[PP-F4] Pillars of Light

[Mari 1]

Mari took a deep breath- she was wearing a simple loose yukata coloured in hues of blue waves, and over those waves were rich and golden Koi fish. Mari adored the aesthetic of it. She ran her nervous hands over the sleeves, smoothing them down. Her hair, which normally sat at about shoulder length had been pinned up and out of her face - rarely did she put it up - she didn't like the awkward way it splayed out behind her in the ponytail- ginger bangs still framed her freckled face.  Just like earlier - her Kotatsu had been dragged to the center of the room. 

The rich dark wood and midnight  blue blanket was inviting - the table large enough to comfortably sit six - had seating arrangements for four- that's all that would be here today, unless Crozeph dropped in for another unexpected visit. Mari tapped her lip, pacing back and forth - glancing at the table. Did she need anything else? No... no it was meant to be a guild meeting not a tea party...still... Her eyes glanced to the anpan that were sat in the center of the table - filled with a variety of red bean, and taro paste. Around those - were cups already filled with hot royal milk tea.  She needed to find more variety...but that was difficult in a game like SAO. 

Mari hoped her home was warm enough. Inviting enough. "This'll be fine." Mari said to herself as she lightly slapped her cheeks. "They've all been here before. The place is warm. You'll be fine. We need this meeting." She mumbled to herself.

@Shield @Oikawa @Baldur

[Shield 0]

It seemed fitting. What had begun as a conversation between himself and Baldur years ago in a small Japanese style tea house was now to finally come to fruition in a small Japanese style home where he had recently been served tea. Very likely, this would be the first time he and Baldur enjoyed tea together since then. Shield pulled the scarf higher on his nose, easing the lingering discomfort that his skills didn't completely negate. His heavy boots crunched through the snow on the path leaving Snowfrost. It always surprised him just how quiet the fall of snow was. Not that the flakes themselves made no noise, but that it seemed to silence everything around it. If he were to stand still, Shield felt that the only thing he'd hear would be the faint fizz of snow landing around him.

"I hate the cold."

He pulled his coat tighter around him and checked on Lilith in is sleeve. The small, cold-blooded lizard was especially susceptible to the chill, and as such, Shield always took precautions and had her wear a 'sweater,' which was really just the sleeve of another sweater that her little noodly body would slither into. As he peered into his own sleeve, he could see the reflection of her eyes in the dark. "Are you okay in there, Lilith?" Her eyes stared blankly back at him and a tongue darted out of the darkness and flicked in his direction. "Yeah, me neither." He quickened his step.

After a very long walk, the steady light of a warm home winked at him through the trees. Rounding the bend in the trail, he found himself looking at the familiar sight of Mari's little house. He jogged the final stretch of the journey, knocking impatiently on the door as soon as he got there.

The sooner I can get to that kotatsu, the better!

[Oikawa 1]

Frosted. His HUD was outlined in snow. The specks of frozen water dusting over everything in its path. On floors like this, that literally meant everything. However, he was no stranger to this floor. The brunette had frequented it several times to kill a certain ice elemental that stalked these grounds and even more recently to visit someone he never would have believed he was calling a friend. Their paths were traveled differently, though their results were one in the same. Misery. Regret. Hate. Loneliness. Disassociation. Depression. All feelings and emotions that they shared, but not with each other.

But there was a pillar. Light at the end of the tunnel. A vision they wished to obtain that would somehow absolve them of their actions and worries. A belief they bought into and would see to it that if nothing else, they could say they did what they could. The beginning would start here, at her home.

Paw prints littered the snow leading up to Mari's home. The frozen lake serving as a landmark more than anything for Oikawa as he and King followed behind what looked to be Shield. "Oi," he called out. Hopefully he could catch the man before he stumbled inside. He didn't want for Mari to have to continuously open and close her doors. The snow would track and the heat would be let out. His pace quickened. Managing to catch up, just as the door swung open.

"Did I ever mention how much I hate the cold?"

[Mari 1]

There was a knock at the door Mari's head shot to it and she slapped her cheeks. Right. This would be easy. It's not like she awkwardly confessed she found one of them attractive or anything, right? HAhHahAhaha  Mari padded around the Kotatsu and swung the door open to hear the words; 

"Did I ever mention how much I hate the cold?"

"Pfft..hahaha." Mari couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the two men huddled on the front porch before her- she shook her head, high ponytail waving to and fro. "I dunno about you guys, but I love it. I did build my home here after all." Mari stepped to the side to let them in. "C'mon - the Kotatsu is warmed up, the fire is on and there are refreshments on the table. Make yourselves comfortable." In that moment it felt like all the nerves were washed away - unlike the two men before her Mari enjoyed the cold, she enjoyed the feeling of goosebumps on her skin and the pink of her nose - the way it sunk into her fingers and chilled them. She equally loved the feeling of soaking up the warmth of a fire after being out in the snow. 

"If there is anything else I can do let me know."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur leaned back against a lonely pine tree atop a ridge that overlooked Mari's house, his breath condensing in the frigid air of the cold floor. His blue and white haori wrapped around him for warmth so that the white flames along the bottom looked as though they were erupting from the snow. The wind gusted up the slope of the mountain from down at the lake by which Mari had built her house, and sent a shower of snowflakes up into the air like an inverse wave crashing into a beach. Off to the side on a rock, sat a small glowing crystal, softly playing out somber violin music as Baldur considered the small home, spilling warm light onto the frozen ground surrounding it.

