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 Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:28 am
Early the next morning there was a note left underneath a certain werewolf's door that had only a few scant sentences written on it in a familiar script:
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:56 am
Morning was probably not the best time for secret notes to be slipped under her door. Nor was morning a good time for said slipped notes to draw the attention of her minipets. Or one minipet in particular. The little terror of a mimic had discovered the note before LW had even started to wake up. Clearly, he knew this would be something for his lady master. Even more clear was what he should do with said note.
So it wasn't until evening hours had rolled around and the she-wolf had finally returned to her room after running around the campus for a while with Austin that morning as was usual for them. Then heading out to the Maul and hang with her brothers. She hadn't really made any plans to do anything else beyond that and when trying to think of something had failed, the she-wolf and her trusty hazmutt had returned to her dorm. Where they found a few pieces of paper laying around on her pillows.
Further investigation revealed there was something written on said pieces of paper. Or rather...a note that had been ripped apart. It would be mostly legible....if she got all the pieces back. And she definitely tried, though it wasn't until one particular piece caught her attention. Ren? The note was from Ren?
"BB!" She growled and dove for the little pain in the a**. Go figure, the piece he had clamped in his jaws was the important part. With a time and place to meet. "Give me that right now!"
She had not seen or heard from her best friend much since summer had rolled around upon their graduation to second years. And now, he had left a note for her, wanting to hang?
....why had he left a note? That wasn't like him. Was he embarrassed over something and couldn't face her? But the note was asking for her help. Well, whatever it was, she'd gladly go help her best friend.
After much wrestling with her mimic, a few sore fingers and tail, the she-wolf had finally gotten enough pieces to tape the note back together and read it. And curse as she realized she only had about ten minutes until 8PM. She quickly moved into gear after that, glaring at Billy Bob as she darted about, changing into something nicer than...well her current clothes that had small rips in it. And yes, Ren had seen her in much worse (or less) clothing before, but she wanted to at least look good for him! After all, she hadn't seen him for what felt like forever! Which could probably also explain the suddenly giddy feeling she had. Maybe.
Finally, LW found herself outside of the gryphon's door but she hadn't entered yet. Why did she feel...well what did she feel? Shy perhaps? Some funny feeling, that was for sure. But this was Ren, jackdammit! Taking a breath, tail swinging from side to side in excitement at seeing her best friend again, LW gave a couple knocks and slipped into his room.
"Sorry, I know I'm a few minutes late...Ren?" Her nose wrinkled, violet eyes glancing around the familiar room as she walked further in. When was the last time she'd actually come up to visit him? And where was said Him at? LW frowned a little, but couldn't help but smile at the mini's she saw. It had been too long, in her opinion, since she'd been in here.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:33 pm
While LW was busy running around with Austin, Ren was busy running around trying to get everything ready for his big night. After sitting down at his desk and determinedly writing out a plan to confess to the person who he had liked for some time (which had taken much longer than it should have, at least in Ren's opinion) he had had to go out to fetch supplies.
Which, again in Ren's opinion, also too much longer than it should have.
"I'M LATE."
That was an understatement; it was nearly eight thirty by the time Ren came running back across the school grounds, holding his hands against the stitch in his side (in his haste, he seemed to have forgotten that to fly would have probably been faster). Finally he reached the monster dorms, gasping for breath and hoping that his helper for the evening had not been waiting for too long. After all, he needed LW to make his plan to confess work, and who better to ask than the shewolf, his best friend?
Standing outside, below his window, Ren did not bother flying up to the second floor to meet her. Instead he cupped his hands around his mouth, took a deep breath, and hollered "ELLLLLL DOUUUBBBLEEE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" at the top of his lungs.
He probably scared the wits out of anyone else sitting in their dorms, but that was beside the point.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:58 pm
After figuring out that no, the gryphon was not in his room, she felt much better about running a few minutes late. And when Ren didn't show up right away, LW had shrugged and sat on his bed to visit with some of his minipets. Before she could really say hi to any of them though, one particular minipet claimed her attention by firmly planting himself in her lap. The she-wolf laughed gave Rhys an affectionate scratch behind the ears.
"Hello little terror. I've missed you too!" For as much of a pain as his master thought he was (and yes, LW would admit Rhys had his days) the little lepus had held a soft spot in her. And he always seemed to like seeing her when she came to visit. "You've been behaving, right?" She got the innocent, 'DUH' look and snorted. But another minipet had wiggled under her tail to curl against her side. Err, make that two. One on each side. LW laughed at them. "Don't think I didn't forget about you, Phantomhive. Or you either Takashiro."
