[IC] Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

[Cherrywitch]

Erika

Location: Crocus, in-town, inside ice cream shop
Interactions: @Lmpkio

Erika blinked. "Are you feeling alright? You sound strange..." The child racked her brain, and though the words sounded familiar, she just couldn't remember what they meant or where she heard them before. She repeated the words over and over in her head: parents, mother, father... But nothing came up. Then the woman mentioned her guild. Erika simply lifted the side of her pink shirt up just slightly, enough to show the image of a dragon, a guild stamp of a white-blue color. "Dragonfang. As I said, they're the ones who unfroze me. They've been so kind to me." Erika dropped the corner of her shirt back over the stamp.

[Lmpkio]

@Cherrywitch

Marlene

Marlene looked down at where Erika slightly pulled up her pink shirt, in which she saw a familiar image of a white-blue mark with a dragon. She instantly knew what guild the little happened to be in, which was rather surprising to her. And according to her, she was unfrozen by them and happened to be 'so kind to [her]'.

"Ah, I see." Marlene responded, "Funny actually, I just happen to be in a guild myself. The guild mark is on my back, but I'm actually in Phoenix Wing."

She was still wearing a casual uniform, but if she were to lift her shirt back up, it would draw a lot of attention to her body, something she really didn't want to do.

"Tell you what," Marlene says with a smile, "Pick an ice cream flavor here, I'll pay, and after I'll take you back to the hotel. Sounds ok? And uh... what's your name little one?"

[Cherrywitch]

Erika

Location: Crocus, in-town, inside ice cream shop
Interactions: @Lmpkio

Erika, still new to the whole concept of guilds, didn't quite know how to respond to meeting a member from a different guild. Because Marlene did not seem defensive, Erika figured that they were neutral unless provoked. That was good. Erika liked this woman, though she didn't appear to have an opinion on the outside. She was a bit strange, but Erika was quite odd herself. Being strange sort of made a person unique, didn't it?

"... If you really want to... I think I like the one with more— ..cho-co-laght." She gingerly pointed towards the brownie chunk after sounding out out the word. Erika glanced up at her again. "My name is Erika. I don't have a last name, or at least I don't remember it. What's your name?" She had only just recently learned that it was polite to ask for a name back if someone asked you yours from a friendly guild member. Erika hoped she had asked it correctly. Besides the guild, she hadn't really socialized with anyone. Even the cashiers saw she wasn't really one to start a conversation with, but she was getting better. Now, she knew she was able to hold a conversation without getting distracted... A lot...

[Lmpkio]

@Cherrywitch

Marlene

"Chocolate brownie it is then." Marlene then asks in confirmation, and when she did, she placed the order for 5 jewels for a medium cone.

She then gave the cone to the girl, also asking for her name in return. According to the little girl, her name was Erika. Just Erika. No last name. Regardless it was a pretty name for Marlene. She liked the sound of it. Actually now that she thinks of it, it actually fits her quite well. Erika then asks for her own name.

"I'm Marlene Evangeline," the Crystal Maiden replies with a friendly grin, "Pleased to meet you!"

With that, she patted the girl on the back and signaled Erika to follow her. As they would be walking, Marlene begins to ask Erika another question.

"So," she starts off, "Since you're in a Magic Guild, what kind of magic do you use? Mine is Crystal-Make if you're wondering. Basically the power to create pretty much any form of gems or crystals."

[Raijinslayer]

Ezekiel :Crocus, Capital of Fiore

Wow, it's so . . busy. It's almost overwhelming.

This was the thought of a young man as he approached the city of Crocus, his eyes already seeing the huge level of activity that made it up. Threads and bindings of many different colored lights, all of very thickness and brightness, strung their way between each and every person and building, every place and thing. While he was too far away to guess what a majority of it was, being out among the flower fields that surrounded the Capital, there was one that stood out as exceedingly strong amongst all the others, so much so that he could almost feel it pressing against his skin. The sensation was like electricity, arcing it's way through the air, causing his skin to break out in goosebumps, his hair to stand on end,a nd his heart-race to start beating ever so slightly faster.

Expectation. Anticipation. Excitement.

These emotions, and many others like it, where flowing out from what he could only guess to be the Arena where the Games where being held, an exciting prospect for most, but for him it was much less so. It was a fact he'd accepted before he made his way here, but the emotions that were surging through the air before him sure did make him feel that he was missing out on something amazing. With a sigh, he re-adjusted his pack to make sure it was on correctly, before making his way towards the city, plan set to find the guild hotel, then come back to it in order to catch one of their members as they prepare to go home.

---

Ezekiel would enter Crocus about half an hour later, taking his time as he looked about all the people moving about, his eyes seeing all of their emotions, skimming the surface of their thoughts as everything they are spread out before him. With each new body came a near uncountable number of threads, raning in size and thickness, resembling the connections that bound them with other people, with their surroundings, even within their own selves. It was a sight that most would find overwhelming and alien, but Ezekiel had long gotten used to it, able to navigate the mess of connections as if he could see perfectly fine, nodding and waving to everyone he could, especially those who seemed down or depressed. All the while, he looked for someone who could hopefully lead him in the right direction.

