Setting
Now it is one of the five largest cities in Fiore.
- 32 posts here • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
Returning his attention back to Dolores and the proceedings, Keiji once again started flickering through memories of her magic usage, and still couldnât comprehend how someone with such a utility power could get as far as she did. Ultimately, that part didnât matter as she was standing here now, meaning she did everything she needed to to win. For that, respect was given even if understanding wasnât. Castien continued with the announcement that Oceana would be taking over Guild Master, and Keiji couldnât help but feel some sense of trepidation. She was young, and in his eyes, inexperienced and lacking in powerful capabilities. Her leadership would need to be put to the test, and he hoped with all his being that she didnât crumble under the pressure. This was a feeling that was only amplified when she ran over and embraced Dolores in a rather childish display of affection. Keiji didnât let any emotion show through his face, even though his own internal groaning flooded his ears. Ultimately the guild needed to remain unified, so he would help her where necessary but he would still be keeping a close eye on her.
Then came the whammy that she was restricting job usage for the week, something that earned an arc of the eyebrow from Keiji as he realized that those who relied on those listings to get by would have a hard time for the next week. Once again, he didnât agree with it but he said nothing. Now was not the time to speak up and say things that he might later regret. Still, he would have to scrimp for the next seven days, and that was going to be itâs own kind of hell as he realized his diet would consist of rice, rice and even more rice. With the announcements done and everyone starting to disband to do their own thing, Keiji left the stage. He had several things to do, hopefully before his lack of funds started to kick in.
A thrum of power reverberated through the clearing much like a small localized earthquake. Trees shook leaves from their branches, pebbles bounced along the ground, and small creatures darted in every direction to get away from the seemingly invisible force. A closer inspection would lead people to see the air waving, much like heat rising from the ground. A glance downwards would reveal a golden sigil, intricate in design and large in size emanating from a singular point. In the middle stood Keiji, his clothes flapping slightly to an unseen wind, his eyes shut as concentration broadcast from his person. While nothing seemed to be visibly happening, an investigative look at Keiji would reveal that he was sweating. It looked like he was holding a great weight above him, straining to maintain his composure against the pressure he was inflicting upon himself. This continued for a few minutes, before the sigil on the ground disappeared slowly and Keiji opened his eyes to view the grass around him. It was flattened, much like a crop circle in a field, and a quick survey showed him that no animals had wandered into his field during his training; his continued acclimatization to the forces that he controlled.
He released a breath that he hadnât been aware he had been holding, the stress of not being able to go out on jobs starting to affect his normally calm demeanor as he had found himself being irritated by smaller and smaller things. The other day he had accidentally crushed a cup in his hand for literally no reason at all. His power needed an outlet, and even his training wasnât doing enough to satisfy him, and he couldnât necessarily go all out on his training here either, not without leveling a good section of the surrounding landscape. He rolled his shoulders, flapping his white muscle shirt slightly to get a bit of heat off of his chest. Black shorts that came down to just below his kneecaps adorned his legs, revealing his heavily scarred skin. Remnants of battles won and lost, accidents, training trophies and hard won achievements one and and all. Nearly every inch of him was covered in something that even the most war torn general would have been shocked at, but for him this was the norm.
With his preliminary training out of the way, he walked over to a tree which had obviously seen better days. Its bark had been broken off in several places, with indents like someone had taken a hammer to it evident on itâs trunk. Keiji took another breath, adopting his standard combat stance and proceeding to attack the tree with all the force he could muster, that is, all he could muster without the use of his magic. He had deadened his nerves to allow such training to be viable and to assist in battle, a skeptical training technique that could lead to long term health problems...at least that what the healers had told him between staring at his marred features.
This continued for a few hours and ended when the sun started to rise on the horizon. His âstop and pay attention to the guildâ alarm. With little ceremony, rubbing his knuckles and palms as he moved, he gathered the rest of his clothes and carried them back to the guild hall.
By the time he had arrived at the front door to the building, he had donned the rest of his clothing, pulling the hood up over his head to hide the remainder of his wounds from the others. Today the job ban would be lifted and he could get back to work, bring in some money and get back to a regular schedule. Hopefully the others would be in the same mindset, and hopefully people would be putting out s-ranked quests for him to take care of. As he entered the door, he was greeted with Oceana stepping onto the bar and asking for everyoneâs attention. Someone in the back had enough sense to say the statement in a more authoritative voice, to which the guild master giggled and made Keiji groan inwardly once more. She didnât carry herself with the mentality of a leader or master, something that had been made evident the days following her induction. Once again though, just because he didnât agree with her leadership style, or even that she was the right choice for the spot, didnât mean he would do anything to bring light to that fact. Keiji walked in, doing his best to not draw attention from others even if his magical âsignatureâ if you will was enough to warrant a couple of glances. He took a seat a couple of tables away from her, awaiting the news that she was about to spew.
Also, both, when it came to traveling, were solitary. Hence why Bardulf is often called 'Fenrir the Wolf' or simply 'Wolf'. But it didn't bother him. Not one bit. He had some friends and loved Tidal Serpent like a surrogate family.
Regardless, Bard was writing in the book he had, because he was trying to make a rough draft of a novel this day. He didn't know the full plot yet, but he knew he wanted it to be based on one of his Uncle's jobs. He'd have to ask him later.
"Can I have everyone's attention please?" came the voice of Oceana.
Oh yes. Barely a week and the new Guildmaster, Oceana had an announcement, but he at least used the suspended week to visit with his Uncle and Sister. Sighing, Bardulf put his things away. He then turned to look up towards her, and for a brief moment, his eyes saw across the room, in her own corner, Rin. He couldn't help but notice how she looked when the Guildmaster called for attention.
"So eager, and so cute... wait where'd that come from?!" Bard suppressed his thoughts and resulting blush before turning back to look towards the Guildmaster, to listen for her announcement. The thoughts raced on the possibilities. "Is it a special job? Is it another new member? Is Melinda coming back? What is it?"
He didn't know what the Guildmaster had planned. But he was sure it was important. But sometimes the suspense of announcements killed him, figuratively speaking of course. Though he could've sworn, after hearing her giggle after another man gave the statement again, he heard a groan come from one of the S Class members. He tried not to mind the annoyance from it, but definitely shuddered as Keji's magical energy was felt as he walked to a seat.
But it would be nice for Jobs to come rolling in after this small respite. He wanted to get back to work, at least when an interesting job pulled up that he wanted.
Another year, another failure. This was his third? Fourth consecutive loss during the S-Class trials? It was getting embarrassing at this point. Nursing his wounds as he sat at the far side of the room, most knew better than to hang around Slick at this point. Honestly, he was never too fun to be around immediately following the trials after his now predictable loss. In fact, a few of the guild members were splitting the pot of their bets on how far heâd have gotten this year. At this point, Slick was basically a long-shot every time, though one year heâd surely pay out big, right? He was happy for Dolores, but⊠Well, he couldnât help but feel heâd been robbed. How long had she been here? Beginners luck maybe.
Raising his drink in toast before taking another swig, he continued to watch the celebrations in mild bitterness, but went through the motions of clapping and cheering for their new champion. Despite his sour mood, he couldnât help but smile as the focus shifted to that of their new guild master, Oceana. Having seen her grow up from her adolescence, it seemed that she was finally moving up in the world and taking some responsibility. Of course, she had practically no experience running a guild, and still had a lot to learn about life, but thatâs what she had the whole guild was for. Heâd help her however he could, and no doubt all of the friends and family sheâd made would stand strong by her side.
Of course, the announcement that theyâd be suspending all guild activity was a surprise one; but no doubt thereâd be some exceptions if important things came up. He couldnât entirely complain, and unlike a lot of the less organised members, Slick had plenty budgeted for if he had some time off. Still, a whole week was a bit much. Well, perhaps it was an opportunity to do some more research into his guild mates. After all, heâd need to have a plan for the next S-Class trial. Setting down his mug and sitting up, Slick left the festivities early. He was good at keeping his emotions in check, but it was hard to remain positive in the face of such failure. Even he needed time to himself every now and again.
A week down, and Slick was back to his normal, jovial if infuriating self. Sitting down at the bar in his usual spot at one end, he watched Oceana make her way to stand proudly on the bench, proclaiming that she had another announcement now that the job ban was being lifted. Probably another half-baked scheme of hers. Hiding his smirk behind his glass as he took a swig, he listened as one of the rowdier guild members helped draw attention and silence the group. Shaking the ice in his glass a little, he gestured up towards their diminutive guild master. ââEy, Get on with it Shaun. I think youâve kept the people waiting long enough.â Slick set his glass down as he spun on his seat to lean his back against it, looking up to her. Shaun was a boyish nickname that he often used to tease the âTidebreakerâ. Even with her new status as guild master, he had no intention of showing her any more respect than usual.
No doubt thereâd be a rush to grab the newest jobs from the board once it opened up, but he wasnât exactly in a huge hurry. He was a versatile and capable individual, so it was unlikely there wouldn't be something suitable to his talents, and if not there was plenty more work he could do in the library. After all, he wasnât going to fail again at the next trial. He needed a plan prepared to deal with Keiji and Dolly should he encounter them once more to prove himself. So long as he could handle them and any newcomers to the guild, he was certain heâd succeed this time. Still, that was years away now. Best to try and keep himself at least somewhat sharp by staying on the job.
Briefly, Slickâs eyes scanned about the guild hall, which was now pretty packed since there was the formal announcement coming. No one particularly noticeable caught his eye. I mean, there was Keiji, but Slick had no intention of making pleasantries with him. Maybe at some point heâd try to get him inebriated to ascertain some more of his weaknesses, but he felt he had a long way to go before he could stand next to him as an equal adversary. Bard was also somewhat nearby him, and although good for a laugh, he wasnât exactly what Slick was looking for socialising with. Still, with the aid of his magic he could perceive the slightest of blushes across his face, and easily managed to trace the manâs gaze. Settling his eys on Rin, one of the more voluptuous ladies of the guild, Slick smirked. He could see exactly what Bard was appreciating. Heâd have to pull him up on that at some point.
Turning his attention back to Oceana, Slick patiently awaited her proclamation. Though he couldnât imagine it was anything too important.
âYes! There! Perfect!â Clapping her hands together in celebration, Pommel briefly gave a soft yelp and windmilled her arms before suddenly grabbing hold of the ladder railings to support herself, giving a sigh of relief. Despite dangerously leaning across the stage from her precarious point up high, sheâd done it! The last banner was draped across the top of the stage, adorned with the simple words of âCongratulationsâ, a collection of hydrangea and delphinium flowers flanking the setup to complete the picture. As much as she so wished she could have seen the S-Class trials herself, it wasnât like Tidal Serpent kept her around just to spectate. She wasnât a wizard, but she had plenty of jobs to do to earn her keep. First and foremost for the day was decorating the hall.
Scrambling down the ladder and dragging it back off to the supply closet, Pommel proceeded to scurry about the hall, tossing streamers up over the rafters as she simultaneously began blowing up balloons. A soft ding from the kitchen drew her focus next to reveal some of the food she was preparing for the festivities was almost done, the chef-in-the-making hurrying over to turn the meats and reset the timer again. Moving about the various tables, she got to work placing down the various party poppers, along with a small collection of sweets in a bowl at each of the main seating areas. Back at the bar, she proceeded to take a quick inventory of the alcohol and other lighter drinks, making sure there was more than enough to account for a rowdy night of celebration. Slick had helped her budget for the event, and she was going to make sure that the promotion went off with a bang! Grinning to herself as she took a step back to survey her work, the whole thing was running on schedule, and in tip top shape. Sheâd run around like a madwoman cleaning all day, but it was going to be well worth it, because the guild hall was practically shining! Yup, this was perfect! Everyone would certainly appreciate all the hard work and effort she put in to-
With a loud crash, the guild hall doors were kicked open to the sounds of cheering and celebration. Pommel spun just in time to be jostled and bowled over by the hooting and excitable crowd, being pushed this way and that in a dizzying stumble before she finally found herself back over by the bar. Grumbling and shouting her complaints at her rude guild mates, Pommel blew out a raspberry in annoyance. Geez! Stupid jerks! Already, all her hard work was going ignored and unappreciated as they scoffed on the lollies, knocked over decorations and were generally a rowdy group of uncivilised ruffians. Huffing as she puffed out her cheeks, Pommel âhmmphedâ to herself as she stuck her nose in the air, stomping her way behind the bar counter and got to work serving up the drinks. Hana was already hard at work serving the customers, but she still managed to give Pommel a warm smile as she moved up to the counter.
When the guildmaster finally called for attention, Pommel gave an exhausted sigh of relief, collapsing down onto the bar and catching her breath. Events like this were always hard work, and dealing with so many drunkards was certainly taxing. That said, sheâd spent so much time getting to work that sheâd barely registered who it was that was receiving the promotion. She knew Slick and a few of the others that participated, but none of them really caught her interest. They werenât like Mel, the greatest wizard in the entire kingdom. She didnât care which of them dumb guys got the promotion. Whoever it was, they couldnât hold a candle to Tidal Serpentâs one and only Chiyoko!
