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[Right][color=6ecff6]Interactions: Nolan [@hatakekuro], Damian [@Zarkun][/color][/right] 

Help with preparations was unnecessary despite there still being final preparations going on. The people doing them had them well in hand, which left Ria feeling a bit idle. She didn't like it. Having nothing to do but stand and await was not her style. There was always something to do, something that would help make something ready. Which she decided was studying the caravan vehicles to ensure she was familiar with what they were, and were capable of, to better adjust her potential needs to help defend them. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that - moreover, hopefully it didn't come to her needing to actually fight. She knew she could defend; her maker magic never disappointed her ability to block attacks and fortify things. Defense was adequate. Offense...the tiniest frown tugged at the corners of her lips.

Nolan's calling out a pleasant parting with Damian drew her from her thoughts and she even then realized horses were being brought over. Enough for the guards and the two Rising Star mages. That certainly would make mobile defense easier, at least for her. She had plenty of experience casting from horseback. Not so much for training or experience casting from a vehicle. Assumedly, the horses being supplied by the garrison were used to some sort of combat like that as well. Perhaps not mages casting spells, but hopefully at ease enough with rifle fire or swordsmen attacking to not be uneasy with magic. It wasn't like they were raised in a land with such a plethora of mages as Fiore, or trained in the military practice for both armed and magical combat. 

She thanked the person that handed off the reins to her for the horse with a smile. A few strokes if its neck, and she mounted the beautiful beast. It had been a single smooth action using the same fluid grace she tended to move in, and let her land sitting straddled with her skirting tucked beneath her to keep the saddle from sitting against bare skin. Something she'd done hundreds of times in her life, which left her completely unfazed by the fact she turned her ankle length skirt into shorts.

Most that knew her would expect the bubbly water mage to fill the silence with attempts at conversation, but she instead sat silent. She even withheld from humming softly as she was like to do when completing inane tasks. Her fingers gently, continuously, stroked the horse's hair as they rode. A quiet ride watching their surroundings for dangers just like when she would help patrol the border of the Ocenade  territory for threats to the farmers. No need to bring about an attack because of unnecessary noise when she could come socialize with the guards at some other point. 

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[Right][color=9400D3]Interactions: Adelyn [@Lunarlord34], Kiba [@Cello], Sergeant Monreu [@Zarkun] [/color][/right]

The cold wasn't meant to intimidate, but then he hadn't intended to make it cold. He got angry and his magic responded. it would be something to investigate and train later. This rare flare in temper wasn't a calculated one; he didn't fully understand why the insult elicited anger. Yet, at this point, the dark haired mage was disinclined to bring the room's temperature back to normal. He didn't want to be the reason for relations to get worse for the guild. Unfortunately he also wasn't inclined to just let the room return to standard temperature. It was infinitely easier to swallow his pride and let the guy have his little bit of superiority on this whole subject. Then that would mean encouragement to just keep treating the guild like trash and build them a reputation of bending over and taking it. 

While first impressions weren't anywhere on the Sergeant's priorities - and Mark didn't particularly care about them either - this particular one gave Mark the impression their overwatch couldn't be trusted. Which meant he would have to be watching his back from them just as much as the beast they were being sent to kill. He hated complicated jobs. It would be better if someone else took the job.

Then Adelyn spoke up to try to resolve the matter. If she hadn't touched him, he wouldn't have even looked at her. His gaze dropped to her, but his attention was divided between her trying to sooth over his reaction with the Sergeant and the instigator. When she continued on, addressing the Sergeant, his attention turned to their silent companion. Kiba seemed set on them continuing this deathtrap mission. So it was two against one. He could just abandon them to it themselves, but then - that would leave Adelyn completely at risk of slaughter if what he anticipated going awry did. Kiba was talented, but one talented mage on his own against intent might not be enough. 

[i]Dammit[/i].

He took a deep breath and slowly released it. The stoic mage turned his attention back to the Sergeant. "[color=9400D3]It will be a trust exercise for both groups then. Proceed, Sergeant.[/color]"