@hatakekuro

[Cherrywitch]

Erika

Location: Crocus, in-town, outside ice cream shop
Interactions: @Lmpkio

"Marlene... Pretty. Nice to meet you." Erika said in her emotionless voice as she followed after Marlene. Erika nibbled on the ice cream slowly, not affected by the cold on her teeth. The blank gaze lifted to Marlene as she spoke again. "I'm a winter magic user, according to the guild master. I control ice, wind, snow... Winter, essentially." She explained, though she felt the name was self explanatory. Winter magic users weren't incredibly common, since most wizards either had the ice or wind aspect of it. But winter magic allowed to use both, at the same time, to act as a living blizzard.

[Lmpkio]

@Cherrywitch

Marlene

"Oh that's pretty cool!" Marlene responds, the COOL word in the end being slightly of a pun. For such a young mage, she has such capabilities up her sleeve. She was rather impressed at it. She then begins to say something soon after, "And uh, how long have you been with Dragon Fang? I mean, for me I've only been here for almost a week actually. And boy, let's just say trouble sometimes likes to hit me up or something, ha ha!"

She was referring to the events of both the Arial incident in which, perhaps due to the other mage's charm magic, made her jealous of her interactions with Nolan (she tried talking to him in the beginning of the first or second day of the games), and the recent revenge fight against Argus two days ago (for that's how she got her punishment earlier today). Regardless, trouble can't strike her a third time can it...?

[Cherrywitch]

Erika

Location: Crocus, in-town, heading towards Dragonfang hotel
Interactions: @Lmpkio

"A day or two. It was right before the Grand Magic games." Erika said simply, already onto the cone of her ice cream despite how slowly she was eating it. "You don't seem like the type to get into trouble, besides befriending random little girls in the street... Unless of course you consider me troublesome, in which case is understandable. I'm not the easiest to deal with, I don't think." As usual, her voice conveyed no emotion in her syllables. Whether she was sad, joking, or serious was really a shot in the dark. She didn't appear distressed by her words, but it was always near impossible to tell with her. Erika raised her blank gaze up to Marlene to notice her reaction to what the little albino child had said. "Huh? Did I say something strange again?" A bit of chocolate ice cream was smeared cutely on the side of her chin, standing out like a sore thumb against her porcelain complexion.

[Lmpkio]

@Cherrywitch

Marlene

"Ah well," Marlene replied to Erika's first part in regards of 'befriending random little girls in the street', "It's a little hard to explain in a sense you know? Long and complicated story anyways, heh heh."

Her smile then turned into a saddish frown of surprise when Erika then thought of herself being annoying to Marlene. At first, she thought she was really being serious... or if anything some shot in the dark. Hell, she didn't seem to look or sound sad. Then the girl raised her blank stare up to Marlene's face with an innocent looking, asking if she said 'something strange again?'.

"Oh, no no," Marlene said in a slightly rapid tone to reassure her, "Why do I consider you troublesome? You aren't so in my eyes. Besides, I just met you so why to just say that a few minutes into this? But no... I don't consider you troublesome you lil' cutie."

She finishes with a friendly wink and a smile.

[Cherrywitch]

Erika

Location: Crocus, in-town, heading towards Dragonfang hotel
Interactions: @Lmpkio

Erika blinked again softly, just giving a little shrug. "Ot doesn't take too long to find if you dislike someone. I personally find you nice, for instance, even though we have only known each other for a short time." The girl finished the last bite of her ice cream cone casually. "I, on the other hand, can be considered annoying because no one ever can tell how I feel. I just figured you'd find that annoying as well." A slight bit of surprise met Erika, she turning her eyes back to the woman, face still as blank as a slate. "Huh? Cutie? How am I cute...? I can't even smile... Erika mumbled in confusion.

[Lmpkio]

@Cherrywitch

Marlene

"You just look really cute!" Marlene responds to her last question with a happy smile, "The way you dress, those icy blue eyes, the greyish-blue hair, you look really nice in general."

She pauses to contemplate Erika mentioning how she 'considers' herself annoying and asking how she is actually cute. Her eyes dim as she gives a small reassuring smile as she kneels down to pat her head.

"And don't worry about everything else." she says softly, almost motherly, "You're fine. It just takes practice. You just... you just need to be open more is what I'm saying. It'll come to you naturally, so don't worry about it."

With that, she than pats her back as they kept continuing to the Dragonfang hotel.

[Remram]

@Zarkun@Caits
NOLAN

Smoke rings puffed out from his lips, looking at the capes with an arched brow. "Cloaks? Could you have picked anything more unnecessarily flashy?" Nolan grabbed one of one the Phoenix Wing cloaks, a red one with a golden Phoneix Wing insignia sewed onto it and wrapped it around his waist as a sash though he was sure to keep the guild's sign revealed. If he was going to go out with that damned cloak, then he wasn't going to look flashy and foolish.

