dreamer of improbable dreams.

Melody was more surprised that it actually worked. “I mean, I wanted a drink and food but I didn’t actually expect…” She paused and looked at the drink and food. “Er, thanks.” She picked up a fry and ate it. “It’s just been a bit of a stressful week and all that. You’re really kind.”

“Yeah well, it’s nice to be nice and all that crap.” Astrid chuckled, waving it off to tell her it really wasn’t a big deal. She flagged the waitress and ordered them again. “Yeah, I noticed... You’re entire vibe is stressed... I just wanted to help.” A wolf could sense these things, after all. “You wanna talk about it?”

“A town slam packed with power supers invites challenge. Challenge paves the way for chaos. It doesn’t pave the way for carnival sweets contraptions, Astrid.” Carson suggests with a grin that betrays the rest of his demeanor as of late. The more they toyed with the idea of going out the more he regretted how softly compliant he was about it. He still hadn’t quite figured out how he acted around people that weren’t his close loved ones. He was certain that they wouldn’t inspire any sort of rage, but others? He wasn’t sure yet. Her kiss aside from pulling him from his thoughts, causes him to yank away in faux annoyance. “I can try Italian.” He decides anyway. 

“Say what you will, Carson, I’ll remain hopeful. One day I’ll turn the corner and I’ll get what my sense of smell expects.” She nodded firmly. “I mean, granted it would probably be expecting sewage or carnage but still... Hope.” Astrid grinned, patting her hands on his abs in a soft drum roll. “Don’t pull such faces, you love my kisses.” And just because he’d tried to move, she dipped back down and kissed his face everywhere she could reach, falling into a fit of laughter. “Ok, I’ll be waiting downstairs. You need to shower and get dressed in 15 minutes or I’m coming back up here.”

“Yes, you do.” Spencer kisses the side of his face, scratching the space between his ears before standing up and heading over to Astrid’s desk, Roux following at her heels without even being asked. “Lay it on me, King.”

{ff}

It had been a couple weeks since Spencer had taken home a rescue dog. Astrid had to write a home visit follow up for the filing but really, she knew she didn’t need to. She just turned up at Spencer’s with a couple coffees and let herself in. “Bitch where you at?” She called out, hearing the patter of paws first off, a bouncy happy pooch that saw to her placing the drinks down and dropping to the floor. “Roux! Oh look at you, you look so settled!” Astrid cooed and fussed over him, giggling as he tried to lick her face. 

“I’d agree with you, but we didn’t exactly get to do this all that much when we were the right age.” Adrian says, pleased that they’re both still at least a little amused at whatever’s going on right now. Better that than angry, which can happen all too often when one wolf gets involved in an argument, let alone two of them. “The moonstone?” He asks, his brow furrowing at the term. It tugs at something in his memory - the word sounds familiar, but he can’t place it. “That… definitely sounds suspicious. And I know you can take care of yourself, but that doesn’t mean I have to like this. Will you at least let me know if there’s anything I can do to back you up? You’re not the only one with connections, you know.”

“Probably a good thing, too, I’d have kicked your ass back then just like I could kick it now.” She poked her tongue out, grinning at the thought. Astrid was trying to lift the mood but she knew she’d set the worry in stone the second she tried to hide what she was doing from him. “Yeah. Aila had one but...” She shrugged, obviously, she couldn’t ask Aila about it. “I just hate it, A. Seeing her go through that pain every month, it breaks my heart.” Astrid teared up, just thinking about the full moons she’d spent trying to ease Alice’s pain as much as she could. “I’d follow any lead for a fix. I’m not saying I want her to deny her wolf side, I just don’t want a six-year-old girl to suffer every month when she’s suffered enough already. Turning reminds her of all her trauma.” She sighed, shook her head and smiled. “I know, thank you. I don’t need anything, not yet anyway.”

It wasn’t really a question he felt like getting into mostly because he was as unsure of the answer as anything else these days. Who he was? That was the problem he was having, for some reason he was convinced it was someone unfamiliar after he turned. The choices her made that night were the clearest part of it all. He wouldn’t change it. “I think you’re in part to blame that you though a random street corner in Mystic would have a cotton candy machine, Astrid.” He admits with a brief half chuckle, which was a lot compared to his usual demeanor lately. “If you take me to the god damned Grill, I’m unfriending you.” It wasn’t necessarily an objection to getting out of the house despite the brief essence of it.

“This place has seen the devil, crazy fog and a psycho possessing coven and a candy machine is too much to believe in?” She scoffed as she laughed, smiling more so at the fact she’d managed to pull a laugh from him. That was something, right? She hated seeing him like this. “You would never do that to me.” Pressing a kiss to his collarbone, she shifted to sit up on the back of her legs. “There’s an Italian place just across the border? Or a new Chinese place near the town square, apparently. What’re you in the mood for?” She’s pleased he’s at least considering it, maybe he just needed a push to get out there again, she’d be happy to deliver it. 

“Unless you have alcohol or food you’re willing to share, do not talk to me right now.” It felt like the first time she had sat down all weekend. With all the vampires seemingly going crazy all at the same time, it resulted in a lot of dead bodies and a lot of work for Melody. Clearly, she wasn’t happy about. 

Astrid was only going to say hello, but paused when a moody Melody spoke. She only chuckled in response though and decided to sit down with her, placing her tray of fries and cocktail on the table and pushing them over to her. “I can order another, you look like you need it more than me.” 

