Angela's Gift

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up Thread: Page 7, Post Number 160

-Capital Crocus Mall, mid-afternoon-

Wearing her casual outfit of purple long-sleeved t-shirt, black skirt with pockets that contained the job notice in the left and a sizable bag of spending Jewels plus her purple iLac in her right pocket, black thigh-high stockings, and black tennis shoes, Diana walked into Capital Crocus Mall and noticed that while the lines at the food court were still long, they were a lot more manageable than they would have been if she had arrived here at the lunch rush hour. There were only about twenty people in line for each restaurant than the usual fifty-plus number in each line around the lunch rush hour. Diana was glad to see that, but she was not here for food. She was here at the behest of Angela Helton, an old client of Diana's who claimed to have something important that she wanted to give Diana. However, Angela did not say what that something was in the job notice.

Diana recalled the contents of the notice and remembered that Angela had requested to meet her on the third floor outside The Music Vault. The blonde knew exactly where that store was. All she had to do to reach it was climb the stairs to the third floor and walk to it, but the thick crowds swirling around her made that something that was easier said than done. Spying a chance to get to the stairs, Diana merged at the very back of a crowd of shoppers headed for the stairs and kept pace with them until they got on the stairs.

-On the third floor, seven minutes later-

The crowd had been thicker than anticipated thanks to some people merging with it on the second floor, but Diana had adapted to the change and casually stayed with the group until the mass of shoppers finally reached the third floor. Once they had reached their floor the thick crowd started to break up as individual shoppers and groups of shoppers began to head for the stores they wanted to visit. Diana followed the dwindling mass of shoppers until she spotted a brunette with two hair antennas waiting for her outside of The Music Vault and broke away from the pack to slowly work her way over to Angela.

Diana broke away from the pack by slowly walking close to the railing, then once the crowd was sufficiently dispersed she slowly picked up speed and made a beeline for Angela when it was safe to do so. After carefully working her way to Angela the blonde stopped in front of her and waved. Angela cheerfully waved back, then approached Diana for a hug.

"Hi Diana!" Angela warmly greeted the blonde before hugging her. Angela was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt with the letters "CMU" in gold, a black knee-length skirt, and white tennis shoes.

"Hello, Angela." Diana greeted Angela and did her best to ignore the sensation of her skin crawling after being embraced. The huntress found this situation to be somehow... appropriate, for lack of a better word. They had first met in Capital Crocus Mall and now they were meeting in Capital Crocus Mall yet again. Perhaps it was simply the most convenient meeting place for Angela to meet Diana at. Or perhaps some greater power was at work to ensure that the two met in this place on this day.

"How's it going?" Angela asked Diana. Diana put on her well-worn mask of "polite but distant" before answering that question.

"It is going all right, Angela. Your notice came in at just the right time because I was looking for some slow work after a couple of action-packed jobs." Diana answered calmly, her eyes struggling to look at the "CMU" on Angela's t-shirt. The letters reminded her of her failure to prevent some members of Professor Fauntleroy's expedition team in Mysterious Canyon from being murdered by a gang of bandits Diana thought she had defeated months ago. The incident let the huntress know that her belief that the Marauders had been totally defeated was mistaken. One day she would fix that mistake for good, but today was not that day. Today she would take it slow and do her best to work through what had happened to Professor Fauntleroy and his team before going after the Marauders to put an end to them once and for all.

"Great! Listen, there's something important that I need to tell you!" Angela said to Diana. Diana was curious as to what that "something important" was. She sidelined any thoughts of dealing with the Marauders gang to focus on the present.

"I am listening." Diana told the brunette. The huntress' full attention was now focused on Angela and what she had to say.

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"I'll cut straight to the chase, Diana. I think that you'd be interested to hear what I've got to say next." Angela said to her. Diana kept quiet and let Angela speak without any interruptions. The huntress was eager to hear what it was that the brunette had to say.

"I met a young woman who was older than both of us a little over a week ago. We met in line outside The Music Vault when I came here to take her place after holding my place in line for the newest Marina Renault album. Her name was Lucia Winchester and she claimed to be your older sister." Angela told Diana.

"What? Really?" Diana asked the brunette, her mask of "polite but distant" being suddenly ripped off by that news and the real Diana being uncomfortably exposed for a brief time. Angela nodded.

