New Day, New Guild, New Faces

Cassiopeia had not expected it to so easy, joining Dies Irae that is. No, she had expected something more... grandiose? She supposed. Some mighty challenge only a fearsome warrior could pass, or a cunning riddle that challenged even the sharpest mind, or perhaps a feat of bravery that called for the strongest wills. No such challenge had been levied against her, though she had been accepted all the same. It was a victory, though admittedly a hollow one at that. A part of the Kaijin woman was disappointed it had not been more difficult, she had mentally worked herself up for the trial of a lifetime. It was a far cry from what'd she'd envisioned on her long voyage across the seas.

Unsure of what exactly to do with herself since admittance, Cassiopeia had been given a small, but modest bedroom in the East Wing. She didn't much mind the cramped bedchambers, she expected as much being only a neophyte. Though the bed itself was much too small, and she'd need do something to remedy that effective immediately. The woman unpacked what few possessions she had, a single trunk of luggage filled with her clothing, jewelry, and worldly possessions. She did her best to make the small room feel as homey as she could, before undressing herself. Cassiopeia stank of the sea, no amount of heat could burn off the smell of salt water from her hair or clothes. Stripping down completely she discarded her dress to a dirty clothes hamper, retrieving an identical doppelganger from her trunk and dressing herself in an over-sized bathrobe.

Clad only in bathroom attire, with shampoo and soaps under her arm and a towel draped over her shoulder, the Kaijin made her way to the nearest bathroom. She enjoyed a refreshing bath, scrubbing away the ocean's grime and wasting the better part of an hour in the warm water. Her tail always took the longest to wash, the massive segmented appendage shed scales constantly, and grime easily compacted between its armored segments. Some soap, a good brush, and deep scrubbing was always needed to properly clean her reptilian tail.

When Cassiopeia emerged she felt like a new woman, her long mane of black hair tied up above her head wrapped in a towel, she donned her black dress and tidied herself up in the washroom before returning to her bedroom. At her core, the Kaijin woman was vane, exceedingly so. She prided herself on her great beauty, relishing the lust filled looks she received regularly. Though admittedly, they were less common among now that she had journeyed away from Monster Island... The human tended to look upon her with a mixture of concern and even fear. Between her towering height and her monstrous tail, they worried what exactly she was capable of.

Now with truly nothing better to do to preoccupy her time, Cassiopeia was at a loss for what to do. She hadn't had this much free time in... far too long. She mused to herself on what exactly to do, before a wide smile crossed her plush lips. The woman quickly made her way to the mess hall, requesting a bucket of fresh caught fish. Though initially confused, the chefs on hand begrudgingly obliged, and gave her the latest of the fresh catch they'd bought. The Kaijin made her way outside, heading towards the Trial Grounds that loomed behind the guild hall proper. Finding a comfortable stony ledge to rest on, Cassiopeia stretched herself out on her stomach to enjoy the warm midday sun.

With her chin resting in her ample cleavage like a pair of soft pillows, and her long tail stretched out behind her, the woman was in paradise. She reached lazily for a fish, holding it before her and breathing out a steady stream of flame from her mouth to flambé the fish to a delicious golden brown. She happily snapped them up, nearly swallowing her treats whole as the woman gobbled them up one by one. "I could get used to this..." She mused to herself aloud, before tossing another lightly seared fish into her hungry maw. And so, like a pampered lizard, Cassiopeia lay there sprawled out in the sun without a care in the world.

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Word Count: 725

It still didn't feel quite real to Eli, what his current situation in life was. He had been woken up by the distinct sensation of a short but violent shake, though on looking around as he sat up in his bed he didn't see any signs of something like an earthquake or an explosion. Not exactly the smoothest way to wake up for his second day in the guild, but what was one to do? The self exiled noble yawned as he stretched his arms to the side, taking a moment to pop and wake up his limbs. He paused, looking around the room with a comfortable smile.

It wasn't nearly as extravagant as his chambers back home. There his bed would have been sufficient to fit two or three more people; here it seemed he was lucky he wasn't especially large. There was no carpeting, but a well worn rug was placed in the center of the room. At the very least he had a nice view; looking out onto the ocean that surrounded the island; not only was it a breathtaking sight to wake up to, but it would serve as a regular reminder, every morning, that he wasn't with his family any more.

All in all, he was pretty satisfied with his subpar room.

Eli finally slid out of his bed, deciding to wash up before he headed out for the day. He grabbed a change of clothes and made his way to the bathroom, where he took a brief but refreshing shower to wake himself up and get clean. Once finished he emerged, now donning his usual robes. He paused to make sure his hair looked presentable, and stopped at the mirror for an extra few seconds in order to observe the mark of his guild. Eli had decided to place the cross of Dies Irae right on his face, so that everyone could see where he belonged. It wasn't just pride in his guild, but in himself as well; it was one of the first choices he had made on his own, and he was determined to see to it that it would only be the first of many.

