[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjQwLjkyZTdhNi5UR1Z2YmlCQmJHUmxhR0Z5ZEEsLC4w/rockybilly.regular.png[/img]

[@hatakekuro] | [@Sanguine Rose][/center]

The last few weeks had been somewhat of a turning point for Leon’s regular routine. His first month at Fenixtear had been spent coasting around, fulfilling the bare minimum required to pay for his expenses. With the defeat of the dragon in Era, and the notoriety that came with it, the young man had decided to work a little harder at bettering himself as a mage. His mornings started earlier than they once did, a change he took some time to accept. It would become a habit eventually. It became clear during the battle that he lacked the stamina of his guildmates, so he had started going for runs at sunrise to help with his overall fitness. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Having returned from his run, Leon was cooling down with some iced tea at the bar counter - watching Zenith fuss about like a headless chicken. Today he had decided to bring Melia out for a little play. Unlike Lorelai, Melia held very little respect for Leon as her summoner. The pixie shared a similar likeness to Lorelai, albeit with more fuschia tones in her wings and dressing, but the comparisons ended there. Melia was obnoxious, mischievous and downright trouble. Just as one of Zenith’s patrons went to add additional seasoning to their meal, they would find the entire contents of the salt shaker poured out over their plate in a flakey pile. From underneath the table, a cheeky snicker confirmed the presence of the aforementioned fae.

The patron, one of the newer guild members, shot a nasty glare in Leon’s direction. He scratched the back of his head with his good hand, offering an apologetic nod. Melia fluttered beside him, still giddy with delight over her little stunt. She took note of his stern gaze, waving it off with a series of incomprehensible squeaks.

“[color=palegreen]Please, Mel. Zenith is going to lose the plot if you keep screwing around with his meals.[/color]” Leon begrudgingly remembered the talking to he received the last time Melia decided to get creative. Bluntly put, a lot of the guild members weren’t too keen on the Pixie’s presence. While Leon would never try to control them forcefully, it was clear he didn’t command a lot of authority over them as a summoner. He continued to speak with Melia, his Fae having improved a fair bit over the last few weeks, before Ria turned up to his table with a job flier.

“[color=palegreen]Oh, I’ve heard things were going a bit pear shaped over there.[/color]” Leon roused the flier from the counter, turning it over for additional information. He looked back at Ria with a slight grin.
“[color=palegreen]I know the campus fairly well, but there’s always the risk someone would recognise me.[/color]” He rubbed his chin with his prosthetic hand, musing over the situation. The money would be a great help, and maybe he could convince them to acquit his debt instead of a scholarship. Perhaps Ria wanted the scholarship? He glanced at her sideways. He reckoned she would be a nice fit for Era. The two of them had spoken at length about magical theory and other thought provoking topics on many a night. Usually accompanied by warm mugs of cocoa. Even Lavinia joined in - though she didn’t seem much interested in Leon. The point being, Ria sported an intellect that matched a lot of his former peers at Era. He could see her getting into debates with the professors or lounging in a local cafe with fellow studnets pondering philosophy or other such topics.

Before he let his thoughts wander, he would offer an assured response to her original plea.
“[color=palegreen]Yeah, sounds fun. I have a friend who still attends Era that will help us out.[/color]” He smiled, just the prospect of catching up with Irene was enough to brighten his day. “[color=palegreen]Oh, and I could also show you around to some real neat places. There’s this bookshop with a massive occult section; real big Lavinia vibe-[/color]” Leon began to babble on about a few other spots, more excited about the prospect of going on a mission with Ria than anything. He pushed down feelings of regret and shame, the memory of his failure at Era ever present.