After much procrastination, Rinni decided to face her parents and go home. She knew she could count on her brother to have her back, as he was always so supportive of her decisions. Though, she couldn't help feel even he'd scold her in their alone time for doing something so stupid as going off on her own like that. She sighed as she approached their apartment, she timidly knocked on the door with an awkward and forced smile on her face. Her heart was racing, she hadn't been home in weeks. She could only imagine...

The door opened. Rinni tensed up. She suddenly found herself locked in a suffocating embrace. "Rinni! My baby! You're alive!"

"Mom... don't you think... you're being a bit dramatic?" Rinni squeaked as she struggled to escape her mother's death grip. Honestly, she could kill a werewolf... but this? This was too much.

A tiny curious yip was heard from the ground, causing Nimari Faithe to look down. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Winter, who was casually sitting at Rinni's side with her head cocked sideways. "Oh, what an adorable little fox! Honey, come see this!"

Rinni's father walked around the corner to see what the commotion was... When he saw his daughter, his face lit up. "Well, look who's come home!" He walked across the room to hug his little girl gently. "Got too hard for you, eh? I knew you'd be back, sweetheart. Your mother though... boy, she was in a panic the entire time. Doom and gloom, that woman..."

"Dad! That's not why I came back at all!" Rinni protested with an exasperated sigh. "Where's Masado?"

"Oh, he went out looking for you. You know your brother. After a couple of days of not hearing from you, he went out to make sure you're okay."

Rinni sighed and nodded. "I'm going for a walk."

"But, honey, it's the middle of the night and you just got here!"

"I'm not leaving, Mom!" Rinni interjected. "I just... I haven't been here in what feels like forever. I just wanted to take a walk around town. Winter, you stay here, okay?"

The little Snow Vulpix cried in protest, struggling to escape Nimari's grasp, her pale blue paws reaching toward Rinni in desperation. Rinni left the apartment, after hugging both of her parents. She'd be back later. She just needed some air. She was also hoping to find her brother. Hopefully, he didn't go too far. She didn't want him to get hurt or killed on her account. But, she had faith in him. She knew he was strong, smart, and resourceful. He'd be fine.

Rinni placed her hands in her pockets, thumbs on the outside, as she walked down the street. She was amazed and started by how much had changed since she left. Upon passing the Guild Hall, she cocked her head to the side. Was that there before? She didn't recognize it, nor did she know the name of it. She screwed up her face in confused curiosity as she tried to figure out what that building was.

"Like a damn workhorse.", Tomoe muttered with a deep sigh within the tower of Penumbral Guard.

His life as of late was guard duty after guard duty. He was Marigold's own personal security guard, paid mostly in smiles and nods for his time and effort rather than cold, hard cash as he would've liked. The vision of protecting and serving the people that Penumbral Guard embodied was not something Tomoe was fully on board with in the first place, much less carrying out that vision for free. Aegis would assuredly tell him that sometimes the deed itself was all that was needed, but for all the trouble as the 'guild master', the Joyan saw little in the way of financial compensation. From beating down hordes of thugs to investigating sightings of giants eating in the park, the warrior's life felt as if it were without rest lately.

No surprise to Tomoe himself at this point, it was yet another day in which he would need to patrol the streets. Marigold had grown more active and lively lately with plenty of new faces passing through, and as such he would need to take care to ensure the safety of all who lived in the city. He donned his crimson armor and cloak, and fastened the runic hammer he possessed on his right hip as he made his way out to patrol with a cynical, tired look across his features. His Pegasus would even come along, flying in the sky above in case there was a matter that required an aerial perspective.

As he made it into the streets, Tomoe saw a familiar face from not too long ago. He believed her name was Rinni, and he noted that she seemed to be staring at the very tower he had just emerged from earlier, peeking out from the outskirts that this street was close to. With nothing better to do and not hating his last interaction with her, Tomoe approached with a wave, his movements unsubtle as his heavy armor clinked and clanged.

