-" She glances at all the materials on his bench. Unrefined metals, containers, measuring tools. Half of it wouldn't even be useful to him right now. "Do you have any ideas for a base?"
Eyeing him, his blue orbs widen in minor panic. Rather than speak, he gestures to Heulin Noon, then waves his arms like a balance, gesturing to say 'so, so'. He ends with a shrug of his shoulders.
Annoyed, her half lidded eyes narrow. "What?"
He freezes, shifting nervous. "I-I figured I'd answer with gestures since you didn't want me talking. Sorry."
"If I hear 'sorry' one more time, I'll make sure you mean it." Her voice dips low, threat clear.
"Sor-" He stops himself in a cough, gulping at he meets eye contact. "I wanted to make something that could complement Heulin Noon here. Not an attachment or anything, but something to use when it's not enough, ya know?"
"With no prior idea?" She responds. "No direction to go, and you essentially went and got every item under the sun to use for it?" Each word built more ire than the last.
The boy shrunk under the scrutiny, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Y-... yeah..."
She sighs. Long and loudly! Without a word, she walks away, back to her bench several yards away. She snatches her weapon and jacket from the maintenance bench, walking back to him. "You have a place to store those tools and materials?"
Carmine perks up slightly. "Yeah, I have a room-"
"Good." She cuts him short. "Take all of that away. Get your weapon and meet me at arena 3 in half an hour."
"Arena... 3... right." Carmine mutters under his breath.
She narrows her gaze at him. "You've used the campus training rooms before, yes?" The boy shifted uncomfortably. "You haven't?!" Her eyes widen in genuine surprise. "How? You've skulked around here since I first got in this academy. How have you never gone there?!"
The frustration made Carmine flinch back, smiling nervously back with his hands up in surrender. "I've kinda always used the one in the professor dorm... second floor, room 245?"
Blair pauses, mouth open to further reprimand the preteen. "... The advanced room? Only seniors have access to that room. With reservations even. How do YOU have access to it?"
Carmine blinks twice. "That room uses reservations? I was just told not to use it between 2 pm to 8 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
Mouth open to call the child's frank bullcrap, Blair pauses. Junior and Senior classes on those days meet at 2 until 5, with the remaining 2 hours needing reservation. Narrowing her gaze. "Fine. I'll meet you there so you can prove yourself."
As she walks away, Carmine shuffles awkwardly. "Half an hour?"
She pauses, sending a halfhearted glare back. "... yes." She leaves the boy to start scrambling to gather his materials.
. . .
Ridiculous. Absolutely- ugh! She'd only meant to expedite getting the annoying eyesore out of the area! But, oh, OF COURSE Glynda chose that exact moment to step in. A few well chosen words to dangle a challenge, and suddenly this child is HER problem?
Blair sighs, walking through the advanced hall, a few professor offices catch her eye. No way such a brat has access to the advanced room. She'd managed to reserve that room only TWICE this semester, and had to share it with her team.
Oh well, if he doesn't show, she just gets to draw and quarter him before the campus fountain for all eyes to see. Okay, perhaps don't go that far, but that's an effective threat. Blair turns the corner in the hall, her heels clacking on the floor.
And she stops, moderately surprised. The boy sat, next to the advanced room door. His legs were crossed under him, Indian style, while his hands rested comfortably on his knees.
A quick scan of the boy made her brow rise, mildly curious. He was tapping his knee. A simple sign of occupying himself, possibly impatient. But... he did it with his middle finger, not his index. Weird.
She approaches, speaking up. "You actually came."
Her voice makes Carmine jump in surprise. "Uh, hi. Of course I came." He steps up to stand, giving a nervous grin. His hand extends out to her. "I, uh, never officially introduced myself. To you, I mean. I mean, I did to your sister while she scared me as much as you do- I-I mean. My name is Carmine Uhlric."
He takes in her hunting outfit. High heel dark boots over jet black tight pants. Several purple leather belts coat her waste, her long metal hooked between the belts at an angle at her side. Her tops was a tighter pleated white shirt with violet interior.
Blair grips his hand, giving a mild shake while staring with half lidded eyes. "I am Blair Goodwitch. Now, do you actually have access to this room?"
