Unwealthy Refuge

[Deion Ryder]

Shirotsume Town. Deion wasn't happy to be back here again. He might have called it home once upon a time, blind to the true plight of mages and with his mother, but no longer could he keep those thoughts in his heart. He knew the true heart of this town, before the end of the oppression. He seen them when he was younger, the mage servants. Sometimes they were simply slaves. They were usually brought here to entertain the wealthy in their expensive mansions with lavish tastes. Deion was disgusted by it, he seen what the wealthy had done. He knows they would do it again.

They came by boat, having passed through Harujion. There was no reason to stay there, Deion did not have a door he could open. But here, in Shirotsume Town he could at least secure them a resting area with interruption from those looking to find T.N. Deion had been leading him through the streets, many of the residents waving to the young man and giving him pleasant looks. Others would give dagger-eyed stares. Deion would only smile, possibly wave to them. He did not stop to chat with them.

He would come to a stop outside a mansion that seemed to be in good shape. It was made of black bricks, very few windows and a large balcony. There seems to be some sort of ivy latched onto the walls, each vine had thorns on it, though brilliant red and white flowers bloomed on them. Even in the moonlight, it was a good sight for Deion to see. He turned to face T.N.

"This is where I grew up, we're here to get a spare key and we can stay a few days to rest if you want.", Deion stated. "Don't interact long with any wealthy people, they're pigs in human clothing. Greedy bastards who used to have mage slaves and servants. Best not to get on their bad side.", he stated as he unlocked the front door and entered, leaving it open for him to follow through.

"This is the main hall, my grandparents used to own it, then my mother. Since my mother disappeared I'm the only one who has the rights to the land. I don't like the town though.", he stated. The main hall was in pristine condition, all white with red cloth decorations. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, despite in being dark in the room. Deion flicked a switch, getting the lights going. "There's a lacrima in the building that powers everything, I have a set of neighbors who keep the place in good condition and well-stocked. The lower floors are off limit, no questions.", he stated. "The main floor has the main hall, the kitchen is in the northern wing, the servants quarters is located in the western wing even though we've never really had any, there's a library in the southern wing, and the eastern wing has an entertainment room.", he stated, pointing out the four doors in the main halls.

"There's at least three to four bathrooms on the second floor, a master bedroom, a guest room, 5 other bedrooms of varying sizes.", he stated as he pointed up the large staircase. "There's also a spiral staircase that leads to my mother's personal library of magic. I don't have the means to unlock the door, so we can't get up there.", he stated. "Make yourself at home.", he said as he tossed a key at T.N.

[Taichi Negeel]

The boat trip from Onibas to Shirotsume Town was the best sleep he’s had since he escaped. Mostly because he could finally rest assured that nobody would find him. He assumed nobody would look for him on the sea, and now that he had a traveling companion there was someone to cover for him.
Traveling by foot had been hard on him, the weather conditions, the wilderness, accompanied with the constant fear that someone was tracking him. In towns this fear increased a tenfold, but it did provide some comfort and distractions as opposed to the wild, but even a comfortable bed provided little rest for a fugitive. Either way it sucked to travel by foot, so traveling by boat was a nice change.

They arrived in a fancy looking town, all buildings large and appeared like they costed a fortune. It seemed Deion was well known here, which raised a few questions like: Were the rich people here just as cruel as those in west Fiore? If so, why was he on good terms with them? Did they not know he was a mage? And did those who gave him foul looks know about it? Was walking here with Deion going to bring them both on the radar or in danger?

He decided to save those for later though and continued to walk by his side in silence until they arrived. Taichi looked up at the mansion, not sure why they were stopping here since he could definitely not afford a luxury like this. He had a clueless expression on his face when Deion turned to him to tell him he was raised here. He didn’t even know how to respond that or the fact that he was offered to spend a few nights. Before entering the house the other warned him about the mentality and history of the wealthy people here, to which he firmly nodded “Got it.”

It was dark when they entered, but he could still see everything in the spacious environment. But when the lights turned on the beauty of it came forward, making Taichi reminisce about Lotus Castle. The castle he grew up in himself was a far different style and with different decorations and colors, it was so large he had to assume it could fit a town. But it was filled with cruel people who were entertained by the suffering of others, and even amongst relatively high positions such as slave trackers and dog trainers there was pestering and ridiculing from higher ups. And even thought the castle was humongous, his own quarters faltered in comparison to the luxury and space that Deion had.

