Ashley âAshâ âSootâ Clade
It seemed like it was impossible for the group to go more than a few steps before another interruption, Ash impatiently tapping her foot and growing more agitated and hungry after each one. First another girl was added to the group, then they were stopped by a golden haired pretty boy who acted just a little too full of himself for Ash to like him at first glance. Not that she liked many people at first glance. Tuning out most of the conversation, the next stop was the dorm building, a place Ash was already well acquainted with. Briefly, she noticed her bike parked out front and reminded herself sheâd have to work out exactly what the deal with it was. If it was alive sheâd have to learn to work with it to some extent, and if it was going to disappear anytime she went inside somewhere that was going to get inconvenient fast.
Ignoring her bike for the moment, she joined the others in heading up to their floor, deciding to neglect the tour of what she assumed was rooms very similar to her own, and instead deciding to take the opportunity to have a brief rest in her bedroom until it was time for lunch. Maybe that would help take her mind off her stomach? Stepping into her room, she called down the hall for Rick to grab her when they were going before shutting the door, striding inside. Like the others, it was bare inside. All that remained of her belongings was left neatly in the corner of the room, but it was far less than what sheâd originally packed; no doubt a result of the incident before her arrival. Thankfully, there was at least a bed provided as she flopped face down onto it, giving a deep sigh before rolling over and staring up at the ceiling. She told herself she was staying in here to take her mind off her stomach. But that wasnât really the reason, was it?
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âHey! Hey, can me and Louise come to the ball too?â The eager young girl looked up to her sisters with bright blue eyes, clutching her doll in front of her in anticipation. She was a small young thing, little more than five or six, and always eager to join in on the games with her elder sisters. âUh⊠Sorry Ash, Louise canât come.â The youngest of the trio, Penny, spoke up; not meeting eyes with Ashley as the other two sisters began snickering with laughter. âWhat?! Why?!â Ashley asked indignantly, pouting a bit as she looked to them in surprise, her face falling significantly. Why wouldnât they want to play with her? She just wanted to join inâŠ
âShe needs a dress to go to the dance, stupid.â The 2nd eldest, Jasmine was the next to speak, pointing to Ashâs doll, Louise. âShe canât go looking like that.â
âB-but Louise is like me â she doesnât like wearing dressesâŠâ Mumbling to herself with her head downcast, it was barely audible enough for the other girls to hear, but it was enough for the eldest sister, Cindy, to pounce. âWell maybe she should sit out and play with her toy cars like you! Haha!â A chorus of laughter went out amongst them as Ash began to sniffle to herself, wiping the beginnings of her tears from her eyes. It was true that she normally played with the cars her daddy gave her, but she still wanted to play with her sisters.
âCome on, I just want to join inâŠ!â Ash was sobbing a little now, blubbering as she wasnât able to hold back her tears. Still her sisters laughed at her. âAww, poor Sooky Sootyâs upset!â âAs if weâd let a cry-baby in to the dance!â âLouise is probably a wuss like you too!â The demoralising laughter continued to echo about the room, and no matter how much the little girl protested, she was not heard. Finally, she could take no more, crying out as loud as she could. âFine! I donât care! I didnât even want to go to your stupid ball!â Tears streaming down her face, Ash ran from her sisterâs room and down the hall, escaping to the solitude of her bedroom. Sobbing into her bed, she continued to cry to herself. No matter how many times she said it, she couldnât convince herself otherwise. She wouldâve loved to play with themâŠ
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Ash awoke with a start, sitting up swiftly. Slowly, she released her legs as she uncurled slightly, before falling back down to lie on top of the bed, sighing a bit. Whyâd her mind drift back to then? Things were different now. As far as the others were concerned, she was a part of their group. She was invited to this lunch, whether out of friendship or obligation. She didnât have to act like she didnât care or anything. She didnât have to worry about any of that stupid stuff. Frustrated, she grabbed her pillow and tossed it against the wall. It was stupid, and so was she for letting it still bother her. Even if she kept on telling herself to relax, there was always that nagging thought reminding her to keep her guard up. Thatâs what this was about. Just the perfect memory to remind her that anyone could turn on her. Even family.
