Tecka said aloud mimicking his fellow guild member, although his rendition was nothing like he had remembered her to be in person. He scoffed, "Pssh, yeah we can pay with our imaginations." His tone was sarcastic and not at all pleased. Ever since he'd lost the fight, if it could even be called a fight, with his fellow guild member he wasn't in the best of moods. It wasn't even the fact that he had lost the fight. It was the cause of the result, that led to such an eventful and unforeseen outcome. He was weak.

Oak town was...well oak town as per usual. Dirt here, dirt there, and an ounce of innocence leaking through the shrouds of darkness everyone tended to be clouded in. This time around though, everything hadn't seemed so glum. The sun had a nice shine, the wind was calm, and the market was buzzing with customers and salespersons alike. Bargains, deals, sales, oddities, rarities, trinkets, and the like sold together with an everyday need at every stand, like clothes, groceries. It was like he black market of legal things, and it certainly wasn't everyday you would see your magical death-bringing sword sold next to a bakers dozen of freshly laid eggs.

Nonetheless, Tecka made his way past a great sum of stands and stores. The streets, his only way of guiding through the clutter. He wasn't necessarily in a rush but he still had someone he wanted to see, this same someone who had agreed upon going to shop. It didn't cease to amaze him, that despite how much dirt someone could do, they'd still be able to lurk among those who were clean. No matter how much darkness one has welled, there was still just enough room for them to roam the shadows within the light. The black haired young man's eyes swept from street side to street side, with no hesitation trying to separate one singular person's identity from the rest.

This continued for a couple of minutes until he'd seen her frame, and complexion in the glow of the sun. At first his eyes had even gone over her without a second thought until it registered in his brain that he'd found who he was looking for. In a circular ocular motion, his gazed came back around to her general area, spotting her on the bench outside of a store between a few stands for magic shoes.

He strolled towards her, trying his best to sneak up without startling Bodak. Once within a semi-close area, he felt as if it was time to brighten himself up, deciding to play a small prank. With the loudest voice he could muster, he shouted from the direction behind his fellow guild-mate at an attempt of frightening her and gaining her attention "YOOOOOOO, BOOOOOOOOOOOODDAAAAKK!" Though his outside voice wasn't used very often and still needed practice, the yell was good enough to get the job done- conveying depth and spontaneous volume.

After yelling he would walk around to the bench where she had been sitting, purposely looking away from the woman with a blank face before taking a seat and jokingly asking "Did you miss me?" in a much lowered tone. It was quite new and very different, that Tecka would find humor let alone create it in something outside of combat; which would explain why he wasn't very good at it. His jokes would seem very overdone or loud and boisterous to bystanders probably, his thoughts on the topic were based on his preconceived notion from what he's heard of comedy.

It clearly wasn't his strong suit, that lied more so in sarcasm and spiteful negative comments. Change wasn't so bad every once in a while.

Replied Tecka. Though he'd barely known her for very long, the response was expected. He began to shrug, before continuing "I actually haven't eaten in a while either..." Suddenly, Bodak began listing off needs of both of the mages though most of the items more what she needed for whatever mysterious rituals she had planned. The thought of Phantom Lord being a cult in actuality, had sounded reasonable again, more and more so with each item the woman listed off. Just as Tecka had begun to roll his eyes at the thought of obtaining such things with no currency or valuable to exchange, its almost as if Bodak re-rolled his eyes back the opposite way. From her large bag, she unveiled two large sacks presumably with the currency the black haired young man earlier had doubted they would have.

"Aaaannd my suspicions of having joined a cult are back." he mumbled. Listening to her again, or sort of listening-he replied to the woman in short "I thought we were just gonna watch people buy things. But, of course that's not the case. So, where should we start?" Tecka stood, eyeing the nearby store's display signs for something legible that resembled any of what the duo had needed. He hadn't quite remembered what Bodak needed and hoped she would point the way for him to simply follow. If anything he planned on it being quite the adventure.

"Oh hey, guess who lost a fight recently?" he said with a peppy sarcastic tone, not expecting a response that wouldn't match his sarcasm. "By the way-I can vouch, that sort of thing doesn't happen a lot." He finished while staring into a distance away from nearby pursuers of merchandise and normal people. He hadn't wanted to look at them, anyone really. Whenever he did, they had reminded him that he wasn't special, that we was just like them. Deep down, it reminded him that he was weak.