"With the trials finished we have our newest S-Class Wizard, Dolores De La Fuente.â Looking up from her position at the bar, Pommel blinked. It was⊠Well, she didnât really know who it was. Dolores. It was her! Well, âaâ her! Another guild heroine had hit S-Class! Slowly, a grin spread even further on Pommelâs face. âSlickâ lost again! Haha! What a loser! Snickering to herself, Pommel marvelled the new wizard from the sidelines. She seemed really cool and collected. Wow, she was awesome! Not âMelindaâ awesome, but a whole breed of awesome above all the other stinky guys in the guild! With a sigh of adoration, Pommel leaned on her elbows and cupped her face, swinging her legs and watching the show. âAnd with her, a new guild master ascends into power. Let us welcome them both into their new positions!"
Quickly joining in the uproarious cheer, Pommel whistled loudly and hollered out chants of encouragement. Thatâs right, her big sister, queen of the Tidal Serpent guild! Gosh, all the female wizards in Tidal Serpent were so tough and amazing! It was a wonder they even bothered keeping dorks like Chen or Slick around. Maybe when she inevitably rose up as one of Tidal Serpentâs great wizardâs sheâd be elected new guild master and would get a chance to clean up all the dumb wizards that they kept around. Wildly daydreaming of her throne and princess dress sheâd wear on her guild master coronation, Pommel missed the announcement Oceana made regarding the suspension of the job board. Even though she didnât work as a Wizard, it probably wouldâve been good for her to know and prepare for. As it stood, she had no idea how busy the bar was going to be in the next week.
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No matter, The young wizard mused, raising her eyes from the pages of her book to peer out the large picture window at the corner of the guild's tavern, squinting slightly to see through the glare that played upon the sheet of glass. Indeed, such things hardly concerned one Artemie Scheherazade. As a relative nobody, there was little chance of her ever taking the S-Class examination, and even less of a chance for her to actually pass it. She could talk a good line about how she'd claim the position one day, and go even further beyond it, too. But, when faced with the prospect of actually having to prove her worth against seasoned wizards the likes of Slick, or, heaven forbid, the new appointee, Ms. Dolores... Artemie shuddered at the thought. No, it was much better to simply work at the library and occupy herself in absentmindedly dreaming of such things than to actually attempt them.
She shut her book, glancing back over to the diner area, where a few other wizards were still loitering around. There hadn't been many people actually doing anything since requests had been suspended, so for the most part, those with nothing better to do simply came here to chat with old comrades and make plans for their next missions. For her own part... well, honestly, not even Artemie was sure why she had chosen that particular day and that particular time to wile away the hours reading in the lobby. Maybe it was the warmth of the light in her little nook by the front window, or the open view of the street as she watched the colorful people of Nymphaea pass by. Or maybe, she'd been hoping to snag one of the easy jobs on the board the moment requests opened back up again, so that she could keep up a steady income.
Regardless, she just so happened to be there, thinking of nothing in particular, and, in fact, nearly drifting off to sleep when suddenly, the voice of the new guild master caught her attention. It seemed like she had some kind of announcement to make, which meant that requests would probably be opened for work. And yet, it seemed also like she had something more to say. So, curious, Artemie slipped her book back into her sleeve, where she mumbled a command for it to be contained. A few runes in the lace frills of her gown flashed for a moment, and the book disappeared into the folds of the cloth seamlessly, as if it hadn't even existed in the first place. Standing up, she tiptoed a little bit closer to the bar, leaning sideways against a support pillar and peering out from behind it so as not to draw too much attention to herself. There, she waited, curious to see what exactly Oceana would have to say.
Though Chen is not usually seen idle, his purposely apparent indignant emotion ran rampant. S-Class Trials were a time of celebration, although his inability to participate gave him a face of scorn. Due to how careless he was during a mission, he sustained multiple injuries. Although the people he forcefully dragged along remained unharmed, he broke all 4 of his limbs and more. However, he completed the mission, he had quite a bit of time to count the reward on his hospital bed.
His perfectly chiseled abs were covered by grimy bandages. He's able to walk and move his limbs again, but he still was nursing the many cuts and bruises. His face was covered with dust and his hair disheveled. He usually was a man harboring great pride for his body, but he was too busy crying himself to sleep. Instead of sitting in the middle of such a grand occasion. He was in a minuscule corner in the southeast part of the room. Cheneres the Exile, reduced to a hermit.
Despite it all, he was happy for the new S-Class. A wondrous maiden does deserve recognition. Cheneres himself isn't familiar with her. Even Cheneres, the man who rushes into danger, is vigilant when approaching someone such as Dolores. He much rather fight monsters of vigor than be on the opposite end of a woman's fury.
Alas, he took another sip of his drink. He was drinking vodka in the morning, maybe to ease the pain of not being able to participate or just because he's Cheneres the Exile, he drinks whenever he wants. He soon fell into a deep slumber, unable to applaud and commend Dolores. It's a somber day if Cheneres is not rushing to a woman's side. Between his gloomy episodes and his whining, he'll recover somehow. It would've been quite important to know that the guild master had suspended Jobs for everyone to recover, but he'll manage. If blowing all your cash on booze and couch surfing fits the definition.
It was a harsh 7 days. Cheneres couldn't find another tavern that would serve him ale for free, so he turned to street performances to pay for his necessities. Though, due to his ineptitude when it comes to musical talent. It would make more sense if they paid him to stop his performance instead of to compliment it. Don't tell him I said that though.
Bright and early, he pushed open the guild hall doors gloriously. In case it was obvious that he has arrived, Cheneres makes it a point to make sure people are aware. With his usual announcement, "Cheneres the Exile makes an entrance! â«" He declared. This habit is usually met by groans of annoyance by his guild members, heavy or hushed. Him going so early could be to bother less people, but it's most likely to get drunk faster.
He ordered from the counter quickly and went to converse with the people of the guild. Giving a hearty hello to his mates and a little bit extra for the ladies (Flex on 'em). It was a busy and boisterous morning, because Cheneres made it so.
It seems the little girl of a guild master had an announcement for the populace. He always found it unorthodox for there to be such a young girl running a former dark guild. She rivals him in energy and can even come off as a bit overbearing, and that's coming from Cheneres. He always thought she should eat more, grow into a voluptuous woman, but that's a personal preference. Those are just thoughts, they were never particularly close and he finds himself straying away from her path. Nonetheless, he respects her magic prowess. He is rather adept at feeling people's strength, though he often rushes in anyways despite knowing he'll lose.
But it seems the little GM had a big announcement. He walked over to the counter and took his drink, he then went to the back of the huddle as he is one of the taller members of the guild. He took a few sips and waited impatiently. If a dainty little lass like her is a guild master, Cheneres is a rocket scientist.
Finally, the day came that the week-long rest period would end. With it, would come an announcement that held the potential to stir a few tempers. Oceana had pitched the plan to Jin earlier in the week, and he had to admit that it was a pretty good one. With a few discussions, the pair had managed to sort out the details and minimize the possibility for complaint. Still, he could tell that there would be disagreements. That was his job to deal with though. Oceana made the plans and Jin enforced them- that had always been the way it was.
He had been in the kitchen tossing bits of lunchmeat to his cat Shiba when Oceana hopped up onto the bar counter. When he heard her squeaky attempt at an announcement, he casually stepped out into the main guild area, leaning up against one of the tables that scattered the room. The chatter wasn't dying down though. He sighed, silently praying that Oceana would at least try to be bear the authority of her position.
"Your guildmaster has an announcement. Pipe down." His voice rung through the hall and conversations began to die down. People knew better than to make him repeat himself. When silence had at last settled over the guild, Jin's eyes drifted up to meet Oceana's. While she had in fact granted Dolores S-class status the previous week, this would be the first act that was truly hers. It was her idea from start to finish and while Jin would support it, it was her job to stand by it. Steady like the tide, as his father would always say. Even though they'd grown up together, moments like this made him wonder how she was feeling. Was she nervous? Excited? His dark eyes remained focused on hers, willing her to speak with the power she had done well to earn.
Instead as she continued, Keiji found himself leaning forward, his eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of some sort of plan. What kind of plan could undo years of tarnishing marks upon their history? He doubted anything would make them as loved as some of the other big guilds out there like Fairy Tail or Blue Pegasus. With the mention of a team, Keiji had a sudden sick feeling in his gut. 8 people were listed, and among the first said was Keijiâs name. As he listened to the names, he realized that there were more than a few people on their who wouldnât do well in groups, himself included. What was her plan? Exposure through inner conflict? Accomplishment via adversity? As she finished her speech, Keiji saw Rin stand up and storm out the door. A tempered reaction if he ever witnessed one, but even he had to admit this was unusual. Keiji took a look around as the stunned silence finally started to fill with voices of differing opinions. Keiji himself stood from his position and made his way to Oceana, stopping just beside her. âMaster Malaerion, maâam.â Keiji stated in greeting to Oceana and her grandmother. Keiji looked down at Oceana, his face stoic as always, preferring the professional approach when it came to those in a position higher than himself. âMay I have a word Master?â
Oceana paused from her task of seemingly trying to get something from her grandmother to blink once and look up at the S class wizard before responding with a smile. âOf course. Do we need to go upstairs?â She asked earnestly, to which Keiji responded by taking a quick glance around the room at the many ears that could overhear the conversation. While he wasnât one to think this particular talk would cause concern, he just generally hated being eavesdropped on.
âProbably best if we do.â Keiji stated, turning around and leading the two of them up the stairs to the balcony that overlooked the main hall. From here, they could talk relatively freely without being overheard while Keiji could also keep a lookout for anyone who might barge in on their conversation. Once they were settled, Keiji glancing over the guild mates once more, he went with his usual very blunt approach to things. âThis is a mistake.â He stated in an even tone, no anger or annoyance in the words but more along the lines of someone whoâs trying to point out a fact. âYouâre putting your faith in a team filled with loner characters, myself included. Whatâs your end goal?â
Oceana looked down over the guild hall, leaning on the banister slightly as she seemed to contemplate an answer. Eventually she turned to Keiji, her eyes serious and all mirth washed from her features. âI have carefully chosen each member of this team, a lot of them specifically because of the distance they keep from the rest of the guild. This is just as much for them as it is for the guild. Some of them need this, whether they know it or not.â
âSome of them are more concerned with the fact that their powers could very easily injure those theyâre supposed to be working alongside.â Keiji stated, implying but not outright stating that he was the object of that concern. It wasnât the fact that he couldnât control his powers, it had more to do with his tunnel vision that he had had trouble getting rid of during combat. While he would love to say that he couldnât be held responsible for what happened when the fists and magic started flying, he knew that was a lie. Still, it was a major character flaw that, at an inopportune moment, could end up with people he cared about getting injured or killed.
âThis isnât negotiable.â Oceana stated, seemingly blowing past that statement. She either understood and didnât care, or simply thought it was a wasted concern. âI hope that you can look past your own preferences and manage to connect with the team.â She seemed to soften slightly, giving a half smile before sliding past Keiji towards the stairs. He looked after as she went. Keiji opened his mouth to say something, to argue further, but nothing came out. All of his arguments past that were self indulgent, a way to shrug off the responsibility of worrying about other team members. While he did that a bit here at the guild, on the job he focused on the mission at hand. In truth, he didnât want anyone slowing him down, but he couldnât exactly say that without coming across as a truly despicable person.
Keiji leaned on the banister, his eyes downcast as he thought about his fate. While it wasnât the worst thing that could happen, it was still something that he wasnât happy about in the slightest. Still, he had to present an image to the guild, one of uniformity and cohesion. Even if he didnât like it, and at his core was opposed to the idea, he would never openly state that for the rest of the guild to hear unless it put their lives in danger. For now, he would have to put up a front and try to get the team to work together.
That meant finding Rin, and making sure she wouldnât go do something foolish.
âStupid week with stupid people doing stupid stupidâŠâ Pommel grumbled to herself as she strode between the tables, platters loaded up on her arms up to her shoulders, drinks under her arms in a comical but impressive display of balance and waitressing skill. In practiced and precise movements, she unloaded the meals and drinks to the various patrons of the guild, smiling at those she liked and showing something akin to annoyance to those she didnât. Sheâd had it had it HAD IT with the guild wizards by now. GO! Shoo! Do some jobs, get out of here! Youâre making the place stink and wearing grooves into the leather! She hadnât smelled of this much alcohol or done this much work since⊠Since well ever! And it SUCKED! Why oh why would Oceana do something like this? Had she done something bad? Was this a punishment for Pommel to have to be this busy for a whole week?
Petulant as ever, Pommel pouted and persevered in her work, forever trying to prove herself and be recognised for her good deeds, but for the most part going unnoticed. Cheery bright and friendly as she could be, most of those who offended her (Which pretty much only consisted of the male guild members) knew to stick clear of her when she was this grouchy, but at the same time, it was typically them who were responsible for grabbing her attention by ordering food or drinks. Ugh, why couldnât someone cool that she actually cared about just request her assistance? Maybe the new S-Class wizard wanting a fancy wine? Oceana bringing her a new dress to try on? Just someone she could find a reasonable excuse to hang out with and chat rather than having to be an errand girl for all these lazy deadbeats!