"Of course." He turns, opening a keypad next to the door. He quickly enters four digits, eliciting the unlocking of a latch from inside the walls.
Blair's eyes widened, recoiling back an inch as the door opens. It's open. It's OPEN?! "You... You actually have access to the room?"
He sends a glance at her, not exactly understanding her shock. "Yeah? I was telling the truth." He walks into the room, lights illuminating the hexagonal patterns along the walls. She follows him, seeing the screen along the wall sync to Carmine's scroll, indicating his aura levels... which are yellow, only a fourth of his bar.
Okay, this kid definitely merited investigation. "You've already trained today?"
Carmine paused awkwardly before laughing it off. "Y-Yeah... pretty much all morning. I'm not exactly fighting fit right now." He sends a wary look her way. "We're not doing anything TOO tiring right?"
"... Not at all."
"Why did you hesitate?"
Ignoring him, Blair moved to console across the room. "You wish to make yourself a weapon for when your current one isn't as useful. You say you haven't a clue what you need, so I need two questions answered before I can help."
"Okay... And those are?" He asks uncomfortable.
Blair enters her setting, syncing herself for her aura bar to appear on the screen opposite from Carmine. Full. The room begins to shift. The entire layout shifts to an uneven environment. The middle is even, three pit falls shifting down to a lower level on one side of the room, while the remaining side raises as a high ground. The ceiling staggers with several hexagons opening to show spikes aimed down.
Carmine looks around with wide eyes, taking the setting in. "Huh. I haven't seen this one before. I stick to a lot of arena style and gun range settings."
"Hn." She grunts in answers, turning to him as they square off on the even middle ground. "Arena combat doesn't translate well to most hunt scenarios, but I are good for simple training. This is just the one my class uses."
She meets his eye, gaze piercing through him. "Alright. We'll have a light spare. Shouldn't take long, but I need an idea of how you fight." With that, she grips her weapon handle, pulling out a straight single edge sword. The blade was colored a near glowing golden yellow.
"Whoa." Carmine states with wide eyes. "That's a cool weapon. What's its name?"
"Florescent Finish." She states plainly, giving the sword a twirl. "Yours was called... what again?" She states with a rare moment of admitted ignorance.
He grins, flourishing his revolver. "Heulin Noon!" The barrel twinkles in the light, punctuating his introduction.
"..." Seconds tick by. Ever so slow, at a snail's pace, her eye lids drift closed as she sighs with a groan. "... 'Howl Noon'... Really? A pun?"
Carmine chuckles, looking on the weapon with a far off grin. "Yeah. It was my dad's. I love it."
"I hate it." She states plain. She brandishes the sword, entering her stance, one hand on the grip and weapon forward. "I hate it, and I'm attacking you first because of it."
Without hesitation, the woman bursts forward. Carmine looks up from his weapon, blinking innocently. "Wait, wha- SHK!" He flinches back, dodging thrusting jab from Blair. "You didn't say 'start'!"
Blair flourishes the blade, advancing aggressively on the poor boy. Each flick of the blade narrowly missed by inches as he dodged frantically. "And neither will an enemy!" She feints the next slash, twisting and jabbing another thrust.
Carmine lurches backward, leaning and ducking back as the blade jabs just over him. Blair twists the blade, angling the edge down as she brings it down toward the ducking boy. Responding on reflex, he blocks the blade with the barrel of his gun.
Holding Heulin Noon to the blade, locking in the bind, he angles the end of the barrel to Blair's side. He fires a single shot. Despite the point blank range, the woman anticipated the counter.
She ducks sideways, the shot passing by her. Her off hand bolts out, grabbing Carmine's gun hand by the wrist. Blair wrenches back, jerking Carmine forward while she steps around him. Bringing the blade up, she swings at his exposed back.
Only for the boy to flicker away in a teal flash! Blair's brows rose as she glances up.
In front of her, Carmine appears in his original starting point for the spar. Immediately, he whips around, aiming and firing. Blair deflects the shot and steps into a kendo stance.
Carmine jumps into the air, firing two more shots. Blair deflects the shots with ease, maintaining a sturdy swordsman stance. Carmine lands on the high ground. He maintains his aim down on the woman.
