A Fresh Start (Zincarla Intro)

Zincarla stood on the edge of a precipice, looking down into the deep ravine with wonder. Rumor was that the Luminous Rose guild was seeking power: improving members within, strengthening magical abilities, and perhaps one day surpassing the Rune Knights and all other guilds in Fiore. It was this specific pursuit of magical power that Zincarla related to best and it called to her, a natural next step in increasing her power which was something so important to her. She never could quite claim to understand the pull of power, but she found herself driven to mostly legal jobs anyway, and it was as if Fate had stepped in the day she learned of the Luminous Rose guild. Everything, every piece, was clicking into place.

There was only one problem to make her hesitate. She had only been released from prison one year ago. Zincarla had been in there for 11 of the charged 25 years, released due to some sort of miraculous intervention, good behavior and her magical skills coming in handy with the visiting mages and detectives. The tattoo numeral XI was black and obvious upon her and she had no intent of hiding it. Regardless of how she was treated, the 22 year old knew she still had not committed any crime, but the stain of the charge of murder would never wash off. A legal guild such as this, so prestigious, might certainly turn her away, but if she tried to hide the fact, Zincarla had a feeling it would be much worse later.

All proof and evidence pointed to her. The truth of the crime seemed only known to her, and she was already reluctant to explain the circumstances in any detail to a bunch of powerful mages. She decided it would be better to walk in, head high, and tell the "truth" to these sorts. She would tell them who she was, that she had murdered a man in cold blood at the age of 10, and had been seeking redemption ever since. That would be her best bet in convincing them to let her join in. It wasn't completely a lie and some day, when she found the real person who let a child take the fall for their crime, she would make them pay.

From the edge of the cliff, looking down at the stairs, Zincarla let out a breath and forced herself to walk down. Fear hadn't stopped her so far; she had only to remember that she was strong enough to take out  half the members in this guild, probably, to regain the motivation to join the guild. She was strong enough, she told herself again at the bottom of the stairs. Then, Zincarla opened the large doors of the building before her.

As time passed, serving as an Ace of a legal guild was beginning to become acceptable for Nita. Initially scared of the role, due to her initial unwillingness to bear such a formal responsibility, the Pergrandian was beginning to realize that what had been mostly required of her so far was simply being the face of the guild, both to visitors and potential guild mates, and a source of inspiration to the already existing members of the guild. It was the latter part that made her feel the job was worthwhile. While she often had her fears and concerns, it was nice to see that she was looked up to by many, and that alone was enough to encourage her to strive not to let anybody down.

One new habit being an Ace had instilled in Nita was the frequent patrolling of the guild's entryways. Thanks to her strong magical sense, she did not need to be physically present to watch the entrances of the guild; she could always reach out with her senses and identify if anyone was approaching the guild. This way, she could easily keep tabs on newcomers and visitors. She did not like having guests to be kept waiting. There was something rude about that.

On this particular day, Nita sensed a presence descending the long stairs that led into the ravine which held the main hall and meeting place of the guild. A new member, she hoped. The power of the guild lay in its members, as was the case with every guild, and the more the members, the better it was. Besides, every new face that joined the guild was a reminder to Nita that there were still good people out in the world, people who sought to, like herself, make the world a better place for everyone to live in.

Teleporting from where she had been in one of the guild's libraries, the blonde Pergrandian appeared behind the newcomer as soon as she stepped into the doors she had opened. This person was about the same height as she was, with brown hair. "Welcome to Luminous Rose, sister," Nita said cheerily with a bright smile. "My name is Nita. How may I be of service to you?"

Wearing her usual outfit of gray long-sleeved t-shirt, white knee-length skirt, and brown boots, Lucia walked around Luminous Rose Guild Hall with the intent to leave and go to Hosenka with the intent to look around that town and see what it was all about. She had never been to Hosenka before and wanted to travel there to do something other than work all the time. That might be irresponsible of her, but today she was going to allow herself the trip... there would be plenty of time to take a job later.

