WC: 255
What the loner - who introduced herself as Deidre - said was true enough; Slade had, in part, revealed himself with the intention of seeing what she was doing. Still, he didn't want to come off as too defensive; she seemed nice enough. "I'm not a scout, but I did happen to be on the borders." What was a scout, anyway? "Cercatori d'Arte's not far away; we're a friendly bunch, so as long as you don't trespass you'll be fine."
He was silent for an awkward moment. It looked as if he wasn't the only one who had trouble starting conversations. Deidre's lack of words was hardly rude to him; he was all too used to that moment when he was left standing, either waiting for the other to talk or trying to come up with something to say for himself. "It's fine. Happens to me all the time; I'm actually pretty surprised I managed to say something this time around."
Once again Slade was left groping for something to say. The first thing that came to his mind was to ask why Deidre had acted strange for a moment there when she was also contemplating conversation starters, but that might have come off as rude. Instead he went with the second thing that came to mind. "Do you come around here often?" Yet again, he wondered if he was coming off as defensive by asking this, but it was the best thing he could come up with. Better appear defensive than rude, of course.
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