The journey to get here was a long and winding road. Baldur had tried guilds before, and they had never worked. He and Shield had begun discussing how they were going to do things in the past, and that hadn't worked. So many attempts at doing what they believed was the right thing had been frustrated by himself, by others, and by the constant ebb and flow of both life and the frontline.

Yet here they stood. The most unlikely combination of Pillars Baldur could not have hoped to find. Any two of the four made sense, but he never would have thought that this four would have been the ones to make it so far. Perhaps it was the road of failure that had brought them all together in this way. It had certainly been his greatest teacher over the however long they had been here. His thoughts went all the way back to the beginning, with Tyger when the two of them had gathered a group together to begin pushing forward, where they had mad Ariel and Oikawa at random. There had been thought of a guild back then too, but they had joined the Azure Brigade in order to have a shot at the frontline, only to have politics frustrate both themselves and Mari.

So many lessons the past, and failure, have taught us.

What were the successes he could count to qualify him, or any of them, for this role? Experience? Calrex was the most experienced frontliner by far, and while he was to be a member of the guild, he refused to take up a leadership role, right about the time Teayre disappeared into her shop and refused to venture out. Oikawa or Baldur himself had to have the second most raid experience of those in the guild, and at this point, perhaps the entire frontline. Baldur wracked his brain trying to think of other names who could come close, but only Jomei came to mind.

Finally, the song ended as Baldur watched Oikawa and Shield be welcomed inside by Mari.

What about her, too?

The gaijin samurai wasn't sure how he was going to make this not awkward, but he didn't want personal business to intrude onto the guild meeting. No matter what happened between Mari and Baldur, the guild and the frontline came first. He would have to make things work. Keep his emotions and embarrassment in check during the meeting.

But I have to be my warm, charming self as well.

He snorted and shook his head. He hated situations like this, yet he seemed to find himself in them regularly. Give him a Shadowy labyrinth boss to slay any day over an awkward social situation.

"Here I go." He said to himself, the irony of saying his common troth before starting a battle was not lost on him. Only now the battle was with people who were or would become his closest friends and partners.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

[Shield 0]

In Shield's mind, he had been tracing and retracing the paths through his inventory that would remove his boots and equip his house slippers as quickly as possible, eliminating any extraneous time spent between the door and the kotatsu. As soon as the door was open, so too was his menu as he pushed his way - as politely as possible - past Mari and to the table. Somehow by the time he got there, he had either lost or only equipped one house slipper. He very casually unequipped and reeqiupped them and they were both properly in place.

Good. That handles my outsides. Now for the insides...

He reached out and took the tea that was placed at his place setting, feeling the heat through the mug.

Good. It's had enough time to cool down to drink.

Eagerly, he tilted the contents slowly into his mouth, letting it splash down little by little to warm his throat and insides. Properly satisfies, he set what was left of his tea down, but decided immediately after that the warmth would be wasted on the table and picked the cup up again to enjoy the hot surface against his hands. "Well, I can't imagine Baldur will be far behind us." No sooner had he said as such than there came another knock at the door. "Speak of the clavacles and they shall appear." He gave a little smirk in Mari's direction before giving her a nod, as if to say, don't worry, I'll behave.

[Mari 1]

Speak of the clavacles and they shall appear."

Mari shot Shield a glare and puffed out her cheeks in a huff. "You're just jealous Beat doesn't pay any attention to your own." She chided with a flourished turn to answer the door. Mari's hand faltered on the handle for the briefest of moments. She swallowed. Would this be awkward? No..no... both her and Baldur were adults, and she doubted either of them would let things get in the way of more pressing matters. The guild was more important. Getting people out...was more important. Mari took a deep breath and swung the door open with a small smile.

"Baldur." She greeted him with a warm smile. Her worries disappeared, the concern - the nervous thoughts. It felt like it would be fine. "I see the cold didn't bother you nearly as much as the other two." She said with a jutted thumb toward Shield and Oikawa. Mari stepped to the side to let Baldur in. "Today, is Royal milk tea - come grab a seat."  As he would pass Mari would gently stop him, with a small hand lightly pressing on the sleeve of his arm. "If you don't mind...I'd like to clear some things up, but after the meeting." Mari said as she let go.  Right... that had been a little nerve wracking. But Mari didn't like how she ended things between them. How she just ran off like some child. It wasn't exactly fair to him, was it? Mari offered Baldur one last freckled smile before turning away from him to join the others at the table.

"Right, everyone's here then." Mari said as she wrapped her hands around the cup. "Well, shall we get started?"

[Oikawa 1]

"I dunno about you guys, but I love it. I did build my home here after all."

Just what he expected to hear from the ginger as she invited them into her home. The layout of the house was the same as he had remembered it, though this time, the Kotatsu was closer to the door and the fireplace. Ahh the warmth, he thought. Turning to thank her, the brunette was caught off guard as Shield barged through and seated himself at the makeshift table. A chuckle escaped Oikawa, the tank of man eagerly indulging in the tea Mari had prepared for their meeting. Giving a bow instead, Oikawa seated himself opposite the door and to the right of Shield.

