@Sanguine Rose

And there it was again, that overwhelmingly dazzling smile of hers. Nolan had not been part of the guild for very long and even he knew from the moment he saw her that she was a beam of sunlight personified. Joyful, loving, and kind; all the things that he was not. That brightness of hers that gave off the feeling that she so put together, so functional, so normal and then there was him. He was not ignorant to what people thought of him: crude, ill-tempered, violent, cold, terrifying. Walking along the streets of Rembrandt he always received piercing glares from the townspeople and the guard just letting him how unwelcomed he was in their home, not that he could blame them. Hell, he wasn't even sure why Jenna even offered to let him join in the guild, but as long as she kept her end of the bargain it didn't matter.

Ria was so much more hopeful than he was on how they could improve his standing in the town. It would have been so easy to give a dry, sarcastic response to what he viewed as naive hope, but he couldn't bring himself to be cruel to her. She was genuinely trying to help him without making it a transaction, and yet she stood to lose more than to gain just being associated with him.

"Well, I guess it's better to be optimistic," Nolan said and for a split second if she was paying attention his tone sounded warmer, and his icy expression softened just a tad though that may just have just been the alcohol. He watched her disappear into the crowd though he could see the occasional head of purple peek through. She could've just asked him to go to the board with him. Chances were that people would have given him some way, but that did not really matter. Ria ran back and slammed the sheet of paper on the counter with great gusto.

Nolan listened to her excitedly tell him how this was such a great job for them, how it would help Nolan form a better relationship with the town guard after their first meeting, and so on and so on. He arched his brow though when she claimed how much of a cinch the job was going to be.

"Never assume a job to be easy. It's always those that say that that freeze up when things go wrong," he said as picked up the piece of paper and read it over. "I knew the situation is bad, but they can't even send aid to their own border patrol? What hell is going on in the capital?" On its own, it wasn't an unusual job. It was just a simple escort of cargo, but the fact that there had been a consistent lack of military support for this area when reports indicated that there was a spike in beasts running rampant was strange.

Nolan pocketed the job request and stood up. "Well, let's not keep them waiting. I'm sure the guards will just be happy to see me." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice though he was willing so that was a start.

Adelyn found Nolans apology...unsettling. Not just because of his tone and delivery of it, barely showing even a hint of emotion while doing so, but also just because of well...the fact he was even apologising to begin with? Like look, ok, she wasn't sure how genuine it actually, it was hard to tell if it even was remotely genuine, it could be him just being completely sarcastic after all. In fact, that was probably it right? Like imagine this man, this barbaric beast, capable of apologies? Preposterous right?

"S-so...long as you know not to do it again..." In her mind that was coming off way less flustered than was actually delivered, but suppose everything she did in her own mind came off better than how she actually did it. If only she had imagination magic....

Though, Ria's positive energy and overall good vibes did have at least some impact upon calming Adelyn down. After all, it was hard to stay too worked up around such a kind individual right? And not that Adelyn would admit it, but Ria was like one of what? Two? Three people in the guild she could actually get along with? Now we're not talking about friendship of course, at least not from Adelyns perspective, but even just getting along with someone was something right? Because as stated before, even she couldn't really find it in her to be well....unreasonably bitchy to someone who was being nice to her. Well, maybe at the start she might've been, but she had somewhat warmed to her by now.

However saying all that, she very much disagreed with Ria's assessment on music but hey, that was to be expected right? After all, imagine Adelyn being wrong about something am I right? Though just as she was about to make a form of retort to that, and completely shoot down any possibility of her actually having gone to a farm of all places, like who did Ria think she was and all that, but Kiba now moved in to suggest she goes outside. Now, for a moment, she was a briefly confused. Mostly because she kinda...forget he was here. After all, he hadn't really done...anything? At all? So in her red haze, she had briefly forgotten him. But now with him right there and actually talking to her for once? She just took one last side on look at Nolan and Ria and sighed.

"Whatever. Some air could be good, and at least it gets me out of here." Following after her guildmate of few words and even greater misunderstandings of people, though on their way out she was nearly bowled over by some oaf! He at least had the decency to stop her from actually falling over, but much like Nolan found out, touching Adelyn typically left a shocking impression though much like the discharge that barely bothered Nolan, this one was much the same. The main difference was she was left flabbergasted and even more red faced, and this time it wasn't for her usual temper tantrums.

"I...uh...umm...uh...." Had Kiba, nay, had anyone seen her become so unsure and flustered before? Sure, Kiba had just seen her flustered, but she wasn't tripping over her words, blushing harder than her own level of ego and fidgeting with her fingers sort of flustered just before! Which, when you saw what transpired from Adelyns point of view? It was a scene right out of a romance novel she owned. Two people collide, the man catching the lady and not apologising, both of them looking into each others eyes, the man immediately walking off without-wait, wait, wait! The hell?!?

That's not how this is meant to play out at all!

Suffice to say, that snapped her out of whatever fantastical little scenario she found herself in as Kiba could probably guess what was going to happen next. She was going to storm off after Mark and demand a proper apology for starters! Not just for nearly bowling her over, but for also ruining her imagination goddamnit! Give her her excitement back you worm!

"Hey! Hey! HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" She would eventually catch up at some point, though whether or nor Kiba decided to follow or not was up to him though he may find some amusement of doing so, she would run out in front of Mark if she had to to catch his attention. Now of course, Adelyn was even less athletically gifted than she was modest or humble, so doing such a thing would cause her to lose her breath and hunch over slightly in front of him, taking a few moments to catch her breath before continuing.

"What....kind of uncultivated....irresponsible....ill-mannered craven...are you?" Of course, Mark himself probably had no clue what she was talking about, but that was half the fun for this! "Who just...nearly bowls someone over....a lady nonetheless...and just walks off without an apology?!"

There had been a warmness and softer expression waiting, even if only revealed for a quick moment, under that gruff exterior. It was one of those 'listen carefully and don't blink, or you'll miss it' things but she caught it. As scatterbrained as she could be, she tried to notice things from people she was already talking to. Probably better to not draw attention to it. She had found people that were gruff didn't like things like that pointed out to them, not usually.

"Never assume a job to be easy. It's always those that say that that freeze up when things go wrong." That was Nolan's initial response upon her description of the job.

