Onto Vacuo!

Cover Art: Solace O'Autumn

Chapter 31

One of the first things to strike Jaune in Vacuo was the smell – and in a far better way than he'd initially imagined. He'd known Vacuo was a poorer kingdom and uncharitably assumed it would smell bad because of it, with the extreme heat and sand creating a stifling stench of sweat and camels.

He'd been so wrong.

The aroma of spices and oils permeated the air, and the people themselves carried the scent of oranges of all things, a citrusy fresh scent that, combined with pepper and cinnamon and sandalwood, tickled the senses. It reminded him of the rare times when he was younger and his mom or sisters would make him stand by as they sampled perfumes in a boutique, the mixture of aromas that at times could be overpowering, but which here, in the open air, were far less so.

A market had sprung up around the docks to welcome and fleece travellers, with brightly coloured fabrics in shades of purple and gold strung out between wooden poles. Beneath them, peddlers wrapped in exotic cloths and headdresses and in some cases bedecked with gold earrings and chains held out samples of jewellery, bone carvings, strings of beads, bolts of satin and velvet, and thin glass jars of exotic spices. They were doing good business, travellers on their way out of Vacuo crowding around to look at and buy last-minute souvenirs.

"Don't be fooled," one of the sailors told him, stretching his arms above his head. He was Vacuan himself, with dusky skin and luscious chocolate-coloured hair tied with blue and yellow beads. He, too, smelled of orange blossoms. "These ones will rob you blind with their prices. You want a proper deal, you should head further into the city and visit one of the bazaars."

"One of...?"

"Different days, different bazaars – also location. There's the lower and upper. Lower focuses mostly on food and animals, better for locals. Cheaper things meant for people living here. If you're looking for expensive goods or exotic gifts then you'll want the upper bazaar. There'll be food there too, but cooked food. Lower is more for ingredients and fresh produce."

Like a farmer's marker, Jaune supposed, intended for the people living here to pick up good deals on everyday items, whereas the other was meant as a tourist trap. Not that it would stop him visiting since he was a tourist and wanted to see all the things on sale. Jaune thanked the man for the advice and offered him a tip, only to be waved off and thanked for the music he'd played along the journey.

It had been a good, long trip and Jaune had become somewhat popular on deck, even being taught a few Vacuan songs by several other sailors. It turned out that Vacuans enjoyed their music, and regularly brought musicians onto their crew to play for the others. There hadn't been any other guitars, but some panpipes, flutes, drums and a harmonica.

None of them had been upset to have Jaune play with them, which was nice.

Jaune snapped a selfie with the sailor to send to Nora and Ren later, then hid his scroll and wallet on his person, using a fake one on the outside – another tip from the sailors – and made his way away from the docks area. Along the way, he was quickly assailed by several Vacuans offering to sell him maps of the city, to guide him, and one who wanted to convince him to eat at their restaurant after his journey. Jaune made a point of holding the map he'd bought before coming out in front of him to ward them away, but it didn't stop the so-called tour guides.

"I'm fine, thank you. There's no need. Thank you." Jaune felt a hand on his waist and glanced down in time to see his fake wallet being torn away. "And there goes that," he mumbled, as the cheap and empty thing vanished. "That didn't take long. Guess I'll have to buy another now."

As if summoned, a man pushed a wooden tray of camel-leather wallets in his face.

It took him fifteen minutes to get off the docks, and only managed it because the rest of the passengers finally came out the market and became fresh targets for the hawks and peddlers. Escaping with his guitar case strap gripped firmly in one hand and his backpack in the other, Jaune stepped off the docks and into a wide, open street.

The builds in Vacuo weren't as tall as in Atlas, with few skyscrapers to break up what was a beautiful scenery. The buildings themselves were built of sandstone and mud, some covered with white paint or some other material, but all of them with flat or gently curving rooftops. Doorways had screens of beads or reeds in front of them to ward out insects or offer privacy while allowing wind inside, and windows were tall and narrow with thick wooden shutters on the outside. Many of them didn't have glass.

There also weren't many vehicles beyond bikes and a few carriages drawn by animals. Pedestrians walked boldly across empty roads, and the few cars he did see had to slowly honk their way through a sea of foot traffic. Jaune imagined it was something to do with the climate, perhaps the frequent sandstorms making owning a car a dicey proposition. The few he did see were often pitted and marked, like they'd been keyed several times, but with most of them being across the hoods it was likely sand being whipped over the paint and chipping it over years.

