Sanguine Rose

Modern Tales of Might and Mayhem

For clarification, it's okay to make Villain characters, right?
I'm still sorting through my ideas and just want to verify.

Modern Tales of Might and Mayhem

Sweet! Time to really start figuring out what to play.

FT: Rivals Unexpected Journey

The job read like it would be tough, but not impossible. Three rogue mages holed up in a small town needed to be brought in for evading investigation and arrest for a string of robberies. Not many in the guild seemed to like taking on three mages, let alone the fact there was the potential for collateral damage. It was the exact kind of thing Kali went for. That wasn't why Kali had taken the job though. It had no sooner gone up than Kali snatched it up and was approved for the job.

Helianthus wasn't a remarkable town. It wasn't exactly on the way to any destination unless one wanted it to be. There were faster means to any destination, roads built to be more direct travel to larger towns. One would assume that was why the mages hid there. One would also expect the job to be easy.

No one actually expected to hear that two days after setting out on the job, Helianthus was nothing more than ashes. That people had died in the catastrophic inferno that leveled the town. The guild kept it under wraps as best they could, but that didn't stop them from assigning a job to bring Kali in for questioning.

- - -

That was three weeks ago. Since then, she'd incapacitated four guildmates. It wasn't something Kali wanted to do. It certainly wasn't something that helped what she was trying to do. There was no way she could let someone bring her in. The job had been a set up. If someone brought her in, she would never be able to clear her name. She'd end up with more than just a bounty on her head if the dark guild that set her up had any say in it. That meant people that weren't bounty hunters coming for her - people that weren't required to bring her in alive.

She'd made it to Sakura and was hiding out there to buy herself some time to figure out her next move. She needed proof. She needed to find the survivors. Those buggers scattered like roaches in the light. She wanted to catch them all in the inferno, but it was a last ditch idea when the job went south. If she could find one of them and someone could verify the truth wasn't just her forcing the mage to tell her story, her slate could wipe clean. That was the best case she could hope for. The worst...she wasn't going to think about what would happen if she failed.

Who Likes Superheroes?

I'm up for something superhero.
I prefer OC universe, but like Marvel if using fandom. Marvel just...feels more real for anyone to step up to try to be a hero over DC's universe IMO

FT: Rivals Unexpected Journey

Age:
22

Sexual Orientation:
Bisexual

Height and Weight:
5’6” feet tall, and 145 lbs

Location and Color of Guild Mark:
Left side just over her hip, crimson

Hair Color:
Black

Eye Color:
Crimson, kind of looks like pools of lava when she’s upset/angry

Any Other Physical Things of Note:
Has a large scar that wraps from the front of her right side around to the back of her right side - total length is about seven inches (pretty much looks like someone stabbed her in the side and sliced outward with the blade...because that’s what happened.)
A few other scars scattered around her body, mostly on her back and forearms.

Magic Type:
Phoenix Magic
Lost Caster Magic

Spells

Kali can summon up fire magic and uses it for weaker unnamed spells more often than not.

When angry and she touches material that is either extremely or easily combustible, she has a chance of causing the item/material to catch fire. If she’s extremely angry, she tends to start getting encompassed by flames, particularly around her fists.

Like many other lost magic element casters, her magical aura helps provide her clothing with the same immunity to her element (fire) that she has.

Basic Level

°Flame Tornado: By spreading their arms and summoning up fire in front of them, the user then pushes their arms outward in front of them and launches a swirling vortex of hot air at their target. This tornado can toss debris weighing less than 10 pounds into the air and light easily ignitable objects on fire; it can do a lot of damage both from the intense heat and sending the target into the sky, which will cause them to fall back to the ground when the tornado dissipates and create its own problems if the target cannot slow/stop their fall or cushion their landing.

°Smoke Screen: Through a targeted spell form of pyrokinesis, caster can snuff out fire in up to a twenty foot radius by stopping oxygen from properly feeding the fires. Done instantaneously, it turns the fire into a thick cover of smoke that fills the area. It can be used to conceal the user and others in order to retreat or sneak in surprise attacks. Smoke is not magical in nature and will dissipate as normal.

°Blazing Fist: User summons fire around their fist, and uses it to punch the target with great force.

