How To Get Chewed Out 101

It had been a while since his last task for the guild that he had now became a member of, he had found that the tasks were still hard for him but he was trying his best to adapt. Even now he was in denial over the whole thing, he was slowly becoming one of the monsters that he had feared so many years ago. Closing his eyes under his mask he sighed as he tried to calm his mind, if he wasn't dealing with school he was dealing with the family business, if it wasn't the guild and if that wasn't that it was dealing with socialites and being stalked by a deranged guildmaster. He just wanted to run from it all and become something else but he already knew that if he tried his family would already send someone to find him, he was coming to the conclusion that no matter what he done he was always going to be trapped by his family. This was something he couldn't allow to fog his mind for now, not given the task that he had been given, problem was it wasn't exactly one that he was wanting to do. It hadn't been to long ago that his family had been in the cross hairs due to things that were out of their power but this time he was walking into it by taking a job that had him and another going after a Rune Knight, that was all he needed in all honesty.

He had travelled to the village the person in question was said to be heading to and was to rendezvous with his partner for the task a mile away from the main gate of the place by a hill near a river. He decided that it would be better to travel at night, for now Lynus had told him he had to do the tasks for the guild on his own until he was comfortable with his place. It had take a few days to travel to the meeting point but this didn't bother him to much as he enjoyed his time away from his family and the responsibility that came with it. When they finally got to the meeting place he sat underneath a tree wearing his guild uniform his mask on, his eyes closed once more as he calmly felt around trying to sense his partner hoping that this was going to be an easy task and not be anymore complicated than required. He already heard his brother chewing him out for taking this task but they went where the money was at the end of the day.

Word Count: 443
@Esper

Being in a guild that actually did stuff was an experience Iris hadn't had in a long time. As much as she'd loved Basilisk Fang, she couldn't exactly say her time there was productive in any regard. There hadn't been too much chaos and anarchy, though there had been that one time she assassinated a politician during an important meeting, but other than that her squad just messed around and hunted down exotic boozes. It'd been fun, but the whole reason she joined was to get at the Magic Council so she could track down her original eyes. With all the time she'd had to herself lately, she was only further reminded that she wasn't whole, and at the end of the day, her identity was shattered. Adopting all the personalities from all the eyes in the world would bring her no closer to how she really felt about things, nor would it finally bring the color back into the most important memories she possessed. How would she ever know how she truly felt about the things she thought she cared about now?

Maybe it was subconsciousness that had Iris, known as Esper in this female form, had taken this specific job. In the last two weeks, she'd suddenly shown a willingness to take jobs for more than just booze and rent money. Her resolve to complete her goal seemed renewed, though it also tested her confidence. Esper in every other way oozed self-assured arrogance, but in this one area, she faltered. As much as she wanted her original eyes, she also feared it. All these life shifts had given her time to truly think, the very thing she had been avoiding for years just for this reason. If she did get them back, would it change how she felt about her friends now? Would her love for the stripper boy she sought so frantically disappear? As she was currently with these stolen oculars, she couldn't imagine losing all she had now because who she really was would be against it. But also, think of the implications of living a false life, loving people you wouldn't actually love at all if you were yourself. Which was more sad? It was a vicious back and forth that shredded her insides, and was the precise reason she stayed liquored up. If everything was a lazy haze of activity and numbness, all the pesky worries would melt away. In fact, the more she drank on the way to River Village, the less Esper cared about the end result. Finding the jerk that betrayed her and took her eyes didn't mean she'd even get them back, or even if she did get them back, she didn't have to put them in if she didn't want to. Maybe the ultimate decision could come at the end of the saga.

Sauntering up to the tree where her partner for this job waited, a heavy sigh escaped. All this literal cloak and dagger was far from her style. Never would she truly accept covering up beautiful bodies and dismantling songbird voices with this infernal voice disguiser. Such a waste! And it robbed her of all her fun. However, this snazzy new ring might spice things up. Why she needed it when she could shapeshift at will still baffled her, but Esper would be a good little assassin and follow the rules...for now. The collection of stardust could change into any beautiful form and still play her way, though none of her ring's concocted appearances could hold a candle to her own. "Ready to hunt a Rune Knight?" she asked, scowling at the sound even though the other masked person couldn't see it. "I do want to ask a couple questions first if we get a chance~"


[WC: 629 || Thread WC: 1072/7000]

Ren had been quietly silently sitting under the tree for some time, he hated this uniform in so many ways, it was loose within reason but at the same time it felt so restricting. The mask on his face made him feel so claustrophobic and he had no real issues with small spaces but still this was a little to much for him, sure he should be use to it by now but he wasn't. He wanted to know what the hell his elder brother was thinking bringing him into this life, it was clear he wasn't built for it given the bubble padding their parents gave him. This had just given an already stressed teen more things to worry about but he remained quiet about it, he done what was expected from both sides of his life wither he wanted it or not. Artemis likely didn't want this life for himself or anyone else in the family but what could they really do, their lives were controlled by their family at the end of the day and there were things far worse than being disowned he was sure of it. His elder brother had tasted freedom for a while, a freedom he was envious of as he knew it would be something he would never gain as much as he wished for it.