Was she expecting the sudden holler of her name? Nope. Did it totally startle her (and probably several other students that clearly would have heard it). Jack damn it did! LW jumped a little, of course, followed by a small squeak and a curse as she lilted to the side far too much...and fell off the bed, Rhys falling with her. At least her tail cushioned them. "Who gets first shot at him, me or you?" She asked the lepus conversationally, rolling to her feet and very cautiously approaching the window. Why was Ren shouting at her from down there? She was growing confused by his strange behavior. Then again...maybe he was being too lazy to walk (or fly) up to his room?
The she-wolf stuck her head out and spotted the familiar freckled face she so adored. Seeing him, she couldn't hold on to any of the confusion or concerns that were building that maybe something had happened she didn't know about. Like always, seeing her best friend made her feel warm and all she could do was smile at him. "Y'know, kitten. If you'd wanted me to meet you down there instead of up here, you could have said so in your note." She teased him. "Would have saved your lungs at least."
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:19 pm
He could have just gone up the stairs to his room, he supposed, but that would defeat the purpose of his careful planning, since they weren't going to be staying in his room. And besides, the stitch in his side was still throbbing irritatingly, and he was breathing quite a bit more heavily than he should have been (I really need to get out and exercise more, Ren thought ruefully).
"Good evening, Little Wolfe," he said cheerfully, grinning up at her as he shaded his eyes to look skyward, the rapidly setting sun casting streaks of orange, red, and violet across the sky and over the school grounds. "I see you got my note; glad to know that BB didn't eat it, though now that I think of it, he probably maimed it pretty badly."
Ren paused, wondering how he was going to go about this. He did need her help quite badly, though his mind seemed to be one giant mass of confusion, determination, and something else he couldn't make out. Forcing himself to think only of the concrete plan he had in mind, Ren's eyes moved back to LW.
"I could have flown up," he said with a noncommittal shrug. "But we're not going to be working up there, so I didn't feel like walking up."
He held out his arms. "Jump down," he said, eyes sparkling with mischief. There was a small pause, and then he added, a warm smile on his face, "Don't be scared; I'm here to catch you."
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:50 pm
LW just gave him a look. "Why good evening, Ren. Yes. Yes I found your note. Or pieces of it. That I had to tape back together in order to read it." She didn't mention the nipped fingers or the tail she finally bribed BB with. He'd probably figure that stuff out on his own though. Ren was probably the only one - Gabrian aside - that knew her minipets as well as she did.
The she-wolf watched her best friend, looking him over to make sure there were no new injuries. He was...well he was being himself yes. But LW still felt like something was a little off. That he seemed to be acting a little strange. It worried her. Especially since she hadn't seen much of him lately.
"You could have." She agreed. "And we aren't, are we? Is that why Rhys is pouting? Because I won't be staying up here?"
Violet eyes blinked down at him when he spread his arms and told her to 'jump down'. LW crossed her own and stared at him. Jump down? Okay...that was a new one. "You're kidding...right?" He didn't look like it. And that damn smile....! LW glanced between him, herself, the window and the ground. Well, she'd done worse things than jump out of a window into her best friends waiting arms...right? Right.
"If I break something, I'm kicking your fuzzy freckled butt." She informed the gryphon, grabbing the sides of the window and managing to crouch on the sill. Oh Jack, what if he missed? But I trust him to catch me. Sighing heavily to herself, the she-wolf jumped.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 6:37 pm
He recognized that Look; it was the Look that clearly said you are ridiculous, but I put up with you anyway because we're best friends. It was quite a familiar Look, one that Ren received pretty much on a daily basis; not just from LW, but from Gabrian and Alessa as well, sometimes even Jove too.
"I see BB had a nice dinner, then," Ren said, grinning cheekily up at the shewolf.
He felt as if it had been a long time since he had seen his best friend; over the summer Ren had spent most of his time at the school while the others went home. Except for a very brief time when Ren had gone back to his childhood house himself, he had, for the most part, had a very quiet and secluded summer break. But now he was very happy to see the shewolf - very happy indeed.
He waved a hand in a noncommittal fashion. "Rhys is pouting because he always pouts," Ren said. "That's nothing new."
His expression when LW asked if he was joking was clearly one of bemusement. "Why would I joke?" he asked her, eyes wide and innocent. "Come on; I promise I'll catch you.
