Chapter III: Working with a partner
The cultural values within are set before-current-era RWBY.
"That wasn't fair!"
Frank looked up at his companion for a few days, her bat ears fluttering, like they did when she was in a heated state of emotion, which was… pretty much the whole day. She should learn to calm down a little, even if she was learning how to take down the Grimm. Awakening her Aura was not something that he would do lightly, knowing that the Grimm could spot his own Aura easily with its pulsing light, whilst her own shape next to him was indistinct due to the way that his body shielded it with the radiant light, only her emotions there to remain.
He stood tall next to her, the remains of the Grimm starting to dissipate. He wore his mask again. There was no telling what rumours might spread if he was unmasked and someone saw them. They would just see a masked Huntsman and his upbeat Faunus companion together, and that would be it.
"You could not have reacted in time."
Percey had always imparted upon him the importance of quick reflexes. Carmine had been quick on her feet, but even she had barely had the time to dodge the claws of the Beowolf that had come from the side, Frank's axe cleaving through it just in time. Aura could regenerate, but flesh wounds did not.
"I could've had it, Mask man!"
She called him that when she was in an emotional state, as he kept quiet. Quiet and solitude had been his only respite for the past years on the hunt for jobs and Grimm cullings, as they continued to walk through the wooded lands. They didn't talk much, or at least, he didn't talk much, whilst she did. It was a strange feeling to have, but Frank was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth as she would eventually shut up. Grimm tended to be a bit more visible when the partner at his side wasn't trying to talk his ear off, but her thrusts were getting a little bit more accurate, Carmine's whole stance having changed over the times when they had time to practice before the night started.
He was polite enough to let her have her time of privacy when she required to relieve herself, keeping watch, but not straying far from her. There was safety in numbers and he had always known when Grimm were around due to the strange markings, a blessing for when he required to relieve himself, a curse when amongst others.
"You would have perished."
A statement of fact, blunt and to the matter of things. She was not getting her aura awakened until she had reached a certain level of capacity without it. Percey had not spared him the training and neither would he spare this girl, wanting to be a Huntress.
'She is too old.'
She was too old indeed, in Frank's mind, to study as a Huntress, but she had determination at least, drive and skill to work with her weapon and make a stride into the field that came with it, her stabs with her rapier growing faster, the mechanisms that she was working on during the evenings becoming less of a chore for him to explain.
He was patient, careful to explain everything, and she shut up when he was explaining things. The huff of 'I didn't need to know that!' and then the quiet as she did exactly what he had told her, was something that was peculiar to her, but a monster such as him did not need the appreciation of a woman younger than he was, if only around a decade or so.
'We will reach the next village in a few days.'
A few days where she would learn how to strike at the Beowolves that were endemic to this world. The Ursa that they had encountered he had dealt with in the melee, striking with the greatsword before it could rear up to strike at him, masked face shattering with the grand weapon in his hands cleaving through it.
"Perished?! Perished?! Youuu- Youuuu! I'd have killed it!"
She might have, if she'd had Aura. She did not.
"You would have died."
His voice was perhaps a little bit more vicious than it usually was, and her mouth closed as she looked at him with a very sharp look.
"Then teach me to be better, you- you tall person!"
Their heights were much different. She was small and petite compared to him and they had different lengths in their arms, which affected the amount of damage that they could do to Grimm that they encountered. Her weapon was built for piercing damage, hitting through armour plates with an explosive force and the saws built into the sides to deal extra damage on the internals, his weapon was built for brute forcing through the hides and armour.
He dealt with strength, she dealt with finesse. Lightning Blitz was a weapon that was suited for him, a single heavy-voltage strike with a Dust crystal used to power it for three times before requiring replacement, but it did not suit her. A pistol, loaded with the rough slugs that would punch through a simple wooden wall if aimed properly, was enough to guard her, but the Dust-based ammunition was only to be used in the case of emergency.
He was not wasting a valuable resource like that, as he had explained during the moment she'd shouted an indignant 'Why the hell not?! It's awesome to blow stuff up!'. You did not use such ammunition unless it was necessary and there was a serious threat of Grimm in the area.
Bandits could be dealt with by getting the regular slugs to the face. He'd dealt with several of them on the route towards the heartlands around Vale and back again, and they usually worked in packs of three, maybe four. They had learned that he was an implacable man of stone.
"We'll practice later."
He tried to offer, but that wasn't something that Carmine would let him, as she planted her feet into the ground and gave him a glare. Frank wasn't sure whether he was supposed to be intimidated, but due to her size, it was more like a child was giving him a glare than an adult like Carmine.
"No! You will teach me, Mask-man! I'm not-"
His axe struck at the Beowolf that was coming up behind her, out of her peripheral view, the creature growling at him as only half of its mask had split, the instinctual reaction having made him strike before she had even been aware of it, turning around with a curse that was louder than before, striking at the weakened Beowolf, the creature slowly starting to evaporate after the lethal strike that Carmine had dealt to it.
"You must always be aware. Emotions that are hot are like a bonfire at night to them. Calm yourself, be one with your surroundings."
The words had been repeated often enough to be like a mantra. His own words added to them, almost certainly.
"Always move through the world, never stay for too long, or else you will be caught and dead. The world is a dangerous place and you are never safe."
A monster was never safe, even if a monster did good things. That was the curse that he bore, that which was dyed into his face like the markings of some cruel goddess, his face something disgusting, yet something that Carmine seemed not to worry too much about, or so it seemed.
She had not remarked upon it, the feelings she had on the subject still unclear. Whether she would turn on him once they had approached the next village… was unclear.
