Feel the Rain on Your Skin (Open)

Today it was raining, and Juliet was... peeved. Though she would prefer not to allow such pettiness as annoyance at rain, of all things, cloud her focus, the truth of the matter was, all of her plans today had been spoiled by the weather. Letting out an enormous sigh, Juliet stared out the window. And then proceeded to cough and hack, covering her mouth unsuccessfully. She had inhaled a piece of fuzz- this was why it never paid to be dramatic. Juliet backed away from the wall and turned to pull the cords of her curtains over the glass panes. There was no use in lingering on her inability to go hiking. Perhaps the insufferable gods had sent the storm with the intention of pointing out how much of a waste of time her hobby was. It would be just like them to act out of spite- but that was wishful thinking. They simply didn't care about mortals. She had no reason to linger on thoughts of the deities who were so patently uninvolved.

Still, a certain set to her shoulders made it clear as she made her way downstairs that there was plenty of unresolved tension simmering inside. Juliet fumed inwardly. The ruination of another perfectly planned agenda was a regrettable loss, but it was time to move on. She was wasting time, now. Breathing as evenly as possible, Juliet grabbed her iLac from where it sat on the kitchen table. Despite living alone with barely enough for cheap rent, she had her own kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom here- that was good enough. According to her iLac, it was just past nine in the morning, which had Juliet burning with shame. She had slept in, assuming today would be a perfect time for an afternoon hike. This entire week, she'd been bogged down with work. Even through her best efforts, some jobs had managed to go poorly. Apparently, the passport she had obtained to do licensed foreign work was invalid because it marked her as a guild mage. As a very guildless, non stamped individual, Juliet was unable to verify her guild.

She still had no idea how that error had happened. Regardless, it had to be rectified. This wasn't the first time she had been mistaken for a guild mage- apparently there were so many of these... Dies Irae folk running around that their uniform was a common occurrence. No matter. Juliet had contacted the passport agency to get her documents corrected-

"This is a joke," she said flatly, staring at the email on her iLac. "Miss Juliet Rothschild, we regret to inform you that in order to be excused from status as a legal guild mage, the bureau requires proof from a guild master or ace of the faction in question. Please return by email or fax the appropriate documentation to our business office at any time during the following hours. Monday, eight a.m to three p.m. Tuesday- damn it all," she cut herself off and stood up, jostling the kitchen table. Breathing deeply, Juliet grabbed her cloak, a deep red garment with gold fastenings, and threw open the door. Rather, she tried to, but it was so cheap that the knob stuck for a few moments. After jiggling it around, she managed to unlock it and finally make her dramatic exit.

Proof from a guild master or ace? Juliet wanted to rip her hair out as she stalked down the streets of Magnolia, her expression dark with irritation. The sheer inefficiency of the passport agency baffled her. Did they seriously intend for her to provide proof of leaving a guild which she had never previously been affiliated with? Scratch that, Juliet was infuriated by the constant confusion she had to deal with. What was with people and assuming she was a legal guild mage? Pulling her cloak more tightly against her body, Juliet flipped up the hood, obscuring her eyes as she stood on the sidewalk with the rain pouring down on her shoulders. All of this was a bother, but it had to be dealt with.

Surprisingly, the tracking down the base of operations of Dies Irae had been easy. Juliet supposed that was by design; after all, it was a proper guild and had to be accessible to the public, somewhat at least. Still, she was pleased. In addition to the position of the hall, her online research had provided a lot of information about the guild. In particular, apparently they wore uniforms quite similar to her own. Extremely similar, in fact. Juliet groaned as she stared again at the picture on the website. It was one of their leaders- a guild master, or something. A stunningly beautiful woman with long, blue hair. Realizing she had been staring at the image for far too long, Juliet powered off her iLac and closed her eyes, trying to focus. They snapped open again when she realized she kept seeing the same picture swimming in front of her. "Damn it!" She cursed loudly, shame filling her at her own inability to concentrate. Shaking her head, she cleared her mind and then snapped her fingers, teleporting in a blink to what should have been Amber Island.

