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happymech99

Broken But Never Forgotten
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
  2. Multiple posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per day
  4. One post per day
  5. 1-3 posts per week
Online Availability
Monday Through Friday 3:00PM to 11:00PM EST. Saturday & Sunday 6AM to 1AM EST
Writing Levels
  1. Elementary
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  3. Adept
  4. Advanced
  5. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
Genres
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Fandom, Post apocalypse
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Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Snowfall
Location - Forest In Between Vacuo and Vale
Tags - N/A

With each footstep making crunching noises into the thick blanket of snow that was below his feet, a pink haired male slowly made his way towards a spot that appeared two have two large logs laid on their sides across from one another while leaving a single patch of dirt that hadn't been touched too much by the snow yet. In the male's arms he carried several chopped hunks of wood along with some dried grass on top of it all, by the time he had reached the spot he made sure to drop everything down onto the semi dry patch before kneeling himself down in front of it to start an attempt at starting a fire. "C'mon...start dammit." Cursing silently to himself as he attempted to make a spark with a stone and flint so that the dry grass could burn and catch the rest of the wood chunks on fire as well. Without any luck as of yet and the night starting to take over the forest to make it all the more dark, it was either he get a flame started or he got back onto his motorcycle and continue forward without even a moment of rest; sleeping in the forest alone, cold and in the dark was plain suicide.

Eventually, several sparks came flying from the piece of flint as the dry grass started to begin to give off a white smoke as the male leaned forward just to blow on it softly to make the flame grow stronger around the rest of the wood. In a matter of minutes, the flame had start to burn steadily as the male simply took a seat onto one of the logs before stretching out his legs towards the flame while leaving his sheathed weapon beside him. The flame gave both a comforting warmth but as well as light, obviously enough to catch the attention of both wildlife as well as Grimm no doubt; yet at the time being, nothing appeared to wish to attack just yet and honestly it was better off that way.

Finally, without the need to concern himself with the cold any longer the next step now was to deal with the hunger that was building up in his stomach. The growling and uncomfortable sensation that built up around within him only had him place a his left hand over his stomach before shaking his head in protest against it. "Just wait till tomorrow at least.." It wasn't like this was the time to go out into the wild to go hunt for something to eat and he had already eaten the last of his rations that he had bought from the previous town he had visited a couple of days ago; and the rest of the way to reach his destination over in Vacuo was still quite another full day or two before he was going to make it there so there. For now, all he could do was just close his eyes and attempt to get some rest while he could.
 
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[Evening, Forest Between Vacuo and Vale]
@happydeath
So... Vale was complete bust. So far, he'd only run into a few villages desperate enough to hire a Hunter. It had only gotten him a warm bed and a cold meal. But still, that was great! Normally he'd have to pick if a village had been tormented by a particular Grimm for long enough. So he wasn't exactly running on fumes when the evening fell, and he even had a couple extra meals in his bag. Unfortunately, walking was boring. And also his only form of getting from place A to place B.

He should have stolen a motorcycle from some Atlas jerks. Would have been easy.

But no, he'd decided that going by foot would let him see the world. Just like how looking at the ocean on a boat for several days was 'seeing the world'. He was such an idiot. And worse, he needed to trim his back feathers again. However, he couldn't exactly stop earlier, because he saw somebody close to where he'd camped. How irritating.

At least with Alabaster, Phan never had to be this paranoid. Alabaster could keep watch better than anybody. However, since splitting up, Phan was finding it more difficult to maintain those stupid feathers. He didn't think Faunus had to deal with this sort of thing, or he'd explain it that way. Plus he was sure that those little stubby wings on his back had bone plates.

Why couldn't he be able to fly as an exchange for getting Grimm blood or whatever injected into him? That would make his life easier. He'd be able to spot Grimm, hit flying targets, and probably look cool.

"Some guys get all the luck. I am not those guys, though...,"
Phan griped. "And I need to stop somewhere for the night. Stupid Grimm!"

Not far off, he saw a fire being lit.

"I'm saved!"


He at least didn't have to spend the night alone. The maintenance could be a little later on. It wasn't that bad yet... Phan walked over to the light, carefully trying to make it apparent that he was not a threat.

"Hey! I'm traveling in this forest too, so I was wondering if I could... I dunno, stay in your camp? Since it's dark and scary and filled to the brim with monsters out there? I can help keep watch?"


Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Snowfall
Location - Forest In Between Vacuo and Vale
Tags - @Karyra


Spending several minutes sitting by the campfire just to allow himself to warm up his body from the intense amount of cold from the snow still covering parts of the log he sat on, even with the steady fall of snow the flame of the campfire melted away any that fell around the area where the flames could reach. From time to time, the male would rub his gloved hands together to attempt and keep his own blood flowing through both of his hands as well as the rest of his body as much as he possibly could. The last thing he wanted to do was to become a victim because of nature and freezing to death here. Moments passed and eventually the male decided to help himself up from his seat just to take a small walk towards his parked motorcycle a few feet away before lifting up the seat to check the hidden compartment underneath just to see if he had anything that he might be able to snack on or if he had anything useful that might help him keep a bit more warm. Sadly enough, there wasn't much available to him at the moment; just a few utensils made for cooking, a pot, a pan and a folded up blanket. Sure, the blanket came to a thought that he could use it to help him slightly keep warm however with the falling snow it was sure to become coated in a matter minutes and that would only make it wet.