Just as they were all about to go out into the arena, there was a sudden change in team arrangements. One of the teams had dropped and that meant that one of Phoenix Wing's teams would have to be disbanded as well. The good news was that Nolan was still in the games. The bad news was that he wouldn't get the chance to beat up Damian. Well, no point on complaining about it.

He was out on the battlegrounds with his guildmates, pipe in mouth as he glanced around to measure up the competition. Frenzy Plant had its two monstrous S-Class members that Nolan had already faced though they left a sour taste in his mouth. It was a tie in between Indigo and him on their first encounter and Nolan and Joshua lost to Zander and Xyster when Nolan felt like he could've done more. Then there was Dragon Fang who wasn't going to be any easier either with its strough members. Iron Enigma was not present and Nolan thought very little of Tough Love and Rider's Blade. The two guilds had not done anything to impress him and did not view them as an obstacle that would be in his way.

"Time to pay my dues to the guild." Nolan thought outloud, looking up at the crowds as he let smoke whisp from his mouth.

@Caits
FERRIS

"Heh, but I'd rather keep that view to myself." Ferris chuckled as he watched her get dressed. She sure was a wild young woman though that's what made her fun to be around though she should try not put a filter on herself when it came to exposing herself the hotel staff.

He stood up and pulled some clothes from his suitcase, throwing on a plain white collard shirt that buttoned up halfway, black slacks, and black dress shoes. After they had their breakfast they would have to get to the stadium as soon as possible so they can commentate on the games. Ferris grabbed a breakfast sandwich and took a large bite from it. "And just how would we do that? We're stuck in a booth commentating on the games until it ends. It's not like we can invite the guild masters to commentate with us."

@Raijinslayer
Zev

"Ma, you didn't need to come down here. We're coming back home tomorrow." Zev said in his usual laid back, light hearted tone of his. He smiled at his sixty something year-old mother, who was much shorter than him, but still taller than her grandaughter.

"Nonsense, you've been taking care of my little muffin all week rather than be with your guild. I'll take her home and you can go cheer for your guild." She smiled sweetly in the most grandmotherly way possible. She was holding hands with Zev's daughter, Grace, who was looking very distracted with everything around her. "She's quite a handful isn't she?"

"Heeeeeeeeeey!" The little girl whined, which warranted a chuckle from her father.

"Thanks ma, you're the best. I'll see you soon, sweety. " He chuckled and just before he could go to walk away from the two women in his life, his daughter had dragged her grandmother excitedly for some reason and bumped into this white haired boy. "Oh I'm so sorry kid!"

[Lugubrious]

Cormorant Sanders – Road from Ruin

@The Wild West@Lunarlors34@raijinslayer@caits@hatakekuro@oblivion666

To call the night that settled over Belka peaceable would be to make a bad joke indeed, but even still, nothing nightmarish remained after the dark swarms vanished into the black sky and the corpse of the curse's carrier turned to ash. Most of Frenzy Plant, particularly those needled by the noxious flesh spears, made next to no response. General Sanders couldn't really blame them, either. An experience as rotten as this would rattle just about everyone. The end of the furious fight against the Flesh Giant also marked the end of the conqueror's aura that surrounded the war guild's master, and in the fitful light of torches and magical fires he seemed as old and withered as ever.

One voice stood out to him among the rest, for it belonged to a stranger. Curious despite his fatigue, Sanders made his way over to the newcomer and examined him as well he could. This man, he concluded, was a tough customer. His response to the situation was entirely reasonable; he treated it maturely, incredulously, and with a dry sense of humor that Sanders found quite appropriate. Additionally, judging by his garb and air of mystique, he wasn't from around here. ”Not every day, mister. We get our fair share of monsters, though admittedly something like this is unprecedented. Other days its bandits, rogue mercenaries, marauding invaders, or even the armies of other nations. There's always another war, but Frenzy Plant and its branches are always ready to fight, and always growing stronger. If that kind of thing suits you, please, visit our camp at the other end of Belka. We've got a long way to go tomorrow, and it's been a long night.”

Meanwhile, Tsubano, stooped over the figure of Argus and devoid of both sound and movement, listened to what he had to say. When he quieted himself to let her continue her work, the witch resumed her healing with head bowed. ”That is good. It is noble. We will work to earn your trust. If one day you decide to open up, we will be there. If you are one of us, you are never too far gone.” She observed his every motion, particularly his attention to the place on his body where the Seal of Denial had been affixed. Expectant, she waited for him to speak, and when he did, she absorbed all he had to say before unconsciousness claimed him. Then, a company of animated dolls hoisted him gently up, and across the town the ferried him.