"Yeah. I met her a little over a week ago. I put up a job notice for someone to hold my place in line for the newest Marina Renault album and she answered. I spoke to her and she claimed that you were her younger sister." Angela elaborated a little. The huntress put her "polite but distant" mask back on and examined Angela's body language up and down to make certain that she was telling the truth when she claimed to have met Lucia Winchester over a week ago. Diana analyzed it and learned that Angela was being truthful, so she let Angela continue with her story.

"I can see the family resemblance between you two." Angela commented on how the sisters looked. That comment prompted Diana to ask a question to determine if Angela had really met Lucia Winchester or just someone who was claiming to be her for whatever reason.

"What did Lucia look like?" Diana asked the brunette.

"She was slightly taller than both of us. She also had long, wavy blonde hair that went down to her waist. Her eyes were gray... or blue, it was kinda hard to tell exactly which color they were because of the lighting." Angela replied. Diana analyzed her body language a second time and learned that Angela was telling the truth a second time. That was what Lucia had looked like the last time the sisters had met over four years ago.

"Lucia was wearing a black long-sleeved t-shirt with long white skirt and brown boots." Angela added without prompting. Angela was telling the truth for a third time. Except for the boots, that sounded exactly like Lucia's favorite casual outfit.

"That sounds like her." Diana finally commented after Angela had finished describing the oldest Winchester sister. Angela smiled.

"Do you happen to own an iLac or are you still not carrying one?" Angela asked Diana in a reference to their very first meeting from slightly over a year ago. Diana reached into her right pocket and pulled out her purple iLac, showing it to Angela.

"I finally have an iLac." Diana replied. Angela smiled again.

"I have your sister's Lacrima Identification Code. I got it from her after the job she did for me." Angela revealed. When the huntress analyzed her body language for a fourth time Angela passed the test a fourth time. Diana had to struggle to keep a straight face so that the brunette could not exploit that knowledge to her benefit by asking her to do something like go on a date with her. Diana really wanted Lucia's Lacrima Identification Code so that she could get in contact with her sister, but there was a limit to what she would do to get it. If blonde could possibly help it she would not go on a date with Angela.

"Really?" Diana asked with genuine curiosity. She had not expected this development, not in a million years. Angela nodded.

"Yes, I have it. And I'm willing to give it to you." Angela replied. Diana suspected that there was going to be a string attached to the code and was just waiting to hear the details. The huntress waited to hear what the price for Lucia's Lacrima Identification Code would be. If there was a price she hoped that it would be monetary because money was not as important to Diana as getting in contact with her sister was.

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"What do you want in exchange for the Lacrima Identification Code, Angela?" Diana asked Angela perhaps a bit more bluntly than she would have liked. The blonde was used to doing business transactions in exchange for items, not receiving things for free. She suspected that there was a transaction to be made and was looking to find out what the medium of exchange was. Would Angela want a favor to cash in at a later date, would she want Jewels to be put in her hand here and now, or would she want something else in exchange for Lucia's Lacrima Identification Code?

Angela looked at Diana like the blonde had just insulted her mother. Had Diana made a mistake in asking that question?

"There's no cost. Honest." Angela insisted. Diana blinked. Unwilling to believe the brunette's claim, she examined Angela's body language for a fifth time and found that Angela was again being truthful. The huntress was not sure what to make of this.

For once in her life the blonde was getting a no-strings-attached offer and she was hesitant to take it.

Diana stood in place and wondered what Angela's angle was. Everyone wanted something. Whether it was cold, hard currency, a favor to be cashed in at a later date, a rare and valuable item like an old book or a painting, or something else of value, everyone wanted something. Angela had to be working to put Diana in her debt so that she could get a favor or two. Angela waved her hand in front of Diana's face and the blonde's eyes followed it.

"Do you want your sister's Lacrima Identification Code or not?" Angela asked Diana, snapping the blonde out of her confusion.

"Yes, please." Diana replied meekly. She opened her iLac menu and located the Contacts menu. She selected New Contact and waited for Angela to give the code. Angela obliged and gave Diana the Lacrima Identification Code belonging to Lucia Winchester. Once Diana had put it in and made Lucia a contact the blonde lowered her iLac and prepared for an unpleasant surprise to be sprung on her.

"See? It's that easy!" Angela said in a cheerful tone of voice. Diana was taken by surprise. She had expected the brunette to declare that the huntress owed her a favor or a large sum of Jewels for what she had just been given, but nothing in Angela's body language suggested that she wanted payment. Diana was really confused and the brunette picked up on that.

"You act like no one's ever done you a favor before." Angela commented.

