The hall was alive with the sounds of guild members mixing and mingling, clients and guild hall bar patrons coming and going and also laughing and talking with the guild members. The last couple of years Jenna and the founding members of the guild had put in a lot of work to begin showing the townsfolk and guardsmen that the immigrant mages that made up the guild were not only good people but genuinely and truly wanted to help them with their problems and for the most part, that’s exactly what happened. While it was well known that there were a few members of the guard that still believed that the immigrant mages were more dangerous than they showed themselves to be, the town and bulk of the guard were either indifferent or enthusiastic to have the guild there.

Jenna herself was busy helping a group of the guild’s mages get set up with some instruments and a couple of microphones and humming to herself. One of the mages, who was testing the drum set that they’d just set up, heard her and smiled. “You’re looking forward to this, eh boss?” The mage in question was well known in the guild; one Trent Enroar, the Knife Trick mage. He and a few the other members of the guild, who were all on stage with various instruments, had been meeting with Guild Master Jenna for about a month and a half now. She herself stood from making sure the microphones were set up right and grinned, the elongated fangs she bore as a side effect of her magic showing.

“Course I am. When was the last time we got to put on a show?” Trent chuckled as the rest of the band finished their sound checks and she took the front center position on the stage, her red hair practically glowing under the performance lights as she stood at her full seven foot, 4 inch height as the band started strumming and she took the microphone off it’s stand. “Ladies and gentleman of the Rising Starborn and the lovely town of Rembrandt, today, for the first time in five years, me and the band get to perform and it’s for all you wonderful people! Enjoy!” As the band properly started in on the intro for the song, Jenna’s vocal power kicked in.



Her body moved smoothly and in rhythm with the song, almost perfectly and the band complimented her perfectly. They finished the first song and moved on to the next, the Amazonian guild master singing each song with the moves to match. The bar tender, one of the guild’s founding members, smiled to herself. “Bloody show off, she is.” A patron over heard and smiled at her.

“Jealous, Karma?”

“Hardly, just get a chuckle out of her over the top personality.” All around the main floor of the guild hall, the different members were having their own reactions, though most danced along.

Sitting at the bar watching this rather unexpected concert was a young man with a fair complexion, messy, wavy chestnut brown hair, and deep red eyes that did not register any sort of emotion though what really made him standout were the baggy monastery robes that he was wearing. They were a deep, desaturated brown teetering on black with gold, ornate trimming marked around its edges though the interior judging by the hood was lined with a white cloth and wore fingerless gloves that were the same brown as the robe and a turtleneck underneath. One could make out that he was wearing dark boots with a prominent heel. It did not take much to figure out that this young man had come from a holy order or from some temple given Pergrande shared its border with the theocratic kingdom ironically named Sin or from some other kingdom.

Well, the people in the town of Rembrandt would know this young man as Nolan, one of the newer members of Starborn and a bit of the local mystery. No one really knows who he is or where he came from. He just appeared at the town entrance one day with a monster he killed to sell its parts and there was an altercation between him and the guards that turned violent, which resulted in the guards being brutalized though in Nolan's defense he did not throw the first punch. There were guards that did not take kindly to foreign mages and took Nolan's cutting words with less grace, resulting them to use numbers to harm a lone mage that they thought they could bully. They made the severe mistake of picking him of all people to assault.

He would've been arrested have it not been for the effort of his current guild master, Jenna, stepping in and was able to find witness to corroborate with Nolan's claim of self-defense though that did little change his now shaky relationship with the town guards. In the end, he did end up joining the guild for the steady work and to have a base of operations though he has not really been known to be warm towards the rest of the guild besides Mark and their friendship is mainly built on mutual silence and drinking. Other than him, Nolan had not been making that much of an effort to make friends and it's not like his general demeanor made it any easier for people too approach him, save for a certain someone.

So, in typical fashion Nolan just sat there with a glass of spirits, a gin and tonic, watching the rest of the guild dance along to Jenna's music. He looked strangely uncomfortable with being there like he was completely out of his element. Nolan just sat there stiffly, taking the occasional sip of his drink while looking at the crowd awkwardly.

"Is it really something worth celebrating?" He asked aloud with a deep exhale to no one in particular. This kind of festive energy; the noise, the people were exhausting.

The sun had been up for a few hours when Damian called for his adoptive daughter, the sun glinting from the grips of his revolvers. "Ame, come here a moment lass! Need to talk to ya while we walk."

Amelia looked up from her desk, where she had been working on a sketch, when she heard her adoptive father call for her. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him call her lass. That usualy signaled that something serious was happening. Taking a deep breath, he rose from her seat and headed out of her room and over to Damian, trying to hide her nervousness.
"What wrong Dad?" She asked.

Damian smiled at her and beckoned for her to walk with him as Jaëger and Carmilla joined them, playing with each other. "As I'm sure you've heard, Jenna's Rising Starborn has made quite the name for themselves and is doing a hell of a job showing Pergrande us Immigrant mages aren't so bad. But, I want to know your thoughts on all of that."

"I haven't... really been paying much attention to it. It's not like it's something that really concerns us and even if it did, I assume they would be more interested in you than that would with me." Amelia admitted. "Why do you ask? Do you have business with them?"

"In a way, I do. Well, really, we do." Damian pauses a moment and then sighs. "Jenna and I have talked a lot about the situation with you, and the fact that there are some things I'm not able to help with. So, at her request, we're heading to check out the guild today." The two dire wolves chased each other through the trees along the road. "I want you to seriously consider joining them. But me? No, lass, my days of galavanting with groups are over. I have enough of a reputation as the Lord of Steel and Flame from my days with the Magic Knights, not someone that the guild needs."

Amelia couldn't help but grimace when Damian brought up the situation concerning her. She should've known it had to do with all the trouble she brought him.
"I guess... I could give it a try." She said, unable to hide her lack of enthusiasm at the thought. She didn't do well with crowds. Hell, she rarely left the house to go into town unless Damian dragged her there. She simply did not do well with strangers, crowds, or any sort of social situation. It was something she simply lacked experience in.

Seeing her grimace and hearing her lack of enthusiasm, Damian stopped and kneeled to put himself at her level. "This isn't because of your magic and the fact that you're my daughter, Amelia. This is because that there is such of a difference between them that I have no means to do more than teach you more endurance and you need more than that. You know I'll be right there for you, all you have to do is call. I love you, Ame and will be there to support you, always."

Amelia looked up at him, her red eyes steady as she listened to what he had to say. She smiled when he finished.
"I know you'll always be there to support you. You always have been and always will be." She said. "So, I'll try my best. I just... hope that things will really work out. After all, I won't want your friend's hard work to be for not just because I joined their guild."

"There's nothing to worry about. Fortunately for you, Jenna's put time into correcting Ardem's town leader's statements that you're a necromancer to say you're a spiritual mage and that his remarks and slander against you have done a lot of harm to mages who practice spirit magic and Celestial mages. Seeing as Rembrandt almost wholeheartedly backs her word and we have Aryl on our side," Pendragon grins, "things should go well." He pulls Amelia into a hug. "You'll be fine and I'll visit often, but I want you to make friends and memories. Carmilla will never be far should you need help before I get there.

"But... if anyone sees my spells, they'll know what I am instantly. I won't be able to use my magic at all, regardless." Amelia argued, even as she was pulled into a hug. At his last two sentences, tears began to well up in her eyes as she hugged him back, rather tightly. "Why are you talking like that? You make it sound... like I'm going to be staying there and you'll be away all the time? You're... you're not going to leave me are you?"