---

It seemed that the coordinates she was given went directly into a town called Port Amber. At least, that was what Juliet observed, judging from a sign a hundred or so meters away from the spot where she arrived. Unsure of where to go next, Juliet steeled herself before walking up to a nearby vendor. She pulled her cloak a bit more tightly around herself, her eyes and part of her face still obscured. Even though her clothes were practically dripping wet from standing outside looking at her iLac for too long, Juliet didn't care. It was a slight bit embarrassing to be walking around here with her bedraggled look, though. Apparently the weather was much different over here, bright and sunny with only a few clouds in sight.

"Excuse me, but do you know where I could find the... Throne Hall, of Dies Irae?" It had taken her a moment to remember the information from the website, but she asked the woman successfully (while purchasing a banana, so as to not waste the seller's time without a sale). Fortunately, the guild seemed to be well known around here, for Juliet was directed on her way without any issue. She headed up the way the woman had indicated, muttering a brief spell that changed her clothes into dry, civilian wear. Her cloak and formal garments disappeared, replaced by an outfit that made her look much younger and nonthreatening. Hopefully, it could aid her in both acquiring the assistance of a guild master and also not being mistaken for a member... again.

When she had finally made her way to the front of the guild hall, Juliet snorted. It was enormous! Wetting her lips, she stepped through the great archway, eyes darting briefly to the side to stare at the numerous banners clearly marking this room as a celebration of Dies Irae. The pomp and splendor reminded Juliet in a distasteful way, of the nobles and aristocracy. She felt as though she were approaching the royal court on a smaller scale. Glancing around, Juliet put her personal feelings aside and began to look for someone she could ask for further guidance. This was a mission, nothing more.

Although she constantly reminded herself not to draw conclusions based on appearances, Juliet found the opulence of the hall tacky. Try as she might to think of it more generously as being... grand?... in a positive fashion, all of her senses delivered unto her the image of a magnificent greeting hall for a king to his people. An intimidating show of wealth. The nickname of a Throne Hall of course did not help her impressions. Forcing her judgments down, the mage continued to glance here and there. While she was hesitant to venture much further into the building, it seemed open to the public, at least the areas she could catch sight of. For all of its unwelcoming, removed sense of majesty, Juliet could comprehend that there were no royal guards or any similar nonsense in sight. Instead, a few friendly looking people milled around, and the mage thought one waved to her briefly before going along on his way. Rather than make any movement to greet him in return, Juliet turned slightly away, so that she was facing to the side, more able to stare out of the hall. This was a mistake. All of the necessity in the world could not convince her to talk to strangers for very long. Asking for directions from a vendor once was doable, but to approach residents here who were obviously on their own business or engulfed in conversations was... a deeply unpleasant proposition. Furthermore, among the various people who were going about, doing their business, was a man who seemed to carry himself with a certain stature. A general? The sight of him in that ridiculous hat brought Juliet an even greater displeasure, even though he was admittedly very... well, what was she going on about in her head?

Sweeping her half cape off of her shoulder- oh, that was right, she didn't have one, with this outfit, and the muscle memory simply made her look like a fool- Juliet turned completely away to leave. So what if she were to be mistaken for some bumbling traveler who lost their way? Let them whisper all they wanted, if anyone were to do so. As long as nobody talked to her, she could escape here with her pride intact. Meeting a guild master or ace could wait another day. Even if she were to be mistaken for a legal guild mage, nothing could change the truth that Juliet was not, no matter what her passport or official documents said. However, the idea of deliberately deceiving people with the false information on her papers was disturbing. For that reason, she hesitated. Without realizing it, a set of footsteps had drawn closer. And just as she was planning her escape, a voice called out from nearby. Welcome to Dies Irae? With any luck, it was addressing some other visitor, not her. Still, bound by a politeness she detested, Juliet glanced over to make certain.

Unfortunately, it would seem he was definitely directing his words towards her. In addition, the "he" in question was that absurdly tall and... well, whatever, that fellow from before. As inane as it was, Juliet could not comprehend how people could grow to be so... tree-like. It was ridiculous. Humans were intended to be under six feet. By whom, Juliet could not say. Regardless, having been spotted, she turned towards him and smiled tightly. He was smiling at her. Why was he smiling at her. What did she do with people who smiled, again? Stop thinking about smiles and just answer his question, Juliet. He looks like the kind of person who is used to getting his way, she thought derisively. "Thank you..." she finally said, in regards to the... warm welcome, he had so graciously bestowed upon her. "A mistake with my papers. Dies Irae... I require proof from a guild master or ace." She couldn't speak with his foolishly... weird face in her vision. Had she even made any sense? Juliet cleared her throat and coughed a few times. How embarrassing. "I need someone to sign a document for me stating I am not affiliated with Dies Irae." Much better. And it sounded even worse out loud. How the imbeciles at the passport agency had the gall to assume someone was a guild mage without proof of a mark was beyond her understanding.