Exhaling a deep sigh in disappointment, even though he knew what he was going to find since he checked earlier before he parked here for the night; he still had some hope that he might've just missed something.
Just then as he closed the compartment, the slightest sounds of rustling nearby of someone or something approaching had caught the male's attention as he stood completely still just to turn his head over his shoulder ever so slightly, listening carefully as to what or who it might be even if his weapon had still been resting against the log by the fire it did not leave him defenseless as he was more than prepared to battle with the use of anything he could grab nearby or even with his own hands.

Seconds later, the figure had soon made itself known by sight first to reveal that it was another male and by his posture followed by his request he clearly meant no harm, not to mention he was offering to keep watch if Axel allowed him to stay at the camp; while he didn't exactly need anyone to keep watch, the fact that two people together in a forest that was filled with Grimm and not to mention it was dark was going to make it an easier survival if anything. "Sure. You're welcome to stay. By any chance...would you happen to have any spare food with you at all?...I literally feel like I'm to the point that I am tempted to try and eat Grimm." Although he knew this wasn't exactly the greatest thing to ask someone he had just met, he was starting to feel a bit desperate for food; even if he knew he could last until the next day to wait till he had reached the next town, if this newcomer had anything to offer on the side for the time being it would be a lifesaver.
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Location - Zramore, Vacuo - Xanthias's Bullet Craft & Weapon Repairs



Blanche placed the small metal chest full of the .40 round boxes on top of the other stacks behind the front counter, all of them ready for the long day of traveling tomorrow with her companion's stock. Each chest contained different types of ammunition for the most common hunter weapons such as pistols and rifles, all bullets packaged in high heat-resistant boxes to protect herself and Burgundy in case the caravan caught fire. Xanthias, the owner, was in the back of the store working on a special order of dust infused ammo for a weapon that took .30-06 bullets.



The shop her grandfather owned and ran had been around for as long as he'd been in Vacuo. He'd told the story that he had gotten tired of markets for hunters not selling him quality ammunition or outright refusing service because of his race, and so out of spite he learned how to make his own bullets and sold at the lowest price he could without losing money. Not only was his craft better, but he was non-discriminatory against his customers and so more and more bought from him. It was because of him that the competition had to go out of business, leaving Xanthias one of the few remaining markets that sold quality bullets for a good price. So long as Atlas's bullet corporations stayed out of Vacuo, her grandfather had nothing to worry about.


Appearance-wise, Xanthias's beloved store wasn't as pretty as it could be. It was ground level with a large shade cloth hanging over the entrance. Inside were beige colored walls with dark wood floors. Hanging on the walls were large display shelves where the bullets were organized by type in cheap packaging, way different than the ones Blanche was taking for travel. From the tiny .380 auto to the .50 caliber were all ready to be sold.

Theft, or at least attempted theft, was a common problem within the store. So to battle this, Xanthias had replaced every bullet within the boxes with good looking fakes to make the potential thieves think they were taking the real thing. Every box containing the real product had the same heat-resistant packaging that Blanche was going to take for her travels. Xanthias wanted the best for his customers, but he didn't care if those thieves were relying on his fakes to kill Grimm. If they didn't care that they were preventing an old man and his family from eating and having a home, then why should he care if they were going to get hurt?

To a degree, Blanche agreed with him.



Blanche stood back up and sighed, taking a quick inventory of the crates she would have to carry back to the caravan. The night was almost here; traveling right now wouldn't be a good idea unless she and Burgundy wanted the possibility of facing Grimm or potential thieves... Well, there was always staying at her grandfather's house for the evening; she'd told her weasel Faunus friend that Xanthias was willing to take them both in if they ever needed a place to stay.


Speaking of Burgundy, where had she gone?

 
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Doran Kol
Location:
Zramore, Vacuo
Mentioned: @Jessica2477


Vacuo was never a place for the complacent or weak. Being more of a wasteland than anywhere else and Atlas being less inclined to spend its money there meant that it essentially was left to the will of the people, and while everyone collectively comes together for the purpose of overall survival, in the end the survival and prosperity of the individual is valued more. While Vacuo may not have the black market underworld of Mistral or the militant ruling of Atlas, it has its own share of individuals and organizations to watch out for, aside from the run of the mill mugger or thief. While the "formal" bandits, the ones known for pillaging and raiding, live away from civilization where individuals may band together, the urban population has its own kind of brigand unfortunately. In Vale, the position would be similar to that of some kind of criminal loan shark. In Vacuo, they're the people the desperate ones go to when they need something. It's not like they withholds the supplies that people go to them for, rather the opposite. However, these special kind of loaners are also known to make examples of those who can't pay up when the time comes. Person like that makes quite a lot of enemies, and without a very formal or well-supplied security force to handle scoundrels like that, this is normally how men like Doran earn their wage.

"I'm just saying, I don't mind the blood, but-Wait, who the fuck are you?"

"These are some nice shades... oh, wha?" Turning his attention to the voice, Doran ceased fiddling around with the sunglasses he had found on the desk he currently had his feet kicked up on.

This was his job, taking money, food, water, shelter or other necessities in exchange for dealing with certain "societal problems" as they were so-called. Today's job had found Doran tracking down a particularly harsh loaner. A rather uninteresting case; he had resolved plenty of these over the years, usually as the idiots left some loose end who scrapped enough together to order some vengeance.