He expected it, though. It was the reason why he had not awakened her aura. In a fight against another aura-empowered Huntsman, it often dragged out. He had done so only once, a rogue Huntsman being in the area, a generous bounty given and a fight that had nearly cost him an arm, requiring a month to recover. Holding the mask in place whilst the doctor changed the bandages had been a chore, but he did not trust.
'My scars are a testament to the sins of my curse.'
He was sure that Carmine would wish to be with others, in a different village. She would be much happier with her own people, if they were in the village that they were coming up to in a few days.
"Alright, keep moving. That's it? That's all of your wisdom?! What do you do when you get urges, huh?!"
'What urges?'
He didn't really get what she meant with that, shrugging a little. She was probably talking about having to find some food or relieving himself in the bushes. With the untamed wilds, there was enough space to dig a quick hole and then cover it after you were done. Nobody would find it, because the world was so wide and untamed that it would barely be noticed.
"I take care of them. You take care of your urges too, right?"
Her pale cheeks burned, as she opened her mouth and started one of her rants again, her voice higher-pitched, irritated about something that he had said.
"I do, yes, and that's none of your business! Whatever kind of sick thoughts go on in your mind, I- I never!"
'I should not have answered.'
Silence was the best retort to her constant chatter, as her ears were fluttering a little, her face still red as she continued to harp on about 'privacy' and 'space' and 'none of his business'.
He kept an eye out for Grimm though. He could do that much, at least.
He was crude! You did not just tell a lady of- perhaps not such a noble birth- but still, a lady that came from two parents, that you knew about them taking care of business! She wasn't blind!
Not fully, at least. She could see perfectly in darkness, which was something appropriate for her Faunus lineage, her father had said, but colours and the like weren't really her strong suit. She could detect everything in a radius of how far her voice carried though, which was why she often raised her voice. The bouncing waves were good enough to give her a view of everything around her, except some Grimm, when her teacher, or whatever-the-hell that jackass was to her, was speaking and frustrating her.
'Watch me do that stuff, huh?!'
She would teach him with words!
"You should have some modesty! You do not ask a lady whether she takes care of her urges! That's impolite!"
He was… regrettably, not the most social of people. She'd been ready to use 'old pokey' as she'd nicknamed her sword (a rapier, according to Frank), on the men that'd come to 'punish' her for her misdeeds. She was most certainly still an unsullied woman! Who wanted the only Faunus girl in the settlement to be with them, when they had other, perfectly human women to be with, huh?! Nobody!
It was a relief, she had to admit to herself, that the Huntsman had come and bailed her out. There was no 'thank you' that she gave, but she would get training out of it. Anything to defend herself against people that'd rather see her doing something entirely unladylike with her body, simply because she was a Faunus.
"I apologize."
'Damn right! Apologize!'
She was not some loose woman! She had offered herself to him and he had been most hospitable to her by denying her 'tender affections'. That had taken a lot of nerve from her to offer!
'I was told that I should save it for someone special!'
She'd demanded that he show her his face. She wanted to look at the face of the man who had denied her maidenhood and her womanhood. If he was ugly, she could shout at him some more, and then get taught.
He had not been ugly. A few veins that looked a little gruesome to the face, but they weren't that bad. She relied more on sound to parse the way people appeared to her, her ears perfect at catching the sound waves.
A nice jawline, cheekbones that were a bit high, but not too bad to her image, and the look on his face was one that was really grim. His nose was a bit squashed, due to the mask, but when that had been removed, his face looked like it had a bit of a pointy nose.
He smelled like the outdoors. He needed to wash his clothing a little bit more, but that was natural. She, of course, took care not to give him ideas.
Women did not do that and he sounded traditional. A house, a husband and a whole litter of kids. He had told her that he would drop her off at the next village and Carmine did not think that it would happen that she'd magically run into someone who would be willing to let her remain a Huntress-in-training. Or- whatever it was. Apprentice.
He was a Huntsman and she was the woman he was training to defend herself. That was fair!
She most certainly did not have the intention of settling down and becoming someone's housewife. Cooking, cleaning and caring for children was not in her job description yet!
Her mother had said that she was a willful child and should be modest with all men and she had heeded those words! She had found someone willing to teach her how to use 'Old Pokey' and fight Grimm!
"You'll teach me, now!"
He had really big hands too. Nice, firm hands, especially when he corrected his stance. She felt a little small compared to him. He even smelled rather pleasant, though she did not have that type of attraction to anyone! It wasn't that she had those weird hot flashes during the time when it was hot.
She wasn't some beast that followed instincts!
Those times when the sun had been really hot during summer and her mother and father had still been alive and the human boys had gone shirtless were definitely not craving instincts! She had been modest and kept to the shade. She had been wonderful for her parents, or so they had said.
"After our camp is made, Miss Von Blut."
Carmine Von Blut was her name by birth. Her father, Abraham Von Blut, had been a giant bat Faunus. Her mother, Carmilla Von Blut, had been a regular bat Faunus.
Her middle name was Adora, which meant 'love' or something in some kind of weird pig jargon that mom had picked up during her time, even with the slavery abolished at the end of the Great War.
"I'll hold you to that."
He had protected her. She wanted to prove herself, but he kept protecting her.
She did not like it! Not audibly. Her body was thinking entirely different things.
Those big hands.
"Are you cold?"
'No, I am not!'
She replied with something a little bit more feisty than her inner thoughts! She was not cold! She was just thinking for a moment. He was older than her by several years, but he was dependable. Protective of her.
Focused.
They ate a grilled piece of boar flesh, after he had returned with the boar on his shoulder, gutting it with the hunting knife that he kept at his side. It helped that he was good with hunting for her. She did not do very well with the hunt.
Yet.
She was getting better though.
