Fandom {1x1 w/ Koraki} Spectral Saints

[AwkwardSilence]

{Fairy Tail - related onexone}​

Basic RP Info on Enca/This side of the World:
Enca Government: The president of Enca is head of state, and the president is elected by the different districts from all four islands. Each district has a Magic Council Member representative, and they collectively oversee the guilds in the different provinces. Local government is small and mostly built of militia-style magic knights, who are called when needed but otherwise live the lives they want to. They just can't be a part of guilds because they have to be impartial to guild affairs.There are, of course, dark guilds, but most operate in discretion and severe secrecy because there was a crack-down on assassination and crime-related quests by the last few presidents.

Enca Geography: Enca is the main island, and the biggest land mass in the archipelago. The second largest island is Inari, and is most famous for its port towns and large inland forests and swaths of rolling hills and a mountain chain known as the Shigemi Mountains (for the rich, deep green forests that dot across it). The third island is Kasasagi, and the last island is Amanogawa.For the most part it is like modern-day Japan in terms of Architecture and flora/fauna.

Sin: Relations with the country of Sin across the Midian Straight (channel of water between them) has historically been rough, considering multiple wars have been waged between the countries both militia and wizarding guilds alike. It is no new news to the Encans that the Sinerians (jokingly called sinners) struggle to control their Dark Guild population etc. The past few years there has been tentative peace brokers between Sin and Enca... but it's shaky at best. The two countries don't see eye-to-eye often because Sin is a monarchy and their current King is very questionable in the past etc.Basically, the spoilers of Sin, is that they are a kingdom who allows Dark Guilds to exist so long as they pay a tithe to the king. The wealth and opulence of the capital is not matched anywhere else in the country. It's a well-hidden secret and it's how the king gets rid of opposition etc. and how they send crime into surrounding countries in the hopes that enough commotion will make them weak and susceptible to invasion so they can expand their borders (and the kings' wealth).

Magic Guilds in Enca: As an example, on the western side of the second largest town exists a fishing village by the name of Hitori. Hitori, while not a small town, doesn't have its own local wizard guild so their job requests got filtered out to the rest of the island. Most of the time, when a town or individual posts a job listing, they pay a small fee to the magic counsel for the distribution of the fliers, and it is regulated via importance and difficulty by the council itself. The president, the head of the council, does have some rights in terms of vetoing where job requests go where, but ultimately it was the will of the council to decide. Because Enca is an archipelago, most quests are placed in the guilds of its corresponding island, but they could pay an additional fee to have it distributed to all islands if particularly desperate, or if no takers were occurring from their current island. It helped build business and commerce between the archipelago.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

Spectral Saints Guild Hall

​

Nestled in the coastal port-town of Kugane, the Spectral Saints guildhall is certainly a sight to behold. Multi-stored with a large clocktower in the center, it features any amenities a mage could ask for, as Mitomori spared no expense with how much money he spent constructing such a large building. On the edge of town, the back of the guildhall is a public waterpark that helps earn the guild money (although be warned, if you get in trouble with the master, you might get sent to the gulag waterpark to volunteer.

The main level is split into two main areas.
​

The right side is more of an alley-like attrium, with vendors that sell Spectral Saints merch, sometimes manned by mages from the guild, but there is a handful of staff that work at the guild that aren't Spectral Saints members themselves. There's a cafe in the atrium as well, and it's a popular destination for tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of some of their favorite mages.

​

The left side of the guild hall is for members only. It features a full bar and seating area, as well as a stage for entertainment and of course, the job request board over on the wall. There are huge, tall ceilings that are surrounded by a balcony for the S-Class Lounge. It looks pretty similar to how the 2nd Fairy Tail guild hall looks like.
The rest of the floors and depth come from the rooms-for-rent that are fully furnished studio apartments that the mages can rent from the guild hall (a percentage of their earnings from rewards is immediately subtracted for rent and utilities fees).

 

[AwkwardSilence]

BASIC INFORMATION
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Name: Emiko Harada
Age: 23
Gender: Fem
Guild Mark Color/Location: Maroon - between her shoulder blades at the base of her neck
Magic Type: Take-Over Magic – “Mythical Beast Soul”

"Take Over allows the user to, essentially, "take over" the power (or the body, in the case of a Vulcan) of an entity and use it to fight. It can increase the power, strength, and speed of the Caster, sometimes adding a new skill, such as flying or breathing underwater. One can only "take over" the power of beings that they truly "know.” In addition to embodying an entity, Take Over can also be used to control another entity or another entity's abilities. However, it is unknown if the entity one takes control of/takes over the abilities of has to have the characteristics of the Caster's specific type of Take Over magic."

Emiko stands at around 5’4” and weighs about 150 lbs. She has very lightly tanned skin from long days in the sun and pink-almost-mauve hair that reaches to the middle of her shoulder blades when not tied up, though she commonly keeps it in a low tie or ponytail. She’s been known to favor twin space buns or braids from time to time as well. Her eyes are a dusty rose color that like to sparkle with some unbidden mischief. Her body is quite toned, and slightly muscular, showing off the hard work and training she puts into being as strong as the beasts that she fights, though it doesn’t keep her from losing her feminine curves. Her clothing styles usually consist of comfortable athleisure, seeing no purpose in dressing up except for the odd special occasion or event that she gets invited to (rarely).

Emiko’s take over magic allows her to “take over” the abilities of the beasts she comes across, so long as she’s been able to beat them in battle. Take Over magic eats a ton of magical energy, and staying in the transformed state while running low on magical energy could mean even her weaker forms could turn her into a mindless beast unless knocked out. Emiko has a Chimera form, however it is currently not fully under her control. She could potentially hold its form in her half-beast take over, but to attempt to turn into the full beast take over would most likely spell disaster. It would turn her into a mindless beast, especially considering how close it came to beating her when she fought it in the first place. Half-Beast form: Sacrificing the full size and power of her take overs for slight alterations to her form, Emiko can take on some of the features of beasts she’s come across. Emi chooses these based on what specific attributes she wants to improve, I.e. maybe speed and versatility over power, or size and strength over speed. When in half beast form she gains the abilities of said beasts so long as the body parts are present on her form. Her most common forms of fighting are going to be beast arms because it doesn’t cost her as much magic energy to transform a limb or two. Full Beast Form: Emi fully transforms into a beast. Depending on size she becomes rather slow, but more like a tank in form, and quite powerful, however it eats up magic power like crazy. It’s an endless vacuum and she has to be in tune with herself to know how long she can last with it activated without fearing losing herself.

Current Forms: -Werewolf -Small Sea Serpent (like a river snake but dog-sized) -Sabertooth Tiger -Minotaur -Tengu (Crow demon) -Wyvern​

Side note: if damaged/injured enough, someone can forcibly knock her out of a beast transformation, regardless of her current mental state.

MORE INFORMATION
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loyal + fierce + sympathetic + emotional​

Emiko is a ball of determination and hard work. There have been plenty of instances in her life where people have told her that she either simply didn’t belong, or that she was a danger to herself and everyone around her, but she works hard to put the stigma of Take Over magic behind her. Generally happy and easy going, she does tend to have a short fuse, and her pride can get the best of her on good days. She fights often and always to be acknowledged, trying to prove herself over and over again.

Emiko, on the inside, is actually quite insecure. She worries about how others perceive her, but only often after she does something. For all the vigor that she puts into her daily life and for as much as she seems to get along well with just about anyone she meets, it’s quite draining on her to be “on” all the time. She wonders often if her abilities or even just herself as a person are enough. Emi is a rather forgiving person–if someone truly regrets what they’ve done, she doesn’t think she needs to define them by their past, only their current actions. That being said, if you hurt her friends, she’s coming after you.

BACKGROUND INFO
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"I've fought every day just to try and show people that I deserve to exist! I DO!"​

Take Overs aren’t a very common form of magic in Enca, as oftentimes the beasts that roam the islands are regarded by everyday citizens as demons to be feared, and historically thoae who sought to use such magics often became terrible villains, committing various atrocities. The last 20-50 years, with the help of sanctioned guilds and the president of Enca, they have tried to break the stigma on take over magic, but nothing ever happens quickly. Emiko was born in a small town in the mountains of Enca’s biggest island to her mother and father as their only child. It wasn’t long after she was born that Emi’s mother fell ill and died rather swiftly, leaving her behind with her father, Hitoshi. Even as a child, Emiko was rambunctious, and she loved to tussle with the wild animals outside their home in the surrounding forests, despite how it would give her father a heart attack. When her magic was first discovered, the townspeople forced her and her father to be outcasts, because “beastly magic” was something to be feared. They were ridiculed, and although Emi’s father did his best to love his daughter every day just a little bit more each time to make up for her missing mother, it didn’t stop Emiko from hearing the rumors spread about her. “Demon child.” “Monster.” They feared her because they didn’t understand her, and the toll that kind of gossip can take on a child is noticeable.

Emiko and her father ended up moving, and they were nomadic for most of Emiko’s childhood. She would practice her magic in secret and out of sight from her father. He didn’t want her to practice Take Over magic because he was concerned that she would be hunted because of her abilities.

One particularly traumatizing moment featured some bandits who stumbled upon her using her magic at the age of 9, and the stuffed her in a cage too small for her with the intent of selling her overseas or to some dark guild. Rescued by her father and some Magic Knight Militia, Emi doesn’t remember much of this incident, but the fear of small cramped places never quite left her.

By the time Emiko was 14 she and her father had done quite a bit of traveling. It was this year that her life changed for the better. On the second island in the Enca archipelago, in the forests outside of Kugane, the city in which Spectral Saint resides, the master, Mitomori saw her practicing and immediately invited her to join the Spectral Saints. Her father was against the idea in the beginning, but slowly acquiesced because he knew the benefits of being in a guild were worth far more than anything. She’d make money and he’d be able to live and get a job in the city if she was a part of an official guild. Emiko joined the guild as one of the youngest members at age 14, the other older guild members always helping her train and acting, of course, like a second family.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

BASIC INFORMATION
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Name: Kigo Tsuya
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Guild Mark Color/Location: Navy blue - Left pectoral
Magic Type: Holder Magic – Tarot Cards + Super Secret Magic he was born with

Magic Card is a type of Holder Magic which revolves around the use of Magic Cards, which can produce a variety of effects, such as generating elements, and even seemingly living beings. Magic Cards can be used for offense by employing the cards used for this Magic as long-range weapons by the user throwing them at their enemies. Users of this Magic can also combine their cards to generate particular effects. Aside from combat, Magic Card seems to possess other avenues for usage: users can use them for divination with varying rates of success] In addition, the cards can reproduce the effects from a variety of different forms of Magic, such as Water Magic or Sleep Magic, coming in as very versatile, if used the right way. These cards can also be linked to specific individuals, allowing the user to gain information about their status and location, as well as to communicate with them.

Kigo is a tall 6’3”, 180lbs tan-skinned male with curly dark hair that’s always kept in a low pony-tail. His skin is a deep chocolate and his body is well muscled despite his lithe and admittedly willowy shape. His eyes are a honey-gold, and he almost always wears a mischievous smirk. A heart-throb, he’s a bit of a ladies’ man and he knows it well. He is one of those guys who knows he looks good. His usual attire is something flexible but fashionable, though he’s also known to favor dark blue or black jeans, a shirt and a flannel over top. He knows how to dress fancy, however, and looks like Sin in a suit (aha).


Kigo’s personal magic is a mystery, but his card’s magic is no joke. His personal favorite uses are laying down trap cards that activate an AOE (area of effect) ability, such as an electric floor, etc.

His abilities, however versatile, require him to think quickly on his feet. When grasping at straws and put on the defensive, he can use his cards as shields, but once he’s out of physical cards he can’t exactly perform card’s magic until he makes/buys a new deck.

MORE INFORMATION
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compassionate + suave + secretive + collected​

Kigo’s all about grins and half-lidded eyes. He has a smooth voice and he isn’t afraid to use it, especially if it means getting him the information he wants. A common model for the men’s side of “Sorcerer Weekly” magazine, he has his fair share of fangirls, although he always makes sure to let them down gently, that somehow seems to make them more interested in him.
Kigo prides himself on being cool/calm/collected most of the time. He’s a peacekeeper in the guild, even as fights erupt around him. It’s hard to drag him into a tussle, but he can usually end them by splashing water on the group etc.

While he wouldn’t call himself an intellectual, Kigo does actually enjoy research, and will often do the necessary leg work into comprehending the maps of the places he goes on quests, as well as the local history and lore. In fact, when he’s not doing jobs as a wizard, he’s leading tours through the historic town of Kugane (although they recently had to make a rule where each person could only take the tour 3 times before being cut off–his fanclub was starting to try and take up every slot on his tours).

Kigo will always and forever stick up for the weak. He knows what it’s like to feel helpless, and like no one in the entire world has your back. He wants to be that person, even if it’s just for one individual person, that would be enough for him.

He doesn’t particularly like talking about his past, and will try to distract you smoothly in order to change the topic. He is a flirt and it’s often hard to tell whether he’s being sincere or not, but if you know… then you know.

