Blue Pegasus: Beginning again

[Kayoko Sasaki]

The guild hall of Blue Pegasus might have been out of the way, as far as location went, but that didn’t make the hall itself empty. The peach-haired girl was feeling as shy as she did when she first left the safety of her mansion home now that she’d chosen to join a guild at the urging of Elrowan and how nice Guild Master Jora had been.  At the moment she was attempting to be social, sitting in the corner of the main room alone in her pink hoodie and a skirt, looking very much like she was terrified of something.

Kayoko was, in fact, terrified of something. Namely everyone at the guild. She had barely talked to anyone in the last week save for her sister, who was currently up to something somewhere at Kayoko’s insistence. She had to talk to people on her own without being pushed… she had to. That’s what she told herself at least… but she couldn’t even get herself to open her mouth. She just sat there, hugging herself as she looked at all of her new guild mates having fun. She didn’t blame them for not talking to her… she wouldn’t want to, after all. No, that was inaccurate. She wouldn’t be able to unless they approached her first.

Finally, Kayoko got up, still looking like a deer caught in headlights as she tried to take a step towards the crowd of her new guildmates and instead retreated backwards, exactly the opposite of what she’d wanted to do. She might be able to talk to Miss Kellal… maybe. She was very nice and very pretty. Or Elrowan… since she had started to get used to him. But he wasn’t in the guild hall at the moment. He’d mentioned something about going to Fairy Tail to take back jobs they’d taken. She hadn’t understood. Now she was alone… and failing to talk to anyone. Maybe joining a guild had been a mistake…. She thought to herself as she looked at the Blue Pegasus tattoo on the back of her left hand and blushed slightly.

[Hector Warfield]

I don't know why she chose me, Hector thought to himself as he walked from Master Joro's office toward the guild hall, I'm liable to scare her off at the sight of me.  He had just returned from his previous mission from Magnolia with a rare piece of armor and some dire news for Master Joro.  While she thought over what to do about the man that attacked Mr. Rhodes, the creator of the armor, she told Hector of a new guild member. "She's a little shy and could use some help getting use to life here at Blue Pegasus" Joro told him.  "Kayoko Sasaki is her name, pretty little girl with peach hair and orange eyes.  She's likely still in the guild hall tucked in a corner somewhere."

Upon entering the guild hall it didn't take Hector long to find Kayoko.  Just as Master Joro said, she was standing in the corner looking at her hands.  Ok, he thought to himself, she's obviously overwhelmed with all that is going on.  Best not to alarm her with a random giant person in her face.  "Kayoko."  He said when he was about 15 feet from her, "Kayoko Sasaki?"  He smiled, hopefully reassuring her all was well as he closed the gap between them.  "Hi, I'm Hector Warfield, Master Joro said you might need some help getting use to things around here."  He said as he shook her hand.  

"So you're new to the Blue Pegasus guild eh?  Yeah, I can remember my first few days here.  It can be a little scary but just remember we have only the best here at Blue Pegasus.  Your other guild mates are here to help you grow and become stronger, not to make fun of you or hurt you."    Kayoko still seemed a little upset, maybe having her talk about herself will help her ease into things, Hector thought.  "So, what about you", Hector said taking the seat across from where Kayoko was still standing.  "Where are you from?  What made you join the Blue Pegasus guild?  Do you know someone from here?"  Hopefully one of these would help bring Kayoko out of her shell a little bit.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko’s eyes widened when a rather large young man called out her name from a short ways away. The main hall was rather big, as they were in most guild halls, so he had plenty of space to greet her. A few people looked up to see who Hector was talking about, but they looked back down at their own little activities before Kayoko got too uncomfortable. She looked up from her hand she’d been staring at, the blush not lessening any as Hector focused his attention from her. He knew she was new to Blue Pegasus, and that Master Jora had said she might need help adjusting. She was a nice lady for sending someone. Why did he have to be so big? A younger Kayoko had run away crying from a boy her size…

“H-hello,” Kayoko stammered, bowing politely to Hector. She had always bowed to people, despite growing up as one of the richest girls in Fiore. It just seemed the polite thing to do, and the servants that had done most of her upbringing had always bowed when they greeted her. “Y-yes. I’m K-K-Kayoko S-Sasaki. And I joined this week,” she said in a meek voice as she held up her hand to reveal the light blue Blue Pegasus tattoo on the back of her left hand. She appreciated Hector’s reassuring words, and she believed it with all of her heart, but she was still afraid of people irrationally, and she knew it.

