Social Experiment (Invite Only)

Aayla slowly stirred from her sleep, drawing the blankets closer to her face as she move, blocking out the sun that was creeping in from behind closed curtains. She gave a soft grumble at the light as she curled into the comfort of her pillow. It had been so long since she had slept in a real bed, with a real blanket, a real pillow and a private space of her own. She slowly opened up her eyes, taking one gentle breath after another as she looked around the very plain room. There was nothing but a single dresser and the double bed she was currently sleeping on. Apparently this was a room available to members of the guild who desired to stay close to the guild, and not rent out an apartment of their own on the ground.

Slowly, she pushed herself up to a seating position, then pushed herself out of bed, stretching her arms wide above her head and wincing as she heard the light cracks and pops. For all the rest she had gotten... she was still sore. Her feet were still cut up, even though they were covered in little scabs. Otherwise, she had been cleaned up very well, leaving only light marks and the old scars that were already littering her body. She looked down at her attire and sighed lightly. She did like this dress, even though she stole it. It fit her well, let her move with ease and wasn't in the way. Now it was cut up and looked as though she might of taken it out of a trash bin. She sighed and reached up to rent her right hand on the necklace around her neck.

"Mom...Dad... I made it out of there... I hope Sabertooth really is what you said it was dad...I want to be safe here...I want to get stronger... like you..."
She whispered softly, almost as if she was praying to the jewel. Finally she shook her head and took a deep breath.

"If I'm going to be a Sabertooth Wizard... I have to get stronger! but first I think I need clothes... and... I have no money..."
Another groan escaped her lips as determination started to set into her mind. This was it! She was going to have to take an easy job and make money for new clothes! Her dad mentionned they had a board with plenty of jobs!

"Right... Come on Zinny."
She stated as she went over to the dresser and peered into one of the open drawers. There lay a pale blue snake, resting in a cup of salty water she had set up for her the night before. Zenny was the small snake...ish thing she had made friends with at the beach. She had some strange features on her that gave her the impression she was a bit more than a snake, but she would figure that out another time. She reached in and picked the snake up gently out of the drawer and let the creature slither her way around her arm, it's small head resting on Aayla's shoulder.

With that, she took one more deep breath to fuel her sudden found confidence and walked out of the room. REady to head straight to the job board and pick up something that would help her make money.

However, as she approached the main hall her confidence started to slide away, her stride slowing down as she began to bite her lower lip nervously. Maybe she could make it to the job board without being seen...

Locked in a starring contest with the job board, Eli was determined to win this. So far his jobs had good pretty well for him, as well as his team, but that didn't stop him feeling bored. The jobs he had taken were simple, if not downright easy. While easy money was the best money, it didn't settle his urge for excitement. Eli wasn't exactly a daredevil, he still enjoyed the thrill of a challenge. He loved being able to outwit and downright shut down completely an opponent, and he hadn't gotten that feeling at all lately. He hoped to find something that would bring back that feeling, but it wasn't exactly an easy task. Being new to the guild, he had almost no weight or respect behind him, which made getting a good job night impossible.

Sighing in defeat, Eli moved beside the board and leaned against it, Starring up at the ceiling, he wondered what exactly had brought him to this situation. Sitting in a guildhall, looking for the next mission to get a cat out of a tree. Still, the part that bothered him most was how complacent he was with it all. So far, he hadn't found anything he could do that would get him justifiably kicked from the guild, and he was actually having a decent time here, albeit a few outliers. Having spent so long being completely against the ideas of a guild, he couldn't stand finding himself not hating it. He had to figure out something soon, before he completely dropped the idea of getting kicked. He wouldn't let himself accept his fate.

Leaning his head back down, he noticed someone else had joined him in the hall. It wasn't someone he was completely familiar with, but he knew he had seen her somewhere. Probably around the guildhall at some point of something. He smiled at her, starting to walk towards her. Eli scanned her up and down, trying to classify what he could about her. Something just rang familiar to him; maybe it was the look in the eyes, but she seemed to remind himself of when he was younger. Stopping just before her, he gave her a warm smile, trying to seem as friendly and open as possible. "Hey there, I don't believe we've been formally introduced yet, have we? I'm Eli, it's nice to meet you....?" As he waited for her to give him her name, if she even did, he noticed the snake on her shoulder. Hiding away his signs of annoyance, he wasn't fond of it already. He did not like animals at all,and hoped that he wouldn't have to interact with it. He could tolerate them though, especially when children were involved.

