Escort Services! [Solo]

Job Description:

The crisp cool air night was a blessing for Zeltaath on this momentous occasion calming his nerves if only slightly. The night before Zel was getting everything prepped for the ball: renting his formal wear, renting a hotel instead of opting to camp out, washing up in the public bathhouse, and meeting the noble lady that he was to take to the ball. They introduced themselves, "Hello, my lady, I'm Zeltaath! A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her shoulders relaxed but she remained to keep a stern look on her face, "Good Evening, and please call me Valerie." They discussed some of the details and ensured that Zel knew the proper etiquette so he didn't embarrass both of them. Even though he had taken numerous steps to ensure the success of the mission he was nervous about whether he could successfully make the young lady smile again. As tragic as it might be that her mother died, Zel could sympathize and connect with her as a way to face the inner demons that keep her from living a full and happy life.

Zeltaath In Formal Wear:

The young lady was relieved to answer the door and be greeted with a warm smile in return. Zel stood on the doorsteps gleefully smiling, "Good Evening, Valerie! Are you ready to have some fun at the ball?" She rolled her eyes, "As a noble, I am obligated to go. This shall not be fun for me." Zeltaath was left with a disconcerting look on his face as Valerie stepped away to grab her coat and then was out of the door. It was a quiet walk to the ball and the rather lethargic surroundings only added to Zel's nervousness. While still in a somewhat dark area of town Zel looked up at the night sky, "Ahh! The sky looks amazing tonight!" Valerie scoffed, "What's so special about the sky? It's the same as it always it." But still curious about what he was seeing she looked up. "Oh wow! That does look rather lovely." Both of them stopped for a moment to stare up at the starry night sky. Blends of purple, blue, and faint strokes of green colored the sky on an almost endless canvas.

Although Valerie had yet to smile, she seemed more and more relaxed as the night went on. After they finished staring at the mesmerizing night sky they continued to the Ball, Valerie wrapped her arms around Zeltaath's right arm causing both of them to blush. Some of Zel's nervousness melted away and his warm smile returned. Once they reached the ball, they checked in with the usher and were led inside to the ballroom. However, by this point, Zel was quite aware of Valerie's situation and the kind of relationship she had with the other nobles. Each one of them had a hint of disgust, some looked a bit sad as they glanced at the two that just walked in.

Valerie tugged on Zeltaath's arm and gave him a frightened glance as she motioned with her eyes to a secluded table away from the others. Zel was concerned by the situation they found themselves in and could not hold back his thoughts any longer, "Valerie, why are all the other not happy to see you? You mentioned a bit of resentment about going to this ball earlier but I wasn't expecting this." Flustered, she snapped at him, "Because I am the lost noble fallen from grace!" She calmed herself and looked away, "As I mentioned yesterday evening when you first came over, I lost my mother. The ruthless people I considered my friends taunted me and made my life hell. At a ball like this, my mother was the life of the party and I was left in her shadow. Unable to obtain her outgoing talent my noble house quickly fell in status. In my pain, I lashed out at everyone, nice or not, this is the result of the heartless court of nobles... Good riddance." Zel gave her a stern look, "You would let the words and actions of others influence your own? You have the tools and intellect at your disposal that you could've overcome whatever they throw at you. Don't just give up on a life of happiness." She retorted, "What would you know? You have family and friends. The one true friend I had is no longer with me anymore. I have no one." A veil of sorrow was cast over Zel's face, "I didn't always. I lost family too. In fact, I lost everyone related to me by blood, and I was forced to watch it happen. You cannot let tragic events in your life shackle you. Before wither away in this mental prison of yours, take my advice, 'join a guild.' From there you'll find a new family and real friends that will stand by your side until the end." He gave her another warm smile, "And never forget that you still have people at home that still love you and have your well being in their minds constantly. Tonight, you've already taken your first step towards getting better friends and a valuable ally." He pointed at his chest with both his thumbs, "You have me at your back."

Valerie stood there for a moment, stunned, trying to process everything. A tear welled up before rolling down her cheek, now lifted up pulling her lips into a wide smile. She wiped away the tear careful and nodded at Zel, "The best friend and ally I could wish for. So now let's leave this stage of my life and take a step into a new, grander, and happier life." She stood up grabbing Zel's wrist and pulling onto the dance floor. The two of them danced the night away, both of them irradiating positive energy. Others around them stared in confusion, unsure of what to make with Valerie, now smiling and dancing along with a boy they've never seen before. After some time others began to move in closer to dance next to them, occasionally some would even come over to talk for a bit. All the while Valeria's smile grew and her face glowed with happiness. One noble in particular, a former friend turned vile, walked up to try and cause trouble.

Zel's Glare:

Zeltaath stood in between the pair and undid his tie and shirt a bit while glaring at the noble without saying a word. Intimidated, the noble backed up a couple steps, they were about to retort until they glanced down at Zel's left collarbone and noticed the partial guild logo. The other near them rallied around Valeria and the noble left the ball, shamed. Tears streamed down Valeria's face as she saw the others rallying to her rather than leaving her to face the conflict alone. Zel turned around and smiled at all of them, infectiously, the others began to smile as they looked at Valeria. She thanked them all and grabbed Zel wanting to return to dancing. This continued long into the night as the people began to trick out and headed home.

Eventually, the ball finally ended and everyone began to walk home. Zel and Val took a long stroll home, drained and exhausted, they made their way to Val's home. This walk, however, was completely different from the initial one, both were much happier with no sign of nervousness anymore. At the steps of Valeria's front door they took one last look up at the sky, this time the full bright moon demanded the spotlight with a bright star in front of it with several others surrounding it. The two said their goodbyes and Zel returned to his hotel for the night before he made the journey back to the guild at dawn.