Another morning

First topic message reminder :

North of town, in a small, cozy room at the bottom floor of the Grassveil Guild, a Skitty was curled up in her bed...  Though she wasn't asleep at the moment.  The Skitty had woken up a little early, so she had decided to spend a while studying...  She knew better than anyone that she had a lot to learn if she was going to continue working at the guild.  The day outside was overcast, perhaps promising rain later on, but the coming of morning cast the gardens behind the guild in a soft blue light and just enough leaked through her window to read by.  At the moment she was browsing through a book about first-aid.  Among the books her father had picked out for her, this seemed like one that she should prioritize...

But now the sounds of other Pokémon outside her door had grown louder, and it seemed that the rest of the guild was starting to wake up and go about their morning routines.  Now seemed like a good time to see if her new teammate was ready for the day.  With a smile, the Skitty closed her book and climbed out from the shallow basket full of blankets and pillows that served as her bed, taking a long moment to stretch her body before she trotted towards her bag and scarf hanging on the wall next to the door.  She put them both on, ensuring that her badge was visible on the blue scarf around her neck, then pushed her way out the door and into the hallway.

She came to a stop at the room right next to hers...  The door was still shut.  She briefly wished that her teammate hadn't asked to have her own room.  She didn't want to accidentally awaken her if she was still sleeping, but it didn't seem like there were many options.  "Um...  Excuse me, Yooka, are you there?" she called while softly scratching at the door with her claws.  She wished she could just knock, but her body didn't lend itself well to that...  Hopefully this would be enough to get her friend's attention.

Faye's massive wooden desk was cluttered with various books of different sizes, their pages covered in difficult text and the occasional strange symbol. The Meganium herself wasn't too far off, right behind them with her eyes on the tomes of various origins, reading. Cross-referencing, it seemed, her vines turning the pages of multiple books at once. In one of her vines was a small cup of tea, the liquid inside still steaming as she occasionally took a sip from it. On the far back wall with the shelves full of books and potted plants was a pot full of more tea that she was most likely going to need.

And on the corner of her desk, there was a tiny pot with yellow marigolds with some petals missing and not as full as they might have been at some point.

The gentle creak of the door opening caused the Guildmaster to look up – and then back down towards the floor in the direction of the door, where a familiar, creamy face greeted her. With a smile, Faye placed down her cup of tea and started to close the various books after placing bookmarks where she had been, stacking them up into a neat tower so she could free up most of her desk.
"Oh, hello there, Darcy," she greeted the Skitty with a soft voice,
"Is there something I may help you with?"

Alki climbed off of the Skitty, falling from her back ungracefully, thankfully it wasn't a huge fall. She needed to talk to the Guild-Master, right? She couldn't let Darcy do all her work for her... If she needed help, it would be pretty clear. "I-I C-can talk to Faye! I'm not just a b-ball of nerves. She whispered, looking up at the Skitty. She wanted to prove to her new friend that she could be useful, that she could talk to the Meganium as well. "I wanna be useful too...

The Meganium had addressed only the Skitty. So she probably hadn't seen Alki yet. Darcy had said she was nice... Hopefully that was true. What if she didn't like Alki? She took a deep breath, and began to talk.

"H-Hi, I'm Alki." She said squeakily, as she stepped out from behind the door. Her eyes widened, but she took a few deep breaths, and managed to control her shaking. She didn't want to appear cowardly. What if she told Alki no? Her face began to color itself a light shade of red. This Meganium is just as tall as the other one...

"Erm, I-I was wondering... That is, I'm Darcy's f-friend? Y-Yeah... Her friend, and uh... I was... No, we were wondering if... Ah... I could, maybe join her team, F-Faye?" She began, stumbling through her words, looking up at the Meganium while pressing her hands together. The office was rather nice. Lots of books that Alki probably wouldn't be able to read, even if she tried. And a big desk. From the looks of things, the Meganium seemed to have been busy with... Stuff.

She stopped observing the room around her. Her eyes widened as she realized a mistake she'd made. No, wait... I'm not supposed to know her name. "Err... M-Ma'am. Not Faye... Y-You haven't introduced yourself to me. But... You see... N-nevermind. Anyways. Err, D-Darcy said I could. S-so... Uh...

What was she supposed to say? There had to be more. What if the Guild master began to ask her questions? She glanced at Darcy, afraid. It had been a mistake, trying to speak by herself. Now she needed her friends help. She waited, hoping that the Skitty would step in to help her, because she sure didn't know what to say next. All she managed to prove was that she did need her help...

