There are times in which one can just feel so angry and stressed, sometimes without any reason at all. Sometimes people just wake up angry and irritable, and it can be disastrous for anyone caught in the wake of it. It happens to everyone. There are very few people in this world without such an experience. It was that kind of thing that made us all the same. However, it also made us all different. While everyone might experience this randomly occurring, perfectly natural phenomenon, it was also true that many different people dealt with it in many different ways.

This was, of course, also true for Kazumi. She woke up on this day feeling very tense. It was like the last soda can in the fridge that had been shaken up. She was ready to absolutely explode on anyone who crossed her. Now, while something like this was particularly uncharacteristic of her, it was perhaps for that very reason that she felt the way that she did. After all, in being cheerful and optimistic, the misery of day to day life had to ho SOMEWHERE. Perhaps today was the day in which all of her negativity reserves were overflowing. Such negative energy had to be let out, as on might imagine. Keeping them bottled up inside would surely be unhealthy of the young crystal mage. Already she could feel the random stress building up, conglomerating within her throat. What an awful feeling it was. What made it worse was that everything seemed to be against her today. It was unbearably hot, due to her fan breaking as she would soon find out, she could not find any of her hair ties as they seemed to be hiding as they are want to do, and so on as the small little annoyances gathered into one big bad day, before the day had truly even begun.

This beings us to our coping mechanisms. Everyone has one, whether they are particularly beneficial or not. For Kazumi, she felt the need to attack something. She could already feel her arm muscles spasming as she tried to keep her arms from punching through a wall at every little annoyance. Of course, since she was, in fact, a good person, she knew that randomly hurting anyone or anything around her was probably not a good idea, and that internal conflict only stressed her out even more. It was for that reason she had decided to go to the guild today. Perhaps she could find some sort of request from someone who had more of an offensive job. She figured that maybe taking down some actual bad guys would make her feel better. Up until now, with an exception of a job in Era, she had only really taken requests for some odd jobs. Sometimes it wouldn’t even be a proper request through the guild. She would just help whoever asked her to. Well, for now she figured it was the best time to start taking requests with more Action.

Getting dressed, she nudged a sleepy Kira awake. The little fox had only been part of the Kiseki family for a few days or so, but already Kazumi didn’t want to go anywhere without her.  Kazumi had been tired of having adventures and doing jobs by herself, even though she really tried to make friends with the people in her guild. Everyone just seemed to like to do their own thing, which was of course perfectly fine. It was just that Kazumi hated to be by herself for too long. For that reason, she had gone to the pet store the other day and found a Creature called a Vulpix. She was an adorable fox with multiple tails and the more precious smile. Kazumi had to have her, it was like destiny. Since then, Kazumi had spent time to bond with her, taking her out with her wherever she went. Today would be no different.

The sleepy fox looked up at the crystal maker, yawning and starting to get up. “Hey Kira, ready to start the day?” Kazumi asked, trying her best to not show the poor animal her anger. After all, Kira had nothing to do with it. Kira did, however, agree with Kazu about going out, as indicated by her happy sounds and sudden energy, running around the young woman’s feet. Such an adorable site had to put a smile on Kazu’s face, even in her foul mood from getting up on the wrong side of the bed. She crouched down, giggling as she picked Kira up to give her a hug. Of course, Kira was naturally very warm, so the cuddle was short lived. “Alrighty then,” said Kazumi as she put the furry little fox down, “Let’s go out then. I need to go to the guild hall today.”

On the bright side, the sun was out and shining today. Ranted, it was shining in Kazumi’s face for most of the journey and it was heating up everything around her, but if she kept focusing on the negatives, she would never feel better. At least someone was happy. Kira was bouncing with every step she took next to Kazu, no doubt enjoying herself in the sun. Watching her happy movements, Kazumi felt calmer, though to rid herself of how frustrated life decided to make her today she would have to let all of her emotions out properly.

The duo reached the guild hall as was routine, and Kazumi wade her way to the request board, not bothering to say hello to anybody; not today. She went to the C rank quests looking for something less mundane than normal, and pulled the first one she saw off the board, committing herself to whatever she would find on the flyer. So what was on the flyer? A request for help getting rid of a peeping tom at the Magnolia bathhouse. How perfect. Bow she would be able to let her frustrations out on the lowest form of absolute Scum.

The walk to the bath house was a bit longer than Kazumi would have liked, but there was no arguing that it was faster than it had been last time she had made the trip. While she still had to consult her map from time to time to make sure she was not getting anything wrong or getting lost, she had a general idea of where she was going this time, as opposed to going in almost completely blind just like last time. This made it so that when she walked into the facility today, she felt a sense of progress and accomplishment, which was. Nice contrast to her day so far.

