Birds of a Feather [Invite]

@Auriel

Kessler had started his day as he usually did, a nice jog around town to get him going. He was a fit and active person by nature, helping people in need, trying to do good. Though he was shy, he was determined and persistent in his efforts to do well after all. He had no problem getting up at the crack of dawn and going out for a long jog. His armor was thick and sturdy as usual, weighing him down as he hurriedly continued his run to try and squeeze himself dry. He was a diligent worker, a hard fighter after all, though he had a meek and delicate demeanor that even now was visible in his frail smile he used to greet the day and wildlife he passed by, beneath it lurked a monster that he tried to deny in earnest.

His brow was stained with perspiration but he didn't slow his pace, trying to squeeze out more and more to keep going. He was content in his effort to continue on and soldier through, it was only when he was occasionally approached by wildlife that he'd suddenly stop, a happy smile on his face as he'd bend down to greet those that wouldn't run from him. As if this was a part of the norm, as if they noticed him and knew him well, he looked down at the few bunnies or foxes that would approach him each time and he'd try offering them food from the hand each time without fail. The foxes would take jerky from his hands and scamper away, bunnies though were more skiddish, they rarely accepted corn or carrot slices from him and instead waited for him to leave it behind.

Each time he sighed softly looking at them running off, a sense of emptiness inside knowing that he couldn't help them like he helped people. Even then, people wouldn't exactly accept his help when offered. A meek smile touched his face, he was never truly certain, but he wasn't yet strong enough yet to force support yet. Someday though, clenching his fist, he was confident that someday he could make a change. His persistence grew and welled, with the groan of the metal from his fists, but he turned to continue his jog once more reaffirming his will to change the world.

 

Kessler continued his jog happily until he heard squirming and talking. Slowing his jog, he hesitated glancing up towards the trees to see someone hanging from a jacket. Initially, Kessler wasn't sure if this was intentional or accidental as he watched the poor girl suffering. After a while of seeing her struggling though, her internal monologue as well, he finally decided this person needed help. "Erm... Hold on." He offered glancing around, for a moment he was at a loss, if he climbed up he'd risk the branch snapping if he walked over it to grab her, but she didn't seem capable of letting go. It only took him a second of thinking to find a solution though as he began carving a stone out from the ground with his hands to use as a projectile. He'd get her down, even if it was a little frightening maybe, it was the safest way he could manage. Waving at her once more just in case to get her attention, he tried to warn her before taking action. "Just try not to move too much, I'm going to catch you, be careful."

He spoke just as he began winding up to throw. His form for throwing was as refined as always, he chucked the stone sharply to sever the branch near the base to bring the girl down, standing beneath her to try and catch her carefully. If everything went well, he'd scoop her from the air like a princess clinging to her carefully as if afraid she'd fall to the ground if he wasn't gripping her tight enough. If everything went well though he'd sigh with relief. "Ah, there we go, that was close huh?" He said with a laugh oblivious to the way he was clinging to her, Kessler wasn't ever someone who was really good at talking with girls, even recognizing them, looking down at her he didn't really see anything out of the ordinary to consider different from any other average guy he dealt with. "You doing okay? You didn't get stuck anywhere did you?" He asked glancing the girl over cautiously trying to make sure the branches didn't skim her too much on the way down.

When things seemed okay though, he'd try to set her down slowly, sparing no effort to try and brush them off thinking this ordeal must have been difficult to deal with. "It's all over now though right?" He offered with a meek smile as he began brushing the girl's back and chest off to make sure there were no leaves on her. "How'd that happen anyway? It's not often someone gets stuk up in a tree like that. Bad luck huh?" He said with a weary expression, he'd never quite gotten stuck in a tree, but in his youth he'd been hung up by fench posts and the like so he could relate when it came to bullies and cruel treatment.

 

Kessler only hesitated a little at the woman's blushing, he couldn't exactly understand initially, but after a while, he began to put his own two and two together to understand. A sheepish laugh came from his mouth as he nodded along in sympathy, as if he could relate to what embarrassed her, as if it could only be the reason he thought. "Ah-- It's pretty embarrassing having to be saved I guess huh? I know that feeling myself a lot, it never gets easier does it?" He commented with a sheepish expression knowing that being saved never stops getting so bothersome or demoralizing. As someone who had to get saved a lot in his youth, he could certainly relate to this poor girl's shame or so he felt. Though the reaction of being hit made him perk a brow, his head didn't even turn to one side, no he was far too familiar with being struck for something like a slap to really phase him. What was strange though was being slapped in and of itself.

For a moment he was stunned, his mind instantly drifted to his supporter who he assumed had to have been feeling this sort of thing almost hourly from the girls she harassed. He gave a dry laugh thinking about it wondering about why his supporter found this sort of thing so appealing to continue not worrying about being hit by others like it. Though seeing the girl's reaction, his dry laughter only continued and he shook his head clearly not bothered by it. "No no, I guess it was embarrassing having to be caught and saved huh? Don't worry about it, I know how it is myself right?" He tried to explain with understanding and empathy, this person seemed to be the same as him after all, perhaps as he was when he was just a few years younger before meeting Eliah and Korra. Before really becoming a tried and true adventurer even, he didn't want to dissuade this person at all.

