Earth and Water

[Kasimir Sewik]

It had been a whirlwind of activity since first jumping into Lamia Scale. So many names and faces, Kaz was going to have trouble remembering them all. At first he'd been excited to see Astra, was about to talk to her when Amie entered the room... And Kaz had beat a hasty retreat out of the guild hall. For the time being he was trying to downplay the fact that he knew Astra. In reality Kaz had no idea what either thought about him hitting on them... Amie would probably take it a lot more seriously than Astra. In some ways joining Lamia Scale was going to give him even more opportunities to go after girls.

Well, this was as good as time as any. Tentatively Kaz stretched, testing his mobility. His wounds still had a ways to go even with the healing... but a little walk should be fine. He'd made it to Lamia Scale from Crocus, after all. Most of his injuries were completely covered by his normal getup; gloves and even a new black trenchcoat. No one was going to notice his condition, at least at a first glance. While he had managed to replace his coat, his sword was another thing. Kaz felt practically naked without the  gigantic Claymore sword on his back. It felt so much lighter... so very strange. That needed to be fixed.

He entered the first armory he could find. The merchant was busy with another customer, giving him time to look around. Swords, spears, axes, bows... there were so many options. True, the two-handed sword had been his weapon over the past two years. But... he was proficient in nearly all weapons to some degree. Did he want another two-handed weapon? It almost seemed like a sword too closely matched Gunthar's Claymore... and right now, it certainly felt like a new chapter of his life. So maybe a new weapon would be best... Then there was also the option of a holder weapon, but those were so much more expensive...

[Cerys Whitman]

It was like the world just wouldn’t stand still for the new Ace of Blue Pegasus. Cerys was barely at the guild hall where she felt she needed to be in her first weeks as Ace, instead asked to go on all manner of charity runs, helping her guildmates and especially Guild Master Jora. That’s why Cerys was there in the little shop at that exact moment. She didn’t use weapons normally, but she did pick them up when asked. This particular dagger, however, apparently was something special, and Jora had asked her to pick it up. Thankfully, it was at least pre-paid and all she had to do was grab the dagger and high-tail it back to Blue Pegasus.

“Thanks,” Cerys nodded to the old man behind the counter who was the merchant of the establishment. She turned as she moved away from the counter, her green short-sleeved jacket swishing around her torso almost dramatically. What was less dramatic, however, was the way she slammed right into the guy with the new trench coat, dropping the dagger and stumbling back slightly. “Ow!” she stated reflexively, squeezing her eyes shut for half a second and stumbling backwards. At least she didn’t fall over. “Sorry! Sorry!” she stated quickly as she bent down and picked up the dagger, scooping it up in one swift motion as she tried to move around the man without having to stand there apologizing.

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz was finding himself drawn to the spears and lances. They were still two-handed, but not quite as heavy as his last weapon. It would theoretically give him quite the range while not limiting his mobility as much as the Claymore... He was in the process of sorting through the lacrima lances versus the normal ones, when someone slammed into him. Hard. "...!" Pain sharply attacked his already wounded chest. He halfway lost his balance and collapsed awkwardly on one hand and knee. Dang, he was a lot more fragile than he should be. It was kind of pathetic... well, he had been almost dead just a few days ago, so maybe he was being too hard on himself.

He managed to get his pain under control, breathing lightly. It took an extra second for him to realize that he was being offered an apology. "Oh... um... No problem." It was forced. Clearly that bump had hurt quite a bit. He rose to his feet before it became too apparent. "Are you... alright...?" He started to trail off when he noticed who he was speaking to. A beautiful girl dressed in practical clothes, something about her eyes really seemed to pull him in. Did she live in Cerulean Town? They couldn't just part after a chance encounter, not like this. "I-I should've been more careful with where I was going," his words came out in a rush as he tried to think quickly. "Anything I can do to make it up to?" Because already, he was plotting potential ways to 'make it up' to her.

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys bent down to help Kasimir when she realized he was, well, not crying out because of some pain he was in. she picked him up quickly but gently, her gaze meeting his at about the time he started to stutter, asking if she was alright. He even hastily said he should have watched where he was going, a statement that caused Cerys to put up her hands, placing them very gently on his shoulders. “Uh, no! Not at all. I’m the one that turned around and bumped into you…”

She was at a loss for words for a long moment after that. What was she supposed to say? He’d asked if he should do something to make up the bump to her, but he was the one in pain… right? “Er, no,” she shook her head a bit animatedly, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so. She opened them quickly. “I’m the one that bumped into you. And you’re hurt. I should ah, well… is there anything I can do for you instead?” she decided to ask, gripping the dagger she had picked up to her torso absent-mindedly. “I mean, I’ve got time…” She did have time. Cerys wasn’t expected back to the guild hall for a short while. Besides, she would probably be shuttled off again the moment she arrived… she might as well do some good for this guy if she could first.