Doran tracked the "office" of the sharks down, but after barging in they were nowhere to be found. So, here he sat for the past half-hour, fiddling around with the all-too-fancy chair and desk set up for the current situation of the state, waiting for them to return. He had planned on doing something cool, maybe hitting them with a nice one-liner as they walked in, taken by surprise.

"Well... look like you three-Wait, where the hell was I going with this? Shit. See, this is why you're punctual!" Before the three could express their confusion at the behavior of the intruder in front of him, Doran produced a single-barrel shotgun from under the table, pre-loaded with wind dust. Unable to react in time, a powerful gust of concentrated air shot into the group, striking the middle-most one in the chest and exiling him from the small building.

The two others brandished their arms and rushed forward, advancing from opposite sides. With a smirk and soft chuckle, a faint impression of Doran's person appeared to duck down, acquiring the aggro of both aggressors as they swiped downward with their weapons. However just as the image of his body moved down, it faded, revealing his true positioning as he rolled back in the chair. Grasping the top of the back with his free hand, Doran pushed himself into the air and towards the ceiling feet-first. As the faux-mobsters' gazes turned upwards mid-swing, Doran's smirk extended into a grin as he kicked off the ceiling, committing to a brief somersault in order to plant his feet firmly into the rightmost aggressor's face, forcing him to the floor. Feet now grounded, the mercenary pivoted and with a flick of his wrist, the shotgun morphed in an auburn scimitar.

The final one standing, appeared to possess enough reaction time to block the income slice, if he were to have accurately guessed its direction, that is. Once again, a hazy impression of the scimitar struck from one direction, but just as the man made effort to prepare a counter, the mirage disappeared and the scimitar's strike landed from a different, less-defended area. As the blade struck the man's stomach, Doran spiraled on his heel and extended a leg into the henchman's abdomen immediately after, sending him smashing into the wall of the room.

Three out cold, or two rather. Glancing behind him, the one that earned a boot to the face appeared to be stirring with a broken nose and mayhaps some missing teeth. Lackadaisically strolling over, Doran deployed his other scimitar, holding one in each hand, and stabbing them both into the ground around the man's head, mimicking a scissor formation.

"B-but-"

"Shh..." Doran hushed, the scimitars scraping ever so slightly against one another causing the man to shudder. "I've done this way too much to give a crap about what you have to say. I've already been paid, and Celeste is still pretty pissed about her husband."

"WAI-"



Tossing the pair of shades he had taken, or more accurately now, "looted", Doran dug through the pouch of coin Celeste had paid him. Poor girl had was still grief-struck, didn't even negotiate pricing or anything, just gave him all she had and told him to drop the name before the job was finished. Well, blood money was still money. The heroes liked to say that revenge didn't help, but just maybe she'll sleep better at night now.

"Those guys were amateurs... I really shouldn't have wasted that dust," Clicking his tongue, Doran knew dust wasn't as cheap as it used to be, not to mention his weapon took specialized capsules which created more fees to be paid when he ordered any. "Well, there goes a chunk of this money..."

Unfortunately with the job, or his hubris, ammunition was as much a necessity as food or water, and since the Scorching Sands made use of dust-type ammunition, resupply was, at times, a massive bitch. It didn't help that most shops made a habit of trying to haggle you out of your money.

Xanthias's Bullet Craft & Weapon Repairs

"They even sell dust ammo?" The vagabond murmured, but it was worth a shot, pun intended. Worst-case scenario, they would just try to sell him everything he isn't looking for.

Knocking on the side of the door frame as he pushed the door open, Doran made his presence known. "Yo, you guys are probably closing soon, but you don't sell dust ammo, do you?" The place itself seemed rather mediocre, but then again you didn't pay for lavish in Vacuo. If something still worked, you didn't waste time or money fixing it. It needed to be efficient, not pretty. "I kind of-erm... misplaced some of mine... yeah—I'm going with that."
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Location - Zramore, Vacuo - Xanthias's Bullet Craft & Weapon Repairs
Mention: @EmperorsChosen



The cow Faunus finished locking up the ammo crate containing the real merchandise then stood up to greet the man who had walked in. The excuse the stranger had given for the need for ammunition made her inwardly raise an eyebrow. Was he trying to lie, or was it intentional she not believe him? Blanche didn't know, but honestly, she didn't care. This person was a customer and whatever he did with those bullets was not her business.

They could stay open a little longer so long as this man didn't point a gun at her.


"Welcome." She gave a sweet, customer service smile, "We do sell dust ammo, but some sizes are special order. What caliber and kind of dust are you looking for?"

Blanche gave the man a once-over, trying to remember if she had seen him before as a customer. He wasn't ringing a bell compared to their regulars... Was this his first time here? She'd remember his face if it wasn't, surely... She might have to get the new customer discount ready.
 
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[Evening, Forest Between Vacuo and Vale]
@happydeath
Thankfully, while the other traveler was intimidating -he wore a cloak and bulky clothing who knows what could be under there- the guy was more than willing to let Phan stay with him through the night. Plus he didn't really have to work all that hard through the night as the Grimm weren't too bad around here, but it was always nicer to camp with someone else. The Grimm could be... stealthy. Especially since they were mostly black, Phan had to admit that he'd almost missed seeing a few while being in camp with Alabaster. Which would have been... in a word, terrible. In many, a disaster of epic proportions.

Which reminded him that he also needed to restock on feathers in his gauntlets. Traveling outside of towns had it's downsides, which was that one couldn't find a quiet place that there were no Grimm. It was even harder to find somewhere to maintain his back, which he kept circling back to because Phan really wished that he could be Grimm free for an hour at least.