Being a courier for the outlying farms had been an easy job, with Huntsmen culling the Grimm. He had swept out from the village when she'd been out really late, caught off her guard by some Grimm that'd come, and she'd made a mad dash for the settlement, the Lien in her pockets jingling and clinging.
She had bought fruit for him to eat as reparations. That was polite. A favour for a favour.
It had been her life in the balance and he had taken his time to save her.
"Take your position. Try to defend against my strikes. If I knock the weapon out of your hand, your stance is wrong."
The axe was switched with the larger blade, and she tried to parry them. Harder than she'd thought, but she fought on, her breathing heavy, her breasts aching from the lack of proper support and her body trembling after she had finally managed to hold on to her blade.
"Good. Rest for now. You need to rest before you can walk tomorrow."
She wanted to shout at him some more, but her words died in her throat when his implacable masked face just stared at her and she grumbled a quiet 'You'll train me more tomorrow, mask-man.'.
He took guard, as he always did. It was unfair. He slept little and he kept watch each night. That did make her feel bad at times.
"Wake up."
She woke feeling reasonably well-rested, the campfire already doused and a pot of hot water prepared, with some herbs in it to make a hot tea. It had been a nice touch, after he had indicated that she might need some of the tea for her energy. She had tasted it and liked it, though whatever herbs were in it gave her a rash on her left tit. It was preferable to not having that tea, though.
"Here is bread. You should eat."
Chewing on the bread and making sure that he knew it, she scrutinized him. He didn't yawn, he didn't show signs of anything, and he pointed his weapon at her and then looked ready to shoot.
The shot whizzed over her scalp, a sound of cracking behind her, as she turned her head to look at the Beowolf that'd had its whole head evaporated with the shot that he'd sent at her.
'He saved me…'
She felt… a little touched.
"YOU COULD HAVE HIT ME!?"
She'd never show it, though.
"Never be unaware of your surroundings."
She'd get him back for it.
Her heart was just thumping really hard right now. Definitely the adrenaline. It wasn't like she was touched by the concern he had for her. She was a Faunus, so nobody would really care whether she lived or died, least of all a human.
'Get your breathing back under control, Carmine… easy breaths, easy breaths.'
"You're going to teach me to fire that gun of yours!"
It'd probably kill her if she had to admit that she was grateful for his swift actions. Probably.
Her heart definitely was getting its exercise, as he nodded a quick 'yes' before he motioned to the pot.
"I'm not your wife or your slave! You can't make me do anything I don't want to!"
She drank the tea though.
It was definitely the herbs in the tea.
Damn those herbs, making her heart beat just a bit quicker.
Frank's eyes spotted the town first, as he adjusted the mask just a little to hide the glare of the light, the smells of cooking food in the air as they made their way towards the town gates, made from reinforced wood and steel bars that reinforced them. It had more of a defensive wall than he'd expected, but the buildings were stone, reinforced with some of the techniques that he'd seen in the major settlements, with stones actually reinforcing the road, more of a road visibly cutting through the woods.
'Nice to know. I should ask whether any caravans are going to the east.'
Good money could be made with escorting caravans. It beat travelling by foot as well, as Huntsmen often got hired to escort the supply caravans towards their next destination. The unfortunate side effect was that the people were curious about what lurked behind the mask.
"Stone. We will get a room at an inn. I need to wash."
He was jerked from his thoughts by his companion's commentary and Frank turned his head, the petite shape at his side looking like she very much would like to have that wash, her hair a little disheveled. It was probably for the best that he did not think too much about how much dirt clung to himself as well, as they had barely had the time to rest since they had ran into a pack of Beowolves that had accompanied one of the herder Grimm.
'They always require special handling.'
They were able to call upon Grimm if not dealt with silently. Unfortunately, his apprentice, if she could even be called that at this point in time, was anything but. The loud shout of 'Grimm!' had made the herders just glow and pulse out whatever kind of Grimm bait there was, and he'd been hard-pressed to keep up against the tide of Grimm that it called.
"You are my apprentice, to the people."
He had not formally done the rites of awakening her Aura. He was not sure if he would even be able to awaken it. Not everyone was able to have their Aura awakened, as the light of one's soul, as went one interpretation of it according to Percey, was something that shone differently from the core of others' souls.
"Yes! Now, you will teach me more!"
'Would it kill her to stop speaking so loudly?'
It was getting a chore to have to shield his ears a little when Carmine really got heated. Her voice was higher in pitch than most women he'd ever heard. For an apprentice that was supposed to obey, she definitely did not let herself be quiet, demure or silent when there needed to be some kind of quiet.
"I will teach you after we have ascertained whether there is a Huntsman supplies store in this town. It is likely, but not every town carries a specialized shop. Many do, but others have to hire Huntsmen with less-malleable weaponry."
Lightning Blitz was in need of some new focusing irises for the Lightning Dust generation. The focus for the lightning was off by several degrees, which had probably been after he'd had to get up after getting batted away by an Ursa whilst protecting Carmine.
"It'll be fine. You will teach me better stuff! I need new ammunition!"
Luckily, ammunition was buyable at most stores. Even out in the wilds, there was still a good price for slugs that didn't require Dust to fire, due to mechanisms and the powder-Dust that came with it.
"We will see about that."
They arrived at the gate, Carmine mid-rant about her own desire for another gun, since she had gotten fond of shooting at things before her weapon would be getting some more use, Frank flashing the official mark of being a Huntsman, the gate opening slowly, and one of the guards approaching.
Militia often didn't bear badges like that, the woman looking like she was under the impression that they'd become yet another burden on the system that governed the town, her scowling face clearly enough. The mark was inspected by the woman, mumbling something under her breath before she glared at him, or rather, at Carmine at his second guess, taking a deep breath.
