"Chris..." Diane started as she arranged a display of swords. The woren wiped her hands on her dark gray smock before turning to her boyfriend. "I missed ya at lunch today... where were ya anyway?""Well..." Chris said before running a hand through his jet-black hair. "I was at the archery range talking with Cynthia about a few things..." He turned back to what he was doing, which was examining a bent up rapier. "Ladon... someone certainly did a number on this thing..."
"I'm jes curious..." Diane asked as she leaned on the counter top and stared at her boyfriend. "How in Ladon's name did ya become friends with Cynthia? I mean... Forest Clanspeople an' worens have been sorta like rivals... Kinda like..."
"Cats and dogs, loosely?" Chris said with a chuckle. "Yeah... Cynthia and I are aware of the whole rivalry thing, Diane... We don't care... Anyway, we met when we were in elementary school... Our friendship just kinda clicked, that's all."
The woren paused for a moment to shine up one of the display cabinets before turning to face Diane once again. "See, as we grew up, she watched out for me, and I watched out for her... We helped each other out... Of course, we became aware of the big rivalry as we grew..." Chris paused again as he checked over a rack of varying gun holsters. "But hell, we didn't care... we've been best friends for as long as I can remember, Diane. We don't care about a stupid rivalry or anything like that..."
"What about y'alls parents?" Diane replied as she looked over a broken shotgun. "Ladon... another one o' them birds loaded th' damn thin' backwards again..."
Chris chuckled lightly at Diane's predicament, before scooping up a set of disassembly tools. "Here... let me help you with that..." Before long, both woren were working on disassembling the over/under shotgun.
"Our parents..." Chris said as he helped Diane take the barrels of the gun off the mounting. "It was kind of expected... It was kind of hard on us for a few months, before they realized that we were truly friends... They don't mind now, both mine and Cynthia's."
"Tha's good to know..." Diane said with a smile. She began to grunt as she pulled the warped shotgun shells free from the barrels. With one mighty tug, she managed to pull them both out. "URG! There... got 'em!"
"Great!" Chris said as he looked at the gun. "Well... the damage has been done..." He grabbed a clipboard from the wall behind him and turned back to the gun to do a standard checkover.
"Right... firing pins are busted... barrels need to be fixed... and the sights need to be centered..." Chris muttered as he filled out a form on the clipboard.
"Man... people never learn..." Diane said to no one in particular. "Hey... have ya seen Frank? Ya know he didn't go to school today..."
"Really?" Chris said as he looked at his girlfriend. "I didn't know... what's wrong with him?"
"Well... Yuki told us tha' he had a fever and he couldn' sleep at all las' night... Tha's why he ain't workin' today... Jess is lookin' after him..." Diane said as her tail waved in worry.
"Why don't we go and pay him a visit then? He might enjoy seeing some of his friends..." Chris said as his ears batted.
"Chris... we're at work. He's at home... How in Ladon's name are we gonna git away ta visit him?" Diane replied as her tail began to swish in frustration.
"Diane... think about what you just said... where does he live? Where does he work?" Chris said as a smile appeared on his face. His tail was now waving in amusement."
"... Oops... I kinda fergot..." If it was possible, Diane's fur would have turned a few more shades of red.
"Well... I'll handle things down here while you go and pay him a visit, okay?" Chris said to his girlfriend.
"Yeah, okay..." Diane replied as she made her way to the stairs. Eventually, she found herself in front of Frank's room. She knocked once before opening the door and walking in. Inside, she found Frank trying to catch up on some assignments while Neko-Chan was perched by his bed watching him curiously.
"Now ya know..." Diane said as her tail began to wave in amusement. "That studyin' while yer sick will only make ya sicker..."
Frank and Neko-Chan turned their heads in unison at the voice that came from the doorway. Standing there was one Diane Brandshire, leaning against the doorway, with a huge grin on her face and her tail flicking happily.
