There it is again.

Lately Jan Ren has started noticing that, ever since he's arrived at this city, he's been picking up several scents much sharper than usual. As someone not accustomed to this heightened sense, it turned out all the more surprising that despite the strong odors shared in Hosenka, his brain perceived these just fine; no penalty or overload whatsoever. Definitely one for good scents but never actually delving into it, this came as a surprise.

As he strolled down Hosenka in broad daylight (for a change), still suited up per his 'new look'; a black, shoulder-padded jacket held together with a single button by the midriff, pierced properly with a pair of black trousers and dashing shoes; only semblance of his heritage being the Sinese undershirt. For this season and hour, it easily caused him to sweat under the heat. Despite that, he refused to remove either article of clothing, favoring appearances over practicality - yet again. Though as he made his mindless walk, the young man noticed he's been recognizing more and more scents from his surroundings. People he's passed before, locations with relatively strong aromas; and of course,

restaurants. "(It's about that time anyway.)" He reasoned with himself, eyeing the several stalls and restaurants around. With this specific location's theme, founded mostly by Joyans, the Sinese could easily feel out of place; attributing big difference between the two countries. However, he'd be a fool to deny they shared similarities. And in cuisine it spoke louder than in his reason, especially with hunger slowly creeping.

Picking an eye-catching spot to dine at, much to Jan Ren's surprise, the menu consisted of some adopted Sinese recipes as well as regular Joyan-based dishes. He easily chose one of the more familiar items on the menu, wholly prepared to judge the cook's skill with his homeland's cooking as a critique. While waiting for his bowl of noodles to arrive, the raven-haired finally allowed himself to remove the jacket, laying it neatly on the back of his chair as he was treated to some tap water for the time being.

And then, again. Yet another familiar smell.

Rania Okano was strolling about Hosenka City, for once not occupied by tasks and quests, because the young lady had taken the day off. The Paladin had spent a few weeks traveling the country alongside a guild mate, accepting several missions and assisting all kinds of strangers with favours, favours which earned Rania money in return. It was an odd feeling to be working so bluntly as a mercenary, because the healer had never known much else, but even so she’d grown to enjoy the experience and learned plenty from it. Trying new things is a good thing, she’d told herself repeatedly, and her inner mantra turned out to be nothing but the truth!

Rania had worked hard on improving her magic and done so rather successfully: by training several new spells and making her healing even more efficient, she could finally (and proudly) consider herself a member worthy of a guild such as Blue Pegasus. Joining the Hargeon-based fraction had happened completely unexpectedly, yet it never felt rushed – not even for a moment. Rania didn’t regret her decision and since the guild master had sent her out into the world alongside a fellow guild member, she’d been having a blast and was thoroughly enjoying herself.

She was a simple girl after all, someone who lived in the moment.

As Rania’s little walk took her downtown, the woman’s sharp gaze fell on what looked to be a familiar face and squinting her emerald eyes, she quickly (but nonchalantly) moved closer until she could properly make out the person who was seated by a restaurant table just across the street. A warm smile immediately spread across her face when she recognized Jan Ren, and Rania quickly hurried over to greet him. “What a surprise to see you here,” she gasped, just a tad bit out of air, and took a seat in front of him. “It’s so good to see you again. How have you been? What are you even doing in Hosenka?” The words came blubbering out of her, and the poor girl could hardly contain herself in all her excitement – after all, he was one out of two people from her guild whom she actually knew.

“Aah, I’m sorry,” she breathed and ran a hand through her long, obsidian locks. “I guess we’ll just keep running into each other like this?”

While seated by and waiting for his order, Jan Ren took a look around, inspecting his surroundings. The restaurant's layout and the people who dined with. It appears that several were already dressed in some Joyan traditional clothing, ready with a mask by the side of their face; and in the vibrant red colors mixed with coarse white, it gave off a very foreign feeling after all. Despite a majority of them not quite showing any Eastern origins, in appearance alone.

His thought process was interrupted soon as a particularly familiar scent was detected. On cue, the Sinese turned his head to see who it was; face immediately lighting up -- a smile forming as he recognized the new company to appear. "Hey, Rania!" He greeted, fang suggested between his parting lips. Having come to identify people based on their scent would be a lot more disturbing when put into context that the one he'd be dealing with, was a woman he found particularly attractive. Perhaps almost creepy. Though the thought retained in the back of his mind, he'd chose to focus on the pleasantry of a friend's surprise visit instead.

