Chapter IV: A Huntsman's Companion
This is situated around the times before the Faunus Revolution.
"Ahh! Ahhhh!"
The scrubbing brush went over her skin, her whole body tingling as Kleo washed her with the brush, the woman now sans her bandages, pale skin glowing a little in the light of the bulb that flickered overhead, the cold water scrubbed over her skin, Kleo's hands moving deliberately to scrub at her skin, the older woman making her feel uncomfortable.
"Stop… struggling. It's just... a brush."
The woman didn't know how it felt! Her skin was burning up and she was whining at the woman, who seemed to be trying her best to get the skin scrubbed with a shiny lustre that made her feel itchy and scratchy, as Carmine struggled loose.
"Let go! It's ticklish!"
She hadn't been scrubbed like this since she had been young, when her parents had demanded that she be clean and functional, her bat ears flapping again, her trait scrubbed by the older woman with a little sponge, as Kleo took care of the cleaning, her expression no longer as gentle as before.
"Just… relax."
Carmine didn't relax, the woman's scrubbing making her feel uneasy and unwelcome at the feeling of being scrubbed like this by a woman who was only a decade or so older, the woman continuing with her torment, before the brush was removed and the woman started to work on her own body, the skin reddening a little after the woman had gotten to work, without commenting on it, the expression that was on Kleo's face almost self-satisfied, as she soaped up and then scrubbed.
"You don't know what it's like to be ticklish, bandage woman!"
She wasn't giving the woman the benefit of the doubt, even if she felt cleaner than she'd felt before, and the woman had been actually rather gentle with her trait. Carmine was not someone that would allow the woman to know that she had enjoyed that, even with her body having been washed like some- some child!
'Stone will never do something like that to me!'
The woman had been no-nonsense and told her to get in front of her, without even spending a moment of thought about how to clean her. The masked man did not force her to take a bath, yet kept her safe, Kleo having this attitude about her that made Carmine feel a little uneasy.
"You… would… want… him?"
The thought of being washed by those big manly hands of his and to feel the squeeze and pinch her was not appealing at all! She didn't have a flush on her cheeks from the thought of such a thing happening, and it most assuredly was not because the thought was actually one that she had when the woman was scrubbing her clean, like some pet!
Carmine Von Blut was no pet!
"No! He's just a man, I'm here to learn how to become a Huntress under him and you will not be in my way, Kleopatra!"
The woman's surnames were hard to remember, so Kleopatra would work well, as the woman's expression changed slightly to something a little kinder, as she tried her best to make the expression of 'docile Faunus', even if there was nothing at all docile about her.
"Ah… it… is… Parsley-Trappe. Car…mine?"
Carmine huffed.
"He will teach me! Your weapon is too loud!'
The older woman laughed quietly to herself, trying her best to look like it wasn't some sort of conspiracy that she was concocting! Carmine was wise to her tricks!
"Oh… the… young… woman… wants… him… to… herself?"
She didn't want anything to anyone, least of all herself!
"No! He's the man that's teaching me the important fundamentals, before I'll go out and become one of the most amazing Huntresses that ever lived!'
The sandy blonde hair of the woman bounced a little, as the lazy smile stretched on her lips, clearly showing to her that the mind of this evil devil woman was working on something, undoubtedly embarrassing! This woman was a menace, a vile creature that hurt an innocent Faunus woman who had very sensitive hearing!
"Oh… so… teaching… the… fundamentals, eh?"
The lazy way in which the woman spoke annoyed her, as she bared her teeth at the woman, acting more animalistic than she'd done before, but her patience had snapped.
"Nothing like what you are thinking, you- you dried up mummy!"
She hissed, the woman laughing.
"Oh… not… what… I… am… thinking?"
It wasn't what she was thinking at all! She wasn't thinking, this old woman wasn't thinking! Sure, the woman might be around the age as Frank Stone, a bastard Huntsman that definitely didn't teach her enough, but she was not going to believe that this woman was able to coerce her into anything like- like wearing something scandalously thin and knocking on his door at the late hour of the night and then-
'Never!'
It would not be at the woman's coercing! If Frank Stone had such a thought in his mind, he would have taken his chance before!
'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid mind, thinking about things like that!'
She wasn't some kind of animal that had such thoughts on her mind, even if it did have some minor, tiny-petite hint of appeal. It wasn't like many men tolerated a Faunus. It wasn't like there were other Faunus around that would be giving her attention and she most certainly did not have a brief moment of remembering that dream and wondering how her children would look.
She most certainly wouldn't tell anyone about that.
Ever.
"You're wrong. No. You're twice wrong!"
Kleo was giving her a look that made Carmine feel angrier than she had been before.
"Oh… Am I? You… would… want… me… to… try…things?"
The thought of the woman being with the masked man was not something that made Carmine happy. She made a face, imagining the two of them being together, her expression dark.
"Like what, mummy?! He's my teacher, you're not going to make him stop teaching me!"
She wasn't jealous or something! Totally not. The bandage woman might have a matured figure, but she still had bigger frontal padding!
Carmine looked over her body, making some mental note to adjust her cleavage a little, so he'd not get ideas. She wasn't vain or anything, but she could see her reflection, her dark hair perfectly slick against her skin, her eyes bright red and her ears fluttering! She didn't need more than that.
'Nobody's going to tell me what to do, let alone some woman who isn't able to speak faster than a crawl!'
"Hah… So… defensive."
She wasn't defensive!
"YOU!"
She would have to keep an eye on this woman! She'd make sure that this woman wouldn't be catching her off guard and doing some sort of horrible experiment to hurt her chances of learning to be a Huntress!
"Oh… ho… ho. Hit… a… nerve?"
Carmine wouldn't admit to that, of course!
"No!"
She'd fight to the death.
"So… easy."
'EASY WHAT?!'
Carmine opened her mouth to once more underline and state loudly, that she was not an easy woman!
"Cool… off."