"Of course I'm not leaving you, Ame. You are my daughter. But there's been some happenings that I need to investigate and I'll be gone for longer than normal and I want to know you're safe from that jack ass in Ardem and his guardsmen. Jaëger and Carmilla will also be with you as extra security." Damian smiles. "But I also want you to start getting out of that socially awkward shell of yours and, well, spending all your time talking with your old man isn't going to do it. As for your magic, just avoid constructs unless you absolutely have to and even then, explain that you never learned how to do anything beyond skeletons and you should be fine."

"How will I pay for anything though? How long do you think you'll be gone? Will you and visit often? Where will I live while I'm there? If you're not going to visit often, will you at least keep in contact somehow?" Amelia asked in rapid succession, asking whatever popped into her head at the moment, not caring to put them in a logical order.

Damian waited until Amelia was done and smiled. "In order asked, I'm going to leave you with plenty of money to get what you need, plus there will be jobs the guild gets that you can do. I'm looking at at least a couple of months, potentially longer, to be gone investigating. I plan to visit quite frequently, or as frequently as this investigation will allow, but you do have my number if you need to talk between. You'll stay at the guild hall, Jenna already has a room for you. And, again, you have my number to call me between visits." Pendragon looks Amelia in the eyes and smiles softly. "You're more capable than you're giving yourself credit for, Ame. Have a little faith."

Amelia listened to all the answers given to her. If she was honest, she didn't really like the fact he was so ready for all her questions, hoping to find something to latch onto to get him to possibly stay. But it seemed as if he had thought this through, like he seemed to do for everything. So, she lowered her head in resignation, biting her lower lip.
"I'll... go pack up then." She said quietly before turning to leave.

"Ame, I know you're nervous. I promise you though, no one in that guild is going to hold anything against you. Who knows, maybe you'll find some members your age. All kinds of people, including entire families, have moved to Pergrande to get away from Fiore's bureaucracy." He stands and follows her. "All the same, I'll help you pack up and we can take our time getting there, talk all you want and have a couple of contingency plans in place if we need them."

"I think the most important plan to have is what to do if I'm no longer welcome." Amelia said as he headed into her room. She would pack her clothes, while Damian could grab anything he thought was important besides that. After she had all of the essentials packed, he got a few extra things, like her drawing supplies, some of her favorite books, and some knick-knacks that she used to decorate her room. Once that was all done, she turned to her father, waiting for him to lead the way.

"You're a fellow mage, Ame," Damian said as they headed out, him pausing just long enough to pet Tigger and Alessa before the two of them head out. "You will never not be welcome with the Rising Starborn." It was a beautiful sunny day out as the two headed towards Rembrandt, with birds chirping in the trees and the sounds of various wildlife all around them. "I think you'll like the place personally. You've known Jenna long enough she's practically your aunt."

"I know but... it's going to be different without you around." Amelia said, stopping to pet the cats as well. She would walk alongside him in silence, more than happy to just be with him until he departed. When he brought up Jenna, she nodded. "Again, it'll be different without you around. So, I'm not sure how well I'll handle even the familiar while knowing you won't be there to help me if I'm having trouble with something."

"Don't be afraid to ask Jenna for help. She knows you as well as I do." Silence reigned again as the two walked and it wasn't until Rembrandt came into view that Carmilla and Jaëger came over to walk alongside the pair as Damian smiled a little. "The one town in the blasted militant country that isn't utterly opposed to foreign mages. I think you'll enjoy your time here."

"I hope so." Amelia said once the town was in sight, staying silent for a few more seconds as she took the sight in before deciding to tease her father a little bit, if only as payback for springing this on her all of the sudden. "Who knows, maybe while you're gone, I'll get a boyfriend. After all, you won't be there to stop anyone from coming after me."

Damian's posture stiffened ever so slightly before he answered. "I hope he has the fortitude to withstand my scrutiny then."

"Oh? You stiffened up? Why, am I not allowed to try and find someone else to support me? Do you want that role all to yourself?" Amelia pressed on, a playful smile spreading across her face. Even if she actually had no plans on getting a boyfriend, her father's reactions to the suggestion were always amusing.

"Of course you can find someone else to support you, my daughter." One of his hands clenches into a fist. "They had just take care not to hurt you, or they will never find the body."

"Papa, relax. We both know that if someone did that, I wouldn't stay with them. You've taught me better than that." Amelia said, gently taking his fist into her hands. "So, please, just relax. I won't do anything reckless while you're away, I promise."

Damian sighed and nodded, his fist relaxing. "Honestly, in a lot of ways, I'm more worried for the boy than you. But...if you're gonna be reckless, just be smart about being reckless. Odin knows sometimes reckless is the only way to move forward."

"I always try to be smart. But we both know everyone has limits." Amelia said before taking a deep breath. "Shall we head into town then? No reason to keep delaying, right?"

Nodding, Damian lead the rest of the way into town, with his two long time companions and friends staying on either side of Ame just in case. Upon their arrival to the guild hall, the sounds of music could be heard from outside, drawing a smile from the older mage. "Seems they finally got the band back together."

"It seems... very loud." Amelia said nervously. She preferred her peace and quiet, especially after living in the countryside for so long, but she guessed that if she was going to live in town, she would have to get used to things like this. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves now that their destination was in sight. It was time for her try and get by on her own. She hoped she would do well enough to get by.

"I don't imagine this will be a daily thing, but for her and her bandmates, this is a big deal. They've hardly had time to do more than small practice sessions." Approaching, the four enter as Jenna is in the middle of the second verse of the song she was presently singing and Damian lead the way to a corner booth where it wasn't quite as loud. "Always have enjoyed her shows."

"I feel bad for Jaeger and Carmilla." Amelia said as they took their seats, petting the dire wolves as they waited for the show to end so they could do what they needed in order to get her set up and settled in. The longer the wait was, the more nervous she would be and it showed as she began fidgeting and growing restless.

Damian placed a reassuring hand on his daughter's shoulder and chuckled. "This is hardly the worst, or even loudest, noise they've heard in their lives. It's actually fairly tame compared to the shows she put on in Fiore."

"Hopefully it'll be quieter in my room." Amelia said, leaning against her father, just waiting at this point. "But if they get any louder, I might have to leave town just to keep myself from going deaf."

Damian chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and hummed along. He would stay long enough to make sure Ame settled in alright and to see the overall state of things with the guild after a year and then he'd head out, starting with rumors about a mage with black wind terrorizing a town on the eastern border of Pergrande.

==========================================================

Back in the guildhall, Amelia finished unpacking and setting up her room. She had a few baubles from home to try and help her feel more comfortable but otherwise, her room was still rather bare, with very little personality to it at the moment. When she was finished unpacking, she took a moment to sit on her new bed, looking around the room before taking a deep breath and hugging herself. This whole scenario scared the hell out of her. The idea of having to rely on mostly herself was scary, since she was so used to being able to count on Damian if something she couldn't handle occurred. But now it was just her, Jaeger, and Carmilla, and the wolves could only do so much.

After taking a minute or two to gather herself, Amelia slowly got up and headed downstairs, hoping that things wouldn't be too lively.

