Christina’s tired eyes slowly fluttered open, her long, black hair cascaded over her face. Sitting up against the wall, she brushed her messy hair back behind her ears. Her vision was slightly blurred, yet she could still make out the mess of blankets scattered across the room. Her mattress looked like it had taken quite a beating. Other than the bed, her dark room was quite empty. The door to her walk in wardrobe was wide open, clothes scattered all across the floor and the shelves. There were coat hangers, but only a handful of them were actually being occupied. To the side of her bed was a small table with a lamp and a few books. A top of the books was a small wallet which held Christina’s Gate Keys, as well as her glasses. Slowly moving her hand over, she mustered up the energy to bring her glasses to her. The haze vanished from sight when she put them on and suddenly she could make out the details of her room a lot more easier. The floor was filthy. Dirty plates, bowls and cups were piled up on the kitchen sink and the tap was dripping with water. She’d have to call someone in to fix that. Crawling out of bed in her simple, white tee and long, baggy trousers, she made her way into the bathroom.
At the very least, the water in this apartment was always warm. The bathroom was mostly kept clean, except for the sink which was lined with a series of skin and hair products among other things. Feeling refreshed, she slipped herself into her usual garment. The red and black fabric draped itself over her shoulders, twisted around her hip and flowed freely around her legs to the ground. Tying her long hair up did nothing to prevent the long ponytail from reaching her hips. Once she was ready, she walked back into her bedroom only to find Pan sleeping quietly on her bed. She was glad to see him, and it was quite impressive that he’d managed to open his own gate. He probably couldn’t wait. Curious as to why he was so eager to see her, she took a peek at the small clock sitting on the wall above her kitchen and almost screamed when she saw how late it was. It was practically past noon. How on earth had she slept for so long? Picking up Pan, her Keys and removing Antlia from her closet; not the best place to keep a weapon, she rushed out of her apartment and made her way to the guild.
Christina was practically out of breathe when she reached the guild. She’d had plans to take on a job this morning and hopefully be back by evening, but since she’d slept in there was no way she was going to be able to complete the job in one day. She didn’t have the money to pay for out of town accommodations either. Perhaps there’d be an easier job she could take to earn a little extra money? About to open the door to the Guild Hall, she stopped in her tracks. A smile crossed her face. When was money ever the first problem she could think of? She’d come a long way from Black Knight, that was for sure. She pressed her hand under the left side of her chest, where her old Guild Mark used to be. Even though she’d removed it, she could still feel it there sometimes. Pan nuzzled against her face, sitting a top of her shoulder. She promised to buy him some peanuts when they got into the guild, pushing open the door with both hands. The sound of her Guildmates making merry together was rather comforting, especially since it masked the large creak the Guildhall’s old door made when she opened it. Strolling through the hall, she made her way up to the bar where Beau was working. There was a large commotion going on nearby. Fisk and Aura were talking to a couple people who Christina had never met before.
“New Guild Members?” Christina asked Beau, sitting down on a stool. Pan jumped off her shoulder and toddled all the way over to a bowl of peanuts another wizard was eating. The other wizard was distracted, so he didn’t notice the tiny panda grab a couple of his snacks and walk back over to Christina. Sitting down in front of Beau, he slowly nibbled his way through the first peanut.
“I would have just bought you some, y’know? No need to go and steal.” She ran her fingers along his fur before staring back at Beau.
“So, what’s up with the new Guild Members? Were we expecting them?” She adjusted her glasses, staring over at the two newbies. Fisk and Aura seemed to be getting them comfortable around the Guild, so she didn’t see a reason to go up and introduce herself. Not yet, at least.