Touring the Guide way

When Kellen put his foot down, telling his Father that he wasn't going to drive him to work on the first day of his new job, Kellen thought the house was going to explode. The man had gone into a fit, furious. When anger hadn't worked, he went into pouting, trying to make his son feel guilty. When that didn't work either, he finally gave up. He knew his son too well, and if none of those were going to work, that was it.

Kellen, however, was pleased that he wasn't going to be known as the spoiled rich kid resting on his parents laurels on the first day this time. What was the point of him spending so much time on the front lines to earn his own respect if his Father dropped him off in a car worth more than the average person's salary for a year? No fucking way was that going to happen. 

So, primped and polished, Kellen took the sky train to work with the regular civilians. He hadn't expected the open stares of awe, since he hadn't traveled by train to get to work at Guiding Center B, but he was grateful for the sunglasses he wore. It hid how nervous he was to have so many staring at him.

Like how every Guiding Center had different uniforms, each Guild as well. When the government first established the difference between the general public and those who had awakened powers, they all wore the same uniform. Over time, that changed so that there was a distinction between the two. Since then, most official uniforms were loosely based off of the old government uniforms of the past. Usually, Guilds selected two colours to represent the Guide and the Esper, and blended them.

The Saturn Guild was no different. It was basically a military uniform but with more layers, lapels and buttons for aesthetics. The bright gold buttons gave a nice contrast and made it feel very professional. The Saturn Guild had registered the colours white and black as their official colours after the Guild who had previously used them collapsed. Prior to that Kellen was pretty sure they had used yellow and black. The Nemesis Guild had chosen black and red, while the Peach Guild had chosen white and pink.

What that really meant is all it took was one look at Kellen and everyone knew who he was and where he was going, even if they didn't know his name. White had been labeled the Guide's colour in the Saturn Guild, but any outfit fully white and trimmed with black thread and accents would have stood out. Another thing that might not have helped the stares was the black field jacket the Captain had given him yesterday resting on his arm. He didn't think it was appropriate to bring it in a duffle bag, so he carried it the whole way.

The sky train stopped at the station Kellen was told was the one he was supposed to get off at, and Kellen made his way swiftly through the station. Walking briskly, he made his way to a building that should have blended into the several like it, but somehow managed to stand out. 

When others called it the Guild Tower, they hadn't been wrong. It was a skyscraper without a lot of space out front besides concrete and sidewalk. The giant letters spelling out Saturn above the front doors were all that were needed to declare what was held in the tower. It blended in well, but once you stepped inside it felt like you were stepping into a different world. Similar to Guiding Center B, there was a lot of plant life inside the wide space. The lobby, like the Center, was wide open space for almost two storeys. That was where the similarities to the other two buildings ended. It felt like stepping into a sunlight forest instead of a lobby. All the usual suspects were inside, like the front desk, several couches and coffee tables dotted the space, but it was overshadowed by the design of the space. Vines covered almost every space, trees and plants blended into the surroundings. Kellen wasn't even sure if he saw any pots that the plants resided in. Kellen remembered, after a moment of stunned silence spent staring at the lobby, that the Captain had recruited an A Class, almost S Class Earth Esper into his guild about two years ago. One of the stipulations that he had made, and also made public, was that any free space the Esper wanted they could turn into a green space. The lobby was a clear example of that take over. 

Gulping the clean air into his lungs, Kellen headed towards the back of the lobby, towards the front desk. Ms. Hill hadn't said anything about checking in, but Kellen thought it was at least appropriate to let them know he had entered the building. Especially after he only got his card yesterday. The receptionist wasn't the same as yesterday, but she took in his nervous stature and Guide uniform and didn't bat an eyelash. She handed Kellen a couple of informational brochures with a smile and welcomed him to the Guild, before giving him directions to where Lieutenant Casper wanted to meet him. He thanked her kindly before following her instructions to a T.

Where Casper had wanted to meet him was about two floors up from the lobby, in a large room filled with tables, chairs and couches. It also had several Espers and Guides focused on the large t.v.s hung up in the room. Kellen could tell from the several small snack bars pressed against the walls that this must be a meeting space of some kind, but like everyone else, Kellen found his eyes being drawn towards the screens. 

The Esper games were playing, and not only that, the finals. He'd walked in just as the previous match ended and just so happened to walk in to witness his sister's semi final match. She was apparently up against a Fire Elemental Esper. Gwen had been leading the polls in both fan and power rankings, so when her face filled the screen the sound of loud cheering could be heard. Even several of the people in the room cheered, and Kellen felt his lips turn up slightly. The loud gong rang out, signaling the start of the match and Kellen watched as the Fire Esper made his intentions very clear. He didn't want Gwen to activate her powers, and he assumed that if he got rid of all the shadows in the arena with his fire powers, that would be the case. Kellen watched as Gwen's eyes slid from gray to purple. That was the only warning to the other Esper before she disappeared from the screen. The crowd went wild. Suddenly, the camera focused on the other Esper as Gwen's leg materialized and kicked the shit out of the other Esper. From that point on it was a one way pummel fest while the other Esper spat fire like a dying dragon. It was a very visual match. 

"I am so sorry for running late Guide Woods. My car wouldn't start this morning so I had to take transit." Kellen smiled as Casper came into the room, clearly out of breath. He was wearing almost the exact same outfit as yesterday, but the jacket was a slightly brighter shade of white. His hair also wasn't spiky yet, which made Kellen's lip quirk up slightly higher before he gestured to the t.v.s where his sister's hand was being held up as the victor of the match. 

"No worries, Lieutenant Casper. I was enjoying my sister's match." Casper glanced at the screen where the slow motion replays were already playing, blinked, then nodded.

"Ah, I seemed to have forgotten that you had a sibling. She seems to have won?" He asked and Kellen laughed.

"I think it was an unfair match. The poor Esper thought that if she didn't have shadows she couldn't use her powers. Obviously, that's not how her powers work. She isn't a Dark Esper." He pulled out his phone while Casper pondered his words. Kellen sent off a quick, teasing text to his sister. 

Saw your match. You fought like a little bitch. Love you

Smiling, he tucked the phone away before turning to the other Guide. Casper was watching the play by play with interest.

"She was aiming for our guild, wasn't she?" He asked and Kellen nodded.

"She's going to be so pissed that I joined a day before she did. She's very competitive." Kellen's smile held a bit of mischief. He couldn't wait to see her expression when she saw him. Especially since it had been two weeks with no contact from her. They took away all outside connections when the games started, so that there was no outside interference. Casper glanced at the other Guide before clearing his throat. 

"Well, I'm sure you'll see her shortly. The Captain along with Ms. Hill are currently at the games to pick out their top recruits. Then they plan to bring them here to sign their first contracts. They should be here some time in the afternoon. But before that, we need to stop by the medical office for a check up." Kellen could feel the other Guide's gaze sharpen and Kellen swallowed. He had eaten and slept well as ordered, but he felt the inspection of his condition like a brand. Clearly he passed since Casper led them calmly towards the elevators. He even explained what floor they were going to for Kellen's peace of mind. Once the doors opened on this level however, Kellen found that he was already familiar with it. It was where he had woken up the day prior.

Casper led them in the opposite direction of the room Kellen had been in the day before. Both hallways looked the same, with many doors down each side, small labels either filled with names or left blank. The only difference down this hallway was that the names were directly on the doors. They stopped at one labeled 'Green'. Casper knocked before pushing it open and Kellen got a look at where his friend worked. 

It wasn't a large office, with a space for two seats to sit side by side in front of a desk next to the door. The majority of the space was taken up by several shelves behind the desk, a printer and a rolling chair that was currently under Taylor. Taylor was leaning against the desk going over some files, unaware of the two who entered her office. 

"Esper Green? I brought the new recruit in for a check up." Taylor raised her eyes from her files, glancing at Casper before turning her gaze to Kellen. She did a double take as Kellen smiled at her, raising his hand in a small wave. She gasped, getting to her feet.

"Kellen! You look so much better compared to yesterday, thank goodness. Wait, did Casper just say new recruit? Are you joining the Guild?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked over the Guide, gripping onto his shoulders as she looked him over. Kellen laughed, as even as she was excited to see him, her eyes turned green as she looked over him internally. 

"Yeah, the Captain kinda gave me no choice." She scoffed.

"Of course. I'd do the same thing in his shoes. What I wouldn't give to have a match like you. I would tie them to me in any way that I could. Within reason, of course. I'm not a monster." Kellen chuckled at the way she backpedaled in front of the two Guides, her cheeks flaming. 

"No, you're just an Esper." Kellen told her. "Gwen won, by the way." He added as the woman released him, going back around the desk to sit in her comfortable chair. 

"We both knew she would. She'll be around in the afternoon once Captain picks out the rest. Are your parents planning a party or something?" She asked as she began typing away on her computer. Kellen shook his head, taking a seat in the free seat next to Casper, who had sat down when Kellen and Taylor had greeted each other. 

"No. She's probably going to want to go out with her friends instead of hang out with her family. My parents are probably a little upset, but will respect her wishes. She's the baby of the family after all." Taylor nodded while the grin from before crossed Kellen's lips. "I'm more excited about her reaction when she finds out that I joined the guild before her." Taylor snorted, glancing at the man across from her before shaking her head. 

"The two of you being in the same Guild is going to give me gray hairs early. I remember what you were like in high school Kellen. The only reason Gwen didn't break any rules in school was because you had already done it." Her tone was soft even if her words were harsh. Casper glanced at the Guide beside him, interested, but not enough to interrupt the two. 

"Oh please. I'm just a little Guide. I couldn't even compete against my A Class Esper sister." Taylor snorted in a very unladylike manner, spinning in her chair to grab some pages she had sent to print. 

"Don't even try that 'little Guide' shit with me. I went to school with you. I remember you out lifting several now famous Espers of our era. I'm pretty sure Captain Sakura hasn't forgotten either." Kellen's smile felt lazy on his face while he chatted with one of his friends. She spun back around, handing him several papers. "Putting that behind us, here is a list of foods that I'd like you to start eating since they are dense in calories. Your body is on the right track now, but I want you to be consuming between 10 000 to 12 000 calories a day for now. You're behind, especially after the previous two days. I'll also be monitoring you before, during and after guiding sessions with the Captain from today forward. This is so I can get a clear picture of how much basic guiding costs you so I can make an even better cheat sheet for you. For now, eat a lot, don't mind what anyone else says to you, and I'll make sure wherever you are the most has several quick calorie replacements. Places like the Captain's home and offices along with the Guiding Division already have them, so once you settle in here I'll update the drop off locations." Kellen nodded as Taylor switched into working mode. 

"Alright Dr. Green. I'll follow your instructions to a T." He told her seriously and she shook her head. 

"Good luck Casper. Kellen here is a great friend, but he can be a handful." She warned while Casper chuckled. 

"I think I am beginning to understand that. He chased Ian away yesterday." Taylor held out a hand and Kellen high fived her. Casper's eyes widened as she gave a thumbs up after.

"Good. I'm glad someone finally did it. Now, if you have any questions about anything, feel free to shoot me a text. I'm currently going over your previous test results and like you and your Dad said, there is a slight curve. Besides that, please make sure to not get yourself hurt all the time. I want to see you all the time not because you're injured, but because you miss me, alright?" Kellen smiled at the woman in front of him, one of the few that had refused to cut ties with him at any point. He nodded, following Casper as he got to his feet. 

"Of course. Someone has to make sure that the Dr. Green is also eating and taking care of herself." Her face flushed at his gentle teasing as the two Guides left her alone to her work. 

Casper took Kellen around the whole building after his check up. He showed him all of the private guiding rooms around the lower levels of the tower. The lower levels referred to anything below the gym at the top of the first set of elevators, since everything above that was living quarters. He proceeded to show him the Guide levels, which ranged about 5 floors. Among these floors were several classrooms, rec rooms, offices, and more private guiding rooms. There was even a gym geared towards Guides as well. Even among the gym, there was a separate one for Guides who had more experience then ones who we brand new. It was almost the same for the Espers. The gyms were separated by Class and how new they were to the Guild. It was to decrease tension between the Espers, and Casper said that it was working. Most of the Guides who were in the tower were ones who had only gone through basic training since the rest were on the front lines. But with the influx of new Espers from the games, and the likelihood that the Saturn Guild was going to get the rights to the new gate, Casper was eager to take Kellen up on his offer to train the Guides. He wasn't going to force the Guides into the program, but he was going to offer a money incentive.

So, since he was so insistent on Kellen becoming a teacher, Casper showed Kellen where they had decided an office for a former Field Guide should be. Apparently they had previously had someone to fill the position, but they had left about five months ago. The office had sat empty since then. It was located in the first level of the research department, and even with Kellen's new keycard, he didn't have access to most of the rooms on this floor and the ones higher. The office space was basically the entrance to this level, and Casper told him that there was an elevator shaft set up for these levels exclusively so that they didn't have to bring specimens or other top secret projects to the main elevators. The office space was mostly filled with Espers, with some civilian scientists also tossed in for good measure. Casper had been ringing his hands the whole time they had been on this floor, and it was clear he thought Kellen was going to ask more questions. Kellen knew better, and simply smiled at Casper's quick and simple explanation of the floors. 

After that, the two of them braked for lunch. Casper showed Kellen where the cafeteria was, since it took up almost a whole floor. The only space that wasn't taken up by the cafeteria was a section set aside for a coffee shop. Unlike the cafeteria, where everything was free, the coffee shop was not and was part of a large chain that specialized in elaborate drinks. Casper was a great conversationalist, and Kellen was pleased that the man seemed to enjoy his company. 

It was nice to see while they were in the cafeteria there wasn't any separation between Espers, Guides, and civilians. Everyone sat wherever, and he couldn't sense any animosity between the groups. It really reminded Kellen of his time on the front lines. The other Guilds had kept their distance from Guides that they hadn't hired, while the Captain had refused such a practice. He had encouraged his Espers to get to know the others, especially the ones who remained on the front lines after they left. It was something that had always struck a chord with Kellen. The Captain worked very hard to train his Espers to not be little shits, to not be monsters, and it truly showed. Because as much as the public loved and cheered for Espers, there was always an underlying fear of them. And for someone who always had yellow eyes, he must have felt it more than others. 

After they finished up and had cleaned up, Casper decided that it would be a good idea for Kellen to tour the gym upstairs. Like Kellen had thought, it wasn't your normal gym. Like the lobby, it took up two floors, and was mainly used for A Class or higher Espers. There was a slightly smaller gym three floors below this one for newer A Class Espers, but it was rarely used since most of the trainers, i.e. Lieutenant Gunther, used this for training. This space also had several power testing chambers, the large sparring arena Kellen was familiar with, and several private training rooms. 

Casper had Kellen use his card to get it to check if it was working, like he had been doing all day, before leading him around the space. Instead of the briefing he'd gotten in the elevator, Casper now pointed out all the things a Guide would need to know. Like where was the safest place to hide if something happened, where the medical kits were, a private guiding room that was tucked between two power testing chambers. Things that the Espers would gloss over if they weren't actively using them. Casper also let Kellen know that this was where the Captain was whenever he needed to blow off some steam, usually with one of the other Lieutenants since they were the ones who could mostly go toe to toe with the man. There were only two other S Class Espers in the guild, and currently they were away on private leave. 

As Casper kept pointing out interest points, Kellen had noticed something. There were a lot more Espers with medical/healing related powers around then he realised. Taylor wasn't unusual in her powers, but she was celebrated, and in high demand. Most Guilds had one or two Healing Espers, but the Saturn Guild had three, plus an actual unit of Espers in charge of healing. He wasn't sure why, but he assumed it had something to do with their desire for the new gate, and the fact that they sent everyone to the front lines.