the strain of being a magical girl { Sorano }

STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


Sorano Granon leaned over the reception desk, engaged in a rough conversation with the fairies that ran the holographic screens. Having improved her linguistic skills in their language to the point where she could communicate freely, it fascinated the academically inclined part of the girl to learn about the creatures’ lifestyles and stories. The current fey was just finishing up a story of how several of their friends had lured a lost traveler into a lake full of magical beasts, bringing an end to his pathetic life, when Nessa walked into the room. The letter mage blinked slowly at her haggard appearance, surprised at the unfamiliar sight. Usually looking bright, perky, and full of optimistic energy, the white-haired mage looked strangely depressed. Whatever could be the cause? Although the girl did do her best to appear focused upon the fey’s story, her polite action was quickly seen through.

The fairy, being extremely perceptive as per their nature would instantly notice the shift in attention, crossing their arms and pouting in a teasing manner before waving Sorano off towards Nessa. “Are you sure?” The harsh words floated easily from the letter mage’s throat, and the fairy flapped their wings roughly in response before fluttering away to become deeply engrossed in a screen. A soft sigh escaped the girl’s throat, and she turned around towards the older mage. It seemed it was time for some human interaction again…

Step by step, Sorano made her way through the lobby, edging easily past the tables towards Nessa. On the way, she stopped at the bar for a nice, fresh juicebox as had become the norm (wow, these things are hella addicting, blame Althea) before flopping down next to her guild mate. “Good morning, Ms. Nessa, how are you doing? You appear to be rather tired.” Her very extraordinarily intelligent observation would be quickly confirmed by a glance at the woman’s dejected aura, heavy and dark with exhaustion and frustration.

“Just got back from a tough job, perhaps?” Work as a mage could be horribly inconvenient. Stakeouts, overnight work was all common for someone in this field, and Sorano had herself been subject to such pains in the past as well. Even with this layer of relatability, however, the situation felt uncomfortable. Making casual conversation with someone still felt uncertain and foreign to the emotionless youth, but she did try to connect better with the members these days and this was yet another one of the guild master’s awkward attempts to achieve some level of humanity.


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
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STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


Approaching the exhausted light mage, Sorano sat down gently, trying not to scare her. She still remembered how stiff the woman had been upon joining, shocked by the presence of a guild master. Luckily, it appeared her approach had been effective, as Nessa lifted her head up and gave the younger girl a tired smile. While she did sit up a little straighter, it seemed progress had been made in relaxing the newer members and helping them integrate into the guild. Well, it had been several months already, hadn’t it? If they were still so nervous at the sight of the guild master, someone who could often be seen sitting around the guild in varying shades of exhaustion and emotionlessness, Fairy Tail would be a complete failure as a mage’s guild meant for anyone to feel safe in.

Listening to Nessa’s explanation, Sorano nodded slowly, understanding well the cause of her guild mate’s exasperation. Magical contracts of foreign nature and pesky exceeds were both things she’d had experience with. A quiet sigh filled her lungs as the youth remembered the tricky agreement she had formed with the angels after being randomly summoned to heaven once, and the risky ritual done with a fellow Wizard Saint to purify a rampaging yokai. Contracts and complicated magic always took a lot out of someone, even the now well-experienced letter mage. As for the exceed part, Hoshi had become like a nagging mother after overcoming many of her fears over the four years the two had worked together. Constantly bugging the guild master to go sleep, or get out and interact with people…absolutely terrible.

“Yeah, I totally get that. Growing as a mage comes with its own pains, doesn’t it…” Pausing briefly as the bar staff placed a cup of tea before Nessa, Sorano took a slow sip of her juice before answering Nessa’s question. “Nothing much, honestly. Well, been negotiating the relationships between Fairy Tail and a couple of other guilds, trying to form a friendly connection of sorts. Maybe bring more jobs to the table for everyone. And, of course, there’s still all the fuss around what happened to Leila Vergious. The disappearance of Fiore’s God of Eden isn’t something to scoff at.” While her voice remained cold and emotionless, the letter mage attempted using more colloquial language, hoping it would put guild members more at ease. “Definitely not quite as taxing as what you’re doing – that’s some tough stuff.”