Ten minutes later, the exhausted entirety of Frenzy Plant was reunited at the makeshift camp at Belka's other end. The scene was, at first, one of complete pandemonium. Villagers, be they full of gratitude or fear, swarmed the place, fit to burst with questions, concerns, and even condemnations. Jane Putcher, Bytan Brass, and Joakim Fortinbras were assigned to deal with them. Other soldiers righted tents that had been knocked down in the storm, gather strewn supplies, and try to fall asleep. The revelation that Harper Saxum had somehow become a zombie caused quite a bit of confusion, but the guild did not act hastily. After listening to her story and having Tsubano perform a cursory examination, the General declared his profound joy that the young ninja had not perished, and welcomed her as Frenzy Plant's second undead soldier. Though initially ecstatic, Harper took the opportunity to reveal that some of the swarm bugs -quite a few, actually- lived inside her as the collective magical force keeping her 'alive'. These seemed bound to her, however, and the notion of studying a few of her bugs was put on the docket for later.

After method had been coaxed from the madness, the camp put to order, and the villagers dealt with, a calm settled over Frenzy Plant. One by one, the soldiers nodded off. Ashlyn Johnson and the newcomer Flint, however, were not allowed to rest just yet. ”I kept my eye on both of you during the battle, and I consider myself highly impressed by your combat capabilities. In your own ways, I think, you are rough around the edges, but if I say this because I do not know you well enough, it is because I wish to know you better. Your abilities in the service of Frenzy Plant would be highly valued, and you would find lifelong comrades among my troops, if you were so inclined to join us. This may seem sudden, but I have a knack for reading people, and I feel like this might be just the opportunity one or both of you were waiting for. You need not reply immediately. I urge you to sleep on it, and present me your answer as we depart from Belka back to Crocus in the morning, but I do sincerely hope that you join us.”

Mission Complete!
Fatalities: 1?
Spoils: New comrades?
Time taken: 29 hours
Frenzy Plant moves back to Crocus
Arrival Time: Around noon

Hyun Sasithom – Grand Magic Games' Arena

With some satisfaction, Hyun peered down at the symbols on the ground. Rather than sand, the flooring of the arena appeared to be earth today, which suited her well. Anything, from a good house to a good fight, required a solid foundation, and Hyun detested the barbarity of a sandy colosseum. All it truly accomplished was to make the bloodshed more visible. Another new detail of today's event became known to her as a member of that boisterous, unpleasant guild Phoenix Wing made her way into the arena, standing on top of her organization's symbol before sending a matching flare into the air.

Her various comrades noticed it too, though nobody said a word. None had to, really; a smile was enough. So, today would be a team event. All six representatives of each competing guild will take part, ehm? Nothing in the world could have been better for Fiore's finest war guild. Cooperation was the lifeblood that flowed through the veins of Frenzy Plant, making it not just a collection of talented and powerful individuals, but a single organism united by one will and one cause. Teamwork won Hyun's friends the victory in the tag-team match, but today their victory would be overwhelming. The word 'support' was a simple one, but in such a setting, it represented a whole new dynamic that would make winning a cinch.

So far, the crowds had seen what Frenzy Plant's soldiers could do, but they had yet to catch the slightest glimpse of what they could really do together.

A few more moments passed while Zander rummaged through the great bag he'd brought with him. In the end, he selected three: his ruby-bladed arming sword, which he sheathed at his waist, a large Gothic flail with a ball that resembled a flanged mace, and a huge two-handed claymore with a heavy pommel. After that, he set the bag aside. Then, as one, the six vaulted over the arena railing. They put on no magical display whatsoever as they strode to the spot on the field marked as their own. Once there, they stood in a circle, talking in low tones. Among them the plans were laid for something utterly spectacular.

[Cherrywitch]

Erika

Location: Crocus, in-town, outside Dragonfang hotel
Interactions: @Lmpkio

The child was still confused, but did not push the issue any further. It would come naturally? Erika tried to smile then, but it made her cheeks hurt after the ends of her mouth barely moved, so she stopped. She was beginning to feel as though it were physically impossible for her to smile. Erika rubbed at one of her now-sore cheeks quietly, stopping in her tracks as they soon reached the front of the hotel. It was a lot closer than she remembered it... Though, she probably just got distracted so much on the way to the ice cream shop that it seemed much longer. Erika glanced to Marlene silently to signify that this was her stop, growing uncomfortable. She hasn't had to say goodbye yet, and when she did she would see the person a few hours or a day later at most. Erika was unsure if that was going to happen here, since Marlene was indeed from another guild. She actually liked the crystal maiden. She was very kind, that much Erika could tell. She liked people like her.

[Lunarlord34]

