(BL) Taming the Field Guide

In a tower across the water...

Gunther, Casper, Karen and Taylor sat in front of the large T.V. screen in Gunther’s apartment watching the scene and chaos unfold.

Pamela and Miro were in the kitchen, still with a view of what was going on, but grabbing snacks for the rest of the group.

"Has it started already?" Pamela asked, tsking as Miro hurried to scoop up the bowls and carry them over.

"Yes, so hurry! We have two spots with your names on them!" Karen called and Pamela moved. The duo hustled, getting to the couch as soon as Rhys, their Captain, stood in front of the podium.

Taylor gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she caught sight of the giant rock on Rhys’ finger. Well, giant rock wasn’t accurate, since Kellen would never had gone for something so impractical, but he had gone for something that made a statement. He’d shown or explained it to Taylor, of course, but she hadn’t looked at the ring when she’d picked it up. Even if every muscle in her body had ached for her to do so.

"Good job Kellen." Gunther murmured, impressed as he stared at his best friend’s hand. "He’s not going to shut up about that, is he?" He almost sounded...envious. Taylor slid her gaze to the man who was sitting silently, holding a beer in between two fingers while he stared at the screen. His eyes were focused, clear, probably the clearest she’d ever seen them.

He looked...good. Like he’d made some decisions with his life and he wasn’t mad about them. In contrast, Casper...still looked like a mess. Granted, Taylor was pretty sure the man came out of the womb with spiky hair and a predilection to ruffling it. He always looked like he was 20 hours behind on sleep, and even now, his glasses were clean, but slightly askew, he was holding a bottle of beer in his hands and he looked like he might shiver away. He was healthier than before, no thanks to Casper.

Gunther had been doing much of the grunt work on that side of things. He didn’t even need orders from Taylor, Kellen or Rhys to make sure it happened, either. He was genuinely looking out for Casper, and Casper was letting him. It was a miracle, and one that everyone was grateful for.

However, seeing Gunther wistful was...interesting, and might spell more danger for Casper.

Taylor turned her attention back to the screen, desperate for entirely selfish reasons that the hand dangling casually on the back of the couch near her shoulder didn’t move down. Didn’t creep closer.

Taylor would not be able to focus if that happened.

Thankfully, for her sanity, Karen didn’t creep closer, instead listening with rapt attention to Rhys’ speech. Of course, Rhys and Kellen were keeping them in the loop. The group chat was active, just the hours were a bit harder for them to contribute as much as they would like. They were up watching this press conference, all of them excited to hear from Rhys’ lips about what the S Classes had decided.

They were all excited to see Brent, too. They had all been anxious to make sure that he was okay. He’d become an important member of the Guild for all of them. From his shared love of Kellen for Taylor, his promiscuous and friendly personality like Karen, and the comradery he was able to share with Gunther and Casper. It was a relief to all of them that he had been found alive, and it hurt all of them to know that his life was targeted the way that it was and they were unable to help.

The whole Guild would have gone over and helped, if they didn’t need to keep protecting their own city from the E.A.G. Rhys and Kellen knew, but after they had left, more insidious tendrils of the group had been found and snuffed out.

No one was going to let them remain, and least of all, Captain Fisher.

He seemed to despise them the most publicly, but it seemed that he was just the one who said he would take on the anger. The D.E.C. had a lot to answer for when it came to Captain Tom and what he had allowed under his control of the city, so Captain Fisher was making it distinctly clear that they were taking a hard stance on them.

They were declared a terrorist organisation in their city, and as Rhys spoke and offered an olive branch to the people across the ocean, Karen snorted.

"He’s making himself out to be the angel while Kellen is going to be the damn devil that haunts their dreams." She muttered, sounding very, very amused. Taylor fought her own smile.

"I am just glad I’m not there right now." Taylor muttered. "I can only imagine the type of things I’d have to patch up going forward. I feel bad for the Healers they have there." Taylor admitted. Karen leaned closer to Taylor, touching her head to the side of Taylor’s in a quick, surprising show of affection before she was back in her own space again.

"Awe. Our sweet Taylor is worried for others? That’s so kind of you." Karen said, and when Taylor glared at her she blew her a kiss, grinning. Pamela’s soft groan drew everyone’s attention.

She was staring at her phone which was already beginning to blow up. Groaning for a second time, she swiped about on her screen before she sighed as it went dark.

"Did you turn it off?" Miro asked, sounding surprised that she could do that.