BACKGROUND INFO
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"There's so much of this world I still want to see... I hope it's in the cards for us to go together."​

Kigo was born to very wealthy parents as the second child of a trading fleet. His father was a very serious and busy businessman who had little free time to himself, much less to pay attention to his children. His mother was no different, putting herself high into the socialite side of having money, and Kigo and his older brother Yatsuo spent much of their lives in a big empty house with maids and private tutors there to teach them. Because of this, Kigo learned to mature a lot faster than how a kid is supposed to, and learned to be polite and well-spoken from a very young age. Once he was 9 and Yatsuo was 13, his parents finally started taking an interest in their children… or more specifically, Yatsuo as he was to be the heir apparent for his father’s business. Unfortunately this meant that Kigo was even more isolated than before, and he and Yatsuo slowly drifted apart as his parents showed favoritism for their eldest.

At about age 15, Kigo’d had enough, and announced that he was leaving the family. His parents threatened to disown him if he did, as it would do their name and reputation no good if they had a son wandering around using their “good” name. That was fine by him and they left on… not so good terms.

From there, Kigo did a bit of seeing the world and traveling. It was then that he joined a guild by the name of Horus Eye. He liked being in their guild, but more so because he was never alone like he was at home. Someone was always in the guild hall doing something, for better or for worse. Kigo craved attention and so he worked at his magic and worked his way up the ranks. However, not all things of this nature were good. The longer he stayed at Horus Eye, the more he realized how… unstable the individuals who ran the place seemed to be. More and more questionable quests were left on the questboard, until one too many made the government declare Horus Eye a Dark Guild for their business becoming so seedy. Disgusted, the only thing that Kigo regrets about leaving Horus Eye was a couple of friends who refused to go with him, too set in their ways and not believing in change so they remained complacent.
Having been in Horus Eye for a few years, Mitomori noticed Kigo right away the minute he stepped into Kugane, and the man was recruited for the Spectral Saints at the age of 19. He’s been in the guild ever since.

 

[Koraki]

Name: Shigeru Tetsura
Age: 25 years
Gender: male
Guild Mark Color/Location: dark blue; right side of his neck
Magic Type: Spider King Magic

Spider King Magic grants the user the abilities of a spider. Spinning webs to trap foes, injecting venom through fangs, and climbing walls are all within the user's skillset. This magic type also allows the user to communicate with creatures of the class Arachnida.

Height: 6’2
Build: Lean/fit
Complexion: very pale
Hair: black/slightly curly
Eye color: blue-gray
Distinguishing traits: black eyeshadow smudged around his eyes (hides the dark circles), black nail polish, and ear piercings.
Fashion: edgy and (trying to be) cool. wears a black trench coat.

PERSONALITY
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introvert + confident + abrasive + stubborn​

Shigeru is a self-proclaimed loner who spends his time lingering toward the back of the room. He’s an observant individual who keeps to himself. He comes off as aloof or even straight up antisocial.

He spent a good chunk of his childhood being the “weird kid” and learned very quickly not to care about what other people thought about him. This gives him a sense of confidence - but it also tends to make him seem abrasive or unsympathetic. On the flip side, Shigeru is very understanding of people who are considered outcasts by society.

Beneath the edgy exterior, Shigeru has several nerdy interests. The guy loves insects and arachnids alike. He likes to sketch and document the bugs he sees, and gets a sparkle in his eye whenever he sees one he considers “cute”.

BACKGROUND INFO
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"I do what I want, and if you don't like it, screw off."​

Shigeru had always been a weird kid. His parents were scientists that were intensely interested in how magic affected the natural world. They were as loving as parents could be, but were frequently absent due to meetings, experiments, and other obligations. Because of this, Shigeru’s aunt babysat him very often. She was his father’s younger sister, a woman who loved the heavy rocker/goth lifestyle. She raised Shigeru with the mindset of “do what you like and screw everyone else”.

When Shigeru was bullied for his fascination with bugs, she was there to support him. When he decided to become a full-fledged wizard, she cheered him on. His parents were hesitant on his unique sense of style, but as long as their boy was happy, they were happy.

Shigeru picked the Spectral Saints as his guild - not just because of the locality, but also because the name sounded really cool.

 

[Koraki]

Name: Arisa Morikage
Age: 23 years
Gender: female
Guild Mark Color/Location: purple; upper left arm
Magic Type: Phantom Magic

Phantom Magic enables its user to harness the magical energies of phantoms - spirits of those who had died horrific deaths and had their souls completely transformed through magic - as well as grants the user a sort of “spirit sight” that allows them to see and communicate with ghosts.

Phantom magic only works when the user is within a certain radius of a phantom - otherwise, there is no energy to harness. A mage can form a pact with a phantom that binds the phantom to the mage. Such an agreement means that the phantom will always follow/be able to be summoned by the mage, and in return the phantom can draw strength from the human soul of the mage. A pact can be dangerous if made with the wrong phantom, as the mage’s soul is connected and therefore open to influence by the phantom.

Arisa’s current pacts:

• Heads and Tails; twin phantoms.
  Heads is female with red eyes and a pair of horns. She is fierce and headstrong, easily angered and vicious when provoked. Tails is male with blue eyes and a barbed tail. He is calmer and more logical, a counterpoint of reason to his sister’s combativeness. The pair stumbled upon Arisa when she was young and stuck around ever since.

Height: 5'6
Build: chubby/curvy
Complexion: pale/smooth-skinned
Hair: dark brown/wavy
Eye color: purple
Distinguishing traits: several small scars in various places from magical incidents involving phantoms. a few are from doing work at her family’s home.
Fashion: comfortable and plain. black shirts and black skirts. she likes to wear a cloak when traveling.

BACKGROUND INFO
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"My family will never suffer like that again. I won't let it happen."​

Arisa was born to a lower working class family. Her father was a phantom mage who belonged to a small guild in his youth but gave it up due to a bad injury. Unfortunately, this injury led to more and more issues, until her father passed away just after she turned 14.

Struggling to raise 3 kids, Arisa’s mother worked herself ragged - and even with Arisa’s help, the family barely scraped by. Her mother eventually met a non-magical man who came from a middle class background. He wasn’t rich, but he had far better means than the Morikages. He fell in love with Arisa’s mother, they married, and all was well. Until it wasn’t.

Arisa’s stepfather revealed his true colors soon after the marriage. He was controlling and mean, always ready to criticize anyone who didn’t follow his expectations. Arisa and her siblings put up with his cruelty for nearly two years - during which time the treatment only got worse. Arisa’s mother was helpless to intervene. Divorce meant the money they desperately needed would dry up, and she couldn’t bear to see her children suffer from hunger again.

But eventually, Arisa couldn’t take it anymore. When her stepfather lashed out in a fit of drunken rage, endangering Arisa’s little brother, she snapped. Under the influence of Heads, Arisa’s own outrage bubbled over, and she used her magic to kill her stepfather.

Murder, of course, was a punishable crime. But Arisa’s mother, though dazed and upset, would never think of turning her baby in. In fact, the whole town - a tiny community way out in the countryside - kept it quiet. Everyone knew the man had been abusive. No one was going to say anything if he “disappeared” one day.

Arisa vowed that her family would never be dependent on another cruel person to take care of them. As soon as she turned 18, she left home to work whatever jobs she could find. All the while, she was practicing and training her magic. She knew the best paying jobs came from being a member of a guild. It’s taken years, but she’s finally gotten to the point where she could hold her own in a fight.

All she needs is a guild, and Spectral Saints is the closest one.

PERSONALITY
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reserved + kind + helpful + distrustful​

Arisa is a quiet, reserved woman who prefers to keep to herself most of the time. People make her nervous - especially in large crowds - so she tends to stay away from populated areas. She’s learned to curb her introverted nature in order to travel into the city so that she can make connections and take on jobs to support her family.

Driven by a desire to provide for those she loves, Arisa often finds herself in a caretaking role. She doesn’t like conflict and will often try to mediate or referee any arguments or fights. If she feels as if she cannot handle the situation/problem, Arisa defaults to her natural inclination - flee. When things go wrong or she is under stress, Arisa isolates herself or shies away from the issue.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O | H A N A B I

Spectral Saints was a guild made for the outcasts... the mages who felt like they didn't fit in the other guilds. They were known for being eccentric, over the top, and overbearing, but once you were a part of their ranks, you were eagerly welcome in as family. Emiko knew that the second she had met Master Mitomori... her life would change forever. Being in the guild made her feel at home, and very rarely did she have to explain away her take over magic and how no, she wasn't actually a monster. Somehow that stigma still followed her wherever she went. Still, despite all these things it was always kind of hard for Emiko to find a group to go with. She'd trailed after Setsuna on a few missions, but ever since the Ice Dragonslayer became an S-Class mage, she hadn't allowed Emiko to go with since her missions were now "super dangerous." It wasn't fair! It also didn't help that it was rather early in the morning... something felt a little off about the vibes in the guild hall.
"Oi. Stop brooding at the bar, you brat. It's too early to be hungover." A cold voice sounded from the side. Emiko's eye twitched as their one-eyed bartender polished a glass with a towel.
"I'm not hungover, or even brooding for that manner!" The pink haired mage growled, her brow twitching slightly. "I'm not allowed to peacefully mind my own business and think?"
"The day that a boar like you thinks is the day the sea freezes over," Ryuu huffed and Emiko gasped in mock-offense. This was common banter between anyone and the abrasive bartender. In fact, while Ryuu loved the guild, it really ever felt like he only liked (or maybe tolerated?) one person's presence. Emiko quickly got over the insult as a shit-eating grin took over her features, eyes narrowing with a smirk.
"Oh, I see. You're extra grumpy today because Setsuna and her exceed left on a job yesterday, huh?" She cackled as he started to bristle, dodging the glass he threw at her in retaliation narrowly. "Aw, Ryuu misses his girlfriend~!"
"She's not my--! You shitty brat, get back here, I'll bite your legs off!" he growled, throwing another glass at her that she laughed joyfully, dodging. This was what this morning was missing! A little bit of life... of excitement! Ryuu's heart must not have been in it, cause he sighed, realizing he'd probably be the one who would have to sweep the broken glass up, and set down the third mug he'd intended to throw after Emiko's retreating figure.

Alright, so chaos was the name of the game then, to make the morning better. Who would her next victim be... her gaze slid over the guild hall, a grin of mischief dancing across her lips as she tried to narrow down her selection to a new target. It was then that she saw him. 'Perfect.'
Shigeru hadn't joined the guild all that long ago (or maybe it had been years? Emiko couldn't honestly remember), but he fit right in with the rest of the Saints quickly. He'd always liked to sit by himself, and although sometimes people joined him and he didn't push them away completely, more often than not he could be found sitting in the back of the guild hall. Emiko's personal mission was tro drag him out of his shell. Did he know that? No, of course not. But that was the fun part! It was like a game... but Emiko was the only active participent.
Pretending to innocently wander to the back of the guild hall toward his little loner-table, Emiko looked everywhere but her destination. What to do with him today... hmm... Some might call her actions bullying, but she was just poking at him, not doing anything malicious! As she was trying her damndest to be 'subtle,' her foot caught on a loose board and she tripped with an 'eep!' of fear, landing face first on the ground at his feet. Wheezing at the feeling of the wind being knocked out of her, she pushed herself to look up at Shigeru, a wide, if not a little pained but hiding it decently, grin on her face. "Hey. How's it goin'?"

K I G O | T S U Y A

Kigo had, of course, watched the early-morning shenanigans with a calm and patient grin on his face. If, at any moment, he'd thought things were going too far, he'd try to step in and smooth down ruffled feathers. It didn't look like that would need to happen today, as Emiko danced away from the wrath of their hellhound bartender until she found a new victim. Kigo had also been in Spectral Saints for a few years. Master Mitomori was a key part in distancing himself from Horus Eye, his previous guild. The others didn't need to know about that, however. Mitomori's nickname wasn't "Keeper of Secrets" for nothing, after all. No, instead Kigo was enjoying a black cup of coffee that had a single spoonful of sugar and milk each. His typical morning routine was to head downstairs into the guild (he lived in the attached men's dorms), get his cup of coffee, and either read a book or read his cards.
Tarot deck in hand, today was more of a reading day. It had been awhile since he'd gone out and done a proper job, as he'd been given some good leads that Horus Eye was looking to recruit new members and try and get a hold of old ones, and he'd been sticking in Kugane for the most part. His fanclub had really appreciated that. They were sweet but... Kigo was getting tired of doing his tour for the same handful of people made for a pretty boring time. Now that things were seeming to quiet down outside of Kugane, the dark haired male was more eager than ever to get out and back into quests.
Kigo had an idea, however... he just needed to know who was going to be perfect for it. Taking another sip of his coffee, he set the cup down far enough away from himself so that he had enough room to deal his deck. Shuffling the cards, Kigo first pulled one to see if today was the right day to pick up a job and perhaps a group...
The fool greeted him. Good, that was better than the other mornings when his heart just hadn't been in it. He shuffled the deck again before drawing four cards. The first one was the magician--ironic, considering the profession of every single mage, but a card he'd come to find as representing himself. Next, he drew the moon. For all of her fiery vibrance Emiko had read to him as the moon in his deck, full of emotions rather than rational thought. Also, Emi was a strong mage, and he was rather fond of his friend. She would make for a great addition to a team. He had two more cards to draw... he wondered who they'd be.