Reaching for the liquid seated so neatly in front of them, Oikawa cupped the mug and cooled it before taking a sip. Shield began to mention how Baldur wasn't too far behind and as if on cue the gaijin was at the door. The clavicle comment was still lost on him, but he could only assume it had to do with Baldur's clavicles. Letting him in, Mari took her place and retrieved a cup of her own.

Giving his old friend a wave, a grin of sorts crept along his face as he took his seat. "Hey Bal-sama, do you mind if I check something?" Moving before the samurai could give his answer, Oikawa placed his hands within Baldur's haori and gently rubbed at his clavicles.

"Hmm, so the rumors are true. You do have amazing clavicles," he exclaimed with a mischievous grin as he groped both sides of his chest and shoulders. Stealing a glance towards Mari and Shield, Oikawa re-adjusted Baldur's clothing and retreated back to his seat as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Well, shall we get started?"

Oikawa nodded and cleared his throat. "For starters, thank you for hosting. The tea is excellent, as usual. And despite the cold, your home is always warm and inviting." Glancing over those in attendance, he turned it over to Shield for commencement. "Shield, the floor is yours."

Edited April 29, 2020 by Oikawa

[Baldur 0]

Baldur put on his normal, neutral, unreadable expression as he waited for the door, and then decided to put on a slight smile as well, just before Mari opened up her home and the warmth and light spilled out upon the snow like the ghost of Christmas present. As he stepped into the cabin, Mari touched his arm and said she wanted to speak with him after the meeting, his smile faltered slightly for a moment, but his head was turned in such a way to listen to her whisper that no one could see it but Baldur. As he walked over to the familiar kotatsu, Baldur slipped under the blanket and eagerly accepted his tea. Royal Milk Tea was not his particular type, but the first sip was pleasant enough that Baldur took an immediate second one while Oikawa asked him a question.

"Hey Bal-sama, do you mind if I check something?"

Baldur arched an eyebrow at Oikawa as he set down his tea cup. Something is up, Oikawa doesn't call me 'Bal-sama' if he's doing something serious. But before Baldur could do anything more than set down his cup and open his mouth to respond, Oikawa pounced on him, pushing aside some of Baldur's kimono and grabbing the bare shoulders beneath. Had they been in a town, a warning would have appeared out of no where from the system due to the physical contact, but since they were in free-for-all territory, nothing happened more than a sense of surprise and violation.

"Hmm, so the rumors are true. You do have amazing clavicles,"

"The-the what?" Baldur was half reclined, and suddenly felt the need for a cigarette, though he had never smoked. His normally perfect hair seemed a little messier than usual from the altercation, and Baldur's eyes showed plainly that the normally composed samurai was clearly lost.

"Well, shall we get started?"

Oikawa cleared his throat. "For starters, thank you for hosting. The tea is excellent, as usual. And despite the cold, your home is always warm and inviting. Shield, the floor is yours."

The samurai still wasn't sure what was going on, or what the appropriate response would be.

"At least buy me dinner first next time, Oik." Baldur mumbled under his breath.

[Shield 0]

Shield coughed into his tea at the three ring circus that was playing out in the small snow covered house. He coughed to clear his throat, hie eyes avoiding the whole spectacle. He had half a mind to bum-rush everyone back out into the snow and make them enter and greet one another like normal, sane adults, but the thought of having to leave the kotasu - and beyond that, the house - was enough of a deterrent that he was just going to have to play the hand he was dealt. He took a napkin from his place setting and mopped up what had slopped over the rim of his mug, clearing his throat one more time before addressing the players who had all gathered.

"Well, if we can all... stop doing whatever Oikawa is doing, we can get started," Shield said. He considered standing, but again, that would remove him from the enveloped warmth of the kotatsu blanket, and thus decided against it. "I have opened discussions with Zandra regarding our donations to the ATP. I cannot yet say if she will be eager to be an ally considering she is very apprehensive about our founding members." In actuality, there was only one player he knew Zandra to be wary of, and Mari was more than aware of it. Going into further detail would not be helpful at the moment, so he kept the update brief and open ended. "She trusts me, and she is trying her best to be open to trusting everyone else involved, but she will need to consult her guild before speaking on their behalf. I will update you as we hear back from her."

"Aside from that," he continued, pulling up a set of schematics. "We need to discuss our guild hall. Since training lowbies and preparing them for the front lines is an integral part of our mission statement, I had hoped, Baldur, that we might be able to use your dojo as a starting point. As an added bonus, from my understanding, it's not inside of a safe zone, which would allow access for our orange members." He enlarged the sketches he had done, rotating them so that they were horizontal and moving them to sit just above the surface of the kotatsu. They were extremely basic, offering very little but the most rudimentary hints at structures and their locations. "It's an open document, so everyone has permissions to make changes. What would we like to see aesthetically? I figured, piggy-backing off of the dojo, expanding it into a traditional style temple would be an ideal aesthetic choice."

He turned his eyes to Mari. "Most of the bill has already been handled. You're more than welcome to send me what you like to contribute, but we're not short on funds."

Edited May 1, 2020 by Shield

[Mari 1]

Mari was seated at the table; feeling a little nervous. She had caught the falter in Baldur's smile. Mayhaps she shouldn't have said anything - Mari wanted to ease his mind, but instead she may have made things worse. She glanced down at her hand. Maybe she was wrong in trying to reach out to him that way. Shield had told her that he found her admission a good thing. But Mari was doubting it. Again...she had put her own selfish thoughts first, instead of thinking about the other person and how they would feel.