Ria nodded, keeping her smile in place but a pang of worry that it might not be genuine fluttered through her head. Did he notice? Hopefully not; he was studying the description on the posting. She shouldn't have been so shortsighted to say it would be easy. If it was going to be easy, then the guards could handle it alone. What if she did freeze up? That would just be right in line with her father's assumption of her abilities. One big act of magical prowess and suddenly she thought she could do anything? Dealing with attackers was far different than just watering fields and dealing with pests getting into produce. If she couldn't efficiently train with her father, could she actually handle helping Nolan protect the shipment if they got attacked? She didn't want to rely on him to keep it safe by himself while she stood there pretty much doing nothing but failing to get her magic to respond like usual.

That was all thoughts passing through her head in the moment between his comments though. Pushing those thoughts down was far easier than breathing. More years of experience getting it right. "Well, it's not so much that anything in particular is happening. It is just that here have been more attacks than usual for this time of year and the guard is diminished in strength." A soft laugh helped brighten the smile back to its usual glow, even if he had seen the slight force to keep it there before. "Actually, it's kind of a good sign that they reached out to ask for assistance. But yes, I am certain they have been waiting on this delivery long enough."

She waited just long enough for Nolan to start walking before walking along at his side. Just remember to breathe and let your magic act naturally. She didn't want to keep reminding herself that - she was supposed to be a competent mage if she was part of a guild - but now she felt she had to. The fact that people seemed to part away from Nolan's path, and thus hers, made it easier to be lost to her thoughts as they walked. Once they were out of the guildhall and starting down the street toward their contact, the smell of some fresh cooked pastries from a nearby shop drifted into her nose. The distracted smile on her face was replaced by another radiant one and excited mismatched eyes turned on Nolan. "Oh! Have you had much chance to explore Rembrandt? I know you've been here a bit, but I would imagine you haven't really gone out exploring it. Maybe after the mission I could show you around a little. There are some wonderful little hidden spots around town that you might enjoy visiting. That's if you are up for it, that is. Just, you know, think about it and let me know." It hadn't even occurred to her how the proposal sounded; then again, she also hadn't seen that Kiba had intentionally abandoned Nolan with her.

@Sanguine Rose

Did Nolan notice? No, no he did not. His remark came as a response from his time working as a freelance mercenary around the neighboring kingdoms for the last few years. No matter the job there was always someone that claimed that there was an 'easy' job only to be the first to have their existence be put in the past the tense, but Nolan trusted his abilities enough to get him through the direst of situations. Every battle, every foe, every job, every balance of life and death was experience that he gained and committed to memory and body. He was fortunate though in that regard; not many could be taught by those who perfected combat like his fellow God Slayers. No, what filled him with apprehension was that he would be working side by side with another guild mage. Any jobs that Nolan had taken ever since he joined Rising Stars, he took on his own. It was purely out of precaution. It took one person, just the wrong person to recognize his magic for what it was and then it was over for him and the guild for harboring a God Slayer.

For now, he was safe given how ignorant the denizens of the kingdom were in regard to magic as a whole and he doubted that Ria would know what God Slayer Magic looked like either. She just smiled and laughed without a care in the world. "They're either desperate, or they're holding something back to make the guild look like fools when it goes tits up. Either way, it does not change the fact that we will succeed," he said to Ria while they made their way through the guild hall. It was quite easy with many in the hall giving them plenty of way as he walked to the door like they were trying to avoid being bitten by a rabid dog.

He clicked his tongue at the sorry sight. Cowards, the lot of them.

Nolan pushed the door open and let Ria go through first before following suit. Unlike Ria, he did not carry the burden of meeting expectations. For him, it was just another job. He looked around, not really appreciating or absorbing his surroundings with any hint of joy like she did. It was just another place for him. A place that he would soon forget. It didn't matter. The only thing that got his attention was the girl's heterochromatic eyes boring into him.

Again, Nolan still did not understand why Kiba left him alone with Ria and even if he did ask there was no way he'd get an answer out of that self-imposed mute. However, the implication of what could have been mistaken from her invitation did not go completely over his head. His cheeks to the tip of his ears blushed red at the invitation despite his resting bitch face not budging an inch.

No, this was not a date. The idea that anyone would even want to ask him out was so outlandish to him because who in their right mind would want to date someone like him? How arrogant would one have to be to assume that someone was trying to ask him on a date anyway? Yeah, she was not asking him on a date. Why would anyone? And this was Ria, Ms. Ball of Sunshine, the friendliest person in the guild that walks around doing her best to brighten everyone's day. She was just trying to make friends with him like she does with everyone else in the guild. She would have asked anyone else. He wasn't special.

"I, um, it's not that I wouldn't be interested. It's just..." He ran his fingers through the back of his hair, digging his nails into it in annoyance as he exhaled through his teeth. "You'd be better off not being associated with me outside of the guild. I would just ruin your reputation."

Ky Lien

---

The self-proclaimed eccentric, D’angelo, had Ky in stitches. His muffled giggles turned to hearty chuckles the more he watched this stranger comically engage with his cloud companion, Nimbus. Ky clutched his stomach, an ear to ear grin beaming up at D’angelo. There was an odd familiarity to the conversation; as though he was talking to a peer of his own age rather than a full grown adult. The older man was childish in his whimsy, and it became all too easy for Ky to lose his composure around him.
Ky felt his face flush a light tinge of vermillion, averting his gaze down to the floor with the sudden self-consciousness of his childish joy.
First with Ariel and now D’Angelo. Ky, still a boy, had not yet learned to be at ease with his emotions. Caught between the marvel of newfound friendships and the embarrassment of imaginary eyes piercing him with their scrutiny. What would they see?
A foolish boy losing his wits over a few slapstick gags?
Or a child enjoying himself in the company of others?
Ky couldn’t be certain, but the very notion that the former opinion might win out was enough to silence his laughter and somber his mood. He didn’t want to be seen as childish.

