(BL) Hunting The Field Guide Chapter 73: Confronting the Field Guide

The Captain began his explanation.

"Mr. Woods and I obviously couldn’t be separated from each other for long, so once we heard news that Captain Sergei and Captain Tom were in a eting together, and Pala suggested we go on a date, we left. Part of it was to show the public that we were fine from the previous day, the other part was to have a less stressful day since Mr. Woods had overexerted himself. He also had made news from his actions after." Kellen gave him a confused look and the Captain smiled. "The kiss, Kellen. The one you forgot about?" Kellen felt his face go white as he rembered that embarrassing mont in the elevator with the poor Nesis Guild Captain. The Captain patted his hand in comfort. "Anyway, we stopped at the D.E.C. first, got a briefing from the other Captains about what they’ve found out about the terrorist group. Obviously, the group in the area is the E.A.G, since that’s the sa goddamn group that’s attacking everywhere. Gwen, don’t share this with your group." Gwen nodded quickly, surprised to be hearing things she probably shouldn’t when sitting in, ready to lecture Kellen at the drop of a hat. "Once that was done, the three of us, Captain Sergei, Mr. Woods and I, took the elevator down like civilized folk, and then we went to the damaged area on our own. Ms. M was away from the front lines and was managing the search and rescue team." Gunther and Hill seed interested in that bit of news.

"Oh? I thought she never left, even more so than us." The Captain chuckled.

"She was swimming in a D.E.C. Esper’s jacket." Hill nodded in understanding.

"Ah. So she doesn’t leave because she’s marked. Got it." Hill gave a thumbs up, and while her eyes danced, her face remained serious. Kellen didn’t like that everyone was taking this so seriously, especially since it sounded like the Captain wasn’t.

"So, after waving at Captain Sakura, the two of us got an assignnt from Ms. M and went to work. We spent several blissful hours together, helping others. Mr. Woods was being adorable. It was like he was fighting a compulsion to be near , and every 15-20 minutes he would stop what he was doing and then co over and press a part of his body against . Everyone who saw it thought it was very cute, but because most of the team working with us knew us, none of them said anything." The Captain shook his head, chuckling while Kellen went red. He had nothing to say against it, and well, at least that was date-like enough for him. "It was quite enjoyable, until the Guides from Guiding Center A ca." Gwen snorted, then covered her mouth. Kellen flinched at the obvious disdain she had and the Captain turned his attention to her. "Gwen?" He prompted and she shook her head, waving the hands that she had covered her mouth with in the air in denial.

"No, keep going. I’ll keep it to myself until the end." She told him, and he nodded. Kellen missed how the Captain’s eyes glowed slightly in awareness. He hated knowing that Gwen didn’t like the Guides from Guiding Center A, but Kellen’s family hadn’t told him about it prior. The Captain sighed. They didn’t know each other well enough yet to tell each other everything, so he would have to not take it personally. How was anyone to know that that kind of interaction was going to take place?

"The Guides from Guiding Center A showed up, with their manager. I had no idea that Mr. Woods had any contention with them, until they began speaking to each other. I could tell that so of the others around us were also shocked at the way they spoke to each other. It seed like everything Mr. Woods said to her made her upset and puff up like an angry dog." Casper and Brent chuckled. "They were also so clean, and behaved as if guiding was a blessing they were giving you. Honestly, and this never leaves the room, I do kind of wish that the terrorist attack had actually hit them in a small capacity. It might have knocked them down a few pegs." Casper shook his head.

"No, Captain, it wouldn’t have. You’re dealing with two types of extres there. Espers who think they are better off without Guides or without Guides in control, and Guides who think that Espers should grovel at their feet for the chance of salvation. I fucking hate Guiding Center A. And their fucking little colour coded vests." Casper almost spat on the ground, and Kellen was surprised by the amount of anger and vitriol in his expression. Hill reached out and patted his shoulder, while Brent had a slightly confused look on his face.

"Little vests?" He asked, mildly amused, and Gunther gave him a strange look.

