Finn was a member of this tournament that was taking place in Baska. It was an odd one- Martial Arts was not a thing that every mage tried to learn. While there were people who had to learn it to live (such as Adventurers or some Beastmasters), there were many mages who never gave it a second thought. What could a train body accomplish that could not be done a thousand times better with magic? What could one do with knuckles that mana could not recreate?

Finn liked to think that would give him an edge. He had trained his body since he could walk. Jake and his adoptive parents ensured that Finn could live peacefully within Worth Woodsea. Upon leaving the forest, these skills had transferred well into the life of a guild member. He was ready for this new world, full of other people and other humans, right?


"Wrong!"

"What do you mean wrong? I've trained. I'm strong. I can beat up evil. What do I need?"

Jake sighed, bringing his paw up as if to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Listen Finn, you're living with other people now. Sometimes you gotta just learn how to relax. People aren't as simple as the forest. Ya gotta explore other people!"

The wording was enough. Exploration was something that had always grabbed Finn's heart. If people could be explored, than he'd do it. How though? He didn't understand how to do that- But luckily, Jake knew the answer to that too.

"Listen Finn, just go out there. You've already been doing it. Each person's different. Like a rock. They look the same, but they're not. So go collect those rocks!"

"Rocks? I thought you said to talk to people!"


So maybe he didn't fully understand it. Did he really have to though? Simply doing what he has always been doing would be enough, according to Jake. It didn't sit well with him though. He didn't like that it didn't make sense to him. Still- It was something he had to do still. Why else would Jake and the Guild Master continuously push him towards it?

Dragging himself from his thoughts, Finn looked around to take in his surroundings. He was near the hills of Baska, something that he hadn't seen in a while. Crocus was a beautiful captiol, but it didn't have much in the way of Nature. Baska was a different beast entirely. It was to the west, not too far from the capitol, but the entire vibe was different. The people were gentle, hard working and honest. The land was fertile and wild- Yet something about it seemed so tame.

Falling backwards onto the hill, Finn laid himself flat against the grass. The sky above was blue, a few puffy clouds here and there. The wind had a gentle bite to it, though it didn't feel like a winter day. It felt like the beginning of Spring, though the lack of blooming flowers and thriving flora in general was proof to the contrary. The sun warmed the skin and the air was crisp and fresh. It all felt like the perfect day- And soon, it became just that as Finn fell asleep. It was nice enough for a nap certainly, right?

 

The woman had just finished helping her guild-mate with a lost, hopefully her help hadn't been in vain. He seemed torn over losing his match in the tournament but for someone of his skill he did exceptional and was amazing in the fight. He certainly was much more skilled than your average fighter, magic or not. He had done excellent and put up a fight against all his opponents and did amazing against the odds but it seemed he had yet to learn to see it that way and to better cope with losing. In time the man, Strategist would learn that even with losing came knowledge and experience that he could better himself even more so. However the woman had finished her breakfast in a cafe, a small bag of donuts. Her eating habits were much different from before in the past she had been known to hunt down huge boars or sand serpents and cook them on a flame herself, being an orphan and all she had no one above her too watch out or hunt for her like the other children in her village. ~Past~ "You're gonna be the first boar I catch!" Celeste yelled, holding a small hunter-like knife. Jumping on top of the massive boar's back, gripping the tail and on it's four legs the beast was six feet tall, a monster to a child. However the young Oasis-Native sliced off the tail enraging the beast who had went to bite off her arm but caught her knife breaking it into two pieces. "Ohh... someone is certainly an angry porky dorky!" Celeste taunted it to follow her. As the beast rampaged and kicked up sand chasing the small child she led it into a palm tree which upon impact the boar unleashed her trap which had caught it holding it in the air. The child smirked, accomplishing the hunt and left it for a few days to starve it to death. Being a child she didn't need much meat or food to survive, so it wouldn't matter if her kill lost a few pounds. However the child was impressed that she had finally gotten her first kill in the game of hunting. ~Present~ Those were the days. Back when food and water was life or death, some days she'd have to go without these things because supply was low or she just simply couldn't catch the target. Now her life consisted of going and buying these things which had already been foraged and hunted. Or already prepared, like the doughnuts. Celeste began to wonder how she would've help up in the tournament, probably would've lost but it was an interesting thought where her power held to the others. The Oasis-woman had made her way to the hills to further enjoy her previously bought milkshake; strawberry flavor. As she came upon her destination a certain blonde-headed boy would be asleep. He looked familiar was her a candidate? Either way, Celeste wasn't one to bother someone of the sorts, she climbed the tree that offered the boy shade and sipped on her shake enjoying the beautiful view.

