RWBYFanon v5

RPG World of Remnant => Everywhere Else => Topic started by: Riven on June 11, 2018, 05:04:56 PM

Title: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Riven on June 11, 2018, 05:04:56 PM: S C E N E ~ M U S I C
Bazaar Merchants (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRk5d5qrv9c)
by Derek Fiechter

Ah, Vacuo. The City in the Shade. The "Gem of the West". The "Great Oasis". And, for one particular freewheeling young man... home.

Sort of.

One can only be so impressed by all the gleam and dazzle of a city while living out of an old shed, cutting smuggling deals in back alleys between classes, and routinely dashing across the desert wastes for either business or pleasure. Sean had long ago ceased to be impressed by the city whose walls he sheltered behind, having seen too much of its shadows to be naive and not enough of the world to draw comparisons. To him, the "great" kingdom-city was just a place where those with a mite of authority tried unsuccessfully to tell everyone how to live their lives, largely to be ignored and disregarded in favor of the strong, the cunning, or the wealthy. Shade had its fair share of all three, of course, but not nearly enough to change this wild town's soul... though, truth be, it was more like the nation's soul. Wanderers. Outcasts. The stubborn and misguided breaking bread with the jaded and unscrupulous. It was the old wisdom, pure and simple, the 'one unspoken rule' that everyone somehow seemed to know regardless. If you can survive here, you're welcome here.

Laying on a crate in the early-morning shade of his ramshackle abode, Sean wasn't exactly deep in thought. More like 'skimming over memories'. He'd just met his new teammates less than a week back, and after the fiasco that had brought them together it was just yesterday that things had finally quieted down. Gods, how he hated getting questioned and lectured by cops. Even though he and his new friends had finally proven their innocence in that whole mess he still got the business just for "getting mixed up in trouble". Ugh. Somehow he knew that even if he one day did become a Huntsman, live like a goddamn hero, he'd never get any respect around here. And he'd basically just been an 'accomplice to vigilante mischief' in the whole ordeal...

... Which brought his team lead, the center of the storm as it were, to mind. He hadn't really checked in with Solar much after all that went down, and classes were due to start soon. That meant books. Lectures. Homework. All things that he rather doubted a faunus girl from an isolated mountain village had much experience with. Thinking back, there were rather a lot of things she hadn't exactly been savvy on. Slowly, a smile cracked across his face. Yeah... now that wouldn't be a bad way to spend one of the last days of vacation. Rocking back until he was literally doing a handstand, the scruffy blonde sprang to his feet with a pleased-with-himself smile and pulled out his Scroll.

TO: Solar Raise MESSAGE: Sup boss! Things finally settled down on your end a bit, I hope? Figure we oughta meet up before classes, get you familiar with the city beyond just alleyways & rooftops. Lunch is on me. You game?
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Ordelis on June 11, 2018, 10:19:00 PM: A message from Sean!.....He wants lunch?.....Sounds like fun!
So she started running, Solar loved to run. Not only as a form of exercise but the feeling of being free, the rush of wind, and the intensity of going fast. She bobbed and weaved between people, she jumped over carts, and ducked under tables. "Excuse mee coming through! Sorry!" though she didn't dodge everything as she bumped into the an unlucky passerby with a load of cargo. As she ran she found the perfect opportunity, a stall placed under a balcony. Running full speed Solar hops atop the stall on top of the balcony and straight on top of the roof tops of the desert kingdom.

This was the second thing she loved, heights. Perhaps it reminded her of her first home, or the day she met her dad, whatever the reason, was she kept running. bounding over gaps between buildings, the sight of the kingdom lay beneath her. From here she could see and go wherever she wanted with nothing in her way. Without the shade of the buildings, the bright desert sun mercilessly shined down upon her, it was hot sure but Solar didn't mind because the rushing wind pushing on her would cool her off. She was weird like that, despite growing up on a cold mountain top, she never got used to it and always hated the cold. Solar looked up towards the Vacuan sun, a perfectly clear and beautiful day in the desert country, business as usual.
A shape silhouetted against itself against the light she was admiring. A shadow, a wing, a bird, FOUND IT with a rush of speed Solar picked up her pace and chased after the creatures above the rooftops, before long she caught up to them and her prey were soon to realize what was happening. Flying higher to escape it looked like the creatures would soon be out of reach to the crazed chaser. Until an explosion of wind propelled Solar high into the air from a jump that shouldn't have been possible. "Gotcha!" Solar victoriously shouted as she grabbed the creatures legs. The feeling of weightlessness didn't take long to grab Solar as she quickly fell to the ground.