Hector turned the tables, asking about Kayoko. He certainly seemed like the curious type. She stood there, blinking her curiously orange eyes at him as she listened to his string of questions and tried to pick out what best to answer first. She decided she might as well answer in order, and she might as well tell the truth. These were her new family now, right? “I’m from C-Clover town. My family heads the Sasaki Trading Company… I got kicked out for being so… unfit to help… to grow up… And I joined Blue Pegasus because…” Kayoko scratched her nose, the blush intensifying, “Because I can’t take care of myself even though I’m seventeen… and Elrowan asked me to... So my sister and I joined…” She stammered a lot, and couldn’t look him in the eyes for more than a second or two at a time, but she was obviously trying.

[Hector Warfield]

She bowed to Hector, which caught him off guard and her voice was so weak and shaky.  She must really be terrified, he thought.  She began to answer Hector's questions and he realized he must have come off a little strong asking so much at once.  He let her finish before replying, "Clover town huh?  I've not heard of it.  But your parents forced you to join Blue Pegasus?"  That seems a little harsh, I mean she's shaking like a leaf just talking to me, Hector thought.  

He let her reply before asking, "So what did you do in Clover town?  I mean you said your parents ran a family trade business, but what kind?  What did you do for fun there?"  Hector hoped he wasn't prying too much, but he figured having Kayoko talk about herself and where she came from would hopefully make her more comfortable.  He still didn't know too much about her, something must have happened to make her parents kick her out.  As far as Hector could tell it wasn't for lack of trying, he could tell she was scared but here she was hanging in there.  

Hector then asked about Elrowan, "So you said you know Elrown?  He's a odd fellow, nothing against him."  Hector reassured her, "He is a nice guy for sure, just a little...old-fashioned you could say.  So how do you know Elrown?"  After Kayoko replied Hector said, "So your sister joined as well?  That must be nice to have some family here with you.  I'd like to meet her sometime."  Hector couldn't quite tell if she was getting more relaxed or not.  It seemed like certain questions seemed to bother her more.  Grr, I'm not very good at this,  he thought.  Maybe if they were physically doing something?  That always made Hector feel more at ease instead of just sitting twiddling his thumbs.  Once Kayoko had finished he offered, "Would you like to have a little tour of the guild?  I could show you all the inns and outs around here?"

[Kayoko Sasaki]

“N-no! I just… wandered for a while. M-my parents probably wouldn’t approve of me joining a guild…” Kayoko admitted when she heard him assuming that she was forced to join such nice people. “I um… I wanted to have real friends… and not just have my sister and me...” she told him, blushing and poking her fingers together again. She wasn’t trying to shake, but she couldn’t help it, and was standing in a very defensive posture.

Hector inquired about her family. It was a touchy subject at this point, but Hector didn’t need to know that, and he wouldn’t be able to tell, considering she was already acting uncomfortable just because they were talking. “Th-The Sasaki Trading Company is… is the biggest supplier of goods in Fiore…” she told him, unsure how he hadn’t heard of it. Then again, their daughter had rarely left the house, so people didn’t often draw conclusions about who she was based on her name. “And I… mostly drew pictures.”

Hector moved on to Elrowan, talking about how he was an odd kid, which was entirely true. “I m-met him while I was traveling. He was soaking wet and I handed him a towel I was carrying…” she kept poking her fingers together and avoiding his eyes, but nodded and blushed more when he offered to give her a tour of the guild. “T-thank you,” she told him with another small bow. She followed behind, but not super close. She was a good medium distance away that said she was both shy, and trying to keep up.

[Hector Warfield]

"So you parents wanted you to join in the family business but you didn't really enjoy that idea, is that right?"  Hector asked as he lead Kayoko to the mission posting board across the room.  "So you like to draw eh?  I bet you're quite the artist."  Hector said with a smile as he turned to see Kayoko still slightly behind him.  He made a mental note to slow down his stride, "She shouldn't have to run to keep up with me".