Now properly dressed and ready, the wizard decided to stop by the mess hall on his way out. He had discovered during his first meal here, with the guild master himself, that there was a particularly delectable pastry that they served which he had immediately taken a liking to. And much to his delight, he discovered that there were still plenty to be had, and so he took several of them. He walked down the hall, enjoying one of the glazed cinnamon rolls as he made his way, humming a satisfied tune as he did. He exited the guild hall and took an invigorating breath of the clean air outside, relishing the warm sunlight as it shined down on him.

Since he didn't have any work lined up for the day, Eli decided that it would be a good chance to just take his time learning the layout of the island. If he was going to be living here for the foreseeable future, it would be best to memorize the geography as quickly as possible. And since he would likely be spending most of his time here at the guild itself, it thus seemed most appropriate to start there. He took a look around, trying to determine where to begin his aimless tour, when his eyes settled upon the Trial Grounds of the guild. A place where mages of Dies Irae could come to train, settle disputes, or simply entertain the locals who lived on the island should such a thing be arranged.

It seemed like as good a place to start as any.

And so, still enjoying his sweets, Eli made his way into the arena. There was a sense of scale that was truly numbing to him as he entered, pondering many questions; what sorts of events and battles had been fought here in the past; what would be fought here in the future? Would he be involved? And why was there a rather tall woman sunbathing on her stomach here, eating fish?

Wait.. what?

Sure enough, there was someone else here today. Someone he didn't recognize, although that was hardly surprising; it was only his second day here, after all. But even still, he thought he would have noticed such a... striking figure, walking about the Guild Hall. And he knew she was a member of Dies Irae, because he could make out the mark of their guild on the tip of her large tail. Curiosity getting the better of him, Eli approached the woman. She seemed even larger up close, if such a thing was possible, as he came up from behind.

Eli took a moment to suck the icing from his own food off of his fingers as the woman cooked another fish, as he pondered how best to greet this stranger and potential friend.

"Quite the tall drink of water, aren't you?" He noted, making a blunt observation about her height as he stepped around to stand at her side now.

Cassiopeia was lazily sunning herself, basking in the warmth as it radiated through her. Her dark clothing, dark tail, and darker fins all doing their part to drink in as much warm sunlight as physically possible. As she rested, the woman continued about devouring her hearty snack. An entire bucket of fish was a gut bursting meal for most people, but to the over sized Kaijin woman it was little more than a light snack. Each fish scorched by her fire breath a tasty morsel to happily devour.

So lost was she in her trance that the woman largely failed to notice the stranger creeping up on her. Sure, she heard his footsteps echoing off the stone floors, and could see him out the corner of her eyes. But, Cassiopeia largely didn't care,  and did nothing to discourage the stranger from approaching. No, she was in a good mood for once. A relaxing bath, a fresh change of clothes, and a sunny day was more than enough to raise her spirits. There was little the stranger could do to bring her down. With that, Cassiopeia popped another seared fish into her waiting mouth.

As the stranger drew close, Cassiopeia turned her head slightly to glance at him out the corner of her eye. He was q rather flamboyant looking man. He didn't have the hardened look of a warrior, or a fighter. No, his lack of brawn and colorful attire led her to believe the stranger was a nobleman of sorts. The plainly visible tattoo of the Dies Irae guild symbol plastered clear across his face however was an instant reminder this man was a guild mate, and peer. So when tolerated him ae the stranger approached.

When he opened his mouth to speak, he uttered perhaps what might have been the most obvious statement he could have. Cassiopeia just rolled her eyes as she slowly chewed on her latest fish. Using otto buy her time to even formulate a response to the stranger's bluntness. Eventually she swallowed, and turned her head to face him. "Well..." Cassiopeia said with a slight sneer, "At least we know your eyes work fine." She gobbled up another fish, eating this one raw this time. Talking didn't afford her the time to sear them like she would have preferred in she was still sunbathing uninterrupted like she'd originally planned.

Cassiopeia scoffed as she swallowed up her fishy treat. "I'm car too tall of a drink for the likes of you to handle, Darling."  She said sarcastically,  her long tail slowly moving towards the man to point directly at his face. It showed him the guild's mark clear as day, and Cassiopeia simply grinned as she withdrew the long limb. "You know..." Cassiopeia said lazily,  giving her next fish more attention than her unwanted guest, "It's rude to address a woman without first introducing yourself." The Kaijin beauty said dismissively with the wave of a hand before returning to her snack. "I'm new around here, so why don't you tell me who you are first... then I'll tell you all about myself." Cassiopeia said with a wry grin. She couldn't just turn a guild mate away, though if his jokes didn't improve she'd be forced to distance herself from the man.