"A Huntsman and his student, then? We don't much care for her sort around here."
Carmine looked like she was going to be complaining violently again, her mouth opening to give a fiery statement, as he jabbed her in the side, his mask still on firm, speaking up.
"She's disciplined enough not to make it an issue."
His voice was condemning and serious, as he stood there, the woman nodding, looking more at Carmine than at him. He knew that it was a vain hope that there would be something to do about Carmine's high volume, but it was not something he could fix.
"Alright then. There's an inn down the road, and a smith that can fix your weapons up for a price. Big store on the end of the third street on the right sells Dust-based ammunition. Mantlean stuff, though they're called Atlas now. Bunch of pussies, if you ask me."
The woman spat on the ground, clearly not finding very much positive about Mantlean individuals, Carmine silent at his side as the woman let them enter the town proper. Frank watched the townspeople, as they walked along the road, a few horses being led along by a farmer, with a large straw hat, the farmer giving Carmine a dark look, Carmine's ears twitching a little.
'Don't make a fuss. It's not something that people will comment on. You're armed, they are not. Huntsmen can keep the peace, but you are here as my apprentice. A student respects their Master.'
It would be tough for her to keep her peace, but he was pretty sure that she could manage to shut up for a few minutes until they'd get to the smith to commission repairs, maybe pick up some daggers for Carmine to wield while they were out in the woods, since it never hurt to have some extra insurance.
A monster like him did not need it, nor did he feel like he was getting his 'apprentice' anything that would be too much for her to wield.
'A careful Huntsman is one who plans for every eventuality.'
"The hell you looking at, huh? Do I got something on my face?!"
Frank grabbed Carmine's dress in the neck, holding a firm grip on her, as he looked at the farmer, who continued on their way after seeing him hold Carmine's dress, the young woman jerking herself free.
"I can do it myself, big man. I'm not- bah."
Carmine was acting like she was not too offended by him acting to save her from another confrontation. A monster such as himself would not be greeted like a Faunus was, though the disdain for the Faunus was simmering under the surface.
"A Huntsman is composed at all times."
He cautioned her, letting her know that it would not be tolerated, as the thought of leaving her here rose once more. They had travelled to this settlement, which was larger and bigger than the previous one.
They should get their weapons cared for before getting to an inn. No Huntsman should be without their weapon.
After they walked from the smith to the large store, Frank taking the time to watch Carmine, who was experimentally testing the new leather grip on her rapier, which had been reinforced a little with the smith taking the time to work on it for his 'huntsman's apprentice', which had brooked no comment from her, her eyes fiercely staring at some point on the ground.
He had paid for it, after all. She technically could be cut loose, but Frank didn't think that it would make the bat Faunus woman back off. She should really find a man to settle down with. It was how the world worked.
Frank knew that she'd eventually find someone that would draw her eye, who'd be the one that'd draw her away from the life of a Huntress, the Grimm coming with an everlasting tide, enough to worry about when they got there to the brink.
'A good Huntsman is always prepared.'
He would teach her and he would make her feel the bark of the weapons that she'd craft, before the bite would register. Her weapons were in decent shape, but he knew that with Lightning Blitz, he had to make the better gears work for him. A special bag for her own maintenance tools, if she was to join him in the field.
The store's interior was a little cramped for him, as he pushed himself into the proper style, Carmine's petite form easily flitting between the different goods that were on display, Frank's gaze going to several of the bags of easily stored goods that had been cured for lengthy travels.
"We'll buy food here."
There was always scavenging for food, Frank knew how to, but the stomach would need something to tide it over between lengthy stretches of barren land, corruption from the Grimm barely allowing for the soil to be fertile.
'Let's hope she doesn't complain.'
Carmine nodded, and she started to pick out foodstuffs that were relatively fresh-looking, Frank unsure whether he should indulge her for a little while, or whether to let the Faunus woman get herself something that'd spoil in a few days.
'It would be a chore to eat… lengthy rations would be empty soon enough.'
He preferred dried meats and salted and pickled goods. It was easy to keep meat fresh if you hunted, but at times, hunting was not an option. He had recovered well through the use of his skills in the wilds while he had been solo travelling, let alone with a young woman that had designs to become a Huntsman like he was, but this was still a worry that flickered through his mind.
"And this one, big guy, what do you think?"
He was looking at what she'd put out and he shook his head.
"Spoils too quickly. You would need to eat it in a day, and it does not guarantee that it would not be sickening us. You should always plan for a month ahead."
With another traveller with him, he planned for two weeks, since there would be two mouths eating food with him. He really wished that she'd just stay here and shed those dreams of becoming a Huntsman. A monster like him was not someone to emulate.
"I'll show you!"
She was stubborn, though.
"And this, too."
She placed another cartridge of the ammunition onto the counter, the foul look given to her not being the greatest thing in the world, but bearable, even if she didn't really see things properly, her breathing a little higher in pitch to further identify the people around her.
With the big guy, Frank, being at her back, she felt a lot more confident, even if he was a weird guy. A weird guy with big hands and who had defended her.
"You should never pack more than you can feasibly carry."
The advice she tried to heed, knowing that as a Faunus, she was a little stronger than most people, that her senses were a bit different and that she was someone that would be able to fight with the Grimm with her strength, even if Huntsmen had that magical thingamajiggy.
'I don't let him boss me around!'
She adjusted her purchases a little, knowing that seventeen clips of ammunition might be a bit much, but she would be able to salvage it with no difficulty, knowing that as a woman, she was able to tuck them in pockets that men did not have access to, discomfort be damned.
"Hm. You are teaching me."
