Familiar Shape (Private|Kamiko, Vex)

Brimmed hat. Cloak. Long hair. That was the description of the man she hated most in the world. The man that had taken her father from her in the darkness. Just thinking about it made her angry. At this point it defined her. It was the reason she wielded a sword, the reason she learned magic and the reason she was a part of this guild. It was also the reason that she was knocking at the door in front of her late at night. She wanted to have a talk with her guild leader, Vex Hræsvelgr. He wore a brimmed hat, a sleeveless jacket that hung off his body like a cape and had hair that flowed past his collar. All of it white. In her long hunt for this mystery assailant, while she had looked for information everywhere else, she hadn't even thought of looking close to home. That was why she was insistently knocking on the door. Surely he might know something. After all, this was the closest guild to the incident in distance. She didn't know what to expect but maybe if they talked long enough, he would slip up. Then, she would finally have everything she had ever wanted in front of her. She would barely be able to contain herself at the news. At this point, she was practically punching the door.

As her guild leader appeared in the door with his arms crossed and looked her over, she had to admit that she felt slightly intimidated. As quickly as she realized these feelings, she rejected them. The surprised look on her face as he opened the door washed away after its brief appearance and returned to its usual scowl. She wasn't afraid of this man. It was just his power or his title or something else. If only he hadn't abruptly opened the door in the middle of her fervent knocking. Then she wouldn't have looked so stupid for a brief second. She might have to pay him back for that soon. She couldn't help but noticed that he seemed slightly irritated which was fair because she felt the same.

"I want to talk about something. May I come in?"

Her tone was meant to come off as authoritative and confident, but demanding described it better. In the way that a child demands a toy or sweets. She had already begun to walk towards the doorframe as if she could predict that the answer to her question was yes.

Looking down at the young one Vex could see that she appeared surprised, but swiftly had returned to a scowl. The facial expression of surprise was upon her face for a split second when he opened the door. A small note to make in Vex’s mind, but he proceeded to hear out his guild member. Kamiko did appear to have something on her mind, something serious. Of course, serious matters had to be taken up with Vex. Could it be something regarding the Guild or other Guild Members?

"I want to talk about something. May I come in?" Kamiko asked, leaning in towards the doorway as if already invited inside. Her tone was as serious as her expression seemed to give off. Vex moved away from the door to let Kamiko through. Vex began to wander back to his desk, pulling out his chair without a word with a stern expression on his face. He had to not appear too concerned, but again, professional. Sitting down in his chair, Vex would look at Kamiko. “Well, you may speak. Would you want a drink? You’re underage so I have some water,” Vex would ask Kamiko, his hands on the table, with his feet touching a small refrigerator underneath the desk.

As she entered the room, she noticed the incredible collection of books he had in his room. It was like a library. It was intriguing to her to say the least. Wasn't this his bedroom? Were these all of the books he had read over the years? It wouldn't be surprising to her. He was all grown up after all. Most of the books she had read were all about magic. From this, she could see evidence of the power he implicitly held as a guild leader. She scanned and scrutinized the shelves with a sort of amazement she refused to show on her face. She pulled up the chair across from him and sat down with her arms crossed.

"Let's get down to business."

Though she had said this, she wasn't sure what to say next. If she addressed it directly, he might withhold information. If she beat around the bush, he might not give her any useful information. She stared him down for awhile in silence before she had come up with something to say.

"I want to know a little more about this guild. Like does it have any enemies?"

It was a fairly innocuous question, but she had an ulterior motive. This guild may have had information about her father's death. Maybe he had been one of their enemies. If this man knew anything about this incident, she would find out tonight.

Staring as the girl sat down in a seat, without answering the offer of a beverage, it was evident she was not thirsty or here on a mission to talk about something of a casual nature. This was a time for seriousness. Vex was not sure of the seriousness of this meeting but treated it as if it were a time of war. Every situation had to be considered when in a serious manner. The female spoke with an authoritative tone. "Let's get down to business." She spoke with her arms crossed.


Vex raised a brow to this but let her proceed. A moment of silence increased the suspense and tension in the room. Was Vex going to discover a dark secret? Maybe she held information the former Guild Master had known and she had a message for Vex. No, she couldn't have that information. Vex knew she wouldn't. His face had remained unchanged after the slight brow raise until her next words, "I want to know a little more about this guild. Like does it have any enemies?"