The sound of the guild hall door opening distracted him, a large, stuffed-animal looking franken-bear stitched together with various different fabrics holding the door open for their newest member as of yesterday. Kigo paid no mind to the large doll. It was simply one of Mitomori's puppets. The Doorman was a friendly bear but a great bouncer who kept non-members from entering the guild hall through the front door. As far as the card's magic user could tell or had seen, none of Mitomori's puppeted creatures could speak... but he could only imagine the things they had seen over the years. Still, his attention was drawn, of course, to the cute brunette who had appeared in the doorway. She'd just joined the day prior, but Kigo had definitely seen her around town before... or at least, he thought he had since he'd been home so much this last month or so.

"Good morning!" he chirped happily, waving the brunette over as he smiled amiably. "Arisa... if I'm not mistaken? Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee? Or something else, perhaps?" He held out a hand to her, his smile never fading. "Kigo. It's a pleasure to officially meet you. Welcome to Spectral Saints!"

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura

The guild hall was - thankfully - relatively quiet compared to most days. That should've honestly been Shigeru's first sign that he was going to end up with a headache. Things never stayed quiet for long in the Saints' guild hall, something he'd learned fairly quickly after his first few months.

Speaking of headaches...

Shigeru's eyebrow twitched as he looked up from his sketchbook to see Emiko making her way toward him. She had this stupid, innocent expression on her face as if Shigeru couldn't practically see the words "I am going to be a nuisance" stamped across her forehead. Of all the mages in the guild, she somehow managed to get under his skin the most. He didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the way she was always went around with that smile on her face. Maybe it was the way she was so often right there, trying to get him to talk, to pry into his business like he was her friend or something. Ugh.

Shigeru tried to ignore her, instead focusing on the drawing of a Trichonephila clavata - or Joro-spider - he'd seen the other day while on a stroll through the city. It had been a female, and she'd been fairly well-mannered, as far as Joro-spiders went. She even let him get close enough to see the details on her abdomen after he complimented her web design.

He was adding some shading to the legs and cephalothorax when he heard a muffled squeak, followed by a heavy thud. He looked up, unimpressed, to see Emiko picking herself up off the floor, grinning at him. At her words, he sighed heavily, not even trying to appear the least bit welcoming. "Well, things were okay, until you opened your mouth," he said in a voice that reeked of sarcasm. "You must like the taste of floor. That's like the sixth time you've tripped this week."
Arisa Morikage

"Look, all I'm saying is that you need to establish dominance!"

Arisa very pointedly did reply to Heads as she spoke. One, doing so would only encourage her to keep talking about her ridiculous plans. Two, Arisa was currently walking into the Spectral Saints' guild hall - looking and talking to what appeared to be empty space to absolutely every other person would only make her seem insane. Not exactly the first impression she was going for.

Heads, however, was too wired to take the hint. She was gesturing wildly, throwing her arms around. She was lucky phantoms couldn't be seen, heard, or felt by most humans. Otherwise, she'd have smacked several people in the face by now. "No one will mess with you if you pick the biggest guy in the room and - "

"Give it a rest, Heads," Tails said in an exasperated tone. Ever the reasonable one, he kept in step with Arisa as they walked. "Arisa doesn't have to beat anyone up to prove anything. We should just...take a breath. Start small. Maybe there are easy jobs we can pick up to establish credibility within the guild."

"But that's boring! I want action! I want fights and magical battles and - holy heck is that a giant franken-bear?" Heads froze, as did Tails and Arisa as the guild hall's doors opened to reveal a large, lumbering creature that resembled a stuffed bear.

Arisa gulped. She'd seen the bear once before - yesterday, actually, when Mitomori had given her a quick tour of the guild hall before signing her on as an official member. The bear recognized her, thankfully, as its stitched mouth seemed to shift into a smile. It stepped aside to let her through. Arisa gave it a tense nod, trying to mirror its expression with a nervous smile of her own.

There were more mages here today, it seemed. For a moment, Arisa stood there, taking in the vast room and the many mages inside of it. She honestly didn't really know where to begin. Did she just walk up to the job board and pick a mission? Was it considered rude to only come in for that reason? Was she expected to report to Mitomori first?

"Geeze there are some tough-looking people in here," Heads mused. "Not anyone we couldn't take though. Hey, is pretty boy wavin' at you?"

Arisa blinked, her eyes widening as she realized that yes, there was a man sitting at the bar smiling and waving at her. She couldn't recall his name, but something about it struck her as familiar...where'd she seen his face before. He certainly was "pretty", as Heads had put it. Arisa felt her stomach flip-flop as he called out to her. How'd he even know her name? She'd just joined yesterday!

"Er, hello," Arisa said as she drew closer to the man - Kigo. She shook his hand carefully and hoped her own wasn't sweaty from nerves. She gingerly sat down on a bar stool, keeping one seat between them for distance. "No thank you," she said in response to his question about coffee. "I, um, I was actually just wondering about jobs. Is it...can I just go and pick one?"

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I

Emiko looked like she wanted to retort something snarky, but she held her tongue, her face going through almost all five stages of grief before it settled into something smug as she looked up at him from her current position on the floor. "Aw, you've been keeping track! You must have been worried about me, Shigeru!" Jumping up, the small, pink-haired battle mage reached over to fluff his hair, dancing out of the way in case he tried to swing at her or shove her off. "Admit it, you were concerned! Even if it was only for a moment, you were worried about me!"
Ever since the quiet punk had joined Spectral Saints, Emiko couldn't explain it, and she'd die before she admitted it, but something drew her to Shigeru like a moth to a flame... or maybe she was a moth caught in a spider's web... although Emiko herself would have never been smart enough to come up with such an allegory. He liked to keep to himself, which was fine with most in the guild, although the family-like nature of the Saints' guild defintiely encouraged most to come out of there shell more. Not Shigeru, though... and Emiko had made it her personal mission (it wasn't that deep, or at least she had convinced herself internally that it wasn't) to come out of his shell.
"Whatcha drawing?" Emiko ignored any and all insults thrown at her like water rolling off a duck's back. She guarenteed it was nothing that she hadn't heard already, and usually those from the guild didn't mean it anyway. Or at least she hoped he didn't mean it... but she tried not to think too much on that, her impulses winning out as she reached for his sketchbook. "You're such a good artist! Too bad that shitty attitude of yours needs an adjustment or maybe you'd make pretty decent commissions!" she teased, a wide grin playing across her lips.
"Come on, Shigeru, I'm bored, let's brawl...!" Emiko whined, trying to annoy the poor man enough so that something might happen. "C'mon, fight me! It'll be fun! You can draw literally any other time, let's go!"

K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

If her hand was sweaty, Kigo didn't notice. He merely smiled politely as she took his own offered hand, shaking hers politely before letting go and sitting back. When she declined his offer for a beverage he nodded, taking a sip of his coffee and setting it down next to his cards. He'd still had yet to draw the other tarot--the dark haired male figured that about four would be perfect for a squad. Kigo had always felt like he had a good read on people, and Arisa... he wasn't sure what it was about her, but he could already tell that she was going to fit into the guild well.
"The job board?" Kigo held his chin as he regarded the mage. "I don't blame you for being eager to start, but it's your first day! Don't you wanna go around and introduce yourself to everyone? Or is that intimidating...?" He looked around at the people in the guild. He could even see, from this angle, a few of the rarely-spotted s-rank mages up on the balcony hanging out in their own private lounge. He supposed Spectral Saints could look a little bit intimidating for any newcomer, but Mitomori always stressed the importance of helping newcomers feel like family. He picked up a card as he heard bickering from the corner that Emiko had wandered toward (off to bug poor Shigeru again, probably) and he grinned at the sight of the hermit. Shigeru wasn't about to like Kigo much after today. Shuffling his deck, Kigo didn't even need to see the last card, he'd already made up his mind himself. Sometimes, you just needed to be decisive and follow your gut! This was one of those instinctive feelings that he knew was going to pan out for the better in the long run.
"Well, if you're that eager to go on a job first thing, what do you say we go on one together?" He smiled a million-watt smile over in Arisa's direction. "I snagged one off the board early this morning and was just thinking about putting a team together. It's about a haunted village, so it should be pretty interesting." The dark haired man shrugged politely. "And it could be a good opportunity to get to know some people without feeling like you have to go up to them to introduce yourself. I've already got a great team in mind."
Kigo leaned forward across the empty chair, still smiling and staying just far enough so that he wasn't truly invading the poor newbie's personal space, but close enough that she could get a waft of his cologne: bergamont, mint, and something spicy. Like crushed fall leaves underfoot. "What do you say? If you hate it, you don't have to come with us again! I'd feel a lot better if someone went out with you on your first job with the guild. A good friend did that for me when I first started here, too. The Master likes it when we help each other out, after all."

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura

Shigeru snapped out a curse as Emiko messed up his hair. As if it was the intended effect, he shot up and aimed a punch - though perhaps it didn't have as much fire behind it as he'd like to portray - before sitting back down with an irritated glare. "I couldn't care less about you," he shot back, "Least of all how many times you fall on your mutt butt."

He'd honestly rather die than admit that he had been keeping track - if only because each time she fell, it was funny! No other reason!

When she asked what he was drawing, Shigeru tensed. He didn't like showing people his sketches, especially not nosy, spastic pink-haired battle mages. "It's none of your busi - " he tried to say, but she'd already reached for it. The sight of his black sketchbook in her hands made his anger spike through the roof. That was private!

"Give that back, Hanabi!" He snapped, ignoring her (somewhat back-handed) compliment. (And no his ears were not warmer than usual, shut up)

He snatched the sketchbook out of her hands, tucking it in the inside pocket of his coat. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to steal?" He muttered darkly. Shigeru wasn't usually one to leap into a fight, and he knew it was what she wanted. "Go pick on someone else. I'm sure there's another mage in this guild that likes to bother people as much as you do." It was a small hope - though probably in vain - that she'd take his advice.
Arisa Morikage

Arisa's lips quirked into a small, rueful smile as Kigo spoke of talking to people. She knew she probably came off as a little brusque - which wasn't her intention. "It's...a little scary, yeah," she admitted sheepishly, glancing around the guild hall. "People...um, talking to them, I mean, usually isn't my thing. Besides," she added, squirming a little as she tried not let her confidence waver, "I-I'd rather just get my first mission over with, you know?"

She was expecting Kigo to just nod and let her go. She did not expect him to lean forward with a grin and offer to go on a mission together.

"Dang, pretty boy's got game," Heads cackled, relishing in the fact that she knew Arisa was fighting back a blush. Tails just shook his head at his sister's antics.

Arisa swallowed, blinking a few times and trying to ignore the masculine scent of his cologne and the way his eyes seemed to sparkle - was this guy some kind of celebrity? How did he know how to smile like that?!

"I g-guess I could...benefit from the experience," she murmured, looking away. "If it's not too much trouble for a newbie to tag along."

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I

"It's not stealing if I wasn't gonna keep it, bug legs," she stuck out her tongue at him childishly as he snatched it back. She was going to compliment the work some more, but then he had to go and open his mean mouth about it. Now, did she know that spiders were not "bugs"? Yes, but only because she's pretty sure that Shigeru had yelled at it more than once. And that was why she said it, because it got on his nerves.
What fun was there being in a guild if you didn't interact with anyone? He just liked sticking by himself, but as far as Emi was concerned, he was missing out on all of the best parts of guild life! She wasn't going to let that happen for fun. "Or, counter-offer" as if she had any legs to stand on in this manner. "Yooouuuu..." the pink haired beast-take over mage drew out the word, using it to think on her feet. "Smile for once! Give me a genuine, not sarcastic smile and I might leave you alone for a couple of days."
He always looked like he was mad at something. Maybe it was the eyeliner? Still, she'd never seen the man smile and she was so curious it was eating up at her from the inside. She even offered him a promise of maybe leaving him alone! Wasn't that enough? Perhaps? As she batted her eyelashes at him pleadingly, Kigo walked up, dragging with him a new member of their guild. Emiko had been out of the building yesterday so she'd missed her initiation, but being a part of Spectral Saints for as long as she had, she knew a new face when she saw one. Turning to the side, she smiled and waved, leaning over and picking up Shigeru's hand and waving for him.
"Hey, if it isn't Mr. Sorcerer Weekly himself!" she teased with a wide grin, leaning against the table. "Come to invade Shigeru's personal space like me?"

