[Intro] Here I am [Intro]

Yona Hisamori had settled into her new position as vp of the West Fiore Trading Company. She had helped members with jobs, had increased her own training regimen, and many noted a stark contrast to whom she had once been with nods and expressions of approval. The only thing she struggled with seemed to be the same thing Johann had always complained of: paperwork. Whereas she had always thought that he was proficient with the dynamics of plans and papers, it was concrete that none of the vp's enjoyed the aspect. She sat at the desk, signing her name on a line for confirmation, then realizing she signed in the wrong place, she retrieved a white liquid and fixed the mistake. Between misplaced checkmarks, signatures, or poor filing, Yona had been at this for hours. She stayed up the entire night working, determined to complete the tasks and papers to Sol and Ruvel's satisfaction.

Her pen worked across the pages until she became increasingly adept at filling the papers out. "I'm finally getting the hang of this," She smiled. Ketsueki, her resident demon had succumbed to quiet misery the past few days. It took a simple reminder of the encounter with Oykai for him to grumble himself into submission. Finally having something to hold over the vampire tree demon was quite a powerful tool. Yona herself felt relief like a good night's sleep whenever Ketsueki obeyed her wishes. She stretched her hands over her head and looked out the window, seeing the ships in the harbor beyond as the pink light of a sunrise slipping over the horizon. She could see ships docking and seabirds soaring around the masts, looking for the catch of the day from the fishyard. Yona rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sighed, "No point in going to bed now, I suppose. Time for some of Benvolio's coffee."

Yona stretched one more time, smoothing out her white skirt and white coat. She straightened her collar and her black lined cuffs. She pushed her feet back into her black ankle boots and left the office and the desk. She made her way back to the dining area and got herself a coffee in a tall ceramic mug. Chef Ben still tended to avoid her, given her monstrous and accidental transformation in front of him over the Winter Ball. Still, tensions were much lowered than when she had joined the guild and tried to poison the man. Progress was still progress, she thought as she inhaled the steam and took a deep drink of the hot liquid. Yona straightened her back, fixing her flowing green hair with her right hand while stepping into the main entrance of the company building.

Standing there was a dark haired male stranger. "Welcome, good morning!" Yona greeted, summoning all of her sleepless energy to smile. "My name is Yona Hisamori and I am a VP for the Company. Can I help you with something?" Judging by the smell of brine on his attire, Yona assumed he must have recently traveled here by sea.

It was just another day at the West Fiore Trading Company as employees moved to and from inside the building and down at the docks making sure the cargo was being shipped and being pulled from the boats. Inside the building one of the CEOS of the company was hard at work filling out papers and going thru meetings that were arranged for later in the week.Sol was hard at work in his office right next to Ruvels as he worked on his new duties. He was still getting used to his new position as a CEO but he was doing very well and kept up with the pace that was asked of him. As he finished his last paper he put his pen down and he sighed before he glanced at his lacrima on his desk and saw that he had a few hours before his next meeting he had and he stacked his papers nicely before he put them in the box on his desk and sent them to the proper place with the touch of a lacrima. “time to get some tea and air before I get back to work” he muttered to himself before he ducked out of his office and to the elevator before he would hit the button to take him down to the main floor.

As the door opened Sol emerged with his Uniform looking nice and his Pin on display as he glanced around. It seemed that everything was as it normally was in the building. He then spotted a new face he had never seen before and came to the conclusion that either they were someone seeking employment with the company or they were here on business from one of the many companies they were employed by. The Reaper approached his blood ruby eyes looked at the man as he approached. The man was fair skinned but even he had more color then Sol did with his snow white skin. The next thing the CEO noticed was that he had a foot of height on the newcomer as well. once he was close enough he saw Yona and smiled a bit as he put a hand on her shoulder gently.”Miss Hisamori you seem well today how has paperwork been treating you?” he asked with a small smile on his face. While he was hesitant at first about her being promoted Sol was pleasantly surprised how she had adapted to the challenge and he was rather proud of her. Turning his attention to the newcomer.”My Name is Sol Detholusin a CEO of the company it is nice to meet you”he said kindly.


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The green haired young woman pursed her lips. Hearing the title "madame" grated her somewhat, though she couldn't name why. She supposed as a VP, she would be better off getting used to the respectful titles, given that she herself had used them on Sol, Johann and Ruvel. She supposed it was just odd to hear it in reference to her own self. That would take some getting used to. "Just call me Yona, please, Tomura. And looking to join the West Fiore Trading Company, hm? What makes you want to do that?" She had to also admit it was a non professional curiosity that drove the question.

