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Post by Lepa on Aug 23, 2023 1:39:43 GMT -8
It was always the same story for Eden: nobody ever wanted to work with her more than once.
She was strong. She was knowledgeable. She knew her way around a blade. She could kill her fair share of monsters with relative ease. She had trained all of her life for combat, and for what? To be told she couldn't venture into the unknown alone. That she needed to be with a group.
Too bad nobody wanted her.
It was her attitude, of course. A self-fulfilling prophecy. Growing up hated for her drow heritage, Eden grew hateful herself. It was difficult not to when every outside interaction she experienced was hostile or jeering. Her family had moved to Aster City because they were supposedly more "accepting," but Eden didn't believe it. She refused to believe it. On the surface, people might be polite or act like they don't care, but deep down she knew they were always judging her. She wouldn't fall for feigned kindness and be made a fool of. That's why she was harsh - so no one would get any wrong ideas.
But in a group, that mentality would go as poorly as one would expect. Eden was never a team player, and it showed. She would yell at others, belittling them constantly for even the smallest things, and no one liked that - especially when traversing through monster infested territories. Those who would group up with her would realize this too late, and they would only tolerate her until they returned to the guild. After that, well... it was obvious to Eden that they avoided her.
It was obvious, but it didn't surprise her.
So she'd waste her time waiting around the recruiting area, scowling in frustration at the stupid restrictions that prevented her from going out on her own. She hated relying on people. She should've gone and gotten a job doing something else, but she'd already committed to living here at the guild. She had to earn her keep. She needed to make some money to show she could stand on her own - especially after storming out on her mother.
The last thing she wanted was to crawl back home to an "I told you so."
Eden folded her arms and exhaled sharply at the thought.
She hadn't the faintest idea of how long she'd been sitting here.
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Post by The Izzack on Aug 29, 2023 3:57:21 GMT -8
"Hey, Eden! You know, it's hard to find you when you're sitting off in the corner like this." Spike called out to Eden as he walked up. He had teamed up with her on his last job. She had been competent, but, well, a pain in the ass.
Lucky for her, Spike specialized in helping pains in the asses become team players. Step one: team up with her again.
"So, what's our mission today? The old team decided they didn't want to team up with us again, but I'm sure we can find people who aren't so sanctimonious, eh?" that wasn't entirely true. Spike had been welcomed back with open arms, but Eden he was told was absolutely not coming back. He couldn't help but feel bad for her. He could understand how she probably felt. Bitter about being shunned, which only fueled her need to lash out at others. It was a vicious cycle, and Spike was gonna break that cycle if it was the end of him. He eyed Eden's sword, prominently displayed at her hip, and hoped that his thoughts didn't turn out to be prophetic.
Nah, what was the point in getting worried? If Eden got annoyed at him, and stabbed him, well, he had thick skin. He could probably take it. He smiled, and leaned against the wall next to Eden.
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Post by Lepa on Oct 18, 2023 0:13:15 GMT -8
Eden didn't react when she heard him call out her name. It must have been someone else they were after, she thought. Or maybe they were out to criticize her. Once they found it how nasty she could be, no one would just willingly talk to her-
"You know, it's hard to find you when you're sitting off in the corner like this."
...Except this guy, apparently. The half-elf eyed the larger man with suspicion as he spoke. Of course she kept to her spot in the corner - it was away from people. Annoying people. Was he mocking her?
"So, what's our mission today?"
She squinted at him. What?
"The old team decided they didn't want to team up with us again, but I'm sure we can find people who aren't so sanctimonious, eh?"
Her frown straightened into something between a thin line and a disbelieving pout. Is that why he was talking to her? He was in her last group? Was he actually... trying to group up with her again? Or was this just a setup to some cruel joke? This guy seemed laid back, but he looked like a muscle headed oaf. It was surprising that he could even do magic at all, even if it was just enchanting his weapon.