Upon entry however, the Fairy Tail wizard was faced with immediate resistance. “Excuse me, the women’s bath is closed.” A booming voice came from the front desk. It was Bella Missandra, owner of the bathhouse, getting up to confront the twin tailed girl, or rather, her fox.  “Furthermore, animals are not allowed here.” Kazumi looked down at Kira, who was hiding behind Kazu’s legs from The crazy lady, and then she looked back at Bella. Clearly the woman did not recognize her. “Uhm, Hi, I’m here from Fairy Tail? Kazumi Kiseki, I helped you pass out Fliers before. This is my Partner Kira. We’re here to solve your peeping problem.”
“You helped me before, did you? I don’t recall.” Kazumi wanted nothing more than to tell this woman off, but she held back. She’s the client, she’s the client, Kazu thought to herself as Bella continued. “Well if you are here from the guild, it took you long enough. Closing the Women’s bath is bad for business, you know.” She began to walk, leading Kazu and Kira to the closed off bath. “Do what you want just make sure you catch this guy.”

Kazumi decided that the best course of action would be a stakeout. She sat at one of the lounge chairs in the shade of a tree, hoping that the peeping tom would show up soon. However, ‘soon’ was not something that would happen, much to Kazu’s dismay and utter boredom. Instead, the stakeout would have her waiting until evening, leaving her with absolutely nothing to do. She grew impatient fast. Even Kira got tired and eventually fell asleep under the lounge chair. She supposed it made sense, most of the reports DID say that the women were spied on during the evening. Still, didn’t make it less annoying. Of course, she did eventually find the man. Coming from the tree she was under, Kazumi heard a voice go “huh? Where is everybody?” This was actually pretty surprising. When fid he even get up there without Kazumi noticing, and without noticing Kazumi? She stood up, throwing a crystal kunai upward at where the voice came from. Next thing she knew, she heard a “Woah!” And a man with strange blue hair and binoculars fell out of the tree, waking Kira in the process. “So,” Kazumi started, “You like to stare at naked women, huh?”

The strange man scrambled to his feet, stepping back, but not seeming to have any intention of leaving. Kazumi Continued. “Look, dude— what’s your name?” She was met with silence, the man no longer wanting to speak. “Not talking? That’s fine. I’ll just call you Liam. Look, Liam. I did not have the best of days today, and so I’m really, really mad now. What’s more, Liam, is that you made me wait here, all day, with nothing to do but more waiting. So I suggest you surrender peacefully, before I’m forced to release all of my frustrations out on you. Got that? Liam?” Kazumi stood at the ready, unsheathing her sword. Kira stood next to her on the lounge chair, crouched down low as if ready to pounce. ‘Liam’, as Kazumi had decided to call the man, looked scared for a moment, but he knew he was trapped within the walls of the bath now. His only options were to surrender or fight. With a determined face, he put up his fists. He wasn’t going anywhere. “Excellent.”

The attack started on the side of Justice, with both Kira and Kazu casting a low level spell to catch the man off guard. It happened as a coincidence, but Kazumi would have to make a note of it as a strategy for the future. What had happened was, Kazumi pointed her sword at the man, commanding a small unit of butterflies into existence, the flying insects immediately moving to swarm the man’s head. Simultaneously, the fire fox dashed at the guy with an open mouth of flame, chomping down on his left shin. As a reflex, the man was batting away the butterflies whist also involuntarily jerking his leg up In pain. Such unbalance caused him to fall over backwards, landing on his back. Kazumi ran at him, planing to plunge her sword into the ground next to his head to signify she had won. However, the man rolled over before she could pin him down, getting up and back into position. He then took his turn to attack, running at Kazu with a wound up punching arm, but kira stood in the way and ducked, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face. Of course, The crystal mage wasn't gonna let this opportunity go to waste. Throwing down her sword in a quick reaction, kazumi grabbed his arm as he fell, sitting on top of him while twisting it behind his back. “It’s over. We’re done.” Kira stood next to him, threatening him with a fireball starting to form in her mouth. The man looked up, and then laid his head back down in defeat.

That was when Bella and two employees with rope came bursting in. Apparently they had been listening in through the door ever since the commotion started. “Oh thank goodness!” Bella exclaimed, “You caught him!” The two employees took over, tying the man up and leaving to call the authorities. Meanwhile, Miss Missandra handed the wizard a modest bag of jewels. “Here, take this for your help. Also, i am willing to offer a free private bath, filled with special herb for your magic.” Kazumi knew about this bath. She had had it once before. Something like that was sure to lift any remaining stress. “You know what? I would Love that.”

-exit-