Juliet winced inwardly as he rephrased her clumsy words. Lacking in clarity, it seemed her statements had been insufficient in explaining the situation to this stranger. Though, Juliet did briefly wonder why she had even answered him. It was atypical for the mage to so readily volunteer information even when directly questioned. Undoubtedly, it had to do with his stupidly... face. Oh well. In response to his half-question, which she assumed to be largely rhetorical, the girl simply nodded in case he had in fact desired a reply from her. Judging by how he continued to talk though, obviously attempting to reason through the situation in his head, it was in fact just him making certain he had not misunderstood. Juliet channeled as much patience as she could possibly manage. This stranger had to be dealt with very carefully, because she could not afford attracting the ire of any persons related to Dies Irae. Else, she would never get this clerical mishap fixed.

Her lucky day. Evidently so. Juliet was uh, extremely fortunate. Yet some how, in a puzzling fashion, she felt an anxiousness rise in her stomach. While it could definitely have been her lack of a proper breakfast, the girl attributed the odd sensation to nerves. For whatever reason, she felt tense in the presence of this stranger. He was not entirely an unknown factor any longer, having given his name and revealed himself to be an... ambassador? But Juliet remained wary. With any luck, none of her unease would be visible on her face or noticeable by observing her body language. She wet her lips and parted them slightly to speak when he bowed slightly. Juliet shut her mouth, resigned to dealing with this nonsense. The formalities. She detested them. He then went on talking, reassuring her- trying to- that he could help. Well, they would see about that. Despite any of her dubiety, Juliet acknowledged that he was one of the people she had technically ventured to the island to seek out.

Although, as the girl gazed evenly (up) at him, the sight made her want to grit her teeth. Did she suddenly have anger management issues? What was it about this man that inspired agitation? Clearing her throat, as he seemed to be finished talking, she said, "I could, certainly-" before she could get out another word, though, he went on quickly as though he had never stopped in the first place, letting out a chuckle that grated on her nerves even as her cheeks flushed at her mistake. Of course she had not introduced herself. The impoliteness of that had not been lost on Juliet, though when he pointed it out like that... well, she really had no way to avoid answering. Forcing the restless feeling in her limbs to settle, she extended a hand to him. A rather tight smile stretched across her face, the mage spoke quickly. "Juliet Rothschild. Lovely to meet you. Food and drink is too much, but I greatly appreciate the offer of your time to assist me in resolving this error." She hoped he found this as awkward as she did and would accept her introduction without another moment of delay, so that they could proceed to settle her issue.

Every second that she spent in this lavish palace caused her further discomfort. All of the heavy ruby banners hanging all over the place and glinting, unfriendly furniture gave it a cold and royal atmosphere as though a misstep would get her throat slit. Catching herself becoming too entangled in her surroundings, inwardly Juliet scolded her failure to stay focused. It was unacceptable for her to be so disturbed by this location and this... Johann von Weiss. He reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place it. Possibly her father. That for sure was an unwelcome memory, though, so she refused to ruminate on it further. Mentally shaking off any of her distractions, Juliet resolved to go along wherever he would lead her, for now. He was acting very goofy and cheerful, which could have admittedly been an act. Nonetheless, she did not really feel threatened. Only... moderately ill at ease.

Juliet honestly could respect this man, with how he obviously understood her impatience to get the matter resolved. As well as shared her distaste for wasting time. Listening carefully, she nodded when he mentioned actually bringing out the documents that he would need to look over and eventually, sign. As she began to rifle through her bag, biting her lip in concentration, she heard his voice in the background.

