GATTLING!~ Hi everyone, sorry for the wait but I've been kinda hampered in finding time to write as of late.
So, first things first. From here on out, I'll be going back to my old schedule of posting one chapter every 1-7 days and will do my best to stick with it. The reason for this is because, while easier in shipping out chapters in bulk, I just don't have the time to devote myself to such a task and I don't want to risk putting off this story for God knows how long.
Don't worry though, chapters will remain at the standard of 3,000 words minimum.
That said, I'm actually having a blast with this new angle that I'm taking with this story so losing motivation to write won't be happening anytime soon.
Welp that's about it, so as usual have a great day and happy reading everyone!
*Grad Reunion Arc. Part 3.*
"Alright, Hawkins, you've made it this far; all you have to do now is show everyone your gentleman skills and pray for some luck!" Bastion's cheerful voice echoed from the depths of the magician's mind as the Arc symbol glowed humbly from beneath his ruffle-collared shirt.
"Luck isn't something that I intend to depend upon. If that were the case I would have never bothered learning how to use a tarot deck." The magician replied in a reluctant tone.
"Aw, don't be like that! We're in this together and you explicitly asked me to help you when the festivities begin. Just think of it, if you play your cards right, you might get a girlfriend!"
The spirit began to ramble about the advantages of marriage and parenthood. He described the affectionate joining as an opportunity that should be taken whenever possible, as the chance for love could have the consistency of a natural disaster.
"I can raise Jaune on my own." Hawkins deadpanned and dragged his feet against the polished stone leading to the auditorium's entrance.
At the main doors, a group of well-dressed staff members were lost in idle chit-chat. As the magician approached, the chatter ceased and all eyes fell upon him.
"My name is Basil Hawkins. I'm here to attend the grad reunion."
The brunette responsible for admission stepped behind the front desk. "Of course, could you please provide your hunter license?"
The blonde curled a brow.
"Oi, Bastion, what's this about a license?" He whispered under his breath.
"I... believe she's referring to the documents that prove that you're registered in Beacon's ranks."
Hawkins deadpanned.
"Wait a minute..." The echo of a facepalm rung in Hawkins' mind.
"Um, sir?" The brunette crossed her arms.
"I've forgotten my license," the magician lied as naturally as he breathed, "but I do have a date and there's a 72% chance that she's already in the auditorium."
Hawkins resorted to his cards, earning many curious faces from the staff members.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to let anyone in unless they've provided substantial evidence. Maybe you could wait outside a little longer? I'm sure you're teammates will arrive soon." The woman at the desk averted Hawkins' line of sight and rubbed her arm.
"Can't you weave a believable lie, Bastion?" The magician grunted.
"O-Oh, of course, um... How about telling them that you're a descendant of the Arc bloodline? That'll grab their attention for sure!"
Hawkins shook his head. "When was the last time the Arc name made a public appearance in Vale? Not to mention I look nothing like you're descendant Harold, and don't say we look alike because we're both blondes."
"Damn it, sorry, but I got nothing Hawkins." The spirit lamented.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the magician's ears twitched as the buzzing of a microphone echoed through the auditorium and out the main doors.
/-/
"May I have your attention please." Called a tall man with moppy silver hair.
A pair of small round glasses over his hazel eyes, the headmaster of Beacon surveyed the auditorium and the hunters and huntresses within it.
Each and every person here, all with varying backgrounds and different personalities, had come together under one roof for the sole purpose of celebration.
Allowing a short smile to spread on his professional visage, the man cleared his throat and tapped the microphone with a single finger.
"I'm sure that I don't need to introduce myself, after all, many of you have probably gotten sick of hearing my name over the past four years." This comment earned a hearty chuckle from many.
"To start things off I'd like to welcome all of our fellow hunters and huntresses from abroad, while we may hail from different kingdoms, our goal of keeping the peace between our cultures has remained firm for over a decade and I cannot thank you enough for your contributions."
Ozpin pushed up his glasses and tapped his cane.
"With the recent fires in the agricultural district, it has become apparent that the Grimm will no doubt take advantage of the past chaos and I urge that we all do our best to deter their advance on all fronts. New missions will be posted at the MHA momentarily, and though it's not becoming of my position, I implore you all to see if any services pique your interest. I should also add, that in a few moments' time, a classical performance provided by the SDC will take place on this very stage and I urge that you all stick around to see it as the lead singer is none other than Willow Schnee herself."
Mutters and whispers filled the room.
"Now, with all that's been said and done, please enjoy your well-earned reunion!"