Lucia was on the way to the entrance to the the guild hall and was moving at a leisurely pace when she felt magic signatures. Both of them were strong, but one of them was much stronger than the other. Finding the presence of two strong magic signatures curious, Lucia decided to postpone the trip to Hosenka in favor of seeing the sources of the signatures. With that the blonde continued on her way, accelerating from a leisurely stroll to a normal walking pace while trying to mentally prepare herself for whatever might be at the end of the road.

Once Lucia reached the source of the two signatures she found a familiar face and a new face. The familiar face belonged to Nita Fortune, fellow blonde and a Guild Ace of Luminous Rose. The other face belonged to a brown-haired young woman with noticeable magenta eyes. Lucia walked up to both of them and stopped in a place to the right of Nita. She faced the other blonde and spoke to her first.

"Hi Nita. You must have been pretty fast to get here before I did." Lucia greeted her fellow blonde and made a bit of a joke about the latter's speed. After greeting Nita Lucia turned to face the brunette and made eye contact with her.

"Hi there. I'm Lucia Winchester." Lucia introduced herself to the new person and waved at her with her right hand.

[Post Word Count: 332]
[Lucia's Word Count: 332]

Zincarla took barely one full step into the guild hall's main entry way before hearing a voice appear from behind her. Startled, she reached instinctively for her magic, becoming incorporeal as a defense. Her body shimmered once, a silvery blue, before becoming a simple pale outline of who she was when she was full. She would teach this fool for trying to attack her from behind, she would prove she was not a person to be toyed with. The magenta eyed ghost-woman spun on her heel and then stood gawking at the woman before her. Wait, had she said, welcome? Called her sister? The rage and ferocity in her eyes, demonstrative of a caged animal was suddenly embarrassing for her. The witch's expression relaxed and she had the grace to look somewhat ashamed at her instinctual rudeness and assumptions. It was a carry-on from prison she hadn't quite gotten rid of.

Zincarla swallowed hard, muttering an apology for the initial and obvious aggression she had displayed. Then she said, "Well met, Nita," a sour tone in her voice, "Do you try to scare all newcomers or am I special?" Abrasiveness was probably not a good way to start here at the guild, she reminded herself. Zincarla let out a breath and added more pleasantly, "I guess I'm not used to being got is all, but I might have to repay you some day." The dark haired witch smiled and then looked over the freckled blonde mage again with a closer look. They were nearly the same height, and nearly the same power, which impressed and surprised Zincarla. The guild must really be full of powerful mages if a common player such as Nita was the around the same level as Zincarla. The thought made her smile widen.

Nita called her sister, an assumed strange pleasantry that couldn't really have any devoted meaning to it, and offered her services. Services as what? Did the common mages fulfill jobs administratively? She didn't- no, wouldn't- be a paper pusher for Luminous Rose. What position did this Nita really hold at the guild? A sound of foot steps turned Zincarla's attention away from Nita and towards a new blonde haired face, one that she had at least heard coming which made her grateful. The new face was taller and her power was stronger than Zincarla's own. This garnered a great amount of admiration from the dark haired mage, until she remembered she was still nigh invisible. The realization that she was still incorporeal dawned on her and she quickly released her magic without a word, becoming a splendorous pink-attired witch once more. Zincarla lifted up her hand in a fist, ready to bump or jostle as the greetings in the streets and in the prison taught her. She didn't learn much etiquette during her time behind bars. When Lucia gave a wave and introduced herself, Zincarla punched her in the bicep with a grin.

The punch was hard, but not violent, an act done between friends or acquaintances. It was to show power and respect, though the message might not be so clear in this pristine place, Zincarla had no awareness of any other way appropriate enough to react to a greeting. Punches had been good enough in the last year and nobody had yet told her otherwise. "Hi Lucia, I am Zincarla. I've just met Nita, here as well." The new mage looked between them and then addressed them both. "Any idea how to join this guild? I 'spect I am looking for an Ace or Master." She crossed her arms but now held a pleasant, though guarded demeanor. Zincarla had adjusted from the initial fear and surprise to a playful cautiousness, a trait reserved for those she hadn't gotten to know.

