Desmond Joins the Hunt

A shiver went down his spine as Desmond walked through the snow. The ground beneath him was blanketed in the white powder, so much that the snow was extremely compact. His footsteps made a crushing sound every time they made contact with the blanket beneath him. Desmond was trying to find a guild that supposedly rested along this path, and up this mountain. The worst part was that the hunter, whom usually resided in warmer climates, didn't have any type of winter clothing in his wardrobe, so the snow hit him extremely hard. Of course he bought himself a winter jacket that went over his usual attire, but that was the extent of winter wear that he bought for this trip. Usually whenever he had a job in colder climates, Desmond's hunting suit moderated his temperature, and he wasn't wearing that at this point.

After a bit of walking along the path that supposedly led to the guild in question, the storm continued to rage on, but the air felt warmer. Obviously confused, Desmond began to look around, hoping he didn't run across an enemy of sorts. He didn't have his gear with him, so he couldn't defend himself with anything other than his own martial prowess. At first he saw nothing, but eventually Desmond gazed upon what appeared to be things made of blue light, and after a few more seconds the hunter discerned them to be a sort of... Wolfish phantasm. A questionable look sprouted on the man's face, and he slowly treaded towards the blue wolves, but once he reached a certain point the wolves backed off a bit, seemingly intimidated of some degree. So the hunter stopped, and just stared at them. That is, until they began moving, stopping after a few moments to turn back at Desmond.

Do they want me to... Follow them?

Desmond figured it was the simplest answer to the question, and it made some sense. They seemed to radiate heat, so that seemed very much welcoming to the hunter. On top of that, the guild he did want to join was named after wolves. So, he walked forward, following the ghostly figures as the treaded up the mountain and towards his eventual destination. The scenery was definitely appealing, as the woods were the place that Desmond found himself most, and snowy regions always looked better to him anyways. His thoughts were interrupted when the wolves suddenly stopped, seemingly because they have reached their destination. And so they did. Even if the wolves didn't get too close to the building, Desmond could see it. And honestly... He was surprised with its modesty. The hunter always thought that guild halls were gigantic and grande, not this relatively small. The next thought that popped to mind was how the storm seemingly didn't touch the general vicinity, instead being replaced with a very light snow. This made the place seem endlessly more beautiful, but he was not here to gawk.

I guess this'll be the place I spend my time at from now on. Assuming I'm even allowed in. Ugh...

His thoughts went south immediately. Desmond was never one for working with others, from getting help, or even joining guilds. He wanted to do everything himself, as a display of pride and strength. However, he was a smart man. And he knew in order to gain his individual strength, he would need to work with others. So, the green haired man let out a sigh and faced the reality that was almost as harsh as the snowstorm he just went through, and began stepping towards the guild hall while patting and wiping off the snow from his fedora and shedding his overcoat, revealing his full attire, a nice suit and tie.

And besides... Wolves thrive on individualism as well as teamwork, right?

He thought to himself.

Wearing an olive green t-shirt with khaki cargo pants and boots, Leona donned her Argent Gloves as she walked down the hallway from her room. She really needed to expand her wardrobe lest people think she only had three shirts and one set of pants and two sets of shorts. She ordinarily did not dwell on clothing issues, but ever since her ascension to Guild Ace, she had decided to try and improve her look to match her new title. Even if Leona was not as elaborately dressed as the Aces of other guilds, getting better clothing would go a long way towards establishing her credibility and making Silver Wolf look good.

Leona would deal with that issue later. Right now the guild had a visitor, and a well-dressed visitor at that. He was a man with green hair wearing a nice suit with a tie. The suit reminded her of the well-dressed humanoid from Spooky Forest. She put that aside and focused on greeting the visitor.

"Hi there! I'm Leona Jarnefeldt, Guild Ace of Silver Wolf!" Leona introduced herself to the newcomer. Silver Wolf had received a few new arrivals lately. As the Ace, it was one of her responsibilities to greet the new arrivals and make a good impression on them.

