Previously in NWC-
Reno justifies his decision to be an adventurer to the mayor. He quits the position of carpenter and lets Hector have it in order to be an adventurer. After reassuring the mayor he'd help expand Bambadale still, he takes a shower and leaves. Reno does another run of supplies for the party, getting ripped off by Lyn as usual. The day passes uneventfully. The next morning, Reno decides to schedule a time for CeCe to meet Luna and Medusa. When he goes to invite her, however, he does a poor job...
Lyn is dumbfounded, covering her mouth as she tries not to laugh at Reno's brazen approach. CeCe is blushing slightly at the sudden invitation. "Huh?! That's… a bit sudden, no?" Lyn does her best to maintain her composure while CeCe is put in this awkward situation.
"(Sudden? What is she talking about? I know we didn't really talk TOO in depth about it, but it's not like I didn't mention it. I should jog her memory without giving too much information to Lyn. What exactly did I tell CeCe again? I told her about a vine creature and a ball of light if I remember correctly.)" Reno clears his throat one more time and speaks with even more confidence. "It's about that thing we discussed. With my ball and vine."
"Goddess help this idiot." Lyn has to separate herself from them, breaking out laughing as tears form in her eyes.
"Uhh, umm…" CeCe is absolutely confused and uncomfortable. Her face is bright red and she fidgets slightly with discomfort.
Reno sees this and he gets confused. "What's wrong?" He thinks to himself. "(Lyn knows about Medusa, maybe if I just mention her specifically.)" He takes a step towards CeCe which causes her attention to snap up as she takes a step away. "I just want to show you my vine creature."
"By the gods this boy is hopeless." Lyn is hunched over on the ground doing her best to breathe as Reno continues to dig a hole.
CeCe looks like she's ready to slap Reno, her eyes twitching with nervousness. "What are you even talking about?!"
Reno is genuinely confused. "What? The party members? Like the ones I asked if they could come with us when go to the ruins?" He finally has to say it, hoping Lyn wouldn't hear over her wheezing.
CeCe's eyes shoot open as she realizes what he's talking about. "OH! Why didn't you just say that to begin with, you oaf?!"
"What? I literally did?" Reno is looking around in confusion, not sure where the mix up was. "Look, do you want to come meet the others or not?"
"Yes, yes! Just stop asking weird in ways and I'll show up whenever!" CeCe does her best to hide her face, relieved that they cleared up the miscommunication. Finally, she's able to calm herself. "How about after lunch I come around? Where should I meet you?"
"If you go behind the barn closest to the forest and follow the path until you come into a clearing, that's where we are."
Lyn cracks up once more. "How exciting. Meeting a boy's 'vine monster' in a suspicious forest clearing. You're such a romantic, business partner."
CeCe's face turns red again. "Lyn! The joke isn't funny anymore!"
Reno looks at them with confusion like they're the weird ones. "Whatever, weirdos, I'll be waiting for CeCe and CeCe only." Reno leaves, completely oblivious to everything that just happened. He returns to the FTG, informing Luna and Medusa of the incoming guest. "Medusa."
"Muh?"
"I need you to be on your best behavior, okay?"
"Muh!" Medusa gives a salute and a look of pure determination.
"Luna."
"If you even so much as think about speaking to me in the same manner that you just spoke to Medusa then we are going to have severe problems in the coming days."
Reno clears his throat, having to think of a new way to word things. "I just wanted to ask that you give this chance. Truth be told, I don't even know why you're mad."
"Of course you don't because you don't think. I told you when we first met that my identity needs to stay hidden so those who would do me harm have no idea of existence. Then you turn around and start inviting strangers to meet me? Not to mention Medusa; what if she decides to do something to her? I'm not even sure what she is, so imagine how someone with even a hint of curiosity might react. It's not entirely impossible for someone to take her and use her for whatever they want. Did you think about how your actions might affect others, Reno?"
Reno's silent as he listens to Luna, finally realizing the level of idiocy he's behaved with. At first, he wants to make an excuse, but for once he makes the right decision and keeps his mouth closed. His brain works faster than it's ever worked before as he tries to find the optimal response. "You're right, Luna, I'm sorry."