Exhausted and at her limit, Pommel pulled out a nearby seat and leaned on the pillar by the job board, taking a long sigh as she rested. It was about time she took a break, and with Oceana making her entrance for her announcement, it looked like sheâd be getting her chance. Sitting up to listen intently to the declaration, Pommel internally and externally beamed at seeing Oceana take charge. That was just like a powerful wizard like her to take point and lead like this. Oceana was a woman with vision for the future. No doubt she had some cool, amazing strategy to propel Tidal Serpent to the top of the popularity polls in Sorcererâs Weekly! Leaning in, Pommel waited with baited breathâŠ
ââŠI have decided that 8 members of Tidal Serpent will join together to be a teamâŠâ Looking up from her spot, Pommel briefly thought she saw Oceana make eye contact with her. Her heart skipped a beat. W-was this it?! Was she being selected to become an important wizard that would shape the very future of Tidal Serpent?! Oh, she knew Oceana believed in her and her abilities, but this was going to be a bit sudden! Being placed on a team with her and Melinda and all the other best warriors that Tidal Serpent had, no doubt sheâd get the opportunity to learn and really start being a valued member of the guild! Oh, Oceana was so wonderful thinking of her like that! This was it, her moment to shine! All the hard work was paying off! Sheâd begin as the junior member of the team, but in moments she would rise to be the star member! Maybe sheâd even get her own article in Sorcererâs Weekly? She could see the headlines now: âYoung Prodigy Wizard takes the magic world by storm!â
"The people chosen for this team, are; Dolores De La Fuente, Keiji Okaro, Melinda Ekundayo, Slick, Cheneres, Bardulf Sherwood, Artemie Scheherazade, and Rin Hitomi." Pommel listened, nodding all the while. Ugh, Slick. And that loud idiot Chen. Well, there had to be SOME rookies besides herself that wouldâŠ- Wait. Pommel paused, playing back the team in her mind. Then, she hung her head in shame. Of course she wasnât part of the team⊠What had she even been thinking? She wasnât even a qualified wizard! OooohhhhâŠ. Sheâd really gotten her hopes up that sheâd get the chance to join and work with her idols. Man, this stunk! Melinda was already always away, but now that Dolores was on a team with her, along with two other powerful female wizards, theyâd probably be gone even more often. Sighing, she leaned back on her seat against the wall.
"That is all. The ban on accepting jobs is now over. Be safe!" Following that announcement, Pommel was caught in a stampede for the second time in a week as eager wizards hurried to the job board for the best opportunities.
Reaching for his drink, Slick slowly took a light sip as he listened to their new guildmasterâs heartfelt declaration. He was always impressed with the passion and dedication that Oceana showed for the guild, and had no doubt some of that rubbed off on everyone else. Sure, it was his home and family too, but he could never quite show the drive or spirit that she did. There was just something inspiring about the honesty and pride she showed whenever Tidal Serpent came up. The guild was her life, and sheâd take no disrespect for it from anyone. In fact, it was probably that aspect of her nature that lead to her becoming the new guild master, regardless of her heritage. NaĂŻve and inexperienced as she may be, Slick couldnât think of anyone else that was more fitting or deserving of the title.
That said⊠Well, her plan just seemed absurd. Even Slick had to scoff at the idea of a wizard team going off and doing who knows what to get the guildâs name out there. But hey, it was Oceanaâs pet project. Heâd help her plan and budget for it, along with its probable failure. Itâd be a good lesson like that which would teach her that turning things around wasnât as simple as just bringing people together to work as a team. Eight people was a lot of resources, and it just didnât seem efficient unless she planned on them doing some truly incredible work. Still, itâd be interesting to keep track of from the sidelines. Watching Oceana continue to explain over the rim of his glass, Slick listened with intrigue as she listed off the cast of her new show. The S-Classes - Yeah, no surprises there if she intended for them to do something huge. Then came the kicker. Slick nearly spat his drink across the room as his name was listed, but not only that, Chen, Bard and that mousy girl from the library. He wasnât going to complain about being put on a team with women, but it all seemed a bit ridiculous â Heâd worked solo for years now.
Setting his drink down on the bar and looking up to Oceana, he tried to meet her eyes and get some sort of response out of her for this joke. She couldn't be serious. When he met her gaze however, it wasnât the kind or joking expression he was hoping for. Instead, there was naught but a mischievous smile, and under the noisy mass discussion going around the guild, Slick made out the syllables she wordlessly spoke under her breath at him. She wasnât messing with him. Well, she was and she wasnât. He was actually a part of this team, but she was most certainly doing it to rattle him. Ugh, she knew just how to get under his skin sometimes. Was this a response to calling her by that moniker in front of everyone? Adjusting the glasses that had slipped from his face, he watched Rin, the eighth member of the team storm off. Clearly she wasnât happy about this either. Amusingly, Bard seemed to be taking more initiative then Slick had anticipated the shy lad had in him by chasing after her. Ah well, best of luck to him. He was a good fellow, hopefully itâd work out.
Turning back to Oceana, Slick tried to raise his concerns over the din of people heading to the jobâs board, but was silenced by a few hearty slaps on the back as some of his fellow guildmates wished him âluckâ with Oceanaâs pet project, laughing at his predicament all the while. It was during this that Keiji took the opportunity to request a meeting with the guildmaster, obviously having his own qualms with the setup. Heh, if Oceana had her mind set on this, it was unlikely sheâd call it off. Change it slightly, maybe, but that was a long shot, even for a charmer like him. Still, itâd do Keiji to learn some humility and âloseâ to Oceana. It wasnât like Slick was still bitter about the promo tournament at this point, but he was amused to see the tempered fellow losing something.
Letting Keiji have his talk with her upstairs, Slick would have his own private chat with her later about the whole thing. She hadnât really given them any details of what she expected of the team, other than them taking it seriously. Did she have a job in mind? Or were they just going to be an overkill squadron doing some odd S-Rank jobs? Even if sheâd intended for it to be a big surprise, he wished sheâd given him some prior notice so he could do some planning and work out the logistics of it all. Depending on what they were doing, Wizards like him and Chen might be made redundant in the face of the job they were assigned. Well, no sense dwelling on it for now or worrying about it. He was Slick after all. He couldnât let something like this phase him too much. Time to roll with it.
With Oceana, Keiji, Rin and Bard all occupied, Melinda nowhere in sight, and Chen being Chen; Slick briefly scanned the crowd for any sign for the remaining lovely two team members that heâd been assigned to. With the aid of his magic, it only took a split-second to identify Dolores in the crowd, along with Artemie poised behind a pillar for support and possibly protection from everyone. Both were lovely in their own way, and conveniently enough, were only across the bar and a stoneâs throw away from each other. Pushing off the bar, Slick slid his way over towards the two, seamlessly moving into place beside Doloreâs, but facing the pillar Artemie found herself behind. Snapping his fingers in her direction, he flashed a smile.
âWell ladies, looks like youâre gonna be stuck with me until our ever-wise guild master says otherwise. I mean, weâre gonna have to make the most of this, so we may as well get to know each other more intimately than we already do, yeah? Bossâs orders that we get along and all that.â Cocking his head in Doloreâs direction to see if she was paying attention as well, he turned his attention back to Artemie for the moment, lifting his glasses with a wink. âAnd donât worry Art, if Dolly here is too uptight to watch out for you, Iâve got your back.â Thumbing at his chest, Slick nudged the smoke dragon slayer in the side. âAinât that right Dolly?â
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Between drunken thoughts, Cheneres only caught every 5th word or so of the wondrous guild master's announcement. Unfortunately it seemed to have applied to him, so his eyes harbored blank stares. Not even blinking when his name was called. It only seemed like a little girl with big words to him. It was even apparent to the ever-so dense Cheneres that Oceana wanted to do something grand, something of splendor during her time as master of this guild. Personally, Cheneres respected the big declaration. During his time in the guild, he saw Oceana as a effervescent character who acted the part of a giddy elementary school teacher. Hardworking to her job, but without fruit from her efforts. This big proclamation, though half deafened, was what Cheneres wanted to hear most.
It seemed he was placed in a team of 8, Cheneres was all for the team idea. Instead of forcefully dragging people along to his mission, he had a team that was practically forced to accompany him. It was wonderful for the people outside of the team, as they weren't prey for the ignorant Cheneres. Can't say the same for the team he was assigned to though.
His opinion on the group was positive overall. Aside from the Celestial Wolf, he was familiar with the lot of them. Fellow chick-magnet Slick and the rather bashful Bardulf are fellow drinking buddies, but are not in any way close. He disliked the addition of Keiji, as he would be forced to shape up or get flung elsewhere with his force magic. But a little authority to keep their rather rambunctious group in line wouldn't hurt, (though Cheneres is probably the only person who would cause problems.)
Then there was Artemie, the only woman who didn't physically harm Cheneres after his famous coquetry. Despite her quiet exterior, Cheneres find himself gravitating towards her the most. Maybe they're meant to be soulmates, or maybe because he think that loners have the best secrets. He couldn't tell you if you asked. Then there was Dolores, Cheneres initially vowed to stray away from the assassin. But like moths to flame, Cheneres was attracted to a woman's charm once more. Though definitely dimmed, his flirting hasn't ceased.
It seemed the group were all scattered about, half trying to find Rin after her initial outburst and half somewhere else. Cheneres climbed onto a table and with a loud clap of the hands, he got his guild mates' attention. "Why don't we give it up for the newly formed team, Team Cheneres!~" Though the name was patent pending, the guild went into a raucous chant.
"Team Cheneres, Team Cheneres!" Didn't exactly roll of the tongue, but it was a start.
No, Oceana could handle this on her own. He recited this mantra on repeat in his mind, trying to push out the image of the goofy child he had helped to raise. She was qualified for this position, and was more than capable of justifying her stance without him. If anything, Jin would only overstep his bounds and make the situation worse. So he remained on the main floor of the guild hall, at the same rickety table he had observed the announcement from. Damage control, that would be his objective now. That involved getting a drunk Cheneres off of the table before Freya murdered him.
Jin had to give the man a certain amount of credit. Somehow, in his intoxication, he had managed to start a guild-wide chant. Thankfully, nobody had thrown chairs or drinks yet, but Tidal Serpent's track record meant that Jin wasn't willing to wait for it to happen. He made his way over to the wizard, who seemed to be having the time of his life amidst the cheering. Folding his arms, Jin peered up at the man.
"Time to get down Prince. You don't need Freya to give you bruises to go with your nasty hangover tomorrow morning." Even though the man definitely had experience holding his liquor, he certainly was NOT capable of dealing with the guild's resident Wizard Saint.
"That's my girl!" Her first announcement as guildmaster and Oceana was already throwing the Tidal Serpent off its feet. Just like her grandma used to!
Taking a swig from her tankard, Freya let out a bellowing laugh that seemed too large from a woman of her stature. Her girl was a sturdy one, that was for sure. She hadn't even blinked when that looker Keiji asked to speak with her in private. Oh, what Freya wouldn't give to have a "private" conversation with a delicious specimen like that! The thought of it brought her back to her old adventuring days. She turned in her stool, looking over the guild hall with a sense of pride. First-class, that's what the Tidal Serpent was. Soon enough, the world would know it too.
In the corner of the room, a few of the newest team members were gathered. Freya watched with interest as Slick sauntered over to the spot where Artemie and Dolores were lounging about. That grin he wore told her all she needed to know. The man was shameless in his mischief- he almost reminded Freya of a younger version of herself. Maybe that'd be enough to get the new S-class wizard to crack a smile. The woman was far too uptight for her own good. As for Artemie, there wasn't much to say. Maybe going on missions with higher-level wizards would make the girl get some confidence.
Out of the corner of her eye, Freya noticed a sole figure stumbling about. All was good until she noticed it pulling itself up onto on of the tables. Her vision began to go red. The hall and all of its trappings were a testament to the guild's illustrious history. Although some furniture had been replaced (accidents were to be expected), Freya expected members to have more sense than to risk destroying even more when she could see them. What they did when she wasn't around was none of her business. But what happened right in front of her? THAT was enough to warrant a reaction.
"Cheneres!" She shouted across the hall. A bit of the chanting died down as guild members felt a chilling sense of fear creep down their spines. "Get your lovely drunk ass off that table before I get up and do it for you."
Rin had almost reached the large arch marking the guild property line when she heard someone call out to her from behind. "Hey newbie. Not in a social mood today?" Rin's steps faltered for a moment but she quickly caught herself and looked away from the blonde man. She could still hear her spirits in the back of her mind, whom had been yelling at her since she stormed out, but she blocked them out so she could focus more on her surroundings. Speeding up a bit she hoped the other wizard would get the hint and leave her be.
