Bad luck: The great switcheroo! [Anthy]

[Lucas Blacke]

When he took the final sip of his water he had ordered due to the fear alcohol making him fuck it all up before anything really happened he beamed a smile across the table. The silence that had fallen wasn't an uncomfortable one, it was one of enjoyment. Both the food and, in Luke's case, the fact he was close to someone this pretty and didn't ruin it by being his mopey self made it bearable. This date was what he needed even if it ended in nothing which he was afraid it might, but it was fun none the less. He had needed to get out and have some harmless fun without any negative consequence. Of course he had hoped he'd get something more out of the endeavor, like a second date or something, but just being able to be himself was more than enough to get him out of the rut he had been in. These past few months had been nothing more than a scripted period that he needed to get out of. And when someone asked him to go do something some day he was far enough that he agreed to it, and right now he was glad that he did.



''Y'know.'' He began as he slightly played around with his fork as the flame of the candle danced around in front of him. ''I'm really glad I said yes, I'd never think this could be so much fun. I'm really enjoyin' this date.'' He said with a smile wider than his mouth would allow, he was even scared it'd make him look creepy but this was one of those smiles he couldn't force back down no matter how hard he tried.



''I know it's a bit early to start thinkin' about this, but I think I'd like it if I could see ya again.'' He told her. ''Outside of school, mind you.'' He jokingly added as he put his glass of water back down on the table and looked at the beauty in front of him finish her meal. He had finished some time ago mainly because he was able to make his hands do all the work without thinking about it.



When she finally did finish they got up and got their coats, opening their way out and walking a bit before Luke finally decided to go for it. ''I- uh.. I think I'm startin' to like ya.'' He stammered. ''Like, like-like ya, Anth-''



He slammed his hands in front of his mouth as his eyes widened.

He'd fucked up.



Luckily, even if he didn't realize it, he was sleeping. Sadly for him he was having a very lucid dream and for some reason it involved Anthy. Maybe because she was the one who was there for him when he had broken down due to the whole Karalie thing. She really did help him over it if just slightly.



''I.. Uh.. I..'' He stammered before waking up on the couch in the middle of the lounge.

[Anthy Blacksmith]

Where The Red Ferns Grow. Despite being about a pair of dogs, it was a surprisingly emotional story and even if she had read it before, she found herself wanting to read it again. Maybe she was a dog person, she didn't know. It would make sense with her fear of kittens and house-cats, wouldn't it? Either way, she made her way from her room and to the student lounge with the book in hand.

She had been spending less time in her room since her quest to gain friends, though, there had been a brief setback when her burns hadn't been healed enough for her to move around properly. Right now, she still was on the mend but it wasn't to the point where walking around and sitting was too much of a pain. It caught her attention with discomfort sometimes, but for the most part she was able to tune it out in a way. Anthy was still wearing long sleeves and pants though to cover the bandages she still wore.

The covering up she had been doing for the last week might have been why she was a little sluggish. Why despite not feeling sleepy, she felt a little worn out. Well, at least there was an upside to things: she hadn't been having much random glowing. She was pretty glad for that part as it wasn't exactly comfortable with how sensitive parts of her skin were right now.

Anthy had just entered the lounge when she paused and tipped her head a little to the side as she saw someone already on the couch. Lucas, actually. And it looked like he was asleep. She was just about to take a seat on the chair not too far away but as she neared it, he was suddenly waking up. At his stammering, she smiled a little and shook her head slightly.

"It's alright. This is called a lounge after-all." She commented with another smile.

[Lucas Blacke]

Half opening his eyes he saw a silhouette that looked slightly familiar. Which brought it down to a handful of people it could have been as there weren't as much people he'd recognize in his sleep. Whoever this was should feel lucky. When the words rteached his ears though he instantly knew who it was, though he did not respond in a way he normally would.

He moaned a bit and put his hand under his head as he looked at Anthy just shy of having his eyes closed. He had known it was her and even if she had been carrying a book around she would have had reason to look him up. He was on some sort of watch now, and she was in charge of it. And everytime he would think about it and get some sort of lecture from her he broke out a grin.

Since his time with Karalie and the break up he had been feeling down, down in the sense of not caring. Maybe he cared enough to tell Anthy but no one else had said they were there for him like she had, maybe this was what made him spill his guts.

He inhaled deeply and looked the girl up and down, biting his lower lip a bit. This was too much of a coincidence even if slightly emberrassing for him. He just happened to mistake someone for her the second she came around? No, there wasn't enough coincidence-juice in the universe.

''Good thing ya came around when ya did.'' He offered with a devious smile as he looked her in the eyes, still slightly groggy and oblivious to the fact people could walk in willy nilly. ''Was just dreamin' 'bout ya.''

''Come over here and we'll finish it.''