°Essence of the Phoenix: Replenishing Flames: (unnamed) Not only is user immune to fire, but flames can help heal the user and replenish their magic power. User cannot utilize their own fire to complete this.

Intermediate Level

°Gift of the Phoenix: Respite: Support Spell, the user summons up a small fire in their hand. They then press this fire into the body of the intended target, granting the target the feeling of having a good night’s sleep and renewed magical energy. Can be cast on two people at once. Can be done multiple times, up to the point of magical exertion on the caster. Cannot be used on the caster.

°Flame of the Phoenix: Fiery Flight: The user summons up a large ball of fire around themselves that builds into the form of a bird with outstretched wings. The user then extends their hands toward the designated target(s) and the fiery form slams into the target(s) with great force and heat, causing moderate amount of damage and potentially setting surrounding flammable materials on fire.

°Flame of the Phoenix: Cutting Path: The user gestures to the ground near them with one hand and summons up flames. As they raise their arm in the direction they wish it to go, the flames spread in a line raising as high as the user gestures (up to twenty feet high) and continues building in a rising wall of a path for up fifty feet away from the starting point. Flames burn extremely hot, and will set surrounding flammable materials on fire.

°Essence of the Phoenix: Pyrokinesis: (unnamed spell) User has gotten to a point of being able to understand how to control not only their own flames, but existing flames as well. Natural flames can be manipulated and used to create distractions, be altered, and even used to attack at user's whim. As user becomes more skilled and advances, they gain minor ability to turn aside magical attacks from opponents. This ability does not let the user manipulate fire magic that requires the opponent to concentrate on the spell or keep it close to their body, and only works on projectile spells; this spell also does not fully give the user the ability to redirect the spell back at the original caster, but simply turn it away from themselves.

Advanced Level

°Essence of the Phoenix: Restoration: The user summons flames around themself in a shape that looks rather reminiscent of large bird wings. As the user focuses the power, the wings grow and finally splay once it reaches the peak of the spell. The user then touches their chest and summons forth the flames from around them into a ball of fire. This ball of fire is then pressed into the chest of the intended target while uttering the incantation. Whatever ailments and injuries, from magical exhaustion or illness to near fatal injuries, have befallen the target are cured within moments.

°Rage of the Phoenix: (unnamed spell) User enters a berserker rage type state, wherein user becomes immune to most forms of damage. The user becomes engulfed in flames and increases their strength, speed, endurance, and agility. They also gain the ability to maneuver freely, with the ability to fly. They are capable of powerful fire attacks, both ranged and close combat. When moving, they can take on a fiery bird form to race at incredible speeds around. This takes immense amounts of energy, and typically lasts until the user is exhausted of magical energy, though has the potential for a skilled user to end it before exhaustion.

°Flame of the Phoenix, Inhalation: The user doesn’t just summon fire around them, the fire continues to grow until it is a raging storm setting everything ablaze within 10 feet. When this energy is released in a targeted direction, everything in its path is turned to ash nearly instantly. This can also be released in a wide spread burst with the user as the center point, accomplishing the same thing. An unfocused burst only goes out 20 feet leaving only scorched earth in its wake, while focused blasts may destroy up to 100 feet in the designated direction or until the user ends the spell.

°Essence of the Phoenix: Rebirth: (unnamed spell) So long as the user isn’t instantly killed, the user encompasses themselves in fire - either a magical cocoon of their own remaining magic or natural fire capable of burning for long periods of time. The fire slowly absorbs into the user, converting the energy into whatever is needed to make the user whole again - limbs, organs, blood, flesh and bone and muscle, etc. Once all the fire has been absorbed, the user is left whole (save for possibly lost hair depending on the damage type prior to the rebirth) This process can take minutes, hours, or even up to a week to complete depending on the severity of the injury. This only begins to work when the user has been knocked unconscious; user remains unconscious for the duration of the spell’s effects and will wake without realizing time has passed.

Combat Style:
Kali is a tank. She hits hard, can deal a lot of damage, and can take a lot of damage. Considering she doesn’t look like she can take or give much of a hit, she tends to get underestimated going into combat with other wizards and definitely uses that to her advantage.

