Let's Play Fetch! The Demon and the Dog's First Encounter!

[Wolfe]

Wolfe found himself in Magnolia, home of the Fairy Tail guild. Lately, the Council's dog had been growing ever more wary of his masters... Strange orders were being given. The tournament his son had taken part in was about to finish up, and he was still mulling over his battle and discussion with Kotone.

It's particularly odd I haven't been called BACK to report to the Council. I took off a while ago, claiming my job was taking longer than expected. However, they usually would've checked in by now...

Wolfe sighed, mostly to himself. He needed a break. Something to distract him from all the heavy thoughts rumbling about inside his head. He almost hoped in ran into someone who could occupy his time. However, this time he wasn't looking for a fight. The area around his branded eye started to ache suddenly. That wasn't a good sign.

"I hope Zahn is alright... I hear he paired up with some people from Lamia..."

The swordsman smirked to himself. Lamia was know for being second to Fairy Tail in most things, but had been rising in prominence for a while now. Maybe they'd even overtake them one day. Hopefully, his son had made some good friends during the tournament. He continued to walk about, lost in his thoughts. The swords on his back drew some looks, but no one bothered him for the most part. That was the way he liked it. After all, he needed some time alone right now...

No matter what, I'll need to gain more strength for the future. That Dragon Slayer was something else. It was lucky neither of us seriously injured the other. I had to fight her like my life depended on it just to score some good hits. Though I suppose, the same could be said of her.

Wolfe sighed, and continued to make his wake through the crowds of Magnolia.

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie had found herself in an awkward position. Quite, awkward, in fact. Here she was, dangling upside down, realizing that when people were picking you up by your leg, it was a bad time to be someone who always wore dresses. “Guuuys put me down,” Kensie pouted, trying her best to keep her dress in place. Alleyway or not she wasn’t keen on being embarrassed like that in front of anyone.

The one holding her by her leg chuckled. “Aw, but this way you can’t get away, little imp,” He responded to Kensie. “It’s rude to kick people, you know.”

“It’s less rude than picking a girl up like this!” Kensie insisted to the bullies with a childish frown. “You were trying to steal my favorite candy from that poor shop owner. Mrs. Vassalie doesn’t make much money, you know, and she has the best sweets. I don’t want her going out of business because you’re stupid.”

The three older teenage boys looked between each other before glaring back at the fourteen year old girl. “And now we’re banned from that shop because of you, you little tattling brat!”

Kensie sighed, her face going from nearly crying to highly unamused. In a flash, she suddenly had imp wings and a tail, little horns on her forehead and blood red eyes. "Don't call me a brat!" Holding out one hand, purple fire shot at the boy’s pants who was holding her, and she was immediately dropped as he panicked, rolling around to put out the flames. Kensie hit the ground a little hard, picking herself up and sniffling. It wouldn’t have hurt so bad if she wasn’t trying to hold up her dress instead of catching herself…

The three boys panicked, trying to put out the fire as the one who was actually on fire ran off screaming. Meanwhile, Kensie tried to fight off tears from her own head trauma as her impish features disappeared once again. “Ow… stupid boys. Now I know why Sonya isn’t interested in dating. They’re mean and stupid.”

[Wolfe]

Wolfe had heard the noise of the mischief in the alley and started making his way toward it. He knew he'd probably regret that decision when he saw three boys run out of the alley, one of them apparently on fire. He quirked an eyebrow and poked his head into the alley, trying to see if what'd happened. Instead, he found a somewhat young girl holding back tears as she picked herself off the ground.

"Excuse me, miss... are you alright?"

Ah, talking to other people. Well, there was something that didn't happen to Wolfe every day. Wolfe wondered if next he'd be out dancing in clown shoes. However it seemed that words would probably be the best way to handle the situation. If he just walked up to the girl and did his normal routine it would seemed crazy, even to him. Hello, I see you're crying, wanna fight? Yeah... certainly not the best or even anywhere near a good idea. So, words it was.