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Word Count: 585 | Total Word Count: 1,310

Eli waited curiously for the response of the Kaijin woman before him, curious as to how she would react to his observation. When at last she did speak, after consuming yet another fish, she made an equally obvious statement in return, and he laughed at that as she downed a raw fish. Before he could get a chance to say anything else, she made an additional comment, which made him grin. "That's a rather bold statement, assuming I'm interested in handling you at all." He noted, sitting down not far from the woman.

"Besides, I've handled bigger." He added, recalling one of the most exhilarating fights of his life. She made a show of demonstrating her guild mark to him, reaffirming its position in his mind. Cassiopeia pointed out his improper manners, which only brought out another laugh; while he was generally a polite person, it felt good to not have to be so stuffy all the time. "My sincerest of apologies, my fair lady." He said, genuinely despite his laugh and bowing as best as he could from his seated position, the gesture somehow managing to look practiced despite the awkwardness of his current posture. "Eli Everlash is the name. You may just call me Eli, if you like. To whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

Seeing that she was returning to her snack, and noticing that she had stopped cooking them in order to speak, he held up a hand. "Ah, please allow me." He insisted, snapping the fingers of said hand. A red magic circle appeared at his fingertips, before engulfing his arm. The limb was replaced with one of harsh red skin, covered in rough, jagged scales and ending in three sharp claws; two fingers and a thumb. The whole arm was covered in fire, and he pointed his palm at the next fish she pulled out. A short flame emerged from his hand, as he used the blaze to cook the fish for her. "No reason you should have to sacrifice the quality of your snack for my presence." He noted simply.

WC: 370
TWC: 1230

Cassiopeia scoffed as the stranger made the quip he might not even be interested in handling her at all. It silently irritated her, why shouldn't he be enamored with her beauty? She had flawless skin, long silky black hair, and feminine curves that would make even a courtesan blush with envy. A thought crept into her head as she devoured her next fish, still listening to the man speak. Maybe he preferred the company of men instead? She was hardly one to judge, but it certainly gave a good explanation as to why the flamboyant stranger didn't fancy her.

She was taken aback slightly when the man stated he'd handled bigger. An eyebrow raised in curiosity, and her gaze wandered up and down the stranger. "You have?" Who exactly was he referring too, she wondered. Cassiopeia was far and away taller than any human she had ever met in her life, and that was even before using her Giant magic. What kind of giant had her guild mate tangled with that surpassed her in size? It made her slightly jealous, she wanted to meet this mystery person herself.

When her new acquaintance took her comments on politeness seriously, a smile crept across the Kaijin woman's fair face. She hadn't seriously expected him to do as she commanded, but it was a nice surprise all the same. "No apologies needed, my good sir." She chided back to Everlash, mimicking his courtly tone with sarcastic intent. He spoke like a pompous nobleman, one who grew up with feather beds and household servants. He might have escaped that life for the militant lifestyle of their mage's guild, but his words would forever betray his upbringing with their posh accent.

Her curiosity was piqued as Everlash gestured to her fish bucket, and she didn't so much as flinch when a burst of flame fired from his transformed arm to singe her fish. Cassiopeia looked to it, sniffing it a bit before gobbling it up. "Your restraint needs work." She said simply, still chewing the food. "You overcooked the fish." The woman added before swallowing, orange gaze still locked on the guild mate's arm. "Though I appreciate the gesture all the same." With that said, Cassiopeia decided she was finished with her lazily treating herself to her snack. She rose from her reclined position, tilting her fish bucket back as she gazed down at the remaining contents before exhaling a sharp jet of flame over them for a moment. Once finished she tilted back her head and raised the bucket to her mouth, downing its contents in a few heavy mouthfuls. Licking her lips as she finished, Cassiopeia lazily set the bucket aside and turned to properly face her guild mate.

The towering woman then hopped from her seat along the stony railing, heeled boots clicking hard against the granite floors. She arched her back, raising her arms over her head and letting out a mighty yawn as she gave a great stretch. With their respective height difference, the woman's immense bust came dangerously close to eye level with her shorter guild mate. "Mmm... that was a nice rest." She said idly as her stretch finished. "Exactly what I needed after the swim it took to get here."

Cassiopeia hopped back to sit on the ledge of the railing, this time with one leg crossed over the over with her long tail draped out to one side. It helped alleviate the height difference if she sat while they spoke. "Eli Everlash. A pleasure to meet you." The voluptuous beauty replied sweetly, giving the man a soft smile as she spoke. "And I, am Cassiopeia Gojira, a Kaijin of Kaijū-jima, Monster Island. You may also call me Cassie or Cass if you like. Either or is fine by me."