When Sol stepped into place behind her and settled a hand on her shoulder, she breathed out a relaxed sigh. "Oh this is the man you're looking for then, Tomura, my new friend." Yona looked up at Sol, certain that he would take over from here. She didn't actually know yet what to do with new arrivals. Was there an interview? A test? Her own introduction had been controversial and aggressive to say the least, landing her in a battle between the guild leaders and herself. She recalled a sparring test for Leylin and Darius both awhile back. Since then, she hadn't much spent time with newcomers to the guild. As a VP, that was definitely going to change. Yona watched Sol, hoping he might show her just what the next step was so in the future, she would be better suited to do it. Instead, Sol asked her about her paperwork and she winced visibly. "I didn't sleep last night, but all the work is done. Piece of cake," She added a lie on the end to go with her radiant smile. He had to ask about the paperwork, didn't he?

She gestured to the new dark haired man before her, "I am sure you want to get acquainted or something, Sol. Should I get out of the way or... tag along?" Yona drank more from her mug, feeling the warmth and caffeine rejuvenating her. It was as if she felt her skin both relaxing and straining to stretch into place, fighting off the expression of tiredness in her eyes. Yona hoped she could watch Sol at work and glean useful tips, but with her luck, if it wasn't a lecture, then her former poisons teacher would have her learn by doing. The green haired woman said nothing else, finding patience and appropriate silence her friend lately. Being hasty had only ever led her into trouble.

 
 

Sol heard the new Vice President mention that he was the person the newcomer would want to talk to as he introduced himself as Tomura Momochi and he was wanting to join the company which made the Slayer nod before he saw Yona wince and  mentioned that she didn’t sleep but she got the job done. Sol nodded before he pulled out a small vial about the size of a shotglass  with vibrant green liquid in it and passed it to Yona “here this should give you a boost that you need but make sure to get a good nights sleep tonight ok Yona” he said before he gave her a small but approving smile. “I like that your working so hard in your new position but if you need advice or help don’t be afraid to let me know  infact Ill give you a tip or two over lunch how does that sound” he offered since he knew  the hardships of paperwork and the more shortcuts you had to make it easier the better your life got in the long run. The vial he passed her was a stimulant he developed and refined to make it safe but it could only be used once and a while.

When Yona then asked if she should get out of the way or tag along and Sol simply smiled.”You can tag along Yona  Ill help you go thru the steps that you will need to do in the future” he explained, he knew she was still learning and this was another part of her new position that she would have to get used to but Sol would help her get better at it and get her a solid base to work from. Turning his attention to the newcomer he spoke once more.”Mr Tomura if you are interested in joining then you are in luck I happen to have some free time so I along with Miss Hisamori will test you to see if you have what it takes to join please follow me” he said as he motioned for  Tomura to follow him as Yona would walk alongside him. The Reaper would take the newcomer to the training grounds with Yona so he could administer a test of his choosing no if that was a physical test or a mental test truly depended on the CEOs Mood and what ideas he had.


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Yona noticed the blonde peeking out. She debated offering for the girl to come over, but she appeared content to just observe and Yona didn't much mind being observed within this situation. It wasn't particularly private after all. She took the vial from Sol and poured it into her coffee, sniffing the vial afterward and regretting it. Her nose curled up and her lips turned as she jerked her head back. "I appreciate it, just don't tell me which one of your scaly or slimy friends produced this stuff." She looked at the coffee, distrust in her eyes, still speaking to Sol. "I'd like lunch and some tips as well, thanks." She nodded as Sol addressed the newcomer, making evident that she would take the leader up on his offer to show her the ropes for bringing someone new into the Company.

The green-haired mage assumed that Sol would take them to the training grounds if he meant to impose some sort of test on Tomura. She kept up with Sol and before leaving the main area of the guild, she used her head and a slight nod to indicate to the blonde girl that if she wanted to join she too would have to follow them. Yona turned her attention to Tomura as he stumbled through an apology out of obvious respect for the female mage. It brought a genuine smile to her face and she turned to him with kindness, "Manners are usually important, so no harm done." She sipped at her coffee, feeling the warm but smelly liquid rejuvenate her. She felt an intense buzzing in her heart, in her pulse, almost like an itch that was impossible to scratch just beneath the skin of her entire body. Yona glanced at Sol, wanting to ask him now just what was in that vial, but thought better of it. She really didn't want to know.

