I'll Survive

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade had dealt with a lot of people lately. He’d gone on a job, and been out of town for a while. He preferred to be at Lamia Scale, learning about the people there, and helping out, but here he was, in Cerulean. Most of his time was spent in the Southern part of Fiore. It was home for him. He’d been at Lamia Scale the morning, but he was intending to head farther away. Intentions were all well and good about an hour’s walk from home, when he ran into some robber’s harassing a woman.

The men ran away and Kade chased them down. Kade had more stamina than speed, so eventually they wore down and he caught up to them. Unfortunately they were apparently running through their territory and he didn’t see that coming. He also didn’t see coming the trip wire and the ranged magic attacks. It was dark out by then, and he wasn’t feeling his usual chipper self as he would in sunlight. He was weaker, but when he realized he was about to be attacked, he wasn’t going to just stay laying on his stomach. He grabbed his bow from off his back and rolled over. The trip wire was sturdier than expected and it cut his leg as he rolled around, but at least he managed to avoid an incoming wind attack.

Kade pulled back the string of his bow and aimed. As he pulled back, an arrow of light materialized and lit up the area. He released and it and struck one of the robber’s. By now Kade had to stand up because he could see the other was planning to come in for a close fight. Kade pushed himself up and engaged in a fast paced fight which eventually resulted in a bloody nose on his end, and an escape attempt on the robber’s end. Kade let him go, noticing the bag that had been stolen from the woman, and snatching it up. He didn’t care if the men ran. He didn’t have the energy to bring them to authorities, and they would at least be reluctant to attack anyone.

The young man was really missing daylight as he limped over to the nearby beach. Salt water was not going to help him any, and walking on the sand wasn’t ideal either, but at least the moon was reflecting off the ocean and Kade felt a bit more comfortable with that. His bow slung on his back again, he looked like an unlikely hunter. His vial necklace was in place as usual, and he had on some jeans and a white t-shirt, not exactly normal gear. He was also lacking arrows, which people pointed out looked strange sometimes, but no one was around to do it now. He eventually took the t-shirt off and ended up walking around in a wife-beater, the shirt held to his nose to stop the bleeding. “Seriously got to work on not getting into fights,” he sighed. He wasn’t even sure how he was going to find this woman, but that was more of a concern when he made it back to town, which might take a while.

[Zahn Skye]

Really, Zahn had little reason to be on a beach. He didn't like being in crowded areas. He didn't like running into people. However, the night had been almost perfect and he'd figured no one was going to be at a beach at night. So, he found a nice spot and decided to rest for a while, stargazing in the meantime. However, all of this was interrupted when Zahn caught sight of Kade. At first he was a little annoyed someone else was on the beach at this time of night. Then he saw the condition of the other mage and grimaced.

Here we go again... I'd better go see if he's alright...

Zahn picked himself off the sandy ground and walked over to the young man, his cloak obscuring most of his personage.

"You look like you could use some help..."

Honestly, Zahn wasn't sure how much he could do for the other mage. Even if he used his magic it wouldn't exactly "help". However, seeing the sorry state the other mage was in caused a twinge of guilt in Zahn, as if he was the one to blame. Seeing as he was the only other one around at the time he felt more than enough obligation to the bloodied young mage. He had to help him, especially since no one else was around to do so.

His gear suggests he's capable of tracking, though carrying around a bow without arrows...? So, can he summon the arrows? He's fairly plain looking, which means I should keep my guard up even more. Normal people do not carry weapons.

Zahn gave the young man a once over with his non-covered eye, sizing the young man up. He was slightly shorter than the other mage, but built a lot sturdier and the other's demeanor suggested a fight wasn't going to be necessary. Suddenly, Zahn felt very overdressed. His cloak at night made him look like a spectre and would probably scare off anyone who did have a lot of confidence in their battle abilities. He held his hands out in a peace gesture and then took of his cloak.

"... and I still feel overdressed..."

Whether Kade caught Zahn mumbling to himself or not, the Jinx magic user held out his hand to shake and continued speaking.

"I'm Zahn, and as I said before... you look like someone just ran you over."

Smirking Zahn gazed steadily at other beach-goer. The humor in his voice showed he meant no harm with that comment. At least, he hoped it did. He could never really tell how people were going to react to him.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade really enjoyed spending time with people. It was one of his favorite things, talking to others. When he was a child, he remembered his parents watching over him. He enjoyed spending time with them, though he wasn’t often around a group of children his age. When he was being raised on the Island he definitely didn’t see people. Celtor was great company, but when he’d gone, Kade found himself in the same predicament. Alone and unsure what to do. He appreciated his guild, and anyone who saw his right arm, where the guild tattoo had been placed, should know he was proud of being a part of that.