"I mean, I'm sure you're a bit nervous about the whole team thing. You aren't the only one. I'm a bit terrified of being in the same team as Melinda." Rin looked back at him, slightly exasperated. Obviously he had taken her silence as a cue to keep talking. Stopping Rin sighed and let the man finish his chit-chat. "I'm Bardulf, by the way. Friends and family call me Bard." As he stepped in front of her and held out his hand Rin let out another sigh before forcing a smile and grasping his hand in hers. "It's nice to meet you Bardulf. I'm Rin Hitomi." Rin made sure not to call the wizard by Bard, wanting to make sure he realized they were in no way friends. As she gave his hand a firm shake she suddenly paused and looked over her shoulder to see Keiji exiting the guild hall and look around before seeing Rin and Bardulf and starting towards them. Quickly letting go of the blonde's hand Rin stepped to the side. "Sorry but it seems I have to go. Have a nice day." Though her fake smile was still in place, her voice had a hollow quality to it that revealed the celestial wizards current mood.
Stepping away, Rin quickly walked past Bardulf and passed under the arch. Glancing back once more Rin quickly made the decision to not go straight home, instead heading towards the market district. While she had nothing against the S-Class Wizard, she knew it would be far easier for him to feel her repressed magic power and he also had a look that seemed to shout 'I really don't want to do this but I don't have a choice' so she assumed he had reluctantly agreed to the team in which case she had no interest talking with him.
With the talk not having gone as planned and Keiji having resigned himself to his position, he made his way towards the doors of the guild hall with the intent of finding the most likely retreating Rin in order to have a quick talk with her. He wasnât looking forward to it, but he felt like her resistance to the team was very visibly displayed, and he had to ensure that when the time came, she would take the order in stride. Keiji didnât want to have the talk, and if he believed someone else could have done it, he might have asked them. Still, he felt a somewhat connection to her, if only in her methodology and personality. He had been with the guild far longer than her, and while they had never had long conversations or worked together before, he could relate at the very least. Keiji reached the doors and pushed them open with miniscule effort, to be greeted with the early morning sun.
Keiji squinted at first, his eyes adjusting to the light and peering around for his quarry. There, off to the side and leading away from the Guild grounds, Rin was actually talking to Bardulf by the looks of it. An A class wizard, requip magic if Keiji remembered correctly. Rin seemed to glance behind her, and upon seeing Keiji...or maybe something else but that was the most likely case, Rin took off towards the town. Had she stayed talking with Bardulf, Keiji might have let her be. It would have been an indication that she was at least willing to entertain the thought of dealing with others. Her reaction led Keiji to believe that wasnât the case however, and despite his misgivings about the entire situation, took off in a brisk stride after her. He did pause for a moment to look over at the Swordsman. âBardulf.â Keiji stated, giving a nod. âI'm looking forward to seeing what youâre capable of.â A small little line that would hopefully propel Bardulf into giving everything he had into the jobs to come. For now, he had a bit tougher of a target to deal with as he quickened his pace once more to chase after the fleeing Celestial Mage.
As the younger wizard lead Keiji into the marketplace, he knew what was going to happen. With her smaller stature, she would try to lose Keiji through the early morning crowds and traders. Even as he thought this, people of all shapes and sizes started to filter into the streets, people hocking wares and the early risers all smiling as they planned out their purchases for the rest of the day. Keiji narrowed his eyes, but wasnât within range to start yelling her name above the increasing noise of the city. He politely moved people out of his way, his patience overcoming the natural instinct to clear a path in front of him through overwhelming force. He gave a quick sigh as she flowed through the people as if they werenât there, while the bulkier Keiji was constantly jostled around like he was a pinball. Eventually he got into a rhythm though, and could see that his longer strides were starting to gain ground on the young mage.
She glanced over her shoulders, obviously catching sight of the easily distinguishable Keiji. She must have deemed her current tactic to not be working, because she quickly darted to the side and entered an alley. Keiji gave a bit of a sigh, hoping that it would dead end and he could have this increasingly painful conversation with the woman so that he could head back to the guild hall and hopefully figure out a way to make the rest of this transition easier on himself. For now, his focus was on making sure Rin understood her situation at the unspoken behest of the Guild Master herself.
Upon entering the alley, Keiji was greeted by a screeching fiery bird flying directly over his head. Instinctively he ducked as his body glowed a golden sheen, his body aegis naturally coming into effect as an almost automatic defense to danger. He looked up, narrowing his eyes through the skies as the bird flew around in circles, obviously watching with the intention of either distracting or stopping him. It was adorable, in its own way, tiny yet annoying as it cooed almost tauntingly towards him. Unfortunately, it had already lost the element of surprise and Keiji doubted it could do anything to actually harm him. Interesting that she would loose her spirits to stall me though, really dedicating yourself to the lone wolf thing huh? Keiji thought to himself as he walked forward. The bird flew in every so often to try and intimidate him, but even the few times it nicked him its talons glanced harmlessly off his body aegis. Keiji exited the alley, peering in a few different directions and was able to pick Rinâs head out of the crowd.
He made to turn towards her, when the Phoenix came down to eye level, glowing brightly as its form changed into that of the typical Phoenix of lore. Bright wings of flickering fire licked at the air around it as it cried out in what could only be a call to battle. This bird, nearly Keijiâs size, puffed out its wings and let loose with an assortment of fire. Ball after ball of flame launched forward, impacting on Keiji with an almost admirable accuracy as they all seemed to hit their mark. Before the smoke had even settled, a bright gold sigil appeared behind the bird and propelled it forward with such force that it was sent into an uncontrollable spin. Despite this, or maybe because it was planned, Keijiâs hand reached out from the smoke and grasped the Phoenixâs neck with an almost audible crunch. The Phoenix started to panic, striking at Keiji with itâs claws as he stepped out from the smoking hole that was the target area, golden wisps of air flowing around him like a light fabric being blown about by the wind. Keiji glared at the spirit, his gaze a very clear threat of someone who was doing his best to not do what he always did...which was solve this problem in the most violent manner possible.
âGo home spirit.â Keiji stated through clenched teeth, this entire situation getting way too close to actual battle for his composure to remain solid. The bird squawked slightly before Keijiâs grip tightened and it went limp in his hand. He didnât kill it, did he? No, he didnât think he had the power to kill celestial spirits...or at least he had never tried. The birdâs flames slowly died and the entire body quickly turned to ash afterwards, which were then carried off by the breeze. Keiji watched them float on, his body aegis dissipating as he did so. Well turning to ash was never a good omen as far as he was concerned, but he didnât really have the time nor care to worry about such a thing right now. Once the moment had passed, he glanced around once more and was dismayed to learn that Rin had fled the scene. Keiji narrowed his eyes over the crowd, had she not stayed to see if her bird could stop him? No, it was meant as a distraction, she would have left long ago. While Keiji hadnât wanted to resort to more...upfront tactics, he felt the time for subtlety was over. A gold sigil formed beneath him as more than a few people continued to stare. With a great gust of air and the cracking of the foundation beneath him, Keiji shot into the air like a bullet.
A few moments later, at the apex of his jump, another sigil appeared that acted as solid ground, allowing him to stand above the city to look down upon the inhabitants. He had lost Rin in the time it had taken him to deal with the Rat, so he started peering through the crowds but initially thought that it would be impossible to find her. Luck happened to be on his side though, for that was the only reason he managed to catch a glimpse of her as she broke through a crowd briefly before entering another one. Keiji launched himself at her again, landing just far enough away from people to avoid civilian injury, but hard enough to crack the concrete upon his landing. Honestly, he really did need to learn how to figure out his âgentle touchâ approach.
Upon seeing him land, Rin stumbled backwards slightly, and looked ready to bolt in the other direction. A quick flick of his wrist, and the woman was surrounded by Force Sigils that prevented her from leaving, but otherwise did nothing. Keiji straightened his hoodie, bending down and wiping a bit of dust and dirt from his jeans. âYour actions so far are not making me confident in your ability to be trusted.â Keiji stated in a very calm but demanding manner as he finished cleaning his clothes. With that done, he walked closer, not invading her personal space but making it clear that he wasnât to be ignored. âWeâre going to have a talk...about the potential problems you might have working as a team.â A very hypocritical statement coming from Keiji, but hopefully he would learn something about what it was to work with others closely through this interaction.
While Rin's tactic of getting lost in a crowd wasn't very original had hoped it would work anyways. They are the oldest tricks in the book because they work right? Well, probably for anyone but her, or at least it seemed that way.
When she still hadn't managed to lose him in the crowd Rin got a little annoyed. It was obvious she didn't want to talk to him and following her was just plain rude. She would have ended up back at the guildhall within a day or two anyways, could he not wait? Seeing an alleyway to her left Rin considered for a moment, confronting the S-Class Wizard but doubted she would be able to do much against him after the initial surprise.
Making a decision, Rin suddenly darted into the alley once there was an open path to it and as soon as she was out of view of the other wizard she pulled out a silver gatekey, speeding up a bit more as she did. âOpen, Gate of the Fire-Bird! Phoenix.â With a flash of silver light the bird spirit appeared and zipped after Rin, cooing in response to her request for a distraction before rising above the alley as she exited the other end.
Keiji Okaro
A solid minute or two passed once Rin had blended back into the market crowds and for a moment she let herself relax but then she felt the closure of her spirit's gate quickly followed by Keiji landing behind her with a loud crack. At this point, she didn't even attempt to run and looked at him blandly from inside his force sigils. With his comments about trust and the 'talk' they needed to have Rin rolled her eyes but not before looking at the crowd around them warily. "Yeah I get it. You're persistent. Honesty, this could have waited a day or two." As more people started to turn their attention to Rin and Keiji, someone recognizing him, Rin let out a huff and swore under her breath. "Yeah yeah, okay. We can talk. Just... Not here." Though Keiji obviously had the power in this situation he thankfully agreed, his magic disappearing as hi gave a silent nod and waved for her to lead the way.
""You know, of all the members of this disaster group Guild Master Oceana has created I really thought it would end up being Cheneres stalking me and causing a scene." Keiji's response was quick, though his tone never lost the patience it almost always held. "Out of everyone to use their powers to attack me, I too thought it would be Cheneres...I stand corrected." Rin scoffed at his use of the word attack, "It only counts as an attack if there's an actual chance of you getting hurt. I'm a B-Class Celestial wizard with a bunch of silver keys. The most damage I could do with your magic type is a surprise attack and there's no way that one attack wouldn't be powerful enough to even bruise you if it came from a silver spirit."
"So then my real question, if that's your thought process, is why did you try that at all if you knew it would stop me? But we're getting off topic. To be honest, all I wanted to do was to talk to you to make sure you knew the score and the ramifications of this team for all of us." Keiji said in reply, his voice never leaving that even tone that he tended to use. He stared ahead, his eyes locked on to some imaginary target.
Rin raised an eyebrow at his word choice, 'Score? Really?', but then shook her head and looked away. "While I respect Guild Master Oceana and most of her decisions I will not be a part of this team. It's too dangerous..." Rin wasn't looking at Keiji as she said this, instead, she looked at the sky as she absentmindedly touched the small tattoo on her cheek.
"Dangerous for whom?" Keiji asked, looking over at her slightly with an inquisitive look on his face. "Regardless of your answer, personal feelings are not to be taken into account with this decision. It's meant to increase the standing of Tidal Serpent, not necessarily our own rankings. I would wager that most of the people now on this team aren't necessarily happy about this situation..." Keiji stated, cracking his knuckles with just his thumb as a way to get past his own irritation on the manner. "Myself included." Keiji said this with such a casual phrasing that to blink would be to miss the undertone that he himself didn't want anything to do with any of these people regarding a team makeup. "But even so, I will perform as our Master has decreed because at the end of the day, I'm working to make sure that Tidal Serpent and those under her care are progressing forward and achieving new goals every day." Keiji gave a bit of a sigh. "I know I sound like a propaganda spewing machine, but that's not my intention. My hope is to convince you peacefully to accept the situation, my fear is that you'll try to fight me on it, and my reality is that you'll probably begrudgingly agree with me in order to get this conversation to end then fail to live up to your end of the bargain and by extension, your potential."
Rin was quite surprised that, in the middle of trying to convince her to play along, Keiji openly admitted to not wanting any part of being on the team. Watching him intently now Rin pursed her lips at his comment about 'progressing forward'. When he called himself a propaganda spewing machine Rin could help but laugh. But she quickly sobered up when he continued on. Suddenly stepping in front of him and coming to a stop, Rin glared at Keiji, giving him a hard poke to the chest. "Of all the things I would do to get out of this I would Never break my word. I am a Celestial Wizard. My promises are kept, end of discussion." Rin was completely serious as she spoke, obviously offended that he would imply otherwise.
Keiji slowly looked down at the finger, raising an eyebrow as he did so as to imply 'Really?'. When he looked back up and was greeted with a scowling Rin, his expression seemed to get the slightest bit lighter, the hint of a smile seeming to be broadcast from him even if his mouth didn't form the shape. "So is that to say that you promise to play along for the time being?" Keiji asked, his tone inquisitive but his word choice almost accusatory.
Rin's glare quickly changed to an expression of shock as Keiji used one of the few (in her opinion) redeeming qualities she had to corner her into agreeing. Never having expected the move from the usually neutral wizard Rin let a rare smirk cross her lips.