Distance is key. Distance is his friend. He needs to reload and try to organize a pincer attack. Getting his breathing under control, he moves to the attack. He fires a double shot, immediately flicking the cylinder out and moving to reload.
Blair has other plans. Narrowing her gaze, she pulls her weapon's trigger...
The blade suddenly illuminates a sky blue. She slashes up, dust lighting off the blade as wind blows out from the slash. The air slash gusts forward, slicing directly between Carmine's double shot. The two separate shots shift apart without detonating.
The two shots angle apart, passing by Blair on either side and hitting the ground. Florescent Finish's handle opens at the end, ejecting a dust shell. She blade shifts back to a glowing gold as she burst forth.
Her air slash catches Carmine off guard, sparking by him, taking his gun away from his hands. Heulin Noon spirals away, hitting the ground a distance away.
Unarmed, Carmine is left helpless as Blair closes the distance in a blink of an eye. His arms block, but she slashes at him, impacting his aura shield visibly! The attack launches him from the high ground, hitting the mid ground hard.
Scrambling, he rolls to his feet, eyes finding his weapon meters away. He sprints for his weapon... until all four limbs stutter.
The world around him swirls in his vision as he collapses forward. The boy hits the ground, his forward hand landing on his weapon. A faint black shroud contains the boy. He grips it tight as a wave of nausea shifts over him. "What... the heck?"
He coughs out, breathing and gasping for air as Blair steps down from the high ground. Her off hand illuminates a dark violet shadow as she focuses on the boy. "You're caught in my semblance. You won't be able to escape it with your teleportation. You'd need to focus on your own aura and reject my own to negate it."
Standing over the boy, she angles the blade down. "So, unless you have another surprise, I think this match is over-"
Carmine growls out, his semblance sparking as he flickers and shimmers out of view. Blair is left standing over nothing, eyes wide with surprise.
That... shouldn't have happened. He shouldn't be capable of teleporting under the effects of her semblance!
"Gah!"
She twists around, finding Carmine, knelt down and wincing atop the high ground again. With a scowl, all her focus goes to the preteen, but nothing happens. Well, nothing but the screen across the room ringing, signaling Carmine's aura entering the red.
The room begins to shift back to normal, equalizing their terrain and leaving Blair standing confused over the kneeling exhausted boy. "How did you-...?" She shakes it off, sheathing her weapon. "The spar is done... and one of my questions is answered."
"Well... This is an interesting sight."
A chill enters Blair's spine as she turns to the doorway for the room. In the open entrance, her headmaster stands. "Professor Ozpin?!" She stands at attention, shoulders back.
The silver haired headmaster walks briskly into the room, his cane tapping against the floor. The man stops before the wheezing boy and student. "I was under the impression you were resting for the remainder of today, Mr Uhlric."
Mr Uhlric... What a way to address your son. Carmine groans as he stares up, a false smile appearing.
"Oh, ya know. my- ah!" He steps to his feet, panting a moment. "My new friend wanted to help me out with something."
Ozpin's eyes flick to the rigid woman, whose eyes widened a fraction. "Is that so? Ms Goodwitch, I'm glad to see you taking an interest in others' training. What may I ask is the purpose of this?"
Blair's eyes flick back and forth between Ozpin and the boy. "Sir, I... was assisting Carmine here in the endeavor of creating a new weapon."
Ozpin nods, taking a glance around the room. "A rather odd place to do so, wouldn't you say, Ms Goodwitch?"
An embarrassed blush flushes over the woman's face. "I... merely wished to ascertain his fighting style, to know what type of weapon would suit his wishes." She glances down. "I also did not believe him when he said he had access to this room. If this was not allowed, I sincerely apologize, sir."
The headmaster gains a ghost of a smirk. "Oh, it's quite alright, Ms Goodwitch. He does indeed have access to this room." His eyes flick to said boy once more. "Although, I would hope he'd understand when to rest instead of push himself to a breaking point."
Carmine gulps. Yep, she's okay, but HE'S in trouble. Just that slight edge in the man's eyes. The boy merely chuckles. "Ah, I'm fine. Don't you have headmaster things to do though?"