Not only was she not alone in the main hall (was it possible for it to ever be empty?) but there was an older man standin by the job bored. He had the most bored expression on her face it made her curious as to what kind of jobs were on there... if they were all nice, boring jobs, maybe she would be able to bring in some money after-all.

Before she could have it to the board however, the other man lowered his head and looked directly at her, gingerly making his way ovr and introducing himself. There was something familiar about him... There was no way he had been one of the dark wizards from back then, so she must have seen him at the beach. That was really the only explanation as she hadn't payed any attention to anyone who had been in the guild hall when she first arrived. Her face flushed red as she stopped walking when the who met, her back leg shifting nervously.

"H...hello Mr. Eli... I...I'm Aayla... I'm new to Sabertooth..."
She said softly, the snake on her shoulder sticking out it's tongue as it just continued to move up her shoulder slowly and making her way behind the girls neck, no doubt going to the other side of her body.

"I... I think I saw you... uhm at the beach..."
She added lowly, hoping she wasn't wrong or stepping out of line by speaking too much.

Eli could already tell the girl was nervous before she even spoke. Her demeanor and expression betrayed it all. He knelt down slightly, matching her at eye level, trying to seem more approachable. He gave her a warm smile as he listened to her speak, nodding slightly. She reminded him of Brielle slightly; though less formal and more timid. When she finished he let out a light chuckle, shaking his head dismissively. "Just call me Eli, I'm not old enough to be a Mr. yet." He spoke calmly and slowly, trying to make sure not to scare her. He watched the snake move around on her shoulder and tried to hide his displeasure, focusing on making her feel relaxed.

"Ah, the beach, that's right. I think I might have saw you when you arrived." Thinking of the guild event just added to the displeasure he already felt. That wasn't exactly his favorite time in the guild. Regardless, that had nothing to do with Aayla, so letting it bother him now would be unfair to her. "Anyways, it's truly a pleasure to meet you Aayla. I hope we can grow to be good friends." He slowly extended a hand towards her, trying not to spook her. Being slow and gentle was key when it came to someone like her, at least he had found.

He still had to try and find a job, but for the time being he decided that could wait. This would prove to be more entertaining anyways. He could probably make Emilia find one. He wondered what exactly Aayla was doing right now? She was fairly young and was wandering around by herself. He wondered if her history was similar to his at all. Regardless, this was not the time for such deep questioning. "So, what are you up to right now besides just wandering around?"

She looked at the offered hand and looked at it rather curiously. At first, she didn't get what he was doing, racking her brain, sorting through memories to tr and find out about the simple gesture. Finally, i hit her and she gently took this new persons hand.

"I'd uhm... really... really like it if we could... be friends I mean..."
She said shyly as her face suddenly turned 3 shades of darker red. She really did want to make new friends here, and hoped that she could become friends with everyone. However she knew how unrealistic that goal was, it's not like she could be friends with every last member of Sabertooth.

When Eli asked her what she was doing, she sighed and looked back towards the request board, a light pout showing up on her lips.

"I wanted to... to take on more jobs... but... I'm... I'm not strong enough to... to take on most of these..."
She said lowly, pretty ashamed of herself for not taking any time in her painful past to really learn anything more than the skills she already knew how to sharpen.

He shook Aayla's hand just as gently as she took his, trying not to spook or scare her. With a soft smile he looked towards the board with her; it made sense that she was here for that, she was a guild wizard after all. Letting go of her hand, he stood up and looked down at her, positioning himself beside her. "If you're here to see the board, let's look together, shall we?"

He took the lead, slowly walking towards the board he had just visited. There was something about this girl that he just couldn't place, and it bothered him. For some reason, looking at her brought back memories he wasn't exactly fond of. He could almost feel the aching where his arm used to be. What was it about this girl that reminded him of her. Stopping before the board, he turned and looked at her, trying to place these feelings. Was it her attitude? It did remind him slightly of before he met Emilia, but it didn't feel like that alone. It clicked with him when he noticed the scars; those markings of something terrible along her body. Maybe the two did share a similar past after all.