I wonder if she's the one who set that guy on fire. Certainly isn't impossible. I wonder who she is?

Wolfe offered the girl a piece of cloth to dust herself off with, in the meantime trying make sure he didn't make the situation any worse when next he opened his mouth.

"... mind telling me what happened? I'm... from the Magic Council and you seem like you're having a bad day..."

Thank you, Captain Obvious, Wolfe's voice nagged him from the back of his mind. He very politely told the voice to shut up, keeping his attention and concern on the girl in front of him. Whatever had just happened, Wolfe wanted to at least appear non-threatening. Or at least as non-threatening as one could be with two swords hanging off his back, a large black coat and red eyes, one of which was covered by an eye-patch. Non-threatening. Yes. That is how he would totally describe himself. He mentally sighed and prayed the girl wouldn't freak out on him.

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie looked up just as she wiped the tears from her eyes, slowly moving into a sitting position on her knees before popping up in front of the man in the uniform as he rounded the corner. She blinked, for a moment wondering if she was in trouble for setting that boy’s pants on fire. She gave Wolfe a grin as she realized he was concerned for her safety rather than assuming that she was at fault. She was way too cute to be the one getting into trouble, and she knew it. She brushed off her dress, straightening it out properly as she got up and rubbed the back of her head. “Those stupid boys got mad at me when I told the shop owner they were shoplifting,” she grumbled, her grin disappearing.

“They picked me up by my leg and then dropped me when I fought back, and now my head hurts a lot.” She touched the spot on her head when she fell and winced, making a whimpering noise as tears threatened to reappear. “Stupid boys,” she grumbled again. She most certainly wasn’t having a good day. Today sucked. She’d been picked up, embarrassed, and injured when she’d tried to do the right thing, and to top it off, her magic had acted up and she was a lot more tired than she was acting.

[Wolfe]

"I... see. That does sound... pretty bad."

Wolfe pondered for a minute on how to cheer the girl up. He always considered himself off-duty when it came to matters involving the Council or how they would act. However, maybe today he should play the role of hero. After all, he enjoyed spending time away and trying new things. Trying to talk to someone, anyone, would be about as new as it could get for the Council swordsman.

"Did you need me to accompany you wherever you were headed? You look like you could use the company, or at least someone to listen. I would be happy to help, if I can."

Wolfe was fairly concerned about the girl. If she'd been dropped on her head he was surprised she was not only still conscious, but talking fairly normally. She must be tougher than she appeared. Wolfe The swordsman didn't usually like hanging around people, but as of late he was running into a lot of interesting encounters as he traveled to and fro. Why stop getting himself into more trouble now? He'd already assumed that his masters inside the Council would have words (and other things) for him when he returned so as long as he could put that off, why not.

"After all..."

Wolfe gaze darkened as he starred off into the distance, he gaze cast in the direction of the Council's newly relocated headquarters. They'd set up shop in Era, where his family once lived... and died because of the Council's insane war. The irony of working to continue his life in the very place most of his family had met their ends was not lost on him, though he often found himself wishing most of it had never happened.

"It's not like I'm here on official business or anything..."

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie kept rubbing her poor head as the councilman talked to her, sympathizing. She did like sympathy, of course. Sympathizing people were people she got along with. Sympathizing people did what the girl wanted. Not that she was malicious, but she was a bit spoiled and had learned to manipulate where her sister was direct. “Um…” Kensie wasn’t someone who was afraid of people, but she *had* just been hung upside down embarrassingly and fallen on her head as payment for standing up for herself. “I really wanted candy, but I didn’t get the chance to get any…” she told him. She could talk while they went back. If she had a councilman with her no one would cause any trouble on the way back. Even if she could kick those stupid boys’ butts from here to next Tuesday.

She started walking, turning around and trotting backwards as she waited for him to follow. “I go to Mrs. Vassalie’s candy shop a lot. She has the best candy in town, and sometimes she gives me free samples,” she told him happily, glad for the company and the feeling of safety the big man brought. “But those stupid boys are thieves and jerks and they don’t know how to treat girls,” Her inflection changed a bit to what was undeniably an annoyed tone as she said it. She brushed her dress off, her copper eyes glancing up at him as she winced and touched her head again. “ow...” she whined unhappily. “Stupid boys. Who needs them?”

