The Humane Way

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

. . . he coughed into the handkerchief. Spots of blood sullied the ivory cloth. He was ill. His time was limited. There was no way around it. He had awoken, weak, frail, but still the great leader of the guild. He would have to return home again tonight, but that was not his worry right now. He folded the cloth and tucked it into his chest pocket, only to dwell deeper into the city.

The alleyways. They were a cesspool of crime and thievery. It was were all of the experienced criminals lay, as well as the petty ones. He could hear the sirens, but someone was already taking care of them.

"The legion?" he thought to himself, "No, not even they use such machines."

He shrugged it off. It wasn't something to explore, besides the filth of this place was already stopping whatever opposing force existed. They were a problem no longer. He turned down an alley, only to see a few bodies laying in the shadows.

"Hey, who goes there?" he called out. He didn't really care who it was, he just didn't feel like getting stabbed, not on this night. But he would await an answer, and if nothing replied he would advance another step before speaking again.

"I am just passing through, if you're running from the cops, they've already been dealt with. I'm only heading home." he would talk, as if commanding. Perhaps a habit from his past, but still, he wanted to make sure his way home, was not going to be dragged out any longer than he wanted.

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

He scoffed, almost laughing. "If you do this, or did someone else?" he asked, continuing to walk, eventually making his way towards the bodies. He wouldn't so much as even slow down, He would step over them, just as anyone else would do when stepping over garbage in the street. "Forget it, I don't actually care." He would make his way past her, walking deeper into the alley.

Shirou knew that this part of the city was nothing more than a maze of narrow streets. If he kept his pace he would make it back home before midnight. He could catch a train. He was just another man in these streets, none would know his face, or his name.

But he was a mayor, not only a mayor, but the leader of one of the most prestigious guilds to boot; Fairy Tail. No one needed to know how he inherited the honors of Twilight Dragon. None needed to know he had burned the previous leader alive, and her vice. He was just the next one down the line, after a great tragedy.

"I wouldn't stay in the alleys for long, you don't know what monsters you might meet." he would say, half joking. It wasn't like monsters were a real thing . . .

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

She was. . . threatening him? He surely was in for an interesting  night. Surely no one was foolish enough to challenge a high guard of the Rune Knights, and certainly not a petty killer. Right?

She even went as far to spray herself with perfume as if it would mask the scent of death. He gave another light laugh. She had no weapons, no skill from his eyes. If she got in close, his magic would have gone as far to eliminate any power she possessed.  

"I surely hope you're not threatening me, miss." he would say. But he would not stop his travels. She was not worth holding up his journey. All he had to do was make two lefts, a right, and another left and it would be a straight path to the station. It was there he would catch a right straight back home.

"How about you forget I was here, and I'll forget you said that." it was his final warning. Hopefully it was just her humor seeping through her mask. Even on his worst day, he could still slay a dragon, a girl was nothing in comparison.

OOC: Reminder that all weapons and magic, must be approved prior to usage in a thread.

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

And so it was. Perhaps she was smarter than she first appeared. A little mad, maybe stupid, but who in this world was perfect. He would turn the corner, only to have the flash of a flame start. Before he would turn it, he would speak out to her.

"A wasted talent." he would say to her, his voice echoing down the silent alley. The night was young, but the man was aged. "If you want to put it to good use, you should come to Drachenburg. I know someone who could use your skills."

Of course, he talked out of his ass. It was his own city, his own needs. He didn't need her skills at all. To him, she was just another person willing to get their hands dirty. That was enough for him t be pleased. He would then turn the corner, into the dark of the side streets. If she followed, perhaps she would find her place, if not, then that would be as far as their meeting would go.

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

He laughed. Some people were as easily to persuade as he thought. She was a one-track mind it seemed, and would latch on to her benefit. Perhaps she had no where to go. Well, there was no sense in taking into silence.

"Tell me, what is your name, miss?" he had asked her, "If you would be so kind to indulge my conversation, perhaps I will go as far to buy you dinner." he did not mean it in a flirtatious manner, but rather as a gesture. He didn't know her wealth, or if she even knew the world she now lived in. He wondered if she had a home to go to, and if not perhaps if that was the reason she followed.

Was it a good idea to invite her into the guild? Was it a good idea to allow someone who had done so much without care? It was their guise to appear as a good guild, but he knew well enough, none of them were as kind as the world perceived them.

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

"Shirou." he would answer. There was no sense in lying to her. But he would play the game for as long as time would allow.

"Avery, tell me, do you know of the Organizations?" he asked, mostly out of curiosity. He wanted to know the extent of her knowledge, before he had a reason to preach. There was no sense in wasting breath, the more she knew, the less he had to say. But if she knew little, then he would give her the answers she would need to make her own choices.