K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

"You don't have to be embarrassed about being shy," Kigo chuckled, his sunset colored eyes crinkling slightly with his kind expression. Was she blushing? 'Cute.' he thought absentmindedly. "I promise they're a lot nicer than they look--not to mention the Master himself. His puppet magic might seem scary but if you're a guild member there's no safer place to be on the islands of Enca." It was a well-known fact that Shinjiro was a powerful mage, but no one really knew the extent of that. It wasn't like the man actively flexed his abilities for the public, but as one of 12 Wizard Saints in the region it was fitting that the leader of Spectral Saints was among them.
"No trouble at all, are you kidding me!" Kigo leaned back, pulling out of her personal space (not that he was really in it to begin with, what with the empty seat between them). "I'm a cards' Magic user and in my morning pull I got a reading that said to expect and encourage new experiences." He flashed her his tarot deck, spreading the cards between his fingers and making the disappear using standard slight-of-hand, before leaning back over toward her and drawing one from behind her ear. "See? The Fool signifies New Journeys and Unexpected Beginnings. What's better than a new guild mate and a fresh team?"
Turning toward the bar, Kigo raised his opposite hand to flag down Ryuu. The white-haired male nodded and wandered over, pausing what he was doing. "Ryuu, please inform the quest-giver that we'll be taking this one." He laid the job request on the counter in full sight of Arisa so she could also see it. In big bold letters, it read:
Wanted: Small-to-Medium sized team of skilled mages to investigate our haunted town. Featuring; creepy noises from the local graveyard, shambling dark figures late at night, missing objects and gravestones, and other such weird phenomena. Reward: 60k Jewel.
"So... you and the newbie?" Ryuu's singular ruby-red eye glanced at Kigo before given Arisa a sidelong glance, his long thin tail swaying in thought behind him. "Not that I think you're not capable, but I think the town's big enough you might want some more help--"
The dark haired male was fast enough to cut him off fairly quickly. "Don't worry, I've already thought about that. Emiko and Shigeru are going with us." Ryuu's unimpressed stare didn't phase the unflappable man. As a model for Sorcerer Weekly, Kigo's smile was flawless and practiced in the face of many an adversity. "Don't worry about it, we'll be fine." Ryuu, without another word, snorted and pointed at the back table where the aforementioned mages were. Kigo merely grinned wider. This was going to be a blast.
"Good riddance you're getting both of them some fresh air..." Ryuu grumbled under his breath, already walking back toward his telelacrima to inform the questgivers that their request had been picked up.
"C'mon Arisa, let's get you introduced so we can all pack up. It should only be a two hour train ride to the north side of the island, but we'll probably be there for a night or two." Kigo grinned, standing up and motioning for her to follow him as he made his way back to where Emiko and Shigeru were arguing at the back of the guild hall.

B O T H

At Emiko's question, Kigo shook his head, that wry smile still on his lips. "No... not exactly, depending on how you all take the news." He turned to face the brunette haired woman behind him. "Arisa, this is Emiko, one of the oldest Saints' in terms of years spent lazing around the guild hall." Emiko made a sound that mocked indignation but she didn't correct the dark haired male. He wasn't exactly wrong, after all. "And this is Shigeru, he's one of our newer members, as far as mages go, but he's a damn good wizard."
"Nice to meet you!" Emiko eagerly stuck out her hand for Arisa to shake, her grip strong and her hands calloused. It was hard to see from a distance, but thin white scars decorated the pink haired mage's lithe arms, all signs that pointed to battle-weariness and hard work. "Welcome to the Saints'! Sorry I missed you yesterday, I had to help my dad with something in town." Emiko's gaze turned curious as she looked to Kigo once more. "... you said something about news... what news?"
"I signed us all up for a job in Sakazuki! Something spooky themed--an old mansion and graveyard, probably lots of spiders," he grinned cheekily in Shigeru's direction. They hadn't had a whole lot of interaction beyond whatever small talk Shigeru could actually handle, but Kigo and the black haired punk got along decently. Hopefully this wouldn't put him on Shigeru's hit-list. Emiko probably took up a whole page on her own anyway...

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura

"Don't call me that!" Shigeru - perhaps just as childishly as Emiko - rose to the bait quite predictably. "Spider's aren't bugs - and my legs aren't that thin! They're just not tree trunks, unlike yours."

When she told him to smile, he just stared at her like she'd grown a second head. Smile? That's what she wanted from him?

"I smile all the time," he said grumpily, looking away from her as he tried to ignore the strange feeling niggling at him - what made her want to see him smile? "I just...don't do it when you're around. Because you're annoying. Especially when you make that stupid puppy face," he added as she batted her eyes at him. How did she even do that?It should've been creepy, why was it kind of...not?

Before Shigeru could really think on that any deeper, he saw Kigo coming toward them with an unfamiliar face in tow. Well, maybe not totally unfamiliar...Shigeru remembered something about a new member. Was that her?

Shigeru was...ambivalent toward Kigo. The guy was a talented mage for sure, and while his carefully manicured Sorcerer Weekly persona grated on Shigeru's nerves every now and again, Shigeru respected him for his abilities and status within the guild.

Shigeru levelled a deadpan look at Kigo's cheeky grin. As fun as a haunted town sounded, did he really want to go on a mission with Emiko of all people?

...then again, Sakazuki did have quite a varied arachnid population...

"Fine," he said with a shrug. "I'm in."
Arisa Morikage

Arisa did not flinch as Kigo suddenly moved to seemingly pluck a card out of thin air - but it was a close thing. She covered her moment of slight panic with a nervous chuckle. "I suppose you're right," she said softly, "Nothing like a fresh start."

While Kigo spoke to the man called Ryuu, Arisa looked down at the job request. Heads and Tails appeared over shoulder, craning their necks to see too.

"Haunted town?" Tails mused, his tail flicking back and forth as he read the flyer. "Shambling figures...graveyard disturbances...sounds like a - "

"Necromancer!" Heads' eyes flashed excitedly. "Oh, heck yes, this is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about! Taking down a necromancer would definitely give us some street cred."

Before Arisa could really respond, Kigo was up and moving after gesturing at her to follow him. Arisa trailed quickly after him, her eyes widening as she realized he had meant they were leaving now for the mission. Wasn't that, like, super sudden?

As the neared two other mages, the pink-haired one called out to Kigo. Arisa glanced at him in surprise. Sorcerer Weekly? That must be where she'd seen his face! It suddenly clicked. Arisa didn't tend to get involved in pop culture, but even she knew Sorcerer Weekly was a big deal. Kigo must actually be a celebrity after all!

Arisa tried to smile as Kigo introduced her. The other two mages that were to be on their team...didn't seem to like each other very much. Emiko, at least, seemed friendly, and her grip was firm as she shook Arisa's hand. "It's nice to meet you," she said politely. "I hope to be a valuable asset to the team."

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I

"Asset?" Emiko couldn't help but chuckle, bringing her hand back to her hip as she regarded Arisa with a smirk. "You talk so formally! Beyond that, I hope we become good friends!" And it was the truth... while Emiko definitely was a social butterfly, flitting between groups of people in the guild, and they were all friends, she didn't really have a group for herself, as it were. There was no one in particular that she had latched onto yet, which was perhaps the curse of being not only one of Mitomori's first guild members, but also on the younger side as well. Her father used to always tell her that she had "found her people" in the Saints, but on some days even that didn't feel true. If there was one thing that Emiko actually hated above all else, it was the idea of being alone. Maybe that was why she bothered Shigeru so much...? Not that she would take any time to unpack that mentally (you know... like a sane, healthy person might).
A job? In Sakazuki? Her attention immediately jumped from Arisa and back to Kigo. "That's wild... I'm down a team up!" the pink haired mage grinned widely. This was perfect! A way to let loose and get rid of all of that pent up energy on some zombies sounded like the best way to start ones' day. "Guess you got off lucky, ay Shigeru? We get to fight together instead of against each other!" She grinned widely, her bright smile somehow slightly menacing as she turned on the poor gloomy punk.
The pinkette turned and looked at her new teammates with a calculating eyes as she was blissfully silent for once, letting Kigo talk about their plans. Kigo's cards magic was incredibly versatile and surprisingly powerful (she'd sparred against him a few times... it wasn't hard to tell when someone was holding back against her). He was definitely a little bit more of a tactician, or at least that's what she had experienced in the past. Shigeru's Magic was all based around the little 8-legged friends that he had made wherever he went. There was a lot that she didn't know about his abilities simply because she'd never really gotten the man angry enough to do much beyond slapping webs over her mouth. And then of course, Arisa. At a glance it wasn't easy to tell what kind of magic she used, although she didn't appear to have any sort of magic items on her person. Emiko was emotionally intelligent and battle-intelligent, although most wrote her off early for being too hung-ho and optimistic. Perhaps things were shaking out for the better...
"Alright then," she cut in during a moment of silence, her contemplative expression disappearing almost as though it had never been there in the first place. "I guess we'd better pack our things and meet up at the train station, hm? I'll see you all in an hour?" Emiko lived just outside of Kugane in the woods that surrounded the base of the mountain behind the city. Her dad was a skilled carpenter and handyman, and he had built the cottage for the both of them originally. Unfortunately, the busier his business become, the more inconvenient a house at the edge of the town was, and he was forced to buy an apartment in town (closer to his workshop) that Emiko helped him pay for with her job money. Most in the guild teased her for living life like a hermit out in the woods but her home truly was nice! She just found herself at the guild more often than not because again... going back to an empty house just kind of... sucked. "I'll see you all there!"

x-x-x-x-x​

Packing hadn't taken Emiko that long at all, and she quickly put everything together in a backpack that she slung over her shoulder a pillow tied to the outside with some random string. She could pretty much sleep anywhere, and she was grateful she didn't have motion sickness like Setsuna did... that would mean she couldn't fall asleep on the sometimes long train rides to the various islands for their jobs. She did not pity the dragon slayer, though. That's why Setsuna's little cat-like companion Namire was with her! To hopefully drag her off transportation before she got left behind (and she was her best friend and also pseudo-child).
But like previously stated, the pink haired mage had no such weakness, thankfully, and therefor she wasn't surprised to find herself one of the first people on the platform, waiting for the others to arrive. She had changed into a maroon cropped hoodie, a black high necked crop top underneath it, with her usual white jeans and sandals, her hair up in a high but messy bun making for easier travel. She'd stopped by the guild and asked Ryuu for a copy of the job request before heading to the station, and she was currently looking over the details, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to see if there was any information or subtext that Kigo had missed explaining that gave them a leg up against their would-be opponents. Mostly, it just sounded like a mystery to be investigated.

K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

There was a lot of himself and his personal life that Kigo kept... well, personal, when you became a public figure, no matter how famous you were, it was certainly important to make boundaries for oneself so that you had that peace and quiet you needed. That was what Spectral Saints had become for Kigo... that breath from anyone recognizing him. His fans, at first, had been a little out of control. Men and women both hounding him for his time, autographs... photos on picture lacrima...! However, once he'd built up his reputation a little more, he'd demanded respect of his personal time and space from them. Most acquiesced, and while there were always some unfortunate outliers, his fan club usually did a good job about putting those few in their place. One of his biggest rules was he had the right to refuse interacting with his fans, especially when he was doing official guild work. He tried to have meet and greets every couple of months -- the folks over at the magazine company LOVED that, and it kept the masses from bugging him in public.
Kigo had... never quite expected his popularity, in all honesty. Being majorly overlooked for his older brother for much of his childhood meant that he wasn't exactly used to the attention at first, and it took him a few years even to get used to it. Even when he had been a part of Horus Eye, his looks had earned him turned heads... but that just meant that no one really knew him. Not truly. They saw the Kigo he wanted them to see. And at least for the moment... he was alright with that. Especially considering how Horus Eye went underground not long after he left. As far as he knew, the guild had been forcefully disbanded by the government, considering some shady things had happened behind closed doors.
But Spectral Saints was different. Horus Eye was a dog-eat-dog kind of guild. It was first come, first serve, and if you weren't fast or aggressive enough, you were left with the scraps and barely enough Jewel to live off of. Spectral Saint was amiable, if not a little rambunctious. Guild members tended to break a lot of things in the towns of people they were supposed to save, and Mitomori would wave money at those affected and it would go away. Not in a shady manner, of course, which had been a breath of fresh air for the man.
"I'll have you know I did do a reading on the team-up," he grinned at the three other mages in their would-be group. "And I've never gotten such firm answers from a prediction before. Something tells me that this is going to be the start of a fantastic adventure." And for all of his introspection, Kigo was serious. The dark haired male had been kind of living in a bit of a funk these last few months. Nothing interested him. No amount of tours around Kugane with his fan girls asking questions about him rather than the history of the port could get him going either. Even his usual habits of going to the library and finding a good book to read had felt mundane. This was exactly what all of them had needed in this moment. A proper adventure, and the start of a new journey.
When Emiko made a plan to meet at the train station in an hour, he nodded. Living at the guild, all he had to do was go up to his studio apartment on one of the upper levels and grab his things. He'd probably hang out a little more with Ryuu before he left, anyway. The two got along well... or really, about as well as anyone get along with the prickly bartender.
Turning to the pretty brunette, Kigo tilted his head slightly, contemplating. "Hey Arisa, where are you living now that you belong to the guild? Did you get an apartment somewhere in the city or are you renting from the guild flats?" He didn't want to leave her to find her way around the city by herself, especially if she had only just arrived. Another great idea worked its way into his brain and he couldn't stop from smiling. "Oh, don't let ,e forget to give you a tour of Kugane when we get back after the job. I'd love to show you around, if you're not tired of me by then, that is!"

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura

Shigeru was grateful when Emiko finally left. It meant he could pack up in peace. As Kigo and the new girl - Arisa - chatted, Shigeru found himself glancing at Emiko's retreating back. God, she was so annoying, with her stupid face and the way her hair swayed as she walked and her peppy voice. The thought of having to work with her was already grating on his nerves. Still, she was strong, and though he'd never admit it, Emiko was one of those mages that could turn the tide of a fight. He'd seen her crack a tree in half right down the middle - there was surprising strength in those arms.