"So this is the mission board, this is where you come to take on jobs to earn Jewels.  You have your E class jobs, which are great for newcomers like you, all the way to S class.  You don't need to worry about those just yet, but don't worry, you'll get there."  He said with a smile. "And you don't have to go alone, you can take a guild mate or two to go with you if you like.  If you ever need some backup don't hesitate to call."  I hope she takes someone along, at least for her first few missions, for her own safety.  "Any questions about the mission board while we're here?"  Hector asked.  "Let's check out the other major important room here at the guild, the kitchen", he said with a laugh.  "It's just down this all to the left."  

Hector lead the way, making a conscious effort to slow his pace down to match Kayoko's.  They entered the dinning hall, there were a few people having a late lunch but otherwise the room was empty.  Hector continued up to the counter towards the short cook.  "Back already Hector?", he chuckled.  "Ha ha Walter, no I'm just showing our new recuit here around.  Walter this is Kayoko, Kayoko its Walter, master culinary artist extraordinaire."  Walter returned her bow, "Pleasure to meet you miss, I hope Hector here is treating you nicely", he said with a smile and a wink.  "Here you go Kayoko, on the house" Walter said as he handed her a piece of cherry pie from behind the counter.  Hector looked from the pie to Walter with a pleading look.  Walter laughed and brought another slice out from and handed it to Hector.  "Alright, since you're helping out such a sweet young lady."  "Thanks Walter", Hector said as he looked for a seat.  He sat and ate a few bites of pie, savoring the delicious sweetness, dang Walter makes amazing pie, Hector thought.  "So from here we can either go to the library or over to the training yard.  Which would you like to see first?"  Hector had an idea which she would prefer, but felt like giving her the option would be nice and keep her involved.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Hector didn’t understand at all. Kayoko was rather shy, though, and only sighted quietly, keeping quiet about his mistake. She had horrible parents that still made her cry at night if she thought too much about it, though she was slowly becoming bitterer towards them. They were literally the only people she might say anything bad about, though only if she were pressed hard enough or upset enough. Hector quickly moved on though, showing off the mission board. She’d taken a few jobs from guilds before when she wasn’t part of one, so she knew what it was. The peach-haired girl simply shook her head “Uh-uh,” she told him quietly before the moved on yet again.

As they made their way into the kitchen, Kayoko made a quiet whimper when people turned their attention to her. She was visibly shaking now, though she was willing herself to keep functioning with so much attention on her. She hated attention. Attention was bad. It made her nervous. Still… she needed to try and be nice. “H-he is, Sir.” She told him just as pie was shoved into her hands. Kayoko’s eyes widened. She adored sweets, especially chocolates.  She looked back up at the man. “Th-thank you.” She told him honestly, managing to calm down slightly at his generosity. She just held onto the plate though, refusing to eat while people were paying attention to her.

Hector kept moving on his little tour, and Kayoko followed, nodding her goodbye to the nice man who had given her the treat. She started nibbling when they got further away from everyone and sat down. “Um… the training room.” She decide, sounding slightly more bold now that there were less people paying direct attention to her. “Mr. Hector,” she started after a few minutes. Her cheeks turned red and she looked down at the ground. “Thank you for this tour.”

[Hector Warfield]

Hector didn't know which surpised him more, the fact that she had chosen the training yard or the strength he could hear in her voice now.  Maybe seeing other nice people here like Walter has made her feel more at ease he thought as he finished his pie.  She then thanked him for the tour and while she still wouldn't meet his gaze Hector could see a slight improvement already.  She'll be alright I think, considerate and a hard worker from what I can tell.  Just need to keep her spirits up and show her how much fun it is here.  

