Author's Notes: Heavy head canons ahoy! I'm a big fan of the asura in GW2, enough to try my hand at a story. There's some mild spoilers for the personal story (it takes place after completing it in game), so this story is best enjoyed if you've finished it (at least up to choosing your order in the asura storyline), but its not needed.
By Oola's ghost, I am the Commander of the Pact! Why am I wasting my time dealing with a stupid raptor? I've got a date to go to, and I would be on my way if that idiotic raptor hadn't taken my tickets.
Ah, Shrieksy. The ancient baby raptor hatched by my Snaff savant winning VOED device (with some help from my krewe). One of my krewemates, Kozzack, was smitten with the thing and had kept it. I've never been an animal person, doubly so for animals brought back from a pre-historic state. I read that thesis "On The Dangers of Reanimating Creatures of Dubious Ancient Origin for Fun and Profit." Changed my life. Kozzack sadly, had not.
Now there was an ill-behaved baby raptor that liked to chew on things running around the lab. With MY tickets. It would be bad form to just blast the thing with a handy Peacemaker Enforcer gun, but Kozzack is my friend and I know he'd be inconsolable if anything happened to the thing. Also I don't want to clean up the mess.
So now it was time for bribery. I knew Kozzack kept some spare treats for it in his workspace. I was technically breaking the rules by going into his desk when he wasn't around, but this was a dire matter. I used a spare arcane wrench to jimmy open the desk, sighing at the lack of decent security measures. I'd have to have a talk with him later.
Grabbing the meat, I gave a low whistle to catch Shrieksy's attention. It stopped chewing on the leather packet and sniffed the air. I waved the shank enticingly, with Shrieksy following its movements. That should do it. I throw the meat a ways from me, and it drops the leather packet in pursuit. Wasting no time, I run toward the packet and scoop it up.
Nothing is impossible with my great intellect! I open up the leather packet to see the tickets are still intact. Now to go ask him out . . .
I know he'll say yes. After all, the two of us have been through a lot. I saved his life, he developed a mega weapon to help stop Zhaitan's minions, and he fought by my side when I helped take down the Eye of Zhaitan. Not to mention I'm positive he's interested. Who wouldn't want to get with an adorable genius such as myself? Gorgeous dark brown skin, black hair in locked tresses and a pair of cute ears with all this intelligence? What's not to love?
And now is the perfect time for a romantic relationship to happen! I've officially got 3 months leave from my duties as Pact Commander, my krewe and I are deciding on a new project (possibly upgrading and enhancing the VOED) and that certain someone I've had my eye on is also back at his lab. Just an asura gate away.
Which is where I'm headed now. It's a crisp mid-morning, and surprisingly cool for Rata Sum. The Peacemakers go about their rounds, cracking light of the unusual weather with transatmospheric converter jokes. Merchants are wearing light coats but start to shed them as the sun burns away the last of the fog.
"Morning!" says the gatekeeper, "All asura gates are operating at optimal efficiency rates!"
"Good to hear," I reply. It's all polite conversation, and I head through the gate to the Advanced Metamystics Lab.
Things seemed busy. Various krewe members ran to and fro, with bundles and equipment. Actually it was surprisingly busy. I'd never seen more than 2 assistants in the lab, as most of them were stationed in Orr to send over "test subjects".
Ah there he is! 4' handsome with ears like a lop rabbit. MmmmHmmm.
"Professor Gorr! May I have a word with you?" I call out.
He does a double take as he looks up from his console.
"Ah! . . . Commander Tippa!" Gorr seems a little startled.
"Professor," I say with my sweetest smile.
"What brings you here?" he asks.
"Well, I happen to have these two tickets to the Mystic symposium taking place at the college of Statics today . . ." I trail off suggestively, "Maybe you'd like to come with me?"
"No."
I snapped my head back in surprise. I wasn't expecting a "no" and if Gorr were to give me one, it wouldn't be so . . . blunt. He normally had a slower, more deliberate way of talking, and short succinct sentences weren't really his style.
"Um, is everything alright?" I queried.
"Oh that was a little snappy wasn't it?" he said as he gave a small smile. "Sorry but I'm just not interested in attending." He turned back to the console, but oh ho, I had a back up plan.
"Well, you seem busy, but sometimes a break can help. Maybe we can get lunch later?" I flashed my brilliant smile again. So smooth.
"Oh no no no, we're making too much good progress here today!" he said excitedly, his back still turned away from me.
"Well it doesn't have to be TODAY, maybe sometime this week-"
"Couldn't possibly! Things are just going so well, I wouldn't want to risk being away too long," he replied, his back still to me.