She said she'd be back in an hour. Shigeru forgot she lived quite a distance from the guild. He'd never seen her house, but he heard people talk. Supposedly, it was a nice cottage in the woods. It sounded like a good setup to him - limited people, lots of space. Emiko spent most of her time here at the guild, though. If he thought any harder about it, Shigeru might've come to the conclusion that the woman was lonely.

With a half-nod to Kigo, Shigeru slipped away. He lived in the guild apartments. He kept telling himself he should get his own place in the city, but it was convenient to live where he worked. Mages greeted him as he passed. He gave surly nods in return. If there was one thing he liked about the Saints, it was that they tended to respect people's way of life. Shigeru knew he could be a little...blunt on a good day. It wasn't like he went out of his way to be rude, he was just...so used to having to put up a wall. Growing up, it's what kept the bullies away. If you cussed them out first, threw the first punch, and braced yourself, you stood less of a chance of getting knocked down.

Shigeru was having to unlearn some of those habits. The Master even had a talk with him, way back when he first joined. Shigeru had insulted a senior member because of a (perceived) slight. The Master was very blunt with him, which had surprised Shigeru. Talking like that to your fellow mages wasn't okay.

Now, Shigeru was...still prickly, but he tried his best.

His apartment was small but clean. Several spiders scuttled out of the way - friends that he'd welcomed to live with him. It didn't take long for him to pack what he needed - Sakazuki wasn't that far to begin with. Shigeru was ready to go within the hour.
Arisa Morikage

Arisa felt her cheeks redden. She hadn't meant to seem so stiff...she'd only...

Oh. Oh, Emiko was still smiling. She hadn't taken offense at all, and in fact seemed...excited, to be meeting someone new.

"I like her. Kid's got some spunk." Well, Emiko got Heads approval. Which said something. Whether it was a good something was neither here nor there.

Arisa was distracted by Kigo's voice again. He really was handsome. And now that she'd given it some thought, she did remember seeing his face on a few magazines. So he really did do tarot readings? Insights into the future...that was a pretty impressive ability. To be able to stop bad things from happening before they even occurred had been a wish of hers for...a long time. The thing about ghosts was that she only ever got warnings at the expense of someone else's tragedy.

Don't go on that bridge, I fell through. Don't walk down that alley, a violent thief killed me there. Beware of that restaurant, I had an allergic reaction.

She could do so much more good if she could've prevented those deaths in the first place.

Kigo was talking to her again. Arisa blinked, snapping out of her reverie. Emiko was gone, as was Shigeru, leaving just her and Kigo. "I got an apartment towards the ports," she explained. It had been a lucky find. Incredibly sketchy - but the ghosts there didn't seem particularly agitated. There was even a phantom there - a male with a missing limb that seemed more preoccupied with studying the boats that came and went than anything in the apartments.

"I...suppose I will meet you at the train station?" Arisa said, a tad awkwardly. She'd have to ask where the train station was. Or...she glanced surreptitiously at Heads and Tails. Maybe she could send them on a search. Phantoms were fast and with the two of them, it wouldn't be hard to find where it was.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I

”Oh, it’s a mage from Spectral Saint…” a few whispers around her caught her ears as she stood on the train platform in Kugane Station, her backpack at her feet as she waited for her teammates to arrive. Thanks to her magic, her senses were a little heightened—not quite to the level of a dragonslayer’s, and it was mostly just her hearing, but it still was more helpful than not. Emiko proudly stood up a little bit straighter. Master Mitomori trusted her to wear his guild’s symbol… that held a lot of weight in the pinkette’s world. Even when other people around her didn’t think so.
”Oh wait, it’s the beast mage.” Her stature didn’t falter, though she stuck her chin in the air a little higher at the whispers. “Monster magnet.” You would think one would be used to them by now if such playground insults had been thrown at you your whole life… but that wasn’t true. Those insults never stopped hurting… Emiko just got a lot better at hiding how they made her feel. In this instance, it was coming from a group of younger adults who appeared to be her age. They were dressed like they were coming from some fancy event. A man, in particular, brushed past her, causing her to nearly lose her balance and stumble out of the way. “Freak,” he seemed to be the ring leader, as the others swarmed around him comically after pushing past her—like she hadn’t been taking up the least amount of space on the floor possible.
”Shh, c’mon, cmon!” a girl laughed, trying and failing at being quiet. “What if she hears and goes on some sort of rampage?” Another chimed in, but she sounded like a carbon copy of the first. “I heard she’s super violent…!” Their not-so-subtle gossiping slowly drowned out in the general murmur of the commuting crowd the further they walked away, but Emiko’s maroon gaze watched them leave, her brow furrowed in a mixture between annoyance and exhaustion. The words of idiots like them, however, hardly held any weight in her eyes. Before Mitomori basically picked her up out of the woods, she might have followed them to beat the shit out of ‘em, but now she played nice. Besides, Emiko would only be proving them right if she retaliated. She couldn’t change a stigma that had existed long since before she’d been born overnight. It just wasn’t possible. But she could try to be the best version of herself. And that was something that those randos would never know about her. She wasn’t doing it for them( she was doing it for herself.
A selfish goal that worked on self-improvement hardly felt selfish at all.
Thankfully, Kugane was usually free of such prejudice, at least openly. She didn’t have to hear that kind of talk commonly. She was loved by the population of school kids because she’d always stop to play games with them, and your average citizen was usually really nice. Unfortunately, sometimes those with old money carried the stigma against Beast Soul Takeover Magic with them. Oh well. She’d probably never see that group again.

K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

She lived over by the ports…? His brow furrowed ever so slightly in concern. The main port of Kugane was in a rather wealthy district, as large passenger ships from the different islands and neighboring countries often docked there, a governmental building nearby welcoming any and all visitors through customs right there on their pier. However, if she was saying multiple… she probably meant the marina docks. Kugane was a relatively safe city—it had cleaned up significantly since the founding of Spectral Saints (it was pretty hard to do crime with a licensed guild only a block away from your doorstep, or so most organizations found out quickly). But the marina by the docks was a little bit more rundown, and he didn’t mean any offense to Arisa, considering he didn’t say it out loud, but that seemed a little more in her perceived price point for having just moved into town.
”I’m quite familiar with all of Kugane—if you give me a few minutes I’ll be right back down with my things and I can walk you from your place to the station.” He smiled politely, double checking that she’d wait for him, before darting off. The chocolate-toned man decided to only pack necessities, like his toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, and a change of clothes. His bedroll was long enough that a portion could be rolled into a pillow, so he was set if they slept outside. Most importantly, however, he grabbed two of his prized decks, the cards practically humming with magic as he stuffed them into their respective holsters, putting both deck dealers on his hips.
Jogging down the stairs, he was glad to see that their newest mage had waited for him, and with his backpack slung over one shoulder, he smiled and told her to lead the way. “If you only know street names, I can still navigate us there.” He knew Kugane like the back of his hand at this point. “I have a passion for history and I love Kugane’s. Remind me to tell you sometime,” he chuckled, nodding to the stuffed Frankenbear bouncer at the front door as it opened it up for them.
”Oh my gods, Kigo!” A chorus cried out as they walked outside into the sunlight. A mixed gaggle of fans immediately rushed them… well, within 5ft of distance. In fact, if one were to get out a measuring tape, it would be eerily as accurate to 5ft as humanly possible. Kigo chuckled despite the commotion, smiling politely and waving. A girl swooned into the arms of her friend. “We love you, will you sign our—“
”Sorry to cut you off, but I signed stuff for all of you this morning already,” Kigo chuckled, a small smile on his lips. It was a little duller than the one he’d given Arisa in the guild hall earlier… but the fanclub didn’t seem to notice any difference whatsoever. “You know my boundaries, this is official guild business.” At that, they all nodded very seriously, the group collectively shuffling back a few more feet. It was almost like a comedy routine… they all wished him luck and to be safe, and he waved politely until they were around a corner. Kigo breathed a sigh of relief, calm smile once again returned to his face. “Sorry about that, they’ve gone a little crazy these last few months, I’m not sure what’s making them so bold…” he trailed off, looking into the distance before shrugging half-heartedly. “Alright, sorry for the interruption. Please, after you.”

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura

The train station was as crowded as always when Shigeru finally got there. He hated crowds with a passion. All those bodies brushing against each other...all those people mindlessly going toward their destination. Blech.

He loitered about near the front of the station for a little while, not wanting to go in until he was sure everyone was ready. Why wait inside the crowded platforms when he could wait in the fresh air?

But after a few minutes of leaning against one of the cherry trees out front, Shigeru heaved a sigh, growing bored. Might as well head inside, the others shouldn't be too far away. He slung his pack over his shoulder, stuffing his other hand in the pocket of his trench coat. He got a few stares - he always did, dressed the way he was with his all-black clothing and thick eyeliner - as he walked into Kugane Station proper. There were a couple of girls giggling near one of the information kiosks, glancing his way. Shigeru ignored them. It wasn't often he interacted with "fans". He wasn't like Kigo or some of the other, more socially adept members of the Saints. It honestly weirded him out a little, the thought of being gawked at. Besides, most people didn't come close to him. That was one of the benefits of having a killer resting face - Shigeru didn't often have to say "excuse me" or "pardon me" as he weaved through a crowd.

He neared the platform and picked out Emiko's tell-tale pink hair amongst the throng. No sign of Kigo or Arisa just yet. Great. That meant more time for Emiko to bother him, as he was sure she would.

Except as he drew nearer, Emiko's face was devoid of her idiotic grin. Instead she looked...unhappy? Annoyed? Jeez, did she forget her hairbrush or something?

Shigeru opened his mouth, a sarcastic comment ready on the tip of his tongue, only to pause as he saw a group of hoity-toity snobs snicker as they passed her. He wasn't close enough to hear what they said, but he saw them glance at Emiko. It was when a man shoulder checked her as he walked by, nearly knocking her over, that Shigeru's face twisted into a dangerous snarl.

As the group of fancy-dressed morons came his direction, he squared his shoulders, leveling a glare at them. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to bump into people?" He asked dryly. "You should probably apologize."

Why am I defending her? He thought. He told himself it was just because his own guild mark was visible and he didn't want anyone to talk smack about the Saints. That would be bad for Shigeru's credibility, after all.
Arisa Morikage

Arisa barely had the time to reply before Kigo whisked away. She bit her lip. Did he really mean to follow her all the way to her apartment? Wasn't that an inconvenience for him?

Arisa glanced around, realizing that she was finally alone - no one else was watching.

"Heads, Tails," she whispered. Her phantoms immediately perked up, shuffling closer to hear her. "Look around for the train station. Guide or not, I'll need to know how to get there myself eventually."

"You got it!" Heads puffed out her chest as she did a mock salute. "We'll find the station and get back to you as soon as possible."

"You sure you'll be okay on your own?" Tails asked, his tail twitching as he glanced in the direction that Kigo had disappeared to. "Not that I have any reason to distrust him, but we don't exactly know the guy."

"Eh, if she needs us, she can just summon us," Heads cut in, waving away her brother's concern. "I'm sure pretty boy's not all that, anyway."

"I'll be fine," Arisa murmured, risking a smile at Tails. She knew he was always the more cautious of the two - the worrywart to balance Heads' cavalier attitude. "You guys just get a good, solid reading on the city. The more we know, the better. Hurry!"

With a last wave, the twin phantoms took off at a speed much greater than that of a human. They phased through the walls of the guild, disappearing from Arisa's view within seconds.

Arisa took another, subtle look around her. No one seemed to notice her little conversation. It wasn't that she had to keep her abilities a secret - many people had stranger magic than she did - but a lot of people got weirded out when she talked to seemingly thin air. When she was caught, she'd have to explain her magic, which led to even more questions and, really, she just didn't have the energy for that right now.

It didn't take long at all for Kigo to reappear. At his words, Arisa sent him a shy smile. "It's very kind of you to walk with me," she said, following him out the door. "I'm sure once I make the commute myself once or twice, I'll know the way for sure."

She was not prepared for immediate swarm of people as soon as they stepped out front. With a child-like squeak, she froze, eyes wide, as what could only be Kigo's fans gathered around them. They stayed a distance away, thank goodness. Kigo didn't even bat an eye at the attention, and his shutdown was polite but to the point. Arisa breathed out a sigh of relief as the crowd slowly shambled away. She noticed a few people glancing at her - some with open curiosity and some with barely-disguised envy. "I'm not sure how you manage to deal with them so smoothly," she muttered, smoothing out her cloak.

The journey to her apartment didn't take too long, and Arisa was pleasantly surprised to find that she did remember most of the way. Kigo only had to correct her two or three times, mostly when they got closer to the ports - the streets got a little twisty there.

Soon they were standing before her apartment. Arisa didn't look at Kigo's face - she was aware of the, ah, conditions of the area. It wasn't pretty to look at, that was for sure.

A woman with pale eyes and half her face missing waved at Arisa from the third story window, her dark hair floating in the windless air. Arisa sent a small smile back, not wanting to be rude and ignore the ghost. She got her keys and unlocked the door. "Please excuse the mess," she said self-consciously, "I'm still trying to get everything unpacked."