Khadim had grown stronger recently, but one could equate his new strength to that of a toddler's ability to walk when compared to the mages of such powerhouses like the Rune Knights or Luminous Rose. He might be able to pull off some spells now, but it was no better than that toddler if the wrong opponent were to step into his path. That was part of why Rih, in control of Khadim's body, had joined Luminous Rose only a couple months previously. Having the backing of such a strong guild was beneficial when you were a weakling as Khadim was. The prospect of getting stronger had also been to Rih's liking and using the Rose's benefits to get stronger only seemed natural.

Despite having joined the guild, Khadim hadn't spent a ton of time there. In fact, he'd only been there a few hours before wandering off to some sort of Halloween festival in Hosenka. He'd then taken a job and found himself in Hargeon Town, but Rih had decided to go back to the guild. Having their tattoo was enough to prove they were a member of the guild, but if no one knew who they were... people might start questioning them. Considering there hadn't been a lot of investigation into the guild before joining, Rih wanted to visit the guild, maybe meet some fellow mages, so they could corroborate Khadim's story, if the need ever arose. Plus, the gods and Khadim should know some, at least one, of the other mages within their guild. By name, if nothing else.

"Oh no, we're back here again?!" Khadim asked, his tone more annoying than he'd intended.

"Yes boy, we're back here. Now that we're growing stronger, even if only a little, we need to prove ourselves. We should know some of them and they should know us. I'm sure they can also provide us with jobs and experience to grow stronger."

"But it's so girly here... why couldn't we have joined some cool guild like Sabretooth or something?" Khadim's tone, again, was more whiny than he intended.

"Grrrngh."

"See, Dub agrees with me!"

"You guys are giving me a headache."

"Well he does!" During all of this back and forth inside Khadim's head, his body, with Rih in control, was bounding down the steps to the Guild Hall. He had no idea what was going on inside, but he was about to find out. Rih pushed the doors open, surprised at the collection of female mages right inside the doors.

As all three undoubtedly turned to the newcomer, Khadim's three eyes stared back at them. His hand slowly, much too slowly for a normal wave, rose up before slightly moving to the left and then back to the right, but still much too slowly to be called a wave. Because Rih was in control of Khadim's body, all three of Khadim's eyes were white and contained a swirling motion about them as they took in the three mages.

"Uh, I think we might be interrupting..." Khadim sounded just about as uncertain as Rih's wave had been.

"Hello." Rih wasn't used to speaking with people, though, in truth, he had been getting practice when dealing with Khadim and the other members of the Pantheon.

"Should I just back out slowly?" Rih asked, his uncertainty making him double guess himself.

"Nahh... don't leave. I wanna watch the catfight."

"No, leave leave. These chicks are... way strong."

"I know that!" Rih always seemed to be annoyed at Khadim, but at this moment, in this situation, enraged may have been a better description of how he felt towards Khadim. In truth though, he was more put off by the situation and Khadim was just the only outlet for Rih's emotions.

"I can come back," Rih took a couple steps back before adding. "... later."

"Coward." Dub was the type for confrontation and Rih was the more level-headed of the two. Despite that, Rih didn't get annoyed at Dub, expecting those types of comments from the muscle head. Fighting any of these women was tantamount to jumping off a very tall cliff and letting your body splat into the pool of lava beneath... suicide. Rih had no intention of attempting that and the air already had a level of tension that Rih was uncomfortable with. He was about to turn his back and head away from the guild hall when...

Nita could easily tell that she had alarmed the newcomer, as a spell had been cast, and the woman spun, her body language speaking of guardedness, and perhaps something akin to a battle-ready posture. "Oh my, someone is touchy," the blonde mage said in a playful, singsong voice. "And while I perceive you to be special, I like spooking everyone if I can. I very much look forward to you repaying me, as I must admit--" She was obviously about to say something else, when a new presence approached. It was a familiar person, none other than Lucia Winchester. She liked the fellow blonde's stoic and calm persona, a far cry from who she was.

