Jin made his way to marigold finally and began to explore the town until he came to spot the theater in the distance. A place that already had some lines out front filled with smiles and jewels ready to be spent on tickets.

He peeked over the heads of the crowd to get a better view and see the price of admission and hopefully a poster for the play. He relegated himself to waiting in the long line until he was able to buy a ticket. there was still some time left before people could enter to be seated, so instead of lounging in the lobby, he left his bag with the coat check, "He can you hold onto this too. Thanks," he asked and the man agreed and tucked the bag safely away.

He made his way outside and leaned against the wall of the building and closed his eyes.  few moments of relaxation before the play and after the long journey.

That was the plan anyway while the sun descended and the street lights flickered to life. The theater illuminated from within with lacrima. but among the splendor was a faint whimper in the alleyway next to him.

Jin stepped out to see a young couple pushed down and three men with knives looming. "That's not good." Jin snuck along the wall and moved behind the thugs. halfway down, he lifted the lid of a trach can silently up and carried it.

The people standing began badgering them for their money. The young couple clung to each other and fiddled through clothing to find their valuables.

Jin appeared behind the three men and popped his head up between to of them almost like he was a part of their gang.

"Just rude," he said with a deadpan expression. The three men jumped and the couple clutched each other once more. When the thug in the middle whipped his head around to see the intruder, Jin rose the trash can lid and immediately whomped him on the head. The thug hunched down into a deep square and held his throbbing head, "Agghh"

"Interrupting a budding romance on a warm spring night just shameful."

The thugs gritted their teeth and clenched the knives in their hands, "You little...WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" The man howled and lunged forward with his knife.

Jin twisted his body and the knife cut through the fabric of his shirt and left a thin line of blood across his belly.

"I'm outta here, Idiot," he provoked them hoping they would give chase. He sped off down the alley and the two thugs forgot their first prey and gave chase.

Jin looked back over his shoulder and yelled. "I also do weddings! Find me for a quote!" He yelled back at the couple and dashed off.

He darted around the corner and right into the stagehands loading things onto carts and wheeling them into the backstage area for the play. He grabbed a loose cap on the back of the truck and snugged it down on his head. He then grabbed a nearby cart and wheeled it inside.

A simple nod to a man, while keeping his face down let him get through. Sweat was beading under the cap. Once he crossed the threshold and the bandits ran by he sighed in relief and pushed the cart to the stage.

Once no one was looking he left the cart for someone else to handle snuck closer to the stage.
"Since I already bought my ticket," he thought to himself.

The play had just begun and the items they brought in were for when act two started. The stage was filled with people dressed in flowing outfits led by a woman and a man speaking sweet dreams about the future to one another.

It was a play devoted to romance. He heard the footsteps of someone approaching and he quickly grabbed the broom leaning against a crate and began sweeping while keeping his head down.

"Phew"

Rania Okano’s travel to Marigold City had run smoothly and the Paladin had settled down nicely amongst the friendly town folk; Marigold’s many travelers brought interesting stories in and out of town and the mild weather and friendly atmosphere made for a perfect vacation spot – except Rania couldn’t exactly rest, not even when she was supposed to. The gifted healer had stopped by the local hospital and offered her services to the resident staff there and every helping hand was most welcome in a town this small. Rania was very much a freelance and while the workload seemingly never ceased, the woman didn’t exactly mind it. She enjoyed being so busy and constantly having something to do, for it allowed her to forget about how lonely she felt in this strange country.

On her first day in town Rania had paid a visit to the Marigold Theatre. They were currently showing a play of romance – a heart wrenching story of two star crossed lovers who found together at last and vowed to stay together for all of their immortal lives. The story was classic, corny romance and it made Rania’s girly heart skip a few heartbeats every time she watched it, because like most girls she too adored the idea of being in love.