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz caught himself staring again. Quickly he blinked, remembering that he should at least try and act normal. But this girl… she was so kind. It nearly made his eyes tear up. He was always quick to admit guilt even if it didn’t belong to him… and few so adamantly opposed him. Yes he knew that she was the one who’d practically run into him, but that didn’t matter. She was kind enough to insist he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I’m okay, don’t worry about it,” he insisted. She was definitely observant if she’d noticed him floundering on the ground a few extra seconds. He grinned widely – she had time, which he was going to take as an invitation. “I don’t believe in coincidences, though. Maybe we were supposed to meet like this…” He was still talking when he finally noticed the dagger that she was holding. That was certainly a fancy weapon, not just one that anyone would be carrying around… he knew quality when he saw it. Wait… they were in Cerulean Town, so maybe… “Are you a Lamia Scale wizard?” He wondered. That would be TOO perfect. He didn’t even have his tattoo yet; that would be coming either later in the day or tomorrow… but he was still technically Lamia Scale. If she was too… meeting up again would be even easier.

“That dagger you’re holding, it’s not something a normal person would swing around,” he explained, rubbing the back of his head. “You must be a pretty talented wizard to be able to use it in combat…”

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys was relieved enough to let out a sigh when Kaz insisted he was okay. She’d been worried she’d damaged the poor boy, considering he was obviously already injured. As she’d sighed, she’d momentarily closed her eyes dramatically, but they popped open quite quickly when she found this man didn’t believe in coincidences, insisting they were supposed to meet. She blinked a couple of times, wondering what he meant before he asked “Are you a Lamia Scale Wizard?” before moving on to asking about the dagger and complimenting the combat skills he knew nothing about. The girl chuckled. He was certainly an interesting guy. He wasn't bad looking either.

“No no, I’m actually with Blue Pegasus,” Cerys told him, completely forgetting to mention that she was also the Ace in the heat of the moment. “The uh…. The dagger isn’t for me though. I’m running an errand… though… I’ve been running errands for a couple of weeks straight now. I could really use a breather,” she chuckled again. “I suppose you could say I’m pretty talented though, I mean… I wouldn’t be where I am if I wasn’t.” Cerys shrugged nonchalantly. “Anyway, you were talking about fate? Er, what sort of fate did you have in mind?” she asked, tilting her head in interest. As she did, her hair fell to the side so that her right eye was a bit more visible than it had been through her hair. "Oh, I'm Cerys by the way."

[Kasimir Sewik]

Kaz mentally regained back some of his control. Okay, so this girl wasn’t a Lamia Scale wizard. He supposed he’d really jumped to conclusions there; after all, it wasn’t like everyone in Cerulean was required to be part of Lamia Scale. At least he was right about the wizard part. “Blue Pegasus, huh? I traveled all around the world, but this is still my first time meeting a Blue Pegasus member. If I knew someone like you was there, I might’ve joined Blue Pegasus instead of Lamia Scale.” Yeah… he’d met Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale wizards, but never Blue Pegasus. At least, not those he talked with for any extended period of time.

He blinked a little. Okay, she was making this way too easy. It was almost like she was implying for him to take her out on a date. “Well, if you have extra time… why not spend some time with me? I was planning to walk around the beach, and I’d be flattered to have the company of such a lovely lady,” he winked at her. Okay, so he hadn’t been exactly planning to run down to the beach now… but it was the perfect spot in Cerulean for couples, or anything remotely romantic.

Actually, now that his nerves were a bit in order… he could sense her magical energy. She was being honest, not arrogant, when she mentioned she was pretty talented. Kaz couldn’t remember the last time he’d encountered a wizard strong enough to actually radiate energy. … Best not to cross this one. Not that he was planning to. She seemed alright, anyway.

“Cerys? That’s a lovely name. I’m Kasimir, but all my friends call me Kaz, so you can use that,” he smiled easily. “I do believe in fate, especially love at first sight. Even though it sounds crazy, I think that’s happening now…” Normally he wouldn’t have jumped so fast, but Cerys was making it too easy… Just hopefully she wouldn’t run away after mentioning the possibility.

[Cerys Whitman]

Kaz had traveled all over the world, apparently, though he had never met a Blue Pegasus member. “Maybe you missed the Northern part of Fiore,” she chuckled teasingly. “I promise I’m not that good at hiding.” She blushed a bit though when he said she could have persuaded him to join Blue Pegasus. He was quite the charmer for an injured man, at least to her. He seemed to be taking advantage of her offer, asking her to spend her self-imposed break time with him. He had even planned to go on a romantic walk on the beach. She couldn’t let him go do romantic things on his own! That was almost sad!