You're so tarnished and debased...

After the meeting...Mari would tell Baldur everything, only if he wanted. She'd not run. But she also felt she needed to apologize. It seemed that her ...whatever it was she felt...had not gone unnoticed by others. Even Crozeph had coined on. Then there was the matter of what Oikawa told her.  Maybe -

"Hey Bal-sama, do you mind if I check something?"

Mari watched in abject horror and surprise as Oikawa reached forward and ....touched Baldur, his hand slipping under Baldur's haori. Mari's face went bright red. "Oikawa!" She chastised with a slap on the table. "The hell!? Apologize! Y-you can't just..." She gestured toward Baldur, clearly flustered. Who the hell told him about...she shot a glare toward Shield as he coughed into his cup. Right. The clavicles comment. As if things couldn't be any worse.

Shield started talking, mentioning a run in with Zandra and how she had an issue with a founding member. Mari turned her face away from the others. She knew. Things just got worse.

"Y-Yeh..." Mari lowered her gaze. "Zandra...believed all these crazy rumours about me - she was so ready to believe a stranger; saying that I had murdered and -" Mari swallowed. "And tortured people." She closed her eyes, a brief flash of Life mocking her, laughing over her frozen body as he ran his tongue up her cheek, calling her a debased monster. Mari shook her head. She'd never.

"I met up with Zandra a few days ago actually..."  Mari ran a hand over the wooden surface of the table. "I think...she feels bad about believing those lies and rumours about me. I think she's scared of me but... from her words and what she said. It sounded like she was ready to - well not to trust me per say - but to put her faith in me. Enough at least - to discuss it with her guild members and put in a decent word for me. I Guess we had the same idea in approaching her." Mari offered Shield a tired smile. "If me being a part of the guild puts its reputation or standing in danger - please let me know. I'll -" Mari's hands tightened into fists. "I'll step down. I could probably talk to Macradon about taking my place. If you three were comfortable with that, but I have to admit..." Mari exhaled. It was difficult to talk about how she felt. Especially since she was so used to pushing down those feelings. "I'd rather not, this is something I've wanted for a while now - but I also want to make it clear I'd never let my personal feelings or desires get in the way of this." She added. Mari wanted to make that last part very clear.  "On a final note; I think Zandra knows the alliance would be beneficial - and it seems she'll let both Shield and I know the outcome of the meeting with her guild members. It may have helped that I was there to help the ATP when it was under attack last time too..." Mari added. At least, that was one thing dealt with. Both her and Shield had approached and talked to Zandra. "But what of the other guilds?" Mari asked. "Should we work on establishing an alliance with them? I'm a little out of the loop - do we know who the active guilds and their leaders are?"
 

Mari shifted her gaze to the sketches; she carefully picked up the plate of Anpan out from the middle of the table and set it on the floor beside her.  "I'm fine with that." Mari said as she glanced over his designs. "My concern is how high up we are - if it's outside a safe zone we will need an escort team to help the players shift from the town to the Guild hall and Dojo." As Mari leaned forward her fringe fell into her face, she took a second to push the obstinate strands back behind her ear. Her eyes narrowed as they glanced over the blueprints. She couldn't really see anything they were missing, but they were rudimentary right now. "We'd want to utilize every available room; Storage, Bank, Meeting Room, Training, Duelling, Trading, and Treasury."

Mari leaned back. "When registering the guild - we need to decide who the official leaders are, and who the founding members are- we could have all four of us as the leaders; but It may also be best if we had Shield and Baldur as the leaders - and my self and Oikawa as founding members. I'm happy with either option. I also want to discuss what each of us will be in charge of - I - " Mari paused. Was she talking to much? Was she stepping on anybody's toes? Her confidence faltered slightly. No...No now was not the time to worry about things like that.

Mari chewed on her lip, trying to figure out best how to word what was on her mind. "I...somehow seem to be I don't wanna say popular...but...well liked among a lot of the emerging players - we could work with that. I also..." Mari shut her eyes, thinking of people like Hidden and Aereth. Like OIkawa. "I want to work with Pkers who want to redeem themselves. And - if Oikawa is comfortable with that, I want us to work on removing his orange crystal." There was no sense in the both of them being marked.

@Shield @Baldur @Oikawa

[Baldur 0]

Baldur leaned forward on the table, holding his tea cup in one hand off to the side so he could genuflect with the other while he spoke. He could tell the orange crystal issue, and the Zandra factor were weighing heavily on Mari. She continued to talk, seeming to have gotten a momentum behind her until she had laid out all of her feelings on the table. He felt a bit of relief that she hadn't said anything that he hadn't already considered, or that they hadn't already discussed before this. The idea of Shield's to expand the guild around Baldur's aesthetic and his home warmed his heart more than he could have said. It was more than he could have hoped for, and it felt as if they guild were embracing him. They were slowly but surely each putting their fingerprint on the guild. We need to make sure Mari and Oikawa feel the same.