Darcy smiled in return as she caught sight of Faye.  She felt bad for interrupting the Guildmaster's work, as she always did during these meetings, but she still couldn't stop her puffy tail from wagging back and forth at the thought of spending some time together.  Faye was intelligent, and had a wealth of interesting experiences and stories to share, and she was kind, too...  The little pot of marigolds resting on her desk warmly reminded Darcy of that.  If there was anyone she could trust to take care of Alki, it would be Faye.

Darcy opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and turned to face Alki as the Igglybuff tumbled to the ground and resolved to introduce herself.  The Skitty was honestly a little surprised, but she gave Alki an encouraging nod and pushed the door open wider to let her through.

...She still seemed awfully nervous though, Darcy thought as she closed the door behind them.  She trotted over to Alki's side and settled onto her haunches just as the Igglybuff fell silent.  "That's right!  Do you know Melanie?  This is her sister," Darcy said while resting her still-ruffled tail against Alki's back.  "She, um...  Doesn't have anywhere else to stay right now, so I thought this might be a good idea.  I know I've invited a lot of Pokémon into the guild, but...  Um, would it be alright for her to join my team?" Darcy said while nervously smiling up at Faye and kneading the floor with her paws.  She didn't think the guild was full, or that there were any special requirements for joining...  But still, she didn't want to impose on Faye if there was any other choice...

It wasn't the Skitty's voice that replied. Instead, a faint little squeak answered from where the Skitty was, soon jumping into view… A little Igglybuff. This wasn't the first time Darcy had brought another Pokémon into the Meganium's quarters, so she had a pretty good hunch as to what was going on. She didn't interrupt the little Pokémon, her gaze gentle as it settled on the Igglybuff while she listened. The poor thing seemed to be so nervous as she spoke, but she stated her business clear enough. Of course, she wanted to join Darcy's team – Faye had kind of guessed that already.

Darcy was quick to come to the Ighlybuff's help, when it seemed like Alki was starting to get a bit too nervous to continue. Mentioning Melanie made the Guildmaster's expression to turn pondering before her eyes lit up with realization.
"Ah, of course, yes," she nodded. Yes, the Jigglypuff was in the Guild, and this little one was her sister. It made sense. But there were more introductions to be done.
"I am indeed Faye, sweetie," Faye smiled as she looked back at Alki, not at all bothered by them going by their names already. While she sometimes played games and masked her real identity, a new potential Guild member brought in by an older member would always know her. It just kind of tended to happen that way!

"Yes, it is fine for Alki to join – if you're ready for that? While we don't tend to have many non-Guild members staying overnight, I am always fine with exceptions if it means helping out a Pokémon in need," she clarified in case the Igglybuff was only joining because she had nowhere else to go. She didn't want that to happen, of course, forcing someone to join even if they didn't want to.
"Would you two like to take a seat?" The Meganium offered, nodding towards the little chairs in front of her desk. Of course, to her, they were little, but… The Skitty and the Igglybuff were rather small Pokémon themselves.

Alki sat down in the chair, her feet dangling over the edge. Why was everyone taller than her? Everyone that Alki had talked to that day was taller than her. But more than that, the Meganium was really nice, just the way she talked and acted and something about her made Alki feel a bit more comfortable than usual. But she'd mentioned her sister. Alki didn't want to talk about her sister. "Y-Yeah, I-I have a sister here, b-but I don't... d-don't really like her." She mumbled, feeling almost bad for saying that in front of the Meganium. As if she'd done something wrong. "B-But, I do think t-that I'm ready to join D-Darcy's team." She said, quickly changing the subject. Why did she feel guilty? She had no reason to...

"I-If you're ok with that, Darcy." She turned to look at the Skitty, wanting to get her permission one more time. This was a lot of talking, and she didn't much feel like continuing to talk and talk and talk. She'd made a... not bad impression to the guild master. Alki thought she'd be much more strict or... something. She definitely didn't expect the Meganium to be this nice, and Alki didn't want to ruin it.