"A-ah, you don't have to eat Grimm!"
Phan said, bolting back to reality. "I have a couple extra rations for the moment, so I can spare one to avoid you eating Grimm."

He dug through his bag quickly but carefully. He had to be careful with those feathers, not only were they few, but anyone looking too close as a Hunter might identify them as Nevermore feathers. Heck, with all the Grimm even some guy traveling could. Phan could lie, but he was too tired to explain.

"Ah, here they are. It's just some jerky and nuts, but I'm sure it'll taste better than Grimm, right? Certainly much better for you than that..."
Phan really didn't want to consider the question if he himself could eat Grimm without side effects. He was partly one now, right? Other Grimm ate each other sometimes without ill effects. Phan handed over the bag while stuffing that thought down into the depths of his brain. "Oh, and I'm Phan Alabaster. Traveling... uh... Hunter, I suppose. No point in lying, right? What other kind of traveler would be traveling alone? U-unless you aren't one in which case I'm sure you're very tough!"

Great first impression Phan, now he thinks you're crazy and knows that you're a Hunter. You'll be lucky to
just be booted from his camp.
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Snowfall
Location - Forest In Between Vacuo and Vale
Tags - @Karyra


Coming to the realization that the newcomer was not a threat after-all and simply wished to come and stay the night at the camp, Axel simply nodded to himself before making his way over back towards the log that he was once sitting upon. While sitting there in silence and his own emerald colored hues focusing on the flame that had been burning slightly less than it was moments ago, he made sure to toss a couple of logs onto the flame as fuel to allow it to begin burning much more lively once more. The last thing he needed right now was the fire to go out and it be complete darkness while he attempted to start another one.

Once the other male stated that there wasn't any need for Axel to go off and eat Grimm and that he had some rations that he could spare, the very thought that the man had something to give Axel was a miracle; usually strangers wouldn't offer food or let alone anything to someone they had just met so quickly yet he wasn't complaining. "Thank you so much...I will repay you as soon as I possibly can." Even though it was nothing more than a couple of pieces of jerky and some nuts to go with it, that was better off than starving and honestly it wasn't like Axel was too excited to experiment on seeing if he could eat Grimm. Ever since the whole experiments at the facility and now being stuck with this Grimm inside of him, Axel had been feeling as though each time he ate, he was feeding for both himself and the Grimm; so the instant he had gotten the food he wasted no time to gobble it down rather quickly and as best he could with only the use of his left arm since revealing his bandaged right arm from underneath the cloak now was probably only going to bring up questions and if the male was willing to give food he might end up be asking if he could help if it was a wound and obviously enough to Axel, this was no wound or at least not one that can be fixed by any kind of medicine.

Exhaling a low sigh from the satisfaction of being able to have at least something in his stomach; once the male introduced himself with his name as well as the fact that he was a hunter, Axel only kept silent for a few passing moments just to stare towards him with a rather questioning arched brow. The whole fact that he even introduced himself openly that he was a hunter was quite unexpected, true that he was indeed a hunter himself it didn't change the fact that many citizens nowadays weren't exactly accepting of hunters so much anymore. "True enough there...I am also a Hunter myself. I'm Axel Yoshimitsu by the way, it's an honor to meet you. I'm sure you know well enough because you're a hunter, it might not be such a good idea going around and letting people know what you are so quickly. We're not really respected or liked anymore.."

Speaking only the truth whether Phan wanted to believe it or not, he would soon reach for his own weapon; Raven's Talon just to pull it close and slip it underneath the cloak so that it wouldn't be completely covered in too much snow and cause any of it's functions to not work properly when needed. "So, just to be sure. Where are you headed since you're a traveling hunter?...I'm headed for Vacuo. If our paths are crossing anywhere along the line...I can repay you for the food." Of course, Axel didn't really carry that much currency on him to repay the man in money but yet he was also a close enough master chef at this point so he could make him a few meals that the man could take with him that would fill him up more than simply a few pieces of jerky and some nuts whenever they reached a town and Axel could get some more fresh ingredients from any nearby market.
 
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Doran Kol
Location:
Zramore, Vacuo
Mentioned: @Jessica2477


The shopkeeper appeared to be young Faunus woman. A cow or—whatever else could have horns. Beautiful, with a sweet smile and welcoming tone, but she didn't look like a Xanthias. She was either a worker, or Doran had walked into a low-key robbery—again. That was fun; pretty girl, he walks in, sudden explosion. Would do again. The cute ones that could give a pretty smile could always also give the coldest glares or the craziest grins. At least he got free supplies afterwards.

"Yeah, .78 I think? Special gauge shotgun shells," Doran replied, grasping at one half of Scorching Sands' condensed form and flicking it to show off its ballistic form. Its was a bit old-fashioned, most weapons went for a more modern, semi-automatic or pump design. "I just need a few, wind-type. You wouldn't happen to have any just laying around?"

If they were to order, that'd be a pain in the ass, but unsurprising. Aside from having to wait, it would cost more too, if they weren't just trying to swindle. Doran waited a month for them to import that dust fuel. That was a good waste of time and money. He got the money back after some "persuasion" but the time—Speaking of persuasion though.

"Might be special order... but I don't suppose you'd give me a discount just for telling you that you're pretty?"