Despite the simple construction, however, the homes didn't look poor. They had beautiful mosaic and painted tiles all over them, and with the lack of skyscrapers to block the way, the larger ones with domed rooftops could be easily seen. Bigger buildings, likely government or even casinos, stood out, and even the smaller and poorer homes had beautiful rooftop gardens with fresh fruit and herbs growing atop them. Some people were up there harvesting the produce for use in their own homes.

It was exotic and rustic at the same time, far less metropolitan than Atlas had been. Less technology, less security, and yet somehow a whole lot more personality. Jaune found himself smiling as he watched people come and go, thick crowds of people that would rarely be seen in Atlas because of how efficient the public transportation was, or how easy it was to own a car. Vacuo felt alive in ways Atlas and Mistral hadn't. It was a bustling, living organism filled with people.

Someone tugged at his guitar case but, upon realising he had a good hold, the pulling stopped.

Full of crime, too, he reminded himself, moving on with a sigh. The sooner I have a safe place to store these things, the better I'll feel. Sheesh. Welp. Time to find a hotel that'll let me stay for music.

/-/

Securing room and board for music was harder than he imagined it to be.

The first hotel chased him out with insults, while someone threatened to beat him in the second. The third was politer, but looked at him as if he had no money whatsoever and was a freeloader, while the fourth simply refused to let him talk to the manager and pitch his case.

Spirits dimming, Jaune gave up on the fifth and simply produced the money requested, offering it to a woman with gold piercings in her ears and nose and a chain linking between them. She was polite once it was clear he was a paying customer, even offering him some advice on which room to choose.

"Don't pick the ground or first floor – there are thieves who will risk their lives to reach your balcony and steal your possessions. The fifth floor will be safer, and the elevator ride down isn't much longer. You should also note the metal shutter on your balcony, they can be dragged shut or open. Please keep them locked when you go out and at night. They are not just for safety but to ward your room against any sudden sandstorms. You don't want your belongings – or you while you sleep – covered in sand."

"Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. And I'll take a room on the fifth floor, then."

"Good choice." The girl eyed his case. "Do you play guitar? There are a lot of you now, ever since Guitar Cutie came out it feels like everyone wants to learn."

"Ahah. Yeah. I started before she was on the scene. I even played guitar on stage with Weiss Schnee."

"Really!?"

"Sure. Here, look." Jaune brought out his scroll to show her some of the video, in which he was clearly visible only a little behind and to the side of Weiss. "That was before the White Fang attacked."

"I heard about that! Wow. You must be good."

"Hmm. I actually tried to pay my way into a hotel with my music before coming to yours but... uh... they didn't take kindly to that."

The woman giggled. "That's because you would have sounded like a con artist. There are so many people trying to run scams around Vacuo that anyone running a business has to be wary. But, you know, my grandmother runs the hotel. If you play for her tonight, she may agree to let you eat and dine for free. If you're as good as you say you are."

It was a warmer reception than he'd received anywhere else.

"Really? Just like that? After other people outright threatened me?"

The receptionist linked her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. "They threatened you because you opened with getting something for free and made it look like you don't have any money. You started with money here, so I know you will pay even if grandma says your music is no good." Her eyes crinkled shut as she smiled, her teeth bright white. "Less risk!"

Ha. Maybe that was it. Less risk for them, no worries about making a loss because of him, and he'd proven he wasn't one of those random guys who thought they could be the next Guitar Cutie if they picked up a guitar. There must have been others trying to wash dishes or do cheap labour for a room too.

Lesson learned, I guess. Next time I'll open by renting a room and talk about getting a discount after the money has been handed over. They at least have to be polite to me then since I'm a paying customer.

"Well, I'll gladly play for her later. I already have an interview with a casino to play for them. They at least asked to see the video of my performance, so they know I'm good enough."

"You can play tomorrow morning, then. At breakfast. Grandma will be there and she'll be in a good mood in the morning." The girl offered a hand. "I'm Meera."

"Jaune. As you know." Her hand was warm but surprisingly strong for such a willowy woman. "And thanks for the opportunity. Is it safe for me to lock my belongings in my room?"