Finn had drifted into a light nap. The sleep was not a normal one- He never drifted into the REM portion of it. As the wind danced over the hills and the sun kissed his skin, his sleep was suddenly disrupted. It was not the gaze of a stranger or anything subtle- It was simply the sound of rustling that was not caused by the breeze. The nearby tree made slight scratching noises of branch on branch, shaking due to some sort of outside force. Cracking his eyes gently to see a woman working to climb it, he closed his eyes quickly once again.

She wouldn't have been able to notice any change in his demeanor. After all, his position was the same- Arms behind his head, legs crossed over one another, and a gentle rise and fall of his chest. As she made herself comfortable on the bare branches above, however, Finn spoke up.

"Hey there!"

His voice was loud enough to carry up to her, one eye opening and looking at to where she was. She didn't seem like a bad person. If she had been, certainly she would have done whatever it was she wanted to do to him while he was asleep. Instead, she had gone about her own business. The trees around here were scarce- What were the chances they had chose the same one? Lower than if it had been in a forest, but still high enough to make this cause for a proper greeting.

"You know, the grass is way comfier than the wood."

 

As the woman stared off over the view of the town; it seemed prettier than Oak to her, felt more natural here like nature was at peace and wasn't constantly being assaulted by some idiotic wizard. However it's not that dark wizards enjoyed harming and destroying everything around them- Oh who was she kidding if their was one nearby the grass would probably be set ablaze. However she was much different from them, she felt no need in causing senseless destruction or being a mass murderer unless it was called for, and she had no other choice. That was probably why she was deemed as Irony. The woman heard a voice coming from below. Thankfully it was the person she had saw seconds before who was out cold seconds before, probably heard the woman scrambling against the branches. After taking a good look at him she had turned her  cheek to look back out at the town below the hill. "Hello, it's nice to see you awake; I was beginning to think maybe you died, somehow." She teasingly told him; whipping her head back at him with her tongue out and her left eye closed with a grin. "I bet the grass is more comfortable, but I prefer heights to have an eagle view on things." Hopefully being in Grimoire Heart this man wouldn't lash out at her, she'd have to keep her mark hidden just in case, luckily her attire kept her beasts hidden all around, only the shape could be pictured.  "If you don't mind me asking, where do you hail from? Guild-wise." Celeste asked the innocent-looking man. Hopefully knowing this would give her a hint if she should be cautious of him or not. If he proved to not be hostile she could take him out to a new frozen parlor in town. She looked at him scanning him, as she sipped at her milkshake.

As she responded to him, he couldn't help but grin and open his other eye, looking up at her. "You sure you don't mean vulture, staring at the dead with hungry eyes?" His comment ended with a short laugh, having returned her gesture back at her. She seemed kind enough- Quick to tease, and hopefully easy going when teased back.

Finn took in how she actually looked for a short moment. Blue and white seemed to be the main color of choice- Something he could agree with personally. Beyond that, his focus was taken away by her next question.

"I'm a part of Blue Pegasus!" He didn't know how she knew that he belonged to a guild at all- Maybe it was just her assumption. Could that mean that she, too, was a guild member? "What about you, are you the member of a guild?"

If she was afraid of him or who he might be, she hid it well. Her body wasn't stiff, and she wasn't giving out anything similar to aggression. She seemed lighthearted, someone who was hoping to relax outside the city of Baska. Whether she was here in regards to the tournament or some other reason would have to be found out- After all, if she was someone he was going to fight than this would be a great way to gauge who he could be up against.