She hurried inside the cool, dark apartment. It wasn't that much of a mess really...but she still had boxes of her belongings scattered around, and the living room had a half-assembled couch in the middle of the floor. It had been a parting gift from some of her hometown's residents, and she was still in the midst of putting it together. It was a small abode, with the living room connected directly to the small kitchen. There was no dining area per se, just a couple of stools pulled up to the counter. There were children's drawings on her fridge - courtesy of her younger siblings. They were mostly generic kid doodles, though a few of them featured dark figures with horns and tails (Hana, her little sister, was the only other one in their family to possess the ability to see ghosts and phantoms).

"Just give me like three minutes and I'll be ready," she promised, disappearing into the bedroom. She quickly grabbed her backpack and shoved things inside of it - mostly necessities, and an extra change of clothes. She reappeared with a nervous smile. "I'm all set!"

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I

She'd been so distracted, she hadn't even heard Shigeru appear, which meant she didn't have enough time to put a smile back on her face. Although... someone who was as quiet and calculating as the spider mage might have been able to tell the difference regardless of how "close" (or not) they perceivable were, so really it was probably a moot point regardless. Still, she felt her brow furrow as Shigeru spoke. "No, don't it's not-" what, important? Emiko's words died on her lips as that man scoffed at the dark haired male's callout.
"Huh...? I didn't know monsters had friends," the gaggle of groupies behind him whispered amongst themselves, small snickers under their breaths that made Emiko's ears twitch but she paid them no mind. Her teeth grit together as the man confidently smirked. "It's only a matter of time before someone with her volatile magic puts your precious guild in a precarious position. It's a wonder the magic itself isn't a crime."
It was a miracle that Emiko's first instinct wasnt to punch him. In fact, his words weren't even on the harsher side of what she had Hearn thrown at her. It wasn't her fault she was born with this magic. "Just... let them say whatever they want," she huffed, bringing her arms down from where they were, crossed under her chest. The pink haired female moved to push her way in between the two men. "C'mon, we have to go wait for Kigo and Arisa." There could have been more words thrown at their backs, but she didn't perceive any of it as Emiko wastdid no time, grabbing Shigeru's hand and picking up her stuff off of the floor of the platform, dragging the spider mage away. A voice sounded over the announcement lacrima, stating their train would be pulling into the station in ten minutes or so, other people mulled about on the platform that paid them no mind. Emiko's heartbeat sounded like it was between her ears but she ignored the feeling. She just needed to give them some distance. Clear her head. If Shigeru was also trying to talk to her she wasn't clocking it.
Reaching a bench a little closer toward where the front of the train would be, Emiko sighed and threw her stuff on a nearby unoccupied bench. Quicopy realizing that she was still holding Shigeru's hand, she quickly dropped it, turning on him with a bit of flustered annoyance. "Uh, I had that, thanks," she huffed, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Everything was perfectly under control!" She wasn't mad at Shigeru. She was mad at herself for having to let people like that walk all over her. 'You can't strike back. You'll only prove them right.' Words her father had said. Words that she had responded to in a promise that she would never hurt any civilian just because their thinking was outdated and their assumptions untrue. Every day she helped others, she was proving them wrong. "I don't need your help defending me, so what the guy was a jerk. Who cares," she turned her head away. She couldn't even look at him. Why? Why was she so confused about how to feel when he had stood up for her...?
She purposefully aimed her face away from him so Shigeru couldn't see her expression. Letting out a barely perceivable sigh, she pushed the little altercation from her mind, trying to forget about it already. What could she distract him with? Quick, change the topic! "So! I bet there's all kinds of creepy crawlies at this place... Sakazuki's on the other side of the mountains, right...? What kinds of spiders are you hoping to find while we're there? I'm personally excited to beat the hell out of some zombies. Can't say I've ever fought one before!" she turned back around with a grin, hand on her shoulder and rolling her arm as if prepping to fight.

K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

"It's the least I could do," Kigo made sure to reassure her that walking her to her a was simply no trouble at all. There was a simple rule that he'd heard as a child that none of his family could seem to remember, which was "treat others how you'd like to be treated." It was such a simple, elementary level concept, and somehow people were so quick to forget it. Kigo laughed lightly as she commented on his fan club, shaking his head as he helped her navigate the streets of Kugane. "Ah, that took some time and patience to get the fan club so well-trained..." he admitted, a bit of a cheeky smile curling on his lips as he glanced at the brunette out of the corner of his eye. "I've been in Kugane for about four years now... it really took about a year and a half of reinforcing my boundaries to get them to back off whenever I ask. I sometimes have problems with the occasionally... extra passionate fans, but for the most part the club is pretty good about policing themselves." And, for reasons beyond his comprehension, Kigo's firm layout of said boundaries and how strictly he enforced the, only served to make him more popular, not less.
It was perhaps about mid-morning, the sun settling in overhead as a few clouds dotted across a beautifully blue sky. Kugane was lucky, as it was situated on the eastern side of the island of Inari (second in the archipelago) so it experienced all four seasons, and in the summers the waters were warm and the beaches were a popular tourist location. Currently on the tail end of summer, the weather was still warm, although a cooler wind blew down from over the northern Shigemi mountains that spoke of the change into fall sooner rather than later. For now though, plenty of individuals were wearing their summer clothes, out shopping in the warm weather and enjoying the day. To an outsider, as Kigo walked around town, it might have looked like they were on a date... The cards' mage made sure to point out his favorite bookstore and the cafe nearby where he liked to take new books and read when he had a quiet moment to read.
The closer they got to Arisa's apartment, the more Kigo's suspicions were confirmed. Kugane was mostly a very nice city with very little crime... but there wasn't a lot of regulations over by the marina and sometimes shady individuals took the area as the opportunity to try and mug unlucky individuals. Kigo smiled and promised Arisa that he would wait for the brunette while outside her apartment. Once the door was closed behind her, Kigo took out his secondary deck, shuffling and instinctively pulling out the card he needed. His face was emotionless as he concentrated, the only tell that he was serious being the slight furrow of his dark eyebrows. Placing the Sword's card in reverse, he pushed his magic through the card and into the door, a seal of protection weaving into the wood. His magic shone with a soft golden light that twinkled like little stars, melting into the building. He'd have to re-apply his magic to the protective barrier every once and a while.. and he had no idea how strong Arisa was... but as a fellow guild member, they looked after their own. At least this way she was immediately protected from petty thieves trying to break into her apartment.
He didn't have long to wait outside, but Kigo leaned against the wall and a bit of his older self made an appearance, which was a surprise but not unwelcome. His eyes were narrowed as he glared at any individual who loitered around outside the apartment for a little too long, looking down his long nose at anyone who dared to look at him funny. Years ago... he had been a rather angsty teen who fought anyone or anything that looked at him wrong. He used to be a wild card, perhaps a lot like Emiko was, but meaner. If bringing that back meant that people took a wide berth around Arisa's apartment, he could mean mug the marina's inhabitants. And it didnt hurt that Arisa now had the guild mark too. That would also give any would be burglars or muggers pause.
When Arisa reappeared, his stern expression immediately melted into a wide grin, his gaze softening. He honestly looked like a puppy sometimes, the way he lit up at the sight of his friends. Even though the young woman was new to the guild,that automatically got the tag of "friend" unless somehow proven otherwise. "You sure you got everything?" Kigo asked, pushing off from against the wall and keeping his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Great, then let's head to the train station." He started leading the way from her apartment and toward Kugane's main station, rolling his neck slightly as he let out a sigh. "The marina's a little rough--if you ever have any issues you let the Master, or honestly any one of us know, alright?" Some might have said that his friendliness could be perceived as pushiness, or even a little overbearing... but at some point he had known what it felt like to be a new mage in a sea of strangers. And even back then he might not have appreciated someone doing something like this for him completely... but in reality, he was just doing what he wished someone had done for him. Someone beyond Emiko getting lost as she tried to show him around the city, or one of the older members patting him on the shoulder with nothing but a word. They all meant well, but sometimes a guide was so helpful.
"You'll get a hang of it eventually, I'm sure," he grinned, motioning vaguely to the city around him. "It might seem like a maze now, but I promise you, it all makes sense at some point." The dark skinned male pointed out more little notable things as they passed them: a public park that had an old temple right on the beach, the best place to get groceries, an open market... All essentials, of course. "So... what made you want to join the Saints? If it's not too personal, that is," Kigo was asking as the station's clock tower appeared in the distance.

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura

Just let them say whatever they want?

Oh, heck no. That's not how this worked. That's not how bullies worked. You didn't give them a free pass. You were suppose to fight, to bite back.

Shigeru was a heartbeat away from telling the man in very colorful words the place he could shove his words - but the warm sensation of Emiko's hand in his sent his brain skidding sideways. His eyes widened as she all but dragged him toward a bench near the front of the train. She'd touched him before - all the time, much to his chagrin - but she'd never been so bold as to grab his freaking hand. For a moment he was so caught off guard that he didn't even look back at the morons that had started this whole mess.

"Wha - you had that?" Shigeru asked, his eyes zeroing in on the back of her head as her words finally registered. He scowled. He'd finally decided to do something nice and here she went throwing it back in his face! "How about a 'thank you' for standing up for your sorry mutt butt - " But she had already barreled on, apparently hellbent on acting like nothing had happened.

But it did. She'd run away from a fight, something he'd never seen her do. She'd swallowed those insults instead of spitting them back.

She'd held his hand.

And why is that what my brain decides to focus on? He thought, before letting out a rough sigh, running a hand down his face as he plopped onto the bench. He didn't want to talk, not when his blood was still hot at the memory of that guy's stupid face. But when he glanced up and saw Emiko's smile - one that didn't clock as her regular, stupidly bright grin - he sighed again. "Sakazuki has pretty similar species to Kugane," he muttered, crossing his arms. "...But there might be some regional differences."

He rolled his eyes at her remark about zombies. "Idiot. Zombies aren't real - not unless we're dealing with an actual necromancer. Which we don't know for sure at this point in time." Okay, maybe he was just being a little contrarian now, sue him.
Arisa Morikage

The clock tower had just come into view when Heads and Tails suddenly sprouted from within a nearby bookshop. They caught sight of Arisa and Kigo and rushed toward them.

"Arisa!" Heads grinned. "We found the train station!"

At Arisa's deadpan expression, her grin turned sheepish. "We...also got sidetracked."

"No, you got sidetracked," Tails snapped, crossing his arms. "I had to stop you from starting a fight with at least two separate ghosts!"

"Not my fault they wanted to rumble! That headless guy was looking at me funny!"

"How could he look at you when he didn't even have a face?!"

Arisa sighed. It was an automatic reaction, one born from having to endure countless sibling arguments. Then she realized she'd sighed right as Kigo had spoken, and blinked, embarrassed. Oh, no, she hoped he didn't think she sighed because of him!

"A-Ah, sorry," she said, trying to cover it up. "Just, um..." Wait, what did he ask again? About why she joined the Spectral Saints? "I...it's...a long story." She looked down, fiddling with her fingers as they walked. "The short version is that I wanted to be able to provide a better life for my family."

Mages could make really good money when in a guild. More money meant her mother wouldn't have to work as hard - which meant Hana and Akio would be able to spend more time with Mom. Maybe Arisa could even make enough to get Hana into a good school when she was older. Her younger siblings deserved all the same opportunities other children in the city got, and her mother deserved to be able to rest.

"Oh, does that...make me sound materialistic?" Arisa asked, smiling sheepishly. "I want to help people too...but my family is just...really important to me, you know?"

They were at the station now. The time on the clock tower caught Arisa's eye. It was nearly time for departure.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I

Emiko didn't want to get into it with Shigeru. In a perfect world she'd get to punch that smug bastard in the face and be done with it, but that would make her father sad. 'You're not a monster Emi, no matter what people say... but acting in retaliation... Hurting people because they hurt you... that's no way to live.' It had been really hard growing up. There were moments that she definitely wanted to forget about her childhood and simply couldn't. That being said, those words of her father's rang true in her mind. She would be a better person than all of the old-world thinkers tried to make her out to be. Beast Take Over magic was not something to be feared... to hunt down and ridicule.
For once, she was really glad that Shigeru wasn't arguing with her. There was nothing she wanted more than a distraction and to forget that the altercation had happened altogether. When Shigeru spoke briefly about the spiders in Sakazuki having variations, she noted how he avoided eye contact. Even with such a small statement it was plain to see what the black haired man was passionate about. That brought a little more life back to her grin. "Hey, I'm not an idiot!" she bickered, her brow furrowing. "Besides, you don't know that for certain! Zombies absolutely could exist. Maybe it's some evil zombie scientist... o-or a dapper undead gentleman and his horde of gentlemanly zombies! You never know!" She put her hand to her chin with a giggle at the last suggestion, the imagery she was conjuring up being quite amusing as she entered her own little world.
At the sound of their guild member's voice, Emiko turned, the strands that fell from her messy bun bouncing with the motion. "Great, I think you made it just in time!" And they were both another welcome distraction from the previous altercation on the platform. Emiko was by no means ready to unpack any of that any time soon. No sooner had the take-over mage spoken did a voice announce their train was beginning to board, and she let out a little cheer of delight. "Come on, Arisa," in an instant, the energy-filled young woman was at the other's side, a wide grin on her face. "We have to be first so we can get the best spot, come on!" She began to tug the poor brunette unceremoniously toward the train, her own ticket procured and in hand.
"It's only about an hour-two hour ride. Still, that doesn't mean we can't snag the most comfortable seat!" The network of trains in Enca was another of the country's primary features. Each island had at least a handful of train stations that were maintained by government employees; the bigger the island, the more stations. Of course the big island, Enca, had the most stations with it having the most land mass to cover, and Inari (the island they were currently on) being the second largest. The rail system also had lacrima attached in a revolutionary way under the rails themselves to make them float on the water, and sway with the tug and pulling of the waves just on top of the surface--this unique and clever engineering meant that there were trains that traveled between islands, but those usually one ram twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening.