"And you won't break anything," Ren promised. He steeled himself, arms outstretched, and just as LW was climbing through the window, he bent his knees, half crouching. Then, with a burst of speed and a flap of great, wide wings he took off suddenly, meeting LW mid-jump and catching her in his arms, soaring up into the sky. Stray feathers flew in every direction, the crescent-shaped moon looking huge and bright in the evening sky, and Ren skimmed over the treetops of the forest, moving in a wide arc.
"I require your assistance with something, my dear friend," he said.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:09 pm
Ohhhhh was he going to be getting more of that Look later on, she swore it! The cheeky response and innocent expressions were total warning signs the gryphon was up to something! Not that she hadn't already suspected it before, but those just seemed to confirm her suspicions.
She'd given said 'pouting' lepus and final pat and a quick goodbye before she'd jumped from the window.
And squeaked when Ren not only caught her, but flew up and caught her! He couldn't have warned her before hand? Of course not. It was Ren. And he was lucky she loved him as much as she did. Otherwise he'd have been getting an earful. Maybe. More like attempted earful...oh screw it. She loved flying with him.
"You, mister, have some explaining to do." She informed him, arms wrapped lightly around his neck. "And please tell me that this 'assistance' won't involve anymore jumps from windows?" LW teased him before giving her best friend a hug. "I missed you, ya overgrown turkey!" Her gaze took in the sight of the forest below them. It really was an amazing sight from this height. She still loved running through it much more, but this...this was nice.
"So, what is it you 'require my assistance' with?" She managed to pull her gaze away from the landscape and back to Ren. And then blinked, really getting a good look at him. He was still her best friend, but like her, there were small changes. Subtle, but they were there. Signs they had both made it to second year. "Your hair grew out!" Of course she noticed this, and pointed it out. She'd always liked his golden strands.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:55 pm
It was through flying that Ren felt the most free; the wind that rifled through his long hair, slipping through his wings, the scent of fresh grass and sky and trees. Everything about the outdoors (with the notable exception of anything involving water) was soothing to Ren, reassuring and familiar. He loved the feel of the clouds as they brushed against his skin, damp and tingling, and as he soared higher he could almost taste the moisture in the air.
"I always have some explaining to do, don't I?" he answered LW cheekily, flapping his wings once before letting himself glide towards the left, moving above the school in one wide circle. "I am, of course, quite mischievous in my own way.
"And you noticed," Ren added with a smile, tossing his head so that the golden brown locks fell back against his shoulders. "I figured I'd try out a new look; see how things went. That, and I was too lazy to cut it."
He swooped around for a few more moments, just enjoying the view and the feel of the wind before dropping several feet, slowly descending towards their destination - the school roof.
"I require your assistance with something very crucial," he said, landing nimbly on the cement top and walking a few steps before he lowered LW to the ground, absently patting down her back to smooth her shirt, ruffled from their flight. "You see, I've recently realized something very important about a certain someone, but I can't seem to put my feelings into words without actually having help. A little pathetic, but there you have it.
"However," Ren said, and gestured with a flourish to his left, where a small table for two was set up, a silk tablecloth and china dishes set neatly on its top. "I figured we should eat while we talk. Sit, sit," he said, and pulled out her chair for her.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:35 pm
LW gave him the grace of letting him see her eyes roll. "Yes. You do. Ninety-nine percent of the time at least." She gave him an equally cheeky smile. "Also yes. But you could use a little more practice with that mischievous side. Good thing you know someone who is a master of mischief!" The she-wolf teased.
She watched those golden locks play in the wind, once again having that urge to run her fingers through Ren's hair. It really was lovely and had always been one of her favorite things about the gryphon. His freckles were the topper though. "Of course I noticed! I'm your best friend. Why wouldn't notice something like that?" LW looked back at him. "Too lazy, huh? Well. I like it. It's a good look for you."
The she-wolf went back to watching everything around them from this new height, enjoying the feel of the wind against her skin, rushing through her hair, even along the fur of her tail. She hadn't thought a land creature like herself could enjoy flying so much. LW definitely was going to have to make Ren fly with her more often.
When he angled towards the roof of the school, her curiosity started to get the better of her. Why were they here if he needed help? Was this a spot he thought better? Something crucial? LW felt an eyebrow slowly lift as her violet eyes stared at him. Which was much easier to do without being distracted when he set her down. Except he was fussing over her, hands patting down her back to straighten her shirt. Tail flicking, LW crossed her arms and stared. Realized something important about a certain someone? LW felt her eyes widen a little. Did he mean...