"I try my best, Lucia. Glad to see you too!" came the reply. The newcomer, who introduced herself as Zincarla, greeted Lucia in a more... interesting manner. "No punching for me? Now I'm getting jealous," Nita stated, a mock offended pout on her face, which metamorphosed into an excited smile when Zincarla asked about joining the guild. "Oooh! A new recruit!! Splendid!!!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "And you're in luck, because you managed to find the most exasperating yet endearing Ace of this amazing guild." She made a florid bow. "Nita Fortune at your service."

Whatever shenanigans the freckled girl wanted to perform next were paused as the door opened again, and she turned to see a lean, dark-skinned boy with similarly hued hair, and three eyes, staring at the gathered group. Yes, he had three eyes, and they did not look particularly human. Even though Nita had never met him before, almost immediately, she knew who he was. As someone who often read the on-record biographies of her guild mates, she knew most of them just by the descriptions she had read about them. And Khadim was one unique individual, so mistaking him for someone else would be quite difficult.

One moment she was close to Zincarla, the next she was behind the boy, giving him a firm but friendly push from behind, so that he would be moved closer to the group. "Nu-uh," she replied to his offer to come back later. "You're not 'coming back later'. This is your guild, isn't it? So you should be more comfortable here. It's home. Oh, I'm Nita, by the way," she said, introducing herself again. "You're Khadim, right? Nice to finally meet you. Don't ask how I know who you are; I'm Luminous Rose's resident stalker. You know that every guild has to have a creep, right? Well, that's me, filling the role for the guild." She poked her head to the side, so she could look at Zincarla. "And I haven't forgotten about you, love. You said you wanted to know about joining this guild? I can help you with that.

But first, why do you want to join Luminous Rose?"

Lucia received the unusual form of greeting from the brown-haired mage in the form of a punch aimed at and delivered straight to her bicep. While she had not expected it, there was no malice behind the gesture and she smiled back at the brunette. When informed by Zincarla of her very recent encounter with the blonde Guild Ace nearby Lucia was moved to speak.

"Nita's a good person to know, Zincarla. She'll tell you almost everything you need to know about Luminous Rose." Lucia vouched for the Ace with a smile... not that the Ace needed vouching for. Her status spoke for itself and so did her track record. Not wanting to steal the spotlight from Nita, Lucia would just keep quiet and let Nita do the talking unless either Nita or Zincarla addressed her.

The proceedings were interrupted by the arrival of another person, this one a man. Lucia focused on the newcomer and noticed that aside from his dark skin his most distinctive feature was three eyes. She learned from listening to Nita that his name was "Khadim" and that he was a member of Luminous Rose. Lucia had never met him, but she did not spend very much time at the guild hall, so it was only natural that she did not recognize his appearance or his name.

Deciding to greet the guy she had never seen before, Lucia took a moment to wave at him with her right hand before speaking.

"Hi there. I'm Lucia Winchester." Lucia greeted the dark-skinned fellow with three eyes. She hoped that her greeting him would not distract Nita from Zincarla. If it did she would be glad to either stop talking or take the conversation elsewhere... if Khadim wanted to take the conversation elsewhere, of course.

Zincarla shifted uncomfortably, enthralled by the blonde freckled woman before her. Nita Fortune was smaller than her, ever so slightly, which made her smaller than most women in general. Yet, she seemed to take up so much more space than Zincarla had. She had the energy and radiance to fill the whole guild hall opening, even making the structure seem small in comparison. In prison, Zincarla met plenty of people, outspoken, shy, dangerous people. No matter who, people looked out for themselves first and foremost and could be loners, especially when authorities were around. Nobody in prison wanted to stick out, like a nail that would surely get pounded back down into place. This mage was just something else, fascinating Zincarla, like a brand new taste or smell.

As much as she was drawn in and charmed, she still needed to work to keep her distance. With great effort, Zincarla held back, revealing only a dramatic change in posture. She was suddenly much more at ease, the tension in her body and her arrow-straight back, dissolving away with Nita's laughter and presence. Zincarla couldn't help but at least let slip a broad grin in reply- if the woman was a prankster, Zin would surely get along well with her.