Strengths:
Perceptive:
Kali watches and remembers details about things. Whether it’s how someone fights or smiles or phrases things, she picks up on things others might be hiding. Her ability to pick up on details helps with knowing what she needs to say or do to get what she wants, and definitely helps give her an advantage in a fight - especially when interactions are with the same people over a long period of time.

Renown:
Not a lot of people know the name Kali Milya, but many know the name Firebird. Even people that are new to the guild have heard the name, and if they aren't in the guild and heard of her - they either have read articles in Sorcerer's Magazine (though there has only been one interview article in the 5 years she's worked) or aren't on the right side of the law. The reputation isn't always a good thing though. While many know how powerful a combatant Firebird can be, they also have heard exaggerated tales of how destructive her power is. Starting off as a barely contained inferno when she first joined, the stigma of going full out hung over her and it isn't hard to believe it when people say she over did it on one job or another (especially since many of the people she brings in are worse for the wear.)

Determined:
Whether it’s trying to learn a new way to control her power, or trying to solve a problem, once she puts her mind to something, Kali isn’t willing to let anything get in her way to accomplish it. She puts her whole self into any undertaking, and doesn’t let anyone’s negativity (even her own) stop her.

Weaknesses:
Defiant:
This kind of plays off her determination, but if told she can’t do something, you better believe she plans on trying to prove you wrong. Kali doesn’t like hearing that she can’t do something, even if it’s simply because someone is looking out for her best interests. It stems back to her childhood, and didn’t really resolve when her situation improved. Especially for getting passed over for S-Class again.

Time Bomb:
It's not a concept she likes to think about, but she knows its true. She has a hair trigger temper, and it comes out more often than she likes. Maybe it's just her personality. Maybe its the fire in her gut. Her magic doesn't exactly instill patience, and she's usually eager to act and react than set up an elaborate plan to act upon. But it's not just her temperament that makes her a time bomb. Without careful control over herself to allow for just the right amount of action and power at any given time, she could become the epicenter of an immense inferno - something she very dearly does not want to do. Again.

Asocial:
Though she joined the guild, she’s always been a bit of a loner. She has trouble trying to socialize, even to the point of finding it hard to ask for help even if she needs it.

Personality:
Bitch, coldhearted, elitist, loner - these are a few of the things that people have used to describe her. Kali is generally quiet. She gives people the cold shoulder more often than not, and when she is willing and able to engage, she generally does so in a crass and uncaring manner. Offhanded comments are usually more biting than they deserve to be. It doesn't seem to bother her that she ends up usually working alone unless forced to partner with someone, and even then - she usually ends up running the job alone and just splitting the cut a bit unfairly to get the other person to keep their mouth shut about it. No one in the guild currently has seen her have a nice interaction with someone, or even so much as smile. She knows what they say, and if it bothers her she doesn't seem to show it.

Fenixtear - A Fairy Tail RP

@Spectral @Anza

---

"Guys?" The ANP piped up as the group discussed how to get to Abeneraaa Harbor. The first time it seemed to be ignored. So it put up an arm and waved it as it tried again. "Guys! Hey. Pay attention to me!"

Kaden put a hand up to dismiss the offered cookie from Lavinia. He was perfectly happy to let her pay his way. Asher wanting to pay his own way was no matter to him. It was perfectly fine to him however they all got to the place together. Hell, it was fine with him if they all ended up in Abeneraaa Harbor separately as long as the job got done. The problem was, the stupid machine was flailing and trying to get someone's attention.

He sighed and turned his attention back down to the robot. "What is it now?"

"Well, it's great you guys want to get there fast, but Avedis said he didn't think commercial transportation was a good way to get there."

Kaden could almost feel the twitch start in his eye. "And why not?"

"Well I'm not exactly something everyone sees every day. So seeing me twice would bring more attention than you want."

Another sigh escaped Kaden as the mage hung his head. "Of course. Escort job," he muttered. Because it couldn't just be that easy. Looking at the other two, he crossed his arms and focused his attention on Asher. "Looks like you're lucky to save that hard earned coin." His attention divided between the two. "Okay, so we get a wagon to pull this stupid thing or one of you two can carry it, then we'll cut due east. There aren't much more than hiking trails through that wood without taking main roads, but it's the quickest way without buying passage on transport. Sound good?" He looked at Lavinia. "Up for a bit of walking?" He looked between the two mages and the machine before nodding. "Good."

