Struggles [private]

In the months since becoming a member of Mt. Hakobe's infamous dark guild Basilisk Fang, Katherine had eventually adapted and found ways to venture safely on her own with minimal risk. Hiding her identity from the settlers was always the most difficult part, what with her unforgetable appearence; there was no one else like her in the area. Striking red hair and eyes to match, only with the left being dulled and pale from her blindness. The woman stuck out like a sore thumb, but thanks to the climate giving her a need to keep covered and warm her luck was usually well enough to keep prying eyes at bay.

That day's wandering would take her to the base of the mountain, somewhere she rarely ever went, but it felt like a good choice to make. The settlements there knew much less about the guild that ruled over the area, but there was still a fear instilled in them that made her cautious to showcase that she was a mage. With this is mind, she walked through the streets and observed as inconspicuously as possible until she came across something unusual and out of place. Or rather, someone. A boy and she'd say this because he seemed fairly young just judging by appearance, tall and dark. Those simple adjectives were enough to explain to her that he was not supposed to be there. With furrowed brows, Katherine scoped out her surroundings briefly before walking up to him and tapping him on the shoulder. Upon meeting her gaze, she would pull down the thick scarf that covered her mouth and ask him just one thing: "What are you doing here?" A question with little to no malicious intent, one asked out of honest curiosity and if she was going to be blunt, some concern. Mages were not safe on or near this mountain with the reign of her guild at an all-time high and she could tell even in the moments before she saw and approached that that's exactly what he was. If there was any good she could do whilst being a member of a dark guild and doing terrible things just to make a living, it was to help a fellow out. And she got an inkling... that he was in a similar situation she had been those months ago.

Katherine hummed to herself and pursed her lips as he turned to face her. His appearance was strikingly similar to that of her partner, but slight differences gave him away as a completely different person. She eyed him curiously and then spoke. "I understand your predicament, but this is no place for a mage," she said, acknowlegeing how ironic that statement was with a sigh. Glancing over her shoulder for a moment, she would then turn back to face him and re-adjust her scarf over her mouth. "Come with me. We need to speak privately." Taking him by the wrist, she would lead him to a small pub, one she knew rarely ever got business but was still open regardless. The lack of activity made it a great spot to have delicate conversations such as the one she would be having with this boy. Upon entering she would lead him still to the back where the most secluded table sat, just in case someone did decide to wander in after them. Living on this mountain taught her many things, one of which was that caution is key. For her specifically; everyone else seemed to live with reckless abandon.

At the table, she would sit across from him and pull down her hood and scarf once more to show off a friendly smile in an attempt to put him at ease. "Sorry to do this so suddenly, it's just really not safe for us here. The settlers hate mages with a passion." With that said she would clear her throat and tuck her hair behind her ears. "Could I have your name?"

"Rhyolo Ruby... What an interesting title..." Katherine mumbled this to herself and then hummed, keeping her smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Rhyolo. My name is Katherine Neel. I'm a member of the guild on this mountain, but I don't consider myself a dark mage. The label is a bit too harsh for my liking." With a pause, she would study his expression. Through her careful eye she could see he was tired, desperate even and it made her old heart ache for him. She frowned and tapped her fingers on her lips in thought. "Rhyolo, how old are you?"

She asked because in her opinion, no person as young as he appeared should be wandering on their own. While she didn't look much older, she still had this old world need to protect the youth around her. Not in a motherly way, but just out of concern. If she could prevent anyone from going through what she had, she would try her damndest to do so.

As she watched him frown at the mention of her status, she bit her lip nervously. It was probably something she should have kept to herself, but she'd rather be honest than keep it a secret. There was hope in her that it might make him trust her more. Trust would make it easier for her to help. Her normally proper posture lessened a little as she slumped in noticing the difference in how he looked at her. This... is not good. His tone was fairly hostile, but still weak as he answered her question and followed up with his own. What she was focused on though was how young he really was. She'd been right. 17... He's just a kid.