By the time it came to the tour, Ash was feeling a bit more sombre. Sheâd lost a lot of her appetite, but it was steadily coming back to her as she looked over the different facilities, taking note of the ones that interested her. Sheâd definitely give the gym and sports facilities a work out at some point, not to mention sheâd have to head in to the maintenance garage at some point to tune her bike. She was dimly aware that they now had ANOTHER tag along, but she made no effort to be friendly with her. It was hard enough maintaining a semblance of pleasantry this long, and she saw no need to push herself any further, especially in her now, much fouler mood. Finally however, the formalities were done and they got to head to a restaurant. It was a fancy looking place, well ritzier than Ash would have ever considered entering of her own accord. Still, she wasnât going to be paying, and free food was nothing to scoff at.
Browsing the menu, she eye rolled at the goody-two-shoes offering to pay her own way, as well as JoJoâs obnoxiously bland means of making conversation. Setting the menu down, she decided to interject into the conversation, having already decided what sheâd get, and having had enough of the niceties floating around the table. It was time to liven things up a little and stir the pot. âWell if the little miss here is too much of a suck up to accept your hospitality, Iâll take her share.â Ash stated boldly, folding her menu and placing it back into the centre of the table. âThough can we order now? I donât want to wait another hour listening to JoJo prattle on before the food arrives.â
With a complete lack of tact and patience, Ash, flagged down the nearest waiter, snapping her fingers. âYo, weâre ready to order, drinks and all. Iâll get uhâŠâ Ash leaned forward and grabbed the menu back again, not wanting to make a fool of herself as she failed to pronounce the name of her order. One by one, she pointed to a Pizza Ai Funghi e Salsicce, Ai Quattro Formagi and a Margherita. âOh yeah, and a raspberry fanta.â She added before handing the menu to the waiter, leaning back in her seat before glaring at the others and expecting them to get to work ordering immediately.
Kane OâReilly
âHmm, a visitor?â Erica was the first to speak as she stood up from the chopping board, Kane quickly pulling off the pink apron as he tossed it onto the nearby hook and ran around the corner. Twirling the knife in her hand, Erica slammed it into the board, leaving it standing as she went to follow him and investigate. Kane knew there was only one person who used that knock, but what was she doing here? Turning back to face Erica, Kane explained as he grabbed the door handle. âOh, itâs just my Aunt. She never sticks around long, but Iâll introduce you.â Smiling, Kane turned the handle and threw the door open. âRinne? Is that you?â He blinked a bit, looking the taller woman over. Was that a WDL uniform? He didnât know she was a part of the team here, nor had Candice mentioned anything.
Tilting her hat up, Kaneâs aunt gave him a big grin. "Heya, kiddo. Been a while, huh? Surprised you still remembered my knock." She crossed her arms, eyes sparkling slightly, before she launched forward a little and wrapped Kane in a big, tight, warm hug. "Jeez, you've gotten big, haven't ya?" Kane gasped a bit in surprise, though he kinda expected Rinne to be a bit more hands on with him. She always was. Squirming about in the hug as he tried to surface, Rinne continued. "Got some news for you, actually." Finally managing to pull his head free, Kane gave a soft gasp as he caught his breath before looking up to Rinne. âAuntie, please, Iâve got companyâŠâ Kane whispered between gritted teeth, embarrassed, but genuinely happy to see Rinne. With a tilt of his head, he gestured towards Erica, who pleasantly waved, though her eyes never seemed to leave Rinne. âMy name is Erica. Itâs a pleasure to meet you Ms..?â She asked, though Kane was quick to step free of Rinne, answering in her stead as he smirked. âOh, just call her Rinne.â Kane smiled to his classmate, before turning back to his Aunt. âNews though? Is it that youâve decided to join mum in the WDL?â
Rinne chuckled softly, crossing her arms as she looked past Kane, ignoring his question for the moment as she appraised the other female in the area. "You better take good care of Kane, Erica. He's a treasure." There was a slight edge to the remark, though Kane only frowned slightly wondering what Rinne meant by that. Erica didnât seem to mind at all however, laughing it off as she replied. âOf course.â Kane looked to them quizzically, unsure what exactly he was missing, but he didnât get long to dwell on it as he felt a hand ruffling his hair as Rinne saw fit to draw focus back to his questions. "And nah, I'm still uh, still working at the other company. Got a temp job here so they gave me this outfit. Not bad though, right? I feel like a schoolgirl or something." The non-human spoke to Kane, but her eyes flickered over to Erica every now and then. Rinne wasn't silly, but she also knew prying right now was a bad idea. Regardless, as long as Erica didn't hurt Kane, Rinne had no qualms. As Kane managed to shrug free of her hand and turn to look at her, he took a moment to fix his hair by messing his hand through it, before looking back up to his Aunt. He did have to admit, for someone in her late thirties, she really did look quite young.