The cold water that hit her made her shriek in displeasure. The sound bouncing around gave her a headache too, just to make it all even worse!
'I don't like you…'
"Perhaps… you… should… wash… more? Smelly… women… do… not… get… a… man. Trust… me. He… will… like… smooth… girly… bits."
Carmine opened her mouth to protest. Again.
'How rude!'
There was nothing wrong with her bits!
Frank watched Carmine stab angrily at him, while Kleo looked like she had seen something amusing, a smile playing on her lips, even with Carmine trying her best to try and puncture his skin with her weapon, the last-minute dodge that he made allowing Carmine's weapon to brush past his Aura, the frustrated sound from her throat barely human, Frank could see the frustration, as he pushed the mask a little tighter against his face.
It was not good to see her lose her cool like this, yet he tried his best anyway, the young woman having been improved in the speed department, her body shifting faster into a Huntress' graceful style.
It was three days now since they'd arrived there at the settlement and Frank's body began to itch to move, feeling the strange scars on his face ache and twitch. Grimm were around, and he knew that there would be a reckoning. Unlocking someone's aura was personal and private, as he gave a meaningful look at miss Parsley-Trappe, who seemed to be having it well in hand, aware of how a woman student would be trained.
'She has been showing improvement.'
It had also been more volatility in their interaction. When he had inquired with her whether something was wrong, she had exploded in a litany of demands and expectations. He did not really know whether it was some sort of monthly thing or whether it was just womanly nature, but miss Parsley-Trappe had been very accommodating in the way of explaining certain differences in balance with male and female bodies.
'She isn't a bad student…'
It could have been worse with her skill. If she was in a good form, she could take care of three Beowolves before she'd tire, her weapons loaded and prepared for the fight that would come with the next few Grimm to come at her.
He had been scouting out appropriate men for her to take a fancy for. With her personality and her stubbornness, she would not be enjoying the presence of people who would treat her like she was weak, so he took it into account.
Travelling alone was for the best.
If he could push her to Miss Parsley-Trappe, it would be for the better, yet Carmine seemed to be focused on studying under him. Perhaps it was some sort of girlish manner that she had gotten possessed by, but Frank did not think too much about that.
He had a duty to keep, and the longer he stayed, the easier it would be for someone to see his face. Miss Parsley-Trappe had not commented on the mask that he wore, nor had anyone else, yet Carmine would not be quiet about things like that.
'I am cursed with my visage and my skills…'
It was not like Lightning Blitz was a weapon that could pass unnoticed. He had tinkered with the gears a little, to focus the arcs of lightning a little, if he were facing down targets that were a little further away.
"STOP MOVING!"
He dodged the strike and then unbalanced Carmine, who fell to the dust, the space that they used to train in having been put through the proper paces for training. Little grooves that could unbalance an inexperienced fighter, a small gulley where one could easily take shelter for an ambush, Carmine having little issue with remaining on her feet, as agile as a deer in flight, but with her staying power, it was not going to work out.
'You need backup.'
Awakening her Aura would be a responsibility that he would take if it came down to that, but right now, he was trying to appeal her to Miss Parsley-Trappe, a woman that would be able to give more guidance to a female student. He was still convinced that Carmine would have a much happier life with a family to care for and the sweet ignorance of what beasts lurked within the wilds.
Schreck, Grimm that had an intense fear effect yet whose effect only affected within a certain radius, as well as others that had swifter and more lethal ways of execution, could bring a seasoned Huntsman to their knees within minutes. He would not wish that upon anyone.
"Hey… Stone? Come… talk?"
He walked over to Miss Parsley-Trappe, whose bandages were tightened a little faster today, Carmine giving a deep huff as she took a sentry pose, her Faunus trait fluttering a little. It would be amusing if Frank didn't know that she could hear a branch snap within a hundred yards and pinpoint it, as well as having keen night vision. It would not be a big hindrance if it was not like that for most of their interactions, Carmine's nature being 'loud and without concern'.
"Have… you… given… thought… about her?"
The Aura discussion. He had requested that she take care of things with the Aura, yet the woman had been reluctant to give a confirmation as to whether she would be able to do so or whether she abstained from doing so, Frank feeling a tension shoot through his body at the thought of the woman not taking Carmine.
'A Huntsman hunts alone. I don't deserve anyone around.'
Carmine might not care overly much for his appearance, yet Miss Parsley-Trappe would think otherwise, as he looked back at Carmine, her dark hair fluttering in the breeze, her red eyes gazing in their direction, before she continued to hold her sentry position, to wait for something to happen that would bring them some action.
'Whenever a Grimm appears, she is eager and ready to fight.'
Her brashness would get her killed one of these days, but he knew that Miss Parsley-Trappe would have some more knowledge about how to manage a student. She had intimated that she'd had a student, as well as a husband.
"No. She isn't ready."
Carmine's look was evil, Frank had to admit, as she gave him a full-bore glare that rested on him for a long moment, Frank feeling the pressure mount, before Miss Parsley-Trappe spoke up.
"Maybe… not. She… is… still a young… woman. She… is not… old like me."
He had never asked how old the woman was. He figured that they might be around the same age, yet he had not inquired, nor did he think he should inquire about it.
Women were rather touchy about things like age, he had gleaned from his father, and Frank did not intend to make a woman upset with him. Women often were more trouble than they were worth, or so it had been according to the Shells Family wisdom.
'I better keep myself aloof.'
Miss Parsley-Trappe was someone that was undoubtedly a seasoned Huntress. It was visible in every little nod of her head, Frank could tell, because her alertness never faded. There was no slackening of that ever-present gaze searching for danger, even if the woman kept her voice muted.
"Are you going to take watch tonight?"
He took the guard shift at the early evening, to make money for the trip ahead, Kleo Parsley-Trappe paying for the sacrifice of spending time with the petite Bat Faunus apprentice with her saved money.
"I… am… not. You… do… not… have… to, you… know?"