...Huh. When did he memorize her signature smell though? How'd he pull it out of subconscious like that?

Last he'd seen her, she was about to move away from her apartment in Marigold. It appears that on her travels, Rania has ended up in the same place he had in his own. "Funny how we both ended up in the same place, huh. We should have gone together if we already set sights on the same spot!" He jested. Setting his elbow on the table and leaning his head upon his hand, the Sinese peered just a little closer as the woman took a seat by his table. A pleasant lunch at a Joyan restaurant with Rania. There was only one missing component for this to be quite the deja-vu.

He couldn't help but laugh at her apparent excitement. Jan Ren could only hope to assume what she went through that made her that giddy. Still, it was certainly cute. "I've really only arrived here this week," he explained; "though it's about high time I've left Marigold to see the world, haha." Ever since arriving in Fiore, the young man had only been to a few cities. Despite his long stay, he's seen so little. There was an entire country left to discover!

If Rania was here in Hosenka, that means she must have passed through Hargeon as well. ...Well, presumably so anyway. "Running into you is always a nice surprise, Rania." He complimented; "Though seems like you've gone quite the way to get here. I can trust you got admitted to the guild by now, right?"

In her excitement, the Paladin lost her breath for a moment, and gracefully whipped out a beautiful, adorned fan to refresh herself a bit. Ironically, that fan had been a gift from one of their guild mates, whom she’d been on many adventures with during the short time Rania had been a part of Blue Pegasus. “We must be like-minded people,” she suggested and her lips twisted into a sweet smile. Jan Ren was an oddball, but a likable person and she very much enjoyed his presence. There was something very shallow about his persona however, and she yearned to learn more about who he truly was and the things he was capable of.

When Jan Ren asked about the guild, the healer’s expression turned thoughtful and she looked up into the sky, wondering where to start her story. "Actually, yes.” Rania turned to the side ever so slightly, showing off the guild tattoo on her left upper arm. “It simply showed up at some point, while I was still in Marigold. I received a letter from the guild shortly after, in which I was instructed to take on a quest in the north together with a fellow member,” she proceeded to explain and took a proper seat once again. The server came over, and Rania quickly ordered a glass of lemonade while requesting more time to make a choice for her meal. She wasn’t that hungry, but with Jan Ren around it was the perfect opportunity to dine together and catch up.

She paused for a moment, thinking about how many things had already changed in such a short span of time. Joining a guild had truly switched up the pace of her life, but Rania was grateful for the new opportunities. “I haven’t been to Hargeon yet,” she continued slowly and took a sip from her lemonade the moment their drinks arrived. The Paladin was thirsty, and strangely excited to be having this conversation right now. “But I do plan on visiting soon, after I’m done here.” Hosenka City was beautiful, entertaining and very busy. Rania found herself doing something different every single day, failing to grow bored of the joyan-inspired metropolis. That, and the company she’s been enjoying made her feel all the more welcome at a place that felt so much like the homeland she’d never been to.

“But enough about me,” she interrupted herself and put both hands on the table. Rania gave Jan Ren her meekest smile and leaned over to suggest curiosity and interest in what he had to say. “What have you been up to?” She could have asked him what he wanted in Hosenka in particular, but Rania already had made the assumption that he came here because it was reminiscent of the part of the world where he originally came from.

That fan was a new addition; nothing he'd recognized on her persona before. A rather simple fan, appearing a tad bit out of place with her appearance and impression; though seemingly a useful one. Jan Ren wasn't going to judge her on that, but wondered when and where she'd got it. Must have been in Hosenka for a tad longer than he had. Though the next segment was much more stimulating, warranting an unavoidable reaction from the Sinese; "Oh??" Taken slightly aback, eyebrows raised in surprise; understandably, as -- "I was sure you needed the official stamp to get admitted. That's, really odd! --No, I mean, congratulations! (?)" He gave his confused verdict. That was the way he was admitted in, that is; and apparently many others were of the same procedure. This, was new. Was it possible that Alisa was listening in on him the entire time??

...It wasn't out of the question. A chill-inducing thought.

"Heeeh... Off the bat, you got a special request to join another member, huh." The young man revised, looking still into her eyes; stopping briefly to finish his glass of water as it had just been refilled. "I see, I see. Even as a novice in a guild, you're still quite busy, huh." He said, smiling at her; recalling her rather 'hectic' schedule between hospitals and nursery work. It raised a certain line of thought; though he's traveled over Earthland over the course of a year, Jan Ren himself hasn't done much in his personal progression's way. Not that he didn't want to, he simply... Didn't. And here there was Rania, who despite recently coming to change her entire lifestyle simply by getting admitted into Blue Pegasus, still found herself traveling through cities and joining another member in a request, or more. She's been deemed occupied, but relaxed in a way too. By contrast to his relatively stagnant way of living... Some things just don't change.