Fortunately, Ariel changed the subject before Ky’s silence became noted. The young man wasn’t quite sure what to make of her strange request. Instinct warned him against humoring it; that trademark Lien standoffishness that was about the only thing his father felt obliged to impart on him. Yet seeing D’Angelo feel comfortable enough to share some of his own magic eased his wariness. And once he saw the metamorphosis the young lady underwent, his eyes glistened with awe.
He rushed forward in front of Ariel, staring up at her with hands clenched tightly at his chest.
“Woah! That was amazing! You can just change colour like that? I wish I could do that! Here, do mine next! Please!” He bounced on the balls of his feet, rubbing his palms together to gather up a faint heartbeat of magic within them. The air warped around his hands as the geokinetic forces pressed against them. Some loose grains of sand and a few small rock chips lifted off the ground in response to his geomantic influence. He wasn’t quite sure if it was enough for her to absorb, but he didn’t think Ariel would appreciate having a rock flung at her head, so it would have to do.

Once she chose to accept the offering of magic, Ky would bring his attention back to D’Angelo and confidently pound his fists together.
“Yup! I’m a Rising Starborn mage!” The pride was evident in his announcement. He was a stranger in a strange land, and the Guild had offered him a place he could belong.
“You really need to see some of the stuff these guys can do! They’re all a bit strange, but their magic is so cool!” He began listing off a few of his guildmates and the limited knowledge he had on their abilities. In truth, he had not really seen a great deal. Yet his young, imaginative mind, could fill in the blanks with the ease of a poet reciting verses. He spoke of the bubbly water mage whose optimism washed over you like a wave of relief, the cool as ice swordsman who was silent as mist, the temperamental lightning mage with a tongue that struck more intensely than any bolt she could conjure. He would have kept listing them off, if not for his attention being drawn to his fellow guildmates congregating at the jobs board.

“Oh! Oh! You guys should speak to Miss Jenna! You can see all of the strong mages at work if you take on a job with them.” The idea seemed more exciting to Ky than anyone else. For weeks now he had been stuck on mundane tasks; ones that aided the community through trivial, domestic services. He was green with envy at some of the older, more competent mages, like Nolan or Mark whose escapades of their own various, thrilling, jobs only served to fuel his frustration at being sidelined with tasks that he felt were beneath him.
“I’ll introduce you to her.” His eyes scanned the stage until they found Jenna, waiting for hers to meet his before signaling her attention with a quick wave. He would introduce these strangers to the master, and demand that he be allowed to accompany one of the harder jobs on display. Afterall, he was just as much a mage of Rising Starborn as the others; he ought to have the chance to bare his fangs and prove his worth.

Kiba

---

The plan was for a swift exodus to a more serene environment. If Adelyn allowed, Kiba may even have offered to show her some of his breathing exercises he used to warm up before training. They were often just as useful to compose oneself mentally for a stressful situation as they were for battle. It probably would have come to fruition (though more likely she would have spat her venom at him as she did many others), until a benign accident had her colliding with one Mark Penderghast. Mark was someone who Kiba felt a sort of unspoken kinship with - on a surface level he and Mark were quite similar. Stoic, silent and driven. Of course, he had no actual basis for this assessment as their comparable traits acted as a barrier to entry for any deeper understanding of one another. On evenings where the guild hall wasn’t quite as busy, the two would often be seen at the bar, enjoying a drink with nothing but a few stools and silence between them. Those were the nights Kiba preferred. Mark didn’t come with the expectation of socialising like some of the others did. He seemed just as content to enjoy the peace and quiet as Kiba did.
Judging Mark to be a man of even temperament, Kiba didn’t think much of his collision with Adelyn. A curt recognition of the event slipped from the older man’s lips, and that was that.
Until it wasn’t.

The words ‘even temperament’ certainly did not apply to Adelyn, and the previous escalation with Nolan had barely begun to settle before this unrelated incident occurred. Kiba had already turned back around to head out when Adelyn’s voice sent a pang of realisation through his chest.
Of course she would have reacted that way.
He turned back around to try and bring her attention back to where they were headed. The fresh air? Calming down? Remember? Evidently not.
By the time he saw her it was too late; she had placed herself in front of Mark and demanded an apology while trying to catch her breath from exertion. Her audacity and disrespect to an elder should have already been shameful enough, but the misplaced determination to forcefully catch up with him just to make a point was the cherry on top.
Even Kiba struggled to not crack a smile at the display.

Wandering over to catch the end of her rant, Kiba lowered his head in acknowledgment of Mark before standing a few feet apart from Adelyn. He made no recognition of her actions, only lifting his chin in the direction of the door to, hopefully, remind her of why she had set off in the first place. A good part of him realised it may be a pointless endeavor; if she was set on getting this apology then hell itself would have to freeze over before she yielded.

Nolan's expression didn't change, but he definitely changed colors. Why did her invitation make him so red? It's not like - Oh my goodness, did he misunderstand? Now did she explain to him that she had not invited him to see the city as a means of them interacting on a more intimate note, or did she just gloss over his fluster over it? Surely he must have had a panic or alarm going off in his head to turn such a brilliant shade of red she hadn't ever noticed before. She hadn't exactly thought he could blush, much less she would ever make him do so.

He didn't say no. Instead, he said he was concerned for her reputation. That was sweet, especially for one that tended to be rather rude to most (or at least rude to Adelyn.) It was that concern that was why she was certain he was simply misunderstood or - like Markovis and Kiba - had trouble expressing themselves to others. "If anyone thinks less of me for being associated with you outside of the guild, then they clearly never thought too much of me." She offered him a more cheerful smile. "So, if it means I lose a few kind words, then so be it. Besides, for every one that may think less of me, I am certain there will be another that thinks better of you for it.

"So, don't be coy with concern over my reputation in the town." She gently touched his arm without even considering the fact he might not want to be touched or what that might imply either. Right now, she was more concerned with the fact he didn't think he was good enough to be her friend. She'd completely forgotten how red he had been just a second ago. "You deserve to have public friendships and not be some kept secret just like everyone else." She nodded like that was that.

Then the smell of fresh baked pastries caught her attention. A soft gasp escaped her and a beaming smile sparkled in her eyes. She took hold of his hand in both of hers, skipping forward a few steps while dragging Nolan along, toward the front window of a pastry shop. "Oh! When we get back you absolutely have to come with me here. They make the best streusel you will ever try! It's just that right mix of sweet and flaky and -" she hummed with delight. Then realized she was holding his hand and let go with a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that. But I mean it. When we get back, I'm buying you a streusel."