Ashlyn Johnson

My Hider

@Zarkun@hatakekuro@oblivion666@liferusher@Caits@Raijinslayer@Lugubrious

Previous Day

Ash couldn't help but grin at the sight of her attack completely blowing the monster's leg off. It always felt great when a plan actually worked instead of blowing up in her face. Even the creature's attempt at a counter attack couldn't break through the sheer heat of the flames surrounding Ash, although with such ferocious flames came the inevitable drain of her magic. The bigger problem however was the heat....she couldn't allow herself to overheat just yet.
However her eyes now narrowed in concern. The creature seemed to be emitting some strange fog which was counteracting her flames. The concern wasn't the fact a strange fog had come out however, it was the fact that it seemed to be absorbing the holy light of her flames which brought the biggest concern. What the hell was this thing?
Although now sensing something beneath the creature she managed to leap back just in time before Damien's swords shot out of the ground and impaled the creature. Everyone proceeded to beat into the creature before it finally fell off the cliff to its inevitable demise.
Ash could hear her own heavy breathing during the silence which followed, feeling the rain water dripping down from her hair and onto the ground below. She wasn't drenched but it might've been a concern if the creature was still alive and kicking, at least it was only her hair anyway.
"Good riddance." Ash muttered as she fell to her knees from the relief of the situation as everyone seemed to break into celebrations. It was then however that the fog returned.
Or rather to be more precise, bugs? This confused Ash however the message the skeleton now left was ominous. Even as the skeleton burst into a combination of hers and Riona's flames, she was still concerned by what it had said.
What had it meant? Drowned city? One thing was clear however. This was far from over, not by a long shot.
Not that it mattered now as Frenzy Plant mobilised to head back to camp. Ash wouldn't lose any sleep over it, if it came back then Frenzy Plant would simply beat it back down again.

Ash now found herself standing before Sanders, the guild master of Frenzy Plant, once more. She had spoke to the man once before, however it was a brief meeting just before heading out so that she could tag along to prove that she was more than capable of joining the guild. This was their first, proper face-to-face meeting. He didn't seem as impressive as he had at the graveyard, however the image of then still lingered in Ash's mind. He was a man worthy of respect anyway.
She listened respectfully to what the general of Frenzy Plant had to say before looking down at her feet. So she could actually join as a legitimate member now? Even after causing Harper's 'death'? Sure she was still around, but she was an undead now. And Ash could only blame herself for that. If she had reacted a little faster...
She didn't say anything now as he told them both to think about his offer to join the guild. She glanced towards Flint for a moment before turning back to face Sanders. She wanted to just accept the offer on the spot, but something was clearly holding her back from doing so. Sanders would be able to easily tell as much, but as to what was holding her back....well he wasn't a bloody mind reader now was he?
She was too tired right now to want to explain anything in detail to Sanders so simply excused herself and said she would think about it, before retiring to her tent for the night. She would speak to him tomorrow when the both of them weren't so tired.

Current Day

@Expolar@Lugubrious
Ash awoke somewhat early the next day. As tired as she was from yesterday, she found that she wasn't really able to sleep. However as a strange twist as well, she found that she didn't feel that overly tired in the slightest. Bonus!
Although she knew she would probably pass out sometime later today, she would deal with that hurdle when it came.

Monsoon and Ashlyn Collab

Away from the Belka, a mist appeared with Monsoon emerging from it. From his hand he held a small rusted silver locket on a bronze chain. Looking at the direction of Belka, the mist enveloped Monsoon and continued his search for Ashlyn.

The locket that Maxie gave was more than enough to track the wizard that Georgie requested. But tracking and observing her was the only thing he had in mind and nothing else. When Ashlyn's trail got closer, Monsoon became more cautious. He saw Frenzy Plant's camp and what appeared to be Ashlyn who seemed to be part of the group. Monsoon still had the card that Manami gave him, but didn't use it. While Frenzy Plant investigated the town, Monsoon observed Ashlyn from a far enough distance until the guild prepared to leave.

Once the guild was making its preparations to leave, Monsoon began entering the camp from behind and caught Ashlyn on her shoulder while no one was watching. "Perhaps you could help me miss. Do you know someone by the name of Ashlyn Johnson. Although he clearly knew, he simply wanted to see how the girl would lie or tell the truth.

Ash had been packing up her stuff and was getting ready to take down her tent when she felt someone grab her shoulder. Spinning around quickly, obviously startled by Monsoon's sudden appearance, she managed to restrain herself enough to not give him a right hook to the jaw. She decided to hear this rather suspicious looking man out at the least.
However as he said her name she immediately narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Who was this guy? Another Frenzy Plant member? She didn't remember seeing him before, however she had yet to personally talk to EVERY single member. She had briefly thought about brushing him off and simply state that she had no idea who he was talking about..but that wasn't exactly her style.
"...That would be me. What's it to you?" Ash's tone completely gave away her suspicion of Monsoon, as would the unclenching and clenching of her right fist by her side. Every time she did her fist would let off a few sparks.
She was getting ready just in case this man was sent by Shadow Heart, and if he was she would simply kick his ass like the rest before him.

"To me, not much compared to someone else." Monsoon could easily see the tension that was already brewing, but remained where he stood. "For who I am. I'm simply an observer. But starting a fight here and now is something I believe you should avoid. Now, as uncomfortable as it may seem, I've been watching you for sometime and I think you're more valuable than you think you are. I'm sure you already know your old guild, Shadow Heart?" From inside his suit, he pulled out a card that showed a Minami chibi and had a locket dangling from below the card. "I could have called Minami, Maxie, and the other Shadow Heart members here if I wanted to since you arrived in Belka. But I didn't. Instead I wanted to ask for your help with something. If you're interested, then I could return this locket that Maxie took from you."

