I stared back at Red, who was simply leaning against the wall, her single eye closed, and her posture seemingly relaxed. But knowing the way she is, it's more like a bait for anyone to give her a reason to beat the shit out of someone by trying to wake her up physically.

Ah, well... nothing explored, nothing gained, "Red, it's been a while... now this is the moment I'd ask what have you been up to." I knew fully well no one would have gone as far as I did.

Her single eye opened and sized me up quickly. She exuded what seemed to be brief elation... well that worries me, "I have been cramped in here without much to do, hope you feel like breaking some protocols." She kicked off the wall and approached me.

Training can't be that painful... probably, "I'm up for it, anything that gives the Manager some kind of migraine is welcomed. What exactly you feel up to?" And please don't say guns.

She hummed for a moment.

And then I had to duck under a haymaker, it was fast, but I could react to her now... thank you experiences with the Knight, "You improved, hand-to-hand kid, I have some shit to work through." Probably the nightmares.

As if she read my mind, she did a sweep and threw my ass to the floor, while I was busy wondering how many more times I'm going to get hit today, "Please be careful with me... I'm not a stress ball." I groaned on the floor and getting up with relative ease.

It wasn't exactly what I wanted, even if I know what to say. Red won't take anything well if I brought it up, the scars, the wolf, and her clothing... which I know is there to hide her scars and skin.

And yeah, while I was wondering this... I wasn't getting my shit kicked in, but I'm just a brawler. I know how to throw a punch and a kick, yet she is an experienced mercenary that probably knows more than one fighting style, she was also faster and stronger than me by a decent margin.

At least she took my words to heart and didn't smack me silly while I was on the ground. When she managed to throw me down to the floor, she would tell me to stop being so stiff and be less proactive, something about showing too much of what I can do (which isn't a lot) in a short time.

The last time she threw me to the floor (this is like the sixth time already...) she finally decided to speak again, "At least it's tolerable to look when you swing, be less predictable next time." Predictable is one of those things I don't think anyone has ever called me.

While she went back to her wall and laid her back against it, I had to look for words to say without the situation blowing up and having her trying to kill me...

Only to realize there is no safe way to go about this, fuck it.

When in doubt, whip it out, "I've been meaning to ask, WHAT did the wolf do to you?" When the air suddenly turned cold, I had noticed I was still on the floor like the dumbass I am.

I did move my head slightly to see Red looking at her Ax/Knife with a very violent... gaze, "Aren't you a curious cat." And curiosity killed the cat, at least she isn't threatening to make my insides go outside.

She moved to loom over me, and I still decided that the floor was too comfortable to leave behind, while also not saying I was more of a dog person... for obvious reasons.

"It's a long story." Her voice was hollow, and I wondered if what I was doing was even remotely smart or correct, but I'm already here, so may as well move things along.

Moving up to change my position and sit on the floor rather than lay on it, I patted the area in front of me, "We have time, I heard talking can be a great way to vent up frustrations." At my words, Red gave one look to the floor before sitting down, her legs crossed.

Her single eye never once stopped judging me since we started talking.

...

She started to shake, and I knew I had to do something before this devolved into a fight, "What did you do before being a mercenary?" I went out and said that like it would make thin-

"I always visited my Granny." I had to really stop myself from making a stupid face when she actually calmed down, I guess luck has favored my dumbass today.

Not only that but she... sounded soft, well more like she had removed most of the inherit hostility her voice always carried, this was also a chance to know more about her, "Always? She must mean a lot to you." My voice was carefully neutral, hiding my previous surprise and my wariness.

She slowly gave me one nod, "It was always in the morning, going through the forest and waving the neighbors while walking down the road towards the forest, where my Granny lived, who always had a pie ready for me. Sometimes it was apple, sometimes it was cheese, it was always something different each day." Red was reminiscing, and I also had a feeling that she had more than just scars as proof to hate the wolf.

"Only ever tried Banana Cream pie, not my cup of tea, but it wasn't bad." I commented with a shrug of my shoulders, I do wonder...

"She always went out of her house alone, trying to get ingredients in the forest. I was worried, but she always said to me, 'What kind of Grandma would I be if I didn't bake the best pie for my little rose?' It... warmed my heart to hear that." Her voice was almost in a trance, looking at the floor at this point, almost avoiding my gaze.

It was a jarring difference compared to how she usually acts.

This also painted a very bad picture in my head of what happened to her 'Granny', "She sounds like a great woman, do you still know some of her recipes? I would love to try to do one myself." I tried to keep the conversation going.

Red rose her gaze and met mine, she wasn't... angry but some of her usual hostility was back, "I do." And from under her hood, she pulled out one small and surprisingly well-kept book, I didn't reach for it since she quickly hid it back.

"But this is a family secret." She wasn't telling me off, so that's progress.

The room flashed green, and I gave her a small smile while getting up, "Well this was nice, I'm pretty sure I'll be asked to come here again, see ya later." I waved at her.

I didn't get a response though, that's fine.

Although I'm a bit worried about how the next talk is going to go...