[Anthy Blacksmith]

He gave a sound that she wasn't sure of the nature of. Was he sick? Was he embarrassed? Maybe it was a kind of yawn? He didn't look embarrassed, after all. He looked kind of sleepy still if anything. She was just about to go to take that seat again when he spoke up, causing her to pause and tip her head a little to the side with a slightly confused smile. Good that she came around when she did? It wasn't just the comment but the way he smiled that brought about the confusion.

"Is everything okay?" She asked him.

He might have been smiling, but it wasn't a usual smile. That, and he was kind of known for smiling when he didn't really mean it too, so there was that factored in. Though, she found herself more curious when he mentioned that he had been dreaming about her. Dreaming about her? What could it have been, she wondered.

"What kind of dream was it?" She asked him after he had told her to come over so they might finish it.

"Finish it how?" She added.

[Lucas Blacke]

Why'd she ask that? It slightly phased him and caused him to keep his words to himself for a while when he finally shook his head with a smile, looking at her near the opposite end of the couch. She of all people would know that that was a useless question right now. He had been slipping back into the darkness of his mind she was helping him out of before, she knew he wasn't okay. Admittedly, if she wouldn't be around he wasn't sure he would be either so she had helped more than he wanted to admit right at that moment. Though maybe he had just asked her because she looked like Galadriel from Lord of the Rings when she shone.

''A fun dream.'' He lied with a wink. He was glad it was just a dream because if it turned out to be real he would never hear the end of it as Hammel would fit it in with the other stories about him seemlessly. ''It involved a date.'' He continued with a grin. ''Ya know what that means, right?''

He'd be wrong. Anthy was just about the most oblivious person he'd ever met and he knew that deep down, but didn't care at the moment. Right now he was all about his own needs, his own flaws and his own wants.

He stifled a yawn as his eyes adjusted to the light in the lounge and he started stretching his legs with a less than normal moan of joy. When he was done he nodded at her and motioned for her to come over with a smile.

''Get yer cute lil' ass over here and we'll have some fun. Maybe give some people a nice little show.'' He said brashly. ''What do ya say?''

[Anthy Blacksmith]

When he told her that it had been a fun dream and added in a wink, Anthy's mind of course took her to something like them gaming or watching movies. She was further led to believe something like that when Lucas commented about the dream involving a date, though she wasn't sure on why he asked her if she knew what that meant.

"Oh, you mean like movie night." She answered with a bright smile.

After all, he had called that a date. And of course she had taken that as the kind that friends had. A play-date even if he had joked about not having called it one. But then again, He was a bit silly at times. Silly, confusing, unpredictable, but that was Lucas. It made him different from everyone else.

She chuckled inwardly when he went to enjoying a stretch then looked towards the television when he told her to sit so they could have some fun. It had been his mention of giving people a show, that had made her believe he was speaking about possibly playing a game. The reason for her lack of getting flustered had been due to the fact that he said things like that. Things like getting her cute butt over here or there. Sure, he had used a stronger word this time, but it was kind of the same. Just because she didn't swear often, it didn't mean she got horribly offended when someone else did. Anyways, this was Lucas. He said things like that.

"Well, I'll need to grab the controllers first, wouldn't I? So what game were you thinking of us playing? I don't know what's kept here in the lounge seeing how I usually just come here to read sometimes." She asked him, figuring he would know more of what was provided here than she would.

"Or were you talking about them seeing our reactions from a movie rather than letting them see you kick my butt on a game?"

[Lucas Blacke]

Normally he'd be able to take her being oblivious to the things he said. This was Anthy, she didn't get stuff and if it weren't for the fact he was going through a dark place he'd find it cute though he would never utter that word unless for a joke. But this wasn't lovey-dovey Luke that was talking to her, this was the Luke who didn't care about his future or his friends. She knew that, she had to. She knew what he was going through and how he had been failing to be rational about anything. To a point he was able to converse normally, but his limit had been dragged down quite a bit, but he never went fully dark anymore. He always had this small voice in his mind that reminded him how people were, what they would know and what they wouldn't know. Though sadly it did not keep him from saying things he'd regret later on.

''I know of some movies to watch an' I know some games for us to play. They only involve my joystick though, but I'll let ya play with it.'' He said brashly as he raised one of his hands and aimed i at the girl's chest, making a squeezing motion with his hand. ''Ya know I love ya right? So that means ya can drop the oblivious act. It's gettin' kind of annoyin' y'know?''

That one would come back to bite him in the ass later on. ''I 'preciate ya helpin' me through the dark spell I had so ya should at least let me repay ya. Let's make yer first time unforgettable, and who better to make it unforgettable than me?''

[Anthy Blacksmith]

Well, it was good that he already had some movies in mind. Surprising, seeing how he had only just woken up and she was never that clear minded herself when she woke up even from a nap. But still good. Maybe he had been wanting to see a certain set of movies for a while so it was fresh on his mind. Yeah, there was a chance of that wasn't there. Well, that was nice. Well, nice if he had been feeling like watching movies with a friend to where he had a plan laid out for it already.