Whereas most of the guild seemed happy enough dancing along to the tunes being provided by the guild master, others seemed content with just sitting back and enjoying the festive atmosphere, there of course remained the few that wanted nothing to do with this. Some sat at the bar, some left the guild hall when they saw what was being set up, while one person, in particular, had holed themselves up in a corner of the guild hall by her lonesome. Of course, many had tried to approach the girl in the corner before, only to be swiftly rejected through the giving of a cold shoulder or for those truly unlucky, a verbal barrage that made fighting a pack of hungry wolves bare-handed with no magic a far more enticing prospect.

The girl screamed of pedigree and privilege in appearance, fair skin, silky, silvery hair that framed a comely profile and seemed to almost shine in the lights of the guild hall and striking blood-red orbs fixated on the book before her, eyes darting across the pages at an increasingly vexed manner as the music continued to play and the vocals filled the air. Eventually, her raising and visible irritation seemed to reach boiling point as she slammed her book shut, the cover of which was in stark contrast to her well-kept attire in its currently disheveled and deteriorated state to which the title The Last Knight was barely visible even from as close as Adelyn was.

"This place can't be quiet for longer than five minutes can it?" The girl grumbled to no one in particular, the book in her hand vanishing in a brief flash of light as it returned to her pocket library. It was one of a small collection of books she had managed to salvage before her life had come crashing down on her, and it was cases like this where Requip magic was very handy to stow and retrieve them with.

Yet normally music was an art form in which she took pleasure in partaking in, but much to how she looked, she very much stuck her nose up at whatever this bashing of the senses was. Did it really have to be so obnoxiously loud and in your face? Music should be far, far, far more subtle and calming, it should soothe the soul, not threaten to burst your eardrums! Yet, it was lucky for her she was as far away as possible from it as it meant it was quieter. However, the downside meant if she wanted to escape the music, she would have to go closer and risk going through the crowd dancing along or simply stay where she was and suffer it. Neither situation really appealed to the girl, and honestly, she didn't want to get anywhere near some of the rowdier or more uncouth sorts so she decided to try and skirt around as much of it as possible, eventually leading her to the bar and upon realizing it would probably just be better to wait out the music, she just decided to stay there as she sat down on a stool and quite gracefully sprawled herself out over the counter.

Aka she just smacked her forehead into it and sat there, thinking maybe if she gave herself a big enough headache it would drown out the music. Spoiler, it didn't.

"Honestly, uncivilized mongrels don't need much of an excuse to make a ruckus like this." Sure, Nolan wasn't really asking anyone and probably wasn't expecting an answer, but the girl just seemed to answer on impulse upon hearing someone ask the question without thinking even about who was asking, nor raising her face which was currently becoming one with the countertop as she spoke. "How anyone finds this brash and loud nonsensical clangor enjoyable is beyond my comprehension."

---

A singular golden cloud somewhat larger than a full grown adult hovered and flew through the town of Rembrandt at a height just above the roof of most buildings. And lying sprawled out out on that cloud was a chubby ninteeen year old with a mixed expression of boredom and exasperation." Uuugh that took forever! Those guards and their inspections... I swear it felt like it took all day." He complained when in reality it had only taken twenty minutes, but D'angelo was never one for remaining in one place for long, especially if said reason for so was a guard's inspection. The young man understood they were just doing their job and any unknown mages were those they had to keep an eye on especially." Can you believe how rude they were? Telling me not to flash my camera in their face and to stop floating about and the endless questions! I thought it was supposed to be an inspection not some pop quiz!" Throwing his arms skyward in an exaggerated annoyed manner, the strap of the camera held in his right-hand flapping about with the screen showing a pic of the chubby male hugging the two guards mentioned against his sides. The look of confusion and annoyance on each of their faces a clear indication this picture was taken through forced means.

Now that the gate was behind him, D'angelo was free to explore the town with a fair number of warnings to not go using his magic haphazardly or harm any civilians which he made sure to make note of with a carry-on motion of the hand and roll of the eyes.

He soon sat up with a yawn and stretch of his arms." Hngh! The authority really loves to hear themselves speak with all their rules and guidelines." Giving a quick scroll through some of the pics on his camera where he saw some of the scenery images and pics of people waving at him as he flew by or at least he thought so while the angry expressions seemed to say otherwise. With a grunt he shifted to lying on his stomach across the golden cloud." I swear, Nimbus, I'm starting to think the people on this region don't see mages often with how jumpy and suspicious most of them have been." As not a single place he has thus visited since entering the region where he wasn't questioned or watched closely and not the kind of attention a traveling entertainer like him hoped for.

Rocking his head against his left palm propped up by the elbow watching the buildings zoom by below." Y ou sure this is the town with the uh... what was it again." Tilting his head in pondering fashion his gaze peeking up at the sky as if expecting to receive an answer from the vast blue space and slow drifting clouds." Guild! Ah-hah I knew I'd get it." The chubby male laughed to himself as the golden cloud shifted and rumbled beneath him as if letting out a groaning sigh; an act that earned the cloud two nudging poke from its creator." Hey, don't you give me an attitude. Blame those guards and their incessant questioning making me forget what we came here for..." Trailing off with his finger still pressing into the cloud as he went cross-eyed for a moment." That is why we came here yeah?"

Nimbus gave a small rumbling in response to D'angelo's question." W-what? O-of course I know what we came to this town for I was just uh...making sure you remembered." Said with an awkward chuckle while averting his gaze to the upside-down camera still held in his hand.

A few seconds of awkward silence before D'angelo pushed himself back upright where he then leaned back towards the cloud trailer hitched to the back-end of Nimbus to stash the camera away for the time being." Ahem! Anyway, I heard mention by the guards this guild is having some kind of special event. Isn't that exciting?! I hope it's an ice cream party or I guess just a normal party is good too." Muttering his thoughts allowed while rubbing at his chin with arms folded across his chest." Whatever it is, we got to hurry up or we're gonna miss it! Let's go and get our partay ooooooooooooon-!" He exclaimed as Nimbus suddenly shifted into higher gear causing D'angelo to scream with his pudgy cheeks and mouth flapping wildly from the sudden rush of wind, tears flying from his eyes as he let loose a loud cheer shortly after.

Uncertain of how long they had dashing along with all the air rushing in his face made keeping track of much difficult, but eventually Nimbus would slow to a stop nearby the guild building where loud rock music and singing could be heard from within. A beat that quickly got D'angelo rocking." Whoo! Looks like we're just in time! C'mon, Nimbus we got to check this place out. Bet we'll see all sorts of interesting people here!" Giving the cloud a few pats signaling to lower enough for him to hop off onto the ground where he did a few stretches and moved his legs to thoroughly wake them up." Let's get this unhitched for now." Humming along and lightly dancing to the beat as he gave his hands a few quick rubs and with it the cloudy rope holding the trailer went poof in a puff of smoke and with a wiggle of his fingers had the trailer gently floated up unto the sky eventually settling in place fair distance above the building.

" And with that out of the way, it's time to shake our derriere and get jiggy with it!" Thrusting his wide hips from side to side and slid his way into the guild, accidentally bumping some passerby's with his big butt as he went.

And following close behind was Nimbus who gave a quivering reluctant sigh or at least in the way a cloud could sigh.

Ky Lien

---

The guild hall had come alive with the day’s festivities. It was as though half the town had made their way to Rembrandt's up and coming mage guild, giving the otherwise spacious hall a very tightly packed, busy feeling. Drinks poured freely at the bar, a cacophony of pints clanking together and inebriated jeers resonating from the occupied stools. The thumping of feet against the floorboards in rhythm with the band's music only enhanced the revelry, but could not compete with Jenna’s vocals. The guildmaster took center stage, seemingly enjoying herself as much as the audience was.