Money was money. His mask could remain on during his shift and nobody dared to disturb a Huntsman as he stood sentinel there, guarding the walls of the settlement. Being a Huntsman was to have responsibility, something that Carmine had obviously not understood yet.
'She should settle down with a good man and then live her life, without her Aura ever being awakening. A happy life, with children and no death, Grimm or horrible accidents…'
He wished that for her, as he was cursed with this grimm taint, the blight on his face aching a little.
"I should."
He responded curtly, leaving her to remember that, as he turned away, searching for the pricking sensation's origin, the Grimm around making the bulging veins ache and throb. It was a warning from his curse that Grimm were coming, and already, one of the Beowolves emerged, clawing at the ground, propelled forth by its menacing claws, another coming forth without much of a sound.
"STONE, YOU ASSHOLE, GRIMM!"
'I know, I know.'
It was a Huntsman's skill that made the two of them snap to attention, a ferocious war cry coming from Carmine's mouth while Miss Parsley-Trappe shifted herself into the stance where she could use her weapon.
"DIIIIIIEEEEEE!"
'It would work as well if you didn't scream like that…'
Carmine was impetuous, tempestuous and without restraint, as she stabbed at the Grimm. The dull 'BOOM!' from the cannon that miss Parsley-Trappe wielded as her weapon was a good reminder that he should be active as well, his axe pulled out, as he went in close.
Carmine's Aura was not unlocked, nor was her style able to keep up for the lengthier encounters, as his body placed itself between her and the Beowolves, the 'pow!' of her pistol loud, the roar of her weapon like a dull buzz in the background. It was enough for him to understand that with greater numbers came greater dangers, as he caught one of the Beowolves with the blade of his axe, Lightning Blitz aimed at the centre of its chest and then fired once, the solid slug piercing through the bony plates, as he thumbed one of the buttons, the lightning ammunition primed, another blast of lightning fizzling through the Grimm's internal blackness, before he pushed it away, leaving not a shred of life in the Grimm's misshapen body.
He hacked into the next Grimm, the Beowolf's plated armor crunching below his weapon, destroyed by the sharpened edge of his axe, as he caught Carmine pushing herself into the fray, the rapier piercing through the Grimm's hide without a moment of failure, his body angled out of the way as it thrashed, Carmine's loud war cry making his ears ache.
She was cursing him out, Frank could tell. With Carmine, it was a steady rule: The louder she got, the more he annoyed her. The Grimm still came, another Grimm nailed with a cannon blast of Miss Parsley-Trappe, Frank's expression behind the mask more relieved than he showed. He glanced at Carmine, who seemed to be flushed and irate, her pale skin lit up with heat.
"I could've taken them, Mask Man!"
Frank supposed she could have, as the elder Huntress joined them.
"You… missed… a… Grimm… Carmine. Slow… women… are… dead… women."
The advice was logical, as he watched Carmine for a long moment.
"We should get ready to move."
He suggested, as Miss Parsley-Trappe seemed to contemplate it.
"We… will… go… to… a… tailor. Carmine… needs… clothing."
That was pretty understandable. Frank fiddled with the strap that kept his money pouch where it should be, his money pouch pulled out, counting out a reasonable sum for garments and then handing it to Carmine, who took it with the foulest glare that she could muster.
"I don't need new clothing! I need-"
Miss Parsley-Trappe laid a hand on Carmine's shoulder and Carmine's voice raised a few octaves, as Frank watched how the two female Huntresses, one still an apprentice, moved with that graceful way of walking that a woman could have, Frank noticing it.
It made him feel a little awkward. Carmine had a figure that was definitely a draw to the eyes, while Miss Parsley-Trappe seemed to have more of a smooth and suave manner of moving. Frank didn't really know why, but the woman seemed to be like a cat, slinking her rear back and forth a little as she carried the large shield weapon.
"No! I don't need that!"
'She's loud…'
His apprentice, for lack of a better term, really had a set of lungs on her. She had declared that she'd learn whatever he had to teach her, and that was still something that brought him some small feeling of pride, even if she was too old to be taught properly.
You started to teach your apprentice when they were young and didn't have the formal movements down. With Carmine, there was already some small hints of a style, from simply using the rapier that she wielded.
'Miss Parsley-Trappe would be much better suited for her than I am.'
He knew his weaknesses. Travelling alone made you very aware of what you can and what you cannot do.
"KLEOPATRA! NO!"
Carmine's loud voice sounded again, as Frank pushed the mask a little tighter to his face.
'She is loud… I prefer the quiet.'
Carmine stared at the thing that the wicked bandage woman held up, something entirely too little to wear.
"For… you… Try… it on?"
The tailor woman was looking at her with that smile that Carmine didn't like at all, as the frilly white little thing looked like it would probably come apart if she wore it. They had been going for clothing, not for- for this!
"Her man will love it, trust me. There's a red one too, if she's in need of variety."
'I don't need this!'
"You… will… need… underwear."
Curse her and her weakness to this woman's suggestions! She'd heard that it was something that she'd need as a Huntress, Frank Stone not needing to know about this, but- but!
"Even if she's a Faunus, it'll look good on her. So, sweetie, do you think you could undress? You look like you'd fit in this pretty well."
She wasn't stripping because she wanted to try on something that looked nice, of course not. Standing in front of the mirror and looking at her reflection in the mirror and seeing her skin stand out with the whiteness of the frills, her groin breezy and cool, as the bandage woman smiled at her.
"Oh… you… might… look… better… in… red? He'd… love… red… probably."
Big hands grabbing this flimsy little fabric and tearing it off, as she'd let him know what she wanted, and-
Her cheeks burned red and she was about to say something about the woman's impudence and rudeness, but the red frilly thing that was being thrust at her made her pause, as she dressed herself up in it.
'This doesn't look so bad…'
She turned around, her hair falling over her shoulders, her ears flicking back and forth a little. It didn't look very bad. Her skin was still pale, as Kleo seemed to observe her.
