[center][h1][color=firebrick]Kailea Arydunseyr[/color] and [color=0054a6]Alia of the Knife [/color][/h1][/center] Alia of the Knife watched with interest as more and more applicants came to speak with the young noble. It looked to her as though most of the others did not have to fight to prove their worth, but that did not bother the small woman overly much. She had come in with a bit more to prove and had still been accepted to the team. Besides, the wealth of good food laid out for consumption had put her in a good mood. Alia had done her best to sample most everything but had given up as her stomach had filled too quickly. Now she lounged against the table, feeling drowsy under the midday sun. It would almost certainly be worth her while to speak to her new teammates, so Alia tried to shake off the sleepiness brought on by enough food and warmth. She had admittedly never been very good at striking up easy conversation with others, but Alia was in high enough spirits to try, and the other female applicant was nearby, having returned to the tables after speaking to Ignis. Alia assumed this meant she had also been accepted to the team. After turning a few conversation starters over in her mind, Alia walked over to the brunette. [color=0054a6]"Hello,"[/color] the small woman said, hoping she sounded friendly, [color=0054a6]"What do you think about this team we've found ourselves on?"[/color] To say Kailea had found herself in something of a daze was an understatement. She couldn't help replaying Ignis' voice [i]welcoming[/i] her to the team over and over again in her mind with a small grin stuck to her face as she sat sipping from the cup in her hand. Lost in her own head, she hadn't noticed how one of her teammates had sidled around the table until she was right next to her. Kailea did her best not to start at the sound of Alia's voice, but her female teammate had been so quiet in her approach that it was like she'd just popped into existence as she spoke up. Alia was a fair bit smaller than herself, but Kailea couldn't help but be a little jealous of her long blonde hair, even tucked into the tight weave on her head. Still, she was delighted to find that someone had actually come to her for conversation, instead of having to seek it out herself. [color=9e0b0f]"Well between the two of us, I see quite a few large weapons and a girl has to wonder if that's the only one they've got."[/color] Kailea said with a peaked eyebrow and suggestive smile, as she looked over their teammates. While she wasn't exactly trying to stay quiet with the others nearby, she did at least lower her voice as she spoke, before returning her focus to Alia and extended her hand, [color=9e0b0f]"I'm Kailea. I missed seeing you speak with Ignis. I assume it went well if you're still here?"[/color] [color=2e3192]"Alia,"[/color] the knife fighter said simply as she shook Kailea's hand,[color=0054a6]"Our little talk went well enough, though I had to do a bit of fighting"[/color] Alia wasn't really interested in talking about her bout with Ignis's advisor. She had done what she needed to to get on this team, and now she was more focused on those that had ended up there with her. The knife fighter grinned conspiratorily at Kailea. [color=0054a6]"It looked to me like you had our young sponsor quite embarrassed,"[/color] she said, also lowering her voice,[color=0054a6] "I don't suppose you asked about his 'weapon'?"[/color] [color=9e0b0f]"In a manner of speaking,"[/color] Kailea's eyes glinted mischieviously, [color=9e0b0f]"More offered to show him what I could do with it. Shame he wasn't interested. With an innocent face like that, it would have been fun to show him a thing or two."[/color] She sighed somewhat wistfully, glancing in Ignis' direction for a moment before looking back to the others training, fighting and relaxing. [color=9e0b0f]"Then again, I bet some of these lads here could teach [i]me [/i] a thing or two, don't you think?"[/color] She giggled, nudging Alia lightly. Alia winked, already nodding. [color=0054a6]"I must say I have to agree. Ignis's pretty face notwithstanding, I like the look of some of these Tyren warriors; they're all height and muscle, and I bet they'd not blush so easily."[/color] Alia grinned as she looked across the field at the various men waiting for Ignis's attention. The thief had not spoken to another woman like this in a long time, and she had half forgotten how much fun it could be. [color=0054a6]"What do you think?" [/color]she nudged Kailea back, [color=0054a6]"Which of these fellows is along your type?"[/color] [color=9e0b0f]"Can't say I've ever had the pleasure of a Tyren myself,"[/color] Kailea mused as she considered the group, looking each of the men up and down unabashedly. [color=9e0b0f]"That one there with the sword looks like he'd have me up until dawn and still be able to fight with energy to spare. Though I have to admit, I find the red hair on that one to be rather charming..." [/color] Kailea gestured to where Ansgar sat on the other end of the table, and gestured toward him with the cup in her hand, before taking a sip and looked back at Alia searchingly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to indulge in a conversation like this without the typical looks she'd long since grown callous toward. If she could help it, she wasn't going to waste the opportunity. [color=9e0b0f]"And what about you, hmm?"