This is where things could go very good or very bad. Haggling was just typical for the country, but people went about it in different ways, usually depending on the person they were talking to. Doran's nature was very tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic usually, in a cute way, or so he believed at the least. Some people—many people—however did not find his humorous disposition so elating. As such, this could either end in a giggle, or a bullet. He still thought that girl jumped the gun; He just complimented her. Mind you, she was trying to rob him, but still, rather rude.

If he had to wait and spend more, that meant he'd have to work another few jobs before heading out likely. Despite the high demand, Doran's work didn't normally pay well, mainly as people paid with what they had and nobody had that much. Special order also meant, room and board, food. He supposed if it took long enough he could always migrate somewhere and come back to pick it up. That was always a pain though, worrying about supplies and Grimm and bandits. Well, not so much the bandits. At this point, most of them were like a free delivery service of random prizes.
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Location - Zramore, Vacuo - Xanthias's Bullet Craft & Weapon Repairs
Mention: @EmperorsChosen




Yes, the customer was absolutely right about the special order part. A .78 shotgun shell hadn't been requested since February two years ago, and those had been just regular, no dust bullets.

Blanche took a look at the weapon's shotgun form. Even if the weapon was a little old-fashioned, it was still quite a beautiful firearm. She'd have loved to take a closer look, but no touching unless it was necessary. She didn't want to be accused of breaking the man's gun if the shotgun became faulty soon after the customer's visit. As a weapon repair shop, he could think she sabotaged it so he would come back and get it fixed there as well.


What some people would do to try and make a quick buck.



The customer's compliment did make her smile a bit bigger, but more amused than anything. At least this one was honest about what he wanted and wasn't trying to lead her on in an attempt to get cheaper merchandise and own part of the store in the future...

Fucking Violetta...


"We don't give discounts for flattery or for being handsome." She told him, "But we do give one for 30% off to new customers. It'll be added to your order."

Her grandfather always mentioned and described who had come in so they didn't offer the discount twice. He would have mentioned a black-haired, sharp-featured hunter with an old-timey shotgun and sword combination.

Blanche took out a piece of paper and pen to have ready just in case. "Right now, the only ready shells we have are for 12 and 28 gauge shotguns. But, I'll be able to make your shells for you easy. The only problem is that I'll have to handmake the cases and assemble the shells one by one. This means they probably won't be ready until tomorrow. If you're okay with waiting, we can get started."
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Snowfall
Location - Forest In Between Vacuo and Vale
Tags -
@Karyra @happydeath



Traveling through the setting sun and following snow, Juniper shakes her head a bit keeping a careful watch on the road ahead, while defacto in command of a Company, Assignments on the scouting and kill groups meant in practice she had a Platoon to call upon, which in turn had to be split up among check points and as with her last seven men had to be sent with a refugee and trade caravan making it's way from Vacuo to Vale, meaning in turn that Juniper was all alone.

Though not helpless, well armed and with reinforcements not far away, if she started up a gunfight it would be heard and some of the other patrols would be on the way, with that in mind and her own capabilities, the Atelsian Captain had little worry in venturing down the road alone, much like the Hunters and Huntresses of old.. That being said she didn't care much for the snow and the only reason she was out here was to check for stragglers. Noting the soft rising of smoke in the distance it seemed at least a fire was a bit off into the woods on the Trail side for Vacuo rather than Vale.

Heading for the campsite she could spot two men..or she assumed men in the distance, straining to listen in a few words struck out "..a hunter myself..Vacuo..." Something about repayment and traveling.. Well they were too well armed to be Merchants or Refugees from that last group and there were far too few to be Bandits and much too sober besides.

While a Ranger, there was but so much stealth Juniper could perform in this situation, as time went on her Green would show up in the white and her spare ammo containers would rattle about with her Woodsmen's Bane...plus a nice fire could be useful and she remembered the Sacrifice of the Hunters all those years ago.. Never mind all the ones that people would try to lynch if given a chance and allies were far and few on this road.

Moving into view and down upon the camp the woman takes some care to keep her hands in the open, even if one of them was carrying a strange looking box.

"Yo! Hello there! Mind if I take a seat by your fire for a little bit till the snow lets up? Been on Patrol all day.. You guys doing alright on food and supplies?" Leaning up against a tree while she waited for some sort of reply, Captain's Bars were visible on her modified Field Uniform, Atlesian Military, though with some strange additions that seemed to suit the Red haired, green eye woman.

"Ah, Captain Garnet, Juniper, with the Vale Garrison, Rangers. Nice to Meet'cha..?" Thinking a bit on the fact she was assuming these two were Huntsmen and the current relationship with Atlas the woman reaches slowly into her coat pulling out a trio of Chocolate flavored survival bars, standard military rations with plenty of calories and protein, a specialty item issued to the Soldiers that were constantly on the move in daily operations. "Want one? I like to think we all are friends out on these roads far from civilization.."

While they had just been eating from the looks of it, these quasi candy bars could help thaw the Ice, plus she hadn't shown up with a bunch of soldiers to arrest or kill them..though they could always try doing the same to her, it was a risk but her duty was to help travelers.

When she wasn't thinning out Grimm numbers at least... Even if they were Huntsmen..maybe especially in these times, plus she was curious what they were up to..
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Soft Rain
Location - Black Market, Wakikata, Mistral
Tags -
N/A

"Monsters, Monsters, Big and Small..."

