Runelords 16.1 - Awkward

Luna was sitting at the writing desk in the room she shared with Shadliss, scribbling out some runes and making the final preparations to finish Aldern’s amulet, when the younger woman walked in. Luna paid her no mind, focused on her work, and so didn’t notice her make a wincing face, moving timidly towards the dresser she had claimed for her things. She opened and closed a few drawers, looking for the shawl she had come in the room for, before clearing her throat and saying, “Hey, Luna?”
“M-hmm?” she intoned, still focused on her work.
She scuffed her foot, “Uhm...so...how did you meet Virgil, again?”
“He kept showing up at my workplace,” Luna replied simply, writing away. “He claims to know someone there, the doctor. I guess you’d call him the founder of the organization I work for? But I’ve never seen him with him or anything. He just shows up every once in a while, and causes problems.”
Shadliss made a quiet noise of affirmation, nodding her head slowly. “So…” she drew out the word. “I...kinda know...about what he is?”
Luna paused for a second before shaking her head, “Yeah, I guess Romeo told you, didn’t he?”
“Yeah…And Virgil explained...”
Looking over her shoulder towards the younger girl, Luna offered, “I really, really am sorry for shooting at Romeo. It was a spell, but still. I need to apologize to him again when I see him.”
“Yeah, that’s...that’s fine, it was magic, not your fault…” Shadliss said warily. Luna didn’t seem to notice her strange behaviour though, turning back to her work. Biting her lip, Shadliss worked up her courage and said, “So, um...he told me...about everyone...being different…”
The meaning of her sentence hit Luna immediately, and she froze for a second before beginning to tap the end of her pen against the paper, eyes staring fixedly down at the desk but seeing nothing. “Oh. I see. Ok.”
“I just…” With a sharp inhale of breath, Shadliss spit out quickly, “I’m really sorry, but I have to ask: do you eat people?”
Luna’s response was flat, “No. No I do not.”
Shadliss gave a small sigh of relief. “Ok. What...do you eat?”
“Animals,” she said, tone flat. “Chickens, usually. Rabbits. Other birds.”
Nodding, Shadliss said, “Ok...ok. That’s not weird. We eat those, when we can afford it.”
“And before it comes up:” she added, “I don’t catch things wild, and I don’t eat people’s pets.”
“Oh. Um, ok…” Shadliss acknowledged warily, unsure of what brought that on. “Where...uh, where do you get them then?”
“I raise chickens, when I'm at home.”
“Like a farmer!” Shadliss said, desperately glad for the normalcy of the statement.
Luna kept tapping her pen, staring with her head down, “Not...that many, but I suppose. I just keep chickens in my backyard. I’ve been buying them from a butcher here.”
“That’s good! Great. Neat. Yeah,” she said, entirely aware of the awkwardness of the conversation.
“Mmm…” Luna said. They were both silent for a moment, Luna having put down her pen, moving her hands into her lap, still staring at the desk, unable to look at Shadliss. “I’m sorry,” she offered eventually, voice low. “It’s not fair to you, that you were sharing a room with me and didn’t know…”
“Oh! Uhm, it’s fine,” she said hesitantly. “I...get why.”
“I can leave,” she continued. “I understand it’s uncomfortable. I...wouldn’t want to sleep in a room with me either.”
“No, no!” she said quickly. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine, really.”
Luna wrung her hands under the desk, “Don’t feel like you have to pretend, if it’s upsetting. I understand, really. Most everyone doesn’t take it well, I get it. I’m used to it. It’s fine. I can go to another room, it’s no problem.”
“No, no no. Really!” Shadliss’ tone was fast, made a bit shrill from the awkwardness of the subject. “It was just...surprising! I’m sorry. I...had to ask, that’s all. But it’s fine! I’m fine with it. Really!” Luna made a small, noncommittal noise. Shadliss shuffled back and forth a bit, twisting her shawl around. “Well, uhm, I’m going to go...but we should do something later. Go shopping again. Tomorrow? We should go shopping again tomorrow.”
Still staring blankly at the paper in front of her, Luna muttered, “You don’t need to pretend…”
“I’m not! Really! I want to!”
“...Ok…” 
Shadliss stood there for another moment, rocking back and forth on her heels, before saying, “Well...great! I’ll...see you later.” With that, she turned and scuttled away, fleeing from the painful conversation. Luna sat motionless for some time before she continued to write, turning her attentions back to her work. She’d clean up her things afterwards, to change rooms; it wasn’t the first time someone had assured her it was fine when it wasn’t.
Category:Rise of the Runelords