Once Kayoko had finished her slice of pie Hector guided her outside to the training yard.  The arena itself was pretty busy with people spectating a friendly match between two guild members.  Hmm...Kayoko won't like being in that crowd, not to mention they are so noisy I couldn't even hear myself think.  "Hey Kayoko, let's to up that hill and watch from that tree, we'll have a better view."  Once they got to the top of the hill Hector could see Gregor and some other member he didn't know.  Hector stood by the tree feeling that Kayoko wouldn't want to get dirt on her pink hoodie.  Hector watched Gregor use his ice maker magic to make a sheet of ice to block the large rocks his opponent had just launched at him.  Hmm...guess he's a earth maker wizard.    "So, if you don't mind me asking, what type is your magic?"  He said looking back at Kayoko.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko followed Hector up the hill happily enough. She got used to the people she spent time with, and she found Hector to be a nice, if highly intimidating man. She couldn’t tell how old he was, but then she wasn’t very experienced with boys in the first place. Elrowan was her first male friend, and even he was a new one. He scared her sometimes with his weirdness, but she knew he didn’t mean any harm. He was entertaining sometimes, though. And she didn’t really mind being called Lady Kayoko. Kayko wondered if Elrowan had been successful in liberating a job from Fairy Tail like he’d said he was going to do. She also wondered what that meant.

Kayoko’s thoughts were interrupted by Hector asking about her magic. It was understandable, she hadn’t exactly shown it off. She didn’t use it very often, which was why she was weak. She reached behind her back absently, realizing that she hadn’t brought her sword with her. Had she really felt so good about having a new home that she hadn’t even taken her sword with her when she left her room? “I um… I have a big sword.” She told him vaguely. It was a very large sword, and to anyone but her it was entirely too heavy to be a proper weapon. “It gives me angel magic. It um… I don’t like fighting though.” Kayoko’s orange eyes were also a side effect of the weapon’s power. She’d been born with blue eyes, actually.

[Hector Warfield]

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that.  I wouldn't mind seeing it sometime if you don't mind.  I can understand about not liking to fight, I don't really like to use my power unless I have to." Its usually better for everyone around me that I don't use my powers, at least not until I can control them better., he thought to himself.  But that means I have to practice using them...I'll get there, just have to find a safe place away from everyone and everything flammable.  "Lucky not all of our missions require a violent course of action, but it's always a good idea to be able to defend yourself.  Maybe you and Elrowan can practice here sometime?"  Hector offered.  Hector would have offered himself but a big scare lava monster was the last thing she needed right now, whether he could control his power or not.  

Hector would have liked to stay and watch the match play out, but it seemed Kayoko was less interested in it and he had a duty to make her feel welcomed and show her around. "Well, lets go check out the library", Hector said after a moment.  They headed back down the hill, the sounds of the fight faded dramatically once they entered the guild and turned the corner.  They climbed the stair case up to the second floor where the library, Jora's office, and the dormitories were located.  Hector forced himself to not take the stairs two at a time.  The walked passed Master Jora's office before reaching the library.  The door was closed which probably meant she was still discussing the attack that occurred a few days ago.  Hector thought of Kensie and Mr. Rhodes, I hope they are both doing alright.

They arrived at the library and Hector turned to Kayoko and put a finger to his lips, "Now we have to be quiet in here or else Ms. Lawson will have us dusting old tomes all day."  Hector opened the door and reveled the massive library.  For as big as the library was there was only one other person sitting at one of the many tables deeply engrossed in the book she was reading.  Hector really didn't know what specifically he should be showing Kayoko in here but he figured she might like it in here, usually there was no one up here and Ms. Lawson made sure there was no noise or horseplay.  He decided he would at least introduce her to Ms. Lawson and then let Kayoko decide when she was done looking around.  

Hector led the way to the desk at the other end of the room where the elderly Ms. Lawson sat sorting various books.  "Excuse me, Ms. Lawson" Hector said in a hushed voice, "Sorry to disturb you but I wanted to introduce our newest recruit, Kayoko."    "Oh, hello my dear, welcome to the Blue Pegasus", she said softly as she took off her tiny glasses to get a better look.  "Kayoko is it?  I'm Ms. Lawson, if you ever need help finding something let me know."  She smiled at them both then placed her glasses back on the tip of her nose and resumed the task at hand.  Hector lead Kayoko away from the desk then whispered to her, "Was there anything you wanted to look for while we are here?"  Hector had no problems waiting, he couldn't think of any other places to show to Kayoko at the moment anyway.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

“I could um… I could show you after the library I suppose…” Kayoko decided, deciding that if Hector was actually interested in her sword, she would be happy to show him after being nice enough to put up with her.  “I um… I need to practice more though… if you want to sometime…” she admitted sheepishly. She wasn’t sure about practicing with Elrowan. She had no idea how strong the kid was, but she did think he would be a bit excitable for her tastes. She would probably be more interested in missions that didn’t guarantee violence, but she wouldn’t shy away from the others if she thought she should help her friends.