The father and son maintain a gaze, Carmine beginning a nervous sweat. Ozpin's lip curled up. "Of course. I merely was alerted to the room being used at an unconventional time. I'll leave you children be." He turns to Blair, nodding towards her. "If he's in your charge, then I trust he'll be fine. Good day to you, Ms Goodwitch."
Blair watches, wide eyed, as the headmaster saunters off. "To you... too... sir?" The door to the training room shuts as the older man departs. Okay... so the brat DOES have unrestricted access to the most advanced training room on campus... AND knows the headmaster personally.
The hell?
. . .
Carmine groans, leaning back on a bench outdoors. He peaks one eye open, eyeing Blair as she approaches with two bottles of water. He accepts it as she starts. "Alright, so I have a basic rundown of how you fight, now. So, the next part is-"
"Can I... ask something first." The boy weakly interrupts. Amber eyes meet blue as she nods. "Why are you helping me? Be honest, please."
Blair straightens lightly. "I merely was attempting to help out someone in trouble-"
"You were trying to get me going so you could go off with your own business. I got that much when you and your sister spoke to each other." His eyes narrowed ever slightly. "Why does her making a suggestion mean I'm your problem?"
The woman stands uptight, out from the bench. Her eyes flick away for a moment, but return. "She and I are... competitive. She plans on becoming a teacher to train future Huntsman and Huntresses. I, on the other hand, plan on becoming a researcher to further studies in aura usage. We both have a goal of strengthening future Huntsman, but we each think less of the other's goal."
"Don't like teachers?" Carmine asks. "Oobleck seems cool enough."
"Teachers will always exist. Merely training others won't bring about any great change." She cuts back sharp.
"What does that have to do with me?" He uncaps his water bottle, taking a swig.
His attention now on the bottle, Blair shakes her head, moving to sit on the bench beside him. "That's merely an example of how we... judge one another. Everything is a challenge between us, and we refuse to back down. So her presumption that she could help you was actually an insult on my ability to do so."
Carmine scoffs. "And all I am is a challenge. A goal." She glances over, seeing the color leave his eyes. A far off look. "More things change, the more they stay the same."
Nearly an illusion, she recoils ever so slightly, not that he was looking at her. She glances away with a grimace. Taking a second to breath, she looks back to the boy. "I have a question of my own. Why ARE you here at Beacon? Who are you?"
Silence meets her, Carmine's eyes trailing downward. Seconds tick by before he sighs. "I'm not your problem to deal with."
"Would it help if I genuinely wanted to know for my own curiosity?"
That gets him to look once more at her. As if his eyes were a touch lighter. His mouth works, trying to find a way to start. "I was six." He shrugs. "The old man gave me the option to learn here." He pauses again, sighing. "It... wasn't supposed to be permanent, but... my parents..."
Both the boy and the woman trail their looks to the gun at his thigh. Blair's eyes remain eagle eyed, almost calculated. "I see. That must have been hard."
His fingers begin drumming his knee. "After they were gone, Ozpin extended the option of a stay here at Beacon. The rest is history. I'm private schooled, for lack of a better term, until I turn 17 and join the primary roster of Huntsman in training."
Blair takes a moment to ponder that. "I see." She takes a drink from her own bottle and wipes her lips. "Well, now that our personal lives are out, let's move on."
The boy scowls at her. "I told you I'm not your problem. You don't have to help me."
She meets his scowl, holding the stare. "I apologize for my motives before, but I am a Huntress in training. It's my duty to help others, and I am now choosing to act on that." She pauses a moment. "Plus, you've obtained my curiosity."
His scowl blinks away, simply staring at her as his lips curl up to a smirk. "So we're friends now?"
Blair's eyes widen a touch. "No no. I never said such a thing."
His smirk grows to a toothy grin. "I heard different!"
Her voice grows in volume. "I assure you, I'm being as clear as possible."
He giggles, looking at her with a genuine smirk. "But... You will help me?" Just the barest means of hope sounding in his tone.
"Yes, I will help you. Are you ready to continue?" He nods, focused. "Alright, your fighting style seems to be avoid and evade. You utilize your semblance for escapes and sneak attacks, and you thrive at medium range." She pauses before adding. "And you're acrobatic ability is impressive for your age, given your ability to dodge my lacking attacks."