Vex lowered his brow and appeared as if he had been asked a question that had almost came across as rhetorical. Vex let out a slight smile and chuckled a bit before releasing an all out laugh, his head leaning back with this. The laugh lasted for about five seconds before he would look back at Kamiko. "Well, of course the Guild has enemies. Most Guilds do. Some don't like the way we work, others just outright hate Guilds. What kind of question are you going for Kamiko? I mean you would know this, surely," Vex would speak with a smile on his face as he tapped his fingers on the desk. 

Kamiko had to be in the room for another reason. Asking a question such as that one could have waited until morning or Kamiko could have just asked another member. This was most likely going to lead to a series of questions which would inevitably lead to what she was really wanting to ask. "Have you met someone who has disliked you because you are in this Guild? Did they attack you?" Vex asked to be sure if this was the case. If so, Vex would have a meeting with the Guild that attacked Kamiko and handle it personally.

He laughed. As soon as she heard his small chuckle, she looked up. He was laughing at her. She clenched her teeth in frustration. She understood why he had started laughing after he had begun his explanation.

"Well, of course the Guild has enemies. Most Guilds do."

She had asked a stupid question. At least, that was how it sounded. If he knew her intent, he wouldn't have laughed. Or maybe he did know and he was taunting her. He seemed to already have figured out that her question was indirect. Either way, he pissed her off. One thing he had said stood out to her however.

"Some don't like the way we work..."

As he began to delve into the reason why she had asked such an obvious question, she felt the need to straighten him out a bit. She couldn't help but glare a bit as she spoke a bit tersely. She had trouble controlling her temper sometimes, but now was not the time to throw a tantrum and she knew that he couldn't coerce a mage like him with threats.

"No... nothing like that. I just mean, what kind of people don't like us? How do we stop them?"

Another indirect question, but closer to what she wanted to ask. What kind of person warranted a death sentence from Gray Fox? That was what she wanted to know. It would get her closer to the ultimate question. It would bring her closer to her target though she still wondered if she could be closer.

Vex would keep up his smile, but let it slip slightly to a semi-serious facial expression. Maybe he was laughing because he was tired, not because of the question. Her words seemed to echo in his head for a second before he fully grasped what she had said. "No... nothing like that. I just mean, what kind of people don't like us? How do we stop them?" She would ask, but Vex didn't really have an answer for her. There was truly no way to stop people from disliking the Guild. "You know, disliking a Guild is a personal choice. We don't change peoples opinions, we simply protect those who are in need of it, even if they are a Guild we don't really know. But we always keep our secrets as a Fox does. Our secretive nature could be a reason for hatred, I suppose," Vex would lean back in his chair, his arms now crossed across his chest. 

"But why are you asking these things? This could have waited until morning or you could ask someone else in the Guild. Why ask me directly?" Vex asked Kamiko, trying to get the real question out. Vex wanted a direct question as to quicken his way to his bedroom. It would not end anytime soon, but the quicker the better. A soft bed would do good, but his Guild members came before his leisure. Vex's face became more stern as he asked his last question. But Kamiko did seem a little agitated with Vex's laugh and had to take her seriously.

That wasn't how she meant that question either. Perhaps she needed to be more direct. Unable to understand that her idea of clever wording was limited by her ability to string together words, she briefly wondered again if he was messing with her.

"I'm just a little impatient."

There was truth to her words. As soon as she had considered the idea that Gray Fox was involved, she had made her way to her office. However, there was more to it than that. She had waited late at night and she went up as high as she could in the chain of power. She wasn't even sure herself why she had done so. It was an impulse she supposed. Still, she may have come to the man even if he wasn't the guild leader. There was something about him that drew her to him. The time of night was also an interesting choice. It was a couple of hours after the idea of coming to Vex had occurred to her. Maybe she couldn't sleep with the thought on her mind or maybe she didn't want any interruptions. In her heart, she knew exactly why she had done everything that she had done.

"I plan on being stronger someday. What kind of people do we fight? What does a person have to do to become a target of Gray Fox?"

The question was probably the most direct of all yet it was still veiled under the guise of curious discussion. She couldn't just ask him if Gray Fox killed her father. She was afraid that if he knew something, he would lie to her. Or that they knew nothing in the first place. While it was the closest guild to the site of her father's death, and her guild leader's appearance reminded her of her father's murderer, she had no other evidence in the slightest that they had done the deed. In truth, she had really hoped that it was them. She hoped that her quest would be over. That she would finally have at least one lead. She was already frustrated by her inability to find information. In her mind, she had already accepted that this guild was responsible for his death. To find out that she was wrong and that she still hadn't found a lick of information would devastate her. No, she wouldn't accept that. He had to know something. He just had to.