Ky wasn’t exactly sure how he came to be packed in with the moshing crowd of dancing drunkards. He had been coasting along the outskirts of the dance floor; only wanting to sneak a closer view of the band members who he had come to recognise over his brief few weeks with the guild. Yet it seems that a group of patrons, older women perhaps no older than thirty, had partaken of one too many glasses of wine, and simply swept the young boy up with them as they themselves made their way into the fray. Not one to shy away, Ky was content to engage in his own clumsily awkward attempt to dance. He was incredibly off beat. He resembled more of a deer slipping on ice than a person trying to move in rhythm. The patrons egged him on nonetheless. This was a space for enjoying oneself, and there was no wrong way to do that, surely.

Then, parting the sea of dancers like a ship moving through the waves, a larger gentleman had made his way to the middle of the dancefloor. He was a stranger to Ky, but the young boy paid him little mind. There were so many faces from town he had never seen before here. What was one more? The crowd welcomed him into their ranks, hooting and cheering as the song began to reach the final chorus. Ky had stopped dancing, looking past the stranger to a golden puff of vapor that seemed to be tailing him. The weather anomaly was most curious, and the young lad found himself drifting away from the crowd to go and investigate it.
How? The way boys have been investigating oddities since time immemorial.
He prodded his finger into the golden mass, wondering if the entity was perhaps more solid than it appeared.
“This thing is so weird. Can clouds be gold?” Ky wondered aloud, to no one in particular. His prodding became a bit more invasive, squeezing the sides to see if he could grab on to it.

Kiba

---

Kiba was sourly nursing some sort of dark ale, taking small sips while trying to hide the displeased scowl from the bar maiden. There had been a slight miscommunication when he had attempted to place his order. The young man had been in the mood for something a bit smoother; a nice clean spirit that would warm his chest and perhaps ease up his nerves. The guild hall was already a place he found quite discomforting on the best of days. The festivities had drawn such a crowd that he could almost feel his heart trying to crawl up through his throat and make a mad dash for his quarters. So when he attempted to gesture to a nice bottle of what he presumed was vodka (although it could have been gin), the young lass at the bar was already swamped with a plethora of other orders and mistook the path of his finger to an ale they had on tap. The thought of correcting the mistake never once occurred to him. He peered at the staff mixing up drinks from behind the bar, the large influx of customers definitely giving them a run for their money. He didn’t wish to add to their burdens. Thus, he continued to suck on the intense brew in the hopes he’d quickly acquire a taste for it.

There were a few somewhat familiar faces at the bar. Nolan and Adelyn looked like they were enjoying the party even less than he was. Though that was hardly surprising. He knew little of the newcomers, partly because he didn’t pry and also because the pair had already garnered a reputation for being standoffish. That was putting it kindly, in the case of Adelyn. Nolan’s indifference was preferable to Adelyn’s venom anyday. Having a penchant for keeping out of people’s way, Kiba had never personally faced Adelyn’s pointed barrage of insults. He had witnessed a fair few of her reads against those unfortunate enough to draw her ire. The very thought of it made him shudder.

The song had reached its end, prompting a round of applause from the crowd. Kiba raised his pint to Jenna. His own silent acknowledgment of a job well done. The music in this country was far different from what he was used to. Then again, he didn’t have much of a chance to enjoy the arts back in Isvan. He peered back towards Adelyn as she remarked on the performance. Clearly not her cup of tea. He took another painstaking sip from his ale, the only solace being that warm flush in his cheeks that only alcohol could bring. That same sensation came with a sudden rise in bravado, prompting a barely audible chuckle at the viper’s commentary.
“Hmph.” Kiba couldn’t help but compare her mannerisms and speech to that of the nobles of his homeland. She could definitely give them a run for their money with those pointed glares and upturned nose. A potential noble and some sort of holy man. Rising Starborn seemed to be attracting all kinds of intriguing sorts.

Walking with purpose, a young woman marched her way through the town paying little mind to anyone else around her. Entering Rembrandt was of little event. As a born citizen of Pergrande and no real record as a mage a simple check of her papers and she was about her business. There was very little she was interested in aside from her destination at the moment. A couple of times she had to stop and ask for some directions to the mage guild that had opened up recently. Ariel had never met anyone from Fiore, much less a mage other than a chance encounter. Before long though she could sense a slight aroma that the building seemed to emit as she approached the hall of the Rising Starborn.

Nothing could quite prepare her for the sensation that rolled over and overwhelmed her upon opening the guild doors. It would take her a minute standing in the open doorway like a statue before she regained her faculties and finally so much as blinked. So many different auras mingled together. The sources of each she would have to identify later. It seemed there was some sort of celebration going on with singing and dancing. She had intended to locate the the guild master and have a discussion, but that thought quickly gave way to her ultimate goal of being here... MAGIC! All the sounds and chatter shifted to the background as Ariel's attention focused on the most visible oddity drifting about the room, Nimbus. Turning and navigating her way around anyone else she approached the golden cloud and stared at it. Her blank expression didn't really give away much about what was going on in her head and she barely gave a glance to D'angelo when he managed to bumped into her.

With little regard she reached up and poked at the magical cloud before outright trying to grab it to make heads of tails of its properties. It being something akin to alive though it moved away. Rubbing her fingers together Ariel seemed only slightly baffled. Grabbing D'angelo's shoulder to try and stop his erratic movement and gain his attention she would point to Nimbus. "What is that thing?"

@Lunarlord34@Cello

The monk just glanced over to the one person who may have been enjoying this less than him. The incarnation of bitterness and queen of insults, Adelyn, was complaining in response to Nolan's question that was not directed towards anyone, but she felt the need to put her noble spin on it. The only language that she spoke in was insults. Nolan was convinced that she came out of the womb and instead of crying like any newborn infant should, she instead expressed her discontent of the quality of the blanket she was swathed in or insulted the doctor for the infantile way that she was spoken to. Really, she could find anything to complain about she absolutely would. Adelyn could complain about the weather for being a singular Celsius warm or too cold. Heck, she would probably complain about how the tea served in this guild was not of the finest loose-leaf tea and was simply some cheap bags of black tea.

"As if the nobles are any more civilized. It's the same story, different coat of paint." scoffed Nolan as he took another sip from his drink. His facial expression hardly changed from its indifferent scowl. "Between this or the nobles, I'd rather deal with normal people having fun than dealing with some snobs looking their noses down at me. Sort of like what you're doing, Viper." Nolan knew that he was going to get an earful from Adelyn so in preparation, his eyes glazed over as if he was staring into another world to gain enlightenment. Disassociation was preferable to whatever verbal onslaught she would give him.

His eyes then trailed to another who seemed to get a kick out of Adelyn's penchant for cutting words and it was the guy that looked way older than he actually was, Kiba. His cheeks were flushed red from drinking and his facade of stoicism seemed to crack a bit. Nolan, in his complete disinterest of Adelyn's future insults, pushed her head down and leaned over her to talk to the swordsman. At least he would be more pleasant company than miss complains a lot, despite the fact that the man rarely spoke. "Well, at least one of us is having fun. I didn't think you'd be much of a drinker."