[Wolfe]

Wolfe looked at the girl, bemused. He knew when he was being led on, but as it so happened, he didn't care right now. Anything would be better than going back to report to the Council. So, hanging out with her it was. As he walked with her a silence filled the air, Wolfe lost in thought. He didn't like silence, per se, but was so used to never having to speak to people. Or wanting to, for that matter. Still, he might as well strike up some sort of conversation. No need to force the girl to do all the talking.

"So is that where we're headed? Back to the candy shop? I'm sure the owner will be happy to see you since you saved her merchandise."

Wolfe spoke his thoughts aloud. His demeanor was relaxed and fairly vacant. He did have his mind on other things, but he felt like he should contribute something to the conversation. After another short pause in the dialogue, he figured he should introduce himself. No point in keeping his name a secret if he wasn't going to fight something.

"The name's Wolfe, by the way. Nice to meet you, properly."

The man didn't ask for her name. He figured she'd give hers in response as etiquette dictated anyway. He made sure to keep his unspoken promise and watch out for any more trouble, which was apparently unnecessary as none came. Wolfe smiled, mostly to himself, as he continued to travel with the girl. He wanted more days like this. Days where he could just wander about and not have to think of the horrible things waiting for him in his future...

[Kensie Barnett]

“Mhmm!” Kensie nodded to Wolfe when he asked if they were headed back to the candy shop. The owner might be happy to see her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t hoping *someone* would give her some free treats. She was really in the mood for some sugar to help stave off her headache. That was how headaches worked, right? Wolfe seemed… quiet. And weird. Boys were weird though. Kensie had gathered that from Elrowan when she met him, and the few other boys she actually talked to. She was a bit too young for any of them to talk to her like a girl instead of a kid, as she would put it, but they certainly had some colorful things to say about her sister when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. Some people were friendly with her just for Sonya. Kensie thought Sonya was rather pretty anyway, but she would also probably be attractive when she actually grew out of her childish cuteness.

Wolfe introduced himself, and Kensie stopped and curtseyed. “I’m Kensie,” she told him happily. “I’m a guild wizard from Fairy Tail. That’s why I could take care of those stupid boys earlier,” she told him with a proud grin. “I have the same magic as my sister, Sonya. See?” With that, flames engulfed Kensie, and in her place stood… Kensie. Only instead of her normal copper eye color, her eyes were red. She also had tiny, cute horns on her forehead, a set of small wings on her back, and a pointed tail sticking out from under her dress. It was a rare form of magic she’d learned from her sister. Except hers was advanced enough she looked more like a demon than Kensie did when she activated her powers.

[Wolfe]

The enthusiasm behind Kensie's response made Wolfe's smile grow even wider. He could appreciate someone whose emotions were so openly on display. It made it easier to understand where the girl was coming from. Wolfe followed along, still pretty quiet, until Kensie introduced herself to him as a response to his introduction. He scratched his chin, lost in thought. While it wasn't too hard to believe that Kensie was a Guild wizard, it was sort of difficult to imagine Kensie doing too many dangerous jobs. Still, he assumed she had some interesting magic if she was wandering about alone. Then she transformed into a small, adorable demon and Wolfe stifled a laugh.

Oh... wow. That's just about the funniest and cutest thing I've ever seen. I'm sure she'll grow up to be a powerful and imposing woman within the magic world but right now...

If truth be told, Kensie's demon form looked positively kittenish. This transformation was something Wolfe thought you might play fetch with, not fight. Still, he knew not to underestimate anyone. He couldn't help but smile at Kensie though, as it seemed the girl was very proud of her ability.

"Cute. I'm assuming most people say that, though. It seems to have served you well..."