It was admittedly a little bit more pleasant to listen to now that she had her goals accomplishable and in sight. Juliet listened as he described their guild hall. Indeed, it was... a lot to take in. "With some individuals, an appearance such as this undoubtedly does buy their approval," she said, feeling warmer towards him right now than her strained politeness from earlier. Personally, she did not find that the glamour added to her own sense of respect. Still, it was understandable when the identity of the one who had arranged of this place was revealed. The Magic Council was an annoying yet necessary force to deal with. Their wishes often superseded those of the mages they commanded. Thankfully, the Council was not all corrupt; Juliet guessed that they would not have lasted this long should that have been the case. Even with the sliminess that existed in certain single individuals or aspects of the organization, it did quite a lot of good as well. No matter if beaurocracy was irritating to deal with. "Your mission?" She would ask, almost genuinely curious even though it was still mostly a question from a conversational place. If he considered the mission of Dies Irae to be more prestigious than this guild hall, that spoke wonders about him and his opinions of this guild... his guild, she guessed. It was only natural for him to have a high opinion of it; in practice, what happened with other members was more of a mystery to her at the moment.

Continuing to search through her bags, the girl's eyebrows furrowed together with increasing intensity until she realized she had been rummaging amongst her things with a certain ferocity that was absolutely unnecessary. Taking a breath, she gave Johann von Weiss as careful of a smile as she could; it was filled with apology at her disorganized state. Obviously, the news from this morning had gotten to her more than she'd thought. The mage paused to give him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry to waste your time. It's unforgivable," she struggled with her words for a moment, unused to being the one making small mistakes, especially when it came to efficiency or planning. She had been so eager to come here and resolve the issues that she had legitimately forgotten the paperwork, it would seem. Unfortunately, Juliet had been a bit frazzled lately as a whole. Work was becoming harder and harder to find, not to mention how much more difficult it was to work with having a guild name on her documents but not a mark to match or prove to the ordinary job requester.

"If you would be amiable to it, I can teleport off to go grab them and return in just a few moments," her accent became a bit more prominent as she tried to think of a way to remedy the situation while still addressing him outwardly at the same time. It was honestly embarrassing to her to first put such an emphasis on how she was in a rush only to be caught making such an error, herself.

Although she attempted to keep a straight face, her eyes darted slightly in the man's direction as he mentioned his assumption that Juliet already was aware of Dies Irae's goal. A wince threatened to distort her face, but the mage held it back with another polite smile. Another wrongful and ignorant move on her part. It seemed that today, Juliet was unable to act correctly. She undoubtedly should have researched Dies Irae more thoroughly before approaching the guild hall, but the cursory examination of some information online had been enough for her irritated mind at the time. Now, listening to the guild master of the guild in question have to explain the organization's beliefs... the stark contrast of her ignorance to his eloquence was at least a little embarrassing. However, Juliet could not allow herself to be moved by that too much as she continued to search for her papers, nodding with dark eyes when he asked an undoubtedly rhetorical question.

Just judging by the sound of his voice, he was doing that odd stupid pretty smile again. Juliet bit her lip before searching a little bit harder. When she finally confessed that the papers were misplaced and attempted to apologize, he did not seem to be too bothered. In fact, after she stressed that she could teleport off quickly and fetch them, the man actually expressed that he was not overly occupied at this time. Contrary to her beliefs, he was willing to help her even should she require more time to get everything in order. Straightening up to her full height, Juliet ran her palms down over her dress out of unconscious habit from years of smoothing down her uniform. "I will return shortly then," she told him levelly before disappearing in a swirl of pale purple light.

Appearing on her front door step, the mage swiftly unlocked her door with a rattle of the knob, a bit miffed that she had missed her goal to teleport straight into the kitchen. As soon as she saw the empty table with nothing except salt and pepper shakers, memories flooded back into her consciousness. That was right... the email had been received on her iLac, and there were no physical papers. How scrambled had she been, mentally and emotionally, to completely mistake online documents for ones that were held in her hands? Gnawing at one of her finger nails, Juliet considered her next best option. Not being the type to run away from her problems, there really was only one option. And she needed to return anyway, to make sure she wasn't mistaken for a guild mage. Even though her goals might have aligned with those of Dies Irae- it was a nice thought to rid the world of evil- she had a feeling her methods may not so nicely. The benefits of being guildless were the ability to execute justice at her discretion, without going through the trouble of finding a Rune Knight and having them dragged off to jail. Unfortunately, she herself also had to escape the notice of the police.