"Diane! Hey! What's up?" Frank asked as he stretched. Diane walked up to the Persona User and put a hand up to the side of his face. She pulled it away and began to tsk.
"Frank... Yer still kinda hot...Ya know, you should take it easy..." Diane said as she shook her head slightly.
"I know, I know... But I've gotta get this done before tomorrow..." Frank told Diane without removing his eyes from his English book.
"Aww... but Frank..." Diane said in the sweetest, cavity inducing voice that she could muster. Frank stopped cold and slowly turned his eyes toward the woren.
Diane looked at the Persona User and batted her eyelashes her eyelashes cutely. As her tail began to wave slowly, she let out a throaty purr aimed at Frank. Once more, she began to mold him into Persona User putty.
"Ah... er... um..." Frank stammered as Diane sauntered up to him. Beside him, Neko-Chan was trying to hold back a giggle.
"Frank... you've got to get better soon..." Diane said sweetly as she bent from the waist to look him in the eyes. By now, Frank was beet red from the treatment that Diane was giving him.
Kawaii Diane... Must... Obey... "Ah... um..."
"Please Frank? Do it fer little ole me?" Diane punctuated the sentence with another low, throaty purr.
"Myah... Diane... I know you want him to feel better... but... meow, aren't you overdoing it? Meow... you might just make him hotter!!!" Neko-Chan told the woren as her tails began to wave spastically.
"Aw... I'm only teasin'..." Diane told the Nekomata. "Seriously though... Frank, ya git better, ya hear? We missed ya at school..."
Frank shook his head. "Don't worry, Diane... I'll be back tomorrow. I promise. Now, don't you have to get back to work?"
"Yeah, I do... take care, Frank..." Diane gave the Persona User a wave before leaving his room and returning to the store downstairs. Immediately, she spotted Chris and made her way over to where he was arranging boxes of magnum bullets on a display.
"How's he doing?" Chris asked as he placed another box of bullets on the display.
"He's feelin' a lot better..." Diane replied as she arranged a rack of spears in proper order. "Ya gonna go see him?"
"Yeah... after I finish putting these bullets out... After I come back, I may need help with some of the guns that need to be put out..."
"All right, fair enough, Chris..." Diane said with a chuckle. Chris finally stacked the last box of bullets on the display before wiping his hands on his smock. The woren slowly made his way upstairs and over to Frank's room. He knocked once before opening the door and walking in.
"Hey Frank..." Chris said as he looked over the Persona User. "How're you feeling?"
"Chris! Hey man... I'm doing okay... Just a little warm though..." Frank said as he reached for his ice pack.
"Here then..." Chris said as he approached his bedridden friend. "Let me help you." The woren closed his eyes for a moment as he gathered energies for a healing spell. "Life force, flow through me, and aid my friend..." Chris's eyes shot open as he pointed a hand at Frank. "CURE!!!"
Immediately, Frank felt the effects of the Torana magic soothe his body, making the final dregs of the fever leave him.
"Whoa..." Frank said as he gingerly touched his head. "Damn... I feel... great! Best I've felt all day..."
"Heh..." Chris said as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's the least I could do... I mean, you're always there for me, man... when I needed your help, you were there..."
"Hey man... thanks. I appreciate it. I really do." Frank said with a smile.
"Well then, we'll see you in school tomorrow? I'll leave you alone so you can get your work done." With that, Chris offered a wave to the Persona User, who in turn smiled back at the woren. Chris left the room and returned to the store.
"Myah... Frank..." Neko-Chan said as she slowly turned to the Persona User "You've got great friends, purr..." The Nekomata began to paw at her face as her whiskers twitched.
"I know, Neko-Chan... I really do..." Frank said quietly. He then returned to his books, as the Nekomata watched him curiously.
***************************** "So... how's he doin' now?" Diane asked as she worked on putting a revolver back together.
"Well... he's okay now... He'll be back in school for sure tomorrow..." Chris said before helping his girlfriend with the gun.
Both woren continued to work together and talk, until their workday was finally over.
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