DAY 13: LORD RENDAR
Lord Rendar's personality has earned him a few enemies. He's on the shitlists of Tin Whistler, Raven Poe, Bones Nobeard, Bhamv Three. But there's one gal who's very much not his enemy - that would be Lana Karron. Lana's on the less popular side of things as well, but the two really click together and their relationship has only just very recently become what either is hesitantly hopeful could be called love. He's also close friends with Little Kagsin, and Ashburner and Film Fanatic seem to get along with him as well.
Of course, Lana's happy to see him on the way to school. Rendar's no fool, he butters her up with compliments. She's a difficult girl to read, with moods changing as constantly as the wind, but he is learning what to say. When she's blushing sufficiently, he suggests a trip to the library to study.
And off they go.
They have the library to themselves.
So naturally, their focus rather fails to stay on the books.
Doesn't look like much studying is going to get done! But while they may be alone now, Rendar knows that the library is one of the main congregation spots of the morning. Frank the Tank ESPECIALLY always makes sure to check the library multiple times. For privacy's sake, Rendar suggests to Lana they sneak into the unused classroom across the hall. She nods.
The petting continues in the quiet sanctity of the empty classroom... but before long, Lana has a devilish gleam in her eye. "Would you do something for me...?" she asks. Rendar can't agree too quickly.
She grabs his wrist and says "I want to go here..." and before he realizes where she's leading him, he finds himself in the GIRL'S VOLLEYBALL LOCKERS.
But once they're there, Lana's courage abandons her and she can't bring herself to say what she wants.
Lord Rendar takes the initiative, and summoning up every bit of courage (and height, she's a tall one), he presses his lips against hers. She's surprised at first... but doesn't stop him.
LR doesn't want to press his luck and dash the progress he's made, so while he's ahead, he suggests they get the heck out of the Girl's volleyball room before somebody comes in and sees them.
They head off to class. Lana Karron acts as though she's about to say something to LR, then changes her mind. Class begins.
Nothing unusual happens during morning classes. But when the lunch bell rings, the sound has barely faded before Bhamv Three has practically launched her small frame off a desk and hammered one of the new kids, Bubble 181, in the back of a head with a 2 inch thick textbook. He scrambles up and wheels around in anger. FIGHT!
Unfortunately the sneak attack has done its job, and Bhamv maintains her momentum, savaging the larger boy into submission. She reaches for something at her waist but there's nothing there, and it surprises her for a moment before she remembers where she is, and who is watching her (IE everybody).
Attention is suddenly distracted from this odd display however by another fight - one that it certain to have a one-sided outcome. Klew and Frank are grappling - or rather, Klew is flailing at Frank while he holds her at arms length and lets her exhaust herself. It isn't long before her legs give out and she slumps to the floor, eyes tearing up in anger and humiliation.
(Couldn't get a good screenshot of it, everybody was standing in the way).
Dirona calls upon everyone in the class to please be nicer to Klew. Well, she addresses the class, but she's looking at Frank.
Kags is already in conversation with Frank shortly thereafter, so LR goes to see if he can find Lana and have lunch with her.
He finds her in the hallway, worked up. Does she get off by watching violence, he wonders?
Testing a hypothesis, instead of asking her to lunch, he tries embracing her in a hug.
DENIED. When he makes her move, a quick forearm blocks him, with a raised "Wha.. what are you doing?!" And now she's in a bad mood.
To make amends, he falls back to his original plan, and asks if she wants to have lunch. She takes very brief few seconds to think, then agrees. "Sure, why not."
Lunch seems to settle Lana down a bit. Rendar's silently thanking his luck that he didn't do anything even MORE boneheaded, when he gets a surprise.
I guess she wasn't that mad at him after all.
So as they finish their lunch, LR and Lana continue to talk. The conversation is occasionally laced with painstaking innuendo.
When they finish eating, they head off somewhere with less foot traffic. Not wanting to be boringly redundant, Rendar suggests the storage room in the back of the gym.
They arrive, Lana has the quickest of looks around, then asks Rendar to meet him in the courtyard. "Wha... uh, oh.. ok. Sure."
He arrives first. Shawn Acy is there, and in his own reserved way, nods a cordial greeting.