She realized the nail on her ring finger was bitten to the quick and pulled it away from her mouth. None of that. Taking a shallow breath, the girl teleported back to Amber Island. It was easy enough to appear again in that main hall, the image burning into her mind. All in all, the room was so large that she could hardly miss it, even with somewhat subpar concentration at the moment. Plastering a smile on her face, she held up her iLac as she walked closer towards the man with lilac hair and yellow stripes silver hair. "My brain does not seem to be in order today. I just require an electronic signature," Juliet admitted, holding out the unlocked device as her ears burned. "I sincerely apologize for my lack of organization," she went on. As she held open the device, she didn't realize it was slowly dimming, the battery nearly completely drained.

When the stranger asked if the iLac was supposed to be like "this," the girl's eyes narrowed. Like what, exactly? She brought the device back close to herself, and her heart sunk into her chest when she saw that its screen was completely black. In particular, she had her settings so that it never powered off automatically. Though that could be a waste of battery at times, she preferred not to have to tap it repeatedly to force it to stay awake. Resisting the temptation to throw the electronic at the floor, Juliet pulled another smile onto her face. "No, it is not supposed to be like that, I'm so incredibly sorry," she said. At this point, there was little to be done. She could only grit her teeth and try to find a new way to handle the situation. Although, Juliet would do her best not to actually make any physical wince. Still, her emotions were some what written across her face. It was a fairly tough situation for her, after all. Today, not only had she messed up in multiple ways, but her mistakes were also now extending to wasting others' time.

Juliet's face shone with genuine apology as she bowed to the man, trying to think of ways to make amends. Just as she was flailing internally on what to say, the stranger spoke up. The mage's gaze instinctively rose to try to meet his eyes, accustomed to striving for eye contact while holding a conversation. "Ah?" Better to ask now than to keep silent- the girl couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern at those words. Juliet did not say anything further though, instead preferring to listen, as it seemed like this Johann von Weiss had quite a bit to say. His sentences showed an understanding of her frustration with the situation. He... wanted to offer a solution? The girl even sharper attention to the content of his speech after she heard that. The more he went on, however, the more she had to think about. Obviously, his implication was to join the guild itself and therefore render null the necessity of going through this entire process. As she would continue to mull over what he had to say, all whilst still listening to the current sentences flowing from his lips, she could not help but notice that his demeanor had slightly changed. Instead of the polite friendliness, there was a barely heavier, more serious weight to his expression and way of talking.

Personally, Juliet felt as though her freedoms could be limited by joining a guild. Their requirements were not always so stringent, but generally legal mages were held more accountable than guildless ones. However, the more she thought about it- shouldn't she be held to a higher standard than dark mages? While it was regrettable that she had to use certain methods to be the most effective as possible in accomplishing her goals (the eradication of evil, etc) there was no harm in continuously checking oneself. Now that she was confronted with both an easy solution to her current issue with her papers, as well as the admittedly well-delivered pitch from Mr. von Weiss... Juliet was genuinely considering it. On the other hand, while the girl could be truthful about her renewed sense of interest in perhaps joining a guild, particularly this guild, she also had to acknowledge her trepidation. When the man formally asked if he could interest her in joining, the mage felt inclined to... well, agree- but a pin prick of hesitation still prodded at her internally.

"I'm... not disinterested," she said, struggling to convey what she felt. "I mean, I am interested," Juliet corrected, not intending to sound rude. Unconsciously, she rubbed her neck before realizing the movement and bringing her hand back down. "I will admit that I don't know much about what joining Dies Irae would entail." From what she had heard, some guilds had complicated tests or requirements that one had to meet. Before she agreed to anything, the mage would prefer to get a better understanding of the mechanics of becoming and being a guild member. Although she could say she understood the mission of the organization now, the technicalities were still lost on her.

This man seemed to be decent, even if he was a bit hard on her nerves. Juliet resisted the urge to smooth out the wrinkles on the all too casual attire she had chosen to wear today. Certainly, it was more appropriate in her eyes to wander into a strange place dressed as a civilian than in formal garb. People were more likely to practice leniency should she be caught unknowingly doing something out of her place. Nodding as this Johann von Weiss replied easily, and almost... ecstatically?- (that was too strong of a word, not to mention she was flattering herself) to her hesitant agreement on finding out more concretely about joining Dies Irae. An organization of mages... fair enough, that was the most basic definition of a guild. She would continue to listen on, assuming there was more to come. On the whole, it seemed to definitely fit her on a topical basis, at the very least. Their goals fit together in a rather perfect way. Of course, Juliet naturally knew very well that the proposed aspirations of a group often translated a bit differently when it came to reality. She would reserve judgement for now, but it was certainly nice to hear him reiterate their pledge to good and order, essentially.