It was a pleasure to bleed him out, push him to the very edges of agony and unconsciousness, and then to hold him there, suspended, suspended, suspended as blood drip dropped down to the tempo set by the quiet rain. Like a fly caught in a web, like a crab caught in a net, like a mouse caught in a trap, he struggled and squirmed, body resilient and willpower unbending, just like all the others, until it did bend, until it did break, leaving nothing but pitiful whispers from a throat long gone raw. She had liked the spark of defiance in his eyes, had wondered of the color of his soul and even now, she enjoyed the glassy dimness of his emerald eyes, like stained glass viewed on a moonless night, but now, it all tired. His body was no longer so warm, his blood long congealed, his dark skin ashen and strained. Soulless after all.

She hummed that old, childish rhyme as she sat on a crate, her head in her hands as she swung her legs back and forth. How much longer would he bleed for? How much longer would his last whispers remain in his lungs? How much longer until he became cold like the others, spent coals extinguished by torrential damp?

The man croaked once more, before going limp against the wires that displayed him so artfully on top of that quiet shed. She clicked her tongue, and with a flick of her wrist, dropped him onto the floor once more, the murderous art reduced to a jumble of limbs. Neither the longest nor the hottest. A median through and through. She couldn't even remember his name anymore. The wires snaked and whirred, shedding blood and fat like a second skin before they ravelled themselves within her weapons once more, and with that, she hopped off, leaving the rust-stenched shed for a brighter, more extravagant place.