He'd better shift into proper gear too.

For the moment, the Sinese would have to put aside his unexpectedly growing feelings of jealousy towards this entirely unknown individual. It wouldn't have helped him to fess over whoever it was she went on a mission with, seeing how it could be quite literally anyone in the guild. He simply didn't win the lottery this time... But it was still an annoying thought.

And alas, it was time to talk about himself. "Me?" He paused for a moment; "Well, uhh." --Nothing important. --Would be what he'd wanted to say, but. It'd be a lie. While not much has happened in Hosenka itself so far, besides getting to know a fellow member of the guild (an awfully childish one at that); plenty had happened elsewhere. Right before he'd left Marigold... But where to start? "Since you're now officially part of the guild, I suppose I can share. I've actually had a talk with Master Alisa, and am to attempt establishing a relationship with Penumbral Guard!" He boasted, chest sticking out as his smile turned proud; almost smirking. Exhaling from his nose in satisfaction. "You remember them, right? The guild Masami comes from." While he was oblivious to their general reputation, Jan Ren was under solid impression they weren't bad people, at least. With the previously-mentioned Imp blond among their ranks, as well as a couple two werewolves he'd met, the foreigner's experience with the guild in question were pleasant, to summarize.

"Feels rather nice, you know?" He explained, eyes shifting from the woman as his bowl of noodles had just arrived; "I'm barely a new addition to Blue Pegasus myself... And yet, Master was willing to let me try something of that caliber. Honestly, I can't wait to see who their Master is! Let's hope all goes well." Setting aside the glaring elephant in the room, that being said Master's sudden raise in bounty. Still, Jan Ren assumed honest excitement, obviously looking forward to this attempt at diplomacy. It might just come off as a tad pretentious, though he'd trusted not to see him in such light. In fact, it was perhaps because it was Rania he'd conversed with, that he could so openly display pure thrill like so.

"Oh, I know." He suddenly started, briefly straying off-subject; "To celebrate you joining us, allow me to pay for your order. It's my treat!" Again. Seems sharing food and drinks was a common trope between these two. "Feel free to order whatever you'd like!"

With that in mind, the Sinese had refrained from as much as touching his plate; chopsticks still laid by its side, resting atop the black stand. It's in common manners to wait for your company to begin eating first. He wouldn't mind if his own food had gotten cold, especially with how apparently hot this noon time was.

Jan Ren appeared to be taken aback by the idea that Rania had joined the guild on her own terms, somehow missing out on a number of important steps throughout the process. “I know it’s odd, but it works for me,” said the woman, giving off a simple shrug. “I suppose magic works in mysterious ways?” It was a light-hearted situation, but her guild mate’s concern made her think that she should stop by Port Hargeon as soon as possible, just to make sure everything was in order. He pointed out how busy she still was, and Rania couldn’t help but agree – ever since joining Blue Pegasus her life had been rather hectic, and she’d been going back and forth between places, traveling half the country in a span of a few weeks. It was fun, but she was feeling a sense of exhaustion inching closer, soon to settle in.

Rania’s magic had always been the focus of her work; as a healer, there were plenty of things to do and she had never run out of jobs. As a mage, the focus of Rania’s job lay somewhere else entirely, but she would be lying if she said that it wasn’t at least a little bit similar to what the Paladin had been doing previously. Rania would have happily told more stories about her travels with Kenzo, and how they had fought a pack of werewolves (!!!) residing in the Sieghart Mountains, but Jan Ren seemed to have dismissed that part of their conversation, and the woman was happy to hear about how her friend had been doing instead.

He spoke about a guild she had already heard of, albeit sparsely. Penumbral Guard was located in Marigold Town, but even though Rania had spent so much time in the village itself, she hadn’t had any encounters with members of the guild – minus Masami, that is. It seemed that their guild hall was located far off from the actual town, and without actually traveling there it was impossible to spot it. Rania hadn’t shown much interest in guilds, and even joining Blue Pegasus had been more of a spontaneous act, therefore it wasn’t really significant that this name meant nothing to her. During their conversation Rania noticed how happy he seemed to be, and she softly smiled back at him every time their eyes locked.