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
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STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


Seeing the glow of pride that came over her guildmate, Sorano nodded in satisfaction. As long as she was happy with where she was going, there was no need to worry. The letter mage was simple like that. “It is certainly rewarding to grow stronger.” Having started out as a weak little corn puff of a mage when arriving, she’d grown more and more confident in herself as time wore on. I mean, she was a guild master now – the shrimpy girl from three years past was no longer. “I’m glad you’re doing well, Miss Nessa.” Sorano was never much of a conversationalist, a shame knowing all the tongues the linguist could speak.

“Well, Silver Wolf and the West Fiore Trading Company have all shown interest in business relationships. The guild masters are all very capable and noteworthy people, that’s for sure. Silver Wolf’s study and collection of magical artifacts could provide mercenary business and tools for us, while the WFTC’s trading services could be of great use to anyone. It should be a profitable deal if we pull it off.” The agreement was something the youth looked forward to – alliances meant strength, strength to keep the guild from ever falling into a dark age ever again. Despite her lack of feeling, Fairy Tail was a place that had raised her up from some of the worst years of her life. Even the busy professional lifestyle she led now was far preferable to being an uncontrollable mess.

She took a slow sip of her juicebox, listening to Nessa speak. She was someone who would have fit in particularly well with the old Fairy Tail, the one based on doing what they thought to be right, never bending to any power – even the Magic Council. Unfortunately, that stubborn mindset was also what led to their near-demise. “Thank you, Miss Nessa. However, I don’t believe anyone’s life can rightfully be considered easy, no? I’m sure you have your own fair share of troubles that I could never understand – that’s the way it is with everyone. Besides, I was lucky enough to inherit an old guild with plenty of experience and resources. The six former guild masters had set everything up so nicely, it was much easier to recover after being placed in the position.” An overstatement. The move to and from Tetsukazu had taken a lot out of the guild. Despite their success in the end, Fairy Tail had suffered much spiritually and energetically under exile. But to Sorano, who dwelt little on the past? No big deal.

“Please remember to take care of yourself though. Growing is important, but your own health is even more so.”


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
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STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


“Thank you for the offer, Miss Nessa.” Sorano offered her uncomfortable, forced smile that never seemed to quite belong on her stoic face. “At the moment we’re still working out the kinks, but some friendly social interaction if the alliance falls through will certainly have a good effect.” Nessa reminded her of the way Fairy Tail had been when she joined, filled with laughter, family, and constant fun with little regard to politics and regulations. Members had always done everything they could to contribute, and form tight relations with everyone in the guild. Even so, the guild’s transition couldn’t be helped. Perfection had to collapse at some point, and it had done so in one of the worst ways possible.

Yet despite having left those days behind her, Sorano felt a strange swirl of comfort at the older mage’s presence. Perhaps she was more human than she had assumed. “That’s good, that’s good…” The response to Nessa’s comments would be absentminded almost, the girl sucking more of the fruit juice through the straw. Hey, Althea’s taste wasn’t all that bad after all. “I see the guild hasn’t converted you fully to our taste for juice yet?” Trying at a more lighthearted remark, the letter mage gestured at the colorful box before her. “Althea introduced us to this rather marvelous beverage, and I’m afraid many of our members are hopelessly addicted to it by now.” A look around the fairly empty guild would show a few of the clients sitting at tables with similar boxes, an almost comical sight to behold. A bar staff could be seen coming through the back of the bar with another crate or so of the sweet drink, grumbling under her breath as she shoved it into the large refridgerator.

“Anyways, I know you’ve been here a while, but we haven’t talked too much, have we?” The guild master glanced over at the white-haired woman, hands dropping the rest against each other on the tabletop. “Do you have any questions or concerns so far? Are things going alright for you?”