 

The man didn't seem weary of her, he seemed really easy-going the teasing really made it easier for her to relax more into this conversation she was afraid he might be a little offended. She smiled and let out a small chuckle to his joke. He seemed utterly harmless, however looks could be deceiving he could be some well-known mass murderer; she wouldn't of known being she had only recently left a small oasis-village, so small they weren't located on any map, nor was the oasis. That's how small her village was, it wasn't worth time noting it's existence. Her worries were put at rest hearing his guild name; Blue Pegasus.  They were a bunch of light-hearted beauties. So of course she would be at ease, however she was weary of him finding out her affiliation, he might be one of those pretty boys who hunt her kind for fame and recognition. If that was the case she should be more careful with any harsh movements or getting caught on anything that'd rip the fabric with the jewel attaching the top to the rest of her attire. It was natural his next question would be about her affiliation. "I am affiliated with no one, sadly." Celeste, hopped down from her branch, keeping a calm mind. It was crucial she didn't give off any signs of fear or doubt in her answer. Celeste smiled at the Pegasus, giving him a thumbs up. "So whatcha doing out here? Taking a break from the tournament? Or perhaps you're tired of watching the fights from the Lacrima-powered televisions and needed a walk?" Celeste asked him, kindly.

As she hopped down, his eyes followed her. She was affiliated with no one, and yet her first question to him was about his guild. It could have been that she'd watched his fight, though not soon enough to tell what guild he was from. That being said, he felt like the more likely reason was that she herself was a traveler or mage of some sort. If everyone you met in your travels were affiliated with guilds, one would begin to expect everyone they met to be part of a guild. Regardless of her reasoning, she had been right in her guess.

Even though she had leaped down, she was keeping her distance. He'd seen things like that in his life in the trees. She was more timid than most- As if she was feeling him out before she was getting close. Did he give off the presence of a predator? That wouldn't be too far off, actually. His face showed a smile that seemed of pure innocence, a small laughter forming in the back of his throat. Whether or not she knew it, her instincts had led her right now on multiple occasions.

"Good guess again," he said, moving one of his arms from behind his head to flash her a thumbs up. "I've just won my first round, so now I'm trying to enjoy the town. Baska is so much different from Crocus- More peaceful I think. More relaxed. I like it. Crocus is all busy and everyone seems so intent to go places. It's weird. What about you? Why are you here?"

 

His innocent features only made her worry more about the man, in the Oasis, the more innocent you appeared most likely you were probably more dangerous. Like the pack of Sande Creme Bunnies, they traveled in packs to take down their foes together and swiftly. However, it didn't show qualities like such, it's not like he was trying to lure her in so he could eat her. If anything he was most likely just looking for company so he wasn't lonely, well then again she interrupted his slumber, so he was probably just sleepy. It seemed all of her assumptions were right on point. He was a candidate in the tournament, she thought he was familiar, however her memory was more so on Strategist, her guild-mate he had lashed out on her, insulted her and then left her in the dust. The Pegasus would mention a city called Crocus, wasn't that like Fiore's capital? She had read only a little on the city; however he described it just like she had pictured it. She actually use to imagine as a kid that she was born in Crocus and was a city-girl. Yet again her question sparked curiosity in him. "I am merely here to see everyone's capabilities. To see where they limit and where they appear to be limitless. Being a martial arts people in the tournament seem rather swifty and brutally strong." Celeste explain her reasoning for being at Baska, as well as her observations. "I must be honest with you, I am friends with the participant known as Strategist, if you know him or caught a glimpse of either of his match." Celeste informed him. Hopefully he would understand the hint, that she was in the same guild as him. As the name should give it away as the guild was known for throwing away their names and going by code names. Then again, maybe he's dense.

Finn paused for a moment. Her words flowed over to him simply enough, and she was not getting any closer to him. Her words seemed straight forward, but the mages of Fiore understood the implications of them. There was only one guild who used code names to describe their very members- The dark guild, Grimiore Heart. Finn might not be the brightest tool in the shed when it came to social clues or the way that people worked, but a clue this blatant was impossible to miss.

