It was the first time Masami overslept. He had about twelve hours of sleep for the first time, and his body wasn't used to that sort of change. He woke up with his shoulders and back stiffened up, and that stayed put until he finally left the bed and prepared himself. What he wore was his typical casual clothes, which appears formal unto other peoples' eyes. It was because they were traditional Joyan clothes, though what Masami wore were stylized in a way that was suitable for him – being a known performer in his hometown in Joya, after all. His upper body was wrapped in warm cloths, while his legs allowed himself to move any way he wanted.

Not to mention his extremely feminine appearance. He'd be masculine if people saw what was underneath those clothes, but they would never, Masami would not allow such thing to happen to him. Usually, he'd walk around the streets and jog, smelling the fresh air... if it was morning, that is, but it was the afternoon. There were lots of things Masami is unable to do because of his oversleeping, something he would never do again. There was no more joy left walking around the streets if people are starting to form and start becoming busy. Masami lowered down to look at the flowers in the flowerbed in the middle of the road, which supposedly separate the two streets in Marigold City. But since there weren't much vehicles passing by, supposedly it is safe.

An easy afternoon, Jan Ren's day started with the usual attempts at formulating a set routine; though with his familiarity with the local farmer, the Sinese found himself spending his morning accompanying said fat man with his chores. By some hour past noon, he took the liberty once more to leave, do his own thing.

What kind of thing you ask?
Well, naturally, self-improvement (read: hit on chicks)!
...Allegedly.

Marigold's sights didn't sport too much of a difference from Hargeon, what with their themes being for the most part different, but both being labeled under the same 'region' in Fiore. A port town and a countryside farm? You'd ought to think the people would be awfully different, though such wasn't the case. Taking an easy stroll down the streets of Marigold, looking here and there to spot potential eye-catchers. Freshly showered, his long hair glistened, still slightly damp despite being dried thoroughly. His clothing, as ever, proudly telling of his heritage, choosing to rock the usual Qipao and wide Ku; favoring his image over comfort, despite the weather being warmer than usual.

On his stroll, Jan Ren spotted a certain person, gazing at the flowerbeds from up close. He'd registered them as... Well, female. But what caught his eye wasn't just the gender, but the similarly foreign clothing. With his fair share of traveling, he'd recognized vaguely that it was something of his kind. As such, "--Pretty, aren't they?" further interaction is required.

"Those flowers." He took few steps forward, hands placed behind his back as his stature straightened; revealing his presence.

Masami's hand buried in the grass of the flowerbed he was holding, and he left it there even after staring at the person who approached him. He stared right at this stranger's eyes, focusing entirely on his facial structure, though Masami couldn't help but wander his sight unto this stranger's long, black hair, but he tried not to make it look like he was scanning the stranger, else that would be strange, awkward and most importantly, rude. He blinked twice after hearing the message of this person, 'Right, beautiful...' was what he thought, forgetting what to say. Though walking around the streets often equals having eyes laid upon him, there were rarely anyone who'd actually come forward to speak.

"Daphne," he stated after turning his head back to the flowerbed and easily picking the berries of it, "the berries are poisonous. If I'm correct, they lead to eternal slumber." Although there were still some left, Masami's hand was filled with these berries, and he offered this to the stranger with a bright smile on his face. His hand was raised up although he was lowered down to the ground. "They said these taste good, though! Want some? Want some?" he shook his arm up and down, but careful enough not to spill the berries. Assuming that the man is strong enough to withstand the poison if ever he accepted the offer, there wouldn't be any hardships.

"Joyan! You're definitely one of us!" Masami assumed the man would be in the same ethnic group Masami was, because of the way this stranger was clothed. Though his assumption was strong, he still spoke the language everyone uses. Won't it be awkward if you spoke words other people won't understand? But Masami didn't even think of this. He still had the berries high up in the air, they were almost whispering to the stranger for him to eat.

As the stranger turned and stood up, the Sinese' smile widened, eyes narrowed if just a bit. He'd easily found this girl pretty, coming to make the same mistake others did for him. But, the clothing from the front revealed to be a tad different from what he knew all too well. Jan Ren hadn't expected the other to be familiar with the flower; though he was in luck there, as he himself didn't know what kind it was either. Today, he'd come to learn something! Even if slightly disturbing. This would definitely come in handy some day.

Now one thing important to note is, Jan Ren would easily stretch the lengths he was willing to go for a cute girl. He would catch a grenade for ya. Throw his hand on a blade for ya. Even jump in-front of a train for ya. But anything for ya? Hardly. "Uhhh... No thanks, I'm good." He declined, smiling half-awkwardly as he waved his hand in dismissal; "I mean... Eternal slumber is, kind of..." He trailed off. Hopefully the other understood what he was hoping to get across.

...Joyan. One of us. "Ah ha!" He exclaimed, eyes widened and energies easily lifted by the young person's apparent giddiness. "You're Joyan, huh! Actually. I'm Sinese." Emphasis deliberately put on his origin, Jan Ren proudly stuck out his chest, chin raised slightly. "Nice guess. It takes a foreigner to know one, right?" It was a bit of a letdown, but the young man wasn't going to let it get to him. Deciding to (do his best to) set the assumption and their differences aside, to freely engage with this attractive person. He welcomed all girls: Fiorian, Joyan, you name it!

As such, despite interest reigning, Jan Ren truly came to psych himself to enjoy this time. That said, labels were quick to form in his head. If he had to label this person off the first exchange, "You seem to know your flowers." it'd be quirky.