The woman let her introduction hang in the air for a moment, before casting her gaze back to Eli's burning arm. "Interesting look you've got there Eli." She said nonchalantly, her tail's tip swishing slightly in excitement. "Takeover magic, right?" She paused to think, tapping her pointer finger to her lips. "Though... I don't quite place the creature. I assume you practice Beast Soul?" She said excitedly, eager to demonstrate her knowledge of magic to a comrade. Cassiopeia was admittedly, less learned in an academic sense than some mages were. She had no great academy to study at, no vast arcane library to spend hours within, though she made up for it with a wealth of worldly experience in her travels. She had been to most any place she could reach by the sea, considered herself very worldly in spite of her relatively young age.

"So, Eli. How long have you been a member of Dies Irae for?" Cassiopeia asked curiously, eager to pump her guild mate for information. "I've only just joined today, so I suppose that makes me the newest of the Neophytes." She spoke dismissively of that fact, nonchalantly gesturing with a wave of the hand. The Kaijin would rise quickly beyond her station, she always did. Her title was a mere formality, she'd rise through the ranks quickly as her pride and ambitions always compelled her too. She would not remain 'new' for very long.

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Word Count: 940 | Total Word Count: 2,250

In truth, Eli did in fact consider the Kaijin woman to be quite attractive; he was a particular fan of the long hair and wide hips combination, and the rest of her form wasn't exactly unappealing either. However, his time among nobles back home had taught him the value (and sometimes necessity) of keeping a silent, straight expression when his "peers" would get particularly obnoxious. Thanks to that, he had developed a rather impressive poker face, and it often served him well in many awkward situations. Or, in a case such as this, enabling him to tease an attractive woman without losing his cool.

The titan seemed to have her curiosity piqued when he mentioned having previously dealt with someone bigger than she, and he smiled a bit at this. "I have indeed." He confirmed vaguely.
"Several years ago, it was. Something of a turning point in my life, really."Eli laughed as she mimicked his manner of speaking, glad to have found someone with a decent sense of humor.

On the woman's critique of his attempt to cook one of her fish, his smile faltered for a bit. Not out of offense for having his work "insulted", but at annoyance with himself for having brought such a situation on. He glared at his arm slightly, as if scolding it, and his eyes shifted. Where once there were jovial, dark grey eyes there was now a pair of fiery red eyes, with almost reptilian vertical slits in place of the pupils. "Sorry..." he apologized, still looking at his fiery limb. "Truth be told, I'm still not as good with my fire magic as I am with my wind. I need more practice; hopefully it will be easy to come by here at the guild."

Despite his mistake, the woman didn't seem to be overly bothered by the burnt fish. After downing it, she decided to finish off the rest of her bucket all at once, perhaps so that she could better focus on their conversation. He watched as she consumed what remained, surprisingly not unnerved by the sight. Honestly, he found it rather fascinating to observe. After doing so, the Kaijin stepped down from the perch where she had been basking and stretched for a moment; he wondered if perhaps it was at least partially in an attempt to "change his mind" regarding his prior comment, when her sizable chest was emphasized by the movement. He didn't miss the lady's remark about swimming here, which certainly impressed him; even if she wasn't human, that was still undoubtedly a pretty far journey, given the remote nature of the island base of Dies Irae.

Once she seemed to have loosened up enough with her stretching, the woman hopped back on the ledge, putting the two of them closer to eye level and solving the height difference situation to an extent. At last she returned his introduction, giving the name Cassiopeia Gojira and explaining both her heritage and place of origin. He smiled at the information, eyes returning to normal as his mood improved. "Cassie it is, then." He decided almost immediately. "It's nice to meet you too, Cassie. I've read a little about the Kaijin people in my studies, but I never thought I would get the opportunity to meet one of you in person!"

At that point, Cassiopeia made a comment about his appearance after he used his spell, and took a guess as to its nature. His smile widened as she determined it was Take Over magic, and he chuckled a bit when she asked if it was Beast Soul. "You're close!" He confirmed, holding his arm up again. "It is Take Over magic, but it isn't Beast Soul. My particular brand is known as Element Soul; with my Take Over magic, I can assume the power and form of elemental beings; magical personifications of the elements, in their purest forms. Thus far, I have access to two elementals; Sylph, a spirit of the wind, and Ifrit, a spirit of fire."

He paused for a moment. "Remember what I said about having handled bigger?" He asked, flicking his wrist for emphasis. "That would be the Ifrit. Some bandits sent me and my family into the territory of one, and I managed to subdue it and add him to my arsenal. Haven't managed a Full Take Over of it yet, though; only my arms."