"Mari -- we knew what we were doing when we asked you to be one of the four pillars. Shield and I have long had this desire and spoken of plans for a guild, but this time it is all coming together, not inspire of who you are, but because of who you are. Because of who each of us are. We knew that your and Oikawa's orange crystals would present challenges, but we went into this knowing that. I think that's why Shield went to speak with Zandra, and probably why you did as well. We'll have to more forward thoughtfully, but it is not worth being a barrier."

He reclined backwards, propping himself up with his left hand and taking a sip to wet his throat.

"Your willingness to get out an seek redemption, as well as your... mentory relationship with others is exactly why we chose you. I am not great at working with the lower level players, nor am I quite outgoing enough for vigorous enough to keep up with them. I do better one on one. Shield here" Baldur indicated him with a nod of his head, "Is about the best manager and quartermaster we could hope for. He'll make sure we're well stock, supplied, and organized. Oikawa "Baldur indicated with another nod of his head, "Has always been the sort of front man, the idea guy. Oikawa says not just what's on his mind, but what everyone is thinking, but may be too scared to say. He thinks outside of the box, and inspires forward movement."

He leaned back onto the table and set the cup down, spinning it slightly in his hands.

"Each of us have a role to play as leaders, and I think being the face of the guild for recruiting and mentoring the 'young' level wise, is exactly what you are the best at among us. Shield should definitely be the #1 on paper, as he has invested more in this guild than anyone, but all four of us are Hashira for a reason, and we all must support one another."

Baldur turned his gaze towards Shield, though his point addressed what Mari had said as well.

"My dojo, Katsujinken, will be open to everyone, much like our guild. I love the idea of tying it to the guild as well. My bushido has helped many people seek redemption, or find their way when lost. I hope to continue to to do that, while also teaching others how to use our skills to not just stay alive, but save the lives of others. That's why I chose the name I did, and Jacob's Ladder is only an extension of that same vision, in my eyes, both in name and purpose. Our primary goal must always be at the forefront of everything we do. We're helping to wake the dreamers."

[Oikawa 1]

Baldur's quip was more calm than he expected. "I needed to see what all the fuss was," he interjected. "But our dinner is on me," he teased before Shield took the floor in full capacity. Un-amused, Shield began. Oikawa listened intently as he touched on addressing the guild's ability to form alliance with ATP. Zandra seemed to be the ringleader of the guild and as such both Mari and Shield had reached out to her to see what they could agree to as two, hopefully, large scale guilds. As he transitioned to more of the guild itself, Oikawa began to glance over the sketches he had made in preparation for the meeting.

He had no qualms with what had been said thus far. He was all for the design aspect of the guild and the structures as they were dictated. He wasn't one for the more 'tedious' ideas of creating a guild. He functioned better in the training or combat side of the house. His expertise in duels made his reputation nigh-untouchable in that department. AT least back then.

He simply nodded, acknowledging Shield's and Mari's words thus far. Despite her initial reaction to his earlier antics, Mari was fairly calm and collected while delivering her ideas. Oikawa once again in agreement with what had been said. He wasn't a leader, but he was a face that a lot of players, old and new, seemed to recognize. Whether that was in their favor or not was to be determined. "I agree with Shield being labeled Guild Leader in official capacity and to address it while we're on the topic, there's four of us. If we chose to vote on and idea; either we'd need a valued fifth or give Shield deciding vote power in the end. That aside, I don't mind being a just a Pillar."

Mari's next few words caught him off guard. Had she just, no. He wasn't sure why she addressed that part out loud, but decided to embrace it anyway. "While it's true I want to seek Redemption and would love the help. I have much more to do and prove before I feel comfortable doing that."

"You should seek it out too," he responded. "You deserve it more than I do right now." At least that is what he thought.

His lips soon found the tea. The milky liquid coursing through him and warming him up and as he sipped, Baldur leaned over and added his thoughts. Oikawa was put a little more at ease. It seemed Baldur and Shield were quite aware how the pair of PKers felt about their cursors affecting the overall guild image. He then proceeded to highlight each of their roles and positive aspects. Something that wasn't done enough back in the real world, but here he appreciated the care and thought.

As Baldur concluded, Oikawa mulled over what he could actually add to the conversation. "As Mari and Baldur know, I've been around quite a few guilds. As I've stated before, this group reminds me the most of what Square One wanted to achieve. I'm not as innovative as Baldur would have you believe but I do not mind saying what's on my mind or confronting any situation head on. And if I'm being honest, my strength lies majorly in combat. I think my talents would be best used there and helping quest the players and helping them understand the importance of our vision, team work and trust in one another. I like team-building and with Baldur's self created quest ideas of old, I'm positive we can not only pave the way towards the top, but mold exceptional players into a family that can guide the way"

He sipped more tea. He had winded off on another tangent but hopefully his intentions were clear. He was simple in that regard and he hoped his comments would be fulfilling off enough to be considered a contribution to the group.

[Shield 0]

"Mari, if we were most concerned about out guild's image being unblemished, we would have found players who were popular and easier to get behind. However, Baldu'r's dojo is all about reform and second chances. If we're going to have orange players, we want them to be front and center, because we have nothing to hide."

