Snippet #1907255

Charlotte Leiss; The Bar

Charlotte wasn’t a thoughtless person, but sometimes she forgot. No matter how much she loved the doll, Eira was creepy to some other people. Perhaps eerie was a better word… Eerie Eira. She was reminded of this by Cassadin – she could tell by the way he paused that he was, at least, momentarily unnerved by the lifeless, seated figure. While he settled into a chair at the table, Charlotte noticed Chowa to be distracted. Curious, she leaned over to see exactly why. For some reason, he seemed focused intently on his hands. “Oho,” she murmured, raising her eyebrows in surprise when tendrils of water seeped from his sleeves. It was… well, it was a little too early to tell exactly what it was, but certainly something was happening –

“How are you two doing today?”

… or not. Charlotte failed, or rather, didn't try hard enough to stifle a laugh at Chowa’s obvious frustration when the incomplete… thing… stopped moving. She brushed aside a loose strand of dark hair from her face and gave up trying to suppress her amusement. Grinning like a cat, she glanced at Cassadin and chimed, “About as well as any other day.” There was some truth to Chowa’s previous words – perhaps ‘cheerful’ wasn’t quite the best way to put it, but Charlotte was indeed often smiling, or rather smirking. Usually it was at the ‘harmless expense’ of someone else. Rather than 'cheerful', mirthful or entertained was probably a more fitting word. Just then, a particularly loud laugh echoed through the guild. Peering towards the bar counter, she was surprised to spotted unfamiliar face - not the source of the sound, but new faces were certainly eye-catching.

“Oh, and Chowa, that’s the new recruit. His name is Korderoy Lightbulb or something like that," Cassadin said.

Even Chowa, usually so reserved with his opinions, found need to comment. “…Mister Lightbulb, huh?” His voice was so quiet that Charlotte almost missed it. “… It’s certainly an… hmm… interesting name…”

Well, interesting was a mild way to put it. “He’s making it so easy that it’s boring,” she sighed. Of course, by that, she meant teasing. Really, with a name like that, there was no fun in it. She just didn’t feel the urge to make an effort in trying. She was just making a mental note on his name and face when she heard something rather peculiar.

“…Is Miss Elysia Avari Skylar… staring at us again?” It was Chowa, and to Charlotte's surprise, he sounded rather anxious. It was a tone she rarely heard from him of all people – the expression was even rarer. Paling and starting to visibly tremble, Charlotte found herself at a bit of a loss for what to do. Just then, something must have happened because he flinched and set off into a desperate, whispered ramble. Make her look away, make her look away he repeated over and over. In all honesty, she found it rather hilarious that he was panicking over the interest of a thirteen year old girl. She never would have thought that being chased around by girls would be so traumatizing…

…She wanted to laugh.

Yes, Charlotte was an insensitive girl who found entertainment in the extreme reactions of others… It didn’t matter that Chowa was her teammate and that he and Cassadin were two of few that she was actually comfortable with. If anything, maybe it was because she was more comfortable with them that it was somehow amusing. In that way, she was just a little cruel… but she at least had the good sense not to show it. It was increasingly difficult when some other girls around were giggling - for different reasons, but giggling all the same.

“Get her to stop looking at me… I hate it…”

“Jeez, calm down,” Charlotte said, scowling to bite back her smile. Looking briefly at the smaller white-haired girl, she told him, “She’s not staring anymore. No need to get all shaken up on me…” She looked at Cassadin for some semblance of help – comforting others, to any degree, wasn’t exactly one of her stronger points.