He was her teacher and he was a man who had not taken liberties with her, as she frowned at the total. He placed the money on the counter and she bundled her purchases up. They would need to get lodgings, and she would consent to sharing a room with him. It was not unusual for a young woman and a man to share a room if they were Huntsmen, after all. She counted herself as one, and Old Pokey would be stabbing down into him if he'd ever tried something with her.
It was not going to be some kind of damn war that she'd fight, but it'd be a fight for her own sovereignty! Her, being a housewife?! She'd rather die.
They hadn't wanted her in her home village, and with her parents dead, they could have the house. They had been there for a while, leaving with him having been a godsent, because they might've done bad things to her with the latest rise in faunus hate.
She wasn't planning on dying yet!
She'd become a Huntress and she'd do the right thing for a lot of other people, even while she followed behind him, as he ordered the rooms.
"We'll share a room, Stone. You are teaching me, and I will not be cloistered away like some civilian woman!"
It was the chivalrous manner that he had, as if he barely had any concept that she was a woman and he was a man. He had told her to find a man and be his wife, but that didn't matter. He would still teach her, as Frank corrected himself, the man given a beleaguered look by the innkeeper, who seemed to be understanding of things.
"The other Huntress at the other room we've got has a space as well, if you'd like to share? The women would be able to be more comfortable, since it is a proper settlement we are running."
Carmine didn't care very much about that, as long as she got a bed. Frank could say whatever he wished, but she was aware of how it felt, as she was guided to the front of a door, Frank being guided in by the innkeeper's son, a guy who looked like he was a little younger than herself, giving her a look that made her want to throw up, Carmine banging on the door a few times.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming… I'm coming, what's… the big deal?"
A voice that sounded a little drowsy, the door opening up, innkeeper at Carmine's back coughing quietly.
"Ah, a Huntsman's apprentice, since we have to keep propriety, miss Huntress."
The woman that appeared in the door looked like she was around Frank's age, Carmine thought, pale skin and makeup around the eyes forming an interesting look, blue mixing with black, a set of dark brown eyes, pale skin wrapped in something that looked like linen, wrapped around her upper body, blinking a few times. Her head was covered with some sort of scarf, hiding her hair from sight, but the bandage-like skin looking like it was in need of a scrub.
"Oh. Come… in. Stupid puritans… Bah, Vacuo… is much… looser with… things like that."
She entered the room, a second bed set there, the woman scratching her side, a large shield-like weapon set up to dominate one of the walls, several tools already put out on the table.
"Ah, if you need anything, just…"
The door shut down, the woman shuffling with a slow gait to the shield-weapon again, her fingers working on something that looked like a single crank, a large barrel of something slowly extending, as she pushed something into the depths of the barrel, a large chain with a ball on the end of it.
"Get… comfy. You're… an apprentice, right?"
The woman's voice was slow and smooth like molasses sliding down the throat, but weary and tired at the same time.
"Yes. Carmine Von Blut, apprentice to Frank Stone."
The proper forms of introduction as a Huntsman's apprentice, the woman nodding a little, as she continued to push the metal into the barrel.
"My name's Kleo Parsley-Trappe. Don't… mind… the Trappe part, my husband… died… a while… ago. Grimm… caught him."
That was sad to hear, but it was none of her business, as the Huntress put several vials of Dust into slots of the large shield-like thing, hefting it and then doing a little swing.
"Needs a bit more… punch. Oh. You want to use my tools? You look… like you need help."
The woman's voice was snappy and swift, as she spoke up without much inflexion, Carmine's eyes narrowing, but putting her weapon on the table, and looking at the teeth, the older woman (probably only by a few years, if Carmine had to guess about it), giving a soft wheeze as she set the shield-weapon down, the almost box-like weapon trembling a little.
"Thank you."
The begrudging thanks was from her lips, as she tried to focus on the things that were most important right now, her eyes glancing at the work that had went into getting Old Pokey up to Huntsman-level, the weapon she used for her long-range capacity enough, as the woman made a soft humming sound as Carmine grabbed one of the wrenches and then started work on the lower chain, tightening it a little and applying some of her weapon oil to the chain, to keep it supple and able to fight, her eyes glancing at the sight of the roommate that she'd been forced, clearly having a suspicion in her mind about the other woman.
'I don't trust humans.'
"You should tighten the chain a little less, if you want it to run smoothly. You're going to have a problem with the chain snapping if it's too tight."
She adjusted the tension a little and then thumbed the button, hearing the buzz of her weapon, poking experimentally at the side. The woman's voice had been direct, snappy and focused, but seemed to slow down once she had adjusted it.
"Account for… ah, your breasts. You are being… taught a style… that shows some… variance, aren't you?"
She hadn't inquired with Frank about what was being taught, but it worked.
"I can do this by myself, Kleo."
She barked at the older woman, who laughed softly.
"Feisty… Ahh, you… are using… your pistol in concert… with your strikes, yes?"
She was, when she had the time for that. Of course, with how she was able to work her weapon into the right spot, she knew that there was nothing that could be done about it, her eyes glancing at the woman suspiciously.
"You should stab, then shoot. Ahh… move like that, yes?"
He had told her that it was never a bad decision to wield both, the older Huntress looking at her with that lazy expression on her face, as Carmine's expression darkened greatly at the human huntress.
"I can do it by myself!"
Just like how she'd make sure that he'd teach her, as she stabbed and then aimed her pistol, to follow up. Finger nowhere near the trigger, then stabbing again, the button thumbed and the chain roaring.
"Adjust your… ah, stance. Stab. You have trained with him for a while… yes?"
The woman's voice was laboriously slow, as her gaze looked at her.
"He's been teaching me for a month… ish."
She'd never really tell anyone about it, because she was a private person! Stupid Frank with his weird questions about her taking care of herself!