Next, he considered Oikawa's self assessment. "So you feel that combat is more where your skills are suited," Shield said, repeating back some of Oikawa's sentiments. That created some difficulty, but it also perhaps created some opportunity to handle an issue that Mari had raised. "I think that Baldur's role as sensei is likely well solidified, so although you would likely be a very good assistant teacher, his experience and his mind for builds and how to bring out the most in players will be central to the training process." He leaned back onto his hands, looking up at the ceiling as he let a few thoughts roll around in his mind. "However, as Mari said, being so fa from a safe zone, we will want to have a regular guard detail to bring players to and from the guild hall. I think having a powerful yet personable player helping keep an eye on them when possible is a good way to help turn people's opinions about orange players while at the same time, it would serve as extra deterrent for anyone wishing our members harm. I am formidable, but I hardly pose a threat to attackers."

Most of the others thoughts on the roles of the pillars seemed solid. Their roles each seemed to fit nicely into place. Baldur would largely continue doing what he was already doing, and in a sense so too would Mari. Shield and Oikawa were the only ones really changing their positions in any meaningful way. The topics was turning next to power and how in the guild it would be structured. "I think that balance is going to be key regarding decision making in the guild," he said, leaning forward and resting his upper lip against his folded hands. "And there are more than a few ways to address my role. Before I delve into that, however, there is another matter of power in the guild that I think deserves consideration." He took a slow breath, pausing afterward to sip at his tea. "I don't think that a bunch of high level players can ever perfectly speak for low leveled players. We do not have their perspective, and we cannot completely identify in this moment with where they are." He straightened back up at his end of the kotatsu. "I think the main decision making body needs to be one third high leveled members, two thirds lower leveled players. I would propose that the higher level players have twice the weight in a vote, so essentially the power is divided half and half. The opinions of an experienced player may outweigh any one errant voice, but if the lower-leveled players are united on an issue, they can cancel all of the votes of the experienced players."

It was perhaps an unconventional power structure, but it was one that he had mentioned to Baldur before, and it was something he felt had a lot of potential for good. "I think this will give lower leveled players a sense of ownership and pride in their guild. As for my role... I feel like my role in decision making is to lead the discussion, but not to vote directly in most cases. I think I should serve as tie breaker, but not to actually vote otherwise. If we want me to have a more decisive role, we could have a system where any decision I make is sent to the legislative body, and any significant dissent will go to discussion and a vote, while a unanimous 'yae' goes into effect. Again, I do not think that vote should be one I participate in."

Edited May 2, 2020 by Shield

[Mari 1]

Things were going smoothly, that is, if you ignore the fact that Oikawa quite literally caressed Baldur's chest. Mari slapped her cheeks at the thought. A mix of embarrassment and envy muddled in her. Mari shifted her gaze to Baldur, it lingered on him. She shook her head. No, now was not the time. "This seems to be going really well." Mari said as her hands fell back to hold her cup. "Right so we all agree on structure; having it similar to Baldurs dojo, and as essentially an annex to it. We're content with our positions - and our roles. I agree with the voting system Shield proposed. I think it's important to give voice to the many."  'And others are okay with me being here' Mari thought to herself. Words she felt were best kept silent. 

Hearing how everyone was satisfied with her being there, each giving their reasons as to why she was chosen. It helped alleviate the concerns she had. Did Baldur see her as someone who was outgoing and vigorous? Mari didn't quite see herself that way, she was tired - always so very tired. She just found ways to push on. "Okay - now that is all sorted - members." Mari paused to take a drink from her cup. "I...wanna ask Crozeph to join. We bumped into each other - and I think this guild would do him some good. He'll be living in Baldur's home anyway."  Mari glanced at Oikawa. "Not to mention he sees Oikawa as some sort of hero." She added with a grin. "Finally there is a very timid girl named ....Shy? Shye? Shiyah?" Mari shook her head, the name was difficult to remember. "She's going to need to work on her confidence, but she wants to go for a first aid/healer build." Mari shifted, grabbing the plat of sweet bean buns that had been placed on the floor and putting them back on the table.

"What else did we need to discuss?"

[Baldur 0]

Baldur opened his mouth to interject, wanting to cut Oikawa off before he might chafe at being called an assistant sensei at Baldur's dojo. Oikawa was much more creative when it came to builds. Baldur's was more of a sustainability belief. Consistent damage, margins of safety, being prepared. Oikawa was the one who had been able to test numerous builds and come up with very creative options that were able to do some incredible things. He had been a feared duelest for a long time because of his skill with builds.

"I think Oikawa's strength in battle could be utilized more in the questing and leading the new players through combat. As I had mentioned, I do better one on one, and I'll certainly lead a few quests here and there, but Oikawa will be able to run circles around me in that area. It may be more that I help the players who are transitioning from becoming a beginner into a solid frontliner, and once they've got their basic kit and set of gear and are able to fight, Oikawa can help them advance into something more niche or specialized."

Shield then launched in to his expression of voting for the guild. It was a very interesting system, and Baldur had no problem with it save one.

"The only problem I see with that, is that we would need numbers on the lower leveled players side for this to ever work. Perhaps some day, if we have a lot of players in the guild, and a nice mix of lower and high level players that would be beneficial indeed, but until we reach a certain population inflection point, the onus is on us to listen to the voice of our first few players, and take their words to heart, rather than reflecting it in a voting scheme. As for you having a vote, with it just being the four of us right now, I think a simple majority works best. There's four of us, 3 of us should need to have a consensus. That represents buy in of the majority of us, and I think that works for the best. Now issues that are up for a whole guild vote? I could see that being a good idea, but I don't know what I feel you need to be excluded in that case either."