"Lacking attacks? You were insanely fast!" He exclaims.
"About half speed for your sake." She adds. If he didn't know better, he saw a slight twinkle in her usually cold eyes. "In short, your weakness is you lack consistent firing due to your weapon, and you lack melee viability."
He frowns at the criticism. "So, how do I fix that? Get a cool sword like yours?"
She shakes her head at him. "There are a number of options, but the one most viable depends on the second question we will discuss now: How your semblance affects your fighting. To understand that, I need to understand your semblance."
Carmine blinks at her. "Wait, why does a semblance relate to the weapon? I mean..." He glances down at her sheathed weapon. "How does that sword go with your weeble wobble semblance?"
Her lips purse, eyes twitching at the description of her semblance. Slowly, she draws her sword. "My semblance is called Aura Transfer. I can meditate and sense auras in surrounding areas when out of combat. In combat, if my aura comes into contact with another, I can insert my own into the other. From there, I gain a remote capability to affect a person's senses and aura."
"So... you use a sword and fight up close so you can connect your aura and just shut them down?" His eyes widen, warily glancing at the weapon.
"It requires my aura to overwhelm my target, if only for a second. It can be expelled given time and focus. But your aura was low, so it was rather easy." She suddenly tilts her head, curious. "However, you shouldn't have been able to escape it. Even if you used that teleport semblance."
Carmine perks up. "Oh! It's not a teleport semblance." That gets an incredulous look from the woman. "I call it Recall. It's a time based semblance. I can blink back to a spot I was before. I can't go anywhere I hadn't already been."
Blair's brows rose, impressed. "I see! You... 'recalled' yourself to before my semblance had you." Her gaze trails up, out into space. "I... haven't seen a semblance counter like that. Interesting." Full attention back on him. "It can negate physical harm as well?"
Carmine's lips purse, looking hesitant. "Well... I mean, I haven't like stabbed myself and tried it, but so far, yes."
She strokes her chin in thought, glancing up a moment before her eyes lock back to Heulin Noon. "Which brings us to that weapon. I don't think it suits your semblance well. How did your father use it?"
Instantly, it was like a bucket of cold water splashing onto him. He sunk down, glancing at the gun. "Yeah... I know. Dad's semblance was kinetic energy. He could condense his aura into a shot." He angles the gun, showing Blair the cylinder. "As the cylinder turns between shots, he'd channel his aura through his hand and into the slots. His..." The boy's eyes fade slightly. "'Infinite ammo cheat'."
Sensing his decline in mood, Blair grimaces. She can't honestly expect to tell the kid not to use his father's weapon. Suddenly, a thought occurs. "I see. The weapon wasn't made for a semblance like yours... but maybe it can work."
He perks up. "Huh?"
"Your semblance. Does it work on inanimate objects?"
"Uh, yeah. If I break a stick, I can make the stick come together again?"
Blair gives a polite smirk. "Then, we shall work on this... 'infinite ammo cheat'." She ends awkwardly. "Aura Infusion." She stands from the bench. Moving out onto the grass, she approaches a tree, swiftly cutting a small branch. She sheaths her sword and snatches the branch.
Carmine watches curious as the woman presents the small branch. "Uh, what's aura infusion?"
"Demonstrate your semblance." She orders.
He accepts the wooden object, quickly snapping it. A flick of green aura flashes as the wood flickers back together. Not hard. He could do it at five years old. He can do it now. "Okay?"
Blair nods, approving. "Good. Now, put your aura into the branch and keep it there."
Confused, he does as instructed, grunting as he focuses on the branch. "Okay... I, uh, never really did this before, but okay."
She extends her hand, snatching the branch from him and holding it high above his head. "Now... recall it."
He recoils, mouth dropping. "I mean. Can I?"
"Can you?" She questions back. She gives the branch back. "Certain semblances offer different relationships when it comes to interaction with matter. For example, is a person's semblance is magnetism, they issue an outside force that manipulates an object. Understand?"
"Y-yeah?" He drones. "Totally?"