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
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STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


A slight cloud of curiosity and intrigue seeped into the woman’s aura, and her questions afterwards would only prove the validity of Sorano’s observations. A slightest tinge of suspicion in the wavering colors around her brought a narrowing of the letter mage’s eyes, barely perceptible but there nevertheless. She’d have to tread slowly. Seeming to consider for a moment, the question that came from Nessa’s lips would be much less difficult to answer than the guild master had anticipated. With a slow nod, Sorano looked off towards the old guild door, remembering the day she’d joined as a new, uncertain mage. It was a shock to herself that she’d been here so long – people were constantly coming and going, and with the exceptions of Mura and Hana, there was almost no one left here who remembered the events of only a couple years ago.

“I was not acquainted with the founders, naturally, but Fairy Tail used to be a big booming legal guild as I’m sure you’ve heard.” Fairy Tail’s fame had been quite something in its earlier days, the rowdy, cheerful family-like group known throughout Fiore for their destructive but loving nature. “I think it was one of the earliest mage’s guilds, formed to create a family for mages to practice in. Naturally, it got out of control quite a bit through, which led to where we are today. But our long history has left me with plenty of resources that can be used to support us today, which I am very thankful for.”

Frankly, the founding story was quite simple. As far as Sorano knew, it had just been a group of mages who wanted to form a group that took on jobs and tasks, getting paid for practicing their skills. In a way, Fairy Tail had returned to that state, albeit with much less of the destruction that accompanied the infamous legal guild.

“That’s great to hear, Miss Nessa. Mura is a wonderful mentor, I’m sure.” Unlike herself, her teammate was much better at interacting with guild members and putting them at ease. There was a reason why he had been put in charge of ensuring everyone was satisfied here – a lack of emotions made counselling rather difficult, and the shaman had ben the perfect person for the job.


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
\\ hahaha this post isn't late at aLL

STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


Nessa’s next question would come across hesitantly, as if she were afraid of asking. Once more, the slightly nervous shade returned to her aura, darkening slowly as her pale fingers fiddled with the cup in her hand. Knowing what to now prepare for, Sorano straightened her spine and blinked neutrally at the older woman before her. However, her point made would only leave the guild master tilting her head slightly in confusion. That was something interesting to bring up, as no intern member should have access to illegal jobs. Perhaps she was referring to something else? Well…she was new to the magic industry after all, huh. “Well Miss Nessa, you’d be surprised at how far the most legal of guilds will stray from the typical moral path if driven by certain motivations.”

Fiore, after all, was not a perfect, clean country. The government’s actions left much to be desired, and the letter mage’s personal experiences had shown on more than one occasion that not all legal mages upheld the country’s laws. In fact, Fairy Tail truly was not quite so brutal as some of the legal guilds she’d encountered before. How ironic. With a gurgling sip, the letter mage finished the juice box, setting the now empty container back down on the table.

It would appear that Nessa was learning of the nature of this world rather quickly – something that could be both a good or bad thing. It meant her mind was open, subject to change and new ideas. Impressionable. Watching the tea trickle slowly into the older woman’s cup, the guild master would glance up at her with the same cold eyes she always wore. “Is that so, hmm? Interesting of you to bring this up now.” Sorano clasped her hands together, pondering her next course of action. How would one go about introducing the guild’s interesting position?

Gathering magic from around her, the letter mage sucked in a light breath, feeling the intoxicating tingle of ethernanos on her tongue. Speaking once more in a tone that somehow felt infinitely more persuasive, the letter mage painted an illusion about the tale with silvered words, magic tainting each and every syllable as she spoke. “See, Fairy Tail was a legal guild. But at one point, we became far from favorable in the eyes of the Council.” As she spoke, the image of a small, pale, white-haired girl with crimson eyes would seem to appear in the air, conjured up by the guild master’s words.