"Ahaha... I thought..." Masami placed the berries inside the small pocket tied around his waist, then brushed the back of his neck. He was slightly disappointed, realizing that this stranger wasn't really one of them. But that was alright, he had encountered lots who weren't really Joyan, but this stranger must have loved his culture. From his knowledge, the Sin and Joya had their similarities because of the colonialism that happened in history, but Masami doesn't know the story of it a hundred percent. It would hurt his pride to share something deeply incorrect, especially regards historical backgrounds. "Sorry, sorry! Nice to meet you, instead."

Masami stood up and brushed the front and the back parts of his clothing, as well as the knees. Right then, he had realized how tall this stranger was. Masami was left smaller, even now that he was standing. As a man, that was quite upsetting. "Oh! Of course I know!" he reacted this way when the Sinese complimented his knowledge. "We use these stuff to kill bears, sometimes humans when they are annoying!" Back in his hometown in Joya, working is so common that thieves are, as well, very common. They'd often come steal food more than money, and it is annoying because the victims would have to go back into town to buy the goods once more. Those are annoying humans, prior to Masami's knowledge.

"That's too bad, too. The flowers are pretty..." Masami looked down and brushed the tip of his wooden shoes against the ground, "you should know these, too, for your own safety. How are you so sure that what you ate earlier is safe?" This time, Masami clenched both of his fists and tiptoed to look at the Sinese, looking directly at his irises. Though, how sure was he, really?

It was at That Day, where Jan Ren truly learned that a book should never be judged by its cover.

It started off with easy talk, though the Sinese soon came to realize, the two had been living two completely different realities. "A-Annoying humans...?" He repeated sheepishly, understanding that the person in-front had in-fact, delved in killing before. Was it possible that he just aligned himself with someone surprisingly dangerous?? Contrast to the young (wo)man, Jan Ren's life in Sin was kept in a small circle, and while he had seen some tragedies in his traveling year, it was never close to a deliberate assassination.

>> ABORT??

"W-Well!" Trust you me, he was giving an honest effort to try and keep a straight face; attempting to hide his inital thoughts, or rather, ignore them. "That just goes to show that not everything pretty is welcoming, right?" He suggested, raising his finger to mark the idea. Stay positive, stay positive. He would totally miss applying the lesson in his own words there.

Breathing deeply in, then out; keeping track of his posture, his body language. Not to show any sign of discomfort. Only slightly backing away as the other came to infiltrate personal space; "H-How am I so sure...?" He once again repeated, finding doubt creeping into his mind. How was he so sure about that? A reality where he was to constantly check for his food, stand his guard and make sure he wasn't attacked was easily foreign for him. He'd ought to be grateful for his easy upbringing in that regard. So, let's go with that? "E-Easily! That's because..."

Taking a single step back and clenching his fist passionately, the Sinese allowed some of his self to slip through. For honesty's sake. As it seems, this young (wo)man assued just as honest an approach. It'd be rude to decline her. "I never even thought of that!!" Ever oblivious.

"...In fact." He continued, relaxed as he returned his hand behind his back and assumed a calm expression once more; "To learn Marigold had poisonous berries at bay is pretty troubling. I've had my fair share of luck with the local farmers, though if you've cultivated your own food, you'd know exactly what it consists of, right?" Cabbages. It consists of cabbages, almost exclusively. These farmers were, a weird bunch.

The Joyan boy gasped upon the Sinese's realization. "You're right, it is pretty troubling." Masami looked away, his left thumb and index finger holding his chin. He had always known that Marigold is a safe place but... the berries of these flowers were contrasting that adjective. How would these even get here? The Sinese must be wondering, and that thought made Masami become in need of an immediate answer. "But, you're right. Not everything's pretty welcoming, no matter how pretty they can be." This time, Masami smiled, thinking that it must've been better if he didn't pick those berries up because they'll eventually turn into beautiful flowers. If such type of flower is around Marigold then surely, everyone knows not to munch these natural orbs.

The Joyan's respect towards this Sinese grew, observing how he was kept in a calm and composed demeanor. Sometimes, Masami would even doubt the food offered to him in the restaurants, but whoever this man was... he must've been so tough, being calm this whole time! "That must've been hard to cultivate your own ingredients, though?" Masami said this without really thinking exactly why, but the vision that came to him was the hard work put into tilling the dirt and maintaining temperatures, and keeping predators away. All that work Masami didn't like, it made him want to go back to Joya to perform again on stage instead.

As an intuitive person who likes sharing ideas, communication had always brought help in creating script lines for plays, melodies for music and simple movements into dance steps. Come to think of it, Masami had an idea that could be used for a story. Therefore, he frowned upon that thought, but he still forced a smile. "Don't you think... what if... have you ever thought how sad it would be? If, like, for example... hmm, a woman brought these berries for her husband, thinking that it would put joy in his face but... she ends up not seeing him ever again." His eyes started to feel prickly, almost forming tears, but he closed his eyes and avoided this outcome. "That would be sad if it happened to me, what do you think you'll do if it happened to you?" Again, Masami smiled, but entirely because he didn't want to cry because of his imagination. Having read stories and watched lots of action often cause a person's mind to become more vivid, so Masami's whole life gave him very vivid scenarios in his head.

That would really be upsetting, too, if you learned that you were poisoned by your partner. But the woman in Masami's imagination probably didn't know that as well – the man might die with ignorant hatred. But what if the woman knew all along? Masami started to focus instead of his own mind, but focus at the Sinese's mind instead. How does he think? Upon Masami's question, did he think he was in the man's shoes, or the woman's shoes? 'If it happened to me, hmm.' Masami removed his hand from his chin and left a more relaxed stance, he was still looking at the Sinese directly at the irises. It would be rude to look away, too.