The woman huffs. "I'll use my sister's semblance as an example then." She glances over to the campus fountain. "She uses telekinesis to manipulate an object in any way she sees fit. So, she fights as a caster."
With a gesture to the fountain, she continues. "If I were to smash that fountain, and she puts it back together. Would it function?"
Carmine tilts his head. "Well... no? It'd have a bunch of cracks through it. The water would just leak out."
She smirks at the answer. "Good. Just like the magnetism example, that would be an outside force simply stacking it back together. However, when Glynda uses her semblance, she can re bond the material together. Would you be able to know why?"
His brow furrowed. "Her... semblance acts on the inside?"
"Poorly worded, but yes." She nods. "Her aura infuses with the material and influences it at the molecular level. Not just simply moving back and forth." She points back to herself. "My semblance infuses with my target, thus I gain partial control from the inside as well." Finally, pointing to the branch. "And your semblance infuses into objects as well. So..."
She pulls the branch away, nodding to him. His wide eyes remain on the woman for a moment. Suddenly, the switch flicks. Focused, narrowing his gaze, he holds his hand out. "Wow, this is... weird."
"Aura is the life blood of all living things. Yet, each person has their own. Now, feel the aura placed within this branch." Seconds tick by as he focuses on the wood. He nods. "Then... call it back."
His hand twitches, reaching out. The feel. The ebb and flow of aura. An unsung connection. As if an isolated pond connecting to the great river of his aura. Connected only by a wisp of that river's waters, a creek leading only to the two sources. His aura flashes over that connection, to that isolated pond.
The isolated aura triggers, activating its call. The branch flickers from Blair's hand in a green spark. The boy recoils as the mass appears back, within his grip. The same grip he had before Blair took it!
Jaw dropped, eyes widen and light up. "It... worked!"
Blair's shadow looms over as she stands in front of the bench. She kneels down, a ghost of a smirk appearing. "Good, but it might touch home with something else." Her open palm extends out. "Your weapon."
Carmine flicks his eyes between her and the branch, suddenly jolting and tossing the branch away from the bench. His left hand draws Heulin Noon. His gaze homes onto the weapon, his focus coming to it. For just a moment, a reflective flash lights around the revolver. "Alright, I'm ready-"
Without warning, Blair's arm swiftly snatches the gun by the barrel as she lobs the gun over her shoulders into the sky.
Carmine's mind takes a second to catch up. Realizing the loss of the weapon, he jolts almost standing, reaching up into the air. "Hey- NO!"
The weapon slings through the air, passing over the fountain before disappearing in a flicker of green. Immediately, the weapon flashes back into Carmine's hand. He gasps a deep breath in as he admires the weapon within his grasp.
Blair stands, still with her barely smirk. "Congratulations, you're nearly impervious to being disarmed." She takes a step back, hand moving to her chin in thought. "With this application, you may thrive on throwing weapons now to capitalize on mid range-"
A gentle pull nudges her out of her thoughts. Carmine's off hand gripped and gently tugged for her attention. Meanwhile, his attention was still in awe on the weapon in his hands. "H-H-Hold on... I wanna try something first."
Blair blinks at him before nodding. "Very well."
. . .
She checks a watch, hidden underneath her sleeves typically. 6:27 pm. She had a half an hour to return to her dorm for her team's dinner. Still, the boy wanted to test something quickly, so here he stands in an open courtyard of Beacon.
The sun was on the decline, a light breeze going by. Each second, however, was accompanied by the clinging of metal. Blair rose a brow before her.
Carmine sat in the grass with no less than 30 dust shells, including those currently loaded. He pops the cylinder of Heulin Noon, removing six shells and sitting them off to the right. The remaining 24 shells sit in the grass to his left. He begins setting about the task of loading another six shots from the left.
Upon loading fully, he locks the cylinder in while giving it a spin, closing his eyes for a moment. Seconds later, he flicks his wrist, popping the cylinder. He removes the six shells, putting them on the right, now 12 together. He removes another six from the 18 to his left, loading them into the gun.
As the boy worked, Blair took her time to merely observe. He was doing this with purpose, but she'd yet to figure what he was doing. He cycles another six through the gun, stopping to focus on the gun before removing the shots again.