"Hmm… ahh… He is a power type. You fight more… with speed. Different things for… different people. I am… ahh, power."
The woman's voice slowly seemed to grow drowsy, like she was about to fall asleep, her eyes nearly closing, Carmine unsure whether the woman was humouring her or not, but feeling the annoyance rise inside her chest, as she undid the bodice, letting herself breathe and putting Ol' Pokey back where it belonged, stripping down to her undergarments, thankfully still somewhat fresh-smelling, as she'd washed them three days before.
Her ears fluttered a little as she could hear the movement from the other woman, who laughed softly.
"Quite… the body. Oh… He wears a mask. Does he… have a facial scar?"
It was curiosity, but Carmine's lips firmly shut at the feeling of indignation at the woman's question.
"I don't know! He's conscious about it, but not bad. It looks perfectly normal to me!"
Scars or whatever on his face be damned, he was going to teach her, Kleo giving a soft laugh.
"No… need to be upset… ah. He is… around twenty-seven? Older?"
Carmine did not know. She had never asked for more than a name. They did not do chit-chat about stuff like that! Her mother and her father had told her to be polite and to be gracious, and she was most certainly not going to let some man go and tell her that she would be much better off as a housewife with a hundred kids or something!
She was ready to fight! She had defended her maidenhood.
"No clue. Don't care. He's teaching me to fight."
The woman's laugh was quiet.
"Not until he unlocks the gem within your heart… girl."
Carmine flared up, as she had an image of the two of them doing that.
'Never!'
She opened her mouth to correct the assumptions of this scandalous woman!
Frank was busy with counting the money he had when a loud shout of 'HOW DARE YOU?!' came from nextdoor, Carmine's voice hitting the high note, as she started to shout something at the female huntress.
'Women are always so loud…'
Not that someone like him would ever have a woman look at him with eyes that were warm and friendly, Carmine's loud voice shrill and offended at something.
He didn't know whether he'd be able to give her a better life here in this settlement. He was pretty certain that she would be glad to be rid of him once she had gotten her lessons out of the way.
He was a monster, marked with the mark of Grimm, blessed with the curse of being forgotten, despised and rejected. He looked at the mirror that was for shaving, his razor drawn over the skin every morning before he woke up, to keep his skin smooth, as his father had taught him.
'She would be much better served with the other Huntress as her teacher and master. An apprentice can learn under the same gender. I always learned that it would be troublesome. Perhaps I will make the suggestion, if Miss Von Blut accepts the other huntress.'
Carmine was loud and very vocal about her things, which Frank didn't quite get. It was not the hardest part of her to deal with, as she often had confusing things to say. Why women should not be watched while they relieved themselves was just strange. They were out in the woods and they should be on high alert for Grimm that came from the ground, the surroundings or even the sky.
'Women are confusing.'
He hoped that she'd find someone here in this settlement that she could enjoy the presence of, or to be foisted off on the other huntress. Women worked best with women, after all.
She really should not be walking around, playing at being a Huntress instead of settling down with a man and having a family.
Whatever she did, if she did, he might feel a little more at ease with her being safe. Even if she was a Faunus, she was still a member of a community, and would have better chances of survival than he did, with his taint on his skin.
No woman would bear to look at him, no man would be calling him a friend.
The mask kept him safe from judgment, as he continued to count the money that they had available, with a mental note to go out and see whether there were incentives to be given to Huntsmen clearing out a few packs. A caravan that travelled down to some part of the settled coast would be good for a big bonus, provided there was some additional payment for the intactness of the goods upon arrival.
"So… did you… sleep well?"
Carmine was getting used to the way that Kleo spoke. Unhurried, slow and without great hurry, the white satin clothes that she wore covering her body fully, letting not too much of her skin be shown, her build very petite and wiry, weathered a little in parts, as she shifted back a little, giving a fierce look at Kleo as she busied herself with her shield-like weapon's maintenance again.
"I did, yes. Hm. Show me again!"
She jabbed a finger at the older woman, who smiled almost wryly, as she laughed softly.
"Oh, bossy… I… like… that. Do you… know… what they… say?"
She didn't know what 'they' said, or anything. She was a Faunus, and she watched the woman shift her weapon. While she fought, the woman was agile and yet, slower than she was. She didn't move, but the way that she fought was faster than Frank did, but his strength was greater, Carmine would have to admit.
Plus, bigger hands.
As they emerged from their room, she spotted Frank leaning against the wall that divided the two of them, his weapons already in his hands and at his belt, the silent masked face looking at her, annoyance going through her.
"Did you sleep well?"
His voice actually sounded concerned for her, but Carmine was not fooled. With how he stood, he clearly had been waiting a while, she could smell the faint sweat on his skin, a sign that he hadn't washed himself yet. Not that that mattered, but she preferred her teacher to smell better.
It mattered in civil society for her.
"Ah… hello. Kleo Parsley-Trappe. Huntress. Pleased… to… meet."
The introductions by the slow-talking, hard-hitting woman were only annoying her, as she glowered at the man who was to teach her everything about being a Huntsman, her whole body lit up with that frustration, as he seemed to be giving the huntress more attention than her!
"Nice to meet you too, miss Parsley-Trappe."
She snorted.
"Leave Kleopatra here and focus on training me, mask man."
She saw the lazy smile on the Huntress' face, annoyance shooting through her like a vile venom, the lazy smile greatly tempting her to go and hit the older woman, who stretched slowly. Carmine was perfectly attired, with her corset laced up perfectly!
'How dare she act like some sort of lazy cat!'
He was going to teach her to fight! No Huntress was going to be giving her teacher some distraction.
"We'll train, yes. Do you want to assist, miss Parsley-Trappe?"
