Unending Chaos

The bright buildings on the street in the tourist town of Rose Garden was slowly being rebuilt following the attack. Rumors had it that it had been a violent attack from Golden Phoenix against Black Rose, over some grudge or provocation. Reporters all around had approached Izayuki with questions regarding the incident, but she kept as quiet as she could, denying what she knew, or even if it was Golden Phoenix. Despite what had happened to Elyx, she refused to let his guild’s name be sullied so easily by the actions of one. At the same time, however, she did not want to see the name of the current guildmaster-- no, her daughter-- also sullied by what seemed to be some misunderstanding.

She did not know what had transpired in Peace Village, but she was slowly finding out, little by little, and planned to make a visit to the quiet village before too much time passed, in order to find answers. For now, however, she had a guildhall to help rebuild. Her hands were tied until she had seen to that.

Walking down the avenue of the now demolished Silver Moon Inn, the Bakedanuki’s eyes detected a rather shady figure, and keen ears picked up on the quiet concerned murmurings of the nearby locals. The silver-furred raccoon dog padded towards the back of the cloaked and masked figure, eyes suspicious. He smelled like a normal human, but his aura seemed to fluctuate too much for comfort. Daring to use her soul-seeing abilities, Izayuki saw a shifting fractal, much unlike any other souls she had seen. It too, like his magical presence, was in flux-- at one point, it would be that of a demon. At another time, that of a god or a human. Nothing about it was consistent.

Picking up her pace, the tiny canine leaped high and far, with great speed and agility, and aimed to land on his head, as would a fast-flying fur cap. “Dressing like that certainly is raising suspicion,” she stated flatly, attempting to make herself comfortable atop his head, if she had safely landed. If not, she would simply face the man. “These townsmen were recently attacked by such a figure as yourself. So if you would be so kind as to remove your disguise, it would be appreciated.”

Formal words for one so fluffy. She normally smoke in a much more casual manner, but perhaps the constant interviewing from locals and the media had driven her to speak in a much more refined way, with lack of slang or accent. The tanuki’s fur was puffed out, making her look slightly larger than her average tiny stature. Her eyes were narrowed and serious, on edge around the shifty “human”.

“I guess you know nothing, do you?” At the response of the cloaked man, Izayuki began to pad forward, changing her form as she did so in a brief swirl of pale green light. She quickly changed from the fluffy canine to a ginger-haired girl. However, she maintained her silver-furred ears and large tail. By the time she finished the transformation, in the blink of an eye, she was face to face with the man, with her clawed hand grasping one end of his mask. In one quick movement, she would try to rip it off, using a rough amount of strength to keep a hold of the mask so it could not be so easily taken away.

She narrowed her crimson eyes at the man, and kept on her face a disapproving scowl. “The one who destroyed my guildhall just waltzed in here in broad daylight, dressed like you, and began firing at us,” Izayuki explained, raising her voice once again. The fur on her silver tail was bristling as she spoke. She did her best to continue to conceal her magic presence, but with her temper on edge, even that was becoming difficult, as the power of her magic slipped out. The locals knew who she was-- an H-ranking Wizard Saint and guild master. In her mind, she basically owned at least the boulevard. Few were keen on denying a request of hers, but this one-- he was different. “If you’re wise, you’ll adhere to the requests of locals when you come into a town snooping for information.”

“A tempting idea,” Izayuki replied bitterly at the prospect of killing him, after seeing the mask reappear via an illusion of sorts. She had yet to tell whether it was solid illusion magic or light magic, though raised an eyebrow at the use of it. As a Bakedanuki, she could tell it was some form of magic meant to play with the perception of others, which was very akin to the powers of yokai such as herself.

So, he was another one curious for information. Context alone could not tell Izayuki the intention behind his desire for the information, but the shifting of his soul and aura alone made the Wizard Saint curious. It was uncanny, and while strange things were not uncommon in the world of magic, they were better closely monitored, than kept at a distance. “You’re right I’m a member of Black Rose. I’m the Guild Master, Izayuki,” the Bakedanuki replied, crossing her arms and flicking her silver tail in agitation. Her crimson eyes were still narrowed suspiciously at the man who again refused to remove his disguise. Apologizing was no excuse.

Briefly gazing around, the Guild Master noticed individuals staring at her and the masked man, some curious, some reeking with apprehension. It was not every day they had to be exposed to her magical presence, after all, unless something serious was going on. “Well if you want to speak with a Black Rose member, I guess I’m as good as any. Though if you don’t want me to strike you down right here, let’s get out of public eye before you disturb anymore civilians with that pathetic disguise,” Izayuki continued, still quite displeased with the fact he remained hidden.