“I hope your negotiations with Penumbral Guard go well, Jan Ren.”

Rania heard the pride in his voice, and how satisfied he was – the whole ordeal made him happy, and that was enough for her. The Paladin had never been much into politics herself, far less guild politics and she figured that for future references, at the very least she could learn a lot from her guild mate. To celebrate the situation, Jan Ren offered to pay for her meal and Rania gratefully accepted. She ordered Ramen and longingly stared at the kitchen and its waitress until the meal arrived. “Much obliged,” she thanked her friend and gave him a nod before digging in. Both joyan and sinese cuisine never failed to deliver, and for a few moments Rania was entirely caught up in her meal. She didn’t look like it, but she was quite the voracious eater.

"Honestly,” she eventually continued the conversation while munching away. “I came to Hosenka to rewind and relax a little bit, but quests and missions have been keeping me busy. Apparently you never run out of things to do as a guild mage,” she explained and a grin spread across her face. Again, Rania was pretty happy with how things were going for her, but it did make her think of something she’d previously always forgotten to ask about. “Oh, by the way – I never asked you this, but what type of magic do you specialize in?” Since he knew exactly the type of magic Rania was involved with, the Paladin figured it would only be fair to ask.

At her mention, he couldn't help but ponder. Having come to learn firsthand that magic worked in ways beyond one's comprehension, oddly tying to a later section of this very post. It wasn't complete nonsense for the symbol to appear on Rania at some point, and he would vouch for any way the healer could be admitted to their ranks. He simply found it, different. Expectantly so. "Hmmm." He took another moment to think about it. Seems all was timed rather well, and so -- "It sure does!" He'd arrived at the conclusion, laughing some at the final word. If she'd been admitted remotely and sent out on a mission right away, so be it. Alisa, or some executive, must have watched and deemed it a worthy course of action. ...That, or the universe just meshed a bunch of chances together.

Her support served a solid confidence boost. He hadn't expected much else from the woman, having taken the impression of a caring friend off her; proven right on several occasions. Though if all it took was a friend's word to rile the Sinese up, he'd haven't been as complacent as he has, as of late. That said, "Yeah. Thanks, Rania!" he attributed something particularly special in Rania's case. Beyond friendship, perhaps due to her attitude and mayhaps because of her attractive appearance. Whichever the case, it was an unknown fact that Jan Ren had assigned a unique spot for the girl in his circle of friends. Motivated enough to get negotiations under way as it was, with her simple attention the young man was raring to go even further.

He'd prove his worth not just to Master Alisa and Blue Pegasus; but also to Rania, who was now a definite part to benefit from potentially well-established relationships.

This wouldn't be the first time Jan Ren had watched her feast. Once her own bowl of ramen had arrived, the Sinese respectfully clasped his hands together, chopsticks hung in between them as he began digging in; making the occasional attempt at conversation (mentally either way), eyeing his company as she treated herself to her meal. With a simple chuckle, he let it go and focused on his own dish; brushing a hanging strand of hair behind his left ear here and there, as it somewhat got in the way. As opposed to the mockery-of-a-restaurant in Marigold, this one felt a lot more authentic from the feel, to the design, furniture and most importantly, the food. While still having a twist that differentiated the dish from its original Sinese variant, Jan Ren wasn't displeased this time. In fact, he would applaud the chef if given the opportunity. Well done, my friend. Well done.

Still would have been nice to taste something akin to home.

...Meal end. As expected of the ever-diligent Paladin, her lifestyle didn't allow for much leeway in the form of relaxation. Despite her testimony to such attempts, it was understandable that her's was not an easy path to take. Indulging in leisure, that is. Eye twitching once in the lightest of spasms as the woman mentioned the never-ending tasks of a guild wizard. "It's very much like you to stay busy, heheh..." He jested, leaning back against his chair as a sweatdrop rolled down the side of his head (thankfully concealed behind a mass of hair), laughing off the apparent workload -- hiding some frustration behind that smile. Because for him... Jobs were to be hunted. That, and the young man was more prone to refusals, apparently. In short, he was far lazier than she was, and it hit him like a boomerang. "If you really wanted, why not take a couple of days off?" He suggested, head tinged to the side slightly as his palm opened towards the woman in a friendly, suggesting motion. Laying off a simple option. "Hosenka is perfect for taking it easy. I haven't even been here a week and I can already tell. Apparently, there's this one district that's permanently in festivity... And if that's not up your alley, you could always just take a tour to the hot springs."