Instead of running into “anyone” Kade saw someone sitting, wearing a large cloak. Kade didn’t pay him too much mind, or at least not obviously. He’d just been thrashed for his poor planning, and he wasn’t going to let that happen again. He still held his shirt up to his face as the man stood and walked over to him. “Hi,” Kade said, somewhat standoffish in his tone and posture. The man pointed out that he looked like he could use some help, “Yeah, my friends thought the same thing, I guess not bleeding out of my face was a problem they wanted to solve,” he joked, shrugging his shoulders. He was in pain, but he wasn’t going to make it sound more dire than it really was.

Kade stood there, feeling scrutinized as the man sized him up. “… Yep… standing here,” he voiced quietly, completely to himself. He felt odd being looked at like that, but the man removed his cloak and Kade supposed that was a good sign. “Ah, well, normally I wear more, but I didn’t really have a coat on. It was nice weather… lucky it still is,” he said, considering how much worse it would be to be out here in this shape in the winter.

Zahn’s teasing was met with a chuckle, “Yeah, I imagine so… I’m just heading back to Cerulean. Got a guess as to how far the walk is? I was sort of running when I left,” he admitted. That sounds sketchy…. Great, just carry around some money, while appearing beat up, talking about running from town. Now he’s going to think I’m the robber. Oh well, just don’t say anything else weird like that.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn was glad Kade took his teasing in good humor. A lot of other people might've been offended. Zahn laughed a bit on the inside when he saw that Kade was uncomfortable being sized up. He did that to everyone he talked to, though everyone was really a very small number of people. The young Jinx mage also noticed that Kade wasn't comfortable talking about the place he'd been running from but rather than think he was shady this only served to make Zahn want to help him more. Instead of being angry or suspicious Zahn just looked a bit sad. He knew what it was like to run from something.

"I know what it's like... To run from something and then have to go back. Well, I don't seem to have much besides time on my hands. I might not know the how long it will take to get back, but I wouldn't mind making the journey with you."

It wasn't really well-disguised, but Zahn's demeanor shifted suddenly in an attempt to change the subject. Zahn felt like he needed to stick around. He'd already offered his help and he certainly wasn't lying when he said he thought Kade could use it. He didn't mind helping people, and though Kade wasn't dragging him into anything he wouldn't have minded even if Kade had come up and started the conversation instead of the other way around. However, one problem remained...

"So, it's nice to be traveling with you, at least for the time being, but uh... I didn't quite catch your name."

Zahn smiled a little sheepishly. His phrasing was awkward and he seemed a little nervous, even to himself. He just wasn't good at talking to people. Each word he uttered seemed to tire him out. That was just the way he was, but he still felt like when offering someone help he should try to hide his own failings a little more. His new companion was injured so Zahn felt obligated to hide his own problems, social or otherwise. Not that he expected it to work, but habits were hard to break.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade took a lot of things in good humor. Apparently some people found him hard to get along with. He had literally never been told that. He’d never even gotten that impression. Kade was a likeable guy who got along with everyone he knew unless they were utterly obnoxious. How hard was it to meet that limitation? Well not everyone liked him, and that was alright. Not everyone needed to like him.

The man, whose name Kade didn’t yet know, said he knew what it was like to run from something. Maybe Kade should judge. Maybe Kade should learn, distrust, all of that. No, Kade took people for themselves. This man had yet to do anything wrong. “Running isn’t much fun for anyone.”

When the man asked for his name, Kade was quick to reply, “Kade Lazarus. Pleasure to meet someone nice, on the beach, at night, while I’m limping. Not a usual circumstance, but I’ll take it,” he said with a soft chuckle. Kade could keep in good spirits despite almost anything. “So, Zahn… nice name. Uh, are you from here? Er, around here?” he asked. He didn’t care if Zahn was guildness, in a guild, from here, elsewhere. If Zahn was a dark wizard, Kade would care, but otherwise, eh, he could deal. He was just making conversation.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn could see for himself that Kade was thinking about what the young Jinx mage had said. Apparently Kade wasn't bothered by it and for that Zahn was extremely glad. Kade was obviously the trusting sort, and it felt honestly nice to be trusted and liked by a person right off the bat. Zahn was learning to appreciate people's straight-forwardness in new ways each time he met someone.

"Running isn't much fun for anyone."

Zahn stopped a moment as he heard that, then burst out laughing. This new friend of his was definitely worth keeping in contact with. He just summed up a lifetime's worth of doubt Zahn had had in a single sentence.

"You got that right, Kade."

Kade continued to joke for a bit, then asked Zahn if he was from around here. Zahn looked at him a moment, and decided that it was okay to have some fun with the other young man, despite his injuries.

"Yup... I just floated up out of the sea and was wondering how I'd make it back down to the bottom when you showed up."

The Jinx mage smirked as he said this, letting Kade know he was trying to joke with him. However, he became more serious momentarily.

"We should get you back to wherever you were going. It's late and I don't like the idea of you traveling alone back to a place where, apparently, it is common to receive injuries like that."