[/color] Kailea probed with a laugh, [color=9e0b0f]"Quiet as you've been, I'm sure you've had plenty of time to pick one out."[/color] [color=0054a6]"Hmmmm... I've certainly had plenty of time to look,"[/color] Alia said with a wicked grin, [color=0054a6]"That Harper fellow looks like he's had plenty of practice, but I must admit, nothing says 'endurance' quite like a shield fighter." [/color] Alia aimed a subtle nod in the direction of Aleksander, before turning back to Kailea. The pyromancer followed Alia's gaze to where the bear of a man sat enjoying the spread of food before him. [color=9e0b0f]"And I'd bet he would have a [i]lot[/i] to say."[/color] She laughed. Alia examined Kailea's pick a bit more thoroughly, taking into account his shock of red hair and huge hammer. [color=0054a6]"I don't know about your Ansgar though. You've got to be careful about the ones that carry really big weapons,"[/color] here Alia lowered her voice to a whisper, [color=0054a6]"you never know if they might be over compensating..." [/color] The thief laughed and spoke again in a volume closer to normal speech, [color=0054a6]"But then I've also heard that the [i]most[/i] well-endowed men are those from Ashgar. Too bad none of the sand people have turned up to apply today,"[/color] Kailea rolled her eyes and blew an errant lock of hair out of her face as she settled back into her chair with her nose wrinkled in mild disgust. [color=9e0b0f]"Ugh. Trust me, they're the last lot you want to take up with." [/color]Kailea huffed somewhat bitterly, [color=9e0b0f]"They act like the Sultan himself behind closed doors. Like you ought to be honored by their very presence."[/color] Alia rolled her eyes in agreement. [color=0054a6]"I can't stand the self-righteous types, and trust me when I say you can find them in all races."[/color] Kailea knew it probably wasn't fair to speak so ill of her own people, but it was difficult to put past hurts behind her so easily. Still, there was no reason to ruin their good time over it now, and she cast off the scowl threatening to darken her face, in favor of the more mischievous grin. [color=9e0b0f]"Now what you want is an Arien."[/color] Kailea sighed wistfully, [color=9e0b0f]"Some of the things they do with magic..."[/color] Alia dropped her chin into her palm thoughtfully. [color=0054a6]"I can't say I've ever had a mage, but I'll take your word for it."[/color] Alia looked thoughtfully at the pyromancer sitting beside her. It was more of a relief than she expected to have someone to talk to on the team. Alia wasn't sure if they were 'friends' exactly yet or not, but the two women certainly seemed to get along. [color=0054a6]"Where are you from?"[/color] Alia asked, hoping to strike up a new conversation, without asking too personal a question. She had to admit that she liked this mage girl. [color=9e0b0f]"Ashar,"[/color] Kailea admitted with a bit of a shrug, [color=9e0b0f]"My parents were both from Verum, so I certainly don't look it, at least not in comparison to the other caravans we rode with." [/color] A pang of nostalgia rang in Kailea's chest, making her homesick for the first time in months as she thought about her family and the warm sands of her home. [color=9e0b0f]"My father used to own a shop until he decided he could do more business taking his goods with him wherever he went. Omaut used to tell me stories about Verum, but it seemed so strange when you're surrounded by so much sand."[/color] Kailea smiled, the memories of those happier days quelling the sudden ache in her heart. She decided that it would be better to stead the conversation away from herself before the ache had a chance to resurface. [color=9e0b0f]"And what about yourself? Did you have to come far to get here today?"[/color] [color=0054a6]"To be honest, this is the farthest I have been from Verum in my life, and I have not even left the realm, so no, I did not travel far,"[/color] Alia said, wondering how much to tell Kailea. She was not particularly interested in anyone's pity, so maybe she should leave out the fact that she'd never known her parents. Alia didn't really mind--they had probably been street thieves or prostitutes anyway. As for her home city, well the thief was just proud that she had survived those dark alleys. [color=0054a6]"Tell me about the desert,"[/color] she asked a tad wistfully, [color=0054a6]"I was born in Verum and have only just left, so I have never seen the lands outside of Oriens. Tell me what it's like to look out on a sea of sand."[/color] Kailea took another drink from her cup as she attempted to collect her thoughts. She stared down into the dregs gathering at the bottom of the goblet, trying to find the right words to bring the deserts to life in her mind. [color=9e0b0f]"It...."