"No way!" Bruno exclaimed. His eyes widened in disbelief and his hands grabbed onto his brown hair as he had just won 10,000,000 Lien at Vale's casino.
The dealer sighed. "Well, you did. Congratulations." He didn't sound as enthusiastic as he should be. Bruno figured it was probably because that was too much for the house to lose on one person. But he won it fair and square, and it was time to celebrate.
Which wasn't much. The only thing he did was drink a White Atlesian at the casino's bar and called it a night. He had his wins and losses in the past but this winning's amount was a whole new experience. He didn't want to blow it all in one place or act upon a spontaneous idea. He'll consider what to do throughout the week before coming to a decision.
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A day had passed since the winning and Bruno, in his coffee shop tuxedo and his signature white and yellow striped apron, was at a loss on what to do with the money, but he didn't show it on his face. He served a cup of coffee with his usual radiant smile to the customer over the counter inside the Cuckoo Cafe.
"Thanks," the customer with the fedora and sunglasses said.
"You're welcome. Are you here for the Vytal Festival by any chance?" Bruno had to ask. He didn't recognize the gentleman and the cafe was known to be frequented by locals.
"That's right, my man. Straight out of Atlas. You can catch me in the tournament. The name's Flynt by the way, leader of Team FNKI," Flynt answered as he took a sip of his coffee. "That's a fine cup of java you got here."
"Thank you. I’m doing my best with this place. Used to be my aunt's until she passed away."
Flynt sympathized. Bruno didn't look too much older than him so he figured his aunt probably didn't die naturally. "Sorry to hear that."
Bruno's smile stayed. "Thank you but it's okay. It's been a while." He looked down for a moment before looking back at Flynt. "Good luck out there. In the tournament, and in your career."
Flynt returned the smile. "Thank you, man."
"Are you interested in some dessert by any chance?"
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"Bye, Boss," Samson, one of two of the kitchen staff, said to Bruno. His voice noticeably on the slightly coarse side. The Faunus was ready to leave, hand on the doorknob of the cafe's entrance.
"See you," Bruno replied. He himself lived above the cafe quite comfortably.
Samson's yellow rabbit years were a few inches away from touching the top of the door frame. Bruno found it amusing to see the ears give the young man a boost in his height if you counted them. He was a hard worker who wasn't afraid to share new ideas and be honest with everything which helped Bruno improve the business, and that made him glad to have hired Samson, even if he was a Faunus.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Bruno was wary of Faunus. He heard most crimes were committed by Faunus; burglary, assaults, random attacks, and that was not including what the White Fang had done. The news reinforced this belief. He may have seen Faunus Huntsmen but never a police officer. But he was never the one to judge an individual by their background. If they treated him well, Human or Faunus, he would treat them well, which is why Bruno always made the effort to make a good first impression. He'd say he was cautious around any Faunus who he had not made acquaintance with rather than actively discriminate.
The short ring of the bell ended when the door closed. Bruno was left alone. The sign hanging on the door said 'Open' to him, which meant it was on the correct side for the late afternoon. He decided to count the day's profit before finishing up.
What was the date again? He thought to himself.
He took a glance at the calendar on the wall opposite of the entrance.
It's been... two years? What happened to you?
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A couple days later, Grimm attacked inner-city Vale. It was a few days before the tournament. The news report said that the White Fang was involved. To Bruno, it came as no surprise that the Faunus extremist group would've done something like this. He was lucky his cafe was untouched considering it was less than a five minute walk to where it took place. The cafe was closed at the time and Bruno was indoors playing a video game when the alert struck on his Scroll.
He didn't know what to do. He owned two uzis but he never fought Grimm in his life. The guns were mainly for the range. He stayed inside and had the doors locked with his weapons by his side in case the monsters came to him. Which they didn't, thankfully. There were no deaths. The Huntsmen, Huntsmen in training and the Atlesian Military were to thank for protecting people like him.
He had a history with Huntsmen. He wanted to be one when he was a small child even though his grandmother, who was one, lost her life in the field before he was born. He thought he could be like Summer, the woman who saved him in Forever Fall. He and his parents went hiking there years ago. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect that day. He didn't understand the argument his parents had but that must've been what attracted the Grimm. Despite the weapons, his parents couldn't stop them. The Grimm ended their lives and they were onto him next. Bruno was certain he would meet the same fate as his parents until the Huntress with the white cloak appeared before him. She took them down with ease and brought him out of the woods to safety.
His aunt from his dad's side took him in. She and her husband raised Bruno like another son. He wanted to go to Signal but decided to go to a non-combat school after becoming interested in his aunt's cafe. He started working there part-time at fifteen and decided to become a barista, only using the uzis he bought for fun and some sparring with swords at the gym. It wasn't long from then that his uncle, a Huntsman, had been killed by Grimm while on a mission. He couldn't forget how his aunt was like after they got the news. He remembered vividly when she gripped on his and her son's shoulders, telling them both to never become Huntsmen. She couldn't bear losing another family member to the Grimm. The role of the Huntsman should be for other people, not them.
She died of an illness three years later. His cousin moved to Atlas to pursue a career in technology, so Bruno took over the cafe.
Now it happened again. The Grimm came close to his home, stopped by forces not of his own. He was safe in the hands of others and that was okay. He can rely on other people better than him. He didn't have to rely on himself for safety. It was just like what his aunt said.
Then came the day of the 40th Vytal Festival Tournament.