"Fancy seein' ya here. What brings you 'round these parts, eh? You consider my offer or somethin', or is this just a happy little coincidence?", Tomoe questioned, standing with a proud stance as always and putting on the front that he wasn't going through an existential nightmare from all the free labor he had put out the past few weeks.

"Ahhh... or maybe you couldn't get me outta your head! I get it, I do, but I'm so sorry. My true love is for the great wide world and all the money in it, and nothin' is gonna top that!", Tomoe teased, chuckling loudly enough to where it could almost be considered a full-on laugh while maintaining a smug expression and a finger raised to his chin.

The young Encan teen was admiring the strange tower with intrigue and curiosity when the sound of chain mail clanging and a familiar voice reached her ears. She turned around and saw her knight in shining armor approaching her calmly. His cool (VERY cool) demeanor and posture just as she remembered from their previous encounter in Seighart Mountain. Her heart skipped in both surprise and glee of encountering a friend so quickly after her return. She didn't really have friends, due to her shyness. So, Tomoe was special to her in that aspect.

"Tomoe!" She called out with, perhaps, a little too much enthusiasm. She quickly blushed when she realized how that must have sounded. It wasn't intended in any form other than friendly. Really, it wasn't a teen crush type of thing. At least, that's what she persistently convinced herself. Be it true or not was neither here nor there.

The Joyan proceeded to question her presence in Marigold. When he mentioned his offer, she realized that strange tower was his Guild Hall, her eyes widening in shock and disbelief. Not in a bad way, mind you. More or less, confusion and intrigue more than anything. As she was trying to process this new info, the older male proceeded to tease her about her 'crush' causing her to stammer for words and blush profusely. She looked like an embarrassed school girl after her crush on the teacher was revealed by the cool kid. Shaking her head rapidly, she quickly tried to make a recovery explanation.

"No, no! It's not like that at all!" She interjected. "I had no idea your guild was here. I hadn't even heard of it until I met you! I was just returning home... I... this may sound hard to believe but... I live here! In Marigold, I mean. I was just returning home. I honestly had no idea you'd be here. Not that I'm not happy to see you. I mean, not in that way..."

To her surprise (and relief) her awkward rambling was interrupted by the yipping of a white fox running towards them. The little animal climbed up onto Rinni's leg, begging to be picked up. It was a snow-white six-tailed fox creature with blue eyes, blue inside its ears, tiny blue nose, pale blue 'socks' on its paws, and both the hair on its head and its tails were curly bundles of fluff. Rinni bent down to pick up the animal in question, who happily nuzzled into her chest.

"Winter! How on earth did you find me? I told you to stay with my parents." Rinni scolded gently, smiling as the Snow Vulpix gave a bark of protest. "You had to get away too, huh? How on earth did you manage to escape my mother?"

The teen giggled and scratched between the fox's ears, under its chin, and even its belly as it cooed and squirmed in the delight of the attention. She praised the animal as a 'good girl' revealing the creature's sex. She then turned her attention back toward Tomoe, whom she realized she was rudely ignoring. "Tomoe, this is Winter. Winter, meet Tomoe. He's a... friend?" She paused. "Yes. A friend."

A bit of teasing never killed anybody! That was what Tomoe thought as he chuckled at her awkward behavior. He was like that once, as was anybody who dealt with the trials and tribulations of growth. Some people were allowed to have more fully realized childhoods and more drawn out awkward phases, though, and to see Rinni still experience such things so consistently in the current world? Many might consider that a weakness, but Tomoe envied it. He saw a girl who was still building up life experience and had a bright optimism to her where the biggest threat in the world was still whether or not her crushes were mutual. He felt as if he needed to do his best specifically for people like her so that their faith in the world wouldn't be damaged the way it was for Tomoe and so many others.