Apparently a new actress had joined the crew recently and in spite of being a seasoned artist, she suffered from stage fright everytime she was supposed to walk out there. That didn’t make much sense, but Rania’s presence was requested regardless and the healer was ordered to ease the girl’s mind and calm her thoughts before each play. Rania was happy to help and catch a glimpse behind the scenes and it seemed as though her healing (even if most of it was probably a placebo effect) did calm the actress' down and she was able to deliver a magnificent performance.

The play had already begun a few minutes ago and a glance behind the curtain that separated the stage from the backstage area told her that it was, once again, sold out. Rania quietly snuck around the dressing room area and her gaze fell upon a few workers who were bringing new things into the backstage area – she didn’t think there was anything she could do for them, but just as the woman moved towards the door and walked past one of the men, her nose caught a faint but familiar scent in the air.

The raven haired woman turned her head around and looked at the person who was sweeping away non-existent dirt next to a crate. He was bleeding from what she could only assume was a cut on his belly and the blood had soaked his shirt. “Oh my god,” the woman exclaimed as quietly as she could in order not to alert anyone–after all a healer was already present. “You..You’re bleeding!” She hurried over to him and immediately lowered herself by falling onto her knees in front of him. Rania pulled his shirt up a bit to expect his wound further, when another one of the stagehands walked in on them. It was rather dark backstage and while the innocent woman thought nothing of it, she was very much startled when the other man started yelling and called them ‘indecent’ and ‘filthy’ for doing something like that in such a public space.

Rania was mortified. The poor girl could barely find the words to explain herself and simply pointed at the injured man’s belly. “W-what? No it’s not what you think it is–it’s just that, I mean I would NEVER–,” her face had mild panic written all over it. "He's injured! He needs a doctor, except he doesn't because I'm already here! I'm a doctor, I–"

Jin was almost done with the charade as another worker passed by. Just a little longer and he could get out of here and enjoy the play. Maybe from the rafters, it would be safer. He idly swept while he thought, and looked up in surprise, jarred out of his planning and scheming by a woman's concern.

"What, this no its nothing. Spilled Jelly probably," he tried to make up anything so the woman would go and not blow his cover. He looked back and forth to see if she had already stirred any suspicion. The woman had a keen eye though and knew what it was instantly, and rushed towards, "I'm fine. It's nothing," he began as the woman dropped to her knees and without a thought, began to lift his shirt, "What the. Hey, don't you think this is a little exhibitionist?" he muttered. He had never met someone so forthright, but he wasn't going to deny help from such a dark-haired beauty and didn't stop her. He simply had no choice but to accept her help now.

Before she could examine the wound another stagehand arrived, and Jin grabbed the corner of his hat to pull it a little further down to conceal his face. And also to hide the grin on his face at the man's abrupt response. The woman's rambled response was just as cute as she was. But his enjoyment at the moment had to end when his wound was on display and he had to think of something quick. As she said she was a doctor, he smiled again with the lady luck on his side.

He grabbed the hand that she pointed with and pulled it to his chest as he leaned back on the crate. "Agggh, The pain is too much to handle. Can't you see I'm BLEEDING?" He ran his hand across his stomach and lifted his blood-smeared hand up for the stagehand to see. The stagehand grimaced and looked away.

"Perfect," he whispered and moved off the crate to put his arm around the mystery woman, "But You're right, here is not the place for it, so we'll just go back to your office. Haha," he spoked like a man barely injured now and added a groan at the end to bring back the effect.

"Lead the way," he whispered to the woman. He felt it best not to reveal himself as a healer just yet and take her help instead.

“I’m trying to help you,” the woman hissed at the stranger; she was very much frustrated about the unlucky situation, but disregarded her embarrassment in order to keep herself focused on her patient’s wound. The cut itself wasn’t deep and it most likely had only penetrated the outer layers of his skin, yet she was shocked by his ability to simply ignore the damage that had been done to his body – the male gender was truly something else. The other stagehand was protesting their questionable behavior and much to Rania’s dismay, the person she was hoping to treat was switching between two different moods far quicker than she could follow.