At the bare minimum, she just admitted she was affiliated with a dark mage. That meant that she could very well have some sort of affiliation with a dark guild. He sat up slightly and looked at her. His face seemed to display confusion, as if he was trying to mill through all the facts before saying anything.

As his mind raced, his eyes would lock onto hers- That was, assuming she was looking at him. Otherwise, he'd simply be looking into her face. Finally, whatever he was thinking about seemed to culminated. "Let me ask you- Do you plan on causing me or the citizens here in Baska any harm?"

 

The Pegasus wizard seemed not to be as dense as he looked, he did understand her hint, it was a pretty obvious one. Even a someone with less brains than a goldfish could've understood her hint. However the air felt a bit tense, as if he was watching his words and actions a bit more, as if they were critical. His look had sharpened and became more serious than ever, he had a look of if he had to he would lash out at her and end her. His question was critical on her part if she wished to live to see another sunrise. "I don't wish harm to anyone, I never would. However it doesn't mean I won't do as told by my higher-ups... if they were to give me orders... I'd have to act...- nnngh." She gritted her teeth, "Even if it haunts me for eternity. I must swallow my morals and comply." Celeste sighed, "But I do not wish to harm anyone here. Promise." She looked at the ground, what could she say to prove this to earn his trust. Maybe he could see the truth in her eyes that she wasn't lying to him at all.

Finn continued to stare at her, his fingers twitching as they wondered what to do. Should he reach for the hilt of his blade, standing and fighting the evil in front of him? Should he trust her words? His mind was battling with itself. On one end, she just admitted that she was part of a guild- Likely that she was part of Grimoire Heart. On the other...

Was anything in life simple? He thought for a minute about himself. How many people had heard his story and not known how to treat him? His first arrival into a town when he was much younger had him called a beast man. People assumed too much based off situations that they couldn't understand. Was that precisely what was happening here? Her words seemed sincere. Her face looked flushed. She was panicking, despite not knowing what he was capable of. Was that fear of his actions, or fear of not being believed.

One more moment of hesitation was needed for him to come to a definite decision. For a brief moment he thought of grabbing his blade and pulling it from its sheath. However, he realized as he thought of doing so that it wasn't the action he wished to take. Sighing, Finn would shake his head and look at her. She was looking away- Was that shame or fear?

"If you're not here to hurt me, and you're not here to hurt the people, than you're not an enemy." With that said, he laid back and put his hands behind his head again. "The guild master hasn't said anything about needing to hunt down dark mages. Only stop dark acts."

With that said, he offered her one last glance before sighing and closing his eyes. People are so weird. Beasts are a lot simpler.

"Stop letting your head be all funk. Just relax- Enjoy the weather and stuff." He certainly didn't have a way with words, but hopefully it would help her relax- If only for a while.

 

Celeste had gained his trust that she truly meant no harm, which was great she had no intentions to harm anyone anytime soon- however her first mission with her guild-mates... she had killed her witness, the screams still haunted her, the mortifying scream was burnt into her memory. However she didn't have orders to do such cruel acts this go around. So that was good news for the Grimoire wizard and Pegasus man; maybe some sort of friendship could be built here. Celeste had revealed her spear behind her back, placing it beneath her feet slowly. She would take a few steps backwards to further his trust that she meant no harm. "In my village. Way out in the deserts a small Oasis village; it's not even big enough to be acknowledged, probably no one but me and other villagers that heir from my village know about it's existence." Celeste would inform the Blonde Pegasus. "However, our morals are to please the Stars among fighting and the best way to befriend someone is seeing them in battle, a friendly match, you could say." She tried her best to recite their battle morals. "We are known for our intense fighting styles, whether we avoid on clashes or clash straight-forward. They say you never truly befriend an enemy till you fight heart to heart in a battle." She smiled, her cheeks once pale now a natural blush. "If you accept this match, I'd love to believe it'll light the fire of friendship among us." Celeste, bowed. Hopefully he'd understand where she was going with this, she was using a fight as a way for them to become friends based on her village's ways. They looked to the stars for any sign of their next move or anytime they needed great guidance and knowledge. The sun was setting, soon the cold breeze of night would be rolling in, and the two would be fighting under the rays of the moonlight. "I Irony will gladly fight full hardheartedly to grow closer to you to forge a bond of friendship." Celeste smiled up at him. "Will you accept this and forge a bond with me, Pegasus?"  As Celeste asked, she had kicked her spear in the air. leaping into the air spinning as she caught it and spiraling back down to the ground, landing perfectly. The Oasis-Native would now be up against another person who was raised by nature. However he had experienced real battles against other people, this was his advantage over the woman.

