Don't Lose This One

The last time he had to visit the guildmaster, it was not a typical one. He had to report the death of a teammate, Linus. He always tried to keep his mind off of it, but he never could shake the guilt of it. Linus was specifically assigned to him for his experience and Acro let both him and the guildmaster down. She was a kind archeops, but he couldn't help but feel as if she hid her immeasurable disappointment from him. Was she even going to let him add another to his team?

He showed Dusk the way to the quarters of Aeliana. He couldn't stop his nerves from tearing away at him. "Th-this is it." Great, his stutter was acting up again. He swallowed as he recomposed himself. The last thing he wanted to do was make Dusk uncomfortable. He gestured towards the door with a wing as he shuffled his feet a little. "Are you ready?" he asked as he decided to give her one last chance to back out...if he wanted to.

The guild was... a lot like the one in Grassveil. Dusk was a bit surprised; maybe it was presumptuous of her to assume it would be significantly different just because it was in Birdland, but she was pleasantly surprised by the familiarity regardless. Maybe the only particular oddity she would have to get used to was sleeping in a nest, and even that would probably be temporary. She had been very nervous coming into this, but now that she was here in the guild, she was feeling much more comfortable.

Acro, however, seemed nervous. Why? What did he know that she didn't? She had heard that the guildmaster was more uptight than Grassveil's, but there was no way it could be that bad, right? "As I'll ever be," she responded, wanting to hurry this along before the archeops had a chance to make her nervous as well. "I can do the talking if you want," she added on in the hopes of easing his mind.

In truth she had no idea what she was going to say beyond "hey let me in," but she was starting to think she was the better talker between Acro and herself. Either way, she would probably have to talk directly to the guildmaster at some point during this, and trying to avoid it definitely wouldn't give off the impression of confidence she was looking to portray.

"Oh-It's alright," he was quick to respond. He couldn't help but feel a little bad that he couldn't keep his own nerves down. It was kind of amusing in a way. He could go head-first into a battle against a massive over-powered steelix, but talking to Aeliana? What is this thing called "Courage?"

"I just-well, it's nothing." He was quick to get the ball rolling, the sooner they got this over with the better. Just like George. Just like Rusty. Just like Astrid. Just like Oya...and just like Linus. The archeops approached the door and gave it a steady knock twice. The archeops stepped back to wait beside the umbreon as he tried to suppress the lump forming in his throat.

There was a brief moment of silence. Acro began to wonder if she was even here for a second before the door suddenly swung open with a squeaky creak. The other archeops stood tall as her eyes noticed Acro first before her gaze drifted down towards the dark little non-flying type next to him. Her seemingly stern gaze seemed to drill holes through the two of them as she spoke with an almost cold and professional tone, "What can I do to help you?"

Dusk waited patiently as she watched Acro knock on the door, and then watched the door itself in anticipation for the moment it would open. It wasn't immediate, but when the door finally did open, her impulse was to speak up despite Acro saying he could do the talking. She was excited!

"H..."

...But as she met eyes with the guildmaster, her excitement turned to an uneasy feeling. The other archeop didn't really... seem too happy? Was she like the other elitist birds? Was she going to berate Dusk for existing, or turn her away for not having big feathery wings? Much of this was just the umbreon projecting her fears onto the figure of authority who essentially controlled her life in this very moment, but still, the bird didn't seem too immediately impressed with her. Regardless, one thing she was sure of was that getting her tongue caught in her throat wasn't going to help. "Hello!" she forced herself to speak, feigning her previous excitement to the point that it almost felt real again. She was not going to let herself mess this up if she could help it.

It took the umbreon a moment to force herself to keep talking, but when she finally did, she stood tall and spoke confidently. "I'm Dusk, and I'm here to join Acro's team here," she explained, doing her absolute best to seem confident but not cocky.

He had not even opened his mouth to speak by the time Dusk piped up. It kind of surprised him a little, but if she wanted to talk then he wasn't going to stop her. Acro looked to the guildmaster as Dusk explained with confidence what exactly they were here for.

