Rayden is pathetic

[junkuroki]

Rayden paced outside one of the dorm doors. If his boots were metal spades he would've dug a trench in them by this time. He sighed, he wiped his sweaty brow with a hand. Then he took hold of his nerves and raised a hand and pressed the doorbell.

"Stella would you go to the ball with me?"
"Hey Babe, if you don't have any date to the ball you can come with me."
"You cavewoman. Me caveman. Cavewoman and Caveman go to ball."
"Oh gracious lady, would you be so kind as to let me escort you to the ball?"

Which one sounds the best ,Aria?

/None. You sound like some dork who's desperately trying not to be going alone, which you are.

Rayden stiffened.

IF I'm a dork I'm a lovable one.

[Stella]

Stella was just climbing out of the shower when she heard the door bell ring. Who the hell?.. Quickly tugging on her standard issue dark blue SeeD bathroom she headed for the door. Her hair was still wet dripping all over the robe.

Getting up on her tip toes she peeked through the peep hole. Rayden stood there looking at the floor apparently muttering to himself.

"You've got to be kidding me" Stella uttered under her breath as she threw off her robe and headed for her closet.

"Hang on a sec, I just need to throw on some clothes" she shouted at the door.

[raydensharpola]

Rayden thought he heard Stella's muffled voice through the door, saying that she needed to throw on some clothes.

Does that mean she wasn't in any clothes...hmmm... He thought with a smirk. I sure know how to pick the timing don't I?

/Don't you dare pollute my living space with those filthy thoughts of yours. And anyone would just notice that leery look on your face and deduce what you've been thinking, pig./

Rayden rolled his eyes.

Isn't it more offensive not to take notice when a girl says she doesn't have any clothes on? I'd think it would imply a lack of attractiveness...

"Oh yeah, Stella, take your time while I just stand here entertaining myself." He grinned wolfishly.

[Stella]

"Well at least he didn't say something about how I didn't need any clothes to talk to him" Stella muttered under her breath pulling on a long t-shirt that fell to just above her knees. It would do just fine, he was going to drool all over her no matter what she was wearing. She threw her wet hair up in a towel.

"Great timing Ray ray" she growled right before she opened the door. He was standing there in all his Rayden glory.

"Can I help you?" Stella asked sweetly with a little smile.

[raydensharpola]

"Great timing Ray ray" He could hear her growl.

The door whooshed open, revealing Stella in just a T-shirt and a towel wrapped around her hair. The sweet fragrance of shampoo filled his nose as he stepped up closer to the door.

"Can I help you?" Stella asked sweetly with a little smile.

"Yeah, don't you know?" Rayden kept his wolfish grin, appreciating the becoming way her T-shirt just covered enough of her legs not to be indecent, but alluring enough at the same time to set off all kinds of physical impulses any hotblooded male would have. "I have a special ability to pick precisely the second a girl steps out from her shower to ring the doorbell."

He cleared his throat. Despite the distraction her appearance gave, he was still battling with his nerves. Stella had an aura about her that was different from those giggly females he used to date. He couldn't just grin his way into making her accept. He put on a serious, more sincere face.

"May I ask you to the ball, Stella? If you don't already have a date that is."

[Stella]

Yup. This is exactly what she was afraid would happen. It was just a kiss, a heat of the battle moment, and now he was going to try and make it into something more. Gah. She thought he of all people might understand. Stella was not good with relationships.

And from what she knew, neither was he. Rayden Sharpola. Mr. Player, flirter with every female in the Garden. If he didn't think she knew of his reputation then he was sorely mistaken.

"Are you saying that Xu turned you down, Mr. Irresistible?" she said with sarcasm dripping from every word, her arms crossing.

[raydensharpola]

At the mention of Xu, Rayden could feel his ego positively throb, although he didn't let any of it show in his expression.

"Of course she did."
/More like she ignored you./ Ariadnialla cackled.

Rayden covered his annoyance with a smirk. "I would have a heart attack if she didn't. Headmistresses just don't go to balls with their subordinates." He shrugged. "And hey, I took it upon me as a duty to cheer up our Headmistress since she's been let down by that lover-spy-scum or whatever. Even if it means asking her to the ball."

Rayden gasped as if he hit upon a scandalous idea.

"Are you jealous that I asked her to the ball, Stella?"