Her words went over to the young man, who had tried once more to get comfortable. It seemed that his instincts weren't too far off when in regards to her. While she did indeed have fight in her, it wasn't such a blood lust as how he had thought it would be. "Evil" people were described as cold, ruthless tyrants. Before him was just a person- Her own life. Her own reasons behind her actions.

Now, she had challenged him to combat. It was brave, or maybe it wasn't. He had no way to gauge her strength, other than the display of acrobatics that she just displayed. At the bare minimum, this girl would be light on her feet. An agile opponent, but one who seemed to respect fighting for what it was.

Everyone had a way to express themselves. Some took a canvas and applied pastels and paints. Others orchestrated words in to song and poetry. And others still took to combat, a way of expressing their soul through actions. She wasn't wrong in what she was saying. Finn always felt himself when he was fighting. To the outsider, he would likely seem both brutal and murderous. To one who had fought like he had, though, it would look like the essence of purity. He fought to fight, and that meant coming out on top.

When blades crossed and magic flew, there it was a mutual agreement to put ones life on the line. Sparring matches, though different, deserved the same intensity. It was why enemies of equal strength often gained such respect for their opponent. So much could be said without a single word.

Standing up and brushing his butt off, Finn reached back to his sword and took it from its sheath. Locking eyes with her, his smile weakened slightly. Though it was not showing as much teeth, it certainly contained the same level of joy. If anything changed, it was the dilation of his pupils and the timing of his breath. He was excited. He was able to fight again- Even outside the tournament.

"I accept... But if I win, you tell me your name!" With that, Finn sunk into his combat pose. His hilt was now held in two hands, his shoulders dropping while his arms tensed up. She was only five meters away from him- And she'd be given the first move.

 

Celeste watched him, he had accepted her offer of combat, he was a participant in the tournament so he had some what experience and it was martial arts, that alone gave him somewhat knowledge on how to critically harm her. She had to watch her moves carefully, each one would have to be carefully placed, as well as not to kill him but maybe seriously injure him so he would give her victor- what was she thinking, she had to keep a middle mind-set she could win or lose, this wasn't a settled battle, no one had their win yet. Celeste was analyzing the fields to find a suitable strategy, he gave her first move, which meant she could just go straight for his shoulder, slicing down on his tendon disabling his arm for battle. However she wasn't going to do that, it was a low move in her book, even though he probably could deflect such a measly effort. Celeste found a few ways she could carry on her strategy for this match. However only one seemed the best for her battle style, the way her battle was; the flavor of the way blades clashed. The way she preferred the battle to go would be in her favor. Looking at the Pegasus he seemed to have common hunting knowledge, however the Oasis-woman had more knowledge than him when it came to hunting different species and different hunting styles, she just knew it. Her village back home was known for the large amount of weird and unique Oasis-Beasts it held, small to large and harmless to dangerous. "Alright!" Celeste yelled, "I've decided my move!" The woman had quickly launched forward at him thrusting her spear at him, but not the full six feet and arms length she had on him however she only moved enough to keep the spear a good meter from his stomach, she quickly retreated the spear closer to her clutch, running backwards while watching him she back flipped and landing on the tree's many branches, this one much thicker than the others. She had retreated far up the tree. This would give the woman easy access as deflecting or flipping his sword out of his hand, leaving him defenseless as he'd have to chase up after her, where she was perched at. "What's your move Pegasus!" Celeste smirked, confidentially. The woman had used this kind of technique many times against multiple beasts she had hunted. However she had different techniques and styles, it just depended on how he reacted to her, hopefully her call was right though.