Wolfe's demeanor became slightly more serious as he continued to speak. His thoughts wandered a bit and he mentally compared his son's magic to Kensie's. She must've drawn her form from actual demonic power. Zahn used curse-like magic that he was born with, but had nothing to do with demons. Of the two, however, Zahn seemed to be the more withdrawn and apprehensive of his magic.

"Hmm. I hope no one's bullied you because of the way you look in that form. A cute little demon, to be sure, but still a demon. I know a few people who hate even the thought of something like that. Granted, they aren't any fun and I completely disagree with their way of doing things..."

Wolfe, of course, was speaking about some fairly secret things. However a normal mage, even one from a famous Guild, like Kensie wouldn't know who he was talking about. If she asked, he'd just say that some people who have power forget that power is supposed to be used to protect others. Wolfe himself frequently flaunted his power in combat, but usually only for show. He always thought of fighting as the easiest way for him to express how he was truly feeling. He never relied on words, for in his mind, words were unreliable when it came to communicating meaning. He realized that Kensie might find his musings a tad odd, so he cleared his throat and pointed out there location.

"Seems like we made it to the shop safely. Did you want me to wait outside while you made some purchases, or should I come in for the extra insurance?"

The last half of the sentence was mostly meant as a joke, but Wolfe knew that sometimes just having another person around could be comforting. Sometimes. Wolfe, himself, oft preferred solitude and isolation over socializing and companionship. However, whether he was prepared to admit it or not, Kensie's enthusiasm and confidence put Wolfe in a fairly good mood. As such, he felt like it might be worth it to stick around for a while and relax. The alternative was to return back to the very people he mentioned he disliked.

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie knew she was cute. Heck, she was adorable as far as she had gathered, and she wouldn’t have it any other way… at least not until she was older. She was also a fan of how she looked in her demon form. It gave her a playful yet slightly more intimidating look, and she certainly didn’t mind the wings and tail. They were hers as long as she was in the form, after all. Tails were rather useful. “It has!” she told wolfe excitedly even as the man continued to speak.

Her expression grew a bit more confused when Wolfe talked about her getting bullied for her demon form, or people hating her magic. He disagreed with the people who would do such a thing, but it still left the fourteen year old with a look of concern. “What do you mean?” she asked earnestly, “My sissy has similar magic and she’s very popular and all the boys like her,” she insisted, “and I’ve only had people be mean to me for tattling or… well they said being a brat.”

They arrived at the Candy store again, and Kensie’s face lit up instantly. She hadn’t exactly looked down so much as confused/concerned at his words, but she still looked instantly happier. “Come with me,” she told him with a nod, her pigtails bouncing with her enthusiastic nod as she turned and pushed her way into the store. Inside was a candy-lover’s dream, and that was evident on Kensie’s face as she practically skipped around looking at the foodstuffs. She’d forgotten to let her magic fade though, and the look on the owner’s face was priceless. She was obviously appreciative of the girl for helping her business, but wasn’t really sure what to say about the wings and tail that had grown since last time.

“Mr. Wolfe,” she started again, looking up at him. “Could you maybe possibly buy me a bag of candy? It’d make me feel a whole lot better,” she told him honestly. Manipulative or not, it was the truth, and as always she didn’t mean any harm with her manipulations.

[Wolfe]

Wolfe followed Kensie through the door, admittedly amused by the store owner's look when she noticed Kensie. Well, at least Wolfe wasn't the only one around who was weird. He appreciated the relaxed atmosphere of the place, sighing with relief as the owner didn't kick them out. When Kensie asked Wolfe to buy her some candy the swordsmage was a little frustrated. He didn't have much money on him. Well, to be more precise. He had no money on him. It wasn't like he got paid for what he did, though he was at least a tad grateful he got a free meal. Sure, he was essentially a slave, but at least he got feed, right? He sighed at his own circumstances and looked apologetically at Kensie.

"Aaah... sorry, little miss. I don't happen to have any money on me... I would if I could but..."

