#AnneChapter11 AnneAerwyna

[anne-aerwyna]

Anne ~ Chapter 11

As soon as Anne got off the carriage she got her priorities in order, making a list of all of the major things that she needed to do. There at the top of the list was Operation Roommate Dawn, which needed to be set into motion. The easy three-step plan was as follows:

Step 1: Ask Dawn what type of place she is planning to stay in

Step 2: Ask Dawn if she is planning to get a roommate to split the rent

Step 3: Great success (if she said yes)

Because it was simple, the plan was airtight.

"Hey Dawn, where are you planning to stay now that we're here in the city?" she asked innocently. "I'm hoping that there are some apartments to rent, otherwise we might have to stay at the guild!" Anne tried to keep her voice calm and collected; messing up now could put a damper on her master plan.

"Like I said on the carriage: I am going to look for a small rental near to the beach, something that isn’t too small and that looks nice." Dawn responded. She didn’t need glasses to read what was written on Anne’s face, so she decided to circumvent unnecessary discussion and cut right to the chase. "Would you like to stay with me, Anne? I'm sure that with the two of us even a moderately priced beachfront apartment will be relatively easy to pay for."

Anne stiffened up, ears slightly red. "O-of course!" she stammered, cheeks slowly changing color to match her ears. "I mean, if you r-really want to that is... I wouldn't want to be a burden or anything, I know that you're going to be busy as a Guild Gal and may not... uhh..." she trailed off as Dawn nodded and gave her a smile.

"So it's settled then. Why don't we go find a place that we both like, hmm? It will be quicker if we both keep our eyes peeled." Dawn was talking while she was walking off and Anne, still tongue-tied, could only nod and follow behind. They walked past many luxurious houses and compounds on their way to the beach. One compound was open, airy and had only one or two rooms with four full walls. The other “rooms” functioned like open-air gathering areas, containing intricately carved wooden seats upon which people sat in bright clothing, sipping drinks and enjoying the breeze. Across the road from that compound was a large house that was the complete opposite - while the compound was airy and allowed the wind to blow through it, this house was sturdy as a Brute Wyvern and almost entirely closed-off. The windows were nothing but thin open slits and all of the doors were shut tightly. Nobody could be seen through the windows or in the garden. Anne couldn't help but be slightly put-off. She looked between the living places, marveling at how different the living styles between the two were.

 'There must be a person of every kind living in this city!' she thought to herself. 'I wonder if there are any inland folks like me and Dawn?' 

The pair reached the end of the street and turned right, and there to the left, running parallel to the path, was the beach! Dawn was walking quickly onward with no sign of interest, but Anne could hardly hold herself back. Her playground was mere feet away! It took all of her willpower to continue following Dawn instead of running straight into the sea. She was so distracted that she didn't even realize that Dawn had stopped to examine a small cottage with a "For Rent" sign posted in the front yard. It had white stone walls and was blue roofed like many other buildings in the city, but it was distinguished by being squat and having some vines growing on wooden trellises set against the front of the house.

"What do you think about this one, Anne?" Dawn asked, snapping Anne out of her daydreams as Dawn turned to look at her. "I think it looks rather cozy, and I like the proximity to the beach. Looking at the rest of the houses on this road from here, I think I can safely assume that this is the nicest we're going to get."

For Anne the choice was simple. Could she smell the salty sea air? Check. Could she feel the cool ocean breeze? Check. Could she see the beautiful blue ocean and the sandy beach? Double check. Was she going to live with Dawn? 100% check. How could any other place be better? She attempted a cool response, to make up for earlier. 

"Y-yeah, this'll do just fine! I hope the price isn't too high, otherwise the search continues. Does it say how much the rent is on this sign?" Anne took a closer look at the sign in question. There was no indication of pricing on the front of it, and nothing on the back either. She turned to Dawn and shrugged. "We'll have to find the person selling it, I think. There's nothing but ‘For Sale’ anywhere on here!" Suddenly the door of the small cottage opened, and a young man in gaudy purple robes stepped out.

"Welcome to Oceanview Cottage!" he exclaimed with a noticeably fake grin on his face, spreading his arms widely. "You looking to buy? If so, you've found the right man! I'll rent it out to you for cheap too, pretty ladies. How about it?" Anne's shyness came rushing back in full force, and she stared down at her feet. This guy gave off some sketchy vibes. Dawn came to Anne's rescue by walking up to the man and starting the bargaining. Anne couldn't hear what they were saying and she didn't really want to, so she turned around and gazed over the ocean, taking in the sights and smells. White birds were flying lazily above the water, squawking loudly at nothing in particular. Children played in the shallows under the watchful vigil of their parents, and at one point a group of small monsters breached the surface! They were green monsters with long bodies that terminated in small heads which had tiny crests on top. They had four fins, each of them with five spikes on the end, and their tails looked somewhat like fish tails. The funniest thing about them was that they had a pair of white plates sticking out from the sides of their jaws, giving the monsters the appearance of being mustached. The monsters gently floated on the surface of the water to sunbathe, and then dived back down into the depths. Anne stood in awe of her surroundings, lost in the intricacies of beach life. She could most certainly get used to this. However, darker thoughts began to invade her mind. 'I wonder what large monsters live in the ocean?' she questioned, casting her gaze to the deeper water on the horizon. 'I bet they're big... with lots of teeth. And sharp claws. And I'll bet that they can swim faster than any person can. How scary... fighting a monster in its home turf would be the worst. I can’t imagine going deep down in that dark blue and fighting something huge. Huge and mean. With a huge appetite too, and maybe-'

Tap tap

Anne nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt someone's finger tap her shoulder. "Hey, it's just me!" Dawn exclaimed, surprised by Anne's jitteriness. "You look so shocked it's like I inflicted you with Thunderblight! What were you thinking about?" Anne pulled herself together.

"Oh, n-nothing." she replied, voice quavering. "What happened to the tacky guy?"

Dawn smiled her signature small smile and replied, "Anne Aerwyna, congratulations. We are the new renters of Oceanview Cottage. Welcome to your new home."