Playing For Keeps - Ch 45 (Adv) - Curiosity (Patreon)

A/N: Posting belatedly, but this is still technically 'advance'!

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By the next morning, Qrow and I were no worse for wear and ready to go looking for Lionheart again. Bia had offered to accompany us, but Qrow declared she was too recognizable to Mistrali locals as a child of the Alexandria and declined. Instead, I would be meeting her for dinner with her uncle, my sisters, and my grandmother.

No doubt that will be a barrel of laughs.

We decided to split up again, Qrow checking in with local Hunters he knew, while I decided to track down Neo’s contact.

Throwing on my Riding jacket against the morning chill, I went to find some breakfast since we didn’t have food in the borrowed apartment. Not that I couldn’t afford it — beating back Tyrian had my net worth back up to seven figures — but I liked cooking as much as I liked trying new food, and I’d already been to several restaurants this trip.

Today’s breakfast was a sort of cheesy pancake, lightly drizzled with herbed honey. At first I mistook it for a flatbread and got my hands all sticky, but it was pretty good overall. It made me want the recipe.

Hopefully Bia will know what it’s called, coz I’ve already forgotten, I thought, making my way down the mountain once more. Or maybe Vi or Grandma can tell me.

Finishing up and tossing the paper in the trash, I picked a side street at random and started down it. The line between Mistral Above and Mistral Below was a vague one, delineated more by vibes than by anything as solid as a wall. It wasn’t strictly architectural or cultural, although the Greek influence was more prominent in Mistral Above.

Mistral kept a clear distinction between ‘roads’, which were thoroughfares for vehicles, and ‘streets’, where traffic was always mixed. Cars could drive down them — Well, most of them. I’ve passed a couple that were too narrow to drive down. — but there were no designated sidewalks because the street was considered a destination. Many shops and restaurants had street seating, and parking was only permitted for delivery vehicles. Bikes seemed less popular than in Vale, probably due to the incline most streets had thanks to the mountain the entire city was built around. The most common personal vehicles here were instead little Dust-powered scooters that topped out around 25 kph.

I considered hauling out Antares, but she was a bit on the larger side compared to those scooters, and the hassle of needing to find a place to park convinced me otherwise. I need to start popping in and out of shops anyway. A walk won’t kill me. And in the meantime…

DM: Paladin -› Nightshade | Sunday 07:24

‹Paladin› you spent some time in Mistral, right? did you have any contacts in the city that could help me find someone?

‹Nightshade› Why would you expect an answer to a text this late?

‹Paladin› it’s a weekend, you were bound to be up reading

‹Paladin› if you weren’t, it’s not so urgent that it couldn’t wait… but here you are

‹Nightshade› sighs Not really. I know a few people who live in the city, but nobody who actually brokers information like Tukson.

‹Paladin› makes sense. make sure you get some rest

I took the opportunity to do a bit of souvenir shopping, too, grabbing a handful of knickknacks for my teammates and our friends on SYRN and SBLE, as well as a bottle of wine for Tai that I would need to send home with Ruby because I didn’t trust Qrow not to drink it himself, and another I could bring to dinner tonight.

Speaking of dinner, it’s probably time I bought an actual suit, I decided, turning into a store that specialized in formalwear. I was too cheap and wore a suit too infrequently to bother actually having it tailored, but my [Inventory] would handle any alterations when I equipped it. A quick consultation with the salesman and I soon had a Formal armor set consisting of a navy suit with a pale blue shirt, as well as a black tuxedo in case I needed it later.

I also stopped by a flower shop to buy a pair of bouquets that I would preserve in my [Inventory]. For Amber, the centerpiece would of course be sunflowers, but after some consideration I included some marigolds and peonies to help the yellow blossoms stand out. As for Bia, I spotted an upright red gladiolus that called her to mind, and surrounded it with lighter hydrangeas and peonies. I also got another pair of gladiolii made into a matching corsage and boutonnière for tonight.

And at each stop, I made sure to mention that I was looking for someone called Venetian Redd. Most of the shop owners just shrugged and wished me luck, but a couple of them did double-take before denying they recognized the name. I didn’t press, just made a note of the places that seemed to know him before moving on.

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Several hours later I had made my way up and down several streets, ending up about a quarter of the way around the mountain, sitting on a park bench eating some roasted chestnuts and debating what to do for lunch. I shot Qrow a text to let him know I was waiting for rumors to spread and someone to bite, then switched to a more personal chat.