Wolfe trailed off, genuinely unhappy he couldn't help the girl out. If he had a normal life he could probably lend her some money for candy. Granted, if he had a normal life he'd most likely be spending it looking after his family  (or what remained of it) and enjoying leisurely days with the people he cared about. Instead of being what amounted to something akin to an assassin for the Council.

"... sorry. I... guess I'll just be outside... If there is anything else you need me to do I'll be happy to, but I think it'd be better if I just waited for you to be done here before we move on to anything else."

Wolfe nodded to Kensie curtly, and moved himself outside of the candy shop. As he leaned against the wall, arms folded, he silently cursed himself for not being able to help. He didn't like feeling useless. Granted, he mostly considered himself useless by default. All he was really good for was fighting, and even then he honestly disliked doing that unless it was to spar with someone. He sighed, trying to shake the negativity from his mind but the almost perpetual frown he wore returned to his face and he gritted his teeth. He didn't handle what he considered failure well, that was for certain.

"And of course, after this I have to report back to them..."

The swordsman muttered to himself, complaining about the Council and their methods. He assumed the people he knew within the Council must've not represented the whole as most people he talked to seemed to like the Council well enough.

Guess I just got saddled with the assholes... Yey.

Wolfe continued to occupy himself with his not-so-happy thoughts as he waited for Kensie to exit the shop.

[Kensie Barnett]

“Aww…” Kensie couldn’t hide her disappointment when Wolfe admitted he had no money and took his leave. It wasn’t because he couldn’t buy her something…. Okay… that was initially why. But she’d been enjoying his company. She made friends quickly and easily, and often one-sidedly. She knew that, but it was just one of those things. She watched him leave as she clutched the candy she’d picked up as she asked. Fortunately, the shopkeeper was more than happy to reward her good behavior, especially once Kensie realized she was draining her magic by forgetting she was in her imp form and let it disappear.

She emerged outside to see Wolfe grimacing… or something. It wasn’t the same expression he’d been wearing to cheer her up, and she frowned up at him in return. “It’s okay,” she told him earnestly. “I got free candy anyway, and I even got some chocolate for you,” she told him, holding up the small bag. “It gets lonely when I wander around by myself. I do that a lot though. Other people are busy or just don’t want to with me.” She gave him an encouraging grin. “But guess what? You kept me company so the walk back here wasn’t lonely. And plus, I wouldn’t have gotten the free candy today at all if it wasn’t for coming back here… and I wouldn’t have if not for you.”

[Wolfe]

The swordsman hadn't heard the girl exit the shop, so he was a little surprised to say the least when Kensie announced her presence and handed him a bag of candy. He looked at her strangely for a moment, then smiled a little sadly and took the candy.

"Thanks..."

Wolfe listened to Kensie's explanation as to how exactly he'd helped her and the swordsman nodded, his sad smile still there on his face. He appreciated what Kensie was doing, and he was happy to help, but his was almost always like this. Some might say he was too hard on himself. Wolfe would probably argue that he had to be hard on himself as he didn't know any other way to live like he did. Plus, Kensie seemed happy enough now and that was all Wolfe really required to be happy himself. He liked making other people happy. His smile became a more genuine one as Kensie finished speaking.

"Heh... thank you. I think you've helped me out too. Moving passed all that though, I wouldn'ty mind stick around a while longer. I don't particularly feel like reporting back just yet. Sometimes we old dudes need to play hooky to."

He nodded solemnly, his voice lacking any sense of gravitas. He was be playful, or at least trying to be. He hoped that Kensie would mind him keeping her company. The more responsibility he could avoid right now, the better.

"That shopkeeper was pretty surprised to see you in the demon form... wherever did you pick that up? You mentioned your sister, so I guess it must be genetic?"

Wolfe was always curious about things. He loved to stick his nose where it didn't belong and find out everything he could about everything he could. He'd never seen a person with magic that actually was drawn from a demonic source. He figured there might be a good story there, though he also realized slightly too late that it might be rude to ask about that sort of thing. Not that he was trying to be rude. He certainly hoped Kensie didn't take his question the wrong way. He waited patiently for her response, staring off into the distance in the meantime, making sure nothing bad was happening nearby.