"It's alright really, why not come jogging with me huh? I'm almost at the end of my routine at least." He said trying to give Auriel a pat on the shoulder to try and reassure her and keep her from being bothered by what he thought was the shame from saving her. Turning off, he tried to begin jogging once more, his pace swift and strong as he started a slow run once more setting off thinking that he could finish his routine and even lend help to someone who was like he was once upon a time.

 

Kessler only hesitated briefly hearing the fall, after the first one he stalled and shifted back towards Auriel stretching a hand out to try and help prevent her from falling a second time. With a weary laugh he could only shake his head at the girl knowing that legs certainly don't bend that way without some sort of very special skills. He tried to stretch out a hand to catch her if she did fall again, but he couldn't help a weary smile knowing that this girl managed to break her leg from walking, she needed help or at least some muscle. "I'm a little surprised you haven't died already like this. Come on." He said reaching down to try and pick her up once more since she was hurt, he couldn't just let her stay out here where it was dangerous.

He tried to lift her up again hanging onto her as he walked and continued trying to jog holding onto her as he went to make sure that she didn't fall from his grip while they went. His armored hands were rather adept at this sort of thing, carrying heavily loads, using strength, he wasn't really bothered by the smaller girl's weight, though in his mind he was carrying a young man, he wasn't distressed by this thought. If he'd known the truth, there's no doubt he'd be far more flustered then her, but ignorance was bliss, particularly in this instance. He felt like he was doing a service carrying her back like a princess rescued from a disaster, his method of holding her didn't really register in his head as he simply thought of ease of movement and not frustrating her injury as much as possible.

"You have to be careful, balance is very important in fighting, without it you're destined for failure and you'll just be in the way." He tried to lecture as he walked back with her in his hands, putting some thought into it, he knew there were ways to train balance and stances, his father after all had drilled combat into his head from his youth. "I've got some exercises you could do to try and train it up?" He offered with a weary expression.

 

Kessler hesitated again, remembering she asked his name, he was a pretty shy person, it wasn't usually his habit of naming himself proudly or heroically like some. Rather he'd usually try to get his job done wherever able unless he actually managed to get to know someone well. The only real thing he had to compare this feeling to was his normal work when he was a part of the city watch, or reporting to the barracks. Still clinging to the girl as he ran, he finally let out a heavy sigh jogging along still as he answered. "Erm, Kessler-- First Lieutenant Kessler Cole, I'm also a member of the city's watch." He explained with a weary expression, if there was a role with authority in the town outside of those merchants who dealt with money and politicians who dabbled in politics, he occupied a role in it. The watch guards as the local city police, the military as a first lieutenant, even a familia member among the dungeoneers.

"It's not a big deal though, there's no trouble right?" He asked, a little leery, some people didn't like authority figures after all, he'd gotten into a few fights purely for that reason. Of course, Kessler wasn't particularly aware of what the cadets were like or who the girl in his hands was, he assumed that the girl was just a random passerby after all, frustrating or making her scared because of his rank or roles wasn't the thing he was hoping would happen. Even so though, she asked twice, he didn't simply want to leave her hanging as he jogged along. Kessler's military record after all only involved small things and lame efforts to improve himself and train others for the future, his only real purpose in a lot of ways was to try and be the hero that was needed even if it wasn't the hero people wanted.

 

Kessler only sighed a little when Auriel responded, not so much from disappointment, but he could somewhat understand the anxiety of talking to superiors. He was the same in the beginning as well, though he was still shy, he wasn't really sure how to approach those above him in the beginning either. It was something that required experience and getting used to, he couldn't exactly fault her for being fidgetty or awkward since he'd been the same himself. He could only wait patiently for her to respond only to feel her struggling in her grip. He was reluctant to go, the girl struggling to walk on a clearly twisted leg, he didn't want to allow it, but the more she struggled, the more he ruled that she would hurt herself trying to get away more then she would walking on it.

Following along with her, he sighed watching her chase after the cat knowing that Ariel was not the same as him, she didn't seem to have a skill like his that could ignore damage or pain, she was trying to deal with it. It made him shake his head, this wasn't the proper way and couldn't be allowed to continue, it was a mistake he shouldn't allow to continue to go on. Instead, he reached out towards Auriel trying to snatch her up by the cuff like a lost pet herself, as if she were the kitten she was trying to find, he sighed looking at her held up by a hand. "Hey now, you twisted your leg and you're wandering off? Without a skill to make that okay, you can't be doing things like that. Come on, we're going to get you fixed, I'm not gonna let you keep going on like that."

He tried to lecture her, his voice not stern, more like an elder brother or sister's lecture as he held onto her still thinking of her as a male as he began to cradle her more like a child to prevent her from slipping out from his grasp once more. A determined and persistent gaze in his eye as he began picking up speed into a low run rather then a jog to make it to the town even a bit sooner so Auriel wouldn't have to experience the pain of her injury any longer.