Seeing that Aurora had officially left town, Charlie decided to drown her sorrows in a couple of drinks. Or possibly several drinks; she’d lost count about an hour or two right now. “I’m officially an orphan!” She calls out loudly, toasting to herself before downing the rest of her liquor. “Don’t tell Spencer, but I’m totally trashed right now.” Charlie says to the person next to her, without actually taking notice of who it is - she’s far too drunk for that.

Heard this town was a mess while I was away. Maybe I should’ve stayed in Paris.

“Heard it ain’t much better there what with the riots and all. Didn’t it feel just like home?” 

Spencer looks over at Astrid, a big grin on her face as the mutt keeps licking at her chin. “I think you’ve got one more open spot here, ‘cause Roux’s coming home with me.” As if to emphasize the statement, Roux attempted to squish himself into Spencer’s lap, still trying to wriggle up and keep licking her face.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” he wasn’t stupid enough to jump a hybrid. He was bested. Sure he held all confidence that he’d pin her down, but one little bite from her? It was game over. Max was wise when it came to those he targeted for fun. He had to watch himself in Mystic Falls, like hell were his last moments going to be spent serving alcohol whilst engaging in boring small talk. A grin soon formed on his features, “The whole package.” he repeated as well as nodded, “Sure.” his attention soon turned to the crowd that came stumbling into the bar, saved by the bell, right? He at least he thought. “If you wanna, sure you know your way around.” he accepts her help, he knew he’d need it to avoid the moans and once the closest customer to the bar lists of his order, Max soon gets on with making his drinks.

“No I shouldn’t think so, I’d imagine your dreams are a little wilder than that.” She chuckled. Giving off a hair flip in response to him agreeing she was the whole package, she blinked rapidly, as if to say, yeah, I know. “Come on then.” Astrid rolled her eyes in amusement, walking around behind the back and picking up a waist apron to put on. She didn’t want to make Spencer's bar look unprofessional. She went through the motions, taking the drinks order, handing them menus, telling them she’ll bring them over to them. “You wanna do the cocktails, I got the beers and spirits. Show off your skills.” She teased, handing him the list. 

At the mention of Dean she couldn’t help but look up at Astrid, figuring that it was Dean Winchester— especially in this town and what were the chances of another Dean teaching a kid to stance and throw a punch? She smiled softly, a small hint of sympathy was something she showed, knowing that the hunter was no longer alive and she figured he must have been close to the pair of them  At Astrid’s comment, she nodded in understanding. Knowing that it wasn’t her place or business to ask more and once Alice started skipping away, she moved along too. “I will. I’ll even teach you how to do all the kicks, too.” meaning the famous roundhouse kick. It was easy to learn and by the looks of what Alice could already do with her fists, she’d pick it up. She seemed a quick learner. Now picking up her boxing pads, Madeline soon put them on. “Take your stance, we’ll have a little practice.” this whole session they were having now was merely just for fun, she wasn’t planning on pushing Alice too hard today. Bending down again, so she was level with Alice, so when she’d throw her punches, she didn’t have to reach so high to hit the pads. “Show me those punches again. Three with you right hand and two with your left.” 

“Kicks?” Alice asked her curiously. She thought she’d only be using her hands, so this sounded fresh and exciting. Her eyes were still gleefully looking at her boxing gloves and she’d already mentally planned to draw Madeline a picture to say thank you. “Okay.” Her eyes glanced towards Astrid, who nodded and sat down out the way. Alice did as she was told, planting her feet and putting on her best focus face. She was scared to punch too hard, Astrid had told her wolves were stronger than normal people and that she shouldn’t ever tell anyone what she was unless Astrid said it was okay. Which, she hadn’t, so she did punch, but they were light and barely touched the girls hands. Something she was smart enough to understand wouldn’t be correct. “Wait. Um. Again?” Alice looked at her, wanting to get it right. She could put her strength into it without raising alarm bells. And so, she did it again, better this time. Alice smiled and dropped her hands. “I just don’t want to hurt you or hit your face on accident.” She explained, obviously not understanding how hilarious that must sound to the elder. 

“I know, if I can step back long enough it all sounds really gross. But it’s pretty intoxicating, all of it. It almost seems like a fantasy. Like..I’d tune into my movie, you know? Probably get a lot of views.” That definitely wasn’t the right terminology but frankly, she couldn’t care less about it. Everything she had, it seemed so far away 2 years ago. Now that it was hers it was awe striking. “I’ll always do right by him, by all of you. Even if that means Mason and I need another 10-month hiatus to be alright again.”

“Will do.” Adrian crosses his arms as Astrid narrows her eyes - he’s really got the protective older brother thing down, if he does say so himself - and feels his eyebrows raise when she says she can’t tell him. If she thought he would give up after that, it had to be wishful thinking, because she knew him better than that. “You are aware that makes me want to let you go even less, right?” He scoffs. “You should tell me, for safety’s sake at least. I promise I won’t try and stop you - that hard. No promises on not calling you dumb, though.” That last part was a joke, but only that part.

“Well- yeah. But I mean, we’re a little old for this type of sibling fight, no? I’m going and you can’t stop me.” She lifted a brow, slightly amused by the idea that he might actually try to stop her. Though, it wasn’t funny, she didn’t want him to worry.  “I’m meeting with someone who might know where to find a moonlight ring. Or at least, the moonstone. I mean any lead at this point would be good.” Astrid knew she wouldn’t have to explain why. “It’s about half-hour out of town and his character is a little questionable, apparently, but I can handle myself. Apparently, if he gives me the info, I just have to owe him a favour. And I know, that’s... Weird. I don’t know what it means, either. But I can take care of myself.”