Oh, appreciation! On cue, raising his chin some and closing his eyes in satisfaction, the Sinese allowed himself to boast (a bit). "Absolutely!" Only because he wasn't physically for the job. At all. "In our world, you really have to work with what you can get, you know?" He stated, almost complainin; waving a hand in dismissal. "It takes a long while for crops to grow. Lots of resources to keep them healthy too. Really, until you get to doing it yourself, you never know how difficult it is to get genuiely good food! He Who Doth Not Work Shall Not Eat." He could ramble and pretend he earned his pay rightfully, though Jan Ren was easily guilty of feeding off others' hard labor. Namely, buying food and ready ingredients if he had the chance. But appearances matter. Especially with cute girls!

The next segment turned surprisingly poetic. By this point, the Sinese thought he got a hang on this youngster's thought process, though only a small percentage of it. They were right, however; that sort of scenario was very much believable, especially with these berries simply laying around in a random flowerbed. It begged the question, who planted those and were they aware of the possible reprecautions? "--That, or a girlfriend bringing it to her boyfriend." His comment came almost naturally, on a lower tone; as if he was wondering out loud.

In truth, he was. Befitting of his own mental state, not to settle down and marry but to find a partner indeed. A partner he could count on, a (preferrably attractive and cute) girl to stay at his side. Naturally, he placed himself in the receiver's shoes; not imagining the idea of bringing that particular fruit to someone, now that he knows it's poisonous. Momentarily in thought, the Sinese gave his input; "That's a very tragic thought." He commented. "I'd hope to never see it realize. But... It would be very sad, yes. I'd feel terrible for the woman if she never even knew this was lethal." It definitely happened before. Humans wouldn't have progressed enough to know it was poisonous, had they never figured it out the hard way too.

"--Rest assured." He started, reassuming a friendly approach; raising a professionally practiced smile on his face as he closed the distance once again, coming to bring his hand towards the other's arm in reassurance. It dawned on him that he found out the nationality before the identity right then. "This Jan Ren will assure this will not happen to you! So long as I'm around." He declared, gently placing his hand over the other's arm in reassurance. A sign of trust. Or naivety, what have you.

"Though, how do you know it's tasty if it's poisonous? You couldn't have... Eaten it before, have you?"

"Eh? No way! I haven't tasted it yet." Masami immediately answered and threw a single berry, right inside his mouth. He chewed a few times in silence, even looking up to the sky in wonder. Though, inevitably, he spat it out. His tongue definitely didn't like what it touched. "Disgusting." he cried out as his teeth scratches the surface of his tongue. Then suddenly, he paused, and slowly looked up to Jan Ren, the Sinese who just introduced himself. An introduction! How could Masami forget? He also forgot about the berries, too. Slowly, his head turned to see Jan Ren, and Masami's face was blank. "Guess I'm gonna die."

In Masami's visions, his dead body was already lying inside a coffin. Comfortable, although, but it was soon covered, then delivered six-feet below. Seeing the vision made Masami slightly gloomy, but his mood immediately lit up. "Oh, wait! I only ate one, I won't die." then he dug all the berries from his pocket to be offered back to Jan Ren. He shook his arm up and down, just like earlier, "Eat one so it's fair for the both of us!" Sticking to the assumption that he won't die for eating only one, he thought that it would be safe if a human consumes only a single orb of poison. It's like apple seeds – poisonous, but that doesn't stop people from picking apples from the tree. But thinking the rudeness of offering something that tasted awful to a person, Masami made an awkward chuckle and pulled back. Jan Ren is not an acquaintance, not a friend... not yet, at least.

Masami was getting tired of looking up, darn tall people! "It's Masami," he mentioned, fixing his berry-filled pocket, "I don't have any other nickname, so you should just call me by that." He kept Jan Ren's answer, the made-up story about the wife and the husband, deep inside his memory. Come to think of it... Jan Ren is a guy, and Masami is a female-looking male. Did he notice yet? Masami's realization couldn't stop a grin from itching on his face. "So... 'Jan Ren', huh?" he audibly recalled, pointing towards the streets' direction. "Let's walk, it's awkward to stand still like this."

Masami was the first one to start making footsteps, allowing him to be slightly ahead of the Sinese. But he looked behind as he walked, smiling. "What kind of girls do you like?"

He was right there. He literally stood right there, no space between them as his eyes widened in shock; watching as the young girl promptly plopped a single berry into her mouth. Oh no. Oh god oh god!! He could practically feel the cold sweat running. By no means, at all, was his question a dare!  How could (s)he interpret it that way!? Why would she go as far as actually consuming that thing, on the spot, knowing it could cause her death!? "Are you out of your mind!!?" He yelled, grabbing at both of the youngster's arms and resisting the urge to shake her. Face clearly showing stress, expression finally caving in after many efforts of keeping appearances. Could you blame him though? To his info, he just watched a (wo)man commit suicide, and had no idea what to d--

"You won't!!?" She won't die! Good! "Don't scare me like that!!" Somehow, Jan Ren was relegated to playing the Straight Man role.

Taking a few breaths, the Sinese assumed he would be fine too if he took one. Though before he had the chance, the unpredictable young (wo)man tucked the berries back in her pockets. How surprisingly messy. Then again, tomboyish girls weren't bad either. Even if they sported a tinge of crazy. "--Masami. It's a pleasure." Is it? Per his habit, the young man rehearsed the other's name out loud, greeting with the ever-familiar, deep and respectful bow he was taught years ago. Finally, they were on naming basis! He had to grant the girl some points for taking his name seriously enough to remember.

...

"Hmmm." Following suit, taking to match the same pace with his company, Jan Ren took a moment to think. Not every day did a girl he was somewhat interested in, ask him about that. The image that came to mind however, didn't consist of a specific person. Granted, the question was plural. "If I had to say..." He raised his head some, staring into the sky as he went into some thought. Some unholy thought, mind you. That's better off unmentioned, as to not ruin your or my perspective on Jan Ren's mind. Even though we all know what he's thinking.

