[hr][hr][centre][color=coral][h1]Penny[/h1] [b]Location:[/b] On the road to Shirotsume Town-> Shirotsume Town [sup][b]interacting with[/b]: Jasmine [@Lunarlord34], Lurdes Arriola (NPC, Shirotsume Town Vet)[/sup][/color][/centre] [hr][hr] Penny didn’t know what she could say or do that would help jasmine. She didn’t know the right words, or even the right thing to do. Had her mother ever comforted her, at all, after the man who had beat the shit out of both of them, the man that her adoptive mother had let beat her? Penny couldn’t ever recall. When her adoptive father had died… Penny suspected that her adoptive mother had perished with him, had merely been a walking shell of a woman. She tried to think how she had been, before… but she had been too young. She remembered being happy, with her adoptive parents, and then… misery. She gave a soft sigh to herself, her arms around Jasmine still. Perhaps she didn’t need to actively comfort her. Perhaps being there was enough, keeping her safe. Or as safe as she could. Jasmien was asking her to believe in her… and Penny did. The girl might not be the strongest, but she had a good heart. As her sobbing became mere sniffles, Penny closed her eyes in relief. Jasmine was pulling herself together, and that was a good thing. Yet Penny knew that it was going to be a rough ride… She hoped she could make it easier for her. [color=coral]"I do. You're stronger than you think you are, Jaz,"[/color] At her further question, Penny hesitated. She didn’t really have the answer, not for that at least. She sighed softly, hesitating before saying, [color=coral]”I don’t know how it works, Jasmine. It… sometimes I think it’s just when you’re ready that it unlocks. I was Sixteen when I first started using Phoenix Magic. And that was after I learned Fire Magic. But… I was in a bad position, before it burst out of me when I most needed it.”[/color] She gave Jasmine a gentle squeeze, [color=coral]”I don’t have the answers as to why now, Jasmine… I wish I did. I worked hard to learn fire magic… Phoenix it just came to me. Perhaps because of my training in Fire.”[/color] As Jasmine continued speaking, Penny shook her head, [color=coral]”No, no! It isn’t your fault what happened to them, Jasmine. It isn’t. You can’t blame yourself for what happened. You didn’t know you could do this, and you wouldn’t have been able to then… It isn’t your fault, and I won’t have you believing that.”[/color] She said, her voice soft but strong- to make sure that Jasmine would never have a doubt that it wasn’t her fault. As the younger girl fell asleep, Penny fell silent, closing her own eyes once more. She’d do everything she could for Jasmine. She just hoped that she didn’t end up screwing her up. She let her thoughts flow, trying not to focus on anything. The ride was quiet, peaceful but to Penny, right then, it was filled with worry, dread and fear. Her mind, and heart, inevitably went towards how she had left, her breath leaving her in a shaky sigh. She shouldn’t have left the way she had… She’d let her anger get control of her… But she wasn’t scared… She just didn’t want to hurt people. Going to the island… getting herself mixed up with Dragon’s, with so much other stuff… that chance… No. She wasn’t scared. She was bloody terrified. Terrified of her magic, of the way it had changed, of just about every aspect of it. She could [i]kill[/i] with a few beats of song. What if she accidently used a wrong spell? She closed her eyes tighter, to stop the tears that wanted to fall. She failed to stop them, and reached up to brush the tears away, trying to be quiet, not wanting to wake Jasmine. The girl needed sleep. And that was something Penny could give her. [hr] As Shirotsume Town came into view, forests began to appear, the road became smoother as they neared civilisation, and there were signs of people living there. A farm or two, some animals- cows and horses- splattering the land, some workers could be seen amongst them. Penny shifted, not yet waking Jasmine, as she got a look at the land around them. It looked normal, and happy on the surface, and Penny would have been content with that, but she noticed things that weren’t quite right. The fences she could see bore damage- marks and scars on the wood, and what looked like blood. There were scars in the earth, and she could see that the workers were moving frantically about, as if terrified. She frowned, studying them. Were the Hane-Sakana that deadly? Letting her thoughts linger on that, and just how they were going to deal