Close Encounters of The Mortal Kind (Open)

Kessler pushed his way into the bar drawing gazes from a great many. His presence seemed to cause a mild hush to wash over the crowded bar. There wasn't a single person who wouldn't recognize this young man with blood colored hair and eyes. His pendant at his lapel labeled him as a member of the watch, a person who works for the authority figures in town as a guard, while his appearance and equipment further clarified his identity as an adventurer. His outfit was of a high quality, far higher then those normal adventurers, it detailed not only his potential as an adventurer but his ability as well.

While he garnered the attentions of the patrons, some were hostile a blend of envy over his reputation as an adventurer or hate for his status as a guard. The others however withered, whether because they'd seen him act previously or because they worried they would be next on his list for clearing out criminals. Regardless of how they viewed him though, the naive young man remained oblivious to the gazes of those around him. Instead, he looked down at the paper in his armored hand trying to read the handwriting as he spoke out loud. "Hello everyone!--" His overly cheery and bright greeting was perhaps grating on these individuals who were more seedy or darker by nature. Even worldly down to earth individuals might feel Kessler's sense of positivity and kindness at times were bothersome. "--I'm looking for... A Mr.-- Mr. Stein?" He asked turning his gaze upward.

This wouldn't be the first time Kessler came out to find someone; sometimes to try and arrest, sometimes because he was simply offering help. It was truly a crapshot trying to figure out exactly why he'd come, the warm kindness he radiated was always constant as if nothing could stain his gentle but meek demeanor, he really gave no indication that his appearance could be anything but happy. It was for this reason that some people got uneasy around him while concealing secrets, it was just hard to get a real beat on what he was thinking or planning.

 

Kessler hesitated for a brief moment, reflexively, he seemed to stiffen from the hand on his shoulder, as if 'something' were meant to follow, but was suddenly restrained as he relaxed once more hearing the voice. Glancing back towards Khaos, Kessler couldn't help a weary chuckle at the goddess's words, not really certain exactly what she was thinking about when she answered his question. It was only after a few seconds' thought that he finally brought his hands together as if trying to nail his palm; a metaphorical light bulb going off as he felt he discovered the girl's intentions. "A very good rhyme Miss, though I hardly have the time. Mr. Stein is a friend of mine, one who may have come across a crime so I need to make sure he's fine." Kessler explained with a meek but cheery smile, clearly feeling proud of his alliteration. He felt the girl was merely trying to rhyme words at him and wasn't really intending anything else. Thinking he was clever, he tried to rhyme a response at her thinking that this would be satisfactory for this strange Goddess who wanted his attention.

"I can't say I'm too much fun though... I'm probably too serious for that sort of thing-- Maybe?" He asked as if he wasn't quite sure himself. The people in his life didn't really talk about him being a fun person or someone who enjoyed 'fun' in any sense of the word. They didn't exactly consider him opposed to it either, it wasn't something that ever really came up in the Hybrid's life. Instead, he was mostly referred to as incredibly innocent or two faced or monstrous. A word like fun hadn't ever really applied to Kessler in the past making him think that it probably didn't in the present. "I guess I like fun as much as the next person... but fun should always be had in moderation right?" He asked speaking such a mature and responsible line off as if it were natural.

 

Kessler only flashed a sheepish smile at the girl's efforts to make a seductive voice at him. As if the 'seduction' didn't quite register, he received her efforts thinking it was merely a strangely childish game much like her previous rhyming. Though her words again were riddled with confusion and a myriad of things without any relevance to the things going on at the present. It simply made him smile back brightly, the simple and childish man he was, Kessler didn't really have a problem with patience or feel bothered by these types. If they had fun pretending to be mysterious it would be in bad taste for him to ruin it right? "No, at least, not now." He confessed with a weary expression. "It's dangerous to do anything too excessively. Maybe in the future if I can get strong enough it won't be so bad for everyone, but for now it's best to be moderate in everything you do just for the sake of safety and such." He spoke trying to be kind in his efforts to divert or change the girl's mind.