She still felt like there was something missing though... if she was going to be let into the guild, didn't she have to explain why she wanted to join? That might be important. Maybe Faye was waiting for that? She didn't want to miss something important. What if she was rejected? She sighed, and began to speak, stuttering slowly at first, but gaining speed. It was necessary, but she wanted to get it over with. "Y-You're probably going to ask why I wanna join, right? I-I've never been here before, at a place like this guild, but, w-well, I guess I can learn. D-Darcy's my only... s-she's a good friend for me and I wanna join the guild so I can be with her more, b-but besides that, I-I wanna do something useful and nice and cool and I heard the Guild was nice for that. I don't think I-I'm too useful or smart or strong, b-but I-I don't know... I wanna do something! She stopped to catch her breath. That wasn't a pleasant experience. Why was she acting so stupidly? That was stupid... I-I just wanna join..." By the time Alki ended, her eyes were wide and she was shaking ever-so-slightly. Those were a lot of words... She hoped that she wouldn't have to speak anymore. Darcy could do whatever was next. Hopefully. Alki didn't exactly know what came next. She shut her mouth tightly, and waited for her friend to say something. With any luck, Alki had done it right. She didn't want to annoy the guild-master...

It took some effort, but Darcy pushed the empty chair a few inches closer to Alki's and then hopped up onto it.  While the chairs must have seemed tiny to Faye, they were a little too large for a Skitty, and even more so for an Igglybuff...  But at least they brought her eye level a little closer to the Guildmaster.

It was a relief to hear that Faye would let Alki stay whether she joined the guild or not.  There would be no need to keep her hidden or anything like that if she couldn't be a member...  Darcy relaxed a little more as she curled up against the back of her chair.  She half-expected Alki to take Faye up on her offer, but the Igglybuff reaffirmed that she wanted to join the guild and asked Darcy for permission one last time.  The Skitty smiled and nodded in return.  Of course she was okay with having a new member.  Having nice Pokémon around always made things more enjoyable.

And...  Knowing that Alki had never had any friends until now still tugged at the Skitty's heartstrings.  She wanted to help her make up for lost time, if she could...  She was glad that they would be on the same team.

Unless...  Unless Faye was suggesting that Alki didn't look ready to join the guild..?  Darcy knew firsthand that working at the guild could be trying, but Alki was no less qualified than she herself had been!  It wouldn't sit right with her at all if Alki wasn't given the same chance.  As the Igglybuff finished speaking, Darcy walked to the edge of her chair and stared up at Faye with an almost pleading expression on her face...

"When I joined the guild, I was starting from zero, too.  And, um...  I know I'm still not a shining example of what the guild can do...  But I've learned so many things since then.  I really have," she said.  "I'm sure Alki will be the same way.  Don't you think so, Faye?"

Faye tilted her head slightly when the Igglybuff mentioned not liking her sister. Family relations could be a rather difficult subject, one that they really shouldn't be talking about when the topic was signing up for a team in the Guild… So she stayed quiet, even though it did stay in her mind. Perhaps it would have been an obvious choice to join the team of a family member, but the Meganium could understand that not everyone would want to do something like that – even if they adored their siblings.

And though the chance of having a place to sleep in without joining the Guild was offered, Alki turned it down. It seemed like she had made her mind already, wanting to join the Guild because, well, she wanted to. It wasn't something forced on the Igglybuff at all. That was all Faye needed, and when Darcy brought up that everyone would learn to be an explorer, she nodded in agreement.
"That's right, sweeties. This really is something you grow up to be – no one is born an explorer. Experience is only gained through actions, and everyone you might look up to right here at the Guild was at one point a newcomer with no real experience," the Guildmaster spoke with a soft voice, her eyes gentle as they looked from one Pokémon to another.

"All that matters is if you are willing to try," she continued as she started to turn around towards the back shelf, her vines reaching for the book that surely was quite familiar to Darcy by now. It was the very same large tome that had been opened multiple times in front of her very eyes as different members of her team had signed up – the Skitty included.
"Now, all I am going to have to do is to write your name here and give you some supplies to get you started, dearie, and then I'm sure Darcy will be showing you around?" The book was placed on the desk and Faye got right into looking through the pages to find the correct team.

Alki's mouth curved into a small smile. They'd finally be able to stop talking! She wouldn't have to talk anymore... although Darcy was right.  She did like the large Pokemon in front of her. She wasn't too talkative. She didn't really ask Alki many things that she found uncomfortable. Of course, she wasn't comfortable talking with her, but then again, she wasn't comfortable talking with anyone.

And both Darcy's and Faye's words were rather encouraging. She was willing to try. Definitely! If only because she wanted to impress Darcy... but still! Darcy was really nice to her, and she wanted to pay her back. If Darcy thought that Alki could learn, then Alki would try her best to prove her right. Alki nodded. "I-I'm willing, r-really!" She said, still smiling. And it didn't feel forced, she was actually happy! Of course, there were still plenty of things to worry about. Her sister, the tasks that she'd have to do as a team-member. Yooka had said she'd have to do stuff, and the amount of Pokemon that were in the guild... hopefully they'd start out slowly. But on the bright side, she could count on Darcy to help her. The Skitty was really nice... and she'd been so helpful! So much more than anyone else she'd ever met.