But of course he could change her fate, with a few stretched truths. But he wasn't that corrupt, was he?

"Chances are if you ran to here, you're not a part of the Legion."

"No, I don't. But I'm assuming they're groups, yes? I rather work alone." She says to him, now directly behind him.

"I run my own organization, by myself." She scoffs. She seems to be getting slightly annoyed, as if this interaction was starting to bother her. But maybe it's just her telling him she isn't a nice person, and to not expect much.

It's too easy to get backstabbed in this area, too many criminals who just want things for themselves. But Avery understands that, she'd be one of them.

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

He laughed. She really didn't know a thing about the country? Perhaps she was knew. He was like that once.

"People like that, die here." he would say, speaking, noting the sound of her steps. She was behind him, but even if she tried anything, his skill would surpass her. At any moment his own magic would begin to restrain her own skills and she would be rendered useless.

"It's a matter of time until someone picks you off." he would say, "Even doing your own thing, under the name of another group, will benefit you." he told her, trying to not press his own ideas, but it would still appear to sound as so.

"Gods walk this land, and if you so much as displease them, they'll wipe you. You'll be an ant under their boot. With a flag above you, you'll at least be a swarm of gnats. At least they'll think twice." and it was true. There was a few times where either Hades or Anubis came down and simply killed a few people they didn't like. Yama on the other hand cursed some of them to be slaves. He simply did not wish to grant either of the gods any power.

And that went without even mentioning Kaseki.

"The Gods displease me." She spats. "I'm doing fine on my own. The system is unfair." She shoves her hands deep in her pockets, becoming more and more aggravated. "It's their fault I'm here, so if they hate me its on them." She looks to the side, her voice becoming quiet. "Not like I even believe in them."

She doesn't seem to have the intention to hurt Shirou anymore. Instead she keeps to herself.

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

"Believing there's no such thing as a murderer, doesn't stop you from being stabbed," he spoke what was on his mind. They weren't far from the station. But he would stop walking, as if the conversation mattered more. He coughed again, but without the handkerchief. Blood would not come up this time.

"If they displeased you so much, then having a following power lead to you strike one down, is all the more reason to join an organization." he would say, "What if I said there was an organization you could join, that you could use any weapon to kill and maim people with? What if I told you that you could lead this guild, and puppet the people as you wished, even to wage war upon a god." he speculated ideas, wondering her response. It was all a game to him now. He wanted to know what had made her tick.

She stops and crosses her arms, tilting her head staring at him. Either he's trying to get her to like what she hears or they're more alike then she thought. She looks away.

This man doesn't know her. There's no way he's just trying to help her. He must want something. He must want to puppet her. It makes sense now. He probably think's she's Naive, not knowing about what is going on. But he's not wrong, being in this organization could keep her safe, and she can do some puppet dancing while she's at it. But there must be a catch to this.

This is all about survival, something has to be done, and this place is a constant red zone.

She looks back up at him, "I need to get stronger."

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

He smiled. Everyone won in this scenario. "Then I invite you to Fairy Tail." he would say. "You can follow me to my city, or we can stay here and talk some more." He would lift his right arm to gesture towards the train station. If she followed, then she would properly be recruited, if not, if this was the end of the road, then she could go back to her own life. Or, if needed, he could recruit her and leave her to her own doings. Maybe she could find the city on her own, or perhaps not. That was up to her, not him.

"I will not promise that I will grant you power." he would say, "but I will promise that I will grant you the tools that allow you to obtain it yourself." he was sure of his success.

After all, he had never failed.

She thinks for a long moment, not saying anything. She has her whole life ahead of her, if she chooses yes and dislikes this, she'll quit. But this could give her the opportunity. But she rather not have to meet another person so quickly in order to get stronger. Even in another land she rather be kept hidden.

"Alright." She says to him. "But the one condition I have is you need to be the one to help me."

THIS ISN'T MAGNOLI

Everything seemed to fall into place. He smiled, almost bursting out in laughter. "Even easier." It would have been easier to just come out with the truth, to which, he was going to deliver.

"Let us go to my guild then, we will talk more there." he would say. If she followed, he would get onto the next train to Fiore. The both of them would head to his city, and there they would discuss business. However if she did not follow, then he would still return to his home.

Remarkably, she followed. Staying behind him by 5 feet, no more no less. She didn't speak with him, her facial expression stayed the same. Bored. Perhaps she could cause riot in this new guild. Perhaps this is what had to be done. Maybe she could control more than the guild alone. Maybe she could control the town, the country, the world. Perhaps she can finally get the satisfactory revenge she's always hungered for. She almost smirks at the thought. This will be interesting indeed.