"That is not entirely true, Angela. It would be more accurate to say that I have not received very many favors." Diana replied truthfully. She was taught by her parents that nothing in life was free and that an exchange of money or services was required to get what she wanted. She had taken that business mindset into her "other" occupation and had made quite a bit of money for herself by adhering to it. However, lately Diana had been looking for something to connect her to other people besides cold, impersonal contracts. She was still looking for that something, but maybe Angela was one of those people who did not demand payment for every little thing they did for someone.

Or was she?

"Well, come to think of it, there is one small thing you can do for me in exchange for the code." Angela said to Diana. Diana kept a straight face when she heard that because what she had suspected about Angela trying to place the blonde in her debt might be coming true. She also prepared herself for the worst in case Angela was going to demand a high price for what she had just given Diana.

Diana might be going on a date after all.

"Would you mind giving me your Lacrima Identification Code so that we can communicate by text or phone call?" Angela requested. Diana was relieved to hear that her code was all Angela wanted in terms of payment. That was one request that the huntress would be glad to comply with.

"Certainly, Angela." Diana replied. She surfed through the menu and eventually found her Lacrima Identification Code, then gave it to the waiting Angela. Angela entered the code into her Contacts List and smiled at Diana. Diana had little to fear from giving Angela her code because the brunette was a legitimate contact who was going to offer Diana legitimate work.

"Thanks, Sweetie!" Angela replied using a familiar nickname for Diana that caused the blonde to cringe inside. Once she got over the cringe hearing that nickname induced Diana felt relieved that the brunette had asked for something in return because now she felt like she and Angela were even. Both of them had gotten something in a fair exchange that both participants had willingly made.

"It is no problem." Diana replied with a familiar phrase of her own. Now that she had gotten what she had come here for, she had no idea what she was going to do with the rest of her day. Maybe she would go to Capital Coffee and get a double espresso to celebrate getting her sister's Lacrima Identification Code for such a low price.

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After the exchange the pair stood looking at each other for a minute or two when Angela heard an alarm sound coming from her iLac and looked at the time. She looked at the time, then looked at Diana with an apologetic look on her face.

"It's been nice to see you, Diana, but I'd better get going. I've got a lot of homework for my university classes to do, so I'll catch up with you later. Good luck out there and I hope you can meet your sister soon!" Angela bade Diana farewell.

"Thanks for giving me Lucia's Lacrima Identification Code, Angela. I mean it." Diana thanked Angela for the exchange of Lacrima Identification Codes that led to Diana obtaining her sister's code. Angela smiled and waved goodbye before turning around and heading for the stairwell on the far end of the third floor. Diana remained in place until Angela disappeared from sight.

Now that she had gotten what she had come here for Diana was faced with a choice. She could either go to Capital Coffee and get some coffee to celebrate or she could go home and prepare for the next day. The huntress crossed her arms over her chest and thought about it for a moment before deciding to go for a cup or two of coffee. A double espresso or two would help Diana think.

Coffee was always good.

Having reached her decision and wanting nothing else at the mall, Diana began walking towards the stairwell to leave the mall and make her way to Capital Coffee, which was just a stone's throw from the mall entrance. Diana would order a double espresso, sit down in her favorite white pod chair that faced the mall entrance, and watch people through the window until she decided it was time for a second double espresso. Then she would get a refill and watch people some more until the second cup was empty. Once the coffee was gone Diana would head home to get ready for the next day.

-Capital Coffee, ten minutes later-

Diana entered Capital Coffee to find it fairly busy as usual with university students sitting and studying or talking to each other. Diana wordlessly got in line behind twelve other people and noticed that her arrival made for thirteen people in line. The huntress felt a little uneasy about that number because whenever it came up it usually spelled trouble for her, but since today had been a good day maybe this time nothing bad would happen. Maybe she was feeling uneasy for no good reason and it was just superstition that was making her anxious.

Diana patiently waited her turn in line and after a thirty-minute wait finally got to the counter and ordered her usual double espresso. Maybe getting coffee right now was not a good idea, but she wanted to celebrate getting her sister's Lacrima Identification Code. Getting the code was a very good thing for Diana because she could now contact her sister, but just because she could did not mean that she should.

For one thing, what was she going to say to Lucia?

What could she say to Lucia?

What could Diana possibly say to her that would have any meaning? Did Diana have any right to speak to her after everything she had done over the past two years? Did Diana even have the right to see her?

Diana had no idea. She would just go a day at a time and hope that she would get a chance to see Lucia again. She received her coffee, paid for it, and began to walk over to her favorite white pod chair when she spotted a bespectacled blonde with wavy blonde hair approaching her.

