[center][h3][color=C0C0C0]Cecilia Lenin – Frenzy Park[/color][/h3] [@Raijinslayer][/center] Ah, a potential ally! As such individuals as Arivaderci and Xyster showed that guildmaster Sanders was happy to take unusual beings under his command, so long as they could respect the chain of command and what it meant to be a soldier, and as long as they got along at least passably with the others. Cecilia offered Argus a hand, after shifting her sword to her off-hand, and a slightly skeptical but still congenial smile. The effect of the corrosion went totally unnoticed. His own flirtatious grin unnerved Cecilia somewhat, but she could put that aversion aside to be polite. [color=C0C0C0]“Hello then, Argus. I'm Cecilia. Still pretty new, only been in a little more than two months, but I can tell you a few things if you're wanting to join us.”[/color] After pointing the exhausted Thor in the direction of the nearest tent, the young knight took Argus on a brief tour of the campsite, pointing out certain tents and giving a quick overview of the individuals that owned them. She was, however, careful not to stray out of the line of sight of any of the other people around, or to disclose much about her guildmates' abilities. All the while, she remained oblivious to the degradation of her straps. Her tour concluded with an explanation of how one would get into the guild. [color=C0C0C0]”To get in, you need to overcome existing soldiers at challenges they set. It's most often combat, because that's important. You work your way up; beat a C-rank soldier, and you get to challenge B-rank, and so on. Our grading system is a little different from other guilds. We grade on overall effectiveness, not raw power. A wizard who could destroy and entire castle with a single fireball, who would also be knocked unconscious in a single hit, is C-rank, for instance. Higher ranks means not only greater power, but also ability to cover weakn-!”[/color] At that moment, the weight of her armor tore the now-threadbare straps apart, and it fell to the ground in a great clatter. Cecilia's eyes widened. [color=C0C0C0]S***ting hell!”[/color] she sword vehemently, and grabbed at the falling metal. Her greaves, gauntlets, vambraces, and pauldrons all tumbled onto the ground. Only the helmet remained, a product of its craft with hinges instead of straps. The next instant, her bodice collapsed, only to reveal a sight no-doubt disappointing for Argus. Beneath her outer wear Cecilia, like most knights, wore a cloth shirt and breeches The shirt itself was far tighter than her baggy, yellow, black-striped sleeves and pantlegs, but it remained a lackluster show for the mischievous demon, particularly since it revealed that Cecilia wasn't very well-endowed at all. The knight, however, wasn't paying any attention to Argus. She was cursing to herself, repeatedly and with great fervor, about the armor. [color=C0C0C0]”Good God, this stuff was so expensive! I took such good care of it! How did I let it break!? I'm a failure as a knight!'[/color] After a few moments, she seemed to take notice of Argus again. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment, not for being seen in a tight shirt, but for looking like an incompetent fool. [color=C0C0C0]”I...uh, sorry. It's...I get angry sometimes. Find Zander, he'll show you the ropes.”[/color] Gathering up what pieces she could carry, Cecilia rushed off toward the makeshift repair tent, the metal making a tremendous racket as she sprinted in panic. [center][h3][color=d8bfd8]Nero the Genie – Crocus Playground[/color][/h3] [@liferusher][@Invisible Man][/center] With Eve on the scene, Nero felt no need to pay any heed to Gabriel's presumptuousness. Glad to see that his brief streak of bitterness hadn't brought her down, he was more than happy to give her a hug, but paused before he could do so -instead putting an arm around her waist- as Ayame rushed up. As she approached, he realized that she, too, had been upset by his departure, and reached out his other arm to put around her shoulder. Instead, he was greeted with a surprisingly solid slug to the stomach. [i][color=d8bfd8]”Blaghaga!”[/color][/i] Wincing, he guessed that Ayame must be upset that he'd left her alone with strangers. [i]Better ways to say that than with a blow to the belly, kid,[/i] he thought, but said nothing, just chuckling instead along with Eve. He grinned helplessly as the young girl clung to him. When Ayame attached to his back, he moved slightly so that she was standing next to his side, and enveloped her shoulder with free arm. [color=d8bfd8]”It's fine, it's fine. I'm the one that oughtta say sorry. For a second there, I forgot how much you cared. Pretty foolish of me.”[/color] All thoughts of the Time Lord, of Gabriel, of anyone vacated him as he stood there between his two favorite people in the world. Once again, he could only marvel at how simply being next to these girls, particularly Eve, made him feel. A new thought struck him: [/i]is this love?[/i] What a quaint idea! As if a monster such as he could feel love. Still... The tone sounded that signaled the end of the first event. People began to emerge from houses, eager to resume their day. Acting quickly, the genie snapped his fingers, and the petrified grass turned back to normal. Nero glanced back at Eve as she pantomimed her muteness. [color=d8bfd8]”No voice? Huh. Did the Law have side effects, I wonder. You know, I could probably find a voice for you. It'd be a tough trade, but it'd be worth it. We could make it today's adventure!”[/color] He straightened up as if to start walking, but stopped when he remembered something. [color=d8bfd8]”I know you guys have at least had something to eat because I waited a while before talkin', but if you want to finish your breakfast, I'll come back inside with you. We oughta let Time Snored know that everything's fine. If we don't, he'll get paranoid.”[/color] The choice was Ayame's and Eve's to make.