Luna, expecting Reno to make excuses, begins speaking in an angry tone before abruptly stopping. "Huh?" She floats there, not quite certain of what just happened.
"I said that you're right. I messed up. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens."
Luna is impressed and still slightly convinced she's going crazy. "Oh… good. Do better." Reno nods his head as Luna watches him walk over to Medusa. Luna is left with her thoughts as she watches him bend over and pet Medusa. "(That was… too easy. Suspiciously so.)"
Reno begins to pet Medusa and whisper to her. "I have no clue what she's mad about, Medusa."
"Muh!"
Reno smiles and nods his head. "I knew you'd understand! I can always count of you to be a real one, Medusa."
Medusa crosses her arms and nods her head, her smiling growing. "Muh."
"(Why do I feel like I've been lied to…)" Luna decides not to press the matter any further, opting to simply ignore it.
"Alright, Medusa, we have a guest coming, so I'm going to lay out some ground rules, got it?" Reno looks down at Medusa who stares blankly at him. "Good. First, don't be strangling people. Second, they don't want to taste your mystery medicine. Finally, please behave. Understood?" Medusa mindlessly nods her head, smiling. "Good. Now, watch this." Reno walks away, turns around, then walks back. He holds his hand out like he's going to shake someone's hand and he looks at Medusa. "Hey, Medusa, are you watching? This is how you shake hands. Now, take my hand and gently shake it." Medusa looks at Reno's hand curiously before slowly reaching out with her vine's and wrapping them around his hand. "Good, now gently shake it up and down." Medusa looks at their hands before her face brightens. She begins to wave Reno around, cheering and playing as Reno yells for his life.
"I can sense the next couple hours will be quite long…" Luna sighs as she watches this go on for hours.
Finally, the time has come. CeCe enters the forest, looking around curiously. "Ohh, I've never actually been out here! I usually stick to Bambadale then head home. This seems like a really odd place to meet, but he seemed mostly harmless." CeCe scans the forest. After walking for a couple minutes, she sees movement. Ducking behind a tree for cover, she peeks her head out. To her surprise, Reno was being thrown around by a smiling creature that wasn't even a meter tall.
"Medusa put me the hell down!" Reno was screaming and holding on tightly to Medusa's vines as he swung around in the air like a toy. "If you don't put me down then I'm taking away your desserts for a week!" He yells and screams, and finally, the thought of losing desserts is what makes her take things seriously. She slowly lowers him, still smiling from their play time that was originally supposed to be a learning session. Reno's hair was messed up and his clothes were covered in dirt. He stands up and attempts to brush himself off. "You see that, Luna? That's how you get things done. Girls LOVE desserts."
Luna speaks in a completely unconvinced tone. "And if I told you I didn't like desserts? That'd prove your whole theory incorrect."
"Well lucky for us I already know that you just can't enough of those damn chocolate cookies."
"Those are not desserts they are snacks!"
Reno tilts his head, putting his hands up and shrugging his shoulders. "Not with how you've been eating them. I think your circumference has gotten bigger… are you gaining volume?"
"RENO!" Luna begins chasing Reno around. He laughs triumphantly, seemingly pleased that he was able to get a reaction out of here.
"You're gonna' have to fly faster than that!" He easily dodges her, purposely letting her get close and then dodging at the last second. "I've been trained by the best there is!" Medusa, as if by command, sends a vine straight for Reno. He barely manages to dodge, standing still and looking at Medusa. "Woah, hey. Bad, Medusa! It's not play time right now; the adults are talking!" Medusa dances left and right before jumping at Reno. Now Reno is being chased by both of them.
"Oh my goodness!" CeCe begins cracking up. She'd made her way to the edge of the FTG and was watching form behind a tree. She fails to withhold her laughter, alerting Reno.
"Huh? Reno stops and turns to face the voice. Luna crashes into him, falling to the floor. Medusa, however, tackles him and pushes him to the ground. "Ahh! Medusa, dammit!" He slowly stands up and faces CeCe again. He brushes himself off and clears throat. He does his best to act like nothing happened, ignoring the dirt, leaves, and branches sticking out of his hair. "Good afternoon, CeCe. We were waiting for you."
TO BE CONTINUED...