24 shells sit at his right, the final six from the left now inside the weapon. He steps up, holding up his empty weapon. "Alright... please work." He sighs into himself, like a prayer. In a snap, he aims the gun away.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Click!
All six shots spent. Carmine's eyes narrow, focused on the weapon as he flicks his wrist. The cylinder pops, all six empty shells clambering onto the ground.
He grunts in forced effort. Blair's attention heightens as she sees six full shells on the ground flicker teal and disappear... Carmine flicks his wrist, popping the cylinder back into place!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Click!
Carmine's mouth hangs open, staring in awe at the weapon. Barely a half second had passed before a new set of shots were loaded in. He gasps out as he flicks the empty shells out, focused again. Another six shells flicker away off the ground as the cylinder spins back into the place.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Click!
His mouth morphed into a wide open smile. His breaths came audibly as a throaty laugh began to escape. He flicks out another set of empty shells. A twist of his wrist later pops the cylinder back in as six more shells flicker away off the ground!
Blair watches with her brow raised, blinking stunned. Using his semblance to eliminate the primary weakness of his gun!
He pulls the trigger fully, firing a double shot! Then another, and another! Each kickback jolts his arm back in recoil. Ignoring the numb feeling, he flicks his wrist, the cylinder sticks out, dropping the empty shells. He flicks again, cylinder back in. The last six full shells just flicker into their slots in the weapon.
The boy is positively beaming at the weapon, laughing out loud and wholehearted now! His wide eyes shimmer, glistening as he holsters the gun.
"Now THAT is impressive." Blair admits. "Instant ammo replenishment is quite a handy tool to have-"
The woman jolts as Carmine tackles into her center, wrapping his arms around her waist in a vice grip. His voice is smothered for a moment. "It's not and infinite ammo cheat, but I'll take a no reloading cheat as the next best option! Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!"
Blair's face lights red, eyes wide as she grunts from his attempt to squeeze the life out of her. Gulping and composing herself, she shimmies her way to loosen his hold, escaping and taking two steps back. "Yes... well... it's what any huntress in training should do to help someone."
Seeing the boy calm down, he takes a moment to wipe at his eyes. The huntress in training reigns in and tries not to be annoyed at the gross violation of personal space. She continues. "So... does this mean you won't be creating your own weapon?"
The boy meets her critical gaze, chuckling. "You've made it so I can use my dad's weapon, but... it's still my dad's weapon." He gazes at her with confidence, a smirk coming on. "I still have my weaknesses, and I want them covered. To help with this" He taps the holstered weapon for emphasis. "isn't enough."
"I didn't make it do anything." Blair states plainly. "And how you choose to go about solving that weakness is your decision to make. You should take the night to consider options. I need to return to my dorm as well."
Carmine nods as his posture begins to slip. "Uh... would it... be okay to come back to you with the ideas I get? Some, ah, feedback maybe?"
The woman takes a moment to consider it. He's giving her an out. Considerate of him.
Also pointless. "Naturally. It wouldn't do well for me to leave the job unfinished when that's what I said I'd help with."
It uplifts the boy, bringing him to beam back at her. "Is there anything I can do for you in return?"
The woman simply stares back, blinking a few times. Her lips pull into a firm line. "Hmm... Perhaps." She shifts her stance, looking him over. "Close your eyes and hold your arms open. Shield yourself with your aura please."
With frown and wary glance, Carmine took a step back. "Uh... okay?" His arms spread slightly as his eyes drift closed. "Like... this? What's this for?"
Blair immediately glances about. The yard they stand in is clear. Not a soul in sight. A quick glance at the windows of buildings facing them. No silhouettes of other students of faculty. "Yeah... like that." She states without looking at the boy.
Her left hand pulls her weapon forth, sheathed. Her right hand takes the grip as she wields it sheathed one handed. She continues. "I'm testing ways of countering aura shielding for a class assignment is all, to end potential threats quicker. It helps to have a subject..." The tip of the sheath shifts, revealing three syringe needles in a line. "You'll feel a slight prick."
With zero further hesitation, she jabs forward, thrusting the end of the sheath into Carmine's chest. His aura flashes, the three prongs piercing into him. "HRNK!" He chokes out as he falls backward.