Finn saw her prepare herself, which was confirmed by her announcement that she was ready to move. The fight would officially start. While it was a sparring match, she said that she wanted to take this battle seriously. She'd be putting everything she had into this fight- What sort of person would he be if he disrespected that? She wanted to get to know him, and he would most certainly do his best to let to honor that.

As she dashed forward, spear clutched tightly in both of her hands, Fin's muscles tensed. This was it. As she reached about two meters away, she would begin stabbing her spear forward. That was when Finn would act.

Finn would dash forward himself, moving to the right of the spear (keeping it on his left). Bringing his sword down and to the left, he'd deflect the spear downwards while simultaneously turning his body towards it. Pivoting on his left foot while her spear was still stabbing outwards, given that it had too much momentum to merely stop at this point since it had yet to reach its end destination, Finn would kick her leading foot out from underneath of her.

As her foot would be kicked off the ground, the hilt of Finn's sword would slam into the center of her chest with full strength, continuing forward to knock her off her balance and onto her back. Slicing his sword downward, it would stop just short of her throat, holding itself to her skin. Any movement would draw blood.

Her own momentum had been used against her here. Fighting another warrior was much different from fighting a beast- But still, he was surprised by how she was. She most certainly had a killing intent. Holding the blade at her throat still with his right hand, his left hand at his side and tensed to act, his face lightened into a smile. "You definitely have a fighting spirit, you should be proud of that." That being said, he would not move the blade away from her throat until she verbally surrendered.

 

The woman looked Finn in the eyes, this Pegasus certainly had much more experience in battle than her, however even with a blade at her throat that wasn't enough for her to give, it never would be! Celeste had kicked her leg up to hit his crotch, the weakest spot on a man, her combat boots had shoved his crotch in, as far as it would allow her, the blade only slightly cutting the surface of her neck causing minimal blood to trickle. She cupped her neck, quickly doing a few flips landing by her spear, grabbing it and throwing it at the tree, once the spear pierced the tree and landed in she had propelled herself up using the handle of the spear to bounce up, grabbing the spear behind her, slowing her momentum. She would land above him, higher up on a tree branch. Now was her time to really claim victor as her title. "Ready Pegasus? You're really going to need to take flight!" Celeste had lunged forward with her spear in her hands, tightly. Hopefully the pain of his man bits being smashed was excruciating enough he wouldn't be able to avoid this, her next move.  She was aiming for his right shoulder, making sure she was to land 2 meters away from him, she'd surely be able to slash a good gash downward on his right shoulder blade. Celeste smirked, this was it she was going to get a good hit on him, a little blood was definitely worth it to win a battle that counted. "Thanks for the compliment early, I do have a fighting spirit that I'm proud of and I bet you do too!!" Celeste claimed. The woman was sure to still be able to keep at it, but was the Pegasus after a blow to his pride.

The woman was flexible- Flexible enough to try to kick his crotch, despite the fact that he was not standing over her but beside her. The movement would draw a slight trickle of blood from her throat- But it would also be stopped short. His left hand, still prepped, would grab her foot and hold her at a position where she could not only not get the correct angle to get her foot free, but also would block her other foot from such a motion. His foot would then lift up and step onto her stomach, applying pressure enough to make her ribs creek- But not break.

She had been completely pinned. Her arms could not reach his- erm, pride. Her legs no longer could either. Her throat was beginning to bleed, the tip of his blade barely poking into it- But enough to let her life force begin to drain. She had been bested this time. That was not to say he had won. Life was a war, made up of these battles. A single victory did not knock her out of the running.

However- This would be his victory. The blades tip had not pulled back. She'd be feeling her throat bleeding now- How could one not notice a blade to their neck was now cutting into flesh? His words would come now- Sterner.

"This is just a sparring match. You're definitely brave. Let's call it here, huh?"