"Hmhm. You're a customer now so we'll be in trouble if you lose anything. We have security here, and they're well-paid so they won't risk their jobs to steal from you." Meera fished a key out of a lockbox and handed it to him. No card, no scan lock, just a regular old key along with a chain to go around his neck. "You have to pay if you lose this," she warned him. "But I know your face and can let you in. The hotel stays open twenty-four hours but there won't be anyone at reception. You can let yourself in and use the elevator. Your name and face will be handed out to security so they shouldn't stop you but tell them to talk to me if they need proof you're a customer. It shouldn't be a problem, though. Your skin tone makes it obvious."

"That sounds a little rough..."

"Not like that," she said, laughing. "I mean you're clearly a foreigner since you have no tan or burn. It's the locals who are the ones who would sneak in to try and steal things. You're too obvious to sneak anywhere." Meera grinned. "You might want to buy a headscarf, though. Wear it around your neck if you like but when the sand picks up, you'll suffer with no way to cover your mouth and nose."

"Know somewhere I can buy one that won't rob me blind?"

"Bazaar is a good bet, but don't spend more than two hundred lien. Doesn't matter what they tell you it's made of or how special it is, you can get average quality for a hundred and good for two hundred. More is robbery."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the help, Meera."

"You really want to thank me...?" Meera pushed a piece of paper across the counter. "Grandma thinks I'm too rude to do good customer service." Meera gave the little sheet, a customer review form, a little push. "I'd love a 5-star review."

Little dimples appeared in her cheeks as she smiled.

Jaune laughed and picked up the pen.

/-/

The "Royal Crown Casino" sounded impressive, and it was, but any allusions to royalty were a little lost when one considered there were no less than five casinos in Vacuo with Royal, Royale or Royalty in the name. It was just a fancy way of sounding more luxurious and expensive than the others, a constant battle of one-upmanship that carried on between gambling houses.

It wasn't as neon and obnoxiously loud as he imagined, more marble and tasteful gold with fountains and serving staff moving between the machines and tables in white suits with black trousers. It had an upmarket feel to it, and Jaune knew it was one of the more expensive ones from his prior research. Not the place for the rich and famous, but a little beneath that. More exclusive than your run-of-the-mill casino but not as extravagant as the ones that catered to the rich and famous.

The interview at the casino was much more formal and nerve wracking than Jaune expected it to be. He was escorted inside by suited men to be sat down in an interview room by another man in a suit, then told to play for two more men in black suits. Jaune had avoided using his Bardic Music as planned but did his best to play well without it, belting out some of his more familiar songs before being tested on some local favourites by the interviewers.

"It's better than expected," the one on the left finally said. "I think we can make this work."

"Just so you know," the other said, "we're not the owners of the casino. We're middle managers in charge of the entertainment and hospitality. You'll be working under us and from our budget."

"That's fine," said Jaune. And it made sense he'd be interviewed by them, since the boss presumably had a lot more important stuff to deal with than a single musician. "When do you want me to start and for how long?"

"You'll work three days a week, Friday through Sunday. We open all week but those are our busy days. Hours will be nine through midnight and you'll be paid two hundred per hour as a flat rate, and 2% of table revenue where you're stationed. You bring in more people, you make more money."

Jaune had no idea if that was a generous deal or not but, in all fairness, the money was meaningless to him at this stage. He'd been paid far too generously by Willow, and then with all the ad revenue and contract deals through Saphron and Terra, he was essentially richer than he needed to be. The whole point of playing here was for the experience rather than the cash. Three hours a day, three days a week, didn't sound like so much work that he'd get bored, even if the hours were late. He'd just sleep in more.

"That's fine with me. Will I start tonight?"

"No. You will need a suit. We deal with a certain clientele." The one on the left turned to the one on the right. "We'll make some calls and set you up with an appointment with our tailor. You'll be expected to care for your uniform and ensure it stays clean. In the meantime, familiarise yourself with the employee handbook." He slid a thin booklet across the table. "Read it in detail. Much may be common sense but there are casino-specific rules in there that you'll be expected to know. Gambling is serious business and you – and we – can face criminal investigation if we do anything wrong. That happens with you and you'll be out before you know it."

"Understood, sir." Jaune took the booklet. "I'll read through it tonight."

"We'd also like you to learn some more songs locally. We'll come up with a list between ourselves and give it to you after your first night. No deadline, but they're popular and will bring in more people. Good for us and for you."

