Ask Awkward Conversations

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya had stared at her phone for a long time, the blinking cursor of text waiting to be written seeming to almost mock her. It was a rare instance that she would have no idea what to say, let alone how to even start a message. She was normally so sure of herself, so headstrong. But this.. this was delicate, and a misstep could be catastrophic.

But it needed to be done, she thought. Ignoring it or avoiding it wasn't going to work, not forever. Aadya sighed heavily as her thumbs finally started to move, tapping at letters and erasing them several times before finding the right ones.

A few days later, Aadya was seated at a table outside on of her favorite little shops, a pretty trendy looking bakery that also doubled as a coffee place. Sipping at a large, unsweetened iced black coffee, Aadya stared absentmindedly at her phone. She fully expected to get a message from Clove at any time saying that she wasn't coming. Although, it also wouldn't surprise her if Clove simply ghosted her texts. It would have been understandable, all things considered.

Checking her chrono, Aadya sighed idly. It wasn't even the time they'd agreed to meet yet, Clove wouldn't be late for another fifteen minutes or so. She was just getting antsy, which was an unusual feeling for Aadya. A small tingle of nervousness slithered up her spine as she continued to wait, sipping at her coffee and nibbling at a small pastry she didn't even want.

The things Aadya was willing to do for her boyfriend.

Smfh.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove was stuck on the toilet for an hour or two after seeing Aadya's name appear on her commlink. She had fought so bravely to overcome Aadya, to not let her existence bother her, to sleep through the nightmares that always included Aadya in some way. And it went SO well, until Altair's party. Since then, Aadya has followed her wherever she went. Her presence on the beach, her name in Altair's mouth. Or, apparently, on her own personal private commlink.

Who even gave Aadya her contact number in the first place?!

No, she did not want to go. There were no lessons Crix could teach her, no tattoo they could ink on her body, to give her the courage to meet Aadya one-on-one. And yet... after her stomach had finally emptied itself and she had managed to wash her face and brush her teeth, her fingers began to stumble across the screen.

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The days leading up to the coffee shop encounter were not pleasant. Not only was she distracted with her latest conversation with Altair and the implications of everything, but she was also terrified of traveling to Iziz and meeting Aadya. But, after a few sleepless nights, the day arrived; after reminding herself of why she was doing this, she assigned a short break and boarded a shuttle bound for Onderon.

The half-Annfyn walked towards the coordinates Aadya had sent her, dressed in her most (mentally) comfortable clothing, a white sundress and some basic wedge sandals. Her hands continued to fiddle with her long mane of curls, trying to hide the upper part of her cybernetic spine behind her hair. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to hide it so badly; it's not like Aadya hadn't seen it before, but she was desperate to look less weak than usual. That's also why she left her cane in the shuttle.

And, at long last, there she was, Aadya, sitting outside next to what appeared to be the cutest looking bakeries. While she wasn't a huge coffee fan, she was a huge fan of pastries and bread. So, at the very least, she had that going for her.

For a brief moment, the half-Annfyn froze, staring at the back of Aadya's dark brown curls. She was clearly hesitant, on the verge of turning around and fleeing. But she swallowed nervously and moved closer to Aadya. "Hey, I'm sorry for being late; I hope you weren't kept waiting for long?"

Everything about her, from her posture to her expression, said she was terrified and extremely uncomfortable. But despite this, she walked over to the chair in front of Aadya, carefully pulled it back, and sat in it with the tiniest of smiles.

If she was going to keep Altair as a friend, the very least she could do was make sure she and Aadya could get through one door. Somewhat.

---

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Tag @Logan
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