If she tried to continue from there, Finn would press the blade further into her throat- Not enough to kill her, but certainly enough to stop whatever movement she'd try again. Her attempt- A knight would call it dishonorable. Finn would call it smart. They were both fighters. Both killers. And they were both survivors. If she was to continue to survive, she'd have to submit.

 

Celeste's attempt at victory had been bested again she simply closed her eyes thinking, if only she had some sort of magic, she could get out of this situation. The woman would have to admit defeat it would seem, she had been bested, her fight wasn't long certainly nothing to be proud of. Maybe this was the pain Strategist was feeling, however, she wasn't going to take this personal. The woman looked at him and nodded, he had bested her. This was something she wasn't use to was being the prey, but hey you can't win all your matches and catch all your preys and be the predator. Maybe she could learn one day to be the prey that bests the predator. Nodding, "I guess I give." Celeste sighed. After being allowed to have mobility again she stood up putting her spear right on her back again, she bowed before the Pegasus, even when she thought he'd lose his ground he found a way back over her. However losing this match meant she had improvement and improve she would! "Thank you for becoming friends with me." Celeste smiled, "I guess now I reveal my name, even though I was sort of debating that before hand... but my name is Celeste Kusaido Vagarosa, I am a native from a small village in the desert in an Oasis." The woman bowed again and held her hand out for him to shake, the Stars were on his side this battle, but some day she will have all the Stars looking down on her giving her their support.

Finn smiled as he removed his foot, sheathing his sword. She stood, unaided by him despite the fact that he would have offered assistance. As she stood and reattached her spear to her back, the woman introduced herself and where she was from. Bowing to him, she'd stand straight and put her arm out, offering to meet him as an equal. He'd look down at her hand before locking eyes with her once more, offering a smile and taking her hand.

"I'm Finn Mertin's, and I'm from Worth Woodsea. Nice to meet you."

A handshake was one of the first things Jake had taught him about human culture. It was something he had to learn- and embarrassingly, something he'd practiced in the past.

"So, Celeste. What do you plan on doing now? Are you going to be staying around Baska, or do you plan to travel?"

He wouldn't ask her where she'd go. She was his friend now- And preferably, he'd not want to know where. If he knew, and he was asked, he couldn't lie to his Guild Master or to Jake. They'd probably track her down as a member of Grimoire Heart, and maybe even her friend- Whoever that might be.

 

As she bow'd her throat felt dry, she swallowed, he certainly was something for her to try and pass he wasn't an easy opponent but as she stated back in her village the more innocent you looked- the more dangerous you probably were. She felt that he'd be her greatest rival, however it didn't matter one day she would equal to his power, she just had to work hard for it. Hopefully one day she'd prove herself to be a greater challenge to Finn. Then he'd really have fun in their battle and their bond could further itself and grow ever stronger, with them. As they shook hands it felt awkward, as if the forest-raised boy, it hit her, he was raised in a forest. She was raised in an Oasis. They were both descendants of nature-raised children. The Pegasus seemed curious as to what her plans were, she simply smiled at him. "Well I might go in town and get another milkshake, I'm running low." Celeste informed him of her own tragedy. "So I plan on staying awhile of course!" She shook the half empty shake to prove it. As she sipped on her ice cold treat, she gave the Pegasus no choice and grabbed his hand leading him down the hills and into town. The Parlor was a small open booth shack so they could probably sit at one of the nearby benches and look at the beautiful sky and it's wonderful mysterious puffy white clouds.

The girl obviously felt more comfortable around him now. Her air of mystery had all but faded away, and she seemed normal. Bright, happy-go-lucky and quick to grab his hand after demonstrating the near emptiness of her milkshake. She dragged him down the hills, into the front gate of the town and towards the area that he could only assume she'd gotten her frozen dairy treat from.

The whole thing confused him, to be quite honest. He could have sworn she had confirmed  that she was a member of Grimoire Heart. She was a member of the guild that had just struck directly at the Magic Council and all the light guilds of Fiore, which of course included his own. By all standards, she should be an enemy of his. She should be someone willing to cut his throat at a moments notice.