In the blink of an eye, Blair has her weapon hung to her belts again. The needles retract into the sheath, unnoticed.
Carmine gasps, eyes bugged out. Both hands clutched his chest. "Ow! Ow, that was a prick! Ow!" He finds Blair standing over him.
The woman offers a hand. "An excellent subject. Thank you. Consider your debt repaid."
Carmine accepts the hand with a groan. "I consider myself floored in aura strained pain for the third time today."
She pulls him to his feet, humming to herself. "Well, this is farewell for today." She nods to him. "Think hard on your weapon, Carmine."
He scratches at the sore spot on his chest, but shrugs it off. He smiles and nods back. "I will. Thank you, Blair." With that, the boy turns around and sprints off, leaving Blair on her own.
As he departs, Blair glances around once more. She removes her weapon from her waist, angling the end of the sheath up. Her thumb presses a button just before the hilt of the sword itself.
The end of the sheath pops, a tiny capsule falling forth. She catches it, looking and inspecting it. The container is clear, the inside colored crimson red. "Hmm." She swiftly pockets the capsule, walking off on her merry way.
. . .
Ozpin enters his office, off hand carrying a steaming coffee. He halts himself, taking a breath and allowing a small smile to form.
"Blair Goodwitch. An interesting choice for a friend." He speaks aloud to the room, all alone.
He'd memorized all his students. Name, face, personality. Every facet of the students under his charge deserved his attention, as much as he figured his fellow headmasters gave to their own.
Blair Goodwitch: 20 years of age. Senior and member of Team CBRG. She was heavily analytical and typically antisocial. Typically being a mild term. She oh so rarely associated with anyone outside her team.
Likewise, her studies have heavily favored scientific courses. Her sister, Glynda, was also exemplary in her performance. The two would clash in various forms of conflict, although only three times to a point that constituted a negative impact to their grades.
Scientifically inclined, goal driven, and fairly straight and narrow. Only negative is a fairly cold personality.
Ozpin sits at his desk, activating the screen for his computer. A few clicks, and he finds himself observing camera feed. Similar technology to the cameras in the entrance test grounds.
On screen, Carmine seems to be admiring his weapon, excited as he holsters it. Ozpin watches with his smile growing when he sees the boy actively hug the life out of Blair. He chuckles, trying to think of a time when she allowed any type of contact like that.
The two appear to be going their separate ways. He nearly shuts the feed off until... Carmine spreads his arms with his eyes closed. Ozpin's brow rose, observing.
Suddenly, Blair jabs the boy with her weapon. The boy is knocked down for only a few seconds before she's helping him up... He watches the feed until Carmine leaves, Blair removing... something from her weapon sheath.
Ozpin's smile was gone.
And our last main protagonist has been introduced! At last. Carmine's so good at making friends. Also, first part of Carmine developing his full fighting style. Woo!
Notes:
I'm taking liberties with Glynda Goodwitch as she'll be in her mid/later 20s by the time of RWBY proper. Seeing as most RWBY characters begin at Beacon at 17, graduating at 20, she'd be a younger teacher by the time of the series. Take her as a prodigy.
Hell, I always took her as 30 at best and just a pompous, high society bitch in personality anyway... Eh. Ozpin's approaching 40, late 30s at this point in the story, with the team STRQ members being in their mid 30s by the Volume one era of this world anyway so ages are a minor detail outside of our four mains.
Blair Goodwitch obviously based on the Blair Witch. Seeing as Glynda Goodwitch is based off the witch of the north from the wizard of Oz, I expanded Glynda's family to four sisters for the four witches of Oz. They're merely the oldest and twins.
Her weapon's name is Florescent Finish since I like alliteration. A bright yellow sword that shifts color depending on the power put into it. It's sheath contains a syringe mechanism to steal blood.
Her semblance is explained in the chapter, but just for clarity: If her aura overwhelms another person's in an exchange, she can inject and infect their aura with her own. This lets her tamper with their senses. Like she said, someone would need to expel her aura from them to separate the connection between herself and her victim. Carmine just had a semblance counter to it.
Join next time in Chapter 10: Dreams Of Mine.