"I guess Fiore's girls aren't so bad." He finally answered, after a rather long moment of thought. He may have met a select few, though their respective quirkiness left a good impression on him. Bias at work. "So long as they're cute!" Ah. There it is. "I mean. ...Each person has their own charm." He started, turning to Masami with a straight, yet smiling face; "It's not just looks, but their character that makes a person interesting. Don't you think so?"

Though he was rather comfortable with the subject, there was another lingering thought in his mind that he had to address. "...Would you mind lending me a berry too? It is, only fair."

The Joyan couldn't remember a slight bit of ever dating. It's always work, and work, and work. Even though he'd develop a small crush on a girl, it would revert back because Masami is already pretty enough. Boys were no match, too, because Masami is already beautiful in terms of masculinity. Other than that, his whole life was committed to performing, where romance has no slot left at all else he won't be able to perform the way everyone and he, himself, wanted. It's alright for Masami, though, believing that it would be a crime to love someone else when his own mother is at the point of dying. Is this Sinese the same? Are they also very family oriented and workaholic?

Masami has played this role before; not Masami's role at the moment, but Jan Ren's. "You've got a knack for girls, don't you?" he raised a brow and made a tease, assuming that he's probably one of those men who treat all women like queens, but it is still a question no matter what way you look at it. "Which is kind of weird, actually," Masami looked forward as he spoke, still making footsteps, "won't the girls get intimidated of your hair?"

Correct, Jan Ren's hair is very silky. Knowing how beauty-loving most girls are, they may consider this Sinese prettier than them, which would consider envy and jealousy instead of attraction. That's how it went for Masami's hometown in Joya, anyway, but Masami's personality would revert that jealousy if ever he was hated. If Masami didn't try so hard, he'd probably have a series of murder attempts upon him... verbally, and emotionally.

Realizing it might be rude, Masami jumped and halted his footsteps, shaking his hands in front of him. "Not, well, don't you think they'll get jealous instead of liking you? Your hair's silkier than a girl's, and girls can be scary..." Of course, Masami's not forgetting how feminine he appears, but that doesn't mean he should act and pretend as if he was what people assumes. What he truly is wasn't really a secret, but he won't be able to mess with people if those people know the truth already. That doesn't stop him from asking questions that seem interesting in his mind, something so obvious is such a hassle to hide.

Jan Ren laughed a bit in response. "Of course I do." He wasn't ashamed of his adoration for the other gender. Perhaps it was in self-interest, but he held women as a whole 'species' on a pedestal; and there was nothing wrong with admitting that. Even moreso as it completely averted potential danger, in this specific banter too. People liked it when they were being pampered, right?

On the note of his long hair, wouldn't be the first time Jan Ren's been confronted about that. In fact, most of his guild happened to view him as more on the feminine side, while he viewed it otherwise. Cultural differences at their best, manifesting in social misconceptions. "Intimidated?" He asked, raising an eyebrow; there was an adjective he wasn't expecting. Would girls really feel threatened by his appearance, despite his efforts at being as refined as possible? Hardly. He may have only come across a few so far, but the hair was never a hard issue. At least, not to his knowledge. Still; "Well if they get jealous, so be it!" He jested, placing a hand on his hip with pride.

"If this hair hinders my odds with getting on a girl's good side, there's nothing I can do." He explained; "I've been letting my hair grow for almost as long as I can remember. It's a custom among Sinese men with status, you see. Sure, girls are nice, but if I had to change that in order to meet their standards, it's not worth the shot. There are plenty others who would likely accept it, rather get jealous over it. I wouldn't trade my heritage for anyone, no matter how pretty or cute they are." Jan Ren explained, obviously proud of his origins.

Being a representative of his culture, mostly in his appearance, was a principle of the young man and he took deep pride in his roots. When it came to his values, his self was placed above his peers no matter their desirability. Honor to oneself was more important than towards others in his mind. "--Besides. If they get scary, I'll deal with it when the time comes."

This girl was talking as if she'd experienced the terror of dealing with women as an outsider, though per her knowledge of the poisonous Daphne berries and surprising behavior so far the Sinese had assumed it was in her intellect rather than experience. "Masami, you look like you've been traveling a lot." Joya isn't exactly neighboring to Fiore, after all. He'd experienced it too. "What do you do for a living?"

A custom among Sinese men with status... therefore, this Sinese man in front of Masami is a noble, or whatever they are called in Sin. Having performed with mostly nobles and court members, meeting with people with statuses are already a casualty, less it's something related to guilds and magic. "Ah, you're still single." he came to the conclusion, even lightly slamming his fist unto his palm. Aren't people with status supposed to get married first? But then it was always the men doing the courting, so maybe this Jan Ren haven't found the right one yet. Nevertheless, his innocent conclusion impulsively came out of his mouth. He was correct though, wasn't he? It's not that the conclusion was bad or anything of sort, however... odd. 'I don't even see myself getting married one day.' Masami thought, adding more to his impulsive conclusions.

"I do a lot for a living." Masami replied to Jan Ren's question, "I have, I think... more than three jobs before? I mean, I act, I dance and then I sing... I also paint sometimes, then make scripts. I also used to host a lot of things. In Masami's hometown in Joya, working and getting payed is absolute. Having more than one jobs are common and those with stable occupations are, in all honesty, very rare. Even though Masami mainly worked at the theater, he still required himself to get other sidelines because of the need of money. He was treated like a prince, it was only his ideals that didn't let him take this into his own advantage. He felt as if he doesn't really need to tell everybody how important and valuable he was to Joyan theaters. "But!" he continued, "That was about a few weeks ago, I just started travelling." The same must've been for this Sinese man. Recently, a lot of people had started becoming travellers, as well. For Masami, it was only because he needed to run away due to bitter memories, he doesn't think of other peoples' reasons.