[Stella]

Stella snorted loudly and actually laughed out loud at his suggestion. How very arrogant that he could even come up with an idea like that.

"Your joking right?" she asked opening the door wider and actually letting him into her dorm room. She shook her head and motioned to the couch as she went into the kitchen to fix some tea.

"No I'm not jealous at all Rayden. In fact I would have been happy for you if Xu has said yes, Hyne knows she could use some loosening up" she said clinking around in the kitchen.

"But let me give you a hint, Ray ray, no girl likes to feel second best" she said looking over at him with a wink.

[raydensharpola]

Rayden settled on the couch, taking the time to appraise Stella's room. It was spacious, and pleasing to the eye.

"No I'm not jealous at all Rayden. In fact I would have been happy for you if Xu has said yes, Hyne knows she could use some loosening up" she said clinking around in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I was joking." He grinned, even though she couldn't see it with her back turned. "You don't strike me as the jealous type."

"But let me give you a hint, Ray ray, no girl likes to feel second best" she said looking over at him with a wink.

He glanced back at her.

Second best? He mulled. Is he referring to me asking Xu first, or something deeper than that?

He had to know.

"Does that mean you would've gone with me if I asked you first?" He asked, getting up and going into the kitchen. She seemed to be making tea for both of them. "I didn't know you were this hospitable to a guy whom you think treats you second best. But that really isn't my intention." He sighed. "I apologise if it appears that way."

[Stella]

"Would I have gone with you if you had asked me first?" Stella grinned handing him a steaming cup of tea, "I guess you'll never know"

"Drink up its good for you" she said with a wink as she took her own tea with her as she left the kitchen. She abandoned it on the table for a moment and slipped into the bedroom pulling on a pair of jeans over her bare legs and releasing her damp hair from the towel.

"Look Rayden, you're a heart breaker. Everyone knows that and anyone who gets involved with you is destined for it" She said coming back into the living room. Sure it was only a dance but one dance led to another and another..

"And when it comes to relationships, I'm a mess. So maybe its best if we just don't start anything" Stella said sinking down into the couch with a sigh.

"Besides just think of all the swooning girls you'll be letting down if you show up with someone like me" she said waving her hand as she took a sip of her tea.

[raydensharpola]

Rayden grabbed the tea from Stella and drank it absently, burning his lip from his carelessness. He tried not to show his discomfort, waiting outside her room while she slipped on a pair of jeans.

"Yeah, well, I guess you have a point." He followed her and sat beside her in the couch. "I don't deliberately go around breaking girls hearts. I make it clear to every one of them that I'm just out for something superficial, nothing that ever touches anything other than skin deep. If they accept, then great. If not, they know not to go near." He exhaled with a sigh, putting his cup of tea on the coffee table. "But it's inevitable when some of them go beyond that, you can't always control your emotions. That's where the heartbreaker label comes in." He stood up, and shrugged. "I don't pretend that I don't feel guilty when that happens, but there's nothing much I can do."

He stood up from the couch.

"I'll show myself out then?" He grinned, although it was a grin that didn't reach his eyes. He started walking towards the door, but turned around once again.

"But Stella, a thousand swooning girls can't compare to someone like you." He winked. "As a consolation prize, would you mind not rejecting me if I come up and ask you for a dance? Just one? I promise it won't go beyond that."

[Stella]

With a small sigh she set the tea down on the coffee table and walked over to him as he stopped before the door. She could get serious here or she could joke. Leaning up she kissed him on the cheek softly and went for the joke. That's always what she did when trying to avoid her feelings after all.

"If you look nice enough Rayden, and you don't step all over my feet, you might even get two dances" she said to him softly giving him a mischievous grin.

"I'll see you at the ball"

[raydensharpola]

Rayden's eyebrows raised slightly. Stella had just given him a soft peck on the cheek. Her attitude earlier seemed to suggest distancing from him--it did to him anyway, but he could be reading it wrong--but now she was slipping into flirtatious Stella as easily as slipping on a piece of clothing.

"I'll take that as a seal of promise." He grinned. "You're lucky I'm such a playa. Another guy would've held you accountable for that and tried to cling onto you."

He opened the door and stepped out, turning to face her.

"The ball it is." He gave her the most dazzling smile he could muster, turned and walked away trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

Well, that didn't go too bad, Aria. At least I came out intact.