Forced to the side

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven was making his way from Magnolia to Shirotsume. His goal was to continue his investigation into the civil war that had erupted, and the mysterious group that had jumped on the opportunity this division had provided. That is until he saw thunder arc across the sky. A sudden gust of wind accompanied a rumble he could feel in his bones.

“You’re going to be a rough one…” Raven commented dryly and looked around. There was no shelter seemingly for miles, and he was still a day’s walk from Shirotsume. Conversely, Magnolia was even further away… “Great....”

Even dragons knew when to take cover from mother nature’s fury. One of Draco’s many lessons came to mind as he took off at a run. The rain began pouring down suddenly as dark clouds blew over his head. He shielded his face with his arms as he ran to keep the rain out of his eyes.

Before he was too soaked a run down, half collapsed building came into view. He quickly sprinted forward and kicked open the door. Inside was surprisingly warm and dry. He took off his wet leather jacket and flicked it a couple times to get the water off. Then he threw it over his shoulder as he explored the room he was in.

It was clearly a tavern at one point in time. The bar was mostly intact, along with some of the bottles and a single large barrel. Most of the furnishings were broken, looking as though they’d been slashed and smashed. Though a couple tables and a few chairs remained. The stairs leading up to where the rooms probably would have been had collapsed in. And the boards that could be used to get up looked as though they’d turn to dust if one so much as breathed on it.

“Well…” Raven said approaching the bar. He grabbed out a bottle of bourbon and inspected it with his free hand. The seal hadn’t been broken, and it didn’t look like there was anything floating in the bottle either. The place smelled like no one had been in for ages, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he found bodies deeper within. “I guess it’s not all bad staying here for awhile.”

[Cerys Whitman]

Out of nowhere, it was pouring. Cerys couldn’t believe how soaked she was. One moment, she had been walking down the trail and the next she’d been drenched and sprinting down the road searching for shelter. Gravel crunched wetly underneath her feet. Her blue jacket and the tshirt under it were completely soaked, not to mention every other article of clothing she had. At least it was a good time to be wearing shorts. Pants would be even more miserable.

Suddenly, a miracle came into view: A run down shack that had at one time been a rest stop, though at some point it had fallen on hard times, one way or another. Sprinting to the door, she shoved it open with both arms as if she were tackling the poor wooden thing, As it swung forward, she caught it and shoved it closed again, slamming it with her back to it just as the sound of thunder reverberated through her chest. She panted as her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside.

To her surprise, Cerys saw the outline of a man sitting at the bar. She might have gasped in surprise if not for the fact that she was panting so hard. Her wet hair dripped down her face. She might as well have jumped into a pool. “Did… did you get stuck here too?” she asked. As the Ace of Blue Pegasus, even if she was newly appointed, she was hardly intimidated by a random man, but it was still surprising. She hadn’t noticed any other foot prints. Then again, she’d been in a bit of a hurry. “I’m Cerys,” she introduced herself, not moving from the door since she was still panting.

[Raven Flametongue]

When the door burst open he turned, but remained where he was. Only one of two crimson eyes were visible beneath the sunglasses from the angle that she could see. He was silent for a long time as he assessed the situation. He didn’t really want to deal with anyone else after how things had gone in Hargeon.

Her scent carried a strange and unfamiliar sense with it. She had magic… and it was both old and dark. But he couldn’t place anything more than that. So it left him slightly more on edge than normal. But it wasn’t something he couldn’t hide. So he gave a grin and a small chuckle.

“I didn’t think the storm would drive a cute woman in here with me,” He said with a lighter tone. Yeah, lay it on thick so she would be pushed away before anything remotely close to even a knowing each other friendship could happen.

“I’m Raven,” He said as he stood up again and started to rummage around for a glass or two. He might as well share. “I hadn’t expected the storm to roll in as fast as it did. Though it seems I got in here before it got really bad.”