"O-Ok..." She mumbled, noticing the large book in front of her. She wasn't a good reader, or writer. She could never spell anything right, and her letters and words always came out messily. She couldn't read very well, it had taken her far too long to read the note Yooka had left her the night before. Such a large book like this one would take her ages to read. She eyed it nervously. "S-Supplies? Like what?" She asked, trying to distract herself from the imposing sight of such a large book. Darcy did have a scarf, and a badge, although Alki hadn't payed either of them much mind. Would she get her own scarf? It would help keep her warm, at least. And a badge! A badge would be nice. "A-And... e-erm, I kinda... well, Darcy already showed me around part of the guild... I-I kinda... erm... I-I j-just wanted to sleep..." She said, shooting a sideways glance at Darcy. That would still be ok? After that fight, she really wanted to just rest for a bit... her head still hurt, come to think of it.   "W-W-What's it I have to do at the guild, ma'am?" She asked, looking up at the Meganium. She wanted to know what she had to do each day. That'd certainly be important, wouldn't it? She wanted to complete her work, she didn't want to be seen as lazy... she wasn't lazy!

At the Guildmaster's soft voice and gentle gaze, Darcy smiled and sat back down.  It seemed there was no need to worry about Alki being rejected.  It was difficult to imagine that any of the senior guildmembers had ever been as unskilled as herself, but Darcy supposed it really was true, that the only way to become a better explorer was to practice...  You could read about Mystery Dungeons as much as you wanted, but actually venturing into one was never quite that simple.  Even the local ones like Pecha Forest felt like a real adventure every time she went inside.

She stole a glance at Alki while Faye retrieved a familiar, very heavy looking book and placed it on the desk.  The Igglybuff seemed...  Happy, perhaps for the first since they had met. The sight made Darcy feel warm inside, like she'd just finished a cup of hot tea on a rainy day.  She could never have gotten by as a guildmember without her family and friends, so it felt good to fill that role for someone who needed it so badly...

Alki spoke up, and Darcy nodded and looked up at the Guildmaster once again.  "It should be okay for Alki to start tomorrow, right, Faye?  She just got here last night, and she was up early, and we, um...  We had a run-in with her sister right before coming here," she said while absentmindedly rubbing one of her cheeks with a paw.  Her face still stung a little...  But as she thought about how to help Alki settle in, she couldn't help but keep smiling.  "Maybe it would be good, though!  I'd have lots of time to pick out a mission for tomorrow, and to make sure we're ready and that we have all of the supplies we need," she said, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth like it always did when she was excited.  Alki's first mission...  It would be a big day for her.  Darcy wanted to make sure it went well!

Faye smiled as she reached for the quill pen resting in its little stand, her vine wrapping around the fluffy white feather. A small bottle of ink was retrieved from one of the desk drawers and then placed next to the book, the quill's tip dipped into it. If one looked upon the book, they could see the page the Guildmaster had stopped to was the team Darcy was in: Team Friendship Alliance. The pen was brought down to its surface, and without further ado, Faye allowed the tip to gently scratch along the paper and draw a neat line that turned into letters and from letters into a name. That of Alki's, in fact.

"Oh, just something little to get you started. Let me get right onto that," the Meganium looked up when the Igglybuff asked about the supplies she had mentioned, returning the quill to its holder and turning around to walk to the closet in the corner. She wasted no time as she opened it and started to gather the necessary items to be given to Alki, grabbing the map and badge from the shelves and putting everything inside a Guild-issued bag. Next came the slightly more difficult part, causing the Guildmaster to stop to consider for a moment as her eyes settled on the basket full of various colorful ribbons. She eventually settled on a blue one that she placed in the bag before closing it.

"Ah, that is good," Faye replied when Alki brought up that Darcy had already shown her around – fast acting, from the Skitty! That indeed was a good thing, letting the newcomers to take a look at things before they actually come in to her quarters and sign up for a team.
"Thank you, Darcy. That was very helpful," she continued with a soft laugh, turning around and closing the closet door behind her. She walked closer to the pair before offering the small bag in the Igglybuff's direction.