Katherine jumped a little as she saw the flicker in his appearance, that which she would take as a negative sign and act quickly. "Whoa, whoa! Hey!" She yelped and reached across the table to grab his hands, lighting them with her own magic to cool him off. With an amber glow peeking out between the cracks in her grip, a soft warmth would radiate through the contact and hopefully put him at ease. "Calm down. Please." Her expression was pleading, eyebrows drawn and a deep frown set on her mouth. "I'm sorry, it's the guild thing isn't it? If it is then I can't help but let you know that I am not there by choice. It's..." Taking a breath, she would sit back down but not release his hands. "It's a really long, awful story, but please; trust me. I'm only trying to help you. And to answer your question, I care because I was in a similar position as you seem to be just a few months ago." She'd then let go of his hands and lean back in her seat with a sigh.

She peeked at him and saw his sad expression, which made her wear a frown of her own. "No, no, it's alright. There's no way you could have known, she said, sitting up properly and resting her arms on the table top. "At least I was able to calm you down. The effects of that spell are always so unpredictable." Katherine laughed to try and lighten the mood.

"Now... Rhyolo, you said you were looking for work, but why come all the way up here?" She paused. "Or... is there no reason and you're just... wandering?"

Katherine hummed in understandng. "I see... I can sympathize, really. I'd been doing the same thing for the past decade until I came here and got... stuck." As she said the last bit her voice darkened and her stare turned blank for a moment. But then she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Homeless and jobless... A set of circumstances I know all too well myself..." She mumbled. Looking up at him she'd continue. "Is there anything I could do to help you out for now? Anything you can think of, within reason of course."

His look of surprise almost made her sad, as if he hadn't expected her to actually offer him assistance. He averted his gaze, in turn avoiding hers, and mentioned that the one way she could help was to get him a job. She hummed in thought at this, but was pulled away from her plotting as his stomach growled.

"You're hungry," she said. With this new informtation in mind, Katherine riffled through the pockets of her cloak, her breast pocket and then her pants until she found a few stray bills and coins. Gripping her findings in her hand, she stood from her seat and put her empty hand on his shoulder. "Let me get you something to eat. What do you like?"

His refusal stung a little,but she ignored it and stared up at him as his stood. This height difference is going to make my neck hurt later... Katherine sighed and took his hand in hers, laying it open palm-up to put the money in his possession and then close his fingers over it gently. "Take the money then," she said. It went against everything she believed in to force service on anyone, but the least she could do was provide him with enough to feed himself. "I don't know how I can help you get a job just yet, I am thinking on that, but take this. It's all I have at the moment, but I can't just let you starve." Then, she gestured to the bar of the pub where the tender was noticably eyeing them as he worked. "Go get yourself something, I'll be right here waiting."

Having her money returned to her and pressed into her palm, Katherine huffed. And then a thought came to her. With a tiny smile she said, "Alright, fine. Please sit, I'll be right back." With that said, Katherine went up to the bar a bought the only thing the owner had in stock; a bag of hard pretzels. Sitting back at the table across from Rhyolo, assuming he'd sat like she asked, she opened the bag and ate a pretzel herself, all while staring him straight in the eyes. Then, she'd slide the bag across the table to him. "Not wasteful if I spend it on myself, now is it, kid?"

Katherine couldn't help laughing at his expression when she offered to share. "Are you just gonna stare and gape or are you going to eat?" Why he was so surprised was beyond her, but it was almost endearing. She nudged the bag closer to him in the hopes that he would help himself. "Eat and then we can talk about how to get you some work."

Seeing him finally take her offer made her smile as she sat back and watched him eat. His enthusiasm was almost laughable and she chuckled to herself. But as he finished, he laid his head on the table and folded his arms around it. Katherine frowned. What is he... Then came his voice and should could tell by the slight warble in it that he was crying. Her eyes blew wide and she jumped out of her seat to kneel as his side, laying a hand on his back as she tried to peer up at him through the gaps in his position. "Hey... Why are you crying?" Her voice was thick with concern, but she didn't really know how to care for someone in distress like this. "Rhyolo, please don't cry." And then she hugged him, albeit awkwardly.

As he hugged her back and voiced his woes, she pressed her face further into his chest, where her height would let her reach, and tightened her grip around his back. Her hands would run soothingly over the space in an attempt to comfort him further. "It's okay... I understand. I have the same problem," she said, drawing away from the embrace and wiping his cheek with her thumbs as she looked him in the eye. "Now that you've eaten, we should get down to business. What kind of work are you looking for?"