with this problem, she watched as the town drew closer. Here there were other signs of the damage done by these flying fishes, more damage to the buildings she could see, blood staining the streets, windows, doors, signs. And injured people. People with bandages on their arms, legs, hands, faces. Bloodied, and hurting, and Penny suspected that under those bandages, there would be severe damage. Perhaps even missing fingers. She would do whatever she could to help, Penny knew that, with all her heart. She couldn’t let this destruction, suffering, go on any longer than was necessary. As the cart drew to a stop in the town centre, Penny gently reached out to shake Jasmine away, [color=coral]”We are here, Jaz. Time to show them just what Phoenix Wing Mages are made off.”[/color] She gave her a smile, [color=coral]”I know you will be okay. I’ll be with you, every step of the way.”[/color] As the driver came around, Penny opened the door, reaching into a hidden pocket to take out some jewel’s, paying for the trip before getting out. Waiting for Jasmine, she glanced around trying to find any sign of the Animal clinic. The vet was their client, and she wanted to get this job started as quickly as possible. She looked to Jasmine to make sure the girl as okay, but didn’t get to say anything else as someone came barrelling towards them. The man appeared to be late thirties, early forties. His Dark brown, nearly black hair was patchy- but it didn’t look like he was going bald. Perhaps he was simply pulling his hair out- perhaps in frustration or fear. His beard, closely shaven to his face that did appear to usually be neatly cared for, was a little unruly. He had a healing cut along one cheek, a bandage over his right arm- she could see it peeking through his lab coat, that was splattered with blood, torn in places. He appeared to be very disheveled, and frantic. [b]”Phoenix Wing Mages, Phoenix Wing Mages!”[/b] His voice sounded fearful, frantic and a little crazy like. Penny shifted in front of Jasmine, not quite sure of this man. [color=coral]”Yes, that’s us. I’m Penny and this is Jasmine. We’re here for the flying fishes… are you Lurdes Arriola?”[/color] she asked, keeping her voice calm, suspecting that if she let anything else into her voice, this man would fly off the handle. He seemed one crisis away from a mental breakdown and that wouldn’t do anyone any good. [b]”Yes, yes! You have to help, you have to do something! I’m running out of supplies, the doctor’s running out of supplies and now she’s out of commission, the flying bastards tried to slash her throat! I’ve never seen anything like this, in all my life! Please, do something!”[/b] [color=coral]”We will, do not fear. For now, it would be best if everyone stays inside, keep doors and windows locked, animals inside. We will deal with these creatures, have no fear.”[/color] She assured the man. He seemed skeptical, but Penny made sure he knew she wouldn’t budge, and while he hesitated, he went back the way he had come. Watching him retreat until she was sure he wasn’t coming back, she let out a slow breath. [color=coral]”That is a man on the edge of doing something drastic.”[/color] She said with a soft sigh, turning back to Jasmine. [color=coral]”So we should get started. Are you okay?”[/color] [hr][hr] [centre][color=darkgreen][h1]Michael[/h1] [b]Location[/b]: Ship towards Tenuro Island [sup][b]interacting with[/b]: Zev [@Hatakekuro] and Gabriel[/sup][/color][/centre] [hr][hr] Michael, mortified, gave a small nod. Gabriel had never really explained why he had Leo, the Spirit that really didn’t act like one, nor had he ever explained to Michael why he couldn’t close the gate. Perhaps it was simply that they hadn’t spent much time together, in months. Since they’d joined their guilds… he missed his brother immensely, these last months had been hard without him. Before, they hadn’t spent more than a few days apart in their entire lives. [color=darkgreen]”Y-yes-. T-This is my b-b-brother. Gabriel.”[/color] he said softly to Zev, as Gabriel tried, and failed, to get Leo away. The spirit merely threw his arm around his brother and pulled him close, chuckling at Gabriel’s attempts to break free. [color=lightgreen]”Yes, and this is my rather annoying spirit who seems to think he is my guardian”[/color] [color=yellow]”Well, I mean, I am.”[/color] Leo said with a roaring laugh, reaching up to rub Gabriel’s hair, much to the boys embarrassment [color=darkgreen]”I… uh… “[/color] Michael started, trailing off, not sure what he could say.