The talk about dancing with the devil made him stiffen briefly though-- A devil he knew very well, it made his smile grow wry just remembering the face of his father. Certainly that man deserved to be considered a devil for a variety of reasons, the nostalgia faded quickly though, returning to the task at hand, he scratched a hand through his hair uncertain of exactly how to respond. "Well... The only Devil I really knew was my Dad-- That was his a part of his moniker as an adventurer at least. I haven't really danced with anyone though, I'm much more of a wall flower type I guess?" He admitted a bit shyly knowing that he wasn't someone who really enjoyed the spotlight, not with all of his failings, cowardice and weaknesses at heart.

It was only when the mood of the room changed with Khaos's hood coming down that his gaze listed from the goddess to the tavern around them. There were a variety of people who were changing their moods towards the girl, but they didn't seem to quite remember he was there. He wasn't one to really say who was attractive and who wasn't but they seemed drawn to the goddess in front of him, he didn't really have a better word then 'drawn' to describe it. Lifting a foot, he stamped down trying to use the loud sound to jar those few dazed individuals back, as if pouring a bucket of cold water over them, Kessler's eyes narrowed into a Feline slit as they slid over the crowd while he spoke. "That isn't a way to start a good Dance-- That's how you start Trouble." He spoke with a weary smile, but something was clearly different in that young man who seemed gentle and kind. The moment he stamped down, a thick killer intent surged from every pore of his body, the viciousness of his gaze grew staggering, a savage viciousness was thick enough to cut with a knife as he turned that volatile radiance on those around them.

"I can't tell you how to act friends... But please understand that a certain frame of mind is important for cordial relations with other parties and establishing a mutual respect. Please endeavor to sober up before initiating those types of pursuits or I will sober you up." He added with a gentle smile that didn't quite fit the sharpness of his cautionary words. Kessler knew his own power better then those around him after all, he was at the moment at least one of the more feared super rookies, it led to a little bit of confidence when it came to enforcing his sense of justice.

 

Kessler could only flash a weary smile at the girl's response about his father and him being dangerous, if only this girl knew the reality. His father's moniker came from 'Handsome Devil' he was the type that could talk his way out of a paper bag or sell water to a drowning man, far from dangerous, he was a particularly charismatic adventurer. No, Kessler was well aware that he inherited his father's looks and delicate nature before anything else. If Kessler inherited any kind of dangerous elements, he knew it was from his mother, someone who was eventually referred to as a 'Living Disaster' by the guild for insurance purposes. "No... I can't really say I'm the dangerous sort. As much as things might go wrong, it only happens because there are people who don't want them to go right." He tried to offer an explanation, it was his personal belief anyway.

Though it was when Khaos brought up people's instincts and chaos that Kessler finally grimaced faintly, with a somewhat self-depreciating expression and tone, he could only watch with a heavy sigh as the goddess stirred up trouble in the bar. He could feel the eyes of the bartender on him, asking for help with his gaze that made Kessler sigh internally. "Geh... Troublesome things again. I told Mal he should have all of my luck with these sorts of things." were his thoughts as a helpless expression came to his face. The Bard previously hoped Kessler would trade him his luck for finding these types of women but it was a luck Kessler never wanted in the first place. Instead, he watched the chair fly knowing that he simply couldn't stay and watch. Kessler had been beaten up before, he'd been pushed down, beaten up, brutally stomped on and kicked from his youth trying to stand up for people. This was simply nothing new...

When the chair approached the bar, Kessler would lift a hand towards it, and perhaps Khaos herself would notice the change in his hand more then any other Deity as it made contact with the chair. His hands gave off a strong and ominous feeling as he swept it towards the chair, rather then him slapping it down, or even breaking it like some would think, there was a very unique reaction, one that didn't make sense. His fingers would begin sinking into the wood, cleaving it apart as if his blunted hands were blades, that faint touch was enough to split the wood like a knife or sword sliding through cleanly. Not caring about causality, about order, about cause and effect, as if he were breaking the rules he cut the chair down using his fingers resulting in it collapsing into pieces on the counter top before it could do damage to the bar behind. "It doesn't matter what humanity wants... If it wants to cause trouble, then I will change it-- If I'm not strong enough yet, then I'll just get stronger-- If I can't change it by following the rules, then I'll just break them."