When told that he wasn’t allowed in the lower floors he was of course curious, but respectfully kept any questions about it to himself. He couldn’t say anything even if he wanted to, truly speechless that a mage like Deion had all this wealth to himself. Not that he didn’t come across as fancy, but Taichi couldn’t imagine any mages living it large in this day and age. Still a bit baffled by it all he caught the key’s that were tossed at him, then smiled humbly. “Thanks”

He started to aimlessly wonder through the main hall. He used to spend so much time training dogs that building friendly relationships with humans still took some getting used to. “I didn’t expect you to be so.. stinking rich”

He joked, using slang on purpose. He knew how to speak civilized, but that fitted with his old profile. Plus he enjoyed this new personality he had taken on, and felt more like himself this way. From all his needs the one that was currently suffering the most was his entertainment. He had been lost to insanity and on the run for so long that he couldn’t even recall the last time he had a good time. “What do you do for fun around here?”

[Deion Ryder]

"Rich? No, this isn't really wealth. Like I said I have good neighbors how take care of this place. Consider it a safe haven more than anything else. Any wealth the Ryder's had disappeared, my mother didn't really care about it when her parents passed away so she only used it when needed. They were mages, they knew how to hide it. They were good at that.", he said in response to the stinking rich comment, rather somberly. "I think my mother gave all the money to the Yarrow so they could acquire supplies, I'm not sure.", he added.

"Fun? Hmm, well when I was growing up I used to fight, I practiced with a few different weapons here and there. I liked to spend time in the library, it's a grand collection of books. The kitchen is great, you can make all kinds of things in there.", Deion said, realizing they probably had different definitions of fun. "Oh, you probably don't have the same interests as me. Like I said there's an entertainment room in the eastern wing, I'm not sure whats in there. Probably some training equipment in a storage closet, and a few other things. It's hard to not be social with the other wealthy here, they almost demand your presence when they're throwing their lavish parties, so we really didn't have much.", he stated, a little empty with his last words.

"I'm going to get washed up.", he said as he removed his gloves and set them on a nearby table. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to get a feel for it. "Yeah, I should probably do that.", he stated. "I'm sure you'll find something in the eastern wing if you look hard enough.", he said as he was walking up the stairs. "Oh, and the kitchen should be stocked, so if you're hungry you should be able to get something in there.", he added. "So just take a look around, you'll find something.", Deion said as he reached the top. "I know its not much, but its something for now.", he added as he disappeared down a hall.

He closed a door behind him, and started running water for a bath. He wanted to relax before doing anything in Shirotsume. The warm water would certainly help remove the stress of dealing with these people and their greed. Plus he didn't like smelling like a boat, he reeked of fish and other ocean-related things. I can't wait to wash those stenches away. Hopefully he finds something to do until I'm back, Deion thought as he undid the buttons on his vest and neatly folded it, setting it on a nearby table. He peeled the rest of his clothing off and slid into the water after he turned the knobs back, stopping the flow. It was warm, wonderful as he breathed a sigh of joy. He slid deeper into the water, only anything above his mouth was not submerged. I'll just stay here for a few minutes. I do need to eat something after all, he thought.

[Taichi Negeel]

The whole idea of neighbors taking care of the house only confused Taichi. To him it was still Deion’s house, and owning such a house on its own indicated wealth. But he understood from him that aside from the house he didn’t have much jewels, and that he felt remorse about the past. He assumed that perhaps his grandparents met an unfortunate end, and didn’t ask about it to avoid bringing forth any negative emotions.

Fighting seemed like a good use of his time, but not so much entertaining or relaxing since he still felt guilty over beating up mages for the fun of it. And cooking was a skill he didn’t have. He knew how to start a small fire and ready a fish or other animal above it, but that was about it. It wasn’t something he ever thought necessary to learn, and had no clue if he would enjoy it or not. He did know he didn’t want to mess up any of the other’s food or dirty the kitchen, so cooking was not an option. Apparently his best option was the eastern wing, even though Deion didn’t make it sound promising. The mage explained he visited the parties of the other residences back in the day, but didn’t throw any himself.

When Deion left him behind Taichi thanked him, feeling awkward about himself as he waved him goodbye. The guy basically invited a stranger over, told him where to find anything, and then left without a care. Taichi didn’t understand all the faith the other put in him, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t steal some things and run off, or enter the forbidden lower floors, or look through any of his private things like his mother’s underwear. He wondered what she looked like, his own mom being an attractive woman for her age, something he still felt awkward about. Imagining an older, sexy and female version of Deion with long hair he started to blush, then shook his head to literally shake off the idea of the other’s mom in sexy underwear.

