Kiss of God

**Date Started:** November 16th, 2022
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Next Role-Play:**
**Users Involved:** User:DazzlingEmerald, User:EmperorKamui
**Setting:** Ishgar (Seven)
**Characters Involved**: Brilora, Caesar Avalon

In the ambient world of magic, it was proposed that one foundation stood above the rest. Not because of its might and not discretely because its roster consisted of especially skillful combatants, but because this was a guild who upheld the essence of what it truly, truly meant to be considered a bearer of the magicks to the tee. So while contracts were lodged across the whole of Ishgar, those who came to Swan Hymn did so out of the aspirations to comprehend what it meant to be a mage at its very core.

In the back of the guild there were many rooms. In one of these rooms, five children had been invited to take part in a private tutoring session. They were drawn to the seminar like a moth to a flame, particularly because it was being taught by one of the guild's very own members: Brilora.

The voluptuous woman stood before the small group of children with a warm smile worn on her face. She guided each of them on how to move their hands. "Remember my dear children. It's not the magic that you possess that makes you a proper mage, but what you feel in here." Brilora calmly placed her hand between the two massive melons that hung from her chest, stamping over her heart.

Another figure stood in the room. This time, it was a tall, blonde man dressed in blue clothes and the armor of a knight. His blue-green eyes watched the woman as she spoke and the children as they were entertained. He did keep his eyes on the boys, he knew how they could be at times with the women of the guild, especially Brilora. "Brilora is correct. Magic is a powerful tool, but it needs a guide."

Caesar directed his full attention to the children. The man knelt down to be at their eye level as they sat and watched the senior members of the guild that ran this school. "The heart guides all things we do. Love for things, love for ideas, love for one another. Harness that and your magic will guide you to your goals." Caesar closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the events of his childhood as he did. The agony of many days flashed through his mind in the matter of seconds. "Don't lose sight of what matters."

The man quickly remembered the setting he was in. Now was not the time to be weepy, this was a lesson meant to engage and inspire young prospects. It was not the time to bore or scar them with his own tragedies, nor would he willingly discuss those days with anyone. Only the guild master knew the tail and Caesar had him swear to never share his story. "My apologies Brilora," the knight said as he arose. "I believe I may have distracted from your point."

"N-No, not at all, Caesar-san." Brilora folded her hands in front of herself and smiled warmly. "If anything you have made my point that much more clear." She paused for a moment, then thought to correct herself. "*Our* point," she said, turning to the children once more. "These are the principles by which we, the mages of Swan Hymn, abide. Commit them to your mind! And I promise you one day, you too will grow to become fine mages of your own!"

The setting of the sun in the distance marked the end of the seminar. The children were sent to a room down the hall to prepare for sleep. There would be one last seminar held the next morning. But for now, Brilora thought she would relax and have some peace of mind. As she and Caesar began to depart from the room, she would casually walk beside him up until her shoulder softly brushed into his own. Looking up at him with innocent, yet glittering eyes, Brilora called toward him.

"Caesar-san, it's been awhile since you and I had any alone time." Those who were raised around the guild had been brought up like siblings. They'd known each other for years and shared a deep bond. They did just about everything together; perhaps a bit *too much*, but their intentions could never be questioned.

She would go to rest a hand on his shoulder and give it a soft rub. "You're always so busy with your training that the rest of us are hardly able to get a hold of you. Can't I treat you to a bath?" She gave another soft, relaxing squeeze at his shoulder.

Caesar was putting away some of the materials used throughout the day. As he heard his guild mate, he tensed up a bit. He knew how the girl was by this point. He did care for her, but sometimes could grow... uncomfortable by her antics. It was true, he was often busy training and attending to other matters that he wasn't always the most present in the lives of his guild mates - his friends and surrogate family.

Normally, he preferred to tend to such matters alone. Caesar was a fairly private person. Often, bathing just became time for him to strategize new ways of using his magic or about historical concepts. Other people distracted from this. "I... suppose that would be alright this once. Don't get crazy though." The knight slapped his cheeks to focus and to hide his slight embarrassment.

She cupped the side of his face and flashed him one last smile. "I'll be just a minute. Going to go and check up on the children. Why don't you go in and make yourself comfortable?" Brilora strutted down the hallway, her glorious rump swaying behind her with each and every step that she took.

When Caesar had situated himself in the hot springs that the guild housed, Brilora appeared after awhile in nothing more than a short towel covering her highly curvaceous figure. Jiggles decorated her silhouette as she approached the heated waters and set foot within, discarding the towel when her body was completely submerged into the spring. She let the slow current of the water carry her towards her guildmate.