Kayoko was lost in thought about the whole thing again as she walked behind Hector to the library. She barely noticed as they passed Jora’s office and continued on to the library area she had yet to visit. What Hector didn’t know was that librarians sounded pretty scary to Kayoko. They kept people from being loud, which meant they were probably strict and mean. Fortunately she found there was nothing to fear, receiving a warm greeting from Mrs. Lawson. “Hello, Ma’am. Yes, I’m Kayoko Sasaki,” she told the woman with a slight bow. “I’ll try and ask if I need to…” she told her, doubting she would ever actually ask. “I um… I don’t think so. Not right now,” she decided when Hector asked if she needed to look through anything. “Did you… want to see my magic?” she asked, knowing they’d have to go back to her room to get her sword. “I don’t… really bring boys to my room.” She admitted as she blushed at the realization Hector might be following her back.

[Hector Warfield]

Hector smiled and agreed to watching her magic at the end of the tour.  He was less excited about training with her.  Maybe if I let her be offensive and just say on the defensive it won't be so bad, Hector thought.  "Don't worry about needing more practice, I think everyone comes here to train because they all realize they need more practice.  I know I do, but that's what the guild is here for, to help everyone grow and become stronger."    

"Sure, we can do some training now if you like.  Or you can just show me your swordplay if you'd rather."  Hector said as they left the library.  Although I'd rather just sit and watch if she trusts me enough to want to practice with me I need to help her out, she might not have anyone else at this point.  "Oh!  No, no!  I'll wait for you out here."  Hector exclaimed when Kayoko mentioned Hector coming into her room blushing slightly himself.  "Take your time, no hurry."

Hector used this time alone to calm his rising nerves.  He dismissed all the nagging thoughts that have been building since Kayoko mentioned sparing at the training yard.  He focused on just taking deep breathes, Nothing bad is going to happen, I have enough control to do a partial takeover and this is just training anything more than that would be overkill...especially on someone like Kayoko.  Hector continued to reassure himself and felt a lot better by the time Kayoko returned with the biggest sword Hector had ever seen.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko felt a little better when Hector told her that everyone was there to improve and get better, though she didn’t react much. She was too busy being nervous about showing him her abilities. They were probably horrible and ugly, after all. At least he agreed to stay outside her room. Kayoko was a young lady, after all, and she tried her best to be good all the time – to the point of freaking out when she thought she’d done something bad. It had been a small factor in joining Blue Pegasus originally.

Kayoko walked into her room, quickly finding her sword and strapping it to her back. She stopped in front of the mirror, brushing her hair a bit with before she realized she was probably being overly paranoid about her appearance. She had always prided herself in looking nice and tidy, and it had been much harder when she was living primarily outside and in inn rooms for a few months.

Kayoko exited the room, her hands linked in front of her lap as she walked out, a massive sword that looked entirely too large for her strapped to her back. From its appearance, it was amazing that she could even hold it, much less carry it around. It looked like it must weigh at least 30 pounds – entirely too heavy to be used as a weapon by a much stronger person than her. She reached behind her back, unstrapping the sword with a tug. She held it with the blade upside down in her hand so that the handle pointed up. More amazingly, she was holding it in one hand. “T-this is Miracle. It’s my sword.” She told Hector, blushing at the very thought of showing off her abilities. “W-we can go somewhere and I’ll show you a little bit if you want me to…” She turned crimson at the offer, not sure what to think about someone else being able to judge her meager abilities at all.

[Hector Warfield]

Hector couldn't contain his surprise, here was little Kayoko holding a massive sword one handed.  It was a impressive blade with a decorative gold hilt.  It must weigh over 30 pounds!  Hector realized he was standing there with his mouth open and quickly shook himself back to the present.  "Miracle huh?  That's a cool name for a sword.  Yeah, we can go out back if you like.  I think the training yard will still be occupied."  