"Who want's breakfast? Best way to start the day is with a large meal. Help build up your strength to fight off bandits and hooligans that might want to use me for their own nefarious purposes!"

---

@Lunarlord34

---

Leon hadn't gotten a chance to really respond before the newest member of the guild approached to offer her services. Ria didn't manage to get much conversation out of the girl aside from learning her name and that she was trying to get in touch with Zenith, but by the time Ria had been able to get Zenith's attention to try to help make that work out she had forgotten about it. Until now, oh what awful timing since they both seemed to be set to go out on jobs. Maybe once they both returned from jobs she would be able to make sure the girl could actually talk to Zen.

Still, Ria's smile brightened at the prospect of working with the newest member too. "Yeah? That'd be great! Another set of hands would be great. The basics of the job is there's a bit of a student rebellion in Era University, and we've been requested by the Dean to go help disperse the rabble before it gets too out of hand. We would like the approach this with the intentions of ending it as nonviolent as possible, though there is a chance it will turn into a fight. If you are sure you want to help, then we can certainly have you come along."

It was only after she'd given the introduction of the job did she realize she was likely the only one at the table that knew who everyone was. An apologetic smile slid onto her face for a moment. "Oh, my, right. I don't think you two have met yet. Akemi Desdemona, this is Leon Aldehart. Akemi joined up with us just the other day. I think between the three of us we should definitely be able to take on some rebellious students." She stood, still smiling. "So if you both are ready, we can head out to make sure we get there as soon as possible."

FT: Rivals Unexpected Journey

Great set up

Fenixtear - A Fairy Tail RP

@Aeolian okay. Move him over

Fenixtear - A Fairy Tail RP

Noah Darling Jr.

Name: Noah Darling Jr.
Age: 19
Guild Mark Location: Behind his right ear.

Magic Type:
<Snipped quote>

<Snipped quote>

Spells

*Currently, he can only Gate open at a time for his Celestial Spirits.
*His heart condition ultimately hinders how much he can exert his magic power. Over usage causes serious heart pains, incapacitation, and potentially death.

Celestial Spirit Gate Keys

Gate of the Archer Key: Sagittarius


Gate of the Paired Fish Key: Pisces


Gate of the Goat Key: Capricorn


Gate of the Ram Key: Aries


Gate of the Twins Key: Gemini


Gate of the Clock Key: Horologium


Gate of the Lyre Key: Lyra


Gate of the Chisel Key: Caelum


Gate of the Bear Cub Key: Polaris


Gate of the Compass Key: Pyxis




Gate of the Whale Key: Ceti
Based on the Cetus Constellation, the celestial spirit mage may be able to summon the Whale Ceti by reciting the quote, "Open the Gate of the Whale! Ceti!"
This key summons Ceti, a giant whale that can fly through the sky and carry passengers on its back. It can also carry passengers in its mouth for underwater travel.

Gate of the Unicorn Key: Yunan
Based on the Monoceros Constellation, the celestial spirit mage may be able to summon the Unicorn Yunan by reciting the quote, "Open the Gate of the Unicorn! Yunan!"
This key summons Yunan, a humanoid unicorn whose horn can create a blinding and destructive flash of light, or, when washing the light over allies, it cures them of sadness and pain, though the effect is only temporary and can become addictive if used too often.

Gate of the Cup Key: Crateris
Based on the Crater Constellation, the celestial spirit mage may be able to summon the Cup Crateris by reciting the quote, "Open the Gate of the Cup! Createris!"
This key summons Crateris, a sentient china teacup floating on a saucer. It has a face and a chip on its rim. Crateris is a great conversationalist, but can be a little too chatty. It can fill itself up with any kind of drink that the mage desires.

Gate of the Level Key: Norma
Based on the Norma Constellation, the celestial spirit mage may be able to summon the Level Norma by reciting the quote, "Open the Gate of the Level! Norma!"
This key summons Norma, who appears as a young woman wearing a dress and a hat. Norma can create platforms for walking and standing on, stairs for reaching high or low places, and she can create doors on solid surfaces, allowing people to walk through the door on one side of a structure and walk through another door to come out on the opposite side of that structure.