She nodded to herself then turned and started off on their way again. Well, rather, she started on her way again. She assumed Nolan would follow because the awkwardness of him blushing over her invitation had already slipped from her mind. It was decided in her head they would go see things in the town when the job was finished. She wasn't going to take no for an answer just because her reputation might take a hit. Who cared about that if it meant someone felt they weren't allowed to be her friend? She refused to accept someone couldn't be her friend because their reputations were polar opposites. Either people would like him more, or she'd have better friends. It was a simple as that.

---

---

The tiny spark that zapped him barely even registered - definitely not in any change in expression on Markovis' face, and barely acknowledged by his brain either. Almost like just some small amount of static discharge one might build up keeping their ass planted in a seat and shifting every so often while reading might be expected to build up. The bookworm barely registered much to him much like the spark she assaulted the unwanted touch. And much like the momentary static discharge, their contact was gone just as quickly. The stoic mage wanted to stay in the din of the guildhall no longer than required. So once the girl was righted, he was off on his way again.

Or rather, he would have been if the tiny static mage running in front of him and making a huge scene of it.

Markovis blinked, stopping before he bowled her over again, and stared at her. The girl was horribly unfit. He may not be one to go out for a jog - ever - but at least he could handle a bit of physical exertion. It was all about conservation of energy and properly applied efforts. For a bookworm, she clearly had no grasp of core concepts. "Perhaps you should exercise more often," he commented rather blandly, like an offhanded piece of advice, while she struggled to catch her breath.

He glanced over her head, noting how little distance was between them and the guildhall door. That was when she started spitting out her longwinded insults while barely having the breath to do it. This, once again, warranted another blink from Markovis.

An almost puzzled look smoothed his already placid expression. (At least being completely uncertain about what she was talking about was evident in his eyes.) Did what he say not actually count as an apology? That was what you were supposed to do, explain the reason for the issue then you could move on. He explained why the collision had occurred - neither were hurt - so what was the problem? She didn't fall.

The black-haired mage glanced back to where the collision had occurred. He briefly caught the nod from Kiba - in turn offering a slight nod of his head in similar recognition - before focusing where he bumped into her to help recall the event even though it was only a few minutes ago. He turned; she wasn't there. He started walking; she was there. He bumped into her, and caught her so she didn't fall over. He righted her, explained, then left. Why did he need to say more beyond why he bumped her if he ensured she wasn't hurt? Oh, did he not ensure she wasn't hurt? He blinked again as that realization hit him and looked back at her. "Did I step on your foot when I left? I am sorry for the harm."

Markovis glanced over at Kiba, as if the sword mage had any more information on the subject than he did. He supposed it was more for support than anything. The sword mage had been with the yappy one when the collision occurred, so obviously he was familiar with all that transpired.

Maybe saying the word would make things fine. Only one way to find out. "Now, excuse me, I have a job." He offered Kiba another nod as a goodbye. Then made certain he stepped clear of Adelyn to avoid accidentally stepping on her again as he continued on his way out of the guildhall. All he wanted to do was get out of the blasted guildhall and away from the noise. Why did such a simple task seem to be so difficult?

@Sanguine Rose

That was the kind of answer that he expected from her. If she already knew how awful his reputation was already and still offered to work with him and show him around town, then she was aware of the consequences that it could have for her and yet she still stood her ground. It was both admirable to stand by her convictions, but equally as foolish to stick her neck out for someone like him and naive to underestimate how quickly people could turn on her. It was far easier to say screw what other people think versus the reality of it.

Nolan flinched from her touch though his face was not flushed red. Given how standoffish he had been, it should have no been no surprised that he did not like to be touched. Give me a break. I'm not here to make- Hey! He did not even get the chance to finish the edgy thing he was about to say as she clasped his hand with both of hers dragged him by the arm with great skips. Uncharacteristically he stumbled forward due to not expecting Ria to just suddenly tug him away to... a pastry shop?

She really goes by the beat of her own drum. Nolan thought while he listened to her ramble about how great the streusel from this particular patisserie were. Ria really was easily excitable. Everything grabbed her attention and she just kept jumping in between them like a kid in a candy shop and just as demanding too. She was dead set on taking him to the patisserie, one of the many places he would be dragged around for certain. No matter how he looked at it, she was not going to let him go skulking back in his room now that she had her clutch on him.

Knowing that he had no chance to escape, Nolan heaved a heavy sigh and said, "Fine, fine, you can treat me. However, I do not like owing people anything. I'll treat you later."

He of course followed her because he agreed to work with her on the job. The job and his flustered blushing were completely separate matters, and he of course was able to maintain a professional enough conduct for a job. It would have been stupid to dwell on something that she never intended to ask. However, he really did hope that she did not notice him blushing earlier. By the gods it would have been embarrassing if she did.

As the pair approached the Town Guard's command center, they would see that there were two or three transport vehicles that had arrived sometime before with the drivers taking stock of the contents and a pair of mechanics making sure that the engines weren't damaged. However, the number of Town Guard members who were actually capable of doing their duties was greatly decreased compared to the number normally running around. Ria had spent enough time running around that she had seen the number of guards who normally accompanied the supply caravan and...there was not enough to go with them this time. Spotting the mages, a sergeant waved them over. "Oi, you two! Come here!" When they approached and showed her the signed and seal job posting, she nodded. "Good, we're gonna need you. I'm sending four lads with the caravan anyways, and I've already sent word ahead to your Guild Master that we'll need some mages to cover their duties. Garrison commander approved it, don't worry. Now, there is word of a pack of Vulcans on the road, but the four I'm sending are more than capable of handling those. You're going to be there in the event that damned lightning beast attacks. There's also been some rumors of a pack of Asterins about, but without any real confirmation, all I can recommend is to keep on your toes. Any questions?"

@Zarkun@Sanguine Rose

What a sorry state of affairs this was. This place should have been teeming with guardsmen and yet, the command center was barren for lack of a better word short for a few engineers and mechanics tinkering away. It was deplorable that the kingdom refused to send any aid to a region experiencing such unprecedented increase in monster attacks though if Nolan had to wager as reason as to why he could give a few reasons, and none were pretty.