Aeliana's attention focused on the cloaked umbreon, as if studying her. The door creaked once more as the archeops opened the door further. She stepped to the side and permitted the two entry with a tone that seemed just as cold as her previous one, "Inside, both of you."

Once they did, she closed the door behind her. Acro was once again faced with the all-too-familiar desk of a guildmaster. Assorted books and shelves surrounded them with a nice and pristine apple right in front of the guildmaster's chair. The feminine voice sounded up from behind them, "Dusk, while I'm normally thrilled to accept new recruit, I must be cautious. It's a dangerous world out there, especially in times like these." Her voice trailed around them as she walked back to her desk in front of them. She hopped up onto her seat as she would continue with her dialogue.

"You are entering a rescue team of a higher rank, one that's bound to face against more dangerous affairs than the average rookie. That's not even mentioning the fact that you're currently in a...less than favorable position here in Aileron. Your safety cannot be guaranteed with conditions like this. Are you sure you have the ability to handle it all?" The ancient bird pokemon focused on Dusk, making it clear who she wanted to hear from.

The umbreon's heart skipped a beat when the guildmaster responded with an unchanging cold demeanor. Was she doing something to displease the archeops already? As she was led into the room, she couldn't help but feel like a child about to be scolded. When the guildmaster started speaking again, that feeling set in deeper; she clearly didn't think Dusk even belonged here... just like pretty much everyone else. Practically everyone she had so much as met eyes with in this town so far seemed to look at her like something that didn't belong, even the ones that weren't outwardly aggressive. Now the guildmaster was doing it too, even if it may have been for different reasons. Sova had done the same thing in Grassveil and tried to control her and push her away because he thought she "wasn't good enough."

She was trying to get away from this kind of judgment, and not just due to the cloak making her unstable and dangerous. The bigger reason it bothered her was because it reminded her of her home... of the bullies who'd tormented her for no apparent reason, just because they could. They thought she was weak and easy to pick on, and she was... Nearly everyone else she had met seemed to think some version of the same thing, and she was getting sick of running away from it. She'd fled from her home and nearly died to escape this feeling of inadequacy, then left Grassveil for the same reason.

She wasn't going to leave Aileron too. Her pretend-confidence faltered, only to be quickly replaced by a more genuine determination to convince the guildmaster here that she could take care of herself. "I didn't come here for something easy or safe. I'm here because I want to help those who can't help themselves," she spoke firmly, and after a moment's hesitation, continued, "...But maybe more than that, I'm also here because of everyone who's ever thought I was weak or "couldn't handle" something. I want to show I'm not as helpless as everyone seems to think... and this way I can help stop others from feeling the same as me."

She had never been one to back down before, and this time was no different. She wanted this. She wanted everything she had just said, and she wanted to do it alongside Acro, someone who wasn't constantly judging her.

Acro kept quiet as Dusk responded to the guildmaster. It would have been disrespectful to both Dusk and the guildmaster if he tried to butt in. The archeops could only watch as the umbreon presented her resolve to the other archeops. Was she trying to warn Dusk of the dangers of being on his team? Was she trying to get Dusk to turn away? He wasn't sure. This seemed a little different from when he entered. Then again, things have been quite grim around the world so it was kind of understandable? Maybe?

The guildmaster, on the other hand, watched the umbreon closely as she spoke. When Dusk finished, Aeliana smiled. Her expression remained to be that strict and confident look, but her tone shifted to a much warmer and welcoming sound, "Well then, it certainly seems like you understand what it means to join an rescue team!" She hopped down from her seat and approached a shelf just off to the side. She picked through it and pulled out a large tome. She brought the book back to her desk and set it on the desk.

"Team Roark is it?" she requested with a look in Acro's direction.