As the music, after several sets, began to wind down, Jenna would smile and bowed to the applauding guild members and the small amount of townsfolk who were also enjoying themselves. Karma, the bartender, was handing out drinks when the three who normally kept to themselves, or chased others off in Adelyn's case, began to cause trouble and she fixed them with a "don't you start a fight now" glare before moving to the next person. Jenna, of course, was giving a speech of sorts, though really she was explaining the plan going forward for the rest of the week. "We've invited an old friend here for a special event, but for now, let's talk about what we have going on. As you all know, there are a lot of jobs coming in, so, Rising Starborn, you know the drill by now; get a job, get it done, and come home safe and sound. The guard is asking for help in a couple of these jobs, what with the recent attack by that powerful bastard no one can find since, so don't turn them down if they approach you. Got more of the usual, deliveries and the like, so just do what you do and stay safe everyone!"

@cello @twave

---

D'angelo was just lost to the music now and letting the groove take him away, his chubby body moving with a rhythm surprising for a man of his size. Granted it wasn't exactly the smoothest or well good rhythm, not that the man cared as all that mattered was having fun and enjoying himself.

All while Nimbus simply floated in place and if one were to look closely could swear they might see an annoyed expression on the golden cloud's face. If it wasn't obvious, Nimbus almost felt embarrassed for his creator, but it was well used to such and left it be.

Simply minding its floating business when a pair of hands started to try and touch its golden body. And normally a person's hands would simply go through any cloud, unable to touch them besides a sense of wetness yet Nimbus was a special cloud that has long since attained the capability to maintain its semi-solid form without need of D'angelo doing anything. As such, the boy and not long after the woman touching Nimbus would find the golden fluff to have the soft texture of cotton candy and the squishiness of a sponge filled with water slightly warm to the touch. A few pokes and prods had Nimbus quivering almost as if being tickled.

A touch to the shoulder snapped D'angelo out of his dancing trance; enough so that he could turn to look towards the person who did so, albeit still bouncing on his feet. In turning he saw two individuals inspecting and checking Nimbus out which bring a wide smile to his pudgy face that seemingly only ever had a smile as its only mode." Hey hey! Look at you Nimbus, getting all the attention!" He exclaimed in an excited manner then hopped around until he besides the cloud where he would rest his left elbow against to start leaning against Nimbus who continued to float in place, clearly unbothered by its maker's size.

" A fine how do you do and hello! Name's D'angelo Schultz and my loveable golden pal who I'm sure both of you have already met is Nimbus!" Prodding Nimbus gently twice with his elbow as if to get the cloud to respond to the introduction only to simply quiver once more." Ah..yeah. Never was much of a talker." Leaning close to the two and lifting his right hand to hide his mouth where he whispered." I think it's just cause he's... notoriously shy, but the fluffball will say otherwise if you ask him." Motioning with his right pointer finger after whispering such.

A grumbling quiver could be felt followed by the cloud pulling away enough to have D'angelo's leaning upper body fall out beneath him. Nearly falling if not for some last second flailing and scrambling with his arms though left him mid-way between falling and holding his large body up." Hey! Bah! Ignore that grump ball and..where we were we? " Pondering with his body still partway horizontal with a thinking posing." Right! My name is..wait already did that so I guess I should ask what your names are?" Asked with a wide laughing grin, his left arm under his head like a makeshift pillow.

There was something going on at the guildhall today. Which meant adjusting routine. Not that some would consider getting dressed, going to the guildhall, then drinking until either something caught his attention or they kicked him out was a routine, but for Markovis - that routine was grounding. He would have kept to it if not for the understanding that the festivities Jenna had planned would draw in more people than he cared to be around. Too much high energy in a place already bustling with bodies eager to prove themselves.

No, he needed to not be in there. Not until he'd had a few drinks. That always helped calm his mind after a night of restless insomnia. Reading hadn't helped much the night before, and Penelope tired of playing. He supposed he could head to the forest outside of town to train, but the last time caused such a hassle with the guards that it seemed like far too much effort than he wanted to put into anything yet.

A heavy sigh escaped him. Markovis rubbed a hand in his face then ran it back through his raven colored hair. The only real option was routine. As bothersome as it was to be amongst the bustle of festivities it was far more troublesome to figure out a way to avoid them in the first place.

He got off the couch and grabbed a full bottle of everclear off the counter on the way to his bedroom. No time like the present to condition himself for a crowd.



The bottle was half finished by the time the apathetic young mage entered the guildhall, bottle corked but still in hand. Some would think he dressed to impress, with a dark blue turtle neck that brought out the blue of his eyes, black slacks, and what might appear to most to be nice shoes; in reality it was just clothes that felt comfortable and he could move easily in, including the shoes that had comfortable inserts and a cushioned heel. His steel blue blue gaze passed over the throng of people to ascertain the best route to his usual spot away from most. But in that assessment, it became clear even his usual spot at the bar was crowded with people ordering drinks and guild mates talking. At least the music died down.

Jenna said something about jobs. That was probably the only thing he could do that didn't involve a desire to kill off the bottle in his hand in as few chugs as possible. So instead of heading to his usual spot, he veered off course over to the collection of jobs to see if any caught his interest.

---

---

Ria was up, dressed, and out before dawn just like every day. There were enough farms around that she could start each day visiting one to help get fields watered. It was just the right amount of exercise and cheerful help she needed to start the day off well regardless of what dreams found her the night before. It wasn't hard work or involved, but the contract with the Rembrandt farmers both ensured a steady source of revenue for the guild and allowed her to even have a small parcel of land to use for her own gardening.

So like every morning, there was Ria, humming to herself and dancing amongst the drizzle as a rain cloud followed her through Farmer Sadie's field. The water was warm, so it didn't matter that it soaked her hair and dress (and made the fabric contour to her curves more than usual). Who didn't like enjoying a quick sprinkle on a beautiful day?

By the time she had finished, and received a small bushel of vegetables with this month's payment for her services, the sun was already up. Her sundress and hair dried by the time she skipped in the door of the guildhall.

Only to pause in confusion. There were far too many people and too much noise to be just any day. And when she spotted Jenna on stage, it clicked. "The festivities were today??" She almost facepalmed, if not for the act of starting to put the bushel off balance and she almost dropped it all to the ground. Well, no time to waste.

The water mage wove her way skillfully through the crowd, dodging elbows and ducking under arms, to get to the bar, and furthermore back into the kitchen. Only once the vegetables were stored up did she return to them bar. "Good morning, Karma. Anything I can do to help?" It was only after her greeting to the lead bartender that she noticed several of her guild mates all looking miserable. It didn't stop her from giving them all a cheerful smile. "Hi, guys! Seems everyone liked Jenna's song. Doesn't she have such a lovely voice?"

Adelyn didn't pay Kiba much mind, which in all honesty to him was probably a good thing. Not that he really said or did anything to warrant much attention from the girl anyway. No, what made her look up from the countertop and finally pry her face away from the wood was Nolan. Now, some might find her glare intimidating, but to Nolan the annoyed look from some rich and pampered brat like Adelyn was hardly concerning no doubt. Honestly, it was akin to a small dog attempting to take on a larger dog.

"And what would you know of nobles and their lifestyles? Your outfit is so ratty it belongs in the sewer, let alone that mess that you call your hair. Looks like you got it styled while you were down there fishing out those rags." And here it came, not that Nolan was paying her much mind as he had anticipated it. She seemed to be one who was quick to draw ire from, but even by her low standards this was fast. Today especially seemed to have put her into something of a mood which was more akin to what she was calling Nolan out for.

