[center][h1]The [color=dodgerblue]Noble Spark[/color]! And uhh...[color=Maroon]Bard[/color]?[/h1]
[sub](Hoping to be stylishly late instead of too late.)[/sub]

[@brokenpromise][/center]
[hr]

There wasn't much need for an aspiring hero like Justin to ponder if the job posting on Shimir was worth it. He was there when the Holy Diver had caused much destruction in the short time it was manifested, leaving many dead or injured in its wake and countless without the means to survive without some form of aid. Now, that aid was being stolen by cultists. Even if there was no monetary incentive, Justin would not dare turn his back on such a perfect chance to prove his worth as a hero! 

To say he was eager for the job would be an understatement. He was determined to be the first to arrive at their meeting place in front of the convenience store, hoping to get there about half an hour before they were supposed to meet. Given his experience with other Freelancers up to this point, that was more than early enough. That would be enough time to give him the chance to find a cool place to pose for when the others arrived. 

Unfortunately, in his rush to get out the door, he made two mistakes, one of which wouldn't reveal itself until later. His first mistake, however, was that he had forgotten to charge his phone. By the time he realized this, he couldn't justify turning around. Unfortunately, as he had only been in Pax Septimus for a few months, he was not familiar with the area. So as he tried, poorly, to recall the directions he had last seen on his phone, he made a mistake and took a wrong turn. 

...twenty minutes before their scheduled start, Noble Spark finally arrived in at the convenience store he had been seeking out. His unintentional detour cost him ten minutes off his ride and had him approach from the side, but as he looked around, seeing nobody, he grinned at the fact it hadn't cost him his spot as first to arrive or blown their surprise. That said, there was something off about the store, but he couldn't immediately place a finger on it. Deciding it was probably nothing, he shrugged and started to look for a cool place to pose in front of the store, like he had intended from the start.

It took about two minutes of searching before his second mistake began to dawn on him. Occasionally casting a glance up towards the convenience store in the hopes of maybe catching movement from the cultists, he thought it strange how the posting emphasized the poor condition the store was in, yet this one only had a few broken windows that were boarded up. There was nothing on the outside he could see that would suggest it couldn't be cleaned up in a productive weekend, and what little he could see of the interior betrayed no signs of life inside. 

[i][color=dodgerblue]Strange. The posting made it sound like you could blow the store down if you really tried. I wonder if they got the right sto-[/color][/i]

Noble Spark's eyes moved up from the sides of the store to the sign that sat atop it. His confident expression slowly faded. Though it had seen better days, the sign clearly read,

[i][color=dodgerblue]T-Tiny Mart? Wasn't there some alliteration going on with the name of the store? Oh... no.[/color][/i]

As he started to pace, he reached into his pocket and immediately retrieved his phone, briefly forgetting it died earlier. He was reminded as soon as he tried to turn it on and was greeted with nothing but a black screen. 

[i][color=dodgerblue]Ah! That's not good! I can't look cool if I'm too late to the operation![/color][/i]

Somewhat panicked, Noble Spark was too busy contemplating whether he could get a charge from using a lightning melody and if it would be worth the risk to pay attention to where he was going. 



Bardo’s life had never been in a greater state of upheaval than it was now, and Bardo could barely summon the energy to deal with it. Slowly he walked along the sidewalk without any real care for what lay before him with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his eyes half glazed over, and his mind miles away.  With a deep sigh he cast his eyes to the sky and watched as the clouds lazily passed by overhead. Things were rough right now, and he wasn’t quite sure how to handle it, let alone able to fully wrap his head around it.

Two months ago Bardo’s life was relatively standard. He was just a local college student whose family had been in Pax Septimus for generations living with his grandmother and helping her while attending school. He was always going to the roller rink after school, watching Tobikatte Kira videos and shows when possible, and really anything a normal college kid would do. Then, around a month and a half ago, his life was changed forever. Bardo came into possession of a grimiore, a dark tome which almost seemed to eat the surrounding light, while exploring a haunted library on a dare.

Ever since that day things had started getting a little bit out of control. Apparently he was now something called an ‘Esper’ and that came with a whole bag of crazy that he still hadn’t quite wrapped his head around. A weird app he’d found suddenly on his phone, shimir, was somewhat helpful in figuring out what crazy course his life had taken, but not completely. A sigh welled up out from deep in Bardo’s chest as his gaze came level once more with the street. There, a few blocks further down, a convenience mart stood which Bardo was pretty sure was where he was supposed to be going. But these days he wasn’t really sure of anything. 

With another sigh he cast his eyes back towards the sky and tried to  get a handle on what was going on. After all that craziness that had gone down a few weeks ago Bardo hadn’t really been out much. Beyond the fact that it was terrifying to experience on its own, Bardo’s elderly grandmother hadn’t been doing too well prior and was certainly doing much worse after. As a result most of Bardo’s free time was taken caring for her and trying to ensure she was comfortable, which led to him eventually having to get more water for her, which of course led him to realizing there was an issue with the supply. 

Of course luck would have it that checking shimir revealed a job related to the sudden water crisis, and Bardo felt like it might have been some sorta sick joke that he’d have to participate rather than care for his grandmother. Things had become very very complicated in Bardo’s life over these last few weeks and mentally Bardo wasn’t dealing too well. Regardless though grandma needed water and the only way to get that water was to get back the truck that had been stolen. So even though Bardo really didn’t want to do much of anything right now he still found himself pulling closer and closer to the store.