“Normally I’d invite you to sit with me at Silver Moon Inn to talk, and if I liked you enough, your meal would be on my tab. But seeing as my guildhall is gone at the moment, we’ll have to do with one of the nearby ones. Do behave~” she said with a sigh, turning to walk around the blocked and enter one of the other street taverns, usually in constant competition with Silver Moon Inn before the recent ‘accident’. Putting her hands into her pockets as she walked away, she gestured with her tail for him to follow, though kept her voice low and solemn. “If you don’t wish to follow me, leave this town. People like you are nothing but a disturbance.”

The name he gave to the guildmaster was another thing that triggered suspicion. One as closed off as he would not so easily hand a perfect irritated stranger his real name. Izayuki suspected that it was an alias, and no more. Despite the guess, she did not care to ask for more. If he was some stranger she was to meet today and never see again, names mattered little.

Her words were full of insults, out of suspicion, and out of agitation at his refusals to do simple things asked of him. He was a stranger in a different territory, and to not heed the requests of those who lived there was a dangerous choice. Walking with a quick pace, Izayuki would silently lead him into a local tavern and cafe, and take a seat at an empty table, before gesturing for him also to sit down.

“I can give you the information you desire,” Izayuki finally said, after taking in what he said as they had walked. “However, information is not free, and I do not yet know why you even want this information. So let’s make a deal-- information in exchange for information. I have questions too~”

She planned to inquire about something that had been on her mind since she had met him, but straight out asking likely would have left her questions without answers. Thus, she opted to make a deal, which was not uncommon with her. Surely this one was fair, however-- to hear the story straight out of the mouth of the one who dealt with the recent incident. Izayuki would hand him information she had refused to give to the media and reporters and locals, but only if he complied with what she wanted.

“In that case, I will use those limitations too, when answering your questions,” Izayuki responded with a shrug. What happened with Black Rose and the attack was indeed a personal thing, so the limitations would come in handy. If he wanted deeper information, he would have to be prepared to give just as much as he was planning to take. It was going to be a fair exchange, whether he wished for it or not. “You may ask your questions first. I’ll answer, and then I will ask a question. A little questioning game, if you think about it,” the Bakedanuki mused with a smirk, folding her tail over her lap to get comfortable.

The waitress of the tavern came to take their order, but was waved off by the guild master. If they were going to be exchanging information, it was better to have fewer people within earshot. Perhaps later, she would order something for herself, and possibly for the man in front of her as well.

Izayuki’s silver-furred ears twitched at the familiar name. “Yes, Desiree is still a member of my guild. She’s an Ace in fact, a member second in command to me,” the Bakedanuki answered, curious as to why he would bring up a member of her guild. It was fortunate she was still in the guild too, for the man seemed to not want information from Izayuki if she was not. The guild master took note that the man was indeed looking for someone, but she would not waste her questions asking about who that person was. Surely as he went on to ask questions, the facts about that person would slowly reveal themselves.

“My turn. I have a simple question, much like yours. Are you fully human?” the yokai asked, her expression slightly more curious than before, and her silver-furred ears angled forward in a questioning manner. He smelled like a human, but she had to verify before asking any other questions. If he were not, it would possibly answer her later questions early, and she would direct her questionnaire as to why he looked and smelled like a human. If he were, she would simply continue on the path of what she wanted to ask.

The answer was enough for Izayuki. From what she detected, he thought he was fully human, despite his ever shifting aura. Was he aware of it? The answer he gave was good enough for her, but she later hoped the truth about his shifting aura and odd soul would soon come to light. He was an oddity, and one she did not quite trust. Along with the illusions he so easily played with, he was a shifty figure, and the question game both brought entertainment and more suspicion, as well as food for thought.

His next question was to be expected. “Yes, I do know who attacked my guild,” Izayuki stated evenly, musing on it. He did not ask for who it was, but merely asked if she knew the attacker. Thus, she directly answered his question, and was ready for her turn. For him, she decided to be direct. She disliked sugarcoating, especially when it came to matters such as this.

“As for my question… I’ve seen your soul. It’s out of proportion, and fits nothing. It’s neither god, demon, or human. So, just what is your soul, other than a swirling mass of chaos?” Izayuki asked, propping her elbows up on the table and resting her head in her hands. Her tail twitched curiously, and her face retained a neutral expression, but betrayed the utter curiosity she had.

There were no questions to follow. Izayuki focused on the body language of the man, as he appeared to be thinking, considering what she had just told him. Because he had no questions of his own, the guild master chose to elaborate on what he had told her. He did not know what he was, which was unsurprising, but at the same time, seemed confident that he was fully human.

In a way, Izayuki observed that he was much like her, or one of her kin-- the yokai. Beings that exist that defy logic itself, at times. His soul could not make up its mind on what it was, and was in constant flux. His aura matched just that. His body, however, seemed perfectly human. So just what was he, other than an oddity, like her? A mystery to the natural world. “Seems you and I are alike in that sense. We’re beings that don’t quite make sense in this world,” Izayuki mused with a slight grin.