"Hey Diana! It's nice to see you again!" Lorelei said to her. Lorelei was wearing a white short-sleeved Crocus Magicka University t-shirt and black skirt with white tennis shoes. In her hand was a cup of coffee: judging from the look of it, it was a single espresso. Diana waved at the blonde.

"Hi Lorelei." Diana greeted Lorelei.

"How's it going?" Lorelei asked Diana.

"Things are looking up for me lately." Diana answered truthfully. Lorelei smiled at her.

"Are you in a hurry to go anywhere?" Lorelei asked the huntress. Diana shook her head.

"Not at all." Diana answered. Lorelei smiled again and led them to a square table in the middle of the coffee shop. The two blondes sat down at the table and faced each other. It looked like they were about to have a conversation about something.

"I need your help with something, Diana." Lorelei said to Diana with a straight face. Diana kept a straight face, but on the inside she was more than a little concerned about what Lorelei needed help with. She would find out what Lorelei needed help with soon enough.

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Diana faced Lorelei and sipped on her double espresso while waiting for her fellow blonde to tell her what it was that she needed help with. Lorelei sipped on her espresso before speaking to the huntress.

"I need your help with something. I need to go to the mall to a bookstore called The Scholar's Resource to pick up a book for class, but that's not the trouble." Lorelei started to tell Diana what she was having a problem with before pausing. Diana remained quiet and let Lorelei speak at her own pace.

"There's a few sketchy guys who hang around my neighborhood. They haven't tried to get handsy with me yet... they mostly whistle at me and try to get me to go over to them, but I think that soon they won't be satisfied with doing that anymore. It might be late by the time I leave the bookstore and head for home." Lorelei informed Diana of the real trouble she was facing. Diana could see where this was going. Lorelei did not expect any serious trouble, but she wanted to have someone go with her in case the "sketchy guys" in her neighborhood decided to give her trouble.

"I will go with you to the mall and make sure that you reach home safely." Diana replied, offering to help Lorelei with her problem. Although she had not expected the rest of her day to go like this, Diana did not mind. Lorelei had been the one to let her know that Lucia was still alive and the huntress had a large measure of gratitude towards Lorelei for that. Having just been the recipient of a favor from Angela Helton, Diana felt that she owed Lorelei a favor or two for being the bearer of good news. Furthermore, helping Lorelei was also the right thing to do.

"Really? Thanks!" Lorelei thanked Diana for her help. She immediately stood up, pushed her chair in, and went to the counter to get her coffee in a to-go cup. Diana followed suit.

-Capital Crocus Mall, The Scholar's Resource, twenty minutes later-

After getting their coffee in a to-go cup Lorelei and Diana hurried to Capital Crocus Mall to enter The Scholar's Resource and get the book Lorelei needed before the mall closed. They had roughly three hours or so to take care of business before closing time, but they probably would not need that long. The crowds in the mall were beginning to thin out and getting around was a lot easier as a result. The blondes swept right when they stepped out of the entrance corridor and made their way towards the bookstore.

Lorelei guided Diana up to the bookstore and was about to enter when she stopped abruptly.

"No food or drink in the store. Looks like we'll have to finish our coffee outside the store." Lorelei said to Diana, pointing out a sign prohibiting patrons to bring in food or drinks. Diana gave a small smile. She had no problem complying with that.

"Very well. We will finish our coffee before we go in." Diana calmly replied. She lifted the half-empty double espresso cup to her lips and began to drink while Lorelei did the same. They walked off to the left side of the entrance so that they did not block traffic and began to finish their drinks at a leisurely pace. The huntress was glad that they had roughly three hours before closing time.

Once they had finished their drinks they located a trash can in the food court and walked over to it to dispose of their empty cups. The cups were discarded in the right receptacle and the pair walked back to The Scholar's Resource. Now that they no longer had coffee cups they were free to enter the bookstore without worrying about violating store policy.

-Inside The Scholar's Resource-

Lorelei entered the bookstore first and made a beeline for the far back of the rectangular bookstore while Diana strolled in at a more leisurely pace. Diana looked around her as she slowly made her way to the back and appreciated how well-organized everything was. Each shelf was neatly labeled with a white sign above it that let patrons know exactly what was on the shelf. Diana walked down the middle of the aisle and watched Lorelei speak with a young female employee who was manning the desk on the back wall. The employee was a young blonde woman who had her hair in a ponytail and was about as tall as Diana.