Their elder sister Pandora had been given far more freedom than any of them would have been granted, then again she wasn't exactly what they wanted in a daughter either from the little he could remember. He had only been four when she left and so his memories were limited, she was beautiful but was more tomboyish preferring to play with swords and other weapons than dolls or going shopping. He had no idea if she had ever become a debutante but then he couldn't help but feel sorry for the young gentleman who would have been her escort as he imagined her crushing his hand. His own hand went to where his mouth would have been as he laughed. He had been caught in his own thoughts that he hadn't realised that his job partner had arrived until they spoke "My apologies, I was thinking on my families strange quirks." he said as he stood dusting off his uniform "My alias is Sanguine, you are?" he asked holding out his hand to shake the others, he had no idea if this was the way to do things as this had only been his second job as a member of the guild and the first one didn't go as one would expect.

Now paying attention to the previous question he nodded "Yes, I'm prepared." he said externally however he was more thinking 'Not really, this is suicide. My brother just got chewed out for doing something stupid and here I am doing the same.' he thought to himself, he knew better to think specific names when around people in his guise, he knew that some people had the ability to read minds and wasn't so foolish that he believed he had adequate protection against someone who was highly trained. "Before we get going, what is the plan?" he asked learning from his first task as an assassin, as much as killing everyone within the village would cause a hell of a lot less issues as there would be no witnesses, he wasn't one to kill innocent people. Hearing the second part he shook his head, as much as information would be helpful that wasn't their job "No, we are not here to gain information but to remove a thorn from a clients side. That takes priority." he said calmly to the other, he knew that Rune Knights weren't to be taken lightly, from the information he had gained before getting here this was also a high ranking Rune Knight so refused to take any unneeded risks just because his job partner wanted to have a chat with him.

Word Count: 662
Total Word Count: 1,105
Thread Word Count: 1,734
@Esper

Shaking her partner Sanguine's hand, she offered her own alias in return when asked. "Esper, pleased to sorta meet you," she purred cheekily, very slowly starting to get used to the effect of the voice changer. Meeting her guildmates by alias and with their real faces hidden still vexed Iris tremendously. While fate seemed to be intent on making the cosmic fart learn that beauty is only skin deep as well as in the eye of the beholder, any such lessons on shallowness and vanity were still completely lost. Frankly, she didn't know what to make of people if she couldn't see them. This person. Sanguine. Were they pretty? Did they have lovely eyes? Oh heavens, what if they only had one eye? Her insides quivered uncomfortably at the mere thought, her imagination running wild. Even worse, what if they had one or more milky old people eyes? She truly couldn't tell how old this person was. Just the thought of working with someone, steadily growing more hideous in her mind's eye by the second, made her want to give up and rethink this whole thing!

Eventually, she was able to apply the brakes to her runaway brain train and bring her thoughts back toward the task at hand. Surely Sanguine was at the worst perfectly average. After all, if they were old and gross, this job would be too hard. Though Iris had no control over her partner, she at least had control over her own looks. Anxious to cover up the uniform and robotic voice changer, Esper used the Hidden Blades standard issue ring to transform into a blonde bombshell. Flaxen tresses cascaded down her tanned back which was largely exposed, falling straight as can be. Bright blue eyes darkened in the shadows and reflected the green hues of the tree Sanguine remained beneath, making them seem almost as clear as the rushing river nearby. From her chosen garb, it seemed she was going for an unintentionally beautiful girl-next-door type. Her top was little more than a bandana carefully tied around her bosom, while her lower half sported cut-offs and some galoshes. It appeared she'd been night fishing, which was fitting for a place called River Village as the season approached summer. "Ah, that's better. I read in the file that this guy's single," the girl started in a honeyed tone, revealing that she had actually read the file Blanche gave her for a change (shocker!), "So hopefully, I can get in close without much alarm by using certain charms. Striding into the village dressed like a literal cloak and dagger assassin is bound to set off all sorts of alarms, don't you think?" Esper asked, running a hand through the golden strands, somewhat pleased but much more preferring her natural female form. Deep purple and other darker hues were much more elegant and perfectly her style, but she could make anything look good. No doubt without her secretive uniform she could seduce the man and kill him before he had a chance to plan their wedding, but she didn't want to be that efficient. Sanguine might have nixed her plan to ask some questions in favor of being a total stick-in-the-mud, but that didn't mean she wouldn't follow her own plan should the opportunity arise. She had her own goals, after all. This was a Rune Knight, a dog for the Magic Council. If her MC itch could be scratched by Major Fuzz, like heck she was missing the chance.

"Are you going to disguise, too? Or am I the ground frontal assault while you lurk in the shadows for a sneak attack?" Esper sought clarification, making her way toward the path that would take them into town.


[WC: 622 || Thread WC: 2356/7000]