Just like how scripts are written, Jan Ren seemed to play his lines well. These are the types of people Masami takes interest in, the people who has something to say and doesn't just wait for their turn to speak. Though everyone has something to say in certain aspects, there are very few people who owns words that honestly have meaning to it, but not to the point where it drowns. "How about you, Sinese man with a status?" Masami teased Jan Ren on this one, having a wide smirk on his face and a hand covering his bottom lips. The Sinese appeared quite funny to Masami, especially adding how casual he was and the way he talked about girls. So far, Masami has yet to reveal such a subtle truth.

"Yes I'm still single." Jan Ren replied, almost immeiately on cue as the other figured it out. It wasn't that difficult to understand, but. It still wasn't pleasant. Fact is, despite his adoration for the opposite gender, Jan Ren has been single for quite some time now, with not a remote progress in the direction he was willing to go. Though he wasn't willing to marry right away, he would have liked to at least find a girlfriend or rather... Get lucky. He wasn't even an actual nobleman, but actually just a man who was hoping to establish a solid name for himself. And if he was going to do that then a noble is preferrable to a ruffian any day.

From observation alone, one couldn't tell of Masami's occupation. As such, when she started detailing her past works Jan Ren could only hold at his chin with his finger and thumb, eyeing the girl and sighing in some thought. "That's a lot." He commented; "Commendable. You look so young, but you've already dabbled in all of those." The Sinese complimented, honestly impressed. While he had experience with odd jobs here and there as of late (mainly in the farmlands), back in Sin he couldn't even deal with construction for a month; being relegated to office work for a long term. In that sense, people who managed to juggle between several parts were impressive at least and amazing at best. "All of those sound --Ah!" Oh, there was that part in Joya too. "Kabuki! Now I remember! Joya's theaters sport Kabuki performances, right?" More of a hint than a question; a guess, if you will. To try pinpoint Masami's precise occupation, if he had to make a call.

Much like the other had come to guess, Jan Ren wasn't a veteran in Fiore either. However, his travels stretched over much longer than he'd let on, initially anyway. Familiarity with the term itself could come from books on the subject, but. Truth is the Sinese had seen it with his own eyes before. With Sin literally being as far away from Fiore as possible, he had spent a good year traveling all around the continent before finally settling where he is at the moment. Tid bits of other cultures, habits and random terms. Though, those stories were best kept for one-on-ones; to spark some interest. You know.

"Ah, yes, thank you. Most of us are forced unto slavery, but I'm glad I didn't." Masami immediately answered this with a hysterically gloomy face, his tone of voice decaying, yet still forcing a smile. It was a silly expression rather than a depressing sensation, half of what he said was slightly a joke. In a flash, Masami's mood switched after digging up something more to say. "I started training when I was six years old! But there were still other things aligned to it." He meant the hunting, and the farming, and the fishing; what he most liked was the performing, although.

Internally, Masami nodded at the Sinese's knowledge, but answered with a pun. "Noh. (No.)" laughing in his mind, he tried his best extracting a stable expression. "Close, we do those too, but mainly Noh plays, with the masks and stuff. Noh is older, we preserved that, it also had more music. The court officials often chose Kabuki more than what we usually do so we end up rushing everything in a week." Masami preferred Noh overall, because it's the type of theater he grew with. Although the theater he worked at slowly drifted into an all-rounder because of a popularity boost, it will always remain a theater of masks. "I'm really glad you know what a Kabuki is, though! That's plus points for you. Come to think of it, a lot of foreigners come to the theater without really knowing what they do there, in terms of types of plays.

"You? What can you do besides picking girls off— I mean, travelling...?" without breaking a sweat, Masami smiled, a little to exaggeratedly. He's been impulsive since earlier, almost saying everything he wanted to say. Which isn't so bad in a way, freedom of speech and all, but in terms of avoiding being rude or creating a negative impression... self-control is a very important virtue.

Yes, that was to be expected. "R-Right...! Splendid...!" He tried his best to remain positive, keeping a smile though it was obvious how Jan Ren was forcing himself to ignore the disturbing aspect. From the looks of it, Masami wasn't fond of this time in her life too. Was it possible he stepped on a landmine after all? Just what kind of life did she lead in Joya? The Sinese had to attribute it to her current stay in Fiore, unsurprisingly.

On the lighter side, Jan Ren was getting a lot of lore on Joyan theaters. A side he wasn't aware of, gratned he'd only come to watch said mentioned Kabuki performances about two or three times in his time there. "I see." He affirmed, anxiety still lingering (in light of that horrid slavery idea) but significantly lifted somewhat. Leave the complicated stuff for later. "Noh, huh. I figured Joya had different branches, but I thought it would be more of the same line. It's great that you found something to get so invested in." Even if it was forced, at first. It was a genuine compliment; as Jan Ren was still looking for a set 'hobby', (besides girls that is) to fully immerse himself in.

Which tied directly with Masami's next inquery. "Hah." The Sinese laughed, half-sarcastically. "If only picking girls up was that easy!" The Sinese complained, half-sarcastically. Then clearing his throat and assuming the position, leading the way as he looked back to the younger girl; "--I did travel for a year, yes. However, right now I'm serving as a wizard in a guild." He admitted. If it wasn't a hassle to remove his top to show, he would have proved it by now. "I'm a mage working for Blue Pegasus. It's only been a short while since I joined their ranks, but for now it's my job and settlement both at once." Though if he was being honest, Jan Ren was homesick. Despite Blue Pegasus being his 'home', he failed to make any meaningful connections with anyone from said guild, so far.

Ah well. Can't win them all, right? "It's only a matter of time before I become famous, you see." He ended, smirking coyly.