"I'm happy to learn them."

"Good. Can you sing?"

"Uh..."

He didn't actually know. His high Charisma score meant that he probably could do something like that if he put his mind to it, but his experiments with Pyrrha suggested his Semblance boosted things by a percentage. If his singing was god-awful, then making it 200-300% better wasn't going to change much.

"We'll take that as a no," the one on the left joked. "It's fine. If all goes well, we may look at bringing in a singer for you to perform with. I trust there are no objections."

"None at all. I've played with singers before."

"We're aware. The only reason we gave you an interview at all is your performance with the Weiss Schnee. You'll be advertised as such to our patrons."

Jaune laughed awkwardly. "I hope there won't be any White Fang this time."

"Rest assured that we take security very seriously here. Should the White Fang bother us, which doesn't seem likely given their focus on Atlas, we will have dealt with them long before they reach your area of the casino." The man stood. "Come, I'll show you where you'll be performing and give you a brief tour of the immediate area and the closest restrooms."

The casino itself was a multi-floored layout with the ground floor having most of the electronic machines and loud one-armed-bandits and the first floor featuring the tables, card and dice games and roulette wheels. The centre of the first floor was hollowed out to create a large balcony of sorts looking down on the first floor, and in the centre of the ground floor was a stage.

"You won't be playing there," said his manager, bringing him up the plush red staircase to the first floor. "That's for dancers. The ground floor is an assault on the senses, for those who enjoy the constant noise and feel of the machines, your music would be washed out by all the machines." Sure enough, the 8-bit music, whirring and sounds of dispensing coins were obnoxiously loud. "The first floor is for more serious gamblers who wish to try their luck with serious games. It's also where the bar and restaurant is. You'll be playing there."

"I didn't realise a casino would have a restaurant."

"It benefits us to keep customers in the casino. If they leave for food, they can start to wonder if it's a good idea to keep gambling. Like this, even if they pause to eat they will have to walk past all the attractions on the way out. It creates temptation, and they can hear the joy of those who have won as they eat. It makes them wonder if they will win with just a little more lien spent."

Cruel and exploitative. Jaune was surprised the man was so open about it, but there probably wasn't much point in pretending otherwise if he was going to work here and see it all himself. Better for them to be open than deal with Jaune's complaints later.

The restaurant itself was surprisingly quiet, set back in a large indentation in the outer wall with a dark wooden bar set with gentle orange lights, and a decently sized seating area with round tables, each surrounded by four low and plush seats. It looked like a good hundred people could sit there, and there was more room on stools at the bar, as well as more tables and chairs outside the restaurant area.

"Drinks are served all across the casino by our waiters and waitresses but food is only served here," he explained. "We don't really have a stage or platform for you, but you're welcome to set up in the corner by the bar. You can use a stool if you want to sit as you play. There's a staff breakroom behind the bar, through the door and to the left of the kitchen. You're free to use the restrooms there if you need to. Drinks will be free for you, as will a meal if you're hungry, but don't overdo the alcohol if you can't handle it. A poor performance of drunken behaviour will see you asked to leave."

"No worries. I don't drink. I'm only sixteen."

"You'll find that means little here in Vacuo but suit yourself."

"What are the age limits here?" asked Jaune. "Can children come into a casino?"

"No. You must be eighteen to gamble, sixteen to drink, sixteen to serve in the military, sixteen for marriage and sex – but eighteen to buy adult material or cigarettes." The man shrugged. "Don't ask me who came up with those limits. Everyone knows they're stupid. Really, sex and dying for your country legal before porn and gambling is ridiculous, but I don't make the rules."

"What's this about sex?" asked a rough, feminine voice.

The woman who strode up to them was a little taller than he was, and obviously quite a few years older. She had dark skin and bold orange hair reaching down her back with a shock of white swept down over one eyebrow. Her yellow eyes were sharp, calculating, and her smile was wide and confident. Though she wore a similar black suit, her collar and top button was popped open and her shirt was untucked.

"Miss Escalados." The manager nodded his head. "This is our new entertainer, Jaune Arc. Jaune, this is Carmine Escalados, our head of security at the Royal Crown Casino, and also a registered huntress. She is our owner's right-hand woman."

"Nice to meet you." Jaune offered a hand.