"I daresay we might become rivals, if you're not careful, Nita," Zincarla chuckled, wagging a finger at her. "I don't lose to other pranksters, see?" The grin fell from her face when Nita continued to explain her position in the guild. Her magenta eyes went wide and her mouth fell open in shock. This little live-wire had palpable magical power, sure, but they had her running as an Ace of the guild!? She always imagined Aces as elite mages with long robes and staves, ample collections of books and massive expensive desks stacked with paperwork. Granted, she had never actually met or seen an Ace, but Nita didn't strike her as the paper-pushing type. Her open mouth transformed back into a pleasant smile as she considered how much she might be an amusing pain for the Guild Master to handle.

"I thought punching you wasn't appropriate, given our different greeting," Zincarla tried to explain away the absence of a punch as Lucia's calm voice told her in not so many words that it wasn't something she really needed to be worried about. Her haphazard explanation was interrupted by the arrival of another new face: a dark stranger with 3 eyes, assuredly a teenage youngster by his appearance, tried to enter and slip back out with embarrassment. A punch for him also seemed out of the question as Nita jumped into the role of host once more. The witch rubbed her temple with one hand, thinking, This guild is really full of some wild characters.

She gave a sidelong glance at Lucia, letting Nita toy with the boy who was clearly called Khadim. The attention was off her for a nice moment, letting her breathe back out and try to remind herself of why she came. She analyzed Lucia, standing softly to the side, unobtrusive in nature. Zincarla could feel the increased power radiating from this blonde, having certainly expected that she was more likely to be the Ace in this trio. With so much power, Zincarla had to wonder why she wasn't more intimidating or expressive. She certainly had earned and deserved whatever space she decided to take up. Thoughts for another time perhaps, Zincarla tucked them away in her mind and returned attention to the poor teenager.

"Khadim, is it? I'm new. Zincarla Kekkanshi," she introduced, finally getting a real proper introduction correct. Nita had been chattering on, demanding he stay, calling herself a stalker and Zincarla let out a little laugh again, grateful the attention was on the boy and not her. And just as she thought it, Nita Fortune turned herself back towards Zincarla and questioned why she was interested in joining.

She had no doubt the trio of mages would all be curious and listen to her lengthy story, but her original plan of declaring who she was, being upfront with her past, slipped to the wayside now. She liked these people more than she expected she would, had somehow formed the start of an emotional bond in minutes instead of weeks. She opened her mouth, closed it again, and sighed. This was the turning point: honesty, dishonesty, and how bad did she really want to be here? She clenched her fists, annoyed with her hesitation and spoke quickly and in a single breath. Her voice was full of declarative tone, but her eyes filled with fear as to what they would do to her when they knew.

"I am seeking redemption for my crimes and hoping to increase my power and serve the people of Fiore with that power, Nita Ma'am." With the words ringing in her head, she blushed. The Ma'am was a relic of her prison past, and it felt very strange to apply the polite professional term to the chaotic and delightful Ace before her. She put her hands behind her, still tight in fists and full of nerves, but she kept her magenta gaze on Nita's face. A look so that Nita would know her integrity, her genuine desire, despite the hidden lie within her words. She didn't dare look at the other two mages who surely bore a look of disgust at her admission.

"If.. if you need to know more, I prefer to speak of it in private, though please," She uttered in a small voice, adding on extra words that were likely not needed.

The body of Khadim was a step or two outside the building when a slight shove from behind sent him forward into the guild hall. He had almost tumbled to the floor, but he'd somehow managed to maintain his balance and stood up after doing so. A slight smile formed on his face, one part annoyed, one part worried, and one part fearful.

"Dude, that chick is quick."

"Time to brawl!?"

"I didn't even see her move."

"Brawling would undoubtedly end in our loss."

"If not our death."

"Grrgh."