They were soon waved down by someone. A sergeant judging by the uniform, but otherwise unremarkable. Nolan stood there and let Ria introduce themselves as the mages that took the job and showed them the job listing since she was the one holding onto it. The sergeant spoke to them cordially and he did not receive any stink eye from her. At least someone in this guard was able to act with any modicum professionalism. Still, he was not surprised that they were being relegated to being just back up to sit on the sidelines until they were needed to do what the guard could never hope to do.

The intel was shaky at best though. He understood that there were not enough resources to have the guard keep track of the location of these creatures, but this was pathetic. At best nothing would happen, and the job is completed without a hiccup and at worst it would become a massacre and the fault would fall upon not the shared shoulders of soldier and mage, but the guild mages only. They had the most to lose.

"So, how are we dealing with the chain of command? Are we to take orders or is this a partnership?" asked Nolan crossing his arms. "I am willing to work with your men, but the question that needs to be asked is if they are willing to work with me."

"I...exercise plenty thank you!" Understandably insulted by his perhaps admittedly good advice considering she was obviously showing that she didn't exercise enough, or maybe she was just that worked up it was hard to tell. What wasn't though was the smoldering, sharp glare in her narrowed dark crimson eyes. She watched as Mark just seemed to return her anger with a...puzzled look? Did this buffoon really not understand what he had done? She had to be pulling her chain right? Yeah, he was clearly mocking her! There was no way anyone could be this dense or oblivious!

Wait, her foot? Why was he apologizing for stepping on her foot? I mean, an apology was an apology I suppose, but she wanted him to apologize properly for not watching where he was going! Suffice to say though, it wasn't that she was ignoring Kiba's gestures or nods, but she seemed to have completely tunneled her vision and attention on poor Mark here. Though Mark did seem to be right on the spoken apology the words 'sorry' in them seemed to be what she was after as she seemed to ease up with her posture, huffing slightly as she did. Well, he was apologizing for the wrong thing...but an apology was an apology she supposed. She wasn't sure she would get much better from the dense young man, so would just settle for that.

"See? Is it so difficult to say the word 'sorry'? It's a simple gesture, but the right etiquette and manners will get you places in this world Mr....uh...oh. I-I guess I should be the one to apologize now as where are my own manners! I realize I do not know your name and you do not know my own, my name is Adelyn-Hey hey! I'm not done yet!" Realising he was trying to walk off mid-introduction, she turned and ran out in front of him again. Seemed like she might be lacking in the cardio department but she was at least quick on her feet, not as quick as running her mouth but it was something,

"Once again...manners. Ettique. What did your parents even teach you?" Still flustered, she brushed some hair out of her face before trying again. "Like I was saying, my name is Adelyn Amberfield, what may I call you sir umm...?"

With her eyes drawn to the paper in his hands, a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head for a moment. Right, he said he was about to do a job! Chest swelling with pride, she puffed it out as after she waited for him to give his name in return she would speak again.

"You said you had a job to do right? Well it's your lucky day! I happen to be free and was thinking of doing a job myself, so I would gladly tag along if you so wished. I'm sure Kiba here might also be interested as well! I assure you that you won't regret adding such a capable mage as me as an ally. What do you say?"

And no, she wouldn't move out of his way till she got the answer she wanted.

What was usually organized chaos of bustling guards going about their duties had dwindled to a meager sight. Given the things she had been hearing, the increased dangers around the town blamed on the increased amount of mages thanks to their guild, there was no surprise to see how few were around. The fact there looked to be any that would be accompanying them - given how the ones near the trucks acted and what she overheard of their discussions - surprised her honestly.

Ria found herself gravitating toward the transport vehicles, but blinked back to attention when someone shouted for someone to come over. And was looking straight at her and Nolan. A smile settled naturally on her face as she approached what was clearly a commanding guard. She showed the job posting and introduced them both as mages from the guild here to help. Then it was a matter of staying focused on what the sergeant was telling them and not get sidetracked by the dismal amount of town guard in the yard.

It might be best they were just supposed to be there "just in case" but even Vulcan could be problematic. At least she'd seen the job to handle the lightning beast had come down when she went to grab it - that actually had been one she figured would have been more worth Nolan's talent given what she'd heard of his capabilities - so someone was likely on it already. If that was the case, the beast might not be a problem. Before she could dive too far down that rabbit hole of thought over what could and couldn't be problematic and how they might be able to handle problems as they arose, Nolan cut straight to the chase. Hearing his pointed questions completely derailed her thought. It wasn't a surprise he would be the one to bring it up; he was the one with a sorted history with the town guards after all.

The fog of thought cleared from her face as her usual cheerful smile replaced it. It wouldn't be a problem. "Obviously we're not here to take command of any of the towns guard. It helps everyone to know the official chain of command, though. If I might be so bold as to make a recommendation: as this is a job we are hired for, we meld it as a partnership. Your commander for this task is first in the chain, but if necessary for there to be a second, I believe that should be Nolan. He has a wealth of tactical experience so if something does happen to cause delay in delivery, and should the commander for the mission be incapacitated, it would do us all good to follow Nolan's instructions. I'm certain his ability to handle himself is well known fact; I have no doubts he has the capacity to give instructions that will success, should a secondary leader be needed. Doing this would help instill a level of trust between your men and us, as it would show them that a more senior commander trusted us beyond just backup should trouble arise." Polite, measured in her wording, she made sure she presented herself as nonthreatening and inoffensive as she could. This wasn't the first time she had to deal with a potentially difficult situation to ensure everyone got what was best. She figured it wouldn't want, but hopefully it wouldn't take much negotiation to get both comfortable with the arrangement.

"Oooh~, weeee~'ve been to the mountains and been to the hills, been to the forest and the beach," a lazy mezzo-soprano came from a particularly tall tree in the forest north of town. One would spot the shining golden climbing equipment before the young lady doing the climbing. "We've crossed the desert thanks to a friendly oa~si~s," she missed grabbing a branch but caught herself from falling before she pulled herself up to have a seat. She requipped a small telescope into her hand, only good for scouting, and peered South, down the mountain side, "we've seen the lake and its pretty birds, and all its sprawling plai~ns," she turned her telescope onto the town finally, before smiling to herself, "but we still haven't been to my~ house!"