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie certainly didn’t mind Wolfe sticking around a bit when he said he needed to play hooky too. This only prompted the young girl to tilt her head and lift her eyebrow though. Her arms lowered down to her waist, holding the candy. “Hooky?” Kensie had been well-educated, but it hadn’t had anything to do with a traditional school. Like many wizards, she was taught at home, especially by herself and her sister. She’d never heard of ‘hooky’ before. “That sounds unpleasant,” she decided offhandedly, moving on to the next part of his statement he’d added on as she’d tried to figure out what the word meant.

Kensie looked a bit excited at the question, though in truth she didn’t understand it that well. She held her arms up and in a flash of heatless fire, she had her demonic properties again, though she quickly sat down on her knees, panting for a moment. Her condition had acted up, as much as she’d been using magic without thinking about it. She stood up again after a moment though, trying not to look like it had affected her. She certainly seemed a bit more tired than she was acting though, by the way she was suddenly panting. Her demon tail swished a bit. “My sissy found these tomes one day when she was exploring Daddy’s attic.”

Kensie leaned against the wall, trying to look thoughtful rather than tired. Her wings folded in a way where she wasn’t squishing them too badly, reinforcing the fact that they were, in fact, hers and not just some sort of magical prop. “Sonya learned a bunch of things from it. It was about how to use a special kind of magic that I guess my family can use. I eventually got her to teach me,” she told Wolfe. “But she’s always been better at it. She has a more complete demon form than me. I just get cute wings and a tail and stuff. I don’t really know anything else. She just copied a bunch of stuff from the books and let me study it, and Daddy never answered why he had the books, but he was always proud that we had the ability to use them.” Kensie wiped a bit of sweat from her brow. In her demon form, heat meant next to nothing. She could still get burned, but heat itself was almost unnoticeable. It wasn't the warm day though. Something about the magic wasn't as compatible with her, whether she'd learned to do something wrong, or whether it was actually her. She'd always had this negative side effect when using her magic, though it was unpredictable when it happened.

[Wolfe]

The swordsman had been paying slightly less attention last time Kensie had transformed, but this time it was clear to him her magic came with some drawbacks. The girl appeared to be slightly out of breath as she propped herself up against a nearby wall. Wolfe's gaze grew more concerned, but he listened to her speech quietly and patiently.

So not just genetic, but something only their family can use? Hrm... interesting. I wonder if that means it is some sort of demonic legacy they've inherited. Granted, the girl acts just like everyone else at her age so it doesn't seem to be too much to worry about. The magic must just put a strain on her because it isn't fully developed yet. At least, that's the best explanation I can come up with to understand the situation. It sounds like their family isn't harmed by their own magic so I suppose it isn't really any of my business other than on a basic level of wanting to gain knowledge.

As Kensie's tail swished some more and she finished speaking Wolfe once gain broke into a small smile.

"I see... We'll good for you. I'm glad your family is that close. Mine's always been... a little dysfunctional. Still, it seems like with practice you'll be a really powerful mage one day."

Wolfe looked around, as if he was trying to spot something.

"I don't suppose there is a park around here, or something like that? I'm not quite sure what to do now, and I dislike being bored. A new relaxing nap might do me good, or heck maybe some activity will help work through the boredom. Unless there's something you'd rather being doing?"

Wolfe posed the question to Kensie very directly. He'd already promised to stick around as long as he could, and he wanted to make good on that promise. After all, he needed as much time off as possible. He more or less knew what would be waiting for him once he got back to the Council's headquarters and certainly wasn't looking forward to what he'd have to do. So for now, he was doing everything he could to prolong his absence.

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie blinked at the swordsman as he asked her about a park, her tail continuing to swish a bit.  As she recovered from her tired spell, she pushed herself off the wall, stretching all of her extremities, including her wings and tail before hopping in place a bit. She let go of the small amount of concentration her form still required, and her extra features disappeared, returning her eyes to normal as she blinked. “Of course there’s a park in Magnolia,” she told him matter-of-factly. “I used to go there all the time as a kid,” she told him as if she wasn’t a kid anymore, nodding her head and assuming an insistent stance.