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys chuckled an amused chuckle when he decided instantly to flirt with her. “You have good eyes, too, huh?” the ace asked the secret dragon slayer as she finally pushed herself off the door. “Were you close to this place when it started then?” she asked. Cerys had been caught completely by surprise. This sort of thing rarely happened this time of year, after all. It was just starting to cool down, and even rain that was easily foreseeable was quite rare.

She pushed her wet black hairout of her eyes and went to sit at the ancient bar stool next to the man called Raven. “It’s a pleasure,” she told him in a voice that didn’t quite reveal whether she actually thought it was a pleasure or not. Her baby blue eyes gave him a quick appraisal. He was a decent looking guy. No wonder he seemed so full of himself. She didn’t much mind. This was a temporary arrangement anyway.

“So, what did you think the storm would blow in here?” Cerys asked curiously, wishing she could unzip her jacket. She’d been stupid enough to wear a white t-shirt under the jacket though, and didn’t really want to take the chance. “If not a cute woman, I mean. Some fat guy? Or maybe a tree, with this weather?” Cerys chuckled at her own half-joke. She knew it wasn’t that funny, but she was amused.

[Raven Flametongue]

“I was close-ish,” Raven said finally finding a glass. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped it out. Satisfied that it was fine he cracked the seal on the bottle and poured himself some. He was in a pickle. Normally, being overly flirtatious as a greeting put women on guard. It raised red flags and such. But he was now dealing with the second woman who seemed to resist such repulsions.

“I was expecting water,” He continued at her next question. He shrugged and took a sip of the liquid. It was surprisingly good, with a strong flavor that wasn’t drowned out by burn. He supposed it was something high quality to begin with, and it’d just been left on a shelf. “Some lightning. Chunks of ice… You know, mother nature’s favorites when the kitchen sink isn’t available.”

Resisting the urge to sigh he forced a grin. It seemed life really wanted him to deal with people. First he ran into Kotone, then that giant of a man by the name of Atrum. And now Cerys, whoever she was. Was it too much to ask to self destruct alone? He knew that’s where he was headed, with how he viewed life. But that was not for this place and time.

“I don’t mind being wrong in this case,” He supposed if he tried hard enough, he would eventually scare her into the other corner or something. He would settle for her not following him when they left. That’d happened one time too many already. “So what brings you out to this part of the woods besides the storm?”

[Cerys Whitman]

“Well you have quite the sense of humor, don’t you?” Cerys commented to Raven’s sarcastic response to her teasing. She watched him drink, but didn’t feel the need to go after the bottle herself. She had worse addictions and figured that was enough.  She let out a sigh as she sat up and crossed her arms, shivering a bit. It was quite cold in her soaked clothing. Outside, the storm was picking up. It was dark inside, and Cerys hardly had dragon slayer senses for all her strength.  “Man, I always thought if I showed up soaked to a romantic, dimly lit location it’d be for a date and because something fun or interesting happened,” she grinned. She didn’t know why he kept flirting, but based on his other responses it had nothing to do with thinking she was actually cute. No matter, she’d probably be able to scare him into a corner with a little display of her magic. "And that the lucky person would at least turn the power on for me before I got there," she added on after a moment, sticking out her tongue playfully.

After a moment, Cerys got herself to stop shivering, and satisfied she wasn’t going to freeze to death despite being a little miserable, she leaned forward to be a little closer to Raven. “So what brings a…” her eyes flicked to the leather jacket, then to his upturned collar and the sunglasses he was still wearing inside the darkened room. “Person… like yourself out here? Are you up to anything fun? You aren’t one of those highwaymen who have been giving people problems lately are you? I thought I’d cleaned most of those up.”

[Raven Flametongue]

Great, now she was counter flirting. This was putting Raven off tilt slightly. Though, he hadn’t been lying. She was cute as far as girls went. Enough so that if he was shallow he’d consider asking her out. And his mind had drifted towards forming attachments again. He really needed to stop doing that. It wasn’t worth it if Kotone was anything to go by.

“Well, if I knew I was expecting you I would have had some candles and a meal,” He retorted with an aloof grin. “I could even have had things set up to be fun and interesting after the meal. But you showed up suddenly with no warning, so I didn’t have time to do any of it.”