Still... She would never admit it out loud, but this oaf was... competent at what he did, at least from the little she saw. It didn't make any sense for any group to turn him down, unless they were absolute morons. If they did, he probably could've gone and found another group just as easily. She stared. So why the hell did he come to her?
"Are you that desperate?" She asked skeptically, her tone biting.
Maybe it was more of a question to herself. She paused, then answered herself.
"...You must be if you're coming to me."
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Post by The Izzack on Oct 20, 2023 18:07:48 GMT -8
The steps to making friends with a misanthrope were quite a lot like the stages of grief. Spike knew all about this, of course, because Spike had a theoretical doctorate in people just like Eden.
Right now, Eden was showing the first signs of a grieving people hater: Denial. Well, denial with a healthy smattering of anger, but every stage of the friendship process was saturated with anger. It was like a background radiation with these types. "I certainly am desperate! he confessed.
"Desperate to have some fun! Come on! There's bound to be a whole bunch of new quests on the job board!" he snagged her hand, and, without giving her time to process the situation and object, pulled her off to the job board. That was the most important part. A misanthrope who thinks is a misanthrope who refuses.
It wouldn't be hard to find a job that he could slot himself into. After all, every group needed a guy who didn't mind getting hit over and over by vicious beasts, and Eden was plenty skilled in her own right. He figured he could make some groups reconsider her if it was a package deal. "Ooh! Mysterious artifact in a sunken temple! That sounds fun, doesn't it?" he offered, pointing to a posting at random.
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Post by Lepa on Oct 23, 2023 1:41:36 GMT -8
"I certainly am desperate! Desperate to have some fun! Come on! There's bound to be a whole bunch of new quests on the job board!"
At first, Eden raised a brow doubtingly, but her expression contorted at his notion of "fun." She didn't even have a chance to retort at his cheerful little quip, let alone his suggestion. No, it wasn't even a suggestion - her eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along without warning.
Eden nearly tripped from the force of his pull, cursing at herself for looking so clumsy. When she regained her balance, she snapped her hand away from his.
"Don't do that!" She nearly snarled. The half-elf clenched her hand close to her chest as if she was nursing a wound. "Just because you can take a hit doesn't mean you can just drag people around!" Her face wrinkled into a scowl as she glared at him. The hell was he planning to do?
"Ooh! Mysterious artifact in a sunken temple! That sounds fun, doesn't it?"
"Hey, idiot! Are you even listening to me?!" Eden stopped her foot, bristling with agitation. Despite her protests, she couldn't help but shift her gaze to the man's point of interest. Her scowl softened, but she retained a stern look of disdain as she lowered her hand, placing both of them on her hips. She leaned forward, squinting to get a better look at the job listing. "And I don't think "fun" is the right word," she grumbled, then paused. "...Not that I can't do it or anything." The half-elf added, folding her arms with a huff. If this was some trick to slip her up, she at least refused to be called lazy, or worse: a coward.
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Post by The Izzack on Oct 30, 2023 3:52:51 GMT -8
Spike thought for a while at Eden's words. What would be the best way to approach this? He looked intently at her as he thought. He could be gentle and encouraging. He could be friendly and enthusiastic. "Oh, I'm sure you can do it, Eden. I'm just not sure you could do it well. Without me, that is! He really did feel like being antagonistic was better for worry wort misanthropes.
"Well, let's go find a party! I won't tug your arm this time, but make sure you keep up, alright? I wouldn't want you to get lost!" Spike called out as he ventured into the growing crowd of adventurers seeking a group. He figured Eden would tail along. If he was right about her, she wouldn't dare let someone imply she was incompetent without a fight, both figurative and actual. Well, if she kept her sword sheathed, Spike wouldn't mind taking a few punches.
Spike made some small talk with the thrumming mass, and tried to drum up some interest for this sunken temple thing or whatever. He got a few people interested, though only the more desperate ones stayed with him when he mentioned Eden joining them. That wasn't good. He was gonna have to help her calm down, or they'd never get reliable groups together.
Ah well, if worst came to worst, Spike would just form a band of merry misfits.
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