DM: Paladin -› Notus | Sunday 13:49

‹Paladin› good morning, beautiful

‹Notus› And good morning to you!

‹Paladin› I hope you slept well

‹Notus› I did and I woke, haha. :)

‹Paladin› a bit of forewarning this time, Bia and I are having something of a family dinner tonight

‹Notus› Wow, meeting the parents already? I guess you’re serious. ;)

She was obviously teasing, but I gave an honest answer.

‹Paladin› it’s mostly my family, though her uncle will be there. she didn’t mention her parents coming but they might be. I did buy a suit just in case.

‹Notus› Oooo, you’ll have to send a selfie; you clean up really nice. And maybe put together a group chat, since you’re taking this seriously I’d like to meet her.

‹Paladin› not sure when we’ll be able to actually meet up since she lives in Atlas but she and her gf might be in Vale for the Vytal Festival

I fuckin’ hope they will; if that goes anything like the show we’ll need the help. If I can’t figure out a good reason to go to Mountain Glenn in force, I might have to trust Ozpin with a bit more info than I’d prefer. Maybe I can pass it through Qrow…?

‹Notus› Maybe we can all meet up, then.

‹Paladin› I could cook dinner; that might impress Winter

‹Notus› It’s a sure way to a Huntress’ heart. ;) But don’t stress about it too much. You’re a good guy, just be yourself and see if you click with her the way you obviously do with Bia.

‹Paladin› probably something to keep in mind

‹Paladin› I’m bringing flowers and a bottle of wine; am I missing anything?

‹Notus› No, it sounds like you’ve got everything covered. Thank you for letting me know. Have a good time.

‹Paladin› whenever I get back, I’m taking you out again. hopefully without the family interruption this time.

‹Notus› Bianca’s call was unfortunately timed, but I’m glad it came and I’m glad we went. No regrets on my part. And another date sounds lovely. :)

‹Paladin› sorry to keep you waiting, Mon trésor

Someone sat down on the bench next to me, pulling bits off a loaf of bread to feed the birds. I glanced over, wondering why they’d sat here considering there were several other benches they could have chosen.

‹Curiosity Will Not Cause Us To Die›LV 13Venetian Redd

Ah, that’s why.

‹Paladin› I gotta get back to work; text you later

‹Notus› Good Hunting, Honey.

Slipping my Scroll away, I nodded a greeting and offered my paper cone of chestnuts. “Hey bud, you happen to know a guy called Venetian Redd?”

He was a skinny olive-skinned man with a cropped red beard, wearing an oversized coat that seemed warm even for the chilly winter day. Sharp, beady eyes swept over me before he turned back to the birds, ignoring the proffered snack.

“I might’ve heard of him,” he said finally. “Who’s asking?”

“Name’s Jaune. I heard from Roman Torchwick that Redd tends to have an ear to the ground and might be able to help me find somebody.”

“Uh huh,” he said skeptically. “I’m sure you and Roman Torchwick are buddy-buddy.”

“Not really,” I shrugged. “I stole his cane and smacked him with it once. But to be more specific, I got Redd’s name from a certain pink-eyed shortstack; she wanted him to have her new contact.”

His eyes softened a little. “Who’re you looking for?” He hadn’t confirmed his identity, but he seemed to realized I’d guessed it.

I glanced around, silently pulsing [Detect Aura] and finding nobody in eavesdropping range. “I’m looking for Headmaster Lionheart,” I said quietly. “He’s been MIA since Thursday, but I’m pretty sure he’s still in the city laying low.”

“And why do you think that?” Redd probed.

“Information for information?” I asked, getting a sharp nod. “He was last seen at Haven on Thursday night when a serial killer broke into his office.”

Redd raised an eyebrow. “A serial killer?” he repeated skeptically.

“Well, technically not a serial killer; Callows doesn’t fit the definitional profile. It’s more that he’s just psychotic.”

His eyes widened, and his pupils dilated in fear. “Tyrian Callows is in Mistral?” he whispered, aghast.

“He was as of last night,” I agreed, popping another chestnut into my mouth. “He’s probably holed up somewhere after getting the tip of his tail blown off.”

Redd’s eyes looked ready to pop out of his skull. “Who are you?”

That’s a hook. I gave him a calm smile, popping [Eagle’s Splendor]. “I’m just the guy looking for Lionheart, my friend.” I’ve already given you info for info.

He swallowed. “I’ll need some time to check with some sources,” he said slowly.