"Well maybe I could bring you some lunch and we could-"
"Why are you so obsessed with food right now?" he cut me off before I could finish, a noticeable hitch in his voice. He had finally turned around to face me, irritation marking his features. One of the assistants that was working nearby looked up at me quizzically. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a few other assistants watching me, some whispering to each other. By Blimm's Staff, I was probably starting to sound a little desperate.
"Just . . . forgot to eat breakfast this morning," I laughed. Just try to brush it off . . .
"Breakfast is an important meal, any good genius wouldn't neglect it," he responded, then turned back to give the console his full attention.
Ouch. Turned down for a date and a snub at my intelligence.
"I'll . . . just be going. Good luck with your project."
"Thank you."
I retreated to the gate. It was probably just a bad time. Yes, that had to be it. Or he never really liked you and it was all in your head. UGH. There it is. The self doubt. I can always try and ask him again tomorrow. Or next week. Or whenever his project wasn't so important to him. If you were smarter he would've asked you to join him on that project. This was not the way I wanted to start my day.
As I exited back into Rata Sum, I tried to distract myself and silence the little voice of self-doubt. I could still go to that symposium, but . . . I had chosen it for 2 reasons. The first was that I knew that the speaker, a prominent asura in her field of Mystictransmogrification and the mists would grab Gorr's attention. The second was that I knew the speaker was as dry as the crystal desert. Mystictransmogrification is such a fascinating topic, but the way she talked about it, only those with the most patient and steadfast passion for the subject could stand her. I knew first hand; I had taken a course with her during my time in Statics. The class had started with over 50 eager students and by the end of it only 5 remained (myself being one of them of course).
The plan was to go in, Gorr would become bored, and I'd suggest leaving. I'd feign ignorance and apologize, and offer to repay with lunch. Since we'd already made a schedule in the day for the long lecture, we'd just fill the rest of the time with that! A brilliant plan, if I do say so myself.
I'm just not interested in hearing a dry speaker, especially since not getting Gorr to go with me would feel like an extra stab. Now of course I had to figure out what I would do for the rest of-
"TIPPA!"
I looked around to see who had called my name.
"Have you gone DEAF?!"
Oh no. I recognize that voice it was-
"You go on vacation for a few days and it seems you've completely lost your mind," snapped Gixx.
I let out a soft groan. Ah, Steward Gixx, leader of the Durmand Priory. When I was officially put on leave he had immediately sent me a letter informing me of a list of duties he had waiting for me at the Priory. Apparently acting as Pact Commander did not relieve me of various activities relating to my order. I hadn't responded to the letter, instead deciding to wait for a while. After all, if it was something really important, he'd have told me directly and not in a vaguely worded letter, or come and tell me himself.
Apparently he was here to tell me himself.
I try being cordial, "Gixx! How are you?"
"I know you got my letter. There are enough protective enchantments on those carrier pigeons to survive The Searing! Why haven't you responded?" he said curtly.
"Well I'm on vacation-"
He cut me off with a wag of his finger. "From the Pact. NOT from the Durmand Priory,"
"I-What are you doing here anyway? Don't tell me you came all the way out here just for little ol' me?" I say as I waggle my eye ridges suggestively. I'm positive I can't be in any more trouble than I am already, so why not mess with him a bit? No way he'd make a big scene in right here in upper floor of Rata Sum.
"Business," he responded flatly. Didn't even crack a smile. My charm is just not working today. Maybe I should make a charm booster. Pheromone based possibly? A machine that could artificially boost one's pheromones to enhance their attractiveness or make others more susceptible to being manipulated. Hmmmm . . . .
"We need to have a discussion-" he began.
My turn to cut him off. "I'd love to, but I've got a symposium to go to," I say, brushing past him. "Backed me into a corner, have to go."
I stopped and turned back to look at him. "You know, BUSINESS," I finished cooly. Ok so I was lying little. A lot. Completely. After the bad start I had this morning I didn't want to finish it off with a lecture and list of errands from Gixx. I'm not against doing things for the Priory, but I needed a break.
He crossed his arms and regarded me coldly. "Oh really? Which one?"
"Perpa's Mystictransmogrification Symposium. Completely full already, no more seats," I respond. I hope so anyway. Then again Gixx is head of the Priory someone might get him in, but I hope in the hassle I could slip away.
"What a coincidence," he said as he crossed his arms across his chest, "I was just heading there now to meet with Perpa. She's an old friend of mine." A small smile tugged at the right side of his mouth. "Why don't the two of us go together?"
Oh for Vekk's sake, this is not my morning.