Magic Rank: B
Equipment:
Dragon Soup: A novel that he has read over a million times, written by famous mage author, Fable Witzerplot. This novel has brought him much comfort and calms his nerves and anxieties whenever he reads it. He carries it everywhere with him (as it is small enough to fit in his pocket).

Key Ring: For carrying all his celestial spirit gate keys.

Heart Monitor Bracelet: A magical bracelet that monitors his heart condition. If his heart is working too much, the bracelet starts to beep, notifying him to slow or stop doing whatever he is doing that is causing his heart to beat faster.

Strengths:
Business Savy; People usually underestimate Noah because of his personality, but fail to see his inner flame. He is actually very keen and possesses a business acumen, capable of understanding the nuances of a transaction or business interaction (thanks to his father). His weak-nature often plays to his advantage in these kind of situations.

Wealthy; To put it blankly, Noah is rich, filthy rich. Need I say more?

Baking; He is a really talented baker (thanks to his mother), and loves to bake all kinds of breads and pastries and sweets, especially for his friends.

Weaknesses:
Wimp; Noah is easily frightened. He's not very strong willed, so some of his gate keys don't listen to him consistently. He is probably too nice for his own good and doesn't know how to defend himself if people are being mean or saying harsh things to him, causing him to cry or apologize more than necessary. He's a bit of a coward.

Weak Body; Noah has a really weak and sickly body, so he is susceptible to injury more than others. Because of this, he isn't very athletic or good in physical combat.

Heart Condition; Noah was born with a rare heart condition that no magic or doctors have yet been able to cure. Whenever he overexerts himself physically or when using his magic, his heart begins to hurt (he usually clutches his chest when he's having heart pain). The pain usually goes away in a bit after he stops doing whatever he was doing or when he stops using magic. Becoming emotionally riled up can also trigger these heart pains.

Personality: Noah has a weak heart and a seemingly weak personality. He lacks confidence in himself and can become easily frightened, discouraged, or anxious about things. He's a bit of a delicate flower, unable to stand up for himself due to his soft-spoken nature and excessive need to apologize. The poor lad is a cry baby and is the type that needs reassurance from others when he feels he is at fault. Although he is more of a listener than a talker, he isn't shy and is very easy to talk to and loves being around other people, as he is the type to feel lonely. From his experiences, there is something about Noah that makes everyone want to protect him. Despite all this, there is a certain fire that burns within him, as he has a great desire to stand up to those who may try to hold him back and is deceptively keen. While he is humble, thoughtful, and modest, and tries not to make light of his family's wealth, he is not above using his good fortune to buy something that he eagerly desires, showing a rather materialistic side as he is into shopping. Despite his lack of courage and self-confidence, he does possesses a distinct business acumen and has a strong devotion to his family's company and continued success. People tend to take his soft nature for being naive (which is not the case).

History/Bio:
The Darlings are of old money, whose lineage originates from the city of Margaret Town. Their family wealth began many generations ago when Noah's great great great (great?) grandmother opened up a small clothing boutique called "Darling's Boudoir of Things", and from there, the store took off, allowing her to open up several other clothing boutiques in riverside city. Over the generations of the Darling family, the company has grown exponentially, as there are many of these stores all throughout Fiore, and they even expanded their wares, eventually opening up several "Darling's Apothecary" stores as well. Though the Darling Company's headquarters continue to reside in Margaret Town, there is a sub-headquarters location operating out of Crocus, which is wear Noah and his parents reside.

When Noah was a young boy, his parents believed that their mansion with the ocean view was haunted. Every night they claimed to see a ghostly and translucent young boy prancing about the corridors, running along the promenade, and flying over the ocean. After hiring a Mage (Spirit Channeler) who specialized in communicating with spirits and ghosts, this person would make a startling revelation. This ghost was their son. After a series of tests, it was in fact true. Every night, Noah had been leaving his body as a spirit and playing about the mansion under the honest belief that he was simply dreaming. This was the first time his parents realized their son could use magic. But this magic would remain largely ignored by his parents as time went on, as they had more pressing matters to attend to, like the heart condition he developed (no amount of money could find a magic or treatment for his heart condition, not yet anyways).