Rih was still in control of Khadim's body and quickly looked around the room. There were three other mages, all female. He wasn't sure how powerful any of them were, but he was fairly certain all of them were much stronger than he was.

"You're not 'coming back later'. This is your guild, isn't it? So you should be more comfortable here. It's home. Oh, I'm Nita, by the way,"

"Yes..." Rih tried to respond to the question and introduction, but Nita kept going and he wasn't really sure how to answer.

"You're Khadim, right?

"Ye..." Khadim was surprised that someone he'd never met knew who he was, but he didn't have time to dwell on the thought, because Nita kept going.

"This lady goes and goes huh?"

"Nice to finally meet you. Don't ask how I know who you are; I'm Luminous Rose's resident stalker. You know that every guild has to have a creep, right?

"Uh..."

"Well, that's me, filling the role for the guild."

"I respect a self aware lady."

"Grrgh."

"Ok." Rih finally had an opportunity to get a word in, but Nita then began speaking to the brunette in the room, Zincarla. In truth, Rih was glad to have a moment to gather his thoughts as the attention moved from him. That was when he noticed the third woman in the room wave at him.

"Hi there. I'm Lucia Winchester." Rih waved back, but didn't think he should introduce himself, Nita had kind of already done that for him.

"Hello, guildmate." He responded, hoping that his use of the word 'guildmate' wasn't overselling him too much. He wasn't in this guild to make friends or companions, he wanted power. In fact, he and the rest of the Pantheon needed power to restore their connection with this world. Zincarla also turned her attention to Khadim, introducing herself.

"Khadim, is it? I'm new. Zincarla Kekkanshi," Rih nodded Khadim's head to affirm that she had his name right. He felt, in a way, like he was getting the hang of this social human interaction thing.

"You're not human! Let me have the body!"

"New? Didn't the stalker just ask her why she wanted to join?"

"She is powerful, maybe she's assumed she'll get in."

"Ballsy."

"I am seeking redemption for my crimes and hoping to increase my power and serve the people of Fiore with that power, Nita Ma'am." Rih turned all three of Khadim's eyes to the newcomer, hearing her reasoning for wanting to join Luminous Rose. The perceived honesty was surprising and spoke to both Rih and Khadim, but for separate reasons. Khadim wanted power so he could be free of the Pantheon within him and Rih had withheld the truth of his existence so that he could join the guild. Khadim, for just the slightest of moments was able to take control of the body.

"Increasing power is why I'm here too!" Khadim responded, his enthusiasm a stark contrast to how Rih had been using the body moments earlier. Even his mannerisms were more animated, his face seemed excited and his body had seemed lighter and more free.

"Boy!" Rih admonished, wrestling control back from Khadim.

"Sorry, I got a bit excited," Rih apologized, hoping they'd believe him. Just in case, he added a bit more explanation "about getting a new guildmate." Rih smiled, hoping it came off as embarrassed or giddy, but was more likely just an awkward smile that showed Rih was a bit off somehow.

"This is so hard to watch..."

Nita scrunched up her face as if someone had pinched her, at being referred to as "ma'am". Formalities and over-polite behavior and language made her feel old. It wasn't to say she was a rude brat, or liked such, but Nita thrived in less formal settings. One did not have to be too ceremonious to show respect. Besides, Nita tended to relate better with people, when the vibe was more familial than bureaucratic. She was sure she would never get used to being a boss, even if situations called for her to act as such. Her style was more maternal. "She called me 'Ma'am'. Eww. I'm not that old, Zincarla dear," the short blonde answered, still standing behind Khadim, although her expression had quickly returned to a warm and pleasant smile to indicate she had actually taken no offense.

The young man's response to Zincarla's statement about increasing power was interesting. He seemed almost frantically enthusiastic, a sudden departure from the stuttering, apparently uneasy fellow just seconds ago. But then he seemed to return to that more reserved image. Nita wouldn't pry. Everyone had their quirks. But there had been something that had caught her ear as well, concerning what the intending member of the guild had said. She sought redemption for her crimes. Normally, other people would have gone on red-alert when hearing that the person before them was a criminal, or previous one, but Nita did not work that way. Her belief was that, if anyone was willing to reform, they were deserving of second chances.

