Hostile Negotiations

I am worthy enough to fulfill my duty, no matter my age

As Maelie waited in the banquet hall for her partner to be, she took off her tiara, and looked at it deeply. She took a deep sigh, thinking about all the events that had led her up to this moment. She couldn't believe that all the things that had happened actually occurred. It was sort of insane to her. Most celestial wizards aren't usually blessed with something of this sort. Most of them had some sort of key, but the summons she held were held in the crystals of the tiara, each one unique in color.

Though, she couldn't think about that now. The task she was given was quote a predicament. There is this man down in capital crocus who has threatened to level the building with lacrima explosives strapped to his body. After being fired from the coffee shop on the low level of the office building, he went mad. He was elderly, and seemed to have worked in the area for a long time. Although most people usually went onto better things, he stayed and worked as much as he could. So, when he got fired, he went mad and used the lacrima's powering the electronics in the building, to form a bomb big enough to destroy the area.

So, as the man before her was dropped off, she raised her eyebrow at the site. She didn't know whether to laugh or scoff at him. Instead, she just gave him a gentle smile that showed no other side to her than kind. As of now, the person before her was too new for her to give up her own personality. He seemed to be stunted by women, whether he was afraid due to romantic purposes or sexist purposes was unknown to her. All she knew, is that the latter would be extremely bad, especially in more situations that could occur in this way. A living bomb was nothing to scoff at. So, he would need to either let her do all the talking, or man up and do what he was asked.

As she stepped through the portal, and into the area, she heard the man scream. Though, she waited there, quietly observing him. She knew that as of now, he was still debating with himself on if he was going to go through with his plan. The only way she could possibly convince him to not do so, is to learn enough about him to persuade him.

@Seenter ● notes here ● 416/500

I am worthy enough to fulfill my duty, no matter my age

As Maelie saw her partner move forward, she tilted her head a tiny bit. She didn't expect someone as awkward as he was to be as direct as he was. Though, she was sure he wasn't going to do much negotiating. He didn't seem to be much of a talker. Her surprise was more in the fact, that his awkwardness didn't stop his bravery. He was most likely there to diffuse the situation through more harmful means, which meant him rushing forward was a good sign of his character. Maybe some day soon, she would be able to work with him on a situation that actually needed his skills. For now though, it wasn't exactly his job to really do much.

So, as she followed behind him, she made sure to listen very carefully to what the man holding the lacrimas had to say. Even through all the murmurs of the crowd, Maelie could hear the man's distinct voice. It was angry, but the wariness in his voice made her see that he wasn't just mad, he was desperate. She knew what he wanted, he wanted all the people who thought he was lesser than to think that he was good enough. It's their fault for being put in this position. They thought that he could do nothing, but as he looks upon them at this moment, he's showing them that he still can do as much as the next guy. He's showing them that he was more than what they thought he was.

She closed her eyes, as Chris talked to the guard in front of them. She tried to run through every single piece of dialogue in her head, trying to find the best set for this situation. As she opened her eyes a few moments later, she looked at the man in front of her. She saw that look of anger in his face, but like she heard with his voice earlier, she saw the desperation in his eyes. So, she took in a deep breath, and said aloud to the man in front of her with a very calm and serene voice, "Hello, my name is Maelie Prisca, and I am a guild mage of Silver Wolf." With that, the man looked over at her and yelled back, "What do you want from me? You can't hurt me, because the second you do, I will make this place blow." She rook in a deep gulp, as she said back to him, "I need you to know that I understand your pain. I may have not ever experienced it, but I have felt pain before. Everyone here has, and even though it might not feel as bad as the pain you're going through, it doesn't mean that I can't try to understand it." With that, his arm relaxed a bit from it's tense position. Even though he was still ready to make the move, he had let his guard down a bit. This was Maelie's time to convince him completely.

Although this man was threatening the area, he wasn't as much of a threat as people would expect from him. It's why this job was open to mages as low ranked as her. It allowed those who wanted to learn peaceful options to learn, and for people to be saved in the process. So, as she opened back up her mouth, she said to him, "I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to do this, every single person in this room is family to you. It's why you felt so betrayed. I never had anything more than a loving family, but if the family I loved after all these years turned on me, I'd feel hurt. But, one thing I couldn't ever do is hurt them. That's why I know you don't want to hurt these people. Even as you were screaming at them, I could feel your brain trying to stop what your body was doing." With that, tears started to roll down his face, as his stance weakened even more. Though, she could tell that this wasn't the end. However, she knew what could end it. After a few seconds, she spoke once more, saying to him, "Talk to your coworkers. Don't let your pain stop your love for them. I know it's hard, but you just have to push through it." With that, she waited, hoping that her plan would be set in motion. If not, she would go back in to try and convince him once more.

@Seenter ● Twc: 1200/500 words ● 784 words