"Their uniforms are colour coded for their class. In their case it’s their vests. Most Guiding Centers do it. Shouldn’t you know this? It’s pretty common knowledge for even Espers, but I’m pretty sure you get tested on that shit as a Guide." Brent’s face turned red and he shrugged.

"I wouldn’t know. I found out I was a Guide and went straight for the front lines." There was no way that was true. The front lines were highly regulated nowadays. Maybe if this was 20 years ago that would fly, but no one in the room was buying it. It was clear that wherever Brent had co from, it had power of so kind. For a Guide to have never even heard of the uniforms Guiding Centers wear, especially the most prominent one in the area, was unheard of. Gunther, Hill and Casper gave Brent a strange look, and Kellen could tell the man was panicking. Kellen sighed, shaking his head. The Captain ca in for the rescue, giving Kellen’s hand a squeeze.

"Whether Brent rembers uniforms or not, she stord off and took most of the group with her after Mr. Woods insulted her one last ti. She headed towards Ms. M, and I’m a little upset I didn’t get to see that interaction. Sothing tells she wouldn’t take kindly to the fact that Ms. M is a regular civilian with quite a bit of power, and several large Guild’s behind her." Hill and Gunther chuckled, clearly amused by it as well. "But, left behind were two Guides, both C Class Guides." Kellen watched as Gwen’s whole body tensed. She clenched her fists tightened, pressing them against her thighs as she stared ahead, not making eye contact with anyone else in the room. Her jaw was hard enough to cut glass. "I think their nas were Terry and Savvy?" The Captain didn’t sound sure, but when Gwen heard their nas she seed to get even more tense. Kellen wanted to ask if she was already, but he froze when the Captain’s next words left his lips. "If I’m honest, I wanted to strike them down where they stood. Sothing didn’t feel right about them, but Mr. Woods was excited to see them so I held my tongue. Oh, Brent, I guess you’ll be happy to hear this. The one nad Terry referred to Mr. Woods as Kellen the Celibate." Brent snorted.

"Hey, I started that!" He joyously exclaid, and Kellen gave him the finger.

"I cannot believe it made it all the way from the front lines." He said, and Hill burst into laughter.

"That’s a fucking hilarious thing to co out of all of this. But I can kinda see why it stuck. You give off the vibe that no one can touch you. It was worse before, but I guess you just needed a specific type." She wiggled her eyebrows and Gwen made a gagging noise.

"Ugh, gross. I don’t need to know any of this. Brother-in-law, please continue." The Captain chuckled at everyone’s reactions, happy that they were able to find so amusent in the situation before he continued.

"It was shortly after that that Hill called . I had to leave the group of Guides alone, but I knew that the others would keep an eye on them in case sothing happened. I know very well that Mr. Woods can handle himself in a physical altercation, but I also had the feeling that he wouldn’t have fought back if they had attacked him. It appears that I was right." Kellen tensed. "They didn’t physically attack him, but instead verbally. I thought I was doing the right thing by stepping away far enough that I couldn’t hear them easily, but I was wrong. One of the Espers from the search and rescue team reached out to Pala and sent over a recording." Kellen could feel his face going white. No no no. "Pala has sent it over to to listen to, but I haven’t yet. Mainly because I wanted to make sure that Mr. Woods was actually okay with doing so. Pala had to listen to it, for security reasons of course, and she hopes that you’ll forgive her Mr. Woods." Kellen nodded numbly, his hands sweating. He wanted to take his hand out of the Captain’s, but when he went to pull it away, his grip tightened. The Captain placed a kiss against the side of his head. "She also wants you to know that she hates Savvy, but she hates Terry more. She wouldn’t give specifics, but she said that anyone who pretends to be kind only to talk shit behind your back is not a good person." Hill, Casper and Brent had wide, but hard eyes, while Gwen was vibrating in her seat. Gunther wasn’t surprised, and instead was just a seething ball of anger.

"C-Capta-" Kellen started, but he continued.