For a girl on the quest of love, a setback or two should never discourage her from continuing, after all~!

~~~​

Despite Atlas's attempts to quell demand and chase off supply, Wakikata's Black Market was as raucous as ever. From the gray to the truly black, all manner of vendors could be found plying their trade or hawking their wares in that hole in a cliff. Rain cascaded down hastily constructed tarps, most stalls set up in a manner so that everything could be quickly packed up the moment a patrol got close, while various gang members strode about, shooting dark looks at each other. But the Black Market was a neutral zone, even when different merchants bought their protection from different gangs, and the only sort of violence one would find would be in the gambling dens three tiers below. Even the knife-edge danger of gangsters and hitmen, however, could not outshine the levity and brightness that Azalea brought along with her through the streets. WIth pink hair, fluffy ears, and a springy gait, the rabbit faunus looked as if she belonged in an entirely different social class, a student of an academy that no longer existed instead of a vagrant mingling with murderers, cutthroats, and thieves. Her clothes, shoeless stockings that reached the mid-part of her calves, a sinfully short skirt just high enough to promise something more if eyes gazed upon her posterior, and a dark, double-breasted coat that made one question if she really wore anything underneath, was similarly ill-suited for the drab, seedy atmosphere.

But the heavy-set man with a cannon for an arm grabbed the part where metal met flesh, grimacing as she walked by.

But the thin, reedy mantis-faunus with a psychedelic skull face tattooed on the back of his head nodded in acknowledgement as she bounced by.

But the wary widow with three razor thin scars crossing from her right jawline to her left earlob shrunk back, even as her children gazed at those soft ears with childlike curiousity.

Azalea smiled all the way, her expression a ray of sunshine and rainbow illuminating the damp evening, as her feet tip-tapped a beat towards her usual haunt: a food cart that sold meat expired just long enough to be bought at a discount, but short enough that the quality wasn't impacted yet.
 
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Doran Kol
Location:
Zramore, Vacuo
Mentioned: @Jessica2477


A compliment back, that didn't usually happen. Good sign, but with the mention of an actual discount, Doran drew on his skepticism. People with some lived longer and kept better hold of their wallets.

"Heh, well, I'll take the compliment," He began, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "Buuut... An actual discount? There's no catch? You don't got like three guys hiding under that counter waiting to jump out? Nah, that'd be obvious. They're in the ceiling, aren't they?"

Briefly glancing up at the top of the room, the man's tone made it difficult to decipher if it was based mainly from serious paranoia or if he was simply trying to be humorous, or possibly a little of both. Doran could be a bit weird, but a surprising amount of the strange stories he told actually took place. One could think his true semblance was attracting oddities or just bad luck.

"Well, depending on how badly it kicks me in the wallet, that'll be fine." Assuming as well, that any friends of that loan shark weren't looking for him and he could spend another night here. "...Probably..."

The special ammo wouldn't drain him completely, but it would take a chunk of his funds away. No rest for the wicked, or the working apparently. He needed to find a better paying client, but that usually involved waiting for some Grimm to attack a vulnerable village. Nobody wanted a huntsman around, until they were being eaten, that is. When that happened, they pay random people anything for protection. Funny how that turns out.

"So, will flattery get me a tip at least, Miss... C'mon, you're not Xanthias, right?" Doran inquired, asking for her name. "Know of anyone who needs quick work around here, any bounties, stuff like that?"

If she was ever wondering what he meant when he said he "misplaced" some of his rounds, it likely clear now what he relied on for a living. Not that it was really anything to hide. There were plenty of mercenaries or arms for hire in Vacuo, and the position was more respectable than the all too common thief or bandit. Plus, with Huntsmen shunned, people needed someone for protection... or stabbing. Mostly stabbing.
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Location - Zramore, Vacuo - Bar hopping
Tags - @Accelerator


It had been a few years since Chro decided to retire from active duty as a Huntress, not that it really stopped her so much as slowed her down. In that time, she'd moved from Vale to Vacuo, leaving the running of the Foundation mostly to trusted friends and associates. She could finally relax, help people rebuild, and set up that little cafe. Or at least, that's what she told herself. Zramore tended to need more help than most, and without the protection from Atlas, it relied more on its citizens to do the job. A busybody huntress like Chro couldn't complain. Even if she was supposed to be taking it easy, it was hard to ignore Grimm when they were nearby. And even if she wasn't hunting, building her cafe from the ground up certainly kept her busy. But now, she had been open for business for a while.

She had her evening to herself, as she usually did. And, again as she usually did, she found herself wandering around in search of a good pub. The cafe didn't remain open this time of day, it was really more of a morning to afternoon sort of place. Most of the people out enjoying the Zramore night life weren't looking for tea, coffee, and some light snacks. She shivered a bit in the crisp air. Snow was likely only a matter of time.

The raven-haired woman ducked into one of the taverns lining the street. She recognized the place well enough as somewhere she had visited at least a couple times in the past. It had more of a homey atmosphere than some sort of nightclub, and was certainly quieter, which suited someone like her just fine. She could still tear up the dance floor, but her days of dressing up and hitting nightclubs with their loud music and bright lights were behind her. Give her a place where she could drink and talk to friends without shouting any day.

"Evening," Chro greeted the bartender as she took a seat on an unoccupied stool. "Anything interesting on tap tonight?"
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Location - Zramore, Vacuo - Xanthias's Bullet Craft & Weapon Repairs
Mention: @EmperorsChosen


"No catch, and no one hiding in the ceiling or behind this counter. It's just our way of getting customers to come back. No need to change what works, yeah?"

This hadn't been the first time someone had been skeptical about their pricing and their discounts, though those had been for different reasons. They'd always assume that the bullets weren't going to be top notch or barrel destroyers for the weapon, but that wasn't the case. Her grandfather knew that people enjoyed being seen as people rather than just numbers, so he, Blanche, and any employees he hired gave all the customers pleasant interaction and something to be happy about when they left. The discount was to show appreciation for the newcomer's business, the bullets' quality was to ensure the customer kept coming back for more.

Blanche had already had her suspicions about this hunter from the way he said he misplaced his bullets. No respectable hunter "misplaced" bullets; not when any second could be their last. Either the guy did more than just hunt Grimm, or he sucked at what he did.


The Cow Faunus began scribbling down the customer's request of dust bullets, the size, and the type of dust requested. She'd ask him how many he needed then write down his answer.


"Blanche is my name, Xanthias is my grandfather." She answered his first question. Blanche was happy and a bit relieved to hear this man was a mercenary rather than a hunter that was more a danger to himself than Grimm. Where the bullets had been "misplaced" she'd rather not know. Not that it was any of her business anyway.

"There's a bounty board just outside to the left and another further down the road. A lot of people looking for someone to protect them while they travel from city to city, some bounties for criminal capture, and some hard labor work if you need money right now. You can check towns on the outskirts of Vacuo too if you don't like what you find. They're bound to have something."

Blanche, being the traveler herself, had seen enough to know where a good amount of bounty boards were and what offered the most amount of work. Vacuo was a lot more vocal about their need of hunters and huntresses, so anyone searching for mercenary type jobs would be able to get what they're looking for.

"Okay, so these seven dust bullets will cost you 15 with the discount. If that's okay, you can tell me your name and I'll have it ready for you by 8 A.M. tomorrow morning."

 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Snowfall
Location - Forest In Between Vacuo and Vale
Tags - @happydeath @RedArmyShogun

"Well, it's not like I go around yelling it from the treetops, but like I said, if I lied about it, the jig would be up pretty quickly. I'm a guy traveling alone to Vacuo, and frankly nobody else would be wandering forests alone these days." Phan shrugged.