...Smirk. Sideways glance. "...Yeah, the hot springs..." Quit fantasizing, Jan Ren. This is no time to dwell in imagination!!

"--Oh, I specialize in--... ..." While his starting reply appeared as nonchalant and easy-going as one would expect, he was cut off by sudden confusion on his part; frozen in place as his expression turned progressively baffled. "...Uhh..." Well, this is embarrassing. A wizard that can't answer a simple question like that about his magic. "I don't, know." Eyebrows furrowed deeply, mouth forced and struggling to keep the grin on his face, eyes widened and staring straight into the female's matching green's. Despite gaining sufficient experience in the ways of acting in Marigold, Jan Ren had failed to assume proper position in the given instance. Soon, his head dropped as he scratched rather aggressively at the back of his head.

"I was a proficient Water Magic user... I knew that much naturally, everybody did. And suddenly I wake up to realize I can't cast any of my spells anymore..." Oh my. This is getting awfully stressful in thought. "...What's more, my nose's been acting up intensely, and I can suddenly use Earth elemental magic..." Normally, that'd be a good thing. But bound to bamboozle an unaware soul like himself. He looked up to Rania, body language that's been kept so refined and welcoming up to now, closing in that simple exchange. Back hunched, no longer smiling he looked straight into her eyes again. "I, don't know!" He admitted again, more decisively this time.

Realizing what he's been portraying, the Sinese halted in place for a moment before once again fixing himself; coughing into his knuckle as he shut his eyes, picking up his once-more-refilled glass of water and chugging its entire contents down in barely a second -- uncharacteristically of his persona which had emphasized manners rather obviously up to now. "...It's been, complicated in this past week." So much for nothing going on. "Have you ever encountered a case like that? As a healer, I mean."

”Oh, I already familiarized myself with the Starlight Parade and the hot springs,” said Rania, snickering when she took notice of Jan Ren emphasizing the existence of bath houses. The Paladin spent the greater amount of time she’d been in Hosenka City exploring the different neighborhoods, eventually coming to the conclusion that everything was rather cozy, with a pinch of mystique and excitement. Furthermore, the woman wasn’t so naïve as to not notice his attempts at flirtation, but Rania was a simple-hearted girl and played it off as playful banter rather than something that could potentially turn into a more serious entanglement.

A warm summer breeze got caught in her long hair, and she quickly grabbed her braided ponytail and threw it over her shoulder, where it couldn’t get into the way of her meal.

She bit down onto a meatball and with relish chewed on the juicy bit of food, all while mindfully listening to Jan Ren’s stories. He appeared to be excited about his task; a motivated person, who acted casual when it came to completing the duty. Rania’s impression of Jan Ren was simple: she took him for someone who was very passionate about a lot of things, but easily fell of the moment those situations became a tad bit more serious. The Paladin couldn’t help but wonder why he’d left Marigold to go on vacation in Hosenka when clearly he had to continue negotiations with Penumbral Guard – a guild located in Marigold. But how the black haired man did things was none of Rania’s business, and so she let him be.

Instead, Rania took a hold of the glass of coke she’d ordered, brought it up to her lips and greedily sipped on the sweet, sugary syrup. It was utterly unhealthy and absolutely delicious – she honestly couldn’t get enough of that stuff. Their conversation continued, and eventually moved over to a more interesting, albeit serious topic: magic. Both, Rania and Jan Ren were mages of very different caliber, with widely varying skillsets and even though the two Blue Pegasus members were friends at this point, Rania knew nothing of what her comrade was capable of. The things he told her about himself didn’t seem to make a lot of sense at first, but she listened carefully. At the end of it Rania’s brows had furrowed and she put her chopsticks down onto the edge of the bowl after having finished her ramen.

“I have never heard of a case like that,” she admitted, baffled by what he’d just said. Jan Ren claimed that he’d been affiliated with the element of water (a perfectly valid claim in her mind), only to wake up one day having lost his powers and gained new ones relating to the element of earth. Not only was earth entirely different, it also wasn’t as common nor easy to control. She looked up to him, her emerald eyes locking with his, and once he finished explaining what he couldn’t explain, Rania flashed him an encouraging smile.

“Well, I’m sure I can fix your nose,” she began, assuming that it was a simple medical issue. “And as for your magic, why don’t we go ahead and try it out? Just to see what you are capable of? You can hurl some spells at me and perhaps we can get to the bottom of whatever it is you are going through?” It was a simple suggestion, and hopefully it would help his case. That aside, Rania was very confident in her abilities and she was certain that in this situation it was better to actually do something as opposed to sitting around and overthinking it.