Flashing back to reality, he observed the fox creature named Winter as it cuddled with the girl. It was a magical creature of some kind, that much was certain. Tomoe immediately thought of his friend Aegis, who had a similarly sized companion that was essentially sentient lettuce. Tomoe and that whirligig cabbage never did really get along, and he didn't know how much he could dislike vegetables until he met that thing. The fox before him was much more aesthetically pleasing and likeable. Marketable, even, if Rinni ever felt like going that route. Kids did still like fluffy things, didn't they?

"That thing's cute as shit. Does it fight? Ya train it any cool combat moves?", Tomoe inquired, taking some fake jabs at the air away from them the way a boxer might strike a punching bag.

He felt the desire to pet Winter, but didn't know how to go about it. Normally he wouldn't be so reserved about such things, but he hadn't interacted with pets much in the past and wasn't aware of the proper etiquette involved. The Joyan decided against asking about something like that, instead hopping to another topic on his mind.

"Speaking of, how's your own training been going? You still wanna adventure, yeah? I'm guessing that you bein' back here isn't a sign that you wanna stick with your parents, right? Doubt your opinion on that would change so quick.", Tomoe stated plainly, crossing his arms with a raised eyebrow, anticipating Rinni's answers with curiosity.

Admittedly, the Joyan was more worried than he let on. Aspiring adventurers died all the time, and it wasn't uncommon for others to retire after sustaining grievous injury and becoming shells of their former selves. The girl standing before him had still seemed mostly unharmed by such threats despite her struggles about taking a life as was discussed the last time they met. If he could do anything to ensure even one of those bright-eyed kids lived their lives fully, he would; even if it meant appearing a bit stern when it came time to be so. In this case however, he was still very much calm with a classic smirk across his face, making direct eye contact with Rinni and awaiting her response.

The Ranger in training was giggling like a schoolgirl as she snuggled and played with her little Snow Vulpix. They were closer than best friends. They were like sisters, despite the species and language barrier between them. When Rinni had introduced them (Winter and Tomoe) the small white fox tilted her head to the side with curiosity. She made a tiny noise in a questioning tone, as if curious about the Joyan. When Tomoe complimented how adorable Winter was, the little fox perked up wagging all 6 tails like a flag in a breeze. She curiously sniffed in his direction as he continued to ask about her combat abilities.

The girl giggled with an adorable blush to her cheeks as she watched Tomoe fake jab an invisible opponent. Holding Winter in one arm now, she reached her free hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, she helped me get rid of a rodent problem on a mission recently. She was freezing a bunch of rats with her icy cold breath. It was so cool!" She laughed at her own accidental joke. "No pun intended."

While maintaining his calm composure and the smirk that Rinni had grown used to (both reasons why she found him so easy to talk to) he proceeded to ask about her own training and plans. She thought for a moment, as she didn't really have a set in stone plan. She wanted to get stronger as a Ranger and help animals and people in need. But, she had little combat experience. The largest thing she fought was a werewolf who, might I add, nearly killed her. She sighed and looked at Winter who stared back at her with her beautiful sapphire eyes. When the Encan looked back to the Joyan she noticed he had instantly locked eye contact with her. This wasn't something she was comfortable with and it threw her into shy, defenseless mode in an instant.

"Well, I uh..." She stammered as she averted her gaze. "I only came back to check on my family. See how they're doing, and let them know I'm okay. I... honestly don't know what my own plans are. I didn't really make any when I took off like that. My only combat experience so far is killing two werewolves (the second one almost killed me) and hunting wolves, deer, and stupid rats..."

She sighed and placed Winter on the ground, her arm losing its feeling from holding the magical animal so long. Winter looked up at her owner and made a soft short howl. She then walked over to Tomoe and sniffed his feet, rising up onto her hind legs and letting out high pitched barks to get his attention. Rinni smiled while rubbing her arm to wake it up. "I think she likes you." The Snow Vulpix confirmed this by licking (or trying to) Tomoe's fingertips as she attempted to reach his tall frame.