With a chorus of claps and cheers, Ozpin excused himself from the stage and went to mingle with his former graduates. However, by chance, his peripherals happened to stumble upon a rather flustered witch and her enthusiastic dust-loving partner.
"Ah, Glynda, Thumbelina, it's nice to see you again. How was your mission in Mantle?"
The witch flinched but gathered her composure quickly. "Likewise, and in terms of our expedition it was a success."
"Yep!" Thumbelina added. Doing a twirl in her peach-colored dress and white high-heels, she allowed her hair to flow freely past her shoulders instead of constricting it in its usual bun.
"The Grimm levels over there have been pretty high since Atlas decided to split with its eastern brother, but for the most part the city's stabilized and its economy is making a steady comeback."
Ozpin nodded. "I see, that's wonderful news, though I should note that the male members of your squad are nowhere to be found. And with the inevitable arrival of team STTQ, I fear that a spectacular prank will soon be upon us."
Glynda's brows furrowed. "I'll do my best to keep Oobleck, Port, and Qrow in line, but as licensed hunters, I'd expect them to at least respect their own reunion."
"Aw come on, my Ooberry promised not to get into too much mischief, and if anything he'll probably be the voice of reason should Port or Qrow get out of hand." Her partner grinned.
Just then a young server curly brown hair and a tray of fancy liquors walked over and offered the trio a beverage. Thumbelina and Ozpin politely declined while Glynda plucked a dainty glass of dark red wine.
"Pardon me, headmaster," the servant leaned in. "But there's an issue at the main doors that require your influence."
The headmaster tilted his head. "What seems to be the problem?"
"There's a man stating that he's been invited to attend, but his name isn't on the graduate list. We've tried to turn him away, though he's proven to be rather stubborn."
"Did you happen to catch his name?" Ozpin asked.
"Unfortunately not, I was only passing by when I witnessed the commotion."
The headmaster nodded and thanked the server for his efforts. "Very well, it seems my attention is needed elsewhere. Please enjoy the night you two."
Bidding adieu to Glynda and Thumbelina, the female members of GPPO watched Ozpin's retreating form with interest.
"Huh, you'd think the front desk would be able to deal with a petty issue like a missing invitation. Who's the guy causing the ruckus anyway?" Thumbelina tapped her chin with a dainty finger but shook her head with wide eyes at the man Ozpin was about to turn away.
"Thumbelina, what are you doing?" Glynda grumbled as her partner dragged her to trail their headmaster's footsteps.
"Come on, you need to settle the issue at the entrance before it's too late!"
"What are you talking about?" The witch hissed as her bright green pupils met with a crowd of Atlesian soldiers dressed in their usual service attire. The tallest among them, a man with a clean-shaven jaw and short ebony hair tapped his gloved hand and offered Glynda a warm smile.
Glynda quickly outpaced her partner's eagerness much to Thumbelina's confusion.
/-/
"I'm sorry, but this celebration is exclusive for Beacon graduates and visiting hunters only. If you have a license to prove your enrollment among the MHA's ranks then I'd be more than happy to let you in." Ozpin said with a trained tongue.
Though the stranger's appearance emanated the build of a powerful warrior, he wasn't recognizable and he seemed to lack any knowledge on the subject of hunters.
"I'm here on the pretense of an invite and my date is waiting inside the auditorium. If you let me in I can prove that my presence here is valid." The man spoke in a flat tone.
His dark crimson eyes contrasting his bright golden locks and pale skin, the stranger's ruffled collar flared beneath his chin and emphasized the black tattoo just below his neck.
Ozpin cupped his chin with a speculative grin. "Could you provide a name for your date then? I'll have my staff search for them and this way we can avoid all hassle."
The staff positioned at the front desk and beside the headmaster leaned in with curious frowns as the blonde rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Does the surname Ms. Goodwitch sound familiar?"
Ozpin's glasses dipped down and the faculty smirked.
"Please, if you're going to lie then at least pick a more obscure candidate. Do you honestly think any man can meet the standards of the legendary witch of Beacon? That, and she's also the greatest student this academy has produced in the last decade both in academics and combat prowess." The woman occupying the front desk snarked.
"I apologize for my staff's rude remark." Ozpin tapped his cane and gave the woman the stink eye before schooling his features. "If what you said is true, then by all means I'll do my best to locate my former student. After all I did talk to Glynda not too long ago and she's probably still around the flower displays."
The stranger blinked. The black triangles he had for eyebrows furrowed, he crossed his arms and looked past the headmaster's shoulder.
"There's no need as it seems my date has finally decided to show herself."
Following the magician's stare, both the faculty and headmaster's eyes widened. Strutting toward them with purpose-filled steps, Glynda Goodwitch rested a hand on her hip and positioned herself beside Ozpin. Her trademark glare on full blast.