He seemed to be on a mission to get out of this situation, and the healer wasn’t going to complain. When Jin put his arm around her and whispered something in triumph, the raven-haired simply nodded and followed behind. His reaction had made him appear all the more suspicious and in hindsight she couldn’t think of any reason as to why a stage worker would have a knife cut on his belly–and ignore it–but those questions would be left for later. “I don’t have an office,” she whispered back to him and nervously looked behind them to see if they were being followed – luckily that was not the case. “I’m kind of...a freelancer here, it’s weird to explain.” She pushed the man into what appeared to be a small dressing room and pulled the curtain close.

Rania was easily distracted by simple things, so when she sat the stranger down on a stool and leaned towards him to speak in a low voice, it didn’t even occur to her that she had switched topics entirely – nor that she was gossiping. “You know, the supporting actress says she has stage fright and requested a healer to be sent her way,” Rania cautiously peeked behind the curtain and looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. “But I think she’s pretending. I don’t even think she seemed that happy with my services, but I’m really good at what I do–,” she was going to go on about how she suspected there to be a handsome doctor or male nurse at the hospital, when the stench of blood once again reached her sensitive nose and the woman squealed in shock.

“Oh my god, I forgot about your injury!” Rania quickly pressed her hands against the hands belly and as she did, a faint glow of light radiated from the palms of her hands. Slowly, her magic would close the wound and stop the bleeding. “You definitely need to change clothes,” she said at last, satisfied with her work.

The woman snipped at him about his comment and he was taken back by it. She seemed so concerned about her duty that even potential embarrassment was a fleeting thought to her. When the woman agreed to take him away he could have almost thanked the heavens. He was already walking a dangerous line just being here and if she decided to rat him out he'd be in hot water. His ability to fumble his way out of situations never ceased to benefit him...when it didn't backfire anyway.

Worry streaked a fine line on his forehead when she said she had no office. But when she looked back to see if they were followed he grinned. She was already becoming an accomplice, or at the very least had something to lose in the situation too. "A freelance? That sounds interesting. Me too," he said right before she shoved him into a dressing room and closed the curtain. It was a lie, kinda but maybe it would be enough to get him through.

"You know, people will still get the wrong idea if you shove strange men into dressing rooms," he said teasing, although given his predicament it may not have been the wisest choice. But it didn't seem to matter as the woman jumped to a different topic altogether. He leaned in closer as she whispered secrets about the cast of the show and the lead actress.

"Hmm, so you think she is faking. It seems a bit extreme to summon a healer for stage fright." He rose his hand and pointed at her, "You think she is up to something? Maybe we should get to the bottom of it?" He nodded along with her deduction of the situation. In the end the more time they spent on her, the less time he had to explain why he was there. And the situation with the lead actress did leave him intrigued.

Suddenly the woman squealed and Jin reeled back in his chair as they were still close to one another. His eyes blinked a few times to regain his bearings and he tugged on his ear. "Oh yeah...I may have two now," he joked.

She pressed her hands on his wound and he winced but there was barely any pain. 'It couldn't be,' he thought. He looked wide-eyed at the radiant light that came from her and his wound began to close. A scene he was familiar with, but from being on the other side of it. "Well, I'll be. That's amazing."

He poked his stomach to feel where the wound once was, "I never expected to run into a light healer. Thank you." He stood up and took off his shirt and jacket and slipped into one of the garments left by an actor. "I don't think they'll miss this."

Returning to her side he took her hand in his, "If there is anything I can do to thank you." Jin eased the curtain open and took a peek into the hallway. "Looks like the coast is clear." he said when something in the distance rattled by the stage. The sound was followed by a man racing towards the stage.

Rania vehemently shook her head. “We can’t investigate,” said the woman, and her voice was firm and clear. “I shouldn’t be accusing her of this, and it’s none of our business.” The thoughts of a lying actress had left Rania’s mind as quickly as they had appeared and the nurse’s focus was back on the odd male in front of her – who did he say he was again? Once his wound had healed, she pulled her hands away and gave him a careful look. He seemed fine, but that didn’t explain the origin of his injury, nor why he chose to ignore it and continue cleaning with no care in the world. Rania was both trusting (if not to say gullible) and perceptive and the moment he had healed and pulled back from her, she tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brows.

