Annoying People Pt. 1

"What do I do, William?" Cress's hands jittered as she stroked the bird on the head with her fingers. "I told her she can stay but if I'm going to have a panic attack every time she does anything remotely… herself, this won't work. And where would she even go? She can't read and she has no way of making money."

"ChiirP! Screeirp!"

"I know, I know! She's so considerate even though she could just order me around. Wait, what if she gets mad if I try to kick her out?! She could just wrap me up and…" Cress hugged her arms, rubbing lightly with her thumbs while William hopped onto her shoulder. Her instincts told her to run, to call her mom or the police or really anyone for help. But what could they do against certain death? How many people would end up like Mia, Marcel, and Dian if she betrayed Illia?

"Cheep." William said in response with a tiny nibble.

"She hasn't met you yet… Maybe she'll leave on her own if she knows you're here."

"Or William will end up wrapped up like that pigeon."

"I have to face this head on, don't I?"

William bobbed his head like he was nodding and fluttered over to his cage and pecking some birdseed. Translation: "Duh".

Really what Cress wanted to do was sleep, to put her brain into standby and deal with everything tomorrow. That wasn't fair to Illia, though. At the very least she deserved an explanation and sincere apology.

Throwing her white hoodie with her favorite magical girl on it back on, Cress steeled her resolve and stepped out of her room. Illia sat on the couch, gazing out the window with a blank expression, or at least one Cress wasn't familiar enough to understand. The Chinese on the coffee table had been cleared, replaced with Illia's longsword next to its sheathe.

"Oh my God, I knew it! She's going to kill me if I betray her! Dammit William! Why did I think a bird with the brain the size of a peanut would give good advice."

"You've returned," Illia said, continuing to stare straight ahead. "Have you had a chance to gather yourself?"

"Y-Yeah. Sorry about that. I just freaked out seeing you…" Cress swallowed hard trying to force the words out. "Seeing you with the bird."

"So I gathered. What was your conclusion after your self reflection?"

Illia's voice was monotone and coupled with her unreadable expression, there was no way for Cress to guess the woman's mood. Was she mad? Her mother often gave her the cold shoulder whenever Cress upset her. Not that Illia seemed that petty but it wasn't like she knew that much about the warrior princess.

"She lowkey reminds me of that warrior princess from the old show I used to watch with Ian as a kid. If she wasn't so spidery, I'd probably be into her."

Cress slapped her inner voice. It wasn't the time to be thinking of childhood crushes. Unlike the regular spiders, this one could be reasoned with.

"I feel like a broken record bringing it up. I just worry about how well I'll be able to fulfill our agreement. You've been nothing but nice to me but I'm not sure living together can work if I'm constantly on edge. I know it's rude to rescind my offer; I'm just unsure how sustainable this is."

Illia started to respond but paused before she said anything, her green eyes staring somberly out the glass door. Hopefully she didn't feel vindictive.

"That is a valid concern, Cress. But rather than part ways, I have a proposal."

"What?"

"I will help you overcome this 'arachnophobia' by using the same method I use to train my soldiers. We will slowly help you adapt to your fear. Your sincerity towards me is evident in your voice and the least I can do is assist you."

"But it would be rude of me to expect you to hide parts of yourself to accommodate me. That's why I think it would be easier if I helped you find somewhere else to stay."

"That…" Illia's eyes darkened to an ominous swamp green. Her eye(lids?) looked heavy, like she was ready to fall asleep at any moment. Cress could relate. "I would prefer to stay with you. It would be hard for me to form a connection to another human and… I must confess that your world puts me at unease. Your streets are packed with metal beasts larger than even the most formidable of Barabeasts and it is difficult to think with the constant drone of activity."

"That makes sense. She probably has heightened senses that make being outside difficult for her. I guess we have that in common."

"Then what should we do?"

"I propose that we can use my stay to our advantage. None of my kin in this world compare to me. Since we can communicate we can establish a pace that suits you. I can tame your emotions with my magic."

"But I thought you said you had limited mana reserves?!" Cress's voice rose without her realizing it and her cheeks flushed pink. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Someone of my stature possesses more than enough mana to sustain themselves and cast simple spells in this world and I replenish it when I feed and rest."

"Why is she so logical? It seems like she'd be fine with leaving if I stood firm on my decision, but how can I do that to someone this thoughtful? Her proposal isn't unreasonable, either. I'll never have another opportunity like this and if she really can help me with my phobia it would change my life."

"I'm willing to try if it's alright with you. But promise me you'll tell me if it becomes too much of a headache."

Before Illia could answer, a loud knock that shook the walls of the hallway came at the door.

"CRESS! ARE YOU IN THERE!"

"Of all the times… Why now, Kirian?! What do I do with Illia? Should I ask her to hide in her room? That would be so rude and it's not like I can hide her forever. What will Kirian say, though? She's brought up moving in together several times this past year. It always seemed like she was joking, but if she wasn't, she'll be pissed."

"One second! I'm pooping!"

Illia's head tilted at Cress's peculiar lie and Cress wanted to run back into her room and bury herself in her duvet. Why pooping? Bathroom would have sufficed or literally any other excuse!

"IT'S ALRIGHT, I'LL JUST USE THE SPARE KEY TO LET MYSELF IN."

Cress's pulse quickened. How could she stop her? She wasn't good at lying or acting and there were just too many 'what ifs'!

"A friend?"

"Yes. Her name is Kirian. She's great, but I'm worried how she'll react if she sees you here. I don't have many friends and keep to myself, so it's pretty much impossible to explain you living here."

"Then why not just be honest? If she is a friend, lying will only beget more dishonesty in the future. Effective communication is vital."

"She's right. Kirian isn't the type to hold a grudge against me."

"Alright. Wait here and try to avoid any not-human stuff or saying you're from another world."

A soft clicking hiss was all Cress got in response and she wondered if that was Illia's way of expressing disapproval.

Regardless of Illia's intention, Cress made her way to the front door and unlocked it, just as Kirian turned the key to unlock it herself. She stumbled inside, bumping her head into Cress's nose and they both muttered a series of curses at one another with amused smiles on their lips.