Then Mari began to speak about recruiting, and a smile crossed Baldur's face.

"I spoke to Crozeph before I spoke to any of you about a guild actually." Baldur turned to Oikawa, believing that the para-god would be an easy sell, "I would love to have Crow in the guild. He wants to stick with the katana, but also go with first aid, and he's thinking about becoming a performer so he can specialize in buffing and debuffing. I think that's an invaluable role we should do everything to encourage."

Then Mari brought up Shay.

"Oh yes, I met Shay-" Then Mari elaborated she wanted to go first aid, "Oh, must be someone with a similar name. I met a young woman and helped her learn the katana. She's expressed interest in joining my dojo, as had Crozeph, actually. But I think if Crozeph leans that Oikawa is in the guild he'll --" it was that moment Baldur froze.

"Wait Mari -- umm.. there's not a delicate way to phrase this, but -- considering what happened between you two, You and Crozeph are ok? I thought that might be a more... difficult sell."

Perhaps they should have spoken about this privately, but it was guild business, and they had already acknowledged that Mari and Oikawa's orange status would be something the guild would need to address, so this forum made sense.

"I would also really like to recruit Macradon. If he can be pulled away from the Knights of the Blood Oath, that would be a huge win for us as a guild, and I think the people of the frontlines to begin with. Mac is a great commander, and he already aligns with the tenents of the guild, and does as much already on his own."

[Oikawa 1]

Plucking a few of the custard-filled buns from the plate, Oikawa indulged in them and his tea a little more as the meeting continued. Placing the cup down, Oikawa glanced to Shield as he spoke once more. He seemed more inclined to think that the brunette would serve better as a bodyguard of sorts. Protecting the lower members as they traversed to and from the guild hall and serving as an assistant to Baldur's teachings. While he wasn't opposed to the idea as a whole, he seemed to have been relegated to something that served to kill two birds with one stone. His image and perception as an orange player and his ability to help guide the lower-leveled players. It was actually better suited than he cared to admit, but the idea of it wasn't quite what he had in mind.

Oikawa could only assume Baldur knew how he felt as he spoke out before Oikawa had a chance to address it. Nodding his thanks to the samurai, Oikawa echoed his sentiments. "Baldur knows more about me than I do myself sometimes. But I'm in line with both of your assessments. I can easily serve as and do both. Guiding the players safely is a priority in itself, but being able to guide and mentor them in what I excel in will also bring the fulfillment I want for myself." The guild would still come first but he could only imagine everyone wanted to enjoy the role they played. He was no different.

As the conversation shifted back to voting and recruitment, Oikawa was in agreement with Shield's ideas as well as Baldur's clarification. Until they had more members they would need to use majority vote amongst themselves and Oikawa was fine with that. Mari then brought up the recruitment of Crozeph and Shye. He was familiar with Crozeph of course and figured the wayward crow would be a fine addition to the group. "I'm not sure what happened between you two," he explained gesturing to Mari and the mention of Crozeph, "but you know where I stand in regards to him. I think he'd make a great addition so long as everything between you is squared away. As for Shye, I'be never met her but it seems she and my recruit will get along fine enough. Which brings me to Galilea. Calrex is familiar with her and she quested with Titan and I a few days back. I motion to bring her to the guild as she is a budding support player as well."

He took another bite of the Anpan and wiped his face before continuing. "It's fairly unanimous that we all agree for both the guild and the frontlines as a whole, Macradon would be a great addition to our cause even if not in complete official capacity. If we can pursue him, I think we should. No questions asked."

The conversation began to settle. He wasn't sure what more they had left to discuss as Shield had handled a majority of the guild hall details beforehand. Sipping the last of his tea, Oikawa was surprised to hear Mari ask aloud what he was thinking.

"What else did we need to discuss?" He raised his brow in curiosity. He had nothing left to add for now. "I've pretty much addressed my points and said my piece about Galilea. The floor is open."

[Shield 0]

Shield nodded along with Baldur's and Oikawa's corrections, conceding the points uncontested. "Of course, and you'll forgive me for not knowing Oikawa's and Mari's strengths more specifically. I have known the two of you for a relatively short time all things considered, and I trust that you'll fill whatever niche you feel best suited to fill, though I am happy to have Oikawa specifically agree to serving as escort. That has been a concern of mine, and it is good to have it sorted."

There were already names piling up of players who either showed interest or otherwise would make good additions. He was surprised to hear Macradon's name shared, though not unpleasantly so. "Macradon has been a member of the Knights since I first met him. I assumed nothing would pry him away from Heathcliff, but if he has an interest in joining, I would love to have him. This would, incidentally, mean that three of the four highest level players would all be closely associated with the same guild, which is fine, in theory, but in practice could make us look more like Azure Brigade than ever. I am not opposed, as long as we proceed with caution."