[/color] She stalled with the words on her tongue refusing to come free for a moment, until she could swallow the swelling lump in her throat. She didn't want to turn down a request like that, especially from someone she could speak with so easily. [color=9e0b0f]"The winds shape everything out on the sands. The elders say that you can tell the moods of the desert by how the winds blow. Sometimes the sands ripple like golden water out to the horizon, or they swell into great pale hills that bake any who walk across their slopes. And when the deserts are angry, you can feel the way the ground rumbles and stirs the sand into raging clouds that block out the sun and pelts against your skin until it's rubbed you raw." [/color] Kailea swore for a second she could almost feel the relentless heat in the midday sun on her shoulders and smell the delicate, earthy fragrance of the hot stones that peaked through the dunes. She closed her eyes to savor it for just a moment, as the corners of her mouth twitched upward. [color=9e0b0f]"But I've never seen anything that can equal it's beauty as the sun sets and paints the sky a bleeding crimson and the sands mirror the sky in jealousy." [/color]She finished with a sigh, reluctantly pulling herself back to the world around them. She looked at Alia, trying to smile again, though this time it didn't quite reach her eyes. [color=9e0b0f]"Its worth seeing, if you ever have the chance."[/color] Alia of the Knife closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat, letting Kailea's words transport her, as she had done numerous times when listening to a fine storyteller in a Verum pub. Kailea was as talented as any in weaving a picture from words and under her influence, the warm sun and gentle breezes of Oriens became something harsh but beautiful in Alia's mind. The thief had always loved to hear of other lands. There was something magical in being transported through space, in leaving your own miserable shoes behind when listening to a tale. [color=0054a6]"There is something in a telling like that," [/color]she told Kailea, [color=0054a6]"There is something in a story that belongs to both kings and criminals, something that can capture princes as readily as paupers... I hope I get the chance to see your desert, Kailea." [/color] The thief caught the lingering sadness in the other woman's eyes. As much as Alia longed for new places, Kailea seemed to long for her home. The pyromancer's description of the desert's moods had reminded Alia of the ocean not too far from them now, and while it wasn't the desert, maybe Kailea could find something comforting in the similarities. The knife fighter couldn't remember the last time she did anything to comfort another human, but the description of the desert had touched her. [color=0054a6]"Have you seen the ocean?"[/color] Alia asked, [color=0054a6]"Your desert's temper reminds me of the waves, which I sometimes suspect have a turbulent relationship with the shore. At times, the sea throws herself at the land with all the passion of a new lover, sometimes with unmatched anger, and sometimes with the gentleness of a mother stroking a babe."[/color] Kailea shook her head, as her forehead creased in slight worry as she recalled the way others described the seemingly endless body of water. Alia's words perhaps painted it in the best light so far, but it did little to urge her to visit the shoreline. [color=9e0b0f]"I've seen it from afar, once or twice. But never up close." [/color]Kailea admitted, [color=9e0b0f]"All that water makes me a bit nervous. My magics don't mesh well when it comes to being wet, and I'm afraid I don't have the proficiency at defending myself that I ought to without it."[/color] Still. The eagerness in Alia's voice wasn't something she wanted to ignore either. The idea of being so close to that much water wasn't appealing, but then again, she was really only considering going alone. [color=9e0b0f]"But perhaps I've really been looking at it the wrong way."[/color] Kailea offered, [color=9e0b0f]"Perhaps when this business with the arena is done, you might show me in person? If we're lucky, we might even be able to bring these others with us. In return, is be happy to do the same if you ever had the desire to visit Ashar!"[/color] Kailea's offer caught Alia a little by surprise. This girl seemed to like the thief's company enough to hang out away from the arena. Alia smiled at her. [color=0054a6]"I think that'd be fun," [/color]the small woman said honestly. She was happy that the conversation had gone so well. It really had been a while since Alia had called anyone 'friend.' Then, the thief's attention was pulled away by Ignis standing up to speak. [color=fff79a] "Ah... ahem. Excuse me. Might I have your attentions, please?"[/color] the young noble said. Alia didn't particularly think he needed a response, so she quietly waited for the team's sponsor to make his intentions known.