"Hawkins, where have you been?" Glynda said crossly.
"Looking for you," the magician replied, "I assumed you'd be waiting at the front gates, but after burning my patience I decided to search the auditorium seeing there was a 72% chance of you being in there."
The witch huffed and extended her arm. "Come along then, the festivities have only begun."
Hawkins rolled his eyes and simply walked past his appointed date. A vein twitching above her temple, Glynda kept face and swiftly followed the reluctant man with stiff steps. Meanwhile, both Ozpin and his staff couldn't believe what they had witnessed and were too busy gaping at the retreating forms of the two blondes to muster a coherent sentence.
"Did you really have to make such a poor impression? I don't know about you but my reputation, especially in these halls, is important to me." Glynda frowned and dragged the magician to a secluded corner. "How long were you out there anyway?"
"Two hours." The magician said bluntly.
The witch blinked. Staring straight into her temporary date's crimson eyes for any hint of a fib, she blinked quite a few times before raising a single brow.
"Did... Did you really wait that long for me?"
"Yes," Hawkins stated dryly. "There was a 65% chance that you'd arrive at the courtyard ahead of time, so I made sure to meet you. Though, as you can see, my efforts were useless."
An unreadable expression on the witch's face, she turned away for a moment before masking her flustered emotions with the skill of a veteran huntress.
"I... appreciate your devotion to the temporary role I've assigned you, but you didn't have to go so far."
The magician sighed. To the average person, his demeanor appeared to be nothing more than his usual stoic self, but something about the way he carried himself seemed strained. It was as if a great weight had been forced on his shoulders, but for some strange reason he allowed himself to be burdened by it.
"Hawkins, is everything alright?" Glynda's voice broke her fellow blonde from his internal musings.
"I'm fine." He said bluntly, eager to end his partner's interests right then and there.
"Fine, I'll drop the subject, but would it kill you to-"
Her scolding cut short, Glynda's attention veered to the approaching form of a broad-shouldered man with an award-winning smile. Dressed in the standard Atlesian suit, a smart red tie had been included to his attire to add a dash of flair to the rather plain uniform.
"Ah, Glynda, fancy meeting you here!" His voice was loud and clear, the new addition to the conversation made no effort to keep his enthusiasm in check. "And wow, I must say you look absolutely stunning tonight!"
"James..." The witch lamented.
Though to the man's credit, Glynda was indeed well dressed for the occasion. Instead of her typical huntress uniform, she adorned a long sleeveless dress that started as a navy blue at the shoulders, but transitioned to black when it reached her ankles.
With silver stars and a shattered moon pattern knitted from the waist to the hem, the silk dress mirrored the midnight sky of Remnant while emphasizing Glynda's natural curves and generous assets. A golden choker fitted with a glimmering pearl, a gray pair of transparent elbow gloves covered her arms, and a pair of tan stockings and black pumps completed her outfit.
"It's been too long since we've seen each other. Tell me, did you ever find the cause of that dreadful avalanche in the northern parts of Atlas?" James seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice and continued to stroll down memory lane.
Hawkins didn't have to resort to his cards to see it, as the slight twitches of her brows and the sharpness in her eyes made it all too clear that she did not enjoy her current predicament. Though, having no experience with the man before him, Hawkins opted to remain silent until forced to speak.
"Oi, Hawkins, what are you doing?" Bastion whispered.
"What?" The blonde mentally replied.
"I detect a rival for Ms. Goodwitch's affections, aren't you going to do something?" The spirit pushed on.
"Why should I? The more time that is wasted in a pointless speech the sooner I get to leave these unfamiliar grounds."
"Is that really the attitude you're going to keep? If anything Glynda's a very disciplined and pretty woman, and as a devoted gentleman, it should be your first priority to set a strong first impression."
"And why should I comment on the lustrious beauty of Ms. Goodwitch?" Hawkins sighed. Realizing he'd allowed his ire to get the best of him, his eyes widened a fraction at the revelation that he'd said those words out loud.
The gazes of his peers upon him, the expression James wore appeared to be a mix of caution and annoyance, while Glynda's bore a mix of confusion and... why were her cheeks red?
"Um, where was I?" James coughed in an attempt to regain control. "Ah, the mission we shared during the Grimm outbreak at Mantle! It was quite the scene considering the state of the western walls when we arrived wasn't it, Glynda?" The captain chuckled.
"Yes it was, but..." Glynda raised a hand while doing her best to clear the dusting of pink on her face. "You've forgotten to extend your formal greetings to the most silent individual among us."