"Y-Yes!" Acro responded quickly

The archeops opened the tome and picked up a quill just off to the side. She began to write down Dusk's name into the book and continued to speak, "Welcome to Aileron Guild, Dusk. You are with Acro of Team Roark. Your badge, map, and complimentary ribbon will be delivered to your dorm later tonight once I've finalized the paperwork. Acro should be able to show you around and direct you to the sleeping quarters where you may stay if you like. Items can be placed in the cupboards if your explorer bag becomes too full."

She looked up from her writing as she finished, "Are there any questions you have?" While she still kept that professional appearance, her smile remained warm. It was clear that she liked what she saw.

After that little monologue, Dusk wasn't sure what to expect. She figured either she would get a neutral response or a distinctly negative one, but instead what she saw was a smile. The guildmaster suddenly seemed pleased, and as she spoke once more, it was as if her whole attitude had changed. She still gave off a very professional aura, but standing near her no longer made Dusk feel anxious. She couldn't help but smile as well after finally receiving some good news, and after getting over the initial shock of such a positive change of attitude in the archeops. She was in, just like that? She could hardly believe it. She had to restrain herself from literally jumping with joy, lest she risk damaging the good first impression she'd managed to give.

Right... that was all she had come here for. A good first impression. Maybe she had gotten off to a bad start with the townsfolk, but not the guildmaster. In this moment, she could not have been happier. "No, thank you! I won't disappoint!" she responded with glee, shaking her head when asked if she had any questions. She didn't.

Dusk had already been told all she needed to hear, and she really didn't want to bug the guildmaster and risk saying or doing something wrong. Plus she was eager to finish up here and see where she would be staying. Besides, Acro could surely help her if she decided she had any questions.

Relief washed over Acro as the Guildmaster seemed to like Dusk. He wanted to leave now. Get out of here as quickly as possible and just try to relax or something. While today was nowhere near as stressful as other days he's had in the past, he didn't appreciate his nerves being racked up so high.

The guildmaster nodded with satisfaction and approval, "Alright. You two may leave now, I have quite a fair amount of paperwork to catch up on before I can finish up the process." She pulled out some papers from underneath the book and shuffled through them as the ink on the book dried.

Acro nodded to the guildmaster, "G-g'day.." he managed to speak before he would turn around to depart. He wanted out of this situation. It was almost over. They needed to take what they could and get out before something bad-

"Although please refrain from threatening to eat the civilians. As cruel as they may be, it would be trouble if they decided to take action against both you and the guild. Word travels fast when 'foreigners' are 'rude' to them." The guildmaster seemed to add on almost as if it was an afterthought. Her tone didn't seem to suggest she was all that bothered by it...for all she new, the report could have been an exaggeration. Aileron citizens tended to do that when it came to land-walkers.

This was too good to be true. Acro seemed just as eager to leave before something bad could happen as Dusk was, and she didn't need to be told to turn and follow him the second they were dismissed by the guildmaster. Aeliana seemed to like her, and she had no intention of sticking around long enough to mess that up... or even worse, let the cloak mess it up.

Unfortunately, it seemed that was exactly what was about to happen. Her pace slowed to a halt as she listened to what she initially expected to be some unimportant last-second detail and soon realized was anything but. Or at least, that's how she felt about it. The markings on her cloak radiated a red light as she grit her teeth and spun around. "They attacked me!" she exclaimed with both aggressive and defensive sentiment, feeling the fur on her back stand at what she couldn't help but take as an accusation.

Sure, it didn't exactly sound like the guildmaster was trying to accuse her of anything, but someone clearly had, and the very idea of it sent violent impulses through every fiber of her being. By the time she realized the cloak was taking hold of her, she had probably already given both archeops in the room a good idea of how unstable she was. She quickly calmed herself, but struggled to take back her outburst. "I... I mean, yes, I did threaten them... but only after being assaulted. I guess that part didn't travel," she tried to explain as her heart slowed.

The eerie red light from her cloak remained, however, as an indication of her feelings. She wanted to find that other archeops and all his friends and... well, she knew she couldn't just hunt them down and maim them, but she wanted to.