“Good to meet you Kaz,” she grinned happily. Then the grin vanished, replaced by an honest blush that was more intense than the mildly flattering statement that she could have persuaded him to join a different guild with her looks alone, or so the implication went. “Love at first sight?” Cerys asked, blinking a few times. Her hand had withdrawn to partially cover her mouth. She wasn’t sure what to think about that. She was a romantic though, regardless of what she acted like around other people on a normal day. “I um… well, I’m flattered,” she told him. She tended to fall in love rather quickly, herself, so while other people might have been skeptical… well… the blush explained itself. “I’d be happy to take a walk with you," she nodded, her eyes scanning his face.

[Kasimir Sewik]

Cerys’s blush was so crimson, it would have been hard for anyone to miss. She acted hesitant, but surprisingly… seemed to take his words completely seriously. Kaz was used to being shrugged or laughed off. Was this girl the innocent type? This was going far too easily. He met her gaze easily, smiling warmly. Just because it was easy didn’t mean he’d enjoy it any less. If anything, it was more exciting to be given a chance… “I’d really enjoy sharing your company, thanks.” His heart was pounding a lot harder than his calm façade showed right now, mainly because he expected her to turn around and run at any moment.

After they finished completing their purchases (Kaz equipped himself with a lance this time, instead of his traditional claymore), Kaz walked at a leisurely pace towards the beach. Being a nice day, and with plenty of sunlight still out, he suspected the beach would be fairly busy. “So what drew you to Blue Pegasus?” He wondered. So far they knew very little about each other, outside of the fact that Cerys seemed receptive to his flattery. He wanted to know more about her; to know what she liked and disliked… mainly in part to better plan his next moves.

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys was receptive. She was a romantic young woman at her core, though most people never got to see it. The sad part was, she was actually an incredibly devoted person. She’d managed to stop her blush when Kasimir turned to pay for his lance, and the two had walked out of the store together, with Cerys sticking the dagger in her bag on the way out. Kasimir asked her what drew her to Blue Pegasus, and Cerys figured she might as well oblige. He was pretty much inviting her on an impromptu date as far as she could tell. Getting to know the person was important.

“Honestly, it was Master Jora,” Cerys told Kasimir. “She’s a former model, so she’s really pretty as well as strong, and she’s kind of been my role model since I was a little girl,” she giggled nervously. “I know it’s probably a stupid reason. I’ve come a long way since then though. I mean, everyone there knows me and everything.” Cerys stuck her hands behind her head casually. “What about you? You say you’re with Lamia Scale? I mean, it’s too bad we didn’t meet before… maybe I could have changed your decision,” she decided with a happy smile. The beach was beautiful. Honestly, Cerys was impressed with Kaz’s choice of destinations. She didn’t get to see the beach that often, even when she came to port towns. He was quite the romantic. If he really meant to turn this into a proper date… she was probably a pretty lucky girl. "Man, I wish I would have brought my bathing suit... then again it is a bit chilly... but still... here I am at a beautiful place in an unexpected situation without one..."

[Kasimir Sewik]

The master of Blue Pegasus was a former model? Dang, Kaz wish he’d known that sooner. Then again, women in power could be scary. If he was a Blue Pegasus member he’d have to be overly careful with any conversations with Jora. … The entire guild knew Cerys? Kaz couldn’t quite place it, but he was starting to have a bad feeling. She had to be someone at least reasonably important and strong, considering that he could feel her radiating magical energy, and that she’d mentioned something like that… twice now. He tried to shake off the strange feeling. It was probably just his normal paranoia kicking in.

“No, I think it’s great that you stuck to a dream you had from your childhood,” Kaz defended her when she mentioned it might be stupid. “That takes a lot of dedication. A lifetime of hard work. And from what you’ve said, it sounds like you’ve finally met that goal.” He was speaking with complete honesty. Having a dream from so long ago and then the years that went in to fulfilling it… It was something he had never been able to do. True, maybe he hadn’t had the same amount of time as others in making it true, but… he knew he was worse than the average person. When he was guildless, he was wandering in more ways than one, always trying to avoid obligations.

“If we had met sooner, I’d probably have rethought my decision to join Lamia Scale,” he laughed a little. “Actually, I just joined today. I’m not sure if it’s quite official yet, since I get my tattoo tonight or tomorrow. But one of the main reasons that I’m joining is to try and be more committed. I have a few friends I’d like to help out there. So… I can’t just go and change now.”

