Heroes Rising! (Sojiro and Takumi's Intro Thread)

If Serilda hadn’t been more than well aware of the stupidities of war before, she was certainly more than well aware of it now. The Voidwalker sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. Scourge had provided her and Mythal with quite a number of concerning reports that he’d collected for them, and while she was eternally grateful for the former Dread Master’s cooperation, there was no denying that some of what he’d supplied her with was pure headache material. The more she read, the more complicated things became. Not for the first time, she wondered what had become of Wayland – the man who once was a member of staff for the Magic Council, who went into hiding shortly before Serilda took over the Rune Knights. Neither she nor Mythal had heard from him in the years since, and she could only hope and pray that he was okay.

Recognizing when she needed a break, the field marshal gently closed the file and dismissed it into the extradimensional pocket of Void where it would be safe from prying hands and eyes. She stood with a small stretch, catching movement in her peripheral vision as Xiuhcoatl lifted her head, the wolf’s eyes watching her with curiosity and anticipation. “Come on, girl. Let’s go take a walk.” With a quiet wuff the large hound was up on her feet and trotting happily beside her master, keeping close to her heel without needing to be led on a leash.

The Rune Knight leader decided to make a quick round through headquarters, checking in at various places including the engineering department to see how her eldest daughters, Grappa and Jellisha, were faring. Eventually, she found herself wandering into the entry foyer where Valorie was seated, ever vigilant at the front desk with greeting walk in visitors and recruits, as well as answering phones. While Serilda was speaking with the secretary to see how things were going, the main door opened and two young men stepped inside. One was roughly her height, with blue hair and dressed like he was ready for an interview. The other was slightly taller, with bright yellow locks and a leather jacket. It was only a moment later that the phone rang, preventing Valorie from being able to greet the newcomers. Serilda waved her off. “Go ahead and answer that.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

Straightening up, Serilda clasped her hands lightly at the small of her back in a leisurely parade rest and approached the two men. While she wasn’t wearing the traditional Rune Knight uniform, the noblewoman was dressed in a professional manner befitting her station: Perfectly tailored black slacks with a white collared shirt and coat, as well a blue leather sash cinched tightly around her waist, the entire ensemble sporting nary a wrinkle. Her pure white hair was pulled back into a regal bun that had not a hair out of place, save for a swath of bangs that hung on one side of her face. Despite her rather stern looking demeanor and muted facial expressions, there was kindness in her crystal blue eyes as she brought herself before them. Following her obediently was a large wolf with thick black fur that had dustings in it reminiscent of a starry night sky, the creature eyeing them both with the curiosity of a puppy without making a full approach.

“Good morning, gentlemen. How may I be of assistance?”

The two men greeted her cordially, though one was far more formal than the other. The one with the blue hair stepped up first, introducing himself as Sojiro Sakura and the other as Takumi Yoko. He stated that they were two of the newest recruits, and he was hoping she or someone she could point them toward could assist with getting them processed. His companion chimed in immediately after, giving her a casual salute and providing his own introduction, leaving his statement hanging with an invitation for her to return the gesture.

And she did just that. “A pleasure to meet you both. I am Serilda Sinclair, field marshal for the Rune Knights.” As per usual, she kept her introduction limited to just her role within the military structure, as that was most appropriate for the situation. Depending on how well they had done their research into the Knights and the military’s hierarchy, they may or may not already be aware that she was also a noblewoman and one of the four Gods of Ishgar… however, there were only so many titles one could list when meeting someone without sounding arrogant and precocious. While Serilda always carried herself with professionalism and dignity, she much preferred more casual interactions when she could get away with them, rather than being constantly slogged beneath all the pretentious pomp and circumstance that she had to put up with in nearly every other aspect of her life.

The field marshal gave them both a small but genuine smile, offering each a handshake. “Please forgive me for not recognizing your names. Usually I like to look through the files for the incoming recruits just so I can keep up with the progress of basic training, but things have been a bit hectic as of late.” Serilda was sure she didn’t need to explain why everything was hectic at the moment, given the ongoing war efforts. “I can get you both processed. I was taking a break to clear my mind, anyway. I can only read reports for so long before the words start bleeding together.” With a soft, humorous smirk, she gestured for them to follow her, the wolf obediently keeping pace at her heel. She stopped at the front desk where Valorie was just hanging up the phone.

“Could you get me the files for recruits Sakura and Yoko, please?”

“Of course, my lady.” Valorie pulled open a drawer with a number of folders inside, quickly flipping through until she found the ones the field marshal was asking for. Pulling them out, she handed them over to Serilda. “Room two is open.”

“Perfect, thank you so much.” Serilda led them down the hallway a short distance before opening a door and gesturing for them to enter. Inside they would find a fairly standard interviewing space that was rather bare but clean, with a table sporting chairs on either side of it and a small cup bearing an assortment of pens and pencils. There was also a water cooler in the corner with a stack of paper cups on top of it.

Serilda followed in after them, shutting the door gently behind her. “Please, have a seat. Feel free to get some water if you’re thirsty.” She took one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table, Xiuh picking a nearby corner and laying down comfortably. “Before we get started, I wanted to thank you both for joining the Knights. In times such as these, every single person that is willing to step up and help protect Fiore and its citizens is a boon, and while I’m certainly not perfect I do like to try and take every chance I can to impress how grateful I am for it. The next few months will surely be trying for the both of you as basic training will surely put your limits to the test, so I hope you take this time to relax for a moment while you still can.”

“I’ll get you both set up with your uniforms and show you to the barracks momentarily, but first I figured this was a good opportunity for me to get to know the two of you a bit. Reading a file is all good and well, but not as personal. So why don’t we start with both of you telling me a little about yourselves?”