Aruna looked at the drink and slid to herself. She would never admit it, but she had never, ever had an alcoholic drink in her life. Not only because she had never had the chance to, but because it clouded the senses and muddled the mind. Still, she was... Curious. The elf had taken a sip, so she knew it was not poisoned... Unless the girl had an antidote and only took it for appearances. She found the idea unlikely, but still possible.
After a moments hesitation, she grabbed the brew and took a large gulp, then started sputtering as it burned down her throat.
After the drink Aruna decided to answer the elf's questions. She seemed like a good person, if a bit ... Rough around the edges. That she had run with bandits didn't surprise Aruna, but it posed the question, why did she leave?
"paranoia is a requirement for my survival, without it I would likely have been killed or gruesomely tortured and executed long ago. And my fears about the colledges safety standards are not without grounding, trust me. While it is true only an idiot would be worried about bandits in a place like this, for the reasons you meantioned, and others, the mages themselves... I don't really trust any yet. As for assassins...."
She looked deep into her cup. As if searching for something there. Then she took another big swig, managing not to sputter this time, but still making a face as it burned down.
"Let's just say I have experience with pissed assassins."

She noticed that there was a slight delay in her thinking and her thoughts felt... Heavier. Not much, but enough to notice. She didn't like the feeling, and slid the drink away from herself, hoping the effects would wear off soon. If there were a fight, she wanted her mind to be in peak condition, not drunken shambles. She resumed her watch over the crowd and waited for the elf's response.