Hector was genuinely excited to see Kayoko show him her power.  She's obviously uses a holder magic of some kind, but who knows what she'll be able to do!  Hector lead the way out the back of the guild and down a stoney path to an old courtyard.  It was relativity flat, open, and free from anyone else but the two of them.  He turned to Kayoko, "Does this spot look ok?  Now don't worry about impressing me or anything.  I'm not here to judge you, and I'm already impressed at your ability to carry that thing one handed."  Hector gave Kayoko a smile and backed up to an old wall several feet away.  "Whenever you're ready Kayoko."

[Kayoko Sasaki]

The look on Hector’s face would have been priceless if the peach-haired girl didn’t spend most of her time fretting over little things rather than noticing what other people were up to. He at least liked the name of her weapon, and seemed eager to take her somewhere where there weren’t other people. Kayoko liked the idea of not showing off in front of more people than him, but blushed when she suddenly realized she was spending private time with a boy; she had very little experience with boys, even including Elrowan.

Kayoko’s eyes flicked up to Hector and she turned a bit more crimson before she looked back down at the ground. “Okay,” she nodded, trying to get herself to stop thinking about these things. Why was she so awkward?! Hector would notice and say something and make her feel more awkward… The thought process really didn’t help her situation. She was still blushing by the time they got down to the area he had had in mind.

Kayoko’s thoughts were interrupted by Hector asking about the spot, and with that distracting thought her blush lessened a bit, even if it didn’t disappear. “This is okay,” she answered quietly. Hector went on to tell her he wasn’t judging her or anything, and that made Kayoko relax at least a little bit. He also said he was already impressed she could hold the sword one-handed. “I um, can’t really fight with it one-handed though,” she told him as she gripped the sword in both hands a good distance away from Hector, facing off to the side. “Okay… here I go.”

Suddenly, Kayoko started glowing with a gentle golden hue, and small wings made of light appeared on her back. Her eyes turned blue, and her sword glowed with runes of light. There was a large log behind the building; this was a forest, after all. She turned to it, easily cleaving the log in two before picking up half of it with only minimal effort and setting it down. It wasn’t the most impressive display; she wasn’t very good at showing off and didn’t really know how. A few more strikes and the log was easily reduced to firewood. The wings disappeared from her back, the glow went away, and as she turned around the blue disappeared from her eyes with a blink and she was back to normal. She still looked nervous. “T-that’s some of it,” she told him, fidgeting slightly as the blush returned again, this time because she’d just shown off for the boy. She quietly leaned her sword against the log's remains and stepped away from the destruction with a few small sidesteps.

[Hector Warfield]

Hector watched in awe as Kayoko reduced a hefty sized log into firewood.  He was impressed with both Miracle and Kayoko.  Kayoko had wings of light appear and seemed even stronger.  Miracle glowed with strange runes of light.  Once Kayoko had finished chopping the log she blinked and seemed to go back to her old, nervous self.  She shuffled away from the logs as if she was embarrassed by it.  

"That was amazing!"  Hector exclaimed clapping his hands enthusiastically.  "Where did you learn to do that?"  Hector walked back over to Kayoko, "So I noticed you had wings made of light while you were attacking ol' stumpy here.  Can...can you fly with them?"  Hector felt dumb asking that but he was curious, he had never seen anything like this before.  "And what do the ruins on your sword mean?  I mean, if you don't mind me asking!  If its personal or something I can understand."  She's just getting comfortable showing me her power and I have to play 20 questions...she probably thinks I'm rude and nosy

[Kayoko Sasaki]

“That was Amazing!” Hector cried as he clapped. Kayoko only blushed more, seeming to shrink a bit at the compliment. He asked where she learned her skills, but before she could even answer he kept asking about her wings and the runes on her sword. Kayoko was hesitant for a moment. She wasn’t even sure where to begin. “I um… I learned from my sword. It shows me things sometimes…” she explained vaguely. “And um… I just get wings. They’re pretty… but that’s about it…” Kayoko blushed, realizing how much she didn’t know. She let out a small squeak. “I don’t know about the runes either…”