As one might suspect, the Darling's lived a rather lavish lifestyle and did not shy away from making use of the fortunes that life and lineage allotted them. They hosted masquerade balls that only the richest of folk could attend, and Mr. Darling Sr had a proclivity for collecting rare and strange treasures from underground auctions. Noah grew up in this environment, primarily raised by his family's domestic servants and in-house attendants. Despite being spoiled and given a life where he could have whatever he wanted, Noah was lonely for a while. Naturally, his father was always so busy with company work that he often kept himself locked away in his library when he was home. Noah's mother helped his father run the company as well, so personal time with them was always limited. But they were loving folks and he was grateful for that.

Noah attended a private institution for other rich kids, where he was excessively bullied due to his heart condition which made him inferior physically and magically to his peers. He always had to sit out of activities that required him to exert his body or magic power. This experience helped to shape his seemingly fragile and weak, but humble personality, as he found it difficult to cope in such an environment and did whatever he could to find classmates that were kind and didn't allow their wealth to completely cloud their judgement and treatment of others. This school had a very classist mentality.

As the Heir to the Darling Company, Noah was not the snooty know-it-all rebellious type that one might expect of a rich kid. He greatly understood the privileges that his wealth allotted him and wanted to do his best to live up to his parents expectations and to preserve the fortune and success of the company. As an adolescent, he began learning the intricacies of business and of the company, primarily through the instruction of his father and company board members (primarily made up of his uncles and aunts). When he wasn't being pampered or reared as the heir, his mother (a successful celestial wizard and former member of Blue Pegasus who left after getting married), stepped down from her prominent role in the company and began teaching him all about celestial spirit magic so she could pass on the magic to him. Thanks to his Spirit Transformation magic, she saw his potential for magic, and through her, he would learn his capabilities as a celestial wizard and when the time was right, she gave him her own keys (that she had acquired over the years) to continue her legacy as a celestial wizard. Truthfully, his mother was somewhat apprehensive about encouraging him to learn and use more magic since she worried what effects it would have on his heart condition. But alas, she understood his flame to become stronger and went along with it anyhow.

Equipped with magic and the aid of his celestial spirits, Noah would seek out a guild that can help him continue to hone is craft. He surveyed several guilds along his journey, first making a stop at Sleuth, and then Blue Pegasus (the guildmaster and his mother were especially fond of his potential enrollment into this guild). After the notoriety of a dragon's defeat pushed a certain Fenixtear guild into the limelight, it became clear to Noah that this was the guild for him to join. But even as a member of a guild, his role as the heir of the Darling Company continues to remain relevant to his life and his experiences. The day will come when it is his time to put on the mantle of his father and ancestors.

Extra:

His Parents

Ginger Darling (Mother)


Noah Darling Sr. (Father)

@Aeolian
So you did well with making the changes J8 requested.
But I think with you listing his mother as apprehensive of him going out to become more skilled with magic, her handing over all her keys - as implied - might be a stretch still.

Reduce his starting keys to 2 gold, and 5 silver to start. The rest can go on a "waiting list" that will come with character development.

Only other edit is to add another weakness.
His heart condition and weak body are directly connected. If he didn't have the heart condition, he wouldn't be so weak according to his history. I do understand the point of highlighting them separate from each other, so you dont have to remove either weakness or combine them. Just add one unrelated to his physical health or him being a wimp.

If you want to discuss either of these edits, feel free to DM me and we can chat. Let me know here or ping me in chat when the changes are made and I'll give it another look for approval.

Fenixtear - A Fairy Tail RP

@Spectral @Anza

---

Asher followed. If only there'd been someone he could have placed a bet with, he could have made some money. Maybe some other time. Guy seemed like he had a good head. At least there was one bonus. If what he'd read about the weird chick was correct, at least there was someone else that could fight if it came to it. It wouldn't come to it, though. he'd heard about plenty of escort missions that were just paranoid people trying to make sure no one made off with their goods. This was going to be as simple as a walk through a city; if it turned out otherwise, well hopefully they were challenging enough to make it worth his attention.

"Guys! Hey, guys! Wait..." The ANP unit called as it bounced from one leg to the other in effort to catch up to all the taller beings that were supposed to be staying with it. "You know where you're going, right?"