Lana doesn't keep Rendar waiting long. She arrives very shortly after.
But while they talk, who should approach but Bones NoBeard. Rendar tenses up - Bones isn't a friend by any stretch of the word, and is known for the occasional violent outburst - particularly if Bhamv doesn't like you. In fact, he's pretty sure that is the exact reason Bones jumped him in class a few days ago - but Bhamv isn't here now, and Bones just asks a question about the sport clubs.
Rendar wonders if Bones might not be salvageable if he can just be kept away from that Bhamv witch. But that's easier said than done.
Conversation continues with Lana for a bit, talking about the studies they barely could pay attention to that morning.
Kags comes by to spread a salacious rumor about Dei. As if everybody doesn't already know about Dei.
All these interruptions are cramping LR's style. He gets a little frustrated. Lana's expression says she comisserates, but what can ya do.
The bell rings for afternoon classes. They proceed quite well, despite LR's day so far.
When classes finish, Lana approaches again. "N.. nothing.." she stammers and aborts. Then she quickly heads for the door.
Bewildered as usual, Lord Rendar grabs his stuff and heads off to follow her, noting in passing that Dei's got her arms around Frank again. When even Kags can see there's something going on...
Lana's a fast girl. LR doesn't have a chance of catching her until she decides to stop and be caught. She does so in the Courtyard.
They chat for a while, and Rendar's thinking so far so good.. then he asks her to warm up for clubs with him, and she says "Nah, that's a waste of time." Shot down again. Even though it's technically true, what with him being on the tennis team and her in Volleyball.
Lana instead suggests they go walking, and it's not like LR is going to say no. Their meandering course zigzags all through campus, but ends up in the southwest quad by the library.
The empty classroom.
There, he decides, this is the moment to see if that ice has thawed any! He tries for a hug again.
This time, despite her surprise, she doesn't stop him.
In fact, she responds.
It continues on for a minute. Rendar's getting excited. Slowly and deliberately, he slides a hand down her back to squeeze her firm rear... and braces for a whack upside the head.
That doesn't arrive.
And one thing leads to another.
Neither of them make it to practice that afternoon.
As the sun starts to intrude in orange rays through the cracks in the west window blinds, Rendar mentions, "You know.. nobody's at my house right now. You want to come over?"
As a matter of fact, Lana would.
He asks her if she wants to be his girlfriend.
As a matter of fact...
no.
Damn, and he was on such a roll, too.
But she still wants to go back to his place.
So, it's hard for LR to be TOO disappointed, yeah?
END OF DAY 13.
Epilogue: Lana Karron runs hot and cold more than any other character I've seen in this game. One minute she's in the clouds, the next she's confrontational. She likes you, she doesn't like you, she's happy, she's not, she's horny, she brushes you off. She wants to spend hours schtupping you, she doesn't want to be your girlfriend. C'est la Femme. In other relationship news, Justine Me has started banging Gusto like it's going out of style. Or.. whichever means "a whole lot." The total notches on her belt.. er.. garter, or whatever, now exceed even that of Dei and FF. Where is Jay during all this, I wonder? Their relationship is starting to be in jeopardy. Will he stop neglecting Kags when Justine cuts him off, or will he move on to his next conquest? After a long and valiant campaign that pitted stoic honor against an unceasing cavalcade of hugs, Frank has finally run up the white flag and agreed to be Dei's boyfriend. Dei has not, however, Broken up with FF, and she and Frank have yet to consummate their new union. Somehow I don't think he'll be into public sex as much as her first Boyfriend has been. However, FF is not taking well to being cuckolded even if it is only by word and heart and not deed yet. He hates Frank. Ordinarily I'd say a confrontation is coming, but is Film Fanatic confident enough to pit himself against Frank the Tank with Dei's sweet lovin' on the line? And how will Frank's relationship with Dei affect the burgeoning chaste romance he's been growing with Kags? Maybe that's why Kags is running around spreading rumors about Dei, trying to discredit her. And finally, no news or movement on the Dirona/Cheesy front. Still frustrated, but the self-loathing hasn't increased since yesterday. The new guys are starting to get a feel for how things work around here, but they haven't committed themselves to any particular camp yet, though friendships are starting to grow.
