I wasn't able to sleep after I was escorted back to my room so I spent the rest of the night watching reruns of a cheesy reality show. I actually got pretty invested in the show, so much so that Angel Boy had to come get me for breakfast.
When I opened the door to let him in, he shoved multiple shopping bags into my arms and let himself inside. A little overwhelmed, I juggled the bags and followed after him.
"Ash mentioned you needed some clothes so I made a trip this morning. I kind of just guessed for the sizing, though."
I was touched by their kindness. "Thank you."
He waved off my gratitude and pushed me gently towards the bedroom. "Go get dressed, we're all getting breakfast at Dean's today to celebrate you joining the guild."
My stomach made itself known at the mention of breakfast, reminding me I'd only had crackers to eat since getting here. Flushing a bit in embarrassment, I ducked into the other room to throw on some more modest attire than the robe I was wearing, something I was glad Angel Boy didn't comment about.
When I came out, Angel Boy was already waiting by the door expectantly.
"C'mon, let's go! You're going to love this place, Dean's has the best omelettes I've ever tasted. You have to try them."
I smiled at his enthusiasm and followed. Twenty minutes later, we were seated in a booth along with the guildmaster, who had driven us here.
The diner was small and not busy at all for the time of day it was. It was decorated in the retro style that was often seen in media: checkerboard floor, red seating, and an open kitchen. I felt like I'd traveled back in time, not that I was alive back then to know what it feels like.
Ash drank a cup of coffee (black, eugh) silently, leaving me to converse with Angel Boy. As much as I loved the boy, he talked too much for my introverted self to keep up with and I was already drained by the time the others showed up.
Willow was the first, sliding in on my side of the booth with Angel Boy between us. She greeted him cheerfully and then Ash, while ignoring my presence. Her snub was pretty obvious, something that brought a displeased look to Ash's face. However, the matter was effectively tabled when the final two members showed up.
With everyone present, Victor summoned over a waitress and orders were placed. None of them needed to look at a menu, proving their familiarity with the place. Not wanting to hold up the process and make everyone wait, I repeated Angel Boy's order, even though I wasn't a big fan of eggs.
They quickly settled into comfortable conversation and I was hit hard with outsider syndrome. Angel Boy tried his best to involve me, but it was hard to keep up with them. They talked about celebrity drama, dungeon openings, and politics at a rapid pace, subjects I couldn't participate in as an otherworlder.
When the food came, I focused on eating, letting their noise fade into the background. As much as I didn't like the taste of eggs, the omelette was surprisingly not bad. Thin sliced ham, smoky melted cheese, and a side of cherry tomatoes made for a nice breakfast and I could see why Angel Boy recommended it.
Feeling eyes on me, I looked up to see Ash watching me. He silently mouthed at me, 'everything okay?', and I nodded slightly. I felt a little better knowing I had another person watching out for me and that not everyone disliked me.
Not wanting him to worry, I refocused on the conversation. I knew that I could gain some valuable information from their talk, it was just hard when every person and place they named was unfamiliar. It was like listening to people talk in a different language, even though it wasn't.
So instead, I made mental profiles for all of them. Angel Boy was friendly with all of them, not that I expected anything else. There were many times he played mediator between Willow and Gage when the two of them squabbled over every little thing like children. He must truly be a saint to be so patient with them.
Gage was loud and took up a lot of space, squeezing Victor up against Ash. My brain spun until it landed on the label dumb jock, and, my god, did it fit perfectly. He would jump in every other sentence, often only to say something with no real value to the topic. And if he wasn't speaking, he was shoveling food into his mouth like it was a race.
He was exactly the type of guy that I would find irritating if it weren't for how genuine he was. It was a little hard to describe, but I got the feeling he was always his authentic self no matter the situation and I kind of admired that. I don't think we could ever be good friends, though. He would get on my nerves too much.
Anyways, Willow was worse. The girl was argumentative, not willing to let a subject rest until she had exhausted it and then some. This was how she got into so many fights with Gage, the two of them just egged each other on.
I also hated how much she clung to Angel Boy, the only person trying to make me feel welcome in this damn guild. I'll admit that makes me sound like a child jealous of their parent's attention to their sibling, but she was hogging my only ally. Wait, I guess I have Ash now too.
Speaking of Ash, Victor and Ash were a lot more mature, not participating in the spectacle the two made of themselves unless it got out of hand. They mostly kept to conversation between themselves, using hushed tones to work through guild matters. I didn't have much of an impression of him, but it looked like Victor was somewhat of a workaholic.
Ash was quiet most of the time, but close to everyone finishing up, he interrupted to announce a decision he had made.
"Tomorrow we're all going to be entering the B class dungeon that opened up near the Zion Opera House."
Willow was the one to ask the big question. "Him too?" she asked, jabbing her fork in my direction.
Ash met her gaze with his obsidian eyes. "Yes, Grey too."
Why? I thought I was just around for the headcount. Why was I participating in the dungeon raid?
I guess Ash could see me starting to panic because he added, "It's only to assess your skills and growth potential. This won't be a usual thing."
"Good," Willow muttered, not discreetly at all.
"Willow," Ash admonished.
I tuned them out, too busy freaking out. This was bad, really bad. The last time I went in a dungeon, I lost a foot and now they want me to go in one with a higher ranking than my own?
On top of all of that, I had none of the experience my predecessor had with dungeons. The closest I've gotten was seeing the portal from the car, which was close enough for me. I don't know what kind of 'potential' Ash is expecting to see from me, but he was going to be very disappointed.
And I knew the likelihood of getting hurt surrounded by S class hunters was close to zero, but I didn't have much faith in my guildmembers. I couldn't help but think that maybe this was all just a ploy to get rid of me in a place where nobody could see, but dismissed it as paranoia. There was no reason to go to so much effort just to kill someone like me.
We left the diner soon after Ash dropped that bomb and I returned to my dorm to curl into a thick blanket and watch TV, following a relaxing bath, of course. I put my worries out of my mind and enjoyed the rest of the day by myself, knowing the next day would not be as peaceful.