“Lucie, you see, was a small, insignificant mage who became a Coming Storm. The mages of Fairy Tail then were quite influenced by the idea of a family, as I’m sure you’ve gathered, and naturally could never give her up no matter the Magic Council’s demands.” The scene changed to show a hall of worried, apprehensive mages, a younger Sorano standing among them with the same monotonous expression as they stared up at an imposing woman. “Kanix Laspor, the Sixth guild master led us into exile. All for a single problematic child. We departed to Tetsukazu, building ourselves a small, simple home among its famed forests and streams. It still stands there, our emergency guild hall of sorts.”

Again, the illusion shifted to show the series of roughly built treehouses, devoid of life besides the lone figure of Sorano, placing a small pile of books down in a deserted clearing. “Fairy Tail became a dark guild, hated by all, and we learned much about the true nature of the Magic Council in those days. The Council, leading on a witch hunt because of a single child, who killed not even of her own will but of a possessive demon’s? We learned about struggle, something Fairy Tail hadn’t had to face in far too long, and the guild fell to rather depressing levels. It took a long time before Kanix left, leaving the guild to me, and even longer to bring us back to where we are now.”

Images flashed by, of an increasingly deserted guild, until even the imposing woman of earlier faded away, leaving Sorano, Mura, and another – Takumi – standing quietly by themselves. “With this history, our members grew up. Changed their minds about the world, learned a little something, and we’ve all changed due to it. It’s your choice if you want to know about the new Fairy Tail, or if you’re more comfortable with the guild you’ve come to know. It’s all up to you.” With a gentle shrug, the guild master stood, tossing her juice box into the nearest disposal, giving time for the woman to think.


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
\\ it's a bit rushed, didn't want to go on rambling about all the details lol

STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


The older mage’s eyes seemed to almost glass over as the illusions formed and changed before her, faint colors weaving in and out of the intricate images that were brought about by Sorano’s voice. Soft reactions would occasionally betray her emotions – although they were clear to the letter mage as well, her dark eyes constantly flickering over the shimmering fog of emotional energy that surrounded each living thing. Surprisingly, what floated to the surface of the colorful muddle would be the dark stain of regret and self-deprecation. Instead of shock and horror at the history of her guild as the letter mage had expected, why was Nessa feeling blame towards herself? Now it was the guild master who had questions, though she kept her thoughts to herself until the tale was told, gently whisking away the illusions, letting the remaining ethernanos gather in a corner of her mouth.

“We got over it, like we do with anything, and all’s well that ends well.” Sorano clasped her hands neatly before her on the wooden table, now free of the finished juice box. Patiently, the letter mage let Nessa’s own story fill her ears, nodding of the tale of a dark mage mother who believed in fighting for people even from the darkest corners of magical society. Perhaps that explained the self-blame that had stirred within the woman’s aura earlier – wanting to change and become her own person? It was far too much for Sorano’s emotionally incapable mind to process, however, and as such the guild master shook it off. Perhaps she’d ask Mura to check up on Nessa, make sure everything was fine.

“That’s a good goal to reach towards, I think, finding your own place in the world.” It really was. “It’s certainly not something easy to aim for, but I have confidence that you will be able to reach that goal someday, Miss Nessa.” It was strange, a fifteen year-old girl giving life advice to a senior in terms of age. But Nessa progressed quickly from what she had heard and observed. It was likely the day would soon come where the white-haired mage surpassed the guild master in terms of ability as well, wouldn’t it?

But realizing the importance this moment must have for Nessa, Sorano kept her more irrelevant thoughts well under wraps, focusing on her guildmate’s words instead. “I’m pleased to hear our guild has been welcoming to you. It means we’re doing something right, for once.” The slight hint of humor would sound off in the girl’s monotonous voice, but hey – you gotta work with what you got. “Here, why don’t we take a look at this more uncomfortable side of the guild?”