He was giving her more attention, which wasn't good! A distracted teacher would not be able to teach her what she needed to know to kick ass and blow stuff up!
"I'd… ahh… sure. I have… time."
She grimaced, opening her mouth but thinking better of it. She wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, knowing that Frank was not going to be teaching her properly, if there was some distraction walking around!
She deserved his attention and old pokey would be getting some action with him if he gave more attention to the other woman!
"Good. I am not a good teacher. I was taught by a retired Huntsman."
The older woman lazily nodded.
"I… could… tell. She is… not… well-taught."
Carmine's eyes narrowed, as she opened her mouth to tell the lazy huntress exactly where she could stuff her opinion on her being taught!
Frank watched as Carmine went through several of the forms, the other huntress moving with graceful steps, blocking Carmine's strikes without using her aura. It was a sign of a good Huntress that Carmine was already getting the basics down, with a different style than what he could teach.
'She would be better off with a teacher like Miss Parsley-Trappe.'
He hadn't asked about the second name, figuring that the woman must be married or some-such. Not that it was his intent to upset the woman, who seemed to have amusement in the way that Carmine could shout at her, never quite rushing further than where she needed to rush towards.
"FIGHT ME FOR REAL, BANDAGE WOMAN!"
The nicknames that Carmine assigned to her companions were strange, but Frank should not judge. If the life of a Huntress was for Carmine, it would show. It clearly would be better for Carmine to learn under Miss Parsley-Trappe, since he did not know how to deal with her.
'Women should be in the household, getting protected by their men.'
The thought of a woman being able to tolerate the markings of his face was laughable. Even his adoptive father had said that it would have been a minor miracle if he had ever gotten an apprentice, and now, said apprentice was with a teacher who would be able to teach her how to fight much better than he could.
'Already, she is more alert… though that may be through the wilds. Her aura is not awakened yet, but I will talk with Miss Parsley-Trappe about that.'
He signalled the woman, who grunted softly with the impact of the chainsaw-rapier that Carmine wielded, Frank feeling a little weirded out by the fierceness that Carmine seemed to show in her stabs and strikes.
"Alright, alright… take… some… time. I will speak with the… masked… guy."
A vitriolic look at him as the woman shuffled over, Frank watching her carefully for any signs of danger, as his eyes closed and he took deeper breaths, alert for anything. There had been only a few Grimm in the surroundings, an ill omen, Frank figured, as the scars on his face twitched with pain and frustration, a deep sigh from his mouth as they took a little time to get out of earshot from Carmine.
"Much… walking. So… You… have a question?"
The woman was mature, around his age, maybe a little older. Married too, so she might even know a husband for Carmine. It was not a good thing for her to remain unwed, even with her desire to become a huntress impeding that.
"Can she become your apprentice?"
He made sure to speak softly, the woman glancing back at Carmine, who was trying to eviscerate some sort of imaginary Grimm with pointed, fierce stabs. She didn't stop to move, her eyes glinting with their crimson sheen, her pale skin shimmering softly.
"No… I… do… not… think so."
The woman's slow manner of speaking, as she continued observing his apprentice, Frank understanding it.
"She… is… loud."
That she was.
"Do you know someone who she might be able to settle down with?"
The woman's head turned, before the woman seemed to smile, crudely snorting.
"I… ah. No. My… apprentice… died. My… husband... died. It is not… so… good."
The slow speech continued, as the woman looked at him and then touched his side. Frank could see Carmine's stabs get fiercer, not quite understanding why the woman touched him, but his aura flashing a little, as she nodded.
"You… mind… if I… travel? I… will… teach, if you… want."
He nodded, and the woman patted his side.
"Good… She has… potential. Awaken her… aura?"
He could try that. He didn't know if it would work. It was a curse for those who had it awakened, with the Grimm drawn to the light of one's aura, according to what he'd heard.
Carmine's eyes spotted the woman laying a hand on her teacher, speaking with muted tone, and that bastard was shifting a little, like he was agreeing with the woman! Undoubtedly, the woman was trying to put the moves on him, which was none of her business!
She stabbed a lot harder, trying to keep her attention on that! She'd be strong and she'd be capable and nobody would be taking from her anything that she didn't want to!
"Here! React to me!"
The shield-weapon was lowered, braced against the ground and a deafening boom came from it, as a ball and chain flew out at her, the chain stopping, the ball flying past her and hitting the ground, as the woman retracted it, her expression almost smug.
"YOU DAUGHTER OF A WHORE!"
The sound made her ears ring! Her vision was blurry as the woman laughed at her misfortune, Carmine's hands on her weapon firm and steady, as she growled angrily, her ears trying to close, but still ringing.
"THAT HURTS, YOU STUPID WOMAN!"
The boom of that cannon-like weapon definitely was not going to help her in the slightest, as the woman grabbed the chain, swinging the ball and chain around as if it was effortless, Carmine's irritation showing on her face.
They went for something to eat in the evening, after a long hard day of cursing at the bandage woman for making her ears ache, her stomach full of the food, as she tried to warm herself up a little.
'It's not fair!'
The advice had been very nice though, with some specially made earplugs that her previous teacher had neglected to inform her about, though arguably, Carmine supposed that maybe she shouldn't have shouted at him for forgetting, since his rifle was a lot quieter than the big cannon that the woman wielded.
In her room with the woman after they had finally been able to go to bed after a lengthy talk with the local guard about Frank doing a sentry job for the night, the older woman got herself comfortable, a small smile playing on her lips.
"You… know… what a… huntsman… and… an… apprentice… often do, right?"
