[Atoli01]

Ugh. I could feel the atmosphere growing tenser by the second. It was amazing how much of a difference Kusu made. I mean, she was acting like she had known Rufus for years! And then there's just... me. Someone who was still stuck in the past. Someone who was just reliving the news of that fateful day over and over again. It just went to show you how easily everything could change, how easily you could lose everything. I didn't want that to happen again. I was afraid of having that happen again. I was afraid of getting close to this girl, and then just losing her later on.

Her reply sent me out of my thoughts however, much to my relief. Grabbing a bite of food wouldn't kill anyone, would it? "Same here, I suppose. There's a pretty good burger..." What would you call it? "place? I dunno, but they have good burgers. Do you eat burgers?"

[jobiehanna]

Rufus watched Ellie intently as she waited for his response. He seemed to be in a different place altogether for a moment before he answered her question. She giggled, "Yeah, of course," she said with a smile. His slight stumble seemed to soften the mood a bit, and Rufus found herself trying to not let herself get any more uncomfortable. "Where is it?" She asked the question curiously. Rufus was so not used to this place, so she was glad to have someone with her to help her navigate. Who knew what kind of trouble she would have been in other wise.

{4.16}

[Atoli01]

"It's not far. A five minute walk, maybe? Just follow me," I replied, sitting up from the bench. Honestly, part of me was relieved she wanted to go. Food always lightened any atmoshpere, and it was one of the only restaurants around here that I actually liked. Although I didn't have much room to be too picky with my pay, the restaurants in Aldrect were all much better. In my opinion, at least. "I'll pay," I said to her under my breath. I had said that I wouldn't pay for anything, but it was food rather than clothes. Plus, I suppose that it was only polite. So with that, I walked out of the store and started down the street. I knew she'd be following close behind soon enough.

[jobiehanna]

"Oh, alright," Rufus said happily. She was glad the place was not far away because she wasn't sure how well a long walk would go. Would it get even more uncomfortable? She chased the thoughts away, instead concentrating on what Ellie had said. He'd pay for her? Rufus was completely caught off guard by the offer. "Well, I um," she began to say. But before she could finish her sentence he was out the door. Should she tell him she could pay for herself or let it go? Or would it be impolite to refuse? She was unsure, but she followed after him nonetheless. She followed closely behind him as he walked toward the place. "Um, thanks," she said quietly as they walked.

{4.17}

[Atoli01]

"It... it's nothing." I waved my hand back and forth as to signal the same thing, though I partially hoped that it would cover for my stumbling. Even if it was only a little bit. I sighed; this girl was going to be the death of me, I knew it, especially if Kusu kept hanging around her like she wanted to. Rufus surely had a life too however, and me and Kusu were part of a traveling circus. I wouldn't have to put up with an outsider for much longer. Even Miley got on my nerves a lot of the time, and I had known her for years. I had known her even longer than Kusu, in fact. Either way... "What's your favorite food, Rufus?" I asked her. I slowed down my pace so that I was almost side by side with her. Might as well try to at least play friendly.

[jobiehanna]

Rufus offered a friendly smile. She was glad Ellie didn't mind paying for her, despite his earlier statement of not buying anything for her or Kusu this evening. She was also glad that Ellie had decided to walk beside her because she was having a hard time keeping up with him. "Hmmmm... Well, I like lots of food, it's hard to pick a favorite," Rufus said thoughtfully. She put a hand to her head in a thinking position. "I'd have to say ice cream," she said with a laugh. "Black raspberry ice cream, that is," she said happily. It wasn't really a food, but it was something you ate. "What about you?"

{4.18}

[Atoli01]

"Well, if ice cream counts, then so do lollipops. I guess it's a little childish, but I really do love them," I replied. I think candy was even less of a food than ice cream was. "Although, considering most normal restaurants don't serve lollipops -- as a meal, at least -- I would have to say..." I paused for a minute or two, thinking. To be honest, I never really considered what my real favorite food would be. Real meaning something that's not junk food, of course. I only ever really ate what people threw on my plate. Again, no room to be too picky. I never really took all that much notice as to what I was actually eating. "Pasta," I said suddenly. "Any kind, really. I'm not too picky."

[jobiehanna]

"Lollipops count," Rufus said with a laugh. "It's good to have a little bit of kid in you," she added with a smile. It was neat to know that Ellie still liked something as childish as lollipops. Maybe the evening wouldn't be as bad as she had started to think once Kusu had left. The silence that filled the air now wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as it had been moments ago.

"Oooo, pasta is good," she said in agreement. "I guess if I had to pick a real food it'd be... um... shrimp," Rufus added. Then she laughed, "I have to admit though, I love sweets," she added.