“You mentioned you were looking for someone, right? A friend, perhaps, or an enemy to track down?” Izayuki dared to venture, recalling his words earlier in their conversations. “I think I could help you there, if you wish~”

Izayuki could only nod at his words. It was something she could agree with, as vague as the statement was. It had truth in it, at the very least, and was something that the Bakedanuki could get behind. Was it not able to be realistically observed? Nothing ever was consistent in the world, or with individuals. Her own life, if nothing else, and her experiences, was proof of that.

She mused on the ideas, partially intrigued and curious. On the other hand, she noted he still definitely was an odd individual, not just in what he was, but who he was. She listened to what he had to offer, quite interested in the turn of events. Angling her canine ears towards him, Izayuki nodded as she thought, the grin remaining on her face. “In that case, I too have an offer. Say, an offer you can’t refuse~” she said in her more characteristic, laidback, singsongy tone, contrary to the harsher voice she had used earlier from her stress and anger.

“Join the Black Rose guild. We specialize in giving our members the resources they need to see to meeting their goals. You can help us with this issue, and in turn, we can help you with whatever you may wish-- finding that someone, discovering more about yourself, and learning about this guild,” she suggested with a smile. “You’re not bound to us like a dog on a leash, but rather, you can use all the resources the guild has to offer. And if you truly mean you wish to help us, we will be glad to accept your help~”

So he was suspicious-- how cute. Normally one would jump at such an offer, but he remained on edge, despite the hearty laughter to erupt from him. At seeing it, the smile of the guildmaster only widened. Ah, where should she begin?

“Isn’t a deal the mutual using of one another? Is that not how they work? We do something for you, and you do something for us. For me~” she began, maintaining her broad grin. “But pray tell, what have I to gain from using you? I’m a Wizard Saint-- the Goddess of Mystery-- and a guild master. I have fame, money, power, and information. What possibly do you have to offer me? What could I ever want from you? Why would I ‘use’ you?”

“I offer because I’m curious… there has never been an individual that came to me because they wanted to help. They come to me only because they want something that I or my guild has to offer. You’re the opposite. You have something you want, but you also wish to help for reasons you’ve yet to say. Do you have an endgoal that comes from helping Black Rose? Or are you in it for curious fun?” she elaborated, stating her observations with a laugh. “What would our guild gain from betraying one of our own? We have enough manpower, so it isn’t like we are in desperate need of members. I offer an invitation to our guild not for our sake, but for yours. Freedom, but you have access to a great number of resources. Are you really going to say no? Have I given you a reason to trust, or not to trust?”

“You imply that you’re just a body to throw at my enemies? Expendable?” Izayuki asked with a slight chuckle, her grin not yet fading. She continued to listen to what he had to say, but could only finally narrow down one point. He was selfish. Much like her. He had his walls and barriers up that could not so easily be torn down, and he made do with whatever he could get his hands on, to have things work out for him. He was closed off and scared, an insecure being in the great scheme of things, and possibly far too timid to take even the slightest of risks. “Oh honey, I don’t think you realize that I would never be where I am now if I thought like that. My guildmates trust me, and I trust them~”

“Black Rose is one of the most famous and largest guilds. It would not be like that if I treated every member as an object to be used and later thrown away,” the guildmaster concluded with a casual shrug. Nobody could prove that fact wrong. Anyone that simply used people eventually brought ruin to themselves. Was that not the way of things?

At what he had to say on never meeting anyone like her, Izayuki only nodded slightly, amused at the statement. “You’re an odd one yourself. You have me interested,” she responded. “And you’re wise to be suspicious. But don’t miss out on opportunity just because you have your walls of protection and distrust built so high~”

He thought for a while, long enough for Izayuki to notice the brief gap in the conversation. Not that she minded. Only a fool or someone desperate would agree to her offer right off the bat. “People join a guild for a number of reasons, the most common being to benefit themselves rather than the guild itself,” Izayuki began. “Our rules are simple, bordering on common sense. Follow the laws of Fiore, and don’t betray the guild. For example, if we imparted secrets to you, don’t go spouting them to just anyone.”

“When I say resources, I mean the full package. At the very least, a discount for food and lodging when Silver Moon Inn is rebuilt, and access to our job board, which allows for wizards to gain easier access to get work,” the Bakedanuki explained casually. “But that’s just the beginning, what is expected by a joiner. By resources, I also mean connections, and means to achieving what you desire. We are affiliated with many organizations, companies, and have plenty of eyes around Earthland. Whatever your goal, we likely have a way of giving you a shortcut to it.”

A broad concept, but what more could she give without going into specific details? Surely the information was enough. If someone wanted to be a great pop idol, Black Rose had the connections to agents and media. If someone wanted to track down someone for revenge, they had eyes and means of finding that person, and could train the member who was looking for a fight. They rarely discriminated, unless it crossed into territory which could make the guild as a whole fall or break down.