“You don’t actually work here, do you?”

He recognized her magic in an instant and Rania would lie, if she didn’t admit that his reaction surprised her. The gift of light was common, but the gift of healing not so much – wherever Rania went, she often came across people who pointed out the rarity of her type of magic and the importance of it. It was strange, yet oddly comforting to finally meet someone who was familiar with her magic – even if it meant that he had probably required assistance from a healer similar to her in the past.

When he took her hands into his, Rania arched a brow. He peeked beyond the curtain and his reaction told her more than she needed to know. Instead of letting go, she grabbed his hands tightly to keep him from slipping away and challenged him instead. “I’m Rania – and I sort of, kind of work here. But who are you? And why are you stealing clothes? And how did you get that cut–,” the female Paladin would have continued to interrogate the stranger, if they hadn’t been interrupted by the sound of something exploding, crashing and falling apart. It was quite far away, and still the noise could only be described as deafening. Rania twitched and her eyes immediately darted towards the stage, which couldn’t be seen from where they stood.

One man ran towards the stage, followed by another. Eventually, she could hear a woman crying, calls for help and it seemed that whatever had happened at the stage, had caused quite the commotion. Her green eyes darted towards the black haired man and she gave his hands a firm squeeze. “We are not done here, but I will have to see if everyone is alright.” And with that, she let go of him and rushed towards the stage. There was chaos, smoke and even a small fire and the guests had been led out of the theatre. Rania was unable to disclose what had happened, but after taking a careful look around it seemed that some of the gas lighting had exploded above the stage and caused some of the construction to fall down onto the actors. Both, a female and a male actor were buried under rubble and after rushing to their side, Rania quickly realized that they were both injured and bleeding.

“I can only help one of them at once,” she whispered and paled at the mere thought of having to choose between two people.

Jin shrugged his shoulders and looked away, "Well if you think something is wrong. Why not? I mean what's the worst that could happen," While it was a dangerous route to pursue, he couldn't help but think about how fun tracking down a lying actress would be. Definitely a good way to liven up the day. But Rania seemed so innocent and averse to danger, he wouldn't hold it against her fro stepping away from the potential disruption. Even Jin had a tendency to get out of the kitchen when things were getting too hot.

Once he pulled away and the woman furrowed her brow, a bit of sweat beading on his forehead. Whatever she was about to say wasn't going to be sweet nothingness or an invitation to lunch. He let out a nervous laugh and rocked back in the chair with both hands behind his head. "I was actually sweeping that floor. What more does one need to be 'working here,'" he made air quotes around the words 'working here' and his balance shifted on the chair and he waved his arms to catch himself and the front legs of the chair slammed back on the ground.

Jin held her hands as he peeked out of the room, only to glance back in pleasant surprise when Rania squeezed his hand. He was about to make his exit but the woman had stopped him, and he let the curtain fall shut. "Well, Rania. Nice to meet you. I'm Jin and I also sorta kinda work here. Like an independent contractor without a contract," he replied with a big smile.

He opened his mouth to try and dance his way around her next questions when the crash drew their attention. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, as he began to realize she wasn't just going to let him off the hook and the crash was his saving grace.

Jin's feet turned towards the danger and his body wanted to follow, but Rania was still with him. Then she held his hands tighter and he gazed into her green eyes. She was as lovely as any lead actress of a play and could have very well replaced the woman that held that roll.

"When duty calls," he replied and put his hands in the air. As Rania dashed down the hall, Jin was right behind her. They were both healers and it seemed they both had a heart geared towards helping others and using their gifts where they could. Although he was willing to bet she was a bit nobler than he was.

Jin shuffled in behind and fanned away some of the smoke with his hand. Through the haze and bright flames up above he saw Rania standing at a collapsed platform with an actor and actress beneath it. Their faces were smudged with smoke and light trickles of blood dripped onto the floor.