Honestly, Zahn didn't know whether Kade was going to accept his offer, but Zahn wasn't the type of person to just leave someone alone, especially if they were injured. Kade was making light of it, but even if the injuries weren't that bad Zahn didn't like seeing people get hurt. Before Kade could object or once again mention how his condition wasn't that bad, Zahn refastened his cloak and hood and started walking back toward the town.

"Let's get you to your destination."

The change in demeanor was noticable, even to Zahn himself, however the young mage didn't want to spend any more time thinking about injuries or anything depressing like that. Kade seemed like a nice guy and it made Zahn angry that someone had hurt his new friend. He'd never tell a soul but he liked people and got attached to others quickly when he came out of his own little mental shell. That's why he wanted to help Kade and wasn't going to hear any word to the contrary.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade was the trusting sort, sure, but not the naïve sort. Trust was earned and broken, but he wasn’t expecting the worst from complete strangers. Now if they were shady and slowly approaching him, he wasn’t going to run up and give them a hug, but otherwise, they weren’t screaming “I cannot be trusted!” Zahn also wasn’t screaming anything about distrust, so Kade was content to walk with him. When Kade commented on running, Zahn started laughing. Kade found himself laughing a bit as well, enjoying the lighthearted conversation. It was certainly preferable to what he’d just dealt with.

When Kade hung around the younger people in his guild he often felt old. Twenty-two didn’t seem old to him, but even hanging out with an older man he knew, Kade could feel old. Perhaps it was his serious nature. He could joke and have a great time, but he was serious when it came to matters that needed serious attention. He didn’t take too lightly to playing around in those matters. Not that he was awful, he just needed to focus. Tonight wasn’t such a strict matter that Kade needed to put on his serious face. He continued to chuckle as Zahn made a joke about floating up. “Well I must be quite the distraction, you’re not even in the water anymore. And you look almost dry,” he remarked with a smile.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say its common. Some thugs stole jewels from a woman in town. I chased them down but ran into traps… that’s not really how most of my evenings go,” he admitted with a shrug, “But still I appreciate the company.” Kade noticed the lack of information about where Zahn was from, other than the ocean, so he changed the subject, “So, like how the weather has been lately?” Small talk, something Kade had nothing against.

[Zahn Skye]

((Sorry I took so long to respond. My computer's been acting up the past few days and today I was kind of slow in responding to you, even though I should've done so earlier. Sorry again.))

Zahn listened to Kade give his explanation of the situation, as well as claim he appreciated the company. Zahn's face took on a subtle, pained look and while he was fairly certain his hood would prevent Kade from seeing his face he couldn't be totally sure. The look was hidden quickly and Zahn continued walking back toward the town as his new companion made small talk.

... ugh, small talk. What a pain in the ass.

Zahn said nothing aloud, though it was clear he wasn't interested in making too much conversation. However, he remembered something Kade had said earlier about his name and how it was nice. He smiled, mostly toward himself and nodded, lost in his own thoughts.

"Sorry, I didn't quite introduce myself properly. My full name is Zahn Skye. I quite like my name, and you mentioned that it was nice earlier. Thanks for that."

The young Jinx mage was being completely honest. He very much appreciated the gesture of someone, even a stranger, telling him his name sounded nice. He always felt happy whenever someone said they liked his name, or that it was nice. He knew it was just a polite thing to say and a lot of times people didn't even mean it but he still found some comfort in being proud of his full name. He felt confident that Kade wouldn't mind hearing his full name and as far as small talk went it probably wouldn't end up being too much of a serious discussion.

"As for the weather... eh. Tonight's pretty nice, though I suppose... I just like the night better than the daytime. There's something pretty peaceful about being alone in the dark on a cool night and looking up at the stars in the sky and just losing yourself in a dream."

Zahn smirked, once again to himself. He was almost waxing philosophical there, though each word he uttered seemed to drain a little bit from him. He wasn't really used to saying a lot to other people. If he did speak, even if it happened to be at length, it was usually about random nothingness. It wasn't small talk per se, but he didn't often say anything of any real importance to others. He liked keeping to himself, even when he was out on one of his mercenary jobs. Still, Kade seemed nice enough even if he was a bit too chatty for Zahn. So, Zahn would at least try to make the same effort and converse with his companion as they made there way back into town.

"So, do you live in that town? I presumed earlier that was the case and that it was also your desitination this evening, but I suppose I could be very wrong about that. I guess I do that a lot. Assume things that might not always be true."

The young Jinx mage realized he was talkinjg a little too much for his own liking and quieted down again, refocusing his gaze back on the town ahead while waiting for Kade's response.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade was a chatty person. He held entire conversations with a girl who was legitimately afraid of him because he was outgoing and nice to her. Secretly he felt like she actually liked having someone give her attention, but if that was true, it was buried pretty deep down. Still, he liked talking, and small talk was something he enjoyed. Joking around, making friends helping people, just really talking for the sake of talking. Talking to himself wasn’t fun, but if he talked to other people, that was nice, right? Well Zahn was clearly having none of that, because he didn’t respond to Kade’s talking. Kade mentally shrugged and didn’t carry on any more, but still seemed to be in a good mood.