With a jerk of her head, the letter mage gestured towards the guild elevators before sliding from her seat, briefly tugging at her skirt and moving towards the plain glass doors. With a gentle press on a slim finger, the doors slid open to admit the mages, leaving plenty of room for them to stand. As the glass panels slid together once more, Sorano’s fingers danced over the bottom of the panel of buttons, causing several more to suddenly appear at the bottom. Pressing one of them easily, the elevator descended to the basement level.

“Here, Miss Nessa, is our illegal business center.” While just as well-lit as the main lobby, the place was much quieter, no sign of life besides the fairies that conducted their business, bringing in illegal jobs and requests for members to take. Several imposing doors would be situated about the room as well, a glass display in the middle of the floor containing two swirling portals and a strange crystal statue set up in the opposite corner. “If you look over here, these are jobs that Fairy Tail offers that are not in line with the Magic Council’s laws. They are generally not taken by our members for a wide variety of members, but it is always another way to generate business and income for our guild.”


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
\\ if you need more info on the setting, a description can be found in the guild territory/property topic.

STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


The woman seemed to constantly brim with nervousness now, her aura flickering in slight spots of fear and excitement in equal measure, yet her steps seemed sure. Her eyes would dart about, peering at the crystallized statue of Heero, as well as the shimmering portals. As she slowly sated her curiosity and initial wonder, the mage turned to bow her head at the shorter figure of her guild master. With the expression of gratitude, Sorano turned and made her way to the desk, pulling out a roster of names as well as another guild stamp, quite similar to the one that had applied Nessa’s current guild mark.

“You may have seen some around the guild sporting full guild marks, no?” The letter mage lifted her own sleeve to reveal the silver-lined guild mark on her shoulder, filled a rich, deep blue. “Those that are filled in give the member access to places such as this center, marking them as a full member of the guild. I am willing to give you these privileges as well, though naturally there are requirements.”

Lifting a finger, the guild master sat down at one of the smaller tables scattered around the room, gesturing for Nessa to sit in the opposite seat. “Fairy Tail’s guild purpose is to provide a professional business environment for any type of mage, with any motives or moral preferences. As a result, we strive to keep the guild in a good light under the watch of the Magic Council. That means that naturally, our illegal business is to be discussed only with other full guild members.” Lifting her head, Sorano eyed the white-haired mage with a hard, cold gaze. “That means even your closest of friends. In this position, you may now also take on illegal jobs. However, your signature magic, appearance, and other identifying features must be completely disguised so as not to endanger our reputation. Do you understand? We will not hesitate to drop you behind, kick you under the bus, as they say, if you do so.”

She slid forward the roster, names of the others in on the secret carefully arranged on the page. “These will be the people who you can discuss this with, if you so wish.”


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
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STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST WORDS.


A bitter sheen went over Nessa’s aura as she talked – she had not realized she was merely an intern sort of member. It disappeared quickly enough, however, and took a seat across from the younger girl quietly. Her emotions certainly weren’t the most pleasant, as Sorano spoke on about certain rules, but it appeared they were terms that she could accept as she replied affirmatively to the speech. Relief flickered over her aura as she read the roster – it appeared the names that appeared on the page were favorable to her. In response to Nessa’s earnest words, Sorano moved over to the desk, retrieving an ornate guild stamp. It was time to apply to her the full permissions of a Fairy Tail member.

Waiting politely for Nessa to move aside any articles of clothing that could be in the way, she lowered the stamp down on top of the outline that was already there. As runic circles flickered and flashed over the surface of the magical stamp, the mark would be filled with violet, shimmering briefly before settling into her skin. “Well Nessa, welcome to Fairy Tail: The Official Version.” The awkward humorous jab would be accompanied by Sorano’s usual lack of expression, and she tucked the stamp away once more. “Feel free to explore the new floors of the guild that should appear in the elevator now, and use the portals in the room. You may want to take someone more experienced with you first, but you’ve plenty of time for that.” With that, the guild master patted Nessa’s hand in an awkward movement, and rose to leave the floor.


@Nessa Cordelia Lux
\\ Probably my last post :> Welcome to normal guild status!