Though possibly being the first time he'd discovered masking his emotions through humor he found it to be short lived and not truly fulfilling for others. He'd more so expected people to laugh at his pain rather than ignore it altogether.

he listened to the woman's words, as they hadn't entirely fallen on deaf ears. With every other word he attempted a nod of semi-attentive response, but deep down he had still be a bit saddened that they wouldn't start with grabbing something to eat. When her questioning had come back around, Tecka replied swiftly, almost as if honor bound "With every bout i've undertaken, and emerged victorious-I've relied solely on the strength provided to me by my own two fists. I guess I thought that having this bit of magic too would make me even better." He paused to briefly reflect on the mistakes he'd made. "I also suppose that's why I lost. Simply underestimating my opponent."

As the last few words had exited his lips, something strange had begun to take place. A silver and black clad woman had just been strolling by and happened to trip over Bodak's shoe. Tecka hadn't truly known what to say, as this girl had dark purple hair with bright purple eyes, quite unlike anything he had every seen before. He wasn't sure whether to say something or remain quite, so he'd gone against his first mind.

"Are you okay?" he replied. The woman had seemed to be focused on Bodak, so it might've been best that he not interfere had they decided to have some kind of ceremonious greeting. He scoffed before mumbling under his breath, "Pssh, Cults."

He agreed with Bodak in wanting to keep moving. He was sure that the woman they'd briefly met was okay. It's not as if the trip she had, was a fatal stumble onto a dagger or into a pit of poisonous spikes..

He began walking from where they were previously towards the nearest street vendor. The first he'd happened upon seemed to have been selling not only food but clothing as well. Also clothing that made food, clothing that was food, and food that was clothing. None of which Tecka felt as if he had the brain power to try and comprehend but all of them having an edible aspect to them increased the amount of appeal for the black haired young man. He would swiftly continue the the next vendor withiut even saying so much as a greeting to the last. This one had sold swords, nothing of interest to him. If anytbing he sould prefer to use his fists.

In his book, that was the manliest a man could get, but tecka did admit somewhere within that swords did have cool aspects about them design wise. He'd continue walking forwards, beginning to speak to Bodak without looking back. "Hey. You must be pretty strong to be able to run this guild by yourself, at least while our acting guild master is out and about. How'd you get that way? Do you even use magic?"

He'd stumble forward a few more steps before trying to sneakily tack on at the end and can we grab something to eat, any more window shopping food and i might start eating my clothes." Tecka was going for about three days so far without food, the last of it lost to a 3year old in a knife fight the other day, but even then he'd gotten off some good hits. Then getting beat by the silver haired boy the other day made him hungry and tired, and had brought back some foggy memories as well. Looking down at his dress attire he remarked aloud "I probably have a funny after taste and my clothes probably taste like soot."

Tecka replied to his bronzed skin friend's comments on her magic. He'd seen very few displays of magic, let alone his own. He felt that it wasn't mainly for combat-or rather offense but instead defense. His magic utilized a 'good defense being the best offense' or so the man who taught him had claimed, but perhaps he would be wrong in believing that. When hearing Bodak agree with the idea of grabbing food, the black haired young man's face grew a smile like a summer harvest. As they were nearing the edge of the street, soon to be around the aforementioned corner, Tecka had heard what could only be thought of as bodak's attempt at humor and to an extent it was kinda funny.

"Aha haaah" his laugh though unrealistically dull and almost dead, there was some amusement underneath the outward expression. She couldn't have been serious, no one would actually eat soot unless there happened to be some that went unnoticed on a piece of food that was being consumed shortly thereafter. Either that or they were a rather weird individual with too much time on their hands. Bodak's expression hadn't changed since her question, so Tecka replied sarcastically "Well, i've eaten worse. It's definitely not my favorite on the list of edible hazards, but it can't be worse than liquid flames." He followed his statement with a short giggle. Passing a few stands selling various varieties of candles- scented, unscented, slow burn, repellant, and many more- the duo had reached the bakery. Tecka stood with the door opened for bodak if she would choose to enter, though if not he would walk through the doorway still holding it open on the opposite end. He hadn't believed too much in chivalry or manners as they simply were a front for the baser of animalistic feelings, but sometimes Tecka had wanted to do something nice, that and the fact that bodak was paying for the food, which meant entering before she did would be near pointless.

"Any reccomendations?" He'd ask bodak while looking around the inside of the bakery.

Her humor was coming along well, as most abstract comedians would say, 'top of the line'. Though, being that Bodak is well, bodak- he couldn't have helped but taken some part of her words to heart. They were hilarious and still Tecka felt as if his liver was some what in danger. And so specific too.."The liver?" he'd reply. "Why not the heart? I've heard you get more meat that way. Oh right, its full of feelings. Makes the taste a bit sour."