“Of course,” I agreed easily. “But maybe you could look into something else while you’re at it?”

Hearing that I wanted something else settled him down. Line. “And what might that be?”

“The original rumor I came here chasing was of a Grimm within the city that isn’t killing people. Ring any bells?”

He actually chuckled. “Not a Grimm.”

“Oh?” Qrow’s rumor definitely mentioned a Grimm… and so did my quest, didn’t it? I reached into my jacket pocket and withdrew a handful of Lien from my [Inventory]. “Do I need to jog your memory?”

A smile pulled at his lips, but he waved it off. “Walking around with cash is a good way to get robbed, friend.” The emphasis he placed on the word wasn’t exactly friendly. “I prefer to trade in… intangibles.”

“Fair enough,” I gave a laugh of my own. He wants more info himself. Sinker. “Well, you might like to know that Master Huntmsan Qrow Branwen is in Mistral at the moment investigating that ‘not a Grimm’.”

His eyebrows shot up. “That is very interesting, but not quite equivalent to what you’re asking for.”

“Is that so?” I hummed, but didn’t offer anything more. If he wants something else he can ask for it. Sure enough, after a couple minutes Redd spoke up again.

“I admit, you have me a bit curious about the things you’ve asked,” Despite his casual tone, he was leaning toward me slightly. “I like to think I’d have heard of anyone in Mistral who could tangle with the likes of Callows, but I don’t know the who’s who of other Kingdoms quite as well. You’re Valic?”

“That’s right,” I nodded. “My mother is from Mistral Above,” I jerked my head back up the mountain.

Redd studied my face, eyes tracing my scars when I glanced his way again. “You know, something about that rings a bell…”

“And if I were to refresh your memory, can I count on both my questions being answered?”

His lips twitched. “My word on it.”

His word… as an info trader his reputation is everything, so it should be good…

“Jaune Arc. My mother was born Isabella Roma.” Redd paled again, and I reassured him, “But I’m not here on the family’s behalf.”

“So you know Qrow Branwen because…”

“–He’s mentoring me. We came to scope out the ‘not a Grimm’ and found Lionheart’s office ransacked and the man missing. Personally, I have reason to believe the two are linked.” If they weren’t, my quests wouldn’t have the same name.

Redd shook his head, still watching me warily. “Not as far as I know…”

“Why’s that?”

“The ‘civilized Grimm’ in question is a person in a mask, if you get me.”

The White Fang, I realized.

“The reason there haven’t been any deaths is because they came here… diplomatically,” he went on. “Faunus or not, I can’t see Callows working with or for them.”

“Not directly… at least not yet,” I muttered. “But, ‘diplomatically’? Are they meeting with one of the Familias?”

“Wrong direction.” Redd mimicked my earlier gesture, but jerked his head down the mountain instead.

I grimaced, then pulled out my black Scroll, offering it to Redd for a tap. He accepted the share of Neo’s contact, and shared his own in return. “I’ll look for your text,” I said, getting to my feet. “Or if you’d prefer, you can just send me the pickup for a dead drop.”

He nodded. “Be careful out there… friend.”

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Name: Jaune ArcLevel: 61 (Next: 63.35%)Title: Academy StudentRace: HumanAge: 18Job: Journeyman HuntsmanClass: PaladinSemblance: The GamerHP: 8202/8202MP: 4456/4456STR: 223 (100)CON: 279 (102)DEX: 162 (54)INT: 136 (51)WIS: 110 (52)CHA: 151 (52)Points: 112Money: 1,009,120LStatus: Cursed – Yellow Death [High]

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A/N: If you’re enjoying this story, feel free to check out my discord server at https://discord.gg/H6V854Fvbg

Jaune’s breakfast is a Remnant-ified Sfakianópita (Σφακιανόπιτα), a thin ‘pie’ made of unleavened dough kneaded with soft cheese and shadllow-fried. Normally it’s topped with honey and eaten with a fork, but the Japanese influence here has it treated a bit more like okonomiyaki (see Ch 41’s A/N).

A corsage (deriving from the French ‘bouquet de corsage’) is a smaller bouquet worn as an ornament on a dress or wrist. A boutonnière (deriving from the French word for ‘buttonhole’) is… a flower decoration meant to be worn in the lapel buttonhole.They are traditionally a courting gift given for formal occasions and usually matched between a couple.

Roasted chestnuts (Ψητά Κάστανα ‘Psitá Kástana’) can be found as a street food around Europe in the autumn and winter.