Kayoko started nervously running her fingers over her Blue Pegasus tattoo. She had to remember that Hector was her friend and ally now, and that he was kind of like family or something, according to Jora. Well, family that wasn’t related, which was good for the ones that dated. Why did she have to remember that part of Jora’s words? Kayoko turned bright red again at the mental image of her dating Hector, which came entirely due to remembering her guild master’s words at the wrong time. “S-sorry I don’t know more. I’m not a very good wizard. I’m just a useless rich girl who’s not even rich anymore…”

[Hector Warfield]

Its a little odd her sword is the one that teaches her magic. Hector thought, but that's no different than how I stumbled into having this lava power.  "Sorry, didn't mean to bombard you with questions, I've just never seen anything like that before, it's quite impressive."    Kayoko then started going on about how she wasn't a very good wizard and felt useless.  Hector put a finger under her chin and gently raised her head till her eyes met his.  "You listen to me Kayoko, you are NOT a terrible wizard and you are NOT useless."  Hector said in a voice more stern than he meant to.  He realized Kayoko was blushing and blushed a little himself.  He quickly pulled his hand away, "Sorry, but you don't need to beat yourself up like that."  

"It sounds like this power chose you, not the other way around", Hector said turning to the side and walking a few paces to give Kayoko some space. "I can relate to that, believe me."  He turned back to face Kayoko, "I didn't ask for my power either, but you have to just try and make the best of it.  Use it to help people, grow stronger so you can protect those you care about."   Hector truly believed that, there had to be a reason he was given such a power and he would keep working and learning about it until the day he would finally master it.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko’s blush only intensified when her chin was lifted. She wasn’t used to being touched by anyone but her sister, and the strong, firm finger under her chin was surprisingly not scary… but it was rather different, and strangely comforting. Did she trust him already? If so… she hadn’t started to on purpose. Of course, she was also trying to remember Blue Pegasus was a guild of her friends, even if she didn’t know them very well. Even if her natural fear of strangers made it rather hard. She nodded. “I-I’ll try not to, Mr. Hector. Thank you.” She told him, staring at his face for a moment before she realized she was and deciding her pink and white tennis shoes were suddenly *very* interesting.

Hector went on to tell her he didn’t ask for his power either, and that both of them had been chosen to wield theirs, unlike others who chose to learn their magic. It was encouraging to hear that she should master them to protect people like Calico. She nodded. “I’ll do my best,” she told him, finally glancing up from her feet.

“I um… I got my sword when I found some bad people who were stealing magical things to resell back to mages for profits…” she decided to explain. “I found my sword there when they… when they tried to kill me,” she admitted. “It was really scary though… I’m glad I found it. I only had this happen to me.” Tentatively, Kayoko lifted up her hoodie and the shirt under it, revealing her stomach for the man. That was something she *never* did. She was very modest. What she was showing though, was a large scar, running vertically from the start of her ribcage to somewhere below the line where her shorts started.  She blushed, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to not freak out about revealing her stomach to a man, trembling slightly involuntarily.

[Hector Warfield]

"Ohh, wow", Hector said when Kayoko told him about the thugs that tried to kill her.  She's been through more than I thought she had.  Kayoko then lifted her shirt to show the large scar across her mid-section.  "That's quite a scar. So you took care of them all by yourself?"  Suddenly Hector realized she was shaking slightly, it must be a terrible memory for her...let's change the subject off of her.  

"See this?", Hector said pointing to the tattoo on his cheek.  "That appeared when I defeated this lava elemental and gained it's powers.  I didn't get a scar like yours but he did get a lucky hit on me."  Hector said turning and lifting his shirt just enough to show the small burn scar on his right side.  Hector put his shirt back down and faced Kayoko, "I just stumbled across it on my hike through the mountain near my home.  I had to do something to stop it or it would have destroyed the whole village.  Luckily I had some help", Hector said thinking of Sirocco.  I haven't seen her in a while now, wonder what she's gotten into this time...