“What do you think? We could go right now, if you have nothing else planned for today.”

...He had an assumption brewing in his mind. Having traveled around the world before and still lacking in familiarity with a case like his, Jan Ren had come to guess that the healer wouldn't have much of a sufficient answer to his condition either. Which was affirmed true, much unfortunately, at her comment. He wore a perplexed expression; because of course you didn't hear about it. "Ahh... I could really just hope." He laid the comment, slouching a tad at disappointment. In the first place, it wasn't of proper etiquette to lay all his hopes on his friend. He could rely on her and had hoped she'd provide some insight to his problem's origin; though he'd never expected her to stand up and attempt to solve it for him. Despite, the idea being nice in theory.

...Scratch that. He'd chastise at himself heavily for even thinking that.

When it came to his usage with magic, the Sinese had grown far too accustomed to Water Magic prior to this replacement, and with a big part of his capabilities all but gone, he'd grown considerably insecure. To a wizard, their magic would act like a signature to the public eye. In a guild like Blue Pegasus, already renowned for its reputation -- that was all the more important; and for Jan Ren who had recently gained some fame, it turned all the more troubling. His identity was never tied to the magic much, but now his hard-built reputation was at stake; that is to say, the first instance the Sinese would find himself having to fend against someone, it would become apparent that he couldn't step up to the task. If he would be caught like that by a stranger, it'd soil his good name, and possibly even label him a fraud. Yeah, anything but that, please.

"A-Ahh, I should have explained myself better there." Jan Ren added in regards to her offer, leaning back some as he straightened his chest again, dismissively waving a palm by his face in defenselessness. "My sense of smell's never been that developed... And all of a sudden I can use it to track things. I can differentiate scents a lot more clearly out of the blue too..." The young man laid, hoping not to insinuate anything overly-creepy. After all, he identified Rania first by her signature smell before he even looked at her, and only then affirmed her company by turning to see her. This on itself was a feat he'd never dreamed of doing before.

Her next suggestion was, disturbing to him; naturally. Oh yeah, I've never even mentioned that I haven't grown accustomed to this magic just yet... As opposed to Rania's concealed, yet hinted confidence in her abilities, Jan Ren held none of such. His physique alone might have developed, but his magic was inefficient at that point. "T-Try it out, you say..." He started, a sheepish smile plastered over his face as he for once, averted his gaze away from the woman; scratching lightly at his cheek. "I don't think I can try anything out right now." He admitted; "As I am of this moment, I can barely use the basics of the basics." Not much humility, as much as it was in avoidance.

Truth be told, even if the opponent was a friend. Even if it was Rania, who he attributed more to healing rather than fighting. Jan Ren hated pain, and was admittedly fearful. Stripped and now without his specialty, he'd resort to cower if required to avoid endangering himself. In that regard, unbeknownst to him, she and him had different completely. Having barely talked to the Paladin in small talk so far, he never knew about her tendencies on the battlefield; despite the hint being there through their previous meeting. He never knew about her adventurous sides, nor about her capabilities as a wizard. Yes, they friends for sure, but both had lacked sufficient knowledge regarding the other.

"...But," There was, of course, another factor at play. A factor which ensured that even the cowardly Jan Ren would become self-aware enough to remove his submissive body language progressively, emerald eyes making their way back to lock with the woman's in-front. "I'd be willing to try at least. It'll be a good opportunity to see your skill as well." While reasoned with an honestly interested excuse, Jan Ren's true reasoning laid in impression. That is to say, if the female was willing to take the challenge, simply being handicapped and scared is no reason to decline. If the opportunity to show off in-front of her presented itself, he would take the bait. Besides, losing out on the option to take the risk would just lower his value further; both as a man and as a mage.

That's just how Jan Ren is.

"Very well. Let's go." Promptly, the Sinese had ordered the check and soon enough, the waiter had delivered. After the bill was paid, while the Sinese was still steeling himself mentally he had made a point to stand before the woman to rile himself to go. "We'd best find a field to go. I think I have some place in mind." It will happen, magic or no magic.