Masami made a very smug reply, "Eh." Considering how he's already famous back in Joya, it was such a fine air to breathe in, being surrounded by people who don't know him. Anything too much is not good, even if it brings back a lot of benefits. Fame, for example, is the same thing. Everyone wants to be famous some day, even the closeted people. But Masami brushed the past away and immediately covered it with an "Ah! You're from a guild, too!" not that he's in a guild as well, not yet, but he has an odd respect for strong people, which are often found inside guilds.

Fearing he might accidentally ignore some of Jan Ren's statements, he made a quick recollection about the lines he mentioned. Well, the Sinese answered to Masami's sarcasm (which he wasn't supposed to expose), the Noh theater. Oh! Of course, "Well, I loved the theater. I probably would be forced to farm forever if I never knew performing was a thing." Yikes, farming. Masami didn't like getting his hands dirty, either literally or metaphorically. After all, Masami's pretty conscious about how he appears to people since the start, even before he learned how to perform. In the end, he was required to learn how to take care after himself, and that wasn't such a hard task considering he already knew how to.

Bearing in mind how Jan Ren acted since the start, this 'Blue Pegasus' definitely isn't a bad guild, assuming evil guilds are filled with chaotic people who only knew how to cause trouble. However, playing the roles of the villains before, Masami learned that not all evil people appear evil. Few people must've though Masami's not what he appears... apart from that. "What do you guys do in the guild?" it was a completely honest question this time, knowing almost nothing about guilds. Recalling what a new acquaintance mentioned, Natsumi Duranndal said that she loved the guild because of the people, but Masami would beg to differ that guilds are just about people. Recently, too, he learned that guilds help protecting each other and the innocent... they also like fighting. Maybe what they do 'Blue Pegasus' is much more different than the information Masami previously collected.

--Too? Jan Ren couldn't ignore that part; "Hmm? Masami, you're a guild wizard too?" He asked promptly, eyebrows raised. There was no trace for magic in the young woman, not so far (then again it's not like the Sinese jumped at the opportunity to show off his skills either). It was an assumption based on misconception, which he would soon find out to be just that. "(Ah. Guess not.)"

Oh, farming. Don't get me started. "Oh, yeah, I bet." The young man agreed, shoulders slumping a big as he recollected the various tasks he found himself doing under Farmer Jim's requests. Despite boasting about cultivating his own food a minute ago, it wasn't a pleasant experience in the least. In the Joyan's case, Jan Ren assumed she was much more comfortable on stage than exerting her dainty body to plow a field, water seeds or fend off bugs. Which would make total sense. ...Yeesh. Bugs... At the mere thought, shivers ran down his spine. "Some of us are built for this sort of thing more than others." He started; "Farming is... Really not for everybody. Kudos on finding your place in the theaters instead." Or rather, you got lucky that you did.

Though there lingered the question, whether Masami was forced into the theater and simply preferred it over other odd jobs. ...Joya might be in financial decline too, huh.

Now unfortunately Jan Ren had barely been a guild wizard for about a month and as such, his own knowledge of how things run was limited. It didn't stop him from attempting to answer, piecing together his answer as it went on. "Well let's see." He started, looking away from his company and staring up to blank space; "As a guild," After some thought he'd turned to her once more, taking a more matter-of-factly tone. "We basically hold a give-and-take relationship with Fiore's citizens. See, Guild wizards can for the most part take care of jobs that the normal folk might be having some trouble with. It's by depending on one another that we promote each other's progress. They give us the job, and we receive Jewels as compensation. Think of it like one-time workers, or problem solvers." It wasn't entirely accurate, though it was a good start. Hargeon, being Blue Pegasus' hosting town, would come to depend on Master Alisa time and time again for more events than the Sinese could tell.

"--It is also in our policy to appear at our best, properly at all times if we can help it." He added, smiling in pride; though taking a more light-hearted, perhaps jesting tone. That specific aspect, suit him just fine.

Would be nice if Masami could get a stable job too, seems like joining a guild would also mean getting a job. Masami nodded, "I see." then quickly scanned Jan Ren from top to toe. Indeed, he seemed to be appearing his best, even proud of his Sinese culture like Masami was, traditional clothing in foreign streets. Quickly, he looked back at Jan Ren and shook his head. "No, well, soon? I'm going for Penumbral Guard." a guild other than Blue Pegasus; their guild hall is right here in Marigold City, but Masami didn't really expect that.

Soon, Masami would be a guild member and an official mage. Despite knowing how to use his fire magic, he still wouldn't consider himself a mage 'less he puts up some sort of training. Trying not to avoid Jan Ren's statements, he replied with a "Yeah." agreeing to his opinion on farms. Masami's not one to take care of plants, even if he likes flowers. He'll accidentally avoid taking care of it then get upset when it dies, just like taking care of a still pet. Not that he even had time to take care of plants, having piled up works back in the theater.

A question flew around Masami's head. "Do you like your guild?" this question was earnestly asked, wondering if it would be nice to commit yourself to a guild. Back then, in his hometown in Joya, they were committed to each other because of work and income. However, about guilds, you have to commit yourselves to each other because of the people, work and income might not even be most likely. It's like walking by faith, or fate, just being faithful to whatever destiny gives you. Such a commitment is something Masami isn't even used to, having direct and immediate changes shortly after a production. The waiting time has always been this hard, anyway.