Vex remained unfazed by the remark of Kamiko being a little impatient. From what Vex could tell, she was probably tired as well. Vex continued to stare into her eyes, trying to read what she was trying to say with her eyes. Her eyes were serious, with an intent of possible vengeance or at least intent to harm. It was uncertain of what it was, but it was not of a pure intent. But something caught Vex's attention in Kamiko's next words.

"I plan on being stronger someday. What kind of people do we fight? What does a person have to do to become a target of Gray Fox?" She would speak which would make Vex incredibly uncomfortable. His eyebrows arched, forming a face of anger. Vex would hear the last question over and over about twenty times in his head before he sat up straight, his demeanor now beyond serious to the point of appearing intimidating and near hateful. "Are you wanting to go down that road? Are you planning on leaving this Guild? I will not stop you, but if you are attempting to become an enemy, I would pray you wish to stay on my good side. You do not want to become an enemy of this Guild. I protect my own and will fight for my members. Killing is beyond my power, but I will ensure that enemies will know their place and remember to not mess with my Guild, my family. As for who we fight...we fight those who hurt others and will defend the weak. We are the Grey Foxes and we defend at all costs. We will never kill anyone unless absolutely necessary," Vex spoke with a calm tone with a hint of malice. 



Unsure if he knew the intent of the question, Vex would answer her questions with a warning to her possible future intentions. Regardless of what she may or may not do, Vex did not want to lose a member. He knew he could not control her will, but he did not want anyone to become an enemy, especially if it was a former member. It would dishearten and depress Vex. 

His entire mood changed in an instant. His eyes were so cold. As he towered over her, she questioned just what had offended him. His tone of voice wasn't overly aggressive yet it was chilling. She didn't want to admit it, but he was intimidating. Though she felt that she would feel less intimidated if she could fight him. Even if she could, she would get nothing from it except momentary gratification at this point. Still, he had answered her question. He had given a very clear description of what kind of person found themselves within the Fox's jaws.

"No. It's not like that."

The damned the quiver in her voice. She sounded so weak and despite her best attempts to keep composure, she probably looked weak too. It was all just empty threats and she wasn't going to leave in the first place. She had faced scarier men than him. Men with tattoos or weapons or ugly faces. Why could he wring this reaction out of her? The shudder that went through her body told her that she her body language also betrayed her even as her arms remained crossed. She wasn't scared though. She was surprised or cold or cautious. She refused to admit she was afraid. His tough guy act didn't scare her. She knew the act very well from the memories she had of her father. Though considering what happened when her father's words didn't work, maybe that was why she began to fold. The Kago's own game had been turned on her.

She didn't have another question at the moment. She was thinking about the type of man her father was. Her guild leader's words sounded genuine and his description of what an enemy was to a fox didn't match the description of the man with the wolf's head. Increasing protection, that was the idea of this guild and she liked it. Her father used intimidation, violence and even resorted to crime to get what he wanted. She had seen him steal many times. She had seen him rob people he had come across on a highway. She had seen him almost kill a man. As she thought about it, the description fit her father well, even if he only stole what he needed to support himself and his daughter.

Her mind was racing, vivid images played in her eyes. Some joker had pissed her father off.  A Gray Fox interrupted him. This only pissed him off more. He attacked the man. Then... no, she still couldn't imagine the guild killing him. He wouldn't purposely hunt them down and if some heartbroken friend sought revenge, was that her father's fault for defending himself? That didn't mean that she wasn't close to claiming vengeance, however. Maybe it was a personal grudge, acted upon after years of stewing over it. It had to have been years before his death. He took her everywhere and she had never seen him strike a deathblow. It was most likely his intention to not expose her to such things. He had killed a pest who had annoyed him. Or maybe they had threatened him or even threatened her. The scum's friend killed him after finally finding him years later. The idea infuriated her. She was feeling mixed feelings towards the man in front of her that she showed on her face. She was frightened and frustrated. She didn't avert her eyes from his eyes.

"Have you ever lost someone close to you?!!"

The conversation had gone in a different direction. She still wanted to almost be done with her quest so that she could have closure. She still believed that he could help her. If he could just tell her a little bit more, she could move on.