It was nice when Zahn seemed pleased again. Apparently he was very proud of his name. Zahn Skye. Full name. Snazzy. Kade nodded, “It sounded important,” he said. He’d considered “fancy,” or “formal,” but important sounded better in his head, so he threw that one out. He wasn’t sure how Zahn would take that, but Kade just kept walking.

It turned out commenting on Zahn’s name allowed Kade some small talk. Well that was a pretty awesome trade. He could get on board for that. Apparently Zahn was a night person. Kade smirked, listening to the whole comment. The night was all well and good, but the light dragon slayer definitely had a preference, “There definitely is. I prefer sunlight, personally… it makes me feel alive and alert.” And charged him like photosynthesis. Kade left that last part out, but he was sure Zahn wouldn’t miss it.

“Nope. I don’t live in Cerulean. I did when I was a kid, actually, but then I moved,” which was at least partially accurate. If by “move” he meant ran away after his parents were killed and he nearly was. Eh, all those needless details. “I live a bit away now, in Lamia Scale, actually,” he explained. That part was entirely true. “Assumptions are bad and all, but you can always fix those by asking questions. Clearly I like talking a tad bit more than maybe I ought… but its just how I am. Where are you from?” he asked, since the question had been directed at him so recently.

[Zahn Skye]

As Kade chatted away Zahn's face broke into a small smile. His companion's unrelenting chattiness was comforting in a certain way. At the very least, Zahn could trust Kade to always be himself no matter what the young Jinx mage said or did. He let down the hood of his cloak once more when Kade mentioned how he thought Zahn's name said sounded important.

Important, huh... Yeah, more important to me than anyone could possibly imagine...

The duo kept walking for a while, Zahn remaining mostly silent. Kade mentioned how alive he felt in the sunlight and Zahn smirked.

What a roundabout guy... He's pretty good at getting information on the down-low and knows how to uses his words carefully.

Zahn couldn't quite make heads or tails of Kade. He was straight-forward at times, and sly the rest. Kade continued talking, responding to what Zahn had said and putting forth his own opinions on how assumptions could be taken. Kade made a little small talk about his life, and how he moved away from the town they were headed to at a certain point. Zahn nodded, understanding what it was like to leave a place behind. After his sister had essentially kicked him out of their family he'd left and been wandering about ever since. He never made it too far out of Era before recently, so seeing new places and meeting new people was an experience he didn't quite understand yet. Kade finished his monologue off by once again asking Zahn where he was from. The young man's eye twitched at the question.

He's pretty stuck on that...

Zahn sighed and took a moment to come up with something to say.

"I've been homeless for a while. I wander about, doing what I please. I wouldn't really say I'm from anywhere..."

Zahn trailed off again. He didn't really feel too much like sharing his life story with someone he'd just met. He did feel sort of attached though and resolved that if he and Kade met again after this he'd give him more to work with in terms of information. However, with the Council cracking down so hard on the Guildless right now he wanted to keep his secrets as closely guarded as he could without seeming rude. He just continued walking silently.

"Sorry about the lack of conversation... I'm... just not used to talking to people a lot..."

Somewhere along the way Zahn had realized the atmosphere between the two travelers had turned slighty awkward because of his unwillingness to participate in small talk. He wasn't trying to be rude, but he just wasn't as talkative as Kade was. He tried to convince himself that an apology would suffice to make up for the lack of communication.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade was pretty good at being himself. Who else would he be good at being? He wasn’t someone who excelled at lying or acting. He could keep things a secret, of course. What dragon slayer couldn’t? Still, he was just himself, and he was laid back and friendly. Most people liked it. Some people didn’t, and Kade either hung around or he didn’t, depending on how they treated him, and what he thought of them.

Kade could be roundabout, but he often didn’t think about it. He could also be manipulative, but that one was on purpose. He was a nice guy, but sometimes he needed to know things, or wanted to, so he used his social skills to reach that point. However right now he would have been utterly confused about seeming roundabout or sly. He wasn’t sure how asking about the weather, then stating a preference, or admitting where he grew up would be sly. It was the opposite in fact. Sure, he left out “I like light because I was raised by a dragon” but that wasn’t even sly. Lucky for him he kept happy and casual. He apparently forgot he’d asked for where Zahn was from. Kade would blame the injuries and just generally floating around in his comments. It wasn’t a check list of dialogue so much as when things came to him. Luckily Zahn didn’t seem to mind too much, besides sighing.