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko stopped shaking when she dropped her hoodie back down. Let’s never do that again, she thought to herself as she let out an audible breath. Showing off her body to a boy at all made her nervous, after all. Hector had guessed wrong about the reason she was trembling. It was a bad memory, but she was far more scarred from other, more recent memories than that one. She stared at his tattoo when he pointed to it, blinking curiously but remaining quiet. She blushed when he lifted his shirt, noting the burn scar but quickly looking away as she clasped her hands in front of her lap.

“I-I’m glad you stopped it from hurting people,” Kayoko told him sincerely. She was quiet again. Had they just shown off torsos to each other? That was weird. She shouldn’t do that again. “And that you had help.” She avoided looking at him for the moment, walking over and picking up her sword with one hand and dragging it slightly behind her as she walked back towards him, eyes cast on the ground and her cheeks rosy. She would have cared more about treating it properly if it wasn’t seemingly immune to regular wear and tear; she’d never even had to sharpen it in the years sinc she found the weapon.

[Hector Warfield]

Hector's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of metal scraping.  He looked up to see Kayoko walking back from where she had set her sword down.  She was looking down at the ground, She must be tired Hector thought.  He looked around and realized it was starting to get dark.  I've been so caught up in showing Kayoko around I completely lost track of time.  "You want some help with that?"  Hector offered gesturing toward Kayoko's sword.  "Oh, wow!"  Hector exclaimed when he took Miracle.   This thing is HEAVY!  This is defiantly not an ordinary sword.  Not wanting to go back on his offer to help carry Kayoko's sword Hector shouldered Miracle with minimal effort.  While way to heavy for him to use properly the sword was not so much that Hector couldn't carry it for Kayoko.  

"Well, it's getting late.  How about we head back and call it a night?"  Hector walked back up the stony path to the guild, thanks to his new burden he had no problem slowing is pace to match Kayoko's.  He spent the trip up the path in silence, focusing on his footing as not to slip and drop the sword.  "So do you have any missions coming up?"  He asked once they reached the top.  "I have to wait to hear back from Jora but I may have one I could use your help with."   Depends on what we're dealing with...small time thug group she could probably handle...but if its some big corporation I'm not so sure...I'll check with Jora before taking her with me.  Heck, Jora might just want us to scout things out and keep out of fighting anyone right now, who knows...

They reached the guild and went upstairs to the dormitories, "Well I hope you feel more comfortable around here now Kayoko.  Remember, if you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask me, ok?"  Hector said with a smile and handed back Miracle with a slight grunt.  They finished their goodbyes for the evening and Hector went in to his room on the guy's side.   I think she'll be just fine, she just needs to get some self-confidence in her abilities  Hector said sitting down on his bed and rubbed his shoulder.   And the best way I know how is to get out there, jump straight in as it were...  Hector didn't know why he had become so dedicated to making sure Kayoko had a good transition into the Blue Pegasus.  Maybe because his own introduction had been less welcoming, or maybe he was finally starting to be comfortable here himself and making actual friends.   Regardless, I'm here to help anyway I can and that's just what I'll do...

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko couldn’t help but hand Hector Miracle when he asked. She appreciated the help, and was trying to trust him, since he obviously wanted her to. He exclaimed his surprise when the sword was far heavier than he’d expected. Kayoko could have barely lifted anything that weighed that much to her. She wasn’t super strong, though she was in better shape than her look suggested. It was natural too, possibly from the sword. Just like her eye color. “Oh! It’s heavier for other people! Sorry!” she told him quickly. He didn’t give it back though, so she let him carry it. He suggested that it was getting late, and suggested they go back to the dorms and ‘call it a night.’ Kayoko nodded quietly in agreement.

“I’ll probably have to take one soon,” she admitted, red-faced still from earlier. She was overly self-conscious and she knew it. “I um… I would be happy to help you. I like helping people.” She was being honest, if quiet. About that time they arrived at the dorms and Hector wished her more comfort around her guild. “I-I will,” she promised with a nod. He was probably one of two people she would be willing to talk to at this point. People had to approach her first, that was just how her shyness worked. “G-goodnight Mister Hector. It was nice meeting you.” With that, she went back to her room where Calico was already asleep, plopping onto her bed with a sigh. It was a scary day, but it had worked out.

-EXIT-

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