He affirmed with a weary smile reaching out for Khaos's cloak, trying to gently toss it towards her to cover her on the table top, Kessler flexed then clenched his fists briefly. The metal that armored his hands groaned from the stress as he tried to place himself between Khaos and the crowd with a discomforted expression. "You're all causing trouble for this establishment. If you don't calm down, I'll be forced to eject you from the premises." He spoke before glancing back up to Khaos with a meek chuckle thinking through exactly how he should approach her words about going out. "If you're looking for company, there are better ways to do it then this though-- You should reconsider that maybe if not for my sake then for your own good?" He tried to offer advice, since she said she'd date the strongest, Kessler didn't want to be stuck with another strange girl.

 

Kessler could only sigh a little, he certainly knew the problems with rule breaking, in truth he didn't like going that far. Even if he didn't like it though, it became a very necessary evil for the young man who wanted a true justice for those who couldn't achieve it themselves. Those fat cats who hid behind the 'laws' of the kingdom and dealt dirty money and promises behind the scenes were some such people. Naturally dealing with those people by following the rules was an impossibility, instead, Kessler would no doubt break the rules in those moments and dole out vigilante justice if the crime was harsh enough to require his intervention. "Whether I know what happens or not isn't really the important part is it? No matter what happens, I'd still break them if it meant I could do real good." He explained with a flicker of self-loathing. No matter what rule he broke or the consequences that followed, he was content with being the monster, a more qualified, more handsome and powerful hero would eventually take him out. Until then, he only had to make sure that his terror only harmed those who were villains themselves.

Of course, when Khaos began snuggling into him though, Kessler immediately stiffened, his arms swinging up without hesitating keeping his hands as far away from Khaos as possible. The reason however was purely because he didn't want anyone accusing him of being the person who instigated this act. Instead, he tried to inch away as much as possible without letting the woman fall, trying to slowly creep and shy away from her efforts to be close to him. Despite being 19 and marriageable, Kessler was not one who knew anything about the opposite sex; they remained a dangerous mystery to him that only got more puzzling and confusing the more they approached and showed interest in him. Exactly how to react or how to deal with this was not something he was aware of in the slightest, instead, he merely tried to distance himself from her and keep his arms away so as to not incriminate himself as some kind of deviant. "T-That's-- No closer please... R-Really you should only-- Only be that close with someone you care about. Haha-- Hahahaha." He started to awkwardly laugh after trying to caution the woman that others might get the wrong idea. His gaze listed to one side trying to avoid her in every sense of the word knowing that this was a trouble that was well beyond his expertise.

It was only when she began to flee like some kind of thief that he felt a bit more relieved. Even if the Bartender or owner was frustrated by her choice of exit, Kessler couldn't help whispering silent apologies in his heart for being happy that she wasn't clinging to him any more. Instead, he turned towards the pair of large thugs who were charging towards him with a wry smile. "Come now, you don't have to act like this you two..." Kessler started with a meek laugh, his sheepish expression clear even as his legs began to spread to a shoulder's width as they charged. "I can take both of them-- Minimize collateral damage-- Improvised weapons check-- Don't forget to turn them in--" His mind raced through this line of thoughts as he began to take action once his stance was properly set and his guard had been effectively raised.

With the pair charging towards him, Kessler stepped towards only one knowing that fighting both simultaneously would only waste time unnecessarily. With the man's arms up to grab him, Kessler's arms swung out to swat the man's arms away not wanting to maintain too much contact. Not leaving much for him to grab onto, Kessler's body turned inward as he lowered himself down thrusting his shoulder into the man's mid-section and his elbow into his crotch swiftly trying to bring the man down with a sudden sharp action. Using that debilitated thug as a shield, he lifted his hand trying to borrow the man's belt with a sweep of his hand for a moment, the action was smooth and it wasn't difficult since Kessler could slice through things with his fingers alone. Pulling the belt from the disabled thug, he swung it around towards the second one who might at this point be having doubts about his ability to handle things after seeing his friend drop. The first swing aimed at the man's hand smashing the buckle against his hand like a mace weakening his grip and hand as metal clashed with bone. The second swing met the man's wrist wrapping around enough for Kessler to be able to tug him forward. Using that momentum, he pushed his own body upwards using the pull to lift himself up with the help of a jump. His upward jump and downward pull was a move Kessler was very familiar with. Thrusting his knee up, he shoved it into the chin of the man as he was leaning downward, the force was thought shattering, but it was a signature blow for Kessler.