"For… the… wedding… night."
The tailor agreed with the woman!
"You can always try it, Kleopatra! Why don't you marry him?! He's my teacher, not my man!"
She wasn't ready for that yet! At least three years of courtship and his crude ways being corrected! Asking a young lady whether she relieved herself of her urges! The rudeness!
"Oh… you… will… grow… to… like… him. She… thinks… he's… cute. The… masked… Huntsman."
The tailor gave her one of those looks that Carmine didn't like at all. It was a look that the gossipy women would give to each other before they would be talking about scandalous things and making her feel embarrassed because she had no experience.
"Ohh, he's big! She's so tiny though, do you think they'd make good babies?"
'BABIES?!'
She had an objection to that! She wasn't going to let this woman speak to her like that, she wasn't into Stone like that.
"He's not like that! Why would I be with such a man with such big hands, who always takes on the Grimm before I can kill them and- WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!"
Kleo was chuckling softly, as the tailoring woman smiled conspiratorially.
"Oh, ho. You know what they say about men with big hands, don't you?"
She did! That didn't mean that it was true! It didn't mean that she didn't think that it was not ever going to happen, ever! Never!
"No! I don't need to know!"
Kleo laughed softly.
"He… does… not… know. She… hides… her… feelings."
'I do not!'
She pointed at the bandaged woman, who was leaning on her weapon, too loud when it fired, as she saw her flushed face in he reflection.
"Stop lying! He's just the person who teaches me!"
The two women laughed at her.
"Now… I think we can say that she'll buy this, right?"
She didn't need frilly things like this! She wasn't going to wear this when they were alone and then do-
'No! Never!'
She would never wear this! It would be nice to wear when she was interested in a man to have a relationship with but this teasing woman and her insanely loud weapon were a menace!
"You go and buy something for him to see you in too, Kleopatra!"
The bandaged woman looked a little taken aback by the suggestion, before she smiled.
"Oh… it… is… not… needed."
The tailor smiled at her.
"It's so nice to see a mother and a daughter going in search of undergarments together. Don't worry, your mother will not have to fear. I've got something that would suit her figure."
Kleo looked consternated for once, as Carmine smirked broadly.
"Yes, mother! You get to wear something nice too!"
The tailor seemed to be getting something out of her storage chest, as Kleo looked floored, Carmine smirking broadly at the woman. The tailor might have mistaken the two of them for mother and daughter, but Carmine wasn't going to let this slip! The woman was getting payback from her!
"No… I… don't."
It was futile! Carmine would get her revenge!
Frank paid the blacksmith in credits, taking the additional whetstones and then accepting another commission from the board, taking care of that while Carmine and Miss Parsley-Trappe were going for some clothing.
He hoped that Carmine would wear something a little more flowing and womanly, rather than the outfit that she had available to her right now. It was not proper for a young woman to go and wear such a garment, even if one was slaying Grimm.
"You're going out alone, are ya?"
The blacksmith asked, Frank nodding, the commission being for several herbs that he would need to forage for in the shaded areas in the nearby hills. It would be a task for average civilians if the times were not as dangerous as they were now, but Frank could make sure that it would be done quickly.
'Sixty Lien for three bushels…'
It would be a quick trip up and down and then make him get back in time for the night shift.
Carmine was suited for such a thing as well, yet he hoped that she would stick with Miss Parsley-Trappe, or some local man. The insistence from her that she would learn how to be a Huntsman was foolishness, in his mind. Women her age should be focusing on marriage and children, not traipsing around the world. Miss Parsley-Trappe was an established Huntress as well, and would be much better suited to take care of the young woman's confusing attitude.
"Miss Parsley-Trappe and my apprentice are currently shopping for some clothing. A commission like this can easily be done within a few hours."
It was money that he would have for the trip ahead of him, once he had told Carmine that she would be much better off with anyone else. He was cursed and he was marked. It might be her biding her time or not, but he did not know when she would wish to be rid of him.
"Good luck on ya! Your apprentice's been drawing the eyes, wearing such scandalous clothing."
That was good, he supposed. Carmine was loud and without any sort of hesitation, so if there was some young man who would show an interest, he would give her his blessing to go and be with them.
"She wears what she wears."
He didn't think too much about it. It wasn't any of his business what she wore. Her aura was not unlocked yet. He hefted Lightning Blitz on his shoulder and then made way for the settlement's gate after delivering the whetstones to his pack. A caravan would need to be found if they were to keep on travelling, but there would be money made here without having to sacrifice too many amenities.
'I refilled my stores of ammunition, Carmine has had her education drilled again and the whetstones for the weapons are refilled.'
The sun was shining, as he made his way towards the hills, as had been indicated on the commission's ticket. With how much they were paying for the herbs that had to be gathered, he knew that he would be able to get several bushels of them stocked up.
'A healing poultice requires six or seven leaves…'
It was a trade that flourished among the routes carved through the world, from settlement to settlement. Healing aids and such were always in demand, Frank knowing how to apply several improvised healing rubs that would allow small wounds to mend. He had learned well from his adoptive father about how to bind wounds and how to stitch the skin back together.
He had practiced on dead deer though, not on himself. He had been fortunate for that, thus far. Carmine was now going to have a woman teaching her things about a style that fit and he could return to the regular state of being on his own.
The sunshine hit his face, as he pushed the mask up a little to add some shade to his face. With the markings on his skin, wearing his mask as he worked to fight through the Grimm that would come. With the shadows cast by the mask, it would be a swift push down for it to fall over his face again, the wood carved mask replaceable within half an evening of whittling on wood.
'She doesn't mind my face.'
Carmine not minding the markings on his face was a blessing, of sorts. The markings on his face were not to be seen by others. That she did not mind looking at it was confusing.
'Miss Parsley-Trappe would be much better suited for teaching a young woman.'