"Yup. He’s not my responsibility right now. This is Brent’s mess, not mine." She was in denial, of course, since it would be her mess. The Saturn Guild taking on the front facing mantle of challenging the E.A.G. was a big deal. She knew that Rhys was planning to do this, but with how Pamela’s personal life was heating up again, Taylor didn’t blame her.

It seemed a certain lawyer had been poking around the Guild Tower again, and Taylor was intentionally putting on her blinders. Pamela’s business was her own, but she’d sworn she’d caught the not couple yelling at each other in one of the lower level rooms when she’d been checking up on the Guides.

Taylor hadn’t made eye contact and had instead pretended she hadn’t seen them. Pamela and Taylor hadn’t spoken of it.

Gunther’s laughter brought Taylor out of the brief moment of recollection. Gunther’s smirk had her curious as he shifted his long, white hair over his shoulder.

"How very Rhys-like of you. He’d be proud." He told her seriously. Pamela shivered.

"You hate me, just say it." She muttered unkindly and Gunther laughed more. They continued to watch the press conference, drinking and chewing in silence.

"Can anyone see Kellen?" Karen asked and Taylor shook her head.

"No. But that makes sense. From what I can remember, he was always good at hide and seek as a child." Taylor offered. Casper scoffed.

"Of course he’s good at hiding. He wouldn’t have made it as far as he has without having skills like that. Can’t you hear how the Captain is waxing poetic about Brent? I’m sure he’d have twice as many good things to say about Kellen." Casper sounded pissed, but it was the slight tinge to his cheeks and how he sniffed after he spoke that let Taylor know he wasn’t upset at all. He was just being shy.

"Oh! He finished finally. That must mean Brent is coming out." Everyone turned back after Miro spoke, watching as a woman that none of them had seen before escorted Brent along the path. Karen whistled.

"She’s hot." She muttered, and Taylor felt her heart twitch, but couldn’t really deny her words. She had fiery red hair, down to her damn waist, and fiery eyes as well. She wore a suit so tight to her form it left nothing to the imagination, her ample bosom overflowing in her top.

At the same time, she looked like she’d lived. She was aging very well, but she looked ready to kill a man.

"Just say it’s because she has big boobs, Karen. You pervert." Pamela muttered and Karen scoffed.

"I am a woman of taste, Pam. It’s not just because she has big boobs." Karen sniffed. "She looks like she could strangle me with her thighs and ask me if I want more. That’s hot." Taylor felt a distinct shiver run down her spine.

She could not, would not do the same to Karen. Was that why Karen hadn’t been around as much?

Taylor did not humour that thought as Brent was passed off and the woman spoke, introducing Brent and making it crystal fucking clear to Taylor that she would stand behind Brent’s choices, and that she was ready to rip the city to shreds.

Begrudging as it was to Taylor, she liked the woman. She was the one who had been protecting Brent this whole time and there was no way that she wouldn’t be a good person. Not if Kellen called her his Aunt.

Well, maybe there was a chance that she wasn’t a good person given that he’d also called Captain Tom Uncle Tom, but that was just one example. She’d also suffered a great tragedy at the hands of the E.A.G. and Taylor would never hold that against her.

It was quite fun to watch Brent squirm behind her. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, and given how pretty he was dressed, she understood.

"Is that even Brent?" Casper asked. "Where’s the leather?" Taylor almost laughed. That was what she was thinking too.

"He looks too rich in cream and white." Karen concurred, scowling when Taylor looked at her. "He’s too...clean. Where is Field Guide Jameson as I know him?" She sounded rather displeased. Gunther chuckled, nodding his head.

"I agree. They’ve really tried to make him palatable to their normal sensibilities. I think that’s going to backfire. They should have just gone in, guns blazing and made him out to be the Field Guide that Kellen made him into." Gunther argued.

"That’s exactly why they didn’t dress him like that." Pamela spoke up, drawing everyone else’s attention. "They’re begging for them to drop their guard. They don’t know Kellen’s antics as much, and granted, Kellen hasn’t really shown the public much of them. Brent hasn’t shown any of them. From my understanding, they’re planning to do small scale amping ups until they know not to fuck with him publicly. Plus, they’re trying to lure someone in. How else are they going to do that without making them think Brent is weak?" She reminded the group.

They all grumbled, clearly not liking seeing Brent ’weak’ in any capacity.

"He looks too pretty." Taylor commented, remembering the gruff, but happy Brent that she knew before. Not the pretty and groomed rich boy on the screen.

"What?" Karen asked, sounding shocked, but Casper smacked her knee.

"Shut up. He’s about to take the podium."