Yona tried to hide her grimace as she drank down more than half the cup in her hands, swallowing it swiftly as if it were some horrible medicine. She choked a little and wet her lips. "Pardon me," Yona began wiping wetness from her green eyes, "This tastes wretched. I shouldn't have put it in my coffee." Yona laughed a little as they entered the training grounds. It was a familiar place from when she fought with Ruvel and Oykai that first time, desperate to prove herself and in the process discovering who she truly was. With former leader Cirven's help, she had apologized to Ruvel back then and was reconnected with her lost brother in a moment that Yona could never forget. She shook her head away to try to clear that memory away and faced Tomura, speaking somewhat distantly, "I found a place to call home here. I hope you will too." The plant mage smirked then, teasing, "Well, if you can pass his test."

 

At Yonas reaction to the Scent of the vial Sol chuckled a bit since it was not meant to taste good or smell good but the strength it has was more then enough to keep someone awake for 24 hours easily.”Relax Yona I made that myself from my magic and some natural plants I should have warned you though that it was… unpleasant tasting” he caught the end of his words as the green haired girl poured the vial into her coffee and he sighed.”I guess that works but that coffee will taste god awful” he said before he heard her confirm that and then heard the sound of skittering claws on the ground before he saw something that made him smirk at the cuteness of the scene, a stout had rushed across the ground and was biting the newcomers pantleg and a blond woman came up. If Sol remembered right her name was Aliannah and he had very little interaction with her until now.”Its Fine Aliannah but if you could remove your little friend that would be great” he said with a chuckle before he spoke again.”If you like Aliannah I was just about to escort Miss Hisamori and Mr Tomura to the training grounds to perform his test if you would like to join us” he offered kindly.

As Tomura then asked him what test he would be giving to allow the man entry into the guild Sol stopped for a moment when they got outside before he suddenly smiled and put a hand on Yonas shoulder.”Actually I will not be the one testing you but Miss Hisamori here but I will be supervising this test” he explained knowing that might catch Yona off guard but she did need to learn how to give such tests and the sooner the better. While Sol was very used to giving the tests out he would take a backseat for this one to see just what Yona would come up with.


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Yona stepped in time with Sol, trying to desperately finish off the coffee. She gagged once, covering her lips with a hand so that nobody could tell. She noted the stoat cling to Tomura's leg temporarily and Alianna's slight embarrassment. Yona said nothing on the matter, it didn't bother her and no harm was done so there was no need to get involved. She wondered why Oya was so disobedient, then wondering if it was his age, his personality, or if it was something greater. There was no malintent that Yona could tell. She looked down at the rest of her coffee just as Sol rested a hand on her shoulder. She wished she had heard his warning about the taste before mixing the vial into her morning cup.

The plant mage swallowed one more gulp and looked up at the guild leader, ready to be addressed however he would do so. She was sure it would be more advice or a suggestion to stand in a specific place out of the way in the training grounds. Instead, his words caught her off guard and her green eyes widened for a second before quickly reasserting her confidence. "Uh, I will?" She whispered, leaning towards Sol who was certainly much taller than she was. She blinked at Tomura and Alianna and then gave an amused chuckle, "I guess, I will." Yona had to ponder then what sort of test would be sufficient here. A test of magic itself seemed to be boring and lacking in evidence for what Tomura was really capable of. His ice magic displayed earlier was curious but all mages had magic and varieties were often profound. A straight-up fight seemed a useless strategy as well, given that even those who were physically weak could have magic that more than made up for that on the job. What she really needed to find out about Tomura, Yona deduced, was how he held up under stress and fear. Their guild had a strong loyalty to it and for many, it became like a family. Could he handle the pressure? Would he put others first? Did he have a natural tendency to put himself in danger and act recklessly, like she herself once did, or did he think about his moves before he made them?

Yona gestured with a hand then and led the group towards and through a rune-covered door. It seemed most wise to do this in the magical training hall, just in case there was some sort of accident. Sol might not have been as strict, but she knew Ruvel well enough to know that if something got broken, Yona would end up having to fix it. "Given how prepared you are to fight or use your magic, I do believe I have something in mind for you." The large empty room they went through had walls covered in runes and once the group was fully assembled, Yona had decided on her plan. She was grateful for the couple of minutes it took to enter the room with everyone. "Drink this," Yona said, passing her cup of unpleasant coffee to Tomura. She gave him an apologetic look as she added, "I would rather you were awake and at your best for the test, wouldn't you agree?" If Tomura took the cup and finished it, he too would feel the buzzing rejuvenation that jolted around inside of Yona's cells.