"Don't you normally practice this sort of thing with Gabe?" She asked, confused and trying to figure out what her best friend wasn't saying. "Or...Jack don't tell me Alessa and I had it right all along!" Her lips twitched at this thought. It wouldn't shock her that much either. And would explain why he had turned to her for help.
Yet...yet he'd never done anything like this with her before. Sure they had gone out and dined together. But that had been to restaurants. Not something that seemed more...personal? Intimate? LW was even more confused now and felt a faint flush to her cheeks. Tail curling a little around her legs, the she-wolf hesitantly moved towards the chair he had pulled out for her. Sitting carefully with her tail now tightly curled around the front of her legs, she looked at the table and it's contents before raising her eyes to Ren. "O-Okay...?" Eat and talk. She could do that. So why did she suddenly feel funny?
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:09 am
Ren, who was still running through his carefully constructed plan inside his head, didn't hear LW at first. His brain was working fast to try and figure out just what he was going to do later, and he wanted everything just right for when he actually confessed. LW's cooperation would be crucial, however, and after a few moments he realized he'd been somewhat lost in his thoughts, and the full weight of what the shewolf had said slammed into him
He gave a splutter, his face reddening. "We're - we're not talking about the snake right now," Ren said, attempting to change the subject. He coughed, attempting to conceal the faint red that dusted over his cheeks, beneath his freckles, and shooed LW towards the table. Once she was sitting, he moved around to sit across from her, snapping out his napkin and laying it in his lap.
"Now," Ren said, pushing a plate of pasta towards LW and dragging a bowl of salad towards himself, taking a generous helping. He poured salad dressing across it, stuck his fork in, and took a bite, chewing absently as he tried to figure out how to proceed.
"Okay," he said. "Here's the deal. I told you I've realized something important about someone - someone close to me."
A pause. Ren floundered for the right words. "Well, okay, this isn't quite how I planned...hmm."
Another pause. He took another bite of his salad, tapping the side of his face with one long finger, his tail flicking beneath him and curling into his lap. Behind him, his wings fluttered, pressing against his back. They had grown significantly larger over the summer; his growth spurt had also made its way to his more gryphon-like features, and slowly, dark spots had started to streak over the pale brown feathers.
"Okay," Ren said again. "Okay. So. If you found out you sort of...well, liked someone in...in that way...how would you go about confessing to them?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:15 am
Apparently, he was really thinking hard about whatever it was that he wanted to talk about. So much so (and it worried her a little that he was thinking that hard) the gryphon didn't hear her right away. Which was both amusing and annoying. Just what was with the turkey? Oh wait, there was a Ren reaction she knew. The reddening of cheeks that darkened the freckles around his face. Difficulty finishing sentences. She'd gotten on that one.
Sitting and watching him, she of course, didn't drop it right away. "What? Are you saying our darling nix isn't good enough?" Now she was teasing. Sort of. The she-wolf was trying her best to follow just what in Jack's name was going on. She could not think of any other time that Ren had been so....so, determined? Was that the right word for it? Determined to see that whatever he had 'planned' this evening went right? Including this talk and help he needed?
The plate of pasta drew her eyes and LW felt her lips twitch and eyes flash with familiar mischief. Poking at the pasta with her fork, she shot the gryphon across from her a look. "Did you cook this? 'Cause, you know, I've been warned about some of our cooking before~" Just to add on to this and be the she-wolf she was, LW very cautiously took a small bite in experimentation. It was actually very good.
"Yes...." He'd said it and hinted towards it a few times now. "And this requires my help...how?"
She stole a few more bites before he finally managed to spit it out. And it was meant with silence on her end. Violet eyes regarded him as the she-wolf thought over his words and only felt her confusion and...something else get worse. Why was he asking her of all people? Alright yes, she was one of his closest friends. Yes she knew him as well as she knew herself. And yes, they shared personal things with one another. But asking her for help with anything involving relationships?! How did she answer that?
Simple. Answer in honesty using herself as the example and her thoughts on it. There was no other way she could think to answer.
LW hadn't realized she'd stopped eating to twirl the fork slowly back and forth in her pasta while she thought. Nor did she know how long she was actually quiet for. But when she did meet that golden gaze, she gave her best friend that warm smile of hers. "You tell them, kitten. Tell them how you feel with honest feelings. Even if you can't get it out right, just speak with what you feel is right from here," she pointed at her chest...and heart.