But as luck would have it, she would be landing exactly where she was going to. There were not many places Solar could navigate on her own to in such a large city. But if there was one place she could remember, it was a place she wanted to remember. Sean's garage of vehicles. "AAAAARHHH!" with a loud crash Solar fell right through the shack's ceiling atop a pile of rubble and furniture. Dust clouds burst obscuring the view of what exactly fell but with the sound of debris being shifted around Solar burst from the mess "Hey Sean! you wanted food!?" a dusty Solar declared proudly offering her catch out for Sean to see, a turkey vulture fighting to get out of Solar's grasp.
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Riven on June 12, 2018, 01:45:15 PM: (OOC: She's never gonna stop being hilariously out-of-touch, is she? xD)

After sending the text message and waiting for Solar to respond, Sean had opted for a quick shower to get the scent of motor oil and Dust residue off. Still dripping wet, he'd just finished and grabbed a towel when a meteorite came crashing through the roof of his shed-house... a meteorite comprised of one part faunus girl and one part butt-ugly bird. Blinking and coughing as everything settled, the young smuggler could only blink in stunned disbelief at the sight that greeted his eyes.

This was not what he'd had in mind.

Hastily wrapping a towel around his waist, Sean sighed as Solar proudly held her catch. "Boss, you are definitely not lacking in the enthusiasm department. Details, however... may not be your strong suit." He regarded the bird with some surprise, then gradually traced the path of Solar's entrance with his eyes and put two and two together. She'd caught it. By hand. Ho. Lee. Shite. "Soooooooo... couple quick things. One:" He pointed to the turkey vulture. "Those? They eat dead things. As in 'died out in the sun and rotted for a couple of days' dead things, hence the smell. Not a good meal idea. Two: you didn't have to bring food. I mean, it's cool that you, um, caught that and all? But, yeah, I've got lunch covered for today. Figured you deserve a taste of true Vacuan cooking after everything you've been though."

"Which brings up three... mind if I, uh, get some pants on real quick?"
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Ordelis on June 12, 2018, 06:34:14 PM: (OOC: It's what makes writing her so much fun!)

"Sure!" Solar replied automatically, completely oblivious to Sean's desire for privacy as nudity was not something considered indecent to her immature mind. Still holding the struggling bird she gave it a look and thought over what Sean had said. "You don't like vulture?...but I'd be a real waste to let this go..." she said looking at the creature and giving it some thought.
"I'll just leave it here in case you change your mind!" settling her decision, Solar grabbed a nearby chain ,looped it around the neck of the vulture, and fastened it down so it was chained to the wall. Satisfied she returned her attention to Sean "So! You mentioned you caught something? Being from around here I bet you know all the good hunting spots right!?" her eyes now sparked with her usual curiosity, eager to learn things completely foreign to her.
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Riven on July 05, 2018, 01:29:17 PM: He'd been both relieved and concerned to see Solar literally chaining down the live vulture: relieved because he could grab some clothes while she was busy, and concerned what that crazy bird might do if it managed to slip loose. Then again, this was Solar Raise: bird-hunter and wild mountain girl. In her hands, those chains would likely be enough to keep an Ursa immobile. Which, as the young smuggler hastily wriggled into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, brought to mind the fact that the apartment would likely stink of vulture by the time they got back from today's outing.

...Meh. He'd had worse roommates, after all.

"Hunting spots". How to explain this...? "Well, I do know a few places out in the wastes," Memories of trapping and cooking a longpaw rabbit one time when Gust Raider broke down came to mind, along with a few well-known watering holes and brush-land areas. "Buuuut, I can do ya one better. Vacuo's one of the biggest market cities in the world, and it has some really good restara-" He realized halfway through the word that she likely had no idea what a 'restaurant' was. "That is to say, people who'll trade really good food for money." Gods, he hoped she knew what money was. How remote and isolated could that village really be? "Fortunately, I know some of the best. You're in for a real treat today."

Now what to do with that vulture...?