He did not think that he would be able to teach a young woman the tricks of being a Huntsman, especially since she was already so old. Women who became huntresses started young, Carmine should settle down and have babies, as was normal.
Pushing through a low-hanging mesh of branches, Frank looked for the signs of anything that had come through, something to disturb the balance of this place, as he trekked through the lands, coming across several grazing deer that did not stop one moment to regard him. If they were to be food for the people, then they would be hunted, yet Frank continued, in search of the herbs that were requested.
"Look at you, looking pretty!"
Carmine loved seeing the uncomfortable expression on the older Huntress' face, clearly not enjoying the new outfit that had been chosen for her, something that would fit her perfectly, if there was an incentive for her to wear it.
Stone could go and do whatever he wanted for a bit, she was enjoying the sight of the impudent, arrogant woman now wearing something that would be scandalous, a flowing blue garb that seemed to be something that would accentuate the woman's body. The tailor looked pleased with the work, as Carmine took pride in her own bust!
Compared to the other woman, her breasts were nice and firm, and the underwear that she had been forced into would only accentuate them.
"I… do… not… need… this."
The woman protested, but turned around for a moment to regard herself. Carmine knew that there was probably enough money for her to have this and then buy it for her 'mother', though why the tailor assumed they were related was beyond her.
Stone wouldn't mind having to pay the bill, after all! She was his apprentice and he was still going to teach her more! She knew he was holding some things back, because he didn't think that she would be able to handle it! She knew secrets and she wasn't shy about voicing her opinion on things.
"Sure you do, mother!"
The sour expression on Kleo's face just made her feel a lot better, knowing that the woman would not like having to act like a mother! Her own mother had said to her plenty of times that she should be polite and sweet and maybe land herself a man, but she wanted the adventure!
"I am… Oh… well. I am… okay… with… this one."
Carmine supposed that they'd have the time for some more exercises before they would find Frank, who was out for some sort of maintenance work on his weapons, which made sense, to Carmine. With his rifle-gun-whatever it was, there were blasts of lightning, which was pretty cool.
"That'll be another purchase then! I'll wrap them up for you! It's so nice to see a mother and a daughter shop together. We don't have many kids these days."
Carmine was still chuckling a little as they exited the tailor's shop, Kleo once more dressed in her bandages and clothes, her weapon hoisted on her back, their purchase somewhere within the structure of the weapon, due to a hatch that could be opened on the side. It was marvelous technology.
"Let's go and have something to eat, 'mother'."
She knew that it was perhaps bratty and wrong to keep on teasing the older woman, yet there was nothing that they could do right now to make things better, with how the world seemed to have been gracious in doling out some bounty of luck for her.
'She'll teach me more if she's more active! Slow women like her need to be poked until they work harder!'
She wasn't going to let this chance slip, as they walked into a bakery and she stared at the basket that held the pastries. Something sweet would be nice and she would pay for it.
"I… like… the… sweet… buns."
Carmine would get her a sweet bun then! She was perfectly kind and loving to people that pleased her! Carmine Von Blut would be someone that would awe little children and older people because she would be that amazing! Stone better teach her harder!
"We'll take four sweet buns!"
They were sat on a small bench in the square, Carmine eating her sweet bun, as Kleo looked thoughtful.
"I… am… not… your… mother."
That was for sure the case. Carmine would keep it up, flashing a toothy smirk at the woman.
"No, but-"
Someone clearing their throat was enough to distract her, looking at the young man who stood there, Carmine's eyes going to the important bits. The face was 'good-looking', by most standards. Still had all the teeth, no real serious imperfections and not too unhandsome a smile. Clothing was pretty casual and fancy, while the guy's eyes were aiming at her body.
'If you don't have a question, don't bother us!'
Kleo was a nuisance! A nuisance that made her think thoughts that were not suitable for anyone to know!
"Hello, my lovely little bat, I figured that you might like to have a tour through the settlement. Pretty young ladies such as you deserve to see the best of our little hamlet. Are you new to the place?"
'What the…'
She was a bat Faunus but that did not make her willing to take some glib no-name, no-strength guy out for a walk! She wasn't some animal that had to be given walkies, and the guy most certainly didn't have-
'I'm not wearing my corset!'
Just a thin blouse, which was due to the heat of the day and the lack of need to wear more than what was needed.
"No… She… is… spoken… for. Go… away."
The young man, probably a few years older than her, looked at Kleo, whose voice had spoken up to defend her, Carmine's voice not going to be left out, as she was perfectly capable of deflating some civilian's hopes for getting some easy woman! She wasn't an easy woman!
Even Stone knew how to keep his distance and keep his ribald fantasies to himself! Asking her about taking care of her urges, like a lady would not-
"Hey, I wasn't talking to you, lady. I'm-"
Carmine was definitely going to weigh in, but Kleo moved before she could, grabbing the civilian in the groin and squeezing.
"I… am… telling… you. Go… away."
The guy squealed in pain, as Kleo pushed him away.
"She… is… not… impressed."
Carmine had to go and reevaluate the older woman, as the young man slinked away to lick his wounds, Kleo sittin down and sighing.
"I… was… once… very… bothered. My… husband… was… not… normally… the… type."
Carmine didn't care about that. The woman had her husband and a dog, so that was all that could be said about it. With how that all worked out for her, it was good that the woman was now able to go and make sure that there would be some training given to her and for Frank to return.
"What made you like him?"
Kleo seemed to think about it for a moment.
"He… was… warm. Julius was… warm. We… had… a… nice… home. He was… a… huntsman."
The woman's voice sounded wistful, for those times to return. Carmine didn't feel bad for the woman, of course. Maybe just a little. Not because she was feeling sorry or anything! Marriage was for people that were duffy and silly! Adventure was where it was at!
"We… had… a… garden. I… liked… to… garden."
That was normal for some people that lived out in the wilds. A garden was mandatory for the production of food. Carmine remembered several farms that she had visited when she'd still been a runner, having to be fast and without a proper guardian like Frank.