"Three strikes. Three missions. That's what I'll agree to. You have my word that I will go with you and that my measly silver keys and I will do what we can to help, though it probably won't be much." Rin didn't wait for him to accept or disagree before continuing. "I make no promises as for my demeanor though. I will not be trying to make friends with the team. And this is all on the condition that no one comes to my home. No one, even in the guild, knows where it is and I want to keep it that way. "
"Fine by me." Keiji stated, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "If you can do that, if you can at least try to make the team work, I promise I will never attempt to befriend you." Keiji stated so dryly deserts were jealous of his delivery. Keiji held out a hand to shake, to cement the deal so that if she really were a woman of her word, this was as close to a binding contract as the two of them could get.
Rin was relieved that Keiji agreed with her terms and when he held out a hand to shake she accepted it. After a quick shake, she went to let go but Keiji seemed to not be finished.
"Oh, and one more thing." Keiji stated, leaning down slightly to get to her eye level. "The next time you summon your spirits and sic them on me...I'll consider it a challenge."
For a moment Rin didn't react, the threat not meaning much to her but suddenly, with a telepathic push from one of her spirits, she realized a B-Class Wizard would be scared of such threats and she forced a flinch and an impish grin. "Hehe, okay..." Mentally Rin scowled at herself, the entire reaction seeming false in her own head but she hoped it was a bit more believable to Keiji.
The conversation over, the two wizards both turned and started back the way they came. While at first Rin found it a bit unnerving after a few minutes she quickly got over it, liking the nonobtrusive company.
When the two reached the guild hall Rin noticed Keiji give a silent wave as he went to re-enter the guild compound and Rin found herself absent-mindedly returning the gesture before quickly yanking her hand down, as if she had somehow offended herself. Afterwards she headed straight to her apartment to relax and rest before the obvious chaos her next four jobs were going to be.
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It was Freya Malaerion. The only person who could rival Cheneres on the drinking table. He harbored quite the respect for the strongest member in their guild. However, when they are both drunk, which is often, they get into quarrels that usually end in a trip to a hospital bed for the bystanders and Cheneres himself. Freya's presence alone scared the crowd into dispersing and going about their own devices. Cheneres was the only person who stood firm, acting on drunken judgement rather than rational thought. Not even Jin's cogent words could snap him back.
His vision was foggy, his movements have been reduced to stumbles. He couldn't think straight nor look straight, but that didn't stop him. He pointed, unwavering at the wizard saint. "I won't back down! This table is my home! If you must get me off, then do so!" He deafeningly shouted, hopefully the alcohol numbs the pain he is about to receive.
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The announcement caused quite a stir within the guild but over the past 48 hours things have settled down. While most of the guild has moved on from the fact, eagerly await news from the first job but simultaneously doubting it will ever happen, the members of the team have all reacted in quite a different way.
Almost every member of the team has gone to Oceana to ask her to explain her choice or remove them from the team and many of them have gotten the same vague but firm responses.
The next day Jin asked Keiji and Slick, the only two who seem to be completely resigned to their fate, to gather up the rest of the team in the Guild Hall so they can go on their first mission.
So far most members have been easy to find yet there are still one or two who have eluded the rest of the team. With the help of Artemie, earlier today notes were sent to those remaining members via magic paper airplane with a message to meet up at the Guild Hall at 2 pm.
It is now 1:50pm and Guild Master Oceana is waiting to see if the team will actually gather to choose their first mission.
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On the bright side, the rather intimidating Dolores left after giving a few parting words about Slick's offer, but, on the downside, it seemed like everything inside the guild hall was still in roughly the same state of chaos and cacophony. She glanced back over to where Cheneres was still vaguely visible amidst a crowd of hooligan wizards, and sighed. It looked like she wouldn't be able to approach him like this.
With little else to do but wait, she decided she'd get a bit of fresh air, and so departed the guild hall, heading outside. She waited around idly, thinking about how she would address Mr. Slick when he returned. Maybe she should have followed Dolores' advice. After all, she already owed her senior more than she could easily repay for all the help he'd given her in the past year. Accepting his charity in the form of a meal on top of that wouldn't be right. No, it certainly wouldn't be. She'd have to tell him so when he came, and say that while she was flattered, it wouldn't be right for her to-
"Oh, there you are, Art. I was beginning to get worried you'd abandon me too, but I shoulda known better than that." Artemie turned around to see the very wizard himself stepping out from behind a large column, winking knowingly at her. She opened her mouth, and then realized she had no idea how to say what she wanted to. She couldn't accept this offer, but... But he'd seemed so happy to see her just now, wouldn't it also be incredibly rude to refuse him now...? Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself compromising with his offer rather than refusing it outright. She told him she didn't want to burden him by making him pay for her, he responded that it wouldn't cost much anyway, she added that she still owed him for helping her with her work, he responded that he didn't mind, and that she could repay him with her company. She doubted that, but he knew best, as always, and the next thing she knew, she was sitting across from him in a tiny cafe a few blocks from the guild hall.
She hadn't wanted to trouble him, so she decided not to talk about their pending assignment to work together, even if she wasn't entirely certain about the arrangement herself. So then how exactly had the conversation gotten to exactly that? She was pretty sure that she hadn't intended to say anything of the sort, and yet when he asked her how she felt, she replied honestly.
"Looking at things rationally, I don't know how useful I'll be to all of you. Unlike the rest of you, I have essentially zero field experience, nor am I on the same level as anyone else in this team." She found her head lowering instinctively as Slick looked almost pitifully at her. He must have been thinking the same thing, right? She did her best to reassure him, but what could she say? "That isn't to say that I won't do my best to help when called upon, and I'll certainly try not to get in anyone's way, but I can't promise that my magic will be of much use to the rest of you."
To her surprise, however, when Slick did finally speak up, he didn't sound dissapointed. If anything, he seemed dismissive not of herself, but rather of everything she'd just said to put herself down. "Art, I've known you a while now. If I had to rely on anyone around here to help me out, it would be you. You've been essential to my research, and I have no doubt you'll be a cornerstone of the team. Maybe not the one punching monsters in the face, but certainly helping to keep our ship from sinking." Artemie couldn't help but wonder at his words, even after he escorted her back to the guild hall, and they parted ways for the night. She didn't think she'd been that useful to him, but Slick wasn't the type of person who would lie to her. She was sure of that. And if anyone in the guild knew the specifications of her abilities, it was him. If he thought she could make herself useful as part of the team, he couldn't have been wrong, right? Then, in that case...
...Maybe I really could be of some use here? Could I finally repay the debt I owe to everyone for taking care of me for this past year? It was with these kinds of uncharacteristically hopeful thoughts that she found herself making her way to the designated meeting point. She made sure to arrive a little earlier than expected, since, after all, she'd been the one they'd asked to send out the announcements. She had also taken especial care in preparing herself, making sure her attire was immaculate and her hair was as carefully braided and out of the way as she could get it. She had to look her best, after all, if she was going to appear professional in front of her peers. It was a little daunting, actually. Most of them were older than her, and had a lot more experience under their belts. Although she could try to look the part of a magician all she liked, what if they still looked down on her? But, then again, Mr. Cheneres had always complimented her appearance. If an elite like him thought highly of her, then surely, she could make a good impression, right? Come to think of it, Cheneres was going to be here, too. This time! This time she'd ask properly for his assistance, and offer her own!
Huh? Why am I getting so excited about this just now?
It's been two days, Bard was wondering when the team would be sent underway on a mission. At one point during the period, he did ask Oceana what his role on the team was, but he was met with cryptic words. At this he thought one thing. "She's as bad as Robyn as far as telling me what I want to know."
As he thought this, barking rang in his ears as he sat up from his bed. "Dio... shut up. I'm coming you devil of a dog." He got dress and then walked out to his living room. He looked at the the one year old dachshund waiting for him. Dio wagged his tail expectingly. Bard sighed and pulled out a small treat and tossed it to him. The dog snapped it up gladly before running to a dog door that lead to a porch that was magically designed to house him in case his Master was away. That didn't stop the dog from pooping somewhere indoors when Bard was away however.
Sighing he walked off after bidding a small wave toward the dog door, heading towards the guild hall for his usual business. When he arrived at the guild hall he saw who had arrived so far and gave a small wave. He looked at Slick and nodded towards him. That was his usual greeting to his sometimes friend. They would usually play chess together sometime. However this time Bard had another query in mind. "What's the news of today Slick?". He sat down at a table nearest to them and waited for any signs of the rest of the team.
He couldn't wait to get started, and maybe give a good first impression as a team player. He swallowed nervously st the thought of it.
Keiji wandered through the courtyard that was the Tidal Serpentâs official grounds, passing his gaze over wizards of all kinds as he moved through the area, subconsciously judging their battle capabilities without any means to stop himself. Oceana had called their group together for their first mission, according to the paper airplane that had magically flown into Keijiâs window at his dorm. The S class wizard could feel his independence slipping away ever so slightly as he realized that he wouldnât be able to pick the cream of the crop from the S ranked jobs anymore for fear of potentially putting his team at risk. A slight grinding of the teeth was all the reminder he needed that he should push such thoughts out of his mind. In the end, this was for the guild, and he would suffer whatever indignities they would force upon him.
It was still early, and he doubted the others would be there already, but Keiji preferred to be more than punctual when dealing with matters that concerned the guild master. So Keiji approached the guild hall and placed his hand on the door. The moment he stepped inside, there was a loud thud followed by muffled cries of several partially censored curses. Keiji peered inside, his eyes finally resting on what appeared to be a very drunk and passed out Cheneres currently laying on top of Pommel. A spirited girl to say the least, but even with all that passion that she sometimes directed into what could be called unnecessary aggression, she couldnât appear to move Chenereâs bulk. Keiji took this as his cue to stroll inside, passing a few people who looked ready to move and help, but upon seeing Keiji stride with purpose towards the A class drunkard, sat back down. The man was anything but small, but with a little effort, Keiji was able to lift the man off of the small barkeep and onto his shoulder in a sort of firemanâs carry. This earned an exasperated sigh from Pommel as she slowly stood from her prone position.
âWell itâs about time someone took that dumb drunk doofus off me! Honestly, why do I always get stuck having to everything around here? I-â When she finally reached her standing position and dusted herself off slightly, her eyes finally drifted upwards in the middle of her rant to stop her words cold as she faced off against Keiji. His expression was neutral as always, cocking an eyebrow slightly as he stared down at her.
âIf this is a problem for you, I could give you strength training.â Keiji offered, although inwardly he wondered just how often she had drunk wizards falling on top of her, and made a mental note to do something to prevent such an occurrence from becoming the norm. Pommelâs cheeks seemed to flush slightly as she stared at Keiji more out of shock than anything else before breaking eye contact, taking a deep breath and swallowing slightly.
âThe problem is that dingus...not me.â She muttered under her breath, although she didnât seem too sure of herself. Confidence was something a wizard needed to have, and while she had made progress over the years, Keiji could see that she still needed a fair bit of work. âJust get out of here already!â She barked at Keiji, turning around and storming off in a huff as she disappeared into the kitchen. Keiji stood there for a moment, confused as to whether he had done something wrong before turning around and seeing the eyes currently on him and the unconscious Cheneres over his shoulder. Upon his movement, the rest of the Serpent wizards went back to whatever they were doing, pretending as if they hadnât been staring at the slight exchange. Keiji ignored it, not like it mattered much to him anyways. Instead he carried Cheneres out of the hall and straight across the grounds until he came upon the fountain in the middle of their property, a mighty serpent spewing water as a symbol of their guild.
With all the tact of a bull in a china shop, Keiji threw Cheneres into the fountain with a mighty heft, sending a small wave of water cascading into the air and drenching a couple of nearby wizards as they hurried to get themselves out of the blast zone. Keiji stood there for a moment, arms crossed as nothing happened for a few seconds. Either it took this long for Cheneres to wake up, or maybe he was simply waiting for the dramatic timing to be perfect as bubbles slowly appeared on the surface and finally Cheneres burst from the very shallow depths with a bellow that echoed throughout the ground. His eyes darted back and forth, his teeth bared as he beckoned a challenge. âWho dares wake the mighty Cheneres!â The Sand God wizard bellowed, his eyes finally coming upon Keiji who couldnât have looked more unimpressed if he actually tried. Upon seeing the S class wizard, Cheneres seemed to mellow for a second, barely taking a moment to register the potential implications of Keiji being the one to wake him before giving a simple âOh.â in response before slumping over the side of the fountain and somehow promptly falling back asleep. Keiji stared at the man for a second before pinching the bridge of his nose and tapping it slightly. This was not a good sign in the slightest as Keiji walked over and grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck. Chenereâs bulk required a slight use of Keijiâs magic in order to heft him with one hand, a soft golden glow appearing over Keijiâs right arm to signify the usage of such as he pulled him out of the fountain and onto the ground. Keiji peered at him on the ground, considering leaving him there and miss the meeting, maybe even the job, but couldnât bring himself to do it. He had been asked...or more bluntly put, told that he should do his best to ensure the teamâs success.
