Bed of Roses [Intro]

How long has it been? How long had he been alone? Perhaps it was time to try his hand at interacting with others. It had been months of wandering aimlessly, no purpose, no direction. Although the nomadic life proved to be peaceful, providing ample solitude for Rowan. Though it gave him the opportunity to make sense of his shattered memories, it proved to lead him to a dead end. The more he pondered and tried to recall the more questions than answers. The deeper he tried to delve deeper into the labyrinth of his mind, a sense of dread and foreboding would claw at his soul. The prolonged nights of being lost in his thoughts left Rowan more exhausted than the miles he would travel on foot.

After a chance meeting with a fellow sininite, Rowan was recommended to join a guild by the name Luminous Rose. The name was quite a bit frivolous for Rowan’s taste, he felt that with his gargantuan stature and mountain man visage, Rowan could not shake the feeling that he would find himself outside his comfort zone in a Rose themed guild. Despite these thoughts Rowan pushed on forward, following the instructions given to him by an acquaintance of his. The nomad had decided that there was no use of mucking around in his thoughts and uncertainty.

After a few days of travel he eventually made his way out of the Sakuramori,after another few hours of hiking Rowan eventually came to the ravine where the guild resided. Upon following the instructions given to him the giant nomad soon found himself at the entrance of the guild. Unsure of what to do or what to say Rowan stood there with his camping sack and ax slung on his shoulder. The wanderer looked around the beautiful structures with his tired golden eyes. His face remained ever stoic and unchanging as he took in the scenery. It was indeed beautiful so much so it made him feel the slightest bit of discomfort. Like a lost grizzly bear gingerly walking through a field of delicate roses, Rowan made his way through the halls in hopes to run into someone.

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Word Count: 362

For someone who had started off with a very good deal of wanderlust, the young woman known as Nita Fortune was beginning to spend a lot of time at home. Unfortunately, home would never be where she left a while back, where she had grown up and been forced to flee from. She had turned her back on her life in Pergrande, although she had not exactly rejected her roots; if for some reason she was accepted back in Perhrande, Nita was sure she would be glad to visit her homeland once more. But here was now home. Even if she was allowed to return to Pergrande, it would only be a temporary visit, for she had found family here in Fiore. Here in the guild known as Luminous Rose.

It was the recollection that she had forged bonds with the people of Luminous Rose that helped her remain settled. Perhaps that was the advantage of having responsibility on her shoulders. Even though she was quite the capricious vixen, Nita knew that people relied on her, and she had to somehow make sure she did not let them down. There was one part of her that felt having people as dependents was a bit of a hassle, but at the same time, she liked it. One of her motivations, after all, was being strong enough for people to look up to her. Nita was sure she wasn't nearly as strong as some particular mages, but she had to admit, with a bit of pride, that she had been able to claw her way to a point near the zenith. She was one of the strongest mages in Fiore.

And it was for this reason that she often stayed at home when she didn't have missions to complete or errands to run. She was a guild Ace: a face of the guild as well as its defender. So she had to be available to defend the guild if ever it was needed. Like now? A little surge of panic welled up in the blonde mage, as she sensed the presence of a seven foot creature walk into the guild. Threat or visitor, she wondered. Likely the latter. If this person had been a threat, they would have probably come in lasers blazing. This fellow seemed to be merely walking. So Nita decided to meet him.

She teleported silently from her room to the doorway of another room which led into the hall in which the mountain of a man was. While she could have teleported in front of him, Nita felt that doing that might be seen as her attempting to bar his way, which would appear somewhat hostile. She preferred not to do this. If this person wanted to join the guild, he had to be exposed to a place that was pleased to welcome him. So she walked out of the doorway in which she was, to make herself known to the stranger.

Up close, he looked really huge. And the pure white shock of hair on his head, bulky muscular size and his scars really did make him look intimidating. From his looks to his smell, he gave off the air of someone who was quite used to dwelling and moving in the wild. Nita was sure she struck quite the opposite image. Dressed in her usual home wear, with her diminutive size and mild scent of strawberries, she cut a soft, little delicate image. Still, she looked up into the golden eyes high above her, and smiled genially. "Greetings, stranger," she said cheerily. "My, but you are huge!"