The blonde paid close attention as he began to reel off the requirements. They were... surprisingly few, although she couldn't help but feel a bit more confident in the simplicity. It showed that Dies Irae's most important core pillars, while perhaps not straightforward in implementing, were consistent. And Juliet adored consistency. Once again inclining her head to show that she understood, she made a mental note that he had said very confidently that they would change the world. It was a bold statement to make, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit amused. While slightly out of character for her to enjoy such straightforward declarations, she some how felt as though this man could probably back it up. Even if she was mostly- scratch that, completely unfamiliar with his name and accomplishments outside of what she had learned so far today, there was a certain aura about him that insisted on his importance and success. So anyway. The requirements. She gave no outer impression of whether she understood or not, instead opting to continue listening because quite obviously, he had a lot to say. Even if it was apparently broken down into the most important and basic components.

Juliet couldn't help but wince when he called her Miss Rothschild again. Hearing it over and over was not good for her nerves, but she steadied her expression into indifference. Since he seemed to prefer that, shouldn't she call him Mr. von Weiss? Such a strange sounding address, though- or perhaps that was just her sense of it and the reality was quite different and appropriate. Although she was sure she could follow the laws the most of the time, there were occasions which the girl deemed it appropriate to... be flexible. According to... Mr. von Weiss... there were indeed instances in which the Magic Council allowed it. This both concerned and interested Juliet. Moving her gaze around to follow where the taller mage pointed, she glanced towards the West Wing. It would be handy, admittedly, to have free room and board; though she valued her independence, Juliet was not so impractical as to decline if it was just another perk. Joining Dies Irae, admittedly, did seem to have quite a few perks. Judging by his words now, a soldier would have enough freedom unless there were to be a large scale issue arising. In any case, she would be happy to help with such matters regardless of whether she were part of a guild or not, so the idea of more opportunities to do good left her pleased. Still staying rather silent and allowing him to continue speaking, she waited as he seemed to wrap up the list of terms and conditions, so to speak.

Just as the blonde was about to perhaps speak up, herself, she gently closed her mouth again when he brought up the case of the guild uniform. A pained smile on her face, Juliet said, "I am very familiar with the guild uniform," and left it at that. If anything were to provide an obstruction to possibly joining Dies Irae, it would not be that. Quite the talk, indeed. She had no idea that such a calm looking fellow could babble on that much, although it wasn't really fair to call it babbling. He had obviously been as succinct as possible, it was only that there was so much information to cover that the conversation had been rather one sided. Not that Juliet minded- in fact, the mage felt slightly more at ease when she was relieved of the burden of speaking. Despite what went on in her head much of the time, when translated into speech it became far more awkward. "Thank you.. Mr. von Weiss," she struggled to get out the name, luckily doing better than spitting it from her lips. Still, it was extremely awkward on the tongue. "Your explanation was helpful." So don't worry, she would have added, but stopped herself. Juliet wasn't sure why she wanted to assure him that he had no need to apologize for a "lack of precision" but she did. Either way, the girl would definitely not be impulsively joining a guild, even if the circumstances all seemed to call for it. "I'll... get back to you on that," she finally said, before bowing out of politeness and to excuse herself. With no more inquiries for him as of right now, the mage felt ready to leave. That was enough social interaction and new questions raised for one day.

Excusing herself, she hoped that he wouldn't mind if she just saw herself out, as impolite as it may have been to abruptly leave just like that (what did she care for manners?). Juliet headed outside, leaving the rather imposing place, breathing in a light sigh of relief and pleasure to be properly in the open air. As much space as there had been in the hall, the intimidatingly opulent structure was very... bad for her mood. Shaking her head slightly, she prepared to return home. Just another pop of magic would do. Perhaps she would return soon to join that guild, or, if nothing else, Juliet could bring her iLac fully charged and not make an embarrassment of herself again.