With very little grace, Keiji hefted the man once more, now dripping wet and being carried by a man who had very little patience for such a thing. With a determined walk that could only be attributed to getting the wet sack of a drunk off of his shoulder, Keiji made his way back into the Guild Hall. Naturally the sight brought with it a few stares as Keiji made his way towards the area where everyone seemed to be gathering. With a less than ceremonial movement, Keiji dumped Cheneres into a chair with enough force to wake the wizard once more as his twitching head seemed to indicate. It seemed like Slick and Bardulf were already present along with Oceana standing there doing her best to look...masterly? Keiji calmly pulled out a chair among the others and sat down. There, he seemed content to simply start cracking his knuckles as he waited for everyone else to show and for the briefing to start.
âSo⊠Sheâs a work colleague?â The black haired girl asked, pulling the platter to her chest after she placed Slickâs coffee in front of him. She was young, somewhere in her early twenties, hair in a ponytail and somewhat pretty, with nice blue eyes. She was the only person that worked at this small establishment. At least, ever since her father became ill. The modest cafĂ© known as the Treat Chest, was tucked away in the city, and it was where Slick had taken Artemie a few days ago. Nori was a hard worker, but despite that, her business had been failing for some time. She just didnât know how to run things on her own, despite having worked under her old man. I guess she could consider herself lucky that sheâd had the idea to hire an accountant to help sort her businesses finances. Ever since then, Slick had slowly been working to help promote the place and bring it back onto its feet. Apparently he planned to take a cut of the profits later, but for now, he was helping finance its operation.
Sipping of the blend, Slick nodded slowly, savouring the taste before decided to speak. âYeah. Iâve known Artemie for some time now. Sheâs⊠Odd, but loyal to a fault. No matter what she or others think, sheâs incredibly strong. Sheâs a good friend.â Smiling to Nori, it seemed it was infectious as she returned it with one of her own. âOh, good. I mean uh, good that youâve got such reliable friends.â Laughing off her silly comment, Nori continued to stand by the table to chat with him. It wasnât like there was any other customers, despite Slickâs attempts to generate interest in the place. âIâm pretty lucky like that. Give it time Nori, youâre friendly and likable. Keep it up and youâll generate a rapport with your customers.â
âYou really think so?â Nori seemed a bit taken aback, pleasantly surprised by his comments. Slick simply nodded again as he sipped the rest of his coffee, setting the empty cup back down. âOf course. Iâm always sincere in my compliments Nori.â Sitting up, Slick placed a hand to her shoulder, giving her a wink before heading for the door. âI donât know how long Iâll be gone for work, but Iâve set out a spending and business plan for you. Give it a read, and hopefully youâll be able to pull people in by the time I come back.â Waving to her, Nori returned the gesture with her own. âThank you Slick. Iâll be waiting for you with a fresh coffee when you return.â
Slick wasnât the first to arrive at the meeting place in the guild hall. Already there were a few people waiting. Oceana and Jin were a given, and Artemie was always pretty prompt, so it wasnât entirely surprising as he took a seat. Even Pommel was there, and seemed to be working as their private caterer. Sliding into a seat and taking a small handful of nuts from the table, Slick casually snacked on them while waiting for the rest of the group. Jin had asked for him to gather the rest of the team for today, but heâd also asked Keiji, so the big S-Man could probably handle that. Besides, the team was mostly reliable, and despite knowing where Rin and Dolores spent their free time, he wasnât so foolhardy as to go and drag them here. Heâd told them the time and place. That was enough as far as he was concerned. They seemed reasonable enough to at least turn up for this meeting.
Slick contemplated chatting with Artemie once more, but before he could, he felt the presence of another to his side, scanning his peripheral vision to see Bard approaching, meeting his nod with one of his own. "What's the news of today Slick?" Was the question as he approached, Slick giving a faint shrug and a smile. âNothing as of yet. Shaun is being as cryptic as ever with how weâre going to start this, so it seems weâll have to wait for everyone to turn up first before we start.â Leaning back in his seat, Slick eyed Bard for a second more before deciding to have some fun with him. âYou wouldnât have happened to have seen Rin, would you? She seemed even more hesitant to show up then Dolly girl.â
Enjoying Bardâs reaction to his question, Slick looked to the doors at the loud sound, and watched with some mild amusement as Keiji brought Chen in to join them too, the man drenched and looking more than a bit out of it. Glancing back up to Keiji, Slick gave a small salute. ââSup Keiji? I see you brought Chen along. Donât suppose you saw Dolly or Rin on your way here?â Smirking slightly, Slick drew some joy in overworking the fellow, as well as poking fun at any inadequacies he did have. He wasnât jealous. Never.
Cheneres & Artemie
All Cheneres saw was blurred visions, as if he forgot to wear his contacts. He only remembered drinking a sip, but thatâs how it always starts. Before he knew it, he fell asleep on a rosy haired pillow and then was thrown into the fountain. Were they supposed to meet for something? In these scenarios, Cheneres couldnât exactly catch on, sober or not.
With the back of the chair facing forwards, he rested his arms on the crest rail of the seat. He yawned audibly, almost as if he was subtly telling the group to wake him up once the fighting starts. He slouched over, burying his head into his forearms. Still drunk from the, 6? 7? He lost count already.
âErm, excuse me? Mr. Cheneres?â A quiet female voice spoke up from somewhere a little to his left as a small finger tapped gently on his shoulder. That was enough to get his attention, at least - well, mostly the female part, but also because the voice sounded somewhat familiar. He cracked one eye open just a smidgen, trying not to aggravate the pounding in his head with too much light at one time. And what he saw was⊠purple. Very, very purple. No, actually, it was a lot of different shades of purple. With a bit of white strewn in⊠some red and blue⊠But it was still pretty much all purple.
...Oh, wait. That actually narrowed it down quite a bit. He blinked as a rather concerned looking face rapidly descended right in front of him, eyes as purple as the hair that framed them staring directly at him. The young woman withdrew the hand that had been poking him, evidently satisfied that he was now suitably awake, and, adjusting her cap in a rather businesslike fashion as she composed herself, cleared her throat audibly before speaking again. âAre you well, Mr. Cheneres? You seem⊠well... Rather drunk.â To her credit, it seemed she was at least trying to be tactful, but she still failed, regardless.
âAhâŠâ Cheneres thought to himself, attempting to pluck a name to match the delicate face from his jumbled thoughts. âAriana..right?â He pointed at her, confident in his educated guess. The woman blinked once. Then blinked again. Then opened her mouth, thought better of whatever it was she was going to say, and closed it again. Then, trying her very best not to sound anything but encouraging and polite, she gave the nicest answer she could. âUmm, well, you got the first two letters right. And some of the vowels, I guess.â She cleared her throat again, and then adjusted her cap, as she seemed wont to do when she wasnât sure how to proceed. âItâs actually Artemie.â She was smiling as she reintroduced herself, but already it seemed a bit forced.
âI knew that, Artemie. Howâs it going?â Heâd smile, attempting to cover up his mistake.
âErm, fairly well, I suppose, but⊠that is⊠you never actually answered my question.â She pushed down on the brim of her overly frilly cap, as though preferring to hide her face rather than stress this point so directly. âAre you well, Mr. Cheneres?â She repeated, perhaps thinking he might not have heard her the first time.
âAh, I wasnât before. But now..â Cheneres lightly took her hand. âNow, I feel much better.â He complimented her, in another effort to erase his earlier blunder. His head was still spinning, Cheneres trying his darndest to maintain eye contact with her. And as for her, sheâŠ?
âAre you sure?â She asked innocently, evidently completely oblivious to the implications of what heâd just said. âBut I havenât even used any of my magic yet⊠Would it be alright if I used Cure on you, just to be sure? I think it would definitely make you feel much better.â Still, although she seemed intent on playing it cool, Cheneres was fairly certain she had glanced more than just once at the hand he was holding onto. Was she uncomfortable? Confused? Surely, she couldnât have failed to notice! But regardless, she didnât try to slap him - which was actually pretty weird, to be honest. He was just celebrating this fact to himself when she abruptly withdrew her hand from his grasp, reached it into her oversized sleeve, and withdrew⊠a book that couldnât possibly have fit in there without him noticing. Without further adieu, she opened it, flipping through the first few pages before settling her finger upon one specific point. The page began to twinkle slightly, and she raised her now glowing palm, placing it gently upon his forehead. As it was, she was still close enough that he could hear her whispering something under her breath, but it didnât sound like a normal incantation. RatherâŠ
âTracing of magic function completed. Open circuit. Release Ethernano in accordance with schematic⊠All basic functions replicated. Energy cycle complete. Cure.â Then, just as abruptly, she withdrew her hand from his forehead, shut the book, and hugged it gently against her chest. She stared quietly at him for a few moments, cocking her head a bit to one side. âHow do you feel now? Better, I hopeâŠ?â
Heâd stand. âHm.â He rolled his shoulder, stretching as he felt better than he ever had. He usually suffered headaches from 1000 hangovers so this was a breath of refreshing air for him. At his new condition, he showed great happiness. Laughing to himself, his boisterous cackling filling the guild hall.
âSo⊠is that a âyes,â then?â Artemie asked quizzically, tilting her head just a little bit further to the side in evident bemusement.
âOf course! Thank you so much for that, Abigail!â Heâd make a goofy grin, wrapping his arm around her. He was still giggling, like a dainty school girl.
âYouâre very welcome, but my name is still Artemie,â She piped up matter-of-factly, trying her best to maintain eye contact despite his half-embrace pushing her face up against his shoulder.
âRight right~ Want a drink?â Almost as if his blissful soul is ignoring her, he paid no heed to the serious atmosphere of the teamâs first meeting.
âThank you for offering, but I donât drink alcohol,â She answered sheepishly, still resolutely trying both not to drop her book and to look him in the eye despite the position she was in. âBesides, I really donât think thatâs a good idea when I just helped you sober upâŠâ She trailed off into silence as he began laughing again, seemingly resigning herself to the fact that whatever else she might say would probably be drowned out, too. And yet, for all this, she still hadnât slapped him. Cheneres was sure that it definitely should have happened by now, so then why exactly wasnâtâŠ? This was actually getting a bit awkward, something that never happened to Cheneres! Whatever lady he happened to be talking to never let him go on for this long. What exactly was he supposed to do in this situation, thenâŠ?
âI guess youâre right then. Besides, I wouldnât enjoy getting thrown into a fountain again anyways.â Heâd laugh, the tension a bit stiff between them. âThough I canât understand why you donât drink, it was a pleasure meeting you. Frankly, any other lady would smack me into the pavement.â He would loosen his grip around her, patting her shoulder. âIâm annoying all the time, so thanks for bearing with it.â
Artemie blinked, then shook her head. âIâm not annoyed,â She quickly protested, although she hastily backed down a bit on those words as she continued. âI mean, Iâm a bit confused, but Iâm not annoyed. Iâm just glad that I could help, since you seemed like you werenât feeling wellâŠâ She trailed off again, but this time, she was smiling slightly - an expression that had abruptly sprung onto her face almost from the moment heâd said a specific word: âThanks.â Really, she seemed a little bit weird, but it was probably easier to read her than it would have been to read the book she slipped carefully back into her sleeve.
Just then, Artemie seemed to realize something, and abruptly took a step back. Looking up at him, she once again adjusted her cap, which had almost fallen off of her head when heâd grabbed her. âOh, right⊠I guess itâs a little late for introductions, but⊠ermâŠâ The way she carried on with her little routine made it seem almost like sheâd practiced it beforehand. Wait, had she practiced it beforehand? Nevermind that. She stood sharply upright, and then gave a slight bow, curtseying with her skirt as she did so. Then, raising her head, she gave a bright smile.
âSince weâll be working together from now on, Iâll do whatever I can to help. Donât hesitate to call on me - I certainly wonât be missed.â She paused for just a moment, as if tempted to rethink her words, but plowed on as best she could, giving a truly commendable effort not to stammer or trail off into silence, as she seemed ought to do. âAnd, if itâs not too much to ask... since Iâm kind of new to working on active missions like this⊠um⊠I guess, Iâll be in your care from now on, too.â
Cheneres grinned, making a dramatic pose. His left arm at his hip while his right pointed at her. âJust leave the things you canât handle to me, âya hear?â
Usually, when he tried to deliver a line like that, nobody would take him seriously. Theyâd all laugh, or roll their eyes and say something like, âYeah, sure, maybe if you get a set of shining armor to go with that attitude, o sir knight!â But as for Artemie, she⊠took him completely at face value, and just nodded, giving a bright smile in return. âThank you very much!â She replied cheerfully, seeming a lot less worried than she had been a few moments earlier.
Again, he found Aremie quite odd and thatâs golden coming from someone like Cheneres. He wasnât like Slick when it came to reading people, but he could at least tell that sheâd be a welcome addition to this little group of theirs. âNow, on with this meeting!â He bellowed, his voice alone enough to fill the hall.
Despite the exciting news for the wizards of the guild, Pommel didnât find her daily life changing too much other than the number of patrons visiting the guildâs bar. It was quieter, but there was the occasional wizard returning from a quick job and able to recount a short tale. Still, it didnât really fill the new gap of free time that Pommel had. Very quickly, she found herself becoming bored with the lack of activity. The most interesting new member of the guild, Dolores, had barely been seen. To top it off, she couldnât even imagine what she was up to since, like the rest of the new team, they were waiting for their first mission. So instead, she spent her time reading through magazines and daydreaming about her successful future as Tidal Serpentâs most powerful and renowned wizard.