“I’m no highwayman,” Raven responded as the topic shifted slightly. He took a larger sip and shrugged. “I spent a little time out of the loop to sort out something. When I come back we’re just shy of how things were a few years ago. So I’ve been traveling from town to town trying to figure out what happened. Once I have information I intend to try to help fix things. Though, you saying that explains why I didn’t find any on the road up here. I usually clean ‘em out as I go.”

[Cerys Whitman]

“Such a gentleman. Planning food and a one night stand so that I don’t have to worry about the details,” Cerys didn’t miss a beat. She had done her share of flirting. She was just bad at hanging on to people who were interested. She tended to get weird in relationships. But that was neither here nor there. “I hope you’re at least good at thinking on your feet. Otherwise you don’t stand a chance of sweeping me off mine.” She brushed her hair out of her face again as a trickle of water came down her cheek because of it. "Since your other plans fell through and all."

She extended a hand playfully as Raven talked about being out of the loop and cleaning out highwaymen. “I suppose you haven’t heard of me. It’s alright, I’m new. Cerys Whitman. For some reason also known as Hell Butterfly. I’m the Ace of Blue Pegasus as of not long ago. I’ve been hard work all afternoon taking care of those problem children. I’d planned to be further along by now,” she shrugged, putting her hand back down whether he’d taken it or not. She stood up casually, finally deciding ‘screw it, I’m taking the wet jacket off’ as she hung it on the stool next to where she’d been sitting.

[Raven Flametongue]

“I never said anything about a one night stand,” Raven shrugged and sipped at his alcohol. While he didn’t voice it though, such a thing was tempting. Especially given that she looked pretty good with the white shirt on. Even with a darker bra underneath it was certainly a nice look. Not that he looked long. He glanced once and then kept his gaze straight on, since he was still a respectful Dragon slayer.

He took her offered hand and shook it with a firm, but not tight grip. His hand was much warmer to the touch than a normal person’s, but not burning hot either. She was part of a guild huh? Well… He’d heard Blue Pegasus was actually doing something. So he supposed he could give her the benefit of the doubt. For now at least.

“Yeah, I haven’t really heard of you before,” He nodded after a moment. He down the rest of his drink and set the glass down. It was good. And maybe if he was alone he’d get drunk. He didn’t want to deal with his feelings right then. And she wasn’t exactly helping with that. “Though, judging by the cleared roads you’ll probably make a name for yourself before long.”

“And…” He took on a more aloof grin again. “It’s hard to sweep someone off their feet when the don’t want to be swept up like that. I’m not into the habit of forcing that kinda thing.”

[Cerys Whitman]

Yes, Cerys had made quite the name for herself locally, but beyond that she hadn’t done a ton other than occasionally visit her family. She did that less now that all of her sisters were scattered around Fiore doing gods knew what. Growing up did that, she supposed. Cerys shrugged her shoulders at the semi-compliment. He just had to sit back and watch her work if he wanted to see her make a name for herself. Or he could just stay out of her way. Either way was fine with her. Other than feverishly warm hands nothing really stuck out about him to her anyway. His personality certainly wasn’t winning her over.

“You assume I’m not looking for something, romantically speaking,” Cerys told him with a slight shrug, her arms crossed to hold in some warmth.  “I’ll have you know I’m quite the romantic. Not just when I want to be either. I’m like a lady Casanova all the time. It’s a curse. Especially to handsome men who don’t know how to keep their eyes to themselves,” she added, her tone less nonchalant than her body language. Alright, somewhere in there she’d started lying just to keep him on his toes. She was a romantic and she was always on the look for someone special, whomever it was, but she was hardly cursed with romantic ability. Judging by how the last guy had run from her when she’d handed him a matching shirt on their second date she had some adjusting to do before it was true.

“Not that it matters though,” she shrugged. “I’m not actually into men who take advantage of me getting wet in the rain and who think they’re too good to take me seriously. You could at least try harder to chase me off. You have to be firm and overzealous if you actually want me to be intimidated by you. So far you’ve accomplished a few flattering remarks and the offer of a free meal had you had warning.”