He laughed for a brief moment, before reviewing the woman's words. "A team?" The thought of it wasn't bad, what came to mind wasn't like a fully functioning train engine but rather, uncertainty in the gas tank of a moped scooter. "Us? Together? In a team?" he questioned again in disbelief. Taking his eyes from the woman, the black haired young man would turn towards the bakery counter ordering a couple of crescent shaped pastries that each had a stuffed look to them, so stuffed a smooth gelatinous secretion overflowed from inside- the sign of the pastry reading 'turn over'. "Sure, let's be on a team together." He replied, as he'd signal towards the pastry chef behind the counter that he'd want one of the oven fresh pies ordered to go. Something the duo could share later as a newly founded team.

"By the way, what flavor pie do you prefer?" Waiting for Bodak's replying he remembered he full statement from earlier, revisiting it slightly with a question "Wait, if we're a team who else would be in our group? I mean, who wouldn't but, what's required to join? And if there are going to be multiple teams, who's on the others?"

Bodak's reply was understandable, but bits of her words left more questions than what was answered. Tecka would grab the turnovers, still slightly warmed before asking the chef for one of the muda berry pies. It was a bit of an oddity, but he had a feeling Bodak would like it. Tart because of the many smaller berries that continually shed from the host fruit's sweet and creamy center over its lifetime. That paired with "some cane sugar, egg yolks, a dash of goats milk and a crust made from the sweetest of graham crackers, essentially sweet cookies." He'd remark finishing the list of ingredients printed on the name card next to the pie. "It's perfect." He added while handing one of the turnover pastries to Bodak. "Tell me what you think." By then, after the words had left his mouth, the pastry had already been inside it, chewed calm and carefully as to savor the texture of its flaky yet crunchy external warm, and the soft and chewy insides paired with the gel-ish inside made from syrup and fruit, still piping hot in comparison to the outside that had cooled against the air.

Tecka had began breathing in short bursts, in and out swiftly mimicking how one would breath when in labor. Once he'd felt the small bite of food was chewed and cooled enough, he'd swallow it before resuming his talk with Bodak. "Much tastier than a heart, I guarantee it." He tried cracking a slight smile to convey a sort of trust to the woman.

"Support magic? I use more defensive oriented techniques, i think. I'm actually not too well versed in my magic but still, I think theres a natural strength present in everyone. I'm sure I have a talent for it, just not very obvious, yet.." he paused his rant to take another bite of the snack before continuing to walk and talk around the shop, still waiting for the pie to be packaged and handed to the pair in exchange for payment. "What magic do you use anyway? I've never heard of a magic solely for support. I've never heard of many magics, but still." The young man wasn't sure what it was about Bodak but, she'd brought out of him something he hadn't wanted to accept. Socialization, definitely, but even more so, she brought out of him a fondness for companionship.

Friendship, it was the start of one, or the continuation, depending on how one would view such a thing.

He'd tell the baker, as he reached over the counter to receive the pie. Once he'd turned around, Bodak had already finished he dessert, making him feel a bit bad that she wasn't one to savor food. Just then he'd remembered that he was wrong, as someone long ago in the back of his mind reminded him of how she would consume food, quickly and without regard for anyone's opinion of it. Remembering it in full, he'd commented on that person's eating habits as well, although they said something along the lines of "I savor my food differently than you do. With haste to show appreciation to the one who cooked it with time and effort." Looking to the baker, as Tecka made way for Bodak to pay the man, the pastry chef's smile could be seen from miles away given that you'd be standing that far. It clearly made him happy that the duo, especially Bodak had enjoy his cooking as such.

"It's on the house." the large cook had regarded with a grin before walking back to his kitchen presumably. "Well then, let's leave before he changes his mind." Tecka remarked waiting on the woman to follow. As they would make their way out of the shop, Tecka continued to reply to her earlier statements "I hold a heart only as high as it can float. If it sunk and drowned in it's own blood, would that make it weak or just ironic?"

As he took a bite of his treat, he chewed and swallowed quickly before continuing "Healing magic...and a catalog? How much? I...honestly didn't think one could know many magics. I mean, I guess some people would know a multitude of magic, and deeper than that, spells- but the toll it would take on a person to be able to cast efficiently, to utilize such power mentally and physically, and spiritually for some. In theory, what you speak of sounds incredible."