"Refreshing, isn't it?" she'd whisper when she had come closer to him. Then she rested her back against one end of the pool and closed her eyes, simply floating in the space directly by Caesar's side. "You've always interested me more than the others, Caesar-san," she admitted rather bluntly, "there aren't too many in our guild who are as devoted to mastering their craft as you are. Your dreams of becoming one of the Saints... tell me, what is it that drives you so much?"

Caesar sat in the water, comforted by the bath. "It is pretty nice, I will admit." The young man could feel the warmth of the woman's back, even through the heat of the water. It was an odd sensation, but not in a bad way. Caesar allowed his restless mind to being to drift as he sunk into the comfort of his guild. However, the question of Briola awoke him, pulling him from his moment of rest and back into his alertness.

The man's back stiffened as he began to pull away from the woman. She was broaching a topic that Caesar rarely delve into, with other's at least. For Caesar, it was a constant albatross upon his neck - both his reason and burden for living. "I'm sorry Briola," began Caesar as he stood up. "I'm not sure this is a conversation I'm willing to have."

Caesar moved from the bath, water sloshing as he did so. The man grabbed a towel and quickly wrapped it around his waist as he fully exited the water. His chest and back, as well as his arms, were covered in various scars. However, none of them ached like the ones in his heart, his soul, from the burning question of his guildmate. He turned back to face her, seeing her confusion by his seemingly over the top reaction.

He felt a twinge of guilt. He knew it was unhealthy to hold his pain within, but it was his pain to bear. He couldn't leave her completely in the dark. "I have heard it said that to grieve deeply is a sign that one has loved fully," said the man as he looked upon the rippling water, remembering his life before the guild. "I've lost people Briola, people who can never be replaced. One of them... she is the reason I push myself so hard. I curse myself everyday for not having the strength back then to protect her, the least I can do is carry out her dreams in place of my own." Caesar let out a pained laugh. What dream did he have? Could he have? This was a burden he has held since he was a child, the ambitions he carried now have been with him longer than those years of innocence.

Based on her actions, Brilora remained highly understanding of Caesar's outburst. She remained idle in the water as he shot up and left; she watched him with steady eyes, wondering if he would care to elaborate on why it was so taboo for him to speak of his motives. Brilora only spoke when she felt it was completely safe to do so, so as not to trigger anything again.

"I see," was all she said. Though she could not help but refrain from growing curious. *Losing a loved one... is that why he wishes to obtain power? So that he will never have to feel what it's like to lose anyone close to him again?* She was puzzled. There was a great sense of mystique that clung to Caesar. Brilora wanted to learn more about her fellow guildmate. But if she could only learn so much from getting close to him, then perhaps it was best to give him his space after all.

She was not offended. She gave him a nod, affirming him that he was allowed to leave whenever he so chose to. "A noble cause," she commented, further. "Memories... they can be traumatic, can't they?" Brilora closed her eyes for some time. Covered in the mist, a faint smile found her lips.

"Thank you for spending time with me, Caesar-san. I know you're a busy man so it's not easy." Her voice was projected inside of the bath, and when the mist cleared, she was... gone. Leaving no trace in her wake; even the water was held still.

The next morning, the children had to be dragged out from their beds and forcefully brought to attend the seminar. All of them were late; and when they arrived, they showed a severe lack of motivation.

Brilora stood before the class. "What's the matter? Don't any of you want to learn what it means to be a real mage?"

"Nah." Said one boy as he stood up and walked out of the class. "I think I'm going to go play video games instead."

"I don't see the point in magic," said another student as she too, began to depart from the class. "I'm quitting."

"Why am I even here?" another added.

"This is a waste of time."

"Magic is stupid!"

"I don't want to be a mage."

The seminar ended abruptly when all the students who had been so motivated the day before had suddenly lost complete interest in learning magic. The students poured out of the guild, abandoning it.

Brilora walked out after them, folding her hands in silence over her lap. She stood in the doorway of the guild's entrance, watching as the children passed on over the hills, never to be seen again.

Caesar stood behind the woman. "What in the hell happened? They were so excited and interested in magic yesterday." Caesar watched the students walk as he looked over at this crestfallen guild mate.

"Briola, this isn't your fault. Something has to be at play here. I'm not sure if they are mad at the school, mass hysteria, or what, but I have never seen so many kids decide magic - of all things - is borings. Especially from a teacher like you," Caesar stated to trying lift the spirits of the woman. Even in his own history, the tragedy that befell him in his home city, he never lost faith and love in magic. "Should we follow them?"