The song was over as she examined the town, "alright, new town. Maybe it's friendlier than the last place was, oof." There was activity in town that caught her eye, "is that a caravan? Interesting." The songstress collapsed and disappeared her hand telescope before scaling down the tree much easier than going up, whistling to herself as she did. Once at the bottom, the golden climbing equipment she'd been using was changed into a pair of boots, upon which she proceeded to glide along the ground, heading south to the town she'd seen at the foot of the mountain.

The boots carried her through shallow water and over thorny ground, all while she whistled merrily. As she went, she puzzled to herself, "how's that one even go, again? ~I've got a brand new~... Badup bah~ dabah. Ah well."

As she came into town, her long, gliding strides slowly morphed into a regular walking stride before the boots dissolved away from her feet, leaving only normal boots in excellent condition. It was best to scope the place out a little before being very showy. In the name of such, Trinity found herself a nice cafe with an outdoor section and got herself a coffee with whipped cream on top.

Mark only made it a few steps before the short spitfire lightning mage was in front of him, blocking his path once again. Saying he had something to do should have been the end of the conversation, right? Why did she insist on continuing to prattle on when there was a job to do? Obviously there would only be one way to be rid of her now. He had to actually talk with her. Or, at least, he would if she ever shut up.

He could have answered everything, but what was the point? She had her assumptions set. It was a waste of time to backtrack reply to any rhetorical question she posed. The more insulting thing was that - for as long as they had been in the guild together - the bookworm didn't know his name. He hadn't bothered learning her last name, but at least he knew her first. Oh - well, supposedly it was good she introduced herself. He thought her name had been Adeline. Perhaps an introduction was called for.

"Markovis."

No sooner did he finish saying his name than she continued on. This girl spoke more than their bubbly water mage (and that one could carry on a conversation alone) but more passive aggressive in her attempts to socialize. He knew he wasn't the best at this whole interaction thing, but he at least knew better than to force his presence onto someone. Especially without knowing what the task at hand was, or if he was under skilled for the mission.

So what did he have to say? "No."

He went to go move a step but realized she was going to stay in his way when she shifted to match. A soft sigh escaped him. "You are not capable of handling this task. You are neither physically fit, nor magically capable enough to assist. You will get killed. Kiba is more than capable of assisting without potentially getting killed." He turned and looked at the swordsman. "Your skillset would be helpful. You should come."

His attention returned to the silver haired girl before him. "You're not going to move out of the way unless you get a yes." It wasn't a question. It wasn't even an accusation. It was just a very obvious fact. One he hated.

He massaged the bridge of his nose with another sigh. "Very well, come. But your life is your own responsibility."

With that as the final note, he stepped around her and started off again. It was up to them to join him. Kiba would make the job easier; Adelyn was likely to complicate it. So, ultimately, whether they joined or not - it seemed the difficulty would remain the same. The only thing that would change would likely be tactics.

The sergeant listened to both Nolan and Ria before speaking, making sure that the four she had chosen, three of whom were laughing and one of whom was eyeballing the two mages suspiciously before he saw the Sergeant look over, he then found other things to do, weren't in earshot before speaking. "The Corporal in charge of my men has express orders to ask you for help, not order. He's known to be outspoken against the guild, but the truth is we all need to work together. Just...watch him. Normally I wouldn't send someone so likely to butt heads with you on a mission like this, but he's the only one we can spare to lead our part of this escort. It is a partnership, but don't let him think for even a second that he has any command over you." She then resumes here louder voice. "With that out of the way, the caravan should be ready to head out in about five minutes, best of luck. Corporal Tanner, you have your orders, I pray you follow them." The man who'd been eyeballing the mages before jumped when his name is spoken and then quickly salutes.

"Yes Sergeant!"

---

Jenna was wrapping up the concert, unable to convince Damian, who was trying to get Amelia to go do a job, to put on a show with her, when Ky caught her eye and called for her attention. Having the band wrap up without her as Trent took over vocals while she approached the gathered trio. Smiling, she bowed to the two newer arrivals. "Name's Jenna Wolfsbane, guild master of the Rising Starborn mage guild and unofficial liason to the town's government. What can I do for you?"

Markovis? An odd name for sure, but it seemed to come off the tongue quite well as she repeated it over in her mind a few times. What didn't come off well was when he rejected her kind offer to help him. Did he not know who she was? Actually, wait, he obviously wouldn't. And maybe it was better for her if he didn't, but still! Why was everybody like this? Everyone always told her she wasn't capable, she would never amount to her family name. Her family, the servants always whispering to one another, the townsfolk, those bandits, and now this 'guild' of ragtag deadbeats who had nowhere better to go. They were all the same, they always were.

"I totally am capable of being able to assist! Anything this guild gets for work is childs play for an Amberfield!" Ok so she wasn't going to defend her physical capabilities, as a mage she had accepted those would never be amazing. But she was confident that she had the magical capacity to overcome this job easily. Whatever...this job actually was! Yep. Totally.

Wait...killed? She paused for a moment as that word sunk in for a moment. Hell, she even quieted down as she briefly thought about what she just got herself into before just shaking her head physically, mentally, metaphorically and any other -ally one could think of. No, she would be fine. Surely this Markovis fellow was just exaggerating the dangers. Yeah, that must be it. Thats when her mind registered that he was allowing her to come with, and while there was a slight twinge of 'oh shit what did I just rope myself into' that crept into the back of her head...she still couldn't help but smile slightly, looking quite proud of herself for some reason as she scoffed at Mark's words.

"O-of course my life is my responsibility! You needn't remind me of such a basic er...practice of being a mage! I knew the risks from the moment I could walk. But as an Amberfield, I cannot and will not back down from a challenge no matter how significant or insignificant it is. And considering the quality of jobs I see this guild get, its hardly a job of much danger or concern right? Like, how bad can it be?" Famous last words perhaps, and there was a falter in her confidence for a moment but otherwise she would walk besides Mark as he made his way out, either with Kiba in tow or just leaving him behind as if he was just an afterthought.