Rodents? While Tomoe had long since grown away from such menial tasks of beast slaying and instead choosing menial tasks of guard duty, it nevertheless brought the Joyan nostalgia. It was a simpler time when he could simply go out and kill some rats, come back with a few scrapes and scratches, and go about his day as normal with pocket change as his reward. Simpler, but he wouldn't miss the idea of maximum effort for minimal reward. Still, it warmed him to know that such things still went on in the world no matter what age it was.

"Rats are fine, but if you've already entered the territory of killing Werewolves? Well hell, you're doin' better than I was around your age. You have a bright future ahead of ya if you wanna pursue it, I can tell that much.", Tomoe stated plainly and comparing his younger self to her current self.

"Besides, I can already see it. Your eyes are a lot brighter than when we first met. Whether ya realize it or not, you've made up your mind at least a little bit now. You're an adventurer at heart, parental defiance or not.", Tomoe finished with a conclusive head nod signifying his own approval of his statements, before looking down to acknowledge the absolutely adorable creature below.

Tomoe would allow the fox to lick his fingertips, kneeling down to be closer to eye level with her. He would scratch her chin if she would allow it, and run his hand along her head and back in a gentle petting motion. Being a rugged warrior from the streets of Joya, Tomoe wasn't the kind that had much experience being around cute animals. In spite of that, he still knew that such small creatures needed to be treated gently. Unlike his combat-savvy bravado in the heat of battle, his every friendly motion towards Winter was awkward and hesitant by comparison. It was obvious he hadn't grown up around pets, which caused a small blush to creep across his own face realizing how out of his element he was.

"Yup. Definitely better than the cabbage kid.", Tomoe concluded while looking at Winter, wishing that their guild's mascot could be this ice fox instead of magical salad.

Tomoe was right. But at the same time, Rinni was terrified after her last werewolf encounter. She could've died. She looked at her right shoulder where she had been bitten. It still burned. Thankfully, her armor and clothing kept it covered. The last thing she needed was people (especially her parents) worrying about her over some stupid bite. Nothing bad happened so far, so she assumed she'll be just fine in a while. It probably still burns because of how severe it was. It'll heal in a few weeks or so, right?

She sighed, not wanting to think about that. She was scared of werewolves after her previous experiences. The very thought sent shivers down the Encan's spine. The teen stared at her feet while Tomoe spoke in his usual confident way, praising and reassuring her of her abilities. She wished she could be more like him. He was super cool and, in a short time, someone she had grown to look up to. The only one that even holds a candle to him would be her brother. She never places anyone on a higher pedestal. She couldn't help wonder where her brother was right now. Her parents said he was out looking for her. He could be anywhere.

She was in no hurry to receive the lecture she was certain was coming. He loved her and they were as close as siblings could be, but there was no way she'd get away with this stupid stunt unpunished. In the meantime, she decided to enjoy Tomoe's company and the freedom to be herself without judgment. She looked up at the Hunter as he stroked and patted his hand awkwardly through the soft fur of her six-tailed fox. She couldn't help but smile as she saw a side of him she had yet to meet.

Winter had responded well to his affection, purring and cooing under his touch as she caressed her head into his hand, much like a cat would. The small animal rose up onto Tomoe's knee and gently licked his chin if she could reach to do so. Rinni was impressed, as Winter is normally shy and didn't warm up to strangers so quickly. Hell, it took a while for her to warm up to her own owner. But Tomoe's expression and awkward movements were so adorable, the girl let out a giggle of amusement.

"Cabbage kid?" Rinni repeated confused by his out-loud thought. Rather he responded or not, Rinni decided to voice her curiosity. "Hey, Tomoe? So um... I was wondering something. You were so open to invite me to your guild  that day. So um... who's the leader? What're they like?"

Deceptively perceptive as Tomoe was, he noticed Rinni look with concern at her shoulder, the skin obscured by clothing and armor. He chose not to say anything due to his own unfamiliarity with the girl overall and not knowing if she was simply the weird type that perhaps just loved looking at her shoulder. There were all kinds of weirdos and freaks in a world so overflowing with magical energy. It wasn't any of his business what she looked at or anything like that though, so he didn't bring it up. He had grown up with the kind of attitude in which one shouldn't meddle in business that they had no place being near, and in that same manner, Rinni was still someone Tomoe knew very little about. As much as Tomoe liked the girl's tenacity, they were still strangers at the end of the day.