K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

He waited patiently for her to answer his question. Kigo was a fairly observant person, so while he might not have been able to see the spirits that Arisa was looking at, he could tell that something else had her attention. Rather than get upset or impatient, he quietly waited for her to turn back to him. Smiling politely, he shook his head. "It's alright, I know the topic is kind of personal for a lot of mages, why they choose to work where they do..." he trailed off, turning his gaze to look back ahead of them. The train station grew closer as they continued to walk.
"No, that makes you sound practical," he pointed out with an earnest expression. "Some might call it 'materialistic', like you said, but unfortunately we live in a world run on Jewel and Jewel doesn't exactly grow on trees." He sighed, internally cringing at his own words. Kigo had come from an incredibly wealthy family. That family of his hadn't really wanted anything to do with him, considering he was the youngest child and his older brother could do no wrong. He hadn't wanted their money... he'd wanted a family. "Some people are blinded by it... but the fact that you're working so hard for your family is admirable." It was lonely, sometimes, but Kigo found he didn't always mind the solitude. At least now, when he was left behind or on his own, it was usually because that was his choice, and not because he was forgotten about.
The irony of the whole situation was now he was basically a household name on every Encan Island. They wouldn't be able to forget him if they tried.
But that was information he mostly kept to himself. As a public figure now, a lot of what he did wasn't kept private, so he'd hold onto his history for as long as he could. He'd left those ties frayed and burned a long time ago. For now, focusing on the present was his top priority. "On the ride, we can all discuss how best we all can work together, come on," Kigo smiled, motioning with his hand as the other rested calmly in his front pants pocket. Walking up the steps, he noted how busy the station was. There were a couple different groups of well-dressed individuals. Some Kigo recognized from various events he'd been forcibly dragged to via the magazine chairman who gave him small nods. He only offered a neutral smile in return as he walked up to the ticket kiosk. "I've got your train ticket this time," Kigo turned back over his shoulder to send a wink at Arisa, before paying with a handful of Jewel notes, getting two train tickets in return. He didn't really give her time to argue either as he was already handing her the ticket slip and leading the way down the platform, all while trying to keep an eye out for either Emiko's short pink head of hair, or Shigeru's tall and lanky figure draped in black.
"Ah, there they are! Hopefully not arguing too much already," the dark haired male chuckled at the sight of Emiko and Shigeru having already found each other up by the front of the train on the platform. "I think Emiko doesn't like seeing people alone... and Shigeru's quite content to be by himself from what I've seen. It makes for quite the interesting comedy act, sometimes."
"Hey you two!" Kigo called out, waving casually as he and Arisa moved to meet them on the platform. "Got your tickets? The two of us are all set to go."
"The train from Kugane to Sakazuki will begin boarding momentarily. All passengers please stand by with your tickets ready." A voice over the lacrima loudspeaker sounded, and Kigo shouldered his bag to make sure it wouldn't slip down his arm as they boarded.
"That's us," the model nodded toward the train, signaling that they should start boarding. He could only watch as Emiko wasted no time in dragging Arisa to the front of the line. "Well, you can't say we're lacking in spunk," he chuckled, looking at Shigeru briefly before making his way to follow the girls.

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura

Dapper gentleman with dapper zombies? Where does she come up with this stuff? Shigeru wondered, though if anyone had asked, he'd deny listening to any of her inane chatter. Shigeru took out his sketchbook from the inner pocket of his trench coat and opened it to the drawing of the joro-spider he'd started that morning. He wondered if she'd had any cousins. Spiders didn't tend to keep family ties, except for huntsman spiders. But still, there might be some of her relatives where they were going.

Shigeru only had a few minutes before Emiko took off. He looked up to see her leading Arisa toward the train (read: forcible dragging her). He ran a hand through his hair, fluffing it a little as he put his sketchbook back into its pocket. In answer to Kigo, he wordlessly held up his own ticket as he fell in step with Kigo, looking with exasperated annoyance toward Emiko and Arisa. "I hope we sit in a completely separate area," he groused, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Unfortunately, it seemed the universe was not smiling on him today. He and Kigo ended up sitting directly across from Emiko and Arisa. The train was full, but not overly packed. Shigeru slumped in his seat slightly, crossing his legs to get comfortable.
Arisa Morikage

Kigo's words eased a little bit of the insecurities about her reason for joining a guild. It was nice to hear someone acknowledge her point of view, though she had to fight back a blush when he called it "admirable". She was just doing what she could, nothing more.

Arisa's cheeks warmed even further when he'd winked at her as he bought her ticket. No wonder he's so popular, she realized, He knows how to charm.

Her lips quirked up in a smile as Kigo joked about Shigeru and Emiko. "I can relate to him," she said quietly. Not that she'd really been alone. Ever since she was young, there was always someone nearby, human or otherwise. She followed Kigo toward them, her stomach tightening in a knot as they drew closer. Traveling always made her nervous. What if there was something she missed? What if they asked for paperwork she didn't have? What if there was a surprise fee that no one told her about? What if she broke some unspoken rule of train etiquette --

Arisa's eyes widened comically as Emiko suddenly grabbed her hand and started to pull. She cast an alarmed, helpless glance at Kigo before stumbling after the other girl. Heads snickered, and Tails' tail flicked in amusement as she was hauled toward the train car.

She sat directly across from Kigo, her fingers picking at the edges of her cloak, her eyes darting around as people filled in the empty seats. Heads and Tails were absent. Phantoms couldn't usually interact with the physical plane, so trying to ride inside a moving vehicle was a bit of a hassle for them - they'd have to be sure to keep up the exact same speed as the train. They'd follow along on their own pace.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I & K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

Emiko had to make sure that their seats were perfect -- halfway up the train car, far enough away from the bathrooms to still be within good distance, and no obstruction of their view outside the window. Typically she'd have taken the window seat herself, but considering Arisa was new, she let the cute brunette sit in the window seat, Kigo sitting across from her. Taking her seat, Emi stuffed her over-the-shoulder bag in the compartment under the seat, watching as Shigeru sat in front of her. She was buzzing with excitement, eager to leave the things that had happened at the station behind her to instead focus on the present. Kigo sat quietly, his calm and collected smile never quite leaving his lips. He was always so patient with those in the guild, he was a hard person not to like. He, of course, was sure he had people who were tired of seeing his face. He could only imagine what his parents thought of him if they'd even ever seen a Sorcerer's Weekly magazine in their life.
It didn't take long, thankfully, for the train to be filled with eager passengers, and the doors closed, their tickets were checked, and the whistle blown. The steady chug of the lacrima-heated steam engine started up, pulling the train out of Kugane Station and moving toward their destination one turn of the wheels at a time. Emi was trying not to be obnoxious. She really was, honest! But just the thought of going out and fighting things was making her antsy. "So, zombies," she stated, looking to the others with a grin. "What do you think is causing these spooky things to happen to this town?"
Kigo gave a good-natured shrug, leaning back languidly as his golden gaze glanced out the window before back to the group. "I want us to keep our guard up regardless of whatever it is. The back of the job request said that people's personal items and valuables are being stolen... not to mention the exhumed bodies of the dead. If it is a Necromancer, we'll have our work cut out for us!" He hadn't planned on starting the conversation about their mission quite so soon, but with Emiko looking like she was going to bounce out of her seat at any moment, the way her knee was bouncing, he figured he might as well start. "I believe, for Arisa's sake, we should all start by explaining our magic, so we might better support each other." It didn't hurt to have a little refresher, anyway.
"I can go first," the dark haired male cleared his throat briefly before nodded to the group. "As a Cards' Magic user, I can lay traps and fields of effect that can hurt or hold our adversaries... I am also a tactician by trade, so if we need to come up with a plan, you can leave it to me." Letting out a little 'oh' of exclamation, Kigo reached into his pocket to pull out his Tarot deck, doing a quick shuffle before pulling out 4 specific cards. "Here. Emi, your hand please." The pink haired female looked at him funny for a brief moment before shrugged, holding out her hand for him. Kigo took one of the blank cards, and pressed it into her upturned palm, his eyes closing in concentration for a moment. He mumbled a soft, almost impercebtible incantation under his breath, and the card glowed in their hands. "Now, check it out," he grinned, opening his eyes and letting go. Emiko's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked down at the card, a cute little drawn version of Kigo on the card face now.
"Oh, hey! Is this to communicate?" Emiko smiled, poking the drawing. As she spoke, the card in her hand and the card in Kigo's hand lit up, and he turned his around to show a little drawn version of herself opening and closing her mouth. "That's so cool!" she cheered, admiring the new tool she'd been given.
"I wouldn't like to split up first thing in the town," Kigo admitted, offering out another card to Shigeru and repeating the same process he'd done with Emiko. Pressing the card into the other male's hand, he said the same incantation, his magic flaring a gold and twinkling light... before on Emi and Kigo's cards, a little Shigeru appeared. Kigo grinned, pleased with himself. "But, this way, if we do manage to get separated, you can just hold onto your card. Take good care of it, alright?" He was smiling gently, but his eyes pointedly looked to Emiko, who was intensely staring at the little characters of them and comparing the little Shigeru with the man in front of her.
"Are we sure this is Shigeru, it's so cute!" she teased lightly, leaning back in her seat as she sent that familiar shit-eating smirk toward her across-the-way companion.
Ignoring what was surely going to become more bickering, Kigo turned toward Arisa with a smile, "Your hand, please?" Kigo's hands were gentle as he pressed the card into her hand, saying the incantation one last time before letting out a sigh. It wasn't as though creating the telepathic link was very hard, but this particular version, with a wider range, tended to take a lot of magic power. Especially if he wanted it to last the night and then some. He might need to occassionally recharge them... though it would draw magic passively from the mage that was holding it (not enough to impede them, but just enough to maintain the connection). "The connection might get spotty if you go too far away, so please keep that in mind." Arisa's little chibi joined the others and they were all good to go. "Perfect. That's me squared away." Kigo looked over at Emiko pointedly for her to continue.
"Ah, right," she turned toward the brunette with a wide grin. "I'm a Beast Take Over mage." Whatever soft murmur was happening in the train car almost completely went silent at Emiko's proud declaration. "I don't know what you've heard about my magic, but I'm strong. I hit things really really hard, and I look good doing it, too!" She winked playfully, a bright grin on her face. She hadn't lost control of a takeover since she was a child, she was confident that this mission would go on without a hitch! She was maybe a little famous... or rather, infamous, for being somewhat destructive, but she'd control herself to the best of her abilities.

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura


Zombies. Actual zombies.

It’s like something out of a novel, he thought, leaning his head back against the seat as he listened to the chatter around him. Explaining their magic made sense.

When Kigo pressed the card against Shigeru’s hand, Shigeru felt the warm tingle of the card mage’s magic. Communication was important, though Shigeru glared at Emiko’s comment. He let out an affronted noise. “Yeah, and yours doesn’t have that same stupid, annoying expression you always have,” he bit back.

At the battle mage’s smirk, he knew he’d taken the bait. He looked away with a scoff. It wasn’t his fault for being easily led on when she had such a talent for pressing his buttons. He rolled his eyes as she boasted about her “super strong magic”.

He crossed his arms when it was his turn to speak. “Spider King Magic,” he grunted with a glance to Arisa. He held up his hand, touching his thumb to each of his fingertips. Gossamer strands appeared with a silver glimmer. He pressed his palms together, and when he brought them apart, an intricate spiderweb spanned the space in between. “Anything a spider can do, I can do.”

Arisa Morikage


Arisa felt a curl of unease in her stomach. Necromancy was dangerous, not to mention directly taking advantage of the dead. Most necromancers didn’t even care about the souls they were using. It was all about taking control.

She felt tingles go up her arm, warmth radiating from the contact of Kigo’s hands. She watched in fascination as his magic worked, looking down at the card in her hand. Her own little character was kind of cute, with big eyes and a round face. “That is really cool,” she said with a smile, echoing Emiko’s words.

Her new teammates had amazing abilities. They all sounded super confident in their powers, and while Arisa knew her magic was useful too, being upfront about it was still relatively new to her. She’d had people straight up tell her she was lying when she told them about the whole seeing ghosts thing.

Cradling the magic card in her hand, Arisa spoke. “I have what’s called Phantom Magic. I can harness the energies of phantoms through contracts.” At Shigeru’s furrowed brow, she clarified, “Phantoms are a little like ghosts, but…different. More powerful. But, um…I can see and talk to both. Phantoms and ghosts, I mean,” she added, stumbling over her words a little. She ran her finger along the edge of the magic card.