He released the Partial Take Over as his fellow neophyte continued, asking him how long he had been in the Guild and explaining that she had literally just joined. He smiled, and held up two fingers. "Just joined a couple of days ago myself, actually." He revealed. "It took me about two weeks to make it here from where I lived."

Though Eli also aimed to climb up in the ranks of the guild at some point, he didn't really feel like there was any reason to rush to do so. For the time being, he was content to learn his way around the island and prepare for his first few missions. "I've been looking at the job list on display in the hall." He noted, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "There's quite a few available, even for wizards of our meager rank. Plus some jobs specifically requesting that members of Dies Irae carry them out."

He laughed as he thought of the lowest ranking missions that he could recall. "A little bit of everything, really," Eli noted. "From tracking down criminals and finding lost animals to escorting nobles and being a practice date for some nervous kid."

A thought occurring to him, the self-exiled noble reached into his bag of treats and produced one of the glazed cinnamon rolls he had been eating before. He wasn't sure if Kaijin could eat or liked such things, but it never hurt to ask. "Would you like to try one of these, Cassie?" He offered, holding it out for her. "I tried them the first time I ate here, and they're really good!"

WC: 1021
TWC: 2251

The Kaijin woman nodding along in acknowledgement when Eli said his 'bigger thing' had been a turning point in his life. She didn't bother to pressure him for details, for all she knew it was a personal matter, possibly costing the life of friends or loved ones. Some stories were better left unspoken, and anyone who lived their life as a wizard was bound to lose people they cared about in the field of battle. It was an inevitable outcome unfortunately, theirs was a dangerous road they walked. It was why guilds even existed at all, there was strength in numbers, and the blood of battle was often thicker than the blood of the womb.

Cassiopeia smiled when her new friend admitted he needed more practice with his fire element. "Try breathing it." She said casually, pursing her lips and expelling a ring of fire that dissipated before reaching his face. "I find it much easier to wield that way than using my arms." The tall woman chuckled to herself, folding her arms crossed beneath her massive bust. "Well, you have a guild now. Practice should be one of the easiest things for you to come across. You have allies to spar with, jobs to undertake, and plenty of free time to devout to your studies." Her tail swished, and Cassiopeia let out a wistful sigh. "I suppose the same applies to me. I'm going to have to start getting used to it. My life has been... very hectic, Dies Irae will be the first bit of order to the chaos in a long while." Too long, she thought to herself, far too long had she impulsively lived day to day with no thought of tomorrow beyond living to see the sun rise anew.

As her gaze returned to her new comrade, Cassiopeia couldn't help but note that the nobleman's eyes had visibly changed as he invoked his magic. She hadn't noticed it before, too distracted by his Ifrit's arms to observe more subtle changes. She assumed it was merely another aspect of the spirit he invoked when he drew forth its power, and pressed him no further on the matter. When Eli mentioned he'd studied of her people, the Kaijin's curiosity was instantly piqued. "Oh?" She said simply, raising an eyebrow as she leaned forward to listen better. Her tail slapped rhythmically against the rock, indicating her excitement.

"You have now? We Kaijin tend to keep to ourselves. I'm curious to see what your Easterner history books say of my kind." To the Kaijin everyone was an Easterner. Their island home was seemingly the westernmost point of land in Earth Land. Everything west was a seemingly endless ocean populated only by sea serpents, leviathans, and krakens. If land existed, a ship couldn't reach it without first running out of supplies. As a result of this near isolation, the Kaijin had limited contact with much of Earth Land. Their primary exposure was via traders and merchant vessels making their way west to the exotic island port. "Well... if there's anything you'd like to know about my people or my home, I am more than happy to share." Cassiopeia added cheerfully, her pride meant she relished any opportunity to talk about both herself and her people. They were not a wealthy, numerous, or powerful race, but they were an ancient and proud one nonetheless.

Cassiopeia's remained attentive as Eli elaborated on his particular breed of Take Over magic. "Hmm.... I see." The taller woman said, rubbing her chin as she studied his arm. "So it was no common beast, but an elemental spirit. I would never have guessed." She silently wondered what the full potential of this 'Elemental Soul' was, could Eli combine these spirits into powerful combinations? Did fire and wind make ash? Would fire and earth make magma? What would every element combined create... life? Death? Magic in its rawest state? She dismissed such thoughts, unwilling to ask such intimate details of her comrade's abilities just yet. After all, they had barely met but a few minutes ago.

She listened intently on her comrade's story of his battle against the Ifrit. "So is that your goal then Eli?" Cassiopeia asked, gesturing to his burning arms before he dispelled his magics. "Capture and master Take Over magic for a spirit of every element? It would certainly give you quite the arsenal. Few wizards master more than one element, much less all of them. Your versatility would make you an incredibly difficult opponent to strategize against."

