Myosotis Folds [Ace Examnination]

His head hurt, the same forced system was coming back to haunt him. Elyx hated it, such a stupid idea for anyone to become a Guild Ace of the guild, yet he managed to fight and make sure it went his way. Provided everything went according to the examination, he was supposed to forcibly make this student of his married to a Dryad. Everyone in the guild, most people rather, he considers a student. This person was no different, he was suppose to lead and guide her like anyone else. But the fact that he has to force her to marry, knowing her personality, would probably make his life a living hell. I swear Kakuma, tasks like these are a pain in the ass. He thought, wishing he could say that out loud. The Violinist was not in the mood to be dealing with yelling or complaining today. Though he was in the Guild Hall, he felt like because of this system, he might just snap any second. What he most certainly didn't need was someone complaining and whining to him about the system. I damn well know what is being done is screwed up... Damn, I hate this. Maybe I should revise the process, one that didn't force marriage, or lust, or even create a bonding where two never even have a love interest in the first place! He thought out loud, his pen scribbling with a loud noise before eventually, though he could have sword he held back, it broke in half and the ink flew around quickly. With awareness and speed, he slipped the piece of paper in front of him to avoid staining any of his gear. Today was a terrible day for him, not even Ignite or Izayuki could help him out here.

Irina rummaged through the guild kitchen as she often did when stuff was ever left on the counter by anyone who intended to make stuff after doing something else, one would think by now that people you get the idea that leaving stuff would obviously attract some very hungry people at this point. Today Irina had once again nearly ate the entire kitchen dry of proper cooking materials and she decided that today she would finalize her meal with a BLT sandwich. After completing her sandwich she decided that she must get going despite not cooking or grilling it as she left to head to the library where she intended to resume some research. As she did so the sandwich was strategically placed in the palm of her hand to slowly grill itself off her body heat, in doing so Irina's aura had become visible taking on the form of a currently sleeping lion. The aroma of such a sandwich was being spread throughout the guild as Irina took every new step and eventually she came to pass the open door of Elyx's office with Elyx inside. Irina knew Elyx vaguely, apparently he was appointed becoming an ace of sorts but Irina didn't know him much besides that and a few altercations that came from an earlier time, he probably didn't know what she looked like with red hair as she had been a bit of a recluse since that day she lost control of several demons. "You look like someone took a tornado to your brain." Irina commented noting his rather all over the place situation that she had found him in.

Just the reaction he was expecting, maybe a coffee was something that he needed. He hadn't had that good stuff for well over a week, maybe now was finally the time. There was no time for bitter retorts, there was business to be done. With his right hand, he held the file report and held it up to compare next to the red-haired lady. It was her all right. Elyx Reiaki. The boy introduced vaguely, not even willing to be formal, and he ignored the previous statement said to him. The Violinist placed the file down onto the desk once again. His clothes were ready as well, which is why he loosened his jacket by a button or two. The same placed he was apparently cleansed was going to be where he will be doing the ritual again. With Kakuma Blackflowers permission, I will be appointing your Guild Ace examination. The boy explained with his eyes half closed before snapping his fingers with his left palm, a portal being shown on his left side now. Standing up from his throne (He replaced his chair with a throne with jewels), he was ready to go to the Dryad Sanctuary. Follow me if you wish to accept this. The portal will be closing in five minutes, no more, no less. You can make your choice then, just consider what you will be doing when you make your choice. I'll be on the other side, and... *Sigh* Be prepared for what happens next.

Irina raised her eyebrow as Elyx explained the situation then started to imagine just exactly what she would look like as an ace which oddly enough just looked no different than how she looked usually, sitting at a desk writing reports on research with the occasional assassination. "Is that it?" Irina thought out loud from her own imagination, it seemed ace was just a fancy word to her. She lifted a hand to her mouth with the intention of eating the sandwich that had been roasting on its own in it only for there to be no sandwich there, in her deep moment of though she had managed to eat the sandwich without knowing it. "Huh, I didn't think that could happen." Irina once again thought aloud as she swallowed a bit of bacon. She stared at the portal for a moment before stepping through, this test seemed all to simple to her, but if it was only a title then she supposed it didn't hurt all that much.

Elyx would be there to greet the one he had to appoint, his hands behind his back as his jacket remained on the ground, a white T-Shirt under it. This was not going to be like last time, he was willing to keep his upper body covered until he had to get in the water. Before any further steps would be taken, he had to test her knowledge on what she would be doing. If she had gone anywhere near the library recently, this would most likely be an easy question for her. If not, so help her if she messed up, and help Elyx deal with what would happen next. Honestly, he would have no clue. He lowered his back as his light brown eyes locked with Irinas, his face as neutral as he can make it with his current emotions. The one thing you need to know about the guild is its alliance with the Dryads. He explained, making sure to avoid using any sort of suggestive diction that would imply that he had anything to do with this. Ignorance is not bliss, it's weakness. Before the first step begins, I need to remove all possible ignorance here. Answer me this, what is a Dryad, and why is it cherished so much in Black Rose?

