Jin traced Hunterâs line of vision and set his own gaze upon the guildâs enigmatic white knight, Equtas. She was never the social type, surrounded by almost as much mystery as Jindal, and with that did not hold a fondness for such events. He only had fought alongside her a handful of times, but those few instances alone were enough to gauge her as a strong force, on par with him. They both specialized in manifesting their magic into beings to fight alongside them, except her summons werenât as flexible and interchangeable as his. Jin gave a light tug at his scarf as the girl passed him by, his way of bidding her good luck on whatever quest she took upon herself. It was then did one of the guild members swing by with a few beverages.
âWhen was the last time⊠Ah, to hell with it.â Jin waved away any uncertainty and snagged a glass for himself, and gave the member a quick cheers before taking a sip of the beer. To most he must have appeared as a lightweight, given his slim physique, but Jinâs had enough sake during traditional banquets to build up a tolerance. Although, he was a bit interested in how Hunter planned on drinking from his own mug. Maybe he would reveal a portion of his face? Jin shrugged off any thoughts when the man finally devised a response, the manner of which it was asked made him perk up. It started off solidly, but progressively derailed into turmoil as Mr. Helmet believed he was digging himself his own grave.
A playful smirk stretched across the swordsmanâs face at the questioning of the guildâs recruitment policy.
âOh yeah, youâre right. Thereâs a looooooooot of paperwork we missed out on, and a few oaths and stuff were skipped over, and tradition has it that any faults result in the recruitâs expulsionâŠâ The boy trailed off and longingly stared at the ground, witnessing the manâs reaction out of his peripheral vision. Although he had the emotionless helmet visually defending him, the coarseness of his voice along with the ever so slight increased bloodflow of his jugular were bearers of his uneasiness.
The smirk parted into a grin, Jin pat the man on the back and chuckled,
âKidding, kidding⊠please donât bash my head in. Iâll admit, weâre a bit lax in that respect.â After another sip the boy continued,
âI guess itâs because we can sense peoples auras, ya know, see where their heart is.â He tightened his scarf and relaxed his composure, since it was a celebration, there wasnât as much of a need to remain on guard as usual,
â...Jamboree and I think in the same light. When we recruit mages, we donât think about what they can do. We wonder how they can apply themselves? How well they can operate in a cohesive unit with others? How can they fit in? Some excel in certain categories while others struggle. Strong people are nice and all, but what really keeps you alive is working with others. Per example, if I was your opponent, Iâm sure thereâd be a bit of weight added to the back of my pants with you as my foe. But also, I see you as somebody to mobilize behind, that reserved composure of yours ensures that.â He sighed and glanced over at the bulletin board, still full of quests waiting to be accepted,
âWe also look for how much fun people can have. Excursions are oneâs source of happiness, my friend. Donât miss out on âem.â Jin turned to face the conglomerates of celebrating guild members and waved at a certain few,
âOi, could I get some coffee?â One of them broke into laughter and managed to get out a few words,
âMaybe you want to stop by that cafe again and grab a few more members?â Jin returned the same impish grin,
âWho knows, maybe I will? Perhaps one of themâll be a busty fox lady, I know you fancy them, Benjamin~â The member giggled and indulged himself with his beverage,
"With these changing times, people will have to come to terms with their weaknesses, for the bettering of themselves and those around them." Jin sighed and stretched out,
âNâways Hunter, go out there and strike up a conversation with a few of them. Gotta know who youâll be fighting alongside in the future. I have to bounce, Lylaâs making me allot guild expenditures, and I know hellâs awaiting me, especially after that little event at the cafe. If I donât come back aliveâŠâ Jin placed a hand on the manâs shoulder and looked up at him with empty eyes,
âTell my metaphorical wife I love her. Well, see ya~â The boy sluggishly dragged himself upstairs, doomed to mounds of paperwork on the third floor.
âJust die already!â The child pleaded, digging the sword deeper through a figure of equal age, blood smearing the hilt as he did so.
Jin awoke with cold beads of sweat running down his face. He instantly sat up and glanced over at sword resting on the other side of the room, propped up against his dresser, gracefully reflecting the beam of moonlight. Only now did he realize he was still in the same apparel he was wearing that morning. He mustâve returned to the room half awake and instantly passed out. The boy swung his legs over the edge and got to his own feet. Still in sluggish mood, he stumbled a bit before affirming a stable stance. A yawn was about to fly from his lips, until his ears picked up faint footsteps proceeding through the hallway.
âGuess my suspicion was correctâŠâ No way a child of the moon could remain cooped up inside of a guild hall.
âPerhaps Lyla and I should construct some sort of condo on the roof?â Jin sighed as he rummaged through his drawer and produced a spare blanket, then quietly paced his way down the stairs, trailing the girl set on sleeping outside. He caught the entrance door as it was about to close and cleared his throat,
âThereâs a shed around the back of the complex, the roof is a bit beat up, so some moonlight should be able to get in. On the bright side, youâll have some privacy.â He held out the blanket and stared up at the very orb proudly suspended in the sky, shining brightly,
âLooks pretty clear tonight, not a cloud in the sky.â