Twilight [Intro]

There he was now. So this was Fairy Tail up close, huh?

The building was certainly impressive. A lot more pompous than the raven-haired man clad in a simple black shirt and pair of black jeans had anticipated. On his side hung a katana-like blade, though apart from this, the man's only other possession seemed to be a charcoal-hued backpack. He'd seen the guild hall draw closer from quite a distance away. He'd known where it was located, of course. The map of Magnolia had long been committed to the man's memory in its entirety. This was the first time he would see the guild hall up close, though. Officially, at least.

Nestor had heard that it had been rebuilt relatively recently after another mage guild had destroyed their previous guild hall. What a turbulent place Fiore was. If one had to worry about terrorist attacks like this on an institutional scale, then this truly was a land of savages. The esper knew better, of course, but he couldn't help but grin to himself. It really was rather flawed, this guild system of theirs, wasn't it? Either way, the guild hall looked the part. Spotless, one might say, and when compared with the disgusting shithole that his previous guild called a home base, this was a veritable palace. Lively it was, certainly, the man passing a good number of people who seemed to have some kind of business with this mage guild. To what end, he couldn't know, of course, but he cared little for such trivialities.

He entered through the front gate, making his way to a large set of open double doors, Nestor's head curiously swerving from side to side as he took in the new sights and sounds, meticulously cataloging all new information and storing it for later, when more thorough analysis could be conducted. For now, though, there was very little that kept him occupied. The fact that he even had enough free time to play around here was already more or less a blessing for the Paladin. It was his first time actually joining a mage guild for real, too, so he couldn't help but wonder what life inside one would be like. He could learn a lot about the structure and inner workings of such an organization simply via his presence here. The last one he'd infiltrated, well, it had given him nothing in terms of excitement. Plumed Serpent had been a total and complete joke. Well, whatever. As long as Fiore still had mage guilds left over, it would be simple to just try again. Something he intended to do right here, right now.

He found himself in a rather busy and expansive hall, two separate counters lining the walls on either side. A bar, huh? He hadn't expected that. Seemed like this place was a bit more bougie than initially anticipated. He exhaled, dragging his feet over to the seating opportunities. Maybe a drink or two wouldn't be bad before he could figure out how to get inducted into the ranks of Fairy Tail. Couldn't be that hard, right? This was pleasure and not really business, after all. Then again, business was also a pleasure for Nestor. He'd just have to wait and see.

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Upon closer inspection, the bar was more elaborate than initially anticipated. Maybe he could get used to amenities such as this one. If this was the difference that legal and illegal status made among guilds, well, he knew which side of the spectrum he'd stick to in the future while he was in Fiore. Then again, it made sense, did it not? This guild received the support of both public and the state. Of course it would be better off than some backwater shithole.

Something else got Nestor's attention, though. A certain man caught his eye as he made his way over to the bar through the small groups of members and non-members alike. A man he knew. Well, "knew" was a relative term. He had read his file prior to finding his way to Magnolia.

This was, without any doubt, Mura Kensho, one of the 4 so-called "Gods of Ishgar" and the Guild Master of Fairy Tail. Fortune seemed to smile upon Nestor. One of Pergrande's most-wanted had simply appeared before him without any additional work, a status that was, naturally, based on the God of Ishgar's exploits in the last battle between Pergrande and Bellum and his efforts against the fleet of the Motherland. Instinct nearly took over the man, but he reminded himself that this was pleasure and not business. There would be no execution today. No, no, this was not at all the reason he was here. He drew a deep breath and continued apace, towards the man.

"Gotta say, I'm quite partial to a drink myself. 'scuse me, this seat taken?". His Fiorean was perfect at this point. Not even a hint of anything Pergranti in his accent, masked with a slightly posh Elumish ring. He didn't wait for a response from the man and simply sat down on the bar stool next to him. "I'll take an Old Fashioned. Brown sugar. Lemon instead of the orange, please". It was an order that was ever-so-slightly more extravagant than a regular cocktail, evoking the image of a man who knew his way around a bar in those who would hear it. He hoped that the drinks were better than at that shabby shack.