To her surprise, it seemed Eli had joined only days before she did. Cassiopeia hopped up from her seat, staring down at the shorter human over the slope of her bust. "Really? Just two days ago? And here I thought you were more veteran than that..." She grinned though, eyes giving off a fierce look as she flashed fanged teeth. "Two weeks to get here, I assume you sailed. It took me half that time... and I swam." She was rather proud of that fact, and she would have arrived quicker if she didn't need to stop at remote islands along the way to sleep. A ship could sail all night, she couldn't.

Cassiopeia turned up her nose when Eli said the phrase 'wizards of their meager rank'; she did not admitting her own strength was not as formidable as she wished it were. That was a major reason for seeking out Dies Irae in the first place, they promised her an avenue through which to grow stronger. That goal would not happen overnight. "Well..." She said, choosing her words carefully. "I am nothelping some spoiled brat practice for a date. You're more than welcome to do that job. Though I would be happy to assist you on anything that puts my skills to the test."

Her attention was then shifted to the offering of a cinnamon roll. Cassiopeia tilted her head, unused to being offered food by others. She sniffed at the pastry, then snatched it from Eli's hand after deciding it smell edible. Opening her mouth wide she tossed the cinnamon roll into her mouth whole, chewing it vicariously as she sampled its flavor. "Iht's ghud." She said through a mouthful of food, before swallowing it in one large gulp. "Very sweet, and fluffy. I like the icing best." Her brief review concluded, Cassiopeia looked to her new friend with a cheery smile.

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Word Count: 1,160 | Total Word Count: 3,410

Eli took a moment to consider Cassiopeia's idea on how he could improve his control. "It's true, breathing would probably allow for finer control than a simple gesture." He admitted. "Though as of right now, I cannot manifest the power of the Ifrit in such a manner. Only through my arms, for now." He closed his eyes as the woman's demonstration of her own fire breath approached his face, taking a moment to bask in the flame's warmth before opening them to see her arms crossed. The Kaijin noted that thanks to his membership into the guild, he should have plenty of opportunity to train. And as she made note of all the different advantages membership had, his smile grew. "Yeah... that's why I joined." He agreed, his faith in his decision holding strong. To her comment about her own life recently, he looked up at the sky. "My life was kind of the opposite, to be honest. A little too much order..."

Eli lowered his head to look at his guild mate again when he heard the distinct sound of her large tail slapping the rock after he mentioned reading a bit about her people, and he couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped him at the sight. It was almost reminiscent of a dog, or perhaps a cat given the slower nature of the movement. Despite her intimidating stature, he thought it was a rather cute display of excitement.

"It wasn't too much, to be honest." He admitted, recalling what knowledge he could from the texts. "I read that there was an island your people called their own far to the west. Tales of giant sea monsters and dead air keep most curious about your people from venturing too close, aside from occasional trading. Plus a bunch of stories that, now that i've met you, are probably pretty difficult to differentiate between the truth and the rumor." Cassie offered to teach him about her people should he desire, and he smiled again, nodding. "It would be an honor, to learn of your people. I'll be sure to remember your offer."

When the subject of conversation turned to his magic, he nodded. "The elementals are a fickle lot." He noted, looking at his hand. Where once there was a flaming claw, now there was only his true limb, with the odd disc-like pearls his family implanted onto the bodies of their members. "They typically only present themselves out of rage or curiosity. I am told that the Sylph whose power I draw from was curious when she heard that there existed a mage who could use Elemental Soul magic." His friend went on to ask if he was aiming to gain a spirit for each element to expand his arsenal, and he smiled. "Yes, though truthfully that is more of a step than my goal." He confirmed. "I hope to use my magic as a way to study the elementals. They are so rare, and so secretive, that not much is known about them. To understand and share that knowledge, so that others may know it and not be fearful."

The giant of a woman adopted a rather confident grin when he told her of his journey here after hearing of how recently he had also joined, taking a moment to boast of how quickly she herself had made it. He laughed. "Actually, most of my journey here was on foot, until I reached the coast and a port where I could find a boat. I refused to take a carriage. That took about 12 days. The last two were on a boat, though."

Upon his explanation of some of the missions that were available to them, he noticed her somewhat offended reaction to the mention of their rank, and smiled. That grin widened as she commented on the examples he had provided, with her leaving the missions such as dating to him while still offering to assist in any he thought would test her. "Fair enough, I suppose." He said, adopting a thoughtful expression with one eye open, looking her up and down. "It is true that you would likely be a bit ambitious for a kid's practice date; they might not be able to think about their real date afterwards." Eli let out another chuckle at the mental image, picturing a boy talking to a girl whilst thinking about the Kaijin the whole time.