The store employee guided Lorelei towards a bookshelf on the left side of the store labeled "CHEMISTRY" and began pulling books off the shelf. Diana stopped at a discreet distance near the "PHOTOGRAPHY" books and watched the employee put books back on the shelf while pulling down others until the bespectacled blonde nodded when the correct book was selected. Lorelei held onto it while the employee put up the other books she had pulled down. Once all the books were back on the shelf Lorelei walked to the desk and the employee got behind the counter and rang up the book.

The bespectacled blonde pulled some Jewels out and handed them to the young woman, who took them and printed out a receipt for Lorelei. Lorelei took it and the textbook and thanked the employee. She then turned around and began walking for the front of the store while Diana left the photography books behind and followed Lorelei out of the store. The visit had taken about twelve minutes, fifteen if one accounted for the three minutes the blondes spent drinking their coffee outside the store.

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-Outside The Scholar's Resource, fifteen minutes later-

"Well, that was fast. That employee was really helpful! She helped me find just the right Chemistry book for my Chemistry class!" Lorelei said, holding up the book she had just purchased so that Diana could see it. It was a thick white book with the picture of a glass beaker with a microscope sitting just to its left. The title of the book was CMU Chemistry 101 Diana winced. A book that thick was for beginning chemistry classes?

"Yeah, all of that for a beginning chemistry class." Lorelei answered the question that Diana had on her mind. The bespectacled blonde opened the book and thumbed through it. She thumbed through to the end of the book and let out a low whistle.

"800 pages of material." Lorelei commented. Diana could hardly believe what she was seeing, but then again maybe all of those pages were necessary. Chemistry was a complex subject that involved a lot of mathematics and a lot of formulas. Diana watched Lorelei close the book and grip it protectively.

"Now that we've got the book, I'd like to try and get a cup of soda from the food court before we start for my neighborhood. Do you want a cup of soda too, Diana?" Lorelei declared her intent to get a cup of soda before the pair set out for home and asked if Diana wanted one too. Diana shook her head. She was already hopped up on enough caffeine without adding to it by chasing a double espresso with a soda. Lorelei handed Diana the textbook and walked in the direction of the food court without saying another word.

Diana quietly followed behind Lorelei while clutching the textbook in her arms like her life depended on it.

-At the food court, four minutes later-

Diana had followed Lorelei to the food court but had gotten cut off from the bespectacled blonde by an unexpected surge of foot traffic coming from the food court and heading for the exit. Once it was out of the way Diana walked the rest of the distance. When she arrived she saw Lorelei standing in line for the pizza place near the back of the food court. Diana began walking over to her and noticed that the "line" for pizza had only one other person, which went a long way towards explaining why Lorelei had picked that line to stand in.

Diana walked over to the line and stood beside Lorelei, who noticed Diana and gave the huntress a little wave.

"Oh hi Diana! I didn't see you standing there!" Lorelei said to the huntress.

"I got separated from you by an unexpected surge in foot traffic. Sorry about that." Diana apologized for getting separated from Lorelei. The bespectacled blonde shrugged it off.

"It's no problem. I kinda feel bad about just getting a soda, so I'm getting a slice of pizza while I'm at it. Would you like a slice of pizza too?" Lorelei asked Diana. Diana shook her head.

"OK, I'll just get one for myself then!" Lorelei said. When the person in front of them had received their order Lorelei walked up to the counter and placed her order while Diana stood back clutching the chemistry textbook and watching out for her client. After the order had been placed it took about five minutes for Lorelei to receive it and walk over to a square table to sit at. Diana wordlessly followed her over to the table and sat facing Lorelei.

"Have you ever eaten here before, Diana?" Lorelei asked in an effort to make small talk with her companion. Diana nodded.

"Yes I have, Lorelei. I ate here a little over a year ago with someone I met. I was tasked with accompanying them while they shopped and they decided to eat here." Diana replied and told the story of how she had eaten pizza a little over a year ago with Angela Helton during their first meeting. The bespectacled blonde smiled.

"I like the pizza they serve here. I also like the atmosphere of the food court with all the restaurants and people and the activity." Lorelei said before taking the slice of pizza off of its plate and raising it to her mouth. Diana watched as Lorelei began to eat. The huntress was not hungry enough to eat a slice of pizza, but she could really go for a cookie. Maybe on the way to Lorelei's house they could find a decent bakery where Diana could get a chocolate chip cookie.