"So," Kaneâs thoughts were interrupted as Rinne spoke, meeting his gaze with another wide grin on her face. "Guess who just convinced your mother to let you start going into the field?" Kaneâs mouth dropped agape, and he didnât say anything. Slowly, his voice seemed to catch up to him. âNo. Way.â Still frozen in near silence, Kane didnât know what to say. His bad day had just turned from good to great! A large smile now forming on his face, his aunt continued. "Not even messing with you. I made Candy promise to start letting you go out." She paused after that, giving Kane an opportunity to let out his pent up excitement. âYes yes yes!â Kane was practically jumping for joy, grabbing hold of Rinne and squeezing her well tighter than she had done to him previously. âYouâre the best aunt ever Rinne! This is awesome! What are you doing for the WDL anyway? Am I going to get to go with you too?â
Embracing Rinne tightly, Kane didnât notice the way Rinne froze up a little, but he did feel her hands lightly wrap around to return the cuddle. Watching from the doorway, Erica was still waiting patiently and unbeknownst to Kane, Rinne made a point of fixing Erica with a glare that indicated she was being monitored. With that done, she gently pushed Kane back, affixing him with another Cheshire grin before flicking him across the nose. "Psh, Kane, of course I'm the best aunt! Who else could be better than me? Oh, and I uh, I'm on a contract." She looked away from Kane, as if thinking on things for a moment. "And Kane, you know you can't come with me. Working here is dangerous enough." She put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a moderately serious glare. "I'm not sure you'd be safe with me." Flashing another sly smirk, she winked. "And Candy would totally kill me if she found out I smuggled you out of here, right?"
âYeah, yeah, youâre right⊠Oh! But if youâve got time, you should totally stay for dinner! Iâm already making a bunch for Rianne and Yohan, but you can join us! Sister Rianneâs already offered me an apprenticeship, so you definitely have to meet her!â Kane asked, or rather, demanded. This was perfect! An opportunity to get them all together and have a meal! Itâll be like having a whole family together! Eagerly, his eyes shimmered as he met Rinneâs gaze from behind her sunglasses. Cocking her head to the side slightly, Rinne paused in thought, before finally answering. "Hm... I dunno, kiddo, your mother might drag me outta here by the ears." She laughed softly. "I'd love to stay, but I might get called away. I'll have to check in with my boss to see if I can take some time off." She crouched down a little so her face was level with Kane's, and as she did she whispered to him. "But do you really want me here when you've got a cute girl standing behind you?"
âH-hey! Rinne! Stop it!â Kaneâs face went beet red, and he took a step back from her, completely unable to keep his voice down. âItâs not like that, I swear!â Behind him, Erica couldnât help but chuckle a little at the scene, though she quickly hid it behind her hand. Rinne laughed a bit herself, before she leaned over on the doorway. "Alright, Mister 'Not like that', I'll stay for dinner, then. But, uh, I do need to go get some stuff, thoughâŠ" She looked to the side, a sheepish grin sliding across her face. "I, uh, kinda ditched my gear outside before coming in- wasn't planning on staying for long, so I should probably go get it if I'm gonna stay, right?"