"For now, we're getting out of here before the stupid becomes contagious." They had people standing outside their guild knocking on doors to be let in, like it were some private establishment, being tormented by little kids. Sure, he was taking some of the crazy but apparently that couldn't be helped.

Kaden stopped walking when Lavinia caught up to him with her crazy. He closed his eyes and let out a breath before turning to face the hooded mage. "Look, chick, I asked you to come along 'cause you were listed in the papers to be pretty handy in a fight and the chick I got info on the guild from said you were nice. So keep that crazy inside and this job will go easy as cake. If you can't manage, go back to whatever you were going to be doing, and this guy and I will take care of it. So eat the damn cookies, and just keep your mouth shut until we get back to the guild."

The ANP popped up between the two. "Cookies are ready." The machine handed off a plate of hot fried mini donut balls to Lavinia. It turned to acknowledge Kaden again. "Are we going to be walking the whole way to Abeneraaa Harbor?"

Kaden sighed. "No, just until we meet up with Avedis. Then we'll look at where we're at and determine best way to Abeneraaa Harbor. So where'd the old man tell you for us to meet him."

"Meet him? We're not supposed to meet him. You're supposed to get me to the orphanage."

Kaden pinched the bridge of his nose. "So where the hell did he go after he threw you through our window?" This whole thing made him regret not grabbing that stupid actress protection job. At least then he'd have something to look at on occasion.

"Back to his workshop I'd assume."

"And where is that?"

"Outside Abeneraaa Harbor. So that brings me back to the point. Are we walking all the way there? I'm meant for only short distance walking. That means I can't be expected to walk all the way there..."

Kaden let out a hard sigh. "We'll get transportation to Abeneraaa Harbor and you'll show us where Avedis' workshop is. Then we'll make sure you get to the orphanage." He looked at Lavinia and Asher. "Either of you have money to afford your own tickets?"

---

---

@Cello

---

Leon was going to call his friend. Hopefully she would actually have some information on the group causing problems. That would certainly make it easier. Otherwise, Ria supposed they could interrupt Gwen preparing for her own job, or maybe get Lilliana to actually say more than a few words to them, regarding what they remembered of when they went there. It could be the same people, and if so they would have the best information about what might happen. Well, maybe not. They likely went in fighting, whereas Ria knew the best odds she and Leon had were to try talking things out.

While he was off getting ready, she went over to finally ask Torys to approve them taking the job. "Master Torys, Leon and I would like to take the job to help mitigate the student rebellion at Era university." She sported her usual cheerful smile as she handed over the flier to Torys.

Torys took the flier and looked at it then Ria. Putting the flier to the side, she shrugged lightly. "Sure, it could just be the two of you. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it if you are willing to fight and both of you put effort into it. Though you may want to discuss a potential fight strategy with Leon, just in case. It's broken down to fights every other time we've sent people. You shouldn't expect any less. But if you both buckle down and can both use your heads on how to deal with the students before you get into the fights, you should do fine."

Ria managed to keep her smile from slipping, despite the feeling of defeat kind of settling into her gut. Yes, everyone else that went ended up fighting, but...that could just be because that was their approach. Gwen and Lilliana were both fighters, not diplomats. "I'll be sure to talk things over with Leon before we finally set out. He's calling a friend now to double check what's going on at the campus right now." She put her hand up as a wave before heading off to where the two had planned to meet up.

She didn't have to wait long. Leon was back with information before she expected. He kicked off the list with a name she recognized all too well. Giselle Kaiser. The very mention of the name made the smile vanish from her face. Giselle Kaiser. She repeated the name in her head as her gaze grew distant. The other information passed through one ear and out the other. Giselle Kaiser, her cousin, was alive. She was alive, and she was in Era. For whatever reason she was helping with a revolt among students. What could have happened in the past four years that would lead to such unruly behavior? Oh no, is it because we didn't look for her? Surely she wasn't part of the last revolt. Gwen would have told me. She must have been hiding. This must be a new team.

Blinking back to life when the name Zana was repeated, Ria forced a smile back on her face and focused on Leon. "We might be able to have an edge in the fact we know what they can do and they don't know what we can. The idea still stands to try to reason with these individuals instead of fight." Especially Giselle; I couldn't bare the thought of having to fight her. "Is there a person you want to ask to join? Or just see if someone approaches us?"