"Speaking in private is fine, no worries," the blonde mage said, suddenly vanishing from behind Khadim and appearing next to Zincarla. "But as long as you are willing and ready to take the difficult path to redemption, I will not turn you away, nor shall I allow anyone to do so. After all, most of us have things we'd love to change about our pasts, as well as secrets. I know I do." She began to walk further into the guild, though slowly. "Would anyone want a cup of tea or something? I find standing and discussing to be a bit... graceless."

---

@Zincarla @Lucia Winchester @Khadim Many apologies for holding this up, everyone. The year started quite busily for me, as I had no real holiday break, so I somehow missed the last post.

Lucia was having a hard time keeping track of all the activity going on. In between Zincarla, Nita, and Khadim it was quite busy, but it was nothing she could not handle. She had grown up with quite a few siblings, after all.

Lucia listened quietly and without judgment as Zincarla spoke to Nita, hinting at a past she was not proud of and telling the Guild Ace why she wanted to join Luminous Rose. Khadim chimed in with his own reason for being in Luminous Rose and his exuberance was amusing to the blonde from Bellum, who gave a small smile to the youth. She hoped that it did not come across as condescending.

The blonde from Bellum was not sure what Zincarla had done and she was not going to press the brunette who had explicitly stated that the details were to be discussed with Nita alone and in a location with privacy. Lucia did not want anyone prying into her life, so it would behoove her to keep her nose out of other people's business. Besides, Nita was the one with the power to make choices concerning who was fit or unfit to join Luminous Rose, so the blonde would keep quiet and refrain from passing judgment on Zincarla.

Lucia listened to Nita's question and knew what her answer would be. There was only one real answer she could give. That answer was coffee.

"I'd like coffee, please." Lucia requested the drink that had been her favorite since she was eight years old. Her first death had not quashed her longing for coffee. If anything being resurrected had somehow made her liking for the drink stronger than it had been in her first life. Lucia was not sure whether she was imagining things or if her fondness for the beverage had truly increased, but coffee was her favorite drink and would remain so for as long as Lucia was alive. Maybe Lucia's second attempt at life would go better for her than the first one had went, but that was a subject for another day.

If anything was going to make Zincarla feel a bit better and more at ease, the teenage boy's ramblings would. It was far more embarrassing than her own choices so far. She managed an easy laugh when Nita claimed that she wasn't old enough to be called Ma'am. Zincarla would have said the same. As she started to walk away, Zincarla kept in pace and walked right beside her. This time she did jokingly deliver a punch to the blonde's arm. "Had me going for a minute. Guess I was a little nervous. Most people turn away at the first mention of ... well, my history." The dark haired mage had seen many side-eyes and glares. When people caught sight of her tattoo or heard the brazen way she conversed, lines were drawn. Even among her friends, only one of them knew her true past experience. She felt like it was demoralizing and appreciated that this guild was not like that.

Zincarla looked behind them at Lucia's inquiry of coffee and made a face. She wasn't a fan of the bean water herself, finding it to bitter and earthy for her own tastes. She preferred a good milk tea any day after the daily cup of boring black or green tea she had drank in prison. There was nothing as luxurious as the taste of adding cream or milk to a hot drink. "Tell me you at least don't drink it black, Lucia? I just can't stand it. I'll take tea, please, Nita." She gave Khadim a chance to make a request before continuing her conversation. The teen was unusual to say the least and she was trying her hardest not to stare. Zincarla had a big plan in place after all: get in the guild, get strong, get even.

"So if my past doesn't scare you off me, does that mean I'm in? It seems so easy and I have heard Luminous Rose looks for keen abilities and power in their members. Or is there some sort of test I must pass? I have also heard that some guilds that make you oppose current members or Aces." Zincarla gave a sly smile to the woman beside her, "I bet I could take you on," She said, boldly and with only a half joke in her tone.

@Fraag
@Lucia Winchester
@Khadim