Kensie had a hair tie around her wrist, which she took off and put in her teeth for a moment, putting her hair in a ponytail before taking it and putting it around that. It was another cute look for her, and she liked to do that when she got hot or sweaty, and the multiple transformations within an hour had managed to do just that, though it was attributed more to her problem than anything actually strenuous.

“We can go there if you want!” she told him, figuring out he was looking for something to do. “What kinds of games do you like to play? Or were you wanting to nap? I like to play games, and I almost never get to play with girls or boys my own age, so I don’t mind playing with an adult.” There were other kids her age at Fairy Tail, or within a year or two. But she had always been the type to hang out with people older than her, and as a result she had very few friends her age, even if she wanted to have both. She took off walking towards the park. She might have trotted or even skipped, but she was still more tired than she wanted to let on.

[Wolfe]

Wolfe smiled at Kensie, happy she'd agreed to go to park with him. He mentally chuckled at her words, realizing that she thought of herself as more than "just a kid". He remembered long ago and far away, he used to be very much the same. He found out later how much different reality was from what he'd thought though. He was happy to meet someone who was still enjoying life, even in these trying times.

"Alright then. Lead the way, Kensie."

Wolfe motioned with his hand, letting the girl know he'd be happy to continue lazing about and hanging out with her. He felt an odd sense of peace, one he normally didn't get on a day to day basis. Most of the time he spent his days fighting and fighting and doing not much else but fighting. Today, he had chosen not to fight. To ignore his masters completely. Their plan hadn't started yet, so he figured now would be a good time to wander about and take some time for himself. He knew that soon enough, his life would once again be turned upside down.

"Hmmm... games..."

Wolfe pondered aloud his answer to Kensie's question as he thought about various things, none of which involved games. He'd have to give the girl an answer sooner or later though. Wolfe shrugged and began to speak again. All this talking... he wasn't quite used to it yet. He took a deep breath, then sighed, then spoke.

"I guess we'll find out once we get there. Mostly, I'm fine with anything. What about you, Kensie? What kind of games do you like to play?"

[Kensie Barnett]

What kinds of games did Kensie like to play? Did Kensie stop to play real games very often? She had to physically stop and think about that for a second, her face contorted into a thoughtful expression as she placed one arm around her torso and rested her other elbow on it to support her chin in thought. She let out a nervous chuckle. “I guess I don’t get to play games very often,” she admitted. She was always having fun with something, but without kids her own age real playing didn’t happen and she was amusing herself through conversations or exploring or, strangely, reading things even if she didn’t seem the type.

“We coud- no…” they didn’t have a ball or anything. What was she supposed to do to have fun with this guy? She let out a sigh, straightening out her dress. “I dunno…” she finally admitted. “I’ve always had to entertain myself so I don’t know what kind of games people play. Daddy paid attention to me but he was never one for playing.” Wasn’t that the truth, he was always woodworking or relaxing and smoking his pipe. Their mom was always cooking or cleaning, and Sonya was always practicing magic, just like Kensie did now.

[Wolfe]

Wolfe looked sad for a second, then quickly hid it. He didn't like the notion that a child didn't get to play with others their age. He scratched his chin, wondering what Kensie might want to do. He, himself, wasn't exactly a person he would describe as "fun", but he did like making other people happy.

"Hmm... What to do...?"

The swordsman continued walking along, following Kensie as she led them to the park. He thought about it for a long time. What would the duo play? He mentally smiled, as he enjoyed this. Usually the questions on his mind where far less happy. Questions like, how am I going to save my son, or when the Crusaders finally make their move will I be able to save anyone? Still, he found enjoyment in trying very hard not to think about those questions. Eventually he came to a conclusion.

"We can play tag. It is a game, and exercise and I'll surely want to nap afterward. So it is something of a catch all. So, yeah, let's play tag. Whaddya think, Kensie? You up for a game of tag?"