“I did that some too. That’s how I learned to hunt. Or, I guess, I was taught to hunt, but that’s how I got better at it,” he explained idly. It didn’t seem like Zahn wanted to drag on with the comment of where he was or wasn’t from, which Kade realized, and tried to sidetrack a bit. To him, just saying nothing wasn’t normal, so making a distracting comment helped. Zahn apologized for not talking much and Kade smiled, “Oh, that’s fine. I’m kind of used to talking… around people, I guess. I’ve got some friends who really don’t talk, so I probably don’t tune in to ‘I should say less’ as much as I maybe ought… like… now,” he said with a small shrug. Yep, Kade, just… bowling right along. Maybe he did do that more than he thought…

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn listened intently as Kade mentioned hunting, and how he learned to get better at hunting when he'd be on his own. The young Jinx mage smiled at this, relieved at hearing that Kade had survived an experience very much the same as he had gone through. Many a night Zahn would wander about alone and hungry. Being alone wasn't so bad and honestly Zahn didn't much mind it, but being hungry was never fun. Zahn learned how to take care of himself quickly.

"Heh..."

Zahn chuckled a little, mostly to himself, as Kade responded to the young Jinx mage's lack of conversational skills by at least half-way admitting that he was talking a little too much. Still, if Kade like to talk then he should be allowed to say as much as he wanted.

"Well, don't let me stop you... I don't say much most of the time, but if you want to talk I don't think anyone should stop you..."

Zahn was being completely honest. He didn't want to stop his companion for talking, but the more Kade talked to him the more awkward Zahn felt. He just wasn't used to the company nor was he entirely comfortable with having a conversation with someone he'd just met. Still, there wasn't too much harm in letting Kade continue to talk. Especially since the trip into town was taking a little while longer than Zahn thought it would.

"... so I noticed that you have a pretty powerful magical aura..."

Whoops. Open mouth, insert foot. Zahn knew it wasn't polite to point stuff like that out, especially since he didn't want to be questioned on his own magic. Though Zahn had taken steps to hide his own magical aura by covering his eye with the eye-patch he could never tell if anyone else could sense his own magic power or not. His comment might seem pretty intrusive, even to someone like Kade. He sighed, silently admonishing himself for the unwarranted comment.

Dammit, what the hell where you thinking, dumbass?! Why did you have to go and ask him that...!?

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade’s experience probably wasn’t exactly similar to Zahn’s. Kade didn’t know Zahn’s experience, but Kade hadn’t met anyone whose life had been similar to his. He felt like he forgot how to interact with other people, and he’d completely lost touch with society. Being away from them for so many years had certainly changed his view on things. Yet he was a very social man now that he was used to things again. The part about learning to fend for himself though, that could no down parallel.

Zahn informed Kade that he shouldn’t stop talking if he didn’t want to. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a calm grin. Mostly no one ever told him to flat out stop talking, but they did sometimes have a bad habit of showing him they didn’t want him talking. The little girl he pestered was much the same. Awkwardly willing him to walk away, while then hiding from him. He knew she did it. He wasn’t stupid. Sometimes he let her hide. If he stopped seeking her out though, what would that prove? He was thinking about then when suddenly… “… Do I now?” he asked, arching an eyebrow at Zahn, sounding more serious. He wasn’t sure how Zahn could sense his aura, or maybe he was bluffing. He’d spent a long time not being called out on his power, and while he knew he wasn’t the strongest person, he also knew he was fairly capable. No one just informed him he had a powerful aura. It seemed Zahn regretted that decision.

“… um… I guess that’s subjective, anyway… though I’m guessing you use magic then.” If he was commenting on auras, he probably did.

[Zahn Skye]

Sure enough, the question about Kade's magic came back to bite Zahn in the ass. Obviously he used magic. There was no way he could've known otherwise. After years learning to maintain precise control on his magic and dampen it with his eye-patch he just blew his cover in an instant. He was extremely glad Kade hadn't asked him if he belonged to a guild. If he had Kade would be well within his right mind to try and drag Zahn to the Council. The young Jinx mage heard that the Council was always on the lookout for Guildless being turned in to face trial. He sighed once more, this time even more dramatically. He would have to answer the other mage's question.

"Yes... that's right. I use magic."

Against his better judgment, Zahn reached behind his head and unfastened his eye-patch. He slowly stuffed it into one of the pockets in his pants and opened his eye. The kanji for "Bad luck" was clearly visible on the eye as he gazed at Kade with both eyes for a moment before re-fastening his eye-patch.

"Most of it is concentrated in there. Sorry about earlier. I thought all mages had a vague sense of the level of power other mages posses. I'd assume the Council uses that to their advantage when they hunt down Dark Mages and Guildless..."

The Jinx mage trailed off, not really wanting to talk about the subject further. He'd really gone and done it now. Honestly, he didn't think he could apologize enough. Kade was obviously not enjoying this line of conversation and while Zahn hadn't meant any harm by his comment he realized it had been rather rude.

"Sorry again..."

Zahn looked a bit crest-fallen. He really didn't know what else to say in this situation. As he was casting his eye over the ground he noticed Kade's guild mark out of the corner of his eye. He brought his face back up and smiled grimly at Kade.