Upon hearing the words from Kamiko's lips, "Have you ever lost someone close to you?!!" Vex's mind began to race. His face seemed unsure of what to feel and emotions seemed to be trying to burst through Vex's heart. Fighting the emotions was tougher than any battle faced. Vex knew full well what it was like to lose someone close, someone who had raised him from almost birth. The man had taught Vex everything he knew today and what it meant to be a Guild Master. He could not let these emotions get the better of him. But, the overwhelming urge to lash out at Kamiko was almost too much. Vex slowly stood from his chair, looking deep into Kamiko's eyes with eyes of sympathy. Vex's fists gripped tight as his nails dug into the palm of his hands, drawing a small amount of blood.

"In fact, I have lost someone close..." Vex would speak in a low enough tone, anger still within his voice. Vex turned away from Kamiko and began to walk to the bookshelves. "Information, stuffed deep away into these books cannot tell of the pain you have felt, nor the pain I have. An experience is what defines the pain you have suffered. But watching as your master, your father, dies as you and him know he only has moments to live is the hardest thing to go through. You and him know very well that he won't make it...You are powerless as his life seems to fade from his eyes. You couldn't save him. I cannot seek vengeance upon my masters killer as it was illness. I would never wish death upon anyone I know, not unless they desired the death of my family, then they will grant my wish. Losing someone...is hard..." Vex would rest a hand with little blood on it, on a book as he still faced away from Kamiko.

"But..." Vex continued, gripping the book, "That doesn't mean we give up! We be sure to not let any lives go to waste as they are precious!" Vex's voice continued to grow in volumes, not to the point of yelling, but more of a statement meant to be spoken loudly, "I have lost someone close to me, but I continue his work! I will protect this guild as he did..." Vex's heart began to race, but slowed as his words returned to a calm tone, "Kamiko...why is it you have come to visit me?" Vex would turn to look at Kamiko, his hand no longer gripping the book as it remained on the bookshelf. "You've come for a reason. A purpose fills your eyes and with your last question, I need to know...what is it you seek...from me?" Vex would ask, remaining at the bookshelves, staring at Kamiko.

She appeared to be good at eliciting emotions from others. As soon as she had seen her face, she could tell that he truly had lost someone important and she knew how much it stung. She could see that he knew what she was feeling. At least, to a degree. His words attested to this though their circumstances were different. Yet, she couldn't but feel as if he was beginning to directly describe her experience in the middle of the monologue and her suspicions rose again. She didn't know what to think. She almost wanted him to be her father's murderer. Knowing exactly who it was, no matter how powerful, was better than having no one to lash out at, like a disease. Not that she would no what the latter felt like. She couldn't see it being him, though, if she believed his words. Could emotion like that be faked? Besides, he had no reason to lie to her. He didn't even know why she was asking these questions. As his passionate speech began to let up, he began to inquire just why she was here.

Just what would she say? How would she answer that? Would she tell him how she suspected him of being a murderer or that his guild was suspicious? Why did she have to answer anyway? She was interrogating him, not the other way around, even if he didn't know that an interrogation was her intent. It almost felt to personal. That was the way that she had heard the question even though it was really more about him. She wasn't done investigating Gray Fox and briefly wondered if he still had use. No. She had never even come to him as a guild leader in the first place. He was a mysterious familiar looking man who was more powerful than however powerful she believed her father to be, since she had never seen him in a dedicated fight. If Gray Fox was involved, it was probably a personal ordeal rather than guild related. As she responded, she spoke in the manner of a person hiding something. Not like a serial killer, but like a teen who was covering their tracks. Even if everything was true, something was left out. She had tried to regain her composure just as he had.

"Since you were the Guild Leader, I thought you would be pretty knowledgeable."

Her head briefly gestured towards the bookshelves lining the walls. She still thought it was strange to have so many books in a room with a bed. Her arms were still crossed across her chest and perhaps more importantly not grasping the hilt of her blade ready to strike. There was a slight pause before she spoke again. Her voice grew lower as her speech became terse and lost the relaxed matter-of-fact tone that she had tried to use to mask the emotional nature of this visit. Her words were bitter and she was glaring a bit. Not at him, but at her words themselves as they traveled towards him.

"I thought that you could help me find out who killed my father."

So now he knew. She hoped that she wouldn't be getting sympathetic eyes from a guild member she hardly knew the next day. She certainly hoped he didn't expect much more explanation. He already described her feelings and it was hard enough to get that out. She still didn't entirely trust him even after determining he wasn't involved. He could piece together anything else from her questions. Already convinced that he had nothing else to say that was useful, she had gotten up from her chair and begun to leave.