[Raven Flametongue]

“...I’m that open huh?” Raven asked as he grabbed the bottle. He mentally cursed at himself as he took a large shot, straight from the bottle. Kotone had him wanting that dupid bonding that everyone else did. And because he didn’t want to push people away as much, it didn’t matter how hard he tried.

“You got me,” He gave a slightly bitter chuckle. There was no point in trying to hide it, nor was there any point in trying to keep going. He took off his sunglasses and tossed them on the bar haphazardly, their clattering echoing in the otherwise ruined tavern. “I was trying half heartedly.”

“I wasn’t trying to take advantage of your rainstorm predicament though,” He stated with a small shrug. Crimson eyes stared at the liquor cabinet as they had since the first and only glance. Not only was this woman pushy, she jumped to assumptions too. This was why he wished it was easier to be alone.

It’d been so easy before he met Kotone. It’d been so easy to shrug people off. To make them not want to be close. To dismiss persistence. But now he folded like a stack of wet cards whenever someone so much as pushed a little. That much was evident with his last encounter with Kotone.

[Cerys Whitman]

Suddenly, Raven’s demeanor changed, asking if he was that open. Cerys crossed her arms as she looked at him with her baby blue eyes. She leaned back on the chair, not sure if she should be concerned with his sudden, almost bipolar –seeming switch. “You’re that open, lover boy,” she nodded.  “Honestly, I’m glad that was halfhearted, because it would have been really disappointing if you would have tried so hard and only gotten that much out.” She shrugged, closing her eyes and hanging her head slightly. Man, it was boring here. Raven was the only entertainment since she wasn’t drinking, and he didn’t look like he’d be much at this point. "Heck, if I hadn't known better I might have thought you actually wanted a date."

Another loud crash of thunder permeated the air, and the sound of a falling tree could be heard outside. “Seriously?” Cerys asked with a start. “From sunny day to this? I’d better not die wet and miserable. I’ve got so much more creative ways to go…” She shook her head, moving to sit down at the bar again.

“Alright so you didn’t mean to take a look but I’m a nice piece of work, right?” Cerys grinned slightly. “To be fair, I would have been tempted too.” The Blue Pegasus wizard leaned her head down onto the table, using her arms as cushions. “So what’s your story? Why do you want so badly to get rid of me? I mean, it’s not like we can go anywhere, unless one of us wants to hide in those dusty bathrooms over there.” Cerys was prying, but she didn’t expect a lot. Still, better than the alternative of letting him mope.

[Raven Flametongue]

He sighed when she admitted it seemed more like he wanted to date her. His whole plan had fallen through for a long time it seemed. He banged his head once on the bar, lightly, at the thought and then proceeded to drink a little more. Between Kotone, and now Cerys, he was frustrated and had no other outlet for the time being.

“We’ll be fine…” He muttered quietly at her complaint. It was likely she was complaining for the sake of complaining, but he felt the need to comment anyway. It was the most revenge he could muster for seeing through his apparently not so clever ruse.  

“You have a rather tempting figure, yes,” Raven admitted as a blush crossed his face and resisted shrugging. He also resisted looking at her again. He wouldn’t have minded for staring out of enjoyment for a change. Then her other question came up, causing him to close his eyes. That was a tricky one to answer.

“The short of it,” He began with a small shrug. “I grew up alone for the most part. Of the two I ever got close to, one’s dead and the other…” He paused and frowned slightly. “She’s out of reach now. My fault really, but that’s neither here or now. I just figure if it hurts so much to like someone, then I should just focus on my duty. It’s hard to do that with attachments.”