James' smile dropped for half a second, but he resumed his friendly attitude in the blink of an eye.
"Of course, forgive my poor manners. My name is Captain James Ironwood, and I'm a recent graduate of Atlas Academy. It's a pleasure to meet you..." The man stepped forward with his gloved hand raised for a handshake, a handshake that was never accepted.
"Hawkins." The magician stated plainly and crossed his arms.
"Is that a surname? Or your first name?"
"My surname." The magician grumbled.
Seeing the magician wasn't going to speak any further, James lowered his offended appendage after a few seconds of awkward silence and coughed to break the uncomfortable atmosphere.
"So, I take it you're familiar with Glynda? She's quite famous, isn't she? Especially after she and her teammates achieved first place in the recent Vytal Festival."
"I never knew who she was or those assigned under her leadership. I happened to meet Mr. Oobleck in a bookstore and now I find myself here in the auditorium standing among you." Hawkins quipped.
James' smile, feeling more forced by the second, twitched at the blonde man's dismissive tone.
"There's no need to sound so negative, it's a celebration after all."
"Really? Then why is it that you seem to be the only one having fun?" Hawkins felt the corner of his mouth twitch slightly upward at the Atlesian's muddled expression.
Turning to the woman in question, the witch narrowed her eyes at Hawkins before dismissing his previous claim. Though by the tone she used one couldn't be sure of the sincerity behind her words.
"Oi, Hawkins," Bastion's sudden intrusion sent a shiver down the magician's spine.
"What is it?" The blonde grumbled internally.
"Someone's approaching, and by the looks of it, she's set on your specific location." The spirit said hastily as Hawkins glanced behind him.
"My, isn't this a kindly gathering?" Giggled a calm feminine voice.
Strutting toward the trio with a playful sway in her hips, a fluffy pink barrette covered her green hair with a matching floral dress that reached a smidge past her thighs. Her slender legs were covered by an opaque pair of magenta-colored stockings that ended in a set of red high heels, a thin magenta-colored ribbon was tied around her waist in a bowtie fashion.
All chatter ceased at the stranger's arrival. James tilted his head, Glynda furrowed her brows, and Hawkins remained unmoved by the new addition.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" The greenette pursed her lips and positioned herself close to James.
"Not at all," James smiled. "We were simply catching up on past events and explaining them to Hawkins here."
"I see, but before we exchange stories I'd like to introduce myself." Adjusting her barrette, the greenette rested a hand on her hip and the other on her chest.
"My name is Monet, a former graduate of Haven Academy. It's an honor to be in the presence of such upstanding figures from the other kingdoms."
The Atlesian Captain took the compliment well, as did Glynda, but Hawkins hesitated as Monet's amber eyes seemed to narrow on him.
"Not to mention a former resident of the North Blue, it's an ultimate rarity to meet someone of that vast sea. Isn't that right, Basil Hawkins?" The greenette hummed.
"North blue?" Glynda's eyes widened. Not only had she learned the stoic man's full name, but he also appeared to be more mysterious than she assumed. Biting her lower lip, she looked to Ironwood for answers.
The Atlesian captain merely shrugged as he had no knowledge of such a place, though both his and Glynda's sights darted to Hawkins after following the amber eyes of Monet.
"What is this North blue, Hawkins? I thought you hailed from Mistral?" The witch asked.
"Oh deary me, I didn't mean to confuse you. The North Blue is simply a slang term that the residents along the northern coasts of Mistral's borders say. Nothing more." Monet quickly corrected.
Glancing at the large digital clock positioned high above the auditorium's stage, Monet closed her eyes and spread her lips to a thin smile.
"I don't mean to impose, but could I borrow your magician for a little while? I promise to return him before Ms. Schnee gives her performance."
The witch opened her mouth to protest, but an eager advance from James drew her away toward the swan-shaped punch bowl at the center of the auditorium.
"Hm, that was easier than I anticipated." Monet's tone shifted from friendly to ominous. "The shattered moon is best viewed from Beacon's gardens which are located outback. You know, so we can be alone..."
A bead of sweat rolled down Hawkins' forehead while his hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his longsword.
"Please, don't get the wrong idea," Monet giggled. "I don't want to spoil the night with violence, so why not be cooperative? I bet we'll get along swimmingly. That is if your nature as a pirate will allow you to do so."
Her head tilted ever so slightly, the greenette knew she held the reigns for tonight, and all that Hawkins could do was comply.
"Hawkins, are you really going to follow her?" Bastion whispered.
Yet despite the Arc's suspicions, the magician found his boots moving on their own as he trailed Monet's footsteps into the secluded gardens of Beacon.