Penumbral Guard? Not a name Jan Ren ever came across. Holding at his chin with a finger and a thumb, the Sinese simply hummed inwardly, acknowledging the guild's existence, but not much beyond that. Being relatively new to Fiore meant he wasn't fully aware of all the new guilds poping up, and only held some general knowledge about the ones he should know about and those he is to look out for. Unfortunately, the aforementioned name fell into neither of those categories. The Sinese merely assumed this was a small-time guild, perhaps something the Joyan could find herself a good part of. All is well, all is well ~

And then came up a rather difficult question. Any fantasy bloke would come up and say 'yes of course' with a wide smile on their face, probably going off on a lecture about how friends are awesome and the power of friendship is the greatest. But alas, such wasn't this universe's reality in the slightest, it seems. Truth be told, "Yeah!" while he wasn't overly satisfied with his guild as of that time, Jan Ren didn't want to make it look that way. Blue Pegaus was to uphold a proper image at all times, and should its members be unhappy, it would soil their good name. As such, he lied without hesitation, giving said wide smile in response.

His reason for joining that guild in and on itself could be easily predicted, with the kind of person he is. But his expectations were not met, and he found some trouble socializing properly with his fellow guildmembers. Regardless, he attributed the answer not specifically to his guild, but rather to being in a guild. A lot of status came with it, social acceptance by the general public and a solid backup, telling all not to mess with any of their members in light of their popular reputation. "Being in a guild really helped me out since I got here." He elaborated, genuinely in fact. "If I hadn't found Blue Pegasus when I first arrived in Fiore, who knows what alleyways I would have ended up in, haha." To that right, he would absolutely give credit.

"I have to admit, Masami." The Sinese continued, while on the subject; "I've never heard of Penumbral Guard before. Do you have some ties to their master?" He asked, assuming right off that this was an unimpressive, perhaps small guild. The young man had already began formulating ideas in his mind about how to deal with it. Should the time come.

This guy cringed when the Sinese made an exaggeratedly-made enthusiastic response to Masami's question, but of course he had to create a very subtle reaction, else his face would quickly go old and grey. As someone who was strictly taught how to take care of himself, he wouldn't want coming back to Joya looking older than he really was; it's better looking this young and feminine than receiving questions such as "What happened to you?" and so on and so forth. He wouldn't mind a slight, manly grow spurt, although. That would actually be, really nice, in all honesty.

However, if what he mentioned was true, then it must've been a very good choice joining a second family. Guilds are very similar to families, even having yourself marked by a symbol that indicates your cooperation with the said guild. If you aren't willing enough, you wouldn't be able to even consider yourself part of the guild, and it's the same with blood-related families; though it's your choice whether to submit or not, you have to be honest and willing either way. "Aha." Masami instead created a vague reply right after the Sinese's answer, just to at least signify that he was truly listening and had processed (perhaps more than) his reactions. "That's right, you'd probably be a criminal! That's right, a good title for you would be The Snatcher of The Janes. Unfortunately, you ended up getting into a guild – a good guild, in fact." he ended up bursting out laughing in his last words, slightly turning those words into gibberish. It was already too late, Masami had already grabbed the humorous side and was already comfortable around Jan Ren. The Sinese should be expecting more than this verbal mischief.

When he started to calm down, he gave a thought about Penumbral Guard, the guild he was applying for. "Hmm, not really." a finger under his chin, gazing upwards. Masami's expression gave an obvious sign that he was recalling his memories. "The guild's here in Marigold, actually. I've only encountered one person from that guild, we later on became acquaintances but that's the last time I've seen her." At the same time, based on that acquaintance's words, Masami remembered her stating that she liked her guild because of the people. Someone like Masami, having strict commitments towards unions because of his previous occupation, couldn't entirely be convinced. Was that everything? Just the people?

"Well, having ties with the guild master's pretty inevitable, don't you think?" this time, he gave off a shrug and a light smile. He'll be able to meet the leader of a union or team, sooner or later, because that would be a requirement if you'd ever apply to a certain group. It would be easy for him to assure that, not realizing he might feel intimidated once he actually met people with odd statuses.

While disturbingly humorous, it was an entertaining thought indeed. It appears that Jan Ren had colored his impression well in his company's eyes at least, as much to his dismay, reality showed no such practice. She even came up with a funny empithet for him, presumably based on the very background she'd perceived about him. Now if only that was true. Though the idea did manage to get a good chuckle out of him. Jan Ren? As a criminal with a bounty? Fat chance. "Heh." His eyes narrowed a bit, looking to Masami as she began to land her own exposition.

Oddly enough it seemed that the Joyan had to recall her experiences regarding the guild. It must have been not an overly siginificant one, he'd concluded; though still one the young girl had come to commit herself to. Drat. If this is the case, that means any potential the Sinese saw in recruiting this mischievous girl would be in naught; not that he'd dare step onto another's 'property', in that regard. The last thing he needed was to soil Blue Pegaus' name, let alone his own. Granted, with how the conversation had developed so far, it appeared as if such was a long way from realizing. Not with Masami, either way.

"I see. So it's a guild that's actually based in Marigold?" --Of the important people Jan Ren knew that resided in this humble town, there were a couple of farmers and the two members of the Lord's family. If a guild in Marigold was charismatic enough to manage to recruit someone as unpredictable as Masami? It was worth checking out at the very least. He'd also get a good excuse to visit her! --Or maybe it was all speculation, and this her she spoke of just happened to come on her good side. "Interesting." He praised; "Marigold never struck me as much of an eventful spot."

It's funny because if you look at the site's demographic as of this very instance, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Now why would he ask that in the first place? That is because... "So you've yet to meet their Master too, huh? This has to be the first time I actually meet someone who'd join a small-time guild so willingly." There are lots of people in Fiore and many guilds to choose form, huh. Even small ones here in Marigold could capture the hearts of the devious. Guess he still has much to see.

--An idea came to mind; "If you and your guild need any assistance, I'm certain Blue Pegasus would be glad to lend a hand. Master will easily welcome more allies, I think." His sure and slightly upstart tone took a shaky turn as he realized it'd be a baseless assumption. But from his few words exchanged with the lady, he didn't think she'd be against helping the weak, or the novices. How convenient!

