Re: Difficult Company

[Astra Creed]

Ren insisted she shouldn’t just stand there while Astra cleaned up her mess… which she supposed was probably right. “I guess,” she said, giving her ‘friend’ a grin. “Thanks a lot though. It was really nice of you,” she admitted to Ren sincerely and calmly as she glanced at the time. She hadn’t looked originally so it didn’t really help. Then she asked if Astra knew Kade very well. Astra could only shake her head at that question.

“Not any better than most of the guild members around here. I mean… I don’t know most of them that well. They all seem to know me though. At least when I ask to be a part of their random games. Everyone always says they’re full and look at me like I’ll rip their head off…” The reputation was probably well-deserved… the last two games she’d gotten into she’d gotten pretty intense. She was a sweet girl up until the point where she was legitimately competing with someone. Then she practically changed into a monster. Fortunately for Ren… competing probably wasn’t something the two would ever do even if she let Astra hang out with her again. Astra didn’t mean to get that way anyway, it just happened and she barely noticed until people complained and stopped letting her into competitions.

[Ren Caverly]

Ren blushed when Astra said that it was really nice of Ren to help. She didn’t take compliments well at all. It had been proven many times already, Ren took insults just fine, but compliments she took horribly. Hadn’t Astra learned this well enough earlier in their day together? Being told she was nice was easier to swallow than being told she was pretty, but still she blushed and looked away awkwardly. “Uh, th-thanks…” She was willing herself to remain calm and normal and just talk to Astra. Willing herself not to make Astra feel bad. Ren had very little willpower.

When Ren asked about Kade Astra gave a concerning answer. Ren didn’t know anything about Astra’s competitiveness or turning into a pseudo-monster. All she knew was that people shouldn’t have to be left out. She frowned, “Oh… b-but… I bet if you asked Kade, he’d play with you. He likes to make sure everyone feels involved. He, uh, talks to me a lot… ‘Cause I don’t talk to people…” she said quietly, staring at her shoes again. Did that make him sound nice? She didn’t talk to people on purpose. She liked the thought behind his attempt, but it definitely made her feel uncomfortable and unsure of herself. She also hid from him. She didn’t mention that part.

[Astra Creed]

"Hmm, I might have to try that sometime..." Astra commented aloud when Ren told her he would make sure everyone was involved. Maybe they would be friends. Her current target for friendliness wasn’t working out so well… but at least at this rate they might actually talk again, right? Ren was nice… even if she did remind Astra of a tiny baby deer who had never been around people before. Astra thought for a moment of how accurate that thought actually seemed before snapping out of it. “Well if it helps if you ever want to talk to me again you don’t have to say anymore back than you want to,” Astra decided as she leaned against the counter. The cake smelled delicious.

“You’re nice even without saying stuff, cause your’e helpful and things. I might ramble a bit because I’m prone to doing that, especially when there’s quiet, like right now for example,” Astra caught herself in time to not ramble for every long, at least.  She blew on her bangs, the red in her hair moving upward before going right back to where it had been. She glared at it for a moment before deciding to ignore it rather than brushing it aside.

[Ren Caverly]

Ren wasn’t comfortable with happiness, or friendship. Oh, she was so uncomfortable with friendship it was startling. Not only did she not trust people, was unable to bring herself to trust anyone, but she was traumatized at the idea of making friends. It set off this switch in her brain. Not like a light turned on or off, more like a switch, to open a door, to let go of a boulder, to crash through everything in her formerly happy mind. Friends. They were the worst thing for her to have. She so wanted a friend, she really did, but if she had a friend… she wasn’t allowed. She couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Refused. Luckily that wasn’t the topic right now, and she wasn’t reduced to tears at the most inopportune time ever.

Ren was easily comparable to a baby deer, yes. “Um. O-okay… I’ll… remember that,” Ren said. She was talking a lot more. Complete sentences even. Only mild stuttering and stammering, and she wasn’t staring at the floor constantly. Leaps and bounds better than she had been earlier, when a certain little spazz felt it was important to flirt with the poor shy girl.

Ren was back to blushing when Astra called her nice, without even talking. “Um… th-thanks…” she said, fidgeting a lot. Astra did start rambling, but Ren didn’t pay her any mind. “So… um… should we get Kade…?” She might have suggested bringing him the cake, but then, she had no idea where he was. Carrying a cake all through the halls would attract attention, and be cumbersome.

[Astra Creed]

“That’s why we made a cake, right?” Astra answered Ren as she turned the subject back to Kade. She picked up the cake they had been preparing, carefully putting it on a plate that was less hot using her magic and leading the to the kitchen’s exit and into the common room where most people spent their time, whether eating or simply socializing. It was a big room. Though the room itself was somewhat similar in makeup to Fairy Tail, it looked nothing like that rambunctious hall. People were actually sane, at least for the most part. There were always one or two loud people, especially when there had been enough alcohol involved.

“Where’s Kade?” Astra asked Ren as the two of them walked out. She hadn’t spotted him yet, but figured Ren might know exactly where to look. She was more than happy to go where directed and present the cake to the older man, and the excited feeling in her stomach grew as she thought making a random guild member she barely knew smile. She was very much the opposite of Ren in just about every way, including ways she had no idea about. When shown, she handed Kade the cake even before he had much time to react, accompanied with “We made this for you! I hope you like chocolate!”

[Ren Caverly]

“Yes,” Ren said quietly. She wasn’t going to be saying much, but a little bit of response was fine. Astra put the cake on a plate and began carrying it. Ren pushed open the doors for her and then followed behind her awkwardly. When asked where Kade was Ren bit her lip. She was good at spotting Kade, because she needed to be good at knowing where to avoid him. He liked to talk, she liked to hide, they had a relationship. Mostly a one-sided relationship, as either would admit, but still.

“Um…. That way,” she said once she spotted a small group of people and a blue haired man. There, that wasn’t hard at all. As they headed in that direction Kade noticed them. He arched an eyebrow at them but smiled. Normally he didn’t have a cake coming toward him, especially not with Ren anywhere in the area. Actually, she never approached him. Did she? Odd.

Suddenly Kade was holding a cake. “Oh… well thank you Astra, and Ren. Did you both make this for me? That’s really sweet,” he said, beaming at the both of them. Then he cast a glance around the area. Ren was gone. It took only as long as necessary. He was distracted, Astra was distracted, and Ren vanished. He natural abilities allowing her to weave between people and get out the door in seconds. Kade chuckled, “Can’t ask for the world I suppose. Anyway, thank you,” he repeated, still smiling.

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