Waiting a beat, she added, "BUT, I am obviously no expert in this and think you should have asked the nix. He has more experience." For the most part. Unless it's said Nix we are talking about. Which would explain the blush earlier. But...it still didn't explain this dinner. And that was what kept throwing her off.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:30 am
"I said we're not discussing our darling nix," said Ren primly, but the blush was still clearly evident on his face. Gabrian's voice, warm and familiar, came floating back into his head again, along with the trademark smirk that implied he knew very well what Ren was thinking.
"I recruited some, er...help with dinner," he answered evasively. "Don't worry, it's safe to eat."
Which clearly meant he'd bothered Alessa until she'd agreed to help him.
He wondered if she felt uncomfortable. LW was his best friend, after all, and he came to her for anything and everything, but he was not quite certain they had ever actually talked about...well, this. Relationships. Their own relationships with their significant others had both ended, but when they had been together they hadn't ever had to talk about it. Things had just sort of...fallen in place without actually needing to talk about it.
Ren's eyes flickered towards LW's hand, ignoring the snort of laughter that threatened to rise in his throat before he met the shewolf's eyes again. LW was right; she was not an expert, but she was endlessly entertaining and probably more helpful than she realized she was.
"Stop bringing up Gabrian," Ren said, brushing his fingers briefly over his warm face, willing with every fiber for the blush to go away. He looked down at his food, frowning slightly as he contemplated.
"Okay," he said slowly, absently forking a piece of lettuce into his mouth, a carefully measured expression on his face as he looked over at LW. "So you'd tell them. Just straight out. You'd just say to their face...'I like you.'
A pause.
"Just like that. Right? You'd just say...'I like you?'"
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:54 am
She giggled. The she-wolf couldn't help it. He was getting so, not quite huffy over the topic of Gabe, but something close to it. Which begged the question, if this all really was about one particular nix, would he really be acting...this way? Curse this confusing conversation!
"Help?" She mused. With reddish brown hair, teal eyes, and great cooking skills. No wonder the pasta tasted good. And it made no different to the she-wolf on who actually made it. It was the thought that counted and all that.
LW had finally relaxed enough that her tail wasn't so tightly wrapped around her legs, even though she was still confused and felt like she was a few steps behind on where exactly Ren was going with all this. He was her best and closest friend. Even if she wasn't all too helpful in this sort of situation, she would do her best for him. Skulls there were a lot of things she'd do for Ren. Because he was her best friend and she cared for him.
"Alright, alright. I won't." Okay she might, but not right now. "Did you know," she added casually to shift from 'Gabrian' to 'other topics', "That the freckles on your face darken when you blush?"
She stared right back at him, trying to read his expression to see what exactly he wanted her to say. Tilting her head in that canine fashion, she threw a question right back at him. "Ren, how do you feel when saying it like that? Does it feel right? Feel lame? You're using your brain too much, turkey. Just let whatever comes out, come out."
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:04 am
Ren studiously ignored LW's giggle, knowing full well what she was probably insinuating in her head. Instead he attempted to regain some of his dignity by scooping more lettuce into his mouth, which did not exactly help since both he and LW knew full well just who had actually prepared the food for the evening.
LW's face was a mask of confusion, her dark eyes looking at him closely. "Hey," he said, a mock scowl crossing his lips, but thankfully the blush had faded. "We're not talking about that either. My freckles are what they are, dork."
She was now staring at him in utter bemusement, and Ren had to stifle another mad urge to laugh. She was so serious, the shewolf; so clueless at times that it made him want to just ruffle her hair like a little kid and pinch her cheeks and give her a lollipop for being good.
"Hm," he said, resisting the urge to do exactly that, since it was LW and he wasn't about to be that obnoxious. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, then ran a hand through his long hair, pushing back the golden brown strands from his face. "Well. It feels...pretty good, actually. But I'm not entirely certain saying it straight out is enough..."
Musing to himself, Ren's eyes cut across the table towards LW again, and a small smile graced his face. "Just let it out, then?" he repeated, as if contemplating this. "Yes, I think that's just about right."
And then, pushing himself to his feet, Ren stood, leaned across the table, took LW's face between his hands, and kissed her soundly on the mouth.
Then he leaned back enough so that he could see into her eyes, smiled brightly, and said "Is that straightforward enough for you?"
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