Fight Grimm, defend villages, make sure that they got paid. She didn't want anything more than good money, strength to fight and maybe, if she was ready for it, some nice house where she could live. Her parents and her had lived in a village and she was pretty sure that she would like that again, maybe if she had the time for it after she'd made bank!
"What? Explain yourself, you- you bandaged up woman!"
It wasn't fair! The sound still made her ears ring a little!
"Oh… You are… a woman. He… is a… man. My… husband… was a huntsman. His… student and… my… dog… died. You… know… he is a… man, right?"
There was no hesitation in the older woman's voice, as Carmine had a brief flash about Frank ordering him into his bedding. To her frustration, she did not feel very upset, even though if he'd ever order her to, in the presence of others, she'd let him have it!
"WHAT?!"
This woman was mad! She wasn't going to be interested in some big huge lunk of a man with big hands and the smell of nature clinging to him, let alone letting his big hands touch her and do horrible things to her sacred place with his-
"A… lot… of… students… and… masters… get… together. Long… nights. In… the… field. He… is… pretty…strong."
She could have him, if she wanted!
"I don't want to do anything with him! I'm going to sleep now."
She laid herself down and angrily tried to sleep. She was not some sort of- of- loose woman!
She had dreams for the future too!
"Mom! Dad's being mean again! He said I should stay home and have a family!"
She'd show that tall bastard what's what, even with her third daughter giving her the tale of how dad had told her that she'd be better off as a housewife! Even with Frank giving them all the love that they needed, he was still traditional in his leanings!
"FRANK STONE, WHAT DID YOU TELL YOUR DAUGHTER?!"
She was pregnant again with his seventh child and she did not need this stress! He was never talking when she was talking, he told her to take it easy while their children were making messes and he kept on insisting that she should be at home, while she could fight as well!
The love that he gave was just about worth it, if not for the children! She'd never admit to him that she liked him! Never!
"I was looking out for her."
Stupid excuses for stupid men!
His sons also wore the same mask, and she was not some measly housewife that did nothing but sigh about her husband being off slaying Grimm! She could fight just as well as the man of the house could! Better, even!
Carmine's eyes opened as she woke up, staring at the ceiling and she mentally swore.
'Stupid woman for giving me stupid dreams with her stupid cannon! Ugh!'
Not that she had not at least thought about it! She was a woman too!
How many men were going to want to be around a Faunus and actually court them?!
He had this weird habit of wearing a mask. Carmine wasn't sure what was up with that, but if he had some weird thing with that, she was not going to judge.
Of course she was, but she'd keep it quiet!
"Nice dream… right?"
She turned her head and just about screamed bloody murder when she saw the face of Kleo so close, looking at her with that smug and amused look that only the truly degenerate could have on their face.
"No! Brothers above, you- Youuuuu!"
The woman laughed.
"Oh… You… were… smiling."
She wasn't smiling!
There was no proof that she was smiling, and there definitely had not been any hint that she smiled in her sleep before! She slept like a normal Faunus would, in a normal Faunus manner!
"I am not smiling! You!"
The inner workings of the shield-like cannon were on display, the ball and chain currently in the process of being stuffed back into the shooting part of it, the older woman laughing softly.
"It… is… a… joke. Smile more… he will… like it. Men… like… pretty women."
Not that the other woman looked all that bad, Carmine had to begrudgingly admit. If Frank was to go for a human, he would probably go for someone like this slow-moving Huntress with her overly loud weapon!
Carmine's bat ears fluttered, her expression murderous as she pointed a finger at the woman.
"He will not like it! He asks inappropriate questions! You don't know what it is like!"
Great. Now she was thinking about him 'taking care of his urges' and having that weird feeling in her tummy.
Curse him and his big hands! She was a proud woman and she could fight!
"I… would… not… mind. A… nice… man… is… good."
She could have him!
She wasn't attached to him at all!
"He's not teaching me fast enough! He should work harder!"
She had a desire to go out and blow stuff up! Old Pokey needed to taste Grimm blood, she'd go and get rich and prove to the world that Carmine Von Blut was a Huntress!
There was no nagging little voice in her mind that was telling her that perhaps she should be a bit nicer to a Huntress that was lugging around a cannon like it was nothing, but of course, Carmine was not going to listen to that voice, because it didn't exist! At all!
"He is… not… that… slow. You… are… not… that… good… to… teach. For… him, that… is."
He'd better learn or she'd kick his ass when he was not looking at her!
"He'll teach me! Just you wait, you- you- bandage woman!"
She'd make sure that he'd teach her all he could! She would not have to sit through some boring teachings on learning how to knit! Housewives did that!
She did not feel a little warm tingle at the thought of being a housewife!
"Hah. I have… time. You are… lucky."
Carmine jabbed a finger at her teacher.
"You! If you've got time, you can teach me! Teach me, woman!"
Carmine was an equal opportunity student! If Frank wasn't there, she'd demand lessons from this woman.
"We… will… go… bathe. I… am… dirty."
Carmine's expression turned murderous, as she opened her mouth and then saw a dangerous-looking expression flicker on the older woman's face.
"You… will… shut… up."
Carmine shut up, as the woman's bandages were adjusted, her silken-like garb that consisted of a lot of them pulled a bit closer, as the clock tower banged five times.
"We bathe… he will… be back. We will… talk. Maybe… make you… pretty?"
She didn't want to be pretty for some- some-
She didn't want to be pretty!
'I'm going to kick ass and take names, make those names into little confetti and stuff it down into their throats until they choke on it!'
"Oh… I will… wash… you."
Carmine's glare locked on the other woman. The woman's sandy blonde hair was loose, as the woman pushed it back behind her ears.
"I don't need to be washed!"
The smile on the other woman's lips made her feel annoyed and a bit nervous.
Have a pleasant Valentine's Day.