"When I found Kellen, he was a shell of a man. Whatever those bitches said to him hurt him deeply. He wouldn’t even et my gaze, or allow to touch him. And I had to wait to soothe him till after our guiding session, since he insisted. Green noticed sothing was wrong, but kept up appearances. Mr. Woods was so out of it he didn’t even notice." Kellen had fucked up, just like Gunther and Casper had said. He needed to get away, right now. He couldn’t look at anyone’s face. "Mr. Woods has it in his head that he doesn’t deserve love or affection, and specifically, that he has no friends." He froze.

"Ah, I see what happened now." Gwen’s voice was quiet and monotone. Kellen was as white as a ghost and he went to go stand up, but the Captain yanked him back down. Brent, and Hill looked heartbroken, while all the anger had rushed out of Gwen and now she seed resigned. She sighed, pushing her fingers through her hair rather roughly. "Fuck. You have friends, Kellen. You for sure have and Taylor." Kellen couldn’t et his gaze, and instead dropped it to the living room table. It was very similar to the one the Captain had in his own ho, and Kellen stared at the grains in the wood, trying to be anywhere but here.

"You don’t count, and-" Kellen cut himself off, shoving the cider bottle into his mouth so he didn’t finish his thought. He could feel his sister’s glare.

"What? Do you think Taylor is going to abandon you?" Kellen didn’t say anything, and after a few long seconds, he shrugged.

"We can’t speak for her when she isn’t here." Kellen said, and Gwen whipped out her phone before holding it up to her ear, her face scrunched up and angry.

"Oh? Alright, guess I’ll fix that." She muttered angrily before changing her tone. "Hey Taylor, I know it’s late and you’re super busy, but just a quick question. Are you and Kellen friends?" Kellen gasped.

"Gwen!" He fumbled, trying to stand up again but the Captain held him back. When he threw an angry glare in his direction he found that the Captain had a rather serious and upset expression on his face. Gwen was nodding along to whatever Taylor was saying, before standing and putting the phone down on the living room table. It was clear she had put Taylor on speaker phone, especially when her voice ca over the phone.

"First off, what the hell kind of question is that? Of course Kellen is my friend. We’ve been friends since high school, and I don’t think a decade of friendship can be broken that easily. Second, where is this coming from? Is this related to earlier today? Kellen, are you alright?" Of course she would assu Gwen was with Kellen given the question. Kellen sighed, closing his eyes and hanging his head.

"I’m fine." He told her and Kellen could hear the sigh through the phone.

"Clearly not, especially since I saw you this afternoon. Is that what this is all about? Is that why you were crying? Who hurt you?" Her tone fird and Kellen felt the Captain tighten his grip on him.

"So Guides nad Terry and Savvy. Do they sound familiar? Gwen seed to recognise the nas." There was silence on the other line before Taylor laughed, and it held a slight hint of malice.

"Oh, the little Guide friends you made while you were in Guide School. The ones who only hung out with you to put you down and ride on your parents laurels. Well, good fucking riddance I say." Kellen was stunned at her response, and so were a few of the others. Taylor was outspoken, but no one had really heard her talk this way either. "What did they say to you Kellen?" Her tone suddenly softened and Kellen sniffed, feeling his eyes water again. Fuck.

"N-Not to co around anymore." He sniffed. "Savvy basically said she hated every mont she hung out with . Terry said she hated ." Kellen whispered. The Captain leaned forward, pressing his lips against the Guide’s forehead tenderly. Gwen was shaking, and Brent wasn’t fairing much better.

"Yeah, they probably said all that because you aren’t a C Class failure in their eyes anymore." Her voice held quite a bit of venom before she sighed. "Oh Kellen, I’m sorry those idiots hurt your feelings." Taylor’s voice was soft and soothing over the phone.

"Those fucking morons were using you to make themselves feel better and weren’t using you for your cooking abilities? What a fucking waste." Brent scoffed, and Casper glared at him until Kellen laughed wetly. "At least I won’t leave until you chase away, even after the six month contract is up." Brent’s words were sincere, and caused Kellen’s heart to jerk. It had been a deep concern of his that he had forced Brent to be here, and him easily offering to stay only made him feel worse. He loved the front lines, especially since it was an easy place to run away to. The constant change on the front lines, between personnel and new gates ant that it was easy to forget your pain. To forget your past. The front lines were a great place to escape.