Breaking the pair, at least for the moment, he began using the belt and some fabric to bind the men together, turning his attention to the bar keep he could only flash a weary smile. "Well, it could have ended worse, and she's gone now. A table and a chair, not a big loss right?" He tried to offer some condolences and consolations. There were no doubt rowdy bar fights that ended worse then this. "I'll make sure she's not up to anything weird though, when the other guards come, please send these three off with them." He asked trying to turn out after the bizarre woman to make sure nothing crazy happened.

 

Kessler found his way out from the bar to chase the instigator with a heavy sigh, naturally this wasn't the type he enjoyed chasing, those without rhyme or reason wouldn't really be able to understand where they erred after all. Contrary to Khaos's desires though, Kessler wasn't someone who would bloody people who's only crime was being unable to control their desires. Instead, it warranted a naturally lighter punishment, he'd learned from Eliah not to hold back until he was ragged, but he wasn't about to go gutting random strangers. Instead, Kessler applied just as much power as needed to provoke fear or deter his attackers.

Instead, if she'd met him in the dungeon somehow, she'd see a very different result, perhaps the one she wanted in this situation. Kessler was a great deal more ruthless to the mindless attacks of the dungeon's monsters. His sleeves would always be stained up to his shoulders in red from every trip down, and his hands would need to be hosed off to try and wash the red of of his armored fingertips. Even now there were still occasionally dots of red in the crevices where it couldn't be thoroughly cleaned with his meager skills, but it was enough for him to look presentable. Seeing Khaos out there waiting for him, he was a bit relieved, gesturing at her from afar. "Not going to at least leave a name or something?" He asked wanting to make sure the bar owner knew who to bill for the damages, even if he couldn't find the girl's name, he had no doubt that she'd be incredibly easy to find regardless, so he wasn't too hung up on getting her to talk in this instance. It would however mean he went the extra mile to try and mitigate things properly if he made the effort.

Unfortunately, a carriage wasn't exactly the best means of escape against someone like Kessler, provided it came anywhere close to him, it would have to be a vehicle that could survive losing one full side of it's wheels. He wasn't particularly concerned with the person's escape, rather confident in truth that if needed they wouldn't be able to evade him, there just wasn't anything to gain from making that sort of a scene. "I'll make sure you get the bill for the tables and chair but I have to say please don't cause these sorts of messes again, it makes things harder for the people who are only trying to do honest work."

 

Kessler was a bit surprised by the change in Khaos's demeanor, but didn't invest much surprise into it Kessler himself was someone with two very clearly defined sides after all. Getting awed by the revealing of someone else's was probably even rude, so Kessler refrained from investing much into the woman's change. Instead, he scratched his head in thought knowing that the woman's words however unfortunate wasn't exactly true. "My creator? My mom's origin? That can't be right." He admitted with a weary smile knowing his own ancestry well, the woman wasn't a member of his family he knew, even if he had been aware of her identity as Khaos at that time, he wouldn't have believed she was the origin of his mythological creator. Kessler was from Amaterasu's Familia, the origin of his creator, his primordial god was Izangi as far as he was concerned.

Hearing her name was a definitive win for Kessler though, thrusting a hand up victoriously, he laughed with no hard feelings, a very innocent and bright laugh as he nodded back. "Perfect! Thanks-- You're not so bad after all maybe." He admitted kindly, rather then others who might view Khaos as insane, Kessler had the mistaken view that she might merely be misguided or troubled. He had no reason to look down on her or question her nature after all. Instead he considered not giving her his name for a variety of reasons. There was just so much that could go wrong after all, coming for revenge, or troubling him here or there, there was a lot that could presumably go awry. Though in the end, his good conscience and optimism won out over discretion and common sense. He would endeavor to believe in the good in people before believing in the bad.

"Kessler... Kessler Cole is my name. That's... Probably not too hard to find out though." He admitted with a wry expression knowing that this was probably going to come back to bite him later. He didn't try to hide it too much though, at the very least he had the awareness to know he was somewhat infamous in some circles. "I'll tell them to bill you for damages then-- get home safely!" He offered knowing she'd be picked up, he was prepared to stop her or pursue if she didn't give her name so readily, but he managed to get it rather easily. Instead or twisting off tires, he simply let it continue watching the woman go if she was intending to leave.