{4.19}

[Atoli01]

"Shrimp is okay. I only really like it breaded. And with sauce. The more sauce the better." Just act like you don't mind hanging out with her. I was doing a pretty good job at it, if I don't say so myself. If I was anything less than perfect to her I'm sure Kusu would somehow find out, and I would never, ever  hear the end of that. That girl was always dragging me into the oddest--and in cases like this, the the most annoying--situations of all.

"Oh. We're here," I said to her, holding the door open. Truth be told, I didn't even realize we were here already until I nearly walked right into the glass door. Sally's Burgers. What an original name. It had original burgers though, that was for sure. "How many guests?" I heard the girl at the door ask us. "Two." She smiled at me and Rufus. "Right this way, sir."

[jobiehanna]

"I like it all kinds of ways," Rufus said with a smile. "I especially like it breaded though, or just plain. Both with the sauce, of course," she added. She felt like she was talking too much, but she couldn't stop herself. She liked talking as long as there was something to talk about. And Ellie seemed to be more welcoming of their conversations now anyway.

"That was quick," Rufus commented. She hadn't realized the place was so close. When they reached the door she followed Ellie in. As the girl led them to a table, Rufus followed.

{5.20}

[Atoli01]

"Here! You two can take a seat here," the brunette beamed, clumsily placing our menus on the table in front of our respective seats. I nodded, slightly confused, at the entire situation. A newbie? The wave of exasperation would continue to dig it's claws right into me, wouldn't it? Could anything go how it should? Ever? I would give the younger girl the benefit of the doubt, however. She was barely out of high school from the looks of that, and even that was with my rather... limited generosity being taken into account.

"I'll take some water," I told her curtly. "And make sure to put lemon in it, too. It's better that way, I'd say." I had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes and she fumbled with her order book in an obvious panic. "And what might you want, little miss?" She appeared to be completely and utterly oblivious to my recognition of her faults. Like hell people didn't notice the negative aspects about you like you yourself did. That wasn't true in my case, anyway. Were things like those really that hard to single out to others?

[jobiehanna]

Rufus took her seat across from Ellie. "I'd like a water too please," she said kindly. "No lemon," she added with a smile. She tried to be as kind as she could, seeing as Ellie didn't seem to understand how nerve-wracking it was to waitress. The waitress wrote the order down and left to put their order through.

Then Rufus glared at Ellie from across the table. She hadn't realized how much he didn't seem to care about others. "You could pretend to be nice," she commented with a smile. She'd at least try to be nice, she couldn't back out now.

[Atoli01]

Was it bad, was it rotten of me to scoff in the innocent, unknowing girl's face? That was my first reaction to those words that she had spoken. "Pretend, pretend, pretend-- It's all I do anymore!" Really, did society truly expect you to simply put don some sort of unwavering masquerade mask and keep that oh-so-treasured (apparently) smile that people so adored? I digress however. Doing just that had allowed me to stay as one with the world's population, though such had certainly come at a cost to my mental health. Were my allocated funds in that field running low? Was my facade finally beginning to crack? My flaws beginning to play peek-a-boo with complete strangers?

"If a person's incompetent, shouldn't they at least know such?" My voice had been steadied since my previous outburst, and reached an unchanging, seemingly emotionless tone. "If you don't tell a kid that they're supposed to eat with a spoon instead of their hands, wouldn't the pathetic thing just continue using it's hands?"

A far-fetched metaphor, though such a thing surely made sense.

[jobiehanna]

Well, she didn't expect him to get all upset like that. "You don't have to get so upset," Rufus told him coolly, her eyes narrowing. The smile disappeared, and she honestly felt a little offended by his outburst. Did he not understand what the poor girl was probably going through? She may be new, or she was trying to improve herself by doing something she was afraid of (such as waiting on strangers). Maybe it was the only job around. Rufus felt nothing but sympathy for the young female and she let her thoughts be known.

"She's not incompetent. She's probably learning. Maybe she's nervous, having to wait on someone like you," she told him with a scowl. She didn't know if her comment would hurt the guy, but part of her wished it did. She was trying to play nice, but there was something about Ellie that made her want to slap him now. She wished Kusu was here, but knew she'd have to at least try to get along with the man. He'd seemed so nice on the walk here, but it seemed like he just had no tolerance for others and their flaws.

She rolled her eyes at the metaphor. "That's different. She probably heard enough about her flaws already. I just don't think they need to be pointed out," Rufus said in a calmer tone. She would control her emotions. "There's just some things that don't need to be said. Encouragement would go further in this situation. Encourage her to do better, don't treat her like she'd dirt because she's nervous or whatever," Rufus finished and crossed her arms across her chest.