Without caring for his own personal hygiene he made his way to the eastern wing. Not that a bath wasn’t welcome, he just wasn’t in a rush to get washed up. He had been in far worse condition when it came to dirty clothing and bodily odor with all the stunts he had to pull to escape west Fiore, not to mention the unforgiving wilds he had to cross. So for his standard the way he was now was still relatively clean.

Once there he turned on the lights and had a look around. At first glance he saw some closets, tables, and a dart board. He walked over to the table, his hand gliding over it as he walked passed it to look at the paintings on the wall. He was still unsure what to do, strangely at ease, like this mansion would not fail him as a hideout, not for this moment.

[Deion Ryder]

Deion was relaxed. As relaxed as one could ever be living in Shirotsume. He was hoping none of the idiots here knew about his friend's delicate situation. It would certainly pose a problem if they were aware. Judging by their lack of reaction they had little interest if anything. Then again, my grandparents and my mother did have a terrifying reputation among the people. Perhaps they think the same of me, he thought. He gave a sigh. He couldn't say he was looking forward to what could come next, not at all. Everything was fuzzy, he couldn't figure out how thinks would play out. He just knew they would, better or worse.

Deion pouted. The water seemed to get cold quickly. I was hoping it would last longer. I suppose it is for the best, I do have a friend to look after. Should I even be calling him that, Deion thought. Perhaps he would ask if it would be alright if he did refer to him as such. He lifted himself out of the bath, and pulled the plug to drain the water. He looked to his clothing as he dried himself off with a towel. They were worn, needed to be cleaned. He would just go get another set from his room to wear, it would be the easiest thing to do. He retrieved a dry towel, slid his underwear back on and wrapped the towel around his waist. No way I'm wandering around with someone here with only a towel around my waist, talk about embarrassing if it fell down, he thought as he cleaned up any mess he left.

He closed the bathroom door behind him. He made sure the towerl wouldn't come loose, before placing his hands over the markings on his forearms. Since I can remember..., he thought, before looking towards his waist. Though the towel was around it, the Ouroboros around his waist was visible, unlike the waistband for his underwear. "Tch...", he muttered, hoping T.N. wouldn't raise any questions about the markings. He didn't really have an explanation for the five markings, or why one of them was like a tattoo. He went down the stairs, and headed towards the Eastern Wing.

He leaned against the doorway as he looked around. The lights were on, but it didn't seem like much was going on in the room. He spotted his guest. Hmm, perhaps we should address a few things while we're here, he thought, giving a loud cough to get his attention. "Ah, I was hoping you'd be over here.", he said with a smile. "So we've got some things we'll need to discuss if I'm going to help you first.", he said as he narrowed his eyes on him. "Nothing costly I assure you, I simply want to know what I'm getting into. Can't say I'd like to fight the government or something on that scale. Since they aren't in the business of slavery anymore it of course has to be a few different options.", he stated.

"Oh, and we'll need to talk magic as well. I'd like to know if you can actually use your magic or not, chances are the best way to go about this is going to be training, maybe look for any kind of guild or something. Even taking on jobs that only mages can handle can bring in money and experience.", he added. Deion seemed very happy, from the stupid grin smeared across his face. "So lets get started!", he stated.

[Taichi Negeel]

On one of the paintings was a depiction of a part of town, a top down perspective of a street, with fancy houses and dolled up men and women walking through the street. Approaching the view is a carriage led by two horses. Driving the carriage was a gentleman with beside him a pooch. Seeing this warmed his heart, he didn’t realize just how much he missed his dogs until now. He could always find a friend in a canine, but not that he was on the run a four legged friend would only raise suspicion. Thinking back on his happy memories with the dogs he trained he lost track of time. He wasn’t sure how long he was lost in thought when he was awoken from his fantasy by a cough, immediately turning around to face whoever it belonged to. He was relieved that it was only Deion, to his amusement, wearing but a towel around the waist.