"Of course. Rest is very important, so there is no need to rush. I trust that your team will handle things as it best sees fit," Faye spoke as her eyes shifted from one Pokémon to another, her lips curled into a content and gentle smile. Obviously, no one had to rush out on a mission right on the very moment they had signed up – and usually she suggested otherwise, as well. But, well, some Pokémon just couldn't contain their excitement…
"You are a member of Grassveil Guild now, sweetie," the Guildmaster's gaze settled on the Igglybuff,
"And this will be your bag. Within it you will find a Guild badge and a map of the known world – and a little special surprise from me I hope you will like. There is nothing you have to do, so don't worry. As explorers, you will be taking your own missions, so you have a lot of say in what you want to do."

"A-Alright, I understand. T-thank you... Ma'am... err... F-Faye." Alki said, focusing on the bag. It was much better than the motley thing she'd gotten from her old home. This was much better! Alki smiled as she took the bag. She'd gotten a badge, like Darcy's, and a map, and a surprise! She hadn't gotten many surprises before, and now she was curious to know what was in it! As she observed the contents of the bag, she noticed a small, blue object at the very top. It was a bow!

Alki took it out and looked at Darcy, wide-eyed. She'd never gotten a bow like that, let alone one that nice! She held it up to show it to Darcy, her smile even wider than before. She was glad she'd come that day to sign up. It hadn't been nearly as bad as she'd expected it'd be. She'd gotten such a nice bow! It was such a nice, soft shade of blue too. "H-Hey, Darcy!" She said, still smiling as she showed her Skitty the bow.

So, Alki was an explorer now. Faye had said so! And she owed it to Yooka and Darcy. Just a couple days ago she was alone and had no idea where she was going to go or what she was going to do. But now she was an explorer! And it wasn't quite what she had in mind when she came into town, but it was something. And she'd even made a couple new friends, and that was a couple more than she was used to having. Things were getting better for her, and hopefully, things could continue to go up. She was a bit more safe from her sister now too.

"T-Thank you, a ton, D-Darcy, and Faye... I-I really appreciate it." She mumbled, smiling as she looked down at her bag. It really was nice. She'd never had a map before... she would study it! "I-I won't l-let you two down..." She said as she slid off of the chair, bouncing a little as she hit the ground. [color=#ffccff] "T-Thank you, Faye!" She said, before turning to look at Darcy. "B-But... c-can we go back to our room now? I-I'm a bit tired..." She said, as she put the bow back into her bag.

Darcy smiled as Faye approached the closet and began putting together Alki's supplies.  This was one of the Skitty's favorite parts of helping other Pokémon sign up...  Getting to see their faces as they officially became guildmembers, and as they received their present from Faye!  Darcy walked to the edge of her chair and watched over Alki's shoulder as the Igglybuff peeked into her new bag.  She looked so enchanted just by the bag itself that Darcy couldn't wait to see what she would think of the ribbon...

And her reaction didn't disappoint.  Alki held her ribbon up for Darcy to see, and she couldn't help but mirror the Igglybuff's smile.  Faye had chosen a beautiful, soft shade of blue this time, not unlike the ribbon she had given Darcy way back when...  The memory made her smile even wider as she nodded her head.  "It's pretty!  I like it a lot," she said with a small laugh, following Alki to the ground after the Igglybuff packed everything away.  "Yeah.  We can go back now.  Yooka wanted you to stay in my room from now on, right?  I'll take you there and help you get settled in."

...But there was one more thing she had to do before leaving.  Once she was on the floor, the Skitty sat down and gazed up at Faye.  As always, it was hard to express just how much she owed to the Guildmaster, first taking her under her wing and now doing the same for Alki...  But Darcy resolved to do her best as she bowed her head respectfully.  "Thank you very much, Faye.  You're a good Pokémon.  I don't know how many Guildmasters lived here before you, but...  Um..."  She trailed off, kneading the ground with her paws for a moment, but then she gazed back up at Faye with a shy smile..  "...But I think you must be the best one this guild has ever had.   We'll make you proud."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Faye chuckled gently as Alki thanked her before getting right to opening her bag and seeing what was inside. While most of it was official and something everyone got, it was the ribbon that was a little personalized touch to everyone. And luckily, it seemed like the little Pokémon enjoyed the one the Guildmaster had picked, her smile just growing wider as she looked how excited Alki got showing it off.