Both archeops in the room were baffled by the sudden flare of anger in Dusk. Aeliana more so than Acro.  The guildmaster's shocked expression faltered into an almost exhausted look for a split second before she recomposed herself and responded, "No, it did not travel. However, I am aware of the tendencies of reports to flex when it comes to those without flight and the treatment others give to them. It's a hideous scar on this town that can only heal with time and exposure."

"But I am merely asking that you please refrain from giving them a single straw for them to grasp and twist as much as you can in the future. As of the only land-dweller in the guild, it's important to give a good image if relations are to improve." Aeliana watched Dusk as she spoke. She didn't sound accusatory, more so neutral. This was business, not something personal. "While I can, and will, speak with the authorities about assault, I can't change the mind of the townsfolk on a whim and I do not wish for things to be difficult for you or the guild." It was difficult to tell what went on in the guildmasters' head as she issued her warning to Dusk.

"Now, unless you have anything else you'd like to report, I'd like to get back to work."

The guildmaster seemed to remain mostly indifferent to Dusk's situation even after hearing her side of it. Maybe that was a good thing. She didn't exactly want pity anyway, and something neutral was better than Aeliana deciding to immediately revoke her guild membership for her little outburst. Besides, the archeops claimed she would be looking into it, so... maybe she did care and this was just how she always acted. Not that it mattered much since this was now the umbreon's boss and she would be having to listen to her if she wanted to be a part of this guild. Acro was the one she was here for in the first place, so it was a necessary - and manageable - sacrifice in order to be on his team.

There was a silent pause as Dusk's gaze trailed down to her paws, then she noticed the glow emanating from her cloak. She did need to learn to control herself better, but it wasn't as if she was simply not trying. She focused her breathing and tried to calm down, and the glow slowly began to subside. "...Okay. Thank you," she spoke in a quieter tone, but still audible, before turning to walk out the door.

Not another word would come from the guildmaster as she returned to her work. Acro couldn't help but look between the two in uncertainty. The archeops trailed behind Dusk as he chose not to say anything around Aeliana, else risk annoying her. He opened the creaky door for the umbreon to go through and carefully closed it behind him. He briefly considered alerting Aeliana that she should probably look into that, but common sense got the better of him. Of course she would know. She's just too busy to do something about it...right?

When the door clicked shut, he turned to his new teammate, "Uh...over this way. I can show you to the sleep quarters..." He hesitated for a moment before he would decide to ask, "...Are you okay?" in a quiet and meek voice.

Dusk wasted no time exiting the room, and the second she was pointed toward the sleeping quarters, she was off. She tried rather ineffectively to hide her hurried state; she didn't want Acro to know just how badly she wanted to not be here. He asked her how she was doing, but she didn't stop to respond. "I'm fine," she spoke, not even checking if the archeops was following her. She wasn't exactly trying to shut him out, but she didn't want him to be worrying about her, and she really didn't want to talk about this here. At the very least, she wanted to get to his room before having to talk about how not okay she was.

It wasn't even about being uncomfortable here, necessarily. She just wanted to get to a place where she could seclude herself from everyone so that she couldn't hurt anyone. Acro was an exception as she was fairly confident she couldn't hurt him even if she were to try.

That tone. That was the sort of "I'm fine" where it was absolutely not fine. It was a stupid question to even ask of Dusk in retrospect. He followed her, but he fell silent. Why did he ever have to come to Aileron? Why did he think it was such a good idea? At the time it felt like he was moving up. He evolved. He could fly. He belonged here...at least, that was what he thought at first. As time went on it became increasingly apparent that he didn't belong here either.

If he were to be asked where he felt as if he belonged, his answer would be grim. Still, despite this, he stayed with Ailreon...and now Dusk was apparently suffering because of it. Wonderful. He wasn't sure if she wanted to be alone or not, but he figured he would find out soon enough. Whether she'd let him stay and talk with him, or snap at him to leave him alone...maybe threaten to eat his wing or something.