[Cerys Whitman]

Raven was an interesting character. No wonder he was traveling alone, thought Cerys as he banged his head on the table and halfway explained why he was so badly attempting to be a jerk. “Well I guess we all have our problems,” she nodded, sitting up partially but resting her head on her palm, her elbow on the counter. “I’ve lost a few dates myself. None of them were as serious as I thought they were…” she decided, with her own blush appearing as she glanced off to the side and glared a bit at the thought. She let out a sigh. “But you’re right, even if your expression’s a little off. It’s neither here nor there. You should learn to enjoy yourself bud. Trust me, there’s nothing inherently wrong with having ties. I’m the Ace of Blue Pegasus now. I have a lot of people to care for.”

She got back up, walking a few feet away with what felt like the millionth shrug that day. She was apparently getting the urge to do that a lot around Raven. “But what do I know? I’m just someone who measures and takes risks every day.” Cerys turned back enough to face him, giving him a wink, her eyes bright and full of life even in the darkness.. “Besides, as much as losing hurts, it’s the payoff from an eventual win that makes the losses along the way worth it.”

[Raven Flametongue]

He had, once again, not done a good job of conveying what he meant. It was close enough though, that he didn’t bother trying to correct anything. Instead he just listened to her talk. When she finished though, he shrugged back in response. He had nothing to come back with, no retort, or verbal attack. In one fell swoop she’d mowed down most of his defenses and didn’t seem to care.

It was a little upsetting, but he squashed those feelings down. He absolutely refused to let anyone else find out about his magic’s true nature ever again. It had blown up in his face last time, even if it wasn’t like Draco thought it would. The scene played out in his head over and over again when he didn’t want it to, and so he closed his eyes and took a drink to drown it out.

“Fun huh…?” He asked finally as he pushed himself upright. He honestly had no idea what would be fun anymore. He had though traveling with Kotone was fun. Turned out it wasn’t. He thought he’d have fun working alone. Turned out that wasn’t the case.

“What do you suggest then?” He asked keeping his gaze averted from her. “Just leave myself wide open for round three and hope it’s some fun, wild ride that won’t crash by the time I’m finally feeling comfortable enough to be honest with everyone?”

[Cerys Whitman]

“What do I suggest?“ Cerys shrugged, turning back around as she put her hands in her jean pockets. She was distracted enough that she barely noticed that she was starting to dry out, if only a little bit. “Heck if I know. I wasn’t given my job because I’m good at giving people advice. Heck, I’m pretty terrible at advice.” She resisted the urge to shrug yet again, instead tilting her head. Her hair was dry enough by now, since it wasn’t that long. “Though…” Cerys walked over to Raven, placing a hand on his head since he was sitting down. Him sitting down made them closer to the same height.

Her grin turned a bit more playful. “If it were up to me, you’d take the gamble with someone you had fun with. Maybe you’ll win, maybe you’ll lose, but you’ll enjoy your time you had no matter what. It’s all anyone can do, eh?” She took the time to ruffle his hair before spinning around to walk back over to the nearby pillar and lean on it, arms crossed. “Real friends are the people who keep trying even when things are tough. Or, that’s what dad told me when I was a little girl.”

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven shifted to look back at her when her hand rested on his head. That touch… Sure, it was cold compared to what he was used to. But there was a warmth there that he missed. He’d been so focused on being a loner during his training that he’d forgotten what it was like to simply be vulnerable enough to let someone touch him. When she ruffled his hair, a shiver ran down his spine. He was left wanting more when she walked back to the pillar, but didn’t pursue it any.

Instead he closed his eyes and pushed the bottle back. He was just about tipsy, and he didn’t feel as strongly about getting drunk as before. Take a gamble huh? “I’m not much of a gambling man. I’ve always been strong enough that I haven’t needed to gamble on anything.”

“...But maybe I should try,” He sighed and pushed himself so he was standing. He was suddenly feeling restless, kind of like when he thought about telling Kotone about his magic. Which gambling man or not, that wasn’t getting talked about. "Maybe I can be friends with you. Well… if my first impression hasn’t soured that chance at any rate.”