WC: 600
TWC: 962

@Rowan

Rowan's senses picked up the mild scent of strawberries, he would bring his golden gaze down to the woman who approached and greeted him. Rowan simply nodded and thought for a second or two, trying to figure out what he would say. Eventually the behemoth of man spoke, revealing a deep gruff tone that matched his mountain man appearance. "Greetings to you as well." Rowan said as he would reach out to present his massive calloused hand for a handshake. "I am Rowan. An acquaintance of mine recommended me to join your guild..." Rowan said as he introduced himself. The woman before him was small, her over all aura and style fit the motif of this pink themed guild. He would think of what to say next before speaking once more. "I apologize for intruding. I hope my stature is not causing your guild any trouble." Rowan said in his subdued deep voice. Although the man tried to keep his tone soft, his large stature made his words deep, loud, and though. Yet he spoke with a notable gentleness, his golden eyes were like warm honey. Yet his expression was that of a tired old man. He wondered to himself what exactly he needed to join the guild. More than that he was wondering if he would be allowed to join. He certainly felt out of place. If he was denied to join, rowan wouldn't throw a fit nor would he would be upset.

The giant was well aware he was not exactly the most friendly looking individual. There had been plenty of times during his travels where he was denied entry to certain establishments due to his appearance. He was accustomed to people looking at him with suspicion or fear. He wouldn't deny that his attire and over all appearance was normal to say the least. Even so, the moments when he was welcomed and treated kindly were things he appreciated. Never did he forget those who showed him kindness during his travels. "If my presence is causing your guild trouble than I will leave." Rowan said bluntly. He found it ironic how he would feel more comfort wrestling with the unforgiving wilderness than trying to hold a normal conversation with a stranger. It was certainly not impossible for the large man, but it was certainly not his forte either. Even so he did his best to engage in conversation with the person that stood before him. He couldn't help but think, maybe it would be easier to speak if he was smaller and less scary looking. Yet there was nothing he could do with his appearance, he simply had to deal with it. Just like how he dealt with his large size through out the years of his life. Rowan pondered if they allowed him to join, would he need to provide identification? Were there papers he would need to fill out? If so, that would be difficult considering the fact he had no identification on his person. He was simply able to cross the boarders of the countries undetected since he very seldom went into the cities and avoided any major roads.

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WC: 525 words

@Fraag

The giant of a man acknowledged her greeting with a nod, although he did not immediately say anything in response yet. And then he spoke, his voice deep and resonant, something that would probably be expected from one who looked like he was the incarnation of some mountain spirit. He gave off his name as Rowan, and this reminded Nita that although she had greeted him, she had not proffered him a name by which to call her. But he was still speaking, and she gave him leave to finish what he was trying to say. Her eyes did light up though, when he mentioned that he had been directed here to join the guild. The Ace extended her hand as well, thinking to herself how her hand seemed to disappear in his fist when they shook hands. Like someone holding a toothpick. They were almost opposites, as far as physicality was concerned.

And yet, despite his apologies, the man's imposing size was not an issue, as far as guild registration was concerned. As a matter of fact, Nita was pleased to have people of all shapes and sizes joining this guild. When Luminous Rose had first been formed, people seemed to have this opinion that it was a 'girly' guild, with the symbol being a rose, and the thematic color being pink. But the guild's ideals were not bound by such labels, and anyone who subscribed to them was not only free, but quite encouraged to join.

It seemed that although Rowan was interested in joining the guild, he seemed to be painfully aware of his size. "Come now," the blonde mage replied, "your presence isn't causing any trouble in the least. You haven't broken anything, and you do seem to be quite well-mannered, so please, don't feel like your presence here is unwelcome because of your size. I'm sure you'll notice that our guild design seems to be rather grandiose, so there'll be few places you'll have to be bending your head to get through. That being said, I'm Nita Fortune, resident troublemaker and humble Ace of this guild. So, if you want to join the guild, I can help you with that. But you will have to answer a few questions. Please try to be as honest as you can with me, and I'm sure we won't have any issues with your acceptance into the guild.

So, firstly, why Luminous Rose, specifically? There are a number of other guilds out there, so why this one?"


WC: 418

@Rowan