When he saw the birthmark he couldn’t think of it as such, to him it clearly resembling something that had been somehow painted in his skin. Whatever it was, he thought it was cool and had to contain himself to not talk about it. This was no problem since the other was eager to talk, and the topic of discussion wasn’t one to be taken lightly either. To hide his uneasiness Taichi had a giddy smirk when Deion mentioned he didn’t want to fight anything on the scale of a government. Eventually he would find out that something of exactly that scale was targeting the refuge, but the young man wouldn’t bring it up if he didn’t have to. He didn’t want to alarm his gracious host, not sure if it was out of his own interest or the other’s. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Taichi walked over to the other mage and listened to his suggestions. The idea of training magic a scary thing to him, since he had only used it once on instinct and didn’t know what he could do with it besides protecting others. Until now he hadn’t dared even try, out of fear of both his own power and getting caught. Deion was even talking about taking on jobs! Not that he didn’t want to earn his keep, but he felt beleaguered by the sudden suggestions on magic use and openly admitting to others about being a mage. Though he did have his curiosity towards his own magic, he dreaded the idea of practicing, afraid that he might hurt himself or others. Despite his discomfort he didn’t want to let Deion down, not after seeing how excited he was about it. “Right! My magic, it’s um.. Well I only did it once, and it all happened so fast, but what I think it did was.. some kind of glowing armor, or something like that.”

He was undoubtedly insecure about his magic type, and scratched his head in attempt to avoid how he felt about it. “I’m not sure if it can do anything else. I’m not even sure how I did it in the first place.. It just happened when I-“

He stopped his sentence, his mind flashing back to his sister about to get whipped by the slave keeper, out of reach for him to do anything about it. And yet he did. It was a painful memory, but he managed to push his emotions aside and resume his sentence. “really wanted to protect someone..”

[Deion Ryder]

"I see.", Deion stated. He couldn't say he was pleased with the response, it wasn't a lot to work with. "So right now we don't have a good measure of how strong your magic might be. Everyone has potential, even if they aren't aware of it. How you go about reaching that potential is ultimately up to you, if you even want to use your power.", he stated. "But hey, at least you've used it at least once. It sounds like you're describing a defensive magic.", Deion added quickly. He took a step into the room, and headed over to a nearby chair where he seated himself.

"Well I can't force you to get used to your magic, that's a choice entirely up to you.", Deion stated. He seemed to consider something for a moment before continuing. "Capable of using any weapons or fighting skills in general?", he asked. Deion didn't seem to want to pressure anything, but he would if he had to. He ran a hand through his hair. He was glad it wasn't cold in the mansion. "No matter, I'm sure we have time to figure all this out. So, anything you wanna do while we're here in Shirotsume Town?", Deion asked.

He didn't realize just how that sounded. He turned his head down, trying to hide any embarrassment. I should really be careful about what I say, Deion thought, keeping in mind he knew next to nothing about his guest. He turned his head back up to face T.N. after the embarrassment passed him. "We can go out and do something if you want, though there's not much to do here from what I know. It has been a while. I'm sure there's something we could do, there are restaurants so there's bound to be something.", Deion stated.

He scratched the back of his head. "Just let me know what you wanna do, I'll be game for it.", he said, not watching words once again. He didn't catch onto it like last time, and instead simply seemed oblivious to it. "I don't mind one bit, as long as I get a warning about it.", he added quickly, keeping himself seated on the chair.

[Taichi Negeel]

Taichi followed when Deion moved over to the table to sit down on a chair, and took a seat across from him. He felt relieved when the mage explained he didn’t have to practice magic if he didn’t want to, it meant he didn’t have to fear rushing into practice and jobs like the other suggested earlier. When he was asked if he had any weapon or fighting skills he reflected on what he had told the other so far. He looked a little troubled, unsure whether or not he had told him about castle lotus, or that he was a dog trainer there, but he did recall having told him that he was from west Fiore. Either way, in case he hadn’t told him yet, he wasn’t sure whether telling him would be a good idea. On one hand he knew it was best to come clean about everything. On the other hand Deion openly admitted to disliking the idea of an enemy of continental scale.

Thankfully there was no rush when it came to information, the other even told him it didn’t matter for now. Taichi leaned his lower arms on the table and folded his hands together, comfortable about having the time to sort things out. He looked a little surprised when asked if he wanted to something during his stay here. Not because of how it could have been interpreted, but simply because he was already thankful that he had shelter. That, and he had no clue what this town had to offer, nor was he eager to expose himself to the outdoors. He did read the other’s complexion, seemingly shying away from eye contact. Am I making him uncomfortable? He wondered.

His wondering thought was brushed aside when Deion returned his attention to him, putting the option to eat at a restaurant out there. Taichi was hesitant, if they were going to be in each other’s company it might as well be in the safety of a private establishment. He took a moment to let what followed after sink in. A half-naked man stat in front of him, now for the second time suggesting that he come up with something for them to do. And basically saying he would comply with whatever suggestion was thrown at him. Was the guy being naïve, or was he trying to find out if he was into men? The comment that followed had Taichi snort with laughter. “I’m sorry”

He apologized for the sudden laughter, not intending to mock him or anything. Though he had to know what kind of situation he was in right now. He raised an eyebrow at him with a naughty smirk “Are you hitting on me?”