And yet...

It hadn't felt that way at all now. She seemed like such a genuinely kind girl, that he couldn't help but wonder at what might have gotten her mixed up in that guild. Was it even her decision to begin with? The thoughts raced through his head, but they didn't stay long until he was back into reality.

"You go ahead. If I eat sweet things at night it gives me stomach aches when I sleep."

~Finn has exited this thread~

 

Celeste... Kusaido... Vagarosa, what did that name mean. In her village the Vagarosa bloodline was strongest around however their image was ruined when Valica, Celeste's mother supposedly died during childbirth. So that was the story, however she was actually a servant of a dark organization as their agent, it was only natural her daughter followed in her paths, however in this case joining a dark-guild. One day her mother had failed to follow through a personal mission given to her and as punishment Valica's life was taken. Leaving her father as a single-parent which he took her back to their family's home-village in an Oasis, abandoning her there for the village to care for her. Celeste was about five when her father had left her, alone in the village. Her father had told their village-head that Valica died while delivering Celeste, which really ruined not on Valica's image but now the Vagarosa family was seen as dead-weight. Women who couldn't properly deliver a baby through birth were considered weak and unworthy to be apart of the village. So in order for the village to spare Celeste, her father Leonal Kusaido was to never show his face at the small Oasis Village, or else Celeste would be killed on spot. -Flashback- "Daddy? Where are you going?" Celeste would ask holding onto his thumb, with her small fragile fingers. Leonal smiled weakly, patting her head. "On a mission, baby. I am going to go find your mother and bring her home, how does that sound?" "Great daddy! I miss mommy!" Celeste cheered. "I bet mommy misses you too, sweetheart. You be good for the village okay? Your mother always told me she wanted to raise her children here. This is the same village, mommy was born in, just like you." Leonal had began to hug the frail child, holding back his tears. The man knew she would never be allowed back out since her mother was dead. Reason being the village's morals, Celeste would have to win the village tournament to have the right to leave the village free-will and such. He had hope that his little girl could fix his mistakes, and not just his but her mother's mistakes as well. -End of Flashback- However, Celeste only knew of the story of her father being killed on "his mission." Then her mother died delivering birth to her. Her faith in those story wavered, as time and time again images of a beautiful woman with hair white as snow tainted with blue streaks would appear in her dreams. Her battle again Finn, made her memory a bit foggy, the woman could've sworn she remembered her mother being alive after birth, they had home-brewed honey-locus tea. Then again, the village head said she was dead... it must just be an illusion her brain was creating to fill the empty void of not knowing her mother. Shaking her head, she caught back onto her current actions, she had brought Finn to the parlor in town so she could treat him to a milkshake. She was brought back into reality just in time for the boy to reject her offer, apparently it'd give him stomach pains as he slept. Well that was a bummer, good thing she carried a bag of natural herbs, she'd make him some Honey-Locus tea, it was popular in her village. "Well if you don't mind I'd love to make you some tea then." Celeste had gestured him to follow, as she went and sat as the benches and chairs outside the parlor. Celeste would sit a bag atop the table in front of the duo. She'd grind together some tea leaves and locus petals, adding a few drops of honey and some water. The oasis-native girl would begin to mix her ingredients in a glass, until the substance became a nice brown with a hue of yellow. Handing him the glass, she smiled up at him. Hopefully he'd enjoy the sweet nectar of the honey mixed with the tart flavor from the tea leaves. "I hope you enjoy it, it's a popular drink back in my village!" Celeste smiled. "Hopefully the tea being cold isn't a bother, either." Celeste hoped that he didn't think that she was poisoning him, he had watched her brew it herself so that should eliminate any doubts. Celeste even poured herself a glass of the tea and sipped on it with a small smile, proud of how perfect she got the flavors to blend. "Well I need to be going, I should head back to Oak. I think this was a nice visit." Celeste smiled, finishing her tea. "Great meeting you!" Packing her stuff in the bag she left the Pegasus boy alone with the home-brewed tea and made her way back to Oak ~EXIT~