It felt like he was being persuaded. However, he did not think that through at first, having an obvious moment of thought when he gave out a very long "Hmmm..." while looking up at the sky, high up, looking to the high left and then the high right, as if he was watching something. Well, he was watching his thoughts, that's for sure. Masami would definitely get lots of benefits in a more experienced guild with more members, which probably had higher ranked mages, too. Quickly scanning Jan Ren, he definitely had a good testimony coming out of the guild. He seemed to be a man of his guild's honor, and thinking about meeting more from where he came from was enough to move Masami...

Quite? It's also nice to be one of the people who helped building the guild, being one of the "founding members" or such title. It would also be nice if they succeeded certain missions and other people would realize that such a small guild could conquer such big obstacles. It was nice to know that Blue Pegasus had such an approachable guild master, too, which should be common regarding good guilds. Masami doesn't see himself being much help in a team where the foundation has already solidified, and it's an aspect Masami is good at, however... it would truly be nice to become a part of something that was already big, something reputation could easily circulate upon... but then, it would be nice, if...

"Eh." this was Masami's answer instead, realizing that it was time for him to stop thinking. He had that awfully silly, blank face with a forced smile, staring into the abyss from overthinking. Smoke would almost come out of Masami's brain if his reaction wasn't enough to already explain himself. What a pain, he had just came out of a previous occupational group and now he had to choose between another two. For a child to be given choices such as these already, would've been better if he had a companion or an adult to help and choose for him. Life choices, even Masami thinks he's too young to be able to honestly choose for himself, especially regarding choices with permanent effects. It would also guilt Masami if the guild master learns that he left for a different guild instead. Yikes, so much for a previous people pleaser.

"I'd probably... just let the flow take me by, ahaha." he took a small light step back, knowing how awkward he had appeared, knowing how disturbingly awkward they have been. This Jan Ren didn't even know Masami was a boy this whole time, it would be scary being stuck in a guild where he had to low-key hide his true self just because one of them didn't really know the truth. Penumbral Guard it is if that is how fate leads him, Blue Pegasus if the tides change waves. A 'whatever' is what defines Masami's conclusion as of now.

Oddly enough, the young woman simply went silent. Deep in thought it seems, as if he'd said something to truly stimulate her mind. Off record, why couldn't he pinpoint how to do that normally with girls? While it wasn't in his intentions to do so, the deed was already done and the Sinese could practically witness the effects, mental image of white smoke emerging from the top of the blond's head appearing in his mind. An embarrassed expression took over his face, eyebrows frowned some. Signalling this was, an accident if anything. Whoops.

"A-Ahh, you don't have to think about it that hard!" Jan Ren hastened to correct, waving both hands in-front of the young woman in a rejecting manner. "Don't take this the wrong way Masami! If you're already hooked on Penumbral Guard, it'd be rude of us to try win you over now. See?" Reasoning explained, the Sinese straightened himself once more, putting both hands behind his back as his eyes remained fixated on his company. Oh boy. Clarification was necessary at times, though he hadn't expected to have to cut off like that. Honestly speaking, while he did favor the young girl's company in his own home guild, and it'd easily benefit them in the long run (hopefully); his was more of a friendly offer.

"Phew... I was hoping perhaps Master could meet your guild's Master at some point, if push comes to shove." Ever the diplomat. With the recent solution offered, the two could stay in contact regardless of the guild both decided to stay in. "If they happen to get along, we might not have to try persuade anyone, right?" The Sinese added, half-jokingly; though, there was meaning in the suggestion. After all, he "broke" Masami with the thought just by suggesting his own as an option. So if it remained an option regardless of the guild she chose to join, what harm was done?

Let's change the subject.

"--You seem to like going with the flow of things." Jan Ren commented, perhaps intrudingly so; as one could even call her 'impulsive'. Evidence in point being, both oversharing with himself, and having witnessed her promptly eat a poisonous berry, for no apparent reason. Fully calmed down once more, the Blue Pegasus mage signalled to follow, as he'd hoped their walk would continue. "Did you travel to Fiore by yourself? Or were you accompanied by someone?"

What's up with this guy's interest in having two guild masters meet with one another? Masami was quite convinced that he was being recruited, maybe the Sinese was looking for Masami since the start? It's possible that his name must've reached certain parts of Marigold, then around Fiore – maybe Blue Pegasus had sent Jan Ren to specifically look for Masami in Marigold. That's a possible theory, there must be no other reason for him to approach Masami since the start unless he really did need something. "Bargain, then." Masami uttered in a normal tone of voice – rather, he was being suggestive. This was rather common in Joya if people are being forced to choice between to things. Either they resolve in a sort of past time, or the one with the best bargain wins.

If this Sinese and his guild really wanted Masami in, then they would do anything to convince him, right? At the moment, Masami won't be getting anything from the current guild he is applying for. His choices are simply ran by will and convictions. The small guild would welcome anyone, they would also welcome it if their members wanted to leave, no matter how tragic it might be. They don't seem to be the type of guild who'd force people to stay, which gave Masami's free spirit a sort of freedom that forces him to strive.

Anyway, that was totally out of the ordinary. Jan Ren is the only Blue Pegasus guild member Masami is interacting with, which makes him the only person to dump the choices upon. He doesn't need to bargain if he doesn't want to... or if he has nothing to bargain with. "Came here alone, actually." he smiled and leaned a little to the opposite direction, both hands behind him. "Or rather, ran away. I'll come back home every once a month to check up on everyone. You have a family to come back to the next month?" It was because he promised to come back. If he was well enough, he would take his whole family away. Masami isn't even sure if the people's aware that he's one of the people that started the rebellion, creating bad memories for everyone and himself, for the sake of justice. So as he thought, in a way.