-Outside Capital Crocus Mall, twenty minutes later-

After a twenty-minute meal break the pair stood outside Capital Crocus Mall and looked towards Capital Coffee. Lorelei looked towards Diana, who was still holding the textbook that had been entrusted to her almost an hour ago. Diana looked towards Lorelei.

"Do you want to get a cup of coffee before we head home?" Lorelei asked Diana while holding a to-go cup of soda. Judging from the cherry scent, it was Cherry Charge.

"No thank you, Lorelei. One double espresso is enough for me." Diana replied. She could easily down another double espresso and only feel a mild caffeine rush, but she wanted to sleep some time today, so she decided against it. Lorelei smiled.

"OK then, we'll finally start heading for my house! I didn't expect to take that long just to eat a slice of pizza, but we're finally on our way!" Lorelei said to Diana before she faced forward and began walking. Diana wordlessly followed at Lorelei's right with the textbook cradled protectively in her arms.

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-Outside Lorelei's house, forty minutes later-

It had been a brisk walk through the streets of Capital Crocus to the Wingate house, but now that Diana had escorted Lorelei home without incident the toughest part of the job was over. She had not seen the "sketchy guys" Lorelei had warned her about, but just because Diana did not see them did not mean that they were not around. They just might have been busy elsewhere when the two blondes passed through. At any rate, Lorelei rang the doorbell to her house and within moments it was answered by a middle-aged woman with wavy blonde hair and black-rimmed spectacles just like Lorelei wore. The woman was wearing a white Crocus Magicka University sweater and blue jeans with brown deck shoes.

"Oh, hi Lorelei! We thought that you'd be home sooner than this!" The middle-aged woman said to Lorelei. Lorelei blushed.

"Sorry Mom. I had to get a chemistry textbook at the mall, then I stopped for a slice of pizza before we headed home. Then I stopped at a trashcan to throw away my empty soda cup." Lorelei apologized for her late arrival. Diana remained silent as the two Wingates talked. The older woman soon focused on Diana, who was still holding the chemistry textbook she had been entrusted to carry almost an hour ago.

"Oh, who's that standing over there? Is that the young lady you told us about?" The older woman asked Lorelei. The younger Wingate nodded.

"Yes, Mom. Her name's Diana. We met a while ago in Capital Crocus." Lorelei responded and gave Diana's name. Thankfully Lorelei did not say that they had met at a Singles Night... unless Lorelei had told her already. The older woman looked towards Diana and smiled.

"Oh, you're Diana? Lori told us about you!" The older woman asked the huntress. Diana nodded.

"I am Diana Winchester." Diana formally introduced herself to Mrs. Wingate.

"I'm Edna Wingate, Lorelei's mother. It's nice to meet you, Diana!" Mrs. Wingate introduced herself to Diana in return. Lorelei walked over to Diana and stretched her hands out.

"You've been carrying that textbook for this whole time. I'll take it from here." Lorelei said to Diana. Diana wordlessly relinquished the textbook to Lorelei, who took it into her hands and carried it inside. The huntress was glad to be free of that obligation and lowered her hands to her sides for the first time in awhile. Mrs. Wingate looked at Diana and smiled.

"I'm glad that you made sure that my daughter got home safely, Diana. She told me about some local hoodlums giving her a hard time and I was worried about her getting home this late, but thanks to you she made it home. I'm not a mage and neither is my husband. We're also older people, so we can't do anything about those young hoodlums harassing our daughter." Mrs. Wingate thanked Diana for walking with Lorelei to make sure that their daughter made it home safely.

"It is no problem, Mrs. Wingate." Diana replied. She did not mind doing that at all. She kind of liked Lorelei... as an acquaintance, of course. As far as she could tell Lorelei had no romantic feelings for her whatsoever. Diana had no romantic feelings for Lorelei either, but she had to admit that Lorelei was kind of cute in a bookish way.

"Why don't you join us for dinner, Diana? I've made lasagna!" Mrs. Wingate offered for Diana to join the Wingates for dinner. Diana was not sure if she should accept the offer or not. She had walked with Lorelei as a favor and was not looking for payment of any kind.

"Why don't you join us, Diana?" Lorelei echoed while standing just inside the doorway. Diana thought it over for a moment. She did not want to be rude to Mrs. Wingate, who had extended the invitation in good faith. Diana looked at the Wingates and made her decision.

"I would be delighted to join you for dinner." Diana gave her answer. The Wingates were delighted.

"Great! Come on in, my dear!" Mrs. Wingate urged Diana to enter while Lorelei stepped back to make way. Diana obliged and went inside for an unexpected dinner with the Wingates.