Ash silently listened to Monsoon, immediately narrowing her eyes at the mention of Shadow Heart. So they did send this man after all. So had Maxie finally swallowed his pride? Or had Georgie grown tired of his failures to capture her?
However she silently watched as he whipped out a chibi-Manami card and...her locket?
"Heh you're an amusing fellow you know that?" Ash scoffed as she brushed some hair out of her face and behind her ear "I could always defeat you and take the pendant back. I mean you even had the gall to come alone into Frenzy Plant's camp. However that is what makes you a rather interesting fellow. I suppose I'll hear out what you have to say." Ash continued on with a more relaxed tone. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement as she looked towards Monsoon.
The man certainly had guts, she had to give him that.

"As I said before, you're more valuable than you think. And by that I mean you're confident." Monsoon empathized his last word to sound a bit lackluster from his voice, but appeared relatively calm. He slid the card and locket calmly back into his suit, crossed his arms and continued as he stared into Ashlyn. "But with all that confidence you still run from your past when you could fight it. I'm aware that Shadow Heart has already tried to catch you but failed every time. But how long do you intend to continue playing this game that Georgie is becoming tired of. You may wish to live a new life here in Frenzy Plant, but Shadow Heart will continue to chase and prevent you from achieving that life. She's already grown tired of Maxie's failed attempts, offered me to help, and probably has other plans on how to catch you. However, she doesn't know that you and I share a common enemy. I all want know is if you're willing to help me expose Shadow Heart to the public? That way they will have more things to worry about than just you once the Council and other light guilds try to stop them. Making both our lives easier."

Valuable? Confident? Ash still wasn't a hundred percent sure what he was going about. How was her confidence valuable? However she silently listened to Monsoon as he talked.
She was obviously more than aware that she was probably Shadow Heart's number one enemy at the moment, and thus the highest priority to take down. However....
“Let's get one thing settled here Mr...whatever your name is, my problem with Shadow Heart is just that. MY problem. I'll deal with it myself.” Ash crossed her arms across her chest as she took a rather irritated stance. So he just wanted her help with taking down Shadow Heart? Yet, Shadow Heart had hired him to track her down? So a double agent then. However what was his angle? What did HE gain from this?
Despite her suspicions, she couldn't really argue against his offer, as much as it annoyed her. So, swallowing her pride and letting out a huge sigh she lowered her arms.

“However...even I'm not capable of taking them down myself. Georgie is on a different tier to everyone in Shadow Heart, let alone Nidhogg and Maxie....and I suppose I gain a lot from this deal. Getting Shadow Heart off of my back so I can get on with my life is definitely handy. However what exactly do you gain?” Ash narrowed her eyes suspiciously towards Monsoon as she talked now. And could you blame her?
He was suspicious looking to begin with, let alone how he was speaking rather cryptically, had approached her when she had been alone to talk with her rather than just request Frenzy Plant officially, was pretending to work for Shadow Heart and had yet to mention how he would exactly benefit from the destruction of Shadow Heart. What exactly was his beef with the guild?
Ash was many things, but stupid was not one of them. And unlike Manami she wasn't naive enough to trust him right away either.

From how Ashlyn crossed her arms and stood in a irritated stance, Monsoon knew that she was suspicious of his intentions. A smart girl, quick to suspicions. Brighter than Minami, but I did help her, so I can't really blame her for that. At least not too much. He nodded his head in agreement. It was best that she had some ideas of who she was talking to and how this helps them both. "Perhaps I was quick to inform you of all of this. Let me first introduce myself, I am Monsoon. I seek to make the world a better place by preventing wizards from harming this world. If Shadow Heart was like any other ordinary dark guild, I would ignore them. But with Georgie's guidance, she and her guild may become troublesome in the future. However, if they were gone, it should make my work easier. As you said, Georgie is a powerful foe, but I don't intend to have just the two of us fight her. I could ask a guild like Frenzy Plant to help, but they wouldn't know as much. I would prefer the people that were helping knew more of what they were up against. That is when you come in. If you could help me expose Shadow Heart as a dangerous enough guild that should be dealt with as a serious and immediate threat, then we can have other light guilds and the Council help in defeating them. But that all depends on how much information and evidence that you have on the Shadow Heart, especially anything related to Georgie."

Monsoon's answer was yet another cryptic one. It had been carefully worded so as to not give away too much about his intentions, but still make the main point obvious. So he wanted to stop wizards from harming the world?
As much as she wondered how he could do that, and more importantly why he wanted to, she held herself back from asking about it and instead stood there silently for a moment as she thought it over. He had made it sound so damned reasonable, but surely there was something else to this? Her gut told her so, and she was the type to listen to her instincts. And they were certainly on high alert.
However by agreeing to help she could probably find out his angle eventually. Plus it did benefit her from helping him, but she wasn't going to trust this man. He had betrayed Shadow Heart after all, what was to say he wouldn't do the same to her?