"I really suck at talking... Sorry about that. Um... do you mind if I ask if it is fun being in Lamia Scale?"

Zahn had spent a long time memorizing the official Guild's marks. He'd heard Lamia Scale was full of powerful mages, though Fairy Tail seemed to be slightly more powerful when it came to combat ready mages. He'd also heard Lamia Scale wasn't as quirky as Fairy Tail most of the time. However the Guild Mark gave him an excuse to engage Kade in small talk, which Kade seemed to like a lot. Plus, the way he asked the question didn't warrant a return question from Kade. It was just a plain and simple inquiry about Kade and Zahn waited patiently for Kade's response. Once again, each word out of his mouth seemed to sap a little of his energy. He really wasn't used to being very talkative with others. Especially other people he'd basically just met.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade didn’t mind guidless mages. He didn’t call them that though. “Oh, we found some guildless” just sounded like herding cattle. “Oh, thos people,” it was just impolite. He didn’t suppose Zahn was in a guild. Guild wizards had a sense about them. Pride. Pride in themselves, and in their guild. They picked that guild, that guild picked them, and they were pretty proud of that fact. Zahn didn’t mention a guild, making him likely a guidless wizard. He showed his eye, and Zahn arched an eyebrow at him, examining it for a moment before it was hidden again. Well… Kade’s eyes were pretty boring by comparison. His were just light blue, no symbols at all. “Not that I know of. Although from what I know, the Council, when they’re actually off doing something, tend more for ‘oh, he used magic! We saw it! Where’s your tattoo? None? Jail for you!’” he said, with extra dramatic flair in his voice. He’d have moved his arms some too, but he was sort of hurting, and flailing, not such a good idea. With that he maintained a distinct lack of flailing, but still smiled lightly. “Wouldn’t know too well with personal experience, I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone from the Council.” And he was saying nothing for dark mages.

Kade didn’t find it so much rude as odd. It was probably like saying “you look strong,” to a muscular person. Based on how Zahn was talking at least. “Its fine,” he said. When Zahn asked about Lamia Scale, Kade smiled. It was like being asked if his family was likeable. Sure, they didn’t have this “we’re all relatives” thing as with Fairy Tal, but they were still his friends. As far as he knew, Blue Pegasus were… annoyingly wealthy. Fairy Tail were insane. Maybe that was exaggerated, but that was what Kade had noticed across the board. Then there was Lamia Scale, the less insane, more general group. He supposed putting him and some of the people he knew in a room did average out to some sort of cohesion and sanity. Maybe what people said was actually right.

“Yeah, I think its pretty fun. I mean, there’s the general perk of having a roof over my head when I want it, a bed, people to hang out with, or avoid, depending on who you are. And a consistent list of jobs to take for money. What’s not to like?” he asked. He knew some people didn’t, because they weren’t in a guild. Also that was a general guild comment, not his. “As far as my guild… I think its fun because of the people there. They’re my friends, and can be pretty goofy at times, but they’re good kids. And they only make me feel old when they start saying ‘planning is boring, let’s run in and hit everything,’ so that’s a perk,” he said with a small laugh. That had definitely happened recently, although not with his guild. “I have a taste of wanderlust, no doubt… but having a home, and people to go home to never get old for me.” He didn’t ask Zahn anything. He wanted to see where Zahn went with this, or if he responded at all. They had some time, with Kade basically limping along.

[Zahn Skye]

As Kade tried waving about, making light of the Council and keeping up his good-natured attempts at conversation Zahn smiled. His new friend was certainly an oddball, but Zahn found that he could not fault the other mage for keeping a sense of humor about things. The young Jinx mage honestly wished he had more of a sense of humor when it came to something like laws or politics. Zahn noted that Kade was making an effort not to comment about the Guildless or Dark Mages Zahn mentally congratulated Kade for his way with words.

Such tact, and from a person who appears to be slightly younger than I am. Kade is definitely someone worth keeping in contact with, that's for sure.

The Jinx mage laughed as Kade finished up his thoughts on the Magic Council, appreciating not just the honesty but the levity as well. He also noted the slight change in tone when Kade responded to his question about Lamia Scale.

So, he's just as proud of being in his Guild as I am being Guildless. What a fun person...

Zahn let out an amused sound as Kade went on to describe the benefits of being in a Guild as well the social aspect of Guilds. The other mage seemed especially happy to have people to talk to that shared his opinions and concerns as well as a place to call home. Zahn felt a pang of regret when Kade mentioned the part about feeling like a Guild was a place for him to belong. Zahn understood what Kade meant by that and the fact that Kade meant no harm by bringing it up. Still, he couldn't help feel a little envious and irritated as he recalled that not too long ago his only family had essentially disowned him.

"Sounds like Guilds are pretty fun."