Though, "You've mentioned teaming up with a fellow member of the guild, right Rania?" thankfully there was some time to fill before reaching a secluded and open enough spot for the two to run amock. A skirmish between mages wasn't something that could simply happen in the middle of the streets without collateral damage, something the Sinese gladly avoided -- aligning with Blue Pegasus' policies. That said, there was some more room to converse before getting down to business. And now that he had filled her in about himself a bit, it was high time he'd asked. "I'd believe I know most high-ranked wizards in the guild by now. Who was it? How did the mission go?"

Rania was an empath, with a deep understanding of emotions and feelings. And Rania could tell that this sudden development made Jan Ren feel uneasy, perhaps even putting him into a state of discontent. When he elaborated on his sense of smell, the half-joyan unintentionally arched a brow; she couldn’t help herself, it just sounded silly. “You mean,” she said, searching for words that didn’t sound so off-putting, “like a dog?” In the end, Rania was straight-forward with Jan Ren, albeit knowing that her words might possibly put him into a state of distress – he was dramatic like that after all.

The Paladin’s mind went back into the near past, recounting the days she’d spent with Kenzo Valens in the Sieghart Mountains, hunting down werewolves and protecting villagers from being devoured by those beasts. Lycanthropes were known for their excellent sense of smell, but Rania doubted that Jan Ren was anything like that. He was too delicate to be of wolven descent. Having already finished her meal, the woman took another sip from her sugary soda and licked her lips with relish. “Thank you for the meal,” she said and smiled sweetly at the dark haired man.

Her eyes watched him keenly, and she was always aware when he was struggling to say the right thing and when thoughts cluttered his mind. It was certainly odd to simply wake up one day and enjoy an enhanced sense of smell, but the woman didn’t necessarily think of this as something negative. “It could be rather useful,” she finally stated, after having made up her mind. “That nose of yours, I mean.” As long as it still worked at all, she didn’t see a need for change. Much to Rania’s delight the Blue Pegasus mage (after some obvious hesitation) agreed to join her in a spontaneous training session – something the woman herself had yet to compete in, at least in the company of others. When Jan Ren paid for the meal, she complimented the waitress and the kitchen staff for their excellent work before the couple departed the restaurant and headed for an area more suited for their plans. Rania’s grip around her scepter tightened, and for a moment she felt an odd sense of excitement.

The Paladin was more than just a healer after all.

“If anything goes wrong, I can always heal the two of us,” she reminded him. “Besides, nothing will come out of nothing. If you don’t start practicing eventually, you’ll never know what you are capable of.” She gave him an encouraging smile as they headed down the road, to a more desolated spot. Her ears perked up when Jan Ren asked about whom she’d gone onto a mission with, and Rania was happy to tell her story. “His name is Kenzo Valens.” Her expression became a little dreamy the moment she said his name, and a genuine smile spread into her lips. “He’s this really big guy, with bright blue hair and a golden sword. We travelled to the Sieghart Mountains together, where we saved a village from a pack of werewolves,” she announced proudly, thinking back to those days fondly.

“I don’t think he’s a wizard though,” Rania concluded as she looked up into the sky in a thoughtful manner. “The mission went really well though, werewolves are no match for me.” Proudly holding up her staff, Rania’s words were followed by a soft giggle and a smile that was somewhere between prideful and comical – she wasn’t really taking herself too serious at this point, and neither should he.

...Like a dog. Contrast to the Paladin's idea, Jan Ren's mind jumped to the first 'dog' he properly got acquainted with -- that being their very own guild's Raymus. ...So does that mean he and that barbarian of a wolf are on the same level now?? ---Hardly. "Well..." Side-eyeing to his left, a rather bemused yet defeated smirk took its place over his face at her remark. If it was for general idea, "More or less, yes." then she was right on the money. That said, never did the young man consider himself to have as keen a sense as a canine. He was still getting accustomed to it, too; there was no contest between him and a native user, that's for sure.

Despite her positive view and attempt at cheering him up, Jan Ren's mind remained cooped up in his own sense of misery and melancholy. What he knew was no longer there and one required some sufficient time to adapt to such a drastic change, and when allowed none of it, it may have made the adapting period much faster; but at the same time strengthened the mental blow to peaking levels. Not to say he wasn't delighted to receive proper feedback from this girl, or that he'd dismissed whatever she had to say. On the contrary; the Sinese listened intently to every word she spoke and took each to proper consideration, discerning (or rather assigning) hidden meaning at his own discretion. She'd claim it to be useful, perhaps she could already think of a good use for it. Or maybe she thought of something else his newfound sense of smell could be used for, and whatever that is... Even I'm not sure. Rania's pep talk did cause his body language to shift more into proper confidence; instead of taking it as a scolding, as a depressed man often would, he accepted it with pride; chest puffed slightly as the duo walked to find a proper spot. If it was Rania's word, it surely leaves a bigger mark, it appears.