"Ok Monsoon...I'll help. But let me get one thing straight here." Ash's tone was quite a reluctant one. She obviously wasn't too pleased with accepting his help on the matter, but she had to admit it was a deal she couldn't really refuse. She would regain her pendant, Shadow Heart would be off her back and perhaps it would help atone for her own sins.
"I don't trust you. You yourself said that Shadow Heart hired you to track me down and report back, but you're betraying them. If I even have an inkling you're going to stab me in the back, you're going to have an extra problem to worry about." Once Ash was content that she had made her point across she would grip her left arm tightly. She seemed like she something else was bothering her but quickly shook her head.
"However most of the evidence is simply my word. I can name most of the members, link them to crimes, name stuff about them and the like. However in terms of physical evidence...well I've been on the run. Holding onto such things wasn't really my priority. And some of it might be outdated since I did leave a year ago." Ash knew that Monsoon would probably be disappointed with her answer but she had to make sure that he knew that now at the start of their partnership rather than later when it could be an inconvenience.
"BUT I do have an idea which might help. If you can capture, or get the council to capture, a current S-Rank wizard of Shadow Heart they would have some newer information. Perhaps the same member whose contact card you're holding onto."

Although Ashlyn might have have limited evidence, she could still be of some use. Minami was the one that Monsoon originally planned for the capture, but seeing as Ashlyn saw Minami as a suitable target, it showed that Ash could be great help. If a fight broke out in the progress of Minami's capture, then Ashlyn should already know what to expect.

"I appreciate that you told me what you knew, but the limited evidence that you have shouldn't be of that much hindrance. Simply being an ex member and witness of Shadow Heart's actions could help after we apprehend Minami and have the Council interrogate her for information. But I sense that Minami will have another member that might be with her, Shiro, but I think capturing her too shouldn't be too much of a problem. It just might take longer than expected. Now, for when we should do this. I keep in contact with you in the coming days and plan with you on how we will apprehend Minami. When we're both ready, then we'll start. But for now, I have to leave. And as a advice, you should tell you new guild members about your past, it's better if you told them before they find out about it first."

With this meeting done, Monsoon backed away as he was about to leave. But before he left, he presented Ashlyn's locket again before finally putting it away. "Don't worry about your locket, I'll hand it back to you as payment after we capture Minami." Once he finished he walked away from Frenzy Plant's camp and created a small thick mist that he vanished into. When the mist dissipated, Monsoon was nowhere to be seen.

Ash sighed as Monsoon left. That guy seriously gave her the creeps, but if it helped her then in the end it didn't really matter. Something about his presence had seemed...off. She couldn't quite place her finger on it.
Of course what Ash didn't know was that she had sensed the same thing that Georgie had sensed when she had interacted with Monsoon. However since Ash had no such experience with such a thing before, it would naturally be unknown to her.
She now went back to packing up her gear. She would go find Sanders as soon as she was done. She had already decided to come clean about her past before Monsoon had suggested it, however it still made her uneasy.

[CitrusArms]

Trinity Stratos

The excursion to the airship the previous day had not been too fruitful. The damage to the stabilizers had been pretty bad, and they'd need new material to fix it. She could probably piece together the magic circles if she could get a good look at the four different machines, but just looking at the first one had taken some time. Then Kregor showed up and it was time to go. So they went.

This morning had another surprise for her. They were losing a team, and now she was part of the half to take the guild forward in the games. Through the final day, even, a very important event. "I guess I'm glad they've got so much faith in me... I'll have to make sure it's a day to remember Phoenix Wing."

The symbol Penny made in the air left an impression, but... it was missing something. The wizardess walked out calmly, to stand with Penny, but first took a moment to examine the symbol on the ground. This would have to be detailed. "For our symbol, foretelling our victory, a brilliant golden alloy of smok" With a clap of Energy Make, Trinity captures Nolan's smoke in a sphere, before molding the smokey golden object into their symbol, suspending it in the air. "Penny, if you would? It must burn with our passion. A spark will suffice."

[The Wild West]

Flint Dunigan - Belka Graveyard to Frenzy Plant Camp (Yesterday)

Turning his sight back onto the battlefield of exhausted warriors, he surveyed the land for the various destroyed sections of the area that had been sustained during the big fight. The task was actually quite hard, he wasn't sure what was already broken prior to the defeat as the entire town seemed a bit run down in the beginning, but it seemed that the guild did good against collateral against the big hulking beast. Flint sighed in relief of the news, destroying property was the fastest way to find the bounty hunter on his bad side, but it seemed that everything would be in good hands with this strange guild. So, just as he was about to get upon his horse to ride away from this mess of a town, a certain voice seemed to be talking to the cowboy. Holding the reins of his horse, he turned around to find the old man who had spurred the guild and himself to fight against the great beast. To be honest, he seemed more impressive on the battlefield than anything else, but it seemed that he was just some average old man. So as the stranger finished apprising Flint, and the cowboy finished listening to the supposed leader of the guild, he found that their various activities had similarities with the various jobs that he had done throughout the years. Maybe it was something else that stirred with himself, but Flint nodded towards the old man as he hurled himself up onto his horse with a inquisitive look on the stranger. "I'll see if I have the time," Flint said, trotting his horse away from the scene of battle to retrieve the equipment at the tavern that he had embarrassingly left in the rush to get the graveyard.