Before taking another bite, Tecka blew strongly on the dessert, cooling it off as his teeth then sunk into the pastry. He'd once again chew and swallow before finishing his dialogue and the pastry "I could show you mine if you show me yours.."

He'd say equally unaware and uncaring of whether she had plans, or even wanted to give the young man the time of day. "Not a date of romantic interest, of course." Tecka clarified. His face grew slightly red. "I'm not all that experienced in those sorts of things, so you'd be swiftly disappointed." As the pair continued down the street, there were still things that Tecka had wanted to ask but given Bodak's previous words it probably was better that anything else they'd discuss should be done in a more private location.

And still, curiosity couldn't be helped. "This power that you have..what does it feel like? You don't actually have to be responsible with it, right? That's just some old traditional saying, right?" The young man proceeded to ask, knowing that his query might not be answered- at least not right now. If strength was what he desired, he'd seek it from even the most unlikely of sources and though her description of magic seemed to tell of something that could have been wielded by the most advanced of practitioners she hadn't seemed much stronger than she was. Yet again, it was hard to remember not all forms of strength were brute, and measurable. He went further with his questioning "Actually, what does it feel like to be apart of a bloodline? To pass down something held so dear, and restricted to so few?"

Had his memory not been so...broken. Had he not been the way he was, perhaps the young man would have remembered. Maybe there would be no reason to ask questions as those, and he would instead give better solutions and answers to those like Bodak who probably can only answer the best way they know how. This information wasn't simple and fluid, it was more experienced, more for those who were curious to live than to gain another's perspective.

That's how it usually had been for Tecka as far as he could recall. His memory now like many times before, was absent and Bodak did present a valid point on the topic matter. Tecka even agreed to a certain extent but, possibly it was the result of the human condition that made him deny his happiness, in exchange for truth. Was it truly better to live without answers? Was that truly living? He began to question his own standing on the subject matter, as previously he held the human race in high regard but, perhaps there truly isn't anything perfect around them. He was changing but, whether that was for the good or not has yet to be decided.

"Where to next?" he said, as if to push their conversation forward a bit. He wanted to remain focused on the goal as much as possible before they got side tracked by some sort of surprise. There was also a feeling of desire but, for something he couldn't exactly have, or maybe he could...it was also a new feeling to Tecka. Envy. "Hey, Bodak. About this date...I need a favor." His eyes flared with desire in the form of an envious heat, which dulled when looking to Bodak for help. His pride swallowed, he continued "Can you teach me magic?"

It was only for an instant, bearing the shame of asking others for help, but there was no sufficient alternative. If Tecka was to truly obtain power, doing so alone was a horrible way to go about it, at least starting out. He hadn't had power to begin with, but if he could somehow manage to obtain something that could be nourished and grown into power, or something more powerful than what it used to be, he would be ready to travel on his own. To be strong for himself, though the strength of others wasn't all too bad...

In the young man's mind he hadn't truly wished to share his magic due to his opinions of its effectiveness- or rather lack there of. He was in a state of slight embarrassment that his magic hadn't been superbly powerful, and finished his prior sentence with that thought in mind, "My magic isn't the most useful to have, or i suppose it hasn't served much usefulness for myself. You might gain something useful from it however." He'd spoke of it, it was far too late, and for the most obvious of reasons as well. That being, his magic had no forms in which it could be utilized offensively. There were only spells made for defense and similar methods of magic to deter attacks.

They would approach the alchemy shop, singled out earlier by Bodak, Tecka holding the door open for her as they would enter. First glance on the external of the shop would tell you it looks like a tame enough location, business orientated and proper in sales of magical odds and ends. From the inside though, in fewer words would contrast that statement. There were things scattered everywhere, the inside had even had a visual effect or sorcery that enabled the alchemy shop to appear larger inside than it presented itself on the outside. It was an interesting effect, but it would not distract the pair from accomplishing their task. Once inside, Tecka would follow behind Bodak, commenting "Alright, you led us here. Now it's my turn to find the candles."

Expecting a nonsensical look from his female companion he'd continued "Don't worry, I have this all under control." while looking around aimlessly for candles. Perhaps he hadn't had as much control as he'd thought of the situation. He would proceed to walk up to the first thing that appeared to be a candle, but more likely was a bone that had an odd sense of thickness to it, proceeding to look back at Bodak while pointing, and making a face as if he was about to yell very loudly but had second thoughts mid action.

He had it all under control, or so he'd thought, as the duo would enjoy the rest of their day shopping before the sunlights end.

-exit-