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys blinked a few times. She mentally raised an eyebrow with a slight outward grin to accompany it. “I’m not sure you exactly swept me off my feet with the standard cute girl line, but if you want to start something…” something being trying to be friends, “You’ll have to make a move. You can’t take a gamble by keeping all the cards hidden.” She didn’t have anything in mind, and obviously didn’t know he was a dragon slayer, but she did want him to come out of the shell he’d apparently built. Cerys had managed not to curl up into a shell when she’d made her own mistakes because of her blood hunger, she believed he could do the same.

Cerys looked at Raven, her eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to mostly make him out. It was getting darker though as time went by, and she had nothing to make light, unless she wanted to set the building on fire. “What’ll it be, hmm?” she asked after a moment, her eyes shifting across his face despite not being able to make much out. She even tilted her head, obviously interested in what he had to say, if he decided to actually try and be friendly.

[Raven Flametongue]

So he had to make the first move huh? So basically talk about himself… that thing he didn’t like doing. Mostly because of how sensitive the information was. He had to think about how to handle this… He couldn’t talk about his magic. And he had to be vague about his father. He also didn’t want to talk about Kotone if he could help it.

...His life was full of nothing interesting. He mentally cursed and looked around. It was getting dark, and while he was warm, it was likely his new friend wasn’t. So he began gathering bits of wood that no one would care about and began piling them in the fireplace. It was still in tact for the most part.

He stacked it up so it would burn nicely and then used a little magic to light it. He figured it would be an action that showed that he was willing to try. And it would warm up the place a little. Something he was sure she would appreciate. He made sure it was burning comfortably, adding wood and such until it radiated warmth. “So… what would you like to know then? Since I’m pretty sure that’s what you were implying.”

[Cerys Whitman]

Raven didn’t immediately answer, instead busying himself with making a fire out of wood from the abandoned tables and furniture in the place. As he did, she suddenly remembered she’d been freezing and wet for a while, and started shivering again. Stupid rain. As he stepped away from the new, warm flames, Cerys happily stepped up, rubbing her elbows and arms for warmth, nodding her appreciation. “That’s a decent start. Better late than never,” she decided with a grin. “Thanks.” She hoped she wasn’t going to get sick or something. Cerys had a lot of responsibilities, and it wouldn’t do to become Ace and then be out of commission. Not when the former ace had so nicely stepped down for her to take the position.

“What do I want to know?” she asked, lightening up the teasing a bit when he got serious about actually being a nice person. She sat down beside the fire, feeling the warmth creep through her again. It was something she didn’t know, but Raven would probably never be able to appreciate properly. “You said you had a mission of some sort, right? What do you do? You kind of look like a biker, but I didn’t see any lacrima bikes outside.”

[Raven Flametongue]

“Sorry,” He said sheepishly as he took off his jacket. He gently placed it around her shoulders before rubbing the back of his head slowly. “I use fire magic. So I’m always warmer. I sometimes forget other people get cold from stuff like this. ...I guess that’s my fault too for working alone most of the time.”

“I don’t have a bike,” He shook his head with a slight blush. “The motion sickness would kill me. I do like the look though. So I stick with it. And leather is a pretty durable material. I can wear it without it getting absolutely shredded in a tough fight. ...I’m rambling. I think.”

He paused and took a deep breath. He hadn’t realized how much he simply wanted to talk. He was jealous of people who got to do this normally. Shrugging that thought off he worked at relaxing. He was so tense and worried about things that it was causing him to second guess himself.

“As for what I do,” He said closing his eyes. “I’m a freelance wizard. I wander the lands helping people and taking jobs to ease the trouble of others. Hunting bandits, helping rebuild a house, I’ve done all kinds of stuff.”

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys listened to Raven ramble. It was actually pretty fun, though mostly because instead of a jerk he was a nervous wreck. She warmed her hands and eventually turned around to warm her back as well. “Motion sickness? Adventuring? That’s certainly an interesting combination. It must be slow getting around. Cheap though.” she chuckled lightheartedly. “What’s with the motion sickness? Have you always had it?” She was asking questions for his benefit, really, but it was entertaining. Plus if he actually wanted to be friends… well, she represented Blue Pegasus, and that extended to those who weren’t in the guild as well.