"Although I may take you up on that favor, considering my destination is 'Vacuo' in the broadest sense. Mostly, I just wanna get by. Dropping me at the nearest village would be best, I just wanna have a bed for a night. The ground is way too hard on my back..."


Phan sighed at the idea of another night on the ground. He had a bedroll, but he'd kill for a real bed. Alabaster told him he was spoiled, but anything more than the thin fabric of a bedroll and the ground was always better than nothing. His easygoing smile made him look like some kind of fool, but the second that he heard someone coming, Phan was on his feet and facing the intruder. His gauntlets were at the ready, because if there was someone else here, then the odds were good that they weren't friendly.

It was worse than Grimm. It was some woman from the Atlas military. The captain bars made him uneasy, hazy memories floating to the surface. He didn't settle for a while after her offer was extended. His eyes flicked from the bars to her face then back to the bars. Part of him wanted to attack, even if it made no sense. Hurt her because she was one of them.

The other, far more reasonable part, decided to carefully take her up on her offer. He edged close to her, grabbed a bar and scooted back away from her. Never turn down food. Never. That bar could be all that stood between him and starvation. It had been the reason that he still had rations. He had to be careful. His actions were more like an alley cat accepting food while being skeptical of the source. As though at any moment it could be whisked away to the pound. Or worse.

"I didn't think that Atlas had patrols near this area. Thought that they mostly focused on the big, shiny cities on the hill."
Phan was still skeptical, putting the bar away in his pack. His weapons were still out, and he was watching carefully. "So, should we have to worry about your allies or we all 'friends' right now like you said? You'll forgive me if I don't take you at your word right away, I'm not a very trusting person when it comes to Atlas."
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Snowfall
Location - Forest In Between Vacuo and Vale
Tags - @Karyra @RedArmyShogun


At first, having the very reply that Phan was also heading in the same general direction as he was as well as the fact that he seemed to be accepting of the fact that he was going to agree to have Axel repay him for the kindness of sparing some of his rations; it brought a rather thankful smile across his own lips. Although the fact that he seemed to state about heading off to the nearest village so that he could find a bed to rest instead of sleeping on the ground here in the forest was quite the different story, with how it was as already pitch black all around at this point and there be no telling what was lurking out there; the idea of riding or traveling at the moment might've not been the best of options, though if that was what he wanted than Axel would comply to move forward as well.

Right before he could even begin to push himself off from the snow covered log, the slightest sound of rustling of the nearby bushes quickly had Axel reach to grip the sheathe of his own weapon immediately. The movement was far too light to be that of any large Grimm yet whatever it was did not immediately come jumping out to attack straight away so it might've been another person but even so, the male had met plenty of other variations of Grimm to know never to trust any sound he heard in the darkness.
Finally, as the being had stepped into the light of the camp only to reveal themselves as a female captain of the Atlas Military; Axel had silently exhaled a sigh of relief that it wasn't Grimm at least. Atlas troops wasn't exactly something to be comfortable about either yet having at least a face that can speak and reason with was better than dealing with ravaging beasts that know nothing more than bloodshed.


Even as the female came into the camp and greeted herself in a rather friendly manner as well as questioning whether or not the two males were good on supplies and food, Axel remained completely silent throughout the entire time even if Phan was open to speaking with the Atlas woman. The only time the male actually decided to answer the woman was when she introduced herself to the duo; the entire time he remained seated upon the log with his grip still on the sheath of his weapon while keeping his right arm tucked underneath the cloak to avoid any possible glimpses or peeks at his unnatural limb. "Axel Yoshimitsu...We're just travelers. We just so happen to come across each other by accident." Obviously making sure not to reveal too much information to the woman; especially the fact that the two of them were hunters, Axel simply rejected the offer of the bar of candy in paranoia that it could be drugged in some way.

Having several run-in's with the Atlas military now, every encounter with them has never turned up friendly in anyway; especially when they end up figuring out that he was a Hunter and even worse if they found out he was one of the experiments from Project Grimm. Spending several passing moments in nothing more than silence and blank stares, Axel finally decided to speak up a question that could either lead this straight to a firefight on the spot or continue a conversation that could possibly lead to Phan and himself leaving the area completely unscathed. "If you don't mind me asking, what is an Atlas Captain doing this far off from the main road and separated from the rest of her patrol group? I'm sure you saw the smoke from the campfire from wherever you might've been patrolling from...yet you came into the forest alone to just investigate it on your own?" While Axel questioned the woman, his attention appeared mostly focused on the flames of the campfire most of the time yet he was paying close attention to each of the woman's movements by mere sound.
 

Setting/Location
Time - Evening
Weather - Snowfall
Location - Forest In Between Vacuo and Vale
Tags -
@Karyra @happydeath

Well... talk about suspicious behavior.. She would rather not fight the two, but both of them seemed to be overly eager for that.. With what all had happened the last nearly twenty years, she couldn't blame them, it was more than any candy bars and saying sorry would fix. The smaller one seemed to have the right of it sadly, snatching one of the bars almost like a feral animal. There was danger here, in dealing with these two, but in a manner honesty was the best policy.. Though she had to admit that remark on Atlas had stung a bit, mostly as there was some truth to it.

"Atlas is..spread thin.. The shiny cities are where most of what's left live.. I'm tasked with my Company by Special Forces Command to carry out patrols on the roads, thin the Grimm on kill strikes and try to keep the roads safe for travelers."

Both men seemed far too interested in how many allies she had around or why she was out here in the first place, staring a bit of icy daggers at the pair briefly, she smiles while casually leaning against a tree, her large green box resting nearly perfectly at waist height and a hand on the handle.

"I can't tell you all that, I can say we just came across a group of refugees and traders, I went back here to look for stragglers on the road. Most of my men I sent as an escort. Another Patrol is at an outpost down the road and not all that far if you get my meaning.. Surprising isn't it? Some Atlesian soldiers actually do take our Oath to Protect the people seriously.."

Using her free hand to bring one of the bars up to her mouth, the woman tears at it with her teeth before taking a bite, if they wanted to fight this would be the time.. Taking a bit of a risk, she was fairly sure what the pair of them were and would address them as such..

"..and not all of us forgot that night, Hunter. I seen a good number of yours die to believe they were behind it. I can only do so much in the city, but out here? I don't care if you are the Maidens from the fairytale, you fight the Grimm and don't attack travelers and I have no cause to stop you, sadly not all think as I do." Eyes peering at both men, she was ready to press the button on her box, all the while chewing on her ration bar, the subtle jingle of ammo links could be heard beneath her cloak, though she doubted they would take her words at face value, a little pragmatism however might set them at ease..

"Plus the more you people can move means the more Grimm die and if I can provide a little help, then I can avoid making difficult choices or questions from Atlas.. So would you two like to talk, or would you rather have a showdown? I would much rather kill Grimm than Humans or Faunus unless I have to.. I don't think you'll be able to get a much better deal than this. So can I have a seat and we talk? Call it the Highway Patrol Candy Bar Social, good view, shit snow."

Speaking at length,now was time to see how the pair reacted and if a deal could be struck.. Or if she would be back peddling while cutting down trees with MG fire... Or just maybe they would take up her offer on what limited help she could give and see that she was on the same side..well out here at least.
 
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