some things are better left unsaid [OPEN]

Relaxing in the Guild Hall was becoming a habit for Aven, to his surprise. The small building was beginning to feel homely, a place where he could let loose, and more importantly, let his guard down. Ever since he'd run into Grim Heresy for a second time, it'd been hard to find even a single waking moment his senses weren't on high alert, anticipating the slightest signal of an attack or deception. He leaned back in his chair, the scars on his body aching for a moment as the events of the past flashed through his mind, but he shook the feeling of dread off like a bad habit. His view of the world was expanding, he realized that, and it came with it's ups and downs; still, he wouldn't lose faith in the whole for the sake of one wrongdoing. If good existed in the hearts of all, so, too, did evil, and that reality was one he'd have to accept. After all, without the existence of Evil, Good had no meaning.

The sound of two very familiar voices broke him from introspection, and he glanced over to the table across from him. He'd been so preoccupied, he hadn't noticed Nessa and Sebastian come in! Aven smiled, and his ears perked up to a conversation they seemed to be having. The more he listened, the more he realized they were in an argument. Even the best of friends fought from time to time, he'd heard, but Nessa and him had never really disagreed or fought before. He wondered, did that mean they weren't as good of friends? The thought was buried when Markus was mentioned- without a shirt? What?! Aven heard a pounding in his ears, unfamiliar to him: he would liken it to anger, however, it seemed mixed with... was that jealousy?

Across the room, Nessa abruptly exploded into a fighting stance, roaring out her anger at Sebastian's invasion of her privacy, and the small Exceed responded by matching the feel, raising his tiny, fluffy dukes. The situation had escalated extremely quickly, and Aven certainly didn't want to see the two go at it. He rose from his seat, and a grey circle appeared under him, propelling him in a double somersault through the air, to land in between the two, his cane clacking the top of the table beside him. He wore his usual gentle smile, coupled with a concerned look, his attempt to soften the rising temperature of the room. "Please, there's no need to fight, we can talk this out as friends, right?" He glanced from one to the other. "Sebastian may be a bit of a scamp, but I'm sure he only read it because he's worried about you." Aven reached out, and poked Nessa lightly, in the middle of her collarbone, a small flash of gold running past his eyes. He could sense the turmoil in Nessa's soul, as if it were his own, as in fact, he was bearing the same burden: the realization that evil truly did exist, that all people, no matter how pure, were capable of atrocities at the drop of a pin. "Perhaps, we all need to vent more than simply anger? I'm always here if you need to talk, and Sebastian is, too."

Aven sighed, as the two began the roughhouse around him, Sebastian bobbing and weaving through his legs while Nessa grabbed and snatched at the nimble feline. It was at this point that Aven had a decision to make: on one hand, he could easily move, and allow Sebastian to be captured, as the little exceed was certainly asking for it. He liked to assume the best intentions for friends, and he still had a sneaking suspicion that Sebastian was worried about Nessa, and simply couldn't express it properly because of his ego. On the other hand, he could allow Sebastian to use him as cover, and continue the game of cat and mouse that was occurring at the moment. A small grin appeared on Aven's face, as he pondered the fact that it was more like a game of cat and dog: for some reason, if Aven had to relate Nessa to an animal, he'd probably pick a poodle. She was incredibly loyal and tender hearted, but she also had a temper that could flare up, he'd noticed. The image of Nessa as a poodle popped into his head, and he chuckled. It was better if he ended the altercation, as he was growing increasingly worried Nessa might grab something unfortunate. Something caught Aven's ear, however, that made him stop in his tracks. Markus... saw Nessa... near topless? There was that feeling again, that hint of anger and jealousy, but it was overshadowed by the shocking mental image of Nessa in the water, in a white dress. His eyes mentally scanned up from the water's surface, reaching her belly, where the water had made it just transparent enough see the tiny cute button in the middle. His cheek flushed, and he forcibly stopped the image, knowing full well that it was wrong to imagine her that way. Still, he was now terribly embarrassed.

With a small gesture of raising his hand, a Blink Circle appeared beside him, multiplying into three, before one of them teleported onto Sebastian's back, and activated without a moment's hesitation, blinking the Exceed into Aven's grasp. Aven had him lightly by the scruff, where he knew mother cats would normally pick up young, so it likely wouldn't hurt or be uncomfortable, he hoped. "That's about enough, Sebastian. Even if you're concerned, it's crossing the line to tell other people about Nessa's thoughts written in confidence. You're her closest friend, right? If she can't trust you, who can she trust?" He brought Sebastian around to face Nessa. "Now, make up, you two: as a compromise, Sebastian willl come with us on the next job as an official member of Radiant Light. How does that sound?" He pushed back his embarrassment for the moment, the red on his cheeks draining to a light blush, and he smiled brightly, giving off a strange calming aura, reminiscent of Aviel, only much more subtle.

Aven's smile widened, his embarrassment from before giving way to satisfied composure. It was an unspoken talent of his family to accurately read into actions of others, making them formidable at deductive reasoning and other related skills. It gave him a great sense of pride to know that he'd helped mediate the situation with his small talent, and that feeling swelled as Nessa apologized. "There's nothing to apologize for, I vaulted in of my own accord," He winked. Before he could continue, though, his peripheral vision caught Markus by the job board, and his eyes unconsciously narrowed as they slid to inspect the man, a look that Nessa had likely never seen, almost giving off an air of intimidation. Aven's senses were picking up much stronger magical energy than he remembered from their last meeting, and certainly from their first fight. It seemed Markus had grown much faster than Aven himself, a sobering pill to swallow, to be sure.

Still, it wasn't the sudden difference in strength that drew his attention. There was something darker about Markus' presence, near undefinable in words, and even perhaps to a normal wizard's perception: it pulsed from his aura, a subtle throb of chaotic energy, grasping lightly at the magic energy around him as if to consume it. To his astonishment, it was almost an exact match to the energy Caster had barraged them with, though a few leagues weaker. What did Aviel call it, again...? The Void... Aven excused himself with a small gesture to Nessa and Sebastian, striding over to Markus, purpose in every step. "It's been a while, Markus. It seems you've grown exponentially since we last met." His eyes glinted with a golden light, and his aura shifted involuntarily, as if to attempt to quash the dark energy before him. Aven wore his usual smile, of course, his expression as transparent as always, a hint of concern reverberating in his tone. "I don't suppose you dabbled in anything too dangerous, right?"