“Alright, your turn.” Cerys decided after Raven answered however he decided to do so. “Ask me something. Anything. If I can answer it, I will. That’s fair, right? I mean, if you're serious there's probably something you'd like to know.” She gave him a smile, now warm and mostly dry because of his fire. She wasn’t sure he was telling the entire truth. There were a lot of guildless wizards wandering around out there, but they weren’t generally so secretive about their lives if they were just wandering around helping people in various capacities. Maybe she could find out. Maybe not tonight, but hey, she had time, assuming they actually visited again. If he wanted a friend for real, he probably would. He would know where to find her. It wasn’t like she would leave her guild family alone for long.

[Raven Flametongue]

“It’s something I’ve had as far back as I can remember,” He shrugged and left off the part about about it being because of his magic. After all… that part wasn’t important. “It does save a lot of money though. And there’s always the occasional monster or group of highwaymen to keep my skills sharp.”

“And to be honest, It was a welcome break from crowded cities,” He continued as he took his turn to lean on a nearby pillar. “The open peacefulness of nature, as brutal as it is sometimes, is relaxing.”

With his answer out of the way, and her question out there, he had to think of a question. It took him a long moment before a good one came his way. There were, of course, some bad ones. After the wet white shirt, his mind drifted in that direction slightly. But he willed himself to be decent.

“How did you end up in Blue Pegasus?” He asked tilting his head slightly. The reason’s why one fought often told a lot about their character. And friends worried about character right? He honestly didn’t know anymore. He thought he knew but then Kotone left. So he was uncertain about what to look for.

[Cerys Whitman]

“I’ve spent time camping,” Cerys agreed cheerfully. She had done some traveling for a bit, for both pleasant and unpleasant reasons, but she’d always enjoyed getting to spend time outdoors, so long as it didn’t get too cold outside. She wasn’t the toughest girl, so she did get cold sometimes - especially when she’d lost too much blood.  “It’s pretty fun, even when you’re alone. I’m not the best cook though, so meals are generally a bit boring.” Cerys admitted. She’d been camping during her travels a bit lately as she did a bit of ‘field research’ on Shadow Heart and the Crusaders who both threatened Fiore.

Raven asked her how she ended up joining Blue Pegasus after a moment for his question, which made her wonder if he was interested in guilds. He didn’t seem the type, but then when she’d entered the building, he hadn’t seemed like someone who would bother building her a fire either. “It’s not that complicated, really.” She admitted. “I was learning magic and I needed a place where I could have help, away from my less magically inclined sisters where they wouldn’t get hurt. So… I joined Blue Pegasus because I recognized Master Jora and came all the way out to the guild hall. I think I was about thirteen.”

“Alright,” Since she had explained her joining, she decided it was her turn again. “My turn again. What’s been eating me was why you insist on being alone. I mean, the way you talk… I would assume you’ve never had many… or any friends. Is that even possible?”

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven silently listened, giving a knowing nod. Magic was a burden at first, no matter who you were. The lack of control would hurt people, destroy things, and eventually lead to self destruction. He’d seen it so many times since the war ended. There weren’t as many skilled wizards able or willing to train the upcoming generation. Raven didn’t consider himself able to, given the nature of his magic.

She’d also mentioned being in the guild since she was thirteen. Judging by how her body looked, she had to be much older than that now. And he doubted, as dumb as the guilds were, that they’d be so stupid as to put a child in what was essentially second in command of the guild. He still had some faith in them, even if they’d royally screwed up in his opinion.

“I sound like it because I haven’t really,” Raven shrugged from where he stood. “Like I said, one’s dead and the other’s out of reach for now. Both were my fault. I wasn’t there when they needed me. I won’t sling excuses around about it.”

“The other reason…” Raven tapped his bicep idly as he spoke. “My father was… powerful. At least in the sense of what we consider strength and magic power. He taught me to rely on myself, because the task he gave me was so important to him that he couldn’t trust it to a bunch of people. I think maybe I took his lessons about self reliance a little too literal, but I haven’t been distracted from my mission. Well.. much.”

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