Allowing Winter to lick his chin, the Joyan stuttered somewhat at the sudden wet and cold impact it made on his skin. He stuck with it, allowing the fox to lick as she would while still petting her.

"Ah, th-there, there... good girl.", Tomoe muttered to the creature before turning his eyes to look up at Rinni, fully confident that his reputation had been damaged.

"Oh, cabbage kid?", Tomoe began, his eyes glazing over at the mere acknowledgement of Theo from someone else.

"A weird, floaty, useless thing. If ya ever had the thought, 'what if salad gained sentience?', Theo would be the result. He's the companion of one of my friends from the guild.", Tomoe stated plainly with no sense of caring for the sentient salad, instead replaced by cold indifference.

First impressions meant everything, and Tomoe being forced to heal the wounds of the hungry and impoverished children he had kicked around in his combat training course wasn't a good one. Granted, it was while Tomoe was under the brainwashed command of the Midnight Cult, but it was never something that he and Theo had ever cleared up with one another even afterwards. The Joyan would regret his actions, but would make no attempt to justify them. It was in the middle of these thoughts that Rinni's next question pulled him back from what could have quickly become a mental abyss.

"The guild master, eh? Well, uhhh..."

Tomoe began to speak but trailed off from the licks and cuddles of Winter. It wasn't bad, but it was distracting. The Joyan slowly stood up once more, taking care to avoid pushing the fox away or hurting the tiny thing as he did so. He ran a hand through his ruffled windswept hair and sighed. It wasn't the sort of thing he could hide, he just didn't like announcing his title openly. Even if it were a fake title, the answer as the public knew was that Tomoe was the current guild master of Penumbral Guard. Being in Marigold, it wouldn't take long for her to find out anyway.

"It's me."

The Encan giggled in amusement of the adorable interaction between Winter and Tomoe. It was amazing how quickly that little ice fox grew attached to him. They barely knew Tomoe, having only met once before. But he was so kind and helpful. It was odder, though, as this was the first time Winter met him. Maybe there was something special about this man standing before her. What that was, she couldn't say. She trusted him, however, for what it was worth. Probably not the best idea; trusting a stranger you knew nothing about. But he gave her no reason not to trust him. Plus, Winter seemed to adore him. That was something in itself. She smiled as Tomoe made an attempt to praise and snuggle the kitsune.

The teen listened in mild amusement as Tomoe explained who cabbage kid was. So, a friend in Penumbral Guard has a pet that looks like a living salad. To be honest, Rinni would love to see that. She was enamored by all things nature; and an animal-plant? That would make her day. It'd be like encountering the best of both worlds. She tried to envision it in her mind. She quickly shook her head of the weird image it conjured. There was no way it looked like that.

The girl snapped to attention when Tomoe began to stand up. She peered up at the slightly taller male as she awaited his response. She wasn't sure why he appeared to hesitate. She glanced at her injured shoulder again and wondered if it was the same. If, maybe, he was keeping something from everyone as she was from everyone as well. But there was no way his secret could ever top her own.

The bomb Tomoe dropped left the teen frozen in place, all color drained, jaw dropped.

It was at this moment that Rinni.exe had stopped responding.

She was talking to a Guild Master this entire time? But, he was so casual. It didn't even feel like he was a Guild Master. He seemed too young and too cool. How did someone like him come to lead a guild? Her heart raced as she wondered if perhaps she was being far too familiar with him, She wasn't even sure how to reply to that. It was as if her brain had quit working. She knew words, but she forgot how to form that. She just stared blankly at Tomoe in stunned admiration and silence.