As he mentioned a joystick game she tipped her head a little to the side.

"I didn't think they made joystick games anymore. Oh! Unless you're saying this lounge has one of those old nintendos?"

Though, she stopped talking as she wondered what the grabbing motion had been for. Did he want help up? She might have gone to reach out her hand for him but was brought to a pause out of confusion when he told her that she could drop the oblivious act and that it was kind of annoying.

"Oblivious act?" She repeated, obviously not understanding what he had been talking about.

Lucas spoke again, talking abut how he appreciated her helping him through a dark spell and that she should at least let him repay her. She was about to tell him that there wasn't any repaying needed but then he went to confusing and throwing her off again by talking about making her first time unforgettable. Now she really had no idea what he was talking about.

"My first time playing with one of the old-school games?" She asked him, trying to make a guess here.

[Lucas Blacke]

He grunted a bit as she was really annoying him right now. But part of him knew, and made him realize that this was Anthy, the queen of oblivious, but while he did realize that it did not make him change his wording about anything, he'd be throwing around innuendos left and right untill she finally got one, only slightly realizing that he had mentioned that she could run into people like this before only to see himself filling the role of that person. But once more, a smile overtook his face as he tried not caring, and while that was getting harder and harder to do in the presence of her he managed to keep himself from caring right now.

He did not yet realize there was a major wall built around him by this, and if he was tearing it down he was sure as hell going to start at the top of it. This all was just a defense mechanism, he hadn't figured it out yet but this way of looking at things and not caring actually helped him cope, were he caring right now there'd be no saying what he would do.

''I'm not insane enough for this..'' He finally said as he got up to a seated position. ''I need a fuckin' cup of coffee.''

This time he knew what he'd said, and failed to regret it. Coffee made his body do what it wanted and all Luke figured at that time was simple: how to make Anthy look beyond all those innuendos? Sure, maybe he wouldn't enjoy it but she'd see his intentions either way. And if she happened to walk off, well, how would that be any different from anyone else?

''..or something with caffeine in it.''

[Anthy Blacksmith]

He wasn't insane enough for this. That was what Lucas had claimed. Insane enough for what though? To mess with her some? He might have been teasing her or something? She didn't know... he said she was annoying him. What was she doing to annoy him? What was she being oblivious about? If she was missing something, why wasn't he telling her?

The next thing he did was sit up and state that he needed a coffee. A couple of rapid blinks came from her before her eyes widened some. Before she could say anything though, he was adding in the part of him wanting anything with caffeine in it. Why... why would he want that? He told her before that it made him go out of control. That he wanted her to stop him if he ever got into any.

Maybe he wanted saving? Someone to save him from something? Had she been neglecting him? Was he one of those people who needed their friend around often so not to feel sad? He had had a rough life after all, and he had asked her not to leave. Had he thought she was leaving with there being some gaps in between their meeting up? It had been a while since they had last met up, part of it having to do with her needing time to recover from the burns so he wouldn't be worrying about her.

"Lucas..... you don't need or want caffeine, you know that." She told him, offering him a comforting smile.

"Did you want some hot vanilla instead? Maybe we could go for a walk after?"

After all, if he was feeling restless and alone like she thought might have been the case from how he was acting, it might help. That might have been what he was saying she was oblivious about. He might have been hurting more than usual and wanted her to know, seeing how he had been able to open up to her before.

[Lucas Blacke]

He didn't. He didn't need anything of what he said.. only.. he wasn't sure what he wanted. The whole bad guy routine he'd been throwing her way with her getting over there and making the first time something to remember was getting old fast, or maybe he had been influenced by how oblivious she was. No matter how bad he was feeling or how mad he was, caring or not, she'd walk in and he'd get the urge to open up again. Sure he'd spend a few moment making crude jokes or trying not to care, but deep down he knew he only did that because the times he did care it pretty much ruined his life.

Like that phonecall to his parents. He never quite talked to them, he didn't even say hello without thinking back on his past. His hands went up to his temples and started rubbing as his face wrinkled some. ''Why don't ya shut up?'' He suddenly said, and he actually surprised himself with that one. Seemed like he wasn't back to normal.

He got up and walked over to her, looking her up and down with a sneer on his face as he was inches away from her, poking at her collarbone with his index finger. ''Yer making me wanna open up, let in all the bad stuff, make me remember. What ya don't know is that the best Luke is one that doesn't care.''

''Ya shouldn't have stopped me. This would be a better place if ya'd just let me do it.''