Perhaps he was being a little straight forward. Realizing this he leaned back in his chair, his arms following, resting one hand on his lap while the other fixed his collar. A little discretion couldn’t hurt in a situation like this, his gaze shifting to the left with his smirk ever the same. “I won’t blame you if you do or anything. I’m generally more into girls, but..”

He couldn’t help but chuckle, just where was this conversation headed? He was certainly not against the idea of a little healthy experimentation, but admitting to such could weird the other out if he never had any such intentions. When he directed his attention back to the other he realized just how personal he was getting, and decided to drop the flirty attitude. He put his hands up in surrender, trying to humor the situation with an apology. “I’m sorry, of course you’re not hitting on me. I haven’t even showered yet, what kind of filthy lay would I be.”

Sadly, jokes couldn’t fix everything. Perhaps the best way out of this conversation was to get out of this room. He got up from the chair, committing to his shameless attitude in hopes of alleviating any awkwardness that he thought he caused. “How about we make some food. I’m not much of a cook so I’m sure you can teach me a thing or two”

On his way out of the room he passed Deion, taking this opportunity to playfully mess up his silver hair, which was too short to be effective anyway. “Let’s go hot-stuff!”

[Deion Ryder]

Deion was wishing he was somewhere else. Maybe even someone else. His face quickly turned red. He didn't know what to say in response at all. I didn't mean that at all, was his initial thought. But then again its not like Deion had any concept on stuff like that, or even what he might enjoy. Whether he would enjoy that sort of activity was a mystery to him, and whether or not he knew who he'd enjoy it with. He was at a loss for words of how to respond to T.N. now, on one hand he was horribly nervous about those kinds of thoughts, completely unable to even say yes or no. The other, he was curious. He wanted to know what it felt like, to be with someone. To be intimate with another. But he was also worried about getting burned. Hurt, he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted, he just knew he wanted something.

He was very happy when the subject matter was changed to food. He smiled a little, though still thinking about what T.N. had said. He couldn't really think of anything to respond with, simply remaining quiet. "Yeah, food would be a good idea.", he made the effort to respond. Deion grew even more flustered when his hair was played with. He didn't exactly have a response, but he stood up and followed him, watching him closely as they walked. Deion also stopped and opened a closet door, pulling out a new set of clothing for himself. He let the tower drop, revealing red boxer briefs. He slid into the pants, put the white shirt on and tucked it in, buttoning it up before sliding the red vest over and sliding the belt through the loops on his pants. The last thing he did was put a tie on, and slide his hands back into a pair of black gloves. "Better.", he said as he fixed his hair and followed after T.N.

"Ah, I can cook yeah....", he started. He felt a little distracted. "You know, growing up here is kind of sheltered. I didn't really get to do much, and the people were so weird. I guess I'm just not used to being around others. Sorry if I've said anything weird.", he said. He opened the door to the kitchen and turned the lights on. "Anyway, here's the kitchen. Anything you want in particular or should I just make something simple? Probably is stocked with enough food to do something.", he stated as he walked over to a stove. He tested the burners, turning them on and watching them light up. "Well this still works. I'm not sure how old it is.", he added.

"Oh, yeah if you wanna forgot all that stuff before that's fine too, I've never really had any experience with that sort of stuff. It wasn't intentional to lead into that, but I admit there's curiosity. But there is much that outweighs my curiosity, so I think its best to drop those thoughts, if there are any.", he said as he retrieved several fruits, vegetables, meats and spices from various parts of the kitchen to begin cooking.

[Taichi Negeel]

On their way to the kitchen Deion stopped to get dressed. Taichi stopped for a moment, watching him take the clothes from the closet. When the towel dropped he decided to go on ahead so the other could dress up in peace, humored by the randomness of him changing outfits unannounced. Once in the kitchen he had a look around. He had never been in the kitchens of the lotus castle before, so this was by far the biggest kitchen he had ever seen. He made a small circle around the room to take it all in, all this luxury pleasing the eye after many weeks of wondering astray. Then he returned to Deion, who had just put on his last piece of clothing. Thus they proceeded to the kitchen. Here the other mage tried to explain himself and apologized, which was unnecessary for Taichi because he wouldn’t be weirded out even if it were an intentional flirt.