After getting himself decent, Sean led his team leader further into the city. Their destination was a local bar & grill called Pepper's, both for the name of the proprietor and for the fact that peppers, spicy or otherwise, were in virtually every dish. They also made some of the best steak fajitas around -- something he was willing to bet would wow Solar's taste buds. He'd made sure to choose a colorful route too; the restaurant was just on the edge of the market district and there were plenty of various shops along the way. Having not known each other much outside of chase and fight scenarios, the blonde bomber figured he'd probably learn more about his most-definitely-fearless leader by seeing what sorts of things caught her eye than by asking a million questions.

He did, however, have at least one. "Sooo... how's the horn healing? You were still in a rough way last time we met up." He knew Aura was a powerful healing agent, but with something like ram's horn he wasn't really sure how that would play out.
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Ordelis on July 09, 2018, 07:57:31 PM: "Oh It's gotten better since then! I still feel a little crack in it but at least it doesn't hurt anymore" she reached up to her left horn that currently had a wrapping of gauze and an orange ribbon tied to it. She gave the wound an experimental poke seeing if it would cause discomfort. As it turned out the wound was still sensitive and Solar winced in surprise at the pain. "Maybe just a little bit" she said with a reassuring smile.
The colorful sights, sounds, and smells from the market made Solar's head swivel and turn in every direction. Having seen the market but had little success in actually purchasing anything she now had Sean as a guide. "Ooh Sean what's that thing it smells good!" Solar exclaimed directing her attention to a pizza joint, "Ooh these are cool how do you make them?" Before Sean could even see what Solar what she was talking about she would immediately jump from one thing to another "Hey! Hey! what are these things for? Can I eat this? What're those clothes that guys wearing? What's with this statue?" Her attention ended on a street performer pretending to be a smiling bronze statue in a cloak with a small basket of change in front of him.
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Riven on July 13, 2018, 12:37:57 PM: 'Wow. She is a hundred miles an hour of questions...' Sean couldn't help but think, clearly realizing that to Solar this bustling marketplace must seem like a world unto itself. Her attention -- and his with it -- leapt from one target to another like chain lightning. He barely had time to realize she was talking about pizza before she was fascinated by... had it been that jewelry stall, the blown glass souvenirs, or the miniature Grimm statues in bronze? And then her attention was on something else, another something else, and... oh great, street performer. It would be challenging enough to explain the city to Solar without going into people-pretending-to-be-things. 'Note to self: bad idea to overwhelm the boss-lady with multiple new things at once.'

"Whoa, hey, slow down and let me catch up!" Sean playfully chided with a chuckle. Her curiosity truly knew no bounds. "All this is new for ya, I get that. I'll do my best to explain along the way, just... one thing at a time, eh?"

"So, to cover just a few things..." He launched into a general tour guide style exposition of the market -- how people came from towns, villages, and even other kingdoms to trade things they had, or made, or could do, all in exchange for Lien. That included lots of different types of food, handcrafts, even weapons. He pointed out a few of the highlights along the way. "That place? They make some of the best roasts and sandwiches you'll ever have. That place promises rare and valuable stuff from the other kingdoms, but most of it is fake or really badly made. This stall is owned by the guy who provides my uncle with some of the parts he uses in his garage, so I can usually strike some pretty good deals with them. That store sells Dust-infused clothing -- not very sturdy but very sparkly, the sort of thing rich people wear when they want to impress each other. Long story short: if you have the money you can buy just about anything in Vacuo's market," He dropped his voice and half-whispered. "Even things you're not technically supposed to."
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Ordelis on July 15, 2018, 08:32:53 PM: Solar calmed herself down to listen to Sean's explanation, she wanted to interrupt with more questions every time he explained something. If it's rare and valuable how can it be fake? How can something even be fake? Why do rich people want to impress each other? but it was Sean's last comment that truly caught her attention.