Winter tilted her head and cooed at her owner. No response. Winter moved behind the girl's legs and nudged her, causing the Encan to tumble forward toward the Joyan. She barely managed to catch herself, and if Tomoe would react and attempt to steady her if he should come to touch her right shoulder he would quickly notice her flinching away as if in pain. Winter rolled her eyes and nudged Rinni again, desperately trying to 'fix' the Ranger.

Finally, Rinni spoke.

"You.... you can't be... seriously...? You're... you're..." She tensed up, stumbling for the right words to say. He had so much faith in her. He had said so frequently. To learn of his position, it made her question if she belonged with him. With the Guild, that is. Why else would she meet him twice? Why else would he build his Guild in her home city? It couldn't be a coincidence... could it?

Her head swam and she swayed slightly (as though about to faint} before she finally recovered her senses. As if suddenly coming to a harsh realization, her eyes lit up and she made a decision. The first of many to come. She wasn't sure if it was a good decision, but it was one none the less. If she was going to get strong, she'd need help. Who better to help than a guild?

"I've made up my mind. I wish to join your Guild, Master Tomoe!" She said confidently, her cheeks flushing red in youthful excitement. "Is there a test I have to pass? A special requirement? I'll fight you in order to prove my strength if you wish!"

Oh boy. Whatever switch Tomoe flipped in this girl... brought out a side of her never seen before. Winter sighed and sat down, idly scratching her ear with her hind claw. What just happened?

Tomoe leaned back somewhat and ruffled his hair further with a sigh. He let the girl process her thoughts on the matter, as it seemed to hit her all at once like a speeding wagon. That was about the kind of reaction he expected, and while a part of him wished that maybe he could've just kept it a secret, it would've been impossible to hide forever. Little Rinni did seem to shut down however, which concerned Tomoe after a few moments of being unresponsive.

"Uh... yo, you good? Ya seem a bit out of it. You need to lie down or somethin'?", Tomoe questioned, leaning in closer and snapping his fingers in the space between them to test her reflexes.

It seemed as if the wily, or perhaps simply naive fox had caused her to stumble forward. The Joyan's warrior instinct kicked in for a brief moment as he used his arms and body weight to keep her steady while she tripped forward. Due to the reflexes needed to react in such a way and Tomoe's own incompetence and inexperience when it came to helping people avoid injury, he grasped too hard with his left hand and ended up squeezing her right shoulder.

Seeming to regain her own balance and wake up afterwards, the touch seemed to put her into a state of pain. This stood out as odd to Tomoe, and he began to piece together that perhaps she was hiding an injury beneath the armor and clothing. It was none of his business, but he felt the need to make sure anyway.

"Oh, shit. I'm still gettin' used to this whole side of the job, sorry. Are you hurt or somethin'?", Tomoe inquired further while pointing to her shoulder, partially to deflect the topic from him being a 'guild master' and the other part due to something resembling concern - not that he'd admit it or anything.

Inevitably, though, the conversation would eventually direct itself back towards his status as a 'guild master' and what that implied. That put a pit in his stomach but he'd ride it out. And then Rinni delivered her own verbal bullet in two parts: she wanted to join the guild, and she referred to him as 'master'. Both were things he wasn't expecting, and on the inside he reeled a bit from the girl's sudden burst of enthusiasm.

Tomoe had a small coughing fit by choking on his saliva while trying to hold in his surprise, quickly clearing his throat to save face in front of... his pupil? Ally? He didn't know. He wasn't used to getting new allies, really. After a moment he composed himself, his posture straightening in a way that he might envision Aegis to do.

"Nothing other than showing a desire to help your fellow people and beyond. We're the kind that protects, but also attack as needed. Hunt, in some cases. Above all though, to see justice done and to put yourself into danger so that others don't need to.", Tomoe spoke with an authoritative and formal tone, but quickly sighed and dropped the serious act, ceasing his stance reminiscent of a military general to become casual once again; almost as if he were mimicking something he'd seen done before.

"And while that's all good and well and true... don't get it twisted, but I just see myself as one of 'em. I ain't a leader and I don't really like this position either, to be honest. No false advertising. It will be dangerous. This line of work can be fun, but it doesn't come without its share of threats. In fact, most of it is threats.", the crimson cutthroat continued, back to a speech pattern more closely resembling his true self.

