Araia never particularly liked Gnomes, and the snide snip of the comment that the Archmage Kos interjected with made the young woman's lips pucker together in grave disdain of the bulbous nosed creatures whom, she highly believed, had too much leisurely time in their lives because for some odd reason, they enjoyed gardens far too much. She sniffed then, displeased at the man whom stood near her, and she neatly folded her arms underneath her bosom and gave the man a dissatisfying stare as he spoke. Truly, the man enjoyed hearing himself speak, enjoyed trying to belittle her, both her intelligence and her being, and in all honesty, that in itself made her wish, made her yearn to be in his company longer. She knew, had absolutely no doubt in her mind, that she must be making him uncomfortable, and she took, nay stole, his privacy for he had built a sanctuary, a grand and glorious museum for himself outside of the City away from prying individuals and the council. ...And no one dared visit him, and with good reason, yet there she was asking to be his apprentice....Araia was never one to back down from a challenge, but welcomed it, and the man himself presented to be a challenge.<br/><br/>The young woman deeply inhaled, and with her head held proudly high, she addressed him, and his question to which she had no particular answer.  “I will not name my fortune that I will dearly depart with, perhaps even sacrifice, for your tutorship,” Araia began and drummed her slender fingers against her arms. A pleasant smile curved her lips, and a twinkle gleamed in her eye as she met his gaze.  “I have come for an education, one of learning magic and all that accompanies it, however, I have no recommendations from anyone, not one soul, not even from a long tailed devil with sprouting horns upon his head, regarding your teaching abilities. You may have none as far as I know, and if that be the case, then nothing from me you shall have except my chirping of conversation in your ear from dawn to dusk.” Araia said, and drew closer to the thin man with thin eyebrows and thin fingers. She turned her face upwards to peer at him.<br/><br/>“I think for a man who chooses to live in exclusion, that would be unpleasant, and so if you teach me decently, I shall give you something rewarding of your efforts, something equally matched of what I have learned.” She gazed around the garden, studied the trees and flowers for a moment, and as her line of sight fell to the wall, to the gargoyles, she stepped even closer to the wizard; her clothes brushed against his, and all for the comfort that a stranger could offer another. They, the gargoyles, had moved, and although Araia plucked the courage to be brave, one could only be so brave in the face of a man with powers that no one else, save for another wizard, could explain. She had no idea what he could offer her, and at that moment, she cared not to know.<br/><br/>The young woman deeply inhaled.  “Payment needn't be money, and I believe you have no need of that, but perhaps of a service, or a task to be fulfilled at a later moment in time, but believe me, it shall not be my soul.” She then realized how close she was to the man, yet she yielded him no space, and instead, she touched his shirt and coaxed a ladybird upon her finger.<br/><br/>