"Nurse Jin reporting for duty. I'll help you, doctor," he said loud enough for the two injured people to hear and anyone else around. It was time to move on to the next cover as the janitor was already falling apart. "I'll get the actor," he replied, leaving her to save the woman she had been assigned to work with.

He knelt down and pushed a small beam up and cast a light shield to wedge inside, acting as an impromptu support between the fallen ledge and the floor. "Don't worry, she taught me everything I know," he said and winked at Rania then pulled the man out and poured light magic into his wound to heal it.

"Let's get you to safety," he reassured the dazed man and helped him back as the fire still raged above. Once clear he'd look back for Rania to make sure as was well.

When Jin introduced himself, he gave her a little bit of attitude. It’s true that Rania was innocent and perhaps a bit naive, but the Paladin finally understood what the young man was getting at–and it made her smirk. “Oh no, I totally get it,” she said with laughter. When Rania heard his name, a new thought bundled up in the woman’s mind. She hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but it appeared that both of them–if she had to take a guess–were of similar origin. Jin’s features, as well as his name, very much reminded the young joyan woman of her own and perhaps if there was more time later on, she would get a chance to ask him where he was from.

When Rania first heard the accident, the young woman wasn’t aware of its severity. Jin’s shenanigans hadn’t gone by unnoticed either, and while it was technically none of her business, she was curious about what led him here–and who had injured him. All of that had to wait however, and when they both rushed towards the stage to see what had happened she didn’t even notice him behind her.

Rania’s mind was fickle like that, always jumping from one train of thought to the next. As she kneeled down by the two injured actors, her eyes darted between the two bodies and her mind was racing. “How could something like this even happen–,” she whispered in disbelief. After all, the Marigold Theatre was only now trying to pick itself back up after all the incidents of the previous year had ruined its reputation.

It was then when she heard Jin–who was somehow still around–announcing loudly that he would assist her in helping the injured. Baffled and caught off-guard by that statement, Rania slowly lifted up her head and glared at the young man. “What even,” she began, but shook her head before she finished her sentence. From the short amount of time during which she had known him, she knew that he was clearly a light-hearted guy, but this was a serious situation. Rania was going to protest when she saw him using magic that was oddly similar to her own on the wounded male on the floor.

“You..You knew how to do this the entire time?!” She murmured at him while repeating his actions on the woman that was laying down next to her. Her magic seeped into her body, closed up the major wounds and allowed for the bystanders to help and lift them out of the rubble. “You have to transport them to the nearest hospital regardless,” Rania reminded them and watched as they carried both actors away and began clearing up the stage. Once that was taken care of, the raven-haired woman pulled Jin aside and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Not that it’s any of my business, but I’m curious and I can’t help myself: I think you owe me some explanations?”

He only gave a sly smirk at her words when he arrived to assist her. The curl of her lips gave way to the protest that was about to come from them. She was a serious woman and caring about those in need. Or maybe she was just cautious of the seeming fool that had arrived and worried he would disturb her work or get injured again. She seemed to be resolute in her duty as a healer.

"Yeah, but I'd much rather be healed by you than dress my own wounds. You have a much more gentle touch," he joked back amidst the tragedy of the situation. Humor a tool to deal with the pain around. Something he adopted from the soldiers he once traveled with. The wound on the man closed shut and Jin's light faded away. He stepped back as the bystanders flowed in to help with the extraction. His disguise as her assistant wouldn't last forever and he slid to the backdrop of the crowd as Rania took control of the situation.

"huh, everywhere I go. I just keep stepping in trouble," he mumbled. He turned to make one big step and begin a clean getaway when Rania pulled him back and away from all the hustle and bustle of the stagehands. "hey!" he said with a stumble back into a smaller area with Rania. The people worked to clear the area and call in those to help as the two mages stood in a silent corridor. Rania with her arms crossed over her chest. Jin straightening out his clothes. "You know this is the second time you've taken me somewhere discreet and we barely even know each other."