"Oh, I'm sure it is," she replied, grabbing it tight and squeezing. Carmine yanked him in, then laughed at his sudden blush. "Ha! So, I didn't know we were getting a musician in. No need to ask the boss?"

"It's within budget and we were told to handle all the work so you wouldn't have to."

"Fair enough. He any good?"

"He's played music live on stage with Weiss Schnee."

"No shit?" Carmine looked him up and down again, a little more impressed. "Well, well, well, I can't wait to hear you play. On stage, though. The last time she was on stage is when those terrorists struck."

"Um. Yes." Jaune tried to pull his hand away but Carmine was much too strong. "I was there for that."

"Yeah? Get close to any danger?"

"I was pinned down by a terrorist if that's what you mean, but I managed to scare her off."

"Really? You? You don't look all that intimidating."

Jaune winced. "Ah. I mean that I managed to fend her off until she was scared off by the likes of General Ironwood and Winter Schnee. I doubt she was afraid of me specifically."

She was, but he wasn't about to mention that.

"Now that makes more sense." Carmine pulled him in closer and hooked her arm around his shoulder, bringing her cheek down to his. "You don't look frail, but you also don't look like you could hold your own in a fight."

Jaune tried not to stutter. "Then I'm fortunate to have you around to stop that, aren't I?"

Carmine blinked, smirked, then chuckled. "Yeah. You're lucky to have me. Well, you've got some attitude to ya, so that's good." She let him go and pushed him back, and though she almost certainly meant that to be gentle, he almost fell over. "You'll do alright. Just make sure to play some good music and I'll come around to listen. Who knows, you do a good enough job and maybe the boss will want to hire you for some private parties. We get special clients here every now and then that we hold private gambling nights for. Local businesses, politicians, the like. Good money if you can prove yourself valuable enough to get invited."

"I'll do my best, ma'am."

Carmine shuddered. "Ugh. Don't call me that. Never. It's Carmine. Call me that, hoe or bitch before you call me ma'am. The latter two may get you smacked, though."

"Miss Escalados, then?"

"Good enough. Welcome to the casino, kid. Try not to lose all your earnings on the machines. Like, seriously, if you want to throw it away, stick to the first floor. Your odds are better on cards, or just flip a coin betting on red or black on the roulette if you really want to. Those machines on the ground floor are a lost cause."

"And yet they remain our biggest profit makers," said Jaune's manager.

"That's because drunk idiots somehow think they're spending less feeding their live savings in one coin at a time n pursuit of a jackpot that happens at best once a year." Carmine snorted. "Morons." Turning away, she sauntered off with a wave thrown over hr shoulder. "Looking forward to hearing you play, Jaune. See you around."

"Yeah... see you..."

The manager waited for Carmine to leave before clearing his throat.

"Though she's not the most professional of people, she's trusted by our boss – and was on her team in Shade Academy. They're close, and there are many advantages to having a huntress on our security team."

"I can imagine. Do fights break out a lot?"

"Not when everyone knows there's a huntress on our security team, they don't," he replied, repeating the same statement. "Just knowing she's here is enough to make this one of the safer casinos in the area. It doesn't stop people when they've had too much to drink or feel they've been cheated because the dice rolled against them, but the sight of her is enough to convince them to swallow their pride and leave rather than escalate."

He could imagine. It sounded like he'd picked a safe casino without much risk of trouble, which was part of the reason he'd selected this one for not being a cheap casino catering to as many poor customers as it could get. Wealthier customers surely mean less fights, or at least more self-awareness that the customers were placing their money at risk.

The last thing he'd wanted was to get dragged into any trouble.

.

New Quest: For the Crown!

There's something shady about this casino and the team of huntsmen and huntresses running it. Are they a front for something greater, or is there something altogether more sinister in the works? Find out and bring justice to Vacuo.

Success: +EXP. +Rep Vacuo. +Title: Champion of Democracy

Failure: +Rep Crown.

.

Jaune's eye twitched.

Nope.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, no, and nada.

"Something wrong?" asked his manager.

"Nope," Jaune said, smiling brightly. "I'm just looking forward to working here."

This was a cushy job in a nice casino with perfectly normal people. His Semblance could fuck off for once in its life as far as he was concerned. Every casino was probably cheating in some way, and probably connected to or involved with crime if only to launder money.

He wasn't going to ruin a good thing by buying into this nonsense.

Next Chapter: 14th July

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