If anything Taichi should have been the one apologizing, the other seemed pretty out of it, leaving open the fridge door and testing his own appliances. He looked into the fridge to see if there was anything he recognized. For a moment he considered just taking some random items from the fridge for them to turn into a meal, but on second thought that wouldn’t be very practical. “Something simple is fine” he responded to the question on what he wanted to eat.

He closed the fridge door and leaned his back against the counter, turning his attention back to Deion who started sending out what he could only receive as mixed signals and information that surprised him. He blinked, letting the words sink in. “Wow, I didn’t expect that!”

He was referring to Deion’s lack of experience, but he was also surprised how open he was, whilst earlier being clearly embarrassed about it. “You’re good looking, live in a mansion. You could start your own harem if you wanted to.”

His smile started to fade. It wasn’t until now that he started feeling awkward about himself. Up until now he hadn’t acted particularly nice, kept most personal information to himself, and hadn’t even told him his real name yet. And yet this guy was opening up about all sorts of personal things and showing him all this kindness.

He hadn’t done anything to deserve this kind of treatment, and he was always going to regret what he said and did when they first met. It didn’t feel right that Deion was being so generous to someone he barely knew, people could take serious advantage of him especially if he was this way with everyone. It just didn’t sit well with him that the other was being so open and honest, while he himself acted secretively. Thus he decided to open up, which was something he just had to find the courage for and do without giving it much thought, which was harder on him than asking someone out. He looked away hesitantly, but knew it wouldn’t be right to remain so secretive. “Lotus Castle.”

It was perhaps a bit random to bring up at a time like this, but now that those words were spoken there was no going back. “It’s in west Fiore, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. That’s.. where I grew up. My dad was a dog trainer there, and I was raised to follow in his footsteps.”

He opened up his cloak, revealing a well-trained, yet underfed body. He was looking in Deion’s direction, but still averted eye contact. Around his neck was a whistle, shaped like a dog’s head. He took it off and handed it over. “It’s a dog whistle, we used it to summon them.”

He nervously fiddled his collar with one hand, now for the hard part. “You probably know this already, but slavery is still a thing there. The castle lord has his own military. It included dog trainers so I should know. He pretty much owns west Fiore because of it..”

It angered him that the lord had so much power and was responsible for so much misery, and because of Deion he realized that running away wasn’t going to solve any of it. He finally had the courage to look him in the eyes. “I’m sorry, I should’ve told you sooner. I don’t know what I was thinking. And just know you’re already helping me with having me over, and it’s not like I’m planning to wage war against the castle or anything. I just want to free my mother and little sister, but I understand if you don’t want to come. I doubt the two of us could pull it off anyway..”

[Deion Ryder]

"Heh, thanks for the vote of confidence but I'm not interested in having a harem. Whatever that is.", he replied. He wasn't sure what a harem was or how one even went about getting it. But he lacked interest in such a thing anyway. He has happy about the compliment though, he couldn't complain about that in the slightest, though it did cause him to turn red after he realized that it was said. "With the dirt, you're like a rough diamond.", he let the comment slide out, unsure how it would be received.

Then he said it. Lotus Castle. Deion had heard of it, was told to avoid it. The west of Fiore was terrible to mages, it was almost pathetic that people could be so disgusting. And here he was, offering his help to someone who grew up there. Who was raised to train the dogs that tore mages apart. He knew that his guest had done something questionable, but he had no idea it was at Lotus Castle. His teeth came together in his mouth and one of his hands balled into a fist. But he couldn't be angry.

"No.", Deion stated. "War is probably something we wouldn't be able to avoid against Lotus Castle. It might be ideal to gather the support of other mages and the government. You know that the lord of Lotus Castle was ordered to disband his forces by the government right?", he stated. "Well Lotus Castle isn't exactly on good terms with the government. It might be worthwhile to consider using anything you have to your advantage, those forces aren't just a threat to mages but also to the government. Might be a good idea to consider forming a guild and attracting like-minded mages. You could also petition the government to take further action.", he added.

"No matter how you look at it.", he said, mincing some of the vegetables and dropping them into a large pot. "It's going to take a lot of power to take out something like Lotus Castle. Even more to perform a rescue mission.", he said, smiling. "And it's fine. No one thought that mages would be granted the level of freedom we have.", he added. He turned to face Taichi. "For better or worse, I'm sure things will turn out fine.", he finished as he carried the pot over and set it into a fireplace. He then tossed some logs under it, along with some torn pieces of paper and tossed a match in. "Besides, I'm making soup. Should be good when its done.", he stated.