-Inside the Wingate house, in the dining room-

Diana, Lorelei, Mrs. Wingate, Mr. Wingate, a teenage girl, and a younger one all sat around an oval wooden table in the middle of a medium-sized dining room with an imitation brass chandelier providing lighting. In the middle of the table was the pan of lasagna and in front of each person was silverware placed on a napkin to the right of a white porcelain plate.

"Everyone, say hi to our guest and Lorelei's friend, Diana Winchester!" Mrs. Wingate bade everyone. Lorelei blushed and Diana felt more than a little uncomfortable being put on the spot like that. She also felt a little empty because she could not recall the last family dinner she had with either her family or another family. However, Diana recalled what had happened to the Winchesters after they had all drank poisoned wine. Hopefully this dinner would go better than that fateful Winchester family dinner from over four years ago.

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Diana received the greetings of Mr. Wingate and two people she presumed to be Lorelei's sisters. Mr. Wingate bade her a warm greeting and so did Lorelei's sisters. The huntress involuntarily blushed and began to express her gratitude to the Wingates for inviting her to dinner.

"Thank you. Thank you all for extending the invitation to join you for dinner." Diana thanked them for being generous enough to invite her, a total stranger they had only heard about from Lorelei, to eat dinner with them.

"It's no problem... er, Diana, was it?" Mr. Wingate asked Diana. Mr. Wingate was a middle-aged man with black hair and black-rimmed spectacles who wore a blue sweater vest and khaki pants with brown deck shoes.

"Oh Clyde... don't tell me that you've already forgotten her name!" Mrs. Wingate chided her husband. Mr. Wingate frowned a little.

"You know, Dear, I think I did forget her name. How embarrassing." Mr. Wingate admitted to his wife. His daughters laughed while Diana remained silent. She was not quite sure what to make of it, but she went with the flow. It was a harmless mistake, after all.

"It's all right, Dad. You just met her a few minutes ago." The teenage sister, a young woman with shoulder-length wavy black hair, a pink t-shirt, and blue jeans but no glasses assured her father. The youngest sister, a young blonde girl with a baby blue t-shirt and blue jeans, laughed.

"Daddy forgot Deana's name already!" She said and began to laugh.

"Lindsay, her name's Di-ana, not De-ana." The middle sister gently reminded Lindsay of how to properly pronounce Diana's name. Lindsay looked at her older sister and pouted.

"Oh no, I'm gonna forget names just like Daddy!" Lindsay said in despair and put her hands on her cheeks in shame. Diana could not help but to be amused by that and smiled a little. She wished her own family had been this warm and friendly to her when they were alive.

"Let's eat the lasagna before it gets cold, everyone." Mrs. Wingate got everyone back on track. Murmurs of agreement came from everyone except Diana, who remained silent and waited until it was her turn to receive a serving of lasagna. The Wingates seemed like a close, well-knit family who got along with each other, unlike the Winchesters. In the Winchester family it was the mother, father, and Melody Winchester on top, Lucia and Lucis Winchester in the middle, and everyone else below them with Diana occupying the bottom rung of the family ladder.

Diana received her serving of lasagna and thanked Mrs. Wingate for serving it before pulling her plate over to her and picking up her fork, then cutting off a piece and sticking it on her fork. Diana lifted the piece to her mouth and bit into it. She was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of it and how it all went together.

"So, what do you think of the lasagna, Diana?" Mrs. Wingate asked Diana while everyone continued to eat.

"This is my first time eating lasagna, but I like it, Mrs. Wingate." Diana admitted that while this was her first time eating lasagna, she liked it. Mrs. Wingate smiled widely.

"I'm glad to hear that, Diana." Mrs. Wingate said to her. Mr. Wingate put down his fork for a moment and spoke to Diana next.

"So, Diana... what is it that you do for a living?" Mr. Wingate asked Diana.

"I am a freelance mage." Diana replied calmly. Mr. Wingate seemed mildly impressed by that.

"I take it you travel a lot, Diana. Where all have you been?" Mr. Wingate asked.

"I have traveled to Silent Cemetery, Fat Monsterland, Bellum, Hargeon Town, Era, Desierto, Sakuramori, and a lot of other places." Diana gave a partial list of all the places she had been to over her brief but eventful career. Mr. Wingate seemed truly impressed by that.

"I wish I could have been a mage so I could travel like that, but I wasn't born one, so I'm just a plain old accountant." Mr. Wingate lamented that his life was not nearly as exciting as Diana's. Mrs. Wingate took over from her husband.