It would have been her death if he had not come to her aid. The gates being shut was a death sentence, unless she hid until daylight.
'I never quite thanked him for that… beside the fruit.'
It had been a humble offering. She wasn't some unjustly raised woman!
"Out in the wilds?"
A small nod from Kleo, as the older woman sighed.
"Ah, I was twenty-three… when… we had… our home. My… apprentice… and… husband… were… strong. We… liked… to… hunt."
Carmine could understand that, knowing that if she had the time for it, she'd hunt down another deer or something like it. Now that she had weapons and strength, she could hunt down a whole herd of deer!
"I… was… stronger. My… husband was… sick. I went out… They were… at home."
Carmine could understand that a hunting dog and a human partner wouldn't be able to stand against Grimm drawn in by suffering. She'd heard the stories of Grimm being pulled in by death and pain, and that it had been really bad in the Great War.
'I don't want war.'
"And they died. How long did your dog live? Everyone knows that Grimm don't attack animals, so it must have come to find you. We had a Hunter at the settlement I lived with, with his dogs."
Carmine saw Kleo look up to the sun, the sandy hair falling down, the woman's makeup a little scuffed.
"Not… very… long. I… miss… that… little… one. He… was… six."
That wasn't old in dog years. Given that Kleo looked to be around twenty-seven, maybe in her thirties, that wasn't a long time, if she had married at twenty-two or twenty-three. Her husband must have been older.
'Just like Frank Stone.'
A brief image of her with her belly swollen, shaking her fist at Frank Stone for getting her in the motherly way again with several kids mewling at her for being mean to daddy was… not conducive to her mental wellbeing.
She bit into the sweet bun with some force, growling to herself at the thought of having such a silly thing! He had been rude and asked her whether she took care of her urges! The nerve of him to ask such a thing!
'You offered yourself to him as well.'
A treacherous part of her mind whispered, as she tried her best to push that away! It wasn't any business of someone else that she might have had a very, very brief moment of madness.
It didn't count! Not at all!
"You'll get over it. It's not like you can't get a new dog. Surely there'll be some man willing to be your husband."
The woman's cannon was loud and Carmine wanted none of that around her very sensitive ears, but she did wish the woman some shred of happiness. She seemed the type that had really loved her dog and her husband.
'I don't think I'd want a dog. Dogs are loud.'
Kleo was definitely the type that liked dogs though. The nosy woman who had no moral grounding always spoke slowly, so a puppy or something like it would be right for her.
'I'd better ask Stone to teach me more!'
There was something he was hiding from her, she could tell!
"I… am… already… old. Thirty-six."
'YOU ARE THIRTY-SIX?!'
Carmine stared at the older woman, who was older than she had seemed, before. Already, her mind was trying to come up with a response, but Carmine just gawked.
"That's old! You're twice my age!"
Frank was a little older than she was too, but not twice her age! This old woman could be her mother!
'The irony…'
She would not give in!
"With… age… comes… wisdom… daughter."
Carmine was not going to deign that with a response! There was nothing that could be done to assuage her own mind about that. She knew who was in control of her path and that most certainly was herself, Carmine Von Blut!
She was strong and going to be even stronger when that mask man would teach her better and stronger techniques! She didn't like to wait and make him teach her slowly, she wanted to learn and kick ass and make sure that he kept his weird ideas to himself!
Maybe not all weird ideas.
She glanced at her stomach and she patted it a little, thoughtful for a moment.
'I'll think about children later. When I'm twenty-three or something. I'm still young.'
Twenty-three was perfect for children! Stone wouldn't be going and harassing her to settle down if she had whittled down his resistance to such a point where he'd be teaching her, they'd travel around, she'd tolerate this woman that was twice her age- which still irked her!
"Teach me more stuff! You two are hiding something! What's the glowing thing?!"
She'd seen it before but they did not teach her about that! She didn't know anything about that yet and she was determined to learn about it, because it was something that made you stronger!
"Oh… you'll… learn. He… will… not… teach. He is… a man… you… know?"
That he was, and-
Carmine's cheeks flushed red once she realized what it would mean with Kleo hinting at it! She'd been married! She'd been married and Frank must've had some relations as well! It was sex! It was activated by sex and-
'No! I will not do that with him!'
There was a sneaky part of her mind that asked her why, but she ignored it, knowing that she was not going to be some sort of- of- of bed warmer!
"Oh… You… want to?"
Big hands on her body. The underwear that they'd bought would fit well and-
"NO! Shut your mouth, bandage woman!"
The woman was laughing at her now!
"Ah…hah…hah. Such… a… shy… daughter."
'Yooooouuuuuu!'
The flush on Carmine's cheeks deepened!
"I'm not shy! To the wilds! We are going to train some more after we have put our things away!"
She would train and be better! Stone would accept her as his student and she would find out about the glowing thing later! He would not deny her as his apprentice! She was going to become amazing and she'd think about marriage and children in a few years!
'He'll be a little older, but I'll still be good!'
The mummy woman was giving her a look that she did not like very much.
"Very… well. Let's… practice… the… art… of… love, Car…mine."
"We will not be practising anything!'
She had a brief flash of the older woman pinning her body to a bed and then doing horrible, feminine and unwanted things to her! She'd heard about some people who did that, from gossip stories! She wasn't going to let her flower be plucked by some woman, some addled woman who could be her mother and-
"Oh… Such… a… sensitive… daughter."
She wasn't thinking about it at all!
Bad thoughts must be put away and not thought of.
"Youuuuuu!"
Kleo laughed softly again and Carmine got up, two of the buns remaining in the small bag that they'd received then in.
"Let's… go… then."
Frank lifted up the bushel on his shoulders, keeping the other three bundles carefully balanced there. With his large frame, he was able to easily keep four of them on his back, the smell of the herbs invading his nose, the mask pushed down again, as he balanced them on his back.