Alki and Darcy were already ready to start heading back to their room, and as the ink on the pages had already dried, the Meganium closed the book and returned it to the shelf. While it was always easy for a new member to sign up – really, that was a part of the idea, to make it as easy as possible – it took her a bit more paperwork to get everything done as they should. But there was a bit more before the two left.
"Ah," Faye let out a small sound as she had already turned around and was ready to get to other things, but Darcy thanking her and complimenting her so much made her look over her shoulder.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips, turning into a melodic, gentle laugh. She shook her head slightly.
"Oh, don't try to make me blush, dearie… But thank you," the Meganium smiled, amused, and… Well, alright, it wasn't something she heard every day, so it had been quite unexpected. She couldn't say it made her unhappy, however.
"You two better go along now, before you tire your newest team member."



((That was probably it for me for this thread! Feel free to like leave and not wait for me if you don't have anything else to ask Faye.))

Alki put the bow away with a large smile on her face. Darcy liked it too! If Alki liked it, and, more importantly, if Darcy liked it, it must be the best bow in the world! She'd keep it forever! Darcy said that they could indeed go back now, and Alki nodded, still not taking her eyes away from the bow. After a moment's hesitation, she picked it up and tried it on, placing the bow lopsidedly on her head. She grinned happily, she'd never had a bow before!

She began to bounce towards the door, but noticed that Darcy wasn't beside her. She didn't want to go out into the hallways alone, and she was also curious to see what the Skitty was doing. She seemed to be talking to the Guild-Master, so Alki bounced back and sat down next to Darcy, leaning on her tiredly. She listened to what the Skitty had to say, and she found herself nodding in agreement. Faye was a good Pokemon. And Alki really appreciated how nice it was. She smiled at the Meganium. "T-That's right! I-I mean, D-Darcy's right. You really are nice! T-Thank you, Ma'am... and... l-like Darcy said, we'll make you proud. And... err... um... y-yeah..." She said quietly, looking at the desk instead of the Meganium. She was unsure if the Meganium had even heard her, but... Darcy sounded so sincere! If making Faye proud was important to Darcy, it was important to Alki, and after all, she owed the guild-master!  


Alki bounced away quickly, out of the room. The meeting had gone on nicely, much nicer than Alki could've hoped for. She sat down against a nearby wall and waited for her friend to come back. She didn't want to get lost in a guild filled with so many Pokemon, and she didn't know the way back to Darcy's... and now Alki's room from there. She was tired, the fight from earlier had really taken a lot out of her, both emotionally and physically, and while she was happy that they'd won, she didn't feel happy about the blow to her head she'd received, or the feeling she'd gotten after they'd won. She should've been happy! Beyond happy, to be safe from her sister and her family. But something felt off, and Alki felt almost guilty for some reason. Hopefully she'd feel better in the morning. "D-Darcy, I don't know the way back to our room..." She called out from the hallway. Her voice sounded soft and tiny, and she could hear other Pokemon nearby. "P-Please h-help, I don't wanna get lost..." She said, still holding her bag in one hand, and keeping an eye out in case any other Pokemon approached. But thankfully, none did. She popped back into the room, a bit paler than when she left. She didn't want to be alone in a place so full of Pokemon. She'd be better off waiting inside Faye's office.

Darcy's compliment was met by soft laughter, and the Skitty flushed and wore a careful smile in response.  It could be difficult to tell when Faye was joking and when she wasn't, so Darcy hoped she wasn't just making a fool of herself...  But she had spoken the truth.  She really couldn't imagine a better Guildmaster.  And no matter what Faye thought, Darcy had a hard time being unhappy when she saw the Meganium laugh like that...

Faye mentioned her new teammate, and Darcy turned around just in time to spot the Igglybuff bouncing outside, her ribbon worn clumsily on her head...  No sooner had she left the room than she was calling for help.  "Yeah.  You're right," Darcy said with a giggle.  "Thanks again, Faye.  I, um...  I really do look up to you.  I mean that.  We'll do our best," she finished, her voice firm as she gave the Guildmaster a nod and cheerfully trotted towards the door...  And towards Alki, who had just bounced back inside, looking a little shaken.

"Do you remember where Yooka's room is?  Mine is just to its left," Darcy said, wearing a gentle smile.  She couldn't wait to show Alki her new room...  She was certain she'd like it!  Her tail wagged as she settled prone on the ground in front of the Igglybuff.  "I can give you one last ride if you need it!  I think you've earned a rest, after everything that's happened today."

((Okay!  Thank you for joining us, Bird.  I don't know if the site's rules allow it or not, but if you'd ever like to do a thread with just Faye and Darcy sometime, give me a shout.  I'd be up for that.  I'd also be glad to roleplay with any of your other characters, if you'd ever like to.  c: ))