The start of the third day was like any other. Heading straight for the kitchen, Pommel smiled and waved to Hana as she grabbed her apron and got it on. Immediately she got to work on prepping the percolator, letting the water boil as she moved about the rest of the room prepping ovens, cutting vegetables and generally getting the food ready for the day. She was naturally an early riser given she needed to be at the bar before the rest of the guild, so she was pepper and cheerful as ever as she hummed to herself through the daily routine. At the soft ding from the coffee machine, Pommel made her way over and began the tiny changes for the standard morning brew. A dash of cocoa, milk, some sugar, blended through into a pleasant aroma that warmed the soul. There was a tender care to the preparation of the morning coffee, Pommel bringing the mug out to the bar before sliding it across to the spot. Exactly on cue, the mug was snatched up by none other than the guild master, Oceana; a familiar grunt of appreciation passing her lips as she immediately drank from the scalding hot liquid. As per her usual response, Pommel gave a cheery smile and âyour welcomeâ.
Oceana walked down the stairs with a yawn, heading straight towards the bar. Pommel, being the amazingly sweet girl that she was, somehow knew exactly when Oceana would come down from the loft and always had a hot cup of strong coffee waiting for her. Turning, Oceana decided to people watch for a while, a slight smirk gracing her face as she noticed that there wasn't one person within 20 feet of her. Surprisingly enough Oceana was not a morning person. It was probably the one time during the day she really ever lost her temper, one time even causing the loss of a window in the guild hall. As she continued to drink her coffee Oceana's mind drifted as it focused on that memory. Thankfully the breaking of fragile objects was not rare in the guild hall so it was fixed the same day but Oceana had then had to deal with a very pissed Freya for a week...
Pommel moved back into the kitchen to continue the morning preparations, as well as work on her other side project. "I bet theyâll love it! This is just perfect!â Grinning from ear to ear as she stirred the batter for the cake she was planning, Pommel relieved her brilliant scheme to gain the affection of her idols. It was simply genius! A lovingly crafted, personalized travel lunch with delicate treats like cake and biscuits, but also segregated to contain some more hearty meat and rice for a nutritious meal on the potentially, long journey. She had no idea what kind of adventure the group would be on, but that was no reason why they couldnât have good food! Yes, with this, Dolores, Rin and even Artemie would come to respect and cherish her! Why sheâd get them addicted to the delectable taste of her food, and then theyâd have to take her along as their main cook!
âNothing but the finest! Pommel, youâre incredible! You simply must join our team on our adventures!â Dolores declared with gusto, tears rolling down her face as she succumbed to the perfection of the taste. Pommel beamed, blushing as she cupped her chin. âOh, my, really? You enjoyed it that much?â Shaking her head slightly in embarrassment, a gentle hand taking hers drew her attention. âIt is truly incredible Pommel. With this food, the group will remain strong and motivated. We cannot possibly lose while you attend to us.â Artemie stated with that cool intellectual voice of hers, Pommelâs mouth going agape from the sincerity of her praise. âI too, cannot stay silent. Though I prefer to keep to myself, I must speak as to the quality of your cooking Pommel.â Rin chipped in, pausing her eating only to give Pommel such praise, reducing the wonder-chef to a batch of contented giggles.
Finally coming clear of her daydream, oblivious to anyone that had listened in to the strange voices and story sheâd put on, Pommel set the oven to cook away as she was practically done on the busy parts of making the food. Sheâd even had enough leftover scraps to throw together something for the dweeb wizards of the team. Keiji, Chen, Slick and Bard could share one. They werenât as important as the ladies of the A-team. Chipper and whistling to herself, Pommel returned to the bar to investigate how it had been running in her absence. What she saw began to slowly kill her buzz as she noticed Hana attempting to deal with the ever boisterous Chen. That man always smelled of alcohol, sweat, and some other scent that offended every one of her senses. Though that might have just been her. Honestly, she had no idea why Hana tolerated that doofus, so it looked like sheâd have to take matters into her own hands. Unlike the older woman, Chen didnât see any need to flirt with the young and immature Pommel.
Striding around the bar, Pommel steeled herself as she placed her hands on her hips, huffing loudly. âAlright you dumb palooka, youâve had enough! Itâs barely the start of the day! Time for you to leave buster!â Standing as tall as she could, Pommel still had to shout up to the tall man, even while he was seated. It seemed he heard her as he began to turn in her direction, groaning slightly and swaying about. âThatâs it, time to⊠W-wait, hold-â Pommel began to panic as like a toppling tree, Chen began falling towards her, unconscious. Getting her hands up in front of her and locking her legs, Pommel did her best to try and hold him upright, but it was a futile effort as, with a soft yelp, she found herself pinned down to the floor under the hulking man.
âAck! Get off me you idiot! Ew! Your breath stinks! Move!â Pommel whined out, calling for assistance, but it seemed the few patrons of the bar found it more entertaining to watch the show.
Oceana's groggy mind continued to drift along as she absentmindedly drank from her mug, only being pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Pommel's voice shouting. Shaking away the memory, Oceana turned, stopping at the sight of Pommel trying to carry a very drunk Cheneres out of the guild hall. In any other state of mind Oceana would have immediately jumped to help the poor girl but as she was, Oceana burst out into a fit of giggles. Cheneres was at least 3 times the size of the poor pink-haired girl which made the fact that she would even attempt to carry him out hilarious but the fact that he had passed out halfway to the door was even funnier.
The struggling continued for a little while, until, finally, Keiji of all people came to her rescue. After her rescue, and once sheâd slipped back into the kitchen, Pommel sighed to herself, taking a moment to recollect her thoughts. Why had she reacted like that? It was pretty stupid honestly, it wasnât like Keiji had done anything wrong⊠Just⊠Something about the word training and his expression sent shivers through her body.
At the appearance of Keiji in the Guild Hall Oceana's giggling came to a quick stop and at his offer, Oceana's mind went to the one thing she hadn't thought of. 'If Pommel is barely a third of Cheneres' size how was she able to hold him up at all?' As this flitted through her mind, Oceana watched Keiji carry Cheneres out of the Guild Hall, only speaking once he was out of sight. "Pommel?" She didn't speak very loud but, with it being after 9 and before noon, there weren't many people in the guild hall and her voice carried.
Still huffing to herself and a little on edge, Pommel managed to get herself through the doorway of the kitchen before Oceana's voice called her back. Stopping almost like a guilty child, she slowly turned and held onto the doorframe, peering out from it as she looked towards the guild master. âYeah Sis..?â Half hiding behind the frame, Pommel continued to use it as a makeshift shield and way to keep at least part of her emotions from showing.
Oceana was at fist confused as to why Pommel was practically hiding behind the door but after a few moments, she came to the realization that it probably had something to do with how she reacted to Keiji. For a moment she paused to decide if she wanted to say anything on that but decided against it. For all she knew that was just their relationship. Keiji and Oceana operated on different schedules before she was Guild Master so it wasn't like she would know.
Her decision made Oceana gave Pommel a half smile and held out her cup. "If you could give me a refill I would be eternally grateful." Oceana figured she might as well get her coffee before trying to get the girl to come away from whatever she was working away at in the kitchen.
âSeconds already..?â Pommel stated aloud in wonder, slowly moving to head over to Oceana and taking her mug. She briefly gave the guild master a quizzical look, her melancholy immediately forgotten as she became distracted with this new situation. âDo you have something important on today?â She finally asked before moving to prepare another serving for Oceana, the process a lot quicker now that the water was already boiled.
Oceana nodded, giving Pommel a full smile as she watched her coffee being made. "As a matter a fact. I have to deal with the group of hooligans I put into a team. They're going to be leaving for their first mission this afternoon."
âWhoa, really? What is it? I bet itâs something really cool! Is Mel going to be there?!â Pommel asked with full excitement, eagerly wanting to learn what was going to be happening to the new team.
Oceana smiled. This is exactly why she wanted Pommel with her during this ordeal. The young girl was full of excitement and could always cheer Oceana up. "Well Mel is still on the mission she took 2 months ago. As for what the rest of the team is going to do I was hoping you could help me choose what mission to send them on. Jin and I have narrowed it down to two of the S-Class jobs we have up. Also, I could really use your help keeping the group in line. You have quite the knack for it."
Pommel could barely contain her excitement at being informed she would be given the privilege of picking what mission the team would be attending to. Nay, she would be coaching them on the upcoming mission! She was going to be the manager of Tidal Serpentâs best and brightest! No wonder she hadnât been placed on the team formally if she was going to have an administrative role! Eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and fists clenched tightly in front of her, Pommel could only dimly nod, to begin with before leaning in closer to Oceana. âYes, yes, of course! You can rely on me Big Sis, I can definitely handle this responsibility!â Stretching a handout and waving it wildly before placing it firmly onto her chest, Pommel certainly was eager and confident in her newly appointed role as Team Chief.
Oceana couldn't help giggling at Pommel and was very glad she agreed to help her. She had yet to see Jin this morning and she really didn't want to deal with the more rowdy members of the team alone. "Wonderful. Now, as soon as that coffee is done we can go over to where they seem to be gathering. I need to have a quick chat with slick before me and you go upstairs to pick out the mission."
Nodding vigorously, Pommel quickly brought over Oceana's second pot before briefly running to inform Hana that she'd be away for a period assisting the guild master. With that done, she hung up her apron and hurried back over to follow beside Oceana.
Coffee in hand, Oceana took a sip with a smile as she waited. Once Pommel had rushed to put her apron away and returned, Oceana started towards the table where Slick and the rest of the team seemed to be gathering. "Slick, me and Pommel are about to go upstairs to do a final look over the mission you are going to be taking. When-" Oceana broke off as a very wet Sand God Slayer was dropped into a chair at the table before Keiji, the person who did the dropping, sat down himself. Completely ignoring the S-Class Wizard, Oceana's eyes narrowed at Cheneres (or more importantly, the wooden chair beneath him) in obvious annoyance.
Slick nodded as Oceana and her little assistant made their approach, ignoring the somewhat flustered Bard for the moment. It was clear that she was about to ask him something, but her attention appeared to be stolen by the arrival of Keiji and Cheneres, allowing Slick to simply slide back into his seat and observe.
Oceana's silence drug on for a few solid minutes as Cheneres was completely oblivious to her it seemed. Eventually, Oceana realized that Cheneres was either completely oblivious or an idiot (probably a bit of both from what she remembered from previous encounters) and so she took a deep sip of her coffee and turned back to Slick. "As I was saying... um..." For a moment Oceana paused and looked a loss for words but suddenly she managed to figure out what she was pondering and spoke up again. "When exactly did you guys set the meeting for?"
âDonât you worry your pretty little head about it Shauna.â Slick commented smoothly, flashing a smile Oceanaâs way. âEveryone should be here soon, and if not weâve got Keiji to round them up.â Adjusting where he sat to glance over in Keijiâs direction, Slick inquired as to whether he had any idea regarding the whereabouts of Dolores and Rin, playfully ignoring that it was also his responsibility.
Oceana narrowed her eyes at Slick but then decided to let it slide since everyone else was obviously in a good mood and she didn't feel like expending the energy to snap at him. "Fine. Me and Pommel will come down within the next hour to tell you all the details on the job you will be going on." Without waiting for an answer, or checking on Pommel, Oceana headed towards the staircase assuming her morning buddy would follow after.
Raspberrying at Slick, Pommel then turned and trotted off after Oceana, leaving Slick to his conversation with the others.
Cheneres had already managed to create a scene- big surprise. He seemed sober enough, but he was soaked to the bone. Water poured off him, soaking the surrounding area. Heâd need to clean that before Freya saw it. The last thing Jin needed was another tantrum from her. Keiji seemed to be minding his own business as usual, sitting silently at one of the tables as the commotion ensued. Artemie, while seeming to orbit around Cheneres, seemed to be observing rather than participating in the scene. At least a few people in the guild werenât giving him problems. Slick seemed innocent enough as well, but knowing the man, heâd find a way to grate on Jinâs nerves eventually. Rin was nowhere to be found.
Oceana was downstairs as well, standing beside Pommel. Even though she technically wasnât a guild wizard, Jin couldnât deny that the kitchen hand had a way of making everything run like clockwork. His eyes darted downward to Oceanaâs mug. He would kill if it meant getting one or two or ten cups of coffee. Alas, before he could make a request, Oceana and Pommel were on their way back up the steps. Damn. He sighed and made his way back over to the staircase. Before he began his ascent, he turned to face the guild wizards left in the hall.
âJust donât break anything. Please.â It was a desperate plea, offered by an exasperated second-in-command. Jin hoped the bags beneath his eyes would be all the convincing they needed not to cause any trouble, but this was Tidal Serpent and the odds were not in his favor. With great effort, he forced himself back to the upper level of the guild. He still needed to talk to the guildmaster.
âOceana.â Jin called out once heâd reached the top. âIâve got news on the team thing.â Once again, he peered down at Pommel. He wasnât sure if he should wait to deliver his report, or just pay the tiny wizard no heed and continue.