Wolfe folded his arms as he waited for the child's answer. He hoped she'd want to play. She seemed awfully distracted by the fact that she didn't often get to play with kids her age, and hopefully his suggestion of tag would be good enough to make her forget that for a while. Wolfe honestly hated when kids looked sad. He believed that life was full of sadness and regret and that children didn't need to feel sad or confused. Those feelings were best saved for later on in life.

[Kensie Barnett]

Wolfe seemed to want to play even more than Kensie did, which caused the imp girl to giggle in amusement. She was recovering from her use of magic, but was still more tired than she seemed. Still, she didn't get to play tag very often, so even tired it would be fun for a little while. "We can play tag, Mister Wolfe," she nodded. "Although it might look a little silly to see a Magic Council officer running around chasing me in uniform...." she realized. She'd heard they were supposed to be official or something when they were in uniform. Kensie didn't understand or care that much. She'd never intentionally broken any laws (despite sneaking into private property recently), and she'd never had a reason to give council members that much thought.

They finally arrived at the park, and Kensie (who had been slightly ahead leading them) flipped around quickly to grin at him with a grin every bit as impish as the demonic features she'd adopted before. Her hands were behind her back, and she looked positively excited. "Okaaaaay Mister wolfe~" she said in a singsong voice, "I bet you can't catch me!" and with that, she took off as fast as she could. dodging through the trees in the park and laughing happily.

[Wolfe]

Wolfe watched in amusement as Kensie dashed off. He could easily have activated his super speed mode, but he choose not to. After all, he was here to have fun. He didn't like using his magic outside of combat. Even then, his magic was usually saved for when he felt he absolutely wanted to win a fight. Most of the time, he played around more than fought an opponent seriously.

So, the game is on!

Wolfe hurried after Kensie, making sure he wasn't losing sight of her as he also dodged and weaved through the trees in the park. Passersby and others who took an interest in the duo might be a little weirded out to see someone who looked about 30 chasing a girl who looked about 15 but if they had a problem with it Wolfe would happy to help them "get over it", as it were. He thought back to what Kensie said about him chasing her around in uniform. If she thought his plainclothes, long black coat and all, was as stuffy as an actual uniform the Council wore she'd die of laughter if she saw the real thing.

A run around the park, just looking like an average guy might does the Council members a world of good. Heck, they're so stiff I'd get better conversations with a plank of wood.

Kensie was a tad faster than Wolfe had expected, though he was also not trying too seriously to end the fun as quickly as he could. He spent a good thirty or fourty minutes making sure he wasn't going to catch up to Kensie. Eventually, as the girl ran passed him for the millionth time he sighed and shook his head. He'd have to put some more effort in his chasing soon, but not just yet. He absently wondered if Kensie was feeling any better now that her incident from before was likely long forgotten.

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie was feeling better, though, ironically, playing in the park was more for Wolfe than for Kensie, even though she enjoyed the idea on a bit more of a juvenile scale than she actually was. The girl was fourteen, after all, but she had very few social childhood experiences since her sister was several years older than her, and she’d never made many friends her own age, save for perhaps the Ava girl from Lamia Scale who she wrote to every week.

Unfortunately, Kensie’s legs weren’t super long, and she wasn’t using magic to make herself any faster – after all, she’d recently tired herself out with her transformations, and continuing to use magic had the possibility of causing her to faint from the loss of magical energy in her body. It was unfortunate, but it was true.

Kensie weaved as best she could, paying no attention to anyone who might be looking at the pair. She was eventually caught by Wolfe though, letting out a groan before falling over in the grass and panting. She was still tired… “You got me…” she informed him, as if he had no idea. Kensie was feeling a bit hot and sweaty after this. She wasn’t a fan of sweating. She could ignore it for now though. The girl sat up, tying her hair into a ponytail to get it off of her neck. She had to take the decorative pigtails out of her hair first, so it didn’t look stupid. “What now, Mr. Wolfe?”

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