It was always like trying to shake the flank of a horse when greeting Grol. The span of time she spent in Human lands had made her forget just how massive the Etlock actually was. On long journeys, he seemed just about her size, sure a little taller and way WAY heavier, but for the most part just a person. Now he felt like a great pine was lowering a branch from its lofty height to welcome her.

[color=9900ff]"So, have you started your panic session yet? You're wondering if you don't make it then your entire life will be ruined. Where will you get money for food? You're going to have to go back to cleaning dishes. I mean, look at these people, sure they might not be as strong as you, but they could be fast or skilled or both, and it could make you look like an archery target on an Elvin marksmanship range. Maybe everybody here has magic, except for you Grol. I'm pretty sure that's it."[/color] Each phrase added to the intensity and doubts and amplified and amplified and amplified. Abruptly she sputtered out a massive raspberry at the concept of terrifying her counterpart, and burst out with a few laughs.

She was cut off by noticing Orac who stood nearby. [color=9900ff]"Oh my gosh, you are the last person I expected to see here! How have you been? Just look at how much you've grown."[/color] Amalay clapped a hand on Orac's shoulder [color=9900ff]"It's been forever! Literally, I have never seen you before, how have you been?"[/color]

Grol had witnessed this before. It was Amalay's way of getting to know other recruits. Usually people were so weirded out by her being... well... her, that they made sure to avoid the crazy lady the rest of the job. She never seemed to notice. However, to Grol there was a big pending, "hey why don't you crawl out of your shell" request waiting to be nagged into his ear.

To say that there was method to her madness was true... sort of... if you took out the whole "method" part. Perhaps she was blundering into it, or perhaps she was just a refreshing spirit. One way or another, she diffused the performance nerves of those dreading the pending judgement. It freed up brain power and allowed them to focus or be distracted. To Amalay, she did not fear testing at all, because she was raised without them... or I should say without the human approach to testing. Elves thought of testing as refining precious metals (which holds the same name), melting out all of the impurities. It was ALWAYS followed by revelation and tons of studies and practice as well as new material regardless of the outcome. Human testing came with a pass or fail, those who passed were glorified with greater knowledge while those who failed received scrutiny and almost as a punishment had to mill over their failures to get their affairs in order before they could be judged yet again. Though she had swirled around in different cultures for longer than most recruits had been alive, this preconception had never quite been bludgeoned out of her.