"For starters, in the world of the civilised and well mannered, far more proper and actual music would be used to soothe and appease ones eardrums; not threaten to burst them like the overgrown zit which resembles your face. Secondly, it wouldn't rouse such-HEY WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TOUCHING!" She continued to berate and insult him right up until she found herself being shoved down from above. Almost immediately, Nolan would feel it. A surge of electricity shot up through his arm, though it wasn't particularly powerful and seemed more like a reflex than much else. Like a static shock after going down a slide or the like.

Though far more noticeable was how flustered the girl became. Startlingly so, as during this she had also tried to shove him in the chest, but due to the size and weight difference only managed to fall off her stool and flat on her ass, her face more resembling the colour of her earring. Now it was obvious she was embarrassed about falling off the stool, but it was only amplified by the amount of attention her yelling may have garnered from those immediately around of them. Luckily for her, most would be too busy with the festivities but a few murmurs and looks would no doubt be thrown their way, only infuriating the girl further as her pride seemed to return with aplomp, getting up and dusting herself off while still remaining redder than a European after a day in the sun.

"This is exactly what I was denoting previous. Your sort are uncouth and barbaric with no sense of manners or courtesy! The absolute nerve to just go around and t-touch a ladies head like that was a bar I was thinking too low for even an annelida like yourself to reach. Yet your inadequacy continues to astound me!" Like the aforementioned dog analogy previous, Adelyn was back to yapping at Nolan in some form of attempt to act as if she hadn't just fallen over of her own accord. Still, her reaction to it had seemed a fair bit over the top and she was very quick to try and bury the situation.

And just at that moment, a new person appeared to join their little uh...what would one call this gathering at the bar? None of them were here together nor really wanting to be together. Well, whatever the group would be called, they seemed to have a new person joining them. Her positive smile a stark contrast to the negativity or aloofness of those present, which just made Adelyn scowl deepen. Oh man, she really was in some sort of foul mood that only seemed to be getting worse, even if so far it had been self inflicted harm more than any outsider influence from their point of view. But here we go again....

"Song? A song should be melodious and soothing, not grating and discordant. I would hardly call that a 'song', let alone music. It would be insulting to those of the musical arts to consider it such. As for her voice? I...guess it was ok. Not that I could make it out from the racket that surrounded it or followed. Still, it didn't make my head wish to implode so it wasn't too bad in comparison." It was a subtle change, but a change nonetheless in Adelyn's tone as she turned away and looked over at the where the band was playing. A twinge of something that wasn't just bitterness. Genuineness? Nah, couldn't be. But there was something.

Turning back, her eyes narrowed once more at Nolan. Now she wasn't spineless by any means, if anything she seemed to have way more confidence and courage than she should. Or maybe she was just that fuelled by spite, bitterness and pride. Who knew, honestly. But as much as she wanted to say or do something further...well she wasn't an idiot. Starting a fight with Nolan would only end badly in her favour, it didn't take much to know of the gulf in magical ability which just made her click in tongue and look away from him again. What a waste of magical talent.

@Lunarlord34@Sanguine Rose
To say that Nolan was underwhelmed by the display of magic from Adelyn was an understatement. The power that she displayed only just raised the hair on his arm, like when someone rubs a balloon on someone and build up static electricity. Adelyn did not even do it on purpose, it was just on reflex from Nolan messing with her and honestly, it was a bit weak even for her. For someone that kept boasting about herself, she was considerably weaker if static was the only thing she could muster when being made a mockery of. If it were him, he would've made his warning leave more of a mark both figuratively and literally.

He was just about to tell her off for such a weak response when he felt her hands push against his chest and attempted to push him though their weight difference and her dainty arms only made her fall on the ground. Adelyn's over the top reaction was not what he expected. Well, he expected a verbal lashing though her flustered behavior was completely unforeseen though one would not be able to tell from the blank expression that typically was on his face. If anything, that kind of reaction was way too familiar for him.

"No, you're right. That was inappropriate of me. My apologies, Adelyn." He admitted to her though it was about impossible to get a read on him. The expression his face did not even change; those cold eyes of his were piercing through her very being. It was hard to tell if this man was being genuine with his apology or if he was just saying it to appease her.

Before Adelyn could even accept his apology or even question if it was real, another party member joined the fray. It was the ever-bubbly water mage that just had the best timing, but absolutely could not read the mood though he really did not have the heart to be mean to her. Not like he could anyway. His body slightly tensed up from her approaching them and his eyes were just averted enough from hers. For someone that had great power, he really was terrible in social situations where he had to deal with those of the opposite sex his age.

He hemmed and hawed as he tried to pick his words carefully. "Uh, I won't deny her talent, but I wish she performed outside. Loud noises and indoor spaces do not mesh well with me." Like that wasn't obvious to anyone who saw him just now. God, the young man just looked uncomfortable and out of place. Nolan did not even notice the evil eye that Adelyn gave him.

Ky Lien

---

To Ky’s surprise, the golden cloud stirred at his touch as any living creature might. The soft cotton of its body held a certain weight to it and felt cooling on his hands, like droplets of fresh morning dew.
He withdrew his hands from the cloud, holding them up to his face to inspect the ever so slight dampness. A living cloud. With each passing day the young man continued to discover just how vast and unique this magical world was. His thoughts drew to Kim.
How much had his brother had already seen?
What marvels would he share with Ky once reunited? He often envisioned the day, hoping it would come sooner than later.
Another pair of hands began probing the cloud. Ky’s gaze followed up the length of the woman’s arms until he was able to see the blank, porcelain white iris that remarkably matched her shoulder length hair. She was even garbed in whites, contrasting with a deeper complexion.
Ky found her quite appealing, a tinge of rose very slightly flushing his cheeks as he quickly averted his gaze. He was of an age where thoughts of the opposite sex still felt strange; embarrassing even.
These things were never discussed in the Lien household.
Ky’s awareness of his own awkwardness only served to make him more self conscious. Fortunately the young lady was similarly interested in the golden cloud and paid him no mind. Ky stared up at the brown haired man as the other stranger approached him, grabbing his attention with a tap on the shoulder.

The heavier man held himself with an air of confidence that Ky found to be very inviting. His movements were exaggerated and comical. They reminded Ky of a cartoon character. The man hopped towards him, introducing himself as D’angelo Schultz whilst lounging upon the cloud as one would a chaise. Ky snorted at the near fall, covering his widening grin with a hand.
“I’m Ky L-” He began, before remembering the notoriety of his family’s name. He wasn’t sure if D’angelo hailed from Fiore, but he had made it a point to refrain from giving up his identity as the Lien heir. He didn’t wish for word to reach his parents. They would surely send for him if they found out his whereabouts.
“Ky. You’re pretty weird, tangelo.” He hadn’t intended to mistake his name for a large citrus, but upon realizing his error Ky seemed more impressed at the rhyme than apologetic for butchering a stranger’s name.
Nevermind that he had also just bluntly insulted him.
“Ha! Tangelo! That’s good!” Ky giggled, beaming up at D’angelo in expectant recognition of his wordplay. His childlike aloofness denoted a lack of malice behind his words. At the very least, it was clear he hadn’t intended to make a mockery of the newcomer.