"How can I help you today?" Leona asked him.

Not moments after arriving, it seemed as though Desmond was already getting approached by one of the guild members. He didn't exactly know if that was a good or a bad thing, but he wasn't going to complain. The hunter waved to his acquatence, and gave a small nod to accompany it.

"Hello miss Leona. I am Desmond Troy, a mage. Pleased to make your acquantence."

The person in front of Desmond seemed rather spunky, or at least enthusiastic. That was a good quality he admired, since he usually couldn't be spunky for the life of him. However, he wanted to calm the fire before it burned too bright.

"I'm here to learn more about your guild, I happen to be searching for one to join, and I visited a few others but none seem to intruige me."

Desmond walked forward a bit until he was arm's length away from the girl and stuck out his hand to offer a handshake to her. It was a simple gesture that he thought was nice enough to be an introduction to a conversation as well as an introduction to a possible future guildmate.

"Welcome to Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Desmond." Leona said to him, taking the hand extended for a handshake, being careful not to crush his hand with her augmented strength. She had listened as he stated his reason for being there. He was looking to learn about the guild and possibly join it... if he found it interesting enough. It seemed that Desmond knew what he wanted out of a guild. Leona could respect that.

"Our guild mission is to conduct research on magic and magical artifacts. We also explore ruins and other places all across Earthland to find artifacts, but our primary goal is magical research. We don't have many researchers at the moment, so we're always looking for talent in that field." Leona stated to him, hoping that she could catch his interest. She did not know what Desmond leaned towards. He could be a researcher. He could be an explorer like herself. The blonde had no idea, so she would try to cover both bases.

"If you're more of an explorer, we do that too. It's secondary to research, but the guild needs people willing to travel far and wide to obtain new artifacts. I've done a bit of that myself lately. One day I'm going to travel to Silent Cemetery to look for artifacts. I've read that there are several buried there." Leona said to Desmond. She was trying to get his interest, but she would not pressure him into joining. Desmond could decided for himself whether he wanted to join or not.

"Our library's kinda small at the moment, but it's slowly growing. We still need more books, though." Leona commented on the library in case Desmond was more of a scholar. She felt that she had lectured him enough for the moment. Now was the time to let him talk.

"So, Desmond... what is it that you like to do? Do research? Explore? Some of both?" Leona asked him.

To respond her welcome, Desmond nodded with a smile on his face. This girl seemed nice enough, even to someone she's never seen before. He appreciated that, especially since she was supposedly the guild ace of this here Silver Wolf. Desmond released the handshake, and put his hands down to his sides as he began listening to what she had to say on the guild.

Magical Research, huh? Interesting...

Desmond was indeed a researcher. Although, more on technology than ancient technology, but he was no stranger to the latter. Not to mention, with his profession he could very well be qualified as an explorer as well. He had both down just from simply being in his field. Off that note, this Leona seemed to be either slightly anxious or overly enthusiastic about trying to get him to join the guild. She didn't seem too desperate, but it was quite evident that she had some degree of a bit of enthusiasm.

Then she mentioned books, which made Desmond's eyebrow raise a bit. A guild based on research... With a small library? Seemed... Counterproductive, to say the least. Desmond folded his arms - not out of anger, but inquiry - and put his thumb to his chin, in thought.

"Well, Ms. Leona, I do a bit of everything you just mentioned. I am an engineer of magical technology, so to speak. And along with that, comes the need to do extensive research on both the old and the new. Combining ancient magics and artifacts with modern technology is my strong suit. Along with being an explorer, I indeed travel around and explore, but probably not in the way that you think. I do go around to find artifacts, but that is not my primary reason for being an explorer. Lastly, for your library... I keep all of my findings in personal encyclopedias. I keep records of basically everything relevant to me and my profession, as well as all of my findings on advancements in tech. So, if it were needed, you could always copy my encyclopedias to fill up your library..."

Desmond took a short pause, then looked up at the young woman dead center in the eyes.

"...That is, if I were to join. Now, I want you to tell me - what benefit does the guild provide me? Why do you want me here, and why should I join? We've established what benefit I have to the guild, now we must reverse the question."

Desmond was trying to get the kill. This would be the question that separated whether or not he decided to join. Most guilds only care about what the member provides to it, and what the guild provides to the member usually comes second fiddle. The hunter was one to think that everything is a double edged sword. When one gains benefits, the other side should to.

Leona paused for a moment. If what Desmond said was true, he would be quite the asset to the guild. But he wanted to know what he would get out of joining the guild. That was a fair question. She would have to come up with a compelling answer.

He had probably gotten offers from several other guilds, so she had to come up with a clincher. Something that would be good enough reason to join Silver Wolf instead of another guild. However, she did not want to beg. She would not beg. But what could she offer?

If Desmond were a researcher, he could earn enough to buy his own place to stay by publishing one or two studies. He could also take his pick of guilds clamoring for him, so a group of friends would not be particularly compelling. Desmond could afford food and hot springs admission, so those would not be very good selling points. There was only one object left to offer him. Freedom.

"We can offer you freedom." Leona said to him.

"Freedom. Freedom to take the jobs you want, even if they aren't for the guild. If you're tired of traveling around, you can do research. If you're tired of sitting behind a desk, go find someone to help with a chore or go find some bandits to fight. If you don't want to do either, there are always minor clerical tasks around here." Leona admitted to him.

"I've used that freedom plenty of times myself. I've fought plenty of bandits in Desierto and in the Unknown Lands, done a little research on the Cursed Lands, collected plant samples for a woman in Beanstalk Village, even cleaned stables to help keep a farmer from losing his farm in Hosenka. I was allowed to take the jobs that interested me. If you join us, you'll have the same freedom." Leona stated. She did not belabor the point. Now it was up to Desmond. Would he stay or would he go? It was his call.

"Freedom, eh?"

Desmond scoffed, almost arrogantly - although not quite. It was more of a scoff of disbelief, which clearly showed with the expression on his face.

"You're not gonna offer me anything else? Fame? Fortune? Status? Nothing else? Alright then."

Desmond returned his arms to their folded position. He was contemplating his answer. They offered him 'freedom,' but he knew not even freedom itself was as it seemed. If there were true freedom, the guild would likely have collapsed from chaos by now. However, that answer intruiged the hunter. It was clear that the girl, Ms. Leona, put thought into her answer. Whether it be trying to pick the honest answer, or just trying to not make herself want to beg for his entry, she chose an answer that pleased Desmond. Not because of what she offered, but instead because she didn't try to coddle Desmond. She told the truth, as true as freedom is, and didn't cut corners.

"I don't believe in freedom. But I guess I believe I'll be taking up you're offer. I'll join your guild to see how 'free' this freedom you speak of really is. That is, if you'll have me, Ms. Leona."

Desmond took off his fedora, revealing the rest of his short green hair, and slightly bowed before the girl in front of him, then returned the hat's position to his head.

Leona was afraid that she had botched the interaction at the last second. Desmond was quick to let his disdain be known and felt. The blonde kept her cool. Maybe he was testing her to see how she would react to his words. When he agreed to join for the time being, she was silently relieved.

"I'd be glad to have you, Desmond. I'm sure our Guild Master, Poko Monstar, would welcome you as well." Leona said to him. He was a proud man, and his agreement to join was not easily acquired. He wanted to know what the guild could offer him, which was a fair question. Leona had secured his membership... for the moment. Now she had to work to help Silver Wolf keep him.

Judging from what little she knew about him, Desmond did not want flattery. He wanted facts. Leona would give him another one without laying it on too thick.

"We're a small guild, but we're starting to grow. There's plenty of room for you in Silver Wolf. There's plenty of room for you to make your mark." Leona said to him. He was probably getting bored of hearing her drone on and on. It was time to cut to the chase.

"I'll take you to her office whenever you are ready, Desmond. You can get more information straight from the Guild Master herself. She can give you the whole picture." Leona offered the gentleman. Now the real work would begin. This was going to be more challenging than any fight she had engaged in to date.

Desmond wasn't exactly shocked about the statement on the size of the guild. The building itself was rather modest, so he did assume it couldn't hold too many people. This made the hunter glad, since less people means less people to interfere with him. He would need onpy a few small interactions, few small relationships, but for the rest he could remain alone on most jobs. His pride would not be in jeaporady.

"A smaller guild sounds perfect for me, I was never one for having too many people around."

Desmond clutched the thick winter coat in his hands, and nodded to Leona once more. It was time to meet the guild master, and by the name, she sounded odd to say the least. However, he wouldn't be one to judge a book by its cover.

"Sure. I hope Ms. Monstar would not deter me from here. But if you think she would welcome me, so will I. Er, last thing, where should I leave this coat?"

Leona let Desmond do some of the talking. It turned out that he liked being in a smaller guild. If he truly did, then he was in the right place. He could get in on the ground floor like Leona herself did and make things happen. He would have more than freedom.

He could have everything he had listed earlier. Fame. Jewels. If he were a man of many talents, then he should have no problem earning all that he desired. All he had to do was seize the opportunity he was being presented with both hands.

"The Guild Master's been quite busy lately. I hope she's available to talk with you. If she isn't, please don't be offended." Leona requested of Desmond as she guided him through the sparsely appointed guild hall and to the door of Poko Monstar. Hopefully she would be available. If not, Leona might end up with egg on her face. If the worst happened, Leona could truthfully say that Poko was busy.

"Unfortunately we don't have any coat racks at the moment, so I'll take your coat if you'd like." Leona offered. It was his choice. He could carry it himself or he could have the Guild Ace hold it.

Desmond shook his head at Leona's offer to the carrying of his coat. If they didn't have a coat rack, he'd simply just hold it. It wasn't killing him or anything. He was just merely thinking about his soon to be interaction with the guild master. Apparently she was extremely busy, but other than that he had no information on her, her personality, or anything. What if she had an extreme pet peev against people holding coats? It was extremely unlikely, but the point stands that Desmond was getting at still stood. He didn't know anything, so how would he know what not to do?

Eh... If she says the guild master will welcome me, I'll hold her to that

He thought, then followed Leona to the guild master's door. The guild had a nice interior, it wasn't anything terrible nor was it anything super grande, just the way he liked it. Desmond made sure to take off his hat as he entered, and stood waiting for the door to open, be it by Leona or Ms. Monstar.

Leona realized something. She did not tell Desmond very much about Poko. The blonde was more than a little embarrassed at that realization. She was so busy walking a tightrope while trying to figure out how to engage Desmond in conversation that she forgot to give some basic information on Silver Wolf's leader. Some Ace she was.

"I've only met the Guild Master a few times, so I don't know very much about Poko. I do know this. She's a friendly person, but whatever you do, don't make any short jokes. Her height's a sensitive subject with her." Leona started. Poko was indeed diminutive when compared to other guild members. She was perhaps the shortest member of the guild.

"Also, Poko can be blunt with her words. Please don't take offense." Leona added. She did not know how thick Desmond's skin was. He seemed like a proud person who could be easily insulted. Maybe that was an unfair assessment, but his earlier statements regarding his talents and his inquiry about what the guild could offer in return for his joining led Leona to form that opinion.

"Poko tends to be in her office. When not in her office, Poko usually walks around the guild hall to make sure everything's running smoothly. I'm still trying to learn her schedule." Leona informed Desmond. She had probably talked herself into a corner by inviting Desmond to meet the Guild Master, but the Ace would get through it somehow. Hopefully Poko was around today.

"It is one thing to be blunt, and it is another to be offensive. I would never take offense to someone who doesn't cut corners, since I don't do so myself. However, if I am insulted, I have every right to take offense."

Desmond was proud, but he wasn't stupid. He knew when things were true whether he liked them or not, and he knew that life was filled with harsh realities. The reason he is even here in the Silver Wolf Guild Hall in the first place is because of one such reality - that he isn't as experienced or strong as he would like to be, and that he could never reach the abilities he wants on his own. As such, he wanted to join a guild. Reluctantly or otherwise.

"And of course, I would never make fun of anyone, unless they were to do so to me first. Anyways, are you going to inform her of my being here? Pardon my impatience, but I would like to get this over with as fast as possible."

Desmond thoight how odd it was that the Ace of a guild only met the guildmaster a handful of times. Then again, if he ended up joining the guild, Desmond would probably shy away from most others as well. He wasn't antisocial by any means, but he would just be preoccupied by either sleeping, reading, or tampering with his suit - that is, when he wouldn't be on a job, of course.

Desmond wanted to be done with the introductions. Leona rolled with it. Her job was to help retain members, not drive them away.

"OK. I'll see what can be done." Leona said to him. She then turned and knocked on the thick wooden door. There was no answer. Leona knocked again. Still nothing.

"She's not responding yet. Let me open it." Leona stated. Being careful not to rip the door off the hinges thanks to the strength of the Argent Gloves, Leona gently opened the door and looked inside. There were stacks of books and stacks of papers everywhere. However, there was no sign of Poko.

"Well, it seems that Poko isn't in her office." Leona informed Desmond. Unless she was hiding under her desk, the Guild Master was not in the office. Maybe she was in the guild hall.

Desmond silently observed with folded arms as the girl tried at the door. First a knock, then opening, and... Nothing. It was fairly annoying to Desmond that she would invite him to meet the guild master while she was not around, but he did not express this. Instead, he just nodded to what Leona said, then put his thumb to his chin.

"Hmm... Alright, that's fine. I guess we can search around for her then, and if not, I guess I'll pass up on my... 'corronation' so to speak of this guild. Maybe I'll find another, then."

Desmond sighed, and shrugged his shoulders. If he could not be officially entered into the guild by the guild master, what was the point of him coming up here? Regardless, he began scanning the area, looking for any signs of another person. Once he found none, he waited for Ms. Leona to guide him to wherever she suspected this mysterious Poko Monstar to be.

Leona had tried to find Poko and she did not succeed. Poko was apparently engaged elsewhere. There was not point in dragging things out any longer. It was time to use her authority as Guild Ace.

"I apologize for you not being able to meet the Guild Master, Desmond. I'm invoking my authority as Guild Ace to induct you into the guild. That is, if you're still willing to join us." Leona stated with authority. She did not want to do anything without Poko's permission. But Leona had the title and the authority that came with being an Ace, so on this occasion she would use it.

"All right, Desmond. What color would you like your guild tattoo to be? And where do you want me to place it?" Leona asked him while removing her right Argent Glove. She was not sure if the gauntlets would interfere with the spell that would grant Desmond his tattoo. She would remove it anyway because she did not want to botch the first time she gave a new member their guild tattoo.

Desmond shrugged his shoulders. She had the authority to allow him in, so why would he pass up her offer?

"Alright, Ms. Leona. I'll take up your offer. As for my tattoo..."

Desmond began to unbutton his suitcoat, then his undershirt, and took both off until all that was left was a simple black tee. He put his hand over his right pectoral.

"How about right here? It's simple and I don't really need to worry about it being over exposed in public. Plus, if anyone does ask to see my tattoo, it gives me a reason to remove my shirt."

Desmond joked, but did in fact remove his shirt. His body, although generally slim, was extremely toned. He exercises more often than anyone would assume, considering his laid back nature, and not only that but his profession alone is extremely physical in nature.

"If I recall, the guild tattoo is given by some sort of stamp? Unless it's changed somehow. Either way, let's see it happen, Ms. Leona."

Leona was glad that Desmond decided to remain with Silver Wolf, but she had better not delay. The time for small talk had passed. Now was the time to induct him. She watched as he took his off suit coat and undershirt. He was remarkably fit... not that she needed to tell him that.

"OK, so you want the guild tattoo on your right pectoral?" Leona asked as she moved her hand over to his right pectoral. As she recalled, Leila used a simple spell to give Leona her tattoo. It was a simple and painless procedure that was also quick.

"All right. Let's begin." Leona stated as she initiated the spell. Her hand began to glow and the guild tattoo began to form on the desired location. Almost thirty seconds later, the tattoo was complete. Desmond was now an official member of Silver Wolf.

Desmond remained silent for the process of induction. He nodded his head when she asked for conformation as to where he wanted his tattoo, then simply watched as the spell was cast and the tattoo appeared after a good 30 seconds. Afterwards, he put back on his shirts and suitcoat, then returned to holding his winter coat and hat.

"Thanks, Ms. Leona. I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't meet the guild master, but all in all I've got my goal completed. So thanks. Would have sucked if you weren't here either. Anyways, do you have anything else I need to do? Anything I need to know?"

Desmond waited for a response, with his thumb to his chin and thought for a second. If he was free to go now, that'd be fairly quick, painless, and easy, but not all memberships are like that. Some have to have thousands of years worth of paperwork, or a large introduction to every facility that the place had. He didn't know, Desmond usually worked from home. Alone.

"Sorry about you not being able to meet the Guild Master. She's been pretty busy lately. I'll have to either leave her a note or tell her to talk to you at the first opportunity she gets." Leona apologized to Desmond. He was likely disappointed and unhappy with Leona for promising something that did not happen. Leona accepted the blame that was rightfully hers. That was another duty as Guild Ace. She had to accept blame for things that went wrong as well as credit for things that went right.

"There's nothing else you need to do. You're all set there. As far as things you need to know, if you have any problems, come talk to me. I'll do my best to solve the problem. If I can't fix it, I'll find someone who can." Leona told Desmond. Her words probably rang hollow after her failure to get Desmond a meeting with Poko. Still, the blonde would do what she could to fix any problems that he encountered.

"Any other questions?" Leona asked him. Desmond likely wanted to be on his way and get going on some project. She would still give him a chance to ask questions before he got to work.

Desmond shook his head.

"It's no big deal. I'll meet the guild master whenever I meet her. It's bound to happen inevitably, I guess. And nope, no further questions. If we're done here, I'd like to return to my lab back home."

Desmond picked up and put on his winter coat, preparing to leave the guild hall. He didn't have to live there of course, so there was no need to be there any further, until he wanted some work. As he began walking towards the exit, however, a thought occured.

"Actually, Ms. Leona, I do have one question. Are there rooms in the guild hall that can be personalized for a guild member? By that I mean, are we granted rooms, be it bedrooms or otherwise. I'd like to transfer some of my work over here, but I'd need room to do so."

(Very short post cuz we're assumingly gonna be ending this soon)

Leona was asked a question she could answer without needing to consult someone higher in the hierarchy. She was pleased. But before she could celebrate, she needed to give Desmond his answer.

"Yes. Yes, we each get our own rooms, Desmond. The guild hall's magic allows it to expand as much as it needs to. I don't fully understand how that kind of magic works, but I'll find out one day. In the meantime, we'll always have room for new members." Leona answered that part of his question.

"And we're also allowed to personalize them. I've done that with my room. I added a wooden weapons rack to my room to store a weapon or two that I recently acquired." Leona informed Desmond. She was pleased. She was starting to rebound from her earlier embarrassment and had answered a question from a new member.

Perfect. Desmond would be able to have his own private workspace at the guild, which would actually give him more incentive to go in there every now and then. At first, the hunter had the notion that he'd only be there when he wanted work, but now... Maybe he'd come to the guild hall for actual fun and socializing?

"Alright. That's the only question I had. Thank you, Ms. Leona."

The hunter waved her and bid the girl farewell, before putting on his overcoat and fedora, and stepping out of the guild hall to return down the mountain from whence he came.