(Dreadnauts - April '24 Prompt) Fishing

I might have been too harsh on him.

But he must know the truth, Dreadnauts like him don’t last around here but what he said caught me off guard, which is a first from this Owen.

“Pardon?” Ren stares at Owen who is still crouched. “What do you mean by that?”

Owen looks away from Ren. “We aren’t friends so I can’t explain more.”

Ren scrunches his face and sighs. “The way you said that sounds very threatening in my eyes so you should explain.”

Owen pouts and is still avoiding telling him. “Nope. I don’t know you. You should leave since I’m here and ruining your plans.”

Ren could not believe this guy. Sure, Ren told him to basically fuck off and they weren’t that close but it bugged him that Owen said that. It intrigued him so he pressed on. “I guess I did not tell you in our interactions but I am an informer and the info you just let out is part of my work.”

Owen tilts his head as he listens. He stands up and faces Ren. “Huh?”

Ren thinks to himself. He is a peculiar Dreadnaut. How quickly he seems to move on from his emotions. Why doesn’t he feel threatened by me? Why did he assume we were friends? Why does he want me to be his friend? Why doesn’t he give in? Actually…

“Owe, who are you exactly?”

Owen’s expression changed quickly and a shiver went down his spine.

“You look to be someone who is very human, indeed we Dreadnauts bear a human form but we all stem from the same place. Though you strike me as odd Owen. The way you never seem to embrace your Dreadnaut side. Is it because you were raised by humans?”

Owen rubs his arms. “You…you weren’t?”

Ren shakes his head. “No I surfaced with a set goal in mind, I have no need for human caretakers.”

He observes Owen. He is answering me and hesitating but he wants to talk about it but Owen is stopping himself from really telling me. Should I keep pressing? But with that out-of-place information, he said. He could be like the people I’m after. Keeping a facade of being a kind guy but striking when you least expect it. I must proceed with caution.

“I do not want to keep picking at you. You seem unstable to speak the stuff you want to talk about. However, because of this interaction, I am willing to hear you out more.”

Owen’s face lit up with happiness. “Oh! That’s so kind of you Ren. Does that mean-”

“No we aren’t friends still. We are still strangers but I am willing to further this type of relationship into something more favorable.”

“You make it sound like we should be a couple or something.”

“HAH?”

Ren was so caught off by that comment that his eyes ended up being uncovered and his ears just dangled. “I honestly do not understand where you make these absurd comments and conclusions. I am basically making a business deal with you. We talk about our experiences, we get info on each other and we go on our merry way.”

Ren has never met anyone who acted like Owen. Everyone he has interacted with, business or not, did not have this peculiar personality that Owen has.

Owen bends down to get his fishing rod and walks up to Ren. Ren steps back a bit when Owen approaches him. “Okay! If you say so. Here take this.” He hands him his fishing rod. “You can use this to fish, I have a collapsible one in my shed I’ll use.”

Ren looks down at the fishing rod. “Fishing?”

Owen nods. “Yes if you want to talk about our experiences, fishing is the best way too!” Also when you get to the pier, please pick up the cigarette you threw on the ground, just because this place doesn’t get visited anymore, doesn’t mean you get to litter!”

Ren grips the fishing rod and looks back to where the cigarette is in the ground. “Alright.”

Both Ren and Owen sat down at a suitable part of the pier. Fishing and putting the catches they decided to keep into the bucket Owen has. They started with small talk before they talked about some small things about their life. Nothing too deep yet but enough to stay for a bit.

It seems this could be the start of this strange friendship.