She cleared her throat, "I am going to put you through a mental test. You will be allowed to handle the situation however you desire, magic included, but Sol and I will be watching. I'm going to cast the magic upon your mid, but please, do not resist the spell or it could cause you some damage." Yona waited for Tomura's answer and then continued on, "Just do your best. Are you ready?" If Tomura indicated that he was ready, Yona would begin. She wanted to start off small for Tomura's benefit but saw no good reason why to not give him the full challenge. She remembered how she joined the Company and it was not easy. The green-haired mage hoped that she wouldn't damage his mind as badly as her's had been. "Just close your eyes and count up to ten, then open them." This way, she hoped the transition would be easier for Tomura.

Her spell was powerful, and if he resisted it for even a moment, he would feel the aggressive and immoveable influence of her magic guiding him into the spell regardless. When he opened his eyes, the place would transform into a nightmare world designed by his own greatest horrors and fears. She wondered what his deepest fears, what his darkest thoughts might create. Would the landscape remind her of hell? Could it be his childhood home or a provocative memory? Would it be a bloodied battlefield, a sinking ship surrounded by monsters, or a single shadowy figure? Yona herself knew what her own fears would create in this room. Once the image transformed the room, Yona and the others would be invisible to him, but not their voices. Yona called out gently, "Just breathe for a moment."

 

Sol watched as Yona became stunned at knowing she would be doing such a test before he watched the new vice president had the newcomer drink the rest of her coffee which Sol could only pity him since it was not a good concoction from the smell of it alone. As Yona then explained that she would be giving him a mental test not a physical one and once she finished explaining Sol leaned down and smirked.”good choice your doing great so far Yona” he praised as he saw her start to weave her magic on the newcomer Tomura and the Reaper watched with interest. He could only wonder what the spell would do to his mind and what he would have to face, after a moment the CEO whispered a question into Yonas ear.”Yona by chance what does this spell do and how damaging could it be?” he asked curiously so only she could hear him.

While Sol was no stranger to pushing peoples limits be it Physically or mentally or even emotionally he tried to make sure he didn’t permanently scar hopefuls wanting to join the company.seeing Aliannah watching from beside him Sol smiled a bit.”First time watching someone join the company?” he asked quietly so Tomura would not hear it but the angelic mage would. The CEO was rather used to bringing in new members but with his new promotion he knew that he had to rely on the Vice Presidents more since his work load was much greater now, however he was already pleasantly surprised at how Yona was handling the work she was given and he knew Ada could do her job very well.suprisingly the Slayer was drawn back to his memorys of when he had left the darkness of Basilisk Fang and landed here on Tolgalen. He had left the darkness though not fully since it was impossible to given his upbringing but he now had balance in his life and he was better for it,when he thought of the people he had met and the friends and allies he had gained he nearly smiled but then came out of his nostalgia to focus on Tomuras test.


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Yona clasped her hands together lightly, keeping her green eyes on Tomura even as she replied to Sol's question. "It's really only half a spell. He is in an illusory world of his own fears' creation. What he sees, feels, even smells is up to his own mind. It won't physically harm him unless he resists." Which was precisely why she had asked him not to do so. If he resisted her mind spell and hurt himself, she would feel pretty terrible about it. As Tomura sipped the foul coffee and set the cup aside the wall, Yona had waited until she had thought he was ready. He spoke of his fortitude and strengths confidently and with a smirk, the VP wondered to herself if he was bluffing or not.

She watched as his fears came to life for the room to see, though Tomura would not see them. It went without saying that such an intimate reveal should not be publicly discussed without Tomura's approval and so Yona said nothing. There was a dark shadow of a man, without any true form. Tomura stripped down and blindfolded was a shock to see, and Yona blushed. Should she stop the spell? Would he be upset to know that they had seen him battle his fears in such a state of undress? She swallowed hard as a spear formed fully in the blurry shadow of a man's grip. First, undressed, second intense violence. It worried her now and she glanced at Sol, biting her lip. For a first test, she could only hope she hadn't gone too far. The blindfold was symbolic, though it needn't have been given the cruelty in the shapeless man's voice as he pointed out how alone, abandoned and forgotten Tomura was. He was being stabbed, tortured really, and Yona physically winced as she forced herself to continue watching. She took a half step forward, ready to stop the spell, finally having seen enough. Of course, she hadn't seen what she had been seeking in the guild applicant, but she still felt nervous of having gone too far. Such a fact was written all over her face and inside she wondered if Sol thought she had gone too far.