Her next segment warranted a solid mental pout from the Sinese however; portrayed outward in a gradually faked smile as Jan Ren made conscious effort not to show his true thoughts -- despite forming an idea of how unfairly perceptive Rania was. "Huh." He uttered, trying to imagine for himself what their mission had looked like; omitting the existence of the described swordsman altogether from his vision. Y'know. For his own sake. "A pack of werewolves??" Probably malicious or rabid werewolves then. One of his best friends being of similar race in the first place, raised some doubts in his mind regarding how dangerous the mission truly was. He had his... Disturbingly vast experience dealing with this kind. "Must have been quite the ride I'm guessing." He assumed, still attempting to form proper mental image matching her description.

"Just the two of you together, against a whole pack... I must say, I'm impressed, Rania." He admitted, expression turning once more to genuine support; "You do prove yourself awfully capable every time we meet, don't you. I certainly wouldn't be surprised by this point if Master decided to grant you the S-rank title!" He jested, following with a light chuckle and a friendly thumbs-up. How... Peculiar, however. For a man supposedly not a wizard to join a wizard's guild. If anything, Jan Ren's biased mind immediately dismissed this 'Kenzo Valens' person as an irrelevant force in their guild. That said... If he managed to keep up with and support Rania's quest, perhaps he had some decent skill. Maybe.

"Really?" He asked, laying off the playful approach as he thought to himself; continuing with wonder after her words. "For a non-magic user to be admitted to a wizard's guild..." With all the above present; there was also the possibility that, "Perhaps he simply wasn't showing his magic off right there." But that... Would speak to how powerful he is as an individual. And that was a hypothesis the Sinese had preferred not to believe-- "Much like Master." --but could never ignore, for the sake of "honorable sincerity."

Well, drat. Maybe this guy was actually strong.

Shortly after their walk had began, through the while idle chat presented as the Sinese had calmed himself mentally and prepared himself to most likely make a complete fool of himself... The two mages had arrived at a sufficient clearing. "Ah. We're here finally." --Though you figured that out by now, have you not? Naturally, she should have, he'd thought; after all, with the ever-booming and blooming Hosenka's nigh-omnipresent presence of crowds, finding a secluded area was as tough as they come. This in turn, left awfully few areas open, made all the more difficult a search in broad daylight like this. And this particular field happened to be one such special area, grassy terrain filling the ground to the brim as few Cherry Blossom trees were present all around; not a building in immediate sight and barely another couple in their vicinity.

Between stone and wooden architecture and dress codes to customs, the city's Joyan code of conduct manifested itself in everything. Such stretched, as it turns out, even to its outskirts; and only further into the field was sufficient to lose even the single couple unwelcomingly presented -- just far enough for the unique trees to stop abruptly, replaced with... Greenery. Grass stretching from one such batch of cherry blossom trees to a small break of a couple good meters, before a seemingly misplaced oak tree served as the vanguard for the change in scenery -- several others seen not too far back from it.

"There will be no one to interfere around here." Jan Ren stated, turning to Rania fully with his form as he offered a rather modest smile. "I doubt we'd serve any danger, but we'd best be on our toes for any onlookers or visitors if we get the chance." The Sinese added, looking away and over his shoulder, as if checking to make sure none followed them (or even less fortunately, stumbled upon their place).

The young man began taking a good distance from the Paladin, walking backwards as his steps nearly skipped through; left hand quick to unbutton his fancy red shirt, as by the third step and the mark of at least twenty meters away from the woman, he had removed it from his form -- tossing it into the air smoothly in one fell swoop. "(Relax.)" His face tensed some, eyebrows furrowed as his torso was now bare in-front of the girl; probably, about to get his ass handed to him. Entering a stance, he proceeded to psyche himself into proper gear, breathing deeply in -- then out. Chest puffed and deflated with his breathing.

Legs soon planted firmly onto the ground as his knees bent some, placing his feet at shoulder width; left foot on the front as his weight was shifted to his right thigh. Back kept barely hunched; left arm raised to shoulder width and stretched outward, bent slightly at the elbow as his right arm was kept much closer to his form -- also at sufficient height, just above his right breast. Both palms readied and open, prepared; Jan Ren had entered his personally favored fighting stance.

"Now. Come."

Stats: