(BL) Taming the Field Guide

The first topic wasn’t something that Kellen could really contribute to. He wasn’t really an Esper, not entirely, and Kellen wasn’t sure if Rhys wanted to reveal the true fucked up nature of what Kellen was. How much he’d been changed, but it seemed that there was an unspoken level of trust with those who were here.

Even if there was an interloper, there was something that could not be broken. Their S Class level, the insanity that brought, and the pressure that every region, every country, every city put on their shoulders. That was something that unified them completely.

So, while Kellen felt like he didn’t have a lot he could contribute to the others, they didn’t really agree. After all, Kellen was a Guide who had specialised in being able to help those who weren’t Elemental Espers. It was something that Kellen never even considered because his compatibility with everyone had been shit, but it was Sergei who reminded Kellen when they were having their open floor discussion.

They were talking about the overarching question and point of "how do we help the Espers who are getting pulled into the E.A.G.? How do we turn them away from them and what are the issues they are facing that are making them turn towards them?

Someone had asked a question about the rates of who was turning towards the E.A.G.? Was it the Espers that were common, like Physical Strength Espers, Elemental Espers, or Telekentics? The answer was clear as soon as the Esper had asked.

No, they weren’t. They were the weird ones, the ones that might be lower Class, with strange powers that might not be as showy as the others. They might have higher Class Espers, but what was going on? This was when they would need a Guides opinion, and Kellen, being a Guide who didn’t have good compatibility with any of the major Esper types outside of select Physical Strength Espers, was the perfect person for the job.

Sergei was just the one who pointed it out, since he often hired Kellen on the front lines. Rhys didn’t because, well, he knew that Sergei would.

"Guide Kellen, I think you would be an expert on this topic. After all, our compatibility was rather poor before your Class went up, but you were always able to connect with others outside of those listed." Sergei said, and Kellen felt every head turn towards him. Even Elder Ellis looked interested.

"Esper Thatcher, is that true?" He asked, not out of disrespect for Kellen, but because he had assumed that Kellen had guided him before. Rhys gave a bitter chuckle.

"He was a C Class at the time, and you know how my situation was before Kellen. I had no idea of this before Kellen brought it up." Rhys told him and Elder Ellis looked surprised. He then waved Kellen forward, motioning for him to come to the podium.

"If you’re comfortable, Guide Kellen, we would love to pick your mind on this topic. After all, I feel like at a certain point, this meeting will be ran by you today." Elder Ellis joked and Kellen felt a little awkward about that. It wasn’t intentional.

"As long as you think it will be beneficial." Kellen said, already getting up to his feet. Elder Ellis smiled at Kellen as he approached, welcoming the man with open arms. Kellen, a little awkward at being at the front of the room and also at the podium no less, still stood diligently at the front. Rhys was watching him like a hawk, but whenever Kellen glanced at him nervously, he was all smiles.

For the Espers who knew Rhys, and had known him for years before Kellen, it was a bit of a shock for them to witness this kind of change in him. He was always pleasant, Rhys, but he’d never been one to smile like that unless it was for a promotional of some sort.

Kellen was also a bit strange. Not that some of them hadn’t seen or heard of Field Guide Woods. He’d made a good name for himself, offering his services, helping anyone after he’d made a name for himself on the Truant region’s front lines. That wasn’t what was strange about him, outside of the fact that it was clear he wasn’t as suicidal as some of the Field Guides who worked there were.

No, the strange fact was how he held himself, the level of control he had over his body, and the fact that he had been known to be capable of completing damn miracles. Almost everyone had seen the interview with Kellen, Rhys and Gunther. It had done the rounds for several reasons. One being that Field Guides rarely, if ever, spoke to the public. The other was the fact that Rhys Thatcher, a Time Esper, had found a partner with such high compatibility.

What they had gotten instead was a serious man who would kill any of the reporters if they became an issue, while also being sweet and nervous. He was also two times the size of other Field Guides, which sparked interest in buff Guides. Kellen had no idea that that had happened, since the interest hadn’t spread that far yet, but it was something that was gaining momentum.

Once Kellen was feeling a bit confident, and comfortable, he was happy to answer questions, and he had no problem showing them his statistics. That surprised not just the Espers, but also the Guides that were downstairs. Apparently, that was something that wasn’t discussed, just like what it felt like when you Guided an Esper.

That wasn’t something that was held close to his chest on the front lines, but it was something that was held close to the chest when it came to city Guides. That was one divide that Kellen hadn’t quite breached while he had worked at Guiding Center B. The other Field Guides hadn’t considered it weird, either. If it was something that could help them clear Gates, they didn’t really care about decorum or pride. Not over something like that, at least.

They were curious about how Kellen was able to use his abilities as a C Class to gain the level of notoriety that he had, and Kellen explained, quite simply, that he learned everything about his powers and his capacity. He pushed his body to the limits, came within inches of dying because of what he’d done to himself, and came back from that.

From the hard glare that Sergei and Rhys gave him, Kellen confirmed that he had others nearby to make sure that he was safe. He didn’t do it inside of a Gate, but at base camp with a willing Esper as well. Kellen also explained that he was able to keep such a detailed and controlled understanding of his powers as well because he had only done handheld Guiding while he worked on the front lines.

He wasn’t ashamed of that statistic, but it was clear that the S Classes were shocked. Kellen understood why. That wasn’t something that was even on the table for them.. Why? Because they had a habit of pushing themselves to the point that the only way to save them from becoming a nuclear bomb was to do the more intimate styles of Guiding. Kellen understood that, but he made a good point.

Most of the Espers who were going to the E.A.G. weren’t. They probably only knew easier styles of Guiding. They also were probably lower Class, knew Guiding Centers and not Guilds, or even those that acted outside of both institutions because there was a shame that came with those who were lower Class.

Kellen argued that that needed to change.

The attitude that everyone had developed for those who had powers but were C Class or lower was incredibly toxic. It wasn’t fair, because those who were D Class, E Class and even F Class were still Espers and Guides, but they worked at different levels. Kellen knew from his own experience that if you knew your limits, you could do the best that you could and impress everyone.

Was it a little insulting that Kellen’s legacy was being able to do the impossible when his Field Guide partner, who he did most of his contracts with, could do what he did without breaking a sweat because he was A Class? Yeah, it did sting, but Kellen was the kind of person who took that and saw a way he could get better.

There were a lot of people who were not like him, and he had a feeling that those were the people who were going to the E.A.G. Not to mention, those who had issues when it came to giving or receiving Guiding were probably going to them as well. How could they be told that something that was painful was good for them? Not only that, but that it was saving their life?

Most people had a hard time accepting that as well.

Of course, Kellen’s perspective came from that of a Guide, but he’d been a C Class Guide who came from a famous A Class family so he had a rather good understanding of what that felt like. He’d also been a C Class for far longer than he’d been an A Class, and then an S Class.

He also spoke of the people who tended to come to him. Especially the ones who had come to him while he’d been working in the city. Kellen hadn’t thought that he would have regular Espers since he hadn’t offered more than what he’d given for years on the front lines. Kellen even told the room of S Class Espers that it had seemed inefficient since his compatibility was too low and it took up too much time.

The muffled laughter that had followed that statement almost meant that he had to stop talking.

The people had been quiet types, those who usually kept to themselves. They had liked the peace that Kellen gave them, and he could tell that they were the kind who suffered quite a bit.

That seemed to spark some interest in his powers and Kellen soon found himself being asked if he could Guide a few of the Espers without partners just to get a feel of what he meant. Rhys stiffened, but he didn’t prevent Kellen from saying yes.

The Espers were almost disrespectful, their curiousity getting the better of them. Rhys was worried for several reasons, but Kellen had some rather strict rules.

It would be no more than two minutes. They would only hold hands, and Kellen would have to scarf down a few extra calories before he did it. It would only be with three Espers at max, and if they pushed for more, Rhys had full permission to throw them off the roof of the tower.

The last part made a few of the Espers chuckle, getting smiles from around the room. Rhys even relaxed. Hell, he even grabbed the snack bin and carried it over for Kellen to have his selection.

Elder Ellis oversaw the selection of Espers, picking three ones who weren’t that common and were also without an imprint or partner. They were not Espers that Kellen recognised, which meant one of two things. They could be aligned with the E.A.G., they had a home in the city that they had stayed at, or they were completely unaffiliated with anything.

Kellen was hoping for the last two to be options.

The three selected were two men and one woman. There were only a few women around, and hilariously, she was an Invisibility Esper. Kellen almost laughed. The other two were interesting Espers as well. One was a Speed Esper, meaning that they could move at speeds that made it seem like they were teleporting, and the last was Elder Ellis. He was clearly too curious to sit this out, and it was pretty obvious what kind of Esper he was.

He was a Light Esper, but it was surprising to find out he didn’t have a partner. Kellen didn’t pry, though. It might be something painful for him, and Kellen would never want to be the kind of person who would hurt another with memories.

Once he had finished eating enough for his own satisfaction, Rhys put down the bin nearby. Kellen nodded, and motioned for the first Esper to come forward.