Before she could do anything else, Tomura's own words rang clearly in the training room. With a release of magical energy, her spell was ended and the physical form of his fears vanished. He knelt gasping, but alive and Yona fought to find her own composure again. He had seemed broken by the loss of his friends, the forgetting of his achievements. He had seemed physically broken and at a lost too. He had been isolated mentally and physically and yet, in what she thought was the climax of the illusion, Tomura had shown that which he had been most afraid of losing. It went beyond bravery and loyalty, it was his own self righteousness, his own need to keep his honor in tact that seemed to conclude her test. She had honestly expected some sort of cocky display of magical or physical prowess, and of course had hoped to see the man's bravery. By the end, he had given his mysterious attacker no information on himself and no pleas for mercy- and no claim over his life. The honor aspect had truly impressed her.

Yona knew he would be even more exhausted than before. She bent and retrieved the coffee and passed the cup into Tomura's hands. "I insist you finish it this time," Yona answered his comment going without a reply for a moment. She crouched in front of him and gave a nod, "Haven't quite seen a fear played out like that before. I think I can speak for Sol and I both," Yona added tossing her head in the other VP's direction. "Your display of bravery was expected, but even more powerful than any promise you could make to me or this Company... was your own sense of honor. In fact, I think I trust you more than I have trusted any other new member before because I can see in you that you would not betray or harm the people of this Company out of your own deep need to do right by yourself and your commitments. Does that ring true, Tomura? Are you deserving of our trust?"

After he replied, and assuming he said it was true, the green haired mage looked at him gently, "I hope welcoming you into the company is enough to get forgiveness for that ordeal. I wouldn't want any bad blood between us, Tomura."

Aranea wished she had gotten to sleep in this morning. The celestial spider had flown in from a village in Myazhe, leaving the village and arriving in the main Togalen port all before the first rays of sun had peaked over the horizon. It felt strange for this nocturnal hunter to fall into mortal rhythms up in the mountains.

As the Celestial Spider, a mortal's dreams could be as real as the waking world to her. And since a mortal's dreams provided the magic to sustain her in the mortal world, she was used to a rest schedule the mirror opposite of most mortals. Thus being active in the wee hours of the morning had been the norm, and today she needed the ritual of morning coffee to stay awake.

That's why she had stopped by headquarters instead of just simply flying straight back to the village. To pick up her coffee. Lucy already had the dyes for a clothier in the village. They were why she had flown out so early in the first place.

The clothier needed the dyes as soon as possible, and they had been due to arrive on one of the ships due in first thing this morning. Lucy had volunteered to retrieve them, since she could fly to the port and back again, all before noon.

Looking for a quiet place to sit and enjoy her coffee before taking the dyes back to the village, she gambled that no one would be using the training room yet. It was a poor gamble, it looked like she found an on going test. The blonde spirit blushed in embarrassment and smiled sheepishly. "Uh.. hey guys.. so very sorry about that! uh welcome! and... I'll just be going. Didn't mean to interrupt."

Lucy quietly slipped back out and only went a few steps down the hallway to start her coffee. Apparently, she needed the wake up boost more than she thought.

Yona watched the man, reassessing him as he spoke. She had indeed seemed to have misread him, and that bothered her a bit. She wasn't usually so bad with her intuition, her gut, her eyes. In this case, his smirk and laughter sent a feeling like bugs crawling all over her skin and she worried that maybe she would make the wrong choice. Without wanting to take away his opportunity for growth and change, she took a single breath and met his eyes directly. She allowed him to see her emotions, though she never was good at hiding them anyway. Behind those green eyes were the promise of a threat if he betrayed the guild or her personal trust.

"Show me where you want me to place your mark then," She called her magic to her fingers until they softly glowed. As she placed the mark upon his skin she set her eyes harder upon his face, "We at the West Fiore Trading Company expect great things from you. Feel free to explore headquarters and town, perhaps settle into a room here, get a meal in our dining area." She pulled her hand away from his skin and repeated herself, "We have high expectations for all our members. The company is well trusted and there are plenty of jobs for you to take. Remember to act as a vassal of this great company or there will be consequences." She softened a bit and gave him a light smile.

"After that spell, you probably should eat something or rest, Tomura. I look forward to working with you in the future," Yona trailed off with a shrug. She plucked the empty cup from him and left him on his own to decide what he wanted to do next.