“I know it’s a little weird,” she mumbled, glancing up at her companions. She gave them a shy smile. “But at least I’ll be able to tell if this whole necromancy situation is real or not.”

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I & K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

”Oi, I’m a-dor-ra-ble.” Emiko emphasized each syllable of the word, her gaze narrowing at Shigeru as she huffed. She was sure someone thought that… right? Trying not to deflate and keeping up an air of confidence, the pink haired mage sat back in her seat and watched as Shigeru explained his magic, nodding. She knew it involved spiders considering the webs he liked to throw over her mouth when she really got on his nerves, but thinking back on it she was unsure if she’d ever fully heard what the name of his magic was. ‘Spider King, huh…?’ her eyes narrowed, unaware that she was staring at the male rather intensely as she thought. Her expression was void of emotion, just her gaze was pinned on him. ‘It sure sounds cool… I can’t tell him that, though… or should I? Nah, I’ll wait to see what he can do first.’ Despite their petty squabbles, they’d never had a full moment where they could actually let loose and spar at full power. Emiko really wanted to see the full effect of his magic…
Arisa’s voice pulled Emi out of her internal revery, and she looked to the girl with wide eyes, her gaze practically sparkling. “Woah… that’s SO cool!” Under her skin she itched to fight but she ignored the urge as she looked to the young woman beside her. “So you can like… talk to ghosts? Or they hang around you? Spooky! This is perfect for this mission, then!” She turned to fix Kigo with a smirk. “You knew, didn’t you. You had to have?”
The dark haired male smiled happily at how well the group seemed to be getting along, curiously listening to the abilities of his teammates. He’d known Shigeru’s abilities, although maybe not the extent of them. Arisa’s, however, came as a pleasant surprise. He couldn’t help but nod along with Emiko, holding his hands up in mock-surrender as the pinkette accused him of knowing. “I had no idea, though I can’t help but notice how the stars have shone favorably upon our meeting.” Kigo smiled softly at Arisa across the booth from him. “I don’t believe in coincidence, but I do believe in fate. This meeting, and this team up, was meant to happen.” He grinned, leaning back comfortably in his seat. “As for what we’ll do once we get there—I suppose we’ll meet with the Mayor of the town—he’s the one who put up the job request.” Kigo gestured vaguely with his left hand, motioning toward the window as the countryside slid by. “From that point we can reassess how we want to tackle our investigation.”
”And if I find the necromancer, I’m kicking his ass,” Emiko nodded resolutely, a small, nearly cute smile on her face at her own self-confidence.
”Well, we have a long way to go, yet…” Kigo sighed, turning to look out the window. His long dark eyelashes kissing the tops of his cheeks when he closed his eyes in thought or concentration.
”If that’s the case, then maybe I’ll take a nap…” Emiko sighed, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. “If I lean on you, Ari, feel free to push me off, I’m a pretty heavy sleeper.” She’d once slept through a brawl at the guild hall to the point where they had stopped fighting to see if she was alright when she didn’t wake up and join the fray immediately.
”So…” Kigo changed the topic for those who were still present (and awake). “What do you think of the Master, Arisa?”

 

[Koraki]

Shigeru Tetsura


“Whatever you say, mutt,” Shigeru bit back. He glanced away from the window and toward Emiko. He raised an eyebrow at her intense stare. It’s kinda creepy, the way she’s looking at me…

If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was planning an attack of some sort. Whatever it was, seeing the normally expressive Emiko with that blank stare was unnerving.

…not that he’d ever admit that.

He was grateful, however, when Emiko’s focus shifted back to Arisa. Even better when she closed her eyes and went to sleep. Spare them all from her incessant chatter. For his part, Shigeru wasn't in the mood for talking. He looked out the window, at the passing countryside, letting his thoughts wander. Kigo's remark about fate and the stars. Shigeru wasn't a believer in fate - sure, some things were predictable because of the patterns and habits of people and the environment they live in, but the notion that some celestial force orchestrated this team together...well, how in the world could fate put people like Emiko and Shigeru on the same team and expect good things to happen?



Arisa Morikage


Fate...?

Arisa couldn't tell whether it was comforting or not. Her magic was undeniable proof that the supernatural existed, but did the stars really care that much about the affairs of humans? Kigo seemed so confident and assured, she couldn't help but wish for it to be true. That she was meant to be here, that she was meant to join the Spectral Saints. That her troubled upbringing wasn't as damaging as she feared...

Emiko's comment broke Arisa's reverie and she smiled at the pink-haired girl. "I assure you, you won't bother me a bit," she said. "I have two younger siblings, so I'm pretty used to being used as a pillow." Her smile turned fond as she thought of her little brother and sister. It'd been a while since she saw them last, and letters home could only convey so much emotion.

"The Master?" Arisa hummed. Her lips twisted sheepishly. "To be honest, I was pretty nervous when I met him, so most of my first impressions were that he was, well, a bit scary." She hoped she wouldn't offend Kigo. The Master seemed really nice, now that she thought about it. But so much of her inner monologue during her first meeting had more to do with not stuttering or stumbling than any actual conscious thinking.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

E M I K O 𓃬 H A N A B I

Emiko usually had an incessant desire to prove herself. Either it was because she was so used to proving the stigma wrong about her magic, or that she was fighting so hard to make sure that she wasn't forgotten, she had this fear of being left behind and left alone. Typically, one would usually talk to their parents about this issue... but with her dad working so hard to make a living for himself (he often told her he wanted to be sending money to her, and not the other way around) she rarely ever saw her old man. Even less when he worked in the city and found the apartment above his little handyman's shop available. Now he lived right above where he worked and so he spent even less time at their old cottage in the woods. It was more Emiko's cottage than anyone else's, now. Setsuna really was the only person that the beast takeover mage talked to in any in-depth conversation. Yes, the guild was family, and there were plenty of people she bounced around between on the daily, but Setsuna was the only one she'd really made a true friend out of. Now that she was an S-Class mage, both her and her exceed were gone more frequently, and Emiko was left with no one to talk to again.
She wasn't... intimidated by their current group. More or less, she recognized she was trying too hard to be friendly. Hence her desire to nap rather than spend the rest of the trip talking their ears off and somehow making a worse impression. 'Shigeru already hates you, no need to put Kigo and Arisa on the same list,' that traitorous little voice in the back of her mind whispered. She shrugged it off. It Shigeru hated her, he wouldn't try tolerating her presence as much as he did. But... that thought still came from some insecure part of her brain that she wanted to use sleep to avoid.
It wasn't long before her head had drooped against the window. It was a small mercy for herself that she wasn't drooling. Instead, with her eyes closed, she looked almost peaceful... if not for the slight furrow of her brow, a gentle wrinkle in her forehead that spoke of some unforseen issue that plagued her dreams. The pinkette didn't have nightmares much anymore, save for one reocurring one... or more like one reoccuring memory. She slept like a rock, almost as though she hadn't slept the night before at all.
For most of the train ride, she slept, this furrowed expression on her face gradually increasing, deepening ever so slightly as the sun outside gradually climbed to midday and beyond. The train jostled a bit on the tracks through the mountain, but that didn't seem to wait the pink haired mage up. She slept through most of their conversations. Only on a harsh turn once they were already nearing Sakazuki, did Emiko nearly tumble forward into Shigeru's lap. Instinctively, as she woke up, she put her hands on his knees to steady herself before she went flying forward into his chest/lap. The pink haired female tried to blink the sleep from her eyes, looking out at the different landscape from when she'd fallen asleep, trying not to look at her tired reflection. The nap would have done her some good, at least.
"Sorry," she mumbled, quickly pulling herself back from Shigeru, refusing to make eye contact. She'd managed to save herself from the embarrassment of falling on him, but really what was worse in the long run? Either way it brought a little bit of color to her cheeks in embarrassment, she always seemed to be falling around him. And she wasn't even that clumsy! "Looks like we're nearly there." Out on the horizon, thankful for the distraction, she dipped her head toward the landscape. There was a forest behind them -- one the train had just come out of, and the land broke open into grazzy plains, farms dotting along every so often as they appeared to be in the valley on the opposite side of the mountain from Kugane. A giant mirror-like lake reflected the blue, cloud-speckled sky, and on the otherside of the lake was the town they were headed toward. Sakazuki wasn't nearly as big as Kugane, but being a stop along the rail line meant it wasn't small by any means. Plenty of houses, businesses, schools, and other such places filled its streets, and a big church sat at the edge of the water, a bell chiming the hour as they pulled into the station.
"Would all passengers departing for Sakazuki please exit the train. We will be refueling and continuing onward toward Enca Island," the voice over the loudspeaker announced, and Emiko began gathering her things. She needed to sleep better. It was unlike her to pass out for so long, especially on her way to a job she was definitely looking forward to.

K I G O 🂡 T S U Y A

Kigo couldn't help the chuckle that came out of her honest confession. "His eccentricism certainly doesn't help people settle down around him, that's to be sure." A slight frown appeared on his face as he closed his eyes, stroking his well-maintained beard before he spoke again. "I wonder if he's ever considered leaving his puppets behind for first impressions. Considering they're what people usually find creepy." He shrugged, opening his honey-brown gaze as he leaned back into his train seat comfortably. "He might seem scary but I can assure you, Mitomori Shinjiro is the biggest softy to ever exist, and he cares a lot about those he's invited to the guild. Not just anyone is allowed to waltz in and join Spectral Saints. He definitely saw something he liked about you when he let you join."
Turning his head to look at Emiko, who by this point in their conversation, was fast asleep. "Take our little spitfire friend, for example. If he thought she was truly a danger to society like most people who cling to the old beliefs still claim, she'd never have been allowed to join. I'm sure I'm also some sort of a liability~" he winked at Arisa, though the male didn't bother to elaborate for himself. Whether it be his fan club necesitating the guard-bear puppet outside the doors to the guild hall, or... other matters he no longer spoke of, it was hard to tell. "We might all be a bunch of misfits, but Spectral Saints really does become a home away from home... if not, at the very least, where you find yourself more often than not." Kigo himself spent a lot of his time elsewhere, but that didn't mean he didn't hang out at the guild hall -- especially considering the fact that he rented a room upstairs. That being said, he didn't often find time to lounge around the guild hall. Usually he was doing some photo shoot for Sorceror Weekly, or leading a tour around Kugane. And if he wasn't in the guild hall or doing either of those things, he was a frequenter of Kugane's large library.
"I do think this job will be relatively easy, with four competent mages on hand," Kigo went on to nod. "We just need to figure out how we work together." Something that was easier said than done, with some personalities. But Kigo had done his reading -- this made the most sense to him, even if Shigeru was the only truly reluctant one there. Speaking of the spider mage, Kigo turned his head to observe him for a moment. His gaze didn't linger, he could tell that Shigeru wasn't in the mood to talk. He rarely was, but Kigo would leave Emiko to do the pestering. If anyone was going to bring him out of his shell, it was going to need to be someone with unrelenting perserverance. She was already good at breaking through walls... in multiple senses, so he would entrust that role to her.
"I wish there were more job details to go off of..." he mused, taking a look over the job request that they'd taken with them. "But I suppose that's why we're meeting with the mayor of Sakazuki first thing. Ah, well... it pays to be prepared." Pulling out his deck, he did a quick shuffle, his magic flowing through his hands. If watching, an observer would be able to see the cards glow a soft golden color for a fraction of a second, before the settled into a neat stack. Using his thighs for a make-shift table, Kigo flipped up the top two cards. These were rune cards that had specific magic incantations on them. "I use these to build traps. If we want to catch our would-be-necromancer, it might do well to have some sort of a net prepared." He smiled at Arisa, drawing two more cards and building a sword of "magical cage" spell with the energy he was pouring into them.
Much of the train ride was spent in silence, though it wasn't really uncomfortable. They just weren't quite used to each other, and the reality was that train rides were long, especially in new groups of people. Once Kigo had finished preparing a few different rune card traps, he'd set about getting some waters and snacks for them from the drink cart further down in the train. He didn't like abusing his fame for free things, but the lady insisted that his autograph was more than enough payment, so at one point he came back with a bottle of water for everyone, along with some goodies they could share if they didn't have the opportunity for a proper dinner.
By the time they were nearing Sakazuki it was maybe around 3 or 4pm. The incidents that had been reported only really occurred once the sun went down, so if they were lucky, they'd have a couple of hours before the sun set not only to get filled in on the situation but also grab some food. Supposedly Sakazuki was well known for their soba noodles, so they'd have to see perhaps what the mayor recommended.
As the train pulled to a stop, Kigo waited for the announcement before he began to gather his things, standing up and offering Arisa his hand in case she needed it. The seats weren't the most comfortable thing in the world, but all things considered, he liked Inari's train system. Sometimes he thought it was the best on the archipelago... they'd have to travel first class with him though on some occassion. Then they'd really get to experience what it was like to be VIP's. He smiled to himself--that might not be a bad idea for a reward on their way back to Kugane... or maybe he'd reserve that experience for a bit of a longer ride. He'd jut have to wait and see how things panned out.