âOh, okay. Weâre still finishing up cooking, but uh, dinner should be around six at Rianneâs dorm. Do you need some directions?â Kane asked, unsure how familiar Rinne was with the WDL. It seemed heâd said something amusing, as his auntâs smile shifted as she chuckled. "Rinne. Rianne. Gonna be fun. Though If it's at someone else's place, I probably shouldn't tag along, though. That'd be rude." Kane watched Rinne pause in thought, as if concerned about something, his own face falling a little. "Yeah, if that's the case, then I'll have to actually decline the offer. I don't wanna go somewhere I'm not welcome, and if Candy found out I overstayed my welcome-"
"Well I'll give her a call then and see if she wants to have it here at my place!" Kane interrupted her, not going to have his grand plan stopped by something that simple. Pulling his clenched fists into place behind him, his guard was down as Rinne leaned in and flicked his nose once more, breaking his form and forcing him to rub it. "Jeez, you're still such a kid, you know that? Don't ever lose that, okay?â She paused again, giving a bit of a soft sigh as she looked upward. âMind if I go get my stuff real quick while you take that call, kid?"
"Oh, yeah! Don't let me hold you up! I'll see you at six then!" Grinning as he locked it in, Kane turned back to Erica. "Think you can handle the prep while I do that?" Smiling and nodding, Erica cocked her head once again. "Of course, whatever you need Kane." Heading back inside and giving the two a moment of privacy, Kane watched her go before turning back to Rinne. "Back in a sec, kiddo." With a two-finger salute, Rinne turned and moved over to the elevator, Kane waving behind her before heading back into his apartment. He had a couple of phone calls to make at this point.
Ringing Rianneâs number which heâd sourced through the WDL systems, he was a bit saddened to reach her message bank, but no doubt that meant she was probably kicking butt out there and slaying demons in full glory mode. Grinning to himself as he pictured the awesome battle scenes she must have been in, he almost forgot to leave a message. âOh, hey, uh, Kane here. Things have got kinda hectic, so uh, mind if we have the dinner at my place instead? When Yohan turns up at your place, you can just head over to my dorm building. If you need directions or anything, gimme a call back, okay? See you at six!â Hanging up, Kane peered out to the kitchen, and was a little stunned to see that Erica was already finished with chopping the vegetables and grinding up the other bits and pieces. All thirteen of them. Wow, she worked fast.
Plumbing in the speed dial, there was just one more person he thought he better inviteâŠ
Candice Hallows
âCandice speaking.â Picking up her office phone and slotting it between her shoulder and ear, Candice continued signing through the paperwork on her desk before a pleasant voice filled her ear. âHi mum, itâs me Kane. You uh, you busy tonight?â Candice looked over to the clock on the wall, then back to her stack of papers. âYeah, Iâve got a long one tonight. Some things have come up, and I have to prepare for a special training session starting tomorrow.â Answering truthfully, Candice felt it was appropriate not to get his hopes up, even if it was a little painful to hear his sigh on the other end.
âOh⊠You sure? I mean, youâll still need to eat, and Iâm having this dinner at my place-â Candice stepped in to interrupt him. âIâm sorry Kane, but this canât really wait. Iâm glad youâre getting a chance to socialise though.â Smiling a little at the prospect of Kane making some friends, Candice stopped herself a moment as she realised sheâd almost started writing what she was saying on the phone. âIf thatâs all, Iâll have to be going. Thank you for the offer though Kane.â She added, vaguely curious why there was such a long pause on the other end. Finally, Kane replied. âYeah, okay mum. I understand, Iâll say you give Auntie Rinne your regards.â Candice blinked a bit, dropping her pen. Sighing, she pinched the brow of her nose, shutting her eyes as she rubbed it. âSheâs going to be there, is she?â
âYep, she stopped by just a moment ago. But uh, donât worry, weâll have plenty of fun-â Candice hissed a bit in annoyance, a trait of hers that Kane was entirely used to when she was deliberating on something hard for her. Kane waited, letting the silence hang in the air. Twirling the phone cord in her hand, Candice didnât speak for some time. Finally however, Kane heard the words he knew would be coming. ââŠWhat time is dinner?â