[Taichi Negeel]

Telling the truth felt like a huge burden, but now that it was out in the open it was actually a relief. Though the first moment he was very tense, especially when Deion said ‘ no’ it felt as if time froze, unsure of what would follow after. Taichi was positive the other told him he didn’t want to wage war or something of the sort, so for him to actually suggest the idea was very unexpected. He nodded in agreement to what he had to say, knowing about the government and that they needed more manpower.

When Deion mentioned that the lord of Lotus Castle could be a threat to the rest of Fiore he frowned. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of the lord’s influence spreading further than west Fiore, and now that he did he felt more aggravated than ever. It was bad enough that the west was like this, if any of the other areas got taken over it could mean the end of freedom for mage-kind. He was so taken by their conversation that he completely forgot to help out, simply watching the other cut the vegetables at a fast pace without realizing that he was just standing there doing nothing. Deion’s optimism never ceased to perplex him. Where Taichi thoughts were clouded by bitterness, fear and anger the other saw a clear and hopeful path and provided strategies to achieve it.

This optimistic attitude influenced him like a teddy-bear did a child with night terrors, taking away the negative emotions and easing the heart. Deion’s smile was contagious, turning his troubled frown upside down. Especially with the reassurance of the other’s determination and the prospect of food his spirits were raised. It felt really good to have someone to trust who didn’t take enjoyment out of anyone’s suffering, it was sane and pure, not unlike his canine companions. He grinned widely. “I could just hug you! Can I hug you? I’m going to hug you.”

He couldn´t help but give him a hug, he had done so much for him and just continued to prove himself as a good companion. And as a dog trainer Taichi was used to rewarding good behavior with affection, which is why he was so eager to get physical. Of course rewarding him wasn’t his intention, it was an urge he had himself and desired at that moment. It was a tight hug, but not painful or suffocating. After this he placed his hands on Deion´s upper arms, patting his right arm once. Again firm, but not painful. “You´re a great guy, I mean it.”

Finally he let go and took a step back to give the other some personal space, but remained fired up about their plan of approach. “I can’t believe it, we’re actually going to find a team! Or I think you called it guild? And fight back!”

Admitting to it out loud made it more real for him and made him more psyched than before. Suddenly it hit him, if they were gathering man-power, why not gather dog-power? His eyes grew big and he gasped at the prospect, becoming even more excited “I can have dogs again! I missed my dogs so much! I can’t wait to-”

He clearly got carried away. And with his excitement reaching an all-time high his magic power, which thrived on emotion, came forth in a pulse that went from his heart to his body. A teal glow came out of his skin and surrounded his body and clothes, fitting him like a glove. It happened so fast, and yet he felt his defense magic journey all throughout his body from his core to his skin. This was the first time he used his magic on himself, the first time he felt what his younger sister had felt when he protected her. His excitement made way for shock, raising his trembling hands at eyelevel to observe his arms and hands now that his body had a skintight body link shield. “-oh shit.”

He panicked lightly and started walking backwards, then looked at Deion with confusion. “I didn’t mean to. What- What do I do?”

[Deion Ryder]

Deion wasn't highly comfortable during the physical contact between the two. It was a bit shocking to him, despite having been provided some warnings. He didn't really have much to say in response. He was just relieved it wasn't a tight hug or anything like that. Well, let's hope you don't have anymore surprises in store for me, he thought as he felt the hug be released. He brushed himself off as a response of being let go, simply trying to keep his clothing clean. "I'm glad you're excited about this, but lets not get to hasty. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves.", he said to him, keeping things serious.

"So then, speaking on the term of guilds. It's not as simply as you'd think. If there aren't any guilds looking for members, we can't exactly join one. We can form one if we can raise enough funds to support one. The other part would be ensuring that the mages joining us would be up to the task of course, we don't want to drag anyone who isn't interested into this.", Deion stated. "With that being said, we also don't want to attract abusive mages either. We wouldn't want to be associated with those kinds of mages.", he added. "That's about everything that needs to be covered right now.", he finished.

So you want to get a dog? I'm sure we could do that, I'm not going to complain about it, he though. "If that's something you're good with, dogs, we should probably consider that as an advantage. Dogs have a great sense of smell, so naturally they would come in handy.", he stated. "We can certainly look into obtaining at least one, having many of them might become a problem if we can't take care of them.", Deion said, willing to at least let him get one, even if he wasn't a big fan of dogs himself.