Either way, that was her way of asking what the job was while trying to maintain her pride and dignity...in her eyes at any rate. Did she have any to begin with? Depended on who you asked really. What could be visibly apparent though was she at least was confident, though perhaps to Kiba he might be able to see her words were almost directed at herself rather than at Mark himself, or maybe he was just looking too much into it. Who knows, despite how open Adelyn loved to talk herself and her family up...she never actually really talked about them bar how great they were. And thus, like most people in the guild, she was an enigma to others in that aspect.

At any rate, she wasn't expecting or wanting Mark to babysit her on this mission. She would show him, she would show the guild; she would show everyone that she could do it. Whatever...it was. It didn't matter right now. All that did matter was showing off how awesome and great she was, and prove everyone wrong that she could be useful.

"What makes you think something could kill me so easily anyway? You haven't even seen my magic in action! Admittedly it's not as flashy or amazing as my brothers and I came into it later than they did...but...uh, I can easily handle some monster or two if that's all this is!"

@Zarkun@Sanguine Rose

Nolan looked down at Ria and for the first time that she knew him, his cold dead expression had morphed into one of complete confusion; his brow was arched and he just had a look in his eyes that tried to figure out the mental gymnastics that she went through to suggest putting him in any position of power. In any freelance work when hired by another group, it was typical to be under the orders of someone else as long it was within the agreed arrangement. Mercenaries ran a tight ship and hierarchy was the lifeblood within any respectable group, so to go as far as to suggest putting an outsider like Nolan in any position to command a platoon was absurd. It's also why one doesn't hire many freelance mercs at the same time; there were many egos. It would have led to everything falling into shambles, but it looked like things were set on that course anyway.

The suspicious glare from that one soldier did not escape from Nolan's notice, which was returned with Nolan's own icy stare. Of course, the one that was leading this mission was the one that was distrustful of guild mages. It was not as if the tension between him and the guards was already palpable already. It was as if this mission was preordained to be an absolute shitshow. At this point, he would not even wonder how it was going to get worse because it just would.

"Well, we better play nice. That's why you brought me here anyway," said Nolan to Ria before he walked over to the Corporal and the three other soldiers with that usual resting bitch face of his, casually glancing them over not to size them up, but to get a read of what he was working with. They had the kind of faces that screamed that they would be killed the moment things went wrong. His focus shifted back to the one in charge of the platoon.

"Nolan, A-Class Mage of Rising Star. I look forward to working with you," said the young mage, placing heavy emphasis that he was working with the Corporal rather than working under him. He held his hand out for a handshake towards the Corporal who was no doubt giving him the evil eye at this point. It wasn't Nolan trying to make nice, it was a power move. If the corporal refused to shake his hand, then he looked like he was uncooperative in front of his superior and made Nolan look like the bigger man in the situation, but if he did shake the mage's hand then he shook the hand of someone that he hated very much and was forced to treat him as an equal. It was only a win-win situation for Nolan.

Thankfully there were no more complaints or interruptions. At least, none that prevented them from finally leaving the guildhall. It was hard to start a job if you couldn't leave to actually start it. Out in the street it was at least slightly less noisy, and it gave Mark a chance to finally properly read the posting. He'd skimmed it, but not actually seen what the details were. The job implied killing the beast was expected - proof job is completed. Could there potentially be an alternative, capturing or taming it? He had heard the rumors of the beast attacking the garrison, but he hadn't heard of such a beast before in the literature he had read or outside of these attacks on the garrison. It might do well to study a living specimen instead of simply analyze a corpse.

When he looked to verify Kiba was in fact joining them, he realized the sparking mage was talking. Had she stopped or was she still carrying on? If she insisted on talking so much, he supposed he could listen. Listening wasn't difficult if she didn't expect responses. As long as she shut up before they left the city, it wasn't an issue. Once they left, she needed to quiet to let him work out plans and give them a chance to sneak up on the thing - or track where it may have gone if it left this potential lair.

"I have seen it in action. You tried to shock me when I stepped on your foot." But that wasn't the main thing she was talking about. The job. Kiba needed to know it as well.

Mark offered the flier to the sparking mage and looked at Kiba again. "I signed up to handle the mysterious beast that has been attacking the garrison. We are to stop it from causing further losses." He hadn't determined how or how long it would take, but the job was to prevent this thing from attacking again. The poster didn't say it needed to be killed, just that proof the thing would not attack again; he preferred not to kill it but if that was the only option that would be how it ended. Which was precisely why it was good Kiba came along; a swordsman working with him would certainly help make that an easier option to complete.






Ria had only originally caught the look out of the corner of her eye, but when she'd checked what she saw - she almost didn't stifle the bit of a giggle that bubbled up. Never had she seen such a look of shock on his face. In fact, she supposed something she said must have been so completely unexpected he couldn't keep up the brooding asshole appearance that he usually tried to. No one in the guild would ever believe her if she tried to convince them he could make such a face, but she supposed that was fine. It didn't take him long to get his usual look on his face, which was best given their arrangement. Working with guards that didn't like guild mages - it was probably best they both showed their usual side.

"Thank you very much. We're ready to go once they are." She offered the commander a polite smile and parting courteous handshake before following Nolan over to the others they would travel with.

Her smile didn't falter. Nolan was being polite. That was a great step in the right direction. Hopefully it would put everything else in order. All anyone needed to do was just coexist together and focus on completing the job and surely it would help head toward repairing relations. At worst, all the guild mages needed to ensure everyone came back alive and relatively uninjured without losing any of the cargo. That would certainly signify a job well done and still hopefully win some good will between the guards and the guild. Especially with Nolan helping make that happen.

The water mage offered them all a raised hand as a wave. "Hi. I'm sure you guys have seen me around helping farmers and such, but introductions are great for making sure everyone knows who is who. I'm also a Rising Star guildmage, and Nolan's partner. You can call me Ria. It's great we get a chance to work with you on this. Thank you for trusting us to ensure this shipment is delivered without issue."

"T-that doesn't count! I didn't mean to...and uh...I can do way better if I actually try!" A half-baked lie perhaps, but she didn't seem keen to remain on that subject much longer despite some mumbling under her breath as she cooled her reddened face.