"But if you come along, we'll make sure you get all the knowledge and training ya could possibly want before we send ya out somewhere dangerous. Not gonna send someone in blind, 'n all that. Or hell, even alone. Some of us like to travel in groups at times."

After finishing his explanation, Tomoe's features warmed somewhat. Before him was an aspiring young adventurer, and if she wanted to join, he would do what he could to see her grow into the type of person she wanted to. His speech may have been equal parts reassuring and brutally honest, but he didn't like the idea of luring in people who didn't know what they were getting into. If such things were enough to deter the girl, she'd be all the better for it in the long run.

"If you still wanna join, then the only real tests are those of the pen. Paperwork 'n all that, gotta keep it official. And just to make sure you ain't crazy. Though considering this line of work at your age, maybe ya are!", Tomoe finished his final clarification with a playful wink, simultaneously teasing her and impressed by her even thinking about such a life at her age.

Afterwards, he went silent to await her answer in full. He stood with a relaxed posture, not wanting to play at being formal even with the truth revealed.

Rinni's thought process was all over the place. In her mind, she was reliving all previous events that had led up to this moment. Her near-death experience fighting a werewolf. Her first encounter with Tomoe moments after contemplating joining a Guild. Encountering Tomoe again in her home town only to learn he's a legit Guild Master. It was too much. It couldn't be an accident. She hadn't even acknowledged his attempts to get through to her as her mind explored this new realization. She needed this, she was sure of it. This was meant to happen. It was too coincidental not to have been anything less than destiny.

She was caught off guard by the fox nudging her so suddenly, her thoughts abruptly interrupted as the crimson-haired man reacted without hesitation to her sudden tumble. Rather it was thoughtless instinct that prompted his quick reaction nor simple concern for her safety, or even something else entirely... Rinni couldn't be sure. Regardless, it was the sharp searing pain that shot through her shoulder which had woken her from her thoughts. She barely heard Tomoe ask rather she was hurt or not as she jerked back out of his grasp, protecting her shoulder instinctively with a yelp.

"I-I'm fine." The teen lied defensively.

It was only after her sudden request to join his guild that she realized her mistake. His coughing fit clarified she had clearly taken the Joyan by surprise. Based on his initial reaction, he was clearly uncomfortable; a first, normally she's the one made uncomfortable. She instantly felt bad but wasn't entirely sure what she had said or done to warrant such a reaction from the Guild Master that awkwardly stood before her. With such naivety, she was unsure how to repair any damage caused.

He proceeded to explain the fine details of joining Penumbral Guard and what goes with it, to which she mimicked his stance and paid close attention hanging on his every word like a child in school. He informed her it wasn't all fun and games. How being with such a guild had its level of danger. After fighting werewolves on her own, she easily felt a guild watching her back would make things easier on her. She was nervous, to be honest, about the threats of this world... but it was better to deal with those threats with allies than trying to survive on your own.

"Will you train me and stuff? I'm um... I don't... know anybody. Except for you. And, I... well..." She trailed off, blushing as she tapped her fingertips together cutely. Her shyness was such a curse. She had such a hard time making friends and was terrible at socializing or fitting in with strangers. She hoped Tomoe understand what she meant, as she was at a loss for words in how to express her feelings at this moment.

She relaxed when Tomoe did, and when he mentioned paperwork and formality she nodded in understanding. He then teasingly implied she was crazy for even considering joining his Guild at her age. The Encan blushed in response and looked away from her Joyan friend. While all this was going on, Winter had settled to curl up at their feet and take a nap, her nose buried under her fluffy tails. Rinni giggled at her adorable companion before turning her attention back toward Tomoe.

"I'm sure. I think... I think I need this. I mean, I believe in my heart I should at least try. If it doesn't work out, I can always leave, right? I mean... I'm not forced to stay for life, am I...? I'm... I'm not sure how Guilds work. I just, I've always been so shy and awkward I tended to blend into the background and be non-existent. I'm scared... for a lot of reasons... but... I feel like this is right."