The beach was just as he remembered, his last time in Cerulean had been with Astra. … As soon as they hit the sand, he took off his boots. Even if they weren’t in swimsuits, he still wanted to feel the sandy earth between his toes. He was in the process of half taking one off when Cerys commented on being unable to bring a swimsuit. He stopped practically mid-motion, staring at her. Honestly, that was one of his normal thoughts – why didn’t girls have swimsuits available when he asked about hastily constructed dates? Already he was imagining what kind of swimsuit Cerys would wear, maybe a few different ones, debating about which one would look best.

He coughed. Remembering his original purpose, he tossed off his last boot. In past experiences he knew girls didn’t like wearing bathing suits as a first-impression sort of thing. Cerys didn’t seem to have that issue, a note that he was not missing. “Maybe next time we can go swimming. I mean, I’ll be living in Lamia Scale, so if you’re in town again I’ll be easy to find.” Assuming he wasn’t on any missions, of course. He had no idea how busy his new guild life would be. He was so tempted to just take off his trench coat and give it to her when she mentioned it being chilly. The problem was, that coat was currently hiding the extent of his injuries, and he rather preferred that didn’t become the topic of choice. ”It is very beautiful, but can’t compare to you,” he said with surprising ease, like a simple fact.

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys giggled happily at Kasimir’s insistent praise. He didn’t know a lot about her, but he must have some sort of positive opinion to be this insistent, right? Well, she wanted to think so anyway. One could never know where they would just run into something good, after all. “Well you should be around your friends. Guilds are about bonds,” Cerys nodded knowingly. She clasped her hands behind her as she walked beside Kaz. “Besides, I’m familiar with people in the other guilds. It’s a bit more recent though. I think it’s good to branch out.” Cerys stopped to take off her sneakers as well, playing in the sand a bit with her toes and enjoying the feeling.

Cerys was looking around at the beach, thinking about how nice it would be in the summer. It was still nice despite that absent factor, and she found herself gazing at the water as she listened to Kaz talk. She nodded when he suggested they might go swimming next time. “That’d’ be fun,” she told him. She was about to turn and grin, as her impulse wanted her to do when he decided to say she was beautiful. That pesky blush returned at that point, and for a short moment she froze. She turned back and gave an even wider grin than she had originally intended. This wasn’t her first romantic encounter, so she wasn’t clueless. That didn’t mean she was all that experienced though. This guy was really enjoyable. He was a gentleman, and he seemed to have what Cerys honestly hoped was good taste.

“You’re pretty easy on the eyes yourself,” Cerys told him, blinking her baby blue eyes as she moved slightly closer to him and looked around nervously again. She was nervous. Dates always made her nervous, but it was fun to get to know people, especially when they were genuinely interested in you. "You know, so you aren't the only ones giving compliments..."

[Kasimir Sewik]

Guilds were about bonds... yeah Kaz liked the sound of that. Bonds would only form with time and care. Which meant he was going to have to get used to the idea of facing challenges, instead of just running away. Kaz grinned at hearing Cerys's laugh. They both seemed to be engaging each other well, which was only encouraging Kaz further. "I guess I'll learn more about bonds in Lamia Scale, assuming I manage to fit in alright. I suppose even though the guilds are different, they all share similar ideals and goals. Maybe I'll meet others from different guilds now, like you."

He paused, feet wriggling the sand between his toes idly. She'd pretty much already agreed to seeing him again. He only froze completely when she returned the compliment. Their eyes locked, the sound of the waves in the background. Cerys was leaning in closer, and unconsciously, so was he. Wait... wasn't this too soon, even for him? His heart was starting to pound as he began to wonder if he should seriously make a move this soon. One step at a time. His hand wrapped around Cerys's, he offered her a smile. "Thanks. From the moment we met, all I wanted was to be at your side. To receive compliments from you, is more than I dared dream of... It makes me very happy...." It was... he had never met someone like Cerys before. Honestly, he was starting to think he'd fallen in love... he couldn't let this pass away without acting.

[Cerys Whitman]

Cerys found herself blushing as she looked at Kasimir. She couldn’t even do much else for a long moment, not after his smooth words. She was a sucker for this sort of thing, and where many people might say he was being daft for rushing like this, she thought he was being very romantic. After a moment, She cracked a small grin as she looked over his face. She hadn’t expected to literally run into a romantic interest on this job. Then again, that rarely was something a person could so easily predict, so she doubted they just expected it.

“Well, I’m here now?” she told him questioningly, not really sure what he wanted to do about his desire to be by her side. She was free now that she’d picked up the dagger on schedule, after all, and was free for at least a day or two. At least if she wanted to take time to make sure she kept her sanity. “So… I can do something beside you today. Like…” Cerys looked at the sand and wished it was a bit warmer. She was fine barefoot but standing in the water would be a bit too chilly. “Well, what do you have in mind, Casanova?”

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