An hour or two had passed, Flint had all of his equipment strapped on his means of transportation and the surge of civilians plaguing the streets has died down just enough for himself to pass through the crowd. He didn't know exactly the reason for his appearance at the camp, but maybe it was just that curiosity had gotten the better of him. The crowd of mages seemed to have instantly dozed off from their exhaustion before setting up their base of operations. Really, it was just three people awake in the area being himself, a supposed friendly undead mage, and the leader of the guild. It was quite obvious what he was trying to do for the two, he wanted to recruit them into their guild for the purpose of making themselves stronger against the rest that was spread across the world. This wasn't the first time that he had been asked to join groups of mages, but it was the first time that Flint hadn't immediately answered with a quick negative on the offer. He was actually interested in the guild, that was for sure, but he wasn't too keen on the idea of spending the rest of his life with these mages. However, it would only be a matter of time before Flint would find himself in a situation where he had bitten more than he could chew. It was strange trying to think of reasons on why he should stay or go, but Flint would use the advice given by the guild master to sleep on the heavy decision. He didn't like being this unsure, but maybe in the morning he would find his answer. Constructing and entering his small tent made for one, he rested his body for the next day to come.

Flint Dunigan - Frenzy Plant Camp (Present)

Yesterday went away, and soon a new day started as Flint raised from his sleep. His rest wasn't the best compared to that of a bed, but it would do as Flint himself didn't expend too much energy from yesterday. Though, he still had the problem of deciding if he should stay with this guild or ride away to stay as a lone hunter. He still disliked the idea of spending his entire life with this group of soldiers, but they are also the most likely to be the only people that he would find tolerable to personally work with himself for long periods of time. Flint slowly got out of his tent, fending himself from the early morning rays and he soon knew what decision he was going to go with when asked later in the day.

[Lmpkio]

@Cherrywitch

Marlene

Soon enough, Marlene and Erika finally reached the DragonFang hotel. Realizing the former stopping by the building to signify their stop, the Crystal Maiden turns around to get another good look at her. She then looks up to see the hotel, a banner signifying the guild's residence in this area. She then looks back at the little girl with a smile.

"I take it this is your stop," she says easily as she crouches down to her level with a soft chuckle, "It was fun being around you! We'll meet again for sure."

She then issues a tender hug to Erika as she then lets go, making a quick wink at her.

"See you next time."

And with that Marlene makes one last look at the girl before turning back to get to her own hotel. If she can enter the building without Master Jamie seeing her, she should be in the clear. Maybe she can then meet up with Samir at the Games... or who knows really.

[Roseletta]

Amaya Vanisis and Cecilia

Amaya was already up and one of the first to be dressed and eating breakfast. She took her time walking with everyone else. She stayed beside Joshua as she rubbed her eyes she hadn't slept in two days. Cecilia didn't seem to have issues sleeping as she was hyper standing on Amaya's head trying to see above the crowds.

Rose, ryu and Raiden Yashia

The past few days were hell on Raider's mental health ever since he found the daughter he thought he buried along with finding how his first wife died along with what his daughter went through along with being a unwed mother and everything else the worse part was he wants to bury Lucas alive for everything thing but of he did that good luck ever seeing his only granddaughter and daughter again. Even though deep down he was overjoyed to have one. He was silent all yesterday after Lucas and rose explained everything. It took all night but raiden made a decision that ryu agreed to. They were going to join Phoenix wing cause raiden was going to be dammed to let rose and Elyse vanish from his life again. Plus this might help ryu want to get stronger. Their stall was packed and he waited by the stadium till he found rose. He and rose stared at each other before they nodded heading in without a word but they already knew what was said.

[MarshiestMallow]

Jessie
@hatakekuro
Jessie laughed and bit into a bagel, reaching for a coffee, she sipped at it happily, watching Ferris get dressed. such a shame She thought, but smiled happily. She had soon downed the bagel, and the coffee. "We have a break. its the last day, if we don't talk with them now, we'll have to jump all around-which is still fun" She mused on that a moment, before glancing at the time.

She snagged another bagel, wrapping it in a napkin, "Come on, we should go" She said, taking his hand and pulling him with her.

"Fun times today"

Penny
@CirusArvennicus@joshua tamashii@zarkun

Penny nodded to Nolan and Trinity as they joined her, studying the other teams as they gathered. Pirate lord was gathering, as was tough love. Frenzy plant made an impression, that was for sure, but Penny had confidnece in her team. They'd done so much together, that she knew they would do well today.

She glanced over to Trinty and nodded, summoning a spark of flame, she ignited Trinity's insignia, and she managed a smile. "Lets show them what Phoenix Wing truly is. Master Jamie, Jarvis, wouldn't have chosen you if they didn't have faith in you, so have faith in yourselfs."