He was pleased to see the woman accept his offer of the confection, watching with anticipation as she managed to fit the entire thing in her mouth at one time before she even began to chew. Her positive words muffled by the food still in her mouth brought out another laugh from the noble, and he nodded in agreement with her assessment of the pastry. "Yes, I agree. I'm glad to hear that you like it!" He said, holding up the bag. "I have more, if you're interested."

Eli looked up at the sky, taking note of the time. Glancing towards the exit of the Trial Grounds, he turned back to his new friend. He recalled her noting how well she had rested once she shifted positions earlier, and smiled. "Since you are so well rested, Cassie, would you care to join me for a walk? Since I'm still new here, I figured that I could take today to start familiarizing myself with the island since I don't have any jobs lined up yet. It'd be good to memorize how things are set up, and I'm certain the fine company of a lovely lady would make committing things to memory all the easier. Would you be interested?" He made an intentionally dramatic sweeping gesture to indicate the door, enjoying the opportunities he had now to be a bit more frivolous, before turning back to the young woman. He placed one arm behind his back and extended his other hand towards her, palm facing up, in a display of invitation.

WC: 1013
TWC: 3264

"We all have our reasons." Cassiopeia said with a shrug when Eli said his own life had been too orderly. A nobleman joining a guild, she could hazard a guess at his dilemma. The stress of a family legacy, perhaps overbearing parents dictating how he life his life, maybe he'd left in exile after defying his father's will. It was more common than one would think and the ruling elite across the whole of Earthland tended to be very controlling of their children.

The listened with great interest as Eli recounted what he knew of her people. "Kaijū-jima." She blurted out, correcting him with the name of her home. "Our island is called Kaijū-jima, or simply 'Monster Island' in the common tongue. And everything you've mentioned is correct. Though I should mention the storms keep nearly as many sailors away as the sea monsters do." Tropical storms and hurricanes frequently ravaged the islands west of Minstrel and Caelum. By the time they made landfall with the mainland they'd spent most of their strength on the tropical island chains. "And yes... truth is often hard to differentiate with legend when it comes to my people." Cassiopeia added, neglecting to say her kind often preferred it that way. There were many secrets she was still sworn never to divulge to Easterners.

Cassiopeia smirked at the comment that the elements were fickle. "Of course magic is fickle, my dear Eli. If it wasn't... everyone would use it and we'd also be master sages wielding the power of the Gods themselves. We should be thankful it's as difficult as it is, it means only the truly gifted can come to master our craft." The woman laughed when faced with adversity. Every challenge was a new obstacle to overcome, every hardship was a test of her will to succeed. If something were easy, her elders often said, then it wasn't worth mastering. "Still, you pursue greater knowledge of the unknown. That my friend is an admirable goal indeed. Knowledge is power, guard it well."

The taller woman actually blushed faintly at Eli's comment about her being too ambitious a partner for a practice date. Her tail swung out and covered her mouth as she suppressed a giggle. "Oh Everlash, now you're just trying to flatter me." She said in a sultry tone, her orange eyes peering at him over the ridges of her tail. "Let's just say it's working." She added with a smile, withdrawing her tail as the rosy color faded from her dimples.

At her new friend's comment on his pastry the Kaijin beauty merely nodded in agreement. "Oh yes indeed, I am very interested." Reaching into his bag and procuring herself a second delicious treat. If this was the kind of cooking she should come to expect from Dies Irae, then Cassiopeia was going to be a very happy Kaijin. Quantity was her favorite quality when it came to food, but if she could eat delicious morsels like these three meals a day she'd be more than happy with her life at the guild.

Cassiopeia watched with a smile at her friend's flamboyant gentlemanly actions, as he politely asked if she would accompany him on his walk. "Well..." The Kaijin said as she feigned consideration, tapping her finger to her delicate chin. "I'm in the same boat as you, a new guild, a new home, an unfamiliar island, and no jobs to fill my schedule." She smiled and extended her hand, taking her friend's in hers and giving it a light squeeze. "I would be a fool to say no. I'd be honored to accept your most generous invitation." Cassiopeia added, feigning the polite mannerisms of a prim and proper noblewoman. Eager to explore Amber Island in the company of her new friend.

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Word Count: 700 | Total Word Count: 4,110

Eli simply nodded in agreement with the woman's note that they all had their reasons for whatever it was that they did, and a thought occurred to him at the idea. She mentioned that joining Dies Irae would bring some order into a recently chaotic life. The nobleman wondered what it was that had made Cassie decide to leave her peoples' isolated home and venture out into the world and join a guild. The thought tempted him to ask, but he decided against it; they had just met, after all. She was respecting his privacy by not prying for details on his issues, so at the very least he could do the same.