It was a pretty matter-of-fact statement. There was no judgement or anger in Zahn's voice. Just an acceptance that what Kade had told him were the mage's true feelings about his Guild. His thoughts raced, but he decided against sharing any of them. The duo were nearing the town, so Zahn just motioned with his head and continued on in silence for a short while.

"I'll admit that you're right... Having a place to call home would be nice..."

There was a great deal of sadness in Zahn's voice, though his words were chosen carefully. It wasn't just that the Jinx mage was not part of a Guild, but that Zahn felt like he didn't quite belong anywhere. Hopefully, Kade wouldn't pick up on that. It might warrant some more unwanted questions. Zahn cloaked himself once more, using the mantle to cover his entire body once again, his head mostly obscured by the hood and his body hidden by the rest of the cloak. It was almost time to say goodbye to Kade, at least for a while and Zahn hated goodbyes. So he just walked on, trying not to go too fast for Kade's sake.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade liked to think people could read him. He didn’t need to be dishonest to get people on his side. He was likeable, for the most part, so why not like him? Right? Right? No, he wasn’t actually that desperate for attention or approval, but both were nice. He didn’t always know what was wrong in Zahn’s mind. He didn’t know about all the problems. Saying he’d been homeless for a while was a far cry from saying he’d been disowned, so Kade didn’t know to be sensitive to that. He knew to be sensitive in general, but sometimes that wasn’t enough. Making comments about himself, in a good way, or a bad way, could sometimes upset others. It wasn’t his first guess though.

“I think so,” Kade responded, as far as guilds being pretty fun. He did notice that Zahn was sad when he said it would be nice to have a home. Right… he had said he had been homeless for a while. Hm… Kade wasn’t sure if he should comment or leave that along. Well, he wasn’t always that great at leaving things along, so he decided to try to make a comment to ease the problems. “When I lost my parents I didn’t expect to have a home… until someone took me in… and when I lost him… when he disappeared…” Kade sounded too serious. Not sad. He felt sad about the situation, but there was no use sounding sad about it now. He just needed to… finish the comment, “well. I don’t think people truly know how important home is until they’re without it. But anyway, no need to dwell on the negatives, right?”

Zahn shielded himself in his cloak. It was such a clear representation for how Zahn must be feeling. Vulnerable people were the first to guard themselves. Kade sighed as he let his mind wander. Limping along wasn’t his favorite activity, but he was managing. “If you’re around town for long, you should stop by. I’m usually around, and if you ask for me I promise free lunch. If you’re interested of course,” he offered. He didn’t want to dwell on the negatives at all, and leaving on a note like that… no, he needed to make the comment.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn cast his gaze back in direction when Kade mentioned that he was usually around town and invited Zahn to join him for a meal at a later date. He smiled at Kade, silently thanking his new friend for the offer.

Even though it'd probably be better if he didn't associate with me, he's still taking the time to offer kindness. Some people... really are nice.

Zahn seemed to perk up. He slowed his pace so he was right next to Kade as the other mage limped along and offered his shoulder to rest on. Kade was injured, yet saw fit to offer his own sort of kindness to the young Jinx mage and there was no reason Zahn couldn't return the favor. For now, he'd go into town with Kade and once his new friend was safe he'd be off to somewhere to occupy himself for a while. He couldn't stick around in one spot for too long, but he'd most certainly and graciously accept Kade's offer for food.

"I appreciate the offer. I'll be glad to take you up on it some time. I don't usually stay in one place for too long but..."

Zahn trailed off again, collecting his thoughts. He didn't want to have to run around all the time, but the Council's Seekers would most likely track him down again at some point. Better to keep moving for a while, then return at some point down the road.

"Ah, look. We're almost there."

The town was just up ahead. Which meant Zahn and Kade didn't have much time left together, at least for now. Zahn looked a little sad, but was happy due to being able to help someone who seemed to be a pretty good person. He'd be sure to make good on the unspoken promise of returning to visit Kade. He supposed it wouldn't be too bad of an experience to actually see the inside of a Guild with his own eyes... or at least the inside of a place where he could scrounge up some food. He'd been on the road for a while and the last time he'd eaten anything but scraps and water was right after he'd fought Atrum, the Fairy Tail fire mage...

What a good fight that was...

Remembering his training with Atrum made him smile a bit more, as he continued to walk with Kade. Maybe meeting new people wasn't always that bad...

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade didn’t know anything of Zahn’s thoughts, but they probably would have made him smile, and feel bad. It wasn’t that he considered his life particularly traumatic, although it certainly had its hardships. He figured he was lucky to have experienced two loving families, even if he lost them both. He also figured that everyone deserved kindness, and everyone should show it to others. After all, how much were people getting from life if they went around picking on everyone and being loners? He probably wouldn’t enjoy that.