"Stuff your not supposed to buy? why can't I buy them? What kind of stuff is it? Is it dangerous? Where can we find this stuff? Let's go look for it!" If there was anything Solar wanted it was anything considered 'Off-limits'. After being lied to about everything outside her village, she made it a point to go out of her way to disobey anything that denied her. However a growl from her stomach interrupted her excitement.
"Aaaafter we get that food, sooo which way do we go?" she said looking around waiting for Sean to show her the way.
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Riven on July 18, 2018, 02:31:46 PM: Solar's questions about the "unofficial" parts of the market, and her suddenly keen interest on that subject in particular, immediately caught Sean's curiosity. Casting a glance her way, he saw all that he needed to -- he recognized that look, that can't-wait-to-break-free fire that burned behind her eyes. He knew that feeling, deep down in the roots of his own soul. Solar was not the 'play by the rules' sort. She was a renegade... just like him.

It was that moment Sean knew, beyond any shadow of any doubt, that -- her ignorance and naivete aside -- he was going to be just fine with Solar as team leader. He couldn't help but crack a wry smile at that, turning into a smirk as her stomach overrode her eagerness.

"Food first, yeah. Right this way..."

Pepper's was, at its heart, the bastard lovechild of a steak house and a dive bar. A rotating selections of photos and artwork, mostly of local heroes either killing or standing victoriously over various sorts of Grimm, decorated dark-stained wood-panel walls, giving those seated at the booths and tables something to admire while their food was prepared. Ceiling fans spun overhead while a muted TV screen in the corner played the local news channel -- a pale and at times humorously second-rate imitation of Vale's slick broadcast service. Convincing, if miniature, fakes of Deathstalker tails adorned the wall behind the main bar, crossed over an equally convincing-but-small fake of a Nevermore with its wings spread, talons clutching the tails to tie the design together. It was a somewhat strange arrangement, a nicknack acquired by a previous owner that no one had bothered to change... part of the character of the place.

Stepping in, Sean gestured to an empty table near the front. "Grab a seat, boss. Doesn't look too busy--"

"And trouble comes'a walkin' through my door!" The bemused voice came from a middle-aged woman behind the bar, a one-armed riot of amber curls and sandalwood skin clad in a ripped gray t-shirt, jeans, and a 'take no shit' attitude so loud it practically hummed around her like an Aura. She leaned on the bar, clearly bemused. "You here for food, business, or other business, fireworks?"

"Heya Pep! Food this time." He gestured to Solar. "This is Solar, leader of the team Shade set me up with. Solar, this is Pepper Piri -- owner, bouncer, and namesake of Pepper's as well as a former Huntress."

"Among other things." Peper said with a shrug and a laugh. "Today's special is a surf & turf fajita platter with a side of curried cheese fries -- highly recommended. Make yourselves comfortable, look over the menu, lemme know when you're ready to order."
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Ordelis on July 22, 2018, 03:06:50 PM: The interior of the building was a gallery of sights for Solar to look and poke at. As she followed Sean inside, her eyes scanned the photos that adorned the walls wondering what stories each one told. Was it an easy fight? Did they lose anyone? How did they win?. Solar wordlessly mimicked Sean as he took a seat and watched him interact with the owner of the bar, as she said her piece and left, something she said caught her attention.
"Why did she say business twice?"
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Riven on July 26, 2018, 11:13:19 AM: "Ah, right, that." Sean brushed his hair back as he thought of the best way to answer. "Well, the first 'business' is simple. Sometimes Pep needs an extra hand -- er, no joke intended there," He glanced over to see Pepper give him a smirk and a raised eyebrow from behind the bar. "With delivering food, picking up supplies, that sort of thing. I end up doing occasional odd-job work for her and a few other businesses when I need some extra Lien. As for the other 'business'..." He leaned in closer and dropped his voice almost to a whisper. "Remember earlier when you asked about 'stuff you're not supposed to buy'?"

"Oi, fireworks, you're sure about her, right?" Pepper, having overheard even at a distance, interjected. Sean looked her way and gave a confident, relaxed nod.

"Trust me Pep, it's all good. Solar's the sort who gets it -- I can tell." He turned his attention back to the ram faunus. "Lemme run a scenario by you, Solar. Let's imagine you've found a great hunting spot: plenty of animals, perfect location, the works. You hunt there without any issue for months, living pretty well off what you've found."