He looked up at her to see the serious question in her eye. He gave a small sigh, dispersing with a bit of his carefree attitude. "Of course," how could he say no to a fair lady such as this. "I'm a traveling healer and peddler of charms," he nodded and then reached into his pocket to bring out a good luck charm. He took her hand and placed slid the charm inside, folding her fingers closed around it.

"With it, I was able to find you who, mended my wound and restored me to good health. Thank you." He nodded once more and let her hand go. "I guess that sums it up, but that doesn't explain," he began as the corners of his eyes tightened. "How a talented healer such as yourself has ended up being a doctor to a bunch of actors and actresses," he questioned and stole a small piece of food from a platter that was there for the workers and popped it into his mouth. Speaking while he chewed.

Spoiler:

The elusive young man had almost escaped unnoticed, but Rania was faster. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, and with everything happening so quickly she was still tense and a little on edge–all of which faded when Jin made a simple joke about the duality of their ‘secret’ meetings and what it could possibly implicate. A sigh of relief fell from her lips, a soft chuckle escaped her and Rania rolled her shoulders back to ease the tension in her muscles. “I figured with how secretive you have been so far, you might appreciate if I distance us a little bit from the crowd,” her voice had audibly calmed down and Rania turned around ever so slightly to peek over her shoulder and towards the stage. Things were clearing up and it seemed that everything would be okay.

Wew, she thought to herself. What a day!

With everything in order, Rania stepped forward and gestured Jin to follow her. “Why don’t we go for a walk then?” She suggested innocently and led them both outside of the theatre–which now needed minor reconstruction in the stage area–and into the streets of Marigold Town. “I want to thank you for your help,” the woman spoke earnestly and flashed him a smile of gratitude, followed by a quick bow (as it was custom in her homeland). “Without your help I would have only been able to do so much for one person, and I’m really glad you were there when we needed you.” With that out of the way, the sincere young lady arched a suspicious brow at him. “Even though that really caught me off-guard.” She didn’t have to hide her scepticism, nor was she the type to do so anyways.  

When Jin went into detail about his profession, Rania gave him a look of surprise and quickly thanked him for the little charm he’d given her. “A traveler and peddler of charms? Now, if I hadn’t seen your magic with my own eyes, I would call you a fraud,” she laughed it off, but meant what she’d said. In fact, she almost expected his ‘charms’ to be a hoax, and his magic to be the selling point. But then again, there were plenty of superstitious people around who would surely and without hesitation buy into whatever gimmicky items and tools he sold.

"Either way, I'll always keep this close to me from now on," she said, referring to the little gift he'd handed her. Fraud or not, Jin was polite enough to thank her for her help, and she very much appreciated. “You're welcome. As for myself, I’m not actually from Marigold and came her to be on vacation more or less. Needless to say I ended up staying longer, since there’s plenty of work here for me.” Rania travelled here from Magnolia thinking she’d only stay a week or two to enjoy the fresh countryside air, but things were quick to change. She didn’t mind that though.

“It’s a quaint little town, the locals are friendly and I enjoy it here. But I don’t think I’ll be staying for much longer if I’m being honest with you, although I currently have no plans of where I want to go. There’s larger cities in the south though, so I’m sure I’ll find something. What about you?”

"Thanks, I do appreciate that," he said as he looked back around the corner to see if anyone else was coming.

"But I'm an open book to you," he said with a sly smile, pleased that she was considerate enough to take them both to a more secluded area to talk. As she peeked over her shoulder, Jin eased his head next to hers, just over her shoulder, "Guess they'll be busy for a while," he added and if she responded abruptly to his closeness, he would just give a cheeky smile and lean away, before following her.

"Oh uh..Yeah," he responded to her offer of going for a walk. "Sounds delightful," he tried to hide the nervousness in his voice. As they reached the exit, he would peek around the door and look down both paths in the outside. He ran his hand through his hair and stood up straight and tall then stepped out. There was no sign of the thugs that had chased him earlier.