Deion would be one to admit that his friend's magic caught him by surprise. He was a little more interested in how it worked however. "I'm guessing that it's your magic. I can't say I know anything about it, I'm not much of a scholar.", he stated. "My mother would probably be able to figure out a lot of it, I'm better at punching things and using my own magic.", he stated. "But it seems that you can indeed use magic. Whether or not this was intentional, it at least clears that doubt out of my mind.", he said.

[Taichi Negeel]

Taichi was hoping for some reassurance, freaked out by what he was doing to himself or what kind of effect it would have on his body or the world around him. Alas, the other knew as little as he did himself, thus he remained in a restless state of mind. With a helpless expression on his face he looked at Deion, but soon looked away, realizing that if the other didn’t have any answers he would have to figure it out himself. He looked at his hand, still covered in a teal glow like the rest of his body, and made it into a fist. So far nothing bad was happening, so he reassured himself with that fact and tried to recollect what they knew about it. He was rather unsure, but tried to not freak out and think rationally. “Okay, so, if it’s defense magic”

He gulped, the word magic and mage still holding a dangerous meaning in his mind. Using it in a sentence that applied to himself was still very surreal. “it shouldn’t uhm.. cause any harm..”

The way he said it was as if trying to convince himself more than the other. He put both hands together, the glow around them merging, and then splitting up again when he pulled them apart. Just to test the structure of it in an attempt to understand, but aside from knowing it was somehow flexible he had nothing. He was a bit worked up over it all, that it happened out of the blue, and that he didn’t know how to control or stop it. It was to the extent that he didn’t pay the draining of his magic any mind, a feeling that was also foreign to him. With his conscious constantly alerting himself to calm down he was determined to try and control it, his priority being to make it stop. “Okay… I think I need to calm down, then I can hopefully stop it”

Frustrated about his situation he looked down at his body, trying to focus on disabling his magic. Noticing that he was still tense he tried to breath more slowly, dividing his focus on both magic and calming down. It seemed to work as the thickness of the glow decreased to a lesser volume, slowly getting thinner until it eventually dissolved. The moment it was gone he felt a wave of relief hit him, allowing him to breathe normally again. His hand moved to his forehead and swept his bangs aside, a shaky smile showing his joy about it being over. “Thank god. That was so weird, I still can’t believe that just happened”

He leaned against a counter to relax, his hands moving along the edge to help support his weight. He did start to realize the gravity of the situation: all this avoiding of magic and mages so far had been the safest option, but he now discovered it was also a risky option. “I would be so screwed if this happened to me in public. I think it’s best if I don't go outside for a while. Sorry if I freaked you out or anything.”

Having calmed down he got to process their conversation before he got hit by magic, the other having agreed to him getting a dog. Though he now saw that it was an impulsive thought and that getting a dog was also a big risk. “I don’t want to risk getting recognized as a mage by strangers. And getting a dog, what was I thinking? I might as well walk around with a billboard that sais: dog trainer in disguise”

[Deion Ryder]

Deion examined Taichi as he undid his magic, the teal color thinning itself out before dissolving. "Hmm, I like the color.", he said, completely in love with the color of Taichi's magic despite his best attempts to hide it. Perhaps Deion was simply terrible at hiding his excitement. His smile was a complete lie to how calm he was trying to be, wide-eyed and enamored by Taichi. So cool, I wonder just what it feels like to touch it! My magic feels cold and dark given it's nature, he thought, getting a little sad at the thought of how his magic feels. "But its good that you can get it off, so you should believe that it happened.", he said with a happy smile.

He placed a hand on Taichi's shoulder. Deion was shaking a little, but not for being scared of his magic. "You know, that hug caught me by surprise.", he stated, closing his eyes. "You don't need to worry about freaking me out, I'll be fine my magic consistently runs through my body.", he stated, tightening his grip. "I'm more concerned about you, I'd be pretty upset if you and went and got yourself hurt. I don't think I could forgive that sort of thing.", he said, letting go of Taichi's shoulder. "So if you need anything make sure you let me know, got it? I'll help out the best I can.", he added. "After all, we're in this together so don't ever think you'll be alone.", he said with s soft smile.

"Though I still want a dog, I think it would cheer you up a lot and plus I can't always be doing stuff with you. Having someone else I can trust to look you for you would be a good idea you know.", he stated. I wonder what kind of dog he'd go for? Probably something that can put up a fight and deal with downtime I hope, Deion thought. "So we'll see what we can find, doesn't hurt to keep our eyes open.", Deion checked on the stew. "It's coming along well by the way, I can't wait to eat something that smells this good.", he said with a gleaming smile.



ooc - edited some thing