Only a few Grimm he had encountered, dealing with them in melee, his axe cutting through their hides in the special configuration, making short work of them with the blade cutting even harder through their bony plates.
'We are going to have money.'
Carmine was not a bad apprentice, when she was not loud. Miss Parsley-Trappe would not be too bad with how things came to an argument, the woman being relaxed and a slow speaker, albeit probably more experienced in fighting than he was. He could tell from how she treated Carmine that there would be a good click there.
Carmine was too old for him to teach and she was a woman. She should be with someone that would be able to give her children, not gallivanting around the world with someone like him, cursed with the touch of a Grimm.
A happy life for someone who had such a burning desire to do good in the world like Carmine…
'Not something that I can attain.'
He should leave in the night, to let Carmine know that she'd be much better served with someone like Miss Parsley-Trappe, someone that could teach her about the importance of being a Huntress. Aura would be unlocked by the other Huntress, if the formal acceptance ceremony would be concluded. It would be better for Carmine, since he was a monster.
'Never stay in one place for too long.'
The farmstead came to mind. The people who lived there had found out about his accursed appearance and though Carmine did not comment on it, she knew. When her desire to learn the trade of a Huntsman would fade, she could out him as accursed with the markings on his face.
He continued down the path, walking slowly down the forested glen, following the trail that he'd made before, his boots creaking a little as he walked through scattered branches, his attention going to the boar that raised its head.
'Don't attack me… You don't want to become bacon.'
He was aware of the tendency of wild boar to attack people, the boar lowering its head once more while Frank continued on, his hand holding the bushel on his shoulders, the four bushels that he'd gathered being good enough for over two hundred Lien.
'They need it, I need the money.'
He would leave tonight, after he had finished his shift. Leaving the sum for Carmine to use as a gift for her, he would travel without worry, knowing that Miss Parsley-Trappe would take her in. With how they seemed to have struck up a friendship, it would not be an errant thought for her to take Carmine in.
'She would be disgusted with my appearance.'
He looked into the reflection in the water of a nearby stream, the dark markings on his cheeks showing clearly of his corruption, the veins inflamed and pulsating with dark red energy. A curse from the Grimm, from those Geist that roamed the world.
'She will forget me.'
Kleo Parsley-Trappe would be someone that would forget about him if he told her of his plan, to leave Carmine in the good care of the elder Huntress. The Grimm could be taken care of with Carmine training under Miss Parsley-Trappe's careful eye, with Carmine already showing improvement.
'I don't think it would be a good time to upset her.'
Carmine was loud when she was annoyed. She was young, but too old to go and learn to be a Huntress. For all her progress, she was still old. He had learned that between the age of five and eight was the best for any student and he would find a boy that was able to learn the trade from him. Miss Parsley-Trappe might be best suited to take care of Carmine.
The loud Faunus girl would have better chances with a woman teaching her how to wield her weapon. He wasn't someone that would be able to teach her how to be a good Huntress.
His face showed some stresses, as he looked at his reflection, drinking of the cool water with modest gulps. With the water being in a stream, he didn't have to think too much about pollutants. Still water could be consumed after boiling, but he was not going to let himself go without the nourishing waters when he had an opportunity.
There were fundamentals to surviving. Drinking when you could and when you needed to was important, the canteen at his side filled with the water, just in the case, a heating Dust crystal activated on the edge of the canteen, boiling the water after a moment.
'Maybe six or seven more uses…'
They were cheap, luckily. It was never a bad expenditure to buy one or two heating Dust crystals, lower-grade than the Dust that he used in his weapon.
Carmine would be better-served with someone like Miss Parsley-Trappe.
Arriving back at the settlement, Frank nodded to the guards at the gate, feeling the ache of the mask against his skin, his expression darkening a little once he heard from them that Kleo and Carmine had went out.
"Your wife and daughter went out for training. It's nice to see folks doing their best to protect our settlement."
'Perhaps it does seem to others that I am wed to Kleo.'
The woman was around his age and he looked older than he was due to his size. Carmine would look fairly young in comparison. He grunted at the guard, before he went to hand in the bushels of herbs at the address that had been listed on the commission, placing them in the container at the prodding of the herbalist, who undoubtedly worked with the local medical specialist.
"Your money, good sir huntsman. Your wife and daughter have bought something nice, ha-ha."
'Do we look like a couple?'
He thought back to Kleo and himself meeting. The two women had bathed together and he had taken a separate room. The innkeeper knew that there was no relation, but others would assume differently.
It troubled him a little.
Women were nothing but trouble, but he would wait for Carmine and Miss Parsley-Trappe to return.
"I will be waiting for them to return."
A wife.
For a very brief moment, he tried to imagine it, before the thought turned to ashes. To someone normal, he would not be seen as anyone that would be able to draw the eyes, who would regard him with the sweetness of love and desire.
'I'm not going to ever find a woman like that.'
His face was horrifying, he knew. People scorned those who had been born under the ill omen of the Grimm markings. If he showed his face, he would be hunted.
Marriage was not for him but someone like Carmine, with her petite figure and her pale skin and birthing hips, would be able to find a man without much effort.
'Miss Parsley-Trappe, you will have your hands full with Carmine.'
The creak of the door opening made him look up, the whetstone releasing several sparks as the edge was sharpened again. A dull weapon was one that fractured when taking on the Grimm, so he kept it in mind condition, Miss Parsley-Trappe standing there in the door opening.
"You… have… watch… tonight?"
He nodded. Another night of standing guard and taking care of the civilians was there for them to do, so he had taken the mission on his shoulders for the bounty that he could get from it. With little sleep, he still maintained a good presence, the marks burning when Grimm came close.
"I do."
He was short, as he marked another spot for the whetstone, grinding it on the edge and making sparks fly. Already, he was getting ready to go and fight tonight if there were Grimm sniffing at the gates.
"You… do… not… want… to… teach… her?"
He shook his head, knowing that it was not going to happen. The woman had bluntly asked him that and he came to such a conclusion that it couldn't be hidden anymore.