"Then, one morning, you go to your hunting spot only to find that someone's put up a big, tough fence. The person who built the fence says they own the spot now, and they start making all sorts of rules: you can only hunt at certain times, only kill certain animals and only so many, and you have to give the fence-builder first pick of the meat from your hunt. They never asked you or anybody else if they could -- they just set up shop, took what was everyone's, and started barking orders. The animals are boxed in, the hunters can't hunt freely... it's a situation that only benefits the one who owns the fence. I'm betting you'd want to tear that fence apart, right?"
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Ordelis on July 29, 2018, 07:40:06 PM: The hypothetical scenario Sean painted for Solar was unfathomable to her. Potential prey is always finder keepers, no one could possess something that's available to everyone. The very idea of someone "owning" something that belonged to everyone annoyed her even in a fake situation. "Forget the fence I'd teach that guy a lesson with my fists! What lets him do whatever he wants with what's supposed to for everyone! Where do we find this guy and his lousy fence!?" Solar said raising her voice, forgetting it was a hypothetical situation she got up from the table cracking her knuckles readying herself for a fight.
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Riven on July 30, 2018, 09:04:22 AM: Sean just stared for a moment at Solar's overreaction, then cracked a huge smile, followed by a heartfelt laugh. Pepper seemed pleased as well, looking at Solar with a mix of amusement and interest. Sean was quick to explain, as soon as he got his laughter under control. "Sorry, just -- wow, you do not do things by half-measures, do you boss?" He took a deep breath. Then turned to Pepper. "Can we start with drinks? Two colas with ice, please."

Pepper gave a nod, heading further down the counter to get the drinks ready. Sean, having sufficiently recovered himself, gave Solar an apologetic hands-up look. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. I was just surprised by how intense you were -- it's a good thing! In this case it's not an actual guy, per say, nor an actual fence. It's a group called the trade guild, and they have a lot of influence with the government and leaders of Vacuo. The fence, in this case, is rules that the guild convinced the government to set up as laws -- laws governing trade. In a perfect world, if people agreed to buy, sell, or trade with each other it'd only be those people involved..." Sean looked slightly to one side, a hint of irritation making its way into his voice. "But the guild think they should run the show for everyone. Every business in Vacuo needs a guild permit to buy or sell, and getting a permit means you have to give the guild some of the Lien you make every month. The guild also does things like mess with prices and control supply shipments, and since they've got the backing of the government they can declare it 'restricted' or even 'illegal' to buy, sell, or even just own certain things. Some of it makes sense -- poisonous plants, for example -- but when they force up the price of inexpensive weapons parts used by a lot of villages, or require huge fees and obscene amounts of paperwork to transport large quantities of hardwood, or forbid importing Mistrali cotton from anyone except their business partners... those sorts of things make life harder than it has to be, and occasionally people even suffer and die due to shortages. That, my good Solar, is the 'fence' around all of Vacuo."

Pepper had brought over the drinks during Sean's explanation, offering one to Solar as she joined the conversation. "People like Sean and I? You might say we're 'fence breakers'. We break the rules in secret, do things our own way. It's called smuggling, the 'other business' I mentioned. Fair warning -- not everyone who's involved is a good person, so be careful who you talk to about it. You can trust Sean to know the ins and outs, though."

(OOC: Realized after the fact that I might need to have a Worldbuild approved for the trade guild -- I'll check with the admins and, if needed, edit my post later to adjust. Just FYI.)
Title: Re: Ways of the World [Ordelis] (CLOSED)
Post by: Ordelis on August 04, 2018, 04:13:18 PM: Solar burned a slight shade of red as she sat herself back down, she didn't fully understand why she was laughed at but was under the impression her initial assumption was wrong. Settling down to listen to Sean's explanation, most of his words went in on one ear and right out the other as Solar pretended to understand what he was saying. It wasn't that she wasn't paying attention, only the concepts Sean explained were so to her foreign he might as well have been explaining to the table.

Unfortunately for Sean, Solar's attention once again bounced from him to the drinks brought to the table. She stared for a moment at the dark drinks and was instantly amazed by what was in it. "Wow ice!? Are you guys rich or something!? I can really drink this!?...what is this?" Solar asked in fascination as she took an experimental sniff of the bubbly drink. Deciding it held a kind of sweet odor Solar took her first sip of it, and immediately stopped as the fizzy froth taste took her by surprise. Once the initial shock wore off she blinked in surprise and chugged the rest of her drink, along with a few ice cubes she crunched in her mouth.
"That was good! So what your saying is we should go beat up the...government? the trade guild? both?" Solar asked in conclusion to Sean's explanation.