Bardo was so wrapped up in his own head with his eyes lost to the clouds, it almost seemed like he was fated to experience a head on collision with another equally distracted fellow who was walking along Bardo’s path.

While the collision wasn't enough to knock either man off their feet, Noble Spark was essentially power walking by the time they met quite literally head-to-head. It likely felt like running into a wall for both parties. 

Noble Spark grunted in surprise as he stumbled backward a couple of steps. Rubbing his head, he shot an irritated look at the person. [color=dodgerblue]"Hey, I'm walking here!"[/color] Initially expecting a cultist despite his suspicion he wasn't in the right area, his tone was fairly aggressive, but it softened when he noticed the blindfold. [color=dodgerblue]"What are you doing all the way out here? Don't suppose you're looking for water?"[/color]

Bardo stumbled back as well, taking the brunt of the collision to his jaw as he struggled to maintain balance. With a slight grunt of frustration, mostly at himself, Bardo shrugged his shoulders in response and tried to maintain a level tone in his response, “What of it? Who are you? My bad, by the way, I was a tad distracted.”

In response to being asked his name, the blonde-haired Esper laughed heartily and stowed his dead phone in his pocket. [color=dodgerblue]"Trouble yourself not, I must share the blame for my attention was also not on the path I was walking. Noble Spark, at your service, my blind friend! The Jolt of Justice that Pax Septimus needs, now more than ever! And how might I address you?"[/color]

Bardo was taken aback at first, reaching towards his face, “Oh I’m not bl…well, it’s complicated.” He said, catching himself from trying to launch into a long explanation. He didn’t even quite fully understand it himself yet anyways. “I’m…uhhh that’s not your real name is it? I guess I shouldn’t share mine either… listen I’m kind of new at this whole thing, just call me Bard for now, I guess. Work in progress.  Umm didn’t you say something about water? I was actually looking for that, is this the place?”

[color=dodgerblue]"Ah, I see! Your eyes have only recently opened to the truth of the world, huh? Or, well, I am sure you catch my meaning even if I suppose my wording could be better,"[/color] Noble Spark awkwardly shifted his posture a bit, apparently still under the impression Bard was blind. [color=dodgerblue]"...Anyway, it sounds like we're both here for the same reason: getting that water back from the cultists and into the hands of the people who genuinely need it!"[/color] his loud voice deflated a bit as Bard asked if they were in the right place. [color=dodgerblue]"...unfortunately, I fear we may have ended up at the wrong abandoned convenience store...I curse my unfamiliarity with the area, this spark of justice is not native to Pax Septimus. And although my heart is unyielding in the pursuit of what is right, my phone, regrettably, does not have quite the unbreakable will or battery."[/color]

Bardo laughed awkwardly, a little thrown off by Noble Spark’s demeanor. Regardless, Bardo didn’t really have much of a plan B since he was in the wrong place and perhaps this fellow could help him figure out this shimir app a tad bit better as well. A few other tips and tricks might not hurt either, with a shrug Bardo decided to go with his gut. “Yeah, I’m relatively new. Still learning the ropes so to say, anyways your phone’s dead, right? Is that what you meant? Mine’s not, I have it right here, think you can get us pointed in the right direction?” Bardo asked, casually tossing his phone over to Noble Spark.

[color=dodgerblue]"And at the darkest moment, a guiding light appears!"[/color] Noble Spark caught the phone with a laugh, and then immediately opened the Shimir app. After confirming that it was, in fact, MicroMart they were supposed to head to, he set the phone to give them directions to it before tossing it back to its owner. [color=dodgerblue]"You're a lifesaver, maybe even literally! It's there. The place we were meant to be at. As unfortunate as it is to say, even if we hurry we will likely be a few minutes late. But thanks to you, it won't be by much! I owe you a favor for the save once we've dealt with the cultists, Bard."[/color]

Bardo caught the phone and shrugged once more, trying not to seem too eager to get back on the road, “It’s okay, I’m not in a huge hurry…I mean I am! I am just nervous, I haven’t taken any jobs before, I’m only doing this one because I need to. I need some of the water for someone else. Anyways actually that reminds me, we really should probably get a move on. Phone says this way!” Seeming to renew his vigor upon remembering why he was originally here, Bardo turned in the direction they were supposed to be going in and gestured along to Noble Spark.

“Would you like to team up? Or travel together? I uhhh, ya know I don’t really know what I’m doing, wouldn’t mind the assistance. If that’s cool with you I mean.” Bardo did his best to remain casual, waiting to see what Noble Spark would say before heading out.

Noble Spark strode up to his side and gave him an affirming nod, ready to follow. [color=dodgerblue]"Of course! It need not even be said. I understand your plight. The earliest days are the most intense and disorienting, and these grimoires don't come with much in the way of an instruction manual to make it any better. Together, we'll knock some sense into those cultists and get the water back, easy."[/color]

Wanting to waste no more time than they already had, Noble Spark urged Bard to lead the way as the two finally made their way towards the right abandoned convenience store this time. [s]Hopefully they'd be there in time to do something next cycle.[/s]