Irina scratched her head as Elyx started going on about the dryads and asking why the guild bonds with the organization. The guilds bonds with the dryads was rather simple given their history however what the dryads were was blurred between perceptions, to most people they would simply be those who bond strongly with nature to protect it, while to others it might seem they were created by nature. To Irina the dryads were given the power to protect nature from a divine being under the orders that they must act as the protectors and in some case worshipers and priests of natures call. "I find your first question rather difficult to answer, I see all that life brings in a different light than what normal beings might perceive it. To me the Dryads are an extension of a higher being, of a god or goddess, as such they are given a charge and duty by said being as followers of their cause, in the case of the Dryads one would say a deity of life or nature with the charge of protecting it. As for the case of why they are cherished by the guild it is simply due to how their history has bonded them together, I believe Kakuma as something to do with this as well as an ordeal with a couple of corrupt hunters." Irina explained her answers, she sounded more like a robot of opinions than a person, emotion was usually something she lacked and would only sometimes show itself in quick and random bursts.

That was a nice answer, the bond turned out to be stronger, this answer was the proof of it. He remembered full well what his answer was, the Dryad marking meaning Earth. That answer was something he abides by everyday, it was true, he didn't want to think of it any further than that. His head tilted over to the right before watching the water, while his necklace was around his neck, there was no such thing as a fear for him. Elyx has had this for so long, such a beautiful item. In this case, he would have to take off his clothing, but he refused to do that. Half would work, but no further. Turning his body over towards that direction, he placed his fingers over the edges of the shirt. With a gentle grip, he lifted the cloth up and over his head, taking the shirt off before throwing it to the side. To the Dryads and Black Rose, the water is sacred. For every guild ace, you must relieve yourself of the shirt, but no further. He explained, lying a little bit. They actually had to take off all their clothing, but he did not do that in his last exam, nor was he going to ask any woman to take off all of their clothing. His gentle steps lead himself forward as he began to walk into the water, the little echos of the water moving were gentle. The feeling was warm like last time. Finally, when half of his chest was covered, he turned over to Irina, his face neutral. Whenever you are ready, approach me calmly. I can wait.

Irina took quite some time to just stare at Elyx as he sat in the pool of water, so much so that she actually sat down for a moment. She was deep in thought attempting to figure out what he was up to, swimming in a pool of water sacred to the Dryad's while requesting her to remove her shirt seemed suspicious to her. She wasn't one to actually wear anything under the rather loosely fastened vest that one might call her shirt, such use of materials weren't foreign but it seemed awkward to wear stuff like that with her choice of apparel. "Elyx Reiaki, I swear by the powers of mine that are mightiest if you are attempting to catch a look of certain assets and I find out about your intentions, I WILL BURN YOU!" Irina growled as she threw off her coat as gingerly removed the vest that one would call her shirt leaving her completely half naked, her proper response to this was to cover his chest with her arms. Meanwhile her tiny flare of anger riled up her aura as it took form of a red glow that transitioned into Silver flames that licked off her very being. The combination of her aura and the water would be a terrifying sight as she took the first step which cause the water in front of her to explode into a geyser thanks to the intense heat produced around Irina's body. The more Irina descended into the pool that less the water reacted violently until it was reduced into a light boil. "If you have anything to say for yourself say it now, or I may just have to investigate your intentions." She threatened as she stared him right in the eye while they were simply a few feet away, she wasn't even taking the mans level of power into consideration only that he had asked her to undress. She even disregarded his warning of entering the pool calmly.

Threats, exactly what he would expect from this. His face was neutral, but his eyes half-closed and uncaring. His voice was mellow as usual, but his words were cold. If you dare attempt to get a single drop of blood dropped into this sacred water, I will personally use magic used for genocide onto the one who did this in behalf of Black Rose, and Kakuma would certainly reconsider. I suggest you make no rash action, I can swear on my life that I will remain unharmed with the mightiest of resistance. Elyx explained, his hands by his sides while his eyes were hollow and unsettling. Maybe if he were in a better mood, he would have spoken calmly. But today, today he had a short fuse, and it was quickly being ignited with the threat. He even went so far as to use Nimphas forbidden magic, talk about a nasty temper. The water was being manipulated by her body as she was getting through the water, his body not even flinching from the sudden scene in front of him. As she continued to speak to him, he held his backhand of his left hand up. A white flower tattoo located on it to symbolize the Myosotis. This is the Dryad marking, before one may wear it, they must be cleansed off via this water was are in. You must accept it to be a Guild Ace... But when you do, if you dare leave the guild, your life will be taken as well. Think before you act. If you accept it, tell me where you would like your marking. Heed my warning, the area you chosen will be injected by me, meaning I have to touch that part of your body in order for the transfer to occur. Choose wisely.

Irina felt slightly shaken by Elyx's statement on using magic used for genocide should she ever harm him or herself inside the pool yet it somehow managed to crack her up on the inside, another side effect of having unstable emotions. "Elyx... pfft." Was all she could managed as she broke out in laughter and unceremoniously uncovered her chest at the same time. "You take things... pfft, so seriously!" She blurted out as she continued her laughing fit splashing the water all around them. She couldn't help how serious he was taking such a situation, he should have read somewhere in the report that Irina would never draw blood from a comrade though she may give them a few bruises in all the wrong places. The water by now as boiling even more than it was previously, the effects of which appeared to be more associated with Irina's body heat as opposed to her aura.