The Kaijin then proceeded to talk a little bit about her people, explaining the name of the island where they lived and confirming that many of the stories he had heard of the area surrounding it were true. "I see... Kaijū-jima." He repeated, committing the name of her home to memory for future reference. She admitted that it was often hard to determine what was fact and what was fiction when it came to her people, to which he simply nodded. With such a private existence, it was no wonder.

Cassie seemed amused by his observation of the nature of the elements, and went on to note that she preferred they be so fickle. The notion amused him into giving a small smile. "A challenge seeker, huh?" He deduced, crossing his arms in contemplation. "It's true there would be no satisfaction to be had if things were simply handed to us. At times, I wonder at the possibilities for what the next spirit I meet will be like."

Eli was genuinely a bit surprised to see a faint blush form on the Kaijin's cheeks, as well as the feminine giggle his compliment brought from her. She had an amusingly delicate demeanor for the moment, as she responded to his remark, though her sultry tone gave off a different sense entirely. "Not in the slightest, my friend." He insisted with a casual shrug. "I find compliments made for the sake of compliments are rather pointless. Don't you agree?"

The young man watched as his companion took another of his offered treats for herself, also grabbing a second for his own enjoyment. As well made and nutritious as the food he normally subsisted off of back home was, he intended to enjoy every bite of this sort of snack and junk food while he was away. So long as he maintained his health, enjoying something sweet every once in a while couldn't be too bad for him, right?

To his offer of joining him on his exploration of the island, the lady played at a deep consideration. She noted that she was also in a similar situation as him, with a lack of familiarity with their new home, and happily accepted the invitation. When she took his hand, lightly squeezing it in the process as she again feigned the behavior of a proper lady of high birth, his smile grew. "You do me a great honor, Lady Gojira." He declared, performing a short bow before turning to the exit. "Tell me, where would you like to begin our little excursion? Feel free to set our first destination."

WC: 554
TWC: 3818

"And what of your home, Everlash?" Cassiopeia inquired sweetly. "Tell me more of your noble upbringings. I'm curious to know how the wealthy of Ishgar spend their days." The Kaijin was ever curious, always eager to find out more about the whole of Earthland. What was common knowledge to others tended to be foreign to her, simply due to the distant nature of her homeland.

"Naturally." She said in response to being called a challenge seeker. "My kind thrive on adversity, we've spent most of history with our backs against the walls. Adversity gives us strength, our will is iron and our nerves are steel. There is very little a Kaijin will back away from." Cassiopeia's fiery eyes narrowed, and she nudged her friend playfully. "Except practice dates with spoiled brats. Those I avoid out of principal. If someone wants to date me, they can do it for real, and ask me like a proper gentleman."

"Now..." She said, tapping her finger to her chin. "About your elemental spirits. I'm hardly an expert on the subject, though I think wouldn't it depend on where you searched?" The woman said, drawing from her limited pool of knowledge. "If you go to cave, expert an earth elemental, if you travel to a volcano, expect fire. Right? Or is it not that simple?" She truly didn't know, nature was fickle enough as is, much less spirits that embodied the elements of nature. "Eli, what element do you even want next? Personally, I think lightning would be incredibly powerful. Few things burn as hot as a thunderbolt, it's why Jupiter wielded them as his weapon of choice."

"Perhaps." She said to Eli's notion on compliments. "You're not a woman, you wouldn't understand." In truth it had nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with vanity. Cassiopeia was simply a very vain creature, and relished compliments made in earnest or simply to flatter. She adored adoration, it was a  major reason she'd left her quiet island home to seek out fame, power, and wealth on the mainland. For her, Dies Irae was a ticket to the life of grandeur and opulence she believed was rightfully hers. "I will agree that compliments backed by truth are much more fun than empty flattery." Was all she added to clarify her opinion.

Cassiopeia giggled to herself and dismissed Eli's comment with a wave of the hand. "No, the honor is all mine darling." She said sweetly as the nobleman bowed before her. "Lady Gojira, I can't say I've ever been called that before..." She added, unused to formalities and titles. "Among my kind we take our last names from the Daikaiju we are descendant from. It's not a family name as much as it is a clan title. We rarely use it, first names are much more important for personal greetings."

As the two walked Cassiopeia pondered her new friend's question. "Hmm... well let me think." She said, musing to herself. "We should probably end our little tour right back here at the Guild Hall. It only makes sense. I also don't much care for the town, towns bore me, and I dislike cities. They are all the same, a harbor here, a church there, a castle here, stone and wood and mortar. It's suffocating at times, I prefer the beauty of nature. Is there anything interesting on the island itself?" She added, looking to the distant jungle swept peaks of Amber Island. "A tropical paradise, surely there must be something worth seeing beyond the walls of the town..." The Kaijin trailed off, leaving her question open ended for Eli to answer.

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Word Count: 690 | Total Word Count: 4,800