Kiba

---

Kiba paused to consider how best to respond to Nolan’s observation that he was ‘having fun’. A futile endeavor, seeing as he opted for his usual curt nod and slightly forced smile. Eager to remove the attention from him, he took another swig of the stout, which he had been nursing for so long that it had gone tepid and warm.. He couldn’t hide the grimace that momentarily swept across his face as he placed the mug down on the counter and slowly slid it as far from him as he could.
He made sure to check that the bartender was too occupied with some other task and wouldn’t notice his dismissal of the drink.
He realized he had inadvertently given Nolan an answer in regards to his enjoyment of drinking.
He looked back at the other man and lifted his hand with the palm flat towards the ground, rotating it left and right at the wrist in a ‘so-so’ gesture. He took note of Adelyn, whose head was currently being pushed down whilst Nolan talked with him.
She’s not going to like that. And sure enough, she did not.
Kiba leaned back at verbal lashing the young girl was dishing out. Such confidence to talk to her elders like that. He half expected Nolan to swat the back of her hand with a cane; a common punishment for insolent peers back in Isvan.

Concern started to grow for Adelyn as she became more flustered, even going so far as to attempt to shove Nolan. It was like a child throwing a tantrum.
I suppose she is still a child. Kiba mused, wondering about what kind of life this girl must have lived before coming here. His attention was drawn to the familiar, chipper voice of the ever optimistic Ria.
“Yeah.” The word came out like a short breath of air, as though it was mixed in with a sigh. The quick verbalisation, which was in response to Ria’s query about Jenna’s performance, was about as much as Kiba spoke when he chose to use his words.
Nolan’s composure seemed to crumble before the water mage’s very presence. It was a most peculiar switch given the unsettling nature of his apology towards Adelyn.
Strange man. Although Kiba thought it to be quite honorable to admit fault to a younger companion, Nolan’s eyes held a stifling coldness to them which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Yet his manner with Ria piqued his interest somewhat. Was the resident ray of sunshine perhaps far more intimidating than she appeared at a glance?
Then it dawned on him.
A crush. Nolan clearly fancied Ria and could barely get a word out over his nerves.
Kiba nodded to himself and decided to make himself scarce as any respectable wingman would do for an infatuated… friend? No, that was too forward; he and Nolan weren’t that familiar.
An acquaintance, then.

He rose to his feet, walking beside Adelyn before cautiously gesturing a hand towards the Guild’s entrance. He knew better than to actually touch her given the prior ordeal.
“Air?” He offered, hoping a change of scenery may be of some help to the girl whilst simultaneously setting up Nolan a chance to be alone with Ria.
He made for the exit, unsure if Adelyn planned to follow or not. He shot a quick glance back over his shoulder at Nolan.
A quick thumbs up, sneakily tucked under his left arm and concealed from Ria’s view, was flashed alongside a knowing smirk as he turned back around and headed on his way.
He turned towards Jenna as she gave her announcement, making a mental note to come back inside and check the job board.
Perhaps when the Guild was a bit less busy.

The place was still too noisy. Maybe a few less people, and it would have been easier to hear himself think. A few less people, and he would have been able to tune out what was going on around him and actually read. There were a lot of jobs, many things the town guard were ill equipped to handle at the time. Likely all of them could end up being things he was more than capable at handling. Did it really matter what one he picked?

In the end, he just read the job names. They held most of the information in those few words, a summary of what might come. That was the point of titles, wasn't it? To help someone understand what they might be getting into without needing to read more details in a quick glance?

He'd spent too long staring at the board as it was. Markovis had little interest in spending any longer there. It wasn't so much a worry someone would think he was having trouble picking a job. He was alone there at the moment. That would eventually change. Might as well just take something that sounded interesting at look at the details in a quieter setting.

The lackluster mage pulled the Suspicious Monster Sighting flyer from the board and wove his way over to the counter. He was going to just tell Ria, but she looked to be in conversation with Nolan - a strange concept for sure but one he had no inclination to interrupt - so he headed for Karma. Stopping in front of bartender, he held up the posting. "Karma, I'm taking this job. I'll be back when I have completed it."

That was all there was to it. He told someone, so he turned and made his way for the exit. Adelyn was so small he almost tripped over her when he did, though. After the momentary collision and catch to ensure neither fell, and even a fleeting "Didn't see you but forgetting the apology, he continued on his wha out the door. Hopefully he could manage to get out without any trouble. Then it was just a matter of time before he could find quiet and actually read the description of the job.

---

---

Ria listened silently, her smile undeterred by the long winded response she recieved from their other resident reading fanatic. Adelyn may have had a proper upbringing but the girl had very little sense of refinement. Still, there was a genuine approval masked somewhere in the otherwise condescending words. Much like the mild approval Nolan gave their guild master's performance.

In fact, to say her smile was undeterred may have been an understatement. Whenshe smiled more, casting away the melancholy thoughts drummed up by - specifically - Adelyn's critic. "Dear Adelyn, music isn't just about pomp and serenity. It's about emotion and connection. What may be melodious to one is grating to another. But it does not lessen the emotion it invoked for the artist that created it, nor give privilege to another to strike down their efforts for sharing it simply for it not being what you prefer. Any musician that truly appreciates their art can appreciate that of another whether they are opposing interests or not.

"Nolan's critic on the other hand is much better aligned." She laughed softly. "Perhaps our guildhall is not properly suited for a concert like this. If I had remembered, perhaps I could have invited you to join me at the farms. It would have been nice to have an extra set of hands when bringing in the bushels of produce they gave me, and would have relieved you guys of the din of the festivities for at least a little while."

She thought for a moment, humming thoughtfully while tapping her chin. Her gaze locked on the counter as thought. It made her oblivious to Kiba gesturing Adelyn out or the encouraging thumbs up he gave Nolan. Even if she had seen it, she wouldn't have realized what he meant.

"I got it!" She snapped her fingers as she focused on the group. Only to find it was just Nolan. "Huh. Where'd they go?" She blinked then shook her head and hands, erasing the momentary slump in energy and replacing it with her cheery rays again. "Oh it doesn't matter, I suppose. But! There are a few jobs on the board, ones that'll help get you out of here and even help garnering some better report with the town guard by helping them with a job. I could join you to help quell any potential misunderstandings before they start too. If you wanted."

Attention to the magical cloud was momentarily diverted. It seemed that this man was the... owner? The woman seemed to acknowledge the words of either of the other two for a moment. Her stare held unusually long before blinking. After considering something Ariel stood up straight. Mustering up what could only be a forced smile she gave a slight bow. "Mr. Shultz. Ky. My name is Ariel Gratas." Her eyes would dart over the two. The pudgy one had a sort of refreshing sensation that matched that of Nimbus. That made sense presuming that the cloud originated from his magic. Ky had more of a earthy tone to it. She could only guess what either meant, but she knew for sure they were mages.

Taking a step forward Ariel would address them both. "I see that you are both mages. Perhaps you can help me." She would hold out a hand. "I cannot explain fully as I an still hypothesizing, but I have reason to believe that I require magic in order to restore parts of myself that I have lost. Would either of you be willing to spare some of your magic?" Under different circumstances the woman would probably try approaching with more tact. At this stage though the nuances of human interaction were lost on her. She would wait patiently for a response. Her eyes would drift just a bit to survey the others in the room. To some extent she wondered how far she might get asking for magic before getting stopped.

@Sanguine Rose

Farm work? It's been a while since he had done anything like that. Then again, getting away from the cacophony would've been preferable. "Well, I can't say that I would dislike that." His eyes trailed about, finding it hard to look her in the eyes when he noticed the stoic swordman acting strange.

Kiba got up and... wait, why did Kiba give him a thumbs up? What did it mean? Why was he trying to get him and Ria alone? What the hell was going on?! He broke out in a cold sweat now though is face remained expressionless. Inside, he was screaming.