[Anthy Blacksmith]

He snapped at her. At least, what was what it had felt like when he had asked her why she didn't shut up. And that worry she felt inside, came swiftly to the surface to show on her face. He got up, walked over to her with an unfriendly look on his face, some might even call it a sneer. Though she gave a small swallow to keep her emotions in check. The last thing he needed was for her to show that how he was acting was a bit hurtful. He might not have known any other way to get it out. Might not have known any way to act right now with whatever was going on with him.

Somehow, she didn't know how but, somehow she managed to keep from flinching any when he went to poking her collarbone after he had stopped inches away from her. But it was worth it, as she wasn't sure on if he would have started speaking if she had. He was telling her about how she was making him want to open up and let in all of the bad things, how it was making him remember. He told her that what she didn't know was that he was best when he didn't care.

When he told her that she should have stopped him and that this would have been a better place if she had let him do it, Anthy gathered up her emotions and put them to the side for the moment before offering him a smile then reaching up to lightly grab the hand he had poked her with. She then squeezed it gently.

"It's not a bad thing to care, Lucas. And, there's more than just bad things to let in." She told him before beginning to move.

She had taken his hand in more of a hand-holding position this time, intertwining their fingers to show him that she really was there for him and he wasn't alone. Then, she began to lead him out of the lounge and towards the hallway with full intent on bringing him to the kitchen for that hot vanilla drink she had been talking about. Sure, she was usually more of a follower than a leader, but sometimes things called for change. Anthy felt like he needed her help right now, and for her not to wilt. She needed to be a rock rather than a flower.

[Lucas Blacke]

There the urge was, the urge to pull his hand away from hers, the urge to stay the hell away depite being so close. Why was she there for him, he wondered. Why had she touched him? Why was she saying it wasn't a bad thing to care when it so very clearly was as it had never brought him anything but pain? Sure he did have moments of happiness but the minute they came to a close he was right back to being deppressed, and all that contributed to that was in the end, the same. Caring. He had figured that if he was to go on with his life without getting hurt he had to stop caring.

And here was Anthy, who even in the darkest of times made him feel like he should care, that caring wasn't a bad thing and how there was more than just bad. He looked at his hand when she had taken hold of it and held a grim smile on his face. ''If there is, I haven't seen it yet..'' He said in a sad tone, finally allowing himself to look over the wall he had built to keep people out.

Making a complete 180 in terms of emotions was what you would call it as he had joked about sex to talking about how things were better off without him, to letting in more of his emotions.

He gripped her hand and squeezed it gently just like she had his. Maybe he just needed someone to be there for him and look beyond the pain, yes, he had made a good choice in asking her help.

''Thanks.'' He finally said with a gulp, resisting the urge to hug her on account of her shyness. He figured she wouldn't like it if he did that, for now though a simple touch of his hand was more than enough.

[Anthy Blacksmith]

When he told her that if there was good things too, he hadn't seen it, Anthy offered another smile at him.

"Well, you can't see it if you close yourself off, now can you?" She replied softly.

She felt how he squeezed her hand and felt like maybe he was starting to realize that he didn't need to be angry right now. Or at least, that he didn't need to lash out. Anthy gave him another smile when he thanked her. This was a good step. Not the thanks, mind you. Anthy wasn't looking for thanks and didn't really see an actual need to be thanked for being a friend. No, him getting out of that aggressive streak he had been having. She was happy he wasn't being mean anymore.

"You don't have to thank me, Lucas. I'm happy to be here." She told him even as she led him into the hall.

"Did you want some pumpkin spice with the hot vanilla, or did you want it like last time?" She asked him.

[Lucas Blacke]

While he held her hand and she held his in return he felt like there was finally someone around to break down that wall with him. Something that had been needed for a long time now and he knew it, he'd been trying to break down that wall himself but it always seemed to be rebuilding itself faster than he could take the bricks away. Shame they took it from the top, but going too fast too soon would be overwhelming and plunge him right back into the darkness of which he was already on the precipice of. The only thing allowing him to see anything clearly right now was the light. And with further inspection he had found out that the source of that light was the one holding his hand.

Was that a sappy thought? No, no it wasn't. And even if it was, he was allowed his emotion and while slowly returning to stability he wanted to be able to just throw it out there without much thought on what she would think or how she would take it. ''I.. I'm sorry..'' He stuttered at her mention that he didn't have to thank her, how she was happy to be there. ''I'm happy yer here too..'' He added as his thumb gently rubbed on the back of her hand.

Then she said something about the hot vanilla, maybe that one was a good idea for now if only to keep him distracted. He wanted to just talk to someone but he knew that if he did that he would just end up rebuilding the wall he'd built for himself and he wasn't about to put Anthy through that.

So instead of feigning a smile he showed her his true face as he cleared his throat. Swallowing sadness always hurt, and that was what he was even if he didn't show it, sad. Constantly telling himself not to show people what he felt did not make it any easier. ''Let's not.. spice things up right now..''

Last thing he needed was something he could associate with his dark spell.