-Exit-

Rinni's own problems and injuries were here to keep secret, if she wanted it that way. Tomoe wouldn't push such things; as he told himself time and again whenever a problem would arise that couldn't be solved with a sword, it was none of his business.

Some heroic thought process that is, huh?, Tomoe thought as the girl continued to process the idea of being a Penumbral Guard guild mage.

It took everything the Joyan had not to burst out laughing or at least chuckle at Rinni's attempt to match his own stance. Was she trying to appear more mature? He thought the very notion to be ridiculous, as there was no way she was anything more than a child as she was now. A child that showed more promise than most, but a child nonetheless. Tomoe wouldn't comment on it, though, believing that there was no sense in ruining her spirit at this point with a comment that would undoubtedly harm her self-esteem.

It was after his explanation that she responded more in the way he had grown accustomed to, and asked about training. While there were some at the guild that in Tomoe's opinion were more qualified to train up the newbies, he also understood the need for familiarity in an unfamiliar environment.

"Of course I'll train ya! Honestly I was thinkin' about that anyway. Can't just let ya start going to do your own things. Foolin' yourself if ya think you're gonna get left alone.", Tomoe responded with a nod of his head, a toothy smile and a playful elbow bump on Rinni's shoulder - the one that wasn't injured.

Tomoe's interactions with Rinni reminded him of happier times that he had forgotten until more recently; of his time in Fairy Tail as a loyal warrior supporting them, back before everything went wrong. He wouldn't dwell on the details in his mind at the moment, however, preferring to savor a nice flash of nostalgia rather than to dampen it with the miserable conclusion to that story.

The girl was following her heart, and in the moment that was probably what mattered most; or something like that. Tomoe was horrible with dealing with people's emotions in a way that wasn't overly blunt most of the time, and he was trying his best not to come off as a horrible person. Trying and most likely failing, in his eyes.

"Nah, you ain't in for life if ya don't wanna be. Just can't share guild secrets and client information if ya leave. It's a standard procedure you'll find in any guild. Or, well, the legal ones, anyway.", Tomoe replied, saying the last part with an unintentional hint of malice towards the idea of dark guilds, or perhaps even towards a specific dark guild.

"Oh, and blending in and appearing non-existent? That's a good talent to have, I tell ya. That offers a great advantage to anyone that might try to screw you over, understand? Mastering the art of bein' a fly on the wall can be vital.", Tomoe concluded, missing the point that the girl was trying to get at about her image issues; from the man's own life experience, being forgettable and nondescript had helped him many times in the past.

With those clarifications out of the way and Rinni set in her decision, Tomoe let out a wide stretch reaching for the sky as his crimson armor rattled against him. It had dawned on him that he hadn't officially started his patrol yet, and that it'd be something he would need to do or else risk getting yelled at by Aegis again. That would definitely be annoying.

"I need to get this patrol underway, though. Probably won't be at the guild hall until later tonight, so unless ya wanna wait that out then the alternative is ya come in at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I'll leave that one up to you, yeah?"

After exchanging goodbyes, Tomoe patting Rinni on her uninjured shoulder as reassurance that everything would be okay, the Joyan would be off on his patrol. The thought of a newbie to train was interesting to the Joyan warrior, and he would think up training strategies in his head for the rest of the day for young Rinni. He didn't believe in destiny or anything of the sort, but he certainly thought that it was a nice coincidence that the girl lived in the very town in which Penumbral Guard was set up. And how he initially met her in the first place in the middle of nowhere in North Fiore.

Giving it a second thought, perhaps there might be something at work after all.

That kind of shit is waaay too above my pay., Tomoe thought while on patrol, not wanting to acknowledge the presence of something manipulating his life when he was but a mere human.

He would finish his patrol and head home later that evening, eager to enjoy the guild's lounge area once again.

---

- Exit -