He was brought back to Earth though when Ria told him that she could go on a job with him. She was quite insistent that she could help him with the guards and quell any 'misunderstandings' that they would potentially have. Oh, this sweet summer child.

"Um, if we have to meet with the town guard then you should do the talking. We aren't exactly on good terms." The chance that they would start just to sling insults to each other, and it just wouldn't have been productive. Ria misunderstood the situation between him and the guard entirely. It was not a misunderstanding; it was just a purely mutual antagonistic relationship that consists of their passive aggressive to straight out aggressive disdain towards him while knowing that they couldn't do a thing to him as he was a law-abiding immigrant. The same restrictions were also placed on him, so they were stuck in a twisted game of chicken.

Still, he was not sure if their abilities were complimentary to one another, but he saw no reason to refuse otherwise. "But, uh, we can take a look at some jobs."

"Wonderful!" Ria chirped with delight. Her cheerful smile brightened more. She never fully got a handle on exactly what Nolan could do aside from that he was definitely not a pushover in a fight, but she was certain that they would do well working together. Okay, well, not so much well but - she wanted to help him get out of the bar where he seemed displeased to be and knew he couldn't exactly take a job the city guard had posted without someone there to help act as the middle man for conversations between them. There was also the slight fact that, while she was absolutely certain she could help and complete jobs there was the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she'd mess up something and that could lead to someone that she was supposed to be helping getting hurt. Nope, that wasn't going to happen. She had this. Just like watering plants. She just had to breathe and treat her magic as natural as breathing. There wouldn't be any problems.

"Yes, I certainly remember the terms you have with the guards," she caught herself from giggling. "But I generally have a good relationship with most of the townsfolk and many of the guard. I would be more than happy to do all of the talking and keep their attention toward me to help draw any undue tension and trouble from you. We'd be there to help, after all. And I know just the job to help start improving things!"

She didn't wait for him to get up from his seat. She'd heard of a job getting put on the board that she figured she could actually manage to do. It was just a matter of ensuring it was still available. The water mage wove between bodies and ducked under a gesturing arm of an unaware patron before popping up at the job board. A quick scan later, she'd found exactly what she was looking for, snatched up the listing, and wove back over to stop beside Nolan.

"Here! She slammed the paper down before him with a grin once again radiating on her face. "This is the perfect job for us. It should be pretty easy, but it is specifically helping the guard bring supplies to another garrison - which is a wonderful way to remind them that you're here to help, not cause problems. So the way I envision this working out is that I can help drum up the good faith between both parties and that completing this job, successfully delivering the garrison their much needed supplies, should help ingratiate you with them with very little effort on your part or even needing to speak to them. Like you suggested and I agreed, I can do all the talking. Easy peasy, yes?"

@cello @twave

---

The pudgy individual proved unbothered or perturbed at the stranger's interest in nimbus and in fact was pleased whenever someone did so. A feeling not wholly shared by Nimbus who had been poked, prodded and rubbed against at every location they've since visited. It wasn't necessarily a bad sensation or painful, but even for a possibly semi-sentient golden cloud it could be annoying. While the cloud would never harm others, it had no qualms in causing its creator trouble whenever convenient such as slowly drifting until D'angelo who had been hanging on in his goofy fashion fell to the floor with a somewhat heavy thump.

He sprung back up instantly, unhindered with that big grin still shining brightly on his face. A smile that only brighten upon hearing the boy's introduction; albeit somewhat hesitantly for some reason though D'angelo paid it no mind. Choosing instead to focus on being called by a fruit's name." Oh?! Tangelo? Hear that Nimbus? Just arrived and already got me a new nickname!" Where any other might have been insulted, this pudgy guy found it both amusing and intriguing and so responded with an excited guffaw.

" Aye! Good to meet you, young Ky and I wouldn't say weird and more..eccentric." He leans in close to the boy covering his face to hide it from the floating cloud." Can't say the same for ol Nimby there." Pointing at the cloud as he whispered this, finishing by mouthing 'huge weirdo' while pointing sharply at Nimbus then gave a wink before dashing around behind his floating companion who was in the midst of trying to float away.

His hands shot out grabbing hold of Nimbus on both sides where one might see his hands go through as Nimbus choose when one could touch him or not. At least to everyone but his creator." Oh no you don't! You get back here and greet our possible new friends proper!" He called out while struggling to hold the cloud in place; a battle Nimbus refused to give up easily as it thrashed around in the air just above him and at times even lifted up the huge, overweight human off his feet. Of course, if the cloud really wanted to it could lift off into the air dragging his creator if it really wanted to but would take this harmless screwing around into causing actual trouble for the two of them.

After much struggling, D'angelo finally succeeded in pulling Nimbus back down to him." There we are. Sorry about that, Ky. Nimby here gets pretty excited in his own way." Laughing with a few last good tugs to make sure his companion didn't try drifting again.

Once settled down, did he get approached by the other who had shown interest in his golden buddy. A woman who gave an introduction on top of a request for help with a rather unorthodox issue." Well I admit that's not something I get asked and from a stranger at that." Pondering over her words for a moment while giving Nimbus another tug." Hm, you seem like a really nice and trustworthy person...still..." Trailing off; a bit uncertain as he held Nimbus close then gave Ariel a deep scrutinizing gaze with his right eye as if trying to scan and gauge the woman for anything shady.

The seconds ticked away when his right hand suddenly waved and pushed forward as a hand shaped cloud formed in front of her in a motion signaling to shake hands." Have at it. I got more than plenty to spare!" He chimed up breaking the awkward tension that had previously been lingering." Good to meet you too, Ariel! Any magic I can give to help a lovely lady in need." Giving a double thumbs up while the hand cloud shook her hand if she chose to take it and would disappear upon the magic being absorbed.

Done with the introductions, D'angelo moved in between the two and leaned down sideways to be better leveled with Ky." By the way. Are either of you part of this guild? Been wanting to see what its like to see guild mages in action." Turning his head looking at each of them hopefully in turn.

To a degree, Ariel had her doubts that anyone would actually oblige her request. It was a rather odd and potentially personal one. How protective Fiore mages would be was something of a guess. The locals were especially cautious with their magic. Standing patiently as D'Angelo addressed Ky and wrestled with Nimbus, there was a brief deliberation before the man agreed to provide some magic. Smiling lightly, Ariel nodded. "Thank you. It sounds as though you are new here as well. I don't know how much help I may be to you in that regard, but if you need assistance with anything, I would be will to make an attempt in exchange." Looking down, she took hold of the hand made of clouds.

As expected, the form quickly vanished as the magic that made it up was absorbed. A chill ran up Ariel's arm and shortly after over and down her body. Drawing back slightly, she would shiver. The blank white aesthetic of her clothing began to shift, starting from the soles of her feet. Like water being poured into a vessel, the white gave way to a deep blue rising up her legs and over onto her torso. When it reached her arms, it spilled over and filled the sleeves before completing to fill her eyes and hair. Despite the clothes being some sort of cloth, the magical properties refracted incoming light as if it were a shallow pool of water.


The transformation completed, the woman's ridged stance relaxed. Her shoulders lowered, and a saddened expression worked its way over her face. "Oh... Thank you... I guess." Her tone was a lot quieter and slow. It lacked the directness from just moments before. Lifting up one arm, Ariel would make note of the changes in her appearance. Brushing hair out of her face, she sighed. "My hypothesis seems to be holding up... Though I'm not sure I like this version of me... I feel... Sad." She paused while she tried to gather her thoughts, but would comment aloud to herself. "At least my clothes survived this time."