"No thanks needed," he started and was halted by the bow she gave him. A warm smile appeared on his face at how proper the woman carried herself. "You're definitely different than a lot of the other people around here. In a good way of course."

"It was my pleasure. I guess luck was on both our side today. I was able to see another healer in action. And you are a pretty gifted healer." The pleasantries turned back to suspicion with her arched brow. Jin gave a breathy chuckle and looked away with both hands behind his head and started walking down the street. "Yeah sorry about the secrecy. I just couldn't help seeing how things were going to unfold and seeing you in action."

He laughed and dropped his hands with a shrug, "Oddly enough I get called that a lot. Most of the time I just infuse a little healing magic in a potion and sell it to people. They just have to drink it quickly. The charms however...well they have brought me some good luck. So maybe it's me being a bit superstitious. but most of the time I just give out the charms as a freebie with the potion purchase."

"I'm glad," he said as the woman happily accepted the gift. In the end, those were the reasons he gave them out more than the idea of them providing some supernatural luck power. But a positive reminder. Part of him wished he had something more substantial to give her than just a trinket with how kind she had been.

"Came for vacation and ended up working huh? Seems like your the work first type," He waled a bit to the side so he could face her more. "I would have guessed you've been here for a while. So how long has this vacation been?"

She had a similar sentiment as him. The place was nice but perhaps not a place to really settle in at."Oh you plan on leaving soon? having an open plan is often the best way to live I think. Just caught up in the travel of it all. The south huh? I was headed that way myself. And yeah, there will always be people in need of a doctor after all," he nodded to her.

"For me. I'm not sure. I've contemplated leaving my guild, find something new. But I'll keep moving. But for now," he began and took her hand in his. "If we are both planning on leaving soon, then let's enjoy some final Marigold moments. You like to work a lot it seems, but is there something you've always wanted to do here? It's the least I could do after you healed me."He smiled and gave her hand a small tug and would begin to walk if she gave them a destination or not.

There was a moment during which Jin leaned in closer, but Rania wasn’t startled by his sudden approach; if anything, the lack of hesitation when it came close and personal contact with other people was quite common and also necessary for a healer and Rania herself was used to this sort of behavior. “I feel for these people,” she spoke quietly and a heavy sigh rolled over her lips. “They are working so hard to restore this theatre to its former glory, but bad things keep happening to them.” Ever the empath, Rania slowly tore her gaze away so they could depart from the scene and head elsewhere. Jin seemed to appreciate her gratitude, and she was glad that they were more or less on the same terms.

“To be frank with you, I’m not from here at all,” she told him after he’d complimented her type, and after exchanging a few more pleasantries, her magic as well. “Thank you,” the woman gave him a warm smile, well aware of her exceptional gift and the power she held. “Intentions matter,” she said in regards to the charm, which she’d keep close to her not because she was superstitious, but because she believed that Jin had given it to her with pure and good intentions – and that alone mattered. “And I’m grateful for yours.” Twirling the little thing around, before letting it disappear into her pocket she followed after the male healer to hear what else he had to say.

“I’m initially from Magnolia,” she continued and lifted up her head ever so slightly to look him into the eyes. “I have been in Marigold for over a month now, but I’m looking to continue my travels very soon.” When he mentioned her being the ‘work first type' she merely shrugged at his comment. Rania wouldn’t consider herself a workaholic by any means, but she definitely grew bored of doing nothing quickly and easily – after all this wasn’t how she’d been raised at all. Still, the Paladin most certainly knew how to take some time off and enjoy herself. Her ears perked up when he mentioned a guild, one he was planning on leaving very soon, and she began to realize just how common it was for mages to be a part of a wizard’s guild in this country.

Perhaps this was something she would have to start considering as well.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Jin suddenly took her hand into his and began dragging her along. She went with it although a bit reluctantly. “It’s not like there’s much to do here,” she said to him while trying to catch up. “The only place worth a tourist’s visit is the theatre, and that one’s clearly in shambles right now,” she looked over her shoulder and at the place that was far off in the distance now. Before he could take her too far away from where she was leaving, she began nudging him into the right direction and towards the market place area. “Actually, I’ve had a really long day. I think I’d like to go home,” she admitted to him. “Perhaps we could meet again some other time?”