It took a while for Irina to simmer down, she was laughing so hard that it would be near impossible for Elyx to even interrupt she even missed his spiel about some sort of mark because of it and it may even be harder considering Irina had uncovered her chest though the boiling water helped to mask that. "Ok sorry what were you saying?" She asked as she tried to avoid breaking back into laughter. "I think I remember something about a mark and life and Choosing Wisely but that's it." She interjected and promptly managed to let out of a few held in giggles.

Was she even taking this seriously? Was this even the time to be joking around? There had to be some sort of reason why she was chosen, and as of this current moment, he was unable to even see it. I certainly hope this is not the sort of Hell I give people who try to give me serious things. Frustration was constantly tempting his mind, and the more he was trying to fight back against the emotion, he knew it was a partial to anger, and out of all things, he would hate to bring that out. The medicine that Nimpha used for him is really helping him from simply walking away and leaving the scene, he could be hanging out elsewhere with Ignite and Azalea right now, trying to spoil the little girl rotten. Time was so crucial to him nowadays, he was getting much less of it nowadays. But instead of letting the temptation of giving up get to him, he closed his eyes and breathed in gently before releasing the breath and opening his eyes once again. I have changed much from the last time we have met, I’ve been shaped by the responsibility given to me as a Guild Ace. If you slip up on the duty, I can guarantee that you will want to back out. Allow me to explain it one more time A small pause to hold up the back of his left palm, a little rose tattoo located on it. This mark is what the Guild Aces pass onto each other in order to identify each other. The first step is to accept it. The mark will kill you when you abandon your role as a Guild Ace. Consider it a contract with your life on the line. Provided you accept the mark, you choose a part of your body it will be located on. Be careful though, I have to touch the area you chose in order to place the mark onto you.

Irina raised a finger up to Elyx's forehead after he completed his explanation once more and gently poked him, the finger was hot but not searing hot but more like the perfect temperature one would drink hot cocoa at without burning their tongue. "I think you're duty as an ace made your forget a few fundamentals, duty without purpose is nothing more than a lie, you should do your duty with your comrades in mind not with your duty in mind. It is quite clear to me that you are finding this interaction a bit of a hassle to your daily life." She lowered her hand and turned so that her right shoulder was facing him giving him a full view off the Archmages Seal. "You may place it near the bottom of the mark, I think the two of them will look quite nicely together." She said unaware that the bottom of the mark represented earth as she had only ever used the seal once while she was in a rather unstable state and thus only knew about its magic adjusting properties for wind yet was completely unaware as to what the rest of the seal did or how to properly activate it.

Lets talk ethics, shall we? He explained, not attempting to move the finger away from his forehead, it didn't mean threat, despite the heat in it. Beside, he lived with Ignite, it's not like he would suddenly react anymore like he would in the path. Is is excusable to threaten the one giving you the mark for Guild Aces, then when that same attitude is fired back, to laugh as if it were all a joke? As if that were to make it all right? My duty is to guide and protect those in my guild, and you are straying far off the path time after time, which is where I put you back on the right path, no matter how I do it. With that, he closed his eyes and breathed out, his composure a little bit easier to keep in him now. Thanks Nimpha. How would she react in this sort of situation anyways? Probably with more patience, even if she didn't like it either. All right, good luck, with this mark, anyone who sees it will be able to recognize you as a Guild Ace, and you gain access to a Guild Spell as well. He explained before gently walking through the water over to her back, in which he placed the back of his left palm below her first mark, the mark injecting with the sacred water confirming and tattooing the mark, the White flower now placed. That's step one. From here, the Dryads will escort us over to the Sanctuary. He explained before turning away and walking to the shore, which a group of them were ready to lead him and Irina out. Two robes were in their hands as well to dry themselves off. Whenever she's ready. He thought to himself before placing his robe on his body to dry off.

Irina stared off into space for a moment while Elyx left the pool her mind running with thoughts, no one knew exactly what she was or her purpose only that Kakuma had at one time discovered part of the identity that she had once forgotten. She turned to look over her shoulders as Elyx was wrapped in the robe. "I have been following the same path you have longer than you know." Irina spoke quietly to herself in a tone that Elyx couldn't possibly have heard from where she was. She then turned to leave the pool to join Elyx, once again she covered herself up to hide herself from Elyx's eyes. As she emerged from the pool the water seemingly steamed itself from her body leaving her quite dry but she wasn't about to let the opportunity to cover herself up again pass by as she wrapped herself in the remaining robe. "I feel like all you want is for this to be over with, and that you are masking it with your sense of duty. Ones duty is their life, but never should one take their duty so seriously that they are no longer the person they need to be, I know this far more than you ever will young one." Irina spoke her mind about Elyx's actions, she no longer had the mood of being carefree and instead assumed her identity as the one heartless assassin that Elyx would remember her by from the past. "If you are so eager to get these proceedings done, then we she move on shall we."