Still, that was no reason to dread on it. A connection it might be, but it was better to look forward than back. Turning to the board, he scanned it over with her again, trying to find something to fit his plan. "I'm more than willing to be friends with a beautiful young lady, it's an honor even to be considered one." Finding a job he thought looked easy enough, he pulled it off the board and turned to Aayla, kneeling down to show it to her. "Here's one. You'd have to go save a man's daughter who was kidnapped by some Vulcans. I'll have you know, I'm almost an expert now in dealing with Vulcans, so if you need some help, you've got a friend more than willing to lend you a hand." He didn't feel that was a lie at this point; Almost every job he had done up to this point had involved Vulcans somehow.

Aayla's face stayed a steady shade of red as Eli spoke. she was thrilled at the prospect of making another friend within the guild. When Eli complimented her however, she just stood still, fixed in place wthout knowing what to say to the elder man as he moved the board, looking at the jobs and finally picking one. It seemed her next job, she would be taking on as part of a team. She wondered how this job would go? The only other person she had gone on a 'job' with was Zenshin, and that didn't really involve much more than travel, and standing in line. This one however...

You'd have to go save a man's daughter who was kidnapped by some Vulcans.


Aayla's eyes narrowed on the sheet of paper, all the blush from her face fading as she reached out and took the job flyer. Indeed, there was listed a man's cry for help in saving his daughter. Sure she wasn't taken by dark wizard, but still, this particular job struck a certain sensitive ord in her. She took a light breath to steady her thoughts as she nodded gently. She had promised herself to never let anything like what she had been through happen to anyone else... and if this Vulcan thought he could be that exception, she would prove to him just how wrong he was.

"I think this is a good job... but, I don't think I can do it alone..."
She said, looking up to him and replacing her serious tone to a more friendly, and regular one.

"You'll really help me?"

Eli couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction to the compliment. It was like someone temporarily replaced her head with a tomato. She already seemed fairly entertaining, a good sign. She was a bit quiet, sure, and nervous, but that wasn't a bad thing. Sometimes people just needed someone to break through their shell. That was a favor he could easily do for her.

The sudden change in her personality was definitely not something he had anticipated, nor was it something he enjoyed seeing. Something clearly struck a cord with that job, and if he had to take a guess judging from the scars, she identified with that girl. Hopefully this would be good for her then, a sense of closure if she hadn't already had it. Maybe he could try and help her as he had been helped; he could at least try to do for him what Emilia had done for him. With a warm smile, he placed his left hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "Of course I will. What kind of man would I be if I let a precious little woman like yourself take on all the hard work by herself? It's a friend's job to help another friend." Taking his hand back, he rolled up the flier and put it in his pocket. He was already looking for a job today anyways, so everything just seemed to be lining up perfect for him.

Standing up, he stretched out slightly. Part of him thought that going to get Emilia would be a good idea, but he couldn't personally be bothered to go get her. Besides, with a girl like this, being slow with introducing more people might be the best idea. "So, when do you want to go and head out? I'm ready whenever you are."

"As soon as possible... uhm... if that's ok... I promised Hydrianna I would be back by tonight."
She said with a light smile. His compliment once more making her face turn red, however it was no where near as bad as it had been earlier. a compliment here and there she could take, but she had quickly started to be overwhelmed by the situation of meeting a new friend and receiving compliments.

When Aayla realized she had mentioned her dragon mentor, she gently bit her lower lip, hoping either Eli wouldn't ask about it, or not know who in the world she was talking about. She fully intended on keeping her new found skills a secret until she absolutely had to show people. She knew she was safe in the guild, and with Hydrianna... but when she went out on missions, she always felt as if she was being watched, or followed in one way or another... and she had a feeling it was Tartaros...

With a deep breath and a smile she glanced at Zinnath who had perched around her neck, then at Eli before making her way to the main entrance with a little bounce in her step. She wanted to do this mission... she was going to save this girl and she was oing to put that stupid monkey in it's place. That's what she was training so hard for anyways, wasn't it?

"Come on, let's go"
She smiled brightly, ready to depart on this next adventure.