"As far as matters of a vote go..." Shield frowned. "I supposed we will just have to hope for the best. Hopefully we will have enough active members to impose a proper structure to things before we run into a situation where we would need to replace a pillar. I am in general a fan of odd numbers in governing bodies. So long as all members vote, there will never be a tie to break." He opened another blank document, drawing an upside down triangle and labeling its 3 points. "So to put a structure to what we have been discussing... I would put myself as leader here." He indicated the bottom point. "Anything that required quick, decisive decisions I would make in the moment and then methods for proceeding in the aftermath would go before the other two bodies." He then indicated the top two points. "These two bodies would consist of the remaining pillars and six selected other players. We could specifically have the six most recent members take those slots, if we want to avoid situations of entrenched power. Regardless, anything that would not require less than forty eight hours' notice would go before both bodies for a vote. If one body votes yes and the other votes no, it goes to me to break the tie.

"I know it looks strange to not give me a vote in the initial process, but it actually works out the exact same way regardless. If they're divided, what I vote for would have won either way, and if they were united, then my vote wouldn't have counted even if I had voted against them. See? So essentially, what we've got is three more or less equal pieces to the puzzle, with a slight tilt towards me in that I would rule on matters that didn't allow time for a vote." He gave some time to allow for a few last minute points for or against before moving on.

"By my sources, costs for the guild hall will total 155,000 Col. After the donations that everyone has made, I will be able to cover that, but if Mari wished to contribute, now would be the time to speak up about that," he said, giving her a slight nod. "No pressure either way. In the mean time, that covers most of the business I had. The only other thing of note is that once everything is in order, I would very much like to have a grand opening of the guild. A little pomp and circumstance to usher in new players and the extra facilities."

[Mari 1]

"Oh." Mari cleared her throat when Baldur asked her about Crozeph. "I..." How should she explain this? She glanced to Shield - he'd probably tell her to take a breath and start from the start. So Mari did just that. She took a deep breath. "He - bumped into me when I was crafting. He initially attacked me - " Her hand subconsciously went to her throat. "He held me up by my throat- I guess I deserved that." Mari said quietly, her hand rubbing her throat. Her quiet and pensive voice continued. "But - after that he...broke down. He..." Was this unfair to Crozeph? No. He'd understand. This was important. Mari didn't want to hold back any information.

"He kinda - fell asleep crying in my lap. Since then - he frequently visits my home, to talk or to nap." A small smile broke the sombre line on Mari's face. "It's ...kinda astounding how easily he falls asleep." Her hand lowered from her neck to the table, she found warmth  and comfort in the form of the small cup in front of her. "He...he says he looks up to me. That he feels calm and safe around me." Mari still wasn't sure why, but she knew better than to deny him that, or question it- if she did she knew she'd hear an earful from the three around her.

Mari began to twirl the cup absently in front of her, gentle cerulean eyes watching the liquid swirl - small lips pursed in thought. Was there anything else she had to discuss?

"I'll transfer you 40,000k Col." Mari said quietly to Shield as she lifted her hand reluctantly to open up her HUD - eyes drifting upward as she keyed in the amount and sent it over to Shield. "Oh." She stared at the small image in her inventory. "Actually. I..." Mari's lip curled inward as she bit down on it. Nervous. "I kinda...knowing that you wanted to base it near Baldurs dojo I designed this - for a guild Icon." She bought it up and expanded it, so everyone could see. "This is the only other thing I can think of discussing. We don't have to use it...really..." she quickly said, dismissing it. 

"It didn't take that long - and it's not like I have anything better to do. Aha.aha..." she laughed awkwardly. Sharing her work was always embarrassing.

@Oikawa @Shield @Baldur

[Baldur 0]

A wash of emotions swept over Baldur in a way he was completely unprepared for. Crozeph had attacked Mari? The man certainly had valid reasons to do so, but he didn't take his old friend as someone who would have acted so passionately in the moment like that. Then he had broken down and disclosed that he admired Mari and had apparently become very close friends with her. That please Baldur greatly, that someone who would have such a reason to dislike and distrust Mari instead turned and believed in her. If anything, it meant that they were correct in their decision to rely on Mari as the fourth pillar. Then Mari put forward a fantastic guild icon she had made, and immediately put herself down in a way that pushed one of Baldur's buttons. It was a whirlwind of ups and downs, and only spoke to the amount of stress Baldur had been carrying on his shoulders without thinking about it. That was the only explanation for how his emotions could be yanked around to his extent.

In fact, for the first time in as long as he could remember, he was speechless. He didn't know how to organize his thoughts and feelings, but over all, this meeting had been good. Personal admonishments could wait for another time, this was a professional meeting between the four of them to build a foundation for their ladder. The ladder was more important than anything else.

"I vote in favor of the new guild icon. I like it, but then, I doubt anyone here would think I would vote any other way." He tried to play the whole thing off with a smile and a light laugh. He was the gaijin samurai after all.

He held up his cup and took a sip, finishing off the tea with a satisfied sigh at the end.

"I am looking forward to opening our new facility and welcoming our new players to it. I've got some upgrades to my own home before the dojo is ready, but right now I have rooms for myself and Crozeph ready. I look forward to showing you all around once it's ready. I think it'll be something really special." He realized that his home would seem quite grandiose, if not gaudy compared to this, and he didn't want it to come across.

"Though I don't think it'll ever feel as cozy as the four of us sitting around a kotatsu in a cabin on the snow covered valley on the fourth floor."

He poured another sip of tea into his glass and then held it up in a toast.

"To trust. To friendships new and old, and to Jacob's Ladder. May our humble beginnings be the cornerstone of better things to come."