Lurking Cold [OPEN/SOCIAL/NO FIGHTING]

[Kaito Helix]

Magnolia Town, the town of beginnings one might say. Well if that one was born and raised in Magnolia and planned to travel out and make a name for themselves. The town had a little bit of something for everyone, but did not particularly focus on one thing over another. If it could be said that they did focus on one thing more than anything else, that thing would be money making. Of course the same could be said of most large towns after all people have to earn a living somehow. Everyone in town always seems to be trying to make money, particularly today. The first cold breeze signaling the approaching winter had begun. Naturally people were busy trying to make money as to buy food and supplies to last them through the winter. This included even the local mage guild, which was usually a loud ruckus like an ongoing party around this time of day. Today it was quiet, which for people walking by the guild hall made them feel quite uneasy. Yet regardless, the mages of the guild were all out on missions trying to rake in a few extra jewels before the bitter cold of winter arrived.

One person though was not seemingly bothered by the approaching season. In fact one might say he already looked prepared. He lay in the park, staring up at the cloudy sky with his hazel-orange eyes. His face gave off no expression. His head was covered in a winter cap, and thick heavy clothes were worn. He also wore a light blue hoodie and a thick fur coat. One would argue he is over prepared as it was not that cold, but no passerby said a word to the young youth. In fact most people didn't even glance in the young youth's direction.

Kaito was unsure of what to do today. All the easy jobs around town were taken by others of the guild and he already had enough money saved up to last him the winter, rent at least. Even though he lived in the guild dorms, there was still a fee to live there. He didn't particularly feel like doing much of anything, but he knew he should do something.

I'll get up in a few more minutes Kaito thought to himself. He stretched his arms to the sky and then placed them carefully behind his head. Just starting to get comfortable, Kaito was brought away from the brief comfort at the sound of shouting. Kaito would have shrugged it off as just some simple quarrel that he had no business getting involved in, but the shouting kept going on and gradually getting closer to his spot. Deciding to go investigate to see what the fuss was all about, Kaito got up off the ground, brushed himself off and popped his hands into his brown fur coat pockets and started casually walking over to the sound of the ruckus.

[Tsukiya Ishida]

The change in seasons was becoming more and more apparent as the days went by. Here in Magnolia, many of the people had already began their preparations for the upcoming winter. Some businesses had began to close up, others that were only open during the colder months were starting their preparations for opening up. Even the people themselves had started preparation, wearing more layers of thicker clothing for warmth. There was one, however, who did not follow the trends of those around him. This man, dressed casually in clothing that would be more suited for the warmer seasons, sat idly with a lit cigar rested in an ashtray on the table in front of him at a local open air cafe. The only semblance to winter clothing that the man wore was the black leather jacket, and even that he wore opened and exposing his short-sleeved shirt that he wore beneath. His amber-eyed gaze was absently focused elsewhere, while a quintet of elemental orbs revolved listlessly above his slightly upraised hand. Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, and Wind...with each revolution that the circle took, the elemental composition of the fingers below them would shift along with whichever finger the corresponding orb hovered above. Just as he reached with his free hand for the smoldering cigar laying in the ashtray, he heard an uproar from nearby. Arching an eyebrow upward, he slightly angled his head in the direction of the shouting, the orbs halting in their circling and simply hovering in place.

"Hmm...sounds like there's some kind of issue going on. Well, I guess I'll go check it out, it's better than just sitting here and doing nothing." He muttered in a low voice before shaking his hand, dispersing the elemental properties and standing up. He then reached down and grabbed the cigar, placing it between his lips as he moved away from the table and headed in the direction of the uproar. Whatever was happening, the unknown man had no intention of actually getting involved, but rather decided to sate some sense of curiosity and see what the cause was.

[Kaito Helix]

The ruckus was coming from the street. Upon getting closer, Kaito heard a man shout “I didn't steal anything, I swear.” Just someone resisting arrest again, Kaito thought to himself, but he felt urged to move closer. Before him he saw a shady looking character, his face hidden deep within his dark cloak. He seemed to be the one saying that the man that was being dragged by two Magic Council guards had stolen something from him. Kaito could see a woman and two young kids crying. If he had to guess that would be his family. A family that looked well fed. This man was being falsely accused, of that Kaito was certain. A crowd was starting to form, and Kaito was debating on stepping in. He knew it was risky but what was the worse that would happen?

However the possibility of him being linked back to the guild and the guild taking blame was still there, and because of that Kaito found himself unwilling to jump in. A grimace of disgust crossed his face, he couldn't bring himself to stop the wrong act in front of him and he was mad at himself for being so honor bound. Pretty much assured that the guy was to be arrested the figure in the cloak walked off from the scene, and Kaito overheard him mutter to himself as he walked right by Kaito,”Heh another fool for Miss Nonoka.” With that saying Kaito was shocked. Nonoka was not a very common name, however Kaito knew someone by that name, his sister. He turned around to try and stop the hooded figure, but the hooded figure had already left. Thinking he was just over imagining things, Kaito turned his attention back to the ruckus before him and contemplated on intervening or not.

[Kaito Helix]

With his attention back on the scene before him Kaito saw there was not much else he could do. Most of the crowd saw that too and were disbanding. The Magic Council guards had full control of the situation and even the man seemed to have given in. Pathetic, if that was Kaito, he would not give up any time soon. The wife of the husband was trying to hold back the kids. The kids were about 5 or 6 years younger than himself, looked like they could be twins. Seeing his one chance to possibly make this situation a little better, Kaito sucked in his pride and walked over to the younger kids. Their mother looked intently into his eyes, a look filled with puzzlement, confusion, curiosity, and concern.  Kaito bent over and looked the two weepy eyed boys in the eye. “Hey you two why do we go and play?” They did not respond, and continued to weep. Kaito sighed, the guards would probably realize the man was wrongly accused after questioning him and release him soon. These boys were acting like he would never be coming back. Realizing that asking wouldn't get anywhere Kaito decided to try and pique their interest with magic. Pulling both his hands out of his pockets, he put his hands together as if holding something inside. The inside of his hands started to glow, a bright red. The boys looked at the hands with curiosity. He pulled away the top hand and revealed a trinket of the Fairy Tail guild emblem. A symbol every kid in Magnolia knows. They looked at it in awe, and Kaito smirked. He then caused it to twirl about in his hand, slowly at first, but gradually getting faster. Then right as it was as fast as it could go, Kaito dispelled the magic, causing the trinket to fade away into a mere wisp of flame which vanished into the breeze.

Captivated, both boys clapped and cheered asking to see more. “I'll show ya more later guys, right now let's go play.” He looked at their mother whom nodded, and whispered a silent thank you. With that, Kaito led the boys back to the park he started his day at, and played the day away. Not worrying about the approaching winter, not worrying about when the man would be coming home, Kaito spent the day rest of the day carefree, but in the back of his mind he did not forget about what that mysterious hooded figure had said earlier.


[Exit Thread]

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