"Aren't your parents worried about you going to all those places by yourself, Diana?" Mrs. Wingate asked. Diana involuntarily winced when she heard that. This was going to be a rather awkward question to answer.

[Post Word Count: 734]
[Total Word Count: 6,702/7,000]

Diana hesitated to answer the question because not only was it awkward and inconvenient to answer, but she also did not want to ruin the pleasant mood at the table. Everyone was getting along and acting like a real family who liked each other instead of a bunch of people bound together by the same last name like the Winchesters had. The huntress struggled to find a good answer to that question when Lorelei came to the rescue.

"So, Diana, how's Lucia doing?" Lorelei asked a question that gave Diana an out right when she needed one the most. Mr. and Mrs. Wingate let the question about her family drop in favor of finding out what they could about Diana's older sister. Diana faced Lorelei and spoke

"I have not met Lucia directly yet, but earlier today I heard from a mutual acquaintance that she was doing fine." Diana answered truthfully. Lorelei smiled and her mother took an interest in the conversation.

"I didn't know you had a sister, Diana. Is she a mage too?" Mrs. Wingate asked. Diana nodded.

"She is a mage as well, Mrs. Wingate." Diana replied. Mrs. Wingate smiled.

"I overheard you say that you two haven't met just yet. Why's that?" Mrs. Wingate asked Diana a question that was slightly less awkward than the one about whether her family was worried about her traveling across Earthland by herself. Diana was slightly more able and willing to answer this one.

"We have been apart for awhile." Diana replied in a half-truth. It was true that they had been apart, but that was because Lucia had died four years ago, not because the Winchester sisters had had a falling out where they voluntarily parted ways. None of the Wingates needed to know exactly why the Winchester sisters had not met yet.

"When we met at Capital Coffee, Lucia told me that she had been away for four years." Lorelei volunteered that information in Diana's place. Mrs. Wingate seemed surprised to hear that, but then smiled. Diana was glad to get out of an awkward explanation so easily, but the meal was not over yet.

"I'm glad to hear that your sister's all right, Diana. Maybe you two will meet again one day soon." Mrs. Wingate expressed the hope that Lucia and Diana would be able to meet again soon.

"I hope so too." Diana replied calmly in a statement that was a complete truth.

"I like lasagna! MORE PLEASE!" Lindsay called out and pushed her plate forward for another serving. Mrs. Wingate frowned a little at her daughter's rudeness.

"You know better than that, Lindsay. Say it the right way, please." Mrs. Wingate chided Lindsay. The youngest Wingate frowned.

"I'd like more lasagna, please." She repeated in a more polite manner. Mrs. Wingate relented and smiled.

"Certainly, Lindsay." Mrs. Wingate said and dished out another serving to her daughter, who happily pulled back her plate and began to eat. The dark-haired Wingate sister pushed her plate forward.

"I'd like some more lasagna too, please." The dark-haired youth requested. She had kept quiet throughout most of the night, speaking only to greet Diana and gently remind her younger sister how the huntress' name was pronounced.

"Certainly, Helen." Mrs. Wingate replied and dished out another serving to the middle sister. Diana remained silent and finished her serving of lasagna. She did not plan to ask for another because she wanted to leave soon and go home.

"Would you like more lasagna, Diana?" Mrs. Wingate asked. Diana began to refuse, but then she decided to get another serving. She was not going to insult her hostess.

"Yes, please." Diana replied and gently pushed her plate forward. Mrs. Wingate happily dished out another serving to Diana. The huntress pulled her plate back and began to eat again. She would need to go home soon, but she could wait a little bit longer to leave.

Part of Diana enjoyed being with a family who actually liked one another and acted like a family. That was something that she had never really gotten to be a part of back when her birth family was alive. Diana had also liked the lasagna a lot more than she had expected to. She would leave for home soon, but not just yet.

-Two hours later-

Diana walked out the front door of the Wingate home and Mrs. Wingate and Lorelei waved goodbye. Diana turned around and waved goodbye before setting out for home. Diana hated to leave, but she had to get ready for work tomorrow.

Besides, she doubted that this was the last time she and Lorelei would cross paths. They would meet again one day. Maybe Lucia and Diana could visit the Wingates as a family one day... if they could ever manage to find one another. The sisters were separate now, but one day they would be reunited. Diana would do the best she could to make that reunion happen.

[Post Word Count: 827]
[Total Word Count: 7,529/7,000]