Oceana looked up from the papers she and Pommel were looking over to purse her lips at the sight of her obviously exhausted friend. Pointing to the couch against the wall in her office Oceana turned her back to him, going back to the papers. "Take a nap. I'll wake you up in 20 minutes and you can tell me then."
A nap, now that was very tempting. Jin wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and empty his mind of all of the responsibilities flooding his thoughts. The guild however, came first, and his message was too important to wait.
âItâs about Dolores. She wonât be a part of this mission.â Seeing Oceanaâs confused expression, he continued. âSomething urgent came up, and she was sent out on another assignment. Sheâll be back, but itâs unclear when.â As he spoke, he noticed the words slurring into one another. Maybe a nap WAS a good idea. Jin had more things to discuss with the guildmaster, but it would be no use if she couldnât understand what he was saying. Without another word, he trudged over to the sofa and threw himself onto it. He was about as graceful as a drunk hippo, but that was to be expected. Within a minute he was out cold.
Jin wasnât sure how long he had been sleeping for when he felt himself being shaken awake. It had always thought naps were supposed to be refreshing, but he sure felt like heâd been struck by a truck. Everything was blurry and he ached down to his bones. Oceanaâs face was barely distinguishable after rubbing the drowsiness out of his eyes. Thankfully clear vision returned after just another moment- a relief. Groaning, he tried his best to ask why heâd been woken, but it just came out as a jumble of indecipherable sounds. He noticed that Pommel was indeed still present, but preoccupied with some business of her own. She was talking on the phone, requesting tickets for some trip. He assumed it had something to do with the teamâs mission. Jin stretched long and hard, his lanky limbs hanging off the edges of the couch as he did. Sleep was nice. Waking up was not.
âIâm awake. Iâm awake.â Sentences came a bit easier now. âNo need to throw me around like Freya does.â Jin pulled himself up into a sitting position, rolling his shoulders to ease the exhaustion out. The right let out a sickening pop. Heâd have to get that checked out eventually. âStill finalizing the mission details? Not working too hard I hope.â
Oceana chuckled "Well you threw me for a loop when you told me Dolores was going to be absent, so that actually helped narrow down the mission options and made it a lot easier. Now, what was the other thing that you needed to speak with me about?"
âUgh, this isnât what I had in mindâŠâ Pommel muttered to herself as she descended the stairs to speak with the others. Though Oceana had been nice in having her help pick the mission and discuss the team, now she was running errands as a messenger girl. Worst of all was the first task sheâd been assigned, one of the last things she wanted to do. Making her way over to the group, she noticed that she seemed to have drawn some of their attention, probably because they knew she was helping Oceana. That didnât bother her so much. In fact, she enjoyed being the focus. The problem wasâŠ
âKeiji.â Speaking his name, she spoke curtly. As he looked up to her, she looked to the side, arms folded. Was she mad or something? âSis-Er, the Guild Master wants to speak with you upstairs.â She clarified, trying to sound a bit more formal. Pivoting on her heel and taking long strides back towards the stairs, she called over her shoulder as she made her way back up. âFollow me please.â
Keiji didnât bother questioning the sudden request to see Oceana in private, chances are she needed to run through some of the finer details of the mission before they actually embarked on it. Although he was perplexed as to what Pommelâs issue with him was, considering her stance and cold demeanor towards him seemed to indicate that he had slighted her in some way. Once again, he reminded himself to figure out the problem and solve it, but for the moment he had to focus on the task at hand.
Quickly climbing the stairs, Pommel lead him to Oceana who stood with Jin seemingly in conversation about something. âOceana.â There was no trace of good nature in the name, only an unexplained urgency. âThe people in town have been talking a lot recently. It seems like âtheyâveâ resurfaced.â He was purposely vague, but he was sure the guildmaster would understand exactly what he meant. Jin stopped upon seeing Keiji causing to Ocean to turn and look as well. Jin didnât bother with any sort of greeting, he was more focused on getting to the task at hand.
âIs there an issue with the job?â Keiji asked, holding his hands behind his back like he was standing at attention.
Oceana pursed her lips for a moment before sighing and turning back to Jin. âThank you for telling me. We can talk about the other thing after I send the new team out.â
âSure thing boss.â Jinâs words were brief and straightforward, but a shadow of some foreign emotion crossed his face. âI donât suggest we wait too long to address this issue- but weâll discuss this later.â
Jin tried his best to force a smile at his friend, with little success. He was too damn tired and stressed. Without another word, he turned. He came face to face with Keiji, but figured that the man needed no words of encouragement in order to perform his job efficiently. He didnât operate like the others- at least Jin didnât think he did. Still, he figured it was appropriate that he at least acknowledge the wizard as he left. Offering Keiji a curt nod, he pushed his way out of the office and left the two to discuss whatever needed to be discussed.
As the door shut behind Jin, Oceana smiled at Keiji and Pommel, motioning for them to come over to her desk as she rounded it and sat as she addressed Keijiâs question. âNo, there is no issue with the job per say. Dolores has been called away for an urgent issue which she had previous experience with. That being said she obviously is not going to be joining you for this job and likely will return after the rest of you.â Oceana paused to shuffle through the papers she and Pommel had been going through before pulling one out and handing it to Keiji. âThis is the job you are taking. Miss Pommel and myself have already arranged your transportation and we called ahead to reserve rooms for you at the local inn. You leave at 3pm.â
Moving up towards Keiji slightly, Pommel fished around her pocket a moment before pulling out an envelope, waving it in front of Keiji. âItâs in my name, but this has the tickets for the ride and the jewel to pay at the inn, so donât lose it, got it?â Stopping her hand motions, she gave Keiji a moment to take the envelope. âAnd donât make any trouble either, I donât want to be blacklisted in case I need to take any trips out that way.â Pommel added with a huff, turning away. She seemed kind of irritable about the whole thing. Maybe finding out about the absence of Dolores had put her in a worse moodâŠ
âNoted.â Keiji stated as he took the envelope out of Pommelâs hand. He took that one and slid it into one of his pockets, not bothering to check the contents inside. He took the paper handed to him from Oceana instead and started reading. His eyes quickly went side to side like a typewriter, doing his best to memorize the contents before he folded it up and placed it in his pocket as well. Keiji seemed to pause for a second, taking a moment to collect his thoughts on the job at hand. âWithout Dolores, that makes me the only S-ranking member of this team.â Keiji stated, looking up at Oceana. He didnât want to put down any of the otherâs abilities, but this was an S-ranked job, and with a lot of potential for combat it would seem. In fact, it was practically guaranteed that they would have to fight at some point. âI wonât be able to look out for everyone.â It was simple math, there were too many people on his team for him to possible protect everyone at once should worse come to worse, and he wanted Oceana to understand that. This might be an opportunity for everyone to prove themselves, but it was also a risk for people to get seriously injured or killed.
Oceana smiled at Keiji and rolled her eyes. âKeiji your team, including yourself, has 8 members in it. Even with Dolores and Melinda absent I am absolutely sure that you have plenty of manpower. Besides, we both know that Slick has the magical ability of an S-Class wizard. He just hasnât won the trials yet. And not to mention Cheneres being with you. I mean, I know he acts like a drunken fool at the guild hall but he usually sobers up and takes his jobs seriously.â Oceana nodded and then went about starting to clean up the mess on her desk. âI have no doubt in your teamâs abilities to take care of themselves. Well, for the most part.â Oceana chuckled and then smiled at Pommel. âThank you for your help with the preparations Pommy. If youâd like to go back downstairs to finish the parting gift you were preparing for the team you can. I just need to organize this. Oh! And if either of you see Jin can you send him back in here? Thanks!â Without waiting for an answer from either wizard Oceana picked up a pile of papers and turned away to put them in their proper places, verbally and physically dismissing the two.
âNot a problem sis!â Grinning happily with a cock of her head, Pommel moved out and downstairs with Keiji, the smile not leaving her face until they were out of sight and earshot of Oceana. With the door closed behind them, her face immediately did a 180 as it turned stern, the small girl doing her best to stand tall and intimidating. Even on tippy toes, it wasnât very successful, but she wasnât about to back down now. âOceanaâs really counting on this, Keiji, so donât screw it up. I know itâs going to be hard without Dolores leading the charge, but just, try to be as good as she wouldâve been okay? If you ruin this, Iâll make sure you regret it, understand?â Getting up in Keijiâs face as Pommel continued to frown in Keijiâs direction, it seemed the little wizard didnât have nearly as much faith as Oceana, especially with one of her favourite wizards out of the picture. Still, there was something charming about the gusto used in threatening the S-Class wizard.
âWhen I get back, weâre going to solve this problem that you seem to have with me.â Keiji stated in a firm tone, although it wasnât quite a challenging one yet. If she were any other wizard in the guild, Keiji would have already nipped this in the bud preferably with a strong worded argument...or his other chosen method of fixing issues. He had no idea what he had done to piss her off, so the first step was to figure that out. That was something for another day though, for now he brushed past her. If she wasnât going to treat him with the respect his position deserved, he felt no need to do the same. With the paper for the job in hand, he made his way in front of the team...his team? He doubted anyone would let him get away with calling it his team if only for pride and reputation sake. Before he could say anything, the door to the guild hall opened up and Rin appeared more than a few minutes late for the meeting. She took her time getting to her seat, although there was something off about her...was that paint on her face? What had she been doing? Regardless, Keiji was just glad that she had kept her promise and showed up. With the interruption out of the way, Keiji started the mini brief. âListen up.â Keiji stated, waiting a couple of moments to make sure everyone was paying attention to him.
âFirst, let me start by saying Dolores wonât be joining us for this job. Her responsibilities have pulled her elsewhere.â Keiji took a moment to read through the parchment again, wanting to make sure he didnât miss anything important. âThe job is as follows: A Dark Guild running under the moniker of Laguna Fury has taken over a village and has threatened death on anyone attempting to leave. Theyâve started terrorizing the populace, looting, stealing, basically everything that you would associate to these people. The objective is simple...get in there, remove them from the town.â Keiji flipped the page over, just to make sure that there wasnât any more information that he was missing before folding it up and returning it to his pocket. âIt shouldnât need to be said, but Iâll state it anyways. Seeing as this made its way to the S-ranked job board, we can safely assume that they have a few wizards of incredible skill to warrant needing our attention. Implying that just because thereâs a number of us going on this mission doesnât mean it will be easy.â
Keiji looked around to the others for a moment, seeing if they fully understood what he meant or if they believed he was simply putting on airs for them. He was more concerned with Rin and Cheneres out of the bunch, not necessarily because their skills were lacking, but because, like himself, they were not team players. âWe leave at 3pm, have everything you need ready by then and meet at the train station. Any questions?â
Make comment about how the stuff they talk about could have been sent on magical paper airplane
Don't remember rest x-x sowwy
Bardulf watched everyone trickle in slowly as the team assembled. He nodded at Slick's statement as he mused and muddled over what could be said. "This job, it could make or break whatever Oceana has planned for the guild. Well whatever it might be I'm with them to the end. This is my guild. My family." he thought as the team assembled together. He chuckled at Cheneres' entrance and stopped when poor Pommel nearly got flattened by the inebriated Sand Wizard. He noted the absence of Dolores and Rin. He half wondered what's taking either of them so long, and decided to treat himself to a cup of coffee. It would keep him awake for the train ride (if there was to be one).
He watched Keiji approach the assembled group and prepared to speak when Rin came into the guild with... paint on her face? Either that was some kind of war paint or someone enjoyed painting. He wouldn't dare tell her either of those statements out loud. No need to pry in her spare time activities.
Bard then heard Keiji's call of attention and straightened his back in his seat as he sipped his coffee. He listened carefully and nodded at Dolores' reasons for not joining this mission at this time. It was a shame but that meant he had the full attention of Keiji to worry about. He swallowed the swig of coffee in his mouth nervously and with tact.
"Oh crud. I hope I don't screw up in front of him, heck screwing up is bad for the whole guild. Gah, already went over this Brain!" He thought worriedly. But then the job itself was announced by Keiji and he listened carefully. A dark guild called Laguna Fury took over a village, and is doing everything in its power to terrorize it. Bard clenched his jaw as his own imagination visualized what Laguna Fury was doing. Monstrous was first word in his mind. The horrible fact they looting, stealing was not in his mind, the unspoken evils were what put monstrous in his head. Kidnapping above all, as he recalled the disappearance of his own mother, never to be heard from again, though he fervently hid any assumptions for his sister's sake.
"How...how dare they?!"
Crack!
Bard stopped his rapid thinking and looked at his grip on his coffee cup, finding that it caused a small crack upon it. He quickly eased his grip on the cup and downed the rest of its contents as Keiji asked if there were any questions. Bard heard Rin's outburst about the meeting and sighed. "I have no questions myself, only the statement of seeing you all at 3, as I myself am prepared to go as of now." He stated, getting up and walked for the door. "Afternoon Miss Rin, lovely color you have on you." He added, nodding in her direction trying to keep a straight face as far as her painted face was concerned and began to go about heading for the train station.
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