"Couldn't help but overhear that somethin's troubling you. Got some worries on my mind myself. Mind some company from a stranger? Nestor's the name". He smiled, extending a hand towards the man. He, of course, would simply act as if he'd never heard of the man. Just another oblivious newbie looking to make his way in the world. Part of the masses.

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Nestor listened attentively when the man introduced himself in turn with his own introduction, feigning absolute ignorance. Introductions weren't really necessary on the God of Ishgar's part, the new arrival knew it all, of course, but he still nodded, acting as though the name carried no meaning to the Paladin whatsoever. Still, he sat at the bar beside the man, only reacting when the other used a very particular expression to denote his position in this organization. "W-wait... your guild? Don't tell me...". For all intents and purposes, this revelation would obviously shock a newcomer. Perhaps this would be a perfect time to throw even a little bit of admiration into the mix. Still, there was that grating little remark the other had made. Nothing could hurt them, huh? What a joke. This B-List fighter with a cohort of C-List lackeys? Unbeknownst to the other, Nestor managed to view Mura's words not as a provocation, not to let that incredibly stupid delusion influence his demeanor. After all, he was a neutral party in this war, at least, in this persona. Nestor smiled sheepishly.

"Rough times, huh? Wait-... man, seriously? You're... you're the Guild Master of Fairy Tail?! I had no idea. Maybe I should've dressed a little more proper for the job. Didn't know this would be a surprise interview, mate". The raven-haired newcomer gave a thoroughly calculated laugh that was a perfect synthesis of ever-so-slight amusement and star-struck awe.

That awe quickly turned to genuine confusion when the man named Mura Kensho spoke anew, the God of Ishgar almost making it seem like he was talking to another bystander who, for all intents and purposes, wasn't there. Was he... alright in the head? He knew that mages were degenerates, by and large, but an open schizophrenic leading a guild? Man, these people were really something else. If it hadn't been so fucking sad it would've been hilarious. Of course, Nestor wasn't the type to make his innermost thoughts clear, the man only curiously raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, me? Hmm... yeah, s'pose you could say that. An adventurer at heart. Gotta be honest, I wanted to find footing in the world of mages. Always been a dream of mine, so to speak. Figured that Fairy Tail, with its reputation, would be a good fit for me.". Of course, none of what Nestor told Mura was a lie in the slightest. It was simply worded in an ambiguous way that, when taken at face value, would paint the picture of an eager young man wanting to make a name for himself in the world. On that note, he gleefully accepted the drink the bartender had prepared for him with a smiley "Cheers!" and immediately took his first sip. Well, it looked like these people had some merit, after all. Their drinks, if nothing else, were superb. They weren't much different from your average Pergrandean, naturally, but Nestor would never be caught saying, or even as much as thinking that on Pergrande's soil. Too many people with abilities that could peer into the minds of others. He continued his earlier line of dialogue, raising one hand to his head as he scratched his neck. "Gotta be real, though, chief, don't really know where, or even how to start. I'm a total rookie".

Time for the next line in the act. As if it had only just occurred to him, Nestor quickly spoke up again. "Oh, sorry, don't really know how the whole title thing works here. I'm from Ca-Elum, you see, and we don't really have mage guilds. So what do I even call you, in that case? As a potential recruit, I mean? Like, Boss? Mr. Kensho?". It was a light-hearted joke. He'd work to ingratiate himself as much as possible in the ranks of this guild, see how the others would react, and react accordingly. He certainly appeared charismatic, that newcomer. He took another sip from his drink, enjoying the disparity between this one and the one he'd gotten at the last guild he'd had access to. "Any requirements a candidate's gotta fulfill? Strength test or somethin' like that? Do I gotta take a quiz?". He laughed absent-mindedly as he took another sip from the drink, his very own perfect combination of bitter, sweet, and tart.

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