Taking the paper as it was offered to her, she would finally fall quiet to Mark's relief as she read over the quest. There wasn't a lot of info on this paper was there? Then again, from the jobs she had seen the guild get? They didn't seem to have much on them. But suppose that's where they were going right? To the source of the quest, the one who had made the request. Wait that meant going to...gah. Momentarily, there was a scrunched-up look of perhaps annoyance as she realized that they would probably have to deal with the guards. Maybe it would be for the best to let Mark and Kiba do the talking on that front. The last thing she needed was drama involving...that.

So they just had to defeat a singular monster? That didn't sound so tough. She didn't quite understand what Mark's previous fears were.

"Killing one monster shouldn't be difficult. Or maybe we could try trapping it? Guess we just need to see the requester and learn more, as this request has painfully little information. If this was a proper request through the right channels, it would have far more information and there wouldn't be this need to go and visit the uh...client is it?" Honestly, she had also heard some of the murmurings of the monster attacks though regretfully she hadn't paid them much mind. There was always gossip of oddities in towns like this, so if one paid attention to all of them...well, it was a waste of time really with all the wild goose hunts they would be on.

"These 'guild' requests are...weird."

---

Akemi had entered the guildhall at a good time. Firstly, she had avoided the loud music that had been playing just minutes before her arrival. Though she could still easily see the buzz that remained and had heard it as she had made her way in, much like many of her fellow guild mates, she preferred things a fair bit quieter. Though that didn't mean that she didn't feel disappointed that she had missed the performance. She had looked forward to seeing Jenna perform, but suppose she would just have to hope for a next time. If only she hadn't overslept.....

But with Zen currently preoccupied, Akemi was left to mostly fend for herself right now and it showed with the disheveled state she was currently in. Bedhair, a crooked collar, her shirt half tucked in, a few misplaced buttons on her jacket. Probably had her shirt inside out as well if they could find the tag. In all, she looked a mess. Though as bad as she currently looked, that paled in comparison to the stench and look of the drink currently in her hands.

Inside a thermos bottle with a straw, was a strange green ooze that most people swear smelled like a compost heap and looked more akin to a dangerous acid or poison that they wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole; let alone sip away at the contents as casually as Akemi was doing right now! Thankfully for those near her, the drink was closer to the end than the finish but still...there was a reason why the jobs board became considerably less crowded when she came over and began to skim over the fliers there.

She wasn't sure when Zen would be back, and she had recovered from the cold that had stopped her from going with him. So now remained the burning question...what did she do till he came back? Well, she figured she could try a job, maybe team up with someone to do one depending on what it entailed. Sure, she didn't really know anyone here other than that nice older girl...uh...Ria was it? Yeah, Ria. Sure she was the only person she really knew besides obviously Jenna, but that just meant she had to find a new friend! And such an opportunity was an exciting one for the girl, even if she didn't show it visibly on the outside.

She didn't linger on the job board for long before grabbing one though. After all, there wasn't much there but there was one she saw she figured she could do easily enough without worrying Zen too much about her. This escort job seemed easy enough, and she was certain she could find a person or two to do the job with...the question now remained was who?

She didn't see Ria around, and a lot of people seemed to be avoiding her for some reason...maybe they were just busy? Yeah, she was sure that was it. She was certain it had nothing to do with the smoothie she was still sipping away at. Like, that would be crazy right? But surely if she approached enough people, she would eventually find someone who would go on the job with her?

The Corporal looked at the hand Nolan offered and then back at Nolan's face, suspicion evident in his eyes and clearly he was hesitant to take the proferred hand. One of the other guardsmen came up behind him. "Corporal, we need to make this work, that monster fucked too many of us up." He whispered it to the man and, after a moment, the Corporal took it and shook, though his grip needed some work.

"A pleasure, mister Waltz. I'm Corporal Nalen, Rembrandt Town Guard, as you know." He waited until Ria was done to continue. "A pleasure, to meet you as well, Miss Ria. As you've been briefed, we're here to work with the two of you and..." He tried to keep his front but something was lurking and an elbow from the man who'd whispered to him before made him speak up. "And we'd like to ask that you take the front of the caravan." The other man spoke up.

"Hi, PFC Tanson, and...I've got to be honest, since the Corporal won't, we don't have enough experience to take point on this. Usually the Sergeant sends men and women who've been with the guards for a few years longer than we have, but most of them got hurt in the last monster attack." Another young man came up and added to the story.

"The one's who aren't the garrison commander is loathe to send away in the event the monster attacks again, so that leaves us greener guys." The corporal glared at the two men beneath him, while the third combination watched and continued speaking with the wagon operators, before sighing.

"They're right, and the Sergeant and Garrison commander wanted people who could fight with us in case the thing attacks the caravan." He looked between the two mages. "You two...can fight, right?" This was said with genuine curiosity and concern, not the mistrust that had been in his voice before.

@Zarkun@Sanguine Rose

For a trained soldier eager to serve and protect his station, his grip was rather lacking. The corporal did at least have manners to give himself a proper introduction though it was quite obvious that he was holding something back. The PFC though was quick to drop the facade and then the other guard confirmed that this would have been a suicide mission if they were not able get any of the guild mages to accept the job. Nolan could feel his back ache from how much he was going to have to carry the job for these three jobbers and yet, the corporal really had the nerve to even ask them if they knew how to fight.

Nolan just stared the corporal down with his cold gaze until he just took long deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes tightly. "Right, training accident," he breathed out before opening his eyes. "If your commander didn't think our guild was up for the job, we wouldn't even be here in the first place," Nolan pointed out to the corporal.

There was no doubt that he was rude, perhaps uncalled for. These guards were just scared, everything that could have gone wrong did. Monsters were overwhelming them, wearing down their numbers while aid was nowhere to be seen or heard from the capital. These young men afraid that they were going to be sent to their slaughter and their only hope were these mages from foreign lands beyond. The whole point of Nolan even taking part of this absolute shit show was because Ria was trying to do her best to improve his dirt poor reputation within this town starting with the guards.

It was hard to be sure, but it looked like he was mulling over something reluctantly. He sighed and said,"But I do understand that there must be good faith on both sides. If you have questions about our abilities, then ask. However, in exchange I will take point."