"I am a man, Miss Parsley-Trappe. It would not be proper of me to teach her, plus she is already eighteen or something, I am not-"
The woman laughed, her wheezing laughter making her sound like she had been in a dusty place, as her hand brushed through her hair, the makeup that she wore looking as it always did.
"No… I… will… not… teach. You… are… her… teacher."
It was regrettable, but Frank knew that he would leave after the shift was done. The money could go to Carmine and he would be able to travel before they would catch on. Carmine's Aura was not awakened yet, not that he really knew how to do it, but still…
"If I am gone… Would you teach her?"
The woman looked seriously for a moment, her smile fading to a grim realisation.
"Yes. I am… able… But not… until… you… die. A Master… does not… leave her apprentice… to… die."
Carmine dying was not going to happen anytime soon. He supposed that he would impart upon her the rule that he had always lived by.
"If something happens… Take her away. My teacher told me that if all things look dire, to run away. Heroics do not mean anything against a Grimm Tide. Settlements may have them from time to time, so…"
He knew that the woman would know of it as well, her expression darkening a little at the mention of it, eyes glinting with that hint of knowing what it meant.
"I will… not… let her… die, Frank. She may… fight. Even I… know… that running is… needed."
It was the fear of any well-established village or settlement. A Grimm Tide was something that happened once every ten years, when negativity pulled in the darkness and the Grimm would come to batter themselves against the gates.
"I know."
He left it at that.
His marked cheeks itched and burned, as he could see them. Their eyes lit up in the darkness, as a howl came from the darkness around them. He turned to the local militiaman that stood a little further.
"Sound the alarm. We've got a Grimm Tide on our hands."
They could withstand this if they focused their defense on the walls. Once a gate was breached, the Grimm would have free reign of the villagers, who would have no ability to defend themselves.
"It's just a few Grimm, we can handle it."
They wouldn't be able to handle it, Frank could tell, knowing that if it wasn't a Grimm Tide, it would still have the defenders up at the walls. Frank did not doubt it.
"Sound the alarm."
He could hear a ghastly howl from a howler, one of the Grimm that were weak in the flesh, but whose call came to summon the Grimm from the surroundings. The howl lasted for a half-minute, Frank seeing the Beowolves bound out of the darkness, towards the gate. Frank gave a glance to the wall and then motioned for the militiaman.
"Just a few Grimm, we'll take them down with the long pikes."
Frank saw that he wouldn't be able to change the man's mind. Grimm Tides were generally considered to be an existential threat, so he knew when to get out of the settlement.
"I'll fetch my apprentice."
He knew that Carmine would need to survive. If she wished to get a husband and a happy life, she would need to survive this Grimm Tide if she were to find someone to settle down with like a normal person would. She didn't need to become a Huntress, if she would just settle down with someone.
'Settlements are good, but they have a chance of luring the Grimm.'
He entered the inn, marching up the steps and pushing the door open that led to Miss Parsley-Trappe's room, finding the woman still up, her expression dark and alert.
"A Howler. It's a Grimm Tide, then?"
The woman sounded a lot swifter with her words, as he nodded. Carmine opened her eyes and then made an indignant squeak, louder than most would.
"You! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!?"
Carmine got up from the bed, Frank seeing the corset hung over one of the chairs, Frank motioning to Miss Parsley-Trappe.
"Shut up, Carmine. Get dressed."
'She knows how to order the girl around. Perhaps she would be a better reason.'
"YOU DON'T GET TO-"
Frank left before things would be too loud, his eyes observing the innkeeper already preparing for fortifications, ducking into his room and grabbing the packs that contained his gear and then setting Carmine's additional gear next to their door for them to get. It would not help much to assist in reinforcing the inn. He would return to the wall and he'd do his best.
People's lives were depending on this, after all. If things would hold out for a night, they would weather the tide. If they did not, there would be a good time to evacuate. Living your life meant making choices.
Frank stood on top of the wall, seeing the long pikes of the militiamen pierce through the Grimm hides of the Beowolves, Frank recognizing that it would just be the first few advance Beowolves.
The smarter ones were trying to prod at the defenses, to see where the walls were the weakest. He couldn't see in the pitch darkness, but he knew that with the howls continuing in the night, that more would be drawn to the settlement, the fear drawing them in.
"Frank! We're here."
Miss Parsley-Trappe spoke up, Frank looking at the woman as she stood there. Not a sign of her usual slowness of talking was there, as she was ready to fight.
"Join me on here."
He had been sparing his ammunition, and he knew that the major assault would be coming soon enough. Miss Parsley-Trappe joined him, looking over them, the militiamen still not having rung the alarm for the settlement.
"They're going to die. With this many scouts, you'd want every man and woman on the walls. What will you do?"
He was being asked for his opinion, Miss Parsley-Trappe asking for his opinion on how to proceed. She was a senior huntress in this respect, so he should technically be waiting for her orders rather than her asking for his orders.
"Get out. You take care of Carmine, you're lighter on your feet, aren't you?'
Decisions such as this were made in a snap. He could tell that the Grimm were coming from this side of the wall, so it would be a losing endeavor if they remained here to fight.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, STONE?! I'M-"
Miss Parsley-Trappe hit Carmine in the back of the head and she became quiet immediately.
"Let's go. We're getting out of here before the main horde arrives."
You cut your losses and you kept on moving along. He grabbed Carmine's pack and hoisted it onto his back, his own pack settled next to it. Lightning Blitz hung from the loop, the axe was in his hands, as Carmine was slung over miss Parsley-Trappe's shoulder.
"Wise decision. Let's go."
They were Huntsmen.
It wasn't like they had any ties to this community.
Others might call them monsters, but dying for a piece of land that you had no connection to, was a foolish enterprise.
And thus, they get the hell out of danger, as mercenaries do. No pay, no way.
Huntsmen's lives during the years between the Great War and the canon RWBY time. Enjoy.