Kade took the help offered to him, even if he was pretty sure he could manage. He’d managed thus far, right? Well that didn’t exactly mean he wasn’t hurting. So while he hobbled along, now with help, he smiled at Zahn’s accepting his offer of free food. “That’s great. I’ll make sure its good too. ” He chose not to nitpick about Zahn trailing off and mentioning not normally staying in one place. HE had a friend like that. Always wandering, but he always came back sometime. Kade didn’t think it sounded as much fun without a home to return to.

“Town sweet town,” Kade said, not quite calling it home. It was home in its own way, but it wasn’t quite as special. He might not spend as much time in Cerulean as he could. He didn’t know if he wanted someone to say “oh, you’re the Lazarus boy! I thought you died with your parents.” Yeah, not exactly an ideal afternoon. So he left that part alone. It was nice to see someone actually taking the time to help someone else. It was pretty good, even if it started with chasing down some bandits and getting hurt. “I appreciate the help… and I look forward to when you come to visit, Zahn,” he informed his newly made friend.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn listened and smiled as he friend assured him the food would be good. He really appreciated the thought and nodded to himself, lost in thought once more. He noticed that Kade remained silent after he changed the subject of where he was staying. He once again mentally thanked Kade. The other mage was far more understanding than most people he'd met.

Maybe I'm just not meeting the right people. His description of his Guild, and Guilds in general... they really do sound like a family. Warm and fuzzy and all that. Still, I'd rather not get involved with too many people. He might be proud to be in a Guild, but I'm just as proud to be Guildless. Living any way I want, never having to answer to anyone but myself. Sure I might have a little more baggage than most mages but...

The Jinx mage shook his head slightly, dismissing the depressing thoughts. He hoped Kade wouldn't notice his sadness. Kade was upbeat and that was nice. Zahn came back out of his own head long enough to hear Kade say "town, sweet town" and laughed at little.

"Y'know, you're pretty cool... for a motor-mouth."

Zahn's voice was playful, letting Kade know he was joking around. He liked Kade's positive outlook. Honestly, he thought it was a good view to have and wished he could be a little more like Kade. The other mage thanked him for the help and mentioned that he was looking forward to seeing him again when Zahn came to visit. The Jinx mage nodded and smiled.

"I'm looking forward to it too. Good food, and meeting good people like you."

The young mage's voice was resolute and confident. He was happier than he'd been in a long time. After he dropped Kade off maybe he'd go find some way to repay Kade for his kind offer.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade cooked a lot, for several people, so he was sure he could make something edible. And something tasty. He specialized in baked goods, fruit, and meat. He didn’t exactly serve rabbit ever at the guild, due to his friend owning a small horde of rabbits, but he ate it a lot when he was out and about. It was an easy meal. Still, he preferred fruit, and thus he at a lot of that at the guild hall. Kade was capable of depressing thoughts, but he just didn’t let them get to him. The things in his past, the troubles of the present, those were things to be dealt with, not things to be drowned by. That was how he felt about everything. It afforded him a very happy life, no matter the hardships. He realized many people were not like that though.

Kade laughed when he was teased. “Motor-mouth, hm? Maybe I’ve just got lots of interesting things to say? All vying for the ability to get said?” he teased back. It was a fun exchange. Even if Zahn clearly wasn’t as comfortable chattering on. He allowed Kade his needless comments while saying a bit more himself, and Kade tried to tone things down enough that they weren’t uncomfortable. What did people need besides a bit of compromise to get along?

“I’ll make sure to screen out the undesirables,” he said, still joking. He didn’t think anyone in the guild would drive Zahn away. Sure, some were extreme, and some were extremely out there, but they were good people all the same. “Have a nice night Zahn. Goodbye,” he said. He needed to go find that woman and give her her things. He hadn’t expected to meet such good company while hunting down robbers, but he was glad he had.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn smiled as his friend teased him back. Kade was much nicer than he'd been expecting. The promise a meal and meeting new, interesting, and most importantly kind people was something the Jinx mage could look forward to. As Kad continued to joke on, Zahn thought about where he'd head next.

Maybe I'll travel about some more and meet some more people. It seems like I still have a lot to learn about the world and myself before I can decide where I want to go in life.

Kade wished him well and said good-bye, leaving Zahn to wave to his new friend and return to his own thoughts. The young Jinx mage sighed. Once again, he was alone with his thoughts. He drifted from thought to thought, all while scanning the area for a place to catch a nice rest. He'd have to find some way to continue to stow away aboard transport.

Or I could just stay in the city for a while. That is an option.

Zahn caught himself arguing alone, and smirked. Only he could so vehemently disagree with his own decisions. He told himself that being on his own, at least for now, was for the best and then continued on his way. He once again covered himself in his cloak and walked around, taking in the night breeze and watching warily for anything. Eventually, after a long dull period of nothing happening, he came to a way out of the area. He turned his head back to where he'd come from.

"I... promise we'll laugh together again at some point, Kade. Stay well..."

With that, the withdrawn young Jinx mage left for parts unknown.

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