From her heavy sigh, he could tell she truly had a heart for every person. "I hope they get it back and running soon. I can see why you stuck around here so long," He let his attention linger on the people after Rania turned to leave and followed behind her.

"Oh, so you're a pretty avid traveler too?" It only added to the mystery that surrounded the woman's life. The fact that she was here at all and possessed the same gift that he did. He slowed his pace only for a moment as she elaborated on the intent behind the charm. So many people dismissed it as mere nonsense, but not her. "Thanks," he said sincerely with his focus on the little twirl she gave the charm before tucking it away. "That's all it's intended for after all."

"Oh? You're from Magnolia? Then you must know all about the guild there. I just came from there myself. A mage with your gift would be welcome in just about any guild," he said. Rania had yet to mention any affiliation but she seemed more focused on her duties than just signing up for any guild. He gave a lopsided smile at the reaction the guild conversation, "Are you affiliated? I'm leaving one, but currently on the market for the next place to lay my head. I'll have to see what I run into," his dismissive and airy tone wasn't true to the thought he actually gave to the weight of joining another guild.

He furrowed his brow as he looked out to see what this town had to offer. Rania's words were a bitter reminder just how calm and uneventful the place here was. "That's unfortunate. You'd think there would be a little something around here. Maybe even a star cafe?" Even saying those words he would have enjoyed something calm. His time in the city had been hectic and full of danger already. A nice calm even would have been a comfort.

He followed her gentle nudge and veered towards the market. "Oh, yeah of course," he replied and let her hand fall free of his own. "In that case, I won't hold you up any longer," he added with a smile and a nod, before leaning forward and stepping by her. It was probably for the best anyway. He didn't want to risk those thugs seeing her with him and making her life difficult.

"We'll meet again. That's what good luck charms are for," he replied, and with a wave, he turned around and began his march toward the train station. She was leaving soon and it was time for him to get out of the town himself. On the way, he turned to look back at her one more time. How strange an occurrence to meet a fellow healer and someone as kindhearted as her. Were it not for the dangerous situations and attention he found himself in here, he would have gladly waited overnight and longer to see her again.

As he began his walk he opened his bag and called out, "Magic Tonic for sale! Cures all Ailments!"


-exit-

“I’m not affiliated with any guild as of now,” Rania said. The Fairy Tail guild’s name wasn’t unknown to her by any means, but the Paladin had never shown much interest in mage guilds–until now. The topic of joining a guild of her own was of growing interest to the young woman, and as her magic was becoming more powerful–and Rania herself more skilled with it–she felt as though there were greater things for her to achieve and do, than to work at the hospital. Assisting both doctors and nurses was of course an honorable profession, but the former slave yearned for something more, and a large part of it was her desire to use her freedom and not be stuck in the same place again for such a long time.

“It’s always in the back of my mind though, in one way or another,” she admitted with a weak smile. “But I’m not trying to force anything – whatever happens, I’ll let it happen. And if nothing happens at all, that’s fine with me too.” Her stance on everything was rather sobering, but Rania tried not to romanticize things unnecessarily; in spite of her sunny disposition, the young woman was very much a realist after all. Regardless, Jin’s words brought comfort and made her smile, and she was grateful for it. “That goes for both of us, really.” After all, he had a gift very similar to her own.

Eventually, the two healers bid each other farewell and Rania was overcome by sudden exhaustion. She was glad that Jin hadn’t taken it the wrong way, and felt confident that the two of them would cross paths again sooner or later. She watched him walk away and waved after the young man, laughing when he called out to advertise his magic tonics, charms and whatever else he sold. Even though they had something very outstanding and particular in common, they were still entirely different people in every other aspect of life and she found that rather curious. Rania turned on her heel and walked back towards her temporary home here in Marigold, which she would without a doubt be moving out from very soon.